Validation Part Deux

Talked to my dad again about things and it worked out well. I think we came to an understanding, and some time has gone by so I could gather my thoughts. I got everything off my chest, and he said he would try his best to work on things. I'm relieved. I knew this animosity wouldn't carry on forever, but I was worried that I would just have to give up the struggle and leave it alone. I can't do that. I can't leave things alone until resolved. I I do, it eats me alive. I have too much of a conscience.

I can't remember if I mentioned this before, but a large problem was that he couldn't wrap his head around my atheism. It's very hard to explain to someone who attributes their entire existance to creationism that I need to "see it to believe it." That instead of having faith in God, I have faith in people. That in order for something to happen, I don't pray for it, I do it. Some people say that good things come to those who wait, but if there's a God, he takes too long. I explained to my dad that it is just as conceivable to say "God always was and always will be" as it is to say that life just started with the big bang. Both are as unbelievable as the next. Nobody can explain it, so I leave it alone. I find that physical evidence is more believable than God putting it there. I believe in billions of years of evolution over seven days of creation. I believe Darwin's Theory of evolution and natural selection. It's almost common sense to me. I see evidence in human adaptations as proof of evolution. How else could our African origin be explained? Humans came out of Africa (that's right, we were all black at one point) and moved north. As they moved further north, their physical features changed (skin color) because they didn't need the protective mellatonin to protect them from harsh UV rays. Skin color lightened as the need for mellatonin decreased (hence white people). And so on and so on. Direct proof in our own species. BUT I could be argued against, and I'm not shitting on those who would. Need to scoot..

peace and back pain!

Validation

Since I was about thirteen I've had a rocky relationship with my dad. I never really understood why and neither has he. Last Friday we had what some may call a "breakthrough" at our counseling session, mostly because there was a lot of crying and a lot of confessing. Oh yea-- I'm going to counseling to seek help for my family's abrupt loss of my mom. A little over a month ago when I was still in school and super stressed out from exams, papers, and my monthly visitor, I happened to mention to my dad that I wanted some counseling. He took that as his cue to seek family counseling for all of us.

After our heated session Friday afternoon, my dad called me that night and requested that we have dinner to talk about some of the things we had said to each other. I told him that I didn't think it was such a good idea to talk about those things until they were resolved and some time had passed. I explained that we shouldn't try to resolve our issues outside of counseling because that's why we're going in the first place: because thus far, we have been unsuccessful doing it ourselves. He took it as "I don't want to talk to you" and didn't understand what I was trying to say. Because he didn't understand, he continued to try to convince me that having a dinner to discuss things would be a good idea because we needed to talk about "some of the things we said to each other." From the way he said it, I knew all he wanted to do was to say that he loves me and try to convince me that he's not a bad guy. I already know these things. Every time we have a conversation about our "issues" he always ends with "I still love you" as if I were to forget at some point amidst the anger and tears. That's good and all, but it has become redundant and almost meaningless. I agreed to dinner, but I told him that it was not a good idea to talk about the issues that were unresolved during counseling since thus far we had been unsuccessful ourselves. We set the date for last night.

We went to Panera and, of course, it was delicious. We ended up talking about the things I said we shouldn't talk about, but that came to no surprise to me because knowing my dad it was inescapable. I tried to explain to him how he has made me feel over the last decade-or-so, and that he doesn't listen to me. He doesn't listen to me. Did I mention that he doesn't listen to me? I made a point of saying it a couple times to him, hoping that maybe somewhere in there he would listen. He thinks that he did something when I was younger that has made me resent him over the years. I explained that it was not a specific incident, rather, it was the accumulation of smaller incidents that have built up my resentment. It's what he has said to me and my brothers, how he treats other people, his list of priorities, his bigotry and sexism, and his unwilligness to change any of it. He is petrified of change, especially in himself, and until he accepts change as an inevitability, we can't get along in the areas we would like to.

If only he had listened to more David Bowie's "changes.."

"I can't change time, but it will change me..." or something.

Peace and whatever

The Golden Compass

I want to see this movie just to understand what all the hub-bub is. The Golden Compass is intended for children but I don't care, dammit! I want to see what reviewers are calling "anti-God." A small synopsis of the movie is here.

Apparently, the dude who wrote the books that the movie was based on is openly agnostic and athiest, and all the Christians are freaking out because he's "promoting atheism and turning children against God." Some critics say he aimed it towards children on purpose so they would go see the movie with their parents and request the books for Christmas. If this is true, he's not a very good athiest.

When you're an athiest, you don't promote atheism. If you are a TRUE athiest, you won't care what others believe especially considering some kind of religion has been the base of [probably] every civilization since the beginning of pragmatic man. You can't really change people now. The only thing I do like about this is that it offers an open-minded theory. It could get children thinking, which is something they should do-- always. Parents should not shield their children from, well, anything. Hasn't anyone heard the case of the preacher's daughter? Shelter her until she's 18 and then when she's out of the house she goes crazy-nuts trying to make up for every dumb thing she was kept from doing as a kid? Yea.

Yesterday I produced our morning show and our morning show host put his opinion over the radio waves. He said "My kids said they wanted to go see this movie and I said 'no' because of the content" and blah blah blah. I was sitting there kind-of fuming, mostly because minutes later I received a call from a dude who said "Tell [host's name] I'm glad he gave his opinion of the movie" and blah blah blah. A lady in New York said "The Christians have been prosecuted more than any other group or religion..." I about fainted. Who in the right mind actually believes the Christians have been oppressed MORE-SO than their religious counterparts?! What about the Jews? Muslims? BLACK PEOPLE! WOMEN! EVERYBODY has been more oppressed than the Christians and this woman has the nerve... I HAVE BEEN MORE OPPRESSED THAN THE CHRISTIANS! Of course, I'm kidding. Just being lavish.

