Realm of the Weary Muse 2.0

Your Thoughts, My Thoughts

2011-01-13T21:25:00.002-08:00

I'm writing this as a response to a post a friend of mine made at the beginning of December. My friend discussed their beliefs, and why they think that they are justified. I want to take a moment to address two of them.

That God or the gods, have reason. That we should not all argue I am right you are wrong. [sic] Just try to get along with our different beliefs. That is true compassion. Respecting and getting along with those who think and see the world differently from you.

I have no problem with people of different religious (or non-religious) backgrounds peacefully co-existing with one another. It's a very admirable goal, and one I support. However, I think that we should argue. We have every reason to do so, and no reasons not to do so.

I want to remind people that an argument isn't necessarily a disagreement. An argument can be a discussion from differing points of view, a method of reasoning from one point to another using logical steps. [Link] Non-believers argue with believers because they feel that (in their view) unjustified belief can cause real damage. And they do. With the fear of free discourse, there can be no free discourse. If our society and our culture are to move forward, we must be ready to have difficult discussions. I think that John Stuart Mill established these ideas fairly well in his work, On Liberty.

In addition, I do not find it acceptable to respect another person's ideas simply because of their faith. Respect implies that there is validity. I will not respect (I may not even tolerate) an idea that I find anathema to good ethics. This isn't to say that I won't respect the person. An individual may strongly disagree with another person's arguments, but may still respect that person. This is a mark of a civil society, and all that a civil society should ask of us is that we tolerate one another.

That people who say religion is bad and it should be gone all together are nieve. [sic] Every one [sic] has the right to belive [sic] what they want. And although I myself am not a huge fan of religion, that does not mean it should be gone. Every one will continue to belive [sic] what they will. Getting rid of the church, or temple or moske [sic] will not stop the faith.

I do not believe that people who say 'religion is bad' and perhaps even 'the world would be a better place without religion' are naive. Some of them are the most intelligent and articulate people I'm aware of. I myself, in the past, have counted among those who thought that the world would be a better place without religion. I may do so in the future. The difficulty is that we live in a world of religion, and we have no world without religion to compare it to. We have no way of knowing if a world without religion would be a better world than the one we live in now. I do agree that everyone has the freedom to believe in whatever they want, and that religious faith will persist.

Together, I think that these are 'Shut up, that's why' arguments. I see aspects of an argument from suppressed premises here. In the first case, I believe my friend neglects why the disagreement exists in the first place. In the second, they neglect to mention why some people think that religion is harmful, or bad. Further, if people are entitled to believe what they wish, as my friend suggests, does that not include the belief that religion is harmful? I don't think so.

I have a few minor disagreements with a few of my friend's other ideas, but that is (perhaps) a discussion for another time.

Why I'm Not Supporting The Salvation Army This Year

2010-12-27T18:00:00.002-08:00

[This was originally to be posted the week of December 20-26 but was not due to family matters.]

They're ubiquitous at this time of year: red and clear kettles full of change, friendly volunteers shaking sleigh bells. I'm talking about the Sally Ann's Christmas Kettle Campaign of course. It's almost a holiday tradition walking over to one and dropping in a few dollars. I remember doing it with my Dad when I was younger. You'd practically feel guilty if you didn't.

I'm not supporting the Salvation Army this year.

There was something about the Salvation Army that always put me off as a kid. Perhaps it was the 'salvation' part. Or the 'army' part. (The focus on salvation in western religions, and some eastern ones, has always been a point of contention for me. The underlying premise being that humanity is somehow fundamentally flawed, but that is a discussion for another time.) Admittedly, the Salvation Army is an evangelical Christian organization with a semblance of military structure. Imagine my surprise when I found my childhood suspicions confirmed.

Consider this from The Washington Post via AMERICAblog Gay.

The Bush administration is working with the nation's largest charity, the Salvation Army, to make it easier for government-funded religious groups to discriminate against gay people in hiring, according to an internal Salvation Army document.

*SNIP*

"Alright," you say, "but that's the Salvation Army in America, Australia, and Scotland. Not Canada."

To which I give you the following from the Salvation Army's ethics website:

The Salvation Army upholds the dignity of all persons. For this reason, and in obedience to the example of Jesus Christ, whose compassionate love is all-embracing, The Salvation Army does not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation in the delivery of its services.

The Salvation Army believes that God’s will for the expression of sexual intimacy is revealed in the Bible, and that living fully in accordance with biblical standards calls for chastity outside of heterosexual marriage and faithfulness within it. We do not believe that same-sex attraction is necessarily blameworthy and we oppose the vilification and mistreatment of gays and lesbians. We believe that we are accountable for the ways in which we express our sexuality.

In other words: "Being gay is fine, just don't act on it." They claim to respect the dignity of gays and lesbians, but would ask that they refrain from expressing their love intimately to respect their own sensibilities. I see this canard a lot, and I find the attitude sanctimonious. It is rude for a group to expect special consideration from non-members of the group. Gay and lesbian Christians on the other hand, may feel obliged to follow church teaching, but they may have their own objections as well.

Consider also the following from The Edmonton Sun.

CALGARY — The Salvation Army says it refuses to distribute Harry Potter and Twilight toys collected for needy children because they're incompatible with the charity's Christian beliefs.

The policy has alarmed a Calgarian who volunteered to sift through a southeast warehouse full of unused, donated items and was alarmed when he was told by Salvation Army officials that the two kinds of toys are "disposed of" and not given to other charities.
...
"I was told to withhold a six-inch Harry Potter figure, but when I picked up a plastic M-16, I was told, 'That's for the 10-year-olds,'" he said.

"I was shocked...war-themed toys and toys from TV shows and movies with far more violence than Harry Potter and these were considered appropriate toys?"

This policy, while not universal, misleads otherwise well-meaning donors and deprives children of reading material, compounding problems with illiteracy in those already most vulnerable.

This cuts to the heart of my disillusionment with many charities. While often founded with the intent of doing good, many charities have ulterior motives in addition to their charity work. As I've already mentioned, the Salvation Army is an evangelical Christian organization. Their goal is to bring people to God; to save them. Working with the less fortunate provides the perfect opportunity for this. Beggars can't be choosers, and those that rely on the support of charities like the Salvation Army sometimes feel the need to adopt the charity's views to fit in with the group and feel secure. Alcoholics Anonymous could be another example of this.

I've made donations to the International Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders/MÉDECINS SANS FRONTIÈRES before. I became a monthly contributor to the Canadian Red Cross this year. I'm satisfied with their track record and I believe they'll make good use of my donation.

I'm not going to say that secular charities are immune to this; they can have ulterior motives as well. I think all that this stresses is that care needs to be taken when selecting who receives your charity dollar.

My Sins

2010-09-29T14:24:00.000-07:00

It's time for confession.

Sometimes, I stereotype Christians. Even the ones I know. Sometimes I think they're intolerant, self-righteous, arrogant, ignorant (intentionally or otherwise), hypocritical, and so on. I usually manage to catch myself, but it's still disconcerting. Not all Christians are like this of course-and it's the rare few that have all of those traits.

The truth is sometimes I think this way about all types of religious people. I only single out Christians above because they're the most familiar to me and the ones I come into contact with the most. If I lived in Israel I might feel the same way about Jews, or Muslims if I lived in Saudi Arabia. (Although I might not express my thoughts, given the blasphemy laws some middle eastern countries have.)

I read a lot of American and global news. I read about the rise of Christian nationalism in the United States, religiously motivated cliterodectomies in Africa, and honour killings in the middle east and even parts of the first world. I also read a few atheist blogs, some of which appear in the sidebar. These blogs occasionally discuss events from around the world that exemplify the horrors of fundamentalist religion. As an atheist, these things scare me.

I don't come from a religious background. I don't have that experience. This makes it difficult for me to understand religious people on a fundamental level. If you have ever given a dog a command and the dog is unsure what to do, it will often cock its head to the side as it looks at you. I feel like that dog sometimes when I talk to religious people.

I hope you can forgive me.

Hating on Dan Brown

2010-05-20T16:43:00.001-07:00

My mother has a habit of telling me what she is going to buy me for Christmas; or when asking me what I want she does so in such a way that makes it painfully obvious. ("What do you want for Christmas? "Ooh, what's that?" "Where can I find it?" "What was their address?") One day last fall I was sitting at this very computer when I had this conversation with her:

HER: Were you planning on reading that new book by that Dan Brown?
ME: Yeah, eventually.
HER: Well don't go and buy it. I'm going to get it for you for Christmas.
ME: Okay.

(About two weeks pass.)

HER: Here. (Places copy of The Lost Symbol on computer desk.) I decided I wanted to get you something else for Christmas.
ME: Okay. Thanks.

The book proceeded to sit on my desk until November when I finally decided to read it. The book suffers from the same formulaic plot that characterizes Dan Brown's other novels, so I need not describe it here.

However, I was amused by the following excerpt from the first chapter:

"I hate to embarrass you, Professor," the woman said, sounding sheepish, "but you are the Robert Langdon who writes books about symbols and religion, aren't you?"
Langdon hesitated and then nodded.
"I thought so!" she said, beaming. "My book group read your book about the sacred feminine and the church! What a delicious scandal that one caused! You do enjoy putting the fox in the henhouse!"

I can't decide if Mr. Brown is referencing the commotion created by The Da Vinci Code, giving a nod to his fans, stroking his own ego, or all three. If anything, it gives Robert Langdon the distinct flavour of Mary Sue.

But I don't want to talk about Dan Brown's books. I want to talk about Dan Brown.

It's not a well kept secret that many writers don't think fairly highly of Dan Brown's works. The same thing can be said about readers that care about their reading material. They don't think that someone with bad writing deserves to be as popular and successful as Dan Brown is. So do writers dislike Dan Brown because he's successful and they think his work is bad, or do they dislike Dan Brown because he's popular and they think his work is bad? I think it's both. (I know I've just conflated Dan Brown with his works, but give me a moment.)

But here's the point I want to make. Dan Brown is a popular author.

Popular. Author.

Dan Brown doesn't write for the sake of writing, he writes to make money. It's his job. To be successful he needs to know what his audience likes. His audience likes insipid action-mystery novels about controversial topics and secret societies. The masses are indeed asses.

I'd even wager that a lot of writers want to be Dan Brown. They want to do what they enjoy, entertain people, and make money doing it. They're just too full of themselves to admit it. It's easy to criticize the guy at the top when you're at the bottom.

Do I like Dan Brown's work? No. Do I think that he's rightly criticized for the quality of his writing? No. He's only doing his job.

The List of Shame, Part II

2010-04-18T15:56:00.000-07:00

One-hundred movies I haven't seen:

1. Citizen Kane (1941, Orson Welles)
2. Casablanca (1942, Michael Curtiz)
3. The Battleship Potemkin (1925, Sergei M. Eisenstein)
4. Dirty Harry (1971, Don Siegel)
5. Rocky (1976, John G. Avildsen)
6. Schindler's List (1993, Steven Spielberg)
7. First Blood (1982, Ted Kotcheff)
8. Pulp Fiction (1994, Quentin Tarantino)
9. A Clockwork Orange (1971, Stanley Kubrick)
10. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968, Stanley Kubrick)
11. Gone With the Wind (1939, Victor Fleming)
12. The Maltese Falcon (1941, John Huston)
13. Chinatown (1974, Roman Polanski)
14. Blade Runner (1982, Ridley Scott)
15. Alien (1979, Ridley Scott)
16. Wayne's World (1992, Penelope Spheeris)
17. Clerks (1994, Kevin Smith)
18. When Harry Met Sally (1989, Rob Reiner)
19. Goodfellas (1990, Martin Scorsese)
20. Airplane (1980, Jim Abrahams, David & Jerry Zucker)
21. Rain Man (1988, Barry Levinson)
22. American Psycho (2000, Mary Harron)
23. The Birds (1963, Alfred Hitchcock)
24. The Last of the Mohicans (1992, Michael Mann)
25. The Big Lebowski (1998, Joel Cohen)
26. The Godfather (1972, Francis Ford Coppola)
27. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975, Milos Forman)
28. Fight Club (1999, David Fincher)
29. It's a Wonderful Life (1946, Frank Capra)
30. Dr. Strangelove (1964, Stanley Kubrick)
31. North by Northwest (1959, Alfred Hitchcock)
32. Apocalypse Now (1979, Francis Ford Coppola)
33. Forrest Gump (1994, Robert Zemeckis)
34. Lawrence of Arabia (1962, David Lean)
35. The Shining (1980, Stanley Kubrick)
36. Das Boot (1981, Wolfgang Peterson)
37. Back to the Future (1985, Robert Zemeckis)
38. Full Metal Jacket (1987, Stanley Kubrick)
39. Total Recall (1990, Paul Verhoeven)
40. Sin City (2005, Frank Miller, Robert Rodriguez, Quentin Tarantino)
41. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939, Frank Capra)
42. The Deer Hunter (1978, Michael Cimino)
43. Platoon (1986, Oliver Stone)
44. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969, George Roy Hill)
45. V for Vendetta (2005, James McTeigue)
46. The Princess Bride (1987, Rob Reiner)
47. The Exorcist (1973, William Friedkin)
48. The African Queen (1951, John Huston)
49. Bonnie and Clyde (1967, Arthur Penn)
50. Ghost Busters (1984, Ivan Reitman)
51. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984, Wes Craven)
52. The Godfather, Part II (1974, Francis Ford Coppola)
53. The Godfather, Part III (1990, Francis Ford Coppola)
54. Back to the Future, Part II (1989, Robert Zemeckis)
55. Back to the Future, Part III (1990, Robert Zemeckis)
56. Ghostbusters II (1989, Ivan Reitman)
57. Children of the Corn (1984, Fritz Kiersch)
58. Frankenstein (1931, James Whale)
59. Bride of Frankenstein (1935, James Whale)
60. The Thing (1982, John Carpenter)
61. The Blob (1958, Irvin S. Yeaworth Jr.
62. Gojira (1954, Ishiro Honda)
63. Army of Darkness (1992, Sam Raimi)
64. Friday the 13th (1980, Sean S. Cunningham)
65. Bird on a Wire (1990, John Badham)
66. Waterworld (1995, Kevin Reynolds)
67. The Matrix: Revolutions (2003, Andy & Lana Wachowski)
68. Dracula (1931, Tod Browning)
69. Dracula (1992, Francis Ford Coppola)
70. Starship Troopers (1997, Paul Verhoeven)
71. Cujo (1983, Lewis Teague)
72. Pet Semetary (1989, Mary Lambert)
73. Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984, Michael Radford)
74. White Christmas (1954, Michael Curtiz)
75. Miracle on 34th Street (1947, George Seaton)
76. Miracle on 34th Street (1994, Les Mayfield)
77. The Wolf Man (1941, George Waggner)
78. Labyrinth (1986, Jim Henson)
79. An American Werewolf in London (1981, John Landis)
80. Cat's Eye (1985, Lewis Teague)
81. Cat People (1942, Jacques Tourneur)
82. Cat People (1982, Paul Schrader)
83. Ginger Snaps (2000, John Fawcett)
84. This is Spinal Tap (1984, Rob Reiner)
85. First Knight (1995, Jerry Zucker)
86. The 13th Warrior (1999, John McTiernan)
87. Kung fu (2004, Stephen Chow)
88. Ong-bak (2003, Prachya Pinkaew)
89. RoboCop (1987, Paul Verhoeven)
90. 28 Days Later (2002, Danny Boyle)
91. Down of the Dead (1978, George A. Romero)
92. The Dark Crystal (1982, Jim Henson, Frank Oz)
93. Clerks II (2002, Kevin Smith)
94. The Wicker Man (1973, Robin Hardy)
95. The Pink Panther (1963, Blake Edwards)
96. Scrooge (1951, Brian Desmond Hurst)
97. Predator (1987, John McTiernan)
98. Predator 2 (1990, Stephen Hopkins)
99. Blue Hawaii (1961, Norman Taurog)
100. Rebel Without a Cause (1955, Nicholas Ray)

The List of Shame

2010-03-01T19:50:00.001-08:00

One-hundred books I haven't read:

1. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
2. Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen
3. Dracula, Bram Stoker
4. Frankenstein, Mary Shelley
5. The Adventures of Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens
6. David Copperfield, Charles Dickens
7. A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
8. A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
9. Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
10. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Jules Verne
11. A Journey to the Centre of the Earth, Jules Verne
12. The War of the Worlds, H.G. Wells
13. The Time Machine, H.G. Wells
14. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle
15. The Hound of the Baskervilles, Arthur Conan Doyle
16. The Lost World, Arthur Conan Doyle
17. Les Miserables, Victor Hugo
18. Crime and Punishment, Fyodor Dostoevsky
19. The Idiot, Fyodor Dostoevsky
20. The Brothers Karamazov, Fyodor Dostoevsky
21. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy
22. Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy
23. Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov
24. For Whom the Bell Tolls, Ernest Hemingway
25. The Old Man and the Sea, Ernest Hemingway
26. A Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway
27. The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway
28. Cannery Row, John Steinbeck
29. The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck
30. Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell
31. Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury
32. Catcher in the Rye, J.D. Salinger
33. The Red Badge of Courage, Stephen Crane
34. Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson
35. Robinson Crusoe, Daniel Defoe
36. The Swiss Family Robinson, Johann David Wyss
37. Tarzan of the Apes, Edgar Rice Burroughs
38. The Three Musketeers, Alexandre Dumas
39. The Count of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas
40. Don Quixote, Miguel de Cervantes
41. Ivanhoe, Walter Scott
42. Gone With the Wind, Margaret Mitchell
43. Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand
44. The Fountainhead, Ayn Rand
45. Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Friedrich Nietzsche
46. Beyond Good and Evil, Friedrich Nietzsche
47. The Gay Science, Friedrich Nietzsche
48. Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes
49. Rights of Man, Thomas Paine
50. On Liberty, John Stuart Mill
51. The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith
52. Capital, Karl Marx
53. Iliad, Homer
54. Odyssey, Homer
55. Aeneid, Virgil
56. The Epic of Gilgamesh, Unknown
57. The Upanishads, Various/Unknown
58. One Thousand and One Nights, Various/Unknown
59. The Prophet, Kahlil Gibran
60. Ulysses, James Joyce
61. Finnegans Wake, James Joyce
62. A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, James Joyce
63. The Tale of Genji, Murasaki Shikibu
64. The Art of War, Sun Tzu
65. The Satanic Verses, Salman Rushdie
66. The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood
67. Cat's Eye, Margaret Atwood
68. Amerika, Franz Kafka
69. Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka
70. All Quiet on the Western Front, Erich Maria Remarque
71. A Clockwork Orange, Anthony Burgess
72. Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
73. Breakfast of Champions, Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
74. Generation X, Douglas Coupland
75. Pet Sematary, Stephen King
76. The Shining, Stephen King
77. 'Salem's Lot, Stephen King
78. Cujo, Stephen King
79. It, Stephen King
80. The Stand, Stephen King
81. I Am Legend, Richard Matheson
82. The Andromeda Strain, Michael Crichton
83. Foundation, Isaac Asimov
84. I, Robot, Isaac Asimov
85. 2001: A Space Odyssey, Arthur C. Clarke
86. Rendezvous with Rama, Arthur C. Clarke
87. Children of Rama, Arthur C. Clarke
88. Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card
89. Xenocide, Orson Scott Card
90. Speaker for the Dead, Orson Scott Card
91. American Gods, Neil Gaiman
92. Ringworld, Larry Niven
93. Neuromancer, William Gibson
94. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Philip K. Dick
95. Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert A. Heinlein
96. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, Robert A. Heinlein
97. Starship Troopers, Robert A. Heinlein
98. On the Origin of Species, Charles Darwin
99. The Descent of Man, Charles Darwin
100. The Colour of Magic, Terry Pratchett

[I know I owe you a review of Wicked still. Don't worry, it's coming as soon as I find my copy of the book for reference. Please vote on the poll to the left, I'd like to know what my readers enjoy so I can be a better blogger.]

