I'm still not tolerating intolerance

There is a big bru-ha-ha that started with Bill O'Reilly causing a ruckus at The View and sparked this exchange on The O'Reilly Factor which resulted in NPR's recent firing of Juan Williams. At first, I didn't know what to make of it but after mulling it around for a day, I have to say that I agree with their decision to terminate his contract.

You might not be able to control feeling fear when you see a Muslim dressed in traditional garb on your flight. I myself am guilty of having felt this way in the past. That being said, there is a lot you CAN do.

1. You CAN recognize that the fear is irrational based on ignorance and limited experience with the Muslim culture/world.
2. You CAN realize that giving voice to this fear begins to legitimize it in your mind and in others.
3. You CAN be aware that there is a significant group of radicalized Islamophobes who try to block the construction of new mosques, vandalize existing mosques, harass people who look as if they could be Muslim, organize Koran burnings, and believe all Muslims are terrorists.
   
4. Being aware of this group, you CAN realize that it is best to be careful and not use your position in the media to add fuel to their fire.

I am going to try extra hard to fight this irrational fear the next time the situation arises. I know that most Muslims are peaceful people and have more similarities with me than differences. I am going to remind myself that this discrimination is a struggle for any ethnicity added to our giant melting pot, and has gone back to way before the slaves came from Africa, the massive influx of Europeans, and the Mexicans that have been coming across our borders.

To fear any of these groups is not rational. It is based on ignorance pure and simple. I may not be the smartest person on this planet but I will do my best to rise above this mindset.

Fact? Fiction? Or a little of both???

I'm not sure what to make of this. It's pretty frightening but is it all true? Who made it and what is their agenda? Who is that guy that's narrating? What's with the rainbow boarder and the cheesy ending graphics? Near the end, there are some quotes that it asks you to Google so I did this one, "Your thoughts and beliefs are modeled after partisan interests to turn you into slaves." That sent me to Lisa Loves website where it looks like it's a message from aliens trying to warn us. I printed it out so I can read it on my beach vacation but it looks kind of hoakey. Whatever will help motivate us to stop using oil is what I want to encourage so, that's why I'm posting this before verifying. (Plus, I hope all of you on "the internetz" will help me with the verifying.) Watching a time lapse of our what our ocean will look like in one year, if we don't get the BP well capped and seeing the courts overrule the drilling moratorium has me feeling pretty hopeless at the moment....

The video is kinda cut off so, if you want you can just link to it here and watch it on YouTube.

The Olympics

The Olympics are winding down and I've watched a total of maybe ten minutes. That's not to say it hasn't been on for major portions of the prime time viewing hours. My husband was late coming to bed more than a few times in the past two weeks. I personally am not affected by the spectacle, though, for some reason. Here are my observations from the hype I hear from everyone else:

• Michael Phelps is a good swimmer but he's not all that cute and his swimsuit always looks like it's about to fall off (Is it deliberate?).
• China cheats in gymnastics and all the other countries (including the United States) are too wussy to confront them.
• There are a disproportionate amount of homosexual men competing in men's diving. ...not that there's anything wrong with that...
• The U.S. women's beach volleyball team rocks!
• The following Olympic events are silly - Badminton, Rhythmic Gymnastics and Trampoline
• I feel bad for that little girl who sang the motherland song in the opening ceremony and think she is WAY cute!

So now that it's over, let's bring on the DNC!!!!!!