Get over yourselves

More and more, with the advent of the Internet and social media.  People I think have gotten way too sensitive, or at least have more access to places to show how over-sensitive they are.  Everything these days is somehow insensitive to another person, or now is considered bullying.  People, do me a favor and take the stick that's up your ass and repeatedly beat yourself in the head.  Get over yourself and have a laugh (which let's be honest, you deep down are doing but you are trying to keep your faux outrage facade).

Take the Volkswagon commercial at this years' Super Bowl.  It had White people talking in Jamaican accents and acting like they would if they were Jamaican.  People complained about this ad, saying it was racist.  If these ignorant fools did a little research-used Google rather than Facebook/Twitter-they would have found out that the idea of the commercial was to show people being happy, and living with the attitude of Jamaicans have-where most things just roll off their backs and they don't get mired in petty bullshit.  But, since there's no money or exploitation in praising it, people rather would try to make a non-existant story materialize.

That's the thing, look at the media and what people around you  are talking about.  Most of the things people are outraged about is so trivial and minor, the energy wasted in that is astounding.  If these people wised up and used their energy on things that mattered, like improving their own lives, this world would be much better.  Also, instead of trying to find ways to be offended by something, and laughed once in a while, the problems of people these days would lessen.  Laughing at something doesn't equal you being mean.  You found something funny, nothing more or less.  Enjoy that one moment of happiness since there's enough garbage in this planet that will make you feel anything but happy.  

It's the people who can't laugh that are the reason that instead of good comedies on TV or in the movies, you have either cheesy safe comedies that play off the Feminist dream of the women are the strong ones and Men are the dullards who are helpless without the woman, or you have the other extreme where it's just cheap jokes trying to shock people.  There's no real mediums anymore.  I was watching the movie "Airplane!" the other night, and to me that's a classic comedy that could never be made today because people would be so upset at half the gags in it.  Same for "The Bad News Bears", and the sanitized remake doesn't count.  

Like I said earlier, the ones who are the most offended, or claim to be, are always the ones trying to make a buck off it or just attention whores.  You know what I do when I don't like something? I don't pay attention to it.  Wild idea, huh? But those attention whores will keep it in the press, which helps promote what they are against by the way, and try to cash in on it.  Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has taught me many things, especially not to get tied up in minor issues and focus on the bigger picture.  I wish people would stop with the bullshit and learn this as well.  At the very least to cut down on the static and noise the media puts out that means nothing to most people, but they are forced to take in.

Career Path, which path should I take?

I've been trying to get a job for a while now, and applying to anyhting and everything at this point.  I am sort of picky, as in the schedule can't cut into BJJ training too much and the job has to be in the city somewhere accessed easily.

I have focused my job search recently in the Human Resources or recruiting fields.  Yeah I have issues with some in the field and how they work, but at the same time I think I would handle myself well in the job, and I obviously have the skills to do well in it.  I'm debating where else to look.  I don't want to end up like the last time I was unemployed: where I just took a job just because I was offered it.  

I was looking into trying to apply to jobs where it involves social media or marketing.  I'm just a bit lost and not knowing where I should move next.  I'm welcome to suggestions, and I'd hope someone reading this would help me out. Take a lok at my resume link and let me know what I should do.

Sportswriters: The original Internet forum trolls

Baseball will not have any new members of their Hall of Fame.  It's because Sportswriters vote in players to it.  These are the ones who decide if a man's carrer is worthy of the Hall of fame.  There isn't a criteria for them to go by.  It's purely their opinion.  This is the WORST way to choose.  It gives those who do not know much about the sport all the power.   Same thing happens in college football with their polls to determine the national champion.

See, sportswriters generally are people who either sucked at the game, or were picked on by the jocks, and somehow perverted their mindset into thinking that as a member of the press, THEY can have power.  The POWER OF THE PEN!!!  So these losers, who's job is to write about people with childhood issues if they have to make a living playing children's games if you boil it down all the way, hade behind their laptops and computers and spout off about players who they like or hate-they are the original Internet trolls.  

Baseball writers are the lowest of the low.  They still think the sport of Baseball has some value in America and that "as baseball goes, so does the nation".  They act and write as if everything in baseball is a metaphor of the country, and that since to them Baseball is so great, that makes the nation great.  Now, their sport was raped, and sullied by Steroids, and now these writes swore they will never sully the Hall of fame with these criminals.  Despite the small face that there are a ton of cheaters in already, most of the league was on Meth for most of it's history, and that there are racists in their hollowed halls that make Klan members seem all-inclusive.  

It's almost comical hearing and reading these losers thump their chest saying how THEY ARE THE PROTECTORS OF THE SPORT!!! and they have a duty to keep the Hall of Fame pure.  If they really meant that, and weren't just a bunch of whiny attention whores, they'd throw out most of those in the Hall of fame for being cheaters, wife-beaters, racists, and just scumbags.  My favorite is the "Player A was an asshole to me when I covered him, so I won't vote for him to be in the Hall, SO THERE!" crap you hear.  Makes me laugh how pathetic one tries to cling to a shred of power to feel important.

In a couple months these fools will go away, and the football writers come back and do the same thing, but with the college football polls, where they will favor those who they like and have some stupid thought that some school who was good 50 years ago is still relevant now.

Bottom line is this: Sportswriters have a way too big belief that they matter in society.  They couldn't play sports, either by lack of talent or otherwise, so now they found a job where they can let out all that bitterness and be in essence pussies with laptops thinking they matter.

The Flu

I had it, and I didn't die.  I've had it in the past and I didn't die.  I don't know why the Media is running around trying to incite a riot over the flu.  

According to the media, it's the worst thing to happen ever...EVER!!!!!  Every year you hear about the Flu season, and they keep pushing the vaccination on you.  I refuse to take that garbage for the following reasons:

-It doesn't work, it AT BEST works 60% of the time.

-pharmaceutical companies are not liable in people's deaths due to their drugs, so who knows what's in there (let alone the lead they have been known to put in there in the past).  here is the link to the story.

-If you take the vaccination, you may not feel as severe of symptoms.....so that means you STILL GET IT.

