10/28/11
Minnesota.
I was born in Northern Minnesota, and if you paid attention in 3rd grade you know that Minnesota is the "Land of 10,000 Lakes". If you paid really close attention you might even know that the word Minnesota comes from the Dakota word meaning "Sky-tinted water". Because of the insane lake presence in the territory I was exposed to lots of water sports at a young age. Activities ranging from swimming and water skiing to fishing. Fishing... whether it was July or January. The fine people of Minnesota have never been known to let a thick layer of ice stop them from fishing, they just throw the auger in the back of the truck, drive out on the ice and drill a hole, then slap a shack on top of it and get their lines wet. Being exposed to the wilderness at such a young age gave me a great appreciation for the outdoors that has stuck with me until now. Unfortunately my family was forced to move away from the state in search of a better financial future for my family. Don't get me wrong... North Carolina has some good lakes, but they're a lot less common than they were "back home" - if I can still call it that after being gone for well over two thirds of my life. So anyways, I started thinking about how lame it was that forty million tons of raw sewage seeped into my local lake last year, and how I missed the clean wilderness lakes from my childhood.
9/27/11
Why Cheat?
Cheating in a relationship is one concept that I just cannot seem to grasp. I don't understand how a person can pretend to care for someone and then go behind their back and screw around. Now, I suppose I should define "cheating" before I get to far into this, but as far as I'm concerned "cheating" is the participating in any activity that you wouldn't want your significant other to know about. This means that different relationships have different boundaries and while something may be cheating for one couple, it may not be for others. This is how you end up with swinger couples, or you have a person in a relationship that's a hugger and gets by with it because their partner doesn't think it's wrong to do so. The reason I have difficulty grasping the logic behind cheating on someone is that we each define the rules of our relationships, and if we're in a relationship we obviously care for the person we're with. If we didn't care for our partner we wouldn't be with them, right?
Apparently my logic goes above the heads of many people, and until recently I thought that infidelity was exclusive to youth. Working with older businessmen I found that many of them are quite open about their adulterous ways. It turns out that older people cheat just as much as younger people. I was told by a man that was once caught by his wife and nearly ruined his marriage that "having a mistress is far more trouble than it's worth". The reason it's more trouble than it's worth is that you're giving people a way to blackmail you when you cheat. People know that you're being unfaithful and they can hold that against you to get what they want. It could be a friend of yours, or a friend of one of your partners, or even the person you're cheating with that uses your flub as leverage to get something out of you. In the end you find yourself supporting two or more people financially, emotionally, or both, when you could be dedicating those resources to a single person.
There are several situations that are popular causes for adulterous activity.
-Having a partner leave you to enlist in the military may cause the person left behind to feel abandoned and therefor seek comfort. On the other hand, the miles between the new soldier and their significant other may provide them with a sense of freedom and invincibility. They may think that because they're so far from their partner there's no way that they could be caught cheating.
-Another possibility is that one member of the relationship might be a business person that travels frequently. This opens up the door to have several partners in different, frequently visited cities. If a businessman is visiting the same city once a month for several days at a time they may develop a new relationship in the area so that they don't have to give up on companionship while on the road.
-College is another situation that may lead to cheating. One member of the relationship may not make it into the same school, or they may not even try to get into the same school, but either way it puts distance between the two. Again, this distance creates a security blanket that may make one feel as though they can safely cheat.
-My final example is one that applies to pretty much anyone that's old enough to cheat in the most serious ways. The party scene. Parties are social events that encourage conversation, and when alcohol is involved people's inhibitions go out the window and things can get out of hand very quickly. Parties are not safe places for people that are trying to nurture a long term relationship as they often lead to unnecessary drama that puts a strain on even the strongest of relationships. If you MUST party while committed to a relationship it would be in your best interest to party with your partner present to reduce the chances of a screw up.
These are just a few of the situations that I frequently come across while lurking social media sites. There are many more ways, and reasons that it could happen. No matter what the reasoning behind the act it's still wrong. Often times the cheating leads to reciprocation because the victim feels the need to show the other what it's like. This is no way to go about mending a relationship. If you're going to forgive your partner because you truly think that they can change and never repeat their mistakes then you have to actually forgive them and move on with the relationship. If you can't forgive them for what they've done then don't waste any more of your time on the person. If you think you'll be able to forgive them after some time apart, then so be it, but constantly butting heads over it isn't going to undo what happened.
Keep in mind though, that if someone is willing to cheat on you once then they'll more than likely be willing to do it again, and if they'll cheat on someone else that they "love" with you, then they'll be willing to cheat on you too. Once a person has proven that they have it in them to commit adultery there's no way that you can be sure that they wont do it again. Be confident in yourself, and do what's right for you.
Again, I really don't see the point of cheating. It seems to me that if you no longer want to be in a committed relationship with someone that it's as simple as breaking up with them. Once you're single you're free to hug, kiss, make out with, and screw whoever or whatever you want because you are no longer attached to anyone else. I suppose it all comes down to human greed. People want to have a life partner, but they also want to have fun. Maybe that's why I can't grasp the concept of cheating... I would rather nurture my existing relationship and make it work than have one girl that understands me, and another one for intimacy. I guess maybe I just got lucky and got the total package... or maybe my brain works differently. Who knows.
Apparently my logic goes above the heads of many people, and until recently I thought that infidelity was exclusive to youth. Working with older businessmen I found that many of them are quite open about their adulterous ways. It turns out that older people cheat just as much as younger people. I was told by a man that was once caught by his wife and nearly ruined his marriage that "having a mistress is far more trouble than it's worth". The reason it's more trouble than it's worth is that you're giving people a way to blackmail you when you cheat. People know that you're being unfaithful and they can hold that against you to get what they want. It could be a friend of yours, or a friend of one of your partners, or even the person you're cheating with that uses your flub as leverage to get something out of you. In the end you find yourself supporting two or more people financially, emotionally, or both, when you could be dedicating those resources to a single person.
There are several situations that are popular causes for adulterous activity.
-Having a partner leave you to enlist in the military may cause the person left behind to feel abandoned and therefor seek comfort. On the other hand, the miles between the new soldier and their significant other may provide them with a sense of freedom and invincibility. They may think that because they're so far from their partner there's no way that they could be caught cheating.
-Another possibility is that one member of the relationship might be a business person that travels frequently. This opens up the door to have several partners in different, frequently visited cities. If a businessman is visiting the same city once a month for several days at a time they may develop a new relationship in the area so that they don't have to give up on companionship while on the road.
-College is another situation that may lead to cheating. One member of the relationship may not make it into the same school, or they may not even try to get into the same school, but either way it puts distance between the two. Again, this distance creates a security blanket that may make one feel as though they can safely cheat.
-My final example is one that applies to pretty much anyone that's old enough to cheat in the most serious ways. The party scene. Parties are social events that encourage conversation, and when alcohol is involved people's inhibitions go out the window and things can get out of hand very quickly. Parties are not safe places for people that are trying to nurture a long term relationship as they often lead to unnecessary drama that puts a strain on even the strongest of relationships. If you MUST party while committed to a relationship it would be in your best interest to party with your partner present to reduce the chances of a screw up.
These are just a few of the situations that I frequently come across while lurking social media sites. There are many more ways, and reasons that it could happen. No matter what the reasoning behind the act it's still wrong. Often times the cheating leads to reciprocation because the victim feels the need to show the other what it's like. This is no way to go about mending a relationship. If you're going to forgive your partner because you truly think that they can change and never repeat their mistakes then you have to actually forgive them and move on with the relationship. If you can't forgive them for what they've done then don't waste any more of your time on the person. If you think you'll be able to forgive them after some time apart, then so be it, but constantly butting heads over it isn't going to undo what happened.
Keep in mind though, that if someone is willing to cheat on you once then they'll more than likely be willing to do it again, and if they'll cheat on someone else that they "love" with you, then they'll be willing to cheat on you too. Once a person has proven that they have it in them to commit adultery there's no way that you can be sure that they wont do it again. Be confident in yourself, and do what's right for you.
Again, I really don't see the point of cheating. It seems to me that if you no longer want to be in a committed relationship with someone that it's as simple as breaking up with them. Once you're single you're free to hug, kiss, make out with, and screw whoever or whatever you want because you are no longer attached to anyone else. I suppose it all comes down to human greed. People want to have a life partner, but they also want to have fun. Maybe that's why I can't grasp the concept of cheating... I would rather nurture my existing relationship and make it work than have one girl that understands me, and another one for intimacy. I guess maybe I just got lucky and got the total package... or maybe my brain works differently. Who knows.
9/26/11
Honor Thy Bro.
Before we get started I want to make it very clear that my "Bro Code" is not the same as the usual "Bro Code" which mostly just consists of slurring the phrase "Bros before hoes bro" and then falling into a pile of their own putrid vomit. I do not advocate the phrase "bros before hoes" unless the hoe really is a hoe. The way I see it is that your friends should be willing to talk to you about why they think your girl friend is a shitty person if that's the way they feel rather than just repeating the same, lame phrase over and over again.
With that being said, we can move on to my first rule of the bro code. This is a very important rule, so pay attention. HONOR THY BRO. Basically this is just a catchy name for "don't be a dickhead". If you know that your friend's girlfriend is cheating on them it's perfectly acceptable, nay, expected of you, to let your bro know. This person is one of your best friends, they are your BRO, which is short for brother, and as far as I'm concerned family is #1.
