My Studios

Mmmm.. muffins.

I also believe that people can be fundamentally good, but not those that stoop so low to commit such horrible acts. Quite frankly I don't give a shit what happened in their past, I don't care how hard it was for them. that should make them all the more likely to never make someone else go through it. I know you have said your peace, and now I have said mine and we can close it. There is no excuse. None. I told her to go to the police and she refused because she couldn't go through the whole process. I pleaded with her time and time again and she couldn't do it. I'm sorry about your past mooreland, but I just can't get behind their thoughts. I just never will be able too.

P.S. That Muffin Joke was hilarious.

I'm just glad you are reasonable about what I said.

If she can't go to the police about it, she should at least, if she knows the guy and after some time has past, confront the guy about it. It will help her move past it and get some closure on the tragedy. You should suggest that to her.

Well, anyways, let's drop it. That is the end of it.

Ummm, another joke. Uhhhh........oh, I remember a good one...it's kinda long, but really funny:

Three guys all die and go up to heaven at the same time. They walk up to the pearly gates, and Saint Peter is waiting for them. Peter say, "Guys, you are all gonna get in, but heaven is a very big place, and you all are going to need a car. I am the one who distributes the cars, but there is a certain criteria to what car you get."

Peter turns to the first guy and asks him, "How many times did you cheat on your wife?" The guy answers, "Well, I actually cheated on her once." Peter responds, "Okay, I am gonna give you a...2005 Honda Accord." The guy says "Okay," takes the keys and drives off.

Peter turns to the second guy and asks him, "How many times did you cheat on your wife?" The guy answers, "Ummm, to be honest, I actually cheated on my wife around 30 times." Peter responds, "Ouch, uh, okay, I'm gonna give you a...1981 Ford Pinto." The second guy says "Aw man, oh well," reluctantly takes the keys and drives off.

Peter turns to the third guy and asks him, "How many times did you cheat on your wife?" The guy answers, "Me and my wife had 40 years of a wonderful marriage filled with love and happiness, and not once did I ever cheat on her." Peter responds, "Wow, good for you. I am gonna give you a...2025 BMW." The thirsd guy says estatically "Wow, great!" takes the keys and drives off.

Well, the first and the second guy are driving around heaven when they see the third guy up ahead, sitting next to his car and crying. They pull up to him and say, "Hey man, you got such a sweet car, why are you crying?" The third guy says, "I just saw my wife up here." The first and the second guy respond, "Well, even though she died, now you can be together again."
And the third guy replies, "It's not that. You see, she was riding around on a skateboard!"

Kudos for your post Mooreland. It is good to know that there are others out there with a similar view to myself. There have been so many times I have been the only person with that sort of viewpoint in a discussion/debate (usually stemming from the capital punishment issue). It is not a popular stand to take, and it took a lot of time and effort (and deep thinking and looking within yourself) to get there.

I love the parent-hypocrite comment (I am not very computer savvy and don't know how to use the 'quotes' box. My apologies). I didn't know I was a hypocrite until I became a parent. Example - Females can wear whatever they like, BUT there is NO WAY my daughter is leaving this house wearing THAT.

Anyway, back to the topic. If anyone cares what I think: although I find rape scenes difficult to watch and are emotionally affected by most of them, I can watch them. Medical surgeries and such are the only thing that I actually close my eyes for ('tell me when it is over'). What I find strange about this is that I have no problems looking at and showing people my own bloody injuries, but I cannot look at others. The worst thing I have ever seen is my son's forehead cut through to the bone with blood on it. To prove the point, I just had to stop typing for 5 minutes to put a bandage on his foot, he just stepped on something and it was bleeding. I now actually feel physically nauseaus. What weird timing!

Some responses / comments...

...[C]hild violence makes me upset. Whether its kid on kid, or an adult abusing one, its disturbing.

Agreed, lilly.

becs:

...[S]omeone was feeling even more like a smart aleck than usual last night...

...Yeah, well... yeah. [Grin]

Regarding Lord of the Flies... I agree, it is a deeply affecting film... however, again...the movie just doesn't kick off that instinctual response, at parts it makes me disgusted, outraged, sick even, but not in the same way as the scenes I mentioned before.

