Here’s something I wrote while at work yesterday. I’m starting to realize that I seem very negative about our generation but I’m really not. At least, I don’t think we’re any worse than any other generation. But that doesn’t mean we still can’t be better. So, here are a few of my thoughts on the matter.
Our Stride
We hit our stride in immaturity
Void of knowledge, full of purity
We think we know the price of certainty
But we’re in debt to future mistakes
Thinking we’ve seen all the options
We are only making assumptions
But still we have all this gumption
How quickly the fuel runs out
We feel so young, feel so right
But we don’t have any sight
We could stand to be a bit contrite
But then we’d have to think
I’m not sure about our evolution
Finding our prime with no conclusions
We love our games, forget solutions
The world can fix itself
We’re all for love, don’t value loss
We’ll put complications on the cross
Just nail our hands, blame the boss
While we’re bleeding to simplify
We’ll murder the old, frame the young
The word of God on Loki’s tongue
All the songs have been sung
But we still think we’re original
There’s a similarity in our time
Roman ideology, entertainment’s prime
We’ll waste away in consuming grime
And we’ll be sacked just like the Fall
Sure we’re happy, or at least we think
Vacant minds let intelligence shrink
And though our lives may fill with stink
At least we have the virtual
And so we’re done with all this talk
Pretend to accomplish then we balk
Glorify individuals but join the flock
We never judge the guilty
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
A Game
I keep playing this game, maybe you know of it. I sit around and watch movies, maybe good television, and I find ways of relating them to you. The romantic comedies and dramas are pretty easy. Sometimes I’ll add in a little challenge with some absurdist piece or an episode of BSG. The goal of the game, as all games need a point, is to fall in love with you. To fall in love with you and motivate myself to tell you. I’ve been playing it for a while, I’ll put the number around 2 years, and the interesting fact, as I’m sure you’re about to guess, is that I’ve never won this game. If I had, I probably wouldn’t be writing this. There must be some irony in never winning a game you invented, though I’m sure many other idiots along the way have played something similar if not exactly the same. Maybe I could start a group. A little online community where we all play a game together none of us has a chance in Hell of winning. It’ll be kind of like an AA meeting but just filled with some saps who need to get over themselves and realize that things will never get better by remaining on the couch. Sure, the pizza is good and there are some really funny threads or memes to read, but you’re basically just chewing on a twenty-five cent gumball. Of course, me putting this down in poetry makes me the biggest sap. But, then again, I suppose the group will need a president. A sappy leader. If I’m going to make myself depressed, I might as well be around enablers. It’ll make me feel better. And then make me feel more sad when I’m alone. That could be another game. How sad can I make myself about being sad? Maybe I can turn these into board games. Make a little money on the side with my depression, especially since being a poet doesn’t really do it. I’ll just make a sad salary. The money won’t make me happy but I’ll be able to continue my Netflix subscription so I can watch more movies and television as a way of thinking of you. So. That’s a plus.
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Remembrance
Every year on July 2nd, I write a poem, sometimes two. I write them as a reminder and a remembrance of someone I care about very much. She passed away on July 2nd 2010. Her name was Renee Michelle Rhodes and she was my best friend until I stupidly let someone get in the way of that. The poems are a way for me to express things that I don’t normally express out loud and a way of helping me confront myself. Here’s one I wrote at the bus stop today.
We have so little time.
Deadlines for work, papers due,
Exam studying, catching the bus.
Schedules make us feel in control of relativity.
We have so little time.
Rehearsals and bills to pay,
Waiting for promotions or lay-offs.
Money is just an idea.
We have so little time
And you grabbed me in seconds,
A race into friendship.
I never understood your smiles.
We have so little time.
We waste it staring at clocks,
Digitized information, and virtuality.
You had a strange and wonderful warmth.
We have so little time.
Fixated on what I could’ve done,
Regret puts me in fast forward.
Death takes away second chances.
We have so little time.
Across the country, now, I look back,
realizing why they call the mountains blue.
I hope my sadness can combine with another.
We have so little time
And you barely lived past twenty.
I hope angels did lead you in
But I’m not religious, like you.
We have so little time.
I have nothing of yours.
I should’ve kept a loving reminder.
