Back to school: oh, hell no

Alrighty, it's been a while, I've been busy and this shitty-ass heat makes my shitty-ass computer go apeshit on me. But boy, do I have a lot to rant about. Now, it's September...Labor day, Autumn begins (though shitty-ass SoCal weather says otherwise. Ass.) and of course, for many people of all ages: school begins. Another year filled with excitement, anticipation, tests, homework, your local bully just waiting to give you an atomic wedgie. A time when children get up every morning and go to school and receive a fine education.

Or do they? School is a place where children are supposed to learn and prepare themselves for the future. However, throughout the years - through my own experiences as well as the experiences of my younger siblings - that doesn't seem to be the case. I'm sure there are other children who are going through that struggle to receive an education. Now, I'm 25 years old, so it's been quite a while since I was in school. However, having two younger siblings - the youngest one in elementary school has allowed me to come to one conclusion: nothing has changed. In fact, schools are getting worse in quality. More than a decade ago, it was, I believe, a former mayor of L.A who said: "L.A.U.S.D is a disaster". My father and I agreed - and sadly it's still a fucking disaster - maybe more.

To start things off, if you live in Southern California, then you already know what a motherfucking brutal day it was, with heat as high as 109 F. Earlier today, I was listening to my younger brother telling us about some of his own not-so-great experiences in school. Among one of them is when he and his classmates have to wait outside in this terrible heat, in the sun, while some teacher who gets to enjoy the comfort of the shade walks about, looking for the most well-behaved class to send to lunch.

Now, if you don't know or remember this, let me explain: at lunch time, kids are told to form a line before they're taken to the cafeteria. Simple enough, right? Well, here's where the simplicity ends. Upon arrival, they might be divided into two lines (I don't know about other schools, but one of the schools I went do did divide the line. As they're waiting, another teacher has to walk back and forth to see which class is the most silent. Once a class has been selected they teacher examines both lines to see which of the two is the most quite. Once they've been selected, they get to go ahead, while the other line is left to wait longer. If even one child is doing so much as looking around and not standing straight as he or she is supposed to, then the whole group is punished. Mm-hmm, all it takes is one dumbshit, and everyone deals with the consequences - what is this bullshit? I thought this was school, not the military. Why should everyone have to be expected to wait longer just because one person won't stand still or be quiet? If someone has to be punished for "bad behavior" then it should be the one behind it.

Now, after the lunch period is finished, according to my younger brother, when the bell rings, everyone in the school yard is expected to freeze on the spot. The first thing that came out of my mouth was "I can't believe they still do that!". I had to do that when I was in third grade... c.c;; And this idiotic system is still being put to use more than a decade later in another school.

The schools think of this as a form of discipline, teaching kids how to listen and follow instructions. Know what I have to say to those schools that use those methods? Fuck you, okay? That's not discipline, that's nothing more than getting children to submit into a system of control for the sake of convenience, and then continue to shove that down their throats. Another prime example of trying to get children to submit into control is the Pledge of Allegiance. I'm sorry, but I believe this Pledge of Allegiance is a lot of bullshit. Every morning kids are expected to form this unnecessary little ceremony. My question is: what is the purpose of all this? Why should children have to be programmed into parroting some speech?

Someone I am acquainted with posted somewhere that this pledge should remain in schools, and disregard everyone who feels offended by it. It's not about offending, it's about that control, what's about the point of it all? What is the point of parroting the Pledge of Allegiance? Who are you pledging it to? How is this a show of loyalty to a nation when kids don't understand these concepts yet? Plus the pledge is nothing but a load of hypocrisy, which I will get to another time.

Another thing about the school system pissing me off is schools won't even let the parents into the schools to speak with the teachers if they have an issue they'd like to discuss. They have to get past some security system, sign papers, show them an ID, etc. And now at my brother's school, they have a valet drop off where you can drop the kid off but you're not allowed to make sure they get into the school. I can understand that they want to protect the students, nothing is more important than their safety, but I believe that these methods are doing nothing more than taking away the rights from parents who should be the ones to have the final say on their child's education.

