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sorry lamagonzo, you truly know nothing of what you're talking about on this one.perfectly entitled to have an opinion of course, however ill-informed, deluded and bizarre it may be. in no way is any culture or country perfect but i get the feeling you're probably this judgmental about everyone, so no matter. and again, another correction; please do NOT mention soka gakkai in the same sentence as buddhism. it does NOT have a mantra and no other practice can be a "different sect" from it because it has NOTHING to do with buddhism in any way, shape or form. any of their mantras or texts are faked. and i know what gaijin means thank you. the word is the shortened form of gaikokujin which means "person from outside Japan" or "outside the country". just like "foreigner" in english it can be used in a derogatory context but that is not the actual meaning of the word. only stupid politically correct assholes have decided that it could be offensive. it isn't. and by the way, i've never had that problem in Japan. people tend to react to you in the way in which you treat them; if you do a little research and learn another country's customs before you travel; if you treat others with respect and observe a country's rules and mannerisms you will have absolutely no problem. it is the people who bowl over there jumping queues, shouting and swearing, pissing in doorways, smoking where you shouldn't etc. and generally being an "idiot abroad" that deserve the treatment they get. this goes for any country. it's usually loud, thick, arrogant, overbearing, obnoxious behaviour that offends people. maybe shying away from confrontation and criticising behind people's back is the more charitable way of dealing with it. you do that in some parts of the UK and they'll kick your head to a bloody pulp. i don't think i'll ever figure you out lamagonzo! obviously buddhism hasn't taught you modesty and humbleness. treat each person individually not in great swathes of generalisation. maybe they tear you a new one behind your back because you deserve it?

absolutely cosmicbadger, well put.that pretend buddy-dom is particularly odious. sincerity is key. my wife is consistently irritated by people in England at her workplace who continually borrow money, or take sweets or use things without ever making an effort to replace or do likewise. 99% of the time that just doesn't happen in Japan. a "friend" is a close companion, a confident; it's not a term splashed around willy-nilly. you remember etiquette. which in some sad cases is disappearing among the younger generation. and thanks to the US's grip on that country, both in political influence and in culture, it's changing at an alarming rate. now it would be silly of me to say "americans" en masse now wouldn't it?

classic Keiser Report episode today about Christine Lagarde - "Lagarde's solution to the current crisis is to actually make money cheaper, which of course is going to drive more slavery, make goods cheaper, and will make the current problem much worse. Because, after all, she represents the kleptocrats, the oligarchs and the slave dealers; she's the Slave Master!". one of the arguments she poses for how European Banks can recapitalize is to borrow from this new 440 billion euro European stabilization fund; so more debt. "the new European stabilization fund starts off in debt, it's bankrupt from Day One. So her idea is to borrow from this bankrupt institution, which only means that the debt to equity ratio for the global banking system is to be expanded; there's no other solution that she can possibly come up with because she's just an academic neo-liberal wonk, who's only purpose in life is to theoretically come up with new ways to expand the debt burden. Her solutions are absolutely anathema to something that would be beneficial to anyone except debt peddlers of whom she represents!". way to go Max.

"buddhism hasn't taught you modesty and humbleness"???!!! i present you with a first class display of cack-handedness!!! what was that about being judgmental?........ sorry, man. getting carried away! who cares, right? in fact, TigerLilly has been rather quiet recently, let's all pick on her; bloody do-gooder.......!!!!! "i like African drum circles, i know how to use a camera......". hee heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

at the risk of overkill here....(thrash fans will understand the subject header). i'm well aware that this interview has probably been seen and commented on in the past, but being as i am, in this kinda mood this afternoon, if Suzanne Shaw hasn't suffered unbearably in her life, or better still, retired to the nearest infested ditch somewhere; can anyone name any other conversations and reportage where the truth has been so tiresomely distorted, so abundantly twisted; self-glorified showboating and miserable ego stroking. look at the state of her; a less charitable man than Jerry would have pissed in her face and reduced that lacquered hairdo to the bleached stringy sag that would and should have bind around her neck and strangle her. bitter and frustrated today? yeah, i guess.... that'll teach me for watching the news at 5.30am. heinous oxygen thief, lightened by the glow of Jerry is here - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vd-sxnfO8xE

tee hee!!!!just a little joke!!! thought i'd stir something ha ha!!!!!!! you know i'd never mean that in all seriousness!!! just bored and having a giggle, that's all!!! those photos were great; wanted to comment but couldn't think of an insightful thing to say; i've seen something similar on many occasions in Morocco; changed my wife and i's very being. so full of LIFE!

SORRY!!! didn't mean to make a crappy day even worse. i'd NEVER do that to you on purpose, only in jest! fuck you Bob Dylan, i WILL think twice in future!!! i'll apply the tape to my gaping mouth on your behalf.

consider me a Teacher; you can say to your children, "hey, please read these posts; this is an idiot... AVOID!" see, i AM good for something!

that's BOTH feet, thank you cosmicbadger; never let it be said that i do things by half!! oh, and by the way TigerLilly, the goody-goody line comes from Michael Palin's character in Life of Brian; "money for an ex-leper?". there he is, minding his own business, making a perfectly good living, and wham! "CURES me....... ...BLOODY DO-GOODER!". my wife and i always use that line when we want to take the piss out of each other; must remember that not everyone lives in our weird world ha ha!! also, that "jonapi is oh so special..." subject post should've been more explicit in saying sorry to lamagonzo; looking again at it now, it could be seen to be some vague, twisted, convoluted ramble that doesn't actually speak to the person concerned; that was supposed to be a sorry to you Gonzo for me being a bit heavy-handed in my reply. wow, i'm sure being a prick today. still, nothing new.....

Lesson No. 2: first time at an expensive spa on a lake in Japan countryside; completely forgot to use cold shower to relinquish the intense sulphur heat and mind/body numb of immersion at 2.00am overlooking starry sky. light head. thought i was still putting slippers on in the corner. i wasn't. came around, kimono open, in an elevator. legs open. naked. rural Japan. most embarrassing? not really. one to many Sapporo beers and marlboro cigarettes in the evening? missed the most incredible breakfast of fish, pickled vegetables, rice, uni, miso, natto with a view of intense beauty as the sun rose. idiot. another prick lesson for children everywhere. loser.

oh, boy, sure wished i hadn't bothered with the news this morning. one thing after another.60 countries deciding how best to carve up someone else's oil reserves; the nerve, ya know? police in London now asking for the media to hand over footage of the riots; er, excuse me? that little ol' business of freedom of the press. they don't work for you, son. "a dangerous precedent" wouldn't even begin to describe future events should this come to pass. recent "earthquake tests" in Japan; yeah, we know what happens thank you. why not just come out with it and say, "we want to wipe out the population". recent findings into the New Zealand quake that showed demolishment of one building and left surrounding construction intact; guess what was in that building? cover-ups and distortions in the build up to the 9/11 anniversary. that's what's so disrespectful to the memory of the people who lost their lives. a great film on Bill Hicks; bringing up details of the cancellation of his last Letterman appearance. lies and fob-offs. a short routine about pro-lifers; no explanation given. well whaddya know?! during the airing of the programme, pro-life advertisements were shown. and to cap it all; the Honda deal with Arsenal has fallen through and now he's injured and will miss all of the World Cup qualifiers for Japan. bummer. think i'll wait it all out with some Grateful Dead late eighties action; Brent is calling me. happy weekend everybody!

As we're coming up to the election cycle, now might be a good time to set myself up at the "National Affairs Desk" at the "National Affairs Suite" at the Lafayette Hotel & Park Suites in Concord, NH.. I need to make sense of this gibberish before they eat Obama alive. The space is most conducive to writing Fear & Loathing on the Campaign Trail '12. The rooms come with champagne and massage. I've already signed the contract with the book publisher. All that remains is to seriously assemble the drug collection. And somebody to to replace Ralph Steadman. The swine has gone off and died on me!

election cycle in the US?oh man; now THERE'S a heart of darkness for ya! i say book yourself into a suite, consume the drugs and leave it well alone; you'll wake up when it's over and feel all the better for it. cop out? maybe. to live outside the law you must be honest. how startlingly true. it's the Greek Theatre '89 doin' it for me right now.

if that mantle of TATB means "That Annoying Tiresome Bugger" i'm way ahead of you!assumed that title years ago...!!!!

