Equality isn't all it's cracked up to be - Relationship dynamics takes all kinds...

Equality isn't all it's cracked up to be:

"There is nothing particularly good about equality per se, because what one person might like, another might hate – it might be better for person A to get X and person B to get Y – both might be happier with that then if A and B both have Z. What people mean when they advocate equality – or rather, what they should mean – is that there should be consent.

To judge whether or not there is consent, you can't just look at the form of a relationship or an interaction and get a reliable answer. For some people positively want a relationship which to the outside world looks unequal and quite possible non-consensual."

The problem isn't religion, the problem is people.

My friend Kev, with whom I solve the problems of the modern world whilst consuming alcohol, recently advised me to read some of the writings of Andrew Bostom, a conservative author who recently edited the book The Legacy of Jihad: Islamic Holy War and the Fate of Non-Muslims.

Conservative in nature, prodded by the events of 9/11, he takes the position, quite common these days, that Islam is... well... bad. I think Kev made me read him due to my oversimplification of Kev's position, after our last inebriated discourse, putting words in his mouth that Islam, is, well... bad.

Historically speaking I think the author makes the error of assuming that any war in which Muslims were involved is tantamount to Jihad. That's like calling World War I and II Christian Crusades since the nations that fought them were ostensibly Christian. Wars of conquest that had nothing in particular to do with religion, and more to do with power and greed really don't cut it.

Here's the thing... sure, horrible atrocities have been committed in the name of Islam. I readily grant that. But horrible atrocities have been commited in the name of Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism and every other -ism you can pick. Fundamentally, any religion, ethos, -ism or philosophy that espouse some form of selection, some form of innate superiority, is prone to abuse.

Because people are, on occasion, amoral, vicious and power-hungry bastards who want to impose their will on others. Religion, philosophy, politics, these are all just excuses to do so.

IMO, all religions tend to be horrible, evil enablers. It's just that now is Islam's time in the spotlight, as it were.

The #1 book cited by most mass-murderers and serial killer? The Bible.

Does that mean the Bible is somehow innately "evil"?

It pains me to admit it, ex-Catholic that I am, but no, it's not. What you choose to emphasize in the Bible determines it's effect on you. And what you choose to emphasize depends on you. It's a vicious cycle of self-reinforcement. But the fault lies not in the religion itself. The religion is just information. How you process that information, what that information means to you determines it's worth.

Religious books of all kinds are such a hodge-podge of conflicting platitudes and ideas that you can find support for any opinion. If you're a Christian you can choose forgiveness and loving your neighbor as yourself or you can stone witches and homosexuals to death while keeping kosher. If you're a Muslim you can strap explosives on you in the name of Jihad or you can instead follow the Koran when it states "There must be no coercion in matters of faith!" (2: 256)and forgo revenge for charity (5: 45) and respect Jews and Christians, the "People of the Book," who worship the same God (29: 46).

Rationalizations, not religion, provide the excuse for violence.

Okay, maybe the rationalization OF religion. I'll grant that. But that's certainly not unique to Islam.

The idea that any particular religion itself is somehow to blame is short-sighted. Ideology of any stripe lends itself to fanaticism and intolerance. Their are millions of people of all faiths who live peaceful, normal lives because their interpretation of that belief-set emphasizes that. But it's the fanaticism and intolerance that's to blame, it's the people who choose that path... The problem isn't religion, the problem is people. Religion is just the excuse.

Well.

Now I'm depressed and need a drink.

Hell, you want to "defeat" Islam... carpet bomb them with satellite TV, McDonalds, porn and MTV. That'll do the trick. Or at least relegate religious fanatics preaching austere religious lifestyles to the side, like they've mostly been done in the states...

That about sums it up...

beta58: Everything we are is an illusion:

"I admire that odd admixture of pantheism and existentialism that enables a man to recognize gods and goddesses, while simultaneously wishing they'd fuck off."

Nakahara Chuya

My mate Ry Beville, who's translated several published books of poetry by Japanese author Nakahara Chuya, including Poems of the Goat, just started up a website for the author. Poems, links, discussion forums...

