The U.S. has spent $1.3 trillion on the war on terror so far. That was in reaction to about 14,000 total deaths from international terrorism from 1975 to 2003. That’s more than $90 million spent for each person killed.
If you point out that this money would have been better spent preventing industrial accidents (which kill twice as many people per year than died in the World Trade Center) or, even better, curing cancer (the equivalent of about 200 WTC attacks each year), you’ll be told, “Say that to the 9/11 victims, hippie!”

Read more: 5 Logical Fallacies That Make You Wrong More Than You Think | Cracked.com

god i feel old. my 21 year old got married this past weekend.

many of us are just hearing about the spreading protests focusing on out of control capitalism in the states. Adbusters originally called for a takeover of wall street back in july to commence a couple of weeks ago. unlike other recent protests (there was a one day protest of wall street last spring which no one remembers) this one is gaining in momentum and spreading across north america. similar protests are being planned for vancouver and toronto.
apparently some people are upset, among other things, about the new tax breaks for millionaires which coincidentally work out to about the same amount per week as you can earn on EI in canada.

last year one of my closest friends died from a single hit of ghb. this weekend my next door neighbours grandson overdosed and died from drug use. i work as an addictions counsellor. imagine the guilt.
every week i hear the morons talk about legalizing drugs so we can monitor it so things like this won’t happen. idiots. i hear almost daily that cannabis has no ill effects. really? try working in the industry for a few months and watch the train wreck of lost ambitions, motivations, opportunities, school drop-outs and paranoia that daily stumble into my office.

try telling my next door neighbour that drugs aren’t so bad. try telling my buddies son.

although I do not agree with the entire scope of this editorial it does make several valid points. For example – it alleges that the fundamental skills needed for the ‘real’ world are not addressed in formal post-secondary education. After 7+ years of such schooling I can attest to this fact.

article from the New York Times

many people know that i have a group on trauma/ptsd (next one starting june 16) that has been helpful for those suffering with ptsd. the group is a mix of therapeutic styles and options including work with journalling, cognitive distortions, STOPP therapy, automatic thought regulation, exposure, catatrophizing, flashbacks, etc. Now they are hopeful that a new medical treatment can relieve some of the symptomatology.

A new study led by researchers at the Centre for Studies on Human Stress, affiliated with the University of Montreal, shows that in fact, metyrapone, a drug that temporarily alters cortisol levels can be used to dampen an old, negative memory for days and possibly the long term.
“It gives us a second chance, basically, to act on the memory,” said Marie-France Marin, lead author of the study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.
That makes it potentially very useful, because most memories that cause problems are older rather than newly formed.
“Soldiers, for example, or rape victims, are not going to go to the emergency room within an hour, obviously,” Marin said Thursday.
She added that many people who experience traumatic events don’t necessarily go on to develop post-traumatic stress disorder, and the fact that the drug works long after the memory was formed means it can be selectively given to people who have suffered long-term effects from a traumatic experience.

What is PTSD?
Post-traumatic stress disorder is the constellation of symptoms such as depression, flashbacks and nightmares that can be brought on by any type of trauma.
It’s most often associated with military service, among soldiers who return from battle only to suffer the after-effects of what was once called “shell shock.” (also childhood abuse, sexual abuse, witnessing an accident, emotional trauma, death of dear ones, etc.)
Psychotherapy may be an effective treatment. Drugs such as antidepressants, antipsychotics, anticonvulsants and beta blockers may also help with some of the symptoms.

i was at a wedding last weekend where a majority of the conversations over the two days seemed to center around their cell phones. people are obsessed with their cell phones, with technology. i tried to explain to my kids that when i was growing up someone would have had to drive to the nearest farm to call the police after my accident last week and that there was no such thing as the internet, gps, etc. my youngest asked in all sincerity, “so how did you travel then?”

here’s a headline you never would have seen even a few years ago and indicative of how things are changing –
Young People Would Rather Lose Sense of Smell Than Social Networks

the crystal cathedral is for sale. symbolic in so many ways of the end of a generation of christian right.
Out of Ur writes about it here.

I almost died this weekend. I am, on occasion, prone to be mellow dramatic but not this time. I turned left, into oncoming traffic, against every convention of common sense and seemingly randomly – and it saved my life. I was driving to the wedding of my old roommate and very close friend in central Saskatchewan when there was a mechanical problem and the next thing I knew I was in the process of ramming a minivan in the back end. If you look at the picture of the car you will see that I clipped it on the passenger’s side which means I turned left and not towards the ample Saskatchewan ditch on my right. The force of the impact folded the front and side like a cheap suit and had anyone been in the passenger seat they would have lost their life or at least their legs.
There was no right side of the car left. I walked away with a few cracked and bruised ribs, the right side of my body scraped up a bit. I was wearing a seatbelt which saved my life.
The thing is I have been one of those people who was too lazy to wear a seatbelt, especially when alone. During the accident time slowed down and I can recall that, in spite of the car basically hitting a parked car while decelerating from highway speed, added to the subsequent flight of the vehicle, landing and spinning etc. I barely moved in the front seat at all. I remember calmly thinking that I should hold the steering wheel tightly. No whiplash, no hitting of the head or anything significant. When it was all over I recall thinking, “ok, nothing is broken, no damage, cool.”
Although that was not entirely accurate, I walked away from an accident because I made a split second decision that I did not think through and logically should not have made. I made the wrong decision which turned out to be the right one. I have gone over that moment dozens of times since Saturday and still cannot recall why I chose to turn left and not right. It has bothered me and forced me to think about dying, about mortality. It has scared me because it seems to me now that I am alive through no credit of my own based on a random roll of the dice.
I am thankful to be alive today and like so many who have cheated death I am much more cognizant of the precious gift I have been given. I have spent some time this past year thinking about growing older and feeling sorry for myself. Driving up to the wedding I had been thinking about my Saskatchewan roots and wondering how time had passed so quickly. Today I am just glad I have been given more time and conscious of my need to make what time is left count for something.
I am working on a project called ‘revolution’ which is due to kick off this fall. It is a rock and roll spiritual monthly event that is designed for those, like myself, who desire spirituality and faith but do not necessarily fit into the traditional church mode or who like things loud. I have spent this year visiting spiritual communities and various churches and have come away empty, wondering why church has become so sedate, so quiet, so introspective. These are not bad things, they just aren’t my thing. If I commit to yet another thing I want to be emotionally involved and have a darn good reason to give away another couple hours of my month. Since the demise of club365 last winter I have wondered why I have this intrinsic need to create spiritual spaces.
This weekend I was reminded again of the need to live life on purpose.
I think I might owe Jordon and Wendy Cooper a car as well…