The Ridiculously Amendments of Florida Constitution and How Probably 2 Will Pass to make the Cut in 2014

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The Correlation Between Duck Dynasty and Governmental Mass Media Diversionary Tactics

Duck Dynasty, Promo 

Tampa, (Fl) --- It can sound as a weird theory, it can even sound that the idea came from Ray Bradbury or George Wells. It's is a theory of the mass communications as well public relations, that entities of power can use mass media in order to create a diversion from a problem that is happening in the country, to create catharsis among the citizens and let them blame it on a celebrity up to a problem that is not relevant and doesn't need a solution.

<< Two minutes hate>> as it was called on 1984, are two minutes where members of the Party express their hate to members of the opposition; in actually it can be seen today, as it been happening where the media creates a frenzy towards any celebrity in order to avoid informing what is really happening in matter of economics as well regional and international politics. Keep the people as dumb as possible.

I am not a fan or reality television, I am not a fan of Duck Dynasty, but I guess it had found its niche; but, yet for me is a bunch of over-glorified rednecks with a lot of money that through the television show connected with middle-class Americans.

Yet, we are ignoring what is happening around us on terms of civil rights, economics and politics. Such, as another upcoming government shutdown (let's face it, Republicans and Democrats are hurting the people equally on this little war they have toward the economic monopoly), the war is still on; the assassination of Andy Lopez, where police brutality is a serious problem and almost everyone are looking to one redneck this time.

Yes, there is a fine line between free speech and hate, Duck Dynasty has offered to the viewers the fine lines between what has turned "political correct" and what has become a problem into the rhetoric of a group of people that are defined into Fundamental Christians albeit they don't define the religion and the groups as whole.

I don't defend Phil Robertson, as an LGTBQ individual I really detest any form of hate speech, as a humanist I hate when people act in a aggressive way but after reading the interview I see an answer that is honest according to the man's principles, because there is not going to be an homogeneous reaction to every issue in the world.

As, you become a celebrity or an individual of interest, you have to become aware that everything you say it will be scrutinized by everyone. That is a rule of entertainment; but as many people rise to fame with realities, the magazines as well other communication service use the scandals in order to make a profit but at the same time, as it was said early they create a diversion from what the people had to be paying attention to.

It's not weird to see how the media gets into a frenzy before the government gives bad news, such as in October 2013 where Major League Baseball had more prevalence on the news than the Government shutdown (and how Ted Cruz and Co. screwed thousands of people). So, how knows will happen next.?

Mafalda and The Modern Critique to the Expansionist System of the First World

Mafalda Strip

Tampa, (Fl) --- Probably if you had lived your life in North America, you haven't heard about Mafalda; a comic strip that debuted on 1964 by the author Quino, which in the origins of the strip was a total different cartoon as it was a marketing strategy to sell products from the electronic company Mansfield in Argentina, which the company requested to the author, that the mascot should had the letter M in his/her name. That is a brief explanation on how the character was born, but it wasn't going to be until September, 29 of 1964 when the little girl would made her first appearance in the now defunct magazine Leoplon, who was under the tutelage of Quino's friend Miguel Brasco.

Almost, everything in the iconography of Mafalda offers a strong social critique about the problematic of the decade of the publication, yet still today (as the graphic on the top shows) there are some applicable about cultural identity, history and self-perception that can be used for today standards on how the younger generations are identifying themselves all due the globalization.

In a series of unrelated events, the idea of using children to express voices of discomfort is not new, one of the most memorable ones in the American culture were the creation of Bill Watterson "Calvin and Hobbes", were the use of critique was masked behind the shenanigans of a 6 year old and his pet tiger. The speech given in both comics is not very different, even with the eras and cultures there is always a similar pattern - discomfort through the system. -

Mafalda's conception comes from an era where the sexual revolution was on is apogee and Vietnam was an issue that affected the entire world; but, on a local level we have to analyze the political aspects that the Argentinian society was going through, such - as being an ally of the United States in the South African Border War, the fight between the fans of the soccer teams of Argentina vs. Peru that caused 315 fatalities, the space exploration and the influence of North America in the global culture - ; all those events and more, prompted the conception of Mafalda as a voice to critique the actions that molded the era, but overall to show the differences between the countries of the "north" vs. "the south ones" where the socio-economical struggles are discussed through the history of the strip.

The concept of the struggles between Norte y el Sur (sic. trans. North and South) goes on the concept of developed and underdeveloped countries, on how the countries went to the historical and economical points that they are. Maybe religion did influenced the development of the countries; as essentially North America is a country were Protestantism is the mainstream religion and in the south hemisphere, the Catholic Church is the body that executes influence.

It's a contradiction to think as the influence of religion could be subtle, depending on the sociopolitical location. Argentina itself is one of the countries where in matter of civil rights on the America's spectrum is years ahead of what is North America as a nation. Argentina, has itself problems related to the populism and the terrible legacy the Kirchner had left on an economical ground; yet, related to the LGTBQ rights, Argentina is "20 steps ahead" of North America.

Probably on a molding factor, the ideology of the Protestantism vs. Catholicism at the moment of fitting into the birth of a nation could had played a decisiveness in how the countries run on an administrative level, as well how people live their lives on their respective locations. The Catholic doctrine place humility and don't support the idea that the followers should enjoy their personal wealth, while Protestants go on the search of work as the path to find personal wealth and a collective well-being.

Mafalda herself borders on the line of feminism and a radicalism that shows a reality that had been lived through many generations; the lack of female dominance because of the archaic matrilineal ideals that support patriarchy and put the woman on a second plane, beside that she goes on an intellectual level  where she exposes a problem - Runaway brains- the phenomenon where intellectuals as well educated leave the country due lack of prosperity, and, the inversion of the State into education and improvement became null.

