The subject of Creationism and the people who believe that the world is only 5 or 6 thousand years old just came up on the blog's Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/watmab for those of you haven't been there yet) and it got me thinking again about my personal take on the matter. Strict Creationism to me is intellectually lazy and really, when you think about it, it is actually an insult to God and God's infinite power if that is what you believe. I'm not going to go into my exact beliefs here because they are open to change and more complicated than what I want to explain at the moment. However, let us look at those people who believe in Young Earth Creationism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_Earth_creationism), those are the most flawed of all.
I remember growing up and being told that's how the world was made and if you thought otherwise, you were basically a God-hating liberal who had been brainwashed by Hillary Clinton and her army of librarians. Yes, libraries were the enemy because they held information which might cause you to question what you had been taught and library cards for kids was part of their secret plan. Kids having access to books without direct parental censorship, that was the goal. Anyhow, back on topic.
YEC (Young Earth Creationism) is really lazy and while I know some otherwise smart and successful people, they hang on to this belief and I don't know exactly why. I have a friend who is one of the seemingly most intelligent, driven and professional people you'll ever meet but he will really get offended and testy if you start talking about evolution, dinosaurs and such. To me, YEC as well as an outright rejection of evolution is putting God in a box. I do not understand how people can state that God is infinitely powerful but then turn around and claim there is no way the world could be 5 billion years old. At the same time, I kind of get why they do it and that's because it's easier for them that way. If that's what you were taught in church growing up and you were sheltered from science and such, it is easier intellectually to just stick with that rather than think deep and hard about how truly insignificant we are in the grand scheme of the universe.
At the same time, if you are one of those people who believe that God is involved with every bit of your day to day life, it would be really mind-blowing that in the massive landscape of space and time, God would be so powerful, and one heck of a multi-tasker, to watch you and the billions of others on this Earth.
So really my point is that accepting the theories of evolution and that the Earth is not a rejection of God's power, it's actually an acceptance and giving God far more credit for being omnipotent. Think about it like that.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Happy hour
In the end, despite all of our squabbling, we're all just people who want to get off work and go home. Quitting time, pour a whiskey and put our feet up after a long day at the job. Kiss the wife and hug the kids, that's what is all about, isn't it?
We might all disagree about where we're headed but we're all on that same trip home. Turn the music up, crack a cold one and enjoy life. Just give us that little peace of mind, let us not have to worry about how we're going to buy groceries or pay the mortgage and we'll be ok. That's all we ask.
We might all disagree about where we're headed but we're all on that same trip home. Turn the music up, crack a cold one and enjoy life. Just give us that little peace of mind, let us not have to worry about how we're going to buy groceries or pay the mortgage and we'll be ok. That's all we ask.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
How Obama exploits the "birthers".
I have my own take on the "birther" conspiracy hysteria that has sprung back into the spotlight with the media-whoring binge that Donald Trump has been on lately. I believe that it is entirely possible that Obama himself, or one of his staff, came up with the idea to draw out the people that hated him the most. Give them something absurd to put all of their energy and attention into which is the easiest thing for the intellectually lazy, then use that as a trap to discredit anything else they would possibly want to oppose Obama with.
Even if it wasn't his idea originally, he is certainly using it to his advantage and will continue to use it. It's a very savvy move.
Even if it wasn't his idea originally, he is certainly using it to his advantage and will continue to use it. It's a very savvy move.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
If I have offended you, tua culpa
When I first started writing this blog, it was partially out of needing a way to release the information that had been eating at me after 5 years at Sprint, partially because I had very little else to do in my off time from job hunting. I never planned a clear direction for this, nor did I really expect that we would be closing in on 800 fans as I am writing now.
Let me tell you what we are not intending to do. We are not intending to be a repeater of cliched political talking points that you will see every night on the news. If you want that, go to MSNBC or Fox. You can get that over there on repeat until it's drilled into your head. We are not members of the mainstream, our community is a collection of the "freaks", the rebels, the outsiders, the non-conformists, those who dare to think for themselves. If you are not one of these, you are still welcome here, but judge not lest you too be judged. Chances are though, if you came here, you are already one of us, whether you knew it already or not.
