Misanthrope

This business of literally running horses into the ground and well past their physical limits is to be condemned by all who profess humanitarian ethics and common decency. If someone out there can explain how watching an animal pumped up on drugs and stitched together by veterinarians run around a track with a demonic midget on it's back constitutes entertainment, I'd love to hear. As I see it, the horrible realm of horse racing is not unlike the antiquated Barman and Bailey's Circus freak show which profits by the torture of the kingly lion, regal elephant, and other beautiful beasts of the wild. I'll never forget a scene I witnessed as a child. We were still naive to the ways of animal exploitation, and our mother took us to the circus for an afternoon's entertainment. Sitting outside on the hot concrete in a lonely cage barely large enough to contain him, sat a large male lion with a full, golden mane (think Narnia's Aslan). This kingly creature, once the king of all he surveyed in the African bush was now enclosed in a cage barely large enough to contain him, dragged from freak show to freak show in miserable, intolerable conditions. His worn body showed the scars of several beatings, no doubt whip marks inflicted by his sadistic "handlers' as they forced him to perform acts unnatural to his proud disposition. Children possess senses that adults have lost, and I could sense this lion's misery and felt the worse for him as my guilt for attending this freak show overwhelmed me. Never again did we visit a circus other than to protest its' vile presence. Now, this particular circus is banned from the fair city I grew up in, thanks to hard work and protest from humanitarian citizens and groups like PETA. Their tactics may reek of Hollywood, but I do support PETA and others like them who have done so much to help the innocents among us. And no, I do not support the spectacle of horse racing in any of its' dubious presentations anymore than I support greased pig contests or dog fights. The wicked miscreants who profit from the exploitation of horses should not be surprised when humane organizations like PETA expose their cruelty for all the world to see. These magnificent animals are abused for human entertainment, not unlike the human gladiators of old. A day will come when the masses will recognize the correlation. I envision a day when horse racing, like it's cruel predecessors, will at last be smitten and removed from all progressive societies and left behind in the dark ages where it belongs, nothing more than an embarrassing reminder of our barbaric history. Until then, PETA and their humane ilk will continue to trail blaze a better future for those who cannot speak for themselves.

Out of curiosity, what happened to the rest of the litter? It's unusual for a cat to have but one kitten. At any rate, I need to know the kitten's sex before broaching a name suggestion, though I'll let on I'm fond of human names for non-human animals - and vice versa. My Russian Blue was rescued from a shelter and aptly named, Vladimir Putin -though he's much cuter than his corrupt human counterpart. The other kitty is coal black and named Nigel, which stems from the Latin for "black." May as well get descriptive and creative with your appointments rather than lazy with the usual pet names (If I see another dog named, "lady"....). After you name him, I suggest you have his mother altered so she doesn't have to get pregnant again, as we have a terrible problem with unwanted cats and dogs in this country. I assume her pregnancy was the result of being allowed to run loose in the streets and alleys. Not good. Not good at all. Just visit any animal shelter or talk with a veterinarian and you'll see what I mean. There are simply too many unknowns for street life to be safe for any city or town cat. Once your precious little kitten is old enough, please do the responsible thing and get him altered as well, and if you are in the city, make sure he's an inside cat else he get hit by a car, in a serious cat fight, stolen, or poisoned by a cat-hater (they're out there). Altered, indoor cats live longer, healthier lives and make for better companions. End of lecture. All the best to you and your bundle of joy....

I think you should keep telling yourself it's "just a stupid crush," because that's exactly what it is. You can't possibly be in love with someone you've spent virtually no time with (keep it that way). Contrary to Hollywood, there is no love at first sight. What you are experiencing now is infatuation at first sight. Chemistry, if you will. Too many students get sidetracked early in life by this sort of diversion and lose focus on why they're in school in the first place. You, I assume, are in school to learn academics and get your degree, perhaps even pursue post graduate studies. As a free, unattached agent, you also have the option of studies abroad and extensive travel after college. These are things you'll likely never have the opportunity to do if you let yourself get bogged down in a serious relationship now. We are what we think. By spending your time thinking and focusing on this individual, you run the risk of becoming like all those other young people who get less out of their education than they should. Your thoughts now should be on you and your education. Once you've finished your education and get saddled with the responibilities of career and family, you'll have all the time in the world to discover the mysteries of the fairer sex with your future wife. But for now, best to get on with the serious business of finishing your degree, with accolades if possible.

