Musings For A Darkened Room

Content writing advice blogger Jeremy Rivera shared a story with me this morning which seems to have pretty much flown under the blogosphere radar undetected. Yesterday, Internettrees.com became the center of a controversy on both Sphinn and Twitter on the basis that the concept of the site was immoral. The site offers to plant a live tree to help restore damaged forests and a virtual tree in the form of a link on their site for a donation of $2 ($1 for each tree). The controversy? The second dollar clearly isn’t a charitable donation and thus winds up in the owners pocket. This has lead many to believe that this is all just a way to make money and not really about the charity. I say, who cares?

Let’s be honest here the concerns people have brought up about the fact that profit is being made off of what is posed as a charity are warranted. But at the same time IT’S ONLY $2! And are we forgetting that you are getting something in return? You get a link back to your website AND you help the planet that we live on. Nobody is losing here people! So what if this guy is making a little bit of money, at least he’s doing it in a way that benefits the environment.

Some will argue that if you’re trying to help the environment why not do so directly through the Arbor Day Foundation? Well, because the Arbor Day Foundation isn’t going to give you a link, and let’s face it, most of the people going to this site are not doing so because they are hoping to plant a tree. Furthermore, a number of the people who would buy a link probably wouldn’t think to donate to this cause. In this instance the site capitalizes on those who seek out links while benefiting their charity of choice. So again I ask you, what is there to lose?

An additional concern that Jeremy brought up in his post that wasn’t part of the original debate was what kind of stance Google would have on a site that is essentially selling links. And honestly I think they are going to look the other way on this one unless someone makes a big stink about it. First off they are not promoting the site as a site that sells links. They are simply providing a link to those who donate. The site is also trying to direct its efforts towards bettering the planet, and Google is clearly an eco-friendly company.

The biggest kicker about all of this is the fact that this site and the stories related to it were so quickly shot down by various outlets. Sphinn.com quickly took down the site saying that it was no relevant to SEO. Then Jeremy’s post which was sphunn was also taken down, followed by the debate that continued on twitter after the bashing on Sphinn. There are bigger fish to fry and I don’t think that slamming a guy who is trying to provide a means to sustain the environment while making a couple bucks is really who you should be attacking. How about the spammers, hackers, and various other internet scammers that aren’t providing anything of value through their sites or services? If you’re helping the environment who doesn’t profit from it? It’s one more way to sustain a greener planet for generations to come.

Would you like me to make it up so it fits within your script?
Tell you of our time between the sheets?
Tell you of the passion in our kiss?
I wish I could just to shut you up
Sadly none of it is real
I’d  tell you of the sweet taste of her sweat and the way her heart beating with mine feels

Are you ready to call out action?
Ready for quiet on the set?
So we can finally play this out the way it plays out in your head
Is this the part where I’m supposed to leave?
Or is this where we share a warm embrace?
With all these recent revisions I’m having trouble keeping pace

You’re the one directing tell me how and who I am
In this scene am I acting as the husband or am I the guy falling for his friend?
Quick tell me please I’m struggling to follow the lines that you have scribed
I’m quickly falling out of character and quickly losing sight of mine

Should I take this next scene improv?
Work on the story you’ve composed so far?
Should I take her by the hand as we run away beneath the stars?
She’ll leave hers and I’ll leave mine we’ll start our stories new
It leaves it open for a sequel, but in the script no role for you…

Let’s take this from the top
Do you even remember how we got here?
It was all fun and games and then someone got hurt
Now it’s less about us, and it’s more about her

So this time I’ll play the Alpha and you’ll be a beta
Isolated with your reflection to find comfort in yourself
Those who still care will feed you I’m sure
Not knowing you can’t be trusted, unaware it’s over her

I didn’t come here for a fight
Don’t you see I’m not a threat to you?
I’ve laid my weapons down and again I walk away
There’s no prize to be won here, and no glory that’s at stake.

In the end the spoils of war are never as grand as they appear
I already have what I need and it’s not something tangible you can take
So we can continue the round and round and you can continue to bare your arms
Or we can simply go our separate ways we’ve already caused some harm

What you seek isn’t going to be found in the spoils of this war
It’s already right in front of you, but you can’t see it through the smoke
See the it, is really she, and she is not something you can win
In fact she’s something you already have, but fail to appreciate from within.

