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Burnett's Urban Etiquette

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Bits and pieces

So I've caught up on my beauty sleep, and I'm finding in the three days I was on the road and focused on my day job, all sorts of nutty things have happened.

When the cat's away...

I'm not the cat, but you get me.

Anywho:

  • My pond - Speaking of being away and mice playing and what not, I have a habit of checking my pond about three times a day - once to feed my koi, and twice to check for tadpoles. I always know when the evil, (literally) poison, Bufo toads, have laid eggs, 'cause they're noisy lovers the night before. Every now and then I get teased for my vigilance. So get this, I leave home on Friday. I'm away Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I come home, and what do you think I find in my pond besides huge fish? About 15,000 toad eggs and tiny tadpoles. The fish are pissed off. I can't blame them. It's like a black cloud swimming in there. This is going to take some work.
  • The Vatican's new deadly sins - After 1,500 years the Catholic Church has updated and added to its deadly sin list. The new ones are environmental pollution, genetic engineering, being filthy rich, drug dealing, abortion, pedophilia, and causing social injustice. Based on the pollution sin alone, half my neighborhood is going to Hell, especially those knuckleheads who toss their food wrappers and empty beer cans in the street and let their dogs pollute the swale in front of my house. And the drug dealer one makes a lot of sense to me too. You have got to be a selfish person to push poison on vulnerable people and justify it by arguing they want it and someone has to give it to them so it may as well be you, or arguing that you have to pay your bills and feed your family. Bad excuses. Get two jobs or three if you have to, real jobs, not sidewalk pharmacy. Not sure what I think about the super duper rich sin. I admit I'm scornful of most obscenely rich people, but that's because the hater in me is just a little jealous of the fact that paying bills and living with money stress never a worry for them. But if they earned it honestly, I don't see what the problem is. I don't think I even have to the explain why I'm all for pedophilia being on this list. I'm leaving genetic engineering and abortion alone. But I'd be curious for a little more definition on the social injustice sin.
  • Eliot Spitzer - It's funny. A buddy and I were talking yesterday about the things apparently smart people will do to ruin their lives. Hooking up with hos was one of those things. And by the way, guys, if you do business with a prostitute, like Ludacris said - and I'm paraphrasing - you're a ho too. So how could a man who built his career on law and order and strict enforcement, a man who was nicknamed "Eliot Ness" after the prohibition-era G-Man, be so dumb as to purchase a prostitute? And not just get a prostitute but get one from a Web site? It was wrong, no doubt. But even if Spitzer didn't take issue with his "sin," anybody who watches TV knows high end prostitutes keep records of who, what, when, where, how much, etc. A rising career, and more importantly an intact family ruined. I am curious about one thing though: What in the world were guys like Spitzer buying for $1,000 to $5,000 an hour or $10,000 a day? If I paid that kind of money, I wouldn't want sex. I'd want my house painted inside and out, a few new trees planted in my yard, maybe some sod laid down on a few bare spots in the yard, and if there was time left over at the end of the day she could wash my car...and if she wanted to look sexy while doing the chores I suppose that'd be OK.
  • Day job stuff - here is an article I had in yesterday's paper. Enjoy, if you have time. It's a profile of an interesting lady.

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14 Comments:

  • You are a really good writer! However, I couldn't much get past the part about her starting Carnival C.L. I tried. I scanned the rest pretty quick. We had a terrible experience with them, won't use or recommend them again EVER. So she might be interesting but I'm boycotting. LOL

    Geewiz, the Catholic church better extend business hours and open up drive thru confessionals for that list. ;)

    By Blogger CrystalChick, at 2:30 PM  

  • He wasn't just ho'ing he was involved in the pimping too.

    I have no problem with people who do that sort of thing but they better not be trying to bust other people for their predilection.

    By Blogger none, at 4:02 PM  

  • I once slept w/ a prostitute and it was the best $200 I ever spent.

    The thing I don't like about Spitzer is that he can afford more expensive hos.

    By Blogger M@, at 8:53 PM  

  • G Man
    ha.
    G-String Man

    By Blogger Pamela, at 11:57 PM  

  • •I don't have a problem with frogs laying eggs in my 2 gallon aquarium. Just a thought.

    •Calling me crazy, but I think the church is just "dumbing down" the pre-existing sins, as I think each of the "new" ones could fall under one of the old categories.

    •Boys are really starting to gross me out. What I'm learning is that the polite, clean-cut ones are just jerks in disguise.

    •"The End is the Beginning is the End" — Smashing Pumpkins

    By Blogger thirdworstpoetinthegalaxy, at 10:26 AM  

  • What a marvellous and uplifting article you wrote... I will endeavour to find her book and read it from our library James.

    By Blogger Cazzie!!!, at 7:45 AM  

  • You pack a lot into a blog post, as usual. It seems inconsistent to make pedophilia a mortal sin after all of the interference in various priest's legal problems with pedophilia.

