If you like to play games come on over to Evony (has to be this link to be on the same server as me), and join my alliance AFTER (alliance for the evony resistance)… I need officers and stuff too…
Build Cities, attack other cities, and so on… Lots of fun, and easy to get in to. Because of the growth time it is a great game for people with lots of time, and those with not very much time… FREE of course, I don’t like to pay to play. 
Fun Fun Fun
I am borrowing a post from Logical Complex Infinitive, I want to note that I don’t agree with everything that is said in the argument by any means. However, I found the argument to be good enough that I wanted more people to see it. I would ask that if you want to talk about the subject matter go ahead and do so here. However, if you want to talk about the finer points please do so on the original blog. Thanks
By now, we all know about President Obama’s visit to Notre Dame. It was filled with controversy for Christians and especially for Catholics. Please! Get real! I have 2 quick observations:
First, I find it fascinating that the Republican party – the party that prides itself on less regulation and more personal responsibility – is so determined to pursue Constitutional Amendments against gay marriage and abortion. Whatever happened to leaving regulations to the States? Whatever happened to leaving personal matters to individuals’ decisions? Clearly, all that big talk apply only if they agree with your religious views and political agendas.
Second, let’s assume abortion is killing a living baby. I can truly accept and, in a way, believe that. Now, some one tell me how abortion can be viewed as a much worse act than killing a living person. Remember the 10 Commandments? Remember the sixth one: thou shalt not murder? No where does it say thou shalt not murder only the unborn.
I find it absolutely hypocritical that most Christians who are so against abortion are precisely the same individuals whose core ideology is the same as that of Rush Limbaugh’s and Dick Cheney’s. The same ideology that merits we (the U.S.) are the king of the world, we should govern the world and protect ourselves at any cost, and if some innocent lives are lost in the process, so be it. Every time we drop bombs and rockets to kill terrorists, we inevitably kill some innocent by-standards in the process. Some of those innocent souls are children, newborns and even unborn. Therefore, we are violating the sixth commandment. Where’s the outrage? Where are the protests?
In no way am I suggesting that we should not fiercely protect ourselves or avoid pre-emptive strikes. And I’m not so naive to think that we can do all that with no non-military casualties. But then I don’t have an existential crisis, and I’m not hypocritically against abortion while practically supporting the deaths of unborn and pregnant women in war. That is not for me to resolve. Those of you Christians who are against abortion and thought Obama’s visit to Notre Dame was an abomination must work this out between yourselves and your God. And be careful what conclusion you reach. If you believe that God agrees with your views and supports your plan, you have reached the wrong conclusion. It should be exactly the opposite!
Eternal damnation is not just for those who support or perform abortion. It is also for those who violate the sixth commandment. That could be you. Think about it.
(I am not being sarcastic by the way, I love the republican this is for.)
There are many people in my little neighborhood, that I have been to meetings with (many meetings) to do with the school in my little neighborhood shutting down. There is one that is quite liberal, so I will focus this entirely upon him. He has been to Christmas dinner with Dustin’s family (while I was there). He goes to the fireman’s ball every year (I go most years), he sometimes goes to the chili feed, and the list goes on. Yet despite all that time that I have spent at the same places with him, and despite all the talks we have had, I would call him just a guy from my neighborhood. (One of those was so intimate as to have been a birthday for one of my kids.) Would that make me not honest? I certainly don’t think so, I don’t see us having any sort of relationship. Our relationship is nothing beyond that which my mind, and his mind say it is. Our minds are what defines our relationship. (Think about this for a minute. If I sleep with someone we are still no more than what we define ourselves as, we aren’t what those looking at our relationship define our relationship as.)
