Blog Design

While this may be an interesting site, it is hard to get past the design, or wallpaper.

To get the full effect, scroll to the bottom of the page. We left a comment, asking the blog author to 'unplug it.'

Blog Trotters

Thanks to Jennifer, a pretty good blogger in her own right, we have found a few sites worth reviewing.

The review for this site can be found by clicking on the link therein.

More profundity can be found here, where a blogger finds reason to throw in the towel after an enormous expenditure of effort.

This blog is more detailed and structured, offering a far more detailed look into the life of a blogger. This blog is a lot more interesting than many others out there.

More Thoughts on Work

Another work week begins and for many of you, another time to reflect on how horrible your job is and how unfulfilled you are. We have already discussed how misplaced your ideas about work are, here.

Firstly, be grateful that you have a job. Unemployment rates is Europe are considerably higher. In France, 10% of the workforce in unemployed. In Germany, that number is even higher, at 11%.

What that means is that even with 35 hour weeks and 8 week of vacation, there are still masses of unemployed. One might think that fewer hours and longer vacations would mean the workforce would have to be correspondingly higher, but as is obvious, that is not the case. Of course, those numbers do not take into account government employess (known around the globe for their productivity), which in France, for example, exceeds 10% of the workforce.

No doubt, many of you would love to work 35 hour work weeks, and have 8 weeks of paid vacation per year, not to mention some of those great government benefits. Of course, that would also mean you would be taxed out the wazoo- after all, someone has to pay for that mediocre child care, and someone has to pay for universal health care that may or may not get to the doc's on time and someone has to pay for 'sensitivity education' and socially acceptable science that obscures science and reality.

There is a very real brain drain from Europe to America, Canada and Australia. Entrepreneurship, is an almost non existant notion in many countries and anyone with a dream and self motivation can become successful is faced with unnecessary rules, regulation and taxes (over 70% in some countries). So, they come here.

Of course, many (though not all) believe that work is a necessary evil, to be eradicated as soon as possible. The idea is to allow man to pursue his higher ambitions to create and express himself.

Who will do all the necessary work? Why those with whom they disagree! That was the point of colonialism- to extract as much as possible, leaving behind as little as possible.

No form of colonialism ever left much of a legacy, save for English colonialism. For the most part, those colonized countries have become democracies and all have decent educational systems- unlike the legacy of other colonial powers. These remarks will enrage a few readers, but we don't care. For the most part, the observations are accurate.

OK, that's enough for you to think about, for now.

Oscar and You

Now that you've watched the Oscars, no doubt you feel as if you, too, are in the loop in what's hot and what's not.

The right decisions were made, the wrong decisions were made and you and your brilliance have been either vindicated or have gone unrecognized, again.

After all, who could know more about entertainment than you? If there were an Oscar given out for The Best Performance by an Idiot Pretending to be Informed, you would win that category, hands down.

If that weren't enough, how many of you actually believe you could be entertainers of the highest caliber? C'mon, be honest. Many of you secretly believe that you could be as convincing and as fine an actor or entertainer as anyone out there.

Well, SC&A are going to provide that mirror of reality for you, and to once again dash any notions you may have of being someone other than your sorry selves.

You can barely drag your asses out of bed in the morning- how the hell are you going to get to a TV or movie set by 5:00 AM, everyday, for 6 months? You can't remember to attend a parent-teacher conference to discuss that absolutely precious and beyond boring average child of yours- how are you going to remember lines of a script? Of course, you could give up the kids, save for a few intolerable minutes a day, pretending you do care about them. Hey, that might work, right?

Hate to shave your legs? Gee, that's great news for your fellow cast members, wardrobe people, cinematographers and the National Inquirer.

Can't manage to lose those last few pounds? That's OK- 'The Biggest Loser' is looking for contestants. Oh, you need a leading role? I'm sure Tom Cruise, Leonardo de Caprio or Ben Affleck would be delighted to star with you instead of, say, some stunning Hollywood babe. Yup, those guys are ready for their nude scenes with you.

If you do make it to the Oscars (or rather, when) Harry Winston and Tiffany's will be delighted to loan you millions of dollars worth of jewels to wear. The fact that you lose everything from your keys to your kids, won't interfere with them fighting over who gets to loan you those trinkets.

It must be frustrating, watching all the glitterati from your living couch and burrowing into that Dorito laden bowl, knowing you too, could be one of them, if only the breaks had gone your way. You were in the school play (as a tree) and did a magnificent job. Why, you love the arts so much that your kids have benefitted from your arts genes and are now so gifted they take piano and dance lessons (like the 30 million other kids, so gifted).

Reality time, folks. No, your life isn't perfect and it probably hasn't turned out the way you wanted it to. Mistakes, regrets and a busted compass that keeps sending you in the wrong direction- well, that is your life.

Still, you have your families, in this less than perfect life. You have friends that care for you and you can still thrill in your children's achievements. You may struggle with many things- love, money and even meaning- but when you get right down to it, those are your struggles, not some scripted, meaningless crap that has no consequence. You can, if and when you choose, make a difference in your own life and the lives of those around you. If you so choose, you can indeed be a hero.

Welcome to the real world.

Read, Reach Out and Consider

Paula, over at UltraBlog, has a very timely post, well worth reading.

As the Terri Schiavo matter intensifies (and it will), Paula has addressed an issue that merits attention.

There are those that rely on religious standards to help make that decision- but even so, the once definative Harvard Criteria of Brain Death is no longer the benchmark it once was. That said, even the religious establishment (of all faiths) have begun to address issues surrounding death and suffering that have been too long left unaddressed.

While we may know for ourselves our beliefs and wishes, it is important that we discuss those very things with those around us- if for no other reason than to make sure everybody is on the same page.

More information on the Terri Schiavo matter can be found here and here. These blogs are political in nature and while you might agree or disagree with their take on the state of the political world, their coverage of the Schiavo matter is excellent.

In her post, Right Mind, Paula begins a much needed discussion that your family needs to have.

MamacitaVille

Weekly Scheiss is authored by Mamacita, a teacher the likes of which SC&A would like to see more of. She is kind of a Judge Judy ("don't pee on my leg and tell me it's raining"), with no nonsense, smart and pointed sensibilities.

Like the inimitable SC&A, Mamacita also displays very clear insight into the possibilties that are out there (Given her years of exposure to a never ending Chinese-infantry-like line of TV sedated and self esteem intoxicated kids out there, that is no small feat). She has not allowed (the little bastards and) the realities of life to kick the stuffing out of her.

Mamacita wrote a piece, Advice From an Old Junker that is spot on. In it, she discusses her kids, your kids and why we react the way we do when someone else does some finger pointing our way. As is often the case, Mamacita looks inwards and questions her own reality, as a parent at different stages of her life and as a person, still learning as she negotiates that 'walk of life.' She does her dance with wit, humor and a reserved edge. There always seems to be another idea, sentence or line that is intentionally left out- and we wonder sometimes, abour Mamacita's personal conclusion.

This is not meant to be a review of Weekly Scheiss- that will come in due course. The point of this post is to bring Mamacita to your attention- for many readers, a worthy daily read. Weekly Scheiss is a 'mommy blog' for grown up mommies and daddies. The blog is not a daily recounting of the daily trials and tribulations raising kids, nor is it a trip down (favorite and contrived) memory lane. Rather, it is a thoughtful look back at a life that is still moving forward and still exploring the possiblities.

Mamacita dispenses what she believes are the benefits of her learned experiences. We call what she dispenses, 'wisdom.'

More On You Know Who

Hello, we are SC&A. We know HRH, well. The following is an account of a day with HRH.

It is 5:35 AM, and HRH, is not found where one might expect her to be found. Instead HRH is at the computer. It was either at the computer or in the kitchen, prepararing a glorious repast for 3 hungry therapists. Had to be the computer.

HRH was sitting in her office at her desk in hand and reading. She was also going through her favorite blogs, spending time on those she really liked, to savor and enjoy them.

