Karen, I must say that you have an eloquence to your arguments that transcends what most people are capable of. I like your rant about North America, because it matches the opinions that I've had as well. What can I say though, the ignorance of North America is the result of advancement. It is an irrefutable fact that any country which becomes wealthy and powerful inevitably becomes corrupt. People arent interested in intellectual pursuit because they feel no need to be. Those who have to struggle, as you said, end up learning, but what do North Americans have to struggle for. While many in the world work hard for what they have, North Americans have it lax. Its easy for us to sit idly by and watch as something which doesnt even affect us occurs. Its easy for us to watch a television which appeals to our need for excitement than it is to sit down and concentrate on a book. How well do we have it here? Lets put i this way, during the Tsunami that recently struck South Asia, we were able to generate millions and millions of dollars for that crisis without making a single change in our lifestyles. I agree with you though, our culture is one which scorns the intellect and seems to look upon such people with derision. How many times have you been in class and not wanted to raise your hand to answer a question for the fear of looking too nerdy? I know that I havent a few times. How many comedy skits have you seen recently that have been genuinly funny without cussing and using profanity to get cheap laughs? As for being in touch with history, I beleive that a person without a knowledge of history is like a person without eyes or ears, they cant comprehend the significance of whats happening around them. When it comes to the pursuit of luxury goods, there is something in human nature which strives for competition. You cant simply have a car, you have to have the BEST car. This is all about dominance and the ability to show off how much more you have than someone else. (congrats on investing that moolah in the bank by the way, you made the right choice) In the end, most people are simply too short sighted to understand the importance of education and critical thinking. Too often people live day to day rather than looking to the future. It's one of the signs of a declining civilization. In many ways Karen, everyone in our group is part of a select few: the thinkers who look upon society with contempt. In many ways we can be compared to Tacitus and Dante. Tacitus looked shamefully upon the degeneration of his Roman society and longed for them to return to their noble, incorruptible, barbarian-like roots. Dante , the Italian poet of The Inferno and many others, railed against what he viewed as the degeneration of his society. While we may not be on par with these people, in many ways we share a common plight: we see the world as it is, and we see it for what it could be. It is the second vision which causes us so much frustration because we compare the two and realize that some of the most important aspects of the world are being left out. As for that little history quiz, I'll try my luck with a few guesses: I think Columbus arrived in America around 1492...I think the Rape of Nanking occured in 1930 or somewhere around then...I think the first car was built in America...I think that 1984 was written at the height of Communism...What do u think?

North Americans are Ignorant

We take pride in being logical. We take pride in being critical. Dammit, we even take pride in being secular. You know why we take so much pride in these superficial things? Because we've got nothing else to be proud of.

Freedom, right? Freedom to think and to have an opinion? Dude, we're not free. The corporate media monster controls what we know, controls what we don't know, dammit the media controls our OPINIONS of other people.

Democracy then, right? So tell me. Why the hell is George W. Bush the President of the United States? Because he's intelligent, in the true sense of the word? Because he understands all the complicated workings of politics and history? Because his first priority is the people he governs?

Right.

Why is Paul Martin our Prime Minister? And why is the general public angry at him for the surplus that has been generated this year? If they're angry, why were people angry back when Canada was in debt? And then angry again when we spent as much as we made? Jeez, what other financial position can Canada be in that will make you people HAPPY?

Everyone's a bunch of followers. We follow what the critics say, what the opposition says, just so we can take a stab at those in power, perhaps even make ourselves look like critically thinking individuals. A perfect example, though very simple, comes from a basketball game that I went to at the ACC, around the time before Vince was finally traded to the New Jersey Nets.

Here's the scenario: Vince Carter has asked to be traded. Fans feel betrayed for some reason, even though no one's liked him for a while and everyone's been calling him a pansy since the beginning of his career. So the game's on, and the ball is passed to Vince. The entire stadium starts booing. Here are fans of the Toronto Raptors, booing their own star player. And then Vince scores. And the entire stadium cheers.

O.o so are you guys pissed at him or proud of him?????

We have such stupid basketball fans, it's unbelievable. So God-damned ignorant.

Anyway, what sparked this post? Well, my Parisian tutor ranted about ignorance today too, and she jolted my senses to the reality of our education system, of our society's consumerism, of everyone's lack of respect for history.

First, our crappy education system. I won't even start to pretend I fully appreciate our education system, because you know what, frankly, I think it's horrible. It's stupid people teaching children.

Do you know what the prerequisites are to applying for the Ontario's Institute of Studying Education at the Primary/Junior level? NOTHING. There ARE NO PREREQUISITES. As long as you have two, three, or five credits of something (depending on the subject), with a respectable average, and enough volunteer experience, you qualify. There is nothing specific.

