Can we hold the propaganda, please?
Before I start, I'd like to point out what I'm not saying. I'm not saying Russia or the Ukrainian separatists for sure did not shoot down the plane. I'm not saying that Kiev did or didn't shoot down the plane. I'm not saying if it's an accident or intentional, mistaken identity or a false flag operation. I don't know of that. And neither does anyone else, excepting the people who actually did the shooting.
And yet I've had several conversations here in Iowa where people just toss out, "Russia shooting down civilian planes..."
Guys, the US government lied to us about WMDs, about who used chemical weapons in Syria, and somehow managed to get rid of not one, but two hard drives with email records and blame it on routine. Their business is to do what they want and make sure we think they're doing it for the right reasons. Obama's "not a smidgen" of corruption isn't true, it's just what they want us to believe: They aren't corrupt at all, trust them.
As far as the Malaysian plane goes, my first thought was that we should send a group in to investigate. But who? You have to immediately rule out all the parties who have taken sides in this conflict prior. That includes Kiev, the US, the separatists, Russia, and the EU as they just want to play nice with the US. So how can we just automatically believe everything the US is throwing at us as evidence against Russia/separatists? The propaganda is too early. The US government is sitting there, having John Kerry say things like "It’s pretty clear that this is a system that was transferred from Russia into the hands of separatists. We know with confidence, with confidence, that the Ukrainians did not have such a system anywhere near the vicinity at that point and time, so it obviously points a very clear finger at the separatists."
I don't want to get into a huge discussion, going through all the evidence that we know and trying to point fingers. I've read a lot of things that question the official US story so far, and if you want to ask questions, here are some good articles:
Guilt by insinuation: How American propaganda works
Awkward Questions for the US-Ukraine
What happened to the Malaysian Airliner?
What the Media Won't Tell You
Remember, I don't know who did it. I'm just saying that the US is jumping the gun by point blame, and they are far too involved in this incident to unbiased or maybe even honest. Don't trust what the mainstream media trumpets as fact; they're in the government's pocket.
Also consider: The missile was made in Russia, but Ukraine using a lot of weapons made in Russia. The US has a satellite over Ukraine, but haven't released any of the images (why?). The YouTube video purporting a discussion between Russian military and the separatists talking about accidentally shooting down a plane is claimed to have the data marks of being made before the event. Just because someone says something is a fact, a damning piece of evidence on the news, doesn't mean it is, doesn't mean that's the only way to look at it.
I think we should wait to hear what an independent committee finds in their investigations.
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Thursday, July 17, 2014
Biking in Ames... some more
You know what makes me mad? Well, yes, a lot of things. But one thing that gets me steaming is people who pull through crosswalks at intersections. Even worse is when they aren't even turning on red, so just sit there in front of me.
Incident 1: Guy pulls through a crosswalk. He sees me coming and backs up. He doesn't get glared at, even gets a wave.
Incident 2: Lady pulls through crosswalk. I glare as I am forced to swing wide either in front (if there is enough room and they see me) or behind. Even worse is when I'm forced to get off my bike and hike it onto the curb.
Incident 3: Guys pull through crosswalk and block it so completely that I can't get to the other side. I sit on the sidewalk and glare.
Incident 4: Cyride bus pulls through crosswalk and isn't turning. The light changes, and I only know by the pattern that it is a walk sign, because I can't even see it behind the bus. I have to swing wide in front of the bus. I write an email to Cyride telling them to remind their drivers not to do that.
Incident 5: This is typical of right-on-red and right-at-stop-sign turners, and I always have to watch to make sure they see me before I go in front of them. But anyway, I was waiting at a crosswalk for a light to change. It changes to red and I get the walk sign, but the lady driving up is a right-on-red turner and she doesn't even stop. She doesn't look at me once, sitting right there waiting to cross, she just looks at oncoming traffic, and while she slows, she doesn't stop. Failure to stop at the line on a red, failure to look for pedestrians (who have the right of way), failure to yield. I was mad for another half an hour. If I had just started crossing when I got my walk light, I would have been hit, because she clearly has a blind spot big enough for a girl on a bike.
