Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in shadis777's LiveJournal:

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Wednesday, December 17th, 2008
10:24 am	Because everyone needs to smile. . . . Current Mood: calm (Comment on this)
Wednesday, November 5th, 2008
10:56 am	Momentous Day. . . I will agree that today is a momentous day. The United States has it's first black President. Unfortunately, for me, the positive aspect ends there. I did not support President Elect Barack Obama, nor did I support Senator John McCain. My hopes were for more liberties, less government and a restoration to the true ideals of freedom and justice . . . I am hopeful that I am wrong in my intuitions about the next four years. Things that bothered me this election cycle: 1) Vehemence directed at President Bush and justification for votes based on the fact that it would get Bush out of office. Bush was going to be leaving office regardless of who won the election. I do not even see how his presence should have influenced any one's decision on WHO to vote for.   2)  That ethnicity played such a huge role in determining the election. If we are truly trying to "prove" that we are a color blind and ethnicity agnostic culture then neither one of those should had any bearing on the election. The fact that they did points more to the fact that we are "trying to convince" ourselves that they do not matter when too many people still feel that they do. It does not matter to me and my family and I have hopefully taught my children in such a way that ethnicity and color are not even considerations when interacting with people. I am a firm believer that there is no "racism" we are all Human and therefore the same race. We may have different cultural backgrounds that may cause disagreements in our outlooks but that is why were have the ability to reason and discuss. We may not always agree but we can at least compromise for the betterment of all. As long as that betterment is not at the expense of others. . .   3) The disturbing statements made by President Elect Obama prior to the election. To name a few: He wants Civilian National Security force to rival the size and power of our military. Isn't our military a civilian security force? Why do we need another? I mean there is even the National Guard, I cannot help but think of the Hilter Youth program everytime I think about this. He wants to bankrupt the coal industry. Currently the nation generates nearly 80% of it's electrical power from coal. While I understand and share the desire to lessen our pollution of this beautiful world, coal is a valuable commodity. There are technologies that drastically lessen the pollution such as Clean Coal and other things such as Coal to Oil that help offset energy costs in other ways. A blanket statement like this just illustrates a dangerous level of naivete when it comes to industry. He will raise the Capital Gains Tax in the interest of fairness. Fairness to who? I mean here is the quote taken from the Clinton v. Obama debate before the Penn primary: "Well, Charlie, what I've said is that I would look at raising the capital gains tax for purposes of fairness. We saw an article today which showed that the top 50 hedge fund managers made $29 billion last year -- $29 billion for 50 individuals. And part of what has happened is that those who are able to work the stock market and amass huge fortunes on capital gains are paying a lower tax rate than their secretaries. That's not fair." Paying a lower tax rate than their secretaries? We're talking about Capital Gains. Most secretaries are not paying capital gains unless they own stock and sell it or are also invested in hedge funds. If he means overall well then he is still wrong since the top10% pay 40% of all taxes in this country. So in the interest of fairness who should be given the relief?   4) And then some of the points of Obama's victory speech: "If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer. " I never doubted if America was a place where all things are possible and I think anyone who has needs to check themselves. Just because success is not handed to you on a platter by the government or otherwise does not mean it is not possible. We are each responsible for ourselves and it should remain that way. "So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism, of responsibility, where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves but each other." To me this smacks of socialism. I am not my brother's keeper nor do I ever want to be. When I work I want it to benefit me and my family not my neighbor. If I CHOSE to give to help my neighbor let it be my voluntary decision not one forced upon me by my government. "Let's remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House, a party founded on the values of self-reliance and individual liberty and national unity. Those are values that we all share. And while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress." So then which is it? Are we to look after each other or be self-reliant? I prefer self-reliance and individual liberty. "For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime -- two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century." The worst financial crisis in a century!? Is he saying that this is WORSE than the Great Depression? I mean it was less than 100 years ago. Planet in Peril? Come on. I agree that we, as humans, impact our environment just as every other