February 29th - Leap Day

Today is the day that traditionally women can propose to men. Well there are only 5 1/2 hours left in the day and nothing so far. But then again i wasn't expecting any flowers on Valentine's Day either. I suppose that "not having a girlfriend" thing might have something to do with it.

Oh well at least I'm not this guy...

Liberalism is a mental disorder?

Hat tip to Whale Oil for this one.

While the conservative side of me says (half jokingly) "I knew it all along", the fair and balanced side says that "I'm sure there will be a psychologist saying conservatives a mentally disordered too."

Top psychiatrist concludes liberals clinically nuts
Eminent psychiatrist makes case ideology is mental disorder

---

Posted: February 15, 2008
3:40 pm Eastern

© 2008 WorldNetDaily

WASHINGTON – Just when liberals thought it was safe to start identifying themselves as such, an acclaimed, veteran psychiatrist is making the case that the ideology motivating them is actually a mental disorder.

"Based on strikingly irrational beliefs and emotions, modern liberals relentlessly undermine the most important principles on which our freedoms were founded," says Dr. Lyle Rossiter, author of the new book, "The Liberal Mind: The Psychological Causes of Political Madness." "Like spoiled, angry children, they rebel against the normal responsibilities of adulthood and demand that a parental government meet their needs from cradle to grave."

While political activists on the other side of the spectrum have made similar observations, Rossiter boasts professional credentials and a life virtually free of activism and links to "the vast right-wing conspiracy."

For more than 35 years he has diagnosed and treated more than 1,500 patients as a board-certified clinical psychiatrist and examined more than 2,700 civil and criminal cases as a board-certified forensic psychiatrist. He received his medical and psychiatric training at the University of Chicago.

Rossiter says the kind of liberalism being displayed by the two major candidates for the Democratic Party presidential nomination can only be understood as a psychological disorder.

"A social scientist who understands human nature will not dismiss the vital roles of free choice, voluntary cooperation and moral integrity – as liberals do," he says. "A political leader who understands human nature will not ignore individual differences in talent, drive, personal appeal and work ethic, and then try to impose economic and social equality on the population – as liberals do. And a legislator who understands human nature will not create an environment of rules which over-regulates and over-taxes the nation's citizens, corrupts their character and reduces them to wards of the state – as liberals do."

Dr. Rossiter says the liberal agenda preys on weakness and feelings of inferiority in the population by:

• creating and reinforcing perceptions of victimization;
• satisfying infantile claims to entitlement, indulgence and compensation;
  
• augmenting primitive feelings of envy;
  
• rejecting the sovereignty of the individual, subordinating him to the will of the government.

"The roots of liberalism – and its associated madness – can be clearly identified by understanding how children develop from infancy to adulthood and how distorted development produces the irrational beliefs of the liberal mind," he says. "When the modern liberal mind whines about imaginary victims, rages against imaginary villains and seeks above all else to run the lives of persons competent to run their own lives, the neurosis of the liberal mind becomes painfully obvious."

Adrian Plass encounters temptation

Tell me again why I love reading his books and why I'm glad he's touring NZ in September this year?

I found a t-shirt I want

Hello My Name Is Inigo Montoya...

If I could sing this is one of the ones I'd sing

I might make this a bit of an ongoing series, maybe keep it as song Wednesday like Theology Sunday.

What this post is based around is if I could sing, then what songs would I put in my regular set list.

Today it's with or without you by U2.
I'm not going to post a link to an .mp3 if you want one go buy the album, or song from itunes.

// The Joshua Tree
// With Or Without You

See the stone set in your eyes
See the thorn twist in your side.
I wait for you.
Sleight of hand and twist of fate
On a bed of nails she makes me wait
And I wait without you

With or without you
With or without you.

Through the storm, we reach the shore
You gave it all but I want more
And I'm waiting for you

With or without you
With or without you.
I can't live with or without you.

And you give yourself away
And you give yourself away
And you give, and you give
And you give yourself away.

My hands are tied, my body bruised
She got me with nothing to win
And nothing else to lose.

And you give yourself away
And you give yourself away
And you give, and you give
And you give yourself away.

With or without you
With or without you
I can't live
With or without you.

With or without you
With or without you
I can't live
With or without you
With or without you.

I'm not precisely sure what it's all about but it is (at the moment) my favourite U2 song. I love it's sound, the infinite loop that The Edge uses on guitar. The passion and pain Bono puts into the vocals.