Ugh! I'm following the rules, waiting at crosswalks for my light to change and I still have to watch like a hawk to keep from being hit by drivers who aren't paying any attention. I'd win the court case, but I'd lose the game of chicken.
Incident 1: Guy pulls through a crosswalk. He sees me coming and backs up. He doesn't get glared at, even gets a wave.
Incident 2: Lady pulls through crosswalk. I glare as I am forced to swing wide either in front (if there is enough room and they see me) or behind. Even worse is when I'm forced to get off my bike and hike it onto the curb.
Incident 3: Guys pull through crosswalk and block it so completely that I can't get to the other side. I sit on the sidewalk and glare.
Incident 4: Cyride bus pulls through crosswalk and isn't turning. The light changes, and I only know by the pattern that it is a walk sign, because I can't even see it behind the bus. I have to swing wide in front of the bus. I write an email to Cyride telling them to remind their drivers not to do that.
Incident 5: This is typical of right-on-red and right-at-stop-sign turners, and I always have to watch to make sure they see me before I go in front of them. But anyway, I was waiting at a crosswalk for a light to change. It changes to red and I get the walk sign, but the lady driving up is a right-on-red turner and she doesn't even stop. She doesn't look at me once, sitting right there waiting to cross, she just looks at oncoming traffic, and while she slows, she doesn't stop. Failure to stop at the line on a red, failure to look for pedestrians (who have the right of way), failure to yield. I was mad for another half an hour. If I had just started crossing when I got my walk light, I would have been hit, because she clearly has a blind spot big enough for a girl on a bike.
Ugh! I'm following the rules, waiting at crosswalks for my light to change and I still have to watch like a hawk to keep from being hit by drivers who aren't paying any attention. I'd win the court case, but I'd lose the game of chicken.
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
More on the Zombie thing...
Last post, I wrote on why I was on a zombie kick again, how it might have started with running, and a lot about my Zombies, Run! app. This post is for non-app related zombie things. What other things have encouraged me toward a zombie obsession?
Books -
I still had the Max Brooks Zombie Survival Guide sitting on my desk. I wanted to add it to Goodreads as "read," so I kept reading it. Which made me interested in more books. I have "Patient Zero" sitting on my desk. I want to read "The Last Bastion of the Living," if I could get my hands on a copy. (Update. Don't read Last Bastion of the Living. It's poorly written, she "tells and doesn't show," and has profanity and sexual content. And that's all in like the first two chapters.)
Also, Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies. I had heard of it before, and I really enjoyed Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Slayer as being equal parts accurate and absurd. In hindsight, I probably should have read the actual Pride and Prejudice first, but I think zombies rather improve on the book. It's pretty funny, although Lizzy isn't half as good humored in the zombie book. Lydia is still a pain.
Movies -
I watched Zombieland with David, since one of my brothers gave it to me for Christmas a while back. If there's any place I'll take a comedy, it's Zombieland. It was pretty funny, and rather gory. Then we watched World War Z. For those of you who know it's based off a book, know this: It's nothing like the book. I'd say the only things that remained similar are that it's got a global perspective (how the world is dealing with the zombies by different countries) and Israel shut itself off from the world. Oh, and I guess zombies, but those aren't even like the book. In the book, the zombies don't walk faster than a shamble, and turning comes by bite and the person bitten starts to get sick, lapses into a coma, dies, and a few hours later is reborn, the whole thing taking from 12 to 24 hours. In the movie, the zombies actually run, and it takes them only 10 seconds to change. Now, in the movie it's scary because things are changing into zombies right around you, in the book it's much more creepy because people wouldn't know they were going to change, or hide their bites, or whatever, and you'd think you were all safe and then there's a zombie. Maybe doesn't work as well on the screen. Also, there is no central character, no Brad Pitt of the book. The book is a bunch of different accounts of the zombie war from all over the world, many different people. You're lucky if any two actually refer to each other.
On a side note, World War Z is very statist, as in capitalism made it worse and only the government coming in and laying down the law gets the world back together again.