I'm just sick of the closed-minded beaurocrats who complain that they aren't getting the treatment they "deserve." I think they're getting more than what they deserve. They have run this country into the ground and they say they haven't gotten anything from it?! Fuck.

Peace and Desire

right under their noses

A guy stole an entire bed from a department store. He walked out of the store taking the bed piece by piece, casually walking by servaillance cameras, employees, and customers. His face was clearly seen on the video footage and he took his sweet-ass time. The kicker: nobody caught him. I'm sure hundreds of people saw this guy and none of them said a word.

I'm wondering why we even have servaillance cameras and those damn beeping theft detectors at the front of the store. Have you ever walked through those things and they went off but the employees just say "oh that happens all the time.. go ahead."

We freak out that there are so many thieving ass-holes out there, yet when the situation presents itself we don't do anything! I know it's easy to say "I'll be a hero and save the day by stopping those robbers!" But why don't we do it? They might have a gun... but not in every case. The worst that could happen (of course) is that they do have a gun and might shoot you if you want to be a hero, but most of the time, they don't. What is stopping us? Do we just not want to get involved? Why not? Wouldn't it help if people stepped up? If I noticed a guy taking a bed piece by piece out to his car, I would suspect something and would tell somebody (mostly because these days everything, including bed sets, come in huge boxes, not individual pieces for you to carry out the store). I wouldn't just let him walk out of the store! What idiots are we?! And of course, it's much easier to say I would save the day than it would be to actually do it.

I'm just wondering why we make it so easy for thieves to get in, get out, and never be found. I know a guy a while ago took a friggin' matress from Wal Mart. Didn't Betty the humble Wal-Mart greeter notice something odd when the guy was just carrying this thing out of the store? Are we really so up our own asses that we don't recognize a robbery when we see one? Bah.. humbug.

Peace and snow

Confessions of an Economic Hitman

"I vacillated between viewing such people as an actual conpiracy and simply seeing them as a tight-knit fraternity bent on dominating the world. Nonetheless, over time I began to liken them to the plantation owners of the pre-Civil War South. They were men drawn together in a loose association by common beliefs and shared self-interest, rather than an exclusive group meeting in clandestine hideaways with focused and sinister intent. The plantation autocrats had grown up with servants and slaves, had been educated to believe that it was their duty to take care of the 'heathens' and to convert them to the owners' religion and way of life. Even if slavery repulsed them philosophically, they could, like Thomas Jefferson, justify it as a necessity, the collapse of which would result in social and economic chaos. The leaders of the modern oligarchies, what now thought of as the corporatocracy, seemed to fit the same mold... Of course, we are not the first to do this. The list of practitioners stretches back to the ancient empires of North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, and works its way up through Persia, Greece, Rome, the Christian Crusades, and all the European empire builders of the post-Columbian era. This imperialist drive has been and continues to be the cause of most wars, pollution, starvation, species extinctions, and genocides. And it has always taken a serious toll on the conscience and well-being of the citizens of those empires, contributing to social malaise and resulting in a situation where the wealthiest cultures in human history are plagued with the highest rates of suicide, drug abuse, and violence." -John Perkins

I couldn't have said it any better myself; this guy knows what he's talking about because he was one of these oppressive beaurocrats. These men strive to build an empire. I see direct proof of this in the city I live in. Not only is Dayton considered to be the 4th most violent city in the COUNTRY, the "top dogs" are doing nothing to make the situation any better. They're raising taxes in the city and building new roads in the suburbs. Two elementary schools closed for inner-city kids while two suburban schools open next fall. Foreclosures are at an all-time high, yet new subdivisions continue to sprout overnight. The malls and stores stock their shelves in anticipation of holiday spending, while thousands of families wonder if they will be able to afford their heating bill this winter. The rich and well-to-do's are decorating their properties and preparing huge family meals, while the homeless and impoverished families line up to get their one hot meal this seaon from the soup kitchen. Doesn't anyone else see something wrong with this? Isn't there something morally wrong with the ever-increasing gap between the rich and the poor?!

John Perkins went to Indonesia on his first assignment and the first thing he noticed was that "the beauty was certainly present. Gorgeous women sporting colorful sarongs. Lush gardens ablaze with tropical flowers. Exotic Balinese dancers. Bicycle cabs with fanciful, rainbow-colored scenes painted on the sides of the high seats, where passengers reclined in front of the pedaling drivers. Dutch Colonial mansions and turreted mosques. But there was also an ugly, tragic side to the city. Lepers holding out bloodied stumps instead of hands. Young girls offering their bodies for a few coins. Once-splendid Dutch canals turned into cesspools. Cardboard hovels where entire families lived along the trash-lined banks of black rivers. Blaring horns and choking fumes. The beautiful and the ugly, the elegant and the vulgar, the spiritual and the profane. This was Jakarta, where the enticing scent of cloves and orchid blossoms battled the miasma of open sewers for dominance." When he was reading about the country before he went, all that was mentioned was the beautiful side. This is what our own contry does. The media displays luxury, that the "American Dream" is to buy as much stuff as possible, and that EVERYBODY has these same desires. The agenda of the media is directly reflected in the agenda of their audience. If Britney Spears says it's good, people believe that it's good. She sponsored Pepsi a few years ago. I'm sure that influenced a few people to drink the beverage over others. Soda is the worst thing you could put in your body, yet, people overlooked the health risks and drank it because Britney Spears said it's good. Ignorance. But this is neither here nor there.