When I was a kid, you got the Flu, you stayed in bed a couple days, you got better.  Here's a shock: IT STILL WORKS LIKE THAT.  Now morons, trained by the media to just goto a hospital for every little problem, are taking time away form real problems that come in for their nonsense, as well as making doctors over prescribe meds, which assists in breeding diseases immune to the drugs.  

People allegedly die from the Flu, but those people are usually weaker people medically, and it's called nature, so don't act like more people are dying because of the flu, but it's more because people today are weaker.

People, stop blindly believing what the Media is telling you, do some research on your own, and stop looking even more stupid than you probably are.

In the age of new ways, I'm old school

The past couple days has had me realizing how old I am.  Not just in age, but in my way of thinking.  It started with the story I read about Zipcar being acquired by Avis car rental company.  I saw the amount of money ZIpcar was bought for, which was in the hundreds of millions of dollars, it's apparent they are a real successful program and business model.

The business model Is the "I'll pay monthly for access to something, but I will not own it" model.  Many younger people are into it, and I can see some places where I would like it, say with Netflix and to a point Zipcar, but I am not comfortable with it in most cases.  Services like Spotify and cloud services serve you what you want-music, TV, Storage, etc.-for a subscription fee.  If/When you stop the subscription or the company disappears, you don't have access to that service.  To me, I don't trust that idea.  I do use cloud services like Carbonite to backup my data on my hard drive and a ton of the Google services, but I also make sure I have local copies of my stuff.  When you use a service like Spotify or Netflix, you don't own anything, you are paying for access to it.  Technically you do that when you buy software (where you don't "own" it but have a license to use it), but when you have a copy of that software locally, you aren't dependent on an internet connection or the company being around.  The modern operating systems are moving to this model of little local storage and internet connectivity-Google even sells a laptop completely dependent on it.  I hope there is still in the future room for those like me who like to have local access to their data they created and own, rather than be dependent on a company who may or may not have my data safe or secure.  Don't get me wrong, cloud services can be useful and work well, but please don't forget that having local copies and backups of your stuff is even more important.  

Speaking of computers, I am doing this on an iMac, the computer that started the all-in-one desktop computer market.  As convenient as it is and saves space, I will not buy another computer like this.  I don't like the lack of access to components if one breaks or needs maintenance   This computer I am using blew it's hard drive last year.  Had this been a traditional computer, I could have popped in a new hard drive, restore my computer, and it would have cost me relatively little money and time.  Since this computer is all-in-one, I had to have Apple fix it and it cost me more money and a week of it not being here.  I probably could have done it myself, but I didn't feel confident in doing so, and Apple is known to have booby traps in their computers to make things like that difficult.  Even traditional computers are getting a little harder to work on.  Some manufacturers want to sell motherboards with the processer or other components usually sold and installed separately already installed and soldered in.  I don't like that.  I want to be able to build my own PC for my needs and tailor it to what I want it to do, not buy an appliance computer that doesn't do what I want right away and it would cost more to have it custom built to do so (like most Macs now).  I also want to be able to clean and maintain the computer myself, and not have to bring it into the store and have someone else do it at price and lose my computer for several days.  

Maybe I'm rambling on about nothing, or maybe I'm just a dinosaur, but I do know what II want and I feel that what we have been doing is working, and were shouldn't jump into new ideas so fast just because a company or an industry wants us all to because it's the new hot thing.  

Politicians don't care about us, those who actualy contribute to this country

Yesterday there was a big blowup about how the Republican leader of the house of representatives, John Boehner-aka Droopy Dog, literally turned his back to the representatives of New York and New Jersey and did not bring the bills that would have authorized the funds to help rebuild the area after the hurricane.  Boehner didn't do it yesterday, so that means the entire process from the start has to begin again, with a new congress.  Once again, this flaming car wreck of our government failed the people, and I won't get into the fiscal cliff nonsense.  The extremists are still in control, and any moderates ironically are considered the crackpots now.  It's disgusting, but you idiots out there wanted this according to last Election Day.  I hope you morons are happy with what you got, and YOU HAVE NO ONE ELSE TO BLAME BUT YOURSELF.

So now this aid bill-that's supposed to help people in real need, not Hollywood or NASCAR-may be torn apart and once again, those from states that contribute more to the country than takes may get fucked over by those hayseed pariahs and parasites that, ironically, hate the idea of socialism but if it wasn't for a form of it they would have nothing.  The money taken in by the federal government is redistributed to those states in need, and all of those who take the most are the ones that vote Republican, while all the Democrat states get nothing from it other than a fuck you and gimme more.  I'm used to it, since I live in NYC and it gives in the most when it comes to the states, while the hayseeds and country bumpkins upstate and in Wester NY live high on the hog, while the city struggles with infrastructure and schools.

What annoys me is that we have to pay for Bullshit disasters that people in Florida or Texas or California claim to have.  I say claim because all those "Natural disasters" happen EVERY YEAR THERE.  Those states are stupid for not budgeting for these disasters so they can handle it themselves.  Look, if you build on kindling and that goes up in flames, as it has for thousands of years and will in the future-it's called nature and doing what it's supposed to do- I have no sympathy for you.  Either move somewhere else or adapt and handle your business on your own dime.  If you live under sea level, don't act like it's a shock you got flooded.  What happened here in this region happens only once in a century, so this is different than what usually happens.  

Two months ago, the storm hits this area and turns parts of this area into dust.  The federal government is dragging their feet to help, but if this was one of those hayseed areas of the country where it floods, goes up in flames, or runs out of water due to poor planning and engineering, holy shit lets send the goddamn army and flood the area with cash for the municipalities to use for what they need allegedly, no questions or accountability asked. People here still have nothing, and the government has done nothing to help them.  They are trying to survive in bitter cold, and in shells of houses if they are even that lucky.  This area almost never asks for money from the federal government, we certainly write enough and big enough checks TO the federal government, but when we do, instead of offering a hand of help, the scumbags slap us in the face and then takes our wallet.  

