Thursday, August 29, 2013
I am a woman, and if you are a man, you should know this...
I don't need you to fix me. I don't want you to try, I don't need an answer to every question, sometimes it is good for me to cry. I do need you to hold me, I need to know you care. I need to know that when I turn to you, you will be there. I don't need you to clean up all of my messes, but it would be nice if you noticed when I fall to pieces. There is more to me than weakness, and more to me than strength, I need to know you hear me, I need to know my words make you think. I need you to not fear me, and to tell me what you need. I want you to be near me, and miss me when you're not. I want to know you think I'm beautiful, so it doesn't hurt when you think she's hot. I need you to make me laugh, especially when I'm mad, and it's okay to love me while I'm good, but don't keep me from occasionally being bad. Don't stop me from walking away, and don't try to force me to speak, I don't want to regret my words because I did not have to think. I need you to not yell at me, and not to call me names. I want you not to label me, and for you, I will try to do the same. When you teach me something new and it turns out that I enjoy it, don't take it away from me then, don't make me feel bad for wanting to join in. Don't ask about my past, it is mine to share when I am ready, and if we're being honest, know that I am selfish and petty. I don't care about your old girlfriends unless they are affecting my life, it is imperative you don't lead me on, don't let me think I could be your wife and then change your mind about what you want. Don't not kiss me when your angry, it makes me feel rejected, and realize that when you stop holding my hand, our relationship is affected. It is more important than ever, that you hug me when you don't want too, I need to know that when you don't like me, you can love me too. If you don't like what I'm wearing, and I ask you what you think, tell the truth and then remind me that I'm gorgeous anyway. Remember that I'm fragile, in your hands more than others, and it doesn't matter how long we have been friends or lovers, I am a woman, and you are a man, and it's important that at least some of these things, you try to understand.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
A few tips for those with or soon to be getting Insurance
Ok, so let me be the first to understand that insurance is complicated. It has it's own set of words and definitions and it isn't always easy to understand. So what should you do when you are getting insurance? Well-Ask.
1.) Know your benefits. If you are going to the dr for any reason, call your insurance company and get your benefits quoted to you. Yes, your dr will also check, but you need to be informed. The best way to not get a nasty surprise, is to know what to expect.
2.) Understand that your insurance company has it's limits. There is to date, no standard pricing lists for medical services, your insurance company cannot tell you exactly what you will be paying when you go in for medical services
3.) Know the right way to ask your questions, so you get the answers you need. Call, go on your insurance website, whatever, but find out which dr is contracted with your insurance company before you see a dr. Find out how your insurance company deals with emergency treatments where you don't have a choice in who you see.
4.) Remember that each insurance company is bound by the laws of the state. If it is state law that a dr can bill you upfront for services, then they can. Your insurance company cannot do anything about it. So do your research and know the laws for your state.
5.) Set aside the time to contact your insurance company. If you have 15 minutes or less, it's not a good time to call. Plan ahead, be prepared to hold at some point in the call, understand that your plan is not the only plan that your insurance company handles and don't be nasty about it when your customer service rep needs to look deeper into your plan to answer your questions. It is better to be patient and get the answers you need than to get the wrong information or no information at all because you couldn't be bothered to plan ahead and call at a time when you could be patient
6.) Have your information when you call and enter it in the phone when it asks for it. Don't call in and say "Hi, this is sara, I have a general question..." There is no such thing as a general question when it comes to your insurance. All plans are specific. By entering your information when the horribly annoying automated system asks for it, you are 90% more likely to get to the right place the first time. The rep you are talking to will be able to pull up your info much faster and you will have a much better experience
7.) Know the terminology:
-Deductible: the amount of money that you are responsible to pay before your insurance will kick in on medical services not covered by preventative care laws or copays
-Copay: The set amount of money you pay up front for office visits, urgent care and emergency room. This does not count toward your deductible in most cases and only covers services that are part of the regular office visit, so paying a copay does not mean you will not anything else
-Coinsurance: This is amount of money you pay along with your insurance company. After your deductible is met, your insurance company will pay a certain percentage of your medical bills, say 80%. The remaining 20% is your responsibility and is called your coinsurance
-Out of Pocket Expense: This is the amount you will pay out of pocket after your deductible is met. It includes your coinsurance and in some cases your office copays
-Allowed Amount- This is the amount that your insurance company will pay for a service. If your dr is contracted with your insurance company(aka In Network) then they have to accept this amount and cannot bill you for any charges over that amount. IF however your dr is NOT contracted with your insurance company (aka Out of Network) then they can bill you for any charges over the allowed amount and your insurance company cannot do anything about it.
-In Network- contracted with your insurance company
-Out of Network- not contracted with your insurance company
There a lot of other terms, but those are the main ones that everyone should know. Basically what I am saying, is ask your questions ahead of time, and ask your insurance company, not your best friend or your agent or your doctor. The best way to be prepared is to be informed.
1.) Know your benefits. If you are going to the dr for any reason, call your insurance company and get your benefits quoted to you. Yes, your dr will also check, but you need to be informed. The best way to not get a nasty surprise, is to know what to expect.
2.) Understand that your insurance company has it's limits. There is to date, no standard pricing lists for medical services, your insurance company cannot tell you exactly what you will be paying when you go in for medical services
3.) Know the right way to ask your questions, so you get the answers you need. Call, go on your insurance website, whatever, but find out which dr is contracted with your insurance company before you see a dr. Find out how your insurance company deals with emergency treatments where you don't have a choice in who you see.
4.) Remember that each insurance company is bound by the laws of the state. If it is state law that a dr can bill you upfront for services, then they can. Your insurance company cannot do anything about it. So do your research and know the laws for your state.
