Tuesday, February 27, 2007 . 2/27/2007

The Discovery Channel is turning into a shitfest. First A Haunting, then Digging for the Truth, and now this.

First of all, these people running around trying to find the ark, Jesus, the 'true cross', and all this other bullshit is about as relevant as trying to find the remains of Robin Hood, or some Pagan god. Second of all, the people in the article are blatantly lying, and even admitting it: This week the Discovery Channel, together with HarperSanFrancisco, announces the release of "The Jesus Family Tomb," a television documentary and a book that aim to show that the tomb next door to Tova Bracha's apartment, located in a nondescript suburb called East Talpiot, is, well, the family plot of Jesus Christ. In short, they are doing this for money. Besides, most Christians believe that Jesus rose from the dead anyway, so having his remains in a tomb is improbable to them, much as it is improbable to me, but for different reasons. 0 Comments - Post/view comments My aunt and uncle have been staying over since Friday, but they are gone now. They live far away, and they had a family picture thing to go to, so they stayed here until then.

Anyway.. I was watching Animal Planet one night, Growing Up Gorilla. Normally I hate primates since they remind me so much of people, but when I saw that little helpless gorilla, my heart was stolen. There is this sanctuary for orphan gorillas, and the whole story starts when they first find the latest orphan. Like all the others, the baby gorilla's parents were shot and killed, leaving a few bullet wounds in the baby's hand. Why they were killed is perhaps even more gruesome.. bushmeat. Yes, people eat gorillas (in Africa, or near it, at least). To me, this is borderline canabalism. Besides some people enjoying this illegal meat, the forests in which the gorillas inhabit are being cut down, making way for roads and farmland. It's pretty fucking sad when it gets to the point that people are so ignorant as to wipe out members of their own family. Killing a gorilla, or any primate for that matter, should be treated just as severely as any other murder, maybe even moreso.

Speaking of animals, I came across this article not too long ago. Here's an excerpt from it:

That fur trim on your jacket that you think is fake? Tell it to Fido. An animal advocacy group says its investigation has turned up coats - some with designer labels, some at higher-end retailers - with fur from man's best friend. Some retailers were set scrambling to pull the coats from shelves, take them off Web sites and even offer refunds to consumers ...... Three coats - from Tommy Hilfiger's Web site ShopTommy.com, Nordstrom.com and a coat from Andrew Marc's MARC New York line sold on Bluefly.com - contained fur from domesticated dogs. The others had fur from raccoon dogs - a canine species native to Asia - or, in one case, wolves. The single correctly labeled coat was trimmed with coyote fur, but it was advertised as fake ...... Raccoon dogs look like oversized, fluffy raccoons and aren't kept as pets. Importing their fur is not illegal, but activists argue they are still a type of dog. "This is an animal that is routinely killed by stomping them, or beating them, or skinning them alive," Markarian said. Video produced by Swiss Animal Protection and posted on the Internet shows raccoon dogs clubbed or slammed on the ground and some writhing, gasping and blinking as they are skinned alive ...... "Americans don't want Lassie turned into a fur coat," Moran said. "In the U.S., we treat cats and dogs as pets, not trimmings for the latest fashion wear."

Pretty fucking sick. Skinned alive? Do these people not know that these animals are living, breathing creatures who, just like them, feel pain? Some people are either too ignorant or are too focused on the money-making business that they don't give a flying shit whether or not they are harming an animal. The fur industry should be altogether illegal. Who the hell gave these people the right to murder something innocent? Something that shares what we all have.. life? And all to make humans feel good by wearing a death symbol. And yes, we treat dogs and cats as pets, and not trimmings for 'the latest fashion wear', but wild animals should be viewed in an even more important role. Without them, we could not be here.

-----------------

You Are a Smart American

You know a lot about US history, and you're opinions are probably well informed. Congratulations on bucking stereotypes. Now go show some foreigners how smart Americans can be.

