Ladieeeees aaaaaaaannnd Gentlemen...

May I present to you, Professor Peter Singer. Ethics department, Princeton University.

Everybody say, "Hiiii Peeete."


The New Yorker calls him "the most influential living philosopher." His critics call him "the most dangerous man in the world." Peter Singer, the De Camp Professor of Bioethics at Princeton University's Center for Human Values, is most widely and controversially known for his view that animals have the same moral status as humans. He is the author of many books, including Practical Ethics (1979), Rethinking Life and Death (1995), and Animal Liberation (1975), which has sold more than 450,000 copies. Recently, Peter published and A Darwinian Left: Politics, Evolution, and Cooperation , which argues that the left must replace Marx with Darwin if it is to remain a viable force.

Singer believes animals have rights because the relevant moral consideration is not whether a being can reason or talk but whether it can suffer. Jettisoning the traditional distinction between humans and non-humans, Singer distinguishes instead between persons and non-persons. Persons are beings that feel, reason, have self-awareness, and look forward to a future. Thus, fetuses and some very impaired human beings are not persons in his view and have a lesser moral status than, say, adult gorillas and chimpanzees.

Singers view on abortion is a bit...shall we say...extreme. Yeah. Extreme. I think that covers it. You see, the fine professor believes that parents - not the state or the government - should have the right to decide the fate of their children. In expanding his views further, it seems professor Singer believes that a family who gives birth to a baby with downs syndrome, for example, should be allowed to euthanize the child up until 2 years after birth.

Yes...I said two years after birth.

In a recent New York Times Magazine essay, he argued that the affluent in developed countries are killing people by not giving away to the poor all of their wealth in excess of their needs. How did he come to this conclusion? "If…allowing someone to die is not intrinsically different from killing someone, it would seem that we are all murderers," he explains in his Practical Ethics class. He calculates that the average American household needs $30,000 per year to avoid murder, anything over that should be given away to the poor. "So a household making $100,000 could cut a yearly check for $70,000," he wrote in the Times.

Pete, Pete, Pete, Pedro, Petey, Peeeeete... What the fuck is WRONG with you?

If a child is born with autism, we should be allowed to murder...uuuuuuh....e-u-t-h-a-n-i-z-e them, but if Lawgirl makes over $30,000 a year and doesn't donate all the excess to the poor, she's a murderer?

I see...and how much are you paid a year? Ohhhhh... it's not YOU you're talking about; it's everyone else. Again, I see your point.

Wait...no I don't, actually.

It's important to note that I can honestly say I've never heard of anyone in my lifetime who ever publicly said such things, but I've read about such people. Joseph Mengele, Herman Ghering, Adolf Hilter and other Nazi theorists obsessed with "Life unworthy of life" come to mind. But the difference between them and you is this, professor:

They [the Nazi's] lived in a time and place where the world would not stand for or tolerate in the slightest such behavior, and millions went to war because of it. But you professor live in 2008 America, where talk of murdering - uhhh euthanizing - disabled children and other "undesirables" is not only accepted, you're given a podium at one of the finest universities in the world. And lets not even talk about the idiotic board of regents at Princeton who thought it was a really good idea to hire this schitz.

For the life of me, I cannot understand what the hell is wrong with the thought processes of this country. No shit. I just can't. I'm frightened more by the fact that this guy is allowed to exist more than the fact that he does exist. Freedom - for all of its glory - is supposed to have limitations. Apparently when it comes to the "Ethics" department at a famous university, it doesn't.

Who needs terrorists? We're crashing it all down without their help.

Saturday, April 19th, 2008

It's actually about tomorrow and the next day, but I'm posting today. Whatever. Just follow the bouncing ball.

I have no idea why this is, but April 19th is a very bad day in the history if of this world. More so than any other particular day, it seems.

April 19th, through the years:

1904 - Much of Toronto, Canada is destroyed by fire.

1927 - Mae West is sentenced to 10 days in jail for obscenityfor her play Sex.