My boyfriend would say that I could shit in one hand and complain in the other and see which hand fills up quicker... And I know. Talking and complaining about all this stuff doesn't do anything but vent my frustrations. I am not a person of power or stature, so I can't REALLY do anything. But I always hope that talking about this stuff will at least influence others to think about it. The more people that think pragmatically, the more of a difference we could possibly make in the future. That's all.

Peace and Pragmatism

Maybe I complain too much...

I realize this... that I am entirely negative of everything in this country, mostly because I'm fascinated with how stuff works on the "inside" and when I learn of the greed, oppression, and alltruistic motivations, it makes my own insides hurt. My heart breaks.

I'm reading a book called "Confession of an Economic Hitman" by John Perkins and it is absolutely amazing. It's all about his own life as an economic hitman (EHM) and his duties on the inside. I personally recommend this book, and I'm going to go read some more. Enjoy.

peace and poverty

The FDA needs a kick in the teeth

I've noticed an overabundance of prescription pill advertisements on television and they're making me sick. I can't believe (well actually, yes I can) that the FDA approves all of these unneeded drugs. I can't believe it morally, but I completely believe it monetarily. I was watching tv last night and there was --literally-- a three minute commercial for this blood pressure pill where the whole commercial was --literally-- a disclaimer.

"If you take this drug in conjuntion with other blood pressure medications, you may experience trouble breathing. If you have abnormal heart palpitations, this may be a sign that you have a more serious health condition and should consult your doctor. You should know that by taking this pill you are putting yourself at risk for further complications. If you do not see a significant change in your health, you have probably become immune to modern medicine and you'll most likely die soon anyway."

Here is an article related to the topic of this advertisement.

Of course, we consumers don't want to hear these things but companies are required by law to include this disclaimer. My favorite part of these commercials is the inspirational music they play underneath the disclaimer because it's just a psychological advertising ploy to make you feel better about the side effects. Hilarious how it works too because you know people are buying these medications.

The thing that really bothers me about the FDA is that they come out with all of these medications to "help" people with their serious medical conditions when they're really making them worse. Rather than combating the real issues, they come out with a drug that will delay the inevitable, which is poorer health and maybe death. They are making it OK for consumers not to take responsibility for their own health by handing them a simple solution, which could further their declining health by suppressing the symptoms. Americans' health are declining rapidly due to this vicious cycle. The number one killer in this country is heart disease and 66% of adults are obese. I don't think you have to be a scientist to link the two.

I just think it's sad the FDA doesn't rally care about people as much as they care about their fat paychecks. It's incredibly unsettling to know that administrations make themselves look like they care by offering "quality" products, when in all actuality, they couldn't care less about the consumer. Sad.

Your health can drastically improve if you EAT RIGHT AND EXCERCISE, not take some pill to trick your mind into believing it doesn't have a problem. Here's my line of logic of why I believe these medications don't work:

Man has health problem.
Man takes pill for synthetic relief, not combating real issue.
Symptoms go away.
Man carries on with life like normal, not making any changes to lifestyle.
Real issue persists due to no real habit change.
Real issue gets worse because it was never combated in the first place.
Man's health declines.
Man has another health problem.
Man takes pill and so on and so on....

See my point? Taking a pill does not combat the real issue, rather, it hides the symptoms to the real issue, not forcing the person to take responsibility for their own health. What can we do?

Become smarter.
Pay attention to symptoms.
Practice hollistic medicine (it keeps you in tune with your body, which is very important)
Eat healthy foods by staying away from hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrups.
Get some activity incorporated into that busy schedule (take the stairs, park further away, dance when you're home alone.. it feels silly at first, but it's really fun and you get your heart rate up)
Talk to other people.
Read this blog. HA!

thanks..
peace and hope

Low Prices; High Hopes

Wal-Mart is struggling and I couldn't be happier. They're starting a new slogan stating "Save money. Live better." because they experienced their largest decrease in sales this year than any other year in the past! This is great! This means that people are paying attention to this monopolistic monster. This means that other businesses are doing better and actually have a chance. Now, this is not to say that the company is going down the shitter quite yet, as I could only dream of their demise, but it's progress in bringing them down. It tells me that people are choosing to vote for another candidate (not presidential, of course). I'm taking an economics class and Wal-Mart does not follow any kind of pure capitalism. They steal business from every other company trying to make a buck, which results in the depletion of competition that must exist in a capitalist market. They make it impossible to become an entrepreneur because 1) they already have loyal customers 2) they have the cheapest prices 3) they have multiple locations, and 4) that's the place people know they're going to get the biggest bang for their buck. All these facts sound great for a company, but when they exploit every aspect of their business model (employees, products, factory workers, advertisers.. etc) they turn into a silent monster and nobody realizes it until they look into it. Their business practices are appauling, and they stand for greed. There is so much more about that company that is wrong, but I don't really feel like getting into my "I hate Wal-Mart" mood. This is enough for today.

Another story that gives me high hopes: A video game store owner is asking parents to report passing grades on their kids' report cards in order to get their games! Straight A's earn a free game. I don't know, I think this gives kids somewhat of an incentive to do better in school. Yunno, work now, play later. The owner might be kicking himself in the ass for doing this, but he has good intentions with his new policy. He just wants kids to do better in school! Looking at where teenagers and kids are these days in regard to their education, I think this guy has a good idea.

Slightly Troubled

I can't help but feel objectified. Joey helped me realize something yesterday and I'm kind-of upset about it. Since I was about 13 my dad and I have had a very frustrating relationship. 13 is about the age that one starts to develop an opinion about things and I definitely embraced that freedom, as well as being supported by my mom. In a nutshell, my dad has tried to block the fact that I have an opinion and continues to via his masked fear of his own realities. I wrote a list of things about him that piss me off and have pissed me off since we developed this stressful relationship. And what makes it more stressful is that he doesn't even realize these things about himself because of who he is, therefore making it close to impossible to talk to him about it. I would be wasting air and time if I even made an attempt. This is not to say that I haven't tried to make an attempt. He listens for the moment that I'm talking, and says "Oh I'm sorry! It will be better blah blah blah..." and he's right for about a day or two. He never makes an attempt to change himself, but rather continues to mask any problem that might exist by not admitting he's wrong. Here's my list. It's critical, but it's how I feel.