And my greatest fear as a prospective elementary school teacher is that I will probably one day become one of those stupid people teaching children who have so much capacity to learn, but because we want them to go crazy and laugh and eat lollipops all day, we're not going to MAKE THEM LEARN WHAT THEY NEED TO LEARN.

You know what I found out? Kids now have the right to do only one hour of homework a night. ONE HOUR. If they've done that, they have an excuse to not do the rest of their homework.

ONE HOUR. What the fuck can they learn and absorb in ONE STINKING HOUR??? Meanwhile, if they're not doing homework, they're either out in the park bullying other children, being bullied by other children, or they're at home rotting their brains in front of the computer/TV/God-knows what else. Just because we we're worried about over-working them and having them struggle.

One of my T.As said to me yesterday: If you're not struggling, you're not learning.

So.. that means no one in elementary school is learning.

I complained last year that the curriculum is too difficult. Fuck that. Make it harder. Kids have such a capacity to learn. I was horrified at their math, but you know what? Third graders can learn probability if it's explained to them properly. Hell, they can learn the entire history of North America and still have room for more. They just need to work hard at it.

Second, consumerism. I won't get into details, but let's work with some examples, shall we?

For Chinese New Year, my dad gave me a lot of money. $600. For what? I have no idea. But anyway, my friends asked me what I was going to buy with that.

Kay: nothing. I'm putting it in the bank.
Ignorant friend: what?? you have all this extra cash and you're not going to spend it??
Kay: why would I?
Ignorant friend: get yourself an IPod. Or a new pair of shoes. Or a new digicam.
Kay: no, I think I'm just gonna put it in the bank.

If I didn't get all that lucky money from my dad, what would I have done? I wouldn't have bought ANYTHING anyway, because I DON'T NEED IT. What the hell was I gonna do with an IPod? I had my CD player. What the heck was I gonna do with new shoes? I already had 5 pairs. They were old at the time, mind you, but I couldn't bother. And I already have a digicam. I'd rather save that $600 and pay for my school books and my commuting costs.

Now this next example is where consumerism gets silly. I look down my street and see all these ridiculously big houses. And what for? I bet all those houses have at least one big-screen TV. I bet all those houses have at least one big car. And what for? Usually, people purchase luxery items just because they can, probably to feed their egos and make themselves feel accomplished.

How accomplished can you be? It's a fucking television set!! It shouldn't be about the aparatus upon which you watch your programs, but the programs themselves. Perfect example of ignorant superficiality versus substance.

The third thing that was brought to my attention was appreciation for history. We all sit here critisizing other countries for their "incorrect" conduct. We sit here wondering why Europe is spending so much money on preserving their buildings instead of tearing them down and building new ones. We sit here and watch globalization at work and we don't feel despair. We sit here, never having travelled around even our own beautiful country of Canada, not ever relishing in its natural beauty that took so many thousands of years to form. We sit here, waiting for democracy to settle in Iraq, and we don't realize that our children probably won't be alive to see that happening, because it takes longer than a snap of a finger, a drop of a bomb.

How dare we sit here critisizing another country's way of life when we don't even understand their history, their culture, their way of thinking? How dare we sit here and judge them for being the way they are when we don't even know their country's historical path that lead them to where they are now? How dare we allow our ignorance take over and allow ourselves to think that we are critical thinkers, when we really aren't? Why do you think the rest of the world thinks we're STUPID?

Knowledge and intelligence, in their TRUEST sense, their PUREST sense, are revered in Europe. And shamefully, I know that it certainly isn't respected here. It never has been. We shy away from the intellects because they speak of things we don't understand, thus cannot contribute to. We take their thirst for knowledge as a negative thing because our minds cannot match their intensity. Because deep down, we know we are stupid.

When I say "we", I really do mean the population in general, and not people who are reading this. Because those of you who even took the time and patience to read this entire thing probably really do care about being well educated individuals, and are thus spoiling for a debate to flex your brain and exercise your mind.

However, this isn't enough. Can you honestly say that when you go to the library, and you pick up an Egyptian history book, that you'll be able to appreciate it from cover to cover? Do you know, off the top of your head, the decade or century that Christopher Columbus arrived in America? Can you tell me when the Rape of Nanking occurred? Or where the first car was built? Or what was happening as the book 1984 was being written?

(btw, if you do, that's frikkin awesome.)

It's all so important to know, because it's a part of history, and it's a part of understanding why things happen the way they do. We're all connected to history. And the education system does not stress that enough; thus, our society does not value history enough. It's all very unfortunate.

