Click here to read the rest!

On.... verbal Aikido/Hari-Kiri

Ilove debate. I will play devil's advocate just for the hell of it. I will test my own core values, on a regular basis, through structured argument. The Wonderful, Weird, Web is full of people who want to 'engage in meaningful debate' and recently I have found some really interesting sites that contain diverse points of view and arguments. Aikido is a martial art that 'focuses not on punching or kicking opponents, but rather on using their own energy to gain control of them or to throw them away from you.'
I have chosen to participate in some of these discussions, which is unusual for me, because the sites have been intelligent and the arguments stimulating.

Then along came Jarrett. The course of events leading up to this can be followed on the site of theworldaccordingtonome.

Now, if you are going to comment, beware. I believe in verbal Aikido, because Aikido is a martial art that 'focuses not on punching or kicking opponents, but rather on using their own energy to gain control of them or to throw them away from you.' So I use your words and argument as a form of redirection. The harder you hit me, the harder it comes back. Hari Kiri is the art of falling on your own sword, (even if it is blunt!) so if you carry a weapon, make sure you know which way it is pointing!

I will therefore go through Jarred's comment point by point, and let's see what happens. Sorry Jarred this is nothing personal, but you were warned:

'Darn it, number 9, you totally took away my favourite saying, and stole part of the mighty thunder I planned upon unleashing via my own blog!

Are you referring to the Armageddon comment and is that sarcasm or what? Be specific. What are you saying? So somebody stole your thunder?

that's okay, though. Any decent student of history would realize that big words does not an argument make.

What big words, where? Words in the right order, that are relevant, make an argument. Note the relevant part. Obviously you are not an English major (see later point) as it is 'do', not 'does'.

Not only that, but foreign analogies (IE referring to Asian history, a topic foreign to most) only work when they're comparable analogies, which those of Nome are not.

Asia has the worlds largest population by far, over half of it in FACT. (3,3100 million people). Therefore Asian history is not a foreign topic to most. Most of the world has a vested interest in the history of at least their small piece of Asia. The history of any country apart from your land of birth is a 'foreign' topic. Perhaps Asian history is a topic about which your immediate circle knows little, but I thought you were classing yourself as 'decent student of history', and thus you should know something about Asian history. And by the way Iraq is in Asia, so it is relevant.

The analogies are not relevant because...?

To quote Monty Python, (which does seem relevant here):
'Customer:
Yes, but an argument isn't just contradiction!
Argumentator:
Well, can be.
Customer:
No, an argument is a connected series of statements intended to establish a proposition.
Argumentator:
No, it isn't!
Customer:
Yes, it is! It isn't just contradiction! '

At this stage we still have no argument, only....I reserve judgment.

'My favourite part of her argument, though, is the troll tactics... "I don't care," or "this isn't a place to debate politics" or whatever are quite common, but then she starts spewing out her own rhetoric (perhaps to impress herself) while taking a moral high ground. A supposed shroud of moral superiority emerges, constructed on the basis of faulty reasoning.'

My only comment on this is 'You too can make meaningless diatribes like this by visiting "www.cutandpastepoliticalspeeches.crap"*

'But hey, we can't point out that she's wrong.'

Is that because she is right, or because you don't have the faculties?

'After all, open discoure is only at her own behest!

Jarrett, way too much time in the classics, boy, 'behest!' I ask you with tears in my eyes. Oscar Wilde thought that 'behest' was 'behest' left in 1642.

'Typical English major: "Okay, I don't care... you know more than me, you can out-reason me, you seem to have all the facts, but I don't care. That, and I have a life, so I would be right and would prove you right if I were as boring as you, and if I had spent as much time as you did researching. But I have a life. Doesn't matter, because even so, I'm still convinced I'm right." '

As a last resort, or retort, lets just box the individual. When last did you hear this from an English major? Maybe an English minor, or an English miner, but not from an English Major (Is he a soldier in Iraq as well?).! If anyone has ever said this to you, a little pointer, it was said with a large dose of sarcasm and irony.

I can also see how much research you have done, was that at the school of www.learntosayfuckallinathousandormorewords.stpd?*

Jarrett, if you want to participate, participate. Use the research you have done, and quote it.

I do not mean this personally, but remember I use Aikido, the harder you hit, the harder you fall...on your own sword. Get the point?

To see some sensible debate about an alternative point of view to mine visit Brad.

P.S. The two sites marked* are not real, unfortunately, but I think I will actually create them!

Click here to read the rest!

TEST the waters

And there I was, pushing myself up onto the second floor balcony when I heard a loud popping sound. It wasn't a gunshot (I know how that sounds). Then the searing pain as I realised that my right shoulder had dislocated itself. Now let me tell you, maybe Tom Cruise or whoever in Hollywood can grab and hang by one arm, but this mere mortal can't. So I fell, from the Whatever the hell we must say and do is up to you... second floor, to the distant ground. Now, I have in the past jumped/fallen further, but that was in better and younger circumstances and onto sand or some other soft thing. I fell half onto a 1m high wall and half onto concrete.


