Yes, We're Fully Aware

Well hello again, lovely sheeple.  I’m not sure how you managed to graze your way over here, but welcome.  It’s been over a year and a half since my last blog post.  My blog gets about as much traffic as the moon, so I said “fuck it” and haven’t written anything on here because, well, why bother?  But lately something has been getting under my skin enough to dust off the old blog and get back to offending some of you delicate flowers once again.  Today’s topic: the ever popular ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.

If you’re on any social media, you have no doubt seen video after video of people doing something called the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.  This is where people pour ice cold water over themselves, and then list a few people who should do the same.  The supposed purpose of this act of stupidity is to “raise awareness” for ALS (AKA Lou Gehrig’s Disease), which is a neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord.  This Ice Bucket Challenge has also been for other diseases or afflictions, but ALS seems to be the most popular one lately.

Now that we know what it is, let’s go ahead and find out why it’s fucking stupid.  I’ve always had a problem with “awareness” campaigns.  I’ve written about this before.  This post could actually be a part two, or continuation of this one that I wrote back in June of 2011:

How Aware Are You?

Unless you’ve lived in a cave your whole life, I’d say it’s safe to say that we’re all “aware” of all these terrible diseases and afflictions.  ALS, cancer, AIDS, diabetes, lupus, autism, Alzheimer’s disease, etc…these things aren’t brand new in 2014.  They’ve been around for a very long time.  Trust me, we’re aware.

Now let’s get back to this ice water thing.  The rules of this challenge are pretty simple.   Players have 24 hours to either pour a bucket of ice cold water over their head on camera or contribute money to the charity of their choice. After they’ve made their decision, they appoint three more people to do the same.  Please let me point this out again:  People are doing this to AVOID donating to a charity.  If you are reading this right now, and you have participated in this Ice Bucket Challenge, you are essentially telling the whole world, “I would rather pour frigid ice water all over my body than to give a single cent to charity.”  But hey, your video got a bunch of likes on Facebook, so it’s all good, right?  You, sir or ma’am, are a shit bag.  Let’s face it, you didn’t do this to raise awareness or be charitable, you’re just another asshole with a camera phone who’s seeking attention on social media.  Congratulations.

Now, granted, this viral challenge has proven to bring in money.  The ALS Association told Fox Boston that it has raised $1.35 million in the past two weeks. It raised just $22,000 in the same period last year.  That’s fantastic, of course….especially for the people who suffer from this disease.  But let’s get back to the root of this viral ice water campaign, which is to raise awareness.  When you watch all of these videos of people doing this, how many of them actually describe to the viewers what ALS is?  What kind of toll does ALS have on the human body?  How many people are currently diagnosed with this illness?  What are the early warning signs?  Nobody bothers to mention any of this.  So much for awareness, eh?  Even though this viral campaign has brought an increase in donations (albeit mostly from celebrities), most of you average joes out there are merely making these videos to showcase your willingness to be fun and silly on camera in exchange for likes on Facebook. Some of you do-gooders might have even given five or ten bucks after pouring ice water on yourself, but then it begs the question: Why didn’t you just donate that to begin with?  Why the charade?  Being charitable isn’t really your concern.  Being popular on social media is, though.  “How many likes will this get on Facebook?  How many favorites will this get on Twitter?  Everyone’s attention will be on ME!!!”  If your sole reason for donating to anything is for a viral social media popularity campaign (a donation that you otherwise wouldn’t have made), then you are not charitable.  You’re just a douchebag, so get off of your soapbox.

For the most part, I would compare this ice water nonsense to prayer.  It makes you feel good about yourself for doing something, without ever actually doing something.  For example, it’s winter time and you see a homeless person, who is cold, sitting on a street corner.  You are now “aware” of him.  You can pray for him, feel sorry for him, and feel compassion for him.  Guess what…none of those things are going to keep him warm.  A blanket and hot meal will, though.  This is action versus awareness.  If you really want to make a difference and help, take some real action.  Just simply donate directly to the charity or research foundation of your choice.  No gimmicks, no publicity stunts, no whoring yourself out for Facebook likes.  Do it because you genuinely care about helping people.  Most people will donate to causes that they are personally affected by.  For me, I regularly donate to fund cancer and diabetes research.  I wish I could afford to donate to every charity, but I’m a middle-class American, which equates to me being poor as fuck.

In closing, just know that your awareness doesn’t do anything for anybody.  Action helps people.  Donating your time or money helps people.  Dumping ice water on yourself to avoid these things just makes you an asshole.  Cheers.