Interpreting Kay's Post

When you walked into that chapel Kay, you felt like you were at home because of the strange, psychosymatic feeling that you got from being in a holy place. You must have felt as though the mere presence of this holy place was enough to expunge the ambivalence of the day. Being in the presence of something which is sanctified suddenly makes us believe that we are somehow in the presence of a higher power and that goodness and strength are being inserted into us. The spiritual feeling of a chapel could be compared to the dread felt in a graveyard at night. There is nothing going on, its only our senses playing with us, as well as the constant portrayal of the spirituality of these places in the media. When we are in a chapel we convince ourselves that everything will be alright and that we have been given something enlightening. The truth is that the strength you recieved was there all along, it only needed a chord to be struck so that it could reveal itself. Seeing how you had a terrible day, its no coincidence that you were drawn to the chapel. Many people go to such holy places when they find themselves with an emotional conundrum. Religious belief flourishes in times of crisis. During the medieval era the Catholic Church experienced a massive growth in converts. This was because life was so shitty that people needed an experience and a confirmation that their life would change for the better. When you had your terrible day Kay, the feelings you felt were changed and even magnified by being in the chapel. In a time of crisis religious experience took its strongest hit at you, and won with a K.O.

Interpret This:

I had a horrible week. The worst week I've had in months. Then, today was the cherry that topped the sundae of shit. Lathered the pile of shit with chocolate syrup just to mock me. Yes. It was bad, ladies and gents..

At the University of Toronto, we have several specified rooms; places where people of diverse religious backgrounds can quietly pray and perform their daily rituals, or even grasp a moment of peace with their higher power. One of these rooms was a tiny chapel at the Hart House, one of our student activity buildings.

And that was where I was drawn today.

Actually, I had no intention of going to the chapel at all when I went to the Hart House. I actually wanted to get a moment of rest in one of the lounges. Take a nap or something. But it just so happens that the chapel was right in front of the student lounge. And yea, my feet swivelled me into the chapel. I bowed my head with respect (more out of habit, I think) and sat down.

Note well that I have never been in that chapel. Ever. Maybe glanced at it once during a tour, months before even attending the university. And it's a very tiny chapel; darkly lit, not very well kept, uncomfortable chairs with a window that looks over a loud student courtyard where you can hear assholes screaming vile jokes at each other. And yet, strangely.. it still felt like home. As soon as I walked in, I felt like I was supposed to be in there. All my anxieties went away. I cried with relief, even. It was a strange revelation that I hadn't had in years, and it gave me strength for the rest of the day.

Interpret my feeling of revelation. In a separate post, SVP.

The Power of Words

Words arent just things that we write or say, they're instruments which can help us to influence the thoughts and actions of those around us. Communication is an invaluable human achievement, and since the first primitive humans developed it, it has become something which has helped our civilization develop to new heights. What is it about the power of words? If I say something like "Go get me that drink" depending on the tone and manner in which I say it, people will respond differently. If I say "Your moms a bitch" to be as vulgar as possible, the person I'm saying it to will be affected by it one way or another. Political orators are prime examples of people who use language to influence the thoughts and actions of others. Whether this be a Christian preacher making a speech about the need to repent for one's sins, or Adolf Hitler speaking at a mass rally making a tirade against the Jews, the actions of the orator can influence those who are listening. Let us consider Adolf Hitler for a moment. He is considered by many historians to have been a master orator. He was able to move a croud and hold them, raising energy and emotions to fever pitch. How can a man do such a thing? the answer is simpler than you would think. Hitler used many tactics to achieve this level of heighetened tension. Besides his powerful methods of delivering the speech and his body movements, he would always arrive late at a rally to build up tension and would build up his speech very gradually, slowly raising the emotion to fever pitch. These speeches are also effective because humans are a herdlike species and will do things in groups they wouldnt have done as an individual. If words can have this effect, then they can also induce others to do things they dont want to do. Simply by pressuring a person into doing something "come on, just this once, give it a try" can make them do things that they wouldnt have done before. Words are also a misleading bunch of miscreants and can confuse and even brainwash people, such as subliminal messages. Just as a test for the power of words, I want everyone to tell me how these phrases make you feel:

"The world is dying, people are dying, there is no God. Fuck the human race, real people died a long time ago and now there only bloated, jaded, pus-filled shadows which have taken the titles of men and women."

"Give peace a chance, there is always time to make amends. Bathe in the tranquility and the beauty that is life. Let your spirit soar through the endless clouds and let your mind expand to include a universe you never knew existed."