I understand. I believe very strongly that humans are intended to be good stewards of the planet, fauna included. The modern world is exceedingly disadvantageous to animals as far as their interactions with humans are concerned... Your protective instinct is to be commended. And I do.

Lovely:

Scenes of a pedophilic nature.

Dude. That shit just pisses me all off.

Six:

...[R]ape is an assault that lasts, mostly for someone's life... [It's] a heinous perversion of something that most of us consider to be good, natural, and even beautiful.

Extremely well said, brother. I could not possibly agree more.

...[T]he rape episode in The Sopranos...

[Shudder] And that episode where Ralph Cifaretto beats his (pregnant) stripper girlfriend, Tracee, to death...

...and Touch of Evil...

Hands-down, the greatest B-movie of all time. But I get what you're saying.

I also picked rape... Anyone that would ever do that no longer has the right to keep their dick. Fuck cruel and unusual punishment laws, if you are convicted of rape, they cut it off. You lose your priveledge.

Dude, geez, I hear ya. I may lose a lot of respect from you fine folks here -- I rather suspect attitudes about crime and punishment tend to lean toward the liberal 'round these parts, though I could be wrong -- but I'm going to lay it all out, now: I don't much believe in "rehabilitation," not for habitual offenders, and particularly not for those who are well into their adulthood. And there are certain, shall we say, forbidden "fruits" -- I wish I could think of a better way to put that, I realy do -- that, once sampled, I believe change a person in ways that cannot be unchanged. They very simply corrupt the soul: Murder, rape, child molestation... And while I ceratinly support prison ministries and outreach programs, particularly to the misguided and underattended youth for whom there might yet be the hope of changing direction, I don't believe that rehabilitation ought to be a primary goal of our legal and penal system. Protection, prevention, and punishment. That's all. Men can be saved. Devils cannot.

But, then, I live in Texas. (However, I no longer support the death penalty. Neither am I in favor of federally mandated minimum sentences, "three strikes" provisions or most "zero tolerance" protocols, which generally do more harm than good, I find. I may be a redneck, but I are a enlightened redneck, y'all. [Grin]N)

I've had a very good friend of mine call me up at 5 in the morning crying because it happened to her. And its not something thats easy to help. The stigma is unbearable. Its just the purest form of human evil. I feel this way about any guy that would hit a woman also, especially his gf/wife, its just so wrong. That's when I would bring in the justifiable homicide card, and beat the shit out of them.

One of these days, we should really, really sit down and talk, geez, over coffee or carrot juice or water or something. (I do believe I'm done with drinking, after last weekend.)

What I'm trying to say here is, you're a little rowdy at times, but you're all right in my book, geez, old bean. (Though no one should misinterpret what I'm saying as encouraging you, or anyone else, going out there and beating someone bloody, or worse. Vigilantism, however well-intentioned, ultimately backfires and causes far more problems than it remedies... a lesson I've learned, myself. Hard.)

mooreland:

...[E]ven worse was hearing people like Fred Phelps say he was going to protest their funerals. What a sad human being.

[Sigh] I've had some contact with this damaged, deranged, demented dirtbag, as well as his twisted, inbred family, and all I can say is that there is no single more disturbed, malignant human being on this planet than the so-called pastor of Topeka's Westboro Baptist Church. As you all know, I'm a veteran, and let's just say I haven't taken too kindly to his clan's despicable tactics. I really am very surprised that this preening, perverse pissant hasn't been dispatched from this planet yet.

The dude is obviously just way overcompensating for the fact that he is a closeted gay; how else can you explain the fact that his entire life revoles around anti-homosexuality.

I don't know about that, but like so many, many people, he's taken fragments from some parts of the Bible, bastardized others, and invented still more out of whole cloth, all to justify and excuse his own irrational hatreds and despicable worldview. So much evil has been done "in the name of God," it's no wonder Christians have such a bad name in certain quarters (though they are far from the only offenders on that score)...

