Thursday, July 31, 2014
Friday, July 25, 2014
A Cynic is Either Correct or Pleasantly Surprised
I try to believe the world was somewhat like my parents' world when they were so frustrated with my anti-Vietnam war politics, my long hair, and my antisocial behavior. When I look at the people around me, I try to think that things have not changed that much and that the change that is apparent, the change that frustrates me, is somehow part of a normal pattern.
I try... but I really don't think the world exists in an "everything works out for the best" scenario, that my father was fond of.. while he was frustrated with me at the same time.
I know my father could intuitively feel the danger, for me, his other children, and the world. He served in World War II and he saw the kamikazes. He noted that we had the power to destroy entire cities with one bomb. He intuitively felt this new level of power. The higher the stakes... the worse the danger obviously is. Bubonic plague was not as dangerous as the invention of the nuclear weapon. To use this new power to "shorten" a war was short term thinking in any way I look at it.
Inventing something before someone else does because of fear probably just puts the power in the hands of the already powerful. I doubt there was some guiding principle that gave the power, just as I doubt there is a guiding principle at work now in who has power over someone else.
With all the assault weapons and guns in the world, of course, individual people have more power to change things in the way they alone want things to change. Making it easier to purchase weapons that can kill more people at once, well that just makes it easier for one person to effect a great amount of change. A nuclear weapon, relying on chain reactions for it's explosion, can also create a chain reaction when used. That was the concept of mutually assured destruction. It gives complete power to destroy the world to someone.
Global warming is a process that seems to be unstoppable once started. Perhaps it will be stoppable but to me this is in the same book as "perhaps we are not causing it" and it is a natural thing. "Everything just works out for the best." I just do not believe that and I think my father had his doubts despite this optimistic aphorism.
"Things are different." That is an aphorism I can trust. It is not my father's world. It is not his father's world. I'm sure that there must have been a time when some leader seemed to have as much power as a country today with nuclear weapons. I doubt it was true. Let's say Europe managed to destroy every human being in a massive war in the middle ages. People just fought until plague and pestilence wiped them all out. That is a stretch but let's just stipulate that might have happened. Let's further stipulate that the far east managed to get involved in the massive catastrophe. We would have the civilizations in the America's to carry on, and eventually they would cross the ocean, etc.
I guess we might end up with some kind of post apocalyptic paradise that springs out of the troubles we are causing. Global warming probably will not kill everyone. Maybe we should root for global warming as being the best of the two possible apocalypses, and hope it slows us down before we do something even worse.
Perhaps the only hope is that there is some intervening power that makes "everything works out for the best" work. We believe in evolution in this way. The strong survive. Boy, this a great system. Let's base our economic system on the same concept! Capitalism telling us how and where to apply science... wheeee!
Man himself is not doing very well in my eyes with or without that intervening power, be it as it may be. Man's science has created the technology for all these devices that kill others and those that destroy our habitat. I certainly would not want to be the judge of what side effect that creating dynamite might have. Deity status must be a total bummer... I mean when looking at the world as it has become. "Really?!! This is what you call a successful planet for the science fair, Son of Me?"
I just don't know. I wonder what my own father, who might also reside above, might think now that all is revealed. "Is your aphorism correct, Dad?"
I try... but I really don't think the world exists in an "everything works out for the best" scenario, that my father was fond of.. while he was frustrated with me at the same time.
I know my father could intuitively feel the danger, for me, his other children, and the world. He served in World War II and he saw the kamikazes. He noted that we had the power to destroy entire cities with one bomb. He intuitively felt this new level of power. The higher the stakes... the worse the danger obviously is. Bubonic plague was not as dangerous as the invention of the nuclear weapon. To use this new power to "shorten" a war was short term thinking in any way I look at it.
Inventing something before someone else does because of fear probably just puts the power in the hands of the already powerful. I doubt there was some guiding principle that gave the power, just as I doubt there is a guiding principle at work now in who has power over someone else.
With all the assault weapons and guns in the world, of course, individual people have more power to change things in the way they alone want things to change. Making it easier to purchase weapons that can kill more people at once, well that just makes it easier for one person to effect a great amount of change. A nuclear weapon, relying on chain reactions for it's explosion, can also create a chain reaction when used. That was the concept of mutually assured destruction. It gives complete power to destroy the world to someone.
Global warming is a process that seems to be unstoppable once started. Perhaps it will be stoppable but to me this is in the same book as "perhaps we are not causing it" and it is a natural thing. "Everything just works out for the best." I just do not believe that and I think my father had his doubts despite this optimistic aphorism.
"Things are different." That is an aphorism I can trust. It is not my father's world. It is not his father's world. I'm sure that there must have been a time when some leader seemed to have as much power as a country today with nuclear weapons. I doubt it was true. Let's say Europe managed to destroy every human being in a massive war in the middle ages. People just fought until plague and pestilence wiped them all out. That is a stretch but let's just stipulate that might have happened. Let's further stipulate that the far east managed to get involved in the massive catastrophe. We would have the civilizations in the America's to carry on, and eventually they would cross the ocean, etc.