If I were a parent and I'm dropping off my kid, I want to at least stick around and make sure they make it into the building. Or if my child were entering a new school, or is late...I at least want take my child to the classroom and make sure they don't get lost and make it to the classroom safely. But no, if a child is late for school, they have to go to the main office give their excuse and then they're left to either walk back to class on their own or with a staff member. Sorry, that's just not going to happen, if my child is still between kindergarten and second grade. How do they expect a child of that age to make it to a new classroom on their own, or how can they expect me to let someone else be in charge of my child like that. I know it seems paranoid, but I think my child's safety is the most important thing. Okay, this is a staff member that has worked for the school for years and years, the rest of the staff trusts them, etc. That's great and all, but this person is still a complete stranger to me, I don't care, I'd rather take my kid to class than leave him or her alone with one stranger.

Now, the final topic I'd like to bitch about for the moment are the teachers themselves. In my years of school, I have met the nastiest people on the planet that left me with a mental scar or two who were unfortunately my teachers. Among my earliest memories in school was my second grade teacher, Mrs. Murphy. Now, this seemed like a nice person. Until the parents were gone and class started. I am not fucking exaggerating when I say this woman was downright abusive. If I was asked a question and I answered it wrong, she would speak to me in the most condescending, nasty tone. There were times where the students would be expected to clean their desks - which it wouldn't normally be such a bad thing...except that if you didn't organize your things fast enough, she turned the desk over and spill everything on the floor. What kind of person uses that kind of treatment on a child?

I told my father about this, who then went to have a discussion with Mrs. Murphy. What happened there? She outright lied and said she did no such thing. Even after that, she kept doing it. Eventually my father had a talk with the principal, who I'm sure didn't even give a rat's ass. On picture day, I was minding my own business and waiting in line to have my picture taken, when suddenly Mrs. Murphy grabs me by the arm and pulls me out of the line to a more isolated area of the auditorium where she told me to keep my mouth shut and never tell my father about how she was treating me and the classroom and threatening me, telling me I'd be in trouble if I told my father, before taking me back to the line.

So what did I do? I told my father about it. And you can imagine how furious he was when he went to the principal. Of course, again, no one in the school seemed to care that one of their teachers was bullying her own students. When they refused to discipline this fucking bitch, he had me change classrooms to a much nicer teacher...who eventually went on maternity leave and then I ended up getting stuck with another shrewd bitch for a teacher until I finally got to third grade. Of course, you'd think after changing classrooms, my issues with Mrs. Murphy would have been finished. No. I was having an argument with my former classmates when I stated that "Mrs. Murphy was stupid". Somehow, that alone triggered this huge controversy among the staff, including the principal, to the point where I was forced to write an apology letter to the bitch or I would be suspended. What the fucking hell? How does a child's words provoke such a reaction when the abusive teacher doesn't even get a slap on the wrist for her behavior? In the end I didn't have to turn in the letter nor was I suspended.

And Mrs. Murphy was certainly not the last of the nasty people I had to put up with. And looking to those experiences, I worry for my brother. Will he meet with teachers with a heart as rotten as Mrs. Murphy? I often wonder why some people even bother becoming teachers if they absolutely hate dealing with kids, they hate helping, and they're so fucking lazy. When I didn't have a nasty teacher, I also had to put up with the lazy ones. My agriculture teacher in high school was the laziest son of a bitch I ever had the misfortune of getting stuck with for a teacher. This was a sixty year old man who, I shit you not, dressed like he was sixteen and used the "gangsta lingo". We did virtually nothing in that class, and when we did go to the agricultural area, the only thing we did was the clean up job for the other classes. The one time we did get to work with plants, we planted tomatoes which we left in a very broken and poorly-maintained greenhouse. He kept promising that he would take us back to the green house to check up on our tomatoes if we did our work. He never gave us work, and when we did turn in something, he never even looked at it. Weeks passed when someone asked about our tomato plants, he looked up and said "they died". Mm-hmm...they went severely neglected and died. And here's the kicker: he blamed it on us. Even the lazy shits who didn't do their work pointed out that it wasn't so awesome to let our plants die.

