nick

Sat, 12 Mar 2005 02:57:50 GMT

Ah yeah... Brent, thank god you did that. Enough is enough! Livejournal's not for me. I'm not even sure if anyone still reads this. Either way... have fun y'all!

Wed, 03 Nov 2004 22:29:36 GMT

You know what? The guy isn't perfect. He's corrupted in the way that every politician is. But to say that he betrayed us by conceding and not making a bigger deal out of Diebold, that's just sick. If you have even a preliminary understanding of how politics work in our country, you know he did all that he could. He tried to push his ideas forward while being trapped in the cage of a politician. And don't tell me that he could have done more and had a chance at winning the presidency. Our system doesn't work that way. He lost. And even the most optomistic (and realistic) opponent of Bush can see that results of the election weren't close at all.

I think everyone recognizes that we won't truly get what we want just by voting. We have to develop our ideas outside of the system if we expect to see real change. The system is there to protect itself. It fundamentally doesn't want to change.

Sure the following letter is mostly bullshit, but recognize that the guy is human and he tried. I won't remember him as someone who betrayed my trust because he didn't go down kicking and screaming. I'll remember him as a guy who valiently fought a losing battle: trying to change the system while being part of the system himself.

and P.S., I know that sounded cheesy as fuck, but it's true.

Dear Nick,

Earlier today I spoke to President Bush, and offered him and Laura our congratulations on their victory. We had a good conversation, and we talked about the danger of division in our country and the need, the desperate need, for unity for finding the common ground, coming together. Today, I hope that we can begin the healing.

In America, it is vital that every vote counts, and that every vote be counted. But the outcome should be decided by voters, not a protracted legal process. I would not give up this fight if there was a chance that we would prevail. But it is now clear that even when all the provisional ballots are counted, which they will be, there won't be enough outstanding votes for our campaign to be able to win Ohio. And therefore, we cannot win this election.

It was a privilege and a gift to spend two years traveling this country, coming to know so many of you. I wish I could just wrap you in my arms and embrace each and every one of you individually all across this nation. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you.

To all of you, my volunteers and online supporters, all across this country who gave so much of themselves, thank you. Thanks to William Field, a six-year-old who collected $680, a quarter and a dollar at a time selling bracelets during the summer to help change America. Thanks to Michael Benson from Florida who I spied in a rope line holding a container of money. It turned out he raided his piggy bank and wanted to contribute. And thanks to Alana Wexler, who at 11 years old and started Kids for Kerry.

I thank all of you, who took time to travel, time off from work, and their own vacation time to work in states far and wide. You braved the hot days of summer and the cold days of the fall and the winter to knock on doors because you were determined to open the doors of opportunity to all Americans. You worked your hearts out, and I say, don't lose faith. What you did made a difference, and building on itself, we will go on to make a difference another day. I promise you, that time will come -- the election will come when your work and your ballots will change the world, and it's worth fighting for.

I'm proud of what we stood for in this campaign, and of what we accomplished. When we began, no one thought it was possible to even make this a close race, but we stood for real change, change that would make a real difference in the life of our nation, the lives of our families, and we defined that choice to America. I'll never forget the wonderful people who came to our rallies, who stood in our rope lines, who put their hopes in our hands, who invested in each and every one of us. I saw in them the truth that America is not only great, but it is good.

So here -- with a grateful heart, I leave this campaign with a prayer that has even greater meaning to me now that I've come to know our vast country so much better and that prayer is very simple: God bless America.

Thank you,

John Kerry

Tue, 19 Oct 2004 05:00:08 GMT

Jon Stewart is a pimp!

It's like a breath of fresh air.

http://www.ifilm.com/filmdetail?ifilmid=2652831&htv=12&htv=12&htv=12&htv=12

Sun, 17 Oct 2004 02:56:42 GMT

Whoa! It's been forever. If I haven't talked to nayone reading this,
essentially i have no life because of mac. constant homework. but,
my mind is expanding and there are constant parties if i choose to go.

but the best thing happened this weekend! It's this annual event they
hold here called International Round Table. This year, the subject
was the American Empire. Essentially, three scholars come here and
over the course of three days they give speeches until the last day
(today) when they debate.

The first guy was a moderate, at leasty compared to the other two. He
says that the US is in a state of "imperial denial"; it doesn't
realize it's an empire. It has to if it wants to learn from the
mistakes made by other empires in the past. It is crucial that we
learn from the past if we are to remain in power. We are also of
course, very different than most empires because of this denial. His
main point is that liberties for all people are dependent upon order
being established throughout the world. An empire can do this. He
says that the US is the only viable option for world power right now.
The UN, even if it were not corrupt, is inactive because of its very
nature. It is a confederacy of states. Therefore its actions in the
world always take a long time to be realized, and its actions are sort
of a "lowest common denominator". I agree that the US is an empire,
and that we do need to create order throughout the world. But I don't
think that the US is the most viable option for world governance. At
least not the way it is right now. Empire works mostly through
collaboration, not coersion. The way we are right now, we're not gonna get things done

Second guy was left of the first guy. He believed that yes, the US is an empire, but it should not do anything to try and force a foreign country to become democratic, especially because of the paradoxical nature of democracy (from democracy, and form of government can emerge because of popular vote). If we do wish to aid foreign countries, he proposes that we give aid to the governments of these countries. But mostly, he says we shouldn't interfere... that the will of the people will come into being on its own.

