Knights and Samurai

I would like to start by saying that Samurai and Japanese battle techniques will always hold a special place in my heart. Because of distant and the fear out outsides, western and eastern cultures developed very differently, and those differences will always hold the interest to each other. But I am really beginning to take offense to the concept of the superiority of eastern techniques over western, specially when it comes to the comparison of Samurai and Knights.

One important thing to realize is major impact of hand-held gun powder weapons on combat. As soon as guns made an appearance on the battlefield, any Joe-Smoe with reasonably decent aim could lay waste to even the most skilled and powerful warriors. This made the era of the elite swordmaster a thing of the past. And all of those years of training, techniques, and even craftsmanship of said swords was quickly rendered useless.

This era of swordsmenship ended in Europe alot sooner then it did in Japan. By the 1400's, no armor was safe from a handheld weapon. And with the advancements in guns and the increasing uselessness of the sword, people stopped training in sword handling. Sword handling itself was still considered military secrets and weren't well know. These techniques, known only to nobles and elite military units, lacked new students to learn. So much of the sword handling knowledge in europe simply died off.

The only exception was in the one-on-one sword duels, which weren't fought like a military campaign. They tended to use weak, frail swords, designed for unarmored combat by nobles. Their sword techniques didn't include breaking through armor, or decapitating your opponent, since only a minorly damaging wound was needed to end the fight. Very little true combat knowledge was retained, and the quality of the swords used was weak. These swords didn't have to endure endless years of hardship. They were lucky to even be drawn in anger. These swords needed only to look impressive, focusing more on the glint of gold, then the hardness of the steel.

By comparison, Japan didn't really get exposed to firearm combat until the late 1500's. Even after that, many Japanese stubbornly maintained their sword techniques, well the more pragmatic Europeans abandon their mastery of the blade for the cheaper and more effective firearm. It's hard to understate the deep commitment the Japanese have to retaining their sword handling knowledge, as it's so integrated to their culture. It's because of the deep cultural commitment, in an era were it's effectively useless in combat, that we know so much about Japanese sword handling techniques.

But because of the pragmatic nature of Europeans, most of the western world's knowledge of blacksmithing and sword handling has been completely lost. Documents about sword handling are few and far between. Most nobles in Europe ban the majority of the population from ever touching a sword. And well swords have never lost their appeal to westerners, a cheaper and more powerful gun tended to make the market for really well made swords a thing of the past. The only exception being the dueling sword, which as I mentioned, was more focused on appearance then power. So high quality sword makers gave way to guns and gilded showpiece weapons, loosing forever the skills that westerners once retained.

3:08 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Selling Lenin

I should start by saying that I don't believe that Socialism has, or will, ever work. The idea of having a government run all aspects of life is ridiculous. Politicians and bureaucrats are a lazy and untrustworthy lot, fully capable of running anything they touch into the ground. Also, leadership by committee never goes anywhere. As such, I am rather conservative and anti-government, putting my faith in the people rather then an all controlling government, to solve the majority of life's problems.

What I find the most humorous and annoying thing though are people that say one thing, and do another. Top on this list has to companies that sell their capitalist products using leftist ideals. These ideals, of course, are implied, as the company does nothing to actually promote any leftist movements. It's just that bane of all things good in this world... Marketing. Paid liars, pimping out products using any means necessary. And using political associations that have nothing to do with a product is one of the more underhanded methods. One company in particular that is VERY good at manipulating politics to shill their products is Apple.

Apple computers was founded by a salesman, Steve Jobs, who saw an opportunity to take advantage of the budding personal computer market and seize control of the work of hobbyists for himself. He was fortunate to have a friend with some knowledge of the personal computer scene, and using this friend, they created the first Apple computer. As sales progressed and the company grew, Jobs ran into a group working at Xerox on a graphical interface for computers, and promptly stole their ideas to make the Macintosh. By ripping off other people's ideas, Apple computers malignantly grew. But the company's main strength lied in Jobs marketing knowledge to pimp out his second-hand hardware to others.