My sixth grade math teacher was just as fun...A Murphy-ish bitch named Mrs. Malin, who separated the students into two groups: the smart students and the students who struggled. Her playing favorites was so obvious, no one in my group (I used to struggle with math, so you can guess where I went into) went without noticing it. She spent most of her time with the smarter kids, treated them more nicely...while for the rest of us...she wasn't so nice because we were the "dumber" kids.

So yeah, if you're gonna be mean and you're lazy, you hate having kids come up to you with questions and need help don't be a teacher. It's not always the student's fault they're failing in school. Maybe if schools would spend less time praising and babying the honor/zoo magnet/gifted students, who are already going to do well anyway and don't need that much help; and spend more time actually helping struggling students do better, then maybe the dropout rate would decrease and more students would graduate, get into a good college and have a good future. If a student fails to finish high school, it's not because they're lazy, at least not most of the time, it's because the educational system in this country needs to get its shit together and actually care about the students.

The children are the future, but if we don't do something in the present, we are literally going to fuck things up for the future generations. We need to help them succeed in school... I truly feel that kids are just getting dumber and dumber because we don't do enough to educate them, and children that do care for the future are left to fend for themselves. This shouldn't happen. I'm not saying all teachers suck, I've met and had great teachers that were a shining example of what a teacher should be. Teachers that taught me to think outside the box, and actually took the time to make sure I understood the lectures and didn't move on to the next thing until everyone understood the subject; that actually do their work out of a love they have for teaching; who taught me to reach my full potential. These are the kinds of teachers that should be educating our children, not some nasty-hearted asshole who doesn't even care anymore. And if being a teacher is so frustrating, why not change careers instead of sacrificing a child's education and self-esteem just because someone would rather be a complete asshole than do the job they're paid to do and at the quality they owe to their students for their sake.

I could go on and on and point out every single flaw within the shitty educational system. And I probably will continue this rant some other time, but I have things I have to get to. So good night, and make sure you leave a bowl of cottage cheese outside your door to ward away Justin Bieber.

Indigo children: because your kid is boring

According to New Age philosophy, an Indigo Child is a child said to have a higher spiritual-self awareness, greater empathy, more bold and creative than most, even possessing telepathy among other special abilities. They get their name from having an indigo-colored aura, and it's also said that they and Crystal Children are the "next step toward human evolution".

According to me, this is a load of bullshit.

The concept of Indigo and Crystal children first appeared in the 1970s, the idea was developed by Nancy Ann Tappe, who according to the article about Indigo Children in Wikipedia, noticed a number of children were being born with indigo auras in the 1960s.

...Hey, isn't that when our parents were getting high and experimenting with other drugs? Hmmm...

I first heard about this concept back in 2008 or 2009 on Beyond Reality Radio, and when I first heard it then it sounded like a very fascinating topic...But the more I researched on it the more skeptical I became. It just seemed nothing more than parents wanting to believe their child is "TEH SPESHUL" because the child is actually boring. And what parent doesn't want to believe their child is a unique and beautiful little snowflake? For starters let's take a look at the list of known traits. My comments will be in Italics. :3