The third guy was totally from the right. He, like the others, believed that the United States is an empire, and that it should exercise its power in bringing democracy to other countries. He favors the "any means necessary" method. This is different than the first because he more believes in coersion, rather than collaboration. He says that people do want freedom (which democracy is the most able of current governments to create). The essential difference between him and the first speaker is he believes the whole world should become Americanized; he's more gung ho. The first speaker says that there are only 12 or so nations that truly need help, and we need to act decisively and in a long term way to help them.

The most poignant moment of the final debate, i thought, was when the first and third speakers were asked this: "Do you think that being a white man from the middle of an empire (first man from the UK, third from the US) has shaped your opinions?" The two dismissed the question as proposperous. The third speaker, born and raised in the middle east, made no comment but his face showed what he was thinking.

taxi fun

Sat, 07 Aug 2004 09:21:19 GMT

yay! i got into town at 12:30 tonight! a seven hour flight to get from santa barbara to portland! what the hell? It's only one state away. Not as bad as the 15 hour flight it took to get down there.

yeah... why oh why do they make the seats in airplanes the shape that they are?! beause really, you can't sleep in them. and you're in them for a few hours. and everybody know that everone likes to sleep on flights that are sort of long and are in the middle of the night. so what the hell? is it some sort of weird torture? and if it is, why? what makes them decide to torture their passengers? i would lean back my chair as far as possible, and it felt like i was sitting straight up. if i closed my eyes, i would nod off and slide in one direction or another, because i was just sitting straight up. annoying.

the cool thing is though, that the story has a nice ending. a nice relaxing ending where we get to rest when we get home. oh wait! it isn't relaxing at all. we get a taxi... the guy speaks zero english, and his car breaks down every couple hundred feet. i'm not exagerating. and we ask the guy, "having troubles with your car?", and he looks at us and mumbles some intelligble grunt. so yeah... longest taxi ride i've had. it was disconcerting that the guy couldn't communicate with us at all. and when we got home, we had no keys. :(

but my step-dad was home. :)

i get to hang out with nadia tomorrow... yes! she rocks my world!

Fri, 06 Aug 2004 06:09:49 GMT

hmm... i was trying to figure it out and perhaps someone can explain this to me. i think "you" will figure out that i'm targeting this at you, but anyone's free to offer assistance.

i don't really understand anarchy. of course it's first of all ridiculous that there have been and are anarchist political parties. it's a paradox (i know that sounds like something a nerdy scientists would say, but it's true). the very idea of a group of anarchists being organized. i understand what an anarchist believes, but how could anarchy ever come to power? that would require an organized effort, which can't happen. and even if somehow anarchy became rampant and government totally collapsed, what would happen then? people would want power. the strongest would survive. the strongest would take control over others, and we're back to some form of government. am i just not understanding the meaning of anarchy? how can current government revert to anarchy and stay that way without an organized effort?

can an anarchist or anyone else tell me if i'm wrong on this?

Wed, 04 Aug 2004 07:25:27 GMT

This is incredibly long, but if you have time, check it out. How did i do? I really wanted to make a convicing argument, and I hope i succeeded.