I’ll frame my mistakes for nostalgia.
We have so little time.
And it seems I’ve already fucked it up.
I think fondly of the nights you cried, sharing
And trusting me. I should’ve known better but
We had so little time.
We have so little time.
Deadlines for work, papers due,
Exam studying, catching the bus.
Schedules make us feel in control of relativity.
We have so little time.
Rehearsals and bills to pay,
Waiting for promotions or lay-offs.
Money is just an idea.
We have so little time
And you grabbed me in seconds,
A race into friendship.
I never understood your smiles.
We have so little time.
We waste it staring at clocks,
Digitized information, and virtuality.
You had a strange and wonderful warmth.
We have so little time.
Fixated on what I could’ve done,
Regret puts me in fast forward.
Death takes away second chances.
We have so little time.
Across the country, now, I look back,
realizing why they call the mountains blue.
I hope my sadness can combine with another.
We have so little time
And you barely lived past twenty.
I hope angels did lead you in
But I’m not religious, like you.
We have so little time.
I have nothing of yours.
I should’ve kept a loving reminder.
I’ll frame my mistakes for nostalgia.
We have so little time.
And it seems I’ve already fucked it up.
I think fondly of the nights you cried, sharing
And trusting me. I should’ve known better but
We had so little time.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Rehearsals and Being Finite
Sometimes I forget how wonderful rehearsals can be. You get so used to just thinking about performing the show that you put aside the absolute joy of working on a play. Or sometimes you're just going around from audition to audition never getting cast so you forget about the wonders of rehearsals as you're just clawing around Seattle looking for a gig. I digress.
As you may know, I was cast in the Live Girls! Theater production of Quickies, a one-act play festival they do every year. I am to perform in the play "Leap" by Joy McCulloough-Carranza. Needless to say (though I'll say it anyway), this is a wonderful short piece where I do a magnificent job. Obviously. (Pssst, this is just feint cockiness) For this role, I get to play a 12 year-old boy named Sam and the other two actors, who are also quite talented, are also children.
Being that the characters are kids, our director, Ashley Flannegan, decided to try and branch us out a bit with exercises. Julia Beers, our AD, led us through some terrific little exploration pieces that hearkened back to my college days, oh, so long ago (about 3 or 4 years). We threw hacky-sacks around, explored different centers by imagining a light within our body, and created a silent piece that involved climbing chairs and building little forts. If this all sounds strange, then you've probably never taken an acting class.
I forgot how freeing these exercises can be. I'm not really one for meditation or prayer (especially if you read my last post) so these exercises are really what help center me. They allow me to let go of silly problems and just exist, even for just a few moments. You completely come out of yourself and willingly walk in someone else's skin. You move differently, think differently, speak differently and it reminds you how human everyone is. With social media and Twitter, I think we forget that there are real people with real thoughts and real emotions on the other end of the screen.
We held our second rehearsal just a couple of nights ago and we were more straightforward about it, as we worked on blocking the play. But still, that idea of exploring something new and freeing yourself from menial troubles still remained. Sometimes it's even therapeutic for problems that have more substance.
I found out about thirty minutes before my rehearsal began that the mom of my ex-girlfriend died. She was a great woman who kept in touch with me and helped me with my move to Seattle even after I broke up with her daughter (If that isn't saintly then I don't know what is). This loss isn't the worse that I've had but I was deeply saddened to have such a wonderful person no longer existing. It was a passing that I didn't know was near and if she was still around, I would give her a much bigger "thank you" than I did before.
Through the magic of rehearsal and theatre, however, I was able to work out some of this sadness. I was able to step outside of myself and consider the problem and the finiteness of someone else. By being within this character's skin, I could find the center within myself too. People harp on actors for either being self-centered or as people who willingly lie to crowds of people by pretending to be someone else. I won't deny that being self-centered can be an occupational hazard with acting as you get accustomed to people watching you and praising your ability. But actors are not liars. Not the true ones, anyway. Real actors like to delve into humanity, no matter how shitty, and find meaning. We like to discover and create something that has a positive impact on the audience and ourselves. Along with directors, designers, techies, stage-hands, we try to move society in a forward motion to that ever elusive Truth. (Unless you get too swept up in Broadway musicals)
Anyway, what I guess I'm trying to get to, a bottom-line, is that we all have things that keep us grounded and sane. Theatre is my sanity. Even when the exercises seem ridiculous and even if you have those frustrating times where you don't seem to be improving, I wouldn't give it up for anything.
