On the importance of basic fact-checking:

So I got this in an email from a family member today. I get these things occasionally because a lot of my family are backwoods New Englanders, and while the majority of New England is liberal, you still get the rural Republicans making retard noises.

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There are no good responses to this…..

Yes, he told us in advance what he planned to do. Few were listening.

The following is a narrative taken from a 2008 Sundaymorning televised "Meet The Press'. From Sunday's 07 Sept. 2008 11 : 48 : 04 EST, Televised "Meet the Press" THE THEN Senator Obama was asked about his stance on the American Flag. General Bill Gann' USAF (ret.) asked Obama to explain WHY he doesn't follow protocol when the National Anthem is played. The General stated to Obama that according to the United States Code, Title 36, Chapter 10, Sec. 171... During rendition of the national anthem, when the flag is displayed, all present (except those in uniform) are expected to stand at attention facing the flag with the right hand over the heart. Or, at the very least, "Stand and Face It". NOW GET THIS !! 'Senator Obama replied : "As I've said about the flag pin, I don't want to be perceived as taking sides". "There are a lot of people in the world to whom the American flag is a symbol of oppression.." "The anthem itself conveys a war-like message. You know, the bombs bursting in air and all that sort of thing." (ARE YOU READY FOR THIS???) Obama continued : "The National Anthem should be 'swapped' for something less parochial and less bellicose. I like the song 'I'd Like To Teach the World To Sing'. If that were our anthem, then, I might salute it. In my opinion, we should consider reinventing our National Anthem as well as 'redesign' our Flag to better offer our enemies hope and love. It's my intention, if elected, to disarm America to the level of acceptance to our Middle East Brethren. If we, as a Nation of warring people, conduct ourselves like the nations of Islam, where peace prevails - - - perhaps a state or period of mutual accord could exist between our governments ..." When I become President, I will seek a pact of agreement to end hostilities between those who have been at war or in a state of enmity, and a freedom from disquieting oppressive thoughts. We as a Nation, have placed upon the nations of Islam, an unfair injusticewhich is WHY my wife disrespects the Flag and she and I have attended several flag burning ceremonies in the past". "Of course now, I have found myself about to become the President of the United States and I have put my hatred aside. I will use my power to bring CHANGE to this Nation, and offer the people a new path. My wife and I look forward to becoming our Country's First black Family. Indeed, CHANGE is about to overwhelm the United States of America " Yes, you read it right. I, for one, am speechless!!! Dale Lindsborg , Washington Post

EVERYONE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA NEEDS

TO READ THIS, SO KEEP IT GOING ! !

SAVE AMERICA BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE ! !

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It's extremely painful for rational, thinking people to read, I know. I definitely did a /headdesk once or twice. This is not the first time they have sent me stuff like this, either (see this article for more).

The following is my response, verbatim:

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There is absolutely a good response to this, and that response is: Nationalism is just as divisive and hate-inducing as any religion, and to claim that the United States is better than every other country in the world is not only absurd, it's evidence that one has not been paying attention to reality.

Also, I'm going to call complete bullshit on that last "quote" about how he intends to disarm America and all that other nonsense. All this rant is is some bigoted, racist retard who wants to fire up dumb people to revolt against a government that isn't oppressing them, by tricking them into believing it is. This is, literally, the stupidest thing I have read all year, and that takes some doing since Ted Cruz, Rand Paul, and the rest of the Republican party are trying their hardest to be as dense and ignorant as possible.

Oh, I just did some quick 5 second research on the internetz and it looks like I was right that this quote is pure fantasy:

http://www.snopes.com/politics/obama/stance.asp

So if you were sending me this to show how ludicrous and insane the Republican party and it's base have become, I kind of already knew, but thanks for more material for my page. If you actually thought that this was true... just please do some basic fact-checking before you send me these types of things :P

I do agree with the last bit. This country does need to be saved, but not from the President; it needs to be saved from people like Dale Lindsborg.

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This is partially why liberals and progressives manage to get beat out these days by Republican Fascists: we see things like this and blow it off as some stupid chain email or ridiculous bullshit, not realizing that this is being spread by tens of thousands of mindfucked morons daily who believe every single word of it. We don't understand that people really are so stupid as to think this is actually true.

Fact-check everything. Demand that anyone who makes claims like this provide credible, sourced evidence. If they don't want to, or think they don't have to, or call you a liberal swine (yeah, been called that a LOT lately), then you can dismiss their claim completely. Do your own fact-checking and show them. If they blow you off and refuse to even look at it, they're a lost cause. You can't reason with the unreasonable, and the only way to stop them is to get out and vote.

We need to start organizing better, start understanding that passivity equals political loss, and that the crazies are way more active than we are and the only way to beat them is to, well, beat them at their own game, only instead of spreading shameless lies, we spread education and facts.

Get out there. Be proactive instead of reactive. Thinking your vote doesn't count = 2 votes for the Republicans. Don't be that person, you're not only hurting yourself, but every other progressive you happen to agree with, but can't be bothered to support. Your vote matters, make the most of it, each and every election.

We need you.

That will be all.

Respect is not a right, especially if you're a dipshit

So I just got exploded upon by one of my friends here because I dared to call a moron out for being an abject idiot on their page, because "they've been friends for a really long time and you should respect that".

Just because you're friends with someone for a long time does not entitle them to respect, or shield their ideas/comments from ridicule and disdain. Our culture sucks right now because we give complete fucktards like this a free pass to believe whatever they want, contrary to, and often in direct opposition to, proven facts and evidence. We tell them "it's ok, it's ok that you're stupid, please don't cry, we all still like you", in the vain hope that they'll eventually learn on their own (they won't), and then feel good about ourselves because we didn't make someone feel bad.

Fuck that shit. My "views" are based on facts and evidence, you know, those things that make up ACTUAL reality. If you are one of my friends, you had better be prepared to back up anything you say with peer-reviewed, scientific evidence, or there's going to be a calling out, and I can guarantee that if you are not someone who changes their views with new evidence, then you're going to have a bad time.

I've cut loose people I've known since I was SIX YEARS OLD because they grew up into complete fucking dipshits who give me a ration of shit for not accepting what they say "just cuz" and demanding evidence, or for not being nice to people who refuse to accept reality based on facts. Respect is earned, not just expected because I've known you forever.

If you're a fuckwit, I'm going to tell you so, and I'm going to tell you WHY you are with evidence that supports my position. If you want to just sit there in a puddle of your own tears because someone was a meanie to you, instead of THINKING about why someone doesn't accept your idea, then we're not going to be getting along.