Your Personality is Somewhat Rare (ISTP)

Your personality type is reserved, methodical, spirited, and intense. Only about 6% of all people have your personality, including 3% of all women and 8% of all men You are Introverted, Sensing, Thinking, and Perceiving.

You Are an Ice Cream Cake

Surprising, unique, and high maintenance. You're one of a kind, and you don't want anyone to forget it. You're fun in small doses, but it's easy for people to overdose on you!

0 Comments - Post/view comments

Thursday, February 22, 2007 . 2/22/2007

I feel horrible. I'm tired all the time, and I'm starting to find that I can't sleep very well at night. Lastnight I kept waking up, and eventually I got so sick of it that I just gave up trying to sleep so I did some science work instead. Speaking of science, the textbook I got in the mail is annoying. First of all, it does a shitty job at explaining things, which leaves me sitting there going "wtf?" and I end up getting a headache. Second of all, the textbook is filled with these "mini labs" on almost every page, many of them requiring beakers and other shit I don't have. Why did I get this interactive science garbage when I'm taking corrispondance? And lastly.. the people that are doing the experiments in the pictures are as ugly as fuck. They even have a damn Down Syndrome person in there. Not that I really have anything against these people.. but I get annoyed easily, and seeing ugly people beyond belief in a schoolbook is irritating to me. Shallow, I know.

Speaking of which, I'm finding it to be increasingly harder to have any compassion whatsoever to anything that isn't a cat. Dogs annoy me, people annoy me, and if I see something on TV that annoys me I almost always end up making a bitchy comment. I can't help it at all.. I need help. Noise bothers me too, particularly the noise of people talking. 0 Comments - Post/view comments

Tuesday, February 20, 2007 . 2/20/2007

I went to the eye doctor lastnight, and it wasn't too bad. The guy was nice, and the eye tests were much more thorough than the old place. I did get nervous, because I hate having to sit still while someone is practically staring at me, but it was okay once it started. They even checked if one day I may be a candidate for LASIK/laser eye surgery, and unfortunately the answer was "probably not". If I wanted to get it done, my eyes would have to remain somewhat stable from here on. But then again, it's really too early to be absolutely sure. The age you have to be to get the surgery is around 21 or 24.

On to a different topic - "Teen 'sport killings' of homeless on the rise". It's discusting. What right do they think they have when they are taking away a life? It could just as easily have been them, and what with all the pot smoking and other drugs, probably will be homeless themselves eventually. To make it worse, these idiots blame video games for causing them to go out and murder somebody. First of all, you must be mighty stupid/mentally ill to cause a video game to influence you, and even then the person wouldn't recognise it to be the reason. Just like using God as a scapegoat for war and bigotry, this is really no different.

Speaking of God, I've been thinking about people and religion.. how some think that this life doesn't really matter, that helping the environment doesn't matter, etc, because "the Rapture is coming". Even if this Rapture were to take place, did it ever cross these peoples' minds that God would want them to take care of his planet?

It's just horrible that some people choose to believe something so extreme. I couldn't really care less if people use an imaginary friend to get them through the day, to comfort them, but when it comes to the point where the person actually thinks that this life doesn't matter because he/she is going to heaven, that's when it goes too far (along with trying to force religion into the public school system). Some may ask why I even care.. after all, I hate most people. But I can't stand it when someone takes something so great, such as life, for granted. If your job is shit, find one that you like. If you can't, then you probably should have went to college and layed off on the drugs. 0 Comments - Post/view comments

Monday, February 19, 2007 . 2/19/2007

You Are 80% Bipolar

You're more than moody - you're a bit unstable. If your mood swings are effecting your life, you may need to seek help.

Figures. 0 Comments - Post/view comments

Friday, February 16, 2007 . 2/16/2007

I wish that I lived in some sort of underground community, like this deep cave with houses in it. I'm getting sick of all this light.. even when it's cloudy it's too bright. Half of the reason I could hate light so much is because my pupils tend to get bigger instead of smaller when exposed to light. My last eye doctor mentioned this, and either it's nothing to worry about (yeah right..) or it's because she was foreign or something. Seriously, I could barely understand anything she said. The good news is that I'll be going to a new eye doctor on Monday.

