Gadhafi fun, miscontrued religion, and A Changing Ahmadinejad?, September 23, 2009

OK. I have decided that today is just a wierd day for things happening in the world. First off I wake up to find out that Gadhafi has decided to spread his non-sensical rants outside the border of Libya. Its one thing for me to read about his rants while he is sitting back in the desert trying to act all powerful and mighty, but its another thing to wake up to that ego of his addressing the UN. But alas, it was no dream, but reality. In case any of you dont know who he is, etc…let me fill you in! First off hes the leader of Libya, had been since 1969…let me make this clear, hes never been appointed as president or leader, but became leader by default after a coup inLibya in which he tried to become the next Che. Yes, the man is now known in Libya as the “brotherly leader” of that country. Im use to his rants, Ive been following him and his policies for years, especially during the negotiations with Italy, in which he sought and won compensation of Italys military occupation of Libya for decades (ie colonialism). I gotta commend him for that move, it was smart! But when the AU appointed him as the new leader of the organization, I immediately thought that they were nuts! hes not exactly known for his compliance, cooperation, or assistance…heck Libya was under economic sanctions and diplomatic isolation for most of his reign…oh yeah…and hes a bomber! In fact one of my favorite quotes of his is “I am an international leader, the dean of the Arab rulers, the king of kings of Africa and the imam (leader) of Muslims, and my international status does not allow me to descend to a lower level.” And this says it all! Today I awoke to find that he had spoken at the UN. While he had points about the UNs inability and unreliance to intervene in much of the worlds conflicts ( I agree with him there…which just is wierd to me! Maybe I should seek counseling!) his rants on the Security Councils power (which Libya is a member of) were hilarious, his rants on Israel…not surprising, his conspiracies on JFK had me wondering where the hell his speech would wonder off to next…and oh yes lets not forget the moment when he compared the Taliban to the Vatican, that was priceless! I want to know the Popes response to that one! Oh well, all i can do is smile and nod, because at the center of it all is an eccentric old man who is in desperate need of a reality check.

And well, as if Gadhafi wasnt enough for my todays wierdness and stupidity…I caught up on the news from Florida about the Mom and 5 kids who were killed. Her husband has now admitted to killing them and has asked the state to execute him immediately. Apparently he wanted to take his own life, but did not have the courage to go through with it, “because if you kill yourself, you’re not going to heaven.” Um…I may not have read the bible in years…but I seem to remember a certain commandment about though shall not kill. Wouldnt that mean you wont be going to heaven too?! Is he Catholic? Because if he was I coud understand the anti-suicide stance hes taking, but if not I think his religious arguement is a little off-kilter. Oh well, thats what crazy, economy, 5 kids, and religion will do to you I guess!

Am I the only one watching Ahmadinejad’s statements of late and wondering if the Ayatollah is beginning to tell him to become friendlier with the US. For all of his anti-west, anti-US rants in the past, this week has been really quiet from the Iranian president! While there was a rant about the new missile defense system in Europe as being anti-Iranian, hes been calmer. While he may not have applauded Obama’s speech at the UN today, his reports that he is asking for leniancy for the US hikers caught in Iran, and also his invitation to open talks with the US seem strangely new. How much of this is due to the appearance that Israel has appeared to take the military issue off the table with Iran, How much of this is caused by internal domestic unrest surrounding the election in Iran and the pressure being exported asking that the world shun Ahmadinejad, or something else…I dont know, but its got my interest peaked! Now to see how the world reacts.  Will there be talks? While he’s open to talks, it cant be on the nucleur issue, which is what the US wants to talk about….time to broaden the pie people!  or will the world shun him? Or will everythin remain the same…ahh….its Iran, who knows!

Later!

Pope porn, Gay elephant, and mom stalking April 13, 2009

Wow…has it really been almost a week since I last blogged?!  This semester Ive been really slacking on my updates of randomness…i guess its just the amount of frustration i have with all the classes that make the idea of more typing even less appealing! Where to start, where to start…well classes are almost done for the semester which makes me very happy.  I kind of have my thesis topic picked and just need to refine it within the next 2-3 weeks. In reality, if I can make it through next week then I will be home free with minimal work left to do, and I cant wait til I get a month off to do nothing but relax!!!

