Swastika: Lost in Translation

The swastika has gotten a bum rap because of Hitler. Most people look at the swastika as a symbol of hate; however, this could not be more from the truth. The swastika symbol has been used by most of the major religions throughout history, even Jewish sects. How did Hitler adopt the swastika as the symbol of the Nazi party you may ask? Let me attempt to explain his oxymoron actions.

The swastika has been around for roughly 3,000 years, centuries before Hitler was even born. Countries, such as China and England, used the swastika to symbolize power, good, and life. It was not until the 1800s that the swastika's meaning change somewhat. Germany itself was not a unified country until 1871. Since many countries that bordered Germany were rapidly growing, the German federation used to the symbol to convey strength and a sense of pride in the country's long history. It was not officially an insignia of the Nazi party until 1920. Like other symbols throughout history, it only takes one bad seed to ruin its meaning. The next time you see a swastika, ignore the hatred that it symbolized in twentieth century Germany.

Where's The Love?

Some things just disgust me with American society. Minus the evils of capitalism, I cannot stand how some Americans chose not to stand behind President Obama. Although I'm biased, canvassing for Obama before his presidency, I just do not understand the widespread panic that has ensued in America since Nov. 4, 2008. Sure, Obama is the first "black president" (actually only half black), but what is the purpose of tearing the man down? He fairly won the election so I wish the animosity would subside.

This rant is the result of stupidity on the behalf of some parents in this country. Obama decided to talk to students about the their lethargic attitudes, yet Americans across the country see this as an attempt to indoctrinate their children with socialistic ideas. Did these parents forget that President Kennedy called on American youth to personally take responsibility for the transitions that the U.S. was experiencing in the 1960s? It is the same thing! Both Democratic presidents pushed for agendas that tried to motivate all Americans to take pride in their country. I just do not understand how this can be construed as socialism?

Jack Johnson: The New Cat Stevens

For those who are not familiar with Cat Stevens, imagine Jack Johnson with long hair and a British accent. Cat Stevens, who was active throughout the 1970s and early 80s was his generation's Jack Johnson. Both artists sung about love and living in a positive way. Their styles are so similar it's kinda uncanny. If you listen to Jack, you should definitely check out Cat Stevens.

Abstinence Appreciation

Girl I'm not a piece of meat, stimulate my brain... touche Jermaine, touche.

The Rape of Kuwait

I was in Goodwill the other day (my new thing) and I picked up The Rape of Kuwait.  Such a blunt title made it a must.  I've read half of it so far and I highly recommend it to everyone.  It is safe to say that a lot of Americans were ill informed about Operation Iraqi Freedom.  Whether you agreed or disagreed with our country's brash decision to invade Iraq (it's fairly clear which side I take), The Rape of Kuwait shows the plight of the jilted souls of Iraq in 1991.  

Sketcherfield's Finest

Dear Facebook Video Vixens (Cierra and Alexa),
Thanks for all of the Facebook videos that yall have so graciously given me. I'm a pretty big fan of them. Let it be known that I am also a huge fan of the nickname Thom Thom. It's much better than Mangy... I'm stoked to know that the FVV will be in action until Jan. 2010 as well! I would return the favor, but I'm not cool enough to since I don't have a Mac ha.



Yours truly,
Thom Thom (Not lame ol Mangy)



P.S. I'm also a fan of Sonic and Latter-day Saints :)

The Real Mysteries of Life

Instead of fighting wars and trying to improve health care, Obama should be trying to solve the following riddles:


Why did the chicken really cross the road?

How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?

If MC Hammer was honestly too legit to quit, why did he file for bankruptcy?

What really killed off the dinosaurs?

Is everything actually bigger in Texas?

Rain: The Great Antagonist

The House That Fascism Built (A Rant)

I usually try to shy away from posts that seem to be nothing more than rants, but I can't help myself. My supervisor proclaimed that talking at work was forbidden until further notice. Really? Are adults, ranging in age from 19 to 70+, suppose to be treated like school children. I haven't been forbidden to talk since 1st grade. I'm curious to see how long this talking ban is going to be in place.

REgina SPEKTor: a review

I have been a huge Regina Spektor fan for the last four years. Everything about her (i.e. her quirky style to her musical versatility) makes her an unique artist by today's music industry standards. She's not afraid to be different and I totally dig that. She recently released her third major studio production, Far. Unlike her previous albums, Far seems to have more mass appeal. Although Spektor's no rookie, her new album is sure to bolster her fan base. I suggest you listen to Eet, Folding Chair, and Dance Anthem of the 80s... they're amazing tracks.

