Wednesday, October 20, 2010

It Gets Purple and It Gets Better




Here's me being purple, because I do stand up for the treatment of GLBT persons as, well, people. I don't think anyone should be bullied, I don't think anyone should be discriminated against and I don't think anyone should be made to feel so desperate and hopeless that they believe death to be the only solution.

I'm not gay, but I have been bullied. Relentlessly. Mercilessly. My entire childhood sucked up into the despair and pain of being bullied.

If you are being bullied, I have been where you are. If you think life will never get better, I've thought that, too. If you think that suicide might be the only way out, well, been there, got the scars on my wrists to prove it.



That was an attempt at a permanent solution to a temporary problem.



Thing is, I'm still here. I'm here because it gets better. So much better you'll have a hard time believing me.






I found love. I found friends who accept me exactly as I am. I cosplay at Starbucks on a Tuesday and I don't care who laughs at me, because I'm having fun. I laugh all the time now. I'm poor and chronically ill and partially disabled- and life is good.






Thing is, high school is bullshit. If high school were the best years of your life, you have a very sad life. High school isn't life. High school is a pressure cooker of crazy. The only good thing is high school ends. And then? You're free to go. You're free to move somewhere else, to never see bullies again, to find people who love you.


And you will. Find people who love you, that is. I know this seems impossible, in the tiny little world that is high school, but the world is a big place. There are over 6,000,000,000 people on this planet and trust me, at least a few of them will get you immediately. At least a few will think you're the coolest, awesomemest, bestest person they've ever met. I know, it seems impossible now, but it will happen. I swear to you, it will get better.

I never think of the bullies anymore, unless I'm reading or writing about bullying. I don't worry what people think of me anymore. So what? Yeah, I wear a Jaegermonster sigil every day, at work, to the store, where ever. You think that's weird? Too bad, it makes me happy. That's how good life gets, I don't have to care what anyone thinks, I have friends who think it's awesome that I'm weird. I get to go home and hang out with people who love me. Bullies? After high school, they don't matter.

So hang in there. It gets better. If you are thinking of suicide, please call 1-800-273 TALK. Right now. If you need encouragement, there are thousands of videos from people who have been in your shoes, and all of their lives are better. If you need me to write you a hundred more essays on how much better it gets, I'll do that, too. Just ask. I don't know you, but I do care. Please, stay alive. It gets better.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Intellectual Chador

(h/t to Marzie for giving me the phrase "intellectual chador". I thought it was Cynical Nymph, but only because I think of you as being equally awesome.)

I should disclose right now that I am a musician*, that I love a musician and that I can't imagine a day not filled with music. There is music in my head when I wake up, when I go to sleep and there is always music in my house.

Music is essential to the human soul**. Notice I didn't say "in my opinion". Every culture produces music, every child sings and dances, music is what we are.

So of course fundamentalism demands a restriction of music, as it demands a restriction of every joy, of every facet of humanity. Do you enjoy it? fundamentalism asks. Then it is evil. Get rid of it. Get rid of every joy, every love, every beautiful thing. Only then are you worthy.

Fuck worthy, I need a beat I can dance to. I need a chord progression that rolls my eyes back in my head, a lyric that makes me feel- anything.

So let me ask you something…are you listening to music just because the sound is pleasing to you or are you listening to it because the words are God-glorifying, worshipful, praise words, your prayer to your Savior, etc. Many times we let ourselves listen to music that is pleasing to our flesh, but is it the kind of music that God would want us to be listening to? Would you listen to it if He was listening to it with you? Is it glorifying Him or you?

Music is a powerful thing. Don’t let it get a hold of you. Be sure you control what you are listening to, and not the other way around. Music and songs will stay with you for the rest of your life. Don’t scar your minds with songs that you will later regret listening to. [emphasis mine]

If you don't let music "get a hold of you", then you aren't experiencing music. You might as well buy a large quantity of black fabric, because you've already got an intellectual chador on. Hell, you've put a chador on your soul.

I really can't imagine anything sadder.





*The damage to the nerves and joints in my hands is to severe to allow for playing an instrument seriously, but I am still a musician.

**Common usage of the word.

If You See My Brain, Let Me Know

As I read this discussion amongst raptards, my brain slipped out through my ear and ran away screaming. I can't say I blame it. (If you'd like to make your own brain run away screaming, consider that the following people vote.)


If you were the next elected President of the United States, what would you do fix the current problems facing Americans, and America, today?

At what point can America and Americans be separated?

I would get rid of the IRS. I would either do away with income tax entirely, OR, have a small amount that is paid by people with incomes greater than $50,000.00, something along the lines of 5%. No income tax forms to fill out at the end of the year. A value tax on most items, but not groceries, prescriptions, or medical services.

