Saturday, December 16, 2006
Friday, November 03, 2006
Still green, but a bit sootier.
Well, the Insight has moved on to a new owner. Back issues and long drives to work in the little spacebug were simply not compatible. We're still striving towards being carbon neutral. We just have to take some different avenues now.
The new ride is very smooth and much more comfortable for commuting.
Here's what she looks like.
On another note, the midterm elections are almost upon us and I find myself in a bit of a quandry. Our tiny state is a key battleground for potential control of the senate and yet I am hard pressed to vote for the candidate I distrust and view as a weasely looking character in spite of the fact that his victory could tip the balance to the Democrats. I can't explain it, but there's just something about the guy that I don't trust. And, I feel the incumbent has done a pretty good job of bucking the party leadership in the past and have little reason to believe he'll stop if he gets re-elected.
One thing I have to admit that's been enjoyable about this election cycle is watching the policies of this administration over the past 6 years beat the living crap out of Republican candidates across the country. They had the chance to do what was right and they followed a fool on his errand. Now they are simply getting their just desserts. Don't get me wrong. There are nimrods and screw-ups on both sides of the aisle and they all share a certain amount of blame for the mess we are in. But if the award for screwing the country the most has to be handed out, it's gonna go to the Republicans and the current administration.
Let's hope we take back at least one chamber of Congress and stop the insanity for a little while.
Be nice.
Peace
The new ride is very smooth and much more comfortable for commuting.
Here's what she looks like.
On another note, the midterm elections are almost upon us and I find myself in a bit of a quandry. Our tiny state is a key battleground for potential control of the senate and yet I am hard pressed to vote for the candidate I distrust and view as a weasely looking character in spite of the fact that his victory could tip the balance to the Democrats. I can't explain it, but there's just something about the guy that I don't trust. And, I feel the incumbent has done a pretty good job of bucking the party leadership in the past and have little reason to believe he'll stop if he gets re-elected.
One thing I have to admit that's been enjoyable about this election cycle is watching the policies of this administration over the past 6 years beat the living crap out of Republican candidates across the country. They had the chance to do what was right and they followed a fool on his errand. Now they are simply getting their just desserts. Don't get me wrong. There are nimrods and screw-ups on both sides of the aisle and they all share a certain amount of blame for the mess we are in. But if the award for screwing the country the most has to be handed out, it's gonna go to the Republicans and the current administration.
Let's hope we take back at least one chamber of Congress and stop the insanity for a little while.
Be nice.
Peace
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Green is the new black. :-)
It's been about a month now in the Insight and I am loving it!
"What we got here is the Cadillac of hybrid vehicles". (Rental clerk to Chili Palmer in "Be Cool")
Chili Palmer: [about a Honda Insight] It's the Cadillac of hybrids.
Martin Weir: But what about speed?
Chili Palmer: If you're important, people will wait.
The dealer experience was truly pathetic in the sense that it could have come straight out of the IFC documentary film "Slasher". It's an inside look at the unseemly world of auto sales. My experience was of the sadly stereotypical nature of:
Salesman: What kind of payment are you looking for?
Me: None. I'll be paying cash.
Salesman: How much can you spend on the car?
Me: How much I can spend is not relevant. This is what I am willing to spend.
Salesman: Oh, that's quite a bit less than the price on the car?
Me: We both know the price you've put on it is a made up number that's too high to begin with so you can act like you are lowering it to give someone a deal.
Salesman: Let me talk to my manager.
Me: That's a great idea.
Salesman: My manager says that is too low. Could you do a little bit more?
Me: No. Thanks for your time. (Rising to leave.)
Salesman: Please wait a minute. Let me see if there is anything I can do.
Me: Ok.
Salesman returns with Sales Manager.
Sales Manager: Hi, my name's Joe Sleazebag (or something like that). Look, the amount you are looking to spend is almost $3000 less than the list price.
Me: Nice to meet you (not really). Look, you and I both know that the number on the sticker has no basis in reality, you took the car in on a trade from the original purchaser who bought it here and then bought another new car from you when they traded this in. I'm offering you more than you can possibly have into it and still allowing you a fair profit.
Sales Manager: Well, we also have other expenses into it.
Me: Such as? The car hasn't even been detailed yet since there are still dead bugs in the rear hatch area and even if you have one of your runners clean it up you'll still be pulling a very nice profit out of it.
Sales Manager: So, is this the most your willing to spend? What if I said you could have it for $5.00 dollars more?
Me: I'd say, "Thanks for your time and have a good evening."
