Category: is it just me?

is it just me?, listen up!, politics, tragic, venting, well?

and how is that any different from the last 4 years?

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Bush is getting all prissy pants, and saying that he will definitely veto the bill that Congress is putting forward, because, wait for it, it has conditions that he doesn’t like. He demands that the bill have no strings or he will certainly veto it. Um, listen you little cry baby, you don’t get to make all of the decisions! Congress and the Senate were also elected BY US, and they represent us when you get all high and mighty. Don’t forget that.

Also, I love that he is all,

The secretary of defense has warned that if Congress does not approve the emergency funding for our troops by April 15, our men and women in uniform will face significant disruptions — and so will their families. (source)

So, Mr. Bush, can you please explain to me how their lives haven’t faced significant disruptions up until now? How is this any different? Sending your son or daughter into a war zone is a significant disruption. Telling a troop that they are going into battle when they have not received proper military combat training is not only amazingly like a death sentence, I would beg to use rationality to realize that it is at least disruptive to that troop.

Additionally, Bush said that he was worried that this spending bill would deflect funds away from providing the troops with the supplies that they need.

UH, seriously? So you are telling me, that for the last 4 years we have been providing the troops with everything they need? Wow. You are way more in the dark than I had previously thought. Why not, instead of keeping your head so firmly buried in the sand, listen to the many men and women that are screaming at the top of their lungs about this war. Listen to the troops that you say you are so concerned about. LISTEN! (Where’s Beyonce when you need her?!) Stop your namby-pamby priss priss crap, and be a real man. A real man doesn’t pout when he doesn’t get his way, and stomp his foot saying that he will veto a bill because “it’s not fair!”. That is so 3rd grade, Mr. Bush, and it is scary enough that you run the country, but to think that you are acting like a 3rd grader is even more frightening.

For the sake of the troops and their families… LISTEN!!!!

Also, for anyone of the Republicans and conservatives that are saying the most awful and slanderous things about Edwards and his wife, you should be supremely ashamed of yourself. If this is an example of what it means to show compassion the Christian way, I want nothing to do with Christianity. I thought Christianity was supposed to be there for your neighbor, and show love and compassion when someone is in a time of need, NOT go around making fun of a woman that is in the 4th stage of metastasized cancer. That is not only heartless, it is disgusting. Edwards deserves a break on this one, because I know that if my partner was going through what his wife is going through, there is no way that I would even be able to operate properly from day to day, and he and his wife have decided to still campaign. If you were really Christians, you would feel sympathy for his wife, and have nothing but the utmost respect and support for their family. Because they are truly in a time of need. Shame on you.

is it just me?, listen up!, movie musings, tragic, venting

when is a stone more that just a stone?

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When it’s a diamond.

Last night, we watched Blood Diamond for the first time and it was shocking. After doing research about conflict diamonds when the movie came out in the theaters, I was excited to see this movie, and I have to say, that I was literally horrified when I saw the things I have read about conflict diamonds portrayed so realistically in the film. What makes the portrayal even more shocking, is that there are people in Africa are actually being killed, maimed, enslaved, and tortured all because of a little clear rock.

But why? Well, the De Beers diamond cartel has created a perception of rarity by controlling and manipulating the world’s supply of diamonds. The prospect of wealth from obtaining and selling these stones drives people to kill and maim (like the hand-less boy pictured here). These stones provide money to rebel organizations that go around doing this merciless killing, and all we have learned about diamonds, is to focus on the 5 C’s. That’s just awful. We’ve been duped, and people are paying for it with their lives.

It’s interesting that this continues, because diamonds are not precious or rare; they are actually found in abundance throughout Africa. But because of the control of those like the De Beers cartel, the value of an otherwise worthless stone fuels greed and destruction. It is a fact, that most of the diamonds that are mined and discovered go into vaults, so as to keep the supply of diamonds on the market very low. This makes the demand for diamonds high. High demand means they are worth more; and with that, owning a diamond has become a symbol of wealth.

