I can't believe that people still believe this crap

Here is a recent article from UPI:

http://www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20040225-033834-3408r

Let me give you the highlights.

To take such high-sounding abstract concepts about democracy to one-time desert Arabs is somewhat akin to getting an ape to appreciate a diamond. In any case, if the ape does not swallow that diamond -- though in many cases it would -- getting peoples without democratic traditions is like asking people to organize their lives all over again to suit the image of someone else.

Wow, so this person is saying that democracy is a tough thing to swallow. I will agree to that, it requires a amount of personal responsibility to have a functional democracy. I thought everyone new that. Thanks for stating the oblivious.

The statement where people reorganize their lives to suit someone else is false. Yes they will reorganize their lives, but to suit their own image. For example, I can worship the god or even the TV if I want, and can work the job I want, I can elect the government officials I that like or even if I think they look good in a suit I can vote for them. This person shows a lack of understanding about what controlling you own life is.

About the American push for global democracy, the recently imploded Soviet Union and Japan come as examples of nations accepting an alien ideology -- albeit perhaps unwillingly.

Japan is the worlds third or second economy after Germany. Both very undemocratic nations in the past, it has seemed to work well for them, seeing how they have more money and individuals can decide how they want to live their lives. You don't see a lot of Japanese or Germans in the US. You know why because they are happy were they are, and the only reason to come to the US is for more money.

Don't even bring up the Soviet Union as a failed democratic state. It is a failed communist state. We drove them into the ground, and they had no other option but to accept another system of government. Yes, America would like to see Russia turn into a democratic state, only so we done have to protect ourselves from their missiles any more. The reasons the Soviet Union is failing is not because of democracy, it is their leaders.

If democracy is of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," the closest mirror image of that serene state in Russia, existed ironically during the era of Stalin and Khrushchev.

About Khrushchev and Stalin
http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/kbank/profiles/khrushchev/

Khrushchev's rise to power coincided with one of the darkest periods in Soviet history: the Great Terror. During the 1930s, Stalin began a series of bloody purges to consolidate his power. The terror spread throughout the Soviet Union, and Khrushchev was part of it, denouncing several fellow students and workers as "enemies of the people" and willingly taking part in the extermination of the Ukrainian intelligentsia.

This person is a moron and has not studied history at all. 40 million people died under Stalin's rule, which Khrushchev was a major part of that.

So, religion undeniably is too strong a component to ignore when pushing for democracy in the Middle East. As strongly embedded as it stands, casting it away for securalism is sure invitation for trouble.

I don't know if this person supports a pure theocracy or even a mixed one (which they are arguing over in Iraq right now), but having a state religion is bad. Although the west views Islam as a tight religion, it is not. Islam have several main sects that also hate each other. The sect in charge would oppress the other sects. Also, a country that lets go of the religion is more likely to let got over several other things which make a country successful (ie the economy).

As a addition to the first point about democracy being had to swallow, that is only because the current rulers don't want to lose power.

What's more the Bush administration knows unlike Japan or the ex-Soviet Union, Iraq or the Middle East did not threaten America for her to be submitted to such indignity.

Iran has nukes, Libya has nukes, Pakistan has nukes, and Iraq was working on Nukes in the early 90's and had bio-weapons programs ready to be started up in months. Not to mention Osama, who is from the middle east. This person is a moron, these countries did not only pose a threat to us, but other countries around them and the world. American should backcharge the world for the work we have done and the lives we have lost. We are saving their asses and they don't even care. In fact they think we are doing the wrong thing.

Vanessa Yeo is a student in journalism at FIS Education Center in Singapore.

That explains it, this person is studying how to write, not history or not what to believe. This person needs to go read a book or two.

cube

A new friend

Here is to new friends and and a higher rank on Google.

CROSBLOG

Enjoy all.

cube

NEA to Bush: Fire Secretary Paige or we will blow you up

heh heh, cool they are a terrorist organization.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/EDUCATION/02/24/nea.bush.paige.ap/index.html


Check this out for a defination of terrorist: terrorist

Well that means wives withholding sex to stop the war could also be considered terrorists. Hmmm this might be a good idea.

cube

Recent interaction with the world

Here is a recent email that i sent to my old favorite radio station.


