Someone Has To Say It...

You Wanted Truth

2009-04-26T04:37:00.001-04:00

I am not lacking in any of the things which you claim to value.
You don’t know what you stand for
Yet you don’t fall for a single fucking thing.

My strength has been proven many times.
No matter how hard others have tried to break me, I have persevered.
I have been cheated. I have been lied to. I have been devalued.
And never have I been like this.

I do not wait for good things to come to me.
But you don’t even qualify as a “good thing.”
I do not play second chair and I refuse to be put on hold.
Some things are worth waiting for.

You’re not one of them.

Why do I care?
Why have I seriously considered
Seriously altering everything about who I am?
To fit some ass backwards notion you have
Of how women are expected to behave?
Fuck you.

I once heard your ego
Was an attempt to counter serious insecurities.
I once thought you were a bigger man than that.
So strong and yet so little on the inside.

How can someone be so high-and-mighty
And yet so fucking ugly inside?
Someone I have admired so much
Has the ability to sicken me.

I would secretly smile at the thought of
You regretting this one day.
But that assumes you have the mental wherewithal
To recognize that you screwed it all up.

You want something to be proud of?
Go fuck yourself.

That sounds like an accomplishment to me.

Let’s Talk About: Crime & Punishment

2009-02-21T01:57:00.002-05:00

About four months from obtaining a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from a pretty decent university, I would say I’m somewhat well versed in this matter. Maybe it’s my education that makes me so frustrated by the way other people view the subject but I’d like to think I had common sense before a college education.

I don’t expect the average person to know all the ins and outs of offender motivations or the effectiveness of rehabilitation programs. I guess, unfortunately, in reality, the average person doesn’t give much thought to these things. I have always found these things to be of extreme importance and relevance, but that’s why I ended up going to school for it. I have always had a fascination with the topic and, luckily, this fascination has led me to want to pursue a graduate degree in criminal justice when I finish undergrad this June. I do, however, expect my fellow criminal justice students to understand the implication of policies which are currently in place and how that jives with what we know to be effective and what we know to be an absolute failure.

To embrace the truth about the criminal justice system and offenders, you have to be brave. I’m not saying just to be a cop you have to be brave (in fact, quite the opposite, but more on that later). The truth about the criminal justice system and the way it (dys)functions within America is that it is not black and white. People are not just “good” or “bad” and treated accordingly. There are many complexities in offending and reoffending and treatment for offenders. I know there are people out there who understand this better than myself. Unfortunately, it seems these people are not running the justice system.

The people who are running the justice system, or at least playing a huge role in it, are average people. That’s a problem.

One of the clearest manifestations of this fear is the way sex offenders are treated. Prior to Megan’s Law, some states kept record of sex offenders and their whereabouts. Post-Megan’s Law, the public is now able to gain access to this information. While it is quite clear to see how keeping tabs on sex offenders is beyond beneficial for law enforcement officials, the fact the public now feels some sense of entitlement to this information is absolutely atrocious. America was a country founded on freedom and individuality. Why is it any of your business who that man is living down the street?

I would never go so far as to say sex offenders (or any offenders) should have their record cleared after serving their time. That too is atrocious. However, sex offenders – and all other criminals – are still people who should still have the right to privacy that the rest of us enjoy as American citizens. If you go to the site http://www.familywatchdog.us/, it’s possible for you to find information about the sex offenders who live and work in your area. You can see a picture of this person, their specific offense (which most people don’t fully understand anyways), their exact address, their place of employment, even what tattoos they may have. You have got to be kidding me. We are now cataloging the tattoos of sex offenders. Clearly their picture, full legal name, date of birth, address and picture wasn’t enough to help us identify these people.

I sincerely hope the average person never looks at this in an attempt to gauge the safety of their neighborhood or where to let their children play or anything of the sort. You can even find your child’s school on the map, find out how many sex offenders live within a half-mile radius and see their pictures/information in a list. What good does this do? Will you be sure to run out into the street and grab your child if you see this man walking by? How absurd.

If you are not keeping a close enough eye on your child to ensure they are not abducted or molested, you are a complete fool. In fact, parents are usually pretty good about not allowing their children to fall into the hands of strangers. That would be why most sexual assaults are not committed by total strangers. Keeping this in mind, what good could the sex offender registry possibly be? You should be cautious of all new people you meet and even more cautious of who you allow to be in the company of your child without your direct supervision. This stupid registry will not prevent bad parenting or lax supervision. I wish it were possible to stop mentally inferior people incapable of protecting their children from even having children in the first place, but alas, that it totally impossible.

The only thing sex offender registries serves to create is an unreasonable, unjustified sense of fear in the community. Oh no. That poor old guy who has never been properly socialized to interact in a normal manner with his peers just moved in next door. Forget the fact he is clearly beyond troubled. Let’s publish all of his personal information on a website and allow people to post giant signs in his yard which state “Sex Offender Lives Here!” Yes. That is really helping his attempts at reintegrating into society and getting back to a normal life.

The truth is, many sex offenders are successfully rehabilitated. Clearly no method will fully prevent every kind of offender from going back to their bad ways, but can we not give these people the benefit of the doubt? Do we keep a registry of where all the thieves live? People who commit property offenses have great motivation to reoffend. Why don’t we track them? When I come home and my TV is gone, I would like to know where the closest burglar is so I can have the police go fuck with him about my missing flat screen – A flat screen that I obviously didn’t care too much about as I left my apartment door unlocked while I left so someone could easily waltz in and take it. It’s absurd, isn’t it?

If you give a flying fuck about your children (and you should), you should be overly cautious all the time. Not just when there is a sex offender in your neighborhood. There are plenty of new sex offenders just waiting for the opportunity to butt rape little Bobby when you turn your back. Are we so foolish as to think keeping track of existing sex offenders will rape-proof our children?

Please note, I am not attempting to alleviate sex offenders of their responsibility for the atrocious things they have done and the negative lifelong effects their actions will undoubtedly have on their victim. I’m just saying…target hardening is not just some irrelevant theory in my text books. It’s beyond sad that people who like to touch little kids exist. It really and truly is. But, as the non-mentally ill parties in this dynamic, it is our responsibility to help them help themselves. Those parents who thought Michael Jackson was anything but a rich version of the creepy guy in a van with candy are idiots. (The man had every child’s dream in his back yard for God’s sake. Why would you let your son hang out there?)

What spurred all this was a slide in my crime prevention class earlier today where the lovely state of Wisconsin (or some other W-state), has decided to put “sex offender” on the drivers license of convicted sex offenders. In three different places. In case you missed the first two bright red warnings this guy had sex with a girl a few years under the legal age of consent, there are three chances for your retarded ass to catch this. Great.

What pissed me off most was this older woman in the class said “that is a great idea.”