My views change with new evidence. If someone came up to me and showed me conclusive, scientific, repeatable evidence that proved the existence of God, I'd be more than happy to accept that God exists. I still wouldn't worship him, because he's a tremendous DICK, but I'd acknowledge said existence. That's how this thing we know as reality works. It's the only way we can truly understand the Universe, and to deny that in favor of some random shit you heard from a conservative talking head, or an asinine fairy tale you read in a 2000 year old book written by Bronze Age goatfuckers, is completely anti-intellectual and incorrect.

People need to stop being such pussies when their claims get challenged, and educate themselves as to WHY they're being challenged instead of just crying about no one respecting you and being offensive. I learn at LEAST one new thing every day, I count it a failed day if I don't. I really wish more people would do the same, instead of just being comfortably dumb and waiting for their "reality" show to start with McDonald's shite in hand.

In closing, I'd just like to say that if you act like a crazy bitch or a stupid asshole to me because I dared to tell someone who is being stupid that they're stupid... then you can go die in a fire. I don't give a single fuck if you've been friends forever. That person is stupid and is obviously infecting you with their retardation, and it needs to be stopped.

The line is drawn. I will not suffer any idiocy beyond this line. You have been warned.

That will be all.

The Apathy Generation seriously pisses me right the fuck off

So I'm cruising the intarwebz, it's my day off, just kind of chillin' to see what's new in the world, and I see one of my acquaintances has commented on a post regarding the military. Specifically, the post was in regards to how soldiers nowadays are dicks because they think that being in the military gains them automatic respect because they're "defending our freedoms". I wrote about this asshattery in a previous article, but needless to say, the last war that our freedoms needed defending in was waaaay before most of these cunts were a gleam in their dad's ballsack.

So this acquaintance of mine responds to the whole discussion with a "Meh, IDGAF, whatever." IDGAF stands for 'I don't give a fuck', for those wondering. So I saw that and was like, why wouldn't you give a fuck if soldiers are being bullies to citizens because they think they should be worshiped? That shouldn't stand!

So I asked her about it. She repeated her IDGAF statement and didn't respond further. I said something about how that lack of caring is why this country is in the trouble it's in, and she responds with "Well I'm just a girl, I don't matter in this big world, so why try?"

I'm not kidding, this is what was stated. I didn't even know how to respond to that. Granted, she's 20 and I'm 33, so I've been around and have been able to see what is ACTUALLY going on in the real world, while she's been busying herself with photoshoots and hair/clothes (yes, this is true, not just a generalization). She's also desperately looking for a job, after having quit the one she just got because she can't get a ride or make the effort to use public transport, which is made more difficult by her having a child.

It's almost like I'm talking with the embodiment of everything that is wrong with the current generation. I want to smack these people and be like, "Oh, you don't give a fuck? You think you don't matter? That's exactly what the rich assholes who own the Republican party are counting on, because they have their hordes of mindfucked inbred Christians to vote the GOP into power year after year, and if you don't care enough to try to stop them, then you don't get to bitch about not having enough money or not being able to find a job."

Seriously, if all you care about is doing photoshoots, playing dressup with your baby like it's the newest toy, and generally not making an effort to be a normal and useful human being, then you don't get to complain when things go to shit and you don't have any rights under the Republican 4th Reich.

EVERY VOTE FUCKING MATTERS, PEOPLE. Every. Single. One. There are more liberals than conservatives in this country, and yet we've been at the GOP's mercy for the last 5 years thanks to things like gerrymandering and voter "fraud" laws, but mostly because of apathy. Not enough people give enough of a shit to get off their asses and vote, and yet they sit around and whine about how there aren't any jobs, and they can't afford to do things with their shit wages, etc. etc.

If you're ok with being an empty-headed piece of eye candy, then you'd better hope that you find a sugar daddy who is ok with busting his ass to pay for your clothes and shit, especially since you won't participate in our citizen-participatory government and make it easier for him by keeping corporations from making us into a wage-slave plutocracy. And I'd better not hear any complaints out of you when shit gets bad, because if you don't do anything to make things better, then you deserve EVERYTHING you get.

You have a way to make your voice heard, and you think that because you're just one person, you don't matter? Shit, if everyone thought that way, then our government wouldn't function, because no one would get elected. EVERYONE MATTERS. To put it in more cosmic terms: Out of a billion billion stars in the vastness of the Universe... you exist. That's a hell of an achievement. Now fucking act like it.

This is part of the reason why I DON'T want to have kids, because if I had one who acted like this I'd probably fucking strangle them, Homer Simpson style.

That will be all.

Republican rhetoric: Not even once

So I wake up on the first day of my vacation to see one of my friends repost a status on Facebook by someone who seems to be under the impression that people working on minimum wage and can't afford to live are lazy bums who should blame themselves for not being better educated and hard working.

Words cannot describe how offensive this post is to so many Americans who are struggling to afford food and shelter in this, the supposedly greatest country in the world. The fact that he just parrots Republican lies and rhetoric without even skipping a beat shows how effective the GOP propaganda machine works. Here is the post in it's entirety, uncut.

"To all those picketing today outside their fastfood workplaces demanding at least $15 an hour: You should be picketing outside the office of your high school guidance counselor who told you the fastfood service industry was a GOOD career choice, not just an entry-level job. You should be picketing outside of the homes of family members who advised you NOT to work hard for decent grades, learn a skilled trade, or take on college student loans. Picket outside the home of friends who told you it was COOL to skip class, not study, have a child, or drop out of school. Protest outside the offices of your elected politicians who continue to tell you that choices you make in life should have NO bearing on how much you are entitled to. Protest outside the homes of those selfish consumers who don't WANT to pay $18 for a double cheeseburger. Stick it to the man, the clown, the king, the colonel, or whomever is keeping you down. Just don't blame yourselves. It's not YOUR fault." - Michael White

So according to Mr. White, all of these people in the USA who have a minimum wage job, sometimes two, and still can't afford to eat without SNAP benefits, are all to blame for their own situation because they did bad in school or because they "listened to politicians that tell you you're entitled to free money" (Note: no politicians endorse this, it's a complete fabrication). He then goes on to say if you have a child, it's your fault for being poor, which is so incredibly offensive to women that I'll be amazed if this guy has a wife or girlfriend, and if he does, she must enjoy being constantly denigrated by a misogynist asshole, that's the only reason I can think of that anyone would stay with a dick like that.

Seriously, you think that if someone has a kid they deserve to be poor? Are you fucking insane, or just retarded? You think that people are rising up to protest higher hamburger prices? Please know that you are really fucking stupid if you think that that's happening. Math proves that if the minimum wage is raised to a living wage, prices will go up maybe 1-2%. That's pennies on the dollar. Saying a cheeseburger will be $18 is just another Republican lie meant to scare people into thinking that if we pay people enough to live, then we'll all be poor, and that's not how the system works. If all of these things are so catastrophic, then why is it that other developed countries, like Australia and Japan, pay a high minimum wage, and have low unemployment, similar costs for goods/services, and happy people who can afford to live? It's like you live in your own little bubble of reality where facts and evidence can be shrugged off in favor of misinformation and outright bullshit.