    Similarly, the Church trying to affect Science is equally, if not more offensive, going back to Copernicus et al. I am not a believer in their moral code, do not feel bound by it, and feel strongly that I could have benefitted from stem cell research in this country by now. Yet a President issued an Executive Order based on his religious beliefs and denied that possibility to me and everyone else. People with diabetes, Alheimer's, and hunderds of other diseases have suffered setbacks because of this. How very presumptuous of the President and the Church to force their religious beliefs on the rest of us.

    By Blogger The CEO, at 8:48 AM  

  • it's just a never ending circus, sugar!

    By Blogger savannah, at 9:07 AM  

  • I am hoping the reason they didn't put pedophelia on the list is that it is already considered a sin.

    A memo to the bishops telling them that covering up what these priests are doing will result in excommunication might be a good idea, though.

    PS CEO -- If my moral code says it's OK to own slaves, are you OK with having it be legal?

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 9:31 AM  

  • CrystalChick, thank you. And I'm not mad at you about the Carnival thing. Because they left me stranded in an airport for Europe for two days once, I won't fly Continental anymore. I'd just as soon try to walk cross country. Hard to let go of travel-related grudges.

    Hammer, you're right, I guess. With as much money as Spitzer was pumping into this operation he was a bit of a pimp too. And it really is a long way to the ground from the top of a soap box.

    M@, ha ha ha ha ha! You're a John-hater! If Spitzer could only have afforded a $200 ho you'd be sympathetic? OK, I don't want any details, but I must know, for $200 how long did your "date" hang out with you? Fifteen minutes, 30 minutes, an hour, all day, all week?

    Pamela, you win the clever zing of the day award. G-String Man? I love it!

    ThirdWorst, right about now I'm jealous of you and your fish tank. You know it's near the end of the week and I'm still cleaning tadpoles out of my pond? I agree those new fatal/mortal sins probably do already fall under the umbrellas of "broader" offenses. The thing you need to know about boys is that they/we are all genetic jerks. We can't help it. It's sort of how theologians argue that we were all born sinners. So if you meet a good guy, and he's genuine, give him props, 'cause that means he has chosen not to exercise his jerk clause. I was never a huge Pumpkins fan, 'cause Billy Corgan always bugged me for some reason. But that quote is similar to the one I cited from the book I wrote about.

    Cazzie!!!, thank you as always. I'll bet you'd like that book. Lots of good history in it.

    Monty, another thought-provoking comment. I've always been baffled as to how pols and religious leaders could lump stem cell research in with abortions. Seems like the two issues are far apart to me. But then again, I'm not a scientist. Seems like there are great medical possibilities with stem cells though. I hope the powers that be work out a real compromise on stem cell research.

    Savannah, it is indeed a circus, but it's a fun one to watch!

    Class Factotum, I think pedophilia is on the list. How I referenced it in this post may have been confusing. Sorry 'bout that. And good question for the CEO. Hope it was rhetorical;>)

    Well, Monty, you know I love a good philosophical debate. What do you say to Class Factotum's question?

    By Blogger James Burnett, at 11:03 AM  

  • I'm not worried about the catholic church and their new sins. I take it this way: as long as I committed one of those sins prior to the day of the announcement, I should still be cool.

    I'm so glad those people aren't God.

    By Blogger katrice, at 3:05 PM  

  • Dear Class Factorum,

    Slavery was abolished, in essence made illegal, in the United States, so regardless of your moral beliefs, it wouldn't be allowed.

    Further, please remember that the Constitution specifically separates Church and State. This country was established on a cornerstone of religious freedom, and it was strongly stated as such in the Constitution. The fact that more suits aren't filed in Federal Court over this issue isn't something I have time to follow.

    It should be clear that I have followed the 'law' which was put into place by Executive Order, not by passage of elected representation, so the issue of who's morality dominates is why I answered the issue the way I have, George W. Bush has violated my rights in this society by forcing a government decision based on his religious beliefs. I feel that he did this by violating the separation of Church and State clause of the Constitution. It is of no consequence to me who believes in his particular morality, he is supposed to be the President of all of the People of the United States, not just those who support his particular religious belief. He made the decision alone, claiming he listened to everyone, including the Pope. That is what the Republican Party was afraid that Kennedy would do in 1960. Strange turnabout, isn't it.

    I hope that adequately answers your question.

    By Blogger The CEO, at 11:34 PM  

  • I'm with you on the Spitzer thing. What on earth could one woman do in the bedroom that could be worth $4500?

    By Blogger GrizzBabe, at 12:11 PM  

  • CEO,

    What if slavery were legal? If my moral code allowed me to own slaves, would that be OK? Even if your moral code did not allow you to own slaves?

    What if my moral code allowed -- required -- human sacrifice? Heck, it's OK by my morality. So why should it be illegal?

    Here's the thing: both slavery and human sacrifice infringe on the rights of other human beings, which means that the state needs to protect their interests before it protects mine.

    Some of us think that once an egg is conceived, it is a human life and, as such deserves the same protections as the rest of us. This is not an issue where you do "what's right for you," just as slavery and human sacrifice could not be OK for those who think they are fine. They're either right or they're wrong.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 12:37 PM  

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