Heh

My S/S tried some of his self-aggrandizing again last night. But since I now have a better feel for how things actually are at work, it just struck me as funny as this man tried to show how he was the only capable person in existance. ;)

Anyway, after that I asked him what was happening around Christmas at work. The site is essentially shutting down from December 25 to January 02, and that means we'll need to throw an extra shift on (during business hours we don't have any security there).

He said he didn't know just how he was going to work that out yet, so I mentioned (again) that I'm not really doing anything over Christmas and don't mind coming in for any shifts he needs to fill. May as well make some cash, right?

He said that's okay, but that I should be aware that "the site doesn't pay overtime". Huh?

He goes on to say that they'll pay him OT, but nobody else. But that's okay he says, since if I got paid extra I'd actually lose money because it would kick me into a higher tax bracket.

I laughed and pointed out how much I make now. My basic income tax rate is around 17%. The next level is 22%. A week's worth of overtime isn't going to change that. He was surprised; I don't think he's used to people pointing out such simple things to him.

So next he says that he tried to get [our liason to the site] to give more money for the guards, but he wouldn't spring any loose. I told him that's fine, since the site doesn't pay me. The site pays my company, and they pay me.

He says "Yeah, but then [my company] loses on their contract with the site." I replied with "It's not my problem if they didn't take this into account when they set up the initial contract." He then said "Well, if it comes down to that, they'll just bring in an addition guard for the extra shifts and not have to pay OT."

Suits me. This kind of extra coverage is going to be happening at all sorts of sites that my company does. I'll be able to pick up hours and shifts whenever I want them. And they'll have to pay me overtime, like the law says, if they want me there. It would make more sense to me if they were paying me the OT for being on a site that I'm already experienced on, but if they want to play the shell game, that's fine too. I won't lose out.

But, as always, I'm astonished that the lowest-paid people are asked to sacrifice what's theirs by law. And I'm even more astonished when people agree to it. They rationalize "Well, more hours even at straight pay is more money." Which is true, but an eight or twelve hour shift is one thing. A sixteen or twenty hour shift is quite another. You do need a little time to recharge, if only for your mental fortitude. And it's the law.

Whenever I've heard about this "We don't pay overtime - if you want to work it'll have to be at the normal rate" attitude coming from someone, I've fantasized about it happening to me, me responding with some clear and basic rebuttal (unlikely from me), them responding like jerks, and me recording the whole thing.

And then going to some local media outlet, telling my story, and having a sound bite like "You depend on [company name] for all of your [company specialty] needs, but they're underpaying and cheating their employees. How do you feel about having these now-disgruntled employees doing their "quality" work for you?"

I like discomfiting people, but am notorious for being all bark with no bite, unless the bite somehow involves me giving up something for myself. So I doubt I'll do it. Plus, when would I ever get the opportunity? ;)

In the news... "Fears of being booed are one reason why U.S. President George W. Bush will be giving a speech in Halifax next week and not to a joint session of Parliament."

Awwwww, is widdle Schwub wuwwied dat da nasty Canadians won't wuv him?

For those that are unfamiliar with Canadian geography, Halifax is the capital of Nova Scotia. Any city or province is important of course, but such a visit is vaguely like Tony Blair or whomever the United States currently considers its greatest trading partner or military ally coming to your country for the first time to talk shop... and then bypassing D.C. and talking to some people in Albuquerque instead. And then leaving the country.

Read the article here.

Damn, just what sort of reality are Bush's handlers trying to engineer that they don't want him booed? Is it from this sort of behavior that reporters tell United Statesians that people around the world love them, and if they don't it's only because they're jealous? Sheesh.

Mama mia!

I will never complain about being bored at my usual site again!

So dig this - I'm at this supermarket, over in the pharmacy section, because the alarm isn't functional and there are going to be outside contractors working inside, and I'm to see that they don't rip off any of the stuff in the pharmacy. Simple, right?

I start at 2200. The pharmacy closes at 2200. The store itself closes at 0000. The workers also aren't slated to show up until then. Hmmmm.

So to earn my keep, I patrol a bit, but just in the pharmacy. Eventually a loss prevention officer (one of those guys that pretends to be a shopper but is really watching your thieving ass) comes over and asks why I'm not posted out front, since I'm screwing up his grabs. Seems that a guy who was trying to steal vitamins (I saw him too) would grab, see my bright yellow jacket, put them back. Grab them again, see my bright yellow jacket, put them back again. Repeat ad nauseum.

So I explained that I was attached to the pharmacy for tonight, and he calmed down. Of course, when someone that looks like a shopper comes up to me and asks "Shouldn't you be out by the front door?" without identifying himself, the first thing I think is "Why don't you finish your shopping and leave me to do my job, prick." Luckily I didn't say that.

Anyway, so I confined my "patrol" to the aisle that was right next to the dispensing counter. I would walk back and forth along there, looking at the aisles that radiated off of it. Took nineteen steps. I know, I counted. Repeatedly. Sigh.

Oddly enough, I did deter a fair number of shoplifters. That guilty jerk and suddenly something is back on the shelf, or rattling on the floor, coinciding with my appearance was... amusing. Since I never get any human interaction at my usual site, it was interesting to actually have an effect. :)

Well, I also had the effect of making groups of 15-25 year olds giggle nervously when they were over at the condoms display (apparently a much shoplifted item, incidentally) trying to decide whether to go for the ribbed or the french ticklers. I also made them giggle nervously and make a comment about "being arrested" when they'd see me seeing them over by the foot care products.

I got to watch what a supermarket goes through when it's closed. I've never worked in one, or in any retail job really, so it was kind of interesting. There are people that make their entire living mopping the floor of that supermarket every night. Ditto the sweepers and glass cleaners. Someone buffs the floor every night. Not a one of these people are native to Canada. It was kind of like a bad cliche.

0600 rolls around, and I leave. Being tired and not inclined to try to find a public washroom open for me to change out of my uniform, I head for the SkyTrain in full kit. I would normally avoid this, as I don't want my ass kicked by some twit who got roughed up by security once, or by packs of malcontents who think I'm a cop. However...

There were already crowds on their way to and from transit. And they melted away from me. Not out of fear or anything (at least I hope not), but it was very noticeable. I got more space with the jacket on than I do without.

On the platform, there was a solid three meter bubble around me.

On the train, and the buses that followed, people would keep eyeballing me. Also, they'd sit farther away. There were two exceptions to this.

One was elderly people. These people were always alone, and they'd catch my eye, smile, and sit in my immediate vicinity. This applied to both genders

The other group was young Asian females. Not all of them, but several would do the same as the other group - they'd smile and come over. Some of them even pointed me out to the rest of their group before coming over and sitting or standing around me.

I'm unsure what to make of this.

I'm not going to make a habit of wearing my uniform though, since I'd hate for someone to come up to me with an actual problem thinking I can help them, since when I'm not on duty I'm not legally allowed to act like a security officer, and thus wearing the uniform might be misleading.

It's the same sort of thing as how it's illegal to have fake video cameras in your place of business.

Anyway, that was how I spent my night off. Tonight - to the regular site! (Possibly with a new appreciation!)

And consider the following from Stephen Roach, the chief economist at Morgan Stanley: "America has no better than a 10 percent chance of avoiding economic 'armageddon'.''

And then: "To finance its current account deficit with the rest of the world, he said, America has to import $2.6 billion in cash. Every working day.

That is an amazing 80 percent of the entire world's net savings."

Read the entire article here.

Also: "Michael Koubi worked for Shin Bet, Israel's security service, for 21 years and was its chief interrogator from 1987 to 1993. He interrogated hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, including renowned militants such as Sheikh Yassin, the former leader of the Palestinian group Hamas, who was killed in an Israeli attack this year. He claims that intelligence gained in interrogation has been crucial to protecting Israel from terrorism. He tells Michael Bond that, given enough time, he could make almost anyone talk"

Intrigued? Oddly enough, it's an article titled "Meet the people shaping the future of science". Read the interview here.

Boring me

My last five days at work were like this: foggy, foggy, foggy, rainy, dull.

Signed a rental agreement. Slept.

Signed up for hydro, because apparently New Westminster has its own system.

Went to see Alexander. I wasn't expecting something fantastic, but I was somehow... not overly interested during the film.

And in an unusual twist on the "accents sound impressive to North Americans", all of the principle characters spoke with an Irish accent, except for Angelina Jolie, in the role of Alexander's mother. She affected some sort of Slavic (possibly Russian) accent for her role. Go fig.

