Tag: Freedom

The Two-bits

… Of “ridiculousness” today are, as follows;

Amy Goodman Detained at Canadian Border, Questioned About Speech…and 2010 Olympics;

“While traveling to Vancouver, Canada to speak at the Vancouver Public Library at a benefit for community radio stations, Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman and her two colleagues were detained by Canadian authorities. Amy was questioned extensively about the speech she intended to give; their car was gone through by armed border guards, and their papers and laptop computers were scoured. The armed interrogators were particularly interested in whether she would be speaking about the upcoming Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics…”

And PETA Classified as a “Terrorist Threat” by the USDA;

“Animal industries are quite open about their desire to use terrorism laws to keep their practices out of the public spotlight. I recently posted about the Animal Agriculture Alliance calling for federal prosecution of undercover investigators. It’s not because the investigators are violent. It is because they pose an even greater threat: educating the public…”

Jesus Christ, seriously?

Irresponsibility

I realize this is a lot late, and now that John McCain’s campaign has shifted to something else he hasn’t a leg to stand on, but yesterday a buddy pointed me to an article posted on RollingStone.com. It was about the McCain campaign while on the road during the primary season. I couldn’t read it all. Frankly I found it quite uninteresting.

However towards the beginning of the piece, they dedicated a fair chunk of it to his time as a POW. I don’t know about you, but I’m a lot bored with people telling, and him allowing them to tell, those “tales.” I always have been. In fact I find the whole “hero” label and him being labeled one fairly problematic.

Everybody faces challenges every day. Some not as dire. Yet some worse. Not everyone lives to be recognized for their struggles. Or hopes to benefit from them quite as much as him being elected President might prove. I, for one, was a little more impressed with him when he “didn’t like to talk about it.” Even knowing full well that his reluctance to discuss his time in Vietnam was just a “warm-up” for things that followed. Call me a cynic, but we all should have known… Continue reading Irresponsibility

A Reactionary Erection

I’m going to continue with the theme I brought up yesterday and keep the discussion focused on dinks. On the television show “House” this week the term “Reactionary Erection” was being thrown about in attempts to diagnose a patient. I found it quite interesting simply because I’d have thought the phrase would have meant something other than what they were discussing it was.

I’d assume it was a “reaction” to touch. And while it is still a reaction, it seemed to me to be more of a mental manifestation than physical one, while you slept. So I guess that is the clinical expression for morning boner? I still prefer the latter… Continue reading A Reactionary Erection

Abolitionism

Abolitionism is a term originating–if Wikipedia is a reliable guide–with that of slavery. Specifically regarding the abolishment or elimination of the practice. And has subsequently been more broadly defined. To “formally put an end to (a system, practice, or institution).” 

I’ve been aware of the word and it’s inherent value to veganism for quite some time. But it would seem to have a more intrinsic or “natural” value regarding how I’ve chosen to live my life. Specifically where an individuals worth is based primarily on perceived differences, and my rejecting to subscribe to such a flawed/superficial means of existence. An example? How ’bout an arbitrary ablity to feel “human” emotions? Are “animals” really all that different from us? Continue reading Abolitionism