Birdy

But to change the way the world sees itself, we'll need the biggest army of ass-talkers this world has ever seen. Ass-talkers who aren't likely to fall off the ass-talking wagon should they be provoked in the slightest little way. God, imagine the brawl. Once, a girlfriend of mine got all up in some guy's face who just threatened to kill her friend who was running his mouth (and perhaps had thrown a few punches, but that part's up for question). Could be my socioeconomic conditioning, but i was seriously a little weary of this dude just by looking at him. I was happily sitting away on the porch, drinking some drinks and didn't even realize what was happening on the street. Until i saw buddy lunge at her neck. He punched her in the neck! Seriously... who punches people in the neck? Regardless, she freaked out, another friend jumped up to pull her away from the scene and buddy on the road started calling on the entire front yard. I went out and chatted with him... told him we were all even. My friend's friend insulted him, he insulted us, game over. He goes his way, we go our way and life goes on... he was totally cool with that. Otherwise, i could have freaked out myself that he just punched my friend in the neck and got myself punched in the neck too... but i opted to not get punched in the neck. That would have sucked and seriously, these dudes were scary. So they took off, then a small group of people rallied around talking about hunting them down for a fight, but luckily, that didn't happen. Because really, we're just a bunch of lovers sitting around, partying in a front yard (aside from the one dude), and would have gotten killed by these people. So if you believe everyone in the world won't fly off the handle when provoked, i'd say once you have your army of smooth-talkers assembled and you hit the streets, best of luck. Until that day comes, i'm sticking to my guns in that it's impossible without a clean slate. I know it's so defeatist of me, but people are unpredictable. What would be an example of reaching something immense for you?

I don't know. I really do believe that any irrational situation can be talked out rationally with anyone, if you put yourself on their level (whatever that may be). I've had too many people tell me that it's been my good luck that i've yet to have an experience to prove this wrong. When they say this, I wonder just how hard they attempted to go to that different level. Drawk posted a while back that good people are generally inclined to see good in others. I'm not gonna say i'm awesome ( Thorgnor), but i think i'm a decent person, and i kinda wondered after he said this if it were true, and perhaps i am unassuming... naive, even. Whatever it is, i'm glad that i'm of the variety that sees good in mankind. I say abolish the stop sign too. This country needs more roundabouts.

You think? Even if you consider something like a no smoking sign is a form of social control... or a stop sign on a street? I think you might be on to something... in all of my claiming to be a libertarian, i've always added the disclaimer that it wouldn't work in our society. But, have always thought without these (all) elements of social control, we would be forced to be more thoughtful of one another. Tack on several conversations with people who don't believe man is good and here I am a little later wondering if i'm totally the most naive person in the world. Regardless, i agree madness would ensue, but I'm inclined to think we'd have no choice but to bring ourselves out of that madness.

I totally got caught up in the go Tom go hype. I need to stop watching do or die situational sports. So depressing!

Working examples: See ya on the other side.

Who knows what people are taught to believe, YT - that's kind of the problem. So all things short of an a-bomb and the most ridiculous form of social control my mind is capable of imagining (aka, the only things i think really do have the ability to re-engineer the world), the only way of messaging this message is to deliver it in the formative years. So if that means you become a teacher, or be a good neighbour or an awesome uncle, you gotta get 'em while they're young. And that's still no guarantee, because like you've been pointing out to Thorgnor, it's just words. You're relying on them to have the sort of impact you desire. At least my route is the safer one. I envision Thorgnor kindly pointing out the difficulties of participating in racial discourse to a wife-beater clad, Harley riding beefcake at the Golden Tap in Chatham as they make jabs at the Jamaican seasonal workers. Ghandian style martyrdom, i imagine. Anyway... that little paragraph could be a case in point. Why do i imagine anything in that scenario? A-bomb. Attempting social control in ANY scenario YT is kinda creepy, but it's done everyday.

I think that's it, right there. In the 'whatever else'. I'm tired of thinking in circles trying to find a mutually acceptable way of exposing the whatever else for what it is. Tired to the point where I don't think there is a mutually acceptable way. So i find myself of the why not just jump in, head first camp.

i think this requires an a-bomb.

