As some of you may remember, in my previous website I had a page called "Ranting and Raving." It was filled with thoughts of mine on various subjects. I thought I'd treat you all again to my opinions. Any comments can be directed at that hole in the wall. Or you can email me. Soon I will archive the earlier Opinions, so don't worry if you come back and they aren't there. You'll find them later.
July 27, 2000
Stop The Music??
I'm madder than a bitch in heat with no one to screw. The government has said that Napster, a program that allows Internet users to share mp3's, must shut down because the sharing of these files isn't fair to the artists. Not fair?? Not fair to let music out? Not fair to allow people to fall in love with the artists, so much so that they might actually go buy their CD's? The artists claim that they are losing money over Napster. Oh, I'm sooooo sorry Miss Mariah Carey can't buy TWO pairs of Prada shoes. I'm deeply hurt that the gentlemen of Metallica will have to go on welfare just because no one is buying their albums.
Come on people, let's get real here. No one is losing money on anything. Record sales are up 30% in the past year. All this is are people sharing MUSIC. Music is an artform and you CANNOT put something as trivial as a price on it. Yes, I admit that I will pay $15.00 for a CD. I believe that artists should be rewarded for their work. But to tell people that music is not to be shared? This is WRONG. Does this mean that I can't tape a song off the radio? Does this mean that I cannot lend a friend a CD? Does this mean that I can't sing to myself in the shower because I don't have rights to the music? This is getting ridiculous. Let Napster stay in its current form. It is NOT hurting anyone and in fact is helping music to fill the world. What can be bad about that?
June 19, 2000
Oh...So THIS Is Love?
Today's opinion is strictly that: an opinion. Last month I met a "great" guy. We talked on the phone for a couple of nights (yes, I did meet him through the Internet) and we had so much to say to each other, we decided to meet. We spent an entire morning and afternoon together, and I thought we were perfect for each other.
How damn wrong I was.
This man, for some unknown reason, decided suddenly that I wasn't good enough for him. No, he didn't tell me that. He didn't have the balls. Instead the phone calls stopped and the emails tapered off until they eventually stopped as well. Me being the good devoted little girlfriend, I kept e-mailing him on and on, chattering about my day. I told all my friends that I had a wonderful boyfriend, but he just started a new job and was very busy. Busy... so busy he couldn't take 5 seconds to drop me a line and say he was still there for me. After hours and hours of telling me how wonderful I was, how smart and beautiful, this person (I can hardly call him a man) kicked me to the curb like yesterday's garbage, and forgot about me as quickly as he could. I'm sure he has a new girlfriend now, a girlfriend that runs to see him the minute he calls, a girlfriend that he dedicates love songs to, a girlfriend that has no one to think about other than him. And that's fine.
What I'm trying to get across to you, ladies, is that NO MAN is worth stressing out over. He can come off as perfect as anything, treat you like a princess, and then drop you like a bad habit. But remember, you have other talents, other skills, and there ARE other men out there. You still have people who love you, even if this MAN doesn't. Any man who doesn't accept you for who you are now, never will. Take my advice, just get a cat, and do your own thing.
May 10, 2000
Do I Know You? Then Why Are You Talking To Me?
I'm a chat junkie. I love to be in my favorite chat room, talking to the wonderful people I've met so far. I even like talking to new people once in a while, as long as they DO NOT private message me asking me stupid questions that could easily be answered by viewing my profile or just asking me in the room. Most of my online friends (who are also chat junkies even if they won't all admit it) agree with me. There are many times when someone will shout out "NO PM'S PLEASE!" Of course, when we say this, we usually end up with a dozen PM's (private messages) from people we DO know telling us they'll PM us if they like. So such is chat life. Here I've outlined a list of basics I believe should be followed by each and every new chat person:
*** I will not bother the room when it seems like they already know each other well by asking the stupid question "A/S/L?" If I want to know where everyone is from, I will ask "Hey, so where's everyone from?" This is not quite as annoying, and maybe they will accept me as being cool.
*** I will not bother someone who seems to know what's going on by private messaging them to either say "Hi." (Annoying as shit.) Or to ask "A/S/L." (We've already proven this is super annoying as shit.) If I want to know a person better, I will view their profile. Considering that most chat junkies have good profiles, this is a good place to learn about them.
*** I will try to be cool, sit back, and relax in a chat room and I will also try to say INTERESTING things so that maybe I'll be considered cool.
This list is NOT harsh in any way. We were all new once, and most of us are not closed to meeting new people. New people make the chat rooms fun as long as they are not being annoying as shit.
I have one more thing to point out here. Being a chat junkie such as I am, I have at least 3 ways people can reach me when the rare moment comes that I am NOT in the chat room. These online messengers contain my FRIENDS list. The people on the list are my FRIENDS, and I love to hear from them as I'm surfing around. One of these messengers allows other people, who are NOT my friends, to see that I'm online. I don't have a problem with this. What I have a problem with is that every social reject and mental midget seems to think "Hey, someone's online, and she's a girl! I'm gonna message her and wow her with my suave pick-up line." This suave line? Usually "A/S/L?" or my favorite, "U have nice pic." Ok, thanks, but umm...NO THANKS. If I don't know you, and you feel like you MUST message me, say something cool like, "So, what kind of ring do you like?" or "If I had some money, I'd give it to you." Something original, folks, please! And if you have nothing to say, then don't bother. I'll close this with a quote I heard (read) in the room the other night: "If only I had an ignore button in real life."
