Looks like I had written this up last June and never posted it, so... it is getting posted now. :D
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More stuff to talk about today. I won't be able to write about all of it right at the moment, but what I am going to do is write a abit, head out for a bit and finish it up later. I know, you would probably never notice if I just saved it and moved on, but hey, we (me) at Slyde Space are all about the truth and honesty in journalism, so there you go - a bit of truth from me.
So last week, I heard about this pregnancy pact story. Originally it was on The New Hot 89.9 that I heard about it, and then suddenly it was all over the news, I saw Jane Fonda talking about it on T.V., there were internet postings about it everywhere. It was insane! It was something I had wanted to blog about, and now, it's just taken off into the stratosphere.
The story, as I understand it (and feel free to correct me if I am wrong on this), is that there were a number of students aged 16 and under who made a pact to all get pregnant together. So they went out and had sex with all manner of guys and made sure they got pregnant. Now the part of this that really made me shke my head was that the reason for this wasn't so the kids could all grow up together, or so they could all experience it at the same time, and certainly not because they were in love with the fathers and had all decided this was what they wanted to do. No. The reason I heard was that they wanted to have someone who would love them unconditionally.
OK, stop. Breathe. Think it over. Yep. Undconditional love from a baby.
A baby doesn't love it's mother at first. It relies on it's mother. It depends on it's mother for food and survival. It feels safe, perhaps, and trusts, but love is not something that I believe a baby would even understand. Besides that, unconditional love is something that is learned and something that is given to a child from an adult. They can then take that love and they can learn to love their parent unconditionally, or they can learn to despise their parent - it all depends on the upbringing of the child, no doubt.
For the adult, the unconditional love comes from the knowledge of this child being a part of themself and being an extension of them. They feel the dependence of the child upon them, and know that, raising this child the right way, they can be an incredible person, and someone to whom the world can be thankful was alive.
Alright, I know, there are those who do not have these feelings. Those who are like rutting animals, only having kids because it is the by-product of their lust and lack of self-control. Or those who have simply lost the ability to feel anything but anger or hatred. But, for the majority, I would hope, this unconditional love for their children is something that they have and that they impart to the child.
So, eventually, the child will understand that no matter what they do, no matter how bad they are and no matter how they act, their parents will always love them. Unconditionally. Eventually, the child learns this, not right away, and it certainly isn't an instinctual feeling.
That these girls of the pregnancy pact seem to think they will receive unconditional love from babies is a testament to the lack of education they were receiving, and the lack of sexual education specifically is more that disturbing. I have heard stories about the school board not allowing condoms to be given to students because it was illegal, or something to that effect. What kind of irresponsible community do these kids live in that doesn't provide proper education or prevention to their young? I understand that religious beliefs sometimes influence the belief in whether or not to use contraceptives, but if you are going to preach the words "Go forth and multiply", you also need to teach the fundamentals of that type of multiplication, such as the rule that one multiplying with one makes three!
Another part of this whole situation that I find disturbing is the fact that there are now 17 children about to be born into this community who are not going to have father figures to assist in raising them. I know, there are millions of kids raised everyday by single mothers, and I applaud each and every one of those mothers for the work and the effort they put in - it is no easy job. But there is something to be said for a child that is raised by both parents, or who at least has both parents in their life. The child learns different points of view, different ways of looking at the world, how to deal with ambiguity (mom said I can go to the movies, dad said I can't - what do I do other than just go cuz that's what I wanted?).
Cheers!
Slyde
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Too much to talk about for one title
Howdy Blogreaders!
I know, I know... It's been a while since I was last here to write something, but I am back now. And boy do I have a lot to write about. First, a story about that radio station I listen to here in Ottawa (The New Hot 89.9), then onto one of my favourite subjects lately - Battlestar Galactica's storyline. There's also a couple of stories of the weird to throw in for comment, and even a quick mention of my friend's birthday party goings-on. I may end up throwing something else in as well, but at this point, that's all I plan on talking about... it's amazing how my mind can just go wandering off into some other dimension sometimes. So sit back, grab a beer/coffee/water/(insert favourite hallucinogenic here) and we'll get started.
