Bureaucracy: The lethargic death of the modern world.

Imploding Detroit: Theatre Bizarre

Recently, I finally got the chance to attend Theatre Bizarre, the Carnival-like themed Halloween Party to end all Carnival-like themed Halloween Parties.
It has been going on for years now, 10 to 11, I believe with an ever increasing number of shows and artists participating.
So far it has provided a history of fun and creativity; a gathering place for artists and performers to do what they do best and let the rest of us mere mortals appreciate their fantastic productions, their unbelievable displays of dexterity, contortion and talent in a setting that takes our minds away from the mundane world into the twisted and unbelievable Halloween experience.
But this year, the City of Detroit took notice of it for the first time, and rather than support its very own, it not only closed it down and made everyone relocate, it also decided to step in and destroy years of work and love. Although it has gathered sympathy as well as increased coverage, the fact remains that the sudden taking action is dubious at best. Not to mention, what kind of self-centered moron reported that Theatre Bizarre didn't have an alcohol license in the first place?
So, what is it that drives Detroit to destroy everything in its path? Is it the questionable ethics of the Detroit City Council? Are racism and inverse-racism so much part of the soul of the City that it corrodes every good thing? Is it the corruption that pumps through its veins that makes everyone that heard the news realize that "they just didn't pay the right people"?
Even a quick glance at the History of Detroit reveals how many things "slipped" under the watchful eye of regulations. Let's not forget either, the convenient Zoning Laws that up until now were as mutable as your average Pokemon (2). The City of Detroit deserves its very own TV Tropes Page. It is also mentioned as a destination in the "Places worse than Death".
Of course Mayor Dave Bing is (incredibly) more lawful-oriented than his predecessor and that tends to shift things a bit... however it is still sad that they would concentrate their collective efforts on messing up a creative and harmless party while things like Devil's Night still go on with nothing but well-wishes to counter it.
Meanwhile, in the Hall of Injustice (California Branch)...

All this talk about dubious reasoning and clerical incompetence brings out another problem that popped out recently. Turns out that the State of California wants to deny Ciaran his MediCAL on the basis of missing documents and we would need to present ourselves to challenge this decision.

Despite the fact that:

1. The documents in question were presented IN PERSON.
2. We got a RECEIPT.
3. We left a voice-mail asking the social worker to let us know that the DOCUMENTS HAD BEEN RECEIVED.
4. Also, when we went there we changed our address, which, got lost with the rest of the photocopies and documents given, so not only did the letter have no real basis in reality, it ALSO ARRIVED LATE!

One has to wonder what the hell the Governator was thinking when he froze State hiring in California which ended up assigning 400 cases per Social Worker, amongst other problems, such as making life more difficult for everyone looking for jobs or about to get them. Now, over-worked, overwhelmed Social Workers are somehow trying to manage all those cases. I guess in that sense clerical incompetence could be forgiven, but the fact remains, that Ciaran will lose his health coverage on Sunday thanks to moronic governmental decisions and lost paperwork.
Best thing? They don't even have emails. Let's see how the infrastructure of California can function up to date when they're still comparatively medieval with the rest of the world.

Update: Thankfully Ciaran has kept his Health Benefits, and the letter sent was an automatic process initiated when the Social Worker did not enter the information onto their system in time. However, the point remains that the only reason that happened was because of the Hiring Freeze imposed in California. At least it is one thing less to worry about.

Once a fan...

... Always a fan! This just started airing in Japan! :D

Musings of a first-time dad

What to write about parent-hood? Hell I've been at it for less than a week! And with all that's in my head now, this is probably going to end up looking more like a stream of consciousness than anything else.

This time there are so many ramifications to life that I hesitate to even put it in writing. I think the most obvious thing is that I am going to be second-guessing myself all my life from this point on. Oh, sure there are morals and basic guidelines that adapt people to society. You learn them and you can live anywhere where those rules apply, but the deeper teachings, the basic structure is what worries me.

To paraphrase Syun Matsuena, "if you are going to build a castle, you'd better have really strong foundations." So what does that mean? That means that you can teach your kid the ten commandments if you so feel like it, but unless the life you live is an example of how you want them to be interpreted, chances are your child is going to memorize it, but not really understand what you mean.

And I don't want to force a perspective of life on my child, but until he is old enough to make a serious choice of his own, I have to do my best to put things into focus as clearly as possible so that he will understand what his options are. He has to grow up to make up his own mind, and I (we) have the challenging mission of giving him the tools to do so.

Everyone with children wants to teach them certain things.

Some will insist on strong religious beliefs over anything else, while the advocates of reason will procure a way to do things maybe in a more scientific way.

My son will have to deal with "informed" individuals of all sorts. People that claim that salvation (in different guises) will come from their method or system of beliefs, or that he should do this or that to get better results (despite common sense).

He will have to deal with success and disappointment with the same amount of determination, pride and humility.

He will have to learn the diligence and rewards of hard work, both, the type he loves and the type he hates.