Well worth checking out.

Nakahara Chuya

The Birth of Soft Torture - CIA interrogation techniques—a history

The Birth of Soft Torture - CIA interrogation techniques—a history. By Rebecca Lemov:

"In short order, CIA experts attempted to induce Mindszenty-like effects. An interrogation team consisting of a psychiatrist, a lie-detector expert, and a hypnotist went to work using combinations of the depressant Sodium Amytal and certain stimulants. Tests on four suspected double agents in Tokyo in July 1950 and on 25 North Korean prisoners of war three months later yielded more noteworthy results... Meanwhile, the CIA opened the door to pre-emptive psychosurgery: In a doctor's office in Washington, D.C., one unfortunate man, his name deleted from documents, was lobotomized against his will during an interrogation. By the mid-to-late 1950s, experiments using 'black techniques,' as the agency called them, moved to prisons, hospitals, and other field-testing sites with funding and encouragement from the CIA's Technology and Science Directorate.

...In 1958 and 1959, Cameron went further. With new CIA money behind him, he tried to completely "depattern" 53 patients by combining psychic driving with electroshock therapy and a long-term, drug-induced coma. At the most intensive stage of the treatment, many subjects were no longer able to perform even basic functions. They needed training to eat, use the toilet, or speak. Once the doctor allowed the drugs to wear off and ceased shock treatments, patients slowly relearned how to take care of themselves—and their pretreatment symptoms were said to have disappeared.

So had much of their personalities. Patients emerged from Cameron's ward walking differently, talking differently, acting differently. Wives were more docile, daughters less inclined to histrionics, sons better-behaved. Most had no memory of their treatment or of their previous lives. Sometimes, they forgot they had children. At first, they were grateful to their doctor for his help. Several Cameron patients, however, later said they had severe recurrences of their pretreatment problems and traumatic memories of the treatment itself and together sued the doctor as well as the U.S. and Canadian governments. Their case was quietly settled out of court.

By the late 1950s and early 1960s, CIA experts thought they understood the techniques necessary for "breaking" a person. Under a strict regime of behavioral conditioning, "the possibility of resistance over a very long period may be vanishingly small,"...

At times, this imperative made the agency reckless. As part of the now notorious MK-ULTRA program—"one of the seamiest episodes in American intelligence," according to journalist Seymour Hersh—the CIA set up a safe house in San Francisco where its agents could observe the effects of various drug combinations on human behavior. They were in search of a "truth serum" and thought LSD might be it. Prostitutes were hired to bring unwitting johns back to the house, where the women slipped acid and other strong psychoactive substances into the men's drinks. From behind a one-way mirror, investigators watched, notebooks and martinis in hand. Sometimes the men took the drugs and managed to carry on. Sometimes they babbled or cried. An internal CIA review condemned these high jinks in 1963, but Congress didn't investigate them until 1977, after a post-Watergate crisis of confidence in the agency.

At least officially, the CIA ended its behavioral science program in the mid-1960s"

Random Chuck Norris Fact: Top Thirty Facts

Random Chuck Norris Fact: Top Thirty Facts:

"Chuck Norris' tears cure cancer. Too bad he has never cried.

Rather than being birthed like a normal child, Chuck Norris instead decided to punch his way out of his mother's womb. Shortly thereafter he grew a beard.

Chuck Norris sold his soul to the devil for his rugged good looks and unparalleled martial arts ability. Shortly after the transaction was finalized, Chuck roundhouse kicked the devil in the face and took his soul back. The devil, who appreciates irony, couldn't stay mad and admitted he should have seen it coming. They now play poker every second Wednesday of the month.

Chuck Norris once roundhouse kicked someone so hard that his foot broke the speed of light, went back in time, and killed Amelia Earhart while she was flying over the Pacific Ocean.

