Mercuriors LJ Blog

me taken at xmas

2010-01-02T23:40:51Z

Pictures of me

2010-01-02T23:39:18Z

Lorem Ipsum

2009-02-18T17:52:21Z

Neque porro quisquam est qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit..."

"There is no one who loves pain itself, who seeks after it and wants to have it, simply because it is pain..."

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Phasellus feugiat sem quis nibh. Aliquam erat volutpat. Phasellus condimentum massa sed quam. Quisque ullamcorper turpis eu lorem laoreet elementum. Nullam ullamcorper. Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas. Cras dui sem, venenatis ut, ultrices in, porttitor et, ante. Morbi blandit metus ac lectus. Suspendisse potenti. Nunc ac pede in nulla dapibus fringilla.

Vivamus ornare. Vestibulum iaculis imperdiet dui. Nulla facilisi. Donec at mauris. Cras quam. Aliquam erat volutpat. Ut ac arcu. Sed turpis. Fusce sodales mi. Aenean nec nunc. Aenean nec risus id nibh pretium egestas. Suspendisse mi felis, tristique non, viverra sed, blandit commodo, metus. Sed vel tellus. Maecenas quis risus et justo laoreet congue. Fusce molestie mi ac libero. Nam purus neque, porttitor non, tincidunt eget, posuere lacinia, odio. Suspendisse quam.

Vestibulum tempus neque id velit. Phasellus scelerisque, sapien vitae facilisis mattis, libero ipsum accumsan diam, vel faucibus nibh nulla at elit. Curabitur magna lorem, consectetur eu, laoreet vitae, suscipit a, nisl. Maecenas in magna quis sem elementum volutpat. Curabitur faucibus lectus id lectus consequat lacinia. Proin nulla nibh, laoreet et, viverra sed, consequat id, erat. Suspendisse mattis dolor et felis. Maecenas pretium libero ut augue. Duis ut dui non erat facilisis dignissim. Morbi fermentum. Proin volutpat mi.

Nulla facilisi. Morbi placerat libero vitae elit. Pellentesque sollicitudin feugiat ligula. Fusce sit amet nibh. Quisque sed odio. Morbi at nisi sit amet lorem lobortis pellentesque. Duis iaculis elementum est. Etiam fringilla lectus a nibh. Proin ut diam eu tellus blandit cursus. Nunc erat nunc, suscipit eu, congue in, cursus sagittis, ligula. Fusce tempus elit vel eros condimentum consequat. Nullam neque lorem, hendrerit vestibulum, euismod sit amet, semper sed, tortor. Nulla a mauris. Nunc mattis. Nullam sit amet lectus.

Vivamus placerat, odio vel tincidunt faucibus, justo sapien varius nisi, in sodales dolor nisl et est. Proin sit amet tellus. Ut egestas luctus nulla. Ut accumsan. Vivamus vitae dui in felis fermentum varius. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Fusce congue molestie orci. Curabitur ac turpis. Vestibulum metus. Maecenas dui. Maecenas elit dolor, vestibulum nec, faucibus vel, consectetur ut, neque. Nam tristique eros id magna. Nam dignissim tortor ut metus. Nullam quis velit a eros varius fermentum.

may 5th songs

2009-02-04T13:26:21Z

THE 2000s

2008 ... "Bleeding Love" by Leona Lewis
2007 ... "Girlfriend" by Avril Lavigne
2006 ... "Bad Day" by Daniel Powter
2005 ... "Hollaback Girl" by Gwen Stefani
2004 ... "Yeah!" by Usher featuring Ludacris & Lil Jon
2003 ... "Get Busy" by Sean Paul
2002 ... "Foolish" by Ashanti
2001 ... "All for You" by Janet
2000 ... "Maria Maria" by Santana featuring The Product G&B

THE 1990s

1999 ... "Livin' La Vida Loca" by Ricky Martin
1998 ... "Too Close" by Next
1997 ... "Hypnotize" by The Notorious B.I.G.
1996 ... "Always Be My Baby" by Mariah Carey
1995 ... "This Is How We Do It" by Montell Jordan
1994 ... "The Sign" by Ace of Base
1993 ... "Freak Me" by Silk
1992 ... "Jump" by Kris Kross
1991 ... "Joyride" by Roxette
1990 ... "Nothing Compares 2 U" by Sinead O'Connor

THE 1980s

1989 ... "Like a Prayer" by Madonna
1988 ... "Wishing Well" by Terence Trent D'Arby
1987 ... "(I Just) Died in Your Arms" by Cutting Crew
1986 ... "West End Girls" by The Pet Shop Boys
1985 ... "Crazy for You" by Madonna
1984 ... "Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" by Phil Collins
1983 ... "Beat It" by Michael Jackson
1982 ... "Chariots of Fire" by Vangelis
1981 ... "Morning Train (9 to 5)" by Sheena Easton
1980 ... "Call Me" by Blondie

THE 1970s

1979 ... "Reunited" by Peaches & Herb
1978 ... "Night Fever" by The Bee Gees
1977 ... "Hotel California" by The Eagles
1976 ... "Welcome Back" by John Sebastian
1975 ... "He Don't Love You (Like I Love You)" by Tony Orlando & Dawn
1974 ... "The Loco-Motion" by Grand Funk
1973 ... "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree" by Tony Orlando & Dawn
1972 ... "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" by Roberta Flack
1971 ... "Joy to the World" by Three Dog Night
1970 ... "American Woman/ No Sugar Tonight" by The Guess Who

THE 1960s

1969 ... "Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In" by The Fifth Dimension
1968 ... "Honey" by Bobby Goldsboro
1967 ... "Somethin' Stupid" by Nancy Sinatra & Frank Sinatra
1966 ... "Monday, Monday" by The Mamas & the Papas
1965 ... "Mrs. Brown You've Got a Lovely Daughter" by Herman's Hermits
1964 ... "Hello, Dolly!" by Louis Armstrong
1963 ... "I Will Follow Him" by Little Peggy March
1962 ... "Soldier Boy" by The Shirelles
1961 ... "Runaway" by Del Shannon
1960 ... "Stuck on You" by Elvis Presley

THE 1950s

1959 ... "The Happy Organ" by Dave "Baby" Cortez
1958 ... "Witch Doctor" by David Seville
1957 ... "All Shook Up" by Elvis Presley
1956 ... "Heartbreak Hotel" by Elvis Presley
1955 ... "Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White" by Perez Prado
1954 ... "Wanted" by Perry Como
1953 ... "The Doggie in the Window" by Patti Page
1952 ... "Wheel of Fortune" by Kay Starr
1951 ... "How High the Moon" by Les Paul & Mary Ford
1950 ... "'The Third Man' Theme" by Anton Karas

THE 1940s

1949 ... "Cruising Down the River" by Russ Morgan
1948 ... "Mañana (Is Soon Enough for Me)" by Peggy Lee
1947 ... "Heartaches" by Ted Weems
1946 ... "Prisoner of Love" by Perry Como
1945 ... "My Dreams Are Getting Better All the Time" by Les Brown
1944 ... "I Love You" by Bing Crosby
1943 ... "I've Heard That Song Before" by Harry James
1942 ... "Tangerine" by Jimmy Dorsey
1941 ... "Amapola (Pretty Little Poppy)" by Jimmy Dorsey
1940 ... "Tuxedo Junction" by Glenn Miller

