The Kinds of Novels We Read in Public School (USA)

Intro:

I was born in 1979, and altho' I'd gone to several public schools in New Jersey, and Pennsylvania in the 20th Century (1980s-1990s) the majority of my education took place in Mount Laurel schools, and in Medford. Durring the 1980s there was major neighborhood development boom, and thus as population boom, in which several schools were built, rebuilt, and more added to cope with the rising population of out-of-state migrating and multiplying yuppies.

I must say, in the 20th century there was a major statistic about the youth of that nation in which most American children DID NOT READ, and mostly watched television and eventually the statistic became playing video games.

As a kid, I HATED to read. I loved books as a little kid, because I loved art, and pictures, but by 2nd grade books became novels AKA "chapter books" and no pictures, and I liked visuals. I also LOVED music, and MTV was one of my favorite things to watch in the early 1980s!

I have a type of dyslexia which couldn't be tested for since I was a child prodigy artist, and all the tests were visual which I passed with flying colors, and the doctors thought I was just 'learning disabled". They also didn't know what ADD was back then, and there are several "types" of ADD, which I also have. However, I must say having ADD isn't necessarily a disability at all, and because of it i can do things others have trouble with.

Due to the statistic of American children not reading all presidents of my childhood would often be heard mentioning this statistic. So, my mom often did things to try and be a good parent to encourage our literacy. She often got "Highlights" which was a child magazine with lots of pictures, and I would actually read much of it, even tho' I told people I hated to read... and the "book orders" and book fairs" also sold books..... which I actually would read.

Books that I would actually read, were usually Halloween books. Weird huh? I was also religious in the 1980s, but we were allowed to do secular things like go Trick-or-treating, watch MTV, watch Arnold Schwartzenegger movies, Rated R films WITH our parents, and almost anything Halloween, so long as it wasn't devils. My favorite book to read on my own was "Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark" which ended up becoming a series of books. I was totally fascinated by the weird folklore stories, poems, songs, and weird artwork, and would read the book over & over. I just couldn't stop reading it. Also, I noticed that this book was popular not just with boys, but also with girls also.

So, I would look for ANY other books pessimal to that book, with many ghost stories, and folklore tales, urban legends, and so on. But, I couldn't tell anyone at church i read those things, because I would get lectured to, everyone would get upset, pry into my life, then everyone would "pray over me" or think I was being possessed, or "the devil is tempting you", and even anoint my head with oil. (I could tell several of those kind of stories, you have no idea.)

We were also told that somehow reading comic books would turn you into a criminal... until comic books got turned into movies like Batman, or TV shows like X-MEN or Spider Man, I and my brother became obsessed with comic books. I LOVED EVERYTHING by MARVEL COMICS! I even had my own subscriptions to X-MEN, Excalibur, Gargoyles, and would buy stuff from catalogs with my allowance money, or at the comic book/baseball cards shop. Comics in the 1990s were very much like Star trek in that they often had ethics, and political science in them, as well as science, and I LOVE ALL OF THOSE THINGS.

Then, by 1994 we got our first computer, which was a Macintosh Power PC 6200 (Apple Computer). It was AWESOME! I truly feel that getting a computer not only improved my grades, but also my world view, my education, and especially my literacy, because then I was reading all the time. I can clearly see a difference in my grades at school just by doing that one thing: getting a computer.

I actually read slower than most people because the muscles in my eyes that most people use to read with I use to actually see. The eye doctors told me they didn't understand how I could even be an artist, or even see details, but I'm a very detailed artist, and won many awards, prizes, money, and scholarships as a young child. I also don't always test very well in standardized tests. And, I am far-sighted. (I see things better far away than near my face.) But, as an adult my eyesight often tested better than average. I have no idea why.

Other books that were wildly popular with kinds in elementary school that we had to sign up on a waiting list just to borrow were poetry books:

A Light In The Attic
Where The Sidewalk Ends

These books were so incredibly popular with ALL BOYS in EVERY elementary school I went to that more than half of them got them for  Christmas or Hanuka by the 5th grade. I didn't know ANY kid that DIDN'T like those books. They were just THAT GOOD!

Things that America used to do to encourage my generation to read was all kinds of things. Pizza hut used to have something called "Book It" which you could get free pizzas, and prizes just for reading books, and recording how much, and how often you read, as well as what you read. I LOVED FREE PIZZA so I often read every day when Book It was happening! In fact, ANY TIME any school I went to had some kind of prize contest thingy or program for reading books I always did them!

I read magazines, news papers, tabloids, novels, comics, articles, and even counted my homework. I also read the Bible, and even had a free copy of The Book of Mormon, which my Aunt threw away once she saw me reading it into the trashcan... and then prayed over top of me.