As I brought in the coffee (which I prepared, wisely, after having HRH prepare the coffee the day before), HRH was delighted to see me and asked my opinion of a 'three thing question' she wanted to ask. 'Is it a good idea,' she inquired of us, 'If we asked about the sexiest and smartest three dead psychiatrists?'

While we thought it was indeed a good question, we felt it might be a bit too easy for her readers, so we suggested she ask something meaningful and profound. The rest is history, as they say. That resulted in a Three Things question about the junk drawer.

Following that exhausting exercise, we immediately went out for breakfast (after only an hour and half of deciding which crew neck black sweater (of 12 identical) to wear.

After a hearty breakfast (the decision between pancakes and waffles was heart wrenching to watch), we stopped at the Library. HRH is a celebrity at the library. She has won recognition as one the most significant library patrons in the city and has the plaques to prove it. That morning, being her escort meant having to haul 2 large stacks of books back to the car. If checking books out of the library were equivalent to doing laundry, HRH's habit would be equal to doing 30 loads a day.

Back home to read and watch HRH work at her writing. Surrounded by technology, HRH avails herself of only a pad and pencil to do her initial drafts. The only time technology is used is write the final draft. HRH uses a recently acquired Mac, lovingly referred to as a 'friend,' hugged and bid goodnight at the end of the day.

Throughout the day, HRH will attend to her blog, inspired by any number of other blogs she has read, answer emails and drink copious amounts of tea. She will contemplate her dinner menu (either picked up or prepared by us), and the decision as to what will be the dessert du jour, is made with careful consideration, as if it were a first strike nuclear attack on China being contemplated.

There comes the 'right time' to clean her office, a chore that must be attended to immediately. There is no way to know what the 'right time' is or to even discern how the 'right time' is arrived it. When announced, it is the 'right time,' and woe unto anyone who might not instantly realize that obvious truth. Anyone.

HRH's day is spent on the phone, working and reading. She may spontaneously clap her hands in glee, for no apparent reason. This can be quite disconcerting at times- our immediate first reaction was to question whether or not this was a fire alarm.

As night descends, the mood changes. More on that, later.

What She is Really Like

We are here, she is there, out of immediate reach. Therefore, we thought today might be a good to tell you what she's really like.

To say NG is different is like saying SC&A are, shall we say, like ideal neighbors.

Let's start with the world of food. You-know-who eats, well, differently. A favorite is peanut butter on hotdogs. We have seen this (and smelled it) up close and personal.

She likes her sandwiches cut on the diagonal, like lots of us. However, she will not eat a sandwich not cut on the diagonal.That's right- she will not eat it. Despite the millions of starving children in China or India, that sandwich will not be eaten.

HRH avoids large grocery stores. A grocery store, for the purpose of this post, is defined as any food store that offers easy or convenient parking. She insists on patronizing those establishments that offer an additional sporting componenet as part of the shopping experience- can the shopping be done before the meter onions write up a parking ticket. After 3 tickets, this is a lot more exciting an activity than it sounds.

She will not use any tea that is wrapped in a tea bag. Period. Tea must be bought from a tea shop. A tea shop is an establishment on a busy thoroughfare that offers no parking. Her tea shop is run by a rather eccentric woman of English descent (we are authorities on these matters), who leaps across the counter to embrace HRH. One might draw the conclusion that HRH purchases tea in substantial quantities, but this is not the case. HRH patronizes the establishment by purchasing a few ounces of tea at a time.

HRH does not cook. Her pots and pans, purchased in the 80's, are in mint condition. Really. They look as if they might be used on an upcoming Food Network show. No, this is not an exaggeration. There is nothing- and we mean nothing- on her kitchen counters that might indicate the presence of food in the immediate vicinity, in the last 5 years. The only item that has telltale wear signs is the microwave 'popcorn' setting button. For some inexplicable reason, HRH also has every kitchen gadget know to mankind. Those gadgets that elude her as name, function or even which side is up, she confidently calls 'paperweights.'

Her home is 'magazine ready,' as one of her friends said, should Better Homes and Gardens, Artchitectural Digest or Town and Country appear at the door, ready to take pictures. Let me be clear. This published author (yes, I do know, and no, I'm not telling you) and english lit major has thousands of books, literally. Now, as a writer and literary savant (look it up), one might reasonably expect her library to be arranged in a ceratin order- by genre, author, subject, etc. Not so- her books are lined up in order of size and appearance- you know, so they can look good on the shelf and in photos. Of course, she can find everything in an instant- but that is beside the point. There are objets d'art, candles and curios everywhere. She has a selection of very fine black and white photos (real surprise, right?), all tastefully framed, arranged and displayed.

There is a cat- a very large cat that for some reason thought male genitalia were a toy, to be approached at 30 mph. That errant notion has since been corrected.

She has more shoes than dresses. They are almost all black. At some point, they all started to look the same after we had agreed, for some unexplicable reason, agree to have entire wardrobe modeled for us. There was a positive to come from the experience- we now understand the meaning of the phrase, 'eyes glazed over.'

There is more to tell- much more. A later installment will describe her tastefully decorated home and office and more- so much more.

Some Smart People Are Idiots

In a recent conversation with a friend- a brilliant one at that- SC&A came to a startling, and even remarkable, conclusion:

Lots of smart people are idiots.

Now to be clear, idiots come in many varieties. There are the idiots who we review. They are classic idiots, with no sense of anything other than their self absorbed, mundane lives.The only determination to be made is just how much of an idiot they really are.

The second type of idiot is the one who thinks he/she/it are in a position to offer a fair critique. Usually, they refer to us in a highly sexualized manner, often displaying a rather obsessed view of certain sexual tendencies. This is usually followed by name calling. Generally speaking, they are overcompensating for latent sexual feelings, but we'll leave that between them and their mothers. You know who you are- and so do we.

To be clear, those types of idiots are irrelevant. In fairness, for the most part, they are young, and inexperienced in nuance and subtly- which perhaps explains their obsession with cartoons. These are the same people who see profound wisdom in Cartman of South Park. As a rule, their greatest achievement was a day care graduation ceremony. They find brilliance only in themselves (maybe we should get them a new trophy).

Then there are the smart idiots. In this area, age is not a factor. They can be younger or older. They don't understand the world around them. They cannot grasp the reality that not everyone can make Human Genome jokes and cannot fathom the difference between Mozart's commissioned works and those musical works he wrote for and by himself. There are the very bright blogging idiots, who, with a clearly complex or deceptively simple post, cannot fathom comments that are not on point, relevent or meaningful. They do not understand that blog readers are there simply to have a good time. Blog readers are not there as fodder to to inspire brilliant minds to higher thought.

We wondered if NG one such brilliant blogger. We thought so, at first- but then we realized, she is committed (yes, we like that word) to us.

At any rate we don't read those brilliant blogs- and neither should you. Your time would be best spent actually learning something, keeping up with the news or expanding your rather pedestrian minds. Consider these pages as good starting points. Try and spend some time here, here, or here.

SC&A and Why We Live to Irritate You

For the most part, we enjoy irritating you. Our effort in that regard has proved to be most satisfying. It didn't start out that way

SC&A was conceived and executed, in it's original form, in about 20 minutes. That's it. While that may come as a surprise to you, it shouldn't. For the most part, we are a lot smarter than you are. That said, as readers and visitors, you come here for a good laugh, more than a bit of wisdom and healthy dose of the truth and reality.

Lately, I've excoriated a few bloggers that have shown no particular aptitude for thinking. As a rule, if, as a young person, you exhibit no intellectual talent other than navel gazing, well, chances are it is not going to get any better. Calling me names (in English or other languages), displaying a more than passing knowledge of the gay lifestyle, etc., in no way is a valid critique of SC&A. It is however, an interesting reflection of yourself.

If you find SC&A that abhorrent, please, don't let the door hit you on the way out. Let us be clear. This blog is adult fare. That means for many of you, the as yet underdeveloped minds you are saddled with need, to play elsewhere. This is the adults table. Again, let us reiterate- just because you have one, doesn't mean you know how to use it. You will understand that later in life.

