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Some of you might want to read it.


http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/fy6yz/51_hours_left_to_live/

51 hours left to live

On Tuesday I'll finally end my battle with cancer thanks to Oregon's Death with dignity act. As part of my preparations I've ended my pain medication and am trying to regain what little dignity and clarity I can.
Who I was doesn't matter. I'm in pain, I'm tired and I'm finally being granted a small shred of respect. Feel free to AMA if you're so inclined.

So, here I sit, blitzed out of my fucking mind.  Trying to mask the pain.  Drinking to induce vomiting.  If you're drinking, you're vomiting due to alcohol poisoning, not because your body is trying everything it can to stop it.  Stop the day long quakes and year long aches.  Stop the stabbing sensations and almost reminiscent of an orgasm, ever-present whole-body thrumming of pain, originating in the hips and radiating outward.  That hell-hot heat permeating your bones.  Waking you in tears at night,  Making even the act of sitting or shifting your weight from  one foot to the other excruciating.  I'm so sick of hearing the green-stick popping.  The gritty grinding halting my steps, holding me back.  The shakes making it hard to even type at work.  I'm genuinely upset that I'm not depressed because the depression pulled my attention away.  What I wouldn't give to be in that place again, screaming at the static demons on the end of my bed and feeling that surge of adrenaline, negating everything else.  In the fight, even against psychotic imaginings, you forget the pain your body is experiencing.

Yes, I know I'm whining.  It's my 23rd birthday.  I'll fucking anybody.  Or kill me.

Just in case you didn't already know about it.  Sorry if it's a repost.

http://www.google.com/support/websearch/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=173733

With Google search over SSL, you can have an end-to-end encrypted search solution between your computer and Google. This secured channel helps protect your search terms and your search results pages from being intercepted by a third party. This provides you with a more secure and private search experience.

To use search over SSL, visit https://www.google.com  each time you perform a search. Note that only Google web search is available over SSL, so other search products like Google Images and Google Maps are not currently available over SSL. When you're searching over SSL, these properties may not appear in the left panel.
What is SSL?

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is a protocol that helps provide secure Internet communications for services like web browsing, e-mail, instant messaging, and other data transfers. When you search over SSL, your search queries and search traffic are encrypted so they can't be read by any intermediary party such as employers and internet service providers (ISPs).
What can I expect from search over SSL?

Here's how searching over SSL is different from regular Google search:
SSL encrypts the communication channel between Google and a searcher's computer. When search traffic is encrypted, it can't be read by third parties trying to access the connection between a searcher's computer and Google's servers. Note that the SSL protocol does have some limitations — more details are below.
As another layer of privacy, SSL search turns off a browser's referrers . Web browsers typically turn off referrers when going from HTTPS to HTTP mode to provide extra privacy. By clicking on a search result that takes you to an HTTP site, you could disable any customizations that the website provides based on the referrer information.
At this time, search over SSL is supported only on Google web search. We will continue to work to support other products like Images and Maps. All features that are not supported have been removed from the left panel and the row of links at the top. You'll continue to see integrated results like images and maps, and clicking those results will take you out of encrypted search mode.
Your Google experience using SSL search might be slightly slower than you're used to because your computer needs to first establish a secure connection with Google.
Note that SSL search does not reduce the data that Google receives and logs when you search, or change the listing of these terms in your Web History .

Information for network administrators
Does SSL provide complete security?

While SSL helps prevent intermediary parties, such as ISPs, from knowing the exact search that you typed, they could still know which websites you visit once you click on the search results. For example, when you search over SSL for [ flowers ], Google encrypts the query "flowers" and the results that Google returns. But when you click on a search result, including results like images and maps, you could be exiting the encrypted mode if the destination link is not on https://.
If your computer is infected with malware or a keylogger, a third party might still be able to see the queries that you typed. We recommend that everyone learns how to prevent and remove malware.

Remember that only Google web search supports search over SSL, so searching Google Images, for example, will not be encrypted.