I think I may have minor bipolar disorder, or something similar. Most of the time I seem irritated, but my mood can change without me even realising it. One minute I'm angry, the next I'm laughing. Even my parents have commented on how it seems like I have two or three people living inside me.

Your Brain is Purple

Of all the brain types, yours is the most idealistic. You tend to think wild, amazing thoughts. Your dreams and fantasies are intense. Your thoughts are creative, inventive, and without boundaries. You tend to spend a lot of time thinking of fictional people and places - or a very different life for yourself.

0 Comments - Post/view comments

Wednesday, February 14, 2007 . 2/14/2007

Well, it's Valentine's Day, and once again I'm by myself. But you know what? I couldn't care less.

I got a card from my grandparents, like I always do on this "holiday". It says that I'm special, and that I'm very special to them.. and they put a dollar bill inside. If I'm so special to them, why don't they visit us? 0 Comments - Post/view comments

Tuesday, February 13, 2007 . 2/13/2007

It's early in the morning and I'm pretty tired, so I don't feel like typing much. But I will say that lastnight Richard Dawkins was on CNN, and of course I watched it, even though I rarely ever watch CNN, or any sort of news for that matter. I just figure it'll be about who got murdered yesturday, or what building burned down this morning.. but that's only local news.

Anyway, so lastnight I found out that there really was this atheist/christian controversy about which could be trusted more, and that people on Ebaums weren't just saying it (which is a pretty stupid thought to begin with. If they were making it up, someone would have mentioned it), and that church-goers are really becoming less and less. I should start watching the news more often. 0 Comments - Post/view comments

Saturday, February 10, 2007 . 2/10/2007

You Are 78% Misanthropic

Here's the truth: Most people suck. You are just lucky enough to know it. You're not ready to go live alone in a cave - but you're getting there.

0 Comments - Post/view comments

Thursday, February 08, 2007 . 2/08/2007

My dad is a lost cause. It's not like I'm trying to "convert" him to being an atheist, I'm just trying to open his eyes a bit more. But I don't think that's possible.

Lastnight I showed him the documentary Rivals of Jesus, and he only watched the first three minutes or so before saying he didn't want to watch it. I asked him why not, and he said he didn't care. Quite amazing really, that he doesn't care about the history of his own religion.

An argument followed, and my mom kept saying shit about opinions, and out of curiosity I asked both my parents if they thought evolution was real. My mom said yes, and that she thinks it's "a bit of both". I told her to leave the intelligent design crud out of this, and then asked my dad if he thought evolution was real. I didn't get a direct response, as is typical of him. I said that not accepting the theory of evolution is like not accepting the theory of gravity, to which he promptly replied "GRAVITY ISN'T A THEORY!!". I asked if he even knew what a scientific theory was, and he asked me the same thing. I rolled my eyes and kept telling him that a theory was the closest thing to fact in the scientific sense of the word, and he just kept laughing and smiling at me like a bigot. As always.

A little later I showed him the documentary by Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion. He refused to watch it, and I asked if he even knew who Richard Dawkins was. He said no, and I told him who he was. He said that he doesn't hold much respect for scientists, the kind that claim that "humans evolved from fish". I didn't think to say it at the time, but does he really find that any less credible than a magical man in the sky?

I kept crying out of frustration during the whole argument. As always, I meant for it to be a rational conversation, but it's just impossible when the person you're discussing something with knows absolutely nothing about science. Sure, he claims to know everything, like when I showed him the definition of the scientific theory he said he already knew all of that. Which brings us back to the theory of gravity.

