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Messages - try another castle

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1
The Troubled Teen Industry / Re: The Five Freedoms
« on: April 23, 2011, 12:10:00 AM »
Yup. Im a cat maid.

2
The Troubled Teen Industry / The Five Freedoms
« on: April 19, 2011, 12:45:16 AM »
... of shelter care. (sorry, no, not a doo-wop band.)

I have a job in animal care at a no-kill shelter. (SPCA) A few months ago, my co-workers and I attended a care and treatment seminar for shelter wellness/standards.

Because of the fact that shelter conditions can range from amazing to a downright deplorable nightmare, the The Association of Shelter Veterinarians (ASV) came up with official guidelines of animal care, part of those being The Five Freedoms.

1. Freedom from Hunger and Thirst

by ready access to fresh water and diet to maintain health and vigor.

2. Freedom from Discomfort

by providing an appropriate environment including shelter and a comfortable resting area.

3. Freedom from Pain, Injury or Disease

by prevention or rapid diagnosis and treatment.

4. Freedom to Express Normal Behavior

by providing sufficient space, proper facilities and company of the animal’s own kind.

5. Freedom from Fear and Distress

by ensuring conditions and treatment which avoid mental suffering.


In some ways, I suppose people could say "no duh", but if it really were, then I suppose it would seem obvious to everyone, right? I'm quite impressed by how concise it is. (Obviously the larger Standards of Care report goes into specifics...) Shelter life is incredibly stressful, even in the best of facilities. Because of this, an animal can experience an array of problems as a result of stress, from behavior to medical. As a result, it's important to minimize stress and discomfort as much as possible, and only use positive reinforcement for any sort of behavior training.

I'm not saying that these standards should be applied to the TTI, since I find that industry to be fraudulent and as a result, irrelevant. (Anything but amazing) However, I obviously think that animal care has legitimacy as an industry, (although cats are forbidden from making phone calls. Dogs can, but only if they know how to "speak".  ::) )

For me, this isn't a political issue as much as it is a personal philosophy. When I first learned about this paper, it resonated with me on a few additional planes of thought and experience, (one of them being my tenure at the duckfarm, of course).

Empathy can take numerous forms, I suppose. I guess that's why I wanted to post about it.





I have no idea where to put this topic. The stuff I mention about the TTI is more of a subset than the main point.

3
CEDU / Brown Schools and derivatives / clones / Re: Caroline the Wolf
« on: March 07, 2011, 11:18:29 PM »
Quote
But I don't know how I don't know that. (I think).

lol. clever.

If epistemology is the study of what we know, what is the study of what we don't know? Or would it be the deliberate avoidance of what we don't know?


For some reason, I keep thinking about the California public school system.


I suppose I should stay on topic, but I think the epistemology of Caroline has been covered.

4
Quote from: "Truckin'"
Was has this thread devolved into a discussion about the pros and cons of Israelis and Zionists? The guy who started the thread was just informing about his wilderness program. I'm guessing he won't want to visit this forum again !


lol. Actually, I posted this in the wrong thread. I meant to put it in "Israel and the weather". I was reading both of them, read seamus' response here, and thought I was still in that one.


This is what happens when I try to surf the web on a work night. zzzzzzz too tired.

I would move it, but it wouldn't make any sense there, either, since I responded to something written in here.


Anyway, don't mind me. It was an accidental high-jacking. Sry.

5
The Troubled Teen Industry / how to take a land war personally
« on: February 14, 2011, 03:00:02 AM »
Quote from: "Truckin'"
What hateful and odious remarks, seamus! Sounds like this person is trying to exchange information, and you have to go all anti-Israeli on him. Shame on you!

Unfortunately, that is the pervasive misconception. The "Palestinians" are the poor, downtrodden, and the Israelis are the brutal, faceless oppressors who do not deserve to have a country. Most of these beliefs have been perpetuated by the media...

...strange that people seem to think the Jews control said media.

I wonder how many of the throngs of uninformed have actually been to Israel, or read something about it outside of wikipedia. I have not been myself, but I am eager to take R there for our honeymoon. Everyone in my family says that it is incredible.