There is no excuse for anyone to ever cheat on their significant other, and I've already covered that in a blog, so I wont go into to much detail on that subject. Basically, if you feel the need to cheat on someone you might as well just break up with them rather than keeping them around. You obviously don't care enough about the person to be faithful, so it shouldn't take much to get rid of them.
I realize that it's not always as cut and dry as just telling your friend that his girlfriend is a dirty little slut, because they're often times more likely to believe their supplier of vagina than their friends, but if you know for a fact, and can provide irrefutable proof then you have no reason not to be HONEST with your BRO. Bear in mind that she's going to lie her ass off to keep from looking like a scuzzy little gutter slut, but in the end she's more likely to come clean than to try and hide it once she's been called out. There are two reasons for this. #1 is that whores are people too... I know it's hard to believe, but it's true. Whores have emotions and a conscience, and that means that eventually they will cave in and admit to what they did wrong. Possibility #2 is that they have no soul, and for that reason they don't care if they hurt your feelings, and so they'll be willing to openly admit that they engaged in inappropriate behavior. Now, if a person were to be in perfect balance between being totally soulless, and being a decent human being, they may be able to hide their infidelity for the rest of their lives, but most likely it's going to come out at some time or another. If your bro hears the accusations from multiple bros, with multiple facts to back it up, then he's going to have a tough time just letting it go.
Will this effect your friendship with your bro? Yes, but it should be in a positive way, because your bro should now realize that he can trust you more than ever. If your bro would rather stay with someone that doesn't have the common decency to be honest with them, then they probably wont make a good partner in crime anyways, and you don't need that bro in your life. Besides, a good bro will always come around once he sees the light, and you'll be back to being bros again, you are bros after all.
On the flip side, if your bro tells you that your lady is getting around, it's your job to take it seriously. Chances are your bros don't hate your girlfriend enough to make up blatant lies. Look into it and see what you come up with. Often times you'll be presented with the name of the person that she's cheating on you with, and then it becomes as simple as confronting that person in a civilized manor and asking him if he screwed around with your lady. Generally the guy that she cheated on you with is going to be a total tool (he knew about you and still committed the crime) and will probably have no issue telling you exactly what happened. If he denies it then you can question her about it and see where that goes. You may have to play the waiting game before you find out for sure if your girlfriend is a cheap hooker, but eventually you'll break her down.
Ladies! If you get caught sleeping around, don't waste your time on the guy you were cheating on. You obviously don't care about his feelings, and you're obviously sexy enough to find another guy, so why are you wasting your time with that guy? Some guys love sluts... find them... find a lot of them... get HIV and eventually AIDs and then spread it around to all of them, so that they all die off. Survival of the fittest, or in this case... the least slutty.
I realize that I've said some harsh things above, but what it all comes down to is this: Some people aren't built for committed relationships, and those people have no business in the dating world.
Failure to adhere to bro code may result in banishment from the brotherhood of bros, bro.
With that being said, we can move on to my first rule of the bro code. This is a very important rule, so pay attention. HONOR THY BRO. Basically this is just a catchy name for "don't be a dickhead". If you know that your friend's girlfriend is cheating on them it's perfectly acceptable, nay, expected of you, to let your bro know. This person is one of your best friends, they are your BRO, which is short for brother, and as far as I'm concerned family is #1.
There is no excuse for anyone to ever cheat on their significant other, and I've already covered that in a blog, so I wont go into to much detail on that subject. Basically, if you feel the need to cheat on someone you might as well just break up with them rather than keeping them around. You obviously don't care enough about the person to be faithful, so it shouldn't take much to get rid of them.
I realize that it's not always as cut and dry as just telling your friend that his girlfriend is a dirty little slut, because they're often times more likely to believe their supplier of vagina than their friends, but if you know for a fact, and can provide irrefutable proof then you have no reason not to be HONEST with your BRO. Bear in mind that she's going to lie her ass off to keep from looking like a scuzzy little gutter slut, but in the end she's more likely to come clean than to try and hide it once she's been called out. There are two reasons for this. #1 is that whores are people too... I know it's hard to believe, but it's true. Whores have emotions and a conscience, and that means that eventually they will cave in and admit to what they did wrong. Possibility #2 is that they have no soul, and for that reason they don't care if they hurt your feelings, and so they'll be willing to openly admit that they engaged in inappropriate behavior. Now, if a person were to be in perfect balance between being totally soulless, and being a decent human being, they may be able to hide their infidelity for the rest of their lives, but most likely it's going to come out at some time or another. If your bro hears the accusations from multiple bros, with multiple facts to back it up, then he's going to have a tough time just letting it go.
Will this effect your friendship with your bro? Yes, but it should be in a positive way, because your bro should now realize that he can trust you more than ever. If your bro would rather stay with someone that doesn't have the common decency to be honest with them, then they probably wont make a good partner in crime anyways, and you don't need that bro in your life. Besides, a good bro will always come around once he sees the light, and you'll be back to being bros again, you are bros after all.
On the flip side, if your bro tells you that your lady is getting around, it's your job to take it seriously. Chances are your bros don't hate your girlfriend enough to make up blatant lies. Look into it and see what you come up with. Often times you'll be presented with the name of the person that she's cheating on you with, and then it becomes as simple as confronting that person in a civilized manor and asking him if he screwed around with your lady. Generally the guy that she cheated on you with is going to be a total tool (he knew about you and still committed the crime) and will probably have no issue telling you exactly what happened. If he denies it then you can question her about it and see where that goes. You may have to play the waiting game before you find out for sure if your girlfriend is a cheap hooker, but eventually you'll break her down.
Ladies! If you get caught sleeping around, don't waste your time on the guy you were cheating on. You obviously don't care about his feelings, and you're obviously sexy enough to find another guy, so why are you wasting your time with that guy? Some guys love sluts... find them... find a lot of them... get HIV and eventually AIDs and then spread it around to all of them, so that they all die off. Survival of the fittest, or in this case... the least slutty.
I realize that I've said some harsh things above, but what it all comes down to is this: Some people aren't built for committed relationships, and those people have no business in the dating world.
Failure to adhere to bro code may result in banishment from the brotherhood of bros, bro.
9/25/11
Attention Seeking Behavior.
One of the biggest problems in American school systems right now is bullying, but few people have taken the time to look at how easy it is to spot a bully in the making. All a bully wants is attention. They act out by being mean to other kids because they aren't getting the attention they need at home, and as you've heard a million times before "any attention is good attention". These kids would rather be in trouble constantly than be ignored, and if they weren't acting out that's exactly what they think would happen, because that's how it works at home. It's not always because the parent isn't capable of taking care of the child (although that's often the issue). Sometimes the parents just work to much, or the child only has one parent and that one parent has to work to raise the child, and possibly others so the kids are forced to grow up faster than they should and take care of themselves. Sometimes it's a result of sexual abuse and the victim feels that they need to get the attention of their abuser because they can't handle not feeling the "love" that they once felt from that person. Sexual abuse is something that can seriously mess with a child's mental development and change them in all sorts of negative ways. There are lots of ways that attention seekers can act out besides just being bullies though, and I'd like to address a few of them.
Another way a young person might try to get the attention that they crave is to post revealing pictures of themselves online. Most of us have seen the guys that pose in front of the bathroom mirror with their shirt off flexing their prepubescent muscles trying to look cool for the girls at their school. And I know you've all seen the girls that constantly post pictures of themselves in their bikinis or their underwear. I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with a girl taking a picture of herself in her bathing suit, at the pool, or the beach to show it off to all of her friends, but there's no reason for them to post a photo of themselves in a bikini, in a full length mirror with their hair done and their make up on. Can you see where there's a difference? In one scenario the girl is taking a memorable photo as a memento of a good time that she had, and in the other she's seeking attention. Often times girls will also starve themselves until they start getting compliments about how skinny they are and how much prettier they are now that they're at an unhealthy weight. If you compliment a person that's ridiculously underweight on how good they look you're giving them the attention they want, you're enabling them, and you're driving them to continue to starve themselves which can lead to serious health issues.
One more way that people seek attention is to constantly flirt. For one reason or another these people feel better about themselves when they're getting compliments from strangers. Sometimes this isn't an issue, but when the person is supposed to be in a committed relationship it can lead to serious problems, especially considering the fact that the person that's flirting sees nothing wrong with it, but if the other member were to do the same thing it would be an issue. This is because the one that's flirting NEEDS attention, and if the other person is flirting as well then they obviously aren't giving the attention seeker the attention that they crave.
One way that children (especially young children) like to get attention is to cry or whine. No good parent wants to think that their child is suffering so they often jump up from whatever they're doing to make the child happy, and stop the crying. If a baby is hungry it cries, if it's thirsty it cries, if it's bored it cries, if it just feels like crying... it'll probably cry. If a kid wants a toy or some candy, they may cry to get their way, and if you give them their way they're going to think that crying or whining will get the job done next time too. By letting them manipulate you you're opening the door for repeated fits. Your best bet is to defuse the situation some other way and DO NOT give them what they want. Tough love works.
The last situation I want to touch on is one where the attention seeker will create drama for no apparent reason. There's a really easy way to spot these people. If the first thing you hear out of their mouth is "I hate drama" they're an attention seeker. If they didn't love drama their life wouldn't be filled with it and it wouldn't be on their mind at all times. If they weren't thinking about it then it wouldn't have been the first thing that they said or typed. It's very difficult to deal with these people because they're guaranteed to kill a mood and it's hard to be their friend (unless you're an attention seeker as well) because they're constantly whining about how so and so is an asshole because __________ and how they're never going to talk to ________ because they did something they shouldn't have done according to the attention seeker. These same people will often hold on to their exes for far to long because they know that as long as they have someone to hate they can always get that attention that they need to fuel their self esteem.
