"Your time is limited so don't waste it living someone else's life.
Don't be trapped by Dogma which is living with the results of other people's thinking.
Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your inner voice.
And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition, they somehow already know what you truly want to become."
- Steve Jobs

Friday, March 31, 2006

Freedom of Speech?

It is always better to say right out what you think without trying to prove anything much: for all our proofs are only variations of our opinions, and the contrary-minded listen neither to one nor the other."~~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe


Are we or are we not entitled to our own opinions and Freedom of Speech and a right to protest publicly about what we either agree or disagree with?

I sent my argumentative friend this picture, which maybe I shouldn't have given his current attitude towards me:

http://freecycle.raches-photos.co.uk/dc-freddieprotest.jpg

This picture was taken as a joke during my recent US holiday. The yellow thing in question is my travel mascot, who goes everywhere with me as a good luck kind of thing. He also engaged in a peaceful protest outside the White House as you can see. Thousands of people in the past have stood on Pennsylvania Avenue doing exactly the same thing and waving much more offensive placards. Witness the Inauguration Parade protests for example!!!

So this was his reply:

Miss Smith;

Sophomoric stunts hardly qualify as exchanging opinions and ideas.

I assumed that as an adult such adolescent activity was left in your past. So excuse me for expecting properly raised adults {especially ladies} to exercise good taste and discretion, especially while a guest in a foreign country.

Obviously I was mistaken.

Regards;

===============================

To which I have replied:

"Whatever happened to freedom of speech?

If you came over to the UK and exhibited your opinion on our Queen or Blair, then you would be perfectly within your rights to do so. People who saw you may object or be offended, or agree with you, but ultimately you have a right to express your opinion, whatever it may be. Just like the Muslims in Trafalgar Square getting upset about the cartoons, or some hippies protesting about the building of a new airport, or the foxhunting protestors. Or 2 million people walking the streets of London objecting to the Iraq war. They have a right to protest and a right to freedom of opinion and expression.

If any of your other friends disagree with your views do you cut them dead too? Life's too short to ruin friendships over differences in opinion. You can say what you like about Blair or our Royal Family or the way Britain is run, and I will either agree or disagree but ultimately I have to accept that it is YOUR opinion, and let it lie. But I only cut off friendships if the slaggings get very personal towards myself or my family. Politics will never be agreed upon by anyone, and I for one will be keeping my opinions to myself in the future, it's not worth the hassle."

===============================

I just don't get his anger at the fact I dared express my opinions, which happened to be the opposite of his. If you think you're not going to like what you hear then don't bloody bother to ask!!!

He also says in another email where I questioned him on the PNAC:

"Good Morning Rache;

The PNAC? Oh, come on. You are getting worked up over the PNAC?!

Organizations touting similar ideals have been in existence in the US going back to the early late 1700's. The PNAC is merely a modern day version of the Federalists. In fact when it comes to their mission statement, Presidents from Jefferson to Wilson would have applauded it.

From what I can see it looks like continental Europe could use a generous dose of what the PNAC is advocating.....free market capitalism, competition, private enterprise and limited government.

Looking at the economic conditions of Germany and France {and the current riots in Paris} how can you have a problem with that? God forbid that the US ever fashion itself after a European style welfare state. Hopefully there is still time and still enough clear thinking citizens of Britain to banish all vestiges of Socialism from its shores. As I see it the beat thing you can do is get the hell out of the EU. The only thing that membership in the EU will do for Britain is drive it into the ground economically and weaken your national modernity. Get out while the getting is good.

Sadly many Americans have bought into the siren song of government sponsored welfare. Consequently they are exhibiting the same attitude that the French rioters have, i.e. "I am entitled to a job, I am entitled to health care, etc, etc, etc" This only serves to promote laziness and dependency. Three generations of Socialism will do that to a nation.

Strange that you seem to fear the ideas of the PNAC more than you fear the ultimate goal of Osma Bin Laden. He is on public record as saying the goal of radical Islam is to restore the ancient Islamic Empire. Now that is something to fear!!"

