Another Year, Another Controversy

I'm sorry to not have written anything in almost two years, I've had much happen between then and now, even on my days off from work.

Anyway.

Earlier this year, I had pointed out on my Tik Tok account how there's so much controversy over anything and everything, that I wondered if this year would contend with last year, which saw the biggest amounts of the strangest controversies I have seen yet. We're only four months in and I do believe we're in a contending year on that front.

As a gamer, I started paying attention to one particular news item that, until the Woke Left started slandering it in despicable ways, I knew the existence of, but didn't care about in the last couple years I knew of it.

The video game Stellar Blade.

The game's existence has now revealed the extreme inconsistencies of today's video game journalism and why mist gamers can no longer believe 99% of articles published from "big names" that have ruined their own reputations over the years. Before I go into a rabbit hole I can't escape from, I'll simply say, this is one example of a useless controversy, but as the saying goes "bad press is good press," seeing as how the Negative Nancies of gaming news helped shed light on Stellar Blade, making it currently the #1 most preordered game on Playstation. At this moment, the game hasn't come out (that's next week), but its demo has been played MORE than the recently released Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, which is a huge deal!

However, one thing I disagree with in all angles of journalism is the mention of "all of the Left" hating it.

One big update in life is that I now have a girlfriend, who describes herself as "very liberal," good thing I'm Independent. I did a "perspectives interview" with her for her take. According to MOST of the Left, Stellar Blade is a trashy sexual game with a leading lady who's "unrealistic," my girlfriend disagrees. She called the main lead (Eve) beautiful. BEAUTIFUL! But I'm scarcely a drop in the bucket, so I doubt I'll get much of any notice on any platform for having a liberal girlfriend who's interested in the game and doesn't want it canceled.

Maybe soon, I'll write about how this game's pre-release history reminds me of what Paul says about false slander.

Until next time, may you find peace in God and in this crazy world.

Fickle Pride

How long does one hold to what they believe before it can be called "capitalistic"?

We hold "pride" to what we "are," but forget what pride is by definition. It's having satisfaction in what one trained for (not born as). Yet we've redefined it as "coming out" as either gay or trans. Maybe stating you're some gender that doesn't exist except on Star Trek.

A big part of "Pride Month" is now literally parading around with rainbows and, in some reported cases, strap-ons and dildos, getting in kids' faces (which was illegal).

As you can guess, I don't have much heart for Pride Month. But it's not just because of the extreme behavior(s) of the LGBT+ community, there's a serious monetary reason I can't stand it. For one single month, all major companies and franchises showing "support" for the community changes their logos to rainbow colors. Well, except the Middle Eastern branch of said companies, where it's literal life-and-death illegal to either be or show support for being gay.

I'm quite sure some of my gay friends and acquaintances don't appreciate the double standards of commercializing their lifestyle for a profit.

"We love and support you!" Just, you know, for this month.

My LGBT friends have told they may support the idea, but the parades and profiteering sickens them. Honestly, that reminds me of how I see Christmas anymore.

On other considerations, since '15, I've heard that some parts of the community doesn't view the ENTIRE community as legit. First report I heard dealt with a gay-exclusive trailer camping park that denied and trans men from camping.

Their reason? They saw trans men as women trying to be men. This kind of rejection was surprising, it was self-cannibalism of a group wanting to be taken seriously. But since then, there'd be an occasional news report of groups denying one part any access for biological reasons. That or individuals online stating their views. Recently came across a gay man who rejected loving any trans or straight allies. Why? "This is MY month to he proud, I don't want anyone but gays and lesbians celebrating it with me!"

Sounds just as cripplingly judgmental as some of the churches that judge them all.

Speaking of...

I've been frequently called (only by those who've never met me in real life, oddly enough) a bigot by either the LGBT community or their allies because I don't view myself as an ally. I don't support the gay rights movement, etc. Then again, some friends of mine (gay, trans, ally) have told me being an ally isn't required. I can call them friend and that's enough. I can cry out for justice when some are intentionally hurt/killed by anti-LGBT terrorists (which I do) and that's enough. But when strangers call me a bigot, I fond myself laughing for one reason. Though I come from a religious background (one that included shades of being anti-gay for the longest time), I'll never be in the same category as, say, "Reverend" Steven Anderson, who always uses homophobic epithets in sermon, has promised death threats to them in sermons, makes severe promises that none will ever enter "his church," as though the building will always be his.

Though my family is largely Christian, they do accept my LGBT friends, it doesn't mean we accept the lifestyle. Though my friends know about my faith, I don't expect them to accept my lifestyle. We do come to certain compromises to certain degrees out of respect for each other. I've been to the cinema with them and accepted (and given) rides from them. When I had to move places, one helped out and I paid for her vehicle's gas (long trek, round-trip).