5.) Set aside the time to contact your insurance company. If you have 15 minutes or less, it's not a good time to call. Plan ahead, be prepared to hold at some point in the call, understand that your plan is not the only plan that your insurance company handles and don't be nasty about it when your customer service rep needs to look deeper into your plan to answer your questions. It is better to be patient and get the answers you need than to get the wrong information or no information at all because you couldn't be bothered to plan ahead and call at a time when you could be patient
6.) Have your information when you call and enter it in the phone when it asks for it. Don't call in and say "Hi, this is sara, I have a general question..." There is no such thing as a general question when it comes to your insurance. All plans are specific. By entering your information when the horribly annoying automated system asks for it, you are 90% more likely to get to the right place the first time. The rep you are talking to will be able to pull up your info much faster and you will have a much better experience
7.) Know the terminology:
-Deductible: the amount of money that you are responsible to pay before your insurance will kick in on medical services not covered by preventative care laws or copays
-Copay: The set amount of money you pay up front for office visits, urgent care and emergency room. This does not count toward your deductible in most cases and only covers services that are part of the regular office visit, so paying a copay does not mean you will not anything else
-Coinsurance: This is amount of money you pay along with your insurance company. After your deductible is met, your insurance company will pay a certain percentage of your medical bills, say 80%. The remaining 20% is your responsibility and is called your coinsurance
-Out of Pocket Expense: This is the amount you will pay out of pocket after your deductible is met. It includes your coinsurance and in some cases your office copays
-Allowed Amount- This is the amount that your insurance company will pay for a service. If your dr is contracted with your insurance company(aka In Network) then they have to accept this amount and cannot bill you for any charges over that amount. IF however your dr is NOT contracted with your insurance company (aka Out of Network) then they can bill you for any charges over the allowed amount and your insurance company cannot do anything about it.
-In Network- contracted with your insurance company
-Out of Network- not contracted with your insurance company
There a lot of other terms, but those are the main ones that everyone should know. Basically what I am saying, is ask your questions ahead of time, and ask your insurance company, not your best friend or your agent or your doctor. The best way to be prepared is to be informed.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Character Obsessed
IDEA THIEF ALERT!
This blog idea was done first (at least first today) by SIL, check out her Blog of leading men and, please, comment with your own lists!
So, it has recently come to my attention that I am in face, not nearly alone in falling love with fictional men. I'm pretty sure I fall for a guy in every book/series I read, so my list is rather extensive. These guys are my tops:
1. The men of Harry Potter: Fred and George Weasley, Severus Snape, Remus Lupin and Bill Weasley.
I am putting them all in one section because they all come from the same world, even though they are very different.
Severus Snape- His passion and dedication for the woman he loves is beyond any other, and he played the most dangerous role of all to perfection. I just want to love him and make him smile again.
Remus Lupin- How can anyone not love Lupin? His gentle nature is so at odds with his condition, yet he carries himself with dignity, and never stops thinking of others. Always willing to go the extra mile, so incredibly smart and open. He is comfortable and safe, and strong.
Fred and George- Such serious clowns, these two. Their carefree demeanor is undermined by their achievements and ambition. I love that they are always laughing, no matter what life throws at them. Eternal optimists, amazing big brothers, hard working, charismatic, undeniable.
Bill Weasley- Hey Mrs. Weasley raised some amazing sons. Bill overcame his injuries and his familial objections to be with woman he loved. He loves adventure and a challenge and I love that in a man.
-------
2. Colonel Christopher Brandon, Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Oh, Brandon, so reserved. So overlooked, but always there, always loyal, and generous. He is the man you were secretly rooting for the whole time when you read this book or watched this film/miniseries. The quintessential gentleman, soft spoken, well bred, yet tragically lonely. He won't settle for just any woman to sate his loneliness, he wants the right woman, and he doesn't rely on his status to get her for him. He is almost painfully unsure around Marianne, and his nervousness and patience really show his true nature. He is a deep well of hidden passions, a brave soul, with a thirst for the world and to fulfill his purpose. He is the perfect man.
3. Tony Stark-Ironman/TheAvengers-Marvel Comics
I love me some Tony stark. Billionaire, playboy, philanthropist. Witty, genius, suave, off the cuff. He is every dads nightmare. He is the guy you would never, ever, think of to save the world. He is selfish and egotistical, and always right (how annoying) but at the same time he really draws you in. He took the time to change the way he thought, to see the mistakes he made, and he put in the work to correct those mistakes. A man who not only knows when he is wrong, but ADMITS it AND works to put it right! How rare and exciting. He is the antihero, and he is sexy.
4. Finnick Odair-The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.
Finnick is the perfect mix of Tony Stark and Colonel Brandon. He is sexy, charismatic and fun, but he is guarded and shy and deep. He overcomes everything to save his true love, to be with her, even if it was only for a few short weeks. The man is smart enough to know where the true value in his world is, how to stay safe, he is prepared to make painful sacrifices, and to help in any way he can. He seems vapid and shallow, but when you dig into him, you find out that he is the opposite and he is worth protecting.
5. Jasper Hale- Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyers
Ok, ok, yes, Twilight is terrible. Jasper Hale however, is anything but terrible. He fought the life he was given, both times, to do what he felt was truly right. Finding the inner strength to overcome his circumstances, to relearn how to survive. He is adaptable, protective, loving, formidable, safe, and a true southern gentleman.
The rest of my top ten are:
Faramir-The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
LeStat De Lioncourt-The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice
Macon Ravenwood-Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia
Daryl Dixon-The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman
Jon Snow-Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
special mention to my almost top ten
Alex Karev-Greys Anatomy by Shondra Rhimes
Prince Caspian- The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
and honestly, I could keep listing, but you would probably just get bored.
This blog idea was done first (at least first today) by SIL, check out her Blog of leading men and, please, comment with your own lists!
