So I'm sure we've all heard about the "not guilty" verdict that was handed down to George Zimmerman on the Trayvon Martin case. There has been a lot of people on both sides speaking out, both happy and unhappy with the verdict. Personally I am not only unhappy with the verdict and I am angry at the justice system and American media over this case. The fact is that George Zimmerman followed around a teenage boy, who was unarmed, and instigated a fight until that teenage boy ended up shot and dead. The police told him NOT to follow Trayvon Martin and he ignored them. He not only blatantly went against what the police said but he killed someone because he was an overly zealous neighborhood watchman.
First off, I would like to address people saying Zimmerman was not told to stand down. There is audio evidence provided by 911 and the police where it is clearly stated that he did not need to follow Trayvon Martin and that he needed to wait for the police. Instead Zimmerman continued to follow him and instigate a fight. Secondly, Zimmerman started the conflict so it wasn't self defense. Yes, there is evidence that Zimmerman was beaten by Trayvon BUT (and this is a big but) Zimmerman followed Martin down the street and confronted him for essentially walking and wearing a hoodie. Zimmerman was the one who began following and threatening Trayvon Martin and Trayvon defended himself against Zimmerman and was shot for it. The fact is, Zimmerman committed the most wrongs in the scenario and is not being held accountable for any of the things he did. Now I would like to discuss the matter of race that has been brought up time and time again during this trial.
A lot of people are saying that this case was about racial profiling, but honestly, I think Zimmerman was found not guilty because of so many people screaming "racial profiling." What he did was clearly wrong, as long as he is convicted for his crime why should we worry about whether or not he's a racist? The answer is the issue of race should have been dealt with after the trial was over. I think that because people became so caught up on the subject of racial profiling that they forgot they were judging the crime and not the morals of the accused. In this country, like it or not, you cannot get into trouble for being a racist because it is a matter of personal opinion which is protected in the US (even if it is a huge problem and a bad thing). Zimmerman may or may not have been racially profiling Trayvon and decided to confront him based on his race but we will never know. Zimmerman himself was biracial so it is up for debate as to whether or not he stopped Trayvon because of his race. The fact is the court, media and the jury should have focused on only what took place and not whether or not Zimmerman did any of this because of racial prejudice. As for me, I believe that Zimmerman is guilty and that because of the way the media covered the case, a killer is walking free.
Friday, July 19, 2013
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Working At a Theater
I haven't posted on here in a little less than a month and to all of my active readers I apologize. I've recently been hired at a local movie theater and that's what's been taking up my time and what I'll be writing about today. More specifically I'll be talking about what it's like dealing with people, both the positive and the negative. I happen to really like my job, it makes me happy to help people, I work with really nice and interesting people and I get to see and discuss movies regularly. It's pretty much a perfect fit for me. However, just like any other job there is a downside though.
That downside would happen to be dealing with some of the people that come through. There is nothing more frustrating than a customer that decides to be rude or to say/do unkind things to the people that are trying to serve them and give them an enjoyable experience at the movies. There are people that come through and make a scene or talk down to us over something as simple as accidentally pouring a regular Coke instead of a Diet Coke. When I deal with people like this I have to constantly tell myself that maybe they've had a bad day or maybe they're in a hurry and not get angry with them. Sometimes that's more difficult than others. Especially if they act like I'm just a stupid girl in a minimum wage job that can't fix a drink right.
While my job is not stressful or particularly hard there are days when I'm a little slower than others or when we have a rush of customers that all come in five to ten minutes before their show starts and then get angry because we can't get one to two hundred people through the line in that span of time. While this makes dealing with snotty people harder it also makes dealing with the nice and polite people that much more pleasant. I am more than happy to be polite and go the extra mile for those customers because they simply remember to say please and thank you. Personally, I love having a smile on my face and bringing people their popcorn and drinks and watching them come out of the theater talking about how great the movie was and the impact it had on them. That's the best part of my job, hearing people talk about how excited, happy, sad, afraid or angry a movie made them. This aspect reminds me of watching movies with my dad when I was little.
My dad used to sit down with my brother and I and put on Star Wars or Indiana Jones and I still remember to this day how those movies made me feel. I remember wondering what Darth Vader was without the suit and how shocked I was when I found out Vader was Luke's father. I also vividly remember being terrified that Jones was going to have his heart ripped out while fighting on the bridge. My dad started my excitement for movies and my passion for them and he will never know how much that changed my life. So when I see people leave a movie at the theater talking about its impact, that's what I remember and that makes dealing with all of the rude customers worth it for me.