Also, you get to work on fun shows that are called "Quickies" so you know it will be a good time (or at least expedited). That's my little thought for the day, however inconsequential it may be.
As you may know, I was cast in the Live Girls! Theater production of Quickies, a one-act play festival they do every year. I am to perform in the play "Leap" by Joy McCulloough-Carranza. Needless to say (though I'll say it anyway), this is a wonderful short piece where I do a magnificent job. Obviously. (Pssst, this is just feint cockiness) For this role, I get to play a 12 year-old boy named Sam and the other two actors, who are also quite talented, are also children.
Being that the characters are kids, our director, Ashley Flannegan, decided to try and branch us out a bit with exercises. Julia Beers, our AD, led us through some terrific little exploration pieces that hearkened back to my college days, oh, so long ago (about 3 or 4 years). We threw hacky-sacks around, explored different centers by imagining a light within our body, and created a silent piece that involved climbing chairs and building little forts. If this all sounds strange, then you've probably never taken an acting class.
I forgot how freeing these exercises can be. I'm not really one for meditation or prayer (especially if you read my last post) so these exercises are really what help center me. They allow me to let go of silly problems and just exist, even for just a few moments. You completely come out of yourself and willingly walk in someone else's skin. You move differently, think differently, speak differently and it reminds you how human everyone is. With social media and Twitter, I think we forget that there are real people with real thoughts and real emotions on the other end of the screen.
We held our second rehearsal just a couple of nights ago and we were more straightforward about it, as we worked on blocking the play. But still, that idea of exploring something new and freeing yourself from menial troubles still remained. Sometimes it's even therapeutic for problems that have more substance.
I found out about thirty minutes before my rehearsal began that the mom of my ex-girlfriend died. She was a great woman who kept in touch with me and helped me with my move to Seattle even after I broke up with her daughter (If that isn't saintly then I don't know what is). This loss isn't the worse that I've had but I was deeply saddened to have such a wonderful person no longer existing. It was a passing that I didn't know was near and if she was still around, I would give her a much bigger "thank you" than I did before.
Through the magic of rehearsal and theatre, however, I was able to work out some of this sadness. I was able to step outside of myself and consider the problem and the finiteness of someone else. By being within this character's skin, I could find the center within myself too. People harp on actors for either being self-centered or as people who willingly lie to crowds of people by pretending to be someone else. I won't deny that being self-centered can be an occupational hazard with acting as you get accustomed to people watching you and praising your ability. But actors are not liars. Not the true ones, anyway. Real actors like to delve into humanity, no matter how shitty, and find meaning. We like to discover and create something that has a positive impact on the audience and ourselves. Along with directors, designers, techies, stage-hands, we try to move society in a forward motion to that ever elusive Truth. (Unless you get too swept up in Broadway musicals)
Anyway, what I guess I'm trying to get to, a bottom-line, is that we all have things that keep us grounded and sane. Theatre is my sanity. Even when the exercises seem ridiculous and even if you have those frustrating times where you don't seem to be improving, I wouldn't give it up for anything.
Also, you get to work on fun shows that are called "Quickies" so you know it will be a good time (or at least expedited). That's my little thought for the day, however inconsequential it may be.
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Fuck God: A Conversation
Preface: This is something that I wrote a few years ago. I was on a plane for Seattle to visit my friends Michi and Amanda. It was just an idea that I thought about and I think it's kind of interesting now because some of it is part of my personal philosophy, now. I'm even working on a play that works through some of these themes. Don't worry, this isn't attacking anybody or trying to put down a religion. It's just a conversation. A thought. I kept it as I wrote it those few years ago, besides a few grammatical changes, so you can get an idea of where I was in my thinking. This writing was also done quickly so if it doesn't seem fleshed out or fully explained, it isn't. That being said, please read and enjoy.