Let me tell you a little story. A story about myself. I went to college, for Computer Science, at Vermont Technical College. I went for 3 years, for a 2 year program, because I failed calculus and C++, two things I tried very hard at but could not wrap my head around. I decided that programming was not what I wanted to do after all, and since the cost of my college loans were so high, I decided to get a job to pay them off. I'm a responsible, hard-working 33 year old now, I make more than the minimum wage at a full time job, and I can barely afford to pay all my living expenses with a little bit to spare each month. I have reduced my living expenses to the tune of about $1000 a month, so if I have, say, an emergency tire blowout on the road, or I get sick enough to have to go to the hospital, my savings will be completely wiped out and then some.

So it's my fault that I decided I wasn't happy in my chosen field of study and that the crippling cost of college education kept me from going back to get a different degree? Let me tell you something, that is the most arrogant and dickish thing to assume about someone who "dropped out" of school. Just because someone didn't finish doesn't mean it's because they're lazy or stupid, a lot of times it's because we discover things about ourselves and decide to go in a different direction. In other nations, college education is free so that people can decide what they want to do with themselves without getting saddled with a lifelong debt and can make decisions without being seen as a stupid bum for not finishing something they dislike.

So Michael White: you sir, are a tremendous douche, and I hope you never have to know what it's like to be treated like shit just because you don't have a degree and are working just as hard but not being paid enough by greedy corporations because their $14 million dollar raises are more important than you being able to eat this week. If you had educated yourself about these things that I am now relating to you, instead of just thinking your Republican representative, who has never had to deal with living like this EVER, is right about all those "lazy takers", and then have the nerve to condescendingly blame them for being hardworking people who DARE to want a livable wage... yeah, you're a complete fucking asshole.

If you said those things to me, about me, to my face, you'd better believe I would beat wholesale ass. You don't get to be an arrogant prick to people fighting corruption and demanding justice, not when you've sold yourself as a Republican mouthpiece for the low price of free. You're just as much a puppet as they are, and you're on the wrong side of history. I'd encourage you to seek mental help, but I know you'll just laugh me off as a commie fascist socialist or some other idiocy and continue repeating the bullshit that the GOP tells you to, because they've got their hand so far up your ass they can work you like a ventriloquist's doll.

Enjoy being a colossal dick, because someday someone like me is going to call you out on your bullshit, and I don't think you'll like the consequences.

EDIT: He responded to my initial callout of his bullshit with this little gem:"Two things Eban mothfuck or whatever you name is. One, I am NOT a republican. Two, you're late for your shift on the Mcfryer"

So eloquently put. I'm sure you're qualified to comment on the economic impact of wealth inequality when you can't even spell someone's name properly even if it's right in front of you, and your hateful disdain of anyone working a service job makes you emininently qualified to be an impartial judge of character.

I'm being facetious of course. You may want to look that up, I know that you Republicans have a hard time with big words. And yes, if you believe everything you said previously, you ARE, in fact, a GOP talking head. NO liberal would have you if you brought these points to our table. Go fuck yourself.

That will be all. 

I don't need Anger Management, I need stupid assholes to stop pissing me the fuck off

So to give you a taste of the kind of retardation I, and many other call center agents, have to put up with daily, I have some great tales for you. Some will make you laugh, some will enrage you, but I hope all will make you fucking think the next time you pick up a phone to call somewhere, because you have the power to either make someone's day less shitty, or make them hate life.

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So I work for a major call center selling items for the home and such, and sometimes, you just get so monumentally sick of fielding stupid questions all day that your demeanor slips. Last night, just before I was ready to go home, I got a call from a lady who asked me straight away: "I need help getting rid of an item I purchased."

I sat there for a second, pondering whether I should just transfer her to Returns or keep talking to her. I finally responded with, "I would advise throwing it in the trash." She asked me how to get rid of it, that's how I would do it :P

She got a little pissed after that and says "Why would I do that? I want my money back! Why would you tell me to throw it away?!". I'm trying hard not to laugh now, so I respond with "Ok, so you're looking to return the item, that I can do for you, let me connect you to Returns."

I think she realized at that point what she had initially said and kind of meekly accepted the solution with a sullen "Ok." This is an example of why you should think before you speak. Most Americans keep screaming about how English should be the national language, and if you don't speak it you should GTFO. Irony abounds, as most of these people can barely speak it themselves.

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The next tale I have is a doozy. Apparently this guy is a repeat offender, as several people around me had seen his name pop up before. It was the first time today he had called though.

So let me give you some initial information, and this was totally not my fault. This dude who called in sounded exactly like an ancient Southern woman. He had a really high voice, could barely speak coherently, and was very old, so I assumed it was a woman I was speaking to. I didn't call him Ma'am or Miss or anything, I didn't even address him at all.

So I say my greeting, and first words I hear are an angry "GET ME YOUR SUPERVISOR NOW." We get a lot of misdirected calls here in the Sales department, so I say "I can certainly do that, but let me see if I can help you first, I am an expert." in an attempt to de-escalate. I get "GET ME YOUR SUPERVISOR NOW" again, so I think to myself 'ok, we have a genius here.' and try again to de-escalate. "I'm just trying to determine what sort of help you need, because a supervisor here may not be able to assist you, this is the Sales dept.".

At this point he just starts screaming the same line as above over and over, like a 5 year old throwing a tantrum, so I'm like fuck it, I'll get one, I don't get paid enough for this shit. I go find one, tell him what's going on, I assume it's going to be something easy like they're needing to a return something and they've just gotten shuffled around (which is what happens when you faceroll the phone and don't answer questions so you can get to the right place, idiots).

What happens next is what I would classify as an endurance test of patience. I can literally hear this smacktard screaming at my manager from about 5 feet away, apparently because he assumed, as I did, that this was a woman, and called him Ma'am, which enraged the caller to a frothing madness. He then refused to answer simple questions like a petty child, and instead made demands that he was repeatedly told were things we were unable to do.

He needed help putting a spring on something, apparently. Instead of using Google like the rest of the civilized world, he calls the wrong department, and then pitches a baby tantrum when he doesn't hear what he wants to hear. We can't give technical advice over the phone, because we'd then be liable for any injury the dumbass suffers whilst trying to do the repair. We send technicians out for this reason, so THEY can do it. He of course, didn't want to pay for a service call, so he just keeps repeating over and over that he wants to talk to someone for help. Who was it that said insanity is doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different result? :P

So finally he starts screaming to talk to my manager's manager, which in that case doesn't happen, we give them the corporate address. This was also not a good enough answer for him, so he proceeds to spend the next 10 minutes asking to talk to a higher manager and getting THE EXACT SAME RESPONSE EVERY TIME. He's really working himself into a frenzy too, I'm secretly hoping he has an embolism in his brain or a heart attack while I'm listening.