Sales Manager: Give me a minute. (walks back to his podium in the corner of the showroom)
Sales Manager: (returns after 3 minutes of doing nothing) Well, I can't sell it to you for this price, but I'll do it because Emad (salesman) just came back to work and he needs the sale. (yeah right!)
This concludes our installment of pathetic sleazebag dealership experience. Hopefully, the service visits to a different Honda dealership will be better.
Now, on to the details of the Insight!
I'm averaging 54mpg with the A/C on and driving at or around 70+mph.
The factory stereo was a turd and has been replaced by an Alpine head unit with integrated Hi-speed ipod link,
a 4 channel 200w Alpine amp
and 4 Polk MMC-650 speakers with external crossovers.
The speakers mounted behind the seats needed a bit of custom spacer work to fit.
And of course a custom alarm system to keep it secure. :-0
The car handles suprisingly well considering the narrow low rolling resistance tires and I have no complaints about its manners on the road.
The auto-stop feature is one of my favorites since it gives you a real warm and fuzzy to know that while sitting at a red light you are neither burning gas nor polluting the air further. Oh, and did I mention earlier that this model is rated SULEV (Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle).
A COMPARISON OF EMISSIONS STANDARDS
Clean Car Campaign-SULEV Standard
Hydrocarbons (HC) 0.01 percent
Carbon Monoxide (CO) 1.0 (grams/mile)
Nitrous Oxides (NOx) 0.02 (grams/mile)
Particulate Matter (PM) 0.01 (grams/mile)
Current Federal Standard - Tier 1
Hydrocarbons (HC) 0.31 percent
Carbon Monoxide (CO) 4.2 (grams/mile)
Nitrous Oxides (NOx) 0.6 (grams/mile)
Particulate Matter (PM) 0.10 (grams/mile)
Reduction
Hydrocarbons (HC) 97%
Carbon Monoxide (CO) 76%
Nitrous Oxides (NOx) 97%
Particulate Matter (PM) 90%
And don't forget, even small things can help shift the balance. Using rechargeable batteries in cameras and radios, installing the new design of compact flourescent lights, even wearing a watch that you wind or that converts light to power like the Citizen Eco-Drive series saves you from buying and disposing of batteries filled with toxic materials that find their way into our ground water.
From simple to fully loaded!
Small steps can make big differences. My long term plans include solar hot water for the house. Geothermal heat pump for heating the house and if the town will ever permit, a small wind turbine to generate additional power.
Now don't make the mistake of thinking I'm some hemp wearing, barefoot granola who's bent on converting the world. I love my plasma TV and my ipod as much as the next guy. I just think there are ways we can enjoy these things that have less of a negative impact on our planet and on our wallets.
And that my friends, is good for all of us!
Before I forget, check out Craig Newmark's blog at http://www.cnewmark.com He's Craig of craigslist fame. Some excellent reading and links to be found there.
Be nice.
Go green.
Peace.
"What we got here is the Cadillac of hybrid vehicles". (Rental clerk to Chili Palmer in "Be Cool")
Chili Palmer: [about a Honda Insight] It's the Cadillac of hybrids.
Martin Weir: But what about speed?
Chili Palmer: If you're important, people will wait.
The dealer experience was truly pathetic in the sense that it could have come straight out of the IFC documentary film "Slasher". It's an inside look at the unseemly world of auto sales. My experience was of the sadly stereotypical nature of:
Salesman: What kind of payment are you looking for?
Me: None. I'll be paying cash.
Salesman: How much can you spend on the car?
Me: How much I can spend is not relevant. This is what I am willing to spend.
Salesman: Oh, that's quite a bit less than the price on the car?
Me: We both know the price you've put on it is a made up number that's too high to begin with so you can act like you are lowering it to give someone a deal.
Salesman: Let me talk to my manager.
Me: That's a great idea.
Salesman: My manager says that is too low. Could you do a little bit more?
Me: No. Thanks for your time. (Rising to leave.)
Salesman: Please wait a minute. Let me see if there is anything I can do.
Me: Ok.
Salesman returns with Sales Manager.
Sales Manager: Hi, my name's Joe Sleazebag (or something like that). Look, the amount you are looking to spend is almost $3000 less than the list price.
Me: Nice to meet you (not really). Look, you and I both know that the number on the sticker has no basis in reality, you took the car in on a trade from the original purchaser who bought it here and then bought another new car from you when they traded this in. I'm offering you more than you can possibly have into it and still allowing you a fair profit.
Sales Manager: Well, we also have other expenses into it.
Me: Such as? The car hasn't even been detailed yet since there are still dead bugs in the rear hatch area and even if you have one of your runners clean it up you'll still be pulling a very nice profit out of it.
