I haven't posted in a while. There have been significant changes in my life.
I had a kid.
Yes, I am now a father to a baby boy we named Theodore. :) So, I haven't really had time to post in a while. However, as I browse social media, I was inspired to post. Perhaps, it was my Facebook page (also named "The Editorialistic View") informing me that I hadn't posted in a while. And conveniently enough, Facebook (more specifically my news feed on Facebook) entered my cross hairs.
So, I will start this post on what Facebook means to me. After all, I have been a member of Facebook since it became more than just a Harvard thing. When I signed up, you still had to be a member of a college, and being I was a student at Dakota State University, I had to use my college email address to sign up. Now, it has expanded to a social networking platform that dominates the field. People have even created Facebook profiles for their pets. At first I signed up just to be in contact with others... to make friends.
Now, Facebook (and all social media for that matter) has been a way to keep in contact with family and friends I, otherwise, don't communicate with on a daily basis. Facebook is a great way for me to see pictures of friends and family. I have family with kids that I see pictures of on occasion. I get comical and humorous quips from people just out to give their peers (as I'll colloquially refer to "friends and family" for the duration of this) a reason to smile or chuckle. I get to see what is on people's minds. If they are down or sad, they talk about it. Sometimes the chuckle helps sad people feel better.
And now, social media has turned. It is no longer the platform of keeping up with peers. It is now political ramblings, memes from people who can't spell, chain posts, and links upon links from sponsored content that tricks you into never ending pages of ads and overly drawn out articles that are there just for ad revenue.
For one, I will admit, I didn't vote this last election. I didn't really care who won or who lost. It was a choice between an egotist, or a person whose soul purpose was to be the first female president. None were really the best for the nation, and I didn't feel shame for not voting. I've always felt my vote doesn't matter because the votes are determined by the electorate, not by the people. If looking at popular vote, Hillary would have won it. But I didn't care then, and guess what? I still don't care. Political posts are ones that I either: A) quickly scroll past or B) hide from my news feed. If a person's posts are nothing but political and nothing I care about, they disappear magically from my feed. Now, they may argue, "But this is stuff you need to know," or "This is important for what is going on right now." I do watch the news and do read news articles. So, it really isn't THAT important for me to read on Facebook. I prefer my news without bias and complaints.
Memes are now part of social media culture. For those not in the know, they are images with funny captions. And they quickly become viral. To me, they are sort of a plague. People post memes that are horribly misspelled, grammatically incorrect, and say NOTHING relevant about them. They are a post that, to me, lacks substance. They are a lazy post that can be humorous and actually worth seeing, but they can also be stupid and completely pointless. In my opinion, memes would be posted with thought, not just thrown about because you hadn't posted something in 5 minutes. They should be intelligent. Memes exist that have false quotes from celebrities who have passed on. Those are the worst kind in my opinion. Those are memes that stick words into people's mouths who don't have the ability to deny or refute those quotes. There are A LOT of memes, for instance, that have quotes that George Carlin allegedly made (and almost all of those quotes are fake). If a person has passed on, no more memes should be created with his/her likeness. They should be retired and not remembered in that disrespectful manner.
Chain posts are just dangerous and any one who passes those on should stop. Chain posts create long lists that can be used for malicious purposes. It is a form of farming that can result in people getting spam. A lot of these posts are used for "like-farming." They tug at people's heart strings and cause people to like the posts. After a lot of people have liked the post, they change the content and it can either download spyware to a person's computer or link to spammy content. For more information on this, click here to read an article on "like-farming." There are some legitimate ones out there, who use like-farming as a way to generate buzz about their business and draw in more customers, but there are others that are there just to put spam on your computers. Do not share posts that are not trust-worthy, and do not tag me in like-farming posts.
The sponsored click-bait that Facebook throws on my news feed is really frustrating. I can't help myself to occasionally reading them, but they are stupid at the same time. I, actually, feel a sense of shame for reading them. Luckily there are people who have ventured into the abyss and summarized the post so I don't have to waste my time on 20-30 needlessly drawn out, ad-infested pages of crap just to get to the one relevant page at the end. I don't have the time, I don't have the patience, and I don't want to be spammed with ads every single page I read. Trying to read those on my phone causes my phone to claim to have a virus and redirect me to a fake "Google Play" page trying to get me to download spyware to my phone. Those posts NEED to STOP. The problem is, they take up a good chunk of my news feed.
Now, if dumb memes, political ramblings, chain posts, and click bait sponsored content was to disappear from my news feed, I would find that my news feed is pretty empty. It may seem like a sad existence, but it isn't. The occasional relevant post that I get from people does brighten my day. It really doesn't take much. Social media still does remain a great way to keep in contact with people whom I don't see or talk to on a frequent basis. Even the occasional meme does have relevance if properly placed (and properly spelled). Sometimes, how a person is feeling is best summed up by a meme. There are posts that I feel have no place on Facebook or any other social media site, but it is one of those things that can't be helped. While there are people who are obsessively political, they may also be peers that I can't just unfriend, block, or hide because in the end, they are still peers and occasionally they'll post something that is relevant. I just choose not to read.
