Rory Christopher's blog thinger

I am not a scientist or philosopher. I have not exhausted the depths of scientific discovery or waded into the philosophical postulations of all the “why”s and “how”s of existence and nature and purpose. Nor am I an artist –not in any traditional sense– but I do have a sense of what is communicated in arte. Even bad arta; an expression of one’s self, being, perception, and experience. One of my favorite artists is Bob Dylan. He confuses me and I have discovered why confusion is admirable. He doesn't communicate an answer or direct interpretation of life; but rather, the confusion we all feel about war and love, beauty and pain. Dylan, in many ways, combined a strange string of sounds and words that give a substantive realization to the pain that nurtures the human heart. Beauty is not found in an evasion of life, but rather an embrace of it. Recently, I had been given a bit more struggle than I cared to accept; but, as I was denied any control over my life and accepted th

Permissiveness, often confused with compassion or tolerance, is really a distorted version of liberality, which deserves a particular suffix, -ism. Permissivenessism is controversial while being an obviously popular attribute to our social ethos since it is in most forms of contemporary entertainment. The controversy is not around its existence, but rather, its intensity. From the time just after the civil war, we have had what is called a “cultural revolution,” that developed into a “sexual” revolution; this turning over and upheaval of the social norms raised hell in an inconsistent, but “moral,” society. The revolution brought idioms like, “if it feels good, do it,” and “it’s all good.” The mentality motivating an “it’s all good,” attitude is what sums up the permissiveness of our ethos. Permissivenessism is well demonstrated in the television show, Friends. Friends is funny, sexually savvy, clever, and, most of all, young. The characters are not well established and imma

...Americans have many fine qualities. A capacity to see ourselves as others see us is not high among them. Imagine a world that never knew Ronald Reagan, where Europe had opted out of the Cold War after Moscow installed those SS-20 missiles east of the Elbe. And Europe had abandoned NATO, told us to go home and become subservient to Moscow. How would we have reacted if Moscow had brought Western Europe into the Warsaw Pact, established bases in Mexico and Panama, put missile defense radars and rockets in Cuba, and joined with China to build pipelines to transfer Mexican and Venezuelan oil to Pacific ports for shipment to Asia? And cut us out? If there were Russian and Chinese advisers training Latin American armies, the way we are in the former Soviet republics, how

January 29, 1950 Christopher Rory Hoops was born. He grew up in Southern California with four siblings and two loving parents. He was surrounded by love, books, music, and exotic plants from his father’s garden. In his teens, Chris met the world. His good and bad relationships ultimately lead to a conversion to the Christian faith, returning him to the Lutheran and Catholic roots of his parents, seeking solace and comfort in Jesus Christ. In his late teens, he studied constantly, absorbing as much wisdom as he could from his mentors, pastors, teachers, and parents. His late twenties we full of adventures, teaching full time, and leading many ministries while attending college. When he was twenty-seven, he married a woman who would become the foundation of his home, the greatest gift God would bestow upon him, Gail Melinda Turner. When he was twenty-nine, his first child, Erin Christine, was born. And his second and third, Christopher Rory, Jr., and Michael Charles, were given to

Taxing the upper class is one of those ideological, liberal clichés that never really works. The upper class are responsible for providing opportunity, stability, and reasonable dynamics to the economy which would not otherwise be achieved. Money needs to be spent to make it, this is the greatest provision of the rich, they invest their capitol because they want more of it. They want to stay rich. Providing jobs and capitol and creativity to the business world is what the rich are about, that is why they are rich. There are people like Paris Hilton and Michael Jackson who are now a laughing stock because of their perverse wealth; however, they are rich because of the lower and middle classes. Let me explain. The Hilton family owns hotels. Paris scrapes the creme of the top, but, the Hilton family provides jobs and an excellent dynamic to the hotel industry. Something to emulate, something to surpass. This raises the standards because now, even lower classes can often afford to s

Diebold is the company that manufactures and maintains the electronic voting devices. They have been under extreme scrutiny by everyone, besides the Government, even after many mishaps this year; in states like South Caroilna and Iowa, these machines left no paper trail and are programed and maintained and adjusted by Diebold, who's name ironically discloses their trust-worthiness. The Onion, a fake news organization which, by every observation and standard, rocks, has the obvious truth of Diebold pinned. As is often the case with satire, the truth is more like fiction then we would like to think. This video says it all:

Coffee must be prepared with care. That said, watch my latte art video that is so hard rock it will make you jittery...