So . . . who's collecting that "small tax" and how will they differ from the IRS? How will you run the country without taxes? Hopes and dreams?

Remove as much government bureaucracy as possible. I'd love to hear examples from others on this one.

As I have none of my own. I'm not even sure what government bureaucracy is, just that Glenn Beck says it's bad.

Make it as easy as possible for people to start businesses, and stay in business.

Um, okay. Got something other than platitudes?

I'd get Dave Ramsey's message across to all Americans.....get out of debt, and stay out.

*headdesk*

What would you do to help our country get back on track, and make it better than ever?

First response:

The current income tax may still be workable, but we need to eliminate all the deductions (loopholes) and set the rates accordingly. Maybe the flat tax with variable rates would be better. I'm sure we could run all the data through a computer to get an unbiased opinion.

A variable flat tax, huh? Also, computers- how do they work?

Declare a one year income tax holiday for all small business owners making less than $$$ (to be determined). Perhaps a 50% off deal the second year, if necessary. That won't directly help the average Joe already working, but it sure could go a long way to putting 15 million people back to work.

And you will be replacing those tax dollars with what? Love? Maybe we can ask the computer, it has an unbiased opinion.

We also need to make it mandatory for every parent to actively participate in the educational process of their children from K thru 12. I would make Bill Cosby the Education Czar with broad, sweeping powers. I'm tired of hearing mothers shouting, "They shot my Johnny. We have to stop this." We can. Get involved with your kids and know what they are doing. Teach them pride in being productive citizens and they'll want to get an education.

I think that may be racist, but how? How will you make people involved and how are you defining "involved"? How will you enforce that? More bureaucracy?

Next up:


I'd start with a zero based budget. In other words, there is no "you got $x last year, so this year you'll get that plus a little extra." There would be a lot of "is this program really necessary?" My guess is 99 times out of a 100 the answer would be no.

Bet that hundredth time is the military, right? Does anyone at Rapture Ready have any clue what the government does for them every day? No, of course they don't. They want to build their own roads and direct their own air traffic and eat tainted meat. It's what Jesus would want!

But wait, there's more!

The first thing I would do is declare a mandatory (temporary) evacuation of all muslims in the workplace.
I'd send an ARMY to keep the border safe and then, I would have a little "Come to Jesus" meeting with America and try to steer them back to Jesus.

So you think Hitler was right, just a little off on the details. These people vote. They vote!

Reminding me that Hitler didn't work alone:

This short list in no way covers everything I would do, though the few things I mention would have to be executed gradually.

1. Flat tax across the board.

2. Slash government down to 1/4 it's current size. Shrink IRS down to a very small size and eliminate the EPA except for the regulatory part that works to keep our land clean. These reductions would be well-calculated and targeted throughout the different governmental roles. Government reduction is the most important part of everything because this is where the greatest offset will occur.

3. Eliminate death tax, capital gains, FICA, and eventually Soc Security with its taxes.

4. Businesses no longer required to provide healthcare - that should be an independent purchase by the consumer.

5. Balanced budget amendment.

I can sum that up as: I hate the poor and want them all to die.

He's not the only one.


No more progressive income tax. Everyone across the board would pay 13% flat tax no matter what your income is. Businesses and corporations would be tax exempt because this will open up more revenue, and would make the US the largest tax haven in the world.

Poor people, I hate them. A lot. It's weird, I swear Jesus had something to say about the poor. Apparently, it was, "Starve them to death and dance on their wasted corpses."

Someone doesn't understand where money comes from.

Find a way to bring healthcare other than the emergency room to all Americans. Especially the working poor who cannot afford even a doctors office visit or insurance.

Fucking government spending! How does it work?

Limit law enforcements power to stick their nose in everybodys business and limit their power to actual crimes which actually hurt other people.

Fucking law enforcement! How does it work?

Sticking with the ICP theme, we have:

Amend the Constitution: It is illegal for any congress/president to sacrifice national sovreignty.
Administrations may establish protocols for international dealings, but such protocols must be readopted by each succeeding administration or they become null and void.

Fucking international relations! How do they work? Seriously, if the entire world knows that every treaty with the US has an expiration date of, at most, 4 years in the future, are they likely to want to deal with us?

Cut spending, bureracracy, waste. Call in the Marines if its too difficult.

Somebody's been watching too much Rambo.

Move the UN off of US soil and advise islam to take their argument up with God. As for US, we know which side of the Bread is buttered. Israel has put up with enough. Islam does not want peace, open your eyes and look.