So, who do I find to be the true bigots? I'd say watch some comedians you'll find the bigots hating on them, showing their hypocrisy. Both Dave Chapelle and Ricky Gervais exposed "identity politics" and its dangers. The moment they said "You better not hurt a gay person's feelings," the biggest names in the community sought to cancel them. G.L.A.A.D. called Gervais "transphobic" for a comedy sketch in his special, "Super Nature." Either they actually didn't make it past the first 3 minutes (where explains irony) or the irony of the joke ("What if SHE rapes, you bigot!") was lost on them and they have no humor.

So, yes, I've been told I don't have to see myself as an ally, but this view isn't held by all. If I were to believe the mainstream news, I either agree to a more rigorous "checklist" (than what's often joked as "checklist Christianity") of agreeing to things and accepting a truckload of symbols and gestures and phrases, or you're labeled a bigot and some Big Name sources look for a way to "cancel" you.

I'd say we live in very unstable times in a wasteland of unstable thoughts and lifestyles.

Much Has Happened

Noticed I haven't posted since last year. I'll be brief, I promise.

First, great news on work. If you recall that I frequently mentioned how toxic my job was, don't worry, I now work elsewhere. For the 2nd time in my work history, I was hired during my job interview for an industry I've never done before, hotels. No, not as a concierge, but behind-the-scenes work. As I've realized I have a critical temper problem, I think it's a good thing I'm in the laundry department, not dealing directly with customers. Though I'll miss getting tips from customers (biggest being $50), I'm at less risk of a flare up and have ample room to focus better and learn new puzzle skills. Oh, and better pay, which helps out.

Second, with students moving out, there's a local tradition to hunt other people's refuse to find anything that can be helpful or accidentally necessary. That's how I managed to get a 2nd bookcase and a roommate got me a cat stand for my cat. This year, I found a small bookstand. Using it to have space for some of my entertainment. At least until I find a better place to live.

Oh yes, third! For a while, been thinking of looking for improved living conditions. Such as a new place to live (with bigger income) and, potentially, something closer to my dream car, now that my credit's getting better.

This is all for now. In the meantime, thinking of a special blog for next month.

Substantially Real

Let's start with this. I'm not just a retail worker, nor just a vivid thinker and a storyteller at heart. I'm also an actor. Not in movies, but at a local horror theme park. Honestly one of the best I've ever had, regardless that it's strictly seasonal. My 2nd year in it and last year alone, I made several new friends. A couple of which I've frequently talked with since meeting. All of which, though, have a place in my heart for various reasons.

That said, some things have occurred that speak of things "beyond the veil," as some say. This year, for example, one Farm veteran (6 years running) and a new actor (and strangely banned) had done something unexpected. The new girl wanted to show off her "necromancy" powers (didn't know her spiritism well, what she described them as was actually mediumship). Let's just say most of it seemed like the kind of cold read job any tv psychic did before that industry went down. It was at the very end when things took a turn.

She suggested she and our veteran actor (both younger than me, both practicing witches) give me "protection spells." No incantations, just holding their hands above mine. I couldn't say why, but I went with it. I expected nothing, but got something. From him, a pulsating heat (not a burning kind, though), and from her, a soft chill.

The next day, we were on the topic of spiritism and had another experience of the supernatural sort when our veteran actor told me "I hope you now believe in the existence of the supernatural realm."

I told him "I know it's real, I've had previous experiences. What? Did you think I'm a progressive Christian? One who is Christian by title but doesn't really know what they believe?" He liked that and said that means I'm not "judgmental like those freaks."

He has a point.

Stemming from this experience comes the spiritual knowledge of faith-based experience. Not trying to be like King Saul, seeking out a medium instead of God for guidance, but I also didn't want to be rude to them, either. All-in-all, it's an experience that reminded me of the thread-thin barrier between dimensions, or what metaphysicists call the "11th dimension."

Book review: Condition Black

There's quite a selection of books I've enjoyed over the years, but few I can relate to on a personal level, being autistic. This time, I can relate. When a man's wife gets back from Africa with a new and deadly disease, only he can figure out how to help her, but he will have obstacles in his way besides environmental elements that have plagued him all his life. Sections deal with tough questions of if authority overreaches, how biomechanics works, toying with near future technology, and throws you in to a story with impossible stakes with enough people that you want to root for, but know it will be impossible to root for all of them to win. It was both incredibly clever to see how it worked and heartbreaking at the same time. Not often a story pulls this many layers together effectively, but this one does.

Rating: 4.75/5

The Breaking Down

I first noticed it in 2011. It was through a video game trailer, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. It started as usual. Gunfights in closed spaces, barked orders, then a shocking visual. Manhattan in flames as a warzone. Then the lead went into the frontline. I realized video games were about to toy with a concept that Americans hated the idea of but may eventually have to face since it does happen every few years or couple decades: what if America were attacked? Again? But worse, ravaged? That was in the beginning of the decade. Before the decade was done, there would be pockets of riots and anarchy coast to coast, broadcast live. Inept journalism would even call them "mostly peaceful" despite raging fires behind them.

