Chri$tma$

Although Christmas may have started as a Christian holiday, it has branched out and now is probably observed (not exactly celebrated) by other faiths and even atheists as a time to exchange gifts and take time off work. These people don't fuss much about their observation unless it intereferes with their lifestyle. The pine trees for sale and the holiday discounts at the store don't raise any eyebrows and they certainly are not discriminatory in any way, but if the city displays a nativity scene, well, that's when things get nasty.

It's not the atheists that have degraded Christmas to its present commerciality, that was done by the good old Sunday School attending Christians who preach their religion on Sunday and leave it at the door of the church on the way out. Last I knew, the giving of gifts was supposed to represent the gifts the magi left the Christ child and, more importantly, the gifts that He gave us. But, in a day where we worship technology, money, power, influence and other such worldly things, giving gifts to others is simply a way to say "thanks," "good work," "I love you," or even "I gave you something so I want something in return." As long as someone out there is still giving toys anonymously to the family down the street or giving food, blankets, and clothes to the homeless we at least stand a chance of a comeback.

Me? Shallow?

So what is so wrong with being shallow?

Girls never go for guys that have any depth to them. These are the guys that get made fun of in gym class and end up banking a ton of money starting some internet company.

It's easy to know what shallow guys want and need. No one ever has to guess as to what I mean when I say, "Gee, Carla! You look really nice today." Since I am shallow that means only one thing and if you can't figure it out you are probably wondering if Microsoft is going to have your pension ready for you when it's time to retire.

Being shallow means I have no ulterior motives and girls can dig that. There's no need for mind games and wondering if I should call or what I'm supposed to say. It's so much easier! Dating should not be hard work and if it is, then I'm not doing it right.

Plus, shallow guys get the hottest chicks anyway! Remember back in high school? The hottest cheerleader dated the hottest, shallowest guy on the football team, not the captain of the physics club.

And when you get older, you don't have to worry, because your girl already knows you're going to ditch her for a younger, hotter girl anyway. Younger girls dig older, more experienced men, right? Especially if you shave your head and have a sexy voice. (That voice coach worked wonders on me!)

So please, don't think about it too hard. The choice should already be made up for you: being shallow is the only way to go.

Etymology

Words are what bring many people together from around the world. If not for spoken or written languages, economies, societies, relationships, and everything else that involves interaction with others would have a difficult, perhaps impossible, time surviving. Each of these different aspects of our lives depend on communication with external intelligence.

But is all language communication? Is all communication language? My answer to both is, "No." If I could choose somewhere in between yes and no, I would. I do think most language is communication and most communication is language. Yes, body language and tone of voice and other non-verbal and non-written elements can be factored into communication, but what good is body language if you don't know what they are saying?

Le français est la langue d'amour. Ma il francese viene da latino. O italiano e o espanhol originaram desta mesma linguagem. Así es con el portugués.

Language and communication have not only the power to unify but also to divide.

Augusto Pinochet

Augusto José Ramón Pinochet Ugarte is dead but his legacy, for good and bad, lives on. Taking over the government of Chile violently, he ended the presidency of the first democratically elected Marxist president, Salvador Isabelino del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús Allende Gossens. September 11 is still a national holiday paying tribute to the military, one week before Chile's 'Independence' holiday.

Of all Latin American countries, Chile is probably one of the most stable economically and - dare I say - politically. While it is true that many rallies and protests turn violent, I am not aware of any deaths or sever injuries in the recent past, unlike other regional protests. This could be due, in part, to the military and police training, where Pinochet began his political career.

Under Pinochet, the country began the move from privatization to a more capitalistic economy, including allowing foreign investors in. From this standpoint, one could argue that Pinochet brought the country out of the economic demise spurred by Allende's socialist program.

But, as in all stories, there is opposition. Pinochet may be more famous (or infamous) for allowing, sanctioning and possibly participating in murdering alleged enemies, not to mention torture, abuse, and exile imposed on others. All estimates of the number of victims are in the thousands, though no one is sure that an exact count will be known.

Controversies abounded during his life and in death it will continue. Was he a hero or a villain? Is it possible to be both? David killed Goliath and became king, but then he fell from grace by killing Uriah and lusting after Uriah's wife. It is hard to imagine, though, that one person can be capable of both extremes, so much good, and so much evil.

Half Asleep

When I first opened up this blog to write something, I also opened up 'Utopia' by Thomas More in hopes of finding some inspriational sarcasm. However, I quickly moved on to Plato's 'Republic,' noticing that the actual name of this work depends on the language from which it was translated to English. I won't even bother myself with the details. Soon after that window closed another opened...you guessed it! On Google! I don't even know how I found it, but it had some interesting viewpoints, arguments, counterarguments, hypotheses, regarding religion, policits, economics, philosophy, and other branches of related study. One thing that caught me eye was the comparison between Darwin's theory of evolution and free markets, both involving "sponateous natural order," or chaos theory, or whatever you want to call it. Though not for the faint hearted, it is worth a glance, and in return you might find yourself laughing outloud just a bit. No one ever said politics and humor can't go in the same sentence. Here it is in all its glory: Creation & Darwinism, Politics & Economics, by Kelly L. Ross, Ph.D.