SheiraG: hey, are you still there?
MACJack5parrow: of course
SheiraG: haha, youre right, how silly of me
SheiraG: i have a political question for ya
MACJack5parrow: haha
MACJack5parrow: ok
MACJack5parrow: shoot
MACJack5parrow: not literally
MACJack5parrow: that's a figure of speech
MACJack5parrow: :-)
SheiraG: figure..of speech...never heard of it...
SheiraG: :-)
MACJack5parrow: haha
SheiraG: do you support kerry because hes the lesser of two evils or do you really like him? or do you support him, i assumed you did since you liked obamas speech
MACJack5parrow: well
MACJack5parrow: i definitely hate bush
MACJack5parrow: so it could be anybody
MACJack5parrow: but
MACJack5parrow: after seeing his acceptance sppech
MACJack5parrow: i think the guy really is a genuine leader
MACJack5parrow: and a good man
MACJack5parrow: or at least he was before he was corrupted by big politics
MACJack5parrow: if that happened to him
SheiraG: did you really feel like he explained that much? he seemed pretty vague to me
MACJack5parrow: no
MACJack5parrow: i don't think he really went into specifics that much
MACJack5parrow: but
MACJack5parrow: he did say he'll tax the rich
MACJack5parrow: which is a start
SheiraG: i guess
MACJack5parrow: if he does all that he said
MACJack5parrow: i'll be happy
MACJack5parrow: tax the rich, don't spread our troops thin, restore our respect in the world
SheiraG: yeah, that would be nice
SheiraG: but he didnt say how hed go about doing that
MACJack5parrow: restore respect?
MACJack5parrow: he explained his plans for the troops
SheiraG: ok, well, i didnt see the whole thing
MACJack5parrow: yeah
MACJack5parrow: he said he would put more soldiers around the rest of the world
MACJack5parrow: but no more in iraq
MACJack5parrow: which although i don't like more troops, it has to be done
MACJack5parrow: but he's only expanding the army minimally
MACJack5parrow: as much as he has to to keep the trrops safe
MACJack5parrow: and restoring respect...
MACJack5parrow: didn't he say don't do any military operations without the support of the world?
MACJack5parrow: the international community?
MACJack5parrow: that's a start
MACJack5parrow: also
MACJack5parrow: i believe he said that if he was prez, the us would foloow international law
MACJack5parrow: kyoto treaty etc.
SheiraG: whats that?
MACJack5parrow: international summit
MACJack5parrow: that defined how much pollution a country can produce
MACJack5parrow: we signed it, along with nearly every other "1st world" country
MACJack5parrow: they followed the rules
MACJack5parrow: bush ignored them
SheiraG: when did we sign it?
SheiraG: how was he, legally, allowed to ignore it?
MACJack5parrow: he wasn't allowed to ignore it
MACJack5parrow: but he did
MACJack5parrow: i'm not sure
MACJack5parrow: before bush was in office
MACJack5parrow: 1997 maybe
SheiraG: ok
MACJack5parrow: and yeah
MACJack5parrow: he literally ignored the rules
MACJack5parrow: and we signed saying we would follow the rules
SheiraG: i guess i was just wondering, why youre not supporting an independent candidate
SheiraG: well that sucks
MACJack5parrow: an independent?
MACJack5parrow: like nader?
SheiraG: yeah
MACJack5parrow: is that what you mean?
MACJack5parrow: well
MACJack5parrow: i'll tell you
MACJack5parrow: first of all
SheiraG: haha do
MACJack5parrow: even if nader was perfect, i wouldn't vote for him
SheiraG: why not?
MACJack5parrow: bush has done more damage than any president in united states history in my opinion
MACJack5parrow: when he came into office
MACJack5parrow: we had a surplus
SheiraG: fair enough
MACJack5parrow: now we have a record deficit
MACJack5parrow: we were respected in the world
MACJack5parrow: now everyone hates this country
MACJack5parrow: and that's not an exxageration
MACJack5parrow: when he came into office
MACJack5parrow: the rich were taxed
MACJack5parrow: and poor people were given social services that allowed them to live with a low, but livable standard of life
MACJack5parrow: now
MACJack5parrow: a person who makes minimum wage can't have full health care
MACJack5parrow: for themselves
MACJack5parrow: and definitely not if they have kids
MACJack5parrow: if a person making minimum wage gets seriously sick or injured
MACJack5parrow: they now have no chance of making it out of bankruptcy
MACJack5parrow: when a person has to decide between health care and food, that's just wrong
SheiraG: agreed
MACJack5parrow: especially when we have tons of people making more than $200,000 a year
MACJack5parrow: the environment
MACJack5parrow: bush has destroyed it
MACJack5parrow: we drill for oil in national parks
MACJack5parrow: we ignore international laws concerning pollution
MACJack5parrow: he is getting rid of laws regulating how an industry may pollute
MACJack5parrow: national security?
MACJack5parrow: we are not safer than we were at the time of september 11th
MACJack5parrow: the 9-11 commitee just reported to the world that we aren't
MACJack5parrow: they are a non partisan group made up of both republicans and democrats
MACJack5parrow: our troops
MACJack5parrow: don't have sufficient supplies
MACJack5parrow: they're spread thin
MACJack5parrow: they don't have enough body armor
MACJack5parrow: families here are sending their sons and daughters better body armor!
MACJack5parrow: because they army only gives them a flak jacket!
MACJack5parrow: which stops basic bullets
MACJack5parrow: and that's all
MACJack5parrow: they don't have sufficient food
MACJack5parrow: they don't have proper bases to live in
MACJack5parrow: they don't have enough ammo
MACJack5parrow: and we're the richest country in the world
MACJack5parrow: nearly every company involved in rebuilding iraq is somehoe related to bush
MACJack5parrow: why not use iraqi companies?
MACJack5parrow: something like 10 people out of bush's tope people have worked for or are invested in countries "rebuilding" iraw
MACJack5parrow: iraq
SheiraG: so, not nader because you want to make sure bush is out of office?
MACJack5parrow: all the stuuf i just told you about
MACJack5parrow: is new
MACJack5parrow: it wasn't this way four years ago
MACJack5parrow: four more years and yeah
MACJack5parrow: we'll be totally fucked
MACJack5parrow: so no nader
MACJack5parrow: and also!
MACJack5parrow: i didn't mention that nader isn't perfect
MACJack5parrow: the man was nowhere the last four years
MACJack5parrow: he said nothing about what bush has been doing