Sales Manager: So, is this the most your willing to spend? What if I said you could have it for $5.00 dollars more?
Me: I'd say, "Thanks for your time and have a good evening."
Sales Manager: Give me a minute. (walks back to his podium in the corner of the showroom)
Sales Manager: (returns after 3 minutes of doing nothing) Well, I can't sell it to you for this price, but I'll do it because Emad (salesman) just came back to work and he needs the sale. (yeah right!)
This concludes our installment of pathetic sleazebag dealership experience. Hopefully, the service visits to a different Honda dealership will be better.
Now, on to the details of the Insight!
I'm averaging 54mpg with the A/C on and driving at or around 70+mph.
The factory stereo was a turd and has been replaced by an Alpine head unit with integrated Hi-speed ipod link,
a 4 channel 200w Alpine amp
and 4 Polk MMC-650 speakers with external crossovers.
The speakers mounted behind the seats needed a bit of custom spacer work to fit.
And of course a custom alarm system to keep it secure. :-0
The car handles suprisingly well considering the narrow low rolling resistance tires and I have no complaints about its manners on the road.
The auto-stop feature is one of my favorites since it gives you a real warm and fuzzy to know that while sitting at a red light you are neither burning gas nor polluting the air further. Oh, and did I mention earlier that this model is rated SULEV (Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle).
A COMPARISON OF EMISSIONS STANDARDS
Clean Car Campaign-SULEV Standard
Hydrocarbons (HC) 0.01 percent
Carbon Monoxide (CO) 1.0 (grams/mile)
Nitrous Oxides (NOx) 0.02 (grams/mile)
Particulate Matter (PM) 0.01 (grams/mile)
Current Federal Standard - Tier 1
Hydrocarbons (HC) 0.31 percent
Carbon Monoxide (CO) 4.2 (grams/mile)
Nitrous Oxides (NOx) 0.6 (grams/mile)
Particulate Matter (PM) 0.10 (grams/mile)
Reduction
Hydrocarbons (HC) 97%
Carbon Monoxide (CO) 76%
Nitrous Oxides (NOx) 97%
Particulate Matter (PM) 90%
And don't forget, even small things can help shift the balance. Using rechargeable batteries in cameras and radios, installing the new design of compact flourescent lights, even wearing a watch that you wind or that converts light to power like the Citizen Eco-Drive series saves you from buying and disposing of batteries filled with toxic materials that find their way into our ground water.
From simple to fully loaded!
Small steps can make big differences. My long term plans include solar hot water for the house. Geothermal heat pump for heating the house and if the town will ever permit, a small wind turbine to generate additional power.
Now don't make the mistake of thinking I'm some hemp wearing, barefoot granola who's bent on converting the world. I love my plasma TV and my ipod as much as the next guy. I just think there are ways we can enjoy these things that have less of a negative impact on our planet and on our wallets.
And that my friends, is good for all of us!
Before I forget, check out Craig Newmark's blog at http://www.cnewmark.com He's Craig of craigslist fame. Some excellent reading and links to be found there.
Be nice.
Go green.
Peace.
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Going Green
Anyone who knows me will be shocked yet not totally suprised to learn that I am planning to give up my beloved Audi and start driving a Japanese import.
A confluence of events have brought me to this decision.
* Gas retailing at over $3.00 per gallon. The Audi needs Premium!
* A recent viewing of Nova. A spectacular program on Solar Dimming. Scary stuff!
* The astronomical cost of insuring an aluminum luxury car.
Add to this a 110 mile round trip commute every day and it's not hard to see why something has to give. Truth be told, the fuel cost is a motivating factor here but the fact that we are within 10 years of what is considered to be the point of no return for starting to repair the environmental damage we've done is really pushing me to act.
Here's the new ride that we're looking at.
Here's a link to the Nova program.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sun/
In the end, I need to do what I can to help leave a living planet to my children and to the children I hope they will one day have. Maybe we can all think about this.
Go Green.
Be nice.
Peace
A confluence of events have brought me to this decision.
* Gas retailing at over $3.00 per gallon. The Audi needs Premium!
* A recent viewing of Nova. A spectacular program on Solar Dimming. Scary stuff!
* The astronomical cost of insuring an aluminum luxury car.
Add to this a 110 mile round trip commute every day and it's not hard to see why something has to give. Truth be told, the fuel cost is a motivating factor here but the fact that we are within 10 years of what is considered to be the point of no return for starting to repair the environmental damage we've done is really pushing me to act.
Here's the new ride that we're looking at.
