Open Your Mind or Take Responsibility

Guess what I got in the mail last week. It was a wonderfully made DVD on the evils of Islam in America called OBSESSION. This movie was distributed by mail and newspaper inserts last week by the Clarion Fund, a non-profit organization whose sole purpose seemingly is to spread hatred and distrust among the masses. They are doing a wonderful job of it so far as well.

Last week, days after this DVD was delivered to homes across America, apparently in the so called "swing states" a mosque in Ohio (that's here in the good ole USofA if you haven't learned any geography between cross burnings and goose-stepping practice), was attacked. While parents were upstairs in prayer and celebrating the holiday of Ramadan, their children were in the building's basement in what I can only assume to be a room made up to be a child-care center for that purpose. One of the young girls in the room noticed two men outside one of the windows and when she approached the window she was sprayed in the face with what can only be classified as an irritant. The mosque was quickly evacuated and the authorities were called and responded. Police so far have not labeled this as a hate-crime thought they are still investigating.

If this isn't a hate crime then it is someone that would fall under the label of sexual predator or child molestor. There was no reason what so ever to be looking into the basement window other than that. This is a tactic that you might see being conducted by terrorists abroad not here in America, don't we pride ourselves on being so much better and prouder than other nations that we would never lower ourselves to the level of worm dung and attack children or even a place of worship? America where we're supposed to be free and have the liberty of choosing who we worship or don't at all. America where we're supposed to not judge someone because of where they came from or where their parents were born. This country was founded on equality and that everyone has the same rights as anyone else. So far we've come as far as to make laws that require equality, but for some people to actually follow those laws and treat others with fairness and an open mind it is clearly something that is beyond the grasp of their small minds.

The one single thing that makes these terrorist organizations like Al Qaeda, Basque, Taliban, and lots of others around the world, better than the groups here in America is that they at least stand up and take responsibility for what they do. A car bomb goes off in Haifa, within an hour someone takes responsibility for it and gives a reason. Here in America we have something like this happen and nobody says a word. Whether it's one of those white power groups painting swastikas on a jewish temple, cruel words being yelled at a house from a passing car or even a cross burning in a yard. Nobody ever comes forward and says "Hey we did it and this is why".

I don't know why people are this way and I don't know what it would take to make people change. Personally I think it all comes down to education. You can blame it on your parents for raising you like this, but if you simply open your mine and pay attention in school you'll realize that this kind of behavior over the course of history hasn't really helped the human race advance towards anything near world peace or at least a world status of "not blowing each other up". But that's for another post which will probably be tomorrow if I can remember what I'm talking about today.

Now this Clarion Fund, I don't know what their real reasons for existence are but it sure isn't to help America improve or better our global image. I just cannot see anything good coming from a group that is intent on spreading hatred and their own screwy idea of evil muslims hiding in the woodwork spying and plotting. Am I misguided? I don't think so (not entirely at least), I know that there are probably people sympathetic to the cause of one terrorist organization or another, I also know that there are people who are sympathetic to the cause of other countries and pass on information in those regards as well. But do I think that every muslim in America is a terrorist spy or a suicide bomber in disguise? No, because that's the thought of someone who just can't realize that every person can be their own person. That's the thought of someone who let's someone else do their thinking for them because they don't want to sit and think about this issue or the consequences of this action or another. We as people in this country have become so lazy that we don't even try to raise our children. We will leave them at a day care or at grandma's so that we can go out shopping or dancing. Yes many of us use day care because both parents work, but there are others who don't. More and more the expectations of who is to teach a child right from wrong and to have an open mind on matters, or even common sense is being left to one group of people. Teachers. Just because the name of their profession means that they will teach your children, doesn't mean they will raise them for you. Get up America and raise your own damn kids. Raise them to be fair and open minded. Raise them to listen to all sides of a discussion before choosing a side. Raise them to pull the door handle instead of breaking the door down because they couldn't push the door open. Now I'm going to go eat dinner and lower my blood pressure with some tasty chocolate. Thank You for making it this far.

