tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18829500.post113414144605931105..comments2023-10-11T10:40:48.712-04:00Comments on The Miserable Annals of the Earth: Reasons to hate meDoc Nebulahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13052810933464744998noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18829500.post-1134346487428967742005-12-11T19:14:00.000-05:002005-12-11T19:14:00.000-05:00Highlander -- I'm not the least bit surprised. I'...Highlander -- I'm not the least bit surprised. I've met that girl many times over (And Yule's the Wiccan holiday. Exactly like the Christian Holiday, without the virgin -- but there's still an exalted mother, a nativity, a feast, and a tree so it's all good)<BR/><BR/>nate -- I have to agree with you on the convenience thing. It's sick. And in this day and age with all of the birth control we have available to still be so irresonsible as to end up pregnant when you've made a conscious choice to have sex, but not to have children is pathetic. And to actually go through with the abortion (which can itself be fairly risky and can seriously messy) is cold-hearted.<BR/><BR/>And I think everyone who has an abortion should have free counseling afterwards. So many girls think it's just in and out, they don't realize how that sort of choice will affect their lives.Ragnellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00373059673228550524noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18829500.post-1134333860502754452005-12-11T15:44:00.000-05:002005-12-11T15:44:00.000-05:00Well, people change over time, and I have too. My...Well, people change over time, and I have too. My opinion of abortion is that in most cases it is bad for society, and in all it kills a person, but that in some cases it is a sad neccessity. Of course, for me those neccessary cases are medical neccessity (where the continued pregnancy will kill the mother) and I also believe that a rape victim should have the option to abort, but should also receive free counselling before (and after).<BR/><BR/>I'm still not entirely sold on killing a defenseless and blameless child because of something a father it never met did to its mother, but I have to admit that forcing a rape victim to bear her rapist's child is a little too heartless for me.<BR/><BR/>The abortions I have a serious problem with are the ones done for the sake of mom and dad's convienence. Killing your offspring because you don't want to accept the responsibility of raising them is just plain sick.<BR/><BR/>My word is Xbshhhbr, which I believe is the name of one of the Greater Elder Squirmy Things mentioned in the Necronomicon.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18829500.post-1134308786917818392005-12-11T08:46:00.000-05:002005-12-11T08:46:00.000-05:00Nate,I don't think you and I are quite in tune on ...Nate,<BR/><BR/>I don't think you and I are quite in tune on abortion, either, as last I read on your blog, you still wanted to burn down abortion clinics and everyone in them. What was that phrase... 'citadels of infanticide'...?<BR/><BR/>Scott,<BR/><BR/>Believe it or not, I wished someone a 'Merry Christmas' on the bus last week and got a five minute lecture on how not EVERYone in the world celebrates Christmas and my arrogance and yaddity yaddity yaddity. Fortunately, my soft skills managed to turn the lecturer around by the time her stop came up, as I calmly pointed out that my expression of holiday cheer was meant only to reflect which form of Winter Solstice ritual I myself celebrated, not to presume on anyone else's. I also made her realize that by lecturing me for intolerance, she was in effect showing some intolerance herself. We parted amicably... but... yeah... a simple "Merry Christmas" can get you some shit, down here in the South 48.<BR/><BR/>Ragnell,<BR/><BR/>Oddly, the chick on the bus who was lecturing me so earnestly on my hateful cultural imperialism was a Wiccan. She, at least, wasn't so far gone she expected me to just intuit that and wish her a fruitful Beltane (or whatever the jebus it is Wiccans celebrate as a Winter Solstice ceremony), but her thesis was that unless you KNOW someone else shares your ceremonial bias, you should stick with a safe 'Happy Holidays'. <BR/><BR/>I think it was Clemens who once noted that an insult is like a drink... neither can effect you if you don't accept it. I don't intend my holiday greeting to be offensive; those who find offense in it are manufacturing it on their own.<BR/><BR/>Mark,<BR/><BR/>Watch the hands, buddy. ;)<BR/><BR/>My word of the comment is ezbhkdj, who is, I think, one of the loonier Old Testament prophets.Doc Nebulahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13052810933464744998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18829500.post-1134295529955414692005-12-11T05:05:00.000-05:002005-12-11T05:05:00.000-05:00Well said on all points. While there is always roo...Well said on all points. While there is always room for nitpicking and quibbling, I feel that we are on the same page regarding most of your positions.<BR/>I've always thought about covering such things over on my blog, but was always overcome with laziness before attempting it. Maybe someday.<BR/><BR/>Keep the up the articulate rants and venting!Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05401863118078816763noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18829500.post-1134276746604453852005-12-10T23:52:00.000-05:002005-12-10T23:52:00.000-05:00Highlander -- Good for you, reject the stupid labe...Highlander -- Good for you, reject the stupid labels! It's time we all dropped the left/right division and started making opinions on a case-by-case basis. Conservative... Liberal... Both sides are equally corrupt, anyway.