I recently wrote a letter detailing a few of my objections to the way George W. is running the country. Someone had sent me an e-mail basically stating that anyone who had a job and enough to eat and doesn't agree with W's policies is "spoiled and ungrateful". And it erroneously attributed the writing to someone I admire. A response was wanting.
I have avoided criticizing the prez here because that kind of thing can found all over the media and political blogs are so passe. Besides we don't have the time. But there is one thing that really drives me nuts about the upside down M and it has not gotten the attention that it deserves. Especially during the 2004 election.
"It's your money."
"The American people know best how to spend their own money."
"I think it is time for the government to get its hand out of your pocket."
This kind of small government big promise mantra got the stunted tree elected in 2000. Not a bad idea really. High taxes are bad for the economy and put a burden on those of us that don't collect and trade baseball players as a hobby. But fairy-god-mother doesn't deliver in my neighborhood any more.
So bonsai gets himself elected (?) and proceeded to lower taxes. And the more money you had the more he lowered your taxes. The justification being that the more money you had the more taxes you paid. Theoretically. But isn't that how it is supposed to work? Anyway I can't fault him for giving his friends a break. That's what politicians do. That's what anyone who wasn't semi-comatose at the time expected him to do.
Scrub got the hand of the government out of your pocket! Ah, no. The small plant administration did not reduce spending to match the lowered revenue. They spent more. Lots more! The biggest deficit and highest national debt in the last two hundred and thirty-one years. The shrubbery has been borrowing massive amounts of cash to finance his slippery war and he has been signing your name on the loan application!
The government hasn't gotten its hand out of your pocket. But instead of grabbing the cash the credit card is now the object of choice. How much cash you got? If a pickpocket took it all how long would you take to recover from the financial blow? What if he left the greenbacks and took the plastic instead? Would you say, "What a relief. Who ever it was just took these worthless pieces of plastic." No you would be in a panic. Calling all over town in a desperate attempt to cut off the lines of credit before serious harm could be done to your credit rating and your reputation.
We, the citizens of the United States of America, should be on the phone right now trying to put a stop to this delusional sneak thief, treating his well lubricated friends to a banquet full of riches, and stamping the bills, "To be paid by U.S. Taxpayer and descendants."
"Interest due."
OWL
Aug. 31, 2007
Friday, August 31, 2007
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Stretch marks
Gardening how-to books will tell you how to avoid having your ripe tomatoes split open. Don't give them to much water. So I'm out there looking through the fence at these big yellow tomatoes with large crisscrossing splits on the stem end and thinking, "Why?" Why would I want to avoid that? The big X on top means the tomato is bursting with juicy delicious juiciness. Literally! I like my tomatoes plump and juicy. If I were growing them for the farmers market or to enter into the county fair, trying for that blue ribbon, that would be different. Looks would be my top concern. But I grow them to eat or to share with friends. It's what's inside that counts.
I like my woman juicy too.
Plant breeders have done an amazing job modifying the traits of fruits and vegetables. Modern field tomatoes all ripen at the same time, are firm enough to be picked, processed and packaged by automated machinery and arrive at market absolutely free of blemish. Or taste. When sliced onto a burger they are guaranteed not to drip on your hand painted silk tie. Nice.
Fashion magazines, television and the miracle of modern medicine have done as much for today's woman. Deprived of nutrition they arrive at market "picture perfect". Looking as if they were raised on a commercial farm. Firm enough for handling by automated machinery. And about as comfortable as concrete couch. Any hint of plumpness has been strategically placed with skill of a surgeons hand and frankly appears out of place.
I think I'll go water the tomato.
OWL
August 26, 2007
I like my woman juicy too.
Plant breeders have done an amazing job modifying the traits of fruits and vegetables. Modern field tomatoes all ripen at the same time, are firm enough to be picked, processed and packaged by automated machinery and arrive at market absolutely free of blemish. Or taste. When sliced onto a burger they are guaranteed not to drip on your hand painted silk tie. Nice.
Fashion magazines, television and the miracle of modern medicine have done as much for today's woman. Deprived of nutrition they arrive at market "picture perfect". Looking as if they were raised on a commercial farm. Firm enough for handling by automated machinery. And about as comfortable as concrete couch. Any hint of plumpness has been strategically placed with skill of a surgeons hand and frankly appears out of place.
I think I'll go water the tomato.
OWL
August 26, 2007
Thursday, August 23, 2007
herpetology
There is a sticker on the back of my car in the shape of a fat little lizard. Written across it in big letters is "GoNewt". It is very distinctive, if you see me in traffic give a honk. I won't know why you're honking and I'll think you're just being rude. Honk anyway.
I did not know what the sticker meant when I put it on the car. When I came up with the idea for the sticker, I did not know what it meant. I made it and put it on the car and began thinking about it. The sticker is one of a kind, hand made, original, like no other.
I am the newt. The meaning is now clear. It is an ever present reminder to be myself. To express myself, creatively and honestly. Follow my instinct, impulse and intelligence. Rage against the prepackaged pablum of modern consumerism, the mental void offered by party politics and the soulless spirituality of religion reduced to aphorism.
More than ever I feel the need to not be bound by convention, tradition, expectation or ideology. I pick things up and look at them. Rocks, bugs, vegetables, ideas and dogma. I turn them over in my hand and in my mind trying determine if they are solid, palatable, fresh and sound or just so much recycled dirt pressed together and dried in an Easy-Bake oven.
