My UnKnown Blog

Tennessee Anti-Bullying Law Change Could Allow Students To Speak Out Against Gays For Religious Reasons: Report

2012-01-07T19:04:00.000-05:00

Tennessee Anti-Bullying Law Change Could Allow Students To Speak Out Against Gays For Religious Reasons: Report Posted: 1/4/12 01:35 PM ET Updated: 1/5/12 10:02 AM ET — "Less than one month after a local gay teen took his own life after allegedly being tormented at his high school, a proposed change in a Tennessee law could protect students who engage in anti-gay bullying if they do so for religious reasons."

The complexity of law can be convoluted and frustrating. Free Speech and Freedom of Religion vs. Hate Crimes^[1] and public safety. Basic common decency says that you should never do anything to harm another person. And, if you follow the teachings of the western deity^[2], love and compassion are the only things you would ever say to anyone. However, we are not a society based on the teachings of Jehovah, Jesus or Mohamed. We are a society based on the Bible/Qur'an, which are often incorrect, misrepresented and blatantly false interpretations of said teachings by men attempting to push their own agendas. We should have little need for anti-bullying laws. But that is, unfortunately, not the case.

The critical issue here, though, is where do you draw the line? Personally, I feel it is akin to the whole, yelling "Fire" in a theater or "Bomb" in an airport, situation. But that's just me.

[1] This really is a misnomer because when is crime not perpetuated by hate
[2] Specifically, the God worshiped in Judaism, Christianity and Islam

First Openly Gay Woman Competes for Miss California

2012-01-07T13:34:00.000-05:00

First Openly Gay Woman Competes for Miss California Jenn Kennedy Posted: 1/6/12 08:50 PM ET — "Fewer things are more all-American than the Super Bowl, Fourth of July parades, and Miss America. Most of us grew up watching as these gorgeous women teetered on stage in conservative swimsuits and dazzling evening gowns. I clearly recall the interview portion, which is where you hear the contestants espouse their views about starving children or literacy or some other safe cause. I never thought I'd see the day a lesbian was in the ranks talking about human rights, marriage equality, and gay teen suicide... until Mollie Thomas."

This, for me, seems like a very odd story. Not because there's an openly gay beauty pageant competitor. But because this should not be something headline worthy. Can you imagine a headline touting the first competitor who read Isaac Asimov? Or listened to Black Flag? Or who had pet goldfish as a kid? These are all irrelevant to anything concerning a beauty pageant. Or to anything beyond a reading group, music discussion and a love of pet fish.

Someday, people will stop concerning themselves with superficial and nonessential minutia.

Right after I become a multimillionaire.

Not looking back; Not looking forward

2012-01-01T09:27:00.000-05:00

Another year in the books. For the last week or so there's been an overabundance of "Best of...", "Worst of..." and "A look back..." stories that try to hit the highlights of 2011. There have also been all the "What are your New Years resolutions" and "Plans for the coming year" posts inundating Twitter and Facebook, et. al.

This isn't one of those.

You see, I have some difficulty dealing with the past and future tenses. The past is not significant for the future beyond the fact that it happened. It's like watching a movie. It can be entertaining and, occasionally, educational, but it has little baring on today. And the future hasn't happened so it isn't something to be concerned with. Acknowledged and made allowances for, certainly. But it isn't really here until it's here.

Many people talking about living in the present; living in the "right now." But what they are really talking about is being present. Being aware of what they are doing while they are doing it. This isn't the same thing. Being consciously aware of what you're doing, as opposed to running on autopilot, does not preclude an awareness of the past and future. For me, this isn't generally the case. I know there's a past and a future, of course. But they don't enter into my cognitive processes unless I intentionally, actively concentrate on them. When I do that I lose touch with what I'm supposed to be doing at the moment. Sounds like I have brain damage, doesn't it.

Truth be told, I do. More or less.

For almost 20 years I have been on various medications for treating Fibromyalgia that have cognitive impairment as side effects. Then, about five years ago, I discovered I have Asperger's Syndrome. Between those two, and the times when I was a child and had a fever over 102°F, it's a wonder I can function at all.

So here I am. Starting the new year the same way I've started every other year. Floating along the river of time hoping I end up somewhere. And, while I do have plans for the coming months, it remains to be seen whether I can find enough help to act on those plans.

