Ms. Manners asks How Rude are you?

How rude are you when commenting on someone’s blog, or on an article you’ve read?

I remember some of the FLAME Wars that would erupt on the IRC channels. Those would get downright vicious and sometimes so brutal the IRC channel would be killed because people simply got tired of reading one venomous message after another.

I’ve seen Flame emails start and persist for DAYS at some companies where I’ve worked.

The best of these usually revolved around someone accidentally sending a message to “ALL” then all hell would break loose.

Often some “Kind” soul who knew much better than anyone else how the email system was to be used, volunteered to tutor the miscreant who dared to send to ALL.

I actually looked forward to these events because they were a great way to figure out who in the company to avoid at all costs. I mean if people are wrapped so tightly that they over-react to a simple mistake, it’s probably best that I not interact with them EVER.

The funniest part of these flame wars was that inevitably the “Kind Hearted” superior soul would chastise the miscreant and would do it BY REPLYING TO ALL.

This would lead to a furball where a bunch of other people would get really snippy and hostile. Particularly if they were part of the effete corporate Blackberry class. Apparently, the folks the company provided with Blackberries were simply TOO important to turn the machine off when they went to bed.

The strangest part of the intra-corporate flame war is that there is no anonymity.

A corporate directory will tell you exactly who someone is and who they work for. And yet all sense of decorum would fly right out the window.

At one company, the CEO sent a message to ALL that said simply, “This is the last email about this subject, the next one of you that hits REPLY ALL is fired!”

I’m sure some idiot hit REPLY ALL after the CEOs message.

If people in a corporate setting where there is no anonymity are willing to flame each other publicly I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised at the verbal violence we see when people can comment anonymously.

I used to think that rude comments and flame wars were a function of the “newness” of the media being used. All of us have sent one of those ill consid

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ered emails at least once. Usually we learn

Lately, I’ve been reading lots of blogs, and newspapers online lately. People not only HAVEN’T changed, I think they’ve gotten worse.

A blogger that I read with some frequency posted a very eloquent article recently about this issue.

His blog describes events in his life. These events are in his past, EVEN if the event he writes about happened only two hours ago.

He’s apparently received highly caustic comments regarding his life choices, relationships, and sexual proclivities. People feel the need to sit in judgement of him while they’re reading HIS blog where he’s voluntarily sharing his life with the world. It’s not like these folks don’t know what they’re going to read about. They’re not being coerced in any way to read what he has to say.

This blows my mind!

I’ve occasionally opened my mouth metaphorically in newspaper or blog comment sections. I have also attempted to refute some of the most hateful statements others made.

Most recently, I opened my mouth on a newspaper in Miami. The article was about Marine kiss in Hawaii. I was astounded at the things people thought were appropriate to say. Then as I read further, I couldn’t help myself… I opened my mouth. Several people took offense at what I has to say and I responded politely to their concerns.

I’ve been wondering lately if this really is getting worse or if its my perception.

Will be gone all day today

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Figured that I better get a blog entry prepped.

I’m going to visit a friend. I SOOO need to get away if only for a few hours.

I’m dealing with a bit of cabin fever. With the price of gas as high as it is, I’ve not been going too many places. I’ve certainly not been spending any gas that I didn’t need to.

On the one hand, I’ve been saving money. On the other hand… I’m going stir crazy in isolation.

The subtle signs are that when I actually do go somewhere I’m grinning the whole way there and back. It doesn’ matter if I’ve got the top of the car up or down, It’s freedom! It’s a new view and I’m stimulated by it. Another sign is that I’ve bought some music that would make great driving / traveling music.

The Chromatics is the latest acquisition. Yeah… gotta drive playing their music.

I’ve packed my camera, and a few other items in case I see something that’s photo-worthy.

Changed a bunch of Lightbulbs yesterday to the new LED lights. In the process I busted an insert in the fixture. I’m taking that along with me in case I see a Home Depot or Lowes and feel like stopping.