No. Actually, you misinformed, fear-thriving twat, that is the dumbest thing I have ever seen. Think of all the places you are required to show your state ID. When buying movie tickets? When Test driving a car? When buying a case of beer? Does the idiot working at McDonald’s checking that the name on my credit card and ID match really need to know I’m a sex offender? I think not. Why is it necessary to put someone’s criminal history on their driver’s license? It’s not like it was a DUI and we should be warned this person is getting tanked, swerving all over the road and killing innocent people. (Oh, speaking of offender populations which have a high rate of recidivism!) Sex offenses and driving seem totally unrelated in my opinion. If anyone has any insight on the matter, hook a bitch up. Do you ID people you meet? How could this possibly serve as a deterrent to future offending? In reality, this is just further alienating people, many of which may be trying to move on with a semi-normal life.

Contrary to what the misinformed, fear-thriving general population thinks, offenders feel remorse for their actions. There will always be the few-and-far-between heartless serial killers who will stab you, fuck your dead body (perhaps in your eye socket), stab you a few more times and then eat your body parts. Sure. But in reality, with proper rehabilitation, a lot of these real people gain the empathy they lacked before and understand why what they did was wrong.

It takes a certain amount of faith in our fellow humans to believe this. Maybe that is why people are so eager to condemn the pants off sex offenders. (That joke was funny for so many reasons and I didn't even realize it at first.) We’re willing to believe in a big man in the sky that created the earth in seven days and then sent his son down to walk on water…

But have faith in one another and the inherent good that surely lies somewhere within us all?

Fuck that.

Let's Talk About: The Fab Five

2009-02-01T05:47:00.005-05:00

Apparently I've been living under a rock...or I just didn't pay enough attention to the high school drama that made its way onto the national news scene. Can't say I'm too upset about that though.

If you too aren't familiar with the girls of McKinney North High School outside of Dallas, here is my very brief, very biased synopsis:
---Once upon a time there were five spoiled ass white girls, one of which was lucky enough to have a mommy who was also the principal of McKinney North. These spoiled ass white girls all happened to be cheerleaders who thought their shit didn't stink. Allegedly, these girls told teachers to fuck off while talking on their cell phones in class, flipped other teachers off and were just generally a pain in the ass.
---One day, a new cheer coach comes to town and the girls end up stealing her cell phone and send her husband and someone else lewd text messages. (Why the coach was so upset about the girls sending her husband raunchy texts is beyond me. Perhaps she realized teenage girls could better entertain her man and was mortified.) When new coach tries to get the girls in trouble...surprise, surprise, Mom the principal isn't too interested in handing out punishments.

Oh yeah, and somewhere along the way, the girls post questionable pictures of themselves on MySpace.

Oh, and then the mommy principal gets fired. Once again, surprise.

The part about this that makes me super excited is the pictures on MySpace. While the infamous candle picture has clearly been removed before Internet whores like myself could get their hands on them and mass produce them with hilarious captions, rumor has it the girls are in a sex shop or something and are making inappropriate gestures with penis candles.

Talk about friends I'd like to have.

If administrators and other people over the age of 40 think this shit doesn't happen, they're fools. That's how our generation is...lewd and unapologetic. I don't care if this bimbo cheerleader is stuffing a phallic shaped candle up another cheerleader's ass. Since when were we expecting high school'ers to be the epitome of maturity or good role models? They are young, impressionable and foolish as hell. Does it really matter? What does the big picture have to do with the MySpace pictures?

The big picture is...someone raised these girls to be this way. Older generations attempt to blame us for the way we've turned out but I mean, someone is (ir)responsible, and it's not just us.

On the verge of real adulthood myself, I can safely say there is a picture of me with a stolen leg bone from a skeleton in my mouth at a bar around Halloween time. Aside from the fact it was totally unflattering, it also wasn't that funny so only myself and my cousin and a few friends have seen it. I almost couldn't stop laughing to put it in my mouth.

Maybe the biggest difference between our generation and those that came before us is the fact we're not phased by things like this. To us, it's really not a big deal.

Does anyone honestly believe the fab five in Texas are the only fab five out there? Are these the only girls who pose like this...?

To be honest, I see that shit going on so often that I can't even be sure those are the girls in question. Those pictures just came up when I Google'd them. The chick does appear to have a North cheerleading outfit on but even that could be a different "North."

I don't really see any reason why such a big deal was made over the pictures. There are also some pictures of the girls drinking while scantily clad. Once again, typical high school stuff, I'm sure of that. It was never my cup of tea but I can only imagine what takes place in high school social circles these days.

What bothers me most about these girls isn't that they faked sexual interest in one another to make their pictures funnier...nor is it that they posed with penis shaped candles while in a sex shop. What really sucks about these girls is their attitude. Their sense of entitlement at such a young age, an age where you have truly accomplished absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of life, is a tell tale sign it wasn't just created by their own self-worth. Mom and dad (if both parents are in the picture) did a great job of spoiling the shit out of these girls somewhere along the line.

I'm all for giving kids a cushy life. Passing on opportunities you were never granted as a child is par for the course in parenting as far as I'm concerned. Parents who cannot financially support their children to a very big extent aren't really doing their job. However, parents who cannot provide moral guidelines are guilty of the same.

High school kids are going to drink. High school kids are going to make obscene gestures. High school kids are going to do absolutely retarded things. Now a days, with the blessings of technology, high school kids are going to document these idiotic activities with their digital/cell phone cameras. None of that is alarming.

What's alarming is the fact these kids were ridiculously over-publicized for being just like every other spoiled brat in America. Lifetime even made a movie about their nastiness.

Sure, that did nothing for their already larger-than-life egos.

[d'oh]

Let's Talk About: Gender.

2008-05-13T23:22:00.005-04:00

"I myself have never been able to find out precisely what feminism is: I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat or a prostitute."
--Rebecca West

Despite taking a single feminism class a year ago, I am not very well versed in the matter. Surprisingly (or not), I have been called a feminist numerous times in my two decades of roaming this Earth. Usually it was when I did what the above states...differentiating myself from a doormat especially. I remember one time very clearly: I was with a female college friend visiting one of her guy friends at another school. As he was bragging about being able to con some girl into doing his laundry for him, I pointed out she must be a fool to do such a favor with nothing in return. His response was "Wow, feminist much?" My female "friend" replied, "Just a touch."

Burn.

My mother never raised me to be necessarily proud to be a woman nor did my father treat me like "daddy's little girl." Perhaps it was because my parents were hoping their first born was a son but I always did boy-ish activities with my dad. We went fishing, did yard/house work together, watched sports, went skating, you name it. Growing up I liked to do all kinds of things; from climbing trees to dressing up my extensive Barbie collection (all of my Barbies drove the same pink Corvette though). One year for Christmas, as evidenced by pictures, I was given a play tool set and a doll house. I don't remember which one I gravitated towards first although I bet it says a lot about who I am. I do remember thoroughly enjoying both toys until they fell apart.

I never really thought anything of it.

At a young age, I started to realize it wasn't as unclear as I made it out to be. You were either a girl or a boy. Don't get me wrong, I've never questioned my gender but I have always enjoyed being "one of the guys" and more masculine activities. Thus, the "cooties" years were pretty hard on me. According to my mom, I came back from school in first grade and cried when my best male friend since preschool stopped hanging out with me because he liked his guy friends better.

