Another week is coming to a close. Tell me baby, what's on your mind? The weekend, sweet hot Valentine's Day lovin, happy hour, a Whitman's sampler with a map, hours of uninterrupted sleep, life, the universe and everything? How about death?
Yeah. Death.
I have an odd view on death. Maybe it's because I grew up with a family member who passive aggressively wanted to die her entire life: "I'm dying, even the dog senses it." Who says that? What kind of person replies to a Merry Christmas greeting with "I wish I were dead?" Decades later, she's still alive with the same false wish.
Maybe it's because I think too much and can't base my life around someones take on an old, frequently edited and often interpreted collection of tales - i.e. The Bible.
Maybe because my father told me constantly to question everything.
Maybe because a 150-foot wide asteroid will buzz our swiftly turning planet Friday (today) while everyone is busy surfing the net at work and wondering if Honey Boo Boo's mom is going to join "Dancing With The Stars" or if hottie-hot-hot-stuff Hugh "Wolverine" Jackman is gay (he sings, he dances ... have you seen his scary wife - is she his beard?). People are too busy uploading photos of Valentine's Day roses and chocolates and sharing romantic plans and Tweeting and Facebooking their sweethearts sweet nothings so everyone knows they aren't a loser loner on the Day of Hearts or perhaps, passive aggressively or not so passively, loudly hating the annual holiday because they are a loner Dottie, a rebel. This all reminds me of the beginning to "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy."
According to NASA (you know, that important agency politicians don't want to fund), this is the closest documented encounter of an asteroid this large - not counting the ones that made impact with Earth in the past (comforting). The asteroids that buzzed closer were smaller and burned up in the atmosphere, which the rubes of the world love like fireworks on the Fourth of July.
Look Brandi and LeAnn, it's magic in the sky!
Did you know a smaller asteroid passed within 140,000 miles of Earth in December or were you too busy Christmas shopping and pretending to believe in God by going to church for the first, and only, time all year?
The big bad asteroid - DA14 - will come within 17,500 miles of Earth - the moon is 238,900 miles away for all you big brains out there. It's capable of blasting a crater equivalent to hundreds of Hiroshima atomic bombs. What's scarier is scientists believe there are tens to hundreds of thousands similar but undiscovered objects - most with dimensions in the hundreds of feet - hurtling through space right this very second.
NASA is confident DA14 will not hit Earth but ... is anyone out there scared? Mr. Herman, paging Mr. Herman, Mr. Herman, you have a telephone call at the front desk. I have read so many complaints and so much praise for President Barack Obama's speech, Speaker of the House John Boehner's dry mouth, Pope Benedict XVI's exit, Kim Kardashian and Kayne West's demon child, Kate Middleton's baby bump controversy, guns guns guns ... what about the asteroid? Bueller? Bueller? Anything other than shtick referencing the movie "Armageddon" ... ?
Oh wait, no one wants to talk about that because it's scary so let's just pretend all is well like Kevin Bacon did in "Animal House."
The asteroid reminds me of death. Not in the obvious way (asteroid hits Earth = we could die) but in its unpredictability, especially with the recent news of a large meteor blowing up as it entered the Earth's atmosphere over Mother Russia - a shockwave shattered windows, rocked buildings and injured hundreds. I could die today. There, I wrote the words and now the thought is real. I can't wrap my head around that, which is probably why I can't wrap my head around all aspects of religion except to love God and your neighbor. Couple this fear of death with the fact something from outer space could hurtle to Earth and kill us all and there's nothing we or Bruce Willis (cue "Armageddon" shtick) can do and I'm feeling a bit uneasy.
So, as I struggle to figure out what happens after death, should I follow the path of many heathens and stop thinking about it because, obviously, it's a given and no one has documented evidence what takes place so philosophizing is pointless. There's nothing I can do to stop an asteroid or a crazed murderer or old age and I can't Highlander-ize myself so I should fuggedaboutit.
Or, is this wonder, this pursuit of knowledge the one thing separating us from other animals. We think, we scrutinize, we wonder, we question - isn't this the meaning of being human? If we stopped wondering, would life lose meaning? Would we become savages? Is there a Heaven free from pain, a hellfire blazing with cruelty and suffering or are we reincarnated like the cycle of the seasons? Or, the option which scares me the most, is there nothing? Lights off, game over, nothing ...
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Christopher Dorner: LAPD, murders, disgruntled cop, psycho, who knows? Why is he a folk hero?
As I cruised Facebook and Twitter last night looking to be entertained, I came to a cynical conclusion. A majority of people on social networking sites have it all figured out. They're loud, they're proud and they're gonna tell you all about it and then some!
Have a conundrum? Need advice? Screw Dear Abby, she's don't know nothing! Ditch your head-shrinker, friends and family. Head over to Facebook and Twitter where hundreds of rubes are happy to share knowledge like they're ancient philosophers. You shouldn't philosophize with hashtags and slang friendos.
Case in point: Christopher Dorner. The manhunt for the crazed ex-cop has been all the rage, especially with his recent, mysterious fiery death. With a revenge plot targeting the LAPD, the west coast of the United States was on edge as Dorner was M.I.A. Where oh where could he be?
In his lengthy manifesto, he blamed racism and corruption in the LAPD and vowed to wage "unconventional and asymmetrical warfare" against officers and their families. This revenge was a last resort for clearing his name (he was booted off the force for filing a false complaint. He challenged the dismissal and lost in court).
As hundreds of officers searched high and low, Dorner was charged with murder for killing a Riverside police officer, which is accompanied by two special circumstances: killing a police officer on duty and firing a weapon from a vehicle. He was also charged with the attempted murder of three other police officers and opening fire on two officers. He's accused of killing three people, some reports say four, including the daughter of a retired LAPD officer and her fiance. The officer represented Dorner during his hearing.
Was Dorner's body found in a burned-out cabin? Hopefully, as this news will bring much relief to the LAPD, their families and friends, and the west coast. This feeling makes sense, right? Relief. Comfort. Safety. Not so much for the thousands of people who rallied for Christopher Dorner, declaring him a crusader against police corruption. They don't care he's accused of killing four people. Facebook fan sites were created, posts and Tweets were shared with the world: "The spirit of Chris #Dorner will live on forever in our hearts, as an eternal flame - symbolic of the will to stand up in an attempt to eradicate those who would seek to oppress us, by any means necessary, when no one else would."
How do they know? Were they there? Obviously they read his manifesto and believed he was dismissed after trying to report police brutality - an LAPD officer allegedly harming a mentally ill individual. He was dubbed a hero, compared in poster form to President Barack Obama and referred to as Dark Knight, insinuating the popular Batman movie. References to the iconic book "1984" were made, a White House petition was started ... even hacker group Anonymous got involved, not condoning his violent acts but only his struggle. His fans even developed conspiracy theories, including ones dealing with gun control and drone attacks.
Am I missing something? Why are people so stupid? Why do people believe everything they hear and read? Christopher Dorner isn't Sylvester Stallone, this isn't "Bullet to the Head" (which is also good because that movie sucked) or "Rambo" (which didn't suck). I don't know who Christopher Dorner was because I've never met him. I've never lived or visited L.A., don't know any LAPD officers ... what I know came from information gathered from news reports. How do people know his lengthy manifesto isn't filled with lies?
Although the LAPD isn't helping with their unbelievable shoot-to-kill vibe as they've shot up people twice who they mistook for Dorner.
I can't help but wonder why people think they have it all figured out? Last night on Facebook, there were countless links to articles making this situation an LAPD vs. a black man thing or a corruption vs. a hero thing. How do they know? Last night on Facebook, there were countless posts about President Barack Obama's state of the union speech - over the top in favor or opposed. How do they know? How have we become experts on everything? We are all critics, ready to share our opinion but what's it worth?
Have a conundrum? Need advice? Screw Dear Abby, she's don't know nothing! Ditch your head-shrinker, friends and family. Head over to Facebook and Twitter where hundreds of rubes are happy to share knowledge like they're ancient philosophers. You shouldn't philosophize with hashtags and slang friendos.
Case in point: Christopher Dorner. The manhunt for the crazed ex-cop has been all the rage, especially with his recent, mysterious fiery death. With a revenge plot targeting the LAPD, the west coast of the United States was on edge as Dorner was M.I.A. Where oh where could he be?
In his lengthy manifesto, he blamed racism and corruption in the LAPD and vowed to wage "unconventional and asymmetrical warfare" against officers and their families. This revenge was a last resort for clearing his name (he was booted off the force for filing a false complaint. He challenged the dismissal and lost in court).
As hundreds of officers searched high and low, Dorner was charged with murder for killing a Riverside police officer, which is accompanied by two special circumstances: killing a police officer on duty and firing a weapon from a vehicle. He was also charged with the attempted murder of three other police officers and opening fire on two officers. He's accused of killing three people, some reports say four, including the daughter of a retired LAPD officer and her fiance. The officer represented Dorner during his hearing.
Was Dorner's body found in a burned-out cabin? Hopefully, as this news will bring much relief to the LAPD, their families and friends, and the west coast. This feeling makes sense, right? Relief. Comfort. Safety. Not so much for the thousands of people who rallied for Christopher Dorner, declaring him a crusader against police corruption. They don't care he's accused of killing four people. Facebook fan sites were created, posts and Tweets were shared with the world: "The spirit of Chris #Dorner will live on forever in our hearts, as an eternal flame - symbolic of the will to stand up in an attempt to eradicate those who would seek to oppress us, by any means necessary, when no one else would."
How do they know? Were they there? Obviously they read his manifesto and believed he was dismissed after trying to report police brutality - an LAPD officer allegedly harming a mentally ill individual. He was dubbed a hero, compared in poster form to President Barack Obama and referred to as Dark Knight, insinuating the popular Batman movie. References to the iconic book "1984" were made, a White House petition was started ... even hacker group Anonymous got involved, not condoning his violent acts but only his struggle. His fans even developed conspiracy theories, including ones dealing with gun control and drone attacks.
Am I missing something? Why are people so stupid? Why do people believe everything they hear and read? Christopher Dorner isn't Sylvester Stallone, this isn't "Bullet to the Head" (which is also good because that movie sucked) or "Rambo" (which didn't suck). I don't know who Christopher Dorner was because I've never met him. I've never lived or visited L.A., don't know any LAPD officers ... what I know came from information gathered from news reports. How do people know his lengthy manifesto isn't filled with lies?
Although the LAPD isn't helping with their unbelievable shoot-to-kill vibe as they've shot up people twice who they mistook for Dorner.
I can't help but wonder why people think they have it all figured out? Last night on Facebook, there were countless links to articles making this situation an LAPD vs. a black man thing or a corruption vs. a hero thing. How do they know? Last night on Facebook, there were countless posts about President Barack Obama's state of the union speech - over the top in favor or opposed. How do they know? How have we become experts on everything? We are all critics, ready to share our opinion but what's it worth?
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
The Superbowl: Football, Ravens vs. 49ers - Why Are Professional Athletes Demi-Gods
I didn't watch the Superbowl.