The sad fact, is that these stones are used to pay for guns and ammo, which are used in rebel wars. In these wars, people chop off other people’s hands, kidnap their children and brainwash them, turning them into killing machines, and kill anyone that gets in their way. They enslave people to mine the diamonds for them, producing more and more wealth to fuel their wars. But why are these conflict diamonds being bought? Isn’t there a way to stop this? Well, thankfully, the UN and most of the African countries that have diamond supplies have made efforts to require authentication in order to sell diamonds. Unfortunately, the reality is that the conflict diamonds are smuggled out of the region, and their origin is faked in order to obtain “proper documentation”, thus “proving” that the diamonds are not conflict diamonds. Conflict diamonds are supposed to be illegal, but they are still bought and sold every day.

Until there are no more conflict diamonds, many, many people will suffer and die. All for a stone. All for that coveted engagement ring. I never thought about it before, but now, I can’t help but wonder how many people actually died or were maimed every time I see a sparkle from someones diamond ring. Sure, they are pretty, but they are virtually worthless without the supply and demand that De Beers has created. Africa has been producing tons of diamonds over the years, and the cartels control them, so this problem goes on. I for one will be steering clear of diamonds, because I can’t bear to stomach the thought that a diamond that I bought cost someone their hands or their life. Something to think about, isn’t it?

Here is some more information to check out, if you want to learn more. The whole thing just makes me sick, really, that an insignificant stone can be so deadly. A guess a diamond really is forever… but so is death.

Also, sorry if you think the image is graphic, but it struck me, thought it was appropriate. It isn’t mine, it comes from the internets.

hmm interesting, is it just me?, politics, venting, well?

covering your ass and why I hate cell phones now (apparently)

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Minor, not-even-worth-paying-attention-to-if-I-were-you-update: the coward parade gains a new member! LOL It must be hard to be so right and awesome all of the time, because keeping that up means that you feel the need to pick on others to make yourself feel even more awesome and right. How cool! LOL!!!! Pathetic.

First the cell phone thing, because it will be brief. This morning, driving to work, I saw what I always see, some asshole driving like a maniac, that I or other people have to avoid to prevent an accident. In this morning’s case, it was a woman that ran a very red light at a very precarious intersection, because she was blabbing away on her phone, and couldn’t be bothered to notice. Be it running a red light, stopping suddenly to make a turn with no turn signal, whatever, the point is, these idiots are putting our lives, and my car, in danger. What is the one factor that I notice about 99% of these people? Just like the woman this morning, they are on cell phones when they are doing this shit. HANG THE FUCK UP AND DRIVE. I rarely talk on the phone when I am driving, and if I do, I keep it short, and get off as soon as I can. I want to be able to focus, and it appears that I need that extra focus, because those that refuse to put down the phone and drive are actually trying to have an accident with me. That is why I now hate cell phones. The end.

Now, I haven’t really said anything about the firing of the US attorneys because I really don’t care that much, but after reading what Mr Bush said this morning, I really want to applaud him for an amazing ability to cover his own ass. Not only is he saying that investigating this beyond what he is willing to turn over is a partisan fishing expedition, but he also is confident that it is an unnecessary confrontation that the Democrats are trying to bully him into. Wow, Mr. Bush, you really know how to prevent people from seeing what really happened. You are great at covering your ass!!!

Basically, if the people that had a hand in this do get supeanaed, they are going to have to admit that they did indeed fire these people because they weren’t investigating Democrats as much as they wanted them to be. The attorneys that were fired have come forward and said that they were pressured to investigate Democrats more than Republicans, and in some cases, as much as a 7 to 1 ratio, so let me ask you, Mr. Bush, who is the one that is doing the partisan confrontation now? These attorneys can’t just be fired because they are investigating stuff that you and others in government have done wrong in the middle, or beginning, of an investigation… oh wait! You covered your ass!! You got Gonzalez to fire them so that they wouldn’t investigate what you didn’t want them to, something that the other ones have been compellingly convinced to stay away from (or else, get fired themselves!)!!! I get it now… you are just covering your ass. (Keep in mind that we KNOW that no other president has fired US BI-PARTISAN attorneys mid-term. It’s cool to fire them when you come in to office, but if you fire them while you are still there, because they may (or already have begun) investigate something one party has done illegally that is currently sitting, well, that just reeks of guilt. That’s practically a confession.)