Those who read my posts know I can be unabashedly bold and cinical when expressing concerns or suggestions at this forum, as I did recently when voicing my ire over not being notified of the migration (it vexes me still). But I also believe in giving credit where credit is due. After I learned of the Xisto trouble ticket protocol, I submitted a ticket to CH-SUPPORT as advised and promptly received a courteous and professional response from administrator, Velma (who had probably had no sleep by that time). This was followed up by an email from Opaque, who had personally synced my DNS record, allowing me to again access my website and cPanel. His message also included detailed instructions on how to address issues on my end. I was pleasantly surprised to find that none of my data had been lost during the migration, and a new cPanel that is asthetically more pleasing to the eye and superior in functionality. Hats off to all xisto staff who worked tirelessly to bring us these improvements! Tonight, I shall drink a shot of fine single-malt whiskey in thine honor.

I hail from the Great Northwest of the United States of America, and live in a lonely, isolated region often referred to in local vernacular as "the forgotten corner." This is because it is literally on the way to nowhere. But more importantly, the media hasn't promoted it as "the last great place," or, "best place to retire" as they have done with the Northwest towns of Sandpoint Idaho or Kalispell Montana. These towns have all but lost their small town flavor, and are now awash in inflated real estate, traffic congestion and much of the crime of the big city. For this alone I give my particular county a 10, but for reasons I shall go into below, I can't say the same for the rest of the country. Our closest metropolis isn't really a city in the true sense, but rather a big hick town with a corrupt, inbred government and an even bigger inbred population. Strike one. And it's a good two and half hours away, thank God. A half hour north are the picturesque, postcard towns of British Columbia's beautiful Kootenai region that, while lovely and culturally rich, are not a huge attraction for the average American tourist who's not going to venture too far out of his way for something not advertised in the slick pages of a magazine. The engineered oil/gas shortage will discourage even the most ardent traveler from crossing the border. And don't even get me started on the falling dollar. Why, in my day (*hobbles along on cane*), folks in these parts could drive up to Canada and have lunch (with a Molson's beer, eh?) for pennies on the dollar. Nowadays, you're more likely to see Canadians drive down here to take advantage of the pitiful, falling dollar. I fear for the state of a once great nation that's been hijacked by the federal reserve and the elite banking cartel who pulls its slippery strings. When Nixon took the country off the gold standard in 1971, inflation via the federal reserve exploded in the 70's to the very levels of insanity we're suffering under today. Shut down American industry through "free" trade and initiatives for globalization (think NAFTA and WTO) and you've got a recipe for an economic depression of the worst order. Strike two. We survived the depression of the 30's because much of the population of the time was agrarian. Now, of the small percentage that live in rural communities, an even smaller percentage is actually involved in some manner of food production, be it growing a small family garden or producing goat cheese for the local food co-op. The people of this country have lost touch with their farming roots - much to their peril. Strike three. But it gets worse. Big agri-business (affectionately referred to as "big agra") has done a bang-up job of usurping the traditional American farmer and dissuading future generations from working the family farm. Franken-food giant Monsanto, among other evils, sues small farmers for having the audacity to use their own seeds, and time after time these monsters who force feed the population genetically altered food and Bovine Growth Hormone are supported by our corrupt Food and Drug Administration. Strike four. Foreign interests are purchasing our water rights, and the NAFTA superhighway (owned in part by a Spanish corporation) is being quietly built by the Bush *gasps* administration. Strike five. Somehow, this endeavor of huge proportions and ramifications to the American public manages to stay off the media's radar. Nothing to see here, sheeple. Move along now whilst we fill your mind with depraved images of Britney Spears and Whores Gone Wild. In this once great land, the media gatekeepers have decided your thoughts should be focused on sexual deviancy, not the takeover of your country. Indeed, your average citizen can name the latest American Idol winner, but can't point out the United States on a map. Strike six. I suppose that shouldn't come as a total surprise, though. Don't quote me, but just ten years ago I believe there were around 50 media corporations in this country. Since that time the number has shrunk to just one fifth of that. We now have but a handful of commercial media operations that control, censor and disseminate what we are allowed to see on TV, hear on the radio, and read in the newspapers. Strike seven. I'm speaking of the major outlets, of course. These conventional channels of censorship are now being challenged by alternative news sources on the internet, so there is hope - until they figure out some way to shut down the internet as we now know it. The once great United States of America has, for the last several decades, been a pawn in the hands of an old, banking gentry who - through economic means - have used the military might of America to police the world to achieve their own, filthy ends. Strike eight. Now that we have served our purpose, it's time to assimilate us into a proposed entity called the North American Union - which will be serviced by the NAFTA super-highway now under way. Globalists are fond of referring to this highway as a "corridor," insinuating it's not owned by the nation it flows through. We will be brought to our knees by a "conspiracy of scarcity," wherein this banking cartel will use contrived food/oil/water issues to put citizens into a fear mode. They create the problem, then they offer a draconian "solution." Strike nine. When people are worried about where their next meal is coming from, it's much easier to strip them of their sovereignty and force them to go along with the program. The program in this case will be ridiculous environmental taxes, more state control, acceptance of a new currency: The Amero, and ultimately, submersion into the North American Union. These tactic are nothing new. Revisit the Bolshevik revolution of 1913 also funded by the same banking elite. Their puppet, Joseph Stalin, used food as his weapon of choice in bringing the dissenters to their knees, and starved out 14.5 million people. Think about it. History seems to have a cyclical nature to it, and those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it. Let's not forget what those who seek great wealth and power are capable of. That leads me to my rating of a paltry one. We would be well advised to adopt the Austrian economic model touted by Congressman Ron Paul, thus ridding America of the parasitic entity that calls itself the federal reserve. This must happen if we are to bring the United States up from my rating of 1 to 10. The only presidential candidate addressing the reality of our economic peril is Ron Paul. And he's the only candidate qualified to do so. And now you understand why the controlled media choose to ignore him.

