Not Everything In Life Is Fair

Remember when you were a kid, and you couldn’t get a cookie, and you begged and pleaded but your parents knew it would ruin your dinner? The argument always ended with you saying “It’s NOT FAIR!” And the reply: Not everything in life is fair.

 

In fact, last night, I learned some things are very unfair.

 

I got an IM from my little sister last night. It simply said, “Steven (Last name) was killed.”

 

Although my first reaction was to say “You lie!” I knew she wouldn’t about one of her very best friends.

 

Steven grew up with my little sister and her other friend. All three of them lived on North Brower St. in Simi Valley, CA. They went to the same elementary school, middle school, and graduated the same high school I did. I watched them grow up. Steven was like a little brother or a cousin to me. Kinda annoying sometimes, but then again, all siblings are. But he was a good kid.

 

He enlisted in the Army. Military runs in his family; his older brother joined the Navy.

 

He was a good kid. Respectful to girls, polite to adults. Kinda awkward looking, but you knew looking at him he would grow into an attractive, handsome young man.

 

Or, would have.

 

As Tuesday transitioned into Wednesday, at 12:40am, Steven was found dead on I-5 in Tacoma, Washington, where he was stationed. His car had crashed through the divider. Toxicologists have not found evidence of alcohol or drugs. I doubt they will; that’s not like Steven. Granted, the military changes a person, but he was a man of character.

 

Steven had a very promising future. Secretly, a little part of me hoped he would return home after the Army and date my sister, because that would be a trustworthy man for her to be with for life. But despite my fantasies, he had a great life ahead of him, and his future only looked even brighter.

 

It’s not fair.

 

–Ryan

Savagely Stolen News: Big Brother High, Crimethought 101

Judge: Florida principal mistreated gay students

Associated Press

2:11 PM EDT, July 28, 2008

 

PONCE DE LEON – A federal judge scolded a Panhandle school principal, saying the administrator led a “relentless crusade” against gay and lesbian students at Ponce de Leon High School and violated their First Amendment rights.

Student Heather Gillman and the American Civil Liberties Union sued the Holmes County School District, saying that the principal prohibited the teen from wearing gay pride clothing, stickers and buttons in 2007.

Students, including Gillman, had begun showing support after the taunting of a gay student at school. In response to the taunting incident, David Davis told the gay student it wasn’t right for her to be homosexual and held a morality assembly, according to testimony.

He also suspended several students for supporting Gillman, court records show.

A two-day trial was held in May, but U.S. District Judge Richard Smoak’s 36-page opinion wasn’t released until last week.

Smoak ruled that Davis violated Gillman’s rights by silencing all pro-gay messages. The principal also interrogated students about their sexual orientations, warned gay and lesbian students to stay away from other students and said that homosexuality was a sin.

“I emphasize that Davis’s personal and religious views about homosexuality are not issues in this case. Indeed, Davis’s opinions and views are consistent with the beliefs of many in Holmes County, in Florida, and in the country,” Smoak wrote. “Where Davis went wrong was when he endeavored to silence the opinions of his dissenters.”

Smoak ordered the Holmes County school District to pay more than $300,000 in damages.

School Superintendent Steve Griffin said Monday that Davis is no longer a principal; he now teaches American government classes at the high school. In response to the ruling, all teachers are undergoing senstivity training this summer, he said.

“We’re working on training our teachers on First Amendment rights and free speech,” said Griffin

You Gotta Bite… For Your Right…

OK, especially in boxing, this has got to be the weirdest Olympiad ever.

In boxing alone, there’s the boxer found unconscious in his room trying to make weight at a weight class he’s never fought at, the one who ran for the last thirty seconds losing the fight because he thought his corner was telling him to move, the one who stormed out of the ring because he “wasn’t feeling the vibe” after losing, and now… What is WRONG with people???

Boxer disqualified for biting Olympic opponent

Bottom of Form

BEIJING (AP)—A light heavyweight boxer from Tajikistan was disqualified for biting his opponent on the shoulder during their Olympic quarterfinal bout Tuesday night.

Dzhakhon Kurbanov’s bout with Kazakhstan’s Yerkebulan Shynaliyev was stopped with 17 seconds left in the third round when Kurbanov apparently bit Shynaliyev during a clinch.

Shynaliyev, who angrily showed the blood on his shoulder to the referee, led 12-6 at the time. Kurbanov had been warned multiple times for shoving and holding his opponent.

Kurbanov is a 22-year-old fighter who got off to an auspicious start in Beijing last week, beating world champion Abbos Atoev in his first bout. He won the 2005 Asian championships as a middleweight, and was competing in his first Olympics.

Oddly enough, the evening card at Workers’ Gymnasium was watched by Evander Holyfield, who was infamously bitten on the ear by Mike Tyson on June 28, 1997.

Your Little Bundle of Joy Will Slowly Ruin Your Life

Pregnant women and fathers-to-be, take heed: That “bun” in the oven will ruin your mental health.

Somewhat.

In a recent study conducted by Florida State University’s sociology program, results show that parents as a whole “experience lower levels of emotional well-being, less frequent positive emotions and more frequent negative emotions than their childless peers,” according to Dr. Robin Simon of FSU.

As a whole. Not one single group of parents, be it married, single, step-, or even empty nesters report significant greater emotional well-being than adults who never have children.

Practical use? It’s obvious. Stop having kids, no more war.

Something’s Rotten in the State of… the City of Beijing.

So as I was waiting for someone to show up at Suncoast Casino last night (where the nearly dead come out to play) I was sitting at the bar watching Olympic boxing. It was 130 lbs, I think, and the bout was between Mexico and Romania. By the end of the second round, Romania was ahead 13-3.

 

Let me repeat: Romania was beating Mexico.

 

Is it just me or are there a whole lot of upsets this year in the Olympics? I’m keeping my eye on the men’s basketball team. If it weren’t for Michael Phelps, I’d blame the Communists.

–Ryan