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W_L

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Everything posted by W_L

  1. Ah, but here's the problem with the concept, Ford had power to change his designs and adjust his cars. The US was made to be a hybrid of "Direct Democracy", "Republic" and "Monarchy". The issue in US history has been from the "Democratic" branch of the formula (No I am not sniping at Democrats subversively ). The heart of the US constitution puts a lot of power into the hands of the US House of Representatives, believing that the "common" man knows what they want the nation to do or what direction the nation should be going towards. The UK system is far more Republican than it is either a Democracy or Monarchy. You have rules built in that can cancel out popular dissent, plus under parliamentary rules, you have the ability to kick out an entire government if necessary. Truthfully, I feel that the US has slid far too much to the Democratic traditions and probably should be led by peerage with vision rather than the common man. However, the common man does not want to be led due to the long developing philosophy that hast festered into the Conservative heart. The basic principle of many US Conservatives today is the same as Revolutionary Communism (Gasp, I won't lie it a shocking truth that I realized recently) Among the Chinese community, especially those from China with family who had faced the Cultural Revolution, we see the same patterns with the Red Guard as we do with the Tea Party and their allies. It is a "selfish" movement hiding itself in the name of nationalism. (I'll write another Blog explaining the Parallels later) With such ideologies, the problem today is that the US probably cannot form a true consensus on what to change or how far to change it. The Nation might reject those ideas, but it does not have the will to prevent it. We know the bomb will go off soon, but no one is willing to open up the case and try to diffuse it.
  2. The united States like imperial germany cannot exist without a strong and perceptively unmaleable/unchangeable framework. We would become 50 separate nations rather than a United nation. The oddity in the US is that the US constiturion is a common concept within a divergent nation. To remove it, you must find something else that can be a common link, which americans by in large do not have. Ethnically, we are not even majority anglo-saxon. Religiously, we have a vast mixture of protestants, catholics, jews, buddhists, atheists, and others. Politically, it is even more divisive with many americans following a personal concept of "freedom". Our ties in economic and legal framework is all we have in common. To be honest, small town midwesterners do not understand urban northeastern interests though we are linked by supply and demand..
  3. Siddhartha eventually rejected the Ascetic way though
  4. There was a funny conversation I had today about future Republican Presidential nominees. Ted Cruz would probably be the worst and long shot in the mix, while New Jersey Governor Christie has a shot. The conversation then went into a tangent on why the Democrats are not putting more pressure on Christie; it is a Blue state, Republicans are ebbing in the polls, and Democrats could win back the NJ Governor's mansion? I contended that the Democratic Party understands something about RealPolitik, Balance of Power. Edmund Burke may be the person I consider to be the founder of modern Conservatism, but I contend that Otto Von Bismark is the model of the best conservative. Most people will only think of Bismark as either a war monger or a sell out for creating the first state funded welfare programs. However, he understood the needs of people, state, and world on practical terms. Even if the Tea Party could win a majority in the US House of Representatives or Senate in 2014, which is doubtful after this debacle, the truth is there will always be a Democrat in the Senate, House or White House, diametrically opposed to your ideals. Bismark faced a similar issue during his tenure as Prime Minister of Prussia and Germany. How does a state maintain its function with polar opposition in your political landscape? How can you achieve your own ideological goals with varying degrees of factions and influences? His solution was to keep a Balance of Power. People love or hate him due to his foreign policy. However, his most important understated accomplishment was allowing his opponents to remain intact with the exception of socialism (Weird history, he supported Welfare laws to help the poor and elderly, but the Socialist of Germany opposed it at the time due to how it undercuts their own viability as a "voice of the masses"). He was anti-Catholic, but compromised with Catholic political parties in order for Catholicism to serve as a counterweight to Socialism. He was anti-Socialism, but he took the initiatives to create disability insurance and established the world's first national health insurance. In the US today, I think Democrats are taking a few notes from Bismark, which I can applaud begrudgingly It's not just health