Enough bullshit

Ever since I started this blog, I've been treating it like a news blog: posting opinions on various issues of the week, then checking back for comments. It only occurs to me now, at 5 AM, exhausted yet unable to sleep, that I've been operating on a false premise. I wasn't writing because it was how I felt about anything, it was because I just wanted people to read, comment, and thus entertain me. It only occurs to me now that my space on the internet is fabulously unlikely to become anything other than an insignificant blip in the minds of one, maybe two people, and that my chances at being listened to and taken seriously are even lower than that. It only occurs to me now that it's time to stop pretending that I know what this little page is about, and start adding to it. So what if I want to talk about green Jell-O and Dennis Leary's penis? Who cares if my particular opinion of the day has nothing to do with politics, who cares if it's an inside joke that only I get?

What others think of me is not the point, and to obsess over them is to miss it. It's time to start treating this page as an actual expression of how I feel at that moment, not so that others can read and weep and relate, but so that I can come back to it in a year's time and laugh at myself, as I undoubtedly will, at some point. I'll use this page to chronicle what's pissing me off right now, as it's all I ever really talk about anyway. So, let's start with some feelings on life.

Mine isn't that great. If I could be reborn tomorrow, to a different family, in a different setting, I'd take it. There will be people who read this and say to themselves: "what a selfish dick, he's a white lower-middle class boy, he's got it good compared to the starving children in Africa!". Those people can go fuck themselves. Just because I don't live on the lowest layer of shit, doesn't make life beautiful.

If I could give everything up tomorrow, and start off anew, maybe have a mother with an IQ greater than a moth's, I would. Listing off personal characteristics is a good way to illustrate this. So far, I fit the dictionary definitions of the following words:

* Sociopath
* Drug Addict
* Pathological Liar
* Petty Thief
* Narcissistic
* And my attention span isn't that great, either.

Most tell me that everyone feels the way I do now, that I'll get over it. The side of me that feels like a moron for being who I am right now likes to agree with them, but another side of me tells me that there may be something actually wrong with me. I have no way of judging that in any objective way, and people know that, but that doesn't stop them from trying to tell me that there's nothing wrong with me, as if it's supposed to make me feel better about myself.

It's impossible to be sad anymore without being compared to an angsty teenager. A big, heaping pile of fuck you to everyone who does that. You morons are part of the problem, making it impossible to vent anger or experience sadness or depression without being lumped in with those who are doing it for attention or who lack life experience. Those idiots who do don't have the maturity to be able to tell the difference between sadness and being emo.

I'll ramble on more later. I'm tired. 'Night.

Public Transit needs a tune-up.

The more I look at government-controlled business, the more I dislike it. Here's some background:

I live in a lower-middle class suburb of Montreal, Canada. To the right of me, I see La Belle Ville. To the left, an area in development, off the island. I live approximately in between downtown and Rigaud, the last town before Ontario. The difference is that I can get downtown in about an hour and a half from where I am, but it is impossible to get to Rigaud without a car. Why?

Because the government owns public transit.

Allow me to explain. Local government takes taxes from us, the people, against our will, to fund a system of mass transit: buses, trains, metro, et cetera. The people still pay a fee to use these services, but a good chunk of our transit company's funding comes from government sources, which means from us, with or without our permission. This allows the company to run at a loss, ensuring mass transit for all, even in times of economic hardship.

Many of you may be asking, what's wrong with that? I like lower prices on my public transit!

What's wrong with it is that our transit authority (and I use that term loosely), the Societe du Transport de Montreal, is known for its shady drivers, loose schedules, and dubious attendance record. It is not uncommon for buses to be either freakishly late or not show up entirely at their scheduled stops. What's worse is that nobody can be held accountable for their actions. If it were a road traffic problem, then less stops would be scheduled. If it's a driver smoking a doobie and getting lost, he would have been fired and it would be taken care of, but it's been happening for years and continues as a major problem today.

Now, let's look at this from a capitalist perspective. If competition were allowed to reign free in the mass transit sector, employees would be kissing the consumer's ass in order to get their money. That means better service for cheaper, in order to undercut the other guy. When companies compete, the consumer wins. Every time.

Let's change the bus system already. I'm sick of having to wait for my bus every morning, hoping it's going to actually show up, how about you?

Canada, stop hating on the U.S.

Okay, sorry for the delay, all, but I finally have some creative inspiration on my hands, and I won't let myself get distracted into not typing it up this time.

As a pseudo-American, patriotism is a touchy subject for me. I consider myself a patriot, and am rather proud of the continent in which I live. I'm optimistic about the future, as long as we keep on track on the liberty front. So long as we have life, liberty, and property, our society's on the right track, just as the Founders intended.

Now, I just got back from two trips to the American northeast. On the way, I met scores of people. Most friendly, some apathetic, a few bad apples, and just a couple who I hope I'll never have to interact with again. Overall, but bad.

But, I did run into one particular type of person: upon my defense of the Constitution, this indefensibly unwise person said to me, this:

"But, Jason, you aren't American, who cares about American values?"

And this from a fellow Canadian, too. It's time for Canadians at large to shape the fuck up, and stop talking shit about our southern neighbours.

Now, first, let me get this straight: not all Canadians feel this way. Many, such as myself, are very happy to share a border with America. However, there is a significant portion of Canadians who harbour unsolicited distaste for our neighbours. This pisses me off.