So after about 20 minutes, my manager finally has had enough and explains that he's already told him what we can and can't do, and if you don't like that answer, that's unfortunate, and to have a nice day, and hangs up. I thank him for being way more patient than anyone else would have, including me, and continue my day.

Not 5 minutes later, a co-worker of mine gets him on the phone. Same dude. Calls the same WRONG department, to bitch about the SAME THING. So she gets the same manager he talked to (which made me literally LOL), and he proceeds to tell the guy the SAME THING HE JUST WENT OVER FOR TWENTY MINUTES PREVIOUSLY. The twist is, now this guy is demanding that I get fired for not getting him the right manager who would give him the answers he wants. He gets told that no one is getting fired, no we can't give you technical advice over the phone, and no you can't talk to a higher manager, you have to write corporate.

Everyone around this desk can hear this dude screaming bloody murder about how he's going to sue us and burn down our stores and all sorts of other psychotic shit, all because he couldn't take two seconds to shut the fuck up, listen to the explanation of how to get assistance, and then accept that fucking answer.

So he vows to keep calling us if he doesn't get what he wants, and sure enough, after that 2nd call ended, he called back 5 minutes later and got another of my co-workers. At that point the manager had had enough and told him flat out if all you're going to do is call to harass our agents and threaten to destroy our stores, then legal action will be taken, because we have your name and address on file.

It finally took the threat of legal action to get him to shut the fuck up. I'm sure he was still stewing about it for days afterwards, and my only regret is that he didn't have a coronary right there, because we need less retarded Southern assholes. A lot less.

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I could go on and on and on, as I've worked for several call centers over the last 12 years. I guess the point I'm trying to make is this: if you act like an idiot, I'm going to treat you like one, and if you get pissed off about it, I'm going to do everything in my power to make you so much more angry in the hopes that you'll have a seizure and fucking die. Sometimes that means being sarcastic, sometimes that means being "mean", and sometimes that means being so calm, nice, and reasonable that it causes you to throw a frothing rage tantrum.

I hate the people who think that because I'm angry or mean, that I'm a bad person. If you pay attention to the world, the news, our society, and you're NOT angry, then there's something seriously wrong with your brain. Going through life happy and blissful all the time in every situation means you're either sheltered or ignorant, neither of which is a laudable trait. If you're not angry about something worthwhile, then you're doing it wrong.

The sad fact is, our society encourages this behavior. We don't shame people publicly for being stupid (and yes, there's a difference between genuinely not knowing something, and being willfully stupid. If you don't learn things, and refuse to gain knowledge, you deserve to be labeled as a mental incompetent). Being "blissfully ignorant" is not a virtue. We've made it into one in this country though, with the participation trophy mentality. We pat people on the head and say "It's ok, it's ok that you're stupid. We don't want you to feel bad about it so we'll bend over backwards to do everything for you that you can't do or figure out yourself because you're dumb. Don't cry, we'll take care of it."

That's what I hate the most. I'm all for helping people out who need help, thanks to the engineered destruction of the working class by the rich, but if you are someone who refuses to learn things in favor of being a fat, lazy piece of shite that just wants their thinking done for them, you deserve to be ridiculed and antagonized at the very LEAST. My good friend on FB, Professor Hollingsworth, just shared a story about some retard who asked at the vending machine, if it took $10 bills. The conversation:

Holly: "Gee, I don't know. Maybe the huge picture of bills listed from $1 to $20 would help."
Her:    "You don't have to be mean."
Holly: "Oh I think I do. How else will you realize how to be more observant on your own?"

People don't pay attention, they just want everything told to them so they don't have to think about shit. People don't listen, either, or they get mad when they don't hear the answer they want. Guess what: life sucks, you don't always get what you want. If you think you can, then you're either living in a fantasy world in your head, or you're just really fucking dumb.

So when people ask me stupid questions, at least when I'm not at work (because I DO need to earn money to not live on the street, thanks Republicans), I either give them an extremely sarcastic answer, or I tell them to stop being fucking retarded and think about it for two seconds. If more people did just that one little bit, then maybe the rest of the world wouldn't see us as complete braincases.

Ok, angry rant over. I was asked why I am so vocally angry by a co-worker the other day. The simple answer is, if I kept it all inside, eventually I'd feel like I wanted to beat somebody in an insane rage. Venting lets me relieve stress and not give a fuck after doing so. Be careful of the people who are happy/smiley all the time, they're either colossally stupid, or harboring a suppressed fury that will end in another school being shot up. So yeah, there's nothing fucking wrong with me, asshole.

That will be all.

LIBRULS IZ MASS MURDERERS! WE SHULD KILL DEM ALL!!

Yes Citizens, more epic awesomeness has been created! This article's topic deals with critical thinking and backing up your shit with evidence. As we all know, Christians and other religious types rarely do this, relying instead on unfounded rhetoric and generating FMO to whip their base into a rabid frenzy. Would it surprise you to learn that US Republicans do the same thing? I thought not.

This article was inspired by a family member of mine emailing me THIS video, which is so very painful to watch, mainly because I know he's smarter than to believe any of this shit, but also because it demonstrates so many things about why the GOP is wrong on so many levels. Here's the vid, and then following is my reaction to it to my relative.

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1: There are no cited sources for any of these claims. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, and here there is none except this guy's say-so.

2: Just because someone's parents are registered democratic doesn't mean their children are liberal, and vice-versa (we're living proof of that).

3: As soon as he said that a random psychiatrist claims that liberalism is a mental illness, that alone made me question his credulity on everything in this video. Again, no sources cited, no studies brought forth, just opinion. It's a tactic regularly used on Fox "News", by saying "some people say", it makes it seem like they have credible info, when in fact they have none and are just trying to pass off lies as truth.

4: Even though someone may be registered democratic, that doesn't mean they really are, I'm a centrist who leans left, however there is no other choice in our system for that. This also doesn't mean that this is someone's motive for committing a massacre.