Signs of Alchoholism

Having an uncle who is in fact a raging alchoholic, I can speak this from personal experience. Here are some of the signs of a budding alchoholic:

Do you ever drink heavily when you are disappointed, under pressure or have had a quarrel with someone?
Can you handle more alcohol now than when you first started to drink?
Have you ever been unable to remember part of the previous evening, even though your friends said that you did not pass out?
When drinking with other people, do you try to have a few extra drinks when others won't know about?
Do you sometimes feel uncomfortable if alcohol is not available?
Do you sometimes feel a little guilty about your drinking?
Are you in more of a hurry to get your first drink of the day than you used to be?
Has a family member or close friend ever expressed concern or complained about your drinking?
Have you been having more memory 'blackouts' recently?
Do you often want to continue drinking after your friends say they've had enough?
Do you usually have a reason for the occasions when you drink heavily?
When you're sober, do you sometimes regret things you did or said while drinking?
Have you tried switching brands or drinks, or following different plans to control your drinking?
Have you sometimes failed to keep promises you.made to yourself about controlling or cutting down on your drinking?
Have you ever had a DWI (driving while intoxicated) or DUI (driving under the influence of alcohol) violation, or any other legal problem related to your drinking?
Do you try to avoid family or close friends while you are drinking?
Are you having more financial, work, school and/or family problems as a result of your drinking?
Has your physician ever advised you to cut down on your drinking?
Do you eat very little or irregularly during the periods when you are drinking?
Do you sometimes have the "shakes" in the morning and find that it helps to have a "little" drink, tranquilizer medication of some kind?
Have you recently noticed that you can't drink as much as you used to?
Do you sometimes stay drunk for several days at a time?
After periods of drinking do you sometimes see or hear things that aren't there?
Have you ever gone to anyone for, help about your drinking?
Do you ever feel depressed or anxious before, during or after of heavy drinking?

If you show these traits then you may be in danger of becoming an alchoholic, but, look on the bright side at least u wont end up like this http://www.recoverylane.com/hooked.htm

Signs of an Unhealthy Friendship

my wisdom to you. it's dark, it's sometimes, cruel, but it's the truth.

1) when you feel guilty about something, even though you've done nothing wrong... GET OUT!!

2) when you feel obligated to talk to this person or see this person everyday... GET OUT!!

3) when this person feels like your best friend within the span of 2 or 3 months, or even less than a year of knowing him/her... GET OUT!!

4) if you feel as though this person is sitting around, waiting for you to be free so that you guys can hang out... GET OUT!!

5) as soon as this person makes you feel suffocated... GET OUT!!

6) as soon as you feel as though you are this person's only friend and will have nothing better to do than call you or hang out with you... GET OUT!!

7) if this person gets jealous of any of your romantic endeavors... GET OUT!!

8) when you need to be putting a lot of effort into letting this person into your personal bubble because it's "the right thing to do"... GET OUT!!

9) when you start to get effected by his/her relationships with people, and even lose a few friends in the process on his/her behalf... GET OUT!!

and when i say "GET OUT!!", i mean "GET THE FUCK OUTTA THAT FRIENDSHIP!!" cuz it's NOT a friendship. it's a clingy, weird, obsessive, over-posessive, pathetic fool who's too needy and has to deal with his/her own insecurities before even attempting to be anyone's "best friend".

the worst part is this person doesn't even have any idea that he/she does this sorta thing. it just happens naturally cuz he/she is so damn unbelievably needy.

keep this in mind. please. don't fall into this bs the way i did.

Kay's Weird Habits

reposting this for David's sake lol..

1) i need to drink water while i'm eating chocolate cuz the water washes away the thick chocolate way from your tongue, and then when you put more chocolate in your mouth again it's a whole fresh new taste of chocolate and it just tastes better that way.

2) i ALWAYS leave my napkin on the kitchen table after breakfast thinking that someone's going to use the clean side so that it won't go to waste.

3) i curl up so tightly at night that i only use 1/4 of my bed, and it's a twin size. when i was at res, i had a double, so i only used 1/8 of my bed. in first year, if ever i went to bed early, my roommate would run in, look at my bed, and run back out of the room looking for me. and then when she came back in, i'd get up and scare the shit outta her lol..

4) when i'm bored, i tend to stick my fingers in my hair and scratch my scalp. hopefully no dandruff flies around...

5) when i'm thinking, i naturally turn my head to the side and smoosh my face against something. if i'm at the computer and too lazy to bring my hands up, i smoosh my cheek against my shoulder. otherwise i'd just smoosh my face against my fist.

6) singing is usually a substitute for me when i'm with friends/family and no one's talking. i know a lot of you just sing randomly, but seriously... when i get going.. i DON'T STOP. Denise can vouch for me. we went to Wonderland once and she got so annoyed. it's not that i sound terrible either, it's just that i COULDN'T shut up.