Besides basic skills like swimming and whatnot, I have decided that there are at least four things I definitely would want my child to learn if I can inspire some interest in him for it (no point in forcing the issue):

1. I would like him to learn Martial Arts. - Although I won't take him on a 10 year training trip when he hits five, I believe that the discipline and exercise and (obviously) learning to defend himself can only benefit him in the long run.

2. I would like him to love books like I do. - This, mainly because it will open his mind. He doesn't necessarily have to like the type of books that I like, however, IF he lives to be 12 without having read at least 1 book on his own volition I will consider myself an utter failure. I've met waaay too many parents that control what their children read and believe me, I get a bad taste in my mouth (not to mention morally) when I see a mother force a child to "choose" a book that corresponds only with what SHE likes. Way to teach love of literature.

3. I would like him to learn how to act. - He doesn't necessarily need to become an actor per-se, but the skills that you learn in acting make you much more effective at communicating, hell, even selling yourself later on at a job interview!

4. I would like him to learn how to play a musical instrument. - Preferably one he likes (despite the fact that it would be totally awesome to have him play the Ocarina). If I need to explain my reasoning for this, maybe the reader should stop reading at this point.

Chances are, of course, I'll get one or two out of the list, but at least I will have tried! Now I have to think of a way of awakening his interest in those subjects...

Mary Schmich wrote "Don't worry about the future, or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum."

Which is of course one of my favorite quotes ever, but one that know I find myself at a struggle to take to heart. Just like saying "Hakuna Mattata" or "Moumantai" won't sort out feelings of stress every time!

Let's face it, I'm not in the best financial situation as it is. Playing the Lotto is no guarantee of winning and what I want to do is provide for him enough financial stability to make it to his doctorate without having to rely too much on government loans. Heh. Easy right?
Who knows at this point even IF he will want to get a Masters in anything (although with me and his mom being as we are chances are he'll do it) but these are the kind of things that we are facing now.

Him being a boy places him in my playing field, I guess, and I find myself with this apprehension... I'm not afraid to mess up, everyone does at some point, I'm just hoping to do right by him and not mess up too badly.

And yet, when I hold him and look into his eyes, I can't help but feel that there is something that I must do, that I have to be better and wiser and maybe be able to fly like Superman. I'm most likely not the only dad to feel that way, but it is a bit daunting what my mind demands of me in the best interest of a little creature that I helped create. In a way parents are Larger than Life to a newborn, right?

I do wonder what words of wisdom I will have for him as the years go by.

First day of school: "Don't worry kid, it's not as bad as it seems."

First scrapped knee: "No, you are not dying"

First fistfight (hopefully avoided, but if my Martial Arts plan works, I pity the fool that challenges him!): "Now, what DID I tell you about breaking kneecaps?"

First crush, first date... well, it's an endless list, but the point is really about being able to give any advice at all.

Two sources of indirect advise come to mind.

The first being from Tolkien through Gandalf, when he points out that we should "Seldom give unguarded advice, for advice is a dangerous gift, even from the wise to the wise, and all courses may run ill."

The second source, being again, Mary Schmich: "Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth."

A flippant attitude, a moment of not caring, a piece of bad advice and you've basically f****d up.

Returning to the slight rant about the mother that wouldn't let her child choose her own book, that is another thing that worries me. What is too much involvement? What defines the line between guidance and making the choices for someone? I know how I felt when my parents seemed to be more involved than they should have been in my early life... I guess I just need to learn to listen.

All in all I am looking forward to being a dad, but I guess this is my way of admitting to myself that it is not going to be easy, and that my responsibility this time extends way beyond my own person and little universe.

Yahoo Buzz!

I HATE Yahoo Buzz.

But, Dice, why do you hate it? You might ask.

Well, it is simple. It has become a breeding ground for morons.

You can't read any news without some Tea-Party activist jumping in to share their "enlightened" opinion on the government.

Throwing around words like "fascism", "socialist", "communist" or even "Marxist" without motive, or understanding of what they mean... using them as synonyms! Synonyms! What the hell people?!

Obama cannot possibly be both a fascist and a socialist! They are mutually exclusive concepts!

But well, let's face it. Talking with big words (correctly) to the average Tea Party Activist is like kicking a puppy. Except that they're not that cute. And it's a bunch of puppies convinced that their whining is righteous justice. And you don't have a foot big enough to kick them all at the same time and shut them up.

But, I digress. Returning to Yahoo Buzz! - It is completely annoying to read any article precisely because some random idiot is going to bring their unrelated government opinions to it.

For example. I once read an article about the ice melting and how it would affect oceanic currents. It was a study done and reported by French Scientists. In France, which is in Europe... just in case some of our Tea-Partying friends need further clarification.

First comment just at the end of the article? "Oh, great MORE government money spent on Democratic leies!" (Yes, he couldn't spell "lies")

I will concede that there were a few interesting comments (much further down) by some individuals arguing the actual topic of the article. But finishing the article and encountering stupidity on that level just ruins it for me.