With a Little Help from the Climate

The other night on the History Channel (that's right, folks, I am a nerd) I came into the middle of a program that seemed to be discussing how Stradivarius created such perfect violins. Upon watching the show further, I realized that they were hypothesizing that the Little Ice Age may have helped him in his work.

Sometime between the 15th and 19th centuries, the temperature in Europe, and potentially across the globe, was almost 1 degree celsius cooler than normal, which in turn made for some extremely harsh winters and colder, shorter summers. This colder climate made the trees grow slower, so that the space between the tree rings was smaller, thus making them more resonant in the violins (according to some).

This colder climate also killed much of the vineyards in Northern Europe, so instead of wine, they turned to their cereals and grains to make alcoholic beverages. As they emigrated to the United States, they brought their traditions along with them. Even today, more than 80% of the alcoholic beverages consumed in the USA is beer and hard liquor. Most of the wines are drunk on the coasts.

And finally, the Vikings who were renowned for their survival skills were killed off in Greenland (when they moved to Greenland, it really was green due to the Midieval Climate Optimum) because of the harsher winters and their lack of assuming the skills of the Inuits with whom they shared the frozen country.

It is interesting how the weather from hundreds of years ago has affected us even today, without us realizing it.

Capitalist Healthcare

In the United States of America, the healthcare system is currently a privately owned and operated sector, but is a capitalistic healthcare system really the best way to ensure all people have access to sufficient, timely, appropriate medical attention? Most insurance companies require a co-payment at the time of services, after which the doctor's office will bill the insurance company and then the patient may possibly pay some out-of-pocket expenses, depending on the policy. Because the doctor's office is getting reimbursed based on the procedures performed and the insurance company's billing schedule, not according to communications to and from the patient, the doctor's office has no incentive to notify patient's of test results on a timely basis.

In my Personal Aside, I talked of possible impending bad news. Implied was that my doctor had some news for me and it would either be great news or horrible news; however, the time period that I had to wait for the news was excruciatingly long. My test was on a Friday and I was told that I should have the results by Tuesday. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday I called the doctor's office multiple times and they had neither received results, nor had they requested results. On Friday when I called, they informed me that the hospital that performed the test on me had no record of me being there the week before! Finally, I went to the hospital myself and got the test results.

I read the results, which were of a somewhat less than promising nature (I'm being sarcastic if you can't tell- the results were scary!). When dropping the results off at the doctor's office, they told me they had received them, but had forgotten to call me! Obviously, they don't get paid by letting me know my test results on a timely basis, but this is a life we are talking about! What if I had 48 hours to live? They had begun their reimbursement process, so what did they care? They wouldn't get their cash any sooner if they told me the test results on Monday or Friday or two years later.

The worst part is, on a follow-up test, the same thing happened agin. Where are we headed with this? Doctor's offices get their money, hospitals are only required to do bare minimum procedures for those who can't afford insurance...Shouldn't everyone be entitled to the same treatment? Government-run healthcare would alleivate part of this, but with all the bureaucracy and red tape, would timeliness be unaffected? Would medical advances slow or even stop because the inventors would not be as well compensated as they would have been under capitalism?

Where do we go from here? What improvements can we make without sacrificing what we've already got?

Is he dead?

Welcome back to all you old timers. Thought I was gone for good, did you? Well, let's just say I had a brief sabbatical, although...sabbaticals are usually supposed to be good for recharing batteries, gathering new information, coming up with new ideas. Sorry to disappoint, but all of my ideas are stale.

Off that topic, I was playing a video game the other day (yes, during my sabbatical) and in it, the narrator supposedly mentioned Sir James George Frazer's book 'The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion,' and then said, "[we] are overwhelmed by our very human need to weave a web of meaning where there may be none." A review by Time magazine found on Amazon.com's website, here, blasts Frazer for essentially saying only the stupid believe in a god and only the intelligent believe in science. Apparently he must have felt that religion and science cannot coexist.

He does have a point that everyone must consider, however, to be confident in their faith. Do you believe what you do because you have no proof otherwise? Is there no other rational explanation, so you simply attribute it to a higher being? If so, then I would venture that your faith and beliefs are shaky, at best. To be firmly rooted in your beliefs, in your faith, in your church, in your branch of study, you should have evidence to support your claim. To scientists, they require empirical evidence, while the proof of a higher being for those who believe may be something else.

Remember, the proof for which you seek is not for others but for you. You must obtain sufficient proof to convince yourself of the "truth," however you may define it. What anyone else thinks is irrelevant. You are on a quest for yourself, not others.

Personal Aside

What would you do if you found out you only had three months to live? Would you quit your job? Would you go on as if nothing had changed? Would you have any regrets? Although I haven't actually received such shocking news, I recently was informed of the potential for such shocking news. It may be nothing...it may be something. Perspectives may remain the same, or they could change. How I decide to react is all up to me. What is thought of me after I'm gone is up to you.

Profit & Loss

Recently, a movie was released that was based on the events of a certain flight that crashed into a field on September 11, 2001. Last night I saw a preview about a movie based on a true story of an entire football team that died in an accident. It seems that every year, more and more movies based on a true story are released. These filmmakers are profiting because of someone else's loss. Can't they come up with their own story? They are so hungry for money, they are willing to commercialize someone's death? Yes, some of the proceeds may go to a charity or to a family affected by the loss, but shouldn't all the proceeds go to that? Respect needs to make a comeback.

