Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Internet Gone Too Far
So, I have been believing that the internet has been going to far in regards to invading people's privacy but as I was reading yesterday, even MSN has gotten into the vibe and is forewarning people about privacy issues that are not out of control. Apparently, there are search engines out there that are literally tracking various bits of information about each and everyone of us from blogs, youtube videos, flickr, myspace etc. and combines this information all together to give a tabulation and snoop of private citizens. This is crazy because none of this information is illegal to obtain (tickets, civil cases, divorces and marriages are also included in the information). This is getting out of hand. We are all being subject to a collection of data that promotes to the world, who we are and the footprints that we are leaving from the internet. They even search the wish lists from Amazon on the books we like and the movies we are interested in. The article which gives more information is http://tech.msn.com/products/articlepcw.aspx?cp-documentid=18632762>1=40000 which gives a more detailed article of exactly how at risk we really are. We have no privacy ladies and gentlemen. I am really concerned. Take a look at the article and tell me what you think. The scary thing is, as I said, this is all legal.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Short Story
Since I am not getting a lot of feedback from my workgroup in creative writing, I am posting my story here to see if I can get some critiques elsewhere. This is a true story. Please let me know what you think.
Friendly Fire
John Fields and I have been together since grade school. Inseparable since childhood, we’ve joined at the hip like Siamese twins. Back home in California he lived across the street from me throughout our childhood; our parents still live there on that same, unchanging inner city cul-de-sac. We even enlisted into the Army together. We finished basic training 6 months before my 20th birthday. The night we graduated we sat together upon my bunk, legs crossed Indian style and facing each other.
We each pulled out a razor sharp knife that had been freshly cleaned and drug in across each of our palms, one at a time. I held out my hand and John clasped it tightly. We pressed our cut palms together, held them tightly and declared our blood oath to each other, and to God himself in the dead of the night. Our oath echoed through the barracks and hung in the air, the pronounced words heavily laden with loyalty “My brother, my brother, in life and death. We will make it out of Vietnam. To come back home together or never.” The next day we shipped out, to the bowels of hell itself. The Ho Chi Minh Trail waited eagerly to greet us, greedily anticipating the fresh new men that would soon be sent to suckle from its breast of death.
I have two dog tags that hang from a cold silver chain around my neck. My name glimmers in response to the moon on the embossed tag, Charles Bright it reads. My social security number befriends my name on the next line, followed by my blood type and religion. These lifeless pieces of metal will be my identification if I die in this satanistic version of Eden. I can hear the loud thumping of my chest in my ears so loud I swear that the booming of my panic will be heard by the Viet Cong. I can smell my own fear as the sweat rolls down my face, or are they tears? Can a body sweat tears?
The Captain’s orders sent us to this foxhole off to the side of the Ho Chi Minh Trail. We are less than a klick away from the boarder of Laos. We have been under heavy fire all day and now into sunset. The beautiful sunsets of gold and red are amazingly deceptive. A sense of peace comes with the setting sun, but it is an illusion. Death comes with the setting sun in Vietnam. The Viet Cong wait for the cloak of night to hide themselves. They know this landscape like the back of their hand while we are the strangers and unwelcome. I haven’t slept in at least 24 hours and my body is complaining to me through the dull aching in my bones. Everything hurts, even my hair hurts. I bury my face in the mud as bullets race past my head. Those crazy bullets that scream as they fly through the air keep me so jumpy. I feel as though I could jump right out of my own skin.
The black of night surrounds us, engulfing all that can be seen. Ignited Napalm scorches the sky in colors of red and orange. American soldiers are blown in all directions, littering the floor with their charred flesh. The screams of young soldiers are deafening to the ears as their lungs erupt in their bodies. John and I crouch down low in a foxhole trying desperately to blend our bodies into the thick cocoon of mud that encases us. John bent his head, touching his chin to his chest. I could barely hear him with all the heavy gun fire overhead. “Charlie” he hissed through clenched teeth, “Are we gonna die here?” “I dunno man” I quipped. My eyes darted back and forth, watching men run like scurrying rats. The image before me was in perfect harmony with my racing thoughts.