Dreams -
Most things I read about don't invade my dreams. I've had no Mr. Darcy dreams, no werewolf dreams, no wizard dreams, etc. But I've had zombie dreams. The most recent involved being in a building, surrounded, zombies on the ground floor, trying to get higher and higher, but out of the roof it's snowing and freezing outside and I'll die if I stay out there but there's zombies... I woke up panting, my heart pounding, and promptly wake David up and make him tell me there's no such thing as zombies.
Preppers -
Also known as homesteaders, survivalists, whatever, preppers are those who assume something bad is going to happen someday and they plan on being ready. That would include zombie apocalypse, nuclear war, collapse of the economy, and Hillary Clinton being elected president. In case of emergency... They make me slightly uncomfortable because I have no skills, and in the event of any of those things, nobody is going to let me into their bunker. But I had a conversation with a prepper recently (in progress, he's in the theory part of it), and apparently he was inspired by being prepared for zombies. I guess there are websites online about being prepared and using zombies as a theme. Even the CDC jumped on the bandwagon and making a comic and posters encouraging people to be prepared, assuming anything that's good for zombie prep is good for overall disaster prep. I'm guessing they're not thinking about the wide variety of firearms generally advised to deal with the horde. But they are encourage bug-out bags.
And that's all I can think of. I still have a thing for post-apocalyptic fiction and zombies is a good medium for it. Is the world too full of zombie books? How 'bout a zombie book that included vampires who are zombie hunters because they can't be turned in exchange for blood from the dwindling population of humans? Hey, blame the dreams for that one.
Books -
I still had the Max Brooks Zombie Survival Guide sitting on my desk. I wanted to add it to Goodreads as "read," so I kept reading it. Which made me interested in more books. I have "Patient Zero" sitting on my desk. I want to read "The Last Bastion of the Living," if I could get my hands on a copy. (Update. Don't read Last Bastion of the Living. It's poorly written, she "tells and doesn't show," and has profanity and sexual content. And that's all in like the first two chapters.)
Also, Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies. I had heard of it before, and I really enjoyed Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Slayer as being equal parts accurate and absurd. In hindsight, I probably should have read the actual Pride and Prejudice first, but I think zombies rather improve on the book. It's pretty funny, although Lizzy isn't half as good humored in the zombie book. Lydia is still a pain.
Movies -
I watched Zombieland with David, since one of my brothers gave it to me for Christmas a while back. If there's any place I'll take a comedy, it's Zombieland. It was pretty funny, and rather gory. Then we watched World War Z. For those of you who know it's based off a book, know this: It's nothing like the book. I'd say the only things that remained similar are that it's got a global perspective (how the world is dealing with the zombies by different countries) and Israel shut itself off from the world. Oh, and I guess zombies, but those aren't even like the book. In the book, the zombies don't walk faster than a shamble, and turning comes by bite and the person bitten starts to get sick, lapses into a coma, dies, and a few hours later is reborn, the whole thing taking from 12 to 24 hours. In the movie, the zombies actually run, and it takes them only 10 seconds to change. Now, in the movie it's scary because things are changing into zombies right around you, in the book it's much more creepy because people wouldn't know they were going to change, or hide their bites, or whatever, and you'd think you were all safe and then there's a zombie. Maybe doesn't work as well on the screen. Also, there is no central character, no Brad Pitt of the book. The book is a bunch of different accounts of the zombie war from all over the world, many different people. You're lucky if any two actually refer to each other.
On a side note, World War Z is very statist, as in capitalism made it worse and only the government coming in and laying down the law gets the world back together again.
Dreams -
Most things I read about don't invade my dreams. I've had no Mr. Darcy dreams, no werewolf dreams, no wizard dreams, etc. But I've had zombie dreams. The most recent involved being in a building, surrounded, zombies on the ground floor, trying to get higher and higher, but out of the roof it's snowing and freezing outside and I'll die if I stay out there but there's zombies... I woke up panting, my heart pounding, and promptly wake David up and make him tell me there's no such thing as zombies.
