KO2

The fraud of any con schemes can be discovered by close observation and deductive reasoning. Here's some inferences that I came up with, but I might be way off base, being wrong often. All religions today tend to give complete stories of a Divinity's relationship with man. Yes there is the mystery of Revelations. But essentially the bible tends to tie all questions up with the programmed answers, Where did man come from? Why is man full of sin? One must livetheir lives in a prescribed manner for their reward in heaaven? Basically if a believer learns all the appropriate answers they will have all that is reqired to achieve the goal of heaven. There is a transaction implied; all Fraud requires a transaction. If you give your fielty to your god, tithe regularly and follow thinstructions given to you through the bible and clergy, all is good, eh. So basically for finding all the answers for you and your slavery to those answers your reward will be heaven in the next life! That's a pretty hot deal if everything was on the up and up. If I were half as smart as they claim their supreme being is, I would demand my subjects remain in the state of perpetual seeking. If they got all the real answers they'd be thinking that they were as smart as me. The next thing would be, they would take over my role and I'd be on welfare. No, if I were the big guy, I would only reward those who constantly seek me by seeking their own understanding of me. And not reward them extravegently with a mercedes. No I would give them little drops of Karma, sprinkled here and their to show them that they are on the right path. Has anyone ever experienced that feeling that something is given to you from beyond? I'm talking non believers in any formal religion. I understand this much about humans, being one myself; we are lazy. Surely a Supreme being would understand that? No, I believe the stories of the Bible are all nicely wrapped up with the answers for a simple reason. This is the package you recieve for your belief and support. No, I don't think that you'll find anything of the real god in today's Religions, if It exists. Perhaps the real contact with god comes from seeking answers to those questions themselves? Todays Religions are all about control of vast power ideological empires of lazy humans ready to kill/lie/cheat as well as show compassion for their fellows, because of their beliefs, as required of them by their leaders.

The american jury system works!

OK you are correct, the draw of combat doesn't lure anyone to do their duty and you with 20 years have the right to sum it all up for the military. The ads I see on TV don't actually promote the excitement of action and combat. Yes you are right, all our soldiers are noble creatures that combat never enters their vocabulary except as something they shun, unless shop talking. No one is drawn by the adrenaline of battle because you are all too well trained to let that seep in. Yes of course our soldiers are interested in peaceful missions with never any desire to see combat action, only to help build democracies. They are all like you, 20 year carreer men whom Canadians should trust to make their foreign policy for them, because of you noble motives. Spout your military PR propaganda as you will, but the moral responsibility for deploying any military missions belongs to the Canadian citizens, not the military. At one time Canadians understood the dangers of military patriotism promoted by the military, not anymore. Today we are almost as bovine as our American neighbours.

Is person only a criminal if they are convicted of a crime? If a person is guilty of a crime and escapes conviction is it right that they be venerated in their social circles?? Wanna bet Conrad doesn't get the same treatment as OJ if he gets off? He'll be treated like a Lord of the Realm.

"The article you directed us to is naive twaddle. So he rides a bike and claims he's broken the "addiction" to gasoline. He rides in all weather and then comes home to a nice cup of "coco" in his recliner. Very hip, man. How does he think his recliner got there? Did someone deliver it on a bike? What about his "coco"? Did it transport itself from South America on a bike? What about when he falls off his bike and breaks his neck? Is he thrilled at the prospect of being transported to the hospital on the back of another bike? Once he gets there, does he mind waiting while the painkillers arrive by bike form wherever they are made, because without "gasoline," they can't be stored at the hospital. Is this starting to sink in a bit?" Boy you sure missed the point. The more we gear ourselves to a green mental attitude at the level of the individual The more human ingenuity will deliver new technologies that spring from the new thinking/ attitude. You seem to feel that economy must always follow the model it has now. I'm saying a new model will spring forth from a new paradigm. Your main purpose here seems to be to reinforce your political views by insulting anyone elses. That seems to be the same agenda and vile tactics of the Conservatives politicians, is that your game? Shoving your agenda rudely down my throat? An open discussion should not include unfounded insults, Who the heck can figure out I want a scenario where I'm transported on the back of a bike as you did from my article?