Chuck Norris was the fourth Wiseman. He brought baby Jesus the gift of "beard". Jesus wore it proudly to his dying day. The other Wisemen, jealous of Jesus' obvious gift favoritism, used their combined influence to have Chuck omitted from the Bible. Shortly after all three died of roundhouse kick related deaths.

If you can see Chuck Norris, he can see you. If you can't see Chuck Norris you may be only seconds away from death.

Chuck Norris doesnt shave; he kicks himself in the face. The only thing that can cut Chuck Norris is Chuck Norris.

Chuck Norris can make a woman climax by simply pointing at her and saying "booya".

Chuck Norris frequently signs up for beginner karate classes, just so he can "accidentally" beat the shit out of little kids.

Chuck Norris once shot a German plane down with his finger, by yelling, "Bang!"

The original theme song to the Transformers was actually "Chuck Norris--more than meets the eye, Chuck Norris--robot in disguise," and starred Chuck Norris as a Texas Ranger who defended the earth from drug-dealing Decepticons and could turn into a pick-up. This was far too much awesome for a single show, however, so it was divided."

Mr. T Fact: Top Thirty Mr. T Facts

Random Mr. T Fact: Top Thirty Mr. T Facts:

"Despite popular belief, if there is a fool in the woods, and nobody is around to hear his jibba jabba, Mr. T is still able to pity him.

Originally the A-Team was named T-Team and consisted of Mr. T and six of his genetically engineered clones driving around in a van made of pure gold. Producers changed the format after every criminal known to man was killed in the pilot episode.

Mr. T's hair style is actually a complex array of antennas that can triangulate the exact location of any fool in the universe. His gold chains can then transmit pity to those coordinates.

During one of his frequent time-traveling adventures, Mr. T was accosted by a horde of frenzied Olde Englishmen who believed he was "Mr. Tea" and that he was going to supply them with all the tea and crumpets they could possibly desire. With a single blow, Mr. T knocked the entire mob unconscious. To this day, English people still have gnarly-ass teeth.

Mr. T made his van go twice the speed of light because he wanted to prove that quantum physics was a bunch of jibba jabba.

Mr. T invented Asian people, because he thinks they're cute and don't take up much room.

Mr T defines love as the reluctance to murder. If you're still alive, it's because Mr T loves you.

Mr. T was fired from the Psychic Friends Network for always predicting pain.

If at the exact same moment, the same person was pitied by Mr. T and roundhouse kicked by Chuck Norris, the universe would implode."

Random Vin Diesel Fact: Top Thirty Facts

Random Vin Diesel Fact: Top Thirty Facts:

"There is no 'I' in team. There are two 'I's in Vin Diesel. Fuck you, team.

When Vin Diesel was born, the nurse said, "Holy crap! That's Vin Diesel!" Then she had had sex with him. At that point, she was the third girl he had slept with.

In an average living room there are 1,242 objects Vin Diesel could use to kill you, including the room itself.

If you were to lock Vin Diesel in a room with a guitar, a year later you would have the greatest album ever, it would sweep the Grammy's. When asked why he doesn't do this Vin replied "Because Grammy's are for queers." Then he ate a knife to show the seriousness of his response."

Rupert Sheldrake lays the SMACKdown!

Well... you know... as much as a scientist can, leastways...

ISS: Latest News and Events:

"I read your exchange with Michael Shermer with much interest. I agree with both of you about the need for skepticism as a essential part of the scientific process. But media skeptics are not usually part of a constructive scientific debate but rather follow a narrow, negative agenda. Michael claimed that skeptics such as himself are “thoughtful, inquiring, and reflective.” But there is a big gulf between this ideal and what media skeptics actually do, which, as you pointed out, all too often involves condemning open-minded inquiry. Like you, I have been the target of many skeptical attacks, and my experience has been very similar to your own.

Michael ended by trying to rebrand his kind of negative skepticism as positive.

'The skeptical fences are there for a reason - to keep the borderlands of science from shading too far into pseudoscience, non-science, and nonsense… Scientists don’t have the time or resources to shilly-shally with every new idea that comes down the pike. That is what the skeptics do, and as part of the scientific process: this is the power of positive skepticism.' In other words, media skeptics are the self-appointed frontier guards of science, a job for which they think they need no credentials except their fervor.