care reform though, it is Bismark's ability to work on balancing power within his opposition. Democrats do not want an unreachable "opposition", they understand that legislators like Republican Sen. Collins of Maine and governor like Christie are necessary within their own sphere of influence. They are "moderates", the gateway between two different worlds of philosophy, ideology, and political thought. The reason why the US has survived for 224 years (Sorry Zombie, 237 years is off, the US was not really started in 1776, we officially began with the US constitution on March 4th 1789) has survived is that moderates exists between various parties and factions to create bridges for compromise and agreements. In a parliamentary system, you have different coalitions built and deconstructed due to different degrees of MPs. However, it does not mean the US government is perfect; far from it, we have a very big issue in terms of how long and how far can "moderates" keep the extreme wings of our political spectrum in check and willingness from them for compromise. During the 1820-1860, the US was heading towards Civil War due to extremists in both sides. However, why did the Civil War not spring up in 1820 or 1850? I believe that men like Senator Henry Clay kept this nation intact from its worst elements. Being from Kentucky, he was not ignorant of slavery and possessed several slaves himself. However, he kept his ears opened to the Northern cries for emancipation and understood the necessity for compromise. He spearheaded both the Compromise of 1820 and 1850, which kept the US at peace from its extremist elements of Abolitionists and Slaveholders at least for a time. When moderates go away or die off, it leaves a vacuum in our political system, unraveling our bitterest divides of geographic and ideological interests. The United States of 2013 has an issue, we have lost far too many Moderates.
  5. The US Constitution was made under high ideals of a "limited" Republic akin to Rome or the Great Britain at the time The problem is that we grew and the voter franchise grew in response to have everyone represented in our government, even the nutcases. Then, we started forming political parties, which President George Washing was fervently against, but he was overruled by others like Jefferson and Hamilton. With political parties, you get all the problems of gerrymandering, rotten borough, and rigged electorates. You will not have a Democrat elected in the rural districts of South Carolina, nor will you have a Republican up in Boston, Massachusetts After that, it just becomes a time bomb. Early on the Republicans at least had some sense in not trying to appeal towards the lowest denominators, but after 2008 and a reorganization or the party structure with Tea Party movement influences, it is ugly. To sum up all thie politics, here's how the Republicans and Democrats will look in a million years: Republicans in a million years Here is the Democrats in a million years:
  6. No, I am not looking at our Green googly eyes friend from the UK I've been thinking about the concept of a zombie and writing the horror story for the Halloween story writing prompt that I started a few weeks ago. I am feeling like my life is on autopilot a lot; I work, I eat, I watch senseless TV series, and I sleep. Sometimes, I write, which opens up my imagination, but on days without writing I feel extremely empty and purposeless. Even with writing, I still feel a bit empty, just not as purposeless without it. It makes me wonder how different is a Zombie from a regular person, outside the brain/flesh eating angle which is not that far off for us non-vegans We get urges to fulfill our life process just like a zombie. It is not really creative or interesting, we just perform our tasks based on commands either from others or from our basic needs. We work, because someone tells us to perform a set of mindless duties. We eat and sleep due to our body sending orders to our brain. Caribbean Zombies based on Voodoo are ordered to perform the bidding of a black magic user. Zombies have urges for flesh and brains for sustenance. Are we really that different?
  7. Hope you will find the sunshine in your life again Depression is like a long dark tunnel for me, it is hard to stand still in a dark place and hard to move forward without bearings. Staying connected to your friends and loved ones is the best medicine outside the drugs. As for jobs, what do you like to do? What can you do? And, what do you want from it?
  8. I just watched this and I am like: with joy It is fluffy and I could make a few critiques about Bi/Straight Japanese actors doing gay things, but the script was solid and the expressions were nice. Long story short, I erroneously was told that Junjou Romantica had a live action movie, so I looked for the thing like a fan girl in heat To my amazement it was a misstatement, but the gay storyline worked even better without plots or baggage from an anime series: Try Junjou Pure Heart, it might surprise you
  9. Sometimes a little fear goes a long way to develop people's character and let their true selves out
  10. W_L