5: He attempts to correlate two completely unrelated things: mental instability and liberalism. ANYONE can be mentally unstable/ill, that doesn't mean that liberalism is the cause or a natural outgrowth of this. It's a fallacious comparison, one that has been attempted many times by Republicans, and failed many times. Here's a little tidbit about the supposed psychiatrist, who is more widely considered to be a nutjob:  http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Lyle_Rossiter

6: Anyone with two brain cells to rub together hates Dubya, both Democrats AND Republicans. He blew a tremendous fiscal surplus inherited from Clinton on a war based on lies, designed to make him and his corporate buddies rich (Halliburton), while committing faux pas after faux pas and making America look like a retarded monkey to the rest of the world. Claiming that someone who hates Bush is capable of mass murder would implicate about 90% of the US Population.

7: Here's a study that shows that gun owners in conservative states are more prone to suicide, unless they're churchgoers with that false hope of absolution to keep them going. Unlike "Wild Bill" here, I back up my claims with cited evidence. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/08/conservatives-and-suicide_n_3039307.html

8: This is an excellent example of the 3rd identifying characteristic of Fascism, namely -  Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause -- The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial, ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.
Republicans have to hate somebody, and since it's not fashionable to be racist anymore (although some are really working hard at that by being racist retards at every opportunity), and the LGBT community has too much support, they're going to go after liberals, claiming we're Un-American and that we hate America and blah blah blah. Classic misdirection from the real problem, which is moneyed interests and corporate control of government (aka fascism).

9: Fear-mongering is the only way Republicans like this guy can get people to continually vote Republican, because they don't have a platform that any sane person would support anymore. By continually screaming about how "LIBRULS WANNA TAKE YER GUNZ!", they conveniently forget that most NRA members are opposed to the views of the NRA leadership, that 90% of Americans, including Republicans, are in favor of common-sense regulations like background checks and licensing, and that most liberals are ok with having a handgun or a shotgun for home defense. I'm personally ok with that. What I and most sane people take issue with, is that most Teapublicans want any gun to be available to anyone, no questions asked, because freedom. There's a reason why people aren't allowed to own tanks, and it's the same reason why people shouldn't be allowed to own AR-15's and other high-capacity war rifles. If you want to play with them that badly, go join the military, or the REAL militia, the National Guard.

10: History is also conveniently forgotten in regards to the 2nd Amendment, which most of these folks claim is to protect themselves from a tyrannical government. If Obama were a tyrant, all the people calling him a tyrant on TV and the internet would have been drug out back and shot in the head about 2 months into his Presidency, so, Worst Tyrant Ever. Here's the REAL reason the 2nd Amendment was ratified: to keep the Southern states from leaving the new Union because they needed good ol' boy militias to put down slave rebellions, because SURPRISE! Slaves don't like to be enslaved! http://truth-out.org/news/item/13890-the-second-amendment-was-ratified-to-preserve-slavery 

11: Other nations with strict gun regulation (enacted by liberals AND conservatives who know how to compromise), have insanely lower shooting death statistics. It's a scandal in Japan when there are ANY shootings (that's more than zero), and Australia has had less than 300 each year for the last DECADE. Meanwhile, here in America: http://www.policymic.com/articles/21330/there-are-32-000-gun-deaths-a-year-in-the-u-s-here-is-how-we-get-that-number-to-zero      The reason why there is no legislation like this in the US is because politicians care more about continuing their political career, rather than committing "political suicide" and doing what's right (something that several Australian officials have done). I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I knew I had the power to enact a law that would save even 1 life, let alone 30,000, and decided not to because being a Congressman was more important.

These are all very obvious facts to those who are paying attention and using their capacity for critical thinking, and not just lapping up whatever lies the GOP propaganda machine spews out. I know you're more than intelligent enough to know this, and to value evidence-based facts over unfounded rhetoric. Like I said before, you're what is considered a Classic Republican, aka one who is willing to compromise and debate honestly with the goal of governing the nation in the best way, and doing what's best for the people who elected them. The "Republicans" we have now are not that at all, they're Teabillies, they're Neocons, they're corporate shills willing to say anything for a buck, they're religious zealots who will make everything Christian or die trying. The thing all of these people have in common is that they all have an unreasoning hatred towards anyone who questions them, or simply asks them to provide evidence or support their claims. This is why other nations look at us and shake their heads, and why we're not the greatest country in the world anymore. But we could be.

----------

Citizens, I love my family, and it really makes me wonder how I turned out the way I did when I get emailed things like these. I can absolutely attest to how an insular society/environment lends itself to propagating conservative thinking, as I grew up in the backwoods of VT, and then once I left the state and discovered the intarwebz, the amount of information and diversity pretty much cured me of any lingering conservative thoughts. Rationality and fact-checked information win the day once more!

That will be all.

Manufacturers of Fake Moral Outrage piss me right the fuck off

Citizens, a lot of new pages have been added to The Work, and I'm sure some of you are asking, "What will all this lead to?" Well hopefully, more awesomeness, and definitely more intellectualism, which I'm sure the title of this post hinted at.

So I'm cruisin the intarwebs after getting home from work, and I see one of my old co-workers from a past shitty job (Citibank, don't EVER work for those greedy dickcheeses), had posted up a picture of a dude holding a sign that reads: "I saw a movie once where only the police and military had guns. It was called Schindler's List".

There are several immediately apparent things wrong with this image, which I refuse to post up here because quite frankly, it angers me and I don't propagate retardation, but the thing that really irritates me the most is the FMO that is the goal of this image. Let me get to that after I explain why this is so completely wrong, first.

So after WWI, Germany was put under some super harsh sanctions by the Treaty of Versailles. The German government restricted guns heavily as was required so as to prevent Germany from attempting another war (which obviously failed, but not because of these gun restrictions, I'll get to that in a second). In 1928, after hyperinflation had ruined the country following the depression after the war thanks to war reparations they couldn't pay, gun laws were relaxed and a more modern gun regulation system was set up, so that citizens could own guns for one of several reasons, but not for more than one reason at the same time.

As we all know, Hitler and the National Socialist party eventually took over, convincing the previous President Paul von Hindenburg, to appoint him as Chancellor (He wanted to take power legally so as to have the support of the people, and not have to fight them), and eventually was given executive power by the Enabling Act that von Hindenburg signed just before his death. After that, Hitler declared himself Fuhrer and began to re-write German law. One of those laws was the gun regulations put in place 7 years earlier. Now, Jews were barred from owning any guns, the age restriction to own guns was dropped to 18, permits were valid for 3 years instead of only 1, and the number of people required to HAVE a permit to own guns was expanded by a large amount, thus making citizen militias easy to organize, giving them a domestic enemy to hate/fight (the German Communist party and Jews), and having a large pool of recruits to draw from who already know how to work a firearm.

So, as you can see, Hitler's gun laws more closely resemble those that the Tea Party and the GOP want to have, and yes, I'm sure they'd find some way to fit the discriminatory parts in there too. I'm really not surprised that a Teabilly doesn't know actual history, but it still irks me as a historian and scholar that things this recent are so easily forgotten and misinterpreted, especially with the internet readily available. It irks me, and it makes me angry that people believe this shit.