7) whenever someone asks for my opinion or looks to me for a solution, i tend to always spend time going "hmm... hmm.." and making them wait for some reason.

i can't think of any funnier ones, unfortunately. but anyway, for the rest of you.. your turn!

Frosh Weeeek

Taking a cue from Jonny Boy I decided I should post my Frosh Week on this piss hole. It started off reasonably, with everybody just settling in and meeting eachother, then came the big rallies in the gym. Everybody has a colour team and they chear like biiiitches. So they had this thing going where everyone in one team would jump up and down and yell "YES YES YES WE DO WEVE GOT SPIRIT HOW BOUT U!!?" and point to another team which had to say the same thing quickly and throw it at another team like a chain until one team didnt have enough people doing it in which case every other team would yell "WE GOT THE BOAT WE GOT THE BOAT!!" anyways after that we had anouncements and went back to our rooms and did stuff. NOW, the next morning our Ice Breakers came. The girls gave a knock on the door and asked us to wake up. If this didnt happen. a minute later the guys would come and literally kick the fuckin door ti'll it looked like they were gonna kick it down. One breaker actually sat down on the floor and started kicking a guys door until it looked about ready to come off its hinges. Our group was pretty co-operative but some people just liked to go off and do their own thing. There was a talent show and a thing were they had a Price is Right competition with a substitute Bob Barker. On the weekend was when the reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal fun began. we had to do a fundraiser for cystic fibrosis. We went to a Canadian Tire and spent the whoooooole day there. We had to shine shoes, cars, anything for some money. Eventually we put this little guy named Jeff, who looks like hes twelve, into a shopping cart and turned it over. We made a sign saying we needed to raise 200 bucks for cystic fibrosis before he could get out. We raised a fair bit of money doin that. The time when we raised the most money was when we went right into the hall of the Canadian Tire and cheered on people when they donated. People like to be the centre of attention and donated to be cheered for. One guy gave me a penny and walked away laughing when he did it. I found it funniest when our icebreaker, Steve-O, would aks for money and get rejected practically every time, they looked at him like he was a homeless bum and I just couldnt help laughing with him every time someone just walked by without even looking at him. Our group of nine raised about 1,200 bucks and that was mostly due to my skills of attracting customers cause i'm so damn attractive and sexy. The school in all rasied about 157,000 bucks and this will help hopefully to find a cure.

Wierd Habits

taking a hint from Kay's blog I'll post some of the wierd habits that I can think of which I tend to do.

1. When I sit down and listen to someone talking I tend to put my hands together in the way that Dr. Evil does as though I were planning to destroy the Earth. I also tend to rub my chin when thinking about things.

2. Whenever I talk to the dog I speak to him as though he were my child, in a high, squeeky voice.

3. I used to have the same routine every single day. I would do pushups one day, and run some laps the next. I never deviated from this schedule.

4. I tend to read my history books (which I have at home because I'm a history nerd) in historical order.

5. I had a tendency to whip out my handkerchief (yes I had a handkerchief) at random moments.

6. whenever I get nervous I tend to whistle or sing something, this sometimes happens excessivly.

7. I used to just go up into my room and read every chance I got. When my parents were downstairs with my sis watching television, I'd be upstairs sucking in the juice out of a book.

8. Whenever confronted with an insult of some kind, I tend to shrug it off in a playful manner: "Hey Dave I had fun with your mom last night!"
"Yes I know, I was videotaping it!"

9. I used to have a fascination with trying to convince my freinds to go into the graveyard at night. Whether this was to try and prove something to myself or whether I'm just a budding necrophiliac may never be known.

10. I tend to start things with a huge creative out-pouring and then never finish them. I started a novel at one point and got to about 50 pages before I just stopped. I always planned to get back to it but as of yet, I havent.

11. Whenever I used to not do homework I would always rummage around in the closet or in my bag looking for it and telling the teacher I would find it, even though I knew damn well it wasnt going to show up, as though I was trying to delay the inevitable.

12. Because of my below average hearing I tend to ask "What?" a lot. This can lead some people to simply say, "Nothing" or become annoyed...like a certain Jonathan Wong.

Well thats all the habits I can think of. If anyone else wants to post their own weird habits, even if you want to transfer the ones you've already written Kay, be my guest.