• Come into the world with a feeling of royalty (and often act like it).
(I know too many people like that, and they're definitely far from being the next step in human evolution. More like several steps back to the Middle Ages.)
• Have a feeling of "deserving to be here," and are surprised when others don't share that.
• Do not have an issue with self-worth. They often tell the parents "who they are."
(It's called having confidence.)
• Have difficulty with absolute authority (authority without explanation or choice).
(Who doesn't have a problem with absolute authority?)
• Simply will not do certain things; for example, waiting in line is difficult for them.
(Yeah, it's called "impatience".)
• Get frustrated with systems that are ritually oriented and don't require creative thought.
• Often see better ways of doing things, both at home and in school, which makes them seem like "system busters" (nonconforming to any system).
• Seem antisocial unless they are with their own kind. If there are no others of like consciousness around them, they often turn inward, feeling like no other human understands them. School is often extremely difficult for them socially.
(Unless there's the mysterious hot guy, who turns out to be a fuckin' sparkling vampire to hang out with. Because he gets you...He won't ask you to the dance or be nice enough to ask to show you around the school, and...and...and try to make friends with you like THOSE other losers. They'll never understand you and your big city kid ways... *emo tear*)
• Will not respond to "guilt" discipline ("Wait till your father gets home and finds out what you did").
• Are not shy in letting you know what they need.
(Assertive child is assertive.)
• Are highly intuitive – can be telepathic and show extrasensory capabilities.
• Will often say seemingly ‘profound’ statements and have an strong interest in God – they often seem wise beyond their years.
• Are very sensitive to the environment, (can include food & additives), energy fields, electrical currents, as well as emotional sensitivity to what is happening around them.
• Are strong willed – have a determination about them, often ‘warrior-like’ in their personality.
• Will often ‘call them as they see them’ and won’t hold back from doing so.
(I hate that tie you wear on Wednesdays. >:( )
• Can have a fiery temper and demeanor – rarely wavers from the one-track mind.
• Can often be confused with having a defiant attitude – will often do the exact opposite of what they are told to do.
('Cuz I'm a free bitch, baby! <3)
• Have a strong need to help others, individually or globally.
• Are often introverted and a loner.
• Like to work alone most of the time or in groups where is there is mutual cooperation and respect.
• Are seemingly antisocial until they meet up with others like them.
• Are very technologically oriented – usually are whizzes at computers or other gadgetry.
• Deal often with depression, insomnia, or bodily issues such as chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia and in extreme cases – energetic mania or freneticness.
• Can be misdiagnosed as ADD or ADHD.

Okay, that last one I can agree with, because there really are psychologists out there that absolutely, positively, definitely, sincerely suck at their job. Notice anything about this list? It's vague and I find it somewhat self-contradictory. I really want to know how many of you reading this have most of those traits...I do. Guess that means I'm an Indigo, you guys! :0 Well, I'mma go revolutionize the world, BRB... ZETTAI! UNMEI! MOKUSHIROKU! (Translation: dammit, I watch too much anime, and I need get out more and get some fresh, smog-infested air).

But, seriously, to me it just looks like most people would have these traits, and a lot are actually nothing spiritual and mystical... Such as sensitivity to foods, their environment, electrical fields. Our bodies are built differently from each other - that includes how our nervous system is wired. In an 85 F room, I will find it hot and unbearable (I simply cannot tolerate warm temperatures), while another person might find it very comfortable, even ideal - clearly, the other person and I are wired very differently, thus we have different reactions to a condition we're both experiencing at the same time. The same goes for food - naturally, our bodies are going to react differently to certain foods. And it's a pretty common fact there is way too much junk in our food today...preservatives, too much sugar, salt, and various chemicals. And unless you've been living under a rock your whole life, you know that we will absorb those chemicals that are mostly meant to keep food "fresh" for as long as possible.

Children, especially, have more noticeable reactions to all these chemicals in food because their bodies haven't adjusted yet to all the junk being absorbed. You eat one whole pack of candy, you might go without being phased...but give it to a child, and good luck getting him or her to sit still for five minutes. If you're dealing with a hyperactive child (who might not actually have ADHD, but can be misdiagnosed), you might want to take a moment and reconsider what foods they're eating. The average child starts off their day with an over-sugary breakfast...followed by snacks, which also might be sugary and let's not forget if they regularly drink juices and sodas throughout the day. If that is mostly what's on their diet, I think you might want to cut down on the sugar then you might see a difference.

Now, I'm no doctor...but I play one on TV...Well, more like pretend to play one on TV. *cough* I'm not a health expert, or anything...I'm just using some common sense. When it comes to sensitivity to things like electrical fields, there's actually nothing mystical about it either; again, it's our bodies being wired in certain ways. Now, if you're a paranormal enthusiast like me using the more "scientific" mindset used by TAPS, you'd know how common sensitivity to electrical fields actually is. Let's start off with the term EMF (electromagnetic fields), which often can be emitted from things like faulty electrical wiring, or wires not being covered properly, etc. Some people (who may not actually be Indigos, Ms. Tappe) react with feelings of paranoia/uneasiness, hallucinations, feel like they're being watched, and in some cases even feel nauseous, among other symptoms. It's very common to be sensitive to electrical fields, depending on how high the EMF levels are.