And so my life continued; always wanting to do and enjoying things the "average" girl does not. In high school the careers which attracted me most were anything dealing with cars and law enforcement...not exactly the most girlie of interests. (I've never had the nurture in me to be a teacher or a nurse or a profession where I had to take care of people.) By this age however, we didn't have cooties anymore and most of my friends were males again. The few girls I could really get along with were similarly different from the other girls we knew but there were, and still are, just enough of us for me to feel not too lonely.

Now I've come to the culmination of all those years of gender-role-confusion. I've found myself in a crash-course police academy with 3 other girls and 40-some other men. Although I've grown accustomed to being the only girl (like the summer I worked at a car detailing shop), it's never ceased to amaze me how men have always managed to make me feel like a sissy. Whether it's the male boss who finds it acceptable to hit on me at work or the way guys offer to do the hard stuff for me...I've felt extremely belittled.

I thought this career choice would be similar. Of course, some men are under the impression the last place women belong is along side of them in a badge, the biggest disappointments I've experienced have been ones in which only I have played a hand.

The first day of my training, I was screamed at, spit at and made to do push ups until my muscles reached near failure. I never thought this would be a walk in the park but damn, I was in for a surprise. After being surrounded by 4 men who screamed in my face about not having a piece of equipment the property department was out of, something in my reaction gave off the impression I was being disrespectful. More push ups. It wasn't the push ups that hurt this time though. It was the frustration I felt at being misunderstood. There was nothing I could do...when a group of full grown-and-then-some sized men are screaming in your face, you learn how to shutup real fast.

Luckily for me, we were excused to the locker rooms before the tears overflowed.

Less than a week later and I find myself at a shooting range. Having never fired a gun before, I thought this would be a new and enjoyable experience. The first attempt went swimmingly. I wasn't the best shot but I was doing better than the only other girl in my group and got all my rounds off on time. The second attempt however required single strong and weak hand shooting. I'd like to blame the fact I couldn't reach/pull the trigger on the hurricane-like conditions in which I was firing but I think it had more to do with my small hands and lack of weapon knowledge.

Standing on the line, surrounded by a dozen men, the tears started to roll down my face. Luckily for me it was raining and I was bound and determined to squeeze those rounds off that measly 12 pound trigger. I kept pulling and pulling and nothing was happening. My finger was too high up on the trigger and I couldn't get a single round off after the initial couple. I started to cry a bit harder but kept pulling away. Finally, a second instructor came over to offer assistance. When he asked me what was wrong, I lost it. I started bawling in front of all those male strangers and wailed something about not wanting to go home.

More frustration.

Although I've always done my best to kick ass despite my gender and defy the norms, here I was, a girl in a man's shoes...crying like a baby.

Maybe those people are right. Maybe girls aren't meant to be police officers or do all those other positions normally held by men. I argue the few of us who can muscle through it ARE meant for it though. While my male counterparts at the academy can bust out those 100-some pushups a day with no problem and can fire a perfect score on their first attempt, it is not success which builds character and tests your strength. It is only after falling completely on your face and getting back up to try again that you toughen up.

You can say it's a man's job. Say women have no place in some agencies. I know all the women who have made it have had to push themselves exponentially harder than the men who do the same job. It may come more naturally to the male species but that only makes our equal achievements more impressive.

And in case you were wondering, on my third attempt, I shot a perfect score.

Let's Talk About: Monogamy.

2008-04-29T20:19:00.005-04:00

“It serves me right for putting all my eggs in one bastard.”
– Dorothy Parker

Oh monogamy…what an overrated idea. After my last relationship ended so nastily, I had sworn nothing made you hate someone faster than becoming exclusive with them. Seeing them every day, having to listen to their stupid stories and lame jokes over and over, getting to know all their nasty habits and their ugly side, frequency, repetition, familiarity, blah. It is for the birds or fools, or perhaps both.

Sparrows or swallows are rumored to be monogamous. And penguins too right? I’ve not seriously investigated it but, if this is true, I’m willing to bet these animals have relatively short life-spans. Nothing like to 70-some years Americans are predicted to live. Monogamy makes sense for animals that only live 20 years. Hell, if I popped out of a uterus knowing I’d be gone in a couple decades, I’d start mating with the first person I saw and never let them go. Understandable, sure. But 20 plus years with the same person? No thank you!!

And death really is the only way out of those types of relationships. Or something even more unpleasant. “More unpleasant than death?” you ask. Well, I can think of a few things…

I suppose some people like the idea of monogamy. Of course, it’s these people of which you must be wary. They’re either possessive or delusional. I’m convinced most people don’t actually enjoy the idea of being with the same person for life. Nature indicates it’s about as unnatural as Hell. Society indicates it’s expected. So we do it. We date around, find someone we like and settle down. I’m not talking about marriage either. Marriage is the worst. Getting married is like swearing to monogamy. I’m talking about relationships. Relationships (pre-marriage) are just monogamous agreements. Don’t fool yourself though, these suck too.

At a young age, how can you possibly find what you want for the rest of your life? You cannot. Instead you find someone you can get along with in the here-and-now, settle down and cling away like there’s no tomorrow. Eventually you’re miserable and either “stay together for the kids” or divorce. That’s the statistic which proves monogamy is unnatural. Look at the divorce rate! Some sites have suggested it is near 50% in the U.S. How hopeful. And divorce rates don’t even take into account the percentage of couples who are still together and hating each other.

I’ve never been married but I’ve been in a few relationships which have gone to Hell. Same idea, I suppose. In relationships though, you don’t have to go to court to get the fuck out.

When I express these ideas to most people, they assume I’ve been hurt really bad in the past and I’m afraid to commit. I’m some heartbroken, hapless girl who needs to be saved by a man who knows how to treat her or something. It’s funny when people verbalize this because I never know what to say. I am shocked to find I have been traumatized and that is why I think this way. I thought, just perhaps, common sense led me to this conclusion? I can admit, my first serious relationship happened at a young age and I was a fool. I was hurt pretty bad but I don’t think I still carry around baggage from it and I consider myself pretty in-touch with my emotions. And quite honestly, since then, I’ve been the one doing the “heart-breaking.” I’ve been treated really well in my last few relationships. It was the familiarity which got to me. I got bored. Of course, I made other excuses to break it off but I never let them think it was their fault (and it wasn’t.) “It’s me!” I can say that and mean it and, to be honest, it feels great to be honest.

But now I find myself in a conundrum. For the last six months or so, I’ve been treated very well. One of my biggest relationship problems is I always end up with the guys who will sacrifice themselves to make me happy. Once again, none of this indicates I have been mistreated…quite the opposite! While it is clear to see how this can get boring fast, what I discovered a few days ago came as a shock.

While lying in bed, my significant other began answering text messages rather early in the morning. Okay, it was the afternoon but it was “morning” as we were still in bed, somewhat sleeping. When he went to throw the wash into the drier, I decided to do something totally out of character. I went snooping. I got exactly what I was asking for when I found he’d been sending a female co-worker some rather incriminating messages. If you know me, you know I’m never one to sit down, shut up and just keep something to myself. I ended up kicking him out after some very unsatisfactory explanations.

