krazyknuck's Xanga

Friday, November 02, 2007

Fri, 02 Nov 2007 22:56:41 GMT

If any one still subscribes to this page, and has not already facebook stalked me to know everything I'm doing, here's a quick update. I took a wander through my old xanga entries and it's pretty interesting, especially to me, how my thinking has changed over time. My politics have gone from middle up, to slightly less up and more left. My religion has gone from conservative Christian to non-religious. Sorry to disappoint some of you folks, (not overly sorry) but are you really that surprised? My beliefs are just quite different now in that realm.

Work is good except entry wage is driving me bonkers. I guess I am on the verge of a promotion, so perhaps I should stick it out. I'm more active now than I've been in awhile, and not just running and going to the gym. Rock climbing is so much more rewarding.

Any questions? Facebook. Lata peeps.

Pvt. Mark Anthony Graham

Wed, 13 Dec 2006 03:10:05 GMT

Private Mark Anthony Graham made the ultimate sacrifice so that others could have the hope of peace. Killed by friendly fire while fullfiling his duty in Afganistan, he will not be soon forgotten. He was a local hero as he competed in the 1992 Barcelona olympics. I can't begin to understand the pain his parents are feeling, and how it will be for his daughter to grow up without her father. Very unexpectedly, I sat next to a Scottish gentleman at a bar recently who was Mark's track coach while he was part of the Canadian Olympic team. It was good to learn things about Mark I didn't already know, as he was a motivational factor when I ran track, and he was also my cousin. For the sake of every parent who fears when they hear the news of another fatality overseas, for every child who may grow up parentless, and for every spouse who has to gather the pieces of a shattered life after an unfortunate instant, I pray the fighting calms and each soldier returns home safely.

Sunday, August 27, 2006

Sun, 27 Aug 2006 01:14:43 GMT

I'm getting a job!! Management trainee at Enterprise Rent-A-Car in Guelph, Ontario. Looks like a really good opportunity, and I get to move out!! Woohoo! I love my parents, but I think it will be good when I move in to my own apartment. We get along, I just don't feel right being here. Doesn't feel like home anymore. Man I hope I find a place that feels like home one day.

Sunday, July 16, 2006

Sun, 16 Jul 2006 04:49:10 GMT

I want to shoot myself in the face!! Living with my parents for two weeks is two weeks too long.

Saturday, May 27, 2006

Sat, 27 May 2006 11:02:03 GMT

In response to a new book I've been listening to, 'America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction', by Jon Stewart and the Daily Show staff, I thought I would share some personal thoughts on what makes America great. By the way, it is satirical, so pretend for a minute you're watching the Colbert Report.

Truthfully, I really do love this country. More than American apple pie, American cheese, and adult swim. I feel as much patriotism to the American flag as I do to my country's flag. The principles of this great nation--free enterprise, freedom to say whatever the heck you want on TV, and freedom to believe water from a spring in northern Canada blessed by a Kabbalah rabbi has the power to stop natural disasters--have shaped the history of the United States... and the Middle East. I admire determination. We'll bring democracy to everyone, whether they like it or not, one oil rich region at a time. Democracy, rule by the people, is spreading rapidly around the world. Actually, I think we need to invent a new word. What's Latin for rule by a foreign superpower? Bushocracy?

Of all the things that make this nation great, it has never been, nor is it supposed to be, the ruling government. America has a great claim to fame: they have the oldest working democracy in the world. They also have one major flaw. They have the oldest working democracy in the world. The current system allows us to choose from a wide variety of two candidates who will knock heads, for the sport of it, for the next four years, until a contender arises from the dust to lay claim to the throne. A man, or woman--heh, right--who will proudly proclaim, "I will represent you the best I can", by voting nay, because my oppenent votes yay. Someone who will responsibly enforce the ninety year old 3-30% temporary war tax by spending $400 billion to collect taxes, contributing to the 'determine how much taxpayer's owe' fund. They will provide freedom by responsibly spending the taxpayers' property; and then spending taxpayer time, as the taxpayers work to earn more property to give to the government to provide more freedom.