Sometimes I had so many vouchers for free pizzas I didn't even use them all, and gave some to my cousin, or neighbors. I just wanted prizes! MORE! MORE! MORE! I would read on the bus, read when i got home from school, on the weekend, etc. Just not is X-FILES or Star Trek was on TV, or my favorite cartoons... but as soon as those were over: BOOK IT! 

BTW: A favorite magazine of mine to read was Disney Adventures

The Kinds of Novels We Read in Public School (USA)

 When you're a kid, growing up can be hard in it's own ways, and many adults forget that. It's hard enough dealing with body changes, social pressures, and then suddenly puberty.... so, I have NO IDEA why teachers would choose books for us to read that were JUST AWFUL and DEPRESSING!

The book I HATED reading THE MOST in elementary school was this stupid, depressing novel called "Pinballs". I HATED this book, HATED the story, HATED the characters, and HATED the names of the characters also! My classmates called this the "bratty children book". Unfortunately some kids had to read this book several times when they switched teachers, or switched schools, which often happened year to year due to rising population.

Meanwhile, other classes got to read great books, which I could overhear with my super sensitive hearing through the windows like "Indian In the Cupboard" or ultra lucky ANY of the "Bunnicula" series of novels! But, no... not me... I got put in the classes with the other ADD kids reading Pinballs.*rolls eyes*
And, some kids even got to read Mark Twain, Anne Frank, or stories about the Underground Railroad people escaping to freedom! That is SO UNFAIR! How come my class never got to read awesome stuff like that? (I know because I could hear them reading it in the other classrooms through the windows or walls, since I have sensitive hearing and could easily get distracted.)

I remember asking our teachers: Why do you always make us read books about immature brat characters? -and all the other girls were like: Yeah! How come?

But, luckily, there was that one time when we got to read "My Side of the Mountain" which was THE ONLY novel in MY ENTIRE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL EXPERIENCE that I ACTUALLY LOVED! That was it... no other good books. Just that one.

And THAT was actually a REALLY GOOD ONE! Every time we would read it together as a class, we actually would take turns reading it together, instead of just the teacher reading it, and even the naughty fidgety boys would actually pay attention and read it, and behave. NO graffiti on the desks, no spit balls. THEY WOULD ACTUALLY READ IT AND BE INVOLVED. We all even got decent grades on the tests about the book as well.

Then, Middle School came.... and more stupid, depressing novels about misbehaving brats with bad attitudes... the one I HATED THE MOST was this book called "Lord of The Flies". A book about prejudiced, bigoted boy brats, that try to kill each other, turn into raving lunatic terrorist killers, then all cry like babies at the end. We also, often had to read Shakespeare which often had loads of racism, antisemitism, and sexism in them, like Merchants of Venice, Romeo And Juliet, Macbeth, and The Taming of The Shrew. Definitely ALL the kinds of things that all puberty stricken teens will HATE.

I don't know why we never read the Sonnets of Shakespeare in school, because those were GOOD.

Most of the books were were forced to read, I was fortunate enough to NOT be forced to re-read them again with ANOTHER teacher like many kids often ended up being put through. They were usually THE SAME THING depressing tragic stories, nothing exciting, VERY EMO. Maybe if we were LUCKY we could get short stories by Arthur C. Clark or Mark Twain which were ALWAYS GOOD! I overheard some kids reading stories about the Civil War... but, not in my classes...

Then there was my FAVORITE BOOK I EVER READ! EVER!

Moby Dick

Originally, I DID NOT WANT TO READ IT. In the 1980s "Save The Whales" was a major thing! My mom was a an avid Green Peace subscriber/supporter/activist, and a member of the WWF, and even PBS. Anti-whaling was also taught in elementary school. So, i was REALLY not keen on EVER reading about whalers, or whaling, at all... plus, even tho' the version we read was like an abridged-abridged-abridged version, it was almost 2 inches thick.

I remember when we first started reading it, and not wanting to read it, but recalling how happy the teacher was about us reading it.

But, from the start it really hooks you in (pun intended). It has lots of horror elements to it, like Halloween-ish stories. There's lots of foreshadowing and build-up tension. What I also liked about it was that it mentioned religious cultural stuff from the time period. Captain Ahab has a similar names to an evil guy in The Bible, also named Ahab. And, when the character Queequeg was introduced it was very scary, and plays on your fears, and the apprehension of the main character Ishmael (also a Bible name).

Even tho' all the characters were men, and they were whalers there were so many things I learned about nautical stuff and the world culture of the time period by reading it. Even the name of the ship was the Pequod which was a Native American Tribe.

We first started to read the book sometime around November or December and finished reading it before May.

Originally, I didn't want any of my friends to know we were reading that book, because it was about whalers. But, one of my friends, Beth, found out we were reading it and was so jealous! She said, "You are SO LUCKY! You get to read a classic novel! That is so unfair!"