I derived much more enjoyment from the last historical-mythology-as-a-movie with King Arthur from the summertime. Take that for what it's worth. ;)

I had my phone on silent mode while in the theatre, like a good boy, and I got a call from a number that looked familiar, but that I couldn't place. After the movie, I checked my messages and it was, of course, work calling.

"Could you pick up a quick shift tonight?"

So I called them back, and the woman who had called me didn't remember specifically calling me, didn't know which shift I was refering to, and started running through the available work she had.

And here I thought that they had tapped me because of something unique. Bah.

Anyway, after offering (and then having it vetoed by whomever she was with) an outdoors firewatch shift in New Westminster (probably for the best, as there's a God's Wrath rain going on, at least when I rode the SkyTrain back through it), she finally offered me a shift in the pharmacy section of a supermarket from 2200-0600 at a mall where one of my ex-girlfriends was agog at the store that sold nothing but glow-in-the-dark stuff. ;)

So, since I had no sense and nothing better to do, I accepted. That starts in 3.5 hours, and I can't fall asleep. Not that I could sleep for long mind you, but if I think that my usual site is boring, how much worse will it be here? I'll let you know. :)

At my usual site, there have been breakins in the neighbourhood. Not at my building, but at some of the nearby ones. From the methodology, it would appear that the same person is doing it. From the timing, it would appear that he/she is watching the bike patrols from somewhere, then going in when they've headed off, since that leaves some opportunity. That sucks. I'd feel kind of responsible if that was happening to me. :P

Since there's an election with actual tampering going on, will the US rush to the rescue? Wait, it's in the Ukraine, they have no oil, and it's Russia doing the tampering? Er... "we will allow the Ukraine to exercise its sovereignty in this matter." Bastards.

On this (November 24) in 1963, Jack Ruby supposedly shot Lee Harvey Oswald. Shot him a ripping guitar solo, I mean!

Long and rambling, as per usual

Thanks to Matt and Fictional Correspondant for their comments. Even if they did support me. ;)

I've been told that it's not pleasant to respond to me when I ask for opinions, although I didn't quite the catch the reason. Ah well, if people don't give me their opinions, then they'll just have to suck it up when I don't consider their (unknown to me) point of view.

I also found out I'm an asshole. I'm sure that's no shock to many of my loyal readers. :P

I went and filled out an application to rent a little place in New Westminster. I don't want to live in New West, and the place is nothing to rave about, but the price is right and I do need a place. At least the location will let me pursue my hermiting ways. :)

As for what I'm going to do about the previous post, where I was looking for opinions on how to deal with what seems to me to be an ethical dilemma at work, I'm going to hold off for a short period and gather information, so that when I finally do present this stuff to my higher-ups (I don't care for the word "superiors"), I'll hopefully sound marginally coherent. I was surprised that everybody I spoke to in real life (with the exception of my Human Resources manager) opined that I should just leave it alone. Live and learn, eh?

In the news, Member of Parliament Carolyn Parrish has been booted out of the Liberal Party because she keeps ragging on Dubya. What's wrong with being childish, anyway?

Here are some historical presidential visits to Canada if you're interested: click here.

Also, the MAD policy of the cold war period was never much of a concern for me, since it was in place when I was born and was just part of the background noise of how things were. However...

"Earlier this year, a senior Defense Ministry official was quoted as telling news agencies that Russia had developed a weapon that could make the United States' proposed missile-defense system useless. Details were not given, but military analysts said the claimed new weapon could be a hypersonic cruise missile or maneuverable ballistic missile warheads. "

Yipes. Full article (without much meat) here.

One of my friends sent a link asking if this was me. It's not, since I can't bust moves this well. Note that the video is surrounded by porn banners, so if you get offended by such, don't click here.

Ashcroft loses his job to a Mexican. What won't the US farm out to other countries? :)

Thirteen states have had challenges to the teaching of evolution in school this year alone?! What. The. Hell?!

William Gibson, an author whose books I've enjoyed without exception (I didn't get into The Difference Engine as much, but I suspect that it's merely that I'm not a big slobbering fan of England a hundred years ago), and who was born in South Carolina, said this about the evolution-in-schools protesting:

"Re: Creationism, I must point out an unfortunate subtext that's no longer quite so obvious. Having grown up in the previous iteration of the rural American south, I know that what *really* smarted about Darwin, down there, was the logical implication that blacks and whites are descended from a common ancestor. Butt-ugly, but there it is. That was the first objection to evolutionary theory that I ever heard, and it was a very common one, in fact the most common. That it was counter to Genesis seemed merely convenient, in the face of an anthropoid grand-uncle in the woodpile."

I never even considered this, and I can't imagine how I'd investigate it. Still it's provocative, eh?

He goes on to comment: "Fear of the woodpile, of who might lurk within it, is the fulcrum, in American politics, for a long and ancient and very bloody lever. "

Probably talking about the Vietnam war, but good words anyway:

"I call on every man and woman of good will all over America today...to take a stand on this issue. Tomorrow may be too late. The book may close. Don't let anyone make you think that God chose America as his divine messianic force, to be a sort of policeman of the whole world. God has a way of standing before the nations with judgement, and it seems that I can hear God saying to America 'You are too arrogant! If you don't change your ways, I will rise up and break the backbone ofyour power! And I will place it in the hands of a nation that doesn't even know my name. Be still and know that I am God."

- Martin Luther King, 1969-04-04

Damn, that man could talk.

Ethical, or selfish?

If this blog let you setup polls, that's what I'd be doing right now. Since that's not available, I'm going to lay something out for any of you readers that aren't figments of my imagination, and encourage you to comment. Do it anonymously, even. Opinions are good, reasoning behind the opinions are ever better. Ready? Here we gooooooooooooooooooooo

I've been working on my site for a couple of months now. I'm usually without much in the way of human contact, as befits an office during the graveyard shift. However, some brave (or deluded) souls come in at 0400, and by 0600 there's a definite hum of activity.

And since I've been steadily there for this time, people are getting used to my presence. I'm approachable enough (as approachable as anybody in a hurt-your-eyes-in-the-morning fluorescent yellow jacket can be) and I've got some people that I regularly exchange a few words with in the mornings.

And lately they've been telling me things.

I won't go into much in the way of detail here, because even though this a fairly anonymous blog, I did agree to keep things on a "need to know" basis when I signed up for a sleep-inducing career in security. Also, the site doesn't need advertisment that a bunch of monkeys is keeping it safe. ;)

However, to clarify for anybody who needs it, there's a building that needed/wanted security. So they contacted my firm and we provide it. We're not part of the building, we're independant contractors. So we don't quite fit into the corporate structure of the site. Dig?

Now, the highest-ranking guy from my firm that's on the location is my S/S - Site Supervisor. Yes, the acronym sucks. I'm a Security Officer, and that acronym for that is S/O.

Unfortunately, I've been using SO for years to mean "Significant Other", so it's a little odd to hear my chief refer to me as one of his S/Os. :P

Anyway, my S/S has been at this site for years. Years. That's a little bit unusual, at least from what I gather. People tend not to stay at the same site (or indeed, same sort of job) for such a length of time. Years, sure. But not years.

He's a nice guy, I've got no complaints. And no complaints on the other guy that works the site (there are three of us in total, one on at a time) although he's pretty grumpy a lot of the time. He's forbidden me from asking him how he is or if any employees came in while he was on duty, on the grounds that I always ask him that. Go fig.

Now let me attempt to wrench this trainwreck of a monologue back on track. People at the site are used to me now and are starting to tell me things. So are others, like employees from other security companies that I interact with. And the picture of how things are has started to change for me.

See, my S/S told me (and indeed, it seemed to be the case) that he knows everybody in the building, and was friends with most of them. And I observed that it certainly seemed to be the case.

But some of these same employees have been telling me things. It's been observed that my S/S constantly ingratiates himself to the managers (and higher-ups). These are the people that determined that they needed security, so it doesn't seem odd to me that maintaining good relations would be important.

However, the people go on to say, it's also believed that anything that any employee tells him he passes on to these managers not as a benefit to them, but to make himself look good and "like a detective", as one employee put it to me.

Also, there's a reward program at my firm. Each month, there are commendations that go out for various things, and some of them include cash awards. My S/S got one of the biggest ones for something that happened the week or so before I started on the site. I asked him about it at the time, and he told me his version.