This was originally posted on my Myspace page, but feel it applies here in many ways as well…

Ok, so I’m sure by now someone is offended and crying over my latest blog. Let me make something clear, my blogs against illegals aren’t directed at Mexican’s as a whole. And if you’re Mexican, and offended then you obviously think illegal immigration is ok, and if that’s the case then so be it. That is your view and you are ok to think that way, just as much as I am ok to think it’s not ok.

You can think I’m a racist, you can think I’m ignorant, you can think I’m arrogant. The bottom line is that it’s simply how I feel. My feelings about this are not unwarranted. And I have brought forth my concerns more than once in my blogs. Blogs are a place to share ideas, information, and opinions…This is what I do with my blog. Feel free to agree, or disagree, but again realize it is just a personal opinion towards a certain group of people not towards mexicans as a whole.

Do I sometimes attack mexicans in general? Yes, sometimes I do…Yes, I realize I may offend some of my mexican friends. But realize that most mexicans I know or are friends with do not fit in the category of mexicans I have so many issues with.

You aren’t rude and disregard those around you and their personal space. You don’t let your kids run amok in the store unsupervised or left to tear apart the toy section because you don’t want to deal with them while you shop. You have some sense of respect for others, their belongings, and their personal space. Agree with my POV, or not, you know exactly the types of Mexicans I am referring to. If you live in Corona, you’ll see them everytime you’re at the store…

If you’re my friend or know me, then you know I feel this way. If you decide you’re no longer my friend because of this, then so be it. If you’re willing to let a difference in views on social issues get in the way of our friendship, then you obviously aren’t a friend worth having around. This is who I am, this is how I feel. I have just as many issues with groups of whites, blacks, and various other races, but an opportunity to write about these issues rarely presents itself. I’ve said on more than one occasion, openly, that I am an equal opportunity racist and have issues with every race in some way or another.

With that said, I think I have laid everything out for you to make a decision. This is how I feel, this is who I am, and I will continue to write about topics that may be “racially sensitive” if I see fit. I hope you take this opportunity to come to a decision as to 1) how you will react to these posts in the future and 2) if you intend on continuing our friendship. If you decide to axe the latter of the two, then I wish all the best to you in the future. And if this is your decision, kindly remove me from your friends list so that I am aware of your decision and so that you are not somehow offended by future musings.

So I was browsing the aisles of Wal-Mart the other week and stubmled upon the latest version of the classic candy hearts. Thanks to our friends at the candy company Necco, we are reminded that we live in Mexifornia. As you will see below, you can now buy candy hearts in spanish…

So if you live in Mexifornia, swing by your local Wal-Mart and pick some up soon. Nothing says, thanks for taking all our jobs and stealing our resources better than a candy heart. But you better hurry, today is Saturday and the 15th was welfare day, so I’m sure there’ll be tons of spanish hearts sold following the second welfare day of the month.

As a soon to be parent, I have been paying closer attention to toys for younger children over the last few months. As I’ve browsed the shelves of Wal-Mart and Target I’ve noticed an ever growing trend in bilingual toys. It used to be that you could buy some toys in either English or Spanish. Rarely did you have the combination of both. But now it seems that toy makers are increasing their profits by combining both versions into one product. What’s a parent to do if they do not wish for their children to speak Spanish?

Many of you are probably wondering why I am making such a big deal about toys that are bilingual. Plain and simple, it’s the principle of it all. I’ve hated, for some time now, that everything is being geared more and more towards Spanish speaking individuals. I understand that the U.S. is being inundated with Mexicans, I understand that the global economy is evolving, but why do I no longer have a choice as a consumer? Why is it that over time we conform to fit the needs of those who refuse to learn our language or those who are here illegally? One of the guidelines for being a U.S. citizen clearly states, “Applicants for naturalization must be able to read, write, speak, and understand words in ordinary usage in the English language.” So then why are companies doing more and more to cater to those who don’t speak English?

