I hate sequels

July 27, 2008 · Filed under: Thoughts.

What the hell is it with movie sequels nowadays? It seems that movies are getting two, three, sometimes four sequels just because they did good at the box office the first time. Take The Grudge, for example. It didn’t need a sequel in the first place, and now there’s a third one coming up. Shrek is getting a fourth movie, for what I don’t know. The ogre overcame all odds, got rid of the tyrannical king, got the princess, had babies… what’s left to discuss?! Everyone knows about the Saw franchise, so it shouldn’t surprise anyone that a fifth movie is in the works. When are they planning to stop? Saw XXV? For fuck’s sake, people, there’s no point to continue with a story that should have ENDED in the first movie!

It doesn’t surprise me, though. The Big Guys who take care of producing movies and financing projects are only interested in one thing: money. Who cares if five sequels ruin the original movie? As long as movie-goers keep paying, it doesn’t matter. And it’s so sad, because most of the sequels take away what could’ve been a good, sound, movie on its own. Shrek is a perfect example. The ending to the first movie was adorable, it brought closure… you could use your imagination and see Shrek living happily ever after. There’s absolutely no point to the other three sequels because to be honest, Shrek was doing just fine in my imagination.

And don’t get me started on Disney sequels and how pathetic they really are. It just bothers me how a classic could get ruined by a stupid sequel. Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Mulan are good examples. The sequels to those movies were so horrible I won’t even bother linking them. The less people know about them, the better. Writing this entry and starting to think about all these sequels just gave me a small migraine. I’m thinking cheesecake will cure that right up.

Have you seen any sequel to a movie that totally ruined the original movie for you?

Why I’ll Never Get Into Politics

July 18, 2008 · Filed under: Thoughts.

The more I read about politics and see it in the media, the more I realize it’s just not for me. Small local government seems okay, but running for president? No, thank you. Simply because to do so you have to:

  1. Sell your soul to the devil.
  2. Pucker those lips of yours to perform some major ass kissing.
  3. Have balls of steel for the inevitable attacks on your beliefs, patriotism, family, and faith.
  4. Be willing to walk over the necessary people to get to the top.
  5. Have a lot of money.
  6. Have a squeaky clean past.
  7. Be in control of what you say and do every hour of every day.
  8. Deal with the press.
  9. Deal with America.
  10. Deal with the um, World?

It’s just not my cup of tea. Being the president of the United States would be a wonderful opportunity to do some good, yes, but the system is so corrupted I wouldn’t waste my time. And then you have to clean up Bush’s mess, be constantly watched and compromised, deal with world issues and pretend to care, and all for $400,000 a year. I’d rather do other things like catch up on my DVR’s, brush my husband’s face, paint, read a book, and live my very simple (anonymous) life. At least I’d enjoy it.

No offense, but…

July 06, 2008 · Filed under: Thoughts. Online.

Thank you for your thoughts on the last entry. Whether you agreed with my opinion or not, I still appreciated all of your comments. Some of you stated that it’s impossible to be original online, and I agree with that idea somewhat, however, I still believe within our “web circle” it is very possible to be original and put a personal spin on things.

That’s not what this blog is about, however. In my last entry I received a comment that both surprised me and confused me:

“No offense and all but your a freak, I mean not to take too personal but the whole Hitler bs sort of annoys most Jewish people, and anyone who doesn’t judge by minority.”
- Casee

Let’s ignore the spelling real quick. Instead, I’d rather point out the fact that she began her statement (if you could call it that) with “No offense and all but...”

I have a few issues with this phrase:

  1. 9 times out of 10 the words that follow an introduction like “No offense, but” are offensive.
  2. What does “and all” mean, exactly? No offense and what? It’s almost like you’re saying “No offense and stuff” or “No offense and things.” Doesn’t make much sense.
  3. See #1.

I was surprised because my blog entry had nothing to do with Hitler. It was a blog about originality on the web, so I was surprised to see that Casee decided to comment on said entry instead of sending me an e-mail using the contact forms I worked so hard on integrating. Sigh, I’ll get over it.