Now, many of you do get it- and some of you understand that we may not always see eye to eye on everything. Well, guess what, folks- that is more than OK.

For those of you of a more liberal mind, to disagree is a fundamental right and obligation. Lock step thinking is also a dangerous game. Some of our great social strides have come as the result of liberal minded individuals, with the courage of their convictions, standing tall and firm.

The same can be said for those of a more conservative view. Much in our society, that we are so rightfully proud of, and it's institutions have been built and supported by deeply religious people, to support our community at large. Hospitals, schools and social services, started by religious organizations are well entrenched into western culture.

SC&A believe deeply in freedom- all kinds of freedom. We also believe deeply that the tension between those who believe in different ways, is a good thing.

We believe that choice, has to be respected, especially by those that disagree.

The freedom to choose was endowed by the Creator or the Constitution, however your beliefs express themselves.

Free Will is just that. Our Creator (should you believe) endowed us with the ability and the right, to choose for ourselves. To deny others that right is to deny His Dominion. All are equal in God's eyes. All are equal- even those with whom you disagree

Similiarly, that we, each of us, are endowed (by the secular statement) with 'Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness' is an understanding that we cannot have those things defined for us, by a select few, with a particular world view or ideology. All are equal- all- even those with you disagree.

So as many of you pompous asses take delight in always being right and excoriating everyone else for being wrong, know these truths: a) SC&A find you to be simple minded fools, barely worth the air you selfish bastards breathe, and b) that very view you espouse is contrary to the very beliefs you claim to espouse.

Last week, SC&A wrote of some little people (here and here) and then published some more about little people, as provided by correspondents. Some later asked, how could you, after writing and publishing such posts, go back to being such SOB's?

The answer is simple and clear. We chose- and will continue to do so- to excoriate those morons who have the audacity to question us, while at the same time, they presume they can go about preaching their hypocritical crap as if their words were the only ones that counted.

We have those who disagree with us- and we value their critique and input, because they argue from a place of decency, and not one of condescension or to impose a set of values. Our critics come from all sides of the political spectrum, and to them, we say thank you. We have learned much from you, and in some cases have changed or modified our ideas because of you. We hope we have irritated and at times frustrated you, as much as you have us, and we hope that has given you a moment or two of reflection- as you have done for us. We admire you and value your ideas.

To those sanctimonious bastards that think their words somehow have a higher meaning simply because they open their mouths, we say: See you soon.

SC&A 101, From the Author

It has been brought to our attention that some of our readers don't quite 'get' SC&A.

With that in mind, we wish to explain the SC&A blog, and by extension, the author.

The SC&A blog voice is a parody and an exaggeration of the personas of Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung and Alfred Adler. Anyone with even a cursory knowledge of those individuals and their schools of thought, should be able to see and understand those voices. It is also true that having an undergraduate degree in anything but psychology, to some extent, precludes the reader from fully grasping the concept, notwithstanding the two or three psych classes they may have taken.

Often, the SC&A blog discusses matters of import and relevance, in a voice that may confuse the reader.

The SC&A blog is written in parody form. It exaggerates- and at the same time, conveys our beliefs as to certain truths, as we see them. We can be sarcastic and caustic, or choose not to be.

Like a newspaper caroonist, we can be outrageous or muted, depending on the subject matter, our mood and the way we want to convey a certain idea.

There are certain times that we will choose to speak in a real voice- that is, the voice of the author of SC&A. When we do so, as we have in the past, we will clearly indicate that in the post headline.

Irrespective of the voice employed, my own or that of SC&A, I would like to remind readers that this is a blog- just a blog. This is not an extension or expression of my life, nor is it an expression of my political or personal beliefs or ideologies.

If at some time I wish to share my personal beliefs and ideologies, I will. Until then, enjoy the SC&A blog- or not.

On a Reader Comment

One reader of our recent post, A Look Into the Future, commented on our position on Peter Singer's ideas. He attempts to take us to task for our apparent closedmindedness. The reader states:

Or: imagine a world where people respond to well thought out, well reasoned intellectuals who are willing to face unpleasant truths with badly cliched, knee-jerk emotional attacks.

The man is very clearly against suffering. Disagree with his conclusions if you want, but you base your argument upon nothing but tradition and reaction, making you a reactionary and a fundamentalist, in the worst sense of both words.

Naturally, we responded, albeit a bit too quickly:

You fail to address a basic point, gollux- that there is a moral component that needs to be addressed. No one wants to see suffering- but by the reaction of others- even in Princeton- Singer clearly fails to address those moral issues.

The argument is indeed based on tradition- those traditional values society holds dear. To dismiss them because you believe that disagreement with Singers message is 'fundamnetalist,' is a presposterous notion.

On the other hand, you seem to think your argument is based on a 'well reasoned,' intellectual approach. Clearly, this indicates a distinct- and some might say, rather sophomoric- and pointed insular view of reality- that you can seperate societal values and mores from the equation, as well.

Indeed, not even Singer does that- he attempts to limit his ideas to be bound and framed within certain times.

Your words validate my thoughts- that it becomes 'open season' on whomever the interpretation of the word suffering can be applied.

In a free society, to put all things on the table and open for discussion is a good thing. Irrespective of one's beliefs, rational discourse is always beneficial, if to further question those things that need to be questioned, or to bolster and reinforce those beliefs that as individuals or we, as part of a society, hold dear.

Our reader comes to the table with the idea that our views (and by extension, the views of many of Singer's critique's stem from the same place) are 'reactionary and fundamnetalist.'

This is nothing short of the visceral rejectionism. There are all kinds of ideas that can be discussed, weighed and pondered. To assume however, that an opposing view is 'reactionary and fundamnetalist' is outrageous.

If you can make your case or your argument, by all means, do so. By advancing ad hominems against those that may disagree with your point of you, however, you highlight your own intolerance and perceived superiority- neither of which serves you, or your beliefs, well.

Mommy Insights

There are a lot of mommy blogs out there. Some do a very good job at presenting a particular view of the 'home front.' There is humor, pathos and the mundane. all presented in a myriad of ways.

There seem to be three distinct genres of mommy blogs, each done with varying degrees of success. Some blogs clearly present life as it is. Other blogs, try to document a family life along the route the author wants to shephard her brood, a la Martha Stewart. Lastly, there is blogger that presents fiction- a carefully crafted and scripted view of mythical perfection.

It is also true that for the most part, each blog effort borrows a bit from each genre. Overall, mommy blogs are an integral part of the blogosphere, a daily read for millions. They are so ubiquitous that there are even daddy blogs, pretending to be mommy blogs, pretending to be daddy blogs. Victor Victoria, anyone?

SC&A had intended this to be a review of a mommy blog. There are standouts that merit attention. However, we will put off a review for a day or two. Instead, we wish to discuss a single blog post.

Every blogger has experienced that rare moment where everything comes together. The ideas, emotions and words flow in a continious, cogent stream, resulting in a post that is clear, concise, riveting and even cathartic for both writer and reader. Those posts are not easily duplicated.

Square1 On Mommy Madness is one of those rare posts that strikes a chord with everyone who reads it. In it, Square1 frankly and openly discusses child rearing as it really is, with all the constraints, guilt and self doubt. If there is one commonality parents of all stripes share, it is those things Square1 discusses.

She offers up an interesting quote:

"Sometimes I think we will go down in history as the blaming generation, first blaming our parents for not nurturing us to be all that we could be and then when we became parentswe turn around and blame our kids for keeping us for being all that we can be."

That idea alone would be enough to give us all pause and reflect, but Square1 doesn't stop there. She seems to realize, either by instinct or clarity of thought, that those ideas, in a vacuum, cannot reach us 'where we live.' This is important because all to often we see ourselves from a distance and fail to make that emotional connection we need to make- if not to encourage change, then to make peace with our realities.

Without skipping a beat, Square1 talks openly and frankly about those things that we would rather not discuss, for many reasons, not the least of which is the realization that as followers, we may be headed down the wrong path.

She discusses the isolations familes experience and by extension, the lack of real community. These are real issues she discusses and are not made up for with expensive, extra curricular activities.