<BR/><BR/>scott -- It depends on their relationship with Christianity. A lot of non-Christians down here are sensitive about the pervasive influence of Christian culture (which, if you want to split hairs, is basically Pagan culture dressed up with a cross) and after a month straight of nothing but religious music on the radio (Christmas Carols!) you can develop a hair-trigger temper.<BR/><BR/>I would have probably have taken someone's head off last year for "Merry Christmas" not because of the well-wishing, but because I'd just told my mother about the Wicca thing and had a huge fight. Of course, the rest of my office was spared that because I was warring that year with Melissa. Melissa was a convert to Judiasm (with a similar problem with her Christian family) and more sensitive to Christian culture than the most brittle ex-Catholic-turned-atheist I'd ever met. We had a "tolerance war" as we both tried to display ourselves as less reactionary than the other. Ultiamtely she drew the line at the Holiday Door Decorating and insisted that the office party be a "Holiday Party", and I drew it at the Christmas music, because I couldn't stand it when I was Christian.<BR/><BR/>But, for some people it's not so much a greeting as a reminder that you just don't quite fit in with the rest of the group, y'know?<BR/><BR/>(Oh, and in case anyone cares, I've since made up with my mother and can take it as a cheery greeting again)Ragnellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00373059673228550524noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18829500.post-1134268082591275822005-12-10T21:28:00.000-05:002005-12-10T21:28:00.000-05:00But on my own time, I say "Merry Christmas", and i...<I> But on my own time, I say "Merry Christmas", and if that pisses anyone off (and I imagine it will, at some point),</I><BR/><BR/>Does this really happen? I mean, having someone get pissed at you for saying 'Merry Christmas' when they're not, you know, Christian? Myself, I think that the whole 'War on Christmas' thing is entirely overblown; I don't know a single person here in desperate-not-to-offend Canada who would ever consider 'Merry Christmas' to be offensive. I mean, like you, I say 'happy holidays' at work, mostly because my workplace is extremely ethnically diverse, and wishing a Hindu a Merry Christmas, while not particularly offensive, is kinda pointless.<BR/><BR/><I> One thing I've yearned all my life to see made illegal is the horribly medieval, utterly useless ceremony of the 'personal interview'.</I><BR/><BR/>See, I *love* this idea. It's why I read your blog, Highlander - you think of stuff like this that I would never in a million years consider. <BR/>Of course, it'd never work, because the concept of an interview is too firmly ingrained in work culture, but I still like the idea, Julia's quite valid arguments notwithstanding.<BR/><BR/>And you know what? I'm pretty much with you on the rest of it too. Hmm. <BR/><BR/>My word verification is'frqjy', which sounds vaguely offensive.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18829500.post-1134257592886610902005-12-10T18:33:00.000-05:002005-12-10T18:33:00.000-05:00Uh, is it right that I should agree this strongly ...Uh, is it right that I should agree this strongly on all of your points (except maybe #1, I have too many problems with involving religion in the winter solstice festivities, I'd rather they were entirely secular)?<BR/><BR/>Well, I suppose I'm a little more emphatic on the ID thing too. So, maybe we're not THAT sympatico...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18829500.post-1134190135861154382005-12-09T23:48:00.000-05:002005-12-09T23:48:00.000-05:00Those positions I spoke of weren't good positions....Those positions I spoke of weren't good positions. They were jobs that I never would have interviewed for if I knew the terms of employment. <BR/><BR/>60 hour work weeks (salaried, of course), on call in the evenings and weekends. Places to cheap to pay for the personnel they truly need. Only thing good was the money. <BR/><BR/>This is why I hate employment agencies. You tell them, specifically what you want, and they completely ignore you.Juliahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02216365213708551330noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18829500.post-1134173992876882132005-12-09T19:19:00.000-05:002005-12-09T19:19:00.000-05:00J,First, don't worry about posting lengthy comment...J,<BR/><BR/>First, don't worry about posting lengthy comments. I enjoy them. <BR/><BR/>>>But I think you are a bit too defensive about your views. <BR/><BR/>I use this blog to vent a lot. I'm probably not as careful as I should be in a social environment as to how I phrase myself and especially that oddly subjective thing known as 'tone'. On the other hand, I feel like it's my blog, and I can be as careless with that as I like... provided, of course, I'm willing to accept the consequences, which can and most likely will be people misreading me entirely. <BR/><BR/>Beyond that, a truculent tone is something that I, myself, often find to be entertaining and funny, and sometimes I'm even deliberately satirizing myself. Or at least I think I am. I suppose it's possible I am just defensive, but ::shrug:: there are worse things to be. My opinions are always controversial; I get attacked for them a lot. The appropriate response to that strikes me as defensiveness.<BR/><BR/>>>Aren't you falling (albiet in reverse) into the "If you're not for us, you're against us" attitude of the wingnuts? Or are you railing against the liberals who fell into that trap? <BR/><BR/>Um... I don't know. I'm speaking my opinions as clearly as possible. Your interpretation of subtleties like my tone is entirely subjective and I respectfully refuse to be held responsible for it.