Bigotry comes in a rainbow of colors

(As written for another one of my blogs @ apracticallife.blogspot.com)
First, I would like to say that I am very sorry for the lack of posts recently, but things have been real hectic around here. I promise that will be back and posting almost daily from now on! Check back later for a review of the first two episodes of the new hit AMC show "The Walking Dead" (based on the hit comic book!)

Second, I know this is way off topic, but I would like to set the record straight with all you "normies" out there who think all goths/emos/scene kids/vamp junkies/punks etc. are abnormal and have issues. Last night, I was watching the news ( like I do every night) when this story caught my eye. Wendy Salzman (a local investigative journalist in Atlanta) reported on a story about 16-year-old Shelby Ellis, a 10th-grader at McEachern High School in Cobb County who allegedly ran away from home and was found a few weeks later in the state of Washington. Her father and step-mother were afraid she had joined "some vampire cult" because she visited a website called Vampirefreaks.com a whole five days before she ran away. VF is a social networking site (similar to Myspace, Facebook, and the like) geared towards the gothic/punk/emo scene. On the home page it even states "Gothic Industrial Culture". The site was founded and created by jet in 1999 when he was about 20 and attending the University of Rochester. It basically started as a message board with a few personal pictures of jet and his friends and a couple of music reviews and in just 10 short years it has grown to a website for the gothic industrial culture with over 1 million members world wide. I am a user of the website and have been since 2006 when my husband introduced me to it. When I started using VF, I was on Myspace (I have since deleted my Myspace profile) and felt that VF had more of what I was looking for in a social site. VF not only had a friendlier (less pervy) atmosphere, I felt secure in the fact that if I found that someone I was talking to was a "fake" then they would not last long on the site. I found that finding friends was easier, and finding people that shared the same interests I do was also easier. Jet and the admin of VF take running the site and keeping its members safe very seriously. I remember just a few weeks ago, I was asked by someone for nude photos. I immediately reported the person to the VF admin and within hours (not days) the profile was deleted by the admin (on VF if you try to visit a deleted profile it tells you if it was deleted by admin and a general reason why). If it would have been Myspace, the matter never would have been handled, and if it would have been Facebook, it would have taken months for the matter to be handled. I have to say that of all the websites I have been on where you interact with other people VF is one of the best policed sites I have ever frequented.
Shelby's parents insist that she was obsessed with "vampires and a dark underworld". Do not ask me what they mean by "dark underworld", because I would only be able to speculate. Shoot I would consider watching "Hannah Montana" and enjoying it to be a "dark underworld". Her step-mother, Wendy, is quoted as saying "We don’t allow certain things of the Gothic lifestyle." My question for her is "why?" She obviously has never actually interacted with a majority member of the gothic community, because most people in the gothic community are well educated, intelligent, tolerant human beings that just happen to like dressing and being different as well has listening to music that most people would consider harsh (or as my mother would say "loud noisy garbage"). I have to say that I am a proud member of this community. While I may not dress to the extreme, other things within the gothic lifestyle are part of my life. It is not just about the dress, but about the music, way of life, and artistic nature. That is why it is referred to as a way of life, and not a fad. Fads come and go. The gothic subculture has been around for a few decades now and I don't think it is going anywhere any time soon. Before someone says they are "freaked out" by or "don't allow" things of the gothic nature, maybe they should do some research into the matter before hand. Shelby's father even had the audacity to say, "That particular website, VampireFreaks.com, is a deviant behavior website. I think it's abnormal. People who frequent that website frequent it because they have some other issue." I believe that Shelby's parents are under the mistaken impression that they can blame an entire community for their daughter's actions because they feel that the community is abnormal (which by the way is a subjective term anyway). What they really need to do is look at their own family and way of life and see what they could have done better. Usually when a teenage child runs away from home the issue is not those she met on the internet, it is an issue at home. Many parents seem to have forgotten what it was like to be a teenager. As a parent, remember the hormones racing, the need to fit in, how mean other kids can be. Remember all of that and look at your child and see how you can help her. Do not blame something that is not really to blame. Honestly, before you judge someone or their lifestyle actually do your research on it. Personally, I do not know how Shelby's father could even state that VF is a "deviant behavior website" without even taking time to understand the people or even get to know some of them first. I mean has he even visited Myspace or Facebook lately? They are not exactly the cream of the crop either. And how can he speculate as to the issues in any person's life that uses the site, without personally knowing anyone on the site or their past? I believe he is just trying to hide the fact that he is a bigot. He is not very good at it either.
Before you judge me or any person for that matter, try understanding them or researching before you speak out against them. Put yourself in their shoes. You wouldn't want someone judging you based on trivial things would you?
Not a member of VF? Give it a try! Click this banner and say CherryDarling (<---- check out my page on vf via that link as well) sent you!



Sources: CBSAtlanta.com, Vampirefreaks.com

**You can find more information on the history of vampirefreaks.com [HERE]

The Zombie Killing Soundtrack...

Everyone wishes that thier life had a soundtrack, but unless we wire the entire world with speakers that play music at life's most important moments, the odds of that actually happening are very slim. So what can the musically inclined do? They make thier own soundtrack! So here it is that I grace you with a playlist that makes for some perfect zombie killing! I know what you are going to say. The first of the songs on the playlist are your normal bashing zombie heads in songs. The end? I can already hear some of you saying, "How is My 'Funny Valentine' or 'Summertime' a zombie killing song?" Well for you they may not be. For me however, I think 'My Funny Valentine" is an epic zombie killing song! I mean Sinatra's melodic voice sets me at ease while I am in the middle of a horde of the living impaired. And of course Beethoven's Ninth is a must for anyone who has ever seen A Clockwork Orange. 'Zombie Jamboree' has a calypso feel to it for those zombie killing moments when you want to laugh. As of right now I only put about 40 of my favorite Zombie killing songs but I will add more as time allows. For your listening enjoyment! And if you have any suggestions just let me know!

My unicorn is better than your rhinocerous!