She discusses home life realties, expectations and her need at times, to regroup from those things that overwhelm her, frustrate her and justr plain drive her crazy.

She speaks of her self and her life honestly in this post- and it is an eye opener. We'd venture to say that not a lot of men have ever heard this 'conversation.' We'd also venture to say that a lot of women will exhale and realize that somebody out there 'gets it.'

There are things you may not see eye to eye on, but from where we sit, those things are a matter of style. She does things her way, you may do them your way. It isn't a matter of religion, creed or political bend- reality, after all, is universal and we all want what is best for our children. In the end, the ideals and values Square1 espouses probably aren't very much different than your own.

The post is a good one. We can only hope that confluence of those ingredients that make posts like that happen, come around often.

Read the post here.

A Look Into the Future

So some of you thought the piece on Terri Schiavo was funny? Well, maybe in a macabre sort of way, but in reality, we are a lot closer to that Orwellian 1984 than you might think.

Let's play a fantasy game.

Imagine a world where the elimination of a child, up to a year of age, is perfectly acceptable.

Imagine a world where given the choice between saving an adult chimpanzee or a child, the life of the chimpanzee takes precedence.

Imagine a world where necrophelia is as acceptable as any other sexual proclivity.

Imagine a world where bestiality is as acceptable as any other sexual proclivity.

Imagine a world where pulling the plug on all the Terri Schiavo's is as common as having a tooth filled.

Well, these views are the intellectual underpinnings of those who are trying to plug on Terri Schiavo.

Fantasy? Not at all. These views- and other similiar views are held by Peter Singer, Professor at Princeton University and He currently holds the Ira W. Decamp chair of Bioethics at Princeton University's Center for the Study of Human Values.

Another obscure, looney professor? Hardly.

The New England Journal of Medicine has said Professor Singer has had "more success in effecting changes in acceptable behavior" than any philosopher since Bertrand Russell. The New Yorker called him the "most influential" philosopher alive.

Well, for those of you that have no trouble with the idea of pulling the plug on Terri Schiavo, these ideas you have just read about are just around the corner.

Think this is a joke? Read more about Professor Singer here, here, here and here, for starters. There are a myriad of other sources available, where you can learn about what's in your future. Think this is another joke? See what Singer says, in his own words, on bestiality. See more, in Singer's own words on how he places value (or lack thereof) on a human life, here.

Do nothing for Terri Schiavo and the future, as advocated by Peter Singer is a lot closer than you think.

Another Experiment

Read this post, over on Orient Lodge and Think.

It doesn't get much better- or much smarter.

In a political climate that thrives on division, deceit and the intentional demonization of anyone in your way, Aldon Hynes has a message worth listening to.

Of course, you may have to actually think, but we believe some of you can make that leap. While you are there, spend some time. You may actually learn something.

Terri Schiavo, Who Cares?

Who cares about Terri Schiavo? Not me. Why should I?

They want to pull the plug on her, this woman who is barely alive- at least in a meaningful way- so what's the problem?

She can't have a meaningful conversation with anyone and can't even fend for herself in the most simple of ways, so, let's be honest- her 'quality of life' just isn't there. There are doctors that claim she is in a persistent vegetative state- that is, she's just not all there- who are we to disagree? Are you and I qualified to make medical judgements? Sure, there are other medical opinions, but let's get right to the point. Even if she isn't in a persistent vegetative state, she's not that far from one, right? If we do keep her alive, why should we have to pay for her care? She's young, she could live for decades and we, as taxpayers, would find oursleves in the position of having to support another drain on our societal resources.

Her husband, gratefully, has moved on with his life and longer has to suffer the agony of watching his wife suffer. He has fathered two children and is happily settled into his new life. In fairness to him, Terri can be nothing more than a sharp thorn in his side, a constant reminder of his suffering in days past. He says she would have wanted to die, if she were to be put in such a predicament. I believe him. Why wouldn't I?

No one likes having to deal with the chronically ill. They can be very, shall we say, messy. The impaired require round the clock care, medical attention, drugs and constant supervision. Having to care for an impaired person around impacts a lot of people. Social lives are curtailed, vacations become harder to come by and the constant focus on the sick person gets old, fast. Friends don't want to hear or even care about your sick relatives. If you persist with the care giving, well, you just aren't fun anymore. People you know would much rather talk about their jobs, cars, investments, politics, self esteem, sex, music, home decorating, clothes, fine dining, mortgages and of course Desperate Housewives and Sex in the City reruns- you know, the important things in life.

So here's the bottom line.

We need to support a logical and compassionate Eugenics program. That's right- only those that are worthy, as decided by the courts and a few doctors, shall be allowed to live.

If a child is autistic, mentally or physically disabled, there ought to be a program in place that authorizes the witholding of food until death occurs. That death may take up to three weeks is of no consequence. We as a society, cannot risk assuming the financial or moral obligation of that burden. If a child or elderly parent becomes such a problem as to impact the quality of our lives, we need to be able to rid the caregivers of the burden of that care.

That said, to hell with Terri Schiavo. To hell with anyone requiring chronic care. As a matter of fact, I'm feeling politically motivated right now.

We need to make sure there are no more messy Terri Schiavo cases in the future. Every mentally ill person needs to be registered, as do the elderly that cannot take care of themselves. The courts and a medical panel can determine if those lives have merit or value. Obviously, parents, children and other close family cannot be involved, as their emotional attachment cannot be allowed to color any assessment of their value or worth.

Yup- screw Terri Schiavo. Why the hell should I care?

Forget the politics of it all. There is more here and here.

More on Words and Meaning

In two recent posts, here and here, SC&A have offered personal opinions on what we believe is the intentional the misuse of certain words, to further particular agendas. The word we commented on was 'rape.'

We feel very strongly about the matter- so much so, that we wish to republish some comments that were offered on our original post.

We are not experts on the matter of rape- nor are we casual observers. Like you, we have children, siblings and families.

Below are some of the comments left by MaxedOutMama. While many of you may disagree with some or even all of her remarks and ideas, they are all cogently and well presented and are worth considering. Some of her remarks are very clinical, some are more personal and heartfelt. All the remarks merit consideration.

"...I can't fault your etymology, but SC&A's point is a fine one and holds more water in this context (IMO). The old English meaning is to take or seize by violence. When used in connection with a woman it refers to violent penetration and a permanent claiming of her being. This is so since the traditional remedy to such was generally forcing the rapist to marry his victim, and if not, traditionally the woman has been looked at as being permanently impaired by suffering a loss of purity and integrity.

Now our culture has fought a long and bitter battle to remove this stigma, but you reinforce it by comparing literal actual damage (the destruction of a viable ecosystem) to a cultural stigma. That's the first danger you don't seem to see.

In our culture, when you use the term rape in combination with "Mother Earth" you are using the emotional impact of the fear, suffering, isolation, powerlessness and loss the act carries for women and trying to map those emotions onto an ecological concept. SC&A objects to this rhetorical flourish because he feels it dehumanizes women. I agree. Women are not some mythical womb-bearing archetype of maternal fecundity and sexual satisfaction. In our culture, we defend their rights as autonomous individuals who can be independent of males altogether. I also object to the use of emotional arguments about objective, scientific problems.

Second, I think the emotional implications of the argument you make are wrong. Individuals do have rights in the earth - we are part of the ecosystem, not some alien invaders from outer space. Destroying the environment is a crime of degree, an imbalance, an improper usage of resources. But the same is not true in our culture.

But the same is not true in our culture of a rapist and his victim. We decry the crime of rape because it is an absolute violation of the rights of the victim.

If you are going to use the analogy, a more accurate way to use it would be to compare ecological irresponsibility to marital rape, in which the trust of the relationship is sabotaged by the violation of consent. I still think it is a bad emotional and scientific argument, but it is at least a slightly more accurate way to make it. A much better analogy to use is people in a space ship destroying their own life support system.

..."Mother Earth" is often used to describe this planet, so destroying the ecosystem, which we very much need in order to survive, in this instance, is indeed, a rape of Mother Earth."