The DSM-V

2010-02-15T22:20:00.003-08:00

I found this today and thought I'd plug it. The American Psychiatric Association (APA) has created a website on the development of the DSM-V, including proposed changes and rationale. You can even compare with the DSM-IV. (Yes, they provide citations. It's the APA for crying out loud.) I know there was quite a bit of concern in the LGBT community about how sexuality and gender identity disorders would be diagnosed. I've only given it a cursory glance, but the changes for Sexual Aversion Disorder, Gender Identity Disorder, and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder look promising to me.

American Psychiatric Association.

Book Review: Eve: A Novel of the First Woman

2009-09-13T20:36:00.002-07:00

Warning: May Contain Spoilers.

Eve: A Novel of the First Woman is just that. It is an expansion on the first few books of Genesis as narrated by Eve and her daughters. Eve's sons however, never act as narrators. I personally believe that this is an attempt on the author's part to maintain the overall feminine voice of the novel. Additionally, the story is told in a series of flashbacks, creating the impression that the reader is actively listening to the story rather than being a passive observer. (Later in the novel however, I did get the distinct feeling that Eve was narrating her view of the story to one of her daughters.)

The majority of the story takes place after Adam and Eve's expulsion from the Garden of Eden, and primarily the length of time leading up to Abel's murder by his brother Cain. At this point in time Eve and her family live alongside a society heavily based upon Akkadia and Babylon. This society provides most of the impetus for the conflict and plot development in the story. Eve's time in Eden is explored as well, mostly for some character development.

As for Eve herself, the author paints a sympathetic picture. Before the Fall, Eve is depicted as sensuous and beautiful. After the Fall she is no less so, but she becomes increasingly lonely and doubtful. Eve continues to have children as her relationship with Adam and her older children falter, for their unconditional affection. Eve wrestles with herself spiritually and is tempted by the neighbouring society's deities.

While the novel does grapple with some thorny theological questions, they appear to be either ignored or dealt with by liberal apologetics. I ultimately felt unsatisfied with this aspect. The author does write in the afterword that many of the questions dealt with in the story may be considered borderline blasphemous in the religious community, and I'm led to believe that the author herself is religious which may explain some of the reluctance.

The afterword that the author includes details her research and some of her choices in writing the story, and I'm grateful for it. There were many points in the book where I wondered why the author made the choices she did and it's very refreshing to have some answers. I do have one nitpick though: while the author acknowledges the two differing accounts of creation in Genesis, there is no inclusion of Lilith in either the narrative or the afterword. While I personally think the inclusion of this rabbinical myth would have been a good source of conflict in the story, it has probably already been done. Ultimately, the choice is the author's anyway.

Eve provides a good mix of history, myth, and legend along with a good exploration of humanity and feminity. Eve also has its rough spots, but I'm willing to let it slide for an author's first novel. Four out of five stars.

Book Review: Inferno

2009-07-24T20:16:00.001-07:00

Warning: May Contain Spoilers.

(Note: I am using the Signature Press Editions version of The Divine Comedy by World Publications Group, copyright 2007.)

The version of Inferno found in the Signature Press Editions printing of The Divine Comedy uses the translation by Henry Francis Cary, which dates to 1805. Henry Francis Cary's translation differs quite a bit from the original form that Dante Alighieri employed. First and foremost, something is bound to be lost in the translation from Italian to English; and this is unavoidable. The biggest problem I have with this translation is that it abandoned the form that Dante Alighieri employed in favour of Iambic Pentameter, a form much more suited to the English language. This may not seem like much of an issue but the form that Dante employed, terza rima, was created by the author for the purpose of writing this epic.

The illustrations by Gustave Dore featured throughout the book are exquisitely detailed and can serve to aid visualizing the scenes or provide a brief refuge from the dense prose if you have difficulty.

One other critique of the book itself. It lacks footnotes and this makes it difficult for the lay-reader to appreciate the dearth of allusions and references in the book. There is only one footnote to be found in Inferno, and its purpose is to clarify the pronunciation of a word so that it fits the rhyme scheme. The language is antiquated and conversations are sometimes hard to follow. If you struggled with Shakespeare's works, you will surely struggle with Dante's.

Inferno is a classic work much referenced in our own times, as well as being an ambitious and creative work for its own time (the fourteenth century) and that should earn it points alone. However, I cannot imagine that the literary standards of the same time period were very high as compared to now, and this shows. Dante frequently writes of his fear, and exalts Heaven. On several occasions he states that he will not describe the horrors that he observes to the reader, presumably because he does not wish to recall them. I think this is an excuse for lazy writing. Further, Dante faints twice during his journey through Hell. Understandable, but the author doesn't make himself out to be a convincing hero, if he can be called that.

Inferno reads at times like propaganda. Dante places his political enemies, bishops, monks, and even a former Pope in Hell. However there is also a sympathetic side, or so it would appear. Dante places Saladin with the virtuous pagans, and the prophet Mohammad and Ali with the schismatics and sowers of discord, not blasphemers. (Although it should be noted that the blasphemers are punished in the seventh circle of Hell, the schismatics in the eighth.)

For all its apparent faults, I must still recommend Inferno and The Divine Comedy simply for its influence and historical value.

Three out of five stars.

Constant Novelty

2009-06-22T20:09:00.002-07:00

xkcd posted a comic last week that I want to write about. Specifically, I want to talk about the first line. "Constant novelty saps my initiative."

You've probably noticed that I don't update as often as I would like or as often as I have promised. When I get home from work, I usually turn the computer on and check my E-mail, several blogs and a fair portion of webcomics. I have tried to blame this on OCD before-after all, it is a routine and has some of the characteristics of a ritual. On the other hand, I have a hard time believing it's abnormal behaviour.

Checking the same websites several times an evening for updates does strike me as a bit odd. Admitted, some websites have fixed update schedules, and who wouldn't want to fall behind in our modern fast-paced world?

I don't think that I have an Internet addiction. I don't spend an excessive amount of time on the Internet, and I have gone long periods without any use of a computer at all. If it is OCD, I don't quite get it. What exactly am I obsessing over? And why exactly do I feel compelled to alleviate this obsession? What even am I compelled to do, exactly? I find it more likely that the Internet just offers too great a potential for distraction.

It's easy to go to a favorite website and a find a link to something new and interesting. Then you find another link, and another, and the cascade begins. It is simply too easy to fall into the trap of constant novelty.

I wonder if without the constant novelty, would I be better off? Would I have written that novel by now? Would I have performed better in school? Would I be blogging more? (On the Internet!) Or would my life be less for the enrichment and new ways of thinking that the Internet has exposed me to?

[I'm going to end this here or I'm going to start rambling. I've already had to police myself.]

Updates:

The Digital Cuttlefish is posting again, so I've returned his link to the sidebar.

I've also added a new poll. Look for the review of Inferno next.

Bonk!

2009-05-27T20:12:00.005-07:00

If the title makes no sense to you, watch this. If it still doesn't make sense, well, it wasn't intended to address the issue anyway.

I've started reading Inferno. The cantos are fairly short, and I should have the book done fairly soon. I'm hoping to have the review up in a week's time. Eve: A Novel of the First Woman and Wicked were the runners-up, so those will appear in the poll for the next review.

I'm not going to comment on the Prop. 8 ruling in California other than to echo the sentiments of the Pharynguloid hordes. The problem is not with California's supreme court, but California law and the members of the electorate that voted for the amendment in the first place.

Work on the C.O.F. charter is somewhat slow, mostly due to my own laziness. I want the meaning of the articles to be clear, but pen and paper doesn't lend itself well to frequent editing and revising. I think I'll have a far easier time once I import it into an electronic format.

While I'm on the subject, I'd like to plug the following column by Greta Christina, and this follow-up interview as well. To me, it sums up much of what I'd been trying to express but couldn't elucidate. It also represents some of what I hope for in C.O.F. as a philosophical 'movement' - not simply a club created between friends.

I got my course registration package from the college this week but I can't register for any courses until June tenth. I'm not disappointed, I'm just eager to start.

I think I may go downtown yet again this Saturday. I found awesome and win at the comic shop, and I can't wait to share it. I want to keep mum on exactly what it is until Saturday evening though to maintain the suspense.

It's been said before by other people, but it's worth repeating. Thursdays and Saturdays have become the highlights of my week. I can't wait to get together tomorrow and I think I'll bring Dirty Minds too. Also Storyteller, you were right. The peach cider is very good.

Mid-May Update

2009-05-17T14:49:00.000-07:00

Please go vote on the new poll! I'd like to have even more responses than last time.

It's funny how you can have something in mind to write, but as soon as you sit down it evaporates. That is happening to me now.

Regarding the recent B.C. election, I can't say that I'm particularly pleased with the results. I can't say that I'm surprised either. With the current global economic recession, it was unlikely that voters would be willing to rock the boat. B.C. has certainly experienced an economic boom over the last few years which the Liberal party was quick to capitalize on. Occasionally voters will vote against their own economic interests, but voters in B.C. seemed smart enough to do otherwise. For all their faults (closed hospitals and schools, tree farm license sell-offs, ballooning Olympic costs, high poverty and homelessness) the B.C. Liberals appear to have been good for B.C.'s economy.

I think that the NDP made some critical mistakes in their election strategy. The first of which was raising minimum wage to ten dollars. I strongly doubt business owners would support that initiative given the current fears about the economy. The NDP also campaigned against the Carbon Tax, which I think a fair percentage of British Columbians view as a progressive move.

The push for the Single Transferable Vote failed spectacularly. I saw many pro-STV campaigners in Victoria, but very few anti-STV campaigners. The No on STV campaign seemed to devote a fair amount of their efforts on television ads. I found the claim that votes would be divided into fractions and that the voter would not know where their vote went to be misleading. The disintegrating ballot that accompanied this statement was clearly intended to invoke an emotional response in the viewer. Overall, I think the No on STV crowd ran a slick and effective, if underhanded, campaign. The Yes on STV crowd didn't appear to make as much use of electronic media as their opponents, to their own detriment. The failure of the referendum in B.C. will probably mean that initiatives for electoral reform will not be seen in Canada for some time.

I'm clearly becoming more of a cynic as far as politics is concerned. I've come to the conclusion that no matter what happens, you lose.

TMI Tuesday #185

2009-05-08T21:37:00.000-07:00

I meant to post this Tuesday, but I ended up going out for coffee with a few friends and knocking a painting off of a wall. I'll have to tell you the story sometime.

1. Have you ever bought a membership to a porn site? If yes, what is the most recent one and did you like it?
I have never purchased a membership for a porn site. I can think of a few where I would buy one though. DOMAI is probably chief among them.

2. Would you rather watch an erotic/porn movie, read a story, or listen to an audio? Why?
All three have their selling points. Men are more likely to be aroused by something visual, so that's one for films. Stories allow the imagination to be used to great effect, whether it's creating the perfect scenario or the perfect partner. So that's one for stories. Audio provides something tangible while allowing the imagination to be used (and I find certain sounds to be erotic or alluring) so that's one for audio. Of course, 90% of anything is sh!t.
I would have to say I would prefer video (for obvious reasons) and you can just close your eyes if you want audio only anyway. Stories are a close second. I think a lot of it has to do with what mood I'm in. If I was aroused, I'd probably go for the video. If I was aroused and romantic, I'd go for the story.

3. If you have a significant other what do you do for each other to get in the mood? If you don't, what could a future potential long term partner do to get you in the mood?
I'm honestly not sure. I think it varies from person to person and relationship to relationship. A might find something sexy when B does it, but not when C does it in a relationship a year later.

4. When it comes to sex, how much do you talk about it with others? How comfortable are you talking about sex?
Sex and sexuality is a common topic among my peer group. I don't talk about sex at all with family members and occasionally anonymously. The comfort level has a lot to do with who I'm talking to and how old they are. That said, I know I shouldn't be uncomfortable or embarrassed talking about sex with anyone. I just perceive social conditioning (etiquette, taboos, etc.) to be quite strong and that has a subconscious effect on me.

5. What are the last 5 things you searched for on Google (or another search engine)?
I can only give you the last two: 'epanaphora' and 'Woodstock lyrics.'

Bonus: Have you ever had a fantasy that you were ashamed of?
I can't think of anything scandalous. Just two obvious ones that I think most people have: classmates and the attractive girl next door. Of course, this was back when I thought being ashamed of sexual fantasies was in vogue.

I Get Free Advertising

2009-04-28T18:37:00.003-07:00

Thanks to one of Blogger's widgets (or honest charity, I can't be sure)I am hyper linked at the home of that most gracious of cephalopod wordsmiths, The Digital Cuttlefish. Unfortunately, the good poet's blog is dormant. I still highly encourage my readers to pop on over and browse through his (or her?) collection of witty verse. Buy a copy of their book if you feel so inclined, I'm sure he (or she) will appreciate it in these tough times.

I suppose if I'm going to be getting more traffic (unlikely) I should do some more work and post more thoughtful entries more often (even less likely.) So please take the time to move your cursor over to the right and cast a vote. Hopefully, it will give me more focus and a better idea of what my readers like and/or desire.

I'm not going to participate in TMI Tuesday this week, and I haven't participated in it the last two weeks. The questions that were posted were either not applicable to me, or ones that I didn't find particularly interested in answering. Not to mention that most of them weren't very TMI. I wonder if maybe the more TMI questions they had were all used up in the first hundred or so installments. Maybe I'll have to suggest a few to the editors.

On a completely unrelated note, my hair is getting to the length where I would normally get a haircut. I don't want one. I've never had my hair fairly long, and I want to try it. I might get a trim here or there to neaten it up or keep it out of my eyes or ears, but I don't want one of these either. (Sorry, ichthyology joke.)

I also need to start writing some poetry for Storyteller's charity drive. Maybe I'll read some of the works of Sappho first, for some inspiration. (Now isn't that odd!)

Things I Hate #1: Price Tags

2009-04-10T20:39:00.000-07:00

I was originally going to start this series by ranting about plastic, but I bought some books a while ago and that caused me to re-direct my ire.

I hate price tags.

Particularly on books. Especially on books. They're difficult to peel off, and sometimes they tear. Even if they don't tear they leave behind a nasty glue residue that's a pain to remove. Sometimes they leave blemishes on the cover. It doesn't matter whether it's a softcover book or a hardcover book.

Why can't book merchants just scan the UPC on the book cover, or use the recommended price printed on the dust jacket? Why can't they enter the USBN-10 or USBN-13 into their computers at the checkout to get the price? Or even the author, publisher, or title? It's not exactly outside the means of the larger book selling companies, like Chapters-Indigo or Waterstone's.

Price tags frustrate me.

TMI Tuesday #181

2009-04-10T20:24:00.000-07:00

1. Have you ever had a sexual experience with the opposite sex?
No.

2. When you see someone you like, how do you act, how do you get their attention?
It depends on the person and how I relate to them. Most of the time I get someone's attention by saying 'hello.'

3. Dominate or dominated, which do you prefer?
I'll take the latter over the former. I wouldn't feel comfortable in the position of a dominant. I prefer my partners to be equals.

4. Would you/ Have you ever had a threesome?
I would, but I never have.

5. When was the last time you had sex?
I've never had sex.

6. Sex on the first date...good or bad?
That would depend on the specifics. I'm not going to say it's good or bad...I don't know.

7. Do you have any random or out of the ordinary turn ons?
I can think of quite a few things that could be considered turn-ons, or enhance the sensuality of a sexual experience for me. Long hair, glasses, natural bodies, being out-of-doors, tattoos, fur, spanking(?), red hair, brown hair, expressiveness, "pegging," smaller breasts (I find rather large ones a turn-off), and let's say autogynephilia too.

8. What attributes attract you to a potential partner?
I think intelligence, open-mindedness, and enthusiasm are the important ones. I especially like women that will step out of conventional gender roles and make the first move.

TMI Tuesday #180

2009-04-10T19:52:00.000-07:00

1. Have you ever sent or received a sext message?
No. I don't have a cell phone.

2. Have you ever made or received a booty call?
No.

3. Have you ever added or edited a word/entry to Wikipedia or Urban Dictionary or any other online reference?
No.

4. At what age did you have your first consensual sexual experience?
Not applicable.

5. What has been the greatest age difference between you a consensual sexual partner?
Not applicable.

Bonus: Why do you blog?
I think I blog for a lot of reasons. It's something to do. It's a way to express myself pseudo-anonymously without costing anything. It allows me to develop my ideas and practice my writing skills. Of course, there's peer pressure there too. Lots of other people where starting to blog, or had already started, when I did.