John angled his body in my direction, “Charlie, get to my left man”. John reaches his right arm across my back and clenches my right shoulder, tugging me as he speaks. I pull my rifle closer to me and tuck the base under my left arm. Before I can utter a word, John begins to slither his body over mine like a snake. John’s right boot digs into my left ankle as he tries to get his footing and throw his body over. I smear the mud away from my eyes with the backside of my right hand, trying to clear my vision from the sludge that had taken refuge there. John’s weight falls upon my back as his face buries itself in my uniform.
John's body lay across my back, his body motionless on top of me as I squirm underneath him. “John get off me man, move your ass” I yell as I gasp for breath. John doesn't respond, doesn't answer. I tuck my legs underneath me and haul myself up onto my knees. I lift my back straight up and John rolls down my body like a sack of uncooked rice. I turn to face him as fear creeps up my spine in cold icy waves.
John’s body lay distorted in the mud at my feet. The skin of his face portrays an etching of surprise as he stares at me with lifeless eyes. Dead. Death poures from his head in red waves underneath his brown locks of hair, flowing to the earth like an erupting volcano. I try to scream but there is only silence. I look right. I look left. Realization attackes me like a jilted lover, beating me with what has actually happened. I feel the sledgehammer that blasts me in my stomach with no mercy as I gasp for air. There is no oxygen left of the planet for me to breathe. Out of the corner of my eye I can see the billowing smoke coming from the barrel of my gun. It is my gun. My fault. I blink at the stinging tears that prick at my eyes. My mouth gapes open as my jaw drops.
John’s lightless eyes keep staring at me. I turn my head to the left once more to see the smoke rise from the barrel and drift up into my nose All I can smell is that smoke from my gun and the strong stink of blood all around me. God sends no wind to cleanse the air and save my senses from my sin. The sin of friendly fire.
Friendly Fire
John Fields and I have been together since grade school. Inseparable since childhood, we’ve joined at the hip like Siamese twins. Back home in California he lived across the street from me throughout our childhood; our parents still live there on that same, unchanging inner city cul-de-sac. We even enlisted into the Army together. We finished basic training 6 months before my 20th birthday. The night we graduated we sat together upon my bunk, legs crossed Indian style and facing each other.
We each pulled out a razor sharp knife that had been freshly cleaned and drug in across each of our palms, one at a time. I held out my hand and John clasped it tightly. We pressed our cut palms together, held them tightly and declared our blood oath to each other, and to God himself in the dead of the night. Our oath echoed through the barracks and hung in the air, the pronounced words heavily laden with loyalty “My brother, my brother, in life and death. We will make it out of Vietnam. To come back home together or never.” The next day we shipped out, to the bowels of hell itself. The Ho Chi Minh Trail waited eagerly to greet us, greedily anticipating the fresh new men that would soon be sent to suckle from its breast of death.
I have two dog tags that hang from a cold silver chain around my neck. My name glimmers in response to the moon on the embossed tag, Charles Bright it reads. My social security number befriends my name on the next line, followed by my blood type and religion. These lifeless pieces of metal will be my identification if I die in this satanistic version of Eden. I can hear the loud thumping of my chest in my ears so loud I swear that the booming of my panic will be heard by the Viet Cong. I can smell my own fear as the sweat rolls down my face, or are they tears? Can a body sweat tears?
The Captain’s orders sent us to this foxhole off to the side of the Ho Chi Minh Trail. We are less than a klick away from the boarder of Laos. We have been under heavy fire all day and now into sunset. The beautiful sunsets of gold and red are amazingly deceptive. A sense of peace comes with the setting sun, but it is an illusion. Death comes with the setting sun in Vietnam. The Viet Cong wait for the cloak of night to hide themselves. They know this landscape like the back of their hand while we are the strangers and unwelcome. I haven’t slept in at least 24 hours and my body is complaining to me through the dull aching in my bones. Everything hurts, even my hair hurts. I bury my face in the mud as bullets race past my head. Those crazy bullets that scream as they fly through the air keep me so jumpy. I feel as though I could jump right out of my own skin.