That downside would happen to be dealing with some of the people that come through. There is nothing more frustrating than a customer that decides to be rude or to say/do unkind things to the people that are trying to serve them and give them an enjoyable experience at the movies. There are people that come through and make a scene or talk down to us over something as simple as accidentally pouring a regular Coke instead of a Diet Coke. When I deal with people like this I have to constantly tell myself that maybe they've had a bad day or maybe they're in a hurry and not get angry with them. Sometimes that's more difficult than others. Especially if they act like I'm just a stupid girl in a minimum wage job that can't fix a drink right.
While my job is not stressful or particularly hard there are days when I'm a little slower than others or when we have a rush of customers that all come in five to ten minutes before their show starts and then get angry because we can't get one to two hundred people through the line in that span of time. While this makes dealing with snotty people harder it also makes dealing with the nice and polite people that much more pleasant. I am more than happy to be polite and go the extra mile for those customers because they simply remember to say please and thank you. Personally, I love having a smile on my face and bringing people their popcorn and drinks and watching them come out of the theater talking about how great the movie was and the impact it had on them. That's the best part of my job, hearing people talk about how excited, happy, sad, afraid or angry a movie made them. This aspect reminds me of watching movies with my dad when I was little.
My dad used to sit down with my brother and I and put on Star Wars or Indiana Jones and I still remember to this day how those movies made me feel. I remember wondering what Darth Vader was without the suit and how shocked I was when I found out Vader was Luke's father. I also vividly remember being terrified that Jones was going to have his heart ripped out while fighting on the bridge. My dad started my excitement for movies and my passion for them and he will never know how much that changed my life. So when I see people leave a movie at the theater talking about its impact, that's what I remember and that makes dealing with all of the rude customers worth it for me.
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Why Americans Are Dumb
So today I was watching the news and I became increasingly irritated by the information I saw. The first thing they talked about (and the longest lasting segment) had to do with Kim and Kanye's relationship and Tiger Woods playing golf. That's exactly why American's are falling behind in the world. Instead of talking about whats going on in our government, legislation or our courts we are busy stuffing our brains with the relationships and lives of celebrities. Think about it, what part about Kim and Kanye's life is important? Why do people even care?
I bet if someone went out and asked questions to the American public more people would know about the latest celebrity drama and have no idea about current issues involving the government, like you know, people being spied on if they use Verizon and that the man who exposed this is now being faced with either an espionage charge or treason. They probably have no idea the gravity of what's happening in the Middle East or in North Korea. Instead they know when Kim Kardashian will have her baby or that Kanye cheated on her.
As I said before, why do we care? It would benefit the American public so much more if we stayed informed about our military, leaders and politics. We would actually be able to make informed decisions when voting, pick better leaders and maybe, God willing, start improving our education system. If you read or watch foreign news you will see that their most important news has to do with politics and world governments. They don't invest as much in celebrities and sports stars. Celebrities and sports needs to be relegated back into tabloids and talk shows and kicked out of our news.
News shouldn't be about the personal lives people that we don't even know. It needs to be about whats happening in our country and what will effect Americans. It should be about the problems we are facing in the Middle East, the threats from North Korea, the drone strikes that our government has launched on other countries. America needs to start caring more about the things that actually matter instead of when the last time that Lady Gaga decided to go to the bathroom or when Justin Bieber ate a burger. Like I said, there's more important things that we should focus on.
I bet if someone went out and asked questions to the American public more people would know about the latest celebrity drama and have no idea about current issues involving the government, like you know, people being spied on if they use Verizon and that the man who exposed this is now being faced with either an espionage charge or treason. They probably have no idea the gravity of what's happening in the Middle East or in North Korea. Instead they know when Kim Kardashian will have her baby or that Kanye cheated on her.
As I said before, why do we care? It would benefit the American public so much more if we stayed informed about our military, leaders and politics. We would actually be able to make informed decisions when voting, pick better leaders and maybe, God willing, start improving our education system. If you read or watch foreign news you will see that their most important news has to do with politics and world governments. They don't invest as much in celebrities and sports stars. Celebrities and sports needs to be relegated back into tabloids and talk shows and kicked out of our news.
News shouldn't be about the personal lives people that we don't even know. It needs to be about whats happening in our country and what will effect Americans. It should be about the problems we are facing in the Middle East, the threats from North Korea, the drone strikes that our government has launched on other countries. America needs to start caring more about the things that actually matter instead of when the last time that Lady Gaga decided to go to the bathroom or when Justin Bieber ate a burger. Like I said, there's more important things that we should focus on.
