May 6, 2010
Discrimination in Arizona
Unless you have are not in the U.S. or you have been living under a rock for the past few weeks, you should have heard and been informed of the current situation in Arizona. If you do not know what is going on, then-quite frankly-Google it. And since just about every political blogger and news source has covered this story constantly, I will try to just write this one quick post and get it out of my system. But I’ll probably fail, so prepare for a sequel to this post. I can write this post even though I promised no overly political posts because I lied when I promised that. Seriously. And besides, this a moral issue as well.
My take on this new issue is simple; this is a law that violates basic rights. It ultimately gives state officers the power to arrest anyone they suspect of being an illegal immigrant. Essentially, if you are ‘Hispanic looking’ and live in Arizona, you’d have to carry your legal documents with you, everywhere. Of course, the law never states that so bluntly, it uses phrases and words like “reasonable suspicion”, which merely translates to racial profiling.
This is discrimination legalized. Proponents of this law argue that police officers would be trained to be indiscriminate. Have they seen police officers work before? Most of them are not exactly the most ‘fair and balanced’ people. And even if officers are trained, there is still an issue. I mean, let us be honest, who do you think a officer will question under this law; a white man or a Hispanic man? They will question the Hispanic man simply because he is not white.
It is useless to argue against proponents of the law as they are so warped that they can not even identify blatant discrimination-or, to use a more correct term; racism.That’s right, ladies and gentlemen, this is pure racism. What else could you call a law that allows for unwarranted searches based solely on whether the suspects in question ‘appear’ to be an illegal immigrant? If not racial profiling, what is this? And since when has not carrying a legal document of one’s legality been a crime? I am sure that a white man or even a black man would not have to be scared of being stopped by the document police.
Pretty soon, you will be hearing stories of a Hispanic man and his family being detained because they left their documents in their house, assuming that they would not need to carry proof of their legal residence just so they could visit a park.
This is unacceptable. Racial profiling, in this era, is outdated, immoral, often times ineffective in actually reducing crime, and -most of all-racist.
And just to remain anyone who is in favor of this law; this country was built on illegal immigrants. From the European tyranny of the American Indians (much less offensive then the generic term ‘Native American’, trust me) to the great immigration floods of the last few decades. Without illegal immigrants, this nation will lose a huge portion of it’s economical strength. And a known fact: the ‘Citizenship tests’ are seemingly too hard for a majority of American citizens themselves. Maybe one should be able to pass the test themselves (as many citizens have failed) before assuming immigrants are inferior. And since I’m just about done with my rant, it is time for your opinion. Anyone willing to share their own opinions on the matter? I promise I won’t devour you even if you disagree with me.
- Fun Facts: Only about 25% of legal American adults got passing grades in a survey,by the NSF, of what people know about basic science and economics. Even less have a generally acceptable knowledge of literature and grammar.
- Fun Facts: The United States consistently scores the lowest in national average IQ among the developed countries of the world, at a national average score of just 98 (100 being the overall accepted average IQ).
May 2, 2010
Tea Party Idiocy
I feel compelled to make a somewhat short post on the current trend of the ‘populist’ movement known as the Tea Party. The TEA stands for ‘taxed enough already’. There are many things wrong with this ‘vibrant’ movement. If I did not see the pure anger and determination in their faces, I would be convinced the entire thing was a hoax. Sadly, it is very real.
This ‘movement’ has spurred hatred, bigotry, racism, sexism and idiocy, all in the control of a few media masterminds. It’s not so hard to understand that the Klu Klux Klan has been disbanded as a major force. Surely, the ex-members of the KKK still exist. They did not just vanish with their organization, and not many members were ever sentenced. I think it would not be that far of a stretch to say that many KKK members have gone into the Tea Party as a new medium of voicing their beliefs. In fact, it is not even hard to believe that ex-KKK members make up a large percentage of the Tea Party members. Many had that thought pop up as soon as they saw the signs these members carried.
