"We're only human!"

This whiny expression always amuses me. Whenever you dare to point out the inherent stupidity many people seem to be prone to, this is the most common response.

It's laughable.

Humans created the seven wonders of the world. Humans created art, music and the written word. Humans created computers. Human have landed on the fucking moon! Essentially, humans are capable of amazing feats. It never fails to amaze me that a race that can create a weapon that can devastate the planet often doesn't have the common sense the All Mighty gave a lemming. I know that people are capable of being sensible. It just seems like we choose not to be because it's easier. Why put effort into thinking things through when you can save energy and brain cells by being an idiot, right?

I'm not cynical enough to think that the entire human race is inherently stupid. There are those who are creative visionaries doing their best to change the world for the better. They have my undying gratitude and respect. I just wish everyone would follow the example these people set. Lord knows that things would get done a helluva lot faster.

Women are Hypocrites!

Oh yes, I went there.

Any woman who doesn't have her head permanently implanted in her rectum will agree with me if she takes a moment to think about.

Women complain about how men ogle them constantly, but what woman isn't guilty of staring at men she finds attractive?

Women piss and moan about how men don't respect them, and yet I know very few women who don't treat their significant others and other men they know like four-year-old children at least once in a while.

Women complain about how their significant others never show any interest in what they do, but how many women will sit and watch sports or go ice fishing with her husband or boyfriend?

Women complain that men don't communicate enough, but when they are in a bad mood and their significant other asks what's wrong, they are prone to being passive agressive and saying, "Nothing," or, even worse, "If you don't know, then I'm not going to tell you." Honestly, grow the fuck up. At least men have the decency to tell you when you've screwed up. That leads to my next point...

If a man screws up, he gets verbally castrated and then gets the cold shoulder for the next week or longer, depending on the offence. If a women screws up and her S.O. works up the balls to confront her about it, somehow it always ends up being his fault, he still gets verbally castrated and again gets the cold shoulder because "He was soooo mean!"

I find it amusing that women wonder why there are so many guys coming out of the closet these days.

We've reached a crossroad in our development as a society. Women talk about equality, but we haven't reached that point yet. Equality is a highly sensitive balancing scale. The social status of women in first world countries has changed drastically in a short period of time. It's as if in an attempt to balance out the scales, too much weight was added to one side. At the moment, the scale seems to be leaning in the womens favor. If women were more inclined to think logically and be reasonable it would be easy to balance out the scale.

I have a challenge for any women who read this. For the next two months, if your S.O. does something to piss you off, DON'T be passive agressive. Communicate the way that you would like him to communicate with you. If your S.O. brings up an issue, DON'T blame it on him...unless there is good reason to do so. And no, him forgetting to kiss you goodbye before going to work does not count as a good reason. Don't get bitchy when men ogle you. Be flattered! Men certainly are when you look at them. Basically, show men the respect you would like to recieve from them. I will be highly surprised if you don't notice a change for the better.

Happy Holidays!

Not even I am immune to the warm fuzzy feeling that accompanies Christmas Day. Happy holidays everyone! Congratulations on surviving the stress of the days leading up to this joyous holiday. Thank god it only happens once a year.

Mental instability and the stigma associated with it.

Is the stigma associated with mental disorders warranted? It's a question I ask myself often. Approximately half of North America's population has been diagnosed with some form of mental disorder. These disorders range from anxiety, to bipolar disorder, to schizophrenia. It was only after I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder myself that I learned just how many personality disorders exist. In a day and age where nothing is sacred and few topics are taboo, the mention of any sort of mental instability still makes people cringe. Admitting to anyone but your close friends and immediate family that you suffer from schizophrenia essentially means social death. You could be the most likable person in the world, but if the general public finds out that you don't have all your ducks in a row, you are effectively fucked.

A bad stigma is born from three things: ignorance, intolerance, and fear. Are these stigmas ever warranted? There are times when it seems like it. You see paranoid schizophrenics on the street, and if one of your family members or close friends gets diagnosed with it, you can't help but cringe and pray that it's not really happening. The same goes for bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and any number of other mental "illnesses". Some people go so far as to go into a state of denial when such a diagnosis is made so that they can just ignore whatever difficulties the people they claim to love may be experiencing. It never ceases to amaze me how far people will go to avoid dealing with problems. Granted, I can't really blame people in some cases. Many people with bipolar disorder can be verbally or even physically abusive when experiencing mania or depression. People with OCD can be just plain impossible to live with at times. When you meet a person who has been diagnosed with multiple disorders, you can't help but cringe a little.

What a lot of people don't seem to realize is that people with mental "illnesses" are often some of the most brilliant, creative people you'll ever meet. Robin Williams exhibits all the symptoms of bipolar disorder. Albert Einstein showed many symptoms of Asperger's Syndrome. I know of someone who suffers from both bipolar and obsessive compulsive disorder, and not only is he one of the most intelligent people I know, he is without a doubt one of the most likable people I've ever met. I like him a lot better than many of my "stable" aquaintances. It is instances like these that make me question the validity of the general fear of people whose brains are wired differently.

There are two sides to every coin. There is a silver lining behind every cloud. Before you judge someone, I recommend you take a while to get to know him without letting whatever challenges he may have to deal with affect your opinion of him. You may just be pleasantly surprised. Hell, he may end up being your best friend.

Lies and head games

...do you really think you're doing anyone any favours by lying?