...I had a friend who was suppose to be in one of the rooms where the shooting occured. He didn't go because he had a hangover from the night before. It is kind of freaky andironic that there was an instance where alcohal saved his life.

[Laughing] Reminds me of a plot point from Thank You for Smoking... I'm glad your friend was saved from that horror, mooreland. Please give him my best.

Nico... You were a bit more snarky than usual last night.

Deal with it.

I am going to put this on here and I know I am going to get hate posts.

??? WTF? Man, I don't know about you people. This is one of the most accomodating online communities I've ever seen. I bet Websites for Benedictine Monks feature more flame wars. "Hate posts." The usual idiots aside, I think you've got an extremely low opinion of your fellow Moguls, mooreland. We can, and usually do, disagree without being particularly disagreeable. Of course, that's just my perspective... Could be I have a thicker skin than some folks 'round here.

I just want you to know that I am not going to respond to the negative posts I am about to recieve...

Fair enough. Log in, post, log out, ignore. Lather, rinse, repeat.

...I am putting this up here with an attempt for compassion where most people think there shouldn't be.

I hope I speak for everyone here when I say, that "compassion" -- misdirected though it may be in some people's eyes -- isn't particularly deserving of "hate posts."

...[R]emember to step out of your own shoes. Often when a child is molested when he is young, there is a much higher chance that he might molest a child or rape someone when he is an adult. Someone who lives in a home where his father beats his mother has a good probablity of thinking that is okay and beat his own wife when he gets married. I am not condoning rape, molestation, or domestic violence. God no. It is a terrible thing. But just remember that the perpetrator of these crimes probably grew up in a violent household or was molested him/herself when they were a child. I just want you to maybe consider that when you talk about pulling out the "justifiable homicide card".

It's certainly a fair point. I don't want anyone going all Judge Dredd on random miscreants, either, just to let you know. But I do understand the instinct, the righteous -- and, yes, I believe hatred of evil IS righteous -- rage, the desire for vengeance. It's a fairly basic human emotion, right or wrong (and, may I say, it's fairly often wrong).

Your compassion is admirable, and of course violence begets violence, blood begets blood. I wouldn't try to change your mind for the world, it's rational people like you who stand against the mob and refuse to allow pure, bloody-minded revenge to be a substitute for what passes for justice in this inconsistent, screwed-up world. However -- and here's the only place where you and I might find ourselves in disagreement, I suspect -- I believe that every adult, no matter the terrible circumstances of their lives, no matter the vagaries of their childhoods -- has the ability to choose who they are. I'm not saying it's easy. I'm not saying that all traumas can be overcome. What I'm saying -- briefly, for once -- is that influences can be surmounted, trends can be reversed, even genetics can be transcended... with dedication, discipline, and help. Lots of help. I believe that people fundamentally comprehend the difference between right and wrong, and that the world and, especially, modern society are full of people who will help us make excuses for why we choose the "wrong." Some of 'em are pretty damned good ones, no doubt about it, but I don't believe for a second that my life is the unavoidable sum total of an environment I can't affect, influences I can't control, genes I didn't order and thoughts I can't master. I'm not a cog, a pawn or Forrest Gump; I don't merely blow this way and that on a wind beyond my comprehension. I'm not a seed, dependent on the actions of birds and the prevailing breeze to guide me to wherever I end up going. I'm a man, and although I may not be the master of my destiny, exactly, neither am I its victim.

And the same goes for everybody else.

I am terribly sorry what happened to your friend and I hope the person who did that to her gets punished for it. But try to remeber your own statement...

...I am not letting myself believe that human beings are fundamentaly evil.

These people have probably had terrible things happen in their lives. Again no excuse, and there should be justice for the victim. I firmly believe there should be a just punishment... And even though what they did is inexcusable and there should be punishment, people should, and I know it is really hard, try to have a tiny bit of empathy, for the entire sad situation. Don't forgive them, just have some empathy for where they come from. They should get just punishment, but if you know what has happened to them, you may reconsider vigilante murder. It took me a long time to get this empathy, so I know that it is hard [to] attain. The main thing that we humans need to do is stop the cycle of violence and abuse. Make sure that kid who witnesses it growing up gets help and learns what a healthy relationship is.