Probably that is the reason why Latin America in terms of a technological level is so far away, because there is no future and the different perspective to achieve a boom with technology as well to improve the financial reality are scarce. Not even thinking that making a decision based on the gender could create a difference, as it doesn't matter if there is no education, take a look at the case of Argentina where Mafalda comes from and the current dignitary has achieved almost nothing.

How the Rick Scott Stole the Christmas

Gov. Rick Scott

Tampa, (Fl) --- Every Trailer Park Trash in Florida Liked Christmas;

But the Scott,

Who lived just North of Kissimme-Villa,

Did Not.!

Rick hated Christmas.! The whole Christmas season.!

Now, please don't ask why. No one quite knows the reason.

It could be the false promises, and the Tea Party,

It could be, perhaps, the patrons that bought his way to the Big House,

But I think that them most likely reason of all,

May have been that his brain was four sizes too small.

But,

Whatever the reason,

His brain or his suit,

He stood there on Christmas Eve, hating the any of the Jews,

Staring down from his mansion with an angry, Grinchy frown.

At the warm lighted fire by the bonfire below town,

For he knew every Pimp and Whore who were singing Christmas Carols on the Streets Down Below,

Was full now, hanging a mistletoe wreath.

"And they're hanging their guns.!" he snarled with a sneer.

"Tomorrow is Christmas.! It's practically here.!"

Then he growled, when he saw the Wal-Mart near the East of Gainsville.

"I must find a way to keep Christmas from coming.!"

"Maybe I can promise them jobs and they will buy stuff that THEY CAN'T afford."

For, tomorrow, he knew..

... All the whores and pimps,

Would wake up bright and early, after the effects of the booze and their sex toys had faded.!

And then.! Oh, the budget cut, Oh, the budget cut, and the jobs he promised that would came.!

The pimps and whores, young and old, would sit down on a test clinic that it was going to be close.

And they scream,! And they'd scream.!

While walking to the Soup Kitchen that was East on 56th Street.

They would start on Bitch-Pudding, and some rare Pop Corn Chicken from Sweetbay and more.

Was was something the Scott couldn't stand in the least.!

To see easy women and all the chicken he could devour,

and THEN

They'd do something he liked least of all.!

Every Floridian vote Democrat,

the tall and the small,

even the big fat ones, who couldn't move because their scooters went bad,

Would stand close together, with their ballots cards near,

They'd stand hand-in-hand. And they Scott started to cry,

Would stand close together, with Protest bells ringing.

they'd scream, And they'd scream.!

AND they'd weren't HEARD.! HEARD.! HEARD.! HEARD.!

And the more the Rick Scott thought of the Pimp-Christmas-Protest-Song,

The more the Scott thought, "I must stop this whole charade.!"

"Why for four more years, I've put up with now.!"

I MUST stop impeachment from coming.!

and not even on the Holidays.!

"... But HOW.?"

Then he got an idea.!

Blame it on the gays,

An Awful idea,

The Scott,

GOT A WONDERFUL, AWFUL IDEA.!

"I know just what to do.!" The Scott Laughed his coke down in his throat,

and he made a quick decision to blame the Gay, Lesbians and every person who was brown,

And he chuckled, and clucked, "What a great Grinchy trick.!"

he placed his his best suit and asked someone to write his best deliverance.

An Open Letter to Bill Waterson

12/15/2013

From Tampa, (Fl);

To Bill Watterson,

Dear Mr. Watterson, I don't know if you ever going to read this but a part of of me really wants to believe that maybe one day, with the power of the Internet this letter will reach to you.

It's been almost 20 years since the ending of Calvin and Hobbes, I used to read it when I was in my birth country; among, Peanuts your work was the other one that helped me to deal with loneliness as I could relate to Calvin and Hobbes as characters, as well to your line of work because not all comics strips (as well comic books) had a message and could make the reader think; I think the tradition will die when Garry Trudeau decide to end his strips anytime in the near future.

You were right Mr. Watterson it was right to retire at the moment, otherwise the impact that the strip had probably wouldn't be the same as it has been on the last 19 years; but as you said on the interview that you offered to Mental Floss "I suspect comics will have less widespread cultural impact and make a lot less money"; that is true on a certain extent but not fully, as the cultural impact of comics themselves is probably not anymore on the newspapers but on the Internet in the webcomic format.

,Mr. Watterson your legacy is still on, and it keeps inspiring a lot of newcomers to do venture on their comics in a freelance matter, using the vast internet hosting servers. I dream not far away in the near future to leave a little legacy of my own in the world, but first I want to go back to school and finish the first segment of what I want to achieve with my education as well to get the tools that will help me professionally. It scares me but I am not fearful, it makes me happy that I can do it.

Bill, I hope life there in the North had been amazing, thank you very much for everything, even if it was a little piece in a moment of time.

Thank you,

Gus

The Simple Modern Aspects of Calvin And Hobbes Towards The Millenials

Tampa, (Fl) --- There are several analysis that can be made to Calvin & Hobbes, from the philosophical traces of Bill Watterson to the use of science as a component of the satire. There is not going to be another Calvin and Hobbes and there is not going to be any spiritual successor of this comic, that has been concluded since 1995.

It's amazing that's been almost 20 years since Calvin and Hobbes ended, and the comics strip it is still as fresh as it was on November 18th of 1985. It's quite amazing to think how much the world has changed in the last 29 years. Paris is Still Burning and Jenny Livingston went to make television, AIDS is still a menace, the newer generations are focused on more of the sensual pleasures (not to mention, clicktivism) where they ask for anything without even working; school system keeps failing and becoming more intolerant with everyone... The list can keep going on because the topics that the cartoon dealt are still valid, because even with the time people can always find a point to argue using critical analysis.