This statement humanizes the natural world, but you don't seem able to understand the suffering of a victim of rape as anything but an abstraction. Please understand that I am not accusing you of being a bad person. I'm pointing out what I think is a blindspot in both your objective thinking and your emotional understanding of what victims of rape might experience and the baggage that they have to fight against as a result of societal stigmas.

Let me humanize the victims of rape for you. I have never been raped, although I still think that the time I encountered a man late at night in the parking lot behind the building where I worked at the time and pulled a socially unacceptable instrument out from under the car seat might have ended differently....

For some reason I don't understand people I sometimes know not at all or very slightly will walk up to me and tell me about something that is troubling them. At one office where I worked, with a grand total of 7 women, 2 of them approached me and told me about having been raped.

One of these happened when the woman was 14, in school in a restroom after regular school hours. She was beaten and strangled to the point where she passed out. She was also impregnated. Her family was religious and consulted the family doctor. After he determined she was carrying twins he told her parents that in his medical opinion it was unsafe to give birth, that she was too small and too lightweight to endure the pregnancy safely or give birth to healthy twins. They took her for an abortion.

At the time I met this woman she was 38. She was not thin, not slender, but gaunt, almost emaciated. She looked at least 50. She had married and truly loved and admired her husband, but she had had problems with both her pregnancies because she didn't eat enough. She was afraid to leave the building alone or be alone in the building. I thought her eating problems stemmed from the subconscious belief that her only acceptable "out" to the fear of another rape and resulting pregnancy was literally to be unable to carry the pregnancy. I thought she was unconsciously keeping herself on the borderline of health in order to maintain that escape route, but that this strategy was failing now that her daughters were nearing adolescence.

I told her that if she faced the same issue with one of her daughters (they were 8 and 11 at the time) that she would have to make the same choice for them as her parents did. I told her that what we owe a child we carry is good nutrition and a healthy life. We discussed the birth defects that can be caused by poor nutrition and a woman's stress level.

I told her that all of God's laws are aimed at creating more healthy life, and not less, and that it was a parent's duty to preserve the full potential of a child's future life, and that by forcing a child to carry a child conceived of rape a parent would be quite likely to prevent the child's ability to marry and raise healthy children.

We discussed the meaning of Jesus' statement that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. We talked about the fact that it would be terrible to force a child in this situation to undergo an abortion she did not want if that was her feeling about it. I told her that I was certain that children miscarried were not abandoned by God or sent to hell, and not surprisingly, it turned out she had had a miscarriage as well.

Let me say that I don't know whether this was religiously correct, I only knew it was the right thing to tell this woman in this situation and that she needed to hear this in order to be able to take care of her daughters wihout too much anxiety.

The second confession came from a young women in her middle twenties. She was extremely attractive but had no boyfriend. She had been raped when she was 20 by a longtime non-romantic friend of hers, a DEA agent no less, after he walked her home from a party and she passed out drunk on his couch. When she woke the next morning she found her panties missing and her shorts on - after some confusion she asked him about it. He denied it.

She also became pregnant and had an abortion. Her mother went with her to confront him originally and then afterwards to tell him about the abortion, after which he got a posting to someplace outside the US. They did not report it to the authorities - this sort of thing is probably unprosecutable, given that there was no evidence of physical abuse and she had gone home with him.

This girl was afraid of all authority, afraid to go out to parties, acutely restless, and unable to hold a job for very long. She seemed to be one of the most isolated people I have ever met. She had cut herself off from all her male friends locally and seemed to have no female friends. She did maintain long-distance friendships with some men she'd known from high school, but I wondered if she would not cut herself off from them if she ended up close to them geographically. It turned out that I was the first person she had ever told about this story outside of her mother and the doctor. She was tough, and she was going to get through it, but I will never never forget the expression on her face.

...please understand that there is a human reality behind the term of rape and that it is not a kind one. By using such an archetypal expression in such a way you are invoking a lot of dimly understood cultural beliefs, and you are doing so in a way that reinforces the worst of them.

Plus, it is almost impossible for a woman (or a child, or a man) who has experienced this to contradict you in conversation, so you further isolate the victims from society and make them feel unable to protest without giving up their privacy.

Please let me be their voice. This is an unfair tactic. It is not your fault that you don't understand the harm, but please open your mind and understand that there is real harm here.

SC&A, I apologize for taking over your comments this way, it is probably wrong but I could not walk away silently. A feeble protest is no dang protest at all.

Sorry, but not.

Jazzy Bloggers

In order to regain our equilibrium after reviewing Abigail, we have decided this would be the right time to point you in the direction of a really good blog, Pratie Place.

Pratie Place is a different kind of blog, mostly because the author, Melinama is a different kind of person. No doubt about it, Melinama rides her own pony- and that is a good thing. Her curiosity, interests and ideas are diverse and that comes across.

Unlike most blogs that are easily identifiable and categorized, this blog defies definition. There is no telling what will show up on Pratie Place on any given day and that is what makes the blog so unique.

Melinama shares her interests with her readers. Some entries will fascinate you, some will amuse you and yet others will befuddle you. She posts about politics, humor, secrets, nut jobs, education and the Amish- and that is just a sampling of this week's posts.

In a way, Pratie Place is more like a Jazz concert than it is about blogging. The fact that Melinama is a musician is no coincidence. Within the various and wide range of the musical notes of her blog, can be found inter-related harmonies, melodies and even a sense of wonder. It all seems to come together. We suppose her classical training, with it's strict definitions and demand for precision has prepared her well for the world of blogging- the opportunity to let loose in a free association of ideas and thoughts is much like a let-your-hair-down Jazz jam.

Like all musicians, no matter how many times the notes have been played, something happens when those notes, scripted or unscripted, come out just right. In Pratie Place, that is exactly what happens- all the notes come out just right.

Anyone can visit Pratie Place. Like appreciating a good Jazz performance however, to get the most out it requires an awareness and a curious mind. If you can muster that up, you won't be disappointed.

What Abigail Can Teach Us

Everyone has something to offer, if even in a backhanded way.

The brilliant Abigail, of Abigail's Magic Garden (the place to go to when you have the uncontrollable urge to feel stupid), does make very clear an important lesson.

In her piece, Alan Keyes, the Compassionate Conservative, Abigail writes:

I think this Alan Keyes story demonstrates, yet again, the hypocrisy of the Christian Right. They call themselves “compassionate conservatives” and say they are “pro-family.” How is it compassionate to disown your own daughter? How is it pro-family to kick your own daughter out of the house?

We cannot say what went on in the Keyes household and needless to say, if indeed there is strife within the Keyes family, we wish them all well.

What the brilliant Abigail (a monument to stupidity) fails to grasp is the immorality and danger of lumping all people of a certain stripe, all together.

Whatever her opinion is of Alan Keyes, it does not taint all Christians. That is the equivalent of saying all liberals cheat on their wives, because of the behavior of one Bill Clinton. Obviously, both those notions are ridiculous.

Abigail would do well to remember that casting a wide net is indeed a dangerous game.

Anne Frank, wrote: "Oh, it is sad, very sad, that once more, for the umpteenth time, the old truth is confirmed: ''What one Christian does is his own responsibility, what one Jew does is thrown back at all Jews."

In a world where anti semitism ("the Jews bring it upon themselves") is becoming part of the Left's political agenda and vernacular, couched as 'Anti Israel' sentiment and the words equating Jews to Nazis are de riguer, Abigail's castigating an entire group of people predicated on her opinion of one person is scary indeed.

For the forseeable future, Abigail will have very little to offer anyone. Until she grows up and gets herself a real world education, Abigail's voice will remain irrelevant. Nevertheless, she can be credited with reminding us that painting an entire group of people with one broad brushstroke is a dangerous business, indeed.

Blogs We Have Run Across and Bloggers We Wish We Could Run Over

It isn't often that SC&A run a cross a blog so utterly stupid and devoid of meaningful content, that we come out with a review so quickly.

Abigail's Magic Garden is one such blog.

As we always point out, SC&A take no political position. We have reviewed and endorsed very good blogs on either side of the political spectrum and we have excoriated the really bad ones.