So, it has recently come to my attention that I am in face, not nearly alone in falling love with fictional men. I'm pretty sure I fall for a guy in every book/series I read, so my list is rather extensive. These guys are my tops:
1. The men of Harry Potter: Fred and George Weasley, Severus Snape, Remus Lupin and Bill Weasley.
I am putting them all in one section because they all come from the same world, even though they are very different.
Severus Snape- His passion and dedication for the woman he loves is beyond any other, and he played the most dangerous role of all to perfection. I just want to love him and make him smile again.
Remus Lupin- How can anyone not love Lupin? His gentle nature is so at odds with his condition, yet he carries himself with dignity, and never stops thinking of others. Always willing to go the extra mile, so incredibly smart and open. He is comfortable and safe, and strong.
Fred and George- Such serious clowns, these two. Their carefree demeanor is undermined by their achievements and ambition. I love that they are always laughing, no matter what life throws at them. Eternal optimists, amazing big brothers, hard working, charismatic, undeniable.
Bill Weasley- Hey Mrs. Weasley raised some amazing sons. Bill overcame his injuries and his familial objections to be with woman he loved. He loves adventure and a challenge and I love that in a man.
-------
2. Colonel Christopher Brandon, Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Oh, Brandon, so reserved. So overlooked, but always there, always loyal, and generous. He is the man you were secretly rooting for the whole time when you read this book or watched this film/miniseries. The quintessential gentleman, soft spoken, well bred, yet tragically lonely. He won't settle for just any woman to sate his loneliness, he wants the right woman, and he doesn't rely on his status to get her for him. He is almost painfully unsure around Marianne, and his nervousness and patience really show his true nature. He is a deep well of hidden passions, a brave soul, with a thirst for the world and to fulfill his purpose. He is the perfect man.
3. Tony Stark-Ironman/TheAvengers-Marvel Comics
I love me some Tony stark. Billionaire, playboy, philanthropist. Witty, genius, suave, off the cuff. He is every dads nightmare. He is the guy you would never, ever, think of to save the world. He is selfish and egotistical, and always right (how annoying) but at the same time he really draws you in. He took the time to change the way he thought, to see the mistakes he made, and he put in the work to correct those mistakes. A man who not only knows when he is wrong, but ADMITS it AND works to put it right! How rare and exciting. He is the antihero, and he is sexy.
4. Finnick Odair-The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.
Finnick is the perfect mix of Tony Stark and Colonel Brandon. He is sexy, charismatic and fun, but he is guarded and shy and deep. He overcomes everything to save his true love, to be with her, even if it was only for a few short weeks. The man is smart enough to know where the true value in his world is, how to stay safe, he is prepared to make painful sacrifices, and to help in any way he can. He seems vapid and shallow, but when you dig into him, you find out that he is the opposite and he is worth protecting.
5. Jasper Hale- Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyers
Ok, ok, yes, Twilight is terrible. Jasper Hale however, is anything but terrible. He fought the life he was given, both times, to do what he felt was truly right. Finding the inner strength to overcome his circumstances, to relearn how to survive. He is adaptable, protective, loving, formidable, safe, and a true southern gentleman.
The rest of my top ten are:
Faramir-The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
LeStat De Lioncourt-The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice
Macon Ravenwood-Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia
Daryl Dixon-The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman
Jon Snow-Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
special mention to my almost top ten
Alex Karev-Greys Anatomy by Shondra Rhimes
Prince Caspian- The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
and honestly, I could keep listing, but you would probably just get bored.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
She told him with a little gesture he had never seen her use before. - John Updike
3 Minutes
She told him with a little gesture he had never seen her use before. He remembered how odd it had been, her laying her finger on her eye like that. The rest of those minutes were really very blurry, she collapsed, there was some twitching and a lot of blood. Someone screamed, her or him, maybe both of them. Her blue eyes just sort of winked out, he knew she couldn't see him anymore, couldn't hear him anymore, wouldn't speak to him anymore. He knew it. He just didn't know why.
The floor was sticky and slick, he fell, bouncing his head on the tiles. He had to get to her, that was all he knew. He called her name. She didn't answer. He knew she wouldn't. He smelled metal, but he couldn't figure out why. He slowly raised himself up on his arms pushing his way over the floor, feeling the liquid squish beneath him, hearing it squelching with every move. Nothing felt real. He knew what was going on, but he couldn't accept it. He refused to accept it, his mind was wrong, his eyes were wrong, his fingers were wrong, his nose was wrong. Everything was wrong. Everything.
Tears slowly rolled down his cheeks, the salt in them was sticking to his skin, they were warm and cold at the same time. They hurt.
His fingers kept slipping, the floor was so wet, and thick....Why was it so thick? It was the wrong color too, it should have been white, not black. And it was moving, in waves, little waves, like at the beach, each one slower and smaller than one before it. The smell of salt and iron was so strong, he couldn't breathe. He was gagging, stomach convulsing, throat raw and contracting, tongue swollen and dry.
His back arched, and chest heaved, he expelled the roiling bile from his gut into the gooey, thick, floor. It mixed in, changing the color from black to a brownish red, and it stank. Rotted and metallic and salty. He gagged again, falling into the mess, his arms shaking uncontrollably, legs refusing to function, he just lay in it. Face down. He wanted to die. He couldn't die. He had to get there. Get to her.
He raised his face from the muck, gasping harshly, blinking bile and blood from his eyes. Tears streaming, blinding and cleansing. Inching jerkily through the mask of gunk stuck to his face. There was a strange sound now. A rushing, whooshing, mewling screech. Ragged, and painful, the sound filled the air, and his lungs emptied. He couldn't breathe, but the sound did not stop. Where was it coming from? Was it from him? Yes. It was. He was making that noise, and he couldn't stop.
