Hypocrisy: the new glitter - A story about a stairway to hell

I'm as spiritual as they come. I try to live my life in a spiritual way, even if I'm not attached to any religion whatsoever (although I was baptised as a Catholic). That said, I respect people's faith. But I can't tolerate violence, abuse, hypocrisy or stupidity. Maybe I should be a little more tolerant. But I'm not. It leaves a very long way to go before perfection...a very very long way indeed.

Keeping that in mind, Pope Benedict XVI, during his Christmas Eve Mass, asked people to "see through the superficial glitter" of the season, and concentrate instead on the joy of the Christmas message.

When he mentioned glitter, did he mean this kind of glitter? (see the video):

Or how about the glitter of that conference room? (see the picture):

Or maybe he's referring to that kind of glitter (see the following pictures):

I didn't know gold was the true channel to God. To be frank, I thought that it was the total opposite. If you compare the Vatican with the way people portray Jesus according to the Bible, let's just say that the amount of "glitter" was quite different for both of them. I'd like to ask the Pope "Why so much gold and glitter? Aren't you afraid to get caught in all of this?. What about the wealth distribution? What about all the sharing you preach all the time? Why don't you sell a gold cross and give the money to a starving African village? Isn't that what you tell us to do?"

The thing is, it's easier to criticize others and to tell them what to do with their life. So the Pope may do whatever he wants. He may preach what he doesn't practice himself. He may speak in the name of God (lots of psychiatric patients do too...free speech!!). But sometimes he ought to shut the hell up (no pun intended)...just out of respect for all the Catholics that live in a spiritual way. If a little glitter makes them happy, so be it. People are intelligent enough to see that glitter is not a way of living (see the Vatican). They don't need a hypocrite pope to tell them what to do. Why does the Catholic Church always have to use culpability? Why does it always have to make people guilty and ashamed? The answer is obvious: to control people.

Fear and culpability...starting to sound like politics...

The more you feel guilty, the more you go to Church to make a confession. Then they try to make you believe that they have the power to forgive your sins (in the name of God, of course). And, forgiveness comes quite easier when you drop a few bucks in the basket (see the video):

I know it's raw. I know people might be offended by the George Carlin routine (message to them: grow up and/or grow a pair!!!). Most of it was created to shock. But a lot of what he says is true. Nevertheless, every time people are mad at God, I believe people are mad at Man's image of God. You know, the guy with a beard that will "strike upon thee". The Vengeful God. Well, something tells me that this Vengeful God was created by Man...in his own image. But that's just my opinion.

I think God or any Superior Being is far too complicated for a simple Man to understand. Religion was created by Man to tell other men his vision of God. Sometimes Man has a tendency to force its opinion upon others...to control them (can you hear politics again?).

By the way, I think the Pope already has a lot on his plate. He should take care of his own mess before telling anyone how to live his or her life. How about sexual abuse by Catholic priests (including child abuse). An exception? I don't think so. There were notable cases of sexual abuse by members of the Catholic Church, during the last 50-60 years, reported in countries like Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Croatia, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Kenya, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Slovenia, Sweden, Tanzania and the last, but not least, the United States of America. And, interesting fact, cases were reported in almost all of the said countries during the 2005-2011 period.

You want to talk about glitter? The Church spent hundreds of millions of dollars either defending itself in those cases and/or settling them. I bet if you transformed that sum of money into gold coins, you could see it glittering from the moon.

Pope Benedict XVI also called for an end to the bloodshed in Syria and the resumption of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians in his Christmas message. Ok. And why not the end of hunger throughout the world? (just a bunch of blah! blah! blah! of no consequence). But why doesn't he ask his priests to quit the abuse and seek psychiatric help?

My message to Pope Benedict XVI, for the Holidays:  "See through your own superficial glitter, and concentrate instead on practicing what you preach." Clean your own house before telling people how to clean theirs. In other words, mind your own goddamn business.

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Again, I wish you and your loved ones a Happy New Year. I Wish you all Peace, Love, Health, Happiness and Prosperity

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THE HODGEPODGE

This week’s lucky number: The Clue. The date next Saturday will be January ___, 2012.

Happy and Dandy Clown of the Week: Drew Brees. The New Orleans quarterback (NFL American football) broke Dan Marino's passing yardage record for a single season with 5,087 yards passing....and still one game to play. That record was 27 years old. Sometimes nice guys finish first.

Sad Clown of the Week: People living in the Middle East. Can't believe people made comparisons with the Occupy Wall Street movement. Not in the same ball park. Not even the same sport. 2012 will be challenging for the people (not their respective governments) from countries like Syria, Egypt, Iraq, Yemen, Iran, Libya, etc. You are all in my prayers. May you finally get the country you wish for (and not the country USA wishes for you).