Those are fine words, mooreland, and fundamentally I agree with them. My only quibble is with the concept of "justice," or of "just punishment." As a Christian -- sorry to keep beating that particular drum, but it does inform a substantial portion of my worldview -- I believe that earthly justice, dependent as it is on flawed and fickle mortals, is unattainable, and I look to Judgement for my "just punishment," along with everyone else's. Which is why, at the age of 34, I decided I could no longer support the death penalty... Capital punishment tends to only be applicable in multiple-murder cases, but no matter how "just" our intentions, the fact of the matter is, we can only cook, poison or shoot the sorry son of a bitch once. A man kills a mother and her two children. What possible "justice" can there be for that crime? A man can only give his life, and some people, sad to say, don't value theirs overly much. Say we do catch Osama bin Laden, and prevent his security detail from taking him out, and keep him alive long enough to stand trial and go through the process. What then? So we put him to sleep, like a beloved pet. How can that even begin to compare to the thousands of lives he destroyed? The torment of people who flung themselves off a building a quarter-mile up to avoid the pain of burning to death; the terrible choice some passengers made to make their inevitable deaths stand for something other than mass murder; the awful, irreducible pain of children who lost both parents in one unforgettable day? bin Laden will likely approach his death with serenity, believing he has dozens of virgins waiting for him just the other side of this existence. How will a few moments of vague discomfort atone for the sacrifice of hundreds of New York City firefighters, for the fear we all feel now, for the lingering ailments of thousands of rescue workers who labored at Ground Zero for months among the rubble, their nostrils filled with the stench of burned offices and their friends and neighbors?

...Sorry. It's personal for me, guys.

Anyway. You keep on being compassionate, keep being empathetic, mooreland, and God bless you, whatever your religious beliefs, if any. A book I value very, very much says, in part: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God." Amen.

Wow, that was really hard to write.

I hear ya. This is wiping me out, frankly.

If you are offended by this, I am truly sorry...

Not to be even more judgmental and obnoxious than usual, but anyone who would be offended by your words just now is just a total friggin' moron.

I believe human beings are essentially good, and if we can look at everyone and anyone with perspective, we can become more enlightened and understanding race.

You have much in common with Gandhi.

Okay, let the hate posts come.

What hate posts?

I have considered deleting this post so many times as I write it... But I feel I need to put this down. But I just hear this "cut their balls off" quite a bunch and I think that people need to step back and think about the situation and what they are saying.

Well, I for one am glad you stuck with it, mooreland. However, just to let you know: I don't have much of a problem with chemical castration for repeat sexual offenders. I can have empathy for a rabid dog, too, but I'll still put him down if I have to. (Sorry, becs... bad example, perhaps.)

I am finished on this topic. I am not going to defend my point any more...

You shouldn't have to, though I really wonder who you think is going to "attack" you. You've said it all, and most eloquently.

If this is wildly unappropriate, I am truly, truly sorry. I just needed to put it down.

It's not. You don't need to be. And, good for you. I think you needed to say it, too.

...[It] is pretty obvious that I wrote this from personal expirience. And yes, I did. So hopefully, with that knowledge, you all can see that I am coming from a place where I should think the most violent thoughts towards the people who do these disgusting acts. And so maybe the fact that I don't might make you all consider looking at it from a different angle. If you don't, that is fine too. I just really needed to write this.

I'll say it again, if you don't mind: God bless you and keep you mooreland, may He comfort you and protect you always. I am so very, very sorry.

There's a lot more I want to respond to here, guys, but I'm going to let this settle a bit. I don't want to diminish mooreland's incredibly courageous actions by just plowing ahead with my own selfish, self-important pratings and ramblings. Tonight, I remain awed by mooreland's brave disclosures, by his strength and his wisdom.

Nicodemus.

One of these days, we should really, really sit down and talk, geez, over coffee or carrot juice or water or something. (I do believe I'm done with drinking, after last weekend.)

Nico, I would be honored. If you are ever back in the New Haven area well let me know, I do go to school here. It would be a pleasure, I'm serious. You've already had a great impact on my life. I'd love to drink (insert beverage here) with you. You know how to contact me.