Do no fear. It IS possible to correct attention seeking behavior. All you've got to do to stop it is to not participate in it. Avoid the person when they're seeking fuel and refuse to give it to them. What they really want is to control the situation, and if you don't allow them to manipulate you then they have no power over you and can't feed off of you. Obviously it's going to be hard to ignore them completely because it's a person that you care about, but if you slowly work towards not giving them the attention they need (which is easier said than done in some situations) then eventually you might correct the problem. There will always be a little bit of bickering in a relationship, but constant drama wears a person down and causes them to gradually care for you less and less until they no longer want to be with you at all. So if you're an attention seeker and you love the person that you're with, it may be in your best interest to recognize that you're the issue in the relationship and correct the behavior.
There's LOTS of literature on the web, and in books regarding this topic and to be honest I could probably write 10 more pages about this myself, but I think it's best that I leave you with this brief overview of the issue and leave the real educating to the professionals. I'm just a dude that happens to be very observant. A guy that's watched a lot of relationships and friendships fail as a result of this kind of behavior.
Another way a young person might try to get the attention that they crave is to post revealing pictures of themselves online. Most of us have seen the guys that pose in front of the bathroom mirror with their shirt off flexing their prepubescent muscles trying to look cool for the girls at their school. And I know you've all seen the girls that constantly post pictures of themselves in their bikinis or their underwear. I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with a girl taking a picture of herself in her bathing suit, at the pool, or the beach to show it off to all of her friends, but there's no reason for them to post a photo of themselves in a bikini, in a full length mirror with their hair done and their make up on. Can you see where there's a difference? In one scenario the girl is taking a memorable photo as a memento of a good time that she had, and in the other she's seeking attention. Often times girls will also starve themselves until they start getting compliments about how skinny they are and how much prettier they are now that they're at an unhealthy weight. If you compliment a person that's ridiculously underweight on how good they look you're giving them the attention they want, you're enabling them, and you're driving them to continue to starve themselves which can lead to serious health issues.
One more way that people seek attention is to constantly flirt. For one reason or another these people feel better about themselves when they're getting compliments from strangers. Sometimes this isn't an issue, but when the person is supposed to be in a committed relationship it can lead to serious problems, especially considering the fact that the person that's flirting sees nothing wrong with it, but if the other member were to do the same thing it would be an issue. This is because the one that's flirting NEEDS attention, and if the other person is flirting as well then they obviously aren't giving the attention seeker the attention that they crave.
One way that children (especially young children) like to get attention is to cry or whine. No good parent wants to think that their child is suffering so they often jump up from whatever they're doing to make the child happy, and stop the crying. If a baby is hungry it cries, if it's thirsty it cries, if it's bored it cries, if it just feels like crying... it'll probably cry. If a kid wants a toy or some candy, they may cry to get their way, and if you give them their way they're going to think that crying or whining will get the job done next time too. By letting them manipulate you you're opening the door for repeated fits. Your best bet is to defuse the situation some other way and DO NOT give them what they want. Tough love works.
The last situation I want to touch on is one where the attention seeker will create drama for no apparent reason. There's a really easy way to spot these people. If the first thing you hear out of their mouth is "I hate drama" they're an attention seeker. If they didn't love drama their life wouldn't be filled with it and it wouldn't be on their mind at all times. If they weren't thinking about it then it wouldn't have been the first thing that they said or typed. It's very difficult to deal with these people because they're guaranteed to kill a mood and it's hard to be their friend (unless you're an attention seeker as well) because they're constantly whining about how so and so is an asshole because __________ and how they're never going to talk to ________ because they did something they shouldn't have done according to the attention seeker. These same people will often hold on to their exes for far to long because they know that as long as they have someone to hate they can always get that attention that they need to fuel their self esteem.
Do no fear. It IS possible to correct attention seeking behavior. All you've got to do to stop it is to not participate in it. Avoid the person when they're seeking fuel and refuse to give it to them. What they really want is to control the situation, and if you don't allow them to manipulate you then they have no power over you and can't feed off of you. Obviously it's going to be hard to ignore them completely because it's a person that you care about, but if you slowly work towards not giving them the attention they need (which is easier said than done in some situations) then eventually you might correct the problem. There will always be a little bit of bickering in a relationship, but constant drama wears a person down and causes them to gradually care for you less and less until they no longer want to be with you at all. So if you're an attention seeker and you love the person that you're with, it may be in your best interest to recognize that you're the issue in the relationship and correct the behavior.
There's LOTS of literature on the web, and in books regarding this topic and to be honest I could probably write 10 more pages about this myself, but I think it's best that I leave you with this brief overview of the issue and leave the real educating to the professionals. I'm just a dude that happens to be very observant. A guy that's watched a lot of relationships and friendships fail as a result of this kind of behavior.
9/24/11
You're Just A Hater.
I keep seeing this phrase pop up on Facebook. It seems that if a person has a difference of opinion and they want to express it that they're automatically "hating on" the person that they disagree with. When did people lose sight of the fact that two people can have varying opinions without feeling hatred for one another? If we all thought exactly the same way our world would be a very boring place. We need a certain amount of drama in our lives to keep things interesting. It's the butting of heads that make people with similar views band together in order to pick apart the opposing side's argument and defeat them with logic. Simply disagreeing with a person doesn't make someone a hater. Now, if a person were to make personal attacks on the other person rather than discussing the issue at hand, they may be a hater. Someone that would rather attack the credibility of another rather than discuss the issue at hand in an intelligent manor is a person who obviously has no logical argument to make and they resort to such tactics as a last ditch effort. Their aim is to derail the conversation and draw attention away from the issue so that they don't have to admit defeat. Does one personal attack mean that a person is a hater? Most likely it does not, but if it's a repeated occurrence and the tactic is utilized on multiple victims then there's a very good chance that the attacker is simply incapable of arguing their point effectively. Perhaps they know nothing about what they're trying to argue about, or they're trying to save face, but it all comes down to the fact that they know they're in the wrong and they feel the need to try and discredit the person that they're arguing with. Often times if the hater doesn't have any dirt on their victim, or the victim refuses to acknowledge the attack, the hater will attack someone close to the victim instead. This is an attempt to hit a nerve that they can manipulate to get their victim to try and defend the accusations, thus taking the conversation in a different direction and avoiding the issue at hand. My point is this: there are REAL haters out there, and this is just one example of that kind of person. Stop referring to everyone that disagrees with you as a hater or you're going to diminish the meaning of the word even more, until eventually it's meaningless.
9/23/11
Finding Prince Charming.
Like many of my blogs this one comes from observation of the people around me. In this case it's the people I come in contact with on Facebook. I constantly see women complaining about how they can't find their Prince Charming, and while it's not always the case, I often find that these women are no princesses themselves. Often times they have long histories of being "heart breakers" or "man eaters" and they still think they're entitled to some special treatment. The same goes for the opposite side of the spectrum as well, but I tend to notice the females posting their relationship woes online more often than the males so they'll be the ones that I address. Just keep in mind that it goes both ways while reading this.
Women. If you want to party and be promiscuous, that's fine. It's part of being a young person and very few people have the self control to fight the peer pressure and stay away from that lifestyle. Just bear in mind that you aren't going to find your dream guy while you're participating in such debauchery. Chances are you're going to run into lots of douche bags that only "want you for one thing". That's to be expected when you're portraying yourself as a party girl. Don't expect to find Mr. Right in a room full of horny drunks. What you're more likely to find is that the guys have no respect for you because you have no respect for yourself. If you want to find your Prince Charming you're going to have to look somewhere where being charming wouldn't be out of place. It's up to you to figure out how that applies to you. For some of you that might mean that you look at work or school, and for others it might mean the library or grocery store.
Maybe you aren't the party girl type and you still can't find the right guy. Maybe it's because you've scared them all off by dating so many guys and getting rid of them after a short period of time. Guys have emotions too, and if they know you're going to dump them in a couple of weeks why would they want to waste their time or take the hit to their self esteem? It's easier for them to just avoid being with you so that they don't have to deal with the extra drama. It's okay to be single sometimes. You don't have to keep guys lined up. In fact you're better off NOT having your next partner in mind while you're with someone else. That just leads to wandering eyes and then the inevitable heartbreak.
I truly believe that there is someone out there for everyone. No matter how fat, ugly, mean, or slutty you are, there's someone out there that will love you for you, but that doesn't mean they're a Prince. If you want a Prince you might just have to stop being a bitch and be someone worth holding in high regard and treated like a Princess. Stop complaining about how many toads you've had to kiss in search of your Prince and take into consideration that YOU might be the toad.
TLDR: Quit being a bitch and guys might actually like you.
Women. If you want to party and be promiscuous, that's fine. It's part of being a young person and very few people have the self control to fight the peer pressure and stay away from that lifestyle. Just bear in mind that you aren't going to find your dream guy while you're participating in such debauchery. Chances are you're going to run into lots of douche bags that only "want you for one thing". That's to be expected when you're portraying yourself as a party girl. Don't expect to find Mr. Right in a room full of horny drunks. What you're more likely to find is that the guys have no respect for you because you have no respect for yourself. If you want to find your Prince Charming you're going to have to look somewhere where being charming wouldn't be out of place. It's up to you to figure out how that applies to you. For some of you that might mean that you look at work or school, and for others it might mean the library or grocery store.