First my left leg hit the wall and the knee bent to absorb the shock, no problem. Then my right leg hit the ground, extended and firm. Problem, bend wrong way - cruciate ligaments gone for a ball of shit. Pain. Then the back scrapped down the wall, and then the shoulder hit the ground and all went black from pain, thank God my head didn't hit anything.

Click here to read the rest!

uniforms

And there I was, pushing myself up onto the second floor balcony when I heard a loud popping sound. It wasn't a gunshot (I know how that sounds). Then the searing pain as I realised that my right shoulder had dislocated itself. Now let me tell you, maybe Tom Cruise or whoever in Hollywood can grab and hang by one arm, but this mere mortal can't. So I fell, from the second floor, to the distant ground. Now, I have in the past jumped/fallen further, but that was in better and younger circumstances and onto sand or some other soft thing. I fell half onto a 1m high wall and half onto concrete.


First my left leg hit the wall and the knee bent to absorb the shock, no problem. Then my right leg hit the ground, extended and firm. Problem, bend wrong way - cruciate ligaments gone for a ball of shit. Pain. Then the back scrapped down the wall, and then the shoulder hit the ground and all went black from pain, thank God my head didn't hit anything.

Click here to read the rest!

24012004 029

And there I was, pushing myself up onto the second floor balcony when I heard a loud popping sound. It wasn't a gunshot (I know how that sounds). Then the searing pain as I realised that my right shoulder had dislocated itself. Now let me tell you, maybe Tom Cruise or whoever in Hollywood can grab and hang by one arm, but this mere mortal can't. So I fell, from the second floor, to the distant ground. Now, I have in the past jumped/fallen further, but that was in better and younger circumstances and onto sand or some other soft thing. I fell half onto a 1m high wall and half onto concrete.


First my left leg hit the wall and the knee bent to absorb the shock, no problem. Then my right leg hit the ground, extended and firm. Problem, bend wrong way - cruciate ligaments gone for a ball of shit. Pain. Then the back scrapped down the wall, and then the shoulder hit the ground and all went black from pain, thank God my head didn't hit anything.

Click here to read the rest!

24012004 029

And there I was, pushing myself up onto the second floor balcony when I heard a loud popping sound. It wasn't a gunshot (I know how that sounds). Then the searing pain as I realised that my right shoulder had dislocated itself. Now let me tell you, maybe Tom Cruise or whoever in Hollywood can grab and hang by one arm, but this mere mortal can't. So I fell, from the second floor, to the distant ground. Now, I have in the past jumped/fallen further, but that was in better and younger circumstances and onto sand or some other soft thing. I fell half onto a 1m high wall and half onto concrete.


First my left leg hit the wall and the knee bent to absorb the shock, no problem. Then my right leg hit the ground, extended and firm. Problem, bend wrong way - cruciate ligaments gone for a ball of shit. Pain. Then the back scrapped down the wall, and then the shoulder hit the ground and all went black from pain, thank God my head didn't hit anything.


And as I came round I looked up at the sky and saw the stars above. I looked for a shooting star, but only saw the steady progress of satellites and space debris. I lay their in my agony realising that no one knew I was here, and I was unsighted from the road. And as I was about to get morbid I realised that I had had a great day, and inspite of my predicament I had learnt that there were people in the world that cared, and that they would accept me as I was. Dislocated shoulder and all.

Click here to read the rest!

field

And there I was, pushing myself up onto the second floor balcony when I heard a loud popping sound. It wasn't a gunshot (I know how that sounds). Then the searing pain as I realised that my right shoulder had dislocated itself. Now let me tell you, maybe Tom Cruise or whoever in Hollywood can grab and hang by one arm, but this mere mortal can't. So I fell, from the second floor, to the distant ground. Now, I have in the past jumped/fallen further, but that was in better and younger circumstances and onto sand or some other soft thing. I fell half onto a 1m high wall and half onto concrete.


First my left leg hit the wall and the knee bent to absorb the shock, no problem. Then my right leg hit the ground, extended and firm. Problem, bend wrong way - cruciate ligaments gone for a ball of shit. Pain. Then the back scrapped down the wall, and then the shoulder hit the ground and all went black from pain, thank God my head didn't hit anything.


And as I came round I looked up at the sky and saw the stars above. I looked for a shooting star, but only saw the steady progress of satellites and space debris. I lay their in my agony realising that no one knew I was here, and I was unsighted from the road. And as I was about to get morbid I realised that I had had a great day, and inspite of my predicament I had learnt that there were people in the world that cared, and that they would accept me as I was. Dislocated shoulder and all.

Click here to read the rest!

290704 004

And there I was, pushing myself up onto the second floor balcony when I heard a loud popping sound. It wasn't a gunshot (I know how that sounds). Then the searing pain as I realised that my right shoulder had dislocated itself. Now let me tell you, maybe Tom Cruise or whoever in Hollywood can grab and hang by one arm, but this mere mortal can't. So I fell, from the second floor, to the distant ground. Now, I have in the past jumped/fallen further, but that was in better and younger circumstances and onto sand or some other soft thing. I fell half onto a 1m high wall and half onto concrete.


