As one may guess from the previous paragraph, I am not really a fan of updates.

This is not just a long overdue rant (this blog is full of ’em), I have a point to ma

ke.

Grrrrrrrrr. Can’t even finish a post!!

The point is this. Why are we in such a hurry to “improve” things all the time. I am about as far from conservative as one can get in most ways, but I am a firm believer in “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” I am all for progress. I just don’t see a lot of progress in sending things out before they are ready (or even needed), only to have to repeatedly fix them because we rushed them out. A significant portion of updates are updating another update to fix the errors in the error fix. Seriously folks, what’s the rush? Maybe if we took the time to do things right in the first place, we wouldn’t have to constantly “fix” things. And, like the speeding car that flits in and out of traffic, passing us dangerously only to be stopped by the same light we are, it really does not get us there (whatever “there” may be) any faster.

Maybe if we focused on improving for the sake of actual progress rather than for profit, we would slow down just a tad.

This silly little rant brought to you by the letter U.

The post Updating … first appeared on thrumyeyes.

I have no interest in religion. I personally think it is one of the worse inventions that came out of the mind of man. But I was raised in the Jewish tradition, and it is part of my history, a history of which I am NOT ashamed.

Because of this simple fact, certain people hate me.

When I was a child, there were some in my neighborhood who would physically attack me, simply because I was Jewish. Wise minds, believers in compassion, would tell me to ignore them, they will just go away.

So I ignored them, until the next time they jumped me, beat me, screaming nonsense like “You killed Jesus!”.

“Ignore them, they will just go away.”

So I ignored them, until one threw a rock at me, hitting me in the skull giving a scar that I still bear today.

“Ignore them, they will just go away.”

So I ignored them, until the rock thrower’s mother attacked MY mother, while his brother held a knife to my throat saying “I will kill you if you do anything to help her.”

“Ignore them, they will just go away.”

So I ignored them, until the knife wielder picked a fight with me in the school yard, calling me kike. I stood my ground, with a fellow Jewish boy willing to defend. The principle pulls US into the office. “Stay away from him, he is psychotic.” As far as I know, nothing was done to him.

“Ignore them, they will just go away.”

So I ignored them, until the same psycho, decided to light my shirt on fire in the middle of homeroom in high school.

“Ignore them, they will just go away.”

So I ignored them. Twenty plus years later, a young man goes on a killing spree in the name of ethnic cleansing or some such nonsense. He is the son of the boy who did all those things to me.

“Ignore them, they will just go away.”

Guess what folks. We’ve been ignoring them for over 40 years. They have NOT gone away. Maybe it is time we STOP ignoring them, and actually DO SOMETHING.

The post Ignore them, they will just go away (a.k.a. stick your head in the sand) first appeared on thrumyeyes.

A highly scientific study proves that most humans are actually naïve sheep. It’s true because I used the word scientific and included a cool looking chart with statistics that mean absolutely nothing because they have no context. The fact that  I also said it is Breaking News also means that it must be true. But if this undeniable data is not enough for you, take a look at the video which has expert testimony. The expert can not be doubted, because I called them an expert.

White House, The Dalai Lama, Abraham Lincoln, Random Celebrities, Some rich guy, WiklLeaks.

How do I know it’s true?

• I say it is.
• It contains references to known sources that may even be legitimate.
• A celebrity agrees. So does a rich guy.
• It has a video.
• It says breaking news.
• It has a graph with statistics.
• It is online.
• I want it to be true.
• Any evidence that clearly says it is not true is part of a grand conspiracy to disprove what I know to be true.
• Did I mention I want it to be true?

Try using your brains for a change people!!

The post Breaking News!! first appeared on thrumyeyes.

[popup url=”http://wp.me/P3H47j-2kz” height=”500″ width=”1200″ scrollbars=”yes” alt=”popup”]Its true, I swear!! Click here for the proof![/popup]

I am going to try this again. I know it is really a vain effort. For one few really read my blogs, and those who NEED to see this would probably ignore it even if they did read it … after all thinking for yourself involves an effort. But rant away I will anyway …

• Being a celebrity does not make one especially smart. Nor does it give someone sudden expertise in … well … ANYTHING. Therefore, just because a celebrity says it (assuming they actually DID say it and did not just have a picture attached to CLAIM they said it) does not make it true.
• Being elected to office does not mean one is especially smart. Nor does it give someone sudden expertise in … well … ANYTHING. All it means is that they ran for office, and won. Politicians frequently say what people WANT to hear to achieve their own goals, whatever they may be. Therefore, just because a politician says it does not mean it is true.
• Being wealthy does not mean one is especially smart. Nor does it give someone sudden expertise in … well … ANYTHING. All it means is that they either managed to earn, or were born into, money. Some wealthy people will say what people WANT to hear to achieve their own goals, which is frequently to make more money. Therefore, just because a wealthy person says it does not mean it is true.
• Being a college graduate does not mean one is especially smart. And while it may give someone some expertise in certain areas, it does not make one an expert on EVERYTHING . All it means is that they managed to pay for school somehow and passed a bunch of tests. Sure higher degrees mean more levels of expertise, but college graduates can be just as misguided as anyone else. Therefore just because a college graduate says it does not mean it is true.