Gunundrum

 

Well here we are again in the wake of yet another national tragedy.  Another mass shooting, this time involving little kids.  I would have never imagined in a million years that a human being was capable of this kind of evil.  And to follow suit with past mass shootings, the heated debate over gun control is in full swing before the shooter’s empty shell casings even hit the floor.  People on the right are screaming “more guns” while people on the left are screaming “no more guns”. 

Before I get into pissing off all of you gun fanatics out there (and I undoubtedly will), I should preface this post by saying that I support the 2^nd Amendment.  I support hunting and I support the right to be able to protect yourself and your family.  Please keep that in mind before you brain dead, inbred Tea Party folks start regurgitating your beloved go-to term, “bleeding-heart liberal”.

     As usual, when a tragic news dominated event happens, all the “experts” on the social media sites sound off with all of their infinite wisdom.  Being raised in a bible-thumping red state, most of the people on my Facebook friends list are conservative Republicans (many of which are extreme right wing Tea Baggers).  It’s safe to say that I’m the odd man out, and I’m quick to get shit-hammered by the masses anytime I post an opinion in my status.  So in the wake of this tragedy, I kept my opinions off of Facebook.  I felt like it was more important to grieve for the innocence lost than to get on my soapbox.   Others felt differently, and here are some of the wonderful insights that some of you had:

1.      President Obama wants to get rid of guns and disarm us all!

2.      This wouldn’t have happened if God were allowed in schools!

3.      Our forefathers support the right to bear arms. Those who oppose it? Hitler, Stalin, Lenin, Castro, and President Obama.

4.      In the past, countries such as the Soviet Union, China, Cambodia, and Guatemala established gun control, at which time millions of people were rounded up by the government…and unable to defend themselves, were “exterminated”. This is what will happen in the United States!  Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!

5.      In Israel, there are armed teachers to protect the students.  This is how it should be in the United States.

Yup…I’m privileged enough to see this enlightenment on a daily basis. Now please allow me to poke holes in each of these things, in order of appearance:

1.      The President does NOT want to abolish the 2^nd Amendment nor does he want to disarm everyone.  Liberals from the far left do, but not the President.  He never once said that…never.  He did, however, say that action needed to be taken to help prevent these kinds of tragedies from happening in the future.  He is proposing a ban on military style assault weapons and clips that hold a large number of rounds.  These weapons were not built for hunting nor were they built for home protection.  They were built for one thing only: killing human beings in large numbers (such as in a combat situation). 

2.      You right-wingers love to pull the God card, so here you go: God is allowed in churches, but that doesn’t stop priests from raping little boys on a regular basis, now does it?  Religion of any kind has no place in public schools, PERIOD.

3.      Yeah, let’s get our forefathers involved.  When our Constitution was written, society was COMPLETELY different than what it is today.  Our forefathers were slave owners for crying out loud.  When the 2^nd Amendment was written, the most dangerous weapon threat was a single-shot, muzzle-loaded musket.  Yes, we still have the 2^nd Amendment, but given what modernized civilization has become, it’s time that Amendment comes with a few asterisks. And as far as President Obama being grouped with those other guys, see #1.

4.      Comparing modern day America to Cambodia and Guatemala…really?  Do I really even need to dignify that far-fetched absurdity with a response?

5.      We need to arm our teachers, huh?  Nothing bad could ever happen out of that scenario, right?  Teachers are underpaid, underappreciated, underfunded, unsupported, and generally shit on from every direction (principals, parents that blame the teachers for not doing their parenting for them, etc).  They work extremely long hours, have very little free time and their work is never done.  To the general public, a teacher will always smile and tell you how great and rewarding their job is…but just ask their spouse and they will tell you different.  It’s constant complaining at how stressful and annoying being a teacher can really be (and not because of the kids, but because of all the other bs that comes with the territory).  Granted, I’m not saying every teacher feels this way of course, but there are many that do.  On top of all that, you’d be surprised at the lack of full disclosure teachers have with their school system.  There are teachers that are on medication for depression, anxiety, and even bipolar disorder.  Now imagine if any of those teachers had a gun in the classroom and just happened to forget their meds that day.  Just because someone is a teacher doesn’t make them exempt from having some deep issues which could have catastrophic results if they were armed.

 

Look, just because it’s everyone’s right to own a gun, doesn’t mean everyone should.  There are several people that I know personally that have absolutely no business owning a gun, yet have several of them.  Sure, they might be law abiding citizens with no previous criminal record…but is that really the only prerequisite to gun ownership?  I know folks who have a small arsenal of weapons at home, yet barely possess the intelligence to read, write, or put together a simple coherent sentence.  It absolutely scares the shit out of me that these halfwits are packing heat.  Another group of mouthbreathers that I know are the militant extremist hillbillies (better known as Tea Party people).  These are the type of people that absolutely can’t wait to shoot a motherfucker.  They don’t dread somebody breaking into their house…they fantasize about it.  They are the type of people that will launch into an unsolicited “I’ll tell what would happen if somebody broke into MY house” stories, even though nobody actually asked them what would happen if somebody broke into their house.  These people hate everyone who is unlike themselves, and shooting someone is always the first and only option, regardless of the situation.  These are the people that post images like these to facebook:

 

Yes, they also scare me…especially since they seem to have the most guns.