Next thing I knew, the other girls asked me what it was about! I told them it was about the time period when people used to do whaling in New England and went around the world, and portrayed the culture of the time, including world religions and cultures, and was scary like a horror novel. Of course people were freaked out about having to read about whalers, but when I told them it was actually good, and it was kinda Halloween-ish no one shunned me. Beth would ask me which parts we were on throughout the year.

After we'd finished that book, the teacher borrow various so-called unabridged versions of the original book to us, including the full unabridged complete version from the public library. It was so thick that I wondered how they even managed to print such a novel back when it was originally written.

To this day, THAT was THE BEST BOOK I EVER READ in public school in my ENTIRE LIFE!


As for high school, yes books were often tragic, disturbing, or depressing, but they would actually at least have some kind of more meaningful moral to them. Many people tell me that Lord of The Flies did... but, I have no recollection of any such moral ever being taught, engaged in conversation about, just take the test, and write a small essay. I HATED IT!

I think of all the books we read in High School my favorite was a book called "Animal Farm". Even tho' it was a sad, depressing, tragic ending LIKE ALL public school novels, it actually taught several things. It was mostly a metaphor of how Communism was corrupted and changed into tyranny and subjugation. "Pigs", "Dogs" and how the laws were rewritten over time. We also had really good English teachers in high school, whom LOVED English and literature.

Other novels we read were The Pearl (Steinbeck) which altho' was tragic was really good. Another book we had to read by Steinbeck was "Of Mice And Men" which I had to read actually twice. I really didn't like that book at all, but I did understand the complexity of the issues in the novel. And, let's not forget To Kill a Mockingbird, a tragic story about racism and injustice on public display. That was actually well written and made its points clear, but it was so disheartening to read, and too upsetting as a teenager.

We read a play called "The Crucible" which was altho' was about the Salem witch trails it was also a social commentary on McCarthism. I had to read that one twice in High School with different teachers. After that we read some kind of cheesy mystery novels like one about a tennis player on the witness protection program. It sucked. I hated it...

I met some people that said they got to read The Catcher in the Rye, but I never got to be so lucky... I saw it in a Target one time in Los Angeles and read many parts of it, which has a really unique writing style. Oh well...

**********************

Outro:

I used to hate books, and used to look forward to the future when trees wouldn't be chopped down, and it would all be digital... but, now that that has come true, I miss reading paper books. They don't need batteries, and the have a look and feeling that digital PDFs lack. PDFs also hurt my eyes.

I guess I sound like Captain Jean-Luc Picard, huh?

By the time I was a teenager the stuff I mostly read, by choice, if I was spending my own cash, other than on comics and magazines, would always be Fantasy novels, especially about unicorns, which were more rare when I was a kid, or sometimes dragons. Or, I would read books about paranormal topics like UFOs, Big Foot, Sasquatch, Yettie (and no they are NOT the same), or Ghosts.

And, if that wasn't weird enough, because I guess I really liked weird stuff, I would read all kinds of New Age, Occult, Spiritual, or Inspirational. I also collected books about Astrology, and Near Death experiences, or Dream Interpretation stuffs.

Or, I would read stuff about science. really dry stuff like Gray's Anatomy (because I liked art and biology). Yes, I actually read it. I've read several parts several times, and it also feel apart because it's very heavy and thick. Several parts I've totally forgotten about, like the lymphatic circulatory system, because I think I read it when I was a sophomore in high school... I also had a subscription to Popular Science at one point, which I often read in the bathroom. And, I would also read Popular Mechanics at the dentist office. One time the dentist came out and asked me if I wanted to read something else because he actually had other magazines somewhere, and I was like: Huh? Why?

I think he meant he thought I wanted to read a teen or beauty magazine... but, I already had several of those at home.

I actually had several beauty magazines as a teenager. I had a Subscription to YM, Seventeen, and a few others... they WOULD actually write about teen girl subjects, but it was full of ads, that after a while there was barely anything to read, just stuff trying to be sold to you.

Also, back then, I didn't know that the girls in the magazines were airbrushed, or altered. So, I often felt like I was ugly, or too fat, and didn't understand that women were supposed to be curvy.

Thinking back, there were so many mixed messages back then in those magazines. So many articles about bulimia, anorexia, and 'love your body" or "we should talk about body image" meanwhile the ads were all boney girls with boy-shaped bodies and spindly legs, or scrawny girls with fake boobs.

Sticking with BOTH my interests in ART and SCIENCE (especially anatomy) helped me to break free from that crap. When I look at images of myself when I was 17/18 which was the slimmest I ever was, I always used to think I was just so fat. Even when I look at them now, that "mind demon" is still there, faintly. But, I just never realized I was just a curvy female. When I studied life drawing in college several times per week, and would go to the Philadelphia Art Museum I would realize that women are just round.