Preppers -
Also known as homesteaders, survivalists, whatever, preppers are those who assume something bad is going to happen someday and they plan on being ready. That would include zombie apocalypse, nuclear war, collapse of the economy, and Hillary Clinton being elected president. In case of emergency... They make me slightly uncomfortable because I have no skills, and in the event of any of those things, nobody is going to let me into their bunker. But I had a conversation with a prepper recently (in progress, he's in the theory part of it), and apparently he was inspired by being prepared for zombies. I guess there are websites online about being prepared and using zombies as a theme. Even the CDC jumped on the bandwagon and making a comic and posters encouraging people to be prepared, assuming anything that's good for zombie prep is good for overall disaster prep. I'm guessing they're not thinking about the wide variety of firearms generally advised to deal with the horde. But they are encourage bug-out bags.
And that's all I can think of. I still have a thing for post-apocalyptic fiction and zombies is a good medium for it. Is the world too full of zombie books? How 'bout a zombie book that included vampires who are zombie hunters because they can't be turned in exchange for blood from the dwindling population of humans? Hey, blame the dreams for that one.
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Zombies, Again. Run!
So, you know how I said I was "mostly over" my zombie kick, I dunno, like six months ago? It's kind of resurfacing. Why?
I'm not really sure. I think this time it was because I was running.
For health and fitness reasons, I recently picked up a C25K app. Couch to(2) 5K is basically just a running program that starts with short run-walk intervals and works you up from jogging 60 seconds to jogging 30 minutes in eight weeks. If I hadn't done it myself, I wouldn't think it was possible. But then, when I started, I didn't think jogging 90 seconds was possible, not for me. I'm not inactive, but I'm really not a runner. So I got an app (from Zen Labs, if you want a basic one that works well) and was using that to train and I eventually asked myself, "What's next?" Because even if you can run, if you stop, you'll probably lose a lot of that stamina. The app was three times a week and I didn't miss a day since I started it because I was afraid I wouldn't be able to do the next day after that. So I have to keep running.
Well, Mom told me about this app before it came out around two years ago. I thought it looked cool, but I run Android and they were making it for iPhone. Here's a trailer from pre-release.
So for whatever reason, I remembered it and looked it up. I found it in the Google Play store, meaning it's Android compatible. It costs a few bucks, but I figure it's my reward for running 5k.
My first run was Monday, and since then I've worked out a few of the features. I play Pandora in the background instead of using a playlist on my phone, the GPS was off, whatever. But I was also being dropped into Abel Township during a zombie apocalypse and my helicopter was shot down by someone and I survived the crash, having to run for the base, and being coerced into making a stop at the hospital to retrieve important documents before they would let me in.
And I couldn't stop thinking about it. Thinking about the story, what was in the CDC documents, who shot at me with a rocket launcher, and how many zombies I would have to evade to keep going. You can activate an interval training mode, which means periodically, you'll get chased and have to increase your speed by 20% for a minute to evade them. I haven't turned that one on yet... I can run 30 minutes, but that doesn't mean I can run any longer or faster.
Also, they have a 5k version. I really wish I would have known and gotten that one instead. I'm halfway considering paying the two bucks and redoing it just to hear that story. Maybe after I slack off this winter.
So today isn't a running day. I'm going to run tomorrow morning. I didn't work out today. I ate too much food and had a really great dinner. My mom was going to go do a quick walk for 30 minutes to get some exercise in and invited me. I declined, saying that I was running tomorrow, although it's mostly the fact that while I can jog, I can't really walk fast. I fairly certain I couldn't keep up with her and fairly certain I'd get shin splints. Walking fast is not my thing. Although running wasn't my thing either.
By the time she drove me home, I was thinking about the zombies, Abel Township, and the mission. It was great weather outside. And I'm like, "Why not?" So I ran.
Don't run on a full stomach. Makes you feel sick. Better than getting eaten by zombies, I suppose.
I'm not really sure. I think this time it was because I was running.
For health and fitness reasons, I recently picked up a C25K app. Couch to(2) 5K is basically just a running program that starts with short run-walk intervals and works you up from jogging 60 seconds to jogging 30 minutes in eight weeks. If I hadn't done it myself, I wouldn't think it was possible. But then, when I started, I didn't think jogging 90 seconds was possible, not for me. I'm not inactive, but I'm really not a runner. So I got an app (from Zen Labs, if you want a basic one that works well) and was using that to train and I eventually asked myself, "What's next?" Because even if you can run, if you stop, you'll probably lose a lot of that stamina. The app was three times a week and I didn't miss a day since I started it because I was afraid I wouldn't be able to do the next day after that. So I have to keep running.