Ironic Iconoclasm

I have always deemed myself to be somewhat of a revolutionary... even though I have very little to rebel against. Since I pride myself on going against the grain, I have always admired the life and exploits of Che Guevara.  Arguably one of the greatest revolutionaries of the 20th century, Guevara's influence is still prevalent with regard to left wingers and free spirited college kids.  I fall among the latter of Che admirers.  A lot of people say that Guevara stood for nothing but evil, but I don't see it like that.  

There has been a recent push to discredit the revolutionary ideals of Guevara.  Some critics dwell on the fact that he was allegedly responsible for having a hand in the deaths of roughly 200 Cubans falling the communist takeover of the Cuba.  Should we really judge such a powerful force of intellect and master of military strategy with the same standards that we use on ordinary people?  If that is the case, then every president before Lincoln should be responsible for all of the slaves that died in the U.S.

 

Burning Man... literally.

This post truly captures the randomness of my mind. I was listening to Third Eye Blind's Burning Man the other day and I started to think about self immolation. For those who are not familiar with the term, self immolation is a ritual that is performed by someone setting themselves on fire in protest. The most famous case of self immolation occurred in Vietnam in 1963. A Buddhist monk set himself on fire in the middle of a busy street. The crowd watched in amazement as the monk allowed himself to be consumed by the fire without moving an inch. What a hell of a way to go! Just think, how devoted do you have to be to submit yourself to such torture to prove a point?

Girl Talk, I listen?

Gregg Michael Gillis should be my new best friend. Gillis, better known as Girl Talk, is an electrifying DJ that's starting to take the music world's breath away. Although he is simply mashing up verses of different songs, it's unique. I got to see him live at a concert this spring and I was both shocked and amazed. Jump on the Girl Talk express, before it becomes old news.

Burt's Bees

I have officially sold out on Lynchburg (the city where Chapstick was created) by switching over to Burt's Bees. I use to think it was ridiculous to pay $3 for a tube until I indulged... the rest is history. The stuff is $3 for a reason... even if the old guy on the box looks like the biggest creeper ever ha.

The Original American Idol

Here's to you Axl... the only true American Idol.

The epitome of tolerance

If the Henderson's could love Big Foot, we can at least get along with each other. Is that too much to ask? ha

Are you not entertained?

Jeremiah Masoli... the hypest player for the Oregon Ducks.

Palmtop

Why get a laptop when you can have a palmtop?

Old Company, New Style

I am an avid hiker and outdoor enthusiast. Second to my love of nature is my love of being a style pioneer. What better way to combine my favorite loves than to sport hiking gear that captures the essence of the outdoorsman? Instead of wearing the trendy choice of The North Face, I wear Patagonia. The new style of Patagonia is even captured in its vivid clothing ads. The company is even making a concentrated effort to be more earth-friendly. If you want to wear comfortable clothing that protects against the wear and tear of outdoor sports, I suggest you start sporting Patagonia... go against the grain.

Magazine of the Enlightened

If you are interested in becoming in a well-rounded individual, I suggest that you start reading GQ. I picked up a copy of the newest GQ, with Christian Bale on the cover, and I became an instant fan. A cheap subscription price makes the magazine a plus as well.

The Ram Dass Legacy

Few people recognize the name Richard Alpert. Even fewer people realize that Richard Alpert is actually the birth name of Baba Ram Dass. The aforementioned name was given to Alpert as he traveled around India in the late 1960s. Baba Ram Dass, translated as the "servant of God," preached a message that was ubiquitous around the world during the 1960s: "be here now." The message of Alpert's 1971 book, Be Here Now, taught the world's youth to be conscious of their surroundings and to live life in the present. Although Be Here Now was written almost 40 years ago, its message is still pertinent to today's youth. With a widespread economic crisis gripping the world, it is important for us to live in the now. We can't worry about what the future holds. If we become too consumed with the future, we will miss the small things in life that make us happy.

Addiction never sounded so good...

Coexist

Obama's trying to single-handedly make up for the Crusades... and I dig that. A lot of world leaders were in an uproar over Obama's speech proclaiming that the three major religions, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, should try to work to coexist in Israel. Why can't the world stop over analyzing Obama's speech and simply take it at face value? This underlying intolerance has been the major catalyst of Middle Eastern hostilities for decades. Even if we don't agree with Obama's policies, we should rally behind him.

Go Green!