The scream was broken by hiccups as his body fought for air, and he slowly pulled himself closer to her. His fingers brushed her leg, it was cold. Not corpse cold, but too cold. Too still. She didn't even twitch when he touched her. A bad sign. He grasped her thigh, he could see his hand now, it was red. Why was it red? He looked down, right, blood, blood is red. His hand is red. Blood red. Caught red handed. He began to laugh.
The snot flowing from his nostrils began to pool in his open mouth, he spat, quickly, gagging as he did so. Why was he laughing?
He began to inch his way up her body, to her face. So beautiful. So far away, her plaid shirt was stretched and swollen. No, not her shirt, her belly. He walked his fingers shakily over her body to her face, stopping at her mouth, it was open slightly, but there was no air coming out. The sound began again. He chocked it off. Forcing his arms to support him, his legs to move, he came up to a crawling position.
His face was over hers now. The horrible smelling mix he had slid through dripping onto her eyes, into her hair. He kissed her. Slowly, he lowered himself down, laying his head on her ample chest. He rested his hand on her belly.
"They're both gone." he whispered, and the sound came from deep within again. There was no stopping it now. There was no reason to stop it. Let it go, and he would go with it.
Motivated and Inspired :)
Moving on.
I have been participating in NaNoWriMo (aka National Novel Writing Month) for the past three years. The first year I didn't get past the outline (because I suck at outlines), the second year, a whopping 1000 words, and this past year a little over 3000 words. So yeah, I haven't actually completed the 50,000 word novel challenge yet. Partially because I never know where my novel is actually going, but mostly because NaNoWriMo happens in November. I am always busy in November. Always.
So, imagine my great and wondrous joy when I discovered that NaNo, does a "writers camp" twice a year! Woot! Here I come!
The first one is in April. My word goal is 35,000. I will writing a YA novel, no idea what it will be about yet, but expect updates as I figure it out (and contests for stuff).
But, to do this, I am going to have to write every day. So to get in the habit, I will be writing a short story every day. The first thirteen will be done with First Line Fiction prompts. These stories will appear here, on KeledaeSpeaks. For your enjoyment, consideration, critic(please), and praise. Seriously, comment on them and tell me what you think. I really do wanna know.
The first of these will appear tonight! Yay!
But since my writing time is from 10-12 every night, not for another couple of hours.
Looking forward to your feedback!
Hooray!
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Extreme
Ok, so I have a serious question to pose.
Why are all arguments made with extreme parameters?
What I mean here is, why, when there are so many rational people out there, who can think for themselves and be sensible, do we all get our rage on when some extremist spouts a mouthful of idiocy into our hearing space? I am just as guilty of this as anyone else.
For example: Today I read a very well worded blog about being pro-abortion. My problem with it is that is was, in my opinion, a rather extreme argument. The statement it made was basically that being pro safe sex, was the same as being pro abortion. I disagree with this, and I will tell you why. Having safe sex, leads to less disease, less emotional fall out and less pregnancy. Now, before I go any further, let me define my terms (and you should all understand that I have made these definitions on my own, and that I do not follow them myself the way I should) Safe Sex, is sex between two consenting adults in a stable and long term relationship (preferably a marriage, but that is no guarantee these days). These two adults are only having sex with each other, are aware of their sexual health and are using the type of contraception that they are comfortable with. These two adults also understand that said contraception is not 100% effective and that there is a possibility that they will create a miniature human.
Yes, that was a long definition, but I wanted to be specific. Now here is my counter argument to the statement made by the blog. Not all sex leads to pregnancies, but all pregnancies lead to babies (even a miscarriage is a baby, it just died of natural causes).
Ok, I'm getting off track.
Moving on.
Extremists are generally loud, and in your face, and they get all their power from you responding to their drivel. So why do we keep giving them all the power?
We know that Westboro is a hate-filled extremist group, so why do we keep giving them press, instead of just quietly dealing with them?
I just don't get it. I myself am guilty of responding to an extreme argument, probably of even making one or two. But really, it makes no sense to argue this way since 90% of life is not lived in the extreme. Responding to an extreme point of view almost always forces you to take and extreme point of you yourself, which screws up your point and makes you sound just a bigoted as the guy you were so offended by.
So maybe we should try something new. Instead of responding, we ignore. Instead of yelling/rebutting, we act. We live our lives in a responisble way, we accept certain truths, we agree to disagree and we live in peace, showing tolerance and love and understanding. We learn patience, we do the research and make opinions based on fact as well as feeling. We embrace education, over extremism.
I dunno, I realize that it is asking a lot, although I'm not sure why asking for rational, peaceful behavior is such a hard thing.
Why are all arguments made with extreme parameters?
What I mean here is, why, when there are so many rational people out there, who can think for themselves and be sensible, do we all get our rage on when some extremist spouts a mouthful of idiocy into our hearing space? I am just as guilty of this as anyone else.
For example: Today I read a very well worded blog about being pro-abortion. My problem with it is that is was, in my opinion, a rather extreme argument. The statement it made was basically that being pro safe sex, was the same as being pro abortion. I disagree with this, and I will tell you why. Having safe sex, leads to less disease, less emotional fall out and less pregnancy. Now, before I go any further, let me define my terms (and you should all understand that I have made these definitions on my own, and that I do not follow them myself the way I should) Safe Sex, is sex between two consenting adults in a stable and long term relationship (preferably a marriage, but that is no guarantee these days). These two adults are only having sex with each other, are aware of their sexual health and are using the type of contraception that they are comfortable with. These two adults also understand that said contraception is not 100% effective and that there is a possibility that they will create a miniature human.
Yes, that was a long definition, but I wanted to be specific. Now here is my counter argument to the statement made by the blog. Not all sex leads to pregnancies, but all pregnancies lead to babies (even a miscarriage is a baby, it just died of natural causes).
