My Take On Reactions To Celebrity Deaths

Right now. Right this very second. The public is going crazy over the death of Whitney Houston. So crazy, in fact, people that made fun of her, never listened to her music without cracking a joke, and generally couldn’t care less, are “crying” and “dying inside” and “completely devastated” via Facebook, Twitter, Google +, their blogs, and ... continue reading.


You might actually want to read it before burning me at the stake, just sayin'.

All I Have To Say About Internet Censorship: It's Ridiculous

   

Can you read that? Chances are, you can't. You didn't make it, and it's been censored. I made it. I used my bought and paid for copy of Adobe Photoshop CS 5 Master Collection. Chances are also pretty high that it will be copied, saved, linked-to, and re-linked to again and again. It will be changed, the size will be messed with, and people will most likely say they made it. I didn't even bother to slap my copyright watermark on it.

If I post it to Twitter tomorrow, it could be censored. If Bills like ACTA, Bill-C11 (formerly Bill-C32), SOPA, PIPA, or any other Internet Censorship laws pass, I could be fined or placed in jail. That doesn't sound fun, since I made it, and it's my right to bellyache and complain about whatever the hell I want.

That's just it, though. It's MY choice. This is the internet. Shit gets stolen; so what? I take it as a compliment when people like what I do enough to share it. I don't really go for the changes, but like I said, this is the internet, and shit happens. I always ask that people at least let me know they're taking something because asking is a simple courtesy. I'm not going to police my work after they take it because I have a life and better things to do.

If you don't want people to get to anything that you do, don't make your work public. I am guilty of it, you are guilty of it. I like memes, and so do you. That is a prime example of what they're calling piracy. It's not just about grabbing a torrented copy of a movie or CD, people -- it's so much bigger than that.

I know we (the internet lovers) had a huge "win" when we all got together and shut our sites down for a day. Wikipedia had probably the biggest impact, leading people to be forever lost because they don't remember a time when we didn't have ready access to the information we wanted/needed. Since I used to use my handy-dandy encyclopedia to find information, I still tend to stick to it. But there's something comforting about having the ease of Google Search right at my fingertips. Many of the web pages that we visit are powered by Wiki, and we rarely realize just how crippling it's loss would be.

SOPA and PIPA may be frozen, but ACTA is like SOPA and PIPA on steroids, and it my friends, is FAR from frozen. Bill-C11? It even makes ripping your bought CDs to your iTunes library and DVR-ing your favourite TV shows illegal. Have you unlocked your phone? Rooted it? Changed the OS? That's illegal under Bill-C11 as well.

Think I'm crazy? Check the links at the end of this article to find out for yourself. I'm not crazy, this is our future. Taking a small stand against one bill and thinking we've won the war is ridiculous. We have yet to win anything but one small smokescreen of a battle.  SOPA and PIPA were created to annoy us, while we remained in the dark about other bills, whether American or not, that are far worse and could royally fuck our shit up. Sharing isn't caring to these bills -- it's a federal offense that could land you in jail for sharing a photo you found via Google Images.

And, just to let you know just how far the laws can carry themselves, some of the bills I'm talking about aren't American. Bill-C11 is Canada's new love-child. We as Americans can't do anything but spread the word, but most of us have never even heard of it. Canada helped us out with SOPA and PIPA, so don't forget to help them. I'm appreciative of their efforts.

You see, they realize, unlike most people, that whatever laws are passed here (or anywhere else) are going to affect us all. It's the WORLD-WIDE web, people. If ACTA passes, it's going to affect us; If the Canadians lose their battle against Bill-C11, we're just as screwed. These bills our governments are trying to hide behind fancy words and 'round-about press releases, if passed, will open the floodgates. One passes, they could ALL pass.

And then the internet would look like a pissed-off dude ripped the shit out of a book. There won't be any Wiki sites, there won't be a Twitter and Facebook worth using, and Google will take a huge dive. Even searching for articles to cite here in my own blog lead me to censorship. Google was forced to take articles off the search queue. It's complete bullshit, and we shouldn't be content to let other people decide what we can and cannot share. 