Okay, I love to watch cartoons. I play video games. I still sleep with a teddy bear. I like to do cartwheels. I still laugh at stupid jokes or innuendos. I try to play with all the toys in the toystore. You can't take me anywhere near a candystore. I love to jump around and dance crazy to random songs that come on the radio. I wear novelty jewelry. I get giddy excited when someone points out something that I used to play with when I was a child. Childish you call me? Well I would also like to point out to you that I raise to small children. I make sure my bills are paid. I clean house. I make sure my family is taken care of. I listen to everyone's problems. I give advice when asked. I take an interest in current events and politics. I am very passionate about certain things. The thing is I may act like a child sometimes, but there is nothing wrong with that in my opinion. I know when I have to act like an adult and when it is okay to act like a child. There is a happy balance in my life. That is the key to a happy life. In my opinion anyway. The key to the happy balance is to know what each situation calls for. You don't have to act like an adult all the time. That would lead for a very dull life. Know when to laugh and have a good time and know when to put your big girl panties on and deal with it. Put yourself in someone else's shoes. If you are mad at someone tell them but also know when to bite your tongue (something I am guilty of not doing). I would rather someone be honest with me and tell me that they are not happy with me then go on making me think that nothing is wrong. I especially hate it when someone is mad at me, I know they are mad at me and they are not "adult" enough to tell me what is going on. Just tell me and then maybe we can come to an understanding. We are bound to have disagreements, as every relationship (plutonic or romantic, friend, family, or significant other) does. The question is can we express our disagreement with civility, understand where the other person is coming from, and get on with our lives? If we can't then that is when I will tell you that you need to grow up. I am more than willing to tell someone I understand where they are coming from but respectfully disagree with them than to just outright say they are wrong and ensue in name calling and the likes. No matter the issue. If you are willing to see where I am coming from then I will treat you with the same respect. There is nothing wrong with respectfully disagreeing. The problem lies when you disagree with someone and can not respectfully express yourself. If you refuse to listen to reason and commence to name calling, the likelyhood of getting the other person to understand your point of view is not very high. Not every person can agree with everyone all the time, no matter how close they are. We will take for instance one of the hot-button issues facing many people across the globe today. Homosexual marriage. I for one am in favor of it. Telling homosexual individuals that they can not marry is like saying they should be considered not only second-class citizens but somehow sub-human. Many of the arguments opposing gay marriage are ludicrous at best. Take for instance the argument stating that it is a choice to be homosexual rather than it is something that cannot be controlled. Give me one credible reason that someone would choose to be homosexual? Who in thier right mind would choose to be ostracized the way that homosexuals have been? If it were a choice then "teaching" them to be heterosexual would work. Newsflash, it does not work and never has. Anyone who says it has worked is not only naive but lying to themselves and everyone around them. Many of those against gay marriage, refuse to listen to reason and want to shove thier beliefs on other individuals. They are the ones that expect everyone to be just as they are. Last time I checked Hitler and his cookie-cutter beliefs died in WWII. Now there are many that oppose gay marriage that I can respectfully disagree with and we go on about our lives with that understanding. Then there are those that try tooth and nail to get me to beleive their way no matter how ridiculous their reasoning is. I have a secret to tell you. It is not going to work. Not one single person can give me a compelling enough argument to change my mind, and I have heard them all. I shoot down every argument ever given on the matter and have even sent a few people away with their minds changed. Some people even start questioning everything they were ever told or thought. Do not come to me and tell me that I am wrong, give a weak argument and then get pissed at me for not agreeing with you, because you will only be disappointed. Try and get a rile out of me on the matter and I will just tell you to grow up and then walk away. I might even go celebrate at the local gay bar! A homosexual person is just that, a person! If you don't like who they love then get over it. It is actually none of your fucking business. I know, you think you have a right to control what every person does but in actuality you don't. So the moral of the story is know when it is okay to act childish and know when to grow the fuck up!

More Zombiepocalypse Fun!

zom·bie   
[zom-bee]
–noun
1.
(in voodoo)
a.
the body of a dead person given the semblance of life, but mute and will-less, by a supernatural force, usually for some evil purpose.
b.
the supernatural force itself.
2.
Informal .
a.
a person whose behavior or responses are wooden, listless, or seemingly rote; automaton.
b.
an eccentric or peculiar person.
3.
a snake god worshiped in West Indian and Brazilian religious practices of African origin.
4.
a tall drink made typically with several kinds of rum, citrus juice, and often apricot liqueur.
5.
Canadian Slang . an army conscript assigned to home defense during World War II.
You all know that I have a major affinity for the walking reanimated corpses. Anyone who knows me knows I take the possibility of a very seriously! So today I am going to grace you with some YouTube videos and my personal responses to the videos.

I have to say this is one of my favorite videos. Very accurate and fun to watch. Kind of makes me feel like I am back in the fifties. "Cause we all know girls can't defend themselves." BA HA HA HA! Seriously though, we all know that in the event of an actual zombie invasion it will be everyman for himself and think about your girlfriends and wives. Do you honestly think they are going to go down without one hell of a fight? I didn't think so! I just want to remind everyone that in the case of the zombiepocalypse and the only weapon you have is a baseball bat, try to find some barbed wire (which is on a lot of fences around the US anyway) and wrap it around the bat. This will make any blow you give with the bat more effective in destroying the brain of the zombie, which we all know is the only way to "kill" a zombie! Remember that most things you come across can be potentially used as a weapon. Odds are if it can kill a human being (even if it takes some work to do so) it can at the very least disable a zombie enough for you to at least get away.(Part 2 of this video is apparently still in the editing process. I will definitely post it for you all when it comes out! A big thanks to Crowbarr Creations for this video!)

I don't think that this needs to be reiterated but if at all possible to NOT engage a zombie in hand to hand combat. The risk of contamination or bite is too strong and you don't really want to risk it right? Once again just about anything can be used as a weapon! In this video, the "host" suggests training in the event of a zombie attack. The problem with this is, you never know when one is going to happen or if your weapon of choice will always be readily available. As long as you are physically fit and can "hold your own" in a fight, you should be just fine. I would not stress it if you have had no training. Remember you don't have to always kill the zombie. A lot of the time all you can do is disable the Zombie. Very important! Always remember that loud noises will draw more zombies to you and the risk of a horde is very high. Try to avoid cars (as they have alarms) and anything that causes a loud noise. This can also help if you want to go on the offensive however. Just set up a building to explode and on your way out hit the fire alarm and I am sure that you can kill a large number of zombies in a short amount of time. DO NOT RELY ON THE NOTION THAT HELP WILL ARRIVE! You are in a zombiepocalypse for chrissake! Do not expect that someone knows you are alive and is willing to take the risk to save you. (A huge thanks to Erik Preston for this video!)
Remember what I said, "It is every man for himself!" You cannot expect to save everyone, so don't try to be a hero, you will only end up getting killed or turned. Always remember that the Zombiepocalypse is a serious issue and should not be taken lightly. You should heed these warnings and tips. You never know when they will come in handy!
But remember, Zombies have feelings too. They are just living impaired and should be treated just as any other citizen should. Until they try to eat your brains that is.

Be Excellent to Each other...

If you are over 20 years old, odds are you know who Bill S. Preston, Esquire and Ted Theodore Logan are (and just on the off chance you have lived under a rock and never ever watch movies, go pick your self up a copy of Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure and a copy of Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey. That should clear it all up for you!). They may have seemed like blithering idiots to the world around them and they may not have been the brightest crayon in the box, but they did spread a decent message. "Be Excellent to each other."
I have been reading a lot of stories in the news lately in which people are being horrible to those around them. I mean look at the 15 and 11 year old boys who beat a 94 year old WWII vet with a rock in Atlanta. The 15 year old "allegedly" (I really hate that word, but because everyone is innocent until proven guilty I have to use it) beat Paul Smallwood with a rock while the 11 year old kept watch. And for what? Police believe the motive was robbery. Now the 15 year old is being charged as an adult and the 11 year old's mother is on the news saying he is a good kid. Hello! He kept watch while his friend beat the shit out of a 94 year old war vet! He didn't just wake up one morning and decide that he was going to all of a sudden commit a heinous crime like this. There was some issues with him and his friend before this incident and you can not convince me other wise. Crimes such as this have been happening a lot lately. I mean just a couple days ago here in Athens a 60 some year old man was in an altercation with some thugs. These thugs attempted to mug him but when he hit one of the fine upstanding citizens they both ran off.
It seems to me that many of the criminals have decided to take a different route when it comes to committing their crimes. The weak and seemingly defenseless are overwhelmingly becoming the targets. I am not saying this because it never happened before, but because it seems that the people committing these crimes are getting younger and younger. It may just be me, but they are getting younger right?
These crimes are not the only reason I say people today are just downright evil to each other. Look on any internet forum. People will say anything no matter how hateful to just about anyone else. It is horrible! A dear friend of mine from high school was killed in a motorcycle accident in April. Kenny was riding his motorcycle home when he lost control and was killed in the ensuing accident. Anyone who knew him knew that he was a wonderful human being and almost always had an infectious smile on his face. My point of saying this is not because I want to tell you his story, but because in an article that our hometown newspaper wrote and posted on the internet, many of the people commenting on the article were saying mighty hateful things. Things such as "Stupid kid was probably drunk." or "He deserved it because he was riding a motorcycle" and my absolute favorite one. "Stupid thug was probably drunk and high. He got what was coming to him." Really people? You don't even know the person you are talking about and you are going to jump to conclusions either because of the color of his skin or because he was riding a motorcycle? How fucking callous can you be? ( I try real hard not to curse but sometimes it is really warranted because I can not think of a better word to replace the emphasis I am trying to use.) Word of advice. If you do not know the person that has lost their life, then don't say anything unless you are going to offer condolences. You do not know the person so you can not say whether they are a good person or a bad person. And inevitably there will be a friend or family member that reads your comment. Not all of them will be nice. Hell you might even run into me as a friend or family member of the deceased and I can tell you, You do not want me to be on the other side of the keyboard from you. I do not hold back when someone pisses me off.
Now my whole point in writing this blog was to ask people why it is so hard to be nice and respectful to each other. Why is it so hard to raise our children to show respect and admit when we or our children are wrong? The truth may not always be easy or it may hurt, but trust me it is better than the alternative. I do not know about you but I would much rather spank my child or hurt his feelings while he is young than have him going out into the real world and ending up in prison. I would rather be nice and respectful to my neighbor than constantly fight and bicker with them about things that in the end really do not matter. As someone I know says, "Don't Take life too seriously, you never get out alive."