But according to people that claim to have actually observed what happened, or were with him at the time, what in fact happened are totally different things! The way it was originally reported sounded like someone who was alert and responded appropriately. The way these alleged witnesses tell it, the guy wasn't paying attention and the problem was brought to his attention by an employee. And listening to the way in which he responded, it was most definitely not appropriate the way he responded. Also, he apparently got knocked on his ass.

I'm hearing that he ( don't know about recently, but not too long ago) would leave the site in the middle of his shift for three to four hours at a time. Or that he'd go up a few floors into an executive conference room and watch tv for a while. That doesn't sound bad, but when you consider that with the layout of this building, penetration by a hostile party happens on the ground floor, then being a few floors up in a sound-baffled room in a distant corner of the building with 30+ speakers worth of the Sports Channel going... maybe this isn't the way the client expects their security to be run?

I read the daily reports of everybody. It's not a duty, but I certainly have access to them and I'm expected to know what goes on at the site. Mine read a bit differently from those of the others, however.

Mine have random times all over them. Know why? Because I'm not a machine, and because I try not to fall into a detectable pattern. It probably wouldn't be much of an issue at this particular site, but it's good to keep in practice. Also, by my reckoning, I patrol about four times as much as the others do. That means that in some cases, it might be as much as an hour before I patrol the same place twice. According to the reports, it might be as long as four hours from the other guys.

Also, their reports indicate that they do their rounds like clockwork. And I mean, literally on the hour. And I figured out why: I come in early, and I find their reports pre-written. If I get there at 2000, I'll find that not only have they completed their patrol just then, but they're also anticipating completing them at 2100, 2200, 2300, etc.

Folks, you don't anticipate things in security. Of course if something happens they could just destroy the unrepresentative report and write a new one, but as it is they're not accurately recording what they do. That means nobody has any idea of the security of the site.

Obviously I haven't given much in the way of specifics to you, but I'm not going to.

However, I needed to get some payroll stuff fixed, and I needed to get a smaller jacket (since it isn't to cover my ego, I'm hardly an XL). So I went into the office today and took care of that. While dealing with that manager, I asked if I could bounce something off of her off the record. She said sure, and I told her the bulk of this stuff, and asked for advice.

Her advice? "Email it to (various management types in my firm higher up the food chain)." I mentioned that I was a nobody at the company (she didn't like that, but I explained that I meant it in terms of reputation. I'm a non-entity at this point) and my S/S had been there forever. I mentioned such things as "the old boy's network" way of information moving around via non-traditional channels, and how much I'd hate for this to get back to my S/S as it would hardly make for a pleasant work environment. I mentioned that this was mostly rumour and hearsay, and that I in fact quite like this guy.

She was adamant. She wanted it reported. She offered to let me email her and then she'd pass it on on my behalf, stressing to who she passed it to that my identity should be protected. She said she'd done similar in the past, and it all worked out. So I told her I'd consider it.

Talking to others since then, others who have been in the corporate and government worlds for a long time, I've been advised that I shouldn't say anything. That it's "none of my business". That it's "ratting someone out".

I beg to differ. It's my business because security of the site is what I've been assigned to, and many of these things, in my opinion, compromise the security of the site. Also, I feel that this behavior reflects on me, albeit indirectly.

And... ratting someone out? I suppose, but that implies that I have a relationship to them and then used what learned in the course of that relationship to betray them. That's not the case here. If I don't report something like this, aren't I doing a disservice to the client, along with my entire firm?

The advice went on to say that I should just "keep my head down" and "do my own work well" and "let others find and deal with the problems".

But how is anybody ever going to find out? I'm pretty much the only one privy to both our operations and out reports. And for someone else from our company to come in... why would they? On paper things look find, why waste time investigating nothing?

While I've quoted G'kar's early philosophy many times in jest: "Everything in the universe is made up of a complex mixture of matter, energy, and an enlightened self-interest." many times, I often find myself easily willing to sacrifice my self-interest for what I perceive to be a more important good.

And walking home after getting off the bus today, I remembered a famous passage about doing nothing, since "it doesn't concern me". The one from Rev. Martin Niemoller:

First they came for the Communists,
and I didn't speak up,
because I wasn't a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up,
because I wasn't a Jew.
Then the came for the Catholics,
and I didn't speak up,
because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me,
and by that time there was no one
left to speak up for me.

There are various versions of this around, they include Trade Unionists and others, but the gist is the same. I find the notion of "let it be someone else's problem" to be craven and cowardly and selfish-in-a-not-good-way.

That said, does anybody have any advice for me? Advice backed with reasons/reasoning is even better. And best of all is brevity. Time's a factor, so if you've got something to say don't put it off. And feel free to comment multiple times. Comments are unlocked, so you don't have to be a member of blogspot to leave one.

And don't be afraid to tell me if my head's firmly up my ass. ;)

"You can't imagine what that sunset looks like to me..."

"That's a bird on fire!"

"Tomato, to-MAH-to."


As I was walking towards the bus to head to work yesterday, my mouth dried out. Like I'd stuffed a wad of cotton in there. This unusual sensation lasted for two bus rides and my SkyTrain trip. Upon getting about fifty meters away from the station, my mouth was back to normal. Weird, right?

The same thing happened on the ride back. My mind, she doth play tricks upon me!

The moat around the front entrance to my site flooded last night. Possibly due to the God's wrath rain we had. And here I thought I'd finished with mopping up after floods once and for all. :P Fortunately, I managed to find the drain controls in the pump room and then just pushed all the errant water back into the moat. Whee.

Had a woman request a security officer meet her at the front entrance of the building and escort her to her office, citing personal safety as the reason. I asked her about it once she was safely ensconced in her chair, and she said that the guy who worked opposite her in their cubicle farm doesn't work at the company anymore, but that he'd been giving her the silent treatment for the two weeks before that, and making "menacing faces". Weird. She wants this escort for a week now. Fortunately, I'm well trained in the appropriate technique to be employed here:

"I'm holding the door open for you, RUN!"

"Okay, now you're inside the building and he can't get you. Where's my gratuity?"

See? :)

Oh, and did I mention I'd be getting a raise in December? Ain't gonna happen. I just got the calendar for the courses being run in November and December (shouldn't the November calendar begin given out in, say... October? Anyway...) and one of the ones I need for that raise isn't being offered during that time. Bah.

Heap big tired

Wow, I survived the night with no incidents (as the pouring rain tends to keep all but the craziest thieves indoors) and wide awake, left with a spring in my step, double-timed it to the SkyTrain, bounded up the stairs, waited for the train, climbed on board, sat on a seat, and zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Apparently I was tired.

Of course, I only slept for a minute or two at a time, and it was mostly a doze. But on the first bus, which is a half hour ride... I would wake up a little disoriented and wondering if I'd been drooling on my shirt. No evidence of that so far, thankfully. :P

You know what I'm dying to do? Lanparty. Haven't done it for quite some time, not since I was in Calgary in the summer of 2002 and my luggage consisted of a few shirts and socks, and my computer. That was fun. But since then... I've not played a game with more than one other person in the same room as me. While that's still fun, it just ain't the same.

Now, since my fellow standing targets have all scattered to the winds, it's unlikely we'll be lanning anytime soon, but it would be nice to vpn something up with a nice voice link sometime so we can all frag or rts for an hour or two sometime. Anybody game?

Note that I'm writing this while extremely fatigued. I'll review it after some sleep to see if what looks like clear writing to me is actually gibberish like ffoij;fsda oifsao asdfse39sflsa.

Also, it's amusing when you find yourself being made fun of. Too bad I'm not significant enough to get into Mad. ;)

... several hours later ...

Yup, it mostly makes sense. Something that doesn't: Ol' Dirty Bastard is dead. Huh.

Shortest entry to date

Mostly because by the time I went to sleep today, I'd been up for thirty-two hours. I slept for a quick five, ate something, and here I am.

Nobody tried to break in last night, damn the luck. And since historically in the area none of the buildings get bothered on Friday nights / Saturday mornings, I'm expecting more of the same tonight.

Last night would have been perfect for it too. It was foggy. Not interesting fog, just boring fog. Because rather than make everything exciting, it just meant that you could only see the nearest things, which gets really old really fast. :P

I did get treated to a lonnnnnnnnnng monologue by one of the bike patrol guards from the other company that do the area. He's a Punjabi guy, and nice as hell. Talks really loud though. :P Anyway, he was asking me questions about Christianity and I was answering him as simply as I could. Sometimes he just wanted to know how specific rituals worked (baptism) or specifically what the difference was between Catholics and Protestants.