I seriously wish that someone, anyone, would go after uncovering the crookedness that is going on in the White House, without the big “hell no” that is coming from them. I don’t think that anyone in this country is immune to investigation if there is reasonable suspicion that they have done something wrong, and that includes members of congress, senate, and especially those at the White House. Mr. President, can you please stop trying to cover your ass, because it is getting more and more obvious that you are scrambling to do so, and, calling the Democratic effort to call you out on your shit a partisan confrontation for political gain, is both laughable and pathetic. If you do something wrong, you need to be cooperative, because it is well known that not do is almost always the first sign of being guilty; and low and behold, you don’t want to cooperate. Maybe, you aren’t covering your ass at all… Hmmm… maybe you are just covertly admitting your guilt. Interesting thought. I hope that you and the rest of your office aren’t able to sweep this away like you want to. I hope that it gets the attention that it deserves.

Finally, I know that there are several of you that are all “bomb the fuck out of Iran”, but I am seriously terrified of what will happen if we do. I seriously can’t afford $5 a gallon for gas, and I don’t know many that can. I also don’t want to see us pulled into more war, especially since we have such a broken military right now (and I especially don’t want to see ANY MORE lives lost to this war). The best way to put out a fire is NOT to throw more fuel on it, and that is exactly what we will be doing if we bomb Iran. Yes, they are dangerous. Yes, they can cause more and more harm, but NO, we should not go to war with them. That is going to make things WAY worse. The ONLY thing that comes out of war is death and destruction (well, unless you are a government contractor, because then it is wealth and fortune, but that is beside the point). We have got to figure something else out, and stop occupying the middle east already!

Alright. Vent is over for now. Discuss.

civil rights, is it just me?, politics, venting

who decides what’s moral and what’s not?

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Well, first it was a general, and now, we have a presidential candidate throwing around his “moral clout” saying that homosexual acts are immoral. Basically, he feels being homosexual is fine, just not the acts that come along with it. (link)

What puzzles me is, who are these people that gives them the right or stature to be the deciders of what is immoral? Obviously, homosexuality is a polarizer in this country, but I don’t think that either of these men have the place, or frankly the right, to decide that homosexual acts are immoral. Immoral for themselves, fine I’ll give them that, but not immoral period, end of story. Sorry, that just doesn’t work, especially when you are basing your beliefs on religion, and this country is not supposed to be governed by religion. (I know you are going to play the free speech card, but that is baloney, especially when he is deciding a particular lifestyle is wrong, and will do his best to enact legislation to prevent it from happening, or to punish those that live that way.)

I also love how people attempt to use that “hate the sin but not the sinner” shit. Basically, if you say that you are fine with homosexuality, but are against homosexual “acts”, then I hate to break it to you, but you are against homosexuality, because without the “acts”, you aren’t much of a homosexual. If you don’t agree with it, that’s fine by me, but shut the fuck up about it already, and keep that to yourself, I’m tired of hearing it. I completely echo and applaud Barack Obama for what he said, because that is part of the point I am trying to make here:

Obama issued a statement on Thursday, saying, “I do not agree with General Pace that homosexuality is immoral. Attempts to divide people like this have consumed too much of our politics over the past six years.”

This issue is to often used to fuel people to vote one way or another, and it is just time to get over it. What we do in our bedrooms is none of your business, and it certainly shouldn’t be something that a presidential candidate is focused on. There are far too many other more important issues that need our time and focus. Now, this does not mean that I think that it is appropriate to parallel this suggestion (that we quit the finger pointing and deciding what is “right” or “wrong”) with ignoring the rights of gays and lesbians altogether, and preventing the same civil liberties that are granted to every other citizen of this country. The main reason being that gay marriage isn’t a gay or lesbian issue, it is an equal civil rights issue. Nothing less, nothing more.

What scares me with regards to people like general Pace spouting off his two cents, is that the gay people that do chose to serve in the military are not ones that can just ignore this as “just another person saying homosexuality is wrong”. In fact, when people like Pace take this stance on things like this, it puts every one of the 60,000 gay and lesbians serving in the military in danger. I personally have no problem saying fuck off to a government that doesn’t want me to serve, but those that do don’t deserve to be placed in additional danger because of who they are. Don’t ask don’t tell is just another way in which oppression is used to turn your head and look the other way when people are persecuted and harmed because of ignorance. It just isn’t right. And people like this just make it worse.

