"When good people in any country cease their vigilance and struggle, then evil men prevail." - Pearl S. Buck
"The moment we break faith with one another, the sea engulfs us and the light goes out." - James Baldwin
About me.....
- Dragonheart
- I'm a dreamer and perhaps too much of an eternal optimist. I always try to look at the glass as half full. Defiant and ferocious towards those who would seek to unjustly harm others, I speak my mind...for better or worse. Where as some view compassion as a weakness I view it as a strength. I try not to live in the shadows of my regrets because doing so dims the light and the promise of a new day. I do not strive for perfection for this is the quest of fools and denies a man the blessings of humility. The bonds of true friendship and family are to be protected...sometimes by the cunning, stealth, and tenaciousness of a mouse but other times by the wrath and fury of the dragon. I am one and yet I am both. This is my truth.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
My Goodbye disappeared...oh well
Not starting this up again really. I just realized that my farewell post for this blog was somehow eaten by the evil gremlins of technology. In any case I just wanted to reiterate that this blog is officially shut down. I have moved on to a better place in my life both of mind and spirit and I no longer have any interest in the useless back and forth blame game and negativity of the past. The persona of Mister Jingles is on permanent vacation....he can enjoy life up in Green Bay...cheese capital of the world with his 747,506,506 fellow family members. Dragonheart can sometimes be found on Facebook but more often taking care of his family and doing some charity work for the needy when the time and money allows it. It was a wild ride but it came ot an end a long time ago. Good night, sleep well, be good to one another.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
"Prime" Lessons
On the eve of Transformers 3 "The Dark Side of the Moon" I feel somewhat electric with anticipation at what the critics have so far called (for the most part) the best of the trilogy. My anticipation is made even more feverish by the spoiler info leaking out that Optimus Prime brings his "A" game and the battle to the Decepticons like never before. There is a moment in one of the commercials where he stands before his allies, human and sentient robotic ands declares "Now is the time for us to take the battle to them!!!" Oh dear God that sent chills up my spine.
So with the movie opening today I felt the urge to bring forth my tribute to one of the greatest and most iconic cartoon super heroes that has ever been created. He is a legend, a stalwart her beloved by both the young and the old. He shines brightest when times are darkest and carries the torch of leadership that blazes with a strength that few can match. His name is Optimus Prime.
Scouring the internet in search of the pearls of greatness from Optimus Prime was no simple task, not because I could not find any but that there was a plethora of it. Take for instance the following, great wisdome in quotes from Optimus Prime.
"You may lose your faith in us, but never in yourselves. From here, the fight will be your own."
This lesson is about believing in oneself even when you stop believing in others. Sometimes we are disillusioned by life or the harm done to us by others. When others slight us and seek to bring us down it might make us question our value or our place in the world. But respect and true strength begins within ourselves; if we are to make others believe in us then we must first believe in ourselves. Optimus Prime makes this point abundantly clear in a moment of battle when the fate of the world hangs in the balance. He also shows us in the last sentence that some battles can only be fought by the individual; it is the way life tests us and forges us to be stronger, much like Optimus demonstrates this in the face of Decepticon VILLIANY.
"Fate rarely calls upon us at a moment of our choosing"
This statement by Optimus Prime, though short, is very profound. There are some things in life we can control the outcome of but other things leave us at the mercy of fate. Fate can be kind or it can be cruel. It generally plays no favorites. What Optimus Prime attempts to point out here is that alot of times you just don't see the curve balls life throws at you coming so you must always remain ready to answer the challenge. Shying away from fate more often than not leaves you to it's unkind side. Standing up to fate when it calls upon you at least shows that you possess courage and conviction when hard choices must be made. This is the mark of a great leader...as is Optimus Prime.
"Freedom is the right of all sentient beings."
This statement by Optimus Prime speaks volumes. Sometimes we take our freedoms for granted. There are many countries where the rights that we exercise daily are denied or fought for at great peril and loss of life. The right to choose destiny, to forge a path before us is a right that should not be denied to anyone. The Decepticons, the tyrants and VILLAINS that they are, attempted to rob humanity of that right and either exterminate or enslave us. Optimus Prime understood how wrong this was and opposed it with everything he had, even to the cost of his life (although he was later resurrected). In Autobot lore this statement is one of their core beliefs. During my moments of costumed activism I exercise my free right to go about my charity work in costume and under the guise of a different persona. The haters and the naysayers can flap their lips all they want but the results have always been positive and people have appreciated the help and support I have provided them. Freedoms like this and so many others are our right and we should defend them, especially if our actions are inherently beneficial to those in need.
