Ouch! Here come the facts your subconscious figured out but now they’re in black & white…

“What is it about social media that draws you in?” That’s what a dear friend I was visiting with today asked me as we discussed my struggle with this addiction.  “Is it about affirmation?” She asked, prefacing that question with saying it’s out of character for me but that is commonly the situation.  She, like many others, thought that was the only issue for everyone addicted to the internet.  It’s not.  For some it is, but not all.  For me, it’s stimulation.  And frankly, I’m not sure which is worse…the fact that I can’t even sit on the toilet without scrolling my newsfeed or the fact that some people have a constant need for validation from others.  

In both cases, there are hazards.  For me, the hazard is my now non-existent attention span and omnipresent need for stimulation.  For others, it’s a need for validation to an extreme.  For some, it’s a desperation for connection so much so that some will even be obnoxious just to get reactions.  I do, however, think desperation can be a common theme in all cases of internet addiction.

I was telling her about my journal I’ve been keeping.  As mentioned in my previous blog, when I was banned from Facebook I kept a journal of the interactions I would’ve had if I were able.  I was surprised to learn a lot of those interactions were seeded by frustration or disgust.  Things I hate seem to garnish my attention more than not.  I was perpetually frustrated and looking at that journal just spelled it out for me. Sadly, it didn’t shake me enough to quit this addiction but it is a practice I’ve decided to continue.  I no longer interact on posts, I just journal to myself what my thoughts were in that moment.  At the end of the week, I review those thoughts and most of them are pointless to me after the fact. Not sharing my pointless opinion saves me from someone responding with their opposing yet equally pointless opinion. What am I avoiding?  A conversation that often doesn’t go well because someone has to win this battle of opinions.  Someone has to be right.  Some people, not me but many, will take these battles of opinion so far to go to the profile of their opposition and began insulting them on a personal level such as “What do you know? You just work at Walmart and wear outdated low rise jeans that show your gut!” And the person who stoops that low is commonly even less appealing than the person they are insulting. Hashtag laugh out loud.

Anyway…

As promised, I did a little research and found the following conclusions:

• Internet CEOs are the highest paid CEOs that have ever existed in the history of CEOs
• “Never before have a few thousand (technology) designers had the power over billions of people’s thoughts” – Tristan Harris, former Google Design Ethicist, stated while explaining that the company’s goal was to capture your attention as much as possible while also surveilling your activity for capitalistic gain. He referred to this practice as “the attention extraction model”.  Tristan added to this information that the tool of notifications on apps is designed to fuel the model to extract attention by way of addiction.
• Roger McNee, a Facebook investor, described the business as selling users – which means you and me. He clarified that advertisers are facebook’s customers not members of Facebook. As stated by Jaron Lanier, computer scientist, “It’s the gradual, slight, imperceptible change in your own behavior and perception that is the product.” Furthermore, former Facebook Executive Tim Kendall has stated that when he was hired to monetize Facebook through advertising the main idea was to use artificial intelligence to tweak and manipulate user’s behaviors.
• The amount of information that has become available via the internet is beyond measure creating a market of what people do which is why we see things in our feeds that we have been thinking about or talking about according to Jeff Seibert, a former Twitter Executive. “Every action you take is being watched, tracked and measured” Seibert explained, “Each thing you do is carefully monitored and recorded.”
• “We have created a world in which online connection has become primary,” reports Jaron Lanier.  Lanier broke down the process of “exploiting vulnerability in human psychology” stating there are persuasive technology classes for social media application’s staff that are designed to create new ways to modify people’s behavior and these studies have resulted in technologies such as the “like” feature on social media as well as the refreshing of scroll views so that content is always new and appealing.  Lanier harked this as “similar to a slot machine” and advised that “growth hacking” is a class designed to study people’s psyches specifically.  Per Lanier, “We have moved from using technology as a tool to an addiction to technology as a stimulant.”
• The use of the internet as a stimulant has it’s own set of damaging outcomes including the identifiable damage it does to our mind’s ability to focus. Johann Hari wrote an interesting piece on this topic which really impacted me since one of my biggest problems with this addiction is my growing need for constant stimulation and lack of ability to focus anymore. Like me, Hari was motivated to learn more about focus and attention when he realized that his was declining. UK Tech Ethicist James Williams identified 3 types of focus damaged by continued use of these types of apps; attention to immediate tasks (example; you are about to make an important phone call and when you pick up your phone you are distracted by notifications and forget to make the call) and attention to long term goals (when you are constantly distracted you cannot achieve anything), lastly deep/overall attention (when you combine distractions, manipulated emotions, and the power of AI pulling at you – you cannot complete any solid thoughts or actions that would normally be obtainable). Professor/Author Robert Hassan took a hiatus from technology calling it a “extreme digital detox” in which he went on a long term excursion without any devices.  Hassan made this choice after realizing how negatively technology was impacting his attention span and he wrote a book about the experience titled “Uncontained: Digital Disconnection and the Experience of Time”.  Among the many discoveries he had from his personal experiment, Hassan noted that he “found more details” in his memory.
  link to John Hari’s article: CLICK HERE 🙂
• Technology is expanding and evolving exponentially while humans are not. Per Tristan Harris, algorithms are written in a way to grow and change the longer your activity is studied until it is “perfectly tuned to manipulate your time and thoughts”. Harris added “This is overpowering human nature and this is checkmate on humanity.”
• Google search results are tweaked for a “per user response” and the results you find depend on AI’s biography of you as well as your geological location. Think about this for a moment.  If you are searching a political topic in a blue state, your results will be different than someone in a red state’s same search. Inevitably, both participants will believe what they see.  Inevitably, an argument will ensue on social media in which both parties presume they are correct. No one will win the argument except, of course, the financial benefactors (aka the owners of the social media page via advertising and the owners of the information sources via advertising). The more you argue, the more you revisit the argument.  The more you revisit, the wider the division goes between you and the other party…and the larger the income for the financial benefactors.  So, in short, your argument and the way it affects you emotionally are extorting you for profit. Creating echo chambers via AI is causing a polarization in society. AI manipulations do not measure if what you are served is fact or “fake news” rather it is simply giving you what it knows will keep your attention. In fact, it has been proven that misinformation gains more momentum than factual because it is sensationalized and sensationalism sells.
• The power of AI creates less control for society, leaving us torn between who we are and what we actually believe.  The power to globally impact democracy and social behaviors erodes trust, creates culture wars, forms tribalism and cultivates isolation.  Technology is an existential threat by means of igniting the worst in society for profit.
• Dr. Anna Lembke of Stanford University Medical stated “Social media is a drug that directly effects the release of dopamine and the reward pathway”. Lembke explains that mankind was “not built to require such social approval at such high quantities and frequencies” and that we “create an online personality to receive short term awards”. Psychiatry studies have shown the effects of this by indicating increases in depression and suicide since social media became so prominent in society. According to Lembke, in the past society’s main source of information and entertainment was television that had protections in place to safeguard the effects on society but we “do not have these protections and regulations with the internet the way older generations had with television”.
• We are disconnecting from each other using the very tools that are supposed to connect us. Last week I saw a friend I haven’t seen in decades and she said something that struck me, she said “I guess we really don’t have anything to talk about since we see everything on social media already.” That was like a punch to the gut because she was so right. Also, when I think of this disconnect, I think about a time a few years ago when I was new to Los Angeles and looking to make friends and I saw a group of girls sitting at a table all laughing and smiling and taking selfies of their group having so much fun with their drinks held high and their smiles wider than the horizon. I thought, this looks like a fun group, but as I approached them I realized that quick glimpse was a fake moment and the rest of the evening their faces were down as they gazed at their phones and counted the attention their photos emulating a good time garnished while actually not having a good time at all. It was rather depressing and a disturbing image of society today.
• “Snapchat Dysmorphia” is a real mental health condition that has arisen in the wake of social media which applies to all social media platforms rather than Snapchat alone. It’s name, however, came from the capability of editing photos which originated with Snapchat.  With this condition, you will find people of all ages (but predominantly teenagers) seeking plastic surgery to look more like they do in the photos of themselves they filter. Along side of the dangers of plastic surgery, other dangers for this condition include depression, eating disorders, isolation, suicide and obsession.
• Compulsive comparisons of other’s lifestyles to your own is another mental health condition that has escalated to extreme measures since the birth of social media.  People do not realize that so often what we see of others on social media is relatively false or exaggerated (as well as images edited to improve the appearance or even the backgrounds changed to more exotic places via photoshop).  There is a vicious cycle of misleading profile personalities on social media generating negative emotions from sadness to lust to hate and much, much more.
• Misinformation, as previously discussed, is fed to society for profit.  It is a manipulation that sometimes comes packaged so well you could never imagine it is misinformation. The damage of misinformation, however, can lead to simple things such as blocking a friend or relative on your social media or expand to completely destroying relationships both on and off of social media.  Misinformation can lead to severe illness or death if it involves medical details or it can lead to violence if it touches on an emotional hot button. Consider these topics; people ingesting ivermectin under the premise that it prevents covid and vigilantes yielding weapons and invading a pizza parlor because it was rumored to have a secret child trafficking operation in it’s (nonexistent) basement.
• Research shows that 1 in 3 social media users experience harassment at some point or another.  Harassment in a digital world where all of your personal information can be found by a few clicks is dangerous at best.  There are multiple levels of internet harassment and while some are as simple as poking fun, others can be as extreme as causing someone to lose their job, exploiting one’s personal information or photos, stalking victims and putting them in danger are among a few.
• The mentality of an “internet troll” is more dangerous than we realize.  They aren’t just a burden to overlook. Psychological studies indicate that these types of people have specific deficits in their psyche that should not be overlooked such as; Psychopathy, sadism and apathy. For these reasons, it is impossible to appeal to their sense of humanity as it doesn’t exist. They aren’t just people with low self-worth, as I had previously assumed, but their character is actually far more complex. This is why it is best to not engage no matter how tempting.