April 24, 2000
Back Off, Bitches!
I'd like to start off by saying that this opinion is entirely superficial. No talk of dead Marines or striking machinists. Today's opinion is about man-stealing girls. Oh, you know you've known some. Maybe in high school you had a boyfriend, and he had a "friend." That "friend" spent as much time with him as she could, integrated herself into the group, and basically made a real pest of herself. But he never saw it, because (and don't take this the wrong way, guys) men are blind. I take that back. MOST men are blind. Those who are smart enough to see through this "Oh, I'm so sweet and innocent and I just want to be friends" veneer are few and far between. Men, WAKE UP. If you have a girlfriend, and she's decent to you, do NOT fall prey to these little girls. They are playing a game. They do not really want you for YOU, they want you because you belong to another! Some of you men may be saying, "Oh, not Karen-Annie-Heather-Janeann-Carol. She's just my friend. She's even friends with my girlfriend." Look at THAT friendship. Are they cordial to each other? Do they keep each other close? OF COURSE THEY DO. Women know when other women are playing the game. We keep each other close to keep an EYE on each other. Why do you think so many women have so few very close women friends? Most of the time, we don't trust each other. So men, be reasonable. There's a reason you chose someone to be your girlfriend. Remember what it is and keep away from the men-stealing bitches. They will only hurt you in the end.
April 11, 2000
2 Opinions for the Price of 1
I live near a naval air base, and also very near to Lockheed Martin, a company that makes the airplanes that so noisily fly over my head. At midnight on Monday, April 10th, the machinists of Lockheed Martin went on strike. Why did they do this? Money. You see, Lockheed Martin produces 1/3 of the F-16 fighter jets. The machinists for Boeing, who also produce 1/3 of the jet, have received much better benefits and also get $2.56 more per hour for the same work done. The local media has reported that there are "hundreds and hundreds of strikers." I have seen the news reports, and honestly never saw more than a dozen at a time, so I thought I'd drive past and check it out. There were only a dozen or so men, 6 or 7 at each gate, walking back and forth with picket signs. It is true, they backed up traffic for almost 2 hours yesterday because of the strikers walking back and forth across the gates, but so far the strike has been a peaceful one, unlike the strike in 1984. I think these workers have a good cause to strike. Although I have never been one to scream out "Equal pay for equal work," I do believe in this case, the pay should be equal to their Boeing counterparts. In a case like this, these workers are in fact like machines, doing the same thing at about the same rate. So why not the same pay and benefits for it? It is unfair to give these workers less simply because they are with Lockheed Martin. It is also unfair that although they may believe in what this union is doing, some of the employees simply cannot show their support by walking out. Lockheed, listen to your employees. Strike on, machinists, and don't stop until you get what you deserve.
On a sadder note, this week we lost 19 Marines in a plane crash. These young men risked their lives trying to learn rescue procedures, and we should honor them. One of the mothers said her son was a "guinea pig" for the government. No, that isn't exactly true, and I think that when she calms down, she'll see that. People don't join the military and say "Wow, this is sure gonna be fun." They join to serve their country, and with that, they know the consequences that very well could occur. [I will mention that some people join the military to try and pay for the high expense of going to college at a later date.] It seems as though people are looking for someone or something to blame for the deaths of these young Marines. The government, the plane, the company that produces the plane, it's all the same. Things happen, and nothing can give back these lives. Families and friends know that there is always a chance something could happen, and trying to place the blame on something isn't productive. We salute you, Marines, and may you rest in peace.
April 8, 2000
What Was I Looking For?
When I was in high school, I was a member of the band. We were a group and a clique. But there were cliques in our clique, and cliques in the cliques. Band members, for the most part, had their best friends in the band, most classes with the band, and dated within the band. We didn't question it, we just did it. Sections were cliques, and people would find their favorite people in the section and bond with them. We all fought, cried, laughed, and basically made the whole organization like a family. This was the way I think a group should be.
When I got into college, I longed for the security and closeness I had had in high school, so I did as many others do, and I started pledging a sorority. This was not supposed to be a true "Greek Life" sorority. It was a service and an honor sorority, meant to serve a common purpose. We, along with our brother fraternity, were to help a particular organization. I was supposed to "bond" with my new "sisters" and we were all supposed to have loyalty and commitment to each other. But we found ourselves in cliques, maybe unwillingly. We worked so hard at becoming "sisters" that we never really bonded. Finally, I ended up leaving, and although it was said that if I did, we would all remain close, I didn't hear from the girls again. When I manage to make it to an event that they are at, we all say hello, but it is obvious that we have nothing to talk about, despite our 3 months of forced sharing and closeness. I will not say a bad word about these girls, and I truly wish things had turned out better. This group was NOT an example of how groups should be.