Whether the Tea Party movement has a large amount of ex-KKK members remains to be seen and hardly matters as the ideals are the same regardless if actual members have migrated from one organization to the next. All one needs to do is compare certain Tea Party signs to past KKK signs and there would be many resemblances. The KKK has been known to change enemies constantly over the eras, as it has had to face new ‘enemies’ (or, social change that they cannot accept) and their new enemies would be anyone that agrees with them and is black, gay, or ‘unchristian’.
When you see their more offensive signs, you’ll understand. All it takes is a short glance at the many signs they have flaunted and you too will understand how utterly idiotic many of the Tea Party members are. The signs are that illogical. In one sign (shown at the bottom of this post) they associate Muslims as automatic socialists….Where they got that idea is beyond reason. In fact, many of their signs show no thought process.
So far, we are talking about the ‘tame’ signs. The worst signs make those look inviting.And yes, the signs and messages shown on FOX, CNN, and even MSNBC are the ‘tame’ signs that Tea Party members hold. And Tea Party members wonder why ‘libs’ call them racist. While it is not true that all Tea party members are racist, it is true that a disproportionally large amount of Tea Party members are racist.
Tea Party members yelled “nigger!” at famed civil rights hero John Lewis as he passed through. They also called Barney Frank a “faggot!” and even spat at Emanuel Cleaver.
I, for one, think that this blatant hatred has got to stop. Republicans must condemn the Tea Party for what it really is-shallow hatred-rather than ignore the hatred and bigotry that has gone rampant. I know many republicans and conservatives who agree that the Tea Party ‘movement’ has gotten out of control and in fact paints a negative image of the republican party. This is mainly due to many prominent republicans publicly endorsing the Tea Party. It is immoral to endorse such a fierce force.
The Tea Party must end. Don’t get me wrong, the few sensible members of the Tea Party movements should continue voicing out for what they believe, but I must put an emphasis on few. Those very limited members should create a new movement, even if it means a decrease in voice, for the good of sanity and reason.
The other members-the ‘rotten eggs’ that make up the majority of the movement, should just silence themselves. They really have nothing of value to contribute to American politics, and they are only misguiding otherwise sensible people. They are spreading misinformation (seriously, Obama is a Nazi and a socialist while also being a Muslim and a fascist?) They hear words like socialist and fascist and they immediately recover past propaganda against those words. They associate those words with the enemy with impunity, failing to understand that they do not understand the very words they use. They fail to understand that they have a minimal knowledge of history (as evidenced by their signs) and yet they believe they have Obama’s ideals ‘all figured out’. They have essentially turned themselves into the accusers of the Salem witch trials.
Not able to understand changes, they have created their own worst super enemy (even if it’s an illogical enemy that cannot even exist) and they have chosen their enemy as the easiest target they could find, Obama. ‘Political’ commentators like Ann Coulter, Glen Beck and Bill O-Reilly have merely fueled their hollow fears. This has created a pathetic force of bigots against the first enemy they could see, a black man as president. They merely attached the rest of the enemies along with Obama with the urgings of the previous mentioned ‘commentators’.
Ask the average Tea Party protester what he is advocating against and you will get a response very much like: “I want that Kenyan born Muslim outta the White House.” If you attempt to explain that Obama could not possibly a Kenyan born Muslim, and that even if he was, there is nothing wrong since he is a U.S. citizen, you would be ignored. Then you would told that he is an illegal immigrant. Ask for any proof and you will get an answer similar to the following: “Look at ‘im! Look at ‘is skin and ‘is oriental face!”
I cannot stand to see this nation relive it’s KKK days, but I fear that if the Tea party continues on it’s due course, we will eventually see Obama assassinated by a misguided and ignorant fool who understands very little of the political process.
What do you know, this post has turned out quite long. It’s just that I had to say something that was on the minds of many people following this….phenomenon. With all honesty, it is a shame that they had to compare themselves to the Boston Tea Party, as that was a well guided event as opposed to the misguided idiocy we are currently seeing in many of the Tea Party members of today.
Just look below at the pride in their faces as they wield signs and posters that display how racist they are, and the crap they are willing to believe.
