Rantings of Newt

Why the BBC is better

2007-06-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

Because I know that we are subject to censorship in the media, because information is either sugar coated or avoided, and because we have such a pathetic us vs. them mentality I tend to go to the BBC for my news.

And the BBC had THIS as a top story.

I had to hunt through Yahoo news and MSNBC to even find it.

And CNN had nothing about it.

I find it interesting that the media picks and chooses what it will air. And very important things seem to get left out or avoided. Do Americans realize how uninformed we are and how censored our information is?

I'm pretty sure I am preaching to the choir here but I just had to bring it up.

This is not the first time critical information was a headline in other parts of the world and buried or not even mentioned state side.

I'm sure this will hit the news eventually but I find it interesting that the rest of the world finds this to be a serious issue and we bury our heads in the sand.

The US commits crimes against humanity every day and yet we still try to ride the great white horse of democracy, waving our flag, and telling the world that the US is the greatest nation with the greatest people on the planet. When in reality the entire US Executive branch should be on trial for sanctioning atrocities committed around the world and to our own people.

On marriage

2007-03-18T16:52:00.000-07:00

This is a carry over from some thoughts I had on a Friday. Originally published on my blog I decided to move it to it's proper Rant location. After all, that is what this page is for.
And my blog is for the happier more normal side of me.

So here goes:

Which brings me to another thought. And a little bit of a rant. What we should and I stress SHOULD value is the commitment between two people who truly deeply madly love one another. It shouldn’t matter what sex they are, what color their skin, or to some/most extent the age difference between them. What should be celebrated is the love they share. And the fact that in this big huge and often ugly world two people managed to find their soul mate.

Instead, what too many people in this world value is appearances, obligations, and mythology. There is a fanatical belief among many that the only thing of value in a marriage is that it be between one man and one woman. If the ring is big, it’s even a better match. If the wedding costs more than a car, even better. If lots of money and gifts are given, well, that makes it an even better match. And if they throw a few kids into the mix. It’s the American Dream.

American Dream my ass. We have children born into marriages because the woman doesn’t want to be left behind by her friends. We have marriages being made because we need someone to “take care of us”. We have men who buy $50,000 engagement rings than beat the shit out of their wife and give her venereal diseases because he sleeps around. We have senators that turn red in the face and scream about what God wants in a marriage and then they go back to their office and bone their secretary. We have men that marry so they have someone to clean their house. Women who marry because the family expects them to and they could “do worse”. Men and women get married every day for the wrong reasons. And we celebrate them and call them holy.

Yet at the drop of a hat – at the mere whim we can dissolve that marriage faster than you can say : “You screwed my best friend?” And that folks, is acceptable. Those same red faced senators that preach about what god wants are on marriage number 4. But that’s ok. Divorce, infidelity, cruelty, abuse, those aren’t on the docket. Those aren’t the issue that American people care about today. No, what they care about is making sure that God’s great vision of marriage is preserved between a man and a woman.

And that ladies and gentleman is pathetic.

I personally would prefer to celebrate the joining of two soul mates. Frankly there would be so many fewer weddings the retail industry would collapse. Can you imagine what the world would be like if only the union of two souls deeply in love could be joined in matrimony?

On that note: Have a great weekend. Wow, I’m not sure what got into me.

Interesting

2006-09-12T08:25:00.000-07:00

This article makes me wonder why we don't go into all out revolt against our current administration. It also makes me thankful for a media I am a little skeptical of but giving the benefit of the doubt to still. Seriously I can't figure out why there aren't more uprisings about lies like this.

A moment of silence - but not for who you think

2006-09-10T20:33:00.000-07:00

Normally I avoid political blogs. But I just have one thing to point out here. We have been listening non-stop for over a week now to the tragedy whores in the media about 9/11. And the loss, the pain, and the tragedy.

Not to mention the pathetic attempts by Commander Coo-Coo Bananas who has been parading around like the witless cock that he is hoping with his heartfelt fake sympathy that his approval points will go up from the shitter to maybe just crapper level.

So, how come we don't mourn or mention the 2667 Americans that have lost their lives in the Iraq war.

Why do we spend every September listening to all this crap about the people that died in the terrorist attacks yet we as a country do virtually nothing about almost the exact same number of people that have died in a senseless war?