LOL. Quoting member statements is accepted and standard protocol in any forum environment that I'm aware of. If you're suggesting I refrain from quoting xisto staff because it might make an entire corporate entity appear "incompetent," than you are assigning superhuman, godlike qualities to the Enlightened Misanthrope that might just result in her tickled funny bone, and further descents into interactions with you, just for the sheer entertainment value! Some of us aren't particularly concerned with placating perceived power structures, present company excluded - of course. That's your cue to jump back on that chivalrous steed, regroup with fellow conspirators, and return with an even funnier comeback. Truth be told, any incompetence demonstrated by said corporation needs no intervention on my part to be painfully obvious to all but the most casual observer. Still, I thank you for the unintended compliment. If you'd spend more time actually reading content than looking for ways to score brownie points with xisto, you might actually learn something. - St. Michael. Had you read xisto's statement wherein they state they knew they were going to migrate their servers due to repeated outages, you wouldn't be making excuses. This was not a complete surprise to them, else they wouldn't have bothered to notify select end users. I don't care if they have one thousand or one million users, and apparently I need to say this again for you, and you alone: All hosted members should have been notified BEFORE all of this went down. Someone screwed up bad over there, and they need to acknowledge it.

In most cases I'd be inclined to say something conciliatory like, "better late than never," or, "thanks for the after-thought" but this isn't one of the times. I'm so very happy for the elusive customers who were "constantly updated on what was going on that time," but this is of little consolation to the end users who were, by your own admission, purposely "kept in the dark" on the status of access to their own web sites. Questionable customer service aside, this methodology seems to me an incredible waste of time and resources. Perhaps I'm simply not privy to the entire story here, but sending out emails to only a select number of customers after the proverbial sh*t hits the fan doesn?t' make a whole lot of sense to me. And I think most would agree, especially after witnessing how this situation has panned out, that notifying Xisto customers here at this forum before migration began would have been the right thing to do. Yes, I know you were all busy and that the forum was intermitently down, but if I managed to log in to post this thread, I'm fairly certain someone from xisto could have done the same. It appears you're suggesting Xisto customers not use the support forum for its' intended purpose. Or maybe I'm just confused on the purpose of the support forum. Either way, I'd love to see the statistics that back up your claim on the end user's preferences. I imagine if you took a poll right now asking Xisto customers where they prefer to have their support queries addressed, it would probably be right here in the good old support forum. What a novel idea. And since we're speaking in generalities here, I'd venture to guess clients prefer advance notification of maintenance as well. You're right. I'm not interested in current news regarding Xisto - Web Hosting. I am, however, interested in anything that affects my Xisto hosting. As it happens, there is a forum right here aptly named Alerts and Notices, which presumably pertains to news and announcements relating to Xisto. But if as you say, "very few clients" are using the forums to find current news related to hosting, then I'm unsure why xisto maintains a sub-forum at Xisto by the name of Alerts and Notices. I'm also unclear on the presence of the Hosted Members forum if xisto truly feels "very few" have any interest in using it. Never mind the fact support and hosting updates are among the forum's touted services. Seems counterproductive. Something of this magnitute constitutnes an ALERT and could have been broadcast accordingly through all available channels. Again, the Alerts and Notices forum comes to mind. Spam? LOL, what I wouldn't give for a little spam right now?. As this thread demonstrates, many of us have done just that and have yet to receive a response. I know I haven't. Objective information that encourages continued and open dialogue while simultaneously helping the customer is always appreciated. Suffice it to say, some mods are more objective and helpful than others.