When IBM, a massive corporate giant decided to enter the market, which at the time was a wild and untamed scene of dozens of competing minor companies, Apple could no longer compete. IBM could make better quality computers, with more features, for less money. To stay in the market, Apple instead relied on marketing. He packaged Apple computers as a way to rebel against capitalism and corporations. Which was funny, as Apple is a corporation, and very capitalist. He also fell back on his film-school, collegeic market, a very leftist market that despised right-wing, corporate society. Of course, colleges are very corporate and money oriented, so this seems kinda of empty, but in politics, things don't have to make sense. So Apple sold themselves as a leftist rebellion, firmly pressed against the evils of a crushing capitalist giant. Which, of course, for them, they were fighting back against a giant. But what part of leftist ideals are they upholding?

Apple has always been a very monopolistic company. They wouldn't enter a market unless they had compete control over it. For years, they wouldn't even sell Apple computers in any retail outlets other then their own Apple stores. They were completely unwilling to compete against other products, or even have their own products compared side by side to others in the industry for most of Apple's existence. Apple keeps close control over their hardware and software, only allowing certain 3rd party developers access to their closed, and gated, community. In the face of leftist ideals of an open and shared society, where does Apple lay? Clearly not on the same side as it's hippy roots. Apple is a closed and expensive box, barred to outsiders who aren't willing to pay the price of admission. Apple is basically a country club.

So how on earth can this "Country Club" Apple market their wares to leftists? Hippy Guilt. You see, alot of the spoiled the children of moderate to higher income families decide in their teens and 20's to rebel against their parents desire to see their children grow up to be part of society, just like they are. So these children become very anti-capalist, or even full blow Communists, as a way to assert their independence. I group them all in the same category, as Hippies.

But eventually these rebellious "Hippies" are forced to give up these ideals in order to maintain a career, raise a family, and buy a home. It's called growing up, and it's the reason that most people past a certain age are Conservative. Eventually, most people are forced to see the value in a well run and maintained society, interested in capitalist ideals. But being part of corporate society after spending SO LONG railing against it, has made these people rather Hypocritical. It's hard to spend your teens and 20's trying to tear down the very society you are later forced to join and be a part of.

So, now that these hippies are forced to be good little capitalists, they fight back against capitalism the only way a capitalist can, with money. They buy things! Well these people rarely donate money to charities, something that goes against their new capitalist lifestyle, they do BUY things that charities sell. But you see, there in lies the problem. By saying one thing and doing another, your actions become very hollow. As such, you care more about pretense then reality. This is were Apple computers comes in.

Apple Computers is not a charity, and they do nothing to improve the world for leftist ideals. But they do MARKET themselves as leftist. It's an empty statement, utterly meaningless, but reality doesn't need to be part of this equation for the Leftist Capitalist. These people just want to FEEL better about themselves and their empty ideals. Say one thing, do another. As such, they are easily manipulated and marketed to with overpriced junk and worthless ideals. They will buy a handbag that says "Earth First", even if the bag itself is made from a metric ton of pollution. It's all about pretense. This is how Socialism is these days, just another marketing gimmick for the gullible. And Apple computers is at the forefront of this marketing crazy. "Buy our products and you'll be Different, just like everybody else!"

Of course, under such an umbrella, companies like Apple don't need to compete in the market. They can enter a market and sell things bases solely on politics. Apple Computers has made some market innovations though, like the disposable electronics. It's not unusual for electronics to get damaged or become obsolete do to technological innovation. But Apple's products are different in that they are very, very poorly made, and die must sooner then industry standards. Products like the iPod are assembled from the weakest materials, crammed into shells that most engineers would balk at, because if this product was made by any other company, the return and failure rates would be drastically unacceptable. But for Apple, it doesn't matter, because people don't complain and return their items, they just buy another. The act of buying an Apple product helps to reaffirm in people's minds their status in this leftist rebellion. As such, they can break a million flimsy iPods and always come back for more. It doesn't matter, because people aren't buying a product, they buying Status. Quality and value are secondary concerns.

I know of alot of other companies that do much the same thing. Most of those companies though are very niche, and certainly not as high profile as Apple. Apple has really become the pinnacle of the empty political marketing. And being that my interests are strongly concentrated in electronics, so I see alot of Apple. But they are just symptom of a larger problem that is growing in the world, emptiness and lack of truth. Everything is slowly cooking down in this big marketing melting pot into a puddle of gray meaningless goo. It doesn't matter what people do anymore, just what they say. I suppose it's normal to cosmopolitan life. Most wealthy societies with little external problems seem to be like this. I've heard of many similar things happening, even back as far as ancient Rome. I just can't help but to think that it's a very bad thing that will only lead to trouble. How can people know where they are going, if they can't even be truthful about where they stand?