So, I often would speak about this while I was in college. Many girls, and also guys, actually told me years later they were so glad I used to say that because they could put into words what no one else was saying. I often discussed this topic with my daughter, my niece, when I was a Girl Scout Leader, and on social media. I'm so glad that that the views of feminine beauty have changed.

And, as for the topic of reading, I'm sure there are probably many things out there, now on this subject... so I don't think I need to say anything else about it. 




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Have you read any of these books, magazines, novels?

The Kinds of Brainwashed Bigotry in My Daily Facebook Feed (Americans)

The Kinds of Brainwashed Bigotry in My Daily Facebook Feed (Americans)

SCROLL DOWN TO THE BOTTOM TO SEE SOME SAMPLES

It's the year 2015, and Facebook NOW is probably my least favorite social media venue out there.

Why?

because of just how BRAINWASHED and Psychotic people have become.

The SAME EXACT people whom I used to socialize with daily, that I knew since high school, childhood, college, or around that time. Generation X, and all that. people whom once self professed to being "spiritual not religious", and "open minded". The persons whom used to say "I'll never be like THOSE people!"

Remember back in 2008? "Hope" and "Change", or "Change You Can Believe In", all Obama supporters, Obama voters... and yeah, I get it, Obama broke his promises... But, the SAME people that were scared about GW Bush, and made fun of the John McCaine crazy base. Folks that watched The Daily Show, The Matrix, Fight Club, Saturday Night Live, and participated in social media movements like the precursors to 'Occupy Wall Street", and "The Arab Spring", whether Egypt, Iran, and several other protests, like Spain.

Back then, I was rather popular... and no, I'm not hurt because I'm on any sort of popularity withdrawal crash n burn... no, I've been in and out of online fame so many times, I couldn't care less.

It used to be the stupid senile folks in the baby boomer demographics that did the stupid stuff, about half of the time, but t some point they just got so suckered into the brainwashing. I could tell that facebook was filtering things before it came out.

This exact same "free" social media venue was once proudly a platform to organize, set things strait, inform, and mobilize people, or explain things.... now, it's just a tool to either brainwash or divide people.

Now, the folks in my generation are just as brainwashed. The young people also no longer come to facebook. Yes, that means I'm getting old.

My daily feed consists of racism, militant propaganda, pro violence, sexism, greed, snide indifference, and hate. Gone are the days when yuppies would show off their brand new brand name gadgets, or name brand high end purses and shoes, or stereo equipment.

No. Now people boast about who can be more racist, and show off their new guns. Plural.
People whom I'd once known to be smart, intelligent, level headed and open minded... now sucked into these made-up hyper religiosity, and pro war faux patriotism unquestioning.

They boast about how snide they are to berate the powerless, the homeless, the people on food stamps, and most especially those whom dis black folks, especially victims, yet are in total denial about being racist. They attract rape victims, not just woman now, but also male victims. They boast about how brutalizing children (corporal punishment) is just so great "and I turned out just fine" sort of come-backs. No, ya didn't turn out fine, you think it's OK to assault and batter a child, and you use the Bible to convince yourself its fine even tho' you actually never read the scriptures at all.

And you think that I AM THE CRAZY PERSON?
You think that I AM THE ANGRY PERSON? The "NEGATIVE PERSON"?

The same folks wriggle out of any sensible discussion, and act as tho' I'm somehow attacking them, when they avoid answering simple legit questions.... Gee.... I can't imagine why...

Every day is a reminder that not only am I an unloved person, but they also don't actually even love themselves... I've sat back and watched people loose their friggin' MINDS! Just, off their rockers! These were people I knew, loved, cared about...

-and sure, there were some folks that either deleted/unfriended me, or even those whom up and targeted me, every friggin' day with full on malice, just to see what I would do.... and after a year or more of that, sure, I had to give them the ax. (metaphorically, I mean)

Then, when people i knew were really down on their luck, life, existence, illness, grief, and more, who swoops in? The religious vultures... altho' in their mind, they don;t view themselves that way. They are "doing God's work" in their minds, just like they were brainwashed to do, and carry out. And, that was how it started.... so, these seemingly sweet, helpful religious folks, whom pray over you (and prey on you) of give you some food, and exploit people whom I loved repeating over and over their propagandist lines, like a move out of the playbook of Bolsheviks, and the Nicene Creed, they leverage the poor downtrodden person whom is helpless, weak, unsupported, and in deep need, and start to "convert" (brainwash) their victim.

Oh, look how good we have been to you. God has brought us to you. No one cares about you but us. and, the never ending barrage of the proselytizing solicitation.

