discussion comment
16 years ago
cognitive dissonance anyone? :)
discussion comment
16 years ago
Pay the $$$ and I have a feeling you'll feel the love/real affection and get respect and be listed!
discussion comment
16 years ago
"MOTHER TERESA : WHERE ARE HER MILLIONS?
by
Walter Wuellenweber
The Angel of the poor died a year ago. Donations still flow in to her Missionaries of Charity like to no other cause. But the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize vowed to live in poverty. What then, happened to so much money?
If there is a heaven, then she is surely there: Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu from Skopje in Macedonia, better known as Mother Teresa. She came to Calcutta on the 6th of Januray 1929 as an 18 year old sister of the Order of Loreto. 68 years later luminaries from all over the world assembled in Calcutta in order to honour her with a state funeral. In these 68 years she had founded the most successful order in the history of the Catholic church, received the Nobel Peace Prize and became the most famous Catholic of our time.
Are doubts permitted, regarding this 'monument'?
In Calcutta, one meets many doubters.
For example, Samity, a man of around 30 with no teeth, who lives in the slums. He is one of the 'poorest of the poor' to whom Mother Teresa was supposed to have dedicated her life. With a plastic bag in hand, he stands in a kilometre long queue in Calcutta's Park Street. The poor wait patiently, until the helpers shovel some rice and lentils into their bags. But Samity does not get his grub from Mother Teresa's institution, but instead from the Assembly of God, an American charity, that serves 18000 meals here daily.
'Mother Teresa?' says Samity, 'We have not received anything from her here. Ask in the slums -- who has received anything from the sisters here -- you will find hardly anybody.'
Pannalal Manik also has doubts. 'I don't understand why you educated people in the West have made this woman into such a goddess!' Manik was born some 56 years ago in the Rambagan slum, which at about 300 years of age, is Calcutta's oldest. What Manik has achieved, can well be called a 'miracle'. He has built 16 apartment buildings in the midst of the slum -- living space for 4000 people. Money for the building materials -- equivalent to DM 10000 per apartment building -- was begged for by Manik from the Ramakrishna Mission [a Indian/Hindu charity], the largest assistance-organisation in India. The slum-dwellers built the buildings themselves. It has become a model for the whole of India. But what about Mother Teresa? 'I went to her place 3 times,' said Manik. 'She did not even listen to what I had to say. Everyone on earth knows that the sisters have a lot of money. But no one knows what they do with it!'
In Calcutta there are about 200 charitable organisations helping the poor. Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity are not amongst the biggest helpers: that contradicts the image of the organisation. The name 'Mother Teresa' was and is tied to the city of Calcutta. All over the world admirers and supporters of the Nobel Prize winner believe that it must be there that her organisation is particularly active in the fight against poverty. 'All lies,' says Aroup Chatterjee . The doctor who lives in London was born and brought up in Calcutta. Chatterjee who has been working for years on a book on the myth of Mother Teresa, speaks to the poor in the slums of Calcutta, or combs through the speeches of the Nobel Prize winner. 'No matter where I search, I only find lies. For example the lies about schools. Mother T has often stated that she runs a school in Calcutta for more than 5000 children. 5000 children! -- that would have to be a huge school, one of the biggest in all of India. But where is this school? I have never found it, nor do I know anybody who has seen it!' says Chatterjee."
http://members.lycos.co.uk/bajuu/
Mother Teresa may be a wonderful person who is just the greatest----I don't know and haven't researched her life to any great extent. And, even if she was the greatest I would think there are bound to be detractors. People have differences of opinion! :)
discussion comment
16 years ago
TUSCL ain't got NO clout on clusty.com searching for either stripclubs or strip clubs. See:
http://clusty.com/search?input-form=clusty-simple&v%3Asources=webplus&query=stripclubs
http://clusty.com/search?input-form=clusty-simple&v%3Asources=webplus&query=stripclubs
discussion comment
16 years ago
Worthless. ;) A search for stripclubs didn't even list TUSCL. See:
http://www.cuil.com/search?q=stripclubs (course google didn't do better)
However, a search for strip clubs listed TUSCL number one. See:
http://www.cuil.com/search?q=strip%20clubs&sl=long (by contrast google doesn't seem to know TUSCL even exists!)
discussion comment
16 years ago
In "Free to Choose," Milton Friedman showed a very interesting chart showing stikes by the coal miners against the backdrop of coal stockpiles. As the stockpiles of coal became massive the miners would go on strike till the stockpiles were reduced to reasonable levels----wouldn't it be wonderful if all workers were so thoughtful???