1936 - First day of the Great Uprising in Palestine.

1942 – World War II: In Poland, the Majdan-Tatarski ghetto is established, situated between the Lublin ghetto and a Majdanek subcamp.

1943 - World War II: In Poland, German troops enter the Warsaw ghetto to round up the remaining Jews, beginning the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.

1943 - Bicycle Day: Swiss chemist Dr. Albert Hofmann deliberately takes LSD for the first time.

1971 - Vietnam War: Vietnam Veterans Against the War begin a five-day demonstration in Washington, DC.

1971 - Charles Manson is sentenced to life for the Sharon Tate murders.

1985 - U.S.S.R performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakhstan/Semipalatinsk U.S.S.R. The explosive is hydrogen.

1989 - A gun turret explodes on the USS Iowa, killing 47 sailors, the result of one distraught sailor's suicidal bent.

1993 - The 51-day siege of the Branch Davidian building outside Waco, Texas, USA, ends when a fire breaks out. Eighty-one people die.

1995 - Oklahoma City bombing: The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is bombed, killing 168. That same day convicted murderer Richard Wayne Snell, who had ties to bombing suspect Timothy McVeigh, was executed in Arkansas.

2001 - Orlando, FL. The monster comes to roost at my house.

A footnote: April 20th was Columbine and April 16th Virginia Tech. Beware the ides of April, my friend.

April.

Awwww shucks...I'm "it" again?

KNOCK KNOCK.

WHO'S THERE?

THE WORLD.

THE WORLD, WHO?

THE WORLD IS LOSING IT'S FREAKING MIND.

McClean VA. elementary school has put a ban on tag, the children's game that Jesus himself probably played 2000 + years ago. This is the 5th such school or entire school district that has banned the game. School Principal Robyn Hooker claimed the "game was becoming increasingly intensely aggressive, and is causing some children to feel bad about themselves."

Heeeeeere we go again. First it was the fat kids and dodge ball. Now it's tag. What's next? "Red Rover" has to be called:

"A mixture of magenta and yellow makes the color but not that color because it's offensive to American Indians?" Try chanting that while holding hands in a line.

Are we going to insist on banning Hop Scotch, Four-Square, The Farmer in the Dell, Kick the Can, Capture the Flag, Duck-duck Goose, Steal the Bacon, and Red Light/Green Light too?

Look. To all the *@#*% thunderheads in our educational system: Recess was created to allow the aggressive energy to flow out of small children so they'd be more attentive and receptive in the classroom. How is it that all these academics don't know or have forgotten this? And why do we have to stress ad nausea that there are no winners and losers, and that all children should be sensitive and caressing of each other?

Children...for those of you that don't know this...are little adults. Yup, they are. They think, breathe, talk, calculate, and compete just like we do. If we teach them that no one wins and no one loses, we're teaching them a lie. People do win and lose. If we give everyone a trophy for playing, we're destroying their value system. And if we tell them that everyone is equal - as opposed to telling them everyone should be treated equally, we're going to confuse them because they can clearly see with their own eyes the fellow students who are struggling academically, the students who have behavioral issues, and who the best kick-ball player is in the third grade - IF in fact kick-ball is still allowed, that is.

What I'm saying here is this. The sanitized PC environment we have and still continue to create for our children is going to be the undoing of this nation. Not a bad President. Not higher gas prices. Not even some moron hiding in a cave in Pakistan. We're sacrificing our future, and we're doing it voluntarily, which makes me want to throw up. It's high time we came to the realization that kids don't draw up plans to kill other kids because they get beat at "Simon Says." Kids bring guns to school because our system and our society keeps telling them they're all equal - and therefore deserving of equal reward - when the truth is they are not all equal...and they know it. Kids shoot their teachers and classmates because they're receiving crappy or no guidance at home, not because they boinked a spelling test. Please don't give me this bully crapola, either. There were bullies 45 years ago when I started kindergarten, and no one shot anyone back then. It's our lack of personal accountability that is creating this festering mess. Taking away playground games doesn't solve any issues - it only serves to create more.