So just because you are legally allowed to have that gun, doesn’t mean you are mentally capable or even responsible enough to have it.  Neither of these things can be caught on a screening when purchasing a gun, either. More children have been killed by having access to an unsecured gun in their own house than being gunned down by a psychopath at their school.  Way more, in fact.  That goes for adults as well.  From 2005 to 2010, nearly 3800 people died in the United States due to unintentional shootings. We have a maturity and responsibility problem.

I know what you’re thinking. “But Marcus, what about other countries in the world?  This stuff happens there, too!”.  You’re right. It does happen there, but the numbers aren’t anywhere close to ours.  Not even in the ballpark.  The big comparison in the gun debates is the United States and Switzerland.  Switzerland ranks 3^rd on the list of countries with the most guns per capita (only behind the first two, the United States and Yemen, respectively).  Damn near everyone owns a gun over there and yet it has only a fraction of gun-related crimes and deaths.  The same could be said of many other countries…they don’t even come close to our gun death numbers.  Why is that?  That’s the magic question that nobody seems to have an answer for. What is it about American culture that produces some of the most violent, brutal, homicidal maniacs? 

 

 

Look folks, I’m not claiming to have all the solutions for all of the problems.  But it’s time we, as a nation, grow up and start thinking and behaving like mature adults.  Often times, it’s only the extremists that have the loudest voices, and get the most press.  That only complicates everything and makes matters worse.  It’s time to push the extremists off to the side and start getting rational people together and make some rational compromises.  I don’t know about you, but I’m not ok with these kinds of tragedies being “normal” news.  These things are slowly becoming unsurprising these days, and that’s terrifying.

I guess that’s all.  Be good, hug your kids, and take nothing for granted. Peace.

Chick-Fil-Haaaaay! *snap*

So the media frenzy as of late is shrouded around Dan Cathy, the president & COO of Chick-Fil-A.  Now with any story that makes headlines all over the country, it also sparks all of the mouth-breathers on facebook and twitter to sound off with their views on the subject, with all of their infinite wisdom and intellect.

Before I get into making some of my points, let’s first take a look at exactly what Mr. Cathy said.  In an interview with the Baptist Press, Cathy is quoted as saying, “We are very much supportive of the family -- the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that...we know that it might not be popular with everyone, but thank the Lord, we live in a country where we can share our values and operate on biblical principles”.  He further reiterated his stance when he did an interview on “The Ken Coleman Show”, where he remarked, “I think we are inviting God's judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at Him and say, 'We know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage,' and I pray God's mercy on our generation that has such a prideful, arrogant attitude to think that we have the audacity to try to redefine what marriage is about”.  He has also donated millions of dollars to anti-gay groups and organizations.

These things that Mr. Cathy said are well within his rights to do so.  That’s one of the perks of living in America…you can say whatever you want (even if it’s completely void of merit and morality, or promotes hatred).  However, even though you are legally allowed to say what you want, there are still consequences…some good, some bad.  In Dan Cathy’s case, it’s both.  As they say, there’s no such thing as bad press.  With the backlash of Cathy’s comments, Chick-Fil-A is at the forefront of newspapers, blogs, radio, and television.  While the gay/lesbian community is outraged, others have flocked to buy chicken sandwiches to show support.  This week, Chick-Fil-A has shown record high sales.  Dan Cathy: religious bigot or marketing genius?  Makes you wonder.

As with any big story making headlines, invariably my facebook and twitter feeds are exploding with people sounding off with their opinions.  I’m always interested to read these opinions, because it gives me a pretty good stranglehold on how the typical American thinks.  And as usual, I’m left disappointed on how far we haven’t come.

Here’s my take on this whole thing.  First let me start by giving my views on homosexuality and gay marriage. I accept it.  I don’t understand it, but I accept it.  I don’t understand how a dude can be attracted to another dude.  That’s unfathomable to me.  If I see two guys being affectionate to one another, I throw up in my mouth a little bit.  Now girls on the other hand…I get it.  Three hot women pillow fighting.  One thing leads to another.  They start caressing each other and kissing, while slowly slipping off their lingerie to the floor.  Mmmmm.  Whoa…sorry about that.  I just wondered into an alternate universe and into the writings of the book series, “Fifty Shades of Gay”.  What was I talking about, now?  Oh yeah. Like I said, I will never understand homosexuality, but I accept it.  They’re people like you and me.  And citizens of the United States of America all have the same rights, regardless of gender, race, religion, or sexual orientation (well at least we are supposed to, anyway).  However, in simple-minded America, there are too many people who have this mindset: “If you have different beliefs or opinions as me, or like different things than I like, you’re not allowed to be around anymore”.  And, unfortunately, many of the people with this mindset are in our government, doing their best to ensure that certain Americans aren’t given equal rights.