Here's a link to the Nova program.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sun/
In the end, I need to do what I can to help leave a living planet to my children and to the children I hope they will one day have. Maybe we can all think about this.
Go Green.
Be nice.
Peace
Friday, April 14, 2006
Unanswered questions.
I'm not a big conspiracy theorist. Nor am I a blind follower of our elected leaders.
I feel it's important to put that out for you before you take the time to look at the video about September 11, 2001 linked below. The narrator of this film asks a lot of questions. Perhaps they are some of the very same questions you've asked yourself over the past several years.
The upcoming cinematic release of a film purporting to chronicle the last minutes of United Airlines Flight 93 got me to thinking recently and I felt it was important that every voice be heard on issues that are deemed controversial.
It's been interesting to me to learn of the dissenting voices surrounding the birth of our nation and reading "His Excellency, George Washington", "John Adams" and "1776" have reminded me how important it is for all of us to question what our leaders tell us. To refuse to follow blindly and to assert our right to be told the truth regardless of how we may be branded as unpatriotic or giving aid and comfort to the enemy.
In fact, nothing could be more patriotic than questioning our leaders and rebelling against injustice. As to giving aid and comfort, how do we even know who the real enemy is? Food for thought.
Let's all be thankful mid-term elections are coming this fall and 2008 is just around the corner!
Be nice.
Peace
I feel it's important to put that out for you before you take the time to look at the video about September 11, 2001 linked below. The narrator of this film asks a lot of questions. Perhaps they are some of the very same questions you've asked yourself over the past several years.
The upcoming cinematic release of a film purporting to chronicle the last minutes of United Airlines Flight 93 got me to thinking recently and I felt it was important that every voice be heard on issues that are deemed controversial.
It's been interesting to me to learn of the dissenting voices surrounding the birth of our nation and reading "His Excellency, George Washington", "John Adams" and "1776" have reminded me how important it is for all of us to question what our leaders tell us. To refuse to follow blindly and to assert our right to be told the truth regardless of how we may be branded as unpatriotic or giving aid and comfort to the enemy.
In fact, nothing could be more patriotic than questioning our leaders and rebelling against injustice. As to giving aid and comfort, how do we even know who the real enemy is? Food for thought.
Let's all be thankful mid-term elections are coming this fall and 2008 is just around the corner!
Be nice.
Peace
Friday, March 24, 2006
People don't all suck! Decency lives on.
The following is a post that was flagged as "Best of" on Craigslist recently. There are a lot of posts that end up on this list that really aren't what I would call "Best of" anything. This one is a litle different.
RAVE RAVE RAVE: "I'll take you where you need to go"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reply to: anon-138796534@craigslist.org
Date: Fri Mar 03 16:46:15 2006
So this morning I'm running late for school as usual and am cross and frustrated and tired after staying up all night to write a paper and generally just in a relatively "Blech" mood.
Luckily I was able to make the bus, but only because it was held up with all the construction going on in front of U Village which has turned 45th into an absolute (if temporary) nightmare.
So the bus is rumbling along and trying to get over amidst the dozen or little cars who are all determined to get ahead of us before the bus can switch into the lane it needs...
*Tangent* (Btw, you clowns ever read those "yield" signs on the back? Yeah, they're not kidding.. YIELD! Is being one car length in front of the bus really worth trying to vie for position with 15 tons of steel and glass with your little Hundai Accent? I got 5 bucks says who is going to win that battle!)
*ahem* As I was saying.. so the bus driver is just doing his damnedest (I recognize this is probably not really a word) to merge over and he makes it over just in time to make it to the next stop, which he does announce and when no one pulled the cord, he gratefully kept on trucking to turn out of the traffic mess onto campus. As we are waiting to go through the intersection at the light at 25th, a very old (like 90 if a day) blind man nervously asked if his stop had come yet...
The bus driver instantly remembered that this man had asked to be let off at the last stop he'd just passed. This man was clearly hard of hearing (had giant hearing aids) and in no way could have known the stop was coming up to pull the cord. The driver had told him he'd remember to let him off there and then with all the traffic and stuff I guess he just forgot. (To his credit, he felt really really bad about it and was apologizing profusely).
The old blind man was clearly scared and asked to be told where he was exactly but even though we weren't far from where he wanted to get off... it would have been very difficult for him to get back there because the sidewalk is not continuous. The driver offered to let him off at that corner and was trying to explain how to do it, but it was just too complicated for this guy. (I don't blame him, the 25th, 45th, montlake intersection is kind of convoluted for pedestrians)The obviously distressed man finally decided that rather than risk it he'd just get off at the next stop and catch the next bus coming back the other way...