Yes, I'm American. No, I'm not an uppity intellectual who views football as barbaric and beneath me. My father is apathetic when it comes to professional sports. There was no chips-beer-TV-Sunday ritual, no swearing at the screen as if Joe Gibbs could hear him, no "come on boys get it together!" pleads or a lucky football jersey. It's not that he doesn't like sports ... it's more it never comes up in conversation.
The apathy was genetic and I'm not a huge sports fan aside from wanting certain teams to win so my other half is happy - although some may argue the Superbowl is more major event than mere game. Whatever the case, this year the big sports fan in my life didn't have a dog in the fight so he suggested we take in a motion picture. Deep down he knows I'm only interested in the food, beer, overindulgent side of the annual event. So, I eagerly accepted and saved myself 3,500 calories and a hangover. Instead of being two of 100 million who watched the Superbowl, we were one of three couples who saw "Django."
Now, in the aftermath, it's high school all over again and I'm an outcast. I missed the 45-minute blackout, the Baltimore Ravens' beatdown on the San Francisco 49ers (I may not be a huge sports fan but do have a clue), Beyonce's gyrations, and, of course, commercials. The Internet and acquaintances have somewhat filled me in. The Best of the Superbowl We Still Can't Believe You Missed -- the Go Daddy commercial was gross, the farmers commercial was touching, Beyonce was spectacular (also heard she was a poor choice), the Ravens were almost unstoppable, Jim Nance wore a stupid tie, the 49ers got screwed with a bad call, blah blah blah ...
I understand the Superbowl is an annual excuse to party hardy on a Sunday night (especially with the current White House petition for Barry O to make the Monday after the Superbowl a national holiday - How lazy and irresponsible can we get? What are they gonna call it - National Hangover Day? Please, Barry, stop with the gun regulation and help us. How about the NFL move the Superbowl to Saturday?). Anyway, I get it. Maybe it's because my male figure growing up was more British programming, astronomy and reading than touchdowns, interceptions and two-minute warnings. Maybe it's because (gasp) I am woman, hear me roar about womanly things instead of pretending I like fooseball so men like me. Whatever the case ... I don't get the big deal.
Don't get me wrong, I understand there are millions who base their lives around their team and speak as if they are on the team - "we really killed them today" ~ what you mean we white man? The NFL wouldn't be huge without fans. Seasons are emotional roller coasters of terrible losses, stellar wins and heartbreaking injuries. There are stats to consider, drafts to watch, fantasy teams to form, playoffs to yearn for ... if that's your thing than more power to you! I know I'm the odd woman out and that's OK because it's not the NFL I don't understand, it's more America's view of professional athletes as demi-gods who are without sin.
The Ravens were paraded through Baltimore as people from near and far pushed and shoved to get closer to the action - there was a triple-stabbing because, hey, world champions or not, Baltimore is still disgusting. In this mob was Ray Lewis on a Humvee - the beloved Ray Ray. He's amazing. Don't believe me? Just ask him, he'll tell you. His talent on the field is legendary but I'm more interested in his character. I'm more interested in seeing children wearing his jersey - which makes me cringe. He's extremely loud, he's extremely proud and he may have murdered someone.
Lewis was indicted on murder and aggravated assault charges after the stabbing death of two people (does anyone know their names or care? We always remember the bad guy, never the victim ... ) at a Superbowl party in 2000 - although he was acquitted, many still believe he's guilty: victim's blood found in his limo, he ratted out two others, the white suit he was wearing was never found. OJ Simpson was acquitted but labeled a monster. Casey Anthony was acquitted but labeled a monster. Lewis' sins have been absolved. Lewis, 37, also has six children by four women.
Yes, he's an amazing player and was acquitted by a jury of his peers but is this the type of person who should be raised to heights of demi-god? People, chiefly Ravens fans, hem and haw about forgiveness, Ray Ray finding God (where was he hiding?) and showing America people with troubled pasts can change but would they care if he wasn't an amazing football player? Also, for someone with such a checkered past, you'd think he would turn down the flash and be humble.
What about Ahmad Brooks of the 49ers who, in 2008, allegedly punched a woman in the face, giving her a black eye and causing her to black out? That wasn't enough to keep him from playing in the NFL.
What about Michael Vick, who served 21 months in prison and two months of home confinement - we all know why. Whether he learned his lesson or not, whether he found God in prison or not, he should not have been allowed back into the NFL. Lewis was acquitted but Vick was found guilty. If any common Joe plead guilty to these charges and went to jail ... do you think they would be able to re-join society so easily? A criminal past on a resume means nothing to the NFL when dollar signs are involved. Shouldn't incarceration be a guaranteed removal from the NFL?
These men are playing a game for millions of dollars a year. They are celebrities, praised and applauded and showered with money and luxuries because they are good at playing a sport. Me play sport good, grunt grunt. They are shoved in our faces and play the part of mentor for our children and their dreams whether we like it or not. As for the girls out there ... either become a cheerleader or study up on football and become a fan.
What is it about the American public and the obsession with praising meaningless talent? Doctors and surgeons save lives, policeman and firemen save lives, teachers mold lives ... professional athletes, actors and actresses provide entertainment yet we remember their names and hoist them up as if they would be able to save us if (when) the apocalypse comes. The youth of America (and adults) worship these frauds, these actors and actresses who pretend to be someone else, these men who are talented on the field but, with some of them, don't lead respectable lives.
In August, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell met with Union Leader DeMaurice Smith about the rise in DUIs and domestic violence among NFL players. His plan - strengthen existing policies, i.e. fines and suspensions. I don't understand the logic. I understand maybe you made a mistake and drank one more beer than you should have, drove home and the po-po got your ass ... but beating your wife? That's not a mistake. You can beat the crap out of your wife and are fined and miss some games? That's it? Where's the morality? What do you have to do to get kicked out of the league? Beat her five times? Kill someone and not be acquitted? Playing a game for millions should be a privilege, even if you are an amazing athlete. What message is this sending the youth of America?
Don't do bad things unless you are talented? If you are rich enough and famous enough you can get away with anything? People only care about those who are extraordinary?
Do we worship them because their lives look so easy - lots of money, fame and luxury for something that, honestly, looks fun? Do we worship them because everyone, deep down, wants to be worshipped and loved? Is this the new American dream - do as little as possible to make as much as possible?
Yes, I'm American. No, I'm not an uppity intellectual who views football as barbaric and beneath me. My father is apathetic when it comes to professional sports. There was no chips-beer-TV-Sunday ritual, no swearing at the screen as if Joe Gibbs could hear him, no "come on boys get it together!" pleads or a lucky football jersey. It's not that he doesn't like sports ... it's more it never comes up in conversation.
The apathy was genetic and I'm not a huge sports fan aside from wanting certain teams to win so my other half is happy - although some may argue the Superbowl is more major event than mere game. Whatever the case, this year the big sports fan in my life didn't have a dog in the fight so he suggested we take in a motion picture. Deep down he knows I'm only interested in the food, beer, overindulgent side of the annual event. So, I eagerly accepted and saved myself 3,500 calories and a hangover. Instead of being two of 100 million who watched the Superbowl, we were one of three couples who saw "Django."
Now, in the aftermath, it's high school all over again and I'm an outcast. I missed the 45-minute blackout, the Baltimore Ravens' beatdown on the San Francisco 49ers (I may not be a huge sports fan but do have a clue), Beyonce's gyrations, and, of course, commercials. The Internet and acquaintances have somewhat filled me in. The Best of the Superbowl We Still Can't Believe You Missed -- the Go Daddy commercial was gross, the farmers commercial was touching, Beyonce was spectacular (also heard she was a poor choice), the Ravens were almost unstoppable, Jim Nance wore a stupid tie, the 49ers got screwed with a bad call, blah blah blah ...
I understand the Superbowl is an annual excuse to party hardy on a Sunday night (especially with the current White House petition for Barry O to make the Monday after the Superbowl a national holiday - How lazy and irresponsible can we get? What are they gonna call it - National Hangover Day? Please, Barry, stop with the gun regulation and help us. How about the NFL move the Superbowl to Saturday?). Anyway, I get it. Maybe it's because my male figure growing up was more British programming, astronomy and reading than touchdowns, interceptions and two-minute warnings. Maybe it's because (gasp) I am woman, hear me roar about womanly things instead of pretending I like fooseball so men like me. Whatever the case ... I don't get the big deal.
Don't get me wrong, I understand there are millions who base their lives around their team and speak as if they are on the team - "we really killed them today" ~ what you mean we white man? The NFL wouldn't be huge without fans. Seasons are emotional roller coasters of terrible losses, stellar wins and heartbreaking injuries. There are stats to consider, drafts to watch, fantasy teams to form, playoffs to yearn for ... if that's your thing than more power to you! I know I'm the odd woman out and that's OK because it's not the NFL I don't understand, it's more America's view of professional athletes as demi-gods who are without sin.
The Ravens were paraded through Baltimore as people from near and far pushed and shoved to get closer to the action - there was a triple-stabbing because, hey, world champions or not, Baltimore is still disgusting. In this mob was Ray Lewis on a Humvee - the beloved Ray Ray. He's amazing. Don't believe me? Just ask him, he'll tell you. His talent on the field is legendary but I'm more interested in his character. I'm more interested in seeing children wearing his jersey - which makes me cringe. He's extremely loud, he's extremely proud and he may have murdered someone.
Lewis was indicted on murder and aggravated assault charges after the stabbing death of two people (does anyone know their names or care? We always remember the bad guy, never the victim ... ) at a Superbowl party in 2000 - although he was acquitted, many still believe he's guilty: victim's blood found in his limo, he ratted out two others, the white suit he was wearing was never found. OJ Simpson was acquitted but labeled a monster. Casey Anthony was acquitted but labeled a monster. Lewis' sins have been absolved. Lewis, 37, also has six children by four women.
Yes, he's an amazing player and was acquitted by a jury of his peers but is this the type of person who should be raised to heights of demi-god? People, chiefly Ravens fans, hem and haw about forgiveness, Ray Ray finding God (where was he hiding?) and showing America people with troubled pasts can change but would they care if he wasn't an amazing football player? Also, for someone with such a checkered past, you'd think he would turn down the flash and be humble.
What about Ahmad Brooks of the 49ers who, in 2008, allegedly punched a woman in the face, giving her a black eye and causing her to black out? That wasn't enough to keep him from playing in the NFL.
What about Michael Vick, who served 21 months in prison and two months of home confinement - we all know why. Whether he learned his lesson or not, whether he found God in prison or not, he should not have been allowed back into the NFL. Lewis was acquitted but Vick was found guilty. If any common Joe plead guilty to these charges and went to jail ... do you think they would be able to re-join society so easily? A criminal past on a resume means nothing to the NFL when dollar signs are involved. Shouldn't incarceration be a guaranteed removal from the NFL?
These men are playing a game for millions of dollars a year. They are celebrities, praised and applauded and showered with money and luxuries because they are good at playing a sport. Me play sport good, grunt grunt. They are shoved in our faces and play the part of mentor for our children and their dreams whether we like it or not. As for the girls out there ... either become a cheerleader or study up on football and become a fan.