In world news, Al Franken was declared the winner of the election in MN that took place almost 5 months ago…yay Franken.  The American hostage was rescued from the pirates…although if I was held hostage by Johnny Depp I wouldn’t want the military to rescue me, but alas its a good thing they did cause these weren’t no Johnny Depp pirates…

In Taiwan, a man was arrested for throwing money out of a car…almost $30,000 worth…the money wasn’t stolen, just proceeds from a property sale…he was arrested for causing disorder in the streets. But come on! If you saw money flying out of a car, wouldnt you try to collect some too?! Chaos Schmaos..

I cant help but wonder why people are so worked up about a Polish elephant…yes politicians, he may be “gay”, preferring male company to females, but whats the big deal?!  Are you regulating gay marriage among elephants now?!  To top it off, the elephant in question is 10 years old, and wont reach maturity til 14…so who’s to say if hes truly gay or not…maybe hes just Bi!  The reason these politicians seem to be fuming over this is because they were hoping that this elephant would breed and create a whole herd…so even if he is gay…its called artificial insimination! Besides..i guess im just immune to the whole animal gay thing…after all I dealt 5 years at the kennel with frequent visits from the Perez dogs….it was an orgy in the making every time.

So much for strict marriage guidelines in Saudi Arabia…a man divorced his wife my text message.  If only that were possible in the US.  No more filing and lawyer fees, no more wasted time and fighting…for $0.25 you can divorce her, and never hear the whole alimony proposal!  Divorce text messaging is the next big thing in my book!

You know the courts have gone to an extreme when they charge a mother for stalking her son. In Austria, a mom was charged and fined for stalking her son for excessive telephone calls in a 2 year period.  Guess hes not a mamas boy after all!

Oh the FCC will be all over this one…during an airing of a Good Friday church sermon from the Vatican, a Philly cable channel switched to a clip of Girls Gone Wild…hahaha…Oh come on, you know the Pope enjoyed some of those hot college girls going crazy in Cancun as much as you did…just admit it!  the amazing part about this is that although the glitch happened during a religious showing, only one person called to complain, so I guess 1/2 naked girls really are divine…hahaha  I crack myself up!

Well on that note, Im off to work on a bomv scare exercise plan…i get to blow things up…well in my head anyways…

later!

 

Steeling a seat, a little Tofu, and the evolution of Darwin… April 8, 2009

Who knew that id go from discussing in class about stupidity of people to coming home and reading an article about how modern life is making humans evolve faster…and here earlier we all thought Darwinism was dead.  In class tonight we did a Tabletop exercise on a Hurricane hitting the Big Island…and one of the scenerios involved surfers going out in Cat2 and tourists deciding to hike Volcano Park during a Cat2…Seriously?! While this was all a scenario it was based on actual problems that Hawai’i has faced…I want to know who would really hike a volcano during a hurricane…it just seems like you are tempting fate a little too much there…what do you prefer…death by flying debri or death by lava? Hmmm….how about both!  We even joked about leaving the stranded toruists in Volcano Park because if they were stupid enough to venture out, then maybe the gene pool needed some help…man made Darwinism. Well Darwin evolution seems to be following me tonight cause I get home and see and article about how we are evolving faster now…and that our genes eventually will change enough to create an entirely new human species, one no longer able to breed with our own species…well I guess the evolution monkey chart had to have something beyond us…i wonder if they will still have opposable thumbs?!

I am seriusly distrubed by the route reality tv is taking now…more so then I was before!  A new reality show from the Dutch-based creator of the hit TV series ‘Big Brother’ will allow staff at companies struggling in the global recession to choose which colleague should be fired. Gee…the economy is bad…we need to fire someone…lets make it a televised event! Yes, because only the Dutch would think of something so horrible into entertainment…wait…its coming to the US?! Go figure  (ok its not really coming to the US but with the US leading reality TV, would it really be any shock to see Fox air it!?!)

When you hear the word ‘tofu’ do you think of somethin obscene?  Well a Denver lady who requested a personalized license plate to read “Ilvtofu” was deemed obscene because they said it could be interpreted as I lv to FU…well okay I get that but seriously? When I read it i saw tofu not FU…give society some credit…yes someone may see it and complain, but most people dont read license plates that closely..unless you are in a traffic jam or entertaining kids…but whatever…

Well Burris-isms are taking off everywhere!  A man in South Dakota was going through the drive through and accidently shot himself in the leg…i wonder if he will try and sue the fast food joint for something stupid like allowing weapons on the property…

In an unusual theft move…someone stole from a New Jersey womans Honda…the fact that her car was broken into isnt the strange part…its what was taken…the steering wheel, shift knob and front seats.  Now I know these are all vital parts of a car…but um you might as well have taken the entire car…I wonder if the theif needed new seats?