When I listen to the song I think of a guy who loves a woman but she is not that concerned about him and so it hurts to be near her as she does not return his attentions. It also hurts the man to be away from her as he loves her and wants to be near her but is not.

There is no-one in my life like that right now but there have been a couple over the last decade. It hurt to be away from them because you remember her smile, and the joy in her eyes, the catch of her voice as she said your name and you long to be with her, but then you meet up and she is all "just friends" and then I realise... I can't live With or Without You.

Lyrics and their meaning aside I think I like this song most due to its music. the whole thing builds up to a crescendo that if I could sing this is one of the ones I'd sing.

R.I.P. Larry Norman.

The granddaddy of (if not even the inventor of) Christian Rock music...

The day gets worse...

While the insurance is all sorted with the car and I'm taking it off to the panel beaters soon... the day just gets worse.

I get this email at work from Gen-i our Network contractors. The email starts like this...

From: Gen-i Surveys

To: Andrew Irwin

Dear Daphne

Our business is built on the relationships we have with our clients. We value those relationships and regard it as our responsibility to constantly work to improve our services and performance to continue to earn your trust and respect.

Daphne! Some relationship with me their client they have. I see it as being a bit funny as their mail merge database got out of sync a bit and so I tell my co-worker, and he replies, "You know what this mean? I'm going to be calling you Daphne from now on!"

The day gets worse.

Yours faithfully

Daphne

Dash! Blast and Botheration!

There was my car happily parked in the car park at work, and it gets side swiped by a truck. Rips the bumper right off. Fortunately they left a note (and the witnesses took his details too) , I called them and as I was stationary and they moving by NZ law it is their fault so it should get sorted. I just have to find something to travel in the next couple of days.

I still think I should go to the meetings I said I'd be at though..

When I looked up the details of the urban legend below, this was on the front page - I'd heard it before on a TV show - interesting to find out it was true!

I have to give the link Snopes has set their pages up so I can't copy and paste.

Click me now - you know you want to

Nearly forgot Theology Sunday - been busy

I've been thinking about this...

There is this urban legend (debunked) that goes a little like this...

The following is the transcript of the actual radio conversation of a US naval ship with Canadian authorities off the coast of Newfoundland:

Canadians: Please divert your course 15 degrees the South to avoid a collision.

Americans: Recommend you divert your course 15 degrees the North to avoid a collision.

Canadians: Negative. You will have to divert your course 15 degrees to the South to avoid a collision.

Americans: This is the Captain of a US Navy ship. I say again, divert YOUR course.

Canadians: No. I say again, you divert YOUR course.

Americans: THIS IS THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS LINCOLN, THE SECOND LARGEST SHIP IN THE UNITED STATES' ATLANTIC FLEET. WE ARE ACCOMPANIED BY THREE DESTROYERS, THREE CRUISERS AND NUMEROUS SUPPORT VESSELS. I DEMAND THAT YOU CHANGE YOUR COURSE 15 DEGREES NORTH, I SAY AGAIN, THAT'S ONE FIVE DEGREES NORTH, OR COUNTER-MEASURES WILL BE UNDERTAKEN TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THIS SHIP.

Canadians: This is a lighthouse, your call...

Or alternatively there is the video replay...

The Tale of the 'Tashe

Tmay be an anticlimax, but here at long last is The tale of the 'tashe...

(Those who were around at the time can switch off now)

The short story is, that back in November I took part in Movember to raise money for Mens health awareness - specifically in regards to prostate cancer. I raised $130 thanks to some very generous people. On December the first I shaved it off but I'm still using pictures of me with the mo because they are funny and stand out.

That was the short story here is the long one... And it is made up of my mo-log where I took pictures a couple times a week.

For those who don't know, the idea of Movember is that in the first day of the eleventh month you start with a clean shaven face and grow a mo. It is not allow to touch the sideburns as that is a beard, and the handlebars cannot touch as that is a goatee. During the month you raise money and awareness. And if you are really brave get your prostate checked. (Mine was done a year or so ago so I need to again in a few years)

November 2nd
02.11.07

Me dated 2nd Movemebr - didn't get a picture on the first. I have one days stubble.Not sure what style to go for yet. I'm thinking of Victorian style - connecting up to my sideburns.

Movember the 5th
05.11.07

Well apparently joining the mo to the sideburns (even Victorian style) is a beard. So here is my mo after 5 days.