Friday, June 7, 2013
Having Pets... And Lots of Them
As anybody who's been to my house knows I have and always have had many pets. I've had a lizard, rats, dogs, cats, fish, a hermit crab, horses and at one point my sister had a rabbit. As of right now we have four dogs, three cats, two horses and a rat. Two days ago the count was up by one and we had two rats. Unfortunately though, as everything and everyone does my rat Starsky passed away. I was so upset when I found him but I was also so relieved that he was just old and didn't get sick with cancer or tumors like so many rats his age do get.
Over many years I've seen several pets pass away and it never gets easier to say goodbye to them. Although it sucks I wouldn't have had it any other way. Pets to me are like an extension of the family and each pet that I've had has been special to me. While dealing with a pet's death is hard I'm glad that as a child that's something I experienced. My pets not only taught me love and responsibility but they also taught me the value of life and that it's OK to miss someone who's died and how to deal with death.
I went through the grieving process and learned how to handle it in a healthy way and I think that as I've grown up it's helped me deal with losing other loved ones. I've also noticed that even though it was extremely devastating the first time I realized a pet could die I'm glad that I learned about death from pets first because it prepared me for what I would feel when people I knew passed away. Losing my rat Starsky the other day was a shock for me because other than typical aging he was healthy and didn't seem to be a pet that was only a few days away from his last breath. I know that he died healthy and happy though and that makes me feel better while I miss him. He was a good little buddy and I'll always miss having hm around but I know he's in a better place.
Over many years I've seen several pets pass away and it never gets easier to say goodbye to them. Although it sucks I wouldn't have had it any other way. Pets to me are like an extension of the family and each pet that I've had has been special to me. While dealing with a pet's death is hard I'm glad that as a child that's something I experienced. My pets not only taught me love and responsibility but they also taught me the value of life and that it's OK to miss someone who's died and how to deal with death.
I went through the grieving process and learned how to handle it in a healthy way and I think that as I've grown up it's helped me deal with losing other loved ones. I've also noticed that even though it was extremely devastating the first time I realized a pet could die I'm glad that I learned about death from pets first because it prepared me for what I would feel when people I knew passed away. Losing my rat Starsky the other day was a shock for me because other than typical aging he was healthy and didn't seem to be a pet that was only a few days away from his last breath. I know that he died healthy and happy though and that makes me feel better while I miss him. He was a good little buddy and I'll always miss having hm around but I know he's in a better place.
Friday, May 24, 2013
Gaming and Women
So I haven't posted much since I've been out of school but I've finally felt inspiration strike. Today I'll be posting on females in games. As many of my friends know I love to game. In fact, until my job starts that's most of what I've been doing since I got out of school for the summer. A lot of games get flack for having poor representations of women. This includes but is not limited to, women being overly sexual in appearance, not having any options for playable female characters and not having any strong female characters or only having females who need to be rescued.
In some cases I would agree that yes, there are problems with the representations of female characters in games but in others I think it's just feminists looking for something to get angry about. The main topic I'll cover is women being overly sexual in appearance. Some games that have been accused of this are games such as the Resident Evil series, The Mass Effect series and Tomb Raider. Of course this is a very short list compared to what is out there. I would just like to ask, why is this a problem? Feminists every where are constantly complaining that women aren't allowed to live freely as sexual beings but then when they see it they complain about women being objectified.
The fact is that yes, these games do have women with noticeable figures but these characters are also very strong female characters who kick some serious butt. They run around shooting up the bad guys and winning without a problem. In games like Mass Effect there are also several opportunities for female characters to shut up men that try to be chauvinists. I know that someone will say this so I'm going to go ahead and make this point before the argument is started. No, these games don't show main characters that are out of shape or larger. Why? Well because most of them are military women or incredibly athletic women that would be in shape if they were performing that way in real life, so it makes sense. I think women of different body types do have a place in gaming but in games depicting active and athletic or military women it wouldn't make that much sense for them to be out of shape. Why is it a problem that they appear in-shape and good looking? According to feminist theory women should be able to be as sexual as they want and as strong as they want without being judged, so I would argue that the female characters in these games are embodying that ideal.
To me as long as the female characters can be just as strong as the men and they aren't in need of a romantic entanglement to get through their missions there isn't a problem. Honestly, I think that most people that do complain about the appearance of female characters in games (that are showing them as strong and reliable) need to get off of their high horse. There is nothing wrong with a strong woman having a figure and looking good; and if you say there is you are going against feminism.