And so I close with stating that I hope this information is as useful to you as it was to me.  My sources of this information were mainly derived from direct quotes of former employees of Facebook, Google, Twitter, Snapchat and Pintrest. Other sources were psychology articles from various universities and medical practices and journalists who have written on these topics.

My battle with this addiction is ongoing, but in light of focusing more on these aspects I have to add that (over the last 2 weeks of putting this together) my journaling of what I would’ve said and done on Facebook has steadily declined which means I am steadily losing interest.

Top Quality Self Absorbency Joie de Vivre and Fun Thoughts about Facebook Addiction

After achieving my fourth ban on Facebook, I have really been delving into the entire topic of social media and the internet.  A topic I’ve delved into before but, much like any other addictive habit, I always put the negative facts to the back of my mind so I can get the satisfaction up front.

There was a time neither our physical or mental health played an important role in our day to day lives.  Heck, I’m so old I remember as small child going to see my grandmother dying of cancer in a hospital bed smoking. It was totally ok. And everyone was shocked she was dying of cancer. (Ok, that makes me sound really old, but I did grow up in a rural area that was behind the times and I wasn’t even in school yet when this happened so don’t start doing math – you’ll get it wrong and offend me most likely.) Anyway, back to the point…
There was a time when smoking was cool, margarine was healthy, and all of these things were sold to society for the greater good. Preservatives in food was considered a God-send to humanity. Wasn’t starch a food group at some point? I feel like it was.

Fortunately, society did start to realize these things were killers.  Some of the very things we were forced to consume in the name of good health in our youth are now considered hazardous to consume.

But only in recent years have we taken a more serious look at mental health and the effects it has on us as a society. Some could say too little too late when looking back at all the serial killers and other horrible events of the past that were seen as one-offs even though they weren’t. And people with mental health issues were just deemed as lesser people and that was totally fine somehow.  The poor decisions or criminal actions of people in the past were just chalked up to choice and for that they should suffer the consequences.  Suicide was considered a selfish and cowardly act, a stigma that it still carries despite the fact that this is the exact opposite of the truth.

And only in even more recent years has the connection to mental illness been not only seen as a cause for some physical illnesses as well but also an epidemic in the wake of the internet. Without question, increasing depression, anger, and even shortened attention spans are all a direct result of the social media driven culture in which we live.

Just last night I was watching “15 Minutes of Shame” (a documentary about how public shaming has always been popular and tantalizing to the brain’s dopamine but truly spiraled out of control in the dawn of the internet). In the documentary, a psychologist showed a chart of how humanity as a whole has changed since social media became a prominent part of our lives.  It showed a steady decrease in empathy and a steady increase in narcissism.

Narcissism.
There’s a word you hear every day. So trendy.  (Trend words are yet another blessing bestowed upon us from social media.) But, anyway, narcissism. Everyone speaks of it so negatively.  Everyone hates it.  Everyone posts about it…then watches their posts…counting the reactions they get…hoping for comments to draw them into an interaction…relishing the attention if even just a tiny bit…like a narcissist would do.  Wait! What? Yes, you read that right. Like a narcissist would do.
Your cute selfie captioned that you stand against narcissism is, in fact, a narcissistic attempt at looking superior and garnishing attention. Ouch, right?

I recently learned the word schadenfreude around the same time the entire internet was ripping Amber Herd to shreds for claiming to be a victim of abuse. Every stumble, every mistake she made was publicized, scrutinized and celebrated. Schadenfreude… schadenfreude everywhere! (Look it up.) It was so gross.  In my mind’s eye, I just saw a bunch of Johnny Depp fans enjoying the suffering of a woman they assumed guilty from the jump start of this dramatic public split because they love Jack Sparrow. (Also, look this up if you live under a rock. It’s ok, no judgement. Not trying to be an internet bully I promise.) So if you enjoyed that public shaming…or any public shaming of someone you think as a lesser person for whatever reason…that means you are a fan of schadenfreude.
If you post about how pleased you are to see some comeuppance then joyously collect your responses and feel warm and fuzzy about that, that means you’re a narcissist epicaricacist. (Ok, I kind of made up that last word based on epicaricacy which is the English equivalent to schadenfreude but since I said that so much I was trying something new…I did it for the likes and hoping it becomes a new trendy term.)

So have you also noticed terms like ADD, ADHD and OCD getting thrown around like glitter at a strip joint? I bet that feels pretty insulting for people who actually suffer from these diseases when the sexy twenty-something girl next door’s tiktok video about how OCD she is when it comes to picking her outfits for another glamorous night on the town and what a struggle her first world problems are goes viral. But, good for her anyway.  Going viral is so important in this day and age.
Actually, I need to research if the internet has caused a spike in ADD/ADHD cases because I must admit I have an extremely short attention span since I became addicted to social media.  I catch myself in life wanting to scroll past situations all the time.  I catch myself checking my social media for a quick scroll during commercials or every time I sit on the toilet.  That sounds amusing, but the fact is…it’s over stimulation and I miss it when it’s gone.  My need for stimulation has steadily increased and I firmly believe it is a direct cause of social media.
However, I believe ADD/ADHD isn’t cultivated rather you are or you aren’t. I don’t know. Maybe there’s a new word for people who become such instead of being born with ADD/ADHD. I just tried to look for such a word and it led me to “addiction”…go figure.
So, during my latest 30 day ban from facebook I decided to keep a journal of how it felt every time I went to log in to facebook only to recall I was banned.  It was just a bunch of little notes I’d write as to why I wanted to, what I felt I was missing there and the like.  I made a note every time it happened.  At first it was several notes a day, then slowly it happened about once per day and in the last week I didn’t even notice.  I found this to be an interesting study for myself, especially to look back on the feelings I had through the process. Think of it as a smoker avoiding cigarettes because (as a smoker) I can assure you it was quite similar.
Also, during my time away, I noticed how incredibly bored I was with life for quite some time but in the last two weeks or so I started getting back to focusing on creative projects, coming up with new ideas and just overall feeling more inspired to be my creative self. I thought this was pretty noteworthy as well.

Human beings are all wired very differently while simultaneously being all the same. The way this absence affected me could be completely different for others.  There are some who would not even feel a difference while there are others who so desperately need it in their lives that you may have to talk them off a ledge after a few days of being banned.
But, the bottom line is, we are all affected by social media.

I can recall quite a few instances that were extremely rewarding life events I would never have achieved without social media. Finding a long lost friend, making an incredible new friend, meeting a celebrity, going to a major event and much more…all things I achieved only because of the power of social media. My most rewarding story of all is when I once (way back in the days of AOL Chat Rooms) talked a teenaged boy out of suicide who, years later, found me on facebook and thanked me. (I still get chills thinking about that.  He grew up to be a doctor even!) Perhaps that one incident has made it all worthwhile. That much is true.

But, over time, I think that social media has brought out the worst in me and in most people.
For some, it’s a place to vent…it’s so easy to rip a total stranger to shreds just because they spelled “their” as “there” but they happen to support the political party you hate so you can enjoy completely shaming them as a quick release.  Feels good to make others feel bad, for some.
For others it’s a place for validation.  Selfies, posts, live videos, being a warrior for social justice.  Let’s face it, you’re awesome, right? Shouldn’t people be telling you how awesome you are as much as possible? There’s only one way to make that happen… Post! Post! Post! And, of course, get more likes! Whatever it takes! Get more likes! Just don’t appear thirsty, be sure to hide your need for validation behind a great story.  Like, when posting that cleavage shot, wear an antique necklace your grandmother gave you and talk about how much you miss her… that’s not a duck face, it’s pouting cause you miss grammy and even though the picture is predominantly your cleavage in your heart of hearts you know the post was really about that necklace.  We get it. Really. We do.

There are some people who thrive on social media because they cannot thrive in life outside of it. This can be for a myriad of reasons from social anxiety to low self esteem to being an introvert.  These people can vary from being internet trolls as a way to get attention (considering a person who gets zero attention at all can appreciate negative attention just for the sake of attention) to using a fake profile creating a person they wish they could be that only lives on in the veins of the world wide web.

It’s like the wild wild west out there in cyber space. Of course, in the land of facebook, they’re trying to help tame the beast by using Artificial Intelligence to constantly rove activities on the massive platform by using key word searches and combos to detect hazardous deviants such as myself when I post that my favorite song by Foreigner is “Dirty White Boy” and get a 30 day ban for using hate speech. Great job, facebook.  You got me!

Anyway, here I am.  You could say it’s like a relationship far past the expiration date. You know the kind of relationship you should’ve ended a very long time ago but for some reason you just can’t.  That’s where I am.

I’ve been mad at strangers on social media, I’ve celebrated the downfalls of people I deemed wrong on social media, I’ve posted pictures of myself hoping for positive reviews, I’ve posted statuses I thought were brilliant and monitored the responses, I’ve scrolled…and scrolled…and scrolled. I’m tired. This isn’t who I am.  At least, it’s not who I want to be. Yet, I do want to find long lost friends and back stage passes still.  I do want to see my memories of what I was doing today 5 years ago.  And I really really want to keep the photos. Plus I love a good meme. But, like any other addiction, I just don’t think this is working out for me.

The saddest part is, can I handle the isolation of not being on social media? Missing all the invites to places and events? Will everyone forget I exist? Is this really life now?
Please like and share this blog and follow me and tell me you’ll never forget me and all that shit.
Thanks,
Susan

Just Virtue Trolling, Don’t mind me…

It’s true, we are living in unprecedented times.  But we were doing that before the pandemic and we just didn’t speak about it. The pandemic only added to the existing problems while putting those problems under the microscope.