Now off topic, I want to say that my life has been turned upside down within the last few days. But in a good way. As anyone who knows me, I am not accustomed to change. Well dramatic change anyway. And most people who know me know that my Dad is actually my step-dad. Well, the other day I read an article about a girl who had been looking for her biological father for 12 years and found him on facebook. My mother and biological father lost contact when I was young (maybe 2 or 3?). When I was about 14 or 15 I went to my mother and father and asked if I could try to find my father. My mother started looking right away and at first the search went very smoothly. We tracked him all the way to the state he resides in and then our search went cold. After I read the aforementioned article I decided what the hey. I typed his name (which I have known since I was a small child) into that little search bar and remembering all the facts I have ever known about him, found him on the first profile I looked at. The past few days I have been talking to and getting to know my father. I could not be any happier! In the past few days I have gained an entire family that seems to genuinely want to get to know me. I still love my Dad (step-dad) and do not downgrade anything he has ever done for me, but I want to know and love my father as well. So down the rabbit hole I go!!

(If you wish to donate to the Kenneth Black Memorial Scholarship Fund please do so! I know that Kenny would definitely wanted to help send less fortunate children to culinary school so they could share his love of food and cooking! Just e-mail me for the info and I will e-mail you the director's name!)

This Hatred Astounds Me!! pt. 2

As you know I have been writing a response to Pastor Terry Jones and his minions at the World Dove Outreach Center in Gainesville, FL. Before I get back to my responses to their reasoning, I have a few things to say. Pastor, You need to make up your damn mind! What did you think was going to happen when you said that the NY Imam agreed to move the Muslim Center? Especially if you knew you were lying (which by the way is breaking one of the 10 commandments "Thou shalt not lie.")? Of course he was going to deny it and speak out! Where was your head then? And please tell me this whole Koran burning thing is not because of the Mosque that IS NOT AT GROUND ZERO! It is two blocks away. You know what else is two blocks away? A few bars and a few strip clubs! Should they move as well out of respect for those lost? Do not condemn all Muslims (many of the ones I know are very nice and peaceful people) for the actions of a small handful. If we were to to that with all religions, then many people would have major issues with all religions! With that said, all of those that are supporting the actions of Pastor Jones, you need to realize that this country was founded on freedom of religion. Many of you say that our forefathers were Christian and god-fearing men. That is where you are wrong. In actuality, many of our founding fathers were deists (meaning they believed in a god, but did not follow Christian teachings) so think before you down someone else's religious beliefs. How would you feel if someone disrespected your religion? Also, just because some Muslims across the ocean burn the Bible, does not make it okay for you to do so. That just breeds more animosity. Why don't you try by leading by example? You might be surprised at how far that will get you.

Okay so right now the Dove World Outreach Center's website is conveniently down for "maintenance". This is very suspicious. It goes down for maintenance not a day after he cancels, then re-considers the cancelling of the Koran burnings? Something tells me that this man is just like the WBC and only out for publicity. I mean, can he really be this nutso? Since the website is down, I can not continue my "rant" against his reasonings, but trust me I will do so the second the site is back up!

This Hatred Astounds Me!! pt. 1

First and foremost I am going to state that I am 120% against the burning of ANY book, no matter what that book says. I do not always agree with the words in that book, but that does not mean that the book should be destroyed forever never to be read by human eyes again. There is something seriously wrong when we start to believe that the only way to get a point across is to burn a book. Terry Jones, pastor of the Dove World Outreach Center (I am thinking they should change the name, but that is just my opinion) in Gainesville, Florida, plans to burn several copies of the Koran on September 11, 2010. Not only are his reasonings severely misguided, but he has made some serious mistakes in general knowledge of any religion, Christianity aside (and maybe even his interpretation of Christianity for that matter). On the website for The Dove World Outreach Center they have written a blog entitled Ten Reasons to Burn a Koran . Today I am going to write a quick reply to each of their reasonings. For your benefit however I will post what their reasoning is before I post my reply.
Their Reason One: The Koran teaches that Jesus Christ, the Crucified, Risen Son of God, King of Kings and Lord of Lords was NOT the Son of God, nor was he crucified (a well documented historical fact that ONLY Islam denies). This teaching removes the possibility of salvation and eternal life in heaven for all Islam's believers. They face eternal damnation in hell if they do not repent.
One, there are many religions around the world that deny the fact that Jesus Christ was the son of God. In fact, Christianity is the only religion that believes this. There are several that also deny Jesus Christ ever even existed. As for the "well documented historical fact", what tangible proof is he speaking of? He doesn't actually say what proves this historical fact. Now before you start getting all pissy with me, I am not saying that Jesus Christ did not exist, I am merely saying what tangible proof (and the Bible does not count) do we have as to his existence? Muslims face eternal damnation in hell, he says? Well according to him and many similar groups around the world, they will be joining homosexuals, transexuals, bisexuals, interracial couples, abortionists, pro-choicers, single mothers, people who become pregnant out of wedlock, bastard children, and so on and so forth. Groups like this believe that every person, other than those that believe exactly as they do, is going to hell. I cannot count how many times I have been told I am going to hell not only because I am Pagan, but because I am bisexual. If it is not one reason it is another. Why should Muslims have to repent to a god they do not believe in? That would be like expecting a Christian to pray to Allah for guidance. You see my point?
Their Reason Two: The Koran does not have an eternal origin. It is not recorded in heaven. The Almighty God, Creator of the World, is NOT it's source. It is not holy. It's writings are human in origin, a concoction of old and new teachings. This has been stated and restated for centuries by scholars since Islam's beginnings, both Moslem and non-Moslem.
NEWSFLASH!!!! THIS JUST IN!!!! The Bible was written by man not God! "Yeah but they wrote what God told them to" you say? That does not change the fact that it was written by man, interpreted by man, and read by man. Man is fallible. He makes mistakes. For instance, say I told you a story about my trip to Savannah, and told you to write it down. You understandably would not write every exact word that I said. You would put your own small spin on it. You may not change the story at it's base, but it would change slightly nonetheless. Alright now take that same story (your written version) and give it to someone else and have them translate it into another language after some significant time has passed. Again, the story will change this time a little more significantly. Again hand that copy to another person and have them translate it and so on and so forth. By the time that same story about my trip to Savannah is done being circulated it will not be the same story I originally told. My point is, that even if the Bible was originally "God's Word", it has been translated and changed so much that it is no longer what God may have originally meant it to be. With that tiny fact aside, Muslims do not believe in the same God that Christians do. I would have thought this small fact to be very obvious but apparently I am wrong on that. Therefore it would stand to reason that threats or reasonings that include the words "The Almighty God, Creator of the World" are not going to stand very high with them.
Their Reason Three: The Koran's teaching includes Arabian idolatry, paganism, rites and rituals. These are demonic, an ongoing satanic stronghold under which Moslems and the world suffer.
HA HA HA!!! You are kidding me right? So does Christianity! Jesus Christ was not born on December 25th. Many Theologists believe that (if he in fact did exist) that his birth date would have been a little closer to the middle of March. "Then why do we celebrate Christmas in December?" Very good question. Many of the Pagan religions of the that were in existence before the establishment of the Christian religion celebrated the solstices, one of which, the winter solstice, just so happens to coincide with the timing of the celebration of Christmas in Christianity. In fact many of the practices, traditions, and holidays in Christianity stem from old Pagan practices. The reason for this was to make it easier to convert Pagans to Christianity.
I am done for now, but will definitely be back to finish my responses to the rest of the list. I actually plan on writing at least one blog a day until the 11th in response to Terry Jones and the Dove World Outreach Center's ignorant views on burning the Koran. So until tomorrow, remember you are beautiful!