    Introduction

    I hope you love it
  11. HAPPY BIRTHDAY KITT!!!! I'd offer you cake and a Present
  12. https://www.gayauthors.org/story/w-l/Causality Some good things to think about: 1. Yes, Chinese hell is much more Bureaucratic than punishment based. Our mythology is closer to Ancient Greek and Roman than Judeo-Christian. It's a holding point for reincarnation; you wait for your turn to come back in a long line. 2. So, what's up with Sid and his alter-ego? You should be asking a second question, where did I come up with his name? That will give you a big hint as to his character arc in my story. Also to answer the question beforehand, he is not Siddhārtha Gautama or the "Buddha" That would be too easy 3. Kitt has mentioned this to me a few times, Patrick is turning into my breakout character. Hmm....A gay 18 year old ghost with a huge libido and a lot of angst. I don't know what she means.... 4. The main story or case in this area; why don't I skip ahead and go straight for the horror, sci-fi, and mystery? I am building the universe from the ground up. Concepts have to be introduced, materials covered, and prejudices announced. As for the Chinese Zodiac, I took the idea from a combination of mythologies. Buddhism and Taoism both had a profound concept about order and universal structure. In Chinese mythic Taoism, you get the legend of the 12 Chinese Animals in the Zodiac. In Buddhism, you get the Animal Path of reincarnation. I took the two and combined them to form a new interpretation: Human beings are not all high minded or rational in our natures, we're very animal-like or beastly. This concept between man and beast is not going to be forgotten. Let me note the animals the three characters so far are in the Chinese Zodiac: Alex- Horse 1978 Patrick- Sheep 1979 Sid- Tiger 1986 For those that are interested in Chinese Astrology, Yes I did match them up for compatibility The Horse and sheep are one of the few closely linked animal pairs in the zodiac (1 year apart) that actually work in a relationship according to Chinese astrology. 5. Fun facts about Buddhism: when Siddhārtha Gautama, an indian prince, left his father's palace: He saw many strange and horrifying things in the world that made him wonder why we exist at all. He saw laborers, he saw old people, he saw disease, and he saw death. Buddhism is founded on a concept of internal reflection; a concept not many people attempt to explain or writers even approach due to the subject being things readers want to avoid thinking about, let alone finding a way out of. When I split Sid's personalities and I took cues from Siddhārtha Gautama own first experiences in the "Real World" to give you guys an allusion to the revelation, but also a foreshadowing to the issues this story is going to follow. The supernatural is frightening, but humanity is even more frightening.
  13. W_L