TMI Tuesday #179

2009-04-10T18:37:00.000-07:00

1. Ever Googled a date, a potential date or an ex?
Nope.

2. Do you gossip?
I guess. Most people do to some extent.

3. How many people do you completely trust?
I can think of several people I trust, but only a few I completely trust. At least one person, for sure.

4. Have you ever had sex in a car?
No. It's on the to-do list.*

5. What is your best flirting technique: innuendo, telling a dirty joke, talking about sex life, or physical contact?
I don't know. I'm not a flirty person.

Bonus: How many times is the most you have ever had sex in a 24 hour period?
For sex, none. Does masturbation count?**

* I meant that as a joke, so only take it semi-seriously.
** You're not finding that number out.

TMI Tuesday #178

2009-04-10T18:22:00.000-07:00

1. Don't tell us what it is, but do you have a sexual secret you have never told anyone?
Of course I do.

2. Do you have a nonsexual secret you have never told anyone?
Probably, but I can't think of it.

3. Did you ever tell someone a secret only to have them spill it? What were the repercussions?
I can't recall an incident like that. It's probably happened to me at one point, it seems to happen to lots of people.

4. Did you ever spill a secret someone told you? What were the repercussions?
See my previous answer.

5. Tell us a secret someone told you, however long ago, that you've never told. (You can disguise names or details.)
If I could remember any secrets, I would tell you one.

TMI Tuesday #177

2009-04-10T18:02:00.000-07:00

1. Are you pro-marriage? Why or why not?
That would depend on how you define pro-marriage, but generally no. I think marriage is a social institution that government has no business dealing with in the first place. Government gives tax breaks and benefits to those who are married over those that aren't. The same goes for people that have children versus those that don't. Arguably these two things are in the government's interest, because young people stimulate the economy by spending money and providing labour. Even given that, I view it as the government discriminating against those who elect not to get married or have children.
If you define pro-marriage as "heterosexuals only" I'm even more against it because it's obviously discriminatory.

2. Have you ever invented or thought you invented a sexual position?
Not that I'm aware of. But if anyone has invented one, someone else has probably already discovered it first.

3. Do you like to be tied up? Always or sometimes?
I haven't tried that. I'll say yes-sometimes.

4. Do you consider online cybering adultery?
It would depend on the individuals involved in the relationship and the type of relationship they have. At this point in my life my answer would be no.

5. Do you prefer masturbation over real sex?
God, I hope not.

6. Do you want sex more times a day than your partner?
Not applicable to me.

7. Do you get offended when your partner openly flirts with others or are you okay with it?
This isn't applicable to me either. I would say that this answer is also dependent on the individuals in the relationship and the type of relationship they're in.

8. Do you think you're flirty by nature?
I think I'm too serious and introverted to be flirty by nature.

TMI Tuesday #176

2009-04-10T17:44:00.000-07:00

1. Is there a sexual act/position/practice that you were sure in advance you would hate (or never try) and then discovered to your surprise you loved?
Nothing comes immediately to mind. Mind you, I haven't experimented a whole lot. My opportunities have been somewhat limited.

2. Is there a sexual act/position/practice that proved a lot less interesting in practice than you thought it would be beforehand?
Not yet. See my previous answer.

3. How do you let your significant other know you're in the mood? How do you let a new person in your life know?
The first question isn't applicable to me; and the second I'm not sure I have an answer for.

4. How does your significant other let you know he/she is in the mood?
Not applicable to me.

5. Is there one that got away - a sexual opportunity you didn't realize was one at the time, or weren't ready for and regret missing ever since?
Not a sexual opportunity. I can think of one opportunity-not a sexual one-that got away, but I couldn't have acted on it anyway. I probably would have been too young to appreciate it as I would now anyway.

TMI Tuesday #175

2009-04-10T17:34:00.000-07:00

1. What do find is the most exciting part of a new sexual encounter?
I think most women would say that the most exciting part of a sexual encounter is the foreplay. (Let's face it-orgasm doesn't always happen, but when it does it's amazing, albeit brief.) I'm tempted to agree. Foreplay sets the tone for everything that follows, and builds the tension that is oh-so-important.

2. Do you have "a most exciting part of a sexual encounter" with a usual partner?
Not applicable to me at the moment.

3. How open and honest are you about your life with someone you just met?
It takes me a long time to build trust. I wouldn't be as open and honest in real life with someone I just met, compared to writing on here or with one of my friends.

4. How open and honest are you about your life with someone you work with?
Generally speaking, not very. I guess I haven't found that perfect job yet.

5. How open and honest are you about your life with a casual acquaintance who lives in your neighborhood (or the parent of your child's friend or...)?
Once again, not very. As I said, it takes me a while to build trust in a person.

Bonus: Define a "normal" as in "normal relationship" or "normal sex life".
I refuse to do that because there is no such thing as 'normal' when it comes to sexuality. Even suggesting an average would be laughable.

TMI Tuesday #174

2009-03-24T20:02:00.000-07:00

1. What is your favorite charity? Do you you give your time or just money to that charity?
If I had to pick, it would be the International Wolf Centre. To date, they haven't been the beneficiary of my money or my time. I'm hoping that will change. I just really like wolves.

2. Describe your bed. What side do you sleep on?
It's a twin size bed with a blue mattress cover. I sleep with on my side with my pillows in a herringbone pattern with the darker one under my head. That way, I don't see any hair that's fallen out of my scalp when I wake up in the morning. If my bed was alongside a wall, I'd sleep facing it.

3. How important is a partners kissing ability?
It depends on the couple and whether you like kissing or not. For me, I'm not sure.

4. Have you ever "taken advantage" of a person under the influence of alcohol? Have you ever been "taken advantage" of while under the influence of alcohol?
No and no. Also, that's statutory rape.

5. Ever tried to replay the famous scene from From Here to Eternity? How was it?
Nope.

Bonus: What kind of birth control do you use?
Not applicable to me. (Alternate answer: virginity.)

TMI Tuesday #173

2009-03-24T19:47:00.001-07:00

1. What do you think is the un-sexiest part of the body?
I mostly agree with Storyteller, Zepplinphan, et al on this one but I want to expand on it a bit. Human genitalia, male and female, can be beautiful. I think a lot of it has to do with conditioning. Considering how much of sex and the human body has been considered taboo over history, I think that the male penis and female vulva have become symbols for sex and that is why we associate our desires with them. There's also a lot of biology behind that too. However we're still conditioned enough to feel ashamed about it or not admit our true thoughts on the matter fully. I came to the conclusion quite a while ago (philosophically speaking) that there is nothing about anything that makes it inherently attractive or unattractive.

2. Toilet paper: over, under, or what the hell are you talking about?
Over. It's an OCD thing.

3. Have you ever called in sick to stay in bed with a sexual partner?
No. That sounds really blissful though.

4. Did your parents have a "birds & bees" talk with you? If so, at what age?
Thankfully, no. I somehow managed to change the subject before things got too awkward. Every time. I think the people hired by the school board for that sort of thing are more qualified anyway.

5. What is one thing someone could do to you to rock your world?
I have no idea. Maybe if I opened my door one day and one of my friends played an awesome rock solo on guitar complete with light effects and smoke machines. I think that would be sweet.

Bonus: What does sex mean to you?
As far as I can think of it, sex is probably the closest thing to a religious experience I can imagine. Something sacred. [NSFW] It is the penultimate joining of two persons, physically and emotionally. (No The Da Vinci Code crap, please.) Ideally it is the recognition of one's own needs and desires and another's needs and desires fulfilled with passion and emotion. Of course, sometimes sex is just that-sex.

TMI Tuesday #172

2009-02-23T19:13:00.000-08:00

1. When you sleep with someone, how much or how little contact do you like to have?

I'm going to assume you literally mean sleeping. It depends on how I'm feeling. Normally, I don't like being touched very much or in certain ways. If it's a cold night or I'm feeling depressed though, it's nice to have someone to cuddle up to. It's comforting and reassuring. I'm under the impression that I move around a lot when I'm sleeping, so maybe the better question is "How much or how little contact do others like to have with me when I'm sleeping?"

2. What do you think is an appropriate amount of time for a divorced parent to date before introducing the kids to the new 'special' person in their life?

At first I interpreted this as "What do you think is an appropriate amount of time for a divorced parent to wait before introducing the kids to the new 'special' person in their life?"

For dating, I don't think it matters a whole lot. It's easier to avoid awkward questions with younger children and adult children would probably understand. It's the 8-18 crowd that might have some difficulty.

As for my interpretation, I would wait six months or so before introducing a steady S/O to younger children.

3. Which ONE do you wish you had more of in bed... romance, experimentation or foreplay?

[Scene: An oddly BDSM-themed prison courtyard with a prisoner, a warden, and two scantily clad guards. The prisoner is manacled to a wall.]

Warden: "Do you have any last words?"

Prisoner: "Yes. All three."

Guards: [They shoot the Prisoner.]

Prisoner: [Le petit mort]

If I had to pick ONE, I'd say experimentation because that covers all three.

4. What do you thinks makes a kiss great?

I haven't kissed a whole lot by anyone's standard, so I'll say passion. If I wanted passionless kisses, I'd go down to the fish market. (Har, har, cold fish!)

5. Describe your sex life in two words.

"Not there."

(Double interpretation FTW!)

Bonus (as in optional): Do you remember a time when you were having sex that you smile or even laugh about now? Do tell....

Not applicable, so no.

25 Things

2009-02-21T14:29:00.000-08:00

Bryi tagged me for the '25 Things' meme, so here goes:

#1: I was born ten weeks prematurely via a Caesarian section.

#2: I have a lump on my scalp from where an I.V. was inserted when I was a newborn.

#3: I have a something of a love/hate relationship with my current job.

#4: When I retire (hopefully no later than 55) I'd like to have a fair sized property that I could put a pottery shed on or use to raise alpacas or bees.

#5: If I look at my hands or feet for a period of time, it makes me feel old.

#6: I would like to have at least a Master's degree.

#7: One of my life goals is to be labeled eccentric.

#8: I don't put a lot of emphasis on physical appearance, but I like to dress up occasionally.

#9: I have a mild hoarding complex. I have a hard time throwing anything out.

#10: I collect a lot of things. Bottles, semi-precious gems, buttons, books, etc.

#11: I will need a room to house a few bookcases when I move out.

#12: I've done a few things that may or may not come back to haunt me.

#13: I've done a few things that may surprise some people. (Refer to #12.)

#14: I'd like to get a tattoo or a few, at some point.

#15: I've been hit by a car.

#16: I'd probably have an art collection if I was a millionaire.

#17: I'm ashamed to admit I haven't read a lot of the classics.

#18: I haven't seen a lot of classic movies either.

#19: I like animals.

#20: I'd like to be a writer. I'd like to be a lot of other things too, actually.

#21: I own a guitar, but I can't play it...yet.

#22: I like to have a drink everyday and somehow this makes me wonder if I'm an alcoholic.

#23: I can't remember the name of my first friend. I think it started with a B.

#24: I am left-brained.

#25: One of these responses is a lie.

Thoughts From 1 A.M.

2009-01-31T17:50:00.000-08:00

I was getting ready for bed at about one o'clock on Saturday morning. I was standing in the bathroom looking in the mirror and mentally altering my appearance. I had just had a haircut at five o'clock on Friday, and this was my first chance to take a really good look at it.

I didn't like it. I missed having longer hair; particularly at the back of my neck. It made me feel vulnerable. It also made me look...butch. First, I imagined myself without the facial hair. Then I added breasts. B cups first, then C cups. The kind where the nipples point out away from the centre of the chest a bit. I was oddly pleased and amused with the results of my thought experiment. Maybe it's because I was born and raised in British Columbia, but I'm just a B- and C-type of person.

TMI Tuesday Power Hour

2009-01-20T19:38:00.000-08:00

Can I complete five TMI Tuesdays in one hour?

TMI Tuesday #166 - Merry Christmas!

1. What present do you hope ends up under your tree?

I wanted a Chapters iRewards membership...and I got it!

2. What present are you most psyched about giving?

I got a friend of mine some inflatable packaging from work as a sort of gag gift. I'm not sure if she's popped it yet.

3. Do you prefer to give or receive?

I'll say give. (You're more likely to receive something if you give something first. ;) )

4. What is your favorite part of a sexual partner's body?

Ignoring the naughty bits...the back, the sides of the neck, and the ridges at the top of the pelvis. Oh, and the sides of the ribcage. But please, no anorexic models.

5. What is the favorite part of your body - the one you hope a sexual partner will find or pay the most attention to?

I'm still a bit uncomfortable about my body...my 'sex esteem' if you will. Although that's improved in the last few years. I think the back of my neck is a fairly erogenous zone. Especially the knobs on my vertebrae.

Bonus: What Christmas wishes would you grant to whom? I don't really know what any of my friends' or family members' Christmas wishes were. I guess I'll have to wait until next year.

TMI Tuesday #167 - Happy New Year!

1. Last week was "The Most Wonderful time of the Year", but what are your favorite 2008 memories?

My favorite memories involve my friends. I enjoy myself the most when I'm around them.

2. What is the best thing you learned in 2008?

I'm not entirely sure. Maybe having the personal experience of being a wage slave is the most significant.

3. On a scale of 1-10, how good was your 2008?

I'm going to say an eight. It wasn't amazing, but I graduated and got a decent job. I also grew closer to my friends, and made a few new ones.

4. What is your wish for 2009? What is your wish for someone else for 2009?

I don't want the Republicans in the U.S. or the Conservatives (and the lukewarm Liberals, for that matter) here in Canada to screw things up anymore than they already are. I think most of us can agree on that.

5. Where was the first place you ever passionately kissed?

I'll tell you when I find out. :(

Bonus:Do you make New Year's resolutions? What is/are your's for 2009?

In 2008, my New Year's Resolution was to stop making New Year's resolutions.

TMI Tuesday #168 - Would You Rather...

1. Would you rather be stranded on an island alone or with someone you dislike/don't get along with?

I think I'd rather be stranded with someone I don't get along with. Best case scenario: We learn to tolerate each other. Worst case scenario: One of us becomes a cannibal.

2. Would you rather accidentally walk in on your parents having sex or have them walk in on you?

Seriously? I'll take the latter over the former.

3. Would you rather be snapped by paparazzi during a nipple slip or while exiting a car without any underwear?
(Guys, consider similar circumstances.)

I think I'll take the former this time.

4. Would you rather not have sex for two years or not be able to use the Internet for two years?

I've gotten this far without sex just fine, so I'll say the former.

5. Would you rather find true love or 1 million dollars?

Without getting into a philosophical debate about the existence of true love, I'll say true love.

Bonus: If you had to choose *one* sexual position for the rest of your life, what would it be? Why?

I can't think of any conceivable circumstance where you'd be forced to chose one sexual position for the rest of your life. (That would be really boring.) Anyway, I'm going to go with the Lotus because it's really intimate.

TMI Tuesday #169 - Back to TMI Basics

1. On a scale of 1-10, how satisfied are you with your sex life?

I'll say a five. I'd like a sex life, but I've been able to survive this long.

2. If someone shoves you up against a wall while kissing you, your reaction is?

"WTF? ... This is hot..."

3. What is the most romantic thing anyone has ever done or said to you?

I'm not sure. I haven't had a romance, so to speak.

4. Where is the most unusual place you have ever had sex?

Not applicable to me.

5. How do you liked to be kissed?

Softly, I think.

Bonus: Most embarrassing sexual moment?

Not applicable either.

TMI Tuesday #170

1. Have you ever dated/married purely for money?

No, and I don't particularly plan on it.

2. What is your type?

I'm going to answer this in a different way. My Myers-Briggs is INTP, although the last two have been F's and J's in the past. I think I'd be compatible with other IN-- types.

3. What is the best sex game you have ever played?

I've never played a sex game. I've played games with sexual questions, but not a sex game.

4. Have you ever given or received an orgasm from a person whose last name you did not know?

No I haven't.

5. Have you ever masturbated in front of a sexual partner?

'No I haven't' for this one too.

Bonus: At what age do you think men and women reach their sexual peak? Do you think you have hit yours yet?

I think men hit their sexual peak between 17-25. Women around 25-32. I imagine I'm in mine right now. (Don't let it go to waste girls! [And maybe some guys.])

TMI Tuesday #165

2008-12-16T21:12:00.000-08:00

1. What is the greatest age difference between you and a SO? Older or younger?

Not applicable to me, unfortunately. However, I think this is appropriate.

2. What is the greatest age difference between you and any sexual partner? Older or younger?

Also not applicable, unfortunately.

3. Have you started your holiday shopping? Is it done?

As far as I'm concerned, my holiday shopping is done. I may buy one or two small things as an afterthought.

4. What are the chances there will be a "naughty" present under the tree this year (either from you or for you)?

Not very likely, I'm afraid.

5. What is your favorite holiday song?

John Lennon's "So This is Xmas" is a favorite. I'm sure I have others, but I don't know their names off-hand.

Bonus:Do you have a preferred time of day to have sex? If so, why?

No, I don't see that mattering much right now.

TMI Twos-day 2

2008-12-09T23:20:00.000-08:00

TMI Tuesday # 163

1. What are your turn-ons?

Ignoring the givens.... Long hair (also "Emo" hair while I'm at it), boots (knee- or thigh-high), corsets. I'm sure there are some other ones I can't think of right now. Also, I consider myself a bit of a doraphile. (Google it if you have to.) Not that I have an actual attraction to an item, but I find the feel very sensuous. I think that it would enhance the sensation felt during the act. (Which ultimately is the point if it's not for procreation, right? And even those two don't need to be mutually exclusive.)

2. What are your turn-offs?

Lack of intelligence, intolerance, manipulative/obnoxious/loud people, yadda yadda rama-lama ding-dong.

3. Not counting your turn-ons, what's the best trait a person can have?

An open mind and willingness to experiment with new things and new ideas.