Now, the basis behind Mr. Cathy’s quotes comes from religion.  He is a Christian, and uses the bible as the foundation of his beliefs. Trust me folks, if you look to the bible for morality and principles, you are barking up the wrong tree.  If you have read my past blog posts, you know that I am an atheist.  Nothing can lead a person to atheism faster than reading the bible.  When you go to church on Sundays, you will no doubt hear your preacher/pastor/priest/whatever read many passages from the bible that will make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.  As well he should…it’s called selling your product.  Here’s what you might not know about the bible:  it condones and promotes murder and slavery.  Are you shocked and appalled that you just read that?  Don’t worry, I wouldn’t say that without giving you examples.  Just in case you think I’m making this stuff up, stop what you’re doing and go get your bible, so that way you can read along.

Kill People Who Don't Listen to Priests

Anyone arrogant enough to reject the verdict of the judge or of the priest who represents the LORD your God must be put to death. Such evil must be purged from Israel. (Deuteronomy 17:12)

Kill Homosexuals
If a man lies with a male as with a women, both of them shall be put to death for their abominable deed; they have forfeited their lives. (Leviticus 20:13)

Death for Adultery

If a man commits adultery with another man's wife, both the man and the woman must be put to death. (Leviticus 20:10)

Death for Fornication

A priest's daughter who loses her honor by committing fornication and thereby dishonors her father also, shall be burned to death. (Leviticus 21:9)

Kill Nonbelievers

They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul; and everyone who would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, was to be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman. (2 Chronicles 15:12-13)

Kill Women Who Are Not Virgins On Their Wedding Night

But if this charge is true, and evidence of the girls virginity is not found, they shall bring the girl to the entrance of her fathers house and there her townsman shall stone her to death, because she committed a crime against Israel by her unchasteness in her father's house. Thus shall you purge the evil from your midst. (Deuteronomy 22:20-21)

Kill Men, Women, and Children

"Then I heard the LORD say to the other men, "Follow him through the city and kill everyone whose forehead is not marked. Show no mercy; have no pity! Kill them all – old and young, girls and women and little children. But do not touch anyone with the mark. Begin your task right here at the Temple." So they began by killing the seventy leaders. "Defile the Temple!" the LORD commanded. "Fill its courtyards with the bodies of those you kill! Go!" So they went throughout the city and did as they were told." (Ezekiel 9:5-7)

God Kills all the First Born of Egypt

And at midnight the LORD killed all the firstborn sons in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne, to the firstborn son of the captive in the dungeon. Even the firstborn of their livestock were killed. Pharaoh and his officials and all the people of Egypt woke up during the night, and loud wailing was heard throughout the land of Egypt. There was not a single house where someone had not died. (Exodus 12:29-30)

Slaves, anyone?

If you buy a Hebrew slave, he is to serve for only six years. Set him free in the seventh year, and he will owe you nothing for his freedom. If he was single when he became your slave and then married afterward, only he will go free in the seventh year. But if he was married before he became a slave, then his wife will be freed with him. If his master gave him a wife while he was a slave, and they had sons or daughters, then the man will be free in the seventh year, but his wife and children will still belong to his master. But the slave may plainly declare, 'I love my master, my wife, and my children. I would rather not go free.' If he does this, his master must present him before God. Then his master must take him to the door and publicly pierce his ear with an awl. After that, the slave will belong to his master forever. (Exodus 21:2-6)

Selling Your daughter into Slavery

When a man sells his daughter as a slave, she will not be freed at the end of six years as the men are. If she does not please the man who bought her, he may allow her to be bought back again. But he is not allowed to sell her to foreigners, since he is the one who broke the contract with her. And if the slave girl's owner arranges for her to marry his son, he may no longer treat her as a slave girl, but he must treat her as his daughter. If he himself marries her and then takes another wife, he may not reduce her food or clothing or fail to sleep with her as his wife. If he fails in any of these three ways, she may leave as a free woman without making any payment. (Exodus 21:7-11)

          I think you get the idea.  Like I said, if you’re looking to the bible for morality and principle, look elsewhere.  That book is one contradiction after another.  Having said all of that, I still don’t care if you want to be religious or not.  That’s yet another one of our freedoms…freedom of religion. You can believe what you want to believe.  The problem, however, is when those beliefs affect the lives of others in a negative way.  That’s why religion has no business in government.  We end up with legislation that negates equality for everyone across the board.