Maybe you aren't the party girl type and you still can't find the right guy. Maybe it's because you've scared them all off by dating so many guys and getting rid of them after a short period of time. Guys have emotions too, and if they know you're going to dump them in a couple of weeks why would they want to waste their time or take the hit to their self esteem? It's easier for them to just avoid being with you so that they don't have to deal with the extra drama. It's okay to be single sometimes. You don't have to keep guys lined up. In fact you're better off NOT having your next partner in mind while you're with someone else. That just leads to wandering eyes and then the inevitable heartbreak.
I truly believe that there is someone out there for everyone. No matter how fat, ugly, mean, or slutty you are, there's someone out there that will love you for you, but that doesn't mean they're a Prince. If you want a Prince you might just have to stop being a bitch and be someone worth holding in high regard and treated like a Princess. Stop complaining about how many toads you've had to kiss in search of your Prince and take into consideration that YOU might be the toad.
TLDR: Quit being a bitch and guys might actually like you.
Choosing The Right Skate Deck For You.
If you skate, or you know anyone that skates, you know that skateboard decks are the most commonly replaced portion of any skater's set up. Because they break so frequently it's very important that you know what you like in a deck so that you don't end up riding a board that doesn't feel right to you. Choosing the right board can make tricks feel better, riding easier, or even make the likelihood of landing a trick higher, so it's imperative that you figure out what you need out of a deck so that you can get the most out of each one. When a rider is comfortable with their setup they're more likely to progress because they spend less time trying to figure the board out and more time actually skating. When a board feels just right things just seem to fall into place.
The first thing that you're going to want to look at is size and shape. Most companies make shorter, skinnier decks for smaller riders. These decks are often referred to as "Mini" decks. Chances are if you're in your teen years you're ready for a larger board, but there are obvious exceptions. The major dimension that you're going to want to focus on is the width. Generally speaking the wider the board is, the longer it will be. A wider board is going to be harder to flip but will be more durable and easier to land on simply because there's more wood there. A thinner board will flip easier but is more likely to break. Lighter riders that are just starting out may want to ride a more narrow board just because it's easier to learn tricks when it isn't so difficult to flip the board.
While the size of the board is very important, it isn't the only deciding factor when selecting a deck. You must also look at the shape and decide if you're looking for a board with more or less concave, or if you want a steeper or shallower nose and tail. On top of that you've got to figure out if you want a more pointed nose or one that's more squared off. It's all a lot to absorb but if you're shopping at a core skate shop like you should be then it shouldn't be a big deal to stand on the board before you buy it. As long as you aren't trying to pop tricks on the board before you buy it the shop will usually let you stand on it and get a feel for the board. That's just one advantage of buying from a skate shop that's owned and operated by real skaters as opposed to mail ordering them or going to a corporate skate shop.
In recent years many companies have come out with specialty decks suck as the Almost Uberlight, Impact, and Double Impact, Darkstar Armorlight, and Zero, Flip, Creature, and Plan B's P2 decks. Some people prefer all wood decks, and that's perfectly fine. If you're going to buy a deck that's more than just wood, make sure you know what the deck is designed to do before you buy it. It's not fair of the consumer to buy a deck for $10 more than the price of a normal deck and then complain that it broke when the technology involved in it is supposed to make it lighter and not stronger. This is another area where shopping at a core skate shop can be helpful. Just ask someone about the boards and they can tell you exactly what they do because they've personally talked to the sales reps as well as dozens of other skaters that have come in to talk about the boards. If you try that in a mall shop they're likely to just read the packaging and promise you that it works exactly as the package says it does.
Board quality is very important as well. Some companies use cheap wood, or cheap glue, and their deck's quality suffers as a result. Your local skate shop will probably have their preferences as far as what they think is the best, but if you get a few boards from the same company and you feel like they're breaking way to easily it may be time to try a new company.
Griptape. Some of it has more grip, which may wear your shoes out faster, and some of it doesn't have very good grip at all. Some grip sticks to the board better and is less likely to peal up while you're skating. Some of it has perforations to prevent unsightly air bubbles. It really comes down to personal preference just like anything else, but if you ask to feel the griptape so you can get an idea as to how it's going to work out for you there shouldn't be an issue. If the shop has an issue with you touching something before you buy it then there's a problem and you should find a new shop immediately.
Finally there's the graphic, and a lot of skaters will say that the graphic doesn't matter at all because it's just going to get scraped off on your first boardslide, and technically they're right, but having a good graphic does have its advantages. Sure, that sweet graphic is going to be gone in a few days, but the colors are still going to be there right? Do you want to skate a board that you aren't hyped on because the colors are completely lame? Some people don't care... others do. My advice is to not worry to much about it, but if you find two boards that are similar as far as the size, shape, weight, material quality, and technology go, you should probably pick the one that you would be more stoked to skate. Sometimes having a cool looking board sitting in the corner begging to be skated is enough motivation to make you stop watching TV, pick up your board, and go enjoy a good solo session. A bad graphic isn't the end of the world by any means, but it is something to look into.
The first thing that you're going to want to look at is size and shape. Most companies make shorter, skinnier decks for smaller riders. These decks are often referred to as "Mini" decks. Chances are if you're in your teen years you're ready for a larger board, but there are obvious exceptions. The major dimension that you're going to want to focus on is the width. Generally speaking the wider the board is, the longer it will be. A wider board is going to be harder to flip but will be more durable and easier to land on simply because there's more wood there. A thinner board will flip easier but is more likely to break. Lighter riders that are just starting out may want to ride a more narrow board just because it's easier to learn tricks when it isn't so difficult to flip the board.
While the size of the board is very important, it isn't the only deciding factor when selecting a deck. You must also look at the shape and decide if you're looking for a board with more or less concave, or if you want a steeper or shallower nose and tail. On top of that you've got to figure out if you want a more pointed nose or one that's more squared off. It's all a lot to absorb but if you're shopping at a core skate shop like you should be then it shouldn't be a big deal to stand on the board before you buy it. As long as you aren't trying to pop tricks on the board before you buy it the shop will usually let you stand on it and get a feel for the board. That's just one advantage of buying from a skate shop that's owned and operated by real skaters as opposed to mail ordering them or going to a corporate skate shop.
In recent years many companies have come out with specialty decks suck as the Almost Uberlight, Impact, and Double Impact, Darkstar Armorlight, and Zero, Flip, Creature, and Plan B's P2 decks. Some people prefer all wood decks, and that's perfectly fine. If you're going to buy a deck that's more than just wood, make sure you know what the deck is designed to do before you buy it. It's not fair of the consumer to buy a deck for $10 more than the price of a normal deck and then complain that it broke when the technology involved in it is supposed to make it lighter and not stronger. This is another area where shopping at a core skate shop can be helpful. Just ask someone about the boards and they can tell you exactly what they do because they've personally talked to the sales reps as well as dozens of other skaters that have come in to talk about the boards. If you try that in a mall shop they're likely to just read the packaging and promise you that it works exactly as the package says it does.
Board quality is very important as well. Some companies use cheap wood, or cheap glue, and their deck's quality suffers as a result. Your local skate shop will probably have their preferences as far as what they think is the best, but if you get a few boards from the same company and you feel like they're breaking way to easily it may be time to try a new company.
Griptape. Some of it has more grip, which may wear your shoes out faster, and some of it doesn't have very good grip at all. Some grip sticks to the board better and is less likely to peal up while you're skating. Some of it has perforations to prevent unsightly air bubbles. It really comes down to personal preference just like anything else, but if you ask to feel the griptape so you can get an idea as to how it's going to work out for you there shouldn't be an issue. If the shop has an issue with you touching something before you buy it then there's a problem and you should find a new shop immediately.
Finally there's the graphic, and a lot of skaters will say that the graphic doesn't matter at all because it's just going to get scraped off on your first boardslide, and technically they're right, but having a good graphic does have its advantages. Sure, that sweet graphic is going to be gone in a few days, but the colors are still going to be there right? Do you want to skate a board that you aren't hyped on because the colors are completely lame? Some people don't care... others do. My advice is to not worry to much about it, but if you find two boards that are similar as far as the size, shape, weight, material quality, and technology go, you should probably pick the one that you would be more stoked to skate. Sometimes having a cool looking board sitting in the corner begging to be skated is enough motivation to make you stop watching TV, pick up your board, and go enjoy a good solo session. A bad graphic isn't the end of the world by any means, but it is something to look into.
9/22/11
"I'm Bored"
We've all said it at some time or another - "I'm bored" - and we really, truly feel like we're as bored as we've ever been in our entire lives when we utter the phrase. It's understandable that one would want to express the level of boredom that they're feeling in hopes of luring someone into making plans with them and causing them to become less bored. I get it, it's a tactic that's sometimes effective for alleviating boredom, but when someone constantly says "I'm bored" "I'm so bored right now" "OMG I'm SOOOO BORED!!!" I'm led to believe that the person is probably just a horribly boring person. A person that I'd rather not waste my time on because no matter what we do they still wont be happy with it. I sincerely wish that I had enough spare time to complain about being bored, but rather than wasting my time doing nothing I find things to do whenever possible. Every week day I wake up and go to work at 8am and get home around 6pm, I shower and eat and then hang out with my girlfriend until 11pm when she goes home and I spend the next hour writing these blogs. So, as you can see I've got about 5 hours of spare time every day and then a couple more if I feel like staying up later. Unfortunately there's nothing to do around here late at night (hence the constant whining about being bored) and so I generally just surf the web or watch some TV until I get tired enough to go to sleep. I understand that some people have more spare time to deal with than I do, but I don't understand why they can't find ways to fill the holes. If you've got nothing to do and you have spare time, then clean your room, do some research, go for a walk, listen to some music. There are a million things one could do rather than complain about how bored they are. I realize the economy isn't all that great in America right now, but that should be MORE motivation for people to be actively searching out jobs which will use up more time and prevent them from becoming bored. Got a job that pays enough to pay your bills and keep you busy for a while, but you've still got to much spare time on your hands? Check out StumbleUpon or one of the thousands of blogs just like this one that are all over the internet. There's no excuse for being bored in modern times. The problem is that we're so used to being stimulated all of the time that any break in the action drives us insane. Do you think your grandparents whined about being bored as much as your friends do? Hell no, they were working to hard to complain about something as lame as having a few spare moments to relax. Quit whining and find something to fill the void. Your life isn't nearly as mundane as it would have been a century ago. There's no reason you can't use your imagination to find something to do.