I guess we might end up with some kind of post apocalyptic paradise that springs out of the troubles we are causing. Global warming probably will not kill everyone. Maybe we should root for global warming as being the best of the two possible apocalypses, and hope it slows us down before we do something even worse.
Perhaps the only hope is that there is some intervening power that makes "everything works out for the best" work. We believe in evolution in this way. The strong survive. Boy, this a great system. Let's base our economic system on the same concept! Capitalism telling us how and where to apply science... wheeee!
Man himself is not doing very well in my eyes with or without that intervening power, be it as it may be. Man's science has created the technology for all these devices that kill others and those that destroy our habitat. I certainly would not want to be the judge of what side effect that creating dynamite might have. Deity status must be a total bummer... I mean when looking at the world as it has become. "Really?!! This is what you call a successful planet for the science fair, Son of Me?"
I just don't know. I wonder what my own father, who might also reside above, might think now that all is revealed. "Is your aphorism correct, Dad?"
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
Great ads from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's challenger...
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/04/25/1294599/-Mitch-McConnell-says-bringing-jobs-to-Kentucky-is-not-my-job
Previous ad in series:
All of these ads are wonderful... and not only apply to McConnell but to his party.
Current Real Clear Politics polling data. Toss-up:
Monday, July 21, 2014
Professionalism. No, just kidding.
From 8 Lies Most Bosses Tell:
#4 “We're one big happy family.”
In real life happy families don’t keep secrets from one another, and tend to share everything equally. The most wretched places to work are those in which bosses and employees replicate the yelling, spanking, criticism, deception, and cruelty that play a huge role in the horrors of a miserable childhood. Your best bet is to quietly refuse the entire premise of the lie and remember that it’s not personal, it’s business.
http://www.businessinsider.com/the-8-lies-most-bosses-tell-2014-7#ixzz385LjLZ4Y
You have got to admit that this is some skilled, competent, and able advice.
I liked reading this article, although it did not seem professionally written... really. Even so, using the article's standards, I seem to have had fairly honest bosses... or is that part of the "8 Lies Employees Tell in Public Blogs" thing I was writing?
And by all means... on #4, professionalism is the way to go. I highlight this one section here because you should believe it, son. Wherever I have made mistakes, it always involved the personal. Leave that personal stuff for others to make mistakes with... because participation in mistakes is not mandatory.
I came from a fairly dysfunctional family. It included yelling, spanking, deception, and yes, even cruelty... most of which I actively participated in myself, ashamedly. Families may just be like that or more likely, it was a myth that I had a happy family. It would have been nice had I remained professional in every way... had I just known what it meant to be professional and how to apply that to... a.... family... I guess... oh hell.
But alas... everything is so darned personal these days. And you, yeah you reading this... just leave me the heck alone.
Oh.. by the way, my wife and current family are all awesome! I just don't bring them to work.
Sunday, July 20, 2014
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Monday, July 14, 2014
Republicans Have Blocked Every Serious Idea
“Lifting the minimum wage, fair pay, student loan reform – (the GOP has) said no to all of it… the Republican plan right now is not to do some of this work with me – instead its to sue me. That’s actually what they’re spending their time on. It’s a political stunt that’s going to waste months of America’s time. And by the way, they’re going to pay for it using your hard-earned tax dollars. I have a better idea – DO SOMETHING, CONGRESS. Do ANYTHING to help working Americans…“
Friday, July 11, 2014
Saturday, July 5, 2014
Our Founding Fathers Were Thoughtful
In response to Hobby Lobby's Website quotes, because, after all, our founding fathers were not devoid of reason :
Note: You can read Paine's whole pamphlet, where he expresses his atheistic beliefs, here.
“If I could conceive that the general government might ever be so administered as to render the liberty of conscience insecure, I beg you will be persuaded, that no one would be more zealous than myself to establish effectual barriers against the horrors of spiritual tyranny, and every species of religious persecution.”- George Washington, letter to the United Baptist Chamber of Virginia (1789)
“Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, then that of blindfolded fear.”- Thomas Jefferson, letter to Peter Carr (1787)
"In regard to religion, mutual toleration in the different professions thereof is what all good and candid minds in all ages have ever practiced, and both by precept and example inculcated on mankind.”- Samuel Adams, The Rights of the Colonists (1771)
“Persecution is not an original feature in any religion; but it is always the strongly marked feature of all religions established by law. Take away the law-establishment, and every religion re-assumes its original benignity.”- Thomas Paine, The Rights of Man (1791)
“Congress has no power to make any religious establishments.”- Roger Sherman, Congress (1789)
"The way to see by faith is to shut the eye of reason."- Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanack (1758)
"I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people build a wall of separation between Church & State."- Thomas Jefferson, letter to the Danbury Baptists (1802)
"To argue with a man who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead."- Thomas Paine, The American Crisis No. V (1776)
Note: You can read Paine's whole pamphlet, where he expresses his atheistic beliefs, here.