MACJack5parrow: he never made the news protesting what biush is doing
MACJack5parrow: if he really is what he says he is, he should have been trying to make a difference in the last four years
SheiraG: true
MACJack5parrow: and also, he's doing nothing to try and create a third party
MACJack5parrow: which would make sense
MACJack5parrow: making a third party that represented many peoples' ideas
MACJack5parrow: he's switched parties since last time
MACJack5parrow: he went from being in the green party
MACJack5parrow: to something else
MACJack5parrow: libertarian maybe
MACJack5parrow: he's not trying to create a thrid party
MACJack5parrow: if he was, he would stick with one in particular
MACJack5parrow: and to top it off, the guy thinks republicans will vote for him
MACJack5parrow: he;'s said so repeatedly
SheiraG: they did in 2000
MACJack5parrow: how many?
MACJack5parrow: please tell me
MACJack5parrow: and then
MACJack5parrow: please tell me where these republicans were
SheiraG: like 26%..i just saw it on tv
MACJack5parrow: on what?
MACJack5parrow: what channel?
SheiraG: hbo...bill maher
MACJack5parrow: well
MACJack5parrow: i guarantee you
MACJack5parrow: that that is bullshit
MACJack5parrow: because you know what that would mean?
MACJack5parrow: that would mean not a single democrat voted for him
SheiraG: why?
MACJack5parrow: because
MACJack5parrow: approximately half of the country is republican
MACJack5parrow: approximately half democrat
MACJack5parrow: and some independents
MACJack5parrow: he did not get more than 13% of the national vote last election
SheiraG: no, i think it was 26% of his votes
MACJack5parrow: oh
MACJack5parrow: yeah
SheiraG: not of republicans total
MACJack5parrow: ok
MACJack5parrow: well that makes sense
MACJack5parrow: but i bet you
MACJack5parrow: and i really mean it
MACJack5parrow: that where he got these votes
MACJack5parrow: the republicans were in states that were a sure win for bush
MACJack5parrow: and many of them were taking votes away from gore
MACJack5parrow: that was their pure reason
MACJack5parrow: there were some republicans who voted for nader
MACJack5parrow: just because
MACJack5parrow: but i bet alot of them did it because of that
MACJack5parrow: around the country republicans voted for nader in states where bush has an overwhelming majority of the vote
MACJack5parrow: just to make sure that kerry wouldn't get the vote
MACJack5parrow: you understand how that makes sense?
MACJack5parrow: and also
SheiraG: yeah
MACJack5parrow: how could republicans truly vote for him?
MACJack5parrow: he stands for removing religion from politics
SheiraG: well maybe theyre not completely to the right
MACJack5parrow: for dismantling big business
MACJack5parrow: he is literally the antithesis of republican values
MACJack5parrow: if you comapred his views to bush's, i bet they're opposite in nearly every topic
SheiraG: but not all republicans are about big business and religion
MACJack5parrow: ok
MACJack5parrow: tell me why any republican would vote for nader
MACJack5parrow: besides to take votes away from democrats
MACJack5parrow: and i'm not saying there aren't reasons
MACJack5parrow: i'm just saying there aren't many
SheiraG: i dont know, maybe they too believe there should be more competition
MACJack5parrow: haha
MACJack5parrow: defintiely not
SheiraG: or maybe theyre concernec about the environment
SheiraG: concerned
MACJack5parrow: possibly
MACJack5parrow: but listen
MACJack5parrow: the republican party
MACJack5parrow: now
MACJack5parrow: is the best organized party in the history of the us
MACJack5parrow: they work as a team
SheiraG: yeah i know that
MACJack5parrow: to do anything to get their candidate to get into office
MACJack5parrow: and this can definitely include telling some of their members to vote for nader to take votes from kerry
SheiraG: thats why they always win...in congress
MACJack5parrow: and another reason?
MACJack5parrow: you want to know something else
SheiraG: true, i dont disagree, but im just saying, that that small portion could just be seriously interested in something else other than the republican parties interests
MACJack5parrow: possibly
MACJack5parrow: but listen to this
MACJack5parrow: if bush is elected
SheiraG: ok
MACJack5parrow: in the next four years
MACJack5parrow: 2 of our supreme justices will likely retire
SheiraG: yeah i know that too
MACJack5parrow: when that happens, the president appoints their replacements
SheiraG: and theyll get rid of abortion
MACJack5parrow: with the support of congress
MACJack5parrow: who is republican
MACJack5parrow: yeah
SheiraG: which is a bunch of shit
MACJack5parrow: the justices' appointments are for life
MACJack5parrow: they will be around long after bush
MACJack5parrow: so to cap it off
MACJack5parrow: a vote for nader is a vote for bush
MACJack5parrow: because
MACJack5parrow: although some extremists may say that it's a lie
MACJack5parrow: nader really may have cost the last election
MACJack5parrow: and he is solely taking the far left away from the left
MACJack5parrow: he is definitely on the left side, no matter what republicans say
MACJack5parrow: he is fracturing the resistance to bush
MACJack5parrow: and i tell you what
SheiraG: yeah, but i think its important that people show support for his cause so thatll become more important for the president
MACJack5parrow: listen
SheiraG: ok
MACJack5parrow: people can have their own reasons
MACJack5parrow: but if you vote for nader
MACJack5parrow: and bush wins
MACJack5parrow: and nader took away votes that would have put kerry in the white house
MACJack5parrow: you can't be pissed off if you're affected by what bush does in the white house
MACJack5parrow: and that's it
MACJack5parrow: and also
MACJack5parrow: nader's biggest platform is the environment
MACJack5parrow: by putting bush in charge, he's putting in the president with the worst record for dealing with the environment in history
MACJack5parrow: and the environment isn't something that you can reverse
MACJack5parrow: once the damge is done, it's very, very hard to clean up
MACJack5parrow: and that's it
MACJack5parrow: that's my shpiel
SheiraG: i guess, but i really dont think that kerry is all that much better than bush, dont get me wrong, i dont like what bush does and i dont want him to elect supreme court justices, but kerry supports similar ideas
SheiraG: thanks for your shpiel
MACJack5parrow: yeah
MACJack5parrow: well
MACJack5parrow: it's true