Fuck God: A Conversation
Why can't we just believe in ourselves? We're always looking for an out. For meaning beyond because we can't find meaning in ourselves. Or, if we look for meaning in our own existence then the best we come up with is to be happy. That's it. So, it becomes an independent game where my happiness matters so I can screw over whoever is in my path. "It's about my happiness! I wasn't happy so I left here with the kids." Then we forget the responsibilities. We don't need God to be moral people but we need to remember to be moral because there are people. It's not just about my happiness but others' as well.
We're not talking Utilitarian ideas of "greater good" but just that sometimes others need to be considered. Sometimes there are responsibilities. God is only hindering because the laws are too strict. You can't move. Also, you begin to feel guilty for being happy, like suffering is part of the plan. That's bogus. We make our own suffering. Pain will always come in our lives but we make ourselves suffer. We mull over the details and forget we aren't the only person in the Universe with issues. God makes us suffer, or rather the idea of him that we made up because we wanted people to suffer. Because we got too rampant and too frugal. We needed to suffer to come down a notch. The Romans we're too free, they must suffer. Or, we found hardship so we made ourselves the "chosen" by God and the hardship came along with the prestige. We only suffer because maybe someone will say, "Poor baby." I think it's an instinct, or perhaps a social product but I can't tell. If it's a product of our society then it started long before I existed.
I say "Fuck God" because what we've designed him to be is something that holds us back. He makes us look to the beyond so much that we forget the present. He makes us feel like someone else has control so we don't need to steer. We need to steer. Maybe I should say "Forget God" but that didn't seem as powerful, as eye catching as the word "fuck" does. We put so much meaning in such a small word just like we give so much meaning to what doesn't exist, at least not the way we've molded him. Maybe there's some sort of higher power but it would just be a being with power, not almighty and not perfect.
It's not about personal pleasure, though we should have some and enjoy it. It's about making things better for everyone. It's about getting rid of the prejudice that comes with organization. It's about taking the individual as just that, with no other outside perceptions or ideas. Just, "Hello, what's your name? Pleased to meet you." Simpler. Happier. Equal. It's about being able to breathe and helping others to breathe.
God is just a nuisance, something that holds us back more than an overprotective parent. By organizing around ideas and creating unnecessary rules and laws, we just distort messages from great thinkers and turn them into religion. We naturally organize but maybe we shouldn't. We're evolutionary beings, aren't we? Organizing makes us feel good: "There's someone who shares in what I like." That idea itself is good but when you begin to shut others out because they don't organize the same way, then you've delved into wrong. That's what we do. God is just another organization that we came up with but because we gave him ultimate power, we lost the control. Suddenly, an unanswerable nonexistent being controlled our fate. We gave power to nothing but that nothing became everything and if you don't believe in it then "you're a sinner and will suffer for eternity. I may suffer in this life as God wills but you will suffer for ever!" It's all crud.
Fuck God: A Conversation
Why can't we just believe in ourselves? We're always looking for an out. For meaning beyond because we can't find meaning in ourselves. Or, if we look for meaning in our own existence then the best we come up with is to be happy. That's it. So, it becomes an independent game where my happiness matters so I can screw over whoever is in my path. "It's about my happiness! I wasn't happy so I left here with the kids." Then we forget the responsibilities. We don't need God to be moral people but we need to remember to be moral because there are people. It's not just about my happiness but others' as well.
We're not talking Utilitarian ideas of "greater good" but just that sometimes others need to be considered. Sometimes there are responsibilities. God is only hindering because the laws are too strict. You can't move. Also, you begin to feel guilty for being happy, like suffering is part of the plan. That's bogus. We make our own suffering. Pain will always come in our lives but we make ourselves suffer. We mull over the details and forget we aren't the only person in the Universe with issues. God makes us suffer, or rather the idea of him that we made up because we wanted people to suffer. Because we got too rampant and too frugal. We needed to suffer to come down a notch. The Romans we're too free, they must suffer. Or, we found hardship so we made ourselves the "chosen" by God and the hardship came along with the prestige. We only suffer because maybe someone will say, "Poor baby." I think it's an instinct, or perhaps a social product but I can't tell. If it's a product of our society then it started long before I existed.