===============================

I found it interesting that he mentioned Bin Laden, who seems to have dropped off the radar where GWB is concerned.

Never discuss politics with Americans

Well, the friend (probably now an ex-friend) who I was having political arguments with has referred to me as "an emotional idiot" and will now probably never write back. Just cos I disagreed with his views on Bush, America and the world today.

He started the discussions off, he asked for my opinions, he said that people he worked with "Just talked about sport" and he wanted a bit more of an interesting debate. So I gave him my views, he disagreed with them, I disagreed with him, and he chucked his toys out of the pram and is now hurling insults at me.

This is the second American who has stopped speaking to me just cos I don't agree that Bush is a Saint and Saviour. Jesus they are so fucking patriotic! Chill man, you wanted a discussion so accept it when other people don't agree with you - let it go, life's too short! If we all had the same opinions life would be very boring!!!

I guess I'll never bother talking politics with one again
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30 March
Who's right?
I am e-mail arguing with a friend at the moment about Bush and America's PNAC. I pretty much say that the PNAC is a scary document that to me, outlines America's plans for World Domination. I was also arguing the case for the non-appearance of WMD and the fact that Bush/Blair went to war without a second UN resolution.

Here is his reply, as you can see he's pretty pissed....


Hello Rache;

Neither the President nor the Prime Minister "ignored" the UN nor were they advocating a nuclear weapons strike against Iraq. In fact both spent way too much time trying to convince Russia, France and China {permanent members of the Security Council} to give their vote for direct military force in order to stop the spread of nuclear weapons. This was a waste of precious time since all three had already stated publicly that they would never vote for military force against Sadddam regardless of what the evidence showed.

Your contention that "blatant evidence showed that there were no nuclear weapons" is not accurate. Presidents and Prime Ministers do not go out spying for themselves, they rely on others to do that for them. They must make decisions based on the best information at hand. I believe they did. Given Saddams track record, the technological ability of scientists to make smaller and smaller WMD devices and the potential loss of innocent life if on is set off in NY or London they had no other choice.

While many were fooled by Saddams manipulations of "not quite in compliance but not in total defiance" strategy, thank God Bush and Blair saw through it and realized the danger. What would you prefer: a Prime Minister who assumes the worse and acts accordingly or a Prime Minister who runs to the UN and hopes for the best? {give me a Churchill over a Neville Chamberlin any day}

Sending in special forces to take out the leaders of Iran is doable in spy novels but I fear it is a little different in the real world. Iran learned from the Israeli air attack on Iraq's nuclear reactor in 1981 to disperse its work shops, components, technicians etc. Plus, Iran is ready for such an attack and has far more sophisticated radar and anti aircraft systems. Plus Iran is a huge country.

Your special interest groups sound rather interesting but you are missing my point.

I'm sure you have internet access, a cell phone, personal savings accounts, travel, life insurance, own a car, etc etc. The list is endless. Well, you are a member of a special interests groups whether you care to admit it or not. Also, I don't know how it is at your job but if Premier Dental doesn't make a profit I don't get paid. Thank God for profits and thank God for General Motors, General Dynamics, Microsoft, Ford, etc. If it weren't for big business and wealthy people who exactly would we be paying our salaries?

America wants to rule the world?!! You're joking, right? This would be insulting if it were not so absurd. Honey, if the US really wanted to take over the world it could have done it a long time ago. 1946 would have been a real good time for it. In fact there isn't much out there now that could stop us if we really wanted to capture the world. Get real. OK? You sound like Ken Livingston or Kim Jung Il.

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Drink your milk ....

I saw a laughable advert from the makers of Coco Pops - their new idea to encourage kids to drink milk is their "Coco Pops straws" - highly sugary chocolate straws that seem to be too big to fit into your cereal bowl, but that will encourage kids to slurp their milk through them. OOOH FANTASTIC - get your kids to drink milk but first, saturate it with sugar! It's bad enough that Coco Pops are about 50% sugar and don't fill you up for longer than an hour, but now they will be eating LESS because those silly straws don't even make up a good bowl of breakfast!