Why everyone hates the media

2011-12-29T18:23:00.000-05:00

Why everyone hates the media FRIDAY, DEC 23, 2011 4:00 PM EST by Kevin Canfield — "The cover of Jonathan M. Ladd’s new book shows a pair of newspaper vending boxes that have been vandalized. “Lies,” reads the graffiti scrawled across the machines.

Lots of people seem to agree with the sentiment expressed by this anonymous street-level press critic — even if most of us are more apt to express this by screaming at the TV."

When I first read the title of this article I thought, "Because the media are a bunch of lying, arrogant asses." After reading the article I came to the conclusion that, while the aforementioned statement is true, it isn't the complete story. The problem is much more complex that just the media. It is partly our own fault but much of the blame lies with the political parties and their (mis)use of the media.

600-Million-Year-Old Microscopic Fossils Upend Evolution Theory

2011-12-28T21:26:00.000-05:00

600-Million-Year-Old Microscopic Fossils Upend Evolution Theory December 23, 2011 — "A remarkable new fossil discovery of amoeba-like micro-organisms that lived 570 million years ago could make scientists rethink some widely-accepted theories about how complex life on Earth first evolved from a single-celled universal common ancestor."

Cool stuff. It seems things are never completely understood in nature. Just when we think we have a handle on it something comes along to remind us that we're still just scratching the surface of the universe.

How my book became part of the "satanic sex stabbing"

2011-12-23T01:08:00.003-05:00

How my book became part of the "satanic sex stabbing" - Writers and Writing - Salon.com - SATURDAY, NOV 26, 2011 8:00 PM EASTERN STANDARD TIME — "On the night I heard about my connection to a “satanic sex ritual stabbing,” I had just finished the dishes with my wife. It was about 10 p.m. on a Wednesday, my 2-year-old daughter was asleep in bed, and I was in the living room, casually catching up on email. “I assume you’ve seen this,” a friend wrote. The link took me to a headline on Gawker.com:

“Satanic Sex Ritual Threesome Not as Awesome as It Sounds.”"

This is a glaring example of the truth getting in the way of a good story. Now, with the 'Net and the instantaneousness of social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, the "story" spreads even faster with the "truth" sometimes never catching up. There's an old saying... Believe none of what you hear and half of what you read. Social media is like gossip. It falls under the classification of what you hear.

Earth Must Have Another Moon, Say Astronomers

2011-12-22T18:07:00.001-05:00

Earth Must Have Another Moon, Say Astronomers Thu Dec 22, 2011 09:15 AM ET | "Scientists studying satellites orbiting the planet have come to an astounding conclusion: Earth has multiple moons at any given time, the MIT Technology Review reported."

Very cool stuff. It makes sense, though. Having such a big moon has really kept the space rocks from slamming into Earth.

Two Earth-Sized Planets Discovered — Slice of SciFi

2011-12-22T11:49:00.000-05:00

Two Earth-Sized Planets Discovered — Slice of SciFi DECEMBER 21, 2011 BY MICHAEL HICKERSON - "Astronomers with NASA’s Kepler Spacecraft announced the discovery of two Earth-sized planets yesterday.

Astronomers said the discovery showed that Kepler could indeed find planets as small as our own and was an encouraging sign that planet hunters would someday succeed in the goal of finding Earth-like abodes in the heavens."

We're getting closer and closer to finding Earth 2^TM. To bad I won't be around when we do get to visit other planets. That is, unless someone discovers a way to transfer my brain patterns into a computer. You know, they are really taking their time getting this perfected.

Japan is the latest F-35 customer

2011-12-20T12:48:00.000-05:00

DoD Buzz | Japan is the latest F-35 customer | By John Reed Monday, December 19th, 2011 10:05 pm | Posted in Air, International | "It’s official, the Japanese Air Self Defense Force is the world’s latest F-35 Joint Strike Fighter customer, buying four F-35As starting in 2012. That purchase will kick off Japan’s effort to buy two squadrons worth of the jets to replace ancient F-4 Phantoms."

Japan gets F-35's while the US debates about them.

Scientists find answer to supernova riddle

2011-12-16T14:40:00.000-05:00

Scientists find answer to supernova riddle AFP December 15, 2011 7:39AM — "THE discovery of a supernova only hours after its explosion has probably solved a long-standing mystery on the origin of the brightest known phenomena in the Universe.