The juxtaposition of Calvin and Hobbes personality goes on practicality vs. impulsive actions; not necessarily old vs. young; as Hobbes if we go on the idea of imaginary friend is just a mere reflect on Calvin's more mature persona but yet with the ambiguity and analysis of relation toward reality. We can think, that Hobbes is just a mere reflection on what Calvin will become, maybe it could be applied towards the Millennials if they learn to look beyond the sensuous pleasures in life and learn how to work their lives out.

On one of the story arcs, where the family goes on a camping trip Calvin shows a total annoyance to be in contact with the nature as there were no amenities or technology that he could use; to think the strip had the beginning on the late 1980's and see how a child can't focus his attention because there are no technologies is some of a "problem" that is still seen today, where kids can't see themselves without a functioning tablet, computer or handheld video games.

Calvin, is on the point of finding his own cultural identity, there are no points that can relate them to the counter culture movements of the previous ones, there is not a solid ideology and some of the political ideas are related to grassroots waves that create influences because of the Internet weight. Probably Calvin is more keen to Generation X, both generations tend to be interrelated on the use of technology and also to be more liberal on certain ideas opposite to the Baby Boomers.

Calvin and his parents could be seen as both generations living under one roof, but yet the depth of his parents was never explored to know if they were more progressive than they looked on-panel; maybe, Calvin himself could be a reflection of his parents ideals on how to deal with reality and with people, even on an intellectual level.  

Students Lag in Global Academic Ranking - The Problem is Not the American Idiot

Tampa, Fl --- Is not that students are stupid, it just that problem relies in there is no challenges in school, families don't incentive any intellectual aspects and Creationism is taught as a real science; sure, we can blame the government but let's blame also the religious influence, PR stints from "empty" shelf celebrities, trends and other idiotic behavior that are making this society worse and probably Florida even worsen.

OK, maybe we can blame the government, since more of the budget that could be destined to education as well arts is being invested in war and spying people for anything.

Recently released test results by the Program for International Student placed Floridians in a hot water towards math, science and reading. Maybe the problem the problem is not into preparing for the real world, because if we face what is on the real world your personality and look is what is count, anyone who is a high school drop out can end up working and becoming a retail manager just based on their looks and charisma.

Terry Boehm, President of the Pinellas Education Fund said that educators should prepare kids for what they want to do with the rest of their lives. It brings so many problems as it was said early, because the world is far more complex than what you can find in a classroom but in a classroom there could be the change that the State as well the country badly needs; because, there is human talent.

So what is the problem comes strictly from the classrooms.? The solution has to be to modify the curriculum that the students face it, make it more actual and modify the teaching methods to reach more people to achieve their potential through academic principles.

The Common Core Standards which have come under heavy fire for not creating more technical people, albeit supporters claim that is the opposite but yet it shouldn't be viable to measure the academic failures as well achievements with a standardized test as the populations of different countries tend to be heterogeneous and some other are more concentrated on being homogeneous.

So next time, don't feel you are stupid; maybe, you haven't reached your full potential. You probably will reach it one day and realize what you are capable of, probably it will never happen but never feel less, unless you believe that a race of reptilians control humanity. .

Yes, Virgina there is a Santa Claus but it Gives More to Rich Kids - It's the Season For Consumerism

Tampa, (Fl) -- Virginia, there is no Santa Claus and even if there is one it will give it more to the upper income families - There are plenty of situations and things that during the winter solstice brings happiness to the people, at least some faked aspects about their lives.

People are hypocrites and you can see it better when Thanksgiving is arriving but nothing better than when Christmas is around the corner and specially New Year.

Yes, I sound bitter but it's still better than to have unrealistic expectations about this season, about the cycle that repeats every year; maybe, we are ritualistic as a species. Maybe, we had lost the meaning of the solstice, the celebration and we have moved into a path of consumption and being fake just to impress other people.

What happened to measures how loved you are by your actions,? instead people love to be measure by their material possessions and we are teaching to the younger generations that. Who has the best television, the latest video game, the best gadget, who went to the most expensive trip; situations as that, are placing the younger generations, the Millennials into a kaleidoscope of who can buy what, instead of -what I can do to help my community.-

But, who knows, maybe we had become fearful of social interactions and we place over head masks in order for people to avoid seeing the real us and during the last weeks of the year, what better time to do it. Maybe is true, Santa does gives more to rich kids than poor kids, because the parents can afford more than the ones living in section 8 but that don't stop the people to go and flood the shopping centers. 

Barnes and Noble Shameful Hispanic Section

Barnes and Noble Hispanic Section (1)

Tampa, (Fl) --- As a Hispanic man in Florida, and a man who can speak and read in 3 languages but my main being Spanish and being in Florida I can expect more from the local bookstore.

A couple of weeks ago I went to find a few books about Latin American Literature and my surprise I found more about books For Dummies, Paulo Coehlo (which is not Hispanic) and a lot, and I mean a lot, almost two rows filled with novelizations about teen movies from the United States such as the novelization of Twilight as well Catching Fire; but, I didn't found any pertinent book from the Latin American Literary Culture beyond one Chronicle of a Foretold Death by Garcia Marquez which I found in between Pregnancy for Dummies (Embarazo para Dummies) and How to Keep and Awesome Body at Any Age (Cuerpazo a Cualquier Edad).

Shame on you Barnes and Nobles, that in the area where I am as well in Tampa, which there is a big Hispanic population there are no decent books to read in Spanish. 