08 Movember
08.11.07

Don't you dare call it bum fluff! If I had this on my bum I'd be very worried. I'd have to say the annoying thing about the mo is that it feels as if I have food or dirt stuck on my face.

Movember 12th
12.11.07

I know it's ginger - get over it!It is weird that the further down my chin my facial hair goes the more ginger/lighter it gets. In fact once I grew a soul patch (tickle spot) and no one noticed it because it was blond.No nothing is dyed!

15th of Movember
15.11.07

This lip forest is growing. I can really tell it is there. When I smile, eat, wash or whatever the fuzz rubs.

Movember 20
21.11.07

It's itchy and scratchy. It bites and bites and bites. My cheeks are getting gravel rash from when I smile. But I'm raising money for a good cause and it could be worse I could need the foundation.

26th Movember
26.11.07

Not long now and I'm really looking forward to the big shave.

Movember the 30th
30.11.07

Here we are at the end of the mo-line. tomorrow I'm shaving it off and I'll post a picture of that event too.

December the 1st
1.12.07

Not feeling healthy

Had a sore throat since Tuesday and just feeling like bluuurg today, went to work but probably gave everyone my germs - sorry people!

I had my patented cure for sore throats though and it worked yet again. An extra hot chili souvalki. Even thought it felt like my lips were blistering eating that just burnt away all the throat germs and I could swallow again. The rest of me feels like something the cat dragged in, the dog trod in and the pet rat burrowed in to make a new home.

Anyway not sure what yesterdays video did not embed - hopefully this one will if not click here

Business Socks

I bought the Flight of the Conchords DVD on Sunday and have been watching a couple of episodes a day since then.

After tonights episode I have decided that if any friend or family member ever buys me some business socks then it would have decidedly.... uncomfortable connotations....




If the video doesn't work try clicking here.

People that peeve me...

Spammers, hackers, virus writers, Nigerian 412 scammers - you know the people. They just make me want to use non PG-13 words to describe them.

Working in the IT industry, which I'm proud of, it bugs me that these people bring down the reputation of that which is my chosen career and interest.

They have taken that which is good and useful and progressing humanity along a bit and have used it for evil. Just for their own interests and profits. "Screw the rest, I'll do what it takes to look after number 1" (and a bucket-load of number ones they are too...)

The reputation of what they do partially rubs off onto me - I get painted with the same brush at times. Most people realise we are different but time has been spent showing me and many other geeks are not like the stereotypical geek. On TV and the movies, the only time you see a guy who knows computers they are somehow always know how to hack into some ones computer system - or they are the bad guy - or both. No ordinary computer support people/users who don't know how to hack - just know how to try to stop it.

Yeah... speaking of stopping it - a lot of my job (and at home!) is taken up with keeping up the security of our network, keeping the spam out, keeping the virus updates working. Making sure people don't do that which leaves us open for attacks. Not to mention the thousands of dollars spent for the software to do these tasks.

rant over....



EDIT: Actually for the nearly the same reasons I also get peeved at most Televangelists

Theology Sunday

Last week Bono and I addressed a problem that has been presenting itself since Jesus walked the earth. People did not believe that Jesus was who he said he was. Such as when Jesus (referring to himself) said “He who has seen Me has seen The Father”, and when He also said “Before Abraham was “I AM”.

The Father Jesus is referring to is course “Our Father in Heaven" – God. He told the people if you have seen Jesus then you have seen God. "I AM who I AM" was what the Lord God told Moses when Moses asked him for his name. Jesus is not bad at grammar when he said that “Before Abraham was I AM” the people around him knew exactly what he was referring to – He was aligning himself with the God that led the nation out of slavery in Egypt and more so He called himself the God of Abraham, so they promptly tried to stone him for blasphemy. Jesus has been saying ‘I Am God incarnate’ for 2000 years now, and people have been saying back ‘no you aren’t’ or to be more accurate ‘we don’t want you to be.’

People have been making claims on all sorts of things for a long time now. Claims that many will call ludicrous – but there are people who believe them. Most claims through are relatively harmless.... but then... Charles Manson who Bono mentioned before as a lunatic claimed that Armageddon was going to come as a Race war as the black man (sic) would do battle against white people. As such he got his followers to murder some famous people in Hollywood who he said supported the blacks. David Koresh who also claimed to be the messiah brought his followers into a violent confrontation with the FBI in Waco Texas. From these and other examples in history we see that some claims are not harmless.

