Dear Tummy,
I love you. I also happen to love the food I put in you. Please could you guys start getting along again? Because your tantrums are getting really ridiculous.
~love, Ashes
WOW, THOSE DREAMS!
3 years ago
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
Censorship- Don't Duckt Tape Momma
A long time ago I did a little speech on Censorship in America. Being my first speech class ever it was pretty lame, I tried to get the class riled up about it. But they were all born and raised christian so I don't think they saw censorship as one of the ultimate evils of government as I do. To them it was something required to protect the public from 'evil' or something.
This is before I found evidence of christians being censored. They would've cared then.
Anyway my focus was on the media. How after 9-11 they wouldn't air any Pokemon episodes with buildings getting hit or blown up by anything or even had the word 'tower' in their name because "It was too frightening for children"! Also how many books get banned for things like "the word demon was in page 78 of 600 pages; it was a spiritual reference". Who cares?! If a kid has a question they should be able to ask mom and dad about it... oh wait it's America mom and dad are gone all day working for what I don't know.
As a kid I was introduced to the concept of censorship when a Chinese girl, Rayray, lived with us for something like 4 months (I was 7 time wasn't important if it was over hour increments). My parents were great about letting me know things, so instead of keeping the conversation she wanted to have with out house guest on the down low she let me be privy to it. My mom asked what Rayray thought about what had happened in Tiananmen square.
Rayray promptly replied that what my mom thought had happened never happened. It's all foreign propaganda, her country told her so and communists never lie to their people.
WTF?!
Censorship in moderation sure. Keep that bad mouthed dude's words out of the mouths of our 5 year olds. We don't really need to be seeing people bump uglies on prime time tv. And having every single organ for display as the killer does his deed is overkill. (haha pun!)
But turning off a little girl's microphone because she says 'Jesus' in a nonironic way, taking out scenes from cartoons because we can't let our kids have any kind of practice dealing with emotions till their 10, and taking great works like 'where the sidewalk ends' off the shelves because it might, maybe, have a spiritual reference in it is stupid.
Just like it's stupid that hate groups have the right to keep their blogs but a cop who posts what her day was like get's her posts censored and doesn't even know why. Not only that but to yank her whole site and offer it up to anyone on the internet. To keep my rage to a minimum and avoid being the kind of blogger I dislike, I slept on the information I received. Thought up my response and what it should look like, sound like, how much of my emotion was superfluous. Because, this is an issue near and dear to my heart.
Why in America of all places should there be censorship?! Freedom of speech within the box other people allow? And this leads into another issue near and dear to my heart that I may screech about later.
The loudest voice gets heard, the squeaky wheel gets the grease, and those of us with enough personal scruples not to go around whining like bitches every time we see something that offends us are the ones who get the raw end of the deal. Those of us who are honest that we can understand one side of the argument get chastised. People who just say what's on everyone else's mind get shafted. While the whacko off the wall minority guy who offends EVERYBODY get's some kind of diplomatic immunity. Go watch Lethal Weapon if you don't know how this could be a bad thing.
Blogger I'm amazed at you. If I'd heard, "hey they sent her an email that the blog was censored because it was found to be [state reason here]" I would be understanding, you're a company and sadly because of things I said I wouldn't screech about you have to cover your butt a lot I'm sure. But no you didn't, instead you're also censoring the fact that your censoring by not letting her post about it! What's the deal?! No really I want to know. Because come a time when some random christian or nonchristian group runs across a blog I may write about why I think they're psycho I want to know whether or not you're going to have my back or if I should take my thoughts elsewhere.
This is before I found evidence of christians being censored. They would've cared then.
Anyway my focus was on the media. How after 9-11 they wouldn't air any Pokemon episodes with buildings getting hit or blown up by anything or even had the word 'tower' in their name because "It was too frightening for children"! Also how many books get banned for things like "the word demon was in page 78 of 600 pages; it was a spiritual reference". Who cares?! If a kid has a question they should be able to ask mom and dad about it... oh wait it's America mom and dad are gone all day working for what I don't know.
As a kid I was introduced to the concept of censorship when a Chinese girl, Rayray, lived with us for something like 4 months (I was 7 time wasn't important if it was over hour increments). My parents were great about letting me know things, so instead of keeping the conversation she wanted to have with out house guest on the down low she let me be privy to it. My mom asked what Rayray thought about what had happened in Tiananmen square.
Rayray promptly replied that what my mom thought had happened never happened. It's all foreign propaganda, her country told her so and communists never lie to their people.
WTF?!
Censorship in moderation sure. Keep that bad mouthed dude's words out of the mouths of our 5 year olds. We don't really need to be seeing people bump uglies on prime time tv. And having every single organ for display as the killer does his deed is overkill. (haha pun!)
But turning off a little girl's microphone because she says 'Jesus' in a nonironic way, taking out scenes from cartoons because we can't let our kids have any kind of practice dealing with emotions till their 10, and taking great works like 'where the sidewalk ends' off the shelves because it might, maybe, have a spiritual reference in it is stupid.
Just like it's stupid that hate groups have the right to keep their blogs but a cop who posts what her day was like get's her posts censored and doesn't even know why. Not only that but to yank her whole site and offer it up to anyone on the internet. To keep my rage to a minimum and avoid being the kind of blogger I dislike, I slept on the information I received. Thought up my response and what it should look like, sound like, how much of my emotion was superfluous. Because, this is an issue near and dear to my heart.
Why in America of all places should there be censorship?! Freedom of speech within the box other people allow? And this leads into another issue near and dear to my heart that I may screech about later.
The loudest voice gets heard, the squeaky wheel gets the grease, and those of us with enough personal scruples not to go around whining like bitches every time we see something that offends us are the ones who get the raw end of the deal. Those of us who are honest that we can understand one side of the argument get chastised. People who just say what's on everyone else's mind get shafted. While the whacko off the wall minority guy who offends EVERYBODY get's some kind of diplomatic immunity. Go watch Lethal Weapon if you don't know how this could be a bad thing.
Blogger I'm amazed at you. If I'd heard, "hey they sent her an email that the blog was censored because it was found to be [state reason here]" I would be understanding, you're a company and sadly because of things I said I wouldn't screech about you have to cover your butt a lot I'm sure. But no you didn't, instead you're also censoring the fact that your censoring by not letting her post about it! What's the deal?! No really I want to know. Because come a time when some random christian or nonchristian group runs across a blog I may write about why I think they're psycho I want to know whether or not you're going to have my back or if I should take my thoughts elsewhere.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Japan: the site of Earth's temper tantrum
I don't know if everyone heard it on the news.
Charlie Sheen may have crowded it out unless you're an avid news listener/watcher.
Japan got hit by a Tsunami and then several earthquakes. I was told twitter was the best place for news. But, I had a hard time figuring it out and I can't read kanji, or quickly enough to keep up with the updates from the 82bazillion people who 'tweeted'.
Here's what I could gather: In the wee hours of our morning (I got a txt @ 1:35AM) an 8.8 magnitude quake hit in the water just off the coast a little north of Sendai. Then a 7.1 farther east of the first not long later. Not even an our ago a 6.6 was off the coast of the Akita and Aomori prefectures. For those of you who don't know me very well, I used to live in the Aomori prefecture of Japan. As you can imagine, when a earthquake is off shore a tsunami is the result. Seems something like 1,000 people are presumed dead. (here's the link)
Frighteningly for me I still have friends over there and family in Hawaii and California. Two places that the after shocks of the Tsunami wave were bound to hit. For a horrifying hour or two I thought the majority of everyone close to me was going to get wiped off the earth.
At the risk of sounding corny and speaking christianese (bleh) Thank GOD everyone is ok! I won't have to beg my husband for travel money to go to funerals. I still get to tease my Jonatan, and make my Kai laugh, and think deep thoughts with my Norie. There's only one person I haven't heard from; Masako.
Hopefully Des will have heard from her and I'll get a little text chime to let me know all is right with my little world.
Thinking of that involuntarily brings little shudders of how I'd feel if it wasn't. My heart goes out to the Japanese people who have lost loved ones: children, spouses, parents, grandparents and friends. I'll pray for them; give the red cross some money.
Ya know. I kind of wish I was there. Maybe I could do something to help. Maybe not. *laughs*
Peace and Solace to the Japanese, and those of us pulling for them spiritually and emotionally. ~Ashes
Charlie Sheen may have crowded it out unless you're an avid news listener/watcher.
Japan got hit by a Tsunami and then several earthquakes. I was told twitter was the best place for news. But, I had a hard time figuring it out and I can't read kanji, or quickly enough to keep up with the updates from the 82bazillion people who 'tweeted'.
Here's what I could gather: In the wee hours of our morning (I got a txt @ 1:35AM) an 8.8 magnitude quake hit in the water just off the coast a little north of Sendai. Then a 7.1 farther east of the first not long later. Not even an our ago a 6.6 was off the coast of the Akita and Aomori prefectures. For those of you who don't know me very well, I used to live in the Aomori prefecture of Japan. As you can imagine, when a earthquake is off shore a tsunami is the result. Seems something like 1,000 people are presumed dead. (here's the link)
Frighteningly for me I still have friends over there and family in Hawaii and California. Two places that the after shocks of the Tsunami wave were bound to hit. For a horrifying hour or two I thought the majority of everyone close to me was going to get wiped off the earth.
At the risk of sounding corny and speaking christianese (bleh) Thank GOD everyone is ok! I won't have to beg my husband for travel money to go to funerals. I still get to tease my Jonatan, and make my Kai laugh, and think deep thoughts with my Norie. There's only one person I haven't heard from; Masako.
Hopefully Des will have heard from her and I'll get a little text chime to let me know all is right with my little world.
Thinking of that involuntarily brings little shudders of how I'd feel if it wasn't. My heart goes out to the Japanese people who have lost loved ones: children, spouses, parents, grandparents and friends. I'll pray for them; give the red cross some money.
Ya know. I kind of wish I was there. Maybe I could do something to help. Maybe not. *laughs*
Peace and Solace to the Japanese, and those of us pulling for them spiritually and emotionally. ~Ashes
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Sometimes I wake up in a good mood
Hello World! Ha! Didn't see me coming today didja? Of course you didn't! I'm the sneakiest ninja of them all: the Housewife. F43R my Battle Spatula! (no really check out the Pampered Chef grill spatula. That thing is a freaking Tomahawk)
Monday, March 7, 2011
Beads, Porcelain gods, and Sunshine
My husband took me to Mardi Gras this last weekend. It was... interesting. I started to type up the whole story and realized I was writing a book. So I'll just give the highlights.
Swollen Tonsils+ Mardi Gras+ Rain+ Drinkable Hand Grenade= Flu.
Mardi Gras= Shiny Beads+ Parades+ Light Up Items Thrown at You+ Stupid Men+ Penis Necklaces+ Gay Man Dancing in the Street in Underwear+ Traffic from Hell.
Needless to say I've spent the last few days recovering. Praying to the Porcelain god; as my dad so aptly calls nights spent over the toilet. At least I can console myself, my upchuckery wasn't caused by stupidity but a virus.
Today I'm feeling good. Not quite good enough to get into the exercise routine I want. But good enough to go for a walk in the coastal sunshine of Biloxi. If said Sunshine will be nice enough not to fry the skin off my gamer tan I'm sure today will turn out lovely.
<3's,>
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Music of Life
It flows, it pumps, it sings, it grates on nerves, whatever a song does for you it does something else to some one else. I love artistic things for that reason. The diversity of the human spirit comes alive and shines so that we can see it; music especially.
Ever had a song that you loved and hated at the same time? I have a few of those. Songs that either the lyrics or the actual instrumentals speak to you but the other irks you or ruins it. Bleh.
Recently (and by recently I mean 6 months or so ago) I was given the theme song to my High-school existence. My husband gave our marriage a weird song, and our courtship. We pick theme songs for our characters in Dungeons and Dragons. Theme songs are written for movies, plays, video games.
I love music.
I love silence.
It took me a long time to even get passed the sheer panic that came with silence (my youngest brother was born when I was 13, if it was quiet something was very very wrong). Because it took me a long time to learn that there was no such thing as true silence. There was the breeze, my breath, the sound of my clothing as I moved, the sound of running water, chattering leaves and birds, it was the most subtle music I'd ever heard.
As Karma would dictate now that I have this great epiphany I'm going to get to enjoy it for something like... 3-6 months before something comes along to teach me another lesson. But for now I like it here: in the sound of silence.
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