4. Not counting your turn-offs, what's the worst trait a person can have?

Willful ignorance.

5. What's your biggest pet peeve?

Dishes that are supposed to be clean, but aren't.

Bonus: Describe your best and worst experience.

Author's Note: These are non-sexual.

Best: Too many to choose from.
Worst: Depression. Definitely depression.

TMI Tuesday #164

1. Do you consider sexy underthings a present for you or your partner?

Giving sexy undergarments as a gift definitely seems self serving. Although, I suppose it depends on the couple.

2. What are 3 characteristics of "your type"? Have your best relationship(s) been with your type or when you have gone against it?

I'm not exactly sure what 'my type' would be. Something like the strong, silent type I guess. I haven't had a serious relationship with anyone, so this question isn't really applicable.

3. What is on your Santa list this year?

A membership card for Chapters, some money and gift certificates. Nothing special.

4. Generally speaking, who has historically had a higher libido, you or your partner(s)?

This isn't really applicable either because I've never had a partner and I don't have one now. I would assume me simply because of the stereotype of young and horny males.

5. The unsculptured female bush seems to have passed from fashion. What about men, do you think they need to trim and shave "down there"?

I don't entirely agree. I can appreciate a natural, trimmed, or shaved bush on a woman. The natural image still has a following.

I can't speak for other men, but I honestly don't like having untamed pubic hair. I'd rather have it trimmed or shaved, it makes me feel a bit...awkward? Ugly?

Bonus:What are a few of your favorite things (both sexual non-sexual)?

Good food and drink, candles, fireplaces, spending some quality time with friends. As far as sexual things go, I like women that take initiative. Aggressive women, even. I think it's because I'm introverted and insecure. Confident women make me feel more comfortable.

TMI Tuesday #162

2008-11-25T19:39:00.000-08:00

TMI Tuesday #162

1. What is your favorite Thanksgiving food?

It's all good, but I really like cranberry sauce. I only have it at Thanksgiving or Christmas.

2. You can flip a switch that will wipe any band or musical artist out of existence. Which one will it be?

I'd rather not muck with the timeline if I could. If I had to...it's a tough call between The Backstreet Boys and N'Sync.

3. You seem to be having an excellent day because you just came across a hundred-dollar bill on the sidewalk. Holy crap, a hundred bucks! How are you gonna spend it?

It depends on what I want at that point in time. It could be anything really.

4. What is your favorite curse word?

F*ck, just because it's so versatile. If this question were about the frequency of use, it would be damn.

5. Rufus appears out of nowhere with a time-traveling phone booth. You can go anytime in the PAST. What time are you traveling to and what are you going to do when you get there?

Let's say Athens-around 425BCE-to philosophize with Socrates. In actuality, I'd probably go to some significant historical period. Let's say Victorian England or Rome before the fall of the republic.

Bonus:You accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what's even cooler is that they endow you with the super-power of your choice! What's it gonna be?

The super-power to cure radiation poisoning. I imagine it would be very useful right then.

New Columns

2008-11-24T19:26:00.000-08:00

My blog has become little more than a repository for memes of late, particularly TMI Tuesday. My first NaNoWriMo attempt has been a miserable failure the likes of with have not been seen since the Hindenburg. Now that I have some free time available I want to get back to some heartier, more cerebral fare.

So I'm announcing three new series that I'm going to start. The "Controversial Topics Series", the "Things I Like Series" (Inspired in part by this), and the "Things I Don't Like Series." Look for the first in one of these series later this week.

TMI Two-sday

2008-11-18T17:26:00.002-08:00

Okay, enough puns.

TMI Tuesday #160

1. Ever been skinny dipping?

No, but I'd like to one day. Hopefully while I still look good.

2. How often do you kiss or make out without it simply being a foreplay activity?

Not at all, unfortunatly.

3. On a scale of 1-10, how content are you with your life? (1 is lowest, 10 is highest) Do you think 'content' and 'happy' the same thing?

I'd say a six or seven. My life is far from 'perfect' but I'm better off than the majority of the people in this world. Contentedness and happiness are definitely not the same thing. Contentedness is the state of being satisfied; happiness is being delighted, pleased, or joyous.

4. What do you do to relieve stress?

Surf the Internet, play games, visit with friends, eat or drink, read, sleep, have a shower, masturbate. (Oops, how did that get there?)

5. What was the special trait in your first lover that made you decide that they were "the one?"

I haven't reached that point yet.

Bonus: How old were you when you first had sex? (positive experiences here...)

x + y = z

(Where x is my age now and y is the interval between now and when I lose my virginity.)

TMI Tuesday #161

1. When did you last use your cellular telephone as a flashlight?

I don't own a cellphone, so never.

2. On a scale from 1-10, how comfy are you being naked?

In private, I'd say about six. With other people around? Let's say three.

3. What is the longest you've ever been celibate after having lost your virginity?

This just isn't applicable.

4. Have you ever had sex in a car? If yes, since you were a teenager?

No I haven't. (Uncomfortable much?)

5. When did you last use food or drink as medication?

Whenever I don't want to die of starvation? I don't know what would qualify as medication. I usually have a drink with dinner or after I get home from work.

I'm not going to do the bonus this week. I'm not sure how to answer.

Tardy TMI Tuesday Trifecta Two

2008-11-09T20:36:00.001-08:00

(Two, four, six, eight, look at me alliterate!)

TMI Tuesday #157

1. Have you ever felt guilty or ashamed after a sexual experience?

Yes. Quite a few times, actually. For a while I used to worry that it was a spiritual/religious thing. I know now that I was buying into the social stigmas around sexuality, and that what I was experiencing was actually a hormone crash. When it comes down to it testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, and adrenaline are little more than drugs.

2. Did you ever own a fake ID?

I never did, and I don't need one now.

3. How often do you tell white lies? Is it with or without thinking?

I don't think I lie very often. I prefer being candid. I used to lie a fair bit in high school about my homework. I imagine I still tell white lies occasionally. Sometimes social etiquette requires it.

4. On a scale of 1-10, how well do you receive constructive criticism?

Generally speaking, I don't receive criticism very well. It's a bit easier to accept constructive criticism because it's ultimately to my own benefit. I'll say a 5 or 6.

5. Have you ever shaved your pubic hair?

Overshare in 3...

2...

1...

Yes. I don't mind arm hair or leg hair. But I don't like having body hair or pubic hair. I don't mind it on other people though. Just not having it seems neater, cleaner. I feel that it gives me more sex appeal. It's also a confidence thing. You can walk down the street and tell yourself "I know something you don't."

Bonus: What percentage of women do you think are capable of handling being in a "friends with benefits" relationship? How about men?

I'm not going to throw numbers around. I'm not a sociologist. FWB's are interesting things. I think the greatest concern with a FWB would be an actual relationship evolving, which is probably what FWB's are designed to avoid. Sex can be just sex; deeper emotions need not be involved. Sometimes people just need to de-stress and indulge their desires. I don't think most men have the social awareness to recognize this and may assume that a relationship exists where one does not. Conversely, I think most women do have the social awareness to recognize that fact.

TMI Tuesday #158 - Firsts!!!

1. Who and when was your first crush?

Kindergarten, I think. I don't remember her name.

2. Who and when was your first date?

No 'official' dates thus far. 'Unofficial' dates? I'm not sure what the first one would be.

3. Who and when was your first kiss?

I don't think that's actually happened yet. *blush*

4. Who and when was your first partner while "fooling around" in a car?

Hasn't happened yet.

5. Who and when was your first partner while "fooling around" in a house?

Hasn't happened yet.

6. Who and when was your first love?

As far as romantic love is concerned, I don't think anyone. There's certainly been plenty of platonic-, familial-, and puppy love.

Bonus: Who's blog did you first comment on?

Damned if I can remember.

TMI Tuesday #159

1. Have you ever had a moving violation? An auto accident? That was your fault?

No, no, and no.

2. Have you ever voted? How old was your were you the first time you voted?

Yes. I was eighteen.

3. Are you glad this election cycle is over?

Yes.

4. Do you have a guilty pleasure? What is it (or are they)?

Everything. No, not really. Dark chocolate is definitely one. Books are another.

5. What is the most embarrassing thing you have done recently?

I don't know. Ask the people that laugh at me.

Bonus: How much impact has the Wall Street and general economic wilt had on you?

It's made me reconsider opening a new bank account, and made me reluctant to invest in stocks. That's about it so far.

TMI Tuesday #156 - Foresight

2008-10-17T21:07:00.001-07:00

I've often described myself as a private person. Given the rise of cell phones, instant messaging, and social networking websites, I sometimes wonder if that is truly the case. We've all heard the horror stories: employers finding incriminating photos of their employees and the like. The Internet has gained a sort of disassociation from reality in the public mind. People seem to forget that they are not always anonymous on the Internet.

Social pressure is a powerful force. It's why I often refrain from voicing my opinions except to a few close friends. I realize this is detrimental to my own interests and the interests of society, namely the free flow of ideas. Consequently, I've removed the disclaimers from some of my previous entries. No one has the right to not be offended. So here's throwing caution to the wind; and this week's TMIs.

1. What do you do that sends a clear signal to your partner that you're interested in an intimate evening?

I've never had a partner and I've honestly never had a serious relationship. In lieu of a deep impressive answer I'll settle for "Hey, wanna have sex?"

2. How important is foreplay to an exciting evening?

Once again, I'm not speaking from experience. But suffice it to say that foreplay is very important. It's what makes the rest of sex as enjoyable as it is. I'm sure a lot of people overlook foreplay for the act of sex itself; but I imagine that foreplay is a truly enjoyable experience in and of itself. Last but not least, foreplay builds tension.

3. What is the first thing you do during foreplay or what is the first thing you like done to you?

I have no clue. A lot of people seem to enjoy kissing and roaming hands. (To clarify, I know what to do but I don't know what I would do.)

4. Are you a one and done kind of partner (20 minutes or so) or do you like intimacy sessions longer than 60 minutes?

I would like to think the latter and not the former. Again, building tension.

BONUS: If you are interested in sex with a same-sex partner, what would be the first thing you'd like to touch on that other person, and why? (For those already in same sex relationships...what was the first thing you touched, or if you were interested in a relationship with the opposite sex, what would be the first thing you touched?)

[Overshare Imminent]

Just what my friends need to know about. My gay fantasy. I can think of a few things that I could find attractive on a guy...the chest, shoulders, neck, ears, hair. I'd probably go for the ass...just to find out what it's like.

Election Day

2008-10-14T19:04:00.000-07:00

Today was an important day. It's the third federal election we've had since the turn of the millennium. At the time I'm writing this sentence, the polls are still open for another twenty-five minutes. I cast my ballot about forty minutes ago.

I didn't feel like I had an easy choice to make. Until last week, anyway. Vote splitting in my riding has been a problem. The Greens, National Democrats, and Liberals have traditionally fought the Conservatives for votes. The result being that the Conservative Party has held this riding for three successive parliaments.

The National Democratic candidate dropped out of the running this year. Regardless of that fact, I was caught between voting my conscience and making a smart vote. That is, a vote for a candidate that had a fair chance of winning. Forcing the electorate to make a choice like this is definitely one of the failures of our First-Past-the-Post system.

After my Conscience Vote Party unofficially endorsed my Smart Vote Party (at least in my riding) my decision became a bit easier. I'd rather not take a risk with my vote if I can help it. It's likely we'll have another Conservative minority, but maybe we'll unseat a MP and Cabinet Minister in this riding.

TMI Tuesday #155 -- The Seven Virtues

2008-10-07T21:38:00.002-07:00

1. Prudence: When do you feel it is most important to exercise prudence? When is it acceptable to throw practicality out the window?

Being Obsessive-Compulsive, some misinformed people might think I try to be prudent all the time. I'm not. At it's heart, Obsessive-Compulsive disorder is an illness of irrationality dressed in the trappings of rational fears and responses. Besides, I only have mild OCD anyway.

My friends know this. We joke around and make jabs at each other. (Some of them might even say I have a sense of humour.) Sometimes they flirt, but they rarely take it seriously.

I think it is the most important to exercise prudence when the consequences can affect other people. For example, their health and well being. Politics is a second example. My opinion is that a voter who is not well-informed has the responsibility to not cast a ballot and not vote based on petty reasons.

2. Justice: Is a sense of justice really a virtue, or is only a tool that allows us to pass judgment on others without feeling guilty? What do you feel is the greatest injustice facing the world today?

I think this very much depends on the eye of the beholder. Imagine a society where Social Contract Theory or Consent Theory provides the basis for the rule of law. To a member of that society, a sense of justice might seem like a virtue because of all the reinforcing messages that person is exposed to. To an external observer however, it may appear to be a mechanism for passing judgment without experiencing the associated guilt.

The greatest injustice facing the world today? That's easy: the continued prevalence of human stupidity and indifference.

3. Temperance: All things in moderation. Should we allow ourselves a few excesses? How well do you restrain yourself when faced with your deepest desires?

A few excesses now and then are definitely allowable. What are our labours if not for our fruits?

Saying that, I think I restrain myself fairly well. I save what I can, and I don't spend beyond my means. I wonder if I've been too stingy. What is the purpose of wealth if you never use it to enrich your life or the lives of others?

4. Courage/Fortitude: How well do you confront fear and uncertainty, or intimidation? Does facing the little things make you as brave as facing the big things?

I don't deal with these well. It's because of my obsessions. I usually get very anxious and I try to avoid my problems instead of confronting them. If small issues bother me, larger issues probably bother me more.

5. Faith: Is it important to have faith? How steadfast are you in your core beliefs? Do your core beliefs equate to faith in something?

I'm having some qualms about this question. Depending on the definition of faith it could mean very different things. Following from the first definition, I have no problems saying I have faith in my friends, or my ability to get out of bed and go to work tomorrow.

Given the second definition, I'm inclined to say it's foolish, possibly detrimental, to have faith. I wouldn't consider it a virtue in this case.

6. Hope: Does having hope for the future help you deal with the present? How good are you at finding the good in the bad? What is the thing you hope for most?

I suppose it does. I tend to daydream a lot, create a rough plan for my life. I think I try to examine a problem from all angles to find the good in it but I'm ultimately a realist. In a broad sense, I don't know what I hope for the most. In the short-term I'd like an easy Wed-Thu-Fri at work.

7. Love/Charity: How easy is it for you to give selfless, unconditional, and voluntary loving-kindness? How easy is it for you to receive selfless, unconditional, and voluntary loving-kindness?

I think I'm fairly good at giving selfless and unconditional love and kindness. Receiving is another story. I have a strong independent streak and I have difficulty accepting help from others, especially if it's unsolicited. I've surmised that I consider it an attack on my ability to fend for myself.

[Why is there no bonus this week? And what happened to the 'TMI' part?]

~The Muse

TMI Tuesday #154

2008-09-30T17:14:00.003-07:00

1. What do you feel is the difference between sexy and erotic?

I think this is the best question I've seen so far. I would describe sexy as a state of being; an attitude. Eroticism leans more towards the physical act of sex itself. I would say that it's possible to be sexy but not erotic, but you can't be erotic without being sexy.

2. Do you believe there is one right person (i.e. soul mate) for you out there in the world, or that there can be many different potential mates that you could live blissfully with?

I think that the concept of a single soulmate is a hold-over from the Romantic Period. There are many compatible lovers/life partners for any individual. I find the concept of spending youth to find 'your one true soulmate' greatly wasteful. Imagine if you didn't find your soulmate! Consider it Pascal's Wager as applied to love.

3. Do you need to hear "I love you" or similar words on a regular basis from your partner?

"I love you" is just a phrase. Actions speak much louder than words; I would much rather have a loving embrace.

4. What feeling do you have the most difficulty expressing?

I'm not quite sure. My mother sometimes asks me, "How come I never see you happy?" Hyperbolic for sure, but I don't think the problem is happiness per se, but expressing it. I can be happy but still be quite serious. Sometimes I'm afraid I'm losing my sense of humour. (Desensitization in our media obsessed culture.) I find it takes a lot to get me to laugh out loud.

[Case-in-point: 'Laugh out loud' seems so cliche now. I blame the proliferation of the acronym L.O.L.]

5. What is worse - physical, mental or cyber cheating?

This is a tough call. I would classify cyber cheating as a form of mental cheating. Between physical and mental I would choose physical. Physical and mental cheating together is certainly worse.

The physical act of sex does not necessarily require an emotional component, although it certainly makes sex more fulfilling. Depending on the relationship and the partners involved, this may or may not be a problem. I might write a separate post expanding on this point.

I believe that a person's thoughts are sovereign. As such, I don't think a partner's fantasies are any of my business unless they decide to involve me in them or they act upon them.

Bonus: The Kinsey scale attempts to describe a person's sexual history or episodes of their sexual activity at a given time. It uses a scale from 0, meaning exclusively heterosexual, to 6, meaning exclusively homosexual. Where are you - TODAY - on the scale?

The last time I took a test to place myself on the Kinsey Scale, I scored a one. This time I scored a three. I don't believe the test I took this time was the same test I took last time, so I wouldn't put a lot of stock in the consistency. Furthermore, there is only the Kinsey Scale. Kinsey developed no test or examination to be used in conjunction with his scale. Self-reporting, I would still say I'm a one. [That's predominantly heterosexual; only incidentally homosexual AKA 'bi-curious.']

TMI Tuesday Trifecta

2008-09-26T23:36:00.001-07:00

Rejected names include "TMI Tuesday Triple Treat" and "TMI Tuesday Triple Terror."

I know that this is exceptionally late, but I want to at least try to remain consistent.

Let's start with the newest TMI's and work our way backwards shall we?

TMI Tuesday #153

1. What is the strangest thing you have ever inserted or seen inserted (in a sexual manner) in person?

Oh dear.

The use of 'strange' makes this a very subjective question. I wouldn't think of anything I've personally used as strange, although I've only used one thing. For the record, I haven't seen anyone else insert anything in person.

2. Have you ever had sex anyone whose name started with a J?

*Snicker* Does myself count?

3. Have you ever been outside completely naked?

I don't ever recall being outside completely naked.