Two words…Money and Politics. Large corporations know that non-English speaking Mexicans, legal or not, are here to stay. They know that the government isn’t going to step up and address the concerns of Americans and as a result of this they can reap the profits. If they make bilingual toys they capture the English speaking consumer as well as the Spanish speaking consumer. It has nothing to do with education or broadening the minds of our children, it has to do with the bottom line, profit.

So here I am, back at square one. I see the problem and the cause, but is there really a solution as a concerned parent and consumer? Obviously the first option is to not buy toys that have this feature or promote Spanish speaking. So obviously I will not be buying Amigo Bear, the newest member of the Care Bear family. I won’t be buying Dora the Explorer or her obnoxious cousin Diego. Obviously these toys aren’t on the top of a parents must have list, but what happens when I come across products from companies like Leap Frog, Playskool, and Fisher Price? Companies that have been trusted by families for generations and are a staple in childhood toys and childhood learning…Do I buy toys that give the option of English or Spanish and hope that my kids don’t click over to Spanish and start walking around the house saying, “Hola Mama, Hola Papa” or do I not buy the toy at all? What happens if my child is exposed to Dora or Diego and it becomes their favorite thing? Do I deny them of their wants solely based on my beliefs, or do I as a father turn away from principle to keep my babies happy?

I don’t believe there is one right or wrong answer out there, and I know for certain that there are two schools of thought regarding this. You have the school of thought that agrees with me who feel that the U.S. is just catering more and more to illegals from Mexico and those who refuse to learn our language. On the other hand you have those who feel it is about broadening your child’s horizons in order to expand and encourage their minds to grow and strive to experience other cultures. I think both schools of thought have legitimate arguments, but why have I, as a consumer and a parent, lost my right to choose. Why is it that if I want to buy my child a Care Bear that teaches them numbers and colors it has to do it in two languages? If I want to use Telly the teaching Time Clock to help my child learn to tell time it has to be taught in English or Spanish?

Maybe my school of thought is now the minority. And those from the other school of thought are the majority…Regardless, as a father-to-be it is frustrating.

Related Articles:

• Bilingual toys take off, Immigrants, adoptions driving sales
• Bilingual toys spell fun for kids in any language
• U.S. Toy Manufacturers Say Bilingual, Multicultural Toys Are a Hit - Toy makers especially target the U.S. Hispanic consumer market

I’ve noticed that ever since I started cross posting my blogs or bulletins I’ve started taking a lot of heat from people. I seem to get it most when I post about illegal immigration. I know it is a heated topic throughout the US, however I felt it might be beneficial to post something that backs my standing on why illegal immigration bothers me so much.

First off let me stress that I am not anti-immigration. I am simply anti-ILLEGAL immigration. I don’t think that it’s right for law breakers from another country to reap rewards provided by tax paying legal citizens. I recently had the opportunity to write an argumentative essay in my English class and though it would be fitting to repost it here. The topic I chose was the negative effects of illegal immigration here in California. Maybe after reading this you’ll all understand why I have such a huge issue with illegals.

First let me just say that while this is yet another rant about the Hispanic community, this worsening trend is not just limited to them. People of every race have been spotted doing this, however I will say that the Hispanics have pretty much dominated what I have seen. This could be due to the geographical location and demographics of my area, but regardless it’’s ridiculous.

A few nights back Misty and I were at our local Wal-Mart shopping for some last minute Halloween tricks and treats for this years Monsters Ball. As you walk into our ““Friendly South Corona Wal-Mart”” you are greeted by the new trendy air blown Halloween snowglobes. Sadly, we walked into the Wal-Mart watching 3 young Mexican boys kicking the shit out of it as though it were a kickboxing practice bag. I was appalled, but what was more appalling was the fact that their parents were nowhere to be found, and if they were they obviously didn’’t mind their destructive behavior.

Here’’s what amazes me most about this particular story:

1. These boys were probably no older than 4.
2. It did not appear that there was a single adult supervising them nearby
3. The sheer lack of respect for someone else’s property

I write about this because I see it slowly becoming a bigger trend, particularly in the Hispanic community. Misty and I are shopaholics thus I see this on a regular basis. You will find a handful of toddlers sitting in the toy section of your favorite retail store playing with loose toys and occasionally opening toys to play with them. I have started calling it Retail Babysitting because I see many of them planted there by their parents telling them to sit there and play while they shop.

