Is the whole world becoming dumber and crazier or is it just me? Thanks to youtube working in tangent with mass media, it seems everyone has their opportunity at fame. However, some people who achieve overnight internet fame get noticed for reasons that just make me think... What the hell is wrong with these guys?
I recently saw some reports on the morning news about two individuals that brought to mind the words of comedian Ron White when he said, "You can't fix stupid." Those words certainly ring true in these cases.
The first incident took place at an Ohio McDonalds drive-through when a women (Melodi Dushane) ordered some chicken nuggets at 6:20am along with some other dinner items. But little did she know that McDonalds stopped serving dinner items after 2am. When the McDonalds employee informed her that chicken nuggets weren't available she flew into a total rage and began arguing with the people at the drive-through. She then began punching and assaulting an employee through the drive-up window. The incident ended after the psychotic chicken-craving lunatic threw a bottle through the window, shattering it to pieces. She was later arrested and charged with assault. Her punishment: 60 days in jail and she had to pay $1500 to cover the damage she caused.
My Opinion: Seriously!? If you think those deep-fried bits of gray chicken-ish frankenstein meat are worth going to jail over then you really are stupid. Although Melodi claims she was drunk at the time so that explains a lot.
You can view the video here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPVQHNSGt0k
The Second incident has drawn much more publich attention. A seemingly normal flight from Pittsburg to New York ended in a rather dramatic way when a passenger and a flight attendant, identified as Steven Slater, got into an argument. It started when the passenger retrieved some baggage from the overhead compartment and accidently hit Steven in the head. When the passenger refused to apologize, Steven got angry and started arguing and cursing at the passenger. He then got on the plane intercom system and cursed out everyone on the plane. He then proceeded to grab some beers and then opened the emergency shoot and slid down off the plane and calmly walked across the tarmac. Police later arrested him at his home. But he's not all sorry for what he did. In fact, police said he had a big smile on his face when the came to get him. Steven's dramatic breakdown on the job has made him an overnight internet celebrity. People are championing him as a working-class hero while others are labeling him an unstable lunatic who just snapped.
Check out the story:
http://abcnews.go.com/US/steven-slater-jetblue-flight-attendant-free-plans-hit/story?id=11374234
My Opinion: While I truly understand that some customers and people can be real douchebags, I think he did go a bit overboard but I can certainly understand why he did it. Personally, I'd love to curse out my boss and walk off the job in a dramatic fashion but I'm not willing to get arrested in the process.
These incidents have got me thinking about what kind of country we're quickly becoming. Seems we're getting dumber and angrier and common sense is becoming less common.
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Friday, June 11, 2010
My Review: The Giver - By Lowis Lowry
When I was in middle school, I read a book called "The Giver," by Lowis Lowry. This was a required reading for our lesson plan. And I'm glad it was. This novel was the first to capture my imagination and give me an appreciation for creative fiction. Years later, as a young adult, I re-read this story and it was just as enjoyable now as it was then.
The premise of this story centers on a young boy, named Jonas, and the community in which he lives. At first glance, his community appears to be a utopia; there's no war, no pain or suffering. But when you look deeper you soon realize Jonas' world isn't as utopian as it looks. Although there's no suffering, there's no love and no free choices either. Everything from jobs, and homes, to spouses and children are all assigned, not chosen. This is done under the seemingly noble intention of keeping people from making the wrong choices.
When Jonas turns twelve, he is selected to receive special training from a man called the giver. The giver holds all the memories of true pain, suffering, love, joy, and all the things that other members of the community have long forgotten. Jonas is selected to be his successor. As Jonas receives knowledge from the giver, he slowly becomes aware of how superficial and shallow the people in his community are.
I enjoyed this book because of its unique storyline and setting. A world with no emotion, no free will, no freedom of choice, and no individuality seems like the stuff of true fantasy. Lois Lowry portrays such a world in striking detail but also does an equally good job of helping the reader relate to Jonas and his journey. This was what I found most enjoyable about the book. You really get the sense of frustration Jonas has as he awakens from his ignorance and gains a new awareness of his world but is unable to share his experience with his fellow community members. This ultimately ends up alienating him from his friends and family.
Although The Giver won the Newberry Award for best contribution to children's literature, it's not without its controversies. Since this book deals with mature subjects, such as euthanasia, infanticide, and suicide, some school districts have banned it because parents complained that these subject matters were not appropriate for children. Some have even gone so far as to suggest that this book promoted communism! However, I'm glad that I had the opportunity to read this book when I was middle school. I feel that this story gave me a great appreciation for creative fiction but also expanded my view of the world. Just as Jonas' perception of the world had also changed. This book was written well and simply enough that I was able to grasp these serious subjects with little trouble. I have no doubt that children, who read this, will also be able to understand the mature subject matter. Some may not be comfortable exposing their kids to that stuff but they will learn about it eventually, just as Jonas found out the truth for himself.
This book was the first piece of intellectual material I ever read. It enriched my knowledge and I am thankful for having been exposed to it at an early age. Whether you like it or not, The Giver, by Lois Lowry, will definitely leave a lasting impression that anyone of any age can appreciate.
The premise of this story centers on a young boy, named Jonas, and the community in which he lives. At first glance, his community appears to be a utopia; there's no war, no pain or suffering. But when you look deeper you soon realize Jonas' world isn't as utopian as it looks. Although there's no suffering, there's no love and no free choices either. Everything from jobs, and homes, to spouses and children are all assigned, not chosen. This is done under the seemingly noble intention of keeping people from making the wrong choices.
When Jonas turns twelve, he is selected to receive special training from a man called the giver. The giver holds all the memories of true pain, suffering, love, joy, and all the things that other members of the community have long forgotten. Jonas is selected to be his successor. As Jonas receives knowledge from the giver, he slowly becomes aware of how superficial and shallow the people in his community are.
I enjoyed this book because of its unique storyline and setting. A world with no emotion, no free will, no freedom of choice, and no individuality seems like the stuff of true fantasy. Lois Lowry portrays such a world in striking detail but also does an equally good job of helping the reader relate to Jonas and his journey. This was what I found most enjoyable about the book. You really get the sense of frustration Jonas has as he awakens from his ignorance and gains a new awareness of his world but is unable to share his experience with his fellow community members. This ultimately ends up alienating him from his friends and family.
Although The Giver won the Newberry Award for best contribution to children's literature, it's not without its controversies. Since this book deals with mature subjects, such as euthanasia, infanticide, and suicide, some school districts have banned it because parents complained that these subject matters were not appropriate for children. Some have even gone so far as to suggest that this book promoted communism! However, I'm glad that I had the opportunity to read this book when I was middle school. I feel that this story gave me a great appreciation for creative fiction but also expanded my view of the world. Just as Jonas' perception of the world had also changed. This book was written well and simply enough that I was able to grasp these serious subjects with little trouble. I have no doubt that children, who read this, will also be able to understand the mature subject matter. Some may not be comfortable exposing their kids to that stuff but they will learn about it eventually, just as Jonas found out the truth for himself.
This book was the first piece of intellectual material I ever read. It enriched my knowledge and I am thankful for having been exposed to it at an early age. Whether you like it or not, The Giver, by Lois Lowry, will definitely leave a lasting impression that anyone of any age can appreciate.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Let Me See If I Got This Right...
My aunt sent me this post. I believe this accurately portrays our country's failed immigration policies. Most of the countries on this list are considered sponsors of terrorism yet they make a greater effort to secure their boarders than we do. The original poster is right about one thing... WAKE UP AMERICA!
"To the world you may be one person, to one person you may be the world"
LET ME SEE IF I GOT THIS RIGHT
IF YOU CROSS THE NORTH KOREAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU GET 12 YEARS HARD LABOR.