4. Do you prefer music, tv, or other noise in the background when you have sex?

I honestly don't know. I think some types of music would be nice, as well as nature sounds.

5. Have you ever used ice for sexual purposes?

Yes.

Bonus: Have you ever been propositioned for group sex?

No. (Sadly.)

TMI Tuesday #152 - Rerun edition

1. Ever been stalked an ex [sic]? Stalked an ex? Or stalked 'a you'd like to be'?

No I haven't. Hopefully I'd be worried if I was or did.

2. How often do you reach orgasm during sex? Has then historically been true?

Usually once.

3. Teeth when used during oral stimulation, good or bad?

Coming from my angle? Bad. Possibly very bad.

4. How many times is the most you have ever had sex in a 24 hour period? How many different sexual partners have you had in a 24 hour period?

Seven and one, respectively. (Does it really count if it's myself?)

5) Would you rather run naked through a crowded place or have someone email your deepest secret too [sic] all your friends?

Hmm. Knowing my friends and knowing how self-conscious I can be, I'd rather take the latter.

Bonus: Have you ever kissed your partner on the lips after oral sex without brushing teeth, nor washing/gargling/rinsing out mouth? Turn on or off?

No, and no idea.

TMI Tuesday #151

1. Describe the perfect date for YOURSELF... what you would enjoy most.

I'm honestly not the dating type. I'm more of a 'meet people casually' person. I guess a nice dinner and an evening at the waterfront or the gardens.

2. Do you lean more toward being submissive or dominant?

I lean more to the submissive side. At this very moment, I'm beginning to wonder if it's more psychological than I originally thought. An effect of anxiety perhaps?

3. What do you usually wear to bed?

Over the last several months, whenever I've had the opportunity, I've taken to sleeping in the nude. I read an article at a naturist website touting the supposed health benefits of sleeping nude and naturism in general. Ever the skeptic, I decided to try it for myself. I believe that ever since the change I've been sleeping better. I also find the feeling of my comforter against my skin quite sensual.

(I can't find the exact article, but this .pdf is fairly good for anyone who's interested.)

4. Have you ever seen a counselor?

Yes I have. I'm not going to say anything else beyond that.

5. Lights on or off?

Lights on. Maybe lights off sometimes to mix it up.

Bonus: Have you or a partner ever faked an orgasm?

No.

Compulsion: Guilt

2008-09-04T22:09:00.003-07:00

This is me, nearly everyday.

TMI Tuesday #150

2008-09-02T15:55:00.007-07:00

1. When was the last time someone hit on you? What went down?

I can't remember the last time anyone hit on me.

2. If you were single and could be with any one person, who would it be (thinking singer/actor or someone famous here, but whatever)?

Ugh. I hate this kind of question. I don't think I could deal with being a celebrity's S/O.

3. Have you ever had done anything sexual in your office or your place of employment?

No.

4. Do you apologize when you make a mistake? How do you react when someone calls you out?

I'll apologize if I know I made a mistake. I'd probably act defensive if someone called me out on making a mistake.

5. Top or bottom?

Bottom. Sub or Dom?

Bonus: How old were you when you first had a willing sexual experience?

I'm assuming masturbation doesn't count. You'll have to refer to the following formula:

(Current Age) + X = Y

Where X is the interval between Current Age and Y
Where Y is the age of my first willing sexual experience

See you same time next week!

Why Did I Even Write This?

2008-09-02T14:41:00.003-07:00

So here's the answer from last week's TMI Tuesday that I didn't write. I'd like to be a woman. Before you even think it, it's not for some sexual kick. Although there are several sexual perks I can think of. (More nerve endings and more intense orgasms, the capability of having multiple and G-spot orgasms, female ejaculation, etc.)

It's about experiencing existence from the perspective of the opposite sex. I'll never know what the intimate connection between a mother and a child is like. I'll never have the experience of giving birth or menstruating. (From what I've been told they're not at all pleasant, but I'm honestly curious. You have to take the good with the bad.) I'll never know what it's like growing up as a girl or dating a man, or even another woman, from a feminine perspective. I'll never have the innate intuition and empathy that most women seem to have. I'm not really ashamed to say that I'm jealous of women.

There's even more than that. The female body seems to me much more aesthetically pleasing than the male one. Perhaps I have a biased opinion because I was born as a male. I find the male form so rugged and unsophisticated. I think Auguste Rodin's works provide a perfect example of the beauty I'm trying to convey. Works like The Kiss, The Poet and the Muse, Eternal Spring, and so on.

[DOMAI has a nice article on the female form here.]

For a while, when I still clung to the notion of reincarnation I had hoped that my next life would be that of a woman, so I could experience life from a new perspective naturally. Another thought I had was that if I ever had children, I would want a daughter. I didn't really know why at the time, but I think now I do. If I couldn't have the opportunity to be the fairer sex, perhaps my child could. I realize now that I was projecting my thoughts and feelings.

I don't have these feelings strongly enough to justify to myself any type of reassignment surgery. I imagine if there were no side effects and it were reversible, I'd give it a try. I might even stay that way if I liked it. But I was born a male, and I have to play the cards I was dealt in life. I wouldn't call myself trans-gender. I think trans-curious is a better phrase. Like Ron Rifkin's character Saul in Brothers & Sisters, the great irony of my life is that I love women. Perhaps so much that I don't think I'd mind being one.

TMI Tuesday #149

2008-08-27T13:44:00.006-07:00

I know it's a ~~day~~ few days late, but I'm doing it anyway.

1. What is the one thing you would change about your body?

I wouldn't like to have as much body hair. =\ I actually have another answer I'd like to write, but it's going to be really long so I'll save it for another time.

2. What is the one personality trait you would change?

I'd like to be more focused. I'd like to be able to start something and finish it. I don't like how I try to justify my procrastination.

3. What is the one thing about your job you would change?

I would like to have a job. Period.

4. What is the one thing about your home you would change?

I'd like to have my own place if I could afford it. The floor in my parents' kitchen could use replacing though. Some of the mouldings could use replacing too.

5. What is the one thing about your Significant Other you would change?

Just having an S/O would be nice right now. Messing with the details can come later.

6. Who is the one person you would poof out of your life and why?

This one is really hard. I don't think there's anyone I'd really like to get rid of. Even in a joking sense. My family and friends add a depth to my life I wouldn't have without them.

7. Who is the one person you would poof back in and why?

This is almost the same as #6. I wouldn't really want to change anything. I have a 'let it be' philosophy. However, I would probably ask for my uncle back. He died too young.

The Confusion of Language

2008-08-26T13:59:00.003-07:00

Returning to my entry from August sixth, I'd like to discuss two specific examples of 'the disconnect between what people say and what they mean.' Perhaps a better way to put it would be the double-interpretation of words or phrases.

On a recent outing a friend of mine brought one of these such phrases to my attention. That phrase being 'slept with.' As in, "I slept with him/her." This could be interpreted in one of two ways. First, that the individual literally and platonically slept with the person in question, or second, that the individual had sex with the person in question. Today, most people would assume the latter meaning over the former. The problem with this is that there is no way to be sure how the message will be interpreted without being explicit in the details. "I slept with him/her" is far more subtle than "I had sex with him/her."

Consider the following scenario: Person A tells Person B that they 'slept with' Person C. Person B misunderstands Person A's meaning and tells Person D that Person A and Person C had sex. Person D tells Person E, who tells Person F, and so on. Eventually Person C comes to Person A angry, because the rumour made its way to their partner and their relationship is now standing on shards of broken glass. This is of course, a worst-case scenario, but it demonstrates the potential fallout from the misinterpretation of language. The message is clear: say what you intend to say plainly, and make sure the other person knows what you mean. (Really, it would help all us unperceptive folks.)

My second example is more specific, and involves the use of the word 'girlfriend.' When a man uses the word 'girlfriend' the meaning is usually clear: it's his romantic interest. When a woman uses the term, it's simply a friend. But what if that woman is a lesbian? Does she mean a romantic interest or a platonic friend?

There is also a double standard here. If a man where to use the term 'boyfriend' he may be accused of being gay, even if he only meant it in a platonic sense. Not that there is anything wrong with being gay; it is simply that in some social circles being gay is considered undesirable and some people may wish to avoid that association.

I think there is definitely a muddying of the waters and a 'communication breakdown' occurring in the modern vernacular. Political correctness may have something to do with this, but that is a topic for another time. (Sorry segue fans.)

TMI Tuesday #148

2008-08-19T13:10:00.004-07:00

Ugh. It's been a week and I haven't done a proper post since last week's TMI Tuesday. Oh well.

1. Are you truly politically correct? Be honest.

I try to be, but I'm honestly not. I do not think facts should be subject to political correctness.

2. Will you ever streak in public during rush hour?

Hahahahahaha! No.

3. Would you ever do something sexual in public (more than 20 people around)?

It's highly, highly, unlikely.

4. Do you ever not have good table manners?

Probably. I do my best to be polite, but I'm not anal about it. I don't bother with switching my knife and fork from hand to hand depending on what I'm doing.

5. Do you ever fantasize about a public sexual act? Describe.

No, I don't. (But I probably will now...)

Bonus: Have you ever gone through a true sexual fantasy? Describe.

No, I haven't. But I would like to. (Doesn't everyone want their fantasies to come true?)

TMI Tuesday #147

2008-08-12T13:27:00.005-07:00

1. What is your favorite song to have sex to?

I haven't actually had the opportunity to try this out. I think "Crimson & Clover" would be a good choice, as well as "Kashmir." "Wolf Moon" has some erotic symbolism. A lot of people talk about "Closer" but I just don't get what they see in it. Classical is probably another good choice.

2. What is your vision of hell?

I don't believe in Hell, but if I did I would picture it something like this. Mostly because I like the idea of Hell being ironic. Although Dante's depiction of Hell in The Divine Comedy is classic.

3. In the film made of your life, who will play you?

I do all my own stunts.

4. What is the one thing you most urgently need to tell your mom?

I honestly can't think of anything that urgently needs to be said.

5. What will be carved onto your tombstone?

"I was as you are; I am what you will be. Remember your mortality. Seize the day." Preferably in Latin.

Bonus: What is your drag name (which would be, first name: the name of your first pet; last name: the name of the street you grew up on)?

Piper Seven. (It sounds more like a callsign than a drag name.)

An Update

2008-08-11T14:35:00.003-07:00

An entry posted on the Pharyngula blog is discussing some of the themes addressed in one of my previous posts, TMI Tuesday on Marriage. The entry and comment thread can be found here.

I've also decided to add Pharyngula to the sidebar.

Here's hoping there's a good TMI Tuesday tomorrow.

Brave New Philosophy

2008-08-06T20:05:00.005-07:00

Sorry, it's not really about Aldous Huxley or his works.

One thing I've been noticing more and more lately about modern language is that there is often a disconnect between what people say and what they actually mean. I think that peoples' grasp of the English language is degrading. Not to say that its devolving, there's no such thing. The English language is evolving, but not in what I would consider a progressive way. You need only watch Fox News for a short period of time before a pundit uses 'liberal' in a context that is far more suited to perhaps 'socialist' or 'communist.' This is at best the result of ignorance. At worst, it is willful misrepresentation. People are letting connotations carry more weight than actual denotation.

I've also noticed another trend. To put it in a phrase: "You cannot be X because you are Y." People are defining other people not just by who or what they are, but who or what they aren't. More and more an 'Us' and 'Them' mentality is developing. This is frightening. This type of mentality often, and perhaps inevitably, results in conflict. A divided population less attuned to the subtleties of the English language, combined with powerful rhetoric can be dangerous. We have see the results of this combination before. Revolutionary Russia. Israel and Palestine. South Africa during Apartheid. The United States during the civil rights movement. Quebec during the FLQ crisis. There are many other factors involved in each of these scenarios of course, but I believe that these two are common to all of them.

This lack of education and social division are issues that must be addressed by our societies if we wish to progress in a manner that is beneficial to all. (Here come the pundits, calling me a communist.)

I want to make a point. I want to prove that I am not merely 'X.' I can also be 'Y.' Schools of thought are not mutually exclusive. There are merits and drawbacks to every system of thought, and to limit oneself to a single philosophy is foolhardy.

I am a liberal. (But I could also be called a conservative or socialist as far as economic matters are concerned.)

I am an agnostic, and an atheist.

I am a feminist, and an environmentalist.

I am a metaphysical naturalist, an existentialist, a nihilist, a humanist, a rationalist, a neo-objectivist, a materialist and physicalist, a stoic and a skeptic, a hedonist and an epicurean.

P.S. Storyteller, I'm happy that that conversation went as well as it did and I'm glad my honesty is appreciated.

TMI Tuesday on Marriage

2008-07-07T16:46:00.004-07:00

It's been over a month since I made my last post. How am I ever supposed to be a successful blogger if I don't write an entry at least once a week?

I was originally going to write about some of the weirder news articles of the past week, but TMI Tuesday (May be NSFW) came through with some interesting subject matter that I would like to address. Yes, I know, I'm nearly a week behind on this too.

Q: Do you believe in marriage?

Personally, I think the wording of this question is a little vague. Do I believe in marriage in the sense that marriage exists? Yes. Do I believe in the virtues of marriage? No, not really. I think marriage is a social construct and any perceived virtues associated with marriage are a construct as well.

Q: What is marriage to you?

Warning: Long Rant

To be legalistic, (and this is the definition I prefer,) marriage is a social contract. From antiquity, marriage has been used to combine ownership of possessions (or transfer them outright, i.e., dowries) and cement relationships. I don't necessarily mean a relationship between two people either; marriage has just as easily cemented alliances between families.

While this is still mostly true in regards to property, I think that the concept of marriage is outdated. In fact, I think it is largely unnecessary. A lot of people ascribe spiritual attributes to marriage. I see no reason why the former cannot exist without the latter in any other loving relationship.

If marriage is a social contract between two persons, the judicial branch of government has valid reason to record such contracts, in the event of divorce or other disputes. However, I do not think governments should provide tax benefits to married persons. It is my opinion that governments provide tax benefits to married persons with the intent of a) encouraging reproduction (this is not true in all marriages) and b) creating a healthy, stable environment where children can be raised. Governments do this to ensure a source of labour, sales, and investment for the economy. In a democratic society, a strong economy benefits everyone. (At least theoretically.) However, I believe that the interests of the individual trump the interests of the majority. Thus, governments should not provide tax benefits to married persons because it is discriminatory to those who choose to remain unmarried. A simpler, more equitable solution would be to provide tax benefits to those with children.

[I recognize that this is an exercise in logic; you must accept the presuppositions for the argument to work.]

Q: If you are married, why did you do it? If you are not, why have you not married?

I'm not married. I don't think I'm old enough, nor do I have an S/O. As I wrote earlier, I think marriage is unnecessary. I sometimes quip that I won't get married until I'm at least 27.

Q: Do you believe in divorce?

Again, this is vague. We all know that divorce exists. Legal contracts are routinely rendered null and void and I see no reason why marriage should be an exception. I'm not the first to say that it would be terrible to be stuck in an unloving relationship for life.

Q: If you are divorced, why did you do it? If you have not, are there certain circumstances under which you would agree to a divorce?

I'm not divorced. There are certain circumstances under which I would agree to a divorce. Irreconcilable infidelity, for example. I say 'irreconcilable' because non-monogamous relationships can, and are, stable. Poly-amourous and swinging relationships, for example.

Q: Do you believe that same sex marriages are a threat to traditional marriages?

Until traditionalists sufficiently prove to me that gay marriage is a threat to heterosexual marriage, No. In fact, until they sufficiently prove to me that marriage is sacrosanct, No. Straight people seem to have enough trouble maintaining the 'sanctity' of marriage.

I'm leaving on vacation tomorrow morning, so don't expect any posts for several weeks. I'll try to write some new material for you all while I'm away.

Perfection...

2008-06-03T20:19:00.003-07:00

...Is a b*tch of a taskmaster.

I had a conversation with a teacher I admire very much today. The conversation was about a few overdue assignments I had (read: have) and it can essentially be broken down into this:

Him: "You deserve a good grade in this course."
Me, internally: Yeah, right.

I left the conversation in a very sour and depressed mood, despite the rash of good events that had happened to me previously. I did substantially better than the class average on an exam, I got three free books, and I won a contest. Still, I was mopey. I have an annoying tendency when I'm depressed to have thoughts of an existential and nihilistic flavour. Standard emo bullsh*t. (Go cry emo, I'm not going to give you the dignity of a capital 'e.')

To paraphrase a friend of mine, I have a preconceived image of the world and how it works (or should work) and I act irrationally when reality does not match this preconceived image. (I'm obsessive-compulsive, so sue me.)

I have a very antagonistic view as far as late assignments are concerned. If it's late, I'm not going to get any marks for it, so I'm not going to bother wasting my time with it. The problem is that this isn't the case. I can get marks for late assignments, just not as many. I don't care about the assignments. They do.

This led me to two questions. First, is my notion that late assignments are not permissible a preconceived notion that I impose on myself because of a perceived (or idealistic) social standard? Second, am I just trying to justify my actions?

I think that the first question is true. I don't think that I should receive any marks for a late assignment. Most, if not all of the student body would probably disagree. So much for the perceived social standard. I have no doubt that it's a preconceived idea. As an only child, I'm subject to the stereotype that only children have poor social skills, little or no friends, are spoiled, prodigies, and so on. Unfortunately all stereotypes have some basis in fact.

As a very young child I had no-one I would consider a 'friend' and mostly associated with adults. I think this left a lasting impression on my psyche. Specifically, I think I learned a fair number of behaviours from mimicking and to uphold myself to an exacting standard. The standards I demand of myself are neither reasonable or realistic. I fear that this is a deep-seated and irreversible behaviour, and probably the root cause of my disorder. It's frustrating, and frankly, it pisses me off. I don't blame my parents or my family, but I digress.

The implications of the second question, to me, seem worse. Do I use my belief that I should not receive marks for overdue assignments as a justification for not completing them? (Even if it is just a subconscious justification?) If this is true, then I'm only justifying my laziness. Irregardless of whether it's true or not, I still need to deal with the consequences of the first question.

