I have brought this post over from our sister blog, The Aggregate Universe to help with the announcement of our new site and url. Read up and let follow us over to the new place.. see ya there!
We have finally got the site up and running at our new domain.
www.diversebydesign.net
We do not have much there yet, as I just wanted to get the site up so people can start bookmarking and checking back for changes and updates. We are also moving from the Blogger format to Wordpress as this gives us much more control over the coding of the site and its pages, since we will actually have multiple pages now too.
We are also in the process of merging this blog with our other blog Consistent Conjecture and with our business model of Diverse By Design. With that we handle our web writing jobs and other projects. So the plan is to merge everything into one place. Why run three different sites to help manage and promote three different things when we can just do it all from one place? It makes much more sense to me to do it that way anyway.
Hopefully we will start to see you all around the site soon. Spread the word and come and visit. I know there is not much there now, but bookmark the site or make note of the URL because changes will be coming, just be patient. What we are going through now is a ton of work. We will get it done, just takes a bit of time so bear with us.
Thanks for remaining patient, we look forward to bringing you all the quality information you are all used to.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
Jay Cutler, His Knee, and the Bears Season That Was..
"We almost made it!"
That was the sound coming from my 11 year old son last night as we said goodnight to each other. He, like many other Chicago Bears fans, were saddened by the loss to the Packers in the NFC Championship Game. However at the same time, happy to have gotten this far. And that is the message I tried to give to my son. We may not have won the whole thing, or had the chance to, but at least we made it as far as we did. And for a Bears team that was expected to only reach a possible 7-9 record and possibly lose their coach due to a firing mid-season, this is a win.
Many fans this Monday morning will be upset about the Cutler debacle. How he was pulled from the game because of a knee injury that had even other players around the league shocked. Upset about his mannerisms on the sidelines as he walked back and forth on his supposedly injured knee. Or how he seemed so dis-interested in the happenings on the field for the last quarter of play. But aside from all that, I must stress, we made it to the NFC Championship game!
Nobody expected Chicago to get that far. Even 2 weeks ago when the Bears were in the midst of losing to the very same Packers team during the last game of the season. The Packers needed to win that game to make the playoffs. The Bears, not so much. They already clinched their spot and could care less about the outcome of that game. But even then, people around the league doubted the strength of the Bears. Even then people around the league scoffed at the team that had made it that far on what was being called "a lucky season". Even then, I was happy to have made it that far.
The Bears continued to surprise. Even at the end of this losing effort on the cold lakefront of Chicago. When all hope seemed lost and Todd Collins came in for an injured Cutler and just stank up the place. When all seemed ready to implode, an energetic Caleb Hanie, the 3rd string QB, came into the game and breathed some life into the team that was mentally at home soaking in the hot tub. number 12 brought a spark to the game and almost gave us Bears fans hope. He almost had us all thinking, we could possibly win this thing.
Of course it was not meant to be, but the dream was there. It was alive, if only for a moment. And this is why I must say, we should be happy we made it this far. A season in which we were lucky to not have suffered any major injuries. A season in which it seamed luck was always on our side. A season in which the whole NFL had counted out the team from Chicago. Even then, we have to be happy we made it this far. Even then, we have to be happy to be a Bears fan!
That was the sound coming from my 11 year old son last night as we said goodnight to each other. He, like many other Chicago Bears fans, were saddened by the loss to the Packers in the NFC Championship Game. However at the same time, happy to have gotten this far. And that is the message I tried to give to my son. We may not have won the whole thing, or had the chance to, but at least we made it as far as we did. And for a Bears team that was expected to only reach a possible 7-9 record and possibly lose their coach due to a firing mid-season, this is a win.
Many fans this Monday morning will be upset about the Cutler debacle. How he was pulled from the game because of a knee injury that had even other players around the league shocked. Upset about his mannerisms on the sidelines as he walked back and forth on his supposedly injured knee. Or how he seemed so dis-interested in the happenings on the field for the last quarter of play. But aside from all that, I must stress, we made it to the NFC Championship game!
Nobody expected Chicago to get that far. Even 2 weeks ago when the Bears were in the midst of losing to the very same Packers team during the last game of the season. The Packers needed to win that game to make the playoffs. The Bears, not so much. They already clinched their spot and could care less about the outcome of that game. But even then, people around the league doubted the strength of the Bears. Even then people around the league scoffed at the team that had made it that far on what was being called "a lucky season". Even then, I was happy to have made it that far.
The Bears continued to surprise. Even at the end of this losing effort on the cold lakefront of Chicago. When all hope seemed lost and Todd Collins came in for an injured Cutler and just stank up the place. When all seemed ready to implode, an energetic Caleb Hanie, the 3rd string QB, came into the game and breathed some life into the team that was mentally at home soaking in the hot tub. number 12 brought a spark to the game and almost gave us Bears fans hope. He almost had us all thinking, we could possibly win this thing.
Of course it was not meant to be, but the dream was there. It was alive, if only for a moment. And this is why I must say, we should be happy we made it this far. A season in which we were lucky to not have suffered any major injuries. A season in which it seamed luck was always on our side. A season in which the whole NFL had counted out the team from Chicago. Even then, we have to be happy we made it this far. Even then, we have to be happy to be a Bears fan!
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Facebook Now Criminal Evidence
We all log on to our favorite social network sites and share our world with those we keep close to us. We look forward to seeing what they are sharing. And with the occasional "oddball" post thrown in, we generally have a good time keeping up with friends, acquaintances, and professional contacts alike. But it seems that Facebook in particular has been seen as a way to criminalize certain actions.
There are a pair of girls in Estero Florida have learned all too well that people are taking this so-called Cyber-Bullying very seriously. They never thought that when they pulled this prank on Facebook that they would be charged as criminals. Not only that, but that they would be charged with a FELONY! That is a major deal. This is something that is now going to follow these girls for life and possible stop them from having a normal life at all.
