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 |   New and Improved... but only slightly. |
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THE MANIFESTO REMIX You've been pwn'd by ☡.☠ ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** |
| ... we'll give you Floyd Landis. A deal is a deal. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/cycling/2010-02-15-landis-warrant-update_N.htm?cs... Remember I was talking about memes and we all started using BALLS in our everyday dialogue? Here's a story on the icanhascheeseburger.com guy who, coincidentally enough, runs the FAILblog too. http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/01/mf_cheezking/ Alright, stick with me here. You have all been uber patient with my bitchings and going-ons about my Religion, Conflict and the State class. I reward you with... choosing the topic of my final paper. Below I have copied and pasted Chris Parr (the prof.)'s list of topics we may choose from. You will note that a good deal of these come with the condition that you cite his own (unpublished nor peer-reviewed) work. Have a gander through these and pick one, be sure to tell me why you chose that one! Suggested Topics: A. Take one concept that I introduce and explain in my manuscript draft of The Double-Edged Sword of Religion in Political Conflicts, and articulate how that concept, useful for understanding religion in political conflicts, would require a significant alteration of a standard IR concept, presupposition or approach to world affairs. Explain why that alteration appears necessary, and why you believe the modification would benefit (or not!) the current state of the discipline of IR. You may also venture an assessment of whether those in the discipline are likely to welcome, or resist, this change. (This paper also should be a further opportunity to engage in a review of the literature – you should demonstrate familiarity with the extant scholarship in your disciplinary field and/or On Reserve.) B. You more than likely came into this class either feeling that religion is more important in world affairs and international relations than is typically given attention, or else not convinced that it is important, but willing to consider the possibility. Now that you have had at least 3 cases made for TAKING RELIGION SERIOUSLY (Fox & Sandler’s, Aslan’s, and mine), assess from your own perspective or in terms of a standard model in IR, whether a convincing argument has been given that we MUST take religion seriously, WHY, and HOW that should be done from now on. If, however, you remain unconvinced, set out why neither Fox & Sandler, Aslan, nor Parr manage to convince you. C. Now’s your chance! If some part of the argument in my ms-book – perhaps a whole chapter, perhaps a particular theory or approach – seems to you especially unconvincing, ill-constructed, naïve or plain wrong, write an essay that shows you understand what I am arguing and why (ie. show you ‘get my point,’ so your disagreement is not based just on misunderstanding), and then MAKE YOUR BEST CASE that my argument is flawed in some critical way. Make your criticism as rigorous as you feel necessary, but also constructive as an engagement with my own thinking and purposes. D. Choose any TWO INTERNATIONAL CONFLICTS analyzed in this course, and by examining the political details involved, COMPARE how the different political systems available to the participants in the course of that conflict have enabled those participants to use, manipulate, take into account or disregard significant RELIGIOUS factors and interests, in order to achieve their goals, or to foil their opponents – or, you may also argue, to fail in attaining their objectives. E. Choose any ONE of the religious traditions (or sub-divisions) we have studied, and show in what ways it may offer powerful RESOURCES FOR ESTABLISHING PEACE and resolving conflict situations. Describe either an actual historical instance, or suggest a possible scenario, in which religious factors have contributed usefully to reducing political tensions. F. Almost all our examples of religio-political conflict have involved MUSLIM states or communities, and/or culturally-CHRISTIAN nations. Is there something about Islam or Christianity which gives either one a tendency towards creating conflict situations? If so, is that tendency a necessary part of its character as a religion, or something non-religious — or does it indicate a way in which either tradition understands itself as unique, and not just "a religion"? Alternatively, if not, then is it the case that religions by nature give rise to conflict situations? Can you cite an example or two where Islam / Christianity has made for peace rather than violence in an otherwise conflicted international dispute? [You can concentrate on either Islam or Christianity, or compare & contrast the two]. And although I still have my 4.0, alas, it will go away at the end of this term thanks to Parr, so worry not about choosing one that may facilitate a better grade. |
| ... Vancouver. I demand that whoever sent me a c-note as a "secret admirer", reveal themselves damnit! No secrets among friends! In any event, did you know the Olympics are going on? WTF! They get earlier and earlier every year! Did anyone watch the pairs figure skating short program? The Chinese showed up, performed first, dropped a record score on the ice, and left everyone else to try and win second. Boom. That's how they roll! [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqNaAU2vXlI There's really only one event I am interested in and it's hockey... and in particular USA v. Canada... the women's teams! That's right hosers, when it comes to hockey, the only competitive US team is the ladies team. Both the Canadians and US trounced their opening round competition, and I predict an all North American gold metal game... which is actually what happened last time round I believe. Homework awaits! But before I leave here tonight, it is with heavy heart I say a fond WdC farewell to inhercat. For nearly forty years, Cat has been coming to this site daily, preaching her Pentecostal message to her followers. In 1989 she single handedly tore down the Berlin Wall... of Berlin, New Hampshire, and paid a fine for property damage. It was in the 1996 summer olympics though that Cat truly gained notoriety, as the only female bobsledder in the Atlanta games. She was a friend to the site, a friend to the Remix, and a great friend to me. She is loved and will be missed... here on WdC. I fully intend, and many of you do, to keep in touch with her. She's teaching me to bobsled! I already paid for the lessons!  |