We have lost the ability to rationally explain to our children that "life's a bitch", and here's how you go about winning the game:

"It's called hard work and perseverance, little Johnny. Your friend Tim is better at baseball than you because he just is. Johnny, you need to stop obsessing about how life isn't fair, and find what you're good at doing, so you can out perform Tim in some other aspect of life."

It's called "Tough Love" boys and girls, and we currently suck at enforcing it.

Johnny is receiving mixed signals, so the chances of him following solid advice and putting his nose to the old grindstone are diminishing as we speak.

As is our national prowess.

April 16th, 2008

I wrote this a year ago. I just thought it was worth posting again.

http://jl4.blogspot.com/2007/04/angel-in-yarmulke.html

I'm NOT making this up.

This man is going to run the Boston Marathon on Patriots Day --- for charity.

He even has a website for his historic run: http://www.whatwouldjacobdo.com/

I'm hopeful the Boston Fire Department Para-Medic's are on full alert!!

The Three

There are three candidates left for the office of President of the United States. The following describes one of them. Nooooo, I'm not saying who...nor am I going to tell you what the following is a definition of.

It's up to you to figure it out.

1) A belief that capitalism is based on the exploitation of workers by the owners of capital
2) A belief that people's consciousness of the conditions of their lives reflects material conditions and relations
3) An understanding of class in terms of differing relations of production, and as a particular position within such relations
4) An understanding of material conditions and social relations as historically malleable
5) A view of history according to which class struggle, the evolving conflict between classes with opposing interests, structures each historical period and drives historical change

Who is this? Bonus points for knowing WHAT it is.

Say what?

Non-native English speakers often say ours is the hardest language to learn. When you look at it...how could it NOT be? We the people of the United States of America screw our own language up so badly, how could we possibly expect someone from another country to grasp it.

We DON'T screw up our language, you say? Really?

I present to you, lots of examples of how we do it in our daily lives:

Athletes:

Often referred to as Affletes. Many affletes also like to conduct interviews about themselves in the 3rd person. "The onliest person be stoppin' Allen Iverson, be Allan Iverson. Boff of um come at me, annnn they cain't pull da moves dey need...eeever one a dem."

NASCAR drivers and fans: "Ahh don't not know why they was a-drivin' in that layne, but fer sher they wasn't not doin' what the rules say."

Ad agencies: "Do you need a pain reliever that works?" Or...."Are you tired of working 75 hours a week for low wages?"

Famous People:

Brooke Shields: "Smoking kills, and if your dead you've lost a very important part of your life."

Britney Spears: "I love my job. I get to go to a lot of oversea places... like Canada."

Al Gore on Global Warming: "We are not yet prepared for an event that may or may not happen."

President Bush: "I don't know. I don't speak Mexican."

A cooking show host: "Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees." Pre-heat it? Does that mean you turn it on before you turn it on? I mean, how many conditions can an oven be in? I know of heated and unheated. I don't honestly think you can have something called pre-heated.

From the fine folks at PETA:

"People get to eat wholesome and nutritious good food (hamburgers, pork-chops, french-fries, spaghetti, pizza etc.), while cattle, which helps us to produce these vital life-quality-composing elements is eating grass with some phosphates ... " Nope...no idea either! Neither the grammar, the content, or the meaning.

Say good-night Wolfgang.

" In English?"