You are the dumb driver you complain about!

We all do it. We are driving down the road, minding our own business and some one on their cell phone cuts us off, so we shout obscenities at them and complain that they need to learn how to drive. Don't deny it, you know you do it. Hell I have no qualms about it, I will admit it. I even do it from the passenger seat. My husband tells me I have enough road rage for the both of us. But, you see, there is a problem with all of that. Most people think that they are an excellent driver and it is just all those around them that "can't" drive. Well, the problem with that particular line of thinking is that it is not true. I have been driving down the road with my kids buckled into their car seats in the back, doing the speed limit and had person pass me and flip me off like I was standing still. When someone is following the law, that does not make them a bad driver or an idiot. The idiot is the guy doing 75 around a curve when it is raining, the guy not wearing a seatbelt, the guy texting away on his cell, the woman putting her makeup on while doing 85 on the interstate. Just because you are so comfortable driving that it has become routine, does not make you an excellent driver. Even the slightest mistake can lead to catastrophic ends. When you are driving pay attention. Don't worry about your cell phone, your makeup, or even what's on the radio. The most important thing is arriving at your destination safely. Even if you are a good driver who follows all the rules of the road, you still have to be aware of those that don't. With all that said I leave you with a video I found on YouTube. I suggest you watch all of it and take it to heart. Remember in an instant it could all change!

Truebie or Twi-hard: Shouldn't even be a debate!

With the premiere of season 3 of True Blood and the release of the 3rd installment of the Twilight Saga almost everyone has chosen their side. Everywhere I turn someone is asking me if I am a Truebie or a Twi-hard. This should not even be a debate. If you are a teeny-bopper, your answer should be Twi-hard, if you are a grown adult it should be Truebie. I only say that teeny-boppers should be Twi-hard because they should not be watching True Blood. Apparently, people have this mixed up. I know grown women who fawn over Twilight and girls as young as 15 who are all about True Blood. (By the way, I think 15 is old enough for True Blood if the person is mature enough to understand the situation) So I have decided to tell you why True Blood is better than Twilight any day of the week. And before any of you Twihards get your panties in a twist, I have read all the books in both series as well as seen the Twilight movies, and I never miss an episode of True Blood, so I know what I am talking about.(*Note there is an article IGN.com that is similar, but my points and opinions are my own.*)

1. (Maybe the most important) VAMPIRES DO NOT SPARKLE!!! I really have no clue where Stephanie Meyer came up with this doozy, but vampires are supposed to be deadly blood-sucking powerful creatures with some major weaknesses, and sunlight is one of those weaknesses. You know what sparkles? Damn fairies! It is very evident during the first few episodes (and pages of the first book) of True Blood that these are the vampires I grew up with. They are deadly, strong, fast, blood sucking, die by sunlight, downright scary VAMPIRES! Guess what? Not a single damn one of those vampires sparkles. Why do you think that is? That is right you guessed it! Vampires do not sparkle. To be honest if vampires really did sparkle, I would most likely quit being intrigued by them. I mean why would anyone in their right mind be scared of something that sparkles like a freaking fairy in a strip club? I don't care how strong you are or how deadly you are, you are not scary if you look like you just lived through an explosion at the glitter factory. I do have to give Stephanie Meyer points for trying to reinvent a myth that has been in many cultures for many years though. A+ for effort, it just did not work on this girl. You want to know why that is? I am "smarter than the average bear" ( <----- is a Yogi bear referance for those of you who don't know! Ha ha ha. You are welcome Marmie!)
2.Sex Sells. You can deny it if you want to, but that does not change the fact that it is true. This has held true for many years, over a century at least. When you have a story with vampires, you have to have sex in the story. I mean even Bram Stoker understood the sexual allure that a vampire has when he penned "Dracula" back in 1897. I already hear some of you saying "Twilight has sex! And sexual allure!" Okay, I will concede that it does, but it is more on the wavelength of the way they handled sexual situations on T.V. and in movies back when my grandparents were young. It tries to hide sex and make it look like something dirty or like something you should only do when you are married. It screams to me that sex should only be done missionary, in your bedroom, with the lights off. That is not reality or even fairy tale to 90% of adults, so why do we even pretend that it is? In Twilight you have Edward and Bella lusting after each other, but only having sex once and that is after they are married. I understand that many people teach their children abstinence, but come on! That is just another reason that adults should not be treating Twilight like it is the end all of books. Believe me if you have ever picked up another book in your life you know there are much better books out there. Who is to say that the movies will even incorporate this one-time after marriage sex? Then there is Charlaine Harris, who fully understands the sexual allure and dominance that a vampire can have over a human. She understands how dynamic the vampire-human relationship is. In the Sookie Stackhouse novels, Ms. Harris does not try to hide sex behind closed doors. She lays everyone's dirty laundry out in the open, but she does so in a way that it does not come across as trashy. I mean look at it. You have Jason Stackhouse who is for lack of a better word a man-whore, who has sex with just about anyone he can. Vampires are having sex all the time. Sookie is thinking about sex with vamps until she actually does then she is having it. Ms. Harris doesn't go into complete detail like Anne Rice did in her Claiming of Sleeping Beauty novels (very good trilogy by the way, but I am going to warn you if you decide to get them they are EXTREMELY graphic!), but you get the picture and understand the feeling nonetheless.
3.Abuse is not romantic! The Twilight Saga revolves around Bella feeling that she has to live her life by Edward. I may have missed something, but I do believe that this is 2010 not 1940. Women burned their bras, and have fought for decades to be treated equal to men, not have their entire existence defined by a relationship with a man. Edward emotionally abuses Bella continuously throughout the entire Saga. He does not ever listen to what she wants, only what he thinks is best for her. He never lets her make her own decisions. Since when is that considered romantic? I do not know about any of you out there, but personally I do not want a man who is going to stand in front of me, or who is going to stand behind me. I want a man who is going to stand beside me. I know Sookie's relationships may not be that healthy, but they are a hell of alot more realistic and "women's lib" than Bella and Edward. Sookie is the type of girl that takes no shit off of any man. She is definitely my kind of girl.

To Be Continued....

The Great Debate

I have learned in recent days that, when engaged in debate, there are three types of people. I had previously (and maybe slightly ignorantly) thought that there were only 2 types. I see that I may need to elaborate some so here goes.