creature impacts theirs but we are far from the doomsayers destruction of the earth. I agree that we need to lessen the negative impact of our way of life but it needs to be done rationally and carefully not haphazardly and not wastefully. Throwing money at a problem will not solve it. Open and honest discussion would be a start. Acknowledging the role of the sun in the recorded warming trends would be another. . . being rational beings would be the best. . . . I could go on all day with different sound bytes and quotes from our new President Elect but what is the difference? I could stand and mourn what I feel has been lost this cycle and "cry over spilled milk" but to what end? He is now our President. Instead I will sigh heavily and go about my life. I will stand for my ideals and hopefully pass them on to my children. I will support the new President any way that I can as an American citizen, because I believe in our country. I will stand for individual rights over the collective and advocate personal responsibility over judicial or governmental coddling. If I stand alone so be it, but at least in the end I can say that I stood for what I believed in. Not out of guilt or shame or anger, but out of the belief that this is a country by the people and for the people, that we are one nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Current Mood: sad (Comment on this)
Thursday, October 30th, 2008
12:37 pm	Because you matter "Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost." -- John Quincy Adams Current Mood: hopeful (Comment on this)
Thursday, October 2nd, 2008
12:08 pm	Do you care? Current Mood: hopeful (Comment on this)
Monday, June 30th, 2008
10:29 am	My thought for today. . . Attitude affects mind affects reality. Current Mood: thoughtful (Comment on this)
Wednesday, May 28th, 2008
10:51 am	Pin Drop Stolen from Calico: When in England at a fairly large conference, Colin Powell was asked by the Archbishop of Canterbury if our plans for Iraq were just an example of empire building' by George Bush. He answered by saying, 'Over the years, the United States has sent many of its fine young men and women into great peril to fight for freedom beyond our borders. The only amount of land we have ever asked for in return is enough to bury those that did not return. You could have heard a pin drop. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Then there was a conference in France where a number of international engineers were taking part, including French and American.  During a break one of the French engineers came back into the room saying 'Have you heard the latest dumb stunt Bush has done? He has sent an aircraft carrier to Indonesia to help the tsunami victims. What does he intended to do, bomb them?' A Boeing engineer stood up and replied quietly: 'Our carriers have three hospitals on board that can treat several hundred people; they are nuclear powered and can supply emergency electrical power to shore facilities; they have three cafeterias with the capacity to feed 3,000 people three meals a day, they can produce several thousand gallons of fresh water from sea water each day, and they carry half a dozen helicopters for use in transporting victims and injured to and from their flight deck.. We have eleven such ships; how many does France have? ' You could have heard a pin drop. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A U.S. Navy Admiral was attending a naval conference that included Admirals from the U.S. , English, Canadian, Australian and French Navies.  At a cocktail reception, he found himself standing with a large group of Officers that included personnel from most of those countries. Everyone was chatting away in English as they sipped their drinks but a French admiral suddenly complained that, 'whereas Europeans learn many languages, Americans learn only English.' He then asked, 'Why is it that we always have to speak English in these conferences rather than speaking French?'  Without hesitating, the American Admiral replied 'Maybe ! it's be cause the Brits, Canadians, Aussies and Americans arranged it so you wouldn't have to speak German.' You could have heard a pin drop. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ AND THIS STORY FITS RIGHT IN WITH THE ABOVE... A group of Americans, retired teachers, recently went to France on a tour. Robert Whiting, an elderly gentleman of 83, arrived in Paris by plane.  At French Customs, he took a few minutes to locate his passport in his carry on. 'You have been to France before, monsieur?' the customs officer asked sarcastically.  Mr. Whiting admitted that he had been to France previously.  'Then you should know enough to have your passport ready.'  The American said, 'The last time I was here, I didn't have to show it.'  'Impossible. Americans always have to show your passports on arrival in France !'  The American senior gave the Frenchman a long hard look. Then he quietly explained. 'Well, when I came ashore at Omaha Beach on D-Day in '44 to help liberate this country, I couldn't find any Frenchmen to show it to.' You could have heard a pin drop ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ What Is A Veteran? A "Veteran" -- whether active duty, discharged, retired, or reserve -- is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America," for an amount of "up to, and including his life." That is honor, and there are way too many people in this country today, who no longer understand that fact. Current Mood: thankful (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, May 12th, 2008