What is it about the American public and the obsession with praising meaningless talent? Doctors and surgeons save lives, policeman and firemen save lives, teachers mold lives ... professional athletes, actors and actresses provide entertainment yet we remember their names and hoist them up as if they would be able to save us if (when) the apocalypse comes. The youth of America (and adults) worship these frauds, these actors and actresses who pretend to be someone else, these men who are talented on the field but, with some of them, don't lead respectable lives.
In August, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell met with Union Leader DeMaurice Smith about the rise in DUIs and domestic violence among NFL players. His plan - strengthen existing policies, i.e. fines and suspensions. I don't understand the logic. I understand maybe you made a mistake and drank one more beer than you should have, drove home and the po-po got your ass ... but beating your wife? That's not a mistake. You can beat the crap out of your wife and are fined and miss some games? That's it? Where's the morality? What do you have to do to get kicked out of the league? Beat her five times? Kill someone and not be acquitted? Playing a game for millions should be a privilege, even if you are an amazing athlete. What message is this sending the youth of America?
Don't do bad things unless you are talented? If you are rich enough and famous enough you can get away with anything? People only care about those who are extraordinary?
Do we worship them because their lives look so easy - lots of money, fame and luxury for something that, honestly, looks fun? Do we worship them because everyone, deep down, wants to be worshipped and loved? Is this the new American dream - do as little as possible to make as much as possible?
Sunday, January 27, 2013
The great gun debate smeared across social media: Magazines, guns, weapons, mass murder, NRA, second amendment, bullheaded nays and yays
Do you fancy yourself a gun enthusiast? Are you the proud owner of a handgun, rifle, shotgun or, possibly, an arsenal including several magazines. Do you hunt or target shoot? Maybe you are staunchly anti-gun or don't see the need for magazines and assault weapons outside of the military. I don't care if you are John Rambo or Gandhi, whatever the case, stop talking about it on Facebook and Twitter as if you are an expert on the Second Amendment and life, the universe and everything. You aren't commenting about being a gun enthusiast or an anti-gun liberal. It's past the gun debate, it's past mass shootings and safety. You want attention and have no interest in starting a healthy conversation as you, most likely, claim because, other than a healthy debate, what's the point?
I don't care about your opinion if it's set in stone. I don't care about an obscure gun fact you copied and pasted from an article you read online. What's the goal behind John Q. Public Tweeting: "Goodbye free America, socialism here we come! Hold on to your guns people, they will be as valuable as gold very soon!"
These rants come from a lack of education and ignorance. The more Americans devalue education and the more ignorance is celebrated, the more these types of things will happen -- could I sound like more of an old fart? Ignorance is celebrated, it's rewarded. People are paid millions of dollars to be idiots. What message does that send? Hey, I can rant online and suffer no consequence! People will pay attention to me like I'm a reality star! I'm never going to change my mind on anything, anytime, anywhere - people wear this gem like a badge of honor.
Morons go on social media and make ignorant comments because their moron friends applaud them. It's one thing to think something but quite another to share it with hundreds of people as if then, and only then, your opinions will matter. It's not polite in public but it sure as hell seems polite on ye ole Internet. Sure, people with differing views may comment but it's meaningless. No harm, no foul as responses are typed from keyboards or smartphones, a safe distance from face-to-face contact. Parents aren't willing to educate their kids and this is what you get - they didn't grow up in the Technology Age so they aren't sure what's happening. When I was a teenager, the most advanced technology were beepers and flip phones that, gasp, only made phone calls.
We are a nation of idiots who celebrate and idolize ignorance. The media doesn't celebrate Joe who finds common ground with others or Sally who is nice to everyone she meets - they celebrate John who is loud, proud and full of cheap flamboyance oozing from his pores.
I have views. I can compromise and respect other perspectives, to a point. Politics is supposed to be about bringing together differing ideologies to, eventually, compromise. Politicians should reach across the aisle. I'm here, you're there, let's meet over there. Each side feels like they gave something up but, in the end, they both end up better for having compromised.
The gun debate doesn't have to be everything or nothing. No one is coming to your home to take your guns, especially not the leader of the free world or a member of Congress. Similarly, no one is handing out assault weapons and magazines at the grocery store. It doesn't have to be everything or nothing -- like a fad diet, it will fail.
There are plenty of intelligent people who are responsible gun owners just as there are intelligent people who aren't gun owners. However, when talking about weapons designed to kill people, we should understand with great power comes great responsibility. The Constitution guarantees the right to bear arms. There are other freedoms guaranteed under the Constitution the courts regulate: freedom of speech and freedom of religion. Courts consistently say the Constitution is not absolute and not unlimited - that's why it can be amended.
So, there needs to be a discussion. Personally I don't see the need for assault weapons and magazines outside of the military but I'm just some jerk writing a blog. The powers that be need to discuss and examine guns in America, including gun violence. As for the common man, stop trying to pretend you want a healthy discussion on Facebook or Twitter. We all know you're lying. It ain't all about you princess.
I don't care about your opinion if it's set in stone. I don't care about an obscure gun fact you copied and pasted from an article you read online. What's the goal behind John Q. Public Tweeting: "Goodbye free America, socialism here we come! Hold on to your guns people, they will be as valuable as gold very soon!"
These rants come from a lack of education and ignorance. The more Americans devalue education and the more ignorance is celebrated, the more these types of things will happen -- could I sound like more of an old fart? Ignorance is celebrated, it's rewarded. People are paid millions of dollars to be idiots. What message does that send? Hey, I can rant online and suffer no consequence! People will pay attention to me like I'm a reality star! I'm never going to change my mind on anything, anytime, anywhere - people wear this gem like a badge of honor.
Morons go on social media and make ignorant comments because their moron friends applaud them. It's one thing to think something but quite another to share it with hundreds of people as if then, and only then, your opinions will matter. It's not polite in public but it sure as hell seems polite on ye ole Internet. Sure, people with differing views may comment but it's meaningless. No harm, no foul as responses are typed from keyboards or smartphones, a safe distance from face-to-face contact. Parents aren't willing to educate their kids and this is what you get - they didn't grow up in the Technology Age so they aren't sure what's happening. When I was a teenager, the most advanced technology were beepers and flip phones that, gasp, only made phone calls.
We are a nation of idiots who celebrate and idolize ignorance. The media doesn't celebrate Joe who finds common ground with others or Sally who is nice to everyone she meets - they celebrate John who is loud, proud and full of cheap flamboyance oozing from his pores.
I have views. I can compromise and respect other perspectives, to a point. Politics is supposed to be about bringing together differing ideologies to, eventually, compromise. Politicians should reach across the aisle. I'm here, you're there, let's meet over there. Each side feels like they gave something up but, in the end, they both end up better for having compromised.
The gun debate doesn't have to be everything or nothing. No one is coming to your home to take your guns, especially not the leader of the free world or a member of Congress. Similarly, no one is handing out assault weapons and magazines at the grocery store. It doesn't have to be everything or nothing -- like a fad diet, it will fail.
There are plenty of intelligent people who are responsible gun owners just as there are intelligent people who aren't gun owners. However, when talking about weapons designed to kill people, we should understand with great power comes great responsibility. The Constitution guarantees the right to bear arms. There are other freedoms guaranteed under the Constitution the courts regulate: freedom of speech and freedom of religion. Courts consistently say the Constitution is not absolute and not unlimited - that's why it can be amended.
So, there needs to be a discussion. Personally I don't see the need for assault weapons and magazines outside of the military but I'm just some jerk writing a blog. The powers that be need to discuss and examine guns in America, including gun violence. As for the common man, stop trying to pretend you want a healthy discussion on Facebook or Twitter. We all know you're lying. It ain't all about you princess.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Reluctance: Trust your gut or use your head?
Ever notice reluctance time travels? Reluctance: you're not filled to the brim with dread over something or someone but you, as children often whine, don't wanna! You huff and you puff, hem and haw, do a Napoleon Dynamite-worthy sigh, create semi-valid but wimpy excuses and rain checks in your mind ... it's borderline agony. Then you decide to throw your b.s. out the window and, as Larry the Cable Guy (Daniel Lawrence Whitney ... such a high brow name) loves to say, get 'er done. Oh, sorry. Larry spells it git-r-done - also the title of his book ... yes, he's written a book. He's so successful at getting it done he wrote a book about getting it done so we can all get it done like he does. What exactly is he getting done? Buying another camouflage hat or flannel button-down to de-sleeve? Perfecting his fake hillbilly accent? Creating a sequel to "Delta Farce?" Bankrolling the dumbing of America and Budweiser?
Anyway, before you know what's what, the source of your reluctance (exercise, making healthy choices, laundry, dishes, homework, spending time with someone who sucks) is in the past and you think ... what was the big deal? As Cousin Eddie's wife said in "Vacation" - "Oh, it's not so bad. Eddie says after the baby comes, I can quit one of my night jobs."
The worst part is agonizing over your reluctance.
I have a love, hate relationship with exercise, as do most people. I love it because it helps me to feel mentally and physically well - fitter, healthier and more productive. Endorphins, baby, shot straight through my heart like Bon Jovi's screams. En route to the gym, and throughout my workday, I craft excuses: I'll go tomorrow and even, gasp, on the weekend. I worked hard today makin dat dollar so deserve a night off. I'm an adult and it's OK to skip one night. I'm tired and I'm pretty sure I read a study exercising when tired is a big no-no - it was published last month in Dream On Lardass Magazine. Last, but certainly not least, I don't wanna - wah, sad face emoticon.
Who will win the battle of reluctance? One mind, two thoughts. I'm not picturing an angel and devil specifically but the two beings taking up residence in my dome are opposites who, unlike the saying, don't attract.
There's productive, healthy, intelligent, motivated me who is filled with life, love and vigor like a Hallmark card or a 365 inspirational quotes calendar - like looking at that shit once a day is going to make me less bitter. This persona believes the Almighty Glass is half full and cheats on their diet with one naughty meal a week and, sadly, its measurement on the Naughty Scale is lame-o. They workout often, don't make excuses, and fill the world with smiles, politeness and a good work ethic. They contribute to society and are grateful for the gift of life, family and friends.
Then there's the other me: still intelligent but unmotivated. They crave procrastination, alcohol and trans fat. This persona believes the glass is, and always will be, half empty and is known to make excuses. They fill the world with road rage, guilt and a PMS-attitude, and contemplate taking up smoking again as a weight loss supplement. They contribute to society but with the least amount of effort needed because, obviously, the world owes them a favor. Life's a bitch and then you die.
Sometimes my excuses trick me because I can almost craft them into being logical, like Spock worthy logic. I find it better not to go down Excuse Road because no good will come. It's like when you are in bed and can't fall asleep. You start doing the math: if I go to bed right now I can still get six hours, that's not bad. Did I lock the door - you go and check and find yourself checking every window and door in your home (I did this last night but only because I watched that new Kevin Bacon show "The Following" - creepy). This is when your inner philosopher is unleashed and your thoughts cover every aspect of life in full-on panic mode. Don't go down this road because it's filled with potholes, trolls asking for toll money, and creepy things that go bump in the night like excuses.
