The past few days, I’ve been in sort of a funk, and I haven’t really been able to put my finger on exactly what it is.
Until tonight.
I was talking about it with Anne tonight while we were folding our clothes, and I think we puzzled it out: it feels to me like the world is just…well, it’s just falling apart.
I don’t know if you’re hearing this if you live out of California, but a 7 year old girl was kidnapped from her own bedroom, about a month ago. Yesterday, they found a body, and today they identified it as hers. I can’t stop thinking about the incredible pain and loss that her parents are feeling, right now. I mean, jesus christ, if your kids aren’t safe in their own freaking beads, where are they safe? What the F*** happened?!
I turn on the television, and the Israleis and Palestinians are blowing the shit out of each other, every chance they get, it’s 90 degrees in FEBRUARY, and people rejoice, rather than think about the fact that maybe it’s like this from global warming and pollution. As I wrote recently, there’s a potentially innocent man about to be executed down in Missourri, one of who knows how many innocents currently facing the death penalty. Thousands of people lost EVERYTHING because of the greed and hubris of Ken Lay and the rest of Enron, and we all know that they’ll probably get away with it.
And if all that isn’t enough, I hear that there’s a sequel to Battlefield Earth in the works.
I could go on and on, but I think you get what I’m going for, here.
It’s so weird, because as recently as a few days ago, I was feelin’ just fine…but something about the kidnap and murder of this completely innocent child has made something snap inside of me, and my glass is suddenly half-empty.
Am I alone, here? Am I the only one who reads the paper, listens to NPR, and thinks that something is terribly, terribly wrong?
Sorry to be such a downer…but there are a lot of smart, thoughtful people who read the old WWDN, and I bet we’ll all figure some stuff out, if we talk about it.
Thought for today:
“Everybody wants a happy life.”
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When I first heard about that little girl, I had this sinking feeling that they’d never find her alive… There are few times when I wish I was wrong… I wish that could have been one of them.
I know what you mean about the state of the world. lately it’s all about humanity at its worst. you’d be amazed at how much good there is in the world too. but every now and then it’s good to vent…I did the other night after watching reports about Israel, and then China. both governments piss me off more than words can say. I don’t have any answers right now as to how we make things better, but maybe if we all work to better our own corners of the world, the goodness will spread….
Umm, Natalia makes this point:
“I’m also really pissed off at the media about it too. “The Next Jon Benet” they were saying. They automatically went to the parents lifestyle and started saying shit about it. That really pissed me off!!! Look, I dont get that whole wife swapping deal but its none of my or anyone elses freaggin business! Their daughter was missing and is now dead no one should care about that stuff. I mean why go there? Like the fact their daughter is missing isnt news enough that they gotta “spice” it up cuz its not sensational enough ugh!! That always gets me so mad.”
And several others have commented on the news stories they’ve seen in the media that seem to focus on the sexy and scandalous. You have to ask yourself if it’s true that they do that, or are there other things in the media that don’t catch your attention right away?
Here on the east coast, very little of the supposed salaciousness (wife swapping allegations, etc.) have been reported about Danielle’s death. It’s not really showing up on CNN.com, other than the ongoing reporting on finding the child’s body.
Let me point out respectfully however that some folks who state they are sick of the media reporting on those salacious aspects area also appear to buying the truth of those allegations, as reported by the media. I’ve seen comments that seem to blame the parents for her death because the mother was out with some friends and the father was not home. Some have said here that the parents knew the man, while every report I’ve seen (CNN, NPR, newspapers) keep pointing out that the people hardly had any contact with each other.
If what the media reports is untrue — and there was no connection with the family by the alleged murderer, and there was no wifeswapping, etc., then why this blame? Do any of us know what really happened that night? Nope — and even if the papers faithfully reported without bias, we still wouldn’t know. It was probably like any other night — Dad was home with the kids while Mom took a break with some friends. He puts the kids to bed, she comes home, and everybody gets a good night’s sleep. Next morning they wake up and the girl is gone.