MACJack5parrow: he's not my ideal president
MACJack5parrow: but the way this country is set up, things are done slowly
MACJack5parrow: and if you want to do something fast
MACJack5parrow: trying to elect and unelectable candidate isn't the way to do it
MACJack5parrow: are you planning on voting for nader?
SheiraG: i have no idea what im planning on, kind of why i started this conversation with you
MACJack5parrow: yeah
MACJack5parrow: well
MACJack5parrow: i like to think that i can reason out why someone would vote for nader
MACJack5parrow: and here it is:
MACJack5parrow: in the long run, this will be the first step into getting our progressive ideas into the white house.
MACJack5parrow: and both kerry and bush are evil
MACJack5parrow: and here are my responses
MACJack5parrow: it won't help
MACJack5parrow: because it will make more deomcrats hate this "third party" when we lose this election
MACJack5parrow: which is where they'll get their future support from if they ever come into power
MACJack5parrow: and that kerry isn't evil
MACJack5parrow: lol
SheiraG: haha
SheiraG: very convincing
MACJack5parrow: kerry isn't evil
MACJack5parrow: he's rich
SheiraG: yeah, and he supported iraq
MACJack5parrow: do you know why he did?
MACJack5parrow: i'll tell you
SheiraG: ok
MACJack5parrow: because this is a classic republican argument
MACJack5parrow: which is stupid as hell
MACJack5parrow: when the white house presents the congress
MACJack5parrow: with information
MACJack5parrow: saying that saddam is going to launch nuclear weapons at us
MACJack5parrow: that saddam is going to target us with all sorts of weapons of mass destruction
MACJack5parrow: and that he really is a threat to us
MACJack5parrow: and
MACJack5parrow: please don't type
MACJack5parrow: you can in just a second
MACJack5parrow: that they will be accused of being wimps and not patriotic
MACJack5parrow: just as the rest of the country was
MACJack5parrow: he made a mistake
MACJack5parrow: but i'll tell you something else
MACJack5parrow: i'm not sure on the numbers
MACJack5parrow: but i think
MACJack5parrow: that every senator with perhaps the exception of one or two
MACJack5parrow: made the same mistake
MACJack5parrow: and they made the mistake
MACJack5parrow: because they were lied
MACJack5parrow: ti
MACJack5parrow: to
MACJack5parrow: bush lied to the world and to us
MACJack5parrow: he made it look like iraq truly was a threat
MACJack5parrow: if a country truly does pose a threat
MACJack5parrow: the way the bush administration made it seem
MACJack5parrow: we should go to war
MACJack5parrow: but the fact is they didn't tell us the truth
MACJack5parrow: and they knew it,too
MACJack5parrow: which is the worst part
MACJack5parrow: but
MACJack5parrow: just one second
MACJack5parrow: the other argument is he flip-flopped
MACJack5parrow: that's because
MACJack5parrow: when kerry realized that we were lied to, he stopped supporting it
MACJack5parrow: just as everyone who found it out did
MACJack5parrow: apporval for the war was amazingly high when it was given to the senate
MACJack5parrow: the country believed bush
MACJack5parrow: and we had to attack
MACJack5parrow: so he did make a mistake
MACJack5parrow: but he made the same mistake that nearly all of the country did
MACJack5parrow: and iit was because we were lied to
MACJack5parrow: and when he found out it was a lie
MACJack5parrow: he changed his mind
MACJack5parrow: even though he knew he would be called unpatriotic
MACJack5parrow: and even thoguh he knew it would be used against him in the future
MACJack5parrow: so what were you typing?
SheiraG: well, for one, i agree with you and i was just saying that to see what youd say, i mean i know it was hard to disagree with the war right after 911, but i dont know, a part of me doesnt like that he wont talk about why he voted one way...
SheiraG: i mean lots of people had reservations about the war, if he did have them, why wouldnt he say?
MACJack5parrow: when he voted for the war?
SheiraG: yeah
MACJack5parrow: well
MACJack5parrow: you've hit the nail on the head
MACJack5parrow: he didn't say it because of two reason from what i can tell
MACJack5parrow: (1) iraq did seem to be a threat (and i don't know this fuor sure, but i think he probably did say something like "i wish we didn't have to do this"), and (2) was that he gave into being afraid of being called unpatriotic
MACJack5parrow: becuase that's definitely what would have happened
MACJack5parrow: he would have been branded a traitor
MACJack5parrow: and this was his biggest mistkae
MACJack5parrow: he gave into fear as did nearly every other democrat in the senate and voted for it
MACJack5parrow: partially he gave into fear
MACJack5parrow: partially he voted the way he did because he believed the war was just
MACJack5parrow: but here
MACJack5parrow: is the difference between john kerry and george bush
MACJack5parrow: john kerry was as gullible as the rest of the world, and he gave into fear
MACJack5parrow: but he admitted he made a mistake
MACJack5parrow: when he switched sides
MACJack5parrow: it's not easy to do
MACJack5parrow: to essentially admit that you were wrong
MACJack5parrow: bush
MACJack5parrow: has never ever admitted to making a mistake
MACJack5parrow: kerry did
MACJack5parrow: but he has apologized for it
MACJack5parrow: bush lied to the world, and never admitted to doing anything wrong
MACJack5parrow: so i don't think kerry's evil
MACJack5parrow: for supporting the war
SheiraG: i dont think he is either
MACJack5parrow: hell, i think i probably supported the war a little
MACJack5parrow: but the important thing is he changed his vote when the truth was revealed
MACJack5parrow: and that's the way it's done
MACJack5parrow: you act upon the information you're given
SheiraG: well, i agree that we had to do something, i dont know what, but yeah..
MACJack5parrow: and that's all he did
MACJack5parrow: yeah
MACJack5parrow: he made a mistake
SheiraG: well thanks for chatting with me about this
MACJack5parrow: yeah
SheiraG: but ive got to go to sleep
MACJack5parrow: i realy hope you vote for kerry
MACJack5parrow: becase buish truly is evil
SheiraG: well probably have another conversation like this in the future
MACJack5parrow: and i don't think there's any doubt about that
MACJack5parrow: good night
SheiraG: yeah, i dont like bush either
SheiraG: im just hesitant thats all
SheiraG: night
MACJack5parrow: night
SheiraG signed off at 12:20:47 AM.