With an "Are you sure?" the driver began to close the doors again but then.. from the back of the bus came a woman's voice....
"I'll take you where you need to go" she said as she made her way to the front. She turned to the driver and said, "I can take him" and with that the driver let the elderly blind man and the young woman in a black jacket and pink bandana in her hair off the bus.
The bus was at the light for a moment or two longer and as I watched this woman gently talking to this man as she held his elbow and began escorting him safely to his destination I couldn't help but almost feel the kindness radiating off of her in his direction. They were beautiful. Her:looking very much the Seattle "granola girl" and him: frail, tapping his white cane in front of him.
Say what you want about hippies, liberals, whatever.. This woman displayed an unselfish compassion this morning that should put us all to shame, regardless of affiliation.
You see, she didn't pull the cord either... she was obviously on her way to somewhere else, and chose instead to delay her plans to help this total stranger walk half a block to safety. I was humbled.
Thank you, Ms. Kindest-Blue-Eyes-Ever for helping me to remember why we're all really here on this earth and for shaming me for my inaction to help my fellow man out of preoccupation with my own interests.
I needed that.
I think we all do.
So RAVE RAVE RAVE RAVE to you!
You not only made my morning, you made my co-workers mornings too when I walked into the lab and told them this story. Good on ya!
Signed,
An anonymous girl you gently brushed past on the bus so you could do what we ALL should have been making our way forward to do
this is in or around uw bus#75@10:15am
RAVE RAVE RAVE: "I'll take you where you need to go"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reply to: anon-138796534@craigslist.org
Date: Fri Mar 03 16:46:15 2006
So this morning I'm running late for school as usual and am cross and frustrated and tired after staying up all night to write a paper and generally just in a relatively "Blech" mood.
Luckily I was able to make the bus, but only because it was held up with all the construction going on in front of U Village which has turned 45th into an absolute (if temporary) nightmare.
So the bus is rumbling along and trying to get over amidst the dozen or little cars who are all determined to get ahead of us before the bus can switch into the lane it needs...
*Tangent* (Btw, you clowns ever read those "yield" signs on the back? Yeah, they're not kidding.. YIELD! Is being one car length in front of the bus really worth trying to vie for position with 15 tons of steel and glass with your little Hundai Accent? I got 5 bucks says who is going to win that battle!)
*ahem* As I was saying.. so the bus driver is just doing his damnedest (I recognize this is probably not really a word) to merge over and he makes it over just in time to make it to the next stop, which he does announce and when no one pulled the cord, he gratefully kept on trucking to turn out of the traffic mess onto campus. As we are waiting to go through the intersection at the light at 25th, a very old (like 90 if a day) blind man nervously asked if his stop had come yet...
The bus driver instantly remembered that this man had asked to be let off at the last stop he'd just passed. This man was clearly hard of hearing (had giant hearing aids) and in no way could have known the stop was coming up to pull the cord. The driver had told him he'd remember to let him off there and then with all the traffic and stuff I guess he just forgot. (To his credit, he felt really really bad about it and was apologizing profusely).
The old blind man was clearly scared and asked to be told where he was exactly but even though we weren't far from where he wanted to get off... it would have been very difficult for him to get back there because the sidewalk is not continuous. The driver offered to let him off at that corner and was trying to explain how to do it, but it was just too complicated for this guy. (I don't blame him, the 25th, 45th, montlake intersection is kind of convoluted for pedestrians)The obviously distressed man finally decided that rather than risk it he'd just get off at the next stop and catch the next bus coming back the other way...
With an "Are you sure?" the driver began to close the doors again but then.. from the back of the bus came a woman's voice....
"I'll take you where you need to go" she said as she made her way to the front. She turned to the driver and said, "I can take him" and with that the driver let the elderly blind man and the young woman in a black jacket and pink bandana in her hair off the bus.
The bus was at the light for a moment or two longer and as I watched this woman gently talking to this man as she held his elbow and began escorting him safely to his destination I couldn't help but almost feel the kindness radiating off of her in his direction. They were beautiful. Her:looking very much the Seattle "granola girl" and him: frail, tapping his white cane in front of him.
Say what you want about hippies, liberals, whatever.. This woman displayed an unselfish compassion this morning that should put us all to shame, regardless of affiliation.
You see, she didn't pull the cord either... she was obviously on her way to somewhere else, and chose instead to delay her plans to help this total stranger walk half a block to safety. I was humbled.
Thank you, Ms. Kindest-Blue-Eyes-Ever for helping me to remember why we're all really here on this earth and for shaming me for my inaction to help my fellow man out of preoccupation with my own interests.
I needed that.