Although my snooping was out of character, so was his texting! Of all the men I’ve dated, I’ve trusted this one quite a bit. This was the last thing I expected from him. The guy who told me numerous times he wanted to be in a relationship and get married and settle down and all that miserable madness I’ve condemned thus far…he was going to do this? In the midst of his half-assed excuses, he revealed I was the only girl he’d been with that he hadn’t cheated on…yet.

In hind sight, after some deliberation with a close male friend, his wandering ways make a bit of sense. Men who are willing to sacrifice themselves so much to please a girl are rarely satisfied with themselves. To feel like a man again, it only makes sense to pursue another girl. It strokes the damaged ego, ya know? I get it.

What I don’t get is why he swore being exclusive is what he wanted? Why was he the one who pushed me into a relationship? So he could do this? I’m not that jaded or cynical. I don’t believe people start out with the intentions of hurting another. I’m just shocked to find I’m a victim of someone who has fooled themselves into thinking they were capable of monogamy. As stupid of a thing as it is.

Let’s Talk About: “Safety”

2008-03-02T21:16:00.005-05:00

This weekend marks the second time I have flown in the last seven or eight years. The last time I flew was back in 2003 and it was international (I spent three weeks in the UK). Because I was traveling with a large student group, I arrived at the airport ridiculously early and thought nothing of it. Perhaps security restrictions weren’t all they’ve become lately or perhaps my memory just fails me. Regardless, I would like to dedicate this blog to real truth, justice and safety. Not the outlandish ideas of truth, justice and safety we’ve been chasing since that fateful day in September.

This is by no means an attack on the honorable government employees who have chosen to uphold and enforce these silly laws. This is however, an attack on the administration which created their jobs and this foolish notion of “safety” in what can only be considered an attempt to scare the American public. I respect every individual who makes an honest living, especially one of civil service. I understand the general population is a nasty breed and I give these people props on dealing with the impatient fucks of the country who cannot be bothered with the extra twenty minutes it takes them to get through security. I’m not one of these fucks as much as I like to complain about these procedures. I do not consider myself rude or disrespectful towards Transportation Security Officers. I just think their job is a joke and I’d like to see my tax dollars going towards something which will really protect me and my fellow citizens. (Please note: I retract every nice thing I said in this paragraph if you’re one of those officers who “randomly” selects all the brown people to be searched…I’m onto you.)

The truth of the matter is, if my plane goes down because some crazy terrorist fuck has smuggled a weapon or explosive past security, I will not point my finger at the Transportation Security Administration. (Maybe because I wouldn’t have a finger to point, but that’s beside the point…okay, too much pointing.) At the same time, if my plane arrives at its destination safely, I do not thank my lucky stars for these people either. In my ever-so-humble opinion, if something is meant to be, no amount of “safety” precautions will prevent it. I don’t care how many screeners you pass my bag through or how much toothpaste you’ve confiscated. Where there is a will, there is a way.

Let’s make sense now. I know it’s hard for the people running our country to fathom such logic, but I’m going to break it down as easy as possible. The terrorists who we believe were responsible for 9/11 are long gone. And the future generations of potential terrorists are a bit smarter than we’re willing to admit. Even if it weren’t for the recent spike in security measures, I am thoroughly convinced potential terrorists would not attempt to attack America in the same manners previously used.

The fact a small number of people were able to overtake a majority of passengers and pilots using box cutters in the first place is almost laughable. I am not implying the attacks which took place that day could have been put down with a simple act of bravery or vigilantism but everyone with a less than empty head on their shoulders can admit it is absurd. So while we’re focusing all our efforts and resources on ensuring the airways are safe to travel, these future terrorists are spending their time wisely scheming how to sneak attack through the backdoor we never even fathomed. I mean, if I wanted to send a message to America (or the entire fucking world), the first thing I would do would be to get my pilots license and fly over, say Disney World, and drop some kind of incurable disease all over that hellhole. Not only are they poisoning everyone at the park but everyone these people (who are potentially oblivious) come in contact with for the duration of their trip. And once they get home, success…the virus has spread all over the state, country, globe and the real mayhem can begin.

I wonder if the Patriot Act prevents me from even thinking about such things. If something horrible like this incident I have theorized in my head ever happens, I’d like to state here and now – I am not responsible. I love my country too much for that and, quite honestly, I am too damn lazy to exert the effort required to follow through with such a laborious task. I’m just pointing out; as far as I know, this is a brilliant plan which could be carried out with little to no hindrance. And all this time, we’ve been worried about making people throw out their hand lotion which exceeds 3 ounces. Doesn’t it seem a bit trivial?

I concur, we need someone or something to make our flights safe but if we want to be so anal about flying, shouldn’t we at least consider the other ways in which our country is open to attack? Well, I suppose if we could worry in moderation, it would be advisable. It appears, however, moderation is unpopular at this point in time.

The bottom line is, let us not overcompensate for past mistakes. I believe the government had at least a slight indication or warning of the things to come and I believe someone quickly brushed it under the rug as impossible. We are America, the unstoppable nation, he must have thought. And what American can blame him? Admitting we are vulnerable is admitting we are weak.

But what is a greater travesty – being truthful about the chinks in our armor or pretending to be invincible and thus putting ourselves at an even larger risk?

Let's Talk About: Addiction.

2007-12-02T04:51:00.000-05:00

Who is responsible for stopping someone who is clearly out of control?

Parents? No doubt, lack of parental controls and discipline can be called into question. It's also easy to assume the parents were not the best of role models in their habits themselves. But what if the parents did all they could? What if the parents have done their best to provide every opportunity for their child? Can you still point the finger at them? Is it not possible for the apple to fall very far from the tree?

"Friends?" People tend to do things in which their associates take part. Sometimes though, people become friends with someone because they already have a bad habit in common. If the people feed off of one another, it is similar to the chicken v egg debate.

What of individual responsibility? As a society, Americans are taught total contradictions about social responsibility. On one hand, we are told to worry about ourselves, often assigning blame or negative connotations to someone who snitches. On the other, the government imposes rules meant only to save us from ourselves (ie: seatbelt laws, criminalization of drugs, etc.) If the label "addict" is prescribed to someone, is their judgment not, by default, amiss?

Someone close to me recently had a run in with the law due to what I've always assumed to be a slight case of a drinking problem. One DUI charge and a few weeks later, this person has yet to really make it clear to me whether they admit to their problem or not. How involved am I supposed to be in this recovery process? Do I let the court ordered rehabilitation do its job, knowing full well preaching abstinence to someone who has made this such a huge part of their life seems foolish and somewhat unreasonable? Granted, I shouldn't be asking this person to drink with me, but am I expected not to drink in the presence of this person? What if I live with this person? Am I setting them up for failure by keeping a case of beer in the fridge?

Answers of any kind would be greatly appreciated.

More later. <3

Let's Talk About: Being Honest

2007-09-27T22:18:00.000-04:00

This is a recent email I sent to my ex...pretty self-explanatory.

Sorry it's taken me a few days to actually sit down and write to you since I initially warned you. I've been thinking long and hard about what to say to you but I still do not know. I thought for sure something would've struck me by now but alas, no such luck.