War in Iraq

Don't get too worried about this post. Yes it is somewhat political in nature, but I promise not to do it often. Please keep in mind that I did absolutely no research on this at all and that it is entirely based on what I have heard and, obviously, my own opinion.

With election day around the corner, it's impossible to avoid hearing the republicans bashing the democrats for bashing the republicans regarding the war in Iraq. The deomcrats feel we are wasting time, money, and - more importantly - lives fighting a seemingly unending war. A civil war is imminent and I don't know who would argue against it.

The republicans are somewhat in agreement, though they won't admit it. Their point is that the democrats don't have a plan to remediate what the republicans screwed up.

At first glance, pulling our troops out would seem like a great idea; however, we started this mess, so shouldn't we stick around to help clean it up?

It's been on odd war in the first place. The wholc world knows George W. was just looking for an excuse to go after Saddam and in the inaccurate intelligence (sort of an oxymoron, isn't it?) he found that excuse. That is not to say Sadaam should have stayed in power, but we should not justify our actions with a lie. The world is a much better place without Saddam in power, but are the lives of the Iraqis any better? How many of them have died innocently? When will the threat of civil war, or car bombings, of suicide bombers, of hunger, of death be reduced to levels lower than when Saddam's regime ruled?

Maybe overl human rights are better, arguably, but now what? No one seems to know what to do and in the meantime, hundreds of innocent people are dying.

Note to Self

It seems that almost every day someone is being arrested or investigated for having some sort of 'hit list' or turning in a report talking about murdering specific people or just going on a violent, lethal rampage. For most of us, when we make off-hand comments like, "I would like to kill that guy!" we don't literally mean we want to go that person's school or home or business to blow their brains across the room and onto the wall. What we mean is, "That guy is so frustrating! I wish I didn't have to deal with him!" It's never the majority who attempt the unthinkable. Most of us are too comfortable living the status quo to want to disrupt anything, for good or bad. The police, the FBI, the CIA and other crime fighting organizations are in business because of the minority who feel compelled to follow through with threats- threats that aren't as empty as we would like them to be. There are others in the minority, however, that want to make the world a better place...and maybe make some money along the way. If it weren't for these people, I wouldn't be writing this blog today. Blogs, the internet, power plants and all that other cool technology that I have no clue how it works would not exist if a few people had decided to stay complacent. But as a note to myself, if I ever get frustrated enough to say something I don't mean, I hope no one is around to hear it and I hope I am not stupid enough to post it anywhere. Keep your noses clean, people.

Next Time Won't You Sing with Me

A billion cats danced everywhere for girls hanging in jumpsuits. Kingly lions mate near our preschool, quickly roaring. Slobbery toasters uphold vittles with xylene. Yes, Zimbabwe?

American Nationalism

All over the world, Americans are probably more infamous than the French for their blind patriotism. It's nice that we are so proud of our country. Yes, it's a great place to live and there are many opportunities given us that many people won't ever have. But is that a reason to expect all immigrants to leave behind their native language and customs? Does becoming an American involve stripping one's self of one's identity, history, and culture? In fact, what is American culture other than fast-paced and cold? We speak English, not American. Almost all of us have ancestors who were born in another country. The food we eat, the music we enjoy, most everything we do has roots elsewhere. So why are we so adamant that we are better than everyone else? Homogeneity in a heterogenous world will only get you hated and probably killed. Tolerance is not the answer either, but inclusion of all diversities. Working and building on each other's strengths is the only way to overcome the global challenges facing everyone.

Natural Man

Is man inherently good? Or is man inherently bad? I'm sure some Christians would argue that man is naturally bad, evil, carnal, sensual, wicked. But then my question to them is, why do we not see more evil people in the world? Why are there not more murders, adultery, robbing, stealing, and just plain bad things going on? Yes, there is more than enough bad out there, but mitigating it is the fact that, for the most part, I think people are naturally good, also. Though somewhat contradictory, these same Christians would also argue that we all have the light of Christ in us all, our concscience, which keeps us in line. This is what makes us want to be nice, to say 'Have a nice day' to the clerk at the convenience store, to feel good when helping a complete stranger. For the most part, the murders, the racism, the evil things in the world are the minority, but get the most press. For every car jacking, I am sure there are thousands of kind deeds that go unnoticed. No one is perfect, in fact, we all have good and bad in us innately, but isn't that why we are on this earth? To overcome the bad and let the good shine through? As a whole, we have a long way to go, but I think the way down is much farther than the way up.

Kidney Stones

The following was taken from an article on the Wikipedia website.

Kidney stones, also known as nephrolithiases, urolithiases or renal calculi, are solid accretions (crystals) of dissolved minerals in urine found inside the kidneys or ureters. They vary in size from as small as a grain of sand to as large as a golf ball. Kidney stones typically leave the body in the urine stream; if they grow relatively large before passing (on the order of millimeters), obstruction of a ureter and distention with urine can cause severe pain most commonly felt in the flank, lower abdomen and groin. Kidney stones are unrelated to gallstones.