In some cases I would agree that yes, there are problems with the representations of female characters in games but in others I think it's just feminists looking for something to get angry about. The main topic I'll cover is women being overly sexual in appearance. Some games that have been accused of this are games such as the Resident Evil series, The Mass Effect series and Tomb Raider. Of course this is a very short list compared to what is out there. I would just like to ask, why is this a problem? Feminists every where are constantly complaining that women aren't allowed to live freely as sexual beings but then when they see it they complain about women being objectified.
The fact is that yes, these games do have women with noticeable figures but these characters are also very strong female characters who kick some serious butt. They run around shooting up the bad guys and winning without a problem. In games like Mass Effect there are also several opportunities for female characters to shut up men that try to be chauvinists. I know that someone will say this so I'm going to go ahead and make this point before the argument is started. No, these games don't show main characters that are out of shape or larger. Why? Well because most of them are military women or incredibly athletic women that would be in shape if they were performing that way in real life, so it makes sense. I think women of different body types do have a place in gaming but in games depicting active and athletic or military women it wouldn't make that much sense for them to be out of shape. Why is it a problem that they appear in-shape and good looking? According to feminist theory women should be able to be as sexual as they want and as strong as they want without being judged, so I would argue that the female characters in these games are embodying that ideal.
To me as long as the female characters can be just as strong as the men and they aren't in need of a romantic entanglement to get through their missions there isn't a problem. Honestly, I think that most people that do complain about the appearance of female characters in games (that are showing them as strong and reliable) need to get off of their high horse. There is nothing wrong with a strong woman having a figure and looking good; and if you say there is you are going against feminism.
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Just Keep Swimming...
So today I have been so sick that at one point I thought I wouldn't make it out of bed. It's finals week, I'm stressed and I spent most of my day thinking I was going to die of the stomach flu. It's not a big secret that this school year in particular has been very stressful for me. I've finally reached the end of it with satisfactory grades (before my exams are factored in) a new job and a couple new friends. All I have to do is make it through this last exam and I. Am. Done. No more sophomore year. More importantly no more stress for two and a half glorious months.
It feels so good to know that I've made it through something even though it was really hard for me. I have never had so many panic attacks and breakdowns in my whole life as I have had this school year. But I did it. I had a lot of people who supported me and talked to me and listened to me complain about college but somehow I made it through. I even ended up making a short documentary and a short scene for my film major. I don't think I've ever felt this accomplished. I guess it's really paid off that, in the words of the great blue fish Dory, I "Just kept swimming." I still have some unresolved issues with my college, like the continuous rising cost of tuition and what we get for what we pay but I'll tackle those issues later.
Right now I'm just super excited that I only have one exam standing in the way of moving out for the summer. It's going to be one of my hardest exams but even if I fail it I'll still have a B as my overall grade. I think that I've done pretty darn well for myself. I've also come to the conclusion that while my grades are important and that I need to keep them up my future employers only want to see that I passed and graduated from college. In other words I need to stop sweating the small stuff and if I get a B in a class, so what? I'm still an honors student and I'm still doing incredibly well.
Once I get home I'm going to eat a big bowl of non-cafeteria food, play some video games and play cards with my boyfriend and my brother. I won't have any stress from school, all I will have to concentrate on will be me and my summer job. All in all, this school year really sucked but it taught me a lot. You have to keep pushing on and dealing with your struggles because it's the best feeling in the world when you conquer them. I probably will have something else that stresses me my next two years in college but honestly, I think I've got this, because I'm me and I can do whatever I put my mind to.
It feels so good to know that I've made it through something even though it was really hard for me. I have never had so many panic attacks and breakdowns in my whole life as I have had this school year. But I did it. I had a lot of people who supported me and talked to me and listened to me complain about college but somehow I made it through. I even ended up making a short documentary and a short scene for my film major. I don't think I've ever felt this accomplished. I guess it's really paid off that, in the words of the great blue fish Dory, I "Just kept swimming." I still have some unresolved issues with my college, like the continuous rising cost of tuition and what we get for what we pay but I'll tackle those issues later.
Right now I'm just super excited that I only have one exam standing in the way of moving out for the summer. It's going to be one of my hardest exams but even if I fail it I'll still have a B as my overall grade. I think that I've done pretty darn well for myself. I've also come to the conclusion that while my grades are important and that I need to keep them up my future employers only want to see that I passed and graduated from college. In other words I need to stop sweating the small stuff and if I get a B in a class, so what? I'm still an honors student and I'm still doing incredibly well.