I was also confused. Confused because she called me a freak and then went on to chastise me for judging minorities, but more confused by the phrase that preceded that “opinion”:

“I mean not to take too personal but ...”

Oh no, Casee, don’t you worry. Being called an intolerant bigot is really not something I take personally. What kind of person do you think I am?

“the whole Hitler bs sort of annoys most Jewish people, and anyone who doesn’t judge by minority.”

I’m assuming by “the whole Hitler bs” she’s actually talking about The Hitler Khronicles, a parody mini-site I created for lulz. I thought that was pretty obvious. I mean, the “site” is in between Bleeding Eyes and Thug Bangin’ for fuck’s sake. I’m not a jew hater and until now I’ve never gotten any e-mails or comments from anyone that is personally offended, especially not from a jew (Casee is not a jew). But maybe it’s not as obvious as I thought. In the future, I’ll preface the “mini-sites” section with a big fat disclaimer:

The following mini-sites: Pixelashuz, Bleeding Eyes, The Hitler Khronicles, Thug Bangin’, and Chillin’ in Eternity (even though this one has a little disclaimer of its own, I’ll still include it) are all parody sites and are in no shape or form meant to be offensive or taken seriously.

Since it doesn’t have a full disclaimer I take full responsibility. However, I have a little problem with you, Casee. You claim the following on your personal website:

“hates hitler, anti-semmies, etc.”

and

“another movement casee supports very dearly is anti-racism, casee hates, hates, hates, hates, and triple hates racism, and people who judge others by the colour of their skin, their religion, and beliefs, hair colour, and anything that involves prejudice behavior. i cannot even judge a racist hobo without first meeting the hobo. <3 casee.”

I commend you for hating racism and people who judge others for religion, hair colour, and being hobos. Many bloggers share your hate for racism and hair colour. Hell, 98% of my readers are against mean people. I don’t understand it, but there you have it.

You, however, have no problems jumping to conclusions, judging me, and calling me a freak. I think I can speak for my bird and myself that you need to work on your assumptions and overall attitude. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a disclaimer to draft.

Originality: Asking too much?

July 02, 2008 · Filed under: Thoughts. Online.

This blog has been a long time coming. I’ve been thinking about this topic for the past couple of weeks and never got to write about it because of everything else that was going on—moving servers, Fuse magazine, a new layout, new content, etc. Throughout all of that, however, this topic kept nagging at me. And regardless of the responses I get, I need to get it out there before I explode.

It’s practically common knowledge now (or at least, I hope it is) that most bloggers write to entertain or engage their visitors. Most bloggers like getting comments, and why wouldn’t they? Feedback is a sign of interest; an encourager of sorts. It is my personal belief that in order to get that feedback or response, bloggers will go out of their way to blog about topics they’re sure will warrant that response. Topics such as online drama, online pet peeves, “site reviews,” etc. There isn’t a problem with these topics per se. I, for one, love to read them myself, but my issue (if you could call it that) with it all is that: it’s all been done before.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve read articles on personal pet peeves, or an unrequested site review, or better yet, “behaviors” seen during drama. I have a few of those articles tucked away somewhere in this website, and other webmasters that have been in the game long enough have them as well. I guess it wouldn’t bother me so much if the bloggers who brought up these much-discussed topics would bring something new to the table. And I’m willing to admit that some have, but most haven’t. And that all boils down to originality. When bringing up these topics I hope it’s a new voice, a new idea, a new solution—give me something. If you’re going to write an article, give your readers something new, because more likely than not, your readers have read it all before, and if that’s the case what was the point of writing it in the first place?

This reminds me of a recent blog of mine that had been discussed before by a writer I consider better than myself. It was an honest accident, I seriously had no idea the topic had been discussed before, but had I done my research, I could’ve linked my visitors and be on my way, rather than spend an hour writing that blog. I’m glad I brought a few new points, and because of that I don’t see it as a complete waste of time, but it’s a small consolation in my eyes.

I try very hard to provide something new for my visitors, and if I have failed you in any way, please let me know, because although others might proclaim that their website is for “them”, that’s not my viewpoint at all. I have this website to share my thoughts, yes, but I want to share them with you. And frankly, I want to keep you. Not because this website is my life, or I have no other means to find a community of people, but because I like what I have here, the hard work I’ve put into it, and the little soapbox that I realize I have because of this website, along with the readers who comment and share their opinions right back.