My point is that there are about a hundred sides to this story, and the only one we will never know is Danielle’s. What her parents did or did not do is swallowed up in the fact that she is dead, and that apparently a neighbor did the deed.
We (as a species) are often quick to point out blame, to find interest in the salacious and lurid — and when we don’t like the way it goes, we blame the messenger rather notice the three fingers that point back to ourselves every time we point one finger of blame somewhere else.
We’re all in this together folks, and to paraphrase an idea from something I read somewhere, we get the hell we deserve. On the othr side of the coin, we get the heaven we deserve, too.
So, as so many others have said here, it’s up to us — each and every one of us — to make things good in our own little corner of the cosmic sandbox. If you sit in your corner and piss and moan, it will be obvious. If you acknowledge that shit happens and try to move on and make life better for yourself and your loved ones, then so much the better.
Augh. I gotta get off this soapbox. 🙂
“Jerry” is right. The “NOW” is all there is.
BE HERE NOW. Its all ANY of us really have.
Enjoy the now..while you’re here..cause sooner
or later it and you and us will be gone.
Telemarketers are evil people. I know you have to earn a living, but to come into my home, uninvited, albeit by telephone, trying to sell me something I don’t need IS WRONG! If I wanted it, I’d know it and go to Target or Walmart or some other store and buy it.
My phone rang at 6:07 this morning – with the all familiar beeping of a computer dialed call – checking to see if it was a live number. 6:0fucking7 in the morning.
**Oh thank GOD I don’t work the morning shift!!! I understand that too!
I am not nice when telemarketers call. I don’t abuse you, but you’re calling me, at the most inopportune times, is abuse or harrassment in my eyes. You (well, the company you work for)are abusing the privilege of calling me.
*I totally agree there! I can’t control when the computer dials. My company opens at 9 AM and doesn’t stop until 11 PM CST.
So, I let you know where you can take your product. And when I tell you NO, I mean NO. I’ve had to tell telemarketers 2 and 3 times that I’m not interested and finally hang up on them.
**Here is what I do…They tell me to be pushy at work, and I can’t. I’m a HORRIBLE Salesman and if I could find a job EASIER then this one I would!!
I say hi I am calling on behalf of… and (promote the product) and then they say “I am not interested” and then I ask, “Why aren’t you interested?” and I am usually nice about it. I don’t push people to no end, y’know? Because that infuriates em’ more.
I don’t wish to do that. If they say, “The reason I am not interested is because…” and I’ll say “oh okay I understand, thank you for your time…” and thats it. I’m a nice telemarketer! LOL!
Man what I find rude is my company has us working on Sunday and NO ONE wants to be bothered on a Sunday!
What pissed me off is I really WANTED TO SEE THE HOCKEY GAME!! U.S. vs. Canada and I missed it due to work!
But I need to make a living somehow and I hate bugging people at their worst, I just wish sometimes they would be a bit more kinder, b/c we are only doing our job as well an dI’m sure at your work, you wouldn’t like verbal slander over the phone correct?
I am more of a ..laidback telemarketer. I like to kick back and talk with the customers…make em’ feel at ease. Not pressure em’ until they give in and get more frustrated.
What I hate is the REPEAT Callers WE Get! I mean we get people who say “you just called our house!!” and I had NO idea because I work the other shift.
I REALLY hate bothering people at their worst!! Y’know? and then to PRESSURE em’ into buying something?! UGH! I mean there are times I cried b/c I felt… I wish I could make a sale and be well at this job.
As for telling their children to lie. Ya know what, yes, it’s wrong. But sometimes telemarketers WON’T SHUT UP. So, what lies are they telling? That the parents aren’t home? That they can’t come to the phone? Big deal. What would you prefer? That parents teach their children to be just as rude as you are? I don’t think so.
**I’m not one of the rude ones. I usually say “oh okay i understand, thank you for your time**
Sorry for ranting, but I’m really pissed my phone rang as early as it did this morning.
*That I appologize for. Really. Just be reassured it wasn’t me 🙂
That would have been cool if it was! But then again I Am sure you would have been infuraited either way.
Not all of us are alike in telemarketing. Because some of em’ are REALLY laid back and others take their work WAY too seriously!
