Month: October 2010

I’m not sure which I prefer.

This is not a call to self-harm or to wallow in self-pity.

By Pain I mean the logical emotional reaction to violently disturbing things.  Emotional, as opposed to physical.

Physical pain is a warning sign.

Mental pain is an imprint, a scar, a lesson.

I don’t remember most of the times I was elated, exhilarated.

I remember when I was tormented.

I can’t say I treasure those memories in a traditional sense.

But they usually remind me of the loss of something I loved, in myself or outside myself.

And thereby they act as living testaments to things that brought me happiness.

And if you can’t remember why you were happy, and why it hurts so much that you’re not anymore…

Were you ever truly happy?

-Puppy

“The only faith that wears well and holds its color in all weathers is that which is woven of conviction and set with the sharp mordant of experience.” – James Russell Lowell

“Faith is reason grown courageous.” – Sherwood Eddy

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

“Faith is courage; it is creative while despair is always destructive.”
– David S. Muzzey

“Faith and doubt both are needed – not as antagonists, but working side by side to take us around the unknown curve.” – Lillian Smith

“The greatest act of faith is when man admits he is not god.” – Oliver Wendel Holmes

“Faith is to believe what you do not yet see; the reward for this faith is to see what you believe.” – Saint Augustine

“Think not those faithful who praise all thy words and actions; but those who kindly reprove thy faults.” – Socrates

“The faith that stands on authority is not faith.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“In order to be a realist you must believe in miracles.” – Henry Christopher Bailey

“Science has sometimes been said to be opposed to faith, and inconsistent with it. But all science, in fact, rests on a basis of faith, for it assumes the permanence and uniformity of natural laws – a thing which can never be demonstrated.” – Tyron Edwards

“Question with boldness even the existence of God; because, if there is one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blindfolded faith.” – Thomas Jefferson

“We are twice armed if we fight with faith.” – Plato

“You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.” – Gandhi

“Faith is love taking the form of aspiration.” – William Ellery Channing

“We have not lost faith, but we have transferred it from God to the medical profession.” – George Bernard Shaw

“I can believe anything provided it is incredible.” – Oscar Wilde

“The smallest seed of faith is better than the largest fruit of happiness.” – Henry David Thoreau

“What is faith? Is it to believe that which is evident? No. It is perfectly evident to my mind that there exists a necessary, eternal,
supreme, and intelligent being. This is no matter of faith, but of reason.” – Voltaire

“Doubt is conquered by faith, just as it is faith which has brought doubt into the world” – Kierkegaard

“Abashed the Devil stood, And felt how awful goodness is, and saw Virtue in her own shape how lovely; saw And pined his loss.”

“Tis chastity, my brother, chastity; She that has that is clad in complete steel, And, like a quiver’d nymph with arrows keen, May trace huge forests, and unharbour’d heaths, Infamous hills, and sandy perilous wilds; Where, through the sacred rays of chastity, No savage fierce, bandit, or mountaineer, Will dare to soil her virgin purity.”

“He that has light within his own clear breast May sit i’ the centre, and enjoy bright day: But he that hides a dark soul and foul thoughts Benighted walks under the mid-day sun; Himself his own dungeon.”

“Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.”

“That in such righteousness To them by faith imputed they may find
Justification towards God, and peace Of conscience.”

“Perplexed and troubled at his bad success The Tempter stood, nor had what to reply, Discovered in his fraud, thrown from his hope.”

“These false pretexts and varnished colours failing, Rare in thy guilt how foul must thou appear.”

“When thou attended gloriously from heaven, Shalt in the sky appear, and from thee send Thy summoning archangels to proclaim Thy dread tribunal.”

“Hast thou betrayed my credulous innocence With vizor’d falsehood and base forgery?”

“Long is the way And hard, that out of Hell leads up to light.”

Championships in what most Americans consider the four “major” sports…Football (NFL), Baseball (MLB), Basketball (NBA), and Hockey (NHL).