I was recently talking to one of my friend's mom and she enlightened us on the growing Pacific Garbage Patch. The PGP, as I have dubbed it, is no laughing matter. It occupies a space in the Pacific Ocean that is estimated to be roughly twice the size of Texas. If we don't act soon, the PGP will grow to astronomical sizes that will not only threaten ocean wildlife, but also neighboring continents.

The PGP was formally discovered from research during the 1980s. The research showed that 80% of the debri in the PGP comes from land, while 20% comes from ships. The PGP threatens wildlife because it is invading their niches with pollution; this pollution is in turn eaten my ocean wildlife. Once debri from the PGP is consumed by wildlife, it wreaks havoc on their digestive systems. Countless birds and turtles have fed this trash to their young, caused premature deaths. I plan on becoming actively involved in doing my part to eliminate this threat. The solution is simple: start recycling! Most cities, if not all, have some form of recycling facilities. I suggest that we all start doing our part to eradicate this tradegy by becoming active recyclers. Do we really want future generations growing up knowing that we were aware of this problem and did nothing to try to stop it?

Be A Planeteer

We all should start being more respectful of the earth. We only get one... let's not ruin it. Honestly, do you want to make an Italian, posing as a Native American, cry? The choice is yours.

Nostaglic TV

The new Nickolodeon shows can't even compare to the old Nickolodeon shows of the early 90s. Here are some of the shows that were popular back in the day:

Aaahhh Real Monsters
Adventures of Pete and Pete
Alex Mack
Are You Afraid of the Dark?
Clarissa Explains it All
Double Dare
Doug
Guts
Hey Dude
Legends of the Hidden Temple
My Brother and Me
The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo
Rocko's Modern Life
Salute Your Shorts
What Would You Do
Welcome Freshmen

Unemployed?!?!

I have always espoused certain radical views that have seemingly made me a rarity in a time of political correctness. I graduated from college a few weeks ago and I still don't have a job. Although I'm running out of money, I at least feel good that I haven't resorted to some mindless job that kills my free spirit. This Tom Morello quote is a personal favorite of mine:

America touts itself as the land of the free, but the number one freedom that you and I have is the freedom to enter into a subservient role in the workplace. Once you exercise this freedom you've lost all control over what you do, what is produced, and how it is produced. And in the end, the product doesn't belong to you. The only way you can avoid bosses and jobs is if you don't care about making a living. Which leads to the second freedom: the freedom to starve. -Tom Morello

Bow Ties vs. Neckties

I have been involved in numerous debates with friends about the relevance of bow ties in contemporary wardrobes. On countless occasions I have heard the argument that bow ties are played out. This argument seems irrelevant to me. Bow ties scream total preppiness and American culture is embracing the prep lifestyle once again. Although a lot of teenagers and young adults are jumping on the "prep bandwagon" and wearing Hollister and American Eagle, they are not true preps. Being preppy is more of a lifestyle than a description of someone's wardrobe.

I try to shy away from posts that seem to be rants, but I can't help myself with this one. For the record, companies such as Hollister and American Eagle are NOT preppy. Nothing about their clothing screams prep. Sure, these companies pride themselves on their rendition of a collared polo and khakis. Just because companies manufacture a wide array of clothing styles that happen to include collared shirts and khakis does not mean that they are preppy companies. The saturated "prep" revival is promoting a sickening trend that seems to show signs of sticking around for some time. Kids that rock Hollister and American Eagle claim to be living the prep dream, PLEASE!

Now getting back to the subject of this post, a bow tie is preppy to the max. The bow ties' cousin, the necktie really doesn't hold the same weight in the preppy arena. I used to only wear neckties for the longest time until I decided that bow ties were a better fit for my style. Once I made the switch, a lot of my friends gave me slack because I'm black and wear bow ties. Maybe I just refuse to be like everyone else? If I had my way, I'd outlaw neckties unless you're wearing a business suit. You would think that a society that is currently embracing prep culture would be more supportive of the bow tie. I guess these "new age preps" have a lot to learn.

Nonsense Poem

So I saw Haunting in Connecticut last week and I heard this catchy poem. It doesn't quite make sense but just take it for face value.

One bright day,
In the middle of the night,
Two dead boys got up to fight.
Back to back they faced each other,
Took out their swords and shot each other.
When the deaf policeman heard the noise,
He came and killed those two dead boys.
If you don't believe my story is true,
Ask the blind man, he saw it too!

2012... The end of an era?

I was sitting around shooting the breeze with one of my best friends the other day and the conversation quickly took a serious tone. I, myself, an a quirky individual and have always tended to surround myself with other quirky people. My friends and I usually sit around and crack jokes like it's going out of style. This was certainly not the case this one evening. While hanging out at my friend Zane's house, a spot affectionately named the Zoo Crew, we started discussing the end of the world. Some random commercial about the dire condition of the earth sparked this conversation and resulting post. Seemingly convinced by several television specials proclaiming that the world would end in 2012, Zane assumed a serious demeanor and the rest is history.

The television specials that sparked this end of the world talk were linked by the fact that they were created in response to the Mayan calendar's assumption that the world would end in 2012. I am not totally sold on this idea; however, my friend seemed convinced. After our conversation, I went home and decided to do a little research on the subject. I was a history major in college and anything about history gets me pretty jazzed. After an hour or so searching the Internet for some evidence that would prove or disprove the Mayans' theory, I came up with little more than speculation on both sides of the debate.

The Mayan civilization was a great society that has become synonymous with Apocalyptic theories due to their calendar's prediction. Many people seem to ignore the fact that the Mayans are credited with being pioneers of a highly sophisticated writing system without any European influences. I do not intend to go on a rant about whether or not the calendar is true or not. I will leave that up to you to decide for yourself. I just found it interesting that such a seemingly forgotten society could still leave an indelible mark on modern society. Who are we, or the Mayans, to try to predict the end of the world? I believe that this new interest into the Mayan calendar's prediction could have catastrophic results if people blindly accept this theory without properly analyzing the subject. We all remember the mass hysteria that resulted from the theory that the world was going end on Jan. 1, 2000... and we're still living today.

Religiousity

A lot of people throw around the term "religion" and seemingly try to hide behind some Higher Being. This is in no way a rant that possesses any atheistic or agnostic undertones. I am a professed Christian and have believed in the Christian sense of a god since I was a young child. My only qualm with excessive religiousness is that I believe that it is more of a disease than an ideology. I grew up in Lynchburg, VA, an area that is world-renowned for being the home of great Christian leaders. I support Christianity in every sense, yet I believe that certain ideals that are espoused by some Christians can potentially be detrimental to the spread of toleration that is needed in today's world.

Keeping with the theme on the "war against terror," I have chosen to play devil's advocate and take the side that is less accepted by radical Christian types... excessive Christianity can be linked with Islamic extremist organizations (i.e. the Taliban). Radical Christian groups throughout the United States have increasingly become the status quo in American society. The statement that terrorism is evil supported by every red-blooded American, yet domestic terrorism via radical Christian groups is starting to compete with Islamic extremism. Radical Christian groups organize rallies to try to stop illegal immigration and abortion; however, their activities are promoting intolerance that can possibly tear America apart. Instead of bombing abortion clinics and denouncing abortion, which by law is legal, these radical Christians should try to emphasize safe sex practices that would decrease the chances of unplanned pregnancies. The opposition to illegal immigration presents another set of challenges in trying to stop intolerable acts. We, including foreign immigrants, are all God's creations. Who is to say that we are mighty enough to decide who should or shouldn't live in this country? America is known as the great "melting pot." This title wasn't given to a country that espouses radical views. In case radical Christians forget this point, they need not look any further to their ancestors to show that immigration is necessary. Immigration, due to reasons such as religious persecution and an oppression of civil liberties is part of the reason why we are all American citizens today.

Save Darfur

Darfur Now!!! Recently, a lot of people have been on their moral high horse and jumping on the save Darfur bandwagon. This recent trend doesn't exactly set well with me. I have been immersing myself in the subject of Darfur for about three years now. There have been a plethora of literature (mainly movies and books) created to promote international awareness on the current genocide in the tumultuous Sudanese country. My only concern is that a lot of newly baptized proponents of the Darfur conflict are not properly informed on the issues that are central to the genocide itself.

A lot of random facts and figures are thrown out on a daily basis that either try to downplay or hype up the conflict. Roughly, 300,000 Africans in Darfur have lost their lives at the hands of the corrupt leaders of their country. Several figures from African institutions sympathetic to the Janjaweed, armed crusaders of Darfur, have claimed that only 10,000 Africans have died. The fact that African institutions are seemingly turning a blind eye to the Darfur conflict speaks volumes about a deeper and darker problem that exists in Africa. It should come as no surprise that African countries have been at odds with each other for centuries (note the fact that the African slave trade was promoted by African tribes themselves). In order to properly diffuse the genocide in Darfur, we should look to the past and try to take steps to reverse this distrubing trend of human suffering.