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I am a bit of a hedonist. And I enjoy indulging in the pleasures that this world has to offer. And I get people telling me that I'm wrong because of religious mandates, and that things should not be indulged in. It usually ends up with me wondering and asking why these things would be in this world, and why they would give such pleasure and enjoyment, if they were not to be indulged in. This generally prompts one of two answers.
One is that, well, God didn't put them here, the Devil did. They were put here to tempt us, and lead us astray. You know what, this only works if one of two things is true. One is, the Devil is as strong as God, strong enough that God cannot stop him. In this case, a lot of the rhetoric just doesn't really work. The other way for this to be true is if God condones it, in which case he may as well do it himself. If I watch you kill a family, and I stand there and do nothing to stop you or report it, I have committed almost as bad an atrocity as you.
And then there's the worst one I hear, to explain either the original oddity, or the previous answer when I question it. "We're being tested". You know what? I have been in an abusive relationship. After it ended, I went and did some research, kust to help myself over and past it. It was primarily mental and emotional. Things like, being demanded of things I hated, or put into uncomfortable or painful situations, and being told afterwards that it was a test, to see if I really loved her. Told that I was worthless or useless without her. Et cetera. I also recognized my enabling behavior, such as thinking/saying that she should test me, or that she was right.
If you have to cause someone pain, put them in a bad situation, or dangle someone they'd enjoy in front of them, in order to test their love for you, that is not love. That is cruel, and abusive. It smacks of insecurity. And yet, the people that spout this claptrap will say that otherwise, without God, they are nothing. Sound familiar? I am not an atheist, or against belief in some form of creator. But this type of "morality" needs some serious reexamination, to say the least
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Because I never claim to be "good"...
In fact, let's be honest: I often to refer to myself as evil, and/or wicked, or other similar terms. However, I just stumbled across some of these, while looking for one particular quote I liked, and thought I'd share.
"It's better to be good than evil, but one achieves goodness at a terrific cost." -Stephen King
"Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction." -Blaise Pascal
"Those who forget good and evil and seek only to know the facts are more likely to achieve good than those who view the world through the distorting medium of their own desires." -Bertrand Russell
"Life - the way it really is - is a battle not between bad and good but between bad and worse." -Joseph Brodsky
"When choosing between two evils, I always like to try the one I've never tried before." -Mae West
“Hear no evil, speak no evil - and you'll never be invited to a party” -Oscar Wilde
"Nature, in her indifference, makes no distinction between good and evil." -Anatole France
“Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it, you'd have good people doing good things and evil people doing bad things, but for good people to do bad things, it takes religion.” -Steven Weinberg
"It's better to be good than evil, but one achieves goodness at a terrific cost." -Stephen King
"Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction." -Blaise Pascal
"Those who forget good and evil and seek only to know the facts are more likely to achieve good than those who view the world through the distorting medium of their own desires." -Bertrand Russell
"Life - the way it really is - is a battle not between bad and good but between bad and worse." -Joseph Brodsky
"When choosing between two evils, I always like to try the one I've never tried before." -Mae West
“Hear no evil, speak no evil - and you'll never be invited to a party” -Oscar Wilde
"Nature, in her indifference, makes no distinction between good and evil." -Anatole France
“Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it, you'd have good people doing good things and evil people doing bad things, but for good people to do bad things, it takes religion.” -Steven Weinberg
Friday, September 10, 2010
Useless Advice
So, I was reading through a thread on Fetlife, a guy who was looking for advice, thinking he was being "too nice". He saw it as at least a potential problem in himself. Kudos for him, looking for advice and help, seeking self-improvement. But then there were all the replies that were only, "You have to love yourself first" or "Don't be a doormat", as the total of their post.
Why the fuck bother typing anything? Seriously. Particularly as someone who's gone through something similar, I read these with some annoyance. It's like standing on a dock, seeing someone drowning, and calling, "Hey, dude...you should get out of the water."
If someone's looking for help, and all you can think of is to spout stale platitudes and sayings...unless you can add something concrete or constructive, you would only be wasting your breath, and the other person's time.
Why the fuck bother typing anything? Seriously. Particularly as someone who's gone through something similar, I read these with some annoyance. It's like standing on a dock, seeing someone drowning, and calling, "Hey, dude...you should get out of the water."
