Shooting people.

For every story I hear gun rights activists spout off about someone protecting themselves with a gun, it seems I find two of this type of article where some idiot with a gun killed someone on accident or shot someone they thought was a criminal who turned out not to be. This is especially true when someone hears that someone else is on the sex offender list and kills them before taking the time to find out ~why~ they are on it. A search I did recently revealed that people are on it for as little reason as a restraining order from an ex-girlfriend.

Either way the point remains, guns seem to kill more people on accident than they save, so I did a search online to find statistics, but found... nothing! Oh well.

Non lethal

I'm all for technology that can subdue someone without harming or killing them, obviously, but fools like this this guy are going to make it where police can't use tasers at all.

Seriously. Tasering a guy who didn't want to sign his speeding ticket. Oh you just know such an evil criminal was a threat and needed to be subdued.

And sure, the guy was a fool for not just signing the ticket and leaving, but there are steps to be taken between asking nicely and shocking you down onto hard pavement. You don't just jump from one to the other.

The whole problem with the world is that our technology exceeds our civility, this is just another example. Its not as bad as other examples that involve killing and invading other nations, but certainly not something we want happening all the time.

1,700+ Dead

This is terrifying. The cyclone in Bangladesh has caused horrible destruction that will not be fully realized for some time in the future, and crippled the nation's infrastructure, severely hampering all efforts to help.

I saw one blog saying we should 'pray' for them. I can't help but be angry at this mentality. Their God is either not all-loving or not all-powerful, because a deity that was both would have never allowed this to happen. To assume that one's creator is both of those and will zip up in a flash to bail people out is irresponsible.

I have better advice for you.

Please, those who are financially able, proceed to the web site of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent, and donate to their relief efforts there.

You can't even make a Doomsday cult these days without it turning against you.

Or just my inane babbling about religious cults and massive tangents on the subject.

Get a load of this. It seems that a small 'cult' in Russia has holed themselves up in a cave and are threatening to kill themselves via ignited gasoline if anyone attempts to come in after them. The 'Doomsday cult' believes that the world will end next May.

If only we were so lucky.

Anyway, they refuse to come out... even at the beckoning of their own leader, who they believe has been pressured by the government.

My first response to this is "Who cares?". Its every person's right to kill themselves for whatever reason they desire. The only thing that makes me care is that some of them are children who are likely not making the decision for themselves, nor can they be expected to be able to even if asked. That is a problem...

Anyway, on to my view of 'cults':

1) The word 'cult' is overused by mainstream religions, as many brand any odd ball or different religion as a cult. They give loose definitions of what one is, but these fall short since many of these things in their definition applies to normal religions too. For instance, a cult goes to great lengths to keep members or not allow them to leave, and I have talked to people who have had that problem with 'legit' mainstream religions.

2) About 'suicide' or 'doomsday' religions, I think they are counterproductive. Religion should be something that gives you peace and sets your mind at ease. Any religion that orders you to kill (others or yourself) counters the main tenant that any religion should keep sacred. That is why even if the leader of my religion, or someone I believed to be the creators themselves told me to harm others or myself, I would refuse.
This itself should be an teaching of any religion; if my religion asks me to do something that I consciously consider wrong, then I am free to disregard the order without fear of reprisal. This is, of course, somewhat of a tangent.

3) On suicide itself, its a sad thing when someone feels that their only outlet is suicide. At the same time, however, it is every consenting adult's right to do it. What makes 'mass' suicides horribly wrong is that you have people influencing other people to do it as well.
If someone is ready to not be alive, they should do it for themselves and not involve others. They should not blame others. They should not encourage others to join them or to feel guilty that they are gone.

4) One thing I have to mention is that the article doesn't make clear why the government cares that the people are in the cave. If they are not harming anyone, they should just be allowed to wait until next May to find out the world isn't ending, then most of them will go home, disappointed but alive. Its like having a bear at your camp site. Are you going to walk out and poke it with a stick to try to get it to go away? No, if it isn't after you then you're going to quietly wait for it to leave. Why make an awkward situation into a bad situation?