We are living in a time where your choices in entertainment, employment, where you eat and how you dress are all somehow tied to your political opinion whether or not it’s a true reflection of that. This dilemma is exasperated by social media.

I struggle to post my opinions on any topic on social media without being condemned by political enthusiasts.  And political enthusiasm is a way of life now.  It’s not about your passion for a political party rather about passion for everything the individual feels is tied to their chosen political party.

Same F**king Difference

For instance, let’s discuss Ted Nugent.  He’s an outspoken, over the top right wing enthusiast who spews his beliefs into the media regularly.  He’s also an amazing guitarist with decades of great music that I enjoy.  Am I now supposed to pretend I don’t like his music because of his politics? Does this mean if he puts out a new record and I say I like it that I share his political beliefs? The clear answer is no, but no one today likes clear answers to anything. Instead, most people prefer to tie their own beliefs to what other people choose to like and condemn or praise them for it.  I can post a statement about Ted’s new album and get people who will comment on my post cursing me for supporting this evil man while also getting people commenting about how much they love that I support his beliefs.  I can get 100 comments under such a post and only about 2 of them will actually be about his new album.

This is a problem.

Another instance, let’s discuss Madonna.  I grew up listening to Madonna.  She’s an icon.  She’s an innovator.  She’s a true artist who manages to stay relevant with the times and continually create interesting content in various ways.  She’s older and she’s still managing to stay sexy because she can afford to.  Good for her.  Who cares? She’s also extremely liberal in her politics and very vocal about it. So, let’s look at if I make a post about how great she looks now. As you can guess, 98 comments divided between bashing her or praising her…all because of her political stance. 2 comments will agree she looks great and has the talent to stay relevant decade after decade.

This is a problem.

It’s not just a problem that people must make everything politically charged and divided based on their personal agendas but it’s also (to me) a bigger problem that I must get either chastised or praised for my opinion of such artists because of politics.  It’s a problem that people are assuming my political stance based on my entertainment choices. It’s not just a problem because some of these people are wrong about the labels they try to pin on me, but also a problem because all of those labels are wrong.

I am not the type of person who chooses what I like based on politics.  I make my choices based on what I actually, genuinely enjoy or don’t enjoy.

You love it, I think it’s a dumpster fire. Who cares?

Recently Kid Rock put out some politically charged garbage song that millions of people who would’ve never given him the time of day before suddenly latched on to.  Brilliant on his part.  More money coming from people who never cared about him before.  Absolutely brilliant.  But the song itself is garbage.  At least to me it is.  But who am I? I’m nobody.  Just like you. Nobody. I never liked his music.  I never saw the appeal.  But now that he’s in the political limelight his fierce fan base worships him like a God. I was never so brow beaten in my life than when I posted my disdain for his style, all of his music and his very persona. Even though I love someone quite similar (being Ted Nugent) and had posted about that numerous times… the very people who supported my love of Ted turned on me with a quickness assuming I was a “bleeding heart liberal”.  Oh how short their memories.  How fickle that they loved me last week because of Ted Nugent and hate me this week because of Kid Rock.

This is a problem.  But this is your problem, not mine. I like what I like.  I like my taste in music.  I like my taste in the products I use and the shows I enjoy and the books I read and the clothes I wear. I like me.  I’m fine with me.  You’re not fine with yourself, and that’s fine too.  But that’s not my problem, that’s your problem.

Do you really believe your “cancel culture” efforts are making a difference in this money driven world that could care less about your existence? For every person “cancelling” something because of politics, there is another person who’s suddenly representing that same something because of politics.  You’re not making a difference.  You’re nobody.  Just another number in a numbers game.  A numbers game about division.

If you think complaining about a brand using mixed couples or gay couples in their advertising will destroy their brand, I’m here to tell you just as many people started supporting their brand when they added this to their ads.  And guess what…not one marketing company truly cares about the message.  They care about the bottom line. You’re the only one who cares about the message and you are nobody.

If you think complaining about the show you’ve watched for years suddenly invoking “woke” plots into their storylines is an issue…someone else just started watching that show because of these changes. Get over it.  You’re not special.  The person who started watching it isn’t special either. You’re just numbers in a numbers game. Nobody cares about you because you, in fact, are nobody.

If you want to actually be somebody, stop virtue signaling or bullying people online and put your phone down.  Then, when you’re phone is not in your hand, go out into the world and make a difference by volunteering to help the homeless or stray animals or unwanted children or maybe get out there and advocate for your love of guns by protesting with other people who got off their asses.  And don’t take selfies or videos of you doing it and negate the effort just to get that added social media attention. Just actually do something.  Actually put your heart into it rather than just blowing hot air all over the place. If you want to be somebody then actually be somebody.  Right now you’re just another person on social media who desperately wants to be superior to everyone else.  You and a bunch of other nobodies just like you. Nobodies on your team.  Nobodies on their team.  Numbers in a game.

Boycotting a product changes nothing because you’re just buying a similar product in it’s place that has an equally sordid background that just hasn’t made it to the front page news yet.  Boycotting an artist you once enjoyed isn’t winning, it’s just taking something from your repertoire that you may or may not miss. Boycotting a show doesn’t change the writing of the show or the cash flow.  And aside from all of this painful truth, most of you aren’t really doing any of these boycotts you claim you’re doing.  You’re just virtue signaling on social media and nothing more. You’re probably still watching, listening, and using all the things you swore against. 

Yes, you’re really making a difference out there pal.

Your superiority complex is not my problem.

Your desperation for attention of any sort whether negative or positive is not my problem.

Your trolling the internet to one-up everyone so that your life feels less empty is not my problem.

You are your problem. You are also your solution, but too feeble minded to realize that so you just choose to step on others to elevate yourself.

You are stepping on others in a virtual world and your actual world still sucks because when you’re not on social media bullying everybody you are, in fact, still nobody.

When you refer to someone as “sheeple” remember this fact: just using that very term means you are a “Sheeple” yourself and your team of sheep like to use that term against those they oppose but it goes both ways.  When you’re offended by people getting offended that means you too are a “snowflake”.  You’re just another snowflakey sheep in a herd of sheep that are only seen as numbers.  You are nobody…until you decide maybe you don’t need to be a sheep in the herd being snowflakishly offended by someone else’s offenses. You are nobody…until you realize that spewing your opinion all over social media as if it’s more important than other’s opinions gets nowhere. You are nobody…until you stop seeking a reaction from strangers in a virtual world. Really, even if you’re trying to get a rise out of people you actually know personally, you’re still nobody. Getting a rise out of someone isn’t rewarding.  It’s temporary.  But you already know this because that’s why it’s a never ending cycle, am I right?

I only like to count sheep when I sleep

You need something from me and you’re not going to get it.

You need me to pledge loyalty to your chosen team…or even to choose loyalty to your opposition so that you know how to treat me.  You’re not going to get it.  If you need that knowledge to know how to treat me, I really don’t want you around me. 

You need me to react to your efforts to either condemn or praise me based on your assessment of who and what you think I am.  You’re not going to get it.  If you need me, a nobody just like you, to feed your desperate craving for attention then you have far bigger problems than my lack of interest in you.  I really don’t want you around me.

You need me to commit to something because you believe everyone surely has to commit to something.  But I won’t.  I can’t.  I can’t because I am an ever changing, ever growing human being that has to experience things to gain the knowledge of where my emotions should stand on these things.  When I can fully commit to any such things I will likely be on my death bed, taking my last breath and even still I may or may not be right about my beliefs on this or that. Who knows? Who cares!?!

You see, you need me but I don’t need you.

I don’t need propaganda to help me vote my conscience.
I don’t need virtue signaling to make my conscience woke.
I don’t need a team to be on, especially if that team will be deciding what kind of music I listen to or what kind of movies I watch and such.
I don’t need you at all to have my conscience functioning… it’s working just fine.  I’ve used it politically and socially for decades and I will until that last breath.
You need me to see you… and I see you… I see you as a nuisance.
You need them to see you… they see you as a number in a numbers game.
You need to see yourself.  That’s it.  That’s all you really need. 

See yourself.  See your worth.  Use your gifts for something that benefits you or the community.  Use your energy to make a difference rather than make a façade. Until you do that, you’re nobody in even your own reality and that’s the most depressing thing you can ever be.

Rainbows, Glass Houses and the Elephant in the room Inside

This has been an epic couple of months in the land of being politically correct, opinionated, educated, historical and frankly hysterical.

The media is feeding me mass quantities of fuel for blogging…as has social media. 

My opinions are all over the place, so I guess I can’t be labeled.  Sorry folks.  I know how important labels are. 

Recently I used the word “bigotry” when referring to those against marriage equality.  I was quickly corrected by someone who provided me the definition of bigot.  I’ll share it here for you; a person who is intolerant toward those holding different opinions.  Basically, this guy was saying I’m as much of a bigot for disliking his anti-marriage equality feelings as he was for disliking my pro-marriage equality feeling.  To that I say, touche‘.  We’re all bigots.  Good times.

The Bible states several times in several ways that sex before marriage is a sin.  I’m not going to waste my time posting verses.  You should look them up before you preach at anyone just so you’re clear on wether or not you’re being a hypocrite before you start using the bible as your excuse to defend your opinion against homosexuality.  Sure, there’s some verses against homosexual behavior in the bible as well but please keep in mind the bible also looks at these sins…and all sins…as equal. 