    Chapter 2

    Chapter 2 (Alex’s excerpt From Book of Fate) It took several hours of referencing individual elements, but I have narrowed down the possibilities to 3 rituals based on the facts within the murders, which seem to be the clearest link between energy, celestial alignments, and birth order. All these facts fit the pattern. Since the bioenergy depletion was so complete, I assume this guy was performing an “actual” ritual, not just a psychopath with visions. Rituals, like these thr
  14. Maybe it was the fact that Massachusetts has an agency that watches for elder abuse, maybe it is the potential negative press on the Building manager, or it could be dumb luck. The Jerk got a call from the the state government, inquiring on the issue, and he promptly gave my grandma a 1 year lease Phew, for a moment there I thought I'd have to write an Op-Ed piece about the Government Shutdown and Elderly 85 year old getting toss into the streets. I am not a liberal policymaker, but even I can see that the elderly are extremely vulnerable. Also for people who say, "Save" for retirement, you can't fucking save enough to be out of work for 20 years. Hell, my grandmother did well for herself in all that time. She bought her groceries from Haymarket on Fridays, our local farmer's market, where you can get 3 pounds of potatoes for $1.00 and a 5 lb bag of onions for $2.50. She lived like that with little spending. I bought her a Flat Screen TV and DVD player, which she never uses, but enjoys the Chinese Soaps when we preset it to play for her. I don't know about other elderly people, but my grandmother tried to be independent for as long as she could until time and attrition got to her. She lives now on social security benefits and food stamps in a government section 8 housing for seniors. Should I fee ashamed to admit that? If I based my principles on inflexible platforms; this type of thing should make me a RINO or sell-out. No, I don't agree with that point; I want to applaud her. She is the reason why we have a social safety net; it is not for people who do not wish to work, who want free stuff, or who live on a government bankroll without contributions. She had a full life, a rich life. I am a traditionalist, a Conservative of another era. Perhaps people who think like me are dead already. It is not for ideology that I believe what I believe, it is the humanity around me. An elderly person, who has paid her dues to society, held constant employment until her retirement age, and who did not use many of her senior benefits before the last two years. I wish I can make others see this truth, but I am just one man in a sea of monsters.
  15. Here's some updates: Nothing good on my Grandma's eviction, SSA still is closed so I cannot get her benefit verification. The Housing Administrator still refuses to negotiate (I am this close to writing an editorial in the Boston Globe, damn it I don't want to be labelled as that Gay RINO, but if I have no other choice, I would rather choose family ) I am very pissed off, but what got me to write this is not anger, but fear. Republican members in the US House are openly suggesting to not pay our "debts infull", instead paying Interest, or in actuality "PARTIAL INTEREST" Let me explain some stuff and the Bullshit: ________________________________________________________ Before the fight began in Congress, we had this bombshell in the Press. There's a problem in Washington right now with spending, I completely agree. There's a problem with the national debt surging at an alarming pace for a non-wartime president. I want to see national debt repaid, capped, and corrected. Yes there is a problem, but here's the irony, House Republicans from the South and Midwest want to test the theory that a government can be run like a household, if you don't want to pay off your gigantic credit cards, then pay interest or the "Minimum fee". (Here's a good reason why I wish there were tighter controls on both parties nominated candidates based on eligibility requirements. Pass a financial litmus test before you can vote on how to run a country's budget, jeez) Seriously, Are these people on Meth? Fundamentally, you do not choose to prioritize interest payments, unless you are willing to go out of business. Accounting 101: If you have $30 Billion in daily receipts, have obligations of 120 Billion dollars, are 30 days from collection terms worth $300 Billion, and even on interest "MUST" pay 50 Billion dollars in interest alone, How can you pay all the interest? I do not see how this math works, you have $30 Billion coming in, and Interest of $50-60 Billion. Your interest will outnumber your actual cash to pay, meaning you cannot pay the debt, aka. you will default on some obligations. House members are thinking, so what's the big deal $20 billion is like chump change to the US, problem is $20 billion dollars represent a leveraged portion of debts valued at a far higher amount. If you cannot pay off that $20 Billion, you interest rates will rise up and basically, "Microwave your economy from the inside out". A Debt crisis is what every finance person and economist fears. The US debt is held by mostly American Banks and American Funds, especially 401K's that try to avoid risk. If the default occurs, guess what happens, you will have a redemption crisis. The Funds will be the first to have runs, probably starting on the 14th as Americans get scared of risk in US debt. American debt is held mostly in the open market, so trading on debt will be volatile, originally a safe and liquid investment becomes toxic. In 2008, REIT funds were the toxic debt holders. In 2013, it may be your 401K plan, which is just trying to avoid the volatility of the stock market. I am not trying to scare people, but I just want everyone to know this fundamental fact. We cannot default or even pay "Partial Interest" as suggested by House Members, who do not "Believe" in Government. It is not about government, it is about an entire way of life that will be gone in days if we allow this to happen. Anyway, stay safe and to the funny GA members with gold stashes; can I buy a few bars?
  16. LoL Yanger, I am gonna make sure you don't become a helicopter mom Congrats Q, you deserve a very happy life. Send my best wishes to Mike. I'd have offered you a Wedding gift, but I don't know where to mail it to.
  17. W_L

    Hi

    Hi there, I used to be a dog
  18. Keep the good fight James!!!
  19. @Ashi, The thing is, the movement right was different; we were different in 1999. At that point, yes we were partisan, but our love for country and duty kept us in check from the worst. Today, the grassroots are not led by anyone; they are not planning for a brighter future for all Americans. They are not even planning on wars to create an empire. (I might not have agreed, but at least they were doing it for American interests) No, what we have now is grassroots LEADING us. I knew this was a mistake from day 1, but victory makes everyone far too happy to think about anything else. The destiny of a nation cannot be in the hands of mobs or gangs of people; the French Revolution proved this fact with their succession of bloody governments. Unlike others, I heeded the warnings of my Idol, Edmund Burke, the founder of Modern Conservatism. There's a difference between a revolt in the grievance of heinous acts by government and a "Reign of Terror" brought on by a revolutionary movement. Burke supported American Independence, but opposed French Revolution, because of those principles. 2000 vs 2010 is very different.
  20. W_L

    ACA and me.