I feel the same way about the human species, but that doesn't mean I want to take long, intimate showers with the lot of 'em (isn't that something Jack Nicolson said?). Yes, I will extend the branch of humanitarian compassion to all dogs - but don't expect my blind reverence to those annoying little yappers that grace the laps of little old ladies and smell of Depends. I tend to favor the larger breeds for their ability to fend off coyotes and intimidate stupid people. I recall an incident with my beloved Helga (God rest her soul) that involved an individual who harbored irrational fear of dogs - especially big ones. In other words, he was stupid. Helga was a gentle creature who wouldn't harm a maggot, but when this person reach out his hand to her in feigned friendship, Helga lunged forth at the quaking idiot with ferocious abandon and a wanton lust for blood not seen since Vlad the Impaler's illustrious reign. Apparently, she sensed both his fear and insincerity. Helga was a Rottweiler, the king of canines. I am fond of the breed for several reasons, not the least of which a history rooted in calm servitude and protection to their human masters that traces it's history to the Roman empire. In more recent times, they have taken on the role of guard dog and companion. I believe it this combination of appearance and temperment that draws me to the beautiful breed. I am partial to gargoyles, black hair, dark eyes, imposing features, and a quality more comfortable in quiet repose than frivolous activity. Enter the stoic Rottweiler.

Thanks for the update BH, we appreciate whatever morsels of information you can send our way. It's 9:01 pacific time and my free account is still down as well. No access from cpanel, and no answer from xisto, either. I'm afraid this has gone far beyond simple inconvenience....

If this topic is any indicator, customers who "believed" they would receive a response via your suggestion have in fact not. When staff has foreknowledge -however slight - that individual websites will be down for a length of time, than that information should be disseminated through the channels that customers frequent as a matter of course before maintenance. I do not, as a matter of course, visit xisto.com before getting down to the business of editing my website. I expect my site to be up a majority of the time as promised, which thankfully - it has been, for the most part. I do, however, log in to my website through Xisto.com, since that is where login access for my cpanel is located. It is most certainly not convenient for me to visit xisto.com prior to accessing my website to check on announcements that apparently appear after the fact. And it is inconvenient to attempt several login attempts at my website, post a valid question at the SUPPORT forum, wait for a response from admin only to receive apologist rhetoric from a moderator. I request admin confirmation of this moderator's statements.

Yes, Serverph - I'd say you're probably right. Here it is going on 3pm and I still can't access my site, though I notice that several other Xisto sites are up and running. Curious. And as it turns out my site's been down since last night. This seems excessive. Yeah, it's funny how customers wonder what's happening when they're kept in the dark. "In all fairness," staff could have avoided all those trouble tickets (or at least the majority) had they posted something - anything - at the Xisto forums when they knew a migration was going to take place. A little head's up would have been both the professional and courteous thing to do. As it stands, we were only alerted to the cause of the problem because a newer member took it upon himself to investigate the matter at headquarters after the fact. If admin would please chime in with the estimated uptime of the remaining down sites here in the support forum we'd appreciate it. I for one need to access my site as soon as possible.

I tried downloading my email from website this morning and Thunderbird said it couldn't access it the server. Then I tried loading my website - to no avail. Does anyone have any idea what's going on? Is anyone else experiencing this? Seems like this is the second time this spring this has happened. Is an upgrade going on, or something? Thanks in advance for your help!