I asked the clerks, twice on two different weeks and they sent me to the same sections on the books I was looking, only to not find anything because the more educated sections are just composed by trash; yet, is a shame that good books are found in the Nook and not in the physical aspect.

I don't want to go to the public school library which is another, actually both public schools have as book stores Barnes and Noble; but, the prices of the books are ridiculously high. Is a shame that at least in Tampa there are no other bookstores beside the Barnes and Noble, the Books A Million are too far away and is sad that Borders closed many years ago because their selection was more varied.

I don't want to have an awesome body at age 40, or learn about pregnancy or anything about teen movies that were based on books and got books. I want to see a bookstore with more books than coffee, movies and calendar. Shame on you Barnes & Noble.

The Axiom of the Latino Identity in The States

Tampa, (Fl) -- We are a multicultural, multiethnic society; where we as immigrants who we have the Hispanic roots as well the language. As the Borgs subjugating the humans we have surrender to the assimilation.

Maybe; not assimilation but we, as first generations that we'd came to the country on different times we are letting our children and specially ourselves to lose our history and heritage in order to get anything towards governmental help instead of going out and fight for it.

To define Latino is a double negative, the first reason it's because Latino's are not in the most strict sense of the words people who speak Spanish, Latino's are from Latina - Italy, specifically the Lazio region; but yet it goes in a contradiction that we Spanish speaking people, who we share a language but different cultural factors we identify ourselves as Latino's, a word that didn't had a meaning until the Cuban migration of the 1960's.

Sombrero Vueltiao 

One of the items I always associate with an axiomatic fallacy towards the cultural identity is the Sombrero Vueltiao from Colombia; as I am Colombian I tend to analyze the behavior of my peers more deeply than any other cultural group.

If Gustavo wears a Sombrero Vueltiao means he is proud of being Colombian; but, if Gustavo doesn't wear any iconography then he is ashamed. We can go with the same fallacy to apply it to U.S. born individuals as If they don't wear an U.S. pin in their shirts or any bands around their wrists it means they are not fully Americans.

There is an identity depending on the country were you from and how much you keep in touch with your history as well how that message is transmitted properly to your children and as well future generations, in order to not lose any experience learned around the time living in the United States as a foreigner.

If we go, and make a pseudoanalisis in our axiom about Latino Identity  we can take the concept of dualism and the relation between mind and body as separate substances, if we trans-point the idea of the substance into cultural identity as well personal identity. If we analyze both substances, they can interrelate as they can be opposites reflections because we can make cultural identity as part of our own personal identity, but yet the idea of giving to a culture we are not use to, and start calling ourselves with other terms we are not, is a negative.

Then, there is the point expressed by philosopher Frank Jackson - there are more facts than the physical facts alone, - trying to understand the reasoning on why to betray our cultural identity in order to assimilate, can be expressed in the simple argument the person lacks of knowledge towards of how they are as well what they can learn from their ancestors in order to structure their identity.

I.E.  I go to to a carnival, the carnival is a Hispanic heritage carnival; if I go there expecting to put in within the different national roots and at the end I find that the carnival is not giving me a proper feedback because the music as well social attitudes don't reflect anything that is in my knowledge system, then I can find something else that will make me happy as I can't identify myself with my own culture or the dual culture I share.

The idea of negating any traits and trying to masquerade, can be reflected into how some people who don't know any language of core aspects of the culture they are keen to, feel in close relationship because of banal aspects as pop music vs personal image up to the point of people obsessed with K-POP without even knowing a word of Korean.

Where we can debate if, identity as we know it can be summarized with a signifier.? 

The Other American Dream - The Lost People

Micro-Graffiti

Tampa, (Fl) --- I always say one thing - Go in a bus, walk around far away from the upscale neighborhoods, interact with different people and you will see a more to the ground reality about people who simple are forgotten by the dominant class. -, There is one American Dream, is not as a dream is just a cyclical nightmare for many but is also the daily lives for many people who aren't seen in the spotlight, people who are not forgotten but just not seen.

Bus drivers; fast food workers, employees of a supermarket, people you see on a daily basis or at least weekly basis but you don't know their names, but they always know yours.

Then, there is the American Dream that was lost in the shadows, the people who are truly lost. I keep finding traces where I live, but is everywhere about people who felt abandoned, people who just went to that side of humanity that lurks in causing harm because they couldn't know any better or fight for anything better, because there was no will power to face life.

I've walked many paths in life, and seen many people; I've been around different cities and neighborhoods, walked among many people with fear and sometimes without any traces of it; I walk because I don't want to understand the essence of humanity, I walk because  I want to see the different realities that compose the amalgamation of humanity is.

Why people forfeit the dream of a better life,? the dream of helping the community,? the dream of succeeding... maybe, my cousin Alexandra S. was right - we need people who have no aspiration in order for other people to achieve higher. - A form of natural selection I would say with my words.

Then, just by walking in the middle of the night, I saw so many different realities, people who go and work 15 hour days to keep the dreams of other alive; people who have a quality of person, manners but have no fault of living in a Section 8th neighborhood but will always treat other people with such an amazing quality, even strangers who are asking for help.

You will find in life other people who came here running away and never learned the language but found away to move forward; but, some people are just nasty, some people don't have any respect of manners and live according to their own ego-centrism. I ended up asking for a taxi after finally found my way back to the area near my house. I waited around a Red Roof Inn where the receptionist and the security guard where really nice and let me stay in the premises until I was in a safe place.