I am just sick and tired of having the fact that I like to fuck a man being used to justify what’s wrong with the world, and that there is something so different about me that I don’t deserve to be an equal citizen of the country. I say, that if you want to deny me because of who I am, then every single one of us that are gay/lesbian/transgendered/bi-sexual/etc should secede from this fucking country and get the hell out. If we are really that unwanted and that unsavory, perhaps that is what should happen, because there will always be fuckwits like these two that want us gone. I know that this isn’t realistic, and that I am not going anywhere, but it is something that definitely crosses my mind from time to time. I know that you can’t argue logic to someone who thinks illogically… and that is what these two, and those that are like them are doing, thinking and speaking without logic. As such, it makes me want to just pack up and move, but since that isn’t an option, and someone needs to speak on our behalf, here’s a big shut the fuck up from someone who does think logically, since me trying to convince you that you are wrong won’t work. You don’t have to place to decide whether homosexual acts are moral or immoral, so get off of this issue already. Focus on protecting our country, our civil rights, and our citizens. There are much more important things to focus on, and it makes me wonder why these men spend so much time focusing on homosexual acts in the first place. I don’t even think that much about man on man sex!

civil rights, is it just me?, listen up!, mixed media, music musings, podcast, politics, venting

POPcast episode 2, more soldier nonsense, and why Fox “news” is evil

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A few weeks ago, I recorded the second episode of the Atlanta POPcast; a podcast where I highlight music that I want to get the word out about. As of yesterday, that podcast is now up, and ready for you to download, listen to, and enjoy!! Make sure you check it out. In this episode, I expose you to the greatness that is Ashley Tisdale, Vanessa Hudgens, and Jamelia, as well as a few fantastic singles. If you are hankering for some new pop music, this will definitely wet your appetite! I hope you enjoy my podcast, and know that I am already getting materials ready for episode number 3! I never thought I would like doing this, but it totally encourages me to find new music, as well as lets me share music I love with all of you. I am having fun with this, ya’ll!

Alright, seriously, I read this today, and I really hope that it is an awful farce, or at best, an extreme exaggeration. If they are really sending troops that are deemed unfit for battle back to Iraq, that is unacceptable. I am disgusted and appalled that the soldiers that are risking their lives in this war are continually being treated so badly. I never thought that it was so dreadfully awful to be in the military (well, I definitely don’t want to be in it myself), but unfortunately, I am being shown more and more everyday what an awful position it must be for those that have no other choice but going into the military. Those that choose to serve our country deserve much more than respect, they deserve to receive our fucking support already. Shame on anyone that had anything to do with this, as well as the other injustices that continually come to light about the troops. I just can’t believe that serving your country seems to get you continually shit on. It doesn’t have to be that way, and it has got to change.

Finally, THIS is the reason why Fox “news” is not ever going to be right, unless you follow that “right” with “wing” and “propaganda”. Seriously, I have said it before, and I know that at least one person watches this program for his news, and I just don’t get it. This is an organization that “predicted” the election back in 2004, and as a result, threw a huge fuck up in the air, causing doubt, and an eventual turn of events. Making the false into something true is what Fox “news” is really good at. If you don’t want to be given false information, steer clear of Fox “news”, please. And if you do watch/read it, I hope that you are intelligent enough to question things that don’t seem to add up, especially when they are the opposite of what the rest of the media is saying. And get over this “the media is leftist liberal” bullshit. It isn’t.