The bible has verses against quite a few things that don’t involve sex also such as tattoos, disrespecting your neighbors, serving two masters, and basically several things that common people do on a daily basis.  Let me break this down for you; even your tattoo of Jesus is a sin in the black and white print, as is that moment you curse out the guy who cut you off in traffic or your addiction to social media and lack of using that time to pray.

What I always look to first and foremost when thinking of marriage equality and those who use the bible to fight it is the fact that divorce is legal and has been for centuries.  I tried to find an exact date.  The first time it’s cited in history is in the mid 1600’s but with lots of rules as to wether or not it would be allowed.  Up until the 1920’s the rules and regulations continued to become less and less on when and how a married couple could divorce.  Many marriage equality opposers are on their second (or more) marriage.  Many churches don’t recognize any marriage after your first…unless you make a large donation to their organization.  Then you get a fresh start.  How pleasant.  Some sinners are offered second chances while others are not.  Oh wait…that’s not how it works at all!

According to the New Testament, Jesus died to wash away your sins.  That means everyone.  That means homosexuals too.  That’s how it works.  If you don’t believe that, you’re not really a Christian and you shouldn’t be using (abusing) the bible as your reasoning. 

From the book of Matthew Chapter 7 Verse 3: “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” And for those of you who aren’t into actually reading the bible but just use it as a crutch here’s an old proverb I’m sure you’ve heard before that basically makes the same point; “Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.”

I feel that marriage is a legal contract with both good and bad portions included in the contract.  Contracts do not define feelings, they just define rights (or lack thereof).  All of these years that same sex couples could not legally share in this contract did not prevent them from loving each other or having sex just like average straight couples have done.  This contract now provides two people that love each other rights to each other’s property and  health care they didn’t have before.

Think of a couple that’s been together for decades but not married.  One partner falls ill and can no longer handle his/her personal business.  This person’s partner who knows and loves this person and knows their desires best has previously not had any legal rights to aid in such situations and it has been a painful battle for these people.  Or, a couple like this parts ways and there is no legal assistance for the separation of property like there is for those who actually legally divorce after being legally married for years.  In short, it’s simply not fair.  These people deserve the right to choose to be legally bound or not. 

Preventing the legalities didn’t keep these people from the sin of sex before marriage (regardless of how they go about copulation), it only prevented their legal rights to each other and shared property. 

As a side note, I just don’t think God keeps a score board on 1 point for sex before marriage but if it’s sodomy that’s another point so homosexuals are scoring 2 sins to heterosexuals’ 1.  I’m sorry, I just don’t think that’s how it works.

But, who am I to judge? And…who are you to judge?

From the book of James Chapter 4 verses 11-12: “Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?”

So, to address “the elephant in the room” (that’s an old English idiom for an obvious truth that is being ignored), unless you are completely without sin your argument against marriage equality is invalid. 

You cannot prevent love, and now you can not prevent the legal protection that any (type of) couple has available to them and I think that’s great. 

Let’s face it, marriage is a contract and love is what matters.  Fairy tales aren’t real and neither are unicorns. And, unless you are completely without sin (and you’ve got a lot of reading to do to figure out that you’re highly likely not) you need to get on that elephant we can all see in your living room through your glass house and ride off into the sunset. There’s 783,137 words in the bible…get busy!

As for me, I’ve posted 3 topical posts in a row…and those who know me well know that’s not really my preference but now that I’ve gotten all this off my chest I promise you one of my fun blogs soon. Until then, I’m celebrating love and I wish nothing but love for everyone reading this … even the bigots!

Flagging you down with Facts, Opinions and Advice

Social media has taught me that I am surrounded by historians.  I had no idea that some of the “facts” thrown at me lately existed in history.  I’d say it made me question my own knowledge, but then I would be a liar.  So, here’s my top 5 facts about the Civil War for those of you who aren’t history buffs.  Following this brief lesson I’ll get to the heart of this blog.

#1 – Among the 34 states in January 1861, seven Southern states individually declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America spawning the Civil War to determine the survival of the Union or independence for the Confederacy which lasted from 1861 to 1865. During the course of the 4 year war, the number of Confederate states grew to 11.

#2 – The primary cause for the secession was slavery. The Confederate (Southern) states were against the attempts of Northern antislavery political forces to block the expansion of slavery into the western territories. Southern politicians rebelled with the belief that such restrictions on slavery would violate the principle of states’ rights. The subsequent formation of the Confederacy was Southern nationalism. The primary reason the Northern States rejected secession was to preserve the Union’s cause based on American nationalism (unity).

#3 – Confederacy supporters based their secession on honoring The Constitution which protected slavery and states’ rights to own slaves.  The North’s growth in this period was based on industry (in short; a more comparable system to what we see throughout the US today) while the South’s economy thrived on  agriculture which relied heavily on slave labor. For this reason, abolishing slavery would bring severe economic set backs to the growth of the Southern states.

#4 – To clarify; self proclaimed history buffs say the Civil war was rooted in causes such as preserving The Constitution or saving the economy.  While these history buffs are correct, to say this war was not about slavery at the root is rather inaccurate because the abolishment of slavery would be the cause to change The Constitution and effect the Southern economy when they lose the free labor of slaves. 

#5 – The Civil War was about slavery

Once again the Confederate Battle Flag has entered the spotlight.  It make’s it’s rounds every few years.  People fight to have it removed from (Southern) state flags, flying over government buildings, colleges and so fourth.  The top two words that are thrown around when this pot gets stirred are “racism” and “heritage”.  While one team is offended by the sight of this flag, the other is proud.  If you are proud of the flag, you label it pride in your heritage while others label you a racist.

Let’s be clear, the Confederate Flag isn’t exactly racist in it’s origin.  In fact, it is prideful.  However, it’s origin is rooted in the fight to keep (what I like to call) human beings enslaved.  Human beings of African descent.  In the Lincoln era the flag stood for courage, battle, pride and a people who wanted to hold fast to the honor of The Constitution.  However, because of its pro-slavery roots, over time the flag came to represent racism against African Americans as white supremacy groups embraced it as their own.  This tainted the flag even more than its bloody history of a nation divided.  This tainted flag continues to divide the people of this nation in it’s own way. 

So, in it’s origin, this flag represented a union of states who wanted to keep humans enslaved for free labor (because it was documented as acceptable and therefore it must be) and then blossomed into a symbol of hatred against humans.  (Ok, not all humans, just those darned black ones.)

In its lifetime, this flag has seen a lot of bloodshed both in war and in hate crimes.

Is it any wonder it makes those (black) humans uncomfortable? Is it any wonder that (decent) humans would like to see it in history museums where it belongs?

In a world where Christian symbols are frowned upon in public places, schools, government buildings and so fourth we let this symbol of what I like to call “historical greed” fly.

Yes, that’s right, the flag symbolizes a history greed in my opinion. A greed so powerful that human lives aren’t valued.  Free labor at the expense of outright abuse to humans is the origin of my term “historical greed”.  Is this the heritage to be proud of?

As a Southerner, I love the endurance and strength of my homeland.  I am proud of the struggles my homeland has faced and overcome just in my short lifetime let alone centuries before.  I love the spirit of the Southern people.  I don’t see that type of drive anywhere else in this country.  I understand Southern pride.  I have Southern pride.  But, I don’t need a flag to define my pride.  I don’t need a symbol of my heritage to show how strong I am.  I believe the history of what we have overcome through the years speaks for itself.

Here’s a fine example; Hurricane Katrina and the improper assistance our Government gave.  Our courage and our recovery is like giving them the finger-which is what the south is known for…giving Uncle Sam the finger.  Trust me, he don’t mind giving it right back.  Fill our waters with oil and toxic chemicals? Screw you, we’ll deal with it.  It’s what we do.  We deal with stuff.

No matter how united the nation may be, the Confederate states are still somewhat severed.  We are the brunt of jokes, the last in line and the least respected.  Southerners pay for the crimes of their ancestors centuries later…and without evolving we always will.

If the South really wants to “rise again”, let it rise in statistics…education, economy, and so fourth.  Let it rise in the ranks of brotherhood and American pride.  Let the South make a real stand that the joke is no longer on us but on anyone living in the past who still looks at the South as a bigoted, ignorant land. 

Nobody is taking your personal symbols away from you, nobody is taking your guns.  Nobody is forcing you to accept or like anything you don’t want to.  Please stop behaving as if this is just another nail in the coffin of your personal freedom.  Its not. 

The bottom line is, symbols of an ancient war that divided the nation and took thousands of lives unnecessarily in the name of greed has no place in government buildings or the like.  The bottom line is what an African American friend told me recently when asked how the flag makes her feel; “dread and sometimes fear depending on the circumstances.” 

Fly it proudly on your pick up truck, as your window shades, tattooed on your back and whatever…but don’t force it upon people who may feel dread when they step into a building to handle official government business. 

Know your history and quit labeling it as pride of heritage.  You’re making us all meet the statistics we hate. 

Divided we fall.  United we stand tall. 

I share with you Cyrus’ famous speech from “The Warriors”.  If you think about it, united we would be a force to be reckoned with.  Currently, I see this nation crumbling from within orchestrated by ridiculous situations like racism and media manipulation.

“I say the future is ours if you can count. Look what we have here before us, rival gangs standing together and nobody’s wasting anybody. That is a miracle. And miracles is the way things ought to be. The problem in the past has been the man turning us against one and other. We’ve been unable to see the truth because we’ve been fighting one and other. That’s crap, brothers. The turf is ours by right. It’s our turn. CAN YOU DIG IT?!?!?!”

Extreme Vocabulary Lesson

I don’t blog as much as I used to.  I still usually avoid topical subjects when I do.  I wouldn’t be blogging about this Epic topic but #1 it was requested via a Facebook status I posted on the subject & #2 it’s in my face and #3 for the folks that like to correct me on my opinion because apparently in modern politically correct hide behind your keyboard society an opinion can be measured.