So, I choose to use social media to do what I feel it is intended for. To be social, in a manner that is most comfortable for me. I like being able to keep in contact with peers I don't see, and I will continue to use it for that purpose. Feel free to comment to me every once in a while, and I will respond. Feel free to respond to this post if you have an opinion you want to share. Thank you for taking the time to read!!
Thursday, May 24, 2018
Friday, July 14, 2017
Ode to Perforations
Oh perforations... how I hate thee, let me count the ways.... R-R-R-I-I-I-P-P-P...
Badly torn box.
For those wondering what I do outside of blogging (which had a brief hiatus as I was coming up with things to write about), I work at Walmart. Part of my job responsibilities is to stock shelves. A lot of our boxes are what is referred to as PDQs (Product Display Quantity or Pretty Darn Quick). Basically, rip the box along the perforation, and it becomes a product display to put on the shelf. In theory, this is supposed to help make the product more presentable for customers, and much easier for shelf stockers to get items on the shelf quickly.
In theory....
However, the bane of my existence when dealing with PDQs is perforations. A perforation (for those REALLY not in the know) are pre-cut slots in the boxes. They exist on important tax documents, credit card offers, PDQs (as already mentioned), and on other things.
Now, I don't know if I'm an idiot, but I HATE PERFORATIONS!!!!
If I try to rip anything along one of these perforations, I end up ripping beyond the perforation. I find myself frustrated enough that end up just taking my little box cutter knife, on blade setting 1, and cutting the perforation just to open it. My question is: how is these any faster?
It definitely isn't neater if the perforation rips beyond the line is it supposed to rip upon. It just looks shoddy. Ripping checks out of check books have resulted in damaged checks (luckily not in half yet), but there are occasionally chunks missing out of the top. It's not MY fault, blame the perforation!!!
I swear, there is a conspiracy by the people who invented perforations to piss me off. They are succeeding....
More than once, I find myself punching a PDQ in order to rip the perforation without taking my knife to it. Most of the time, that works, other times, still have to break out the knife.
WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?? Seriously, if the perforations were designed to just look neat, then kudos. But if they were meant to be functional... someone needs to be fired. I am better off just getting a line on the box that says, "Cut here." I guarantee my knife cuts will look neater.
But no. These perforations will continue to laugh at me. To mock me. To make me look like a fool. Other people will rip these perforations neatly. It isn't the fact that they are better than me. It is the fact that the perforations have it out for me. I don't know if I made fun of their mother, but they enjoy my torment.
Screw you, perforations.
You may have won this round. But I will have my revenge!!!
Do any of you have issues with perforations? Feel free to comment. If this post brightened your day, then feel free to share it. Thanks for reading.
Badly torn box.
For those wondering what I do outside of blogging (which had a brief hiatus as I was coming up with things to write about), I work at Walmart. Part of my job responsibilities is to stock shelves. A lot of our boxes are what is referred to as PDQs (Product Display Quantity or Pretty Darn Quick). Basically, rip the box along the perforation, and it becomes a product display to put on the shelf. In theory, this is supposed to help make the product more presentable for customers, and much easier for shelf stockers to get items on the shelf quickly.
In theory....
However, the bane of my existence when dealing with PDQs is perforations. A perforation (for those REALLY not in the know) are pre-cut slots in the boxes. They exist on important tax documents, credit card offers, PDQs (as already mentioned), and on other things.
Now, I don't know if I'm an idiot, but I HATE PERFORATIONS!!!!
If I try to rip anything along one of these perforations, I end up ripping beyond the perforation. I find myself frustrated enough that end up just taking my little box cutter knife, on blade setting 1, and cutting the perforation just to open it. My question is: how is these any faster?
It definitely isn't neater if the perforation rips beyond the line is it supposed to rip upon. It just looks shoddy. Ripping checks out of check books have resulted in damaged checks (luckily not in half yet), but there are occasionally chunks missing out of the top. It's not MY fault, blame the perforation!!!
I swear, there is a conspiracy by the people who invented perforations to piss me off. They are succeeding....
More than once, I find myself punching a PDQ in order to rip the perforation without taking my knife to it. Most of the time, that works, other times, still have to break out the knife.
WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?? Seriously, if the perforations were designed to just look neat, then kudos. But if they were meant to be functional... someone needs to be fired. I am better off just getting a line on the box that says, "Cut here." I guarantee my knife cuts will look neater.