My suggestion for the bloggers that seem to be scraping the barrel (and I very much understand that it’s probably not their intent—but the blogs and articles are still there): Stick to what you know best, find your voice, aim to bring something new to the table, write about something new and give it a personal twist, but more importantly, engage your readers and keep their interest because like I said before, chances are they’ve seen it all. Visitors are fickle beings. One day they’ll love your blog, and the next thing you know, they won’t return. And if you (like me) cherish those visitors and that small sense of community, you’ll realize that it’s too big a gamble, and too high a price.

Woes of Blogging

May 13, 2008 · Filed under: Thoughts. Online.

With this blog I’ve made the conscious decision to only talk about my personal life to an extent, and I have some reasons for that. Mainly, I like my privacy. But I also like to entertain. If I want to talk about more personal matters, I write about that in my livejournal because I can control who reads it, and I feel more comfortable with that. I make it a point to blog about things that other people can relate to or find interesting, because that’s what I like to read.

These past few months I’ve been blogging consistently, and without fail. To avoid being stumped I made a little list of Blog Topics that I keep in hand just in case I draw a blank or get writer’s block (every blogger’s nemesis), but there are days when I’m not up to talking about what’s on “The List” or I’m just plain lazy and would rather pull something out of my ass. Classy and thoughtful, that’s me. And lately, blogging has been hard a complete pain in the ass.

I have to be honest, sometimes I wonder why I blog. I sit here and doubt my purpose on the web and the future of this website. I wonder if anyone cares about what I have to say, if they enjoy what I write, and then I wonder how long I can pull this off. But then a few days will go by (or months, if it so happens I gave up and closed my website) and I start to get that itch to write. My head will start buzzing with all these thoughts and ideas and I’m almost forced to discard them somewhere. A part of me needs to write. I need this outlet. And yes, I especially like writing where an audience can read and a little community can begin to exist, because it makes it more meaningful and a lot more fun.

I’m sure some of you bloggers have been there, when you stare at the blank prompt and try to think of something witty, interesting, or relevant to say. When you face that blank prompt and are fresh out of ideas, what inspires you? Do you, like me, need this to keep your sanity? 

This Entry Has a Lot of Caps

April 18, 2008 · Filed under: Thoughts. Personal.

Listen here all of you muddauckas on the road (everyone): I’ve been driving for about 12 hours (doce, douze, dodici), and the last thing I want to deal with is your pathetic driving skills.

HOW THE HELL ARE YOU STILL DRIVING ON THE ROAD WITHOUT EXPERIENCING PAIN, A TICKET, OR DEATH!? JUST HOW.

ASLDJFLSDK. Twelve hours is way too long to be on the road.

Respect

March 23, 2008 · Filed under: Thoughts.

“Respect must be earned” is a phrase most of us have heard before, and something that should be put into practice as we go about our daily lives. It’s basic manners and common sense. Yet some people, specifically adults, don’t seem to realize its importance.

When I’m around adults I respect them by default, because I was raised to be a decent human being. However, this respect is not permanent; it exists only until the other person makes me think otherwise. And once that respect is lost, it takes a lot to earn it back. I don’t hold grudges, but I’m not a child, and if you want my respect you must treat me accordingly.

In my opinion, adults are basically teenagers trapped in an older person’s body, with responsibilities, assets, and a bit of experience. Age to me is nothing but a number. Some adults have a lot more growing up to do, and even those that don’t still have a lot to learn and experience. They’re no better or smarter than I—they’re just a couple of years older. So naturally, it irritates the hell out of me when they demand my respect without earning it. It irritates me even more when they’re rude, immature, or just plain assholes and still demand my respect, almost as if it’s expected.

I’m sorry, but if that’s the kind of game they’re into, the kind where they can act however they want and hide behind their “adult status”, then I refuse to play. And that goes for adults and people my age. There shouldn’t be a difference, and to me, there isn’t. We should all respect eachother regardless of age or status.