Random Thoughts

Before Julius Caeser crossed the Rubicon he sat for a long while, thinking about what to do. His troops werent used to this kind of indescision from their leader. They had fought their way through Gaul and now stood at the gates of Rome. Caeser had been recalled by jealous opponents to return to Rome and lay down his arms. Now he stood at a turning point. Did he take his men and surrender to his would be enemies? Or did he march on Rome and risk an all out civil war? He knew that his career was on the line, a lifetime of achievements and now this was the moment that would see him marching to glory or to certain ignominy. It was a descision too momentous for rational thought or calculation. And so it was as a gambler in a gambler's fit of passion that Caeser crossed the Rubicon. So fateful was that decision and so enormous were its consequences that it has come to stand for every fateful decision taken since. As for the river itself, it is known only in name as its location has long been forgotten. What is it about leaping into the unknown? Where do people derive the strength to do things that seem unimaginable. Sometimes its about risks. Risks are necessary for those who seek to win big, but they can also backlash and turn against us. Sometimes, its necessary to do the unimaginable. Just because people say it cant be done, doesnt mean it cant. Nothing is beyond the realm of possibility. All it requires is that you believe in yourself and are ready to do whatever it takes to get to where you know you need to be. Opposition is always there but they are short sighted compared to you. They cant see the whole act as you can, and there is nothing they can really do unless you make the mistake of letting them. But what does it mean to risk everything in the name of uncertainty? This is I believe, is a fatally human characteristic. In the moment when we have to make our choice we think about fate and hope that God (whichever you believe in) will be guidng us. The truth, in my opinion, behind the success of mastering the unknown comes with personal skill and courage, and not to mention a bit of luck. But sometimes even when we want to master the unknown and fate, everything turns against us. King Louis the 14th of France had one of the greatest fighting machines in Europe and he was able to dominate European politics for this reason. But when he wanted to conquer Europe as a whole, he found himself receiving only small gains in exchange for huge losses. But fate is a fickle thing and Alexander the Great, Genghis Khan, Jessie Owens, George Washington, Adolf Hitler, Napoleon Bonaparte, Joseph Stalin, Elizabeth 1 and many others have made great achievements in their lifetime against the odds. The real question is what traits do these people have in common. stubborn will to resist perhaps? total belief in themselves, intelligence, supporters and traits which drew those supporters, and a little bit of luck on their side.

I heard some of what he (the mayor of New Orleans) had to say on the news. He sounded incredibly pissed off and I dont blame him for it. Before I get into that though, I believe I have a post from Granty boy to reply to. Hmmm...It seems that the whole George Dubyah post has raised a few eyebrows in concern...of course it lacks the substance of good information and its absurd, however, its also highly exagerated. When I put Georgie in the hall of Badass villains, I had to find a way to put him on par with the others, and the only reaaal way to do that was to exagerate immensly. By calling him an 'evil overlord' and by using an example (however biased and uninformed it was) I made an attempt to make George look evil, otherwise he wouldnt be able to be a Badass Villain. Of course, I did it more out of personal enjoyment than out of the hopes of arousing controversy, but it is good the controversy has taken place and voices have been raised. About my opinions, what can I say, like anyone, I just changed over time and adopted new views, and who knows, it's likely that my current views will change as well. I like what you've said about tone and offense and whatnot, its all very true, in most cases anyways. There are so many ways to offend people and everyone has their own way of being offended, so in a sense your right, you truly cant please everyone. And of course, you brought up the topic of New Orleans. Well now, this is in my opinion is human nature at its finest. People look like they've sat by and done nothing, but is that really so shocking to us. When Rwanda was happening (a situation which could have been stopped with strong intervention) no one did a damn thing. Sure there were afew minor attempts to help out but no one acted until it was far too late. This goes back to what you said Grant, about people's self-serving motives. The fact that an entire city is in chaos and people are too slow to act is appalling. But it's nothing new. People knew that the storm was coming and they knew that there would be extensive damage beforehand, and yet they acted tardily. The problem with our society is that we cant seem to act on things unless they affect us directly. Sure we could help a child in Africa and prevent them from starving and dying a horrible death, but in the end, how many of us get up and actually go to the phone to make the call? I can tell you I didnt. But does that mean I dont care about the kids? Well in a way it does. I had a conversation with Kay yesterday about actions speaking louder than words. If I really did want to make a change in the lives of those people, I wouldve actually done it instead of sitting around and feeling sorry for them. Its like New Orleans, people see it happening, they think to themselves, oohh thats terrible, and go back to eating their dinner. If you really want people to act, you cant tap them on the shoulder, you have to hit em with a sledge hammer, kind of the like the Mayor Ray Nagin did with his fiery speech, but even that wont be enough.

New Orleans: Mayor Ray Nagin

click
The mayor's fliiiipppin' pissed.. thank you Julia for sharing it.

Grant, you mentioned something like this in your last post. I really can't believe the inaction.

Guys, please listen to everything. It's so blood-boiling.

Grant WHOSE YOUR DADDY??!!!!