I kept my responses reasonably brief, especially when he was asking for parables. He'd then counter with Hindu ones, and those were twenty minutes a pop. Sheesh. And then he was pimping a guru to me, and wanting me to hit a website about him and his teachings. I get the impression he's going to test me on this later. Gah.

I miss all the fun. :(

I just got off the phone with my S/S. He was responding to my message about the promotion from the other day. Sure, it was a bit late, but I got to find out why.

On my days off, this workaholic guy that works the site with me covers my graveyard shifts. And yesterday someone broke in and stole a laptop. Apparently this guard is pissed, but I'll bet it's more that he's embarrassed.

All the more so because it was another security company that does bike patrol in the area that phoned and alerted him to it. ;)

Ah well, he was apparently doing his rounds in a distant part of the building at the time and didn't hear anything. It happens. But me, with my bionic ears...

Nevermind that fantasy. But now I get to be on alert (as opposed to just being alert) for a while in case they decide the building's an easy plum to pick. We get to make security suggestions in our reports, and I've got a few:

Close the fucking blinds! I'd want them up a few centimeters so that as I'm going by on patrol I can see if there is glass on the sill, but they should still obstruct anybody's view into the room. Why show what's available for the taking?

Lock up your laptops! They've had problems with them in the past (but not middle of the night smash and grabs) and introduced some procedures for the employees to follow. But apparently that's too much bother for some people, as rarely a week goes by that I don't find a laptop or three that I could walk out with. So I secure them.

I know it looks pretty, and is very soothing to people... but the foliage that's up against the building has to go. It makes that side dark, and that's not a friend of security, is it?

For that matter, landscaping that involves rocks next to a building made of glass (even if it is armoured glass) is just dumb. Those ought to go too.

Oh, and one last thing - there's music that plays in some of the common areas on the first level. But all the controls for them are locked off due to employees having problems with volume, apparently. That crap needs to be shut off when work is over. I certainly don't need to listen to it (and it sucks), and isn't it more important that I hear breaking glass or footsteps than Celine Dion? (The answer is yes)

Well, we'll see if they come back when I'm on shift. I'll throw my frickin' SHOE at them!

Oh, and during the course of this conversation, my S/S asked what I'd originally called about. After I told him, but before I told him if I accepted it or not, he said "You'd have to be a fucking idiot to go mobile. They work those poor sons of bitches like dogs."

How nice to know I made the right choice, eh? :) I might go that way later, but who knows?

The Incredibles

... is exactly that. Go see it. NOW!

It runs for 115 minutes, and there's never a lag where you're impatiently looking at your watch. I went in thinking it was going to be a quick Disneyed version of The Tick, but it turned out to be much better than that. Great asides in it, and great scenes like the poor Mr. Incredible working at an insurance office.

The theatre was proabably a bit over half full, and there was good energy from the crowd. Especially from this guy one row behind us and to the left. This guy was laughing his ass off, and even answering back to the screen when a character in the movie asked a question.

I bet he uses fabric softener.

Today I went looking for a place to rent. After spending some time looking in the West End (my preferred locale), I concluded that there was nothing suitable for me at this time. Because it was on the way back, took a look around the Brentwood area. I don't think I'll live there either, although it appears to be reasonably cheap.

Next time I go out, I'm going to look along the other arm of the SkyTrain - namely South Burnaby around Metrotown. Also not my preferred locale, but it'll do for now. I can fan out the search from there too - I can edge in towards East Vancouver around Commercial Drive, or I can go the opposite way towards New Westminister. I'm not a big fan of either of those areas, frankly. Don't get me wrong, I've enjoyed myself in both places, I just don't particularly want to live in either one of them. Ah well, we'll see.

Oh, I almost forgot - when I was coming out of the movie with Rickets and the Terrorist, there was a guy asking for change. My companions demurred, but I was willing. Except that I didn't actually have any change on me, having emptied my pockets at home that same night. But I offered him the pop bottle I finished off in the theatre (my first time having grape Crush in years).

But he didn't want it. He said, "Maybe if there was some water in it I'd take it...". Fine, suits me. I gave it to one of the can collectors a block down the road. I love those guys, they work their asses off and I've never met one yet that wasn't friendly.

Some people take vacations and don't really do anything. Meaning, who'd travel a long ways just to play in an arcade? (Well, Vegas does have some fun arcades...)

But I'm thinking more of people that just stay in the hotel, go to movies brought in from North America, eat the usual food, and don't experience anything of where they are. You can do that at home, you know.

That's why I'm so glad that someone (who until they post comment with a name they'd like to be called) who shall remain nameless is, after a somewhat slow start, is going to try to take advantage of their location and play tourist. I'm hoping for stories and pictures, but I'm betting those will be few and far between. So I'll settle for the occasional update, like "Went to Ayers Rock yesterday. It was pretty hot out. End of line." :P

I got woken up with a call from work on Tuesday - it was the office wanting to know if I would accept a "promotion", which is really just a different assignment. They asked if I wanted to join the mobile division, and the territory was going to be in Surrey. I asked if I could think about it (I'd just woken up, remember). She said sure, but that she was leaving in less than an hour and she wanted to know by then. Bah.

So I thought about it. Tried to call my S/S, but couldn't reach him. Bounced it off of a couple of people.

I finally decided against. I mean, I'm due for a raise of the same amount in December. And if I'm about to have an evaluation, how much better would it be to have it at the easy straightforward site I'm at now? Once I get past that, I'll start looking at what they have available in terms of "promotion", and act accordingly.

I'm pretty bored at my current site as it's very secure, and probably not worth the bother for most people to break into anyway. I work when the building is all but empty, and so there's very little in the way of mental stimulation. But those mobile guys have to work their asses off - they've got dozens of sites they have to check in their twelve hour shifts, plus respond to alarms at those and other sites without S/Os, plus provide backup to anybody that radios in for help, plus fetch and deliver people and equipment, all while doing their basic schedule, which is pretty full. Eep.

So... maybe after my evaluation (and after the New Year, since the holidays would be an awful time to start mobile :P) I'll take a different assignment. When I was taking the training for my license, my liason representative mentioned that the police had grabbed a bunch of our guys to do tabs on those who'd recently been paroled, to see if the probable reoffenders would return to their devious ways. I'd be up for doing surveilance, and whatever training came with that.

I'm aware that sitting on my ass watching the door of a guy's apartment isn't exactly a thrillride, but other aspects of it could be fun. I guess I'll see what comes up. I should probably also start exercising again. That's going to be hard with Half-Life 2 out, except for my mouse hand, but I think my strength is deteriorating to the point where I can no longer flip a car without using both hands. And it's just not a family picnic if you don't flip someone's car. ;)

For random history, today is the sixty sixth anniversary of Kristallnacht - Night of Broken Glass. It's a pretty word for such a negative thing. End of line. ;)

Ah, sweet irony!

Just read this on The Onion, and felt I had to share. :)

U.S. Inspires World With Attempt At Democratic Election

NEW YORK—Observers from around the world report that they were inspired and moved by America's most recent attempt to hold a public election in accordance with the standards of a democratic republic.

"After all of the recriminations, infighting, and general madness before the election, the people of this fractured nation still found the courage to show up at the polls," said Anas Salman, an Afghan U.N. official who was in New York during the American electoral experiment. "More than half of America's citizens—a large portion of them women—made a valiant attempt to choose their own leader, even though there was no guarantee their votes would be counted. It was truly inspirational."

In the weeks leading up to the election, both of America's political parties alleged fraud in voter registration. Additionally, experts debated the reliability of electronic voting machines, which experienced problems in trial runs and leave no paper trail. Election officials also bemoaned many states' use of outdated punchcard machines.

Considering such disputes, Salman said he was "touched and gladdened" that voter turnout for the U.S. election nearly approached voter-turnout rates for Afghanistan's first popular elections in October, when 69 percent of citizens cast ballots.

"True, voter turnout in many parts of the world tops 90 percent," Salman said. "But it's understandable that the rate is lower in countries such as Afghanistan, where the government has raised fears of possible terrorist attacks at the polls. Our people showed great courage."

The last American presidential election, held in 2000, was also rife with problems. Myriad scandals arose concerning alleged fraud and ballot tampering. Although the Democratic candidate won the popular vote by a margin of half a million votes, the Republican candidate won the presidency with a strenuously disputed 537-vote lead in Florida, a state governed by his brother.