But no. These perforations will continue to laugh at me. To mock me. To make me look like a fool. Other people will rip these perforations neatly. It isn't the fact that they are better than me. It is the fact that the perforations have it out for me. I don't know if I made fun of their mother, but they enjoy my torment.
Screw you, perforations.
You may have won this round. But I will have my revenge!!!
Do any of you have issues with perforations? Feel free to comment. If this post brightened your day, then feel free to share it. Thanks for reading.
Saturday, June 17, 2017
Political Attack
Now normally, I do not post political ramblings. There is enough of that on Facebook to make me want to rip the remaining hairs out of my head. However, an event happened that made me change my mind (at least this week).
On June 14th, 2017, a gunman opened fire on several Republican members of Congress as they were practicing for a charity baseball game against Democrats. 4 people (5 counting the gunman) were shot during the practice. 2 people were listed in critical condition, 2 people were treated and released, and the gunman was killed.
The gunman was a contractor who had his business shut down because he caused more damage to the properties he was supposed to be inspecting. He had been living out of his van in the Alexandria, VA, area for months before he opened fire that fateful day.
He had a bitter dislike towards the Republicans.
Now, the tough part of this. I am not looking to get into a political debate because people like what they like, and they believe what they believe. I'm not looking to try to "prove anyone wrong" because ultimately it is a waste of time, and a cause of lost friendships for no reason, whatsoever.
But one thing CAN be agreed on. Violence is not the answer. If you believe that violence is going to solve the problems in Washington, than maybe YOU need to be investigated, just in case, you plan on committing acts like this yourself.
Mr. Hodgkinson had a list of Congressmen he wanted to target. His motive was unclear at this moment. If he wanted to get the "old-timers" out of Congress, he didn't succeed. If he did it as a Democratic loyalist, he failed that too, because all he did there was make Democrats look worse.
The thing that needs to be remembered is that he acted on his own accord. He didn't meet with a bunch of Democrats and plan an assassination. This was a mentally disturbed individual who committed these crimes. And Democrats and Republicans participated in unity afterwards. The shooter didn't accomplish anything.
For people who want to get the old-timers out of Congress, you have that power. It is called elections. While people do not vote for the President directly, they DO vote for the members of Congress at every election. If you want a change in Congress, then vote for that change. Otherwise, you are just the minority. Killing people is not the answer.
And IF you are one of the sad, pathetic people who believes that murdering senior members of Congress is the answer, then newsflash. It isn't. The repercussions are far worse than what you think. Because senior members of Congress were attacked, there will now be more motivation for gun control legislation. This now hits home for Congress. They are going to be more determined than ever. And in the end, Congress isn't really more unified. A lot of those Congressmen have been there a while, and are good friends, despite their disagreements. People need to practice the same level of friendship. That while we may differ on things, politically, we can still be friends, and we can still get along.
Any one who believes that someone needs to die because of their beliefs is part of the problem in this country right now. If questioned about my political beliefs, I will share them. You can tell me yours, and I'll respect yours, even if I don't agree. That is part of what makes freedom so great. But believing that violence is the answer is what is going to tear this country apart. VIOLENCE NEEDS TO END!!! That is one thing that NEEDS to be agreed on. Republicans and Democrats alike don't want violence. So, knock it off. Act your age. People are acting like babies throwing temper tantrums, and using weapons instead of words.
Post your opinions. What do you think? Do you think violence needs to end? Will you be part of the solution? Share this post if you agree. Spread the word. Love your neighbor, even if you don't agree with him/her. You don't have to agree, but you have the freedom not to. Do not eliminate your freedom by trying to eliminate someone else's.
Thanks for reading.
On June 14th, 2017, a gunman opened fire on several Republican members of Congress as they were practicing for a charity baseball game against Democrats. 4 people (5 counting the gunman) were shot during the practice. 2 people were listed in critical condition, 2 people were treated and released, and the gunman was killed.
The gunman was a contractor who had his business shut down because he caused more damage to the properties he was supposed to be inspecting. He had been living out of his van in the Alexandria, VA, area for months before he opened fire that fateful day.
He had a bitter dislike towards the Republicans.
Now, the tough part of this. I am not looking to get into a political debate because people like what they like, and they believe what they believe. I'm not looking to try to "prove anyone wrong" because ultimately it is a waste of time, and a cause of lost friendships for no reason, whatsoever.
But one thing CAN be agreed on. Violence is not the answer. If you believe that violence is going to solve the problems in Washington, than maybe YOU need to be investigated, just in case, you plan on committing acts like this yourself.
Mr. Hodgkinson had a list of Congressmen he wanted to target. His motive was unclear at this moment. If he wanted to get the "old-timers" out of Congress, he didn't succeed. If he did it as a Democratic loyalist, he failed that too, because all he did there was make Democrats look worse.