On August 24, scientists witnessed the spectacular eruption of light and energy thrown off by the birth of SN 2011fe, the brightest and - at a mere 20.9 million light years away - closest-to-Earth supernova in over 25 years."

This is so beyond cool. When I was in 4th or 5th grade I did a report on stars and, since then, I have always loved this kind of information.

BBC News - Higgs boson: LHC scientists to release best evidence

2011-12-13T15:32:00.000-05:00

BBC News - Higgs boson: LHC scientists to release best evidence - By Paul Rincon | Science editor, BBC News Website, Geneva — "Anticipation is building in the run-up to presentations of the best-yet evidence for - or against - the existence of the Higgs boson.

The famed particle is a missing link in current theories of physics, used to explain how everything gains its mass."

Tick, tock, tock, tick. The time is getting closer and closer.

Why does the world insist on crushing good men?

2011-12-12T19:43:00.000-05:00

At the bottom of an article pertaining to the Sandusky scandal (AP IMPACT: PSU culture explained away Sandusky - Yahoo! News), there is a hint of a gleam of common sense and decency regarding coach Joe Paterno.

Regardless of the outcome of the criminal cases, reputations beyond Sandusky's are ruined.

While defending her husband's actions, Paterno's wife hinted at frustration in the failure of Penn State to act aggressively in dealing with Sandusky in 2002. She said her husband, "one of the most moral people I know," had expected those above him in the chain of command to deal with the matter properly.

She said prosecutors confirmed that her husband "did the right thing," and she insisted he had never heard any details about any other alleged incidents. "That's the only thing he knew about. How can you wish you did more when you didn't know anything?"
As for whether her husband should have done more, she said, "That's not how it works. If they have another question, they get back to you. They were supposed to handle it."

It is quite clear that Paterno did everything he should have in this situation. Paterno was railroaded and unjustly disciplined for doing exactly what he should have done. The world owes him an apology and should beg for his forgiveness.

There's one other thing that always seems to get overlooked in this story. At the time all of this happened, Sandusky was no longer coaching. He was not part of the Penn State football program. The university had as much reason to fire Paterno as it had to fire any other coach in their athletic program. So why weren't the men's and women's basketball coaches fired? The track coaches? The [insert sports program here] coaches fired?

Joe Paterno is a good, honest, caring man. And, for reasons that will forever escape me, the world has a need to crush and destroy any good, honest, caring person it finds.

Video game playing tied to creativity

2011-12-12T15:20:00.000-05:00

Video game playing tied to creativity Published: Nov. 02, 2011 - EAST LANSING, Mich. — "Both boys and girls who play video games tend to be more creative, regardless of whether the games are violent or nonviolent, according to new research by Michigan State University scholars."

This isn't surprising news to anyone who has been involved with technology and education for the last decade or so. The bottom line is that exercising ones brain is a Good Thing^tm.

Zach Wahls Speaks About Family - YouTube

2011-12-09T12:27:00.000-05:00

Zach Wahls Speaks About Family - YouTube — Zach Wahls, a 19-year-old University of Iowa student spoke about the strength of his family during a public forum on House Joint Resolution 6 in the Iowa House of Representatives. Wahls has two mothers, and came to oppose House Joint Resolution 6 which would end civil unions in Iowa.

This video speaks for itself.

LGBT Nigerians: "We Are Not Illegal"

2011-12-02T23:05:00.001-05:00

I just added my voice to this urgent appeal, standing for human rights in Nigeria. Nigeria is pushing forward a law that would make it a punishable offense - of up to 14-years in prison - for anybody to go to a gay bar, to work for or be involved with LGBT organizations, or to be in an openly gay relationship.

Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan - who has said he wants to stake his presidency on improving access to healthcare and education in the country, can stop this bill - by refusing to sign it. Read - and sign - this powerful letter that Nigerian activist Ifeanyi Orazulike wrote to the president, asking him to stop this bill, so that Nigeria doesn't place itself outside the community of democratic nations.

This Monday, Ifeanyi and other Nigerian activists are speaking out at the UN against this draconian bill with a simple message: We Are Not Illegal.

