I fear that society is growing angrier by each passing day and as the years go by, more and more of them are coming out of the woodwork to create a media circus. It's fueling itself by eating its own tail while growing a new one simultaneously. Because of this, I have been avoiding the articles about Bill Cosby. So there are over 20 women calling him a rapist. Who'd of thought a man such as he would have so many skeletons in his closet?
And the media circus that has ensued! The media is consistantly jumping on the bandwagon and interviewing people that don't really have a relevant opinion and the women that do have cause to be angry have not banded together and filed a class-action against him. So is he really that untouchable and famous enough to get away with it or is there just not enough to validate what is being said by his accusers?
I think that these are questions that should be answered. Mr. Cosby. Why are you keeping silent? Do you honestly think that avoiding this and hiding behind attorneys is going to keep you from losing any face? Because, frankly, I think that you have already lost your credibility. Besides, I only dwell on the things that affect me directly--personally. Does it really influence the course of my life through my decisions that you may or may not be a rapist? It might. . . . . does a butterfly that beats its wings in the Congo cause a multitude of events leading up to a tornado taking out a trailer park in Kansas?
For those of you that don't understand that last paragraph, I'll sum it up for you: Cause and effect. Layer upon layer. Event upon event. Person to person through the media to my ear into my brain thereby affecting my emotional and logical assimilation of the Cosby Conspiracy (among many others.)
There are no statutes of limitation on rape.
CNN and other networks had, for a moment, taken the focus off of him in the nightly news because of pressing matters on terrorism, only to return to this story as of this morning with yet another accuser coming forward, and the woman that started the discussion claiming that she has been vindicated of any wrong doing and no everyone is believing her story. 30 years is a very long time. 30 years is more than enough time for people to have had changed their feelings and their minds about many things and if they have made something of themselves and become a positive force in life with those around them, then even something like this can be forgiven. I'm not saying this to be a patron-flag-waver of forgiveness. We all have our personal demons. Some of us just choose to live with our pain and try to make it work as a positive force. Depending on our daily struggles, we can lose to them once in a while, but build back up from it.
I have a difficult time believing these women's claims that he is a pervert--personally. I'll admit that his public persona has a lot to do with it, and the difficulty of accepting a huge disappointment from a man that I have had a high regard for because of where he came from and the body of his life's work in the public eye. Even his brash disregard for political correctness and his embrace of common sense approach to issues of racism and our country's government have me scratching my head about all this. It just doesn't compute for me.
I think this is one of the big reasons why everyone is struggling with this story as it unfolds. Here's a man that is well respected among his peers, contemporaries and younger generations who's pedestal has fractured and the foundation on which he has stood for decades is shaking violently. Yet, he stand stoically with a resolve that seems unwavering. He does this in the face of angry critics and a media that wants to sell ad space and airtime and make millions on his misery--that would be the American way. We tend to capitalize on misery and society makes billions of dollars on the combined misery of the few that have either fallen on hard times, and those who caused others to do likewise, and televise it for everyone to watch at their dinner tables or with a bag of microwaved popcorn in the evening. It's how our angry society relaxes--reveling in misery. It's pretty sick.
Irresponsible journalism. It's better known as yellow journalism. I'm not buying everything that I read or see in the news when it comes to celebrity life-drama. I believe there is much more beneath the surface. However, that being said, I do believe that he is guilty of something. Silence or omission of facts true or false is worse than lying. It leads to conspiracy that breeds more lies and distorts perception of reality in the face of the public opinion and when the media of the current era jumps on it and disseminates it indiscriminately, they are perpetuating it and just as bad as the liar that started it.
It's not really that complicated. It's about money.
Someone has to profit from all of this. All publicity is good. I think it has mostly to do with priorities. Priorities and money. Influence means nothing. Look at Brian Williams and the "War Story" scandal. It doesn't take more than one story to blow up a journalists career and so that can also be said for anyone that is in the public eye as a celebrity. Even royalty is not immune to sex and lies--two things that people are most interested in and make excellent scandal for the water-cooler discussions at the office. When life is boring, point a finger! And it certainly doesn't stop there, does it?