Type one: The first type of person engaged in debate is the most ostentatious of the three. This is the person that refuses to actually engage in debate. He just throws out his opinions with no actual fact to base it on and when you point out your reasoning he resorts to name calling. For example, say we were engaged in a healthy debate regarding the legalization of marijuana. The person I am engaged in the debate with is pro and I am con (I am actually for the legalization of marijuana, but that is a topic for another day). I say that marijuana should not be legalized because it is a gateway drug and will lead to heavier drug use. Instead of saying "There are plenty of people who smoke marijuana their entire lives and never do another drug" the Type One person will say something like "No way you stupid idiot, Do you even know what you are saying?" See my point there? No facts to support his point of view just name calling and insults. This is also the same person that will bring race, sexual orientation, gender, religious preference, and such into an argument when there is absolutely no reason to bring in any of that. As another example, using the same scenario, but putting me in the pro position and Type One in the con position. My argument; "The amount of people in prisons would decrease because the majority of people in prison for drugs are in for marijuana." Type One: "No you racist idiot. Not only black people smoke marijuana." Notice how while I said absolutely nothing about race, Type One not only brought race into the mix and implied that I was racist, he made a racist comment himself and tried to justify it by saying that I had said something I hadn't. Type One happens to be the person that I ignore the most as you can clearly see why.

Type Two: The second type of person is the one that states well thought out facts and honestly, full-heartedly supports his position. You can not really fault him because it is very admirable to stick by one's beliefs no matter what. However, Type Two is not without his faults. This is the person that states the same facts over and over and when you point out something that is wrong with one of his facts or you de-bunk one of his facts, he spouts an ignorant basis for the fact. For example, in this scenario, we use the great Kurt Cobain murder/suicide debate. I will take the murder side and Type Two takes the suicide side. Me:"The amounts of drugs found in his system suggest that it would be impossible for him to have shot himself. He would have been too stoned to do so." Type Two: "Actually, because he was a drug addict he built up a tolerance so this had no bearing on whether he could shoot himself or not." Me:" Well that is not entirely true. Kurt Cobain had been drug free for almost a year according to those closest to him, so if he had taken the drugs willingly, the fact that he had been clean for so long would have incapacitated him." Type Two: "Drugs don't work like that. Once you have built up a tolerance, you always have that tolerance." You see that? Type Two started of strong by stating supporting facts, however when it was pointed out that he was mistaken, he came back with an ignorant statement. Type Two will also tend to contradict himself very often.

Type Three: And last but not least is my favorite person engaged in debate, but he is also the rarest. Type Three is the person who can actually engage in the debate state facts and if you both still disagree then he will agree to disagree with you. This person will be the person that while he sees where you are coming from, he will stand by his beliefs. This person will not use ignorant useless information or resort to name calling. Nor will he bring in information that is not relevant to the debate (i.e. gender, race, etc.)Type Three is the holy grail of debate opposition.

Until recently, I had thought that Type Three was a mere myth, because I had never encountered a Type Three. I was on a forum platform that was discussing illegal immigration (which is also a topic for another day) where I encountered an intelligent seemingly educated young man from Argentina. So you can imagine how difficult a debate in english could be for someone who does not speak it as a first language. Kudos to Type Three. I am glad he is not just myth anymore just maybe endangered!

Did I really need to know that?

In 1845, Andrew Jackson's pet parrot had to be removed from his funeral for swearing.
Starting in the Middle Ages and lasting until the 19th century, barbers were known to have performed various medical duties. Some of these duties included bloodletting, wound treatment, dentistry, minor operations, and even bone setting. The red and white pole that has become a symbol of barbers came from this, as customers would grab hold of a white pole as they were being bloodletted causing the red stripes.
Contrary to popular belief, Thomas Crapper did not invent the modern toilet. He was a main seller and soldiers who used them coined the term '...use the Crapper...' after seeing Crapper's rather large stamp/logo on the toilets.
At one time ancient Romans used human urine to clean and whiten their teeth.
Cleopatra, actually a Greek, married two of her brothers.
In ancient Egypt, if a surgeon lost a patient while performing an operation, his hands were cut off.
Adolf Hitler only had one testicle.
The first Ford cars had Dodge engines.
If you can change the lighting to trick a chicken into thinking that day is 28 hours long, she will lay bigger and stronger eggs.
A pig's penis is shaped much like a corkscrew.
All bonobo chimpanzees are bisexual.
'Formicophilia' is the fetish for having small insects crawl on your genitals.
More than 2,500 left handed people are killed every year from using products intended for right handed people.
Real diamonds can be made from peanut butter.
It took 48 years after the invention of the can for the can opener to be invented.
If you wish to enter Canada to become a stripper you must provide naked photos of yourself to qualify for a visa.

It's overrated anyway...

Sleep that is. You would think being a mother of a 19 month old and a 1 month old, I would want to do nothing but sleep. But NOOOO here I am at 4:30 in the morning wide awake. Granted I am feeding my little man, but I should have been asleep before he even woke up for his 4 o'clock feeding. Of all the things my mother passed on to me genetically, she passes on the insomnia? Ok Ma, you could have given me some of that height you have!
With insomnia comes boredom. With boredom comes creativity. With that you get:





I guess I could have used the time wisely and worked on my novel some, but where is the fun in that? Time to burp the baby, so that is all for now.

Republican, Democrat, Who gives a rip?

Has anyone else noticed that even the smallest thing can be turned into a pointless argument between Democrats and Republicans? I call the arguments pointless because 9 times out of 10 they usually are. For instance, I was reading a news story about a homeless man who saved a woman's life only to be stabbed in return and then as he lie dying on the sidewalk people just walk around him and basically ignore him without so much as a call to 911. That in itself is horrendous to even think about. But it doesn't stop there. Apparently some people thought it upon themselves to make it a political agenda. Some were saying it was the Republicans fault and others saying it was the Democrats fault. Some how I think that it has nothing to do with politics. I may be wrong but unless a Republican is the one who stabbed the man, how in the hell is it the Republican's fault? People in this country have become heartless and it is comments such as the ones that I read accompanying that story that prove it.

I feel like I must also remind people that there are other political parties other than republicans and democrats. Just because someone is pro-life does not automatically make them a conservative republican and in turn just because someone supports President Obama and the job he is doing does not make them a democrat. With that said, why make things that are not even remotely about politics into a political agenda? It makes absolutely no sense to me. I do know one thing though. All of you idiots out there that make everything into a political agenda are just that, idiots. I could care less what political party you are affiliated with, if I don't like the politics of a particular candidate, I will not vote for them. If I do not like a particular bill, I will not vote for it. Do I really have to be republican or democrat? I think not. I have gone 7 years without affiliating myself with a political party, and I have no regrets in the way I have voted. No not all of my votes turned out like I would have liked them too, but as a US citizen at least I spoke up for what I thought was best for this country. The sooner all you political idiots out there start realizing that is what you should be doing, the sooner we can hopefully get this country back on track.

On a side note: Instead of complaining that you don't like any of the candidates, exercise your right to write in a candidate. I did so in the last presidential election, because I did not like any of the candidates (and it has nothing to do with race or gender or any of that nonsense) so I chose to write in a candidate. Granted I knew he could not be president, but I showed that I was not happy with the choices given. If you must know, I wrote in Arnold Schwartzenegger. Because he was not born in the US he can not be president, but I did not care. I mean come on how cool would it be to have a president that could push the big red button and say "Hasta La Vista, Baby." Ha ha ha. My point is that you do not have to settle if you are not happy with something. And just because you are one person, does not mean that you can't still make a difference. So don't just sit there and complain. Get off your lazy ass and do something about it!

Shortcuts don't work in the long run...

Well the wall and the drywall are both up in the room we are adding to Brian's mom's house (where the carport used to be). Today Brian and I were out there trying to paint the ceiling with ceiling paint and that stone stuff that adds texture to the paint. We hadn't been painting for more than 5 minutes when we noticed that the paint that was there previously was peeling off and it was peeling off something terrible. It was like someone painted something plastic with a latex-based paint. Now not only do we still have to paint the ceiling, but we also have to strip the ceiling now. By that I mean we are going to have to go back through and sand the entire ceiling down and get it as smooth as a baby's bottom before we paint it again. What irks me the most about it is that Brian is utterly pissed and when he is like this he is in a down mood for the rest of the night and doesn't joke or even really speak to anyone. I hate it when he is in that type of mood.

