How Events in Libya Influenced My Workplace

I wanted to wait to post this when I had some time to actually absorb the reality of what happened last week.

So one of my coworkers now is a guy named Malik. He sits a few cubicles down from me, and I’ve talked to him a few times. I did know awhile back that he was from Libya originally, but we never really talked about it. I felt it might seem insensitive to bring up the present uprising in Libya, in case he happened to be a Gaddaffi supporter.

Last week, around Tuesday afternoon, he got a really important phone call. I could hear him talking excitedly on his phone to someone in his native tongue.  He hung up, and I heard him lean back in his chair. I leaned out to see what he was doing, and he was crying.

I thought maybe someone had died, so I inquired if he was okay. Wiping tears from his eyes, he said he was fine, that he was actually weeping for joy. He had just talked to his brother – who he hadn’t seen or heard from for 12 years. He thought his brother (and his family) was dead, and his brother thought he was dead.

12 years ago, Malik was exiled from Libya with his father for a conflict with the Gaddaffi clan. They left under the threat that if they ever returned, they and their remaining family would be killed. His mother died in Libya shortly afterwards, and his father died about three years ago. Malik never thought he’d be able to return to Libya in his lifetime. Or hear from his remaining family over there.

“I can go home,” he said, tears streaming down his face, “I can go home and see my family.”

I asked him when he planned on leaving. Next week if not earlier. So next Thursday, he is going home for the first time in 12 years to see his family that he had never expected to ever see again. He is grateful to the US for any help that made that possible, and for giving him shelter when Gaddaffi exiled him.

I’ve been thinking about this all weekend.

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Jurrasic Park ft. Michelle Bachmann

Thus, I LOL’ed in a circular fashion around the office, pushing my wheeled chair around like a kid on a scooter.

But mostly - I LOL’ed. “Clever girl,” indeed!

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Libya Libya Oh Libya

The news in Libya is that the underpants are almost liberated. The funny thing is that whatever it was NATO was doing had some impact on the conflict. Too bad it cost so much to do whatever that was. And of course that will just embolden whatever political factions that believe that war makes the US stronger and more righteous. Thus we should go out and kill more brown people in the Middle East. >_<

Now the pressure and eyes are all focusing on Syria. I’m pretty sure it’s only a matter of time before Turkey or Saudi Arabia decides to partake in the joys of conflict in Syria. Who knows. All I know is that Moammar Gadhafi’s fall from power is probably making Bashar Assad very nervous. For awhile, it looked like Gadhafi would win. But given enough time and pressure (and bombs), the people eventually win.

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New Webcomic: Power Nap

It’s not really new – it’s been around for a few months. But it’s relatively new in the webcomic world:

POWER NAP

At first, I thought it was going to be a strange one like Tripp, but it turns that it’s somewhat like Kukuburi. It’s odd, and there’s an underlying sense of never-ending foreboding. Granted, PN is more subtle, and you know there’s something evil right around the corner, but you just don’t know what yet. Which has ramped up the interest in me.

So I’m recommending it as a should watch comic.

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GOP Race Now On

So someone said to me, “Man, that Iowa straw poll result was really a head-turner, wasn’t it? Aren’t you shocked that Michelle Bachmann won?”

Well, a little, but not really.

The Iowa straw poll has always been about the far right. If you need proof, look at Huckaberry’s and Brownback’s spots in the previous poll. The fact that a Tea Party evangelist won the Iowa straw poll is not surprising, although I was surprised at her reaction to the entire thing. What kills me is that Mitt Romney was way down on the list, but that’s where John McCain was in 2007′s poll as well (and he took the Primary, so Romney’s looking pretty good).

I was totally not surprised about Ron Paul coming in second, either. I thought he might actually win it. And since he’s still running, he’s going to do a lot of damage to Bachmann’s campaign. Purely out of his spiteful nature.

At least Tim Pawlenty the fifth stooge is out. I feel slightly better.

Rick Perry did what everyone and their mother forecasted he would – he announced his run on the same day of the Iowa straw poll, which sandbagged Bachmann’s win somewhat. In fact, he came out swinging at her. So I’m now assuming in this three way race between Bachmann, Perry and Romney that Mitt Romney will now win the Primary. Because Perry and Bachmann will tear each other apart and are drawing on the same base – not the same base that Romney’s heavily relying on, mind you – for the win.