Technical discussion of SSL protocol-level limitations
How can I confirm whether I'm on a secure connection?

Check to see that the URL you're on starts with https:// instead of http://. Most browsers provide a visual confirmation (such as an icon of a lock) in the address bar or in the status bar at the bottom of the page. On Google SSL search, you'll also see a special Google SSL logo with a lock icon. In addition to this logo, be sure to also check the https:// text in the address bar and any browser lock icons.

When you perform a search on https://www.google.com , you might see a warning if a page has some non-secure components: depending on your browser settings, you might see the lock icon turn into a warning sign, a pop-up message, or some other form of alert. This issue is often referred to as a "mixed mode error."

Since this is a beta feature, there might be some rare cases in search over SSL that generate a mixed mode error. We're working to prevent such errors, and you can help if you report any errors  through our Help Forum.

A teacher is fired for beating a student.  Article:

http://www.mail.com/Article.aspx/topheadlines/0/APNews/Top-Headlines/20100515/U_US-Houston-Videotaped-Beating?pageid=1

It would take a lot of effort to translate BIP into Chinese but I'm willing to put in the time if that's a direction the original authors want to take it.

Feel free to chime in if you have advice.

My shop is being dissolved so I have to figure out what I'm going to do for the rest of my enlistment since I'm losing my current position.  I can:

1.)  Go to which ever shop they send me to next and work a different mission (fingers are crossed for admin position) for a year and a half or so while saving up money. I'd be trying to fit in some college classes and randomly taking leave to decide where I want to go to college and live afterwards.

2.)  Go on the deployment I was already considering volunteering for and bank some money before getting out.  I'll still have time to fit in some college classes and travel.  The big plus with this one is I get to choose where I'm deploying to and there won't be enough time for them to send me on a surprise deployment afterwards.  This is a big deal since my deployment bin is 6 months long. 

3.)  Go to a military class for a year, but I'd have to extend my contract for 2 more years.  I'd have a better chance at getting a job I'd like but I could still end up in one I hate for 3 years.  I'd be getting more money every month, secure job during shit economy, opportunity to go for more free college.

4.)  Try to buy out the last two years of my contract.     Surprisingly doable and I'd be happy but I'd have to go home where there aren't any good schools close by and jobs are scarce.

If I choose option #3 I have to turn in paperwork by the 3rd.  I think I'm going with #2.

I started watching Sarah Palin addressing the Tea Party National Convention and I realized I need to start giving a damn about US politics outside of the topics that affect my job.  Where should I start, assuming I know absolutely nothing about politics?  Seriously, I'm starting from scratch.  I'd prefer websites but I'm willing to invest in books.  I don't really watch television but I have one if there are any programs I should look into.

[he wants to eat my ears]

This isn't really a rant but...

When I was small, my father would take us on long drives through the mountains on the curvy roads.  Part of the drive involved a couple very long tunnels.  The middle of those tunnels haven't seen natural light since the day they were constructed.  The funny thing is, I was never afraid of the dark in the tunnels until my father asked me what I thought the Easter bunny did when he wasn't hiding Easter eggs.  I didn't know.  He told me the Easter bunny lived in the shadows of the tunnel, where you couldn't see him, and nibbled on children's ears.  The only way to keep him from eating your ears was to cover them and sing him a song to distract him. 

Now that I'm on that lost highway, I find myself in one of those long, twisted tunnels, the light from the back end of the tunnel disappeared a while back.  I have no idea why the tunnel is so dark and it's starting to freak me out.  I'm behind the wheel this time but the long believed misconception of the Easter bunny has been nagging at the back of my mind for what seems like an eternity.  The irrational fear instilled in me as a child is taking over and I find myself slowly going mad, humming inanely to myself while I'm subconsciously stepping on the gas.  I can see just a few feet in front of me, the road too dimly illuminated by the widely spaced lights.  I know I'm driving way too close to the wall and I'm afraid I'm going to crash into it, but I can't bring myself to apply the brakes.  The Easter bunny likes to nibble on ears.  I have very cute, shapely ears.  I know he doesn't exist, but he wants to eat my ears.