Ok, I'm getting off track.
Moving on.
Extremists are generally loud, and in your face, and they get all their power from you responding to their drivel. So why do we keep giving them all the power?
We know that Westboro is a hate-filled extremist group, so why do we keep giving them press, instead of just quietly dealing with them?
I just don't get it. I myself am guilty of responding to an extreme argument, probably of even making one or two. But really, it makes no sense to argue this way since 90% of life is not lived in the extreme. Responding to an extreme point of view almost always forces you to take and extreme point of you yourself, which screws up your point and makes you sound just a bigoted as the guy you were so offended by.
So maybe we should try something new. Instead of responding, we ignore. Instead of yelling/rebutting, we act. We live our lives in a responisble way, we accept certain truths, we agree to disagree and we live in peace, showing tolerance and love and understanding. We learn patience, we do the research and make opinions based on fact as well as feeling. We embrace education, over extremism.
I dunno, I realize that it is asking a lot, although I'm not sure why asking for rational, peaceful behavior is such a hard thing.
Monday, February 18, 2013
Monday Rantday: Part 2: Let's all get offended.
URGH! I am so tired of people getiing all up their high horse over something that is supposed to be funny.
I follow the hilarious George Takei on Facebook, and today he has posted a quote from the movie Mary Poppins today. "Though we adore men individually, we agree that as a group they are rather stupid."- Mrs. Banks (although the post credits Mary Poppins)
Almost 2,000 comments later, this is no longer a funny throwback to a great movie, instead it is a attackfest about sexism, racism, and how things like this are not funny.
So here is my question.
WHY?
Why isn't it funny? Why does it always have to get ugly? When did absolutely EVERYONE turn into a bunch of oversensitive whiners? I mean seriously, I'm all for equal rights, but that doesn't mean I have to stop seeing the humor in life.
Men are stupid. Women are stupid. People, as a whole are stupid. If you don't believe me, just read the comments on anything Mr. Takei shares with his fans.
I really don't understand this whole mentality. Why is there always someone who has to turn a joke into an attack? A song lyric (out of context) into a political statement?
Here's my advice.
Chill the F out. Seriously. For real. Take a chill pill. Stop looking for everything to be about you. I promise, it's not. The majority of things you see and read have absolutely nothing to do with you or anyone you know. Yeah, sometimes these statements are made in hatred. But what better way to disprove them than by laughing at them? Why do we have to continue to support racism, sexism, ect. by giving this crap so much freaking attention?
Laugh it off people. Stop letting it get to you. There is a big difference in standing up for what you believe or doing what is right, and being a giant whiny-pants. Point in fact: NOBODY like a whiny-pants. In the same way that nobody likes a tattletale. In fact, I'd say snitches are probably the most hated group of people out there, and do you know what snitches are essentially doing when they go tell? That's right, they're whining. Be cry-baby whiners telling someone why what is happening or being said is wrong or unfair. Whining.
And all you people that just can't take joke, that just HAVE to be offended by everything, are just the same. A big group of whiners.
Get over it.
Learn when it is appropriate to be offended and to take a stance, and when to just recognize that something is funny, have a laugh and get on with your day.
I follow the hilarious George Takei on Facebook, and today he has posted a quote from the movie Mary Poppins today. "Though we adore men individually, we agree that as a group they are rather stupid."- Mrs. Banks (although the post credits Mary Poppins)
Almost 2,000 comments later, this is no longer a funny throwback to a great movie, instead it is a attackfest about sexism, racism, and how things like this are not funny.
So here is my question.
WHY?
Why isn't it funny? Why does it always have to get ugly? When did absolutely EVERYONE turn into a bunch of oversensitive whiners? I mean seriously, I'm all for equal rights, but that doesn't mean I have to stop seeing the humor in life.
Men are stupid. Women are stupid. People, as a whole are stupid. If you don't believe me, just read the comments on anything Mr. Takei shares with his fans.
I really don't understand this whole mentality. Why is there always someone who has to turn a joke into an attack? A song lyric (out of context) into a political statement?
Here's my advice.
Chill the F out. Seriously. For real. Take a chill pill. Stop looking for everything to be about you. I promise, it's not. The majority of things you see and read have absolutely nothing to do with you or anyone you know. Yeah, sometimes these statements are made in hatred. But what better way to disprove them than by laughing at them? Why do we have to continue to support racism, sexism, ect. by giving this crap so much freaking attention?
Laugh it off people. Stop letting it get to you. There is a big difference in standing up for what you believe or doing what is right, and being a giant whiny-pants. Point in fact: NOBODY like a whiny-pants. In the same way that nobody likes a tattletale. In fact, I'd say snitches are probably the most hated group of people out there, and do you know what snitches are essentially doing when they go tell? That's right, they're whining. Be cry-baby whiners telling someone why what is happening or being said is wrong or unfair. Whining.
And all you people that just can't take joke, that just HAVE to be offended by everything, are just the same. A big group of whiners.
Get over it.
Learn when it is appropriate to be offended and to take a stance, and when to just recognize that something is funny, have a laugh and get on with your day.
Monday Rantday: Misleading Movie Trailers.
*Warning, post contains spoilers*
There is nothing quite the same as that feeling you get when you see an awesome movie trailer. I'm not sure what it is about movies, but they are a special kind of magic. So, when you see an inspiring trailer and you get super excited and you call your friends, and you make your plans and then you go see it. There is nothing quite as irritating as the movie being nothing at all like it was portrayed.
