100 th post! (Reply to my Friend O'Shea)

alright, let's try to be simple and respectful, but truthful.



People came here, because here was where the money was. This is where the stuff was. Stuff that we stole from Indians and exploited black people, Chinamen...etc. to get.

These people lived in sucky conditions. Millions died in sucky conditions. A few got rich.

Around, about 1950 many more white men got rich because 20 million soviet subjects died to stop nazis along with many Americans and other Europeans.

Because many white men got rich, their children were happy, tried drugs, and believed in peace.

We used resources by the ton.

Now, we are running out of resources. The country is being sold off. Civil Rights are a thing of the past. We are no longer much of a "free" country, but a near police state where, soon, in order to leave, one must have a photo ID and a number assigned to themselves.

We are extremely hostile to foreigners, and have off shored our exploitation of children and poor people.

The idea that we should conserve what little resources that we have left so that millions around the world don't die (possibly even a few million Americans) isn't too much to ask, is it?

Capitalist say what?

You know, I love hearing "The Market will solve the problem".

I challenge you to show me an instance where the "market" solved any "problem".

Selling crap and lying about it doesn't seem to me to "help".

I'm open to be proven wrong, though.

Graduation Edition

I hear a lot nowadays about education being "the key" to... insert whatever goal here.

This is not true. Doubly so in America.

The key to a great life is...enjoying life. Enjoying life includes a lot of learning. Learning is fun. Going to school is miserable. This should teach you something.

Many of the smartest, happiest people I know have the least amount of formal education.

Many of them are not rich...scratch that...most of them are not rich.

Many of them have children.

The other thing I've learned is that nice people often look "different". Mostly because they dress the way they want to. They behave in ways that are nonjudgemental and fun. They go barefoot alot. They have tattoos and piercings. They have long hair or no hair. They wouldn't be pictured in any fashion magazine.

So, dear graduates, go into the world happy. Do what you want. You can't make everyone happy, so don't try. Make yourself happy and most people will love you for being you. Make yourself happy and you will have no need of money, fame, status or degrees. People will like you because you are authentic. No matter what that is.

Never change your loves, sexuality, joy, sorrows, outlook on life for anyone. You can only regret it later. Simply live and then life will be its own reward.

So Jesus said "Take all your possessions and give them to the poor." and the man went away sad, for he had many possessions.

Here endeth the lesson.

Will I?

Alright...easy one...show me free will exists without resorting to a deity.

It seems to me that, from a purely materialist perspective, it is nearly impossible to come up with a theory of how free will would operate. The ability to do otherwise than physical reality (or lets say...outside of causation) would appear to have to be on an extremely micro level (we're talking nearly no mass) AND would somehow have to have access to a null point an empty point. Without access to a null point, you'd just be stretching causation back to a point where we don't understand it. (not outside of causation).

Personal responsibility and free will are nice, and one can argue useful illusions. However, they are just that.

I'd even have trouble, being a Christian, with a Christian argument that supports free will.

All truths may be subjective, but truths nevertheless.

The poor bail out the rich

We are letting the government give millions to the rich on the backs of the poor.

Lower interest rates are saving millionaires, speculators and financial institutions.

In the meantime, the poor see their credit rates hold steady (if you're lucky) or rise.

The interest rate cuts that are saving speculators are also driving up the price of oil.

Millionaires can drive where they please, while poor and middle class people see their dollars buy less and less. Essentially, driving down income.

A salary that bought you 5 gallons of gas/hr. five years ago, now would get you 2.

Meanwhile, the CEOs of mortgage banks that caused this fiasco are filling up their Mercedes as the government funnels billions to undo the damage they caused.

Billions for Bear Stearns not a dime for the working man.

I'm back

It has been a miserable winter in many different ways, and I have been busy in many different ways. Life probably will not settle down for another month or so.

It's tough being a socialist hippie in a tight economy.

Although...in some ways it is much easier.

The rich, and the corporate burn the energy then charge us for the pleasure. The rich and the corporate destroy the economy, cut the jobs and lay the burden on the poor.

The poor refuse to stand up for themselves. Trapped by fear and an education system that prepares one NOT for independent life, but corporate dependency OR perpetual slavery to the castrating educational system itself.

The University is the new church. Conservatives dressed as liberals deceiving themselves whilst reading socialist books.

It's winter.

The hippie grows weary.

Spring is bound to come.

Spring is bound to come.