Shut that bloody bazouki player up!

Roughy, if ever there was a website for you, this is it.
I have been reading this book, The Four Agreements, in my spare time (when I’m not reading computer books, to help make WWDN not suck), and I have really fallen in love with it.
Has anyone else read this book? I really love it, because, while I actively eschew organized religion, I am drawn towards spirituality and philosophies for bettering yourself.
(yes, I cribbed this from my post in the soapbox, but I thought we needed something nice to talk about, after the flame-fest earlier today [grin] Read “more” for a great comment from that post)
Okay, I know this is totally lame, but I didn’t watch “The Practice” last night, and I wonder what happened…would someone post it in the comments?
Time for bed. There’s some SpongeBob on the way. I promise.


—MORE—
This is from JSc, who is one of the WWDN OG’s. It’s a comment from the last post, and I would like to file this under “Wish I’d said it”.

I see people hiding behind a cloak of false patriotism to avoid having to think for themselves.
Pathetic.
Patriotism is not blindly supporting your government. It is not rendering yourself insolvent in the interest of trying to prop up the economy even while the government commits itself to renewed deficit spending. It is not jumping on whatever bandwagon happens to be passing by. Patriotism is sitting, and thinking, and considering, and choosing to stand up for those things for which your nation was originally supposed to stand. Not McDonalds and Exxon and *.com and Microsoft and Starbucks. Patriotism does not include supporting the military when it invades some podunk third-world nation and starts killing civilians. Patriotism *DOES*, however, include supporting the troops who are attempting to do right by fighting for their country, however misguided a strategy may be.
Life. Liberty. Pursuit of happiness. Equality. Freedom of speech/religion/assembly/press. Freedom of THOUGHT. A government of the people, by the people, and for the people.
Vanna White’s hook. (or not?)
Patriotism most of all includes fulfilling your responsibility as a citizen to let the government know when it’s gone astray, either by voting or writing letters, or running for office (as futile as that may often seem), or just talking to people and attempting to spread knowledge and open people’s eyes.
JSc

59 thoughts on “Shut that bloody bazouki player up!”

  1. Mr. Wheaton, SIR!
    You really need to start putting links to a dictionary when You use words like “eschew” in a post….

  4. Just to be clear….
    I have no trouble understanding that “eschew” refers to a rejection of something, in this case organized religion.
    But I really feel sorry for Vanna. She’s got a hook for a hand and, even though she can spell it and light it up in 1′ x 1′ letters, I really don’t know if she can define it.
    Let’s not confuse the poor, helpless, crippled blonde?

  5. I’ve read that book, The Four Agreements. Pretty damn good, too.
    Anyway. Go you for reading it. I keep trying to remind myself to do stuff like be careful with my words, but it’s really hard. Rock on, dude.

  6. Hey JSC,
    I hope that my use of the english language hasn’t offended you; I am not really good at typing on the net. I usually try harder at writing out things. I was really impressed with everything you said on the other comment box.

  7. Wil,
    I was pretty sure that “The Practice” was a rerun last night…otherwise I would have watched that and taped “Oz.”
    Oh, great, now *I* don’t know what happened.

  8. Practice last night was about the kid with the anuyerism…I know I just butchered that word.
    Jimmy tells the parents after being instructed by the client not to say anything, then Eugene turns him in for malpractice.
    A good ep…good for Jimmy!
    Alias was a repeat too 🙁
    Frelling Superbowl.

  9. The Four Agreements? Hmm. Oprah had an article about that in her magazine. I think she did a show about it, too. I thought men hated Oprah.

  10. Hi Wil,
    You said, “I really love it, because, while I actively eschew organized religion, I am drawn towards spirituality and philosophies for bettering yourself.”
    Have you checked out my writing at: http://www.geocities.com/jerry_dechant/gardening.html
    I think if you haven’t read this yet, you might like it. Its not too long, so if you want, you could read it in one sitting. (I bet if you read it in one sitting, you will want to re-read it again later.)
    Its nice to have tools and thoughts to help us be better people and live successful, fulfilling and happy lives.

  11. Jerry,
    I didnt read your whole page that you linked but I got a kick out of the Ending:
    “I do not ask for anything in making this publication available to you, yet I know there may be some of you who appreciate it enough to make a monetary offering as a gift of appreciation. You may contact me via the email address above for my postal address information if you wish to send a monetary gift (in US Dollars) to me .”
    I did kind of glance at it and thought it would make a good sequal to the Book “Baby Steps” in the Movie “What about Bob”
    If you would like to send me something (Money Order or Pay Pal)for giving my feedback, you can contact me through my Email Address.
    Thanks.