I'd wager that as U.S. weapon stockpiles become massive then it is time to go to war to reduced the stockpiles. In a nutshell it may all be economics: Huge stockpiles of coal equals miner strikes. Huge stockpiles of weapons equals wars.
discussion comment
16 years ago
OK, shadowcat supporters and followers: Time to talk the talk. The "bitch" won't rescue shadowcat from hurtful words. Your mission? Heap on the endless praise to ease the pain and reassure him he is loved not only by his paid hoes, but by many here on TUSCL. A little paypal donation to his email account would probably be a sweet touch. He could brag to his paid hoes that he is so loved that his followers paid for the BJ and other sexual services via paypal donations.
OK, I hope to see at least a double digit number of his followers praising him, here and now on this thread! :) If not, then you're COWARDS like the "bitch" and deserve a shadowcat Fuck You! ;)
discussion comment
16 years ago
Surely, he'd love the TV evangelists? Those mass saver of souls and men. President Bush could have been just a drunk and druggie, but evangelical altruistas saved his ass here on Earth and in Heaven. And, look at the Miracles he's performed since his saving. Sorta proof positive that Christ is God. :)
discussion comment
16 years ago
"You know that I did not drive you off this board but you do not have the courage to come out and admit it to those who accuse me of it. Fuck you and Fuck them too."
No shame at all. Yes, I'm being judgemental again. :) But, dang this just seems so off the top. Especially for a guy who was busy dodging bullets to purportedly to protect our freedoms.
Yes, a few unkind words against you by others and it is time to start ranting against a poster who'd rather stay out of a mere flame war. Hell, if you needed your butt saved in Iraq while bothering the locals she might be the first to brave bullets and bombs to drag your ass to safety. But, courage to jump into essentially a food fight featuring words on an anonymous board?
Way too sensitive for an old bullet dodger and purportly a protector of our freedoms.
No shame at all. :(
discussion comment
16 years ago
My guess: clubber.
discussion comment
16 years ago
Sorry, Milton Friedman old chum. We fought the good fight, but with so many loving Christians running loose giving selflessly it sorta is inarguable that socialism rocks and capitalism not only feeds the fires of evil, but emanates evil.
I know in my heart you meant the best, but some wealthy bastards probably just pulled the wool over your eyes. Heck, I went to Sunday school sometimes twice a day as youngster and capitalism seduced me with slogans of bake a bigger pie and a rising tide lifts all boats and the rich create jobs and fight them over there so we don't have to fight them over here. Oops, as stupid as it sounds that last one might actually be correct, dagnabbit. :)
discussion comment
16 years ago
"Mommie Dearest
The pope beatifies Mother Teresa, a fanatic, a fundamentalist, and a fraud.
By Christopher Hitchens
Posted Monday, Oct. 20, 2003, at 4:04 PM ET
. . . MT was not a friend of the poor. She was a friend of poverty. She said that suffering was a gift from God. She spent her life opposing the only known cure for poverty, which is the empowerment of women and the emancipation of them from a livestock version of compulsory reproduction. And she was a friend to the worst of the rich, taking misappropriated money from the atrocious Duvalier family in Haiti (whose rule she praised in return) and from Charles Keating of the Lincoln Savings and Loan. Where did that money, and all the other donations, go? The primitive hospice in Calcutta was as run down when she died as it always had been—she preferred California clinics when she got sick herself—and her order always refused to publish any audit. But we have her own claim that she opened 500 convents in more than a hundred countries, all bearing the name of her own order. Excuse me, but this is modesty and humility?"
http://www.slate.com/id/2090083/
Of course, those religious folks of the 700 Club television ministry are true blue altruistas. ;) Yes siree bob, that one modest size group of self-less individuals pretty much validates socialism for all mankind . . .
discussion comment
16 years ago
The "lack of altruism," whatever altruism actually definitively means, has slapped me in the face HARD on occasion.