flickr, is it just me?, mixed media, movie musings, photography

300, daylight savings time, flickr musings, and one BRIEF word about AI

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First of all, 300 opens today, and I want to start by saying that I have been waiting for this movie since I heard it was even being made. Needless to say (not to say how it happened, or when I have seen it… tee hee hee), I was completely blown away. The visuals are visceral and intense. The bodies of the men and women in this movie go beyond toned, and into the realm of sculpture. The acting is top notch, and the cinematography is at a minimum breath taking. This movie truly is an orgy for the eyes. The fighting and the special effects used in this movie put much of the other stuff I have seen to shame. I also find it completely fascinating that this is loosely based on a real battle, the Battle of Thermopylae, where king Leonidas, king of Sparta stood to protect his people. These men held an amazing level of courage and insane sense of loyalty, if you ask me, and it is eloquently portrayed in this film. As someone who loved Sin City, knowing that this was based on (as well as worked on by him as well) Frank Miller’s graphic novels of the same title, I was not only excited to see this, I was extremely pleased that the movie delivered, and I loved what I saw. Frank Miller is a force to be reckoned with, and if this is the type of thing we can expect from his projects in the future, I commit to have my eyes and ears peeled to whatever move he makes next. 300 is everything I hoped it could be, and more. The actors are beautiful (seriously, Gerard Butler is hot, but in 300? I mean, goddamn. And you lesbians… Uh, Lena Headey? WOW! She also wins the award for women’s lib in this movie). The fighting is epic. The special effects are unreal. The movie, is a beautiful triumph. Full 6 out of 6 stars (, folks; this one is NOT to be missed. You MUST see this in the theaters for yourself. This is what movies should be like. Wow.

Daylight savings time (DST)… seriously… Why do we do that anymore? I know, I know, gain an hour of daylight in the evening, shift it in the morning later in the year; but based on the headache that it is causing a lot of people this year, I ask, what is the point? There has been a criticism of the importance of this practice since its inception, and I just wonder if this criticism deserves more investigation. I for one don’t think that it serves much of a purpose, because it is really only one hour. Eventually, the day grows longer or shorter, regardless if time jumps forward or backward that one hour. So why worry about it?

Also, I wanted to put the word out, that I created a flickr group called Holy Cow!!!, and hope that you will join me. Now, I usually don’t get that excited about flickr groups and whatnot, but I am excited about this, because I came up with idea, basically, because of the lack of such a group. I think that it is cool to have a flickr group where we can put photos that we find astonishing, and even post those of our own that make us go “holy cow!” when we see them! Isn’t that fun? If you aren’t a member of the group, now’s your chance, go here and join up! I want to see how many people and how many awesome photos we can get involved.

Finally, and I promise this will be brief; HOW IN THE FUCK did Sanjaya Malakar make it into the top 12??!?!?!? I am serious people, I am not trying to be mean to the kid, but he can’t hold a candle to anyone on the show. If you don’t care about American Idol, please disregard this vent, and go on with your day. Thank you.

Well, that’s about it for me. Have a good weekend everyone! I am going to see 300 again tomorrow! You should too!

is it just me?, listen up!, music musings, politics, venting

a brief coulter note, band notes, and a few words about veteren benefits/care

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I was going to call this post, Tuesday whatnots, but I have read that you are supposed to be clear about what your posts are about, so there it is. Enjoy the lengthy url as well, won’t you? Alright, let’s get this party started, shall we?

Based on the response to Coulter’s stupidity, and complete ignorance about what gay people go through as children “on the school yard”, people are pulling their ads from her website. Perhaps what I want to happen will happen; people will stop putting her in front of a microphone and cameras, and her voice will die out. That would be the best that could happen, in my opinion; although, I do agree that one great thing she does, is make the conservatives look even crazier. Even so, I would rather her be gone, because most conservatives do a great job of being crazy on their own. So whether or not you agree with the use of the word (which, I don’t really think should be up for interpretation, but whatever), people are obviously responding, and that is good, in my opinion. Maybe she’ll wise up? I doubt it.

Basically, the band notes are just a shameless plug on bands that I have discovered, and have been enjoying a lot recently. No one commented on the Mat/Matt post, but I figure that my music tastes may not be for everyone (even though Mat K is insanely good, so you are missing out if you ignore it). Either way, I have laud praise where praise is due. Right now I am spinning the Kaiser Chiefs newest CD, Yours Truly, Angry Mob. I fell into it through the single “Ruby”, and I have to say, it is bloody good. I have never really payed much attention to Brit-punk rock, but I am liking this. Also, I think the lead singer is pretty cute. Another CD I can’t get enough of, is Kellie Pickler‘s CD, Small Town Girl. I don’t usually go for country, but it is flawless. I love her voice, and I think she is super cute (and you know you agree… she totally owns the ditzyness). I think that if this is the direction her career is headed, she has a successful future ahead of her. And just think… she wasn’t even in the top 4 of American Idol.

