For All the Viva Pinata Fans

Posted by Kyosogi @ 1:04 pm EDT | Permalink | 4 Comments

Internet Phenomenon Actually Worth Something

If you haven't heard of Randy Pausch, the following is his now famous "Last Lecture." It is long, so you may want to set aside some time and watch.




Posted by Kyosogi @ 11:19 am EDT | Permalink | 1 Comments

Alcohol Abuse & Dependence

Some time ago, someone in one of my clans asked if they were an alcoholic.  A long discussion ensued amongst clan members.  Recently, there was an attempt to describe such an affliction in the Wall Street Journal: January 8, 2008.  I hope this can help clarify some thoughts on the subject.

Posted by Kyosogi @ 2:36 pm EDT | Permalink | 3 Comments

This really bothered me

First of all, I am not "White." I am an American first, a New Yorker second; strictly legal monikers. I received the following e-mail from a business associate today. It bothered me.

Subject: Proud To Be White

Proud To Be White

Someone finally said it.

How many are actually paying attention to this?

There are African Americans, Mexican Americans,

Asian Americans, Arab Americans, Native Americans, etc.

And then there are just Americans.

You pass me on the street and sneer in my direction.

You Call me "White boy," "Cracker," "Honkey,"

"Whitey," "Caveman" .. and that's OK.

But when I call you, Nigger, Towel head, Sand-nigger,

Camel Jockey, Beaner, Gook, or Chink ... you call me a racist.

You say that whites commit a lot of violence against you,

so why are the ghettos the most dangerous places to live?

You have the United Negro College Fund. You have Martin Luther King Day.
You have Black History Month You have Cesar Chavez Day. You have Yom
Hashoah You have Ma'uled Al-Nabi

You have the NAACP. You have BET.

If we had WET (White Entertainment Television) ... we'd be racists.

If we had a White Pride Day .. you would call us racists.

If we had White History Month .. we'd be racists.

If we had any organization for only whites to "advance" OUR lives ...

we'd be racists.

We have a Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, a Black Chamber of

Commerce, and then we just have the plain Chamber of Commerce

Wonder who pays for that?

If we had a college fund that only gave white students scholarships

.. you know we'd be racists.

There are over 60 openly proclaimed

Black Colleges in the US, yet if there were "White colleges" ...

THAT would be a racist college.

In the Million Man March, you believed that you were marching

for your race and rights. If we marched for our race and rights,

you would call us racists.

You are proud to be black, brown, yellow and orange, and you're

not afraid to announce it. But when we announce our white pride ....

you call us racists.

You rob us, carjack us, and shoot at us. But, when a white police
officer

shoots a black gang member or beats up a black drug-dealer running from
the law and posing a threat to society ...

you call him a racist.

I am proud.

But, you call me a racist.

Why is it that only whites can be racists?

There is nothing improper about this e-mail.

Let's see which of you are proud enough to send it on.


Fine. The author was annoyed at something, feeling unappreciated, stereotyped, or whatever; enough to want to assert a feature of their own identity. Fine. This person has the right, check that, the privilege to freely express their thoughts. I don't have a problem with that. But this person seems to have overlooked why they have the privilege to begin with. They have the privilege because they are an American, because people of all color, creed, and calling fought and died to protect their privileges and keep them free from persecution and punishment. They have the privilege because people of wisdom had forethought to acknowledge that although we are all born of different features and quality, we should all have the privilege to develop those features and qualities- equally.

We are beings, human beings, social creatures relying on each other for survival. We live together, and will die together, as a species- the human species. Human life is the one thing we all share, amongst the infinite number of differences between us. Our shared existence, the human existence, can guarantee our survival. Dwelling on our differences will destroy us.

I am proud of my family's cultural roots, as everyone should be, but refuse to acknowledge my person associated with a color, religion, political party, or region. It dehumanizes me to do so, and devalues me. We spend too much time and effort emphasizing our individualities and not our commonalities.

Be proud of who you are- a sentient being, a human being.

Posted by Kyosogi @ 1:57 pm EDT | Permalink | 19 Comments

Xbox 360 XBL banned commercial

Complete credit goes to 13A77 as the person who posted it.




Posted by Kyosogi @ 2:32 pm EDT | Permalink | 9 Comments