Megatron: "Is the future of our race not worth a single human life?"
Optimus: "You'll never stop at one!"
Perhaps my favorite or second favorite, although the scene in which this was spoken culminated with Megatrons cowardly backstab attack (because VILLAINS often strike this way). Optimus Prime not only demonstrates his deep faith in the sanctity of life, even if it just one, but he makes one thing abundantly Clear. Even as Megatron tries to put a value of Sam's life, Prime knows better than to have a moral debate with an advesary that is morally bankrupt. This is a pattern that is often repeated by villains of all types, be they cartoon or real life. It's rarely enough for them to destroy and degrade a single enemy for whatever form of sadism they apply their logic to. I've seen it so often, especially lately. The lies, the manipulations, the hateful bravado and poison from the lips of sycophants with large egos and addled minds. One victim is never enough. One victim only makes them realize that their hate has power..the power to destroy. There is only one way to take this power away and that is to stand up to this kind of evil. Remaining silent or apathtetic to such behavior is wrong. Optimus Prime knew that Megatron would never stop at one because that is the nature of evil...of villainous hearts. One is never enough for them. For all of us who know what is right and are willing to fight for it..one should be too much.
Ironhide: "Why are we fighting to save the humans? They are a primitive and violent race."
Prime: "Were we so different?"
Here Optimus Primes chief lieutenant Ironhide (possessing a bit of a warhawk personality) questions why they are shedding precious metal and risking their spark for the human race. He looks upon them with disdain, seeing them at conflict with one another. But Prime is quick to remind Ironhide of the Cybertronian War, of the atrocities committed and the lives lost forever. He reminds Ironhide of the battle that has been going on between the Autobots and Decepticons as far back as when humans were living in caves and the worst weapon they could throw at each other was a spear and not a nuke. Optimus Primes wisdom shines again here, humbling Ironhide with a rhetorical response. He acknowledges that violence, whether at the expense of flesh and blood or metal and energon is still, and sadly, not monopolized by any one race. You can tell he speaks with a tone of regret and lamentation, a reluctant but stalwart warrior who prays for peace but prepares for war unlike any other. Optimus Prime is IMHO the closest thing to a true samurai or paladin that exists in the Transformers mythos.
Peter Cullen, the voice of Optimus Prime, says the following about Optimus Prime..
"There's a calmness to Optimus Prime, and yet a gentility and strength and honor and dignity."
"For two glorious years, Optimus Prime was America's hero....Then in 1986, the original Prime did something that distinguished him from most other cartoon heroes. He died. He died for freedom, for righteousness, and for shelf space....For nearly two decades...the sons of Prime waited for Papa Bot..."
10. Always start a road trip by saying, "Transform, and roll out!"
9. Fate rarely calls upon us at a moment of our choosing.
8. Megatron must be stopped, no matter the cost.
7. There’s a thin line between being a hero and being a memory.
6. Give everyone a chance. There’s more to them than meets the eye.
5. Don’t bite off more than you can shred.
4. The future is built on dreams. Hang on to them.
3. Danger can't be ignored. It must be conquered.
2. All you need in life is a little energon, and a lot of luck.
1. Freedom is the right of all sentient beings.
Special thanks to the following blogger for all this awesome Optimus Prime goodness...
http://quotableoptimusprime.blogspot.com/
And finally I really hope that this third installment of the series is everything that I have heard it to be, They say the last hour of the movie is just one hellacious battle in Chicago that makes your jaw drop often. They also say that Optimus Prime unleashes his righteous fury unlike ever before and woe to his enemies who stand in his way. He is and always will be the greatest of them all..a true leader who understands that if you step on the path of war you must balance strength with temperance, courage with recklesness, and stand by the consequences of your decisions. Optimus Prime was always the guy carrying the burden of hard choices but he followed thru because he knew he was seting the example that others would follow. When his creators decided to kill him off long ago a Youtube video says that they were not prepared for the amount of backlash they got. That speaks to the legacy of Optimus Prime..a figure whose heroism and sense of purpose transcended the television and movie screens and spoke to the one place that matters most..our hearts.
So everyone..roll out and check out Transformers 3: Dark Side of the Moon and when Optimus Prime starts kicking ass sit back and enjoy the ride. I sure as hell will.
So with the movie opening today I felt the urge to bring forth my tribute to one of the greatest and most iconic cartoon super heroes that has ever been created. He is a legend, a stalwart her beloved by both the young and the old. He shines brightest when times are darkest and carries the torch of leadership that blazes with a strength that few can match. His name is Optimus Prime.
Scouring the internet in search of the pearls of greatness from Optimus Prime was no simple task, not because I could not find any but that there was a plethora of it. Take for instance the following, great wisdome in quotes from Optimus Prime.
"You may lose your faith in us, but never in yourselves. From here, the fight will be your own."
This lesson is about believing in oneself even when you stop believing in others. Sometimes we are disillusioned by life or the harm done to us by others. When others slight us and seek to bring us down it might make us question our value or our place in the world. But respect and true strength begins within ourselves; if we are to make others believe in us then we must first believe in ourselves. Optimus Prime makes this point abundantly clear in a moment of battle when the fate of the world hangs in the balance. He also shows us in the last sentence that some battles can only be fought by the individual; it is the way life tests us and forges us to be stronger, much like Optimus demonstrates this in the face of Decepticon VILLIANY.
"Fate rarely calls upon us at a moment of our choosing"
This statement by Optimus Prime, though short, is very profound. There are some things in life we can control the outcome of but other things leave us at the mercy of fate. Fate can be kind or it can be cruel. It generally plays no favorites. What Optimus Prime attempts to point out here is that alot of times you just don't see the curve balls life throws at you coming so you must always remain ready to answer the challenge. Shying away from fate more often than not leaves you to it's unkind side. Standing up to fate when it calls upon you at least shows that you possess courage and conviction when hard choices must be made. This is the mark of a great leader...as is Optimus Prime.
"Freedom is the right of all sentient beings."
This statement by Optimus Prime speaks volumes. Sometimes we take our freedoms for granted. There are many countries where the rights that we exercise daily are denied or fought for at great peril and loss of life. The right to choose destiny, to forge a path before us is a right that should not be denied to anyone. The Decepticons, the tyrants and VILLAINS that they are, attempted to rob humanity of that right and either exterminate or enslave us. Optimus Prime understood how wrong this was and opposed it with everything he had, even to the cost of his life (although he was later resurrected). In Autobot lore this statement is one of their core beliefs. During my moments of costumed activism I exercise my free right to go about my charity work in costume and under the guise of a different persona. The haters and the naysayers can flap their lips all they want but the results have always been positive and people have appreciated the help and support I have provided them. Freedoms like this and so many others are our right and we should defend them, especially if our actions are inherently beneficial to those in need.
Megatron: "Is the future of our race not worth a single human life?"
Optimus: "You'll never stop at one!"
Perhaps my favorite or second favorite, although the scene in which this was spoken culminated with Megatrons cowardly backstab attack (because VILLAINS often strike this way). Optimus Prime not only demonstrates his deep faith in the sanctity of life, even if it just one, but he makes one thing abundantly Clear. Even as Megatron tries to put a value of Sam's life, Prime knows better than to have a moral debate with an advesary that is morally bankrupt. This is a pattern that is often repeated by villains of all types, be they cartoon or real life. It's rarely enough for them to destroy and degrade a single enemy for whatever form of sadism they apply their logic to. I've seen it so often, especially lately. The lies, the manipulations, the hateful bravado and poison from the lips of sycophants with large egos and addled minds. One victim is never enough. One victim only makes them realize that their hate has power..the power to destroy. There is only one way to take this power away and that is to stand up to this kind of evil. Remaining silent or apathtetic to such behavior is wrong. Optimus Prime knew that Megatron would never stop at one because that is the nature of evil...of villainous hearts. One is never enough for them. For all of us who know what is right and are willing to fight for it..one should be too much.
Ironhide: "Why are we fighting to save the humans? They are a primitive and violent race."
Prime: "Were we so different?"
Here Optimus Primes chief lieutenant Ironhide (possessing a bit of a warhawk personality) questions why they are shedding precious metal and risking their spark for the human race. He looks upon them with disdain, seeing them at conflict with one another. But Prime is quick to remind Ironhide of the Cybertronian War, of the atrocities committed and the lives lost forever. He reminds Ironhide of the battle that has been going on between the Autobots and Decepticons as far back as when humans were living in caves and the worst weapon they could throw at each other was a spear and not a nuke. Optimus Primes wisdom shines again here, humbling Ironhide with a rhetorical response. He acknowledges that violence, whether at the expense of flesh and blood or metal and energon is still, and sadly, not monopolized by any one race. You can tell he speaks with a tone of regret and lamentation, a reluctant but stalwart warrior who prays for peace but prepares for war unlike any other. Optimus Prime is IMHO the closest thing to a true samurai or paladin that exists in the Transformers mythos.
