Hello, Gentle Reader:
Well, my experience with Flickr was disappointing; so, I have removed all my photos from there... There was a limit (for a free account, which is about the only types of accounts that I use) of about 200 pictures...
Fortunately, Google offers a better opportunity with Picasa. So MY_PICASA_SITE now has all of the photos which I've uploaded... and each one is packaged nicely into an "album" which contains related shots...
Hobbit Party at Aku Bone Lounge
North Shore
Louise plays tour guide
Happy New Year 2007
Keawa`ula Bay
Saying Goodbye to 2006!
Makapu`u Lighthouse
Kathy's B&B
Hope you enjoy... In addition to superior limits (Measured in Megabytes instead of quantity of pictures), I found Google's service top-notch.
<INSERT NO-SMOKING SIGN HERE>
And, on the smoking front, I calculated that as of today, February 22, had I continued my horrible, ill-health-oriented habit of smoking a pack a day, then i would have consumbed 20*(31+22) = 20*(53) = 1060 cigarettes by now. But (and I admit that I have cheated in the past 53 days) I have smoked only 2 packs (2*20) or 40 cigarettes! <g>
I feel sooooo... happy to have made this grand step... it's been easier than ever before... but not as easy as I wish it were... I am definitely looking forward to the day that I can say (as any other ex-addict may) that I'm an ex-smoker...
Until that time, I suppose I will simply state what I am in practicality: a recovering nicotine addict (or a recovering smoker). Hmmm... It actually doesn't have a bad ring to it...
May your lives be filled with peace, happiness, and prosperity!
Chris
Friday, February 23, 2007
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Homelessness vs. Familylessness
Recently, I have been thinking about the similarities and differences between myself and certain friends and family members. It's something that I sometimes do to try to convince myself that I'm not mentally-handicapped. <g>
After some time thinking about the similarities and differences, I began developing new notions about them. In doing so, I found myself categorizing various relationships that we (respectively) have in our lives: parental, sibling, friendship, spousal, offspring, acquaintance, professional, etc.
I realized, when identifying the different categories, that most of us have "same-sex" relationships! For example, my relationship with my brother was a same-sex relationship. That between Father and myself is a same-sex one. My sisters have a same-sex relationship with each other; and each of them had a same-sex relationship with Mother.
Well, it would seem that each of us is blessed with a same-sex relationship. And when I realized this, I realized what a farce it is to identify gays and lesbians as people in a "same-sex relationship."
Without debating the source of homosexuality (i.e., whether it is biological or social in origin), I believe that, based on my own experiences and first-hand observations, it is not a chosen trait, but one that is innate. I have often told friends and family that, had I been given the choice, I would have chosen the path of least resistance; I would have chosen the path that did not make me an enemy of certain religious groups, that did not make me the target of redneck humor like Larry the Cable Creep, and that did not make me an outcast of my own family for the major part of my life.
Anyone would acknowledge what a travesty of social justice it is for a person to grow up homeless. But how many of us consider the fate of one, like myself, who is forced to live "family-less?"
Now there's a new concept: familyless. More subtle than homelessness, familyless-ness is when a person lives without the full support of a traditional family. I thought that (between the ages of 24 - 34) I had chosen to live familylessly. Indeed, I did chose to live in a geographically distinct area from every member of my traditional family.
As I grew -- familylessly -- I discovered how independent I could be. I discovered how much I could support my self. I discovered how much I could help others besides myself... I discovered that I did belong... not to a traditional family, perhaps... but to this time... to this space... to this dimension.
I realized that my choice had not been initiated by any single yearning deep within myself. Rather, it had been a response to a traumatic event within my family. It had not been an initial action -- but a re-action. That was the moment when I realized that I was not homeless... but familyless.
In my case familylessness had resulted from my flawed "coming out" to my family. I had come out to my family; but, being petrified, I had not done it successfully. One day I shall share my "coming out" story here at High Techno-Anxiety.
After some time thinking about the similarities and differences, I began developing new notions about them. In doing so, I found myself categorizing various relationships that we (respectively) have in our lives: parental, sibling, friendship, spousal, offspring, acquaintance, professional, etc.
