Tuesday, October 14, 2008

ass-u-me

"We should assume there isn't intelligent life out there."

It's this kind of grammatically incorrect, arrogant, self-centred, narrow-minded thinking that fuels my contempt for the entire scientific house of cards the white-coated stiffs have built.

Has this guy never seen a single episode of Star Trek?

"We see no evidence based on evolution on Earth for a tendency to develop human-like intelligence."

I should hope not if this idiot represents the most intelligent of our species. He seems to be presuming that "intelligence" is limited to the small amount of space found between human ears. He seems to be suggesting that if it hasn't "evolved" two legs, two arms and a rock-melon-like brain, it can't be intelligent. Or at least it can't be intelligent like us.

How many times did Kirk and the team, while cruising the cosmos, come across some incredibly clever being that resembled a big sparkly dust cloud? And it talked, and calculated and everything! Or what about Q and The Continuum? While they could take human form, they didn't really look like us. And they were omnisciently clever. Even cleverer than Pickard. And that's saying something.

And then there are the aliens from War of the Worlds? They weren't particularly clever when it came to fighting off the bugs, but they were wicked smart at building machines and weapons. And although we didn't really get a good look at them, I don't think they were human-like.

It astounds me that these science boffins can't think outside the square to a scenario involving intelligence in a non-human form, like a sparkly cloud or a handsome but overly-sarcastic omnipotent shape-shifter. And who says only an earth-like planet revolving round a sun-like star can sustain life and intelligence?

Of course, I didn't hear the lecture, and given that the media in this country are as brainless as most of the scientists, the report could be wrong, or at least incomplete. But I've heard a number of times some kooky biochemist suggesting that intelligent life cannot possibly exist somewhere else in the Universe because the conditions required to facilitate evolution are not evident.

Duh.

Saturday, October 11, 2008

On this we're taking a bath

Let me add my voice to the outcry over this bastard Labour government attempting to limit the water pressure in our showers. How dare they. How $@*&^%% dare they!

This government has to go. But I'm afraid they won't be going because John Key is really starting to show his inexperienced moronic colours. He caved on the anti-smacking bill when he could have done what he was supposed to do. Be the opposition!! And god forbid, actually listen to the NZ public.

Sure the economy's tanking, crime is on the rise, health is down the toilet, education is a joke. Like sheep we just bleat from the cheap seats, knowing that as Joe average NZ citizen we are absolutely powerless to do anything to stop the political monster that the elite has created. Hence the growing - smouldering, festering - sense of resentment and rage that something like this shower thing illustrates. We accept that the government sits around all day thinking up new ways to torment us, to play with our lives to feed their egos. But when something happens so close to home, like the anti-smacking bill, and the government steps inside our home, we feel just how powerless, and at their mercy, we are.

Democracy would be nice, but democracy is a myth. It doesn't exist. The rich elite have always held the power, and they always will.

The economy is denuded and average families are struggling. I guarantee the politicians will vote themselves and accept a 15 or 20 per cent pay rise. Their expenses increase by inflation plus ten. John Key can take time out in his $5m house in Hawaii. Queen Helen can spend $40m on her own personal tramping ground and call it conservation.

I'll bet the water pressure at her house is good.

Saturday, October 04, 2008

Money go-round

Two things have been bugging me for the past couple of weeks. They're entirely unrelated . . . or are they?

The US Congress has finally passed the $700 billion bank bailout. Which is good, I guess, for civilisation as a whole. I'm in the school that says if the US goes under we will all go under and Western civilisation as we know it would change irreparably. Very few people can claim to have lived in times when the fabric of civilisation changed overnight.

Now, while the stock market was struggling, it was continued to be buoyed somewhat by the deep seated knowledge that common sense would prevail and the US government would save the economy with the much needed boost.

But they said "NO!" And stocks began to plunge as the market crumbled. Once valuable shares plummeted in value.

Imagine this dark corner conversation between an average US politician and his brother-in-law:

"We're going to vote no on the first draft of the bailout bill."
"But that will . . ."
"I know."
"So you want me to . . ."
"Yes."
"But . . ."
"Then next week we're going to vote yes on the bailout bill."
"Ah, so then we can . . ."
"Yes."
"And we never had this conversation."
"What conversation?"


There is only one constant in this market. The rich get richer, and the poor get poorer.

I think I'll get to the other thing that's bugging me tomorrow.