A friend said she thought she could help me with a problem based on specialized knowledge that she has and that it would only take about an hour of her time. Then she says, But, you're not willing to pay me even if I'm successful. She knows me, well. :) I think she is a wonderful person and a giving person---if it doesn't involve her occupation i.e. how she customarily earns her living.
She doesn't need a dime from me and I've helped her repeatedly in the past at her request without asking for or expecting anything from her. I was in a position to help and wanted to because she is a nice and intelligent person.
Where her profession is concerned Just Say No to Altruism is her strong belief system. Maybe she is right. :) Still, it was a hard slap for me.
discussion comment
16 years ago
I prefer to know. I like the fantasy based on reality. :)
discussion comment
16 years ago
"And 'these people' are placed in this 'class' based on????? Race? Economic statis? or mental ability?"
So getting back to whatever I was typing. :) I guess maybe it is better to think of this class in question format.
The main U.S. media repeatedly refers to the attack on the Pentagon as a "terrorist" attack. The cattle class will blindly accept that label. And, if the attackers had use a truck bomb to blow up the side of Pentagon and cause equivalent damage, more likely than not the media would still label it a "terrorist" attack. The cattle class will blindly accept that label without any real questioning. Those in the class could be highly intelligent or dumber than door nails.
Take this same cattle class and raise them in a society that is hostile to the U.S. and suddenly the attacks are seen as and labelled as "divine retribution" or "freedom attacks" or some such label. Again, no real questioning will take place. The cattle class is eager to conform to the media's message and the message of those in power.
Even when those in authority are revealed to be dirty or corrupt, there is usually a very strong instinct among the cattle class to justify the evil or deny it or minimize it. The government's lies and frauds? Well, that in no way leads the cattle class to think the next goverment propaganda agenda is anything less than the absolute truth. Point out the past government lies and cattle class doesn't want to hear that---oh no, their wonderful government tells the truth or at least is better than other scum bag governments!
Just Say No to Thinking! :(
discussion comment
16 years ago
I would say based on both culture and intelligence.
You can have highly intelligent people and Jesus is God without any ifs ands or buts. But, normally that religious view is based on where they were born and what their parents believed. Or, the highly intelligent may believe in the morality of multiple wives or girlfriends----again the culture of the society and parents usually rule.
Yep, I did get the humor. :)
Now, as people get more intelligent there is, imo, a much greater chance for divergence from the "known truths." However, some highly intelligent people merely wish to have status and their intelligence is used more like that of a technician----don't rock the boat and follow the rules.
Oops have to run!
discussion comment
16 years ago
I was talking with a former circuit judge, the close friend of a neighbor, a few weeks ago and he seemed like a very nice intelligent man. We get on the subject of legal malpractice cases and he strongly believes legal malpractice lawsuits are winnable for real damages and should be pursued. Is this an educated opinion of his? I don't know because I didn't want to go down that road with remembering the source materials that I had on legal malpractice.
Suffice it to say the authoritative sources that I researched show that legal malpractice lawsuits are a horrible investment of litigation dollars. I *believe* this to be true and furthermore the reason it is true is because the courts are corrupt. Judges by and large, imo, overwhelming look to protect their fellow lawyers even the corrupt and incompetent.
Now, it is very possible that this seemingly nice and intelligent former judge is totally unaware of this problem/situation. How receptive would he be to education from "official" legal resources? I have NO idea. He may prefer ignorance or he may just be corrupt. It is nothing that I will pursue.
discussion comment
16 years ago
This is the class of people who believe basically whatever they are told by the media or those in positions of authority. Worse yet, they have NO interest in thinking or researching.
Readers Digest: They're more like parrots than people.
discussion comment
16 years ago
Correction:
The cattle class, and I mean that in an extremely derogatory sense, have *NO* comprehension that you cannot rely on the plain wording in a statute to determine its meaning. Most lawyers *should* know that. Anyway, the cattle class not only doesn't know, but they strongly prefer ignorance---if I could find the article about the meanings of *may* and *must*, and it was available online they'd have NO interest in learning. NONE.
discussion comment
16 years ago
I read a very interesting article in a legal newspaper (Miami Daily Business Review?) many years ago by a prominent judge or legal scholar. He was writing about a legal seminar where seasoned attorneys and judges were the vast majority of his audience.