I'm sure that I will be obsessive-compulsive for the rest of my natural life. But I need to break this cycle and control it if I'm going to succeed.

Wherein I Explain My Over-Thinking In Selecting U2 Singles

2008-05-11T19:42:00.004-07:00

This is a response to this post where I said I would explain my choices.

Male or Female? The Ground Beneath Her Feet

I couldn't exactly use "Gloria" or "Miss Sarajevo" for this one. This was the only one left that seemed to imply masculinity. Let's face it, we've all heard of the "downtrodden husband and controlling wife" stereotype.

Describe Yourself: Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of

I thought about using "Even Better Than The Real Thing" for this one, but that didn't make any sense. I finally settled on "Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of" because I didn't think I was really going anywhere in my life. I'm still not sure, for that matter. "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" was a close second for this one. I say that it's a close second because I'm not sure what I want to do with my life at this point, or even what I want to major in at university.

Where do you want to be? Where The Streets Have No Name

"In God's Country" definitely didn't work for this one, and neither did "City of Blinding Lights." "A Celebration" also seemed like a good choice. I chose "Where The Streets Have No Name" mostly because it seemed a bit esoteric. The title also implies anonymity to me, which is what this blog allows me to do: remain anonymous. In theory, anyway.

How do others feel about you? Even Better Than The Real Thing

This was the best opportunity to use this one. The title doesn't make sense, but I hope it will make people think for a moment. I think I considered "Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses" too.

How do you feel about you? I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

I used this one for the same reasons posted above. The important thing being I recognize that I don't know what I want to do at this point.

How do you live? Last Night On Earth

"A Celebration" was my second choice for this one. I can't argue with "Last Night On Earth" though. Ya never know when you're gonna go, so ya might as well enjoy it. [Poor grammar intentional.]

How do you love? Two Hearts Beat As One

I originally considered "The Ground Beneath Her Feet" for this one, but it didn't fit well with my concept of relationships being a two-way street. Other than that, I'm a romantic sap.

Words of Wisdom: Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own

Honestly, this was the only one that made sense.

This was the discography I used: U2 Singles

More Silly Meme Time

2008-04-25T20:25:00.005-07:00

Aren't they all silly? I guess I'm really bored tonight. Honestly though, I hope some of my answers will provoke responses from people and get me to open up and share my thoughts with people. Nods again to Bryi.

The check marks mean the statement is true, the X's that the statement is false, and tildes [~] that the statement is semi-true. My own comments are in the brackets.

x I miss somebody right now.
✓ I don't watch much TV these days.
✓ I own a lot of books.
✓ I wear glasses or contact lenses.
✓ I love to play video games.
✓ I've tried marijuana. (I regret it a bit.)
✓ I've watched porn movies.
x I've been the psycho-ex in a past relationship.
✓ I believe honesty is usually the best policy.
✓ I curse sometimes.
x I have changed a lot mentally over the last year. (I don't think so.)
x I carry my knife/razor everywhere with me.
x I have broken someones bones.
✓ I have a secret I'm ashamed to reveal. (I probably do, but I'd also probably answer honestly if the correct question was asked.)
~ I hate the rain. (I'd say it's more of a love-hate relationship.)
✓ I'm paranoid at times.
✓ I would get plastic surgery if it were 100% safe, free of cost and scar free. (I don't think very much of my nose.)
✓ I want/need money right now. (I'd like some more money, but I don't need it.)
x I love sushi.
x I talk really, really fast. (I don't think I do.)
x I have fresh breath in the morning.
x I have long hair. (I'd like to see what it would be like longer though.)
x I have lost money in Las Vegas.
x I have at least one sibling.
✓ I was born in a country outside of the US.
x I have worn fake hair/fingernails/eyelashes in the past.
x I couldn't survive without caller ID.
x I like the way that I look. (Again, my nose. It's mostly my hair that bothers me though.)
✓ I have lied to a good friend in the last six months. (I'm not quite sure, but I probably have about something inconsequential.)
~ I am usually pessimistic. (I would say I'm a realist, but I vary between the two extremes based on my mood.)
x I have a lot of mood swings.
✓ I think prostitution should be legalized. (I may or may not outline my arguments in another post.)
x I slept with a roommate.
x I have a hidden talent.
x I'm always hyper no matter how much sugar I have.
x I have a lot of friends. (I'd say I have a lot of acquaintances and a few close friends.)
x I have pecked someone of the same sex.
x I enjoy talking on the phone.
x I practically live in sweatpants or pj's.
✓ I love to shop or window shop.
x I'm obsessed with Xanga or Livejournal.
x I'm completely embarrassed to be seen with my mother.
x I have a mobile phone.
x I have passed out drunk in the last six months.
x I've rejected someone before. (I assume the question is about a relationship.)
x I currently like/love someone.
~ I have no idea what I want to do for the rest of my life. (Some ideas, but I'm still working on it.)
~ I want to have children in the future. (Generally, no. It would depend on what my significant other wanted too though.)
x I have changed a diaper before.
x I've called the cops on a friend before.
x I'm not allergic to anything. (Pollen.)
✓ I have a lot to learn.
✓ I'm shy around the opposite sex. (Sometimes.)
x I'm online 24/7, even as an away message.
x I have at least 5 away messages saved.
✓ I have tried alcohol or drugs before.
x I have made a move on a friend's significant other or crush in the past.
x I own "South Park" the movie.
x I have avoided schoolwork to be on Livejournal.
✓ I enjoy some country music. (I blame my uncle.)
~ I would die for my best friends. (Honestly, it depends on the circumstances.)
✓ I'm obsessive, and often a perfectionist.
x I have used my sexuality to advance my career.
x I think Halloween is awesome because you get free candy. (I stopped trick-or-treating at about eight.)
x I have dated a close friend's ex.
x I am happy at this moment.
x I'm obsessed with guys.
x Democrat.
x Republican.
x I don't even know what I am. (I assume the question is about political affiliation.)
x I am punk-rockish.
~ I go for older guys/girls, not younger. (I got for the individual.)
x I study for tests most of the time.
x I tie my shoelaces differently from anyone I've met.
x I can work on a car.
x I love my job. (No job.)
✓ I am comfortable with who I am right now. (I know who I am, but I don't know where I'm going.)
x I have more than just my ears pierced.
x I walk barefoot whenever I can.
x I have jumped off a bridge. (I don't recall ever doing it...)
~ I love sea turtles. (I think 'love' is too strong a term.)
x I spend ridiculous amounts of money on makeup.
✓ I plan on achieving a major goal or dream.
x I am proficient on a musical instrument.
x I hate office jobs.
x I went to college out of state.
x I am adopted.
✓ I am a pyro. (I like candles, fireplaces, and campfires if that counts.)
x I have thrown up from crying too much.
✓ I have been intentionally hurt by people that I loved.
x I fall for the worst people.
x I adore bright colours.
x I usually like covers better than originals.
x I hate chain restaurants like Applebees and TGI Fridays.
✓ I can pick up things with my toes.
~ I can't whistle. (I'm learning!)
x I have ridden/owned a horse.
x I still have every journal I've ever written in.
x I talk in my sleep. (Not that I'm aware of.)
~ I've often thought that I was born in the wrong century. (I fantasize about living in a different time period.)
✓ I try to forget things by drowning them out with lots of distractions.
x I wear a toe ring.
x I have a tattoo. (I'm not ruling out getting one.)
x I can't stand at least one person that I work with.
x I am a caffeine junkie.
x I am completely tree-huggy spiritual, and not ashamed at all.
x If I knew I could get away with it, I would commit at least one murder.
x I will collect anything; the more nonsensical, the better.
✓ I enjoy a nice glass of wine with dinner.
✓ I'm an artist.
x I am ambidextrous.
x I sleep with so many stuffed animals, I can hardly fit on my bed. (I used to.)
x If it weren't for having to see other people naked, I'd live in a nudist colony.
~ I have terrible teeth. (Probably.)
x I hate my toes.
✓ I have more friends on the Internet than I do in real life. (Probably.)
x I have lived in more than three states or countries.
✓ I am extremely flexible.
✓ I love hugs more than kisses.
x I want to own my own business.
x I smoke.
✓ I spend way too much time on the computer.
✓ Nobody has ever said I'm normal.
✓ Sad movies, games, and the like can cause a trickle of tears every now and then.
~ I like the way women look in stylized men's suits. (I don't know about stylized...)
✓ I don't like it when people are displeased or seem displeased with me.
✓ I've been described as a dreamer or likely to have my head in the clouds. (By myself to myself.)
x I have played strip poker with someone before.
✓ I have had emotional troubles for which I've sought professional help.
x I believe in ghosts and the paranormal. (But I don't deny the possibility.)
x I can't stand being alone.
x I have at least one obsession at any given time.
x I consistently spend too much money on obsessions of the moment.
✓ I can be a judgmental asshole. (I would agree completely if not for the 'asshole' part.)
x I'm a huge drama-queen.
✓ I have traveled on more than one continent. (North America and Europe.)
x I sometimes wish my father would just disappear.
✓ I need people to tell me I'm good at something in order to feel that I am. (Most of the time I feel that they're lying or mocking me.)
✓ I am a Libertarian. (Moderate.)
x I can speak more than one language.
x I can fall asleep even if the whole room is as noisy as can be.
✓ I would rather read than watch TV.
~ I like reading fact more than fiction. (About equal.)
x I have pulled an all-nighter on an assignment I was given a month to do.
✓ I have no piercings.
x I have spent the night in a train station or other public place.
x I have been so upset about my physical gender that I cried.
x I once spent Christmas alone because there was a miscommunication over which parent was supposed to have me that night.
✓ There have been many times I've wondered "Why was I born?" I may or may not have cried about it.
x I like animals better than most people.
x I own a collection of retro game consoles.
x The thought of physical exercise makes me shiver.
x I have hit someone with a dead fish.
✓ I am compulsively honest. (If anything, it's the opposite.)
x I was born with a congenital birth defect that was never repaired.
x I have danced topless in front of complete strangers.
x I have gone from wishing I was a girl to reveling in being a boy to feeling like a girl again in the span of five minutes, and not cared a whit for my actual sex.
x I am unashamedly bisexual, and have different motivations for my desires for different genders.
x Some days I won't eat for a whole day or sleep a whole night because I forget to.
x I find it impossible to get to sleep without some kind of music on.
x I dislike milk.
~ I obsessively wash my hands. (Sometimes.)
x I always carry something significant with me.
x Sometimes I'd rather use a wig in day to day life instead of my own hair.
✓ I've pushed myself to become more self aware and therefore more aware of others.
x I hand wrote all the HTML tags in this document.
✓ I've liked something which a majority of people thought was bad or weird.
x I've been clinically dead for a brief period of time.
✓ Instead of feeling sympathy/empathy with people and their problems, I simply get annoyed. (Sometimes.)
x I have participated in auto drag races and won.
x I do not 'get' most comedy acts.
✓ I don't think strippers are money-greedy or slutty for dancing.
x I don't like to chew gum.
✓ I am obsessed with history and historical things, and can't wait for someone to build a time machine so I can be the first to use it. (Except I wouldn't use the time machine.)
x I can never remember for the life of me where the car is parked.
x I had the teen angst thing going for at least 2-3 years.
✓ I wish people would be more empathic and honest with each other.
x I play Dungeons & Dragons weekly.
x I love to sing.
x I want to live in my mother's basement when I grow up.
x I have a custom built computer.
x I want to create a certain someone's babies, even if there's a 0% possibility of ever achieving it.
x I would be in a relationship with one of my pets if they were human.
x I've gone skinny dipping.
x I've performed in three plays.
✓ I enjoy burritos.
x I'm Irish and loving it.
✓ I have a thing for redheads.
x I am a twin.
✓ Most of the time, I'd rather do something intellectual instead of doing something generically 'fun'.
x Once I set out to finish something, I always stay at it until it is completed before moving on to something else.
~ I wish there was a way to erase past mistakes. (There are times.)
x I sleep more than 12 hours a day.
✓ I wish I could be prouder of what I've accomplished, but its never enough.
x I need more time to myself.
x I wish I was more open-minded.
x I hope that I go prematurely gray.
✓ I download songs from the Internet. (I have in the past.)
x I say random things to freak people out.
~ I love playing Truth or Dare. (I haven't played. I think it would be an interesting experience.)
x I love listening to slow music, but I hate singing to it.
x Music helps me remember that I am not alone.
x Playing my favorite sport helps me forget my problems.
✓ I think this survey is particularly long.
x I prefer my LJ friends to my real life ones.
x I can only hate someone I love.
x I've ordered an extra two shots of espresso to an Americano at Starbucks.

Silly Meme Time

2008-04-25T16:56:00.004-07:00

Choose a band/artist and answer ONLY IN song titles by that band (you pick your own band or artist, don't use the same one as the person who did this before you).

Band: U2
Male or Female? The Ground Beneath Her Feet
Describe Yourself: Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of
Where do you want to be? Where The Streets Have No Name
How do others feel about you? Even Better Than The Real Thing
How do you feel about you? I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
How do you live? Last Night On Earth
How do you love? Two Hearts Beat As One
Words of Wisdom: Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own

If anyone wants an explanation of my choices, leave a comment and I'll get right on it.

With a nod to Bryi.

Existential Crisis, Pt. 3

2008-02-27T20:18:00.004-08:00

Alternately titled "I Really Hope This is the Last One for Now."

My "Anonymous" commenter has graced my blog once again. I'll block quote him here for simplicity:

It all depends what you mean by "exist" and "true". I don't think the number 3 exists (point to it) in the same sense that you exist. And as for propositions, consider two propositions "Toronto is in Canada" and "There are infinitely many prime numbers". How much of the truth of a statement depends on how we ascertain its truth?

For purposes of my last entry "exist" was defined as "having casual power or a physical location in space." I admit that this is a very restrictive definition of the term that does not allow for the "existence" of numbers or other abstract concepts. That was a mistake. Numbers certainly do exist, even if they are only constructs of the human mind.

[On a side note, I was going to make a joke about how I had become a "numeral agnostic" because of my belief that it was impossible to prove the physical existence of numbers or the mental construct of numbers in my mind or anyone else's. Or possibly that I had rejected number theory and become an adherent of numerical formulation.]

Now, how much of the truth of a statement depends on how we ascertain its truth?

I freely admit that I haven't studied epistemology in depth yet. I think it is fair to say that there are different methods of ascertaining truth. However, if any part of that method is illogical or fallacious, then the result of that line of reasoning is likely to be illogical or fallacious as well. Truth is not a democracy; unalterable facts are not open to debate. (Technically they are, but the decision of a committee won't change the fact itself.)

As a point of interest, I've been reading about Empiricism and Methodological Naturalism lately.

Editor's Note:
I was originally going to write this post based around the joke, but that was over a month ago. As I opened up the draft tonight I ended up addressing the question anyway. It's about time I finished it. Next time: Procrastination, Academia, and angst. (Emo?)

Existential Crisis, Pt. 2

2008-01-26T13:28:00.000-08:00

Originally this post was going to be my commentary on equality. However, I've been distracted by end-of-semester finals. Thankfully, an anonymous comment left on my last entry (maybe not so anonymous, I think I know who it is) has provided me with a question to address. It also segways into another topic I had wanted to discuss, but had previously forgotten about. This is what I was asked:

Where do abstract certainties like 1+1=2 or bivalence come into your view?

Now this may seem like a store shelf type of answer, but when I was discussing uncertainty in terms of knowledge, I was referring to the physical universe (or concrete objects, if you are so inclined). I should have clarified that. Abstract ideas make the matter far more complicated.

It can be argued that abstract ideas do not actually exist (and are therefore abstract) because they lack a location in space, the lack of casual power, etc. This puts abstract ideas in an interesting position. Can abstract ideas be true if they do not exist? I see no reason why they cannot. Common tautologies include mathematical proofs. To use an example from above: 1+1=2, 2=1+1

I'm not really sure where to take this entry from here, so I'll leave it up to my readers. Any comments, questions, or criticisms are welcome.

P.S. I know I'm one entry behind. I'll try to come up with something interesting to keep you entertained.

Existential Crisis

2008-01-13T18:27:00.000-08:00

I was originally intending for this post to be about equality and it's role in our society, but I was worried that some of my arguments/explanations could be misconstrued. I'm going to take my time to write everything out properly and have it reviewed by at least one of my peers. Instead, I want to talk about existential crises.

For a period, perhaps last May to October, I experienced an existential crisis. Recently, this led me to create this little nugget of wisdom:

"Life is an extended existential crisis - and then you're dead."

This wasn't my first existential crisis, to be sure. I recall strong feelings of cognitive dissonance when I went through a period of depression several years ago.

I spent a lot of time contemplating my place in the universe, who I am (and what I am for that matter), and people watching while nursing a coffee at my favorite cafe. (I usually do that last one regardless of what I'm feeling.)

Going back to my 'nugget of wisdom' I had originally viewed it as a bit humourous, but now I see some truth in it as well. I do not think that it is likely that we, as human beings, can know anything with absolute certainty. I do believe however that we can reduce the amount of uncertainty to a negligible degree. We may accept whatever is ~99.99% true as fact, but there is always the slightest percentage that we are, in fact, incorrect. (Or at least incomplete in our knowledge of the subject in question.)

As such, I've resigned myself to an existence of limited certainty and (begrudging) skepticism. For now, at least. Perhaps numbers are indeed everything, as some would propose. I guess that makes life a gambler's game.

I would like to end by paraphrasing Lisa Hoffman:

"Life is like Pi - natural, irrational,
and very important."

A New Year

2008-01-01T15:46:00.000-08:00

I could write any one of many tacky sayings here to welcome in the new year, such as 'out with the old, in with the new,' or 'another year gone.' I could even say 'Auld Lang Sane,' which doesn't really seem all that tacky to me. But I won't. Paradoxically, I already have.

It comes to mind that certain people (some less generous writers might call them stupid people) tend to make a resolution that they generally fail to commit to to mark the beginning of a new year on the Gregorian calendar. Or that's what the media portrays it as, at least.

As such, I have decided to throw my own coin down the well with the knowledge that I may very well never see it again. This year, I resolve to blog every weekend, usually every Friday or Saturday, and set aside a time on one of those days to facilitate the writing of an entry.