The thing that needs to be remembered is that he acted on his own accord. He didn't meet with a bunch of Democrats and plan an assassination. This was a mentally disturbed individual who committed these crimes. And Democrats and Republicans participated in unity afterwards. The shooter didn't accomplish anything.
For people who want to get the old-timers out of Congress, you have that power. It is called elections. While people do not vote for the President directly, they DO vote for the members of Congress at every election. If you want a change in Congress, then vote for that change. Otherwise, you are just the minority. Killing people is not the answer.
And IF you are one of the sad, pathetic people who believes that murdering senior members of Congress is the answer, then newsflash. It isn't. The repercussions are far worse than what you think. Because senior members of Congress were attacked, there will now be more motivation for gun control legislation. This now hits home for Congress. They are going to be more determined than ever. And in the end, Congress isn't really more unified. A lot of those Congressmen have been there a while, and are good friends, despite their disagreements. People need to practice the same level of friendship. That while we may differ on things, politically, we can still be friends, and we can still get along.
Any one who believes that someone needs to die because of their beliefs is part of the problem in this country right now. If questioned about my political beliefs, I will share them. You can tell me yours, and I'll respect yours, even if I don't agree. That is part of what makes freedom so great. But believing that violence is the answer is what is going to tear this country apart. VIOLENCE NEEDS TO END!!! That is one thing that NEEDS to be agreed on. Republicans and Democrats alike don't want violence. So, knock it off. Act your age. People are acting like babies throwing temper tantrums, and using weapons instead of words.
Post your opinions. What do you think? Do you think violence needs to end? Will you be part of the solution? Share this post if you agree. Spread the word. Love your neighbor, even if you don't agree with him/her. You don't have to agree, but you have the freedom not to. Do not eliminate your freedom by trying to eliminate someone else's.
Thanks for reading.
Saturday, June 10, 2017
2 Type rite is Gud
One of the biggest pet peeves I've encountered is bad typing. This is something that annoys me to no end. This is more than just a trend that shows up in countless comment sections of social media posts. This shows up everywhere.
The biggest issue is, it is deliberate. I can mind the minor accidental misspelling or the occasionally missed punctuation marks. However, this is becoming a permanent fixture.
But why is it being done?
Typically, when I read a post that is full of misspellings, missed punctuation, and nonsensical words, I find myself questioning the integrity of the person posting. Memes have become a staple of sites like Facebook, Twitter, etc. They annoy me as well, but I have to accept them.
Twitter is kind of an exception on this, and may earn a free pass for bad spelling. When you are given a character limit, you have to try to make every character count. So, using "u" for "you" or "4" instead of "for" tends to be more acceptable. However, on a site like Facebook, where there isn't a character limit, it is kind of annoying.
Half of the time, I have to translate this shorthand typing into something that I can process as intelligible thought. Even then, the lack of proper grammar makes me question whether their thoughts can be considered "intelligible thought."
Employers do use Facebook and other social media sites to learn more about potential employees. Employers want to learn more about who they have working for them. If the person gives this great resume to their employer, and them employer canvasses their Facebook, they might find details that might make them second guess hiring that person.
We are now in the technological age. One of the things that happens less and less is hand-written notes. It is much easier to type and edit your thoughts through a keyboard then it is to grab a paper and pencil and actually just write out your note. I tend to type faster than I write, so I would agree with this wholeheartedly. However, I tend to try to type things out grammatically correct, and try to use proper punctuation. As I write less than I used to, the only way to really tell people about me, is to type it out. Doing so in an intelligible manner becomes more important for me.
The worst offenders of this are memes themselves. Memes can become very popular and widespread in a short amount of time. Memes that have improper grammar and horrible spelling send a message to other people encouraging the use of broken language. Eventually things like spelling and grammar will become obsolete in the next generation. This is a problem especially when communication is so important. It is important for the recipient to understand and fully comprehend the context of the message the sender is trying to convey. Memes turn this problem into a widespread epidemic that must be cured.
So, for the sake of the future of communication, please try to type intelligently. Show the world just how smart you are. Show the world the knowledge that you possess.
What are your thoughts? Where do you think the future of communication is headed? Do you think that broken language will eventually translate to broken speech too? Let me know in the comments [in an intelligent manner]. :)
The biggest issue is, it is deliberate. I can mind the minor accidental misspelling or the occasionally missed punctuation marks. However, this is becoming a permanent fixture.
But why is it being done?
Typically, when I read a post that is full of misspellings, missed punctuation, and nonsensical words, I find myself questioning the integrity of the person posting. Memes have become a staple of sites like Facebook, Twitter, etc. They annoy me as well, but I have to accept them.
Twitter is kind of an exception on this, and may earn a free pass for bad spelling. When you are given a character limit, you have to try to make every character count. So, using "u" for "you" or "4" instead of "for" tends to be more acceptable. However, on a site like Facebook, where there isn't a character limit, it is kind of annoying.