Society is just really angry. All the time. And it isn't exclusive to we Americans. It's EVERYWHERE.
People need to find faith and believe in something greater than themselves.
Mr. Cosby, if you wanted to be a good man your whole life, you would come out in the open and give us the truth in all its glory and put this to rest. You would do it as a public service. If you are in the wrong, just say so. I think that you would gain more respect in the bigger picture than by avoiding prosecution. When I say prosecution, I'm not saying in the courts of law, but more in the courts of public opinion.
The best healing is done when people are honest about what they feel, understand, think, and are willing to accept. If people keep this crap bottled up, it festers. How many philosophers is it going to take for the whole of humanity to finally get it? How many thousands of years is it going to take for humankind to have a spiritual awakening and let go of the greed that poisons our souls collectively?
Yes, Mr. Cosby. Your sex scandal will be your legacy. You should of thought about it before you allowed your self-control to fail and screw up your life and other's lives as well--if that is the truth. If you want to quench the public's anger, come out with it and get it over with. Face your accusers.
And angry society be damned. Who are we to judge until we know all the unbiased facts?
We only need fight the battles that are just. And when we do, we need to fight to win them. (ISIS)
And Priorities. . . .We need to prioritize what is important. Keep the Cosby story out of the front page spotlight and only report the specifics--if it goes to trial. Otherwise I just don't want to know.
This is why sailing off the grid is appealing to me.
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
Retrospective
If you go back to "How the internet sux" December 12th, 2011's Entry on my "Brian's Wit" blog, I wrote about the vaccination issue then, and my views have not changed. I was met with this debate once before. And even then, people were foaming at the mouth about it and were grossly misinformed. I know that people become really polarized for topics that involve their children's safety and many times, social media has distorted the truth and confuses people. It makes caring parents that only want the best for their kids make decisions that are not in the best interests despite the level of awareness they think they have.
It breeds conspiracy theories that are based on bunk. I say this because now that Facebook has been around for more then ten years, it has had a major impact on what people believe to be the truth. Now, more than ever, people are really spending more time on the computer like this because is dresses up people's ability to say what they want to someone without having to be there in person. I am sure that many people would be very different to one another if they actually had to say the same things to their "friend's" faces in person rather than duck behind a website which can be very impersonal.
I have been accused of ranting on Facebook before, saying hateful things--when that isn't true.
Yes, I can be blunt and honest about what I think. If I know to be true the facts about a topic and have experience in the topic, I will stand by what I have to say. If someone doesn't agree with me, I am fine with that, but don't bitch at me to change my mind with untruths. If someone wants to believe something they've read, and want to force the issue with me when I know that what they are saying is false and they are doing it in a way that draws out the anger and abuse on both sides of the debate, that is when I'm going to disengage and leave the conversation.
If I continue to be attacked because my opinion differs, I am going defend myself ONCE, then disengage. If it brings out my anger, it's only because I am being threatened or abused in a public online forum. I reserve the right to change my mind based on facts that are presented to me in a calm and professional and educated sort of way. By my saying this online, I am sure that there are going to be people out there that want to accuse me of thinking I am better than they are and they will find serious conflict and be hurt by it. I cannot guarantee that I am not going to hurt someone's feelings once in a while because I cannot read minds and I am not presuming that I am going to know a person's innermost interpersonal skill. Most of the time, I am pretty good about picking my friends.
Unfortunately, I have a more difficult time saying "No" to people and it causes me trouble with critical mass. I wrote extensively about my theory of critical mass in life on my "Brian's Wit" blog also. If you ever want to know where I stand with an issue, I am sure you will be able to find it on my blogs. Mom was telling me yesterday that I should host my own radio show because I have the gift for gab. We talked about some of the jobs I did when I was in the US Navy. Part of that conversation is about figuring out what i should be doing with my life as a career--something that at 42-years-old I should probably already know what that should be. The problem is that I am interested in many things and educate myself by reading a lot of non-fiction.
I am also very opinionated and stubborn about things once I have learned and become a "subject matter expert" and tend to not change my mind unless irrefutable evidence has been presented to the contrary. I also have the ability to type extremely fast so I can pour out my thoughts into text in large volumes in a very short period of time causing most people to believe that I spend hours expounding or pontificating about topics online--which is further from the truth.