Last weekend was Father's Day and I woke up on the Friday to the usual sounds of "The Morning Hot Tub" on that radio station I listen to, and one of the hosts had decided to play a bit of a father's day prank on an ex-boyfriend. So, just to set it up, her name is Josie and she had a boyfriend several years ago, and they broke up under bad circumstances and hadn't spoken to each other in about 4 years. So, she got his phone number and gave him a call, and they started to just chit-chat and catch up.
This is the point where it gets good. She starts to tell him that he has a son. Well, of course the guy freaks out and is off the charts trying to figure out what to do. Seriously, I had so much trouble not laughing loudly and waking up my wife, though I think she had woken up already and was listening too (or I was unsuccessful and I did wake her up!). So it goes like this for a few minutes and he says he is going to come to Ottawa (I think he was in Toronto) and they are going to get things figured out. Pretty impressive for someone to find out they have a son and be freaking out, but have the presence of mind and the courage to say he is going to figure things out. To add to the illusion, they had the 3 or 4 year old son of the show's producer throwing in comments every now and then like "Daddy, when are you coming to see me?" Oh my God, it was INSANE!!!! I loved it.
So, Mauler, one of the others who hosts the morning show, gets on the line and brings it to a close, letting the guy know that, indeed, it was a joke - a prank, if you will - and that Josie was just kidding. He laughs, is a good sport about it, and says that this is part of the reason that they broke up.
Now, to me, this was a funny prank. I have listened to many different pranks on the radio, and this one was one of the best. I could feel myself in this guy's shoes and the panic and "WTF!!!" that he was no doubt feeling, but he took it like a man and he saw the humour in it. It was good.
The problem, however, came on Monday. I had a little trouble getting up on Monday (this relates to the birthday party I will talk about later), so I didn't get the whole story, but I heard bits and pieces. It seems that many people who had listened to the show took great offense to what had taken place on the Friday and had written emails to the show's hosts to let them know of their disdain for the antics they had pulled. I could understand that, I guess - people all have different senses of humour, and some people certainly aren't going to find the same things funny that I do, but the apparent tone of these messages was what shocked me. There was, of course, no detail given as to the content of these messages, but it was mentioned that some people were being rude and downright insulting to Josie. That was what really annoyed me.
You know, it's one thing to disapprove of something someone says and even to let them know, but seriously, the electronic age has spawned all manner of rudeness as people send emails, post blogs, etc., about people and insult them to no end. How cowardly and callous! It's easy to sit at the computer and remain anonymous as you send an email detailing your dislike of someone or their actions. But what do you accomplish by being mean, insulting or rude? These people need to start thinking about how they would feel if, for example, they had been at a party and started making inappropriate comments about someone. Then, the next day people start calling them names and giving them crap about what they did by email, or on their facebook wall. Seriously, before you start being mean to others, you really need to own up to that action and think how you would feel in the others place. If you think it's deserved and you can take it - go UP to the person, if you know them, and let them know. Otherwise, talk to a friend of theirs and let them know your thoughts, but NICELY!!!!! Cheezzz...
As for Josie, I have met her a couple of times, mostly just in passing, and she seems a very nice lady. My wife and youngest daughter have also met her and they said she was very nice as well. Now, even if I thought that what she had done was a mistake, I would not have insulted her. She's not a generally mean person, she's just a person who has a job that sometimes leads to these situations. Things could just as easily have gone the other way and she could have been branded a prank-master for this show.
And, just to add further to my point - there was one point in time when this same morning show had made extensive use of the work "vagina" first thing in the morning. I have nothing against vagina's, and certainly nothing against the word, but my then-10-year-old daughter was listening to the radio and it seemed a little much for them to be mentioning that word over and over at 8-ish in the morning when this was the station that she, her friends, and most of her peers would listen to in this city, since it's the most popular music that they play. So, I blogged about it (another blog, many moons ago), mentioning that I thought this was inappropriate behaviour for a show that caters to so many people, many of whom are likely younger children.
Then, I sent an email to each member of The Morning Hot Tub, telling them that I had blogged about their show and if they wished to they were invited to read it. Three of the four (Josie was the only one not to respond) did look at it and wrote back to me about it. Their explanations, at first, I didn't agree with, and I mentioned that to them in replies. But in the end, Mauler was the one who convinced me that this is a more adult oriented show and parents should be monitoring what their children listen to. I had to agree that he was right in that respect.