I think we all do.
So RAVE RAVE RAVE RAVE to you!
You not only made my morning, you made my co-workers mornings too when I walked into the lab and told them this story. Good on ya!
Signed,
An anonymous girl you gently brushed past on the bus so you could do what we ALL should have been making our way forward to do
this is in or around uw bus#75@10:15am
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Love Actually
You may hate this movie, you may love it, you may have never seen it.
Whatever the case, as schmaltzy as some parts of it may be, the opening voiceover by Hugh Grant as the British Prime Minister is indeed telling and on this Valentine's Day worth remembering.
"Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love actually is all around."
And there it is.
Be nice.
Peace.
Little things...
From time to time, I stop and think about what makes people so miserable. You see them every day. Driving in their cars, walking down the street, waiting in line at the market. And they have one thing in common. They all look absolutely miserable!
Sure, life is stressful with oversized mortgage payments, car troubles, a boss that doesn't appreciate you. But stop and think for a minute about what's really going on with all of these things.
* Mortgage payment - May be a lot of money, but it validates that you've been able to achieve the goal of home ownership amidst all the economic perils you may have encountered along the way. And, mortgage rates are still at historic lows. The prices of housing may be overinflated, but you have a roof over your head for you and possibly your family.
* Car troubles - At least you have a car and probably a job to which you drive it when it's running. A lot of people take the bus everyday and stand in the cold and rain waiting for it not because they are green consumers trying to save the earth, but rather because they have no other choice. I've seen people on the bus with sick children on the way to the doctor's and I'm thankful I can take my kids in the 5 year old minivan when they are sick!
* Sucky boss, job, etc. - First I'll say be glad to have a job even if it seems to suck big time. Second, look for another one. Regardless of your skill level and educational background, there are hundreds of thousands of jobs in this country waiting to be filled. Check out monster.com or simplyhired.com. Maybe the next job will suck just as much, maybe it'll suck a little bit less. At least you'll get a better idea of what you don't like and that's half the battle in finding the right match for what you really want to do.
I've worked my share of craptastic jobs over the years. I've owned cars that left me stranded more than I care to remember. I've shared apartments with people I didn't want to look at, let alone live with at times. I've been kept awake at night wondering how to make the deep red budget creep it's way to black.
And you know what? I wouldn't change a thing or trade it for anything. My past has helped to make me the man I am today. The man my wife loves and my kids look up to. There's a saying that sounds trite when you hear it, but it's absolutely true.
Life is what you make it. I choose to make it happy, peaceful and worthwhile.
Sometimes I forget how to do that and fall into the trap of feeling that the world is a catastrophe not waiting to happen, but midway through a full on implosion. Then I'm brought back by a child who takes the greatest delight in making me a "special" dessert or giving me a hand scrawled valentine or simply gazing at me with wonder and awe at how I can pick him up so high.
Life truly is what you make it. So try to make it happy, make it peaceful and while you're at it, try to make it a little better for someone else each day. A smile, a caring word, a couple of coins in those ubiquitous tip jars. It won't cost you much and you find you get an awful lot in return.
Be nice.
Peace.
Friday, February 03, 2006
The Problem with the Muslim cartoon protests.
First, please read this op-ed piece on Freedom of Speech and the current controversy over cartoons of the Islamic Prophet Mohammed from
http://www.stuff.co.nz
The precious right of freedom of speech
04 February 2006
Modern society rests on the contest of ideas, the ability to question perceived wisdom and to challenge authority, The Dominion Post writes in an editorial.
Without that contest, and the right to free speech that makes it possible, societies stultify and become entrenched in their beliefs. That freedom to question and to challenge must include the right to be offensive, to affront people's most heartfelt beliefs, even to disparage that which they hold sacred. Otherwise it is an empty freedom.
Our decision to publish the 12 cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed from the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten (Jutland Post) at the centre of the escalating row between the Muslim world and the nations of the West is not one that the newspaper has taken lightly. However, in the clash of values at the centre of the dispute not to publish because of fear of disturbing the sensibilities of Muslims would be to give way in the face of bullying threats. That is what Muslims are seeking to have the Western democracies do with their threats of bombs and trade boycotts.
There is no doubt that Muslims find the portrayal of the Prophet offensive. The Koran is clear that the slander and mockery of Islam and prayer crosses a sacred boundary, and warns that those who cross that boundary will be hurled into "crushing disaster". Mufti Abdul Barkatullah, a member of the British Muslim Council, calls it a no-go area at any cost, adding "the Prophet is held above everything in the universe, over one's own person, family, parents, the whole world. It is less offensive to condemn and vilify God".