Look, I'm partially Native American,so I KNOW how these tactics work. I had to write reports about this stuff in Middle School, and High School, as well.

Then, once you've been assimilated, your own uniqueness can become manipulated, your actions can be altered, shaped, changed, formed....

Not only that, but there's the religious fads as well... It is so fake, and persons whom I KNOW personally, and they are just faking. I gag, or choke when I see this stuff.


This has all happened slowly over time, bit by bit, and I started to notice it around 2011 and 2012.

By 2013 and 2014 it just became overwhelming. I recall just being so baffled at this all. HOW CAN THIS BE?

What, pray tell, has happened to EVERYONE?

Nice people were now villains. Bosses I once had looked up to and were responsible upstanding adults, and sensible were now like maniacs on this hegemony racist stint, and anti-intellectual.

I thought: Is this real? Is this actually happening?

Persons whom had once been very friendly and funny, now tagged me to pick fights with me. And, anything I would say that was a well made point or case meant nothing to them because why???? because I didn't have a PAYCHECK? I AM NOT MAKING THIS UP!

If I wasn't in a Union I could somehow NOT EVER BE CORRECT ABOUT ANYTHING about unions, even if, and WHEN, I showed proof... nope... And, when calling this out, they're like: "Huh?"

So, then, what was I supposed to do? Not have friends at all anymore?

I'm so incredibly lonely, you have no idea. and THAT is NOT healthy.


Nothing intelligent, altruistic, nor sensible thing I had to contribute was of any interest to anyone... just my cleavage... hence, I don't often show myself other than my head, if at all....


Well, 2015 is the mother-load of all out Prejudice and HATE.


Here's one I saw many times scrolling through my feed in mid-March.


ATTACKING THE POWERLESS

This one equates the the needy to animals, by attacking the POWERLESS, and even has a NAZI-like eugenics flare at the end.

These were even shared by persons I knew in high school whom had the audacity to call themselves "pro-life".
If i went back in time and showed their teenaged self this, they wouldn't believe me that their future self would be so heartless, snide and racist.

"I'll NEVER BE LIKE THOSE PEOPLE!" they said.
Oh really? Got the evidence RIGHT HERE!
It gets worse I know folks whom shared these whom MANY TIMES benefited from social programs, tax payer funding, and social services...

It's strait of bigotry, hypocrisy, and ignorance.

Here's another one. 

This one just about crushed me. I lost track of how many of these I saw on my Facebook feed:

This one gets passed around with this snide, smug, prejudice.... you know, this was a money making scheme by a crooked Governor, right? I'm sure you SHOULD know, because I'd been sharing the articles about it FOR YEARS, and even got "LIKES" klicks on them by these SAME individuals...

This is yet another INCREDIBLY Racist one. Some people are MORONS, and some folks are just willfully malicious. This whole "Welfare Queen" myth came from Reagan in the 80s, and Clinton cracked down on so many trumped up phony issues making it so incredibly difficult just to get ANY social service.

Really, YOU earned my Food Stamps? Fuck you!
I ran my own businesses several times over, and I paid taxes you've never even heard of. I PAID MY TAXES, and you don't even know the difference between a subprime mortgage debacle and a derivative naked swap, a Depression VS. a Recession!

You're just punitively maniacal, vice driven, malicious bullies hiding behind a paycheck and status "symbols". You're now "just another brick in the wall".

Congratulations! NOT! 


Oh, and with THAT, I have one FINAL thing to say:


Back when the USA had a strong Middle Class, everyone took it for granted what wealth really was. The Middle Class was wealth, but people confused the money with the wealth.

When you have so much, you just GIVE, GIVE, GIVE, GIVE and it's like nothing, because you have so much. When I lived in China, people used to tell stories about how kind and GENEROUS Americans and "People From The West" were. Out currencies were worth more, and we had a higher standard of living.


Well, right now, the wealthiest nations with the wealthiest citizens are Islamic ones. Ever heard of Saudi Arabia? if you actually knew ANYTHING about Saudis, they generally don't work, and get paid government salary based on oil revenue. A big Welfare nation, just like many Islamic nations live. I'm personally fed up with Ismalaphobia, and Islamaphobic memes that people repeat over and over, because Saudis, in my own experience were very nice folks.

Well, how about this:

Oh, and guess what! 

NO DRUG TEST REQUIRED!

What is up with DRESSES the past 2 weeks????

About a a week ago there was this dress by Reem Arca that people went NUTS over on Instagram:

Then, it was THE DRESS that blew up the internet last week, and wouldn't go away.

I could go on about this, because people were idiots and fought over this thing... but, apparently everyone sees this dress differently. I gotta tell ya, I see it as a White dress with brown lace that has a bronze & gold shift. My daughter says it looks blue, and my spouse says it looks black. Whatever... It's NOT WORTH FIGHTING OVER.
