<BR/><BR/>See... and again, this will probably seem defensive... if I'm straightforward, I'll come off as brusque. If I'm conciliatory, well, I feel that I'm being manipulative and trying to handle your perceptions. Sometimes I'll do that, mostly I find it tiresome. I do realize that what I'm calling manipulative, others might regard as being considerate of a potential reader's feelings... but I don't think I say anything on this blog that should be really offensive to a reasonable, mature adult... and I'm not really interested in talking to anyone else. <BR/><BR/>However, I analyze other people's words endlessly, and I know other people will do it to me. Rather than work hard to pre-craft their judgements of me, I prefer to let them take me as they find me... since that's largely how I try to take other people.<BR/><BR/>>>Let me comment on a few things.<BR/><BR/>Any time.<BR/><BR/>>>Christmas. I used to be a "new-age-pagan" and I took offense when people would say "Merry Christmas". Now, as long as you don't spit when you talk, any well wishing is gratefully accepted. But I can understand how business people would ask their employees to say "Happy Holidays". It's business. <BR/><BR/>I don't think I said anything different than that. I say "Happy Holidays" at work because it's professional. On my personal time, I exercise a personal choice. I expect people to respect my right to do that; those who wouldn't are fools I have no time for.<BR/><BR/>>>Eliminating the personal interview is a mistake. As a former business owner, I wanted to see these people before I made a commitment. The girl who can't remember to brush her teeth, or the guy who didn't seem to think shampoo was important were not people who I wanted to hire. As far as getting rid of them later, the hiring process is a pain in the ass. <BR/><BR/>All valid points. I have never been the employer, though, and there can be no meeting of the minds between a lifelong hireling and management/ownership. The dichotomy of viewpoints, desires, needs, perceptions, and attitudes is insurmountable... and something I'm going to blog about, one day soon. <BR/><BR/>>>Currently, I am an employee. I must have turned down 20 positions in the last 3 years.<BR/><BR/>No disrespect intended in truncating your paragraph. It's all very valid. But your experience strikes me as being fairly uncommon. Certainly I've never in my life been in a position to turn down 20 jobs. I have, however, been turned down for jobs many times for things having to do with my physicality and my appearance. I suppose if an employee WANTS to interview their boss, it could be allowed... I simply don't think a potential employer should be empowered to withhold employment on specious grounds. But, again, I'm not writing my opinions from your point of view, although, clearly, you are a far more valued and in demand employee than I have ever been, and kudos to you for it.<BR/><BR/>>>Abortion? Hey, as long as you don't make abortion illegal, that's cool.<BR/><BR/>I don't believe in legislating my own preferences or tastes, especially where doing so would restrict the actions of other people. However, I certainly do believe in expressing my own preferences and tastes, especially on my blog.<BR/><BR/>>>Pro-choice should be about more choices.<BR/><BR/>Yeah. Or as someone on TV once said, I'm not in favor of abortion, I'm in favor of birth control.<BR/><BR/>I hope my tone, above, wasn't too abrupt. I enjoy your comments and wouldn't want to chase you away. But I try to communicate as directly as I can, most of the time, and, yeah, this post is all about opinions of mine that have come under considerable attack over the course of my adult life, so I suppose my tone is indeed somewhat presumptive... although I'm merely trying to be pre-emptive. <BR/><BR/>Thanks again for the comment.Doc Nebulahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13052810933464744998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18829500.post-1134169590334744732005-12-09T18:06:00.000-05:002005-12-09T18:06:00.000-05:00Interesting blog. But I think you are a bit too d...Interesting blog. But I think you are a bit too defensive about your views. Aren't you falling (albiet in reverse) into the "If you're not for us, you're against us" attitude of the wingnuts? Or are you railing against the liberals who fell into that trap? Let me comment on a few things.<BR/><BR/>Christmas. I used to be a "new-age-pagan" and I took offense when people would say "Merry Christmas". Now, as long as you don't spit when you talk, any well wishing is gratefully accepted. But I can understand how business people would ask their employees to say "Happy Holidays". It's business. <BR/><BR/>Eliminating the personal interview is a mistake. As a former business owner, I wanted to see these people before I made a commitment. The girl who can't remember to brush her teeth, or the guy who didn't seem to think shampoo was important were not people who I wanted to hire. As far as getting rid of them later, the hiring process is a pain in the ass. <BR/><BR/>Currently, I am an employee. I must have turned down 20 positions in the last 3 years. Why? Because during the interview, I determined that I didn't want to work for that company. I was better off where I am now. I spend more time at work than I do with my kid, so it had better be a company that I can deal with and a boss who gets that the job isn't my entire life. The interview gives me the opportunity to interview my potential employer. I NEED that interiview. Under your system, how would I know if I was getting a better job? In my life, money is not the main concern. How it will impact my family is.<BR/><BR/>Abortion? Hey, as long as you don't make abortion illegal, that's cool. I believe the woman who has an abortion she doesn't want, because she sees no other choice, is no less oppressed than the woman who is forced to carry a pregnancy to term. Pro-choice should be about more choices.<BR/><BR/>I've taken up enough space on your blog, perhaps I'll cover the other issues on my own blog.Juliahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02216365213708551330noreply@blogger.com