The black of night surrounds us, engulfing all that can be seen. Ignited Napalm scorches the sky in colors of red and orange. American soldiers are blown in all directions, littering the floor with their charred flesh. The screams of young soldiers are deafening to the ears as their lungs erupt in their bodies. John and I crouch down low in a foxhole trying desperately to blend our bodies into the thick cocoon of mud that encases us. John bent his head, touching his chin to his chest. I could barely hear him with all the heavy gun fire overhead. “Charlie” he hissed through clenched teeth, “Are we gonna die here?” “I dunno man” I quipped. My eyes darted back and forth, watching men run like scurrying rats. The image before me was in perfect harmony with my racing thoughts.
John angled his body in my direction, “Charlie, get to my left man”. John reaches his right arm across my back and clenches my right shoulder, tugging me as he speaks. I pull my rifle closer to me and tuck the base under my left arm. Before I can utter a word, John begins to slither his body over mine like a snake. John’s right boot digs into my left ankle as he tries to get his footing and throw his body over. I smear the mud away from my eyes with the backside of my right hand, trying to clear my vision from the sludge that had taken refuge there. John’s weight falls upon my back as his face buries itself in my uniform.
John's body lay across my back, his body motionless on top of me as I squirm underneath him. “John get off me man, move your ass” I yell as I gasp for breath. John doesn't respond, doesn't answer. I tuck my legs underneath me and haul myself up onto my knees. I lift my back straight up and John rolls down my body like a sack of uncooked rice. I turn to face him as fear creeps up my spine in cold icy waves.
John’s body lay distorted in the mud at my feet. The skin of his face portrays an etching of surprise as he stares at me with lifeless eyes. Dead. Death poures from his head in red waves underneath his brown locks of hair, flowing to the earth like an erupting volcano. I try to scream but there is only silence. I look right. I look left. Realization attackes me like a jilted lover, beating me with what has actually happened. I feel the sledgehammer that blasts me in my stomach with no mercy as I gasp for air. There is no oxygen left of the planet for me to breathe. Out of the corner of my eye I can see the billowing smoke coming from the barrel of my gun. It is my gun. My fault. I blink at the stinging tears that prick at my eyes. My mouth gapes open as my jaw drops.
John’s lightless eyes keep staring at me. I turn my head to the left once more to see the smoke rise from the barrel and drift up into my nose All I can smell is that smoke from my gun and the strong stink of blood all around me. God sends no wind to cleanse the air and save my senses from my sin. The sin of friendly fire.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Global
What exactly is going on with the world today anyway? CNN is constantly reporting how Russia is going to increase their military forces by the year 2011. North Korea is actively working on launching "satellites" and of course not to mention China deciding to get active over what they consider to be a cross on their waters from the US. It seems as though we are all currently living the game of Risk and everyone is mobilizing to move into each other's countries. Sometimes it really just gives me a headache, or is it just fear? Recently, I just can't decide.
Of course I haven't even touched on what is going on with the Afghan onslaught. So what do we do? Just sit around and watch the news unfold? Do you ever feel as helpless as I do? I must admit it is rather scary to see all of this coming about while I am working on my degree in school. Here I am going to school and the world is going to hell. I feel at a loss of what can come of this. It is all rather frightening especially when you throw in the world economy going to shit as well.
I have no answers, just a bunch of questions and really no direction on what is the right thing to do for our global issues at the moment. I am glad I am not in a position where people are asking me what to do. I definitely have no answers.
Of course I haven't even touched on what is going on with the Afghan onslaught. So what do we do? Just sit around and watch the news unfold? Do you ever feel as helpless as I do? I must admit it is rather scary to see all of this coming about while I am working on my degree in school. Here I am going to school and the world is going to hell. I feel at a loss of what can come of this. It is all rather frightening especially when you throw in the world economy going to shit as well.
I have no answers, just a bunch of questions and really no direction on what is the right thing to do for our global issues at the moment. I am glad I am not in a position where people are asking me what to do. I definitely have no answers.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Where Has Our Socity Gone?