It still gauls me, to no end, that our brilliant political self serving politicos would sidle up to this primitive and obviously violent community for votes and money. The tradition of murdering their wives is alive and well here in Canada. The National CBC did a revealing piece on the people at the celebrations of their culture, and their terrorists. http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/sikh-pol...canada/wso.html Jack Layton, was there, Reps from the Prime Minister's office, And of the Liberal leader, what's his name. Many Provincial politicians also attended. And we are still investigating air India tragedy as these federal politicians made themselves obsequious before this curious culture by speaking their language and wearing their dress. Why they are so enmbraced and pot smokers, six million strong, who shun violence, especially as a replacement for divorce and wish nothing more than to be allowed freedom of choice and criminal harrassment, is beyond my understanding? It sure appears to me like they relegate a very law abiding (except pot laws) segement of our society to oppression and welcome terrorist associated organizations for the traditional concerns of our politicians, Power and Money.

I would think that communication is helpful to resolve issues. Not so much at the beauraucratic/government level, as at the general populous level, trade, culture, sports and tourism brings societies together. I can't see Reagan as the model for future foreign policy. What is the urge to always go back to the tried. Seldom is it true. It should be considered only if no viable, elegant, timely, plan can be created at the moment. This way we can move forward , not backward. We as a species must now more than ever embrace the mindset of "new and improved." The tried and true has gotten us this far. There seems to be a big bottle neck up ahead, though. This was not forseen by our former model of doing things. Now is the time to embrace change, not retreat in fear of the new, to stagnant concepts not suitable for today's challenges.

You guys must take into consideration that there is a huge range in allowable motorskill reactions. Think about those around you, the completely sober ones with no clue of vectors, accelaration, F=MA, and all those other problems of eyesight, cellphones and you might believe that it is easier to teach chimpanzees rather than homonids to drive. Think of the balance, the coordination required for a four year old to stay up on a bike and how many seconds it takes him to get it. These driving skills need not be honed to lighning speed, all that is required is that your mind stays engaged with the task. If slightly impaired in motor skills, an intelligent, careful, driver will compensate. A headache, or backpain may impair you. It is up to a competent well trained driver to compensate, or if not able to, park the vehicle. These lifesaving skills some people find very difficult to master, whether they are under the influence of a substance or not. As long as they pay attention, we also will compensate for them. Certain groups of races cannot seem to understand whether they drive or walk that the safe way to do this is with the eyes forward. Even on 3000 micrograms of LSD I can do better, guarranteed. I ride a bike, with a dog trotting beside me leash in hand, on the busy seawall and smile while throwing freindly conversation at strangers. I never come close to touching anyone. Walking through China town I have to verbally warn people to watch where they are going to avoid a collission. These people have just stepped out of their parked cars. I'm not racist, just honest and observant. My take on it is that the chinese have been a slow moving, yet tightly packed, pedestrian society for a long time. It seems to be a devil-may-care- way of saying you get out of my way, because I'm not looking out for you. An assertion of private space in a crowded society? Much more safety, lives spared, would be our reward, if we focussed less on what substance was in a particular persons blood or what its precise effects are. The real target for our energies and money that would pay off exponetially, is better driver training at all levels and more traffic enforcement, via cameras if necessary. Cellphone use is extremely dangerous and I urge everyone to check the other guy's phone records to see if they were on the phone during the time of the accident. You'll find the reason for the accident right there, often. This is something that the coroners should be doing for our safety now, in order to gather the evidence necessary to base critical legislation on. It is easy and cheaper than blood tests to get a copy of the deceased's telephone records. This is where a government of excellent capability would shine with intelligence gathering , good corrections applied in a timely manner which pre-empts the dangers to society. The campaign to demonize pot as being a danger to drivers has only a basis in political propaganda, not facts, because the goal is to get ever closer to a police state, where every social problem's cure is enforced by criminal law and police.