First off in the sick world we live in why would you leave your child ALONE in a store like that? In a world of pedophiles and perverts I would never leave my toddler alone even if they are occasionally with their slightly older brother or sister. By slightly older I mean between the ages of 7 and 10. It just doesn’t make sense.

Second the toys in the toy section are there to be purchased, not to be used and abused like a play area. They are not there to occupy your children while you roam the rest of the store.

Lastly when your unsupervised children open and destroy the toys and products in the store you are costing consumers money. The same way that shoplifters cost consumers money. If the store can’t sell the product they lose money and when they lose money they pass the loss on to the consumer.

Nobody should leave their child unattended in a store. Bottom line. I don’t care if you black, white, red, yellow, purple, green, or blue. Don’t leave your kid alone to do as they please in the store, especially in the toy section. If I were a pedophile or pervert I think the first place I would look for kids in a store is the toy section. Furthermore nobody is going to watch your kids for you. Sure Wendy the Wal-Mart employee is stocking the shelves in that area, but she’s doing just that. She’s not watching your children. Nor will she know what happened to them when they suddenly go missing.

Furthermore, it doesn’t matter if you are in the same store as them. You’re on the opposite end of the store. A lot can happen between toys and housewares. You can’t see your children and they can’t see you.

It’s time for the Hispanic community to start doing something about this. I’m not sure if it’s a culture thing or just sheer ignorance, but it needs to end. It’s almost as though once your children can walk you let them take care of themselves and roam freely. The truth is they can’t and their 7 year old brother or sister can’t either. Sure the older sibling can definitely help out, but they should not be given the responsibility of adult supervision. I see so many members of the Hispanic community treating their children like a burden or inconvenience more than a member of the family.

Perhaps I am the ignorant one and I just don’t under Hispanic culture, but god dammit I get tired of bratty kids ruining my shopping experience. I get tired of Hispanic kids running through the toy aisles chasing eachother with swords, throwing balls, opening toys, and laying sprawled out in the aisles playing with toys. I hate watching them destroy everything they touch and then leave a disaster area in their path. I hate that I see babies sitting in the aisles gnawing on a toy that they have no intent on buying. When I have kids the last thing I want is your toddlers filth all over the toy I am buying them. It’s disgusting and considering the trend your child is probably putting their mouth on a toy that some other persons baby was gnawing on 20 minutes earlier. What’s worse is that it appears as though it never phases the parents when they are there. They never discipline them for it or make them stop. They ignore it.

To the parents of these children:

1. Start supervising your children.
2. Teach them some fucking values (Respect, Dignity, Manners)
3. Recognize the daily threat that there are people out there who would love to hurt or sexually assault your children.
4. THE STORE IS NOT YOUR BABYSITTER!

Many of you may recall the Illegal Immigrant problem that has plagued our nation over the years. Sadly, many of you have probably already forgotten about this issue since it hasn’t seen news coverage since the start of “World War III” in the Middle East. So let me refresh your memory, you may recall the marches in protest by illegal immigrants and their supporters, perhaps even the legislation that was passed by the senate earlier this year strengthening border security, establishing a guest-worker program, and providing the means for millions of illegal immigrants to stay in the country and possibly become citizens. Now do you remember? Good.

Illegal immigration is not so much a problem it is in fact an implemented part of our society. If it was truly a problem we would be doing more about it. Law enforcement agencies would properly enforce laws that pertain to immigration, companies would stop hiring illegals, and our products and signs wouldn’t appear in both English and Spanish. The fact of the matter is that our economy welcomes illegal immigrants and their families as consumers. They know that illegal immigrants often come here to live the American Dream and spend American dollars to make that dream come true, regardless of the long term effects.

Look around you when you are out at the store or at a restaurant. Pay attention to signs, packaging, and instructions. I guarantee you’ll find at least one of these things in both English and Spanish, and if you only find one then you probably don’t live in the southwestern half of the United States. I was eating dinner at the local Burger King about a month ago and while I was there I realized that all of the promotional material for their Extreme Spicy Tendercrisp Chicken Sandwich was in Spanish and only Spanish. At the time I dismissed it as being a promotional tactic since after all it is “Spicy”. However, a few weeks later I stopped at the Burger King near my work and saw the same promotional material in both English and Spanish. Then this morning as I was sitting on the toilet pondering life and all it’s mysteries I looked over and noticed that a box of Dixie cups we had purchased for our bathroom had an English side and a Spanish side.