Jesus made the claim “I am the Lord” and was killed for it. The final straw for the leaders of his day to want him crucified was when Jesus was asked “are you the son of God?” and Jesus replied “You are right in saying I am”. (There is that I AM thing again). This got Jesus killed and Christians for the last 2000 years have been killed for saying Jesus was telling the truth. Today we have to make the choice. Either he was telling the truth or he is a lunatic.

Unlike all of the other claims down through the ages Jesus has something major to back up his claims of divinity – proof. He did miracles great and small while alive, but the proof beyond all proof – an undeniable fact of history, Jesus died upon the cross and three days later rose from the dead – resurrected.

The Weather

Have I run out of topics so soon that I have to write about the weather?

No I still have more, and every day more stuff will come up. (Soon will have to be the Tale of the 'tashe)

But today I want to chat about the weather. You see it's been pouring down all day today and a lot of yesterday and the day before that etc. Global warming is really messing up this summer...

Anyway I've decided I like weather. I like the sunshine and heat, I like snow, hail, sleet, rain (be it light or heavy) Thunder and lightning just fascinates me. Breezes and gusts of wind are fun. There is nothing better on a cold day to settle down in front of the fire with a good book and great music playing quietly in the background. (OK maybe settling down in front of the fire with a beloved one might be better than a book...)

Every aspect of weather has something about it to be impressed and to like about it. Some bits are annoying, like wet shoes or sunburn, but shoes dry and they invented sunblock and hats.

I wonder if we apply this to people as well? If we step back from aspects of a persons makeup that annoy us, can we begin to appreciate and enjoy the other likable, fascinating or peculiar aspects of who a person is?

Why not? Until then I'm off for a walk in the rain.

To quote Fry from Futurama...

Valentine's Day's coming? Oh crap, I forgot to get a girlfriend again...

Welcome, you are, come sit down...

Hi,

I've started advertising (well letting people know which is the same thing) that I have a blog. So when you get here and read this you may ask "Huh why didn't he tell me about this before it's been going for a few days?" Well read the first post down the bottom and it will explain it all.

For those new to blogs, they post the newest at the top, thus the earliest is down the bottom.

Anyway - welcome and have a read, post a comment, I'll respond if i see it or have something to say about it or don't procrastinate to the point of embarrassment.

John Keys response to Helen Clarks opening speech.

For the first time ever I watched a speech in parliament, it was actually quite interesting and fun. Thanks to kiwiblog for pointing it out.



If the video doesn't work try clicking here.

I'll admit I'm biased in that I'm sick of Labour and Helen Clarks leadership, and want a change, I do think National is my best hope of change that is along the lines of what I want for the country (and myself and my family) but I thought it was some very good points he made.

Photography

Security at airports.

For those overseas who may not have heard about our excitement over here in New Zealand this week... we had a hi-jacking.

On a small domestic flight of 7 passengers and two pilots, a mentally unbalanced, Somalian refugee with a record of intimidation and was a worry enough for her to be brought up in Parliament at least twice, attempted to hi-jack a plane and get if flown to Cuba err... Australia. Australia being 1500 kilometers away and the small plane under good circumstances might (with a strong tail wind) just make it that far. She broke into the pilots cabin by pulling back the curtain, took out her knife and attacked. One pilot came away with knife wounds to his hands and the other to his foot. (don't ask...).

The end result is now calls are being made for increased security on those domestic flights.

On one hand we have the security of knowing the incredibly small percentage of the population who would do such a thing cannot do such a thing, on the other hand it means employing more people to search, (thus higher airfares) and longer delays as we get told off for having deodorant.

My thought for the day is, why do we just stop at increasing security on airplanes? Is it just because of the 9/11 horror. Or the gnawing dread we all have on planes that if something goes wrong there is no chance of escape?

Unbalanced people are gong to lash out where ever we are schools, movies, malls, churches, buses, taxis, the internet... at what point to do we stop reacting to the results of the disease and look more in depth and apply the resources currently used to secure things into helping the people actually not be unbalanced in the first place?

Cal me naive but why put an ambulance at the bottom of a cliff?

Nutcase on the level of Charles Manson.

Today is Sunday so it's my theological day - lets cut to the chase. I say Jesus is God.

This is not some wishy washy, I want him to be, I'd like him to be or I have faith despite the obvious. It does have an element of faith but it is something reasoned and logical. I'll go into this further on down the track but for today lets hear what Bono has to say. It is a sorta paraphase of what C.S. Lewis said in the 40's in his book Mere Christianity, and I agree with them both.