Football:
New York Giants/Jets: 4
New England Patriots: 3

Since New York has two teams and Boston only one, this would indicate a virtual tie.

Baseball:
New York Yankees/New York Giants/New York Mets/Brooklyn Dodgers: 35
Boston Americans/Boston Braves/Boston Red Sox: 8

Utter domination by New York.

Basketball:
Rochester Royals/New York Knicks: 3
Boston Celtics: 17

Utter domination by Boston.

Hockey:
New York Rangers/New York Islanders: 8
Boston Bruins: 5

Since New York has two teams and Boston only one, this would indicate a virtual tie.

So basically, what we have is a draw.  So all stupid, ignorant, obnoxious (as opposed to real) New York sports fans should really get their story straight…is it who’s better NOW, or in the past?  When the Yankees win, it’s who’s better now.  When they lose, it’s who WAS better.  When the Knicks lose, it’s…ummm…wait til next year.  When the Jets lose, it’s…ummm…well…wait til next year.

In fact, statistically, Boston has won more championships per team on the average than New York.

New York Total: 10 Teams, 50 Championships.  That’s 5 per team.

Boston Total: 6 Teams, 33 Championships.  That’s 5.5 per team.

Oh wait!  Anticipating the “New England isn’t just Boston!” comments…

That means Boston has 5 teams, 30 Championships.  That’s 6 per team.

10/16/16: See updated version. (housekeeping)

7/8/24: Updated through today as follows:

American Football (Super Bowls Won):
New York Giants/New York Jets: 5
New England Patriots: 6

A slight edge for New England, especially considering the disadvantage of having only one team.

Baseball (1903-present, World Series’ Won):
New York Yankees/New York Giants/New York Mets/Brooklyn Dodgers: 35
Boston Americans/Boston Braves/Boston Red Sox: 10

Still, domination by New York, but gap closed very slightly.

Basketball (NBA Titles Won):
Rochester Royals/Syracuse Nationals/New York Knicks: 4
Boston Celtics: 18

Utter domination by Boston, hopefully more to come.

Hockey (Stanley Cup Championships):
New York Rangers/New York Islanders/Buffalo Sabres: 8
Boston Bruins: 6

The Rangers were an Original Six team, like Boston, so don’t even try going there. They had plenty of chances.

7/8/24: Update Continued…

In fact, statistically, Boston has won more championships per team on the average than New York.

New York Total: 12 Teams, 52 Championships.  That’s 4.33 per team.

Boston Total: 6 Teams, 40 Championships.  That’s 6.66 per team.

Oh wait!  Anticipating the “New England isn’t just Boston!” comments…

That means Boston has 5 teams, 34 Championships.  That’s 6.8 per team.

I love that dirty water.

– Puppy >.< Yip!

9/11/12: See ‘Analysis of “Goths – Analysis of a Subculture (By Puppy)”‘.

Retained here only for comment value.

-Puppy >.< Yip!

Headline: Gay Question Trips Colorado’s Ken Buck on ‘Meet the Press’

“Colorado GOP Senate candidate Ken Buck called homosexuality a choice and defended his statement that a jury would find a woman’s acquaintance rape claim akin to “buyer’s remorse” in a debate with Democratic incumbent Sen. Michael Bennet on Sunday’s “Meet the Press.”

“…Buyer’s remorse is the feeling of regret after a purchase. It is frequently associated with the purchase of higher value items such as a car or house. It may stem from a sense of not wishing to be wrong, of guilt over extravagance or from feeling that one has been persuaded by a salesman…” – Sandra Fish

2/17/13: When I say “Funny” I mean funny in the “So laughably, amazingly, and pitifully ignorant, stupid, and offensive that you can either laugh or scream” sort of way. -Puppy >.< Yip!

Granted, Adolf Hitler was tremendously Evil…but wasn’t he just as stupid?