Many Americans want us to build a fence along our borders. I think at this point we might as well just roll out a 1,951 mile long red carpet because to be perfectly honest we’re like a five star hotel with full accommodations. We give them jobs because it saves our businesses money because they are paid wages that are so low they should be criminal. Many argue that they do the jobs that Americans won’t do. The fact of the matter is that Americans will do the job, but they refuse to do it for an unfair wage. We give them housing because no one cares that they are illegal as long as they are paying the bill at the end of the month. Oh and of course when it comes to products and services we offer most of them in both English and Spanish.

The truth of the matter is, Mexicans can illegally enter our country, chase the American dream, and be fully accommodated along the way. We as a society have gone above and beyond to make their stay here, legal or not as comfortable and easy as possible. The president of Mexico was right when he claimed that Mexico doesn’t have an immigration problem. America has an immigration problem, and until businesses step up and stop hiring illegals, housing companies stop housing illegals, and law enforcement starts enforcing immigration laws we will continue to have an immigration problem. If we refuse to face the reality of the society we live in we will continue to see this problem and it will only get worse. The sooner we refuse jobs, refuse housing, and imprison law violators the sooner these immigrants will realize it’s really not worth the long, hot, dangerous trek through desert to come to America. They might actually stay home and try and make things better in their home land rather than make things worse in ours.

As you may recall in late December thousands of Wal-Mart employees were awarded millions by a jury for lunches they were allegedly denied. According to CNN, Wal-Mart was ordered to pay $57 million in general damages and $115 million in punitive damages to roughly 116,000 current and former Southern California Wal-Mart employees. While Wal-Mart argues that many of those employees waived their right to take a lunch, many argue that those cases aren’t the concern. In 2001 California passed a law that requires employers to offer employees unpaid lunch breaks if they work at least six hours. The complaint was not in regards to those who waived that lunch break, but in fact those who after the law passed were denied that lunch break.

Wal-Mart is America’s largest retailer, and one that is constantly under the microscope for its employee policy. However, how many other companies which aren’t under the microscope get away with this on a daily basis?

My wife came home from work last week visibly agitated about her day at work. When I asked her what was wrong, she explained to me that she was not given a break on that particular evening. Atop that frustration when she was denied the break she had just as much difficulty wanting someone to cover her register long enough so she could at least use the bathroom. When I asked her why there was no one to cover her break she explained how that store manager cuts back hours after the department managers make the schedule. The department managers schedule out what they need each day, and then the store manager will go in and cut back hours to where he sees fit leaving the departments with insufficient staffing.

No my wife doesn’t work at Wal-Mart, she works at the fairly new Sears Essentials here in Corona. This new discount retailer is the bi-product of the K-Mart/Sears merger that began back in 2004. So why is Sears, one of the most trusted economic institutions in US History allowing something like this to happen at one of its newest stores? Furthermore, if this is how corporate America is treating its middle class working force why isn’t anyone speaking up?

This isn’t the first time my wife has fallen victim to a break free work environment. Prior to being employed by Sears she worked as a cashier at a dry cleaners. There she was given no breaks or lunches during her shifts. When she was allowed to grab lunch she was forced to eat it while she worked. She was not given a designated break area to rest, and was forced to cut her break short whenever customers needed help.

When I went to make a payment at my storage facility last week the girl at the counter was discussion with us how busy they were on New Years Eve. Apparently the girl that worked that day had come in and complained the next day because she worked with no breaks all day. The lady we spoke with scoffed at the idea of breaks and made it pretty clear that she too, rarely saw an actual break.

So why is it that our workforce puts up with this? Is it a fear of repercussion if they speak out? Is it fear that they will look weak if they ask about their breaks and lunches?

What do you think about the increase in businesses denying their employees breaks and lunches? Have you been a victim to this unlawful act? Tell me about it.