You are to be commended for planning ahead for your future. I didn't have that kind of foresight at your age, and only went to college because my mother forced me. That, and I got a scholarship she wasn't going to let me waste (thank God for parents). You make a good point about recruitment scare tactics: they can certainly weed out a few diamonds along with the rough. I remember being put off from pursuing medicine because of the math and science prerequisites of one of the colleges I was considering. But I was no diamond, and in my case the warning was a good thing, as I do in fact have poor math aptitude and simply don't excel at detail oriented pursuits. I would have made a lousy surgeon. Heck - I faint at the sight of blood.Your decision on whether to commute to school or relocate and live on campus is entirely contingent on your unique needs and personality. Are you an introvert who thrives on your own company, preferring to curl up with a good book than hang out with a group of cackling friends? Do you focus better on your studies in your own, private space, or does the presence of other students inspire you to forge ahead intellectually? Now is the time to be completely honest with yourself. If you're an introvert, there's really no good reason to throw yourself into a living situation that may deflect from your studies, cause you much frustration, and bleed your bank account dry. You can still get the complete "college experience" sans dorm room. As someone who went to college without living on campus, I can attest to this fact. I had no problems transitioning from school, to work, and finally moving out of the home into my own place. And I saved myself a ton of money in the process. Nowadays, staying at home well beyond college is becoming a viable alternative for many as cost of living skyrockets. Still, the young are incredibly resilient, so you will no doubt adapt to whatever situation you choose.I'm afraid my advice on scoping out colleges is biased, as I will always recommend Jesuit universities for their long, illustrious history in shaping education as we now know it. If you don't have the opportunity to check one out, it will come down to who offers the best curriculum for your needs. Generally, a private college will offer a superior education with smaller class sizes and better teachers. Keep in mind that public schools receive much of their funding from the state. As a result, their courses (and professors) are often a reflection of the government's agenda at any given time. You're on the right track. Now stay the course.

I'm no expert on the subject of hair, even though I possess copious quantities of the unruly stuff. My understanding is that the term, "healthy hair" is a bit of misnomer, as hair itself is dead - or at least that's what I've gleaned form various sources. Hair is more an extention of the body and appears thick and lustrous if the body itself is healthy. Or so I've heard. But in the real world I observe people in various states of unhealthy dishevelment who possess bountiful, beautiful locks, and vice versa. I personally equate it to genetics more than anything. If both your parents had thin, stringy hair you're likely to inherit the same look. I can't figure out how I ended up with wavy hair when my parents and siblings all have stick straight hair. Either the genetics theory is a wash or I simply reached back a generation or two. Who defines what "healthy" hair is, anyway? Is it the long, straight, shiny stuff of People magazine covers? Many of us are not predisposed to whatever Madison Avenue happens to be pushing at any given time. That doesn't make our hair any less healthy, just less in vogue. Give it ten years and your natural look will be in vogue too. In the meantime, the marketing fiends who mold public opinion make a lot of money making you feel insecure because your hair doesn't look "healthy" by their proposed standards. And they have lots of things to sell the insecure: Nowadays, there are lots of potions, lotions and contraptions on the market to make thin hair appear thicker, thick hair appear thinner, curly hair look straight, straight hair look curly, short hair look longer, long hair look shorter, dry hair look oily, oily hair look dry, blond hair look black, brown hair look red, and so forth and so on. As long as you're dissatisfied with your god-given appearance, than the parasites of Madison Avenue have done their job.That said, here are a few natural ways to enhance your given hair. If you have naturally wavy hair, you'll want to avoid washing it everyday. In fact, the longer you can go between washing the stuff the better - short of total filth, of course. Nothing worse that watching two pot-smoking hippies pick the lice out of each other's dreadlocks. If you have thin, stringy hair, there's nothing I can do for you. But I hear they have surgery for that ailment. I say just shave it all off. Bald is beautiful, after all. Just ask Jessie Ventura. I've never tried it, but I hear raw, virgin coconut oil works wonders applied directly to the hair as you would a conditioner. Other potions include raw egg whites, avocado, and fish oil. And if you believe that last one, I've got a bridge in Paris to sell you.

