Ignorance - Part 1

Being that this is my first article on what will be an on-going series, I may have this one posted in multiple locations.

Ignorance is defined as the state or fact of being ignorant : lack of knowledge, education, or awareness. 

The very last word in the definition, awareness, this is what strikes me as the most common indicator of ignorance. In a way, ignorance can almost be seen as a thing. Although it is usually used as an adjective or a way to describe someone, I often see it as a state of being. Only because to me, most people seem to be lost in such a state.

We must be careful however when we are out to claim someone as being an ignorant person. The reason for this is because ignorance can be closely related to arrogance. These two traits share a prominent place in a persons psyche. You can often see one or the other on display in most any situation that require the individual to be either in charge of a situation or within a group of others while trying to stand out.

The problem with ignorance is that it is everywhere. I have a saying, and I use it quite often. The saying goes..

The entire world is filled with idiots and common sense is becoming increasingly rare.

I suppose it is more of a statement as opposed to a saying or a phrase to be quoted. But my point remains, and before you (or anyone else) jumps on board the let's bash Tony for being an arrogant fool himself, consider something first. When was the last time that you could talk to 5 strangers and have the majority of them exhibit more than one brain cell?

Wrong

When things do not go the way they are expected to go, it can make it even more difficult for anything to go right after that. This is not only a problem for me, but for many people everywhere. 

#Consiracy?

Conspiracy theorists. Or maybe just, a conspiracy theory. The definition of the conspiracy theory is the belief that some covert but influential organization is responsible for some unexplained event.

Personally I think that definition is a bit overdone. Reason being, in today's world it does not take much to be a covert organization. At the very least, technically being a covert organization could be a label placed on many organizations today. Now let's look at the nature of what a conspiracy theory is at its heart, and give it my personal definition. It is a theory or a description of an idea of something that has taken place or will take place due to a series of events occurring in a specific order to achieve a certain result, often to fulfill the goal or objective of someone else. And actually, the whole specific order thing can even be removed from the equation and my new definition would still hold true.

Using the above description (of either definition) you could place almost anything or any event into a scenario theory and it would fit. Let's try it. The hostage crisis that recently took place with the old man and the 3rd grade kid that was taken. Thankfully it all eventually ended up with the child being safely rescued. But looking at the entire situation could someone have come out and said that the old man was mentally ill because of something that was done to him during his time as a soldier during World War 2? Sure.. someone could say that. Would that make it true? Certainly not. However, this would not stop someone from claiming this and it would also not stop people from wondering, just how close that story was to the truth.

Could all of this be gibberish? Well of course it could. My suggestions are just the same as anyone else's.. just another attempt at a conspiracy.

When My New Year Starts

When does the new year start for you? Is it when the Ball drops in New York? Or maybe when you and your friends count-down the seconds at a party? No matter how you do it, there are millions of people out there who all have their own way of starting off the new year.

For me the new year does not start until after the Super Bowl. Once the big game has ended and we have crowned a victor, the next day - that following Monday is the first day of the new year for me. This is when I can safely say that the previous year has ended and I can start to move on with all of my projects, and other various "to-do lists" that are slated for the new year. In this case, 2013!

Of course everyone has their own ways to start the year. Superstitions, resolutions, bad or good omens, there are a myriad of ways for people to say it will be a good or a bad year for them and the world. I do not put much into these various "things" however I am not all that thrilled about the fact that I have lost my cell phone a few hours before the game. So I am starting off the new year on a sour note. Of course, I could always be the glass half full guy and say that this is not a lost phone, but rather an opportunity for me to upgrade to the phone I really want. I think I will choose to look at it that way. Then again.. it is going to suck going a couple days without a cell phone. Especially since we have all gotten so attached to them, me included.

So.. even though this has been done, and over-done about a month ago... I'm going to say it again because for me today is the first day of 2013...