And if you’re not ready to join in this little game I like to call Manners And Common Decency, you’ll have to step the fuck aside. The grown ups have some things to discuss.

IMHO

March 10, 2008 · Filed under: Thoughts.

Fun fact: If you look up the phrase “in my opinion” on google you come up with about 39,400,000 hits. It’s a common phrase in the English language; even more common when people are discussing controversial topics. No one wants to state their claims as facts unless they really are, so sticking “in my opinion” in front of them makes it a little “safer” for a person to express their thoughts and beliefs without being attacked. Many people are smart about this, steering clear of being arrogant or pushy, but others? Not so much.

You see, although there are plenty of famous quotes and sayings when it comes to opinions ("Opinions are like assholes; everyone has one” being one of my personal favorites), I can’t seem to find anyone who states the obvious: Opinions can be wrong.

I can easily say: “In my humblest of opinions, Martin Luther King Jr. really was a woman in drag.” Now, no one can call me out on this and say that I am lying or incorrect, because it is an opinion and not a fact, but no matter how “opinionated” I am on the subject, it doesn’t make it true. Therefore, that entire sentence was a pointless waste of time, especially if I uttered it out loud in front of a group of people.

A couple of things that occur when people state their (very wrong) opinions:

Actually, the most important item in that list is in fact the first point—Loss of credibility. You lose that, and you lose whatever figurative leg you were standing on. So in reality, the other points are just consequences from the first. It irritates me when people state their opinions without giving them basis. If you’re going to discuss a controversial issue, make sure you have a reason for your opinion. If your opinion has no basis whatsoever, don’t waste my time. Do your research and then make conclusions based on said research. The important thing is not to just be opinionated, but also educated.

And really, this entire blog is a lot longer than it should be. I apologize, but my mind is everywhere today, and I’m too lazy to edit this post to make my thoughts more concise. 

The Moment of Truth

March 06, 2008 · Filed under: Thoughts.

Usually I don’t talk about television shows because nowadays they either a) completely suck, b) aren’t interesting/controversial enough to talk about, or c) don’t make for a good blog entry. But this particular show, The Moment of Truth, is another story. This show makes me want to throw things, punch babies, and repeatedly stab things. So yeah, I don’t watch it.

For those of you who’ve never seen or heard about this show here are some clips so that you can get the gist of the show. Basically, you have a contestant sitting on a chair strapped to a lie detector test, some family members/close friends sitting in the front row to watch the entire thing, cameras focused on pretty much everything, and a soft-spoken wanna-be psychologist/host that asks questions such as:

“Have you ever cheated on your husband/wife?”
“Do you regret having children?”
“Are you still in love with your ex?”
“Do you really care about the children in Africa?”
“Why did you come on this show for money, when whoring yourself out in some street corner is just as good?”

The last one is mine, but you get the idea. Some of the questions are very specific: it’s as if the show producers looked into every contestant’s past, relationships, family history, etc. The contestants then must tell the truth in order to continue getting money. Sounds like a riveting hour on television, no? Well not for me. I don’t know what part of this show bothers me the most—whether it’s the fact that some people have ruined their marriages as a result of some of the questions, or how ridiculous it is that people would actually sit in front of an audience and the world and admit/express their darkest secrets for money, or that despite all of this, most Americans can’t get enough of this show. And it seems that every week they try to push more buttons, add more ridiculous questions, and probe the contestants further with more “controversial” questions. Last night some lady broke down from some of the questions, and that clip was used to entice America to watch the week before.

If you want to make money, have some fucking dignity about it. Spare your family and friends the embarassment this show obviously will bring them. Not to mention, your character, reputation, and/or relationship(s) is on the line. When it comes to reality television, there are no rules, it seems. It’s now considered good entertainment to watch a person squirm, break down, and disappoint their closest family and friends, all for some cash. And it’s even more sickening to me that the show is almost #1 every week, and America tunes in to watch this entire situation go down. I’m over it.

Tri-Monthly Blogging

February 19, 2008 · Filed under: Thoughts.

I don’t know if I’m just irritable these past few days, or if Aunt Flo is coming for a visit, or if I’m just an irritable old bitch, but I have another little pet peeve from the internets that I can’t help but talk about. I. Must. Get. It. Out.