I think August is speaking to me. As I said in other posts in this forum, to think that we can plan and tweak the future by our feeble inputs today is simple-minded and arogant at the same time. If you read this old published article of mine and apply August's wisdom to it, as many wonders and miracles as we need will flow from it. Only an ethical step forward in the right direction will spur all on all the good things destined to flow from it. Like it says in the Good Book, what goes around comes around. Its called Human Ingenuity and has brought us about a million years from the trees, to standing on the moon. Governments in the roles of "benign" custodians for humanity, is a very recent concept that some would call a mass-marketed fraud. Today's Governments, by the observed evidence, are not benign. They resemble the models of organized crime more than "of the people" The second article down, Tech and Us http://republic-news.org/archive/127-repub/127_letters.htm

Sometimes, especially when I read scientific stuff, I have to read it several times before it really sinks in. If you notice, I do try to offer original thought, that in itself is sometimes hard to understand because it is unfamiliar. The other thing is that these are broadly sketched introductions because more detail would get boring. Basically TADD is a call-in computerized voting system that can be accessed by anyone anywhere from a touch tone phone and a private access code. I was taught in highschool that the one major reason for our elected representative voting for us was the logistics and poor communications available in this vast land. Today those things have evolved to the point where it is no longer necessary to give up your vote on every issue to our representatives if you don't wish to. I think to set a threshold, I believe when the range of 66% is reached in any given riding, the representative's vote would be superceded by the electorate's. It could work flawlessly in the system we have now with a little tweaking and with no large disruption to the form we have are familiar with. I heard a chinese intellectual speak about far-out alternatives for his nation in the future. He spoke of a combination of autocratic power balanced with elected balance. I am ambivalent about the distribution of power between a hands on TADD system for the lower house, but hiring the senate on non political resumes. These are only ideas put forth as starting points for change. I'm sure there is much more creative thinking across Canada than the feeble input I have. Its the party that rules in Canada, not the people. The Party has its own agenda and only throws bones at the people in a non focussed, except for votes to appease the majority, or a strategic region. Because the Party's main concern is staying in power, the hard decissions required for long term planning are always neglected. It is in long term strategic planning only where productive sustainable future lies. "Victory/success lies in the details of the logistics" KO2---2005

Yes those are the overarching goals of proffesional soldiers, but i too have met snowbird pilots, british harrier pilots who fought in the faulklands and I assure you with a couple of beers in them the conversation always goes to the heart of the action, combat. Your statement sounds edited for a purpose here in this forum to give an air of real duty. I assure you when people are free to discuss what left an impact on them, it is moments of battle, moments of crisis saving a child perhaps, moments where adrenaline was involved, that stick in a person's psyche. Lofty discussions of logistical decissions run a distant second. Try giving a soldier a beer and see what they talk about. What I don't mean to do is denegrate this feeling, but aknowledge it and the impact it has on everything. Take it into account as being the normal reaction of those we have selected for this purpose and factor it into the equation of whether the mission is worth supporting or not. The nuances requiring attention in any difficult decission are real investigatory work. People have to get the info from many sources and think hard on things to come up with a persoonal well considered opinion. Most peole are to lazy, would rather crack a beer and zone out, than work at this task. Therefor we sometimes give such simplistic reaons for something, believe in someone elses plan and trusting it to be right.

Is that right? You sound like an authority figure to me, demanding I conform by consuming a highly taxed known poison for my good. You have judged my potential to be wanting from the perspective of an consumer of a very sophistiocated alcoholic product which I grant may be enjoyable to you. Again you assert unverified claims that my my motor skills are impaired. Lets have that defining test. I do mine every day and can verify through 40 years of driving mostly under the influence, by having an abscence of accidents or points off, 27 years of flight with the destruction of every aircraft that I ever owned at least once-but myself only injured in the pride/financial department. I never took any flying lessons, but I had read volumes. Still, I admit it would have been cheaper, but perhaps less exciting, to take lessons. All errors were made in a safe way, the proof of which is the fact that I'm still here. A lot better pilots, who flew much more intensely than I, always very straight, but made FATAL ERRORS PUSHING THE ENVELOPE are no longer enjoying what is the most important treasure, not victory, not airtime, but life. People say, yeah but, I was never in that class of pilot skills. That is true, but none the less I made safe unimpaired decessions, for the level I was flying at... Perhaps I was aware that I was not making such dangerous flight plans, because the THC put to an end the desire to out-perform everyone. It made me be content enjoying the moment with the least amount of hassle and danger. If you wish to call that impaired you would be mislabelling it. That is called awarenes of the situation and clear thinking on the side of safety.