If someone's looking for help, and all you can think of is to spout stale platitudes and sayings...unless you can add something concrete or constructive, you would only be wasting your breath, and the other person's time.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Bumper Sticker
"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind"
Saw this as a bumper sticker on someone's car. And it irked me, and the first thought to pass througb my head was that pontificating from an ignorant perspective just makes you seem pretentious. The "eye for an eye" phrase, from the passage of the Bible, was not meant as a cry for vengeance, but instead as a cry for temperance. In the time at which it was written, this was intended to mean that the punishment should match the crime. An eye for an eye, instead of the tradition of the time, which was a life for an eye. Personally, I'm thinking...yeah, "eye for an eye" thus seems more fair and just.
I support punishment matching a crime. Generally. I also think, though, that extenuating reasons be allowed for certain crimes.
Saw this as a bumper sticker on someone's car. And it irked me, and the first thought to pass througb my head was that pontificating from an ignorant perspective just makes you seem pretentious. The "eye for an eye" phrase, from the passage of the Bible, was not meant as a cry for vengeance, but instead as a cry for temperance. In the time at which it was written, this was intended to mean that the punishment should match the crime. An eye for an eye, instead of the tradition of the time, which was a life for an eye. Personally, I'm thinking...yeah, "eye for an eye" thus seems more fair and just.
I support punishment matching a crime. Generally. I also think, though, that extenuating reasons be allowed for certain crimes.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Mmm, Cruelty...
So, the "Organic" and "Cruelty-Free" food craze amuses me. The Organic bit...okay, I can kinda see. But when it costs at least 66% more than the regular stuff, fuck that. "Cruelty Free" meats, though... Yeah, this concept is just ridiculous. Let me make this clear: This is an animal born and raised for the sole purpose of being kiled at the peak of it's health, and then chopped, sliced, and turned into food. If you think about it critically, raising a creature and making it as healthy as possible for the best yield from it's death...is cruel. Not smacking it, shocking it, starving it, overfeeding it, whatever, doesn't make it any less cruel.
I love my meat. I am not going to stop eating it, and I am a very far cry from ever saying that eating meat is cruel. There are damned few animals I wouldn't eat except in the most dire consequences, and those are the ones I know personally and those that I've been told taste repulsive. I just say, let's have some damned honesty. You cannot go to the store and buy "cruelty free" meat.
"Here you go, cow. A beautiful pasture. A doctor to help ensure your health and well-being. The best of treats and food. Kindness, pleasure and contentment. Happy? Ecstatic? Good. Now, hold still and ignore this ax..."
http://www.illwillpress.com/CFREE22.html
I love my meat. I am not going to stop eating it, and I am a very far cry from ever saying that eating meat is cruel. There are damned few animals I wouldn't eat except in the most dire consequences, and those are the ones I know personally and those that I've been told taste repulsive. I just say, let's have some damned honesty. You cannot go to the store and buy "cruelty free" meat.
"Here you go, cow. A beautiful pasture. A doctor to help ensure your health and well-being. The best of treats and food. Kindness, pleasure and contentment. Happy? Ecstatic? Good. Now, hold still and ignore this ax..."
http://www.illwillpress.com/CFREE22.html
Saturday, May 8, 2010
A Nice Harass
Tell me what seems wrong with this scenario, so I can tell whether I’m just imagining things. We have two employees of a random company, let’s call them Jimbo and Skippy. Jimbo’s talking to some coworkers while on break, just random conversation. In the course of discussing various subjects, Jimbo starts talking about some combat/fighting training he’s had. He’s able to discourse on subjects of violence, and injuring others, etc. Some other coworker overhears, is made uncomfortable, and reports it to a manager. That manager later has a meeting with Jimbo, informs him of the situation…and admonishes him not to do it again before sending him on his way.
Skippy is having a discussion similar in tone, but different in subject. Skippy’s conversation turns to sex. They keep it very low-key, almost clinical, calm and detached. More general comparisons of desires and experiences. Some other coworker overhears, is made uncomfortable, and reports it to a manager. That manager later has a meeting with Skippy, informs of the situation…and then informs him that he is fired, and will be hearing from company lawyers about signing papers saying that company was not responsible for his actions. In addition, everyone still employed by the company has to then go through mandatory sexual harassment training.
