It's Been Ages

So much has happened since I last dabbled in blog writing. Some of my old blog posts look like a stranger wrote them.

Either way, I have a lot on my mind lately, so maybe I'll write a couple of posts again. Or maybe I'll just post this and then forget. Who knows?

SOPA

My blog isn't that popular, and I fear I'm not a great writer, but let me sum this up in a few short words:

The American government's basically handing the right to block websites from the Internet for having "copyrighted content" to power hungry corporations, and it's doing so through these bills called 'SOPA' and 'PROTECT IP.' Should these bills pass in the way the corporations want them, you can kiss sites that host fan art (like DeviantART) or anything else that could be considered copyrighted content (YouTube, Facebook...) goodbye. This has to be stopped.

Please have a look at some videos that explain it better than I can. They'll also tell you just how you can fight this idiocy.

An Achievement

Well, well, I finally managed to put a game I made on Facebook. Granted, I had to sell my soul to the devil publish it on Platogo and arrange it through them, but I consider it a victory of some kind.

I admit I became enthusiastic when almost immediately, three people submitted their score. But considering it's been a few days, and still only three people submitted their score, my enthusiasm has died down somewhat.

Still... here is the proof of my achievement: http://apps.facebook.com/200843760000501/

Sneaky Video Viewer

YouTube is a fantastic site. But sometimes you can't watch a video because of where you live, or some other reason. While experimenting around with a YouTube video embed code in Flash, I found that videos ignore filters and such altogether when embedded. So I threw together a program that can embed and then view any video, regardless of its restrictions.

Click here to try the little program. Flash Player is required.

I haven't been able to test it very well because YouTube is quite friendly to me, but I'd be happy to hear your - yes, your- thoughts about it.

Flashback - "How I Came To Regain Some Little Trust In The Church"

Do you know that feeling when you write or speak a lot of angry words about something, and then that same something turns out to be better than you initially thought? That's kind of how I feel right now.

All my complaints about the church and missionary work stand tall and truthful, but I would be a hypocrite if I didn't admit the things I was wrong about. Turns out, the church isn't that useless after all.

Let me tell you a sad, sad story. There was a man. He had no family, no friends and he had cancer. In fact, he had no more than a few days to live... and he was going to die that horrible death all alone. But the church got wind of it, and soon, everyone was writing kind letters, sending their prayers - and the children even made drawings to cheer the man up and sent those too. The man everything by mail, and he was baffled! He had no idea what or how, but suddenly it turned out he had dozens of people wishing him the best, and really caring about his situation. Doctors reported he was actually living his last days feeling very well.

He died, of course. He was too far gone. But man, if the church didn't make his last days good days by their overwhelming support and kindness. I realize that, though it has flaws, a church has the capacity to be a weapon. A weapon fighting for what is right and good, a weapon for justice. If all churches would do this kind of thing, wouldn't our society see so many more smiles? Wouldn't those who previously laughed about Christianity feel ashamed?

I'm still skeptical, but maybe it's not as hopeless as I thought.

Flashback - "How I Came To Mistrust The Church"

This post is one of the more personal and (really) angrier ones I've written. I debated whether or not I should even put it here, but eh, might as well.

My entire life, I had been following a certain church. Services were fairly calm and solemn, but not too much so. Church services were short, yet educational and I enjoyed my time there.

My father led this church, along with another man. They led it in accordance to what the Bible said, and thus, began a policy of refusing to marry those who had been married before and divorced (if the break up was their doing or fault) and similar policies.

The old men of the church had always agreed to these rules... until their own children grew up, and it turned out romance was a bothersome little thing. They began fiercely attacking the policy, amongst other things like the method of baptism (the church didn't approve of baptism the way it is actually described in the Bible, apparently) and music.

Thus, a meeting came. Many people who weren't even normally in church showed up, and every time a statement was made about how bad the policy was, they all cheered and clapped like children watching a slapstick comedy.

Some of the more ambitious (read: unfriendly) older people began collecting votes to present them to the church leaders. Soon they collected around 90 votes. I don't think I ever saw my father as sad as when they confidently presented their votes to him.

That's when I saw it. Whenever it's to their advantage, most anyone- whatever group they belong to- will drop their morality. They will drop that which they've proclaimed. I certainly didn't want to stay in a group so attached to its own ideas and its own traditions that they'd ignore the Holy Bible altogether. Even if you're not a Christian, you'll agree that it makes no sense for a church. And even worse, I knew these habits were in so many churches.

Our family left (although my father proved too weak to let go, and keeps preaching in the old church on the occasion; much to the annoyance of the about 30 people that left along with him). We went and found a new church, a Baptist one. I thought, "maybe this whole church thing has just one more chance."

From then on every Sunday, two or more precious hours of my life were wasted on watching people act as though they were on drugs. And stand, and sit down, and stand, and sit down, and repeat that song again and again and again! That's when I saw it. They were trying to get some sort of mental 'high', on purpose... by forcing their emotions, and throwing more and more on the pile by repeating songs again and again and standing, and putting their hands in the air and making strange motions.

This 'church' feel they're force feeding everyone coming there is an illusion. A mental breakdown caused by overexerting themselves. It was all nothing more than a freaking act, I realized, as they were actually saying that you were HELD BY THE DEVIL if you wouldn't stand up while singing. Soon as I became 18, I left. I'm never going to any church again... or maybe some time. Much, much later.

Do not misunderstand me. Jesus Christ has guided and protected me through this life. I can draw no other conclusion from the answers to my prayers, the protection always given and what I simply see in the world around me. So, Christianity... yeah, it's nice. But the church? I can do without.

Flashback - "Priorities and their Risks"

You know, what you value as a person is fine and all that, but a lot of the things "we" value were chosen by society - our environment - and we're just imitating the majority. If there's something that excessively irritates me it's when  stupid assumptions are made because of this.

Let's think of a few things that are generally valuable in a person, and worth talking about. The friends they make, their health, what they've planned for their future and happiness... those are some pretty critical parts of a person's life. So why is it that we judge people by decidedly different things?

To this day, there are those individuals out there that are delusional enough to judge people based on their gender and race. Thank God this problem isn't nearly as extensive as it used to be in many areas, but it shows how blind people can be to the things that really matter. Whether they're dark or light of skin, and whether they're a man or a woman - does that make a difference when you look into a person's eyes? When they speak of you about their hopes and fears, their past and future... how could you ever judge this person based on something unimportant and unrelated?

Nowadays, though, people still value gender a little too much. A lot of behavior and ideas are beaten into children at birth, which is why many individuals of both genders behave like the literal incarnations of stereotypes. Here's a fact for you - mentally, men and women are the same. None of the choices they make are out of their hands because they are one or the other.

Another thing that is overvalued to an enormous degree is sexuality. I have a rule when it comes to looking at others - if you want to be looked at as a normal person, act like a normal person. I couldn't care less if someone is homosexual or bisexual - do I honestly need to know that? And if it pops up in some conversation, that's just fine, but some people act like sexuality is a great part of who they are. And it definitely isn't. The worst thing about it is that some people, for example certain homosexual individuals, seem to think of it as rather important themselves. If only people would understand just how petty the value of sexuality, or for that matter, gender and race is we'd see so much less prejudice and so many more opportunities for those belonging to smaller groups.