Peter Cullen, the voice of Optimus Prime, says the following about Optimus Prime..
"There's a calmness to Optimus Prime, and yet a gentility and strength and honor and dignity."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"...Prime practically step-parented the latchkey kids of the mid-'80s. He was our Allfather at a time when flesh-and-blood role models were increasingly few and far between....So when Prime declared, "One shall stand, one shall fall!" in that seismic, tear-down-this-wall timbre of his (or, more accurately, voice actor Peter Cullen), you believed him...."
"With bated breath and shaken faith we await the return of our Almighty Rig. Because without Prime, we're stuck with whiney Spider-Boys, metrosexual pirates, and koan-spouting kung-fu Christs in designer sunglasses and unisex clubwear. Because he died protecting us in '86, and nothing's ever been the same since. Because these days, the only real men left are giant robots..."
-- from "The Rebirth of Optimus Prime" - Wired Magazine, June 2007
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OF OPTIMUS PRIME
9. Fate rarely calls upon us at a moment of our choosing.
8. Megatron must be stopped, no matter the cost.
7. There’s a thin line between being a hero and being a memory.
6. Give everyone a chance. There’s more to them than meets the eye.
5. Don’t bite off more than you can shred.
4. The future is built on dreams. Hang on to them.
3. Danger can't be ignored. It must be conquered.
2. All you need in life is a little energon, and a lot of luck.
1. Freedom is the right of all sentient beings.
Special thanks to the following blogger for all this awesome Optimus Prime goodness...
http://quotableoptimusprime.blogspot.com/
And finally I really hope that this third installment of the series is everything that I have heard it to be, They say the last hour of the movie is just one hellacious battle in Chicago that makes your jaw drop often. They also say that Optimus Prime unleashes his righteous fury unlike ever before and woe to his enemies who stand in his way. He is and always will be the greatest of them all..a true leader who understands that if you step on the path of war you must balance strength with temperance, courage with recklesness, and stand by the consequences of your decisions. Optimus Prime was always the guy carrying the burden of hard choices but he followed thru because he knew he was seting the example that others would follow. When his creators decided to kill him off long ago a Youtube video says that they were not prepared for the amount of backlash they got. That speaks to the legacy of Optimus Prime..a figure whose heroism and sense of purpose transcended the television and movie screens and spoke to the one place that matters most..our hearts.
So everyone..roll out and check out Transformers 3: Dark Side of the Moon and when Optimus Prime starts kicking ass sit back and enjoy the ride. I sure as hell will.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
In the Face of Adversity...Determination Prevails
Life isn't always fair.
We don't always get what we want.
Good guys don't always win.
But you can choose to stay down or get back up and keep fighting for that which is most noble in out lives.
Love, family, good friends, worthy causes that serve the just and the needy...these are the things that we should cherish always.
I found this story very inspiring. This tragedy would have broken most people, filled them with so much angst and rage that they would have become a hollow shell, devoid of humanity but full of resentment. But she made a better choice and in doing so became a better and stronger person.
http://miami.cbslocal.com/2011/06/01/teen-walks-across-stage-to-graduate-after-leg-severed-in-school-accident/
Building oneself up by tearing others down is nothing more than a sad contradiction.
We don't always get what we want.
Good guys don't always win.
But you can choose to stay down or get back up and keep fighting for that which is most noble in out lives.
Love, family, good friends, worthy causes that serve the just and the needy...these are the things that we should cherish always.
I found this story very inspiring. This tragedy would have broken most people, filled them with so much angst and rage that they would have become a hollow shell, devoid of humanity but full of resentment. But she made a better choice and in doing so became a better and stronger person.
http://miami.cbslocal.com/2011/06/01/teen-walks-across-stage-to-graduate-after-leg-severed-in-school-accident/
Building oneself up by tearing others down is nothing more than a sad contradiction.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Talking Dogs Impossible? Well The Nazi Tried To Prove Otherwise
Well aside from being an evil son of a bitch, I guess Hitler was also a bit insane.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20110526/wl_time/httpnewsfeedtimecom20110525hownaziscientststriedtocreateanarmyoftalkingdogsxidrssfullworldyahoo
http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20110526/wl_time/httpnewsfeedtimecom20110525hownaziscientststriedtocreateanarmyoftalkingdogsxidrssfullworldyahoo
Monday, May 23, 2011
Fighting villainy...one breast at a time
Well in the eternal battle between good and evil and with each side vying to defeat the other in final battle, the soldiers of each army often take on unexpected roles and appearances.