I realized, when identifying the different categories, that most of us have "same-sex" relationships! For example, my relationship with my brother was a same-sex relationship. That between Father and myself is a same-sex one. My sisters have a same-sex relationship with each other; and each of them had a same-sex relationship with Mother.
Well, it would seem that each of us is blessed with a same-sex relationship. And when I realized this, I realized what a farce it is to identify gays and lesbians as people in a "same-sex relationship."
Without debating the source of homosexuality (i.e., whether it is biological or social in origin), I believe that, based on my own experiences and first-hand observations, it is not a chosen trait, but one that is innate. I have often told friends and family that, had I been given the choice, I would have chosen the path of least resistance; I would have chosen the path that did not make me an enemy of certain religious groups, that did not make me the target of redneck humor like Larry the Cable Creep, and that did not make me an outcast of my own family for the major part of my life.
Anyone would acknowledge what a travesty of social justice it is for a person to grow up homeless. But how many of us consider the fate of one, like myself, who is forced to live "family-less?"
Now there's a new concept: familyless. More subtle than homelessness, familyless-ness is when a person lives without the full support of a traditional family. I thought that (between the ages of 24 - 34) I had chosen to live familylessly. Indeed, I did chose to live in a geographically distinct area from every member of my traditional family.
As I grew -- familylessly -- I discovered how independent I could be. I discovered how much I could support my self. I discovered how much I could help others besides myself... I discovered that I did belong... not to a traditional family, perhaps... but to this time... to this space... to this dimension.
I realized that my choice had not been initiated by any single yearning deep within myself. Rather, it had been a response to a traumatic event within my family. It had not been an initial action -- but a re-action. That was the moment when I realized that I was not homeless... but familyless.
In my case familylessness had resulted from my flawed "coming out" to my family. I had come out to my family; but, being petrified, I had not done it successfully. One day I shall share my "coming out" story here at High Techno-Anxiety.
Thursday, February 01, 2007
American Royalty and The Religious Rights
Recently a term came to mind when I was reading an article: American Royalty.
When reading that article, two Senators (Ted Stevens, Dan Akaka) -- one Republican, one Democrat -- were highlighted. Sen. Stevens has held office since he was appointed in 1968! And, while Sen. Akaka is only currently serving his 4th term (he was appointed in 1990), his colleague from Hawaii, Sen. Inouye has been elected to the U.S. Senate continuously since 1962!
A single term for a senator is 6 years. So, when we note that Sen. Akaka is only a 4-th term senator, we're effectively talking about 24 years! I remembered (from my study of U.S. history) how the nation's founders had been explicit in forming, in their own words, "a more perfect union." They had been precise in stating their opposition to "oligarchy, ..., monarchy." Thomas Paine (Common Sense) had discussed the Republican form of government.
In those formative years of the Republic (which would come to be called The United States of America) certain points of view were expressed in debate which preceded the adoption of the U.S. Constitution1. These points of view specifically emphasized opposition to titles of nobility, which was consistent with the contemporary French notions against monarchy.
But when we view official statistics (U.S. Senate), the phrase "American Royalty" is the only phrase that fits2. Currently, there are 4 Senators who could be considered "American Royalty."
Robert C. Byrd
Edward M. Kennedy
Daniel K. Inouye
Theodore F. Stevens
On the other hand, if we use Congress' own definition of term limits as it created for the Presidency (2 terms), we must add these Senators to the list:
Daniel K. Akaka
Max Baucus
Robert Bennett
Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
Jeff Bingaman
Christopher S. Bond
Barbara Boxer
Sam Brownback
Thad Cochran
Kent Conrad
Larry E. Craig
Christopher J. Dodd
Pete V. Domenici
Byron L. Dorgan
Russ Feingold
Dianne Feinstein
Charles E. Grassley
Judd Gregg
Tom Harkin
Orrin G. Hatch
Kay Bailey Hutchison
James M. Inhofe
John F. Kerry
Herbert H. Kohl
Jon L. Kyl
Frank R. Lautenberg
Patrick J. Leahy
Carl Levin
Joseph I. Lieberman
Trent Lott
Richard G. Lugar
John McCain
Mitch McConnell
Barbara A. Mikulski
Patty Murray
Harry Reid
John D. Rockefeller IV
Richard C. Shelby
Olympia J. Snowe
Arlen Specter
Craig Thomas
John W. Warner
Ron Wyden
This means that about 50% of the Senate is an American Royal. American voters across the nation have instituted term limits for their state legislators, governors, mayors, and other public offices. Why is it, then, that we do not have term limits on the U.S. Congress?