Other CDs I am IN LOVE with as of late: Lily Allen – Alright Still (LOVE her… seeing her on March 19th, and I can’t wait), Amy Winehouse – Back in Black (Is is me, or is her voice like one of the most amazingly beautiful things ever? And the music… wow), The Good, The Bad, and The Queen (YAY! Damon Albarn gets back to more of a Blur feel! And it’s good!), Dashboard Confessional – Dusk and Summer (Um, first of all, the lead is HOT, and I don’t know why I ignored them before now… love them! I know… I’m so emo), and of course, Katharine McPhee’s CD is great… but I already told you that.

Now, at the risk of making this kind of long post longer, I have to say, I have been following this Walter Reed/soldier benefit atrocity, and I have to tell you, it makes me sick to my stomach. Regardless if you believe in socialized health care or not, if ANYONE deserves the utmost respect and full financial support from this country, it is the troops. First, we don’t give them the training they need for combat. Then, we don’t give them the equipment to safely patrol a war zone. Then, when they get hurt, we fuck them over again, by making them stay in a hell hole. Then, when they try to get their benefits, they don’t get what they need, or worse, they get rejected or denied benefits. What the fuck is going on??? People that keep saying that they support the troops need to throw a TON OF MONEY at them… NOW. It is unacceptable that people that fight for our country come home battered, bruised, suffering from disease (mental and physical), and we turn our backs on them? How can that be possible? Some of those billions and billions of dollars need to be going to these awesome men and women, and NOW. I am sick of hearing about soldiers that are homeless, denied benefits, denied care, and whatnot; that is just sick, and you can’t point the finger at anyone but the government. SO DO SOMETHING, GOVERNMENT! They are counting on you!

And that is what I am thinking about today. You?

is it just me?, politics, tragic, venting, well?

why are these people the ones that continually get heard?

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And who is listening to them? What I am talking about, is those people that, for whatever reason, have been given the ability to spread their views and opinions to the public, via books, speeches, etc; and regardless of free speech, are people that I believe really shouldn’t be heard at all. Alright, while I know that I can ignore them, and that I know that we all can, I can’t help but wonder why they are even given the mic in the first place? I wonder this, mainly, because I know that I am not the only one that goes “WTF?” at pretty much everything they say, because if that were the case, people would stop listening to them, and take the mic away from them.

What pisses me off about people like Ann Coulter (who is pretty much the focus of who I am talking about when I say “those people”), is that they really have nothing to add, other than their bitchy, and often hate-driven, rants and raves about stuff they do or don’t agree with. While I am all for someone stating their opinions on something, I just don’t think people that always have something completely off the wall, totally negative, completely untrue, and often batshit crazy to say, should continually be given any of the public’s attention. These people are often not very intelligent, they often make claims that are untrue, they usually base things on their own personal beliefs rather than the truth, and they often speak about things in the past that didn’t happen, or in cases where they state that they did, they tend to add or subtract facts as necessary to “prove their points”. Ann Coulter is an easy one to call out for this, because she does all of the above effortlessly; yet, she continues to remain popular among conservatives, regardless of the fact that she is just an ignorant loud mouth. What I wonder, is how people like her have managed to place themselves firmly in the media, and continually pop up with their opinions; whether they are wanted or not. I ask, because if it is so easy for people like her to go out and spread their stupidity, why can’t other people, like me, go out and do the same thing (except, I wouldn’t spread stupidity… she’s already got that covered)? Why can’t I just go around calling Bush a fucking idiot all of the time, and have ABC news eat it up? Why can’t I get on c-span, giving a speech all about how Cheney is actually Satan, and say that he is causing global warming so that the earth will be warmer and more comfortable for him and his other demons? Because that is pretty much what Ann Coulter, and others like her do over and over again.