Bah, Humbug

~The Muse

P.S. If you're wondering what happened to the 'Button a Week Challenge,' I decided that it would be easier for me to put all of the buttons I wore in a single post after the challenge is completed. Seeing as a year has past, the challenge should theoretically be done, but I ran out of suitable buttons. I am always on the lookout for suitable buttons, and suggestions are, of course, welcome.

Is It Okay?

2007-10-20T22:34:00.000-07:00

Is it okay to lose a little of my faith in Humanity whenever I read news articles like these?

Living Paycheck to Paycheck Gets Even Harder

This woman's baby will be taken from her as soon as it is born.

The Latvian Connection

Idiot Judge Number 1.

Idiot Judge Number 2.

Collected from Lupa's Blog.

Of Insults, Apologies, and Haters.

2007-10-17T18:15:00.000-07:00

I use the term "haters" in the least offensive way possible.

It's time for a long overdue blog post.

A few weeks ago, I lost my temper and I said something I'm not very proud of. I apologized at the soonest opportunity possible, but I ended up getting some interesting comments in my Honesty Box on my Facebook profile. (For those of you who don't know, Honesty Box is an application that allows other Facebook users to post anonymous comments to you. The question asked is "What do you honestly think of me?") Let's take a look, shall we?

"Hello *****, this is **** from English. I just wanted to let you know that what you did in class today was quite amazing. I will not inquire into the depths of what happened, but I just wished to let you know this. I always find your input into our class very interesting."

I liked this comment. I received it the day I made my apology, and I really needed it.

"wow... way to blow up at a teacher... you're a jack*** you know? i mean if you dont feel "challenged enough" then why the hell are you in school still anyways! WTF!"

This was posted four days after I made my apology. I'm still not quite sure what to think about it.

"then again you did apologise so its not to bad...."

This was posted the same day as the previous comment. I think it's from the same person.

"your not always right,you think you are. [snip]"

This is another one that I liked. I do know that I am not always right, no one ever is. I do like to think that I'm right (I'm biased, being me and all) but I know that I can't always be right and I know that I can't know everything. I'd be a fool if I thought otherwise. As an aside, I consider "right" and "wrong" to be subjective, abstract concepts.

Now I'm not going to say that the other party involved overreacted, even if that's what I honestly think. I was the person that let go of their self-control. What I will say is that some of the people that made the comments above can't know all the details either. Call me preachy, but I don't think you should pass judgements without considering all the information available. That rings true for me as well.

*Some of the quoted items have been altered for relevancy and to protect the identity of those involved.

Justice is Served, Sort of

2007-09-17T17:19:00.000-07:00

Remember that U.S. Air Force air(wo)man?

By ESTES THOMPSON, Associated Press Writer
Fri Sep 14, 6:06 PM ET

RALEIGH, N.C. - Charged with committing indecent acts after refusing to testify against a man she had accused of rape, only to see those charges later dropped, a female airman said Friday that she is no longer sure about a career in the Air Force.

"I do respect the fact that they've tried to correct the things they've done wrong," Airman 1st Class Cassandra Hernandez said in a statement released by her attorneys. "As a result of what happened this week, it does give me more hope in the system. I don't completely trust the system now."

The commander of the 43rd Airlift Wing at Pope Air Force Base decided this week to drop the charge of committing an indecent act against Hernandez, 20, who instead pleaded guilty to underage drinking and received a nonjudicial punishment, said one of her attorneys, Capt. Chris Eason.

Hernandez had been scheduled for a Sept. 24 court-martial, where she faced up to a year in prison and dismissal from the Air Force.

"I'm not angry. I'm just glad to have my life back," Hernandez said. "Overall, I'm still disappointed in how this was handled, but if they recognize the things they did wrong and can fix them for future victims, then it was all worth it."

In May 2006, about six months after she arrived at Pope, Hernandez reported she had been raped by three fellow airmen during an alcohol-fueled barracks gathering. One of the airmen was charged with rape. But after initially cooperating with prosecutors, Hernandez started to feel they no longer believed her and declined to cooperate further.

"Towards the end, I felt like I was alone," Hernandez said in an earlier interview with The Associated Press. "One reason I chose not to testify was I didn't want to put myself out there if I was not protected. I felt like I was being hung out to dry."

The Associated Press normally does not identify people alleging sexual assault, but Hernandez agreed to tell her story to reporters.

Her attorneys believe the Air Force was retaliating against her for her decision not to testify when it charged her criminally with underage drinking and committing an indecent act by having sex in the presence of others.

Three male airmen she accused of rape received nonjudicial punishment for indecent acts and were granted immunity to testify at Hernandez's trial, according to Air Force legal documents.

Capt. Beverly Mock, a wing spokeswoman, said Friday that she couldn't discuss details of the case because of privacy laws. Messages left for the prosecutors who handled the case and Col. Timothy Zadalis, commander of the 43rd Airlift Wing, were not returned Friday.

Hernandez was initially offered the same nonjudicial punishment, which Eason said she rejected because her squadron commander "had told her I am going to find you guilty."

Eason said the agreement to drop the criminal charges was reached after negotiations with prosecutors and approved by Zadalis. In a statement, he and co-counsel Capt. Omar Ashmawy said they "hope that those who are at fault are held accountable."

Hernandez enlisted in the Air Force in 2005 and was assigned as a clerk to the 43rd Airlift Wing, a unit whose missions include flying the paratroopers of the Army's 82nd Airborne Division into combat.

Ashmawy said his client is receiving support from the Air Force "as a result of the real psychological and physical trauma suffered from this sexual assault."

"We fervently hope that the lessons learned in this case will be used in the future to prevent this kind of thing from ever happening again," Ashmawy said.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070914/ap_on_re_us/air_force_rape

Gisburne Redux

2007-09-13T17:41:00.000-07:00

Apparently, Nick Gisburne has put his website back up. Here's his explanation:

As you know I closed my web site recently, apparently a permanent thing. So once again I'm back and... I'm messing with you, right? I give that impression, I'm aware, but please understand that I find it difficult to keep on talking about atheism, purely because I feel so strongly about the things on this site and in my book. Sometimes it becomes too hard for me to look at what religion does to the world, and I have to shut myself off from it, completely. I'm complicated, that's all I can say. But here, by popular demand, is the return of my web site, with my sincere apologies to those people who felt let down when I took it offline. I can almost guarantee this will not be the last time I do it, but please stick with me through the bad times!

Read this blog entry to see why I decided not to leave after all.

Yay!

Christians, Baha'i's and Buttons, Oh My!

2007-09-07T21:09:00.000-07:00

I know a lot of people are going to ask "Why have you been criticizing Christianity so much lately?" or "Why don't you criticize a different Abrahamic religion? Why not even a non-Abrahamic religion?" Well let me try to explain things to you.

I do not necessarily believe that faith is a bad thing; it is when faith is not tempered by reason that it concerns me. I am more than willing to allow someone to hold and express their beliefs as long as they do not interfere with my rights to the same. I don't think that I would particularly mind if someone called me a "Satan worshiper" and that I would "burn in Hell" as long as they let me say how ridiculous I think that their beliefs are. Of course, if they repeatedly harassed me, I would have no compunction against taking them to civil court. If our roles were reversed, I would expect them to do the same.

Yesterday, I had a Christian evangelist tell me "I'm not tolerant and I'm proud of it." He also said "One way to God, right?" Frankly, a find this level of zealotry disturbing. I wouldn't even classify it as an extreme level of zealotry, considering what you see on the Internet and in the Middle East.

I don't buy that there is one way to God either, if there is one (which I doubt). I can see four possibilities if God does exist: God is malevolent, God is indifferent, God is omni-benevolent and our perception of God is completely inaccurate, or God is insane. If I say that God may exist, I shouldn't discount that a multitude of gods could exist either.

Now that that's out of the way, I want to address something. I want to point out that the Baha'i faith is probably one of the most tolerant I've seen. I'm not going to pick at any of their theological or metaphysical beliefs, but rather a few things that I think will create issues for the faith in the future.

1) The Baha'i faith views scientific inquiry as essential to expanding Human knowledge and deepening the faith of Baha'i adherents. Considering that I believe that God or some other divine aspect cannot be proven or disproven I find it interesting that the Baha'i faith supports scientific inquiry when historically most religions have been opposed to it. Historically, most religions are opposed to scientific inquiry because of contradictions with various beliefs within those religions. Just take a look at Galileo or Darwin. But consider this: What if the existence of a divine entity could be empirically disproven? I am sure that it would very much shake the Baha'i religion to its very core. I doubt that this could happen however, and I find it more of an interesting question to pose than something I could see becoming an issue. The one place where the Baha'i faith and science knock heads is #2.

2) The Baha'i faith rejects homosexuality. This is the one place I know of where science and the Baha'i faith have a contradiction. While the Baha'i faith teaches equality between people and the elimination of prejudices, sexual orientation is absent from their list of groups of Humans where prejudice should be eliminated. Others have said it before me, and I predict that this will cause tensions within the Baha'i faith in the future.

3) Women are excluded from serving on the Universal House of Justice. This is mostly for the same reasons as #2, with the Baha'i faith's teachings of equality and elimination of prejudice.

4) Followers believe that there will eventually be a single world government. I'm not going to deny that it could happen, but I doubt it. The closest we have come to this is the United Nations, and I doubt that we will go much farther. Groups of people with similar ideals would break off from a united world government and form their own nations. Self-determination has happened many times in the past and I don't see why this would change in the future.

5) It had been my understanding that the Baha'i faith also believed in a single unifying language for humankind. However the official website of the Baha'i International Community cites "the need for a universal auxiliary language."

And just a couple minor notes to finish off with:

The link to Nick Gisburne's website is no longer in the sidebar. He has taken down his website because he is no longer interested in discussing Atheism. This means some of the links in my older posts may not work correctly.

Also, if you're wondering what's been happening with the buttons, you have no need to fret. I decided that it would be easier to post all the buttons once the challenge is over than to post them every week.

ReligiousTolerance.org Article

Baha'i International Community Website

Cultural Appropriation and Irony

2007-08-31T19:21:00.000-07:00

Some of you that read my blog, in fact most of you, will probably know that I attended a Christian youth group for a while. Personally, I considered this mostly an excuse to hang out with my friends that were Christian.

This group held their meetings on Friday evenings, and it would involve a sermon of some sort. Usually, I would critically examine these sermons, as a sort of mental exercise. I think that it also made the time pass a bit faster. The sermons that the first pastor would give were pretty good, and I felt that even non-Christians, people of a secular nature, could gain something from listening to them.

After the first pastor left and was replaced, the sermons became noticeably different. They were delivered with more of an authoritative voice, a voice with more fervor. It also seemed that the message in these sermons was uniquely Christian, and that someone of a secular nature would have little if anything to gain from listening to them. One of my friends described him as more of a "fire and brimstone" preacher than the first pastor had been.

One Friday night, this pastor used a Native American folk story to illustrate a point. At the time, I was a bit annoyed that he had gotten some of the wording wrong. (If this seems a bit anal to you, you should know that I suffer from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.) Afterwords, I told him that he had gotten some of the wording wrong. He chuckled and waved it off with "It's just a legend. The wording doesn't matter." I walked off, a bit more annoyed than I had been because of his comment. The irony of the entire situation didn't occur to me until a week or so ago.

First, the Native American oral tradition is a very important one. For centuries, the oral tradition was the only way that the Native Americans had to pass their creation myths, legends, and fables on to the next generation. I have no doubt that they took it very seriously, including the exact wording of these stories. I am not saying that these stories did not change; they undoubtedly did over the centuries, even if only a little bit.

Second, is it really appropriate for a member of the Christian faith to use a Native American story to illustrate a point? I'm talking about a religion that actively tried to convert the indigenous peoples of North America, tried to destroy their culture, and herded them on to reservations so more land would be available for European settlement. Not to mention residential schooling, an issue that is still being dealt with by the government today. I do not think that it is appropriate for an evangelical Christian to use a Native American parable to perpetuate their faith's goals.

Third, the irony! It's only a story and the wording doesn't matter? I wish you would apply that reasoning to your own faith! There are hundreds of contradictions in the Bible and the Bible has been translated countless times, after being passed down orally for generations! I would say something to the effect of "It's the message, not the details that matter" but the Bible has so many contradictions and some of Christianity's central beliefs are so cruel that they are tantamount to abuse!

Now you might expect me to warn people about thinking about what they say before they say it, lest it reflect badly upon them. I'm not going to say that. It serves as a warning to the rest of us.

"Properly read, the Bible is the most potent force for atheism ever conceived."

-Isaac Asimov

Air Force Charges Victim in Her Own Rape

2007-08-08T16:10:00.000-07:00

Sorry to do this to you guys again, but I had to share this.

This news item made my stomach turn: Cassandra Hernandez, a female Air Force airman was raped, reported her attack and then subsequently became a court-martial defendant, herself.
The story goes down like this: Hernandez was at a party, where she was drinking. She says that three male airman raped her. She went to the hospital and filed a report accusing her attackers. Due to stress and harsh interrogation tactics by the Air Force, she eventually refused to testify against the airmen.

The Air Force then charged her with underage drinking (of which she admits to being guilty, but that's hardly the point, now is it?) and, along with her three attackers,"indecent acts." I had a hell of a lot of trouble finding an official definition for "indecent acts," and the best one I came up with is a "form of immorality relating to sexual impurity which is not only grossly vulgar, obscene, and repugnant to common propriety, but tends to excite lust and deprave the morals with respect to sexual relations." Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but the basic translation seems to be "a sexual act, particularly one that is not generally accepted in society, such as sex with multiple partners."

So. The woman was raped. By three men. She reported her rape. She was harassed by her superiors, to the point where she became too afraid to testify. The Air Force took this as meaning that the sex was therefore consensual (which isn't what it means at all), and charged her in the case of her own rape. If she loses her case, she could be publicly registered as a sex offender.

Sounds like it couldn't get any worse, right? But it does. How? The three alleged attackers were offered sexual assault immunity to testify against Hernandez on the indecent acts charge. Having at least half a brain cell among them, they accepted.

Hernandez is writing to her congresspeople and her Governor, Rick Perry, in a desperate plea to end this madness. Once you finish throwing up, crying, breaking things, etc., I strongly suggest that you write, too.

IMPORTANT CORRECTION: Apparently, the correct action to take is to write directly to YOUR congresspersons. You can find the information to write to your Representative here, and the information to write to your Senators here. It is a good idea to include one of the links to articles about thecase, so that they know specifically what you are referring to.

Shamelessly taken from here. I know that as Canadians it's pointless to write to U.S. politicians, but I think this is ridiculous. Muse out.

Chuck Norris Has Lost All My Respect and Adoration.

2007-08-07T21:18:00.000-07:00

I did intend to make this post about my trip to Europe, but through the glory that is Nick Gisburne's website, I found my way to Objective: Ministries. I will now, for your pleasure, create a list of humourous things (or at least things that I find humourous) that I have found on the website.

1. They claim that the Internet was created by the United States of America, that the United States of America is a Christian nation, and that it is their Internet.

2. They have a section on "Evolutionist Propaganda," a section entitled "Those Wacky Evolutionists," and use a racial slur: "Chinamen."

3. Their "Mall Missions" section is too large for me to give a full account. At one point, they draw conclusion about the names of various retail stores. Here's my favorite bit, describing teenagers: "Called "Mall Rats" in their nihilistic Secular culture, they can often be found hanging around malls after public school doing nothing constructive."

4. Their "Anti-Occult" section. Again, this is too large for a full account. It has an image of druids performing a ceremony in front of a tree. The caption reads: "Typical Druid coven sacrificing a human to a tree." I recommend that you listen to their recording of a druid ceremony for additional hilarity.

5. Their "4 Kidz" [sic] section. My favorites are "Habu's Corner" which is nothing but a testimony to ignorance (Hindus are henotheistic, not polytheistic) and "Spiritual Safety Tip" which provides information on what a child should do if they encounter an atheist. Go ahead, click on Mr. Gruff's head! He's right about one thing: "Coffee's the only thing that gives me solace!"

6. Their online store features clothing with images of a laughing Jesus with the caption LOL (Love Our Lord.) Unfortunately, this includes a thong with a laughing Jesus conveniently missing the "LOL: Love Our Lord." NOW I know why Jesus is laughing.

7. The banner ads. Here are some highlights:

-One of those banner Flash games where you need to hit something. You need to hit a "beatnik atheist" carrying a sign reading "I hate God" with a Bible. The prize? A free Bible, how unimaginative.

-A National Council on Bible Curriculum in Public Schools ad featuring Chuck Norris as a spokesman. Chuck Norris, you have just lost all my respect. ...Please don't kill me.

-"Armor of God" Pajamas. This doesn't need explaining.

-I'm just going to quote this one: "The Presidential Prayer Team For Kids. Hey kids! President Bush needs your prayers!" The Hell he does.

-"Bible Bar: Contains the eight foods of Deuteronomy 8:8"

-"His Essence: Candles that smell like our Lord."

-"Useabeliever.com: Because I don't want my money supporting non-Christians." I didn't know that Christians had their own Yellow Pages.

-Biblical Action Figures. Enough said.

-An ad for the Christian Hackers Association reading: "JESUS IS L33T3R THAN NEO" or "GOD HAS UNIVERSAL ROOT."

-"Have you seen pornography on the Internet? It is illegal to distribute obscene material over the Internet. make a report!" Bullsh*t. The Internet is an unregulated medium for the transfer of information.

-"Did you know that Pat Robertson can leg press 2000 pounds? How does he do it?" [insane laughter] Apparently he uses protein shakes.

-An ad that in part reads "Fact: Being gay takes 30 years off your life! That's not cool..." That's also not true, fundie.

-I can't read the banner ad for this one, so here's the website.

-An ad for 1-in-3 Trinity Christian Energy Drink. "Refuel your Faith!"

-"Straight Pride [Trade Mark]. Show your pride, get a bride! Got a womb? Get a groom!" I can't wait to hear the feminists rage about this one.