I don't think we are wrong in our recent decision not to speak to one another (whether we both agreed to it or if it just happened). Although I miss hearing from you, I do not believe our continued communication helped either one of us really get over the other. If I'm putting words in your mouth, feel free to let me know but this was always the impression I received from you.

I regret my rude comments the last time we spoke (which I barely remember) but I assume I probably said something I felt needed to be said. I still love you and still wish you the best but I think it has become rather apparent a relationship between us is not plausible at this point in time due to distance and etc.

I do not regret, however, a single moment I spent with you. For the rest of my life men will be held to a different standard. (I've yet to discover whether that's going to seriously limit my selection but it could only be for the best. lol) I am not sure I will ever find someone who seemed to understand me as well as you did. That being said...

I was unreasonably hurt to discover you were seeing someone else. I have been seeing other people but felt as if you were already getting serious with someone else. I know that the degree to which you're involved with someone doesn't really matter...I mean, none of it should matter to me anymore. As much as you've probably always hated me comparing our relationship to that of mine and Austin's, this too is similar to how I acted after we split. Even though I attempted (and failed miserably) to find someone to treat me as well as he did, I was too jealous to maintain a friendship with him while he did the same.

For this reason, I think our lack of communication is for the best. Had I had the balls, I would've decided this a long time ago. I severely underestimated my own immaturity. You, of all people, do not deserve such jealousy from a girl who is too foolish to know her own heart. Although I will undoubtedly question my decision to not be with you, I will do my best to remind myself that you deserve better than I could possibly offer you at this time...or perhaps ever.

Please know if you ever need anything in the entire world, I will be more than willing to assist in any way possible.

I will miss you everyday.

Let's Talk About: Me.

2007-08-12T23:46:00.000-04:00

As conceited and self-absorbed as that sounds, let me take this time to completely explain...

I have come to the realization; I suck. Maybe I should be a bit more specific. I think the word for what I am is selfish. Also critical and cynical. Perhaps even (gasp) hypocritical. Bottom line? I’m a horrible bitch.

I have also come to the realization that I pretty much prefer distant, less involved relationships. Ouch.

I won’t go into a lot of detail as to how I came to this realization. I have been noticing how easy it is for me to make nice with people if I attempt it. Unfortunately, after spending an extended period of time with some loved ones this summer, I’ve begun to see what bad behavior I’ve been exhibiting when comfortable enough.

I do this thing, anytime I’m out in public with a close friend, where I constantly say stupid shit I’m thinking out loud. This isn’t abnormal for me, but it’s always about other people. I do this a lot, but most of the time, I’m kidding. I just enjoy laughing at other people. I defend this by maintaining I only make fun of people for things they have control over like clothing choices, behaviors, etc. I find it quite amusing but lately, people have been calling me overly critical. I feel like perhaps there is an amount of truth to this observation.

I was moving into a new apartment this weekend and basically snapped at every member of my family that had come down to help me. The entire time. I don’t know what’s wrong with me…I’d love to excuse it by claiming I was exhausted and frustrated but I’m sure they were too. And I was just being unreasonable.

While at school, I don’t have extremely personal relationships. I have a number of friends but few with whom I spend everyday. I think this lack of intensity has allowed me to forget how important such relationships are and how to treat people I care about.

I’m tempted to say I’ve actually set it up this way. I’ve purposely avoided getting too involved with most people lately because for the last two years, I’ve not stayed in the same place. I keep saying this summer I’ll stay down in the Nati but it’s always been such an easy out…

I’ve got a lot to think about but thanks for taking the time to read. :)

Let’s Talk About: Landfills.

2007-07-30T23:53:00.001-04:00

Every once in a while, when I’m feeling like wasting some gas on a nice evening drive, there’s a certain route I always take. My friends first showed me this course and I thought it was some kind of swamp. It turns out it’s an area where the local dam (Dover Dam) lets water overflow. It’s pretty interesting nonetheless. There are some dead type trees and, not to mention, lots of stars. And it’s always fun to pretend like there’s a swampthing living out there somewhere.

Anyway, one time I noticed a blue flame at the top of the hill to one side of the “swamp.” I didn’t think anything of it aside from assuming it must be some sort of factory. I saw the same one on multiple occasions but never anywhere else.

Then, while driving my route during the day, I noticed lots of garbage trucks going in and out of the area. I never saw where exactly they were headed until one day, I caught two at the same time entering and exiting a lot. It’s only a short distance from the dam. (In the picture above, the flood area is past the dam and to the left. The truck’s destination is before the dam, on the left as well.)

I took a philosophy class this spring and the professor mentioned something about mass amounts of garbage being dumped in north eastern Ohio by Canton.

Tonight, for the first time, I saw a shit ton of these blue flames so I’m pretty sure I’ve decided it has to be a big ass landfill. 

I Google’d it and this is what I got… http://boarad-appealing-landfill-expansion.blogspot.com/

For those of you too lazy to read, here’s a summary:
“An appeal of the June 27 decision to allow a 170-acre expansion by Countywide Recycling and Disposal Facility will be filed on behalf of the Stark-Tuscarawas-Wayne Joint Solid Waste Management District board of directors.
“The expansion will take total acreage at the facility, located in Stark County’s Pike Township and owned by Republic Services Inc., based in Florida, to 258 acres.
“The decision from ERAC rejected claims from groups, including the joint solid waste district, the village of Bolivar and Club 3000 – a grassroots environmental group – that the Ohio EPA was in error when it granted a permit for Countywide to expand in 2003.
“The groups claimed that engineering problems and the danger of underground contamination of the water aquifer should have led OEPA to deny the expansion permit.”

Oh great.

And then some dude “…noted that recent odors were caused by workers drilling into the reaction zone and settlement on top of the landfill.”

LOL

So basically that swamp is pwn’d.

The end.

Let's Talk About: Michael Vick.

2007-07-28T17:30:00.000-04:00

Over the past few days, I've read a lot of semi-interesting opinions on this whole thing and I'd just like to let my two cents be known.

I have a pretty good understanding of the criminal justice system and I know that he is innocent until proven guilty. This is a right extended to all defendants in America. He does not have to prove his innocence; instead, the prosecution must prove his guilt. I understand. Really, I do. But I also understand he's a well-known player. I have no doubt that many kids look up to Vick as some sort of role model. This is not Vick's first run-in with the law. Whether you're a fan or not...he's a suspicious character.

Let's examine his history... Most noteworthy is the Ron Mexico incident. For those of you who aren't familiar, Vick allegedly gave some broad genital herpes. She sued him for this, claiming he didn't inform her of his infection before sleeping with her. (Surprise?) She also claimed he knew about his status because he was seeking medical treatment under the name "Ron Mexico." Vick settled out of court in April '06 for an undisclosed amount. Newsflash: You don't settle if you're innocent.

Then there's the time he shot a big fuck you to his fans after losing a game. That was about 6 months after he settled his Ron Mexico fiasco. He flipped not one, but two birds to Falcons fans. What was he thinking? I know he's apologized and been fined but really, that's just tasteless. If it weren’t for those obnoxious people screaming in the stands, your dumb ass wouldn't have millions of dollars or even a job. Very smooth.

