Saturday, September 11, 2010
How 9/11 Changed Me
This marks the second year that I have posted this piece on 9/11. It was the first post to The Daily Twitch on 09/11/09. I hope you enjoy:
Growing up as a Jehovah's Witness, I was always told that it was wrong to salute the flag. I wasn't allowed to say the Pledge of Allegiance. I had to remain seated for the National Anthem. It's not that I had been intentionally disrespecting or desecrating the flag as a child. My parents never instilled in me the reasons why the symbols of our country, and the flag in particular, should be respected.
You can imagine the uncomfortable situations I had found myself in growing up. In the classroom everyday for years. At school assemblies. At sporting events. Countless dirty looks. People making comments under their breath. Even the occasional thwack to the back of the head with the words, "What's wrong with you? You a Commie or somethin? Stand up boy".
In my younger days, I saw it as an opportunity to "witness". To share my beliefs with others. I would tell them that I wasn't standing because my religion wouldn't permit me to. Usually, that would be as far as I got. The offended spectator would turn a more enraged shade of red and that would be my que to face forward for the rest of the event and not make eye contact with anyone for the next 3 hours.
As I got older, I got wiser. I realized that by being in my seats during the National Anthem, I was only asking for trouble. So, I would generally take that time of the pre-game to go to the bathroom or grab a drink or a souvenir. Most times, I would just intentionally show up late to a game - skip the first 2 minutes of the period or the top half of the first inning altogether.
So how does this tie in to 9/11? I'll get to that in a second. But first: February 13, 1983. The Forum, Irvine, California. It was the NBA All Star Game. For some reason my dad was watching it on TV. I never remember him being much of a basketball fan. I've never been much of one either. But something special happened that night. The time came for the National Anthem. This is what we saw:
It gave me chills. As a 7 year old, I didn't know why. I had a feeling then that I couldn't put into words, that I wouldn't feel again until 18 years later. I left the church in 1996, but, out of habit I guess, continued my "tradition" of not standing for the National Anthem.
Then came September 11th, 2001. It's a day that, 8 years later, I still think about on a daily basis. We all tend to re-live the shots of the people running in the streets, the towers falling, and the planes hitting the towers. Today though, I had a different memory for the first time. I remembered the firefighters going into Ground Zero to tie an American Flag onto a beam of the World Trade Center. This was still while the area was unsafe. There was still a possibility of the surrounding buildings collapsing. It was their way of saying "We're still here. We're still standing".
When I saw that flag amongst the rubble, that feeling I first felt as a 7 year old had returned. It was pride. The flag reminded me of the anthem's lyrics itself: "Gave proof through the night, That our flag was still there, O say does that Star Spangled Banner yet wave, O'er the land of the free, And the home of the brave". It waved over many a brave volunteer in the days and weeks following the attacks.
September 10, 2001, was the last day I refused to sit for the National Anthem. Since the events of 9/11, not only do I show my respect to my nation and its flag, but I sing along with the Star Spangled Banner, and get choked up at the end. Every time.
Growing up as a Jehovah's Witness, I was always told that it was wrong to salute the flag. I wasn't allowed to say the Pledge of Allegiance. I had to remain seated for the National Anthem. It's not that I had been intentionally disrespecting or desecrating the flag as a child. My parents never instilled in me the reasons why the symbols of our country, and the flag in particular, should be respected.
You can imagine the uncomfortable situations I had found myself in growing up. In the classroom everyday for years. At school assemblies. At sporting events. Countless dirty looks. People making comments under their breath. Even the occasional thwack to the back of the head with the words, "What's wrong with you? You a Commie or somethin? Stand up boy".
In my younger days, I saw it as an opportunity to "witness". To share my beliefs with others. I would tell them that I wasn't standing because my religion wouldn't permit me to. Usually, that would be as far as I got. The offended spectator would turn a more enraged shade of red and that would be my que to face forward for the rest of the event and not make eye contact with anyone for the next 3 hours.
As I got older, I got wiser. I realized that by being in my seats during the National Anthem, I was only asking for trouble. So, I would generally take that time of the pre-game to go to the bathroom or grab a drink or a souvenir. Most times, I would just intentionally show up late to a game - skip the first 2 minutes of the period or the top half of the first inning altogether.