Well, Mom told me about this app before it came out around two years ago. I thought it looked cool, but I run Android and they were making it for iPhone. Here's a trailer from pre-release.
So for whatever reason, I remembered it and looked it up. I found it in the Google Play store, meaning it's Android compatible. It costs a few bucks, but I figure it's my reward for running 5k.
My first run was Monday, and since then I've worked out a few of the features. I play Pandora in the background instead of using a playlist on my phone, the GPS was off, whatever. But I was also being dropped into Abel Township during a zombie apocalypse and my helicopter was shot down by someone and I survived the crash, having to run for the base, and being coerced into making a stop at the hospital to retrieve important documents before they would let me in.
And I couldn't stop thinking about it. Thinking about the story, what was in the CDC documents, who shot at me with a rocket launcher, and how many zombies I would have to evade to keep going. You can activate an interval training mode, which means periodically, you'll get chased and have to increase your speed by 20% for a minute to evade them. I haven't turned that one on yet... I can run 30 minutes, but that doesn't mean I can run any longer or faster.
Also, they have a 5k version. I really wish I would have known and gotten that one instead. I'm halfway considering paying the two bucks and redoing it just to hear that story. Maybe after I slack off this winter.
So today isn't a running day. I'm going to run tomorrow morning. I didn't work out today. I ate too much food and had a really great dinner. My mom was going to go do a quick walk for 30 minutes to get some exercise in and invited me. I declined, saying that I was running tomorrow, although it's mostly the fact that while I can jog, I can't really walk fast. I fairly certain I couldn't keep up with her and fairly certain I'd get shin splints. Walking fast is not my thing. Although running wasn't my thing either.
By the time she drove me home, I was thinking about the zombies, Abel Township, and the mission. It was great weather outside. And I'm like, "Why not?" So I ran.
Don't run on a full stomach. Makes you feel sick. Better than getting eaten by zombies, I suppose.
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
Righteous Outrage is my Hobby
People keep telling me to relax about current events. The seem to try unusual tactics like, "the world is corrupt and God is coming back anyway."
I still get mad about injustice. But that's ok, because getting mad about injustice is my hobby and passion.
Speaking of hobbies...
A recent Supreme Court case decided in favor of Hobby Lobby 5-4. For those not following the news, Hobby Lobby was contesting the Obamacare requirement that they provide some certain birth controls they feel facilitates abortion, that is preventing an embryo from embedding, and they argued religious reasons. They were willing to provide health care. They were willing to provide birth control in the form of condoms, the pill, and other contraceptives.
Hobby Lobby could have just not provided health care and paid a yearly fine. But they wanted to give that to their employees. Also, they pay $15 an hour. Hobby Lobby treats their employees really well.
And America goes crazy. Just watching my Facebook feed I have seen some of the most ignorant responses I could think of. Hobby Lobby apparently hates women and doesn't care about women's rights. People are calling for boycotts. People are arguing that they are an exception to the rule and need those birth control things for non-sex related reasons. Someone said it was just one step farther in Hobby Lobby's plan to install a theocracy. Someone posted a graphic that said, "Oh sorry, but paying my student loans violates my religious beliefs... The Bible says, 'All debts shall be forgiven every seven years' So I'll stop making payments."
I almost feel like I'm lowering myself by dignifying these absurdities with any sort of response. That's why I'm writing here and not on Facebook. I make it a general Facebook rule to not reply to belligerent opinions I don't agree with.
First off, I've already noted that Hobby Lobby does care about it's employees, male and female.
And, the decision was made because the Supreme Court intended a narrow ruling not necessarily applied to anything else, basically saying that Obamacare had so many exceptions for so many other things, then why can't they add this one on? Not going to hurt the law.
Let's see...
Women do not have a right to birth control. As far as I'm concerned, you have the right to life, liberty, and property, and the right to be free from aggression on said life, liberty, and property. The word "right" is getting thrown around a ridiculous amount these days, and I believe we have forgotten what rights mean. If you wish to go purchase birth control, that is your own business. But you are aggressing the rights of private businesses by demanding that they provide something they do not believe, or demanding they provide anything at all, beliefs aside. We shouldn't have to use religious beliefs to keep from doing something we think is wrong. This used to be a free country.
