Paranoid?

I think a lot about paranoia. Mostly my own, but sometimes that expressed by others. This eventually leads to paranoia about how paranoid everyone around me is. It’s a very frustrating process.

I think paranoid thoughts about how, if some kid just got a hunting rifle and is tracking me as I walk and accidentally hits me? Did I lock the doors? I’m not paranoid so long as it’s not causing erratic behavior right? Is my behavior erratic?

Paranoia to me seems to be what mercury was to syphilis in the 19th century. In small amounts it’s good but over time it could cause some serious issues. And for your information yes, I am syphilis in that metaphor. See what I meant by serious issues?

Paranoia’s random strikes have led me to change some things around. For example, some time back I awoke from a dream about zombies and hooters waitresses (starring Woody Harrelson, long before Zombieland. He looked more like the guy he played in Kingpin) scared. So now I sleep with a machete under my mattress. Am I paranoid or just eccentric?

I try not to let it effect my life. There have been situations where I had wished I was more paranoid before hand. Have you ever been caught masturbating? Twice? In one day? By the same person? Certain personal details I will never share on this blog. Still, the experiences that leave me wishing I’d been more careful and yes, paranoid in hindsight are the ones that serve to reinforce my paranoid view of things more than anything.

What about you? Do you ever get paranoid? Or get paranoid that you’re too paranoid? What’s the biggest thing your paranoia kept you from and what’s the most you’ve gotten yourself worked up about? Leave a comment.

People Are Setting Themselves Back

In the past it’s been said both by, and about individuals that they’ve “set their people back.” Al Sharpton in particular comes to mind. This simply isn’t true. Thinking of all the poor black people out there under the poverty line who aren’t “overcoming” and blaming Al Sharpton doesn’t help anyone and it certainly doesn’t explain the success of Oprah.

Here is where I would cite an example of where people have claimed the Reverend has set his people back by a century or so. There are however too many to choose from. Where he seems to imply that nearly all violence (that gets media attention) of a black person hurt, killed, or joked about by a white person is somehow a sign of an unspoken and widespread racism that oppresses minorities and “keeps them in their place,” as it were. Just look into it yourself.

There are many poor white people out there who don’t “rise above” their circumstance. Do we blame Larry the Cable Guy as setting them back a few decades? No. Do you know why? Because it’s a mentality of complacency that keeps people where they are and not any single man’s ideas. The people who hold this mentality being attracted to one who vocalizes it doesn’t mean they are setting anyone back. Personal responsibility must be put on the people who subsribe to the ideas, not the public face of them.

This was the most expediant example, I’m not talking specifically about blacks. Within every ethnicity are people who fall to a defeatist attitude where circumstance receives the blame as opposed to the person taking responsibility. This is inherent in human society and no race, religion, sexual orientation or ideology is full of or free from people with this mentality.

No one can be blamed for introducing (perpetuating maybe) it either, because it’s already there. If any or anything deserves the blame, PEOPLE are setting themselves back. I’d argue a few millennia at that.

But why?

I’m tired of the religious argument that science can not answer the questions of ‘why we are here’ and ‘what is the meaning of life?’ when religion does not provide an answer either. If the meaning of life is to get to the afterlife, that’s a pretty shitty meaning. And that doesn’t answer “why” either. Why would a God put us here? Lonliness? So God went throught the trouble of creating us all to chill with (even with those angels) and then he doesn’t communicate with us? Does this all powerful all capable being who invented human language have social anxiety? I should hope not otherwise heaven would be a dull place. Negating the fact here that this supposedly perfect God also designed all creatures, 99% of all living things are extinct. What kind of half-assed design is that? What was the purpose of those creatures lives? Serving God? Isn’t that the same purpose as the lives of humans? So is the “why” to serve an absentee father figure who just happens to favor jews?

The only purpose in life is that which we choose and religion offers a convenient one for anyone who can’t find something they’re good at, or something they like enough to dedicate themselves to. Harmless to do, but when you decide that it’s the meaning for everyone’s life is when it becomes dangerous.

But I’m not saying anything new here.

An Update? An omen…

My god, I’m writing again. I’ve run out of stuff to say about politics really. I do intend to start writing more, posting what comes to mind. Don’t hold me to that however, because as with everything I do it will be whole-heartedly half-assed.

I’m exercising more, I’m eating less, reading more, I’ve attained my GED. Now do you understand? I’m too happy to write anything good.

So from this point, if you can expect me to write anything, expect it to be on new topics. I’ve hit bottom on the old ones it would seem.

Insane?

Ya know it’s odd how the world works. Some people are arguably crazy and incompetant to handle the responsibilities of being an upright human being, but are they insane?

You see, insane is a legal term. So John Hinkley with the voices and the disconnect from reality was both crazy and insane. We have thousands of people out there known as functioning schizophrenics. They work and live in society because their delusions don’t make them mentally incompetant as a human being, even if they are crazy. By that same token we have people with who aren’t crazy but legally would be considered insane for any criminal actions because, hey, they just can’t be held accountable.

I wonder, is it possible to be completely and totally BATSHIT CRAZY and still not be considered insane?

We should get Glenn Beck on it.

As salaam alaykum.

Jehovah’s Witnesses

This blog has never mentioned much about my personal life, however I felt it imperative to mention that I have gotten to know a lovely couple of jehovah’s witnesses. What is unusual about this particular pair is that it’s an asian man, and a black woman. Very kind people.

It’s made me think though, why is it that people make so much fun of Jehovah’s Witnesses? Most of you already share most of your beliefs with them, but yet you think they’re out there? Really?

You wanna call them crazy for not celebrating christmas, but you still believe in Noah’s Ark?

Didn’t Jesus once say something about taking the beam from out your own eye before trying to get the mote out of your own? Nah that must’ve been Ben Franklin.

Pascal’s Wager and My Metaphor.

Sometimes while talking to various kinds of believers they bring up some form of Pascal’s Wager. Usually I’ll answer with the truth about my feelings on the matter. I tell them “Well, you can pretend to believe that there is a God, but you can’t honestly say you do when you don’t. I see no reason why I would lie to myself and everyone around me, being unhappy out of some vague fear of punishment from a god I don’t believe exists.”

If they don’t claim that you actually do believe in God and are just denying him, then usually it satisfies their curiousity.

Now for anyone who doesn’t really believe in God, and is acting religious simply to “hedge your bets,” I have a question for you; 
What would you say if instead of someone asking you to join a church, they asked you to jump off of a bridge?

They seem confident, and maybe even happy. They say you won’t die by jumping, but if you jump off any other bridges you will. Now here’s the thing, no one has seen the bridge. You only get a description that someone else who never saw it gave a long time ago.

If everyone else was jumping off a bridge, would you?

Personally I’m of the view that we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.

As salaam alaykum.

Valentine’s Day; Tips for guys.

It’s Black History month, so you know what that means; Valentines Day is fast approaching. Matter of fact by the time you read this you’ll only have two days to shop for that gift. Well my fine feathered friend, you’ve come to the right place. 

 

Coming up with original gift ideas can be hard, luckily I’ve got a set of romantic evenings preplanned for all kinds of different girls.

The cheerleader/daddy’s little girl: Jewelry. Chocolate will throw her off that diet she has stayed on oh so rigourously since that pint of ice cream two hours ago. Disposable gifts do not impress this type of woman, it has to be something she can show off constantly. But you’re going to have to get a dozen flowers anyway to set the anticipation for the 3 months of pay you’re going to put around her neck.

The holistic chick/vegan: Whatever you get her, make sure it’s not a fur coat. Perhaps a coupon printed on eviromentally friendly paper for incense, or a subscription to “hemp digest.” She might also appreciate some red paint for the next PETA rally.

The Jewish Girl: Impress her with your frugality by explaining St. Valentine’s day is a christian holiday.

The Reader: While this girl might appreciate books, unless you have intimate knowledge of what she has and has not read, don’t buy her a book. This is a woman who constantly reads and probably finds herself lost in fantasies of the most romantic type, the cliche of flowers, champagne, and a candlelit dinner would suit well if you’re willing to dress up and put in the effort.

The Conspiracy Theory/Anarchist Chick: This girl might be a vegan, and maybe even a reader, but above all else she hates capitalism. Instead of going out and celebrating Valentine’s day in all it’s soulless materialist splendor, why not Tivo the history channel’s documentary on the St. Valentine’s day massacre? The two of you can curl up in a romantic embrace on your fouton or whatever the hell it is you people have in your apartments.

The Sporty chick/softball player: A jockstrap.

The Slut: A flower you stole from your REAL girlfriend’s bouquet and some sex.

The chick with kids and/or your wife: A babysitter and oral. A foot rub will probably be appreciated as well.

The hiphop girl: Both Chris and Bobby Brown have dated some of the hottest women out there, so they must be doing something right!

 

Well there they are. I hope this list helped you out this black history month. If you couldn’t find your type of girl on the list leave a comment and I’ll try to find something for ya.

As salaam alaykum

A Clusterfuck Unseen Since the Orgies of Caligula.

If you’ve been following the news at all in the last month, you know that there’s a bit of a scuffle going on in the land of oil and sand.
Also, if you’ve been paying particularly close attention to the news about that region at all for the last 60 years, then you probably know that both sides aren’t without a right to be angry.
Hamas’ actions aren’t justified because of previous injustices; and at the same time Israel is really not helping the manner with the treatment of the people in Gaza. It’s hard to find a moral ground here for either side. Unless you’re a zionist there’s no real reason to say you fully support Israel, but at the same time firing rockets at innocents isn’t a way to accomplish your goals.

However, using my flawless logic, I’ve reached a conclusion regarding which side is right in this scenario; neither.
The obvious conclusion is that they’re both wrong. Hamas can’t accomplish anything with a few rockets (as peace isn’t their goal), and Israel’s strategy not just now, but for as long as I’ve been able to remember, if not void of, has been barren in the realm of humanitarian aid.

As much money that the U.S. and other western nations pour into their government and the U.N. has to come to the aid of the Palestinians in Gaza? I wonder how many sandwiches you could get by pawning a single $200,000 missile?

Anyway, as salaam alaykum and shabat shalom.

Girl Power!

Women are an enigma I tell you. Concubines of contradiction, muses of mixed messages. What I mean by this is, most (there are obviously exceptions, as there tend to be) either don’t know what they want, can’t communicate what they want, or have been socially conditioned to want something else.

Getting out of the kitchen? Fantastic. Entering the workforce? Good on ya. Demanding to get the same kind of respect as a man does; well hold on just a minute.

You can not ‘demand’ to be respected by men the same way they respect each other. That’s like a child demanding their parents give them a pony. Respect is a gift to be given and typically it is earned through actions, not because you feel entitled to it. If you truely deserve the respect you think you do, it’ll come through in your actions, and you’ll get it. If not then go away or grow up.

Now we have so many people being raised by incompetant fathers, overbearing mothers, and other such things that teach a man to ‘always respect women’ which is fine, but more often than not gets interpreted as “girls are better than you and you should worship them.” With this information embedded into their minds from cradle to. . . college, is it any wonder that so many men are awkard, shy, with skewed concepts of relationships? How many sitcoms have centered around a bumbling father and the do-it-all mom that single-handedly takes care of everything while trying to avoid her husband screwing it up?

More than you can count.

But many many guys are raised on this stuff, this is what they’re taught reality is like, they’ll see a guy like James Bond, but by the time they’re old enough to understand the interaction it’s too late. They already relate too much to the balding pudgy father on Still Standing to learn anything on their own from 007.

All these things, and then women complain that they “want a real man,” “I can’t find a real man,” “Where have all the real men gone?”

Real men are a dying breed, it’s not for lack of sex, but lack of guidance. Those real men that are extant, it seems they’re so rare these days that chances are he’s out of your league. Between raising your sons to be “nice guys” instead of men (nothing wrong with manners, but there’s a fine line between gentleman and doormat) and all the mature women partnered with idiot husbands in movies and TV, where could all these guys possibly have gone wrong!

“All women are Goddesses,” wonderful sentiment, but then guys start to worship women. Sounds nice in your head, but once you experience it you just see it as pathetic.

And you wonder where all the real men have gone?

As Salaam Alaykum.