Tebow, CBS, and Choice

Now, I make no bones and certainly no apologies about being staunchly pro-life without exception. Therefore, it is with little irony that I weigh in on the Tebow Super Bowl advertisement controversy. First, as usual, the always complaining and nagging feminist groups are making much ado about nothing. These groups which claim to be "pro-choice" are revealing their true colors. They are barking, petitioning, and whining, "no fair" because CBS has accepted an advertisement from the Xian conservative group Focus on the Family. The feminists would like to deny this group their First Amendment Rights in favor of a right to privacy and a freedom of choice they say without even having seen the commercial. Further, these groups say that CBS is violating its policy of not airing commercials from advocacy groups during the Super Bowl, and I must admit until CBS recently changed this policy they had grounds of merit, that is if that were their real reason for opposing it. I have a great deal of difficulty believing that.

I do believe, as NPR suggested, that CBS isn't so much supporting one ideology or another as much as they are supporting revenue. It is no secret that the cost of airing a 30 second spot has been lowered this year as the country's economic troubles continue. Even more important, however, is that television networks have made no secret of their favor for money over integrity or even morality. Now this is where the feminist groups NOW, NARAL, and any of the other ones should be able to relate to the CBS decision. They are in fact getting a great dose of their very own hypocritical medicine. These same groups attacked Palin for being the very kind of woman they allege represents the pinnacle of achievement in women's rights and in this case these same groups oppose an ad which demonstrates a woman exercising choice over her reproductive rights. Nonetheless, these hypocrites don't want the exercise of reproductive rights to include reproduction. Now isn't that ironic?

Despite the "medical advice" given to Palin and Tebow, these women chose to respect their unborn children and give them life, apparently much to the dismay of NOW, NARAL, and other feminists. Feminists, please get over yourselves. This ad demonstrates exactly what you claim to advocate which is choice. Because the choice happens to be life and how precious it truly is, you have a problem with that? Now that is hypocrisy. CBS is only demonstrating the same double standards that are fundamental to your ideology. I implore you to create your version of a pro-choice commercial. Perhaps one of you will come forward in the commercial and confess to choosing to abort a baby. I mean since it is only a choice regarding only your body and your reproductive rights, of what do you have to be ashamed?

Terrorizing Our Way Out of the Recession

If you think terror or the war on it isn't about the almighty dollar, then you have another thing coming. Psychologists have long studied fear and determined it to be a powerful motivator. People try harder fearing failure, stay in unhappy marriages fearing loneliness, fear challenging superiors for losing opportunities for advancement, fear rabid animals for preservation of life...and so on and so forth. Some fear is primal, part of evolution, necessary for survival and in those cases fear can be good and necessary for survival. However, in many more instances, fear is not a good thing for in psychology it does not fall upon the list of motivators, rather the list of barriers. Fear discourages. Fear deters. Fear ultimately prohibits, functioning according to its nature as a barrier.

During a recent trip, while waiting in a very long line awaiting the ever so delightful transportation security administration screening, I noticed an advertisement in the bottom of one of the screening bins--yes an advertisement. Now isn't that something? These bins are supposed to be used to assist in the screening process. Specifically, these bins are supposed to enable screeners to determine whether a passenger has contraband within his or her carry on luggage. Why are they now also being used to advertise products and services?

Please don't think the bins are the first or the last airline travel related items to receive a "boost" from terrorism. Airport restaurants and other vendors certainly received a boost from the asinine "no liquids beyond security checkpoints" rule. Every time a true or would be terrorist does anything, there is a knee jerk reaction to prohibit that thing from air travel in an effort to give the allusion of safety. More often than not, these efforts and allusions men money for some entity, rest assured. If you recall, a year or so ago, most people were averse to full body scanners for fear of privacy. Then comes along the would be "fruit of kaboom" underwear bomber (have to give credit to Rush for that phrase). Recent polls indicate the majority of Americans now favor those same full body scanners. Surprise surprise. As usual, people fell for everything hook, line and sinker. During some international flights, passengers had to raise their hands above their heads and were prohibited from going to the restroom just prior to landing. Now to the average and below average minds, this seemed appropriate--even the right thing to do for our "safety". Really? Why then, do we pay billions of dollars for intelligence? Is that not for our safety? Why should my comfort and rights be compromised and outright denied because intelligence failed? Why are we doing the same things over and over that continue to fail?

Each full body scanner costs $170k and several will be coming to an airport near you. So will the failing intelligence budget be reduced by that same amount multiplied by the number of scanners purchased and installed in airports? Well, ration would assume it should be if this in fact is designed to work.

What is really sad is that the same people who favor this and any new invasion of privacy and denial of rights with regard to air travel, are the same people who would protest the denial of any amendment guaranteed rights related to any other area of life. The point I wish to make is that we continue to exist as drones and are hoodwinked daily into frivolous government spending. Yet, some would have you believe that insurance reform, welfare, or educational investment are what really erode federal and state finances and corrupt government. Really? Oh well, if Tom Brokaw still reported the evening news, this would be a feature on The Fleecing of America.