A better man than many

Early Saturday morning (or late Friday night), while I was trying to keep my destroyer afloat in an online naval game, a young man who from all the information I have read so far had the ideals and drive to better not only himself but those around him was shot in the head and killed. An act that is not only a horrible tragedy but an act of stupidity and contradiction. Norman Griffith was a high school senior, captain of his school football team, a role model for many of those who knew him. His team had just won their homecoming game hours earlier so of course he and some friends went to a dance at a community center. It is believed that the shooting was gang related, as many crimes of ignorance are these days. Gang related not because Griffith was in a gang but because the probable shooters were. So why was this young man with a personality that made you smile killed do you ask? The leading thought is that this happened because he was wearing the colors of his school. I don't know exactly what colors, if it was his team jersey, or a hat, or perhaps even an ID lanyard on his keychain. School colors is what this disgusting and ignorant act was about.
So a gang member was so mad at this man for wearing the colors of a school he felt the need to shoot him. That just boggles my brain box. I never had much school spirit when I was in school I never went to dances or football games or track meets. Yes I went to pep rallies but that was because it was required, my buddies and I usually sat in the back sleeping counting the holes in the ceiling tiles (there are lots up there). I am so glad that nowadays students are so proud of their own schools that they will pick up a gun and kill for that school, or for the neighborhood around that school. This isn't the kind of respect or help that schools these days need let alone want. Wouldn't it be a better way for everyone if instead of shooting that guy with the school shirt on, kids these days would actually just pay attention in class?
Yeah my family and friends are laughing at that sentence now. I was the kind of kid who got in trouble at school for reading books in class. I recently found that my high school GPA was 2. (something), I have already forgotten it and it's still packed up somewhere since we moved. I don't know what Norman Griffith had as a GPA or how well he did his homework. But he was still a better man than many. Not because he was a football player or because he had offers from several colleges to play the game. Not because he had many friends and affected the lives of so many people. But because when he was at a dance at this community center, a dance that was for everyone in the area and even people not in the area, a dance that was a chance for people to come together and have fun and see their friends, he walked away. He walked away when an argument started; he walked away from confrontation, probably with whoever it was that shot him. He walked away because he knew it was the right thing to do and because arguing over the color of someone's clothes is an ignorant thing to do and is a waste of oxygen to do so.
Do you want to improve your school's image? Do you want to make your school better than that other one? Then pay attention in class, try to pass a test, do some homework once in a while, or maybe even; dare I say it....study. Every time you pull a trigger or throw a rock or swing a pipe because you think your school is smarter than another one, you make yourself and that school you're defending dumber. Am I rambling yet, probably, but this just really makes me mad.

So who gets the parachute?

So we've all heard about the bank crisis and money and this bailout. But do we know who exactly is going to get helped and who is going to get shafted? Is this bailout just a way for all those politicians to help out and save their banking friends because their money is invested in the failed banks? Perhaps someone important within those banks is a big supporter of their political party or a big lobbyist type. Or are they actually trying to help the American people for once?
So as usual I am commenting on something that I don't really know a whole lot about. But hey, I gave you fair warning about that when I started this whole blog. From what I've been able to understand, banks have failed because their investments of money did not work as they had hoped. So as in whenever an investment goes bad and the stock in something fails, money is lost. However now that these banks have lost money in investments now haven't got enough money of their own left to operate. Operate how, as businesses, as banks, as investment firms? I don't know about many of you but to me a bank is someplace to put money for safekeeping and to allow it to earn interest while it sits nice and cozy in a vault or computer memory bank and does nothing. If I wanted to invest in the stock market and go for a big windfall of stock exchange success, I would go to one of those companies that does only that a specialized type of firm of course. Not one a bank who I think is just supposed to hold money, pay interest, and collect a lot of fees for idiotic things.
Now this bailout, who and what is this money going to go towards? Personally, if anything this money should go towards making sure these banks can keep paying their employees. Hold on a second let me finish. By employees I mean the tellers and the people who go to work everyday and do their job. The employees who actually go home each day and probably have to worry about whether or not they are still making enough money to keep gas in their car, feed their family, keep their house and car. I do not mean employee as in the board room type of employees who go home every night and worry about whether or not to by that new BMW in black or silver, or should they buy that beach house in Maine. Those people can go without a paycheck for a little bit to help out their loyal worker bees who are responsible for keeping faith in the company amongst the consumers.
This bailout money can also go towards keeping the banks solvent and afloat and working. And so doing lower the interest on many mortgages perhaps to keep home owners in their homes, consumers and investors keeping their money in the bank instead of the mattress plan. Later today I have to go to my bank and roll what's left of my ESOP payout from my last job into a retirement related fund. I'm nervous about what is going to happen to my money after I put it in, but you know what? I have to do it now, I can't wait until this bailout comes through or falls apart. I can't wait for the financial world to settle down and stop scaring the crap out of everyone. I have to do it now or the federal government will tax the living boogles out of me and then fine me for taking money from my "retirement" fund before I was old and gray(er). But that's another story.
So is this bailout a good thing or a bad thing? I honestly don't know. It would be a good thing if the money went towards what it really should. But we all know that what is actually going to happen is those banks are going to get the money and reinvest it into the same failing stocks that they did in the first place. Of course they'll say they are doing it to help the struggling economy in those areas, but then they'll decide to retire or leave their posts in less than a year and because of some contract or deal they made when they were first hired they will get a "bonus" for their hard work. A "bonus" that the company now has enough money to pay them since they got this bail out money from the government. Bailout money that is more than likely going to come out of the pockets of you and me and all the little people in munchkin land.
Okay I've babbled long enough so again Thank You for reading down this far. Sit back and enjoy some nice cream cheese.