Yes, that will solve everything!

These are serious ideas from people who vote. Be afraid, be very afraid.

Monday, October 18, 2010

No Matter How Many Times You Say It

It doesn't make it true. Yes, there are atheists in foxholes. They have a website, in fact. I would imagine that not all listed atheists are always in foxholes, but a certain percentage of them are at any given time.

MAAF maintains a roster of Atheists in Foxholes, just in case there are any rumors that we don't exist. The next time you hear someone repeat that old myth, just send them here to see how atheists have served honorably in combat - always have, always will.


Every time I see that line "there are no atheists in foxholes" I want to climb on down into the internet and emerge, Samara style, from the offender's monitor and force them to write "There are indeed atheists in foxholes" 1,000 times. Get writing, Larry Gatlin of The Audacity of Logic!

It's said that there are no atheists in fox holes. I would add... or in a coal mine if you are there for 69 days.

Allow me to explain group dynamics to you, Larry (may I call you Larry? Oh, good.) If I were trapped in a mine, I would try to avoid any divisive discussion. It's not like there's anywhere to go to get away from arguments. If I could not avoid the topic of religion, I would be noncommittal. Again, you can't get away from these people. If things get ugly, and discussions of religion frequently do, there's nowhere to go. I certainly wouldn't point out that god trapped us in the mine in the first place.

Anyway, if pressed with evangelization, I would "accept Jesus Christ as my lord and savior". Quite frankly, trapped in a small place for that long, I'd agree to anything to avoid dissension. I'd agree my mother was a Martian and I'm the reincarnation of a small butterfly that lived for exactly one day in June of 1574. Who cares?

Anyway, I'm not sure what it proves that miners in Chile found a certain type of religion. It certainly doesn't speak to anything I would or would not do, or what any other person would or would not do. Chile is heavily Catholic, so in reality, one type of Christian became another type of Christian.

Yippee.

Wear Purple on Wednesday

These children deserved better. Let's give it to the others who remain.

This Wednesday, please wear purple in support of the 6 LGBT teens who committed suicide in recent weeks. (Yes, this is real, not a Facebook meme.)

It’s been decided. On October 20th, 2010, we will wear purple in honor of the 6 gay youth who committed suicide in recent weeks/months due to homophobic abuse in their homes at at their schools.


Purple represents Spirit on the LGBTQ flag and that’s exactly what we’d like all of you to have with you: spirit.


Please know that times will get better and that you will meet people who will love you and respect you for who you are, no matter your sexuality. Please wear purple on October 20th. Tell your friends, family, co-workers, neighbors and schools.RIP Tyler Clementi, Asher Brown, Seth Walsh, Justin Aaberg, Raymond Chase and Billy Lucas. You are loved.


Join this event and invite everyone. Don’t let their deaths be for nothing. Let it mean something, and let’s do something to change this country for once.

Hey, it's a pretty colour and you'll be taking a stand. What could be better?

Sunday, October 17, 2010

WOW Is About to Get That Much More Annoying

Dark elves apparently frequent Country & Western bars.

I played WOW* for about 5 minutes, and I spent that entire time dancing, but for the love of gaming, does absolutely everything have to be about evangelism? Honestly, just because you have no life and no other interests, doesn't mean the rest of us don't.


I am exploring creative ways to evangelize in the dark corners where few people tread with the Gospel.

One of those, is in the realm of MMORPG, specifically, World of Warcraft. I've started low-level characters on a couple of the RP (Role play) servers. Some of these are Priests, and so it's natural for them to talk like, well, Priests!! (I don't know why I didn't think of this before, it's working brilliantly!) I get to share the Gospel and I've had some positive responses!

OK so another avenue I want to exploit is the fact that World of Warcraft is going to be going through a huge change in November.... the game "world" is going to change drastically, and they call this game update "Cataclysm". Interesting, with everything going on in the real world, that this is being brought about in-game. Well, I'm not going to let this go to waste!!

Those of you who have seen The Princess Bride will remember the scene where Andre the Giant wears a Holocoaust Cloak and spooks the guards at the castle... he's muttering some sort of weird doom scenario... so I want to replicate that. I have a character with the perfect outfit (cloak and hood) and I want a script about the upcoming *real* Cataclysm, to tell about the truth of the Rapture... people will disappear.... tribulation is coming.... one world government, the AC, the MOTB, all of that stuff, and that there is still time to repent while it is today.


And The Princess Bride? Is nothing sacred?

Also, isn't it always today?



*World of Warcraft. It wasn't for me, but the dancing is awesome.
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Forever in Hell by Personal Failure is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Based on a work at foreverinhell.blogspot.com.