rod's blog
A miscellany of completely unrelated thoughts...
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The Jersey Devil

Forteana and Cryptozoology are interests of mine. Not, particularly, going out to look for Bigfoot or Nessie, but the folklore of it, and - in some instances, the mystery behind what it was people saw that made them believe or think as they did.

Like Ghosts or UFO's. I've never seen one, but I'd be curious to have the experience. 

Here's an old legend - reported by various sources (none so convincingly recently) -  The Jersey Devil. Curious.

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Category: Ideas & Questions
Created: 28 May 2011

Saint Osama Bin Laden

Finally, when all the dust has settled and the 3 minutes wonder has disappeared off the media radar, a few notes.

Compare, first of all, The Rise and Fall of Bin Laden to the theory of the Scapegoat. Notice how what should have been long ago a call to examine and amend US foreign policy turned instead into the launch of several costly occupations and illegal wars.

And maybe challenge yourself with a few slightly more literate and informed views.

1)  Michael Moore on the Death of Osama Bin Laden

2)  Noam Chomsky on the Death of Osama Bin Laden

No, I don't count Michael Moore amongst the more literate and informed, but he's trying.

In the end, you'll just have to wait for the Disney Version to inform you of what really went on. They might have dropped suit for the trademark, but they're still gunning for the TV show, which should be about as informed as most of what Americans do.

Finally, some quotes from Osama Bin Laden (taken from BrainyQuote)

 

"We did not find it difficult to deal with Bush and his administration, because it is similar to regimes in our countries - both types include many who are full of arrogance and greed."
"We treat them in the same way. Those who kill our women and innocent, we kill their women and innocent, until they refrain." 
"Your security is not in the hands of Kerry, Bush or al-Qaida. Your security is in your own hands." 

**Note: The translation is probably considerably less fluid than the original, I'm guessing the translators preserved the literal flow of the quote at the expense of color and poetry.

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Category: Ideas & Questions
Created: 27 May 2011

Moral Finance

Now an article about the morality of walking away from a mound of debt leveraged against worthless property.

Link: http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-0522-strategic-defaults--20110522,0,3910292.story

Which raises a few questions - Why is the impetus or obligation put on the consumer to be moral when there's not the slightest incentive to the banks to be moral? Was it not the bank's own sketchy lending practices that helped them purchase, arguably forced them to purchase a house for several times what it was worth, was it not the banks own greed that in the end saw consumers going bankrupt and ended by deflating the prices of properties across the USA? If all consumers were as amoral as the banks we'd soon find ourselves living in a kinder, gentler world where the impetus for organizations was not the quick and easy buck but building confidence and loyalty amongst consumers through transparent and credible dealings with their clients.

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Category: Rants
Created: 27 May 2011

More on the Police

On the off chance you thought the police were there to serve and protect you, here's a video of one that's clearly just having a good time.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcN2YqQ8YhM

If you don't find that discouraging enough, try following the "related" links down the right hand side of the browser.

Details
Category: Rants
Created: 26 May 2011
  1. Meltdown in Dallas
  2. Yamashita Treasures
  3. King John's Crown Jewels, Lost in the Wash
  4. 2 Tales from the BBC

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