Love and light 🙂
Wil,
I totally agree. I recently retired from 20 years in the Navy. I’ve not always seen the nicest places in the world or the nicest people. I’ve seen the worst that people can do to each other and the best. I majority of my adult life I lived overseas or on board ships, I was somewhat sheltered of news from the states. I’ve been absolutely appalled since I’ve relocated back to the Maryland area. The insane violence that occurs daily. I feel that funk…I agree with a previous poster (Lauren), humanity is at its worst.
Barry “Dawg”
The world hasn’t suddenly become crappy, it’s just that most of us go through a point in our lives, maybe even several times in a lifetime, where we realize that there are a lot of really low down crappy things going on. That’s why so many cultures cling to religion…. the need to believe that there is a reason for all the crap. Personally, I do believe in God, and I think there is a plan, but I very much doubt that most religions have it figured out exactly right.
The pendulum is swinging…. I don’t think humans are ever going to find the answer to war and crime. It seems that when we live in peace for many years… we start forgetting the horrors of war..or the new generation doesn’t get it… and then people start grumbling arguing, and then there is another war and *gasp* Suddenly we realize how horrible it is, and we MUST find a way for our children to live in peace! Well, maybe we find a way for our children to live in peace… and maybe their children are taught to live in peace too… and then they try to teach their children… but now they don’t know how horrible mass death is… and so they go to war over an ideal and… *gasp*…ect.
Oi! I could write a whole paper now. I’ll step down off my soap box, give you a virtual hug, and leave one parting comment: Somebody once said that God’s message could really be boiled down to this: ‘Don’t do anything (intentional) to harm yourself or others.’ Bad things are not going to stop happening… so just spread the love, pass the good around to help balance it out.
Wil,
if it make you feel any better i don’t think Battlefield Earth 2 will go anywhere. If it did, it would go straight to video.
Battlefield Earth 2
Genre: Science Fiction.
Studio: Warner Brothers.
Production Company: Franchise Films.
Project Phase: Movies Rumored.
July 25, 2001… ” It was always planned that this thing would occur. However, though the film was widely considered to be a blight on cinematic history, both Roger Christian and John Travolta were still saying that this project would come off…months after the bomb dropped. Christian has stated that everyone involved would come back. With a Saturday morning animated show in the works, it just goes to show there’s always something. ”
What did you hear Wil???
Yes, it is dark out there. Yes, there is evil out there. Yes, there is brutality out there.
The good news is that more people find the behaviors that the news media chooses to show us abhorrent than not. More people are scared and disgusted about the state of our so-called society than not. What we need to do now is to have more people than not do something about it.
That’s what I’m about. I live my life in a way that I hope causes no other person harm. I live my life in a way that exemplifies what I hope is a civilized way. I am raising my kids (my son, 7, and my daughters 4 and 2) in a way that will elevate society, not drag it further into the cesspool.
Others who have posted here are, in my opinion, correct. Society is cyclical. I firmly believe that the pendulum is already swinging back. Hang in there! You live in a state where all aspects of life are magnified, both the good and the abhorrent. Then again, I live in the state that gave the country Jeffery Dahmer. *shudder*
Kahuna
I know. It feels like the whole world is falling apart at times. I wrote a poem about that, and if I had it with me, I’d post it, but I don’t. Sorry.
On the other hand, the Saudi’s have made a sensible peace proposal: Total recognition of Israel by the Arab world in exchange for a return to pre-1967 borders. In other words, the Palestinians get the state they wanted (including East Jerusalem), and Israel gets peace. Everybody wins. Maybe they’ll take it.
Re: Battlefield Earth II. Hell, that can’t frighten me in a year that will have Episode II: Attack of the Clones, SPIDERMAN, LOTR II: The Two Towers, Minority Report, The Scorpion King, We Were Soldiers (Once, And Young… sorry, I like the full book title better), John Q, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, The Time Machine, AND STAR TREK X: NEMESIS, plus more that I probably can’t remember…
“Je bande donc je suis.”