So, Republican hayseeds and morons where you always have problems, I hope my representatives vote against any aid for your area, and I hope instead of water dropped on a brush fire it's gasoline, just to teach you a lesson.  

New years thoughts

So this is the point where I should put what I want to do this new year.  I'll keep it short and sweet:

1. I want to earn my blue belt in BJJ, I failed to do that this year,m but want to get to that level some point this year

2. I want to compete in a BJJ tournament this year.  I hope to be able to do this, and no matter what I will feel like I accomplished something.

3. Job, just get a job somewhere I will fit in.  I've been frustrated with things and how that hasen't happened yet.  Just means I have to keep plugging along with that I guess.

4. My book. I have it all pretty much set up in my head, it's just a matter of sitting down and writing it. I'm angry with myself for not doing that yet.  I should just lock myself somewhere and get that done one day.  Or at least get parts of it done in chunks.  It's a project that I really want to finish.

5. I should really work on my Spanish, despite the jokingly rejections of some. I really want to learn it and have that skill.  At the very least know when people are talking trash about me.

It's people not guns

WIth the recent events the past several weeks involving guns, I get when some freak out and want all guns banned.  But I dont' agree with them.  I don't agree with it because there are deeper issues at play beyond the use of the gun.  But since it's not sexy or divisive to talk about those issues, they are ignored by the media.  I was flipping between the various news networks where all they spoke about is guns, guns, guns.  The crawler on the bottom of all the channels were about guns and how some are making knee-jerk reactions to the media created crisis.  Discovery Channel cancelled a show about a family who own a custom gun store because of the events that have happened.  It's a shame since that show constantly reminded people how dangerous guns are and how important to get proper training.  But since its a show about this issue, it was apparently fair game to cancel, fire a bunch of production people, all for cheap positive PR.

I don't own a gun, but I respect those who do.  I know people who do, not because they are afraid of the government and are preparing for an insurrection or are doomsday preppers-which the media has been painting all gun owners lately.  These people are perfectly normal, who own guns for sport, either going to a controlled range to safely shoot for fun, or to go hunting.  ANd these people aren't going to hunt just to kill for fun.  These guys are going to hunt for their families, where what they kill is made into meat for them to have for the year, which saves them money and gives them a healthier type of meat for their bodies, which is more humane than what the US meatpacking industry does to animals.  These are people who went through the process of licensing and the battery of background tests to own and buy a gun.  They pay the fees and give their info so they can do what they enjoy doing.  

What the problem with this time is that there are some, most who have mental problems and probably didn't get the gun through legal means, who are portrayed as the typical gun owner after they commit a crime.  When they do the crime, it's always the fact they have a gun that is the first thing pointed out, not the fact that he may other issues that should be pointed out and dealt with.  

Look at the recent events.  

The football player who killed himself in Kansas City.  The main issue in that situation is that he had mental issues-possibly form head trauma he got playing football over time-that led to domestic violence to his partner.  Why isn't that the main focus? Instead the focus was that he was a gun owner and how Blacks in the NFL are cultivating a  "Gun culture"-again, not looking at the socioeconomic issues these players grew up in that they needed to be armed.  I have yet to hear what will be done to curb domestic violence in that  community.  The focus was on guns and what happens when people who don't have the facts speak out against it, pretty much turning it into a race issue.

The Connecticut shooting.  Again, the focus is on the gun, not the person who did it.  No one is looking into why he did what they did, beyond the canned "violence in society" response, which is another attempt to stamp out freedom of expression and speech.  On top of this, the anti-Gun people, once again painting a broad stroke over all gun owners, are calling for bans on guns or severe sanctions against gun owners.  Not once has the media pointed out that the kid came from a family that were responsible owners of guns, or how the kid had some mental issues beyond Asbergers disease-something that wouldn't make him violent by the way.

Guns are the only thing I can think of that you need to get licensed and background checks done on yourself, but you can buy a car, knife, construction supplies/tools or commercial cleaning supplies-which I'm sure each have cause more deaths than guns-with little to no resistance.  There are gun laws on the books, but they are not enforced right.  People want more laws, but it'll be like most things with severe laws on them.  It will leads to those who want a gun to go through more black market routes, like most guns used in crimes are now.   It's like drugs and prostitution to me: if we are open and make it legal with full education to show what people fear or think about them is not true and with the support and rehab for those who need it, crime will go down an safety will go up.

As far as crimes with guns?  Make the penalties on offenders like the stupid drug laws: 15 years minimum for crimes.  I'd swap the mandatory minimums drug offenders get with the BS sentences gun crimes get.  Killers who shoot someone get out sooner than some dude caught with pot.

Don't believe the media face value.  They have never not exploited a good crisis.  The Connecticut one is prime example.  They get control of the TV network, push whatever agendas they want on the people, and this crisis is convenient because many NYC reporters live in Connecticut, so it's easy travel for them and they can play up the "It his me locally" BS, where we all know they can give a rats' ass about the people they are exploiting....err covering.

The Apple is falling from my tree

The past several years I have been exclusively using Apple computers and products, and after seeing how the company has been working and the products the company has been producing, I am thinking of moving away from their products.

It started with the new iPhone released recently, one that has underwhelmed myself. I'm not one who wants the wheel invented every innovation of their products, but what I have seen isn't innovative, and most of the new features are somewhat broken. I have had a ton of issues with their new products and they've been more proprietary and limited.

I looked at the Samsung Galaxy S3 and the newer Android hardware and software, and it was enough to make me get the phone over a new iPhone. It's been an interesting and fun experience so far. There are some bummers, like the update issues, but I am finding it much more satisfying and deeper experience on Android than IOS.

So the other week, I met with someone to fix their PC. I was working on it and I got that itch to build my own. After a little while of thinking about my Mac, I came to the conclusion what I would spend on a new one I could build an amazing gaming/everyday PC. I looked at what I wanted and I built a pc that's somewhat future proof for the same price of an iMac I would be interested in buying, and it still wouldn't have a powerful graphics card, solid state drive, and it wouldn't have the amount of RAM I'd want.

Another reason I want a PC? I can fix it myself for almost nothing compared to what apple would charge me. I also wouldn't have a computer that's glued shut so no one can modify or play around with it.