So when i say that I am having to modify my writing style, it is mostly to do with putting into words the true essence of why I think the way i do while not losing the passion about it, but keeping emotional outbursts out of it. It is an art-form with writing. There is a poetry in news-writing that if a person can master journalism--not just by keeping spelling and grammar errors at bay--he or she can be much more sophisticated about conveying their message without it coming off like it's an agenda. Keeping embellishments out of it in an effort to keep people interested--just look at what has happened with Brian Williams.
I know that it is impossible for me to please everyone. I just get hurt by finding out that people I have met in person--REAL LIFE--are angered by what I have to say and take such personal damage over it when I never intended for it to ever get that far. I have respect for my friend's. I guess it is a measure of my true friendship with them if they take such an offense that it jeopardizes my ability to remain in a relationship with them because they are unwilling to let go of negative feelings and "agree to disagree." Especially when the behavior they display to me is completely out of character for them--or it's a side of their personality that I've never seen before and it surprises me.
It has me second guessing what is really important--do I compromise my views so I avoid conflict or do I lose a friendship over it? Is a friendship with another person really worth risking over a topic that shouldn't effect our ability to remain friends? This is the black curse of Facebook. How can I be earnest and honest with someone I love or care about if I feel like I have to put a governor on my writing? I'm a writer. It's the one thing that can combine all my passions and talents together. It is something that I think about doing all the time. I like to share my stories, opinions, and ideas in this way. I guess I am just going to have to accept that I am going to lose and gain friends along the way. I just hope that I can continue to maintain the long-term friendships I've had over the years.
It breeds conspiracy theories that are based on bunk. I say this because now that Facebook has been around for more then ten years, it has had a major impact on what people believe to be the truth. Now, more than ever, people are really spending more time on the computer like this because is dresses up people's ability to say what they want to someone without having to be there in person. I am sure that many people would be very different to one another if they actually had to say the same things to their "friend's" faces in person rather than duck behind a website which can be very impersonal.
I have been accused of ranting on Facebook before, saying hateful things--when that isn't true.
Yes, I can be blunt and honest about what I think. If I know to be true the facts about a topic and have experience in the topic, I will stand by what I have to say. If someone doesn't agree with me, I am fine with that, but don't bitch at me to change my mind with untruths. If someone wants to believe something they've read, and want to force the issue with me when I know that what they are saying is false and they are doing it in a way that draws out the anger and abuse on both sides of the debate, that is when I'm going to disengage and leave the conversation.
If I continue to be attacked because my opinion differs, I am going defend myself ONCE, then disengage. If it brings out my anger, it's only because I am being threatened or abused in a public online forum. I reserve the right to change my mind based on facts that are presented to me in a calm and professional and educated sort of way. By my saying this online, I am sure that there are going to be people out there that want to accuse me of thinking I am better than they are and they will find serious conflict and be hurt by it. I cannot guarantee that I am not going to hurt someone's feelings once in a while because I cannot read minds and I am not presuming that I am going to know a person's innermost interpersonal skill. Most of the time, I am pretty good about picking my friends.
Unfortunately, I have a more difficult time saying "No" to people and it causes me trouble with critical mass. I wrote extensively about my theory of critical mass in life on my "Brian's Wit" blog also. If you ever want to know where I stand with an issue, I am sure you will be able to find it on my blogs. Mom was telling me yesterday that I should host my own radio show because I have the gift for gab. We talked about some of the jobs I did when I was in the US Navy. Part of that conversation is about figuring out what i should be doing with my life as a career--something that at 42-years-old I should probably already know what that should be. The problem is that I am interested in many things and educate myself by reading a lot of non-fiction.
I am also very opinionated and stubborn about things once I have learned and become a "subject matter expert" and tend to not change my mind unless irrefutable evidence has been presented to the contrary. I also have the ability to type extremely fast so I can pour out my thoughts into text in large volumes in a very short period of time causing most people to believe that I spend hours expounding or pontificating about topics online--which is further from the truth.