    President obama the other day admitted ACA site capacity issues, so the problem there is a lack of good planning. As for information, Ashi, you are hitting a great point. Explicitly I had to release about 50, 000 patient records to feds during accreditation for HIPAA. The federal government currently holds the largest database between all healthcare records. I can't see it, nor can physicians.
  21. W_L

    ACA and me.

    Take my advice, try to see if you qualify for a student plan. Technology and capacity were badly planned from ACA implementation. Unless you're in mass, in which case I have few workarounds for you. Edit: typos
  22. After some rest and some evil plotting from me with my new story ....I feel a little less angry, but it is still there. My grandma's problems have not ended, my feeling of betrayal has not subsided, and my anger directed towards the Tea Party movement will probably not diminish. Honestly, I don't know where I am in terms of my life or politics. I hate what the Tea Party movement has done to my party; I warned as many people back in 2010 that it's a mistake, but few people listened to me. Even 3 years later, the handful of more "senior" leaders that were kicked out, who I knew, have only started seeing my point. I resigned in protest, but it doesn't change what people believe or want to believe. Out of anger, I've heard friends, both liberal and conservative, speak about how nice would it be to send in police to arrest these people. If their supporters rally, send in national gaurd to suppress them. If their state governors try to secede, order airborne and marine forces to occupy their state capitals..... I know all that is wrong; it is not Democratic, not Republican, and surely not American. I am a conservative, A REAL CONSERVATIVE. I will tout the values of Republican government, but I know what I desire is ORDER. . One of the reasons I am an Accountant instead of a Financial analyst or I-Banker, I want to see the world organized and orderly. I want to give everyone choices, but it cannot break feasibility or possibility. In that way, I am a REALIST Perhaps, the hard part is that in America today, there are few people like me anymore, who hold the standard. I am a dying breed of Rational, orderly, and principled.. Where are we going.... I don't know. I wish there were more people out there willing to take up the good fight for reason and principles, but they no long have power or have chosen to stay away like me. If the Debt Ceiling increase does not pass, Wall Street and Business leaders may waver. My hope now is for a true third party, because at this moment, I can't bring myself to vote Republican in New Hampshire (Massachusetts is too solidly Democrat to make a difference, another issue in gerrymandering district).
  23. I read about him doing gay scenes on the Web, part of my Potter-fangirl side screamed out Can't wait for the movie and the famous case with Carr
  24. What's in it for me? Salvation, Ascension, an end to suffering, or an orgy A sales pitch has to be good or else no one will buy your product or service. It has to have some sex appeal (a certain "V" word appears a lot in different religions for a good reason), a catchy tune (Music is common for everyone, just please no elevator music), and some famous looks (Beard, bald, a business suit, or a pitchfork...I mean trident ). If you can do all that and make me smile, I say, "I will think about it."
  25. Drug addiction is more than one user, one dealer, and one government. It is a part of the user's family, part of the dealers livelihood, and part of the global trade networks. A drug user with an addiction affects family members, who want to help out of care or are harmed in the wake of their drug use, i.e. behaviors that drug addiction creates. A drug dealer has to make a living, some are single parents without a job and they can only survive with drug ddealing (No, I am not referencing Weeds ), The real deal behind poverty driving drug culture is true; if you do not have enough jobs or social institutions, what is there for people stuck in between? Finally, trade is an ugly two edged sword. The Opium wars during the 19th Century, created by Great Britain, were examples where trade policy made it necessary to maintain illegal trade of drugs from other nations. Even if the US legalizes, we will merely turn into a buffer state, Canadians and Europeans will start using our drugs. The War on Drugs cannot be won with force of arms, but it needs to be solved within international agreements, better domestic policies, and an individual's resolve.
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