A few more tips …

• Statistics are only as good as the source of the statistics and the UNDERSTANDING of the data. If you do not truly know where the stats come from or how to properly interpret them, they are nothing more than numbers. So don’t believe statistics just because they agree with what you WANT to believe. It is a good likelihood that if they are posted with an agenda, then they are meant to convince you of that agenda. While properly understood statistics can’t be ignored, just because someone CLAIMS they are true does not make them true.
• Adding a picture or video to a claim does not make it true. Nor does randomly associating it with well-known  people.
• While some are interested in actually informing people of what is going on, MOST media outlets serve two purposes … to make money for their owners by attracting an audience, and to promote the agenda of those same owners. They will say what their intended audience wants to hear, or promote their masters agenda, true or not. Therefore, just because it is on the news does not make it true.
• The internet is a great source of information. But just because the information is THERE does not mean it is true. It just means someone put some effort into sharing the information.

Once again world … STOP BEING SHEEP!!! Think for yourself. Question. Research. Don’t believe simply because you WANT to. Believe because you did your homework and are properly convinced. Stop letting the selfish and power-hungry dictate how you think!

You were given a mind for a reason. Use it.

”The problem with quotes from the internet is that you can never quite be sure they are genuine’”
– Abraham Lincoln”

The post Seriously folks, enough is enough!!! first appeared on thrumyeyes.

By the way those terrorists are really evil. They have no value for life and are plain crazy. I mean who in their right mind would actually die for their beliefs, when they could so easily send other people out there to die for them … and make a huge profit as a result. I will fight to the bank for Democracy, but I am not gonna DIE for it. That’s what the soldiers are for. And killing others for their beliefs … again proof of how crazy they are. I would never do such a thing. That too is what the soldiers are for.

Did I mention that guns don’t kill people, people do. Oh and religions. Religions kill people too. Not people. Don’t blame the gun, but please blame the religion. But don’t worry, you can feel safe. We have plenty of money to spend on defending ourselves from the enemies we created. Well we would if we didn’t spare the occasional penny on those lazy folk who should be getting an education so that they can get a good paying job. It’s not our fault that schools are so expensive that we need to make sure those lazy folk go into debt before they even get a chance to get a job. It’s their fault for not knowing how to properly save money that they don’t have in the first place. To make sure they learn well, we even will charge them fees and such for being poor.

We have the concerns of the public in mind. Every person will be heard. We just happen to hear you better if you have a lot of money to spend. Oh and by person I basically mean any entity that can actually SPEND money. Corporations are people too! Remember, Democracy is about fair representation. We will treat you all equally. Unless you are a woman. Or not born in America. Or living in poverty. Or considered a minority. Or gay. Or believe differently than I do.

Children are our future! They need to be taken care of! Allowed to live! At least until they are born, in which case they risk suddenly become those pesky poor types or soldiers and such, drawing the resources away from defending ourselves from all those nasty terrorist that we are not actually afraid of. Come on people think! How can you not know the truth of things when we so clearly give you made up statistics and propaganda all over the place. It is true if it is said with conviction and some convincing media attached. I would never lie to you just for my own benefit. I lie to you for YOUR benefit!

Yep. Proud to be a human these days.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

The post Soap box time!! first appeared on thrumyeyes.

1. New Year’s Day: we celebrate a random day in the middle of winter that doesn’t actually start anything except an arbitrary calendar by partying hard and having mega sales.
2. Martin Luther King Jr Day: we honor a wise and good man by pretending racism is gone and having mega sales.
3. George Washington’s Birthday / President’s Day: we honor our first president, and to be politically correct ALL presidents (even if they did nothing particularly good for our country) by having mega sales.
4. Easter (technically a business holiday): we prove that there is a war on Christianity by having 2 out of our 11+ Nationally Recognized holidays being Christian (the ONLY religion actually honored nationally), and celebrate with lots of food, a series of pagan rituals and having mega sales.
5. Memorial Day: we remember the many soldiers that have died for our country by having barbecues and mega sales.
6. Independence Day: we celebrate the birth of our nation with barbecues, often illegal fireworks, and having mega sales.
7. Labor Day: We honor the workers of our nation by making them work overtime for mega sales.
8. Columbus Day: we honor a dude who accidentally bumped into a well populated and already often visited “New World”, claiming he discovered it, by having mega sales.
9. Veteran’s Day: We honor the many soldier’s who have not yet died for our country so we can ignore them completely for the other 364 days of the year, by having mega sales.
10. Thanksgiving Day: we remember the day that we actually thanked the indigenous population for helping a few of us survive before we completely ruined their lives, by having a big meal and having mega sales.
11. Black Friday (business “holiday”): we have a day devoted to mega sales (we really needed one!!)
12. Christmas Day: we again prove the war on Christianity by celebrating the non-birthday of a man who may or may not even have existed with lots of food, a series of pagan rituals and having mega sales.