- Fun Fact: Actual words by a Tea Party members: “”Obama, to me, is a socialist. He’s a Muslim and all he wants to do is bankrupt us and run us into the ground,” Ken Schwalbach of Escanaba, Mich., said at a rally on Friday.
- Fun Fact: A large fraction of Tea Party members generally believe that Socialism is Nazism, that Obama is a socialist Nazi, and that all the ‘libs in Washington’ are socialist Nazis as well.
April 30, 2010
Trend of Drugs in U.S
Studies have shown that the U.S. is the drug capital in the world. Not illegal drugs; these are prescription drugs. Children as young as a few months have been prescribed ‘psychiatric drugs’ due to mental disorders.
How is this possible? Until one is 20, their brain is not fully developed, so how can a doctor possibly determine whether your brain is normal by your emotions?
According to many researchers and to my own personal experience with doctors, it is a highly growing trend that doctors and other professionals are prescribing more and more unproven medication in the U.S..
“Researchers from the department of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University and New York State Psychiatric Institute studied physicians’ prescribing patterns, beginning in 1996, looking at a range of medicines including antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers and sedatives.” About.com
What they found was that drug use, as we all knew, has rised incredibly in the last few years. This is highly disturbing in several ways, as many of these drugs are not fully understood or evaluated.
Not surprisingly, among the most commonly prescribed drugs were anti-depressants. The most common prescription itself is an anti depressant paired with a mood “stabilizer” (or a drug that makes you apathetic or ‘dumber’, as one commenter put it.) This essentially makes the issue often times worst.
Many have theorized that the government itself is involved and is gradually forcing the population to become ‘zombies’. This is backed by the sheer number of lobbyists Pharmaceutical companies employ, and their effect on laws and regulations. Pharmaceutical companies are able to profit from the mass fear of ‘mental disorders’.
The word disorder implies that there is something wrong, however, many mental ‘disorders’ are completely natural events. U.S. physicians classify ‘anger’ in children as a disorder. And I don’t mean rage or insane anger, just regular anger in children.
These drugs have negative effects on nearly everyone who takes them, it is a wonder we Americans still view psychiatric drugs has saviors. These drugs raise the risk of cardiovascular issues, metabolic affects that can result in various diseases such as diabetes and affecting your metabolism
“Psychiatric drugs bathe the brains of growing children with agents that threaten the normal development of the brain.” Dr Peter Breggin, founder of the International Center for the Study of Psychiatry and Psychology (ICSPP), and author of about 20 books, including ‘Medication Madness.'”
We, as Americans, need to wake up and understand that psychiatric drugs will not do the trick for you. If you are a parent and you think your kid is ‘abnormal’, you must act like a parent and care for your child and his/her condition. Do not prescribe permanent medications (as in a medication that lasts longer then the usual 10 day prescription) to anyone under the age of 20, as this will have adverse symptoms and effects.
For anyone over 20, use drugs minimally (if at all). They were intended to relief occasional issues, not run our lives. And finally, psychiatric drugs are useless, harmful, and feed greedy corporations. Do not use them at all as they have never been proven to actually cure anyone. Scientists barely understand the human brain.
How can scientists possibly ‘cure’ something they do not understand?
- Fun Fact: Number of Americans annually who request and receive a prescription for a specific drug after seeing a commercial for it: 8.5 million.
- Fun Fact: The approximate number of Americans that die annually from Aspirin use: 2,000
Warmest NYC April….Ever
The warmest April in New York City history is coming to an end, bringing with it record highs of near 90 degree (F). This is truly unheard of, as the average temperature for April in NYC is around 50 degrees (F). This year, however, 50 degrees was rather a lower point. The usual temperature stayed in the 60s, and sometimes the 70s. Occasionally, it hit the 80s this month, and once it was around 90 degrees.
This is especially strange considering that the average temperature for June is 72 Degrees. This may cause some to say “Global Warming”, and then others to immediately disagree, but the fact is, in NYC , the average temperature is rising.
This has been happening for a while now, and many public officials acknowledge this fact. No one can exactly claim any reason as the truth, but many theories have been brought up.