TLDR: If you're bored then you're boring.
TLDR: If you're bored then you're boring.
9/21/11
Profanity.
I'd like to think of myself as an avid user of profanity, however, I found that people can make almost anything into a profanity simply by being offended by the word. Growing up I was allowed by my parents to use words that other parents thought were profane. They weren't particularly bad words, but the other parents preferred that their children not be exposed to them. The fact that I was allowed to use words like "crap", "shut up" or "that sucks" made me the envy of many youngsters whose parents didn't allow them to use "harsh language". They were barred from using words like "stupid" and other simple put downs, and the lack of ability in utilizing these simple insults made it nearly impossible for them to defend against my barrage of well worded, soul destroying, abuse. Eventually the children grew up and were gradually allowed to use harsher and harsher language without punishment, but even then many of them were hard pressed to use profanity in front of their parents for fear of offending them. What makes a word offensive? What makes one word more vile than another? It's all relative to the person. Some people are offended by the simplest things, while others seem to be immune to harsh language. WE decide which words are bad words and that's evident when we look at the fact that words seem to be on some scale of harshness with words like "ass","jackass", "bitch", "damn", "piss" and "hell" being deemed less offensive than "fuck", "dick", "cunt", "asshole", "tits", "goddamn" etc. Based on the list of words that I just provided which just happened to be the first to come to my mind, it seems to me as though the words that are used in biblical texts are judged as being less vile simply because they're used in a holy text. If there were more parables about the apostles fucking hoes would those profanities still be considered profane? Or would they simply be shrugged off because "it's in the bible". Stop allowing people to tell you what words are acceptable and which ones are to vile to be spoken. Sometimes a person needs to use passionate language in order to get a point across. As a matter of fact, slipping a profanity or two into a conversation is one way that car salesmen show that they're "just like you" and they're passionate about the product they're peddling. "That's a damn fine car"
If it was up to me then the only words that would be classified as profanities are those that promote hate. Slurs that promote hate towards a group based on their religion, race, gender, sexual orientation, or nation of origin are meant to be hurtful to the target, and I do not condone senseless hatred towards anyone. Basically the point that I'm trying to get across is that the overuse of the term "profanity" is diminishing the meaning of the word. Is there any hate behind the word "fuck"? Was there hundreds of years of racism and slavery behind the word "shit"? Or are they just slang terms for other words that we could use casually in conversation without a second thought? Watch any modern sitcom and you'll hear a dozen or more jokes about sex in a single episode, but they aren't considered profane because they dance around the words they really mean and paint a vivid picture without actually saying what they mean in a direct way.
TLDR: Profanity is fucking bullshit.
If it was up to me then the only words that would be classified as profanities are those that promote hate. Slurs that promote hate towards a group based on their religion, race, gender, sexual orientation, or nation of origin are meant to be hurtful to the target, and I do not condone senseless hatred towards anyone. Basically the point that I'm trying to get across is that the overuse of the term "profanity" is diminishing the meaning of the word. Is there any hate behind the word "fuck"? Was there hundreds of years of racism and slavery behind the word "shit"? Or are they just slang terms for other words that we could use casually in conversation without a second thought? Watch any modern sitcom and you'll hear a dozen or more jokes about sex in a single episode, but they aren't considered profane because they dance around the words they really mean and paint a vivid picture without actually saying what they mean in a direct way.
TLDR: Profanity is fucking bullshit.
9/20/11
My Zombie Survival Guide.
Unlike most of you, I've carefully drawn out my game plan and I go over it and revise it when necessary. I'll share SOME of it with you, but I cannot divulge all of the details because I want this blog to spark your imagination rather than be a step by step guide. Keep in mind that this may not work for everyone but it's what I feel would work best for me.
In the early days of the Necrocalypse my plan is to gather up my gear, steal my neighbor's canoe and head to an island near my house, which happens to be located on a fairly swift river. The one that I've selected is well wooded, though it's only about the size of a football field. The logic behind this is that I've never seen a zombie that can swim and I'll be surrounded by water, and firewood as well as a source of food. My list of gear includes a fishing rod and tackle box, so as long as nothing goes wrong I'll be able to get a fire going with the wood harvested with the help of my axe. Hatchets are smaller and easier to transport but the axe provides more range and power if I need to use it as a weapon later.
Obviously I would also bring weapons in case I had to fight my way to the river, a zombie managed to make it's way to my island, non zombies tried to loot my camp, but they could also be used to hunt with. Seeing as my plan is to hide in nature (far from humans, and the undead) I'm likely to come across wildlife which could be killed and eaten. I intend to bring 4 of my guns. I'll be taking the rifle for long range zombie blasting and hunting (100 rounds), my assault rifle (1000 rounds) for defending against zombies and looters, and possibly hunting if I run out of rifle ammo, the pistol grip 12ga. shotgun for close range zombie killing (100 buckshot shells), and my pistol (200 rounds) in case shit really gets nasty and I've got to flea my island. I know that sounds like a lot of guns and ammo to carry around with me but the river is less than 5 miles from my home so it wont take long to load up and get to my camp which is where I intend to wait out the horde. As I said before, the pistol is a last line of defense and wouldn't be used unless I was forced to leave my island for some reason. I'd leave behind the other guns and lighten my load substantially as a result.
A shovel is also a must. A shovel can be used for creating traps, building shelters, and killing if necessary. A single zombie should be killed with a reusable weapon if at all possible so that ammo is not wasted unnecessarily. Upon arriving at the camp I would use the shovel to aid in creating my shelter, my well, and my latrine. Those are all obvious uses for the shovel however. One of the biggest reasons I feel the shovel is absolutely vital is that it can be used as a type of frying pan rather than relying on sticks that may break and allow my hard earned food to fall into the fire.
Water is also very important. I keep 100+ water bottles in the house in case of a natural disaster, and zombie invasion falls in that category, so I would take them with me. Again, this is a lot of weight but I don't intend to travel unless I have to. I've also got an old pot that I would bring along for boiling river water, but I'm bringing along the bottled water in case there's some kind of contaminant in my water source. 100 bottles of water wont last long but could be refilled with rain water making them priceless in a survival scenario.
I fear that I've already given away to much information as far as my plan goes, but I assure you it's far more in depth and well thought out than the rough guide that I provided you with, and I encourage you to come up with a plan of your own. Maybe a cabin by the lake, or maybe an underground pipe system of some kind. There are many different ways one could go about surviving, but I feel the one that I provided gives me the best chances of survival.
Feel free to post your own ideas below, or pick apart my plan. I welcome criticism. It's the only way to improve upon my plan.
In the early days of the Necrocalypse my plan is to gather up my gear, steal my neighbor's canoe and head to an island near my house, which happens to be located on a fairly swift river. The one that I've selected is well wooded, though it's only about the size of a football field. The logic behind this is that I've never seen a zombie that can swim and I'll be surrounded by water, and firewood as well as a source of food. My list of gear includes a fishing rod and tackle box, so as long as nothing goes wrong I'll be able to get a fire going with the wood harvested with the help of my axe. Hatchets are smaller and easier to transport but the axe provides more range and power if I need to use it as a weapon later.
Obviously I would also bring weapons in case I had to fight my way to the river, a zombie managed to make it's way to my island, non zombies tried to loot my camp, but they could also be used to hunt with. Seeing as my plan is to hide in nature (far from humans, and the undead) I'm likely to come across wildlife which could be killed and eaten. I intend to bring 4 of my guns. I'll be taking the rifle for long range zombie blasting and hunting (100 rounds), my assault rifle (1000 rounds) for defending against zombies and looters, and possibly hunting if I run out of rifle ammo, the pistol grip 12ga. shotgun for close range zombie killing (100 buckshot shells), and my pistol (200 rounds) in case shit really gets nasty and I've got to flea my island. I know that sounds like a lot of guns and ammo to carry around with me but the river is less than 5 miles from my home so it wont take long to load up and get to my camp which is where I intend to wait out the horde. As I said before, the pistol is a last line of defense and wouldn't be used unless I was forced to leave my island for some reason. I'd leave behind the other guns and lighten my load substantially as a result.
A shovel is also a must. A shovel can be used for creating traps, building shelters, and killing if necessary. A single zombie should be killed with a reusable weapon if at all possible so that ammo is not wasted unnecessarily. Upon arriving at the camp I would use the shovel to aid in creating my shelter, my well, and my latrine. Those are all obvious uses for the shovel however. One of the biggest reasons I feel the shovel is absolutely vital is that it can be used as a type of frying pan rather than relying on sticks that may break and allow my hard earned food to fall into the fire.