In the book Bono the guy had this to say to journalist Michka Assayas.

I'd be in big trouble if Karma was going to be finally be my judge....It doesn't excuse my mistakes, but I'm holding out for Grace. I'm holding out that Jesus took my sins onto the Cross, because I know who I am and I hope I don't have to depend on my own religiosity...

I love the idea of the Sacrificial Lamb. I love the idea that God says 'look, you cretins there are certain results to the way we are, to selfishness and there's mortality as part of your very sinful nature and let's face it, you're not living a very good life are you?' There are consequences to actions. The point of the death of Christ is that Christ took on the sins of the world, so that what we put out did not come back to us and that our sinful nature does not reap the obvious death. That's the point. It should keep us humbled. It's not our own good works that get us through the gates of heaven.

The secular response to the Christ story always goes like this: he was a great prophet, obviously a very interesting guy had a lot to say long the lines of other great prophets, be they Elijah, Muhammed, Buddha or Confucius. But actually Christ doesn't allow you to do that. He doesn't let you off that hook. Christ says: 'No, I'm not saying I' m a teacher, don't call me teacher. I'm not saying I'm a prophet. I'm saying 'I'm the Messiah. I'm saying: 'I am God incarnate' and people say 'no, no please just be a prophet. A prophet we can take. You're a bit eccentric. We've had John the Baptist eating locusts and wild honey. We can handle that. But don't mention the "M" word! Because you know we're gonna have to crucify you. And he goes: 'no, no. I know you're expecting me to come back with an army and set you free from these creeps, but actually I am the Messiah.'

At this point everyone starts staring at their shoes and says 'Oh, my God he's gonna keep saying this.' So what you're left with is: either Christ was who He said He was-the Messiah-or a complete nutcase, I mean, we're talking nutcase on the level of Charles Manson.

Bono, by the way isn't god, but he does sing very well, and I look forward to rocking the gates of heaven with him and the band and the angels when we meet in the world beyond this one.

... and so it begins.

Hmm.. how many other people have started their blogs with that title? Probably only the ones who like Babylon 5.

Anyway I've decided to start a blog, I'm not advertising it yet, so when I do and you thousands and thousands of people (Ok in reality Hi sis nice of you drop by.).. umm yeah so when you come here you will notice there are a few blog entries already in existence. I just want to get the swing of things, see how it goes before I release it to the world and get embarrassed.

So why am I blogging? I thought about this a long time. It's not narcissism, it's not a big "look at me!", it's not because I think through my words I can change the world. I think when it boils down to it, I hope it will be fun, and I think I"ll use it to get to say some things I think about but don't get a chance to say elsewhere.

I'll keep it PG-13 - after all my kids could read this - or worse the vicar. ;-) I'm not going to post about work, or people I know, as that (to me) is gossip and just makes the situation worse. Also I'd hate for them to post about me. Do unto others and all that...

I don't know how often I'll post - I am after all the king of procrastinators.

I don't know what I'll be posting about, except that it'll just be stuff I've been thinking about, or find funny. I might post on politics but I'll have to be careful. I'm not too sure but I think as a noncommercial blog I'm safe. The new Electoral Finance Act might make it illegal for me if hypothetically I said something like "Don't Vote for Labour".

On Sundays I'll probably post something theological, Jesus is the centre of my being, and while I at times forget, or try to ignore that fact, it will come out in my day to day posts in side comments or the overall attitude, Sundays though I'll just be blunt with it. Maybe post snippets of old sermons, summerise the sermon that morning (or evening), or maybe something from a book I've been reading.

I'll finish todays post with a bit from an Adrian Plass book. A very wise and funny guy who I have been fortunate enough to see "in concert" twice and have two books autographed by him. One book he signed is called "The Sacred Diary of Adrian Plass (aged 37 3/4)" he wrote "To Andrew, Laugh - stay sane!". I hope to keep with that, the darkest times of my life have been when I'd lost the humour. Anyway the name of this blog is from the opening entry of that Sacred Diary, and here it is...

Saturday, December 14th
Fell led to keep a diary. A sort of spiritual log for the benefit of others in the future. Each new divine insight and experience will shine like a beacon in the darkness!
Can't think of anything to put in today.
Still, tomorrow's Sunday. Must be something on a Sunday, surely?