7:29 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

A Scientific Dissertation on Forum Trolls

The Forum Troll is a strange creature, almost completely unseen outside of the dark and dingy depths of the internet forums. These creatures, obviously some savage throwback to primitive caveman, seem to exist solely on preventing any and all intelligent commentary or discourse within the forum. Well the forums are always established to give thinking humans a place share and exchange knowledge, these Forum Trolls exist to do the exact opposite, subsisting instead on the complete and total destruction of any useful information. I have managed to track and identify several specify subspecies of the Forum Troll family, and I present my finding to you here:

Noobous Maxiumous:
This species of Forum Troll knows nothing about anything. A truly ignorant sod. But this doesn't stop the Noobous Maxiumous from stating that they know nothing. It seems to give the Noobous infinite joy to state that they know nothing, and chime in with every thread they can that they know nothing and are completely unhelpful. You can also recognize the Noobous Maxiumous by the large plumage, known as their "Sig" file. These massive images, often Megabytes and hundreds of pixels in size, contain puzzling art style and ridiculous self-promotion. Using these Sigs, they slow access to the forum by all users. It's theorized they do this to slow and confuse their prey, there by making them more vulnerable to attack.

Illiteratorus Ignoramus:
This species of Forum Troll can't read very well, but is an infinite expert on whatever they misread. They often state things of absurd obviousness in an effort to prove their manhood to the forum females, which scientists speculate are rare or even extinct. The Illiteratorus strives to show their brilliance, as well as their complete inability to grasp the simplest concepts, by stating absurd things that clearly show no grasp of context. In some of the more developed Illiteratorus, their statements of obviousness reflect such stupidity, that they render their victims dumbfounded and stunned, most likely making their prey more vulnerable to attack.

Assholous Maxiumous:
This species of Forum Troll exists only to spout profanity and call others "Stupid". No matter what is said, the Assholous will take the opposite stand, which they will fortify by stating their opinion as fact, their absurd views as common sense, and the statements of the thread's author as completely ridiculous. Of course, it matters little what the Assholous says, as all of it's actions exist merely to provoke the ceremonial "Flame War", which is apparently part of their reproductive cycle. Once a Flame War beings, we see the number of Assholous multiple greatly, further proof of their reproduction. It's theorized that between appearances on forums, they retreat to their nature habitats of inflammatory spots in the human butt, known as Hemorrhoids.

Hijackus Topica:
This species of Forum Troll exists in a parasitic life cycle. Rather then starting their own threads, or even replying to threads that have the least to do with their actual interests, Hijackus subsists entirely on forum threads started by others related to topics they care little to nothing about. Once their prey has been located, they swoop in, pretending to care and respond to the topic at hand, but in the course of their reply, they attempt to change the topic to completely different, utterly derailing all possible discussion on the topic the originating author. Using the aid of their fellow forum Trolls, the Illiteratorus Ignoramus, they word their replies in such as to confuse and stun their prey. Then the Illiteratorus follows with a flurry of remarks to help reinforce the topic hijacking, so as to render any possibility of bringing the topic back around to what the original author intended, completely void.

You can recognize Forum Troll habitat by the droppings they leave behind. Keep an eye out for nonsense words like, "leet", "n00b", "pwn" and the dreaded "l33t". Also, Forum Trolls rarely have a complete grasp of the English language, or any other language for that matter. You can recognize them by their use of inappropriately shortened words, lack of punctuation, and inability to grasp proper grammar. The closer to gibberish you find forum posts, the closer you are to the lair of the Forum Troll. Forum Trolls are also deathly allergic to spell-checkers and proof-reading, so keep an eye out for posts that show no care to their composition at all.

It's theorized that long-term exposure to the Forum Trolls can cause morphogenisis in the victim, actually converting a normally sane forum visitor into one of these savage creatures. As a precaution, avoid most forums unless they actually relate specifically to the subject you're interested in and are heavily policed by moderators.