He's very much a selective listener and unable to admit that he's wrong or misinformed. He's a hypocrite. He doesn't care about anything that he doesn't have to interract with on a daily basis. He doesn't say please or thank you, nor does he ask nicely. He doesn't care about health or trying to be a genuinely good person. He doesn't care to make matters better because he believes he's too old to do anything (he's only 55). He doesn't listen to me or value any part of my opinions. He compares me to my mom (whom I love more than life itself) and can't help but feel his embittered sarcasm due to the divorce that she prompted. He's racist and bigoted, but wouldn't openly admit it. He thinks less of women, especially if they make a bad decision. HE DOESN'T LISTEN. He's socially awkward and embarassing. He thinks he's HILARIOUS all the time. He doesn't consider your situation or feelings, as his agenda is the only one that works for him. If you're watching tv, he'll come in and after watching only a couple minutes, ask "is there anything else on?" He's combative. He's terrible at communicating. He's afraid of change. He's the reason the phrase "you can't teach an old dog new tricks" exists. I believe he's afraid to know the truth about, well, all things. He's safeguarded by the suburban ideologies he raised us in. He can't argue a valid point. It's because of people like him our country has gone down the shitter.

It's no doubt I love my dad, and it might be hard to believe after reading all that, but he's my dad. I'm upset about this because I DO love him. He does have good qualities, but they're really only skin deep. He gives me money if I ask for it (which is a rarity), he takes us out to dinner and pays, and he cares about all of us. But all that isn't enough. I can't talk to him about anything that's important to me because he either doesn't care about it the same way I do or doesn't agree with my standpoint. He still treats me like I'm seven: aww.. look how cute she is.. she has an opinion.. I might be hard on him for his qualities, but here's where he and I are different: I am able to put my own feelings and beliefs aside and see situations through his eyes. I'm able to walk in someone else's shoes. I understand his views from a father standpoint: he wants to protect us and make sure we make the "right" decisions. I understand his views as the father of a girl exactly like the woman that divorced him. I understand that we didn't grow up with the same values of life. I understand that he grew up believing white men have the power. He didn't have the technologies that I did. I've told him this and he knows it (but won't admit that he does) that times have changed. Companies are equal opportinity employers. There are black men and women that make more money than he could in a lifetime. Everything is done by computer. Everything revolves around money. The economy purposefully maintains and widens the gap between the rich and poor. Women aren't just house-wives anymore. You don't have to be a Christian to be a good person. I UNDERSTAND THAT HE BELIEVES NONE OF THIS IS A REALITY. He's blinded by his unwillingness to change or see the other side. He makes my life very complicated because we can't talk about this stuff.

Duh!

When there's a robbery/burglary, security cameras are installed. When cars are vandalized, people volunteer their own time to watch the neighborhood to make sure it doesn't happen again. When someones' house burns down, they invest in home insurance so they're covered for "next time." When ONE GUY threatened people with a box cutter, airport security was riased to a ridiculous level.

Here's my question: Why do people wait until something happens to use preventative measures? This is their property. Shouldn't they protect it regardless of whether its security has been threatened or not?

I'm not saying things don't happen. I'm not saying there aren't stupid people out there that commit these crimes. I'm also not saying that everything can be prevented through high levels of security. I'm just saying that it's YOUR responsibility to protect your belongings.

This, I believe, is why our country has gone down the shitter. When something happens to someones' property, a law is made. EVERYONE'S rights are regulated. I'm a firm believer in taking responsibility for your actions. The government shouldn't have to step in and do it for you. We're trading our freedom for security. We're turning our country into a police state. What happened to democracy? What happened to the Constitution? Every basic freedom has been layed out SIMPLY in that piece of paper. We've turned everything into semantical bullshit. That's all.

Mitt Romney vs. State

One of the biggest controversies in the political realm has to do with the separation of church and state. JFK was the first Catholic president and he surprisingly strengthened his candidacy with his faith. It's a different story in today's presidential running.

Mitt Romney is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ and the Latter-Day Saints. The Mormon faith is one that is not exactlly widely accepted, as only 2% of the population practices it. Now, I've said in past blogs that I don't care what faith a person practices, as long as they don't preach it or let it get in they way of how the populous is handled. As a political leader, you can't base your nomination on what God you believe in, because you are saying "My God is better than your God." Especially because you can't preach Theism, as it means exactly what it says; it's a theory. Just like evolution: even though there is scientific evidence and carbon dating, you can't really preach that it is the way things happened because it is still considered a theory. But this is beside the point.

It's questionable as to whether or not Romney will let his faith get in the way of his political rulings (hypothetically speaking, if he wins the presidency). Now, why is Mormonism subject to discussion over Christianity, or any other Christian based theory? It's not to say that Mormon's don't believe in Jesus Christ, it's the rest of what they believe that sparks controversy. So what exactly do they believe?