Oh Well

Well I had a long in-depth commentary on money and banks and all that's been going on with them recently. But my connection decided to hiccup and even though I had pushed the save button nothing is here about money and banks. So since I don't feel like babbling on and on again about money and banks we're going to discuss something else now. Video Games.
My "wife" (I say that since we are legal domestic partners, and that because it's cheaper than an actual wedding) and I play World of Warcraft online. Many of you might have seen the commercials for the game with William Shatner (my favorite one), Mr. T (her favorite one), or Verne Troyer (a gnome laughing maniacally is always funny). Still others of you might actually play it or heard the game mentioned from that disturbed yet hilarious South Park episode.
I run a guild on our server that has had its ups and downs and we have more alternate characters in the guild than we do individual players. But we always try to have as much fun as possible with our friends online. What we have come to dislike about the game however, are the types of players who think that the game is all there is to life. By this I mean they feel the need to criticize and insult anyone and everyone who doesn't play the way THEY would play that type of character. It's a game, get over it. If you are such an expert on how to play that type character, then why don't you play that type of character instead of the one you are on now.
World of Warcraft falls into the genre of MMORPG. Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game. In short for those who don't know what that would mean, it's like Dungeons and Dragons except on the computer over the internet with literally thousands of other people at the same time. So instead of that fun table-top game with a handful of your best friends you're in front of your computer typing your thoughts to people you've never seen before and are more than likely from all walks of life from around the entire world. Instead of rolling dice and making notes on your character sheet and seeing the eraser streaks from all the changes you've made as your character progressed, you actually see your character with armor and weapons, swinging swords and casting spells with pretty effects that light up the area.
Within World of Warcraft there are different types of servers with different rules for each type; Normal, PvP (Player vs Player), RP (Role-Playing), and RPPvP (Role-Playing, Player vs Player). Normal is just questing and fighting against the environment, you against the game itself for the most part. PvP is the same as Normal, with the exception that players from the opposing faction can attack you at any time without reason or warning in almost any area of the game. RP I haven't tried, but there are rules along the general lines of you have to role-play your character. How that is enforced or proven I don't know though for me it would mostly involve my dwarven characters insulting ever elf they see (frail spindly things those elves).
Now I told you about those servers to tell you something else. Just because you're on one type of server and not on another type, doesn't mean you have to play a certain way. But accept that other people will play their characters their own way. I play on a normal server but I get the bug to roleplay my character from time to time and woe be to any elf who comes near me. Other times I get the urge to just fight and mix it up, and that's what they have the battleground, arena, and even the duel features for. But just because I decline to duel doesn't mean you have to be a rude obnoxious prick. Telling me what type of equipment I "have to have to succeed" isn't going to make me play my character the way you want me to. I don't want my character running around with a big green fez for a hat, or armor that is eight different colors. I want my characters to have a set of awesome looking armor that matches and is intimidating, I want them to carry an exotic looking sword or axe or hammer or gun. But not something that looks like he's holding a bird by the tail as it vomits arrows, that's just not appealing to me.
So I'm going to end with this, play your game. Have fun, level up, pwn that mob even. But play your game. YOUR game. You pay the money for the subscription (or your parents do, whatever) so it's your game. Not that jerk jumping around like he's on permanent pogo stick legs trying to duel everyone he sees. Your game. If you die, oh well that's why they don't penalize you for dying in the game it happens, it's part of the game and it's expected. Play your game. Thank You.