Remember that the Forum Troll is a wild animal. Never attempt to keep a Forum Troll as a pet, or attempt to train them to act human. The Forum Troll can not be domesticated. They should not be approached, fed, or interacted with by civilized man. Should you encounter one, or more, of these creatures, you should immediately discard all hope of getting any helpful information and leave the forum you found them in at once.

10:30 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Purpose for Man

Man is a creature of nature, as much as a Tree or Bird. Man was created to serve a most important function, something no other creature could even dream of. Man is the culmination of billions of years of experimentation, trial and error. And this task Man was created for, which he is most suited, more so then any other creature that has ever lived, is the procreation of life beyond this world.

This task is a most daunting one. Not only does gravity hold us tight, but what lies beyond this world is a most inhospitable environment. The vacuum of space turns the water to gas, the radiation destroys flesh, and the freezing temperatures turn anything remaining into ice. And the worlds Man must reach for are nearly as deadly. Alien landscapes of toxins, burning heat, and freezing cold. The creation of life in such wastelands will prove the great accomplishments of mankind.

But this task is not an inheritance, it is an Honor. It is an Honor must be earned. The creation of technologies to overcome these great hurdles will require science in all disciplines, and of the most extreme. Man will have to learn how to harness great powers and control life itself. And more importantly, Man will have to control himself.

With such great power comes the temptation for abuse, not by just a chosen few, but by many. No longer will individual humans be powerless to effect great challenge. Morality, patience, and self control become inescapable imperatives in a world where a single human being could kill millions. No amount of force by authority can keep order in such a situation. The control must come from each and every human.

Mankind now lives in the Crucible, where the measure of his worthiness for this sacred honor is tested. Failure will mean the end of humans as they are now. There have been many mass extinction in the brief history of this world, but the end of Man will come by his own hands. Should Mankind be proven unworthy, another shall rise in his place, and should they fail, another still. Life does not give up or retreat, but only moves on. The only question remains is Mankind worthy?

If there was ever a time when Humans should learn from the great Teachers of the past, that time is now. Understanding and Hope are the only means to Man's survival. In a world were one man can destroy it all, the brotherhood of every man is critical. No force of arms can slay the inner demons of humanity. It is only the trust we have in one and other that can hold those at bay.

8:46 PM - 1 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Assholes and Relativity

Relativity is the concept that things what appears "normal" to one person could look drastically different to an observer from another perspective. For instances, if you are in a train traveling at a constant speed without too many bumps, what you see inside the car of the train would appear to be standing still, even though somebody in a house your train zooms by would see that you are hauling ass. The basic concept is that, unless you have an outside perspective on your situation, everything to you appears normal. This is true even if you are a colossal asshole, just as long as you surround yourself with assholes.

A good example of a group of assholes who achieve normality together is Internet Forums. When enough forum trolls group together, the quantity of the grief they cause becomes Status Quo, or the normal state of being. As such, anyone being sincere, honest, or thoughtful becomes the outside force that stands out. When that poor soul gets ripped apart for having an opinion, it's not seem as abuse because the quantity of assholes outweighs the quantity of intelligence, there for assholes are the norm.

Another example is when a vicious invading army destroys a peaceful neighboring country. For the assholes in that army, raping, robbing, and murdering unarmed people seems like a normal, acceptable thing to do, because they surround themselves with people who are likewise, raping, robbing, murderous thugs. The status quo is maintained, there for, to them, they are not assholes. But to any outside observer, they are HUGE assholes.

Another good example takes place in colleges, country clubs, and other isolated groups where people think of themselves as better then everyone else. In these clicks, you find alot of assholes and general douchebaggery, from substance abuse, to unfounded political and social views, and even attempts to conspire together against the masses, "for their benefit". To any outside observer, these people are Colossal Assholes. But by being locked into their own close minded little world, they maintain the view that they are moral and justified, and that it's everyone else that's an asshole.

It is because of this cleaning effect that assholes group together whenever possible. Nobody likes to stand out in a crowd for very long, due to isolation and the repercussions of not blending in. Being an asshole by yourself gets you excluded from group activities, and might even occur harsh penalties. But when enough assholes group together, then causing grief to others becomes perfectly acceptable, even if any outside observer knows it's not.

The Moral of this Story is to try to observer yourself from other people's perspective. Otherwise, you might never know what an asshole YOU ARE!