Witness the following (via Wikipedia):

“…In May 1940, the Phony War ended. Against the will of his advisors, Hitler ordered an attack on France through the “Low Countries”…

…The “Battle of France” ended with an overwhelming German victory. However, with the British refusing Hitler’s offer of peace, the war continued…

…Germany and Britain continued to fight at sea and in the air. However, on 24 August, two off-course German bombers accidentally bombed London – against Hitler’s orders, changing the course of the war…

…In response to the attack, the British bombed Berlin, which sent Hitler into a rage. The German leader ordered attacks on British cities, and the UK was bombed heavily during The Blitz. This change in targeting priority interfered with the Luftwaffe’s objective of achieving the air superiority over Britain necessary for an invasion and allowed British air defenses to rebuild their strength and continue the fight.”

“…after Germany declared war on the US, the German navy began unrestricted submarine warfare, using U-Boats to attack ships without warning.

German U-Boats were more successful than surface raiders like Bismarck. However, Germany failed to make submarine production a top priority early on and by the time it did, the British and their allies were developing the technology and strategies to neutralize it. Furthermore, in spite of the submarines’ early success in 1941 and 1942, material shortages in Britain failed to fall to their World War I levels.”

“…The British however were expected to be accorded a higher status than other “Germanic” Europeans (who were to simply be absorbed into the Reich), as partners in the Nazi’s New Order rather than subjects. Hitler professed an admiration for the British Empire and its people as proof of Aryan superiority in ‘Mein Kampf’…”

“…The Nazi regime advocated a patriarchal society in which German women would recognize the “world is her husband, her family, her children, and her home…”

“…The importance of the cinema as a tool of the state, both for its propaganda value and its ability to keep the populace entertained, can be seen in the filming history of Veit Harlan’s ‘Kolberg'(1945), the most expensive film of the era, for the shooting of which tens of thousands of soldiers were diverted from their military positions to appear as extras…”

“Race! It is a feeling, not a reality: ninety-five percent, at least, is a feeling. Nothing will ever make me believe that biologically pure races can be shown to exist today. … National pride has no need of the delirium of race.” – Benito Mussolini

“The leader of the Hitler Youth stated, “the destruction of Christianity was explicitly recognized as a purpose of the National Socialist movement” from the start, but “considerations of expedience made it impossible” publicly to express this extreme position.  In Mexico, the Red Shirts were vehemently atheist, renounced religion, killed priests, and on one occasion gunned down Catholics as they left Mass.”

“The Catholic Church was suppressed by Nazis in Poland.  In addition to the deaths of some 3 million Polish Jews, 2 million Polish Catholics were killed.  Between 1939 and 1945, an estimated 3,000 polish clergy (18%) were murdered; of these, 1,992 died in concentration camps.  In the annexed territory of Reichsgau Wartheland, churches were systematically closed, and most priests were either killed, imprisoned, or deported…”

“The Germans also closed seminaries and convents, persecuting monks and nuns throughout Poland.  Eighty percent of the Catholic clergy and five of the bishops of Warthegau were sent to concentration camps in 1939; in Chelmno, 48%.  Of those murdered by the Nazi regime, 108 are regarded as blessed martyrs.  Among them, Maximilian Kolbe was canonized as a saint. Not only in Poland were Christians persecuted by the Nazis.  In the Dachau concentration camp alone, 2,600 Catholic priests from 24 different countries were killed”

“In private, Mussolini expressed dislike of Hitler and the Nazis, seeing them as mere imitators of Italian Fascism. When Mussolini met with the Italian Consul in Munich prior to the Nazis’ failed Beer Hall Putsch in 1923, he stated that the Nazis were “buffoons”.  However, by 1928, the Italian Fascist government recognized the utility of the Nazis and began to financially subsidize the Nazi party.”

“Aside from criticism of fascist ideology, there has been debate as to its nature and even whether it is a coherent ideology. One view is that fascism is not a real ideology at all; this view claims that fascism is a form of irrational and opportunistic politics only committed to nihilistic violence that has no logical or rational definition, and that its official ideological components are only tools of propaganda and are often contradictory.”

– From Wikipedia