Expect this blog to go in multiple directions (or maybe just 2 depending on my mood).

First of all I said EXTREME vocabulary lesson for a reason.  It’s more my opinion than an actual lesson, but you know opinions are facts as long as you agree with them…otherwise measure it up as wrong.  Extreme measures if you please.

Who here remembers when “extreme” was the big word? Saying something was “extreme” was the epic thing to do.  Yeah, you saw it…I said “epic”.  “Extreme” is so 2011.  It’s been “epic” for a while now.  “Epic” is even more extreme than “extreme”.  “Extreme” wasn’t good enough so society went full on “epic”.

Words.  What do they mean? Do they have value? If they do, I know that “extreme” is so spent it’s probably worth pennies on the the dollar…if that even.  It was a word overused in epic proportions back in it’s heyday.

Words have been fun and games for a long time.  I don’t think “sweet” has gone out of style yet, and that’s pretty sweet.  “Cool” will never go out of style and I can dig it because it always makes me think of the Fonz.

It’s for this reason that words can’t always be taken literally.  For instance, I just said “I can dig it”.  Literally, I would need a shovel and dirt to make that happen.

And that brings me to the beginning of why I’m actually here today…
to get topical and be lured into the the extreme trending topic that’s totes everywhere in my newsfeed as of late.

The hero…I mean heroine that is Caitlyn Jenner.

Though I have no need whatsoever to post a disclaimer here, I’m going to. I openly support the LGBT Community.  I’ve known one transgender person on a personal level and I adored her.  It was quite a few meetings before I even knew she was a transgender person.  It, like homosexuality or whatever sexuality, doesn’t phase me.  Other people’s sexual lives do not affect me…or you…think about it. You live your life, I’ll live mine. YOLO. (2012 really made me hate that acronym.) Anyway, I don’t care what people are into as long as whatever it is is consensual and nobody is getting hurt.

Moving on to Caitlyn Jenner, formerly Bruce Jenner the guy who set the Olympic World Record in 1976 and was a gleaming athlete on Wheaties boxes who later married Kris Kardashian and was on a reality show I’ve never seen (For those of you who live under a rock and don’t know what I’m talking about).

Wikipedia has already updated their page to Caitlyn Jenner with mention of her birth name/sex.  That’s cool.  The fact is, there really is no more Bruce Jenner.  And I’m totally okay with that.  In fact, I applaud her.  Yes, you read that right, I applaud her.  Why continue to live a lie at age 65? Over a span of 40 years the artist formerly known as Bruce Jenner was married to three women and fathered 6 children.  All the while a woman trapped inside the body of a man who had been a famous athlete in the spotlight and later returned to the spotlight with a reality TV show empire (built around his step daughter who became famous originally because she had famous connections and a leaked video of her having sex with a semi-famous person. “Leaked”…there’s another word that is cheapened just by the internet alone). Anyway, the point is Caitlyn was in the public eye with a dark, uncomfortable secret, for decades. She’s finally free.  I think that’s great.  It certainly beats the alternative of never having the opportunity to be true to yourself.  In other words, better late than never.

2015 is a lot different than 1976.  In 1976 it would have been a career killer for Bruce Jenner to explain the painful secrets of what was going on inside back then.  In 1986 alternate lifestyles were being frowned upon and labeled due to the AIDS epidemic and the backlash was horrible for anyone who wasn’t straight and monogamous.  Those decades would’ve been very hard on people coming out about homosexuality let alone being transgender.

Things have improved dramatically in the last 20 years or so.  Sure, we still have a long road but people are so much more open minded today.  Not only that but being politically correct today is as important as it was in the 70s.  Probably closer in importance than it has been in decades.  The only thing is, the definition of politically correct is far from what it was back then.  Well, not the literal definition. The literal definition is basically the same; agreeing with the idea that people should be careful to not use language or behave in a way that could offend a particular group of people.  Saying it’s far from what it was isn’t a bad thing.  In many ways it’s good.  Back in the day, for example, schools had prayer and it was basically enforced.  Today, because it was enforced and some are not Christian, forcing everyone to pray is no longer allowed.  However, in the extreme, if you are a Christian in many cases today you’re not allowed to pray in public. (See how that worked? I used extreme there, but it actually belonged for once.)

Today feelings are celebrated whereas in the past they were regulated…both in support of a greater good.  Think about that for a minute.

Words.

Anyway, this brings me to my actual point.

The hero Caitlyn Jenner.  (There, I said it.  Hero.  All you political correctors, haven’t said anything about the media not using the term “Heroine”) But anyway, that’s not even my problem with the word “hero” being used in this context.

My problem is; being able to afford amazing plastic surgery and hormones and such to transform from a decent looking man into an incredibly beautiful woman does not make one a hero…or heroine.  She is not the voice of transgender people.  She’s an obviously wealthy celebrity who could afford to do this when the time was right.  That’s not so heroic.

Doing it in 1976 would’ve been epic heroism.  Doing it in 1986 would’ve been extreme.  Doing it today is…well…not really that shocking.  Today it is more frowned upon to not be team Caitlyn than to actually be Caitlyn.

I understand Caitlyn earned an epic $500 million for her upcoming reality show.

What door is this opening for transgender people exactly? Did I miss something? Are all transgender people millionaires who can afford to do this and free themselves the way Caitlyn did? I mean, I might be feeling the word “hero” used here better if Caitlyn was starting some sort of charity organization to do this miraculous surgery for all transgender people.

Her situation has been protected since her career caught second wind with the Kardashian clan.  A reality spotlight celebrity in a politically correct media frenzied society, she chose the easiest time in her life to make this choice (not to mention the financial benefit that existed for her).  I might have felt the word “hero” better suited had this happened 40 years ago…even 30…maybe even at 20, but today? Meh.  It’s just another extreme story in my newsfeed for everyone to support and tweet about that will be yesterday’s news when the next epic thing happens.

I don’t think a hero is limited to just a soldier or a fire fighter.  I can find a better comparison here.  Rosa Parks. I hope you know who Rosa Parks is, but if not please look her up.  Rosa Parks was a heroine.  Her actions were courageous, dangerous, and she did to help her people not herself.  This is my opinion of a hero.

I’m not belittling the courage it had to take for Caitlyn to do this for herself.  Courage doesn’t make a hero though.  It’s more than that.  If I’m the last person on earth and I fight to stay alive, does that make me a hero? Not in my mind.  Not in my opinion.  Now, if there was myself and another person and I did whatever ever I could to keep us both alive then I I would be a hero.

I’m quite sure it takes courage to be Caitlyn Jenner because, even in these politically correct times, there will still be many antagonists to face.  Heck, antagonists are hiding in every nook and cranny of the internet to even bully plain old folks like me who write blogs and stuff.  Keyboards are ablaze across the planet right this moment antagonizing Caitlyn Jenner and antagonizing people for antagonizing Caitlyn Jenner.

It’s just another day.

It’s another epic day of extreme levels for a hero of the internet.

It’s just words.

Tradition, Superstition & Fascination

Halloween is an annual celebration, but just what is it actually a celebration of? And how did this peculiar custom originate? The origin of Halloween possibly lies in the traditions of the Celtic people.  In celebration of the recently completed harvest, Celts would give offerings of food to the Gods. They often went from door to door to collect food to donate to their deities. Also, young Celts would ask the townspeople for kindling and wood, and take it to top of the hill for the Samhain bonfire. These are two of the possible origins of present day “trick or treating.” The Celts believed that the veil between this world and the next was thinnest at this time of year. Friends and relatives who had died would often return, with their souls inhabiting an animal – often a black cat. Black cats have remained a symbol of Halloween down to the present time. Samhain was a fire festival. Sacred bonfires were lit on the tops of hills in honor of the Gods. The townspeople would take an ember from the bonfire to their home and re-light the fire in their family hearth. The ember would usually be carried in a holder – often a turnip or gourd. They felt nervous about walking home in the dark; they were afraid of evil spirits. So they dressed up in costumes and carved scary faces in their ember holders. They hoped that the spirits would be frightened and not bother them. Today we see people dress in costume for celebration, and we see faces carved in pumpkins for festive decoration.

Halloween was originally called All Hallows’ Eve which means the evening before All Saints’ Day. “Hallow” is an Old English word for “saint”. This was shortened toHallowe’en and finally to Halloween.  All Saints’ Day was created by Pope Boniface IV in the 7th century CE. There were so many saints by this time that there were not enough days in the year to accommodate them. So, All Saints’ Day was to recognize the saints who were without their own day, and to celebrate saints that the Church had failed to recognize.  All Souls’ Day was created for NOV-2 to honor faithful Christians who had died but were not saints. The three days from OCT-31 to NOV-2 was given the name Hallow Tide. This may have been done in order to distract Christians from celebrating Samhain. ( For full definition of Samhain:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samhain . )

The custom of Halloween was brought to America in the 1840’s by Irish immigrants fleeing their country’s potato famine. Halloween has since become a major folk holiday in the US and Canada. “Trick or Treaters” go from door to door and collect candies, apples and other goodies. Hallmark Cards reports that 65% of Americans will decorate their homes and offices for Halloween. This percentage is exceeded only by Christmas. Halloween is the holiday when the most candy is sold; it is second only to Christmas in total sales. North Americans spend over $20 million on Halloween candies yearly. Halloween also is the third-largest party occasion next to Christmas and New Year’s Eve. So, although some cults may have adopted Halloween as their favorite “holiday,” the day itself did not grow out of evil practices. It grew out of the rituals of Celtic celebrations, and out of Medieval prayer rituals of Europeans. After all, the day itself is only as evil as one cares to make it.

