Obama-Drama-Lama

Alright, kids.

We have a President.  He happens to be black.  That's right--I said it.  B-L-A-C-K.  Got a problem with that?  Yeah?  Then why are you reading this blog?  Go away.

Now, for the rest of you that hate having to pussy-foot around because some wacko out there is looking to be offended by every single thing, welcome!  I'm not mincing words here.  Not when Ralphie May, Ron White, and Lewis Black top my list of favorite comedians.

Before you get the crazy idea I'm a liberal Democrat.  I'm not.  Not even close.  In fact, I'm registered as Independent, though, I've been considering joining the Libertarians.  More research is required, but I digress.

Alright.  Here's what's got me worked up today:

Yep.  This image floating around Facebook and other social media sites.  Take a really good look at it.  Now, I recognize that I don't have the full context of the statements listed and I haven't vetted this image to even see if the statements listed were actually stated by the people that are listed.  But, you know what?  I DON'T CARE.  Know why?  Because I've heard this malarkey from friends (and even family) of mine.

Let's analyze, shall we?  Yes, we shall.  My blog, don't need your permission.

"An Executive Power Grab."  Hmmm... well, given that he is the CEO of the United States....I'm guessing he's telling you to STFU?  And you don't like that?  Y'know, there comes a time when the person in charge has to put his foot down and lay out the rules; and, given I heard his speech towards Congress around Christmas time when they were STILL stalled on the budget...y'all are acting like two year olds instead of elected officials.

"(Impeachment) should be on the table!"  Really?  What crime was committed?  Were you aware that three Presidents have been impeached, successfully, in our nation's history?  Andrew Johnson was the first--now, he was doing the Executive Power Grab thing.  He was violating Congressional acts left and right without a flip to be given.  Congress finally said, "That's it!" and brought proceedings against him; he was acquitted.  This was during the Reconstruction period in the 1860s-'70s.  Then there was Nixon... Illegal wiretapping, shredding of incriminating evidence--and he probably had no idea, at first...but, was made privy to it.  I dunno, I wasn't alive yet and I just don't care about that period in our nation's history.  He left office before they called for his removal.  Fast forward to the 1990s with Bill Clinton and his Whitewater scandal.  I'm still not sure what that was all about because I didn't like Clinton, anyway.  I thought he was smarmy, like a used-car salesman.  Point is, these guys committed crimes and had legal proceedings brought against them.  What legitimate crime has Obama committed?  Other than being black...because, we can't nail him for that one.

The other statements make no sense without context.  Not in this setting anyway.  I do like the "Imperial Behavior."  I guess someone must have uncovered his plans to build the Death Star.

I hope they make a movie about Barack Obama's life and Presidency.  If they do, they need to get John Williams to do the score.

Toxic Avenger VI

Maybe you remember the awful (in a good way) '80s movie series The Toxic Avenger?  If you don't, it's okay.  You should watch, at least, the first one.  It's good for a laugh and several "O_o" moments.  Plus, I swear the toxic spill in RoboCop is recycled from the first Toxic Avenger movie.  Speaking of RoboCop....what is this atrocity?!

Anyway.  I could rant on Hollywood's craptacular remakes of classic movies and television series, but this particular article is way more important than that.  Just a note, Hollywood, just because you have CGI doesn't mean you should use CGI.  Star Wars was perfectly fine before you came along and "remastered" it...and then made the sucky pre-quals (though, I hold Lucas more responsible for the suckitude there).

THIS RANT actually has to do with this article published on November 15, 2012 (I know, I'm a few days late... be happy.  Be grateful I've taken time out of my Masters courses to write, nay, to entertain you).  I'll let you read it.

Oh, wait, we've tried that before.  You want me to just tell you what's in the article.  Fine.  Here's a recap:

White Man steals Red Man's lands.  White Man allows Red Man to establish "sovereign nation" within the newly formed, stolen, country.  White Man proceeds to treat Red Man like a second-class citizen for the next few hundred years, culminating with ensuring safe water supply.

Well, actually, that's not entirely true.  You see, there was a war in there...there was the Trail of Tears, too (is this the U.S.'s version of the Holocaust because we seem to forget about it very conveniently).  Then there was the establishment of the sovereign nation on the "reservations."  If you're not sure what the sovereign nation thing means, it means that the reservation is not subject to the laws Federal government--they are in charge of themselves--they govern themselves.  The government gives them money (almost as an apology for stealing and destroying their land) and, apparently, gets to decide things like....how outsiders get to use the reservation's land.

That's right.  The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency...lemme say that again, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY) has granted permits to oil companies to drill on the reservation and then dump the wastewater at the surface.  A loophole was written into that law back in the '70s that allowed for the wastewater to be disposed of, surfacly, as long as the companies could prove the water was being used by the farmers.

The Natives (in this case, the Shoshone) don't even want the drilling, let alone the crappy water that's polluting the natural streams and creeks.  Thanks, EPA, for making the environment a safer place to exist!  Read the article.  It'll make you mad if you have any kind of sense, logic, and human decency.  The States get to set their own laws regarding oil companies drilling on their land--and usually, their laws are stricter than the EPAs (are we really surprised here, kids?).  But, in the case of drilling on the reservations, you know, the land of the sovereign nation, the EPA gets to decide what's acceptable.

Well, folks, THIS is NOT acceptable!  This is horrendous, appalling, and a whole bunch of other big words meaning full of crap.  We've screwed the Native Americans enough, haven't we?  Or, is this our way of being the "supreme race" and driving other races to extinction by genocide, forced inter-racial marriages, banning of ceremonial/religious practices, etc?  It's all there in your history books, kiddies.  Take a look.  We enslaved black people and they revolted, overcame, and have integrated well into the U.S. culture;  we owe them nothing (sorry, if you're reading and feel entitled, tough luck...you get none from me).  We stole  the land from the Natives; we practically slaughtered them and nearly killed them off with our diseases; we hustled them into "their own" lands reserved for them, then forbid them from practicing their own religion....and now, we slowly try to poison them because, clearly, we could care less about their well being--they don't pay taxes, anyway (duh, sovereign frickin' nation)!

I'm BA-ACK!

Just when you thought it was safe to troll the internet....