Don't get me wrong and start sending me hate mail folks. I'm just as sad as the next person over what happened in this country 5 years ago. But it was 5 years ago! Why do we even watch the media whores that interview people just to get a good cry out of them? The media whore that does it only out of hope that the report will earn them some sort of award? And if we have to focus on something let's focus on the parents, wives, husbands, and children that are mourning loved ones that died senselessly in Iraq. What about their pain? What about the families that will have someone show up on their door step tomorrow to tell them that their loved one was killed? What about them?

At what point is it ok to slap em

2006-08-29T12:57:00.000-07:00

Ok, Newt's a little fed up here so this blog entry is a little on the pissy side:

So, I have this co-worker. She is on her second marriage. Her children are 13 and 15. She has chosen the slimy dirt bag new husband over her children. Her son is the 15 year old. For very understandable reasons he wanted to go live with his real father for the past year. (I wouldn't want to be around mom and slimy guy either). Well, the poor child called her crying EVERY day for the entire year begging to come home. See, his real dad has a few addictions but the son saw that as the lesser of two evils. Only it didn't work out so well. Dad was drunk all the time, drove him places drunk, and even tried to work a deal with the local bar so the kid could go pick up dad's beer. Well, she kept telling the poor child all through the year that basically he made his own bed, he can sleep in it. And that if he still wanted to come home in the summer she would let him. Well, she put him off and put him off and up until a few weeks ago still acted like he wasn't going to be allowed home. Then when she did consent she layed down a million and one rules, told him he better get a job cause she wasn't going to spend her hard earned money on him, told him there was no way in hell she would drive him to his current school (apparently the 15 miles would kill her) and so he would have to just deal with the school system he used to be in and had a lot of trouble in. He's 15 for cry'n out loud. He's already struggling in school how is getting a job a good idea? I mean come on!

Alright, so I have SO MANY issues with this woman I don't know where to begin. Trust me, I've come close to telling her I would take over raising her kid since a life with slimy gross guy took priority over her child. Lord knows we don't need another hoodlum created because his mom was a worthless sack.

The daughter (13) is constantly acting up. She never did this prior to slimy guy coming into the picture. She used to have a pretty good relationship with her daughter. Now the child is acting up, throwing tantrums. Etc. Etc. ETc.

And the other classic thing, she goes out of her way to find relatives, camps, social programs, etc to dump her children on. I can't believe how often the woman is on the phone with family asking if they want the kids for the weekend. It's sickening.

Now, in everyone's mind but hers we have been concerned that slimy guy is actually some sicko with a fetish for young kids. In fact ALL the bells and alarms went off when they first started dating. Swear to god - they had been dating less than 2 weeks and the slime bag went over to her house and hung out with her daughter while she was still at work! WTF??????

I would have so had the police on his ass. I'm sorry, I know you less than two weeks and you invite yourself into my home when I am not home to "Watch movies" with my 13 year old daughter. I DON'T THINK SO!

Alright, so the majority of men are NOT monsters. But I asked several men what they would do and they all said they wouldn't have done that in a bajillion years. And every single one of them said that she should have dumped his ass right then and there. And that no matter what his intentions you don't do that in this day and age. And this was men, so I didn't feel like I was over reacting.

Yes it sucks that a guy can't go over to a woman's house who honestly just wants to get to know her child. I mean, getting into a relationship is hard enough. Getting a family with the deal, that's a lot for someone to take on. So, yeah, it's nice if they can have a good relationship. But ICK! And you should see the guy. He looks like your classic X-Files porn creep. He makes my skin crawl. Blech.

I will now return to my sweet self. Sorry for this nasty rant folks.

Job Security

2006-08-18T08:13:00.000-07:00

Why is that some people can blow their nose wrong and get fired?
But other people can be a nasty, spiteful, and confrontational thorn in everybodies side and remain employed?

I'm just curious..............

Less rant, more deep thought

2006-07-24T09:12:00.000-07:00

Scott talked about spirituality in his blog today. And like him I struggle to define just what it is I believe. When religious friends dismiss me as an atheist it's hard to explain to them that I do believe in a higher power but that power is bigger than all of us, it's bigger than their idea of god, it's bigger than our minds can even comprehend. I live in wondrous awe of nature and the universe. But how do you explain that? Some people say, "So you do believe in God" and I try to tell them that no, what I believe in is far bigger, and a whole lot less 'Hands on' than their god. They believe in a god that somehow gets personal with them, takes them in his hands and guides them, has a plan for them and a promised garden of Eden after this life. I don't agree with that. I am not that selfish and self-centered to really believe that of all the vastness out there I somehow matter. That is probably putting it a tad harshly, but I'm not sure how else to say it.