  13. *bops you on the head with ‘forgiving wand’*
    We still love you Uncle Willy – even after all that other crap went down earlier.
    (esp. because my friend KJB is getting WAY too serious about all this commenting *waves to KJB*)
    btw – Nog would have rocked as a Hobbit and they would not have had to cgi him down to size… just an observation there
    Rock on buddidos
    *waves stupidly at KJB*
    Tish

  14. ::waves back::
    See, now this makes me think of stuff like that song, at the end of Lethal Weapon 4 –
    Why can’t we be friends?
    Why can’t we be friends?
    Why can’t we be frieeeends?
    Wait, we are….

  15. Did anyone see that Blockbuster commercial on Super Bowl Sunday? HAHA! Cute yet lame..how embarrassing that I work there. =\ SOrry had to post this.. =P

  16. Group hug everyone…
    Feel the love in the room…
    wait?!?!?!
    what is Uncle Wil doing going to bed at 9:30pm – you aren’t turning into a Grand-Pa on us are you???
    Tish

  19. Dude, i’m soooo down to start L.A. Cheeserace 2002……
    Any takers?
    cheese is my life, and my life is cheese.

  20. yep. i read the book a year or so ago… great book. hmmmm… maybe i need to refresh and read it again… as it stares at me from its shelf at 3:43am

  21. Wil! What are you doing reading books? You should be judging the Fark vs SA photoshop contest!

  24. Yark…the Flame war has made it into ‘Wil’s Big Book of Lamer Excorcisms and Other Works of High Magic’
    *Snickers*
    Uhmm…mind if I borrow that sometime? My one on ‘Computer Excorsicms and other Bannishings of Digital Demons’ might be right up you alley if you’re interested in a trade off. 🙂
    ~Kaylin

  25. Bonus!
    I don’t know if any of you guys have been following the drama at http://save.unicom.com/
    Basically it was a case of Cyber bullying.
    A Company wanted to have a domain name. The guy who owned it said no as he was using it (He was as well. It wasn’t just a case of cyber squatting. He had bought the domain name several YEARS before the company came on the scene)
    So they took him to court to make him give it up. Not the most subtle way of doing business.
    But the result is in!
    Chip won! The little guy gets to keep the domain name that was so blatantly his!
    My faith in the US justice system receives a small boost!
    (Incidentally there is a posting from our beloved Uncle Willy expressing his support in the guest book)

  26. I haven’t read The Four Agreements yet, but read enough about it to know what the four agreements are, and I’m all for it. At any given time, I have about 30 books checked out of the library–about a third are books about spirituality, a third are something along the lines of “Dreamweaver for the intellectually challenged” and a third are books I hope my homeschooled son will find interesting.
    A site I really liked, by the way, is http://wordscanheal.org. I have links to that site and some other nice ones on my own web site.

  27. Yes Wil , “The Practice” was a repeat… I too was eschewing other organized religions, like “futbol-sooperbowl” so I could work on my websites!
    Take care now!
    — B. Martin

  28. Personally, I think the best way to support troops that fight for freedom in a third world county is to help promote the day they are no longer needed to do so. I speak of peace and of international friendship because I hope for a better world. I’m sorry if I think too strangely for you, but I’ve experienced how people react to “normal thinking”. They speak against anybody who are different than they are. Be it either how they look or how they think. That is why you think I am strange because I gave a United Nations to help promote a park of international friendship.
    Well, I plan to donate more flags to be displayed at this park. This time the flags will be signed by people who agree as I do. Before the park opens in April 2003, as a form of protest, I plan to get signatures of homeless children and with AIDS on that flag so it will be displayed proudly.
    Why the United Nations? I like their declaration of Human Rights. Look it up sometime.

  29. Speaking of the word “eschew”, one of my favorite bumperstickers is the one that says:
    “ESCHEW OBFUSCATION”

  30. Wil said: “Has anyone else read this book? I really love it, because, while I actively eschew organized religion, I am drawn towards spirituality and philosophies for bettering yourself.”
    It’s a great book – I just started, and I’ve had to force myself to put it down so that I could read the other 14 books I’m supposed to be reading for my graduate classes right now… (;
    If anyone is looking for any other good books in that same “be a better person” vein, they should try “Principle-Centered Leadership” by Stephen Covey, “Ethics for the New Millenium” by the Dalai Lama, and “Zen Lessons: The Art of Leadership” translated by Thomas Cleary.

