He's dead Jim

The president did not use the word "evil" in his speech, and this was a good thing.

Osama bin laden was a man, man that did terrible awful things, horrific acts of destruction and murder. I am NOT defending him, or anything he has done, but I think it is important, for the sake of our own humanity, that we refrain from calling a person "evil." To call him evil makes him a fictional character in a story, makes him more than just a man, it makes him immortal. When we call someone evil we justify doing things that distance ourselves from what is morally upstanding and right. We give in to baser instincts and become full of murderous rage. Look at Hitler. For a long time, Hitler did not mean "a man that did terrible things," Hitler meant evil, meant monster from some dark hellish cave. Now people joke about Hitler, because his idea has become more human. He is still a demon in the eyes of many, but he has lost some of his power.

When we call Bin Laden evil, we put him outside of humanity as a whole. We wash our hands of him, set him up to become the devil himself. We forget that he is part of the human collective, that we, as a species, are capable of horrific acts. We need to remember that he was a human, that he was killed by a bullet, and that he was not the devil himself. If we call him these things, if we give into the temptation to put him in a category outside of "human" we forget that there are forces that shaped him, people who influenced him, ideas that made him who he was. What if no one ever told Hitler that the Jews were evil (I'm sure he used the word)? He didn't come up with the idea on his own.

Evil is not a human trait. It is a construct. When we label people as evil we make it OK to do things that we would not do to people. Bin Laden was the outcome of something, he did not poof into existence and start corrupting the planet. He did what he did because he thought that some people were evil, that some people were not human. Lets not return the favor.

Today is a day to remember those lost on 9/11, and to think about how we can make our world a better place without labeling some people as evil. We must respect the humanity of everyone so that no one becomes a victim.

I'm still glad we got the fucker though.

What the Frak?

There is an anti-fracking rally on the old main quad right now. They are going to march down the main street of New Paltz.

Fracking, if you were unaware as I was, is the use of hydraulic pressure to fracture rocks, and it is used today in the oil industry to extract more oil from particular types of deposits. Because of the way in which it is being used today it has a detrimental effect on the safety of ground water. Let me say that one more time. It has a detrimental effect on the safety of ground water. Sure, there are uses for fracking that do not necessarily negatively impact the environment or our groundwater, and I'm sure it ends up working well in particular instances, but that does not negate the fact that it is a very environmentally risky procedure.

Now back to the Rally

The rally started on the old main quad of SUNY New Paltz, and proceeded to march down Main Street. Mission accomplished.

Don't get me wrong, I applaud the effort that went into organizing this. They had to get clearance from the school (a most likely nightmarish amount of red tape), they had to organize people. It was work. But was it effective? Does the town of New Paltz even have the kind of power to stop nearby fracking? what if they spent the same amount of energy on a letter writing campaign? Or a march on Albany, where decisions are actually made for the state? Or even some sort of fund raiser to buy a politician (they get more expensive each day). It is frustrating to see ineffective effort for causes I believe in. This is not to say that I am some high and mighty political action organizer, I put forward a lot less effort than I should. I succumb to the crushing reality that if I devote MOST of my time and manage to raise A TON of money, then maybe I can change one issue for the better. Sure, I can vote for the candidate that best suits my political interests, but they are always third party and will not win.

The temptation of Political Violence

I will admit, I have often fantasized about creating some sort of Iron Man suit and storming a coal powered power plant and razing it to the ground, while ensuring not a single life was lost. Violence, at least against property is extremely appealing politically because it steps outside the bounds of the legal system to enact change. And while I want said change oh so badly, by doing so on these grounds I legitimize all acts that are illegal if they are done "because I do not like that law." This is not a political system I want to live in, because there are crazies out there.

So what should we do about the fracking, huh?

A lot more than just a march on good old New Paltz. Its a hippie town regardless. Exactly what is going to work I don't know, and its gonna take better people than me to organize it. Good luck.

(for the record I'm going to look into helping out this cause more after writing this)

Beef Jerky Review: Kings County Jerky Co.

Kings County Jerky Co.

Classic

Moisture: low

Toughness: medium to high

Cut: large, with the grain

As is the case with any dry jerky, one must chew for a few seconds before the full flavor of the jerky really hits your tongue, but the very thin slices make this easy enough. The meat is very lean, and some bits will even snap off as if the jerky were burnt (it is not burnt). This jerky has a very home made flavor to it, as it has some soy sauce undertones. It is very savory, and has a very proper amount of salt. The pepper is very nice, not overpowering, and really comes in as an aftertaste, giving your mouth that nice mild tingle. The cloves enhance the main body of the jerky, really bringing out the flavor. The packaging is also very nice, and all of pieces in the package are substantial, none of that bits and pieces non-sense. All in all a fine jerky, definitely superior to your mass produced meat snack.

Overall Rating: B+

First!

What is the purpose of a blog?

I have been following a few blogs lately, most notably the blog of my high school English teacher.  This has sparked my desire to write down my own thoughts on this accessible-to-almost-everyone-yet-read-by-almost-no-one media known as "a blog."  As usual, before actually starting one I thought about all the reasons why I should and shouldn't create one.  Logic tells me that I have nothing really worth while to contribute to the blog-o-sphere (except maybe my extremely engaging reviews of beef jerky brands), but logic also tells me that no one has ever done anything worthwhile, as nothing is permanent.  Or maybe everything is?  Either way, this blog is fueled by desire for self-affirmation.  Hopefully reading it will fill you with all sorts of weird thoughts and maybe even some emotions. 

And now the reader participation part:

Should I end every post with "Carthago delenda est"?