Dear radio station that used to be my favorite radio station but is not any more,

As i can hear from listening to you station over the weekend you have
decided make some minor programming changes. This morning i heard (or
rather did not hear) Tater Red. I can only assume the worst from what i
am hearing and not hearing. You have gone screwed up your music line up.
I am hearing more 80's rock than ever from you radio station. I am
hearing less nelson, pete yorn, and white stripes than ever before.

My run down on events.
Some f****r up top decided that you could make more money.
That same fu*ker decided that you needed to change a few things.
You changed a few things (at the expense of Tater Red).
Good job, i hope you don't go to hell for this, and i hope you make more money.
(which just as a side note, there are hundreds of 80's radio stations, if
you really think you can compete in that arena good luck. Only advice i
can give to you steve is that you need to leave a sinking ship while you can.)

Just as a side note, i am rearranging the presets in my car. Your slot is
going to be replaced with a rap station. (They at least play songs that i
have never heard before, unlike you)

Give me folk or death.
Cube
http://sandcastlesandcubicles.blogspot.com/

"The hour of departure has arrived, and we go our separate ways -- I to
die, and you to live. Which is better God only knows." - Plato, The Apology of Socrates
translated by - Benjamin Jowett.


This is the response that i got.

Dear Cubicle,

Thanks so much for your letter. We are very interested in what listeners like you have to say about their favorite radio station, 107.5 The Pig. You’ve probably figured out by now that we’ve been tweaking the music a little. Eventually we’ll get it right but for the time being we’re trying out a few new things. We hired a big-time research company to help us out but there’s only one thing: they don’t live here! They’re great at what they do, don’t get me wrong, but we need a different kind of help. We need help from people who listen to The Pig - at home, at work, and in the car.

Seems like you’ve got a good ear for music and radio. Maybe you would consider helping us out? Listen to the station for a few more days. Really listen - not only during your usual times but after hours, on the weekends, and in the middle of the day. We want to know exactly what you think and how we can best serve our listeners. We want to be your favorite radio station. Tell us how to do that, Cube.

This is my personal email address: ListenerAdvisoryBoard@hotmail.com. Thanks for your time, Cube. We look forward to hearing your ideas. If any of your other friends have feedback to offer, please give them my address for the Listener Advisory Board so we can talk to them too.



Thanks,

Damian Steele

Director, Listener Advisory Board



PS – Regarding the buring question: What if two non-heterosexuals get married, then they get divorced - Who keeps the house, car, and pet?

I do.


A form letter yes, but they actually took time to check out my site. So i will commence the looking up of data and listening to them.

More information forthcoming.....

cube

What if....

What if two non-heterosexuals get married, then they get divorced?

Who keeps the house, car, and pet?

Edit: An even better question. Who's name gets changed.

cube

On a more personal note...

Hundreds of my readers have pointed out the fact they know my stance on the "issues" of the day, but they do not have the more personal connection many of them seek with me. This post is dedicated to doing just that.

My favorite rapper / actor is DMX. His portrayal of a really cool thief guy in "Cradle to the Grave" really pushed him over his other competitors (such as Ice Cube and L.L. Cool J) in my mind.

My favorite food (although this is likely to change) is peanut butter smores. They are made just like normal smores except on the graham cracker half which does not have the marshmallow and chocolate, you spread peanut butter (don't attempt heat this part unless you like you smores really messy).

Favorite video game.
By myself: EverQuest
With others: Halo

Coolest thing I own:
X-box then after that a partially assembled fooze ball table.

Favorite Singer.
Pete Yorn

Favorite Band.
Eels

Living arrangements.
I live by myself in an apartment. I have been toying with the idea of an exotic pet (such as a monkey or even a dog), but I don't feel that I have graduated from the plant level of responsibility to the small animal level yet. The best pet I have seen yet though has been Sugar Gliders.

Thanks for your time and the next time you see a DMX movie think of me.

Cube.