THE 1930s

1939 ... "Our Love" by Tommy Dorsey
1938 ... "Please Be Kind" by Red Norvo
1937 ... "Sweet Leilani" by Bing Crosby
1936 ... "A Melody from the Sky" by Jan Garber
1935 ... "Lullaby of Broadway" by Dorsey Brothers Orchestra
1934 ... "Little Dutch Mill" by Bing Crosby
1933 ... "Stormy Weather" by Leo Reisman featuring Harold Arlen
1932 ... "Paradise" by Leo Reisman
1931 ... "Dream a Little Dream of Me" by Wayne King
1930 ... "Stein Song (University of Maine)" by Rudy Vallee

THE 1920s

1929 ... "Honey" by Rudy Vallee
1928 ... "Ramona" by Paul Whiteman
1927 ... "Blue Skies" by Ben Selvin
1926 ... "Always" by George Olsen
1925 ... "I'll See You in My Dreams" by Isham Jones with Ray Miller's Orchestra
1924 ... "It Ain't Gonna Rain No Mo'" by Wendell Hall
1923 ... "Parade of the Wooden Soldiers" by Paul Whiteman
1922 ... "Angel Child" by Al Jolson
1921 ... "O-H-I-O (O-My! O!)" by Al Jolson
1920 ... "Swanee" by Al Jolson

THE 1910s

1919 ... "Till We Meet Again" by Nicholas Orlando's Orchestra
1918 ... "Just a Baby's Prayer at Twilight (for Her Daddy Over There)" by Henry Burr
1917 ... "Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag (and Smile, Smile, Smile)" by Knickerbocker Quartet
1916 ... "I Love a Piano" by Billy Murray
1915 ... "I Didn't Raise My Boy to Be a Soldier" by Morton Harvey
1914 ... "Rebecca of Sunny-brook Farm" by American Quartet
1913 ... "When I Lost You" by Henry Burr
1912 ... "That Haunting Melody" by Al Jolsonw
1911 ... "I Love the Name of Mary" by Will Oakland
1910 ... "By the Light of the Silvery Moon" by Billy Murray & Haydn Quartet

THE 1900s

1909 ... "Shine On, Harvest Moon" by Harry MacDonough & "Miss Watson" (Elise Stevenson)
1908 ... "Wouldn't You Like to Have Me for a Sweetheart?" by Ada Jones & Billy Murray
1907 ... "Because You're You" by Harry MacDonough & Elise Stevenson
1906 ... "So Long, Mary" by Corrine Morgan
1905 ... "In the Shade of the Old Apple Tree" by Henry Burr
1904 ... "Navajo" by Billy Murray
1903 ... "In the Good Old Summer Time" by Sousa's Band
1902 ... "On a Sunday Afternoon" by J.W. Myers
1901 ... "Tell Me, Pretty Maiden" by Harry MacDonough & Grace Spencer
1900 ... "When You Were Sweet Sixteen" by Jere Mahoney

THE 1890s

1899 ... "Hello, Ma Baby" by Arthur Collins
1898 ... "Break the News to Mother" by George J. Gaskin
1897 ... "My Mother Was a Lady" by Dan Quinn
1896 ... "Dat New Bully" by Len Spencer
1895 ... "The Sidewalks of New York" by J.W. Myers
1894 ... "Say Au Revoir, But Not Goodbye" by Edward M. Favor
1893 ... "After the Ball" by George J. Gaskin
1892 ... "Sally in Our Alley" by Manhansett Quartette
1891 ... "The Laughing Song" by George Washington Johnson

This shouldnt be funny

2009-01-30T18:50:42Z

http://www.wpxi.com/news/18583061/detail.html#-

Wednesday, January 28, 2009 – updated: 10:27 am EST January 28, 2009 LATROBE, Pa. -- Police said a Latrobe teenager who lost his right hand and leg in an explosion has acknowledged playing with a powerful firework, and was not targeted or threatened as he first told police.

Wesley Kimmick, 17, of Latrobe, remains hospitalized at UPMC Presbyterian in Pittsburgh after a Jan. 10 explosion at his grandmother's home.

Latrobe police said the teenager was playing with a large firecracker like an M-80 in his grandmother's house.

"There was a quarter stick of dynamite in the house where he was staying, and he got a hold of it and it blew him up basically," said his mother, Heather Adams.

The boy kept lighting and extinguishing the fuse and when it wouldn't go out, police said he put the firework between his thighs and covered it with his right hand in hopes of muffling the explosion.

Police said the boy first told them the explosive blew up in a backpack after he was the target of threats from unknown people

Joke

2009-01-30T18:49:39Z

After having 14 children Paddy and his wife decide that enough is enough, so go to the doctor to see what can be done about it.The doctor tells Paddy that there is a procedure called a vasectomy that could fix the problem. He tells Paddy to go home, put a pipe bomb in a small tin container, put it up against his ear and count to ten.

Paddy tells the doctor that he may not be the smartest man in the world but he doesnt see how that would work. So, in anger Paddy drives to a 2nd Doctor.

The 2nd Doctor tells Paddy the same, put a pipe bomb in a small tin container and put it up against his ear and count to ten. Paddy decides that BOTH doctors cant be wrong, so goes home.

He makes the pipe bomb, places it in a tin can and holds it up to his ear, and begins to count "1,2,3,4,5...", at which point he paused, placed the can between his legs and resumed counting on the other hand.

its odd

2009-01-23T21:11:29Z

i havent posted on here for 2 weeks, and yet i get a comment from someone about a board i have no control over, when i dont actually say anything. and yet they come here, and essentially say i am looking down upon a woman with pPdepression.

have a look at the link,

hahahhttp://www.refugees.bratfree.com/read.php?2,57246,57251#msg-57251 i just doubt that kid is there, what kind of mother would hammer stuff while it sleeps, wraps it up like a mummy, all i said i think, notice the *I*, that she put so much presure on herself and others to have a child thats its not beyond possibility that this child may be a hallucination. it has happened before to others.

yet these people come to here, and troll me. could it be they are jealous of my freedom, or they want the martyr syndrome effect. oh look at the nasty person picking on me.

yes i may be childfree, yes i may not like children today. but thats my freedom isnt it?

so why come here to my journal, make possibly inflammatory comments. to get me riled up to get me arguing, to be honest i dont really care, i live my life how i want too, i dont come to your boards and have a go at you do i. so who is taking the moral highground.. i think thats me. i am not going to sink to your levels. i could and i could have fun. but not doing it will really annoy you.. so ;- i am going to really annoy you

have fun.

me ages ago

2009-01-03T21:07:59Z

a picture of me taken ages ago

picture of me.

2008-04-26T09:34:07Z

Taken a while ago, i know i look miserable, but this is me

mercurior @ 2008-04-23T20:25:00

2008-04-23T19:26:19Z

This is the problem with the western civilisation, we know better than everyone else, who are gods chosen, we are the shining light of civilisation, we dont understand other cultures, because we base on our tiny limited lives. lives of comfort. Who is to really say what is right for any adult. So long as it hurts no one else.

Not one culture is right, not one is wrong. Its when people say my culture is better than yours, thats when the problems start. Western culture may not be better than the old tibetan culture, just different. yet people are so dismissive at the very idea that other cultures other systems MAY possibly work better than ours. Thats the whole problem.

Who does it hurt if consenting adults, marry, even if they are same sex, or marry many people. so long as there is love. Western culture of which i am a part of, beleive they are superior, because they are the west.

Now which society is better? spain with bull fighting, mexico with dog fighting, western with human fighting each other to brain injury. Which society is better? Is america better, or britain, or china, or japan, or russia. each group says they are better. But are they..

Western christian society says we should all breed like rabbits. does that mean we should to fit in with society, when we have a right to live how we want. to have a state say who we can or cannot marry. (so long as it hurts no one, and everyone has a freedom of choice and that includes the freedom of knowledge to make their own decision)

We spend years looking down on other cultures from our "lofty" western culture, does that mean we are right and they are wrong. NO just different.