Staggering amounts of resistence are so bloody tiring and defeating, though. I sit on the board for a theatre project here in Chatham that for the last 13 years has been in construction phase - requiring the restoration of an old theatre that's sat empty for so many years, building and restructuring it to turn it into a 1200 seat, state of the art performance centre. We're in the final stages now, and by all realistic means, the theatre should be open to the public in a year's time. If any of you are familiar with Chatham, there's really not a lot going on here... this theatre has the potential to do great things for our community, not only by way of revitalizing the downtown core (kind of already on its way), but by projecting a positive image of our city and giving citizens something to do on a Friday night other than sit on their couch or burn stuff in their backyards. But, Chatham's also a largely manufacturing town where a lot of people have recently lost their jobs, and frankly, the majority of the population aren't the type to consider the importance of arts and culture as part of the bigger picture. So the resistance to the project has been staggering... and really, i mean staggering. People get absolutely PISSED when the subject comes up, facebook group exists to publicly shame the organization, the organization is weary about making any sorts of presentations to council because the political will is so damaged. For a project that has relied on fundraising and provincial/federal grants to fund it, this kind of attitude is sooo defeating. My point is that, sometimes, i think it's best to realize there's always going to be someone or some group that doesn't agree with you - but if you never attempt to show them what you can do, you by default shrug your shoulders and wash your hands of it. Stick your tail between your legs and go home for another day. There's still that lack of understanding, hostility and closed-mindedness and gone is the opportunity for betterment.

Me too. If there were a way to open up dialogue with some of these people to convince them to live and let live... that their god, whatever god, whosever god was the creator of all of this, their religious colleagues, their rival religions, the blue sky and the green grass, fall, winter, spring and summer - and that in being the creator of it, willed it so and therefore, live and let live, that's the only kind of message i'd want to put out there. Where i think we continually wind up frustrated is when we try to reason with the unreasonable and as a result denounce religion in its entirety because of its intangibility. And in doing so participate in the same kinds of things we accuse religions of - lack of understanding, hostility towards each other, closed-mindedness. It's why I continually pop up in these threads lashing out against secularism because I struggle with the idea of how to teach a 'live and let live' mentality to everyone, atheists, nihilists, and agnostics included. To this date, even after the countless replies on this board, i still believe the only way to get such a message across is to have some kind of religious representation somewhere... anywhere. It's really not going to end the world if some buddhist monk addressed parliament one day, I promise. It does have the potential to create a broader acceptance of one another. And while I really have taken what others have said to me on this board in consideration, i'm back... saying the same thing. If it comes down to offending the masses, well... the masses need to be offended.

No such thing as a bad person Thorgnor? Eek! Isn't this what I've been telling you all along...? Man is good but corrupted by his surroundings? Caught up in evil surroundings? I've enjoyed reading what you've wrote here, and am happy you've come to your conclusions. Now to break down your findings and share them with the rest of the unenlightened world... well. Thing is, aside from starting fresh post-atomic-bomb, how do you change the way the world sees itself?

Will there be one day passes available? I'd be in for a Saturday full of the Pixies, Rural Alberta Advantage and Plants and Animals.

i love that man, too. i'm getting excited for some Wilco - July 21 - Royal Oak, MI.

I'm seriously considering rearranging my vacay for this! Friday, July 17 Deer Tick w/ Dawes Horseshoe Tavern $12 at the door

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA To the tune of Thunderstruck: BA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NA! EBBEERREE!! hahahahah... fuck that was funny! Good luck tonight KK. I'm kinda afraid of W'burg. Which reminds me, i once had to escape that town on the back roads.

i heart me some Wilco.

So sad! For both of you. I lost my dog of 14 years from congestive heart failure... it's heart-breaking watching them suffer. I then lost my other dog of 15 years, a year after the first. It's the saddest thing, losing pets. I'm still not over it. But the whole idea of them being in a better place makes it a little easier.

Hey now, don't knock the Yorkshire pudding!

I hear you loud and clear. I wouldn't even suggest microwaving stuff. You'll probably get sick of that just as fast. Normally i make time to actually go into restaurants, sit down and order meals. It feels more normal. If i HAVE to get fast food i opt for the salads. Good luck though... it sucks.

Sweet! More blog photos please!

Now the Rural Alberta Advantage - Hometowns

Plants and Animals - Parc Avenue

sweet' date=' i get to work this weekend also.[/quote'] boo. call in dude. HR girl just gave me a mini-flag to wave around... behind my desk. yep... while all my friends are out boating around, loving life, i'm stuck under flourescent lighting with my mini-flag watching all my coworkers babies come in for visits. four two year olds and it's only noon. I'm leaving early.

Yup. Sure does. I get a long weekend though.

One would think building a proclamation of quotes from men whose heyday was back in the late 1700s to steer the path for a USA of the 21st century kind of f'ing ridiculous. These Oklahomans are as bad as those Arkansinians who were sending children adopted by gay parents into loving homes back to orphanages. Crazies.