Wow, I was really nervous when I wrote that because, well, it is a very polarizing topic and I figured that I had a stance on it that was way from the norm of most people, and that since this topic brings out strong emotions, I might get some serious backlash. I'm not sure what I expected, but backlash is not what occured. You all were very respectful and understaning on a very sensitive issue, and thank you all for that. Much appreciated. [tips his hat]

Man Nico. You and your chupacabra.

Anyways. Animal violence. I can't believe I didn't think of this. another thing that also bugs me. Only the movie parts don't overly bug it's more of the animal torture that actually happens in real life.

Now scenes like in Untraceable are hard to watch. Especially being a proud cat owner.
And before I forget Nico. The child chest burst in AVP:R was indeed way way to much and definately hard to stomach.

Anyways. Things that annoy me.

Animals getting hit by cars. I don't like it when animals die for our luxury. Don't get me wrong. I don't plan on not driving anymore. It just upsets me knowing that thousands of animals die everyday for a pointless cause.
I hate Peta. Retards. I in no way think animals should be put before people. I believe in the survival of the fittest ritual to the fullest extent. We are the fittest(on land). Therefore, We of course are going to be the dominant race who needs to feed on several smaller species.(Animals).
If we weren't supposed to eat animals then god would have made every animal a vegitarian. Try to walk up to a frickin Lion covered in blood and do a demonstration. I frickin dare you retards.
Now what Micheal vick did is frickin hardcore and way way stupid. Dog fighting is another thing that makes me annoyed with people. Things of this nature are pointless and just plain disgusting. And if I didn't have the life I had now I would personally take it upon myself to Boondock style this frickin country and cleanse it of it's sins. So in this fashion I fully believe than animals derserve their lives over some select people. Mainly terrorists. People of this nature.

Okay, picking back up where I left off...

mooreland, again...

...[T]hat is probably one of the most intense things I have every written. Sorry to toss my troubles onto you nice people. I am being such a debbie downer.

[Siiiiigh...] [Deep breath, cupping hands on either side of piehole] STOP APOLOGIZING!!! Okay, I'm done.

becs:

Mmmm.. muffins.

Mmmmm... Muffin tops. [SMACK!!!]

geez:

I told her to go to the police and she refused because she couldn't go through the whole process.

[Sigh] Not to open all this up again, but, man, that kind of story (all together, now) really, really, pisses me off. Rape / sexual assualt screws everything up, in terms of our judicial system I mean (and no pun intended, sorry). Usually the "process," if you can call it that, inflicts incredible pain and anguish upon the victim, but then you have something like the Duke lacrosse team case that swings the needle of abuse all the way over to the other side. It corrupts everything and can inflict suffering on just about everybody. Except the bastard(s) who's responsible, of course... he just gets to cause still more damage.

If she can't go to the police about it, she should at least, if she knows the guy and after some time has past, confront the guy about it. It will help her move past it and get some closure on the tragedy. You should suggest that to her.

Ummmm... What passes for "common sense" doesn't really apply in this sort of situation. And "confrontations" like you're describing can be flat-out deadly.

I'm going to trust geez to know his friend best. I'm always open to providing advice, and usually I don't require folks to actually solicit it for me to do so. [Grin] But on this point I'm staying silent. There's just too much at stake, and I really DON'T know everything, all (forced) appearances very much to the contrary.

leestu:

...[L]ove the parent-hypocrite comment... "I didn't know I was a hypocrite until I became a parent."

It's funny 'cause it's true.

If anyone cares what I think...

Why wouldn't we? (Isn't that the POINT of a public poll?)

...I have no problems looking at and showing people my own bloody injuries, but I cannot look at others.

Word. I can take pretty much anything, I've found -- well, I was fairly freaked out by that retina surgery I had, but if it doesn't involve the eyes, I'm fine -- but seeing my daughter in pain, as she was last fall, was pretty friggin' unbearable.

I now actually feel physically nauseaus. What weird timing!