Brettler

I had another post before but I accidentally deleted it, well, I didnt realize that Kay was posting at the same time as me but I can see that she aint too happy with what was said before. As for me, I'm notorious for not taking things personally and I know your a joker at heart Brett, even if you did come across a little strong. But there's nothing wrong with coming across strong, the propoganda part was genuinly funny, and I would be glad to re-type what I have written before. Well Brett, I had said before that you were right about my sources, they were from CNN and were kinda vague but I still believe that its true. In any case, when it comes to me and the Left Wing, I've been introduced to it and am currently dancing around in it. The reason is that you guys dont come out with enough 'Right Wing' stuff. There's no more 'Adolf and I' from Granten and I've seen a few of your posts, but they never expanded. Remember at the barbeque when I told you that if you wanted to write some stuff about the Right Wing, you should by all means do it that night, but that stuff failed to materialize. My point is, you should post more stuff about what you think, and then, we'll see how it is. I've forgotten what I wrote before, Oh YES!! that thing about me dancing in the gutter sounded frighteningly appealing, I dont know why. And as for YOU KAY, I wasnt expecting anyone to post in my defense but you pulled it off quite nicely.

An Intervention for Our Friend, Brett Winestock

I believe David started this blog as a means for all open-minded individuals with diverse ideologies to come together and discuss anything they feel is worth discussing, without the condescending remarks of those who can't don't appreciate the opinions of others. David, correct me if I'm wrong.

Brett, I'm sorry if you consider me too much of a "left-wing nut" to be associating with me, because although I am center-of-left, I joined this discussion board as a way to share my ideas and to read the ideas of others who won't necessarily agree with me. That of course, would include yourself. It is always interesting to see what the opposition thinks, and although we don't meet eye to eye, the discussion is always enlightening and always brings forth another perspective in the topic at hand.

What does it matter if there are people on this discussion board who are "filthy left wingers" like myself? You probably went to the movies with a whole lot of them (myself included), and until they opened their mouth about their political views, you didn't seem like them any less.

There are reasons why we're left-wingers, and there are reasons why you're a right-winger. And before it even starts, I say now that I hope a blogger warfare won't be ignited at our own expense merely because we stand on different sides. The fathers of our nations have led us too far for anything silly like that to happen on a website.

By the way, FYI, this "poster Kay**" that you're talking about is named Karen. We watched Virgin Suicides at Denise's house with Grant a few months ago. Just so you can put a face to the name.

An Intervention For My Friend, David Smith

David, when I was first invited to your blogger via an e-mail proclaiming "Come Reveal Your Darkest Sexual Fantasies" I deleted it, falsely believing it to be porn. However, my pornography addiction got the best of me, and I decided to open the e-mail When I first visited I was initially disappointed in the lack of porn. However, a new sensation overcame me when I began reading your anti-religious diatribes. I believed that I had stumbled upon some sort of far-right message board, and I signed-up enthusiastically. That being said, after enjoying your, and a centre-of-right poster calling himself "Grant" 's posts I noticed that the attitude being taken upon by many of your other regulars was that of a filthy, left-wing, liberal nut.

I saw you falter occasionally to the left David, however I always held out a faith that you would see the light guiding you home to your true feelings, here on the right side of the political spectrum. Recently however, I have become increasingly disenchanted by your posts, which seem to be cow-towing to the expectations of the far-left, led by an outspoken young communist calling herself only "Kay**".

To get to the point David, your most recent post, entitled simply "George Bush" offends my modesty. This rant against the President hit close to home, because its was obviously biased and unresearched. Particularly offensive was your story of an Iraqi family having their dinner disturbed by American troops. Please refer to my comment left on your original post to see the full extent to which it offended me. But now David, I would like to question which news source you heard this story from. Please humour me and provide me with the sources, a simple URL would suffice.

David, it would not be out of the scope of my imagination that the sources are currently not available to you, if they were ever available for that matter. Is it not convenient that the stories coming out of the left-wing never have sources to back them up, beyond the scuttlebut overheard in conversation between 'Tim', 'Jenny' and 'Sarah' at the local hemp shop? The 'facts' of the left-wing are more comparable to folk-tales and urban legends passed on from person to person, than to actual facts.

Remember back to your story of the disturbed Iraqi dinner, and the striking similarly to any contemporary urban legend. Did you hear this 'fact' from a friend of a friend or a reliable source? Just like the urban legend, I bet it was the friend of a friend.