          Now I know what else you’re thinking: “But Marcus, what about the ‘traditional marriage’??”  This is another term that I see getting thrown around by you good folks on facebook and twitter.  What exactly does “traditional marriage” mean?  Sure, I know what you think it means: marriage between a man and a woman.  Well let’s examine some statistics about this sanctity of marriage that you all are fighting so hard to protect:

·       Almost 49 percent of the marriages end up in divorces

·       60 percent of all divorces are related to individuals aged 25 to 39

·       Over a 40 year period, 67 percent of first marriages terminate in a divorce and 50 percent of these divorces take place within the first 7 years

·       Every year more than 1 million children are affected by divorce

·       The possibility that teenaged girls from single parent homes would give birth to an out-of-wedlock child or would drop out of high school is two times as compared to girls living with both parents

·       The children who are brought up in single parent homes display a lesser possibility to marry and more possibility to divorce

·       50 percent of the children in the country are a witness to the breakup of their parent’s marriage. Almost half of these 50 percent are a witness to the second divorce of a parent

So roughly half of marriages end up in divorce. Most of these divorces involve children (who are privileged enough to witness fighting and verbal abuse on a regular basis).  Then they are dragged through an exhausting and ugly custody battle in court.  Yeah, “traditional marriage” is a beautiful thing, isn’t it? You’d hate for the gays to ruin such a perfect thing, right?  When you say that you are against gay marriage, I present this question to you: So you think it’s perfectly fine for a man and a woman who fight constantly, cheat on each other, and would rather be at the bar than home with their spouse and children have every right to get married….but a gay couple who genuinely love each other and have built a healthy relationship based on mutual respect and trust have no right to be married?  If you answered “yes” to that question, then congratulations…you’re mentality is what’s wrong with the world.

          Now we come back full circle to freedom of speech.  Many of you on the social networks are boasting the term ”freedom of speech” with such American pride.  Here’s the funny thing about freedom of speech: people only support it when they agree with the speech.  When you disagree with it, you’re telling that ignorant person to shut the fuck up.  For those of you that don’t know…that’s called hypocrisy.  Let me present a couple of scenarios to you.  The president of Burger King goes public with his view that black people and white people should not be allowed to get married because it’s not “traditional”.  He has also donated millions to white supremacy groups.  Do you defend him with your freedom of speech routine?  Or how about this: the president of Taco Bell goes public with his view that women should only cook and clean and be their husband’s servant…because that’s their “traditional” role.  Will there be a mile-long line of people waiting to buy tacos to show their support?  When it comes down to it, this whole Chick-Fil-A fiasco is no different than those two examples.  It’s a group of people who are blatantly discriminating against another group of people.

          Look folks, when it comes to homosexuality, I’m not saying you have to like it or even agree with it.  But whether you like it or not, you’re going to have to accept it.  It’s been around since the dawn of mankind, and it always will be.  So they make you uncomfortable?  Well, honestly, in some instances they make me uncomfortable too.  But for every gay person that makes me uncomfortable, there are ten straight people who make me so angry I could strangle them to fucking death.  It’s this giant bouillabaisse we call America.  We are all different people, with different backgrounds, different lifestyles, different interests, different goals, and different opinions.  If we could all just accept each other’s differences without constantly fighting about them, we could start getting on the right track to making this world a better place for everybody.  Even more so, you should spend your efforts tending your own little lot in life, rather than telling others how they should be living theirs.

          Each and every one of us have one thing in common: we want ourselves and our loved ones to lead a happy life.  But discrimination, bigotry, hatred, and fear of those unlike yourself are constantly preventing many people the opportunity for true happiness.  When is it ever going to end? 

News & the Societal Perception

In the wake of the shootings that took place in Aurora, Colorado, I have observed many different views, opinions, ideologies, and news broadcasts that make me question a few things.  I can’t turn on the television without being bombarded with coverage of the event.  I can’t log into a social network (facebook, twitter, and Google +) without seeing every other comment being about the event.  I can’t help but wonder if society as a whole stops to think about what’s going on, or just following the crowd.  I’ll explain.