In this case we do not have forces of immense power like Superman battling Darksied.
It is not Optimus Prime clashing metal on metal against his most hated foe Megatron.
Batman is not overcoming the sadistic humor of the Joker.
Hell, it isn't even Howard the Duck taking on his old foe Doctor Bong.
In this case...get ready for it...here it comes....
It's a hot blonde chick flashing her boobs against a hockey player in the penalty box.
And no, this is no joke...but damn it's funny.
2011-05-19 16:47:00
VANCOUVER - First the Green Men, now this.
A female Canucks fan flashed her breasts during Vancouver's 7-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday night, and the Internet has been abuzz ever since.
The incident happened late in the third period when San Jose's Ben Eager—widely seen as the villain of the game—was in the penalty box. The woman, positioned beside the box, lifted her Henrik Sedin Canucks' jersey and pressed her breasts to the glass.
"Yeah, I saw it," Eager said in San Jose. "I got a few text messages with the picture after the game too.
"It was an interesting night for sure."
Victor de Bonis, the Canucks' chief operating officer, said staff dealt with the situation quickly and efficiently.
"It was an unfortunate incident," de Bonis said in a statement. "I thought our staff handled the situation really well. The security guard went over right away and asked the lady to leave. She exited the event and we went on with business."
The incident was captured on CBC's live Hockey Night in Canada telecast.
"We received a small (very small) number of emails about it," Jeff Keay, head of media relations for CBC, said in an email.
The scene was not shown on Versus in the U.S., a Versus spokesman told the Toronto Star.
The woman's face was not shown on Canadian TV, but still photos soon found their way on the Internet.
The flasher managed to upstage the Canucks' famous Green Men, who sometimes occupy the seats beside the penalty box and have made a name for themselves by tormenting opposing players—albeit fully clothed in lime green body suits.
"It's tough. A toss-up between the Green Men and that, what's better," joked Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo.
The Green Men weren't at the game, but found themselves trending on Twitter the next morning.
They poked some fun at the flasher on Twitter after the game.
"I know we couldn't be there but I hope we sent a suitable replacement (or is it replacements?)" they tweeted.
The Green Men explained their absence on Twitter, saying "Tix are a little too pricey and Nashville put us in debt."
The Canucks headed to San Jose on Thursday, and take a 2-0 series lead into Friday's Game 3.
http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/40386-Female-flasher-heats-up-cyberworld-for-show-during-Canucks-win-over-Sharks.html
And if you want a picture of her, here it is:
Now I gotta admit that I am confused. Call me crazy (it would not be the first time someone did and it won't be the last) but if a hot blonde chick pressed her boobs up against a glass sheet in front of me and flashed them to me the last thing I would think is that she was punishing me. Now if her intent was to flashe them and say something to the effect of "Look at what you can't have" and use this as a means of torturous temptation then in this case I can see how the blonde (the heroine in this case) is using her feminine wiles and all the glory that God gave her to inflict mental suffering and frustration upon the villainous hockey player in the penalty box. You know, I think that this is exactly what she was up to. In this case I declare villainy defeated and the heroic forces of hot babes and boobs to be triumphant.
And no disrespect to the Green Men but if it;s a choice between a hot blonde flashing her boobs or you guys...well the hot blonde wins hands down...but shirt up. :)
In this case we do not have forces of immense power like Superman battling Darksied.
It is not Optimus Prime clashing metal on metal against his most hated foe Megatron.
Batman is not overcoming the sadistic humor of the Joker.
Hell, it isn't even Howard the Duck taking on his old foe Doctor Bong.
In this case...get ready for it...here it comes....
It's a hot blonde chick flashing her boobs against a hockey player in the penalty box.
And no, this is no joke...but damn it's funny.
Female flasher heats up cyberworld for show during Canucks' win over Sharks
2011-05-19 16:47:00
A female Canucks fan flashed her breasts during Vancouver's 7-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday night, and the Internet has been abuzz ever since.
The incident happened late in the third period when San Jose's Ben Eager—widely seen as the villain of the game—was in the penalty box. The woman, positioned beside the box, lifted her Henrik Sedin Canucks' jersey and pressed her breasts to the glass.
"Yeah, I saw it," Eager said in San Jose. "I got a few text messages with the picture after the game too.
"It was an interesting night for sure."
Victor de Bonis, the Canucks' chief operating officer, said staff dealt with the situation quickly and efficiently.
"It was an unfortunate incident," de Bonis said in a statement. "I thought our staff handled the situation really well. The security guard went over right away and asked the lady to leave. She exited the event and we went on with business."