I do believe that what goes around comes around… and that everything happens for a reason. There are so many things happening right now that makes me wonder who did what to deserve all of this…
I probably will never know, nor will most of us in our lifetimes. But we CAN, at least, take a look at our own actions, and see how they fit into the big picture.
I look at it like this… all these things are happening around us, and we’re feeling kind of lost and tossed-about. It’s as though we were lost in the woods somewhere. It’s cold, it’s wet, it’s dark, and we have no idea where we are, or how we’re going to get out. We could just sit there and give up all hope of ever being rescued, or we could try to find a way out. Climb a tree or a big hill – gain a new perspective. Suddenly, it’s not just You vs. The World… you can see where you might be able to fit in… seek shelter, find comfort, run into other people in the same situation as you.
The earlier post about the pebble in the water is right on. One pebble will make ripples that spread out… eventually, they’ll run into the ripples made by another pebble. Some of those waves will intersect and continue through, some will merge together and make bigger waves, and some will interact and bounce off each other, creating new waves.
It’s all about how you look at the grand scheme of things… I know that it won’t solve most of our problems, but it can offer at least a little bit of comfort and perspective.
-Unfortunatly the swinging of a pendulem, having it cut both ways or is that suposed to be a sword either way the world will go through great pain an sorrow and in the effort to make things right and better.We have to unfortunatly go along with the baffelngs of Karmic Law.
-How do we make it better?
WE work together to be nicer to someone, Vote so our rights can be heard, Stop being selfish and try and be better to others and in turn ours selves.
The three srikes law is great and Dandybut when a child has died at the hands of Sick creep be cause he slipped through the system -Then theSystem sucks,it needs to be re-tweeked.
Yesterday I saw on Opera which I rarely watch but it struck a chord with me- Teen violence in Realtionships, I was a victim of that went all the way to me marrying that basterd-People this is your wake up call for some people it’s inhareted and for some is learned- violence- Either way we can not just sit back and say not my problem, we need to get out there and get involved( boys and girls clubs youth counsling)
-Wil we are here for you man-
Love-Peace-Happiness
The sin and depravity that surrounds all of us is nothing new it has been with us since the beginning of time. Looking back at history we all hope that behavior and reasoning would evolve along with our technology and life span. Unfortunately we have the same capacity as our ancestors who sneered as an innocent man hung on a cross. We can’t do anything about the hatred in Israel, Palestine, Ireland, the list is too long, only the coming of Christ will put an end to that. We can follow what Jesus stated were the two greatest commandments: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and Love thy neighbor as thyself. Focusing your life outward instead of inward may not change the world but it can change what is around you. The Bible says that like gold we are refined by fire. No matter how high the flame, joy doesn’t come from the world around you but from what is within. “Grow where you are planted”.
This sounds lame, but it’s true: when you have a child of your own, biological or otherwise, all this terrible stuff is magnified. You transfer your feelings about your own child(ren), onto a child you never knew, and really – I mean REALLY understand the pain that the parents are feeling. Tragic.
It appears I’ve been in the same funk as a lot of people… though I’ve been calling it crankiness and grouchiness. I’m like, “what is this world coming to?” Am I the only one out there that’s normal and SANE? I guess I’m not the only one out there who’s normal… and that’s comforting to know.
It’s all about distractions. If we lived in an utopian world, life would cease to be. There would be nothing left for us to learn. Unfortunately, we have to take the bad with the good. Right now, there is an unbalanced amount of bad in the world. But we each do what we can to make the world a better place. Whether it’s not driving like a maniac on the freeway or maintaining a wonderful, thoughful, insightful, and fun website like this. If it wasn’t said before, (cuz I couldn’t make the time to read all of the posts), THANK YOU WIL WHEATON.
“rather than think about the fact that maybe it’s like this from global warming and pollution”
When you think downer thoughts, the world seems really bad. Self fufilling prophecy.
To add to the fun, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists has just announced that they’ve moved the doomsday clock (http://www.bullatomsci.org/clock.html) two minutes closer to midnight. That’s right kiddies, we’re now the closest we’ve been to midnight since 1988. Interestingly enough, it was only 10 years ago that it was at it’s furthest point away from midnight (seventeen minutes to).