And NOW.... it's this douchey painter guy whom lied to President Bill Clinton and said he fraudulently painted a shadow of a dress in his official painting.

Will there be MORE stories about dresses at this rate???

2015, Revenue, and Facebook

I noticed I had a few unfinished typed drafts to this blog, that I never got around to finish, and I can't even recall what I was writing about. Some, I had to delete, because I lost all the source materials, or have completely forgotten what my point was.
*le sigh*

As I have been mentioning on my other blogs, I have been totally rebuilding my blogs. I am actually much more satisfied with my programmer/scripting since I started doing this last month. I never thought I would EVER say, write, or even THINK that because I feel my programming skills are often stinky.

Well, I have expanded my ad revenue horizons, and increased my revenue stream potential(s). I have also ACTUALLY been approved to some blog directories now! YES! FOR REAL! Can you believe that????

 BTW: If you were reading this and wondering about how to expand your own blogging revenue affiliate opportunities (because I keep getting this question) Just klick this banner:

Also, something I've frequently mentions on my other blogs was how INSANE 2014 was.

Currently, I kind of HATE going onto Facebook. I feel like when I'm on there that I'm so uncomfortable. people have become so easily brainwashed, belligerent, insensitive and stuck in a bubble. I also get accosted with too much perverts. And, of the few people that still frequent facebook, they often flip-flop about what they mean, or which stance they are on... and, many are so shell-shocked from the craziness of life that they are often loosing their mind from rage, despair, etc. That, and also the fact that FB reads & monitors your private messages to sell ads to you, or to other third parties.

And, by selling you ads, it's not the same as the ads here. I mean they constantly "SELL" ideas, propaganda... BE THIS. DO THIS. BE LIKE THIS. JOIN THIS GROUP. YOU NEEEEED THIIIISSS THIIIIING!!! FEEL INADEQUATE!

I REALLY HATE IT!

The ads I do business with, whether by Google Adsense contracting, Amazon Affiliate contracting, and/or other affiliates contracting it's just an ad. Like a simple billboard, banner, poster... they're often like decorations. They're created hopeful to generate "impulse buys", or "impulse clicks". The ads I use are good, but they are not so overtly oppressive, even if I have several. They are at least tasteful, refined, and within reason. If you go to a Chinese website, like a Chinese message board, the ads are so IN YOUR FACE, they are distracting, they flash, make noises, interrupt you, annoy you. I HATE THOSE. But, then, when you go onto Facebook, there are all these ads, constantly that you don;t realize.... it's sneaky. They are on the side. they are by "organizations" posing as a group, or fanpage, when they are actually paid by some propogandist think tank... you might laugh or scoff at my pointing this out, and say: Kandice, i think your exagerating, or overdoing it...

Really? There's the little ones on the side, and they say subtle things... and use ideas, or words, or colors to help you to somewhat notice them.... words like "liberty", "freedom", or whatever issues, or interests you have.... then, other things start to sneak in... the stuff you hate. but, then, it's like those things start merging, and over a long time, you've become duped, or lulled into the things you hated.... without realizing it, you've been duped, or re-trained... or brainwashed.

Or, the tricky Dicks with the trick of making you think that ad ad to a petition about something your against, is actually a petition in favor of what you disagree with... but, you wouldn't know if you didn't read it, and just blindly and "faithfully" went along with it, thinking you were doing some good...

Then, your feed becomes a tool to grab ur attention, and remold the malliableness of your mind.

And, then you can no longer read, nor see the things which mattered to you before... not be connected to those you loved... and instead the feed is full of article after article from things you never even subscribed to... never liked.

And, the people whom you loved, you now need to go out of your way to keep up with....

Then, once their content finally starts to show in your feed, your realize that the propogandists have already gotten to them. *out of breath*

The sensible folks whom were very intelligent, common sense, educated, bright... now..... they are indoctrinated... Persons whom you PERSONALLY KNEW FOR YEARS, or over a DECADE. or grew up with, worked with, went to school or classes with... Things these same individuals said they would NEVER BE, NEVER BE LIKE, and NEVER EVER DO..... and NOW, they are totally consumed in the propaganda. totally brainwashed... and so much so, that they cannot even see it, and have a common sense discussion about it, will make you loose your friendships with everyone...


Persons whom claim they don't like rumors, conjecture, hear-say, gossip, or nonsense based without fact, actually HATE FACTS, but prefer cult-like "truths" instead, and engage in the spread of the propaganda as well. They have fallen for it all.  They are unwilling to analyze, evaluate, re-evaluate, and consider things for what they are, nor make sensible comparisons.