Media objectively presents everything citizens need to know to be disgruntled with somebody else. The media has more power in this great nation than the executive branch. Pitting citizens against the legislature, Latin Americans against immigrant descendant Americans, heterosexuals against homosexuals, and donkeys against fat guys afraid of change. They make us aware that immigration is the newest problem decades ago; we were perfectly content not knowing, or caring, that our sanitation workers were breaking the law. Help had to come from somewhere once African Americans found out about the constitution.

What truly makes this nation great is its intellectual properties: the people of this great land, the American voter. Practicing diligently by voting for future insignificant celebrities, this group sends the best and brightest, those few who have mastered the ability to punch a hole in a paper card, to determine who will influence their everyday lives for the next four years. Many will look past the unimportant issues of healthcare, social security, the economy, and foreign affairs, to the real issue of preventing same sex couples from entering into a binding contract. Fifty percent of the younger voters will have learned to locate New York State on a map, and another thirty-seven percent will know where to find their brothers and sisters that are sacrificing their lives to impose democracy in a foreign desert. Educated voters will be happy to know their elected representatives are protecting voters' right to worship nothing at all, as the government puts great attention into removing all references to organized religion.

All this was made possible by a small group of demigods who signed a flawless agreement on July 4, 1776. They understood what it meant to be free. They realized a man was never free until he was free to control his own property, direct his own affairs, and be free from an oppressive ruling body. To this day, our legal system has ignored the trite ideals of philosophy, and upheld the divinity of every letter and word of the constitution that so adequately applied to the political atmosphere of 1776. And that divine document will continue to endure until a group of even more powerful demigods rebels, and produces an even more profound and divine set of legal documents, perhaps one hundred thousand pages longer, writing in stone the indisputable legal guidelines of freedom.

I pray the reader remember that freedom is our greatest commodity. Freedom endowed to us through our creator, freedom to direct our own affairs, and freedom to screw up from time to time. The founding fathers made a document that could be used as a tool to promote freedom, not to restrict it. Freedom that empowered citizens to be aware, not ignorant, of government affairs. To direct government for positive reform, and stop neglection of the will of the people. From every mountainside, let freedom ring!

If you like you can post your comments at canadianembassy.blogspot.com. I'm transitioning. I figure since I'm graduating from college I should also graduate from xanga. I'll come back to visit from time to time though.

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Wed, 10 May 2006 05:59:08 GMT

I really like movies where there is an underlying theme of justice or integrity prevailing despite pressure to be unethical. Where morals and strong character of the main character are portrayed.
I really like the movie 'A Civil Action', and was watching it again the other day. If you haven't seen it, it's based on a true story of a civil tort lawyer--who is concerned with money and tangible property--who sues Beatrice and a subsiduary for dumping toxic waste over a period of time, which has lead to diseases and death in a small community. He and his firm go bankrupt in the process because he refuses to settle unless Beatrice takes full responsibility, helps the families, and cleans up the waste. When his partners leave him and he's left with no possessions, even knowing what would happen, he still says he would do it all over again.
The bankruptcy judge asks what happened to his money, property, and the things by which one measures one's worth. Jan (John Travolta as the main character) doesn't respond and gazes off contemplating while the shot fades to another scene. What he gains is worth much more then what he loses as Jan figures out that his integrity and strength of character is what measures one's personal worth. Something I hope I remember while working in the business world.

The happy ending is Grace--the subsiduary--loses the appeal when Jan forwards the case to the EPA, and they are forced to pay the largest settlement in history for this sort of trial. As well they are ordered to clean up the toxic waste in the ground and pay an exorbitant fee for research into groudwater contamination.
Of course the movie dramatizes the facts. As credit to Grace, they closed the tannery, and have been commended by the EPA and Woburn--the local community--for their continuing efforts to restore uncontaminated groundwater. Up until 1999--the dumping occured in 60s, and 70s, and was ordered to be cleaned up in the late 80s--they were still involved in the cleanup and monitoring of the groundwater in the community of Woburn.