Half of the time, I have to translate this shorthand typing into something that I can process as intelligible thought. Even then, the lack of proper grammar makes me question whether their thoughts can be considered "intelligible thought."
Employers do use Facebook and other social media sites to learn more about potential employees. Employers want to learn more about who they have working for them. If the person gives this great resume to their employer, and them employer canvasses their Facebook, they might find details that might make them second guess hiring that person.
We are now in the technological age. One of the things that happens less and less is hand-written notes. It is much easier to type and edit your thoughts through a keyboard then it is to grab a paper and pencil and actually just write out your note. I tend to type faster than I write, so I would agree with this wholeheartedly. However, I tend to try to type things out grammatically correct, and try to use proper punctuation. As I write less than I used to, the only way to really tell people about me, is to type it out. Doing so in an intelligible manner becomes more important for me.
The worst offenders of this are memes themselves. Memes can become very popular and widespread in a short amount of time. Memes that have improper grammar and horrible spelling send a message to other people encouraging the use of broken language. Eventually things like spelling and grammar will become obsolete in the next generation. This is a problem especially when communication is so important. It is important for the recipient to understand and fully comprehend the context of the message the sender is trying to convey. Memes turn this problem into a widespread epidemic that must be cured.
So, for the sake of the future of communication, please try to type intelligently. Show the world just how smart you are. Show the world the knowledge that you possess.
What are your thoughts? Where do you think the future of communication is headed? Do you think that broken language will eventually translate to broken speech too? Let me know in the comments [in an intelligent manner]. :)
Thursday, June 1, 2017
Off With His Head!!!
Kathy, Kathy, Kathy...
What did you do wrong???
Yes, for the most part, we have all heard about this disembodied head that Kathy Griffin took to a photoshoot. And what a mess it made. This picture cost her sponsorships, her job at CNN doing New Year's Eve hosting, and respect from a lot of former fans.
People said that the head was gross, gory, and offensive.
I agree with people's sentiments. It was gross, gory, and offensive. But people shouldn't be getting so worked up about it. Kathy Griffin is a comedian. Jokes can be in poor taste, and while people may be offended by the joke, it is still just a joke.
There are a lot of comedians who tell jokes that can be perceived in poor taste, but it doesn't hurt the career of the comedian. In fact, a lot of the raunchier, more offensive comedians actually make the bulk of their career earnings, by being offensive.
Now, did she go too far? To be honest, yes she did.
But we are living in a society where sneezing the wrong way will get you bitched at by someone. Everything is offensive. President Trump was picked to be president, mainly because he promised to not be PC. He wanted to push the limits and get away from the PC world we were getting into. Now, everyone gets offended by everything, and it is disgusting in a way.
Perhaps, Kathy Griffin was doing the same thing? She was "pushing the envelope" and seeing what she could get away with. She did go too far. But nowadays, it doesn't take much to go too far.
"South Park" had an episode called "Cartoon Wars" where Cartman hated the show "Family Guy." He hated it so much, that he actually went to sabotage the show by putting something into the script that would make the show so offensive, that an episode of the show would be banned. His logic was this, "As soon as a show has to pull an episode from the air, it starts a domino effect that causes the show to have to pull more and more episodes until the show is inevitably canceled." It is actually pretty sound logic.
This logic applies to comedians as well. If a comedian has to apologize for going too far, that could be the end of the line for that comedian's career. Let's look back to Michael Richards. He went to far and yelled racist remarks at a heckler at a comedy club. His career was OVER. He had to issue a public apology, and his career came to a screeching halt.
The same thing could happen as a result of this. Comedians shouldn't be required to apologize. Any time a comedian puts themselves into a situation where they HAVE to apologize, it tends to end badly. Kathy Griffin put herself into a situation where she felt she should have had to apologize.
But wasn't the point to be "unapologetic." What comedy needs right now are comedians willing to "push the boundaries" and to not be PC. Her photoshoot was a reflection of who she is: cynical, deliberate, and unabashed. In fact, I kind of liked the photoshoot picture because it was honest with how she felt. It was purposeful.
And yes, CNN had a right to pull her job. Her sponsors had a right to drop her from their company. Freedom of speech does not grant you freedom of employment. The companies had a right to drop her for her expressing her point of view. But that isn't anything new either.
But, in my opinion, she went wrong when she apologized. She shouldn't have been ashamed by the picture. She perfectly stated her point of view with that picture. It was everything it needed to be for her. I applauded that, despite the trouble it would have caused her. But as a comedian, she shouldn't have apologized for it. She should have stood behind the image. It stated what she wanted to stay, and apologizing for that makes her weaker for it. No longer will she seem to be the same deliberate comedian that took the picture.
What are your view points on this? Do you think she was right to apologize? Do you think our country is becoming to PC? Were you offended by the picture? Give me your point of view!!! Thanks for reading.