So when i say that I am having to modify my writing style, it is mostly to do with putting into words the true essence of why I think the way i do while not losing the passion about it, but keeping emotional outbursts out of it. It is an art-form with writing. There is a poetry in news-writing that if a person can master journalism--not just by keeping spelling and grammar errors at bay--he or she can be much more sophisticated about conveying their message without it coming off like it's an agenda. Keeping embellishments out of it in an effort to keep people interested--just look at what has happened with Brian Williams.
I know that it is impossible for me to please everyone. I just get hurt by finding out that people I have met in person--REAL LIFE--are angered by what I have to say and take such personal damage over it when I never intended for it to ever get that far. I have respect for my friend's. I guess it is a measure of my true friendship with them if they take such an offense that it jeopardizes my ability to remain in a relationship with them because they are unwilling to let go of negative feelings and "agree to disagree." Especially when the behavior they display to me is completely out of character for them--or it's a side of their personality that I've never seen before and it surprises me.
It has me second guessing what is really important--do I compromise my views so I avoid conflict or do I lose a friendship over it? Is a friendship with another person really worth risking over a topic that shouldn't effect our ability to remain friends? This is the black curse of Facebook. How can I be earnest and honest with someone I love or care about if I feel like I have to put a governor on my writing? I'm a writer. It's the one thing that can combine all my passions and talents together. It is something that I think about doing all the time. I like to share my stories, opinions, and ideas in this way. I guess I am just going to have to accept that I am going to lose and gain friends along the way. I just hope that I can continue to maintain the long-term friendships I've had over the years.
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Arguments on Facebook (Social media)
I want to clear something up with everyone here on Facebook. One thing i really have an issue with is people that want to create drama out of things they see written in social media, taking it to a whole new and personal level to the point of allowing themselves to be hurt by it. If you are really convinced that you are right about something, then don't engage people in a debate about it in an effort to change somebody's mind.
if you are going to argue about a point that has scientific backing and studies that have not been debunked, by all means, feel free to chime in and speak your mind. My opinion is my own based on what I've read in the course of study and experience. It doesn't mean that I am infallible or that I think that I'm better than others or have some kind of special accreditation like a degree (which I don't).
I really don't know why anyone that is a friend on mine that knows me outside of Facebook, in real life, would ever think I'm an asshole about anything, knowing that I'm actually one of the biggest teddy bears they will probably ever meet. I can't tell you how upsetting it is to me that persons that i thought were friends are so pissed off and angry over this vaccine debate. I only voiced my opinion, getting drawn into debates with people about the issue of MMR's pros and cons.
The truth be told, I reserve the right to keep my real opinions about things private because if some people knew how I really feel about this topic, and many others that are politically charged or racially profiled. I would probably not have many friends left on Facebook. My personal issues that I will not go into here are part of who I am and why I think the way I do. If it offends you, I'm sorry that you are and I hope that we can agree not to speak of it ever again. Social networking drama is such a low thing for me to have to worry about in light of the the real-life issues I've got going on that you have read about.
This little status update is not meant to be mean-spirited but rather to offer an apology for those who were offended by my previous vaccination posts. I have an impassioned voice like those who beat the anti-VAX drum. I am PRO-VACCINE! I have many friends that are on my side of the fence, but I also have many other friends that have a polar opposite view.
I have listened to both arguments very closely over the past two or three weeks that I've been seeing the story on network news and social media and I have yet to find anyone that can really shake my resolve on my opinion on this matter. So what I'm going to do, as a part of by-gone-be-by-gone is that I'm going through my Facebook contacts and un-following EVERYONE except for family and close personal friends.
I'm tired of hearing about everyone's drama on my Facebook feeds. It kills my phone battery with the constant buzzing of everyone posting their current positions and every life event, commentary about society (enlightened or not), and stuff that really has no interest or value to me. I spend WAY TOO MUCH TIME ON FACEBOOK. I find that I am on this site more than any other. That is not normal for me. I think that I need to limit my exposure. Unsubscribing from everyone's feeds is something I should have done a long time ago.