Asymmetrical warfare committed by people born on the soil.

Now, in 2021, things are ramping up. A couple years ago, I was tired of almost daily hearing about mass shootings and hate crimes against religious gatherings the world over. Now, this year alone has seen the Capitol be stormed, car crashes in NY into businesses, and more mass shootings.

It were as though the joke about 2020 being written by Stephen King extended into the next year as well.

After 9/11, there was the common saying "If you see something, say something," until it became too inconvenient for everyone's personal safety and well-being, but also using the surface reasoning of "get out of business," even when there was more than enough reason to warrant caution. Nowadays, people are starting to use Twitter as the ultimate think tank and prefer Tik Tok over textbooks to learn how things work. In other words, the social collective IQ has dropped drastically and it shows, every single day, how far we've regressed. I'm used to hearing "We're advanced, just look at our technology!" The tech has advanced while we're at a standstill and stumbling backwards. This past January, I accidentally broke my glasses and had to get a replacement. I knew I couldn't afford a full eye exam and new lenses, just frames, but decided to look into investing smart glasses. I knew they were around, but didn't know much about the industry. Shockingly, West Virginia doesn't have much of a presence of smart glasses technology, despite being a couple states from New York, where the biggest manufacturer in America, Vuzix, is. That being said, I keep hearing people in my area tell me they've never heard of smart glasses. Not surprising. All this to say our tech has advanced beyond what some are aware of at all. Our humanity should be as or more advanced than our tech, but we've been showing ourselves how deep our depravity truly is. This is something we tend to turn away from, telling ourselves that it cannot be true, we refuse to accept it. Literally anything to say "I'm good enough as I am, no flaws," even as this year is showing how addicted to our depravity we are. Mass shootings, sudden public beatings, violent riots, shocking anti-(insert anything) outbursts. The sheer amount of displays of anti-decency and lack of common sense in the last few months have shown another drop of a couple points in the collective IQ. Yeah, not good.

This year, we're showing ourselves the exact reasons why we're in desperate need of salvation, ironic of anyone who claims they either don't need or don't want God's help in life. Far more ironic is God's reckless love to say "I know you don't care, I'm reaching out anyway."

Warrior's Strength

This whole year has had everyone's temper flaring worse than Mount Doom looking for the One Ring. "Karen compilation" videos left and right of people spitting in each others' faces, racial rants, calling out "Covid hoax" like Revere calling out "The Regulars are coming!"

Everyone's sick of this year. Everyone's also sick of trying to avoid stepping on each other's toes unless they feel like being rebels.

I've lost count how many times I've watched The Lord of the Rings, but while watching it (again.........), and watching the YouTube channel Cinema Therapy, I now realize there's many current and relevant themes and lessons this 20 year old film franchise can teach us going forward. Things one wouldn't normally consider since the movies don't deal with a viral pandemic. We normally look to something that deals with exact or near-exact circumstances to our own to figure out what we can do.

For example, when the movie Contagion came out, it didn't do well in the box office. At least, from what I heard. When I heard the title, I thought it would be a zombie flick. This year, upon the announcement that the globe was under quarantine, a global pandemic, I heard the movie was sought after, immediately becoming the #1 movie streamed across the board. I haven't watched it yet, haven't had a chance, but from what I've heard, it realistically depicts society as an outbreak occurs. The worst in human nature coming out, each individual believing they're more important than the previous and the next.

From there, we should look at Aragorn. Throughout the LotR movies, he has a tendency to stand up for the downtrodden, hanging out with them, putting any degree of bully in their place.

Unlike us. At the announcement of the Covid-19 pandemic, I heard about strings of racial harassment all across the land, people berating (including physically assaulting) literally any Asian person they came across. One report said an elderly lady screamed at a Chinese woman "GO BACK WHERE YOU CAME FROM AND TAKE YOUR VIRUS WITH YOU!"

So much for common sense and decency.

I immediately made a challenge that, as far I'm aware, no one noticed: "If any of you believe yourselves a good person, this is your chance to prove it and stick up for those who are being bullied."

Nope, there are videos of people throwing racial epithets left and right to anyone of any ethnicity. Black. Asian. Mexican. Why? "Because I'm an American, I speak English, you don't talk that language here, you go back where you came from!"

That's a conglomeration of a couple videos I'd seen, which disturbs me that racism is back, thinking it's powerful again. I started saying "It's 2020, why aren't we acting more enlightened?"

I'd say it's past due time to bring back a fighting spirit and stand up for honor, help those in need instead of puffing ourselves up with misplaced nationalistic pride, learn the strength of humility before we let our pride hit us hard.

I pray we come to toss our pride aside and seek each other's help and show gratitude. Sure, it seems like a pipedream, but it's possible, even if vaguely.