Misanthrope

At long last, PURE EVIL has manifested in the most sinister site known to man and those who fully comprehend it's message in all it's vile, fiendish splendor. All hail to Saint Michael and his wicked minions. May this blessed site bestow upon us the evil inspiration to forge new paths in diabolical malevolence. Amen

These are observations I would tend to agree with on face value were reality not such a bitter pill. What happens when said policemen ARE around but do not possess the rudiments of chivalry, unbiased vision, or high-minded character necessary to reign in the sort of uncivilized behavior discussed here? The disturbing trend is pointing toward the "watchers" more often than not being guilty of the very behavior they are charged in preventing. Policemen are, after all, just as human as the rest of us and tales of their corruption are legend. As reality would have it, some policemen don?t actually care for the female of the species and will not only refrain from coming to an assaulted woman?s aid but will take much delight in watching, and perhaps even join in the debauchery if the conditions are right (i.e., if they think they won?t get caught). Thankfully, some of the more democratically minded among us have taken it upon ourselves to watch the watchers. In less dramatic environments, this metaphoric ?policing? misogamist will deliver his bias in more subtle ways, unbeknown to the naive of course ? but not the learned champion of human equality. Sadly, it sometimes seems society is only as good as the few who yield their power (perceived or otherwise) over the many. Is it any wonder we are wrought with troubles and all manner of wickedness? Regarding artistic endeavors, there?s a reason female literary artists often choose to write under pseudonyms. JK Rowling, author of the Harry Potter series, purposely wrote under an androgynous pen name as her target audience was young males, and she wished to avoid discrimination from this crowd. Had she written under a blatantly female name, she would have no doubt suffered a fair amount of bias as a result.

Took the words right out of my mouth. I absolutely HATE baking because it requires (at least for me) following a recipe detail by anal detail. If anyone has any hints on how to bake without following a recipe, I for one would love to hear. I really like homemade oatmeal & raisin cookies, but they always seem to come out tasting like cardboard. I shudder to think what would happen if I tried my hand at apple pie or zuchinni bread. Sure wish I could find an easy way of making sourdough bread. It's supposed to be really good for you if prepared homemade with a traditional "starter." As for soups, quiche, and the rest of it, I've finally gotten to the point where I don't have to follow a recipe note by note anymore. Thank God, 'cause otherwise I'd simply find it all too unbearable. I'm going to have a beer now.

I say drop the cling-on who can't seem to take a hint AND your girlfriend. Then you can focus on what matters: Getting the best education you can before moving on to a University. How's that for a novel idea? By the way, any woman who continues to throw herself (metaphorically) at a man has no self respect. You are right to want nothing to do with her.

One of the main issues I have with tail-gaters are deer. Yup, I live in the backwood sticks where deer are a major concern for drivers. But not just deer. Someone recently hit a moose a few miles down the road from me. Amazingly, he suffered no physical harm, but his car was totaled - and so was the poor moose. Sadly, this moose had two young ones who are now orphans. I do hope they survive. The driver was driving at night and going over the speed limit. I actually drive lower than the speed limit at night because that's when the critters come out (and crazy people), and the last thing I wanna do is hit a critter or crazy meth-head stumbling across the road. Well, I guess I'm not so concerned about the crazy meth-head.Now, when an idiot tail-gater rears up me, I will slow down even more to allow myself more breaking latitude. Imagine cruising down the road and breaking for a deer, just to get rear-ended by some moron. I think one of the reasons so many deer get hit is for this very fact. People are afraid to break for them because they know they'll get rear ended by some tail gating idiot if they do. We don't have any four lane roads in my town. Just one each way. If someone decides to tailgate me, I slow way down until they get up the courage to pass. I'm not going to increase my speed or risk the life of an innocent animal just because someone else feels like being a bully. I don't know if this true everywhere, but I've noticed a strange phenomenon in the Northwestern part of the States. It's one of the reasons I never bother to speed up if someone tail gates. It seems no matter how fast I go, the tail gater will risk life and limb to catch up with me. And he's hardly ever interested in passing. He simply wants to stick like glue to my bumper. Is he a bully, or is he so afraid of being alone on the highway he must seek the solace of my tail light? Either way, I refer to these kind of folks as, "cling ons." And like that proverbial monkey on my back, I can't help but feel the need to shake 'em off.