So how does this tie in to 9/11? I'll get to that in a second. But first: February 13, 1983. The Forum, Irvine, California. It was the NBA All Star Game. For some reason my dad was watching it on TV. I never remember him being much of a basketball fan. I've never been much of one either. But something special happened that night. The time came for the National Anthem. This is what we saw:
It gave me chills. As a 7 year old, I didn't know why. I had a feeling then that I couldn't put into words, that I wouldn't feel again until 18 years later. I left the church in 1996, but, out of habit I guess, continued my "tradition" of not standing for the National Anthem.
Then came September 11th, 2001. It's a day that, 8 years later, I still think about on a daily basis. We all tend to re-live the shots of the people running in the streets, the towers falling, and the planes hitting the towers. Today though, I had a different memory for the first time. I remembered the firefighters going into Ground Zero to tie an American Flag onto a beam of the World Trade Center. This was still while the area was unsafe. There was still a possibility of the surrounding buildings collapsing. It was their way of saying "We're still here. We're still standing".
When I saw that flag amongst the rubble, that feeling I first felt as a 7 year old had returned. It was pride. The flag reminded me of the anthem's lyrics itself: "Gave proof through the night, That our flag was still there, O say does that Star Spangled Banner yet wave, O'er the land of the free, And the home of the brave". It waved over many a brave volunteer in the days and weeks following the attacks.
September 10, 2001, was the last day I refused to sit for the National Anthem. Since the events of 9/11, not only do I show my respect to my nation and its flag, but I sing along with the Star Spangled Banner, and get choked up at the end. Every time.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
You Can't Say The GOP Isn't Passionate
Phil Davison, a Republican Councilman from Minerva, OH, made the following speech at last night's Stark County Republican Party's executive committee meeting. He was seeking the nomination for County Treasurer. What followed was, to say the least.....passionate.
He didn't get the nomination.
He didn't get the nomination.
9/11 Happened To Us All
On a personal note, I am happy to see that the Imam in New York City has not agreed to move the mosque near Ground Zero. 9/11 happened to us all...Christian, Muslim, and atheist. The following is one of a series of commercials airing in the New York City area to try to ease anti-Islamic tensions. It was hard for me to watch. Got a little emotional actually. It really brought the point home.
Bad Religion: Dream Of Unity
I thought this song was especially poignant considering what I've read today in the news. Between the Christian extremists wanting to burn the Koran, to 50 Cent's Tweet about shooting up a gay wedding...
...all I can think of is, "Why can't we all just get along?" It isn't so hard.
So, Maybe We Won't Be Moving To Boulder
When I graduate from school next year, we're planning on moving somewhere new. A city that isn't as hot, redneck, or Red as the East Phoenix area. Some of the cities on the short list include Portland, Boston and the Denver/Boulder, CO, area.
So far this week, wildfires have destroyed over 170 homes on the outskirts of Boulder. To make things worse, Boulder is expecting 60 mph winds and for the fires to possibly spread within the city to the West side. The West side is home to much of the university and has a number of fraternity and sorority houses in the danger area. Boulder is a beautiful city of close to 100,000 people. We're keeping our fingers crossed for the sake of those in the city. Yahoo has a number of pictures of the damage and destruction so far.
Corset Piercings
I've been looking at a lot of pictures, and I must say, there is nothing sexier than a set of corset piercings. They're distinctly feminine, and, in my honest opinion, hot as all hell. Don't you agree?
Saturday Is "International Buy A Koran Day"
On September 11th, show support for Muslims across the world and buy a Koran. A pastor by the name of Terry Jones and his buddy Fred Phelps at the Westboro Baptist Church had planned to burn copies of the Koran on the anniversary of 9/11 to protest "radical Islam". If their plan came to fruition, it would have not only given the U.S. the stigma of being "radical Christian", but it would also put thousands of soldiers' lives in danger overseas.
I encourage you to join the online movement toward understanding and brotherhood and against fear and intolerance. There is a Facebook page you can join to show your support. I personally don't know where you can go to buy a Koran, but Amazon.com has a large selection of Korans in both English and Arabic.
Update: Terry Jones has announced that he is canceling the Koran burning event. According to the news conference minutes ago, he claims he has struck a deal to cancel in exchange for the NYC mosque move from it's proximity to Ground Zero. MSNBC and Rueters both quote the Imam in New York City, saying that no deal has been brokered and the mosque building continues as planned.