Here’s a thought (to lighten the mood):
Psychologists have stated that 1 out of every four people is clinically insane. Check three of your friends. If they seem normal, it’s you! :-/
I almost wonder if it isn’t so much that humanity has become more cruel and thoughtless as that in the instant information age that we live in, we are informed of more of these cruelities than in the past. If you think back over history, humanity has always been a brutal selfish race.
But in the end, in my own little corner of the universe, I have much to be thankful for.
Many Things Suck, much of the time. Some Things Suck some of the time. Some Things even Suck all of the time.
But all Things do not Suck all of the time.
Here in the 21st century of the Suck, we are keenly aware, more than our foreparents, of exactly the level of Suckage in the world.
To wit:
We have global media, which both Sucketh, and gives us the Suck.
We have the ‘net, which also both Sucketh and gives us the Suck.
We have FedEx and UPS, which deliver the Suck to us worldwide every day. Sometimes even on time.
We have reams of Friends, which Do Not Suck. We have reams of non-friends, many of whom also Do Not Suck. We have reams of non-friends who Do Suck. But not all People Suck all of the time, either.
Without this vast knowledge of Suckage, our foreparents therefore could only be aware of that which Sucketh in their own back yards. The Ward and June of the Cleaver knew not the Suck which perpetuated in the world beyond their Own Suck.
Then the knowledge came. And lo, we realized that Many Things Suck. Many Things which we otherwise thought Did Not Suck actually turned out to Suck instead.
And the People were sore afraid.
The People held sit-ins and dance-ins and love-ins and drive-ins.
The People held each other and their children and cried out:
Why must Things Suck?
And no answer came.
And then the People created some of their own Suck in retaliation for the Suck that they thought was new, which was in truth, not new.
And lo, it came to pass that it then seemed like there was even more Suck.
So the people despaired. Some People became overwhelmed with the Suck and tried to avoid it by going to the AfterSuck. Only to find that it, too, Sucked.
There is Suck. There has always been Suck. There will always be Suck.
But there will always be Things Which Do Not Suck. And many Things which Suck, but Do Not Suck all the time.
And in that oasis of Non-Suck we shall find some peace, on occasion, from the general Suckage of Things.
And those who are aware of the Suck have some power to make their own personal Suckage less Sucky. They also have the power to band with others who are Anti-Suck and endeavor to lessen the amount of Suck in the world.
This is a Good Thing.
So be well, children. Do not fear the Suck, for it is always with us, and may not always be as Sucky as it could be.
Blessings on you, and may your Personal Things Not Suck.
I forgot to comment on the global warming concerns last night. I’m not sure what I think about it all, but living in Minnesota since 1988, I have seen drastic changes in the weather, especially in the last 5 years or so. Now, tell me this isn’t strange…There is hardly any snow on the ground at all, spring birds are everywhere, geese are returning and plants are starting to grow. Usually we should have a wind chill, or at least the temp below zero for many days of the winter. This year, I think we’ve had maybe two days below zero, but I could be wrong. People here are excited by the lack of the “Minnesota Winter” but I look at it’s abnormality. 50 degrees ABOVE zero in the middle of January? That’s not normal. Anyway, happy posting.
Stef
no Wil, you aren’t the only one with a half-empty glass. I’ve been watching the world fall apart since ’96 when my 34 year old sister died of bone marrow cancer. Multiple Myeloma, to be exact – it only existed for 6 months before she got it. She never smoked, never drank, and I’d never even heard her swear. Two kids, huge house, loving husband with a multi-million dollar business, and *poof* she’s gone. Since then, I’ve slowly watched as the whole damn world fell apart – and not just mine. The only positive thing that’s happened to me since is I got back with my high school sweetheart, we got engaged, and we have a beautiful baby girl (9 months old now) named Giovanna Nicole. (www.m0p.d2g.com if you wanna see her/us) Hearing about the kidnapping in Cali scares the begeezuz outta me man… Thinking about it almost made me go back and remove that link. This is where the change has to be made. We can’t let it change our way of life, although it seems we “have to” to survive. If we give up living the way we were, and live in fear and in defense, we are helping to finish off the rest of what’s left that is good. (That line almost confused me – I hope it makes sense to you.. *laf*)
I look at it this way. Take care of your own. Live for your kids. Do our best to give them the live they deserve, because they gotta fix what we (and our parents, and so on and so on) have fucked up, and they’re not gonna do too well if we don’t give ’em the right ammo. I really gotta stop now, because I may say something I’ll regret in my anger – but I must at least say this: (and I quote from a famous radio personality) “Sick out there, and getting sicker.”