There's also the problem of: am I making an excuse or is my gut telling me something? Trust your gut ... how do I know when I'm trusting my gut or when I'm being a reluctant jerk or when I have heartburn from eating a burrito, taco, chips and salsa, and a 48 oz. margarita?
I read trash rags. I never claimed to be a literary mind. Anyway, I always chuckle at, among other things, comments made by celebrities. They act so high and mighty, like they aren't getting paid way too much money to recite lines and pretend for a few hours.
"I like to live life to the fullest and take chances."
Yeah, if Daniel Day Lewis said this, I would listen because he's amazing. If Megan Fox says this ... well, she's not a good actress but she's hot. Pretty easy to take a chance when you're famous and have lots of zeros looking back at you when checking your account balance. I wouldn't be reluctant to workout out either if I knew a fat paycheck relied on my body. So, what about the Common Man who finds themselves reluctant to skip a day of work for a trip or skip a night at the gym or quit their job or write-off a family member? Should we trust our gut?
Anyway, before you know what's what, the source of your reluctance (exercise, making healthy choices, laundry, dishes, homework, spending time with someone who sucks) is in the past and you think ... what was the big deal? As Cousin Eddie's wife said in "Vacation" - "Oh, it's not so bad. Eddie says after the baby comes, I can quit one of my night jobs."
The worst part is agonizing over your reluctance.
I have a love, hate relationship with exercise, as do most people. I love it because it helps me to feel mentally and physically well - fitter, healthier and more productive. Endorphins, baby, shot straight through my heart like Bon Jovi's screams. En route to the gym, and throughout my workday, I craft excuses: I'll go tomorrow and even, gasp, on the weekend. I worked hard today makin dat dollar so deserve a night off. I'm an adult and it's OK to skip one night. I'm tired and I'm pretty sure I read a study exercising when tired is a big no-no - it was published last month in Dream On Lardass Magazine. Last, but certainly not least, I don't wanna - wah, sad face emoticon.
Who will win the battle of reluctance? One mind, two thoughts. I'm not picturing an angel and devil specifically but the two beings taking up residence in my dome are opposites who, unlike the saying, don't attract.
There's productive, healthy, intelligent, motivated me who is filled with life, love and vigor like a Hallmark card or a 365 inspirational quotes calendar - like looking at that shit once a day is going to make me less bitter. This persona believes the Almighty Glass is half full and cheats on their diet with one naughty meal a week and, sadly, its measurement on the Naughty Scale is lame-o. They workout often, don't make excuses, and fill the world with smiles, politeness and a good work ethic. They contribute to society and are grateful for the gift of life, family and friends.
Then there's the other me: still intelligent but unmotivated. They crave procrastination, alcohol and trans fat. This persona believes the glass is, and always will be, half empty and is known to make excuses. They fill the world with road rage, guilt and a PMS-attitude, and contemplate taking up smoking again as a weight loss supplement. They contribute to society but with the least amount of effort needed because, obviously, the world owes them a favor. Life's a bitch and then you die.
Sometimes my excuses trick me because I can almost craft them into being logical, like Spock worthy logic. I find it better not to go down Excuse Road because no good will come. It's like when you are in bed and can't fall asleep. You start doing the math: if I go to bed right now I can still get six hours, that's not bad. Did I lock the door - you go and check and find yourself checking every window and door in your home (I did this last night but only because I watched that new Kevin Bacon show "The Following" - creepy). This is when your inner philosopher is unleashed and your thoughts cover every aspect of life in full-on panic mode. Don't go down this road because it's filled with potholes, trolls asking for toll money, and creepy things that go bump in the night like excuses.
There's also the problem of: am I making an excuse or is my gut telling me something? Trust your gut ... how do I know when I'm trusting my gut or when I'm being a reluctant jerk or when I have heartburn from eating a burrito, taco, chips and salsa, and a 48 oz. margarita?
I read trash rags. I never claimed to be a literary mind. Anyway, I always chuckle at, among other things, comments made by celebrities. They act so high and mighty, like they aren't getting paid way too much money to recite lines and pretend for a few hours.
"I like to live life to the fullest and take chances."
Yeah, if Daniel Day Lewis said this, I would listen because he's amazing. If Megan Fox says this ... well, she's not a good actress but she's hot. Pretty easy to take a chance when you're famous and have lots of zeros looking back at you when checking your account balance. I wouldn't be reluctant to workout out either if I knew a fat paycheck relied on my body. So, what about the Common Man who finds themselves reluctant to skip a day of work for a trip or skip a night at the gym or quit their job or write-off a family member? Should we trust our gut?
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Video game violence: Newton, Conn. shooting, California high school shooting, mass murders, guns, culture of violence
My husband plays video games. No, this isn't a prelude to a hennish rant pleading for attention - love me, want me, need me. I don't want him to relinquish his PS3 controller for my womanly pursuits: dark chocolate, wine, trash rags and "Sex and the City."
I like that he plays video games. He works hard and deserves to relax - his way of unwinding is cleansing Raccoon City of Umbrella's abominations and saving the galaxy from the Reapers. Whatever floats his boat.
Yes, most of the video games he plays can be classified as violent. Violence has found its way into our homes and lives - on television, in movies, in the newspaper, in books and magazines. It's everywhere - we can't hide our children from violence but we can offer protection.
This violence in the media debate - the theory violent imagery in video games contributed to a culture of violence - reminds me of the attack on sexuality in America. The abstinence squad, the anti-birth control mafia, the anti-abortion crew - none of this works. Teens are going to have sex because biologically (as many conservatives love to use as their reasoning for anti-homosexuality remarks) humans explore their sexuality at the pre-teen age. We hit middle school and boys aren't so gross anymore, boobies are exciting, we have urges and feelings we don't quite understand. Instead of shaming pre-teens and teens into believing there is something wrong, we need conversation. Parents need to parent, teachers need to teach. I'm not saying we should mold our children into sexual beings but we need to help them understand their feelings and urges are OK.
The same goes for violence. You can shield your children as best you can from harmful images and suffering, but they don't live in a plastic bubble.
It's not the video game creators' fault - it's the parents who let their children spend hours filling their impressionable minds with first-person shooters and women portrayed as 36-24-36, spandex-clad sex pots or the latest Grand Theft Auto installment. These parents are also the ones who let their children watch the latest "Saw" film or booby and blood filled horror motion picture - "Mama" and "Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D." What do you expect? Stop using the television and computer as your nanny so you can pretend you're childless for a few hours at a time. Obviously my husband isn't a pre-teen/teen (or I'd be writing this post from Cell Block D). He is a well-adjusted contributor to society who deserves to enjoy violent video games in the comfort of his living room.
Violence - what was risque 10 years ago? Twenty? Thirty? Fifty? One hundred? There was a time, not too long ago, where it was risque for a couple living together out of wedlock to be featured on a television show or for a woman to be employed as anything other than a nurse or teacher. Risque was Jim Morrison singing "Girl we couldn't get much higher" on live television or Elvis' gyrating hips or an interracial couple. Think about what's allowed on TV and in movies today and what's considered extreme in society. At what point have we gone too far? We can't turn back time but we can try to do the best with what we have.
You want to regulate video games? Go ahead. Regulate them like you should weapons, regulate them like you have alcohol and cigarettes. Make it difficult for the underage to purchase violent media.
If the goal of society is to protect children from things that are bad for them - what other purpose is there? - make it difficult. You could say, it's different from alcohol and cigarettes because they can get violent media on the Internet. Make it so they need to show an ID to buy a game, same thing at the movies (don't let parents allow their children into R rated films), same thing on the Internet - parents need to block inappropriate Internet sites and television networks. Exercise responsibility, it shouldn't be a big debate. It's simple. No, it's not perfect but nothing is perfect. It's the best answer to this problem - regulation. Yeah, underage kids can still buy alcohol and cigarettes but not as many if no one checked IDs. Yeah, you can buy a gun but it may take a while.
Movie theaters and establishments selling entertainment need policies and procedures in place that are enforced and subject to penalties and fines. If a liquor store doesn't card, they can get fined and/or lose their license. Why isn't this applied to places of business selling violent media?
The government is looking for quick answers so society feels safer in elementary and high schools, movie theaters and public places across the country (also some politicians are looking to make you temporarily forget about the gun debate by introducing the violent video game debate). We need another war like the failed war on drugs. It's video games, it's lax gun laws, it's the mental health stigma and lack of affordable care, it's heavy metal music, it's our Godless society, it's drugs, it's homosexuals, it's illegal immigrants, it's this, it's that - you're never going to rid the United States of guns, violent media or mentally sick individuals. You need to do the best with what you're given. Although, I don't trust Congress to make intelligent choices since they got a pay raise and I got a tax increase.
I like that he plays video games. He works hard and deserves to relax - his way of unwinding is cleansing Raccoon City of Umbrella's abominations and saving the galaxy from the Reapers. Whatever floats his boat.
Yes, most of the video games he plays can be classified as violent. Violence has found its way into our homes and lives - on television, in movies, in the newspaper, in books and magazines. It's everywhere - we can't hide our children from violence but we can offer protection.
This violence in the media debate - the theory violent imagery in video games contributed to a culture of violence - reminds me of the attack on sexuality in America. The abstinence squad, the anti-birth control mafia, the anti-abortion crew - none of this works. Teens are going to have sex because biologically (as many conservatives love to use as their reasoning for anti-homosexuality remarks) humans explore their sexuality at the pre-teen age. We hit middle school and boys aren't so gross anymore, boobies are exciting, we have urges and feelings we don't quite understand. Instead of shaming pre-teens and teens into believing there is something wrong, we need conversation. Parents need to parent, teachers need to teach. I'm not saying we should mold our children into sexual beings but we need to help them understand their feelings and urges are OK.
The same goes for violence. You can shield your children as best you can from harmful images and suffering, but they don't live in a plastic bubble.
It's not the video game creators' fault - it's the parents who let their children spend hours filling their impressionable minds with first-person shooters and women portrayed as 36-24-36, spandex-clad sex pots or the latest Grand Theft Auto installment. These parents are also the ones who let their children watch the latest "Saw" film or booby and blood filled horror motion picture - "Mama" and "Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D." What do you expect? Stop using the television and computer as your nanny so you can pretend you're childless for a few hours at a time. Obviously my husband isn't a pre-teen/teen (or I'd be writing this post from Cell Block D). He is a well-adjusted contributor to society who deserves to enjoy violent video games in the comfort of his living room.
Violence - what was risque 10 years ago? Twenty? Thirty? Fifty? One hundred? There was a time, not too long ago, where it was risque for a couple living together out of wedlock to be featured on a television show or for a woman to be employed as anything other than a nurse or teacher. Risque was Jim Morrison singing "Girl we couldn't get much higher" on live television or Elvis' gyrating hips or an interracial couple. Think about what's allowed on TV and in movies today and what's considered extreme in society. At what point have we gone too far? We can't turn back time but we can try to do the best with what we have.