Any parent that falls for this crap should be shot. If you want to encourage your kids to drink milk, then make them cool fruit smoothies - much better for them, no need to add sugar, totally healthy, and you can't even taste the milk thanks to the fruity goodness.

Sunday, March 26, 2006

GO NATURAL - Update

Good Lord read these:

http://pureskincare.co.uk/shop/index.php?main_page=infopages&pages_id=19

http://pureskincare.co.uk/shop/index.php?main_page=infopages&pages_id=20

"The main lubricants in many moisturisers, conditioners and hand creams are liquid paraffin, propylene glycol and mineral oil. These by products of the petroleum industry are used in large numbers of cosmetics and toiletries due to the fact that they are very cheap. These petrochemicals can cause photosensitivity (i.e. can promote sun damage), and strip the natural oils from the skin causing chapping and dryness. They can also prevent the effective elimination of toxins from the skin, resulting in acne and other disorders.

Propylene glycol is a common ingredient in moisturisers, yet also used extensively in brake fluids and antifreeze products! This ingredient can result in sensitivity reactions and is the most widely used moisture carrying ingredient in cosmetics.

This ingredient has been found to be a neurotoxin by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (the Medical Post, 27 September 1994) and it has been recently been connected to contact dermatitis, kidney damage and liver abnormalities"

And so on. Throw out that Oil of Olay and Go Organic!!!

Friday, March 24, 2006

GO NATURAL!

Having become a label-freak with my food I'm now applying it to the things I smear on my face every morning. I recently went to Boots to buy a new moisturiser, and I looked at the ingredients.

Good Lord, I am only now realising what a cocktail of chemicals we smear on ourselves every morning as we get ready. Hair wash, face wash, deodorant, cleanse tone moisturise, concealer, foundation, hair gel, hairspray....the combined list of impossible-to-spell words that our skin absorbs as we get ready for work is very scary!

I'm no scientist and I don't know the full danger of these things, but if you look at a microwave spag bol and see it's full of unpronounceable chemicals and think "I'm not eating that!", then the same should apply to your cosmetics.

Face cream is now more expensive per ounce than GOLD. This can't be right! For example: Clinique Repairwear SPF 15 Lotion costs £45 - Price per 100 ml: £ 116.67. FOR SUN BLOCK???

A VERY useful website to check out the safety of what you smear over yourself is http://www.ewg.org/reports/skindeep2/. Just enter in the name of what you use and it gives it a safety rating, tells you the ingredients, and then warns you if there's anything dodgy about the product. Let's look at the Clinique SPF lotion, this is what the report says:

Hazards of one or more ingredients - Cancer hazard, Unsafe for use in cosmetics, Potential for harmful impurities, Estrogenic chemicals and other endocrine disruptors, Immune system toxicants (allergies, sensitization), Ingredient(s) not assessed for safety ...

And the list goes on. The actual list of ingredients was just too much to list here, it was massive! Overall, this product scores 4.2 which is at the "very bad for yoU" level, according to EWG. And all this for a cream that costs £116 PER 100ML.

Of course, the industry recognises that we are all now more aware of organic this and that, and natural products this and that, so they jump on the bandwagon. And we fall for it! But READ THE LABEL.
Clairol Herbal Essences Fruit Fusions Moisturizing Body Wash with Kumquat, Tamarillo & Green Apple sounds lovely, and indeed smells lovely, and that silly woman in the advert groans and yelps as she massages the following soup of toxins into her hair:

Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Fragrance, Glycerin, Cyphomandra Betacea (Tamarillo) Extract, Fortunella Margarita (Kumquat) Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, PEG-150 Pentaerythityl Tetrastearate, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Polyquaternium-10, Methyl Gluceth 10, Sodium Chloride, Sodium PCA, Disodium EDTA, Diazolidinyl Urea, Propylene Glycol, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Orange 4, Red 4, Red 33.
This product is also tested on animals, and some ingredients are Unsafe for use in cosmetics, Classified as toxic, and Illegal for use in food!