laterz Wil…
good luck on the top 100 sexiest women of 2002
*woot*
m0ppy from fark.com
I am late commenting on this one, because my computer was having issues. Even though probably no one will read this (especially when everyone else was so long winded), I still have to throw in my two cents. I live in Georgia, south of Atlanta. About a week BEFORE we started hearing about this crematory business, there was an eight-year-old girl attacked. A “29-year-old white male” walked into an elementary school somewhere north of Atlanta just as classes were letting out and smashed her head in with a hammer. He then walked back out. Long story short, the girl was Life-Flighted to the nearest children’s emergency room, with the hammer still in her head. Part of her brain was removed (no word on exactly how that will affect her life) and her doctors describe her condition as “satisfactory.” The guy was caught. He’ll probably be “treated” for a few years and then released.
So, yeah Wil, I know just how you feel. My God, she was just going to school! The rest of her life may very well be hell, and what about her friends who were standing beside her? My daughter will be starting school next year.
So what can you do about it? I’m not a big Michael Jackson fan, but he had it right when he told us to “start with the man in the mirror.” Now, I AM a big Garth Brooks fan! “Everyone’s saying you’ll never change things. It’s not the world that I am changing. What I do is so this world will know that it will not change me.”
For a long time I have wanted to get an Irish Wolfhound and a Newfoundland, and I am looking into acquiring them now. I have decided to train them as therapy dogs to help children who have been traumatized. Look around you. What have you got, and what can you do with it?
Wil,
You have to become neutral to some media sources. Keep informed, just be aware of who’s controlling the information you are recieving. Many media outlets are looking for ratings, and they will play up a story that will get people to watch. The little girl? That sucks. Glad to know about it (I guess) but what can you do? Go out and find the killer yourself? Go get a degree in farkin criminal justice and find that bastard?
Um…No. All you can do is (what everyone else here has said already) be good to yourself and others. Rally the troops on things you might be able to change. Join the local “fark you dubya” protest group and think of clever ways to “enlighten” the rest of the sheep-like Americans (with non-violence, use your head).
Just my two cents…
Have a nice day…
DEE
“it is a dark dark world out there right now.” Always has been, always will be.
“I don’t know what has happend to the world, and to be honest, it scares me to think where its gonna be in 10 – 20 years.”
It has always been a dark world, it’s just more pronounced these days because of the advent of the internet and 24 hour news channels.
I personally have no fear of what’s to come,because we will all be together again sometime somewhere Beyond……..
There’s really only one solution from my perspective (in Boston, MA): start changing the world every damn day. Don’t settle for being pissed off or upset just because other people are. That doesn’t give you the *right* to forget what life should be about.
Ok, for all you short attention spanners, here is the technique:
1. Go into the supermarket you shop at.
2. Talk to the people who work there, calling them by name, and introduce yourself.
3. Ask them how their day was, if they are happy, if you can do anything to help (and YES, a smile and a few kind words help).
4. Leave feeling elated and ready to meet the next human being.
You see, it’s very SIMPLE. We’re all human beings. We all need love. If you can give it, then give it, dammit, give it!
Peace,
JR
“I can’t believe that, in the midst of all the seriousness, you made that remark about Battlefield Earth. Why would you do that? It wasn’t funny”
What a spineless meatbag pussy remark.
People keep talking about how things are bad, but there are still good people in the world.
I have lonce since ceased to believe that ANYONE does ANYTHING for ANYONE ELSE without a completely selfish motive.