During that hour in the hotel I saw some people who in their behavior where extremely nasty and rude just to get what they wanted but the receptionist of the hotel always showed a class that was amazing, even when a Hispanic guy and a really awful lady of African origins wearing some kinky boots (not to say a cheap ass hooker) were asking to change rooms because the toilet wasn't flushing; the receptionist always had her poise. She kept her composure no matter what. I saw the other side of the American Dream, a dream that is much as a coin with two faces, where some people just give up or as a my friend Suly Rosado say "some people are just plain ass ghetto with no respect, except on their social services officers or the ones who give the food stamps." Then there is the more optimistic side - where some people aren't that lost and are facing adversity. But, do I am going to do again this joy ride by mistake.? Never again.

   

Fuck the Tea Party and GOP

Tampa, (Fl) --- As simple as you read, fuck how selfish these groups of people can be. Is just amazing to see how the fucking selfish some people can be. Yes I am not even going to go on a xenophobic argument towards on why the African American President is incompetent, my grinding of gears goes on how much people are oblivious on how the government works and how much power the house has. Is amazing how a few angry white men just fucked up everything.

The GOP is dying and slowly turning into the Tea Party, the next big "so called conservative generation" where there are no traces of what the Republicans were. Probably a professor of mine was right, the populist wave that started with Hugo Chavez found its way to the United States and is slowly going into the people's imaginariums because they can feel a relation to the grassroots ideals of the Tea Party.

As it happened in South America as well Central America with the raise of populism, charisma had played a factor towards how the leader of the caucus had aimed to get more followers or in another case scenario make the politicians look as glamorous but with the same shitty personalities of the characters of Dynasty or the Ronald Reagan Era; and, then you can win the audience and possible voters through a media circus that everyone will enjoy.

The selfish act of a few angry white men who are representing the constituent, shows how much politicians are there for the business, so many solutions such as a dialogue table to find a middle point on all the crisis the country is going through and yet this motherfuckers opted to shut down the government, screwing thousands of people who work for them and aren't going to get pay as them, but yet they won't care as they will get pay anyway because they are just fucking politicians.   

Why a Barilla Boycott won't Work in the United States

Barilla meme

Tampa, (Fl) -- I am going to be concrete, a boycott against Barilla won't be as effective as many people think; and, the reason is on the low prices of the pasta.

Why the low prices of the pasta.? The answer relies on the fact that almost on every single weekend newspaper around the United States have coupons for the Barilla brand that goes between US¢.55/2 and even so far US$1.00 pero box not to mention that several stores around the United States offer coupons that would leave the boxes almost on US¢19 per box which is a deal, a deal when someone is hungry won't refuse so easily.

I know that the machismo in Italy is not something to be proud and the link between this attitude and the "stereotypical" macho attitudes because of the patriarchal approach that is linked with the imagery of the national religion imagery where men are kings, women are just household items and kids are to please their parents.

I don't know how much the boycott is going to work in Italy itself after the comments of Barilla CEO Guido Barilla, but in North America where people can get pasta at a really low price before thinking of the message that their food is produced, there are going to be some minor setbacks on a national level for the organizers of the boycott because you can't deal with hunger and politics.

The Nigga Identity Vs. Million Man March; What Would MLK Would Do Today With The Problematic Around Afro Communities.?

Tampa, (Fl) --- On August 28, 1963 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Gave his famous speech I Have a Dream. On Topeka Kansas, 1954 the first steps to end racial segregation by Brown v. Board of Education yet the list goes and goes, yet on modern history one of the most important events is the Million Man where the main focus was to try to find the unity of politicians toward the black and minority causes, centers as well focus group that people feel Washington, DC was leaving behind on a national level.

Today the contributions that the African-American society has given to the nation are amazing, as we can tell spoken word, music (such as Hip-Hop being the most notable one, Jitterbug, Tap, Disco, you can name it) arts, literature, politics; the list goes and goes but there is a division between the society where young urban adolescences are less aware of their past and more focusing on the consumption culture that is plaguing the United States, in which not only the Afro-youth but as well other groups in which the words - I want to have it now-  are becoming a synonym of the Millennials as well Gen XY.

Million Man March

Today, there is a division between the community where the heritage is divided between the knowledge of the past and the "nigga" identity which itself on a popular level seems to be associate with lack of dignity as well with an appropriation of the street life.

Yet, what is happening today with the black youth is happening with almost every other one where being slackers and spending more time with their phones as well with other sensual pleasures instead of aiding their communities.

Globalization is a key that we can take in consideration toward preserving previous knowledge as well destroying it; because with the interlink of global networks, we will have all the trash we can imagine as well stereotypes that are placing ideas among the youth; such as the appropriation of imageries that "thug life" as Little Wayne is selling is OK and shows a realistic aspect of the street but also if the individual further studies the hip hop culture will see that the hip hop even if it has his roots on the streets is more associated with corporate music that is designated to sell to a mass audience.

What would Dr. King say today.? First of all the speeches he gave are still relevant but Dr. King because we are on a point where a social revolution is still on as well racial segregation, not on the same level that it was on the 1960's and before that, but rather on the exclusion of groups that as some people place them - are not welcome, because they can be terrorists.-

Which is the reason why Dr. King's speeches are still relevant as there is racism up until today, and probably worse than it was prior 1960's because even if the Jim Crow system was abolished almost more than a quarter century, African Americans and other minorities face a limited freedom due the governmental control as well an unequal justice system that incarcerates blacks on a higher rates than whites for similar offenses.

It is an ironic tragedy that the freedom movement ended with people not being free on a fundamental sense because of the system that we had implemented to discriminate people based on their color of their skins. Maybe Dr. King if he was alive beyond the year of his assassination, he would continued talking about freedom as well social justice because we are facing a future where the middle class is heading on a path that is not bright.