Are we taking these things too far? I am sure that the girl who was deemed the "victim" in this situation does not think so. After all, she was the one getting picked on. But was this anything different then has happened since the dawn of time in schools? We all know that kids can be mean and cruel. We all know that in high school, teasing and bullying take on a whole new life simply because the kids are now older and have much more mature ways of picking on one another. What makes any of this different than what we may have experienced or seen going through school is the addition of the Internet.
Now that Facebook and other such web sites have become such the social norm, more and more people will see what is posted on the sites. When the whole of the world can see what someone is saying about you, I'm sure it stings a bunch more than if just the five kids sitting at your lunch table see or hear it. That is just it. It is the enormity of it all that has people reeling.
We can all understand the hurt that takes place when one person picks on another. These two Florida girls did supposedly take it to another level. What they did was to create a Facebook page pretending to be the girl they were picking on. On this page, and acting as the victim, they eluded to being willing to perform sexual acts and posted pictures of nude girls with the victims face edited onto the photos. Surely, this was very hurtful to the girl who was the target of the bullying.
So how far do we take this? We all know that this kind of action does hurt another person when almost everyone in the surrounding area can see what is being said. But that is the difference here, it is the enormity of it all. Because in my mind this really is no different than someone taking a piece of notebook paper, drawing a lifelike picture of the victim and putting her phone number on it and taping it to the school walls. This can be likened to taking the victims photograph and taping the cutout of another photo onto it and making the end result look like something out of a sick porno movie. All of these actions would surely be considered bullying and would surely hurt the intended target. But because Facebook reaches so many more people it is considered a crime.
We all understand that certain people are more sensitive than others. We all know at least one or two people who in the time we have known them have shown us that they cannot take light personal attacks or jokes. We attribute their being upset and possibly hurt to just being overly sensitive. In time, they heal. All wounds do. So why it it that in these cases society looks upon the situation as never ending? Or that the person being picked on cannot be healed or cured of their pain? Instead two girls who initiated the prank are being charged with a felony. Something that will surely follow them forever. When the pain of the bad jokes goes away in say 10 years, the girls who pulled the pranks and made the Facebook pages will still not be able to get a job because of the felony on their record.
Do not get me wrong. I do not think in any way what they did was a good thing or should be applauded. What they did was deplorable and mean. There are a million ways that we can all describe what the girls did as an evil deed. For sure. However, the punishment is by far too extreme. They should indeed be punished somehow for their acts. And I do not begin to pretend at all that I have the knowledge to know the best way this can be accomplished. But I do know that to put them in jail, charge them with a felony and make them go through the court proceedings and everything that it entails is just wrong. It is taking it way too far.
I chose not to name either the victim or the transgressors because I don't feel who they are personally is the story here. The story is the law and how far this has been taken since the charges have been brought. Every news channel that tells the story cuts in a short video of the police chief or spokesman for the Lee County Police stating how much of a crime this is. But I beg to differ.. is this really a crime? Aside from someones feelings being hurt, can we consider this a real crime? Or better yet, can we feel good about calling this a felony? That is hard to swallow, it really is.
There are a pair of girls in Estero Florida have learned all too well that people are taking this so-called Cyber-Bullying very seriously. They never thought that when they pulled this prank on Facebook that they would be charged as criminals. Not only that, but that they would be charged with a FELONY! That is a major deal. This is something that is now going to follow these girls for life and possible stop them from having a normal life at all.
Are we taking these things too far? I am sure that the girl who was deemed the "victim" in this situation does not think so. After all, she was the one getting picked on. But was this anything different then has happened since the dawn of time in schools? We all know that kids can be mean and cruel. We all know that in high school, teasing and bullying take on a whole new life simply because the kids are now older and have much more mature ways of picking on one another. What makes any of this different than what we may have experienced or seen going through school is the addition of the Internet.
Now that Facebook and other such web sites have become such the social norm, more and more people will see what is posted on the sites. When the whole of the world can see what someone is saying about you, I'm sure it stings a bunch more than if just the five kids sitting at your lunch table see or hear it. That is just it. It is the enormity of it all that has people reeling.
We can all understand the hurt that takes place when one person picks on another. These two Florida girls did supposedly take it to another level. What they did was to create a Facebook page pretending to be the girl they were picking on. On this page, and acting as the victim, they eluded to being willing to perform sexual acts and posted pictures of nude girls with the victims face edited onto the photos. Surely, this was very hurtful to the girl who was the target of the bullying.
So how far do we take this? We all know that this kind of action does hurt another person when almost everyone in the surrounding area can see what is being said. But that is the difference here, it is the enormity of it all. Because in my mind this really is no different than someone taking a piece of notebook paper, drawing a lifelike picture of the victim and putting her phone number on it and taping it to the school walls. This can be likened to taking the victims photograph and taping the cutout of another photo onto it and making the end result look like something out of a sick porno movie. All of these actions would surely be considered bullying and would surely hurt the intended target. But because Facebook reaches so many more people it is considered a crime.
We all understand that certain people are more sensitive than others. We all know at least one or two people who in the time we have known them have shown us that they cannot take light personal attacks or jokes. We attribute their being upset and possibly hurt to just being overly sensitive. In time, they heal. All wounds do. So why it it that in these cases society looks upon the situation as never ending? Or that the person being picked on cannot be healed or cured of their pain? Instead two girls who initiated the prank are being charged with a felony. Something that will surely follow them forever. When the pain of the bad jokes goes away in say 10 years, the girls who pulled the pranks and made the Facebook pages will still not be able to get a job because of the felony on their record.