One of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to personal websites is bloggers who blog once every two or three months, maybe. They open their website, type up an entry, and then let it sit there. When I come upon a personal website, browse the latest blog, and realize that the entry date was somewhere back in August of 2007? I’m not impressed. I probably won’t return either. I’ll maybe look at the content (and most of the time, there isn’t any available because it’s just a blog) and peace out. I’ll also wonder if you’re safe or dead. Certainly not the best first impression. You haven’t only wasted your time, but mine. And if they’re being hosted, that’s even worse. The host is graciously handing over some of their space, and for what? An incomplete website? I think that’s hardly fair.

What’s the point of working hard on a website and never updating it? Doesn’t it seem like a complete waste of time and effort? If you’d like to vent and unload every few months, get a livejournal. It’s free, it’s got good user interaction, and more importantly, it’s friends-only. We all win! If you’re just interested in visitor content, take out the blog, but don’t forget to update and let your visitors know that 1) you’re not dead and 2) you’re working on the website. The content was obviously created to cater to a future visitor, but now that same visitor won’t be returning because they fear you have died. Or worse, “gotten a life” (more on that one later). Pointless.

It all boils down to laziness and procrastination, in my opinion. If bloggers do suddenly get busy with offline things (it does happen) or just lose interest, why not put up a little notice for that visitor that is stumbling into your website for the first time? Something like, “Hey, I’m not actually dead”, “Offline life has taken its toll, bbl!”, or even “I’ve moved to Livejournal so I don’t waste your time.” It’s courteous and thoughtful. I’ve seen some bloggers put their site on hiatus, leaving a notice of a future date to check back on (usually they don’t stick to the date, but hey, at least they’re trying). I think this is better than just letting your website (or plain ol’ blog) to just sit there and rot.

I know it’s trivial, this little pet peeve of mine, but that’s why it’s a pet peeve. It felt good to let that out.

Re: Striving to be Better

February 14, 2008 · Filed under: Thoughts.

I must say I did not expect my previous blog to get the response it got. I was a little apprehensive about writing my thoughts on that particular “subject’ (and they were my personal thoughts, for future reference) because I feared people would misinterpret what I said, be told I took things too seriously, and/or be told that “Websites are for fun, you can’t tell people what to do!”

Needless to say, I was told all those things and more.

This blog was going to be another Interesting Links post, but I thought—Oh what the hell, let’s clear the air. I’ll be responding to most of the comments I got on my last entry, because I got some interesting ideas and comments and it only makes sense to respond to them here, where it’s appropriate.

[...] I know I’m always trying to brush up my skills too. x_x (Even though they’re mostly in the coding arena so it’s background work no one can see and appreciate. :( ) - Rilla

Even if no one can see it, you’re still trying, and that’s all that matters. You’re making a conscious decision to make sure your website stands at its best, which was my entire point.

[...] I guess, it all depends on what you need your website for. Some just want o showcase their offline work/life… others (like you) consider the website so much more. - Vera

I wasn’t really gearing my blog towards people that blog. I don’t look at writers as webdesigners. It’s not the same as if someone were to say “I love webdesign!” but they never work to get better at it.

I don’t think actually “being better” at web design/coding is the important part, but rather the trying. You can copy and paste valid syntax, you can pretend you have an ounce of talent in photoshop all you like - these things take seconds to demonstrate. It’s the actual getting up, having a go, changing your code, trying out new stuff - all of that matters, whether or not the person “fails” in the end. - Jem

You expressed it a lot better than I did. I agree, it’s all in the trying. However, people that try get better over time. I believe coding and design is all trial and error, and you learn from those. After 2+ years of owning a website and trying, I expect improvement. Of myself, mostly.

Sometimes though, it’s a bit hard to let go on your old habits and try something new, like in my case, it takes me ages to decide to try a new navigation style. Sometimes the changes are really about your mark up and coding skills, and like Rilla said, it goes almost unnoticed. All in all, we have to strive to be better, and that implies every aspect of our website and life. - Regina

I agree. I always find myself getting stuck with a particular style I like, so sometimes I have to force myself out of it and try something new. Nine times out of ten I like it better. And yes, we do have to strive to be better online and off—otherwise, what’s the point?