Some of the traits on that list mention confidence, shyness, assertiveness. I don't see how this indicates anyone is one of the leaders for the future of humanity...That doesn't mean anything other than it being the child's personality. Kids just are who they are, some are shy, some are outgoing, some just like quiet activities, and some like a lot of activity and adventure. Kids just follow their instincts...And name one child that isn't curious. Even if you aren't a parent but you spend time around children, whether you babysit, you're a teacher, they're your siblings, your friend's children, etc...then you know they will ask a thousand questions in an hour.

Things like a social environment also have nothing to do with being a highly spiritual being, or whatever. Socially, there are two types of people: introverts and extroverts. They differ in their levels, but it's really that simple. Sometimes that's just the way they are, sometimes that's the way they were conditioned into. It doesn't take a psychologist to point out that it's so much easier to socialize with people who you have something in common with than people who you don't share interests with. Humans, regardless of shyness, are still social creatures, thus naturally drawn to people that we have common interests with. We need some sort of connection to help us form some sort of bond with the other person, otherwise there is no dialogue or anything between us and them.

Some people prefer to work alone, no distractions, no one bossing you around, holding you back, or making you feel left out, etc. In school, I would sometimes request to work alone...when it came to group projects I almost always got stuck with an idiot who is also lazy. And because I'm the one with the glasses, guess who got stuck doing all the work while my idiot group members sat there with absolutely no clue on what to do. *waves* Yo! So unless you actually plan to contribute to the project and actually do something, I refuse to work in a group. That's my excuse, what's yours?

So basically, everything on this list has a natural explanation to it, thus rendering the Indigo and Crystal philosophy to just a load of bullshit parents feed themselves, as a way to compensate for having a really boring child or a child with certain conditions as autism. To me, it says that a person cannot accept their kid for who they are or just have no way of knowing how to handle their child's needs, and want to make them seem special and unique by sticking some mystical label on them. If your child is "expressing more creativity than their peers", shut up about the Indigo nonsense and take him/her to an arts and crafts store and help nourish that creativity; it's the hell of a lot more healthy, productive, beneficial for the child and makes you look like you're not some gullible fool that listens to everything some "psychic" (see: scam artist) babbles on about.

And raising a child with this Indigo crap will actually end up being more hurtful, and likely end up being an annoying, narcissistic douchebag with unwarranted self-importance (see: Sarah Palin). Guess the mysticism of the Indigo philosophy isn't so mystical now, isn't it? It sounds more like a cool story for a manga... *spaces out* ... Ah, shit, I did it again...more manga story ideas... --; But nothing to actually take seriously and believe the "new children of the future" are here. So, you can see why this is a load of bullshit in my opinion. I really hate seeing everything so mystified, when there's a natural and logical explanation behind it. There is no such thing as Crystal or Indigo children.

Well, that about wraps up another rant by this insomniac. Goodnight, and may you find a fresh pineapple under your pillow every morning.

we r speakin' english y'all 'cuz dis right har is amurr-kuh, mm-hmm (TL;DR)

see more Political Pictures

Okay, SO! I can accept English being the official language of the United States, that's cool with me. However, there's two little issues that bother me a bit. First off, some people who push for English as the official language are cannot speak - let alone write in their own language. The woman in the picture above is just one example. The rest, I'm sure you've seen everywhere on the internet. I just think that, if you're going to campaign for your native language, shouldn't you at least know how to write properly?

Now, I know what you're thinking: "golly gee-whiz, NV, it's just grammar. It doesn't matter!" Oh, my naïve little friend... *pats you on the head* Hate to tell you this: but yes, it does. If you were writing an essay for class and you wrote the same way you write on the net, do you think you would receive a good grade on it? Or if you were writing a cover letter for a job and you decided to be lazy with spelling and grammar, do you think you'd get that job? The same goes for campaigning - especially if you're campaigning for the English language. You'll seem like an educated individual with a cause that you truly believe in, and worthy of respect. Instead of an idiot.