So..... that is why I am uncomfortable with Facebook these days...
The reasons I was originally on there, and also was incredibly popular from about 2007-2010 are just not there anymore... Once it seemed that FB could be used for good, like The Arab Spring, and Occupy, it seems as tho' that same ability to do so had been used to promote the opposition, which pays for it with money, unlike the former which was free and motivated by truth, liberties, human rights, and common sense.

I am tired of it...

Anyways, I am actually becoming rather popular on Instagram again.  You can find me HERE.

I have also started some new blogs. Find all my blogs HERE.

My main twitter profile is @BlackUniGryphon but due to some pending funds issues, which have been stuck with quite a lot of perpetual delays, It's possible that it could temporarily be set to private or shut down for an unknown extended period for legal reasons potentially. The matter is such a liquid issue of flux, that I cannot predict the time-frame, much to my frustration.

Phony Talking Point: All religions teach the same thing

 Here's an echo chamber concept/talking point I often fell for when I was in "New Age" circles:

"All religions teach the same thing." 

Each person, guru, or follower saying these things would often spin it in some direction, like "oneness", or "love".

It's a BEAUTIFUL IDEA! Which is why everyone usually likes to hear this, and also shake their heads, and repeat it...

Then, depending on whomever was saying their version of this talking point, it would somehow end up being about how they knew everything (or inferred they did), how their life was so great, or perfect, so buy their book, subscribe to their ________, buy a ticket to their show... because Capitalism = oneness and love, and God, and all religions, and whatever else their "spirit is telling me"...


And, you should try to be JUST LIKE THEM, only DO WHAT THEY SAY, but BE HAPPY IN YOUR MEAGERNESS, BUT DON'T BE... because you should strive to be like them...






*pause to contemplate the contradictions*


Or, when they speak, or write down, the whole "all religions teach the same thing" stuff.... they start "Name dropping":
Buddha (that's a REALLY POPULAR ONE with Westerner English speakers), they throw in Jesus (THE TOP MOST POPULAR ONE), then they throw in names like Mohamed, and Moses... I've also heard 'The Ancient Egyptians", "The Ancient Greeks" or Oracles, Saints, Atlantis (all of those claims are just fabricated and made-up) or maybe they will get creative and throw in modern people like Bruce Lee, Gandhi, or the Dali Lama (also VERY POPULAR WITH English speaking Westerners)...

And, SURE, this talking point sounds SO BEAUTIFUL....... but, it's NOT TRUE. 

If you've ACTUALLY read, researched, and studied about them, even a little bit... and I mean not just looking it up in a blurb, it's LAUGHABLE ,or even SHAMEFUL, to say this, and even repeat it.

*face-palm* 

They're all pretty different... sure, there's probably similarities. But, their "teachings", and/or opinions, were different... and even written records & trace evidences of them all differ.
Then when it comes to "Buddha" there are actually SO MANY OF THEM. (I also lived in China several times, so I ought to know) there isn't just ONE guy, and even the original Buddhist teachings were NONTHEISTIC... it was just about being a person of moderation, and being kind.

If you go to far East Asia, they follow mostly the Amitabah Buddha. That's why they always say his name in China. (E-Mi-Tou-Fue meaning Amitabah Buddha) But, they also believe in the Tathāgata Buddha, and several others.... Like Milou Fue (the happy fat guy that's like a bald naked chested Santa Claus with lots of presents & treasure)


In fact, in Buddhism they believe anyone can become a Buddha.... and, from what I can tell, Siddhartha Gautama (or whatever name people in this age call him) came up with his ideas for starting Buddhism as a counter ideology for Hinduism & the Cast System, specifically karma, it kinda sounds like he didn't even believe in it. Yeah... no karma in Buddhism originally...
(also so many folks don't even understand what karma originally mean, just like they don't even know what the word sin, or abomination originally meant either)

I'm just pointing out the obvious here...

People who like to repeat this idea that "all religions teach the same thing" and mix it together with Oneness, and also self promote, and sell stuff, and/or promote their ideology are either very mislead & unwittingly brainwashed. They also NEVER READ ABOUT WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT, NEVER LEARNED ABOUT IT, AND HAVE NO CLUE WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT.

(Like "energy"... pick up a dictionary, the definition isn't what you "spiritual" people think it is...)
That's also called fraud, and dishonesty.... and, most of these people (including me) are guilty of this without even realizing it.

But, hey... maybe, it's because we're all human beings, and one way that babies learn is by imitation, and copping things... it's not all bad... but, it's funny to see babies & children do this. It comes natural to most... but, there's other ways of learning, and understanding things... Another way is by repetition familiarity, or by association... which can be misleading. We can learn by making mistakes (hopefully).