A martial artist would argue that the human hand can be a deadly weapon, and he would be right. Given your logic, we should outlaw human appendages. Taken to it's illogical conclusion we should also outlaw doctors, because they kill more people than guns and automobiles combined. If you're speaking of the Philippines, I've done a fair amount of travel in Mountain Province and have friends there. By the way, they are all armed and intend to stay that way for obvious reasons. I myself live in a rural area, and am at least an hour away from the help of law enforcement. I believe in self-sufficiency and will use whatever means necessary to defend myself. Anyone who stands in the way of my right to defend myself will hear about it. This is why gun "control" is such a controversial topic. It's literally a matter of life and death. Oh yeah? Than why are cops armed? Why do stories abound of little old ladies who shoot down criminals who break into their sanctuary of their homes? Do you really think these little old ladies could defend themselves any other way? Do you really think the police would arrive in time to save them? Do you comprehend that criminals will continue to collect and use guns even if they are outlawed? I will not surrender my right to bear arms because some people have no self control or can't pull their naive heads out of the sand.

I think you have inadvertently made the point for gun ownership. Guns are tools, nothing more. They are inanimate objects that are incapable of making arbitrary decisions. Yes, there's this little something known as the human element that actually has the last word on whether or not a crime is commited. But you wouldn't know this listening to the mainstream media, where mad stories of guns "going off" run rampant. Last time I checked, a gun was an inert piece of metal, not unlike that knife I use to chop vegetables for my lentil soup. Ever heard any stories of knives attacking people? No, you won't - because the Powers that Be are not out to ban knives, even though they also used as "tools for killing." No - they want to take away our guns because they know they are the only thing standing between the free people of this earth and total government tyranny.

Pardon my ignorance, oh Evil Mod, but I'm completely confused by this statement. Please clarify the following: 1. Who is guilty of said attacking? 2. How, specifically, has this person(s) attacked said "other?" 3. Where is "here?" Are you referring to the thread, the board, or a specific group of people? This statement leaves the Enlightened Misanthrope wanting for more information. Hungry minds wanna know.....

I think if more people understood the history behind the word, ?race? they?d be much less inclined to use it, especially in cases like this. The whole concept of race as viewed today is a relatively modern invention, irrevocably tied to human slavery. To briefly elaborate, European colonists found that categorizing humans based on physical appearance helped further their interests in the African slave trade during the 17th century. Not that slavery or concepts of physical difference hadn?t been issues before, but these ideas held greater sway where European imperialists gained power. Prior to colonization, slavery was primarily a result of war ? not physical differences or perceived racial superiority.That said, I believe that to focus on race is to play into the hands of the Power Structure, who find we are much easier to control if we are constantly at each other?s throats focusing on physical differences and using terms like ?interracial.? Whether others approve of your liason is beside the point. By the same token, the member who stated she prefers to date white men should not be judged as anything other than a free person making a free decision. The bottom line is, as a sovereign individual, you have the right to date who you want. The jerks who stare at you are provincial, uneducated idiots. But stupid people can be dangerous. I hope you are armed when out and about with your woman friend. Better yet, move to America, where the memory of human slavery still lingers, and where people will defend their rights and the rights of others to remain free. Further, ?race? has no sound biological basis. Yes, there are obvious differences between us, but there is no gene distinguishing any population from another. The human species is one, and it?s better known as HomoSapiens. By the way, I just tried typing the words H*omo Sapiens in their scientifically correct form, and the "H" word was replaced with "person." Hmm, I wonder what would happen if I typed the word ......

That may be true, and if it is I think it helps cement my point, which is, folks seem inherently predisposed toward one animal or the other -despite the facts. And why is that? Some of it has to do with the environment we grew up in. But then, how do you explain the self-professed dog hater who grew up in a household of well-behaved, loving dogs? It seems to come down to personal preference, which is where I think personality types come into play. I grew up around both cats and dogs, but to this day I prefer cats. I will always prefer cats because they resonate with my personality type.

What are you worried about? From what I gather the average height for a woman in the United States is 5'3," so you're only an inch under average. At 14 you should be more concerned with your studies - which is a daunting task in today's public "school" system. Someone mentioned drinking milk. Leafy greens like Swiss Chard have much more usable calcium than milk, of which only a relatively small percentage is absorbed by the body. Further, non-organic, pasteurized milk is proven to have considerable negative health consequences on the human body.