Politics

How can one have a blog these days and not discuss politics? Here we are about to elect a new President, so why shouldn't I throw my opinions out there for others to read and discuss. Yeah I know my timing on this isn't very good, late to the party and all but give me a break, I just started this blogging thing. So here's a short list of my thoughts and how i percieve the candidates involved. This list is based on what I've read, seen on tv, and heard on the radio. Yes I probably haven't got all the facts, but neither does anyone else since they all keep their own secrets and other writers don't include everything either (not because they're incompetent, but do to editting constraints or other reasons I have no idea about yet)>

• McCain - Veteran, Former POW, Long standing Senator. Good background for a President in my opinion. He has knowledge of military workings and knows personally the risks that they take everyday. However he is part of the republican party and over the last several years they as a whole haven't been very productive. He may be saying that he intends to implement many changes within his party and the country to make it better for everyone, but I just don't see that happening. Not because I don't trust John McCain, but because I believe that the republican party as a whole will do what it can to ensure their way of life isn't affected by anything "their" figurehead wants to do.
• Barack Obama - Lawyer, College Instructor, Fairly new Senator. Also a good background for a President I think. New experiences, new ideas, new thoughts. Sometimes putting a new person in a position who hasn't had a lot of experience in the area is a good thing. That person may find newer easier ways to get things done. However the democratic party has always come across to me as "wacko-hippies". Some of them want so many changes that it would hurt rather than help. Obama as well says that he wants changes to be made to make life easier on everyone. The democratic party as a whole may try to push so many changes into effect that it makes life horribly miserable for everyone who now has to change the way they live, work, relax, or eat just to follow a bunch of rules that might come into effect all at one time.
• Joe Biden - Lawyer, Senator. A long standing Senator who entered politics almost as soon as he became an attorney. Politics seems to be the only thing he knows. But as Obama's VP he brings a lot of experience in a broad spectrum of subjects to help Obama run the country. From foreign relations to judiciary committees, from law enforcement to civil liberties. A good all around jack of all trades sort of person to be VP
• Sarah Palin - Sports Reporter, Beauty Pageant winner, City Council, Mayor, Governor. Wow now that's a lot of stuff that she's done. Just from reading the Wikipedia on her there's too much to list what she's done. But from what I've read she would fall into one of those "flip-flopper" categories. She's very religious, but doesn't always bring that into her political decisions. She tries to get rid of corruption and illegal activities within the ruling bodies, but then fires people who don't support her views or those who don't do what she wants them to do. Which leads to the big story about her, the investigation involving her sister and ex-brother in law and Palin firing someone for not firing the ex-in law. Now I don't know about you or anyone else, but if I was served with a subpoena to testify or in some way participate in an investigation, I would do it. Why? Because it's the law and all sorts of people who have ignored subpoenas in the past have been thrown in jail for contempt of court (or whatever the rule is). She wants things done her way or the highway in my opinion and if you don't do it her way then she'll have you removed from your position. I don't trust her.

Well I hope at least one person reads this and it helps them make a decision. Me, I probably won't be voting at all. And contrary to all the loud mouthed voting types who say "If you didn't vote then you shouldn't complain about who gets elected". I say this: It's not because I'm lazy that I don't vote, or that I don't agree with any of the candidates, it's that neither party has been able to provide me with a good enough reason to vote for anyone they've put forward as a candidate. None of them have been good enough for me to vote for them. Until there is trust to be had from the government and it's governing bodies then there is no trust in the votes made for them. Delegates, Super Delegates, Incumbents, very few people even know what those are or what they mean. I am not one of them. So read, enjoy, vote or don't vote. It's your choice. Thank You for getting this far down the page.

I've only just begun

Well good morning and how do you do to all. This is my first blog post so I'll try to keep it short so that I can figure out how to do these just right. That way if you ever come back to read this site again you might actually find something useful has been said. For now this is it and there will be more to come. Thank you.