Feed the trolls and a congresswoman gets shot.

While details are still pouring in about the assassination of Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) There are a few things I think it is safe to say, someone needs to stop feeding the trolls.

Much in the same sense that boxing matches and violent movies are not allowed to be shown in prison, Sarah Palin should perhaps be muzzled given the fragile minds of the audience to whom she speaks. This mess has been brewing for a few years now and we all knew at some point it would come to this. Christ, there was even a huge “restore sanity” rally in D.C. last year to try to calm the drooling, rage filled masses down a little. Whelp, no fucking dice. I really am no fan of politics (or discussing politics) since to me it is like a never ending flame war on a topic very few of us have direct influence over, or apparently any interest in having said influence. It's like arguing over the drapes while the house is on fire in my book. But I am an idiot, so no harm to anyone if I stay out of it I figure.

But here is an exception: Lunacy. I feel the need to say something when I see people acting in a way that even I, in my redbull and cigarettes addled mind see as insane.

While I am sure Giffords had a typical leftist agenda, and many on the right thought she was the devil incarnate, she also has a family and a full life ahead of her. Rest assured at the end of the day she went home like everyone else, switched off the politics, and went about her life just like normal people. I would wager that she even occasionally talked to people that would never vote for her, and maybe even did things that she had pushed legislation against. Because it is a job. She was doing a job, and really no one should ever be shot for doing their job, especially if it is something as ineffectual as a congressperson’s job.

Either way, I can already see the massive, massive shit storm coming our way over this. Palin’s website will disappear for a few days and be scrubbed of all the talk about “taking aim” and “taking out” people on her shit list. The left will jump up from chairs and red-assed-baboon themselves all over the new networks, which will be followed by more of the same from the right. At the end of the day what we are left with is that rot-gut feeling of being a part of something shameful. So many of us out there think all this political fervor is good entertainment, give the trolls bigger clubs and prod them in the asses to really get them riled up then set them loose on one another. We all knew something like this would happen, but I guess we considered it the price of admission.

Dejavu, no titties for you.

One thing that recently caught my attention is that we are no longer allowed to have full nudity in Kalamazoo. This caught me by surprise, I had heard nothing about it, then there was a news cast saying de ja vu would no longer allowed to do what it does. I used to work for them when I was about 18, and I can in no way defend it as a great example of how to live ones life. However, I think when you are an adult you should be free to either work at a place like that, or frequent it at your leisure.

But all in all what really got me was the woman who apparently was spearheading the effort to get the law passed. She looked exactly like what one would expect from a person seeking a ban on this kind of thing. This 40 something woman, probably a mother of a half-dozen, well taken care of children, was speaking as though the dancers where coming into her house and offering table dances to her kids. She said something to the effect that she did not want that type of element in our city. If any of you out there are aware of where the Vu is located, I would hardly call it “in our city”. I also sincerely doubt this lady lives anywhere near the place, or Kalamazoo proper in general. So, seeming how I tend to question my knee jerk reactions to things, if I actually feel something about anything, I step back and go “ok what is it that I am really reacting to here”. So I googled her.

Mary Balkema is the Kalamazoo County Treasurer. I thought it kind of weird that a treasurer would spearhead what seems like a moral initiative. Not to mention that this may directly cost some folks their jobs and the city some taxes. Given I am sure the Dejavu is not a huge financial boon to Kalamazoo, but given the state of our economy in the state as well as the city it seems an odd time to be shutting any business down. On top of this, it seems she is best known for her opposition to a Kalamazoo Equal Rights ordinance. Stating that she was doing so in spite of a “fear of retaliation of the homosexual activists”. One wonders if Rosa Parks would have been so brave if there were “homosexual activists” to contend with.

Now all of this is laughable to me, and in general I have little care for politics. I worked at the Vu back when I was 19 for a few months, and really haven’t been there since. I can say it isn’t the best of all things ethically or morally, but in general there are many larger items to contend with these days than a strip club in Kalamazoo. Also, if I thought that I could work in a strip club and make upwards of $400 a night I would do so. Even if it meant gyrating my bits on some sweaty fat dude with a hard-on, I would sleep comfortably on a pile of sweaty dollar bills I made that night. I know for a fact that working in a club can be nightmarish at times, but then again working construction can be just as bad. All things considered who is the DeJaVu hurting? This is actually a question. Women volunteer to work there, men go there of their own volition.