This morning when I logged on I came across this article. This man's death was completely avoidable. If everyone involved had just been honest from the start, Barret would still be alive. There are few things that piss me off more than stories like this. Regardless of whether or not there is face to face contact, people still develop real feelings for the people they associate with online. Most of the time those feelings are purely platonic, but when an individual develops romantic feelings for someone online, those feelings are every bit as strong as feelings for a person they might know in real life.

I am by no means condoning what Montgomery did, but to some extent I feel sorry for him. He had fallen in love with this woman only to find out that not only was she also involved with someone else, but she wasn't even who she claimed to be. Granted, this guy is obviously as nutty as a fruit-cake, but there are plenty of less extreme cases very similar to this where real people develop real feelings, only to learn that they have been lied to.

The most frustrating thing is, things like this don't just happen on the internet. You get sent on a blind date with what seems to be a charming person, only to find out that all they're after is a roll in the sack or a meal ticket. What people don't seem to realize is that nine times out of ten, when you lie through your teeth to a potential lover, sooner or later the shit hits the fan.

Men: If you are cheating on your wife, sooner or later she WILL find out, she WILL be angry, and if she was a shrewish bitch before, wait 'till you see how she acts when she finds out about your affair.

Women: You play with the hearts of men, sooner or later word is going to get out, the men you're jerking around are going to find out and you are going to end up alone.

Seriously, people. You really think you're such a good liar that your S.O. isn't going to be suspicious when you come home with love-bites on your bottom? Think again!

Self-agrandization through the humiliation and minimization of others.

Yes, the title is a mouthful. The one I originally had in mind was far less wordy, far more obscene and to put it bluntly, a slander lawsuit waiting to happen. That being said, on with the rant!

What, you might ask, is self aggrandization?

In layman's terms, to self aggrandize is to toot your own horn. This in itself is bad enough. No one likes a cocky bastard. It goes without saying that anyone who does this deserves to have their ass kicked. Anyone who would self aggrandize through the humiliation and minimization of others deserves to have a large man's foot permanently implanted in their rectum. You can thank me for that mental image later. Are there actually people who do this? Hell yes.

Ever meet someone who shamelessly boasts about his or her accomplishments, then compares them to yours? Ever met someone who does this in public, in front of people you both know? If the answer is yes, you have my sympathy. Dealing with people like this has to be one of the most frustrating, aggravating, headache-inducing experiences known to man. And believe me, I know frustrating. I used to work with adolescents.

I think the most exasperating thing about this sort of person is that he or she often deserves pity. It's so easy to hate these people. Nothing is more satisfying than imagining how fun it would be to staple things to an egoist's head. But the sad fact is that people who spend that much time bragging and attention-whoring often do it to hide the fact that they are insecure and angry. I've known of one person like this. She was the victim of a mother who wanted to live vicariously through her child. After a decade of being dragged to every beauty pageant and singing competition within 300 kilometers of home, this poor girl can't go half an hour without finding some way to make sure someone is envious of her. In her attempts to fool people into thinking she is somehow better than them, she has failed to learn a few important life lessons. Most noteably the fact that when she gets out into the real world, it is highly unlikely that people are going to put up with her self-absorbed nature. That's the unfortunate thing about being an asshole. Sooner or later someone's going to point out that fact and you'll end up alone.

Blazing Leaves of Autumn

I walk the streets silently, gusts of wind blowing the colourful fallen leaves around my feet. I've always liked Autumn. As the trees fade and slip into states of suspended animation, they go out with a bang, igniting themselves in brilliant shades of red, yellow and orange. For a few short weeks in October, the forests are ablaze before the more unfriendly elements of Autumn tear the leaves away, leaving the trees bare and lifeless. Before long, the leaves that dance in the wind will fade to an ugly shade of brown, the pleasant crispness in the air will turn to a bitter cold and for the next four months everything will fade to shades of grey.

I have come to appreciate Winter. I suppose at some level I identify with it. The quiet melancholy of the season mirrors my mindset and demeanor. People rarely appreciate the season. They find it unforgiving and unpleasant. They do not see the good qualities. With the melancholy comes a peaceful calm that allows time for reflection. It gives us a chance to look at where we have gone, what we have done, and what we want to do. It gives us time to plan. With the good comes the bad. There are days when the wind blows angrily, each frosty gust like a dagger that can pierce through thick layers of clothing as if they are tissue paper and freeze you down to the bone. There are days when the snow falls so thickly that the world seems to disappear, leaving you alone to wonder if you'll ever see the sun again.

Then suddenly the snow clouds are gone and the frosty bite leaves the air. Slowly the snow melts away and everything begins to wake up. The love songs of birds fill the air as they return with the sun.

As I walk into the park, I see many of the trees are naked, their dark grey branches exposed, remaining still and lifeless despite the fact that the day is windy. Dead brown leaves crunch under my feet and get blown into the near by sewer grate. A frosty gust of wind blows open my jacket and leaves me chilled, a harsh reminder that it won't be long until these dead leaves will be covered in a blanket of ice and snow.

Slipping my hands into my pockets, I look to the west, watching the sun slip down behind the trees, painting the clouds shades of pink, gold and purple. The leaves are not the only things that go out with a bang. As the calmness and melancholy of Winter begins to work its way into my psyche, I smile and wave. I bid farewell to the sun and the blazing leaves of Autumn.