Don't get me wrong, I think Apple makes fine products. I don't enjoy the bumps and problems they have had recently, and the arrogance of the company when called out for the problems. I also am tired of the proprietary nature of the majority of their hardware and software. It's not something I see a good need for. I'm having issues with my music collection now that has me doing many more steps than I should to fix, and their recent connector change has been another issue for many that I don't want a part of. My new phone uses standards that others use so it's easier to use and get, say a charger, to work with my phone and later my PC.

I'm not a fan boy of one company or another, I just want products that work the way I want them to for me, and more and more Apple products aren't.

I am thankful

I am thankful for my family for their support.
I am thankful for my girlfriend and the love and support she has given to me.
I am thankful for all my friends and all they have done for me.
I am thankful to have jiu jitsu in my life, it has shown me a lot about life and myself.
I am thankful for the people I have met through jiu jitsu because of the knowledge they have given me.
I am thankful for those I met through following soccer, and despite some rough spots, I am glad to have them and the joy and laughter they have given me.
I am thankful to be where I am, and despite I think it could be better, I know it can be worse.
I am thankful to God for putting me in the spot where I am. I know it's where God wants me to be.

I helped an old woman

So I wanted to write down this story about what happened to me this past week.  I don’t write it to show how I am a good person, but how God apparently tested me, and to say that there is a reason for everything, and good deeds in the end (hopefully) are rewarded.

So Wednesday I was in Brooklyn at the Workforce1 offices to take a comprehension test for a job I applied for.  The job was for National Grid, the gas company in New York City, and the position is a meter reader.  The test was like an SAT test where your math and reading comprehension skills were tested.  The test wasn’t hard, I only needed 40 minutes of the hour they set for the test.

After the test I texted my girlfriend to tell her how things went.  Since I was not far from where she worked in Brooklyn, I decided to meet her for lunch.  We went to a bar not far from where she worked and had lunch there.  When we were done, we said our goodbyes and I walked back to the Atlantic Center where I could get the Q line to Queens. 

This is where the story really starts.

I’m on the platform waiting for the train, when out of the corner of my eye, I see an old woman trying to get my attention.  She asked me where the N line is, and I told her it was across the station (If you never been to the Atlantic Avenue-Barclays Center train station, its the major hub in Brooklyn, where a dozen subway lines and the LIRR come together in this massive maze of underground tunnels).  So she looks upset and asks me to help her get her stuff-a huge roller luggage bag and duffel bag-to the platform for her.  There wasn’t any train coming and we were the only people on the platform so I couldn’t get out of it.  

So we go through the maze of tunnels and elevators….slowly.  She had a ankle boot on and a walker.  So the pace of the moving was really slow.  All through the entire walk, she’s babbling on about how she fell, where she fell, and how she doesn’t drink or do drugs so she didn’t fall because of that.  During this long ass trip, she’s stopping every so often making it even longer.  She’s also saying how horrible people are for ignoring her in need and how lucky she was I am helping her.  At this point in my head I'm saying “Just get her on the train, that’s it.”  At one of the elevators she’s holding it up going through her bag.  Was it something to maybe give me for the effort?  NO.  Its the results of her piss test saying she’s clean.  She’s trying to show me EVERY LINE of it while holding this elevator up.  I get her into the elevator and finally end up on the N line platform.  

On the platform she’s still babbling on about some nonsense, on top of some foreigner trying to figure out how to get to some part of Brooklyn, cackling how funny it is he’s lost.  Finally the train arrives and I get her bag on the train, the dummy decides to sit in the center of the train.  I put the bags by her, and the doors shut.

DAMN!!!!

I thought, “Well, she only has to go one stop.”  36th street on the N line is about a 10 minute ride-luckily express.  Getting off the train is another test of patience of both me and the others waiting for this cripple to get off the train.  Gee, we are at one end of the platform, the only stairs are on the OTHER SIDE.  Again, a couple minute walk was more like 15 with this woman.  Oh, I said stairs because at the end of the platform that’s all there is there.  No elevator.  GREAT!!!!  I drag her damn bag up, cursing since I am also carrying my bag (full of my BJJ stuff-all soaked in sweat) up these stairs.  The woman said leave her there and she’ll get someone else to help her.  Finally she says thank you and God Bless.  That’s it, nothing for the effort or the act that she’s taken me out of my way (granted partly my fault) and further into Brooklyn than I wanted.  

I go home, finally.  I get an email about my test results and am told I did well enough to make the next stage in the process.  So I guess I was rewarded somewhat.  

I say this story for a few reasons.  First I wanted to write something.  Second, I realize why I did what I did.  When I see old people, and I see my Mom.  I don’t want to see someone treat her like shit, so I think it’s fair I don’t to other old people, it may come back to her.  It would anger me if someone didn’t help my Mom, so I thought I would do a nice thing for an old lady. Granted she was a pain in the ass and caused my trip to be extended where I just wanted to go home and take a nap, but it needed to be done.  Plus how bad would it look if someone didn’t help her, I’d look like an asshole and probably would have been spoken to by someone, maybe a cop.  

Hurricane Sandy

First of all, if anyone is wondering, I am ok.  My family is doing well.  No major damage to my house or self, other than a few trees and branches in the neighborhood falling.  We were damn lucky here seeing some of the other parts of Queens and area.  

I still am in total shock seeing the images of the area, and how powerful the storm was.  Parts of the city, Long Island and New Jersey are obliterated, and it's a humbling and awe-inspiring thing to see what nature can do.  No matter how much the smart people in this world can come up in their engineering and science., nature will always prove to be more powerful.  People are trying to clean up and put their lives back together, literally starting with the clothing off their backs.  I feel like an asshole after yesterday having a rant on how my life sucks being without a job.  I feel stupid considering there are some who are now living with absolutely nothing.  I am goddamn lucky to be where I am now, despite it's not  the situation I want to be in.  I have to keep reminding myself that, and I am going to look for ways to help out those who have less than I do.