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Wed, 03 May 2006 19:34:26 GMT

We're too obsessed with big cars! Of the 9.7 billion barrels of oil the U.S. guzzles every year 67% goes to vehicles. And even though technology has improved fuel efficiency has gotten worse as vehicles have gotten bigger and more bells and whistles have been added. 10 years ago only 7.9 billion barrels were consumed a day. This is a big part of rising gas prices, since a new refinery hasn't been built in this country in about thirty years.

I think there is something good in the midst of this. With gas prices going out of control alternative fuels may finally be sought. The U.S. contributes 25% of all greenhouse gases in the world. Energy usage per capita is double that of Britain and Japan. This definitely isn't the only country producing vast amounts of CO 2, but it is producing the most.

There's a lot of things individuals can do to reduce that number but education isn't widespread about how. An estimated 36% of individual energy usage would be eliminated by recycling, turning off lights leaving a room, not hitting the accelerator when driving, and lots of other things too. And just buying normal sized cars instead of vehicles that can carry a soccer team and pull a mobile home simultaneously.

Thursday, April 27, 2006

Thu, 27 Apr 2006 05:02:04 GMT

Wow, I'm such a softy. Even I forget with this hard shell I've built up that fools most people, including me. But occassionally it cracks a little bit. It's good to know I'm human in there somewhere.

Lily is a cool cat.

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

Tue, 18 Apr 2006 13:04:08 GMT

I have to disagree with something said in chapel the other day. Daniel Cherry, a fantastic man and good Christian role model, said speaking out against the government is only destructive. He connected it with being proud of one's origin and patriotism to the country. Personally I'm extremely proud of both my country of origin, Canada, and the United States; both world leaders and examples of social and economic advances and change across the globe. Specifically the power of the U.S. is so overwhelming that it influences every other nation of the world, and for this reason there ought to be checks and balances to be sure the U.S. is using its influence constructively. Most of the time everything this country does for the world is constructive, and even more often at least the motives are for positive influence. But we do live in a democratic society. The basis of a democratic country is the ability for each individual to influence the decisions of the country by imploring representatives of government to listen to the majority. And campaign promises--sometimes kept and sometimes not--prove government officials listen closely. Special interest groups that get their way in parliament by threatening changing votes also show the government is all ears to what the people have to say. Positive change comes from expressing concerns with one another and debating with intelligent and educated arguments. A church congregation often uses democratic methods to reach decisions based on fundementals of the religion. Concerns with poor decisions are voiced, and when they are valid concerns they are not considered destructive to the religion. To do so, or to deliberately stifle democratic speech is the basis for a communist form of government. The fact that the U.S. gets involved in world affairs that they feel are dealt with inappropriately shows the government is voicing its concern with international problems, the same way individuals in the U.S. voice concerns of the government on a domestic level. Although if the U.S. were to impose by force--sometimes force is necessary--its conclusions of how things should be handled it is turning away from the democratic function it so adamantly believes in and once again showing functions of a communist form of government. To exercise one's right to express doubts over government actions and influence others to vote accordingly is one of the most patriotic things an individual can do for his country.

The leader of a democratic nation is simply first among equals. Because he is the first to express opinion on an issue, and the one to direct the decision, by no means proves his decision is correct. If I express discontent with the president it has nothing to do with whether I like the president. Even if I were to express doubt over the ability of the president to lead, it still has nothing to do with whether I like the president. He is simply first among equals.

Monday, April 17, 2006

Mon, 17 Apr 2006 12:12:35 GMT

We have a cat now. Sad that someone reported the Colons as having one so they had to give it away. She's pretty friendly but way scared of everything. We also got two puppies this weekend. Kib's fiancee Sarah found them left outside her house. For a little while we're keeping them here. The cat doesn't like them much, but she's inside, they're outside.