Speaking of idiot, this also ties to my next issue. These same clowns who cannot even write in their own native language seem to have the nerve to tell immigrants "learn to speak English or don't come here" anything along the lines like that. Now this one is more than just a little pet peeve for me. I can accept that English, being the language the majority of the people here speak, is important for everyone entering the country should take the time to learn; I realize that it's very important in order to survive.

But one thing these guys fail to realize one thing: some immigrants are naïve...but not stupid. Many come to America out of some sort of urgency. Whether to find work to support their family living in horrible conditions, and the pay is very, very shitty. So, they come here to take whatever they can get - most often jobs Americans don't want to do (tell me, do you want to scrub toilets and sell fruit on the roadside? This is going to be a rant I will get to in the future).

You know what's another urgent situation? When their life - literally - depends on it. Sometimes people flee their country because of war. Other times people who come from countries ruled by a dictatorship do need to get the fuck out of their country or be arrested - even executed. When your life and/or the life of your loved ones is in jeopardy, do you think anyone has the damn time to sit down and study English until they are fluent?? Hell no!

Honestly, when was the last time there was a war fought on American soil? Pretty freakin' long time, right? Therefore those of you born here have no clue what it's like to constantly fear for your and your family's life. You have never known, nor will ever know the need to escape to a - any country - not torn apart by war. Knowing that country's language can wait.

Now, on living with oppression...If you were born in this country, chances are the closest thing many of you will ever get to experiencing oppression is none other than: your parents. Oh, yeah, your parents were iron-fisted dictators alright...telling you to clean your room, do your homework, go to bed at a reasonable hour. This calls for a revolution...

And if you're a conservative Republican: Obama. *headdesk* Okay, sparky, tell me: does Obama tell you how to dress? Does he tell you what religion to believe in? Does he tell you what you can or can't say? Has he thrown you into jail for even criticizing him on your own little blogs? Does he?? Hmm?

Ask someone from Iran about oppression. I fucking dare you. Now. some of you might already know this, but I run a blog called Green With :N:V: - which is basically where I compile news links and other types of news from various sources as a way of showing my support for Iran's Green Movement. And everyday that I update it, I read about real oppression. Did you know that earlier this year a group of political prisoners were executed for standing up against this oppressive regime? They didn't inform the families or their lawyers. No one knew this occurred until after the execution, and the families were still not notified. They only managed to find out about the fate of their loved ones through the media.

This is a government that has literally given the okay to hurt - even kill anyone who protests. Say that you are someone living in Iran...you aren't normally politically active but you feel the need to stand up for your rights. They threaten you, but you refuse to give up. So what do they do? They go after your family. And I have read so many horrifying stories where this government has involved the families of political prisoners. One of the most heart breaking is when they attempted to pressure one political prisoner to cooperating with them by arresting his sister. Because of the torture she went though...she suffered a miscarriage.

When you know something like that is bound to happen to you and your family - who cares whether or not you know English? It's not just Iran too, but so many other countries are living through oppressive regimes. So cut people some slack, okay? You don't know their stories, you don't know why they're here. You just know that the fact that they speak a language you don't understand bothers you so much, because you're afraid someone is a "threat to national security" or whatever, when they're really just another law-abiding individual. If the fact that they don't know English bothers you do much, then why don't you try to find some way to help them out?

And another thing: if you think you're oh-so-American-as-apple-pie, guess what? Unless you're Native American, there's a chance your grandparents, great-granparents, great-great-grandparents, etc also came to this country without knowing a word of English. They just knew they needed to make a new life for their children, who made a life for their children, who also made a life for their children, who then made a life for you. Again, unless you're Native American, the only reason you're in this county in the first place is because a family member from a previous generation was...guess what?! An immigrant. And like I said, they probably didn't know English either unless they came from another English-speaking country. So when you look down on immigrants for not knowing English, you are also looking down on your own family.