What did you do wrong???
Yes, for the most part, we have all heard about this disembodied head that Kathy Griffin took to a photoshoot. And what a mess it made. This picture cost her sponsorships, her job at CNN doing New Year's Eve hosting, and respect from a lot of former fans.
People said that the head was gross, gory, and offensive.
I agree with people's sentiments. It was gross, gory, and offensive. But people shouldn't be getting so worked up about it. Kathy Griffin is a comedian. Jokes can be in poor taste, and while people may be offended by the joke, it is still just a joke.
There are a lot of comedians who tell jokes that can be perceived in poor taste, but it doesn't hurt the career of the comedian. In fact, a lot of the raunchier, more offensive comedians actually make the bulk of their career earnings, by being offensive.
Now, did she go too far? To be honest, yes she did.
But we are living in a society where sneezing the wrong way will get you bitched at by someone. Everything is offensive. President Trump was picked to be president, mainly because he promised to not be PC. He wanted to push the limits and get away from the PC world we were getting into. Now, everyone gets offended by everything, and it is disgusting in a way.
Perhaps, Kathy Griffin was doing the same thing? She was "pushing the envelope" and seeing what she could get away with. She did go too far. But nowadays, it doesn't take much to go too far.
"South Park" had an episode called "Cartoon Wars" where Cartman hated the show "Family Guy." He hated it so much, that he actually went to sabotage the show by putting something into the script that would make the show so offensive, that an episode of the show would be banned. His logic was this, "As soon as a show has to pull an episode from the air, it starts a domino effect that causes the show to have to pull more and more episodes until the show is inevitably canceled." It is actually pretty sound logic.
This logic applies to comedians as well. If a comedian has to apologize for going too far, that could be the end of the line for that comedian's career. Let's look back to Michael Richards. He went to far and yelled racist remarks at a heckler at a comedy club. His career was OVER. He had to issue a public apology, and his career came to a screeching halt.
The same thing could happen as a result of this. Comedians shouldn't be required to apologize. Any time a comedian puts themselves into a situation where they HAVE to apologize, it tends to end badly. Kathy Griffin put herself into a situation where she felt she should have had to apologize.
But wasn't the point to be "unapologetic." What comedy needs right now are comedians willing to "push the boundaries" and to not be PC. Her photoshoot was a reflection of who she is: cynical, deliberate, and unabashed. In fact, I kind of liked the photoshoot picture because it was honest with how she felt. It was purposeful.
And yes, CNN had a right to pull her job. Her sponsors had a right to drop her from their company. Freedom of speech does not grant you freedom of employment. The companies had a right to drop her for her expressing her point of view. But that isn't anything new either.
But, in my opinion, she went wrong when she apologized. She shouldn't have been ashamed by the picture. She perfectly stated her point of view with that picture. It was everything it needed to be for her. I applauded that, despite the trouble it would have caused her. But as a comedian, she shouldn't have apologized for it. She should have stood behind the image. It stated what she wanted to stay, and apologizing for that makes her weaker for it. No longer will she seem to be the same deliberate comedian that took the picture.
What are your view points on this? Do you think she was right to apologize? Do you think our country is becoming to PC? Were you offended by the picture? Give me your point of view!!! Thanks for reading.
Friday, May 26, 2017
Grow Down
One of the things I've noticed in my advancing years is that no one acts their age any more. Most adults would say that they have an inner child, just waiting to get out and play. A lot of us will from time to time, act childish. We may play jokes, pranks, and run around and have fun. There are people in their 50s, 60s, and even older who still from time to time, slip back into acting a little childish.
And why not? It is fun, carefree, and in a way refreshing to get away from the monotony of adult life. A lot of people post about how they "don't want to adult today." They want to be able to go back to the days of being a child, with no bills, no responsibility, just having fun on a nice summer day.
But unfortunately, there's a group of people who don't want to be kids.... Who are they? Why, the answer is so obvious.
Kids.
That's right. Kids do not want to be kids. Perhaps it is all they know and they find it boring. Perhaps they want the responsibility. Perhaps they just want to be treated like adults, but still have the fun of being a child.
Don't we all.
Yes, I will admit, I have an inner child, and it is very much at play a lot more than what would be considered "normal." I play video games, watch cartoons, and still like to have childish fun at the expense of others. [Sorry honey, but you knew this when you signed the wedding certificate. :p] But I am also very much an adult. I go to work, I earn money, and contribute to the bills every month. And I will say, I would find it extremely demeaning to be treated like a kid.
Perhaps kids feel it is demeaning to be treated like a kid as well. But kids do not understand what "being an adult" is all about. They haven't experienced adulthood, and therefore they aren't entirely sure what that all entails. They don't understand that you have to earn money, pay bills, take care of kids, etc.