IF YOU CROSS THE IRANIAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU ARE DETAINED INDEFINITELY.
IF YOU CROSS THE AFGHAN BORDER ILLEGALLY, YOU GET SHOT.
IF YOU CROSS THE SAUDI ARABIAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU WILL BE JAILED.
IF YOU CROSS THE CHINESE BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU MAY NEVER BE HEARD FROM AGAIN.
IF YOU CROSS THE VENEZUELAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU WILL BE BRANDED A SPY AND YOUR FATE WILL BE SEALED.
IF YOU CROSS THE CUBAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU WILL BE THROWN INTO POLITICAL PRISON TO ROT.
IF YOU CROSS THE U.S. BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU GET ---
* A JOB
* A DRIVERS LICENSE
* SOCIAL SECURITY CARD
* WELFARE
* FOOD STAMPS
* CREDIT CARDS
* SUBSIDIZED RENT OR A LOAN TO BUY A HOUSE
* FREE EDUCATION
* FREE HEALTH CARE
* A LOBBYIST IN WASHINGTON
* BILLIONS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF PUBLIC DOCUMENTS PRINTED IN YOUR LANGUAGE
* THE RIGHT TO CARRY YOUR COUNTRY'S FLAG WHILE YOU PROTEST THAT YOU DON'T GET ENOUGH RESPECT
* AND, IN MANY INSTANCES, YOU CAN VOTE.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I HAD A FIRM GRASP ON THE SITUATION.
PLEASE KEEP THIS GOING ....FORWARD TO ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY.
**IT'S TIME TO WAKE UP AMERICA !!!!!!!!!!!!*
"To the world you may be one person, to one person you may be the world"
LET ME SEE IF I GOT THIS RIGHT
IF YOU CROSS THE NORTH KOREAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU GET 12 YEARS HARD LABOR.
IF YOU CROSS THE IRANIAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU ARE DETAINED INDEFINITELY.
IF YOU CROSS THE AFGHAN BORDER ILLEGALLY, YOU GET SHOT.
IF YOU CROSS THE SAUDI ARABIAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU WILL BE JAILED.
IF YOU CROSS THE CHINESE BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU MAY NEVER BE HEARD FROM AGAIN.
IF YOU CROSS THE VENEZUELAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU WILL BE BRANDED A SPY AND YOUR FATE WILL BE SEALED.
IF YOU CROSS THE CUBAN BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU WILL BE THROWN INTO POLITICAL PRISON TO ROT.
IF YOU CROSS THE U.S. BORDER ILLEGALLY YOU GET ---
* A JOB
* A DRIVERS LICENSE
* SOCIAL SECURITY CARD
* WELFARE
* FOOD STAMPS
* CREDIT CARDS
* SUBSIDIZED RENT OR A LOAN TO BUY A HOUSE
* FREE EDUCATION
* FREE HEALTH CARE
* A LOBBYIST IN WASHINGTON
* BILLIONS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF PUBLIC DOCUMENTS PRINTED IN YOUR LANGUAGE
* THE RIGHT TO CARRY YOUR COUNTRY'S FLAG WHILE YOU PROTEST THAT YOU DON'T GET ENOUGH RESPECT
* AND, IN MANY INSTANCES, YOU CAN VOTE.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I HAD A FIRM GRASP ON THE SITUATION.
PLEASE KEEP THIS GOING ....FORWARD TO ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY.
**IT'S TIME TO WAKE UP AMERICA !!!!!!!!!!!!*
Hello Everyone
For those of you who don't know who I am, this is my official introduction. My name is Dave, I'm a writer, creator, and dreamer. I've had a creative capacity my whole life. My taste in art spans across several mediums, including paintings, photography, films, music, and literature. Right now, I'm in the process of writing my first novel and I hope to write more. I even created a personal website to showcase samples of my writing. Please be sure to check it out and let me know what you think.
dp-authoring.tripod.com
dp-authoring.tripod.com
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