Never mind. I understand

The ANSWERS

1) I am framed in front by large Greek-style columns, and you can see me seated behind them. Who am I? LINCOLN MEMORIAL

2) I was once considered "the most trusted man in America". Who am I? WALTER CRONKITE

3. I am the largest monument in the world, but I am incomplete. Who am I? CRAZY HORSE

4. My constant companions live their lives in terms of "21". "21" steps..."21" seconds, etc. Who am I? THE TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER

5. My flip side would have you buffaloed. Who am I? A NICKEL

6. I have 26 rings, and even more flags and banners. Who am I? THE %^%#@ YANKEES

7. I once said, "I am older than most, and slightly older than my teeth". Who am I? SANTA

8. I believe that every good boy deserves a favor. Who am I? THE MUSICAL SCALES/NOTES

9. I was declared by a newspaper to be the loser, when actually I was the winner. Who am I? HARRY S. TRUMAN

10. I change when I'm blue, excited, angry, or mellow. Who am I? A MOOD RING

11. I once said, "I never met a man I didn't like." Who am I? WILL ROGERS

12. I said, "These are the times that try men's souls". Who am I? THOMAS PAINE

13. I'm taller than anything else in the United States, and I'm not a building. Who am I? MT. McKINLEY

14. "Is this heaven?" "No...It's Iowa." Who are the two people talking? Ray and his father / Ray and Shoeless Joe Jackson in "Field of Dreams"

15. "He's not dead-dead...he's just almost-dead. Only one thing you can do if he's dead-dead." "What's that?" "Check his pocket's for loose change." Who are THESE two talking? MAX THE MIRACLE WORKER AND INIGO MONTOYA

16. I sang the song, "Two outta three ain't bad" Who am I? MEATLOAF

17. I was a famous WWII Air Corps fighter, who gave his life by luring the enemy planes away from my comrades, allowing them to escape...while I was never found. They named a Huuuuuuge airport after me. Last name is sufficient...who am I? O'HARE

18. I am semi-circular in appearance, and I'm situated on the lawn of the part of Washington DC known as "The Mall". My designer was a talented Vietnamese artist. Who am I? VIETNAM MEMORIAL

19. I am the true life story of a major U.S. ship that was sunk by the Japanese, and immortalized in the movie "Jaws" in a story of sharks eating live human beings floating in the Pacific. Which boat am I? USS INDIANAPOLIS

20. I was built in France, yet assembled here. Who am I? STATUE OF LIBERTY

Even newer twist...

Of course...once again straight from the disheveled mind of JL4, without assistance. Open to all.





1) I am framed in front by large Greek-style columns, and you can see me seated behind them. Who am I?


2) I was once considered "the most trusted man in America". Who am I?

3. I am the largest monument in the world, but I am incomplete. Who am I?

4. My constant companions live their lives in terms of "21". "21" steps..."21" seconds, etc. Who am I?

5. My flip side would have you buffaloed. Who am I?

6. I have 26 rings, and even more flags and banners. Who am I?

7. I once said, "I am older than most, and slightly older than my teeth". Who am I?

8. I believe that every good boy deserves a favor. Who am I?

9. I was declared by a newspaper to be the loser, when actually I was the winner. Who am I?

10. I change when I'm blue, excited, angry, or mellow. Who am I?

11. I once said, "I never met a man I didn't like." However, he never had to meet Barry Bonds. Who am I?

12. I said, "These are the times that try men's souls". Who am I?

13. I'm taller than anything else in the United States, and I'm not a building. Who am I?

14. "Is this heaven?" "No...It's Iowa." Who are the two people talking?


15. "He's not dead-dead...he's just almost-dead. Only one thing you can do if he's dead-dead." "What's that?" "Check his pocket's for loose change." Who are THESE two talking?

16. I sang the song, "Two outta three ain't bad" Who am I?

17. I was a famous WWII Air Corps fighter, who gave his life by luring the enemy planes away from my comrades, allowing them to escape...while I was never found. They named a Huuuuuuge airport after me. Last name is sufficient...who am I?

18. I am semi-circular in appearance, and I'm situated on the lawn of the part of Washington DC known as "The Mall". My designer was a talented Vietnamese artist. Who am I?

19. I am the true life story of a major U.S. ship that was sunk by the Japanese, and immortalized in the movie "Jaws" in a story of sharks eating live human beings floating in the Pacific. Which boat am I?

20. I was built in France, yet assembled here. Who am I?

Historical World Landmarks

LAWGIRL IS ONE POST BEHIND. CATCH UP LAWGIRL

Ok kids....Landmarks. Reverse Order:

1st 4....Lawgirl.