But ask yourself, are they really your friends, David? If so, how come some of your 'top-mates' from the left, such as Mr. Michael Moore, have been shunned by even the Democratic Party for ruining their chance at actually winning an election? Propaganda is everywhere in the media today, and no one uses more than the left-wing. The left has been feeding you propaganda that the right has been feeding you propaganda, but this is simply propaganda. Propaganda. Propaganda. Propaganda. Now that you have the word ingrained into your mind, look closer for it the next time you flip by CNN (Communist National News), open your Toronto Star, or read a post by poster "Kay**".

Liberalism is a drug, David. Sure, you were suckered in for 'just this once', but once the drug has taken a toll on you there is no escape. Liberalism, much like marijuana, is a gateway drug, leading on to even more radical ideas such as Socialism and Communism, and soon David, if you are not cured of your current 'Liberalism Fixation' you will find yourself poor and broken, dancing in a gutter somewhere, just to earn enough spare change to purchase your monthly copy of the Socialist Review. Beware David, beware.

George Bush

http://www.neonlite.ca/wanted-george-bush.gif

What kind of villains can we say live among us today? welll...there are plenty I could name but one in particular stands out most: George Dubbyah. A man who worked his way into power and who started a series of wars which have resulted in the deaths of plenty of people. George Bush claims to have made his excursion into the Middle East in the name of Democracy and freedom, but did he have ulterior motives in mind? Have we underestimated this Texan who looks like a spoilt brat of a former President who doesnt know how to spell and has only the rudiments of a sophisticated mind? I think not. George Bush is motivated by that which drives so many people: greed. War brings deaths but it also brings profits, and those profits can be huge. Conniving in his lair in the White House, this evil overlord has wrought destruction on innocent people. Imagine, sitting at a dinner table enjoying some time with your family when all of a sudden the door bursts open and American troops rush into your home. They ask you to lie on the ground and question you while you can see them holding their guns, ready in case of need. Some of them start to eat some of your food and your parents and family are very upset and some are crying. This is the kind of humiliating experience that many Iraqi families have had to go through. Meanwhile, George Bush schemes his way into a second term in office and with the considerable resources of America seemingly behind him, there's no telling what this Badass will do next. In terms of personality, George Bush may seem innocuous but I think there are gears turning in that head of his, gears which need oil. Thats right, George Bush has gone to Iraq to get it's oil all so that he can keep the gears in his head moving. Georgie Porgie gets a 7/10

Joker

Kay, I'll thank you for bringing this guy to my mind http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/77/250px-JokercolorLG.jpg

Joker is literally a killer clown, but theres nothing really funny about him (except some of his morbid jokes) this man is a sadistic psychopath who loves nothing more than to inflict groutesque, morbid death and terror on innocent people. He is the antithesis of Batman. Whereas Batman represents law and order, the Joker represents chaos and crime. He wasnt always this way though. Apparently before he became a psychotic lunatic, he was an engineer and failed comedian who got strong armed into helping some crooks do a robbery. When the robbery failed and the other crooks were gunned down, he escaped by jumping into a vat of acid. When he got out though, to his horror, the acid had...(not worn away his skin like most acid does) bleached his skin chalk white, made his hair green and put a grim smile on his face. At that moment he went completely insane. The Joker is the ultimate villain, not only is he stir crazy and completely unpredictable, he's also extremely intelligent (he was an engineer after all) Batman tries on many occasions to stop the Joker, but because he's so damn unpredictable its almost impossible. The Joker's victims literally die laughing (he's got a gas that makes people laugh to death) and he does crime and violent acts in the name of fun, there's no meaner Badass than this, 10/10 for this nut case

Jafar

http://obsessed.simple-dreams.com/villainous/jafar.jpg

Jafar is the ultimate in cunning and treachery. A man who lives with a kindly sultan all the while just waiting to overthrow him. He is susceptible to excessive delusions of grandeur. His schemes range from marrying the princess, to finding a magic lamp which will make him all powerful. While pretending to be fawning and obsequious he fumes under the idea that a fool like the Sultan should rule instead of him, (The Sultan's real name is never given). And his diminuitive henchman Iago is a whole other story. Jafar, like most Disney Villains, is cruel and manipulative, using others to achieve his own ends. Why does a man like Jafar lust for so much power? Well, I think it has something to do with the fact that he's so damn ugly. Now really, every character in the film seems to agree on that fact. So, when your ugly, and you cant get women to like ya, at least you can try and become all-powerful and see if that makes a difference. And there is a kernal of truth to this because after he becomes an all powerful sorcerer he tries to seduce Jasmine, and even wants the Genie to make her fall in love with him. Unfortunatly for Jafar, Disney didnt have time to let him find his significant other and he and Iago were cast into a lamp and thrown into the desert. One thing you just gotta admire about him though, is that although he had so many downfalls he kept on truckin through and never gave up, until he died of course, I give this Bad Boy an 8/10