What have we found here? Inspiration or rote repetition of tired old adages strung together like pizza sauce? Ever mindful of my mouth and of my opinions I vow to be ever more vigilant to ensure that what I say and what I believe comes from within after a serious examination of the facts. What? Oh well. Anyway less concern for how society expects me to look and more focus on shaping my own identity.
My recent decision to wear the company supplied shirts at work everyday, despite the fact that they are not required, has me wondering if my individuality is being swallowed up by the corporate whale.
Nah, I'm just tight.
OWL
August, 23 2007
I did not know what the sticker meant when I put it on the car. When I came up with the idea for the sticker, I did not know what it meant. I made it and put it on the car and began thinking about it. The sticker is one of a kind, hand made, original, like no other.
I am the newt. The meaning is now clear. It is an ever present reminder to be myself. To express myself, creatively and honestly. Follow my instinct, impulse and intelligence. Rage against the prepackaged pablum of modern consumerism, the mental void offered by party politics and the soulless spirituality of religion reduced to aphorism.
More than ever I feel the need to not be bound by convention, tradition, expectation or ideology. I pick things up and look at them. Rocks, bugs, vegetables, ideas and dogma. I turn them over in my hand and in my mind trying determine if they are solid, palatable, fresh and sound or just so much recycled dirt pressed together and dried in an Easy-Bake oven.
What have we found here? Inspiration or rote repetition of tired old adages strung together like pizza sauce? Ever mindful of my mouth and of my opinions I vow to be ever more vigilant to ensure that what I say and what I believe comes from within after a serious examination of the facts. What? Oh well. Anyway less concern for how society expects me to look and more focus on shaping my own identity.
My recent decision to wear the company supplied shirts at work everyday, despite the fact that they are not required, has me wondering if my individuality is being swallowed up by the corporate whale.
Nah, I'm just tight.
OWL
August, 23 2007
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Call me Ishmael
When I was younger I began to feel uneasy about seeing lions in cages being made to jump through hoops. Proud animals being humiliated, having whips cracked in their faces, in front of huge noisy crowds of human beings. Imagine Mufasa jumping through hoops. Darth Vader would not be pleased. Then marine animal parks became popular, my uneasiness turned to revulsion. Dolphins may well be the most intelligent beings on the planet. Here they are doing tricks, "Speak", "Fetch", "Rollover". "Goodboy, have a dead fish."
Animal rights activist began to protest the capture, captivity and treatment of marine mammals. I had to concur. Those who made their living training and exhibiting other species made two arguments. It allows us to study these important relatives of the human race. Maybe that would justify holding them indefinitely without formal charges. And "they enjoy doing tricks."
I had a friend, we'll call him DoorMatt. Everyone else did. Minor infractions resulted in a short term of incarceration for my young acquaintance. I saw him in the park one day with a few of his new found friends. Those who were well mannered and house broken had been brought out to do a little work on behalf of the public. Cutting the grass and raking up leaves, etc. DoorMatt was picking up trash and having a very good time of it. Odd, I had never before seen him bend at the waist to retrieve discarded waste paper. The other men exhibited an unusually keen interest in the tasks they were assigned. Unusual for guys whose normal attitude was, "@#$% the hedges, I'm watching the game. Get me another beer."
The higher primates when put into cages will take a sudden liking to simple and demeaning tasks if it allows them a break from the mind numbing monotony of cellular life. Most of the felons I know would drop the brooms and quickly pack their travel kits if the door were inadvertently left unsecured. Why should cetaceans be any different? Some dolphins if let into the wild will find their way back unaccompanied. So will some inmates, they have been "institutionalized". It's not pretty.
Go right ahead. Take my friend Flipper, put him in a tank, train him like a dog to do back flips for frozen mackerel in front of screaming crowds of humans, with their popcorn and cotton candy and hot dogs, at forty bucks a pop. But don't insult my intelligence, or his, by saying, "They enjoy doing tricks!"
OWL
August 20, 2007
Animal rights activist began to protest the capture, captivity and treatment of marine mammals. I had to concur. Those who made their living training and exhibiting other species made two arguments. It allows us to study these important relatives of the human race. Maybe that would justify holding them indefinitely without formal charges. And "they enjoy doing tricks."
I had a friend, we'll call him DoorMatt. Everyone else did. Minor infractions resulted in a short term of incarceration for my young acquaintance. I saw him in the park one day with a few of his new found friends. Those who were well mannered and house broken had been brought out to do a little work on behalf of the public. Cutting the grass and raking up leaves, etc. DoorMatt was picking up trash and having a very good time of it. Odd, I had never before seen him bend at the waist to retrieve discarded waste paper. The other men exhibited an unusually keen interest in the tasks they were assigned. Unusual for guys whose normal attitude was, "@#$% the hedges, I'm watching the game. Get me another beer."
The higher primates when put into cages will take a sudden liking to simple and demeaning tasks if it allows them a break from the mind numbing monotony of cellular life. Most of the felons I know would drop the brooms and quickly pack their travel kits if the door were inadvertently left unsecured. Why should cetaceans be any different? Some dolphins if let into the wild will find their way back unaccompanied. So will some inmates, they have been "institutionalized". It's not pretty.
Go right ahead. Take my friend Flipper, put him in a tank, train him like a dog to do back flips for frozen mackerel in front of screaming crowds of humans, with their popcorn and cotton candy and hot dogs, at forty bucks a pop. But don't insult my intelligence, or his, by saying, "They enjoy doing tricks!"