"Despite the specter of corruption in 2000, and even though the procedural problems which surfaced during the previous election were never remedied, the American people chose to put their faith in the system once again this year," said Joseph Mtume, a Kenyan diplomat who traveled to Ohio to view America's democratic proceedings. "You can't help but feel touched by the determination of these citizens who put their doubts aside to collectively participate in the democratic process. All this in a nation divided by war, where dissent is widespread and the rift between citizens has rarely been higher. It was truly stirring."

Carlos Cruz, an Argentinian diplomat who observed the election in Miami, said he was profoundly moved by America's democratic election.

"With my own eyes, I saw people from all walks of life waiting in long lines to cast their votes, and very few of them were turned away," Cruz said. "They believed in the democratic process, despite the existence of racial gerrymandering of the sort most recently seen in the redistricting of U.S. House seats to negate the impact of Hispanic and black voters in Texas."

Cruz said he was impressed that average citizens still participate in the "current money-dominated electoral process," even though legislators have largely ignored their repeated calls for campaign finance reform.

"Their wide-eyed earnestness was humbling," Cruz said. "Truly, my heart leaps up. I can only hope that, under such demoralizing circumstances, my countrymen would similarly rise together to try and make democracy work."

The multinational watchdog group Organization for Security and Cooperation sent 600 official observers to monitor proceedings, from countries as disparate as North Korea, Syria, and China. Many reported that they came away deeply touched.

"To see a country with such overwhelming problems—problems that affect every last citizen—have so many of its voters feel that they can still influence their leadership... words fail me," said Dae Jung Kim, a North Korean OSC delegate. "Certainly, my report to my own government will emphasize this. I will recommend that my leaders implement such American election-time strategies and tactics as would fit the North Korean model of personal freedom, such as their elegant Electoral College and the inscrutable voting machine."


Good thing they practiced beach landings before D-Day, eh? Otherwise, this could happen.

Finally somebody shows what Christmas music really sounds like.

I wish I'd linked to this web version of Eminem's Mosh video before the election, but better late than never.

Okay, that's probably it for today. Now I'm going to go waste a little time before work. :P

American Coastopia!

I read this in the Province over the weekend. The link to read it online requires a seven day subscription, so I've stolen it from another site. Google it if you want a link. :)


"Ladies and gentlemen, you needn't fret anymore. We have decided that we can't live in the United States anymore, because so many of you in the "heartland" are so full of shit. We were all going to move to various other countries, but then we thought - why should we move?

We are tired of rednecks in Oklahoma picking the leader who will determine if it is safe for us to cross the Brooklyn Bridge. We are sick of homophobic knuckle-draggers in Wyoming contributing to the national debate on our gay marriages. So we have done the only thing we could.

We seceded.

May I present to you: AMERICAN COASTOPIA. (Note from Rimmy, there's a map that goes here, so I am going to give you the link after all. Check it out here.)

That's right, American Coastopia. The states of Washington, Oregon and California are joining us on one coast, and we will provide all of New England. In the middle of the country, we have taken Iowa and Illinois, mostly because we need the fine produce of Iowa's soil, and the museums in Chicago are fabulous.

What's with the other dots? Oh yes, we're taking Chapel Hill and Durham, North Carolina too. I'm not going to live in a country without the Tar Heels. (And Duke? You're being moved to Greensboro, just like Wake Forest was. Sorry! Assholes.)

The other dot is New Orleans, which you don't deserve. American Coastopia needs a place to gamble, and the locals want nothing to do with you. Sure, you can visit, but it isn't part of your country anymore.

I can sense your worry. Who will get all the banks? You can fucking have most of them, because we're taking downtown and midtown Manhattan back, turning the whole thing into a giant artist colony replete with movie studios and progressive think tanks. Wall Street and other financial institutions will be relocated to Charlotte, which we believe will suit your needs better. Frankly, the good folks in Manhattan are sick of being a terrorist target for your benefit.

A word about our politics. Abortions will be safe and legal in American Coastopia, and homosexual men and women will be free to marry at their discretion. We will have our own currency, and trade with any countries we want. Everyone will have health care. Everyone will have an identity card. Homelessness and unemployment will be virtually unknown. We believe in a meritocracy and a huge chasm between church and state. 100% of our cars will be hybrid by 2006.

Yes, we're taking all the people that ever created everything beautiful. Yes, we're taking all the funny people too. All the sculptors, architects, surgeons, philosophers, violinists and fishermen. You should have treated them better when you had them.

We have no pledge of allegiance, but I can say this: I am no longer from your United States of America. I belong to American Coastopia, the United States of My Friends, the Nation of Two: my wife and I. We hold our noses as we fly over you. We are sickened by the way you treat people that are different from you. The rest of the world despises America, and we don't want to be lumped in with you anymore.

Please, all of you who went to bed last night sick with worry, come to us. In American Coastopia, the light is always on, the hazelnut lattés are always hot, and we have a trundle bed for each and every one of you."


lol. It ain't perfect, but I've heard worse. :)

A guy from the mobile division came by work yesterday with my license. Took them long enough to process it in Victoria - I wrote the freaking test in September, on the 23rd or so. The following week the Justice Institute had graded me and given the results to the company, since they called me to let me know how I did (#1 in my class - it would be a victory if the class was more difficult than eating food pellets for a hamster). Something like 96% on the first test, and 85% on the second test was how I did. That's two wrong on the first one, and four wrong on the second one. But it's enough to get me special certification, which gives me absolutely nothing. High enough to let me be a Commissionaire too. ;)

Anyway, the license is a silly bit of plastic with an already bad picture made worse. Plus, there are more holograms on this thing than even Reginald Barclay could want. And my did-extra-good-on-the-test-special-certification isn't on there! Bastards!

I just have to go in to work tonight, and them I'm off for a couple of days. I'll come home and sleep for a few hours after work, then head off to meet Rickets and the Terrorist to see The Incredibles. And I need to find a place to live that isn't in a sucky place. How astonishing that all the places that the affordability/desirability equation doesn't often support a good location. I blame Rickets for opening my eyes to the idea that the "energy" of a neighbourhood is important. I keel joo!

I also had a couple of emails from someone when I got home. The author of them both gives me the impression that they're under a great weight, and simultaneously running full tilt across a tightrope. An unhappy situation, I'm sure. I hope the decisions they're trying to make/have already made work out well. I have faith. :)

I'm sure Burns' Slant-Drilling will be in there soon

The bombing of the hospital in Fallujah reminds me of William S. Lind's essay "Fallujah and the Moral Level of War": "We seem to be readying an all-out assault on the city, which will have the usual result when Goliath defeats David: a moral defeat for Goliath."

Lind, a former strategic theorist for the US Marine Corps, is most definitely not a pacifist. Nor is he saying that the US needs the moral high ground to be good people. Rather, he is saying that they need the moral high ground in order to win, period.

"In recent weeks, the indirect approach the Marines adopted in April in Fallujah, when they withdrew instead of storming the city, began to pay off. A reduction of American pressure allowed fissures within the Iraqi resistance to appear and grow. Fallujah natives were beginning to turn against outsiders, most of whom represent extreme Islamism, America’s real enemy. Such splits are of the utmost importance in Fourth Generation war, because they operate at war’s most powerful level, the moral level. There is a vast moral difference between us killing fighters for Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in Fallujah and the locals doing so.

If American military leaders understood Fourth Generation war, they would slowly, patiently encourage the local Iraqi resistance to go after the outsiders, providing rewards and even assistance, if that was wanted (all done covertly, of course). The first genuine American victory in Iraq would be the day the local resistance asked for our (again, covert) help.

Unfortunately, our leaders do not understand the Fourth Generation, so it appears we are about to throw this opportunity away. We continue to bomb and shell Fallujah, which pushes our enemies toward each other. We seem to be readying an all-out assault on the city, which will have the usual result when Goliath defeats David: a moral defeat for Goliath. Many Iraqis will die, the city will be wrecked (as always, we will promise to rebuild it but not do so), and any losses the insurgents suffer will be made up many times over by a flood of new recruits. Never was it more truly said that, 'We have met the enemy, and he is us.'

Our nightly bombing of Fallujah illustrates another important point about 4GW: to call it 'terrorism' is a misnomer. In fact, terrorism is merely a technique, and we use it too when we think it will benefit us. In Madam Albright’s boutique war on Serbia, when the bombing campaign against the Serbian Army in Kosovo failed, we resorted to terror bombing of civilian targets in Serbia proper. Now, we are using terror bombing on Fallujah.

