Deciphering human instincts

So I was listening to the radio on the way to a client's office this morning and I heard a song that I really like. For some reason, the song took on some deviant meaning this morning and I had an epiphany.

Now, I'm not stating my theory as fact but more as fodder for philosophical debate and query. The song was The Toadies - I come from the water. I was horribly doing my best Vaden Todd Lewis impersonation while driving across a dam separating a fairly large lake , it struck me as a strong phenomenon that waterfront property is so desired and so costly despite all of the dangers associated with it (hurricanes, flooding, landsides, etc). It also struck me as a bit off that almost everyone has some innate desire to go to the beach or the lake or whatever body of water you want to mention.

I started thinking that maybe there was some deep down desire or, more to the point, stronger NEED to be near the water. If we truly did evolve from creatures that originally began their existence in the oceans, maybe the feelings to be as close to the water as possible are our primitive, sub conscience urges to get back to where we came from?

Either that or it is just really pretty. I haven't decided yet.

Somethings are just so simple in theory...but so hard in reality

One of the greatest men of peace the world has known, Mahatma Ghandi, is credited with listing off things that would make the world a better place if they were not the normal. In my opinion, if the opposites to these were followed by everyone, war and poverty would be things of the past. Without further ado....

1. Wealth without work 2. Pleasure without conscience 3. Knowledge without character 4. Commerce without morality 5. Science without humanity 6. Worship without sacrifice 7. Politics without principle —Mahatma Gandhi

* Attributed to Gandhi in a December 15, 1998, article in 'Edupage', an online newsletter published by 'Educause', an international nonprofit association dedicated to transforming higher education through information technologies.

Rolling Stones - Sympathy for the Devil

The musical inspiration for the "Let's Play" post.

Ten things you didn't know about.....

SEX!!!

I thought that this was pretty funny. From a message board that I frequent.

1. The typical lovemaking session lasts around 15 minutes: roughly 10 to 12 minutes of foreplay and around 3 to 5 minutes of intercourse.

2. Humans aren't the only horny members of the animal kingdom doing it just for fun. Dolphins and a type of chimpanzee called the bonobo have also been observed engaging in sexual activity when they are not in their natural reproductive cycles.

3. While Viagra has made erectile dysfunction (affecting 10 to 12 percent of men) a household phrase, the opposite problem -- premature ejaculation -- is more common (affecting 24 to 27 percent of men). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is currently reviewing a drug called dapoxetine as a cure for this problem.

4. Crank up that thermostat... orgasms may be more intense in warmer conditions. The degree of vasocongestion, reddening or darkeing of the skin known as the "sex flush," is both more common in warmer temperatures and an indication of how intense an orgasm may be.

5. If a woman experiences orgasm during sex, she is more likely to become pregnant, since orgasmic spasms in pelvic muscles help move sperm up the vaginal canal to the uterus.

6. Homosexuality is not unique to humans. Many species have been observed engaging in homosexual activity, and in fact male bats have the highest rate of homosexuality of all mammals.

7. On any given day 400,000,000 people around the world -- 1 in 17 of us -- will have sexual intercourse. Broken down further, 4,000 people are having sex at any given time.

8. Sex cures headaches. Endorphins released into our bloodstream when we have sex not only give us pleasure but also act as painkillers. Useful information to whip out the next time your partner uses a headache as a reason to say no.

9. Many elderly can and do have frequent sex. At age 70, 73% of males are still potent, and 30% of women 80 or older have still have sex.

10. 70% of women would rather eat choclate than have sex.

For what price?

I saw this photo that got me thinking recently and I didn't really know what I wanted to say about it.

I knew at the time that there was a message glaringly yelling out at me. I just didn't quite know what the message was.

The message that I am getting from this is that we are all way too caught up in the concept of worth and value regardless the cost. Whether it be diamonds as depicted in the picture, cars as evidenced by all of the BMWs, Mercedes and Lexuses that I see on a daily basis to homes.

We all want items that cost too much for the purpose that they serve and we all ignore the real cost of those items. The picture shows a horrific human rights violation that I would guess happened in S. Africa, the world's largest exporter of diamonds and tyranny. The same type of picture could be made in reference to cars or housing. You still have people being taken advantage of by working in unsafe conditions and for pennies compared to executives.

I got to thinking that it was a shame that we spend so much on these things and so little in aiding others. That led me to thinking about what is truly of value and the price tag associated with it and then the meaning of the picture to me became crystal clear.

