Uncouth PerspectivesNot on the rug, man.

Dear Kelly,

As a dedicated reader of “Fark” (among many other news portals) I am actually pretty surprised to see I missed your original article, or you may have had one more email last time.

However, I am not writing to discuss the “tough act to repeat” piece. Rather, I’d like to draw a couple of points and perhaps even throw a couple of questions your way, if you are interested or even notice this email with your new found fame.

I decided to review the past articles you’ve written because the Bush comment sparked my interest. I am, to be clear, not a Bush supporter. But, then again, most of the things I support are neither popular not mainstream. But, again, I should qualify that with my views not being “damn the man/mainstream/culture/(insert witty supidism here)” for the
sake of damning.

Instead, I simply find that my views and attitudes do not wing to a particular side or expression… why? I would like to think that it is because I decided my views rather then living with what I was given. If that were the case, I’d be a loud-mouthed bigot atheist spewing hatred
out at, essentially, everyone. I’d rather live life than spew anything.

Or, perhaps, I like to think I’ve done something grand with my beliefs, but I’m just an ego-centric bastard. Either way, I prefer to speak and live my beliefs, rather than socio-politcal-econmic-whatever lines.

Which, in a loudly rambling way, brings me around to why I am writing you. I read your article “Liberals have coolness, stars on their side”. I find it quite an interesting perspective on the whole situation, if nothing else because I currently live in Orange County,
Southern California. If it happens that you are not familiar with Orange County, let me give you a brief introduction. In a land touted for being “liberal” and crazy (Southern California in general), Orange County is considered the last bastion of hope for the Conservative and
Republican minded–which is to say, the kids around here are rebellious bastards, the parents are too rich to know how to live, and if you’re not one of those two you are assed out.

Around here, the “cool” kids are the conservatives. Yet, believe it or not, the conservatives kids are the ones with the piercings, and the tattoos, and.. well.. all that jazz. Oh ho! I’m rambling again.

What I’m really trying to get at is this need for division bothers me. I know that people will have different beliefs (I study religion, trust me, I know!) but it makes me sad that we have to stand divided as people by these lines I talked about earlier. I mean, why can we not leave the
political arguments to the council meeting/etc?

It is particularly the “We’re that group of misfits in elementary school that were friends because no one else liked us.” line that caught me. This is exactly what I’m talking about… it is wrong, -wrong-, that one should be alienated by a line of liberalism or conservatism, y’know?

Anyways, I’m sure I’ve gone on long enough and did not even get near my point, but I hope it’s worth something.

And, in response to your peaked comment… Yeah, most everyone has peaked… but some of realize that is not what it is all about.

Cheers!

Isaac.

Editor’s Note:
Article that got I first read:
http://www.dailynorthwestern.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/01/27/3e354651da028

Your thoughts?

…

It’s just another day, get over it.

I often find myself saying something along the lines of “I hate being sick”. Which is quite ridiculous, given the obvious perception that very people actually LIKE to be sick. However, my intention for saying this does not have to with sharing my views on being sick… but rather that I get all whiney and want to be pamperped when I’m sick.

For me, this is often worse because I have no one to pamper me, so I just instead whine even more. Which, when it comes down to it all, I really don’t like. I don’t like other people whining and I don’t like myself whining… yet, when I become sick, there I am, whining.

What does this have to do with anything?

Nothing, really. I just want to be curled up in bed, with some soup in my belly and a warm body next to me.

I suppose this does have a point. Everyone needs to be pampered and loved just a little bit. When I was whining to someone yesterday, I was told “All men become babies when they are sick.” I brustle, even now, at this comment just because of the gross stereotypes .. however..

As most men try to negotiate their position in daily life, they strive to show no weakness. It MUST create a snapping point, especially when one IS helpless and weak… as is such when one is sick.

Aah screw it.

Don’t be afraid to admit it’s time to weak and helpless.

Just don’t whine as much as I do about it.

“You know, Ann, you should wash you car. You can do it for free at a lot of gas stations.“

“You really should smile more, Ann.“

And more, those these were the two most discussed points. However, as I thought about it over the weekend, I came to realize how much people talk to her like that. Morever, I realized how some people talk to me like this. I know from Tara’s rant, she’s experienced the same.

I realized how much this drives me crazy.

See, as disorganized and unfocused as most people might be, they still know how they want to live. Whether they know WHY or not.. whether it may be ‘right’ or not… These are other issues. Ann still knows that she doesn’t want to wash her car, for whatever reason. It is not that she just has not noticed that it’s dirty… She’s not blind.

And we are not the light.

So, let’s stop evangelizing like that. There is a difference between expressing a point of view, or perhaps even asking a questions: “I’m sorry if you get this question a lot, but why do you not wash your car?” then saying “Hey, idiot, real people wash their car.“

It is different to state your opions and beliefs on a website, let’s say, than saying to a person directly, “Hey, change this because I said so.” Because, direct with a person, you have conversations. You have respect.

Telling someone that they need to do something, such as smile more (Ann gets harped on this a LOT. Funny, I see her smile plenty… and call me egotistical, but maybe it is because we actually have some fun together. Maybe we have some mutual respect instead of me thinking she needs to smile ‘and be pretty’ for me. Maybe.) is nothing but offensive.

As I boy, I grew up at the movie theaters. My father had a long history as first a projectionist and then as a technician. I spent many laborous hours and days roaming the haunted halls of movie theaters, trying to find some live and imagination. I would then spend the afternoon and nights watching the movies.

It never got old.

That is, until, someone decided it was okay for people to talk during movies. I’m really upset that I missed this hearing. When was the okay given to walking into a theater and TALKING OR SCREAMING OR JUST MAKING NOISE okayed?!

And it have to have been okayed, because it is just getting worse and worse.

I am specifically referring to my adventure to go watch the movie “Signs” last night. I’m not going to talk about what I thought about the film.

So, Marc and I arrive and are sitting. The theatre is relatively empty–we arrived a little earlier.

The theatre slowly starts to pack in behind us.

These three people walk in, litarally screaming.

“WOO! RAAAH! BLAAAAAAARGH!”

Well, maybe not blargh, but it surely was ringing in my head.

Marc and I both groan, but we attempt to persevere.

People behind us start to pick up the yelling.

Get me a gun.

The lights dim slightly and the ever-comforting hymn of the projector lights. What… used to be the comforting sound of SHUT THE HELL UP as well.

A commercial.

Two commercials.

Three commercials.

The crowd start to get restless.

FOUR commercials.

FIVE commercials–I’m paying someone so they can show me ads?

Ah, finally, the previews.

The crowd is really restless, they calm a bit.

One preview–people start to yell and jeer after it.

Two previews–more.

Three previews–even more.

Four previews–sigh.

Five previews–everyone is bored and yelling and I just want to slam my head into a wall.

Six previews–We ARE paying for ads! Yaaaay!

Ahh.. the movie starts.

It’s a scary movie. It’s starts out quiet.

Well, except for the frothing monkey’s in the theatre with the attention span of a two year old speed addict who are yelling and screaming and trying to show their girlfriends how cool they are.

Ahh! That’s why I don’t have a girlfriend! I refuse to act like a complete asshole to show how cool I am. And you wonder why we continue to breed assholes?

So, the movie starts and people kind of quiet up.. but it never really stops. There is this incesant murmur the entire movie.. and whenever there is a quiet point in the movie (And.. this is a quiet movie) someone decides their not doing well enough in the mating ritual and has a snide little comment to say.

It’ll be hard to say that when I shove my penis in your ear. That’s right. My penis. Your ear.

Shut up.

At common in views with myself
The next phase of learning has come
For though I have been known to say
“I know who I am”
Also have I said
“We are always learning and growing”
As each lesson we learn
Each truth comes clearer
We change.
And this is Beautiful
Yet, it can be ever so painful
Black not, though, at this hurt
For this pain only comes
When you embrace it
Rather, embrace yourself
Thus embracing the lessons
And all life, in and of itself
For, whatever cause to which you flock
To become one with yourself
Is to become one with all
Live not with regret
But love, compassion, and truth
And wallow not in self-deprecation
When you can hold life to your breast
Providing one path of many
So that we may all survive

Wait. “Late?”

As in… he missed an appointment?

I’d have to say if we’re talking about appointments and taking trips, he did a pretty splendid job of making it.

As a lot of people know, I’m big into language. Well, not exactly language. Not like Becci. Or other people. More… semantics. I think that how we talk about something and the definitions we use are very important.

I was talking this morning and I said the “late” comment… and then it started to bother me that I did. It is another one of those comments that changes…

“A great and amazing writer, cultural savant, and true human being has died and will never be with us again”

to…

“He was late for the tea party.”

It just, really, makes me sick. We have this morbid fascination with death. It permeates a lot of our actions, our religions, our beliefs… and yet, we can not even talk about it.

There are a lot of things that come into perspective when we face our own morality, no matter what you believe happens “after life” … (again.. notice the language) but so many people refuse to look at that.

Living blind to life and death, so many people trudge along into a oblivious daily existences that amount to nothing… and this is another fear so many face. They do not want their lives to be pointless, but in their own wandering and evasion, they defeat their own very goals.

Stop hiding.

We do a disservice and, in reality, do not appreciate things and the world around us by placing a value on them. Instead, we should simply appreciate things and the world around us by actually appreciating them.

I had actually spent the night with her and I was getting up to go to work. It was odd, because she had never let me come over. She would always come over and stay with me. It was kind of a nice feeling… except things were not going as well between us.

Well, at least the scale was on my side that day. It read 235. (Don’t forget, I am 6’5″)

The number stop calculating and I stare down in horror.

265.

I suppose severe apathy about your condition and situations will do that to you.

I was talking with Jennifer a couple of days ago and she was telling me that last time she had seem me, I was looking really good. So much for that, I suppose.

I’m going to start hiking with Ryan this weekend. I’ll hopefully be able to go with him most of the weekends… he does it every Saturday now.

If I’m going to get myself back on a track, that is going to be a good way to do it. Last time I was looking really good, it is because Travis and I would work out every couple of days. It was not the working out… it was the companionship. Back then, when I started doing it, I could not understand why: a) I had not done it before or b) why everyone found it so hard.

But, I understand a little better now. I’ve tried several time to start working out, and I find laying around eating crap food and then sleeping to be much more appealing…

Why?

Well, it’s the bloody companionship. I think that is something most people tend to miss out on.. the importance of feeling good and enjoying what you are doing. The people who can work out (no excessively so) enjoy that time to themselves. Other people, like me, have our “self” time… and there is something to be said about companionship when doing things like that.

Last night I had the parents place. They’re out of town and ask me to watch the dog. Having the parents place means that I have access to an amazing home theatre system. I can say many things about my father, but the highest among them is that he can definitely set up a movie watching environment.

I spent most of the day attempting to find someone to come over and enjoy it with me and failing horribly. Instead of going over and doing my laundry, getting some food, watching some movies, and caring for the dog like my plan was… I slept or laid around until almost 11 o’clock at night. Then I groggily drove to their place… scrounged for some food, watched a movie, laid around some more… and did not really accomplish anything except for getting a horrible night of sleep and feeling like patooky this morning.

Feeling that human connection is important. What we do does not always directly connect (i.e. working out does not need to be something you do with someone)… but it is a lot harder to get motivated to do things when you feel lonely. So many people misunderstand relationships and friendships… and are so, so lonely.

Culture, nuture and appreciate your human relations. No one can always be there for you when you need it.. and don’t let that fact destroy you. But, no one will be there unless you let them.. and you make it happen.

Allright, so simply, I made a mistake with creating the database for the comments, and they were all getting piled on to one article. So, I put the comments where I thought they were supposed to go and then I put the rest on this here article…

Enjoy.