Let me begin by saying that the Aurora shootings were senseless, psychotic, and terrible.  Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s gander at a few perspectives.  We start with the media.  It’s interesting to see all of the networks frothing at the mouth over a tragic story.  They pretend to care and show sympathy, all the while doing their best to make it as much of a reality show as possible.  It didn’t take long, and the local news here has already given it a dramatic movie title, like “Tragedy in Colorado”.  They even have a graphic for the title, which they air before each mention of the event.  That’s right, you go get those ratings, you heartless douchebags. Ratings…that’s really what it’s all about.  I wouldn’t doubt it if the Lifetime network has a made-for-tv movie already in the works, starring Kirk Cameron and Valerie Bertinelli as scarred survivors, and Skeet Ulrich as the crazed shooter.

Now let’s take a look at some of the ways society has reacted to this.  I go on social networks and see people sounding off left and right.  First, I see the “sympathizers”. They talk about how much of a tragedy it was, and that they’re praying for the families.  They are weeping about the senseless acts that took place.  I see flags at half-staff.  I see Barack Obama and Mitt Romney saying that they’re putting their campaign and attack ads on hold so they can publicly grieve.  I see the Aurora Chief of Police go on tv and sob like John Boehner at a puppy mill.  So here’s my question:  What about the other people killed every single day in this country?  There are, on average, about 45 people murdered every day in the United States.  Other than the victims’ loved ones, I don’t see any of you weeping for them.  I don’t see flags at half-staff every day.  I don’t see the president talking about them.  And most of the time, the local media treats them as an afterthought. I guess sympathy is only warranted for those killed in groups.  If people are killed in singles, society simply has a “sucks to be you” attitude and just goes on about their day.  This begs the question: Are you just thinking and feeling the way the media TELLS you to?  Do you genuinely grieve the death of every human being?  If you did, you would walk around in a severe state of depression 24 hours a day.  When it comes right down to it, you are reacting to the reality show that the media presents to you.  They control the information, so they never hesitate to put their own spin on something in order to make you “feel”.  And with stories such as the shootings in Aurora, the media makes damn sure you can’t get away from it.

Now in addition to the sympathizers, we have the group of people who seem to have made themselves professional psychologists.  Everyone wants to analyze the shooter’s state of mind, given his history and background.  Wow…I had no idea you all were experts in the human psyche.  Let’s not get too technical with one, folks.  Can’t you just keep it simple and say he is bat-shit crazy?

The last group of people I have observed are the “blamers”.  Many of you need to point a finger as to the root cause of this incident.  People quickly launch into the gun control debate.  One side says that the government is too lenient on gun control and that guns should be banned.  The others say that we should all carry a gun on us, like the wild west.  Look, I see both sides to the gun debate.  The right to bear arms is in the Constitution (you know…that document that most American citizens try to change to favor their own particular views?)  Just because someone doesn’t like guns, should they have the right to tell you that you can’t own one?  Nope.  That’s the beauty of living in a free country.  However, with ease of accessibility to guns, the more crazy people will use them to do terrible things.  Needless to say, the gun debate is a tricky one…and I see pros and cons to both sides.

Other blamers will say that violence in video games is the cause.  This is just absurd.  If you are able to be influenced by any video game to begin with, then you’re already bat-shit crazy and will no doubt do something terrible and stupid anyway.  A video game is just an easy scapegoat. 

To sum it all up…this was a senseless, terrible act that was done by a clear psychopath.  The victims involved shouldn’t be disgraced at the hands of the media for turning it into a soap opera or reality show because it’s good for ratings.  The garbage that the media is spoon feeding you shouldn’t be kept going by society via social media.  All you’re doing is making the bad guy more famous and the victims more forgotten.

Thanks for taking the time to read my $0.02.  Be good and stay safe.  Cheers.

And The Douchiest Facebook Post Goes To...(Part Deux) (Redux)

People never cease to amaze me with the kinds of things they post on Facebook.  I am constantly finding myself deleting people from my friends list because of their need to pollute my news feed with garbage.  A while back, I jotted down some things I see on facebook every single day that absolutely annoy me.  In case you missed it, (and I'm sure you have) here's a brief synopsis:

1. Nobody's watching those 1000's of lame music videos you're always posting
2. Nobody cares about your garden, mafia, or any other game you play on facebook.
3. Jesus and your dead relatives aren't receiving those shout outs you're giving them on your wall.

So since I don't post to facebook anymore, I've become more of a spectator. And with each visit to the site, I see posts from people that make me wonder why they thought it was a good idea to put these things on there.  So with this blog post, I figured I'd add a couple of things to my original list, as well as re-visit some of the things already listed.

Let's start out by pointing out the stupidity of posting music videos once again, since this seems to be the most posted thing by people.  Guess what?  We all like music.  I promise.  It's not just you.  We have all seen music videos before.  It's not just you.  This isn't a brand new concept that only you have discovered, and are just awesome enough to share this wonderful gift with the rest of us.  So you want to tell your girlfriend that you love her, so you decide to post All 4 One's "I Swear" on facebook.  Here's an idea: just look to your immediate left...she's sitting right there on the fucking couch. Just tell her.  Don't subject all of your friends the horrible music you listen to.  Sure, you might get one or two people to reply to your post with "Awwww" or "So Sweet!"....but trust me, everyone else on your friends list is thinking, "What a fucking homo".