Jessie…maybe you should give Arkansas churchgoers a chance… A church in Little Rock will be holding Easter Sunday services at a local bar…and in case you cant make it that Sunday…check them out on Mothers Day and Fathers Day at the bar too…come for the choir…stay for the drunken karaoke!

Later!

 

Dancing under Redoubt, cost of Hawaii, and Colbert to Space! March 23, 2009

 

Well Bobby Jindhal?   How do you feel about your comments on pork barrel spending related to Volcano watching now?  Mt Redoubt has errupted 5 times…Hope you realize that disaster management isnt pork barrel spending.  In a turn of direction, I have decided that I want to witness a volcano erupt. I want to dance in teh falling ash.  Yes I know Im weird, but it would definately be a once in a lifetime event, unless you are one of the people who live by a volcano, then i guess it would be a several times in a lifetime event.

March Madness has been disappointing. Only one Ohio team left and its Xavier. I cant believe Ive been reduced to rooting for Xavier.  UD got creamed yesterday, and it was saddening to watch Cleveland State lose too.  Oh well, Im off to root for the underdogs now.  Go AZ!

I just learned that the minimum salary for a single person to live modestly inHawaii needs to be double that of the mainland.  Wow!  And I can tell you from experience, wages definately arent more that I would earn in Ohio…no wonder im not looking for a job out here!

Haha.  In case you missed it, NASA held a name the new addition to the space station contest and Stephen Colbert rallied his troops to have his name written in.  And he won!  Now we will have to see if NASA will honor the name, or will elect for something lamer.

Wow!  I gotta love the NY district court!  The ruled against the FDA, stating that it let politics cloud its judgment when it denied teenage girls over-the-counter access to the Plan B morning-after pill, and ordered the FDA to let 17-year-olds obtain the medication. Following the popes visit to Africa where he condemned condoms and pledged more abstinence training, this ruling is more inline with modern society today. Abstinence education is fine, but teens need to be introduced to the risks of and safety issues associated with sex.  And that means, not barring access to sex safety options!  Go judiciary system!

Well Im off to read…and relax since its spring break!! yay!

Later!

The Mans Playground, a non-religious America, and the washing machine March 9, 2009

I have been missing days of blogging, mainly due to a lack of interesting news or lack of interesting life events out here in Hawaii.  Yes I may be in “paradise,” but it is raining, and raining, and raining some more. Which means beach days, fun in the sun, and even venturing out is limited. Since I walk everywhere, if i go out, then i look like a drenched rat the rest of the day.  While not a stop all to my social life, it does make me think twice.  Oh well, I love the rain, just not when I have someplace to be.

In a recent study, the level of those Americans claiming to be religious is on the decline, while those claiming no religion (not necessary atheists) is on the rise.  Which I find enlightening! Since I am not religious in any way myself, it is noceto see the cultural ideology in America slowly shifting away from evangelical principles.  Who knows, one day there may even be an non-religious President!

I am loving that a hoax on the web has led to false reporting by major media outlets, including Fox news! Apparently someone posted online that you can get Herpes from playing beer pong, which wsin turn picked up by a college newspaper, which continued to be picked up by larger and larger news organizations, and passed off as valid!  Um…hello!…you may get a cough, but Herpes?!  This is just too funny! Too bad it wasnt April 1 yet!

Liberating women the most was the washing machine?  Really?  While yes it may have been a time conserving appliance for the household, it didnt exactly liberate women, well not in the sense that the Vatican is implying. they believe women were more liberated by the washing machine, then the pill and the right to work!  Hmmm, im going to have to respectfully have to disagree. Washing machine may have saved time, but it still meant that women lived in a patriarchal society where family responsibilities were the primary  focus. the pill and the right to work meant family planning on the womans terms, and a capability to leave the house for more opportunities…but it doesnt surprise me that the Vatican would choose the washing machine over the pill….