“Our civil rights have no dependence on our religious opinions, any more than our opinions in physics or geometry.”- Thomas Jefferson, A Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom (1779)
"Christian establishments tend to great ignorance and corruption, all of which facilitate the execution of mischievous projects."- James Madison, letter to William Bradford, Jr. (1774)
"There is nothing which can better deserve our patronage than the promotion of science and literature. Knowledge is in every country the surest basis of public happiness."- George Washington, address to Congress (1790)
"During almost fifteen centuries has the legal establishment of Christianity been on trial. What has been its fruits? More or less, in all places, pride and indolence in the clergy; ignorance and servility in the laity; in both, superstition, bigotry and persecution."- James Madison, General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia (1785)
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
Birth Control Information - Links
DIFFERENT TYPES OF BIRTH CONTROL:
- Birth Control Pills - [x] [x]
- Mini Pill (Progesterone-only Pill) - [x]
- The Patch (Ortho Evra) - [x] [x]
- The Shot (Depo-Provera) - [x] [x]
- Birth Control Sponge - [x] [x]
- Vaginal Ring (Nuva Ring) - [x] [x]
- Spermicide - [x] [x]
- Implant (Implanon and Nexplanon) - [x] [x]
- IUDs (Mirena, Skyla, and ParaGard) - [x] [x]
- Condoms (Male and Female) - [x]
- Withdrawal (Pullout Method) - [x] [x]
- Diaphragm - [x] [x]
- Breastfeeding - [x]
- Cervical Cap - [x] [x]
- Sterilization (Male and Female) - [x]
- Abstinence - [x] [x]
- Fertility Awareness-Based Methods (FAMs) - [x] [x]
COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT BIRTH CONTROL:
- Do certain medications make my birth control less effective?
- Can I delay or eliminate my period with my birth control?
- Will my pregnancy tests come out with an accurate result while I’m on birth control?
- Can I use several birth control pills at once in replace of an emergency contraceptive?
- Does birth control cause weight gain?
- What should I do if I miss a pill?
- What should I do if the condom breaks or slips off inside of me?
- If I’m on the ring or the patch and I forget to replace it on the right day, do I need to use backup?
- I’ve heard that the birth control ring can pop out. What should I do if this happens?
- Can birth control increase my risk of getting cancer?
- Can you change your mind after having a tubal ligation or vasectomy?
- Is it normal to spot or bleed in between periods while on birth control?
- Does certain hormonal birth controls affect my blood pressure?
- Can being overweight affect my birth control’s effectiveness?
- Can certain birth controls lower my libido?
EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTIVES:
- Types of EC: Plan B / Ella / ParaGard IUD - [x] [x]
- What are emergency contraceptives?
- How do they work?
- How well does it work?
- What are the side effects?
- When should I take an emergency contraceptive?
- Are emergency contraceptives less effective the heavier you are?
- If I am under the age of 18 in the US, can I buy emergency contraceptives without my parent’s knowledge or consent?
- If I take an emergency contraceptive today, am I covered if I have unprotected sex tomorrow?
- Will taking emergency contraceptives too many times affect my fertility?
- To find more questions and answers about emergency contraceptives, you can go here.
- Información anticonceptivos de emergencia es disponible en Español, aquí.
OPTIONS FOR PEOPLE WITH ALLERGIES AND/OR CERTAIN PREFERENCES:
- Condoms for people with latex allergies.
- Condoms for vegans. [x] [x] [x]
- Other vegan contraceptive options.
- Different types of birth control without estrogen.
- Contraceptives without any hormones.
- Birth control methods that are useful to people with religious concerns. [x] [x]
OTHER BENEFITS OF TAKING BIRTH CONTROL:
- Taking oral contraceptives can help lower the risk of endometrial and ovarian cancer.
- Using birth control helps treat acne.
- Birth control can help treat the pain caused by Endomitriosis.
- Contraceptives offer relief to people with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS).
- Anemia can be avoided/treated by using birth control.
- Irregular periods can become more regulated by using birth control.
- The pill can lead to fewer ectopic pregnancies.
MYTHS ABOUT BIRTH CONTROL (All the myths below are dispelled through the links given):
- Emergency contraceptives and birth control pills cause abortions.
- Free contraceptives and/or condoms makes people participate in risky sexual behavior.
- The pill makes you gain a lot of weight.
- Douching after sex prevents pregnancy.
- You have to start your birth control on a Sunday.
- Taking the pill for a long time can make you infertile.
- Hormonal contraceptives protect you from contracting STIs.
- You don’t need to be on birth control while breastfeeding.
- I won’t get pregnant my first time having sex.
- The Pill is effective immediately after you take it.
- I won’t get pregnant if I shower or pee after sex.
- My body needs a rest from birth control at least once a year.
- Emergency contraceptives are affected by alcohol.
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