Obituary March 18th, 2008 The life of Bear Stearns was prematurely taken this week when the US economy realized the effects of the diabolical schemes this loan Bank and its furiously hell-bent ilk planned and perpetrated on the lower and middle classes for almost 100 years, cooperating with the deceitfully obtuse Federal Reserve. When Bear Stearns’s value crashed, losing millions to the devaluation of the dollar, it was picked apart and cannibalized by the Fed for two dollars a share, only to be remembered as an example of rich soulless bastards getting their just deserts. During the early years, Bear Stearns earned a nice niche for itself as a banking franchise while specializing in loans, securities, and corporate/individual credit. During the years, the company saw many successes, including the dehumanization of Americans who were stretched just a little too thin and could not pay their bills. Bear Stearns was there to assist them in their times of need by raising interest rates

A cold December day in 1850 South Carolina seceded from the Union. Following the secession were multiple acts of aggression by the US Federal Government. When reinforcing Fort Sumter, the federal government began a new chapter in American History; they refused to let several states leave a union which no longer served their interest, including the Palmetto State's. Following the Fed's antagonism and a battle or two in SC, many southern states also seceded from a government they found to be dangerous and degenerate. War ensued. With over 600,000 deaths, almost 1 million casualties, and unquantifiable fiscal damage to the southern states, the south lost what many consider a second War for Independence . Kosovo faces similar struggles – though not identical in motivation – to the Antebellum South, they seek autonomy apart from a prejudice government. The US Federal government seems to have a double standard. Though a hypothetical situation, what if California were to secede

I used to loath sports I found them to be arbitrarily exciting, nothing real worth my time. When I found hockey, my opinion changed. I was in the 14th row from the ice, five days ago, when San Jose Sharks defeated the Montreal Canadiens 6-4. It was a glorious match and the excitement still flows through my veins.

Ron Paul kept his congressional seat. I thought you all should know. He won with about 70% of the votes in his favor. the neo-con, Chris Pedan, who opposed him hadn't a chance. Obviously, the establishment thought they could sink their puss-dripping, gingivitises-cloaked teeth into the home district of the taxpayer's white knight; they're sorely mistaken. If the 14th district of Texas has anything to do with it, the warmonger beast of psychopathic earth funking will not, I repeat, WILL NOT take him away from us. Ron Paul, the true patriot, conservative, and legislative hero opposes and always has opposed: Restricting the internet The Iraq war Any tax increase Any corporate welfare check Environmentally disruptive legislation The Nazi-esc, fascist, media regimes who manipulate and infect and decay the gray matter of dream-filled American cerebrum. Protecting the evil, maniacal credit agency bastards who rob us of financial freedom by promising big dreams of spending bli

I drank beer today. Not unusual considering it's one of my favorite byproducts of microscopic organisms farting and crapping out otherwise unlikable resources like wheat and water. Things that really are no good without some sort of alteration. In this case, fairly major ones. I had these beers early in the day, which is the best time to drink, you know, to get an early start on a happy ending to my day off. But, they were consumed after watching a movie: Definitely, Maybe . I saw this movie with another man. I was consequently accused of being “gay.” I found this accusation humorous considering my secondary, though decisive, motives for watching the film. How it was “gay” to see this movie with another dude is beyond me. It seems gay in a way, I guess. But it was a heterosexual film, with good actors, a good story, and many attractive women. Again, how is this gay? “Gay” involves various physical activities in which I have never engaged, a sexual preference not ref

Health and freedom seem to be the ultimate end of any function of the government. Without life and good health, how can we be free, seek happiness or raise a family. Thus, the ultimate and deepest implications of immunization are societal as well as scientific. Small Pocks, HPV, German Measles, all take their toll on society because they are so contagious; their significant danger is the purpose for immunization and litigating a requirement for them may be a safe and easy way to end the curse of many preventable diseases. The controversy does not center on whether they work or not. Vaccination works. The odd increase in disabilities and ailments over the last 100 years is what causes so much tumult, in the public square, at the mention of vaccines. ADD, auto-immune, and neurological disorders have been on a steady rise as the commonplace usage of vaccines have risen. Many nations who do not have common vaccines have other problems, however; they deal with measles and whooping

Have you ever wanted a website that just did all the work for you. You log in, then with a swivel of the mouse and tap of the keyboard, you get what you want, no searching and squinting and irking. Maybe you didn’t even know such a site could, would, or should exist. It does; at least for music anyway. There is a place so perfect, so simple, so personal, it evokes a pandemonium of inner glee once you understand its ease and simplicity. It is like having greatness before you, wonderfully presented in the glow of your screen; a digital display of online perfection. Looking upon this site, you won’t help but feel moved and cherished; as if someone out there knows you are an individual who has a song or artist or sound that is a part of you, an extension of who you are. That someone goes unhailed and unthanked, bus has left behind what many have stumbled upon : Pandora dot com .