Hobby Lobby employees are paid well. They feel the need for that morning-after pill, use some of your money and go buy it. You know, like people used to do when they wanted something? Before trying to make everyone else pay for your pet desires? Really doesn't work for you? Go work somewhere else. Somewhere that supplies it. Cause that's how things should work.
Hobby Lobby has no intentions for a theocracy. Notice they haven't tried to be involved in anything political until the political things came after them. Please.
And as far as that graphic goes...
Sigh.
The seven years thing was for a particular Jewish society (actually a theocracy) with particular rules and not a command in general. Student loans are signed up for voluntarily. You voluntarily promised to pay them back and cannot go back on that promise.
Also, to the people saying that somehow everyone's religious beliefs are running rampant on everyone elses' rights... (please see paragraph on rights)... The Supreme Court made it fairly clear this was a limited ruling. The Supreme Court has not ruled for religious rights in many other cases. And they can (and probably will) continue to rule against religious rights in the future. They get to do whatever the hell they want because they are the Supreme Court. I find that Supremely scary, but people should chill and take comfort in the fact that chances are, in the future, they are going to get their own little selfish agendas pushed on other people who don't believe in it, whether for religious reasons or just because they don't believe that anybody should go around forcing anybody to provide things they don't want to provide.
I still get mad about injustice. But that's ok, because getting mad about injustice is my hobby and passion.
Speaking of hobbies...
A recent Supreme Court case decided in favor of Hobby Lobby 5-4. For those not following the news, Hobby Lobby was contesting the Obamacare requirement that they provide some certain birth controls they feel facilitates abortion, that is preventing an embryo from embedding, and they argued religious reasons. They were willing to provide health care. They were willing to provide birth control in the form of condoms, the pill, and other contraceptives.
Hobby Lobby could have just not provided health care and paid a yearly fine. But they wanted to give that to their employees. Also, they pay $15 an hour. Hobby Lobby treats their employees really well.
And America goes crazy. Just watching my Facebook feed I have seen some of the most ignorant responses I could think of. Hobby Lobby apparently hates women and doesn't care about women's rights. People are calling for boycotts. People are arguing that they are an exception to the rule and need those birth control things for non-sex related reasons. Someone said it was just one step farther in Hobby Lobby's plan to install a theocracy. Someone posted a graphic that said, "Oh sorry, but paying my student loans violates my religious beliefs... The Bible says, 'All debts shall be forgiven every seven years' So I'll stop making payments."
I almost feel like I'm lowering myself by dignifying these absurdities with any sort of response. That's why I'm writing here and not on Facebook. I make it a general Facebook rule to not reply to belligerent opinions I don't agree with.
First off, I've already noted that Hobby Lobby does care about it's employees, male and female.
And, the decision was made because the Supreme Court intended a narrow ruling not necessarily applied to anything else, basically saying that Obamacare had so many exceptions for so many other things, then why can't they add this one on? Not going to hurt the law.
Let's see...
Women do not have a right to birth control. As far as I'm concerned, you have the right to life, liberty, and property, and the right to be free from aggression on said life, liberty, and property. The word "right" is getting thrown around a ridiculous amount these days, and I believe we have forgotten what rights mean. If you wish to go purchase birth control, that is your own business. But you are aggressing the rights of private businesses by demanding that they provide something they do not believe, or demanding they provide anything at all, beliefs aside. We shouldn't have to use religious beliefs to keep from doing something we think is wrong. This used to be a free country.
Hobby Lobby employees are paid well. They feel the need for that morning-after pill, use some of your money and go buy it. You know, like people used to do when they wanted something? Before trying to make everyone else pay for your pet desires? Really doesn't work for you? Go work somewhere else. Somewhere that supplies it. Cause that's how things should work.
Hobby Lobby has no intentions for a theocracy. Notice they haven't tried to be involved in anything political until the political things came after them. Please.
And as far as that graphic goes...
Sigh.
