I couldn't help read this artice FOXNews.com - Views - Tongue Tied - New Read on 'Rings,' Double Standard on Slurs and wonder at the stupidity, arrogance, and political agenda of so many different people. Everyone wants to make everything into an issue of racism/sectarianism, even when there is none involved. It's pathetic and unfortunately too often used as an excuse to cover people's own misbehavior.

I was especially interested in AZ's Rep. Steve Gallardo pathetic attempts to curtail free speech of one race in favor of another race under the guise of protecting students from racism. Oh yeah. Good one, Mr. Gallardo! Use anti-racism to justify another form of racism. Did you ever consider the professor in question may be correct in that the United States should assimilate cultures and make them their own and stop this ridiculous notion of separatism that groups espouse.

Any native Arizonan with a knowledge of the state's and the southwest's history, such as myself, knows an extremely small ultra, ultra- left wing number of people in MEChA at one time espoused a highly racist agenda that included "reclaiming" the southwest for hispanics and latinos, the "rightfull inheritors" of this land, ignoring that the Native American people's were here thousands of years before any descendents of Europe (whites, blacks, asians, and yes, latinos/hispanics which are descendent's of European Spanish and Portugese (sp?) lineage/culture) arrived. Most members of MEChA that I've known find this idea ridiculous and in no way support such a twisted and unrealistic agenda. The problem is that there are some in the leadership of Mecha that do support this racist and separatist agenda and are unapologetic about it.

MEChA in and itself as an organization is fine as they often provide cultural events, ethnic awareness of certain issues that need to be adressed in American society, and extra support for Hispanics and Latinos in education. I credit them with helping make many Hispanic/Latino people successful and blending their cultures into American society.

My own personal experiences in dealing with MEChA members is mixed. Most are good, reasonable people with no interest in supporting seperatism, racism, or any other form of discrimination, but I have met a few who openly advocate such behavior, some violently so. These individuals were vigorously against allowing membership to those wo were not "chicano/chicana" enough, usually those who were part Native American, Black, or White or did not speak Spanish well or at all. Too often MEChA claims to represent the "true people" of the west/soutwest (Native Americans) and yet they discriminate against these very same people and ignore the fact that Mexicans are not the sole inheritors to this area. They are just the mixed blood descendents of various invaders dating from prehistory mesoamerican tribes to the more recent European explorers and conquerers. A number of Native Americans I have known dislike Hispanics because of the oppression they faced under Spanish, later Mexican, rulers. These same people didn't much like White either for much the same reason, it should be noted.

The fact is that technologically or numerically superior cultures often conquer and absorb the technologically and numerically inferior cultures and have done so since the dawn of human history. Over time all cultural powers decline, if not disappear entirely under a new superior culture. To make the odd claims that some in MEChA demand now is not only ridiculous but perpetuates this cycle of absorbtion and decline that is human civilization.

While the phrase “¡Por La Raza Todo, Fuera de La Raza Nada!” is not MEChA's motto, I've heard too many of it's members espousing this more than the official motto “La Union Hace La Fuerza.” It also doesn't help when MEChA itself makes the following statement: "MEChA refers to the liberation of Aztlan as the liberation of our people from oppressions and ignorance." Most claims that this refers to a societal, economic, educational, or spiritual freedom, but too many take this phrase to mean taking back "stolen land" from the United States, particularly Texas, the Southwestern States of Arizona and New Mexico, and the reclaiming of California. These statements and attitudes do not help MEChA's public image.

Too often these extremist members use MECha for their own political and racist agenda, attacking anyone who deviates from their view in slightest as being "racist", "defamatory", and any number of other key phrases that try to invoke guilt and shame in their opponent in order to silence their voice of opposition. It is when certain elements within MEChA (and any organization, for that matter) use the excuse of racial unity to push an agenda many members are unaware of or do not support that problems arise and refuse to discuss an issue. This is one of those cases. MEChA has allowed these elements to turn them into an extremist group in the eyes of many citizens.

Well the last weekend before Christmas is nearly over and not surprisingly the nation has been put on a hightened level alert thanks to al-Qaeda chatter and threats of attacks against the States. I wonder how pissed off they'll be to find out very few Americans are changing their plans in regards to the threat? If the people out shopping and travelling are any indication the threats are being shrugged off as part of every day life now.

Good on ya, America! Don't change your lives for a bunch of pathetic cowards, murderers, and criminals.

Nothing really to say today. Just relaxing, reading, writing, watching the world act like a bunch of self righteous, self important, arrogant, small minded, and idiotic morons. In other words, the same old thing.

I did finally get all my grades in from school. A B, two C's and a D that's just annoying the hell out of me. I'll just make sure to do well this next semester. I'm aiming to ace all six of my upcoming classes.

I think I need to get back to writing fan fiction. I miss writing fanfic for Farscape and Babylon 5.

Saddam -- Good Riddance!