Uh, why would any self-respecting woman ask a man out? Remember, YOU are the catch. YOU are the fragrant flower, the crown jewel, that precious Holy Grail a man will scale oceans of time to discover. YOU are that magnet he feels an irrepressible draw toward; because he is the steel. Why fight natural law? To gain a man's respect, you must think highly enough of yourself to know you are worthy of attracting a man by your mere presence. Notice I use the word "man" instead of "guy," or "boy." A guy or boy isn't mature enough to understand these time-honored, chivalrous concepts. Today's castrated, dumb-downed boy is so overwhelmed with jaded TV and female hormones from the tainted meat supply, he'd rather lay around dropping Prozac than initiate an adult relationship. This kind of male would no doubt be flattered by your awkward defiance of natural law (it feels awkward for a reason). But more than that, he will expect you to make the first move, because he's been trained to be a weakling by the modern media. A man, on the other hand, would wonder what the heck is wrong with you and find some excuse to run the other direction. The question is, do you want a boy, or do you want a man?

Bullies infest every walk of life in every corner of society, and are hardly a new phenomenon. What's changed since the days of yore are the ways society deals with these soul-sucking vermin and the scars they inflict on innocent bystanders. In our current climate of fear-mongering political correctness, bullies are often allowed to carry on in their usual foul manner, unencumbered by little things like common mores and values. As other posters have alluded to, you may as well forget protocol if you?re the unfortunate victim of that gross charade otherwise known as the public school system. In this environment, the brave vigilantly must step in where the system fails, or refuses to act. Here, the bully must be brought into line by other students, by whatever means they deem necessary. Left without due process, the only way to subdue a bully is by giving him a piece of his own vile medicine. A little creative license wouldn?t hurt here, within reason of course. If, however, you attend Catholic school, you can count on the clergy-faculty to reign in the little bastard long before he presents a problem to other students. At least I hope that?s still the case. Much has changed since I attended Catholic school, and I fear the Church has changed for the worse since then. No, I know it?s changed for the worse since then. But I digress. The point is, your odds of having the problem resolved in a non-state controlled setting are far greater than not. And hey, if for some horrible reason you decide to propagate, at least have the foresight to save the little rug rats the torture of the public school prison system.

Fear not, overwhelmed semite! After some time you may find yourself feeling completely different. My beef is actually quite opposite from yours, in as much as there are topics I'd like to post on but can't find an appropriate location. For example, I feel there should be a forum, or at least a sub-forum on Religion, as well as Philosophy. There is certainly enough interest in these subjects to warrant their inclusion. Yes, there the so-called "spirituality" sub-forum under Health and Fitness which caters to trendy "new age" drivel and it's narrow-minded adherents, but this is hardly the place for free-thinking intellectuals to discuss Plato's "Republic," 19th century German philosophy, or the incredible legacy Catholicism has has on Western thought. No, if anything, Trap 17 could benefit from more, not less opportunities for unhindered discourse. I have been assured these topics may be included at some point if a mod volunteers to create a tree-like forum. This would also make it easier for members to locate specific topics, I imagine. Hee heeeee! As far as I'm concerned, if you're not complaining (even if disguised as humor) - you're not thinking! Oh, and if you're not offending at least some of the people some of the time, you're not saying anything worthwhile. My opinion is just that, but I say lose the "no offense" jargon. You'll inevitably piss someone off here whether you want to or not. Note to the wise: include a "disclaimer" for the feeble of mind, such as the one included in my signature. You'll need it.

I will preface my rant on the so-called drug war by expressing my personal disdain for marijuana and most of its recreational users. While the hemp plant serves a number of practical purposes and its medicinal uses are well founded, I myself never cultivated an appreciation for its recreational (or medicinal) effect, subversive subculture, or the loss of grey matter that often ensues even moderate usage. From what Ive observed pot smokers often seem more predisposed to use of harder recreational chemicals as opposed to those who imbibe in alcohol. By the same token, Ive known tokers who carry on their chosen professions very well with no apparent ill effect. Still, they seem in the minority compared to the majority who become too damn apathetic and mellow for their own good. But the Ninth and Tenth Amendments are quite clear regarding the individuals right to self medicate. And nothing in the constitution prohibits you from using drugs or doing what you will with your own person. While I dont personally care for pot, my opinion and preferences can hold no sway over another persons right to exscersise their constitutional freedoms. Further, the whole concept of criminalizing a plant is completely absurd. As mentioned by a previous poster, our founding fathers utilized the herb in the days when freedom actually meant something. This draconian War on Drugs is a ludicrous farce, and may just as well be called the War on Civil Liberties, as this so called war has the opposite effect by empowering untouchable drug lords while violating the constitutional rights of we the people. Keep in mind government(s) is already in the business of pushing drugs on the populace. One need look no further than the Bush regimes international drug cartel or the FDAs approval/sponsorship of toxic pharmaceutical mayhem. Can you say, blatant hypocrisy?