| ... are a great time to blog I've found... especially when you're already so lame all you do on a Saturday night is homework! Houston...ahhhh...we got a problem... Space shuttle Endeavor delivered the necessary parts to the International Space Station Wednesday to repair its broken... urine recycler!  http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/astronauts-urine-recyler-repair-100210.html.... I got to tell you, if I was an ISS astronaut, floating around, seeing the Earth as so very few humans ever have or will for sometime, the last thing I want to be refreshing my thirst with is piss! In fact, I would say that the mere fact that the recycler broke and the ISS astronauts waited for the Endeavor mission for repair parts, proves that they have another way of getting liquids. So, as soon as the thing broke I think I would have said something like, "Hey, you and I both know that piss is piss no matter how many times you recycle it. Dig it, those posers down there don't have to know it's broke! I'm tired of drinking piss! You drink all the piss you want, but I'm out, I'm done!" And I would have left through the back door, slamming it behind me. Man, am I glad my Religion, Conflict and the State professor has tenure... too soon? Speaking of too soon, those Baptists in Haiti just can't do right! http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/14/world/americas/14haiti.html |
... ri-god-d ned-diculous!Last night in class was bad, it was ugly, I was shaking with anger and up till like 4 this morning arguing with that jack-ass in my head. Class started fine, I had reserved myself to sit quietly and not talk. I was not going to be, as I have been increasingly feeling, the whipping boy for him to demonize and politicize his ideas. Then our mid-class break came and he takes me out of the room to let me know that he "enjoys my arguments" and when he grades me he's grading "not our differences of opinion, but the quality of your (my) work". Fair deuce. So in the second half of class he's making a point about the need to "understand a peoples' religion to predict their behavior". Well, I raise my point that that seems to allow for stereotypes. "But this isn't stereotyping this is generalizing"... WTF you moron! A rose by any other name... For a full hour we're banging heads over this crap. He apparently gets tired of listening to me, so he starts speaking for me saying I don't think religion is important. I'm trying to tell him that I do, but I honestly can't see a religious solution to Israel/Palestine or the Irish troubles! In fact, he had himself brought up the fact that the UK paid Ian Paisley 60 million pounds (for the government and economy, not his bank account) to come back to the NI peace talks... that sounds like 60 million secular arguments for finding a solution to me! THEN, he overhears me tell a girl in the class that I was really beginning to feel like a jack-ass. Either I wasn't making sense when I was talking or something... well, he spends the last 20 minutes of class revealing how benevolent he's been in allowing me to speak. The debate is necessary, and thought provoking, and "... although you have failed to convince anyone..." the class has benefited from my opinions. I WASN'T TRYING TO CONVINCE ANYONE OF ANYTHING!!! I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THIS DOUCHE BAGGEDRY!!! See, I'm being demonized for the benefit of his agenda! The worst though was after class when I was reading his 3 pages of hand scrawled notes for my four page paper. It was so utterly passive aggressive! He's railing on my opinion with frequent uses of the word "wrong", he continues his name calling referring to me as a "realist" (think Kissinger) and a member of the ESTABLISHMENT (bold and caps from the original), which he knew would get me! Remember two weeks ago when he was calling me a Marxist (then it progressed to nazi, and now a crusader for the establishment  ).So after 2.9 pages of this, he ends with, "I really appreciate your arguments and would encourage you to continue bringing them up. B+". Now, I'm sitting here, when I need to be working on real homework writing my "9 or 5 Thesis" to go hammer to his thick skull! Here I stand (invictus!), I can do no more! Drop some Martin Luther on his face! I got another Bible quote for him too, NON F KING SERVIUM.It seems like, with my paper, he really Billy Madison'd my ass: [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7w64fbqYQY I'll be back to read blog later, after I martyr myself on this academic cross. |
| ... I truly, truly did! The Higgs Boson is no longer lost to speculation and theory, it is in my hand! That's right I found the Higgs Boson... which is what I loving call my cell phone. It was in my car. Before we go any further, it should be pointed out that Mass Effect is a console RPG, not an MMO and that I was dumped by a preprogrammed character running through a story line, not an avatar controlled by someone else... how this guides your judgement of me is up to you. Tonight is my Religion, Conflict and the State class. That would be the one where I was called a name by the professor. Wish me luck... or rather him, I'm a pacifist who isn't keen to pass the fist (as in pass the fist up to peaceful solutions... I'm reaching... how this guides your judgement of me is up to you). I'm just not going to talk in that class anymore. I got a 4.0 to protect and I wouldn't put it past this D-Bag to dock my grade for my lack of agreement. Need to steal an A from him like a Baptist would a Hatian baby! ... too soon? In the news, the shuttle Endeavor docked with the International Space Station. It could be heard saying, "Yeah, take it all!" http://news.cnet.com/8301-19514_3-10450695-239.html Anyhoo, I cannot linger long, I'm buried under a mountain of homework. It's hard times ahead for the Z-ster. [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H27iGiuA_Xk Oooooo, damn! Rodney King never felt a beat like this! |