Let me tell you what we are not intending to do. We are not intending to be a repeater of cliched political talking points that you will see every night on the news. If you want that, go to MSNBC or Fox. You can get that over there on repeat until it's drilled into your head. We are not members of the mainstream, our community is a collection of the "freaks", the rebels, the outsiders, the non-conformists, those who dare to think for themselves. If you are not one of these, you are still welcome here, but judge not lest you too be judged. Chances are though, if you came here, you are already one of us, whether you knew it already or not.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Birthers, conspiracy and denial
The recent rants of Donald Trump, Palin and others over the politically expedient subject of Obama's birth certificate has become amusing and at the same time, ridiculous. Ask me for a long form certificate, I don't have one. I was born in Virginia in the 80's and you won't find a doctor's signature or anything like that. Want to question my citizenship? Go ahead.
The real thing behind this is you have a bunch of 50+ white folks who are in denial and shock that this is no longer a nation of WASPs. They're scared to death that in just a decade or more, white people will no longer be the majority in this country. You really don't see any black, latino or asian "birthers" now do you? It's really just white people, that's about it. They're freaked the hell out that a black liberal is now in the White House. A scared, angry and confused voting bloc? That's any political party's wet dream, if only they knew how to tap into it.
That's where Republicans specialize, especially corporate interests and their PACs. By harnessing the fear of change, they've put all of their eggs in one basket. The thing is, that's all they've got.
The real thing behind this is you have a bunch of 50+ white folks who are in denial and shock that this is no longer a nation of WASPs. They're scared to death that in just a decade or more, white people will no longer be the majority in this country. You really don't see any black, latino or asian "birthers" now do you? It's really just white people, that's about it. They're freaked the hell out that a black liberal is now in the White House. A scared, angry and confused voting bloc? That's any political party's wet dream, if only they knew how to tap into it.
That's where Republicans specialize, especially corporate interests and their PACs. By harnessing the fear of change, they've put all of their eggs in one basket. The thing is, that's all they've got.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
How to tether your EVO
So when I bought my EVO, downloaded PDANet and tried to get online using the same process as before when I had my Samsung Moment, it didn't work. Every time I tried to plug in my USB cable, it would turn off the data network. You see, on the EVO, it gives you a number of options like sync, charge only, use as a drive or tether. If you chose tether, it will automatically kill your data connection. I'm guessing if you shelled out 30 bucks a month to Sprint for the mobile hotspot, it wouldn't be an issue. After tinkering with it for a bit, I figured out the workaround.
1. Turn on PDANet
2. Hold down the power button and then disable mobile network.
3. Attach the USB cable.
4. Repeat step 2 except enable mobile network this time.
This is an easier way to do it, but it took me a little while to figure it out. Connect the USB cable and it will automatically enable USB tethering. Switch it back to "charge only" which will turn the data connection back on. Then go to PdaNet, click "enable USB tethering" which will connect your tethering ability and away you go. Hope this helps.
It took me about 15 minutes of fumbling around and a couple shots of whiskey to figure it out but I hope it works for you. Please leave a comment if you have found any other workarounds or steps I may have overlooked.
1. Turn on PDANet
2. Hold down the power button and then disable mobile network.
3. Attach the USB cable.
4. Repeat step 2 except enable mobile network this time.
This is an easier way to do it, but it took me a little while to figure it out. Connect the USB cable and it will automatically enable USB tethering. Switch it back to "charge only" which will turn the data connection back on. Then go to PdaNet, click "enable USB tethering" which will connect your tethering ability and away you go. Hope this helps.
It took me about 15 minutes of fumbling around and a couple shots of whiskey to figure it out but I hope it works for you. Please leave a comment if you have found any other workarounds or steps I may have overlooked.