Of course, we claim we are hitting only Mr. al-Zarqawi’s fighters, but anyone who knows ordinance knows that is a lie. The 500, 1000 and 2000-pound bombs we drop have bursting radii that guarantee civilian casualties in an urban environment. More, it appears we see those civilian casualties as useful.

The October 12 New York Times offered this interesting quote from 'one Pentagon official': 'If there are civilians dying in connection with these attacks, and with the destruction, the local as some point have to make a decision…Do hey want to harbor the insurgents and suffer the consequences that come with that, or do they want to get rid of the insurgents and have the benefit of not having them there?'

As the article goes on to make clear, American officials believe such terror bombing will split the resistance. In fact, the whole history of air warfare says it will have the opposite effect.

The point here is not merely that in using terrorism ourselves, we are doing something bad. The point is that, by using the word 'terrorism' as a synonym for anything our enemies do, while defining anything we do as legitimate acts of war, we undermine ourselves at the moral level – which, again, is the decisive level in Fourth Generation war.
Imagine Mr. al-Zarqawi himself said the following about the suicide car bombs his group uses, bombs that have killed many Iraqi civilians:
'If there are civilians dying in connection with these attacks, and with the destruction, the locals at some point have to make a decision. Do they want to harbor the Americans and suffer the consequences that come with that, or do they want to get rid of the Americans and have the benefits of not having them there?'

Would we denounce that as 'justifying terrorism?' Of course we would – and rightly so.

What is sauce for the goose is also sauce for the turkey. Obvious double standards put us on the moral low ground. The rest of the world can see that, even if America's 'leaders' cannot. As the old saying goes, it is worse than a crime; it is a blunder."


Next movie on my slate: The Incredibles. Looks like I'm going on Tuesday with Rickets and the Terrorist. Perhaps while I'm out in the area I can see if there are any good-looking places to live. I want to be back in the area something fierce. Where I am now, I feel (mentally and physically) like a piece of cake in water - getting soft and puffy. Ugh.

I'm also wondering why my old lan posse hasn't been barraging me with IMs about Half-Life 2, the release of which is nigh upon us. I was sure they'd be making sure I was in fighting trim to let them enjoy hours of spawnfragspawnfragspawnfrag, just like the old days. Maybe they're busy... ;)

And on that note, allow me to embarass Scoob, who is twenty-six today. If this was a more widely regarded forum, perhaps he might even blush. Ah well, babysteps.

Acknowledged and spurned

And that's all I'm going to tell you. lol

More voting fun: in Palm Beach, the system they were using can apparently only handle 32000 votes per precinct. What happens after that? It starts counting backwards. Check it out here.

There there's the odd tally in Franklin County, in Ohio. You remember Ohio, the state that was the deciding one. Well, it seems that Bush received 4258 votes compared to Kerry's 260. The neat part is that only 638 people actually voted in that district. I wish I could do math like that, my back account would be a work of wonder. Read it yourself here.

Have you been listening to all the outrage about that munitions site that was full, but is now empty? Funny story, that.

And finally... you thought United Statesian schools were rough before - now you get a taste of going to class in Iraq! Warplane strafed it! Day-um!

It's raining out. Was raining yesterday. Going to rain all weekend, and into next week. Good thing I dig the damp though.

In the next month and a half, I have to complete three courses for work: I have to take my Occupational First Aid Level 1, my Non-Violent Crisis Intervention training, and an office building security course. Whoo.

It's my own fault for putting them off this long, they gave me three months originally. There's another ten or fifteen courses I could take, and since they pay for them all, I just might. At least I can take the knowledge with me. But the security courses... it's bad enough that before was doing this I would sit with my back to a wall. What's heightened awareness + training going to do? One shudders to think.

I actually don't have anything to say right now, but the day is earlyyet . ;)

United Statesians... did you vote?

Are you sure?

E-voting machines caught switching votes.

Are you in North Carolina?

Palm Beach?

Somewhere else in Florida?

In other news, I'm still irritated as all hell at people that have to meddle in the affairs of others. Yeah, everybody does it and I'm sure that many people feel they have good reasons or the best of intentions... but when you hold a club over someone's head (like a teacher asking you to come over on Saturday and wash their car, and you do because you'd hate for the teacher to maybe not mark you as well on your next paper), even an unspoken one, that just plain sucks.

In the tradition of the notebook I have to keep for work, which among other things I have to use for writing up little contracts and having people sign them like when I let them into a secure area, confiscate property, or turn a crime scene over to the RCMP, for example... I'm thinking of carrying a different notebook with me in my personal life, and when someone says they're going to do something, I have the option to write it up on the spot and have them sign it.

Sure we have verbal contract law here, but it's harder to dispute your signature there under what you agree to do. That way, if you start doing something contrary to what I thought you'd already agreed to, I can feel whip out the book and remind you of your responsibilities. If you want to change things, then we can try to come to an agreement. If we can't, the original contract stands. If you flout it, I can feel free to dance on your feelings, since you obviously have no regard for anybody else's.

Of course, I'm far to lazy to actually do that, and who would sign anything that I push at them anyway?

I'm a hermit by nature, and by choice. Although I do interact with people, there are times that the cave in the woods looks awfully tempting...

Oh, and when your society gets to the point where you have to ride a motorized set of steps down, you deserve what you get. :P

Odin's day

Bush for another term. Two quotes by others:

Virgil, as ever, has it down: "Dis aliter visum."

And Davie Bowie: "Look at those cavemen go."


So last night I headed downtown to hook up with Rickets and see a movie. Unfortunately, the computer that controls the Waterfront to Nanaimo section of the SkyTrain decided to surf porn for four hours, bringing twentyfive percent of the system to a screeching halt. Bah.

On the other hand, even though that meant extra crowding on the infrequent remaining trains, I got to get off at Commercial and ride the bus along Broadway to Granville, so that I could catch a bus down Granville which is where I was trying to get. I love this corner. I got out, and the smells, the lights, the people... all of it was just great. I don't know what I like about this area, but like it I do. If I'd had a longer wait and it was a bit colder, I'd have gone into Big News and got a chai, just for old times sake. I don't even drink chai lattes anymore.

Anyhoo, caught my bus downtown, hoofed a few blocks up Davie (also my old neighbourhood) towards Ricket's place. Ah, the puffs of smell coming out of the places on Davie! Fried this and garlic that. Mmmmm, wish I had a big stomach and a hedonistic nature. ;)

Grabbed some Barq's and headed up to watch the John Stewart election night special. It was okay, but without his monologue the whole thing was just...

Didn't go to a movie, but got to play a bit of Fable. It's okay, I didn't really feel immersed in it enough to offer any sort of real opinion, and I didn't get far enough to be able to rate it.

Spent the night as it got late and I'd had only a couple of hours sleep, and Rickets is a lightweight anyway. Woke up and played some more Fable. Then Rickets had a meeting to go to, so I headed off to see my movie.

On the way, as I was crossing a street, I heard some sobbing. I cunningly used the reflections in my glasses to determine who it was without craning my head around. I saw a young woman walking and holding her stomach. She was walking away (same direction as me, of course) from a local hospital, so for some reason I thought maybe she'd just had an abortion. Go fig.

After walking for about a block like that, and hearing her cry the whole time, I glanced in the reflection of some shops. She wasn't holding her stomach anymore, so I turned and asked if she was okay, and if I could help her.

With an accent that I couldn't nail at first, she told me that she needed to talk to her mother, and held up her cell phone. Assuming that she'd run out of juice or minutes, I offered her my phone. She said no, that it was long distance. I asked her where.

"Switzerland."

Ah.

I asked if it was important, and she indicated that it was. Seeing that we were next to a convenience store, I said "Let's get you a phone card then." She didn't seem to understand, and didn't go in when I held the door, so I went in and said "Come on." She followed.

I asked the guy behind the counter if they sold phone cards, he said they did. I told him she need to call Switzerland. He pulled out one and said it was a good card. Five dollars it was. I must have looked skeptical, because he hastened to tell me that to Switzerland you got a rate of five cents a minute. Wow, that's an hour for five bucks!