First of all, the Mormon faith was conceived during the 20th century. It is based off of one man's hallucinations, and that alone seems fishy. Joseph Smith went into the woods on a blindingly hot day, and fell to the ground. He saw the sun coming through the trees, and claimed that he saw God the Father, and his son. They told him to go up into the mountains and look under a rock, where he would find the gold plates that would eventually be translated into the Book of Mormon. Those who practice Mormonism do not allow any other faith penetrate its walls. You can't be gay, because it is a sin and you will not be accepted in the eyes of God. Young men go on missions around the world to try and convert people to their faith. They can only marry other Mormons. They practiced polygamy openly for many years, and some still do, even though it is illegal. If you are not Mormon, you cannot come to their Temple unless you're going to convert. I saw a Frontline special on Mormonism and the camera crew was not allowed beyond the front room. The inside of their temples are pure white where those that practice the faith have to also wear a white robe with white clothes underneath, white socks, and no shoes. The faith was kicked out of 3 different cities because of their controversial themes until they landed in secluded Salt Lake City, Utah. They say it's the holy land. They have record of every person who has died locked away in an underground "safe." What do they do with these names? In the Mormon faith, they believe that unless you are baptized, you go to pergatory, where you wait. They take the names and baptize them via the living so they can go to Heaven. That's great and all, yunno, wanting everyone to get into Heaven, but this proves that they don't believe that any other faith will allow you into Heaven, if it does, truly, exist. It's just weird overall.

So Mitt Romney. Good that he has faith, but not one who's mantra is to believe in only that faith and preach it as the only true faith. It requires its followers to live a limited life and have it play a major role in every aspect of life.

With all this in mind, why would we want a Mormon president? If he was a real person, he wouldn't let it run his political life as well. But he was quoted as saying that he would NOT separate the two lives. This does not give me any incentive to vote for him. If he is voted into office, One of two things will happen. He will either be a good candidate who's practices and ideas HELP us without his beliefs getting in the way. Or, his faith will get in the way and we'll be stuck with him for 4 years. Who knows what the Mormon faith could do to an entire country? We've seen what Islam and Christianity have done to countries. They're warring against each other. And HAVE been for centuries. I'm scared for the future.. this presidential election will determine a lot of things, and I just hope we benefit from whomever runs the country. We need help, not a hindrance.

Statutory Rape?

A Kettering teacher at Fairmont has been accused of having sex with a 14-year old student and is now in jail. Here's what I think.

I'm glad the guy was convicted and is now serving time because well, you don't have sex with 14-year olds when you're a) twice their age, and b) teaching at the same school! But what about the girl? Does she have to go to juvenile court? No. She too committed a crime, but because she's a juvenile and termed as an "innocent child" she gets nothing. Is this fair? The story didn't say that this guy raped her, it said that he "had sex with" her.

Here's where I question the system.

Say you're an 18-year old dude in high school, just about to graduate and your girlfriend is 17, also about to graduate. That would technically be illegal. If later on she took you to court for some reason and she brought up the fact that you were having sex while she was a minor, you could be convicted of stautory rape, even if you both KNEW it was consensual. So she would laugh her ass off as yours is dragged off to jail.

If Mr. Teacher-Man "had sex with" the 14-year old, then it had to be consensual because otherwise it would have been called rape, and that obviously is a felony. This means that the girl was FULLY AWARE of what was going on. She KNEW it was sex, she KNEW it was with a 30-something teacher at her school, and only HE gets jail-time. Do they assume that this girl is stupid? Does she get nothing because she's a minor? Shouldn't she be sent to juvenile court and have SOME kind of penalty against her? She's laughing her ass off as his gets dragged off to jail. Here's what I say: What the fuck?!

Ok. I understand that minors can't get jail-time because "they're children and don't know any better." Fuck that. You are fully aware of your actions by the time you hit 13. Why do I say this? Because you feel as though you are being looked at by everyone in every different direction in the 7th grade. That's when it all starts: the insecurities, the "cliques," the confusion. But you are aware of it because it is the hardest part of growing up! I hated that time in my life. I made FUN of the people who had sex by then, because they knew what they were doing and not being responsible ablout it. There were kids in my junior high that had sex on the library couch afterhours! They knew they were doing it! And so did everyone else! All I'm saying is that juveniles know what they're doing and should be charged accordingly. So what if it ruins their record for being a normal adult. They screwed up! And they should be penalized! A fucking 17-year old "accidentally" killed his friend because they were "playing" with a gun. NO. Guns don't "accidentally" go off. He didn't "accidentally" point the gun at his friend. He may not have meant to kill him, but he was fully aware that he was pointing the gun at his friend, and he was fully aware that if the gun went off (which obviously, it did) he would harm the friend. But because he was a juvenile, he didn't didn't get anything but psychiatric help. That's good and all, but if he was only a year older, he would have gone to jail.

I know people who did stuff wrong when they were minors BECAUSE they were minors, and knew they wouldn't get charged. Isn't there something to say about that? Isn't that just as wrong as doing it when you're NOT a minor? I would say so. When you're a minor, you don't care about things because you don't have to. You don't exist to your government until you're 18, or "old enough" to contribute to the government. I think that if the age was lowered, kids would care more because a) they could be convicted of crimes, b) they could vote and actually have a "voice," and c) they would be legitimate citizens! When you're a legitimate citizen, you have a purpose. When you have a purpose, you feel important and have value in yourself. Is that to say, then, that until you're 18 you don't really have value in yourself or your actions? Is it also safe to say that this is why 'kids' under 18 suck? I believe this to be true. Time to go.

Answers in Genesis Creation Museum

When I was growing up, my school never taught creation OR evolution as the "way it all happened." In fact, my teachers were told not to so as to #1: not confuse the students on which one to believe, and #2: to ensure not to impose their own personal beliefs on the students. This I believe was a smart tactic. This is not to say that they didn't talk about them in general terms, because DUH they exist in all communities and are sometimes unavoidable. Of course there is always strength in believing a form of Christianity because even as an athiest I can't completely shit on the "Bible" and say that it teaches the wrong ideas of life. In fact, I would have to say that "Bible" was a very GOOD source for building morals. But to me, it's just a guidline. In a short summary of it, I believe that it gives the message of "as long as you are a genuinely good person, you'll have a good life." But too many people are searching for an "asnwer" and can only do the extremes of things that inevitably turn into our boundaries; our laws. It's almost like everybody is bumper bowling...