I just want to say one thing that has been brewing in my head since this started: FUCK MICHAEL BLOOMBERG!!! this asshole, who bought the mayoral office in NYC, has really pushed a lot of buttons I have.  He first will go balls out to help those in Manhattan regain what they lost, but he pretty much told the outer boroughs of the city (which I think he believes are not part of the city and suburbs) to go fuck themselves.  Staten Island was turned to dust, and he had all the facilities for the marathon-which he wanted to still have run because that would bring money into the city-blocked off to those who needed help, and the hotels were throwing out people from the storm to make room for the people for the marathon.  On top of this, there were tons of supplies and generators all over the city for the marathon being guarded for the event.  It was disgusting and showed how detached the idiot who runs this city is to the people.  Thankfully it was cancelled, and I think most of the stuff for it was donated to the relief cause.  If it wasn't, I hope whoever made the decision not to donate the stuff have some of the debris from the storm fall on them and paralyze them for being morons.  

 I hope people give to help out those who need it.  I will say DON'T give to the Red cross.  I say that because they have a scam where you may think the money/supplies you give goes directly to the relief effort  but it goes into a pool of money/supplies that goes to all their projects, so you aren't directly funding what you think you are.  Please give to more honest and reputable organizations that will use your donations for what you want it to be used for.

Thoughts on two "Influential" books

It’s amazing how much people can take a piece of fiction and somehow get something to build a movement or even a religion from.  Sadly, some of the fiction chosen isn’t even any good.  Take the two that I hear a lot of, and I find complete garbage, “Atlas Shrugged: by Ayn Rand, and “Dianetics” by L. Ron Hubbard.  

“Atlas Shrugged” is the more relevant one that a movement has been built around.  It’s a story by a paranoid woman many years ago about how the government is becoming a communist state where they have their thumbs in all industry.  In the story, there are some who rebel against this, and wants free markets that will provide for all, not the government-controlled one that only benefits the elites.  This is the book that many firms on Wall Street require new employees to read and follow (that and the Six Sigma BS management/problem solving theory), and many in the Republican, and parts of the Libertarian parties base their beliefs around.  It’s insane that a horribly written, ill-conceived trite is what idiots in power use as a base of their platforms and business decisions.  I'm not one for government all up on my life, but what “Atlas Shrugged” talks about, it’s almost a cult and an economic version of another book that’s nothing more than glorified toilet paper, “Left Behind.”  What the book talks about wouldn’t happen, though according to the Republicans it is.  What’s really happening is that the opposite is happening, and it’s not benefiting the public, but the elites.  

“Dianetics” was written by a hack Science Fiction “writer” L. Ron Hubbard.  His garbage talked about one’s soul and how it goes into different levels like a MMO Character.  At some point you get to a level of great power to cure your ills.  I'm not sure if this is after the leaders of the ponsi scheme called Scientology (the cult that came out of this book) suck all the money from you, and have your info and blackmail you like a bunch of thugs, but it’s really stupid.  To show how stupid people are, there are many people contributing to the bullshit and they are all over the world like a cancer.  Millions of people are out there, doing the work of the ponsi schemers, giving “free stress tests” with their fake equipment, and making Star Trek fanatics look more like a legit religion. All in the hops of getting to the next level of a game that they aren’t playing, but are getting played in by the higher ups in their cult.  

I don’t recommend reading these books, or even picking them up.  For some reason others who read them somehow know those who have as well, as if they are being tracked.  Fuck the books, the message they push, and the idiots that believe in their messages.  I may hate most mainstream religion beliefs being pushed on people, but in those religions, there are also positive things that one can take to better their lives and the lives of others around them.  The cults that are formed around these books are nothing but deceptive, manipulative, almost criminal organizations that promote nothing but hatred and negativity to anyone who don’t believe in it, and fleecing their own for the betterment of themselves.

Debates and the "free elections" in our nation

What a farce the debates were.  First off, why weren’t all the candidates running for the highest office in the land even represented at the debates?  The Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson and the Green Parry candidate Jill Stein were not allowed to join in on the debate.  This is despite the face that both candidates were more than qualified by the debate commission’s own rules, where both were on at lest 80% of the ballots.  Stein was arrested outside Hofstra University, the glorified community college where the debate was held, last night.  She was going in there to participate-she again stated she was qualified to-and the cops arrested her.  As you see, the “free elections” we force on other countries is a just as much of a farce here, and not every voice or opinion is represented in the most important election.

We should not be shocked by this.  Both the Democrats and Republicans have the commission in their pockets, and the two parties wrote the rules for the commission.  It’s absolutely disgusting.  The Two party system has hijacked everything, and when another party comes up to try to be part of the process, they are usually co-opted by one or the other and they are made to be just an offshoot of one of the two parties.  The two script the “debates” so much, even the questions in the town hall “debate” are clearly planted (watch the video and see how many of the “undecided voter” rubes couldn’t memorize the questions ahead of time).  It’s almost goddamn insulting to be honest.  I wouldn’t be shocked if the candidates’ banter and “fighting” weren’t scripted as well.  Pro wrestling has more unscripted moments.  

It’s clear to me how scripted everything is, since the news channels need the stories to keep going until Election day.  THey need the attention and content, so they get the two parties-who also probably have their agents in these stations influencing the memes and stories-to “keep it close”.  Always remember, no matter how much of a straight shooter the candidates are (which they arenn’t-we’d see them for the bullshit artists they are more), all shoots are somewhat works.  

Weighing in the situation, and seeing how the Green Party candidate was handled, I am out of spite voting third party.  I cannot see myself wasting my vote on one of these two dopes.  Gary Johnson 2012

10/9/12

I really don’t have much to say.  I am writing to just write so I can make myself better.  I am trying to get back into writing more, partly to get better, but also to make it easier to do.  I have been working on my book idea, where I am outlining parts of it, and I should be writing it in a real form soon.  One of these days I am going to ignore all my responsibilities and dig deep to get it done.

Job search isn’t going well.  I won’t get into the “super happy good” stats the government put out.  I will say the number they do  put out is horribly inaccurate.  The number that should be looked at is the U6 number, which takes into account people who aren’t receiving unemployment and are also underemployed.  That’s the REAL unemployment number.  That one is about double the U3 number the government tries to spin and say that’s the real number.  I suggest you look at the site shadowstats.com, who really puts the numbers in perspective.  