Good Grief! Our society never ceases to amaze me. So check out this one...Apparently a Japanese company called Illusion has created a video game that simulates rape. Can you believe this? In the game a person actually stalks, hunts and violently rapes women. Oh My God! This truly is the most disgusting thing I have ever heard of. To make things worse, Amazon was one of the companies that had been selling the game. Apparently they just recently decided to pull the game. http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/988/1050988/rape-video-game-pulled-amazon
This is one of the most horrific and most disgusting ideas I have ever heard of and quite frankly, coming from me that really is something. I can't believe it actually was being sold via Amazon. Who is doing product control over there, serial killers? People have no shame. Our society has many issues that it is dealing with. Some of these issues are important, and as we have just learned, some are completely disgusting. As I heard about the game via CNN today, someone actually "twittered" a comment that suggested that maybe this would help curb rape against women if people were able to act it out over a video game. Is this person for real? Are people really that stupid? I believe it was a few weeks ago that a 6 year old drove himself to school (I believe 20 miles) because his mom was sleeping. When the 6 year old was asked how he learned to drive he stated "Grand Theft Auto". Yeah, ok, sure, a rape game won't encourage people or teach them how to do it, the kid driving the car wasn't a good judge of what could happen.
This is so disgusting!
Comments anyone?
This is one of the most horrific and most disgusting ideas I have ever heard of and quite frankly, coming from me that really is something. I can't believe it actually was being sold via Amazon. Who is doing product control over there, serial killers? People have no shame. Our society has many issues that it is dealing with. Some of these issues are important, and as we have just learned, some are completely disgusting. As I heard about the game via CNN today, someone actually "twittered" a comment that suggested that maybe this would help curb rape against women if people were able to act it out over a video game. Is this person for real? Are people really that stupid? I believe it was a few weeks ago that a 6 year old drove himself to school (I believe 20 miles) because his mom was sleeping. When the 6 year old was asked how he learned to drive he stated "Grand Theft Auto". Yeah, ok, sure, a rape game won't encourage people or teach them how to do it, the kid driving the car wasn't a good judge of what could happen.
This is so disgusting!
Comments anyone?
Monday, March 9, 2009
Oh Well
So, yesterday was a rather interesting day for me. I was at a birthday party for my niece who just turned 19 years old. Maybe I am getting old but I really don't remember being so young at 19 years old. Of course I am talking mentally. It is a real difference having little children who have not even reached 9 years old to a grown child of 19. I find I spend a lot of time policing the activity between the older teen and my younger kids. I have left my title of "Aunt" behind for the new title of "Referree".
Regardless, I have realized that no matter how much further we get along in life, our family is still there to make us feel as though we haven't grown at all. Does anyone else feel like a complete child around their mom's and dad's? It feels to me that the minute I go home to visit my family, I regress into a little kid again. I wonder if I will feel the same way for my children when they are grown. I think I have heard people say that our children will always remain babies in our own eyes. I think I am starting to understand that statement now. My niece that is 19 years old is treated like a little girl by her dad. No wonder she hasn't grown up yet. It is completely understandable when the childhood comfort coccoon is kept around a little too long.
Anyway, this is what has been batting around in my brain for the moment. I really didn't want to think any further about the OctoMom, Chris Brown and Rhianna, etc. I am really quite tired of the trivial data that the public thinks is the news. I am interested in the economy turning around and how to make that happen. I guess I am a bit burnt out on REALITY NEWS so therefore I just tuned everything out for a moment and realized that my family wasn't necessarily a good exchange either.
Regardless, I have realized that no matter how much further we get along in life, our family is still there to make us feel as though we haven't grown at all. Does anyone else feel like a complete child around their mom's and dad's? It feels to me that the minute I go home to visit my family, I regress into a little kid again. I wonder if I will feel the same way for my children when they are grown. I think I have heard people say that our children will always remain babies in our own eyes. I think I am starting to understand that statement now. My niece that is 19 years old is treated like a little girl by her dad. No wonder she hasn't grown up yet. It is completely understandable when the childhood comfort coccoon is kept around a little too long.
Anyway, this is what has been batting around in my brain for the moment. I really didn't want to think any further about the OctoMom, Chris Brown and Rhianna, etc. I am really quite tired of the trivial data that the public thinks is the news. I am interested in the economy turning around and how to make that happen. I guess I am a bit burnt out on REALITY NEWS so therefore I just tuned everything out for a moment and realized that my family wasn't necessarily a good exchange either.
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