I agree - I just don’t see the point to it. If I was the same as I was four years ago I’d still be using Microsoft Frontpage and Tahoma size 8pt. Change… change is good. - Matt

Oh I agree. I think about the layouts that were all the rage in 2003 and I cringe.

I disagree.  I don’t believe you need to “improve” your skills to enjoy designing.  Some people believe they have reached their peek in design and don’t want to bother furthering their knowledge in HTML and CSS.  Of course, I have learned my fair share over time, but some people don’t feel the need to, nor do they have the time (in some situations). It all falls back on doing what you enjoy. - Brandi

I never said you needed to improve your skills to enjoy designing. I said people who claim to love webdesign and don’t feel the need to improve is ridiculous. If you’re an artist, you won’t be using the same tools you used last year. There are constantly new tools, techniques, and styles coming out. I don’t understand why people who claim to love webdesign would just let themselves stop learning. “Don’t bother furthering their knowledge”—Are you a real webdesigner then? If you don’t want to learn any more? I haven’t really thought about it, but it doesn’t sound good any way I put it. Again, being a writer doesn’t make you a designer.

I think I always try to improve, but the effort and even success aren’t always obvious. But as long as I know that I’m doing my best, then I’m satisfied :) I’d like to see some of your old designs or content! - Kaylee

I might do this in another blog post. Give you guys some lulzy past designs/layouts.

What I hate is people too stubborn to grow and realize that what they are doing is kind of obsolete for a reason.  Example:  Tiny text layouts.  It is especially annoying when people are all stuck-up over their outdated sites. - J

Those were the people I was thinking of when I wrote the post, actually. People who scream they love webdesign and call themselves webdesigners and are still stuck in 2001.

Ummm… can we say, “hobby.” For some people, like me, that is all web design is: it’s a hobby.  I do it for fun, and I would rather not have other web designers breathing down my necks because my website isn’t 2.0 or some crap like that.  It’s just something I do for fun.- Kimmie

Lol. Ummmmm… can we say “defensive much”? Webdesign is a hobby, of course. We don’t get paid to do this. I wonder: what web designers have been breathing down your neck lately? You seem a little bitter. “Because my website isn’t 2.0 or some crap like that”—... Do you feel 2.0 is crap? I happen to like the 2.0 look. It’s sophisticated, accessible, and it’s a step up from the usual.

I also have a life beyond the web: jewelry, scrapbooking, reading, dungeons and dragons, warhammer 40k, video games, school, work, etc.  So if I don’t spend all of my free time on my website, you’ll have to forgive me, nor do I want your pity.  Quite frankly, I don’t care about how a site looks as long as it is readable, navigable, and has quality content that I enjoy reading. But since you want your website to stand as it’s best: here’s a fantastic web design tip.  Make your comment text box the same width as the actual posted comment.  This way people don’t need to use the preview button, not that it works anyway. - Kimmie

Expression Engine does the Preview thing. I just insert the code. I’m sorry if it doesn’t work, I’ll try to fix that.

What really got me about this comment is how personal it seems. Hey Kimmie, for your information, this blog wasn’t geared towards you. It wasn’t a personal attack, and as such you shouldn’t feel so defensive or agressive towards what I wrote. I’m not claiming to be better than anyone - I was expressing my opinion. If you don’t agree with it, respectfully express your thoughts or shut the fuck up.

P.S. Check out Neonglow MB! It’s sexy.

Striving to be better

February 11, 2008 · Filed under: Thoughts. Online.

If there is anything that irritates the hell out of me is webmasters that own websites for 2+ years, claim they “love webdesign,” and yet they have never taken the time to refine their skills, learn more, and really just get better. Their current layout looks no better than the first layout ever created, their content is stagnant, and there isn’t any improvement to be found anywhere on their website. With all the resources available nowadays and all the different upgrades and services available for personal websites, how can people not improve?! I really don’t understand it.