Breeding and bringing more humans into this world is a perfect example.
“I’ve been watching the world fall apart since ’96 when my 34 year old sister died of bone marrow cancer”
So THAT’s why the world turned to shit. Now I know who is to blame.
Two words: Drama Queen.
Ok, Alamsti.. don’t hold anything back. 🙂
George Carlin:
“The planet is fine. The people are fucked.”
I’m not going to pretend that I even have an inkling as to what life is all about. There are so many different answers, so many different points of view… I wouldn’t know where to begin.
I can tell you what makes me happy, albeit for a short period of time; this stuff takes my mind off of crap like (holy bejeebus) people’s throats getting slit on camera and small children getting kidnapped from their own room and murdered.
-My dogs, when they’ve just gotten dinner, and they’re eating like there’s no tomorrow.
-My niece, when she’s just done something really sweet.
-Being taken into someone’s confidence, thus having someone trust me so much that they’d tell me secret stuff.
Right then.
Of course, my usual approach to bad shiznat is to ignore it, but have it in the back of my head, torturing me and giving me stomachaches.
I have to go to my professor’s house now for the archaeology potluck.
Peace out, peeps.
Ayo, Wil. We get what we pay for man. People want th world to be like this. I wouldn’t say I do, but it is clear, that in general, people want this. Blame it on whatever you want, it won’t change until people look inside themselves, at the rot, at the stink, and decide to change.
Until they decide, that it ain’t money, and it ain’t power, butsomething else, something they lack.
Last thing. The end of that quote is “Me too.”. Personally I think that the calender is shiat, and that the Dali Lamma knows a lot less than we think. This guy doesn’t even advocate living in the now, he advocates living in the future. Lots of unhappiness in living in the future, reality is the now, live it.
Global Warming. The famous one.
There is a counter to that. There are equal numbers of things that lead to global cooling. This however, isn’t as easily explainable as global warming, and as such, gets much more press. If any of you would like, I could send you the mathematical problem that shows how much human pollution and the like contributes to the heat of the earth. But I will tell you, it is negligible when compared to the natural radiation we get from the sun.
Hence, global warming is, well… nothing.
the glass is not half empty. there is no glass. the universe is a pathologically complicated place wracked by pain and fear, ruled by jealous gods of darkness and treachery. the end is not nigh, it came and went, and none noticed its passing nor their judgement. yet prepare, for the prophecy of cagliostro shall soon come to pass, and the daughter of darkness shall throw down our lady of pain, and the shinma lords shall smite the city of doors, and the universe shall be rebuilt. and this time, no battlefield earth movies, we promise.
Hi Wil & everyone!
I read through everything said so far…and I can really think of nothing new to add, except for perhaps this quote to go along with your thought…But what do I know? I’m just a college kid. :O\
“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”
Goodnight…with hopes for a good today tomorrow.
-james-
The earth does have a natural cycle of warming and cooling. I’m not saying that carbon dioxide emissions don’t have any effect, but just be sure to investigate a problem fully before you take a stance. How many people that protest global warming do you think have actuall read academic papers on the subject.
Every single person who posts and reads here….Please hug someone you love right now!
You never know what will happen….Until…………
wil,your problem is your listening to NPR,amongst other things.I mean quit whining your sounding like bill maher for christ sake!! and global warming isn’t a fact, like you would like to believe.There are many scientitsts who disagree with your bunk. later jeff
wil
if so many people here in little old WWDN agree on this, maybe enough people in the world do care. if each one of those tries to make a difference in their own small(or big)way, maybe there is still hope……
Alamasti. One word. Troll.
I thought I was the only one thinking of this.My mom’s bestfriend’s son, who I’ve known for like ever is being shipped out to Iraq tomorrow night. He is like a big brother to me and the more I think about it I just want to cry. This world sucks. There is so much hatred in this world, you start to wonder is it worth having kids. My friend was talking to me at work yesterday. She had to explain to her mom that the reason she never wants kids is because of the world. I don’t know if I ever want kids when I get married all I know is I never want them to go through this much pain. If I could heal the world I would. It’s times like these I wish I could. I hope you read this. Is there away you could let me know if you read this? All I am gonna do is pray for Travis(he’s the one leaving) and hope. I am going to pray for everything including that little girls family. I am not much religious but I do believe in GOD and praying. The truth is I pray about everything even when nothing happens pretty odd ain’t I. I just believe that iot has to get better.
