Religious indoctrination over generations and centuries...

is the same thing as selective dog breeding. Using Pavlovian religious training, they breed out individual thought, imagination, and halt the evolution of the mind, then replace it with learning by rote, blind obedience and self-denial. After all, it's an unthinking guard breed that they want, isn't it.

To all the weaselly little pricks writing malware.

Blow me. I beat you again. And by the way, do you advertisers really expect me to buy something when you jam your ads in my face? Really? Fat chance. I will go far, far out of my way to avoid giving anyone who uses pop-ups or adware a dime.

Thank you, Spybot. 

http://www.safer-networking.org/index2.html

It's really hard not to laugh...

Indonesian Muslims told to change prayer direction

Fri Jul 16, 12:02 pm ET

JAKARTA (Reuters) – Indonesia's Muslims learned on Friday they have been praying in the wrong direction, after the country's highest Islamic authority said its directive on the direction of Mecca actually had people facing Africa. Muslims are supposed to face the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia during prayer and the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) issued an edict in March stipulating westward was the correct direction from the world's most populous Muslim country.

"But it has been decided that actually the mosques are facing Somalia or Kenya, so we are now suggesting people shift the direction slightly to the north-west," the head of the MUI, Cholil Ridwan, told Reuters. "There's no need to knock down mosques, just shift your direction slightly during prayer." Ridwan said Muslims need not fear that their prayers have been wasted because they were facing the wrong way. "Their prayers will still be heard by Allah," he said.

Said Agil Siradj, head of Indonesia's largest Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama, told English language newspaper the Jakarta Globe that the confusion showed the MUI issued edicts too fast and that this was a lesson for them. The MUI has, in the past, issued controversial edicts banning Muslims from chanting during yoga, and from smoking. Indonesia is a majority Muslim but officially secular country.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100716/od_nm/us_indonesia_mecca

I mean, really, really hard...

Did You See That?

Standin' there at the bar just havin' a beer
after work and nuthin' much to take me home
when I caught some motion out the corner of my eye
It was a babe with a tray and... my oh my

Oh my God did you see that
Oh my God did you see that
I know she's too young, or I'm too old but
Oh my God did you see that

Well I shoulda known better than to do what I did next
But the way she moved put a twistin' on my neck
So I followed her 'round the corner watch her walk up the stairs
I knew it was stupid but I followed her right up there

(I'm tellin' ya, the way her hips moved under that skirt
She could balance that tray, dodge drunks and still flirt)

Caught up with her in the middle of a wailin' reggae crowd
Tried to get her number but the music was too damned loud
From the smile in her eyes I knew she knew what I was after
She put her hand on my arm and said "sure I'll get you a draft, sir"

Oh my God did you see that
Oh my God did you see that
She saw it coming and she stopped me flat
Oh my God did you see that

Well I tucked in my tail retreated back downstairs
chugged my beer had to get the hell out of there
As I was leavin I could hear her laughin' with my friends
Another mistake I'll never hear the end of

Oh my God did you see that
Oh my God did you see that

(He ain't rich enough to be that fat!)

Oh my God did you see that

Insomnia

One.

Six left, not bad.

Know I dreamed,

but not what it was.

One isn't enough.

Clouds gather.

Two and twenty.

Four-point-six-would be ok.

You in the same boat?

Should I call?

One isn't enough

No more blue.

Three plus eleven.

Less than four is better than one.

Rather dream,

even a nightmare.

One isn't enough.

Cold rain.

Four and a half.

Two and a half, please...

Tried everything,

nothing works.

One isn't enough.

Chaotic winds.

Five and thirty-eight.

One more if I'm lucky.

I check if you're on,

but you're luckier.

One isn't enough.

Lightning strikes.

Six and who-gives-a-fuck.

Too late now.

Resign myself.

Another one gone.

One isn't enough.

One isn't enough.

A mosque at Ground Zero?

How comforting it will be for grieving visitors to hear triumphant Arabic calls to prayer echoing across their loved ones' graves 5 times a day. Good job, NYC "Community" Board and Mayor Bloomberg.

A country song called Coon

Feelin' like a treed coon with all the shit that I been through

There's work and home, and they both suck

And then there's you

Behind 'em with your shotgun, gonna knock me on my ass

I'm feelin' like a treed coon, so barkeep fill my glass

My boss yelled at me again today, get yer lazy ass back to work

Well I sure get all the shit jobs, but I never get the perks

Ole Johnny Paycheck and DAC had it right in that old song

I'm gonna take my job and shove it, right where it belongs

Feelin' like a treed coon with all the shit that I been through

My head is poundin' from all the barkin'