3:35 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Questions and Questioners

Why are there so few questioning people in the world? Why do most people seem like lemmings, happy to follow each other into hell just to remain one of the fold? I've thought long and hard about this, and I think there's a few good reason: The World only needs so many Questioners. Humanity's instinct is to work together, in large and small groups alike, so their collaborative efforts give them power greater then working alone. As such, people need to be of like minds. This works well when things are going right, but all to often, they don't. So humanity also needs just a couple of Questioning Minds to mix things up. Just a few, here and there, to kick the cogs of civilization when dogma and bureaucracy become so great as to grind the gears of our world to a stop.

These Questioning Minds are often seen as rebels or instigators. This is quite often, those who's position of power rests upon burdening the inner workings of society to their own ends. They see these Questioning Minds as the worst kind of evil. Be it Kings, Presidents, or Religious Leaders, they seek to stomp out these instigators of change. The success they have often rests on how much the people themselves enjoy the stasis quo, or at least how much they fear change.

From the Nerd, stuffed into his/her locker for being interested in things outside of the norm, to the Journalist, shot in the head by secret police for exposing crimes of the state, these people all challenge the status quo, and suffer because of it. But if even a tiny ounce of doubt exists in the dogma and stubbornness of the masses, these Questioning Minds help chip away at the social and mental barriers that hold the stasis quo in check, allowing them to move forward through bad decisions of the past and social inertia.

The balance for this system comes in the degree society subconsciously wants to change. Too many Questioning Minds could unravel the system. But these people are quite rare, and rarely listened to. A healthy society freely listens to ALL voices of discord, no matter how uncomfortable they might be, and decides if they words have merit or not, without punishing those Free Thinkers for stating their views. This does not mean that the advice of these Questioning Minds needs to be heeded, most probably shouldn't, but they should always be heard. You can judge the health of a society how how freely the most despised groups can state their beliefs.. and how often they are imprisoned or attacked for them!

Really, no matter what people say, their views shouldn't be seen as criminal. No matter how radical or unliked, counter-cultural views are an excellent test of the strength of true in a society. Only a society based on lies and ignorance is threatened by words. These Questioning Minds shouldn't be seen as destroyers of the system, but more like mechanics. And what does any good mechanic do to a machine that is running poorly? They give it a swift kick! If the machine holds together, then it's good and healthy. But if it falls apart, they are only doing us a favor by tearing it down.

When someone's opinion differs from you, it shouldn't be seen as an insult, but as a challenge to the faith you hold in your ideals. If you opinions have value, you should be able to defend them with your words, not your fists. If you can't, then you need to rethink what you believe.

11:45 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Slavery and the Middle Class

The Middle Class is dwindling, and I for one have no pity. Being a member of the Working Class for so long, I am well aware of why the economy is so bad. As part of the Working Class it's very easy to see; No Good Jobs. Manufacturing and Construction, some of the most lucrative jobs for the Working Class, have almost ceased to exist due to cheap foreign labor. The allure of eliminating the Working Class whenever possible, with Mechanization and Foreign Exploitation, have lulled the Middle and Upper Class into believing that they don't need the Working Class to exist. And that's a huge mistake.

The Working Class always express the majority of the population. They are the biggest block of buyers, since they are the biggest group of people. Without the Working Class's money, businesses have less and less people to sell to. Without people to sell to, business dwindles. It's basic economics. The bottom of the capitalist pyramid is always the largest and most important to a stable economy. Remove the bottom and there's nothing left for the Middle Class and Upper Class to stand on.

Of course, this isn't a new problem. Actually it's as old as Western Civilization. Even back to the Egyptians, the Upper and Middle Class have always sought to remove the Working Class whenever possible through the means of Slavery. Well the human toll for Slavery is great, the economic effects are more the issue I'm concerned with here.

Slavery is the process were business gains cheap labor, without having to provide stable employment, benefits, or a livable salary. Labor has always been the greatest cost to any business. Be it butcher, baker, or candlestick maker, human effort is always the 1 cost of any operation. This makes the allure of slaves is easy to see. By eliminating the cost of Labor, or at least reducing it dramatically, you likewise cut costs dramatically. Upper Class enjoy huge profits that help fund even more lavish lifestyles, and the Middle Class gain servants to help provide more leisure time.