The thing that angers me the most, as I said I'd get to, is the way this is designed to manufacture FMO. FMO stands for Fake Moral Outrage, you know, that feeling you get when you want something, but you know it's wrong and you'll be seen as an asshole for wanting it, so you go out and tell lies to get other people upset that you don't have this thing. That's the Republican strategy, and their constituents are so dumb now that they just buy everything without even attempting to see if it's true or not.

Comparing American gun owners to Holocaust Jews is not only wildly inaccurate and laughably absurd, it's also offensive not just to those who were there or had family that went through it, but to any moral and intellectual person. This disgusts me, in so many ways.

So this "friend" of mine tells me (after I posted this bit of history on the image) that I'm bitter, and my outlook on life is a choice. This tells me she's either brainwashed by the NRA goons into thinking anyone who wants to TAKE YER GUNZ (note: no one is taking anyone's guns) is automatically a bad, evil person and leads a shitty life, or she doesn't know me at all, or both. My life is just fucking fine, thank you, and I don't see how that has ANY bearing whatsoever on anything I just posted.

So I had to drop her. I was all set to tell her that it's not my fault she was in a bad relationship for years that turned her into a fat fucking bitch, and that she used that time to lose her brain and replace it with a hamster wheel where the hamster died... but I didn't. I knew it would do no fucking good. Most gun-nuts are like that, just like the religitards. If you dare to challenge their deeply held "beliefs", whether they're absolutely wrong or not, automatically makes you evil, and there's nothing you can say to change their minds. So be it. Dropping your insanity makes my life EVEN BETTER, if that's even possible :D

Remember, Citizens: always, always know your history before you try to claim something as true. People like me will tear you a new asshole with logic and reason if you don't.

That will be all.

I do not think you know me like you think you know me...

SO! The title of this posting (which I'm sure some of you will read in Inigo Montoya's voice, +10 internets to those who do), is something that I've been wanting to do for a long time, and just haven't felt like it was important enough/interesting enough, at least until now. This one is going to be mostly for the benefit of my personal friends, family, and other life acquaintances, however I think that those who are also struggling with finding a place in their social/family circles can take something away from this, and I don't just mean in terms of atheism. I'm also talking about those people who feel like outcasts because they're hardcore Metallians in a family of country music inbreds or hip-hop/dubstep morons (excluding that awesome rapper Greydon Square, of course), or if you're a gamer nerd who is just not understood by your jock father, or a liberal in a Republican household/town, or something equivalent. My goal with this is to just lay all the cards out on the table, as it were, and if certain people I associate with don't like it, well at least there will be no more illusions and it'll be their own fucking problem if they think I'm an evil asshole.

This is not to say I'm really hiding who I am, for fear of persecution. I just kind of avoid talking about it when around friends/family because previously, I didn't want to rock the boat. I love my family, even my aunt/uncle that think I'm an evil Satanist after they became aware of my status as a non-believer. They've gone so far as to bar their children from contacting me, because they're home-schooled (which I won't even go into how incredibly bad THAT is), and they don't want me ruining their indoctrination with pesky things like logic and critical thinking. I have several other family members who are also very religious, who I get along with, we have some good debates without getting insulting or violent. Those who know me know that I only get insulting when it's obvious that a believer doesn't want to debate, they just want to quote scripture at me and yell at me about how I'm going to hell and that I'm oppressing them with my non-belief, or if they're just being completely, ridiculously stupid for the sake of making a scene.

Even my parents, who are not firm believers (at least that's always the impression that I've gotten over the years), have requested that I "tone down the anti-God stuff, and the swearing", so I don't offend anyone. I respect them, so I've kind of kept a lid on it for the most part, although I'm not sure if they're asking me to do this to keep confrontations to a minimum or if they don't want me to embarass them.

But that's the thing, isn't it? Even doing these things to respect the wishes of my parents is not letting me be who I really am. I feel like I'm two different people: one that plays along and hides myself to fit in to the religious conservative crowd that I grew up in so as not to cause trouble when I visit family, and one that has controversial ideas/opinions that hopefully cause people to think and to question and isn't afraid to voice them. After several 'incidents', I've decided enough is enough.

The following is the kind of person I really am, with explanations as to why I am this way, in the hope that those people I care about will just accept this person without reservation. I'm also hoping that those who don't wish to associate with me after reading this will then remove me from their lives, so that I don't have to waste time arguing/listening to them spew hateful bile about how I'm wrong or evil 'just because'.

1: I am an atheist, with emphasis on anti-theism

The dreaded BIG 'A' word. Yes, I do not believe in a deity, any deity. I would also extend that to include any supposed supernatural event, relying only on the scientific method to explain the Universe and everything in it. In fact, this is the only reliable method we have for explaining how things function and exist. No, I don't hate God, there is simply no evidence for his existence. The beauty of being an atheist who relies on critical thinking is that when presented with new evidence, one's views then change to accommodate said evidence. If someone showed me peer-reviewed, factual evidence of God's existence tomorrow, I'd acknowledge said existence. I still wouldn't worship him though, because he's a gigantic DICK.

How did I come to this status? I read the Bible. Ok, that wasn't ALL there was to it, but that was the part that sealed the deal. When I was a kid in Sunday School I never though the stories told to us were anything more than that, stories. I was more concerned with getting punch and cookies later and then going home to play. I've always been into science fiction and fantasy books, and I guess I recognized that those stories were just as fictional as anything written by Terry Brooks and Isaac Asimov.

The contradictions and logical fallacies inherent in the Bible, as well as the complete lack of any credible archaeological finds that corroborate various stories in it, are what made me officially declare my rejection of religion. Plus, if you claim you're a good person, and you've read the Bible, then how the fuck can you condone all the horrible shit in there done in "God's" name? Misogyny, rape, torture, bigotry, slavery, genocide, just to name a few, and yes, those can be found in the New Testament too, not just the Old.

I am a moral person without religion, thus morality does not stem from "God". I don't believe in shit without evidence, and I don't believe in superstition and the supernatural. That's all being an atheist is. Now when I say I'm an anti-theist, that doesn't mean I'm going to go out and start oppressing theists and throwing them in prisons and shit. It just means I fight the indoctrination that churches use to keep children from forming their own opinions, I fight legislation of religious belief (like these stupid anti-gay marriage laws and anti-abortion laws) because we don't live in a fucking theocracy, and I fight the denial of science and progress in favor of blind faith and ignorance.

If that makes you think I'm evil, then so fucking be it. I will never stop until religious belief has been eradicated in favor of science, critical thinking, and rational intellect that trusts in peer-reviewed evidence rather than a Bronze Age book written by dirty goatfuckers centuries after the supposed events happened.