And then there's you

Behind 'em with your shotgun, gonna blow me straight to Hell

I'm feelin' like a treed coon, and the hounds have caught my smell

My wife done left me yesterday, she's taken up with some new sport

My kids all think that I'm a 'tard, an idiot and a dork

Well maybe they're all right ya know, an' what they say is true

But the last straw on this here hump, you know it's you

Feelin' like a treed coon with all the shit that I been through

Howlin' and droolin' and slaverin' fangs

And then there's you

Behind 'em with your shotgun, and I know you want me gone

I'm feelin' like a treed coon, and I don't have very long

When you and I, when we first met we didn't have a clue

What all would happen to us both 'cause of me and 'cause of you

What started out so awesome now has suddenly gone South

Ain't nothin' I can do, so I'm just gonna shut my mouth

Feelin' like a treed coon with all the shit that I been through

All them claws a-shreddin' the bark

And then there's you

Behind 'em with your shotgun, and I see you draw a bead

I'm feelin' like a treed coon, and a lift is what I need

When we were friends and hangin' out, well everything was great

Now what I see there on your face looks a helluva lot like hate

I'm outta here don't worry, you won't be seein' me around

Gotta get my ass down from this tree, get my feet back on the ground

Feelin' like a treed coon with all the shit that I been through

They almost got my tail that time

And then there's you

Behind 'em with your shotgun, and I know the end is near

I'm feelin' like a treed coon, Jesus get me out of here

I'm feelin' like a treed coon, Jesus get me out of here

Walking up Lambert Road in the Dark

Walking up Lambert road, in the dark, on the come-latelys' shiny new blacktop

Where they pamper their Benzes and Beemers and Hummers (You believe it? There's Hummers on Lambert!)

Hallowe'en is but one week away, and the moon slashes jack 'o lantern shapes from the trees

Walked this road for damned near forty years of my life, and it still feels like a horror flick to me

The trees form a tunnel above me, the houses lay silent, like nobody's there

Down across Readin' Creek a few hounds are wound up, their voices carry in the brilliant night air

Strange movement in the bushes, north breeze filling cold, that rustles and rattles dead leaves

Always brings me right back to that time, when I had her, and lost her, that time makes me bleed

Why do I go up there, why tear it all open

What good can it do, what can I be hoping

to accomplish by living it all once again

Walking Lambert in the dark, my beginning, and my end

Such an idyllic place that it was to spend boyhood, (in daylight at least) it was fine

But it always held menace as well, that old road, however peaceful, rural, sublime 

It held menace that hovered, that lingered, that bristled, that waited for you with foul breath

Menace overpowering, overbearing, terror clawing at your wake, run home fast or tonight dine with death

Childish fears, superstition, no credence can you give to such juvenile rantings as these

I told myself that too, when I felt it, when it came, 'til it took my Marie

Why do I go up there, why tear it all open

What good can it do, what can I be hoping

to accomplish by living it all once again

Walking Lambert in the dark, my beginning, and my end

We were happy, we were planning, we were aiming, we were jamming,

we were going to be husband and wife

Since I lost her I wander, not caring, not trying

for anything that resembles a life

I blame the road, and its evil, there's no way around it

that's the only way this can make sense

no way it could have happened, wasn't random, wasn't destined

it was evil, no more and no less

This old road thinks it's Hallowe'en every night of the year

And Hallowe'en was made just for killing

If you walk it, just be ready, don't go solitaire, don't go lightly

And don't go when the north breeze is filling

Don't go up there, not with loved ones, not with fun in mind, don't go lightly

up that old evil road in the night

Don't risk loved ones, don't risk everything, don't go lightly, don't go up there