Etiology
Conventional wisdom has held that consumption of too much calcium can aggravate the development of kidney stones, since the most common type of stone is calcium oxalate. However, strong evidence has accumulated demonstrating that low-calcium diets are associated with higher stone risk and vice-versa for the typical stone former.

Other examples of kidney stones include struvite (magnesium, ammonium and phosphate), uric acid, calcium phosphate, or cystine (found only in people suffering from cystinuria). The formation of struvite stones is associated with the presence of urea-splitting bacteria, most commonly Proteus mirabilis (also Klebsiella, Serratia, Providencia species) which can split urea into ammonia, resulting in favorable conditions for the formation of struvite. A lack of the protein calgranulin is blamed by some for the appearance of calcium oxalate stones.

Symptoms
Kidney stones are usually asymptomatic until they obstruct the flow of urine. Symptoms can include acute flank pain (renal colic), nausea and vomiting, restlessness, dull pain, hematuria, and possibly fever if infection is present. Acute renal colic is described as one of the worst types of pain that a patient can suffer. Note that the pain is generally due to the stone's presence in the ureter, and not—as is commonly believed—the urethra and lower genitals.

Some patients have no symptoms until their urine turns bloody—this may be the first symptom of a kidney stone. The amount of blood may not be sufficient to be seen, and thus the first warning can be microscopic hematuria, when red blood cells are found in the microscopic study of a urine sample, during a routine medical test.

Diagnosis & Investigation
Diagnosis is usually made on the basis of the location and severity of the pain, which is typically colic in nature (comes and goes in spasmodic waves). Radiological imaging is used to confirm the diagnosis and a number of other tests can be undertaken to help establish both the possible cause and consequences of the stone. Ultrasound imaging is also useful as it will give details about the presence of hydronephrosis (swelling of the kidney - suggesting the stone is blocking the outflow of urine). It will also show the 10% of stones that do not have enough calcium to be seen on x-rays (radiolucent stones).

The relatively dense calcium renders these stones radio-opaque and they can be detected by a traditional X-ray of the abdomen that includes Kidneys, Ureters and Bladder—KUB. This may be followed by an IVP (Intravenous Pyelogram; IntraVenous Urogram (IVU) is the same test by another name) which requires about 50ml of a special dye to be injected into the bloodstream that is excreted by the kidneys and by its density helps outline any stone on a repeated X-ray. These can also be detected by a Retrograde pyelogram where similar "dye" is injected directly into the ureteral opening in the bladder by a surgeon. Computed tomography (CT or CAT scan), a specialized X-ray, is considered the gold-standard diagnostic test for the detection of kidney stones, and in this setting does not require the use of intravenous contrast, which carries some risk in certain people (eg, allergy, kidney damage). All stones are detectable by CT except very rare stones composed of certain drug residues in urine.

Investigations typically carried out include:

• Microscopic study of urine, which may show proteins, red blood cells, pus cells, cellular casts and crystals.
• Culture of a urine sample to exclude urine infection (either as a differential cause of the patient's pain, or secondary to the presence of a stone)
• Blood tests: Full blood count for the presence of a raised white cell count (Neutrophilia) suggestive of infection, a check of renal function and if raised blood calcium blood levels (hypercalcaemia).
• 24 hour urine collection to measure total daily urinary calcium, oxalate and phosphate

Treatment
Stones less than 5 mm in size usually will pass spontaneously, however the majority of stones greater than 6 mm will require some form of intervention, especially so if the stone is stuck causing persistent obstruction and/or infection of the urinary tract. Management of pain from kidney stones varies from country to country and even from physician to physician, but may require intravenous medication (eg, narcotic or nonsteroidal antiinflammatories) in acute situations or similar classes of drugs may be effectve orally in an outpatient setting for less severe discomfort. In many cases non-invasive Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy may be used. Otherwise some form of invasive procedure is required; with approaches including ureteroscopic fragmentation (or simple basket extraction if feasible) using laser, ultrasonic or mechanical (pneumatic, shock-wave) forms of energy to fragment stones. percutaneous nephrolithotomy or open surgery may ultimately be necessary for large or complicated stones or stones which fail other less invasive attempts at treatment.

A single study in the USA, at the Mayo Clinic, has suggested that Lithotripsy may increase subsequent incidence of diabetes and hypertension, but it has not been felt warranted to change clinical practice at the clinic.

Secondary Prevention
Preventive strategies include dietary modifications and sometimes also taking drugs with the goal of reducing excretory load on the kidneys:

• Drinking enough water to make 2 to 2.5 litres of urine per day.
•A diet low in protein, nitrogen and sodium intake.
• Restriction of oxalate-rich foods and maintaining an adequate intake of dietary calcium is recommended. There is equivocal evidence that calcium supplements increase the risk of stone formation, though calcium citrate appears to carries the lowest, if any, risk
• Taking drugs such as thiazides, potassium citrate, magnesium citrate and allopurinol depending on the cause of stone formation.
• Depending on the stone formation disease, vitamin B-6 and orthophosphate supplements (such as IP-6) may be helpful, although these treatments are generally reserved for those with Primary Hyperoxaluria. Cellulose supplements have also shown potential for reducing kidney stones caused by certain conditions, although, again, not much research has been completed on this treatment.