I say "Fuck God" because what we've designed him to be is something that holds us back. He makes us look to the beyond so much that we forget the present. He makes us feel like someone else has control so we don't need to steer. We need to steer. Maybe I should say "Forget God" but that didn't seem as powerful, as eye catching as the word "fuck" does. We put so much meaning in such a small word just like we give so much meaning to what doesn't exist, at least not the way we've molded him. Maybe there's some sort of higher power but it would just be a being with power, not almighty and not perfect.
It's not about personal pleasure, though we should have some and enjoy it. It's about making things better for everyone. It's about getting rid of the prejudice that comes with organization. It's about taking the individual as just that, with no other outside perceptions or ideas. Just, "Hello, what's your name? Pleased to meet you." Simpler. Happier. Equal. It's about being able to breathe and helping others to breathe.
God is just a nuisance, something that holds us back more than an overprotective parent. By organizing around ideas and creating unnecessary rules and laws, we just distort messages from great thinkers and turn them into religion. We naturally organize but maybe we shouldn't. We're evolutionary beings, aren't we? Organizing makes us feel good: "There's someone who shares in what I like." That idea itself is good but when you begin to shut others out because they don't organize the same way, then you've delved into wrong. That's what we do. God is just another organization that we came up with but because we gave him ultimate power, we lost the control. Suddenly, an unanswerable nonexistent being controlled our fate. We gave power to nothing but that nothing became everything and if you don't believe in it then "you're a sinner and will suffer for eternity. I may suffer in this life as God wills but you will suffer for ever!" It's all crud.
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Rebooting the Lies We Tell Our Children
We seem to love reboots. Reboots of movies are going on all over the place. We've already had at least two this year with Evil Dead and The Great Gatsby about to premier. It got me thinking that maybe other facets of our lives should be rebooted. Like all of those stories we tell children when we really don't want to tell them the truth. With the advent of new technologies and the Internet, these stories are outdated and will be much harder to believe. I've decided to give you a reboot to tell you're children when they ask, "Where do babies come from?"
The "classic" story we tell children when they come up with this uncomfortable question of human creation is to say that a stork drops the baby off at your doorstep. However, with air pollution and the skies being more crowded, I worry that children will not buy this fictitious story. If they don't believe the story, then the parent might be thrown into the uncomfortable and terrifying ordeal of explaining sex (Gasp!). Don't worry, as a young and childless person, I have the solution so that you don't have to explain conception to the young.
The key to updating any reboot is to either make it more gritty and realistic (which I wouldn't suggest you do when talking to a four year-old about sex) or to set it in modern day with terrific special effects. I will try and play out the scenario for you so that you can keep a script while answering questions. Please note, however, that improvisation may be involved as the child will not be scripted and is likely to just spew out words at an alarming and rapid pace with little coherency. Maybe give them a chewy bar to slow them down. A good offense is a good peanut-buttery snack.
(For simplicity I have just decided on a father-son conversation)
*Note: If you are talking to a child of the female sex, please be sure to change the dialogue accordingly unless you want your child to grow up uncertain about her gender.
BOY: Dad?
DAD: Yes, son?
BOY: Where do babies come from?
DAD: Well, son, you see that's a complicated question.
BOY: Johnny said they come from storks but that doesn't make sense because there isn't a stork population around here. Besides, are you telling me that we're so irresponsible with our children that we let birds carry them through our polluted air and risk being hit by air-traffic? (*Note: Child will probably not be this well spoken. If he/she is, please introduce him or her to the world of being a playwright)
DAD: Yes, I see your point there. Who's Johnny?
BOY: He's from school.
DAD: You see, Johnny isn't wrong.
BOY: We come from birds?
DAD: We used to, back before our gas emissions were melting the polar ice-caps and causing smog in dense cities. Life was simpler where we could entrust our babies to disease ridden flocks of birds.
BOY: Gee, that sounds great!
DAD: But now we've gotten smarter, thanks to computers.
BOY: Computers?
DAD: Yes, my boy. You see, since computers have advanced so much, we've found a much better delivery system for our babies.
BOY: So, we don't UPS then?
DAD: Not in the least, son. UPS and Fed-Ex drivers are for drug deliveries only. Remember that.
BOY: Yes, sir!
DAD: No, what we do now is download our children.