So there's this museum that was built called the Answers in Genesis Creation Museum. Guess the theme of this place? You're right! Here's the problem: the athiests are pissed. I'm not too pissed because I'm not concerned with what theory people want to believe, as long as they aren't ass-holes to me and trying to put their personal religious beliefs (or dis-beliefs) in the legal system. An article was written in the Cincinnati Post about this "uproar" and Edwin Kagin, a Union lawyer and Kentucky state director of American Atheists, was quoted as saying "We acknowledge fully their absolute right to teach anything they want. They can teach things fall up if they wish. But we don't want people to think no one cares, no one opposes this."

(http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070526/NEWS01/705260345)

So the Athiests believe it's their job to go against it because they see a problem with no opposition, as if nobody else will stand up for what they believe. Ok, sure. Do they think that a museum is going to convert people? That it's going to convince people of Creationism over Evolution any more than they did before? The article states that this museum is backed by scientific evidence. So wait a minute, Creationism has scientific evidence, and evolution has scientific evidence? So now what? Who are we to believe? Here's what I say: who cares?! Why is it so important to believe one over the other? If you believe in God, great. If you don't, that's great too! Either way, you have a belief system that works for you; one that you have some kind of faith in.

Everything in the Bible can be interpreted differently, and I think the guys who put it together had a good idea when they collaborated because it's basically a book of morals. The Ten Commandments say it all; they are the basics. They take out the important points of the Bible and they're even in a list! It can't really get easier! Here is my interpretation of the 10 Commandments:

1:I am the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before Me.

Perfect example of Christian tactic: scare the people so they fear the opposition. Fear is the most vulnerable feeling a person can experience and highly avoided among most, if not all, people. But basically, this determines your sense of faith, and once established, move to step 2.

2: Do not make an image or any likeness of what is in the heavens above...

...because we don't know what it looks like. If we create an image of heaven, we will have certain expectations of the after-life. Also, I believe that people dwell on that image and don't focus necessarily on the life that they're actually living. It also makes people dwell on death and how they will "go," which doesn't matter until it happens. Once you're thinking about today, move to step 3.

3: Do not swear falsely by the name of the LORD.

Don't bite the hand that feeds.

4: Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.

Take a day off. Cherish that day; you deserved it.

5: Honor your father and your mother.

DUH! Once again, don't bite the hand that feeds. They're the ones that brought you into this world; they can be the ones who take you out. Plus, you can't replace them.

6: Do not murder.

Don't kill people! You'll go to jail and will face much more punishment than you wanted.

7: Do not commit adultery.

They call it "making love" for a reason. When you have sex with lots of people, the genuinity of it goes away. You lose possession of your own body when you give parts of it away; you lose respect for yourself. I'm not saying "don't have sex," and "don't have sex before you're married," but try to gain something from each partner if you choose that path. Learn about yourself so you KNOW when you're in love and are ready to share as much of yourself with someone that you WANT to share yourself with. The 10 would like to keep you a virgin until marriage because you're supposed to be IN LOVE with the person you marry and what better than to share the physical act of love with the person you share the mental and emotional feeling of love with? With multiple partners I believe that you also lose the meaning of love, which just confuses you about what love really is.

8: Do not steal.

Don't take stuff that's not yours! You didn't earn it!

9: Do not bear false witness against your neighbor.

Don't lie! Just be honest. When you're honest to other people, you're honest to yourself.

10: Do not covet your neighbor's house.

I earned everything I worked for, and you the same. You want something I have? Work for it.

You don't have to believe anything I said, but I guess I'm just trying to convince you that as long as you are a genuinely good person, you'll die a happy person. Don't regret anything, and never go to bed at night saying "i wish I would have..." because then you regret NOT doing something. Live the life that YOU love. Do what you like, and like what you do. If you don't, you'll be miserable.

Peace and catharsis

This guy...

TACOMA, Wash. - A Vancouver man was sentenced Friday to 13 months in prison for pretending to be mentally retarded in order to claim disability benefits.


All I have to say is "wow." Yunno I've thought about this before, and have wondered if anyone has every done it. I've also wondered what kind of weird psycho you have to be to LIE ABOUT A MENTAL ILLNESS to claim social security. Apparently this guy's mom told him AND HIS SISTER to act like they were retarded when they were kids so they could claim the benefits of social security. Now-- 20 years later-- he is sentenced to 13 months in prison and must pay back the 56k that he took from the government and others that were actually eligible for SS. I've thought about doing it myself (obviously I'm not THAT retarded, no pun intended), just to see what happens. Well, now that I know about this guy, I won't be doing it myself any time soon. It's good that he was honest and turned himself in, and his mom is the one who was really fuxed up, but what a silly story. CRAZY stairs.

Domestic Partnership

here's a story from over the wire:


OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) -- A bill that will give gay and lesbian
couples in Washington state some of the same rights that come with
marriage has been signed into law.
The measure signed today by Governor Chris Gregoire (GREG'-wahr)
creates a domestic partnership registry and provides enhanced
rights for same-sex couples. Those include hospital visitation
rights, the ability to authorize autopsies and organ donations, and
inheritance rights when there is no will.
To be registered, couples have to share a home, not be married
or in a domestic relationship with someone else, and be at least
18.
Gregoire, who received a standing ovation, called it a "proud"
moment "to make sure the rights of all of our citizens are
equal."
The new law will take effect in July.
---------------------------------------------------------------------

Of course I'm going to agree with this as a monthly monetary supporter of the Human Rights Campaign. I think it's great that WA passed this bill. If you are reading this and are against gay marriage, ask yourself this question: Don't gay people who are married get to be just as miserable as straight people who are married? If you want to be with someone, you should be able to be with them.