The seven years thing was for a particular Jewish society (actually a theocracy) with particular rules and not a command in general. Student loans are signed up for voluntarily. You voluntarily promised to pay them back and cannot go back on that promise.
Also, to the people saying that somehow everyone's religious beliefs are running rampant on everyone elses' rights... (please see paragraph on rights)... The Supreme Court made it fairly clear this was a limited ruling. The Supreme Court has not ruled for religious rights in many other cases. And they can (and probably will) continue to rule against religious rights in the future. They get to do whatever the hell they want because they are the Supreme Court. I find that Supremely scary, but people should chill and take comfort in the fact that chances are, in the future, they are going to get their own little selfish agendas pushed on other people who don't believe in it, whether for religious reasons or just because they don't believe that anybody should go around forcing anybody to provide things they don't want to provide.
Sunday, June 1, 2014
Roots
My pastor is talking about a deep human need to know where we came from. Adopted children often seek their birth parents. People set up family trees, walk through graveyards, visit the countries of their ancestors, have reunions, heirlooms, etc.
Maybe it's because I grew up in another country, where my family culture was a mix of American and Korean and Turkish and my extended family wasn't related by blood but by their jobs as missionaries and the fact we were all foreigners in foreign countries... But I've never cared much about where I came from. Just because my great grandfather came from Germany doesn't mean I have any interest in Germany. I probably identify less with Germany than I do the Middle East.
I like history, culture, and connections. They just don't have to be bound to me by blood and land. Why do I need my ancestors to be involved in something to justify my interest in it? What matters to me is what I have experienced and grown up with.
But I'm weird. I'd rather live in a camper and travel across country than in a house that's weighed down with a ton of past.
Just some thoughts.
Monday, May 5, 2014
A traveling band of people by any other name...
To start with, I mean no offense. None. I guess I'm just trying to understand.
Where to begin? I guess to sum it up, I am musing on the word "gypsy."
I almost feel bad for typing that. The thing is, I don't find that word offensive, don't consider it offensive, or mean it offensively.
Growing up, gypsy to me meant band of travelers with a distinct style (I probably got that part from Hollywood) that may be related to things like fortune telling. And they had to have little cart-houses. I thought the carts were cool. I never really associated it with a modern people and while I understood that in some places, some of these bands were considered thieves, I didn't usually connect that in my head.
In fact, I have a stronger connection with that for the "Tinkers" in the fantasy series "Wheel of Time," a group of traveling pacifists who mended pots and pans and would rather sing and dance than ever fight, even to defend themselves. They supposedly would steal everything in sight, including children, but that turned out to be a rude lie. But those are Tinkers. Probably modeled off of the historical idea of gypsies, but obviously not the same thing.
So basically, my point is I don't consider gypsy offensive and when I say it, I don't mean it offensively at all.
So what really baffles me is that some people out there are making that term offensive. I don't know who exactly, but the Wikipedia article reads like this:
However, many Romani people and academics who study them believe the word has been tainted by its use as a pejorative connoting illegality and irregularity, and some modern dictionaries recommend avoiding use of the word gypsy either entirely, or as a negative modifier.
First off, not everyone uses that word to imply such. I don't and it wouldn't enter my mind. When I think of gypsies, I think of like Esmeralda from Hunchback of Notre Dame. Sure, she wasn't on the right side of the law in that case, but the laws were stupid and the authority evil and corrupt and in the end, nobody was on the right side of the law and the gypsies were mostly good misunderstood people.
Maybe back in the day it meant that, but words change over time.
I think many Americans really have no idea that it is even supposed to be offensive. I mean, if you search Wikipedia for the word Gypsy, you'll find that it's a name, a play, a movie, a DC Comic character, several different bands, song names, names of towns, the names of some actual Romanian traveling groups, a word-processing program, name of a ship, etc.
I think we've romanticized it far enough that none of us (I guess Americans, anyway) mean it poorly. We like the thought of traveling bands of people, free to roam wherever they wish, mysterious.
But I've heard of someone I know who had a "gypsy" pony, a paint with feathered legs that the breed is actually called gypsy and a group found and blew up her picture feed and she was totally caught off guard. She had no idea it was offensive, and it's not like she made up the name for the breed of horse. She couldn't understand why people were saying such rude things to her.