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Attack on US Embassy in Turkey

So you have an explosion in Turkey at the US Embassy. Here is the thing, a terrorist group has come out and claimed responsibility for the attack. On a website that is supposedly "close" to the group the following was posted:

'Our warrior Alisan Sanli carried out an act of self sacrifice on Feb 1, 2013 by entering the Ankara embassy of the United States, murderers of the people of the world" (Reuters 2013)

So here is the thing though, if we are the so-called murderers of the people of the world then why are these groups killing people? Take a guess at who actually died in the attack... give up? Well.. this rocket scientist ended up killing a Turkish security guard and critically wounded a journalist. And on the website close to the group (according to Reuters) they are proud of the attack and are praising the guy who did it like he was a hero. A hero? For what, killing his own people? I guess this is why the United States is a superpower and Turkey is.. well... turkey.

'Nuff  said.

Say it aint so Ray

With the Super Bowl fast approaching I can't help but think about Ray Lewis. I'm sure there are a lot of people thinking about Mr. Lewis in one way or another this week. Ray Lewis is getting set to play in the biggest game of his career an d his life. It will be the last game of professional football that he will ever play and the last time that he will play a game representing the Baltimore Ravens. He carries along with him his team. A group of men that all have hopes and dreams. A group of men who have all worked very hard to get where they are. Who sacrificed various things in life in order to put themselves into a position to win the most coveted trophy in sports. Let's not kid ourselves however folks, there is a lot more surrounding Ray Lewis than just the football game on Sunday and the teammates that he will lead into that game. Let's not forget that Ray Lewis was a part of a situation that took the lives of two young men in 2000.


As the anniversary of that infamous date approached and Ray Lewis announced his retirement from the NFL,  news agencies around the country ran stories that highlighted the fact that Ray Lewis was not only involved in the incident but was also a prime suspect. It then became hard for many to discuss the fact that Lewis would be a first ballot Hall of Fame candidate at the same time that he is being talked about as someone who got away with murder.

When people are being considered for a position or if someone is a candidate for a position and they are being voted on by others, no matter what the scenario the one trait that we always look at is a persons character. A person's character is what tells the entire world what kind of person you are. This also comes into play when you are friends with someone. So what kind of friend is Ray Lewis? Well, he did accept a plea deal from prosecutors during the murder trial to testify against his two friends and co-defendants.

According to the way our justice system works here in the U.S. Ray Lewis was not charged with murder after working out his plea-bargain, only with obstructing justice. His two friends on the other hand were charged with murder. So I have to wonder what kind of friend Ray Lewis is and furthermore what type of character is he? Look at it like this; Ray Lewis and his two friends were charged with murdering two other gentlemen during a fight outside a bar. After about a week of discussions leading into and then during the trial, the announcement is made that Ray Lewis is no longer being charged with murder, but the other two gentlemen are. A bit narcissistic don't you think?

In the end of the saga both men were acquitted and no one was found to be guilty of the murders of Jacinth Baker and Richard Lollar. Only Ray Lewis was found to guilty of anything, and that was obstructing justice because he admitted he lied to police. In the court of public opinion the evidence that comes from the scene is enough to put Lewis IN the fight while he claims he was only NEAR the fight and came into it after the fact and only then to try and stop it.

None of us will ever know what happened that night. Who started the fight, who was involved, and who ultimately ended it. But  Ray Lewis did come to an obviously undisclosed settlement with the then 4 year old daughter of the late Richard Lollar as well as with Baker's family. This was done on his part to help him avid a civil suit that was undoubtedly being prepared. Lucky for Mr. Lewis that he has the money for something like this.

So why would I write a story like this? There is not question that this is certainly not the type of story that I typically write. Of course, I do occasionally post sports-related articles when the mood strikes me, however this one is a little bit different of course considering the content. I guess for lack of  better explanation, I am really not all that fond of Ray Lewis. With the Super Bowl right around the corner I have been hearing his name more than I would like to and it just made me think about the past and what happened in 2000.