I take pride in my website. I take pride enough that I always try my best to improve it, make it better, and work on my webdesign skills overall. I read articles on HTML and CSS, I look at Photoshop tutorials to improve my skills, I try to implement “services” to better aid my visitors (RSS feeds, for example), etc. I’m always trying to stay up to date.

Lately I’ve been discovering websites where it seems the owners either learn as much as they need to know and keep rehashing the same stuff over and over, or they fall back in their skills instead of moving forward. Neither is acceptable for me. This is my personal website, and I care enough about it to make sure it stands at its best.

It’s a pity others don’t feel the same way.

Time For a Good Ass Kicking

February 06, 2008 · Filed under: Thoughts.

The Westboro Baptist Church is a hate group masquerading as a Christian church. Led by the Rev. Fred Phelps, the misguided members of this church target homosexuals and a range of others with messages of hate. [...] The time has come to turn the tables. Let us all gather in one place, at one time to (peacefully) show Phelps and his church that freedom of speech works both ways.—Million Fag March

This isn’t a “gay event” for all the gays to congregate and picket—this is for everyone. You bet your sweet ass if I had the money I’d fly over to Kansas and join these brave people.
This isn’t the first time I’ve heard about the WBC. I found their hate site (one of many, actually) about two years ago and I was so shocked. And then shock turned into anger. And then anger turned into hate. I can honestly say, without a doubt in my mind, that I hate these people.

I can’t stand the way they manipulate the law to fulfill their goals. I can’t stand the way they get interviewed on the news and attempt to defend their hate and make others understand. I understand alright. I understand very well that this church is a church of hate, a church that picks out bible verses to stand behind, but ignores all of the others. I understand they don’t practice any core christian beliefs. They’re too busy hating and bashing.

It’s obvious these people are brainwashed, and I wouldn’t care as much if it wasn’t for the fact they go out of their way to preach their beliefs in the worst places. Abortion clinics and funerals for our fallen soldiers, funerals in general, gay parades, the Amish… I could go on. These places are not places to picket your “beliefs”. But there is good news. A distraught father of a soldier stood up to these bastards, took them to court using the very law they stand behind, and won. The WBC had to finally pay up.

It’s not over, however. I hope to see lots of people at this rally, fighting against the WBC and all that they stand for. I hope we get as much, if not more, press coverage than the WBC does so that more people pay attention. Even though I can’t physically make it to the rally, I’ll be there in spirit, fighting alongside for what’s right. And we should all do the same.

GTFO MY TV.

January 26, 2008 · Filed under: Thoughts.

I am so sick of commercials on weight loss. Especially when they advertise that you can lose tons of weight doing absolutely nothing.

Lose weight without exercise!
Lose weight eating everything you love!
Lose weight while sitting on your ass!
Lose weight while you nap!
All you need is the Fat Killer Magic Pill and 12 weeks of meals, yours with only 42 easy payments of $35.95!

Usually the commercials show some before and after photos with people testifying to the magic that is _______. But the thing is, you don’t know what the hell you’re looking at in the first place. The person is so far away from your television, you can’t make out if it’s really them in the picture (which is the intent, obviously). Plus, I’ve seen the magic of Photoshop, so I’m a huge skeptic when it comes to the magic transformations these people go through. Not only that, you don’t know if these people are paid fitness models or just random people found in some gym. Then they have the lovely fine print at the bottom (illegible, of course) telling you that “Results vary,” and “Results not typical.” Well what the hell?

It’s not the fact that people actually buy into this bullshit that pisses me off. What pisses me off is that Americans nowadays would do anything but actually put forth some effort to achieve a healthier lifestyle. They want everything super fast, super easy, no actual work involved, but amazing results all the same. God forbid they actually get off their lazy asses and take a walk around their neighborhood or try a gym. God forbid they actually eat healthy instead of stalking their nearest fast food restaurant. No, they literally want to have their cake and eat it too. “I want that 900 calorie chocolate mousse cake and a slim waist.” Not only is that mindset stupid and ignorant, it’s also fucking irritating to have to watch commercial after commercial feeding me the same crap.