I. Have. RETURNED!

For my old readers and my new, I'm back....with a vengeance.  The SO has been supplying me with some good articles; my Facebook feed has been rife with snippets of "duh!" to the point that I've made Facebook rants (and, really, who reads those, anyway?).

You've missed me, sweetlings.  And I've missed you.  RA is back with an acerbic wit not to be matched!  Stay tuned for some wonderful headlines you'll not want to miss!

PS: Thank you, everyone, who fully believe in a "bi-partisan" system of government....you've been the creative spark I've needed--the burr under my butt, the thorn in my side, the ...well, you get it.  It's because of you that I return.  To write....

LA Sheriff's Office a Bad Joke

I'm not one to condemn the police. They put their butts on the line, daily, to protect us from stupid people. But, in my experience, when someone calls to report a felony, then the police should, you know, respond.

Especially if it's a hit-and-run.

Oh, yes, my friends. You will not find this in the media...yet. I do hope my friend (yes, the Rogue Assassin has them) contacts the local media on this one....

On Thursday, my friend--we'll call her Aisley--was walking across a street in San Pedro to get to her next bus stop on her way to work. She was in the crosswalk, ya know, where you are supposed to cross a street? A car hit her--to the point that Aisley flew up onto the hood, hit the windshield, then rolled off and onto the street, sending her shoes in opposite directions. The woman driving got out of her car and asked Aisley if she was okay.

Here's where it gets REALLY good...

Aisley moaned and looked up at her and said, "No, I'm not okay..."

The woman looked at her and said, "Well, you look fine to me and I'm in a hurry," got back in her car and drove away!

First of all.... HELLO?! You just freaking HIT a PEDESTRIAN with your CAR!?!?!?!?!?! How in Bixby's Nine Hells would that person be okay?! My SO is fairly certain that he'd have ripped the license plate off the woman's car. Aisley, however, wouldn't have been able to do that, anyway.

Second of all.... SHE TOLD YOU SHE WAS, in fact, NOT OKAY! It's only a small fine if you stay. It's a felony if you leave. Which would you prefer? Jail time or a ticket?

Unfortunately, Aisley didn't get the license plate number. Fortunately, she did get a very good description of the car and the driver. She called the police to report the incident. Remember she was the one who was hit by the car. She waited for 2 hours and the police still hadn't shown up.

I'll let that sink in.

The victim of a FELONY called to report said felony to the police who, for whatever reason, chose NOT to go to the scene of the crime! How is this "To serve and protect" if you get to choose what's important enough to you to show up to. "Meh....she called us, so, obviously she's not hurt...."

Bull.

Aisley has no health insurance.

She needs medical attention, but can't get X-rays because she can't afford them. She needs a cat scan to make sure she doesn't have brain damage of any kind. She can't afford it. She needed to go to a hospital--she couldn't afford it. Instead, she took herself to the police station to file a police report. She, who was injured, went to the cops she had called two hours prior--who were NOT injured--and filed the report there.

If you're not as raving mad as I am over this...wait til it happens to you or your friends.

Do me a favor, folks. Make this go viral. LA County's Sheriff's department is slacking...and it's getting worse. Media attention to this is a must. Let's get the word out and make a change for the better.

Jobs on Privacy

There's no publicity like "bad" publicity--or so I've been told. I know I'm a few days behind the action on this one, but, ya know, I work from time to time. To quote Mr. Jobs: "Leave [me] alone."

Yeah, I went there.

In fact, I'm going there. Let's examine this particular piece of, apparently, newsworthy drivel.

A journalism....student...from Long Island University was given an assignment (presumbably for her journalism class...one of many) was given an assingment. Now, depending on which article you believe, that assignment either had to do with the school's new policy of giving iPads to the students or she was lobbying for that to happen. Either way, she chose to secure a quote from the notoriously silent Apple Media Relations.

What makes me laugh is that she was surprised when they didn't return her phone calls!

Now, let's take a look at that little piece of information. A student journalist calls the notoriously silent Apple Media Relations more times in a week than a telemarketer or creditor. Five to ten messages?! In a week?! There's persistent, and then there's a-freakin'-noying. I wouldn't have answered her, either. I would have, however, called the authorities and reported her for harrassment.

From there, her e-mail correspondance, in my not so humble opinion, wasn't very appropriate. She chose to contact Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple (if you've been living under a rock and have no idea who he is). Steve responded. His response was terse--which, if you've ever seen him deal with people outside of his keynotes, you'd know....IT'S HIS PERSONALITY!!! He and I have something in common: we don't handle stupid. I know there are Mac haters out there who read this blog. You know what? Get over yourself. If this had been Bill Gates, you'd be making excuses for him left and right (despite how much you curse his name when Windows offers you the BSOD...and let's not forget the cursing of Windows Vista). But, somewhere along the way, a number of us bought his crap that Steve Jobs was Satan and that Apple was The Beast. Frankly, I don't care. Every OS out there has issues, be it Windows, Mac's OS, Linux, or whatever. Use what you use for what you need. If that means running three OS's, then run 3 freaking OS's. Anyway, that's a rant for another time.

Back to Chelsea Isaacs and Steve Jobs.

So, Ms. Isaacs e-mails Steve Jobs and dutifully explains her plight--not that he cares. And were I in his position, I'd likely not care, either--in fact, I'd probably be wondering how the heck some random person got my e-mail address. Now, others seemed to pick up on something I noticed, as well--"Sent via BlackBerry on T-Mobile." She's expounded the joys of being a devoted Mac-user...and totally trashed her credibility with that one signature statement. Beyond that, look at the tone of her correspondance. I'll wait while you go back to that first link. Oh, right, you're lazy. Here. She is very supportive and praising in the opening, then goes into her "plight." It's the plight that gets my dander up and I don't even work for Apple.

The completion of this article is crucial to my grade in the class, and it may potentially get published in our university's newspaper. I had 3 quick questions regarding iPads, and wanted to obtain answers from the most credible source: Apple's Media Relations Department. I have called countless times throughout the week, leaving short, but detailed, messages which included my contact information and the date of my deadline. Today, I left my 6th message, which stressed the increasingly more urgent nature of the situation. It is now the end of the business day, and I have not received a call back. My deadline is tomorrow.

If you read nothing other than this paragraph (since I so kindly quoted it for you), please note the following:

1. Journalism Student
2. Called Countless Times
3. Left a SIXTH message today
4. Deadline tomorrow

As a non-journalist student, but a college graduate who wrote more papers and gave more presentations than I care to count, I always had a plan B. If I had been in Mr. Jobs' postion, my e-mail back to her would have been much worse than his, "Our goals do not include helping you get a good grade. Sorry." No, no. Mine would have been, "Too bad; so sad. Your dad." At least he explained the reason no one was calling her back. Instead of accepting this answer, she continued her harrassment by telling him he owed her. I'm sorry, what? I couldn't hear you over the sound of money volunteering to be in Mr. Jobs' bank account...

Seriously?! He responded to you. Be happy. But, no!! Ms. Isaacs was insulted by his response because SHE is the center of HER world!

Yes, student journalists go on to be "real" journalists. Or Paparazzi. But, really, they need to know that the world could care less about the collegiate career and want to know how your annoying questions will benefit THEM.

"Dear Mr. Jobs, I'm writing an article for a local paper on the importance of technology in colleges. I have three questions regarding the iPad's [insert summary of questions here] and would like to get a statement from you or someone within your company regarding these questions. If you could spare a few moments, I would appreciate it." Chances are, you'll get a very favourable response, not "Leave us alone" (which, by the way, is well within his rights if he feels he is being harrassed...see my earlier statements about phone calls and telemarketers).

...and if he can't? Go to an Apple Retail Store, grab an associate, and get some answers. When you cite your source, it's "an Apple associate." That is journalism, ladies and germs. Creative writing.

Oh, Big Brother

It's been some time. In fact, I'd say it's been quite some time. You probably thought I'd fallen off the face of the earth--if you could be so lucky! No, no, dearlings, I just went....on a vacation, we'll say. But, as long as there are people, and as long as there is government, there will always be a Little Black Soap Box somewhere.

I thought I'd come back with a bang. Time.com posted an article (which is the link, kiddies) about the government's use of GPS to track individuals. In summation (because I know you won't read the article just yet), the government has the freedom to sneak into your driveway and attach a GPS unit to your vehicle, then track your movements for as long as it desires.

When we were little, we were told that we had to be good because Santa Claus was watching us. Now, we have to be good because the government can invade our privacy and watch us. But, wait! There's more!

The court's ruling, [Chief Judge Alex Kozinski] said, means that people who protect their homes with electric gates, fences and security booths have a large protected zone of privacy around their homes. People who cannot afford such barriers have to put up with the government sneaking around at night.

So, if you're really rich or you have political ties, your privacy is just fine! If you work for a living, however, it is not.

Haven't we already given up our freedoms in the name of "Anti-Terrorism"? Have we not already subjected ourselves to unreasonable searches and seizures at US Airports under the guise of the "Patriot Act"? Where are we going to draw the line, folks? It has to be somewhere. How many lives are we going to sacrifice to protect our rights from dictators of other governments only to strip them slowly by our own hands?

"We will not go quietly into the night.

We will not give up without a fight!

Rage--RAGE--against the dying light!"

Props for literate people who know that reference. Hint: It's NOT from Independence Day.

Off topic, a bit there, but listen, folks. RA's back and is here to tell you that we need to be defending our--the middle and lower classes--rights to privacy. The law is clearly written that states our expectations of privacy extend to the property, as well. The government is not above the law. We need to hold them to the same--or higher--standard than we hold ourselves.

...in the meantime, be careful out there. Big Brother is watching. And his presents are handcuffs.

Eminent Domain

Hey, it's only been two months since I posted last. Gimme a break...a lot's been going on. Since y'all don't like to part with money and fund my adventures here, I had to get a real job. It's stressful and leaves me not really wanting to write much.

But, I couldn't pass this one up.

From the Pittsburgh, PA news: U.S. Government Backs Off. Yeah, don't we wish that was true. Seems the Government wants to use eminent domain to seize land for a memorial for Flight 93. That's a great idea! Build a memorial to commemorate the 40 men and women who gave their lives to keep the terrorists from accomplishing their plans on that morning in September of 2001.

It's a 2,200 acre memorial.

Lemme repeat that: it's a 2,200 acre memorial.

The Twin Towers took up only 2 acres of the 16 acre complex. So, what, exactly, are we commemorating with a 2,200 acre memorial? The acreage the government is wanting to seize is currently farm land. Ya know, where people grow things for other people to eat. Like vegetables. And cows. But, we want to take that land and make it a National Park!

Capitalism. Gotta love it.

But, RA! It's a memorial! Indeed! But National Parks ain't free. They charge admission. When was the last time you paid to walk up to the Vietnam War Memorial or the Iwo Jima memorial or the World War II memorial? When was the last time you were charged a fee to visit the battlefield in Gettysburg or the Lincoln Memorial?

I'm sorry, I'm failing to see how a 2,200 acre National Park in the middle of Nowheresville, PA is going to help us remember the 40 souls on Flight 93. "But, they said they'd give the landowners fair market value for the land!" Big whoop. If they open that National Park, they'll make more money in a year than what they paid the landowners. Fair market value my left eye tooth!

The governement really needs to cut the crap and figure out why we're in debt and having to rely on other countries for our goods. Could it be...we like seizing farm land to build highways or National Parks or other things? Chances are likely YES. Eminent Domain reaks of communism. Oh, shhh! We can't use that word because communism is dead! Okay, so socialism...or do you prefer fascism? Whatever ism you want add, it sure ain't deomocracy-within-a-republic-ism.

The founding fathers are probably rolling so fast in their graves that they're causing those earthquakes in California.

Drug-induced Benefits

It's been a long time comin'. I've been saving up my ire for something so controversial and juicy that it just had to be ranted upon.

This is it.

Lemme just say this: If I'm paying for you not to work, you don't get to spend my hard-earned money on drugs.

Period.

I totally and whole-heartedly endorse this. ACLU, SCREW YOU! In this recession, I think it's COMPLETELY fair to know that my money isn't paying for a druggie to continue to get high. I'd like to make sure that the money I'm paying into the system isn't paying to help reinforce a bad and illegal habit. I think I have that right.

Screw privacy issues here. We're not talking about full cavity searches or pat-downs at the airport. We're talking about making sure that the money you're trying to collect for unemployment isn't being squandered on something illegal. Because, you know what? THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING!!! I'm not paying my money for you to sit on your butt and smoke crack while your ninety billion kids from fifty thousand daddies are running about and spray-painting James Hetfield's house.

We've lost our sense of responsibility. I don't think I need to give you links on where I came up with that thought. There's a little thing to the right that lists dates. Pick a blog...just about any blog (except this one, this one, and this one)...and you will be inundated with the stupidity and lack of American responsibility.

It's what I do.

I bring you Darwin's Greatests. This is evidence that evolution is false: survival of the fittest doesn't work. It's survival of the lucky. That's the Leprechaun's thing... along with his pink hearts, yellow moons, green clovers, blue diamonds, and purple horseshoes. Shows how old I am. Lucky Charms used to be mostly "X"'s with the five shapes. I remember when they added the purple horseshoes. I liked the marshmellows, but I actually liked the "X"'s more.

If I wanted marshmellows, I just ate Frankenberry, Booberry, or Count Chocula cereals. I miss those cereals.

Religious Bend

So, God provided.

Yeah, yeah, you think I'm one of those right-wing nutjobs, right? Wrong. I'm very much...not. Most of the right-wingers make me cringe and cry and say, "Please...stop telling people you're one of us...it makes it more difficult for me." I'm not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, but, man, am I ashamed of some of my spiritual family.

Anyway.

I was planning on getting inked on April 6. Why? You ask. Well, ya see, my dad always said that if you were gonna have something permanently etched on your body, you should make sure it's something you could live with. I finally found that thing. The design is a cross made of three nails over 3 sets of wings with the date, March 3, 1982 etched onto the crossbeam. That's it. Why that date? Because that's the date I accepted Christ as my savior. The wings and the cross have personal significance to me and is a blog entry all its own for another time.

Moving on... I decided to move that date back to May so I could use the $200 for the inking for my licensure. Friday, my SO and I went to Santa Monica to sell his grandfather's coin collection. These coins, by the way, were pure silver. We were expecting a couple hundred dollars.

We got nearly $2-grand.

After excitedly calling my potential boss to schedule my final interview, we drove to DriveTime and purchased a used PT Cruiser. I'm still waiting to hear back from John on the interview, but I'm hoping to get everything taken care of within the next two weeks so that I'll be working by mid-April.

I also moved my inking back to the original date and time. The money remaining from all this is going to help us get things together for moving to Chicago.

So. God provides. Even if y'all didn't.

I tease. Thank you for your prayer-support and friendship-support.

More Money Hawking

Yeah, I'm shameless. I need more money.

This time, however, it's for CA-State insurance licensure. That's right, you heard me. I'm very much interested in an opportunity to work for a life insurance company. In order to do it, though, I need a total of $370 for the exam and the course. Who wants to help me out?

The company is AIL/NILICO. I know I can do this job. I know I can make pretty good money. How do I know? Because I've convinced y'all once before to donate money to my cause.

Actually, the job's pretty easy. The product sells itself, there's no cold-calling, the company is very established, and has a high market return (as in 32% of mailers are returned). It's an easy sell and it's a good launch pad into several areas that I could use as "fall back" areas for my life.

The sooner I get the money, the faster I can make it back. They've all but promised that I'd earn the $370 back within the first week in the field. Yes, it's that kind of good job. I won't go into all the details here--I'll save it for when I have interested parties who need work and I'm starting into my management training.

Anyway. There's a donate button to the right. Please use it. If I can get the first $185, I can register for the test. I'd like to do that this week. The other $185 would be to take the class (which I'd have to do before the test). It's 52 hours of work--something I can do very easily and quickly (I did 400 hours in a week... twice!) So. You know you love me.

I know I haven't been updating here. Know why? LIFE. Okay? Life sucks. A lot. To make a long story short, my husband and I were having troubles. Considered a divorce. Not considering that at the moment, anymore. So, getting better. I'll get back to ranting about stuff as soon as I find a bit of stability. A job would help. This job would be VERY helpful.

So, there ya have it. Want more rants? Donate to my "RA Needs a Job" fund.

Personal Experiences

Yeah, yeah, yeah... I haven't updated since January. Chill.

Let me tell you why.

First, I was preparing myself to take the FSOT. It was a lot of mental work and a great experience. I used the study guide and worked on understanding the questions and the reasoning for the questions--not that any of them appeared on my test. The test was to start at 2pm on Wednesday, February 11. I dutifully left my apartment at 12:30pm for the bus with an estimated arrival time of 1:24pm.

That, of course, didn't account for the two-mile-per-hour train that cut through our route. I missed my connecting bus. So, after all was said and done, I arrived at the testing facility AT 2pm. I was the last one to get there. I had called ahead, so they knew I'd be there.

I sat down to take the test and breezed through the questions. The essay questions made my brain hurt, but I had fun with them. I just assumed the people grading the tests would need to laugh at some point...hyperbole can be a lot of fun.

The last to arrive...the first to leave. Great feeling.

Then, I was preparing to leave for Nashville, TN to perform for Band with a Mission. That went well. I'll have video posted of it Soon(TM), but in the meantime, just know that I received average to above average marks. The only negative feedback I received was that I looked tense (mostly because, well, I was) and that I need to move more when I sing--oh, and back off my vibrato. Funny thing about classical training.... you're taught to sing with vibrato as it's the most natural way to sing and you're also taught not to move when showcasing because...they're there for your voice (novel concept).

My stay in Nashville was not without moments of grand stupidity, however. My loyal reader and dear friend, Artemis Tau, decided to take me ice skating. I have the physical dexterity of a flailing marmoset. Sure, I can sorta dance, but strap two pieces of metal to my feet and make me walk on ice and you'll not see anything remotely resembling beautiful. You will, however, see something resembling a muppet.

I'd finally gotten to the point where I did not have to cling to him or the wall in order to remain semi-vertical and we were actually laughing and talking about things other than my falling to the ice (and all the potential injuries I could sustain). Suddenly and without warning, my left skate caught a rut in the ice. So as not to end up in a twisted split, I lifted my left foot...and caught my toe pick on the ice.

If you've never been ice skating and don't know what a toe pick is, let alone what it does, go watch The Cutting Edge, then come back to me.

Now, normally, I can stop my fall with, say, my knees or my hands--but, apparently this time, I put my Double D's to work. I landed diaphragm-first on the ice, knocking the wind out of myself. The diaphragm was very quickly followed by my boobs. Somewhere in there, I smacked my right elbow on the ice, too, but I was too busy coughing and gasping for air to notice. All three other people skated over to me to make sure I was okay. What they asked was, "Are you alright? Is she alright?!" Their answer came as: " I'm fine!" and "I ... think so? She...Uh...RA?" Artemis was probably more frea--no, no, I can't say that. I was pretty freaked out at the not being able to breath thing. He was just worried I'd broken something.

...which I had...

The front closure of my bra.

If I hadn't been a freaking DD, I'd have probably cracked my sternum or my ribs. Lord knows I've got a nice bruise on my chest. Never thought I'd live to see the day where I was actually happy I'd gained weight in my chest.

Beyond that action-packed and comedy-filled moment, I got to sing on stage at the Ryman Auditorium and record "Amazing Grace" in their studio. Nanny, that was for you. I miss you and I love you and I don't think I've ever cried so much in a building as I did at the Ryman. Thank you for believing in me and never giving up hope...when (not if) I get my first award for my vocals...it's for you.

RIP.

MARY ELIZABETH HAMMAKER
November 1915-December 1996

Hope For America

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

As the 44th President of the United States, President Obama made history. Frederick Douglass may have been the first African-American to be nominated to the office of Vice President, but Barack Obama is the first African-American to be elected President. Change is here. Change is good.

...of course...if you listen to the video, you'll notice that he was so excited about change that he couldn't remember the words to the oath. I guess I'm just a cynic, but I found it funny.

Sunday, Bloody Sunday

Okay.

Lemme start this by saying I'm not racist.

I'm about accuracy. And this article from CNN--compelling and empathetic as it may be--is not accurate.

Oh, sure. The events occurred and everything that's in there is true--except for one small thing. Anyone catch it?

The Voting Rights Act of 1965.

This Act did not, in my opinion, do anything. Why do I say this? Because.

IT WAS ALREADY WRITTEN IN THE CONSTITUTION ALMOST 100 YEARS EARLIER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

One of my all-time favorite orators is Frederick Douglass. This man fought for what wanted. As a slave, he taught himself to read. He educated himself. He became the very thing that the white men were so afraid of--a literate slave. He escaped his slavery and began speaking around the country for abolition. Do NOT tarnish this man's work simply because there were Southern states who were NOT upholding the US Constitution!

It's there in black and white, folks. Amendment 15, ratified in 1870:

1. The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

2. The Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.

That's right! No STATE can deny the right of a black, red, yellow, brown, pink, purple, turquoise man (at that time) the right to vote. None. Zero. Zip. And the States knew this! How do I know? Because it's a Constitutional Amendment which requires 2/3 majority for ratification.

Guess what?

The Voting Rights Act is REDUNDANT! The Civil Rights Division even states that Act follows the 15th Amendment's wording. They claim that there was no way to effectively enforce the 15th Amendment. Sure there is! If I were to violate the Constitution, my butt get slapped in prison with a felony charge. Why not try levying that on the people responsible for not following the Constitution that they've sworn to uphold?

Oh, right...because the entire GOVERNMENT would be in the slammer.

I fully believe that the government is trying to disempower its own people because, where there's a lack of knowledge and understanding, the people become sheep and accept whatever malarky is shoveled in their faces.

Is the Voting Rights Act wrong? No. It did do some very important things. What is -wrong- is that people believe this to be the time when blacks were given the right to vote.

WRONG.

Blacks had the right to vote (covered in a legal, federal document) in 1870. In some states, blacks always had the right to vote. Don't buy the bull that the 1960's brought all these revolutionary changes that had already happened long before you and I were even thought about. Did great things come out of the '60's? Yep. Is it something to celebrate? If you really want. But, know your history. Know your rights under the Constitution. Know these documents the government likes to say they hold in high regard.

...and when you go on Final Jeopardy, just remember, 1870 granted blacks the right to vote and 1920 gave women the right to vote. Douglass made this very telling statement to a rather vocal Women's Rights advocate: "When women because they are women are dragged from their homes and hung upon lampposts, .....then they will have the urgency to obtain the ballot."

Happy New Year

It's been a while. Sue me. I have this thing called "a life." I happen to celebrate the beginning of that life at a very busy time of year. So, deal with it.

Now that I'm another year older, but not so much wiser, I bring to you more acerbic wit and nasty charm that I know you all love and adore. How do I know? Because some of you have said to me, "When are you going to update your blog?! I miss your twisted view of the world!"

So. For you. I bring you this video.

Do I really need to say anything? I think the news commentators say it best.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, AMERICA! We haven't changed in the least...good to know I will still have plenty of stupidity to report and rant upon this year. I was worried that, perhaps, people had been reading my blog, getting a clue, and thinking.

Glad to see I was only half right.

You guys are just trying to give me material now. I thank you for your generous offers and support.

I will go back to the near daily updates as I am able. As mentioned before, I have a rather important (at least to me) trip coming up in February. So, there will be about a week where you're not going to hear a blip from me. I'll be in Nashville. No, I'm not going red-neck. I'm going to be singing for some music people in the hopes of getting a recording contract.

That's right! Rogue Assassin could be coming to a record label near you! We'll see how things go.

In the meantime, enjoy the cesspool that is the internet. It's flowing with idiocy. Just...try not to fall in, mkay?

911 Emergency...or Not

So, I already have issues with this wonderful "service" called "9-1-1." See, in theory, it's a great idea. You are having an emergency--fire, heart attack, vandalism, rape, etc--and you dial this number, get a dispatcher, tell them the nature of your emergency and they dispatch the appropriate people.

In actuality, this doesn't seem to happen as frequently as we'd like. You dial 9-1-1 and get a busy signal. Or the phone rings off the hook. Or you're on hold for an eternity. The list can go on and on. But, what's highly unacceptable is this situation.

Since I know you all have a phobia of links, I'll summarize. A college student was being attacked--like stabbed attacked--in her apartment, so she called 9-1-1. The police didn't show up for 48 minutes. Wait, it gets better! The 9-1-1 dispatcher said that he did not hear anything that would indicate an emergency.

Let me rephrase: The EMERGENCY LINE DISPATCHER took an EMERGENCY CALL from someone being STABBED TO DEATH and did not hear anything that would indicate an emergency.

I can see where there may have been some confusion, I suppose. I mean, 21-year olds call 9-1-1 all the time to report being attacked, when in fact, they're just prank calling to waste time.

Forty-eight minutes.

Needless to say, she was dead by the time the police got there and her fiance--who had been at work--had come home to discover her dead on the floor of the apartment. If I were her fiance, I'd be askin' for the name of that dispatcher and suing him til the end of eternity. THAT is worth a lawsuit. Negligible homicide, accessory after the fact, wrongful death... I'm sure there's a bunch of things that could be tacked on to that lovely little suit.

But, let's look at this on the grander scale.

If dispatchers are now able to determine that a person calling in isn't really in danger, despite what they're saying, why should we have a 9-1-1 call center? Seriously! If someone's stabbing me and I'm saying, "Send the freaking police!" I probably don't mean send them in an hour. I probably mean send them five minutes ago. And while I'm lying here being stabbed, go ahead and send an ambulance, too.

Much easier to just dispatch than to not and have your pants sued off--or have people like me sit here and type about how stupid you are. Really. They record those 9-1-1 calls, you know. And, just in case you didn't realize it, SHE WAS SCREAMING. I can't imagine why should would be screaming if she was only being stabbed--I mean, that's not a real emergency, is it? It's not like she was in pain or anything.

Whatever. Do it right or don't do it at all. I can't say anything more on this because I'm starting into broken record syndrome. Don't worry, though, I'm sure I'll have another blast of stupid for you soon.

Teacher, Don't Teach!

Alright. Another loyal friend sent me this article yesterday. Believe it or not, I was a classroom teacher for one whole school year. Yeah, I was ready to kill people by the end, starting with myself. Worst. Experience. Ever.

As a first year teacher, I had the great stress of having a degree for highschool and teaching only sixth graders. I had the other wonderful insight that kids are dumber these days. Oh, and they don't want to work to get the grades they think they deserve. So, to facilitate learning, I would try different, brain-engaging activities, only to be yelled at by Administration that my methods wouldn't possibly work (even though I'd been following the research on brain-based learning). When my students pulled up at grade level and above on their standardized tests, they started to leave me alone.

In summation of that horrid and awful experience, the worst part of classroom teaching was the parents who thought they could do a better job, but didn't want to actually do it themselves.

I think happy bunny has something to say:


Yep. Cram it. I don't go to your place of employment in a tizzy and tell you that you don't know how to do your job because of some event in which a child has told me they were "abused" in class. Since when does a child rule the house? Lemme link the article here.

Okay. We knew this was going to be a potentially bad situation because a) it's kids and b) it's about slavery. So, these two black girls were bound and made to sit under a desk--to DEMONSTRATE how the slaves were brought over to America. Neither of the girls seemed upset by this. Any teacher knows that if a student declines to participate, you move to another volunteer. That's just standard. NEITHER of the girls had any complaints during class.

When the one got home however, she "burst into tears" over the ordeal. That's a long time to wait. Even if history is last period of the day, that's still a long time to hold back a flood of tears--why wouldn't you do it, say, during class or after class...? So, then the mother of this child goes on to say that the child was "so embarrassed" she didn't go to school the next day.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?!

That child has way too much power in her house. I couldn't get out of going to school even if I was throwing up! "Don't you feel better? Now get to class!"

The NAACP got involved in this, though, they insist it isn't a race thing. Darn tootin' it is! Slavery only affected those with dark skin. Funny, huh. So, yeah. It is a race thing--otherwise, the ACLU would have been involved instead. "No child, regardless of color, should be bound."

DUH?

I think that was the point of the HISTORY LESSON.

Just because you ignore it doesn't mean it will go away. We've tried that with the Holocaust. But you know what? I think we may actually be successful in erasing slavery from our nation's history. Know why? Because people are friggin' idiots. If we don't teach kids about racism, they'll never have to endure it.

Bull.

If we -don't- teach them about slavery and don't get it through their incredibly thick skulls what it was actually like to live during that time, they won't know or understand why the laws in place are worded the way they are. They won't appreciate the hard-fought battles by men like Frederick Douglass to get blacks the right to vote and the recognition of being humans and citizens of the United States.

What we are teaching these kids, however, is that the government and every white person in the world OWES them. "You're black! Your ancestors were slaves! We owe you for the wrongs our ancestors did!" I think I've commented on this before and said, "Nah. I don't owe you anything."

Here's a good thing to think about: if that teacher had been black and used that same technique, would this student "feel embarrassed" by the demonstration? I don't think so. In fact, this teacher's name was Bernstein. Sounds Jewish to me... whose civil liberties and rights trumps whose?

I think we should do away with the NAACP. Yeah, I do. Because it's not serving the purpose for which it was initially established. I also think we need to get rid of the ACLU for the same reason. Both of these organizations have managed to make most people feel the same way about them as the KKK. Probably because both of those groups have turned into a sort of KKK.

Still, you don't see the Klan rushing into ever incident where a white person is being attacked because they're white (like this one). You don't see the KKK jumping in and saying that a white person's rights have been violated because blah blah blah. Of course, you don't see the NAACP or the ACLU burning effigies on peoples lawns, either, but that isn't the point. Do I think the NAACP and ACLU are good organizations? In concept and theory, but not in practice. Do I think the KKK is a good organization? Obviously not. It was, however, an organization with which to draw a conclusion and parallel.

Don't sue me over it.

Speaking of suing, the parents of the girl who was "embarrassed" by the history demonstration are considering filing a civil suite against the teacher. I think she should counter-sue for damages and added stress to her job. SHE has grounds. They do not. It's not like the student was in Kindergarten. She was in seventh grade. That's Junior High or Middle School or whatever the heck you call it now. Life isn't going to be all rosey and "fair" and ya may as well get used to that idea. Oh, and you can't just sue your way out of everything.

"But they're just children!"

Yes, and when I treat them like children, you yell and complain to me that your child feels babied. Maybe...and this is just a weird idea--MAYBE you should take some freaking responsibility and rear your own child and allow the teacher to teach--which, ya know, is what the degree is in. Teachers are not babysitters. If you don't like how your child is disciplined (or even THAT your child is disciplined) at school, then discipline them at home so they don't have to be disciplined at school. Really, THAT is best for EVERYONE. The teacher--the other students--it's condusive to learning. It takes the stress off the teacher to control your spawn and teach them what they need to know.

Oh, by the way, the two girls that were bound with tape at the wrists and feet were not the only two black students in Mrs. Bernstein's class. Oh, and also the NAACP said they don't think she gets it, since she didn't admit to any wrong doing and only apologized that the child was "embarrassed."

I say: "Good on Mrs. Bernstein. She didn't do anything wrong."

...and people wonder why there's an increase every year in crime...

...and doesn't the NAACP have more important things to do than investigate a history demonstration about slavery?

Okay, I'm done....beating a dead horse at this point...

Shut Up

Hey, don't complain. I started a business and got busy with that...then got sick. Not my fault I haven't updated since before Thanksgiving. Deal with it.

Now, onto wonderful examples of human stupidity and whatnot.

From my current place of residence: Jamiel's Law is in danger of not being added to the ballot in May 2009. Ya gotta love L.A., really. See, we have Special Order 40--which protects illegal immigrants from police so they can report crimes without fear of being deported.

So. Let's see here... For those of you following along at home (or the office)... NOT contacting INS for papers to say you're allowed to be in this country is...dun-du-du-dun! A FELONY! It's a Federal crime for which the penalty is being sent back to your own blinking country.

Jamiel's Law would allow police officers to arrest undocumented gang members before they commit a crime.

Hello?

Knock-knock. Who's there--excuse me, "Who it is?" Please. Por favor who? Please go BACK TO YOUR OWN COUNTRY.

I understand your desire to be in the land of the free and the home of the brave, but ya know what? You're futzing around with it and making it the land of people who can't speak English because they're not here legally and therefore can't go to school to learn it!

I'm all for immigrants. My ancestors were immigrants. Ya know what? They went through the proper channels to become citizens. You're broke and can't afford it? Tough luck! Life sucks, doesn't it? Get a job in your own county and save money. Oh, boohoo, you don't get paid a lot in your country. Guess what? Cost of living SUCKS here. You're in for a real eye-opener.

Back to this article.

So, the police, under Special Order 40, cannot arrest and deport undocumented people ("illegals" for those of you like me who are politically INcorrect) until they commit a crime. Guess what? Here's a news flash: ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION IS A CRIME!

They've already committed a crime, baby. Lock 'em up and send 'em back! I don't care if they came from China. Lock 'em up and send 'em back. Do it the right way. Undocumented lives in the US are breaking Federal Law. Federal Law trumps State & Local in most cases. If these folks have jobs, they have social security cards. Those social security cards are most likely fakes since they're UNDOCUMENTED. Soooo...that means it's a FEDERAL CRIME.

Are we understanding this here?

In California (at least, Los Angeles), there is a law that actually protects felons (welcome to America!) from the penalty that goes along with their crime--so that we can fight crime.

Two wrongs do not make a right. But, I guess if they help ya sleep at night...

Maybe I really -should- run for office. I'd have to run under a platform, though, that isn't Libertarian. I don't know if I could live with my conscience if I ran under Republican or Democrat. Why is it that politicians don't seem to think about the laws they're putting into action? Oh, right...that paycheck.

Take that check and cram it. Have a nice day.

Double Jeopardy?

Legal situations are always touchy. Especially as an outside person looking in. Especially when I am the outside person. Now, this article could just be shoddy journalism (lord knows there's a ton of that on CNN.com), but my mind chooses to give the author the benefit of the doubt (something I know I shouldn't do) and take what's there at face value.

Read this.

Note especially where, when, and for what he was convicted.

Feel free to correct me, if you want. I don't really care. But, to me...it seems this man's had some basic Constitutional rights violated, here. Namely, Double Jeopardy as seen in the following:

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

The way this particular article reads, it looks like the civilian court and the military court found this guy guilty of the same crimes. I can understand why they'd want to try him twice--he raped and killed a civilian and raped and killed/attempted to kill a couple of Army personnel. According to the article. That's three people. If you re-read the first part of that article, the civilian court convicted him on two counts of murder and five counts of rape (which is impressive for having three known victims). Then the following year, a court martial also found him guilty of two murders, one attempted murder, and three rapes. That equates to the two military personnel and the civilian.

Now, don't get me wrong. Y'all should know by now how I feel about murderers and rapists and the death penalty. But, I'm also a very big supporter of the US Constitution. It's there for a reason. It's there so the government can't tell us to just bend over and take it--even though they try. The government can get away with a lot. Know why? Because they rely on the fact that Americans, as a whole, are uninformed. With the way trends are for the education of the youth of America, I'd say the government is trying to make it so that very few are even literate in this country. That way, when the citizens willingly give up their rights because they don't know any better, the power-hungry Federal Government will just pat them on the heads and send them on their merry little way.

I, for one, don't plan on allowing that to happen. What am I going to do about it? I'll write my congressmen. I'll petition Mr. Obama. I'll even run for office, if I have to. Ooooh...yesh, I said it. I'll run for OFFICE, if I have to. I'll make sure my Libertarian view of government gets broadcasted the world over. So, if you don't like the fact your rights are slowly being stripped from you, do something about it.

READ the Constitution.

KNOW your rights.

WRITE your congressman.

Don't settle for the standard answers. Make them accountable for their decisions. Let them know they can't just make arbitrary decisions that affect your life. Let them know that they can't just overwrite the Constitution. And I'm not talking about minority groups here. I'm talking about US CITIZENS. I'm talking about reading the articles of the Constitution of our country and the Amendments. Know them. Understand them. That way when someone says to you, "Hey, don't you think Schwartzenegger should run for President?" You can say (with confidence, knowledge, and accuracy), "Yes, but sadly, he can't. He doesn't meet the qualifications. Neither does RA, but give her a few years and she'll be a-okay!"

Vote RA/Cthulu in 2012! You'll be glad you did.

CA's Prop 8

I was going to avoid this topic. But, I've decided to just go with it. Especially after my darling SO sent me this little article.

*takes a deep breath*

GET AN EFFING CLUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you.

Now. Let's move on.

For those of you not living in California, Prop 8 directly affects the Supreme Court (CA State) ruling that same-sex marriages should be legal. Now. California already recognizes same-sex partnerships the same way they recognize marriage.

THE SAME WAY.

There's not a difference. If you want to wear rings, wear 'em! A little piece of paper means jack. Trust me, I have one. I still retain my rights as a human and I'm still entitled to whatever state law allows me. JUST LIKE YOU!

Just because I voted for Prop 8 to be passed because I believe that marriage is between a man and a woman doesn't mean I hate you. It does mean that I disagree with your lifestyle, but you know what? Talk to me for five minutes and you'd figure that out. I'm sorta the "love the sinner, hate the sin" kinda person. Ya know, like Jesus.

So, what's really got my dander? The Musical Theatre community. They actually decided to boycott the director because he chose to vote for Prop 8 (or against it...not sure which it's supposed to be, really. Never did get a straight answer). By the way? Prop 8 passed, meaning that same-sex marriages aren't recognized as legal marriages in the state of CA. This upsets people because...they didn't get their way, I guess....see all previous statements of having the same benefits as marriage.

It's getting to the point in this country where "religion, race, gender, or creed" is actually being reversed. You're "intolerant" if you disagree with a "minority." Screw these so-called minority groups. I'm not coddling you. GROW UP! You're just as dumb as the rest of us. I don't care if you're gay. I don't care if you're Muslim. I don't care if you're pink with purple polk-a-dots. You don't get special treatment. You're a dog gone AMERICAN. We have 25 amendments to our Constitution that give you more freedoms and liberties than you can get anywhere else in the world. Just because my ancestors were (mostly) white doesn't mean I owe you anything. My ancestors didn't even live in the United States until well after the Civil War. To boot, they didn't even own slaves. I owe you zipp-o.

Even if they did, there's a law in place that prohibits them from continuing that practice. I owe you nothing--not even an "Oh, I'm sorry that nearly 200 years ago, some distant relative of mine beat the snot out of a distant relative of yours. I can see where this has caused such painful trauma in your life."

If you're gay, great! I owe you nothing. You don't owe me anything for being straight, why do I owe you something for your choices? You're not "born gay." You make that choice. I have plenty of gay friends and I know that somewhere in their lives, they made the choice. I'm not buying your crap of "I was just born this way." Take some dog gone responsibility and stop making -me- have to pay for your crap.

Make your choice then deal with the consequences. Like a HUMAN BEING.

Alcoholism is a choice.
Obesity is a choice. There are very few situations where it is not.
Lesbianism/Gay-ism/bi-sexualism is a choice.

Make your choice and DEAL with it!

I understand, not everyone can be mature and accept responsibility. But, someone's gotta start somewhere. Don't make me link every previous blog entry. (( you can search my site for more... just use the handy search function. It's right there to the right. ))

It's My Blog--I'll Rant About What I Want

So, I've decided. I'm sick of employers lying to me or leading me around by a chain or setting me up in places that I have no business being in.

I've decided that I like me. I've interviewed myself and have found that I am highly appropriate for the job. Therefore, I have hired myself and am no longer "unemployed." The next person that asks me that...I'm going to sock 'em.

I make soaps. And lotions. And aftershaves. And, well, a bunch of stuff. Check it.

Now. Why is this a rant?

Because.

I had a job opportunity that paid really good money come up a few weeks ago. Probably about three or so, now. I turned down a job I -wanted- for this job because it paid what I needed and had the hours I could deal with. I mean, it's not every day you get offered $18/hr simply because you understand the in's and out's of pay-per-click. I did all the agency tests--scored a 98% on grammar and spelling; 75+wpm; 13,000+ kpm; 95% on call-center listening skills; 90% on reading comprehension (which, this one I didn't understand as the questions had little to do with reading comprehension and more to do with abstract application); 89% on Excel; and an 89% on Word--and that's without using my keyboard shortcuts that stay the same throughout all versions of those stupid programs. So, as you can see, my office skills are quite valuable.

Week one: I continued looking for other jobs, just in case something happened. I called in to find if there were any temp positions I could work while I waited for my background check to clear. I was told to keep open for this job and that they should contact me within the week. Reluctantly, I agreed. I started looking for only certain kinds of positions--such as management/assistant management, or corporate development.

Week two: Still hadn't heard anything, so I gave a call. No answer. Left a message. I had also sent an e-mail earlier in that day. Waited through the weekend and the beginning of the following week. Finally, on the last day of week two, called and talked to the girl. "They're not sure if they're going to hire more people, now." She told me.

It took all my energy and intestinal fortitude to not scream into the phone, "WERE YOU GOING TO TELL ME!?!?!!?!?!"

Some "sure thing."

That put me back at square one. Not really interested in doing admin work. I'm a management-level-ready employee. I was a management candidate for a retail chain prior to my moving. In fact, had the retail manager in CA not had his thumb up his rear, I'd probably would have been a retail manager. I was one of the best sales reps in the company. Again with employer lies!

I suppose having managed a classroom of 30 brats doesn't count for "management." Or the fact that the one volunteer position I hold is an Assistant Manager position. Obviously, I've no clue how to tell people what to do.

I was a manager when I worked in Food Service, too...while I was in college. Again, it doesn't seem to make a difference.

So, now I can proudly say, I'm the owner. I'm the manager. I'm the CEO, CFO, President, VP, etc., etc. Next time someone wants to try to pay me for work, they'd better offer me a pretty high salary. My skills are not commensurate with "grunt" work. Sorry, folks. That's just how it is.

I refuse to work at a job that does not require any sort of brain power. I will not be happy. I will not be entertained. I will not continue to show up. Challenge me. That's part of what I like about owning my own business! I get to challenge myself!

...and cuddle my cat...