I haven't seen farenheit 9 11, yet. Definetly not a movie goer.

"How can a chemical affect you spiritually?" How can it not? Just what makes chanting that much more of a prefered and guarranteed method for everybody? I've been affected spiritually by all manner of things that may not affect you. "but sometimes a good kick or a few good kicks leave some kind of lasting effect" "put your mind in an unbalanced state." These are all subjective opinions of what you feel LSD is all about. When I tell people who wish to give hang gliding a pass after I describe it, I say, "it's not for everyone." I'm no fool and have a good grasp on what is happening to me at all times, otherwise I don't like doing it. For me the slight motor control loss involved in just one glass of mistaken alcoholic punch, is blatantly obvious and undesirable. With LSD there certainly is an extremely noticable effect in some of the dosages I've tried. "Mental imbalance" doesn't describe it for me. It is, for some, a dangerous state which I recomend young people not to experiment with indiscriminately. But for those whose preprogramed perceptions don't generate fear, but curiosity, the experience can be extremely spiritual, intensely passionate, self revealing and pure blatant extacy from beholding mind boggling associations never before considered. From this intense Kaliedascopic journey, you will get from it what you have put into it. Only people with insatiatable curiosity are drawn to it in the first place. Their minds should be filled with as much knowledge gained from many sources and areas as possible. Confidence is important. This will lead to plenty of interesting insights, reflections, a true expansion of what was inside your neural-net to begin with. That is I why I don't recomend it as a recreational drug, but a sacred ritual that someone must be prepared for.

Here's something closer to the topic... http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07/n831/a06.html

What an inane response to a fresh perspective. Whose plugging up what with inane responses bereft of facts, considered understanding, broad perspective and totally off topic, but someone who would say this to my post, "What an innate response!! Do not plug up these threads with your crap!! Or I'll tell...nahnahnahnahnahanah"

If you were trying to go for that book deal with what you've shown me, I might become confident enough to try to publish something of mine, rather than bang my head on this "cyber-wall" for free.

The surest way to cut health care costs is to trian you population to be more self reliant in all aspects of personal choice including food, exercise, substances. This, coupled with the removal of the medical proffession from the administration of it. It must be run by an independent board/structure that reflects mainly, our interest. The public's interests are long term and stable. Although I did access a cat scan recently because of an assuault, it was 1999 when I last accessed the healthcare system. At that time I paid for the medical exam myself for my proffessional license. Now, I don't believe it is only the fact that I smoke copious amounts of herbal medicine, for this great health that I suffer. It could also be other aspects of my lifestyle, I cycle or walk, I don't use the legal poisons, Alcohol or Tobacco and most import of all, I try not to stress out about anything. I truly believe that for some this is the miracle health benefit of Marijuana. To be able to live without stress is slightly uphoric. You might do it with valium, I could do it for pennies a day if I could grow my own "Miracle Medicine" Such things would have been approved by my Grandmother, who was a midwife and hebal medicine woman. This was the way health care was done less than a century before. A self reliant thing that might be assisted by a doctor. today the doctors have marketed their craft to the extent people believe they are omnipotent. They also regularly ratchet up ouir fears with scares of global epidemics. I learned long ago the end of life is not ours to stave off, or worry about, or even predict. The only thing that is important is how you accept it in the moment it comes. All that aside, it should not be the goal of doctors to make us feel that it is important that we try every avenue, impossible though they may be to stave off death..... It is a conundrum to me tha the religious claim we should never interfere with life while it is yet unborn, but it is ok to the bankrupt the health care system in order to prolong life from 87 to 89. Here is where I would want the ability to check out if I needed to. Why are they so afraid of meeting Jesus? My focus, at the instant I realized that death was in the next moment, or even months down the line, would be to accept the inevitable and wonder where this new, mystery soaring flight would take me. If the moment was in an instant, I would try to embrace it with the same eager grin of concentration that came over me as I gave the command, "Clear." This would release my hang glider from the ground crew, directly into the maw of a "Fusion Dragon"--is my term for a thermal--as it climbed past the launch site. The cross country flights were always a magical mystery tour of undetermined adventure. I don't believe in heaven per say, but I believe in going out on an optomistic note.

