Trying to Stop being Clever

So if we can't believe the media, who do we get our information from? Is word-of-mouth gossip to be believed? Every freak who says we're nothing but lied to and brainwashed by chemtrails is more accurate and in tune with reality than the institutions with journalists (who actually do live by a code) and resources and, believe it or not, a responsibility to the people? I've said it before; the media exists for and because of the people, and the people will call bulls**t when they see it. Yes, there is a certain amount of manipulation going on, and that is unfortunate, but it also means that there is something to hide, and when we find it we have power over the corrupt establishment. Journalism has done it in the past, and will do it again. Mainstream media outlets ARE owned by the richest people. These outlets WILL manipulate stories and facts to support their owners' goals. That is a failure of the OWNER, not of JOURNALISM. Putting blanket statements over things like th...

In an effort to talk less about myself, I'm going to try to replace all unsolicited outgoing comments with "I can relate to that on multiple levels."

WARNING: This opinion piece includes the subjects of rape and race. These are things I have no authority on, but I argue that I have the right to express my opinion on them. Does that mean I SHOULD? Not necessarily. In fact, I'm coming up short on reasons why it's a good idea at all. Knowing your surroundings is a survival instinct. We rely on our instincts for many things, but there are a lot of areas where we have overridden our instincts to allow ourselves to let our guard down and to allow ourselves to become victims. We no longer listen to the voices in our heads saying "don't get too comfortable." Our legal protections have caused many to assume that they won't become victims. They believe that, because something is wrong and/or illegal, that people won't do it. But we know better. We see all the time stories about how someone did something horrible, that laws were broken, people were victimized. Yet many of us seem to tempt fate for the sake of ...

This is definitely wrong. The lack of civil rights for people of color (or any other meaningless distinction outside of behavior) is wrong and we, as a compassionate race, should not stand for it. However, these people were likely raised to believe that blacks were different. There were rules. Laws. They were taught that there was a “right” and a “wrong” and segregation was “right.”  Believing that everything you’ve been taught is wrong and forging a new path of your own design where none exists is not that easy for social creatures such as ourselves. Like with the gun control debate, it is often pointed out that the “good guy” and the “bad guy” might not be so easy to identify when things go down. Things aren’t always as they appear. If you break the rules, you are a bad guy.  So the guys in this photo believed they were doing the right thing by trying to get this man to leave this counter. I am IN NO WAY saying that they are right and that segregation is okay. I...

How could so much of the media be so far off that we have absolutely no idea what's really going on? The people essentially drive what makes it to the media with their dollars. Sure, there are a lot of things left out, but if the people care about it, the media covers it, and there are far too many people out there looking to call "bullsh*t" when they see it for the media to get away with too much. Redirection, distraction, one-sided reporting? Yes. Absolute flat-out lies? Rare. Underground and "revolutionary" media do exist, and they do have an impact on mainstream media. If there is a legitimate problem, it will be called out and recognized. People who tend to believe in the conspiracy theories seem to buy into them wholesale. If you believe one, you likely believe a bunch more. So these people will refute pretty much any claim made by the mainstream, the same as they jump to extreme conclusions as "evidence" that we are being lied to and fooled mo...

She sits on a corner with buckets of flowers. It looks as though she is a vendor, selling the flowers to passers-by. If you come through the intersection, either from the north or from the freeway offramp, you pass her on the right side, on the far corner. If you think about it, it’s not a good place to stop. Just as you’re leaving an intersection with a signal. The light is green behind you, traffic is coming through fast. There’s virtually no foot traffic. It’s on a hill. It’s just not a practical place to set up shop. Picture this: a relative, probably a child or grandchild, was killed in a traffic accident at this corner. The family’s custom is to leave flowers and decorations at a spot where a loved one dies in traffic. Then picture the city not wanting those decorations on this corner, and they quickly take them away whenever the family leaves them. The family then finds out that it is not against ordinance to set up as a vendor on the sidewalk. So the lady sits th...

I guess it’s human nature to never be satisfied. It’s what causes us to create & invent, to strive to improve our lives. Unfortunately having millions of people all striving to make the world better in their own opinion causes a lot of clashes with other members of the human race. One idea might get a large group of followers, but that group, as they move forward with their plan, will soon run into another group whose ideas don’t fit with theirs. That’s when wars happen. In any case, this striving for improvement begins at the individual level. The result being that if you can’t find a group who agrees with you, chances are you’re going to sit around miserable & unsatisfied. Consider this scenario: A man gets a job. It’s an entry-level position with minimum pay. At first he’s glad to have a job. Once he’s settled in, he starts wondering why he has to do all the dirty work. He wants a better position. If he works hard enough he moves up a notch. He’s happy for a mi...