Who decides, what is right in society, many years ago gay people couldnt get married, now they can in some places. are the societies that deny this, worse or better than ours. THEY are not they are the same.

And shouldnt it be about Love, and respect. rather than the crudity of sex thats brought into every conversation, the blame it on men, they are only animals only after sex. Imagine a culture where you can be with the people you love, be they male or female, one or many, and there is no "its yukky". or other stuff. just a form of love that most wont know, or even attempt to think maybe their way could be better.

So other cultures have nothing to teach us, or any other culture apparently. any other system that may work better or it may not. When we deny the possibility we may be wrong, thats when we start looking down upon everyone else.

welcome to big brother

2007-03-11T21:42:31Z

imagine a country, where your not permitted to travel, unless you have an ID card, you cant leave the country to visit friends or family,.

imagine a country that fingerprints children as young as 3 years old and then they get told to not tell your parents as its a secret.

imagine a country where over 3000 new crimes has been created in the last 10 years.

imagine a country, where single parents, are paid to have children, and the children get money for it

imagine a country where the word man is banned,

imagine a country which doesnt allow cash to be used, it all must be electronic

imagine a country, which vaccinates children against, smoking, drugs and other addictions

imagine a country with a dna database, and fingerprints and biometrics, and car details.

imagine a country that promotes bullying of vulnerable people

imagine a country where 3 year olds are tested, and checked, with psychological tests, make notes about them

imagine a country where reading is considered to be the province of nerds

now can you name that country, is it iraq, no.. is it isreal/palestine... no, ah is it russia, wrong again, i know china, definitely china, sorry your wrong again..

its tou will never guess this...... its the UNITED KINGDOM

dialectic grammar

2007-01-30T10:11:48Z

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dialect

A standard dialect (also known as a standardized dialect or "standard language") is a dialect that is supported by institutions. Such institutional support may include government recognition or designation; presentation as being the "correct" form of a language in schools; published grammars, dictionaries, and textbooks that set forth a "correct" spoken and written form; and an extensive formal literature that employs that dialect (prose, poetry, non-fiction, etc.). There may be multiple standard dialects associated with a language. For example, Standard American English, Southern English, Standard British English, and Standard Indian English may all be said to be standard dialects of the English language.

A nonstandard dialect, like a standard dialect, has a complete vocabulary, grammar, and syntax, but is not the beneficiary of institutional support.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_dialects_of_the_English_language#Europe

This is a list of varieties of the English language. Dialects are varieties differing in pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar not to be confused with the regional accents of English speakers, which mark speakers as members of groups by their various pronunciations of the standard language

In "BLEEP" we trust?

2007-01-27T12:12:08Z

'Bleep' bless you ma'am: censor goes too far
By Catherine Elsworth in Los Angeles
Last Updated: 2:05am GMT 27/01/2007

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=XIVFAX2TGWNY1QFIQMFCFF4AVCBQYIV0?xml=/news/2007/01/27/wbeep27.x ml

An over-zealous censor bleeped out all references to God when editing an in-flight version of the Oscar-nominated film The Queen.

The operator had been told to remove all profanities when preparing a version for several commercial airlines.

When one of the characters addresses the Queen, played by Helen Mirren, passengers aboard certain Delta and Air New Zealand flights heard: "(Bleep) bless you, ma'am" rather than "God".

advertisementJeff Klein, president of Jaguar Distribution, which supplied the airlines, said the removal of God in seven instances was a mistake by an employee who had taken his instructions too literally. The films have been replaced with unedited copies.

Multiculturally discombobulated

2007-01-26T10:19:48Z

Multiculturally discombobulated

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,172-2562619,00.html

Alan Coren: Notebook

In Monday’s Times you may have spotted that a woman who nipped into WH Smith in Cambridge to buy a packet of cigarettes couldn’t. She couldn’t, because the shop assistant was a Muslim, and it was against her religion to sell tobacco. Fine, but that is not, in Wednesday’s Times, my point: my point is that WH Smith said: the customer should have realised the assistant was Muslim and would not sell tobacco.
A bizarre commercial policy, you may think, to employ salespeople who can’t sell things, but that isn’t my point, either. My point is: where does WH Smith get off expecting everyone in Fenland to know that Muslims mustn’t sell fags? In our exponentially diversifying multiculture — followers of the Bulgarian Orthodox church will be disembarking here any minute now, and may well, for all I know, or don’t, not be permitted to use handkerchiefs in public — should it be demanded of us that we read every word of the small print of everyone else’s beliefs and traditions?

I was watching BBC news last night, which not only reported that a Muslim policewoman had refused on religious grounds to shake hands with the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, but also invited viewers to phone in and babble their views. Thousands, of course, rang up, as thousands always will at such prompting, and while some of them, no doubt, hoped to win a cruise to Acapulco or a chance to join the news team of cheeky girls and shriek at them until voted off by viewers, one of them at least had something worth saying; which, at the end of the news, we were told he had said. He said: “As an orthodox Jew, I totally support the Islamic policewoman.”

Which surprised me a bit, until I phoned an observant friend who told me that orthodox Jewish women do not shake hands with men, either. I didn’t know that, did you? WH Smith would expect you to. Indeed, it is probably worth inquiring, before popping into your local branch, whether the shaven-headed assistant in the saffron robe and fingerbells is allowed by Buddha to sell you a bottle of Quink. And if, on the bus home, you give up your seat to a strap-hanging Hindu grannie, will all hell break loose at the gross offence you have unwittingly caused by suggesting she sit in your male dent?

No transport is easy, these days. In Tuesday’s Times we learnt of a poor sap who is suing Qantas for chucking him off its London plane because he was wearing an anti-Bush T-shirt. And had it been a cross? A Rastafarian wristband? An Old Etonian tie? A white yarmulke open to doubt as to whether he was the Pope, and thus likely to offend atheist passengers, or merely an Adelaide rabbi supporting a Plymouth Brother’s right not to appear on CCTV because God had forbidden his image to be graven?

Do I believe in Donald Rumsfeld? I do not know, and if I did, I wouldn’t dare say. I know only that every day brings more things we do not know we do not know

Lobotomies for all

2007-01-26T10:19:08Z

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=UGJPHJ25UWNGVQFIQMFCFF4AVCBQYIV0?xml=/news/2007/01/26/nsmoke26.xml

The brain zone that makes us smoke
By Roger Highfield, Science Editor
Last Updated: 2:40am GMT 26/01/2007

(what else will they solve with..

Scientists have discovered that some brain-damaged patients can give up smoking effortlessly, which could herald a major breakthrough in treating nicotine cravings.

A region deep in the brain called the insula is intimately involved in smoking addiction, and damage to this structure can erase the body's urge to light up a cigarette.

Indeed, the structure, which is the size of a 50p piece, is being billed as possibly the "Achilles heel" of addiction.

The study published today in the journal Science was inspired by a patient who had smoked about 40 cigarettes a day before suffering a stroke. He quit immediately afterwards.

"I forgot the urge to smoke," he told the team led by Dr Antoine Bechara of the University of Southern California, who worked with colleagues at the University of Iowa.

"This man had smoked since the age of 14 and had his stroke at age 28," Dr Bechara told The Daily Telegraph. "He tried so many times before to quit but was never able to.

"But he smoked his last cigarette on the evening before his stroke and has not lit up another in over 10 years now. His quitting was like a switch being turned off."

The scientists concluded that insula damage reduced the patients' actual urge to smoke rather than reducing the pleasurable experience.