Most of us are familiar with common Halloween traditions like trick-or-treating, pumpkin carving, and dressing in costume but there are some ancient traditions I thought might be fun to explore that you may not be familiar with from around the world.

The first one I’d like to mention is one I remember reading about as a child and always wanting to attempt, but being too much of a skeptic or pessimist I’ve yet to try it.  This is the less famous “trick” where a woman is supposed to stand before a mirror at the stroke of midnight and bite into an apple.  The reflection of her future husband was supposed to appear in the mirror or the reflection of a skull, which would signify that she would die an old maid.  In writing this, I saw several versions of this “tradition” but this is the one I remember best from my mother’s tales as a child. Unfortunately, I was unable to find it’s orgin.

Barmback is a custom with Irish roots as well.  Barmback is a type of raisin bread that can be served year round, but on Halloween certain objects are traditionally baked into the bread: a pea, a stick, a coin, some cloth and a ring.  Each object carries significance so if you got a piece of break holding one of these objects, you would know your fortune.  The pea means you will not be getting married in the next year while the ring, of course, means that you would.  The stick signifies an unhappy marriage, the cloth signifies bad finances and the coin signifies wealth is headed your way.

In Whales, families would practice the tradition of Coelcerth. For Coelcerth, a family would build a fire and write their names on stones surrounding the fire.  If they woke in the morning to find that a person’s stone was missing, this meant the person would die in the next year!

Bonfires are very common on Halloween and derived from several traditions worldwide.  One tradition (with European roots) incorporated into the bonfire celebrations that I found interesting is once again used for the ladies to learn who their future husband would be.  The tradition has the ladies cut a lock of their hair and toss it into the fire, and that evening as they slept and their hair burned their future husband was to be revealed to them in their dreams.

Latin Americans commemorate the holiday with a 3-day celebration that begins on October 31.  The celebration is designed to honor the dead whom, they believe, return to their Earthly homes during this period.  Many families construct altars to the dead in their homes to honor deceased relatives and decorate it with candy, flowers, photos and samples of the deceased favorite foods, drinks and water.  Often a wash basin and towel are also left at the altar so the spirit can wash up before indulging in the feast.

Spell to attract a particular lover

You will need:

a lock of his/her hair, a personal belonging of his/hers or a clear photo of their face (though hair works best)

One pink rose,

Ground Vanilla pods

Dried Avocado

Ginger

Jasmine oil

One red or violet candle inscribed with the love Rune 3X’s

A few drops of (your) blood

Red cloth

Red paper

By the light of the candle, grind up the Avocado with the Vanilla pods and the Ginger… when it is a fine powder, add 5 drops of blood, and as you drop each drop say these words: *Note: face the appropriate direction.* ‘Spirit of the South, ancient one of fire and passion, with this drop of blood I call you to bring my lover to me.’ ‘Spirit of the West, ancient one of water and peace ,with this drop of blood I call you to bring my lover to me.’ ‘Spirit of the North, ancient one of earth and fertility, with this drop of blood I call you to bring my lover to me.’ ‘Spirit of the east, ancient one of air and strength, with this drop of blood I call you to bring my lover to me.’ ‘Akasha, the spirit element of all, with this drop of blood I call you to combine the powers called forth, and bind my lover’s spirit to mine.’ ‘So mote it be!’ Using the new paste, draw the love Rune 3X’s (3 times) on the piece of red paper and empower it, wait for it to dry, and then fold the paper in half. Take the rose and smear on any remaining paste. Place the rose in the red cloth and annoint with Jasmine oil. Now, using the red candle set fire to it, and put it in a bowl until it has gone out. Grind up any lumps left in the ash or remove any stubborn bits, then put the ash into the folded paper and put it in an envelope, seal the envelope with a blob of wax from the candle, and get it to the object of your affections however you can.

 

Spell for Luck

You will need:

Ground/fresh cinnamon

Green candle

Pennies (number in the amount of your birthdate, for instance if your birthday is October 31st you will need 31 pennies)

Burn the green candle surrounded by the pennies.  Chant as the candle burns “Let fortuned winds blow my way.  All that’s evil please allay.  All that’s good and all that’s bane give in turn but for my gain.”  Meditate, focusing on the pennies and repeating this chant until you feel the pennies are charged with positive energy.  On the first following Thursday, dispose of the pennies.  If you keep them, the spell will work opposite.  It is best to give the pennies away as a gift, but dispose of them however you can.

 

Well, I was also going to post a spell about revenge but after reading them they were all pretty scary and I started feeling guilty so I decided I’d leave you with just these two and one last one that I made up for you, but I’m pretty sure it will work.

 

Spell for fun on Halloween

You will need:

Your favorite adult beverages

Your favorite things to eat

Your favorite friends

Your favorite Horror movies

Your favorite music

Your house

Mix above ingredients beginning at dusk on Halloween.  Chant throughout the night “Let’s Party”.  Continue process until you run out of supplies.  Have fun & be safe!

 

 

 

 

Are your isms in check?

Are your isms in check?

Communism is a socioeconomic  structure and political ideology that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless, society based on common ownership and control of the means of production and property in general.  Karl Marx posited that communism would be the final stage in human society, which would be achieved through a proletarian revolution and only becoming possible after a socialist stage develops the productive forces, leading to a superabundance of goods and services.  “Pure communism” in the Marxian sense refers to a classless, stateless and oppression-free society where decisions on what to produce and what policies to pursue are made democratically, allowing every member of society to participate in the decision making process in both the political and the economic spheres of life.  In modern usage, communism is often used to refer to Bolshevism or Marxism-Leninism and the policies of various communist states which had government ownership of all the means of production and centrally planned economies.

Socialism refers to various theories of economic organization advocating public or direct worker ownership and administration of the means of production and allocation of resources, and a society characterized by equal access to resources  for all individuals with a method of compensation based on the amount of labor expended. Most socialists share the view that capitalism unfairly concentrates power and wealth among a small segment of society that controls capital  and derives its wealth through exploration, creates an unequalsociety, does not provide equal opportunities for everyone to maximise their potentialities and does not utilize technology and resources to their maximum potential nor in the interests of the public. Socialism is not a concrete philosophy of fixed doctrine and programme; its branches advocate a degree of social interventionsimand economic rationalization (usually in the form of economic planning), but sometimes oppose each other. A dividing feature of the socialist movement is the split between reformists and revolutionaries  on how a socialist economy should be established. Some socialists advocate complete nationalizationof the means of production, distribution, and exchange; others advocate state control of capital within the framework of a market economy. The first socialists predicted a world improved by harnessing technology and combining it with better social organization, and many contemporary socialists share this belief. Early socialist thinkers tended to favor an authentic meritocracy combined with rational social planning, while many modern socialists have a more egalitarian approach. Valdimir  Lenin, drawing on Karl Marx’s  ideas of “lower” and “upper” stages of socialism, defined “socialism” as a transitional stage between capitalism and communism.

Capitalism is an economic and social system in which capital, the non-labor factors of production, is privately controlled; labor,   goods and capital are traded in markets; and profits  distributed to owners or invested in technologies and industries. There is no consensus on capitalism nor how it should be used as an analytical category. There are a variety of historical cases over which it is applied, varying in time, geography, politics and culture. Economists and historians have taken different perspectives on the analysis of capitalism. Scholars in the social sciences, including historians, economic sociologists, economists, anthropologists and philosophers have debated over how to define capitalism, however there is little controversy that private ownership of the means of production, creation of goods or services for profit in a market, and prices and wages are elements of capitalism. Economists usually put emphasis on the marketmechanism, degree of government control over markets, and property rights, while most political economists emphasize private property, power, relations, wage labor, and class.  The extent to which different markets are “free”, as well as the rules determining what may and may not be private property, is a matter of politics and policy and many states have what are termed “mixed economies”.

Corporatism is related to the sociological concept of structural functionalism. Corporate social interaction is common within related groups.  Corporatism, also known as corporativism, is a system of economic, political, or social organization that views a community as a body.  Formal corporatist models are based upon the contract of corporate groups such as agricultural, business, ethnic, military, scientific, or religious affiliations, into a collective body. One of the most prominent forms of corporatism is economic triparism involving negotiations between business, labour, and state interest groups to set economic policy. In contemporary usage, “corporatism” is often incorrectly used as a pejorative term against the domination of politics by the interests of private business corporations; however, such a system would be more accurately described as a form of corporatocracy. Corporatocracy (or corpocracy) is a form of government where corporations/conglomerates and/or government entities with private components, control the direction and governance of a country. Corporatist views of community and social interaction are common in many major world religions and Corporatism has been utilized by many ideologies across the political spectrum including; absolutism, capitalism, socialism, fascism, social democracy, conservatism and liberalism.  Meanwhile, the concept of corpocracy allows corporations to provide financial support to competing political parties and major political party candidates.  This allows the corporations to hedge their bets on the outcome of an election so that they are assured to have a winner who is indebted to them. As politicians are increasingly dependent on campaign contributions to become elected, their objectiveness on issues which concern corporate interests is compromised.

Realism is based on thoughts/deductions from the exercise of using common logic when studying real situations.  Direct realists might claim that indirect realists are confused about conventional idioms such as indirect perception.  An example of indirect perception is the media.   Optimism is defined as ” having hopefulness and confidence about the future or successful outcome of something; a tendency to take a favorable or hopeful view.” Pessimism is the opposite of optimism and is a state of mind that sees everything in a negative light.  The most common known example of optimism v/s pessimism is the age old question “Is the glass half full or half empty?”  Depending on one’s answer, it was decided if one was pessimistic or optimistic.  Obviously, the one who sees the glass as half full is optimistic while the one who sees it as half empty is pessimistic.  But, what about the one who simply sees 4 oz of liquid in a 8 oz glass? That is a realist! While optomists see things in an positive light and pessimists see things in negative light, the mildly discontented grey area in between in fact reflects the most accurate perception of reality.