Do not get me wrong. I do not think in any way what they did was a good thing or should be applauded. What they did was deplorable and mean. There are a million ways that we can all describe what the girls did as an evil deed. For sure. However, the punishment is by far too extreme. They should indeed be punished somehow for their acts. And I do not begin to pretend at all that I have the knowledge to know the best way this can be accomplished. But I do know that to put them in jail, charge them with a felony and make them go through the court proceedings and everything that it entails is just wrong. It is taking it way too far.
I chose not to name either the victim or the transgressors because I don't feel who they are personally is the story here. The story is the law and how far this has been taken since the charges have been brought. Every news channel that tells the story cuts in a short video of the police chief or spokesman for the Lee County Police stating how much of a crime this is. But I beg to differ.. is this really a crime? Aside from someones feelings being hurt, can we consider this a real crime? Or better yet, can we feel good about calling this a felony? That is hard to swallow, it really is.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Bully Claims Another Life? Say It Aint So!
Teens all over America seem to be dropping like flies. They are hanging themselves, leaving the car running in the garage with all the windows closed, and finding other ways to end their so-called suffering.
I have to wonder however, how much of this is justified and how much of this is the product of something else. Can it be that bullies today are just so much meaner than in days past? Or is it that we have just allowed our children to become too super-sensitive and as such to prone to attack? And how much of this is just a product of today's society not knowing how to handle face-to-face interactions because of the Facebooks of the world and how our teens do not have the needed social skills to get along with each other in the real world?
I will admit that the deaths and suicides have become the center of attention, as they should be. Is the press heading up too much of the battle-cry? Can this be a result of something that would have otherwise gone away on it's own, but because of media involvement it had grown into something more than it should have been? I do not think the media is to blame for this whole thing "blowing up". However I do believe they are partly responsible for it gaining national attention and bringing some of the things that happen in small town rural America to the forefront.
Sports team hazing. Picking on the new kid. Picking on the nerds or the weird kids. These are things that have happened in elementary schools and high schools for at least as long as I was going through such grades. Personally I was lucky. Although I was a "nerd" I was also at times a "jock" and even spent time in the "burnout" classification. And I was a very outgoing individual, so I never got picked on. But I have seen much of what happens to those who do, and at times it can be downright cruel. And maybe that is part of the reason.. the cliques that we all find ourselves being part of or classifications that we tend to put on people.
In speaking with my daughter, a 7th grader in an affluent western Chicago suburb jr. high school, she says the bullying is not too bad. In part because the school does spend a large portion of time trying to educate the students on the possible dangers. She said the school consistently gives them bully related tasks. For example they had to write a 500 word essay recently on the effects of bullying. Then a week prior to that they had to complete a survey and then they had an assembly. So it is evident to me that at least around here, they take bullying seriously and they try to prevent it as much as they can.
In the past there was always somebody who would be the kid to pick on. Generally it is always the same type of individual. They are the kids who just don't fit in for whatever reason. What I have found in talking to my kids and from my past experiences, they are the kids who are interested in something different than the norm. Let's say they are interested in the history of World War 1. And for anyone else that would be ok. This is not something that gets kids picked on. But what makes the distinction between that kid getting picked on and that kid not getting picked on is how intensely he/she gets involved in their WW1 history in this case. Does the kids run around at recess pretending to be a WW1 soldier while everyone else plays soccer? Or will the kid at lunch do nothing but discuss the horrors of trench warfare while all the other kids at the table talk about their upcoming school events such as a football game or dance, etc..
When a kid starts to alienate themselves by acting in such a manner they then become the weird kid. The other kids around them just cannot understand why they would be caring about some odd subject when the rest of the kids in the group discuss something that they all have in common. It is the kid that is the oddball or the odd man out.
This is often what can start the other kids picking on the "weird one". And once it starts it does not stop. Mostly because at that point peer pressure will kick in. If Billy is picking on Tommy, why are you not doing it too? That scenario occurs more often than not. It all usually snowballs from that point. And then we start to get into how the child is prepared or not prepared to handle such a situation. Are they too overly sensitive? Or is the bullying just too strong? There are many factors that come into play here, and they are the same things that have happened in the cases of children around America that could not handle the bullying anymore and wound up killing themselves.
I do not mean to make light of that situation by any means. It is NEVER a funny thing to see someone who has to deal with the loss of a child, a friend, a cousin, or a grandchild. It is a very sad outcome indeed. How some of these families find the strength to deal with this I will never understand. If this was to happen to me or my kids I don't think I would handle it with such grace.
Have our children become too overly sensitive? In some cases I would have to agree. Facebook and other such social sites have served to sort of block the real life social networks that used to exist. People are now learning to communicate without the face to face interaction. This has made some people lose the ability to recognize facial reactions to what is said or to read body language. So in cases where they might have stopped talking in a mean way because they notices a frown develop on the face of the person they were speaking to, that does not happen now. You cannot see the face of someone you insult on the Internet.
Losing this ability to interact in person does sometimes make people unable to react in person and therefore they shy away from real life interactions and become sensitive to things that are said and actions that are taken, simply because they do not have the real world experience to rely upon.
I think the bully education we have started in schools is a positive action. We must also start showing people how to react and interact in person as well. It is not a good situation when people only go outside to go to and from school and the rest of their communication is done with a keyboard only. Get your kids involved in sports or groups or clubs. Anything that forces them to see real people in person as much as possible. This will also give them the opportunity to learn how others act and see how they react to certain situations.
Our children to day are smarter and more technically inclined than ever before. This is a very good thing and something we should embrace. But if this bullying and social impotence continues it will turn it into a negative and we stand a chance to lose that in future generations. Effectively making us take a couple steps back as a society. Keep our children interacting with each other in person and the Internet interaction will still happen, but as a secondary option. As it should be.
I have to wonder however, how much of this is justified and how much of this is the product of something else. Can it be that bullies today are just so much meaner than in days past? Or is it that we have just allowed our children to become too super-sensitive and as such to prone to attack? And how much of this is just a product of today's society not knowing how to handle face-to-face interactions because of the Facebooks of the world and how our teens do not have the needed social skills to get along with each other in the real world?