Once I get home I'm going to eat a big bowl of non-cafeteria food, play some video games and play cards with my boyfriend and my brother. I won't have any stress from school, all I will have to concentrate on will be me and my summer job. All in all, this school year really sucked but it taught me a lot. You have to keep pushing on and dealing with your struggles because it's the best feeling in the world when you conquer them. I probably will have something else that stresses me my next two years in college but honestly, I think I've got this, because I'm me and I can do whatever I put my mind to.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
You Too Can Be A Distraction
So last month I published a blog post about a school principal who ban strapless dresses at a school dance because they could possibly "make male students lose control of themselves." When I published this blog post I thought it was well written and well said but I had to take it down after only being up for a few hours. Why would I take a post down? Well because too many people were arguing on it and calling each other names and sending derogatory messages to each other and me so I decided that it was more hurtful than helpful and maybe it needed some review. I also had several people ask me why was I upset with the principal to begin with and what my point was. One male reader of my blog rightly pointed out to me that while there was an issue of equality in that particular dances dress code it's unfair to say that women should act like their clothing never distracts men. As much as I'll probably get chewed out by someone for this, he is right. Female clothing can unintentionally and intentionally distract men.
After talking to this reader and having a fairly long debate with him, and another male reader, I came to realize that maybe my stance was too harsh but I still feel that this principal shouldn't have phrased the statement the way she did. Female students and male students alike should have to follow a dress code and she shouldn't have claimed that female clothing controls the amount of control that male students have over themselves. The fact is they control their actions, even if a woman is wearing clothing that they view as sexy or revealing. Women can also be distracted by men's clothing and those who reveal their bodies in public. Why do you think so many women flocked to Magic Mike? Clothing and lack of clothing being sexy is a two way street and men should be held just as accountable for their dress as women are.
My main issue with what the principal said was that she shifted all of the blame for possible male student actions onto the female students, thus perpetuating the idea that women's looks and clothing are responsible for how men behave and think. Men and women alike will always notice when a member of the opposite sex looks attractive or sexy but that isn't in the other person's control. I've said it before, and I'll say it again; There were times in high school when I could have worn a parka and baggy pants and some boy would have still had sexual thoughts about me or made sexual remarks about how I was dressed. Men and women will always have different dress codes in school and public places because they ARE different physically but you cannot target one over the other. You cannot tell men that they can be shirtless and in shorts all of the time and its OK when you'll turn around and call a woman a slut for wearing a midriff bearing shirt and shorts. I pay attention to shirtless men all of the time, but nobody would ever tell a man "Put on a shirt, you may distract the women and they'd lose control of themselves."
I hope now that I have stated my point better and that this post is absent of any confusion on why I was upset with this principal to begin with and that their will be debates rather than arguments and name calling.
After talking to this reader and having a fairly long debate with him, and another male reader, I came to realize that maybe my stance was too harsh but I still feel that this principal shouldn't have phrased the statement the way she did. Female students and male students alike should have to follow a dress code and she shouldn't have claimed that female clothing controls the amount of control that male students have over themselves. The fact is they control their actions, even if a woman is wearing clothing that they view as sexy or revealing. Women can also be distracted by men's clothing and those who reveal their bodies in public. Why do you think so many women flocked to Magic Mike? Clothing and lack of clothing being sexy is a two way street and men should be held just as accountable for their dress as women are.
My main issue with what the principal said was that she shifted all of the blame for possible male student actions onto the female students, thus perpetuating the idea that women's looks and clothing are responsible for how men behave and think. Men and women alike will always notice when a member of the opposite sex looks attractive or sexy but that isn't in the other person's control. I've said it before, and I'll say it again; There were times in high school when I could have worn a parka and baggy pants and some boy would have still had sexual thoughts about me or made sexual remarks about how I was dressed. Men and women will always have different dress codes in school and public places because they ARE different physically but you cannot target one over the other. You cannot tell men that they can be shirtless and in shorts all of the time and its OK when you'll turn around and call a woman a slut for wearing a midriff bearing shirt and shorts. I pay attention to shirtless men all of the time, but nobody would ever tell a man "Put on a shirt, you may distract the women and they'd lose control of themselves."
I hope now that I have stated my point better and that this post is absent of any confusion on why I was upset with this principal to begin with and that their will be debates rather than arguments and name calling.
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