He picked up a book and then dropped it, then said "There, gravity. It's not a theory". My dad is just so ignorant, and no matter how much I told him he wouldn't listen. I could say the same thing for evolution, display the evolving of birds and say "there, evolution". He probably would have said something like "it's not certain if evolution exists" or some other bullshit.

It should also be noted that my dad thinks this Noah actually built an ark that housed all 50,000+ species. He says it's because peices of the ark have been found. All I could do was stare at him in utter disbelief.

To any of you debaters out there who debate with ignorant people like this, I congratulate you. I don't know how you do it. Of course, it would probably help if I was older and had a docterate in science or something.. no one is going to listen to a mere 16-year-old about the theory of evolution and gravity, much less the impossibility that a god exists. They'll probably just think I'm some "spiritually troubled teen". I always knew my disadvantage, which is why I suggested to my dad that he ask a profesor of science for conformation for the things I bring up (he works at a university in the tech department). He said he didn't need to, to which I said "I don't care if you think you're right, just do it". I then walked out of the room, too exhausted to continue.

Yet despite these "fights", we always seem to sort of forget them. The next day, or even in the next hour, everything returns to normal. 2 Comments - Post/view comments

Wednesday, February 07, 2007 . 2/07/2007

Humans are truly discusting. A word of warning - the video is pretty graphic.

It's discusting how lazy and cruel we have become. Once cavemen who rightfully hunted for food like any other animal, we have sunk to a miserable low. Now, most rely on slaughterhouses for food, not giving a flying fuck how that food got on their plate, or maybe they've been told that slaughter animals have a good life andare killed humanely. They aren't. Not even the dairy cows, "Good cheese comes from happy cows". If this is true, then their cheese is rotten.

I am not saying that everyone should just go vegan, since that would be unreasonable. Without animal products, humans cannot be truly healthy. However, there is a difference between healthy meat and meat that is filled with disease. What needs to happen is not the complete stop of animal slaughter, but the starting of it being done humanely. People need to respect their food, especially since livestock have no choice but to be killed. It should at least be done in a humane way, in humane conditions. It is surprising to me that such inhumane slaughter is still allowed, especially since it's also a risk to human health what with all the disease ridden apon these animals. What can we do to stop this? Can anything even be done?

And the fur coats, leather shoes.. fur coats need to come to an end, cows who give up their hides treated in a humane way. Even if someday harvesting fur from animals was more merciful, it's still destroying wildlife. Most of the fur used in fur coats come from already diminishing species, and without them, we have no hope for surviving as a species ourselves.

Maybe it was all "supposed" to be this way. Humans, just like all animals and even plantlife, will die out eventually. Those animals that survived through the pollution will evolve to be stronger. Life will go on. Even so, this is no excuse to have a total disrespect for life. Life is a miracle in itself, a blessing of nature.

All of this violence and disrespect for life is yet another reason why no gods exist. Why? Because God is supposed to be loving and merciful, but apparently he isn't doing anything. If this god did exist, if he made us in his own image, then this is one fucked up god, make no mistake. Praying does nothing. Those that are religious can just keep on believing that their praying actually does something, and only look at the minor positive things in life such as your child overcoming a disease. Why, of all people, should this god listen to you, when there are people and animals the world over suffering? For those few of you who think praying to the air will solve anything, it's about time to get off of your ass and make a difference for once, in actions. If God existed, I'm sure he'd rather you make a difference instead of having to rely on him for every little mistake man has made. 0 Comments - Post/view comments