Monday, April 4, 2011
We have no one to blame but ourselves
In what twisted reality does the worker become the enemy of freedom? How is that the needs of the working man have turned into "socialism"? Why is it that the huge majority of wealth is concentrated in the hands of the wealthiest and all they ask for is more, more, more? When you have 10, 20, 50 or 100 million dollars a year and you're taxed at say 35%, that's not a huge deal, especially when you can afford accountants and lawyers who When you're a working class person like me, that's the difference between having a roof over your head or living under a bridge.
The theory of "trickle-down" economics has not really worked out, it's more "trickle-up" or "trickle-parallel" when you really think about it. There is only so much a person can consume, there is so much they can lend to the economy before they plateau and that money piles up in bank accounts somewhere just collecting interest. I'm not saying seize money from the rich, I'm saying that at some point, you have enough money and you have a moral responsibility to start spreading the wealth around. Yes, I said "spread the wealth around". I'm somewhere around upper lower middle working class and I put my money back into the local economy. I also have no problem sharing it with those I consider less fortunate because I feel that it really is a moral responsibility to do so.
So when I see the wealthiest people, their lobbyists and political puppets asking us to give more and accept slashes to public education or any other programs that provide for the common welfare and allow for the chance at upward mobility, righteous indignation sets in. You can only push people so far down before they rise up and demand change. Look at the Middle East right now. Those are examples of wealth disparity in America in just a few more years if the current trend of union-busting, outsourcing and political gerrymandering continues. The political manipulation has been very effective in making the voter the instrument of their own oppression. There are many ignorant people who go to the polls year after year to vote for someone who promises to save them from foreign terrorists, gay marriage or other hot button issues but is really in the pocket of the same companies that just shipped that voter's job off to someone in Asia for a fraction of the cost of honest labor here in the US.
I always hear people bust out the examples of auto industry union laborers who make 6 figures a year assembling cars and say that's not right. Why is that not right? How is that wrong when that person has worked decades to achieve that seniority and pay grade, yet someone who has never gotten their hands dirty can make millions a year sitting in a board room? People say they've earned it. Really? So when did learning to game the system and negotiate your way to the top become more honorable than an honest day's labor?
That's just my rant for tonight, I can always elaborate more on it later.
The theory of "trickle-down" economics has not really worked out, it's more "trickle-up" or "trickle-parallel" when you really think about it. There is only so much a person can consume, there is so much they can lend to the economy before they plateau and that money piles up in bank accounts somewhere just collecting interest. I'm not saying seize money from the rich, I'm saying that at some point, you have enough money and you have a moral responsibility to start spreading the wealth around. Yes, I said "spread the wealth around". I'm somewhere around upper lower middle working class and I put my money back into the local economy. I also have no problem sharing it with those I consider less fortunate because I feel that it really is a moral responsibility to do so.
So when I see the wealthiest people, their lobbyists and political puppets asking us to give more and accept slashes to public education or any other programs that provide for the common welfare and allow for the chance at upward mobility, righteous indignation sets in. You can only push people so far down before they rise up and demand change. Look at the Middle East right now. Those are examples of wealth disparity in America in just a few more years if the current trend of union-busting, outsourcing and political gerrymandering continues. The political manipulation has been very effective in making the voter the instrument of their own oppression. There are many ignorant people who go to the polls year after year to vote for someone who promises to save them from foreign terrorists, gay marriage or other hot button issues but is really in the pocket of the same companies that just shipped that voter's job off to someone in Asia for a fraction of the cost of honest labor here in the US.
I always hear people bust out the examples of auto industry union laborers who make 6 figures a year assembling cars and say that's not right. Why is that not right? How is that wrong when that person has worked decades to achieve that seniority and pay grade, yet someone who has never gotten their hands dirty can make millions a year sitting in a board room? People say they've earned it. Really? So when did learning to game the system and negotiate your way to the top become more honorable than an honest day's labor?
That's just my rant for tonight, I can always elaborate more on it later.
Deluka - Come Back To Me
So I finally figured out which song plays in the new GMC/Cadillac commercial. It's really damn catchy and has that sort of new/dark wave-synthpop feeling I like.
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