We need to move over to the REAL natural hair & beauty products, not the ones that "pretend" to be natural, still use the same old chemicals, and charge us the earth for doing so. I have switched over to the www.lush.co.uk range of solid shampoo bars. They are fab! They aren't packaged in plastic so you're not contributing to landfills, they work, and they are packed with PROPER natural ingredients.

They do cost a bit more than your average £2.50 bottle of Fructis but the choice is yours - save money and drown your skin in chemicals, or spend a bit more and give your body a break! And if you already spend £30 on that Clinique moisturiser then a £17 organic one will be a price break for you!

www.safecosmetics.org
www.lush.co.uk
www.greenpeople-organic-health.co.uk/Links_Other.htm
http://shop.earthbound.co.uk/acatalog/organicskincareMoisturisers.html
www.beebeauty.com/

Monday, March 20, 2006

Independence

So I finished with my boyfriend, because I realised it wasn't working but mainly because I freaked out being "dependent" on him for my living (ie sharing the mortgage on a house). Now I am buying out his share of the house and taking it on myself (with a little help from the parents and my future inheritance ).

As is perfectly understood, he has downed tools and taken them all home, and is now leaving me to it - and there are several DIY jobs that still need finishing. Kitchen and bathroom tiling, bathroom, hall walls to prep and paint, hall and landing flooring, complete revamp of the downstairs loo, radiator to be installed in said loo and also the hall, fitted wardrobe to be put up in sewing room, skirting boards in the lounge, 3 cupboards to shelve out, wardrobe in main bedroom too, and double glazing to 5 more windows. Not to mention the lawn rotorvating and reseeding.

He departed the house the last time I saw him with the words "if you need any help just ask". I haven't asked him to do any of the above DIY jobs cos really that'd be a bit taking the piss. I've asked if his garage would change my cam belt and he helpfully suggested that I find somewhere in Norwich to do it as I'd have to "wait a few hours" for the job to be done, and he obviously doesn't want me "waiting a few hours" at his place. I asked him to come and remove the pile of rubble in the back garden that he wants for his driveway, and now he's "busy all next week and the week after and I can remove it myself if I want". Well I don't bloody want, there's loads of it and it's too heavy for me to move myself. he can come and bloody get it. On learning of me getting handyman quotes he just said "I hope you find a decent one", then offered to do it himself IF I PAID HIM. Yep, "just ask if you need any help". I can just hear him putting down the phone and saying "you wanted independence love, here you are......" I totally agree with him, it's like if I'd been building him a huge website and he dumped me, I'd be hitting the DELETE key on his website. But I get pissed when people say "just ask if you need help" then totally DON'T help when you ask. At least be honest and say "get on with it love, see you in 10 years".

So now I'm getting handyman quotes to shelve out my three huge cupboards (£60 not too bad) and also to rotorovate the lawn in readiness for reseeding (another £60).

Althought to finish the house totally will now cost me £££££ and take a couple of years at least, I would prefer it cost me £££ than for me to go grovelling to him for help. On Saturday I bought an electric sander and some refills for the belt sander we bought together, and I attacked the hall walls with relish, sanding, smoothing, and filling the crappy walls in readiness for painting. I painted the hall and landing ceilings, bought a garden storage chest, and cleared out the other shed so there is room for my bike (get it out of the hallway!) I can't wait for the cupboards to be shelved as then the whole house will be decluttered when I shove it all inside them.

I felt a lot better doing all that myself than just sitting back waiting for him to do it. So I'll just deal with bare-walled bathrooms and crappy hall flooring for a year or so longer, it will be done in the end and even though I'll be paying someone to do it, I will feel more of a sense of achievement about it.

I can't wait for the summer - sitting out back in a hammock looking over the newly-seeded lawn, designing a garden layout for it, enjoying the warmth and silence of the house all to myself. I've decided that for the foreseeable future I will only want a man around when I need DIY doing .

Talking about F*ck of the Irish

EXACTLY MY SENTIMENTS!!! Go Michael ...