That is certainly true – for Muslims.
However Denmark, and the other countries where the cartoons have been reproduced, including in Britain by the BBC and in newspapers in France, Switzerland, Spain, Italy and Germany, are not Muslim countries.
They are democratic, secular countries which are not ruled by religious dogma, whether it be Muslim or Christian.
They have the same values as New Zealand, which includes the right to free speech in its Bill of Rights. There is an acceptance that people can write and say what they wish – except in tightly defined circumstances – even if others are offended by it, and that being shocked can be part of the price for being informed.
The Muslim case is not helped by the hypocrisy when it comes to respecting the religious values of others. No doubt many fundamentalist Christian Americans find it deeply offensive for their country to be constantly labelled the Great Satan.
And, as the German newspaper Die Welt pointed out when it published one of the cartoons, "when Syrian television showed drama documentaries in prime time depicting rabbis as cannibals, the imams were quiet".
There have been earlier cultural confrontations between the West and a resurgent Islam, beginning with the death sentence pronounced in 1989 on author Salman Rushdie for The Satanic Verses, and including the murder in 2004 of Dutch film-maker Theo van Gogh after he made a film dealing with violence against Islamic women.
They are confrontations the West cannot afford to lose. The right to freedom of speech is a precious one that has to be defended.
OK. Now I'll agree that followers of Islam have a right to feel insulted and offended by the cartoons that were printed. However, the way millions of Muslims have chosen to display their feelings with violence, threats and violent rhetoric is a large part of the problem as to why the western world has a hard time accepting Islam and it's followers.
You can view the cartoons for yourself here.
Several noted Arab journalists had this to say about the issue in Slate.com:
Muhammad al-Hamadi, writing in the United Arab Emirates' Al-Ittihad, argued that the perception of a link between Islam and terrorism is not merely a figment of European cartoonists' imaginations: "The world has come to believe that Islam is what is practiced by Bin Laden, Zawahiri, Zarqawi, the Muslim Brotherhood, the Salafis, and others who have presented a distorted image of Islam. We must be honest with ourselves and admit that we are the reason for these drawings. Any harm to the Prophet or Islam is a result of Muslims who have come to reflect the worst image of Islam and certain Arabs who have not conveyed faithfully the life and biography of the Prophet." Al-Hamadi criticized Denmark as well for picking the wrong issue for a stand on principle: "If Denmark has tried to teach Arabs and Muslims a lesson in respect for the country's constitution and its laws, I believe it did not succeed in choosing the right issue. The justification that one must respect the constitution that guarantees freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to denigrate others, was not appropriate—this is the trap that Denmark fell into."
Abdallah Bin Bakhit, writing in Saudi Arabia's Al-Jazirah, used the popular boycott of Danish goods to direct subtle criticism at the Arab world's weak institutions: "All of the pressure that we see being exerted on the Danish government and on Danish public opinion is simply spontaneous pressure, supported by a few businessmen, that began with the man in the street and will end with him. The Danish goods that are today disappearing from store shelves will be back in a few days as though nothing had happened. Muslims are the strongest people in the world when it comes to individual reactions and the weakest when it comes to institutionalized operations. Events have taught us that every reaction to such attacks on Islam (wherever they may take place) ends with institutionalized responses aimed at sapping the popular, local anger, but not at treating the issue in the place where it broke out."
Where is the consideration for American Christians when Islamic leaders refer to America as the great satan? Where is the call from Islamic leaders to remind the faithful that Islam is a religion founded on ideas of peace and mercy?
If Muslims around the world wish to be treated with fairness, respect and understanding they need to look within themselves the next time something offends them and consider a less violent and more "Islamic" reaction. Only then, will non Muslim citizens of the world start to see them in a different light and hopefully engage in meaningful dialogue.
And it wouldn't hurt for journalists in the West to think a bit more when preparing to publish something that may be deemed highly offensive and provide some additional background to help explain their position.
Be nice.
Peace
http://www.stuff.co.nz
The precious right of freedom of speech
04 February 2006
Modern society rests on the contest of ideas, the ability to question perceived wisdom and to challenge authority, The Dominion Post writes in an editorial.
Without that contest, and the right to free speech that makes it possible, societies stultify and become entrenched in their beliefs. That freedom to question and to challenge must include the right to be offensive, to affront people's most heartfelt beliefs, even to disparage that which they hold sacred. Otherwise it is an empty freedom.