Interpretation: The problem with interpretation of anything, is that whoever is doing it is biased to their way of life. Do I feel that the church that caused Obama so much problem was racist? Maybe a little. Do I think it was way over the top? No, but I have spent a lot of time going to a lot of churches. Most in the south, are like what America got so upset about with this church. Most that I attended weren’t full of black people, rather white people and so the racist sounds normally were aimed at the black people instead of the white people, the the terms are still there. Preachers are still people, their thoughts aren’t going to be perfect all the time. Yes, he went to that church of his own accord. However, I doubt that he would have seen racism in the church. (They only showed us the ones that would make us feel that way.) When you go to church can you honestly say you listen to every single word that is uttered? Does that mean I don’t think he knew? I really can’t say, but I am willing to give the benefit of the doubt for this. If you aren’t that is OK… 
The words preparations and preconditions are completely different words. I prepare before I do most anything, I do not attach preconditions to most things. For friendship terms, I gas up my car before I come to visit you (this is preparation), I don’t say you can’t have anyone else at your house or I won’t visit (this is a precondition.) One doesn’t imply the other, and saying I will do one and not the other doesn’t suggest a lie.
I will not get into the war, as my personal feelings about the war get in the way of me being coherent about the subject. Let me only say that I see someone that has more understanding than he did a couple of years ago about what can and can’t happen. National security is an issue that isn’t to be taken lightly, and even doing the right thing must come in time. Even I (a total pansy peace maker) recognize more now than I did a year ago about this subject, but I don’t think that makes what I said a year ago a lie, it means I learned more and realize that sometimes we have to do things in ways that I wish we didn’t.
On the working with republicans issue, if you think he didn’t work with republicans (which I am not sure if you specifically think that or not, since this is a forward) you missed the boat on research. His voting record isn’t the thing to look at in and of itself. You see if something is going to pass with or without you, you can skip going to the vote and not worry about it. If we don’t look at the voting history of everyone in the context of what it is for we don’t get a clear picture. Sure he was said to be the most liberal one year, that doesn’t make him the most liberal, that makes his voting record the most liberal. The context is important.
I won’t get into most of the rest of it, as they are distortions of the facts. Yes, Obama is a politician. Yes, he is a lawyer, and yes he sounds like and acts like he is both. He is also the president of the US of A, and I know not everyone is happy about it. I am happy about it, and by approval ratings most of us are. Will he make mistakes? Every president and every person in history has, and I am sure he will not be the exception. I would remind that hindsight is always 20/20. Is he liberal? Pretty much. Has he mislead? Perhaps a little, but I don’t feel that is the extent of him being an all out liar. Does that mean you agree? I can’t answer that…
I can say the USA having a policy of not using extreme techniques to get answers is a great step. (Anyone who feels differently is a fool and needs to take some sociology and some psychology classes.) Not holding prisoners without any proof is a huge bonus as well. (Those that feel differently really need to look at WW2, read the history and get back to me. Wars are won at home as much as they are abroad.)
I predicted to my family; Obama would stop the US from doing those things, and I predicted he would screw up the economy trying to give the US what they want instead of what they need. 2 for 3 so far. Unless the stimulus package undergoes a major overhaul (more infrastructure, less tax cuts) I am soon to be 3 for 3. Hoping that medical will piss people off next.
This is part of my current report… Anyone want to finish it for me? LOL
I need a break
Article Review
The article titled To Win the “War on Terror,” We Must First Win the “War of Ideas”: Here’s How, by Hady Amr and P.W. Singer delves deeply into the ideas of civil rights, but adds the idea that we need to show the world we have a good standing on these issues in order deal with American’s problems with the world.
The paper begins by telling us how the world in general, views America negatively not because of our principles and values but rather because of our policies, the essential link is with the idea of how the United States deals with the issues of rights, respect, and the liberties at home. This idea is followed with the comparison, made by political leaders that compare the cold war with the current war. From that comparison it is noted that they are similar, but from the idea of how the United States won the cold war was by changing their own priorities. By confronting racism in America they showed the world that they weren’t just talk, they were also action.