OWL
August 20, 2007
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus
Rachel was beautiful. Pale skin framed by dark hair in an unusual style. Red lipstick enhancing the expression of sadness on her full lips and the look of longing in her dark eyes. A look befitting a young woman unsure of her own past. The cigarette in her right hand highlighted the tragic nature of her existence. It was the perfect prop.
In the movies smoking did not cause lung cancer. Or bad breath. The ashtrays were never full of butts, they usually weren't there at all. Tossing a lit cigarette out the window or grinding it out on someone's fried egg was a statement. Smoke didn't get in your eye. When the heroine smoked it was part of her character development. If she was glamorous the long thin cigarette holder made her more so. Strong independent women lit their own cigarettes and bad girls spoke with a cigarette dangling from the side of the mouth. Prostitutes smoked during sex. It was a fantasy world. The leading lady didn't cough for fifteen minutes in the morning.
The bullets were all blanks, the blood was really corn syrup. The castle was a mere facade and the Emerald City was a sound set. Actresses had unhappy childhoods and bad marriages. Their designer gowns and expensive jewelry were on loan from the studio in order to promote the latest release. Little girls wanted to grow up and be "just like her".
It is sad, you see them all around town, young attractive women with nice clothes, stylish hairdos, long red nails, lots of make-up and the ever present cigarette. Between the fingers or lips. A half full pack on the table in front of her or protruding from the purse. Often times a lady seems really sexy until she reaches for that fag. Then all the hard work she has done to perfect her appearance, to get the "look", is wasted.
Hollywood lied.
OWL
August 19, 2007
In the movies smoking did not cause lung cancer. Or bad breath. The ashtrays were never full of butts, they usually weren't there at all. Tossing a lit cigarette out the window or grinding it out on someone's fried egg was a statement. Smoke didn't get in your eye. When the heroine smoked it was part of her character development. If she was glamorous the long thin cigarette holder made her more so. Strong independent women lit their own cigarettes and bad girls spoke with a cigarette dangling from the side of the mouth. Prostitutes smoked during sex. It was a fantasy world. The leading lady didn't cough for fifteen minutes in the morning.
The bullets were all blanks, the blood was really corn syrup. The castle was a mere facade and the Emerald City was a sound set. Actresses had unhappy childhoods and bad marriages. Their designer gowns and expensive jewelry were on loan from the studio in order to promote the latest release. Little girls wanted to grow up and be "just like her".
It is sad, you see them all around town, young attractive women with nice clothes, stylish hairdos, long red nails, lots of make-up and the ever present cigarette. Between the fingers or lips. A half full pack on the table in front of her or protruding from the purse. Often times a lady seems really sexy until she reaches for that fag. Then all the hard work she has done to perfect her appearance, to get the "look", is wasted.
Hollywood lied.
OWL
August 19, 2007
Thursday, August 16, 2007
on account
There has been a disturbing trend in recent elections. Candidates are spending large sums of their own money on campaigns. The amount of money one can donate to a campaign is limited by law. Unless it is your own campaign and then you are only limited by your bank account, personal portfolio or what you have stuffed in the mattress. If it was just a matter of wealthy people spending small, or large, fortunes to buy public office I would not be so concerned. But the real situation is a bit more complicated and a lot more insidious.
In many cases these men and woman do not literally "spend" the money used in their campaign. They form a campaign committee and then loan money to the committee. If they lose the election the committee folds like the perverse deck of cards and the candidate is out the money. His loss. But if he or she wins the committee continues to take donations in order to pay off its debts.
Persons of privilege finance their own campaigns and contributors then give to the winners! Its like going to the track and placing your bet when the race is over. The two thousand dollar a plate players can back a winner every time. This makes it hard for a citizen who is not sitting on humongous piles of filthy lucre to come out on top in the election lottery. It was hard for working class penises to win back in the day when, if you told a wild enough lie or made the right deal, you could accept huge gifts from those who were gullible or slithy. But you didn't have to be rich, you just needed rich friends. Today having personal means is a requirement for anyone who wants to seriously compete in the race.
Campaign reform has "raised the bar".
OWL
August 16, 2006
In many cases these men and woman do not literally "spend" the money used in their campaign. They form a campaign committee and then loan money to the committee. If they lose the election the committee folds like the perverse deck of cards and the candidate is out the money. His loss. But if he or she wins the committee continues to take donations in order to pay off its debts.
Persons of privilege finance their own campaigns and contributors then give to the winners! Its like going to the track and placing your bet when the race is over. The two thousand dollar a plate players can back a winner every time. This makes it hard for a citizen who is not sitting on humongous piles of filthy lucre to come out on top in the election lottery. It was hard for working class penises to win back in the day when, if you told a wild enough lie or made the right deal, you could accept huge gifts from those who were gullible or slithy. But you didn't have to be rich, you just needed rich friends. Today having personal means is a requirement for anyone who wants to seriously compete in the race.
Campaign reform has "raised the bar".
OWL
August 16, 2006
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Noah good place to eat?
Back when I was in school teacher often said, "If you don't know what a word means look it up!" The other students would roll their eyes and yawn enthusiastically. I thought it was good advice but didn't follow it until later in life when I started reading a wider variety of material. Stuff that wasn't in the curriculum. Psychology, physics, non-sense poetry, case studies in deviant sexual behavior, the usual subjects of keen interest to anti-social loners like myself. Anti-social loner" has acquired some unattractive connotations of late, I prefer "intellectual isolationist". Some of the stuff I read had unfamiliar terms on every line. Milton used words I've seen nowhere else except maybe the Harvard Lampoon. And when you're reading non-sense you're never sure if a word is a word. But I really wanted to understand what I was reading so I began to look things up. I haven't looked back.