I will admit that the deaths and suicides have become the center of attention, as they should be. Is the press heading up too much of the battle-cry? Can this be a result of something that would have otherwise gone away on it's own, but because of media involvement it had grown into something more than it should have been? I do not think the media is to blame for this whole thing "blowing up". However I do believe they are partly responsible for it gaining national attention and bringing some of the things that happen in small town rural America to the forefront.
Sports team hazing. Picking on the new kid. Picking on the nerds or the weird kids. These are things that have happened in elementary schools and high schools for at least as long as I was going through such grades. Personally I was lucky. Although I was a "nerd" I was also at times a "jock" and even spent time in the "burnout" classification. And I was a very outgoing individual, so I never got picked on. But I have seen much of what happens to those who do, and at times it can be downright cruel. And maybe that is part of the reason.. the cliques that we all find ourselves being part of or classifications that we tend to put on people.
In speaking with my daughter, a 7th grader in an affluent western Chicago suburb jr. high school, she says the bullying is not too bad. In part because the school does spend a large portion of time trying to educate the students on the possible dangers. She said the school consistently gives them bully related tasks. For example they had to write a 500 word essay recently on the effects of bullying. Then a week prior to that they had to complete a survey and then they had an assembly. So it is evident to me that at least around here, they take bullying seriously and they try to prevent it as much as they can.
In the past there was always somebody who would be the kid to pick on. Generally it is always the same type of individual. They are the kids who just don't fit in for whatever reason. What I have found in talking to my kids and from my past experiences, they are the kids who are interested in something different than the norm. Let's say they are interested in the history of World War 1. And for anyone else that would be ok. This is not something that gets kids picked on. But what makes the distinction between that kid getting picked on and that kid not getting picked on is how intensely he/she gets involved in their WW1 history in this case. Does the kids run around at recess pretending to be a WW1 soldier while everyone else plays soccer? Or will the kid at lunch do nothing but discuss the horrors of trench warfare while all the other kids at the table talk about their upcoming school events such as a football game or dance, etc..
When a kid starts to alienate themselves by acting in such a manner they then become the weird kid. The other kids around them just cannot understand why they would be caring about some odd subject when the rest of the kids in the group discuss something that they all have in common. It is the kid that is the oddball or the odd man out.
This is often what can start the other kids picking on the "weird one". And once it starts it does not stop. Mostly because at that point peer pressure will kick in. If Billy is picking on Tommy, why are you not doing it too? That scenario occurs more often than not. It all usually snowballs from that point. And then we start to get into how the child is prepared or not prepared to handle such a situation. Are they too overly sensitive? Or is the bullying just too strong? There are many factors that come into play here, and they are the same things that have happened in the cases of children around America that could not handle the bullying anymore and wound up killing themselves.
I do not mean to make light of that situation by any means. It is NEVER a funny thing to see someone who has to deal with the loss of a child, a friend, a cousin, or a grandchild. It is a very sad outcome indeed. How some of these families find the strength to deal with this I will never understand. If this was to happen to me or my kids I don't think I would handle it with such grace.
Have our children become too overly sensitive? In some cases I would have to agree. Facebook and other such social sites have served to sort of block the real life social networks that used to exist. People are now learning to communicate without the face to face interaction. This has made some people lose the ability to recognize facial reactions to what is said or to read body language. So in cases where they might have stopped talking in a mean way because they notices a frown develop on the face of the person they were speaking to, that does not happen now. You cannot see the face of someone you insult on the Internet.
Losing this ability to interact in person does sometimes make people unable to react in person and therefore they shy away from real life interactions and become sensitive to things that are said and actions that are taken, simply because they do not have the real world experience to rely upon.
I think the bully education we have started in schools is a positive action. We must also start showing people how to react and interact in person as well. It is not a good situation when people only go outside to go to and from school and the rest of their communication is done with a keyboard only. Get your kids involved in sports or groups or clubs. Anything that forces them to see real people in person as much as possible. This will also give them the opportunity to learn how others act and see how they react to certain situations.
Our children to day are smarter and more technically inclined than ever before. This is a very good thing and something we should embrace. But if this bullying and social impotence continues it will turn it into a negative and we stand a chance to lose that in future generations. Effectively making us take a couple steps back as a society. Keep our children interacting with each other in person and the Internet interaction will still happen, but as a secondary option. As it should be.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Chicago Public Schools And Athletes Have New Cuncussion Rule
This is a bit weird. But Chicago Public Schools are using a bit of force to get their athletes to ride the pine when they have a concussion. If they (the athletes) show symptoms of a concussion they are not allowed to return to their sport without permission from an independent medical professional.
Here is the catch. If they don't get that permission and they return to the playing field, the City of Chicago will make the school pay for their water. What? How does that have anything to do with sports? I thought the same exact thing when I first found out about this too. But here is the deal. Chicago Public Schools do not already pay their water bill. Yup, Chicago does not charge the schools for water.
So in a way to make the school take heed of the city's new concussion rule and make sure the schools enforce the rule, the city will put that on the schools financial officers. Your hurt athletes don't play or we will charge you for your water. It seems a bit strange and it is unique. I don't think there is a similar rule in another school around here. But it will probably work. Nobody wants to pay their inflated water bills. Let alone the school system that is already under fire from officials and parents for bad test scores and what not.
So if your kids go to a school located within Chicago city limits be ready for a possible increase in registration fee. The school will not let something like this go and come out of their budget. Just like the city the school is located in, they will find a way to make the parents pay for this somehow. When was the last time the school system paid for anything themselves?