The nutjobs at the Westboro Baptist Church have now announced that if Terry Jones doesn't burn Korans on Saturday, they will.
What has this country come to?
I encourage you to join the online movement toward understanding and brotherhood and against fear and intolerance. There is a Facebook page you can join to show your support. I personally don't know where you can go to buy a Koran, but Amazon.com has a large selection of Korans in both English and Arabic.
Update: Terry Jones has announced that he is canceling the Koran burning event. According to the news conference minutes ago, he claims he has struck a deal to cancel in exchange for the NYC mosque move from it's proximity to Ground Zero. MSNBC and Rueters both quote the Imam in New York City, saying that no deal has been brokered and the mosque building continues as planned.
The nutjobs at the Westboro Baptist Church have now announced that if Terry Jones doesn't burn Korans on Saturday, they will.
What has this country come to?
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Fat Guys Last Longer In Bed
From Salon.com:
Turkish researchers have concluded that fat guys last longer in bed than their skinny counterparts. From the yearlong study:
If you read the rest of the article, the reason WHY they lasted longer wasn't that encouraging, but I'm gonna just spin this positively.
In related news....I'M AWESOME IN BED.
Turkish researchers have concluded that fat guys last longer in bed than their skinny counterparts. From the yearlong study:
Men with excess body fat last longer in bed. In fact, heavier men were able to make love for an average of 7.3 minutes, while slender men could count themselves lucky if they held on for a mere 108 seconds.
If you read the rest of the article, the reason WHY they lasted longer wasn't that encouraging, but I'm gonna just spin this positively.
In related news....I'M AWESOME IN BED.
New Polygamy Reality Show On TLC
What I wanna know is: Where is the polyamory reality show? Polyamory is much more common, and, for mainstream America, taboo than polygamy. Give me a show where the women aren't just sharing a husband, but sharing each other, and I'll give you my time. Polygamy....been there done that. It's called Big Love, and, based on the preview, it's much more interesting.
The Pot Calls The Kettle Black
In the latest episode of Awake!(always thought the exclamation point was overdoing it), Jehovah's Witnesses target atheists for not keeping their opinions to themselves. After years of knocking on our doors and trying to start awkward, impromptu religious conversations with coworkers and family members, Witnesses take issue with so called "new atheists". From the first paragraph of the magazine:
Isn't it ironic? Don't you think? The same people that have been shoving their religion down our throats for decades would rather have us atheists keep our opinions to ourselves. I'll be honest: I didn't read the rest of the article. Too much hypocrisy to try to take in before lunch.
A new group of atheists has arisen in society.
Called the new atheists, they are
not content to keep their views to themselves.
Rather, they are on a crusade, “actively, angrily,
passionately trying to persuade the religious
to their point of view,” wrote columnist
Richard Bernstein. Even agnostics are in
their sights, for these new atheists allow no
room for doubt. To them, there simply is no
God. End of story.
Isn't it ironic? Don't you think? The same people that have been shoving their religion down our throats for decades would rather have us atheists keep our opinions to ourselves. I'll be honest: I didn't read the rest of the article. Too much hypocrisy to try to take in before lunch.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Speaking Of Culturally Insensitive
...But fun as hell, try Jesus Dress Up.
I especially got a kick out of the BDSM and Villians options.
I especially got a kick out of the BDSM and Villians options.
Today In Culturally Insensitive Programming
VH1 Classic is airing 24 hours of RUSH concerts, videos and documentaries on September 8th, to commemorate the Jewish new year, Rosh Hashanah. They're calling it RUSH Hashanah. Slightly insensitive toward the Jewish community. In the Jewish faith, the new year is the beginning of a period specifically set aside to focus on repentance.
Very smooth, VH1.
Very smooth, VH1.
Today In Bad Taste And Worse Timing
You see....If only the World Trade Center was shorter. Then the planes would have missed the 83rd floor completely. This tasteless ad is for a French weekly whose tagline is "Learn to anticipate".
If you'll excuse me now, all this French talk has me craving French toast.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Soundtrack Of My Life - 09/05/10 "Come Join Us"
One of my favorite Bad Religion tracks. It's anti-religion, but more specifically anti-Witness. Something about the Discovery Channel gunman made me think of this song. Enjoy.
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