The "net" has made the process so much easier, particularly considering the limited depth of your average home dictionary. I had to write down a list of unknowns and look them of in the "big dick" at the library. Very time consuming. Now I just type terms into Google, Wikipedia or onelook.com and out comes a wealth of information. IC.
My son has adopted many of the traits of his fraternal generative unit. Don't talk much. Like most parents I've tried to teach my son various lessons on biological processes, the totality of physical existence and whatever else there may be out there. Because of his uncommunicativeness sometimes it is hard to tell what, if anything, he is learning. I put stuff in one aural opening and nothing comes out. Anywhere. I found Stephen Hawking's essays illuminating in respect to raising teenagers.
DW often reads over my shoulder and sometimes asks, "what's that mean?" Even if I know the answer I tend to do a search, hopping that he will learn to do so as well. Most recently I was doing some research on the Constitution and DW asked, "What are Letters of Marque?" I thought I knew the answer but it seemed a strange privilege for the Founding Fathers to grant to Congress. So I onelooked. I was right. DW pointed out that it was the 18th century.
A few days ago I sat down here (at the keyboard) and found that one of the open windows was a Google search of the word "tithe". I had used the word in one of my posts. Misses B. knows what the word means. That leaves DW. I felt the pride of parenthood.
OWL
August 15, 2007
The "net" has made the process so much easier, particularly considering the limited depth of your average home dictionary. I had to write down a list of unknowns and look them of in the "big dick" at the library. Very time consuming. Now I just type terms into Google, Wikipedia or onelook.com and out comes a wealth of information. IC.
My son has adopted many of the traits of his fraternal generative unit. Don't talk much. Like most parents I've tried to teach my son various lessons on biological processes, the totality of physical existence and whatever else there may be out there. Because of his uncommunicativeness sometimes it is hard to tell what, if anything, he is learning. I put stuff in one aural opening and nothing comes out. Anywhere. I found Stephen Hawking's essays illuminating in respect to raising teenagers.
DW often reads over my shoulder and sometimes asks, "what's that mean?" Even if I know the answer I tend to do a search, hopping that he will learn to do so as well. Most recently I was doing some research on the Constitution and DW asked, "What are Letters of Marque?" I thought I knew the answer but it seemed a strange privilege for the Founding Fathers to grant to Congress. So I onelooked. I was right. DW pointed out that it was the 18th century.
A few days ago I sat down here (at the keyboard) and found that one of the open windows was a Google search of the word "tithe". I had used the word in one of my posts. Misses B. knows what the word means. That leaves DW. I felt the pride of parenthood.
OWL
August 15, 2007
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
I have two pair
God exist. Or god doesn't exist. There is nothing you or I can do or say that will change that. Or maybe it is both ways, God exist and god does not exist. Maybe the universe is that bizarre.
Certainly much of what I have heard about the creator of all things would support the idea of God having a dual nature. God is all forgiving. If you do not accept Jesus as your personal savior you will not be on the guest list in His lifetime. God is a loving god. He allows little children to suffer and computers to malfunction. God is omnipotent. It is important that you do God's work. Prayer always works, except when it is not God's will. There is one God and they are the Son, the Father and the Holy Ghost.
When the size of my brain is compared to the size of the universe my brain comes up short. Every time. I cannot possibly comprehend God so if I am unable to understand all I have been told then that is not a problem.
Much of what I have learned about the nature of physical reality supports the concept of duality. Back in the early part of the twentieth century scientist studying the electron, the elementary particle that carries the negative charge, made an astounding discovery. The electron could be spread out like a wave and thus be in two places at once. Or it could be in one place, like the period on the of this sentence. What made the difference, why did one electron act like a particle and another behave like a wave? Well it turns out it all depended on whether or not it was being observed. If you measured it, it was a particle. If you didn't measure it, it was a wave.
Weird huh? And very droll. That's a basic humanoid defense mechanism, people quickly get bored with things they can't understand. Keeps the brain from getting stuck in endless loops and going blue screen. A lot of my friends felt like that in Algebra. I get that way listening to political speeches.
So maybe God is and god isn't. Perhaps there is one God and only one God. And a lot of other gods besides. "Thou shalt have no other Gods before me." Seems to leave open the possibility of multiple personalities in charge of creating a scene. Many people feel they have a right to believe in their God. And if you want to believe in a god that's OK with them, you can believe in their God too.
If the nature of an elementary particle can depend on weather or not you are looking at it then maybe the nature of God depends on what you believe. The universe could be that weird. The all powerful maker of all things exist because you feel his presence. Bishop Berkeley, the 18th century Irish philosopher, proved the existence of God by stating that things have substance only if they are observed. Therefore things, such as a rock or tree, would cease to exist once you stopped looking at them if it wasn't for the fact that they are still being observed by the mind of God. Why didn't he just say they wouldn't be there in the first place if God wasn't around to make them out of Pixie Dust.
And if I am emotionally deficient and unable to "know in my heart" that a loving, intelligent, rational being is the unseen force behind water lilies, the passing of the seasons, the human eye and polio, the full moon and napalm, Easter bunnies and birth defects, well then maybe he isn't there.
Here is the onion. If I am willing to admit that your God exist will you allow than my god may be popular fiction?