I have that effect on people. (Particularly women.) [Grin]

One of these days, we should really, really sit down and talk, geez, over coffee or carrot juice or water or something. (I do believe I'm done with drinking, after last weekend.)

Nico, I would be honored. If you are ever back in the New Haven area well let me know, I do go to school here. It would be a pleasure, I'm serious. You've already had a great impact on my life. I'd love to drink (insert beverage here) with you.

Great, we'll share some prune juice (separate straws, please). [Grin]

What a... sorry, can't think of a better word, and I HATE using an online thesaurus... lovely sentiment, geez, you honor me. (I now call to order this session of the Fantaversian Mutual Appreciation Society...) Um, I'm tentatively planning a family vacation up your way in a few years, but it's going to be quite a journey, so we can't do it right away. Right now I'm thinking we'll fly in to D.C., spend a couple days in the Capitol, then head on up I-95 to Philadelphia, take a moment to appreciate the City of Brotherly Love, then continue to New York City. From there, we'll head on up to my old stomping grounds in Litchfield County, then down to Mystic / New London / Niantic, then over to Boston. On the way back I'd like to swing through western Massachusetts, hopefully take in the Big E in Agawam (looking to do this in late September / October, btw), then hit Gettysburg before returning to the Swamp on the Potomac. Will you still be in southern New England in, say, 2011? [Grin]

On the other claw, if you're ever in D/FW... Or, Hell, anywhere in Texas...

cRAzY:

Man Nico. You and your chupacabra.

Hey, it's not just MY chupacabra...

...He also goes by "Chupie," btw.

And before I forget Nico. The child chest burst in AVP:R was indeed way way to much and definately hard to stomach.

Heh... "hard to stomach"... [snort] Oh. Sorry.

I believe in the survival of the fittest ritual to the fullest extent. We are the fittest(on land).

Not to endorse PETA in any fashion, but let's put you, buck-naked, in a cage with, oh, a cougar, also buck-naked, and see how you feel then. [Wink]

Now what [Michael Vick] did is frickin hardcore and way way stupid. Dog fighting is another thing that makes me annoyed with people.

When I was stationed in Cuba, some guys used to stage cockfights (which were still legal in Louisiana until, well, this year I believe) at, I believe, the Rifle Company Windward barracks... Fuckers.

Things of this nature are pointless and just plain disgusting. And if I didn't have the life I had now I would personally take it upon myself to Boondock style this frickin country and cleanse it of it's sins.

ROTFL! Tell it, Huey! Yeah! I'm gonna cap ALL you bitches! God, I love that show.

So in this fashion I fully believe than animals derserve their lives over some select people. Mainly terrorists. People of this nature.

Like I said about Barbaro... Inclined to agree.

I also consider animal cruelty a "gateway drug" of sorts... Kids who torture cats, whip dogs, etc., have a real capacity to "graduate" to other, human-oriented atrocities... And that's really all I want to say about that, 'cause I friggin' HATE people who abuse animals, and I'm beginning to get pissed off just thinking about this.

I remain, as always...

Nico.

Nicodemus wrote:

[Deep breath, cupping hands on either side of piehole] STOP APOLOGIZING!!! Okay, I'm done.

I would say "I'm sorry" for apologizing so much, but I'm to afraid that Irony will take a physical form, frown at me and beat me to death, so I won't.

leetsu wrote:

Medical surgeries and such are the only thing that I actually close my eyes for ('tell me when it is over').

I hear you on that. When I used to watch ER (back when it was good), I used to have to look away a lot during that show. I remember one time some dude had to much air pressure behind one of his eyes, so the eye popped up a bit so he went crazy bug eyed like a frog. That seriously wigged me out. And then one that was almost too much for me was in Black Hawk Down when one of the soldiers has to shove his hand up his buddy's leg to grab the artery that shot back up his leg. I saw that when it was first in theaters with my parents, and I almost walked out of the theater. I didn't though, and it was a pretty good film. That scene really does get me, though.