2: I am a Democratic Socialist. This does not mean I'm a Communist

In this crazy political environment that calls itself America, I identify myself as a Democrat. The reason for this is pretty simple: Republicans have gone completely off the deep-end with their platform of lies, misinformation, outright hypocrisy, promotion of theocracy and rebellion, and essentially becoming Fascists thanks to their insatiable greed that their corporate overlords are more than happy to feed. If you want to know why I say Republicans are Fascists, read my previous article.

I am of the Bernie Sanders camp. Democratic Socialism is a far superior governmental model, as has been shown in the developed nations that have adopted it (Northern Europe, for example). Things like single-payer healthcare, government funded higher education, hell, Switzerland is giving it's citizens money to offset the vast wealth inequality and to make things better for EVERYONE, not just the rich corporate elite and their conservative cronies (like we do here).

I don't really WANT to identify as a Democrat, since there are a few (a VERY few) shady things going on there as well, HOWEVER: on the whole, the Democratic Party is doing more to promote progress and halt the advance of corporate oligarchy and plutocracy than anyone else right now. Liberals have their far off-center crazies too who scream about drone attacks and the NDAA, but honestly, these issues are non-issues, especially in the context of how shit is failing right now, and it's all thanks to the Tea Party and their vast GOP support. It would also be incredibly difficult at present to have a Socialist candidate win on a federal level (they already are at the state level in certain areas, but that's rare).

I stand for EVERYONE being equal, discrimination is bullshit. Color, sexual orientation/identity, age, weight, nationality, none of that MATTERS. We're all PEOPLE. Stop acting like this shit affects the way you live, because it FUCKING DOESN'T.

I stand for scientific progress and education. The science deniers and education de-funders want to make everyone dumber, because dumb people are easy to control (see Tea Party). Like Morpheus said: Free your mind. Think. Learn. That's what these people hate the most.

I stand for common sense legislation, not legislation based on crazy feelings or religious belief. Despite what the Tea Party officials lie to their base about, this nation is NOT, in fact, a Christian nation, it's a nation for EVERYONE, and religion is a PERSONAL FUCKING MATTER. It has no place in government, and honestly, churches should immediately lose their tax-exempt status, as they no longer do the things they once did to need that status, IE feed/shelter the homeless, the sick, the injured, the destitute. Oh, they have little dinner events once in a while, but that's more to ease their collective consciences than out of any real desire to help people. Meanwhile they use all those donations to build gigantic megachurches in the fucking South. Yeah, don't think that's what that was meant for.

Additional to the above, common sense legislation means just that. You don't need to be able to purchase a fucking assault rifle, as you're not in the military or national guard. Claims that it is for home defense are bullshit, it's just so you can compensate for some character flaw. Math proves that gun control works to prevent shooting deaths, the statistics are out there. Lobbyists need to go the fuck away, in fact, all money needs to be taken out of influencing government, and gov't salaries need to be DRASTICALLY reduced. There's no reason these assholes get to make hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, working for less than 1/3 of the year, and doing almost nothing while they're there. I bust my ass to make $25,000, and I'm better off than a LOT of other people.

If you object to any of these above stances, then you need to take off your tinfoil hat, remove the American flags from your lawn, and take one of your guns and eat a fucking bullet. Harsh? Maybe, but I'll tell you, I've just about had it with mentally deficient bigots and assholes demonizing me for being rational and compassionate. I know lots of others have too, and if we can get rid of these whackjobs like old Turtlehead McConnell and Lyin' Ryan, then maybe we can fucking MOVE ON.

3: I am an introvert, NOT anti-social

People think I'm anti-social, that I don't like people. I would say that that is false, with one qualifying statement: I DO hate people, but only the ignorant dipshits who think angels are real and having an arsenal will protect you from bad guys.

What I am is introverted. A lot of times, I just don't need to be with people all the time. There's nothing wrong with that. I'm very selective about who I'm friends with, which is why I don't have very many friends. As the saying goes: Quality wins over quantity. This is also partially why I am without a special lady friend most of the time. The quality women are more than likely ALSO introverted, and thus are not out partying/bar-hopping and are therefore not available to chat up in social settings. I have certain things I require in someone I wish to associate with, and I refuse to compromise on those. I refuse to settle.

If that means I'll be alone for the rest of my life, with only a few friends for company, SO FUCKING BE IT. I'd rather that than have my awareness filled with rampant pointlessness and idiotic drivel from the people who make up this Idiocratic nation now. This is why I don't have a television subscription, because I prefer to not have my brain infected with the stupidity that is popular culture, or be told that the way I am is wrong. Being a 'nerd' or 'geek' is not something to be ashamed of. Shit, I wish we had MORE nerds and geeks, we desperately need them to help us move forward scientifically and technologically.

I prefer the solitude of my own thoughts, for the most part. I'm a writer (obviously), and spinning new worlds and new stories out of nothing but my own imagination is more entertaining to me than anything else I could be doing. I don't like to drink, I don't like to go to bars/clubs, I'll go to the occasional low-key house party, or to a raging Heavy Metal show (my one concession to being outgoing), but for the most part, I enjoy my living space and the things I can do within, rather than without. If that gets me painted as anti-social, then you're probably not someone I care to associate with, like the many, MANY others as outlined by my previous two points.

4: I am a sci-fi/fantasy gamer nerd. This is not a bad thing

As I explained about, nerds and geeks automatically get this negative label, which is completely untrue. I felt like this deserved it's own section, since it is a huge part of who I am. Ironically, it's all my dad's fault, since he bought us an Atari 2600 back in the day, and honestly he had JUST AS MUCH FUN WITH IT as I did. Now he thinks it's a huge waste of time :P

So yes, my journey began with that Atari, then when I was 9 I saved up all my pennies and bought an NES for a whopping $100 (yes, lots of chores were done to accomplish this). I also had various PC games to play with on our old IBM-XT. Yes, you heard that right. I was a master of DOS and BASIC back in the day. From there I got various other consoles as time went on, and continuously upgraded my PC to play better and better games.

I started playing MMO's when I was in college, starting with Ultima Online: T2A. That, and Asheron's Call on Darktide were the most fun I've ever had in my entire gaming career. Being able to attack and kill anyone at any time for being a stupid, childish asshole, taking their stuff, and making them quit the game to make it better for the rest of us, was just fucking beautiful. Sadly, the gaming trend started to move towards homogenizing gameplay to make niche games "fun for everyone", because corporations like EA and Activision started to buy these small game companies out and attempt to maximize profits by dumbing shit down (I'm looking at you, Madden series).