Not all sharing is bad, government, and your bills aren't going to help. Things are just going to get worse.

Oh, and in case you haven't heard, Twitter is now able to censor your tweets on a case-to-case basis.

I'm not quite fond of this idea, and you shouldn't be, either. They're your thoughts, and if you want to let them be known, it should be your decision how they're conveyed.

This is basically a war on freedom of expression; which side are you on?

Check these links to learn about the bills and the new Twitter censorship (I'm not including SOPA and PIPA, so no worries. You're going to learn something new.):

Bill-C11(formerly Bill-C32)
More on Bill-C11
ACTA(A Wiki site.. better read quick!)
Forbes Speaks: Twitter Censorship and Internet Censorship Laws

Untitled, Unfinished Piece

Sitting in the corner, she took the party in from the shadows. There was music and dancing; frivolity and laughter; an abundance of stolen kisses and looks overflowing with love and enchantment. The whole scene was one for the storybooks.
No one even looked her way. She had been sitting there like the proverbial "fly on the wall" for quite some time - the entire party to be exact. She nursed her already warming beer and sulked. What a typical Saturday..

She was the the awkward one - the one that was overweight and a fashion train wreck. She'd never been part of the "In-Crowd"; no friends, no boyfriends. If you saw her out somewhere, she was usually alone -- and quickly forgotten.

Staring out across the crowded room, she spotted a beautiful girl dancing alone. Swaying to-and-fro with the beat of the music; a smile on her up-tilted face and her eyes slightly closed. She wanted to go talk to her, but knew someone who fit in so well where she did not wouldn't even give her a second thought. She sat back and continued to pine for the girl that was quickly becoming an obsession.
As the night progressed, she continued to stare; people came and went. The ever-changing crowd seemed to center on the dancing angel next to the stairs. She watched her laugh at someone's jokes, put on a mini-show for her adoring fans, and continue to dance; oh, how magical it was to watch her dance.

A few people stopped and said hello, but she paid them no attention - they were just trying to be nice. She just wanted to keep watching the girl. Hoping against hope that people would stop bringing the girl drinks, she slowly made her way to a chair near the "bar". She sat and tried to act nonchalant, but it was hard to hide what she was doing - she eventually stopped caring.

Hello Kitty's Furry Tale Theater: A Review*

I found this show on Netflix. I had no idea that it's old as fuck. I'm in love with it, and it keeps the kid busy while I work. Here's the skinny on this new (old as fuck) show:

Hello Kitty's Furry Tale Theater is a show that takes old stories and re-purposes them into a Hello Kitty version. Think old Disney movies, classic works of fiction, and fairy tales coming to life in the Hello Kitty universe. Stories like Peter Pan, Cinderella, Pinnochio, The Wizard of Oz, and Dracula are transformed into Peter Penguin, Cinderkitty, Pinnochio Penguin, The Wizard of Paws, and Catula. They even did one that recreated ET: KT — The Kitty Terrestrial.

Cute, right?

Look, it may be the same stories that we all know and love, but this is my opinion: It changes it up. I'm not constantly watching the same version over-and-over. It gives my kid something new to watch, and it introduces her to new characters in a familiar format. Everyone likes something new and different, right?



I'm a huge fan and I highly recommend it — especially for younger ones. The stories are slow enough for little kids to grab on and they're fun and interesting enough to hold their attention. I find myself looking up and getting lost in the tales myself.

Check it out, you may be pleasantly surprised!







*I was not paid, endorsed, or even asked to do a review. I highly doubt anyone gives a shit about my opinion, anyway. Let's be smart here, folks.

Look Mother, I'm Falling: A Piece of A Whole

Please remember that everything I post that I've written sans poetry are only pieces of a larger work.

If you get lost, it's okay... they're also the unedited versions... deal with it.

... Look Mother, I'm falling.