That said, Abigail's Magic Garden one of the stupidist blogs we have ever seen. The writer is a 23 year old who was a Howard Dean supporter and volunteer, who in her own words (on her 'about me' page) states:

I'm 23 years old, work for a non-profit, proudly supported Howard Dean, and reluctantly voted for John Kerry because he was the only Democrat running.

OK, here's how it works: There is always only one democrat running. We realize you are disappointed, but that is how the system works. We're sorry you are not happy about it- and we wouldn't be surprised if this is news to you. It is however, our system, so as heartbroken as you must be, learn to live with the fact that only one democrat can run in the Presidential Election. Perhaps we can soften the blow by informing you that only one Republican can run, too. Feel better now?

To be clear- this blog was referred to us by a very liberal reader, who was very disturbed at the content and ideology involved. The reader wanted to make clear that the kind of stupidity propogated on this blog was in no reflective or representative of liberal ideology or thought.

We will present extracts of some of the posts, and the comments we left. We are using this format because the shortest distance between two points is a straight line.

We do want to reiterate that we are in no way singling out this blog because of the authors political tilt (we read and endorse some very fine liberal blogs, as well as some very fine conservative blogs)- we are singling out this blog because of the profound stupidity it espouses.

Here are a few examples of the lunacy found on Abigail's Magic Garden.

If an employer were to treat its employees fairly, all terminated employees would be given at least twenty weeks notice, because for the employee, losing a job is at least a ten times worse proposition than losing an employee is for the employer.

This is the last part of a mindless post. When we saw the twenty weeks notice to fire an employee, we had this to say.

It is rare that we come across an idiot so foolish as to flaunt their stupidity.

That said, let me congratulate on you lunacy.

I know I speak for so many who would be delighted to have an incompetent/dangerous nurse or other health care provider, knowing they are going to be fired in FIVE MONTHS, look after a loved one.

Brilliant, just brilliant.

Then of course there are the teachers who can't read. While you may delight in these educators playing with blocks with your children (Please, please, do not have any), the rest of the parents might be a tad perturbed.

Then there are the Air Traffic Controllers who might be a tad peeved, or merely the cashiers at a store, who in retaliation might not ring up $6500 worth of Manolo shoes to get even. Before you bitch about Manolos, remember that all the Hollywood libs wear Manolos, so you can't just insult them, OK?

I will be gentle in my review as you obviously will attempt once more to graduate High School.

So as to be clear- we wish there to be no misundertandings- you are an in idiot. While I'm sure you have plenty of self esteem and the trophies to prove it, you remain an idiot.

While you might think us a bit rude, we ask that you reserve judgement till after you read more wisdom from Abigail.

The only time a business is really risky is in its brief startup phase, and even then, the venture capitalists who own the business have probably not put all of their investment money into a single business, but have spread the money around so a single business failure doesn’t wipe them out. In fact, the venture capitalist expects that some of the businesses he invests in will fail.

Most of the shares are owned by institutional investors who have a diversified portfolio of many different investments. So if a business goes completely under, none of the owners of the business are hurt very badly unless they were stupid enough to put all of their assets into a single company. When a business is wiped out, the workers are the ones who lose their only source of income. The situation is, in reality, a lot riskier for the employee than it is for the employer.

We responded of course, perhaps too hastily, as follows:

This post is even dumber than the [other].

To simply dismiss the hard work it takes to establish a business indicates to me a complete and utter lack of understanding of even the most basic concepts of business, economics or common sense.

You are the reason there ought to be movement to have a means test for bloggers. It is rare to see an idiot such as yourself in full bloom.

Most institutional investors are pension plans. Unless you plan on taking in your neighbors granny for a few years, shut the hell up and let them pay their dividends in peace.

Your social studies teacher, besides being an idiot like yourself, lied to you.

We need to add that most business ventures are not funded by venture capitalists, but rather, by the sweat and determination of their owners. Minority and immigrant business are more often than not family affairs, with their owners making do with less, so as to be true to their dreams. They take years to grow their businesses and succeed- and most don't. For you, Abigail, to be so dismissive of business and what it takes to succeed, is an indicator of just how clueless you really are. We also believe that workers need to be treated fairly and equitably- but not as a platform to endorse sheer stupidity.

Small business owners put their heart and soul into that business. Deal with reality, Abigail. Life isn't the bullet list and talking points memo you crib this crap from, as you pretend you actually know what the hell you are talking about.

It is unbelievable that this drivel passes for intelligence- and worse, that Abigail actually believes she has something worthwhile to contribute.

SC&A believe that the best political environment entertains healthy debate. We have always encouraged that and will continue to do so.

Abigail's Magic Garden is an impediment, rather than a help, to that process.

Dumb as Dirt Nominations

Nominations are now being taken for the absolute stupidist blog entry you have run across lately.

SC&A will review the entries and if your entry is one of those selected, you will be linked to in a post and have your exquisite good taste, wit and obvious intelligence toasted by us. If you wear your hair in a Mullet, or use far to many gel products, we will overlook that.

Should you choose to remain anonymous, email us the info and we will toast you, anonymously.

Words Gone Wild, PC and Rape

In our post below, we attempted to clarify a simple idea: That violence against humans- and rape in particular, is in no way ever equivalent to eco-mismanagement, deliberate or otherwise. Nor is rape the equivalent of the destruction and the defacing of art, deliberate or otherwise.

We wished to make clear that simply throwing words around, to further an agenda, does not legitimize the misuse of those words. Nor does attempting to derail what should be a simple argument into something less personal and more academic.

It is fashionable as of late to hurl the words 'Nazi,' and 'Holocaust' around as if simply labeling a particular group or their (unapproved by reason of agenda) behaviors make it so.

This should not be a hard concept to grasp. Nor, under normal circumstances, do the above mentioned ideas merit serious discussion.

Apparently, Political Correctness has shrouded the meaning of 'normal circumstances.' A certain political agenda it seems, allows for the use of deceit whenever that agenda deems fit.

Most of those who chose to comment seemed to grasp the idea that words do matter. Here are a selection of quotes:

"One reviles, similarly, the use of the word "Holocaust" in increasingly trivial circumstances."

"...In this context the word was used less for it's definition and more for it's sensationalism. That is the problem. Words are a powerful tool, and this was one that was mis-used."

Apparently, those realties are of little consequence to the PC crowd, where moral equivalence rules and moral relativism has become the new religion of no comittment to the notions of right and wrong. God (of PC) help anyone who might dare imply there is a right and wrong.

Another person who commented, has a whole other take on not only the word 'rape,' but what it really means:

I find it so amusing that humans take themselves so very seriously, think that they are so important, and yet continue to treat the earth with such little concern. The planet Earth has been around a lot longer than we have; we are just a blip on the radar, if you look at the lifespan of our planet, compared to the lifespan of our species. And yet now, more than ever, we have the power in this day and age, to completely destroy this planet, this planet that gives us life. If we as a species don't start changing what we are doing now, we will cease to exist. So yes, I think we should give a lot more respect to Mother Earth, and I see nothing wrong with the metaphor "rape of the land".

OK, a real concern for our planet. That's nice. We still don't see how the 'rape of the land' is equivalent to the rape of a human being- and we again, asked for that concession.

"And I will not concede, because as stated in my first post, there IS MORE THAN ONE DEFINITION OF THE WORD. As there is for many words in our English language. That's what makes it so beautiful, and at times so confusing. You are focusing on on definiton; the word has been around for a very long time and has been used in past and present very often referring to the pillage and destruction of land. Your stand, albeit noble, is narrow-minded and irrational.

It is at this point, a subtle shift occurs. There is an attempt not to deal with a reality- that the rape of a human being is worse than any 'rape' of the earth, but rather, an attempt is made to shift the discussion to language- and that somehow, the rape of a human being is equivalent- morally and otherwise, to the destruction of flora and fauna. This is moral relativism and Political Correctness run wild. It is outrageous that anyone would even attempt to link the degradation and humiliation of the rape of an individual to the destruction a micro ecosystem.