Certain foods may increase the risk of stones: spinach, rhubarb, chocolate, peanuts, cocoa, tomato juice, grapefruit juice, apple juice, soda (acidic and contains phosphorus), all types of tea, and berries (high levels of oxalate). In the United States, the South has the highest incidence of kidney stones, a region where sweet tea consumption is very common. Other drinks are associated with decreased risk of stones, including wine, lemonade and orange juice, the latter two of which are rich in citrate, a stone inhibitor.

A note on alcohol: Although it has been claimed that the diuretic effects of alcohol can result in dehydration, which is important for kidney stones sufferers to avoid, there are no conclusive data demonstrating any cause and effect regarding kidney stones. However, some have theorized that frequent and binge drinkers create situations that set up dehydration, (alcohol consumption, hangovers, and poor sleep and stress habits). In this view, it is not the alcohol that creates a kidney stone but it is the alcohol drinker's associated behavior that sets it up. [citation needed]

One of the recognized medical therapies for prevention of stones is thiazides, a class of drugs usually thought of as diuretic. These drugs prevent stones through an effect independent of their diuretic properties: they reduce urinary calcium excretion. Nonetheless, their diuretic property does not preclude their efficacy as stone preventive. Though caffeine does acutely increase urinary calcium excretion, coffee has a high oxalate content which has been known to cause stones in some patients and should be used sparingly. Sodium restiction is necessary for clinical effect, as sodium excess promotes calcium excretion. In addition, the effect probably fades after two years or so of therapy (tachyphylaxis).
A high protein diet might be partially to blame. Protein from meat and other animal products is broken down into acids. The most available alkaline base to balance the acid from protein is calcium carbonates and phosphates from the bones (buffering). The kidney filters the liberated calcium which may then form insoluble crystals (ie, stones)in urine with available oxalate (partly from metabolic processes, partly from diet) or phosphate ions depending on conditions. One of the simplest fixes in addition to increased fluid intake is to moderate animal protein consumption. In this regard, it is not just dietary calcium per se that may cause stone formation, but rather the leaching of bone calcium. Some diseases (eg, distal renal tubular acidosis) which cause a chronically acidic state also decrease urinary citrate levels, which is a potent inhibitor of stone formation, and these patients are prone to frequent stone formation.

A Glimpse of Paradise

The silky sand melts in my palm and gently slides into the air, almost gliding to the ground below to join the rest of the sparkling white grains. A soft breeze pushes the falling sand so that it falls just in front of me, instead of to the side where I let the air pick it up. The humid air is replete with the perfume of the verdent fauna surrounding the beach. Completing the airy mix is the warm sunshine, slowly folding everything together, sometimes peeking from behind one of the few small, billowy clouds keeping close watch on the beach. My ears catch the almost inaudible summer surf washing rythmically over my feet and every so often a moneky howl is echoed by a group of macaws. Light reflecting off the clear, light blue water bathes me, but isn't bright enough to blind me to the sight of a reef, not too far from where I stand. Though I am too far from the reef to see anything in detail, I can clearly make out the bright reds, yellows, blues, oranges, and purples of the tropical fish, fighting to survive in my paradise.

Did she really do that?

For the most part, I enjoy P!nk's music (sometimes written as Pink, or even Alecia Beth Moore); however, I think she bordered on blasphemy against Vietnam veterans with her song "My Vietnam." The song starts out fine and you think she's going to talk about freedom or something worth mentioning in the same decade as the Vietnam War. Disappointingly enough, however, she compares feeding the homeless, having a crazy mother, and going to school to Vietnam. Seems more than just a bit disrespectful to all those who fought during that bitter conflict decades ago. I'm sure her experiences taught her, perhaps even left her disillusioned with life or something, but to go to the extreme that she did does not seem appropriate. I will give her the benefit of the doubt on this one, but I think she'd do better sticking to singing about equality of the sexes, being rich, getting laid, driving ghetto cars, flying solo, etc.

Of CEO's and Manly Vanity

After reading this article, I was impressed that a chief executive actually had the guts to stand up for what he believed to be right for the company, which is the whole reason one would imagine the Board of Directors thought of when they hired him. Yet with his integrity and job on the line, the Board thought it better to let him go after 100 days, rather than admit the company has some shortcomings. The truth can be hard to take, especially to the wicked. Don't get me wrong, I am not saying Big Business is bad. I know that a lot of companies do good things and foot the bill for many of the projects for which we think the government should pay, but, because humans are at the top of these firms, they still react like idiots sometimes.

Now, completely off the subject is another article I found interesting. Read it here. Though it took too long for the media to report, I think the phenomenon of male self-image being warped by the media has been in existence just as long as it has been for women. Despite the article's assurance that males worry about body odor much more due to the media, I feel most men are accutely more despaired because of the way these models' bodies look with the six-pack and the well-defined muscles, etc. It makes us want to get off our lazy butts and do something about it...if I could just get the remote out of my hands.