Also, the author of a webcomic series has a set of comics going on right now which has readers vote on the story. One of the votes was on the name of the spaceship and one of the options was "The Gypsy Sol." My favorite option, the one I voted for without thinking. He was also informed that "gypsy" could be considered offensive and he had no idea.
Basically, what I'm saying, is that do we really have to go and make sure everyone knows that a certain word is offensive when a lot of people have no idea it's offensive and certainly never use it offensively? Can we accept that language changes and perceptions change? Wouldn't it be better to either lose the negative connotation, or simply rename/redefine the group in question than to rename and make all previous names somehow rude and bad? Do we need more offensive/off-limits words to tip-toe around?
Mostly, I just don't want to get in trouble if I sing any one of the 19 songs titled "Gypsy" or "The Gypsy" on Wikipedia.
Where to begin? I guess to sum it up, I am musing on the word "gypsy."
I almost feel bad for typing that. The thing is, I don't find that word offensive, don't consider it offensive, or mean it offensively.
Growing up, gypsy to me meant band of travelers with a distinct style (I probably got that part from Hollywood) that may be related to things like fortune telling. And they had to have little cart-houses. I thought the carts were cool. I never really associated it with a modern people and while I understood that in some places, some of these bands were considered thieves, I didn't usually connect that in my head.
In fact, I have a stronger connection with that for the "Tinkers" in the fantasy series "Wheel of Time," a group of traveling pacifists who mended pots and pans and would rather sing and dance than ever fight, even to defend themselves. They supposedly would steal everything in sight, including children, but that turned out to be a rude lie. But those are Tinkers. Probably modeled off of the historical idea of gypsies, but obviously not the same thing.
So basically, my point is I don't consider gypsy offensive and when I say it, I don't mean it offensively at all.
So what really baffles me is that some people out there are making that term offensive. I don't know who exactly, but the Wikipedia article reads like this:
However, many Romani people and academics who study them believe the word has been tainted by its use as a pejorative connoting illegality and irregularity, and some modern dictionaries recommend avoiding use of the word gypsy either entirely, or as a negative modifier.
First off, not everyone uses that word to imply such. I don't and it wouldn't enter my mind. When I think of gypsies, I think of like Esmeralda from Hunchback of Notre Dame. Sure, she wasn't on the right side of the law in that case, but the laws were stupid and the authority evil and corrupt and in the end, nobody was on the right side of the law and the gypsies were mostly good misunderstood people.
Maybe back in the day it meant that, but words change over time.
I think many Americans really have no idea that it is even supposed to be offensive. I mean, if you search Wikipedia for the word Gypsy, you'll find that it's a name, a play, a movie, a DC Comic character, several different bands, song names, names of towns, the names of some actual Romanian traveling groups, a word-processing program, name of a ship, etc.
I think we've romanticized it far enough that none of us (I guess Americans, anyway) mean it poorly. We like the thought of traveling bands of people, free to roam wherever they wish, mysterious.
But I've heard of someone I know who had a "gypsy" pony, a paint with feathered legs that the breed is actually called gypsy and a group found and blew up her picture feed and she was totally caught off guard. She had no idea it was offensive, and it's not like she made up the name for the breed of horse. She couldn't understand why people were saying such rude things to her.
Also, the author of a webcomic series has a set of comics going on right now which has readers vote on the story. One of the votes was on the name of the spaceship and one of the options was "The Gypsy Sol." My favorite option, the one I voted for without thinking. He was also informed that "gypsy" could be considered offensive and he had no idea.
Basically, what I'm saying, is that do we really have to go and make sure everyone knows that a certain word is offensive when a lot of people have no idea it's offensive and certainly never use it offensively? Can we accept that language changes and perceptions change? Wouldn't it be better to either lose the negative connotation, or simply rename/redefine the group in question than to rename and make all previous names somehow rude and bad? Do we need more offensive/off-limits words to tip-toe around?
Mostly, I just don't want to get in trouble if I sing any one of the 19 songs titled "Gypsy" or "The Gypsy" on Wikipedia.
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