Water is also very important. I keep 100+ water bottles in the house in case of a natural disaster, and zombie invasion falls in that category, so I would take them with me. Again, this is a lot of weight but I don't intend to travel unless I have to. I've also got an old pot that I would bring along for boiling river water, but I'm bringing along the bottled water in case there's some kind of contaminant in my water source. 100 bottles of water wont last long but could be refilled with rain water making them priceless in a survival scenario.
I fear that I've already given away to much information as far as my plan goes, but I assure you it's far more in depth and well thought out than the rough guide that I provided you with, and I encourage you to come up with a plan of your own. Maybe a cabin by the lake, or maybe an underground pipe system of some kind. There are many different ways one could go about surviving, but I feel the one that I provided gives me the best chances of survival.
Feel free to post your own ideas below, or pick apart my plan. I welcome criticism. It's the only way to improve upon my plan.
9/19/11
Clubbing.
What do you think of when you hear the word "clubbing"? I automatically think of baby seals being bludgeoned to death with spiky clubs and slowly dying in the blood soaked snow, but most people think about dance clubs. In theory they seem like a fantastic idea for anyone that enjoys partying, but I just can't seem to grasp what's so appealing about them. I mean, you go and listen to shitty music played so loud that you can't understand it, or the people around you while rubbing up against hot sweaty people who will most likely accidentally spill their overpriced alcohol on you as a result of their inebriation. The lights are bright and seem to be aimed directly at your eyes no matter where you are in the room, and if the loud "dance" music doesn't give you a headache, the super strobe is guaranteed to do just that. You can't talk to anyone because it's so loud, but if you do manage to talk to someone that you're interested in you're going to get shot down more often than not because girls go to the club to dance and be slutty, while guys go to get drunk and bone sluts. Sure, there are some success stories, and some people even have it all figured out well enough that they can have a good time and get what they want out of their evening, but paying five times what a beverage is worth is guaranteed to be a bummer, and the kinds of people that attend clubs are incapable of holding a conversation without a good buzz. I guess it's kind of nice to be surrounded by women that are dressed like sluts, but when you take into consideration that they're being hit on by dozens of men in an evening it kind of makes it seem pointless to even pursue any potential relationships. I guess what I'm saying is that I would far prefer to attend a barbeque, bonfire, or pool party with a few dozen people rather than waiting in line for hours to wade through a pile of sweaty sluts and douche bags to get to a bar and buy alcohol that I don't even need. I'm capable of holding a conversation without the use of drugs or alcohol and I wouldn't want to waste my time on anyone that couldn't do the same.
TLDR: I'd rather get clubbed than go clubbing.
TLDR: I'd rather get clubbed than go clubbing.
9/18/11
Country Music.
I moved to a fairly rural part of North Carolina from a VERY rural part of Northern Minnesota when I was in second grade. I didn't want to leave all of my friends behind and I resented my parents for making me leave for a long time, but eventually I realized that they were just doing what was best for the family and I forgave them. Because I felt like I had been ripped away from everything that I loved I flat out refused to like anything that was popular in my new home. When the other kids wanted to play Football, I'd suggest that we play street hockey. When they wanted to talk about how cool their older brother's "muddin' truck" was I would point out that cars are faster and therefor cooler. When they wanted to listen to country music I would bitch about it until they changed it to something "less lame".
My hatred for country music led me to retreat to opposite sides of the musical spectrum (or so I thought) and eventually helped me find punk rock. I latched onto it as tightly as I could because I KNEW that it was everything that country music wasn't and was cool as a result.
Over a decade later I started working with an older gentleman that flat out refused to listen to anything but country music and would literally walk off the job if I changed the radio station from pop country to anything else. After prolonged exposure to my most hated genre I began to start dissecting each song and I soon found that they aren't all that bad. Obviously some of them really where that bad, but there were enough solid lyrics to convince me that there are real life lessons to be learned through listening to a man singing about working, trucks, women, dogs, love, and drinking.
Recently I stumbled onto a tweet (which I have since misplaced) that stated that all punk rockers eventually get into country music. I guess at some point everyone grows out of their teenage angst and things like family take priority over sticking it to the man. It was when I sat and thought about this that I realized how similar country music and punk rock are on a lyrical level. Yes, the music itself is completely different, but both genres set out to evoke an emotional response. Punk rock makes you want to flip cars over and burn down police stations while country makes you want to work hard to support your family, but when you really think about it, they're both using the power of music to make you feel some sort of emotion. Actually, both emotions are passion, one just happens to be passion for destruction while the other is a passion for creating and nurturing.
I fully understand that you wont all agree with what I've said and that's fine. Maybe music just doesn't effect everyone the same way. These are my experiences and they're being shared here so that others that feel this way can see that they aren't alone. Punk rock is still my favorite genre, but the more I start to settle down the more I grow to accept pop punk even though I've despised it for so long.
My hatred for country music led me to retreat to opposite sides of the musical spectrum (or so I thought) and eventually helped me find punk rock. I latched onto it as tightly as I could because I KNEW that it was everything that country music wasn't and was cool as a result.
Over a decade later I started working with an older gentleman that flat out refused to listen to anything but country music and would literally walk off the job if I changed the radio station from pop country to anything else. After prolonged exposure to my most hated genre I began to start dissecting each song and I soon found that they aren't all that bad. Obviously some of them really where that bad, but there were enough solid lyrics to convince me that there are real life lessons to be learned through listening to a man singing about working, trucks, women, dogs, love, and drinking.
Recently I stumbled onto a tweet (which I have since misplaced) that stated that all punk rockers eventually get into country music. I guess at some point everyone grows out of their teenage angst and things like family take priority over sticking it to the man. It was when I sat and thought about this that I realized how similar country music and punk rock are on a lyrical level. Yes, the music itself is completely different, but both genres set out to evoke an emotional response. Punk rock makes you want to flip cars over and burn down police stations while country makes you want to work hard to support your family, but when you really think about it, they're both using the power of music to make you feel some sort of emotion. Actually, both emotions are passion, one just happens to be passion for destruction while the other is a passion for creating and nurturing.
I fully understand that you wont all agree with what I've said and that's fine. Maybe music just doesn't effect everyone the same way. These are my experiences and they're being shared here so that others that feel this way can see that they aren't alone. Punk rock is still my favorite genre, but the more I start to settle down the more I grow to accept pop punk even though I've despised it for so long.
9/17/11
I Hate Distracted Drivers.
There's almost nothing that annoys me more than a bad driver, and anyone that has ever ridden in a vehicle with me can confirm that. People that are slow to react, or indecisive, or just flat out can't control their vehicle irritate me. What's worse than a bad driver, is a bad driver that's only driving badly because they're distracted by a cell phone. I'll admit it... I've got a bad case of road rage, but if I see that it's a young woman driving the offending car, or an older person I'm generally understanding about the fact that they aren't as comfortable behind the wheel as everyone else. I get it. Driving can be a scary thing for a lot of people, but when I see someone driving badly AND they're talking on a cell phone, I lose my shit. Here's some asshole on the interstate swerving around, accelerating and braking randomly, and cutting people off because they can't drive, talk, AND check their mirrors or use a turn signal and I'm not supposed to get annoyed by this and react? I drive the same roads every single morning so I know where highway patrol likes to hide. What I find eases some of my hatred towards these distracted drivers is making them unaware of how fast they're going and then backing off just in time for them to get clocked at about 15mph over the speed limit. I just pass them like they aren't moving and then slow down (without braking) and allow them to catch up, and I continue to do that until they're comfortably going 80+, and then I back off and drop down to the speed limit just before we get to the radars. about 50% of the time the two police cars sitting there are unmanned and just there to deter speeders, and 25% of the time they're manned by lazy donut dunkers, but every now and then I get the satisfaction of seeing those blue lights flicker and take off after the distracted driver. I know it's a dick move, but I've been pulled over on that same interstate several times myself and always gotten off with a warning, so I assume they're getting the same. It's just my little way of getting back at them for endangering my life with their bad driving habits. People just forget from time to time that they're driving around in something that could easily take a life if not kept under control properly and they need to be reminded.
Texting on the other hand is something that I absolutely CANNOT tolerate. I believe that if you catch someone texting and driving you should be legally allowed to cut them off, drag them from their vehicle, and beat them just enough to break a rib, as long as you call them an ambulance and tell them why you beat them. Obviously this will never be legal, but you have to admit that it would be a lot of fun and very satisfying. Two of the most important aspects of driving are sight, and control of the wheel, and if you're looking down and texting you're taking both of those things out of the equation and risking your own life, but more importantly, the lives of the other drivers around you. I'm not trying to sound like I'm some saint and I've never done it, but when I do I at least wait for a stop sign/light to do it and I keep the messages short. Generally I just type "driving" and expect the person on the other end to understand and leave me alone until I've gotten out of my vehicle, and you know what? It works perfectly. I'm able to let the person know that I'm not ignoring them, and I still maintain my focus on driving.
The last issue that I want to address are driving impaired. That means driving drunk or high, but it also means driving while tired. Everyone knows that it's wrong to drive while under the influence, but a lot of people forget that your reaction time is reduced when driving tired as well. Now how about if you're a bad driver, driving home from a bar late at night? Can you see how that would be a recipe for disaster? It's obviously not safe, but people do it all of the time without giving it a second thought. Fortunately it's happening later at night in most cases so they're less likely to run into other drivers during their drive, but what if they were leaving a concert with thousands of others?
In 2008 and 2009 there were about 33,000 people KILLED in car accidents in America alone. That's over 90 deaths per day. 90 lives lost because of vehicular accidents, many of which could have been avoided if the drivers had been more alert. Thankfully the number of deaths on America's highways every year has been decreasing due to increased vehicle safety, but they could always be lower.