Seriously, what is wrong with this picture? If I were talking with a coworker about martial arts or other combat training, and the myriad ways to hurt someone, or poisons, or even vivisection, I’d be likely to only get a slap on the wrist at most. But discussing sexuality, something that gives so much pleasure to just about every human on this planet, even discussing it in only general terms, can lead to huge repercussions for even those not involved with the original discussion. And these problems can be caused by the most innocuous statements or jokes, and by someone eavesdropping or listening in on a conversation that they weren’t involved in. It seems like it should be the opposite way around.
Personally, I blame the myriad religions that teach that sex is something to be ashamed of and hidden away, so that any openness leads to offense, disgust, and/or embarrassment. One would think that it would be obvious by now that honesty tends to be better than repression.
Skippy is having a discussion similar in tone, but different in subject. Skippy’s conversation turns to sex. They keep it very low-key, almost clinical, calm and detached. More general comparisons of desires and experiences. Some other coworker overhears, is made uncomfortable, and reports it to a manager. That manager later has a meeting with Skippy, informs of the situation…and then informs him that he is fired, and will be hearing from company lawyers about signing papers saying that company was not responsible for his actions. In addition, everyone still employed by the company has to then go through mandatory sexual harassment training.
Seriously, what is wrong with this picture? If I were talking with a coworker about martial arts or other combat training, and the myriad ways to hurt someone, or poisons, or even vivisection, I’d be likely to only get a slap on the wrist at most. But discussing sexuality, something that gives so much pleasure to just about every human on this planet, even discussing it in only general terms, can lead to huge repercussions for even those not involved with the original discussion. And these problems can be caused by the most innocuous statements or jokes, and by someone eavesdropping or listening in on a conversation that they weren’t involved in. It seems like it should be the opposite way around.
Personally, I blame the myriad religions that teach that sex is something to be ashamed of and hidden away, so that any openness leads to offense, disgust, and/or embarrassment. One would think that it would be obvious by now that honesty tends to be better than repression.
Saturday, May 1, 2010
The Type A Personality Weight Loss Program!
Guaranteed Results! No change in diet needed!
First, make sure to keep your regular job. Then add another job, at least part-time. The next step is to pick 2-4 long-term goals, and a handful of hobbies. Once you have all of these set up…work towards all of them with the energy and intensity to complete and finish them all early. Add in semi-regular workouts, to increase the burn. And remember, if you can’t do all of it…you’re a loser. If you’re not at least somewhere among the best, there’s no point playing the game.
Just try it, and watch the pounds melt off. And remember, I’m not just the creator…I’m also psychotic.
First, make sure to keep your regular job. Then add another job, at least part-time. The next step is to pick 2-4 long-term goals, and a handful of hobbies. Once you have all of these set up…work towards all of them with the energy and intensity to complete and finish them all early. Add in semi-regular workouts, to increase the burn. And remember, if you can’t do all of it…you’re a loser. If you’re not at least somewhere among the best, there’s no point playing the game.
Just try it, and watch the pounds melt off. And remember, I’m not just the creator…I’m also psychotic.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Respect
Today’s lecture, boys and girls, is on respect. Specifically, just a couple aspects of showing that respect for someone you know, and supposedly enjoy the company of.
This rant has primarily been prompted by recent events, but it’s been an ever-present issue of mine. If you have some issue with me, or really with anyone you know…SAY SOMETHING. Seriously, am I the only one who finds it disrespectful and downright cowardly to hear these types of things second- and third-hand? How little must you think of someone to not bring these things to them? To have some problem, but not be willing to tell it to the one person most central to it.
Or is it simple cowardice? I know I can be intense, maybe even frightening, and for most humans to confront me is probably something akin to a lamb trying to stare down a wolf. But when you have been asked to be forthright, to be honest and plain, to do otherwise seems to show no regard for my wishes, no respect for my wants. It shows that you don’t think enough of me to actually listen to what I want, and/or you don’t have enough courage to actually risk saying something negative.
Now, one more point. Repeat after me, boys and girls: Double standards are BAD. Hypocrisy is BAD. Getting angry at someone else for doing the exact same thing you did, in a like situation, is ignorant and selfish. Expecting someone else to hold to standards that you, yourself, do not is likewise ignorant and selfish. Granted, selfishness seems to be a great trait of the human species…but maybe you could at least be a little bit subtle about it, hmm?
This rant has primarily been prompted by recent events, but it’s been an ever-present issue of mine. If you have some issue with me, or really with anyone you know…SAY SOMETHING. Seriously, am I the only one who finds it disrespectful and downright cowardly to hear these types of things second- and third-hand? How little must you think of someone to not bring these things to them? To have some problem, but not be willing to tell it to the one person most central to it.