OK........................................................? What's all the personal anger and focus on me about? The important issue is not who brought in fiction writing. The thread of discussion on a modern dilemma facing societ is what it is all about. You keep loosing that thread, taking my reasoned answers as a personal attack on you. I actually try to remain on topic roaming through all the nuances of the Prohibition dilemma, while I use your own inconsistancies to demolish your factless criticisms and diversions. You move to the personal attacks favoured by our Conservative Party, by trying to denegrate me personally and dissmissing me because I am under the influence. A close scruntiny and comparative study of our writings, would set the record straight as to whose congnative/reasoning functions were of superior quality, impaired or not, as you so boldly asserted. You boldly call us "stoners" with disdain, but fail to actually prove it as detrimental. The proof of who is scoring points in this conversation, my freind, is in the reading.

Here's my reasoned approach to shake off the stranglehold of Political parties of all stripe. Hold onto your hats, its another drug-induced fatasy of a utopian nature, straight from left field. TECHNOLOGY ASSISTED DIRECT DEMOCRACY To circumvent the strangle hold Party Politics has on the Canadian people, I would implement a system of TADD. It could be set up in each riding with a call in touch tone telephone access computer tabulated local system much like the lottery ticket system. I'm not talking their pay-out methods, only their tabulation methods. With an experimental trial based in a riding that would dare to elect such a TADD candidate, the electorate could be given an input on every issue. A trial of real democracy? That way if their number of votes reach a certain threshold level, the choice of the people would supercede the position of the elected member on any given issue/bill before parliament. This system would be hard to corrupt with lobbyists, coorporate interests (other than those of informed employees and citizens who understand that every choice they make impacts them) Through a little by-the-seat-of-the-pants educations, taste of real power, and seeing a cause and effect of their different choices, Canadians are likely to become intelligent masters of their own destiny. We might not really be as dull as we appear to be reflected in our level of political sophistication. Many Canadians still would be surprised at the insights tourist have about Canada from their own experiences. There is more than the American social model to consider. Are you tired of being ruled by the incompetent? It surprises me the lack of understanding about training shown in dog parks. To "train" our leaders to respond to our wishes, we must turf the poor performers for a session and try to work with another pretender to good leadership-who ever that may be. There is nothing critical about which team of clowns are in the ring, the only thing that matters is that past poor performances will not be rewarded with more victory in the polls. It always amazes me how fatalistic people are about "thats' the way it is" The only thing a voting booth guarrantees you is the privacy of your choice. It is up to the individual to make it work for them, not against them. Much more than appearance every so many years is required if we are ever to achieve democracy, safety and freedom. Even in Canada. Like everything we see in nature, all that survives is naturally in constant change. Only the truly bewildered can't see that evolution is the constant necessary for survival. Theat means evolution in all of our institutions, as well. ANOTHER POLITICAL PARTY WILL MAKE US MORE ITALIAN, NOT SERVE TO MOVE US FORWARD

The last time I did some LSD, I explained to those laughing in harmony with me, strangers who surrounded me on the beach at Vaniere Park, "Wanna know what it's all about as I see it at this moment?" "Yeah, give to us Timmothy!" "There once was nothing but a spirit that wished to exist. A pure thing of energy-the spirit of life. It existed alongside nothing. One day it willed itself into being by causing an energy fluctuation. At that point matter sprang forth in a unidirectional dynamic dimension. This cataclysmic explosion of self expression is still going today. Why? So that some distant Primate could communicate his understanding of its presence and wonder as to its complexity, all the while being free to express himself within this evolving miracle. His purpose would be not to understand it all, only to wonder at it and perhaps as a reward for asking questions, striving to do no harm to others, each one of these primates might advance the grand miracle by his measure." To preclude the avenue of genetic experimentation because of ancient moral codes, whose origins are in doubt, might be not what the spirit of life had intended when it gave us the gifts to do so. A person of such dogmatism, that their faith would trump all other's well reasoned, constantly re-evaluated, self evolved understandings, is dangerous to everyone's freedom. If there really is such a thing as a sentient Supreme Being, I think it is a thing for each of us to keep on searching out personally, because in the Religions of today, I see nothing of grand design, elegant execution, or universal love.