Now on to the next group of mouth breathers. Why is it that people feel the need to take a picture of the food they're about to eat and post it on facebook?  Are we all supposed oooh and ahhh and marvel at the fact that you are finally adult enough to cook some chicken without nearly burning the fucking house down?  Is that burger you're about to eat really supposed to make us all jealous?  If you were posting that picture while you were in Ethiopia, and everyone else around you had their ribs showing and flies on their face, than I can see how it would be a great accomplishment.  But we're in America...the land of fat fucks.  Food is so abundant here, that people actually have allergies to a lot of it.  Once again, when you post that food picture, you might get one or two people that will reply with a "Yum!" or "Looks delicious!"...but everyone else on your friends list is thinking, "What a complete fucktard".

Lastly, something that is a sure-fire way to get yourself deleted from my friends list are these constant "copy & paste" status posts.  The last thing I want to see when I log on are these asinine public service announcements about animals, incurable illnesses, or relationship pointers....especially when I have to see the same one 27 different times on my news feed.  The person you got it from is a douchebag for posting it, and now you are too.  Copy and paste posts are like herpes....you're giving something to people that they don't want.

Of course, this is all just my opinion, which amounts to jack squat. Happy Posting!

Christmas Jeer

Well, it's here...the most dreaded time of the year.  Christmas is upon us, and the idiocy has taken center stage at a less-than-mediocre show.  It's the time of year where two different groups of people have two different mentalities.  You have the realists, who dread having to face large crowds in every store, being stretched thin financially, annoying people shaking a bell in your face everywhere, and and people being as fake as can be.  Then there's the other group: the dreamers.  These are the people with a manufactured smile plastered on their face, Christmas music playing, and a "True meaning of Christmas" speech loaded and ready to be fired upon those they call Scrooges.

So you're a big fan  of Christmas, are you?  What exactly do you like about it?  Well if you are one of these religious fanatics, you'll no doubt launch into one of those speeches that I mentioned above.  Yeah yeah...we all know the true meaning of Christmas, or at least what it's SUPPOSED to be. Yeah, it's a celebration of that one bearded guy you all have come to know and love (no, not me silly...my birthday is in January, but I'm so flattered that you were thinking about me!).  Now let's talk about what Christmas is ACTUALLY about...or at least what it has become.  Christmas is 100% completely materialistic.  Let's pretend for a minute that you did away with all the gifts, lights, and music...all you have is the celebration of a birth.  How much would you look forward to Christmas then?  The answer is that you wouldn't at all.  Take the materialistic aspect out, and Christmas will be about as exciting as Flag Day.  I know it and you know it...regardless of how much you tell me the contrary.  Keep that in mind next time you want to give me a lecture on the "True meaning of Christmas".

Now, let's examine this materialistic side a little closer.  Besides the dreamers, you know who loves Christmas the most?  Corporations.  The months of November and December are the biggest money makers for businesses, so they push Christmas as much as possible.  And you, the consumer, never let them down (regardless of the state of the economy).  One phenomenon that I can't seem to wrap my head around, though, is "Black Friday".  Yes, I know all about the good deals and sale prices, but I'm astonished at the lengths people will go to get them.  Morons all over the country will be camping out for days in advance outside an electronic store just to get a good deal on a tv.  Here's an idea: why don't you just work an extra day?  It takes much less time, you get to eat and sleep at your own house, and you won't have people like me making fun of you.  With that one extra day, you'll have made the money to buy the tv at a slightly higher price online, and have money left over for other gifts.  Wait...what am I thinking?  I just recommended that an American WORK for something...blasphemy!  But instead, you all jump directly to the most extreme, outlandish thing you can do.  And every single year, you see the same stories on the news about people being robbed, threatened, beaten, and even trampled to death...all to get those material possessions that define this asinine holiday.

Another thing that really annoys me about this time of year: people that go around talking about something called "Christmas Cheer".  Apparently, during the month of December, we're all supposed to smile more, and be nicer and charitable toward others.  You know what I call you people?  Fake.  It's that simple...you're being fake.  If you can manage to be like that during the month of December, than why are you such an asshole the other 11 months of the year?  To exhibit Christmas cheer, you are basically changing your personality for a brief time, because society (and the calendar) tells you to.  Yup...from January to early November, you are still going to cuss the person who just cut you off in traffic. You're still going to complain about how you don't have enough money.  But not in December!!  Nope...Christmas cheer takes over!  Suddenly, the guy that just cut you off isn't so bad...after all, he's just one of God's creatures just like you.  And not having enough money is okay, because let's not forget about the true meaning of Christmas, right?  Look folks, if you can explain to me how Christmas cheer is not being fake, I'd love to hear it.  I call it like I see it.