In my opinion, the abuses of the Middle Class are the most atrocious. This is simply because their use of foreign slaves is an extremely unnecessary luxury. Well the Upper Class are often forced to employ slave labor in order to remain competitive, the Middle Class's use of foreign labor is for mere convenience, to free up more leisure time. These are simple jobs, like House Care, Baby Sitting, or Lawn Maintenance. These are things decent people do for themselves. These don't represent requirements to stay in business or survive. They are merely conveniences to allow the Middle Class more free time. And well the Middle Class has always treated their "Pampered Servants" better then factory or farm workers, that doesn't excuse this ridiculous excess these people are indulge in, simply so they can "feel" like part of the Upper Class. Middle Class do not deserve servants. And in any healthy economy, they don't have them.

That aside, the current use of Foreign Labor in the United States is nothing new. Egyptians had the tribes of the Middle East to exploit, as well refuges from the uncivilized parts of Europe and Africa. The Romans had slaves from all over Europe and Africa as well. More recently, the use of indentured servants and the exploitation of Africans existed in the United States. And every time you see the rise of slavery, you see a rise in the standard of living for the Upper and Middle Class, followed by a decline in the Middle Class, widespread poverty in the Working Class, and an eventual Collapse of Economy. And the effects of this collapse don't just exist in the time immediately after the fall either.

In times when Slavery has ran amuck, the Working Class fall into extreme poverty. In order to stop them from rioting and keep them alive, the Working Class become dependent on the Government for support. Without constant work, the Working Class also loose interest in self improvement. Their levels of education fall, crime rises, and their desire for distractions increases with their unused time. In Roman days they had the Coliseum and Blood Sports. Today we have Nascar and Pro Wrestling. In both places though, you see a rise in ignorance, self-loathing, and generally self-destructive tendencies like womanizing and alcoholism. As children are raised under these conditions, they likewise become conditioned to be more self-destructive and less self-reliant, furthering the decline. The rise in social spending to support this broken class of people eventually bleeds away what few benefits excluding them from the economy might have created, until the entire system collapses.

After the economy falls, and the Working Class are no longer fed and controlled by the government, anarchy reigns supreme. People fall into savagery and order is dictated by those with the biggest weapons. For Roman, it was the Dark Ages. And in the Southern United States, you see likewise the effects of a slave driven culture, long after slavery ceased to be. It can take decades, even centuries of social reconditioning before the Working Class rise again from the ashes. And it's all due to the poison of cheap foreign labor, aka Slavery.

In the case of the current situation in the United States, there will be a turning point, but it's a very painful one. Through the exploitation of the 3rd world, the US has actually been pumping alot of money into their economic systems, leading to a rise in Working conditions and even a wealthy Middle Class. If this trend continues, eventually it will be more expensive to make items outside the US then it is to keep labor local.

The US still has a very efficient transportation system, and the cost of shipping items from another country, as well as the increase demands for labor in other countries, will eventually make US manufacturing alot more attractive in the future. But this will only come after years of continued decrease in the standard of living for the Working Class, even more so then they have suffered to date.

Well the Working Class could achieve a livable retirement and home ownership in the past, those things are a distant memory today. Poverty and hopelessness are making are society increasingly violent and unstable. And the increase in the police state to maintain order is only adding to the anxiety our people suffer. It remains to be seen of America can withstand the toll this turning point will require.

In closing, the exploitation of impoverished foreigners to improve the lives of the Middle and Upper Classes is always a fool's paradise. Well the Upper and Middle Classes benefit in the short term, it destroys the Working Class, erodes the Middle Class, and reeks years of havoc on society. Even if the human cost of exploiting your fellow man can be ignored, one can't ignore the long term effects to one's country and people. By supporting the Working Class, you build a better country. To ignore and discard them is to throw away everyone's future.

11:18 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

I hate forums.

Posting on an Internet Forum is alot like shouting your views in a crowd. A very angry, rude, stupid crowd. Responses always fall under one of 3 categories:

The first type of response, and the one you'll see the most, is the Noob. This is a person who has no idea what you're talking about, but REALLY wants to interject their opinions and views on completely unrelated subjects. This person helps to suck the life out of your forum post. They do so by constantly trying to take hold of your original point and twist it into something that has NOTHING to do with what you're talking about. They basically car-jack your forum post, dress it up as a clown, and shoot it in the head beside some abandon railroad tracks outside of Jersy.