Ifeanyi is taking a stand. Will you take a minute to add your voice to his?

http://www.allout.org/nigeria

Just a cranky old code hacker sinking in quicksand

2011-11-22T12:20:00.001-05:00

Something has occurred to me recently. I'm becoming more and more disenchanted with computers. More specifically, hacking on computers. You see, I am a techie by birth; it's genetic. I still love playing with technology, especially related to computers and the Internet. But the enjoyment of programming has been fading for a little while now.

This is due to a combination of things, I suppose. Getting dropped from school because my health prevented me from keeping a good course completion percentage, my Android phone constently get filled with temp/junk and having the only way to fix be a complete system reset (thus losing all the data and programs on it), and, most recently, the frustration of having Fedora 15 and 16 becoming nearily as difficult to update and configure as MS Windows. I didn't have this much heartburn back in the compile-your-own-kernel, hand-configure-X-and-hope-you-dont-destroy-your-monitor days. Which means I have no interest in doing anything. i.e. I don't want to get out of bed. Sounds like being depressed, huh. It is, and I'm fairly certain that is part of it. But the depressing aspect of all this is that there doesn't seem to be a way I can dig myself out of the hole I'm in.

It's like quicksand. I can't work in my carrier field, nor any blue collar type job, due to my health. Seven years of unemployment have wiped out all savings and now we have trouble just buying food enough to last the month. I started the journey to get a degree in order to be in a better position for finding a job I could work at. I'm one year short of that degree but now I'm told I've used up so much of my financial aid I can't finish school without paying out of pocket. This is, obviously, an impossibility.

Can't work
because I don't have a degree
which I can't get
because I have no income
because I can't work
because I don't have a degree
which I can't get
because I have no income
because...

If it weren't for my son I'd just throw in the towel.
What's the use of trying anymore?

Urgent - Russia about to silence millions

2011-11-21T12:03:00.001-05:00

This issue is one that needs to be dealt with. Silencing information is the first step towards making "undesirable elements of society" disappear. This that statement is an over reaction? Then I suggest you research Germany in the mid-to-late 30's for some historical perspective.

I just added my voice to this urgent appeal, standing for human rights in Russia and all over the world. Medvedev and Putin's party is pushing a law to vote this week that would make any mention of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender issues illegal.

The bill, being introduced as early as this Wednesday, would criminalize any book, article or speech about sexual identity and gender orientation, labeling it "homosexual propaganda". This is outrageous, and now is the time for key world leaders to speak up, we need every voice.

Will you take a minute to add yours?

allout.org/russia_silenced

Why I am so furious about the firing of Joe Paterno

2011-11-16T12:13:00.000-05:00

Unless you've been living under a rock for the last few weeks you have heard something about the child abuse case involving former Penn State football coach Gerry Sandusky. When the story broke I posted a commentary about the attacks that immediately started against Joe Paterno. Since then Paterno has been vilified, crucified and fired. And, as the title of this post might indicate, I am (understatement alert) a bit peeved about it. While I tried not to get sucked into the ranting and raving that exploded on the 'Net, but it was a losing battle^[1].

The reason I am so upset about what happened to Paterno is not simply due to my being a fan of his. You see, I have some experience trying to help a molested child. I also know what can happen when a good man is railroaded, slandered and ripped to shreds by people who don't bother to get any of the facts before passing judgment. If you investigate this whole mess and read the official reports/documents you will find this -

Sandusky is seen by Person A possibly molesting a child
Person A tells Person B what they saw
Person B tells Joe Paterno what Person A said they saw
Even though he has what amounts to unsubstantiated, secondhand hearsay, Paterno reports the indecent to the proper authority
From here, the whole thing gets swept under the rug

As you can see, the only person in this chain who actually did the proper moral and ethical thing was Paterno. And he gets destroyed for doing so.

Many people have railed that he should have followed up and also reported the incident to the police. These people have likely never been on the outside-looking-in of a child molestation case. Do you know what happens if you report an unsubstantiated, secondhand rumor of child abuse to the police that is proven to be false? In most cases, you get your ass handed to you. I have lived it. You don't just yell "fire" in a crowded theater then say, "Oops! My bad." if it turns out to be untrue and receive no repercussions.

What happens if you report to the police that a child told you they were molested? If you're lucky, they will do more than a cursory "investigation" and close the case without even talking to you. I have lived that scenario, too.