I barely need to discuss the airport-water bottle incident with all these other random acts of stupidity but let's talk about it. Although he was not found to be carrying any type of illegal substance in the small compartment he claimed was for jewelry, it's suspicious. Not to mention, water bottles weren't allowed on planes at this point in time. Did he expect to breeze through security because of his fame? How arrogant. Whether you think it was for drugs or believe the jewelry bit, the other allegations made against him are enough to draw his character into serious question.

Now there is a chance he was involved with dog fighting. I don't feel as strongly as P.E.T.A. and some of those other hippie types do about animals but this is simply inhumane. I do not value the life of a dog over that of a human by any means but I believe no living thing should be forced to fight. Nor should they be subjected to the various means of torture animals kept to fight are usually raised in. Not to mention, I assume the conditions these dogs were living in were, oh, slightly under the means of a millionaire NFL star. These dogs could have been receiving better treatment than many people receive.

I understand people are still supporting him because he's yet to be convicted but will he become less popular upon conviction?

I sure hope so.

Vick is claiming he was not involved with the fights and wasn't even aware they were taking place on his property. If you own 50+ dogs and aren't aware of what exactly they're doing on the property, you're a fuck. If you own 50+ dogs and never actually see them with your own eyes, you're an even bigger fuck. He knew they were there. Why did he need so many dogs if he didn’t need to replace them on a regular basis? He had a kennel license but really...50 fucking dogs? That just blows my mind. Regardless of whether he was involved or not, he needs to be involved and therefore responsible for what is taking place on the premises.

For his sake, I hope there is some amazing evidence in his defense. For the sake of all the little kids who look up to him, I hope P.E.T.A. and the rest of the like, so quick to point the finger, are wrong.

As for star athletes being role models; let's examine what happened to Michael's younger brother, Marcus. He was on his way to being as well known as his big brother while playing at Virginia Tech. Then, despite his clear athletic ability, got his ass into so much trouble the team dismissed him "due to a cumulative effect of legal infractions and unsportsmanlike play." The 2006 draft proved quite the point; although many predicted he'd be picked as high as 3rd round, he wasn't picked at all. In May of 2007, even the Dolphins (the only team to show interest) released him.

Congratulations Michael. You've managed to ruin your own image and provide an encouraging example for your younger brother.

As he's stated numerous times, sports kept him out of trouble as a kid... it's unfortunate this life changing effect has apparently worn off.

Thanks for reading. :)

Let's Talk About: Girls.

2007-07-28T17:11:00.000-04:00

I pity straight men. Seriously.

Let's Talk About: Hell.

2007-07-13T22:51:00.000-04:00

Is there such a thing? I suppose it really depends on what type of religion you accept. I’m not really into organized religion however, so I’d like to speak about Hell from truth’s standpoint. Of course, truth really depends on your religion too. For my sake, we’ll just pretend that my truth is the right one since it’s not influenced by a belief in a widely accepted definition of God.

I like to think there is a Hell. Why would someone who is so obviously a sinner like to believe in a Hell? Well, as I stated earlier, since I don’t really take on a religion, I also don’t consider myself a sinner. I think there are things we all know we should not do and I think there are people who still choose to do these things. I am one of those people in the eyes of many, but I’ve convinced myself I’m safe from the fire and brimstone.

In hindsight, Hell is the very reason I so strongly rejected Christianity a while ago. Let’s think about this…people who do what they truly desire are told their desires are wrong and immoral and subject to damnation. Why in the world would I agree to a religion which damns me? That doesn’t seem a wise decision. I will never understand why people accept a religion they acknowledge they will disobey. Sure, God, assuming He is as wise and holy as we imagine, will forgive but do you really want to chance that? Is His forgiveness limitless like our stupidity? Seems too much of a risk. Therefore, I will avoid all religions which have determined I’m worthy of eternal torture.

My definition of sin is much different from the widely accepted definition as well. In my eyes, sin is a mistake you keep repeating. This makes sin completely different for everyone. If I cheat on a significant other and fully realize what pain this will inflict upon others yet continue to do so, I am a sinner. If John Doe down the street knows he cannot handle drugs and alcohol in moderation and allows it to consume him every time, he is a sinner. However, if I cheat on a significant other and get real about how much pain I have inflicted upon not only my significant other but also myself and lead a life of faithfulness from here on out, I have not sinned. If John Doe down the street can have a good time (with or without drugs and drinking) and still manage to get his shit done, he has not sinned.

In my head, so long as you do your personal best to be a "good person" (that is, not causing deliberate harm to others), you avoid Hell. I'm not saying you go to Heaven (whatever that is), you just are not punished in the way many describe Hell.

Being gay is not a sin. Last I checked, two dudes loving on each other didn't really hurt anyone. It may scare some people or make them uncomfortable but perhaps caring too much about how others live their life is a sin! Drinking and smoking are not sins in and of themselves. Cussing is not a sin so long as you do your best not to do it in front of little kids (they're young and impressionable you know). Suicide is not a sin, simply a decision to meet God sooner.

What is a sin? Intentionally hurting others physically, mentally, emotionally...financially, whatever. Stealing. Killing. Damning others. Cheating. Lying. Wearing spandex if you weigh over 90 lbs and it's not Halloween. Intentionally misleading others to benefit yourself and your cause (President Bush anyone?). Being an unproductive citizen. Not attempting to better yourself on a daily basis. Yes, all of these are Hell worthy in my opinion if they are a continuously repeated activity.

I also like to believe in Karma. According to my book, Karma is how you atone for most of your misdeeds. There are some things Karma can't make up for (e.g.: killing) but most things are eventually repaid. For this reason, I think attempting to make others pay is some type of sin. I enjoy being able to accept being wronged because I know things eventually catch up to the wrong do'ers of the world. Most of the time, Karma and the Universe do a much better job of making them "pay" than you and I ever could.

So is there a Hell? Yes. If you've been bad enough that no amount of Universe delivered ass-kicking can't make you change your ways or realize your mistakes, that's where you'll go. For most of us though, we'll pay our dues on earth.

That's all for now. Thanks for reading.

Let's Talk About: Pregnancy.

2007-07-10T17:44:00.001-04:00

Just a disclaimer before all the teenage moms start freaking out about what a blessing their child has been: fuck off. Really.

This must be the summer of love. Or perhaps the appropriate term is stupidity. I mean, this summer is probably no different than the rest as far as statistics go but in my personal experience, everyone and their brother has decided to get knocked up. Genius!!

I go to school four hours away from home so, for the most part, I'm out of touch with a lot of my area friends/acquaintances. I suppose this is for a reason...if I really wanted to know what was going on in their life, I'd bother them but that's not the kind of person I am. Huh. Anyway, upon arriving home this June, I found a letter addressed to me with the return address of a girl I've known since kindergarten. I was confused to find the return address of her parents so I opened the letter eagerly. "It's a Girl!" exclaimed the front of the card.