Sat, 17 Jul 2004 18:30:34 GMT

I got an ipod! It's so great... I've just been spending all my time filling it up. Unfortunately, I've gotten all the music that I have any interest in that's inside the house, and it's not even one seventh of the way full! Damn. It's gonna take me a long time to fill this baby up. Josh! If you're reading this... Cake rocks! I hadn't listened for a while, but now I remember how awesome they are. You have all their cds... right? :)

Thu, 08 Jul 2004 18:51:26 GMT

Well I'm volunteering in Emma's Dad's record shop, Reverb Records. In case you guys don't know, my parents want me to work so bad, even though I can't find a paying job, they want me to just get work experience. So here I am, running the store all by myself while Claes is over at the bank. Listening to Tom Waits, relaxing.
But that's not the news. I got a six on my IB Music exam! What the hell?! I was sure I was going to fail that sucker. Totally forgot about it the whole year (didn't have a class). With about two months left before the exam, we all remember, "oh shit, we're gonna have an HL Music exam", and we get this former IB Music teacher to come in and dril us once a month. I guess all the cramming paid off... woohoo! So I ended up getting my full diploma! Unfortunately, Macalester doesn't really reward high scores on the Music test. They only give credit for 5, 6, and 7 on HL exams, but not Music. I guess it's not a very popular major or something. But I do get credit for my englsh and history scores. And since I also took Spanish at Reed last year, I've gotten 12 credits already, and I'm not even in college. And who knows... maybe the Music knowledge will come in handy some day, but I doubt it.
But that's it! I got a six! I got my full IB diploma! Yay!

Tue, 29 Jun 2004 08:59:39 GMT

Hahaha, apparently there's a new MMORPG game out. It's called Sociolotron, and in it, you're allowed to rape people in a variety of ways. Sick? Yes. Funny? Definitely. I love this guy's response to the idea of the game:

Weird. Really weird. I wonder if the player can be raped by other players. Imagine as soon as you log in, there are hordes of level 12837 players circling you...
I doubt I want to play that.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

this is the website for all you pervs out there:
http://www.sociolotron.com

Wed, 23 Jun 2004 01:47:28 GMT

well if i get my first choices, my course load will look like this:

foundations of international policies, visions of the hispanic world: oral and written, theories of rhetoric, environmental science

pretty big names, huh?

Tue, 22 Jun 2004 21:10:29 GMT

Yo yo yo! Let's see... what's happened since i last posted? Oh right.
I went stargazing with nadia out in this field by my house. When I parked the car, I ran into the curb really hard. I didn't think much of it till I got back in a while later to drive home. The tire was completely flat! Completely! No air at all. I tried to drive, and when I did, it felt like I was driving over a graveled road and a metallic scraping sound accompanied the bumpiness. I parked thirty feet later and looked at the tire. It was almost completely seperated from the hubcap/wheel thingy. It pissed me off. Nadia and I walked home (only a few blocks away), and I ended up giving her a ride home in my parents' posh car (that's compared to the '88 buick skylark). it was a bummer to fix the next day, especially because i did it in a dress shirt. but whatever.
today, i am my parents' slave. since i have no job, they're forcing me to work for eight hours. this includes filling out macalester stuff (there's shitloads of it), finding a job, and cleaning my room (possibly the messiest in the world). Why god, why? I guess it's alright. I feel semi-accomplished, and I got excited choosing my courses that I'll ake at Macalester.
I realize that my capital letters are weird. At the beginning I wrote with capitals, then I stopped. don't know why...

Sat, 19 Jun 2004 04:18:07 GMT

Top Commenters on nebojats's LiveJournal

1	nebojats	57
2	Anonymous	19
3	spydey	12
4	captain_random1	11
5	techturner	9
6	terlogo	9
7	expressobean	8
8	meeki652	8
9	punkyjewelster	7
10	raven1268	6
11	cryingdoll	5
12	frogunplugged	5
13	tinkerbell053	4
14	yevette394	4
15	manknerd	3
16	stripedfiend	3
17	alfequalsfun	2
18	djreekosuave	2
19	johnnypranx	2
20	wavicle	2
21	_samaire_	1
22	clickdedoo	1
23	faenoire	1
24	in_a_stitch	1
25	jewishbomb	1
26	lackofcolors	1
27	mercury_born	1
28	mizo72	1
29	ninjadolly	1
30	passintotheleft	1
31	pip_tlcs	1
32	pirategirl47	1
33	princessbanana	1
34	theystank	1

Total Commenters: 34
Total Comments: 192
Report generated 6/18/2004 9:18:47 PM by scrapdog's LJ Comment Stats Wizard 1.1

Wed, 16 Jun 2004 21:13:45 GMT

Well yesterday was a great day, I'd have to say. Josh's party kicked ass. It was god to hang out with some people that I don't normally hang out with. I was able to work on my mad pool skills(...), play xbox, and hang out with the old friends. Me, Martha, Nadia, Josh, Amelia... crazy. It really was sort of a trip down memory lane and I really had a fun time remembering early high school times. I don't really know if I'd go back and change everything all over again if I could. Because really, it's all working out really well right now. If I went back in time and told my younger self to do something, I would probably fuck up what I have right now. But yeah... it was great to reminisce. I had seriously almost forgotten about being a part of that group of friends. I guess that's what the end of high school does... make you reminisce (I really hope I'm spelling that word correctly).

And... to make things even better, the Lakers lost! The Pistons won and this is the beginning of the end for the Lakers. Next year, their team will disintegrate into a hodge podge collection of random players who still think they can win the championship in the yellow uniform. The rest will either retire or be traded. Amazing! The team that I love to hate will no longer be the constant threat that it has been for so long!

Right now, I'm going to go to the beach with my mom to visit my grandma and step-grandpa. I haven't seen them since I graduated or went to prom or anything like that. So it'll be another gathering in which I'm sure a lot of reminiscing will be happening (I really hope that word is spelled correctly). I will be back tomorrow!