Here is the catch. If they don't get that permission and they return to the playing field, the City of Chicago will make the school pay for their water. What? How does that have anything to do with sports? I thought the same exact thing when I first found out about this too. But here is the deal. Chicago Public Schools do not already pay their water bill. Yup, Chicago does not charge the schools for water.
So in a way to make the school take heed of the city's new concussion rule and make sure the schools enforce the rule, the city will put that on the schools financial officers. Your hurt athletes don't play or we will charge you for your water. It seems a bit strange and it is unique. I don't think there is a similar rule in another school around here. But it will probably work. Nobody wants to pay their inflated water bills. Let alone the school system that is already under fire from officials and parents for bad test scores and what not.
So if your kids go to a school located within Chicago city limits be ready for a possible increase in registration fee. The school will not let something like this go and come out of their budget. Just like the city the school is located in, they will find a way to make the parents pay for this somehow. When was the last time the school system paid for anything themselves?
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Palin Targets Arizona Congresswoman
People must really be stretching these days. Either that, or those who oppose Sarah Palin are looking for any edge they can get in order to put her down. So instead of combating her on the actual politics. On the actual issues that she is either for, or against. Those who challenge her would rather use this shooting as fodder?
I really hope this is not the type of person, or people that we are putting in office. I can tell you from what I have seen over the last couple of years, not one person in our government represents me. None of them represent my views or wishes for how things should be done. And with this latest fiasco, those in government are moving further and further away from what I align myself with.
I pity the family of those who were killed or injured. This was a terrible assault on everyone at the scene. I don't think it is a stretch to say that I think this guy, Jared Loughner, should be hung by his family jewels for at least a year before he is sentenced to death by lethal injection. The smirk on his face when arrested. The smirk on his face when they took his mugshot. All if this is just another reason why he should be shown no mercy during the court proceedings. Rest in Peace all those who were shot and killed. Those who pray, please pray for Mrs Giffords.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
No MMA for St. Charles!
Living in a suburb outside of Chicago you would think that people would be a bit more open to certain things. But it is actually quite the opposite. Living here over the years you get to see how things work in a city in which people try to "hide" themselves from life. I have also learned that when you are in an area that is just outside a place like Chicago, it does not make that area similar, but rather it appears the closer you are to a big city the more people try to stay away from "big city" type things.
I guess it sort of makes sense. Maybe people figure if they wanted city type things, then they would live in the city. But that should not apply to everything in life. If you attempt to hide yourself in your little bubble for too long you will end up missing alot of life.
I have known many people over the years to have that bubble type attitude. Myself, I grew up in Chicago. So I tend to have a more open outlook on things. But many of the people that I know who have grown up in this wonderful suburban area seem to have a shielded point of view on things. And many of them are naive to the ways of life. They do not try new things. And if something is not familiar to them, they have a tendency to shy away from it and even put it down, simply out of ignorance.
I fear the same has happened with a recent vote that occurred in City hall recently. A sanctioned MMA event was scheduled to take place in St. Charles. The events, four of them, were to take place in the downtown area of St. Charles at a theater called the Arcada. However the city board voted against the events taking place in a staggering 9-0 landslide.
"I don't think it is an appropriate type of event for the city," said 3rd Ward Alderman John McGuirk. What exactly is he worried about? Is he worried that the event, if it takes place, will influence the youth of the area to all become fighters? Does he think people will run through the city picking fights at random? Quite honestly I am not sure what he and others are afraid of, but it is a harmless event that would have brought some clean revenue to the city.
Sadly, the view of Mr. McGuirk is echoed by many in power in the city of St. Charles. Similar actions have taken place to stop certain events like the MMA bout that will now never happen. It starts to make a person wonder what this town is trying to either become or remain like. Do city officials think they are a bit more pure than the rest of the surrounding areas?
This particular MMA event is a sanctioned event which is fully insured and supported by the authorities in the MMA world. There is nothing about this that is "backyard" at all. And it is disheartening to me that things like this will most likely never come to the town. It is reasons much like this one that helped to make up my mind to move to neighboring Geneva. Now I'm not sure How Geneva would have handled such a vote. But I would imagine it would have happened almost like the St. Charles vote considering the relationships of the two towns. But I gather there would have at least been 1 or 2 votes for the event to take place.
We will never know. I doubt it will be any time soon before a similar event makes an attempt to come to one of these two towns considering how they were shot down recently. But I hope they at least try within the next couple years. It would be a nice change to see an event such as MMA to come to town. It would surely help to bolster the local economy and help add to the allure of the local area and business. All we can do is hope, cross our fingers and maybe get involved in some local government. Hmm... that is an interesting thought indeed.
I guess it sort of makes sense. Maybe people figure if they wanted city type things, then they would live in the city. But that should not apply to everything in life. If you attempt to hide yourself in your little bubble for too long you will end up missing alot of life.
I have known many people over the years to have that bubble type attitude. Myself, I grew up in Chicago. So I tend to have a more open outlook on things. But many of the people that I know who have grown up in this wonderful suburban area seem to have a shielded point of view on things. And many of them are naive to the ways of life. They do not try new things. And if something is not familiar to them, they have a tendency to shy away from it and even put it down, simply out of ignorance.
I fear the same has happened with a recent vote that occurred in City hall recently. A sanctioned MMA event was scheduled to take place in St. Charles. The events, four of them, were to take place in the downtown area of St. Charles at a theater called the Arcada. However the city board voted against the events taking place in a staggering 9-0 landslide.
"I don't think it is an appropriate type of event for the city," said 3rd Ward Alderman John McGuirk. What exactly is he worried about? Is he worried that the event, if it takes place, will influence the youth of the area to all become fighters? Does he think people will run through the city picking fights at random? Quite honestly I am not sure what he and others are afraid of, but it is a harmless event that would have brought some clean revenue to the city.