fail to heed me and your soul dies tonight

Why do I go up there, why tear it all open

What good can it do, what can I be hoping

to accomplish by living it all once again

Walking Lambert in the dark, my beginning, and my end

Boomerang

Your sweaty hands can grip me no longer

your aim is no longer hitting my mark

The light I had thought that you were shining

Was black light, it just makes my world get more dark

You're tryin' to keep too many balls in the air

and losing them all, every ball, one by one

Soon you'll be standing there, waving your arms

in an empty theater, onstage all alone

'Cause honey I ain't your boomerang

You've thrown me away one too many times

The string on this yo-yo just broke for good

And I'm rolling off to warmer climes

You're playing with dolls, puppets on strings

You ignore real people who actually care

The ones who tell you the unvarnished truth

You'd rather just hear what we think of your hair

Your audience shrinks a little more day by day

Your show's getting old, it ain't drawin' the crowds

If you bothered to read what the critics all say

You wouldn't be singing and laughing so loud

Well honey I ain't your boomerang

You've thrown me away one too many times

The string on this yo-yo just broke for good

And I'm rolling out of this theater of grime

People are laughing behind your back

You're making a fool of yourself, you know

You're smoking your real friends up like crack

While posers and yes-men fill your front row

The billboards, marquees, your name all in lights

You got top billing, I will give you that

But it's an empty script, and rather chilling

And I ain't stickin' around for the second act

'Cause honey I ain't your boomerang

You've thrown me away one too many times

The string on this yo-yo just broke for good

And I'm rolling off without glancing behind

Just one in a long line of toys to him

Something shiny to (p)lay with, he's had quite a few

He's pushed all your buttons and seen all your tricks

And he's at Toys 'R Us right now, buying new

A few months' diversion, is all that you are

To him you're one cookie on a very big tray

But you don't wanna hear it, and I'm out of breath

So it's so long, goodnight, and have a nice day

'Cause honey I ain't your boomerang

You've thrown me away one too many times

The string on this yo-yo just broke for good

And I'm rolling off 'cause you're wasting my time

Your script needs a rewrite, and it needs it soon

Before all the roustabouts fold up your tent

Your show's going under, your backers are here

demanding their money, but you know it's all spent

It might still be possible to save yourself

To drag your box office out of the red

But I don't think that you've got the guts to do it

'Cause the cheap seat acclaim has gone to your head

Well honey I ain't your boomerang

You've thrown me away one too many times

The string on this yo-yo just broke for good

So I'm rolling off and I relish the climb

Neptune's Song

This is me mug-slammin' pub sing-along. And I have no idea why that one line keeps getting huge, lol. I've copied and pasted from the original over and over, even deleted it and re-typed it (shrug).

I need to go back to sea again

I've lingered in port for too long

There's nothing to keep me here any longer

It's time to sing Neptune's song

Well you popped up above my horizon that day

An enticingly lush little port

But your treacherous rocks, bars and currents

are making me cut my stay short

The relief when I first sighted land was intense-

The delights of the shore were alluring

But as always the draw of the land was illusion

Come the tide I’ll be slipping my mooring

Are there no safe harbors in the world left for me?

Each one that I visit brings disaster

To stay far at sea is the only way for me

to have a chance to remain my own master

I need to go back to sea again

I've lingered in port for too long

There's nothing to keep me here any longer

It's time to sing Neptune's song

But as soon as you're out of my sight far astern

The longing will return with a vengeance

Some safe place to anchor and rest my bones

Not to find one has been a life sentence

This old hull's waterlogged, planks and frames going rotten

Long streamers of weed trail behind

There's no place to careen, to patch and to clean

And it's only a matter of time

'Til my masthead dips below the surface,

And I go to meet old Davy Jones

The land's turned its back, and my hope's all gone black

Drifting sand will soon cover my bones but

It's time to go back to sea again

I've lingered in port for too long

There's nothing to keep me here any longer

It's time to sing Neptune's song

Jailbreak

A life sentence without parole  

That's how I was living

Resigned to it

A ten-foot cell of loneliness

I convinced myself I deserved it

I was doing the time

I must have done the crime

Not designed for love

Missing some crucial human quality

Everything confirmed it

Everyone I met confirmed it

Once in a while I heard footsteps

The jingle of keys

But they never stopped

At my door

And I stopped running to see

Became ok with it

I must be where I belonged

Stockholm Syndrome

Almost happy

Until the footsteps stopped

Outside my door

I didn't react at first

Must be hearing things

No visitors allowed, after all

'Til I looked up

There you were

Smiling through the bars

Key in your hand

No way, I'm dreaming

Rubbed my eyes

Looked again

And you were still there

Not wearing blue

But orange, like me

A jailbreak?

A partner in crime?

No way, I thought

But you unlocked the door

Held it open, beckoning

No way, I thought

An hallucination

So I stayed on my bunk

You called again

"C'mon man. Let's get out of here"

An abandoned pup, offered a milkbone

Longing, but not trusting

You coaxed me to the door

I smelled the grass

Saw the sunshine

Felt the warmth

Stepped out and embraced freedom

And you shoved me back inside and slammed the door

With a laugh

I cried, uncomprehending

Stood at the door for a month

With my hands thrust through the bars

Calling for you

Begging for you to come back

Hearing nothing but the echoes of my own screams

Until I gave up and went back to my bunk

Then I heard your footsteps again

It took me twice as long this time

To trust you enough

To run for the open door

And your smile

But eventually I went

The lure of redemption

Was too hard to resist

But you slammed the door again

And strolled off, whistling

I didn't call from the door

This time, but I still cried

It couldn't be intentional

A guard must have shown up

No one is that cruel, even in here

Benefit of the doubt

Not listening to your detractors

I was sure it wasn't your fault

Something else was stopping you

From freeing me

So I sat on my bunk and waited

'Til you came again

The last time you came I needed no coaxing

Maybe before, I waited too long

I went to you, still sure of your goodness

But you slammed the door closed again

That's when I realized

That I was never getting out

Even though you had the keys to all the cells

You could free us all, and yourself

But you chose to remain locked up

And would never let anyone else out

So I hung a towel over the window

And blocked my ears with toilet paper

And sat on my bunk