To the death

Touchy subject.. .ouch...
Death penalty, the guy in the referenced article likely committed the crime he is accused of, and most would say he deserves to die. Maybe he does.

But consider this: Since 1973, 124 people have been released from death row because they were found to be innocent. These people came close to dieing.. for no reason. In the 2000's, this went up from about 3 per year to 5 per year, due to genetic evidence. Before DNA evidence... those people just died.
And even now, due to overzealous prosecutors, innocent people will die. In some cases, DNA evidence isn't being allowed, things are being hidden, and false confessions are being forced. Remember prosecutors keep their jobs by winning cases, NOT by seeking justice. They will win no matter what in some cases. Remember, confession does not mean the crime happened.

So let me ask you: How many innocent people is an acceptable loss as long as some guilty people die?
After you answer, imagine giving that answer to the family of one of those innocent people. Even better, imagine the person that pulled the switch or gave the lethal dose trying to explain to them.

Second point: Consider the company the US puts itself in when they allow the death penalty. Such illustrious nations as Cuba, Iran, China, and North Korea. In contrast, most nations we consider 'civil' do not allow it. Is this the team we want to be a part of?

Thirdly: People do not just 'crack' and do bad things. This is a sickness that starts small and progresses due to many things in their life and chemical imbalances. Scientists have already learned that their brain is different in many ways. The fact is... there may be a way to treat this... or even identify it before they commit the crime!
Imagine if this was considered a health issue. Of course they would still be separated from society in prisons, but they could be examined and patterns could be found, even cures! People do not want to see that happen because that would deprive them of their revenge.
So is your revenge going to bring your loved one back?
Is your vengeance enough to bring back the innocents executed? They died because of someone's thirst for revenge. Now the real killers will escape, since legally you cannot bring a case back to court if someone has been executed for it...
Also, think about if it were considered a medical condition, people who had not yet committed crimes might seek treatment. How many months or years do they feel guilt before they smash through it and actually commit the act? These people need our help BEFORE they commit the crimes, and people who express such things should not be insulted, but people should try to get them help!

Muslim or Not

One day CNN will report real news; until that fateful day comes, we will have to deal with this crap. So there is a 'email rumor' spread that Obama might be Muslim.

First off, this is one of the most immature things I am seeing in this election, so let me say it as plainly as I can: Two names sounding the same does not make them the same. Idiots.

Finally... do these people really think that a Christian leader has never done anything wrong? Even leaving out the fact that Hitler publically professed Christianity to control the masses, obviously every person that professes Christianity is not going to make good decisions just because of that, and many politicians only profess religion to be popular with the masses of meat puppets that roam around in this country.

Wake up.

Now I need to find something without religion to talk about, before I get sick.

Georgia mayor resorts to the power of prayer

So the Georgia governor is praying for rain... and some people actually believe this will work.
People... if this works.. it will be a coincidence. Please think about it:

1) If his deity existed, and was all-powerful and loving as claimed, he would never allow this to happen. Its like praying for no more hurricanes after Katrina. What? You're going to tell an all powerful deity to 'please stop it'? Do you think if you grovel long enough before your 'loving' God, that he will stop tormenting you? Instead you should ask yourself "Why is he doing this in the first place?".
2) This is a modern age. Back during the Dark Ages when people would blame natural disasters on random folk and burn them at the stake, they at least had the excuse that they were ignorant of science. We are not ignorant. We are suppose to know. Any of you can go on the internet and look up meteorology and find out how rain works and what things are happening that are causing climate turmoil.
3) Even if you look from a Christian point of view: How many years have the people in that area (and other areas) practiced mass wastefulness of water? Water shortages do not just happen, even if there is a drought. Do they think it is some mystical deity's responsibility to bail them out of the situations they get into?

Atlanta has been explosively growing over the last decade, using a limited amount of water. This is the predictable result of overpopulation and climate change, and needs to be dealt with scientifically. One of the major problems with cleaning up pollution is these primitives that are counting on God to bail them out and do not think its important for them to do their part.

I really do hope they take this seriously and stop counting on magic to save them.

So this is my blog now..

This is a test of the emergency dwagon relay system.