Those are just the death stats, which I admit I used to try and grab your attention and make you more aware of your actions. Now imagine how many accidents there are every day that don't result in death, but injury instead. Even if there isn't a physical injury, many people are mentally scarred by the event.
It's okay to disconnect once in a while. Get in your car and enjoy the ride rather than worrying so much about keeping in contact with everyone around you. I'm sure those people would rather have you arrive at your destination safely than get your "lol ur my bff" text. Let's face the facts guys. There's nothing that you need to say in a text or phone call that is more important than your life. If you don't have enough friends to find a designated driver, you can always get a taxi, and if you can't afford one you probably can't afford to drink anyways. There's no excuses for driving distracted, so lets all make a conscious effort to not be a statistic.
Drive safe America.
Texting on the other hand is something that I absolutely CANNOT tolerate. I believe that if you catch someone texting and driving you should be legally allowed to cut them off, drag them from their vehicle, and beat them just enough to break a rib, as long as you call them an ambulance and tell them why you beat them. Obviously this will never be legal, but you have to admit that it would be a lot of fun and very satisfying. Two of the most important aspects of driving are sight, and control of the wheel, and if you're looking down and texting you're taking both of those things out of the equation and risking your own life, but more importantly, the lives of the other drivers around you. I'm not trying to sound like I'm some saint and I've never done it, but when I do I at least wait for a stop sign/light to do it and I keep the messages short. Generally I just type "driving" and expect the person on the other end to understand and leave me alone until I've gotten out of my vehicle, and you know what? It works perfectly. I'm able to let the person know that I'm not ignoring them, and I still maintain my focus on driving.
The last issue that I want to address are driving impaired. That means driving drunk or high, but it also means driving while tired. Everyone knows that it's wrong to drive while under the influence, but a lot of people forget that your reaction time is reduced when driving tired as well. Now how about if you're a bad driver, driving home from a bar late at night? Can you see how that would be a recipe for disaster? It's obviously not safe, but people do it all of the time without giving it a second thought. Fortunately it's happening later at night in most cases so they're less likely to run into other drivers during their drive, but what if they were leaving a concert with thousands of others?
In 2008 and 2009 there were about 33,000 people KILLED in car accidents in America alone. That's over 90 deaths per day. 90 lives lost because of vehicular accidents, many of which could have been avoided if the drivers had been more alert. Thankfully the number of deaths on America's highways every year has been decreasing due to increased vehicle safety, but they could always be lower.
Those are just the death stats, which I admit I used to try and grab your attention and make you more aware of your actions. Now imagine how many accidents there are every day that don't result in death, but injury instead. Even if there isn't a physical injury, many people are mentally scarred by the event.
It's okay to disconnect once in a while. Get in your car and enjoy the ride rather than worrying so much about keeping in contact with everyone around you. I'm sure those people would rather have you arrive at your destination safely than get your "lol ur my bff" text. Let's face the facts guys. There's nothing that you need to say in a text or phone call that is more important than your life. If you don't have enough friends to find a designated driver, you can always get a taxi, and if you can't afford one you probably can't afford to drink anyways. There's no excuses for driving distracted, so lets all make a conscious effort to not be a statistic.
Drive safe America.
9/16/11
Explaining Farts To My Girlfriend.
Tonight I had to explain to my girlfriend how farts work, and while I don't ACTUALLY know how a fart works in terms of biology, I do know that I can bullshit my way out of nearly any situation. I thought you might enjoy reading the conversation, and possibly learning from it.
*Levi lays on Ginger*
Ginger: Get off me.
Levi: No!
*Ginger tickles Levi*
Levi: Stop! I'll fart!
*Ginger continues to tickle*
*Levi farts*
Ginger: OH MY GOD THAT'S SO NASTY! WHY DO YOU ALWAYS FART!?
Levi: Because every time I think about you my heart makes a little air bubble that travels down through my tummy and they all collect in one big bubble. Then when something excites me they come out. It's my body's way of saying 'look how much I love you!'"
Ginger: You're so disgusting. Get off me.
Levi: NO!
*Ginger farts*
Levi: That's just gross.
Ginger: IT MEANS I LOVE YOU!
Levi: No... girl farts are just nasty.
*Levi lays on Ginger*
Ginger: Get off me.
Levi: No!
*Ginger tickles Levi*
Levi: Stop! I'll fart!
*Ginger continues to tickle*
*Levi farts*
Ginger: OH MY GOD THAT'S SO NASTY! WHY DO YOU ALWAYS FART!?
Levi: Because every time I think about you my heart makes a little air bubble that travels down through my tummy and they all collect in one big bubble. Then when something excites me they come out. It's my body's way of saying 'look how much I love you!'"
Ginger: You're so disgusting. Get off me.
Levi: NO!
*Ginger farts*
Levi: That's just gross.
Ginger: IT MEANS I LOVE YOU!
Levi: No... girl farts are just nasty.
9/15/11
9/14/11
The Cube Game
A friend of mine recently sent me a link to this site. Basically it's a video that asks a series of questions. You answer the questions and then the meanings of your answers are revealed to you. It seems like a pretty average quiz at first, but when you see how shockingly accurate it really is you'll find yourself scratching your head in disbelief. I showed a few of my friends the video before I wrote this just to gauge their reactions and make sure that the test was as accurate for them as it was for me, and they all said that it was either very accurate, or spot on. The trick to getting the most out of it is to be very specific when you write down what you envisioned so that you don't have to try and remember what you were visualizing. Check it out, and let me know if you learned anything about yourself. It seems to me that we all know ourselves pretty well, but sometimes it takes someone else telling us to make us truly realize things.
http://www.personal-development-coach.net/the-cube-game.html
http://www.personal-development-coach.net/the-cube-game.html
9/13/11
GET THE TRICK!
If you skate, then you probably know the feeling that I'm referring to. It's that feeling that you get when you KNOW that you can land a trick, and you repeatedly get close to landing it, but you're forced to give up on it before you're able to land it. It eats away at you mentally and emotionally until you get the trick. The feeling may last days, weeks, months, or even years. As a matter of fact, I'm still kicking myself for not landing a trick at a spot that has since been demolished, leaving me with no chance of ever getting it and curing myself of the wretched feeling. As time goes by the feeling gets less extreme, but it's always there. Haunting you. In the back of your mind.
Last weekend I got a chance to skate with some guys that a lot of my readers, viewers, and followers look up to. It's been quite some time since I really stepped up on my board and skated as hard as I did when I was younger. A lot of this is due to the injury that I sustained, but mostly it's because I don't have to step up to be on par with the kids that I skate with now. They haven't been skating for as long as I have, and while I enjoy skating with them, I always end up skating little stuff because they aren't willing to step outside of their comfort zone often, and when they are, I'm not. Skating with the guys from Metro Skateshop, and Chris McNugget inspired me to stop babying my injured leg, and step outside of my own comfort zone once in a while. Within an hour of meeting these guys I was jumping over a gap that was something that I considered to be large BEFORE I broke my leg, and I haven't really touched it since then. Not only was I jumping down it, but I was skating hard enough, and putting enough sweat and blood into my skating, that I was actually getting shocked looks and cheers from guys that film amazing skateboarding regularly.
I rarely skate with a filmer or a photographer, but sometimes it feels good to showcase your skills. Sometimes it feels nice to show off all of the hard work that you've put in to your hobby. This day was one of those days. I stepped up, and I tested myself, only to find that I was right on the cusp of landing a trick that I've dreamed of for much of my skateboarding life. Since I first laid my eyes on this spot I knew that this trick must be done down it, and it must be recorded. A simple photograph will not do. I refuse to say the name of the trick until I've landed it on camera, but when I do, I assure you; it will be posted on my Youtube channel. Sunday is the day that I go for broke, and if I don't get my trick, I'll just have to come home, lick my wounds, and spend another week mentally torturing myself as I wait for the soreness to leave my body and give me another chance to achieve my goal.
Last weekend I got a chance to skate with some guys that a lot of my readers, viewers, and followers look up to. It's been quite some time since I really stepped up on my board and skated as hard as I did when I was younger. A lot of this is due to the injury that I sustained, but mostly it's because I don't have to step up to be on par with the kids that I skate with now. They haven't been skating for as long as I have, and while I enjoy skating with them, I always end up skating little stuff because they aren't willing to step outside of their comfort zone often, and when they are, I'm not. Skating with the guys from Metro Skateshop, and Chris McNugget inspired me to stop babying my injured leg, and step outside of my own comfort zone once in a while. Within an hour of meeting these guys I was jumping over a gap that was something that I considered to be large BEFORE I broke my leg, and I haven't really touched it since then. Not only was I jumping down it, but I was skating hard enough, and putting enough sweat and blood into my skating, that I was actually getting shocked looks and cheers from guys that film amazing skateboarding regularly.
I rarely skate with a filmer or a photographer, but sometimes it feels good to showcase your skills. Sometimes it feels nice to show off all of the hard work that you've put in to your hobby. This day was one of those days. I stepped up, and I tested myself, only to find that I was right on the cusp of landing a trick that I've dreamed of for much of my skateboarding life. Since I first laid my eyes on this spot I knew that this trick must be done down it, and it must be recorded. A simple photograph will not do. I refuse to say the name of the trick until I've landed it on camera, but when I do, I assure you; it will be posted on my Youtube channel. Sunday is the day that I go for broke, and if I don't get my trick, I'll just have to come home, lick my wounds, and spend another week mentally torturing myself as I wait for the soreness to leave my body and give me another chance to achieve my goal.