Prof Paul Matthews, of the University of Oxford and Imperial College, and vice-president for GlaxoSmith Kline, said: "The most remarkable finding in this study is that damage to a particular brain area may block this urge.

"Now we can ask: could a functional neurosurgeon implant stimulation electrodes to do the same thing? Could there be a surgical 'cure' for smoking?"

Bullies 'exploit' healthy eating

2007-01-26T10:18:23Z

Bullies 'exploit' healthy eating

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/6297041.stm

Jamie Oliver spearheaded a campaign to reform school dinners
Children vulnerable to eating disorders are being put under increased pressure by the government's school dinner reforms, a teachers' union has said.
The healthy eating plan in England has given bullies "seeming justification" to target children about their size, warns the NASUWT.

It said children of increasingly young ages are developing eating disorders.

The Department for Education said it worked with schools to take tough action against all forms of bullying.

"Clearly it's vital that young people take part in sport at school and eat healthy meals," a spokesman said.

"But schools should not tolerate bullying related to weight or any other issue."

'Deeply hidden'

The government promised £280m to improve school dinners in England, including tougher nutritional guidelines, following a campaign by the TV chef Jamie Oliver.

NASUWT general secretary Chris Keates told a union event in Manchester that bullying over body image was a much neglected issue.

"There is anecdotal evidence that the government's important and well intentioned healthy eating programme for schools has increased the pressure on overweight youngsters and made them even more vulnerable," she said.

Media coverage of the strategies and TV programmes on overweight youngsters had in some cases oversimplified the issues, she added.

She also warned the problem of homophobic bullying was an "even more deeply hidden" problem with many pupils unwilling to report incidents

Multiculturally discombobulated

2007-01-24T10:08:09Z

I am all for curing female cancers.

2007-01-22T10:33:53Z

yes i am, i want all cancers cured, unfortunatly, theres a lot of press about female cancers, how they are getting more funding, now thats ok.. apart from one tiny little fact, that men get cancer too, prostate cancer kills almost as much as breast cancer kills women, but do you ever hear of male cancer help, if you do its so rare.. and did you know men can suffer from breast cancer too.

Although rare in males, figures released from Breakthrough Breast Cancer, the leading breast cancer research charity, show up to 300 UK males will be diagnosed with breast cancer each year and the figure is likely to increase due to a lack of awareness.

http://www.metro.co.uk/metrosexual/article.html?in_article_id=20993&in_page_id=8

http://www.thecancerblog.com/2005/10/14/male-breast-cancer-frequently-ignored-or-misdiagnosed/

why is it that , more is spent on female cancers, than is spent on male cancers.

do people hate men, and want them all to die.. see this is a problem of major proportions****

http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/785251/in_race_to_treat_cancer_are_men_sidelined_by_the/index.html?source=r_health

The Orchid Cancer Appeal, which campaigns for research into prostate and testicular cancer, is one of the few charities which focus on male cancers.

Angus Somerville, its chief executive, said three times the amount of money was spent on research into breast cancer as against prostate cancer, despite the fact that many unknowns remained about the diagnosis and treatment of the male disease

"We do not yet have the Herceptin of prostate cancer and as far as I know we are quite a long way away from that," he said. "The breast cancer charities are on a much bigger scale, have a much louder voice, and the result is that breast cancer is one of those issues at the front of everyone's minds. Men's cancers are about ten years behind."
****
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/NCI/research-funding

breast cancer $560 million , prostate $305 million.

so what is going on, is this fair, no, is this equal , no.

but its only men, they dont matter..

Why did the professor cross the road?

2007-01-11T09:53:35Z

to get beaten up and arrested, naturally.

Historian 'pinned to ground by US police and beaten for jaywalking'
By Laura Clout
Last Updated: 2:14am GMT 11/01/2007

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/01/11/nhistorian11.xml

A distinguished British historian claims he was knocked to the ground by an American policeman before being arrested and spending eight hours in jail — because he crossed the road in the wrong place.

Prof Fernandez-Armesto after crossing the street in the wrong place

Felipe Fernandez-Armesto said he had been the victim of "terrible, terrible violence" after he inadvertently committed the offence of "jaywalking" in Atlanta, Georgia, last week and failed to realise the man telling him to stop was an officer.

The slight, bespectacled professor claimed that five burly officers pinned him to the ground after Kevin Leonpacher kicked his legs from under him as he hesitated to show his ID.

He was left "traumatised and disorientated" and with a gashed forehead as he was taken to the local jail and charged with pedestrian failure to obey a police officer and physical obstruction of police.

The academic, professor of global environmental history at Queen Mary College, University of London, and a member of Oxford University's modern history faculty, said he had been subjected to "very humiliating procedures" and even had his box of peppermints confiscated.

advertisementThe 56-year-old appeared in court the next day, "tortured" by the fear of getting a criminal record that would wreck his chances of getting a green card allowing him to work in America. But prosecutors dropped the charges.

Atlanta's police chief ordered an inquiry after the mayor raised the incident.

Prof Fernandez-Armesto, who is also a member of the history department at Tufts University, Massachusetts, was in Atlanta for the convention of the American Historical Association. He said he was crossing the road and became aware of a "rather intrusive young man shouting at me telling me that I shouldn't have crossed the road there".

Because he was wearing a "rather louche" bomber jacket that covered his uniform, the professor did not realise he was a policeman.

"I thanked him for his advice and went on," said the professor. When Officer Leonpacher tried to stop him and demanded to see identification, the professor asked to see his, which he "didn't take kindly to". "He said 'I am going to arrest you'," Prof Fernandez-Armesto said. "In the culture I come from this wouldn't mean that the conversation was over.

"Nor would it mean that you were about to be subjected to terrible, terrible violence. This young man kicked my legs from under me, wrenched me round in what I think is a sort of a judo move, pinned me to the ground, wrenched my arms behind my back and handcuffed me.

"Naturally I was bridling at this moment and he called his colleagues to his assistance. I had five burly policemen pinioning me to the ground, pressing my neck with really very severe pain. I'm a mass of contusions and grazes.

"I was traumatised, disorientated, my conference programme was in the gutter and I was begging them to give it back to me and to give me my spectacles back," he said. "I still find it incredible that an ageing, mild-mannered professor of impeccable antecedent, should be the subject of such abominable treatment."

The professor, who has written books on the Americas and global exploration, was handcuffed to another suspected criminal in a "filthy, foetid paddy wagon" to be transported to jail and had his fingerprints and mugshot taken. With his bail set at £720 but with no way to get the cash, Prof Fernandez-Armesto remained incarcerated, until he eventually got out with the help of a professional bail agent.

In court the following day he explained to the judge and charges were dropped.

Officer Leonpacher denied that he overreacted, saying the historian repeatedly refused to co-operate. The 28-year-old told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "I used an excessive amount of discretion."

Atlanta's mayor, Shirley Franklin, said: "We want everyone who visits Atlanta to find Atlanta to be friendly and helpful."

The professor said he had no plans to sue, adding: "It was actually a fantastic experience going into that detention centre and spending time with those miserable wretches of the earth. I feel I've learnt more than I would have in important sessions of the Historical Association."