I see no one?s taken the bait here, so I?ll follow up on OpaQue?s astute implication. That is, Islam is actually a very young religion ? if not the world?s youngest, and was founded by the ?prophet? Muhammad a mere 1300 years ago. But to address his question directly, Dravidianism, the precursor to modern Hinduism, is said to be the world?s oldest religion, predating even Sumerian to approximately 6000 BC. Is it any wonder this most ancient of the world?s cultures embraces vegetarianism? This tradition has passed through many ages, imparting the wisdom necessary to hold all life ?not just human- sacred - something I?ve always admired about Hindu culture. I would concur that forms of Paganism (Wicca, Goddess worship, whatever you want to call it) probably predate anything spoken of here, but Hinduism is considered the oldest where large, organized religions are concerned.

When does racism go too far? When you allow your perceived differences to affect how you perceive others' comments toward you, and vice versa. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right? That is, unless your doctor succeeds in hooking you on brain-numbing pharmaceuticals. Stop obsessing over who said what or what it might imply and focus on what YOU want out of life. I'm getting a bit tired of folks languishing in the self-imposed misery of the racism card, that serves no purpose other than to divide and more easily control the masses. By the way, did you hear the one about the Cracker?

I'd follow up with Jlhaslip's advice and indulge in a little R&R and fine spirits, but please, please, please stay away from the chocolate milk. The reasons are twofold: first, milk is an inflammatory which will increase your pain and hinder healing. The pasteurized milk force fed the public at grocery stores is a "dead" product which brings on all manner of illness due not only to it's dead nature but the Bovine Growth Hormone and assorted host of toxins injected into cows forced to perform more like machines than animals. Bottom line: if it's bad for the animals it's bad for you. If you want cow's milk, please seek out real milk from wholesome sources - not factory-farmed poison. I think it's of note that the power broking-elite among us keep their own herds as opposed to buying the factory farmed trash they force on their peasants (i.e., the public). It appears they know something most of us are either too stupid or too blind to accept. Secondly, the sweetener in chocolate "milk" will compromise your immune system for roughly five hours after ingestion. Try to stay away from processed sugar, factory produced meat, pasteurized products and white flour/rice until you've healed. I know this is a tall order, but I assume your goal is to heal as quickly as possible. Consider becoming an aficianado of whole foods, raw garlic, strong herbs and pungent spices. Turmeric and Stinging Nettle come to mind. Wise animals naturally seek out these bitters when afflicted with illness. Find a source of powdered Vitamin C which you're body will actually absorb as opposed to the useless tablet variation that ends up being flushed down the septic system. The FDA has recently issued warnings and become quite paranoid about this essential healing nutrient, which leads me to believe it's probably one of the better supplements for the human body. Remember, the FDA is in bed with the power brokers and medical establishment, who benefit from your sickness - not your good health. And lastly, when you're in physical pain, a shot of good whiskey will render less harm and side effect than any pharmaceutical your pill-pushing "doctor" would have you become addicted to. Yes, I know that doesn't sound politically correct, but are you going to do what's best for you, or what's best for the power brokers?

Most people I come across are dog lovers as well. Maybe that's because dog lovers are more likely to be out and about, mingling with other people and walking their attention-loving canines. Perhaps dog lovers ere on the side of extroversion? It seems most people on this thread have cast their vote in favor of the cat, and they just happen to be indoors on their computers, pursuing a hobby often favored by introverts. And yes, dogs can be a serious liability if not kept under control at all times. I live in the backwoods where ruralites often collect dogs to protect their chickens from coyotes. But then the stupid things run around killing deer and other wildlife. And sometimes they trespass on private property and kill other people's chickens - in which case they usually get shot by the property owner. The justice gavel comes down swift and hard in the backwoods......court adjourned.