Sadly, the view of Mr. McGuirk is echoed by many in power in the city of St. Charles. Similar actions have taken place to stop certain events like the MMA bout that will now never happen. It starts to make a person wonder what this town is trying to either become or remain like. Do city officials think they are a bit more pure than the rest of the surrounding areas?
This particular MMA event is a sanctioned event which is fully insured and supported by the authorities in the MMA world. There is nothing about this that is "backyard" at all. And it is disheartening to me that things like this will most likely never come to the town. It is reasons much like this one that helped to make up my mind to move to neighboring Geneva. Now I'm not sure How Geneva would have handled such a vote. But I would imagine it would have happened almost like the St. Charles vote considering the relationships of the two towns. But I gather there would have at least been 1 or 2 votes for the event to take place.
We will never know. I doubt it will be any time soon before a similar event makes an attempt to come to one of these two towns considering how they were shot down recently. But I hope they at least try within the next couple years. It would be a nice change to see an event such as MMA to come to town. It would surely help to bolster the local economy and help add to the allure of the local area and business. All we can do is hope, cross our fingers and maybe get involved in some local government. Hmm... that is an interesting thought indeed.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
FCC Banning Curse Words, But Are They Really?
What is the deal lately with the FCC or whoever is in charge of beeping swear words today? Watching tv the other day and you could hear the word shit on almost every channel. However when watching another show they beeped the word queer? This has me a bit perplexed. How is it that queer is offensive and the word shit is not?
In today's world we live in a society that is more open then ever before. We are exposed to more today than our parents and grandparent could have ever dreamed of. We have technology that shows us everything we could ever want or need to know about almost anything. Vehicles that have more safety devices and bells and whistles than some vehicles in science fiction stories from years ago. And your going to tell me that some twenty-something is offended by the word queer? That a person cannot hear the word on television during a comedy show without being offended? This is simply just wrong. Grow up people!
Is it really that bad? Personally I think we should stop censoring all words from television. You can hear more curse words today then ever before. Today it has become less of a service to protect the young than it has a service to pick and choose what may or may not be politically correct. And I fear that is the real reason behind some of the censorship. If it is not for fear of hurting someones feelings, or having a youngster hear the word and learn it before their time, than why are we censoring it in the first place? No one that is not offended by the word shit should be offended by the word queer. And if they are they may need to do a serious gut check. Because there are bigger problems in the world to try and avoid rather than a curse word on your standard television channels. Wake up and grow a pair!
In today's world we live in a society that is more open then ever before. We are exposed to more today than our parents and grandparent could have ever dreamed of. We have technology that shows us everything we could ever want or need to know about almost anything. Vehicles that have more safety devices and bells and whistles than some vehicles in science fiction stories from years ago. And your going to tell me that some twenty-something is offended by the word queer? That a person cannot hear the word on television during a comedy show without being offended? This is simply just wrong. Grow up people!
Is it really that bad? Personally I think we should stop censoring all words from television. You can hear more curse words today then ever before. Today it has become less of a service to protect the young than it has a service to pick and choose what may or may not be politically correct. And I fear that is the real reason behind some of the censorship. If it is not for fear of hurting someones feelings, or having a youngster hear the word and learn it before their time, than why are we censoring it in the first place? No one that is not offended by the word shit should be offended by the word queer. And if they are they may need to do a serious gut check. Because there are bigger problems in the world to try and avoid rather than a curse word on your standard television channels. Wake up and grow a pair!
US Navy Captain Relieved Of Duty.
The captain of the USS Enterprise has been officially relieved of duty. All because he made some videos meant to ease the tensions on board his ship while at war. There are many in the US Navy who feel that his actions were of poor judgement. That he should have known better than to act in such a manner while a high ranking officer. While I can see the point of keeping appearances. Your the most powerful navy in the world and you want people to look upon your organization as a no-nonsense, serious operation. However, just because one person undertook this project to raise morale is not going to take the perception people around the world have of the Navy and tank it.
When you are in command of over 1,000 people and each of them must perform at a high level. And the manner in which they perform could very well mean life or death for the person next to them, you want that person to be in the highest spirits possible. Simple because if they are, they will perform their job to the best of their ability. It is when people are depressed or upset that they will act like they don't care about their duties. And yes, this includes those in the US Navy as well. They are human after all just like you and I.
The other viewpoint is that there may be a person on board the ship who is offended but may be afraid to speak up due to fear of retribution. This may be true, however with all the talk about don't ask don't tell and it's repeal and how upset people are about that, I don't think people care about speaking up about these videos. And they were all made in "good fun". If you are so petty that you cannot take a joke for what it is, you seriously need to check in to a crazy house. There are far too many people who cannot take a joke, and I have seen alot of these videos. There is nothing more offensive on the videos than what you would see on Comedy Central or a channel just like it. We need to lighten up a bit here people and stop acting so uptight. A joke is a joke is a joke. People really need to stop acting as if someone offended their dead mother.
When you are in command of over 1,000 people and each of them must perform at a high level. And the manner in which they perform could very well mean life or death for the person next to them, you want that person to be in the highest spirits possible. Simple because if they are, they will perform their job to the best of their ability. It is when people are depressed or upset that they will act like they don't care about their duties. And yes, this includes those in the US Navy as well. They are human after all just like you and I.
The other viewpoint is that there may be a person on board the ship who is offended but may be afraid to speak up due to fear of retribution. This may be true, however with all the talk about don't ask don't tell and it's repeal and how upset people are about that, I don't think people care about speaking up about these videos. And they were all made in "good fun". If you are so petty that you cannot take a joke for what it is, you seriously need to check in to a crazy house. There are far too many people who cannot take a joke, and I have seen alot of these videos. There is nothing more offensive on the videos than what you would see on Comedy Central or a channel just like it. We need to lighten up a bit here people and stop acting so uptight. A joke is a joke is a joke. People really need to stop acting as if someone offended their dead mother.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Princess Boy? I'm not just seeing things am I?