You want to regulate video games? Go ahead. Regulate them like you should weapons, regulate them like you have alcohol and cigarettes. Make it difficult for the underage to purchase violent media.
If the goal of society is to protect children from things that are bad for them - what other purpose is there? - make it difficult. You could say, it's different from alcohol and cigarettes because they can get violent media on the Internet. Make it so they need to show an ID to buy a game, same thing at the movies (don't let parents allow their children into R rated films), same thing on the Internet - parents need to block inappropriate Internet sites and television networks. Exercise responsibility, it shouldn't be a big debate. It's simple. No, it's not perfect but nothing is perfect. It's the best answer to this problem - regulation. Yeah, underage kids can still buy alcohol and cigarettes but not as many if no one checked IDs. Yeah, you can buy a gun but it may take a while.
Movie theaters and establishments selling entertainment need policies and procedures in place that are enforced and subject to penalties and fines. If a liquor store doesn't card, they can get fined and/or lose their license. Why isn't this applied to places of business selling violent media?
The government is looking for quick answers so society feels safer in elementary and high schools, movie theaters and public places across the country (also some politicians are looking to make you temporarily forget about the gun debate by introducing the violent video game debate). We need another war like the failed war on drugs. It's video games, it's lax gun laws, it's the mental health stigma and lack of affordable care, it's heavy metal music, it's our Godless society, it's drugs, it's homosexuals, it's illegal immigrants, it's this, it's that - you're never going to rid the United States of guns, violent media or mentally sick individuals. You need to do the best with what you're given. Although, I don't trust Congress to make intelligent choices since they got a pay raise and I got a tax increase.
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Steubenville, Ohio: Rape, Facebook, twitter, camera phones, Anonymous - living recklessly in the Technology Age
Two former high school football players from Steubenville, Ohio are accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl at a series of end-of-summer parties (August 11, 2012). Both are charged with rape; one is charged with "illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material."
As the story goes, a young girl traveled out-of-town to attend these parties and drank so much she blacked out -- mumbled speech, vomiting, unconsciousness. Allegedly, the two young men violated her sexually while dragging/carrying her to various parties - it was suggested on social networking sites she was urinated on by a person/people. Onlookers Tweeted and Facebooked about the girl, took videos and snapped photos (11 cell phones and a couple iPads were seized in the investigation) - including the now infamous photograph of two young men holding up the girl's limp body by her limbs like a dead deer. There may even be a video of the alleged sexual attack.
According to reports, the victim learned about the evening through social media - Twitter and Facebook - the next morning.
It's the age old Bystander effect - many people present with no one coming to the rescue. Blame it on the alcohol, blame it on being young and naive, blame it on whatever you want - no one helped this young girl.
Why am I just blogging about this now? I didn't know about the case until Anonymous, the activist hacker group, released information, including a 12-minute video of a young man, who has not been charged, joking about the incident to the amusement of several teenage boys. He was questioned by police - his excuse: he was drunk.
Is it really rape because you don't know if she wanted to or not. She might have wanted to. That might have been her final wish.
Anonymous is upset no one is coming forward with information about the evening in question and also because Steubenville has, as they described, an all-star football team consisting of demi-gods to the small, high school football obsessed, down-on-its-luck town. They plan to release more information unless people come forward with information.
To further complicate matters, another victim came forward with allegations she was raped in April -- possibly by the same group of football all-stars.
I could rant about the small town condoning these actions because the boys in question are demi-gods or about local kids and familial/friend connections. However, I'm more interested in the role of social media.
Have we come to the point where people are so stupid they confess on Twitter and Facebook about such horrifying scenarios as rape? (I.e. Jacob Cox-Brown of Oregon who Facebooked: "Drivin drunk ... classsic ;) but to whoever's vehicle i hit i am sorry. :P" - He was arrested). I don't care how drunk you are, that's illegal, that's criminal, that's immoral. At what point does rape or drunk driving seem funny or cool? Stupid is not the word. Help me understand the mentality - the boy who murdered children and adults in Newtown, Mass. is being described as mentally sick, perhaps a product of his end-of-the-world obsessed mother. What about these boys, who would do such a thing? What about these boys, who laugh about rape? What about the girls and boys who watched as a girl was sexually violated and humiliated and did nothing yet found the time to sarcastically Tweet, text and Facebook about it with a detached, sick mentality? Are we that far removed from reality where rape is funny?
What is it about teenagers/young adults and an obsession with blacking out, being wasted - this has been the status quo for decades. It's like a medal of honor. I'm not a nun, I've partied. However, I've never laughed about a young, unconscious girl being raped or joked about driving drunk. Do people not realize Facebook isn't anonymous or are they too obsessed with everyone knowing everything about them every second of every day?
As the story goes, a young girl traveled out-of-town to attend these parties and drank so much she blacked out -- mumbled speech, vomiting, unconsciousness. Allegedly, the two young men violated her sexually while dragging/carrying her to various parties - it was suggested on social networking sites she was urinated on by a person/people. Onlookers Tweeted and Facebooked about the girl, took videos and snapped photos (11 cell phones and a couple iPads were seized in the investigation) - including the now infamous photograph of two young men holding up the girl's limp body by her limbs like a dead deer. There may even be a video of the alleged sexual attack.
According to reports, the victim learned about the evening through social media - Twitter and Facebook - the next morning.
It's the age old Bystander effect - many people present with no one coming to the rescue. Blame it on the alcohol, blame it on being young and naive, blame it on whatever you want - no one helped this young girl.
Why am I just blogging about this now? I didn't know about the case until Anonymous, the activist hacker group, released information, including a 12-minute video of a young man, who has not been charged, joking about the incident to the amusement of several teenage boys. He was questioned by police - his excuse: he was drunk.
Is it really rape because you don't know if she wanted to or not. She might have wanted to. That might have been her final wish.
Anonymous is upset no one is coming forward with information about the evening in question and also because Steubenville has, as they described, an all-star football team consisting of demi-gods to the small, high school football obsessed, down-on-its-luck town. They plan to release more information unless people come forward with information.
To further complicate matters, another victim came forward with allegations she was raped in April -- possibly by the same group of football all-stars.
I could rant about the small town condoning these actions because the boys in question are demi-gods or about local kids and familial/friend connections. However, I'm more interested in the role of social media.
Have we come to the point where people are so stupid they confess on Twitter and Facebook about such horrifying scenarios as rape? (I.e. Jacob Cox-Brown of Oregon who Facebooked: "Drivin drunk ... classsic ;) but to whoever's vehicle i hit i am sorry. :P" - He was arrested). I don't care how drunk you are, that's illegal, that's criminal, that's immoral. At what point does rape or drunk driving seem funny or cool? Stupid is not the word. Help me understand the mentality - the boy who murdered children and adults in Newtown, Mass. is being described as mentally sick, perhaps a product of his end-of-the-world obsessed mother. What about these boys, who would do such a thing? What about these boys, who laugh about rape? What about the girls and boys who watched as a girl was sexually violated and humiliated and did nothing yet found the time to sarcastically Tweet, text and Facebook about it with a detached, sick mentality? Are we that far removed from reality where rape is funny?
What is it about teenagers/young adults and an obsession with blacking out, being wasted - this has been the status quo for decades. It's like a medal of honor. I'm not a nun, I've partied. However, I've never laughed about a young, unconscious girl being raped or joked about driving drunk. Do people not realize Facebook isn't anonymous or are they too obsessed with everyone knowing everything about them every second of every day?
Thursday, January 3, 2013
New year, new you: Diets, exercise, change, new beginnings, no excuses
It's 2013. Weird, right? We aren't traveling in flying cars on elevated highways but we also didn't fly off the fiscal cliff. We aren't colonizing Mars or vacationing on the moon but we also didn't die in the Mayan Doomsday Apocalypse and John Cusack didn't have to save us from global warming with a battered RV. Save me John Cusack, save me with your snark. Instead of the final frontier, we have Facebook, genetic testing, GPS, Blueray, Smartphones, Twitter, Google, laparoscopic surgery, CGI, mini iPads, Wal-Mart, iPods, 3D, planes, trains and automobiles. Beam me up Scotty, there's no sign of intelligent life here.
We're here, we're queer, get used to it.
Life rages on and we're expected to create resolutions: make lists, take notes, make plans. This is the year! The time is now! A lot can happen in a year! Motivate yourself to change your life! Go to Bed, Bath & Beyond and get yourself a Gandhi poster: Be the change you want to see in the world! Frame it and put it in your living room next to your Live, laugh, love poster. You're surrounded by motivation! Turn on the boob tube so advertisers can tell you what to think. You're fat, so get skinny - we'll show you how! Your marriage sucks - get divorced! Your job sucks - get a new one! The calendar changed so act accordingly.
The cynic in me wants to rant about the stupidity behind resolutions considering most are too ambitious and abandoned within three weeks. Also, can a human truly change? This skeptical force figures the Kardashian-Kayne spawn will be the anti-Christ and cause the end of days ... so what's a few extra pounds and a dead-end job matter?
Satan is his father, not Guy (aka Kayne). He came up from hell and begat a son of mortal woman. Satan is his father and his name is Adrian. He shall overthrow the mighty and lay waste their temples. He shall redeem the despised and wreak vengeance in the name of the burned and the tortured. Hail, Adrian! Hail, Satan! Hail, Satan! (Sidenote: the theme song to "Rosemary's Baby" is beyond creepy ... la la la). Hail Kayne!
As I read the other day, scientists predict the baby of Kardashian-Kayne (Kimye?) will have an ego so dense it collapses on itself creating a blackhole. So, there's that.
The other side of me, the I-want-to-trick-everyone-into-believing-I'm-a-nice-person-in-2013-side (which is related to the eating-healthy-and-working-out-makes-me-feel-better knowledge I trapped inside an empty box of Nilla Wafers), sees the positive in resolutions and the new year. A time to reflect on the past 365 days, consider your successes and failures, and move on to a cleanish slate (like taking a shower when you're hungover). It's a built-in timeline for life similar to age - I'm 40, what have I done with my life or it's 2013, what did I accomplish in 2012?
That's so 2012 - the Diamond Jubilee of the Queen Mum (snoozefest), Curiosity landed on Mars, "The Innocence of Muslims" caused terrorist attacks and outrage, Felix Baumgartner broke the sound barrier, Hurricane Sandy wrecked havoc on the east coast, President Barack Obama was reelected in a close race, mass shootings caused public outrage on gun control laws ...
There's always the coveted death reel of the ones we lost (loved ones as well as those we knew but didn't know - celebrities): Mike Wallace, Davy Jones, Dick Clark, Vidal Sassoon, Donna Summer, Ray Bradbury, Rodney King, Andy Griffith, Sally Ride, Maeve Binchy, Neil Armstrong, Michael Clarke Duncan ... those sweet, innocent children in Newtown.
Reflection is positive - as my seventh grade social studies teacher told us everyday: those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it. In case you need a visual, she looked like Sam the Eagle from the Muppets with a righteous bowl cut and drove a white 1985ish Mustang.