Death of the Internet

There are some people in the world, perhaps even the person next to you on the subway, that abhors personal contact. Being antisocial in this sense automatically qualifies one for the nerd or geek category, though the true definition of these two terms is still being argued. You might remember the Citibank identity theft commercial in which a 'nerd' steals someone's identity and uses this other person's credit card to buy a robot for the upcoming prom. Though the robot isn't a real person, at least the guy was going out in public. What did these antisocialites do pre-Internet? With all the chat rooms and everything else in the cyber universe, one can fill up on gossip and talk and everything else without ever having to see another person. But are these connections really relationships? Probably not. You should read this. Now, I don't think this means that Internet dating and other 'relationships' are going to fade into extinction, but our social skills, our ability to interact with live human beings, and true meaning in life are on the endangered species list. We need to act if we are to save them and in so doing save ourselves from social suicide.

If a tree falls in the forest...

If a blog isn't read, does it even exist? On some level it must, because here I am updating it. Not to mention the fact that it is wasting someone's memory and even clogging bandwidth every time I update. Yes, it has been a week since I last blogged, but it doesn't seem too many have noticed. It's also a bit hard to type while blowing one's nose- boogers all over the keys isn't a very good or sanitary thought. Keep checking back, though...one of these days you might miss out on some good reading if you don't stick around!

To blog or not to blog...

Sometimes things are invented for their own sake. I have in mind the web log or blog. Here I am blogging in my own blog about how blogs were created just to have blogs. Do we really get much more out of blogs? You could say that blogs bring you another point of view on certain events or issues, but isn’t there enough of that with all of the other media? I don’t really want to read one million opinions on what color of sand looks best in a Minnesota playground. Having said as much, I doubt that most blogs are read by more than a few close friends of the blogger, if at all. From experience I know that the world of blogging can be a lonely way of life. But I am determined to make the best of it, somehow.

Democrat or Republican?

I couldn't sleep so I thought what would put me to sleep the quickest? Figuring out if I'm a republican or a democrat, of course! Click here for a link to the first and only website I checked out. Since it was the first result on Google, it must be the most correct website regarding this subject, right? Below are 12 issues/topics taken from the website, along with both side's views on each. I have included my opinion as well.

1. Abortion
Democrats: Abortion is a woman’s right and should be legal
Republicans: Abortion should be illegal and restricted by government
Me: Abortion is murder and should only occur in rare cases (Yes, I am not speficially stating in which cases on purpose)

2. Flag Burning
Democrats: Flag burning is political speech and is protected by the Constitution
Republicans: Protect the flag from burning by a constitutional amendment
Me: I agree with the Democrats on this one

3. Gun Control
Democrats: Favor/Gun control is needed
Republicans: Oppose/Gun control is unconstitutional
Me: I tend to side with the republicans in that the people from whom we are trying to keep guns away are the type of people who get them illegally anyway; however, I can see this turning into a comparison of why we should legalize marijuana...

4. Natural Environment
Democrats: Strong regulations are needed to protect the environment
Republicans: Strong environmental laws harm the economy
Me: I can see both sides: on one hand, we need to take care of this world so that future generations can still exist; on the other, I don't think we should live like cavemen to do it...a happy medium needs to exist

5. Race Relations
Democrats: Strong anti-discrimination laws are needed
Republicans: People and businesses can be trusted not to discriminate
Me: I think discrimination is wrong, but so is reverse discrimination. Quotas and laws to ensure minorities are in the workplace don't seem right to me. Let the best person for the job have it, whether it be a man or a woman, someone with yellow or brown skin, a Jew or a Muslim, etc. If the best person for the job cannot be hired because a quota needs to be filled, well then, I think something is screwed up. It is very cliche, but still rings true, "Can't we all just get along?"

6. Minimum Wage
Democrats: Favor/Increase the minimum wage to help workers
Republicans: Oppose/Do not raise the minimum wage because it hurts businesses
Me: I side with republicans on this, not necessarily because it hurts businesses, but because in the long run it raises prices on everything else and helps increase inflation.

7. Healthcare
Democrats: Government should require universal access to healthcare
Republicans: Private insurers are preferable to government mandates
Me: I agree with the democrats here

8. Taxes
Democrats: Increase taxes on the wealthy to pay for public programs
Republicans: Cutting taxes for everyone helps the economy
Me: Agree with the republicans, sort of. Why punish someone for working hard to achieve the American dream? I'm for a flat tax, you make more you pay more, but it's still the same percentage. Obviously the IRS will still be in town and people will still find loopholes and all that, but I feel it would be more equal, which is what everyone (especially democrats) want, isn't it? Liberté, equalité, fraternité.

9. Military
Democrats: Cut military spending; expand veteran’s benefits; act in concert with other nations and/or with support from NATO and the UN
Republicans: Increase military spending; cut veteran’s benefits; don’t be constrained by other nations or by NATO and the UN
Me: Why can't we leave spending where it is and still expand veteran's benefits? Right now our armed forces are stretched thin and could use some help. As for all the vets, they fought and sacrificed for us so that we could sit in our comfortable homes and enjoy watching them on CNN...why can't we give up a little to help them out?

10. Death Penalty
Democrats: Oppose/It is not a deterrent and innocent people are in jeopardy
Republicans: Favor/The death penalty is necessary and effective
Me: I don't necessarily think the death penalty is a huge deterrent, but I do feel it is the right punishment for certain crimes.