9/12/11
The World Through The Eyes Of A Skater.
Skateboarding has changed the way I look at the world in a number of ways. When I walk or ride through a new area I see things that non skaters wouldn't see. While soaking up all of the beautiful scenery I also see obstacles that could provide me with hours of fun on my skateboard. Outsiders see a crack in the sidewalk. I see a bump to gap over a large oak tree's roots. A regular citizen sees a sloped retaining wall. I see the potential for hours of fun wall riding it. Business owners see the stairs they walk up to get to work every morning as a pain. I see those same stairs and remember when I rolled my ankle trying to kick flip a similar set in my town when I was younger.
That just covers my visual perception of the world though. What about the way my perception of things is different than those of a normal person? Most people think of vandalism a little bit differently. To them the paint left behind by our boards is an eye sore that they can't seem to look past, but when I see it I imagine the skaters that were there before me and all of the work they put in to get their tricks. I try to leave behind as little as possible when I skate to help hide the fact that I've been skating there. I pick up my trash, and I get rid of any branches, rocks, mulch, etc that I moved in order to make skating the spot possible, because if there's no evidence that I was there then the normals are less likely to complain about how we destroyed the place. It's amazing how snapping off a few dead sticks so that you don't smack your head on them can set off a business owner if they see them laying around while you're skating there.
These are just a few ways that skating has changed my perception of the world, but there are many others, some effect us all, and others are unique. I'd love to hear how skating has changed the way you view the world, both visually and morally.
That just covers my visual perception of the world though. What about the way my perception of things is different than those of a normal person? Most people think of vandalism a little bit differently. To them the paint left behind by our boards is an eye sore that they can't seem to look past, but when I see it I imagine the skaters that were there before me and all of the work they put in to get their tricks. I try to leave behind as little as possible when I skate to help hide the fact that I've been skating there. I pick up my trash, and I get rid of any branches, rocks, mulch, etc that I moved in order to make skating the spot possible, because if there's no evidence that I was there then the normals are less likely to complain about how we destroyed the place. It's amazing how snapping off a few dead sticks so that you don't smack your head on them can set off a business owner if they see them laying around while you're skating there.
These are just a few ways that skating has changed my perception of the world, but there are many others, some effect us all, and others are unique. I'd love to hear how skating has changed the way you view the world, both visually and morally.
9/11/11
Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Yourself.
I'm a huge fan of getting to know myself, and figuring out why I act the way I do. Today I found this test that, in 72 questions, can determine what type of personality you have. After taking it and finding that my results were spot on I posted the link on Facebook where another friend of mine took it and found that his results seemed accurate as well. Finally I asked my girlfriend to take the test and see what she came up with. Her results also fit her perfectly, so I read through her results to see if the results were simply broad, generalized ideas that anyone could associate with if they were tricked into thinking that it was about them. Her results sounded NOTHING like me, but described her perfectly, and even gave me a little insight into why she reacts the way she does in some situations. We got very similar results, but found that I tend to react to situations based rationality and reason, while she responds to them on an emotional level. Shocker right? I'd love to see how accurate the test is for all of you. Just check out this link http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asp and then post a comment below and tell us whether it was accurate for you or not.
9/10/11
I Hate Hospitals.
I hate hospitals. I was a sickly child until I was about 5, that's when my parents finally got fed up with constantly paying for new medicine. They took me to the doctor and scheduled me to have my tonsils and adenoids taken out and tubes put in my ears in hopes of clearing up some of the infections that I had been plagued with. I was to young to understand what was going on, and I don't remember much about it. I do remember laying on a hospital bed with a mask on my face while an odd looking man dressed in blue told me to breath deeply and count as high as I could. The other thing that I remember quite vividly is coming out of my sleep to find an IV sticking out of my hand covered in a blood soaked towel. I immediately panicked and ripped it out, which led to more pain, more bleeding, and more panic. It was at this point, at the ripe old age of 5 that I decided that I hated hospitals and never wanted to set foot in another one as long as I lived.
For several years I managed to avoid doctors, and it wasn't until I was 15 or 16 that I started finding myself in hospitals with greater and greater frequency. That's when I started breaking bones, and I continued breaking them until I was 19, one after the other, at least once a year. When I finally stopped breaking them I managed to convince my insurance company to fund a surgery to help repair my hand after a work related injury. That was last November, and it was only a few months ago that I finally finished up the follow up visits for that.
My longest stay in a hospital was after my car accident when I was rushed to the trauma unit and held captive for a week or so while nurses attempted to stuff bland food down my throat and pump me full of as many drugs as possible so that I wouldn't whine about being there. After being in there for a few days I began to lose my mind. I was already beyond sick of being there and I wanted nothing to do with that awful place. Then I saw a glimmer of hope. My physical therapist told me that if I could walk down the hall without her help that I could go home the next morning. I got out of my bed, nearly passed out, and then stumbled down the hall on one crutch with a broken Femur (thigh), Scapula (shoulder blade), and Metacarpal (hand) with my bare ass hanging out of my hospital gown, dragging a my bag of Morphine behind me. My PT congratulated me and then told me that she would check on me in the morning to make sure that I was still okay to go. Morning rolled around and as soon as I woke up I asked my nurse when the PT would be in to see me. The nurse informed me that they didn't have a PT that could come in on a Saturday and that I would have to wait til Monday to be released. This enraged me. I immediately called my Father who broke his Femur when he was 16 as well, he spent 3 months in hospital so he definitely knew what it was like to be trapped like that. He rushed right down to the trauma unit and raised hell, they told him the same thing they told me and he asked me if I wanted to wait or if I was ready to go home. I told him I wanted to go home, and he told me to pack up my shit, get rid of my IV and get into the wheelchair that he had "borrowed" from the nurses' station. I took out the IV, which hurt like hell, and stumbled around the room to help him gather up my things. He took me home after a brief pit stop to grab some fast food and then I struggled up 2 flights of stairs and got into bed. It was only a matter of a few days before I was out of bed and taking care of myself, but I know if I had stayed in that hospital as long as they wanted me to I would have taken much longer to get to that point. After all of that, they slapped me with a $60,000 bill. Imagine what it would have looked like if I hadn't broken out when I did.
My latest run in with hospitals came earlier this week when I was informed that my coworker that was battling Cancer couldn't get his insurance to cover the treatment that he needed. This is a retired Marine that served in Vietnam, and then worked for the Railroad until his retirement a few years ago. He had benefits on top of benefits, but none of them would cover the four $30,000 injections ($120,000 total) that he would need over the next 3 months. Tim was the kind of guy that never wanted to put a burden on anyone, and I feel that the fact that he passed within a few days of hearing what it would cost for SOME of the treatment that he would need to survive is what made him go so quickly. He refused any life support, and didn't put up much of a fight at the end. Two days before he died he was joking with his military buddies about how he was going to beat the Cancer and get back home as soon as possible so that he could mow his lawn. The day before he died I saw him out in his driveway, and he waved at me as I passed. Two hours later he was in the hospital, and a little over a day after that he was gone. We've got these ridiculously high prices for the drugs that Cancer patients NEED to survive, but normal people can't afford them without serious financial help. Basically we've put a price on human life, and it's a price that only the wealthy can afford to pay. Do they deserve to live any more or any less than anyone else? I don't think they do.
Hospitals drain you of any hopes, dreams, and ambitions you might have. They're very negative places filled with suffering and death. People that are unhealthy need positive things going on around them, not negativity. I had to wait 12 hours to have the rod put in my leg after my wreck because a young woman came in soon after me who had been shot a dozen or so times, and took priority over me. Rather than hearing good things about it from the doctors and nurses I just heard lots of panic and negativity while they tried to silence me and pass me from room to room so that I could bother someone else with my questions about my own treatment. All I wanted was to be put in a room where I could watch some TV and get away from all of the negative things going on around me. Instead they put me right in the thick of the action, and stressed me out more than necessary. I understand that they were trying to get me the help that I needed, and I appreciate that, but there was more going on than just the physical damage, and they always seem to overlook that part of the picture.
Hospitals drain the life out of their
victims
patients, and it's just not right. The system is flawed because hospitals and pharmaceutical companies know that people would rather be in debt for the rest of their lives than dead.
- Imagine waking up with this in your hand at 5 years old.
My latest run in with hospitals came earlier this week when I was informed that my coworker that was battling Cancer couldn't get his insurance to cover the treatment that he needed. This is a retired Marine that served in Vietnam, and then worked for the Railroad until his retirement a few years ago. He had benefits on top of benefits, but none of them would cover the four $30,000 injections ($120,000 total) that he would need over the next 3 months. Tim was the kind of guy that never wanted to put a burden on anyone, and I feel that the fact that he passed within a few days of hearing what it would cost for SOME of the treatment that he would need to survive is what made him go so quickly. He refused any life support, and didn't put up much of a fight at the end. Two days before he died he was joking with his military buddies about how he was going to beat the Cancer and get back home as soon as possible so that he could mow his lawn. The day before he died I saw him out in his driveway, and he waved at me as I passed. Two hours later he was in the hospital, and a little over a day after that he was gone. We've got these ridiculously high prices for the drugs that Cancer patients NEED to survive, but normal people can't afford them without serious financial help. Basically we've put a price on human life, and it's a price that only the wealthy can afford to pay. Do they deserve to live any more or any less than anyone else? I don't think they do.
- What could possibly fit in this that cost $30,000 to produce?
Hospitals drain the life out of their
victims
patients, and it's just not right. The system is flawed because hospitals and pharmaceutical companies know that people would rather be in debt for the rest of their lives than dead.
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