And people wonder why I am a cynic.

The post Now let me get this straight … first appeared on thrumyeyes.

Why is it frequently the same people having those conflicting thoughts?

Why do (again often the same) people find blaming lack of prayer in schools is a valid explanation, but lack of societal responsibility is not?

Why do people scream that their rights are being violated because someone wants to ensure a dangerous tool only gets in the hands of those who will use it responsibly, yet our right to vote … incidentally the whole reason the constitution was written in the first place … gets violated all the time with out anyone flinching?

Why do I need to REGISTER to actually use my primary right of voting, yet it is perfectly reasonable to not have to register to have use of a device that kills?

Why is it ok to be a hateful bastard when MY religion says it is, but if YOUR religion says so you are terrorists?

Why is it ok to use woman’s breasts to SELL things, but it s not ok to use them to … say … feed a baby (the reason they exist in the first place)?

Why is it so acceptable to pick and choose which aspects of the bible, koran, constitution, etc we choose to follow?

Who is it we fear so much that we need to constantly defend ourselves? And if it is our own government, how can we call ourselves patriotic if we want to take down our government?

Why don’t people use their own heads, and actually THINK about what they are saying, instead of allowing those with personal agenda’s and LOTS of money TELL us how to think?

Why do we think new laws will fix anything, when the only people who OBEY the laws are the ones who don’t need them? Why do we find it reasonable that the only answer to violence is more violence?

Why is it US and THEM?

Seriously. Why?

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The post I have a few questions … first appeared on thrumyeyes.

Sanity is basically a figment of someone’s imagination. It, like history, is defined by those in charge. But I am officially denying anyone else the right to dictate my life for me, and thus will randomly choose my current state of sanity based on my mood, the weather, and the drink in front of me (most recently Petron and Pickle Juice). Yep, this world has gone so bonkers that strictly abiding by an arbitrary set of sanity rules really is counter-productive,

It is sadly true that we can gauge the mindset of the world by spam. Yet that has become one of the ultimate truths of the age of technological over-stimulation. I love receiving emails about how to gain a drug free lifestyle right after the one selling me a hard on in a bottle. Or maybe the paper mail with all sorts of inserts asking me to donate money to save trees. I love the whole concept of having to opt out of a mailing list that I never opted in for in the first place. And to make it more fun, this nonsense now has grown beyond email … now we get it on our phones too.

But spam has gone beyond simple communications. The very media has joined in the spam revolution. News has little to do with imparting knowledge, now it is about messing with minds. Entertainment is just a longer commercial. Yep the world has decided to totally redefine what sanity means, and I want no part of it. So I rejoice in governments that feel that denying OTHER people’s salaries is an effective way to balance a budget. That is like turning of the power grid to conserve electricity. I embrace the war on drugs as long as they are not on the official “legal” drug list. I love the war on terror when we are not using fear to sell products. And I have to laugh to tears on war for the sake of peace.

I think the answer to the worlds problems may in fact be to stop taking things so seriously. I went through a phase in life in which I felt shamed to laugh at pain. But I have since realized that we can choose to share the pain, or we can choose to find the bright side in the darkness. Laughter, even so-called “inappropriate” laughter, is to the soul as music is to the ears. It is what keeps us moving forward when everything is trying to drive us back. So join me in boycotting sanity. Laugh. Laugh LOUDLY. Make everyone look at you with an odd face combined with a bit o’ jealousy.

The world IS a funny place.

The post I am officially giving up sanity first appeared on thrumyeyes.