On the way back I'd like to swing through western Massachusetts, hopefully take in the Big E in Agawam (looking to do this in late September / October, btw), then hit Gettysburg before returning to the Swamp on the Potomac. Will you still be in southern New England in, say, 2011? [Grin]

Well Nico, I should be. I am actually from Chicopee, Mass. and if you know where Agawam is, then you probably know where Chicopee is too (the Big E is actually in West Springfield and I go every year, I wouldn't miss it for the world, Six Flags is in Agawam, should stop there too). Who knows where I will be, preferably somewhere I can get a job. I don't really want to leave the area, I do like New England, and moving anywhere outside of driving distance to Fenway Park is really not very high up on my to do list. And about being in Texas, I was actually down there last January, sorry we missed each other by a year. If my dreams come true, in 2011 I'll be living in Boston and they will be paying me to watch Red Sox games and write about them. Can't blame a guy for dreaming the dream.

mooreland:

I would say "I'm sorry" for apologizing so much, but I'm to afraid that Irony will take a physical form, frown at me and beat me to death, so I won't.

[Chuckle] Nice.

When I used to watch ER (back when it was good)...

You mean, before they killed off Mark Greene and started using helicopters to resolve nagging plot and character issues?

...Black Hawk Down...

I own the film, and I saw it in theatres, but I doubt I'll ever watch it again. Too hard. What a friggin' waste.

Well Nico, I should be.

Cool, geez. It's a date. [Grin]

I am actually from Chicopee, Mass. and if you know where Agawam is, then you probably know where Chicopee is too (the Big E is actually in West Springfield and I go every year, I wouldn't miss it for the world...

Hell, yes, I know where Chicopee is. I went camping and fishing as a kid at Cooley Brook Reservoir... And, went to the "E" every fall. It's important that I take my kid there, while she's still a kid... So many places I wanted to take her to, that were important to me when I was young, are gone now, or will be soon: the Twin Towers, the Catskill Game Farm, most of historic Niantic, Yankee Stadium. Time stands still for no man. At least Lake Compounce is still there...

I don't really want to leave the area, I do like New England, and moving anywhere outside of driving distance to Fenway Park is really not very high up on my to do list.

My dad played minor league ball for the Sox, after winning the Connecticut state high school championship under Hall of Fame coach Leo Pinsky in '57. Later, his best friend (my "uncle"), Dicky McAuliffe, played fourteen seasons for the Tigers (including 1968, their championship season) before getting traded to the BoSox. Told y'all... I'm a passport-carrying citizen of Red Sox Nation. We don't have the Vatican, the Sistine Chapel or Westminster Abbey... we have Fenway.

If my dreams come true, in 2011 I'll be living in Boston and they will be paying me to watch Red Sox games and write about them.

May all your dreams come true.

Can't blame a guy for dreaming the dream.

Never do. (Unless it was MY dream...)

I remain, as always...

Nico.

Wow, I missed this entire post until today and I am way behind. I am worn out from reading it.

My vote would go to child violence of the listed topics or animal violence (I agree with Becs in that most animals are much more sympathetic than humans in my book) but nothing really bothers me from watching it. Like A_Roode I was one of those teenagers who watched every gory movie I could find. I have seen an embalming performed and I majored in Forensics in college to be a Criminalist (Crime scene specifically way way before CSI came out LOL)) so blood does not affect me in anyway. However if I give blood I hit the floor. I don't even mind bleeding, which I have on several occasions.

I propose a new category for me. Hardest to watch for me is a scene of a loved one dying or a main character dying in an emotional scene. Movie list that makes me bawl like a baby:

The Notebook
What Dreams May Come
Life as a House (very obvious yet personal reasons. any father dying onscreen gets to me)
Life is Beautiful (and to add in that category)
Road to Perdition (and again)
The Last Samurai
Finding Neverland
Saving Private Ryan
City of Angels
The Green Mile
Terms of Endearment
Pay it Forward
Braveheart
The Elephant Man

I have watched every from of violence on the list above and only one or two scenes ever made me even flinch. But this type of scene will cause me to break down. Odd oxymoron in that I can't stand most people but movies make me cry when a person dies. Ever wonder why I love movies so much. I have always told people that I hate humans in general but like people in specific. In the broad sense, most of our modern civilization is a pile of dogshit.