Our decision to publish the 12 cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed from the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten (Jutland Post) at the centre of the escalating row between the Muslim world and the nations of the West is not one that the newspaper has taken lightly. However, in the clash of values at the centre of the dispute not to publish because of fear of disturbing the sensibilities of Muslims would be to give way in the face of bullying threats. That is what Muslims are seeking to have the Western democracies do with their threats of bombs and trade boycotts.
There is no doubt that Muslims find the portrayal of the Prophet offensive. The Koran is clear that the slander and mockery of Islam and prayer crosses a sacred boundary, and warns that those who cross that boundary will be hurled into "crushing disaster". Mufti Abdul Barkatullah, a member of the British Muslim Council, calls it a no-go area at any cost, adding "the Prophet is held above everything in the universe, over one's own person, family, parents, the whole world. It is less offensive to condemn and vilify God".
That is certainly true – for Muslims.
However Denmark, and the other countries where the cartoons have been reproduced, including in Britain by the BBC and in newspapers in France, Switzerland, Spain, Italy and Germany, are not Muslim countries.
They are democratic, secular countries which are not ruled by religious dogma, whether it be Muslim or Christian.
They have the same values as New Zealand, which includes the right to free speech in its Bill of Rights. There is an acceptance that people can write and say what they wish – except in tightly defined circumstances – even if others are offended by it, and that being shocked can be part of the price for being informed.
The Muslim case is not helped by the hypocrisy when it comes to respecting the religious values of others. No doubt many fundamentalist Christian Americans find it deeply offensive for their country to be constantly labelled the Great Satan.
And, as the German newspaper Die Welt pointed out when it published one of the cartoons, "when Syrian television showed drama documentaries in prime time depicting rabbis as cannibals, the imams were quiet".
There have been earlier cultural confrontations between the West and a resurgent Islam, beginning with the death sentence pronounced in 1989 on author Salman Rushdie for The Satanic Verses, and including the murder in 2004 of Dutch film-maker Theo van Gogh after he made a film dealing with violence against Islamic women.
They are confrontations the West cannot afford to lose. The right to freedom of speech is a precious one that has to be defended.
OK. Now I'll agree that followers of Islam have a right to feel insulted and offended by the cartoons that were printed. However, the way millions of Muslims have chosen to display their feelings with violence, threats and violent rhetoric is a large part of the problem as to why the western world has a hard time accepting Islam and it's followers.
You can view the cartoons for yourself here.
Several noted Arab journalists had this to say about the issue in Slate.com:
Muhammad al-Hamadi, writing in the United Arab Emirates' Al-Ittihad, argued that the perception of a link between Islam and terrorism is not merely a figment of European cartoonists' imaginations: "The world has come to believe that Islam is what is practiced by Bin Laden, Zawahiri, Zarqawi, the Muslim Brotherhood, the Salafis, and others who have presented a distorted image of Islam. We must be honest with ourselves and admit that we are the reason for these drawings. Any harm to the Prophet or Islam is a result of Muslims who have come to reflect the worst image of Islam and certain Arabs who have not conveyed faithfully the life and biography of the Prophet." Al-Hamadi criticized Denmark as well for picking the wrong issue for a stand on principle: "If Denmark has tried to teach Arabs and Muslims a lesson in respect for the country's constitution and its laws, I believe it did not succeed in choosing the right issue. The justification that one must respect the constitution that guarantees freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to denigrate others, was not appropriate—this is the trap that Denmark fell into."
Abdallah Bin Bakhit, writing in Saudi Arabia's Al-Jazirah, used the popular boycott of Danish goods to direct subtle criticism at the Arab world's weak institutions: "All of the pressure that we see being exerted on the Danish government and on Danish public opinion is simply spontaneous pressure, supported by a few businessmen, that began with the man in the street and will end with him. The Danish goods that are today disappearing from store shelves will be back in a few days as though nothing had happened. Muslims are the strongest people in the world when it comes to individual reactions and the weakest when it comes to institutionalized operations. Events have taught us that every reaction to such attacks on Islam (wherever they may take place) ends with institutionalized responses aimed at sapping the popular, local anger, but not at treating the issue in the place where it broke out."
Where is the consideration for American Christians when Islamic leaders refer to America as the great satan? Where is the call from Islamic leaders to remind the faithful that Islam is a religion founded on ideas of peace and mercy?
If Muslims around the world wish to be treated with fairness, respect and understanding they need to look within themselves the next time something offends them and consider a less violent and more "Islamic" reaction. Only then, will non Muslim citizens of the world start to see them in a different light and hopefully engage in meaningful dialogue.
And it wouldn't hurt for journalists in the West to think a bit more when preparing to publish something that may be deemed highly offensive and provide some additional background to help explain their position.
Be nice.
Peace
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