Now, a couple of years later, I find myself again in a group. An online chat group. We spend hours talking to each other on the computer. We send postcards and gifts and speak on the phone or in "voice chat" when we can. But again, there are cliques in the group, and cliques in cliques. We fight, cry, laugh, and share our secrets with the group. We have made each other our own extended family.
And this, ultimately, is what we are all looking for.
March 27, 2000
Beauty Lives
Today I woke up late. This really shouldn't have shocked me because I was up until after 2am trying to study (in vain, I might add) for a test I knew nothing about. This really DIDN'T shock me at all, as I had only been to class maybe twice during the three chapters that the test was over. But I digress. I got up, brushed my teeth, threw some clothes on, struggled to put my contacts into my already stinging eyes, and plunked down in the car. I sped all the way to school, not noticing my surroundings. I was more concerned with getting to school, finding a parking space, and running to class so that I might have a few more precious moments in which some other little fact might sink in. I didn't notice any of the other students in my class as I scanned my notes. The test began and I answered the questions to the best of my ability, bullshitted an essay, and left with half an hour to spare until my next class. I went into the bookstore and bought some juice and planned on going directly back upstairs to class, but instead I found myself outside. I thought "Why not enjoy a little something before class?" So I chose a bright sunny spot, next to some pretty green grass and watched the birds as they played and danced in the clear blue sky. I felt the wind encircle me and the sun warmed my skin, almost like Mother Nature giving me a hug and telling me "It's ok. You tried your best and now it's time to move on. Look at what I have given you." And then I realized that a line from one of my favorite movies is true. "There is so much beauty up here."
March 26, 2000
Stop Complaining, Old People!
As society changes, I wonder why one generation is often very different from another. And it seems that with every generation, there is a group that sits and exclaims "Nothing is like it used to be!" No, of course nothing is like it used to be. If everything stayed exactly the same, what would be the reason for living? In an Irish legend, there is a land called Tir Na Nog, where there is no hunger, no sorrow, no pain. But because there is no sadness, there is also no joy. No joy! To live the rest of your life never knowing the heart bursting pleasure of seeing someone you love, never feeling simply happy watching the clouds, never knowing the sweetness of having a baby smile at you. All for the bargain price of never hurting and things never changing.
"Nothing is like it used to be!" This could have been said by the ladies of the South as they watched their men go to their defeat during the Civil War. It may have been said as parents watched their children go crazy over that pelvis-swiveling Elvis Presley on the Ed Sullivan Show. Or by children of hippies who now must fight in the corporate world.
"Nothing is like it used to be!" No, of course it's not. If everything stayed exactly the same, how would we grow, learn, change? Who is to determine what idyllic time period we should remain in? The turn of the century when meat was rotten and jobs scarce? The 50's, with the threat of communist Russia and nuclear war over everyone's heads? Or maybe the 60's and 70's so we could keep the Vietnam War going, and watch young men returning home in body bags? Or what about now, The Computer Age? A time where people don't even have to speak face to face? "Nothing is like it used to be!"
No, and thank God for that.
March 22,2000
Real or Memorex?
Last night I was chatting in my favorite chat room, and I mentioned that I was listening to a CD that was released yesterday by a famous "Boy Band." Someone said that it wasn't "real" music and that broke everyone out of their collective shells. There were comments about how Pop-Top 40 type music was bubble gummy and therefore not "REAL." The musicians in those kinds of bands are also not "REAL" because they are in it for the money. That got me to thinking. Who is to say what is REAL music and what isn't? And who is to say that musicians aren't REAL just because they don't write their own songs and are making money. Let's look at something here:
Five individual young men from across the country like to sing. No, they don't know each other and have only dreamed of making money by their talent. So a nationwide search goes out, and wow, what do you know? Five thousand other young men just like them come to audition. The young men, most of them from the ages of 15-25, sing their hearts out. No thought about the money, no thought about the millions of screaming fans. They just like to sing. So they sing and audition and go through many screenings. Finally the results are in, and these five young men have been chosen. Wow, it must be their lucky day! So they are given music that, hopefully, will sell because that's what the record companies want. They are made over into what hopefully the target audience, usually teen and upper-teen girls, really wants to see. They are taught to dance and finally are thrown onto a stage. And what do you know? They're a hit! Girls are screaming for them! People LOVE their songs! But at what price are they paying for this? Loss of privacy? Loss of old friends? Maybe even loss of some self-respect, because now they are puppets of a demanding music industry. They try to play their own instruments, but no, that's not what the fans want. Maybe they even try to write a song or two, but since it doesn't fit an "image" it doesn't ever get cut. (This happened to Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys over 30 years ago. A great talent, stifled and almost killed.) So what do they do? Give it all up? Ah yes, that is the easy answer. But how do they give up the love of performing? Once you have grown used to the applause, it is not an easy thing to give up. And what about singing? After all, isn't that where this started?
So before you start saying "Yeah, well, why don't they just make some real music?", think about this. What we in America consider music (pop 40 rap grunge alternative classic rock whatever)is considered CRAP in other countries. Music is universal and to be open minded about music, to embrace ALL kinds, is to come a little closer to understanding other cultures and in turn, understanding yourself a little more.
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