OWL
August 14, 2007
Certainly much of what I have heard about the creator of all things would support the idea of God having a dual nature. God is all forgiving. If you do not accept Jesus as your personal savior you will not be on the guest list in His lifetime. God is a loving god. He allows little children to suffer and computers to malfunction. God is omnipotent. It is important that you do God's work. Prayer always works, except when it is not God's will. There is one God and they are the Son, the Father and the Holy Ghost.
When the size of my brain is compared to the size of the universe my brain comes up short. Every time. I cannot possibly comprehend God so if I am unable to understand all I have been told then that is not a problem.
Much of what I have learned about the nature of physical reality supports the concept of duality. Back in the early part of the twentieth century scientist studying the electron, the elementary particle that carries the negative charge, made an astounding discovery. The electron could be spread out like a wave and thus be in two places at once. Or it could be in one place, like the period on the of this sentence. What made the difference, why did one electron act like a particle and another behave like a wave? Well it turns out it all depended on whether or not it was being observed. If you measured it, it was a particle. If you didn't measure it, it was a wave.
Weird huh? And very droll. That's a basic humanoid defense mechanism, people quickly get bored with things they can't understand. Keeps the brain from getting stuck in endless loops and going blue screen. A lot of my friends felt like that in Algebra. I get that way listening to political speeches.
So maybe God is and god isn't. Perhaps there is one God and only one God. And a lot of other gods besides. "Thou shalt have no other Gods before me." Seems to leave open the possibility of multiple personalities in charge of creating a scene. Many people feel they have a right to believe in their God. And if you want to believe in a god that's OK with them, you can believe in their God too.
If the nature of an elementary particle can depend on weather or not you are looking at it then maybe the nature of God depends on what you believe. The universe could be that weird. The all powerful maker of all things exist because you feel his presence. Bishop Berkeley, the 18th century Irish philosopher, proved the existence of God by stating that things have substance only if they are observed. Therefore things, such as a rock or tree, would cease to exist once you stopped looking at them if it wasn't for the fact that they are still being observed by the mind of God. Why didn't he just say they wouldn't be there in the first place if God wasn't around to make them out of Pixie Dust.
And if I am emotionally deficient and unable to "know in my heart" that a loving, intelligent, rational being is the unseen force behind water lilies, the passing of the seasons, the human eye and polio, the full moon and napalm, Easter bunnies and birth defects, well then maybe he isn't there.
Here is the onion. If I am willing to admit that your God exist will you allow than my god may be popular fiction?
OWL
August 14, 2007
Saturday, August 11, 2007
OMG
FGM: Female Genital Mutilation.
If you're squeamish you might want to skip this one.
Female genital mutilation, also known as female circumcision or female genital cutting, is a practice of removing the clitoral hood, clitoris, parts of the labia minora and labia majora or scraping the skin from the genital area of young girls. It is routinely done is some parts of Africa and Arabia for a variety of reasons including prevention of disease, preservation of virginity and social expectation. Many people consider the practice barbaric and are trying pass legislation outlawing FGM and to change social attitudes toward it.In order to avoid offending anyone the United Nations prefers to use the term Female Genital Cutting. I didn't understand that at first. Then I realised that you might be offended if I termed what you had done to your child as "Male Genital Mutilation" and I wouldn't want to offend you.
Male circumcision, practised in Muslim countries, the United States, the Philippines, South Korea, and Israel involves removal of some or all of the prepuce (foreskin) of the penis and is usually performed shortly after birth. The prevention of disease is the reason most often sited for circumcision here in the US, religious commandment is cited among Jewish and Muslim peoples. Those who claim it is important for health reasons have been unable to point to statistics showing a greater incidence of disease in Europe or other parts of the world where male circumcision in not routinely performed. The American Academy of Paediatrics found both potential benefits and risks in infant circumcision. It felt that there was insufficient data to recommend routine neonatal circumcision. The American Medical Association supports that view. Studies linking male circumcision to a lower incidence of HIV and HPV infection are in dispute. Some people in this country seem to be unaware that the practice is not universal and is in fact not done by the majority of the world's peoples.
My son is not circumcised. When the subject came up in conversation one woman told me "It is important for health reasons". It was obvious from her tone of voice that she knew this to be true, it was a proven fact. This may have been true when she and the world were young, before the introduction of safe and effective antiseptics and antibiotics. Another woman told me she would have done it "so that he fits in". That would be a wonderful message to send to a child, it is so important to "fit in" that cutting off bits of skin from your most sensitive area is appropriate. In this day of tattooing, body piercing and unprotected sex with users of non-prescription drugs "fitting in" is given quite enough good press, thank you very much.
Doctors have been quoted as saying "it doesn't hurt them that much!" Well doc give me the needle nose pliers and a bit of broken glass, we'll see about that. A short description of the operation courtesy of Wikipedia: With a Gomco clamp, a section of skin is first crushed with a hemostat then slit with scissors. The foreskin is drawn over the bell shaped portion of the clamp and inserted through a hole in the base of the clamp and the clamp is tightened, "crushing the foreskin between the bell and the base plate." The crushing limits bleeding (provides hemostasis). While the flared bottom of the bell fits tightly against the hole of the base plate, the foreskin is then cut away with a scalpel from above the base plate.
Sounds relatively painless as long as you are not on the receiving end.
There are many things that people in this society and elsewhere do without really understanding why they do it. Other than "it's tradition". Why kiss under the mistletoe? How come Holly is used as a Christmas decoration, that is said to have been started by the Egyptians. Why do men and now women shake hands when introduced? The idea of carrying on a tradition is a good enough reason to paint Easter eggs in the spring and set off fireworks on the Fourth of July. When it comes to cutting and permanently altering the body of another human being, one who cannot speak for himself, the reasons for doing so need to be carefully reexamined before the act is committed. EVERY TIME!