I shit you not...I nearly fell over.

This girl had been the star of our high school soccer team. She could've easily found some school to pay her way so long as she played. Not to mention, she was bright. Unfortunately, for whatever reasons, she decided not to continue her schooling after we graduated. The last time I met up with her (not even a year ago) she was living with an older guy who already had two kids and was divorced. Her mom appeared to be not so happy in her interactions with her and understandably so...her daughter was entirely too "on the ball" to be wasting her time watching someone else's kids. Her mom (and dad) were also notorious for being very strict throughout high school. She and I had been good friends and her parents were always on her back about her activities outside of school, soccer and work. We might have been doing some things we shouldn't have (smoking cigarettes, the occasional booze) but she was never a rebel or a fuck-up...nothing to be overly concerned about. Because of the way her parents always were, it was quite strange to open the baby shower invite and see that her mother was throwing it.

Needless to say, I didn't R.S.V.P. and I definitely didn't go.

I went to a distant cousin's graduation party a few weekends ago. I was expecting to see my female cousin who was around the same age as myself but when I asked her brother where she was, he said "she's at work." When I asked where his mom was, he said "at home with her baby." Well, that's news to me. Seems like just last September she was busted smoking weed. Now she's a mom? Talk about a bummer.

These are only two of the many girls I know who've recently gotten knocked up. I have but one question to girls under the age of 30 with no seriously committed boyfriend (ie husband), no higher education, no well-paying job, etc. and that is: what the fuck are you thinking?

These girls have yet to begin to live. You cannot possibly tell me you have done everything you feel you needed to before having kids at the tender age of 20-something. If you have, you've seriously miscalculated your purpose in the 21st century. The age we're in resembles nothing that was happening pre-1950. To simply graduate from high school and settle down and begin having babies is a joke. You are now permanently responsible for something outside of yourself. I doubt most girls my age have themselves well established enough to realistically fathom this.

Because the age we're in is nothing like it was back before the 1900's and even into the first half of the 20th century, men are nothing like they were. And when I say that, I mean they're not dependable. This is not to write all men off by any means. In fact, I believe men are justified in expecting their female counterpart to have a job, have money, have means for herself before attempting to partner with him for life but that's another entry. Because these girls are so young, I think it's safe to assume the fathers of their children are young as well. Aside from the fact men stereotypically mature slower than females, this is not a day in age where people normally get married at the age of 20. Maybe back in the 70's when our parents were young. Maybe. Even then, I can't imagine committing to something for the rest of your life with so little experience under your belt. If you're going to have a baby, you'd better realize absolutely nothing guarantees that this child's father will be around. He might claim to be in it for the long haul but really...he probably claimed he loved you before he so blatantly disrespected you by failing to use a condom or some other form of birth control...which brings me to another point:

The beauty of birth control. Pills, shots, IUDS, I can't even begin to name all the different options we have to protect ourselves from one of the worst STDs (yes, pregnancy is a STD). If you can't take advantage of such technology, take advantage of gas station bathrooms. Yes, they're absolutely disgusting 9 times out of 10 but they also have 25 cent (okay, maybe 50 with inflation) condoms! If you and your partner can't come up with a quarter each then perhaps you should be more interested in getting employed than you are in getting laid.

The most effective form of birth control is not abstinence. We all know that's what Bush is forcing sex ed classes to teach us in public high schools across the country but it's not realistic. Kids are still having sex. Unfortunately, we can't blame all the teenage pregnancies on the fact that Bush didn't allow us to practice putting condoms on bananas in health class. Who's never heard of a condom?

More importantly, who's never heard of an abortion?

I really love the girls who get up on their high horse about how against abortions they are and how they could never do that. How truly noble of you to ruin your life for the sake of a few cells that have yet to form a living being that can support itself without clinging to the side of your uterus. How truly admirable of you to have morality-based standards about abortions but no qualms about spreading your legs with random piece of shit men who aren't worth their weight in tin cans. (In case you're wondering, I think the average aluminum can goes for well under 5 cents and weighs about 1 gram. You do the math.)

I feel I have the right to bitch and moan about this because I truly feel sorry for these girls. At such a young age, they have decided they have nothing left to offer the world but a uterus with which to further crowd an overpopulated world. Quite unfortunate, no?

Everyone has the right to bitch and moan about this because, in the end, we will all pay for these foolish decisions made by others. These girls and guys making babies have yet to really contribute anything to society but feel no guilt about bringing a child into a world in which they've not managed to do their part in making it a better place.

Damn me. I believe having kids truly is a blessing...something one should be ready for and excited about, not surprised and unprepared. Kids aren't just an 18 year sentence to a no fun zone where you attempt to sneak a drink or puff in while they're asleep. I want to be sure I'm done being me (which is admittedly irresponsible) before I become a parent (the definition of responsible).

That's all for now, thanks for reading. :)

PS: The pics of your baby or documenting your pregnancy don't belong on MySpace. Please.

Let's Talk About: Love.

2007-07-05T17:52:00.000-04:00

Sick. Even the word “love” is enough to make me almost gag. It’s not that I’m against strong personal feelings towards another person. I think people who claim this are disillusioned. I’m against the way other people talk about love. It seems like almost every idiot with a MySpace has begun some ignorant attempt to boldly display what love has been for them…how badly it has hurt them, how crazy in love they currently are, whatever.

Because so many people (morons included) are being given a chance to voice their opinion on love, I’ve begun to realize how silly people are about it. I guess I’ve always considered love to be some sort of mature emotion you express naturally to other people that you really care about. Not something you tried once and got burned by…not something you express to someone you met a few days ago. I’m not asking that other people take my definition of something so personal…I’m just asking that they stop being complete fucks about it.

I suppose my biggest pet peeve is the broken heart. You know, the person who claims to have been in love a few times but the last time, they were wounded so severely they couldn’t fathom succumbing to such a thing ever again. The best words of advice for the broken heart: get over it.

I’m sorry you fell in love with someone who was completely undeserving of yourself but let’s get real – that’s life. If you are so selfish as to wish to never be hurt, then you too are undeserving of the good which can come from love. As with all of life, love is a gamble. You cannot possibly keep everyone out so get used to the fact that you can, in turn, be hurt by others. When you learn not to expect perfection (or even common courtesy) from others, including those you love, you will become a more lovable person yourself.

I wish you luck in your frivolous attempts to guard yourself from the bad in life. Even more luck in attempting to identify "good" when you’ve spent so much of your time avoiding or trying to avoid the bad.

That's all I have for today. As always, thanks for reading.

Let's Talk About: Smoking.

2007-06-28T21:12:00.000-04:00

For the past year or so, it seems smokers have come under some serious fire from nonsmokers concerned about their health and well-being. Perhaps I am completely biased, but I'd like to think I would feel this way even if I were not a smoker.