A man in Brattleboro, Vermont decided to take a ride on a washed out road and went around several barriers, carrying his bike over a couple. After riding a mile or do on this flood-ravished road he fell ten feet into a brook and died. This is a prime example of natural selection and while I do feel sorry for him, I'm glad he won't be passing his genes on... This is also a cautionary tale for those who are slaves to their GPS and are continually towed off snow clogged mountains every winter.

ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!! that's my favourite of yours so far, gonzo! bad day, huh?!!!

anyone know where riggsjr is?hopefully just on holiday or taking a break. miss you, man.

Champlain Valley Fairgrounds, Essex Junction, Vermont (just outside Burlington) will be the venue for Phish's first Vermont appearance since 2004. Tickets go on sale this Saturday for the show in Vermont. Otherwise the $75 tickets can be had by lottery from their website. The show will be on Saturday, Sept. 14th. I'm not a phish-head but if you could see what a mess this state is in you'd know it's a worthy cause for Vermont's own jam band.

...have been made on Washington DC and NYC. Homeland Security has urged all Americans to increase their vigilance going into this weekend. If we successfully repel all attacks this weekend then it may very well be true that AQ no longer has the organizational and financial capability to attack the Homeland and that would be very good news. Let us pray the days of random hate-mongering and killing and maiming are past.

President Obama came out swinging with a firebrand speech in announcing a new jobs plan. He makes the plain point that Americans who are out of work don't have the luxury of waiting 14 months till the next election for a new batch of talking heads to come in and take a year to come up with Bush's old policies (let the corporations write the rules). It is clear that the Republicans strategy is to just day 'NO" to everything Obama proposes and do it with slash and burn scorched earth politics like using the filibuster endlessly. Sorry to say it but anybody who doesn't understand that this is a class war just isn't listening. Rick Perry calling social security a ponzie scheme and saying that global warming doesn't exist as America stands amidst the ruins of multiple weather catastrophes jusy isn't paying attention. Maybe you can fool most of the people all of the time. If so, too bad kids, we just sold your future down the river and when you finally wake up the ugly truth and riot because there is no future we'll just call you terrorists and build more jails to throw you in. What a bummer, huh?

did AQ ever have the organisational and financial capabilities? maybe it will end when we stop funding them. interesting piece on the news this morning with US soldiers, estimating that nearly 90% of Afghans have no idea what 9/11 is; couldn;t even answer when shown pictures. be interesting to see what happens in Libya too; all that support by the West for the rebels when we have no idea who they are. sometimes it can pay to know who your nutty dictators are. and then we had Tony Blair yesterday coming out with "Iran is the real threat"; like there is an ounce, a shred, a morsel, a droplet of credibility is that stupid man.

...to us (Wseterners) funding AQ? It does seem that there is some truth that those who buy Heroin and Hash that originate in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran are directly supporting our enemies. There was a TV ad campaign in America to that point about 5 years ago. Afghan's don't know what 9/11 is? Not a surprise when you only speak Pashtun and only have a radio that may or may not get Al Jazeera, Tony Blair babbles about Iran? I'm inclined to believe he is correct. They are propping up Syria right now and they play a very cynical game in the Palestinian territories. What is worse is that they act as a proxy for China and Russia. It would be nice to see Iran fall like the other Arab states. Speaking of which, when people are so oppressed chaos is preferable to the unendurable then they will choose chaos and hope something better comes about, I'm not optimistic and Tony Blair speaks for no one but himself.