With that I can bridge to the more serious topics posted here.

Sorry to disagree with you Geez but I agree with Becs. I would rather a good percentage of people die than an innocent animal unless the person is a child. And yes I would support using people as Soylent Green in an overpopulated world. I just don't care for a lot of people. The only thing that makes us "better" than animals is logic and opposable thumbs. I will however watch bullriding/fighting highlights specifically to see the bull/horse stomp the living shit out of some idiot in the ring with them. That ,my friends, is Karma at work. No sypathy at all. Eating animals is different as that is a natural instinct. As mooreland pointed out we have canines and molars. We are omnivores by evolution and our diets need a variety of foods to nourish our bodies as Becs stated. To use animals as entertainment is disgusting and would be a death penalty in Donte's World. And yes I would support using really big people trussed up like bulls for tiny rodeo riders as long as they were getting paid.

And Nico,

If someone kills, say, their boss, and then shish kebabs him/her, is it murder, or is it sport hunting?

I hope you are in shape because the chubby (fattened up if you will) people are getting eaten first. Muscular animals are not as tender and need more marinade.

Back to geez. I believe that the capacity for violence and such are inherent in all people. After all we are the only animal that kills others of our species for their thoughts. And why, yes, I am pointing the finger at every war the human race has ever fought, including this current debacle.
I do not believe in inherent evil or good as those are ideals of religion and vary according to which make believe story you accept. (I may lose some members of my fan club for that comment

LOL) Any evil or goodness in a person was placed there by another person telling them which is which.

I will say that what I do "believe in" is a human contract. We are of this race and we treat each other according to this list of laws. If you break the law then you are breaking the contract and lose your rights to being a human. Then you get eaten. So in this case I agree with Geez about crime. Although I bet he wouldn't dine with me anytime soon. LOL

Nico again

This is one of the most accomodating online communities I've ever seen. I bet Websites for Benedictine Monks feature more flame wars.

I agree completely as I have been thrown off websites before for button pushing. Although to be fair I have not tried to mess with people intentionally. I just state my opinion and let you know that your opinion is wrong.

This website is surprisingly civil although we do tend to avoid the religion and politic discussions. I tend to avoid them also unless I am tired of having friendly faces on websites.

Ok that enough. I am at work and this is taking a looooong time. LOL

To end on Mooreland:

Thanks for your bravery. I have your back if you ever need it. I am over my pain but it makes me rage to hear other peoples.

Ok, not to sound like a dick, but when I hear all this explanation of "human beings eat meat because our teeth are shaped for eating meat", I have to call bullshit. Not because it isn't true, but because everyone of you is being a hypocrite. Have any of you ever been to a slaughterhouse? I very highly doubt that you have. I haven't myself, so I can't personally attest to being an eye witness, but I'm pretty sure all those cows that turn into your steaks, your hamburgers, your beef stews, did not die of natural causes. They are brutally slaughtered by human beings. You are saying just because you don't have to look at it it makes it ok. If you didn't see the animal alive, you have no problem eating its dead meat, so long as its not cute and cuddly and referred to as "man's best friend." I understand your point that it would be great to see a lot of people go down before any animal. But that was never the point I ever made. I'm talking about seeing a film like, just off the top of my head, American History X, when at the end Danny has turned the corner and has shown every ounce of human triumph to listen to his brother and overcome his racist, neo-nazi ways, and then he ends up dead anyway. That scene really hits me hard. Because only human beings have the capacity to be good or evil. And when one shows to me, in real life or on screen, a transformation from evil to good, and then as they turn it around, their life is tragically ended, that hits me a lot harder than seeing an animal killed. I'm not saying its right when animals are killed. In fact the I Am Legend scene was a little hard for me too. But it was a hell of a lot harder for me when Will died in the end, than it was when they killed his dog. I think that is a perfect illustration of my point. He gave up his life to save the lives of others. They can not show me an animal doing that and make me believe it was a conscious effort of self sacrifice, (unless it is inner species, inner family, like you would see on the discovery channel). This is why it is harder for me to see innocent, good, well-intentioned human beings being killed, than any animal.

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