Blog Question Of The Day:
Would you drink a beer that had a fly in it?
Saturday, October 02, 2004
Friday, October 01, 2004
Another snippet of my life, brought to you in photographic form
A Milestone
For the more statistical minded of you, a few thoughts on this 40,000 km milestone. That is my contract limit number of kilometers for the Trailblazer, on the lease. Actually, that's 1/3 of my 3 year total, so it works out to being my Year 1 allotment of kilometers. I just entered my 12th month of the lease, so everything from here until November 1 is over the 'budget' limit.
Which, I suppose brings us to a Blog Question Of The Day, even though I hadn't been intending one.
Should I invest in a second vehicle, to defray this overage on lease kilometers?
Answer as always. Toodles!
A Milestone
.jpg){kind=link}
For the more statistical minded of you, a few thoughts on this 40,000 km milestone. That is my contract limit number of kilometers for the Trailblazer, on the lease. Actually, that's 1/3 of my 3 year total, so it works out to being my Year 1 allotment of kilometers. I just entered my 12th month of the lease, so everything from here until November 1 is over the 'budget' limit.
Which, I suppose brings us to a Blog Question Of The Day, even though I hadn't been intending one.
Should I invest in a second vehicle, to defray this overage on lease kilometers?
Answer as always. Toodles!
What's the deal with all these beheadings? Most of them are coming out of Iraq, but the concept itself seems popular among all terrorist organizations. Why beheading? Are they looking for some kind of gratuitious form of vulgar aggression? I don't understand what is their motivation behind this kind of violent display.
I think I see where they are going with these actions. They think, as erroneous as it is proving to be, that by randomly executing innocent civilians, that they can force remote governments to do what they want. I have two problems with this logic, and the continuing use of it.
a) its not working
b) its too extreme
Its not working. They keep beheading people they pull of the street, and nobody is evacuating the country. All that's happening is poor, innocent people, that committed no crime beyond being in the wrong place, at the wrong time, are losing their heads. Fine, if you think it will work, chop off a couple heads. But, after doing that, if you're not getting results, I really think logic dictates that you try another approach.
Which brings me to my second point. Its far too extreme a thing to do. Nobody is going to act the way you want them to, based on the threat. The threat is so far beyond what any rational person could concieve doing, that its not really a valid threat. No one acutally BELIEVES you'll do it, so they don't take action to halt the behaviour. Then, you chop off the innocent person's head, thus proving your point and validating it as a threat. Now you've created a new problem for yourself.
Once you've cut off the head, any sense of duty a government might feel, to prevent other beheadings, is washed away by the revulsion a rational person feels at having witnessed such a shocking behavior. No rational person will concede the point to you, and give in to the demand to prevent beheadings. Instead it prompts outrage, and a desire for swift and brutal retribution.
So you're end up screwed. You can't threaten beheading, and have people give in to your demands, because you're commitment isn't believed. You can't behead someone and force anyone to act in any way besides out of anger or a sense of retribution. So really, what is this beheading nonsense accomplishing?
I think I see where they are going with these actions. They think, as erroneous as it is proving to be, that by randomly executing innocent civilians, that they can force remote governments to do what they want. I have two problems with this logic, and the continuing use of it.
a) its not working
b) its too extreme
Its not working. They keep beheading people they pull of the street, and nobody is evacuating the country. All that's happening is poor, innocent people, that committed no crime beyond being in the wrong place, at the wrong time, are losing their heads. Fine, if you think it will work, chop off a couple heads. But, after doing that, if you're not getting results, I really think logic dictates that you try another approach.
Which brings me to my second point. Its far too extreme a thing to do. Nobody is going to act the way you want them to, based on the threat. The threat is so far beyond what any rational person could concieve doing, that its not really a valid threat. No one acutally BELIEVES you'll do it, so they don't take action to halt the behaviour. Then, you chop off the innocent person's head, thus proving your point and validating it as a threat. Now you've created a new problem for yourself.
Once you've cut off the head, any sense of duty a government might feel, to prevent other beheadings, is washed away by the revulsion a rational person feels at having witnessed such a shocking behavior. No rational person will concede the point to you, and give in to the demand to prevent beheadings. Instead it prompts outrage, and a desire for swift and brutal retribution.
So you're end up screwed. You can't threaten beheading, and have people give in to your demands, because you're commitment isn't believed. You can't behead someone and force anyone to act in any way besides out of anger or a sense of retribution. So really, what is this beheading nonsense accomplishing?
Thursday, September 30, 2004
Can someone explain to me what the deal is with deer? Don't these stupid animals ever sleep!?!
I'm driving home tonight, around 1:30 in the pitch black morning. On my way from Rosetown to Saskatoon you have to pass through this nature preserve, or whatever the hell they want to call it. Anyway there's the obligatory 'deer ahead' signs, to be acknowledged as you pass into Hell's obstacle course.
Its 1:30 in the morning. Why aren't these stupid animals sleeping!?! I see three or four of them, wandering around somewhat aimlessly in the ditch. Someone smacked one earlier in the day, as the carcass, and its blood, are spilled over the asphalt. You'd think the deer would sleep at night, when they get a rest from the relentless pursuit of hunters keen for a set of antlers or some meat for sausage. Nope, deer are party animals, using the cloak of darkness to play suicide games on human roads.
Stupid animals. Why haven't we hunted them to extinction?
I'm driving home tonight, around 1:30 in the pitch black morning. On my way from Rosetown to Saskatoon you have to pass through this nature preserve, or whatever the hell they want to call it. Anyway there's the obligatory 'deer ahead' signs, to be acknowledged as you pass into Hell's obstacle course.
Its 1:30 in the morning. Why aren't these stupid animals sleeping!?! I see three or four of them, wandering around somewhat aimlessly in the ditch. Someone smacked one earlier in the day, as the carcass, and its blood, are spilled over the asphalt. You'd think the deer would sleep at night, when they get a rest from the relentless pursuit of hunters keen for a set of antlers or some meat for sausage. Nope, deer are party animals, using the cloak of darkness to play suicide games on human roads.
Stupid animals. Why haven't we hunted them to extinction?
Monday, September 27, 2004
So, what's the average length of freight trains these days? TWENTY-SIX MILES like the one I had to wait 14 minutes for this evening!!!
You are never more indignant than when you have to wait for a train, with your final destination being within a 9 irons distance of the train that you have to wait the better part of 15 minutes for.
You are never more indignant than when you have to wait for a train, with your final destination being within a 9 irons distance of the train that you have to wait the better part of 15 minutes for.