1:43 pm	Candidates Candidates Originally uploaded by Tuff Airman1 This sums up how I feel about the 2008 election. (Comment on this)
Friday, May 9th, 2008
3:05 pm	And we elect people why? Do you earn for the day when all your worldly possessions are seized? Do you wish you could lose everything you own over a misunderstanding? Well want no more because if our Legislature has its way these will all soon be distinct possibilities, courtesy of your friendly RIAA lobbyists. House passes bill that will let the RIAA take away your home for downloading music Glenn sez, I was just alerted that the House of Reps has passed HR 4279, with the lovely name, PRO-IP (Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property Act of 2008). Like the doublespeak PATRIOT Act and Peacekeeper missiles, PRO-IP puts local law enforcement in a position to demand the forfeiture in criminal proceedings of stuff used to violate copyright. Which means that instead of the RIAA simply trying to collect fines, they can also incite local authorities to collect all the computers and related gear that was used to pirate. This isn't a judgment on my part as to whether piracy is good or bad (I think copyright deserves to be protected through reasonable methods), but I am always horrified when civil enforcement morphs into criminal enforcement. Conservatives and liberals should be up in arms alike that local prosecutors and/or police could intervene as they desire in essentially a private affair arranged by the RIAA, and permanently seize thousands or tens of thousands of dollars in private property in addition to any civil penalties. If this bill is passed in its present form by the Senate and signed, that means there's no more pro forma RIAA lawsuit payoffs, because if you wind up settling with the RIAA, you could still lose all your stuff in addition to any fee you paid them. This is particularly irksome in light of the MSN Music shutdown, about which the EFF has written a strong and powerful letter. It is increasingly likely a normal person could have purchased music legally from an online site, burned it to an ordinary audio CD, and in the right set of circumstances be branded a pirate because the original "granting" authority no longer exists to prove that the consumer was a legitimate purchasers. The more the law is constructed to sweep in folks who are absolutely observant of it, the more we need broader protections. PDF Link Source: BoingBoing.net Don't like the sound of this? Be sure to contact your representative or senator and complain. Remember, that this is Still a country for the PEOPLE and by the PEOPLE. Do your part and let your voice be heard. Current Mood: annoyed (Comment on this)
Sunday, September 16th, 2007
3:33 pm	X-Post from Myspace: Brain teasers Answers Keep in mind I did not make these up so here are the answers. . . . Q. A murderer is condemned to death. He has to choose between three rooms. The first is full of raging fires, the second is full of assassins with loaded guns, and the third is full of lions that haven't eaten in 3 years. Which room is safest for him?  A. The third. Lions that haven't eaten in three years are dead.      Q. A woman shoots her husband. Then she holds him under water for over 5 minutes. Finally, she hangs him. But 5 minutes later they both go out together and enjoy a wonderful dinner together. How can this be?    A. The woman was a photographer. She shot a picture of her husband, developed it, and hung it up to dry.    Q. There are two plastic jugs filled with water. How could you put all of this water into a barrel, without using the jugs or any dividers, and still tell which water came from which jug?    A. Freeze them first. Take them out of the jugs and put the ice in the barrel. You will be able to tell which water came from which jug.    Q. What is black when you buy it, red when you use it, and gray when you throw it away?    A. The answer is Charcoal.    Q. Can you name three consecutive days without using the words Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday?    A. Sure you can: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow!    Q. This is an unusual paragraph. I'm curious how quickly you can find out what is so unusual about it. It looks so plain you would think nothing was wrong with it. In fact, nothing is wrong with it! It is unusual though. Study it, and think about it, but you still may not find anything odd. But if you work at it a bit, you might find out. A. The letter "e", which is the most common letter in the English language, does not appear once in the long paragraph.   Current Mood: accomplished (Comment on this)
Thursday, September 13th, 2007