Thank god most of these pills and diets don’t work. I can’t even blame the diet industry for taking advantage of these people. You don’t want to work for what you want? You want things easy, quick, and with magical results? Fine by me. Get jipped for all you’re worth; you deserve it. Just gtfo my television.

Resident Evil Done My Way

January 19, 2008 · Filed under: Thoughts.

Earlier today I watched Resident Evil: Extinction, the last movie from the trilogy. A little summary for those of you who’ve never heard of this badass series:

A special military unit fights a powerful, out-of-control supercomputer and hundreds of scientists who have mutated into flesh-eating creatures after a laboratory accident. After an outbreak in a top-secret facility, Umbrella ponders on covering up their mistakes by releasing the deadly Nemesis to eliminate surviving STARS members in Raccoon City. Survivors of the Raccoon City catastrophe travel across the Nevada desert, hoping to make it to Alaska.

Now I have to admit that the term “Raccoon City” gave me a serious case of the lulz, but I got over it once the action started, and it starts pretty quickly in this movie. The third (and last, I believe) movie deals with the last sentence up there. The zombies, or the “undead,” have been frolicking around Earth, killing everything in their path, and spreading the virus worldwide. Survivors from the outbreak are on the run, because if anyone stops to god forbid, take a leak, the undead show up to break up the little party.

There were a few moments where my sister and I went “WTF?!” but it was really good, if you like that sort of thing. Anyway, while watching the movie I got to thinking… What would I do if I were stuck in that entire scenario? What if I was traveling along with the rest of the survivors to Alaska, the only place that apparently is “not infected”? How would I prepare? Would I ask this many rhetorical questions?

So I thought about it, and came up with a few ideas.

If there ever was a zombie outbreak, I would notice pretty quickly. Unlike the rest of my family, or hell, the entire city I live in, I read and/or watch the news. This would give me a head start and I’d have more time to prepare and plan my escape. First thing I would do? Call up everyone I didn’t like and/or was a waste of life, and ask them to gather in one specific area. I would lure these people with promises of candy or a country-styled buffet and wait for them to arrive. Once they were all grouped up, I would give the zombies a little hook up, distracting them long enough for my brown ass to make an escape.

Once I got my head start, I would quickly find a very old Volvo to hot wire. For two reasons. One, my current Toyota Corolla is a piece of shit (no offense to those of you who drive Corollas, really) and wouldn’t last long against vicious animals who won’t die. Two, old Volvos are made of metal, so if I were ever to run into a flesh eating beast, I’d be able to run them over and crash into a building without hurting myself too much. I still don’t know where I’d learn how to hot wire a car, but this is all hypothetical anyway.

Then I would arm myself with some kickass weaponry. I know a friend who’d lend me some really tubular offensive weapons, a sai and some flesh-slicing letter openers, so in that area I’m covered. I’d hit up my grandfather back in my hometown and borrow a machete. Getting a gun wouldn’t be a problem; I live in the ghetto after all. And I’d probably borrow a taser from my neighbor who’s a local policeman. All of these ass saving weapons would be stored in my handy rolling luggage, because fuck carrying all of that shit while trying to haul ass away from flesh eating monsters.

Food would not be a problem. I’d just talk to a few of my friends, Terrell, DJ Nasteh, Lil’ Tyrese, and Shyrone to hit up the local Wal-Mart. I’d stock up on some chicken noodle soup, sunflower seeds (a little goes a long way), a couple of snickers bars, and some orange juice. If I ever ran out, I’d hit up some local convenience stores once the zombies took over the world, since they don’t need food so I have nothing to compete with. Now that I think about it, a zombie outbreak wouldn’t be so bad. I mean, free food? Can I get a fuck yeah?

As far as clothing goes, I’d take after the main character and strap on a bullet proof vest, some itty bitty shorts, a tank top, and army boots. I’d make a little harness with duct tape to put in my totally ass kicking offensive weapons. I’d borrow my mother’s fanny pack to store the bullets, first aid kit, and germ gel, because you must always be prepared when zombies take over the world.

Given the preparations I’ve listed above, I’d probably last… about a week? Maybe two? But hey, it sure beats being you and getting eaten alive on my couch or worse, falling for a “country-styled buffet.”

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