Or is it simple cowardice? I know I can be intense, maybe even frightening, and for most humans to confront me is probably something akin to a lamb trying to stare down a wolf. But when you have been asked to be forthright, to be honest and plain, to do otherwise seems to show no regard for my wishes, no respect for my wants. It shows that you don’t think enough of me to actually listen to what I want, and/or you don’t have enough courage to actually risk saying something negative.
Now, one more point. Repeat after me, boys and girls: Double standards are BAD. Hypocrisy is BAD. Getting angry at someone else for doing the exact same thing you did, in a like situation, is ignorant and selfish. Expecting someone else to hold to standards that you, yourself, do not is likewise ignorant and selfish. Granted, selfishness seems to be a great trait of the human species…but maybe you could at least be a little bit subtle about it, hmm?
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Supposed to be 2-way...
This topic has been bouncing around in my head for a few days now. It has taken me this long to post it because I have also been suffering from the flu, which was also the inspiration for this topic.
Specifically, while ill I considered calling in sick to work. Yet my current employer places less value on the health and well-being of it's employees, and more value on having people to man the phones. I say this because staying out sick counts as an official "occurrence", meaning I can get fired for it, despite being ill myself and contagious to others. So, I went to work anyway, light-headed, running a fever, etc.
And this is not the first employer I have seen this type of attitude from. It seems that the larger the company, the less loyalty and regard they have for their employees. Yet, those same companies punish displays of "disloyalty", like attempts to unionize, seeking other employment, etc. Even saying something negative about the employer can result in summary termination. So, these companies want absolute, blind loyalty, yet give absolutely none in return.
And nobody complains about this? Right now, I'm wondering what the Health Dept. might have to say about the company requiring employees to come in feverish and contagious, or risk firing...
Specifically, while ill I considered calling in sick to work. Yet my current employer places less value on the health and well-being of it's employees, and more value on having people to man the phones. I say this because staying out sick counts as an official "occurrence", meaning I can get fired for it, despite being ill myself and contagious to others. So, I went to work anyway, light-headed, running a fever, etc.
And this is not the first employer I have seen this type of attitude from. It seems that the larger the company, the less loyalty and regard they have for their employees. Yet, those same companies punish displays of "disloyalty", like attempts to unionize, seeking other employment, etc. Even saying something negative about the employer can result in summary termination. So, these companies want absolute, blind loyalty, yet give absolutely none in return.
And nobody complains about this? Right now, I'm wondering what the Health Dept. might have to say about the company requiring employees to come in feverish and contagious, or risk firing...
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Struck a chord...
A friend of mine wrote this, as a song. I repost it here because it (for obvious reasons) struck a bit of a chord with me. I have a more involved post in mind for later, but just don't have the time to post it right now. Hopefully my schedule will improve soon...
The auther's name is Danae Dunning, also listed at the bottom.
"Not For You"
I gave all of myself to you
Would have done anything for you
But you shut me out
And pushed me away
You just gave me up without a fight
And when I left, you didn't even say goodbye
My songs are not for your ears
My body is not for your eyes
My kisses aren't for your lips
You had it all
Yet threw it away
I'm not for you anymore.
Why didn't you say what's on your mind
You didn't even bother to try
Don't you dare say you're sorry
And that you'll always love me
I have forgiven, but I won't forget
Just go away and let me move on.
My songs are not for your ears
My body is not for your eyes
My kisses aren't for your lips
You had it all
Yet threw it away
I'm not for you anymore.
Danae Dunning 2010
The auther's name is Danae Dunning, also listed at the bottom.
"Not For You"
I gave all of myself to you
Would have done anything for you
But you shut me out
And pushed me away
You just gave me up without a fight
And when I left, you didn't even say goodbye
My songs are not for your ears
My body is not for your eyes
My kisses aren't for your lips
You had it all
Yet threw it away
I'm not for you anymore.
Why didn't you say what's on your mind
You didn't even bother to try
Don't you dare say you're sorry
And that you'll always love me
I have forgiven, but I won't forget
Just go away and let me move on.
My songs are not for your ears
My body is not for your eyes
My kisses aren't for your lips
You had it all
Yet threw it away
I'm not for you anymore.
Danae Dunning 2010
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