To make up for the lack of writing, I give you this video.

Gawker's "Unemployed Stories" series, and what's the value of college these days?

I am a big fan of Gawker.com’s series of articles about stories of the unemployed.  People write in and vent/tell their stories about being out of work in this country and economy.  It’s a series that pulls out so many emotions-anger, sadness, empathy-from me as I read the stories.  It’s sometimes hard to read, because I can relate to some of the stories.  I actually wrote to the editor my story, and the editor said it should be up at some point (he has others to put up first).  I wrote it last week, since I thought it would be a good exercise.  I may post it here later this week, after it’s posted on their site.  I found writing it somewhat emotional, but also I found it a good thing.  I got into quite a bit more details about what happened at my job, more than I usually have in writing.  It made me relive in my head some of the moments that led me to leave that company, which also helped me get over the anger and frustrations I felt when I thought of that company.  I was happy to add another voice to the stories of the unemployed, which there are hundreds, if not thousands, of the voiceless out there.

Another fascinating aspect are the comments people leave in the comments section.  As with the article and stories themselves, the comments are full of different emotions.  Some people empathize with the writers, some don’t.  Some have no sympathy for the unemployed.  Why should they, they have jobs and are probably the same people I vented about months ago: they got their jobs through daddy, or are spineless sellouts/whores who did all they could to hang on to their jobs.  It’s a good look into the minds of people on both ends of the spectrum in society.

One story spoke about a woman who had three majors, and a couple minors from college (mostly liberal arts-type), and how she was not prepared for real life after work.  In the comments this led to the “you should have majored in a real major” remarks, or the “you should have worked harder in college and took advantage of what they had to offer to help you” remarks.  But there were also the “college sucks and does nothing for employment” and other anti-college comments.  To be honest, I agree with the anti-college people to a point.  

I think there is a level of need for a “college level” education, but I think that the current system is irreparably broken.  I saw this when I was in college over ten years ago.  Part of the problem is that, like most things during my generation, what the previous generation did/experienced is irrelevant for my generation, but the “old ways” are still used and pushed on today’s society.  It used to mean a ton to have a degree from a college, almost gave you a job straight out of college.  Now with the number of people going to college, as well as the amount of schools out there, the college degree is equal to what the high school diploma was a generation ago-nice to have, but the minimum you should have education wise.  Even a Master’s degree isn’t a guarantee you got a job-sometimes it’s a major detriment.  It used to be that you go to school, get your degree, get a job.  Now it’s you go to school, get into debt from school, get any job (90-95% not in the field you want) and try to pay off your debts to the bank, then maybe try to get that dream job if you aren’t bitter or burnt out from trying.  

You would think that with the current situation in this country, there would be change, but there isn’t.  I think it’s a huge blessing to banks and schools.  With people being pushed to “retrain for the jobs of tomorrow” (which no one knows what they are, so what the Hell are people training for?), schools get an influx of new students-and tuition payments-and banks get new people to loan money to and hold as almost slaves for years.  So why would schools want the system even looked at?  Why would bank want anything changed since loans payments are a nice profit center?  

Schools don’t prepare kids for work, they teach them something sure, but they don’t prepare them to make a resume, look for work, etc.  Kids come out of school and due to the message of the old ways, almost expect a job or feel entitled to one.  Schools almost NEVER show a kid reality.  It’s like the Matrix, and the kid was just brought to the “real world”.  Schools say they have programs or services to help prepare kids, but they aren’t really advertised or promoted on campus much (though they should be REQUIRED!! Much more than the bullshit electives freshman or sophomores are required to take).  I hated that: I went to college to learn TV, but I didn’t until almost my junior year.  Most of my classes my first two years were glorified High School classes, that really didn’t add anything to my experience.  

I think the current system is here for another reason: to keep the youth from being unemployed, and driving the unemployment rate through the roof.  I think it’s there to keep the youth dumb and let them sow their oats, rather than learning something useful or working.  Look at Spain and Greece, where the youth unemployment rate is over 50%, and they are starting to revolt.  That is something the US is afraid could happen here.  College is pushed on the youth as an “experience”, and it is, but what isn’t pushed as well as “experience life on your own, but prepare for your life”.  My High School has the motto “not for school, but for life”, and I WISH colleges had that a as staple of their philosophies.   It’s enraging how most colleges cry poor, but the tuitions and endowments they have are anything but.  

I don’t have a solution for what to do.  I will say those on college for a certain job should call/email/talk to anyone in the field they want to get into and find out everything they can do to get into any job out of college.  That’s how most people got their jobs in the past.  Most asked how, many volunteered their time to apprentice (that’s an old way of saying “intern”), and got in at the bottom.  This old-school thinking should be pushed.  Or entrepreneurship should also be pushed-make you job, not look for it.  

Don’t get me wrong, I still think in the end college is important.  Even going away for it is important-I enjoyed the Hell out of it.  But there has to be a “shock” to the kids to get their acts together and more programs and required classes to get kids ready to enter real life as normal people, not the entitled dumbass babies that are coming out now.

As the world turns, It's off it's axis and screwing up everyone

So after watching a ton of the news today, It’s showing how crazy and stupid people are.

First, with the attacks on the US embassies and bases in the Middle East, it astounds me how dumb people are and how they just accept whatever the media says.  What is the basis of the attacks?  According to the Government and news media (some are direct Propaganda machines of the Government), it’s over a low-rent video that absolutely NO ONE knew of before this.  It’s from a group that is a fringe group of Christians that hate Islam.  This group financed this film accusing that Islam is based on a Pedeophile and crook of a prophet.   First off, you’d be stupid to think that this is the only group that made this film, or a film that has any of these accusations.  I'm sure there were dozens of groups that have done that, some who read this may be a member of a church who has.  To think that this is the basis of several Americans being killed, and several countries uprising and attacking Americans in their countries is laughable.  