Lastly, why is it that Christmas begins earlier and earlier every year.  It was almost 2 weeks before Thanksgiving and I was already hearing Christmas music playing in all the stores.  Pretty soon, we will be watching the 4th of July fireworks burst into the sky while listening to "Let it Snow".  Christmas is force-fed to us so much in advance, we're all full before the actual day comes.

Look folks, Christmas could easily be a tolerable holiday if it were distributed in moderation.  But instead, it's forced upon us so much from every direction that it becomes unbearable.  You can't turn on the tv without see Christmas-themed shows, movies and commercials.  You can't turn on the radio without hearing Christmas music.  You can't interact with others without being bombarded by Christmas speeches and lectures, all the while being told how to act and how to feel for the entire month...or else feel the wrath of being labeled a "Scrooge".  Well trust me when I say that "Bah Humbug" doesn't even come close to describing how I feel about this time of year.  Just my opinion, though.  Merry Christmas!

Think Exactly As I Do...OR ELSE!!

Where did this unrelenting need to start fights with everyone who has a different opinion than you come from?  I have my suspicions, but it doesn't matter...the problem is there regardless.  If reality television has taught us anything, it's this: be as over-dramatic and start as many arguments as possible (it's what drives us as a culture)!

Facebook is, by far, the number one resource for social media.  It serves as an outlet for many things, such as staying in touch with friends and family, and using your wall to post random things that happen to be on your mind. I post random thoughts on my wall about once a week, give or take.  Usually my posts consist of things that bother me about modern society. They are little rants blended with a dash of sarcastic humor, and sprinkled with a dose of reality.  But more often than not, somebody on my "friends" list wants to start an argument with me, simply because my opinion differs from theirs. 

On Facebook, I read more of other people's posts than actually posting myself.  During my reading, I see oodles of things that I don't agree with. But you know what? That person has a right to their opinion.  But in today's world we live in, the general mentality is this: "If you don't see things exactly the same way as I do, I'm damn sure gonna let you know about it."  This is classic ignorance at it's finest. When I post on other people's status, it's only to add something nice and friendly.  If I have a negative opinion, I simply just keep it to myself. Call it maturity, being respectful, or just good old fashioned common sense.  Facebook is often times a way to blow off some steam or relieve a little stress...so if these people are really your "friends", then why add to their steam and stress with your need to rudely post your contrasting opinion?  Remember the old adage, "If you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all."?  Is that so hard?

So where are people picking up this hostility?  Well you don't need to look hard to find some answers.  Just simply turn on the television.  It doesn't matter what channel you put it on, because there is probably going to be a reality show on, regardless.  All reality shows either make it or fail miserably based on one simple thing: ratings.  And what brings in the ratings?  Conflict.  Yup...watch any reality show, and you are 100% guaranteed to see arguing, fighting, name calling, back-stabbing, trash talk, and so many "bleeps" from foul language that the show sounds like a hearing test.  Families gather around the television to get their fix of this every single night of the week.  This sort of behavior has become the norm in modern society.  Everyone from adults to children are force fed this kind of hatred and negativity each time they turn on the tv.  It becomes more apparent with each person you interact with. Reality television is an incurable disease that is plaguing society, while not many people are acknowledging that the problem exists to begin with. And I say "incurable" because these shows are here to stay, unfortunately.  And they will only get worse as each season tries to out-do all the drama from last season.

So now that I've identified what I feel is the main reason for people's demeanor these days, let's get back to Facebook.  I think I'm pretty much done posting on there for the most part.  I'm just tired of getting attacked from all angles when I say something on there.  I'll just stick to reading what everyone else posts.  After all, it's the best way to watch and learn how the ideaology of modern civilization is evolving ever so rapidly...and not for the better. I'll use what I learn to protect myself and my loved ones.  It will definitely be challenging trying to raise my little daughter to have good values, treat others with respect and kindness, and have common decency in this crazy world, while trying to shield her from the hatred, selfishness, and negativity that she will be surrounded by every single day.

In closing, just remember that everyone has opinions and views.  It's what makes us different.  So when you are on Facebook and you see people posting stuff that you don't like, just delete them from your friends list.  It's really that simple.  Because I guarantee you that absolutely nothing good will come from starting an argument, simply because you HAVE to give them your contrasting opinion...even though they didn't ask for it.