The problem is cabin fever is that to a point you’re productive and take care of little projects. But beyond that point you slip down the slope to depression and you just don’t give a damn about much of anything. The shit will STILL be there tomorrow and if it’s gets moved today, tomorrow, or next week it really doesn’t matter.

The problem is that feeling like that feeds further depression and then it starts coloring all kinds of things in your life. Within a short time the cycle is feeding on itself and growing worse.

Today is going to be a mental health day. New view, good conversation, & probably a good drink or two. I think it will be good to talk with my friend I’ve gotten the impression that he’s in a similar headspace. If true then we may be able to help each other out and give each other direction as only interaction with someone you know well can.

 

Oh Yeah, NOT RACIST AT ALL

The Christian Science Monitor had an interesting article Monday.

With the ongoing controversy over the Trayvon Martin case, The article questions whether the Rev Al Sharptons call for sanctions against Sanford FL cross the line.

In a word…

YES!

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I have a number of problems with Rev Sharpton, and Rev. Jesse Jackson. Personally I think that they are the most racist public figures in America.

These men, in my opinion are right up there with any Skinhead, White Supremacist, Neo-Nazi, and possibly surpass the Klu Klux Klan in their racist behaviors. (Well maybe not… Burning images of Malcom X in white peoples lawns is really tough. The stencil work alone is a bitch.)

Now that I’ve made that extremely controversial statement, let me attempt to back it up.

Here’s Al Sharptons Wikipedia Page. It makes for some interesting reading.

Sharpton has been at the CENTER of quite a few racially motivated riots and other violence. For a so called man of peace, a Minister, and a Man of God… He’s apparently missed the memo from Jesus Christ to seek Peace.

Wikipedia calls his involvement in riot after riot “Activism“. I call it nothing less than incitement to violence and in several cases he engages in “Hate Speech” by any definition.

This man, were he White would be censured and censored.

He would be painted as a crazy, racist, anti-semitic, homophobe. The news media would dismiss him with a condescending “Tut Tut” and that would be the end of it.

However Because Al Sharpton is BLACK, he is allowed to occupy the public stage.

He’s permitted much wider latitude and his opinions granted much more weight because of his race. That’s racist on the part of the American Media, Sharpton himself is racist because regardless of the actual circumstance he will play the victim card and bang the “We’re so oppressed” drum.

Don’t you think for one minute that Al Sharpton doesn’t start every day on his knees praying for events like the Trayvon Martin case.

Think about it. Al Sharptons JOB is to trade on the simmering racism extant in America.

Before you assume I’m talking about white vs black racism take a deep breath and realize I’m talking about racisim from African Americans. Just because you’ve got more melanin in your skin than someone else doesn’t give you an automatic pass. Any racial group can be racist.

His donation income must skyrocket after any event in which he can grandstand and point to the evil white fuckers trying to keep African Americans down.

Angry Black people send their hard earned money to him in support of this or that cause, and all the while Sharpton collects his “salary” from that money and lives in a very nice home in New Jersey. All he has to do is trot out the “We are downtrodden, oppressed, victims of the Bastard White man” argument 4 or 5 times a year and the rest of the time he can sit home watching The View.

Jesse Jackson is surprisingly better than Sharpton. (I honestly thought Jesse Jackson was exactly the same as Al Sharpton. After reading his Wiki Bio I’ve discovered that I was wrong.)

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Jackson has been at the center of a number of situations where racial tension was increased by his comments however his record is not as “Activist” as Sharptons. Mr. Jackson has done irreparable damage to a number of individuals based on accusation alone.

The case of the Duke Lacrosse team comes to mind. Jesse Jackson and many other African American leaders demanded the arrest of 3 White… (European American) men for a rape that never occurred.

It was only AFTER many months, the destruction of 3 mens college careers and possibly their lives, and damage to Duke universities reputation itself that the prosecutor dropped the rape charges.