Any sort of regulations on smoking (other than an age limit) are absolutely absurd. The use of tobacco is, to my knowledge, still legal in the United States. In fact, the tobacco industry is one of the most unshaken markets. Think about it...smoking and drinking are two things that, even in a time of economic hardship, people will still do. No matter what! Because tobacco and the consumption of is totally legal in the States, how can a government begin to tell its' constituents where they can and cannot perform this activity?
I suppose you can argue the consumption of alcohol is limited to places with licenses or the privacy of your own home but tobacco and alcohol are completely different things. Tobacco has never gotten me drunk and if you've been high or in some altered state after smoking a cigarette, I'm clearly smoking the wrong brand!!

I acknowledge the fact that I, a smoker, am in the minority. Those silly little "Truth" commercials are right when they state most people do not smoke. I would never disagree with this. I would like to point out, however, that I have every right to be upset about these smoking bans. I am a person too, an American citizen nonetheless, with every right to get upset about not being able to smoke where ever I damn well please.
Remember that right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness that makes America such a great place to live? Smoking makes some people happy. I know my smoking makes you unhappy and that is why it is now banned. I really do understand. But the nonsmokers must understand where smokers are coming from as well.

While the ban, which passed in Ohio last November, prohibits me from smoking in public places, it will not prohibit me or any other smoker from smoking when we damn well please. All we have to do is walk outside to light up. This is not a big deal to me unless nonsmokers make it so we can't smoke anywhere but in the privacy of our own homes. (In which case, I'll start taking college classes online, use the phone and Internet as my means of communication with the outside world and barricade myself in my room.) Surely the place I call "home," the place I pay rent to use as I wish will never be a smoke free zone.
I do have friends who rent and are not able to smoke in their dwelling. This is absolutely ridiculous. If I pay to live there, you can bet your left tit/nut I will do whatever I damn please there.

Smoking itself has not been banned, thank God. I hope nonsmokers have not fooled themselves into believe people will actually quit smoking because they cannot smoke indoors. If smokers smoked simply for convenience, most of us would have never began. I'm sure my fellow smokers can remember hiding their habit from significant others or parents or friends, or the difficulty in obtaining smokes while still underage. (I don't encourage underage smoking but let's face it...it happens!) None of this is indicative of a very convenient way of life.

Now that nonsmokers have their way, they will never be exposed to my oh-so-harmful second hand smoke ever again! I would feel a bit more sympathetic to their cause if I knew this weren't entirely out of spite, but they are not concerned about their health!!
This new lease on their health will not prevent them from drinking too much alcohol, laying in a tanning bed for too long, Biggie sizing their Wendy's, having promiscuous unprotected sex, driving over the speed limit, without a seatbelt or any other risky behavior which can harm their bodies as well. It probably won't motivate them to get off their lazy asses and hit up the gym every once in a while either! It looks like we do have something in common after-all. Three cheers for self-destruction, so long as we're consenting!

What's more is...these smoking bans are not the end of the nonsmoker agenda. Now, according to the news tonight, employers (specifically Cleveland Clinic) has stopped hiring smokers! The report said they would be issuing tobacco tests to potential employees and only offering jobs to those who were tobacco free.
Are they fucking serious?! Does anyone else not find this to be oh...I don't know...discrimination?! These people are health professionals. They fully understand the risks involved with tobacco use. If they want to smoke, who is their employer to tell them otherwise? A doctor who was in favor of this idea stated something along the lines of "everyone is opposed to toxins so we're trying to limit them in our establishment." Does that even make sense?!

I will allow the nonsmokers to tell me where I can and cannot smoke.
When I'm at work, I will even allow my employer to tell me when I get a break and whether I can smoke on break.
But to tell me you will not hire me because of some completely legal activity I take part in when I am not acting as your employee that does not effect how I serve your company and perform my duties...what?

I feel I do my best to be as courteous about my smoking as possible. I smoke outside when at my parents' house because I know they don't like it. I smoke away from doors where nonsmokers may be coming and going. I even ask passengers in my car if they mind me lighting up before doing so.
I am not asking you give me more breaks at work so I can feed my nicotine addiction. I am not asking you pay me more so I can afford my habit when taxes go up on tobacco products. I am not asking for any sort of special treatment.

I am asking to be treated as a legitimate citizen of the United States with the right to spend my free time as I so choose so long as I obey the law and do not infringe upon the rights of others.

So to all the nonsmokers out there, do me a favor: If you know someone who smokes, get off their back. They hear enough bullshit about the way they have chosen to live their lives. You probably won't have much of an impact on their smoking habit anyway. In fact, when people bother me about it, it makes me want to smoke more!! :)

This is cigarettes we are talking about here people, not crack. Give me a break!

Thanks for taking the time to read.

An Introduction.

2007-06-28T20:40:00.001-04:00

I pretend to know what I’m talking about but perhaps, sometimes, I don’t have a clue. I like to think of myself as slightly above average intelligence when compared to my peers. Otherwise, I’m about as average as they come. My family is from a suburban, mostly white, middle-class area in northeast Ohio. My parents have been together since high school. My younger sister is in high school and has yet to grow out of being completely obnoxious. My father is of “mixed background;” both of his parents were mixed, that is to say black and white. My last name is Smith so I proudly label myself an American mutt. My mom is into genealogy but, to my knowledge, has yet to trace our family history to origins outside of the U.S. Clearly we came from somewhere but it’s of little importance to me.

According to all the tests I take (see below), I’m liberal. I like to consider myself pretty moderate though. Socially, I’m definitely liberal…let gays get married, let women control their reproduction and let people have their privacy. I’ve always thought it better to err on the side of “too much” freedom so as not to infringe upon the basic rights of the people. Financially, as nice as “from each according to his ability, to each according to his need” sounds, I see the flaws in this line of thought. Call me naïve but I genuinely believe the down-trodden really can pull themselves up by the bootstraps and make a good living. I’ve always considered the unlimited possibilities offered here the beauty of America. Both of my parents came from large, lower class families yet have managed to give my sister and I a quite comfortable life by furthering their education and busting their asses.

This is mostly for my entertainment and to blow off some steam but the feedback of anyone and everyone is definitely appreciated. I like to think I have myself figured out, but the path to knowing oneself is never-ending. I’m not one for political correctness because I believe I have the right to say whatever I would like. If it offends, I apologize…not my intention at all. I simply try to be direct and to the point. I enjoy being facetious because I find extreme viewpoints to be the most entertaining and therefore, the most easily mocked.

Thanks for taking the time to read!!

Oh, and as for the political tests I've taken:

Test: http://www.theadvocates.org/quiz.html

Result: "The political group that agrees with you most is... LIBERAL.
LIBERALS usually embrace freedom of choice in personal matters, but tend to support significant government control of the economy. They generally support a government-funded "safety net" to help the disadvantaged, and advocate strict regulation of business. Liberals tend to favor environmental regulations, defend civil liberties and free expression, support government action to promote equality, and tolerate diverse lifestyles.

Test: http://franz.org/quiz.htm

Result: Scored an 8. Zero being Jessie Jackson, 40 assigned to Ronald Regan. My score fell between Ted Kennedy (5) and Hillary Clinton (10).

Test: http://www.politicalcompass.org/

Result: My coordinates are Economic Left/Right: -5.25, Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -3.13, meaning I fall into the green area based upon the following grid, assuming the most extreme value 10: