This Should Never Have Happened

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Opinion, Current Events, News, Editorials, blogging, blog, Keystone Sporting Arms, Cumberland County, Burkesville Kentucky, Gary White

So with all the mass shootings going on recently you’d think there’d be an even greater emphasis on gun safety by gun owners.  You’d think with all the attention and criticism heading their way by the non-gun-owning population that they’d be doing what they can to not give any more ammunition (pun not intended) to the opposition.  You’d think…ah, never mind.  People just don’t think at all any more.

So, sad bit of news out of Burkesville, KY.  Evidently a 5-year old was playing with his rifle while his mother was out dumping grease into the yard.  The 5-year old didn’t realize that there was still one in the chamber and BAM, his 2-year old sister is dead.

As tragic as this is, the folks around Burkesville are defending the parents for giving their 5-year old a rifle.  

What’s the deal with strip clubs?

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blog, blogging, Dance, Editorials, exotic dancer, Opinion, Performing Arts, Strip club, Stripper

So Merbear over at Knocked Over By a Feather has been doing a series of posts called Taboo Topics.  Her latest entry, #14, is about strip clubs.  At the end of her post she asks for her readers’ thoughts and I was happy to oblige.  Then, about 4 paragraphs in to my response I realized that this was its own post and that I’ll just publish the response here and link back to her article.  So that is what I’m doing.  And that is what you’re reading.  Are we clear?  No, we’re opaque, but that’s not relevant to anything going on here so let’s just move on.

I’ve been to a strip club once in my life and it was only after almost an entire bottle of Southern Comfort had been consumed. By me.  At 2 in the morning, the guys I was drinking with decided they were going to the strip club.  I didn’t want to be drunk alone all by myself, so I decided to tag along.

Jason Collins: Trailblazer

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Bill Clinton, blog, blogging, Collin, Coming out, Editorials, Ian McKellen, Jason Collins, Melissa Etheridge, National Basketball Association, NBA, neil patrick harris, News, Opinion, Sports, Washington Wizards

Jason Collins. Active NBA player and gay man.

Finally.  An active player from one of the four major American sports leagues has finally “come out” of the closet.  It’s long overdue and frankly I’m surprised it has taken as long as it has.

The intrepid soul who came out is Jason Collins, a Center, most recently for the Washington Wizards.  He bravely announced that he is gay via a Sports Illustrated article last Monday.  Per the article, Collins is quoted as saying the following:

I didn’t set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport. But since I am, I’m happy to start the conversation.  I wish I wasn’t the kid in the classroom raising his hand and saying, ‘I’m different.’ If I had my way, someone else would have already done this. Nobody has, which is why I’m raising my hand.

Surf Your Way Into Jail

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blog, blogging, BrainRants, CISPA, Computer, Editorials, FBI, government, home, Humor, Life, News, Opinion, Ranting, thoughts, Writing

[Editor's Note:  Please welcome BrainRants, Stuph Maphia™.  Funny story.  A few weeks ago 1jaded1 asked me if I read BrainRants.  I thought she was confused and meant brainsnorts, and I said yes without further thought.  Then a day or two later I received a comment from BrainRants and then realized that I was the one who was confused.  Sorry, Jaded.  If it's any consolation this just proves you're smarter than me.  Take that for what it's worth, which isn't much.

See? I’m a member!

In the short time I’ve been following BrainRants I’ve found him to be witty, intelligent, articulate, hilarious, and crude.  And that’s my kind of people.  He has since become a member of the Maphia™ and I’m now a card-carrying member (huh huh) of the Rants Army™.

As always, folks, please ensure you visit our guest’s blog and click on the almighty follow button.  You’ll be sorry if you don’t.  Hell, you may even become a card-carrying member, like me.]

“The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.” — Fourth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States

I wrote a glib piece about proposed Amendments to our (American) Constitution a while ago as a lark, not really paying attention to the news article I read that sparked the idea. I found several respondent notions about strengthening privacy rights but ignored them. Then I came across another series of articles

TV and Violence

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United States, Violence, bill watterson, entertainment, film, Television, videogames, WRITING CHALLENGE, Comedy Central, Murder, Media violence research, Violence and Abuse, Ripper, Jack, Universal Press Syndicate, CINEMA, MIND THE GAP

Fictionalized violence. Does it cause violence in the real world? Hardly.  Does watching Comedy Central make one funny?  Of course not.  Does watching The Natural make one a star baseball player?  Don’t be ridiculous.

In my experience, violence is either a learned or innate behavior.  People are either born violent or raised in a violent home.  I was raised in a home with no violence.  I’ve seen hundreds of violent movies.  I’ve played thousands of hours of violent video games.  I’ve read hundreds of books containing violence.  Despite all of that, the last time I was in a fight was in elementary school.  I despise real life violence.  It’s pointless.  It’s barbaric.  It’s animalistic.  I do not find  entertainment in the likes of UFC, MMA, boxing, or hockey as a lot of people seem to.  They love watching violence.  They love watching people beat the crap out of each other.  I honestly get a little nauseous when I see a fight.  I don’t understand how it can ever come to that.  I loathe confrontation.  Sometimes, though, I understand that it’s unavoidable, but it hasn’t been for me for my entire adult life.  To date, anyhow.

Flag Half Mast

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Boston, Boston Marathon, Current Events, News, Poem, Poetry, Terrorism

I have not yet addressed the bombings in Boston. There is really no information on who did it, how they did it, or why they did it. Fingers are being cast in multiple directions. It’s the Muslims’ fault. It’s Obama’s fault. Other’s are using this tragedy as a platform to talk about gun control. Somehow important things have gotten lost in the midst of this tragedy. Like the victims.

I had no intention of posting any thoughts on this incident…until this morning. As I dropped the twins off at school I noticed their flag flying half mast and it reminded me again of what had happened. Then on the way to work I drove by a fire station and their flag was at half mast. It was another reminder. A reminder that though it is important to find out who perpetrated this crime, it is even more important not to forget those victims who suffered the consequences of this unspeakable crime.

So, as I often seem to get when I’m reflecting, a poem began percolating in my head. Here are the results of my fully brewed thoughts…

Photo courtesy of clevescene.com.

Dear Significant Other of my PLATONIC Friend who Happens to be the Opposite Gender that I am:

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Advice, blog, blogging, dating, Disorders, friendship, Health, Mental health, people, Platonic love, Ranting, relationship, Relationships, romance, Stupid People, Stupidity

Dear Significant Other of my PLATONIC Friend who Happens to be the Opposite Gender that I am:

NOTE:  I’ve seen a number of good platonic friendships end, including a recent one of my own.  I don’t get the jealousy and mistrust that seems to be going on these days.

(Whew that was a long salutation).

White Smoke and the Next Apocolypse?

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blog, blogging, Catholic Church, College of Cardinals, Editorials, End time, God, Halloween, News, Opinion, Pope, Pope Benedict XVI, Religion, Religious, religious upbringing, Vatican

This isn’t meant to be a post about religion or faith. You can read TD thoughts on his faith in his most awesome post. My response to the judgers is “Some like it hot”…*owned but TD stole it and I’m too tired to chase him down.*  I tend to avoid churches except for the psalm 22 week and Good Friday.  I end up a disaster after each attendance.  I respect everyone’s idea of faith.

Sports is Next

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blog, blogging, cars, climate, Humor, humour, Life, Meteorology, National Weather Service, nature, Nemo, New York City, Rush hour, Snow, Stupid People, Stupidity, Thursday, transportation, Winter storm

Hi readers!  A storm named Nemo has ravaged our Northeast friends and pretty much stopped their lives.  I hope my friends and family are safe, I hope you and yours are too…I do need to ask…why are they now giving a name to every act of God or nature?  Did a cosmic veejay get pissed and threaten us with eternal doom because we weren’t naming all children that popped outta her womb?   Educate me please.

I hear you on Gun Control. I want to hear you on Rape Control.

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Castration, Chemical castration, Crime, Delhi, India, Rape, Sex offender, Sexual assault

Reblogged from Deliberate Donkey:

I watch the news every morning and every evening, enough for it to loop a few times. I watch three channels, even though they all pretty much report the same thing.

We are in the midst of a national uproar over the Newton School Shootings; as we very well should be. Twenty-six people lost their lives at the hands of a maniac with a gun.

Read more… 466 more words

It's hard to disagree with anything said here. I'm probably in the minority, but I think sex offenders should be castrated. Brutal? Sure. Unjustified? I think not. I know way too many women who have been sexually assaulted. They live with that torment the rest of their lives. If castrating one rapist saves one woman from a lifetime of horror then it's worth it.