Before the charges were dropped OVERWHELMING evidence had to be presented that showed at least one of the accused wasn’t even at the house where and when the Rape was supposed to have occurred. But the lacrosse players WERE arrested without evidence simply to appease the black community. This affair is completely contrary to the rule of American law which states innocent until proven guilty.

Jesse Jackson NEVER apologized to the men he tried to railroad to jail, and he never will.

Now Jackson and Sharpton are doing their level best to elevate their donations and their careers by destroying a town in Florida. They don’t care who they hurt as long as the town demographic is less than 50% African American. They figure “Whitey gonna take it up the ass.” Jackson and Sharpton get more media attention and with it, more money.

These guys have figured out how to make racism pay.

I find it ironic is that these African American leaders are inciting a LYNCH mob mentality in the Trayvon Martin event.

That they are doing this in Florida is all the more ironic.


In Miami, FL 1935 a homeless African American man whose only crime was knocking on doors to ask for food was arrested and subsequently removed FROM police custody. This man was lynched by a mob of white people with no due process, no charges filed and no trial. Some of the people in the mob were clearly visible in photographs taken during the lynching. None of them were ever prosecuted for the murder.

It is the Miami case and other horrific cases that my Mom pointed to when she was trying to teach me how wrong racism is.

My Mom didn’t make distinctions about who did what to whom, she simply said that “when people make distinctions, creating an US versus THEM mentality, bad things happen.”

No-one is immune from racism and all of us must try to recognize and curb racism wherever and whenever we see it. Now, I suspect that my mom would expand the lesson examples to include the murders of a gay couple in WIlton Manners Florida and Matthew Shepard.

The lesson is the same either way.

It’s a pity that these African American leaders weren’t taught the same broader lesson my Mom managed to teach me.

Then again, MY INCOME doesn’t come from fomenting conflict.

GET A FUCKING CLUE AMERICA!

This society is increasingly becoming what can only be characterized as nothing less than a Theocracy.

Our politicians are pandering to this small group of venomous, treasonous, despicable people, at the exclusion of more mainstream centrist positions.

Venomous due to the vitriol spewing from their mouths in a never ending stream.

Treasonous because they seek to create exceptions in the constitution and bill of rights that exclude specific groups.

Despicable because they seek to hide the true nature of freedom from many today, and all of our children and grand children tomorrow.

And while many of you sit thinking “I’m not a Woman, Single, or Gay, this doesn’t matter to me”

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This Theocracy isn’t just about oppressing one group of people. This group is about oppressing everyone with differing beliefs.

Take a very good hard look at the recent spate of proposed reproductive controls. Women were in the NOT TOO distant past considered chattel. If just a few of these reproductive controls gain ground due to religious fervor, then we could easily be on the slippery slope to “the good ‘ol days again

What happens when for religious reasons your company refuses to allow your insurance company to pay for birth control?Your wife ends up pregnant at least once every 18 months.

How about refusing to rent to you because you’re not a member of their church in good standing? “Oh, you’re going to have to rent from the Lutheran down the road a piece”

Removing anti-discrimination protection only works if every single member of a community is treated equally AND enjoys equal protection under existing law.

We know that isn’t the norm. Differing ethnicities, genders, cultures and sexual orientations fought to put anti-discrimination law on the books BECAUSE they didn’t enjoy equal protection.

A womans right to choose. A womans right to vote. African Americans right to marry. A single womans right to rent or own property. A gay persons right to live un-molested. All these rights came about because someone fought to codify them in law. Technically these rights existed already but abuse and narrowing definitions of the Class that enjoyed these freedoms forced legal precedents that resulted in law that specifically and unequivocally said for example; “A Woman may VOTE.”

Right now a brutal, cruel Theocracy is trying to undermine the freedoms that we all are entitled to.

Kansas and Arizona are two states where this Theocracy is winning

Few people ever think about how discriminatory laws might be used to affect them until they find themselves out of a job because their boss saw a picture of their 3rd boyfriend or girlfriend in a month on Facebook.