So, through all of this, I wasn't insulting (OK, I called Mauler the "short-panted one" but in a joking, and fun-loving way - he is known to like wearing shorts almost exclusively), I wasn't judgmental, I just gave my opinion and allowed for a response. And in return, I was treated with respect and the views they had were pleasantly presented to me. Calling them names and being insulting would have done nothing but earn me their ire, and in turn I would have lost out on listening to a great radio show for being an arrogant a-hole (cuz I woulda stopped listening if they were rude back, I assume).
Anyway, Josie, if you ever read this, just know that I thought it was funny, and I am sorry that you were treated so rudely by so many people who obviously have no feelings and have no sense of right and wrong. Or a sense of humour. A sense of civility. An inkling of common sense and manners. Basically, people who like to be mean to others anonymously simply to make themselves feel morally superior. I'd almost like to dig into the backgrounds of those people and find their sins, which are likely much more severe than this incident was. Then we'll see if they still feel morally superior. (I know, hypotheticals and all that. Useless, but it would be nice for people like that to be put in their place, is my point).
OK... now I sound like a hypocrite. Wanting to make others feel bad because they made someone else feel bad. That's not good. OK, OK, I get it (before anyone says anything). Keep that eye for an eye thing going with thoughts like that. Well, I guess thinking it and actually doing it are different, but if I took myself up on my thoughts - a lot of really bad things would have happened to a lot of people who were not as bad as I thought they were at the time. That's why I am glad I am in control of my actions in that way.
Wow, getting way off into another dimension here. Well, while we're off in other places, let's move on to BSG - Battlestar Galactica!
So I watched the last few episodes recently and I was definitely impressed how the story arc turned. Gaeta lost his leg, the cylons steal the president and Baltar, Baltar almost dies, D'Anna comes back, and they find Earth. CRISMUS CAKE ON A STICK!!!
OK, the last episode, as they bring D'Anna over, she says she wants the Final Five, or at least the four that she knows of, and then starts killing people until they finally reveal themselves (or are revealed in the cases of a couple) then suddenly find Earth - that all seemed to happen a little too fast, but it was definitely exciting! As they reached Earth and looked at it and decided to land, I was wondering, which Earth would it be - prehistoric, pre-civilized, post-apocalyptic, or modern-day (that would have been too Galactica 1980 and very sad indeed!)? As they started their descent, I thought it looked like much of the land mass that was visible was covered in white, like it was in an ice age or something. Then, the landing and the clarification - Earth has been destroyed in some manner or other. Wow! So, the question is, if that was the mid-season finale... what comes next? Do they find survivors? Do the other cylons come and wipe out humanity for once and for all? Do they just restart the human civilization with the less than 40,000 people that are left?
And where, pray tell, is the fifth of the final five? Already on Earth? Or still among the fleet? Or, killed in one of the attacks back among the colonies? That's where the interesting part lies? I doubt it's the last since the opening always says "One will be revealed", so they are still there, and probably among the fleet.
Can't wait to see what happens next!!!
So last weekend, my buddy and neighbour Brian had a birthday celebrated at the local bar. With the 25 or so people who showed up, the bar had about 30 people in there, but it was still a really good time. We drank much, there was singing and music (his daughter is an incredible singer), and a couple of former colleagues and other local area musicians lent their talent to make for an amazing night. Of course the usual plethora of embarrassing moments occurred with all the drinking and merriment, but on the whole, the atmosphere was fun, and we all had a great time. And he's not nearly as old as I thought he was! lol
I guess that's all I have for today. I have another story that I heard this morning on the Morning Hot Tub that disturbed me to no end that I will comment about at another time. Right now, I have some things I need to get done, so I will chat about it later!
Take care y'all and come back and read all about it again some time!
Cheers!
Slyde
I know, I know... It's been a while since I was last here to write something, but I am back now. And boy do I have a lot to write about. First, a story about that radio station I listen to here in Ottawa (The New Hot 89.9), then onto one of my favourite subjects lately - Battlestar Galactica's storyline. There's also a couple of stories of the weird to throw in for comment, and even a quick mention of my friend's birthday party goings-on. I may end up throwing something else in as well, but at this point, that's all I plan on talking about... it's amazing how my mind can just go wandering off into some other dimension sometimes. So sit back, grab a beer/coffee/water/(insert favourite hallucinogenic here) and we'll get started.
Last weekend was Father's Day and I woke up on the Friday to the usual sounds of "The Morning Hot Tub" on that radio station I listen to, and one of the hosts had decided to play a bit of a father's day prank on an ex-boyfriend. So, just to set it up, her name is Josie and she had a boyfriend several years ago, and they broke up under bad circumstances and hadn't spoken to each other in about 4 years. So, she got his phone number and gave him a call, and they started to just chit-chat and catch up.
This is the point where it gets good. She starts to tell him that he has a son. Well, of course the guy freaks out and is off the charts trying to figure out what to do. Seriously, I had so much trouble not laughing loudly and waking up my wife, though I think she had woken up already and was listening too (or I was unsuccessful and I did wake her up!). So it goes like this for a few minutes and he says he is going to come to Ottawa (I think he was in Toronto) and they are going to get things figured out. Pretty impressive for someone to find out they have a son and be freaking out, but have the presence of mind and the courage to say he is going to figure things out. To add to the illusion, they had the 3 or 4 year old son of the show's producer throwing in comments every now and then like "Daddy, when are you coming to see me?" Oh my God, it was INSANE!!!! I loved it.
So, Mauler, one of the others who hosts the morning show, gets on the line and brings it to a close, letting the guy know that, indeed, it was a joke - a prank, if you will - and that Josie was just kidding. He laughs, is a good sport about it, and says that this is part of the reason that they broke up.
Now, to me, this was a funny prank. I have listened to many different pranks on the radio, and this one was one of the best. I could feel myself in this guy's shoes and the panic and "WTF!!!" that he was no doubt feeling, but he took it like a man and he saw the humour in it. It was good.
The problem, however, came on Monday. I had a little trouble getting up on Monday (this relates to the birthday party I will talk about later), so I didn't get the whole story, but I heard bits and pieces. It seems that many people who had listened to the show took great offense to what had taken place on the Friday and had written emails to the show's hosts to let them know of their disdain for the antics they had pulled. I could understand that, I guess - people all have different senses of humour, and some people certainly aren't going to find the same things funny that I do, but the apparent tone of these messages was what shocked me. There was, of course, no detail given as to the content of these messages, but it was mentioned that some people were being rude and downright insulting to Josie. That was what really annoyed me.
You know, it's one thing to disapprove of something someone says and even to let them know, but seriously, the electronic age has spawned all manner of rudeness as people send emails, post blogs, etc., about people and insult them to no end. How cowardly and callous! It's easy to sit at the computer and remain anonymous as you send an email detailing your dislike of someone or their actions. But what do you accomplish by being mean, insulting or rude? These people need to start thinking about how they would feel if, for example, they had been at a party and started making inappropriate comments about someone. Then, the next day people start calling them names and giving them crap about what they did by email, or on their facebook wall. Seriously, before you start being mean to others, you really need to own up to that action and think how you would feel in the others place. If you think it's deserved and you can take it - go UP to the person, if you know them, and let them know. Otherwise, talk to a friend of theirs and let them know your thoughts, but NICELY!!!!! Cheezzz...
As for Josie, I have met her a couple of times, mostly just in passing, and she seems a very nice lady. My wife and youngest daughter have also met her and they said she was very nice as well. Now, even if I thought that what she had done was a mistake, I would not have insulted her. She's not a generally mean person, she's just a person who has a job that sometimes leads to these situations. Things could just as easily have gone the other way and she could have been branded a prank-master for this show.
And, just to add further to my point - there was one point in time when this same morning show had made extensive use of the work "vagina" first thing in the morning. I have nothing against vagina's, and certainly nothing against the word, but my then-10-year-old daughter was listening to the radio and it seemed a little much for them to be mentioning that word over and over at 8-ish in the morning when this was the station that she, her friends, and most of her peers would listen to in this city, since it's the most popular music that they play. So, I blogged about it (another blog, many moons ago), mentioning that I thought this was inappropriate behaviour for a show that caters to so many people, many of whom are likely younger children.
Then, I sent an email to each member of The Morning Hot Tub, telling them that I had blogged about their show and if they wished to they were invited to read it. Three of the four (Josie was the only one not to respond) did look at it and wrote back to me about it. Their explanations, at first, I didn't agree with, and I mentioned that to them in replies. But in the end, Mauler was the one who convinced me that this is a more adult oriented show and parents should be monitoring what their children listen to. I had to agree that he was right in that respect.
So, through all of this, I wasn't insulting (OK, I called Mauler the "short-panted one" but in a joking, and fun-loving way - he is known to like wearing shorts almost exclusively), I wasn't judgmental, I just gave my opinion and allowed for a response. And in return, I was treated with respect and the views they had were pleasantly presented to me. Calling them names and being insulting would have done nothing but earn me their ire, and in turn I would have lost out on listening to a great radio show for being an arrogant a-hole (cuz I woulda stopped listening if they were rude back, I assume).
Anyway, Josie, if you ever read this, just know that I thought it was funny, and I am sorry that you were treated so rudely by so many people who obviously have no feelings and have no sense of right and wrong. Or a sense of humour. A sense of civility. An inkling of common sense and manners. Basically, people who like to be mean to others anonymously simply to make themselves feel morally superior. I'd almost like to dig into the backgrounds of those people and find their sins, which are likely much more severe than this incident was. Then we'll see if they still feel morally superior. (I know, hypotheticals and all that. Useless, but it would be nice for people like that to be put in their place, is my point).
OK... now I sound like a hypocrite. Wanting to make others feel bad because they made someone else feel bad. That's not good. OK, OK, I get it (before anyone says anything). Keep that eye for an eye thing going with thoughts like that. Well, I guess thinking it and actually doing it are different, but if I took myself up on my thoughts - a lot of really bad things would have happened to a lot of people who were not as bad as I thought they were at the time. That's why I am glad I am in control of my actions in that way.
Wow, getting way off into another dimension here. Well, while we're off in other places, let's move on to BSG - Battlestar Galactica!
So I watched the last few episodes recently and I was definitely impressed how the story arc turned. Gaeta lost his leg, the cylons steal the president and Baltar, Baltar almost dies, D'Anna comes back, and they find Earth. CRISMUS CAKE ON A STICK!!!
OK, the last episode, as they bring D'Anna over, she says she wants the Final Five, or at least the four that she knows of, and then starts killing people until they finally reveal themselves (or are revealed in the cases of a couple) then suddenly find Earth - that all seemed to happen a little too fast, but it was definitely exciting! As they reached Earth and looked at it and decided to land, I was wondering, which Earth would it be - prehistoric, pre-civilized, post-apocalyptic, or modern-day (that would have been too Galactica 1980 and very sad indeed!)? As they started their descent, I thought it looked like much of the land mass that was visible was covered in white, like it was in an ice age or something. Then, the landing and the clarification - Earth has been destroyed in some manner or other. Wow! So, the question is, if that was the mid-season finale... what comes next? Do they find survivors? Do the other cylons come and wipe out humanity for once and for all? Do they just restart the human civilization with the less than 40,000 people that are left?
And where, pray tell, is the fifth of the final five? Already on Earth? Or still among the fleet? Or, killed in one of the attacks back among the colonies? That's where the interesting part lies? I doubt it's the last since the opening always says "One will be revealed", so they are still there, and probably among the fleet.
Can't wait to see what happens next!!!
So last weekend, my buddy and neighbour Brian had a birthday celebrated at the local bar. With the 25 or so people who showed up, the bar had about 30 people in there, but it was still a really good time. We drank much, there was singing and music (his daughter is an incredible singer), and a couple of former colleagues and other local area musicians lent their talent to make for an amazing night. Of course the usual plethora of embarrassing moments occurred with all the drinking and merriment, but on the whole, the atmosphere was fun, and we all had a great time. And he's not nearly as old as I thought he was! lol
I guess that's all I have for today. I have another story that I heard this morning on the Morning Hot Tub that disturbed me to no end that I will comment about at another time. Right now, I have some things I need to get done, so I will chat about it later!
Take care y'all and come back and read all about it again some time!
Cheers!
Slyde
Sunday, June 15, 2008
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