The second type of response you see is the Angry Nerd. This person is pissed off at the world, and sees fault in EVERYTHING. They will relentlessly attack your post over every minor item, completely ignoring the overall theme or what you're really talking about. Sometimes they just throw in random slurs and insults just to try to start a "flame war", which is a term used for when bored nerds with emotional issues start acting like poo-flinging monkeys on Meth.

Of course, if you're lucky, you get the third time. The gleaming light at the end of the tunnel, the ONE PERSON that actually understands what you're saying and has something intelligent to add. This person would be called a "Peer". One or two of these Peers can make reading 20 retarded replies worthwhile. Here, in this heavenly light, you can discuss things with another intelligent, thinking, human being that you *wouldn't* punch in the face if you met them in person. And maybe, for just one moment, you can feel like the world isn't full of rude, stupid, inconsiderate, assholes. They give you hope for humanity.

So, in conclusion, if you aren't an idiot looking to derail other people's discussions, or an egotistically jerk that likes to attack others, then you really shouldn't bother with internet forums. Idiots attract one in other, and forums have their own little culture and click that reduces them to little more then an "Old Boys Club" of the Stupid. They drive off all thinking people that would make the forums a useful place for discussion, and fill it instead with arguments over nothing, random junk nobody cares about, as well as the occasional ceaseless attack on any intelligent person that is stupid enough to post there.

Posting something intelligent on an internet forum is like throwing a bucket of chum into the water and waiting for the sharks to start typing. It's a painful experience that eats away your respect for humanity and your patience with others. For a better use of your time, why not write your thoughts on a bathroom wall? At least then SOMEONE might take the time to the whole thing before writing back something stupid.

4:37 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Get the Man some Coffee, already!

Screw secretaries. Yup, I said it. Screw Secretaries! It's not that I don't think they serve a valuable role in business. Much like any administrator, they are important in keeping the cogs of business in motion. But they are support personal. Their entire job and existence is about supporting their boss, and making sure that person has whatever they need to get the job done. And if they do their job right, the boss is certain to feel like they can't run the company without them. But that's where it should end.

Secretaries are there to help make the boss's job easier. But they aren't the boss. The Secretaries these days suffer from the same plague that effects all administrators eventually; They think they are in charge! Every freak'n administrator eventually comes to the conclusion that because the boss can't operate without them, that they are, there for, a central figure in the company, every bit as important as the boss, themselves! For all intensive purposes, they think they are Vice President or something. And they aren't! They are just peons that push papers, and if they do their job well, they don't get in the way. They aren't in charge of anything!

There's several reasons why Secretaries always develop these big, fat egos. First off, they see the boss, up close and personal, far more then any other employee. As any ship's captain can tell you, familiarity breeds contempt. They get to see the boss as a fallible person, with weakness, character flaws, and a need for help. And in our culture, those are all signs of weakness. Bosses shouldn't be weak, right? It's just expected that they are like mini-kings, ruling divinely from on high. That breeds respect in the employees. But it's not what secretaries see. Secretaries get to see someone with a messed up business suit, tired from a long day of whatever, who can't remember their clients names, or even their own mother's birthday.

Also, like many administrators, they get the feeling they are in charge because they relay orders from their boss. It's a simple human fragility, if the words that come out of your mouth are what's getting something done, you begin to assume that those words are your own. If people pay attention to you and hang on your every word, even if those words aren't your own, it's just natural over time to begin to feel important. Having those eyes upon you, having people follow your every word like you are the most important person in their life, it's hard not get an inflated sense of ego from that. But they aren't listening to the secretary, are they? No. They are listening to what the boss said, THROUGH the filter of the secretary. The secretary is little more then a puppet in this chain, a minor cog connected to a MUCH bigger wheel.

And that leads us to the final problem with secretaries; They handle important matters. Much like that tiny cog in a much bigger machine, alot of power flows through their position. It's not their authority, they have none, but the authority of the boss trying to communicate their needs to others. All the Secretary need do is keep the boss informed of important things, and likewise keep the employees informed. But being this central conduit of authority allows the egotistical mind to think they are the lynch pin of the operation, a irreplaceable figure without whom the entire organization would fall. And you know what, they aren't!