Maybe part of the reason is because the earlier ways the human brain can learn, like by mimicry, is a simple brain process, and I guess it just keeps running... all the time.

But, we can also be mindful, learn, research, check clues, facts, trends, cross reference, triangulate, verify, examine, test... those just take a little more time, and brain power, and awareness...

I've learned:
Just because somebody wrote something in a book, or speaks pretty words, or acts like they know what they are talking about doesn't actually mean they do.... and, if they don't like to be questioned about it, that's kind of a "tell" as they say in poker. Usually, they don't even think or realize the obvious...

-or, they say I'm "being negative" because I "think out of my left brain" (like that's some kind of insult).
 *face-palm*



*long pause for a moment to contemplate that a 'spiritual' or 'wise' person would call you a person that thinks from their left brain while unwittingly affirming that don't think out of their brain, and are in fact an idiot without even realizing it, ironically*



or, tell me I spend too much time being attached to third dimensional reality... 

...... so, u spend time disconnected from reality? ...um.........

I wasn't gonna say that..... but......




*long pause to actually contemplate how they've just declared themselves as detached from reality and are serious about it* 




If you really LIKE or LOVE all of these things, like Buddhist figures, WHY DON'T YOU EVER READ their sutras, scriptures, or their histories? (Seriously, I've lost count of how many sutras I've read. There's countless.)

If you REALLY LOVE God, Jesus, The Bible, or Moses, then WHY DON'T YOU ACTUALLY READ THEIR SCRIPTURES?

-unless, you just like the pretty talking points better.... 


But, if you did read-up, you also wouldn't repeat those things you think either....

(Honestly, I JUST read EVERYTHING in scriptures about Moses... I pity the guy. The scriptures paint him as some stupid sap, or chump, of a guy that gets tortured by God, often for God's sadistic pleasure & amusement that he goes mad frequently. Like a battered woman syndrome.)


I don't know what people have been telling you, or what Borders or Barns & Nobles new glossy book says.... or what ur groups or people around you say.... but, "blind faith" is like eyes full of flood lights at night time....
You can't see anything around you....


Just sayin'...

2014 Examples of Permaculture

_____________________

I like these, but they need some pragmattic design work.
You can actually design the garden to hide things from pests like deer & birds... the trick is to figure that out.

The Nonsense People OPENLY say to Defend Torture 01

The Nonsense People OPENLY say to Defend Torture 

This will be my first recorded outlet of the kinds of emptiheaded nonsense people spew out in public without even thinking, nor understanding what they are talking about.

Mind you, THIS IS PUBLICLY EXPRESSED, within THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.

There are these persons whom have been "friends" with me on social media, such as "Facebook". they're not actually my real friends, but most likely people that I played video games with, or people whom knew me via others/networking, or groups. Or, perverts that just want to 'be my friend" because I had photos of myself with cleavage & makeup on.

Often, they DON'T show their actual faces, nor even use their real names. They also only regurgitate talking points, often propaganda, that they sling around reactionarily without even thinking about what they're talking about, and are quick to make everything about sides (your side vs. my side) because they can't think in anything other than a dualistic black & white, and can;t distinguish between complex nuances in the "shades of gray".

If you disagree with whatever they've been conditioned to think, they accuse you of it attacking them by attacking you first and you replying, and questioning them.

They also don't understand what words like "liberal" and "conservative" actually mean, and sling words around dismissively, thinking they know what they're talking about.

Here's one  such person, today (December 15th, 2014) going by the name  
Kevin Metier.

I made some posts, logically stating how people whom are tortured are victims, and that creating a victim means someone committed a crime. victims are the result of a crime. It's also morally wrong. It's not any kind of NEW argument, it's been around for centuries, and many laws, such as Common Law, Magna Carta, and the US Constitution Bill of Rights, and even the Nuremberg trials are also NOT NEW.

But, this guy comes at me with this:

Oh, was somehow the use of a person falling from the towers is supposed to do what? make me feel guilty, or shut up, or nullify what I said?

Funny thing is it doesn't. I resent the use of this person's tragedy to be used, LIKE DICK CHENEY DID, to justify invading Iraq FOR PROFIT, and using repeated torture to get a phony "lead" since Iraq HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH 9/11. 

Not only that, but Cheney & bush DENIED that there was ANY torture going on FOR YEARS!
WHY???? Because it's A WAR CRIME.


So, when I responded to his impulsive, and thoughtless attack, he wrote this: 

This is the same guy that is often self righteous with religious  anything whenever it suits his whims...
And, by the way, I'm also ANTI-Feudalism, so this little 'princess' quip is just more nonsense he thinks might hurt my feelings... but, I actually UNDERSTAND what I talk about, or write about.

And, then he doubles down, admits he condones torture and evil.

Well..... I wonder what his boss might think....