Yet, kids want to be treated like adults. They want to be out as late as they want (something adults don't even do as we have to go to work the next day), go joyriding in the vehicle (something adults have to put their hard earned money into to pay for the gas), have children (something adults regret doing some days when kids are being especially difficult), etc.
The biggest lesson here is: there is no perfect middle ground. Not even in adults. If an adult doesn't be an adult, then they aren't treated like an adult. It's typically considered bad if an able-bodied, 30+ year old adult spends his life playing video games, watching TV, reading comics, surfing the internet, and still living with mom and dad instead of making money and being an adult. It is just as bad if a 13 year old kid is working a job because he is expected to "grow up."
We shouldn't be telling people to "grow up." While it is fun for an adult to escape to a simpler time and be a kid every so often, we shouldn't be encourage kids to be adults either. Kids should be able to embrace their childhood, because time can not be rewound. Kids should be allowed to be kids. They also need to remember that there is no "middle ground." There is no being treated like an adult while not having the responsibilities tied into it. The respect of an adult is earned by what you do to be an adult. If you have your own place to live, pay your own bills, cook your own meals, all with minimal to no help from your parents, THEN you are an adult. Then you should be treated as such (even though some parents still treat their kids as kids [demeaning, I know]).
And for us adults, remember the phrase "age is just a number." You are as old as you tell yourself you are. You are as old as you feel. I fully encourage everyone who is sick of being an adult, to just be a kid every once in a while. Just don't forget to come back to adulthood when it is time for you to be responsible yet again.
Let me ask a question. How old are you? How old do you feel? If you are someone who is always stressed and burned out from adulthood, take a day to be 10 or so. Take a day to be a child. If you have children of your own, this is a perfect bonding opportunity. As always, thanks for reading!!
Thursday, May 18, 2017
Sex offenders... who are the victims?
There has been a lot going on in the news with regards to child pornography. It is definitely on the rise. Just in the last 2 weeks, there have been at least 2 cases happen locally to me. This definitely seems higher than it used to be, when this was a thing that was rarely ever discussed. Now, it is unfortunately, a reality, and to top it off, a lot of pedophiles feel that THEY are the victim because of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) and mandatory minimum sentences. There are people who justify hebephilia (attraction to pubescent kids) because it is a natural instinct (as it is in nature when as soon as animals are able to reproduce, they do for survival).
Now, the real question is? Are these people right? Are they the victims of nature?
First of all, I will admit that I type this with a certain degree of bias. I hate anyone who victimizes a child in any way, shape, or form. I have a strong dislike towards people who abuse children, because I feel children are innocent and their whole lives become negatively affected by abuse sustained on them. As I was a victim of child abuse (physical and mental), I can tell you that I was permanently affected by it. Having never been sexually abused, I can not say that "I've been there," or that "I know what that is like," but I can say that abuse has long lasting effects that can potentially last a life time to get over.
So, I will always lean towards the victim being the child.
Now, let's get to the bottom of why sex offenders feel they are the victims. The sex offender registry was created to notify people when sex offenders are moving next to them. It is also there to notify potential homeowners of how many sex offenders live in their future neighborhood. The sex offender registry was created to inform people for the safety of their children. That's pretty much it. Any use of that list beyond that purpose is actually considered a felony.
But people out there have used the list for more nefarious purposes. They have done things like committing acts of violence against sex offenders, harassing them relentlessly, vandalizing their property, and killing them. These people believe that they are making the world a better place by doing this. This is debatable, as I feel people who commit heinous crimes against children, should meet the capital punishment system.
Some of the offenses don't even seem that severe (for instance, a 15 and a 17 year old dating and then the 17 year old turns 18 and is suddenly a sex offender because the 15 year old's parents do not approve). There have been people who falsely have had people arrested just because they had a disagreement and falsely claimed their kids have been molested. These are people who get tied into the sex offender registry as well, and they are demonized for it.
There are a lot of people who believe that hebephilia is normal, and it is natural. It was going to be categorized as a DSM-V mental illness, and there was an uproar about it. They argued that being attracted to pubescent kids is "normal, and natural." To an extent, I can see their point of view: from a strictly biological standpoint. People younger than the age of 20, tend to be the most fertile, and have higher levels of hormones. In the wild, animals mate as soon as they are able. So, it may seem like a natural instinct to be attracted to younger people. However, as human beings, we are more sophisticated (at least we should be). We have emotions, we have feelings. We are not "wild" or "feral" creatures. We have a complex social structure. We, as humans, generally understand that kids do not fully understand the consequences of their actions. Adolescents do not fully comprehend the extent of their actions when they consent, or when they are abused. Full brain development doesn't stop until 30. The younger they are, the less they understand the consequences of their actions. The younger they are, the less they understand that having sex has long term emotional consequences beyond the risk of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. They don't understand what it means to have innocence and then not have it any more. They don't understand that the way they feel about themselves changes when they give up their innocence.