I am not one to typically go out and aim my discord at any one individual, unless of course it is justified. In this case I believe it so. Every time I see him running off the field after a football game he always has the guy running with him. I don't know if it is his bodyguard or a friend. Regardless, the guy is with him after every game. So this begs the question; why does Ray Lewis get to have a "special" person on the field with him? Would it be allowable for say, Frank Gore or Patrick Willis to have a similar "friend" follow them around during the post game handshakes and festivities? I highly doubt the NFL or anyone for that matter would want the players to bring their entourage however small with them on the field. So why is it ok for Ray?

There are various reasons that I do not like Mr. Lewis as a public figure. I do not know him personally so I cannot, out of respect for the way the world should work, say whether I like him personally or not. Regardless, he will play in the Super Bowl on Sunday and the entire world will be watching as he comes away a winner or a loser and walks away into the sunset (bodyguard in tow). They will all be talking about his historic 17 year career. They will talk about his sacks, tackles, MVP awards, and Super Bowl Rings. But none of them will be talking about the two gentlemen who were killed in 2000 during an altercation that undoubtedly had something to do with Ray Lewis's presence. It might be a huge stretch and something that I should not speculate, but I would venture to say that if Ray Lewis was NOT at that party that night, those two kids would still be alive and living their lives.

Again, it might be unfair of me to say that Ray Lewis should not have been there that night because who could truly say if him being there is enough of a reason. However, two people are dead while he enjoys the accolades of his long career and all the money, fame, and love that it has brought him. What about the love that Lollar and Baker can never experience or the contributions they might have made? I am taking this too far and maybe placing too much of the blame on one person when there were 3 people involved. I'm sorry, but Ray is a public figure so it is just easier to pin point him. I just hope that somewhere and at some point during the celebration that he might have depending on the outcome, that at some point he will remember the two kids who are no longer with us.

Change

We all go through life in phases. We could call it whatever we want to call it, but no matter how you look at it our life is a collection of these phases. For some people these phases or changes take place because of something else happening in that persons life dictates it be so. For others these changes just seem to happen. Regardless of the how or the why the fact still remains that these life changes take place.

A long time ago my father (RIP) told me that every 7 years people go through some sort of change in life as he called it. At the time, as most kids do, I thought he was full of it and put what he said in the back of my mind. As I got older, got married, had children of my own and started examining what my life had become it was easy for me to see that my father was right.

Now of course this idea of a 7 year change is not something that is new or revolutionary. At the time that my father told me about this there was no Internet or anything. This was purely something in his head and something that he wanted to pass on to his son. Now that I look back on it as well as looking into the idea itself, it is easy for me to see that there is more to this than just some old folklore. Our bodies and our minds do certainly evolve throughout our lifetime and it just so happens that around every 7 years the cycle restarts.

So we all go through phases. We all experience life in a way that is personal to us. Either way these are all part of being who we are. I myself, I have gone through many changes and most recently I have started making changes that will improve my life. This is different from changes I have made in the past. I have finally realized that the things I am doing were basically taking years off of my life so I put a stop to them.

The biggest change that I have made is to have quit smoking. I have been a smoker for about 24 years and at no point during that time have I been able to quit for anything close to 24 hours. I have currently been smoke free for going on a month! In 3 days it will be 4 weeks. This is a change that I have made to improve my life and increase rather than decrease my lifespan.

So what is  the point of all this and why am I writing about it? The point is that we all make changes. It is natural for things within our lives to alter the path they are on. It is natural for us to change the way we do things so we can see a direct result of that change. In many cases people do not like change because it takes them away from what is comfortable. Change brings about work. Having to work in order to adjust to the way things have changed. I think it is safe to assume that most people are not too fond of having to work at something just because a change occurred and now the adjustment needs to be made in order to get "back on track".

Our lives are all about change. When we are born we change the way we breathe and eat almost immediately. As we grow we learn new things and we change in order to adjust to the new things that we have learned. Change is natural and the sooner we can understand the changes that are happening in our lives the sooner we can adjust and get on board. Life becomes easier after we have adjusted to a change. If something is not working we can make a change to correct it and bring it back to a functioning state of being. Change is what brings us closer to completion.