Redefining Rockel

You know I never discuss female thermodynamics - Lou; Rescue Me

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The WORD of the Week

Matthew 3:7-10

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.

And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.

The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

Stupid Fact of the Week

There was only one civilian casualty during the three-day Battle of Gettysburg

12 November, 2007

Paul, Revisited

I received some excellent comments on the Dr. Paul post a while back that I never responded to due to lack of time.

Now that I've got a few minutes, I'd like to revisit some of the ideas brought up by Mr. Mills (ArtisianWell) and Edwards...

First on the war:

"I do believe that there was an incitation of War made against the U.S."
Even the current administration has given up on attempting to link the current war in Iraq with the inciting events of September Eleventh.

"We need to finish this war and allow the Iraqi people to setup their 'Own' Democratic Republic."
Before any of that, we need to actually establish what it means to "finish" this war. The people running it have changed the definition of success so much that it seems we have already finished it several times over. As to allowing Iraq to establish their own republic, we've been doing that now for over a year. It's about time we stopped "allowing" them and began forcing them (or leave them).

"I am sick to death of people all over saying it's an illegal war,... the point now is that we are in there. All discussions should flow from that point: we are there, how do we best resolve this."
I really don't mind people calling a spade a spade. All the discussion within the administration (aka the people [supposedly] running the war) should flow from the point "what do we do now?" However, I think it only appropriate to discuss the legality and implications of such activity at the highest level of our government.

"An analogy would be stabbing someone in a major artery. Once the knife is there, it doesn't matter how it got there. If you pull it out just because it was put there wrongfully (i.e., attempted murder) the shit is going to hit the fan instantaneously. The person will bleed out in seconds and be dead. You have to plan how to strategically take it out and do as little damage as possible. "
The analogy certainly works on it's own. However, so does the following: sticking your hand in a tank full of piranhas. Once your hand is in there, it doesn't matter how it got in there. If you keep it in there just to prove how tough you are, your arm is gonna get messed up. You have to remove it immediately to avoid maximum damage. Neither analogy is perfect and both, in my opinion, are worthy of debate.

The PATRIOT Act:

"I believe we need something far stronger against Terrorists without sacrificing Rights of Privacies."

"[Something] that guarantees the rights of it's people and one that enable us to root out the evil these men do."

"There needs to be something that gets terrorists but leaves citizens alone."

The reason I took so long to respond to these comments was I wanted to go back and reread the PATRIOT Act to solidify my argument against it. However, I was unable to motivate myself to get all the way through it. So my argument against it remains what it has always been. September Eleventh didn't change everything. The attacks on that day were incredibly unavoidable. The government failed us. Either by their complete incompetence, complete lack of communication, or complete lack of organization. Adding more money and another incompetent federal department does little more than give the illusion of security. Some accountability and small reforms to existing agencies would do much more good than unnecessary legislation paving the way for diminishing civil liberties.

posted by Rockel @ 7:23 PM

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Lyrics of the Week

ON THE NICKEL
by Tom Waits

("I'd like to do a new song here. This is eh, it's about downtown Los Angeles on 5th Street. And eh all the winos affectionately refer to it as The Nickel. So this is kind of a hobo's lullaby.")

sticks and stones will break my bones,
but i always will be true, and when
your mama is dead and gone,
i'll sing this lullabye just for you,
and what becomes of all the little boys,
who never comb their hair,
well they're lined up all around the block,
on the nickel over there.

so you better bring a bucket,
there is a hole in the pail,
and if you don't get my letter,
then you'll know that i'm in jail,
and what becomes of all the little boys,
who never say their prayers,
well they're sleepin' like a baby,
on the nickel over there.

and if you chew tobacco, and wish upon a star,
well you'll find out where the scarecrows sit,
just like punchlines between the cars,
and i know a place where a royal flush,
can never beat a pair, and even thomas jefferson,
is on the nickel over there.

so ring around the rosie, you're sleepin' in the rain,
and you're always late for supper,
and man you let me down again,
i thought i heard a mockingbird, roosevelt knows where,
you can skip the light, with grady tuck,
on the nickel over there.

so what becomes of all the little boys,
who run away from home,
well the world just keeps gettin' bigger,
once you get out on your own,
so here's to all the little boys,
the sandman takes you where,
you'll be sleepin' with a pillowman,
on the nickel over there.

so let's climb up through that button hole,
and we'll fall right up the stairs,
and i'll show you where the short dogs grow,
on the nickel over there.