Thursday, September 30, 2010

I've Been Thinking...I Know, Bad Idea

It's been a while since I've posted a blog.  Sorry about that, it's just been a busy and hectic life I've lived over the past few weeks and this had to take a backseat.  People tell me how amused or inspired they are by my blogs and that humbles me.  To think that people from many walks of life look at my blog and enjoy what I have to say is truly eye-opening.  So I'll try my best to be a little more active in doing this blog.

I'm kind of sick of politics.  I'm not a genius about the subject, don't get me wrong.  However, I am a human being and I have an opinion.  That alone allows me to chime in on the subject.  First of all, I have an issue with the politicians.  It's not a big issue.  Their job is to make promises that may or may not come true to convince you to vote for them.  And of course they filter what they want to say based on their audience.  Doesn't bother me too much because I don't really listen to lip service.  At least not on purpose.  My big deal is with the "news" stations. This morning I turned on some morning news because a) I like Morning Joe because Joe Scarborough is a funny dude and b) Fox News is a couple of channels down, so it's good to go right near by a differing view.  However today, both channels shared a similar clip about a political candidate (name slips my mind) confronting a journalist about a story.  Fox defended the politician because he was a Republican.  MSNBC defended the journalist because the politician was a Republican.  Let's call a spade a spade, two immature, middle aged men are arguing in public and making fools of themselves.  What happened to that part of news coverage.  There's also a big huhbub about a lady who won the Republican primary in Delaware.  O'Donnell I think her name is...anyway, some news places are just ripping this girl apart because she doesn't say what she should and isn't like all the other Republicans.  But weren't people complaining about the Republicans being the same person every year?  Now someone is different and they rip her apart for not being like everyone else.  Make up your minds people.  Oh, and just a heads up, she won the primary, so she must be appealing to SOMEONE, and more of those someones voted for her than not.  Call the elections like they are and nothing else.  Stop giving me an opinion and give me facts.  I miss facts in the news.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

What Do You Expect?

There's been kind of a big deal being made about improprieties in the NCAA.  I mostly want to talk about the whole Reggie Bush Heisman Trophy situation.  Actually what led to it is more my goal.  If you don't know, Reggie Bush was stripped of his Heisman Trophy due to receiving improper benefits as a collegiate athlete.  Apparently, an agent offered Reggie and his family a lot things that they didn't have before in order to be Reggie's agent when he wanted to become a professional athlete.  Now I'm not saying what Reggie did was okay, because it's not.  As a collegiate athlete, you are not to receive any kinds of benefits during your tenure in college.  It's basically saying that you can't be paid to be an athlete.  However it bothers me a lot that Reggie's actions caused a lot of backlash for his former school.  Actually, it's not really Reggie's actions that bother me.  It's the actions of the agents that know better.  These agents are so greedy that they can't wait until the young man finished his collegiate career to jump on him and his fame.  Yes he was destined to be a superstar in the pros.  Yes he was destined to make millions in endorsement deals.  Yes he was destined to be a face of the NFL.  But we forget that he was still just a young man wanting to help his family get out of poverty.  This isn't just singular to Reggie Bush.  So many collegiate athletes come from low to very low income situations.  You throw money in a poor kid's face and tell him he can help his mother get out of debt and never have to worry again, they're jumping on that opportunity.  It doesn't help that the athletes don't see much of the money that they're making for their school.  People say, oh they're getting a free education.  They're getting an education for playing basketball, that's easy.  Not really.  They have to balance dedication to the sport they're playing with dedication to classes and dedication to being a 19 year old kid and having fun for themselves.  And what happens if the athlete gets hurt severely and can't play the sport at college any more?  They get tossed to the wayside like nothing happened.  How fair is that?  I don't think it's fair that these agents don't face criminal charges for their actions.  They keep making their millions from other clients with no penalty.  It's a shame.  I don't know what any of us would do if we were in the same situation.  I don't make a lot of money now, so being offered something to keep me from worrying about next month is something I'd totally be on board with.  I guess not totally, but at the very least have me thinking.  Like I said, Reggie knew the rules beforehand, so he should have exercised caution.  Maybe talked to somebody about the situation.  However, grown men with years of business savvy should at the very least have the decency to let the kid be a kid before trying to take advantage of him.  If you're that good of an agent, you shouldn't have to offer improper benefits to get him to sign with you in the first place.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

I'm sorry

I know that it's been a while since I last blogged.  My new housemates decided to fiddle with the internet and cause me mass problems.  It's okay, I had TV to keep me occupied.  However a lot of things have come about that I think I need to address.  First of all, I have a huge problem with some people doing things in the name of my God against their fellow man.  There is a pastor in Florida who up until this weekend was planning on burning the Quran in memory of the September 11 attacks as well as in protest to the Islamic Whatchamacallit that's being built anywhere from 2 to 7 blocks (depending on your news source) away from Ground Zero.  The burning of someone else's sacred texts is wrong.  As a Christian, I'd be outraged if someone burned my Bible.  I would compare it to trying to get a child not to sleep with a teddy bear and burning it to send the message home.  You just don't take something that is precious to someone else and ruin it to get them on your side.  Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not a Muslim sympathizer and I'm not pledging any allegiance to Allah.  Quite the contrary, actually.  I think the best way to defeat Islam is to show love and compassion for them.  To help them when they're in trouble.  My Bible says that what you do for the least of these, you do also for Christ.  If I were to burn the Quran, I'd be slapping my Lord and Savior in the face by not showing love to others.  For that same reason, and I know this will get a lot of people fired up, I have no issue with the Islamic Thingamajig being built near Ground Zero.  Here's my reason.  There's already a Muslim worship center even closer to Ground Zero already there.  It's in a basement at a building that's surrounded by a lot of closed down businesses.  It's not the most desirable place for a worship center, but hey it works for them.  Now according to most sources, this center being built is going to house a cooking school, a basketball court, and other nice amenities.  I don't really know all the juicy details, and I'm not about to go searching.  I just know this, telling people how they can or can't use a building is against the Constitution.  My church recently went through an almost similar situation.  We bought a building, were ready to worship in it, and the government said no.  We fought, and now our church is meeting in said building with many visitors and new members every week.  I know, our God is real, theirs isn't.  I understand that point.  However, I think we should keep our nose out of it.  It's what the separation of church and state was written for to begin with.  To keep the government from putting their nose into church affairs.  It's why the pilgrims left in the first place.  I'm not converting to Islam.  I'm not changing.  I know that one day, those who don't accept Christ as Savior will not be in heaven.  However, what harm is it to have a basketball court in NYC?  Trust me, our God will prevail.  He's the only God that will.  So don't get yourselves in a tizzy over a building.  More than likely, if our God is who He says He is, it will be gone in no time.  I'm more upset that my fellow Christians in NYC didn't pounce on the property and build a church for those victims first.  I think that's what Muslims need to see, Christians fighting the powers of evil with love, care, and compassion.  Not with horrible signs, burning sacred texts, or just being a flat out evil person (I'm talking to you Westboro Baptist).  If you want God to prevail, do what Christ did.  Love those that persecute you.  Bring a meal to the homeless instead of telling them to get a job.  Instead of telling them they're on their way to hell, tell them how to get to heaven.  Sometimes I get so frustrated with my fellow Christians in how they act towards others.  The ones that call our President foul names, the ones that tell homosexuals that God hates them.  I don't think God once hated anyone.  He only hates sin.  Can we get back to what made Christianity so cool in the early 1900s.  Love, peace, grace, mercy, stuff like that?