That there are authors who use the word 'rape' as metaphors is of no consequence. There have been authors that have used words to justify hate and intolerance. Do they too, get a pass because of word etymology or word definitions? While some are tempted to use the word 'Holocaust' to describe the chicken farming industry, it is by no means and accurate use of the word. In fact it is a disgusting cheapening use of a word to fit a certain political agenda.

While some authors may indeed use words as metaphors- that is, they never intend for their words to be taken literally- the fact remains that there those who do, unintentionally or otherwise, often to promote an agenda. All to often, that agenda is used by moral relativists to imply PC moral equivalence where there is none.

No doubt the person who left the comments will continue to refer to dictionaries, word definintions and word etymology as a refuge in which to hide- and make no mistake, that is exactly what it is.

In the end however, the words of those who know best ring truest:

"The misuse and exploitation of the word (rape -ed) in and of itself causes much grief to those of us who have suffered such horrors. I’m glad someone takes the time to point it out."

Lastly, the comment that perhaps best illustrates the moral vacuousness of any argument that equates the use of the word rape to anything other than it's most horrific meaning, was quoted from Dale Spender, the Australian feminist and reknowned authority on language. She is the author of the seminal work, Man Made Language and someone to whom word etymology is not exactly unknown. While we cannot say we are familiar with all of Spender's works or even that we would agree with all her writing, we are impressed with these words, in which she describes the origins and definition of the word rape:

...an absence of force in the name `rape' which does not reveal it as a vicious sexual act. This in turn is one of the reasons it can be used metaphorically without distaste. The use of the metaphor reinforces the legitimacy of the term and of the act, therefore perpetuating the conscious or unconscious acceptance of `resourcismo' - the view that both Nature and women can be managed for man's use."

My, my, not very PC, is it? Imagine- a distinction between rape and flora/fauna abuse!

Not to worry, the moral relativists will concoct another meaning, (mis)using more words, to buttress an agenda. More deceit, business as usual.

Plus ca change, plus ca reste la meme.

Who's in Charge?

A news item today caught our attention.

"Avian Flu World's No. 1 Threat, CDC Head Says." This news story, off the UPI wire, will no doubt be the first of many warning about the possibility of a major flu pandemic. The last real pandemic, the '1918 Spanish Flu pandemic' (info here, here and here and here claimed between 30 and 40 million lives.

In it's latest incarnation, the disease is passed directly from bird to human. The surest way to prevent the disease from spreading is to kill any bird population that may carry the disease.

We have chosen to write about this now, because inevitably there will be a loud outcry from that hard corps of idiots that will scream of the 'genocide' and 'holocaust' of the bird population. This stupidity shouldn't come as a surprise.

Pratie's Place has a post/review of a book Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed by Jared Diamond, a Pulitzer Prize winning author. The review of the book presents an excellent overview in describing the events surrounding the demise of the Easter Island ecosystem. So far, so good.

SC&A take issue with what is extrapolated and learned from what seems to be an otherwise excellent book.

In particular, we were puzzled by one commentators referenced quote, well meaning as it may have been:

"On an island as small as Easter, it was easy to see the effects of the deforestation as it was taking place. But the inhabitants continued their destructive actions. They probably prayed to their gods to replenish the land so they could continue to rape it, but the gods didn't answer. And still the trees came down. Whatever one did to alter that ecosystem, the results were reasonably predictable. One could stand on the summit and see almost every point on the island. The person who felled the last tree could see that it was the last tree. Nonetheless, he (or she) still felled it."

We take issue with a number of ideas in that quote.

Firstly, sad as the demise of an ecosystem is, it is not rape. As tempting as it may be to refer to anything some people don't approve of as 'rape,' the misuse of that word is no less than despicable. If the actual rape of one woman could be prevented by the use of a chain saw to a flower, animal or even priceless work of art, SC&A would be happy to wield that chain saw ourselves.

The role of language in constructing a social reality, must not diminish the violent reality of what the word 'rape' suggests, implies, or describes.

In conversations with NG, we have become much more aware and sensitized to certain issues. The word 'rape' is one of the most powerful words in the English language. The word should make one shudder and recoil in fear. If that word is used to describe anything other than it's intended meaning, it will lose it's effectivness- and thus become common and less meaningful.

There is no moral equivalent between the rape of a woman or child and anything else, period. If you think there is, you are an idiot- and you and your ideas, are therefore irrelevant to any serious discussion. By insisting on using that word, you prove that you cannot be considered to have anything worthwhile to say, as your value system is seriously impaired.

Let us be more explicit: If your daughter or wife were threatened with a sexual assault, and the only way to prevent that from happing was to cut a tree, kill an animal or deface a priceless work of art- and you hesitated for even a moment in knowing what you had to do, well, you are idiot.

We responded to that idea and others in the comment section of Pratie's Place. Take the time to read that excellent blog and see our comments.

We wanted to talk about this because no doubt, as we said, some idiot will want to 'save the birds.'

Thinking Places

We've said it before and we'll say it again: If you want to see what a good blog likes like, go to Praties Place. She has a piece on the Easter Islanders that has drawn our attention (we take issue with some of the conclusions and make our case in the comments section). The blog is a must daily read. It is informative, entertaining and in a milieu filled with self publishing morons, Praties Place is refreshing oasis of intelligence. Look for a review of that very fine blog soon.

Speaking of reviews, we are going to review some good and bad blogs this week. We are also going to look at and discuss some blogging trends- some we believe are good and others that are at best, idiotic (we're trying to be nice).

By the way, via Praties Place (whom we are convinced has a blogdar unit for finding cool stuff), we came upon this blog, ZeNeece's World- another fine example of what's out there.

ZeNeece manages to assemble some of the more interesting news content that is out there and present those item in a way that make you want to slow down and think a bit. There was one piece on a promising cancer cure that is just stunning in it's implications.

The blog is different- you cannot walk away without thinking.

Now, now, don't be scared- thinking isn't as painful as you might think.

Readers Write

It's Monday, real life has reared it's ugly head and the only thing that matters is you, right? You have to be at work, you aren't happy at your job and you don't feel appreciated or held in high enough esteem. We have addressed those issues here and we see no need to revise what we have written

We don't care about your self admiring/loathing nature- nor will we pretend to.

As we noted yesterday, some of you did give us great pause and cause to reflect. I will republish here, with the authors permission, two of the letters we have received on that post. We are doing so precisely because it is Monday and because on Monday's we transition our lives back into the work cycle and into a different mindset. While this is a natural state of affairs, it might behoove us to transition a little less. Our lives and meaning are not derived from what we do, rather, they are derived (or should be) by who we are.

Here are two letters that left their mark on us. They have been edited to preserve the writers anonymity. I suspect the authors won't mind that bit of non recognition- by their own words and actions, it appears they would be the first to want the message, rather than the messenger to take center stage.

"This post touched me deeply, and I felt I had too much to say to leave a simple comment, so hear I am emailing you, excuse me for writing something so long.

I was always the kid in school who couldn't stand seeing someone picked on.

I was always a little different in my home town, I'm half Korean and in my town you were either...or ..., which I so clearly was not. I knew what it felt like to be picked on, so I went out of my way to defend those who were also picked on. This caused me to be beat up a few times, but I didn't care, these people had no voice of thier own or were too scared to use it, so I did the talking.

Then I entered middle school, and all of a sudden the cool kids wanted to know me. I was flattered and desperate for them to like me. In defense of these kids, they were never the bullies that picked on the others, but nor did they ever come to their rescue. One day one kid was being bullied, and like other times, I stepped up and defended this person. He never dressed well, and wore these really ugly glasses. This caused the bullies to find him an easy mark, as he was also small and easy to push around. After I stepped in, my new "friends" took me aside and said that what I did wasn't cool, after all he wasn't my responsibility and they were embarassed by what I did. Instead of walking away from the cool kids, I took what they said to heart, and stopped stepping in.