Don’t get me wrong. In terms of the lives we lead we do matter. We matter very much to the other people that touch our lives. But in the big scheme of things, as a universal whole, we matter not. When the time comes that mankind destroys itself, the earth, so long as we don’t blow it up, will continue to make it’s year long trip around the sun. And life will go on. It won’t be in a form we recognize, but nature will find a way. Life will continue. Like the flowers that come up in the pavement cracks, life will abound.

Personally I believe religion is the cause of so many of the problems here on earth. When religion is front and center advancement stops and the Dark Ages reign. Stem Cell research is a perfect example. Coo Coo Bananas won’t support it. It’s better to toss an embryo in the trash than it is to find a cure for cancer and other diseases. It’s twisted thinking from a twisted and warped mind.

The flower children had it right. Live with the land, commune with nature, be a free spirit, think. We would be a far more peaceful place if more people developed a respect for the greater good, the bigger picture. Instead of assuming they can destroy this planet now because Eden awaits them when they die.

Petty in the work place

2006-07-21T16:31:00.000-07:00

So, a co-worker asked me today to help him respond to an email he had received. We have a training room in the new company campus. The campus is freak'n huge. And there is a main parking lot and then a smaller for the back entrance. We have been using the room since the beginning of the year. On average we have out of town guests so at most we have 2-3 people that actually drive to work. The rest are brought to the building via hotel shuttle. Well, my co-worker (K) received a nasty email from a admin. assistant that informed him that due to that side of the building being completely filled up with offices and personnel now that we shouldn't be parking in that lot.

He responded that very rarely does anyone park there besides himself.

She than shot back an email today informing him that a car pulled into the lot and two men went up to the third floor to our class room. So obviously someone else does use the lot and we are to cease and park in the main lot since space is at a premium.

He was pissed. The woman that sent this nasty message works for the guy that fought tooth and nail to not let us put our training room in that location. (he lost of course)

So basically they are being petty and childish. And what gives anyone on that side of the building parking priority over anyone else?

He started to type his response, had me read it,, then debated sending it. It was polite but firm and basically said that he and any other trainers had the right to park there. But he didn't want to be the one that sounded like a jerk if she escalated his response. So I told him to cool down and respond if he wanted to on Monday. I told him the fact that he is worried about how his response will be taken probably means he shouldn't send it at this time.

We know that K' boss will have a few expletives for the person that sent the email and will tell K not to worry about it. The concern K has is that his boss is one of the busiest people at work and doesn't have time for petty crap. And we both know that the only question that K's boss will have is:

"Why the F*%* does she have so much time in her day that she can afford to sit around the parking lot following people around." "Obviously Mr. Such and such doesn't need an admin assistant if she has that much time on her hands."

Anyway, it's just one of those weird work issues that makes you go WTF?

Lower than pond scum

2006-07-18T11:12:00.000-07:00

This will be short and sweet.

Think about the lowest form of human then make it lower still. Lower, lower, lower. Ok, so now that you have gone as low as possible I want to introduce you to someone who exists at that level. And that would be:

People who clean out their car and throw everything out the doors leaving trash in a car shaped pattern all over a parking lot, road, park, wherever.

There is a special place in hell reserved for those people.

What if................

2006-06-29T10:10:00.001-07:00

So, Al Gore was on Daily Show last night. And John brought up the question: "So, would things be different if you had won?"

And that just made me sad...............................................................

Because I would be willing to bet that:

2,529 American soldiers would be alive today instead of dead.

And the world would not hate us.

And the environment would not be in such critical danger.

And gas would be less than 2 bucks a gallon.