2nd 4...Sean

3rd 4...Karen

4th 4...Leelee

Good luck to all.

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World Events

World events, pulled from my memory. Actually, all these last 3 or 4 posts came from my own memory. Does anyone ELSE think I have a focus issue? Ha!

Take turns and play nice, LeeLee, Sean, Lawgirl, and Karen...

As a matter of fact...Leelee...you take the first three.

Karen...you take the next 3

Sean, the 7th, 8th and 9th

And Lawgirl, you hit cleanup, and get the last 3.

A new direction: Quotes

I DO THE QUOTE; YOU NAME THE MOVIE.

Comedy

1. Look Russ...no panty lines

2. Put....the candle....back

3. Samir Naga...Naga...Nagona get this job

4. What a stupid looking hat...but it looks good on YOU though

5. Tell Victor that Ramon---the fella he met about a week ago?---tell him that Ramon went to the clinic today, and I found out that I have, um, herpes simplex 10, and I think Victor should go check himself out with his physician to make sure everything is fine before things start falling off on the man.

Drama and other stuff

1. I always wanted to wake up next to my commanding officer and salute her in the morning

2. Does Barry Manilow know that you raid his wardrobe?

3. Supervisor: Attention, whoever you are. This channel is reserved for emergency calls only... Our hero: No fucking shit, lady! Do I sound like I'm ordering a pizza?

4. You would pay to keep your airline, why won't you pay for your son

5. I don't gripe to you. I don't gripe in front of you. You should know that by now. Complaints go up the chain of command; not down.

For Karen and her over 40 eyesight. The last two...

That was fun...one more time

Some of my all-time favorites...can you name them?

I'm not a huuuuuge movie person, but I do like things that are well done. In this case, I have posted photos from 7 of my favorites (by no means all my favorites).

Can you name the movies? BONUS POINTS: Can you give me a line from each?

Michael Penn - No Myth - Unplugged

Another variation of the song...one of the best one hit wonders ever.

It's April !! Let's celebrate !!

Time to shake off the cobwebs, put away the shovels and the bag of salt, and welcome in Spring.

And how do we do that best?

Why...with baseball my friends.

The very symbol, the outward and visible expression of the drive, and push, and rush and struggle of the raging, tearing, booming nineteenth century!- speech at Delmonico's, April 8, 1889.

- Mark Twain

Ray, people will come Ray. They'll come to Iowa for reasons they can't even fathom. They'll turn up your driveway not knowing for sure why they're doing it. They'll arrive at your door as innocent as children, longing for the past. Of course, we won't mind if you look around, you'll say. It's only $20 per person. They'll pass over the money without even thinking about it: for it is money they have and peace they lack. And they'll walk out to the bleachers; sit in shirtsleeves on a perfect afternoon. They'll find they have reserved seats somewhere along one of the baselines, where they sat when they were children and cheered their heroes. And they'll watch the game and it'll be as if they dipped themselves in magic waters. The memories will be so thick they'll have to brush them away from their faces. People will come Ray. The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game: it's a part of our past, Ray. It reminds of us of all that once was good and it could be again. Oh... people will come Ray. People will most definitely come.

- Terrance Mann (Field of Dreams)

You see, you haven't experienced life until you've sat in a box seat that is a little too small and a little too tight, just to see the boys of summer carry on. You see, there is something remarkable about eating an overcooked hot dog and a bag of cotton candy on a cardboard stick while snuggling close to the one you love watching a baseball game go by while you revel in your companionship while cheering for the team you love. Its quintessential America

- JL4 to a friend last fall.

As bad as that sounds, it also sounds incredibly fun.

- Friend to JL4

Play ball everybody!!! And enjoy life - for a while anyways - huh? Find a ballpark near you, eat a crappy hot dog, and have some fun.

I guarantee it will be good for the soul.

The 80's aren't TOTALLY filled with bad music...just mostly.