Alot of jobs are central to the well being and proper functioning of a company. From the person that keeps the computers running, the person that empties the trash cans, and even the person that guards the front door. All of these are important figures that keep the company running smoothly.

But there in lays the reason why secretaries garner so much more respect then these other positions, proximity to the boss. The Secretary is right along side the boss every moment of the day. The person that empties the trash is not. That lack of access to authority figures reduces the visibly of those other employees. So they appear less important, some even becoming invisible, unless something goes wrong. If anybody's face is going to be remembered, it's going to be the secretary. That makes them appear central.

So, in closing, Secretaries need to take that huge ego down about 3 notches. You aren't the center of the world, and you certainly aren't Boss 2. You're there to help. And if the boss needs it, GET'M A DAMN CUP OF COFFEE!

3:34 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment

Elena Moss

My first, and only, physical relationship was short. Very short. It lasted 3 days. We made love the night we met. And it was everything I had hoped for and wanted, but none of what I needed. It was all just too fast. Months spent talking online, building a virtual relationship, exchanging sweet nothings, chatting every night. It filled me with joy and hope. It was wonderful, but I suppose it wasn't very real. It was real emotionally, mentally. It made my heart sing. It made my every day worthwhile. But it wasn't physical, just mental.

And when we did finally meet, we didn't have much time to build upon that. Maybe, in retrospect, we should have held off on making love. Given ourselves a few days to really connect. But circumstance didn't allow for it. I secretly had my misgivings and questions, and I know she had hers, but we wanted to push ahead. It was a lack of patience. That's the story of my life, no patience. We spent two of those three days in bed. It was good, but it felt like it was lacking something. I needed more.

I longed for more tender embraces, time spent in real contact, something more then just sex. But I don't think she understood. She was more used to colder men that liked their space. She withdrew from me after every encounter, always seeking her own space. She had said several times online that she would spend so much time with me that I would grow sick of her. She meant it in jest, just a bit of sarcasm, but it made me think that maybe she was used to men that demanded their space. Or maybe that was just me, reading things into what she said. As if I could get sick of her. I couldn't imagine such a thing. My need for contact is immeasurable.

Out of the 3 days we were together, I most cherish the last day most, when we weren't in bed. We visited a museum, saw some tourist sights. Hand in hand we strolled about like a couple. It was wonderful. I've never had that before. So much of my life has been spent alone. I was overjoyed to be in the company of a woman that loved me. It was better then sex. My world has been so cold and lonely, just a lone wolf in the night. It was wonderful to walk with someone else for awhile. I felt like a human being, like I had a connection to humanity. For once I wasn't just an outsider, staring at the world like the picture on a TV screen, but I was really part of the world. I felt normal. I finally had a connection with someone.

When we got back to the motel room, I felt as high as a kite. I was so joyful and relaxed. I wanted to really make love to her. I felt so much more secure and comfortable then I did the previous two nights. But I was a bit over exuberant. She stopped me. She said she wanted me to act more like I did before. And, although she didn't think much of it, that really hurt me. Because in those two nights, I didn't really feel like me. It was so unreal, and so strange and cold, but that third night I felt open and free. And for he to want me to go back to being uneasy and cautious, it just hurt so much.

I cried a little, and said we weren't working well together. This rejection set her off gravely. Things spiraled rapidly from there, until I left that night. A good friend put me up at his house. I spent the rest of my days in Los Angeles, at his place, until I could finally catch my return flight home. That sweet, strange, wonderful dream shattered so quickly, returning me back to my solitude with a heavy thud.

It all seems so unreal now. Like a strange, fevered dream that quickly dissolves in the morning. It makes me sad to think of it, but also very confused. I don't know why I am so strange. Why am I incapable of having the kinds of relationships that others take for granted? Am I always doomed to be alone? To live and die a shadow in this world? I feel like a ghost, always passing though, seeing the world, but never being a part of it. For one shining moment I touched humanity, but now it only serves to remind me of what I'm not sure I'll ever have.

But I still have hope. I cling to the unlikely dream that somewhere out there, there's someone like me. A woman who's characteristics mesh with my own. Another ghost that also longs for humanity. Maybe we can experience that true love I've been waiting for. Then I can be human again.

4:14 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment