Fuck you and your first-world problems. Kids are starving, entire religions persecuted and families living on grains of rice, but oh no, your cellphone won't charge, or your parents insist you spend time actually preparing for exams, or god forbid, get a job.
So fuck you guys, stop being so selfish, don't take everything for granted. Right?
No.
Screw that. I live in a first-world country, I have first world privliges, and I'm not just going to give any of this up so you people can feel better about trying to help others.
What the hell do you people get off on, telling everyone they need to be greatfull for everything? Sure, it's great to be free and rich, and goddamn, we have so much more than so many other people. You think I don't know that? You think I'm not aware of the millions that live terrible lives? You think I don't appreciate what I have?
I do. Immensely. But I'll be dammned if I'm going to spend my every waking moment either in active praise and appreciation of the fact, or sitting around feeling guilty for it. No, I'm going to be out using it. That's what it's there for. Funny that.
How do you want me to display my praise and amazement at modern technology? Pray to the kettle? Have a freakout every time I see a computer? Seizure at toasters?
They were invented. They're useful. Now stop using them as guilt-leverage, or I swear by whatever god happens to be the most convenient at the time, I will shove the nearest appliance inside an orifice of yours where it just shouldn't go, and we'll see how much you appreciate its existance then, shall we?
Same goes for feeling miserable.
I hate people who pull the "oh some people have it worse" card. So fucking what if that guy has no legs? Does that somehow stop me from being able to feel misery?
If shit breaks, I'm going to complain because it violates my standard of living. Yes, it's not great, good or even acceptable that some people will never even hear of half the things I have that exist to simply make my life that little bit easier.
But if they break, or I have a bad day, for the love of satan just let me be. I don't want to hear about how some people have no organs, eyes or limbs and can still be happy. Is that shit supposed to make me feel better? Or just guilty for not being crippled?
Either way, it's not working. It's just making me angry and sad. Angry at the stupidity of the people who use this as personal leverage against me, and sad at the fact that other people haven't shot aforementioned people.
Once again, the same goes for ambition. I will strive for perfection, happiness or at least a comfy seat and decent movie, because I can. Sure, that guy strives to overcome a crippling disease, but do I happen to be him? Am I responsible for him?
No. Then in what way does the existance of him and his disease stop me from trying to get further in life?
It's not that I don't care about other peoples problems, it's that I care more about myself than them. There's no way that their inconvenience with major life barriers is going to stop me from grumbling at the slow startup time of my epic computer. We just have different standards of living, different things to complain about and different things to do. So let me do my shit and spend the time you would have spent being righteous at me, helping them.
Or you could just be a complete twat. You know, you've already got that down quite well.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
WE ARE ALL EQUALS ~ALEX
Let me start this post with a disclaimer, just to prevent any interjections, although that sort of thing is not likely. I am not racist, nor am I sexist, nor do I have any generalised prejudice against any sort of majority or minority on the face of this earth, perhaps with the exception of Nazis, although thats not really up to me to judge, so I would just leave them alone. But there is one thing about all this that really pisses me off; The strive for equality.
Alright, I believe that women should be able to vote, work etc. I also share this same point of view for anyone of any race or type. However, I believe that discrimination should not be something we force upon people.
We live in a "banned" society as of the mid to late 2000's - for all I know it could have started in the 1990's. If we don't like something, we ban it. That's that. This
is the worst sort of political stance, in my opinion, and I would never have full support for anyone who saw issues in such a way. Of course, that is not to say opinion is wrong, however there are absolutely no issues that are so black and white that banning is necessary. After all, those who do not support something can just avoid it can't they? For the sake of argument, we'll look at smoking in the workplace. At this point in time, 2010, smoking in Australia is banned in all indoor workplaces as well as many outdoor areas. Everyone has the right to a smoke-free workplace. Many companies now refuse to hire smokers because they believe that the breaks smokers take throughout the day result in unproductivity. I am not going to say that everyone should smoke indoors, its absurd and would result in many health problems, as well as the immediate effects such a measure would have on people with asthma. But, if we were to go back before the ban and play out events differently, it would result in new circumstances. Many companies would realise that their hiring pools are dwindling due to their smoky environments, and many would start to VOLUNTARILY ban smoking. Others would not uphold the ban, and both smokers and non-smokers would be happy.
Discrimination is banned. Now, maybe its just me, but I dont see how such a thing is possible. Discrimination is a mindset, and while many people VOLUNTARILY ban discrimination by not practicing it themselves, I believe many people are entitled to their prejudices, so long as no violence is committed or anything dangerous comes out of it. People are people, and they will always have a certain view on the world, and it is not the job of a government, a union or any other organisation to alter it. So of course, in the age of banned discrimination, a new problem rises; "If I treat those of a minority as disadvantaged, will I be seen as discriminating?"
So now, we dont have disabled people. We have "differently abled" people (I think I ranted about this earlier, go search it for yourself). We bend over backwards to allow minority groups to gain places in establishments we worked hard to earn places in ourselves; university, high-profile jobs. If you can earn the place, it's yours. But you shouldnt get a free ride because you are of a different culture or are a woman; I dont disagree with the idea of women or people of varying ethnic backgrounds getting into establishments and high profile jobs, I just dont believe that they should get preferential treatment above everyone else. And yes, for the record, if you do not have the same capabilities as a normal human, you are "disabled", if you are a member of one of the races that have been in Australia longer than the white people, you are "Aboriginal" (or if the case may warrant, Torres Strait Islander) not "Indigenous". Indigenous is a general term used to describe anyone native to anywhere (which encompasses anyone on the face of the earth), and when I say Aboriginals or Aboriginal, it's not like I'm calling you a "boong" or a "coon". The intent behind the word classes the offensiveness of the word, if you called your friend some derogatory obscenity that would make any self-respecting old lady pass out, he probably wouldn't care. If you yell it in hate speech, then maybe its time to get a bit annoyed. Honestly, I believe half of the derogatory terms are taken too hard, especially the Andrew Johns scenario. He called another player a "black coon", and while I can see how you get offended, really if he were the bigger man he would point out that its offensive and let it go. Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me.
On a similar topic, with the government attempting to ban the wearing of the burqa, wouldn't this be considered ironic? Australia has spent decades trying to make up for decades more of racial assimilation against Aboriginals, yet now we are trying to assimilate muslims into our own culture. Some claim the burqa to be "anti-feminist" and maybe in some contexts it is, but generally speaking, no it is not. This is the women's religion, they follow it. They uphold the rules of the religion, because they follow it. Australia is a free country (or so I am told), and if they really weren't happy with their circumstances, they could easily be changed. It's as simple as that.
I will leave with a final anecdote, told to me by a relative. Bear in mind that my hearing it and passing it on is a third hand story, as this happened to a friend of the relative;
This friend worked for the government, who prides themselves on being 'equal opportunity'. This is the late 80's or early to mid 90's we're talking about, just for context. Several aboriginal men working in the same branch were given money, a truck and other supplies in order to do some surveying work or something similar, the money, truck and supplies were necessary to the job. Several days later it became apparent that the men and all their government-owned supplies were gone. No complaint was lodged, no case was filed, nothing happened. The government ignored it. The story finished with a question; "How would this have been handled if the act had been committed by white men?"
Equality my arse.
Alright, I believe that women should be able to vote, work etc. I also share this same point of view for anyone of any race or type. However, I believe that discrimination should not be something we force upon people.
We live in a "banned" society as of the mid to late 2000's - for all I know it could have started in the 1990's. If we don't like something, we ban it. That's that. This
is the worst sort of political stance, in my opinion, and I would never have full support for anyone who saw issues in such a way. Of course, that is not to say opinion is wrong, however there are absolutely no issues that are so black and white that banning is necessary. After all, those who do not support something can just avoid it can't they? For the sake of argument, we'll look at smoking in the workplace. At this point in time, 2010, smoking in Australia is banned in all indoor workplaces as well as many outdoor areas. Everyone has the right to a smoke-free workplace. Many companies now refuse to hire smokers because they believe that the breaks smokers take throughout the day result in unproductivity. I am not going to say that everyone should smoke indoors, its absurd and would result in many health problems, as well as the immediate effects such a measure would have on people with asthma. But, if we were to go back before the ban and play out events differently, it would result in new circumstances. Many companies would realise that their hiring pools are dwindling due to their smoky environments, and many would start to VOLUNTARILY ban smoking. Others would not uphold the ban, and both smokers and non-smokers would be happy.
Discrimination is banned. Now, maybe its just me, but I dont see how such a thing is possible. Discrimination is a mindset, and while many people VOLUNTARILY ban discrimination by not practicing it themselves, I believe many people are entitled to their prejudices, so long as no violence is committed or anything dangerous comes out of it. People are people, and they will always have a certain view on the world, and it is not the job of a government, a union or any other organisation to alter it. So of course, in the age of banned discrimination, a new problem rises; "If I treat those of a minority as disadvantaged, will I be seen as discriminating?"
So now, we dont have disabled people. We have "differently abled" people (I think I ranted about this earlier, go search it for yourself). We bend over backwards to allow minority groups to gain places in establishments we worked hard to earn places in ourselves; university, high-profile jobs. If you can earn the place, it's yours. But you shouldnt get a free ride because you are of a different culture or are a woman; I dont disagree with the idea of women or people of varying ethnic backgrounds getting into establishments and high profile jobs, I just dont believe that they should get preferential treatment above everyone else. And yes, for the record, if you do not have the same capabilities as a normal human, you are "disabled", if you are a member of one of the races that have been in Australia longer than the white people, you are "Aboriginal" (or if the case may warrant, Torres Strait Islander) not "Indigenous". Indigenous is a general term used to describe anyone native to anywhere (which encompasses anyone on the face of the earth), and when I say Aboriginals or Aboriginal, it's not like I'm calling you a "boong" or a "coon". The intent behind the word classes the offensiveness of the word, if you called your friend some derogatory obscenity that would make any self-respecting old lady pass out, he probably wouldn't care. If you yell it in hate speech, then maybe its time to get a bit annoyed. Honestly, I believe half of the derogatory terms are taken too hard, especially the Andrew Johns scenario. He called another player a "black coon", and while I can see how you get offended, really if he were the bigger man he would point out that its offensive and let it go. Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me.
On a similar topic, with the government attempting to ban the wearing of the burqa, wouldn't this be considered ironic? Australia has spent decades trying to make up for decades more of racial assimilation against Aboriginals, yet now we are trying to assimilate muslims into our own culture. Some claim the burqa to be "anti-feminist" and maybe in some contexts it is, but generally speaking, no it is not. This is the women's religion, they follow it. They uphold the rules of the religion, because they follow it. Australia is a free country (or so I am told), and if they really weren't happy with their circumstances, they could easily be changed. It's as simple as that.
I will leave with a final anecdote, told to me by a relative. Bear in mind that my hearing it and passing it on is a third hand story, as this happened to a friend of the relative;
This friend worked for the government, who prides themselves on being 'equal opportunity'. This is the late 80's or early to mid 90's we're talking about, just for context. Several aboriginal men working in the same branch were given money, a truck and other supplies in order to do some surveying work or something similar, the money, truck and supplies were necessary to the job. Several days later it became apparent that the men and all their government-owned supplies were gone. No complaint was lodged, no case was filed, nothing happened. The government ignored it. The story finished with a question; "How would this have been handled if the act had been committed by white men?"
Equality my arse.
Friday, July 2, 2010
Anthony: Religion, Fustration and Mishmash
Reading back across a few posts in the large archive of hate, I noticed that Alex made a post about religion at one point. It was a good post, go find it.
But the point, as it is, is presented as such: Don't Convert.
Sure, other religions may fustrate you, be it with their dramatic il/logicality, their blatant excuses for bad behavior, contradiction of personal belief or restriction of freedoms, but thats's no reason to be a fucktard about it. It's like trying to convince a gay not to be gay because butsecks can perhaps cause spinal trouble or some shit. Sure, it might, but in the end, it's not affecting you, so stfu.
There is an exception to this rule, and that's why I'm here.
It goes thusly;
If said religion breaches personal rights, disrupts your life or actively seeks to iconvenience or negatively effect you and/or your life, then the above rule is void and may be replaced with common sense.
In other words: If that religion is damaging your life quality, strike back with common sense in order to remove them from your life.
This is of course very general, but you get the idea. I'm all for spirited debate and a rant here and then, but sometimes people take it too far.
We all have our own reasons, and sometimes its best left at that.
If I can convert someone, not strictly even to atheism/agnosticism, but simply to a little bit or practical thinking, then my life is made a little better for the fact that I may have just helped them in some way. Of course, I might have started a chain reaction that leads to depression from a lack of purpouse, but that's a bridge to cross when it's reached.
Many people do simply use religion as a comforter, and if it works for you, then thats nice, but please don't try to convert me. I've got my own chance-created universe to laugh at, don't put a funny little cloud-man in there, I'm not sure I can stand that much comedy.
Half the problem of religion, and in some cases depression, in my eyes, is purpouse. Lack of it, or not being able to meet it, seems to be a pretty big problem. Long ago, I kinda had some sort of gradual revalation, that pretty much ended up with me believing that life, in general, is there to be lived, oppurtunitues, lack of, and everything else, all in a fucking bundle dumped on the doorstep of your consciousness. You're shoved into it, bundled around a bit and eventually you fall out, whether or not you had a good time. Delayed gratification doesn't come into it at this point, because the reward is uncertain. But what you can see and feel here is tangible, and you can work with that for now.
Of course, I was nowhere near as eloquent at the time. And my continued belief in something like this ends up fustrating me as I see too many people living for a future. Not just 'the' future, but 'a' future they believe exists. Not enough people live for the now, or at least, not enough people live for the now without being complete fucking morons. I say this because I can't imagine the morons having any plans for the future other than "fuck, drink, drugs, douchebaggery", and even then, it's a vauge, habit-instilled subconscious memory.
But hey, it's the same old 'live for the moment' shit.
Take the fucking chance, because hey, some people regret taking an oppurtunity, but most regret letting it slip by. Sitting back gets you shit, but leaping forward gets you somwhere.
All the anger that's here, all the fustration and yelling in this blog, ammounts to not very much. Practically nobody reads this. Those that do and don't know me get offended, I laugh, things go on. It's an outlet of sorts, like venting nuclear waste into space. Fuck-all is going to complain out there, and if it does, it's hardly going to be able to stand up to the torrent for long.
Not many people get a lot of things. Some of these things I say, some others say. Some i disagree with, some i agree with. There will be protestations, sometimes on my part, and often I will disregard my own advice, becuase I like you lot to think that I'm human, squishy, mortal and fallible.
Now, If you'll excuse me, I've got some wisdom to impart on the real world. And no, it's not poop.
Well, maybe some of it is.
But the point, as it is, is presented as such: Don't Convert.
Sure, other religions may fustrate you, be it with their dramatic il/logicality, their blatant excuses for bad behavior, contradiction of personal belief or restriction of freedoms, but thats's no reason to be a fucktard about it. It's like trying to convince a gay not to be gay because butsecks can perhaps cause spinal trouble or some shit. Sure, it might, but in the end, it's not affecting you, so stfu.
There is an exception to this rule, and that's why I'm here.
It goes thusly;
If said religion breaches personal rights, disrupts your life or actively seeks to iconvenience or negatively effect you and/or your life, then the above rule is void and may be replaced with common sense.
In other words: If that religion is damaging your life quality, strike back with common sense in order to remove them from your life.
This is of course very general, but you get the idea. I'm all for spirited debate and a rant here and then, but sometimes people take it too far.
We all have our own reasons, and sometimes its best left at that.
If I can convert someone, not strictly even to atheism/agnosticism, but simply to a little bit or practical thinking, then my life is made a little better for the fact that I may have just helped them in some way. Of course, I might have started a chain reaction that leads to depression from a lack of purpouse, but that's a bridge to cross when it's reached.
Many people do simply use religion as a comforter, and if it works for you, then thats nice, but please don't try to convert me. I've got my own chance-created universe to laugh at, don't put a funny little cloud-man in there, I'm not sure I can stand that much comedy.
Half the problem of religion, and in some cases depression, in my eyes, is purpouse. Lack of it, or not being able to meet it, seems to be a pretty big problem. Long ago, I kinda had some sort of gradual revalation, that pretty much ended up with me believing that life, in general, is there to be lived, oppurtunitues, lack of, and everything else, all in a fucking bundle dumped on the doorstep of your consciousness. You're shoved into it, bundled around a bit and eventually you fall out, whether or not you had a good time. Delayed gratification doesn't come into it at this point, because the reward is uncertain. But what you can see and feel here is tangible, and you can work with that for now.
Of course, I was nowhere near as eloquent at the time. And my continued belief in something like this ends up fustrating me as I see too many people living for a future. Not just 'the' future, but 'a' future they believe exists. Not enough people live for the now, or at least, not enough people live for the now without being complete fucking morons. I say this because I can't imagine the morons having any plans for the future other than "fuck, drink, drugs, douchebaggery", and even then, it's a vauge, habit-instilled subconscious memory.
But hey, it's the same old 'live for the moment' shit.
Take the fucking chance, because hey, some people regret taking an oppurtunity, but most regret letting it slip by. Sitting back gets you shit, but leaping forward gets you somwhere.
All the anger that's here, all the fustration and yelling in this blog, ammounts to not very much. Practically nobody reads this. Those that do and don't know me get offended, I laugh, things go on. It's an outlet of sorts, like venting nuclear waste into space. Fuck-all is going to complain out there, and if it does, it's hardly going to be able to stand up to the torrent for long.
Not many people get a lot of things. Some of these things I say, some others say. Some i disagree with, some i agree with. There will be protestations, sometimes on my part, and often I will disregard my own advice, becuase I like you lot to think that I'm human, squishy, mortal and fallible.
Now, If you'll excuse me, I've got some wisdom to impart on the real world. And no, it's not poop.
Well, maybe some of it is.
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