Just wanted to make a quick post.
Just read through the comments finally, and was completely inspired by most people who use this board.
If this lot is but a small percentage of the intelligent, compassionate souls out there in the world, we’re no where near as far up shit creek as we thought we were!
Hope lies in our hearts! You all, personally, give me a lot to hope for.
Though it’s not my board, and I’ve only been lurking and posting for the tiniest while, thanks everyone.
Wil, the 90 degree weather is NOT because of global warming. GW gets way too much credit for things it doesn’t do, and besides, the “GW experts” that talk about the doom and gloom of GW say that the effects are 1 or 2 degrees per year, maximum. So Global Warming couldn’t have cancelled winter.
So cheer up! One less thing for you to be worried about!! 🙂
“Peace starts within each one of us. When we have inner peace, we can be at peace with those around us.”
So I’m obviously responding to this post late, but WOW. Your day seemed to be a lot similiar to my own. In fact the last few days have been really stressful for me. I always thought that I handled stress well, but I think I need some new techniques. I’ve started the whole “list 7 things you’re greatful for”, and it seems to work. I just say them to myself as I’m driving to work. Today I was thankful for:
1. My Grandma because she made me a chicken sandwich to take for my first day at a new job.
2. God, for upgrading me from unemployed to underemployed 🙂
3. My health, and the health of my loved ones.
4. Trains that move across the track in 5 minutes or less. (Remember I was driving).
5. And get this…I did not steal this from you…The redbirds outside my window that always gather in the morning. It’s like they’re eating breakfast with me.
6. The jokes my mom tell me. She always has a new one, and I can never tell them the way she does.
7. Everyone. –It makes sense to me.
So, just thought you should know that you’ve started a healthy little trend here.
GB
Realise the pain of the world, and those monsters who inhabit it along with the rest of us good people, but don’t shut yourself off from the sheer beauty of it. So much to be thankful for, praise for the fact we are even here at all, to experience the everyday miracles that life shows us. Yes, these evil creatures exist, unfortunately in every country. Everywhere has had terrible tales of monsters (they cannot be called *people*) ruining lives, killing children and doing other obscene things. In our acts of kindness and courage, we can *almost* cancel out these crimes. Don’t give up on the human race just yet – some of us are worth the effort.
Tiana B
I liked battlefield earth.
However, I do not like the senseless violence that has been going on in the world, and even though I am not a parent, I still feel deeply for their loss. I too fear that happening to me and hope it never does, but the worst has happened to them. That’s really a shame.
Well, I was gonna just tell ya to not watch the TV for a while. Then I read that a possible sequel to “Battlefield Earth” may be in the works!!!!!!
Yes, Will. We are all doomed!!!! :/
Brent
I’ve just read this article. (I’ve been offline for a few days) and I’m listening to a certain song from my album of choice at the moment, whilst reading.
The song is “Fragile” by Sting.
Has anybody actually listened to the words to this song?? I mean, like………OMG!! I realise I’m going off on a tangent but Christ, what IS happening to the world?
Wouldnt it be great, if, once, just once, we could all have a day where the news was all good, bombs and bullets have never been invented, and peace reigned supreme. The Star Trek idyll (that I believe in) is of a world where all disease is treatable, poverty, homelessness and famine are non-existant and people work for self worth and not monetary gain.
My wish for just one day would be can we live the Star Trek idyll please? (and can Sting be world leader, cos the dood just rox!!!)
What is your wish??
You scared me and I mean really scared me. Please don’t let travolta come back in that horrible makeup. Good God, I mean hubbard wrote 10 of those novels — a few of them from The Other Side, I think — and we may have to see 10 movies. MST3000 will have fodder for years to come.