As a matter of the highest national security importance, the next president should undertake the major, integrative initiative in public diplomacy and strategic communications… (Amr, Singe, 2008:215) As this suggests the next part of the article articulates exactly what America has to do in order to address the issues of communication. The remedies at home include making sure the president has specific leadership in civil liberties and reducing bigotry, and teaching more about the issue as well as addressing the issues in the United States.
Anyone want to do my COP (community oriented policing) stuff for me? I find it ultra boring, as it is in essence common sense. Plus my professor (I learned during my last exam) is totally into dates. I can barely remember my birthday and you want me to remember when the Boston police went on strike? WOW I bring that up as that is what I have to work on, most likely should already have done, and am totally putting off and writing here instead. (After all it is only a little past noon and I have until 4 o’clock to have it done, and listen to class.)
I wanted to bring something up, I know I said I wouldn’t talk political much (or anymore or something along those lines), but I didn’t know how many emails I would get. John McCain wasn’t exonerated of all charges (a citing to Wiki? come on), the court held that they didn’t have the proper authority to punish him because of his work position, not that he didn’t do it. They in fact told him that what he did was improper. (This is to do with the Keaton Five thing if anyone doesn’t understand where this is coming from.) So if you want to debate if what he did was wrong or not that is fine, but don’t say he didn’t do it.
As for the VPs, well I don’t know anything about them. As for the wives, honestly I don’t much care. I am only really interested in the presidential candidates for now. We are heading for a major economic crisis, we are in the middle of a war, and our government is quite frankly messed up. In regards to the economic problems (has anyone seen the unemployment?), and such I am totally for Obama. In regards to the war McCain understands it better, BUT his ideals are quite similar to that of Bush.
I totally admit I didn’t think we should start this war on “terror” in the first place. I thought (and still feel) that the American people only agreed to the war because of an emotional response to 9-11. (There are good reasons why the jury isn’t composed of the family of the person who died.) However, what they failed to realize is we were already spread thin (we still had other war efforts), and that the people in these places really don’t understand what the war is about. What they do know is that the war has further hurt their economies, and that many civilians have died (we are talking thousands of woman and children that had nothing to do with anything), and quite a few were killed by our “good guys”. To spell it out for you, we are coming quite close to the point where the people of these areas that aren’t in the war are going to think about taking up arms, just as you or I would if we were worried about our children/families.
So no I don’t support the war, since obviously I am not a war supporter, and I am worried about our economy. Since I am TOTALLY for our schools, and generally worried about our country, and the people here, I am more for Obama than I am for McCain. (LOL, my favorite saying so far has been when Obama said that there was something wrong with a school system that is still centered on bringing in the crops. – that is paraphrased.)
That isn’t to say that McCain is completely off his rocker, and I have no respect for him. He has had policies (such as his positions on torture) that I respect. The problem is the areas that I do respect him for he shares (or has in common) with Obama.
I didn’t feel this way at first, I was at a complete loss. I didn’t like either, and really saw no reason to vote in the first place. However, with the media totally manipulating the people (yes they are, really look who are they telling you to vote for?) I decided it was my responsibility to look into it myself. Not look at who says what about who, but look at who has done what, and for what reasons. (Specifically where our candidates come from in their ideas and what they have done in the past that shows ideas to what they are most likely to do in the future.)
Anyway, I was more likely to prefer Obama in the first place as the issues he finds more important are the issues I find more important. (Plus I was/am pro civil rights & due process, not pro crime control or to say it better I am that person who would rather see a few guilty people get away then see a few innocent people put away.) Plus I am educated enough and talk to people enough to know what they think is going on in lots of situations verses what is really happening. (Heck in one of my classes this week I had to explain that the government CAN look at who you call without a warrant, and could before the patriot acts, and that the government CAN look at your bank records without a warrant. This was a CJ major – Supreme Court Holdings (rulings) available upon request.)
The point is I was most likely going to go the direction I did anyway. However, learning about the tax fraud made up my mind in short order… (Feel free to comment, you don’t have to agree with me, and I love it if I learn something new.) As always terra@bluebottle.com to tell me in private.