Love. The cost is time.....the value is priceless. Love is something that is so easy to give once you are with someone that you can let your guard down around. You are able to share moments with them and create memories. You are able to look at each other and communicate without ever speaking a word. You are able to make someone feel so good about them self that, for brief moments, they realize their true self-worth as others see them.

When you are in those moments....you will truly find the only thing that is worth its cost.

Quick quote from Van Wilder

Apathy is the glove in which evil slips its hand.

Boy....what a day/night

So I've been at work for over 19 hrs now. Not the way that I envisioned my Friday night. Being a geek has some definite perks but having to rebuild a mail server from scratch on a domain that is on its last leg isn't one of them.

It has been a small blessing however....

It has made me realize once again how much I love my wife and kids. It's days like these that remind me to really appreciate spending time with them and snuggling up next to her.

I love you babe and I miss you and the little ones.

Now....back to work so that I can hopefully finish in the next 1/2 hr and rush home to them.

The real leaders of the country

Often, I engage in political debates that end up breaking down to democrat vs. republican. While somewhat entertaining because I like to debate and also play the devil's advocate, it doesn't really cut to the root of the problem.

As is with most things in life....the real key to truth and power is to follow the money.

The real leaders of our country are not those that are elected on a ballot. They are those that are "elected" to sit on the boards of major corporations and the leaders of industry. Now, most will probably think that there are way too many of them to be able to coordinate that type of movement. For those that think that to be the case....I present to you:

http://www.theyrule.net/theyrule.html

This site will open your eyes to how consolidated the power already is in the major industries. You will be able to see how a small handful of men and women sit on the boards of major corporations across different industries that ultimately lead to lobbying congress to do one thing...pass legislation that benefits them.

In return, the congressmen and senators get fat paydays and cushy gigs if they play along and then either "retire" or are voted out.

Whichever is the case, it all equals the same result, the American people are nothing more than
pawns in the game of chess of life that is also nothing more than a power-grab for the ultrawealthy.

The inspiration for the "Let's Play" rant

Let's play

"Pleased to meet you....hope you guess my name
But what's troubling you is the nature of my game"

The lyrics are part of the chorus of The Rolling Stones song: "Sympathy for the Devil". I thought that it would be interesting and a little thought provoking to take the literal meaning of those lines and apply them to the "Lord" instead of the Devil. I hope that you will play along. Here goes a short quiz for you to start:

• The celebration of my birth is December 25
• I was born to a virgin whom was impregnated by God the Father
• I was known to be a mediator that was believed to be the "Light" battling against "Darkness"
• I was considered to be a great teacher and this can be testified to by my 12 followers
• I frequently performed "miracles"
• I have been called many things:
• Savior
• Messiah
• The way, the truth and the light
  
• the good sheppard

• It is said that I am the redeemer of the souls of the dead
  
• Ceremonies to mark belief in me included:
• Baptism to remove sins
  
• Meal of bread and water consecrated with wine

• I preached of a categorical system of ethics that included:
• Abstinence and continence
• renunciation and self-control

• I was crucified on a cross and after the third day of death, I arose
• My resurrection was celebrated every year in the springtime
• My sacred day was Sunday and my followers even had a "Lord's supper"
• The Vatican was built on the very grounds used to worship me

Who am I?

Oh wait.....I forgot one teeny-tiny point that probably will nullify your original "guess"....

I lived around 600 B.C.

If you guessed that I am Mithra, you deserve a huge amount of respect for being open-minded enough to have done research into the history of things instead of just being a blind follower of what others say.

My First Post

Wow....where to begin?


There are many things that I am wanting to share with others and even more that I am only willing to share with my best friend and wife (who are one in the same).

This is going to be a short entry until I figure out exactly where that line is going to be drawn. Until then, it will be a collection of thoughts and random interests that I hope will spark and provoke thoughts and conversations within yourself and between others.

First things first.....a few of my favorite sites to visit:

www.pirateball.com (Sadly, I am a diehard Pittsburgh Pirates fan (along with the other Pittsburgh teams)
www.forums.anandtech.com (Love hanging out in OT and P&N)
http://www.newsnow.co.uk/ (Great source for multiple takes on different hot-button items)
http://torrentscan.com/ (Best torrent search site that I have been able to find)
www.snapfiles.com (Best site to find freeware and utilities for every occasion)

Until next time......