I asked her if that was enough time, and she seemed befuddled. So I sprang for the ten dollar card. As I was running late for the movie, I asked the guy behind the counter if he could explain how it worked to her. He said he would, and I wished her well. She still didn't seem to be in total understanding of what was going on, but she said thanks at least. I wonder if she knows that she speaks in French at least half of the time? I was surprised that I appeared to understand it easily. Perhaps high school isn't as far behind me as I thought. ;)

Ghost in the Shell: Innocence. I liked it.

It had a very different feel from the first movie, but since it didn't fill in any of the backstory or set the scene for the world as it is, there was more time for the story. I think.

Vaguely like a Tarrantino movie, GitS: Innocence has the majority of the characters speaking in highly stylized dialogue, with many conversations consisting of nothing but quotes. However, this isn't as bad as it sounds.

The visuals are beautiful. There's a weird juxtaposition of drawn, animated, matte, and computer generated graphics, but it all somehow works.

There's a great action scene in a bar too. ;)


Now, I'm currently pissed off. But not at something that was done to me. Weird, huh? Here's why:

I have friends. Yes, we've drifted geographically over the years, and with that comes some distance, but I think that by and large if we met somewhere, it would be with as much familiarity and like as we ever had.

Now... one of my friends had a girlfriend a few years back that I didn't like. I thought that her very aura caused problems. Certainly I didn't want to be around him when she was there, and she was there a lot. Ah well, you adapt.

But even though I didn't like her, and he obviously did, that didn't make me dislike him. Even though he'd chosen her, and even though he wanted to be with her, that didn't make me like him any less, or think badly of him. I'd like to think that most of my friends are of a similar mind.

Then you try a similar example with family. Family you don't get to choose. So why should you be judged by an outsider based on something a family member does?

I'm nearly thirty two years old. My family doesn't have a lot of influence over what I think or do. That's not a brag, just a statement of how it is. So if my mom has a strict Roman Catholic friend (made-up example, this isn't rooted in any actual facts that I'm aware of) who find out that I'm "living in sin" with a girlfriend, wouldn't it be odd that my doing so would reflect badly on my mom? My mom didn't have anything to do with it, and doesn't have the kind of influence it would take to make me change my life around her friend. So?

And how much validity should I give to my mom's friend's feelings?

Now pretend that this friend gives my mom grief over it every time they talk/visit. While people are entitled to their own opinions, obviously I'm not keen on how this friend cuts my mom over me.

Now pretend that the friend invites my whole family out for dinner or tea or something. I'm already predisposed to not like this friend very much, because of the demonstrated shit that she does. I have no personal interest in spending any time with her. To not go would make my mom look bad to this judgemental woman.

I'm not an especially social person in the first place. I'm way more of a hermit than those around me. I'm pretty comfortable with this. My social graces are somewhat lacking too. At a party I'd be the wallflower, but not (entirely) out of shyness. To go to dinner with this person who's already riding my mom, and know that my performance at dinner is going to affect whether the treatment gets any worse or not, and being inclined to not be shy about my dislike, what am I to do? Go or not go?

Both have their perils. To not go offends the friend, resulting in worse treatment for mom. To go and do a poor job (and to not even be sure of just what criteria I'd be judged on, assuming I could act) risks even worse treatment for mom later. That assumes I'd be willing to indulge this person's whims, which I really dislike, even though they're not directed at me.

So let's see, bad for mom if I don't go, worse for mom if I go and rate poorly. I'm enough of a screwup in real life that I can't imagine doing a good job at dinner even if I try my hardest.

Plus, I'm predisposed to dislike the person. Think I can hide that? I don't.

It would be a good time for me to pull a week's worth of 24-hour shifts, or injure myself badly, eh? :)

As it stands now, I'm not inclined to go. Mostly because I don't want to, but there is that factor of being a piss-poor actor and not wanting to make it worse.

While I'm far too ignorant to judge any culture, society, religion or philosophy objectively, I'm a product of what I've been exposed to. With that in mind, I don't like having to indulge someone that would judge someone on something they have no influence over. That (to me) is like being apologetic for living on the coast to someone that doesn't sailors.

Okay, rant over for this installment. Looking back over what I wrote, it's a mess. And to repeat: as far as I'm aware, mom doesn't have a Roman Catholic friend that objects to me living with a girlfriend. (Which I'm not doing, btw) ;)

Oh, and for anybody who's still puzzling over the Latin at the top of this entry, it means "the gods declared otherwise". :)

Some other guy's opinion

I know I know, you want to see my finely honed words here, but this guy's blog has a much better entry than mine. Only a few hours until the United Statesian election, so soon enough I'll have to start ranting about something else. But until then...

What's at Stake
The Revolutionary vs. the Statesman

The decision between Bush and Kerry will shape the world Americans live in during the next four years. Even though Bush has been called the "CEO President," that isn't how he has behaved. Bush has overthrown two governments and announced the imminent demise of several others. Bush is a revolutionary in Asia, a Robespierre. At least one of Bush's revolutions is now mired in its Terror phase. What a real CEO thinks about Bush is obvious from the Paul O'Neill / Ron Suskind memoir of life on the Bush cabinet. Kerry in contrast is a statesman committed to navigating the status quo without producing unnecessary turbulence.

Since the United States is essentially a vast island, three thousand miles across and two thousand miles deep, its inhabitants often begin to think that they are unconnected to the wider world. My friend John Walbridge suggested to me that most Americans may not believe the rest of the world exists, as opposed to being something that one occassionally sees on television.

September 11 was a reminder that even the defenses of an island can be breached. It was also a signal that the old foreign policy prerogatives of the United States government, to intervene as it liked to impose its will on other regions, was no longer cost-free. In a world of increasingly powerful technology, each individual is potentially much more powerful, and this was a development that diabolical engineers in al-Qaeda saw clearly and figured out how to use.

Al-Qaeda has ambitions beyond just blowing a few things up, no matter how horribly. It is now a cadre organization, that is, it consists of a few thousand committed fanatics. But it wants to be a political party. That is the significance of Bin Laden's most recent videotape. He is posing as a champion of "freedom" in the Muslim world (mainly freedom from US hegemony, but he maintains also freedom from authoritarian and corrupt regimes in the region backed by the US). Bin Laden is making a play not just to be a cult leader but to succeed to the position of Gamal Abdul Nasser as an anti-imperialist icon in the region. Ultimately al-Qaeda would like to get control of entire states, and merge them into an Islamic superstate, a new caliphate. It is a crackpot idea that will fail, but many crackpot ideas that fail (e.g. the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia) do a great deal of damage along the way.

George W. Bush has never been able to see clearly the nature of this threat, which experts call asymmetrical. This word is a fancy way of saying that small groups can now accomplish things that only states used to be able to. Bush is trapped in Cold War thinking, where all major threats derive from other states, from other countries. His first thought after September 11 was that Iraq was behind it.

Bush invaded Iraq and occupied it rather than finishing off al-Qaeda and putting Afghanistan on a proper footing. He has most of the fighting units of the US military bogged down in a quagmire. His adventure in Iraq, which had nothing to do with September 11, has the potential for destabilizing the oil-rich Persian Gulf for some time to come, producing high petroleum prices, high gasoline prices, and risking a major economic downturn for the US and the world.

A second Bush administration will continue to pursue iron fist policies in Iraq, which have obviously backfired. If Bush overstays his welcome in Iraq, he risks creating a new kind of pan-Islamic nationalism. It is not impossible for the Shiite leadership to join hands with the Sunni clerics if both decide it is crucial to expel the Americans. I would put the odds of an anti-American mass revolution in Iraq during a second Bush term at 50/50. The aftermath will be further instability in the oil rich Persian Gulf (see above).

If Bush is reelected, it is clear that he will continue to attack his hit list, which is pre-announced. He will strike at Iran. His infantry and armor are tied down in Iraq. But he could mount a naval blockade of Iran, and he could strike it from the air. He could also intrigue with impatient junior officers in Tehran in hopes of making a coup. It would probably fail. But Bush will be tempted to try.

Iran already has lively internal politics that are somewhat unpredictable, and the people dislike their regime. The best interests of the US lie in letting that internal process take its course. Bush will not keep his hands off. Iran is in his axis of evil, and he has decided that the US will not countenance states that adopt an active posture of enmity toward Washington. He will play up Iran's nuclear program, which is nowhere near being able to produce a bomb. He will play up Iran's support for Hizbullah, which the US views as an international terrorist organization but which in recent years has mainly functioned as a Lebanese national liberation movement. But his real motivation is to unlock Iran's economy for US investment and to remove a foreign policy thorn from the US side.