Every year on rememberence day, I remember what courage these ordinary men who fought in wars have. Think of the courage it took to climb out of a trench and lead your men through no-man's land breathing in with a heaving chest, thinking of mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters. The adrenaline fueled rush into air alive with high speed steel and high explosives. When I glimpse action happening today on the tube I see young men who are proffessional soldiers eager to do their duty in an honourable fashion, as soldiers of past wars did, too. A thinking person who has actually risked his life often in dangerous adventure sports realizes that there are many forces working inside these courageous young men. (both sides by the way. there is only ideology seperating the combatents.) There is an urge to do well in situations which are terrifyng to those who don't have experience in them. Courage and fear are comfortable right alongside the grand-slam adrenaline rush of combat. To be honest soldiers will admit that it is the dynamic excitement of the battle which is stimulating. No one thinks of death when turning in rock and roll air close to a craggy cliff, nor does anyone focus on the fear of dying if they want to live through the battlefield encounter. Its a very exciting stimulating experience to be in battle. This requires certain people who are drawn to such critical service. They are very determined to do their duty because that is their job and they wish to be a vital contributuion to Canada. Thankfully our soldiers are good at their jobs and so eager to do their duty. It is our duty, while supporting them fully, to evaluate their mission in a continuous and critical way, if a large proportion of the citizens are not sure if it is right to be there in the first place. There is not much reason to have a democracy, or at least the pretense of one, if we let Mr. Harper make all the decissions. If the citizens of Germany had been a lot more critical of the propaganda that Hitler was feeding them perhaps things might have been better, if the American people had not supported the invasion of Iraq, there might be different, safer paradigm in the world today. Just because the troops like to fight, a rational person would not immediately deduce that the war is worth supporting. That is called blind patriotism and its results are close at hand to be examined by you everyday on american television.

Here's another original theory from yours truly, to counter the myopic fundamentalism which tries to criminalize natural /god's wisdom. My rudimentary knowledge of the law is that it must accept logical arguments based on accepted theories. The courts now accept DNA as confirmed theory and science. It follows from the same body or reproducible science that they must also accept this corrollary: In order to facilitate the process of Evolution we must not interfere with its natural processes. Evolution depends on the blind process of Natural Selection. This process in turn depends on the creation of a mutant or variant in the replication of the DNA molecule. Science calls this a Wondrous Monster. The forces acting on the DNA molecule to produce this Wondrous Monster are these, among others not yet discovered; Radiation, heat and chemical exposure. Man will never be able to second-guess this miracle which is the only recorded path that points to species survival on the planet. By distorting nature's infinite number of variables and wondrous combinations, and limiting it in the slightest way, even in a misguided attempt to protect a population, we risk serious evil side-effects. Are these not serious unatural side-effects? Organized crime, social lawlessness, loss of human rights, rampant petty crime, an ever increasing rate of addiction fuelled by a lucrative prohibited market, social conflict and divissiveness, teen age criminal enterprises- gangs- who promote an ever growing culture of more deviant behaviour.

Boy do you range in diversionary tactics to keep people from seeing the truth. Is this the tactics of someone who comes from the Moral/Religious forums? Why are "The Religious" always so quick to lower the standards? We were talking of a serious issue that could be affecting you soon. Ranging from the death of your offspring, to vandalism of your vehicle. You who post much in the religious columns would come here to distract valuable communications discussing viable alternatives. Don't you think that discussing your fiction writing abilities might be better addressed in another forum. I could be way off in my rational assessment, though, because unlike you I am "impaired by marijuana" and may lack the ability to formulate a cohesive argument. So, I do always stand to be corrected if I am wrong. Why is it that those who claim the highest moral ground, always resort to the lowest, vile tacticts? Do you need a history lesson on the vile tactics used by all relgious faiths? Can we judge a vine by the fruit it bears? I ask people to read your inputs, and mine, and judge for themselves their substance. We are all snared by the words of our mouths, some more often than others.

That's just what I meant, to write good fiction you need more than a fantasy of yourself as a superhero to make it interesting.