"I want Frozen Mashed Potatoes" and the Syrian War

Tampa, (Fl) --- It is not that strange to say that we are an amalgam of generation of spoiled people. Everytime you have the chance to go outside and sit in the bus, the bus itself or just go for a trip to the supermarket listen to other people conversations and you will realize, we are just a bunch of son a bitches with no opinions beyond the ones the media manufacturer for us.

On a trip to the supermarket a couple of weeks ago I was walking towards the frozen meat section (no interest on getting anything) when I saw a man, who looked to be in his middle 40's and assuming by his attire he could be on his day off. He asked in a really awful tone to a clerk to find him frozen mash potatoes, the clerk without any hesitation went to find the proper help and another one appeared he asked him if he was the person in question,  he said no; and he made a small tantrum to the clerk much as if he was a 10 year old kid. Another clerk by accident that worked in the meat department section helped the guy but not without listening to the stupidity the man said and probably got the thing for free.

Stupid, white, fat Americans - are the words that keep coming to my head after five years, after a popular slogan within the leftist movements in Colombia was used to describe the American society as whole. I probably can't see that phrase as a generality anymore because due the amalgam of people that live in North America the best way to describe it would be - Spoiled People who Have no Clue on What's Happening on the World Beyond their Own Thumbs - and, there is a truth on that one because people here are spoiled in their vast majority and thanks to the system they think the world is theirs.

The mashed potato guy is just an example on how many people don't have any manners or education towards other people reality and they follow blindly what happens on the news without any critique of judgment toward the politicians interests. The catalyst of this war is beyond 9/11 it predates almost on the Cold War political interests where the nation is hunting the resources of other nations in order to ensure the survival of the "home" economy that doesn't work and that the people are consuming the national resources at a fast pace.

The potatoes are just a macro example how the society has reached to the point where they want things now and without thinking of any consequence what other relations with other people or nations will be; but, I guess we are just that a bunch of spoiled Americans.

Skip Ender's Game: A Short Essay on Why Orson Scott Card Views not on Religious Grounds but as Member of NOM should be Enough to Boycott his Movie

First Edition, Hard Cover (1985)

Tampa, (Fl) --- Is not that is not OK to read anything from Orson Scott Card because he is a Latter Day Saint and also Stephanie Meyer the author of Twilight who is also a Mormon should be banned from writing because her books are awful.

But, while both writers are just on some level mediocre; Meyer for just butchering the vampire genre, Card is just mediocre for just given pseudo-scientific views about the LGTBQ community, climate change as well intelligent design as if they were ultimate truths. Those are three reasons that show how mediocre someone as a writer can be but overall as a person and a leader of interest in the spotlight who is also a member of the board  of the virulent National Organization  for Marriage. 

Orson Scott Card

Then there's the dychotomy where religion is mixed in a blend of politics and public spotlight; where Card had played with his fame in the worst way possible because some of his body of work had been superb such as the dystopic future of Ender's Game but yet his novels such as Songmaster and Hamlet's Father have cruel depiction of unreal characteristics of the Gay and Lesbian communities.

Card itself has given his point of views in such an outdated way that is just sad to hear that his comment match much as Reverend Jerry Falwell views on LGTBQ community, but Card himself has expressed that people attacking his point of views had attacked free speech but is not an attack of free speech when the giver has delivered a hate speech and tried to hide it between the parameters of the First Amendment in order to do what he wants.

If we go on his ender's game I could dare - to say that all Later Day Saints are a bunch of quakers who think themselves as the chosen people and hate everyone who are not on their social circle - But, Card's views towards on politics, civil rights as well science don't reflect an aspect of the cultural aspects of LDS's as a collective and I would be implying a hate speech on an specific group much as Card did without any knowledge about their history as well their individual backgrounds.

The point with Card's conflict runs toward the National Organization for Marriage point of views as a hate group and the relation of the group to the Latter Day Saints Church as the church being a major sponsor of NOM. The inconvenience with the Mormon Church on the United States spotlight quote the church as many other Christian groups that manage homosexuality as a problem that needs to get "fixed" without even realizing that the policies as well the doctrines have to be updated in order to be inclusive to possible new parishioners who are seeking for a safe-heaven.

NOM Logo

Then there are so many public image strikes that the church essentially PR got destroyed because of the initiative supports to fight to maintain DOMA and Prop 8, which they lost and they didn't show any grace, specially with Prop 8. As NOM co-founder said on her blog "it was a disgrace" but the disgrace relies on the organization violent message to equality which Orson Scott Card supports.


That's the problem with Orson Scott, his image is in not the best frame at the moment after all the remarks he had made and the ones he keeps making. One aspect is to attack a person under his system of beliefs then the other is to receive an attack and having to tolerate the person who has insulted you without any possibilities to defend yourself. Then there is the problem with the people you surround with which they can create a negative influence around your persona.

What to do.? Separating yourself and trying to amend the mistakes is almost an impossible task when you think you are right, but yet in the case of Card people will see him just as another representative of a church that had suffered too much damage to their image because of the political lobby they represent on keeping America on another era that is no longer valid.

So if there is a ground to boycott Ender's Game not as a final product of entertainment but from a perspective that the idea was penned and the movie co-produced by a man who knows no better towards love but only hate.    

The Simplicity Kitsch of Bob's Burger: A Short Essay of Old School Television in Contemporary Times

Louise Belcher 

Tampa, (Fl) -- There is something honest and beautiful about Bob's Burger - it reminds me of the late 1990's cartoons on the animation almost on the time period where King of the Hill made his debut -, yet the show use a similar equation that The Simpsons had on the early years before Homer went D'oh! and Lisa went Gaga.