One summer, when I was hanging with another friend of mine, who wasn't one of the cool kids but was a childhood friend of mine, we were walking downtown and saw a man on a park bench. He looked ragged and homeless. He was reaching out to us and said "help me". I took one look at him and walked away. My friend wanted to go and help, I told her he was just looking for a handout. Later that evening when we walked back by that parkbench, there was an ambulance truck there. The man was having a heart attack. He later died.

I still am haunted by his face, I can't help but feel if I had just stepped in earlier, he may have made it. There was an article in the local paper about this man, and the "faceless" people in our midst, and how no one had stopped to help him. I dumped the cool friends, which I came to regard and less that cool, and went back to my ways of stepping in to help those who couldn't or wouldn't help themselves.

This was a good thing, because when I turned 16, my brother was diagnosed with schitzophrenia. I had to explain to a lot of people in my school just what that was, and to tell them no they couldn't get it from talking to him or me. Having someone in my own family who ended up later on the streets for a while before we found him again, I again felt that guilt about the homeless man so many years ago.

I never take anyone for granted anymore, not since then. Even if I don't like someone, I try to find that in them which is likeable. Some call me a "Pollyanna" because of this, trust me I know the score in the world, I just never want to become the callous person I almost was way back when. Thankyou for writing such a good post, and reminding all of us not to take anyone for granted, because everyone has something to give to this world, and you can learn many lessons in the strangest of places.

Okay I'm done now, thankyou for listening.

The next letter:

This has been a tough email to write. I think this is my 10th attempt.

I grew up with an Andrew also. His name was Patrick. He found a spot in my heart during grade school when he tried to bust up a gang of bullies that were giving me a hard time. I didn’t know him and he didn’t know me. He just knew it was the right thing to do. He was slightly autistic and ended up taking my beating for me. Naturally, I befriended him. We talked many times about deep subjects and I came to find that he was intelligent but lacked the physical ability to show it.

His mind was one of the most well organized archives of thought I had encountered. All anyone ever needed to do was listen to him but no one ever did. Listening to Patrick took a great deal of patience and I often tried to finish his sentences for him. This drove him nuts and he would often change his entire story just to show that I didn’t know what he was trying to say. He hated being predictable.

I took a lot of hits from other kids for hanging around with Patrick but I was indebted to him and he was the only person I knew that truly knew what friendship was about.

Patrick taught me much.

His parents were divorcing and he felt it was his fault. He knew they got frustrated with him and he had heard them argue about him in the past. As it turns out, his Mother had some serious issues and Patrick’s father was going to get custody of him and his sister (I had a huge crush on his sister but that had nothing to do with our friendship).

One night as Patrick and his sister were sleeping, his parents got into a huge argument and their father stormed out of the house. Their Mother then shot them both in the head so the father wouldn’t get them.

That was many years ago, but your post brought me to tears. I never could fathom how someone so good and pure wasn’t allowed to live a full life. But when I think back…Patrick’s life was as full as any adult I know today. He loved life and lived it optimistically. Most of us don’t learn to live like that until we are at the end of life itself.

I was fortunate in that Patrick gave me a head start down the road to realizing happiness.

Needless to say, as a blogger, the type and quality of readers I have humbles me.

I wouldn't trade my readership for anyone else's or 'higher numbers.'

Taken Aback

SC&A would like to thank all of you who took the time to comment or email me on my post, School Daze, posted on Saturday. I was quite surprised as to how many of you commented and/or took the time to email me. There were considerably more emails than there were comments, some having just been received. Your letters were quite moving and gave me a great deal to think about. For that, I thank you.

I am considering sharing one or two of those emails. However, I shall ask the writers permission prior to doing do so.

All of your emails have left an indelible mark.

Retail Insanity

We at SC&A have seen all manner of different psycho-pathologies.

It isn't often that we are taken aback- but this and this just about floored us. As if that weren't enough, there is this and this. As we noted a day or so ago, stupidity knows no boundries.

Leaving aside the obvious questionable esthetics, for what each of these cost, a lot of good could be done.

School Daze

I wish to relate a story from my school days.

Andrew was a classmate, born with Down's Syndrome (no, this is not about a sappy, hugging and kissing, loving Andrew, so read on, you sanctimonious ass).

We were cruel to Andrew, as you can imagine. He was clumsy, oafish and uncoordinated. He was always the last to get picked for sports, and whichever team got saddled with him automatically claimed the advantage of sides, or points or whatever. Of course, in a close game, we knew Andrew would screw up and thus the chances of his team winning was nil. Andrew would be blamed unmercifully for his teams loss. He took it all good naturedly and poked fun at himself- and this infuriated us even more.

Whatever his shortcomings on the playing field were, they were magnified in the classroom. There was no way Andrew could keep up, try as he might. There were no special ed classes back then, and Andrew paid the price. He was the class dummy, the idiot- and we made sure to never let him forget it.

Andrew was doubly cursed. Besides his own affliction, he had a younger brother who was brilliant. The real thing, a true genius. Andrew was very proud of his brother, so much so he would boast about him even as we mocked him. No one was going to seperate Andrew from his brother.

Andrew's younger brother would always try to protect his older brother from the rest us, without much success. It was on a regular basis they both suffered the beatings we administered, just for fun.

Andrew's younger brother would help Andrew with homework. They would spend hours and hours on the simplest of things, until Andrew got it- at least he did, for about 10 minutes. That didn't matter, of course, because Andrew wanted to learn and Andrew wanted to be smart, so he could be just like the rest of us. Throughout his school years, Andrew always want to learn something, everyday. He studied mightily, as best he could. To what end, we never understood at the time. His determination to learn something, everyday, was his mission.

With time and age, our attitude toward Andrew changed. In our final years of High School, we came to love Andrew and to understand all he had gone through- and all that we had put him through. We were ashamed of what we had done to him, but Andrew never made mention of those things. It was as if it had never happened.

When Andrew received his High School Diploma (or whatever version thererof they gave him), we all stood and clapped and cheered and whistled. His mother and father wept as he walked across the platform to recieve his honors and his younger brother kept yelling out, "That's my brother!" That was a special day.

We thought that we had all come a long way, in our 'maturing' into young men. We were very wrong.

As we all moved on to college, Andrew took a vocational course in automotive painting. What was a six month course, took Andrew two years to complete. Andrew got a job, prepping cars for paint jobs. When we heard that news, we were all so very proud of him. We were told that he would take his younger brother out for pizza every week. After all, older brothers look out for their younger brothers.

Andrew passed away in his sleep three years later. He had never missed a day of work. He saved his money because someday, he used to say, he was going to help his brother buy a house and maybe, just maybe, his brother would let him live in a basement apartment.

It was a larger funeral than anyone anticipated. We all came back, from wherever we were. We, his old friends, the college boys and his new friends, calloused, working men, all. Whatever divide there was between us, was narrowed by a shared reality. Since hearing of Andrew's passing, none of us had gotten much sleep. We all truly loved Andrew and had just come to realize how deeply he had touched us.

One of the eulogies was given by our former School Principal, a man known for his gruffness and demanding ways. This man, whom we had all feared and loathed, never looked smaller. He tried to say a few words, but we could barely hear him. He finally took a sip of water from the glass under the lectern, cleared his throat and looked down at the casket in front of him.

He proceeded to ask- actually, plead- for Andrew's forgiveness. He remarked that for years, Andrew was the first one who would rise, as he, the Principal, entered a room. That was wrong, he pointed out. "I should have stood for you," he said. He then found his seat and wept openly. On that day, we all saw humility, up close and personal, for the first time in our young lives.

Over time, we learned an important lesson. Simply recognizing our faults or shortcomings, does not mean we have matured or learned enough, or put what we have learned, into the right perspective.

It is only by incoporating into our lives, not just the ideas, but tangible actions, that prove we are indeed better. Our actions are the real indicators of what we have learned.

I have been fortunate to know a few people who have influenced my life and have made me a better person. I may not always agree with them, but I do know I am well served by their thoughts and their willingness to exchange ideas.

I have come to value their opinions, ideas and thoughts. More than just value them, I try to behave in a manner consistant with the lessons learned.

Andrew taught me well- well enough I believe, to prepare me for the present and future.