...It’s easy to be a media skeptic. You get the last word. You can say what you like. You don’t have to spend years doing actual research. And you yourself can remain immune from criticism, because those you criticize have no right of reply.

... The problem seems to be in part that the media feel the need to present a “balanced” view, and this creates an opportunity for negative skeptics to pursue their agenda. Well-funded skeptical advocacy organizations like CSICOP, the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, concentrate their attention on getting their message into the media as often as possible, always with the privilege of the last word. They are very successful. Some TV channels, including National Geographic in its current “Is It Real?” series, have allowed themselves to become mass-market vehicles for organized skepticism.

If the media want to give a balanced view, one simple solution would be to reverse the normal procedure. Ask the skeptics to speak first, saying why they think something like telepathy is impossible, and then let those who have carried out real investigations present actual evidence. Better still, create a level playing field. Allow replies. This would be much more interesting for readers and viewers."

The Way to Live by George Hackenschmidt

Despite the loss to Frank Gotch, Hackenschmidt was one of the best wrestlers and strength athletes at the turn of the century. Follow the link for a scan of his book.

The Way to Live by George Hackenschmidt - Introduction & Chapter I

Bruce Tegnér - Introduction

I remember first reading Tegner's books when I was a kid. There were always copies at the used book store. Probably some of the first martial arts stuff I was exposed to. Follow the link for a couple scans of some of his books...

Bruce Tegnér - Introduction:

"Bruce Tegnér was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1929. Tegnér was literally born into the martial arts as both his mother and father were professional teachers of judo and jujitsu; they began Bruce's instruction in the martial arts when he was two years old.

At the age of twenty-one, after becoming California state judo champion, he gave up competition to devote himself to research, course development, teaching, and teacher-training. In the U.S. armed forces Tegnér trained instructors to teach unarmed combat. He also taught military police and coached sport judo teams. From 1952-1967 he operated his own school in Hollywood, Calif. Among his students were many famous actors.

In 1967 Tegnér gave up his school and his teaching and spent his remaining years writing books on various aspects of the martial arts. His books covered a wide range of martial topics. They included sport training, classical training, and self-defense training.

Despite all that Tegnér did in the martial arts he was never really "accepted" by the martial arts community. Perhaps this is due to his approach. Tegnér's books exposed the many myths that exist in the martial arts, myths that many teachers of the arts would rather play upon in order to profit from or build their status from. He stripped much of this away and delivered a far different message. Tegner recognized that much of what was (and still is) being taught was too rigid, too traditional, too impractical and too sportive.

Tegnér knew that to excel in a sport one must be a good athlete. In order for the average person to protect themselves they don't need to be athletes, they need to learn simple methods. Methods that are easy to learn and easy to apply. The complex teachings of the martial arts are just not practical. So with that in mind it's easy to see why Tegnér would not be too popular with the martial arts crowd."

Key 23 | Occulture Evolved

Key 23 | Occulture Evolved:

"Living your life on a snarling, teeth-gritting vent doesnt necessarily mean that you will be taken seriously as you throw your pearls before many a thankless sow; friends who you selflessly try to introduce to the higher reality of Magick, friends who stare back at you like they just caught you fucking their grandmother in the mouth.

However there are so many different experiences to console yourself with in the hyper realities. I mean, its not all bad, drug induced conversations with the God's who reside over your local Tesco or Wall Mart.

...Magick clears the playing field of a constructed reality from hurt, guilt, love, loss, pleasure. It turns you into a golem that is an impenetrable haven from bullshit. It allows you to find your own guilt, your own love, your own pleasure, your own loss and not the emotions stolen from a second hand archetype from a fake TV show, that the majority of society will use to cut a piece of truth from, so that they will have at least something to wear that they think is their own, even if it's just a haircut that belongs to someone who never even existed. "

A man and his island

How very, very cool.