It’s not like some Jurassic Park of titties, where if one isn’t careful the dancers will break out and start table dancing all over the city. I am sure a great many of the girls that work there are fine folks, who have just chosen a job outside of the social norm. Given my normally puritanical views on “kids these days” stripclubs seem about half as dangerous as the Disney Tart Generator spewing out Brittneys, Lindseys, and Mileys to those very same kids. I don’t know, am I just an idiot for thinking about any of this? Comments appreciated.

The Glass House

I have noticed as I have gotten older that I am increasingly critical of people’s behavior. There are a slew of problems with this and most of those are well documented in maxims and good books the world over. The one that I think I will focus on is perhaps one that gets the least amount of scrutiny; The Glass House objection.

The saying goes “People who live in glass houses should not throw stones”. What it boils down to is either don’t judge people unless you wish to be judged, or don’t criticize people unless you yourself are faultless. I am not going to go into the actual glass house example (I mean if you DID live in a glass house you are basically in a fish bowl, sounds interesting).

The thing I wish to focus on is being critical when you have faults. What all this seems to say is that being critical of people or their actions has no virtue whatsoever. I say this because none of us are perfect individuals without faults. So who is it exactly we are supposed to turn to for feedback on our behavior? Well if you follow the rabbit hole back the short answer is probably (insert your deity here), or a corporeal representative of said deity. That is obvious lunacy. Life is too diverse and full of contextual anomalies to follow that logic. To use another idiom; what’s good for the goose is NOT entirely good for the gander. We are all special little critters under the sun, and each of us being unique, bring our own set of guidelines dictating our behavior. Apples and oranges all the way.

So back to my issue of being critical. I have been fighting this for a long time. I see someone doing something, or hear someone talk and my mind jumps right in there judging away. But you know what stops me from opening my trap, fear. More often than not I think of the shitty, stupid things I have said or done in my life, do a quick comparison, carry the 1 and then decide I shouldn’t say anything. By doing so I avoid hurting anyone’s feelings, manufacturing unnecessary drama, or in general making a fuss when the outcome of it could lead to something of nominal social value if any at all.

But what about these people. I see a guy railing on about his political ideals, some girl talking about how meat is murder. Though I may disagree with them is my comment going to do anything but spark an argument or in a best case scenario a heated discussion. Is that a good thing? If it is, then who is it good for? I most likely will cede the point before the discussion has even started, my indifference to the outcome winning out. So for me, I get little or nothing in exchange for a possible flame war and hard feelings. What about them? More often than not they get the satisfaction of defending and justifying their point. But as well they probably get upset, and if you are their friend, fundamentally change the way they think of you. So on their end it is maybe a fifty-fifty shot of a positive outcome. So being self centered as I am I keep my comments and observations to those I trust to not take them too seriously when the cost/benefit is more neutral.

I start or end every observation I make with the phrase “what the hell do I know” as a defense. I do this to make it clear that I generally see myself as an idiot, whose survival is a mystery to many, most of all me. If and when this tactic fails I just say I am sorry/tired/drunk ect. and try to move on to something a bit more pedestrian to talk about.

Though I have always been critical, I used to be far more vocal. I was known as many are for “having no filter”. But as I have gotten older, realized how many times I have done the very thing I am remarking on, I hold back.

“Who am I to say…”

That’s just it though. WHO am I to say? I have made it this far, and done so without killing anyone or ruining anyone’s life other than my own in some cases. I do not care for the word entitled, but if there is a softer version of that word, I guess that is what I am. Opinions are like assholes as they say and I am no exception in either case. I have an asshole, so I get to have an opinion damn it.

Well at this point I have kind of rambled my way into yet another pointless, self absorbed lecture. I guess to sum up it is this: If I say something and it upsets you, take a second, think of if you actually like me or not. If you do indeed like me, then don’t be upset or take it personally. All things considered if I am talking to you at all that is as close to a gold seal of approval I can give someone. The way I see you is the way you present yourself, if you are doing so honestly then what fault can I find in that. In the grand scheme of things, arguments come and go. But all the same dude, pull up your fucking pants, seriously.

annnd I'm Back.

It has been a while, 2 years…jesus. I am going to make an effort here to start writing. I highly doubt I will be going all out with graphic layouts and stuff like I used to, but I am just going to use this little blog as a place where I drop random stuff. Like messages in a bottle, observations, ruminations, and of course rants on whatever seems appropriate. If you happen to find anything interesting feel free to comment, though to be honest if I don’t like your comment I will go ahead and ignore it. So, that being said here we go.

At last a new issue.

Wednesday December 26

Express Edition: Catnip