A sign pops into my line of vision, dangling from the roof of the tunnel.  It reads, "Turn on headlights".  I'm such an idiot.  I flip on the headlights again.  Relief washes over me.  I wasn't paying attention when I entered the tunnel.  I flipped the switch when I saw the first sign but I didn't realize I already had them on.  I started using them when it got dark out.  Now, I feel silly. 

But...  what the hell am I supposed to do about my fear of the Easter bunny?  Why am I placing my faith in some synthetic light to guard me from the things I fear?  Am I going to forget again and let the fear chase me into a wall next time?  And how fucking long is this tunnel? 

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2010/01/19/2010-01-19_firm_takes_flak_for_rifle_scopes_with_bible_verse.html

A Michigan weapons company is under fire for branding thousands of rifle scopes used by U.S. soldiers and Marines in Iraq and Afghanistan with passages from the Bible.

U.S. military rules prohibit any service member from proselytizing while serving in Iraq or Afghanistan, which are primarily Muslim nations.

Trijicon, a sighting manufacturer based in Wixom, Mich., has several multimillion-dollar contracts with the Pentagon to make sights.

Along with the sight's stock number, there are coded Bible passages from the New Testament engraved on the sights. One reads JN8:12, an apparent reference to John 8:12, which says, "Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

Trijicon did not return calls for comment yesterday but confirmed the engravings to ABCNews.com. And the company's mission statement is steeped in religion, saying it strives to follow morals "based on Biblical standards."

Mikey Weinstein, founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, said the sights endanger troops. "This plays right into the hands of maniacs who say, 'Look, it's a jihad,'" he said, adding that he's received several complaints from soldiers and Marines.

U.S. military officials told ABCNews.com they were "unaware" of the biblical markings.

I'm starting a chainmail project.  If you have any experience with it I'd really appreciate some advice.  I have a friend who makes it, but he lives 3 1/2 hrs away and I don't see him for another week.  

Very old article about the possibility of the human species splitting into two subspecies.  

BBC released this article  http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/6057734.stm

Humanity may split into two sub-species in 100,000 years' time as predicted by HG Wells, an expert has said.
Evolutionary theorist Oliver Curry of the London School of Economics expects a genetic upper class and a dim-witted underclass to emerge.

paid a dime and only farted.....



I really want to know if this is a place I can be me or if it  really is a club, like it seems to be.

I was standing outside, waiting on the dog to shit(I'm house/dog-sitting), and I wondered if this is a club house.  It REALLY seems to be.  I am drunk.  That is the only way I'd share my feeling with the lot of people that seems to frequent this site.  (5 day weekend)

I was standing there, waiting on the dog to shit, thinking about life and how it's like a ciagarette, when I realized it was kind of like this board.  The dog seemed hesitant.  Like It should feel like It was performing a natural action, but It wasn't. As though he wondered if it was okay with performing a bodily function in front of me when I realized that is exactly how I feel about this site. 

Can I really trust you to react naturally, not positively/negatively, to anything I post?

I honestly don't think so.

I've been lurking.

I've looked at the older post.  I just don't believe this site is any different from any other site.  Maybe all of you are holding your tongues since I'm a "n00b" under 50 posts, or maybe you just don't give a rat's damn because I'm new.   Either way,  I feel like anything I bring would be completely wasted.  Exactly how I feel everywhere else, including work which is almost impossible.

I'm an active duty, active military member.  I HATE politics.  I don't care what some worthless shit has posted on the internet, or broadcast-ed on the air, or anything else.  I care about me and mine, much like EVERYONE ELSE.  I know my life is dictated by "the man".  I know some of you feel I should care. I don't.  I've contractually obligated myself and I'm okay with that. 

What does this board think about that? 

Am I a worthless cog in the system or am I a sentient being?