Now, I do understand, and fully agree, that when Ann Coulter, Jerry Falwell, Zell Miller, and the other people I am referring to in this post, open their mouths, they almost always say something completely daft and void of any fact or relevance to anyone other than themselves, and most of what they say can be completely laughed at or ignored; I wonder why so many others still listen to them long enough, to give them more and more forum to spread around their nonsense. There are very few people that I can think of that are at the polar opposite side of these types of people and continue to garner significant attention from the media; and I for one, would like to at least see the playing field levelled, if we can’t get rid of the Coulters of the world.

If Ann Coulter can go around using the F word, while in the same breath exclaiming that she is not anti-gay, and then in her next breath, reinforce stereotypes about gays in her reasoning, while still pointing out gay marriage is an abomination; why can’t there be public figures that bash her and those that are like her, in the way she bashes everyone she doesn’t agree with? I am all for free speech, but just about anything that comes out of her, and her fellow crazies mouth’s, shouldn’t be making its way to c-span, the front page of any paper, and certainly not a book shelf. I guess I just see an inequity when it comes to loud mouthed conservatives, whose messages seem to reach a wider audience, and liberal minded people that don’t slander people to get their views across being represented similarly. I know that many of you will think, “well, the media focuses on scandal, and those people provide it”, but shouldn’t we stop listening to those people if most of what they are doing is spreading hate and ignorance?

I know that there will be at least two people that disagree with me on this, but I don’t care, because this is how I see it. Frankly, I think that if people can really love those like Ann Coulter and Jerry Falwell so much, and think that they deserve the right to spread their hateful nonsense all over the front page, then they should have no problem realizing that those people, in many ways, represents the “conservative” views of the party they belong to. By allowing them to continue on their rampages in the name of the conservative Republican party, it solidifies my belief, and the belief of many others, that many conservatives really are hateful crazies. Getting them to shut the fuck up might actually work to the conservative advantage, in my opinion.

all about me, is it just me?, near and dear, that is so gay, tragic

sad… so, so sad… does it at least make you feel better?

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What I want to write about today is something that may or may not be taken in the right way, and frankly, I am not going to let that stop me from saying it. First of all, while I fully admit, and own the fact that I am not the most secure person in the world, I try really hard not to let my insecurities get the best of me. I tend to be the person that speaks the loudest in a group, and sometimes, that makes me wonder if I am going a little too far, and so, I feel insecure. Sometimes, I feel as if I have crossed a line, and annoyed someone, and when my insecurities kick in, it has me apologizing for my actions, and trying desperately, to “fix” whatever has happened; rather than just believing them when they say that everything is fine. It is something that I am working on, and probably will always work on, but it is mine, and that I understand and accept it. The most important part of the insecurities I have about myself, is that I never let those insecurities turn outward, into hate, fear, jealousy, or disrespect. I never let insecurities that I have for myself turn outward on others in a negative way, by trying to mask my insecurities by making fun of others. While I don’t agree with everyone, I try my best to avoid picking on others, and especially, I try very hard to prevent disrespecting other people; simply because I understand what it is like to have insecurities, and more importantly, I don’t think that anyone deserves to be made fun of, either as a mechanism of covering your own feelings about yourself, or as a mechanism for making yourself feel better by degrading another human being. In the cases where I have given in to my insecurities, and used them for hateful and spiteful reasons, I find that I feel worse than if I would have just dealt with it myself. Picking on and degrading others has never made me feel better; nor should it, it is just plain wrong.

What I don’t understand, is how the perpetuation of hate, fear, and insecurity by degrading others actually makes people feel better about themselves. I truly believe that everyone deserves to be respected; and don’t take this in the direction of the governmentally appointed rights, because that is not what I am saying. I believe, that has human beings, we all deserve the right to be ourselves and have the respect of others; regardless if it is approving or simply letting us be. For example, being gay, I understand wholly what it is like to be hated because of who I am; but I honestly believe that no one deserves to be in that position, and most importantly, that the hated being directed onto people doesn’t have to exist. You don’t have to agree with being gay to not hate gay people; you can simply let it be, keeping your hatred from hurting someone else. But unfortunately, for many people, they feel better about themselves when they harm, insult, and pick on gay people. Whether this comes from fear, hatred, or insecurity (or all three plus other issues) is different for each one of those people, but it still surprises me that so many people can justify to themselves that disrespecting and picking on others is okay. Perhaps more importantly, I am surprised that they use disrespect and hurtful actions towards others, as a mechanism for masking their own negative feelings of themselves.