“Pigs (3 different ones)” is track 3 on the Animals album, a concept album by Pink Floyd based on the fiction novel Animal Farm by George Orwell which tells the tale of farm animals rebelling against humans to form a social system called “animalism”.  In the preface of a 1947  edition of Animal Farm Orwell explained how escaping the communist purges in Spain taught him “how easily totalitarian propaganda can control the opinion of enlightened people in democratic countries.” In that preface Orwell also described what gave him the idea of setting the book on a farm by stating; “I saw a little boy, perhaps ten years old, driving a huge carthorse along a narrow path, whipping it whenever it tried to turn. It struck me that if only such animals became aware of their strength we should have no power over them, and that men exploit animals in much the same way as the rich exploit the proletariat.”

lyrics to “Pigs (3 different ones)”
Big man, pig man
Ha, ha, charade you are
You well heeled big wheel
Ha, ha, charade you are
And when your hand is on your heart
You’re nearly a good laugh
Almost a joker
With your head down in the pig bin
Saying ‘Keep on digging’
Pig stain on your fat chin
What do you hope to find
Down in the pig mine?
You’re nearly a laugh
You’re nearly a laugh
But you’re really a cry

Bus stop rat bag
Ha, ha, charade you are
You fucked up old hag
Ha, ha, charade you are
You radiate cold shafts of broken glass
You’re nearly a good laugh
Almost worth a quick grin
You like the feel of steel
You’re hot stuff with a hatpin
And good fun with a hand gun
You’re nearly a laugh
You’re nearly a laugh
But you’re really a cry

Hey you, Whitehouse
Ha, ha, charade you are
You house proud town mouse
Ha, ha, charade you are
You’re trying to keep our feelings off the street
You’re nearly a real treat
All tight lips and cold feet
And do you feel abused?
You got to stem the evil tide
And keep it all on the inside
Mary you’re nearly a treat
Mary you’re nearly a treat
But you’re really a cry

Keep it real

A relationship is rather mysterious and amazing entity in itself, and perhaps a deeper paradox than understanding an individual.  A person is real and can be affirmed at any moment, but a relationship is more difficult to apprehend or define.  In some cases, a relationship can prove far stronger than either individual involved.  Formed by the co-mingling of it’s partners energies (weaknesses, strengths, ideals…etc…) the relationship has it’s own personality.  Therefore, is it possible that what attracts us to someone is less who the other is and more what the relationship is? What we may be able to create together? Personally, as I grow … wiser … I feel that I have learned to focus more on this aspect.  Outside of the here and now, what can we become? I feel it is important to have a solid answer to this question or you could be doomed from the start.  Of course, no one can deny the sometimes dangerous chemistry we encounter when you ask yourself such questions that deserve solid answers, yet you can not justify your actions.

As everyone knows, not all relationships are easy.  There are many types of relationships you have throughout your life with people if only known briefly.  Your co-workers, fellow students, your boss, your clients, your hair dresser, and of course the people you love.  Relationships of any form are work.  Your relationship with your best friend is work, even if he/she is your best friend.  Maybe they make bad decisions you don’t agree with and it’s work sometimes to remain their friend when they make such decisions … but “keep it real”.  Tell them! “I don’t like your decision to sleep with your boss, but I still like you.  I’m not going to bombard you with advice because I know the real you so I will leave you to decide what is best.”  This is just one example and I made it up … so don’t go thinking I have a friend who’s doing their boss, okay!?!? Your relationship with your mother is work … well at least mine is.  It’s exhausting.  The most exhausting part of mine is “Keeping it real” because sometimes she doesn’t like the truth. But, I have learned not to lie to her because then I only get caught up in a web of lies and can’t keep up … and, well frankly she always knows the truth anyway and then I end up looking like a fool for not keeping it real.  But in romance, ahhh sweet romance, perhaps that is the hardest time to keep it real when it should be the easiest.

Naturally, the relationship that engages most interest is the much sought after romantic relationship.  Unfortunately, not all couples are suited to be in romantic relationships together.  Common love is based on illusion which is initially pleasurable but can ultimately end destructively.

I believe that love means different things to different people.  Just as different people have different tastes, styles, beliefs …etc…  Just as the way two different people may view a piece of art … seeing two different things perhaps even still different from what the artist intended.  Regardless of how one interperts love, all people are driven by the promise of love.

Most relationships are due to chance.  Whether you are related or working together or lovers, it was a twist of fate somewhere along the way that created your relationship.  To build a good relationship I believe you have to view it as if you are building and not working.  What you have to work with is what already exists, but building is a higher level of understanding.  What can we become? Can we build anything together? What is the value of what we can build? What steps will it take to build it? Ultimately, we all want to know if it will be worth the effort in the first place, but alas there are no guarantees.

Some things I have learned that are important blocks in the building process are: trust, respect, sharing, listening, understanding, and communication.  It is important to recognize when your partner is not helping you build, or when your partner is damaging what you have built.  Be aware of possessive behavior because it can be a negative foreshadowing or a disguise for guilt.  Not only do you want to give respect, but you should demand it for yourself as well … and know to act immediately when you are not receiving it.  Much can be learned from self observation.  If you find yourself in an argument, try to back down and observe your behavior.  Also, choose your fights carefully … Is this really necessary? What will we gain from this argument? Is this the right moment to argue this topic? Will we both feel differently tomorrow? And the ever important and often ignored need for space. People need space no matter how in love they are.  People need the freedom to do their own thing without being questioned.  Without this freedom, your construction will never be complete.

The truth will set you free even when you don’t like the truth.  I’m a firm advocate of “keeping it real” and I mean that in the best possible and most logical way.  I realize the term is slang, but the meaning behind it is still pure.  As a goodbye to a friend, “Keep it real”… it means don’t change.  Seriously, don’t change … don’t become someone you’re not.

More often than not, the precursor to a romantic relationship is based on a few falsities.  First of all, regardless of what you try to tell yourself (unless you are blind), you take interest in someone because of their appearance.  That is not a solid foundation, but it definitely is a necessity because if you are not attracted to someone than there is no long term hope.  Don’t get me wrong, though, there are those special few that attract you because of who they are in other ways and, while that is a better foundation, if you don’t eventually grow a physical attraction the relationship will be doomed in the long run.  However, there is always hope that you can grow a physical attraction to someone because of who they are rather than their looks.  I’ve been there, done that and it does work IF you are keeping it real!!! In fact, I have learned this type of physical attraction is far better than the norm.  You’ve heard that old joke where you look at someone hot and say “Somebody, somewhere is tired of putting up with his/her shit.”  Trust me, it’s true.  For the most part, the hotter they are – the more shit you have to put up with because, well … let’s face it … Hotties are high maintenance because they know someone else is just around the corner waiting to take your place in line for their attention.  Don’t blame me, I’m just keeping it real.

But the reason I’m writing this is to maybe help someone who is having a hard time in their relationship.  Bottom line is: you or your partner or both of you aren’t keeping it real.  As you grow older,  you will learn that is the main key.  But it’s not as easy as it sounds.  There’s a lot to keeping it real.

Say you’ve been together for 3 years or so, you know each other … you know the smell of his farts know each other … So when he takes a double glance at some young hottie in a tight dress across the room, you’re offended.  Don’t be! It’s human nature!!!! It’s that spark inside of him that keeps the fires burning and if you try to smother it you’re sure to lose him.  Let him look, and have a look yourself.  This WILL keep the passion burning in your personal relationship with him.  When I’m in this situation, I don’t get my feathers ruffled.  I watch him take his glance, then when he turns back to me I giggle about it.  This lets him know that I’m well aware of his wandering eye and I’m amused by it, not threatened.  Seriously, she may not want to get to know the smell of his farts the way that I have and if he’s willing to take that chance, well then we were not meant to be anyway … and probably he will end up smelling his farts alone.  Jealousy is deadly.  Don’t let it consume you.   If your partner is jealous, you should just get out now.  Why? Two reasons: First and foremost, it has been my experience that when someone is overly jealous it is usually spawned by the fact that they are actually doing something wrong and are paranoid and projecting their crime on you.  Oh how many times have I been accused of cheating by a cheater? I can’t even count.  But, after several accusations, I usually start studying harder to learn that Mr. Paranoid himself is cheating! Secondly, if your paranoid partner is not cheating then you’re just dealing with someone who is overly insecure which can lead to a whole bunch of baggage that you’ll be carrying around … for what? For nothing! Either way, get out of that shit because jealousy and paranoia lead to much bigger issues and I’m hoping you would rather just keep it real, right??

Now, let’s say your partner wants to know how many people you’ve slept with? Ouch! Don’t you hate that? But it always seems to pop up eventually and without any good reason.  Listen, I’m not telling you this … I’m not going to give you a false number or a real one because if we’re keeping it real, it really doesn’t matter.  The last thing I want to know about is my partner’s past.  It just opens up the door to too many insecurities that I don’t want to deal with.  He could very well be the one, but if I know too much about his past relationships I will always measure myself against them and never feel adequate and eventually I will personally destroy what could’ve been a good thing, so why bother?  Don’t ask questions that you wouldn’t want to answer honestly or that you wouldn’t want the honest answer to.  Seriously,  NO ONE answers this question honestly anyway … and NO ONE is ever happy with the answer anyway.  In this day and age most people start having sex in their teens, do you really want to know the truth? If you’re worried about disease, use protection instead of seeking out lies to make you feel safe.  If you’re worried about your worth, your question should be “How many times have you been in love?” Not all sex is love.  If it’s getting serious and you want to stop using protection, get tests instead of asking stupid questions and looking for your security in false answers.  KEEP IT REAL!!!