I am all for acceptance. Of course, to a certain degree that is. But when I am asked to accept a young boy who dresses up as a girl, pink dress and all, and then calls himself "Princess Boy" I think I have to draw the line. The kid is 5 years old and from a young age has decided that pink is his favorite color and a dress his favorite form of attire. There is something wrong with this, and I have the benefit of speaking my mind while not having a huge audience.
Ok.. so to further alienate myself I will continue to berate the decision by these parents to allow their son to do this to himself. But first a short background to the story. Apparently this child at a young age decided that he wanted to dress up like a girl. At first, his parents told him not to. They tried to steer him away from the pink dresses and get him playing with fire trucks and to wear jeans and t-shirts. However the kid wanted to have nothing to do with the standard boy clothing. Mom and Dad were at witts end. They did not know what to do, until the mom says she was hit with an epiphany when the child's slightly older brother made this comment to his mother. "Mom," he said, "Why not let him wear what he wants? Why not let him just be happy?" And upon hearing that, Mom decided he was right. Why NOT let him be happy. And if wearing pink dresses and princess type gowns makes him happy, then so be it. It was HER who had the problem. It was HER who needed to accept what her child wanted to wear. It was HER who was wrong. NOT her son.
So this was what she had decided and what she told the country as she appeared on the Today show this morning. Well, it appears now that all the attention this has garnered her has allowed her to write a book about the situation (a kids book) as well as a somewhat popular blog regarding acceptance. I will give her credit on what point however. It appears she is not trying to get rich off of the attention.. she honestly is just trying to get people to learn to accept things such as what has occurred with her boy. And that is fine, what I disagree with is the choice in clothing.
Sure, you can call me a homo-phobe or whatever you like. You are certainly entitled. But for my opinion on the matter you do not have to look any further than this post. The kid wants to wear princess costumes as regular clothing, being a boy... umm... why did Mom not continue to tell him no? And where did he get the idea about wearing a princess dress in the first place? Children only know what they are exposed to. So somewhere he was given the idea and he went along with it. And at some point I am willing to bet that he came down the stairs wearing a dress and Mom thought it was cute.. so she let it go. That gave the kid approval at that point and the idea was fostered from that point on.
So she is now preaching acceptance. She is telling people that it should be ok for people to wear clothing that is meant for the opposite sex. I know that homosexual tendencies and homosexual marriages and other such unions are starting to slowly become socially acceptable. But I don't think they should be. Call me what you will, but how could something so incorrect be looked at as proper? Take the human body as my main and only needed exhibit. A male and a female body, in the process of mating, fit together like two puzzle pieces. Both parts from the opposite partners are made to fit together. This is true in the animal world as in the human world. So why is it that we can look at two members of the same sex and say that it is ok? It does not happen in the animal world.. I guess what I am saying is that whether or not you want to try and prove me wrong.. go for it. But fact remains that it is not meant to work that way. The homosexual way that is. And that is exactly what this poor child is going to be predisposed to become. With what is going on in his dressing habits, how can he have any other future besides a gay one? I would be really surprised if this kid turns out straight.
I may be one of the only ones willing to share his opinion on this subject, as many will shy away from openly saying much of what I said here today, but I have to put it out there. This child is being allowed to dress as a princess and be called a "princess boy".. the parents are setting him up for failure. He will have to fight extra hard to get anyone to even hear what he has to say about anything. Simply because they will first have to get past his choice in dress. And the mother is taking this 5 year old child and letting him be the one to take the brunt of the attacks as she preaches acceptance. With him as the pawn, he will take the beatings. Both verbally and later in life, physically. It is a sorry situation for the child. I wish that his parents would have stopped this behavior when it started and told him the proper dress for a young boy is boy clothing. Not a princess dress and hat. And to not call himself a princess boy.
Ok.. so to further alienate myself I will continue to berate the decision by these parents to allow their son to do this to himself. But first a short background to the story. Apparently this child at a young age decided that he wanted to dress up like a girl. At first, his parents told him not to. They tried to steer him away from the pink dresses and get him playing with fire trucks and to wear jeans and t-shirts. However the kid wanted to have nothing to do with the standard boy clothing. Mom and Dad were at witts end. They did not know what to do, until the mom says she was hit with an epiphany when the child's slightly older brother made this comment to his mother. "Mom," he said, "Why not let him wear what he wants? Why not let him just be happy?" And upon hearing that, Mom decided he was right. Why NOT let him be happy. And if wearing pink dresses and princess type gowns makes him happy, then so be it. It was HER who had the problem. It was HER who needed to accept what her child wanted to wear. It was HER who was wrong. NOT her son.
So this was what she had decided and what she told the country as she appeared on the Today show this morning. Well, it appears now that all the attention this has garnered her has allowed her to write a book about the situation (a kids book) as well as a somewhat popular blog regarding acceptance. I will give her credit on what point however. It appears she is not trying to get rich off of the attention.. she honestly is just trying to get people to learn to accept things such as what has occurred with her boy. And that is fine, what I disagree with is the choice in clothing.
Sure, you can call me a homo-phobe or whatever you like. You are certainly entitled. But for my opinion on the matter you do not have to look any further than this post. The kid wants to wear princess costumes as regular clothing, being a boy... umm... why did Mom not continue to tell him no? And where did he get the idea about wearing a princess dress in the first place? Children only know what they are exposed to. So somewhere he was given the idea and he went along with it. And at some point I am willing to bet that he came down the stairs wearing a dress and Mom thought it was cute.. so she let it go. That gave the kid approval at that point and the idea was fostered from that point on.