What I think this is all about is that, once again, the US failed in their stupid ideology pushing “nation building/king making” that the US has tried for decades.  They tried this in Central and South America in the 80s, backing the anti-communist guys, who turn out to be psychos and blood thirsty tyrants.  This in the end led to the US getting screwed in business deals with them and then the US sending in the Economic Hitmen to cripple the nations.  This looks like the same thing, since it’s happening in all nations that we are trying to “help” and “rebuild” after their evil leaders were killed (which we helped whoever was against the guys).  Now it looks like we were backing the real bad guys, put them in power and we aren’t happy about it.  So the US (CIA) rile up the people using this BS story of the movie, and get the people to protest in front of the embassies and make it look like the local government is weak to stop their people attacking their “friends”.  This then has the US in position to find the “right” person to put in charge-probably a guy from the US who has ties to the country, or a banker ready to raid the country and give the money to other US bankers.  Only thing is that who the CIA got to rile up the people took things too far and instead of maybe taking the US diplomat and his people hostage, they killed them.  Now the US has to try to make nice with people-who are Muslim extremists who have nothing in common with the US beyond being nice enough to get money and aid-they don’t like in the first place!!!  

Again, this has happened in the 80s in Central America and now in the Middle East.  The people who run this country are literally insane-they keep doing the same thing over and over again.  You’d think with all the screw ups they have done, they’d learn from them.  Only coup they have done without major issue was the JFK and RFK assassinations.  Yeah, I said it.  Only reason they got away with it is due to the inept Media and the people here who are sheep and believe everything the media tells them, rather than thinking out something, no matter how far-fetched it could be.  

Which leads to one major underlying meme that worries me.  Lets say that a religious group did this alleged movie.  Isn’t it their right to do it?  Isn’t that what freedom of speech is?  Why wouldn’t they have the right to say what they want-ignorant or not?  This story is also being used as an attempt to try to take the freedom to express one’s view away from them.  It’s because those in power fear alternative viewpoints.  Those with them are always labeled “kooks, crackpots,etc.”  It’s bigoted that one person thinks they have the answer, and they won’t even listen to another side.  It’s also ignorant and really annoying.  

Speaking of ignorance, freedoms, and elites.  The Royal family in England-their biggest tourist trap-have the balls to sue over privacy because one of their members had her chest plate exposed sunbathing and someone took a pic of it.  Don’t bother looking for it on the Web, first there’s NOTHING sexy about her.  Second, according to the paper royals, that should be an offense and you should be sued for having them.  What balls of people who allegedly run a country crying for privacy where the common person have cameras almost up their asses just by stepping out the door.  British “citizens” (still subjects of the Queen) are under surveillance 24 hours with ultra hi-res cameras on every street corner and road, taping and spying on everyone.  Yet, poor royals get caught with her half-A cups out, and they think they are above the law.  Buch of hypocritical assholes.

Finally, Israel should shut their mouths.  They’ve been bitching the US hasn’t come to their finger snap to take care of their problems.  Fuck them, we got other issues to deal with before Iran.  Israel’s Prime Minister, that fat pig, Benjamin Netanyahu, is trying to get involved and be king maker for our elections by coming out and say we haven’t done anything as far as Iran.  He has such a raging hard-on to attack anyone around Israel because he’s paranoid everyone is out to get them.  HIs saber rattling is really annoying and should really be called out.  If the info is right and Obama can’t stand Netanyahu, I can respect him for that.  He’s nothing but a blowhard and he has no rights to speak to the US as if they are better than the US.  

Israel is one of those countries that should really shit or get off the pot.  I’ve always found it astounding how the politicians here in the US cow-tow the whims of Israel.  Why? For the Jewish vote?  I don’t think a lot of Jews in the US still think the health and need of Israel is as high as it was years ago.  But to watch politicians grovel to them makes it look like THEY run the show here and we are their bitch.   They’ve acted a lot of times  like spoiled little brats throwing hissy fits when the US don’t do their bidding at the drop of the hat.  The US helped them in the past, and we still get shit for it.  In order to pander to a voting block, politicians made promises years ago to Israel that are held over our heads today.  On top of it, Israel pushes other nations in the region around with threats of attack because that country looked at Israel funny.  

Their latest fit is Iran allegedly having nuclear weapons.  Most intelligence (including their own) has said that Iran is not close to making any weapons, but Israel wants the country turned into dust yesterday.  The US told them to chill out and stop talking shit, so now Israeli is trying to force the US’ hand to announce when THE US will take out Iran for them. How about this: I hear “Oh Israel’s army is the toughest, they are the baddest, they can take out anyone…”  then man up and do it.  Stop talking like a bitch and take a swing like a man.  DO it yourself, and stop trying to hide behind the US or Europe.  If they don’t have the set to, they should then SHUT THEIR MOUTHS.

Oh, I had an alternative view on Israel, so that naturally make me anti-Semitic.  That’s what the media and Government wants people to think if ANYONE says anything against Israel.  Israel has this “untouchable” level when it comes to having a discussion about world politics and events.  I am far from anti-Semitic, I just don’t agree and cannot stand one nation trying to start or unsettle a region while trying to drag the US into their problems, when our energy and resources should be used here.  I don’t fully subscribe to the theory, but I do think there is some validity that Israel gave the US false info to get the US to invade Iraq-another nation that Israel wanted to attack for years.  I wouldn’t put it past them to do the same about Iran.

In closing, we have several wars that were based on flawed information, data and ideologies.  Seeing current world events, there may be more on the horizon, like it or not.  Why can’t we just worry about the 15% really unemployed in this nation, the debt we have from stupid politicians, and how we can right the broken ship here?  Why do we need to clean up other people’s problems?  I don’t care about anyone else but my situation here in the US.  I wish the Politicians really and legitimately shared my concern.  

HAPPY 9/11 DAY!!!!

I'm not going to bore people with the “I was here on this day…” crap.  I’ve done that before.  I'm really fatigued with the whole 9/11 thing.  I know a bunch of people died, and it’s something bad, but living in NYC it is brought up every couple months in some form or another.  I hate it, and I don’t fully believe the “Inside job” theory, but there are some valid questions.  But I won’t get into it here.  God forbid someone would have an “alternative view on something”, that would make them a crackpot.  Most people like to be sheep, makes things simple.  Like “BAAAA JFK was killed by one crazy person, BAAAA”, “BAAAA when I vote, it means something BAAA”.  