The writing of the show is fresh even if it has been seen many times in the past and with today's competition as Family Guy (as well other 3 Seth McFarland clones) and with The Simpsons itself; because, the show has what the others left behind many years ago in order to keep the audience; but, Bob's Burger follow more the vein of King of the Hill on the writing rather than other shows of nuclear dysfunctional families as it appeals to a more mature audience without using an overly impact of slapstick comedy.

The family dynamic between the Belchers reflect the early dynamics of The Simpsons as an incompetent father tried to focus on gaining respect of his children while them only paid attention to their mother. The show shows a problematic in today's world due the rise on the price of living and many families being separated in order to keep their houses as well pay for their children's education they nucleus of an unity has been broken but beside that the intrusion of multimedia and "celebrities" advertisements in the homes of families due the use of different technologies had created a new generation of children that are far more knowledgeable on certain topics but yet more naive due the world problems because of their ego centrism and their perspective that everything has to be given "now" to them without any effort.

Probably Bob's Burger will bring back the essences of Animation Domination and will put the most established shows in an order that their scripts will improve to attract again a demographic of adults who are tired of trying to find a fresh block aimed to adults that don't include traces of child thematic's on the story-line.

When The Simpson's started on 1989 as an independent show from The Tracy Ulmann Show, the cartoon essentially defined what is adult animation today. Back on season 1 the show focused more on the family dynamics as well their interaction around their town, Springfield. Bob's Burgers follow on certain extent that concept but also dangles on the shenanigans of the family without making them extremely unrealistic (quoting The Simpson's, the Brazil episode) but yet making them lovable as people can relate to the Belcher family as the lovable losers they are.

Maybe with today's television we'll need to see more scripted shows that focus on actual events as well a fairly realistic approach of characters in comparison with today's world instead of showing a megalomaniac 1 year old who can speak and has an infatuation with a dog while they travel around time and space (we can leave that to all the "bear" fanatics of Dr. Who across the world) but writers can find inspiration on the mundane without going in the absurd but yet maybe in the kitsch.  

Daria: The Last Cartoon of Generation X

Daria Logo

Tampa, (Fl) --- As a member of the so called Generation X, the last generation that mixed the voice of non-conformity with the use of technology to express their non-conformity before they became hipsters and yuppies and raid into the conformity of the modern corporate world, they were much as me, a group of idealistic people who tried to change the world and eventually just gave up in their vast majority.

When the world of the generations was changing along came MTV Daria's; the last cartoon of a generation that wasn't keen to technologies and was more outspoken, which makes me wonder if in a hypothetical example Daria would turn out to be much as the rest of her generation,? and would lost her focus in life to become a writer.

The world of Daria wasn't far away from reality (except from that musical episode), a misunderstood teenage girl with a high IQ but yet extremely asocial to almost anyone else even among her family, but showing rare exceptions to one of her aunts and her father. Her best friend Jane who was much a young Bohemian who was as smart as Daria but yet not as solid to her cause; Daria's sister Quinn who was an insecure teenager fearful of rejection because as her sister she had some degree of intelligence but opted to hide it in order to fit in with the popular cliques and the list goes and goes.

The beauty of Daria is that is classic timeless piece of media, as the content is fresh and funny even almost a decade and a year later after the show ended in 2002; the show itself could follow a revival and find a new legion of fans but yet a follow up movie regards what happened with Lawndale wouldn't be a bad idea but yet if the show would be as fresh as it was on his prime is highly improbable, because today's generation is more self-centered than the one of a decade ago.

One sociological aspect of Daria is handling of alienation from part of society without gambling with sociopathic behaviors (even if they can be used to scared one or two individuals for your own amusement) but the topic of alienation is not exactly related to Daria herself as every single character face desolation and alienation in their own way.

Helen being scared of intimacy, Quinn fearful of being alone because of her "brains", Jake being fearful of interacting with other humans and being fearful of being rejected because of his neurosis but yet none of the characters seems to keep a healthy relationship between themselves because at the end they are full of themselves.

Probably Daria as a show projected what MTV become and was, as well what the future generations after the Generation X turned out to be, a bunch of individuals who don't give a crap about anything beyond their cellphones.

Is Nintendo Finally Suing PETA for their Pokemon Infringement.?

Pokemon Interpretation from PETA

Tampa, Fl -- Maybe some people as well Pokemon fans will remember PETA's stint with their anti-Pokemon game entitled "Pokemon Black and Blue." and there was a similar stunt regarding Super Mario 3D where PETA claimed that their stint was a mere joke to protest due the use of the game imagery of the Tanooki skin (Raccoon dog) on a mythological level  as it plays part of the customs of Japanese regards the real Tanooki but Nintendo regard that stunt left PETA  a small note to back up but after they messed up with one of their golden franchises "Pokemon." Peta replied with this statement " “Nintendo and the Pokémon company take the inappropriate use of our products and intellectual property seriously."

If PETA maybe used a different set of self-made characters to spread their message maybe then Nintendo and the Pokemon Company wouldn't sue them because on PETA's game they used well known Pokemon's such as Pikachu and the three starters from generation 5, so on a legal level they have everything to lose with Nintendo because there is no open interpretation of the game as they used copyrighted characters.

Is not a simple statement open to interpretation from PETA, is only a mere stunt to generate publicity even if is a negative publicity, if we were in the same case as Nintendo we probably would go behind the infringement but the question is PETA going to counter attack.? who knows at this moment, but we had the chance to speak with PETA and this was their reply when their parody appeared:

Erin	10/29/12
to me

Dear Gustavo,

Thank you for contacting PETA about our Pokémon: Black & Blue game (http://features.PETA.org/pokemon-black-and-white-parody/).