The topic starter's concerns are well-founded, as the decision on if, where or when to go to college will, in fact, impact the rest of his life. If the pressure put on high school students scares off some of the fray from the prospect, they were probably not good college candidates to start with. Have you ever noticed how job applications make the work sound much more foreboding than it actually is? They do this on purpose to weed out the underachievers. I can't stress enough how important it is to pursue a college education before getting bogged down with the demands of everyday mundane life. Obviously there are exceptions, but generally, young people who start having families or pursuing careers right out of high school to forgo the four-year college degree earn significantly less than their degreed counterparts. But it's not just the money. The educated live richer, happier lives. So don't be intimidated by college. Just do it. Your choice of college is an entirely personal and contigent on finances, academic pursuit and location. I chose to live at home and commute to a Jesuit university, thereby saving myself the expense and hassle of renting a dorm. No thanks. I'm sure others of a less introverted nature will disagree, but I see no benefit to doling out large sums of cash for the "experience" of shacking up with a flatulent student in a crowded dorm room, listening to his idea of "music" or sharing his idea of "food" for four hellish years. There's a time and place for that, and it's called the post-college European (preferably drunken) vacation. My observation has been that employers are more interested in the degree and the fact a candidate actually has one than where he went to college. Although, students should definitely avoid bogus operations with no physical location. I personally favor the Jesuit universities for their focus on a classical, liberal arts education. The first universities were Jesuit, so historically they do have a head start on their Protestant/secular counterparts. I suggest high school students talk with parents about the possibility of staying at home and commuting to University, or looking into scholarships that will finance their education elsewhere. Either way, it's never too early to start planning. Get together with your high school counselor and ensure you're taking all the college prerequisites for your chosen degree/university, then apply for every scholarship you can get your greedy little hands on.

I always find "April Fools Day" to be more of an irritant than anything (visualize images of rotten school children taunting a feeble, curmudgeonly misanthrope with scornful glee and rotten tomatoes). Take yesterday morning for an example. I was innocently enduring my morning treadmill torture whilst listening to my favorite (i.e. tolerable) morning radio talk show, Uncovering the Truth by privacy rights advocate Katherine Albrecht when I found myself besieged by a news blurb she had read on mercola.com that went something like this: Medical experts have found that fish oil massaged into the scalp will make hair grow back on a bald head. (note: I am neither bald nor fond of fish, but morbid curiosity had me by the ears). Fish oil from a capsule or bottle, however, will not suffice. No - one must procure an entire fish, preferably dead, proceed to cut it open and release it's essential oils onto one's bald head. Yes, it will stink something awful. Never mind how nauseated you will feel with fish oil dripping into your eyes from your bowling ball of a head. The ends justify the means, and a few days of misery is worth the prospect of seeing hair sprout on your previously barren scalp. But what of your spouse? You will want to rent a hotel for the night, for your spouse will not stomach the stench of your close and foul proximity. Or, if you're like most men obsessed with the amount of hair on your head (or anywhere else), you're probably single and quite narcissistic. Pardon the poor rendition, but I assure you, the original announcement from the usually credible Dr. Mercola sounded very official and very believable and I fell for it hook, line and sinker. I should have known better when the quoted expert was a Dr. Poisson d'Avril. As the fates would have it, Poisson is French for fish, and Avril, of course, is French for April. Apparently, the French decided to associate fish with April 1st, though I can find no rational reason why. But why expect anything rational or meaningful from this day? Such are the horrors of April the first. Thank God the next April Fool's day is a good year away. Moral of the story: learn your French if you don't want to be taken in next time this horrible "event" rolls around.

As is the case with most everything in my life, I am a contrarian who usually thinks, feels (and even looks) different than the masses at any given time, and this case is no exception. While I appreciate spring and all the blessings it bestows, I much prefer the cooler months of fall and winter, fall being my favorite. Sometimes I wonder if a personal preference for a certain time of year isn't somehow related to when one is born. I can't help but notice, for example, that those born in spring often prefer that time of year. Me - I'll take a winter snow storm over the fickle days of spring any time. It vexes me when nature can't make up her mind. But nature being as it is, we are now looking at the bipolar month of March, which can't seem to make up it's mind whether it wants to be winter or spring. Make up your mind, damn you! It's no wonder people fall ill this time of year. What I hate the most is the melting of the snow and the muddy, damp conditions that follow. This weekend, it wants to be winter, and a couple inches of snow are forecast for the mountains and valleys of this beautiful corner of the Rocky Mountains I call home. That will add yet more snow to the stubborn berm on the northeast corner of the house that doesn't seem to want to melt. As I write there is a strong breeze on the air, precipitating this weekend's coming storm. Lucky for me the liquor cabinet is stocked with single-malt Scotch, the fridge is brimming with ale, and the freezer contains my favorite Italian pizza - more than enough to sustain me through this storm and fuel some cozy fireside reading, or with any luck, a good boxing match on HBO.I've been feeding the precious mountain chickadees sunflower seeds all winter, and unlike last year, it appears they'll be sticking around for planting season as well. That suits me just fine, as this species of bird is one of the best for keeping insect pest populations at a minimum. Never mind the fact their birdsong is music to my ears. Robins have already showed up, probably a month earlier than last year. This strikes me as odd given the relatively extreme winter we had. Now if I can just prevent my cats from trying to kill them at every turn. In the basement, I've got a couple broccoli and cabbage starts going, as they will be the first to make their way to the garden this year. If the garden were bigger, I'd be starting more than just a few, as I can freeze the broccoli for winter use. Perched on their electric blanket under a fluorescent light, the seeds sprouted in just a few days and anxiously await their day in the sun. I, on the other hand, am relishing all that remains of winter.