Serioulsy, last night, I sat down to watch Bridge to Terabithia, the movie about two kids with crappy home lives, that get bullied at school and find a way to escape by going into a magical world where they are supreme rulers and everything is awesome. Oh wait, no it's not. Yeah there are two kids with crappy home lives that get bullied at school. Yeah they become friends and go to Terabithia, which is, in fact a run down tree house in the forest that is terrorized by birds and squirels. Oh yeah, and the girl dies. Like three quarters in, the girl dies. WTF? I thought this was supposed to be a happy kids movie? I didn't realize that I would be explaining death to my kids when it was over, or hugging them tightly while they cry their little eyes out. Yeah.
Then there is Adventureland. This movie had trailers that led you to believe there was another amazing Zombieland style comedy in the works. There would be tons of laugh lines and culture references and awkward moments. But the only thing it delivers, is awkward moments. It is not, in fact, a comedy, but a horribly poignant drama film about the complex nature of relationships and one guy who takes advantage of every damn girl he can, another guy with no idea how to get a girl, and kirsten stuart, looking like she always does. Oh, yeah and all those laughs you thought you had? They were stolen by the kid who always punches the other kid in the balls.
You also get movies like Coraline. The trailer promises a nightmare before christmas style childrens film, with a good lesson and some lovably creepy characters. But what you actually get is a strange otherworld with an evil "mom", a less than adventurous adventure, old woman in revealing clothes and a bunch of mice. Oh yeah, there is also a cat, but the cat has no interest in the mice, and a little boy, that if you read the book, does not even exist. This was such a disappointing film.
Another way that trailers can be misleading is by have stuff in them, that is in fact, NOT in the film. This makes me want to scream. There are so many examples of this that the ones that just flashed through your head are doing a much better job of showing themselves than I could.
Of course, this can also keep you from seeing a movie that is in fact, really good. Movies like The Fifth Element, which would have been awesome in theaters, looked pretty cheaply made and extremely cheesy, so I skipped it. The Road, staring Viggo, looked an action flick, which if you've read the book you know, it isn't. But I didn't go see it because according to the trailer they effed up the story.
Stupid Bad Movie Trailers.
There is nothing quite the same as that feeling you get when you see an awesome movie trailer. I'm not sure what it is about movies, but they are a special kind of magic. So, when you see an inspiring trailer and you get super excited and you call your friends, and you make your plans and then you go see it. There is nothing quite as irritating as the movie being nothing at all like it was portrayed.
Serioulsy, last night, I sat down to watch Bridge to Terabithia, the movie about two kids with crappy home lives, that get bullied at school and find a way to escape by going into a magical world where they are supreme rulers and everything is awesome. Oh wait, no it's not. Yeah there are two kids with crappy home lives that get bullied at school. Yeah they become friends and go to Terabithia, which is, in fact a run down tree house in the forest that is terrorized by birds and squirels. Oh yeah, and the girl dies. Like three quarters in, the girl dies. WTF? I thought this was supposed to be a happy kids movie? I didn't realize that I would be explaining death to my kids when it was over, or hugging them tightly while they cry their little eyes out. Yeah.
Then there is Adventureland. This movie had trailers that led you to believe there was another amazing Zombieland style comedy in the works. There would be tons of laugh lines and culture references and awkward moments. But the only thing it delivers, is awkward moments. It is not, in fact, a comedy, but a horribly poignant drama film about the complex nature of relationships and one guy who takes advantage of every damn girl he can, another guy with no idea how to get a girl, and kirsten stuart, looking like she always does. Oh, yeah and all those laughs you thought you had? They were stolen by the kid who always punches the other kid in the balls.
You also get movies like Coraline. The trailer promises a nightmare before christmas style childrens film, with a good lesson and some lovably creepy characters. But what you actually get is a strange otherworld with an evil "mom", a less than adventurous adventure, old woman in revealing clothes and a bunch of mice. Oh yeah, there is also a cat, but the cat has no interest in the mice, and a little boy, that if you read the book, does not even exist. This was such a disappointing film.
Another way that trailers can be misleading is by have stuff in them, that is in fact, NOT in the film. This makes me want to scream. There are so many examples of this that the ones that just flashed through your head are doing a much better job of showing themselves than I could.
Of course, this can also keep you from seeing a movie that is in fact, really good. Movies like The Fifth Element, which would have been awesome in theaters, looked pretty cheaply made and extremely cheesy, so I skipped it. The Road, staring Viggo, looked an action flick, which if you've read the book you know, it isn't. But I didn't go see it because according to the trailer they effed up the story.
Stupid Bad Movie Trailers.
Monday, January 28, 2013
King of the Nerds
When I saw the first teaser for the TBS reality show "King of the Nerds" I was a little excited. Here, at last, was a reality show that would have an edge of intelligence, include challenges I would be able to fairly judge, contestants I could identify with and subject matter I could geek out on. I was so looking forward to it that I set my DVR up to series record so that I would never miss a moment, and then I watched the first episode.
So let's start now with the cast of characters of this show:
9 specialized nerds that fit the stereotypes: 3 Science/Math nerds, Girl Gamers (an Asian descent and a bubble gum pink hair), A real life Sheldon Cooper with slightly less self-enthusiasm, 2 Female comic book fanatics(a novelist and an annoying girl), A "superhacker"
and two actual relate-able and likable Ivan, a game developer and Moogega (Moo-ja-gay) a Planetary Protection Engineer who went to college when she was 16.
Oh, and the hosts: Robert Carradine and Curtis Armstrong, both from Revenge of the Nerds. So far, the only thing the show got right.
I was expecting a more well-rounded case, with less specialized nerds and more what I would call, successful/ everyday nerds that were relate-able and not so annoying. Really, knowing reality TV, I should have known better. But hey, I'm optimistic sometimes.
The first challenge, was every loser-nerd-not-so-popular kids worst moments in high school: Time to choose the teams.