BOY: Really?
DAD: Why of course (Add in some laughter that scoffs and finds amusement out of the child's ignorance)! It's really quite simple. You see, when a mommy and daddy love each other very much, they sometimes decide they want a baby.
BOY: Like me!
DAD: That's right, son, just like you! So, what the mommy and daddy do is that they go online to a special website that only adults can get into. Then, they place an order for a baby using their PayPal account or through a regular credit card.
BOY: But then how do they get here?
DAD: That's easily explained, son. Once the child has been ordered, the file is simply downloaded onto a portable memory device, like a flash-drive.
BOY: Gee-willikers!
DAD: Then, the mommy and daddy take the memory device to the hospital where they have large servers that can contain massive amounts of data. Once there, we give the memory device to the technician doctors who then plug it into their computers and download the baby to a hard-drive.
BOY: But how do you turn that consciousness into a physical form? (*Note: If this were a real child he or she would probably say something like... "What?")
DAD: It's all perfectly explainable. Once the baby is on the hard-drive then the technician doctors can make sure all of the chromosomes were input correctly and no data was lost through transfer. Then, they simply use their 3D printers to print the child out! It's the perfect way to safely and cleanly bring a child into the world!
BOY: Wow! It makes so much sense!
DAD: It sure does.
BOY: If it's so simple, then how come all those protesters say only a man and a woman can have a baby?
DAD: They're just bigots, son. Just bigots and sons of bitches.
BOY: You're so smart, dad!
DAD: I sure am.
END
The "classic" story we tell children when they come up with this uncomfortable question of human creation is to say that a stork drops the baby off at your doorstep. However, with air pollution and the skies being more crowded, I worry that children will not buy this fictitious story. If they don't believe the story, then the parent might be thrown into the uncomfortable and terrifying ordeal of explaining sex (Gasp!). Don't worry, as a young and childless person, I have the solution so that you don't have to explain conception to the young.
The key to updating any reboot is to either make it more gritty and realistic (which I wouldn't suggest you do when talking to a four year-old about sex) or to set it in modern day with terrific special effects. I will try and play out the scenario for you so that you can keep a script while answering questions. Please note, however, that improvisation may be involved as the child will not be scripted and is likely to just spew out words at an alarming and rapid pace with little coherency. Maybe give them a chewy bar to slow them down. A good offense is a good peanut-buttery snack.
(For simplicity I have just decided on a father-son conversation)
*Note: If you are talking to a child of the female sex, please be sure to change the dialogue accordingly unless you want your child to grow up uncertain about her gender.
BOY: Dad?
DAD: Yes, son?
BOY: Where do babies come from?
DAD: Well, son, you see that's a complicated question.
BOY: Johnny said they come from storks but that doesn't make sense because there isn't a stork population around here. Besides, are you telling me that we're so irresponsible with our children that we let birds carry them through our polluted air and risk being hit by air-traffic? (*Note: Child will probably not be this well spoken. If he/she is, please introduce him or her to the world of being a playwright)
DAD: Yes, I see your point there. Who's Johnny?
BOY: He's from school.
DAD: You see, Johnny isn't wrong.
BOY: We come from birds?
DAD: We used to, back before our gas emissions were melting the polar ice-caps and causing smog in dense cities. Life was simpler where we could entrust our babies to disease ridden flocks of birds.
BOY: Gee, that sounds great!
DAD: But now we've gotten smarter, thanks to computers.
BOY: Computers?
DAD: Yes, my boy. You see, since computers have advanced so much, we've found a much better delivery system for our babies.
BOY: So, we don't UPS then?
DAD: Not in the least, son. UPS and Fed-Ex drivers are for drug deliveries only. Remember that.
BOY: Yes, sir!
DAD: No, what we do now is download our children.
BOY: Really?
DAD: Why of course (Add in some laughter that scoffs and finds amusement out of the child's ignorance)! It's really quite simple. You see, when a mommy and daddy love each other very much, they sometimes decide they want a baby.
BOY: Like me!
DAD: That's right, son, just like you! So, what the mommy and daddy do is that they go online to a special website that only adults can get into. Then, they place an order for a baby using their PayPal account or through a regular credit card.