Nader Later

Well Nader has announced that he would run. Only comment I have seen so far has been on fox. The article that I ran on CNN said:

One question raised by a Nader candidacy is whether he would appeal to voters who were energized by the campaign of former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean -- particularly voters opposed to the war in Iraq, which both Kerry and Edwards supported in Congress.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/02/22/elec04.prez.campaign/index.html

Yes, those people will be very much in line with Nader's views. In the case of the DNC, they are not voting their views. The only thing that matters to the hardcore DNC voters is getting bush out of office. All the semi-smart ones (or the ones who talk to semi-smart ones) will realize that they can't be fractured and do that. The entire DNC must be focused. Everyone knows that the only way the DNC is going to win is if they start playing dirty. If they start stealing the other parties policies. They could make all of the Republicans turn coat if they promised to lower government spending (one thing which bush has not done).

Although the DNC was saved from defeat in the national election when Dean said he would not run as an independent. That would have defiantly killed them and dean was smart enough to realize that.

cube

I told you so..

I love when I say something on my blog then I read the exact same thing the next day (or even a week later) (check the times of my post and when the article was posted). No I am not a plagiarist, not am I using the paranormal to predict the future. I am just a reasonable person trying to understand.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59797-2004Feb21.html

"I consider Bremer's statement as rational and realistic because successful elections cannot be done in less than one year," Othman told The Associated Press. "In my opinion, the important thing is not to have elections. The important thing is to have good results that would save us from troubles that might erupt due to badly prepared elections."


Of course this guy did not blame the ruling elite of Iraq of trying to take power unfairly, but then again I am probably ahead of him on that also.


cube

Faster is better

I read this interesting article that I picked up from the drudge report.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20040219.wruss0219/BNPrint/International/

The article makes a lot of assumptions.

I find it impossible to say that a rocket A will out run rocket B when rocket B has not been created yet (we could just still their new faster missile technology and we would be even again).

additionally, rocket A might be able to out run one rocket B, but can it out maneuver 10 B rocket's (especially when all the rocket B's know where the rocket A is going). Mother nature has show that large packs of smaller less powerful animals can bring down one much larger powerful animal by out thinking it and wearing it out until it is too tried to care about dying.

If rocket A has a brain then all the B rocket's just need to be smarter, not faster to hit rocket A.

Now all of that said, rocket A will have a hard time out running lasers.

http://www.st.northropgrumman.com/capabilities/PageCategory.cfm?PageCategoryID=12

cube

A simple concept

Elections are a fairly simple concept to Americans. We have grown up electing officials our entire lives (I still remember when I ran for some office some time in 7th grade.) Apparently many other cultures don't understand the nature of elections and also the effects of tampering with the votes.

Here is a recent quote for an Iraqi on elections:

We were expecting the decision but we would like the elections to have happened," said Haitham al-Husseini, a spokesman for the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI), the main political party in Iraq.

"We thought the elections could have happened not in a perfect way but at least we would have consulted the Iraqi people," he said on Thursday.

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/EC380581-0DA1-47B3-8C31-CA89BC5EFE10.htm

Mr. al-Husseini apparently does not understand the nature of elections. The further elections are from being perfect the further away from the people's will the result is. Haitham never expected the elections to be useful. His organization and other organizations like his want early elections because they want to hijack the vote while they can.

The UN has made the right decision in deciding not to back early elections. I am impressed they were able to go in and objectively examine the information, and make a correct decision.

Cube

The rise and fall of Dean

The story of Howard Dean, the one time democratic front runner, is an amazing tale of birth in cyberspace and death by traditional media sources. The fateful dean howl will be forever etched in my mind, as the moment, the traditional media ceased to poison the viewing (and listening) public against dean. The conservative news sources just jumped on the band wagon with more liberal sources such as CNN doing the driving (which later apologized for it's coverage of the howl. Although you did not hear about that did you?).

Dean has now said he is not actively going to campaigning, but will not remove himself from the upcoming primaries (I guess they are going to have to get those delegates he has got out of his cold dead hands). I can only wonder about his strategy. Is he feeling out the waters for a third part bit (his organization is only loosely coupled with the democratic party financially). This would not help the democratic party defeat bush, because he would be stealing his votes away from a more moderate candidate. Is the trying to pull votes away from a specific candidate, so that the other contender, in this now two man primary, has a better chance (that seems like spite). Is he just so stubborn he is unwilling to admit defeat? Only his loving and not-hating of non-heterosexual god knows.