Lets just say, I have doubts. I have no energy to continue this post, so I'll leave it there.  I will say I am appalled about  a propaganda piece done by CBS local news on the TSA, and how they are the “fighters against terrorism, and so many people wouldn’t be workin if it wasn’t for the TSA hiring and ‘training” people to combat terrorism”.  It was disgusting.  PLEASE TELL ME EXACT NUMBERS HOW MANY TERRORIST ATTACKS THESE RENT-A-COPS HAVE STOPPPED???  Oh that’s right…ZERO!!!!  But they have stopped people from wanting to fly often, with their pedeophiles touching their kids, and creeps probably jerking off as soon as they are off duty after feeling up a woman or guy.  These mall cops harass people and will even detain people so they don’t catch their flight if said person doesn’t submit to the civil liberty rape.  Fuck them, and that fat cow running Homeland Security.  Now these TSA creeps are stopping people at train stations, where they hide behind real cops when you tell them “no” after they order you to show them your papers and bag. It’s imple: tell them “No, you have no right to even speak to me”.  If the cops get involved, repeat it until either they ask you to leave, which then just walk to the next station, or demand supervisors until they get fed up.

TSA, where the b is silent, and where the crooks are given the badges.

CONvention, and start of the greatest book ever written

So, is everyone happy the CONventions are over?  I still don't get the point in them anymore, since the kingmakers in both parties push out all but one candidate before the convention started.  I also don’t like that since most states are a “winner take all delegates” format in their primaries, it further makes the point of the convention pointless.  I remember as a child when there used to be some drama in the roll call of the delegates. Now it’s just a bunch of dorks, with there stupid long winded speeches about their state, prolonging the inevitable.  If I was President, I’d take each state’s blabbering, rank them from longest description they did on the mic to least, and cut the most from the longest, and work down the line, maybe give some to the shorter blabbers.  My logic: if they have so much to brag about and have so much going on, why do they need federal money?

I also remember when there was legit debates on the party’s platform and where they stand on many issues, but with the Internet and the constant news cycle, that is even gone away.  It’s sort of sad, and it’s now made these CONventions nothing more than practice for the younger prospects with their speaking skills, and also a giant session to show off the best and worst of their parties at the same time.  

After watching/reading about both parties and what they are going to do if they run the show (which, I barely have a clue what that is) I am leaning to keeping the guy in who’s there now.  It’s not that I like the guy-I respect his stances and the fact that he is the President-but I will probably vote for him due to the “devil you know, compared to the devil you don’t” scenario.  I am not sure if the current administration just needs more time like they ask for so their policies and programs can work, or they are a bunch of grifters running a ponsi scheme, but compared to the potential problems the other side could cause with their current attitude and sanctimonious nonsense, the current people don’t seem so bad.   

I am torn though, between the current guy and the Libertarian candidate, who no one talks about.  I like many of their platform’s approach, like States need to take more control of their emergencies.  I am always for this, where if you live in a region and you know there’s flooding or storms that are destructive, or known fires 9which is all nature at work), shouldn’t those who run the governments/municipalities be the ones with everything they need budgeted and manpower/supplies ready to go.  They choose to live there, and they should accept the fact that they have these problems to deal with.  The federal government shouldn’t but at the point handling the emergency relief.  I get when they have to come in if the season is unusually more active, but in an average year-backed by data and SCIENCE!!!!-local and regional governments/municipalities should have no problem handling it themselves.  

THere are some other parts of their platform I am for, but I am hesitant to fully back them since there is always the potential the GOP can co-op them and we have the same issues there are now, and I think some of their cuts can be a bit too much.  That’s why I may stick with the current guy.

Personal note, remember that book I said I wanted ti write?  Next week I’ll actually start outlining my thoughts and try to organize them into a rough outline.  Then I’ll fill in the rest and see how much I can put down.  I plan on making an ebook, probably though Amazon.  

Post-Birthday stream of thoughts

I decided to wait a little bit for my next entry.  My birthday was this past week and I had a ton of emotions to go through, and honestly I still do.

I'm 34 now, and it means I'm not a spring chicken.  I feel like I have let a lot of life go by, and that I should be in a much better situation professionally and personally at this point.  It’s hard not to feel a level of failure, but I also remind myself that I am here for a reason, and God-who/whatever it is-wants me here for a reason.  

Mortality has been a theme the past week or so with me.  I see people and how frail some are, and how some that I thought that would still be around aren’t.  It’s a subject that gives me a lot of fear.  How am I supposed to handle it?  Usually people look to me as the “Rock” of the situation, but that’s mostly because I am able to disconnect my feelings at the time to be that role for others.  Only problem is that after, I still haven’t dealt with those emotions, and adding all my other worries/fears, I sometimes do feel overwhelmed.  It comes out randomly, or it comes out due to some simple worry or uncertainty ignites a larger level of worry.  For example: I look online for work, and to be honest I don’t know what I want to do or apply for.  I feel lost in my life, and one of my biggest worries/fears is that I will be lost when the major events happen that I’m supposed to know what the Hell I'm supposed to do.  This is something that hangs over my head a lot, and I hate that it does.  I feel bad when it affects me and people close to me.

I'm still not happy with the no job thing, but I'm hoping some leads bring something out of them.  I should consider doing some volunteer work, at the least to make me feel not like a piece of garbage.  I’ve been trying to keep my mind busy and not worrying so much.  Ad I said before I am trying to learn Spanish, and now I decided to try to understand the Linux operating system.  To be honest, Spanish is nothing compared to Linux.  I also train BJJ, something that helps a lot keeping my mind and body together and healthy.  

I mentioned before that I wanted to at least try to write a book, and I decided to go for it.  I am going to organize my thoughts and put them together and hopefully it comes out as a book I can sell.  Who knows, maybe it’ll get me a couple bucks.