So she is now preaching acceptance. She is telling people that it should be ok for people to wear clothing that is meant for the opposite sex. I know that homosexual tendencies and homosexual marriages and other such unions are starting to slowly become socially acceptable. But I don't think they should be. Call me what you will, but how could something so incorrect be looked at as proper? Take the human body as my main and only needed exhibit. A male and a female body, in the process of mating, fit together like two puzzle pieces. Both parts from the opposite partners are made to fit together. This is true in the animal world as in the human world. So why is it that we can look at two members of the same sex and say that it is ok? It does not happen in the animal world.. I guess what I am saying is that whether or not you want to try and prove me wrong.. go for it. But fact remains that it is not meant to work that way. The homosexual way that is. And that is exactly what this poor child is going to be predisposed to become. With what is going on in his dressing habits, how can he have any other future besides a gay one? I would be really surprised if this kid turns out straight.
I may be one of the only ones willing to share his opinion on this subject, as many will shy away from openly saying much of what I said here today, but I have to put it out there. This child is being allowed to dress as a princess and be called a "princess boy".. the parents are setting him up for failure. He will have to fight extra hard to get anyone to even hear what he has to say about anything. Simply because they will first have to get past his choice in dress. And the mother is taking this 5 year old child and letting him be the one to take the brunt of the attacks as she preaches acceptance. With him as the pawn, he will take the beatings. Both verbally and later in life, physically. It is a sorry situation for the child. I wish that his parents would have stopped this behavior when it started and told him the proper dress for a young boy is boy clothing. Not a princess dress and hat. And to not call himself a princess boy.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
The Sea Shepherd Screams for Help!
"Militant anti-whalers Saturday said they clashed with Japanese harpoonist in the Southern Ocean, chasing them through ice packs, throwing stink bombs at them and being hit with a water cannon."
-According to the Associated Free Press
We all know them as the crew of the Sea-Shepherd from the Discovery channel show Whale Wars. So apparently they have made news again because they were attacked by a Japanese whaling ship and after the attack complained to the authorities. Ok.. so what makes it ok for them to attack a ship yet when they are attacked they cry for help? Now don't get me wrong, in the end what they are trying to accomplish is admirable. They are attempting to stop people who are allegedly killing and endangered animal for profit.
First of all from what I understand there are some doubts as to whether or not the whales these ships are hunting are indeed endangered. And it is hard to say because I can find no proof as to what species of whale they are hunting. It is not like I myself can see a picture of a freshly slaughtered whale on the deck of a Japanese ship. And I have my doubts that the crew of the Sea Shepherd has either. But that is the assumption they are going on. And that is just it, they are operating on assumptions. Sure, they may have seen crew members from one of the Japanese ships commit such an atrocity. But have they gone about proving it to the rest of the world before they went on attacking their adversaries? I don't think so.
And I get the biggest kick out of their methods. Throwing stink bombs and obscenities at the Japanese ships! For everyone who has seen the show I strongly urge you to see the South Park episode in which they poke fun at the Whale Wars show. It is dead on accurate and funny as all hell. For those of you who have not seen the show, I suggest you watch an episode or two so you can make up your own mind, I firmly believe that you will agree with me when I say that these guys are the biggest, *ahem* pussies on the planet!
So when they make news because they were attacked by crew members of one of the ships that they have attacked with stink bombs, I feel no sympathy for them. And at the same time I offer up no excuses for my hypocrisy. I make fun of them and write about how their methods are pointless. Yet I say that if the end result of their efforts does indeed stop the Japanese from slaughtering endangered animals, I applaud them and their efforts. I just wish they would maybe act more like real men and stop calling themselves pirates. The Sea Shepherd is crewed by the biggest bunch of dorks you have ever laid your eyes on. And their captain is the biggest tool of them all. Ok.. this end my rant about the crew of the Sea Shepherd. And now that I got this out of my system, I can get back to some actual writing. Phew! I feel much better now.
-According to the Associated Free Press
We all know them as the crew of the Sea-Shepherd from the Discovery channel show Whale Wars. So apparently they have made news again because they were attacked by a Japanese whaling ship and after the attack complained to the authorities. Ok.. so what makes it ok for them to attack a ship yet when they are attacked they cry for help? Now don't get me wrong, in the end what they are trying to accomplish is admirable. They are attempting to stop people who are allegedly killing and endangered animal for profit.
First of all from what I understand there are some doubts as to whether or not the whales these ships are hunting are indeed endangered. And it is hard to say because I can find no proof as to what species of whale they are hunting. It is not like I myself can see a picture of a freshly slaughtered whale on the deck of a Japanese ship. And I have my doubts that the crew of the Sea Shepherd has either. But that is the assumption they are going on. And that is just it, they are operating on assumptions. Sure, they may have seen crew members from one of the Japanese ships commit such an atrocity. But have they gone about proving it to the rest of the world before they went on attacking their adversaries? I don't think so.
And I get the biggest kick out of their methods. Throwing stink bombs and obscenities at the Japanese ships! For everyone who has seen the show I strongly urge you to see the South Park episode in which they poke fun at the Whale Wars show. It is dead on accurate and funny as all hell. For those of you who have not seen the show, I suggest you watch an episode or two so you can make up your own mind, I firmly believe that you will agree with me when I say that these guys are the biggest, *ahem* pussies on the planet!
So when they make news because they were attacked by crew members of one of the ships that they have attacked with stink bombs, I feel no sympathy for them. And at the same time I offer up no excuses for my hypocrisy. I make fun of them and write about how their methods are pointless. Yet I say that if the end result of their efforts does indeed stop the Japanese from slaughtering endangered animals, I applaud them and their efforts. I just wish they would maybe act more like real men and stop calling themselves pirates. The Sea Shepherd is crewed by the biggest bunch of dorks you have ever laid your eyes on. And their captain is the biggest tool of them all. Ok.. this end my rant about the crew of the Sea Shepherd. And now that I got this out of my system, I can get back to some actual writing. Phew! I feel much better now.
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