Deeper and deeper into this hollow of a black hole.

This expanse of nothingness.

I can feel the darkness consume me.

There is no room for life.

For light.

No need.

It is serene now in this no where place.

The dark is so cool...

I may never recover.

I may never return...

The abyss may become my home.

I may never see life again.

I may never feel light kiss my skin.

There is no need.

For I am left with nothing.

This hollow...

Is so real.

So very vibrant in its darkness...

My heart...

or something like that...

Who fucking knows?

Maybe I am crazy.

Maybe they're right.

Maybe SHE'S right...

Mommy dearest may be correct in assuming I have lost it.

Fucking bitch.

She has no clue.

It's Wednesday.

He hasn't called since Friday.

He's trying to kill me, you know...

I saw him.

Watching me, waiting for his chance, stalking my eyes to see when I would look away...

He thinks I am crazy.

He thinks I love him.

What does he know?

Fucking prick.

Mommy dearest may be right.

I may have lost it...

I should dye my hair.

Cut it.

Cut myself...

I need to do something. I need to change somehow... I am so tired of how I look now. Too thin.

Too thin...

Too fat.

Too brunette.

I think I should cook something with chicken for a nice dinner.

I think I should invite him, even though he hasn't called.

Fucking bastard.

He's trying to kill me, you know...

I told my shrink.

He thinks I have lost it.

What does he know?

He's so one dimensional.

He doesn't ever think I could be right.

I think I love him.

He's good to me.

He gets paid to be good to me.

Sunday I will do the crossword.

I will have bagels.

I will have lots and lots of juice.

Not orange.

Orange juice is the government's way of brainwashing...

They do that so they get you when you're young and stupid and will drink it because that's what you're supposed to do.

I still think he's trying to kill me.

Random Poem from forever ago...

As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear all evil.

For it is all around me. It surrounds and swallows my will to live.

To keep walking I must lose pieces of my soul. One for every time I look back and dream of the easy way out.

The way that only the weak take... I am not weak.

I am strong. I defeat the ever looming, ever lurking reality.

I keep walking.

Thinking of what I have to walk for. What lies on this path through  

Hell.

I face my demons, I scream for salvation from the damned.

I receive no such releif. Only laughter from the ones bound to protect me.

I keep walking.

My life. My love. My sanity. My existance.

All lie at the end of the road I am destined to walk.

A beautiful face, a loving embrace.

A place to call home. Even if I never go back, I kow that it will always wait.

I need never look for love, for I have found it.

I keep walking.

Tales of my life flow in and out of my mind.

I hear the soft laughter of the ones waiting on the other side of this realm.

It gives me hope to know that I am part of the happiness that resides within them.

I keep walking.

There is so much to do. So much to see...

I scream and fall to my knees from the pain of this chosen path.

It holds me there. Paralyzed in its grasp, I want to give up.

Give in.

Soft coos, the feel of a gentle kiss full of all the love it ever promised and more.

I struggle.

I beat  and tear at the hold on me. Call out to whoever created this abyss.

It cannot hold me down.

I overcome the obstacle, and rise from my knees.

I keep walking.

The end nearing, I grow weary. Thoughts of rest fill my mind.

I start to run.

I will never give up, never surrender.

I will break through the haze of the valley before me.

I will be home.

safe in the arms of the one I gave my heart to, smiled upon by the part of that heart that crawls around outside of me.

I will win.

There is nothing I can't do. Nothing I won't do.

I keep running.

Just as cannot go anymore, I am home. Arms strong and full of love envelope me. Comfort me.

Give me the strength I need to make it through another day.

Nothing will ever hold me back.

I gain my greatest strength from the ones who hold my heart.

They free me from the darkest corners of my mind.

I keep going for them.

Promises; Another blast from the past...

Biting her lower lip, she stared into the mirror…

She could see her slightly large nose, her chipped front tooth, the dark circles under green eyes… She was staring so hard she squinted. The reflection squinted back. It was like she saw someone scrutinizing her, telling her she was damaged. She wished the person in the mirror wasn’t so familiar. She closed her eyes to make the assailant fade away.