There's more to life than current events and dead celebrities. We should reflect on our past year. What happened. Did you lose a loved one? Start a new job? Have a baby? Get married? Get divorced? Gain a shit ton of weight? Form new friendships or rid your life of toxic frenemies? Maybe you got a dog or bought a car or got a raise or chased a dream ... whatever it was, these events formed your 2012.
Do you know what time it is? No, not time for a Kool Moe Dee song about girlies. It's time to devise a flight plan for 2013 since we're going this non-cynical route.
What do we want? I don't know! When do we want it? Now!
Dear Diary, day three of the new year. So far, I'm back to eating healthy and exercising regularly, more to do with the poundage I acquired during the holidays than some lofty, life changing goal. Biggest Loser this is not. I cleaned up my Facebook friends list today, so there's something. Goals: declutter, defriend, less frivolous spending more saving, more books less social networking, more outside less TV ... less cynical? Perhaps it's better to keep my goals attainable because any day of the year can be your "new year."
We're here, we're queer, get used to it.
Life rages on and we're expected to create resolutions: make lists, take notes, make plans. This is the year! The time is now! A lot can happen in a year! Motivate yourself to change your life! Go to Bed, Bath & Beyond and get yourself a Gandhi poster: Be the change you want to see in the world! Frame it and put it in your living room next to your Live, laugh, love poster. You're surrounded by motivation! Turn on the boob tube so advertisers can tell you what to think. You're fat, so get skinny - we'll show you how! Your marriage sucks - get divorced! Your job sucks - get a new one! The calendar changed so act accordingly.
The cynic in me wants to rant about the stupidity behind resolutions considering most are too ambitious and abandoned within three weeks. Also, can a human truly change? This skeptical force figures the Kardashian-Kayne spawn will be the anti-Christ and cause the end of days ... so what's a few extra pounds and a dead-end job matter?
Satan is his father, not Guy (aka Kayne). He came up from hell and begat a son of mortal woman. Satan is his father and his name is Adrian. He shall overthrow the mighty and lay waste their temples. He shall redeem the despised and wreak vengeance in the name of the burned and the tortured. Hail, Adrian! Hail, Satan! Hail, Satan! (Sidenote: the theme song to "Rosemary's Baby" is beyond creepy ... la la la). Hail Kayne!
As I read the other day, scientists predict the baby of Kardashian-Kayne (Kimye?) will have an ego so dense it collapses on itself creating a blackhole. So, there's that.
The other side of me, the I-want-to-trick-everyone-into-believing-I'm-a-nice-person-in-2013-side (which is related to the eating-healthy-and-working-out-makes-me-feel-better knowledge I trapped inside an empty box of Nilla Wafers), sees the positive in resolutions and the new year. A time to reflect on the past 365 days, consider your successes and failures, and move on to a cleanish slate (like taking a shower when you're hungover). It's a built-in timeline for life similar to age - I'm 40, what have I done with my life or it's 2013, what did I accomplish in 2012?
That's so 2012 - the Diamond Jubilee of the Queen Mum (snoozefest), Curiosity landed on Mars, "The Innocence of Muslims" caused terrorist attacks and outrage, Felix Baumgartner broke the sound barrier, Hurricane Sandy wrecked havoc on the east coast, President Barack Obama was reelected in a close race, mass shootings caused public outrage on gun control laws ...
There's always the coveted death reel of the ones we lost (loved ones as well as those we knew but didn't know - celebrities): Mike Wallace, Davy Jones, Dick Clark, Vidal Sassoon, Donna Summer, Ray Bradbury, Rodney King, Andy Griffith, Sally Ride, Maeve Binchy, Neil Armstrong, Michael Clarke Duncan ... those sweet, innocent children in Newtown.
Reflection is positive - as my seventh grade social studies teacher told us everyday: those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it. In case you need a visual, she looked like Sam the Eagle from the Muppets with a righteous bowl cut and drove a white 1985ish Mustang.
There's more to life than current events and dead celebrities. We should reflect on our past year. What happened. Did you lose a loved one? Start a new job? Have a baby? Get married? Get divorced? Gain a shit ton of weight? Form new friendships or rid your life of toxic frenemies? Maybe you got a dog or bought a car or got a raise or chased a dream ... whatever it was, these events formed your 2012.
Do you know what time it is? No, not time for a Kool Moe Dee song about girlies. It's time to devise a flight plan for 2013 since we're going this non-cynical route.
What do we want? I don't know! When do we want it? Now!
Dear Diary, day three of the new year. So far, I'm back to eating healthy and exercising regularly, more to do with the poundage I acquired during the holidays than some lofty, life changing goal. Biggest Loser this is not. I cleaned up my Facebook friends list today, so there's something. Goals: declutter, defriend, less frivolous spending more saving, more books less social networking, more outside less TV ... less cynical? Perhaps it's better to keep my goals attainable because any day of the year can be your "new year."
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Making sense of tragedy: Adam Lanza, NRA, Sandy Hook Elementary, gun violence, Newtown and mental health
I wasn't going to write about this because it's overwhelming - I don't know what I feel (or should feel) as a bystander to tragedy. However, after witnessing the virtual war over gun control, mental illness and God, I feel the urge to debrief.
The news reached across the globe. On Friday, Dec 14, 2012, after murdering his mother in her bed, Adam Lanza, 20, stole three of her weapons (she owned six), walked into Sandy Hook Elementary and never walked out. He murdered 26 people, including 20 children ages 6 and 7. Authorities report he had enough ammunition to murder many, many more.
Mass murders are devastating and unnerving but this one ... 20 children ages 6 and 7 in a sleepy town in Connecticut? Children. Connecticut. As Americans we are not immune to mass shootings (the "Dark Knight" movie theater shooting was only five months ago) but children ... that was out of our scope of possibility. Children of all ages are no longer safe at school. Sleepy towns are no longer sleepy. The age of innocence is growing younger every year until the time will come when no one is free from violence and adult content. There will no longer be childhoods, on the gritty, harsh reality of life.
I won't indulge my feelings because I don't know how I feel. I think that's OK, it's OK to not know, to be numb from senseless acts of violence. To be numb from movie theatre massacres, shopping mall shootings and, especially, mass murders at elementary schools. This isn't supposed to happen because it's inhuman. It's evil. We're at war with an invisible enemy: mental disease.
I know my feelings in reference to others and the thoughts they've shared in stark, naked honesty on the Internet. Their thoughts are full of absolutes and unshakable substance -- almost as unnerving as random acts of violence. Why aren't others without words like I am? Why aren't others unsure of what this tragedy means and how America should react? Why don't others understand it's not simple because life isn't simple? Maybe there are many like me and they simply choose not to respond on social media. It's the fanatics who shout from rooftops as if that's the only way their feelings will matter. Facebook and Twitter are on one big rooftop, overlooking the world.
Eddie Nimibutr, owner (which has been disputed) and chef of the Austin, Texas restaurant Thai Noodle House commented: "I'm failing to give a damn about the CT shooting. I don't care if a bunch of white kids got killed. Fuck post-racial bullshit. When kids from minority groups get shot, nobody cares. When Israel launched missiles at the school on Gaza, everybody was too busy jerking off. Why should I care about people who don't give a damn about me? Personal responsibility, right?"
He later commented: "I am no fool to just feel and just believe the hypocrisy in our society the way everyone told me how to. Lots of people are mad at me for the thing I said. Some called with threat of violence. I laughed at the Internet tough guys, but I reported to the police. I am educated and believe in my rights of the Freedom of Speech ... If you don't like me or my opinions, I suggest you to unfriend me and fuck off. I am pretty much sick of some people telling me what to think, how to think, or how to feel today, and if you don't like my foods, fuck off and eat someplace else."
Although he's a hypocrite, among other things, I agree there are horrific crimes being committed everyday, especially in Syria. Unspeakable acts of violence hardly evoking a cringe or attention when quickly uttered on the evening news we, most likely, DVR because we're busy. Too busy for the news, how pathetic. However, it's different when it happens in your country, especially in America where we proudly wear Americanism on our sleeve next to our hearts. It's different because the majority of the dead are children. Children were gunned down as if they were a threat. Maybe you pull a Columbine and gun down your classmates because you were bullied and emotionally beaten down ... it's not OK in any stretch of the imagination but it's a lesson in psychology we can grasp when trying to make sense of it all. There's no rhyme or reason to why a 20-year-old would shoot children just as it's difficult to comprehend why someone would shoot moviegoers.
Random acts of violence are the scariest because that means you are never safe, not even at once safe havens like an elementary school. Yes, maybe Adam Lanza wanted notoriety but we, as a society, need to examine the why before we can discuss the what now.
As I'm making my list and checking it twice for Christmas, I'm guilty. I didn't know the people and children murdered, I don't know the survivors, I've never been to Newtown, Ct. and I don't know the people affected directly by this tragedy. I've never had a friend or family member murdered. I can't imagine the pain and suffering they are going through right this second and will go through for the rest of their lives: the survivors guilt, the what if, the regret, the anger. However, I can't help but feel troubled and guilty, like I'm under a black cloud. Guilty for laughing at a joke, guilty for being cynical, guilty for enjoying celebrity gossip, guilty for getting annoyed when my mother babbles too long on the phone or the person in front of me drives 40 in a 55 mph zone, guilty for knowing this incident will soon lose its hold and I'll continue sweating the small stuff. I try to remember to be grateful for what and who I have because I never know when I'll take my last breath or when the ones I love will take theirs ... even with this in mind, I'm still troubled.
It's never one thing. It's not because of this random act of violence further reminding us we are not safe. It's not because it involved 20 children being gunned down while hundreds waited in fear. It's also because of the reaction from people I know and don't know -- everyone has an opinion and they want YOU to know about it ...
A relative made it an abortion issue: thousands of children are slaughtered every day in abortion clinics and rarely get a single word spoken for them. This person is a religious zealot so, I figured, she's in the minority (hopefully) along with the Westboro Baptist Church, which planned to picket the funerals.
Another commented the mentally ill should remember, when diving off the deep end, to kill themselves and not others ... don't think those individuals work that way.
Before I venture into Second Amendment talk, I hope this obsession with guns and the NRA (both pro and con) doesn't overshadow the need for mental health advocacy. To many people, the mentally ill are difficult to understand -- how someone can be so distraught they'd consider suicide. You've never felt that way so to keep from feeling uncomfortable you hope this person snaps out of it and goes back to normal. Come on, times are tough but buck up little camper. Mothers of mentally ill children, most likely, feel they failed their offspring because what's your first thought after Adam Lanza's rampage? His parents failed him. It's this mentality which makes the mentally ill uncomfortable with seeking help and makes parents uncomfortable with seeking help for their children. Typically the mentally ill need a support system if they are going to seek treatment/help and be successful. If they can't fathom confiding in their loved ones, how are they going to confide in a doctor and follow a treatment plan? The stigma needs to go away and psychiatric help needs to be less about co-pays and the good doctors being out of network, and more about helping those who need it most. Mental health needs to be less embarrassing. Yes, shame on his mother but considering she was an end-of-the-world stash-piling-weapons sorta gal, shame on the people who knew them for not intervening. Hindsight is 20-20.