The incident was captured on CBC's live Hockey Night in Canada telecast.
"We received a small (very small) number of emails about it," Jeff Keay, head of media relations for CBC, said in an email.
The scene was not shown on Versus in the U.S., a Versus spokesman told the Toronto Star.
The woman's face was not shown on Canadian TV, but still photos soon found their way on the Internet.
The flasher managed to upstage the Canucks' famous Green Men, who sometimes occupy the seats beside the penalty box and have made a name for themselves by tormenting opposing players—albeit fully clothed in lime green body suits.
"It's tough. A toss-up between the Green Men and that, what's better," joked Canucks goalie Roberto Luongo.
The Green Men weren't at the game, but found themselves trending on Twitter the next morning.
They poked some fun at the flasher on Twitter after the game.
"I know we couldn't be there but I hope we sent a suitable replacement (or is it replacements?)" they tweeted.
The Green Men explained their absence on Twitter, saying "Tix are a little too pricey and Nashville put us in debt."
The Canucks headed to San Jose on Thursday, and take a 2-0 series lead into Friday's Game 3.
http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/40386-Female-flasher-heats-up-cyberworld-for-show-during-Canucks-win-over-Sharks.html
And if you want a picture of her, here it is:
Now I gotta admit that I am confused. Call me crazy (it would not be the first time someone did and it won't be the last) but if a hot blonde chick pressed her boobs up against a glass sheet in front of me and flashed them to me the last thing I would think is that she was punishing me. Now if her intent was to flashe them and say something to the effect of "Look at what you can't have" and use this as a means of torturous temptation then in this case I can see how the blonde (the heroine in this case) is using her feminine wiles and all the glory that God gave her to inflict mental suffering and frustration upon the villainous hockey player in the penalty box. You know, I think that this is exactly what she was up to. In this case I declare villainy defeated and the heroic forces of hot babes and boobs to be triumphant.
And no disrespect to the Green Men but if it;s a choice between a hot blonde flashing her boobs or you guys...well the hot blonde wins hands down...but shirt up. :)
Saturday, May 21, 2011
As the Dust Settles....
So apparently at around 6 PM today the world is about to end.
Damn, couldn't it wait until Monday after the Miami Heat versus the Chicago Bulls basketball game? Come on man....
Seriously though, if you are even moderately involved in the RLSH community or the going ons of the "other community" then you should know by now that Zetaman has essentially called it quits. His departure was apparently galvanized by a recent blog in which some very unsettling details of his personal life were brought out in to the open. What came after that was nothing short of a grotesque debacle. Mudslinging insults, twisted truths, venomous lies, people dragged into the conversation without their consent, ect..in other words long laundry list of misery. The response from both sides was expected. Rage against the blog writer and some who commented in the most heinous and despicable ways. Sorrow for the loss of a RLSH who has been a major part of the movement and accomplished many good things. Confusion as to why this ongoing chess match from hell between both sides continues to play itself out and why people who wear the guise of heroes and those who say villainy is just for kicks would stoop so low. The aftermath has left alot of people commenting, each offering what they feel is their truth, their personal piece of wisdom to the matter. So since today the world is supposed to end far be it for me to let the world spiral into the dark crescendo of oblivion without saying a few words myself.
I do not hesitate to state with conviction that I have little or no love for the RLSV community. As others have mentioned before me, hate speech, even when it starts under the guise of satire or sadistic entertainment is wrong. It is wrong because of what it is and the potential it has of becoming if the right elements creep into its equation and turn words in weapons, dislike into raging animosity, harsh words into violence and physical suffering. It is my firm belief that the RLSV underestimate the potential hate that their words can breed. How many Tothian incidents do we need to see before we realize how dangerous it can get? How many Zetaman incidents (the tire slashing, his resignation from the RLSH) do we have to see before we realize that things can go too far in hurry? How many times must we work to temper the anger of a Krampus because they have spent years being villified and watching people he loves be villified in turn with hate speech? You can question his methods or his words as I have both publically and privately even as I have made attempts to push him away from edge but can you REALLY blame him for caring about the physical and mental well being of his friends? Can you blame his for being angry? Is that wrong? I hardly think so. Truth be told me and him, especially after the Tothain incident began to see that things were snowballing in a very bad direction and we spoke out on it but apparently it was not enough. In the aftermath of the Zetaman incident we shake our heads in disbelief, knowing that to ask the question "Why?" is a Pandoras box of it's own.
But the RLSH / costumed activists do not get a free pass. Apparently some of the informants for that blog information either gave half truths, lies, or egged on the blog writer. Apparently their are those calling themselves RLSH who are playing both sides, acting under the guise of a hero when it suits them but then donning the mask of villainy when they deem it appropriate. The comments supposedly made by these double agents on the blog were so disgustingly personal and venomously offensive that you didn't need a fortune teller to know how it was going to end up. Shame on those who carry the RLSH name and yet sold themselves out like cheap prostitutes in the name of getting some lulz out of watching a mans reputation dissected like some twisted sicence experiment gone bad and his personal life shredded life confetti for the blogosphere to see.
But just as I own this blog and am the final arbitrator of what goes on it and what stays off it so did the writer of the now removed blog. It was a poweder keg waiting to go off - I saw it and so did a few others. Casting blame on the people who provided the information used to create the blog, whether they were truths, exaggerated truth or lies, or blatant falsehoods is a cheap excuse. It's the equivalent of passing the buck when it comes to the ethical and moral responsibility that a blogger carries when something they write gets way out of hand and ends in disastrous consequences. As one RLSH who is respected in both communities told me in private "the blog was a hatchet job". As Knight Owl put it "regardless of whatever charities, humanitarian causes a person supports you do not do the world any favors by attempting to knock down a philanthropist." As Silver Sentinel said "Hate speech is not humorous. Hate speech is not constructive. Ultimately hate speech destroys and even kills..". Given how many times history had proven these words true on would think human beings would have gotten a clue by now but apparently for all our so called evolution we still have a ways to go apparently.
Both sides screwed up and my fear is that it will happen again. It will happen again because in this game of trying to one up the other side, in the game of ridicule/sadistic entertainment and manipulation of truth for cheap laughs, in the game of puffing out your chest and declaring "Hah!!! Did you see how stupid I made them look", we seem to have lost our way. We seem to have forgotten about the concept of human decency, or respecting ones personal life, and the growing trend seems to be fostering hate speech and animosity and treating it as a game or harmless humor when we should know otherwise by now. Everyone, even myself share blame in this ongoing senseless cycle of foolishness. We have not acted as we should. As a collective, we should have been better than this no matter what side you are one. Hate is not harmless. Words can be weaponized and if you don't believe me then you are a poor student of history.
And as a public declaration on my part I affirm my friendship to Krampus but I do not condone nor do I agree with any violent actions unless it is in absolute defense of himself or his loved ones. I do not believe it will come to this. I have worked tirelessly both openly and behind the scenes to bring things back to an acceptable level of sanity...sanity being scarcer than normal lately by both sides. I hold faith that my labor will bear fruit. But even as I tell Krampus and others with potentially similar thoughts to "sheath their claws" it's important to remember what brought us to this point. The signs were there that something like this would happen. I spoke out on it as has Krampus, Silver Sentinel, Crossfire, and alot of others. It was my hope that people would understand that things were moving in the wrong direction and change course but that was not the case. As we stand upon the ruins of broken wisdom and festering arrogance we have a choice to make. Do we continue along the reckless path of previous, giving hatemongering fertile ground for history to repeat itself possibly worse than before or do we learn from past mistakes and truly move forward.
Choose wisely.
Damn, couldn't it wait until Monday after the Miami Heat versus the Chicago Bulls basketball game? Come on man....
Seriously though, if you are even moderately involved in the RLSH community or the going ons of the "other community" then you should know by now that Zetaman has essentially called it quits. His departure was apparently galvanized by a recent blog in which some very unsettling details of his personal life were brought out in to the open. What came after that was nothing short of a grotesque debacle. Mudslinging insults, twisted truths, venomous lies, people dragged into the conversation without their consent, ect..in other words long laundry list of misery. The response from both sides was expected. Rage against the blog writer and some who commented in the most heinous and despicable ways. Sorrow for the loss of a RLSH who has been a major part of the movement and accomplished many good things. Confusion as to why this ongoing chess match from hell between both sides continues to play itself out and why people who wear the guise of heroes and those who say villainy is just for kicks would stoop so low. The aftermath has left alot of people commenting, each offering what they feel is their truth, their personal piece of wisdom to the matter. So since today the world is supposed to end far be it for me to let the world spiral into the dark crescendo of oblivion without saying a few words myself.
I do not hesitate to state with conviction that I have little or no love for the RLSV community. As others have mentioned before me, hate speech, even when it starts under the guise of satire or sadistic entertainment is wrong. It is wrong because of what it is and the potential it has of becoming if the right elements creep into its equation and turn words in weapons, dislike into raging animosity, harsh words into violence and physical suffering. It is my firm belief that the RLSV underestimate the potential hate that their words can breed. How many Tothian incidents do we need to see before we realize how dangerous it can get? How many Zetaman incidents (the tire slashing, his resignation from the RLSH) do we have to see before we realize that things can go too far in hurry? How many times must we work to temper the anger of a Krampus because they have spent years being villified and watching people he loves be villified in turn with hate speech? You can question his methods or his words as I have both publically and privately even as I have made attempts to push him away from edge but can you REALLY blame him for caring about the physical and mental well being of his friends? Can you blame his for being angry? Is that wrong? I hardly think so. Truth be told me and him, especially after the Tothain incident began to see that things were snowballing in a very bad direction and we spoke out on it but apparently it was not enough. In the aftermath of the Zetaman incident we shake our heads in disbelief, knowing that to ask the question "Why?" is a Pandoras box of it's own.
But the RLSH / costumed activists do not get a free pass. Apparently some of the informants for that blog information either gave half truths, lies, or egged on the blog writer. Apparently their are those calling themselves RLSH who are playing both sides, acting under the guise of a hero when it suits them but then donning the mask of villainy when they deem it appropriate. The comments supposedly made by these double agents on the blog were so disgustingly personal and venomously offensive that you didn't need a fortune teller to know how it was going to end up. Shame on those who carry the RLSH name and yet sold themselves out like cheap prostitutes in the name of getting some lulz out of watching a mans reputation dissected like some twisted sicence experiment gone bad and his personal life shredded life confetti for the blogosphere to see.
But just as I own this blog and am the final arbitrator of what goes on it and what stays off it so did the writer of the now removed blog. It was a poweder keg waiting to go off - I saw it and so did a few others. Casting blame on the people who provided the information used to create the blog, whether they were truths, exaggerated truth or lies, or blatant falsehoods is a cheap excuse. It's the equivalent of passing the buck when it comes to the ethical and moral responsibility that a blogger carries when something they write gets way out of hand and ends in disastrous consequences. As one RLSH who is respected in both communities told me in private "the blog was a hatchet job". As Knight Owl put it "regardless of whatever charities, humanitarian causes a person supports you do not do the world any favors by attempting to knock down a philanthropist." As Silver Sentinel said "Hate speech is not humorous. Hate speech is not constructive. Ultimately hate speech destroys and even kills..". Given how many times history had proven these words true on would think human beings would have gotten a clue by now but apparently for all our so called evolution we still have a ways to go apparently.
Both sides screwed up and my fear is that it will happen again. It will happen again because in this game of trying to one up the other side, in the game of ridicule/sadistic entertainment and manipulation of truth for cheap laughs, in the game of puffing out your chest and declaring "Hah!!! Did you see how stupid I made them look", we seem to have lost our way. We seem to have forgotten about the concept of human decency, or respecting ones personal life, and the growing trend seems to be fostering hate speech and animosity and treating it as a game or harmless humor when we should know otherwise by now. Everyone, even myself share blame in this ongoing senseless cycle of foolishness. We have not acted as we should. As a collective, we should have been better than this no matter what side you are one. Hate is not harmless. Words can be weaponized and if you don't believe me then you are a poor student of history.
And as a public declaration on my part I affirm my friendship to Krampus but I do not condone nor do I agree with any violent actions unless it is in absolute defense of himself or his loved ones. I do not believe it will come to this. I have worked tirelessly both openly and behind the scenes to bring things back to an acceptable level of sanity...sanity being scarcer than normal lately by both sides. I hold faith that my labor will bear fruit. But even as I tell Krampus and others with potentially similar thoughts to "sheath their claws" it's important to remember what brought us to this point. The signs were there that something like this would happen. I spoke out on it as has Krampus, Silver Sentinel, Crossfire, and alot of others. It was my hope that people would understand that things were moving in the wrong direction and change course but that was not the case. As we stand upon the ruins of broken wisdom and festering arrogance we have a choice to make. Do we continue along the reckless path of previous, giving hatemongering fertile ground for history to repeat itself possibly worse than before or do we learn from past mistakes and truly move forward.
Choose wisely.
Monday, May 16, 2011
For all you Star Wars fans out there....
Ever wanted to see the complete shcematic to the Millenium Falcon?
Well now you can...
http://furiousfanboys.com/2010/11/a-complete-schematic-of-the-millennium-falcon/
Well now you can...
http://furiousfanboys.com/2010/11/a-complete-schematic-of-the-millennium-falcon/
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