First my left leg hit the wall and the knee bent to absorb the shock, no problem. Then my right leg hit the ground, extended and firm. Problem, bend wrong way - cruciate ligaments gone for a ball of shit. Pain. Then the back scrapped down the wall, and then the shoulder hit the ground and all went black from pain, thank God my head didn't hit anything.


And as I came round I looked up at the sky and saw the stars above. I looked for a shooting star, but only saw the steady progress of satellites and space debris. I lay their in my agony realising that no one knew I was here, and I was unsighted from the road. And as I was about to get morbid I realised that I had had a great day, and inspite of my predicament I had learnt that there were people in the world that cared, and that they would accept me as I was. Dislocated shoulder and all.

Click here to read the rest!

290704 004

290704 004,
originally uploaded by .

And there I was, pushing myself up onto the second floor balcony when I heard a loud popping sound. It wasn't a gunshot (I know how that sounds). Then the searing pain as I realised that my right shoulder had dislocated itself. Now let me tell you, maybe Tom Cruise or whoever in Hollywood can grab and hang by one arm, but this mere mortal can't. So I fell, from the second floor, to the distant ground. Now, I have in the past jumped/fallen further, but that was in better and younger circumstances and onto sand or some other soft thing. I fell half onto a 1m high wall and half onto concrete.


First my left leg hit the wall and the knee bent to absorb the shock, no problem. Then my right leg hit the ground, extended and firm. Problem, bend wrong way - cruciate ligaments gone for a ball of shit. Pain. Then the back scrapped down the wall, and then the shoulder hit the ground and all went black from pain, thank God my head didn't hit anything.


And as I came round I looked up at the sky and saw the stars above. I looked for a shooting star, but only saw the steady progress of satellites and space debris. I lay their in my agony realising that no one knew I was here, and I was unsighted from the road. And as I was about to get morbid I realised that I had had a great day, and inspite of my predicament I had learnt that there were people in the world that cared, and that they would accept me as I was. Dislocated shoulder and all.

Click here to read the rest!

On Bush, War, Fair logic, and Christians...

This was inspired by the site of Brad, which I discovered through The comments on these sites are more serious than the following piece.

America, George W. Bush, The War on Terror. Even at the furthest tip of Africa we feel the effect of, take your pick, American Imperialism/American Aid/American Values/American Consumerism/ American Comedy. With the growing realisation and evidence of American Pie-fingering, and the collapse of Communism as we feared it, the difference between the ‘good guys’ and the ‘bad guys’ is becoming less clear.
This was inspired by the site of Brad, which I discovered through The comments on these sites are more serious than the following piece.

America, George W. Bush, The War on Terror. Even at the furthest tip of Africa we feel the effect of, take your pick, American Imperialism/American Aid/American Values/American Consumerism/ American Comedy. With the growing realisation and evidence of American Pie-fingering, and the collapse of Communism as we feared it, the difference between the ‘good guys’ and the ‘bad guys’ is becoming less clear.

The easiest target for ridicule is George W. Bush. Let’s face it, he’s no Mark Shuttleworth (Rocket Scientist, in South African!). He has mounted his own ‘War of Terror’ on the English language, and his folksy attitude makes us all feel safe at night, because maybe there is not too much pontificationating going on at the White House. Is that Langley in the shadows of the Oval Office I see?

So is Bush all bad? Is he the lesser of two evils, I have no real informed clue, but here are some thoughts:

Click here to read the rest!

Yes, They can...

I managed to delete this original post, so I have tried to create it again.

And there I was, pushing myself up onto the second floor balcony when I heard a loud popping sound. It wasn't a gunshot (I know how that sounds). Then the searing pain as I realised that my right shoulder had dislocated itself. Now let me tell you, maybe Tom Cruise or whoever in Hollywood can grab and hang by one arm, but this mere mortal can't. So I fell, from the second floor, to the distant ground. Now, I have in the past jumped/fallen further, but that was in better and younger circumstances and onto sand or some other soft thing. I fell half onto a 1m high wall and half onto concrete.

First my left leg hit the wall and the knee bent to absorb the shock, no problem. Then my right leg hit the ground, extended and firm. Problem, bend wrong way - cruciate ligaments gone for a ball of shit. Pain. Then the back scrapped down the wall, and then the shoulder hit the ground and all went black from pain, thank God my head didn't hit anything.

And as I came round I looked up at the sky and saw the stars above. I looked for a shooting star, but only saw the steady progress of satellites and space debris. I lay their in my agony realising that no one knew I was here, and I was unsighted from the road. And as I was about to get morbid I realised that I had had a great day, and inspite of my predicament I had learnt that there were people in the world that cared, and that they would accept me as I was. Dislocated shoulder and all.

Click here to read the rest!