She was such a drama queen… That’s what her dad said to her everyday over the phone… She couldn’t disagree with him. There was no one in the mirror. It was herself she was so afraid of. It hurt to close her eyes to the truth, but she squeezed them just a little tighter to drown out her conscience.

There was a soft knock at the door, and she opened one eye. She knew he would come to try and take her away… he always tried to save her. The only question was did that make her crazy? Did him rescuing her from absolutely nothing make her one of those crazy people in the padded cells?

“Honey? Is everything okay? Can I come in?”

She cleared her throat and tried to choke back the hot tears of embarrassment. “Come on in, babe. Everything’s fine.” She had become such a liar…

“So, um, whatcha been doing in here?” He tried so hard to sound normal, but his face gave away his concern that she was doing it again. Sadly enough, she was.

“Just trying to clear out some of the clutter… did you know we have like ten bottles of shampoo? I never knew that we had so much space in this bathroom!” She smiled her chipped smile, catching it in the mirror.

She didn’t know that when she smiled, she melted him to the core. She was his goddess. He loved her with passion and fire fit for worship. He had never noticed her chipped tooth, her circles, or the fact that her nose was a little too big for her delicate face. He thought she was an angel. He would die to make her happy.

“I guess we need to stop making a rats nest out of our apartment… It really is small enough already. Hey, sweetheart, want some help in here? It is half my mess, too, you know.”

“Oh honey, it really isn’t your job to clean. If you want, though, you can scrub the toilet. It needs it around the rim.” Her loud laughter made his knees weak. She was smiling a real smile. It warmed his heart to see it. It had been so long…

“For that, gorgeous, I will gladly scrub the toilets of hell…”

“For what?” She giggled and leaned into his broad chest, stroking his neck with a tiny hand.

“That amazing smile, the laughter, the love I feel when I’m near you…”

She looked up at the man she loved more than anyone in the world, and smiled. She couldn’t help but be happy when he was near her. He was her everything. He made her feel like a princess. She was giddy for him. She reached up with her mouth, and kissed his chin. He was so much taller than her…

He kissed her back. A long, drawn out, lazy kiss. One full of the love and heat he felt for her. He had saved her again, and she was responding much better than she ever had. Could this mean she was starting to get better?

“Hand me the brush, and I’m off to slay the scum dragons!” He winked at her and made a low bow.

“Yes, my knight in shining boxers, save me from the evil king scumbag, and his germmenites!” Again, her gorgeous laughter filled his heart.

She went on about the underside of the sink. Thoughts of how happy they were crept into her head. She only wished she could overcome her obstacles for him… it was all so hard, and she was well aware of the fact that he laid awake almost every night and tried to come up with new ways to help her.

She tried every day to stop feeling the way she felt. Like she should give up. She saw all the flaws in her life before the perfections. She thought about her mother a lot, too. She was just like her in her own eyes.

She thought she’d do what she had done…

It scared her. It made her very aware of the resemblance between her, and the woman on the other side of the glass. The woman who had hurt so many…

On the other side of the partition, her knight in shining armor was elbow deep in cleaning their tiny toilet, and even deeper in thought. A tiny bit of water splashed into his face. He paid no attention to the Clorox scented water.

What had brought on the sudden happiness in his lover? He knew she was staring at her mother’s reflection again. Something he couldn’t help but question. She was nothing like her, and he couldn’t make her see.

He had met her while he visited his brother. Locked away for grand theft auto over three years ago. She had been visiting a woman he had originally thought to be her twin. She was so beautiful; he couldn’t help but almost accost her for her number.

They had gone out on a beautiful date. He had fallen in love with her when he kissed her goodnight. She was everything he had ever wanted. His soul mate. It was only months later, when he found her almost dead in her kitchen, that he realized if he was ever going to get to spend eternity with her, he would have to save her from herself first.