What amuses me is that a lot of people picked up what I did about Rick Perry’s announcement. He’s running on a campaign of … hope and … change? Huh whu? LOL

The best political amusement I saw this weekend was with a picture of Bachmann getting ready to eat-slash-deepthroat a corndog. And instantly after posting the picture, with no political message or caption to go with it, the Bachmann ass-kissers were all over the guy’s Google + post about how awful and sorry this person was. One guy even wrote:

“Sean, you man-child, grow up a little, will you? It’s one thing to disagree with Michelle Bachman’s policies, but it’s another to post sexist pictures like this as a weapon because you disagree with her. I don’t give a shit who you are or what your successes entails, it doesn’t matter. What does matter is your integrity and your character. In the real world that is what the grown up’s will look at. Good luck trying to find future employment with pics like this.

“No, I’m not mad. Actually, I pity you and it kind of saddens me. It saddens me that with all your talents you piss it all away on something like this. Thus, the immaturity issues. Goodluck with that.”

Dude, Sean has written a book and has a nice paying job, which is why he can post on Google+ all day. It was also funny that about 300 people all laughed and said totally funny stuff about the picture, and they didn’t care at all. But to the Bachmann kiss asses – like Arnold Shortsle – this was an attack on the most sacred of their political hopes.

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An Important Person Says Something Important Here

This was an interesting conversation:

Krahulikthu: remember how i told you about trenches before i was supposed to tell anyone about it and jerry freaked out and
Krahulikthu: then you introduced us to these people you knew that did these things that jerry and scott were talking about to make up for finding out
Krahulikthu: part of trenches will be those exact stories from those guys
Claudicus: So you want me to tell them that you’re writing their stories into your story … thing? To come read it?
Krahulikthu: yes please because three or four of these coming up is the tester story we wrote about that made scott pee his pants from laughing
Krahulikthu: leroys story i think
Claudicus: Oh shits. That should be funny. I thought Isaac’s story was kinda … familar.
Krahulikthu: hes the everyIT as in hes the embodiment of every IT guy ever known who had to go through the crazy shit these last few years
Claudicus: You guys are my favorite, you know that? Because that’s sorta my story and only you I trust to tell it right.
Krahulikthu: i expect you to kiss my pinky ring like im the god damn godfather next time we get together
Krahulikthu: its every IT guy/girls story its dedicated to all of you

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Every Day I’m Portalin’

 

Wheatly, ladies and gentlemen. Which is so awesome.

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Evolution of Religion: Adam and Eve

Normally, I don’t really listen to any Op Ed pieces on National Public Radio, because I don’t really trust them to be unbiased. Normally, I’m listening for what’s going on overseas and obvious news releases about current events. However, this piece caught my ear this morning, and I just had to shake my head at how some people are reacting.

This has been my problem with strict religious groups all along – they do not take into account reality, and take everything in the Bible literally.

Okay, I understand that the story of Adam and Eve is largely the pillar of everything that comes after. It is the reason why a lot of Christians are baptized – to wash away the original sin. The whole reason for a savior (Jesus Christ) is to address the original sin and failings of Man. To release the true believers from Limbo/death and bring them to Heaven.

However, I also look at it as a allegory/figurative story and not a literal telling of the creation of the world. Much like most scholars who are also Christians – there’s room to evolve the belief to include the fact that Adam and Eve is basically a fairy tale. Science proves that we didn’t stem from one imaginary couple who lived in some long lost paradise. Most likely, we evolved.

In my belief, our evolution into a sentient species able to question our origins and investigate our environment is a testament to the Creator. If we weren’t meant to know these things, we wouldn’t know them. Our curiosity is a gift as it drives us to learn about ourselves and our universe. In a figurative sense, maybe we did need a savior to bring us back on track after straying so far from the truth of the Creator. Why is that so hard to adapt? Tradition is tradition, but this is plain induced ignorance.

Anyway, I feel that most Christians having a hard time getting rid of foolish notions like the literal interpretation of the Creation myth (and the Bible at large) are doing so because they are either afraid, or want to maintain control over their people. I mean, original sin is a great way to scare people into coming to church and getting baptized into your faith. It sets up a whole religious basis to maintain control over the faithful and get them to surrender power and money to your organization. You can totally tell people to STFU when you feel threatened by their beliefs or you’ll excommunicate them. Let’s face it – 90% of organized religions do this, and embrace it.

This is why I have a larger issue with the Catholic Church. Fool us once, shame on you. Fool us twice, shame on us for being sheep. I refuse to be your sheep, because I can see the true Creator and understand that the Creator doesn’t want me to shackle myself to Earthly organizations for the Creator’s love. Instead, the Creator wants me to think for myself and reach the Creator through my own struggles and truth.

If you feel differently, then more power to you. But don’t act surprised when atheism continues to increase in today’s youth because your religious craziness doesn’t make sense in leiu of science. The world is getting smaller, people are becoming more open-minded and hiding the truth is harder. Eventually, faith evolves as we learn more, or it dies out. Your choice.

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Where’er We Go, That’s Where the Party Go

Check My Steezo

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