How about being fired because your girlfriend tweets “God, he was such a gentle lover, despite his large size, I sooo want to sleep with him again.

Guess what? You’ve both sinned in the eyes of the High Minded religious wonders.

You’ve committed Adultery! The Taliban in Afghanistan will stone a woman for that. That’s after all, the Old Testament punishment right? “The wages of sin is death

The point I’m belaboring is this:

When you allow “Moral” judgements from Religion to dictate the law of the land. You’ve destroyed everything that the founding fathers sought to create.

It wasn’t freedom of religion… It was freedom FROM Religion if that is your choice.

Thanks to Michael in Norfolk for the priceless image of the boot with Uncle Sam.

LA City Council Socialist Resolution

The LA City Council has recently demonstrated just how little they understand the freedoms insured by The Constitution and Bill of Rights.

This time they’ve decided not only what hate or sexist speech is but that somehow they can implement socialist controls on the local public airwaves. Unfortunately this dumbass resolution was voted on, and approved.

In One “Man on the street” interview a young lady said that this resolution is to “HELP” the radio station be “better”. I found her characterization interesting because of its similarity to dictators “Helping” people understand by placing them in re-education camps.

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This resolution is in reality targeted at a specific radio station in the Los Angeles region. KFI 640 AM.

Further, this resolution is aimed at Radio Hosts Jon and Ken. These guys are controversial and in the past month or two have drawn criticism for expressing their opinions about current events in particular about Whitney Houston. (Based on the coroner’s report saying that Ms. Houston had Cocaine in her system It appears they were actually right.)

Personally I think John & Ken are idiots. Some of the stuff they’ve said offended me on a number of subjects and as a result I don’t listen to their moronic show or their opinions. That being said, I have to defend their right to free speech and their rights to be idiots for entertainment purposes.

The LA City Councils response is a direct threat to the right to free speech.

Instead of seeking to squelch opinions that they disagree with, the LA City Council should be protecting the right to free speech.

The concerned council members should be appearing on radio shows to present the opposing view. After all they have the right to be heard too.

The Council members sponsoring this resolution are all African American. They are Bernard Parks, Jan Perry, and Herb Wesson Jr.

It could be argued that they are pushing their agenda because of an offensive comment that John and Ken made about Whitney Houston. (Yes I believe that the comment was offensive and disrespectful to the deceased and her family)

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I think Rush Limbaugh got named as part of the resolution in a poorly veiled attempt to legitimize what would otherwise have been seen as simply African Americans in power leaping to “St. Whitneys” defense.

It was well known Whitney Houston had a very long history battling substance abuse.

Sadly this is often the price performers pay for their fame. This is an unfortunate reality and Ms. Houston had been addicted to crack, among other things for many years.

John & Ken characterized her as a crack “HO” on-air after her death. In my opinion the “HO” remark was uncalled for, unnecessary, and certainly unkind to Ms. Houstons family and friends.

However the other comments attributed to John & Ken aren’t necessarily out of line. They referred to Ms Houston as “cracked out for 20 years.” One of the pair then said, “Then you find out she’s dead and it’s like, really, it took this long?‘” Yes their comments are insensitive but not untrue.

I doubt seriously that anyone would be upset if something similar is said about Keith Richards when he dies.

It is interesting to note that John & Ken had characterized Lindsey Lohan, Britney Spears, & Paris Hilton in far more graphic terms and the good people in the LA City Council said nothing. Rush Limbaugh said seriously nasty things about Sandra Fluke and the LA City Council still said nothing.

It wasn’t until Whitney Houston was called a bad name, that the LA City Council became indignant.

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People vote with their wallets. This has been made abundantly clear by advertisers withdrawing their support from Rush Limbaugh.

Using legal mechanisms and maneuvering as the City Council has done is dangerous.

This misuse of legal force represents the continued erosion of the basic freedoms we are supposed to hold sacred.