If I told you I had breast cancer, how would you react? If I told you I was bipolar, how would you react? Or how about something less mainstream, like Aspergers? Your reaction is what needs to change in America.
Then there's the endless gun ranting, including proposing every teacher carry a handgun for protection -- which means a loaded handgun in each classroom (is this frightening to anyone else?) -- and expressing fear the government will take their guns away.
I think people who enjoy hunting are great, I am related to a hunter and love him dearly. There's something beautiful about providing for your family, something traditional and human. If you want to purchase a hunting rifle and, after going through a thorough background check and obtaining a license, then more power to you. However, no civilian should own a semiautomatic Bushmaster .223 rifle with a 30-round magazine -- the gun Adam Lanza used and the same gun involved in the D.C. sniper shootings. No civilian needs a semiautomatic killing device. No civilian needs a stockpile of ammunition. Two handguns and a shotgun were also recovered at Sandy Hook. You can be a responsible rifle owner and hunter or target shooter but I don't understand the logic of a responsible semiautomatic owner ... it's like me saying I'm a responsible rocket launcher owner. Why do I need a rocket launcher? Sure, maybe I like rocket launchers but I don't need one.
The Second Amendment was adopted December 15, 1791 -- a lot changed these 221 years.
Guns are designed to kill living, breathing animals and humans. You want to protect your own? The sound of a rifle cocking is enough to scare the most intelligent burglar away and, if not, the gun is locked and loaded. Government intrusion in your life is a frightening concept but, in most cases, needed because everyone is not as smart and stable as you think you are.
When I was young, my father taught me and my brother how to shoot a gun. It was a handgun and we practiced in our backyard. He didn't mouth off about gun rights, he didn't showcase this weapon as an extension of his manhood - he showed us how to use this device so we'd understand in case, heaven forbid, an intruder entered our home. He also held the demonstration so we'd be scared and understand the danger firsthand.
I understand what it means to be a responsible gun owner who doesn't hunt. My father, a raging Democrat bordering on the edge of liberal, has a gun in his home for protection. He doesn't have a Bushmaster .223 rifle or magazines for mass shooting. He has a small gun he keeps in a case. Why isn't that enough?
Even after writing, I didn't find answers. I don't feel less guilty or unnerved or helpless. If you agree with me, great. If you don't, that's OK too. I'm not a senator or congressman. I'm not in local government. I'm one of many who didn't die Friday. When it comes to random acts of violence, we are all survivors. No one is safe. Hopefully those in charge put aside their differences (fiscal cliff, hint hint), sit down, and talk. What are schools across America doing? They are reassessing safety protocols. Why shouldn't Congress reassess mental health and gun safety? I'm not giving answers -- I don't have any. A conversation needs to start now. Let's set aside preconceived notions and steadfast beliefs and look at mass murders. Look at gun laws and safety. Look at school safety. Look at mental health. Look to other countries for ideas and basis. People need to stop pretending (and most often believing) they have all the answers. No one does, not even the self-righteous NRA. Let's find some answers so Sandy Hook doesn't become the norm, so these teachers and children didn't die in vain.
The news reached across the globe. On Friday, Dec 14, 2012, after murdering his mother in her bed, Adam Lanza, 20, stole three of her weapons (she owned six), walked into Sandy Hook Elementary and never walked out. He murdered 26 people, including 20 children ages 6 and 7. Authorities report he had enough ammunition to murder many, many more.
Mass murders are devastating and unnerving but this one ... 20 children ages 6 and 7 in a sleepy town in Connecticut? Children. Connecticut. As Americans we are not immune to mass shootings (the "Dark Knight" movie theater shooting was only five months ago) but children ... that was out of our scope of possibility. Children of all ages are no longer safe at school. Sleepy towns are no longer sleepy. The age of innocence is growing younger every year until the time will come when no one is free from violence and adult content. There will no longer be childhoods, on the gritty, harsh reality of life.
I won't indulge my feelings because I don't know how I feel. I think that's OK, it's OK to not know, to be numb from senseless acts of violence. To be numb from movie theatre massacres, shopping mall shootings and, especially, mass murders at elementary schools. This isn't supposed to happen because it's inhuman. It's evil. We're at war with an invisible enemy: mental disease.
I know my feelings in reference to others and the thoughts they've shared in stark, naked honesty on the Internet. Their thoughts are full of absolutes and unshakable substance -- almost as unnerving as random acts of violence. Why aren't others without words like I am? Why aren't others unsure of what this tragedy means and how America should react? Why don't others understand it's not simple because life isn't simple? Maybe there are many like me and they simply choose not to respond on social media. It's the fanatics who shout from rooftops as if that's the only way their feelings will matter. Facebook and Twitter are on one big rooftop, overlooking the world.
Eddie Nimibutr, owner (which has been disputed) and chef of the Austin, Texas restaurant Thai Noodle House commented: "I'm failing to give a damn about the CT shooting. I don't care if a bunch of white kids got killed. Fuck post-racial bullshit. When kids from minority groups get shot, nobody cares. When Israel launched missiles at the school on Gaza, everybody was too busy jerking off. Why should I care about people who don't give a damn about me? Personal responsibility, right?"
He later commented: "I am no fool to just feel and just believe the hypocrisy in our society the way everyone told me how to. Lots of people are mad at me for the thing I said. Some called with threat of violence. I laughed at the Internet tough guys, but I reported to the police. I am educated and believe in my rights of the Freedom of Speech ... If you don't like me or my opinions, I suggest you to unfriend me and fuck off. I am pretty much sick of some people telling me what to think, how to think, or how to feel today, and if you don't like my foods, fuck off and eat someplace else."
Although he's a hypocrite, among other things, I agree there are horrific crimes being committed everyday, especially in Syria. Unspeakable acts of violence hardly evoking a cringe or attention when quickly uttered on the evening news we, most likely, DVR because we're busy. Too busy for the news, how pathetic. However, it's different when it happens in your country, especially in America where we proudly wear Americanism on our sleeve next to our hearts. It's different because the majority of the dead are children. Children were gunned down as if they were a threat. Maybe you pull a Columbine and gun down your classmates because you were bullied and emotionally beaten down ... it's not OK in any stretch of the imagination but it's a lesson in psychology we can grasp when trying to make sense of it all. There's no rhyme or reason to why a 20-year-old would shoot children just as it's difficult to comprehend why someone would shoot moviegoers.
Random acts of violence are the scariest because that means you are never safe, not even at once safe havens like an elementary school. Yes, maybe Adam Lanza wanted notoriety but we, as a society, need to examine the why before we can discuss the what now.
As I'm making my list and checking it twice for Christmas, I'm guilty. I didn't know the people and children murdered, I don't know the survivors, I've never been to Newtown, Ct. and I don't know the people affected directly by this tragedy. I've never had a friend or family member murdered. I can't imagine the pain and suffering they are going through right this second and will go through for the rest of their lives: the survivors guilt, the what if, the regret, the anger. However, I can't help but feel troubled and guilty, like I'm under a black cloud. Guilty for laughing at a joke, guilty for being cynical, guilty for enjoying celebrity gossip, guilty for getting annoyed when my mother babbles too long on the phone or the person in front of me drives 40 in a 55 mph zone, guilty for knowing this incident will soon lose its hold and I'll continue sweating the small stuff. I try to remember to be grateful for what and who I have because I never know when I'll take my last breath or when the ones I love will take theirs ... even with this in mind, I'm still troubled.
It's never one thing. It's not because of this random act of violence further reminding us we are not safe. It's not because it involved 20 children being gunned down while hundreds waited in fear. It's also because of the reaction from people I know and don't know -- everyone has an opinion and they want YOU to know about it ...
A relative made it an abortion issue: thousands of children are slaughtered every day in abortion clinics and rarely get a single word spoken for them. This person is a religious zealot so, I figured, she's in the minority (hopefully) along with the Westboro Baptist Church, which planned to picket the funerals.
Another commented the mentally ill should remember, when diving off the deep end, to kill themselves and not others ... don't think those individuals work that way.
Before I venture into Second Amendment talk, I hope this obsession with guns and the NRA (both pro and con) doesn't overshadow the need for mental health advocacy. To many people, the mentally ill are difficult to understand -- how someone can be so distraught they'd consider suicide. You've never felt that way so to keep from feeling uncomfortable you hope this person snaps out of it and goes back to normal. Come on, times are tough but buck up little camper. Mothers of mentally ill children, most likely, feel they failed their offspring because what's your first thought after Adam Lanza's rampage? His parents failed him. It's this mentality which makes the mentally ill uncomfortable with seeking help and makes parents uncomfortable with seeking help for their children. Typically the mentally ill need a support system if they are going to seek treatment/help and be successful. If they can't fathom confiding in their loved ones, how are they going to confide in a doctor and follow a treatment plan? The stigma needs to go away and psychiatric help needs to be less about co-pays and the good doctors being out of network, and more about helping those who need it most. Mental health needs to be less embarrassing. Yes, shame on his mother but considering she was an end-of-the-world stash-piling-weapons sorta gal, shame on the people who knew them for not intervening. Hindsight is 20-20.
If I told you I had breast cancer, how would you react? If I told you I was bipolar, how would you react? Or how about something less mainstream, like Aspergers? Your reaction is what needs to change in America.
Then there's the endless gun ranting, including proposing every teacher carry a handgun for protection -- which means a loaded handgun in each classroom (is this frightening to anyone else?) -- and expressing fear the government will take their guns away.
I think people who enjoy hunting are great, I am related to a hunter and love him dearly. There's something beautiful about providing for your family, something traditional and human. If you want to purchase a hunting rifle and, after going through a thorough background check and obtaining a license, then more power to you. However, no civilian should own a semiautomatic Bushmaster .223 rifle with a 30-round magazine -- the gun Adam Lanza used and the same gun involved in the D.C. sniper shootings. No civilian needs a semiautomatic killing device. No civilian needs a stockpile of ammunition. Two handguns and a shotgun were also recovered at Sandy Hook. You can be a responsible rifle owner and hunter or target shooter but I don't understand the logic of a responsible semiautomatic owner ... it's like me saying I'm a responsible rocket launcher owner. Why do I need a rocket launcher? Sure, maybe I like rocket launchers but I don't need one.
The Second Amendment was adopted December 15, 1791 -- a lot changed these 221 years.
Guns are designed to kill living, breathing animals and humans. You want to protect your own? The sound of a rifle cocking is enough to scare the most intelligent burglar away and, if not, the gun is locked and loaded. Government intrusion in your life is a frightening concept but, in most cases, needed because everyone is not as smart and stable as you think you are.
When I was young, my father taught me and my brother how to shoot a gun. It was a handgun and we practiced in our backyard. He didn't mouth off about gun rights, he didn't showcase this weapon as an extension of his manhood - he showed us how to use this device so we'd understand in case, heaven forbid, an intruder entered our home. He also held the demonstration so we'd be scared and understand the danger firsthand.