***

the other part is, we dont have identification, you can walk into any bar and if you look 18, they serve you, you dont need ID, to walk down the street, you dont need ID, to show the police, you can cross at any point on the road, so long as you look left and right.

police here wear full uniforms, not bomber jackets, ask anyone who has visited the UK, if people get arrested for crossing the road, (dear god what about the chicken in america it would be arrested)

i went into a bar, when i was over in america, i wasnt drinking alcohol, i didnt want to drink alcohol, and they still asked to see my ID, i mean, you get told keep your passport safe dont take it out, but then they ask for an ID, what are you to do, keep it safe so you can get home, or take it with you, but yes i went into a bar, and they asked for my ID, you have seen me, do i look 21, did i have a drink of alcohol.. no.. this kind of incident makes america les attractive to visit.

perhaps he looked like a terrorist, or a foreigner. also in the UK, you are entitled to see ID of any police officer in the form of a warrant card, because how easy is it to get a costume of a police man, the warrant cards are proof. either the police officer was too EXTREME in doing the law, or he didnt understand that not everyone is american, or is used to the weird laws..but to call for 5 officers to arrest one man..

and its so easy to get a job (sarcasm)

2007-01-08T09:53:10Z

and its not just people his age, its my age too, i have sent off maybe 2000 applications and form letters and cv's.. but i get stuff like i should move to where there are jobs.. cant no money, i should learn to drive.. cant no money. should start my own business.. cant no money.

According to new figures which differ with the Government's own data he is just one of 5.2 million people currently seeking work in the UK -at a cost of £61billion a year to the taxpayer. The startling statistics - published by the House of Commons library earlier this month - is a major blow to Labour boasts that it has brought joblessness to its lowest level since the mid-1970s

its because they alter the way its counted, if your on a government training scheme, then you are not unemployed.. your "training".. and sent for work experience, where they say there may be a job, but turns out they are lying, why pay someone when you can have them do a job for free, for months or years, then get rid them get another one in.. employment isnt easy here, down south maybe, but cost of moving there, cost of living there.. means all you would be doing is working, then not going out, not doing anything, just working...no social life, no money to do anything, as rent is high, food prices is high.. so your screwed before you start..

and then people say apply for the council for a house, but the waiting list is huge, and single mothers get preferential treatment they get put to the top of the list.. so what chance has a young man got to get a house.. even here in st helens, its 2 years waiting list for a house, run by a housing trust.. let alone buying a house. if i do rent a place, i wouldnt be able to afford a mortgage, i wouldnt be able to save any money up.. but people have this idea that i am lazy, but i am not i want a job, i need a job, just people dont want me.. at one point i was on 9 yes 9 job agencies.. and i only had 4 job offers.. but you would have to have a car to get there.. i told them every time, i cant drive i need to use public transport, so i cant get there.. but .. same thing.. ok we will make a note.. but they never did..

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=427054&in_page_id=1770

56-year-old man without job after 1,000 applications
Last updated at 23:38pm on 7th January 2007

He is intelligent, well-spoken and has a CV packed with impressive qualifications.

Yet, after four years and 1,000 job applications 56-year-old Andrew Allerton is still unemployed.

The experienced mechanical engineer, who has an Open University degree, has applied for every job imaginable from a chauffeur to a bereavement councillor.

But, despite his career history and obvious ability, he claims he is constantly being turned down for the positions because of his age.

Mr Allerton, who has helped train unemployed people ready for work, is so popular with members of his local JobCentre that he was invited to their Christmas party.

"All I want is a permanent job with a steady wage and I don't know what more I can do," he said. "I get approximately £55 a week from the dole and yet I would happily trade that in for a job paying £60.

"There seems to be a plethora of jobs I'm applying for now that are well within my capabilities including ones as an administrative assistant.

"I'm sure at times it can be boring but all I want to do is work.

"What annoys me most is that of the jobs I have written off for with local councils not once have they taken the time or courtesy to send me a letter saying I've been unsuccessful.

"I feel as though I am being left behind because I am 56. It's disheartening and demoralising.

"I've spoken to some people who are just happy collecting their benefits. I'm the total opposite - all I want to do is find a permanent job. Is that too much to ask?

"I would understand if I didn't have the qualifications but that's just not the case."

Mr Allerton's plight comes after the Government announced last year that it would raise the retirement age from 65 to 68, affecting those who are now in their late twenties.

Yet, despite encouraging people to work longer to save for their pensions, Mr Allerton remains unemployed and deeply suspicious of the reasons behind his failure to secure a lasting position.

"I have no objection in applying for jobs providing every one has an equal chance but this is clearly not the case," said Mr Allerton, from North Shields, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

"I was made redundant four years ago and at the age of 52 it was quite daunting. I have always worked as a mechanical engineer so did not think it would be very difficult to find another job.

"Apart from the odd bits of temporary contracting work I haven't had a full time job since.

"So I decided I would apply for administration jobs instead. I have applied for 300 with local authorities so far and have not had one single interview.

"It's unbelievable. I am desperate to work and my age should not be a barrier."

Mr Allerton, who holds an Open University degree in Mathematics and Technology, an HND in computer aided engineering and a City and Guilds teaching certificate, claims he has spent £5,000 on stamps, paper and envelopes in the last four years.

In the last month alone he has applied for five positions - as a bereavement councillor, an archivist, a chauffeur and two as a draughtsman -but on each occasion has been unsuccessful.

According to new figures which differ with the Government's own data he is just one of 5.2 million people currently seeking work in the UK -at a cost of £61billion a year to the taxpayer. The startling statistics - published by the House of Commons library earlier this month - is a major blow to Labour boasts that it has brought joblessness to its lowest level since the mid-1970s.

So bad is it for Mr Allerton that he has now started keeping a record of the vacancies he has applied for, including 150 with North Tyneside Council, 125 with Newcastle City Council and 55 at Northumberland County Council.

"When the application deadline has passed, I have often telephoned to see what the progress is with my application," he added.

"The reply varies from "We will inform you in due course" to "The position has been taken already".

A spokesman for North Tyneside Council last night denied that age was a factor.

He said: "Each application is judged on its own merits. It's the council's policy not to respond to unsuccessful applicants, this applies to all roles within the authority.

"We can receive hundreds of applications for some posts so it is far more cost effective to operate in this way.

"All application forms make clear that if the applicant has not been contacted four weeks after the closing date they can assume they have been unsuccessful."

spaying and neutering animals

2007-01-07T20:34:03Z

this is from bratfree and its called how could you, yes it upset me, i admit that, and its so true of so many irresponsible parents, BUT.. theres a bit at the end which i have a problem with.

**A man in Grand Rapids, Michigan incredibly took out a $7,000. full page ad in the paper to present the following essay to the people of his community.

HOW COULD YOU? By Jim Willis, 2001

When I was a puppy, I entertained you with my antics and made you laugh. You called me your child, and despite a number of chewed shoes and a couple of murdered throw pillows, I became your best friend. Whenever I was "bad," you'd shake your finger at me and ask "How could you?"-but then you'd relent and roll me over for a bellyrub.

My housebreaking took a little longer than expected, because you were terribly busy, but we worked on that together. I remember those nights of nuzzling you in bed and listening to your confidences and secret dreams, and I believed that life could not be any more perfect.

We went for long walks and runs in the park, car rides, stops for ice cream (I only got the cone because "ice cream is bad for dogs" you said), and I took long naps in the sun waiting for you to come home at the end of the day.

Gradually, you began spending more time at work and on your career, and more time searching for a human mate. I waited for you patiently, comforted you through heartbreaks and disappointments, never chided you about bad decisions, and romped with glee at your homecomings, and when you fell in love.

She, now your wife, is not a "dog person"-still I welcomed her into our home, tried to show her affection, and obeyed her. I was happy because you were happy. Then the human babies came along and I shared your excitement. I was fascinated by their pinkness, how they smelled, and I wanted to mother them, too. Only she and you worried that I might hurt them, and I spent most of my time banished to another room, or to a dog crate.