Tue, 25 May 2004 08:55:18 GMT

well... this is a nerdy debate on a game website i visit (www.actiontrip.com). but the original post by the dude in charge (2lions) went like this:

Heh, this is funny as hell. Michael Moore has won Palme d'Or on Saturday night for his George W. Bush-bashing documentary, Fahrenheit 9/11 at the Cannes Film Festival, the most prestigious film festival in Europe (something like the Euro Oscars).

And guess who the jury president was; non other than Quentin Tarantino.

I haven't seen the movie and frankly I'm about as interested in seeing it as I am in watching the DOW Jones ticker for longer than 2 seconds. This is all just election campaign bullshit. The point is that the French are giving awards to a guy that's essentially bashing on his president, clearly giving a signal how they feel about the current American administration.

Coming up at the next Academy Awards: "How the French Ran" a documentary by Charlton Heston and a few other NRA enthusiasts.

Can't they leave day-to-day politics out of freaking movie festivals? How hard is that to do? I'm not getting into the whole "who's right and who's wrong" argument in regards to the content of the documentary. I'm just saying it's in bad taste to mix burning political issues and film festivals, period.

my rebuttal (after 70 other ones), went something like this:

Excellent arguments SixShooter! What the hell did you study in college?

I agree that one of the original arguments of 2lions was how ridiculous it is that a movie that is used to "further any political agenda" can win the coveted Palme d'Or. This argument of course makes some sense, and can easily be supported. Up until this point, 2lions is making sense and no one can fault him for expressing his opinions.

Unfortunately, this quickly changes.

Firstly, there is the question of whether or not art is inherently political, whose answer can never be fully agreed upon by everyone. Because there can be no universally accepted answer to this question, it is rather ignorant of 2lions to insist that art should not be awarded if it is political. By being so close-minded in regards to a topic that is so subjective, his arguments lose any validity that they may or may not have had.

Secondly, 2lions hasn't seen the film! How can he judge its validity as a candidate for the award when he hasn't seen it? Although I would tend to agree that Moore is most likely being extreme and distasteful in using the "documentary" style of filmmaking to spread his political beliefs, it is inherently ignorant to judge something that one hasn't seen or experienced.

Thirdly, in the original argument, 2lions states that the award is "clearly giving a signal how they [the french people] feel about the current American administration." This is unfortunately another ignorant remark. Why? Because he is saying that the award is symbolic of what all french people think. This is saying that the characteristics of a few (are the judges all even french? I don't know.) are the same characteristics shared by all. And this is very close to bigotry (saying that all french people think the same), which is the most blatent and omnipresent form of ignorance that can be found throughout all of human history.

I'm sure there are more examples of 2lion's irrationality, but my hands are tired from typing so much.

I would like to end by saying this though: I've always respected 2lion's opinions and his formation of solid arguments on issues that seem to matter up until this point. I think this is some sort of fluke and that he and everyone else got overly emotional and lost their reasoning skills. I'd also like to say that I am a die-hard democrat (air america rocks, go John Kerry), but I generally dislike Michael Moore.

long entry, but i want to keep it in my journal in case some day i can look back to see how my political views have changed.

Mon, 24 May 2004 06:18:21 GMT

UCAUTION

IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY IT IS ADVISABLE TO KEEP NEBOJATS AWAY FROM FIRE AND FLAMES.

From Go-Quiz.com

interesting...

Sun, 23 May 2004 01:32:16 GMT

Woohoo! Great job on Springtasia all you choir people. I laughed like crazy and was very impressed. I enjoyed the new lyrics to tribute by tenacious d very much. oh man... last night i rode around portland on my bike with ellen, john and jev till 3:30! it was crazy, I haven't ridden my bike in so long! and then, i had the funkiest dreams in the world with incredibly vivid colors and then i woke up, played basketball, rode my bike, came home. so yeah, my butt, my back, my feet are all aching. but i feel very... i guess tired.

Thu, 20 May 2004 21:59:11 GMT

whoa! apparently andy kaufman is still alive?!
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/040519/234/726q1.html
that man is a P-I-M-P~!

Tue, 18 May 2004 00:46:57 GMT

i wrote this to randi rhodes, a liberal radio talking head, after she bashed on the french:

I really enjoy your show. It is informative and provides a more balanced look at international and national news than the mainstream media. However I must say that I think it is completely bigoted of Randi Rhodes to say that the French are wimps. To support this argument, she refers back to the Vietnam War and World War II. As far as I'm concerned, if you want to go back so far, you might as well go back to the independence of the United States of America. If it weren't for the French, we wouldn't have been able to break away from England in the first place. France is a great nation because of this. However, I think that it is ridiculous to use this argument to support the French. But it is no more ridiculous than using the French's actions during World War II as a way to pass judgement on them now. France has behaved far more responsibly and smarter than our country has during the whole conflict in Iraq. And I'm sorry, but saying that all French hate Americans is complete bigotry. The definition of bigotry is defining the characteristics of a whole group of people on those of a few, and I'm sure that Randi Rhodes has only interacted with a minute portion of the French population. How can she mock George Bush (whom I hate with a passion) for being close-minded, when she herself mocks an entire country? She is a hypocrite.

gay clubbin'!

Fri, 14 May 2004 05:17:05 GMT

oh man! this is so awesome. going to some gay-ish (or completely gay, i'm still not sure) club with nadia and people like that. i decided i should invite some of my friends just because i love clubbin' and i love my friends. at first it seemed hopeless. but i seriously now have a list of 16 people that are tentatively planning on going. it's so awesome! this is how ashlie imed me tonight:

Jack5parrow: hey!
ashSMASH345: hey!
ashSMASH345: gay club tomorrow?!
Jack5parrow: haha!
Jack5parrow: yes!
ashSMASH345: haha
Jack5parrow: bring a date!
ashSMASH345: thats the word on the street

haha! this is either going to be incredibly ackward or incredibly funny or incredibly incredible! i love clubbing, i love techno, and i love my friends. it can't end up being bad, can it?