"BUT IT'S NOT RIGHT"
According to whom?

"The Bible says so"
The Bible also said that a dude parted a body of water with his magical powers, another dude was called upon from the heavens above to build a huge boat and be able to accomodate two of every animal in the WORLD to protect them from a 40-day monsoon, and if you don't follow the ten commandmants, you will burn for eternity in the depths of Hell. You mean THAT Bible?

"But it's gross... I don't want them hitting on me and looking at me with naughty thoughts."
You're gross. Grow up. You think they're gonna hit on you? Just say "Hey, I'm straight" and they'll leave you alone! It's that simple! I think it's much easier to put down someone of the same sex as it is to put down someone of the opposite sex. If you're not gay, they will respect you for that. And there should be no reason they shouldn't receive the same respect. You're afraid they'll think of you in a sexual manner? Good! At least SOMEONE is! Don't be afraid of them, they're people too. And if you're still uneasy about it, just think about this: Every time you see a gay couple, just be glad that they're together and not trying to hit on you.

"They shouldn't be allowed in our military"
Why not? Looking at it from YOUR perspective, wouldn't you WANT them to be in it? They have more of a chance of diing in the military than as your next-door neighbor. You're fighting for your freedom and country. Are they not fighting for the same reasons? You're in the MILITARY and are afraid a guy is gonna look at your junk? I think you have a little more to worry about as a soldier than a dude checking you out in the shower.

peace.

VA Tech-- The Misfortunate Massacre

I would like to say how sorry I am for all those who lost someone in Monday's terrible incident. Nobody wanted it to happen, nor do we want it to happen again in the future to anybody, and we hold your tears in our hearts as the healing has begun. This is my sympathy to you. Now on to the scrutiny.

There were warning signs. There was something that could have been done. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED. Unlike other tragedies, this one was fishy before it happened. Cho Seung-Hui had been hospitalized for his mental stability in the past, and he was able to buy guns. What does that tell you? It tells you that whoever sold him the guns obviously didn't care about what those guns were going to be used for. I hope that sales clerk feels like shit. There is no requirement of a background check when purchasing a gun. Mr. Joe Nobody could buy one and just have escaped from prison, but as long as Mr. Salesperson gets his bones, the problem is no longer in his hands. Great country we live in.

Apparently Seung-Hui had harrassed girls in the past, and I heard there was a bomb threat A WEEK AGO also made by this psycho. He was anti-social, wrote disturbing papers for english assignments, OBVIOUSLY showed signs of awkward and psychotic behavior... and what happened? These behaviors and past happening were IGNORED. HE was ignored. (this is why you should be nice to EVERYONE.) I don't raise him up him for his sadistic success, but he accomplished his goal and made a statement via his actions. We can't be SO absorbed in our own lives to pass up opportunities to prevent these kinds of things from happening. Wait, yes we can. We ARE.

We have to be smarter than this. Don'tignore signs like this. Don't be shy to "tell" on someone if you have a reason to. If you feel threatened or uncomfortable in ANY situation, talk to someone about a possible solution. If it's threatening enough, take it to the police. If the police ignore it, raise HELL. Make them see that you are serious and make a scene.. cry.. pout.. scream.. YELL at them. Well, you might be taken in for disorderly conduct, but the fire under that conduct? THE PO-POS IGNORED YOU. If something can be done, do it. Don't wait for 32 people to die because you stayed silent.

peace

Don Imus: Part 2

So it is official: Don Imus has been FIRED from CBS radio and MSNBC.

CBS Corp. chief executive Leslie Moonves in a memo to his staff said, "In taking him off the air, I believe we take an important and necessary step not just in solving a unique problem, but in changing that culture, which extends far beyond the walls of our company." I can agree that it was a step towards diminishing how easily neglegable statements are said, but Imus didn't violate anything more than what messages are portrayed in a lot of today's rap, hip-hop, and R&B. Found in a song by Ludacris called "U Got a Problem" these lyrics say "Women indeed, keep ya eyes closed Keep yo' eyes closed, 'bow blows, come on out dem clothes hos." And Imus gets fired for saying "Nappy-headed hos?" I don't see a difference.. in fact, I take more offense to what Ludacris said. Those two lines (keep in mind: young people are learning these words to be 'ok' because albums are recorded and sold, and are made easily accessible) had more of a demeaning message against women than what Imus said. I'm not saying that Ludacris should be reprimanded for his lyrics and be fired as an artist, but I am wondering why he hasn't been, if Imus' comments raised such a hub-bub. With that in mind, wouldn't you think it WAS a race thing? Not the comments Imus made, but the reasons why everyone freaked out? because Imus is WHITE? Ya'll be hatin' cuz dude be white! shit...

Imus knew what he was getting into as extremist radio talk-show host. He had to know that people would get mad at things he would say, and he couldn't have expected every word he said to fly with the general public. BUT the general public needs to either lower their standards, or shut the hell up because if they're 'ok' with songs that portray defamatory verbiage produced, sold and listened to every day, then they should be 'ok' that Imus called 14 girls a bunch of "nappy-headed hos." The whole situation is just silly, if you ask me.