This game offers a lighthearted way to bring attention to the very serious subject of cruelty to animals. The game’s main message is that animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on, use for entertainment, or abuse in any other way. PETA’s game allows Pikachu and his friends the opportunity to spread the message of Pokémon rights by sharing PETA’s video “Free Me” (http://www.PETA.org/tv/videos/animal-experimentation/86964208001.aspx), which takes viewers on a heartbreaking journey through the horrors of using animals for food, clothing, experimentation, and entertainment. We encourage people to watch the video during the game and to share it on Facebook and Twitter after they’ve won. Rather than “catch ’em all,” in PETA’s game, players get to “free ’em all.”

Humor is often a very useful tool for reaching people who may be put off by a more serious approach, and by sharing this game with others, we can educate people about the ways in which animals are abused. PETA often uses the gaming genre to reach new groups of people—people who might not otherwise be aware of what is happening and who wouldn’t seek out PETA’s more conventional materials. Millions of people have played PETA’s online games. They have fun and laugh and are also encouraged to think about how the games they have been playing have shaped the ways that they think about animals and how their choices can help animals. If people come away from the game both entertained and more compassionate, then we’ve accomplished our goal.

On the day we launched the game, we received more than 1 million hits on our website, http://www.PETA.org. Since the game was launched, “Free Me” has been viewed more than 256,000 times. Our methods might be different, but they work—and the amount of mail that we’ve received from people like you is proof of that!

We understand that our game is not to everyone’s taste. PETA does make a point of having something for all tastes, from conservative to radical and from tasteless to refined, and this approach has proved amazingly successful—in the three decades sincePETA was founded, it has grown to be the largest animal rights group in the world, with more than 3 million members and supporters worldwide. For further discussion of PETA’s tactics, visit http://www.PETA.org/about/why-peta/peta-tactics.aspx. We’ve had great success in attracting the media’s attention through both serious and slapstick means, including celebrity advertisements, colorful protests, graphic ads, and undercover exposés.

To learn more about PETA, our lifesaving work, and the victories we have won for animals around the world, please visithttp://www.PETA.org/about/default.aspx. Go to http://www.PETA.org/action/default.aspx for ways that you can become active to help animals.

Thanks again for contacting PETA and for giving us the opportunity to address your concerns. Your continued support will truly go a long way toward helping animals in need.

Kindly yours,

Erin M

Membership Correspondent

The problem on this case lays on many multiple perspectives, the first relies on the use of characters even if there is the free speech amendment where parodies are protected but then there is also the copyright infringement which Nintendo had shown to be vicious regards their property but overall the general problem with PETA at the moment of creating a stunt is that they lack of a proper marketing team as well as PR because they way they been acting is not well thought as they could reach more people if they find simple strategies.   

How Apple Inc. Will Fall and How Google and Virgin will Rise

Tampa, Fl -- The dead of Steve Jobs probably foresaw the beginning of the end to the computer giant Apple Inc because the problematic that is with Apple regards that they have a great marketing technique to push and create fidelity into the minds of people but the concept of originality had become stall due the simple reason that their entire base of products are just a mere repetition of the OS X on different devices without offering something new since the launching of the iPhone almost a decade ago but they keep offering exclusivity regard their high prices of their mobiles and computers.

Exclusivity and high prices can become a problem of a company on a long term, even if the revenues and gross incomes are on an estimate of US$156 billions if they don't change their game plan by the next ten years and due the strings of world wide recessions not many people will be able to afford the products they are offering. The key relies not on exclusivity and creating smooth designs that will appeal to a small segment of the population but to diversify and make the exclusivity available to the masses.

iPhone 3

In essences the iPhone is the same thing no matter what version it is; the technical capabilities are the only differences between the sixth different generations and nothing else. Price rounds the same but the magic that the phone had when it was launched on 2007 as not many companies carried touch-screen phones that shared an interface with other products of their company; the idea was revolutionary as for the first time the public could have their iTunes on the palm of their hands but the magic has since been broken because other companies such as T-Mobile, Verizon and Virgin just to name a few are giving to the masses what is going to be Apple's Inc. demise, the technology the public wants on a low and affordable price and Virgin Inc is probably the one world wide who is giving that to the users.

Virgin Logo

Is true that the British with their little piece of land had found to create multiple revolutions over the year, they are in the process of creating another one and that is the revolution of breaking a brand's fidelity on a long term in order to execute their own monopoly and big names with electronics as well software they should be aware that nothing last forever if you can't appeal to the general masses instead of a small segment.

Recently I had the chance to go to Best Buy, I didn't bought anything I went there to observe their mobile spot and Apple's rented space next to it. From the four days I went in between 12PM and 8PM I never saw more than two people buying a new cellphone or a laptop opposite to the families gathered around the island. Why.? Why the families can't afford an iPhone or a powerhouse Mac.? Simple, they are expensive and Virgin offers the idea of Smartphones on a really cheap price because they are aware that a family of four or a single individual with a median income of US$20.000 can't afford an expensive item but yet they are willing to pay for affordable versions such as Androids.

The problem with business is the idea of diversification to keep customers satisfy or find marketing strategies to boost the sales of an old idea; Steve Jobs created the customers demand in such an elegant way by saying "if you don't have it then you are out." Simple words to talk about fashion and modes because with those words he created the hype of the phones but we don't have to think outside the United States soil, Apple's biggest competition is Google not even Microsoft because Google has more exposition on a daily basis than Microsoft due their hit with the customers beyond their Apps, easy navigational interface to find information as well a virtual store that has the same idea and accessible to more customers due the reason they are on cheaper phones and by default more users and thus a big margin in revenues.

Apple Inc. has to realize that is the key of survival beyond positioning the brand on the collective of the world is to re-position their marketing strategy and achieve a smoother transition beyond their segmented group of shoppers.