Oh wait, there are 11 contestants. That means SOMEBODY ISN'T GETTING PICKED. There definitely won't be a twist there, right? And it certainly won't escape the notice of 11 really smart nerds, right? Wrong. Of course there was a twist, and of course, everybody was surprised. My faith in these people is now pretty much completely gone. Predictably, the so far most annoying and least qualified contestant, Alana(one of the comic book fanatics), was not chosen. She was then asked to choose which team was the strongest, she chose orange, so they placed her on Blue. Yeah, she hasn't been set up to fail.
So, the climax, who is going home? Well, each team chooses someone to go into the"Nerd War", which was a giant , outdoor game of chess. The pieces were moved around by a harajuku girl in a slutty lolita outfit, which would be awesome except that the camera only followed her and we had NO IDEA what was actually going on in the all-important game of chess. That is until, Alana gave some really bad advice to Hendrik(the real-life sheldon cooper who has never played chess apparently) and he lost. Not exactly sure how he lost, since we never got to see the board, but there you go.
So all-in-all, it doesn't really matter how awesome the hosts are, how nerdy the challenges are, or how many amazing guest judges this show throws at us. It is, first and foremost, "Reality TV", produced not for its feigned target audience of nerds, but instead for its actual audience of shut-in tv addicts that don't really care at all about the content.
3 stars of 10. A generous mark for such a disappointing debut
So let's start now with the cast of characters of this show:
9 specialized nerds that fit the stereotypes: 3 Science/Math nerds, Girl Gamers (an Asian descent and a bubble gum pink hair), A real life Sheldon Cooper with slightly less self-enthusiasm, 2 Female comic book fanatics(a novelist and an annoying girl), A "superhacker"
and two actual relate-able and likable Ivan, a game developer and Moogega (Moo-ja-gay) a Planetary Protection Engineer who went to college when she was 16.
Oh, and the hosts: Robert Carradine and Curtis Armstrong, both from Revenge of the Nerds. So far, the only thing the show got right.
I was expecting a more well-rounded case, with less specialized nerds and more what I would call, successful/ everyday nerds that were relate-able and not so annoying. Really, knowing reality TV, I should have known better. But hey, I'm optimistic sometimes.
The first challenge, was every loser-nerd-not-so-popular kids worst moments in high school: Time to choose the teams.
Oh wait, there are 11 contestants. That means SOMEBODY ISN'T GETTING PICKED. There definitely won't be a twist there, right? And it certainly won't escape the notice of 11 really smart nerds, right? Wrong. Of course there was a twist, and of course, everybody was surprised. My faith in these people is now pretty much completely gone. Predictably, the so far most annoying and least qualified contestant, Alana(one of the comic book fanatics), was not chosen. She was then asked to choose which team was the strongest, she chose orange, so they placed her on Blue. Yeah, she hasn't been set up to fail.
So, the climax, who is going home? Well, each team chooses someone to go into the"Nerd War", which was a giant , outdoor game of chess. The pieces were moved around by a harajuku girl in a slutty lolita outfit, which would be awesome except that the camera only followed her and we had NO IDEA what was actually going on in the all-important game of chess. That is until, Alana gave some really bad advice to Hendrik(the real-life sheldon cooper who has never played chess apparently) and he lost. Not exactly sure how he lost, since we never got to see the board, but there you go.
So all-in-all, it doesn't really matter how awesome the hosts are, how nerdy the challenges are, or how many amazing guest judges this show throws at us. It is, first and foremost, "Reality TV", produced not for its feigned target audience of nerds, but instead for its actual audience of shut-in tv addicts that don't really care at all about the content.
3 stars of 10. A generous mark for such a disappointing debut
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
On Me
To get started I am going to go through the "hot spot" debate and give you my opinion on them. I figure I can get this out of the way and save us all a little time. To be clear, this is not a post to invite debate, I will delete any attacking comments, and I hope you will read on even if you don't agree with me. After all this is my opinion, I'm not going to try to change yours, so please, respect mine.
#1: Gay Marriage
-I have no problem whatsoever with gay marriage. If two men want to get married, then I wish them all the best, same for two women, and same for a man and a women. I believe this despite the fact that I am a Christian. I do not believe that my religious beliefs should in any way hinder the happiness of others. Religion should not dictate law, and law makers should not force their religious beliefs (or those of their backers on anyone).
#2: Abortion
- Abortion is murder. It may be my body, but it is not my life, and barring an extreme medical condition, I do not condone abortion. If you don't want to be a mom, set up an adoption, take your baby to a safe haven, but nothing, not even rape or incest, gives you the right to take a life.
#3: Gun Control
- All the guns that should be banned, have been banned for decades. Making it harder for law-abiding citizens to have access to self protection is ignorant. Criminals are going to have guns, whether we want them to or not. Even if there was a mandated freeze in production, someone would still make them, and there will always be other weapons. The solution then is not more "control" but better education. Children/Adults/Teens should be taught how precious human life, their own and other peoples. They should also be taught proper gun etiquette.
#4: The Everybody wins mentality (for lack of a better term)
-Losing is important. It builds character and teaches good life lessons. Not every person is good at something (even if they really want to be) and learning to work hard for a goal is one of the things that losing helps to teach us. It scares me to death to think of spending my retirement years in a country whose leaders are overindulged people, who get prizes for showing up and never really faced a punishment.
#5: Political Correctness
-This is joke. Political correctness is the result of overly sensitive people, basically whining a lot and being offensive to absolutely EVERYONE in the name of not offending anyone. Ridiculous.
#6: Religion
-I am a Christian. You may not be. That's cool. If you have a question that you want to ask me privately about my beliefs, awesome. If not, also awesome. I do not give any backing or credence to extremist groups (like Westboro Babtist) and while I will talk about my beliefs in my blog posts, I will never try to ram them down your throat.