The potential for Bush's meddling in Iran to go wrong is great, as can be seen in his Iraq policy, which has turned the latter country into the security equivalent of a vast forest fire. Were both Iraq and Iran to end up destabilized, petroleum prices would go sky high. There is also a danger of this instability spilling over to the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, where the petroleum is, and which is about half Shiite.

Powerful figures in the Bush administration also very much want to overthrow the other Baath regime, in Syria. The mostly likely successor to that regime is a radicalized Syrian Muslim Brotherhood, the major Syrian opposition group (it is not allowed to operate as a party). It would be an ally of Hamas and hospitable to al-Qaeda. Syria is a Sunni-majority country chafing under rule by a clique of Allawites, a Shiite sect, who control the secular Syrian Baath. If Bush artificially causes the Baath to collapse in Damascus, he could create a Muslim fundamentalist axis stretching from Lebanon through Syria to Sunni Iraq.

Bush is not winning the war on terror because he does not understand it. He has used the rise of al-Qaeda as a pretext for settling Washington's scores with old enemies like Saddam. This projection of main American force so far has paid no dividends whatsoever, in increased US security or stability in the world. It has not even made money for US companies, with the possible exception of Halliburton (and even it claims it has been hurt by bad Iraq publicity).

The most frightening thing of all is that the Project for a New American Century group, which has made an internal coup in the Bush administration, ultimately has its sights on China. They want to surround, besiege and break up Communist China, as they imagine the US did to the Soviet Union. In many ways, the Bush administration uses North Korea as a proxy for China, saying things about Pyongyang they really would like to say about Beijing. In fact, China is currently increasingly tied to the US-led world economic order and has every impetus to cooperate with the US on most issues. The Chinese take in $80 billion a year more from the US than we make from them. Picking a fight with Beijing, which is a very attractive option for the American Right, would be disastrous.

The Bush administration is full of revolutionaries. They are shaking up the world by military force. They are playing a role familiar in modern history, pioneered by Napoleon Bonaparte, of using overwhelming military superiority to establish new forms of hegemony by appealing to desires for change among neighboring publics. Bonaparte promised the Italians liberty on the French model, but in fact reduced the Italians to a series of French puppet regimes and then he looted the country. So far Bush's Iraq looks increasingly like Bonaparte's Italy in these regards.

At a time of increased radicalization in the global South, at a time when mass terrorism has been made possible by new technologies, the last thing the US should be risking is destabilizing Asia by provoking a series of revolutions.

Kerry is not a revolutionary, unlike Bush. He recognizes that al-Qaeda is a real threat and needs to be the main focus of US security thinking. Kerry will capture or kill Bin Laden and al-Zawahiri because he will put the resources into that endeavor that Bush instead wasted in Iraq.

Kerry is worried about Iran's nuclear ambitions, but is highly unlikely to resort to military force or connive at a coup in Tehran. He will use diplomatic methods and more subtle military pressure.

Kerry will rebuild the alliance with Europe, which is crucial for fighting al-Qaeda. He will attempt to improve the US image in the Muslim world, which Bush has completely shattered. His approach to China will be measured.

So the choices are clear. Those who want a revolutionary who will risk further wars and instability, should vote for Bush. Those who want someone who will use diplomacy to manage the status quo and roll back asymmetrical threats should vote for Kerry.

Double blog in a day? wtf?!

Just read this and wanted to repost it with no additional comments from me. First, an exerpt from Neuromancer by William Gibson:

"There is always a point at which the terrorist ceases to manipulate the media gestalt. A point at which the violence may well escalate, but beyond which the terrorist has become symptomatic of the media gestalt itself. Terrorism as we ordinarily understand it is innately media-related."

Followed by a post that uses that as a jumping-off point.

"It seems to me that now that Osama and Al Qaeda have demonstrated their ability to manipulate the media gestalt, they've succeeded in exposing the corroded scaffolding which forms the foundation of superpower mythos. The September 11th attack wasn't just a direct hit on the twin towers and the Pentagon, the footage burned into the collective psyche of everyone alive to see it. It was the antithesis of Neil Armstrong stepping onto the surface of the moon. "

"Superpowers have a tendency to decline, and when their decline becomes self-evident, attempts to defeat their adversaries are predictable, obsolete and allows new weaknesses to be exposed. When The Boston Herald was criticized for printing the photo of a slain Red Sox fan I inferred that Americans are still largely detached from the horrors of war and the reality of the situation in places like Iraq. Even as more young men and women return to these shores disfigured or in coffins. Rumsfeld told us that Iraq was nothing like Vietnam, because there's no jungle for the enemy to use for cover."

"I think back to the 2000 campaign when a reporter asked Bush to name the President of Pakistan. He didn't know. But to some, the question was a cheap shot, because how important was that guy anyway? Bush didn't need to know that as governor of Texas while on the campaign trail. Yet, I think President Musharraf's comment about an "iron curtain" falling between the west and Islam should be heeded by both candidates. Because, by now, Al Qaeda is undoubtedly planning its next attack on the U.S. and making sure it skirts the Department of Homeland Security, but is no less effective in demonstrating how a patient, determined, well-organized group of outlaws can outwit Goliath, seemingly at will. Osama Bin Laden and Egyptian exile Ayman Al-Zawahiri, solidified their relationship in Sudan, where Arab militias have expelled hundreds of thousands in what Secretary Powell finally referred to as a genocide. But winning the war on terror, a struggling economy and fears of election fraud or incompetence burns in the media. I'd say Al-Qaeda has us right where it wants us."

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In other news, I see this is back at the forefront again:

Canada Renews Bill to Decriminalize Pot Possession

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada's Liberal government reintroduced legislation on Monday to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana, drawing criticism that this could prompt a clampdown at the U.S. border.

The bill would replace criminal sanctions with fines for small amounts, 15 grams or about half an ounce, with youths getting smaller fines than adults.

Opposition Conservative Member of Parliament Vic Toews voiced fears that the legislation could end up jeopardizing the world's richest trading relationship, valued at more than $1 billion a day.

"We know that the Americans are very opposed to this bill," he told reporters in the lobby outside the House of Commons. "How does this government guarantee us that there won't be retaliatory action by the Americans?"

U.S. drug enforcement officials have warned that the relaxed laws could mean a surge in smuggling of potent Canadian marijuana -- a business already worth about C$5 billion ($4 billion) in the Pacific province of British Columbia.

Opponents in both countries have also warned this could lead to longer lineups at the border if the United States tightens security further.

Justice Minister Irwin Cotler said he did not want young users to have criminal records, which could hurt their job prospects and block entry into the United States.

Similar legislation got scuttled by the June federal election, which automatically killed all outstanding bills.
Canadian police had also warned that reliable tests needed to be developed for marijuana-impaired driving before decriminalizing the drug.

To that end, Cotler reintroduced a separate bill on Monday on drug-impaired driving, granting police the authority to force suspects to submit to tests.

Government officials said there was no reliable machine that police can use at the roadside to determine drug impairment, but they can look for involuntary jerking of the eyes and make drivers try to stand on one leg.
If they suspect drug use, they can take the driver to a police station to conduct further physical tests, and possibly to give blood, saliva or urine samples.

Officials also said police did not have enough training yet to be able to administer these tests across the country but Cotler pledged C$6.5 million for new training.

($1=$1.22 Canadian)

Here's hoping it goes through. I don't partake myself, but enough is enough. The stuff appears to be much easier on you than alcohol is, and it's only a lingering reputation that makes it seem "bad". Now if they'd just pass legislation to make it illegal to throw all of those nasty chemicals into cigarettes, and just return them to a leaf wrapped around some tobacco, we might actually be in good shape.

Groundhog Day

After eating dinner tonight, I came back to the computer and found a message flashing on my cell phone. The caller ID indicated it was my old landlord. How odd.

Sure enough, there he was telling me that they just got in and thought they'd alarmed the house, but there was what he thought was a smoke alarm going off downstairs. But no problem that I didn't answer the phone, he'd go down and knock on the door.

The strange thing is that I haven't lived there since March. I mean, did they just not notice?

Could I have lived there for all this time rent-free?

This is absent mind-ism of an impressive degree. :)

On a totally unrelated matter, I see that Half-Life 2 is finally coming out in the first couple of weeks of November. This is the impetus to finally upgrade my machine to something that can crunch that game nicely. Feel free to comment me with your opinions on mainboards, chips, video, audio, whatever. Feel free? Nay, please do give your opinions. :)