Building fences

2006-06-27T11:42:00.000-07:00

I was watching the Colbert Report last night and he had a woman on the show that firmly believes in building a fence at the border. You build a fence to keep a dog on your property, or to help keep your kids safe, or for privacy in your yard. Has no one learned that fences are a waste of $? Didn't we all rejoice when the Berlin Wall came down? Wasn't it a momentus moment in the world? We are supposed to learn from History. Not repeat it. Oh, wait, Coo Coo Bananas bought his way through school so he never learned history. And even though the Berlin wall (fence) went down in his lifetime he was probably too drunk to notice. And oh wait, Coo Coo Bananas is only doing this to distract us from the disasterous state of our nation. Oh wait, I want to build a fence to keep my dog from barking at passing traffic. I guess it works the same. We're so busy barking about the passing Mexican traffic that we forget to bark about the criminal stealing our stuff and murdering our loved ones in their bed. Oh, wait, that is what Coo Coo is doing. Stealing our stuff and killing our families. I guess we are distracted huh?

No shit sherlock meets trailer trash

2006-06-24T17:37:00.000-07:00

Headlines from Yahoo:

Children's deaths in hot cars preventable - This is where the no shit sherlock comes in. This can't really be headline news. I mean, come on people. Why aren't these parents put on trial for murder. And stupidity is not a defense. Jesus, they should be shot on site. I'm sorry, but if nothing else, we need to steralize their ass. Oh, Holy God, not even Homer Simpson is that much of a dumb ass.

Baseball fans can show support in afterlife - Again, I say, Oh Holy God. You have GOT to be kidding! And if trailer trash psychopaths can have this, then I want a Hello Kitty one.

Strong democrat - no surprise there

2006-06-19T10:18:00.000-07:00

You are a
Social Liberal
(71% permissive)

and an...
Economic Liberal
(23% permissive)

You are best described as a:

Strong Democrat

Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid
Also: The OkCupid Dating Persona Test

The Wedding Ranter

2006-06-13T08:33:00.000-07:00

Listening to the radio this weekend I heard a commercial for the Shane Company. Tom Shane actually said something along the lines of: “Remember guys, it’s not just the girl you have to impress, it’s her friends, her aunts, her mother, her grandmother. So make sure you get her something she can show off to everyone”

WTF?

This is proof that society has made marriage to be about the wedding and the ring and not about the compatibility. And people are falling for this shit. Girls actually believe that it’s the size of the ring that decides the size of the love.

COME ON people. This is why the divorce rate is 50%.

You can have nothing in common, he can beat the living shit out of her. She can cheat on him with every pool boy that crosses her path, but as long as that damn ring is impressive the marriage is good.

You have GOT to be kidding me!

I have heard women say: “Well if he thinks he’s getting me anything less than a caret he can forget about the wedding” I have also heard women make excuses for the size of the ring. Saying that she has made it clear to him that he will upgrade this ring or else.

That is just sad and pathetic.

I can’t imagine trading in my wedding ring for anything. It was the ring I was married with. It’s the ring he put on my finger when we said “I do”. Why on earth would someone want to trade that in?

I told my husband from the start that I didn’t care if it was a diamond. It could be a twist tie for all I cared. I wasn’t going to give in to the diamond cartel. Diamonds are actually just a controlled substance, in reality they are quite abundant, and not at all rare or precious. We have just made them that way. Or allowed them to be made into a precious commodity.

So remember boys and girls, if it is at all about the size of the diamond or impressing friends with a really fancy wedding run! Do not stop, do not collect 200 dollars, just run the hell away. It ain’t worth it. And it will save money in the long run. Divorce is expensive. Why invest your life in a person whose only commitment to you is based on how much you are willing to commit financially?

In public

2006-06-09T08:39:00.000-07:00

Elevators

Here at work every time we get on we play name that smell. Seriously folks.

Fart
Cigarette
Old ashtray (different smell than cigarette)
popcorn
too much cologne
WAY TOO Freak'n much cologne
Good smelling food
Greasey food
body odor

We are in an elevator for what a minute? How do people leave behind such a wide variety of stenches? How?????

666 - all things come in threes

2006-06-06T09:50:00.000-07:00

THE SKY IS FALLING
THE SKY IS FALLING
THE SKY IS FALLING

CRYING WOLF
CRYING WOLF
CRYING WOLF

CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?
CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?