Oh, how I wanted to love them, but I became a "prisoner of love." As they began to grow, I became their friend. They clung to my fur and pulled themselves up on wobbly legs, poked fingers in my eyes, investigated my ears, and gave me kisses on my nose. I loved everything about them and their touch-because your touch was now so infrequent-and I would've defended them with my life if need be. I would sneak into their beds and listen to their worries and secret dreams, and together we waited for the sound of your car in the driveway.

There had been a time, when others asked you if you had a dog, that you produced a photo of me from your wallet and told them stories about me. These past few years, you just answered "yes" and changed the subject. I had gone from being "your dog" to "just a dog," and you resented every expenditure on my behalf. Now, you have a new career opportunity in another city, and you and they will be moving to an apartment that does not allow pets. You've made the right decision for your "family," but there was a time when I was your only family.

I was excited about the car ride until we arrived at the animal shelter. It smelled of dogs and cats, of fear, of hopelessness. You filled out the paperwork and said "I know you will find a good home for her." They shrugged and gave you a pained look. They understand the realities facing a middle-aged dog, even one with "papers." You had to pry your son's fingers loose from my collar as he screamed "No, Daddy! Please don't let them take my dog!" And I worried for him, and what lessons you had just taught him about friendship and loyalty, about love and responsibility, and about respect for all life.

You gave me a good-bye pat on the head, avoided my eyes, and politely refused to take my collar and leash with you. You had a deadline to meet and now I have one, too. After you left, the two nice ladies said you probably knew about your upcoming move months ago and made no attempt to find me another good home. They shook their heads and asked "How could you?"

They are as attentive to us here in the shelter as their busy schedules allow. They feed us, of course, but I lost my appetite days ago. At first, whenever anyone passed my pen, I rushed to the front, hoping it was you that you had changed your mind-that this was all a bad dream... or I hoped it would at least be someone who cared, anyone who might save me.

When I realized I could not compete with the frolicking for attention of happy puppies, oblivious to their own fate, I retreated to a far corner and waited. I heard her footsteps as she came for me at the end of the day, and I padded along the aisle after her to a separate room. A blissfully quiet room. She placed me on the table and rubbed my ears, and told me not to worry. My heart pounded in anticipation of what was to come, but there was also a sense of relief. The prisoner of love had run out of days.

As is my nature, I was more concerned about her. The burden which she bears weighs heavily on her, and I know that, the same way I knew your every mood. She gently placed a tourniquet around my foreleg as a tear ran down her cheek. I licked her hand in the same way I used to comfort you so many years ago. She expertly slid the hypodermic needle into my vein. As I felt the sting and the cool liquid coursing through my body, I lay down sleepily, looked into her kind eyes and murmured "How could you?"

Perhaps because she understood my dogspeak, she said "I'm so sorry." She hugged me, and hurriedly explained it was her job to make sure I went to a better place, where I wouldn't be ignored or abused or abandoned, or have to fend for myself - a place of love and light so very different from this earthly place.

And with my last bit of energy, I tried to convey to her with a thump of my tail that my "How could you?" was not directed at her. It was directed at you, My Beloved Master, I was thinking of you. I will think of you and wait for you forever. May everyone in your life continue to show you so much loyalty.

A Note from the Author: If "How Could You?" brought tears to your eyes as you read it, as it did to mine as I wrote it, it is because it is the composite story of the millions of formerly "owned" pets who die each year in animal shelters.
Anyone is welcome to distribute the essay for a noncommercial purpose, as long as it is properly attributed with the copyright notice. Please use it to help educate, on your websites, in newsletters, on animal shelter and vet office bulletin boards. Tell the public that the decision to add a pet to the family is an important one for life, that animals deserve our love and sensible care, that finding another appropriate home for your animal is your responsibility and any local humane society or animal welfare league can offer you good advice, and that all life is precious.

Please do your part to stop the killing, and encourage all spay & neuter campaigns in order to prevent unwanted animals. - Jim Willis

NOW, thats all well and good, but the part in bold i do have a problem with.. this is my reply.

ok, the problem i feel about all thr spaying and neutering is that 1, it wont solve the problem, people will still buy dogs from breeders and then dump them..

it may work on feral animals. but not ones from breeders.

2, if you can only buy dogs from breeders, then they will be able to charge more for them, £400 for a spanial.. £1000 for a british bulldog. all this spaying and neutering will do is create more wealth, and since there will be more demand for dogs (since you cant breed them and have to go to someone).. then more and more puppy farms will open up to make more money, therefore possibly creating more dangerous and violent genetic problems in dogs.. like the blindness in dalmations, the psychotic streak in spanials.. disk disease in daschunds , von willibrands disease and so on.. these unscrupulous breeders have been known to lie about pedigree's and potential problems..

this can also be used for cats..theres genetic problems occuring from over breeding close related cats and dogs..

THIS will NOT stop irresponsible parents from dumping cats and dogs.. it will only make the vets, the breeders more money.. how will spaying your cat stop cats from being dumped.. it wont, it will stop them breeding in the wild.. but thats it..

but i agree its an upsetting story, and if i could i would have dozens of dogs, and dozens of cats so long as we had the room. some would be genetically related, because i want the continuity that goes along with them. and i would only give them away to vetted people, if we gave any away at all. i have always lived with dogs, and its always been a shame we couldnt have the great grandkids of our first wonderfull dog. who was the gentlest and kindest dog, or our second who tried to lick a poor recently dead bird back to life, and didnt try to eat it.. or our 3rd who was a little love, who was happy to see us, or our 2 ones now, who are just so precious beyond words.. (each dog lived to at least 12 some to 15.).. i much prefer animals to humans. hell i would love to wipe out all humanity and leave the animals alone and in peace.. i just have to question some of the idealogy of spaying and neutering.. and how that will stop unwanted animals being dumped (they could already be spayed and they would still be dumped)

what is childfree?

2007-01-06T12:13:34Z

A~lotus replied about my comment about the childfree, and i answered in my own way, but this is a good post on wikipedia, about what we beleive in.. it explains a lot, but there are many forms of cfness..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Childfree

Childfree is a term that some who do not have nor desire to have children use to describe themselves. An alternative description is "childless by choice".

Etymology and usage

A person who has no desire or plans to have children is called childfree. The term stands in implied contrast to "childless." Since the suffix "-less" indicates some kind of lack; the term childfree has been adopted to differentiate those who choose not to have children from those who desire children but do not have them. Childfree persons assert that their lives are no less complete than the lives of parents.

The history of the word is somewhat unclear; it may have been coined in the 1970s by the National Organization for Non-Parents (now defunct). It achieved wider currency in the 1990s when Leslie Lafayette formed one of the first modern childfree groups, the Childfree Network.

Childfree is sometimes capitalized in regular usage, e.g., "He describes himself as Childfree"; also being frequently abbreviated as "CF".

Motivation

Lack of desire for children
Lack of a compelling reason to have children.
General dislike of the behavior of children.
Contentment with enjoyment of pets.
Seeing the effects of children on family/friends.
Lack maternal/paternal instincts.
Dislike of gender roles and social obligations to conform to them.
Think raising children a poor use of human intellectual capacities.

Personal environment and advancement

Not wanting to sacrifice privacy/personal space for children;
Not wanting to sacrifice time for children
Unwillingness to commit to increased financial responsibility or burden;
Fear that parenthood, being an irrevocable state, will be disliked.
Fear that maintaining a certain level of emotional intimacy and physical intimacy with partner will not be possible with the presence of children.
Perceived or actual incapacity to be a responsible and patient parent.
Maintaining freedom of personal choice:
Unwillingness to commit to reduced free time for leisure, hobbies, friends, second jobs.
Ability to change career or city of residence at short notice (spontaneous mobility).
Wish not to redesign home to fit a child’s needs and safety (for example, expensive houses, art pieces, and collectables).
Fear that childbearing would reduce career advancement.