‘Twas the night after Thanksgiving, when all through the land,
Rabid creatures were stirring, the time for shopping was at hand;
The lines began building outside the stores,
In hopes that shoppers would be first through the doors;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While parents began proving they were wrong in their heads,
And Mama in her ‘kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled in to put up with this crap-
When there at the door there arose such a clatter,
The crowd sprang forward, it’s a wonder it didn’t shatter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore my new jacket in the mad dash.
The street lights on the breast of the dirty brown snow,
Gave the lustre of greed to the people below;
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a growling daddy, in full combat gear,
And a little old lady, so vicious and quick,
I knew in a moment it was going to get sick.
More rapid than eagles the shoppers they came,
And they whistled, and shouted, I was called a bad name:
“Now! !@#$, now! !@#$, now! Out of my way you Vixen,
“On! !@#$, on! !@#$, on! Trips ’em and kicks ’em;
“To the front of the line! Let’s invade the mall!
“Now cash away! cash away! cash away all!”
As dry leaves before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;
So up to the check out the cursers they flew,
With the hands full of stuff – and many thingies too:
And then in a twinkling, I did see the proof
With my prancing and pawing I was a real goof.
As I cleared my head, and was turning around,
Down the hordes continuously came with a bound:
We had dressed a nice turkey, from its head to its foot,
And fully devoured it like fresh taken loot;
It truly dawned on me as I looked back,
That of true understanding we have lost the knack:
My eyes – how they teared! my dimples not so merry,
How the real meaning did we so bury?
We were supposed to be thankful for what we already know,
Yet here we were fighting for more cash to blow;
Snarling and snapping, baring our teeth,
The human soul deserves a mourning wreath.
The holiday is much more than just stuffing our belly
And watching various things on the old telly:
The crowd, mostly chubby and plump, should be ashamed of itself,
And I felt like crying when I saw in them myself;
A opening of my eye and a shake of my head
Soon gave me to know we had something to dread.
If we did not change this attitude that does not work,
And stop each one of us, acting like a jerk.
Be thankful for what we have, stop seeking more,
Why do we act like maniacs at the silly store?
Wealth is not in having all sorts of things and stuff,
It’s about accepting that we really HAVE enough.
Remember what’s important, like loving one another,
And treating others as if a sister or a brother.
Before our true priorities slide out of sight,
Remember that Black is the color of night.

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The post An ode to Black Friday first appeared on thrumyeyes.

Yet these seem to be the mainstays of human existence.

Anybody care to try to explain that?

The human mind requires duality to cope. We simply are not capable of understanding ANYTHING without at least being aware of its flip side … its opposite. I have said this many times before and my belief has not changed. We cannot truly understand joy until we have felt its absence. We cannot know how amazing love is until we are wounded from the lack of it. And we cannot know the power of hope until we have looked into the face of despair.

I used to think that humanity’s greatest weakness was greed. Greed for power and things. Yet my recent journey through the furnace taught me that maybe I have it wrong. Humanity is marred by greed, but that is actually just a symptom. The real lack might just be something else entirely.

Courage.

Our biggest flaw is we are to scared to do things the hard way. We would rather stagnate in our own comfort then actually WORK for what needs to be for a balanced and healthy society. We are too cowardly to focus on the big, scary, picture when it is so much easier to simply give in to the simple way. Someone is hungry? That is their problem. Obviously they must be doing something wrong since I have no problem becoming obese. People are dying from diseases? Maybe if they ate better and took better care of themselves they wouldn’t suffer so. Good thing I can simply buy the right drug to make me feel better. Those guys are harshing my mellow, and interfering with my comfort zone. It takes WAY to much effort to try to become their friends. So let’s kill them instead. Oh and who cares about whether my words and promises mean anything to anyone … I am getting want I want so I don’t need to worry about them. As a matter of fact, why am I thinking about this silliness? I am perfectly happy in my box.

If humanity wants a chance to continue stepping FORWARD … then we need to find our courage again. Instead we do our best to fight battles that are ultimately meaningless, shoring up our ailing hearts with the delusion that we actually improved something. It is so much easier to pat ourselves on the back for a tiny victory then keep up the fight. We keep throwing kindling on the bonfire instead of logs … and then wonder why the fire seems to be going out.

I recently looked so deeply into the darkness that my own flame almost went out. I am still staggering from the pain and loss I felt; struggling with an emptiness inside that seems larger than my body can hold. But unlike many, I have something inside me that forces me to take the “hard” way … the road that others so often fear. I am writhing in despair right now, yet I am still crawling along on bloody hands and knees. Why is this?

This is what I said to a group of healers I went to in desperation: Despair is not an end of hope … just an end of current options. I am too damn stubborn not to keep looking for options … even if I end up a bloody pulp in the process. But that does not mean the hollow pit inside is any less hollow. Even the strongest heart needs a warm hand on it sometimes.

I have no answers at the moment. I have run out of options … or at least I am currently blind to them. I am not sure why I am even writing this … other than to try to find some sense in the chaos.

I think I am going to order some Chinese Take-Out.

The post Hope, Duality, and Chinese Food first appeared on thrumyeyes.