shiner

Yeah, I have been to both of those places, they are great indeed.

The other day I was drunk at a bar and they played Queen on their system. I remembered how much I used to listen to Queen, and then I went on telling this guy next to me how it kind of upset me that their greatest hits album does not have one of their main songs, etc. and a whole bunch of other drunk talk. For the past few days I've been playing that album but it skips hard core. In a way it's annoying but I guess I'm used to it. Funny coincidence.

I guess I am going to live the remainder of my life in a box. And I am down with this. I am going to mold myself into whatever I need to be.

Went to a "mother ****ing club". Glanced around the line. I figured it's not worth it to wait for an hour to get in just so I can spend $100 on drinks. So I left. This was yesterday. Today a lot of things happened but none exciting. Walked around for a while.

Wanted to see Aviator but did not get to it. Then I was watching this movie made in 1935 about some Brits trying to save one of their own from some Indians (in India). It was bad. Coincidentally I came across "The Human Comedy" a couple of nights ago while fliping channels. I only saw the last half but it was great cause the simplicity of the characters had an effect on me.

Sometimes I wonder what the hell I am doing.

Another interesting thing is how in some cultures showing emotion (esp. anger) is a sign of weakness and not being able to handle yourself.

Sasun, You are right I do agree. But it seems that the relatively few are having a huge affect. And somehow they are thriving in that environment. They do have a lot of sympathizers over there.

But they are not giving us the choice of leaving them alone. If they are gonna pray to Allah 5 times a day and mind their business that's one thing. But if they are gonna pray to Allah 5 times a day, and kill me for not doing it, then I say either kill them first and/or take them out of that mentality.

No Europe is definitely NOT 12th century, and that is why it could be another potential target for the Islamists.

The bottom line is it is the rest of the world that needs to join the 21st century, not the modern world going backwards. Those that want to stop progress and impose medival society on the whole civilization should be destroyed. And I don't care about ideological s**t. It's that simple. The whole world should not go back in time and development after taking so long to get to this 21st century stage.

This is just like saying "Who am I to decide that a murderer should be punished". Or do you think all murderers should go free because they actually believed in what they were doing, despite hurting others?

I believe that the world is basically split into two. About half is modern and developed, and the other half is still more or less in the stone age (not just in terms of material things but also mentality). The Islamic world forms a large part of that less developed world. One major reason is Islamic fundamentalism itself, which is simply not meant to thrive in the 21st century. Furthermore Islamic fundamentalism by definition cannot sustain progress, and apparantely tries to suppress it wherever it appears. (Christianity had this problem too during the Inquisition but fortunately it was overcome etc.) But Islam is 10 times as fanatical. The only thing that can help those fools get out of that stone age ironically is joining the rest of the developed world and adopting it's ideals. (Not praying to Allah five times a day). So in that case modern ideals have to be imposed upon them. When a society upholds that blowing yourself up will take you to paradise there is something FUNDAMETALLY WRONG with that society. We have to drag them out of the 12th century into the 21st, because otherwise they want to drag us out of the 21st into the 12th? Which do you think is better?

Are you sure it is not the other way around (the "Islamic civilization" bent on creating a war against the Western one)?

I just saw part of Arafat's funeral (while his body was still in Ramallah before being sent to Cairo). Talk about a backwards society. And I mean BACKWARDS. Where else does the coffin of a STATE LEADER end up in the middle of a large mass with people stomping on each other? All this while others are shooting bullets in the air (which are landing somewhere). At one point the coffin had stopped at a stalemate cause everybody was pushing from a different direction. People were falling down on each other. None of these fools has enough sense to realize that maybe if they got out of the way the coffin would be carried away easily by just a couple of people. In a way it was funny (but more sad). Even centuries ago I would not be surprised if some tribes had more order and common sense in similar settings.

I love L'auberge. That is one of my favorite movies (even though few people know about it here)

For me socialism is wrong because it does not stimulate growth and advancement as much. It's equality by keeping everybody down, not dragging everybody up.

It is true that "hicks" vote republican. But by that theory who votes democrat? You could say the really poor, immigrants who have not integrated themselves in the society they live in, poor minorities, the young (and relatively immature), educated idealogues and socialist elitists (who seem completely out of touch with reality as they preach philosophical bull). So that profile is not necessarily better.

Good point! Plus he's much less of a socialist compared to the Dems

Maral, Usually if you are a registered voter they send you a sample ballot that has all the races, and all propositions with arguments for and against each. Try to get one from someone else in your district, cause it's probably too late to get your own (or maybe you have it and did not realize it cause I'm pretty sure they send them to everyone).

I wandered about this myself, obviously there is no true, factual answer (at least not yet), but I don't think humans have all consciousness as opposed to animals who have none at all. I just think humans have a lot, lot more. But even other animals have some as opposed to others who have less. For example, I am sure a chimp has much more consciousness than a chicken.

Well Gamavor, I don't know exactly in what context you meant for the topic to be, but if it's personal stuff I must say that I just realized that I definitely need some fashion sense (actually style). Cause before I always equated having style with being a preppy pretty boy dainty fake dumb***. But I was wrong cause now I realize you can (and definitely should) have style and still be genuine. The trick is incorporating your own personality and features into that style. I'm still working on it, it's a slow process. Before I refused to wear anything outside of Kmart and Target. Now, while I still wear a lot of Kmart/Target stuff, I am more open to other stuff. But I still have a long way to go.

You are right, there is definitely conflict. One definitely needs to be fully integrated in the society they live in so they can thrive. But I guess it is still possible to be familiar with a particular (ancestral) culture in terms of language, history, music, food, literature, etc.

LOL

Do most want to have kids so that they can leave something behind after they are gone? Are there other reasons? Is there anybody out there who just does not want any?