The Israelis created an oasis out of a shitty region, which was populated by mostly shitty, hateful people. (Who all attacked simultaneously the minute the state was formed. Somehow, this is apparently Israel's fault.) It also bears mentioning that you actually need to posses a separate passport booklet for the Israel stamp, because it is far too risky to have it in your regular booklet when traveling abroad. Imagine, getting killed over a stamp. Obviously, the killers are the rational ones, and those who have ever visited Israel had it coming to them, right?  ::)

Apparently, the concept of being a Zionist is now considered to be something disgraceful. (I believe it was the muslims and the neo-nazis who spearheaded that campaign.) I, however, feel no disgrace when I state that Israel has a right to exist, and I never will. If someone were to sneer at me and call me a Zionist, they would merely be stating a fact.

The world would lose something truly special were Israel to fall to the terrorists.  Then it would be just like every other shithole in that region. Dont we have enough of those?

Quote
I am Israel

I am Israel-- I was born millennia before I was renamed Palestine by the conquering Romans, before Muhammad took his first breath, and before the U.N. decided to split me in half and turn my Eastern lands into Jordan. My people, the Jews, maintained communities here for three thousand years— that is until the Arabs decided to massacre those Jews without reason in 1920 and 1929. Hundreds of civilians were murdered, most of them women and children. Meanwhile, their brother Arab states massacred and exiled 1 million Arabic Jews from their lands-- erasing their history.

I am Israel-- I have been attacked four times by Arab armies since I declared independence in 1948. I told the Arabs who lived on my land that they were welcome to stay, but they were told by the neighboring states to leave temporarily while the Jews were "taken care of". I have been offering a message of peace since the day I was born, but my enemies answered only in bullets. I am a survivor--I won every war. Realizing they could not defeat me with arms, my enemies have turned to lies.

I am Israel-- Time and time again my name is smeared. Though each of these lies is eventually disproven, my enemies continue to claim I am committing genocide. Is giving educational opportunities to Palestinian Arabs "genocide"? 20% of the students in Haifa University are Arabs. If I am an aggressor who exiled all the Arabs in 1948, why are 20% of my citizens Arabs with full rights? Where did they magically appear from? Why did I give up the entire Sinai and the Gaza strip, uprooting my own people from their homes, only for the hope of peace?

I am Israel-- In combat, I risk the lives of my teenage sons and daughters in order to minimize civilian Palestinian casualties. I make every attempt to target only fighters, often putting my own soldiers in harms way. In wartime, I drop leaflets on areas to be attacked, warning civilians to evacuate. Has any other army in the history of mankind done this for its enemy? I waited 8 years to stop Hamas from its daily rocket attacks on my kindergardens and my hospitals. I am patient, but my patience is not infinite.

I am Israel-- I have created Intel and cell phone technology, medicine for devastating diseases, and I lead the world in scientific publications per capita. I send humanitarian missions to developing countries, including Muslim countries. I have absorbed hundreds of Muslim refugees who faced genocide in Darfur-- refugees no Muslim state would take.

I am Israel-- I am one of the smallest countries in the world, and probably the most stubborn—I refuse to give up hope for peace. My friends support me not because of any lobby, but because they see the truth-- I am the heart of the Middle East, and the hope for its future. My prophet said, "Nation shall not lift up sword against nation," and I will try, and try, and TRY until those words are true.

Because I am Israel.

6
Feed Your Head / this monkey's gone to heaven
« on: February 14, 2011, 02:34:04 AM »
If this is true, Im very disappointed.

I would have hoped by now that we would have found a far more efficient and quiet way of population control than old-school stuff such as fluoride.

Albeit crude, I still stick by Jonathan Swift's suggestion to eat children. (A Modest Proposal) Especially since it solves three problems, population, starvation and the existence of children. However, it is also illegal. (I suppose some folks still stick to the belief that those little grubs are "cute".)

IMO, the best way to assist population control in the United States is to remove all "dont try this at home" disclaimers from TV shows. This should be followed up by introducing a "stupidity exemption clause" into liability/personal injury law.

Another way to help is to target a particular demographic. For example, if the government were to "leak" some hard, "believable" evidence about *any* pet issue to conspiracy theorists. (aliens, 9/11, anti-coagulants in tampons),  this may cause an epidemic of fatal coronaries, (as the validation of their beliefs would cause a severe physical crisis....) This should free up a few basements for more important things, like storage.

Although I still laugh at the idea of population control in this country. Seriously, if there is some government organization doing this, they are fucking idiots. We have millionaires who build mansions the size of amusement parks, *that" is how much space there is to waste in this country. Maybe these guys should ply their wares in China or India.

Although if they want to do it here, right on. Im sure Ill get mine, too.