Mon, 10 May 2004 18:07:41 GMT

Well... did the second english ib paper. now i'm at home listening to techno and i should be doing the dishes... oh well. prom! kicked ass! as i've seen other people say, it was the best prom ever! although just as other people say, i don't really know how i know that since it's the only prom i've been to. holy crap techno is good! every time i go to a dnace or start thinking about costa rica, i get all technoed up for a while... man i love it. i need to go to some party and bring all this bad techno i have!

word is that josh (springer) might have a party out on sauvie's island this weekend, in which case i would definitely bring it. i also remembered how in costa rica, at the clubs, they would show movies while playing bad music. the movies wouldn't have any sound, but they were sort of cool to look at. i was thinking of bad movies... and the i remembered! ratboy! worst movie i've ever seen! if there is a party i'm bringing it! when i told jev about it though, he'd never heard of it. so i decided to make a background for his computer to show him who ratboy is and what a brilliant guy i am for remembering ratboy

hopefully this works, i've never put a picture on lj before.

Sat, 01 May 2004 01:28:23 GMT

Ok... so a bunch of Iraqi POW's were treated inhumanely. Make no mistake that I am totally enraged by what happened. What I love is that quotes like these that really show how fucked up this country is:

Why in God's name would you choose to air such a story at this time? This is something our country didn't need to know now. Everyone in this country is hanging on for dear life to support the troops, and you have taken all our faith in goodness away. How many more reports can we watch like this before support fades?

We are losing our fight with other countries to support us, and now you have just sealed it. ... We've just lost the goal of helping anyone over there because of this show, and God help us. You are no better then those who did these horrible acts. Your reports are bringing down this country.
--Betsy Berra

I find it very wrong that our soldiers mistreated confined Iraqis. What I find even more destructive is that you do not find the time to report what has been accomplished with what the good soldiers have done. You have your own agenda and report as you feel fit.
--John Threadgill

Was I supposed to be horrified by the report of Iraqi prisoners being positioned in "pornographic" positions and humiliated by American soldiers? I was not. During your report, all I could think of was the murder, torture, maiming, burning and beheading of innocent civilians, women and children included, carried out by terrorists and supporters of Saddam Hussein. At least these men were men of war.

They had to pose for pornographic pictures? So what. We cannot imagine sitting at home on our couches the horrors our soldiers must face every day. Why not focus your attention on the unfair practices of our enemy?
--Sally Ainsley

I resent your story on the mistreatment of Iraqi prisoners held by the American soldiers in Iraq. Certainly the evidence of mistreatment of those prisoners by a small minority of soldiers is unacceptable. How dare you make an attempt to poison this country against the very military personnel who are risking their lives to protect this country -- whether or not you may agree with the politics. What you did not see were American soldiers dragging an Iraqi along the streets in Iraq being flogged by Iraqi citizens. Perhaps you should interview Iraqis guilty of such greater travesties and see how their countrymen feel. Do you really think they care?
--Mike Schuchman

At one time I would have condemned the way they were treated, but after recently seeing them burning Americans there, I say they should give those troops medals. An eye for an eye.
--J Guzzi

Our country has 150,000 military personal in a desperate fight to win the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people. Do you think, by airing the reprehensible acts of a small percentage of these soldiers, you have helped in this cause? What, other than ratings and increased revenue, did you expect to achieve with this program which verges on treason in a time of war?
--Sondra Cutcliffe

I know this is incredibly long, but I had to get them all out there. By the way, these type of responses were a small percentage of the total number. most appreciated cbs's coverage of the story. Among the claims: cbs is fulfilling its own agenda, it hasn't glorified what our troops have done at all (obviously this person hasn't been watching the news for the last year). Essentially these people say that cbs is trying to destroy the country from the inside out, and that the iraqis deserved what they got. How sick is it that people are claiming that freedom of speech is nearly a crime and that the iraqis deserved what they got?

Fri, 30 Apr 2004 08:26:29 GMT

oh shit! i just remembered what i wanted to say. but i couldn't remember it while i was posting before. brendan's dad thought i was high. because i talk all slurry. haha! and when we decided that brendan should drive and not me, after me and jake left to go outside, brendan's dad told him that he was happy brendan was driving, because he thought i was high. brednan shouted it out to me. and his dad got all embarassed. tonight when i went over to brendan's he came out and apologize. i just told him every parents always thinks i'm high and that i didn't care. yeah... it was funny.

Fri, 30 Apr 2004 08:14:06 GMT

whoa. i'm up really late. it's because of those caffeine pills i picked up from victor. i still have to study for three tests and write a paper that was due last monday. i think i'll just sort of half-assedly study and then crash. if i can. wow, i'm in the rich text mode. this is cool.

whoa

pretty crazy

alright, i guess i'd better get back to staying up.

Fri, 30 Apr 2004 02:47:11 GMT

1.Grab the nearest book.
2. Open the book to page 23.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the sentence in your journal along with these instructions.

af-fa-ble (af'e bel), adj. 1. easy to approach and talk to; friendly: curteous and affable to neighbors.

1.Go into your LJ’s archives.
2.Find your 23rd post (or closest to).
3.Find the fifth sentence (or closest to).
4.Post the text of the sentence in your blog along with these instructions.

"Adios for now." (me signing off at a Costa Rican internet cafe)