He had moved her into a tiny apartment off fifth and sixth. He had let her quit her jobs. He had given her a ring. Given her his hand. His heart. They went to see her mother every week. The therapist he had also given her thought that if he could go with her, listen to what went on, and tell her all the differences he found, it would help.

Nothing was helping. All he could do was watch. Wait.

The woman who haunted his wife’s mind had killed a family of four. Her lover’s family. Her lover. She had hurt her father by cheating on him. Then when things didn’t go as planned, she hurt her lover.

How very CSI…

What he couldn’t understand was how his beautiful and loving wife could ever think she was predestined to do the same.

He could only assume that since she saw her mother in the mirror, she was afraid eventually, she would become her mother. It was so absurd to him, but he could understand her fears.

She had told the therapist, and eventually him, about why she felt this way. She had fallen in love.

She told them both that she was so afraid that history would repeat itself. That their fairytale romance would go cold, she would look for passion, and find it in the arms of another man. That man would hurt her, and she would hurt him back. That she would not only hurt that random man, but in the process, hurt the man she loved beyond reason.

He knew she could, nor would, never do that, but it was so hard to make her understand he saw into her soul, and knew it could never happen. If she would only listen…

“Am I safe for another week, my love?” He reveled in the sound of her happy voice.

“Yes. You are safe now, and forever more, for you have me. And I will never let anything hurt you!” he tried to make it sound light, but the heaviness of his thoughts clouded his voice.

“Methinks someone wants to talk…”

“Methinks you think right. Will you take a walk with me? This apartment makes me claustrophobic.”

“I would follow you anywhere, and you know that. Let me grab some shoes, and I’ll meet you at the door.”

She had known this day would come. The day he could no longer keep his thoughts private. She was ready to listen now, after so many years… she only hoped he could understand if it didn’t help. A wave washed over her. A wave of hope.

Hope…

At the door, she was greeted with his dazzling smile and rumpled jeans. No matter how much ironing she did, he wouldn’t let her iron those jeans. They fit him to a tee… he was so handsome. She couldn’t help but grin at him.

“What?”

“You look handsome in those ratty things, and I can’t figure out why.”

“Well, then it must be one of life’s little mysteries, or the fact that I am just so sexy…”

“It’s definitely the latter, hon. You’re always dead on…” her laugh was melodic to him. He was almost in a state of hypnotism just standing where he could see and smell her. Taste the scent of the one he loved.

“Let’s go, angel. We have a lot of walking to do.”

“Lead the way.”

Four blocks later, Starbucks in hand, he finally began to tell her what was on his mind.

Fifty blocks in, she was sitting on a bench beside him, hand in hand. They were both crying. Passersby thought it might have been a death in the family, or even a tiny lovers’ quarrel. It was neither.

It was the two of them realizing that she wasn’t hopeless, and he was the cure to her disease. She couldn’t believe the things he told her.

“You just don’t realize how much I love you. I can see your soul, Nick. You’re not her. Don’t make yourself become her. She’s so fucked up, baby. You’re not. Please… just, I don’t know, just love me. I love you… can you just be happy with me?”

She could just be happy with him. She knew it. Therapists could not help her overcome her fears, but the love of the one she loved could. She was finally starting to believe the words he had told her for so long. It had taken so long for him to open up and be real, instead of real weird, about all of it.

Gone were the days of trying to say something constructive… at block 37, she had told him to let it all out. Get angry if he wanted. Scream and rant, hit her even. Just be real…

At block forty, he let it all out. And it was all the thoughts he had had what seemed like an eternity ago, scrubbing away the germminites in their apartment. She had been such a good listener. She hadn’t gotten mad, she hadn’t walked away… she just listened.

When he had said his peace, they sat on a bench. They didn’t say anything.

They cried together.

She had taken his hand… hers was so small, and his so big…

They were going to be alright.

She was going to be alright…

He had promised her eternity.

He had promised her sanity. He had fulfilled all his promises, and now it was her turn.