End the end dean must admit the media had the same goals he has, to beat bush. They just did not think he was the guy to do it.

cube

Things to learn from Dean:
The media has great power (more than even I thought), and it can cut both ways.

The truth hurts...

The only people who complain about others not being politically correct are the politically correct fools whose only religion is their selves and the causes they champion through endless bickering, suing, and constant complaining. This is a great article pointing out that fact.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,111580,00.html

My favorite part.


When one couple confirmed they were French Canadian separatists, the grouchy puppet said, "Listen closely. Hear that? It's the sound of no one giving a," followed by an expletive bleep.

"You're in North America, learn the language!" he hollered at another.

If Triumph the Insult Comic Dog had made fun of African Americans, they would have shot his ass. If he would have made fun of any New York fire fighter, they would have dropped him in the bottom of the Hudson in a second.

The point is that Triumph the Insult Comic Dog felt secure enough to come into Canada and tell off half the country, knowing full well that they would not do anything of real consequence (they only complain). Where as the comedian might think that it is funny to critique people, there are some places they will not go (not because of morals, but because of self preservation).

I will take the rest of this post to call attention to the often critiqued and oft abused member of the American society.

http://www.fortogden.com/foredneck.html

Once people learn to view their lifestyle with the same seriousness that Rednecks view theirs only then can the world be a better place. The hated infidels of America which need to be killed will become those backward fools from that dumb capitalist nation. While neither are pleasant, one is much more preferable.

cube

EDIT:
In further news:
http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/TV/02/18/leisure.obrien.reut/index.html

A point from a friend

If someone says they are going to search you out and kill you.

What do you do?

Well you have several options.
1. Kill them first before they kill you.
2. Cover you self with bulletproof clothing (and hope that they don't figure out how to drive a car).
3. Call the police and tell them (and hope that they respond in time).

Now let's apply this to the Iraq/war on terror (I consider them the same thing) situation.

We can do a preemptive strike, become a security state, or rely on the UN to do it's job.
But what if there was no policeman (or he was extremely weak and ineffective in protecting your life)?

Just for reference here are some resolutions from the UN.

http://www.un.org/Docs/scres/2002/sc2002.htm

If you would read resolution 1441, and see what it says. It reads to me that the UN made drew a mark in the sand, and in 1441 it also seemed like it would actually back it up with something a little more forceful than sanctions. The UN did not do that.

So our options were to become a security state (a loss of personal freedoms) or take the fight out of American soil. We choose to put our troops at war so that people could buy things freely and travel with out having there personal information checked at every corner (although we are now making progress on the domestic side also). The main moving idea behind putting out troops at war is that if you want it done right, do it yourself.

I would propose that of the two options, the rise of a serious security state (such as Israel has) would be more hurtful politically for the president, than a won war with casualties.

Just as a side not the sentence that made me think off all of this:

"respect for international institutions and international law, multilateral engagement and"

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=WLBQUZ0WOLOOUCRBAE0CFFA?type=politicsNews&storyID=4354830&pageNumber=1

cube

Is Iraq better off?

A lot of people believe that the Iraqi people are not better off.

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2004/02/13/200402130018.asp

On the optimistic side, a study by two researchers at the Brooking Institution in Washington, D.C., shows that the murder rate in Baghdad is high, but leveled off in recent months. Electric production is up, as is oil production, and more drinking water is available.


I feel you can argue several points of going to war (WMDs, WMD programs, the entire idea of preemptive strikes), but the one point which is indisputable is that the Iraqi people are better off. Yes, there have been several riots with them complaining about electricity (that is just because the Iraq people are immature and don't know how to act out there feelings any other way). Why weren't they rioting before? Because they would have been shot and they knew it.

Yes it will take 20 or more years till Iraq recovers, but now the unrealized potential of the Iraqi people is being realized. Which is a whole lot better than the previous situation of constant poverty and corruption.

cube

Russia

Russia is going to hell in a hand basket.
The way I see it we do not have many options.
We can one: Support the further breaking up of countries off of Russia by guaranteeing the sovereignty of these counties with out military.