I also got my start in scifi thanks to my mom introducing me to Star Trek (yes, she's a Trekkie). I started with the original series, which was excellent for what it was, and I really wish more shows focused less on flashy effects and more on epic storytelling. That's why Star Trek was so good. That of course branched out into other scifi shows like Stargate, Doctor Who, Red Dwarf, and then into certain anime like Evangelion and Lodoss War. Note: I despise almost all anime except for a certain few quality ones. All the rest are pretty much shit like every other cartoon out there now.

My fantasy roots stem from my highschool library, where I signed out a copy of Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey. I devoured that and the other Pern books in short order, and began exploring for more magical worlds to explore, leading to Terry Brooks' Shannara series (still ongoing), as well as Modesitt's Recluce saga, and of course, Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time epic.

So why do I put all this in a separate section? Because of the societal view of 'nerds' as bad people, as automatically inferior to those who are social or who are jocks. I was never very athletic, and the only highschool sport I played was on the Golf team. My strengths were my vast intellect and my mental agility. This earned me no end of derision from classmates growing up, and still gets me snide remarks even today at the age of 33. I don't know if it's because people are intimidated by my intelligence, or if they're just dicks, but either way, it gets very tiresome, and has shaped my introversion as described above.

Gamers and scifi nerds are normal people just like everyone else. Just because we enjoy stories about things that don't exist for entertainment purposes doesn't mean you're better than we are. Without us, you wouldn't be able to play stupid trash games on your shitty iPhone 5.

5: I don't take shit from anyone. Period.

I have never been very strong or athletic, even when I was younger and in good physical shape. I've only gotten enraged enough to the point of trading blows a handful of times, and gotten my ass beat each time, all as a kid growing up. I was always the one who got in trouble for fighting back, too, because obviously I must have done something to provoke the bully into bullying me /sarcasm.

Once I got into highschool I resolved to never take shit from anyone ever again. I came to this realization after a particularly nasty kid who was a new transfer decided I was a prime target and was relentless in his persecution of me. As I have said, I'm not a strong man, so I used the only weapon I had: my ability with words. I defended myself with such biting insults and excessive sarcasm that after only a few episodes of public humiliation, he left me alone completely. Others attempted to take his place, and all were put in their place by my razor-sharp wit.

I was never vindictive, never became the bully, never harassed them, I merely kept them from beating me to a pulp by shaming them publicly. This garnered me a fair amount of respect from others, which was surprising as hell to me, and ultimately, led to those bullies apologizing to me for being colossal dicks, of their own volition.

Sadly, this shit still happens in my adult life, and the anonymity of the internet allows many others to get away with this crap. While my reflexes may not be as sharp, I can still deliver a scathing rebuke that will leave people scratching their heads while others laugh.

This phrase was actually given solidity after seeing the 1998 film Dirty Work for the first time. Norm MacDonald is awesome, and not taking no crap from nobody became one of my personal mantras. If you haven't seen the movie... do yourself a favor and do so.

Don't Take No Crap From Nobody
Dirty Work at MOVIECLIPS.com

I don't take shit from anyone. If you want to start something, or try to insult or belittle me, you had best be prepared to have your ass handed to you, because I can guarantee you that you are not my equal in the field of offense. This also applies to people who try to make me feel ashamed for standing up for myself and my views. Just because I don't agree with you, and you don't want to have an honest debate about it, does not give you the right to give me a ration of shit and try to discredit me. Seriously, FUCK you.

6: I AM A METALHEAD. THIS WILL NEVER CHANGE

Yup, saving the best for last. I am a Metalhead, a Metallian, a Rockaholic, to the motherfucking CORE. There is NO genre of music better than Metal, especially not in the last 30 years. Heavy Metal is so diverse that there is a genre for everyone, and I do mean EVERYONE. Heavy Metal will never die, it just keeps getting stronger, despite what critics desperately want to believe.

This all started back in the 80's, where in West Bumfuck, VT, all there was to listen to was the local country station. I despise country music. Words cannot describe how boring and pointless it is. My only salvation was WVTC, the local college radio station, where I could tune in and listen to other, forbidden forms of music, like Metal, and 80's pop (which was actually very good and another of my faves). Started with AC/DC, moved on into Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Metallica. In highschool I got into Rage Against the Machine, as well as some good grunge like Soundgarden and Nirvana.

It wasn't until I was in college that I was able to express my newfound Metallian status with the advent of my own radio show on the very same station. Granted, it was from 6-9 on Saturday nights, and there weren't many listeners, but even if I only reached one kid, just like I was, then it was all worth it.

The biggest reason why I'm a diehard Metallian for life, is because of the Metal culture. It's very accepting, mainly because for the most part, we were the outcasts, we didn't fit in with all the rest who listen to the latest shit from Britney Spears or N'Sync. There's a different genre of Metal to suit anyone's taste, really. I can guarantee you there's a specific flavor out there for everyone. I have a friend who is a huge country fan, shitkickers and all, however amazingly, she fucking loves GWAR, which is so bizarre that I still can't really wrap my head around that one. It's awesome though because it proves my point exactly: There is a genre of Metal for EVERYONE.

Yes, there are a few Metalheads who act like dicks and complain about certain types of Metal being lame and those who like it being "posers", but they're few and far between, and we generally ignore them. I enjoy all Metal, some more than others definitely, but I can always find something worthwhile in any band, from Cannibal Corpse to Dio to Nine Inch Nails. We are all Metallians here, and there's a sense of brotherhood and camaraderie that don't really exist with any other type of music or its fans. I also love the epicness and the in your face attitude that Metal presents to the world. The best Metal songs are those that are about how awesome Heavy Metal is.

So yes, I am a diehard Metallian. I revere the Metal Messiahs and give thanks to the Lord Halford for bringing us this abundance of badassery. Besides, it's just plain FUN to rock the fuck out with your mates, sing at the top of your lungs with some epic Metal shrieks, and just be awesome for it's own sake.

So there you have it. These are the things that make up who I am. I hope this has cleared up any confusion for those who might have thought otherwise, and I hope that others are able to identify with parts of this and can use it to help get their own thoughts out there and clear up any misconceptions about themselves.

I'm not writing this in the hope that I'll be universally accepted. I'm fully comfortable with who I am, it's everyone else who isn't comfortable with who I am. I could give a fuck about being accepted. I'm just tired of trying to fit in with the "sacred cow" that is the family unit and various familial connections, and to essentially say: "This is me. Don't like it? That's just too fucking bad." If that means you want to cut me out of your life, or unfriend me, or whatever, then fucking go for it dude. I'm through keeping quiet for the sake of not upsetting family members or borderline friends. Here I am, and I'm gonna rock you like a fucking hurricane.


That will be all.