Isn't it the Americans who powered ahead with the notion of liberty, even when faced with oppression and death? Wasn't it the Americans who coined the phrase "Give me Liberty, or give me death"? Didn't the Americans, by writing the Constitution, invent the idea of such a document, the first ten Amendments of which constitute the Bill of Rights, another American invention? Wasn't it America, and, shortly afterward, France, who was the first to be willing to fight a war and accept the potential for complete and utter destruction if they lost, not for territorial gain, not in the name of a King or Queen or Lord or God, but for the principles of Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? Is America not still the only officially secular state in the world?

It is because of America's presence that Canada has become as independent as it is right now, not in spite of it. Imagine the tyranny, if the Americans had lost? What if they had never fought the war at all? Would we still be British subjects? Would technology have advanced at the same rate as it does now? Would the philosophy of liberty still apply? I think the answers to these questions are self-evident, but I'll be so kind as to point them out to you, in order: Probably, Certainly not, and No way in hell.

So, why do some Canadians hate Americans? I can't fathom it being because of a dislike for their founding principles, as any idiot can see that Canada's current position relies on the very same premise.

It seems to me that Canadians resent Americans because of some recent foreign-affairs conflicts (Vietnam War, Iraq Wars I and II). Admittedly, even I'm not proud of those decisions. But those do not condone denouncing the entire country, along with its history and influence on the world.

It was America who mainstreamed the idea of Liberty. It was America who gave us the idea of a codified Bill of Rights. It was America who provided us with the advent of an officially secular state. You may not agree with the current political climate, but do not use that to dismiss the entire country. Instead, work to do something about it. Advancing liberty requires courage and should be encouraged, especially since it's easier to just sit on your ass, complain, and do nothing.

So, if you're unhappy with the US' policies, do something about it. But do NOT simply hate indiscriminately.

On vacation 'till the 12th

Hello, my little pugnuggets. I'll be gone until the 12th in New Jersey, beachin' it up. 'Till then.

Rant: Liberals are no better Americans than Conservatives

Okay, enough of this shit. Conservatives and liberals have been having it out for eachother since their inception into the lexicon. They seem irreconcilable. But hate speech is not necessary. Here's a little gem I found on Crooks and Liars:

Sorry Mark. Conservatives are too dependent on their parasitic status to care about social responsibility. To the conservative mindset, social responsibility begins and ends with personal greed.

They simply can’t afford to admit it when another Conservative is feeding them bullshit. This is why Liberals will always be the better Americans. Liberals can admit mistakes so they can make for better decisions later on. Whereas conservative parasites need to feel they are the moral and social default in all things (so they can maintain that unearned advantage). So admitting they are wrong would just take that already shaky pedestal away from them and make them fight on even ground with everyone else.

First, it's important to remember that this is the opinion of just one pinhead, posting that as a comment to a larger thread. I'm not going to pull a Bill O'rly? here and try to imply that that is the mindset of Crooks and Liars, because it isn't, and to insinuate that is simple stupidity. However, that doesn't mean that I can't rip this guy a new one.

For one, about that greed comment. We're humans. Animals. We've been hard-wired to be obese and promiscuous. It's in out genes, the only reason we're here today is because our ancestors got it right. Greed is a natural occurrence. If you don't want to indulge yourself, fine. More for the rest of us. Not to mention that "personal greed" is what keeps the economy going. Asshole.

Second, "Liberals will always be the better Americans"? Fuck you. It's assholes like you who give legitimacy to the term "liberal elite". I can see why everybody who doesn't identify themselves as you (and even some that do) find you so sickening. Go die in a hole. With Justin Trudeau. Commie prick.

If liberals really want to advance the level of social discourse, they'll distance themselves from this asshole. And hippies. They're no advantage either.

Proposed Ohio bill to ask for man's permission in abortion

Oh this is rich. A group of legislators in Ohio are pushing a bill that would give men a say in whether or not a woman can have an abortion.

"This is important because there are always two parents and fathers should have a say in the birth or the destruction of that child," said [Rep. John] Adams, a Republican from Sidney. "I didn't bring it up to draw attention to myself or to be controversial. In most cases, when a child is born the father has financial responsibility for that child, so he should have a say."

As written, the bill would ban women from seeking an abortion without written consent from the father of the fetus. In cases where the identity of the father is unknown, women would be required to submit a list of possible fathers. The physician would be forced to conduct a paternity test from the provided list and then seek paternal permission to abort.

This legislation is simply absurd. Adding men to the equation is just stupid in abortion cases. Last I checked, men's bodies don't get used against their will by fetuses, women do. And, also, I thought liberty meant the idea that nobody can make personal decisions regarding your body for you. Huh, guess not.

Disturbing new evidence in Tillman's death

Jesus Jumping Jack Christ, this isn't right.

From The Associated Press:

"SAN FRANSISCO -Army medical examiners were suspicious about the close proximity of the three bullet holes in Pat Tillman's forehead and tried without success to get authorities to investigate whether the former NFL player's death amounted to a crime, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.

"The medical evidence did not match up with the, with the scenario as described," a doctor who examined Tillman's body after he was killed on the battlefield in Afghanistan in 2004 told investigators.

The doctors - whose names were blacked out - said that the bullet holes were so close together that it appeared the Army Ranger was cut down by an M-16 fired from a mere 10 yards or so away."

I'd hate to be Pat Tillman's family right now.