The Perfect Moment

Her heart literally stopped when he walked in the room. It always did. Even when she wasn't looking when he came in. It was like she could feel him. She would never look in his direction. It did not matter how bad she wanted to. Restraint she always thought to herself. It never made sense. How could this one guy that she had never even talked to, have such a hold on her? It was like he was a magnet and she was a paper clip. One day she would have to talk to him. She didn't know how long she could restrain herself.
She caught him staring at her every once in awhile. She was usually good at reading what others eyes said, but he was different. She could not decipher the message his were sending out. Why was he so different? What made him so special?
Today was going to be different. There was going to be a shift in the situation today. She was going to leave him wondering for a change. He walked in the room at the same time he always did. She looked squarely at him. His ice-blue eyes dilated sharply when he noticed. She never did that. She always shied away from him. This time his heart stopped. Her emerald eyes met his again. She stood and walked towards him. He stood still. It was as if he were frozen in place. The closer she got, the more his heart raced.
The closer she got, the more her heart raced. She looked confident on the outside. The inside was another matter entirely. If one could see what she looked like on the inside, they would only describe it as an utter mess. The butterflies in her stomach seemed frantic. Her legs had turned to wet spaghetti noodles. The closer she got, the more her head seemed to spin. Still, she pushed forward with nothing but the utmost confidence. Outwardly, she appeared to be a walking statue.
He watched her with curiosity as she approached. This had never happened. He thought it never would. There was no telling what was going to happen. For six months he felt the electricity between them. He would catch her looking at him from time to time, but it was always short, shy glances. He was intrigued. As she walked towards him, her auburn curls bounced around her shoulders. The contrast of those bright red curls against her milky skin, was amazing. Add her emerald eyes to the mix and it was amazing how any man could overlook her. The tight baby blue sweater, and skinny jeans she was wearing today just made the scene look like something out of a movie. Her perfect breasts were snuggled into the sweater perfectly. He couldn't help but look back and forth between her eyes and those perky breasts. He could not have even imagined this situation turning out this perfect. Still, the closer she got the more nervous he got.
Already halfway across the room, she could feel her heart skipping beats. He looked like a model standing there staring at her. His ice blue eyes seemed to cut through the room as she walked towards him. His raven hair was perfectly disheveled. His athletic structure just made him seem even more perfect than the day she first saw him almost a year ago. She was almost convinced that the mold was broken when he was made. It was just unnatural for someone to be so perfect. She still had no clue as to what she was going to say to him. But one thing was certain, neither would leave until they had at least said something. That something had to be more than a mere, "Hello".
A perfect smile stretched across her face as she got to him. She extended her small hand and simply said, "Hello, I am Anya." He shivered as she spoke those flawless words. Her melodic tone continued to sing in his ears even after she had finish her short sentance. He paused for a moment. Taking in the moment. Making sure he would remember this moment forever. He took her hand in his. It was just as soft as it looked. One word came to mind when he thought about it. Velvet.
When he took her hand, her heart skipped a beat. Outside she was still confident, but inside she was a wonderful mess. Butterflies were fluttering everywhere. Her heart was pounding so loud that she barely heard when he said. "Nice to meet you, Anya. Trevor." His voice was firm but sensitive. She nearly melted right there in front of him. This moment could not be more perfect.
They gazed into each other's eyes for what seemed an eternity. There was nothing going on around them. The world stopped. It was only them. Them and nothing else. She looked down and realized that they were still holding hands. She slid her hand from his and gave him a nervous smile. He looked at her and returned the smile. It seemed like an entire conversation had passed between them, unspoken. They seemed to know what each other was thinking. That was all they needed to know.
That was the day that they would remember forever. That was the day that their lives began. The day that changed everything. From that day forward, they experienced everything together. They would be each other's rock for the rest of their lives. She would feel the butterflies everyday for the rest of her life. He would always see that perfect woman. The were the world to each other. And it all began with that perfect moment.

2012: Doomsday

Do you want to know how to survive the end of the world? Here are a few tips! 2012 is still a few years of so you still have time to get ready. With all the movies, video games, blogs, and books (yes there are a few on the subject!) out there we all know the world is going to end in what I like to call the "Zombiepocalypse" This is for those of you out there who don't like to watch those Zombie movies or play those wonderful Zombie video games (my faves are Left 4 Dead and the Resident Evil Series). Why I think Zombies will plague the earth and send the majority of us to our demise: For one, if you remember from the Resident Evil series of video games, Zombies were created by a huge corporation (Umbrella) that was trying to regenerate dead cells. Now think about it and tell me honestly if you think there isn't a huge Pharmacuetical company or overzealous scientist out there that is not trying to do that exact thing. All it would take would be for one of these experiments to go wrong and POOF we have zombies roaming all over the place trying to eat all us living human beings. Years ago a man wrote a novel about us going to the moon and every one thought he was crazy, "Man can never go to the Moon!" they told him. Well if I remember correctly in 1969 where did Apollo 11 land? That's right the Moon! So when the Zombies start invading and trying to eat everyone's brains I will try real hard not to say, "I TOLDYA SO!!" Now the real reason you are all here, How to survive the Zombiepocalypse: Lesson One: First off if you haven't started stocking up already, that is what you should immediatley start doing! It will be too late when the Zombies start coming. Granted when they do come, for the first few months or so ammo may be a little easier to come by than later on. I suggest firepower of any sort, swords (display swords will work fine provided you sharpen them a little), projectiles of any sort, and large bludgeoning items such as baseball bats ( my personal favorite is a good ole Louisville Slugger), crowbars, 2x4's and so on and so forth. You will also need to stock up on water (lots of bottled water because the virus may find it's way into the water sources) and non-perishable food items. If you have access to any sort of military surplus I might suggest T-rations, C-rations, and/or MRE's (meals ready to eat), as they last longer, they are higher in calories (which means you can go longer between meals) and they come with everything you could possibly need. They even come with personal meal heaters (which if used properly can be used as a weapon, but I will not say how to do that on the internet as I am sure there may be children that will read this and I am certain thier parents would not like me to state how to use a meal heater to make a weapon). Stocking up on some clothing with many pockets would also be a good idea. No it is not fashionable but it is practical and lets face it during a Zombiepocalypse we are going to a be all for practicality. Keep in mind that if you think you don't need it keep it anyway. You never know what can be used during a Zombie invasion. Lesson Two: Once the virus starts to spread the very first thing you need to do is get out of any city you may be in and get out into the country. The cities will be the first to go because of the sheer population size. As with any disease, the more people in any given area, the more people will contract the disease. You are going to want to distance yourself from high population areas. I would say that the mountains (for you North Georgians out there the first place I am going is Blood Mountain), whether it be the Appalachians or Rockies in the US or whatever mountain range as long as there aren't many people around. The deserts of the western states or any desolate areas are the best as they won't have high populations. This will be your first step in not contracting the virus. Lesson Three: After you have distanced yourself and your small group from the general population you need to set up a perimeter. You need to choose an area that you can see anything coming. You should set up a warning system of some sort. Use your imagination. You can use anything to your advantage. You should board up any windows and make sure the building you are in has only two entrances. The fewer entrances the easier to keep anything out. The better you know your surroundings the easier it will be for you to survive. Make sure that everyone in your party knows the surroundings as well as more than one person will need to keep watch. Your warning system should not be completely relied on as they have the possibility of failing. Always keep a warning system going as well as human eyes keeping watch. You do not want to take the chance of Zombies invading and killing everyone in thier sleep. Lesson Four: If by chance you do find yourself fighting for your life with a Zombie, always remember: HEAD SHOTS! Shooting a Zombie in the heart or chopping off one of his appendages (unless said appendage is the head) is not going to kill him. The only sure fire way to kill a Zombie is to cause significant damage to the cerebral cortex (i.e. the brain or head). This is usually accomplished by shooting him in the head with a high-powered rifle, bashing his head in with a Louisville Slugger or crowbar, or if you happen to have a katana just lying around, chopping his head off. A chainsaw can also be used but that tends to be very messy and you can risk contaminating yourself. If you find yourself being chased by a horde of Zombies, explosives of just about any kind come in real handy. Just make sure you distance yourself from said explosion. You don't want to get blown up as well, unless of course you have been bitten. Lesson 5: Never, never, let a new person into your group with out first inspecting their person for any potential bites. Even if they seem fine, they could be hiding a bite and potentially change and put everyone in your party at risk. You do not want a new person coming into your group, changing, and then potentially killing an person in your party. If the new person does not want you to check them for bites, then you can rest assured that they are hiding a bite. Do not let them in! If you follow these simple rules you can survive a Zombiepocalypse. If I have left anything out feel free to let me know by leaving a comment!