There are many who think that rising pollution and activity in New York City for the last decade (as in every other major city) has caused the average temperature to rise steadily, but surely.
This is not a theory or idea, it is a fact. And due to this, average sea levels are rising and putting the entire city at danger (since we are a very low leveled city.) Plans have been put into action to combat rising sea levels and protect the city from disaster.
Example of areas in danger of permanent flooding.
Dumb Laws in Florida
Florida is known for many things; sunshine, beaches, condos, trees, and stupidity. No offense to any Florida residents. I hope none was taken. Not that a Florida residence is reading this anyway….
Here a few dumb laws from Florida, credit to dumblaws.com for finding these laws.
It is considered an offense to shower naked….
What?! I sincerely hope this law is ignored or applied in only certain towns. I find this ridiculous, and does this contradict a federal law? No? Wow….
Yet another example of outdated laws. There are thousands, perhaps millions of very similar outdated laws.
You are not allowed to break more than three dishes per day, or chip the edges of more than four cups and/or saucers.
This is just rather stupid, and confusing. What if I break 3 dishes but I broke the last one at 11:59:99? This law is outdated and must go as well.
Unmarried couples may not commit “lewd acts” and live together in the same residence.
By “lewd” I assume they mean sex. Does this not also go against federal law?
At this point, you have to wonder whether the state used to be run by incredibly religious fundamentalists.
It is illegal to skateboard without a license.
Just weird, but probably justifiable to some people. This is, in my opinion, ridiculous – but not outdated.
Oral sex is illegal.
…...Wow. I can only guess that this was aimed at teenagers and homosexuals, as this is biased against those groups. Another outdated law, as this type of ‘intimacy’ is slowly approaching the traditional means as a favorite….
A special law prohibits unmarried women from parachuting on Sunday or she shall risk arrest, fine, and/or jailing.
Another weird, obviously discriminating law. Just wrong, unfair, immoral itself, and outdated. I just have to wonder who is running the Florida government. “Sorry Mary, you aren’t married yet, remember? You can’t parachute today. That’s two days in the slammer for you!”
You may not kiss your wife’s breasts.
This is just weird. How would they regulate that?
So yeah, Florida has idiotic laws. If you are wondering, like I was, how they would regulate most of these laws, it’s simple. They would, in the future, just pop cameras everywhere so they can catch anything. Of course, many of these laws are acts forbidden in one’s own home, so would they break the Constitution under the pretense of ‘protecting state law’, even when the law is so redundant and useless as the above mentioned?
Next of the Dumb Laws posts? Alaska! (where else can you expect prime entertainment looking at it’s laws?)
I would like opinions, but I doubt I’d get any without readers…
Welcome Readers!
Can’t get any simpler then the “mandatory” first post, huh?
To start off new, I am going to NOT tell my existing friends about this blog, otherwise it might get awkward. I’d rather this blog just grew on it’s own, though that would make this blog the slowest growing blog ever…..
Anyway, each post will just be based on different topics with no underlying theme other then perhaps the fact that they may all start to rather cynical posts. I’m interested in a variety of things – so I hope no one get’s bored along the ‘ride’. Each post will be followed with a short fun fact or two.I just hope that the fun facts are not more interesting than the actual posts.
I want to eventually post my stories, creations, drawings, or anything else here, but that depends on how far this blog can escape the clutches of obscurity. Oh, and since I live in New York City (aka the “the Greatest City in the World”…..or at least in the U.S.”), many posts and fun facts will concern New York City. I promise it will still be interesting to people who live in New York City. And you should take my promises at their word, since all my promises have never been broken: after all, finding a loophole is VERY easy to do with promises 😉
Thank you for taking the time to read this incredibly deep and riveting post. I promise I’ll post AT LEAST once a week, but I’ll try to post once a day. On good days, twice a day!
Fun fact: Fun facts are rarely fun, but sometimes they are!
(Serious)Fun fact: The lions in front of the New York Public Library are Patience and Fortitude. They were named by then-mayor Fiorello LaGuardia.
Hollow Prose 