As mere mortals, I'm not sure any of us can say with any certainty what takes place after the heart stops beating, beyond the obvious physical decay of the body, that is. Knowing what happens beyond the grave and believing per the faith you grew up with are two different things entirely. There are some things our limited minds but can grasp the surface of, and this may be one of them. But as I ponder the immortal question, "What happens after death," I do find myself favoring the concept of reincarnation over the first two options, which appear to be: 1. Materialism: You're born kicking and screaming into this cold, cruel world, your mind and body animated only by your physiology. Soul, spirit, metaphysics, theology and the like never enter into your miserable equation. Your intelligence and unique personality die with you. When you're gone, you're gone. You had your chance. Curtains close, lights off, game over. You are now fodder for maggots and a host of other revolting fauna, nothing more. 2. Western Theology: When you were born, God created a brand new soul for you, but you're only allowed to use it for one short, miserable lifetime. If you're really bad during this lifetime, your soul gets to burn for all eternity in hell with Satan and other troublemakers. Of course, if you tell God you're sorry right before you croak you might get to go to heaven, no matter how bad you were all those other years. No harm, no foul - right? Oh, but if you were one of the millions upon millions of unfortunate souls born into material bondage before salvation became available to the masses, you're sh*t out of luck. Sorry. And then there's: 3. Reincarnation: God is too busy to churn out brand new souls every time some bald, screaming lump of clay claws it's hideous mass from the woman it just spent the last nine months of it's parasitic existence torturing. We are all a part of God, and are (hopefully) progressing toward a state of improvement and ultimate perfection, though some faster than others:). One minuscule lifetime on this planet is hardly enough time to learn the lessons we must in order to reach a state of spiritual dynamism, and so we come back for periodic descents into the physical (hell), till at last we are freed from the spiral dance of rebirth and finally reunited with God. The first two theories rub the Enlightened Misanthrope the wrong way. The materialist cannot explain how matter animates consciousness, or how in the heck mind can be destroyed at death. Science has established our bodies are in a constant state of flux - the cells renewing approximately once every seven years, so in essence, you are an entirely new person every seven years - and yet mind stays intact and remembers everything, well, most everything. Think of those close encounters you've had with death and your life flashing before you, every last second remembered in minute detail. If the materialist were to follow this line of scientific reasoning, then it follows consciousness must also renew every seven years, thereby rendering the individual with no memory of that time span. But to do so would expose the fallacy of materialism, and so the Atheist and his ilk simply ignores the argument. How convenient. That being the case, I choose to conveniently ignore the materialist's narrowly focused thinking in favor of philosophies more natural. Imagine, if you will, the possibility that the Christ incarnated as the Nazarene actually held the principles of rebirth to be true. There are actually references in the Bible that elude to this, and to the possibility Jesus the Christ was head of the holy order of Essenes, a Jewish mystical sect who embraced the tenants of vegetarianism and, among other things, reincarnation. And their roots can be traced back to 5th century BC Pythagoreans, whose namesake, appropriately enough, is thought to have reincarnated as the Nazarene himself. Doesn't anyone find it curious that Easter (Christ's rebirth) also coincides with Spring equinox? Yes, the pagan origins of the sacred holiday might come as a shock to the uninformed, but that is fodder for another topic. But back to Spring, this time of year we are again reminded that the iris bulb which was covered in snow all winter isn't dead, but merely biding its time until it can grace the earth with it's sublime beauty for yet another season, another cycle of rebirth. Are we to believe the natural laws that govern all of nature's glory do not apply to mankind? To do so is nothing less than labeling man an unnatural creature. I no more believe the soul dies at death than the earth dies at winter. No, I suspect we will return again, again, and again, whether we like it or not. As a squirrel, perhaps? Why not? Well, there is that little issue of the Group Spirit which governs animals species, making the idea of transmigration a bit hard to swallow. And still, I've observed a dog or two I could have sworn were human, and vice versa. You've no doubt experienced it too: the canine who's just so dog-gone human it makes you scratch your head in bewilderment. Some would call such soul travel retrogression, but for much of mankind, I call it an improvement.