***Note: This is in no way meant to be serious. In my weird sense of humor this is my way of making fun of the Doomsday prophecies for 2012 while having some fun with zombies.***

Just a short little rant...

Not every person in the south that carries a gun is a good for nothing redneck! People and their damned stereotypes! I am from the south (Georgia to be exact), I live in the country, I carry a gun and am very pro-gun. But I am also considered intelligent (when I am not being a complete ditz and making stupid mistakes... lol) The south is not full of stupid rednecks. It is not like Deliverance, people (Actually I have never seen the movie but I have heard about it). We are not full of racist bigots. And we are not all over-zealous religious fanatics. So stop with all the freaking downgrading and thinking we are all a bunch of idiots! I am proud to be from the South. We have good food, most of the time nice people, warm weather (no snow), and a lot to be thankful for. We have beautiful countryside, beautiful Manor houses, a rich history (good and bad), and we are very family oriented. There is nothing wrong with being from the south. Now if you people that are stereotyping would understand this then all would be gravy. In the same respect if you are not from a particular part of the country don't stereotype anyone. You wouldn't like it if someone stereotyped you based on where you are from. You know what? Thumper said it best. "If you can't say anything nice don't say anything at all." I know I can do the same thing and I am trying. I just expect the same of everyone else. But then I could be asking too much of people. I just think the world would be a better place if we could all set aside our differences and get along.

Misconceptions

I do not talk about my religion often, because I feel that it is my business and I do not want anyone condemning me for my beliefs. While I try to do this, I also find it very hard to sit idly by when people outright attack my religion (or anyone else's for that matter) when they seem to know nothing about the religion itself. How can someone honestly try to convert someone when they do not know anything about the religion of the person they are trying to convert. There are many religions that teach that you are supposed to convert people to your path as part of your worship. While my religion is not like this, I do respect that others are. [However I do not condone the killing of innocent people just because they do not believe in your particular path and that is something many religions are guilty of.] Those that are trying to convert people need to learn that there is a right way and a wrong way to do this. A Christian is not going to convince a Wiccan that their religion is wrong by telling them that they worship Satan and they are going to Hell for it. One, major reason for this is both Satan and Hell are Christian beliefs and a Wiccan does not believe in them. Two, scare tactics rarely work on any adult worth their weight in salt. Scaring someone into something only works on grade school children. Finally three, if you spout nonsense to a person that you know all about their religion based on what your religion teaches you are just showing everyone your ignorance.
I may not go out and attack a particular religion, but that does not mean that I agree with said religion. I may not openly practice my Pagan religion in front of everyone (because like I said it is between me and my creator) but that does not mean I don't love my religion and feel that it is best for me. There are reasons that I am Pagan, but I have not always been Pagan. I was raised a Christian, but I found myself in a crisis of faith I guess you would call it and ended up studying many religions before I found one that I felt was right for me. I did not just skim over other religions or choose to be Pagan because it was"trendy" amongst teens. I studied other religions in depth including other denominations of Christianity (because I was raised Baptist). I finally chose Pagan (which I know is a very broad term that can mean many different things) because I felt it was right for me. I did not choose it to spite anyone or try to convert everyone I saw. I chose it for me.
Many people of other religions try to convert people without knowing facts, telling people they are flat out wrong, or outright scare tactics. Can you not sit down and have a healthy debate with someone without resorting to all of that?
While I may not walk your particular path, that does not mean that you can tell me that I am wrong or worse. If you want to get down to the nitty gritty, I can probably tell you just as much about your religion as you can spout of yourself and you may even learn a few things in the process. I guess what I am trying to say is don't try and spout of things to me because I might just spout some things back at you that while they will be true you will not want to hear them. So if you do not agree with me about my religion that is fine. If you can have a healthy debate even better because I love healthy debate and we both might actually learn something. If you are going to resort to name calling, and so on and so forth just don't even bother with me

Good Girl

I've been a good girl today
I ate all my breakfast
I dressed myself
I used the potty all by myself
I wasn't too loud when you were sleeping
I colored in the lines
I washed my hands
I put all my toys away
I quietly watched t.v.
I didn't get in your way
I brought you a beer when you asked
I didn't get my dress dirty when I played outside
I let you watch the game

Daddy I've been a good girl
You told me if I was good you wouldn't hurt Mommy
You told me if I was good you wouldn't touch me there
You told me if I was good you would leave us alone
You told me if I was good I would make you happy

I was good today
Then why did you hurt me?
Why did you touch me in bad places?
Why do me and Mommy have boo-boos?
Why does Mommy cry?
Why do you always drink?
Why do you always yell?
Why won't you leave us alone?

Be a good Daddy or I will get the gun Mommy hid
Be a good Daddy or I will get the bullets
Be a good Daddy or I will load the gun
Be a good Daddy or I will point it at you
Be a good Daddy or I will pull the trigger

You weren't a very good Daddy
You hit Mommy
You touched my no-no places
You yelled
You drank

That is why I had to shoot you
I was a good girl
I didn't deserve what you did to me
I tried to be an angel
But you were a bad Daddy
And that's why you're dead
That's why me and Mommy are happy now

Nobody misses you
You were a bad Daddy
I was a good girl
Bad Daddy
Good Girl

**Note: I wrote this when I was in Highschool as entry for a contest for National Child Abuse Prevention Month which is every April.**