The most commonplace product seems to live what can easily be considered an exciting existence. Particularly underappreciated as a globally desired product, the intriguing story of coffee is widely unknown. Most coffee beans are hand picked, dried, and nurtured for months, before they are sorted, selected, and sewn into rough, humble, burlap bags, all by hand. They are heaved, from mountaintops and valleys, onto the back of workers who carry them to local markets. At these markets, they earn pennies for their labor, while the beans make their journeys around the globe. There is a sad ending, however, to the life of a coffee bean because many brewers –particularly in the US- abuse, ignore, and overlook the nature of coffee. Its delicate disposition, cultivated through months of toil and observance, respect and care, goes unnoticed as each bean is smashed and torn and destroyed; plucked from its should-be actualization of perfection and perverted into a caffeine infused, wannabe-sin

A "gentleman's drink," "hood," whatever you want to call it, is a meticulous matrimony of espresso and steamed milk, knit together to become what is commonly known as a cappuccino. The cappuccino stands as one of the most misunderstood experiences available almost nowhere but offered everywhere. I cannot count the times I have ordered a cappuccino only to receive a mound of foam with abandoned espresso lamenting its extraction on the bottom. It is the wet kitten of coffee. The cappuccino is more than just espresso and milk. It is not only espresso and foam either. The ceremonial blending of the elements is as tender and sensitive and romantic as a first kiss. The cappuccino is not a coffee drink, it is the coffee drink. It is not espresso but a perfection of it. Ordering a cappuccino "to go," as they say expecting a paper cup, is somewhat of a culinary indiscretion, but carelessly serving steamed milk, foam and espresso is a barefaced disregard fo

All of us will get a monthly rebate that will reimburse us for taxes on purchases up to the poverty line, so that we're not taxed on necessities. That means people below the poverty line won't be taxed at all. We'll be taxed on what we decide to buy, not what we happen to earn. We won't be taxed on what we choose to save or the interest those savings earn. The tax will apply only to new goods, so we can reduce our taxes further by buying a used car or computer. This segment is from Mike Huckabee’s campaign website , a portion of his “FairTax” tax reform plan. I read this surprised and impress. It seems like a more than reasonable attempt to revert to a constitutional taxation process. Excise taxes, or what is commonly called consumption tax, is what the constitution outlines as a fair way to tax. Only the earnings one spends is taxed says the founders. I read it again, “All of us will get a monthly rebate.” At this point I was inevitably forced to squirm with a joyf

I spent my blog time on this video below, so give it a look see. But also watch the second one. This Ron Paul promo is awesome

If our votes are counted by a private corporation, then the vote can go to the highest bidder. You know, the US spend millions trying to create a pen that would write in space when the Russians used a pencil. Can't the system that has worked in the past, though not as "advanced," be the safest way to ensure accurate counting of the vote? Assuming the Diebold machines cost less than the paper ballots, we can still assume that the loss of democracy is a greater price we will pay. It's a price far greater than the inconvenience of accuracy.

Under the guise the anti-extremism law, Russia has chosen to give the title "extremist" to the group, Voice of Beslan . This group consists of mothers of children killed in the Beslan incident in 2004. They criticize the Kremlin for their handling of the terrorist swarm that attacked the school leaving over 300 dead, the majority of whom were children, and have now been deemed extremists for their criticisms. The full article can be found here . Though Russia is improving and has made significant strides in respecting and acknowledging human/civil rights; this is a dark stain and a sad moment in their progressing as nation as well as Putin's reputaiton as a benevolent leader.