I'm horrified at how often I hear the words, "I'm bored," roll off the tongues of today's young folk. Makes me wonder what this world's coming to. Why, in my day (*hobbles across floor with cane holding up frail body*), we were so busy learning how to read and write in grammar school that thoughts of boredom seldom crossed our engrossed little minds. Yes, there was a day when schools actually concerned themselves with educating the young. Nowadays, public "schools" are obsessed with churning out kids who can't find the United States on a map, much less string a coherent sentence together. But they make dang sure the tykes know how to put condoms on cucumbers. For more on the deliberate dumbing down of our nation's youth, I dare you to check out this site: http://www.johntaylorgatto.com/ Don't just skim over it, but spend some quality time absorbing the plethora of information. What you'll find will both frighten and enlighten. Suffice it to say, I blame much of this current boredom epidemic on an institution which has never had the common youth's best interest at heart. On the contrary, the corporate entities (Rockefeller, Carnegie...to name a few) behind public schools have fashioned a brilliant system to enslave young minds and create compliant little worker slaves for the one-world feudal government they have in store for us. But don't believe me. Go read the documented facts for yourself, then come back to the Trap with your newfound knowledge, and enlighten the rest of us.

At least some of your pages are loading. My site's not loading at all. It's not displaying any error messages either - just spinning it's wheels. What the heck is going on here?

Either I just swallowed a placebo or my website is loading faster after initiating the namesaver change to Xisto - Web Hosting. What I'm trying to say is, my readers and I appreciate the effect this upgrade has already had on my site. And I certainly look forward to the prospect of increased security and uptime.Keep up the great work, Opaque, and thank you for continuing to offer world class web-hosting at a price that literally can't be beat!

I was scrolling through your profile when this post caught my eye, and after reading through a few lines I could barely hold back the laughter. Where's a rolling on the floor smiley when you need it? This is hilarious! I too have a difficult time gazing into someone's eye's for any length of time, but I don't consider it a problem, per se, just a personal quirk that's probably pissed off more than a few extroverts who've had the misfortune of meeting the Enlightened Misanthrope in person. For one thing, I find myself feeling nauseous when close enough to actually smell someone's foul breath - and let's face it, few things smell nastier than a human mouth that hasn't received it's proper cleaning. I'm always horrified how long some folks go between brushings, literally allowing their teeth to decay and fall out before realizing something is desperately wrong with that big hole in their face. Speaking of holes, those two little crevices under the eyebrows also make me feel ill if I'm forced to stare into them for very long. I become dizzy, and soon find myself backing away from the holes in question, or averting my gaze elsewhere - anywhere but those two holes. But that can be difficult when interacting with the miscreant with no personal boundaries. You know the type. They get so physically close you have nowhere to look but their eyes and nothing to breathe but their foul breath. And then there's Hollywood. That filthy institution that glorifies long, romantic stares between paid actors who regretfully influence the masses. Thankfully, I'm sitting here on a computer in front of a sterile screen that doesn't force me to stare into it's loving pixels any longer than I feel comfortable. No rank odors and no physical interaction. How divine!

I am going to re-post my proposal for TF?s benefit, as it?s presence in post #19 was apparently invisible: So there you have it. True Fusion: Your continued badgering of me is not appreciated, and for whatever reason, you seem intent on turning a forum designed for member suggestions into your personal pissing contest. Since no one sees fit to intervene, I'm asking you to please cease and desist. Or, perhaps you'd like to continue down this ill-fated path until one of us gets a warning. I didn?t make this suggestion just to end up rolling around in the dirt and grime with you, arguing over your definition of slander or your personal opinion on the best way to propose feedback. I have presented my suggestion in clear, logical fashion - PER FORUM GUIDELINES - and have made my point as solidly as I can possible make it. Every item you are currently rehashing has been addressed in my previous posts. I hereby extend the proverbial olive branch, and a proposal that we end this pointless bickering. Let's stick to the topic, shall we?