11. Gay Rights
Democrats: Favor/Gays rights and marriage are civil rights
Republicans: Oppose/Marriage is a sacred trust between a man and woman
Me: I feel homosexuals are people just like everyone else and deserve rights; however, those rights should not infringe on the rights of others. Supposedly (as noted in an earlier post), this country should be "for the people, of the people, by the people," though it can't accomplish this by siding with the minority. As a moral issue, I don't like the idea of homosexual marriage. I agree with the saying, "hate the sin, love the sinner."

12. Prayer in School
Democrats: Oppose/Violation of the separation between church and state
Republicans: Favor/It is a religious right and our Judeo-Christian heritage
Me: We should be allowed to pray or perform other religious acts where appropriate and without it infringing on the rights of others. Me praying in school is not forcing others to acknowlegde my God as the only true God. I do not force them to pray to my God. All they have to do is sit there. If it's that big of a deal, I will keep my eyes open and not bow my head, then I can just call it free speech.

So, they way I scored it, 70% of my answers favored the republicans on the end result, not necessarily the reasoning behind it.

Comfortably Numb

Have you ever noticed how emotions manifest themselves physically as well as, well, emotionally? All the adrenaline, dopamine, hormones and other chemicals are part of the homeostatic mechanisms in our bodies. Everything in our body occurs as part of a chemical process...isn't that interesting? People try to alter these natural processes with other chemicals (illicit drugs) or through other physical activities. The heroin.org website says that "pain, itself, elicits pain relief, and does so through 'reward' pathway." This pleasure system of pain may explain some things, but still... Alcoholics, though their lives are chaos when sober, drown their sorrows and pain, only temporarily. Though we would like to think we can rid ourselves of this anguish, sadness, and pain more permanently, it will never happen in this life. Part of being mortal is passing through bitterness to recognize happiness, learning lessons from the trials through which we pass. Having hope helps, but I don't think it is enough. Faith helps, but I don't think it is enough either, even when combined with hope. God doesn't delight in inflicting pain on His children, does He? He isn't sadistic, but loving and caring, right? He permits horrible events to transpire to innocent people, simply to teach a lesson? How is that showing compassion on His children? Where is the mercy in genocide? Where is the love in war? Did God delight in taking my mother away from us? For most of us, life is a struggle, a fight, but what are we fighting to win? The chance to be in Heaven? What is Heaven without the ones you love? What is the prize with no one there with whom to share it? Dinners alone are dreary and depressing. Dinners with loved ones are feasts.

Hmm

There are no perfect crimes, only imperfect investigations.

Penance

One tear is enough as all others would simply be redundant. Staring into the darkness I feel a solitary tear slip from my blinkless eye and slowly travel down my lonesome cheek. Mistakes are lessons. Pain is an horrific teacher. Saline is used as a cleanser, a purifier whether in medicine or in the soul, but one's will must allow the liquid to perform its duties otherwise all is wasted. One tear begins the process but healing a broken heart takes more than just a tear. The heart cannot be mended easily, although dashing it to pieces can be attained with a single word. The chasm beneath my feet widens and the tear falls from my face into the void. As it falls I hear it crying for action, for peace, for unity, for penance. Forgiveness may never come. It is neither mine to give nor mine to request but for me to seek. Sorrow does not bring forth solace. Restlessness does not generate laughter. Time cannot be reversed and actions cannot be deleted. Has my tear fallen in vain? Carrying on with life never was and never will be easy; the question is, will it be worth it?

Stem Cell Research

Stem cell research has the potential for myriad beneficial uses to aid ailing patients that, as of now, have no hope but that death will come quickly and painlessly. I agree that stem cell research is needed and should go forward; however, this development should not be at the cost of a human embryo. Human life is precious and until we can find a way to harvest stem cells without using human embryos, I do not feel the ends justify the means. See this CNN Article.

Part IV: Immigration

This country is the land of opportunity and vast majority of our ancestors are from other continents. What would this country be had it not been for the immigrants? Many of the jobs in which the haughty ‘Americans’ don’t want to be employed, yet require are performed by immigrants yearning to create a better life for their families. The American dream should be alive and well and available for all those who want it. Doing so legally can only help this country grow. That being said, it is not right for those who came here illegally to be granted amnesty. Yes, it would be unfair to all those who came through legal means, but on a more basic level, it was wrong. They broke the law and entered the country dishonestly. If illegal immigrants want the same rights as everyone else, they should go through the proper channels, means, paperwork, and lines required of them. If this process includes deportation, so be it. However, prospectively, I do not understand why quotas should be so low. Yes, we should try to keep terrorists and other threats to our country out, but what threat is posed to America by a hungry father trying to earn a living to provide for his poor family? Let them come, but let them come legally. See this CNN Article.

Troisième

Though not the case for everyone on welfare, many people have children and remain unemployed simply to live off the government’s generosity, however small the handout may be. In such cases, the children are unloved and unwanted, living conditions are deplorable, and most of the welfare check received is used for drugs. To combat this unethical and dishonest behavior, the government should provide basic essential services (e.g., housing, food, utilities, etc.) instead of money. In return for these services, the person receiving welfare would be required to perform work for the government such as working at a food distribution center, homeless shelter, or other such related entity. Also, the welfare receiver would be assigned a case worker who will help in search for employment. After a predetermined period, the welfare receiver will be required to have employment, or he/she will be ineligible to receive welfare assistance.