| ... a video game (VG) girlfriend! I have been doing so much homework recently that I haven't been able to keep up with my Mass Effect duties. But yesterday I finally got some quality time in, only to be extremely hurt and broken hearted. In Mass Effect, you have all these dialogue trees and what not between characters and part of the game is building trust among your teammates and even a little romance  . So, I'm just tearing along through this game, trying to save the universe, and yes, going through all the romance stuff (it's a 10gp achievement). Apparently, BioWare, the developers of Mass Effect, have a hidden social agenda to push monogamy cause a VG character threatened to dump me yesterday if I didn't tell some other VG character that our "relationship" was over! ! Initially, I was like "So close to Valentine's Day!?! How cruel!" But then I got to thinking about sub-bullet-points:  To begin with I'm not looking for monogamy, but more-ogamy. It's a VG! I should be able to flirt, bonk, impregnate and dump (in that order) all the chicks in it! (You can play as a girl too, before anyone says that's sexist. Ladies can do the same to the men... save for impregnating). Secondly, I don't think any of the ladies in the game understand the pressures that come with trying to save the universe. There's a huge weight on my shoulders, and they're bickering is doing nothing to help the situation. Finally, I think this particular, dump-threatening character is just jealous, and if that were an available line of dialogue in the tree, I would so tell her that. I imagine there are only a few people who know what I'm talking about. So here's an example... in Polish! [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNGqNpdbyTc |
| ... we've got that Super Bowl out of the way, we can get on with the important stuff. Like, does anyone know where I left my cell phone? I put it down somewhere and now it's gone... it wouldn't have left me would it? I mean I treated it like a princess! Sure, we had our spats, but doesn't every phone and owner? In any event, I was truly let down by the Super Bowl commercials yesterday, what a weak lot they were. Not even beer and nachos could make me forget the failure of our American advertisers... the terrorists have won. So, WdC is not a great place to get betting advice. I think there was but one Saints pick over the past week. Hmmm, my bookie, Two-Tone Tony, wants a word with all of you. At this point in the entry, I have hit a wall, a wall between me and entertaining thoughts to share with you. I have failed... the terrorists have won... Quick! Play me off Eric Idle! [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGRPFUYUUdQ |
| ... I was late to get the newsletter out for January should just start eating their words. Boom... this is a face-palm moment for you, I know. "Invalid Entry"  RESERVOIR BLOGS EPISODE 3!!! Now, 100% half-assed! |
| ... was not a very good class. My New Zealand prof. was going on (contradicting himself, by the bye) about the differences between religion and politics. And he says that political ideologies, "communism, fascism and nazism", doesn't offer the sort of end goal that religion does. I raised my hand to simply note that much has already been written about Marx's use of the proletariat as "the messiah", and the worker's utopia and heaven being quite similar. My prof, points at me, and says "Let's hear from our resident nazi." W - T - F... you mother fking Kiwi! (no offense, Rainbapple) That's not even funny! He called me a fking nazi, the kuala fer (no offense, Rainbapple). This is what pisses me off the most though. He didn't call me a nazi cause I'm a nazi, he didn't call me a nazi cause he was joking (like he said later when he did apologize to me) he called me a nazi cause I don't agree with him. I'm not religious, I'm under the spell of the "Western secular, educated elite" he rails on about. I can't accept his contradictions or vague definitions. In fact, I think what he teaches is downright dangerous. Had this guy caught me when I was 14 (well, let's face it, even 24) I would have verbally punched his face with cursing. I would have already walked out of his class, shaking my fist, saying, "Religious people are easily manipulated buffoons who need an excuse for the things they can't control or understand". But I'm pretending to be growsed up, and I'm trying to be patient with this jack-ass. This happened last night and the more I think about it, the more it bothers me. I can't even be for certain that it was the fact he called me a "nazi" as the fact that I didn't respond in kind and only took it with a look of shocked indignation. Oi vey... being a nazi just isn't what it used to be, I tell ya. [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K08akOt2kuo |
... but hardly noteworthy news. For all of you who told me yesterday that I would need to take razors into the past to pick up chicks, let me reply by noting that female body hair only came about with the women's lib. movement. So thank you very much, Susan B. Anthony. Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard are getting married!?! What a waste of a hot broad! I guess I should have changed my name to Zax. She's going to miss out on all I could have offered her, like our marriage, our first kid... our first divorce... what a waste.The French are knighting Ewan McGregor and... Jim Carrey!?! Chevalier James Carrey just doesn't sound right... And finally, yesterday it was scientifically proven and biblically confirmed that Bear+Tranq/Tree = [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PruvoQPyTsU |
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