One of the challenges I've recognized is that I have a tendency to write with brutally blunt baseball bat-to-the-head force (something that does more damage than good from time to time). I have been learning to curb some of the brutality and finesse my writing style a bit. I am a stubborn bull in the china closet and not afraid to be politically incorrect, but I don't want to piss of my good friends by misleading them or being drawn into arguments on or off my (or other's) timelines.
Social media has blessing, but it also has a few pretty black curses. Those curses are enough to destroy people's relationships and the commentary doesn't even hold any real social value most of the time. To write a mature and enlightened manner of speaking is an art that I know I need to perfect. Just ask my mom about the letters I've had to write in an official capacity in regard to SV Triton's beaching. . . . .
So, one last time, i apologize to EVERYONE if I pissed you off. Just ignore me or un-follow my feeds if I have said something to offend you. Let us never speak of it again! Truce? Some friendships are worth much more to me than to lose friends over feeds that shouldn't affect our relationships with each other. Wouldn't you agree that's a fair and mature/adult assessment?
if you are going to argue about a point that has scientific backing and studies that have not been debunked, by all means, feel free to chime in and speak your mind. My opinion is my own based on what I've read in the course of study and experience. It doesn't mean that I am infallible or that I think that I'm better than others or have some kind of special accreditation like a degree (which I don't).
I really don't know why anyone that is a friend on mine that knows me outside of Facebook, in real life, would ever think I'm an asshole about anything, knowing that I'm actually one of the biggest teddy bears they will probably ever meet. I can't tell you how upsetting it is to me that persons that i thought were friends are so pissed off and angry over this vaccine debate. I only voiced my opinion, getting drawn into debates with people about the issue of MMR's pros and cons.
The truth be told, I reserve the right to keep my real opinions about things private because if some people knew how I really feel about this topic, and many others that are politically charged or racially profiled. I would probably not have many friends left on Facebook. My personal issues that I will not go into here are part of who I am and why I think the way I do. If it offends you, I'm sorry that you are and I hope that we can agree not to speak of it ever again. Social networking drama is such a low thing for me to have to worry about in light of the the real-life issues I've got going on that you have read about.
This little status update is not meant to be mean-spirited but rather to offer an apology for those who were offended by my previous vaccination posts. I have an impassioned voice like those who beat the anti-VAX drum. I am PRO-VACCINE! I have many friends that are on my side of the fence, but I also have many other friends that have a polar opposite view.
I have listened to both arguments very closely over the past two or three weeks that I've been seeing the story on network news and social media and I have yet to find anyone that can really shake my resolve on my opinion on this matter. So what I'm going to do, as a part of by-gone-be-by-gone is that I'm going through my Facebook contacts and un-following EVERYONE except for family and close personal friends.
I'm tired of hearing about everyone's drama on my Facebook feeds. It kills my phone battery with the constant buzzing of everyone posting their current positions and every life event, commentary about society (enlightened or not), and stuff that really has no interest or value to me. I spend WAY TOO MUCH TIME ON FACEBOOK. I find that I am on this site more than any other. That is not normal for me. I think that I need to limit my exposure. Unsubscribing from everyone's feeds is something I should have done a long time ago.
One of the challenges I've recognized is that I have a tendency to write with brutally blunt baseball bat-to-the-head force (something that does more damage than good from time to time). I have been learning to curb some of the brutality and finesse my writing style a bit. I am a stubborn bull in the china closet and not afraid to be politically incorrect, but I don't want to piss of my good friends by misleading them or being drawn into arguments on or off my (or other's) timelines.
Social media has blessing, but it also has a few pretty black curses. Those curses are enough to destroy people's relationships and the commentary doesn't even hold any real social value most of the time. To write a mature and enlightened manner of speaking is an art that I know I need to perfect. Just ask my mom about the letters I've had to write in an official capacity in regard to SV Triton's beaching. . . . .
So, one last time, i apologize to EVERYONE if I pissed you off. Just ignore me or un-follow my feeds if I have said something to offend you. Let us never speak of it again! Truce? Some friendships are worth much more to me than to lose friends over feeds that shouldn't affect our relationships with each other. Wouldn't you agree that's a fair and mature/adult assessment?
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