Our Soldiers

[Keep in mind that I can only speak of the United States because I do not know about the military procedures and laws in other countries]
I read an article this morning on Politics Daily. Basically it was about the fact that more women have died in this war (Iraq/Afghanistan) than any of the wars in the 5 previous decades. In my opinion it would stand to reason that more women have died in this war. For one there are more women in the Armed Forces now then there have been. Women feel more comfortable joining the military and they are able to do so now. Two this war is not a "front-line" war, it is more of a guerrilla war. That in itself will up casualties no matter the sex. The article in itself was well written and informative. There did not seem to be any bias in it what so ever.
That is until I got to the comments section. I saw many people using their freedom of speech (which I have no problem with) to spout utter nonsense. It seems that there are people out there who actually think that it is the soldier's choice to go to war or not. Yes, it is there choice to sign up for the military which is a major life change and I would suggest anyone considering it to be well informed before they join (and don't just take the recruiters word, because while they cannot out right lie to you their job is still to get you to join). Once a soldier joins the military, however, they have to do as they are told (there are extenuating circumstances such as CO status, medical reasons, and psychological reasons). They essentially have lost many of the rights that are granted to other citizens of the United States. The UCMJ (basically for civvies out there who do not know what that is it is simply the code of military justice or laws that a soldier has to abide by) has laws that while they do not apply to civilians do apply to soldiers. For instance last time I checked adultery was not illegal just frowned upon (because if it were illegal our prison population would be outrageous!). For the soldier, it is illegal. A soldier can not speak against the President (because that is his/her boss and in my opinion should have to follow the UCMJ as well but that is a rant for another day). Basically a soldier is property of the government (and as a funny side note if a person were to say break a soldier's nose in a bar fight did you know he could be charged with destruction of government property?).
Soldiers are held to a higher standard than the civilian world. Many civilians do not understand what a soldier goes through in their lifetime. These men and women not only protect us but they also protect people of other countries when it is needed. They help with clean ups of natural disasters around the world. We are sending men and women to fight and potentially die in conflicts all over the world (because if you think we only have troops in Iraq and Afghanistan you are sadly mistaken because last I checked we still have troops in Bosnia and Korea as well as others), but many of them can not even sit down and have a beer with you or me because they are not "old enough". Many of these soldiers come back from conflicts changed. They are not the same people they were when they left. When they do come home do they get support? It seems to me from the general public they don't get as much as they should. I mean there are people that protest at the funerals of soldiers. They get told that it is their fault because they chose this. Many don't think that these soldiers give up their lives for our freedoms and the freedoms of others. Many soldiers do not fight for themselves. They fight for you, me, their families, and those who can not fight for themselves. Whether or not you believe we should be in this war to begin with is a moot point. It is not the soldier's fault. If it were not for the soldier, you would not be able to spout your nonsense. If not for the soldier, you would have nothing.
I stand by our soldiers 100%. Whether or not I agree with a particular conflict a soldier garners my respect because of the fact that he/she lays his life on the line for my freedoms and will continue to do so in the future. Before you decide to down a soldier, remember what they give up. Remember while you don't think you need them now that there may come a day when you do. It is not the soldier's fault.
So thank a soldier and his family today for what they give up! Trust me they will appreciate it!

Apparently a definition is needed...

The following was taken from Merriam-Webster's on-line dictionary:

Main Entry: rac·ism
Pronunciation: ˈrā-ˌsi-zəm also -ˌshi-
Function: noun
Date: 1933
1 : a belief that race is the primary determinant of human traits and capacities and that racial differences produce an inherent superiority of a particular race
2 : racial prejudice or discrimination
— rac·ist -sist also -shist noun or adjective

Now I bet you are wondering why I posted the definition for racism. I was reading an article that was posted on an AOL sub-site (? is that what you would call it?) called Black Voices. (The actual website is bvblackspin.com). I understand why the article was written and to me the article was well written and addressed an important issue. What disturbed me, however, was the comments that were left on said article (as well as comments left on the website for previous articles). It seems to me that people in this country, of all colors, need to learn what the definition of racism is before they start spouting that something is racist.
A few months ago I commented on an article on the website, and a woman basically told me that "black people cannot be racist because racism is only against blacks". This pissed me off to no end! The woman who said this at first sounded like she was intelligent and could have a healthy debate with someone. Then those words popped up on the screen. I was literally floored. This woman honestly thought that the only racists in the world were white people. Someone please tell me where in that definition it says that. If you can find it then I will gladly admit that I am wrong, but I did go to school. I know how to read. I know how to use a dictionary. In every dictionary I have ever picked up it never says anything about which races it applies to.
This brings me to another point. Why is it called racism when a black person is discriminated against based on color, but when a white person is discriminated against it is called reverse-racism? If I am not mistaken reverse is one way of saying "the opposite of" So that would mean that reverse-racism would mean "the opposite of racism" which is not racism. That statement in itself is an oxymoron. Racism is racism period. No matter who it is against. Whether they are black, white, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, middle-eastern, Native American, or even an alien from Mars (I am sure that would bring a whole new issue of spec-ism).
I have noticed that people like to say that the problem with racism in this country got worse when President Obama took office, but that is not the case and those of you who think so are being a little bit naive. There has always been a problem with it. And when I say that I mean from all ends of the spectrum because white people have been on the receiving end as well. I believe that when President Obama took office, people just became more open with their feelings of racism. For some reason it became alright to express concerns based on race. Why is it all of a sudden okay?
Until everyone learns that anyone can be the victim of racism just as easily as they themselves can, the issue of racism will never be solved. Each race needs to understand that it is no better than the other. This should not be a problem at all. But then again, it might be asking too much of people.

Discrimination

The following is a conversation (in the comments section) on a local newspaper's article:

Posted by: questions-a-plenty at Jan. 7, 2010 at 11:23:42 pm

My only thinking was that if it was a white man that beat and stole a black lady's purse, it would be handled as a "hate" crime. But it seldomly goes the other way. Reverse discrimination??????

Posted by: DemonaCom at Jan. 8, 2010 at 1:36:22 am

There is no such thing as "reverse discrimination". The phrase in itself is oxymoronic. Reverse means "the opposite of or opposite direction" so the phrase "reverse discrimination" would mean "the opposite of discrimination" So what is the opposite of discrimination? Discrimination is discrimination no matter the color of any of the parties involved.

Posted by: MikeD90 at Jan. 8, 2010 at 9:56:16 am

DemonaCom: FOR YOUR INFORMATION: I got this quote from the Merriam Webster Disctionary
Aparently you are not as educated as you think. This has been a legitimate term since 1964.

Main Entry: reverse discrimination
Function: noun
Date: 1964
: discrimination against whites or males...

Posted by: DemonaCom at Jan. 8, 2010 at 1:07:53 pm

mike, For your information, Merriam-Webster has a lot of words and phrases that are not actually what they mean or even words to begin with. Slang terms and phrases run rampant. It is a language dictionary. "ain't" is not an actual word but it is still in the dictionary. Just because it is a "legitimate" (being in Merriam-Webster only means it is widely used) term does not mean it makes sense. I was saying that the phrase makes absolutely no sense because of what the words mean separately. And making the point that discrimination is discrimination. it should not matter the persons race, gender, or sexual orientation. There should not be separate meanings. I suggest you re-read my comment before you jump my case.

As far as educated, I never claimed to be you just made an assumption based on my comment.



I really love how he is "correcting" me when his spelling is atrocious. There are many slang terms in Merriam-Websters. It does not change the fact that many are oxymoronic or just plain stupid. Does any one else see the point I was trying to make or did I just not make it. I mean apparently this man thought that I was stupid because I don't spend my time reading Merriam-Webster's on line. I did go to elementary school. I know what the words reverse and discrimination mean separately. Why do you have to change the meaning of a word based on sex or race? Isn't that in itself discrimination? But apparently the point he was trying to make is that only women and minorities can be discriminated against. Whites and Men get "reverse-discriminated" against. Hmmm that in itself sounds a little sexist and racist to me. If I were a white male I would be ultimately offended. But then again according to this person I am not as educated as I think I am. Maybe I should go back to 5th grade and learn the definitions of reverse and discrimination again. Apparently this man that is not spelling words correctly is much smarter than I am. :(

You know what? I may not be the brightest crayon in the box, but I do know one thing. I know how to teach myself how to do things. If there is something I do not know or do not know how to do, I try to obtain the knowledge. I taught myself HTML web page design. I taught myself how to take apart and clean a carborator. I taught myself about many of the religions of the world (but then that is kind of a passion of mine). I have taught myself many things during my 25 years of life. Hell I even taught myself how to read when I was 2! I don't ever claim to be smarter than the next person, because I don't know them. But I am not stupid either. If I were stupid the last thing I would be doing is writing a blog. I wouldn't want to "advertise" my stupidity. But then again I might be doing just that.