Playa del Carmen Community News and Info - Playa Maya News - Reishee Sowa - a man and his island:

"It looks like an island, it feels like an island, it has the beautiful vegetation of a tropical island but it just happens to be made of spiraling pop bottles. Who would have known and more importantly who would have thought it possible?

A man named Reishee Sowa that is who. This island is his inspiration, his baby, his dream. With the help of friends met along the way and a lot of hard work his dream has become a reality."

SuicideGirls > Words > Patton Oswalt - The Comedians of Comedy

SuicideGirls > Words > Patton Oswalt - The Comedians of Comedy:

"I also wanted to show how much I really hated the show Last Comic Standing because it took all these really talented comedians and put them in this setting where they reinforce this shitty myth about comedy. That myth is that your career comes down to one set and you've got five minutes, you've got one chance and if you don't reach out and grab it and hit a homerun, your career is over. We wanted to show that a career is a constantly mutating and evolving thing. Please don't believe that fucking gladiatorial myth about standup or about any career. Your career should be part of your life, when you treat comedy like that you're just saying that your life is just a function of your art. That's fucking ridiculous. Your art should be a function of your life; you should have an ongoing life, growth and change. It should not come down to five minutes.

...that’s the thing I hate about reality shows; it’s a forced non-reality. Reality shows are always about people dealing with non-stop excitement and tension, whereas real reality is people trying to make boredom fun and exciting. There’s nothing that’s been planned or scripted or mapped out. Reality shows, by the way, are more planned, scripted and fake than scripted shows."

SuicideGirls > Words > Sarah Silverman

SuicideGirls > Words > Sarah Silverman:

"DRE: What rights are you most looking forward to losing if the new Supreme Court nominee takes his seat?

Sarah: Is there anything left? I guess abortion. That’ll be fun to just have to sneak around to do that, just to put the excitement back into abortion.

...DRE: Have you ever been called to perform at a Jewish event with them knowing you are Jewish but not knowing the exact content of your act?

Sarah: I have had that experience. Jews are usually the best audiences because they let a lot slide. But I was asked to perform at a temple to raise money for a temple in LA. I’m ethnically Jewish but I’m not religious. I have no religion. I’m almost positive there is no God. But I kept telling them that I don’t have a clean version of my act and it’s very racy. They said “Oh they love that. It’s very progressive.’

DRE: What happened?

Sarah: I lost them almost immediately.

DRE: [laughs] Do you remember what joke it was?

Sarah: I don’t remember except that once it starts going bad I go full force. I probably did the Bayer Aspirin one. I did Holocaust jokes. I got nothing except upset groans. I just kept going because there’s that part of me that feels like I should do the time they asked for. When I got off stage one person was clapping. Then I saw that it was my sister.

...DRE: Is there any advice you’d give children?

Sarah: Don’t get AIDS. "

"The main story here is cooperation," he added. "It's a beautiful thing."

Hippies and Christians, in perfect harmony...

Chicago Tribune | Amid ruin, `a beautiful thing':

"Church volunteers and hippies find common ground in Katrina's wake, collaborating to feed, clothe and comfort a storm-ravaged town

... Located inside a cavernous geodesic dome, the cafe offers three meals a day that are served by the Rainbow Family of Living Light, a scruffy assortment of dreadlocked, tattooed and pierced crew members, most of whom are in their 20s. Guitar and drum music wafts from nearby tents, and the Center for Alternative Living Medicine offers condoms and massages.

A few yards away, the scene at the Waveland Market is quite different. An open-air market (a misnomer because everything is free) that offers everything from laundry detergent and clothing to potato chips, it is run by a neatly groomed staff of evangelical Christians in bright green T-shirts. They are considerably older, and as one might expect, more conservative than the cafe staff.

The New Waveland Cafe and Market is one of the most curious yet inspiring stories to emerge in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Located in a devastated town that took the brunt of the storm's fury, the cafe and marketplace are the combined effort of two groups from radically different backgrounds who have come together to help residents of the beleaguered Mississippi coastline."