Quote

F*ck of the Irish

I'm in one of those moods again. A combination of our nation's shoddy excuse for public transport, our nation's appalling weather, our nation's redundant youth and our neighbouring nation's stupid national holiday have put my in the foulest mood since that time I had two teeth pulled in one sitting.

Seriously, St. Patricks Day is not a occasion to get plastered. Surely if Patrick was a fucking Saint then he wouldn't have been much of a drinker anyway would he!? You fucking morons, St. Patricks Day is nothing more than an excuse for a piss up. As if our society of cretins and miscreants needed another reason to get utterly wankered and piss me off. I have seen precisely ZERO Irish people today. The number of moronic pricks staggering about with their Guinness hats hanging precariously onto their bobbing heads, shouting, cursing, puking and feeling each other up on the train platform has been staggering. For fuck's sake just get out of my fucking way. St. Patricks Day, what a pile of wank.

And if you are under 18 and happen to live in Godalming with "Mummy and Daddy" and care to go out to Guildford dressed as though you are grungers yet continue to talk like the bunch of fucking Ra-ras you are under all that make up, drinking vast amounts of vodka pilfered from Daddy's spirits cabinet then that's all well and good. But if you ever congregate in vast numbers on Guildford Train Station Platform 8 and 6, screaming, shouting and generally being a troupe of evil-annoying-idiot-fucks then be warned. Next time I'm just going to hijack a bulldozer and sweep you all under the next train coming into the station. Nothing would bring me more pleasure than the sound of your skulls being smashed asunder along with your preppy little iPod Nanos, and I can do that safe in the knowledge that I'm doing society at large a favour and raising the collective level of intelligence of man kind.

Don't think I forgot about you either, yeah you, the group of little bastards on the train out of Fratton. There's a special kind of hell reserved for people like you. I believe that it's a lifetime of welfare and about 20 kids. Enjoy, you little shits. I laugh at the fact that your life will be ultimately futile and worthless, that the sum efforts of your meagre time here on this Earth will amount to what I'm able to produce in 10 minutes in the bathroom.

M I C H A E L I S E N R A G E D T O D A Y

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Dodgy mobile phone callers

I got a phone call today from a company claiming to be calling me on behalf of Vodafone, and telling me my contract was about to expire and that I was due a "free" phone upgrade.

Alarm bells rang instantly as I vaguely remembered a news article about these companies, who are NOT affiliated to the mobile phone company they claim to represent. They offer you the free upgrade and say they will renew your contract, but it's actually bollocks - they tie you into all sorts of deals that cos you money and are VERY hard to get out of.

I rang Vodafone and double checked about my contract, which IS up for renewal, but they said to ignore anyone external, renewed my contract and I declined an upgrade. Sorted!

Just a warning to you all out there - always check with the phone company PERSONALLY than with a dodgy company!

Friday, March 10, 2006

Modern Society is Insane

This entry from the fabulous blog ihatebullshit.com:

Modern society is insane. It seems that every single year, we manage to do things that send us hurtling back into the dark ages.

This article just tries to pull back the balance between the good and evils that are common-sense and bullshit, a little like Star Wars, although instead of a light sabre, it’s just me waving my cock around.

Feminism

There’s nothing worse than some Feminazi bitch protesting her rights at you when all you did was ask directions to the nearest shit-cubicle.

I happen to know a feminist. She’s just an old bitch who complains at just about everything. She complained when I looked into a room that happened to be full of girls. She complained when I looked down into the library when it happened to have some girls in it. She complained when one of my friends was walking behind her on the stairs and that he was supposedly trying to look up her skirt.

Christ on a bike, love, nobody wants to see what you’re hoarding up your arse-cloth. Maybe 30 years ago, but not anymore. Go knit me a jumper and shut the fuck up.

Political ‘Correctness’

Bullshit.

Just in case you’ve never heard of the term, it’s basically another attempt at shitting on the chest of the English language. Basically, any term what-so-ever that specifies the gender, race, religion, etc of a person is strictly forbidden.