Monday, February 05, 2007 . 2/05/2007

I was watching TV, and I started to get pissed off. Why? Commercials. I've been feeling this way for a long time now. They're so fucking stupid, such a waste of time, and they make me want to punch someone in the face. I don't want to watch TV anymore. So, instead of watching TV, what the hell am I going to do? The computer is getting dull. The only things I could do would be to either watch a movie, sleep, or read. Some life. The fact that my parents are annoying as hell make it even worse. They talk loud and make jokes out of everything, and everytime I ask them to shut the fuck up they just say my name like I'm being stupid. They don't take me seriously, they act like nutjobs, and I'm stuck in the house all day. I feel like watching Silent Hill to make me feel better, but my parents will only complain. "Oh, that movie again?" "Uhg, can't we watch something else?". I am getting so fucking sick of it. 0 Comments - Post/view comments This is exactly how I feel about the History Channel. Recently, I've been noticing that it has shows more on "alternative history" and other crap that shouldn't be considered history at all. I remember on one show - forgot what it was about exactly - they kept talking about Jesus/other gods etc as if they actually existed, and not in a way that would suggest that they're just describing a story. The shows on "Mysteries of the Bible" and all of this other religious garbage is hardly anything more than deluded people talking about Jesus as if he existed, and bible code nonsense. I don't get why they can't have something on the history of Christianity that is actual history, such as discussing how improbable it is for there to have been a historical Jesus. It's almost as if the History Channel wants to make religious people feel better. 0 Comments - Post/view comments

Sunday, February 04, 2007 . 2/04/2007

Something so unbelievable happened just now.

I was reading from my encyclopedia of mythology when I noticed Noah, Moses, Adam and Eve and Yahweh (sp) were mentioned. I showed this to my dad, he read it, kept laughing to himself like some ignorant bigot. I asked what he thought, and he said that just because (the Christian) God was mentioned doesn't mean it's a myth. Um, hello? He then goes onto say "Don't believe everything you read". Wow, can anyone say 'hypocrite'? Here we have someone, aka my dad, telling me to not believe everything I read whenever I present to him anything that goes against supernatural events, and yet he believes a book written over 2,000 years ago to be actual historical truth. Next, I asked him if he thought I was going to hell and he just laughed like some stupid, childish bigot again.

My mom then chimed in with "I believe in hell". I said that if there really is such a place, I'd rather go there than to heaven with all the illogical, racist, hypocritcal bigots. I asked her if she thought I was going to hell and she said no, "because you were saved in 2nd grade". She then went on to say that maybe I should start going to church. I literally started crying at this stupidity. What's more, my mom kept telling me to respect others' opinions while my dad kept saying that it's just a matter of faith. I honestly don't get what the fuck is wrong with my parents. It is so pointless to try and debate with them about religion. I try to explain the history of religion and my dad always comes back with the response, "There was always 'religion' that wasn't right" or something of the sort.

So. Fucking. Frustrating. It's literally IMPOSSIBLE to explain to someone history that they refuse to accept. 0 Comments - Post/view comments

Friday, February 02, 2007 . 2/02/2007

It's official, global warming is said to be most likely caused by humans. Some of you fanatics out there might say something along the lines of "I knew it! People are just so discusting, creating pollution.. it's unnatural!". I used to think this way, but since I got more into evolution, I think about this whole global warming thing differently. People are natural, we evolved just like everything else did. Our intelligence evolved greatly aswell, enabling us to create tools much like primates do today. Except, we went several steps further in the fact that we can now create complex things such as computers, and cars and factories, which leads to pollution. This is all a product of our ability to reason and create, so therefore, it's natural. I'm not saying that we should just let pollution continue, for we also have the power to practically change the world and the future from our actions.

Onto a different topic - whether criminals are born "bad" or if this criminal behavior comes from the environment. I was watching the science channel today and it explained that many children with ADD have a tendancy to suddenly burst into violent behavior. The reason for this is because people with ADD probably have a low physical arousal rate aswell, for example a slower heart rate than is normal. Because of this, people with this problem need to be active very often in order for their heart rate to be normal. People with this kind of disorder also have a low activity rate in many parts of their brains, specifically the frontal lobe which is the reasoning and logic part of the brain. Those who like to ask "How can someone hurt an innocent person/animal like that"? now know how. This isn't implying that all criminals are like this, since some obviously include logic in their tactics, but for some people jail time just isn't enough. 0 Comments - Post/view comments