Two: Watch as Russia falls further down the economic ladder as it is made more and more uncompetitive by the closing down of market freedoms (either incomplete market reforms or a reversion back to a form of communism).

Many of the articles that I have read seem to place Russia in the economic phase America was in during the early twentieth century (With robber baron's and the like). In a lot of ways they are even further behind on the democratic front.

No matter how you see the situation, this article is an interesting read.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/02/09/russia.rybkin/

If many of the stories coming out of Russia are true, Putin is going to be another dictator, and Titor is/was right.

cube

Here is Bush's interview

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4179618/

I have not read it, but I have heard some comments about it in the popular media.


It is long, but hopefully it is worth it.


Cube

Regan's granddaughter (i wonder if she is hot)

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,108788,00.html

Teachers of any kind have a grave responsibility and a sense of authority. The are passing out information to these children's (sometime unquestioning) minds. The above article is a interesting article. It of course it highlights known problems in some school systems. The sad part is that this debate even has to be had. I fortunately had a very technical major, where there are easy methods of evaluating methods of doing something. I realize there are other majors where instead of actually grading with well defined criteria, you will be graded by only one person's opinion. I believe that college professors are for the most part professional enough to put their biases out of giving grades, but every profession has it's bad apples. I guess this is where the article is coming from.

I don't know if we need laws supporting ideological diversity among college professors, but I would support laws against discrimination for many reasons at the public schools (now you can be discriminated against for almost any reason under the sun, but that is another separate problem). Of course private schools are allowed to do what ever they want, and discriminate against people with different view points (although not different race). A devil worshipper school should not be forced to accept a Christian as a student, and a gay and lesbian school should not be forced to accept straight students. Additionally, private schools should be able to hire and fire their factually for valid ideological reasons, such as a Christian school firing a teacher for having children out of wedlock. Although, I do support a school if they want to be just a boys or just a girls school.

But just to highlight the problem that some teachers have of keeping their opinion (which are not facts), to their selves here is a story.

When I returned to California, I appeared on the Michael Reagan radio show to talk about my experiences. Before I could begin, Reagan had an anecdote of his own. His daughter was a freshman in college and had just begun her classes. One of the first courses the granddaughter of Ronald Reagan elected to take was a beginning acting class. On the first day, in the course of introducing himself the professor told the students: "I am a liberal Democrat. If there are any Republicans here, I advise you to drop the class."

http://www.gopusa.com/davidhorowitz/2003/dh_1020.shtml

That teacher was teaching acting. Which you can make the case that all politicians are actors, but not the case all actors are politicians.

Cube

Hmm...Where do laws come from.

Well I was just doing some reading about the recent decision by the Massachusetts Supreme Court, and found this article with lots of information in it.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2004-02-04-mass-civil-unions_x.htm

Well I had a problem with the decision as soon as I read this part.

The Massachusetts decision made no mention of an alternative solution [Vermont's decision to allow civil union], but instead pointed to a recent decision in Ontario, Canada, that changed the common law definition of marriage to include same-sex couples and led to the issuance of marriage licenses there.

Who cares what Canada does? You cannot make laws in your country based on what other countries do. If we did that weed would be legal (which may not be a bad idea), and apartheid would have been abolished just after South Africa got rid of it (which apartheid is a bad idea).

Parts of the decision were based on the separate but equal principle which apartheid is based on:

"The history of our nation has demonstrated that separate is seldom, if ever, equal," the four justices who ruled in favor of gay marriage wrote in the advisory opinion requested by the state Senate.

The difference is that people are born black (it is genetic), and people become gay (if you can find a gay gene, all the gay people will give you lots of money). The homosexual people (or to be politically correct the non-heterosexual people) have chosen to be different, and therefore should be treated differently. No one (who is rational) proposes criminals should get the same rights as free people. Criminals choose to be different, and are therefore treated differently.

Cube

Prison

In response to Stewardess.

http://www.prisonexp.org/index.html


This is easily on of the coolest sites that i have ever seen.
I don't know if it is as cool as the whale story though.
Cube