He asked questions about three or four words: may, shall, must, will (assuming that I remember correctly). He was surprised and dismayed that these legal experts overwhelmingly thought that *must* was always a command or *may* is permissive, etc.
Well, he had plenty of controlling case law that demonstrated that merely because a law seems to use mandatory language like *must* or *shall*, that in fact the higher courts have interpreted those words to actually mean *may*. Similarly, where a law seemed to provide flexibility by using the word *may* it actually was interpreted to mean *must*.
The cattle class, and I mean that in an extremely derogatory sense, have know comprehension that you cannot rely on the plain wording in a statute to determine its meaning. Most lawyers *should* know that. Anyway, the cattle class not only doesn't know, but they strongly prefer ignorance---if I could find the article about the meanings of *may* and *must*, and it was available online they'd have NO interest in learning. NONE.
discussion comment
16 years ago
Well, your definition in my opinion differs from the definition that I cited, to wit:
"someone who makes charitable donations intended to increase human well-being." http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=altruist&r=66 BTW, I strongly prefer your definition; correctly or incorrectly.
Furthermore, the dictionaries are hardly absolute arbiters as to what a word means at any given time or place or context. Meanings can change drastically; sometimes because people keep using it in an erroneous manner and sometimes due pronunciation variances and sometimes because a famous author decides to "stretch" its meaning.
I was accused of being a "bad" Christian because I was "judging" others. HELLO?! What does that word---judge, mean? :) The old meaning meant to punish. I really don't care for punishing people even the supposedly "evil." Judge---meaning to think good or bad of---oh yes BIG TIME. I judge usually by certain "Christian" moral standards that were drummed into me as a child---unfortunately, these Christian standards may in fact not be Christian standards even though that is what they were labelled.
discussion comment
16 years ago
Hi wondergrl5,
I didn't see microwaving; not sure if the ovens were wood burning, but probably not. The one pizzeria that does use wood burning ovens that I'm familar with locally is on Biscayne Blvd. The pizza didn't taste so hot---perhaps too much salt and too much smoke flavor. To my knowledge I haven't tasted a good microwaved pizza or even any good microwaved cooking.
But, as you say it is a matter of taste. A friend loves those Hungry Man (?) microwave dinners and imo they're unedible unless you are really hungry.
Didn't care for Papa Johns or Pizza Hut or Franco's----the food that I love in general is over in Gainsville where, as it should be imo, the kids rule. Yes, old farts aren't treated the best . . . but, even as an old fart I prefer it that way. A female relative makes the best baked goods, especially chocolate chip cookies, including pizzas and has BLUBBER on BLUBBER to prove it. :(
discussion comment
16 years ago
"Husbands and non-pimp boyfriends can also present chanllenges if you are looking to do OTC. Some are cleverly able to work around it, however (i.e. lie)."
Even more would probably be willing to *fluff* you if that is what it took to complete the sale. :) Heck, a hoe giving you problems about giving you good fair service for your hard earned dollars? Just threaten to inform her baby daddy! That should get her back into the proper frame of mind as far as honoring her word for the moment.
discussion comment
16 years ago
BTW, my favorite book on the subject of economics that I love to recommend is "Free to Choose: A Personal Statement"
by Milton Friedman and Rose Friedman.
http://www.amazon.com/Free-Choose-Statement-Milton-Friedman/dp/0156334607/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1217867957&sr=8-1
One major disagreement I have with Nobel Prize winning economist is his reasoning as to why the dollar has value. I was just shaking my head NO!!! If I remember correctly he stated it has value because people think it has value! :( I believe he is way too intelligent to actually believe that, but revealing the truth would potentially open a nasty can of worms assuming people aren't dumber than door knobs.
discussion comment
16 years ago
Depends on your definition of altruist. Heck, some people consider me to be an altruist as if every action in business or otherwise *must* be for the almighty greenback.
Here is, imo, a poor definition: "someone who makes charitable donations intended to increase human well-being." http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=altruist&r=66 Under that definition President Bush might be considered an altuist; he must have donated a $1 or $2, which was intended to increase human well-being. And, to name one--- Bill Gates.
Some may argue that entire economies can be based on altruism e.g. potlatch. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potlatch