  31. *COUGH COUGH*
    Well, I watched The Practice last night, but it was in a drugged stooper… somehow I caught the flu… anyone else got it. BEWARE, its nasty.
    But it was a good one about values of life and such, and doing whats right .
    Going to lay down before I babble on incooherently
    Amy

  33. Hey guys, now that WWDN won all the goodies at the Bloggies, let’s give Roughy a chance to win a T-shirt 😉
    Vote at the Anti-Bloggies http://www.antibloggies.com/2/nominate.php# for UnrealisticExpectations.com in the following categories:
    WEBLOG OF THE MILLENNIUM 2002
    WORST CAFE PRESS GEAR
    BEST HETEROSEXUAL WEBLOG
    MOST REFERENCES TO CAT IN BLOG
    MOST LIKELY TO HAVE A CHEESE SANDWICH
    MOST CAFFEINATED BLOGGER
    Go UE!

  34. Hey Wil! You’re also a fellow SpongeBob Fan? What would be your favorite episode? I think I have seen them all and love them all. In fact, I have my SpongeBob “Best Valentine’s Ever” socks on today!
    I’ll be looking forward to what you post for SpongeBob! Good luck with Anne for V-Day!

  35. Psst… so long as you’re quoting Monty Python, you should know it’s spelled “bazouki”. Kind of like a mandolin but Greek.

  36. The Practice: TiVo said it was a rerun. From last year. Once I beat the bug, I’ll look up what it was.
    Eschew: $.25 owed to Mr. Wheaton, SIR, from Webster’s.
    Organized religion: It seems like lots of folks are being spiritual w/o being organized. Trend caused by/influenced by what?

  38. Joy said: “Organized religion: It seems like lots of folks are being spiritual w/o being organized. Trend caused by/influenced by what?”
    Bad experiences with organized religion… fed up with the dogma and the “rules” that people have made up over the years… needing to find some sort of inner peace without going through a highly choreographed set of movements and recitations?

  39. If you can’t place a bet on it in Vegas , it ain’t a sport. Exciting as it may be, Cheese Racing should be relegated to the purely amateur sports. Along with a strict drug policy to keep these people in their place. And that place is laying in a drugged out stupor in their own back yards, watching their house burn down, so they don’t wander out into the street to panhandle Velveeta at stop lights. This Cheese menace must be nipped in the bud. The Society To Eliminate Nefarious Cheese Hedonism is on the march.

  40. i’m tellin’ you, those things are just gonna puff up and smack someone in the eye.
    in the EYE.
    then where will you be?
    at the ER explaining:
    …hot…floating…cheese…
    …burned…my eyeball…
    that’s where.
    and bam! all your street cred. gone in a second.

  43. From yesterday’s comments, Gustavus (sp?) I said *Wil* was more like a Libertarian than a Democrat. 🙂
    That is all. Back to cheese racing and spirituality.

  44. “Cheese racing and spirituality” – sounds like a sequel to any number of those be-a-great-manager manuals. (;

  45. Wil,
    Just wanted to point out that, if you don’t want to miss “The Practice,” you need to git yerself a ReplayTV. I got one about 6 months ago and it quickly went on my list of things that rock. For reals.
    PS – “The Practice” was a repeat – the one with Jimmy’s great argument about breaking privelege: “I will not be judged by you.” (I watched the first 5 seconds on my Replay before deleting it.)

  46. Yes! I have read _The Four Agreements_. Actually, that’s not true. I read the book that is the follow-up to _The Four Agreements_, which is about love and relationships, but since I can’t ever remember it’s name, I always tell people about _The Four Agreements_ when they ask what spritual-type book I’ve read lately. Lame, but true. The follow-up book, whatever it’s called, felt very truthful, but also mellow at the same time. I wish I could be so rational and understanding of other people all the time as I was directly after reading that book. Good luck with it all.

  47. You guys should read the Celestine Prophesy. A really uplifting book, I couldn’t put it down 🙂
    ps kendoka are you left-handed? (: It’s backwards!

  48. firemage said: “ps kendoka are you left-handed? (: It’s backwards!”
    Actually, firemage, I’m ambidextrous, which has been quite handy over the years of taking reams and reams of class notes. When I get tired of writing with one hand, (or when I encounter a building that has NO LEFT-HANDED DESKS,)I switch. (:

  49. Of course, I’m still working on that nifty trick of simultaneously doing a complex math problem with the right hand and drawing a pretty picture with the left hand.
    That’s really hard…. /:

  50. is the title of this post taken from the cheeseshop sketch on Monty Python’s Matching Tie and Handkercheif LP, or is it just a coincidence?

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