7
Tacitus' Realm / Re: You might be a Muslim if……
« on: November 22, 2010, 10:02:20 PM »
Quote
10. Your cousin is president of the United States.


Muslims are cousins with piles of fat lobbyists?


Now I hate them even more.

8
Tacitus' Realm / Re: Imagine...
« on: November 20, 2010, 11:26:06 PM »
Quote from: "Anne Bonney"
Quote from: "Stonewall"
In fact, if everyone just went along with the Beatles... we'd get along just fine.

 :tup:   The song that I'm assuming this thread was titled for is so true.



CEDU had an entire workshop based on that song. And our three day workshop involved most of the music from the Plastic Ono Band. In fact, Lennon himself was into primal scream for a while.


I personally think that he was an arrogant prick, and a huge snob, and that opinion is completely independent of CEDU's general hippietard asshattery. Most of his political stunts and protests were more about him than whatever cause he was pretending to give a shit about. Ego-motherfucking-maniac.There's a great audio compilation of Lennon soundbites, remixed to music. He is being himself: talking like a complete asshole. I cant recall the name of it. (Its possible one of those youtube links in this thread is it, but Im too lazy to check.)

His music and his personal philosophy involved naive, simplistic, misguided, and totally toxic thinking. It's no accident the program had such a hard-on for him.

9
The Troubled Teen Industry / Re: Program Haiku: How was it for you?
« on: November 15, 2010, 01:19:31 AM »
It didn't get good

Til they started raping me

Then it was awesome

10
Tacitus' Realm / Re: Letter to a whiny young Democrat
« on: November 09, 2010, 11:05:15 PM »
Quote from: "psy"

Are you kidding me.  I'll vote republican if it's for somebody like Ron Paul or his son, Rand.  Otherwise i'll vote libertarian.


libertarians = conservatives who want legal pot

I kind of like having our drinking water, pharmaceuticals, utilities and foodstuffs regulated, thanks. You trust big business to regulate themselves? Good luck with that.

Student loans are also nice...


For the record, though. I no longer vote for people, just numbers and letters. You're not really voting for a politician anyway, just the choadscholars who shovel money into their piehole.

11
Quote from: "Yael Eshet Khever"
Interesting. I've noticed there's no Hebrew version of the site-- probably sticking to recruiting foreigners. I wonder where this thing is located (there are plenty of places that can be described as "desert", and you can't expect a foreigner to know when he's in the actual desert or not).
As for the instructors being ex-military people-- everybody here is ex-military. And the military culture is different from the US military. Knowing what units these guys/girls come from can tell a lot about who you're dealing with. Btw-- the law here requires armed escorts during school trips.

I don't think this thing's going to last long.

I agree with you. I would imagine that Israeli parents would opt for something more sensible, such as a kibbutz, for any teen that is being a royal pain. This really does read as something for foreigners.

12
CEDU / Brown Schools and derivatives / clones / Re: CEDU lifeboat
« on: November 09, 2010, 10:48:10 PM »
Quote from: "Inculcated"
Oh, that’s just messed up. Were these always stock characters that they assigned? If so, about how many were there and what were they?

I have my summit notebook, stored away in my "box of crazy"  underneath the stereo. You can peruse it if you want, next time you come over for absinthe or whatever the poison du jour happens to be. (I still have that bottle in the freezer, btw.) The notebook's certainly got some weird ass shit in it, yo, but most of it is just sad and pathetic.

13
CEDU / Brown Schools and derivatives / clones / Re: CEDU lifeboat
« on: October 20, 2010, 12:18:26 AM »
Interestingly enough, the lifeboat model was apparently quite a benign team-building exercise that you would normally experience on something like a ropes course. In its uncompromised form, it is a vehicle for problem-solving, and involves none of the bullshit hyperdrama guided imagery fest that we experienced in lifespring/summit. My therapist said he did something like that at camp, if memory serves, and he was pretty surprised to hear about the version I went through.

14
Tacitus' Realm / Re: The FDA Has Issued A Mass Recall Of All Food
« on: September 17, 2010, 08:57:36 PM »
Id be sad, but the gubment took my moisture away last week. (apparently, it's slippery. who knew.)

As such, I can't cry about it. Actually, I can't blink at all...  :eek:

15
The Melting Pot / Re: Get Fit Fornits thread
« on: September 17, 2010, 08:52:05 PM »
"Navy seals" ab workout. (Have no idea if the seals do it, but it's good for definition.)

40 decline push ups, 10 per hand position

1 set of concentrated curls

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