I understand what it means to be a responsible gun owner who doesn't hunt. My father, a raging Democrat bordering on the edge of liberal, has a gun in his home for protection. He doesn't have a Bushmaster .223 rifle or magazines for mass shooting. He has a small gun he keeps in a case. Why isn't that enough?
Even after writing, I didn't find answers. I don't feel less guilty or unnerved or helpless. If you agree with me, great. If you don't, that's OK too. I'm not a senator or congressman. I'm not in local government. I'm one of many who didn't die Friday. When it comes to random acts of violence, we are all survivors. No one is safe. Hopefully those in charge put aside their differences (fiscal cliff, hint hint), sit down, and talk. What are schools across America doing? They are reassessing safety protocols. Why shouldn't Congress reassess mental health and gun safety? I'm not giving answers -- I don't have any. A conversation needs to start now. Let's set aside preconceived notions and steadfast beliefs and look at mass murders. Look at gun laws and safety. Look at school safety. Look at mental health. Look to other countries for ideas and basis. People need to stop pretending (and most often believing) they have all the answers. No one does, not even the self-righteous NRA. Let's find some answers so Sandy Hook doesn't become the norm, so these teachers and children didn't die in vain.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Christmas with the Cynic: Jesus, Elf on a Shelf, Santa, Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah - Bah Humbug, pass the nog
My wall calendar caused great confusion today. It's almost Christmas? Another year almost gone, lost to Morgan Freeman's wormhole lurking in Stephen Hawkings butt -- isn't that where time goes to die? Our mystery ship is venturing further into years fit for sci-fi -- (Stardate 2013 - we should be living la via loca on Mars or carpooling with George Jetson to our job at Spacely Space Sprockets or being served Romulan ale by robot maid Rosie, who will one day malfunction and kill us all). In my real day job (my night job is being a m-fing, yolo-ing boss -- whatever that means) I am constantly reminded of the current date but, for some reason, didn't realize until today the sequence of numbers means it's almost Santa's birthday.
Eww. Cue the moment, every now and then, when you slow your roll and remember you're a fragile human on a swiftly turning planet covered with billions upon billions of creatures. You are 99% oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium and phosphorus and 1% freak. Do you exist or is this a dream? Wait, before I question existence, entering a full blown marijuana-free freak out (no bueno), let's come on back to our warm and fuzzy existence, safe from reality!
It's almost Christmas! Are you done spending money on others? Is your house decorated? Is your Christmas menu planned? If you have lady parts (or are a dude who looks like a lady), did you purchase a sparkly outfit, or three, for holiday parties you'll ruin with regurgitated chunks of egg nog, guilt and shame? Do you feel the Christmas spirit coursing through your veins like tiger blood? If you're anything like me, has the urge to binge drink increased by 300%?
You hear that? Hark! It's an angel getting its wings. Did you get the coupon in your e-mail? I hope it didn't get stuck in your spam filter because you'll miss out! If you spend more than $250 at the mall, an angel will get its wings, and if you spend $500, God will love you. Oh wait, you flipped off a man while backing into a space in the mall parking lot and mumbled nasty things under your liquory breath while in the long line at the Apple store. Go directly to jail, do not collect $200 and God does not love you.
It doesn't feel like Christmas but what's Christmas supposed to feel like? It's not snowing (save your global warming talk for Al "I Created The Internet" Gore -- ever notice how he sounds like Forrest Gump and looks like Kirstie Alley?). I'm not at a Christmas party, sipping on hootch in holiday attire while purposely forgetting my diet and munching on creamy dips, chocolates and buttery cookies like Bridget Jones -- it's Christmastime so it doesn't count. I stopped getting weeks of Christmas vacation after college (wah) and this year the calendar wants to further slap me in the face with Christmas on a Tuesday. Rude. I'm at m-fing work yo cuz it ain't the freakin weekend and even R Kelly isn't going to have himself a urinating good time.
I heard a Salvation Army bell ringing the other day -- which makes me think of Christmas. Not particularly in a good way because I don't trust charitable organizations -- where is my money going? I haven't seen any fake ass poser Santa's yet, which is good because they give me the heebie jeebies like clowns.
I'm every nightmare you've ever had. I'm your worst dream come true. I'm everything you ever were afraid of.
There's a war on Christmas raging in the U.S. because the reason for the season has been forgotten in favor of getting down on our knees and praising Santa, sappy Hallmark cards, filled stockings, poisonous poinsettias, Christmas carols covered by losers like Mariah "Monkey Face" Carey, suck-my-honkey-lips mistletoe, Pop Rocks candy canes, Rudolph and his alcoholic nose, tolerance for other holidays, prickly holly, yule logs, fire hazard trees, gift-giving, fruitcake, awful sweaters and Xmas. Baby Jesus War Soldiers become upset when you wish them Happy Holidays or Season's Greetings instead of Merry Christmas, which is interesting because my Jewish friends don't get riled up when you completely forget about their existence all together and speak about their holiday in hushed tones and wonder.
I don't think there's a war on Christmas. The media profits from this fiction by hyping a small group of hysterical people because it's an easy way to elicit a response from the public. It's either "this season celebrate reason" or "Jesus is the reason for the season."
You know what? It's Dec. 13, 2012. There are 12 days left until Christmas. No, I'm not filled with the Christmas Spirit like a Port-o-John but that's OK. I'm not the type to be over-joyous and it's not Christmas yet. In our material obsessed culture, Christmas and Christmas Eve has expanded like a fat lady in spandex to black out December and the end of November. The season starts with Thanksgiving and doesn't stop its bombardment until you're hungover and broke Jan. 1 and filled with enough guilt and shame to last the year, as well as a low threshold for emotion. I was hungover the other day (shocking) and cried during a jewelry commercial. No, it didn't feature mind numbing Jane Seymour: Open your heart and love will find its way in ... open the large vital organ pumping inside me so your love can creep in like nerve gas? Fat chance Dr. Quinn. It was a better commercial than that but was still a jewelry commercial -- booze, you perplexing seductor, I love you, always and forever.
So, don't feel bad if you're more Willie Stokes than Buddy the Elf. When Christmas Eve rolls around, that's the time to enjoy being with friends and family and remember life isn't about Facebook statuses, Twitter updates, deadlines and bumper-to-bumper traffic. It's not about 50% off sales, reality television, blockbuster movies, or even, sigh, strong booze and filtered cigarettes. My reason for the season is remembering to be thankful for what I have and remembering to be nice and, if I can't, drink heavily and keep my big, fat mouth shut.
Eww. Cue the moment, every now and then, when you slow your roll and remember you're a fragile human on a swiftly turning planet covered with billions upon billions of creatures. You are 99% oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium and phosphorus and 1% freak. Do you exist or is this a dream? Wait, before I question existence, entering a full blown marijuana-free freak out (no bueno), let's come on back to our warm and fuzzy existence, safe from reality!
It's almost Christmas! Are you done spending money on others? Is your house decorated? Is your Christmas menu planned? If you have lady parts (or are a dude who looks like a lady), did you purchase a sparkly outfit, or three, for holiday parties you'll ruin with regurgitated chunks of egg nog, guilt and shame? Do you feel the Christmas spirit coursing through your veins like tiger blood? If you're anything like me, has the urge to binge drink increased by 300%?
You hear that? Hark! It's an angel getting its wings. Did you get the coupon in your e-mail? I hope it didn't get stuck in your spam filter because you'll miss out! If you spend more than $250 at the mall, an angel will get its wings, and if you spend $500, God will love you. Oh wait, you flipped off a man while backing into a space in the mall parking lot and mumbled nasty things under your liquory breath while in the long line at the Apple store. Go directly to jail, do not collect $200 and God does not love you.
It doesn't feel like Christmas but what's Christmas supposed to feel like? It's not snowing (save your global warming talk for Al "I Created The Internet" Gore -- ever notice how he sounds like Forrest Gump and looks like Kirstie Alley?). I'm not at a Christmas party, sipping on hootch in holiday attire while purposely forgetting my diet and munching on creamy dips, chocolates and buttery cookies like Bridget Jones -- it's Christmastime so it doesn't count. I stopped getting weeks of Christmas vacation after college (wah) and this year the calendar wants to further slap me in the face with Christmas on a Tuesday. Rude. I'm at m-fing work yo cuz it ain't the freakin weekend and even R Kelly isn't going to have himself a urinating good time.
I heard a Salvation Army bell ringing the other day -- which makes me think of Christmas. Not particularly in a good way because I don't trust charitable organizations -- where is my money going? I haven't seen any fake ass poser Santa's yet, which is good because they give me the heebie jeebies like clowns.
I'm every nightmare you've ever had. I'm your worst dream come true. I'm everything you ever were afraid of.
There's a war on Christmas raging in the U.S. because the reason for the season has been forgotten in favor of getting down on our knees and praising Santa, sappy Hallmark cards, filled stockings, poisonous poinsettias, Christmas carols covered by losers like Mariah "Monkey Face" Carey, suck-my-honkey-lips mistletoe, Pop Rocks candy canes, Rudolph and his alcoholic nose, tolerance for other holidays, prickly holly, yule logs, fire hazard trees, gift-giving, fruitcake, awful sweaters and Xmas. Baby Jesus War Soldiers become upset when you wish them Happy Holidays or Season's Greetings instead of Merry Christmas, which is interesting because my Jewish friends don't get riled up when you completely forget about their existence all together and speak about their holiday in hushed tones and wonder.
I don't think there's a war on Christmas. The media profits from this fiction by hyping a small group of hysterical people because it's an easy way to elicit a response from the public. It's either "this season celebrate reason" or "Jesus is the reason for the season."
You know what? It's Dec. 13, 2012. There are 12 days left until Christmas. No, I'm not filled with the Christmas Spirit like a Port-o-John but that's OK. I'm not the type to be over-joyous and it's not Christmas yet. In our material obsessed culture, Christmas and Christmas Eve has expanded like a fat lady in spandex to black out December and the end of November. The season starts with Thanksgiving and doesn't stop its bombardment until you're hungover and broke Jan. 1 and filled with enough guilt and shame to last the year, as well as a low threshold for emotion. I was hungover the other day (shocking) and cried during a jewelry commercial. No, it didn't feature mind numbing Jane Seymour: Open your heart and love will find its way in ... open the large vital organ pumping inside me so your love can creep in like nerve gas? Fat chance Dr. Quinn. It was a better commercial than that but was still a jewelry commercial -- booze, you perplexing seductor, I love you, always and forever.
So, don't feel bad if you're more Willie Stokes than Buddy the Elf. When Christmas Eve rolls around, that's the time to enjoy being with friends and family and remember life isn't about Facebook statuses, Twitter updates, deadlines and bumper-to-bumper traffic. It's not about 50% off sales, reality television, blockbuster movies, or even, sigh, strong booze and filtered cigarettes. My reason for the season is remembering to be thankful for what I have and remembering to be nice and, if I can't, drink heavily and keep my big, fat mouth shut.
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