As a nation, we missed our best chance when we ratified the 22nd Amendment (proposed March 21, 1947; ratified May 4, 1951). That was the amendment which restricted the Presidency to 2 terms. Because it would require a constitutional amendment, this will be very difficult to do. Consider that, since 1985, every Congress has introduced legislation to repeal the 22nd Amendment... :(
Ok... no discussion of politics would be complete without some word about religion, right? Ok. I'll not say anything about religion in this entry... but religious leaders -- particularly American religious leaders, who appear to be more leaders in politics than leaders of religious insight -- are highlighted in this YouTube entry. I found it very entertaining... don't give it much thought though... because the underlying reality is pitiful.
1in 1789, some 13 years after the Declaration of Independence was adopted
2Since congressional representatives have short, 2-year terms, it is not as likely for an individual to hold a seat for more than a decade in that branch of the legislature.
When reading that article, two Senators (Ted Stevens, Dan Akaka) -- one Republican, one Democrat -- were highlighted. Sen. Stevens has held office since he was appointed in 1968! And, while Sen. Akaka is only currently serving his 4th term (he was appointed in 1990), his colleague from Hawaii, Sen. Inouye has been elected to the U.S. Senate continuously since 1962!
A single term for a senator is 6 years. So, when we note that Sen. Akaka is only a 4-th term senator, we're effectively talking about 24 years! I remembered (from my study of U.S. history) how the nation's founders had been explicit in forming, in their own words, "a more perfect union." They had been precise in stating their opposition to "oligarchy, ..., monarchy." Thomas Paine (Common Sense) had discussed the Republican form of government.
In those formative years of the Republic (which would come to be called The United States of America) certain points of view were expressed in debate which preceded the adoption of the U.S. Constitution1. These points of view specifically emphasized opposition to titles of nobility, which was consistent with the contemporary French notions against monarchy.
But when we view official statistics (U.S. Senate), the phrase "American Royalty" is the only phrase that fits2. Currently, there are 4 Senators who could be considered "American Royalty."
Robert C. Byrd
Edward M. Kennedy
Daniel K. Inouye
Theodore F. Stevens
On the other hand, if we use Congress' own definition of term limits as it created for the Presidency (2 terms), we must add these Senators to the list:
Daniel K. Akaka
Max Baucus
Robert Bennett
Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
Jeff Bingaman
Christopher S. Bond
Barbara Boxer
Sam Brownback
Thad Cochran
Kent Conrad
Larry E. Craig
Christopher J. Dodd
Pete V. Domenici
Byron L. Dorgan
Russ Feingold
Dianne Feinstein
Charles E. Grassley
Judd Gregg
Tom Harkin
Orrin G. Hatch
Kay Bailey Hutchison
James M. Inhofe
John F. Kerry
Herbert H. Kohl
Jon L. Kyl
Frank R. Lautenberg
Patrick J. Leahy
Carl Levin
Joseph I. Lieberman
Trent Lott
Richard G. Lugar
John McCain
Mitch McConnell
Barbara A. Mikulski
Patty Murray
Harry Reid
John D. Rockefeller IV
Richard C. Shelby
Olympia J. Snowe
Arlen Specter
Craig Thomas
John W. Warner
Ron Wyden
This means that about 50% of the Senate is an American Royal. American voters across the nation have instituted term limits for their state legislators, governors, mayors, and other public offices. Why is it, then, that we do not have term limits on the U.S. Congress?
As a nation, we missed our best chance when we ratified the 22nd Amendment (proposed March 21, 1947; ratified May 4, 1951). That was the amendment which restricted the Presidency to 2 terms. Because it would require a constitutional amendment, this will be very difficult to do. Consider that, since 1985, every Congress has introduced legislation to repeal the 22nd Amendment... :(
Ok... no discussion of politics would be complete without some word about religion, right?
1in 1789, some 13 years after the Declaration of Independence was adopted
2Since congressional representatives have short, 2-year terms, it is not as likely for an individual to hold a seat for more than a decade in that branch of the legislature.
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