I am circumcised. Does that bother me? Not really. Do I think it is a barbaric practice that should be outlawed in civilised parts of the world? No. Why am I banging on about the subject here?
It disturbs me that parents would take a newborn, in perfect health, complete with all the parts he was born with and turn him over to someone to cut bits of skin from his sexual organ, for reasons that are buried in religious antiquity, after giving it less thought than they gave to picking out his name.
OWL
August 11, 2007
If you're squeamish you might want to skip this one.
Female genital mutilation, also known as female circumcision or female genital cutting, is a practice of removing the clitoral hood, clitoris, parts of the labia minora and labia majora or scraping the skin from the genital area of young girls. It is routinely done is some parts of Africa and Arabia for a variety of reasons including prevention of disease, preservation of virginity and social expectation. Many people consider the practice barbaric and are trying pass legislation outlawing FGM and to change social attitudes toward it.In order to avoid offending anyone the United Nations prefers to use the term Female Genital Cutting. I didn't understand that at first. Then I realised that you might be offended if I termed what you had done to your child as "Male Genital Mutilation" and I wouldn't want to offend you.
Male circumcision, practised in Muslim countries, the United States, the Philippines, South Korea, and Israel involves removal of some or all of the prepuce (foreskin) of the penis and is usually performed shortly after birth. The prevention of disease is the reason most often sited for circumcision here in the US, religious commandment is cited among Jewish and Muslim peoples. Those who claim it is important for health reasons have been unable to point to statistics showing a greater incidence of disease in Europe or other parts of the world where male circumcision in not routinely performed. The American Academy of Paediatrics found both potential benefits and risks in infant circumcision. It felt that there was insufficient data to recommend routine neonatal circumcision. The American Medical Association supports that view. Studies linking male circumcision to a lower incidence of HIV and HPV infection are in dispute. Some people in this country seem to be unaware that the practice is not universal and is in fact not done by the majority of the world's peoples.
My son is not circumcised. When the subject came up in conversation one woman told me "It is important for health reasons". It was obvious from her tone of voice that she knew this to be true, it was a proven fact. This may have been true when she and the world were young, before the introduction of safe and effective antiseptics and antibiotics. Another woman told me she would have done it "so that he fits in". That would be a wonderful message to send to a child, it is so important to "fit in" that cutting off bits of skin from your most sensitive area is appropriate. In this day of tattooing, body piercing and unprotected sex with users of non-prescription drugs "fitting in" is given quite enough good press, thank you very much.
Doctors have been quoted as saying "it doesn't hurt them that much!" Well doc give me the needle nose pliers and a bit of broken glass, we'll see about that. A short description of the operation courtesy of Wikipedia: With a Gomco clamp, a section of skin is first crushed with a hemostat then slit with scissors. The foreskin is drawn over the bell shaped portion of the clamp and inserted through a hole in the base of the clamp and the clamp is tightened, "crushing the foreskin between the bell and the base plate." The crushing limits bleeding (provides hemostasis). While the flared bottom of the bell fits tightly against the hole of the base plate, the foreskin is then cut away with a scalpel from above the base plate.
Sounds relatively painless as long as you are not on the receiving end.
There are many things that people in this society and elsewhere do without really understanding why they do it. Other than "it's tradition". Why kiss under the mistletoe? How come Holly is used as a Christmas decoration, that is said to have been started by the Egyptians. Why do men and now women shake hands when introduced? The idea of carrying on a tradition is a good enough reason to paint Easter eggs in the spring and set off fireworks on the Fourth of July. When it comes to cutting and permanently altering the body of another human being, one who cannot speak for himself, the reasons for doing so need to be carefully reexamined before the act is committed. EVERY TIME!
I am circumcised. Does that bother me? Not really. Do I think it is a barbaric practice that should be outlawed in civilised parts of the world? No. Why am I banging on about the subject here?
It disturbs me that parents would take a newborn, in perfect health, complete with all the parts he was born with and turn him over to someone to cut bits of skin from his sexual organ, for reasons that are buried in religious antiquity, after giving it less thought than they gave to picking out his name.
OWL
August 11, 2007
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Crappy Denim
I got an e-mail that says a post office was forced to take down posters that said "In God We Trust". This is about the third or fourth time I seen this item. That's OK, the story is true.
A few years ago Misses B. started selling Avon. In order to increase her sales she put her name and phone number on brochures and left them various places around town. Including the local post office. The next day we got a phone call from Rodger the post master. He asked Misses B. politely to remove her brochures and reminded her gently that the post office is not a community bulletin board. There is a prohibition against "depositing or posting of handbills, fliers, pamphlets, signs, posters, placards, or other literature (except official postal and other governmental notices and announcements) in interior public areas on postal premises." You cannot go into a post office a post a "lost cat" flier. Or the "Bill of Rights", the "Magna Carta" or your version of the ten commandments. Neither can I. Fair's fair.
Back 2002 a man in Texas had a bunch of posters printed up and framed and distributed to various public buildings including several post offices. The posters were put up in the POs and a postal supervisor ordered them taken down. The story has been circulating on the web since then. Some people seem to think their rights have been violated, their beliefs discriminated against. And because 86% of the people in this country believe in god that gives them more right to display their beliefs in public than those who don't. The United States of America doesn't work that way. Everybody gets the same rights, majority and minority are treated equal.