4:41 pm	X-Post from Myspace: Brain teasers for the day. . . How about a few Brain Teasers: 1. A murderer is condemned to death. He has to choose between three rooms. The first is full of raging fires, the second is full of assassins with loaded guns, and the third is full of lions that haven't eaten in 3 years. Which room is safest for him? 2. A woman shoots her husband. Then she holds him under water for over 5 minutes. Finally, she hangs him. But 5 minutes later they both go out together and enjoy a wonderful dinner together. How can this be? 3. There are two plastic jugs filled with water. How could you put all of this water into a barrel, without using the jugs or any dividers, and still tell which water came from which jug? 4. What is black when you buy it, red when you use it, and gray when you throw it away? 5. Can you name three consecutive days without using the words Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Sunday? 6. This is an unusual paragraph. I'm curious how quickly you can find out what is so unusual about it. It looks so plain you would think nothing was wrong with it. In fact, nothing is wrong with it! It is unusual though. Study it, and think about it, but you still may not find anything odd. But if you work at it a bit, you might find out. Current Mood: amused (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, September 11th, 2007
2:20 pm	X-Post from Myspace: When you’re looking for that wtf feeling. . . . Just click here and hold on to your brain. Note: You might want to hold on a bit tighter. . .it might flee in terror. . . . Current Mood: indescribable (Comment on this)
Saturday, August 25th, 2007
10:45 am	X-Post from MySpace: Coming soon to a garden near you. . . -------- Woman banned from smoking in her garden --------- VAXJO, Sweden - A Swedish woman has been banned from smoking in her garden in a trial headed by the Environmental Court in Vaxjo. The 49-year-old single mother from Akarp, Sweden, said she is enraged by the decision but admitted that she will obey the ruling to avoid having to pay a fine, The Local reported Thursday. "I actually do go and sit outside the area marked with an X. But I don't do it because I think it's right -- I'm just worried I'll be forced to pay and that makes me furious," she said. The ban came after the woman's neighbor, a lawyer with an aversion to smoke, contacted the Environmental Court over the issue after attempting to sue the woman for smoking near him. The lawyer also told the court that his sensitivity to cigarette smoke forced him to wear a breathing mask every time he left his house. "He walks around with the mask on regardless of whether I'm smoking or not. It used to annoy me but now I don't care any more," the woman told Sydsvenskan. But, the court took the lawyer's side and most of the woman's garden is now off limits for smoking. Watch out for this. I predict you'll see something like this in the US soon enough. . . (Comment on this)
Monday, August 20th, 2007
11:37 am	X-post from my MySpace blog: When this becomes a necessity. . . we have lost it as a functional society. ------- Bullet-proof backpack latest for kids --------- DANVERS, Mass. - New for this U.S. schoolchildren this fall -- stylish yet functional -- it's a backpack with a bulletproof lining. The item is being marketed by MJ Safety Solutions, a company founded by Mike Pelonzi and Joe Curran of Massachusetts. "I'm a parent and so is Joe and we wanted a way of keeping kids safe at school and this is what we came up with," Pelonzi told The Staten Island Advance. The company sells two sizes, one for books and the other for laptop computers. Both have a light metal plate sewn into the back, guaranteed to stop bullets although weighing no more than a bottle of water. The MJ Solutions Web site says there have been 328 school shootings since 1999, with 229 dead and 422 injured. "In almost 97 percent of these documented incidents, MJ Safety Solutions' backpack could have provided the ballistic protection that could have saved lives," the site claims. The makers say the backpacks will also protect against knives and other weapons. *sigh* Current Mood: disappointed (Comment on this)
Wednesday, March 14th, 2007
11:09 am	300 (WARNING: Spoiler Alert) Figured I would join the band wagon and put in my sixty-nine cents on this movie. I thought it was a very entertaining movie. Visually stunning, contained great color and CG effects. It kept to the graphic novel in a general sense but I was disappointed by it. I saw the subplot as an unnecessary attempt to humanize the film and detract from the brutality. I understand why they did it but did not agree. I think what they did with the queen's character was craptastic. She started as a strong, noble and graceful, then was turned into somewhat of a weak harlot by the evil councilman and then was only moderately redeemed with his death. Overall I found the subplot weak and transparent. Now for my assessment of the "critics": 1) Toronto Star: Why do people insist on comparing this movie to its historical equivalent? The movie was based on a GRAPHIC NOVEL, not history. If anything condemn the graphic novel for its historical inaccuracies. Its like watching Hellboy and saying the movie was historically inaccurate because the Nazis never built a machine to summon the old gods. Even so Frank Miller readily admitted that his graphic novel was purposefully historically inaccurate so it would stand to reason any movie BASED on it would also be inaccurate. 2) People's Daily Online: Oh please. Like Frank Millar and the Hollywood producers were really intending to launch an anti-persian pogrom across the world with this movie. How narcissistic do you have to be to believe that this movie was made specifically to demonize your culture. IT'S A MOVIE PEOPLE, wake up. . . . Current Mood: awake (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, November 27th, 2006