Gilbert Arenas--the dumbest gun slinger in the west

Just when you thought it was safe to say you are a fan of the NBA some idiotic player finds some way to shame you once again. By now you are aware, and Tiger Woods is certainly happy, that Gilbert Arenas allegedly stored and brandished a weapon or weapons in his team's locker room. As if that isn't the most asinine situation you've heard in a minute, his excuse surely is.

Now all of this came to light when Mr. Arenas allegedly brandished one or more of his weapons threatening a teammate in an incident related to a gambling debt, a debt which Arenas denies exists. Nevertheless, the primary issue still remains---he brought to and stored weapons at his place of employment. His excuse, he didn't want the weapons in his home because of his children. Nice. Dilbert, eh em, I mean Gilbert did you ever think of a safe deposit box? A weapons exchange program? Selling them? There are several alternatives more appealing and certainly more appropriate than storing weapons at work. He should lose his job and should have been escorted from the premises in handcuffs. At any other place of business this would have been the case even if the weapons were only stored in the trunk of a vehicle on company property. Unless he moonlights as a police officer, bouncer, security guard, FBI agent, CIA agent, or member of the armed forces, I see no reason for him bringing a weapon to work. His stupidity is especially egregious considering the level of security that is standard for NBA players at work.

Commissioner Stern has suspended Gilbert Arenas indefinitely. He should be terminated, though the history of punishment of the NBA makes that look unlikely. I would ask Gilbert, "How stupid can you be?", but I am afraid he may answer.

Facebooking & Tweeting--the End of Intelligence & Couth

Obviously I blog so I'm no stranger or dissenter to electronic communication. I firmly believe that it has made business and documentation more efficient and more important, given virtually everyone an opportunity to participate in news and entertainment. However, when it comes to interpersonal communication and establishing and maintaining relationships, electronic communication devices, particularly facebook, twitter, and text messaging are the Armageddon of Nostradamus prophecy.

I'll admit, I was quick to embrace email for it provided a quick communication method for keeping in touch with colleagues, friends, and instructors. Further, it aided the tree hugger in me in saving paper. During my undergraduate years, instructors began accepting electronic versions of assignments in lieu of hard copies occasionally. By the time I enrolled in graduate school, each assignment was to be submitted electronically. Awesome! However, electronic communication has gone too far. When you receive important messages via text message such as, "I'm married" or "grandpa just died" something is seriously awry. People quickly became drones, addicted to text messaging and incapable of real interpersonal communication. These drones were even texting before full qwerty keyboards became standard fixtures on mobile phones. I've now accepted text messaging, but only now that I have a "smart phone". Prior to that depressing numerical keys several times to simply say "on my way" was just a demonstration in stupidity.

Just when I thought people couldn't get any more moronic along comes facebook and twitter. What is it about these alleged social networks that encourages idiocy? People have been fired for being on "sick leave" and posting vacation pictures during that time, had their homes burglarized after announcing extended vacations, and been victims of assault. I mean seriously drones, this is border line retarded. Actually I think it's beyond retarded. The facebook drones no longer interact or even live. I've been to happy hours with acquaintances and friends who peck away at their phones about how much fun they are having hanging out with the girls. Really? You must be kidding me if you think that having a phone glued to your hand with the facebook application running constantly is engaging in any means. It is downright rude. I limit my interaction with those drones. People with hundreds and even thousands of facebook friends demonstrate the shallowness and insignificance of the uber social network. Many of these people spend their days posting away instead of living. "Good morning FBF. I wiped my ass FBF. I'm breathing FBF. Goodnight FBF. It is utter insanity. They clearly have no lives.

I joined under pressure of friends and relatives to "stay connected" and the initial intoxication of catching up seemed worthwhile until you witnessed how little facebook members actually lived and how much they facebooked instead. I've not joined twitter but have visited friends' pages and it is even worse. It encourages all of the already intellectually limited to post short "tweets" instead of composing actual sentences--as if we needed another excuse not to learn the rules of grammar. Each of the tweeters and facebook addicts seems to get dumber with every post sliding deeper into the depths of retardation losing every ounce of refinement and manners. They post aimlessly day in and day out sending data through fiber optic cables and wireless networks all the while missing the real human connections that bind, uplift, and inspire us. What's next? The holy church of twitter? Facebook united methodist episicopalian baptist holy roman catholic synagogue? Religious organizations and leaders have already logged in and will be tweeting and facebooking during, before, and after regularly scheduled sermons. I guess you don't go to heaven unless you're god's facebook friend or follower on twitter. It's invasive, it is uncouth, and it is beating genetics at creating more retards.