I for one am extremely happy for the Iraqi people that Saddam Hussein has finally been captured. I know it's foolish thing to hope for, but I do hope his capture will bring an end to the Baathist attacks and help the Iraqi people move on with reconstruction and unification under a new democratic government. The Islamists will keep up their attacks under the guise of "defending Islam and Arabs" and will simply have to be routed out by the Iraqi's themselves. Hopefully this will also prod the Iraq war naysayers and wanna-be profiteering countries (France, Germany, Russia, etc.) into forgiving the Iraqi debt racked up under Hussein's brutal dictatorship. Most of all I hope he faces Iraqi justice for his crimes.

EU Constitution Talks Fail

I hate to say I told you so, but I told you so. It was obvious from the start that the talks were going to fail. And with good reason when you look at it. A core group of countries (Germany, France, Britain, Italy) would get far too much power over the future remaining 25 members, in effect forming their own tyranny of the majority that would be used to trample smaller nations sovereignty, foreign and defense policies, economics, laws, and culture without any safeguards for these smaller nations short of withdrawal from the EU. It doesn't help any with France's currently discriminatory actions against Muslims and Arabs and the German people's resentment and refusal to accept that they are going to be held accountable for the Holocaust as long as mankind has a history to be known. France's historical arrogance and meddling coupled with Germany's oft violent xenophobia are reasons alone to ensure these two countries never have unfettered political dominance in Europe.

This on top of France and Germany violating their own EU treaties regarding their fiscal spending and the euro, disagreements over whether to include a reference to God or Europe's supposedly christian nature, the EU's biased and illegal trade practices currently being fought out in the court not only with foreign competitors but between EU members.

Finals!

Today was the last day of finals. Woohoo! Having a Physics combined final and exam followed by a Fluids combined final and exam was a little rough, but I think I did okay. My Fluids prof has already posted our final grades. I ended up with a C in the class. It's okay I suppose, I had hoped to do better. Now I just have to wait for my other profs to post final grades.

Battlestar Galactica II

Well, the second half of BSG wasn't nearly half as good as the first. Too many drawn out lull's, too many obvious bloopers, character interaction as interesting as drying paint, and I swear they killed a forest to come up with some of these wooden actors. The graphics for the most part were okay, but there were a few scenes that left me (a cgi fan and hobbyist) screaming at how bogus, unrealistic, and in one case outright bad the cgi work was done. The only sort of surprise was the revelation about Boomer, but the rest of Cylons were easy to spot. My biggest gripe is all the obvious rip-offs of other shows like B5/Crusade (cgi space battles and Evan Chen style background music), Farscape (the chip in Baltar obviously), SG-1 (the new Cylon fighters look suspiciously close to Death Gliders), and S:AAB (saying the humanoid Cylons have silicate minds is remeniscent of the Silicate (sp) AIs). Sure everyone borrows from each other but the similarities went beyond mere coincidence.

Overall BSG was decent. Better than ST:ENT, but below par with B5, SG-1, Farscape in regards to over all production values, plot, characterization, and overall feel. The acting, plot holes, costuming, and cgi need some work (especially in dumping the lame Crusade-esque "documentary" camera shots) but I think it would do fairly well as a new series.

Battlestar Galactica

Well, I must admit I rather liked the new Battlestar Galactica miniseries that started tonight on SciFi. Admittedly I had set my expectations low after reading the script, hearing some comments made by the actors of the series themselves, and watching SciFi's "Lowdown" show. It started off a bit lame to me with a few (apparently) gratuitous sex scenes, and I've seen less wood in a forest when it comes to a few of the actors, but all and all I think the series has gotten off to a good start. It's an interesting take on the original Battlestar Galactica. I'll just wait and see how it turns out.

I hate Saturday finals!

What makes it worse is I know for a fact that I blew the final completely, pretty much guaranteeing a poor grade. Oh well. I figured I was going to have to retake Dynamics next semester. This just confirms it. On a good note, I bumped my Fluids grade up two grade levels. With our last exam and final on Wednesday I have a good chance of actually getting an A. It's more likely I'll be getting a B, but the possibility is still there.

This combined with my B in AE101 and an A or B in Physics will help keep my GPA up despite my Dynamics grade. Just more incentive to make sure I ace both exams next Wednesday.

I'm trying to remember all the things I've never known.

Ponder this.

Strange days, the Holiday season. People scrambling around acting rude, obnoxious, and generally posing a threat to society at large. Don't believe me? Explain why I was nearly hit five times in ten minutes upon entering Phoenix proper by morons under the mistaken notion that everyone around them are just expendable extras in the drama that is their pathetic lives.

Sorry, but I'm already sick and tired of assholes thinking they do whatever they want to everyone else and using the holidays as a justification for their behavior. I even heard one person at school say he could act however he wanted since he planned to give to charity, thereby making him a good little christian. Hypocrite! Holiday Hussy!

22 Days until DDay! Heh.

Day 5 and counting until Finals begin. It kind of sucks having a Saturday final but at least Dynamics be over and done with. Then I get two finals next Wednesday. Shouldn't be too bad. It's just Physics and Fluids, so I shoukld be okay.

After that apartment hunting goes into high gear.