Well, i was referring to governments arming these terrorists, not regular people buying drugs, although that will happen.There has been many a documentaries on US troops serving out there and they are fully aware that a lot of their fellow men are being killed, essentially by their own guns. The arms trade has made a mockery out of human life. And in Libya, we just don't know who these "rebels" actually are; don't be surprised when this comes back to bite us on the ass. The only footage we're consistently seeing from Libya is the rebels celebrating or fighting etc. We very rarely see interviews with ordinary citizens who are just trying to get by. The gun is now a symbol of revolution there with small children parading their weapons like teddy bears. I guess we'll just have to wait and see how this all pans out really. The Iranian government is suspect but who's done the most invading recently? I trust the US government about as much too. I'm sure the West's politicians would love to see Iran fall. Can conquer them claiming a victory for democracy, divide up anything of worth, and then stand and watch incredulously as the younger generations rise up and attack them a la 9/11 (if you believe that to be AQ by the way). Couple of knee-jerk reactions later and we can spend spend spend on Defense while the citizens are without jobs, without money and without homes. Over and over and over again. I don't believe that we keep making the same mistakes out of incompetence. I believe we make them on purpose for the benefit of a few. But anyway, don't want to end a Friday with negative thoughts. For anyone affected by 9/11, i hope this anniversary brings a little more light as the years pass. Me, i'll be staying away from the news and television; i don't wish to see people's death 1000's of times. Not the appropriate way to honour someone's Soul. By the way gonzo, going off topic, but have you read "Healing with Form, Energy and Light" by Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche? I'm currently making my way through it; very interesting.

The tour from hell. Are their teeny Tony groupies with t-shirts in the front row? Americans are so apathetic about everything HOW is a political figure going on an arena tour in the US, especially one from another country? Hey wait, are joking with us GDean??

Tiger Lilly got her child home safe & sound. Sanity may prevail in the Republican primaries.Everybody (almost everybody) has their power and phone back on the East Coast from Irene. We dodged Katia. The Greeks didn't default on their debt. Small things, I know, but very important if you were the one being effected. Have a great weekend everybody! It's still the land of the free and the home of the brave!!

Although it's really hard, I try to understand that they probably have a hard time getting a job, too. They probably don't want to paint other people's web sites for a living and they have to work really hard just to make a few bucks at this part-time job. Having said that, I sure wish they'd make their living elsewhere!

The talking heads were all on full parade yesterday, as was to be expected, as well as the families of victims and first responders. Those who protect us and fight our wars were marching shoulder-to-shoulder, as they should be. But there was something eerie about the whole thing. Like the great big giant white elephant in the room. Part of that elephant is the myth that there has not been another attack on our soil for the last ten years, which easily forgets Major Nidal's afternoon of human target practise about 2 years ago on an US Army Post. The greater part of that white elephant is the lack of clear moral reasoning after the killing and maiming of about 2 million people in two wars that continue to this day. Part of that white elephant has to do with the incorporation of suicide on the part of our troops as some sort of bravery. The biggest part of that white elephant has to do with the rational, how the red, white & blue is all true and strong and the enemy is all black and evil. When you get right down to thinking about it, nothing seems very black and white and nothing will ever seem truly safe again. 10 years have past and an eternity is yet to come.

I hate to bore the regulars here but I feel a mighty rant coming on. Sometimes it's me using this as a way to work through my thoughts for the day or week or month. Whatever, I think it is relevant and meaningful. In this case it's about how good of a President we now have (relatively speaking) and how hard he is at work trying to put those of us in the 0$ - $250k category back to work. Unfortunately, he has to do this against the headwind of a Republican primary which is like the rich unloading an atomic bomb of hot air with absolutely no substance every time Obama opens his mouth. But the press covers permanent erections like Rick Perry as if anything coming out of his mouth was a thoughtful idea. Don't the poor to middle-class have any inkling of what is to come if Obama is not re-elected and then another candidate like him for another 8 years? It will mean an end to entitlement programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security and, eventually, staggering tax hikes on everybody but least of all those making more than $250k. Not to mention the abolition of the inheritance tax and more and more corporate tax loopholes while corporations get more and more human rights. Nobody will address climate change. We already tried letting corporations run things and we found out they were psychopathic monsters bent on profit to the exclusion of all else. What is frightening is that they are becoming Artificial Intelligence so that not even the mad scientists who created them will not be able to put the brakes on. Without a Democratic primary this year to release a a slightly less full ark of hot air the bandwidth will be controlled by people trying to tell you, the common man/woman, that it is very good to follow the idea that only the rich and corporations know how to put people back to work in a competitive world economy. And the middle-class and below seem prepared to swallow it hook, line and sinker, ~ Clank your chains Count your change And try to walk the line ~