There is a new playground…for the men. In Germany, there is a new Mens Playground where testosterone-fueled office workers can get in touch with their “inner ditchdigger” and play all day long on 29-ton backhoes, 32-ton front-end loaders, jackhammers and various other vehicles for a cost of admission of $280/day.  Yep, Im somehow guessing that Germany didnt get the memo that the world is in a recession!

In case anyone hasnt seen the new trailer for Public Enemies…check it out!  Johnny Depp as a bank robber…who could ask for more!

Updates on Sally for anyone interested….she has been to Disney and ridden the tea cups, been to New Orleans, and is next on her way to Italy, specifically the Vatican and Rome…shes doing more traveling then me! And Im jealous!

Later!

Someone stole my burial plan, an old lizard, and when reality crashes down on religion January 26, 2009

Becoming a dad is always stressful but how about becoming a dad at the age of 111?!  Thats what happened recently to a centenarian tuatara named Henry (aka…a lizard from New Zealand).  111 may seem old, but for these reptiles, they can live well over 100…so gramps got his groove on….and now will be saddled with the burden of a baby for the next 100 years of his life…hope he has a good portfolio plan…j/k.

I love that the creator of Star Trek is taking his love of sci-fi and space to the next level.  His wife and him are planning on being launched into outer space in capsules to live eternally in space!  Its what I wanted!  How can he yank my dream of burial from me…ok, I realize I wasnt the first to come up with this plan, but I still like to claim it as mine!  Guess I can share the universe with a couple of more people…dang…so much for solitude after death!

Everyone always says im a scary driver…I never really see it…I may have a lead foot but Im cautious…unlike a man in Berlin. A German motorist missed a bend in the road, broke through a barrier and hurtled up a bank, crash-landing on a church roof.  Somehow im betting thats not what the pastor had in mind when he was talking to his parishioners about things raining down from the heavens above!

Well Im off to listen to the rain fall and hoefully get some sleep tonight…until then reading as usual…that will never end…but hopefully it will slow after I get done with grad school!

Later!

The goat thief, the wonders of a solar eclipse, and the Pope on Youtube? January 24, 2009

I have survived the first week of classes!  Yay!  But i fear that by the end of the semester I may be bald as I foresee me pulling out my own hair out of a combination of exhaustion, stress(and I dont stress easily!), and a brain freeze from all the research and writing I will be doing!  I think I can, I think I can….its all in staying positive (which can be a challenge for me).

There is a list of things I want to do in my lifetime…call it a bucket list if you want…and everyday I seem to find something new to add to it…today is no exception.  I may have to wait for a long time to witness this one myself, seeing as its not something that can be bought or that can be done anytime…I want to witness a complete solar eclipse.  The Indian Ocean recently had one, and I think its just fascinating to see, how nature and the universe can create something so instantaneous, and awe-inspiring that it leaves people in amazement! 

Its Chinese New Years!  How do I know? Well there seems to have been an explosion in the Chinatown area in Honolulu, plus the fireworks kinda gives it away too.. Apparently its the year of the Ox, but Im not sure what that means…I think I was born in the year of the rat…or was it the monkey, oh well, nevertheless, its made for an entertaining afternoon in Chinatown!

Is anyone else finding it weird that the Pope is getting his own Youtube channel?  Im finding it strange that the Catholic Church has been so unwilling to come into the modern era in so many ways, and on so many issues, that to find him utilizing a “technological phenomenon” like Youtube is startling!  Im sure its an attempt to spread the ideological beliefs of the religion to the young and “hip” but Im over the religious “propaganda” so im not sure Ill be tuning into the Popes podcasts anytime soon… (Its one thing to be spiritual, but im not too into the religion thing)

And in my favorite news item for the day, a goat was detained by the local police on suspicion of burglary….in Nigeria. Apparently several people took the black and white beast to the police saying it was an armed robber who had used black magic to transform himself into a goat to escape arrest after trying to steal a Mazda 323.  Now this is not shocking to me in the least…Im use to the culture in Western Africa, and seeing people explain the bad things in life with accusations of ancestors being cursed and voodoo, but I am a little surprised that the police actually agreed to detain the goat! Maybe it was just easier to do this then tell the people that voodoo, and a goat, cant steal a Mazda 323.

Well Im off to watch UFC with the Roomies and then off to read some US foreign policy…

Later!