Physical and health concerns

Belief that it's morally wrong to risk a pregnancy if they're not able to happily welcome a child into their lives.
A concern that pregnancy and birth can do significant, occasionally permanent, damage to a woman's body; widening of the girth of the belly, the development of stretch marks, stretching and elongating of the vagina, sagging of the breasts and widening of the areolas, the development of spider veins, scarring of a portion of the belly in the event of a Caesarean section, and a general increase in body weight.
A concern that time limitations or lack of psychological desire may lead to mothers not maintaining the level of personal appearance and condition.
Fear and revulsion related to the physical condition of pregnancy, the childbirth experience, and post-natal recovery.
Concern for safety of parent or child:
The risk that an existing medical condition, such as diabetes, depression or the development of ectopic pregnancy could result in a dangerous or difficult pregnancy, or difficulty in raising the child.
Concern that the child would inherit a hereditary disease.
Concern over obsessive-compulsive disorder and attachment theory.
Low availability of high quality and affordable childcare.

Belief that it is a generous act not to bring more people into the world
Belief that one can make a greater contribution to humanity through one's work than through having children.
The world is full of suffering, and one cannot ensure that any given person will have a good life.
Concern regarding environmental factors and/or overpopulation.
Opinion that a career pursuer can never be a good parent, therefore choice over the former so that the child won't suffer for the parent's absence.

Statistics and Research

A 2003 U.S. Census study found that a record number of women in the United States did not have children; 44% of women in the age group 15-44 fit that category.

The number of these women who are childfree is unknown, but the National Center of Health Statistics confirms that the percentage of American women of childbearing age who define themselves as voluntarily childless (or childfree) rose sharply in the 1990s: from 2.4 percent in 1982 to 4.3 percent in 1990 to 6.6 percent in 1995.

Caucasian never-married women have childless levels more than twice as high as African American women. Regardless of marital status, Hispanic women had lower levels of childlessness than non-Hispanic women.
Overall, researchers have observed childfree couples to be more educated, more likely to be employed in professional and management occupations, more likely for both spouses to earn relatively high incomes, live in urban areas, less religious, less traditional gender roles, and less conventional.
David Foot of the University of Toronto concluded that the female’s education is the most important determinant of fertility. The higher the education, the less likely for her to bear children.

A statistical survey of the childfree found that common reasons for the choice to be childfree included not wanting to sacrifice privacy/personal space and time for children; having no compelling reason to have children; actively not wanting children around; being perfectly content with pets; and seeing the effects of children on family/friends.

Controversy

Controversy surrounding the childfree state segments into criticism based on socio-political or religious reasons.

The "Selfishness" Issue

Childfree individuals are described as being "selfish" for never having nor wanting children. The idea behind this is that, since raising children is a very important activity (childfree author Virginia Postrel calls it, with at least some irony, "the most important work most people will ever do"), not having children means living a hedonistic, consumption-based lifestyle that makes no contribution to the world, only to the self.

The assumption behind this idea is that the best way to make a meaningful contribution to the world is to have children. For many people this may be true, but some people with special talents choose instead to direct their energy toward improving the world that today's children will inherit.

Childfree individuals sometimes respond to these accusations of selfishness by claiming that the act of having children can itself be just as or even more selfish especially when bad or lazy parenting creates many long term problems for both the children themselves and wider society. The decision to become a parent is often based on characteristically 'selfish' and egotistical motives as well.

There is also the question as to whether having children really is such a positive contribution to the world in an age when there are so many concerns about overpopulation, pollution and resource depletion.

Many childfree people are active in community volunteerism. Service groups, community theaters, and even youth centers, benefit from the many hours of work given by childfree people. Some childfree relatives assist in providing tuition assistance to nieces and nephews seeking higher education or specialized training in an area of interest or talent (music, swimming, acting, or horseback riding lessons, for example).

Overpopulation

Some of the childfree believe that overpopulation is a serious problem and question the fairness of what they feel amount to subsidies for having children, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit (US), free K-12 education paid for by all taxpayers, family medical leave, and other such programs. Others, however, do not believe overpopulation to be a problem in itself; regarding such problems as overcrowding, global warming, and straining food supplies to be problems of public policy and/or technology.

According to Brian Whitaker, writing in the The Guardian on 6 November 2004, "If fertility levels remained unchanged at today's levels, the current world population of 6.4 billion would rise to 44 billion in 2100, 244 billion in 2150 and 1.34 trillion in 2300".

Government and Taxes

Some childfree people regard any governmental or employer-based incentives offered only to parents — such as a per-child income tax deduction, preferential absence planning, employment legislation, or special facilities — as intrinsically discriminatory, arguing for their removal or for their reduction to form a corresponding system of matching incentives for other categories of social relationship. Others observe that not all families are considered equal — that "only babies count." For example, the commitment of caring for sick, disabled, or elderly dependents can yield significant financial and emotional costs and should be subsidized similarly. This commitment often falls most heavily on single or married women, and it is not clear how this multigenerational caregiving contributes to the "feminization of poverty" in the U.S.

The focus on personal acceptance is mirrored in much of the literature surrounding choosing not to reproduce. Many early books were grounded in feminist theory and largely sought to dispel the idea that womanhood and motherhood were necessarily the same thing. Books and articles such as Burkett's The Baby Boon argued that childfree people face not only social discrimination but political discrimination as well.

Medical considerations

There has been a large improvement in contraceptives over the years. Some choosing to be childfree sometimes prefer sterilization, however many have difficulty finding physicians willing to perform sterilizations, especially when they are in their 20's. Some feel patronized about their reproductive choices with the additional suggestion that they will change their mind later in life and should leave this option open. This advice is motivated partly by the doctor's risk of lawsuits from patients who do change their mind

Religion

There has been a debate within religious groups about whether a childfree lifestyle is something to be condemned. Some religious conservatives have stated that it is a rebellion against God's will. In numerous works, including an Apostolic letter written in 1988, Pope John Paul II has set forth the Catholic understanding of the role of children in family life. The Southern Baptist author R. Albert Mohler, Jr. says, "Couples are not given the option of chosen childlessness in the biblical revelation. To the contrary, we are commanded to receive children with joy as God's gifts, and to raise them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." This position reminds web-author Austin Cline of Christian condemnation of homosexuality, gay couples, and gay marriage, particularly when childfree lifestyles are called an "epidemic".

However, there are new churches being formed due to the child free movement. For example, a group called The Cyber-Church of Jesus Christ Childfree is a group of Christians who feel the call to have no descendants by fleshly means, just as Jesus had none. Other mainline evangelical Christians have more balanced views, as published in Today's Christian Woman in an article by Raymond Van Leeuwen entitled "Is it All Right for a Married Couple to Choose to Remain Childless?" He shows that Gen. 1:28 "Be fruitful and multiply," what people generally think of as the Biblical mandate to procreate, is really not a command formula but a blessing formula: "You shall be fruitful..." He writes that while there are many factors to consider as far as people's motives for remaining childless, there are many valid reasons, including dedicating one's time to demanding but good causes, why Christians may choose to remain childless for a short time or a lifetime.

Political activism

These issues led to many childfree people setting up support networks, either to vent about others or draw strength from the knowledge that they are not alone; groups such as No Kidding! seek to provide social interaction and friendship free from social pressure to have children.