In the mean time, because of the public outcry, the United States Postal Service has printed up posters with our national motto "In God We Trust" and installed them in all 38,000 post offices nation wide. I didn't get an e-mail about that. Did you? The federal courts have repeatedly ruled that having "In God We Trust" as our national motto is not a violation of the constitution and that it is acceptable to print that on our currency. That wasn't news worthy enough for an e-mail. Every year from the time my son was in kindergarten until the fifth grade I was obligated to attend a "Christmas Program" where religious songs (prayers set to music) were sung. No one wrote that up and sent it round.
But let a public body decide not to open with a prayer and we never hear the end of it. The latest e-mail I got, which I've seen several times, shows marines with their heads bent in prayer. At lest that's what the e-mail says, for all I know they were looking for some one's lost contact. Then it goes on to quote a spokesman, Lucius Traveler, from the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) saying that "These are federal employees, on federal property and on federal time. For them to pray is clearly an establishment of religion, and we must nip this in the bud immediately." When inquires were made the ACLU denied any knowledge of a Mr. Traveler. That is just like something the ACLU would do. The e-mail goes on to quote Colonel Jack Fessender, speaking for the Commandant of the Corps saying (cleaned up a bit), "Screw the ACLU." When inquires were made the USMC (United States Marine Corps) denied any knowledge of a Colonel Jack Fessender. That is just like something the USMC would do.
People in this country, school administrators, city and county officials and the general public, are beginning to erroneously believe that "God" is not allowed in public places. So with an excess of caution they rule against the use of the word "god" at school functions or public meetings. And when they do the e-mail goes round with "God-Banned" in real big letters at the top.
Every session of congress opens with a prayer. As has every graduation ceremony I've ever been to. The city council in the small town where I live has voted to spend $800 to post "In God We Trust" in the council chambers, no one has filed suit. In my readings on the web I often see stories where someone has protested the use of the word "god" and was summarily overruled by the powers that be. Those stories don't get forwarded. But made up stories about the ACLU protesting prayer have a half-life of like forever.
This leads to the impression that although those who believe in god are a majority in this country they are powerless against an atheistic minority. If christians want people to believe they have the right to use the word "god" they should spread the stories that show that right being upheld, by the courts, by public officials and by the people themselves. Seize the day!
Somewhere in a darkened room, hunched over a keyboard, with wide eyes reflecting the light of the World Wide Web, a heretic is grinning.
OWL
August 9, 2007
A few years ago Misses B. started selling Avon. In order to increase her sales she put her name and phone number on brochures and left them various places around town. Including the local post office. The next day we got a phone call from Rodger the post master. He asked Misses B. politely to remove her brochures and reminded her gently that the post office is not a community bulletin board. There is a prohibition against "depositing or posting of handbills, fliers, pamphlets, signs, posters, placards, or other literature (except official postal and other governmental notices and announcements) in interior public areas on postal premises." You cannot go into a post office a post a "lost cat" flier. Or the "Bill of Rights", the "Magna Carta" or your version of the ten commandments. Neither can I. Fair's fair.
Back 2002 a man in Texas had a bunch of posters printed up and framed and distributed to various public buildings including several post offices. The posters were put up in the POs and a postal supervisor ordered them taken down. The story has been circulating on the web since then. Some people seem to think their rights have been violated, their beliefs discriminated against. And because 86% of the people in this country believe in god that gives them more right to display their beliefs in public than those who don't. The United States of America doesn't work that way. Everybody gets the same rights, majority and minority are treated equal.
In the mean time, because of the public outcry, the United States Postal Service has printed up posters with our national motto "In God We Trust" and installed them in all 38,000 post offices nation wide. I didn't get an e-mail about that. Did you? The federal courts have repeatedly ruled that having "In God We Trust" as our national motto is not a violation of the constitution and that it is acceptable to print that on our currency. That wasn't news worthy enough for an e-mail. Every year from the time my son was in kindergarten until the fifth grade I was obligated to attend a "Christmas Program" where religious songs (prayers set to music) were sung. No one wrote that up and sent it round.
But let a public body decide not to open with a prayer and we never hear the end of it. The latest e-mail I got, which I've seen several times, shows marines with their heads bent in prayer. At lest that's what the e-mail says, for all I know they were looking for some one's lost contact. Then it goes on to quote a spokesman, Lucius Traveler, from the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) saying that "These are federal employees, on federal property and on federal time. For them to pray is clearly an establishment of religion, and we must nip this in the bud immediately." When inquires were made the ACLU denied any knowledge of a Mr. Traveler. That is just like something the ACLU would do. The e-mail goes on to quote Colonel Jack Fessender, speaking for the Commandant of the Corps saying (cleaned up a bit), "Screw the ACLU." When inquires were made the USMC (United States Marine Corps) denied any knowledge of a Colonel Jack Fessender. That is just like something the USMC would do.
People in this country, school administrators, city and county officials and the general public, are beginning to erroneously believe that "God" is not allowed in public places. So with an excess of caution they rule against the use of the word "god" at school functions or public meetings. And when they do the e-mail goes round with "God-Banned" in real big letters at the top.
Every session of congress opens with a prayer. As has every graduation ceremony I've ever been to. The city council in the small town where I live has voted to spend $800 to post "In God We Trust" in the council chambers, no one has filed suit. In my readings on the web I often see stories where someone has protested the use of the word "god" and was summarily overruled by the powers that be. Those stories don't get forwarded. But made up stories about the ACLU protesting prayer have a half-life of like forever.