-"Works Through Faith: W.T.F. Ministries." I don't need to explain this, do I?

-"Larry Dye, The Creation Guy!" How bad is it when you need to parody a name that's lame to begin with? (All apologies to Bill Nye, The Science Guy. We know you're awesome.)

-An ad for Fight the Good Fight Ministries. It has the caption "Satan wants your children!" with a pair of blond lesbians kissing. I'm sold.

-This ad features a gun pointed at the reader with the caption "Evolutionists want to murder you. You are just an animal to them."

-"Book 22: Intimacy products for married couples." It's a reference to the Song of Solomon. I admit, I don't think I've ever heard of a sex store catering specifically to Christians before. After taking a look at their merchandise, I don't think that (their) God would approve.

Peace out, readers. The Muse is stopping here.

English 101

2007-06-27T12:15:00.000-07:00

I took this picture outside the local Dairy Queen a few days ago. I think whoever put the sign up needs to take English 101 again.

"Me fail English? That unpossible!" -Ralph Wiggum

P.S. I'm sorry that you, my loyal readers, never got your rant. You probably aren't.

The Alaskan Wolf Hunt

2007-06-06T17:54:00.000-07:00

Will someone stop the Alaska wolf hunt, please?

April Button Update

2007-04-20T18:05:00.000-07:00

Here are the buttons from the last six weeks, more or less in order:

Iraq is Arabic for Vietnam [It isn't, really]
We're making enemies faster than we can kill them [We really need to do something about that aggro, eh?]
Stewart-Colbert 2008 [I don't really have a comment for this one]
Just plain evil without my coffee [I wore this as a joke for a coworker]
If you're so pro-life, try getting one! [I might have gone a bit overboard, but honestly, do these people have nothing better to do in their spare time?]
Against gay marriage? Don't marry one! [I wore this for the Day of Silence this week]

If you're lucky, maybe you'll get a rant tomorrow.

Day of Silence

2007-04-18T18:03:00.000-07:00

Speak up for those who can't.

[/irony]

Fate or Coincidence?

2007-03-12T18:06:00.000-07:00

I left school early last Wednesday to go to the walk-in clinic. I bruised a tendon in my foot Tuesday afternoon at Judo. When I sat down on the bus, I looked behind me and found a brochure for this place.

I knew that you could get a degree in philosophy, and that metaphysics was a subschool of philosophy, but I never thought of a school devoted entirely to the subject. Given how unsure I am with what I want in a career, and my recent interest in spirituality, I thought that it was an interesting find.

So, fate or coincidence?

Button for Mar. 3 - Mar. 9: The Patriot Act: Turning Citizens into Suspects Since 2001

Over The Hills...

2007-03-01T19:06:00.000-08:00

...And far away.

I fear that I'm losing my faith in Humanity. I blame it on reading FSTDT.com every day since Tuesday.

The House of Commons is also driving me nuts. The partisanship is insane.

This Week's Button: Happiness is a journey, not a place.

A Long Overdue Rant and Buttons Update

2007-02-20T17:23:00.000-08:00

I've decided to post the buttons that I bought but never really wore. AfterVerner and Kai were right. I originally came up with the whole idea of wearing a button every week as a way to express myself without ever saying anything. I've always been a bit shy about expressing my beliefs on social issues. I think it's because I fear being ostracized. Anyway, here they are:

Jan. 6 - Jan. 12: God Loves You! Some restrictions may apply...

Jan. 13 - Jan. 19: Please Jesus, protect me from your followers!

Jan. 20 - Jan. 26: How long until evolution eliminates the Christian Right?

Jan. 27 - Feb. 2: Just another soulless atheist in search of world peace and harmony.

Feb. 3 - Feb. 9: Truth is the first casualty of war.

(Friggernaffy! I missed a week!)

This week: No really, I live for these creepy, awkward moments.

Now let me explain a few things. One, I realize the irony in AfterVerner being the first one to encourage me to post them. Second, I have nothing against Christians.

I remember when I was younger, probably about six or seven, recieving a couple of Bibles as a gift. I'm sure that they were from someone that didn't know my family very well. They were the kind of Bibles with the colourful illustrations of Noah's ark or Jesus, and proclamied that the pages within contained 'the greatest story ever told.' They were the kind of Bibles with all of the 'fire and brimstone' type passages removed, probably to avoid scaring any little kids.

I read them in their entirety, as I did with any other book. After completing them, I couldn't help but feel confused. I simply couldn't believe it. This was the greatest story ever told? Other people actually believed this and accepted it as fact?

I should probably mention at this time that I was raised an atheist, as far as I can tell. We never prayed, we never talked about spiritual belief. I had only been in a church once, as far as I could remember. Our neighbours (who weren't very devout) invited us because their kids were getting baptized. I remember feeling out of place, and I didn't understand the purpose of getting baptized. I don't think I fully understand it today.

I realize that the majority of Christians are good people. It's people like this and people who use parts of the Bible like this and this to justify their prejudices. Also people who make websites like this and this and this and this.

Also, hypocrisy. This is not the love that Jesus was talking about. Memo to the religious right: Get your heads out of the sand. (I mean 'right' in terms of the political spectrum.)

I do my best to treat these people based on who they are, not what they are. I only wish they had the wisdom and respect to do the same.

And that is why I'm not a Christian. (Or any other Abrahamic religion, for that matter, but I don't have anything against them either other than for the same reasons I outlined here.)

Short Update

2007-02-07T18:03:00.000-08:00

I decided to take a cue from Laura Matthews and make a list, but with a twist.

Things I Want to Do Between Death and Reincarnation:

1. Float around in the ether.

2. Scare people having an astral shift.

3. Say hello to Guenhwyvar. (This one won't make sense unless you've read R.A. Salvatore.)

Ozy & Millie

2007-01-26T23:12:00.000-08:00

Hello readers. While browsing the internet, as I am wont to do, I came across a link that I'd like to share with you. It's a webcomic, one that (to me, anyway) bears a resemblance to Calvin & Hobbes. It's philosophical, has social commentary, and has the simple humour and wisdom of a pair of young children. Things that I think we are lacking today. It also has an eccentric ex-hippie dragon.

Notable quotes range from the insightful, to the simply absurd:

"To mindlessly do the opposite of what everyone else is doing is merely another way of making oneself a slave to popular opinion."

"Always proactively untwist octagonal hippopotamus pants."

Meet Ozy & Millie: http://www.ozyandmillie.org/index.html

...I want a top-hat and John Lennon sunglasses.

It's gone...for now.

2007-01-22T18:17:00.000-08:00

You may have noticed that I didn't post the button I bought on Saturday, or last Saturday. I thought that some people may have found them offensive, so I haven't posted them or worn them much. If you browse EVOLVE Fish long enough, you'll probably come across them.

I've decided to shave off my beard. I don't think it will look as good with my hair grown out, so I'm going to see what it's like without it for awhile. I also thought about getting rid of my sideburns, but I'll leave them for now. I don't think that they will clash with the rest of my appearance.

And now, I'm stealing this from Kai (sorta):

*ABC of Me*
The Letter A
Are you available?:	Yes.
What is your age?:	Seventeen, nearly eighteen.
What annoys you?:	Conservatives.
The Letter B
Do you live in a big house?:	No.
When is your birthday?:	March fifth.
Who is your best friend?:	Please don't make me choose.
The Letter C
What's your favorite candy?:	Those pink and blue coke bottles. I think.
Who's your crush?:	None currently.
When was the last time you cried?:	I can't remember.
The Letter D
Do you daydream?:	Yes.
What's your favorite kind of dog?:	Alaskan Malamute/German Shepard?
What day of the week is it?:	Monday.
The Letter E
How do you like your eggs?:	Scrambled, if I must.
Have you ever been in the emergency room?:	Yes.
What's the easiest thing ever to do?:	Nothing.
The Letter F
Have you ever flown in a plane?:	Yes.
Do you use fly swatters?:	Yes.
Have you ever used a foghorn?:	No.
The Letter G
Do you chew gum?:	Occasionally.
Are you a giver or a taker?:	Both? Karma can be confusing sometimes.
Do you like gummy candies?:	Yes.
The Letter H
How are you?:	Tired.
What color is your hair?:	Brown.
The Letter I
What's your favorite ice cream?:	Cotton Candy, maybe?
Have you ever ice skated?:	Yes.
Do you play an instrument?:	No, but I used to.
The Letter J
What's your favorite jelly bean brand?:	Jelly Belly, I guess.
Do you wear jewelry?:	Sometimes.
The Letter K
Who do you want to kill?:	No one. Preferably.
Do you want kids?:	I don't know yet.
Where did you go for kindergarten?:	Sidney Elementary.
The Letter L
Are you laid back?:	Yes.
Do you lie?:	Yes. Or would that be no?
The Letter M
Whats your favorite movie?:	Lord of the Rings/Star Wars/Dragon Heart
Do you still watch Disney movies?:	Sure, why not?
Do you like mangos?:	No.
The Letter N
Do you have a nickname?:	Yes.
What is your real name?:	Jared.
Whats your favorite number?:	Six?
Do you prefer night over day?:	Yes.
The Letter O
What's your one wish?:	I'd tell you, but then it might come true.
Are you an only child?:	Yes.
The Letter P
What one fear are you most paranoid about?:	What people think of me.
What are your pet peeves?:	Bad spelling and grammar.
What's a personality trait you look for in people?:	Intelligence.
The Letter Q
What's your favorite quote?:	"I hate quotations. Tell me what you know." - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Are you quick to judge people?:	No.
The Letter R
Do you think you're always right?:	No. Or would that be yes?
Are you one to cry?:	Yes.
The Letter S
Do you prefer sun or rain?:	Sun.
Do you like snow?:	Yes.
What's your favorite season?:	Winter.
The Letter T
What time is it?:	6:49
What time did you wake up?:	6:15
When was the last time you slept in a tent?:	August.
The Letter U
Are you wearing underwear?:	Yes.
Underwear or boxers?:	Underwear....
The Letter V
What's the worst veggie?:	Zucchini.
Where do you want to go on vacation?:	Nearly everywhere.
The Letter W
What's your worst habit?:	Procrastination.
Where do you live?:	British Columbia, Canada.
What's your worst fear?:	Being forgotten in history.
The Letter X
Have you ever had an x-ray?:	Yes.
Have you seen the x-games?:	No.
Do you own a xylophone?:	No.
The Letter Y
Do you like the color yellow?:	Not particularly.
What's one thing you yearn for?:	Understanding.
The Letter Z
Whats your zodiac sign?:	Pisces.
Do you believe in the zodiac?:	Sure, why not?
Favorite zoo animal?:	Tigers, maybe?
Take this survey Find more surveys Bzoink - The Original Survey Site

End of Winter Break

2007-01-06T14:15:00.000-08:00

So it's the end of winter break and school starts tomorrow. Hoo-rah. (That was sarcasm.) The holiday season was eventful, full of family and friends, games, and discussion. As I remarked to one friend while gift shopping (mostly for others but I did get a few things for myself), "I've spent more than I should have but less than I would have liked."

My mother had a hysterectomy after Christmas (for health reasons), but is out of the hospital now and is recovering nicely.

Marcie has behaved moderately well, and she begins puppy classes on Thursday. You know how they say that pets resemble their owners? Since I started growing my hair out, I've developed tufts of hair on the sides of my neck below my ears. They look awfully similar to the ones that Marcie has grown in the past few weeks.

I've never grown my hair out before, and I've become a bit fond of my pelage. I'm sure that the novelty will wear out in time though.

I don't have much that I would like to say (or would care to say) so I'm going to end with the buttons for this week and the past four weeks.

Dec. 9 - Dec. 15: There never was a good war or a bad peace. -Benjamin Franklin

Dec. 16 - Dec. 22: Oh well, I wan't using my civil liberties anyway.

Dec. 23 - Dec. 29: I think, therefore I'm liberal.

Dec. 30 - Jan. 5: Everything I need to know about live I've learned by reading banned books.

This week: America: The best democracy corporate lobbyists can buy.

P.S. I tried the blossoming tea at Serious Coffee. It's pretty good, unless you steep it too long. I think that about half of what you pay for is for the show though, but I would still recommend it.

STD and B.

2006-12-02T16:08:00.000-08:00

No, not sexually transmitted diseases and bears. Starbucks, Tanner's, December, and Buttons. Although "Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Bears" sounds like it would make an interesting research topic. [Just out of curiosity, I googled it and found nothing relevant. But I did find this:
The STD Bear

Our weekly meeting at Starbucks was once again [insert appropriate adjective here.] We had a fairy brief discussion on the Liberal Leadership Race in Montreal, before moving on to other, more mundane and humours matters. I think I may have even scarred Jon for life. On another note, I made myself a pair of environmentally friendly, 60% post-consumer fibre bracelets from some coffee cup sleeves.

After Starbucks, some of us went to Tanner's to browse. The clerk commented that it was my third time visiting that day. I had browsed on the first and third visits, I bought an issue of Dragon Magazine and a copy of Moon Called by Patricia Biggs on my second visit. Starting to sound like last week, isn't it?

December. Where the heck did that come from!? October only seems like it was yesterday. [I know October isn't a day of the week, thank you.] This month of the year seems so very far away around February or March, but when you get to around October or November, it almost feels like time accelerates. It's not possible of course, but hey, time flies when you're having fun.

Before I forget, I went to the Serious Coffee that opened next to the Red Brick Cafe. The coffee was about as good as what they have at the Red Brick Cafe [Which isn't saying much] and the price and quantity was comparable to Ralph's Coffee and Tea House. The food they had when I visited looked comparable to what one might find at Alexander's or Cafe Med on Beacon Avenue. [The Red Brick Cafe beats them there.] The only things that I liked: The modern atmosphere, the original art on the walls [for sale!] and the fact that they had a flat-panel television. They also had "Flowering White Tea" which I think I will have to go back and try. It definately seems like a 'once in a while' coffee shop to me.

I also went into town with Mike. The Mayfair Shopping Centre, specifically. He was kind enough to buy me an early Christmas present, despite all my protests. Now I have to get him something...

This Week's Button: Get real, like Jesus would ever own a gun and vote Republican.

Snow Day?

2006-11-27T15:49:00.000-08:00

So today is a... snow day. That never happens here. Theoretically, anyway.

Infrastructure here is all but non-existant. The electricity is out in many areas, and the city doesn't have a budget for snowploughs. At least we don't have the turbidity warnings here, like they do in Vancouver. Or as Uncyclopedia calls it, the "Drink Beer" advisory.

I think what has surprised me the most is how much people are complaing. They should spend a winter east of the Rockies and see what they think then. I keep thinking to myself, "Suck it up, you're Canadian!" whenever I hear someone complaining about the snow.

So not long after we got our electricity back, Werner calls and wants to set up a game of Risk at my house. So after some negotiations, the deal is done and he shows up with his rag-tag bunch of Risk enthusiests.

After our game finished [we decided that Werner was the winner, we never actually finished] we went to Jon's, picked up a copy of Civilizations IV, then went back to my house and started a game. Tommy even dropped by briefly.

Well, now I'm out of blogging material....

Starbucks and the Button a Week Challenge Continues...

2006-11-25T15:22:00.000-08:00

I spent way too much money today. I don't have the reciepts with me, but I figure I spent somewhere in the neighbourhood of 50~70 dollars. I guess it's hard to resist the temptation the day after you get your paycheck. The problem is, I need to save so I can pay for my trip to England and France this June.

Here's a rundown of what I bought, if memory serves:

Issue of PC Gamer [with CD]
Teach Yourself Visually Guide to Knitting
A day-by-day calendar for 2007 [with discount]
Benighted by Kit Whitfield [with discount]
Coffee at Ralph's
Latte at Starbucks

Not paying for any of it with a Mastercard: Priceless.

After my shopping spree, I went over to a Kyle E 's house and to Starbucks in the evening to meet with Werner and Matthew P. I had intended to discuss Stephen Harper's recognition of Quebec as "a nation within Canada." However, we quickly moved on to other topics, notably Werner's vintage Soviet longcoat.

After, we went to Tanner's Books and had a fun time browsing. One notable find was "The Worst Case Scenario Survival Guide to History." It included such gems as how to win a bayonet fight, defend a medieval castle, and how to defect from the USSR.

Until next time,

-JarJar_Head

This Week's Button: Never apologize for your art.

Knitting, you say?

2006-11-23T17:04:00.000-08:00

Here I am, sitting at my computer desk, knitting of all things. Knitting. But that doesn't make me feel strange. It's listening to Ozzy Osbourne and Metallica while I'm knitting that makes me feel strange.

For those who don't know, a knitting bee was held at the church last night to make scarves for the homeless. I'm sorry, I mean residentially challenged. That's much more politically correct. It's been a while since I tried knitting last, probably about eight months. I actually learned how to 'cast on' this time. It was something I had tried to learn before, but I forgot how to do it after every stitch I started. At the time, it had just been easier for someone else to start it for me.

Of course, we all make mistakes, and I'm no exception, if not a prime example. I drop stitches, gain stitches, some of my stitches are too tight, and some of them are too loose. But it's only my first project, and I'm content with my progress.

As the sweater says, "Cool kids knit." Of course there's also the less often seen "It's hip to knit."

The Button a Week Challenge

2006-11-18T18:18:00.000-08:00

First, a little background. For quite some time, I've imagined myself as an activist or philantropist. Seems I imagine things a lot. Between the time I spend at school, work, and my social life, I'm left with little time to be a fairly active activist and I have little unused funds to be a decent philanthropist. Additionally, I'm very quiet about my beliefs for fear of critisizm. I suppose you could say that I have a weak self-esteem. But enough on this.

While browsing the products at http://www.evolvefish.com, it occurred to me that many of the buttons that they sell (mostly activist oriented) are also available at a local music store. Convienent for me, seeing as I don't have a credit card and I want to avoid international shipping fees. The one downside to this is that the music store's selection is somewhat limited.

This foray into Internet window shopping (Did I just make a pun?) gave me an idea: wear a button every day, every week, for a year; with a different button each week.

52 buttons. 117.54 dollars. (Tax incl.)

What have I gotten myself into?

This Week's Button: "Coffee is God."