Victims of abuse, do not understand this because they aren't developed enough to do so. Just imagine what this means for the victim of child rape, who at the age of 2-3 was victimized, photographed, and raped for the pleasure of a disgraced Fire Chief and other perverts out there. This is a child whose innocence was taken away at such a young age, she will NEVER have innocence. It is actually remarkable how young people can remember things like this. This is a girl whose life is PERMANENTLY affected by this. She may have a normal childhood... but this is permanent.
So, who are the victims??? While most sex offenders typically feel they are the victims due to the sex offender registry, I really have to disagree. A sex offender may have ruined his/her life in the process, but he/she ruined the life of someone else as well. That sex offender ruined the innocence of a child. A child who is learning at a vastly accelerated rate to an older person due to brain development. This is a person, who is learning at a young age, the horrors of humanity. A person who should be learning about math, science, and how to enjoy life, is learning about monsters with cameras and perverted intentions.
The victims of abuse are ALWAYS the children.
What are your opinions on this hot topic? Do you agree, disagree? As always, feel free to comment with your opinion.
Now, the real question is? Are these people right? Are they the victims of nature?
First of all, I will admit that I type this with a certain degree of bias. I hate anyone who victimizes a child in any way, shape, or form. I have a strong dislike towards people who abuse children, because I feel children are innocent and their whole lives become negatively affected by abuse sustained on them. As I was a victim of child abuse (physical and mental), I can tell you that I was permanently affected by it. Having never been sexually abused, I can not say that "I've been there," or that "I know what that is like," but I can say that abuse has long lasting effects that can potentially last a life time to get over.
So, I will always lean towards the victim being the child.
Now, let's get to the bottom of why sex offenders feel they are the victims. The sex offender registry was created to notify people when sex offenders are moving next to them. It is also there to notify potential homeowners of how many sex offenders live in their future neighborhood. The sex offender registry was created to inform people for the safety of their children. That's pretty much it. Any use of that list beyond that purpose is actually considered a felony.
But people out there have used the list for more nefarious purposes. They have done things like committing acts of violence against sex offenders, harassing them relentlessly, vandalizing their property, and killing them. These people believe that they are making the world a better place by doing this. This is debatable, as I feel people who commit heinous crimes against children, should meet the capital punishment system.
Some of the offenses don't even seem that severe (for instance, a 15 and a 17 year old dating and then the 17 year old turns 18 and is suddenly a sex offender because the 15 year old's parents do not approve). There have been people who falsely have had people arrested just because they had a disagreement and falsely claimed their kids have been molested. These are people who get tied into the sex offender registry as well, and they are demonized for it.
There are a lot of people who believe that hebephilia is normal, and it is natural. It was going to be categorized as a DSM-V mental illness, and there was an uproar about it. They argued that being attracted to pubescent kids is "normal, and natural." To an extent, I can see their point of view: from a strictly biological standpoint. People younger than the age of 20, tend to be the most fertile, and have higher levels of hormones. In the wild, animals mate as soon as they are able. So, it may seem like a natural instinct to be attracted to younger people. However, as human beings, we are more sophisticated (at least we should be). We have emotions, we have feelings. We are not "wild" or "feral" creatures. We have a complex social structure. We, as humans, generally understand that kids do not fully understand the consequences of their actions. Adolescents do not fully comprehend the extent of their actions when they consent, or when they are abused. Full brain development doesn't stop until 30. The younger they are, the less they understand the consequences of their actions. The younger they are, the less they understand that having sex has long term emotional consequences beyond the risk of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. They don't understand what it means to have innocence and then not have it any more. They don't understand that the way they feel about themselves changes when they give up their innocence.
Victims of abuse, do not understand this because they aren't developed enough to do so. Just imagine what this means for the victim of child rape, who at the age of 2-3 was victimized, photographed, and raped for the pleasure of a disgraced Fire Chief and other perverts out there. This is a child whose innocence was taken away at such a young age, she will NEVER have innocence. It is actually remarkable how young people can remember things like this. This is a girl whose life is PERMANENTLY affected by this. She may have a normal childhood... but this is permanent.
So, who are the victims??? While most sex offenders typically feel they are the victims due to the sex offender registry, I really have to disagree. A sex offender may have ruined his/her life in the process, but he/she ruined the life of someone else as well. That sex offender ruined the innocence of a child. A child who is learning at a vastly accelerated rate to an older person due to brain development. This is a person, who is learning at a young age, the horrors of humanity. A person who should be learning about math, science, and how to enjoy life, is learning about monsters with cameras and perverted intentions.
The victims of abuse are ALWAYS the children.
What are your opinions on this hot topic? Do you agree, disagree? As always, feel free to comment with your opinion.
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