"We need more democracy," was the final plea of President Bush as he tapered off his tour of the middle east. First, he praised the leader of Egypt who is known for extreme hostility toward opposition since the 80's, and then called for more "democracy." How can Bush praise him, then ask him to change? Obviously President Hosni Mubarak is doing something right if he is getting a personal visit from the US President as well as accolades about the civil and national progress under his reign. Bush also met with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia (below) whose human rights violations can be summed up in the picture to the right. What exactly is it about these dictators -- who have little to do with the American ideal-- that give Bush the loving tingles of adoration deserving a personal visit, or even a business deal involving laser guided missile technology priced above $120m. I think that Bush is hoping to inaugurate some sort of happy-go-lucky friendship with

Six terrible experiences Aftermath of cheese grits from the Waffle House Playing with this snake Using Vista OS Experiencing the Candiru fish in the in the Amazon (video here ) Watching 28 Weeks Later Listening to Chris Cornell’s version of Ave Maria (much worse than the Candiru fish I am sure)

CD: Across the Wire - Counting Crows Movie: The Royal Tannenbaums - Wes Anderson Book: Oxymoronica - Dr. Mardy Grothe Website: Pandora Radio Book: Christ the Eternal Tao - Hiromonk Damascene CD: Blood on the Tracks - Bob Dylan TV Show: Arrested Development (Seasons 1,2,3) - Ron Howard Column: Dave Barry - Miami Herold Mac Application: Caffeine - Lighthead Book: Heretics/Orthodoxy - G. K. Chesterton Honorable Mention: CD: Sackoth n' Ashes - Sixteen horsepower

According to Angry White Man , an articulate attempt at a very cheap smear by The New Republic (Motto: Sticking it to the truth for quite some time), Dr. Ron Paul is, or at least was, a racist. America's political tone of voice, especially concerning issues of race, religion, gender, and sexual orientation changed dramatically over the last thirty years. If anything, Paul was writing to the libertarian mind in the parlance of the time. The libertarians of the 70's and 80's were not pursuing speech sensitivity training, but rather constitutional government. They wanted to prevent expensive illegal wars, fascism, and usury; not poor adjective selection. The Paul we see now is the same Paul as back then. But like any reasonable man, he has evolved to meet the logical sensibilities his position has demanded of him, while avoiding the political and philosophical nonsense of today. The rhetoric is actually quite tedious and often counter-productive, encouraging silly art

According to this video , McDonald's is vying for a place in the gourmet coffee market. Given that I work in the gourmet coffee market, I cannot help but see this as a drastic distortion of a very delicate and under appreciated art form generalized by the word coffee. (Left: McDonald's being honest) “Poor Man’s Crack ,” or “Mud,” or “Joe” is as American as chaps and the obesity epidemic. Many know of the Boston Tea Party but few have been taught about the Seattle Coffee Soiree, where everyone dressed up like Indians, similar to the Boston event, but were more efficient from all the caffeine. This unfortunately led to a decrease in stability because everyone crashed afterwards. Waking up with awful headaches, the people started fighting with those wearing the color red leading to a scuffle with the British while planting the seeds for the USA’s long hatred for Communism . This historical tale will not be found in history books because of its very vague and unverifiable

There is a pseudo-virtue that I cannot help but see as necessary to make it through a successful workday. I don’t know what to call it except a collective mindset . Many tasks at any job can be done by one person but they are often time consuming and messy. If another person steps in the job runs smoother; we know this ad idiom, "two heads are better than one." The ethic is not complicated but it contradicts a very American sentiment, individualism. Where I work, if one person fails to do something, everyone fails. If one person succeeds, likewise, everyone succeeds. Though not commonly perceived, such is life outside of work. Independent of whether the society adapts the collective mindset , any single individual can have one making society a better place. I cannot consider this pseudo-ethic as a sane dictum of governance, I am a libertarian after all; though it would undoubtedly be pleasantly enculturated if each person took it upon him or herself to look after ea

Much speculation about President Putin has plagued the media for a few years now. Putin was chosen as Time Magazine’s “Person of the Year” and is often featured on the front page of publications worldwide. While regularly compared to Russia’s great leaders of the last one hundred years, the Russian President has been vilified as the next Stalin by many as they ignore what may in fact be an unfamiliar patriotism: pragmatic and devout. Writers, with tilted heads and curious pens, hypothesize as to his ambitions, hostilities, and credibility; they attempt to solve the strange riddle that is President Putin. Modern Russia has more than one hundred years of history; consequently, the riddle won’t be solved apart from a historical perspective. Though a Stalinist hue may refract on occasion, Putin’s authoritarian genius has a stride and manner that resembles more closely his personal hero, Peter the Great. By the end of the 20th century, Russia had crumbled. Her President, the gangster tu