Sooooooo,
She says it's time she goes
but wanted to be sure I know
she hopes we can be friends.

IIIIII think, yeah, I guess we can say I,
but didn't think to ask her why
she blocked her eyes and drew the curtains,
with knots I've got yet to untie

What if I were Romeo in black jeans?
What if I was Heathcliff, it's no myth?
Maybe she's just looking for
someone to dance with
Seeeeee,

It was just too soon to tell
and looking for some parallel
can be an endless game.

Weeeee,
We said goodbye before hello
my secrets she will never know
and if I dig a hole to China...
I'll catch the first junk to Soho

What if I were Romeo in black jeans?
What if I was Heathcliff, it's no myth?
Maybe she's just looking for
someone to dance with.

Sometime from now you'll bow to pressure,
some things in life you cannot measure by degrees
I'm between the poles and the equator
don't send no private investigator to find me please
'less he speaks Chinese
and can dance like Astaire overseas...

Ohhhhhkay.

What if I was...?
Say, what IIII was?
Maybe she's just looking for someone to dance with?

What if I was Romeo in black jeans
what if I was Heathcliff, it's no myth
Maybe she's just looking for
someone to dance with.

Random stuff

1) In a recent survey of managers by the website Careerbuilder.com, 49% of all job applicants denied, are so because they show little or no interest in the job.

How can you drive there and then not care?

The other 51% are denied because they dress inappropriately.

Ok...ya gotta lose the Metalica T-shirt and the parachute pants, dude. And ladies? Cleavage is awesome, but not at an interview. And panties ARE NOT optional!

2) During a Fenway Park tour (I've been on it - it's fantastic) a young girl was attacked by a Hawk who had built a nest near the press box. She's ok, but blood was drawn by the hawk's talons. There were lots of girls sitting there, but the raptor chose this particular girl. Her name? Alexa Rodriguez.

You have to know and understand the Red Sox vs Yankees feud to understand and appreciate the irony of this. All those girls on the tour, and our hawk friend attacked that girl. Too damn funny.

3) The female rapper Remy Ma [Nope...I've never heard of her either] is planning on marrying her rapper boyfriend [Mr P-Diddy, Ice-Diddy, or Mr. P-nis. Whatever, I don't know]. In any event, she's facing up to 25 years in prison for shooting her best female friend over an alleged $3000, and she said jail would not stop the wedding from taking place. Weird enough for ya? Not so fast. She said in a prepared statement today, "I'm hopefull that the sentencing judge will take into account my fan base, and understand they don't want me to go to prison for very long." What is that supposed to mean?

4) Speaking of judges... A sitting judge in New Hampshire was drinking one night. Then he drove. Then he hit another car. When the police arrived, they noted the 62 year old male judge - was wearing a dress. He was charged with DUI, causing an accident, and ... and ... and ...

Duuuuuuuude. You didn't, did ya?

David Cook :: Final 10 :: American Idol :: Sings Billie Jean

LET'S GET ONE THING STRAIGHT.

I don't watch American Idol...never have. My wife records it and watches it with the boys. She MADE me watch this one.

My gawd this kid is friggin fantastic! Screw American Idol...get this guy to a recording studio...NOW!!!

All is not well

NY Times 6 hours ago.

Alex Rodriguez told Times beat reporter Bob Elliott this morning he eats fried bull testicles every night before home games, and washes it all down with Mountain Dew laced with Tabasco sauce.The Yankee third baseman has been prominently mentioned in Jose Conseco's newest tell-all book, "Vindicated", as a habitual steroid user. There are also stories in the book about other Yankee players that like to wear dresses and do flapper dances before Red Sox games, in an attempt to revive the lost spirit of Babe Ruth. There are unconfirmed reports of seagul sacrifices and the ritual of kissing a photo of George Steinbrenner at the locker room doorway leading out to the playing field, as well.

No comment as yet from the Yankees or their spokespersons.

What's the date? C'mon. What's the date?