ZOOM ZOOM ZOOM

NO PINCH
NO PINCH
NO PINCH

And speaking of the number of the beast:

MY BOLOGNA HAS A FIRST NAME IT'S G*E*O*R*G*E
MY BOLOGNA HAS A SECOND NAME IS S*H*R*U*B
OH I HATE TO HEAR IT EVERY DAY
AND IF YOU ASK ME WHILE I'LL SAY
CAUSE GEORGE THE SHRUB HAS A WAY WITH B*O*L*O*G*N*A

I wish dark ages inspired religious fanaticisim bullshit bigotry fit better but it didn't.
And thankfully that beast can't come in threes. Two terms and he's the f&$% outa dodge!

A view from the BBC

2006-06-05T08:13:00.000-07:00

Because we cannot rely on any US media telling the truth it is always interesting to search the internet for news sites out of the U.S. I was looking through BBC's website and came across a poll asking for opinions on Coo-Coo Bananas war on gay marriage: Here are some of the posted opinions from people outside the U.S.

The US is going back to some dark primitive age and this is amplified by the bigots of the far right christians. Their shock tactics remind us of the evil puritanical methods during the english civil war. If somebody is happy with their partner whatever their persuasion and of absolutly no threat to society than what right have we to judge them and stop them being happy. Let them get married!

I have said over and over that Coo-Coo Bananas is trying to bring back the Dark Ages. Ha! I'm not the only one that thinks that!

Bush like Blair, also tries to deflect attention from their illegal and immoral christian crusade in Iraq, by targeting an issue that really isn't an issue for most people. Most heterosexuals are not concerned about gays or same sex marriages provided its not rammed down their throats. There's far more real issues to sort out in this world.

I love the "illegal and immoral christian crusade" line - he hit that nail on the head!

The Republican Party is at war with itself, the children of the Union are returning home in body bags, and Bush plays golf and occasionally makes illogical policy decrees like this one. He and his neocon acolytes have made the US extremely unpopular abroad, so they now seek to complete the project as home. This makes fascinating study for a psychiatrist like me, but perhaps not so for the long-suffering American people, especially the poor ones.

Well said!

Mobilising the religious fanatics worked in the last election so it'll probably work in this one. There's nothing like religion to bring the nation together. Nevermind violence, crime, guns, drugs, teenage pregnancies or staggering divorce rates among heterosexual couples. The thing that will bring America to a moral armageddon is allowing a few committed gays and lesbians a bit more safety and security in their relationship.

"moral armageddon", great description!

This is a sad and dreadful state of affairs that unfortunately is all we can expect from the bigot George Bush. The US is supposed to be a great democracy with equality for all, this just shows how untrue this really is. The US is becoming no better than those countries like Russia and Iran (the countries whose regimes he readily condemns) where Gay men and women are increasingly being persecuted.Thankfully countries like the UK and Spain are showing the way with their enlightened freedoms.

"The Bigot" oh, I love it!

I look through these comments, and I am thoroughly disappointed. I look at those who oppose same-sex marriages/civil unions, and a few of these are elequent and rational. The bulk seem to be knee-jerk reactions based on fear and hate.If you're going to support the Shrub in this instance, please make a rational, non-Biblical argument. We're not all worshippers of the God of Abraham, and we're not all 12-year-olds.

Andrew J Cardinal, Tampa, FL

Go Andrew!

These go on and on. I didn't include any comments from the other view but you can read them for yourself.

Common themes seem to include

A tool to distract Americans from the real problems in the U.S.
Taking the U.S. back to the dark ages
Fear, bigotry, and discrimination.

It's always interesting to see how we look from the other side of the water.

American Idiot

2006-06-02T09:11:00.000-07:00

Speaking of American Idiot. I heard on the news this morning that they are looking into yet one more case of murder by American Soldiers. Now I avoid getting political at all cost but I’m getting to the point where I am embarrassed to be an American. I mean, can we screw up any more? Commander Coo Coo Bananas has us in a war for terrorism and the non-existent WMD’s. Alright, by now a lot of you have figured out that the American people were lied to and this war was strictly about oil, money, and personal vendettas. So, given the travesties we are committing and the International agreements we are violating just how much longer will the world tolerate the US use of “weapons of mass destruction” (i.e. our armed forces) and our own terrorist activities throughout the world? Seriously folks, we are pushing some buttons and this will explode in our face. It’s becoming less a question of will they and more a question of when will they?

Note on rant: I am fully aware that 90% of our troops would never commit the atrocities under investigation and that our troops do amazing selfless things for us every day. This is not an anti-troop rant. This rant is against the government and military officials.