A New Year

Hey....

     Life hasn't changed much.  Nor working, but never bored.  Too much to do, too little time, and too much time on the computer.  Video games are a curse and a blessing.   I can go to Middle Earth and destroy evil, help save the world, get away from this real space and time.  Forget the reality which is sucking my soul dry.  (No, not all bad - reality does have it's better moments...)

     I read about big pharma going to trial for allowing the mass distribution of opiates without adequate over-site.  Big news - corporations are corrupt...  Our government allows this to happen, and only the huge outcry of families devastated by this crisis have forced our government into some sort of action.  Unfortunately, there are legitimate uses for these drugs, and people in real pain are denied relief.  Maybe there are other ways to manage it, and yes, their use needs to be tightly monitored.

     But, this will not solve the crisis now.  I don't understand how simple incarceration is the go to answer for the addict or alcoholic.  Very limited resources, if any, for them to begin or continue to work on recovery.  Doesn't make sense to me. I suspect it would be cheaper to house these people is some sort of sober recovery house, where they could maintain their jobs, schooling, what have you.  Instead their lives are torn apart with nothing given to improve it, at great expense financially to the taxpayer, and to the detriment of society of a whole.

     Also, why does our country not go to the root of the problems.  And I do mean root.  Is it so hard to stop the heroin at it's source?  The poppies  We kill people, how about the fields of poppies instead?  We put restrictions on countries when they are corrupt, or undercutting trade, or providing help to terrorists.  Let's put sanctions on countries that allow the production of opiates.

     I've looked back at my old posts, and realize very little has changed in this world.  Government spews out words.  They do nothing to jeopardize their status quo - or sources of income and power.

     Anyway.  For now.  It's a lovely rainy day.  The servers are down.  Maybe I'll break out my watercolors...

     Safe Travels.

     LadyKyote.

 

Random thoughts.

It occurred to me that substance abusers are told to accept that their lives are a result of their choices, and blaming others for their issues only serves to keep them from recovery.  Their problems are never their fault - that is a trademark of an addict, that is how they define their lives.

And while I believer there was a time when sexism and racism existed to a much greater extent than it does now, these groups are still fine with pushing blame for any failures or shortcomings onto the "sexist" or "racist " cultures that they perceive still exists.

As a "victim" they can refuse responsibility for their lives.  How can they ever achieve if every failure is blamed on society's bias.

In fact, society encourages this mind set.  Often allowing women and minorities special privileges to help them advance.  In fact I believer this just causes most of us to question the qualifications of blacks and women, since they may not have been held to the same standards as other applicants.

As a women, I find this demeaning.  There was a time, maybe, in the beginning of the rights issue when a step up was possibly in order.  That time has passed.  I think now such hand holding and affirmative action only serves to put minorities and women who ARE qualified in position to have to doubly prove themselves.

Soo... Lord of the Rings Online, my main game these days, is consolidating servers. The decision must be made of where to transfer. Today I was exploring the Great River, and the question was answered.  Meet Landroval.

Progression (?)

I was taken in by the progression server frenzy of EQ and EQ2. Started, played for a bit. Loved the old zones - and the old starting point for EQ2. But - reality set in, and I realize I do not want to do the grind again. Nostalgia is great, but it is moving backwards, not forward.

A pit with sides that crumble as you try to climb out. You find each morning that you have fallen a little deeper, and realize that only a miracle will get you out, and that really, there are no miracles.... Sorry for the downer - now move on....

EQ Emu

Was it really this hard? And this ugly??? Nonetheless, this is the game that hooked me years ago, reborn, and free to play. Actually, I liked the struggle to survive, and the challenge to get your gear back after death. And, as a barbarian, I really liked those bearskin caps! Tradeskills mean something again, and the starting zones are no longer ghost towns.

It was easy enough to set up using my copy of Shadows of Faydwer.

I'll be back.

http://www.eqemulator.org/

Safe Journeys.

Drug Trade in Afghanistan

I know it isn't the complete answer, but with our troops in Afghanistan I hope we can do something to stem the flow of drugs from that country. If nothing else, drive up prices so that the drug is no longer a cheap alternative to just about any other drug (including alcohol and marijuana). They say that targeting the farmer is not the answer, but moving up the ladder to stopping the Taliban and al Qaeda traffickers.

Just maybe our military involvement may do some good...