Well, that about wraps it up for tonight, sleepiness is finally kicking in. Until next time, good night!

By the way, I realize that my own grammar isn't perfect either, but hey, I do actually put some effort into writing. But not bad, considering English isn't even my first language. But still better than certain groups of people. :)

I think Gandhi puts it in better, shorter words than I could... (TL;DR)

"I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."
--Gandhi

I don't think anyone has summed it up quite as well as Gandhi. One of the things on my mind lately is how badly Christianity has been failing and how far it has strayed from the original meaning. Everyday in the media we see, read, hear, and experience all of the nutcases out there preaching and waving their little bibles in the air with unwarranted self-importance. They spread ignorance, hate, bigotry, commit acts of violence, abuse all in the name of their religion. The things these people say and do the most outrageous things.

If you haven't heard of Fred Phelps, prepare to find yourself wondering if I'm making this shit up. I wish I was. This little old man...is deciding to spend the last few remaining years of his life telling people that God hates U.S soldiers (oh hell no...), Canada (Wtf??), Ireland (ditto), and so on. In Toronto, a church group stands in front of a homosexual couple's home preaching, praying and the usual shenanigans of any church group with a megalomaniac for a pastor. And of course the church group organizing the Burn a Quran day...Aaaaand my own experiences with the kooky Christians.

And as I learn about these church groups, I can't help but sit there and wonder: "is this what Jesus went around preaching and eventually got crucified for?". I don't know, I must have misread the bible, because I certainly don't remember the rest of the whole "love thy neighbor" thing. What was it? Hmmm *taps foot* ...Ah! Now I remember: "love thy neighbor, unless they are gay. a different faith, non-believer, a witch, dress in black, listen to Justin Bieber"

...Okay, maybe the Bieber thing is excusable. But, yeah, no so what was Jesus doing this whole time? Because in my mind he went around performing miracles and helping the less fortunate, and a whole bunch stuff with non-violence, brotherly love...I don't remember the part about condemning everyone who isn't like you and driving them out of their homes, harassing them, beating them, killing them, even. Well, gosh, all of that stuff seems pretty bad...But hey, it's okay because you're Christian, all you have to do is pray because God hands out forgiveness like people hand out Halloween candy, and you're still on your way to heaven, right? You go, girl/boy! *highfive*

... *siiiiiighs and rolls eyes* Really, people?? Really? And the really sad thing about all this is that the good, honest, level-headed Christians that do have a much better understanding of the teachings of God get lumped in with the rest of these clowns. I mean, what kind of image do those clowns think they're putting out for Christianity when they go out and promote so much hate, ignorance and intolerance? It makes me very sad to see these people not only doing all of this and getting so much attention to it.

Why would someone like Fred Phelps, or any pastor for that matter, claim that God hates so much, when God created all of these people, the Earth and so on? Why would God create something just to hate it? If God is all-knowing, don't you think he would already know what that person is going to be like? What they're going to do? When they're going to die? If God loves us all, why would so many of these people calling everyone else a sinner, that they will be cast into Hell for eternity and that God hates them? That's just extremely hypocritical. And I'm sure a lot of people feel this way, whether you're religious or not.

So in the end, shouldn't these "Christians" instead be going out there and helping the less fortunate, fighting for worthy causes instead of being a bunch of ignorant a-holes? There's so much wrong in the world, and if they truly believe in God, then they should be going out there to help solve these problems with everyone else so we can work together to build a better world.

I know it seems like I'm bashing on Christianity - I'm not. I know there's other religions out there that face this same problem with these same kind of people that make everyone else looks bad. However, I find that Christianity is a repeat offender that almost never even gets a slap on the wrist. Honestly, think about it: if Fred Phelps were a Muslim, you think people would be letting him preach the hateful messages he preaches? But because he is a Christian, they just call it "freedom of speech", if he were a Muslim, he would have been dragged away by the FBI a long time ago. Because in this country, Christianity is the major religion (and everyone knows Christians can do absolutely no wrong, they go to church every week! That alone is proof!)

