Ya know Dom, sounds like that bird has you wrapped around his talon about they way the dogs have Robert wrapped around their paws.

As for Angel and Buffy, both were great shows. Angel kind of grows on you over time...and he really rocks in his own show. Only thing lacking way a really, really good gay kiss between him and Spike (Vampire with his hair dyed blond and a british accent...Angel's whipping boy.) Give it some time, it'll grow on you.

Now you really want to get him going...go get the first season of Battlestar Galactica and make him watch it with you...you'll both be hooked.

Just going to make one comment about the 9/11 section...did you mean 9/11 and the war in Iraq are NOT related? Depending on what day of the week it is we get a different reason why we went into Iraq, but it's been proven ad nauseum Iraq had nothing to do with the attacks on 9/11.

have fun, dude, and watch Battlestar Galactica!

Hey Dom

The bird's just looking for a little and attention can't blame him/her for that.

And another thought, maybe he/she like you.

I'm Coming

im sorry. but i have to laugh at your bird situation.

animals. they are more intelligent then we give them credit for.

Angel and Buffy grow on you... they really. it just all depends on whether or not you are desperate enough to spend time with this guy that you like, that you have to watch a show that you dont currently like.

as for battle star galactica.......... i dont know.

Hi Dom,

I have 2 parrots, a Major Mitchell named Wally and a short billed Corella called Bruce. I have had them for 18 years and they run my life. If I have someone over for dinner or whatever, they scream until they are included in the conversation and have to be at the dinner table. They eat rice and fruit and vegies and at breakfast time when I cook toast they both scream until they have a piece themselves. I note one of the books on parrots that Major Mitchells are described as birds which are not suitable for avaries because of their raucous voices and guess what I believe them. The Corella also poops in his water and demands I change it all the time. But I wouldn't change them for the world.

ppete

Only thing lacking way a really, really good gay kiss between him and Spike (Vampire with his hair dyed blond and a british accent...Angel's whipping boy.)

That's what goes through my mind evertime I watch it! I very much doubt I could sit through an episode of Angel/Buffy without that... hope....trust in the fair and kind judgment of a higher script writer.

Also I agree that politics should be kept seperate from tragedies. I in no way associate myself with political opinion or discussion but I do feel for those who were affected by 9/11... all the way from Australia.

I'm glad you're happy with the new guy, Dom

I've carefully wrapped myself in a cocoon of apoliticalness and I'm not coming out! That's not to say that I agree with the war, in fact, being a pacifist, I object. I'm just not going to waste my time and energy following it or getting emotionally involved. Probably makes me sound dreadfully selfish, but I'm content to leave it in the hands of others. So for me 9/11 barely registered. However, coincidently I happened to have a bad day on my own anyway.

Well take care and I hope you have a teriffic week!

Kevin

So for me 9/11 barely registered.

The idea that someone as kind and compassionate as you are, Kevin, can blithely ignore the day somehow disappoints me.

Unless I misunderstood him, Dom

Hi Sharon,

I suppose my previous post was rather insensitive and I should have clarified my feelings more. The entire 9/11 situation is, at least for me (well surely for everyone), very complicated. It's primarly the political mass (mess?) that comes attached to 9/11 that turns me off. Most political things do have a tendency to make me smile and nod while waiting for a chance to make an escape. Having politics thrust on me is also one of the quickest ways to tick me off. I'm perfectly willing to discuss religion calmly for hours, but when it comes to politics it's one jumbled mess I have no desire to even begin to untangle. Also as someone who doesn't see anything in black and white I wouldn't begin to assume that there's a "correct" political ideology. My somewhat jaded view on politics is that both the major parties (and any other sizable political body) is sufficiently screwed up, and corrupt to such an extent that I really don't care and don't see the point in trying to depose one party for another. On the more positive flip side I also think that each party (and sizeable political body) is filled with good, well-meaning people doing what they truly believe is best. Again I just don't see why I (just myself personally not other people, I'm glad some people do care) should waste my time and energy messing with this delicate balance when I don't belive in the cause in the first place (and again I'm glad other people do). I'm also tired of people telling me "you haven't got a right to complain if you don't vote (otherwise participate)". What they're failing to note is that I don't complain. I don't discuss it at all. I'm not asking for the perogative to be lazy about it and then spout off my views. I'm asking for the perogative to be left out of it!

I realize that regardless of what "side" someone's on my political attitude is likely to be recieved frostily. When this is coupled with the fact that by the very nature of my political opinions I have very little interest in converting anyone else to my way of thinking (indeed I concede the fact that it's a good thing more people DON'T think and act as I do politically), it becomes readily obvious why, unless I feel obliged (as in this case), I don't clarify my political position at all.

That said I'm basically a liberal (and I may possibly even vote that way, just don't expect to see me campaigning for any party), but I use the term as a way of describing my likely position on individual issues (I'm more open to the notion of campaigning for a specific issue). Indeed I'm happy to discuss specific issues. I have opinions on: gay rights, prayer in school, social security, abortion, euthanasia, and even the "war". However, in the case of the last one I'd rather not discuss it, and in the cases of: prayer in school, abortion, and euthanasia my relativism is such that I'll only express my general opinion and refuse to believe that there really is an absolute "right or wrong" in these issues (they should probably all be decided case by case, which of course isn't practical). Anyway once the "D" or "R" words are brought into the debate or someone tries to tie one issue to another I once again loose interest in continuing the conversation.