4:56 pm	If only assassination was an option. . . . Was sent this by a friend. If this is true the perhaps the MPAA needs to be "removed." MPAA Lobbying for Home Theater Regulations By Scott Small Los Angeles , CA - The MPAA is lobbying congress to push through a new bill that would make unauthorized home theaters illegal. The group feels that all theaters should be sanctioned, whether they be commercial settings or at home. MPAA head Dan Glickman says this needs to be regulated before things start getting too far out of control, "We didn't act early enough with the online sharing of our copyrighted content. This time we're not making the same mistake. We have a right to know what's showing in a theater." The bill would require that any hardware manufactured in the future contain technology that tells the MPAA directly of what is being shown and specific details on the audience. The data would be gathered using various motion sensors and biometric technology. The MPAA defines a home theater as any home with a television larger than 29" with stereo sound and at least two comfortable chairs, couch, or futon. Anyone with a home theater would need to pay a $50 registration fee with the MPAA or face fines up to $500,000 per movie shown. "Just because you buy a DVD to watch at home doesn't give you the right to invite friends over to watch it too. That's a violation of copyright and denies us the revenue that would be generated from DVD sales to your friends," said Glickman. "Ideally we expect each viewer to have their own copy of the DVD, but we realize that isn't always feasible. The registration fee is a fair compromise. The bill also stipulates that any existing home theaters be retrofitted with the technology or else the owner is responsible for directly informing the MPAA and receiving approval before each viewing. Source: BBSpot http://www.bbspot.com/News/2006/11/home-theater-regulations.html Current Mood: annoyed (Comment on this)
Monday, November 20th, 2006
6:36 pm	Some days the pieces just fall together. . . . and others you just amuse yourself with strange stuff. . . Source: xkcd Source: xkcd Source: xkcd Source: xkcd -- I also consider this with zombies and squirrels in the scenario as well. . . . Source: xkcd Source: xkcd Current Mood: amused (Comment on this)
Thursday, November 16th, 2006
11:34 am	When I die. . . . . After you die... Purgatory After death, you will exist in purgatory. It's so-so, I heard. Take this quiz at QuizGalaxy.com Current Mood: calm (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Wednesday, September 13th, 2006
11:56 am	Finally. . . . -------- Super Skinny Models Wearing Thin in Madrid --------- MADRID - I guess there is such a thing as being "too skinny" in the modeling world. Organizers of a fashion show in Madrid have put the world's first ban on overly thin models, leading to outrage from modeling agencies. Underweight models have been turned away from Madrid's fashion week after protests that girls and young women were developing eating disorders from trying to copy the too-skinny look. Organizers are hoping to achieve an image of beauty and health at the show, rather than one of a 'heroin chic look.' However, not everyone agrees with this notion. Cathy Gould of New York's Elite modeling agency said that the ban is outrageous. "I understand they want to set this tone of healthy beautiful women, but what about discrimination against the model and what about the freedom of the designer," she said. Source: Yahoo News This is something I'd like to see more of. I hate the anorexic look of most "models" and would love to see a "healthier" more "full-bodied" look come back. Besides typically full bodied women have bigger natural breasts than their ultra-skinny counterparts. Current Mood: complacent (Comment on this)
Wednesday, September 6th, 2006
11:44 pm	Still evil and going strong. . . . ---------- Nutty Squirrel To Blame For Accident ------------ HELSINSKI, Finland - An opera singer who was riding his bike was probably looking out for cars or other people on the street. He most likely wasn't watching out for a nutty squirrel who jumped into his bicycle spokes and caused a bad accident. Esa Ruuttunen was on his way to a rehearsal of a new opera when the squirrel jumped into the spokes and caused Ruuttunen to suffer a concussion and a broken nose. He ended up in the hospital instead of at the opera house, and the squirrel did not survive. The new opera has its world premiere on September 15, and Ruuttunen is hopeful he will be well enough to participate as planned. And here is more proof that Squirrels are evil beings bent on world domination. Now they are using suicide tactics to stifle our culture! I blame the extremists for giving them ideas that suicide attacks were a viable option *nod* Current Mood: indifferent (Comment on this)
Wednesday, August 23rd, 2006
7:37 pm	Now here is a poker game that I'd watch TV for. . . . ----- Strip Poker Champion Gets To Keep His Clothes On ----- LONDON - A freelance British journalist has become the world's first official champion of strip poker, escaping nudity with wily playing of Texas Hold'em. The inaugural World Strip Poker Championships were organized by the Irish Paddy Power bookmaking company at London's Cafe Royal, where John Young beat out 194 players of both sexes in eight hours of play, ITN reported. The top prize was $19,000 and a Golden Fig Leaf trophy. Players were given five items of clothing which they used to buy chips, and as they lost their chips, they cashed in their clothes for more. The UK.pokernews.com Web site reported the last standing woman went out to a loud ovation. Source: UK Poker New Current Mood: amused (Comment on this)