Aaaand before anyone starts accusing me of anything (because you won't believe the shit I get accused of all the time), that I'm some anti-Christian, devil-worshipping witch (by the way, yes I actually have been accused of being a 'devil-worshipping witch' before...) - I try not to put a label on my own relationship with God, but if you have to put a label on it, I'm a Christian. Surprising, yes? So, no, I don't hate Christianity...I hate what the people have done with it. And it makes me sad to see how it all came to be like this when God has created so much, and people preach on how all-merciful and all-loving he is and yet...when they see someone different from them they fear it, hate it, persecute it, judge it. There's just so much hypocrisy in Christianity that I could literally spend hours and hours and hours typing it all down.

So, any of you wacky Christians out there with a big, shiny hate badge please re-educate yourselves, learn the true meaning what Jesus preached about God, and stop making the rest of us look bad, okay? I don't hate on the homosexuals...they're not doing anything wrong, they are certainly not sinners. I've met many, they're all really sweet people that deserve to be treated with dignity and respect as everyone else. The same goes for people of other religions or don't have a faith. If you're not doing anything to hurt others or yourselves, all's good in my book. And I know some of you reading this might not believe in religion, and that's cool with me, but in the end doesn't everything I said make some sort of sense?

And I believe Victor Hugo also summed it up nicely in his book Les Misérables, especially regarding televangelists and other high-profile pastors/priests:

"You have told me you are the bishop, but that tells me nothing about your moral integrity. Now, then, I repeat my question: who are you? You are a bishop, a prince of the church, one of those men covered with gold, insignia and wealth, a fat sinecure - the see of Digne, fifteen thousand francs per year, ten thousand francs contingent, total twenty-five thousand francs - you have kitchens and retinues, give fine dinners, eat good poultry on Friday, show off in your gaudy coaches like peacocks, lackeys in the front and lackeys behind, and travel about in the name of Jesus Christ, who walked barefoot."

Now, as I said, I could go on and on, and I'd like to. But I have other things I need to get to, and you probably want to do, and I think I've gone on long enough. XD I just don't know when to shut up sometimes, so, sorry about that. Alright, so, until next time! Byeee~ :3

Oh! Wait! Wait! *gives everyone a hug whether they want it or not*

Byyyyeeee. :3

Madness? THIS! IS! Wait- where the hell are we?

...YO! O___O Welcome to the eighth circle of hell - aka my blog "Confessions of an Angry Insomniac" I am your delightful torturer NV. Can you guess what time I created this blog? If you guessed some time way past midnight, you are correct! Hence the title! Here, take an e-candy bar. *gives* So the whole point of this particular blog is to share my opinions and thoughts about...anything...Primarily politics, history, philosophy, religion etc because I am a complete neeeeeerd.

Now, I'm sure you're asking "NV...you're just another person on this wasteland called the internet...why the hell should anyone care about your opinions?". Well, here's the thing: you don't have to. Just go ahead and surf on to the next page like you didn't even bump into this one. I'm just here to ramble on and on, on my e-soap box just because I have waaaaaay too many thoughts and absolutely no outlet.

As for my views, I try to think a little outside the box. At times I may come off as eccentric (because I am), odd (I'm very odd), sometimes as a complete dimwit (...yeah...). But all in all I try to be level-headed about things. Sometimes you'll see me being very sarcastic or snarky - that's just me, sometimes I'll even make fun of things and people I like. I have a sense of humor, and I hate being serious all the time, so expect a lot of goofiness and me just being a complete dumbass and a spaz (if you had to compare me to any fictional complete nut, it'd have to be Tamaki from Ouran High School Host Club.)

So, while I'm just rambling on and on, I hope to, while I'm at it, maybe help others see things from a different point of view and maybe educate others on certain topics. I like to research just about everything, particularly the topics mentioned. But hope those of you that don't mind reading my ramblings (because I like to go on forever, and this entry alone is proof) will enjoy this blog. Even if I don't revolutionize the world wearing a pink wig, red bike shorts, and hang out with some chick that keeps a sword inside herself and I have to pull it out once a day; I don't even know how it gets in there in the first place, then maybe I hope I can provide a few laughs. Until then, later!