Series Part II

Continuation of the series began August 25:

Healthcare

Having private insurance companies in the United States appears to have led us down the path of the capitalists, which is to maximize profit for stakeholders at any cost. Primary services such as healthcare should not be in such custody. Everyone deserves to be healthy and should be entitled to the same treatment opportunities, regardless of income. Government run healthcare seems to be working well in Canada and in Europe. Instead of raising taxes, the United States can simply nationalize the private insurance companies and employees pay premiums (though the premium per person will be the same for everyone) to the government healthcare system instead of to a private insurance company.

Para pensar

La consideración que se da a la supuesta importancia del papel oficial asignado al gobierno durante épocas de paz se choca con la responsabilidad del ciudadano durante épocas de guerra. Si no se encuentra reconcilación alguna, la esencia del universo se volverá corrupta y cesaremos de existir. Por lo tanto, es preciso que todos nosotros comamos bien los vegetales y que dormamos bien cada noche.

Gone

A second passes and she is not here. An eternity passes. Her absence lingers and I see that the eternity was only another second. Her memory lives, survives through the ever increasing passage of time that has passed since she left. Her intense eyes caught the light of the stars, increasing the luster and brightness to that of the sun. I yearn to see the moonlight caress her skin. My nose craves the perfume of her hair while my lips ache to taste her in my mouth. Though she is light-years away, the warmth of her body still surrounds me, the music of her voice still rings in my ears. Death cannot be worse than life without her. Agony wrenches my heart, demanding her presence, if for one final moment. In that moment, eternity will live again and I will have my love. For that one moment, as short as it may be, she will know…How could she forget? With each beat my heart calls out my love to her expecting no response, no echo. Finding nothing, I fight through the darkness and frigid air, struggling to find a reason to live. She loved me once, did she not? Is not that enough? It is. If she only loved me for a second, I will have more than enough joy to last a thousand lives, enough warmth to heat a thousand earths. Let me revel in her memory, let me savor my dream, let me love her in her absence.

Lost

Solutions to problems and answers to questions. When found these gems provide us with truth and hope- ingenuity as mentioned previously by someone close to me. What do you do when the answer is out there, but the means to find it is not? What if the question has no answer? How do you live with doubt and confusion clouding your judgment? If your life is based on certain blocks and those blocks suddenly are taken away, it's difficult to remain standing. Getting up after the fall may not be too strenuous, though after standing again, finding other blocks, other solid ground on which to build may not be possible. Inadequacy and solitude are not the best companions.

Moral Hypocrites

Other than stupid people, one of my pet peeves are those who claim to be religious, moral, spiritual Christians. You know those of who I am speaking: they preach about the Good Samaritan, but then prohibit their children from playing with the Hindu children next door because they are not of the same faith. Supposedly the good paople next door are evil, even if they have higher standards. Personally, I think world peace is something we should all work for instead of just talking about.

There are many people who believe tolerance is the answer. To a degree tolerance works, but only as a start. It's ok to believe differently than others, it's ok to agree to disagree, but when tolerance is the answer, much is still lacking. Understanding, compassion, empathy, and friendship are not based on tolerance. Neither do they require the same religion, skin color, zip code, income, or hair style. Small children should be our examples of welcoming and being friends to all. They are untouched by social paradigms, inncoent and open, ready to live those famous words, "Can't we all just get along?"

Now for Something Different

Let's begin a very short series I have titled "My Thoughts, Opinions, and Philosphies...Among Other Things." Please keep in mind the caveats previously noted. At first we will look at some current sociopolitical issues and eventually we may discuss more mundane topics.


Politics

In the United States, the left and the right appear to be very different, though when compared to the global spectrum of politics, it is evident that both democrats and republicans are very near the center. Very extreme political bodies, and even governments, exist on the global level, which make our own political disputes appear mundane and frivolous.

Although we say the majority rule in this country, why is it that the minorities are those who get all the attention and want all changes made for their benefit? Why should 80 percent of the country have to be subject to laws and regulations beneficial to only the other 20 percent?

Copyright

Similar to yesterday, I want to reiterate that I reserve the right to blog whatever I want. Please keep in mind that inherent in this process is the fact that I may not research as thoroughly as you might expect. In fact, I may not research at all! My statements may appear to be presented as fact when truly it is only a fact that the statement is my opinion. Yes, eventually I will actually begin blogging instead of talking about blogging. A blog about a blog? It's even stranger that the topic discussed in my blog thus far has been the subject of my blog. Just for the record, I am not full of myself at all.

Entry #23-4.84A

Dear Stardate Log:

After many years of preparation, today I began the first day of my blog. There shall be no ground rules, only a caveat that I may do whatever I wish with this small corner of cyberspace.

To most, this blog is free; however, I say that free is a relative term. Free does not necessarily mean free of monetary cost, though one could argue that an opportunity cost (see economics definition) does have monetary value. Additionally, we try to assign a value to our time spent on certain activities. Would that mean that the value of your time with a certain activity is correlated to the activity's utility (yet another economic term) to the participant?

Let's assume spending time with my family may be priceless for me, though for you, spending time with my family is worthless. Or does the value of our time correspond to our billable rate from work?

As you may have noticed, tangental discussions will be common, if not rampant on this blog. Be prepared for nothing and for everything...you never know what you will get.