BOY: But then how do they get here?
DAD: That's easily explained, son. Once the child has been ordered, the file is simply downloaded onto a portable memory device, like a flash-drive.
BOY: Gee-willikers!
DAD: Then, the mommy and daddy take the memory device to the hospital where they have large servers that can contain massive amounts of data. Once there, we give the memory device to the technician doctors who then plug it into their computers and download the baby to a hard-drive.
BOY: But how do you turn that consciousness into a physical form? (*Note: If this were a real child he or she would probably say something like... "What?")
DAD: It's all perfectly explainable. Once the baby is on the hard-drive then the technician doctors can make sure all of the chromosomes were input correctly and no data was lost through transfer. Then, they simply use their 3D printers to print the child out! It's the perfect way to safely and cleanly bring a child into the world!
BOY: Wow! It makes so much sense!
DAD: It sure does.
BOY: If it's so simple, then how come all those protesters say only a man and a woman can have a baby?
DAD: They're just bigots, son. Just bigots and sons of bitches.
BOY: You're so smart, dad!
DAD: I sure am.
END
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Jason Collins vs. Tim Tebow
Sometimes you have to hand it to stupidity. Sometimes stupidity can make itself seem like a clever idea or thought when really it's just, well, stupid. As I was scrolling through my Facebook this morning, I noticed a cartoon that my friend commented on. On the first panel, it was a picture of Tim Tebow saying "I'm Christian" and a reporter replying, "Keep it to yourself" and walking away. On the next panel, it was Jason Collins coming out at gay and the reporter holding a microphone and saying, "Tell me more, you big hero!!!" The implication of the picture being that we should care about Tim Tebow being so openly Christian and care less about Jason Collins coming out.
I don't really care about Tebow being openly Christian. In fact, millions of Americans are so I'm not sure why we found it such a big deal in the first place. Tebow seems pretty genuine and like he's probably a pretty good person who likes to help others so this post isn't anti-Tebow but it is against comparing him with Jason Collins.
There are thousands of openly Christian Athletes, hell, there's even the club of Christian athletes. Being Christian in the U.S. might get you scoffed at in some circles but most people will just be indifferent because there are so many. I don't think Tim Tebow did anything heroic or substantial by being so openly Christian, in fact I think it probably branched onto slightly annoying. Plus, from the multitude of athletes that I see raise their hands to the Heavens when they score a touchdown or hit a home run, I think he was in already safe and charted territory.
Jason Collins, on the other hand, has way more question marks. Do you know how many openly gay athletes there are in America's big four of sports? Zero. Well, one, now. One. Jason Collins decided to delve into an area that American sports hasn't seen yet. He decided to take a plunge that many people who aren't in a spotlight try to avoid. Collins, however, knowing that he would garner attention and publicity by coming out, went ahead with it anyway. Further more, he did it in a year when he doesn't even have a team yet. He's a free-agent, which means that he's going to have to market himself to other teams to get signed. Still, he went through with his coming out plan.
I'm not going to laud Collins up with great heroes who risk their lives to save others but he did do something heroic. There is still a very homophobic community out there and there are many fans and players who are a part of it. Collins knew that by coming out, he would be risking ridicule and possibly losing a job. He knew that while some would thrust their support upon him, that there would probably be just as many against him. Obviously, I don't know what kind of attacks he might be fending off but I can bet that there are quite a few. I would even bet that some death-threats are involved. (If you think that idea is crazy then just look at the 49ers return man, Kyle Williams, from the championship game in 2012. He turned over the ball twice and probably lost the game for the 49ers and he received death threats. That was over a game. Think about what kind of death threats someone might get if the attackers feel that their way of life is being challenged)
The point I'm trying to make, though I'm not sure I'm doing it very well, is that Collins went out on a huge limb. He put himself out there for ridicule, attacks, and possibly being discriminated against in the locker room. What he did was heroic because no one had done it before and he knew the risks but did it anyway. Tebow didn't really risk anything, besides maybe a few people snickering.
