Allow me to take this moment to say how proud I am to be an American, because only here in America can you belt out a song and NOT be arrested for "racism".
First of all, let me say that this blog post is not defending racism by any means...so put away your torches and pitchforks. I am NOT a racist. Being a bi-racial mix of Cuban and Scottish doesn't allow me to be close-minded when it comes to one's heritage or the color of their skin. However, all of that being said, what this blog post is is a reminder of the freedoms that we have in our wonderful country and how often we take them for granted.
What's gotten me in such a state of bemusement is the fact that yesterday in the U.K. (one of my favorite places to visit, by the way), a man was arrested for singing the 1970's disco hit Kung fu Fighting. Did you guys know that it's apparently racist to sing that song in public?
I sure as frak didn't.
Notice the sarcasm? I hope you did.
But yes, you read me correctly. A man performing with his band at a beach resort in the Isle of Wight was singing Kung fu Fighting. Apparently, while he was singing the song (a regular piece in his repertoire, by the way), two Chinese people happened to be walking by and, upon hearing the song being sung, they took offense to the song and called the police to demand the arrest of the man because he was being "racist".
Seriously? I mean...seriously?!
The man was released shortly after his arrest when he explained the situation to the police, but the fact of the matter is that he should not have been arrested in the first place. Performing a song with his band in a public place should have been his God-given right, but apparently it wasn't.
What's next?
Is it going to be okay for obese women to have some random man arrested during karaoke night because he happens to be singing Baby Got Back?
Where does it end?
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Sunday, April 24, 2011
When did rape become funny?
So I was in the market parking lot today on my way inside, and I happened to pass by a car that displayed a bumper sticker with the following message...
'My kid raped your honor student'.
EXCUSE ME?!
How much of an insensitive asshole do you have to be to think up something like that?!
What kind of a monster do you have to be to carry and sell that bumper sticker to others?
But more importantly, how much of a sociopath do you have to be to not only buy such an offensive and insensitive product, but to display it proudly on the bumper of your car for everyone to see?
Never mind the fact that little kids will see it and then ask their parents what it means (as all little kids do), or the fact that it conveys the message to teenagers that rape is okay and acceptable, but if a rape victim happens to be driving the car behind the sociopathic monster who's displaying the bumper sticker, then she is made to feel that her pain from the traumatic event that she was forced to endure is nothing more than a joke.
Now I know that all of us in some way, shape or form advertise our beliefs on the backs of our cars, as is our right--whether it be for gay rights, feelings about religion, war or the state of our government. But this is a far cry from that. Have we as a culture and as a society truly fallen so far that the concept of traumatic, non-consensual sex is now something to be laughed about and even exalted?
Have we as a society become so desensitized that we no longer view such a horrible act with the same revulsion? Is this what future generations have to look forward to?
What's next? Bumper stickers that say 'I raped your honor student' or 'My kid murdered your honor student'?
Seriously, when is enough truly enough.
When will it end?
I weep for the future...
'My kid raped your honor student'.
EXCUSE ME?!
How much of an insensitive asshole do you have to be to think up something like that?!
What kind of a monster do you have to be to carry and sell that bumper sticker to others?
But more importantly, how much of a sociopath do you have to be to not only buy such an offensive and insensitive product, but to display it proudly on the bumper of your car for everyone to see?
Never mind the fact that little kids will see it and then ask their parents what it means (as all little kids do), or the fact that it conveys the message to teenagers that rape is okay and acceptable, but if a rape victim happens to be driving the car behind the sociopathic monster who's displaying the bumper sticker, then she is made to feel that her pain from the traumatic event that she was forced to endure is nothing more than a joke.
Now I know that all of us in some way, shape or form advertise our beliefs on the backs of our cars, as is our right--whether it be for gay rights, feelings about religion, war or the state of our government. But this is a far cry from that. Have we as a culture and as a society truly fallen so far that the concept of traumatic, non-consensual sex is now something to be laughed about and even exalted?
Have we as a society become so desensitized that we no longer view such a horrible act with the same revulsion? Is this what future generations have to look forward to?
What's next? Bumper stickers that say 'I raped your honor student' or 'My kid murdered your honor student'?
Seriously, when is enough truly enough.
When will it end?
I weep for the future...
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Dragon Age 2; Revisited...Revised Opinion of Rogue class
Okay so I played through as a rogue again (because I personally hate playing as a warrior and my goal was to earn a particular achievement that can only be earned after having sided with the Templars, and I thought that would be easier to do if I wasn't playing as a mage (don't get me wrong, it was still really hard to do, lol)), and I have to say that I think I judged the class too harshly in my first review.
If you'll recall, my major complaint about the class was that the feature that allowed the rogue to switch seamlessly back and forth between ranged and melee weapons was no longer available. However, because I found myself missing providing DPS for my party from a safe distance, I found myself biting the bullet and physically changing my weapons from melee to ranged more frequently. Imagine then my pleasant surprise when my rogue was attacked up close only to have her use her bow as a melee weapon along with a dagger that she pulled out of nowhere! In Dragon Age: Origins, if you had a party member of the rogue class specialized in archery and didn't equip him or her with melee weapons to switch to, he or she would either run away to put distance between their attacker and themselves before resuming DPS damage, or they would continue to fire arrows at the attacker up close...something which was easily interrupted whenever they took a hit.
All of that being said, it would appear that the mages were not the only ones to undergo changes regarding their combative practices. Because of this, the rogue class has once again risen up to my favorite--joining the mage class, of course. That being said, however, I have to admit that I prefer the 'Champion attire' for the mage class over the one for the rogue class. Unfortunately, all of my newly did rekindled love for the rogue class aside, I didn't truly discover the change made to the class' combat behavior until nearly the end of the game so I never really utilize all the new awesomeness that it had to offer. This of course means only one thing...
I'll have to play it again!
Oh, darn ;-p
If you'll recall, my major complaint about the class was that the feature that allowed the rogue to switch seamlessly back and forth between ranged and melee weapons was no longer available. However, because I found myself missing providing DPS for my party from a safe distance, I found myself biting the bullet and physically changing my weapons from melee to ranged more frequently. Imagine then my pleasant surprise when my rogue was attacked up close only to have her use her bow as a melee weapon along with a dagger that she pulled out of nowhere! In Dragon Age: Origins, if you had a party member of the rogue class specialized in archery and didn't equip him or her with melee weapons to switch to, he or she would either run away to put distance between their attacker and themselves before resuming DPS damage, or they would continue to fire arrows at the attacker up close...something which was easily interrupted whenever they took a hit.
All of that being said, it would appear that the mages were not the only ones to undergo changes regarding their combative practices. Because of this, the rogue class has once again risen up to my favorite--joining the mage class, of course. That being said, however, I have to admit that I prefer the 'Champion attire' for the mage class over the one for the rogue class. Unfortunately, all of my newly did rekindled love for the rogue class aside, I didn't truly discover the change made to the class' combat behavior until nearly the end of the game so I never really utilize all the new awesomeness that it had to offer. This of course means only one thing...
I'll have to play it again!
Oh, darn ;-p
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