Experts' Picks for the K-1 World GP '05

K1 GP tomorrow night. Hopefully it'll be on regular Japanese TV tomorrow. If not, the whole living in Japan bit has been somewhat of a waste :)

Personally, I like Semmy Schilt or Ray Sefo. But they meet each other in the first round...

Jerome LeBanner always has the vicious puncher's chance, though his chin is suspect.

Peter Aerts has the experience, but his best years may be behind him.

Defending champ Remy Bonjasky always is a threat, and tactically impressive with the most honed technique.

I'd like to see Semmy take it tho'...

Experts' Picks for the K-1 World GP '05:

"As the countdown continues to the K-1 World Grand Prix '05 Final, speculation is rife regarding who will earn fightsports' most coveted crown.

Set for November 19, the K-1 Final is the culmination of scores of fight events held round the world over the last year. Survivors on the long road from preliminaries to qualifiers to eliminations, the final eight will step into the ring at the Tokyo Dome this Saturday evening knowing they are but three wins away from the richest and most prestigious fightsports title of its kind -- the K-1 World Grand Prix Championship."

How to Deal With an Overbearing Mother - eHow.com

Yeah, the letter bit... That doesn't always work out so well. Fair warning.

How to Deal With an Overbearing Mother - eHow.com:

"1. Realize there are reasons why your mother is overbearing and that you won't ever be able to change her. The operative word in this eHow is "deal."...

4. Consider writing your mother a letter, detailing how you'd like your relationship to evolve (and which aspects can go extinct like the dinosaurs)."

God's Debris - Free ebook from Dilbert's Scott Adams

Easily one of the most interesting books I've read...

Follow the link and make with the clicky.

God's Debris:

"Get your free—no strings attached—e-book version of God’s Debris in pdf format. Enjoy it yourself or e-mail it to friends. The only restriction is that you enjoy it personally without any commercial use.

...Frankly, this is the hardest book in the world to market. When it first came out in hardcover, booksellers couldn’t decide if it was fiction or nonfiction. Was it philosophy or religion? It’s a religion/science book written by a cartoonist, using hypnosis techniques in the writing. It’s a thought experiment. It’s unlike anything you’ve ever read. How do you sell something that can’t be explained?

... Still, God's Debris is emphatically not for everyone. Although there’s no sex or violence, I don’t recommend it for readers under fourteen unless a parent has screened it. And if you don’t like to have your perceptions challenged, this book isn’t for you. However, if you like a good book-induced buzz now and then, I think you’ll agree that the price was right...

Synopsis

Imagine that you meet a very old man who—you eventually realize—knows literally everything. Imagine that he explains for you the great mysteries of life—quantum physics, evolution, God, gravity, light, psychic phenomenon, and probability—in a way so simple, so novel, and so compelling that it all fits together and makes perfect sense. What does it feel like to suddenly understand everything? God's Debris isn’t the final answer to the Big Questions. But it might be the most compelling vision of reality you will ever read. The thought experiment is this: Try to figure out what’s wrong with the old man’s explanation of reality. Share the book with your smart friends then discuss it later while enjoying a beverage.

Ah, the sweet dream of superpowers...

Dilbert.com - DNRC:

"Do you ever have moments when you think you may have spontaneously developed a super power? This happens to me a lot. For example, the other day I heard some sounds in the distance and my first thought was I wonder if normal people can hear that? For some reason, I felt as though I had developed super hearing. I'm optimistic that way.

I also spend way too much time staring at objects and trying to make them burst into flames. I realize it's a long shot, but how do your really know unless you try?

I grew up reading Superman and Spider-Man comics, so I take for granted that sooner or later I'll have a freak accident that gives me a super power. It'll hurt when it happens, for sure, but it will be worth it. I just hope it's not a crappy super power, such as the ability to add long columns of numbers in my head, or the power to eat an unlimited amount of eggs. I want the kind where I can kill people and impress people and ultimately kill the people who refuse to be impressed. And the witnesses too, of course."