I know that this post isn't likely to have any effect on those who've already made up their minds about Paterno. Jesus, himself, could come down and proclaim him just and it wouldn't make a bit of difference. And this is what makes me so upset. When people are so bigoted, judgmental and closed minded that they attack and hate without knowing anything about the situation, or even try to get informed, it is infuriating.

And you know what the irony of it is? These people will feel just as infuriated when confronted with the very same kind of prejudice and hate that the insane, fanatical, so-called Muslims of Al-Qaeda spew in their tirades.

^[1] Just search for my name and "Joe Paterno" to see some of the fun.

Dynamic Views

2011-11-16T10:13:00.000-05:00

I'm trying out Bloggers new Dynamic Views options. Please feel free to try out the different options available and see which one(s) you like.

Turn it up to 11

2011-11-11T02:33:00.001-05:00

Today is (inter)national Heavy Metal Day! If you had to pick one song to represent this day what would it be? Personally, I can't narrow the list down to less than three digits, but some of the ones that would be at the top of my list are (in no particular order):

"Ace of Spades" - Mötörhead
"Breakin' the Law" - Judas Priest
"Enter Sandman" - Metallica
"Walk" - Pantera
"The Trooper" - Iron Maiden
"Highway to Hell" - AC/DC
"Rainbow in the Dark" - Dio

But if I absolutely had to choose one, and only one, song to represent all of Heavy Metal, it would have to be "Paranoid" by the band that created Metal, Black Sabbath.

To those who understand the meaning of Metal, I solute you... \m/
To those who don't understand, my sympathies.

"Rock and roll ain't noise pollution,
Rock and roll ain't gonna die.
Rock and roll ain't noise pollution,
Rock and roll...
Rock and roll...
Is just Rock and Roll!"

Yeah!

Trying to break a great man

2011-11-08T21:26:00.001-05:00

This weekend a story broke about a former football coach at the University of Penn State. It seems that, after retiring from the football program there, he was molesting young boys. This is a disgusting thing and he should be punished severely for it. The situation has also cost the jobs of the athletic director and the schools VP. They are being investigated for lying to the authorities about the abuse. All of this is as it should be. You do something bad, you get punished for it.

But there's something happening that is nearly as disgusting. There are people who are calling for the resignation of Joe Paterno. This is beyond ignorant. The authorities have stated that Joe Pa did the right thing by alerting the school when he found out about the allegations. He did everything legally, ethically and morally that could be expected for anyone yet he's being crucified.

But, for many longtime PSU/Joe Pa followers, this isn't as surprising as it might seem. Joe Pa has been part of a big-time university football program that doesn't play by the "rules." There's no cheating; no grade fixing; no "extra" special privileges... Joe Pa wins games because he plays fair and works hard. The elite university football establishment can't stand that. So they have been wanting him out for decades. Now they will try and use this incident to break him down.

After all, we can't have honest, decent men ruining our cash cow.

Teaching hate

2011-10-14T12:52:00.001-04:00

Tell NJ Superintendent to Take Action Against Teacher for Anti-LGBT Rant

Every time I think rationality, compassion and reason are gaining the upper hand something like this pops up to prove that ignorance, hate and stupidity are alive and well in the world.

I need to take a shower after reading this.

The Most Corrupt Members of Congress

2011-09-28T08:27:00.000-04:00

The Most Corrupt Members of Congress from TheStreet.

That's like listing the wettest lake in the world.

Neglect and atrophy

2011-09-25T01:18:00.001-04:00

I've been so busy failing classes and helping my son start high school I've gotten extremely backlogged on here. If anyone out there is still listening I plan on breaking free pf the log jam after classes end next weekend.

Funding Hate is More Than Just Wrong

2011-08-30T08:29:00.000-04:00

I received this alert a few days ago. This kind of hate can't be condoned.

In the last few weeks, a group of regular people has been urging big companies to cut ties with CVN (also known as CGBG) - a site that allows customers to donate a portion of their online purchases to 'charities' - including several anti-gay groups such as Focus on the Family and Family Research Council. Because of those efforts, dozens of major companies have dropped off the network.

But now these groups have taken notice and they are pushing their supporters to directly contact companies like Apple, Macy's, Microsoft and Netflix and push them to re-join CVN. These companies have come out in support of LGBT rights, but are now the targets of a powerful hate machine.

Please join me by adding your name to this petition telling these companies that funding hate is more than just wrong - it's bad business.

http://www.allout.org/stay_off_cvn