This leads to the impression that although those who believe in god are a majority in this country they are powerless against an atheistic minority. If christians want people to believe they have the right to use the word "god" they should spread the stories that show that right being upheld, by the courts, by public officials and by the people themselves. Seize the day!
Somewhere in a darkened room, hunched over a keyboard, with wide eyes reflecting the light of the World Wide Web, a heretic is grinning.
OWL
August 9, 2007
Saturday, August 4, 2007
that's the way it's supposed to be
Imprinting, in psychology, is a process by which we learn things rapidly at particular stages of life. Often the things we learn in this way are life long lessons. It becomes very hard to unlearn something that has been imprinted in our memory, even when negative consequences result from acting on it. Birds and other animals imprint their parents at birth. They learn what mommy and daddy look like and then will follow faithfully wherever they lead. If no parent is available they choose another animal, a human being or even an inanimate object as a surrogate. Human babies begin to recognise their parents voices while still in the womb. The bonding of a mother to her newborn may involve the same type of learning.
Sexual imprinting occurs during a young persons first sexual experiences. The age, sex and appearance of a persons first partner can become important parts of their sexual make up. Often they will continue to seek out similar partners for the rest of their lives. Some men are only interested only in skinny blonds, I knew a woman who was turned on by men with red hair. Not just the characteristics of your partner can be imprinted. What they are wearing, the acts performed and what is said during the first few sexual encounters can become part of a persons sexual preferences. Some men are turned on by high heel shoes. Some women like men who play rough. Even the location of an encounter can be imprinted, whether it is a seedy motel room or the back seat of a Chevy Impala. So powerful is this imprinting that certain stimuli are not just preferred but are absolutely necessary for arousal (read "erection" in men), pleasurable sex and orgasm. An aspect of a first experience is more likely to be imprinted if that aspect adds to the thrill and excitement of the moment.
Human beings get excited when they think they are doing something socially unacceptable or morally wrong. The adrenaline starts flowing, the heart beats faster, and the senses are heightened. Our culture offers a panorama of sexual taboos. There are rules against sex outside of marriage, oral and anal sex, group sex, touching the genitals and sex for pleasure. Having sex before you are 18 is "bad" and if your partner is under 18 it is a crime. Even looking a another person's unclothed body is considered a sin. So it is no surprise that many of us felt we were doing something wrong our first time. Not that we were awkward at sex, every one feels like that, but that we doing exactly what we were taught not to do.
This leads to a paradox if someone believes that they are committing a great sin during the first time they have sex or that there will serious consequences if they are caught. The feeling of "being bad" becomes a prerequisite part of "good sex". Once they become a married adult sex is no longer wrong and it is no longer satisfying. In order to recreate the thrill of that first time a person will be driven to go outside of the limits of acceptable behavior. Adultery, multiple partners, unsafe sex, sex in public places, and "deviant" sexual practices such as bondage, sado-masochism, voyeurism and homosexual acts are the only way for some people to become aroused and achieve orgasm.
Religious and social mores that label certain aspects of sex as "wrong" end up driving us to have sex in a way that is unhealthy, dangerous or to our own detriment. Leading to the break-up of marriage, the spreading of disease and social maladjustment, bringing harm to ourselves, our families and to society as a whole.
OWL
August 4, 2007
Sexual imprinting occurs during a young persons first sexual experiences. The age, sex and appearance of a persons first partner can become important parts of their sexual make up. Often they will continue to seek out similar partners for the rest of their lives. Some men are only interested only in skinny blonds, I knew a woman who was turned on by men with red hair. Not just the characteristics of your partner can be imprinted. What they are wearing, the acts performed and what is said during the first few sexual encounters can become part of a persons sexual preferences. Some men are turned on by high heel shoes. Some women like men who play rough. Even the location of an encounter can be imprinted, whether it is a seedy motel room or the back seat of a Chevy Impala. So powerful is this imprinting that certain stimuli are not just preferred but are absolutely necessary for arousal (read "erection" in men), pleasurable sex and orgasm. An aspect of a first experience is more likely to be imprinted if that aspect adds to the thrill and excitement of the moment.
Human beings get excited when they think they are doing something socially unacceptable or morally wrong. The adrenaline starts flowing, the heart beats faster, and the senses are heightened. Our culture offers a panorama of sexual taboos. There are rules against sex outside of marriage, oral and anal sex, group sex, touching the genitals and sex for pleasure. Having sex before you are 18 is "bad" and if your partner is under 18 it is a crime. Even looking a another person's unclothed body is considered a sin. So it is no surprise that many of us felt we were doing something wrong our first time. Not that we were awkward at sex, every one feels like that, but that we doing exactly what we were taught not to do.
This leads to a paradox if someone believes that they are committing a great sin during the first time they have sex or that there will serious consequences if they are caught. The feeling of "being bad" becomes a prerequisite part of "good sex". Once they become a married adult sex is no longer wrong and it is no longer satisfying. In order to recreate the thrill of that first time a person will be driven to go outside of the limits of acceptable behavior. Adultery, multiple partners, unsafe sex, sex in public places, and "deviant" sexual practices such as bondage, sado-masochism, voyeurism and homosexual acts are the only way for some people to become aroused and achieve orgasm.
Religious and social mores that label certain aspects of sex as "wrong" end up driving us to have sex in a way that is unhealthy, dangerous or to our own detriment. Leading to the break-up of marriage, the spreading of disease and social maladjustment, bringing harm to ourselves, our families and to society as a whole.
OWL
August 4, 2007
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