I realize that my views on all of the above are riddled with inconsistencies, paradoxes, and perhaps outright fallacious reasoning. I'm fine with that thanks and have no desire to change (though I do reserve the right to completely alter my opinions by whim and without explanation).

Anyway now that I've ranted about that I'll address the actual issue. I think it's disgusting the way people have tied politics to what should (IMO) simply have remained a tragedy and time of mourning. However, I'll confess that since I didn't have any direct personal involvement with 9/11 these "patriots" and "pacifists" (note the sarcasm) have succeeded in giving me a knee-jerk, "here we go again" reaction to anything relating to 9/11.

I in no way mean to trivialize that tragedy and suffering experienced by those involved. I think it's awful what happened and I'll be the first one to sympathize with and be supportive of someone who wants to tell me their story. Indeed I'm very moved by your story and very thankful that your sister was okay and that you and your family have a stronger appreciation of each other. However, while I can be supportive of you and others who tell me their stories, I can't be supportive of John and Jane Doe, whom I've never met and will never meet, who lost their son in the attack. I would be upset by hearing their tale and I would want to help them and reach out to them. But I can't. It's for this reason that I avoided the news coverage (and always avoid the news coverage of other tragedies) when it first happened (I did donate money and blood in an effort to be helpful in a practical way, but it's emotional support I'm talking about here).

Instead I chose to reach out to and help the people directly around me. I chose to go on listening to and trying to help with the day to day problems of those with whom I was directly involved. There was a girl I knew who for the first day was concerned about her father who was in Washington at the time (he was fine), and I did do my best to console her and be supportive of her. There were also countless other people who were upset and scared in general.

I uniformly (and probably to my own emotional and psychological detriment) internalize the problems of those around me. I do care. It's also not particularly difficult to get sympathy and support out of me. I'll coddle anyone and I actively keep an eye out for people who might be upset and in need of a kind word. However, there's pain and suffering all over the country and the world. EVERY single day marks the anniversy or something horrible for someone. I'll do my best to be there for the people around me on these days. But while I wish I could save the world, I can't. So I'm not going to feel bad continuing my life as normally as possible on any given day.

So please if anyone reading this is hurting or upset about something by all means feel free to contact me and I'll do my best to console you, sympathize with you, or just "be there". But again my focus is individuals.

I'm very sorry if this post offends anyone and I also apologize to Dom for essentially hi-jacking his blog. I just felt called upon to clarify my position. That said though I'd prefer not to talk about it anymore.

Take care ALL individuals, and may you EACH have an awesome day,

Kevin

I don't feel any different on 9/11 compared to other days. To me it's just like any other day. It just annoys me to no end that 9/11 is standing out just because it was in the USA. I mean, terror attacks happens all over the world, and none of those attacks ever got even close to this much attention. It's like there's a difference between people and people. I don't like that one bit. Then there's the part where Bush uses the attack to bomb other innocent people in a wild hunt for a few people that might not even be there. Btw, if you can't tell, I don't like Bush. ;P

On the Buffy stuff; Am I the only one who hated Spike all-through the Buffy and Angel series? XD Not that I like Angel that much either. Buffy is at her best when she's single.

The new TOSOM chapter was great btw. Can hardly wait for the next one.

Wow. I

Kevin,

I think that what you said was very brave and honest. Lots of people feel and act the way you do but are too worried about what other people might think to express it honestly. It's like the well-known conundrum discussed in the Talmud: "Who is the better person -the one who gives lavishly of themselves in a thousand small, important ways or the one who leaves a huge donation on the altar where everyone can see the good he/she has done?"

I definitely think your political apathy is misguided, even if it's probably realistic! But I really admire how authentic you are...

-Aaron

One shocking bit of news I saw today: more Americans (military plus contractors) have been killed in Iraq so far than were killed on 9/11. 15,000 Americans are murdered by other Americans in the US in a typical year. That's like a 9/11 every two months... :wacko:

WoW your man doesn't like South Park?! Is he like not straight or something? (wanted to change the subject 9/11 sucks, as in, sucks it happened, also sucks as in people remember the deaths as an event but not as a single death which to me degrades the person death. It hypes up the person death which isnt cool. Think about it?!?! How can you top dying in 9/11???? I'll um... continue this with people if they like.(big parenthesis))

Didn't like, a hundred times more people die in the tsunami? I always thought that would have been a bigger deal than 9/11, but I guess because it happened elsewhere and it wasnt' a attack it is a different situation. Personally I didn't know anyone who was in danger during the attacks, so it never affected me as much and I always feel out of place when people (who also didn't know anyone personally in danger) start crying at the memory. But sometimes I'm callous and strange (ha, Buffy reference. Anyone catch that? Best show ever!).

Didn't like, a hundred times more people die in the tsunami? I always thought that would have been a bigger deal than 9/11, but I guess because it happened elsewhere and it wasnt' a attack it is a different situation.

The tsunami got a lot more hype here in Sweden than the 9/11 attack got here. Reason? A lot of Swedish people was on vacation in Thailand at that moment(around Christmas). That's the reason why the 9/11 attack got much more attention in the US. It's a little sad that people are that way... As long as it doesn't hit "close to home" they pretty much don't care. Not that everyone is like that, but I don't know anyone who walks around crying about the starving children in Africa. It's a sad sad world. Oh well.