#7: Politics
-Our political system is broken. Both parties have failed miserably and I really don't see why we need parties anyway, why not just have people, who study and understand the laws and the constitution, who want to lead us into a better future? Does it really matter if there are partly affiliations? I don't think so. I think it just causes more division.
#8: The Economy
-There is no acceptable excuse or reason for our country to be in this much debt. Period. Bailing out the corporations was a mistake (as evidenced by our current craptastic economy) Bailing out the people would have gotten us farther, but raising the debt ceiling is not the answer. Cut spending where is should and can be cut, in the salary and perks department. Give the states their control back, make taxes fair across the board (percentages not classes) If you make more money than me, you should pay more taxes than I do, but not a higher percent. Get it?
#9: Education
-Teachers do not get paid enough. Special Education teachers and their support staff, are saints, they do not do it for the money. I promise. There is no money in it. Schools should be in session all-year round. It would promote a more fluid sense of learning, help to keep information fresh in everyone's mind and instill a better work ethic in our youth. See This Article
#10: Military
- Our military is stretched too far, paid too little, and too often abused. Out troops should be pulled from all non-essential out-posts and brought home to provide in country protection.
#11: Illegal Immigration
- Our country has an established route to become a legitimate citizen. I understand why they come here, but coming here and living illegally hurts everyone. Grant citizenship to children born here, but that does not mean that their parents are automatic citizens (this is true everywhere btw). Impose a more competent border patrol, give current illegal aliens a grace period (say one year) to apply for citizenship, and deal with it appropriately. Show mercy, but be firm.
Ok, well, I think that is enough for one post. Quite possibly it is more than enough, but I really wanted to get this out of the way. I do hope you will read my next entry, which will be a review of some sort, and keep coming back for more. Again, I will not be debating any of my opinions on this blog. I just don't want to have to restate myself over and over again in the future. Thank-you so much for reading, and feel free to comment! I look forward to hearing from you all and writing for you again. Good-Night, and much joy to you all.
#1: Gay Marriage
-I have no problem whatsoever with gay marriage. If two men want to get married, then I wish them all the best, same for two women, and same for a man and a women. I believe this despite the fact that I am a Christian. I do not believe that my religious beliefs should in any way hinder the happiness of others. Religion should not dictate law, and law makers should not force their religious beliefs (or those of their backers on anyone).
#2: Abortion
- Abortion is murder. It may be my body, but it is not my life, and barring an extreme medical condition, I do not condone abortion. If you don't want to be a mom, set up an adoption, take your baby to a safe haven, but nothing, not even rape or incest, gives you the right to take a life.
#3: Gun Control
- All the guns that should be banned, have been banned for decades. Making it harder for law-abiding citizens to have access to self protection is ignorant. Criminals are going to have guns, whether we want them to or not. Even if there was a mandated freeze in production, someone would still make them, and there will always be other weapons. The solution then is not more "control" but better education. Children/Adults/Teens should be taught how precious human life, their own and other peoples. They should also be taught proper gun etiquette.
#4: The Everybody wins mentality (for lack of a better term)
-Losing is important. It builds character and teaches good life lessons. Not every person is good at something (even if they really want to be) and learning to work hard for a goal is one of the things that losing helps to teach us. It scares me to death to think of spending my retirement years in a country whose leaders are overindulged people, who get prizes for showing up and never really faced a punishment.
#5: Political Correctness
-This is joke. Political correctness is the result of overly sensitive people, basically whining a lot and being offensive to absolutely EVERYONE in the name of not offending anyone. Ridiculous.
#6: Religion
-I am a Christian. You may not be. That's cool. If you have a question that you want to ask me privately about my beliefs, awesome. If not, also awesome. I do not give any backing or credence to extremist groups (like Westboro Babtist) and while I will talk about my beliefs in my blog posts, I will never try to ram them down your throat.
#7: Politics
-Our political system is broken. Both parties have failed miserably and I really don't see why we need parties anyway, why not just have people, who study and understand the laws and the constitution, who want to lead us into a better future? Does it really matter if there are partly affiliations? I don't think so. I think it just causes more division.
#8: The Economy
-There is no acceptable excuse or reason for our country to be in this much debt. Period. Bailing out the corporations was a mistake (as evidenced by our current craptastic economy) Bailing out the people would have gotten us farther, but raising the debt ceiling is not the answer. Cut spending where is should and can be cut, in the salary and perks department. Give the states their control back, make taxes fair across the board (percentages not classes) If you make more money than me, you should pay more taxes than I do, but not a higher percent. Get it?
#9: Education
-Teachers do not get paid enough. Special Education teachers and their support staff, are saints, they do not do it for the money. I promise. There is no money in it. Schools should be in session all-year round. It would promote a more fluid sense of learning, help to keep information fresh in everyone's mind and instill a better work ethic in our youth. See This Article
#10: Military
- Our military is stretched too far, paid too little, and too often abused. Out troops should be pulled from all non-essential out-posts and brought home to provide in country protection.
#11: Illegal Immigration
- Our country has an established route to become a legitimate citizen. I understand why they come here, but coming here and living illegally hurts everyone. Grant citizenship to children born here, but that does not mean that their parents are automatic citizens (this is true everywhere btw). Impose a more competent border patrol, give current illegal aliens a grace period (say one year) to apply for citizenship, and deal with it appropriately. Show mercy, but be firm.
Ok, well, I think that is enough for one post. Quite possibly it is more than enough, but I really wanted to get this out of the way. I do hope you will read my next entry, which will be a review of some sort, and keep coming back for more. Again, I will not be debating any of my opinions on this blog. I just don't want to have to restate myself over and over again in the future. Thank-you so much for reading, and feel free to comment! I look forward to hearing from you all and writing for you again. Good-Night, and much joy to you all.
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