This discontent, though widespread among childfree people, does not translate into a unified political vision. This is largely because childfree people come from all shades of the political spectrum and temper their beliefs accordingly. For example, while many childfree people think of government handouts to parents as "lifestyle subsidies," others accept the need to help out parents but think that their lifestyle should be equally compensated.

There are suggestions of an emergence of political cohesion for example the Australian Childfree Party (ACFP) being proposed in Australia as a childfree political party, promoting the childfree lifestyle as opposed to the family lifestyle.

Increasing politicization and media interest has led to the emergence of a second wave of childfree organizations that are openly political in their raisons d'etre, with a number of abortive attempts to mobilize a political pressure group in the U.S.. The first organization to emerge was British, known as Kidding Aside. Despite becoming increasingly vocal and organized, the childfree movement has had little political impact and struggles to have its concerns taken seriously, more frequently treated as little more than as a human interest story.

Childfree slang

There is a growing corpus of slang terminology used by some childfree people, some of it borrowed from other groups or pop culture. The terms are often derogatory in nature, generally focusing on names for parents ("breeder"), and lifestyle choices ("baby rabies" as a reference to the strong desire to have a child).

taking risks

2007-01-06T11:58:17Z

Do you remember when you were a kid?

According to today's regulators and bureaucrats, those of us who were kids in the 60's, 70's and early 80's probably shouldn't have survived, because our baby cots were covered with brightly coloured lead-based paint, which was promptly chewed and licked.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, or latches on doors or cabinets and it was fine to play with pans.

When we rode our bikes, we wore no helmets, just flip flops and
fluorescent 'spokey dokeys' on our wheels.
As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or airbags - riding in the passenger seat was a treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle and it tasted
the same.

We ate chips, bread and butter pudding and drank fizzy pop with sugar
in it, but we were never overweight because we were always outside playing.

We shared one drink with four friends, from one bottle or can and no
one actually died from this.

We would spend hours building go-karts out of scraps and then went top speed down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into stinging nettles a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We would leave home in the morning and could play all day, as long as we were back before it got dark. No one was able to reach us and no one minded.

We did not have Playstations or X-Boxes, no video games at all. No 99 channels on TV, no videotape movies, no surround sound, no mobile phones, no personal computers, and no Internet chat rooms. We had friends, we went outside and found them.

We played elastics and street rounders, and sometimes that ball really hurt.

We fell out of trees, got cut and broke bones but there were no lawsuits.

We had full on fistfights but no prosecution followed from other parents.

We played knock-and-run and were actually afraid of the owners catching us.

We walked to friend's homes.

We also, believe it or not, WALKED to school; we didn't rely on mummy or daddy to drive us to school, which was just round the corner.

We made up games with sticks and tennis balls.

We rode bikes in packs of 7 and wore our coats by only the hood.

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke a law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law.

This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers and problem solvers and inventors, ever. The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all.

And you're one of them. Congratulations!

and now look at them, they arent allowed outside, they arent allowed to walk, we scraped our knees, we broke bones,

About me

2007-01-05T11:40:23Z

ok, my name is mercurior, a name i have had for the last 6 years give or take, i dont know where it came from, it just appeared, its close to the spanish form of mercury the messanger. maybe subconciously i chose that.

i am 33, 34 in may 2007, i am engaged to a wonderful childfree person. and i am childfree as well..

what is childfree i hear you not ask ;-).. well i dont particularly like kids, but mostly i hate the parents of these kids, the ones who let them run wild, and have no responsibilities at all.. the feral kids basically.. i never liked kids, even when i was a kid, but over the years i thought if my partner wanted a kid then if i made her happy then i suppose i could.. never realising there was a group of people other than me who made that choice to not have kids..

luckily i met someone, not on a cf board but on a fat acceptance board, we had spoken and left messages then she said she had an awful day, and she felt as if she had no friends, so i emailed her and said she has one here.. and we got to talking and well i got engaged last year, she is wonderful, perfect, and i worship her.

i personally find kids to be monsters there are afew exceptions, but generally its the idea of entitlement these parents have, that gets passed to the kids.. so we started a forum when the turtles cf board died, and we post, we have found quite a few good people, and a few bad people, on other boards, they call me names, insult me and my parentage. because i dare treat everyone the same and want everyone to be treated the same..

i do not apologise for my sense of fairness, but i feel pressured into doing so, by these people.. right is right, and wrong is wrong.. not right is right only when its a woman, and wrong is wrong only when its a man..

http://www.thecfcouple.proboards37.com/index.cgi

this is the childfree forum i and my fiancee co run, there are guest areas, and members areas, i want to be fair.. of course if i get a troll or 3 thats ok i enjoy them, because then i can have free reign on them..

i am an equalist

2007-01-05T11:24:29Z

why do people object to equality, why are there pro male,pro female camps, why not a pro equality camp.. people who treat everyone the same, regardless.

i am anti 3rd wave feminists, the ones who want everything (this contains those feminists who want to have a baby, and a job and everyone rolling over for them and i against men who want everything too), but i am equalist, if a woman is the best person for the job, then she should get it, if a man is then he should.. not sexist. if theres funding for womens health, there should be an equal amount for mans health.. not sexist is it..

but when i say there are male jerks, and female jerks, people only see that i am calling women jerks.. i know and i am sure a lot of you know dumbness and jerkness is not exclusive to one sex.. anything and i mean anything that makes one sex look worse to the other is bad, anti male articles are bad, anti female articles are bad as well.. trying to explain that i want everyone to be treated the same, sometimes i get called sexist.. because i dare say that men and women are the same and should be treated the same.. a sort of reducing women to the level of men.. in their eyes, when i want men to be boosted to how women are treated.. they decide i am saying women should be less than they are.. not that men should be more..

i wish there wasnt as many abortions, i beleive prevention is a key, both male and female, equality, its a mans duty to prevent, but EQUALLY its a womans duty as well.. am i saying men dont need to use prevention.. no.. i am saying it has to be equally shared between the 2 people.. yes women have more choices for birth control.. men have 3.. is that fair.. no.. is that equal .. no.. should men have the same amount as women.. yes. thats only fair, thats only equal... but when i say men have a few resources and women a lot more, i get called a sexist, because the women think i am saying i dont have the responibility its all on the womans side.. when my fiancee says she wants the snip, she wants to be "fixed", she gets told get the man to do it, she is giving the responsibility for birth control to the man.. she WANTS it, she wants it first because it will make her feel 1000 times better.. i am not forcing her.. i am not persuading her.. its her choice her decision..

just like its my choice my decision if i get a vasectomy, equal rights, and equal responsibility. thats the key..

i am pro equality, men and women are esssentially the same, there are things men can do that women find hard, and vice versa. there are things women can do that men find very hard.. am i saying there is a difference in men and women, yes, but thats genetically led, but this is in specific cases, not general.

EVERYONE IS CREATED EQUAL. and should be treated the EQUAL.

do i see more anti male comments, yes but thats because it affects me directly, women may see anti female comments, because they affect them.. but shouldnt it be everyone treated the same, not anti male, or anti female. but PRO equality.

this has been rattling round my brain for awhile, and on a few other boards, they have basically told me to get lost because i promote equality, rather than anti male - anti female. they put their discriminations into play, and read it how i am evil.. i must be anti feminist because i am male and i dare criticise women, (forgetting i criticise men too).

i want equality for all.. same funding for health for men and women, same rights for men and women, same responsibilities for men and women.. same rights under the law for men and women, same everything for men and women.

does this make me sexist, no.. i dont think so, but others do think so. so who has the problem, me who wants people to be treated the same, or them.

thanks for letting me rant here.