An example of PC is to call a Juvenile delinquent a troubled youth, although this does very little to change the fact that they’re just cheeky little shits, nor does it change the fact that somebody who is follicularly challenged is actually just bald.

It does even less to change the fact that somebody who is heavyset is actually just a fat fucker.

People are becoming total pussies by constantly trying to play down reality by introducing these shitty “cover-up” words.

Conclusion

When you look at modern society as a whole, all we’ve achieved by racial equality, feminism, political correctness and other bullshit is that we now live in a society where we can’t say somebody is black/white/green/purple/etc without being a racist nor can we specify that somebody is a man or a woman without being ‘politically incorrect’.

To conclude, all we’ve done is achieve madness by being over sensitive.

Changing several words is going to do very little to curb the hatred of man, so how about we all shut the fuck up and just keep using the damn words.

Ginger Kids

Had to post this extract from the Southpark show "Ginger Kids":

http://www.thatvideosite.com/view/1123.html

As a fellow redhead I found it a tad amusing - I am a DAYWALKER!!!

Thursday, March 09, 2006

Madness part II

In the news today it was announced that a 13 year old boy has been given permission to wear "a stab-proof vest" when he goes to school, for fear of being attacked by a fellow schoolboy - because of a quarrel over a GIRL.

Isn't anyone warning the other guy that if he does something as stupid as stabs another person, he will get his ass thrown in jail? No! Instead they leave him to it, give his intended victim a stabproof vest, and hope for the best.

Also in the news, a headmaster has banned snowball fights and warned of punishment if you throw a snowball at another person "without his permission", because "being hit by a snowbally unexpectedly can be frightening and painful".

Thursday, March 02, 2006

Free Food

Look around your average supermarket. How much of that food do you think it thrown out when it gets near to its sell-by date? When those mushrooms start to go a bit soft, when there is a crate-full of apples that are a bit bruised, when that cabbage gets a bit floppy. They just get thrown out, and they are still perfectly edible.

I've heard about people who raid supermarket bins for ages now, and they get tons of perfect food for nothing. Now there's a website dedicated to redistributing this waste (but good) food to people who cannot afford enough food for a healthy diet. http://www.fareshare.org.uk/ is the national organisation that works with over 100 food businesses to minimise food waste by providing practical solutions to help ensure that the maximum amount of 'fit for purpose' food is consumed wherever possible.

In 2005 2,000 tonnes of food was saved from being wasted, helping business reduced C02 emissions by 13,000 tonnes. This food was then redistributed, along with other food related support services, to a community food network of 300 organisations. This food contributed to over 3.3 million meals to 12,000 disadvantaged people each day in 34 cities and towns across the UK.

As well as also providing 250 work and volunteers placements last year, £5 million was saved by the network of local charities, which was reinvested into the community.

It is estimated that 4 million people in the UK cannot afford a healthy diet, with 1 in 7 people over 65 at serious risk of malnourishment. I'm glad that someone is doing something about it, but typical that it was an independent organisation that came up with this idea, and not our caring Goveernment.


You may also want to check out http://freegan.info/, a site Dedicated to Revealing Human Over-Consumption and Waste. Freeganism is a total boycott of an economic system where the profit motive has eclipsed ethical considerations and where massively complex systems of productions ensure that all the products we buy will have detrimental impacts most of which we may never even consider. Thus, instead of avoiding the purchase of products from one bad company only to support another, they avoid buying anything to the greatest degree they are able.

Seems to me like they should just have their own allotment and raise their own chickens though? Instead they raid skips and re-use products that we have thrown out, or eat food dumped by supermarkets that is still edible. But ultimately but re-using those GAP combats from the bin, or eating Asda's thrown-out fresh (intensively farmed) chicken legs, they are STILL consuming the foods and using the products produced by the society they disagree with ... however they are helping to reduce waste and sticking two fingers up at our wasteful society at the same time. it's a vicious circle, but if we didn't waste so much in the first place they'd not be doing it....