The cartoon is wrong because it tries to say that Tebow was also going out on a limb. Tebow has an idea and a belief that he chooses to follow which is an idea that is still very accepted in today's society. Jason Collins was born gay and has had to fight his desires to try and seem "normal" to everyone else. He has had to go against himself so that he could find success. The picture thinks it's being clever by showing reporter being contradictory and not caring about what they should care about. The picture is stupid because it thinks that being openly Christian in the U.S. is just as difficult as being openly gay. Openly gay in a sports world and community that hasn't treated the gay community very kindly. The picture is not only stupid but insulting. It's trying to debase the act of Jason Collins. I know there are many Christians who still want to feel like their ridiculed and attacked in today's society. But in the U.S. and most Western countries, you're ridiculed with small jeers. Jason Collins is part of a community that faces not only some of the harshest words and attacks, but physical abuse as well. His act will make it easier for other athletes to come out. His act is another step in people finally realizing that being gay isn't about choice but about being who you are. The vehicle is moving too slow but at least we still have people like Jason Collins trying to push it along.
I don't really care about Tebow being openly Christian. In fact, millions of Americans are so I'm not sure why we found it such a big deal in the first place. Tebow seems pretty genuine and like he's probably a pretty good person who likes to help others so this post isn't anti-Tebow but it is against comparing him with Jason Collins.
There are thousands of openly Christian Athletes, hell, there's even the club of Christian athletes. Being Christian in the U.S. might get you scoffed at in some circles but most people will just be indifferent because there are so many. I don't think Tim Tebow did anything heroic or substantial by being so openly Christian, in fact I think it probably branched onto slightly annoying. Plus, from the multitude of athletes that I see raise their hands to the Heavens when they score a touchdown or hit a home run, I think he was in already safe and charted territory.
Jason Collins, on the other hand, has way more question marks. Do you know how many openly gay athletes there are in America's big four of sports? Zero. Well, one, now. One. Jason Collins decided to delve into an area that American sports hasn't seen yet. He decided to take a plunge that many people who aren't in a spotlight try to avoid. Collins, however, knowing that he would garner attention and publicity by coming out, went ahead with it anyway. Further more, he did it in a year when he doesn't even have a team yet. He's a free-agent, which means that he's going to have to market himself to other teams to get signed. Still, he went through with his coming out plan.
I'm not going to laud Collins up with great heroes who risk their lives to save others but he did do something heroic. There is still a very homophobic community out there and there are many fans and players who are a part of it. Collins knew that by coming out, he would be risking ridicule and possibly losing a job. He knew that while some would thrust their support upon him, that there would probably be just as many against him. Obviously, I don't know what kind of attacks he might be fending off but I can bet that there are quite a few. I would even bet that some death-threats are involved. (If you think that idea is crazy then just look at the 49ers return man, Kyle Williams, from the championship game in 2012. He turned over the ball twice and probably lost the game for the 49ers and he received death threats. That was over a game. Think about what kind of death threats someone might get if the attackers feel that their way of life is being challenged)
The point I'm trying to make, though I'm not sure I'm doing it very well, is that Collins went out on a huge limb. He put himself out there for ridicule, attacks, and possibly being discriminated against in the locker room. What he did was heroic because no one had done it before and he knew the risks but did it anyway. Tebow didn't really risk anything, besides maybe a few people snickering.
The cartoon is wrong because it tries to say that Tebow was also going out on a limb. Tebow has an idea and a belief that he chooses to follow which is an idea that is still very accepted in today's society. Jason Collins was born gay and has had to fight his desires to try and seem "normal" to everyone else. He has had to go against himself so that he could find success. The picture thinks it's being clever by showing reporter being contradictory and not caring about what they should care about. The picture is stupid because it thinks that being openly Christian in the U.S. is just as difficult as being openly gay. Openly gay in a sports world and community that hasn't treated the gay community very kindly. The picture is not only stupid but insulting. It's trying to debase the act of Jason Collins. I know there are many Christians who still want to feel like their ridiculed and attacked in today's society. But in the U.S. and most Western countries, you're ridiculed with small jeers. Jason Collins is part of a community that faces not only some of the harshest words and attacks, but physical abuse as well. His act will make it easier for other athletes to come out. His act is another step in people finally realizing that being gay isn't about choice but about being who you are. The vehicle is moving too slow but at least we still have people like Jason Collins trying to push it along.
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