I mean, granted, I am not reading the article to look at people's opinions on it, but well, people ARE entitled to share their opinions and Yahoo Buzz! is designed to allow them to do that. The problem is that there is NO moderation whatsoever. So you get morons trolling an otherwise interesting article with their misled political propaganda. And beware if someone reports you as "abuse" (justified or not) because then, you can't even share your own opinion until YB decides you can.

So, Yahoo Buzz can go to hell in my opinion and drag with it all of its effing Tea-bagging followers.

A third Decade

So finally I have reached my third decade. 30 years old, and not any less opinionated about things. I still haven't grown wings and/or a tail & horns, just if you were wondering, so physically I cannot say I feel much different... perhaps I'm in better condition with all the walking and bicycle riding I've done of late.

I have to say that the last few years have included a lot of change. But this last year is definitely the one that contains the most evident and defining changes.

I've moved to California and now I am starting a family. It is a good way to start into the 30s, after all, a new decade demands change, and flowing into this stream of change is the birth of my son in two months.

Having settled down over here and looking for jobs has also defined my identity in relation to my plans for the future. I am here with the woman I love, we are expecting parents and that does put a few things into perspective. First and foremost what kind of example I can be to this person coming into the world.

There is a lot to think about, this time. It's not a completely care-free birthday occasion, but it certainly is a happy one!

I'm looking forward to see what this year brings to my life.

Thanks for reading, and I'll post some other random rant later!

Tea anyone?

First a note:

A dear friend of mine had a brain hemorrhagic episode, otherwise known by some as a stroke. My best wishes go to him and his family, so far away right now that I cannot visit, but still all dear to my heart. I know you'll be fine my friend, but know that all of us that know you will be hoping for your fast recovery!

Captain America and Tea Baggers (belated blog from a few days ago)

This is starting to feel a bit like a political-oriented rant blog... which it isn't. However, the sheer lack of logic of some individuals in the political war-zone that we face today just feeds my annoyance and therefore merits a rant.

In this occasion, I've taken offense with the "Teabaggers" otherwise known as the extreme-right ultra-conservatives. Or, according to one entry of the URBAN DICTIONARY defines them:

	teabagger
	A whining fool shouting loudly for liberty but not willing to pay the bill. After most American workers saw more money in their paycheck due to the lower tax rate, the teabaggers at Fox News railed against high taxes, but did not discuss how much Jesus hated hypocrisy. hypocrite mad sheep disease rectocranial inversion sufferer bloviator pretender

(Point of note: the definition above makes a reference to one of the major teabaggers have, which is taxes. Conveniently ignoring that President Obama did indeed lower the taxes, they demand that he do so, as if he never had.)

They are probably the manifestation of what I detest in politics and all roads of life- extremists. Oh, how do I rant and rave about extremists!

Now, to clear things up, I don't think the issues that they have trouble with are stupid... I just think that their understanding of the actual issues and their approach to dealing with them is, well, dubious to put it blandly.

Also, another point of note is that they are not necessarily Republicans! This rant has nothing to do with the GOP, being that a lot of them do NOT condone the actions of Teabaggers in general.

Anyway, by today, you might have heard about the reaction to Captain American #602 where one panel shows a protester with a sign that ties them to the Tea Baggers.

Quoting: "Tea Bag the Libs Before they Tea Bag You!"

According to Joe Quesada there was no intention of putting a direct reference to the Teabaggers in the issue. You can find his exact answer (as well as a very unflattering photograph of the original protester looking like a complete r*****) in THIS INTERVIEW. Of course if we believe FOX NEWS, it was all intentional and a premeditated chastising of the Teabbaggers.
But really... who believes FN?

My problem with Teabaggers is their amazing ability to claim the most dubious and sometimes outrageous things... and protest about them. Never mind that polls by real news networks and news papers have proven that only a dramatically (or should that be ridiculously?) low amount of Teabaggers actually know what the movement is about- seriously, doubting that Global Warming is a real issue?

How much scientific proof do you need?

I mean, George Berkin might disagree that it is a reality because he ended up in a snowstorm in Jersey and well, when someone tells you that snow is an effect of warming (heat)... unless you are unfamiliar with basic physics, possess absolutely no knowledge of weather and how atmospheric pressure and wind work and create climate changes (or possess the ability to blatantly ignore it), well you just might believe the same.

But what could that prove anyway? It's just science... it doesn't feel the people of America and their necessities and "real" problems. Unlike political parties.

But seriously, it's getting out of hand!

It would be hypocritical of me to say: "Shut the hell up about what you dislike!" (given the nature of this blog) but it is about time they realize that deluding themselves, hiding behind their ignorance and advocating for causes that are aimed to destroy rather than build is not going to benefit anyone, including them!

So, I while won't tell Teabaggers to "SHUT THE HELL UP!" I will tell them to "GET REAL!"