Don’t try to control everything.  If you’re in a relationship with a guy who loves sports and you hate it, don’t go with him to the sports bar to watch the big game only to find yourself miserable the whole time.  Let him go with his buddies while you do something you enjoy.  If you don’t trust him enough to go out without you, he’s not the one!!! If he’s trustworthy, he’s just watching the game, drinking some brew and will be eager to slip between the sheets with you after the party is over.  He’ll be even more eager than usual because you gave him space and trust.  Now, it IS a chance you have to take because there is always the possibility of cheating but if he does, then he wasn’t the one anyway and it’s best that you invested so little time rather than continued to invest time to learn this later.  By keeping it real, you find out the truth much earlier.  And, remember, the truth WILL set you free.  Chances are, f you are both mature adults, he will appreciate and desire you more if you give him the freedom to make his own decisions.  Now, if he starts deciding to be out more without you than with you  face it he’s just not that into you and you need to move on.  I’m using “him” as an example, but the same goes for the ladies.  A girl’s night out is just as important.  No one likes to have a ball and chain.  Most people who have a ball and chain are more apt to cheat because they just feel that urge to revolt even if they do love you.  Just like rebelling against controlling parents, something about the rebellion makes it all worthwhile even if it cost you something more valuable, like a relationship.  Being overbearing forces the rebellion, trust me!

And please, for the love of keeping it real, don’t talk in circles! You want something? Come out & say it! Don’t beat around the bush, candy coat it, hint around it or just assume your partner SHOULD know it and if he/she doesn’t than he/she doesn’t really love you.  Bullshit! If you want something, need something, have a problem with something, whatever the case may be … COME OUT AND SAY IT POINT BLANK.  Don’t give too much credit to the human race, we are not as smart as you’d like to think.  We need the full facts to handle the situation properly.  If you’re not getting what you want out of your relationship, you have no one to blame but yourself. Be straightforward and discuss openly what is on your mind.  You know what they say “Assume is spelled ASS U ME.  Assuming makes and ass out of you and me”.  So very true.  Keep it real.  Don’t assume.  If your partner doesn’t like what you have said, hear him/her out.  He/she may have a good reason, and you might just learn something.  If you don’t agree, like it or not, this relationship may not be the one for you.

Life is short, don’t waste time on being co-dependent or living a lie. The right person is out there for you as long as you keep it real!

When good times go bad

It was a special event.  The kind you dress up for.  The kind, when you’re an adult, is less frequent because you don’t have proms, dances or any of this anymore.  So, when you do get to wear a little black dress, strappy black stilettos, and pearls … when you do get to carry a little black sequined purse … well, it’s something to get excited about.  It was this kind of event.  Fine dining and champagne followed by 3^rd row seats (right beside the orchestra pit) for the Moody Blues at the Sanger in New Orleans.  The concert itself was not a dress event, mind you, but boasted the class of people who would dress for such an occasion and frankly if there’s even a hint at the opportunity to dress up, I’m all over it.  But, dressing up wasn’t the biggest issue.  Fine dining wasn’t the big issue (though one of the fastest ways to my heart). Wanting the night to be special wasn’t the biggest issue.  It was all about seeing a brilliant band playing with an orchestra in a beautiful, classic and personal setting that made it worth the anticipation.

I’m a huge concert goer, as you can plainly see from the likes of my page.  More commonly I attend such shows as Aerosmith, AC/DC, Ratt, Motley Crue, ZZ Top, and the like.  These types of shows are more frequent for one, and my taste is mostly based in that of rock and roll.  Though I do like a very wide variety of music, but most bands that I like do not tour.  Now, when I go to a good old fashioned rock show I expect good old fashioned rockers.  We’re all geared up in our best concert shirts, holey jeans and biker boots.  We’re ready for action.  We may get caught up in a brawl or have a draft beer spilled on us … and if we’re lucky that will be the worst of what lands on us.  But the Moody Blues is a very different scene.  You don’t expect Lynard Skynard fans at a Moody Blues show, but if they are there … those with diverse taste like myself … you expect them to act like me, or at least I do.  I expect that if someone has enough taste and intelligence to appreciate anything from Skynard to the Moody Blues then they know the very clear differences between songs like “Gimmie Three Steps” v/s “Tuesday Afternoon”.  Right?!? This would mean one would behave differently at a show boasting an orchestra in a beautiful theater v/s the behavior at a stadium filled with pot smoke and stacks of speakers.  But anyway…

Our group excitedly took our seats early enough to watch the orchestra practice.  We could actually read the sheet music from our seats.  It was so exciting.  This was our usual outing.  A group of 6 of us who are huge Moody Blues fans who get together and make a big night out of it each time they come.  This would be our third time to see them together over a 10 year span.  They don’t come often.  In fact this was about 12 years ago and I think they have only come to this area again once since then.  Anyway, we were all looking fancy and enjoying ourselves … anticipating the concert.  Now, please don’t think I’m judgmental or a snob … but I couldn’t help but be taken aback when the couple seated behind us arrived to take their seats.  They were both overweight and dressed in their best red neck rocker gear.  She was wearing a lovely Lynard Skynard T-shirt with the sides cut out so that is would hang slightly loose over her barreling bounds of pale white fat rolls, and clearly revealing her black lace bra from either side of the shirt.  She also boasted a tight, leather, mini-skirt with leather biker boots.  Her belly peered out from under her designer t-shirt, laying gently atop the waist of her skirt.  She struggled to squeeze into the theater seat probably as hard as she struggled to squeeze into that skirt.  Her date was a complementary match to her as he was also rather large, wearing a matching Skynard T, jeans and a blue jean vest with the sleeves cut off leaving frayed edges and a trucker hat (before that was the in thing to wear, mind you) that boasted a rebel flag.  Don’t get me wrong, their attire did not bother me nor did the fact that they were overweight.  Sure, they stuck out like sore thumbs, but appearance really means nothing to me.  It’s something I can look away from and not think twice about … which is exactly what I did.  I looked away and went back to anticipating a great show as our group discussed previous shows and took note of the playlist that we could clearly see.  As time passed, I couldn’t help but to overhear the couple behind us in their own chat about anticipation.  I’m not one to eavesdrop, well … not one to eavesdrop conversations that have nothing to do with me anyway (tee hee) but I couldn’t help but hear them as they excitedly discussed their most repulsive plan.  “No!” I cried in my mind “God help me, please let their plan fail miserably!” Now I know some of you crazy overly open minded people will say that I was being selfish or snobby for not wanting them to succeed … you may think I’m a prude, but seriously … I think there is a time and place for certain activities and sitting behind me at a Moody Blues concert is not the time or the place to have sex, which is exxxxxxxxxxactly what they were planning.  Oh how my stomach churned at the very thought of this unfolding.  You see, apparently, “Knight’s in White Satin” was a meaningful song to this couple and the whole purpose of them attending this concert was not to enjoy a beautiful musical event, but to make sweet love when the band preformed “Knights in White Satin.” They were not Moody Blues fans, they were just a couple with a plan to do something outrageous because it had a certain value to them and that was it! Period! Our group began to cringe as we all couldn’t help but hear their plan unfold in dirty, disgusting detail.  We all grumbled softly to each other, hoping they would change their minds about their public display of love during such a respectable event.

Of course, the show began without a hitch.  Fantastic as always, with the crowd in awe.  Our group was enthusiastically enjoying themselves, and whispering only a few comments here and there about how great the performance was.  Then, it happened … a song I once loved began to play.  I heard the couple shuffling into action behind us and cut my eyes to my buddy, Walt, seated beside me.  He shook his head and glanced at the floor.  As much as I struggled to continue to enjoy the performance, the sound of blubbering, sweaty fat smacking together with God awful moaning and groaning bellowed from behind … and an occasional thrust against the back of my seat throwing me forward.  It was unbearable.  Seriously unbearable! I don’t like the sound of anyone having sex …. Except, of course, myself! I don’t like it even more when I am at an event that I’ve paid quite a bit of money to enjoy … an event that I paid to listen to and enjoy … an event that I want to remember for being beautiful, not awful.   But it happened, none the less, and scarred me for life.  To this day, unfortunately, I can not hear “Knights in White Satin” without envisioning this hideous duo getting it on.  So, as a Moody Blues fan, people are often surprised when I say I don’t like “Knights in White Satin”.  “What?!?! How could you not like their biggest hit?!?!?!” They ask in shock.  Then I have to explain the painful story of when good times, like this, go bad … many laugh at my torrid tale, but if it were you who had to hear, smell and be consistently thrust forward in your seat by this revolting sexual act during such a beautiful song you too would no longer like the song.  (Trust me, the only thing worse than the sound of others having sex is the smell of others having sex!!)

Now I thought I would give you all a chuckle, and I know I’ve needed one because the news has been rather tragic lately where I live.  A topic I have chosen to avoid at this time here; the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.  If you have interest in this topic, you can read what I have written here: http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=48953274&blogId=533668062

But, in the meantime, I thought we’d have a little fun … so, Have you ever had a bad concert experience like this? I’ve been stepped on, puked on and such, but none of that really scared me quite like this.  Have you ever done anything like this? I’ve never had sex at a concert, maybe because I’m too consumed with the concert to be distracted by something as silly as sex.  Lol.  Have you ever been trapped in a situation where someone funky was having funky sex near you? Thank God this is the only time I’ve been in such a situation.  Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my painful recollection of this life changing experience … LOL

And for those who don’t know the song, here you go…