These people are running away from themselves and what they feel, by making others feel just as bad as them. They believe that if they pick on, and make fun of others, that when the person being picked on feels bad, it will will somehow level the feelings of hurt, and diminish what they feel inside. They attempt to take away some of their pain, by inflicting it on others. While many people do this all of the time, I just want to know; what is it in your life that you are so afraid of, or are so insecure about, that you need to hurt others to feel better about yourself? And, most importantly, does it really make all of those things that are hurting you melt away?

I ask this, today, because I know of more than a few instances where I have been the subject of someone’s ridicule for no reason, other than to somehow make them feel better. When I was in school, life was a living hell for me, because the entire school thought it was awesome to pick on me. I was an easy target, because I was obviously gay, and somehow, people believed that if they channeled their anger and insecurity onto me, they would feel better about themselves. What I have come to realize about people that do this, is that those people are really just afraid of dealing with their own issues, and so they point out and ridicule others. It makes them feel better. And you know what? That is really, really sad. I truly feel sorry for people that deal with this, and as someone who has been on, and continues to be on, the receiving end of the ridicule, I share in the pain that victims of these perpetrators feel. I feel disgusted and hurt when people pick on me, and my first reaction, is to lash back out at them; but, I have realized that doing that will not make me feel any better. What they are trying to do is cover their insecurity and fear within themselves, by turning it into hate, and using that hate on me. By being hateful back, I become no better than them. And I certainly don’t want to find myself being as sad and pathetic as they are; trust me, I have enough insecurities, there is no need to add more.

My main reason for me wanting to write this post, is partly to prove to myself that I am mature enough realize that being ridiculed and disrespected by things that people say and do to hurt me in order to make themselves feel better, makes them the one that is sad and pathetic, and not me. I am the one that maintains my own ability to feel good about myself, and it is strengthened by understanding that those people are just doing this out of fear and insecurities they have within themselves. I believe that all people, deep down (even you dave!), are good people. That is what keeps my hope alive for human kind. But, I realize, that not everyone is like me, and not everyone seeks to help others and build them up, but instead, for reasons relating to the views they have of themselves, that they have to hurt others to make themselves feel better. While I do hope that it makes people who do this sort of thing feel like a better person, I can’t help but feel sorry for them, because if that is what they rely on to make themselves feel better in life, they really do have a sad and pathetic way of living. I hope that I will remember and utilize this philosophy in the future when people decide that they want to hurt me or ridicule me for their own gain; because I will then be able to turn my hurt and pain into feelings of sadness and sorrow for that person, because they are truly the ones that are hurting.

It really is too bad that I didn’t know about this when I was in school. Either way, I honestly wish that this was something that all kids knew, and perhaps, with the knowledge about people on both sides, we can all come to the middle, and the hurting can stop. But until that time, there will be the sad and pathetic that seek out to hurt those that are already dealing with their own issues, rather than putting them off on others, and I have no control over their actions. What I can control, is I can realize and embrace the fact that, those of us that are dealing with our issues are the strong ones, and that we are the ones that don’t need anyone to feel sorry for us, because we are dealing with it, rather than using it to hurt someone else.

"pointless", get involved, is it just me?, listen up!

what I was going to say was…

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I was going to write another post about global warming today, because I seem to be in a debate with people that continue to believe that not only does it not really exist, but that we have no impact on what we do in the world. I posted one of the longest comments I have ever written on that post, and I am spent, so if you want to, check it out. I will write about it again soon, though, because I am just surprised that there are people that don’t think that anything we do has an impact on the environment. That just blows my mind. Seriously, we can’t all be ostriches with our heads in the sand forever, can we? I really hope not; especially since there is compelling science that shows global warming and climate change are happening more rapidly now than ever. But whatever, if you don’t believe it, I guess that is where you stand. I just hope you are ready for the consequences, or, I guess I hope you prepare your children for them, because it’s going to happen whether you believe it or not. I also know that I have been writing really long posts lately, and I apologize for that… for some reason, I have a lot to say lately. Now that I have that out of the way, I am going to post what I really wanted to talk about today in a different post (as to make it a little smaller).