I was listening to Sean Hannity last night and he had a caller who was the president of some black organization; I didn't catch the name of that org. The man said that Don Imus didn't create these words. These words were created by rappers who are role models for kids. They endorse products, own sports teams and recording companies, they're seen on TV all the time, and THEY were the ones that made public these defamatory words. BUT because he was a white dude in a cowboy hat, HE was the one to get in trouble for it. It's a bunch of crap. I'm just going to post a bunch of lyrics... you be the judge of whether they're "appropriate" and defamatory:

LUDACRIS::I'm nastier than thinkin about yo' parents sex each other/No glove, no love, betta tell yo' dick to run for cover/Girls "backin dey ass up" now they +400 Degreez+, ha/Hot girl, tryin to give to niggaz up on the block girl/Have you screamin "STOP GIRL!"I rock worlds with my nine inch Louisville slugga/I place the stethoscope quite close to yo tittie/and have yo butt checks Red-man like Uncle Quilly

JA RULE::Face down ass up/You know we like toFuck ya girl!/In the middle of the night/Put it in your butt/You know what's up I'll/Fuck ya girl!/If the puss gets dry/And the bitch gotta curl/Rub it in ya hair/I wannaFuck ya girl!

You get the point. I mean, seriously. GREAT lyrics, fellas. I totally believe in the freedom of expression, and I know that a lot of music these days doesn't even mean anything to anybody except looking cool when listening to it, but you have to pay attention to the content. If you don't support the lyrics, don't listen to it. You will only perpetuate the falsities that come with the territory. It sucks that Imus was fired, and it was an unfair action. But let's use his situation to teach us how to react to extreme content. Either react to EVERYTHING or nothing. There shouldn't be regulations on speech, and so says our first amendment, but the FCC and audiences all around this country are proving that to be wrong. What the hell.

peace and what the HELL?!

Don Imus

don imus: man of passion, man of extreme words and verbiage, man in trouble. If you haven't followed this story, Don Imus has done wrong (oh no! an extremist radio talk-show host said something he shouldn't have!) and has apparently taken away the pride of Rutger's basketball team. He called them "nappy-haired ho's." I don't know about you, but I've heard that kind of shit since grade-school. In fact, I'm pretty sure I've heard WAY worse.

First of all, as in all situations, you must look at both sides for perspective and understanding. I can understand why the girls of the said basketball team would be upset. If I was called a "nappy-haired ho" by a guy eligible for social secutiry, I would say "fuck that guy, he don't know me!" If he came to apologize to me, I would ACCEPT the apology.

Second-- it was quickly turned into a race issue. You ever notice that people bring race into issues when it's a white vs. a black thing? If a white person does something against a black person, it's "discrimination" and racist. If a black person does something against a white person, it's a crime. HUH? Well that doesn't make sense. But also, have you ever noticed that it's a "race" thing when a black person says so? It's the easiest form of blame: using an existing ploy that everyone knows is already an issue. Racism is perpetuated by these things. If white people would watch their fucking MOUTHS sometimes and black people weren't so ready to play the "race" card, I think some problems could PLAUSIBLY be solved. Racism could be wiped off the planet if everyone wasn't so consumed by its accessibility for blame, and if individuals would take responsibilty for their actions.

Third-- I think the girls are being a little dramatic. And by "a little dramatic" I mean that they are REALLY over-reacting, along with the rest of the people who were offended by Imus's comments. Found in an article, one of the players was quoted as saying "I think that this has scarred me for life." Really? ONE MAN'S comments SCARRED you for life? You weren't scarred in high school by anything? This must have been the first time her feelings were hurt in her life because JESUS CHRIST she can say it scarred her LIFE. her fucking LIFE. you know what scarred MY life? my mom was shot and killed by her newly-wed husband in a murder-suicide in the middle of fucking white-suburbia. my kids don't get their grandmother.. i didn't get to say goodbye.. i was woken up in my dayton home by a police officer telling me that my BEST FRIEND and CONFIDANT was shot in her sleep... and these girls are saying that their lives have changed FOREVER because a dude called them hoes? I don't care who you are.. that's ridiculous.

Fourth-- I may be biased because I work for a newstalk station and hear extreme opinions all the time. We syndicate Neal Boortz, Rush Limbaugh, and Michael Savage, and YES i actually listen to their shows to gain perspective and to hear what crazy things they have to say. It could be that I'm used to hearing these things that I am able to defend Don Imus. If he were to target my radio station (the other one I work for at Wright State) and call us all a bunch of inexperienced kids with shitty taste, I could agree with him to an extent.. but I sure as hell wouldn't say that his extreme and inappropriate comment RUINED MY LIFE AND PRIDE. YES he would make me look bad. YES he would defame our station. But I know the truth to be that we AREN'T just a bunch of inexperienced kids with shitty taste. I am stable enough in my own esteem to block his criticism and MOVE ON with my life and career. If someone says something that isn't true and they KNOW it isn't true but they said it anyway, they have the right to an accepted apology. Sometimes when in the heat of an argument, or in the prime of an idea or thought, people say things they don't mean. I've had my ass chewed out for saying something I didn't mean, and I felt like shit for saying it. There's something I learned recently in one of my communication courses. It's simple and obvious, but more of a "oh, yea! well, duh!" statement: Communication is permanent and irreversible. That means that NO MATTER WHAT we can't take something back. We can't erase it off the board. So we as people need to understand that others will say things they don't necessarily mean or believe in. Yes people should watch what they say, and YES they should think of their words before they blurt them out, but what happened to our basic instinct of forgiveness? Gotta run.. comments?

peace and sleep

Confessions of my Atheism

I confess! there ya go. this does not mean that i worship the devil. it actually means that i don't believe that there IS a devil. nor does it mean that i just do whatever i want, regardless of consequence. i'm not stupid. if you want a successful life, i don't care who you are, don't act stupid. take responsibility for your actions. don't do the crime if you can't do the time. in this blog i will vent my every-day frustrations, but probably not literally every day. i'm a firm believer in self-efficacy and being a geniuinely good person.

love life, love your friends and family, and love yourself.

peace and happiness