Clever song lyrics: "Maybe it's not too late to learn how to love and forget how to hate." - Song: Crazy - Artist: Ozzy Osbourne (...yeah! I know! He had his moments too!).

Cheesy song lyrics: "I don’t care who you are, where you’re from, what you did, as long as you love me." Song: As Long As You Love Me - Artist: Backstreet Boys (Ok. That sounds so nice and romantic on paper...but let's test how serious you really are about that bullshit statement...Would you sing the same lyrics if the girl from the song was a crack whore with a history of violence that offered her services for $10 and that spent most of her life in prison for fraud, extortion and human organ traffic? Just don't fall asleep on her watch, buddy...).

Philosophical Quote of the week: "You want a prediction about the weather, you're asking the wrong Phil. I'll give you a winter prediction: It's gonna be cold, it's gonna be grey, and it's gonna last you for the rest of your life." Character: Phil (wonderfully played by Bill Murray) - Movie: Groundhog Day

I told you so (last week and the week before): Tim Tebow and the Broncos lost two games in a row. It proves, again, my theory: God doesn't give a rat's ass about football. It's only men playing a game (for big bucks).



Love letters, comments, opinions and complaints: reflectionsonamoderncircus@gmail.com

The hypocrisy of the asterisk and the bleep

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Reality...really?

This morning, I was eating my All-Bran Flakes while reading the Nutrition Facts (110 calories per cup, but 160 calories with ½ cup of 1% milk!!).  And I was wondering: what if they made a reality show about me.  Just imagine: brushing my teeth, taking a shower, eating the All-Brans, drinking the juice, cleaning the dishes, writing my blog (for an hour at least!!), going to the supermarket, emptying the bags at home (wondering where I put the strawberry jam), looking for the strawberry jam, desperately looking for the strawberry jam in the car, mentally blaming the kid working at the supermarket for losing the strawberry jam, watching college football on television, dosing off while the game gets interesting, etc.

One word: exciting.  I’m sure one would pay good money to watch an hour of that, right?

No wonder reality shows are scripted (SPOILER ALLERT!!).  Otherwise, why would anybody watch them.  Let’s face it.  Our lives are boring...to watch on tv.

Message to friends: It applies also to telling the world on Facebook that you are washing your underwear or on Twitter that you just folded the said underwear.  Is that a way to say that we would like to be stars of a show too?  Maybe.  Nevertheless, I don’t believe that we would like our lives to become public either.  Celebrity is overrated because there is no switch “off” to it.  For better or for worse.

So who or what do we have to be to get on a reality show?  A washed up rock star?  An ex-stripper or barfly, finding a way to get attention?  A “Snookie”?

Beautiful or good looking?  Probably.  Either that or mean and hateable (the Dallas’ J.R. factor).  Talented?  Absolutely not! (See Paris Hilton, The Kardashians, Flavor Flav, etc.).

But I feel that a new trend of reality tv has already begun.  You know, the kind you get sucked in, without consent.  The Drama Queen Media loves that.

For example, the Anthony Weiner scandal.  Remember him?  He gets caught sending pictures of his crotch to a college student in Seattle (and many other women), via his Twitter account.  Then he lied his way to complete humiliation, namely by saying his account was hacked.  He called numerous press conferences and interviews to push the lies even further.  Then another woman came forward with a shirtless picture of Weiner that was sent to her.  Finally, he admitted sending the pictures, but refused to resign.

All of this while he was married for less than a year, to Mrs. Huma Abedin, an aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (a woman that should understand her, by experience).  Oh! Yes!  By the way, at the time of the scandal, his wife was pregnant.  If that was a movie, critics would say that the scenario is absolutely non credible and too farfetched.  When reality surpasses fiction...

But there is more to it.  Weiner got caught sending pictures of his wiener!  How more Hollywood can this get?

Grande finale: he resigns.  And, as he announces it, if you listen closely, you can hear people cheering in the background (around 0:18 seconds).  You gotta be kidding me?

Hitting a man that is already down?  What Anthony Weiner has done is utterly stupid.  It’s immoral.  But, it’s none of our business.  It must have been humiliating for his wife.  But us?  Who are we to judge what he’s done?  He didn’t commit any fraud.  He didn’t steal money from people.  He didn’t kill or injured anyone.  He’s just an adult male, that replaced his brain with a sexual organ (happens frequently and daily), and that acted like a total bonehead.  He’s guilty of covering up, of lying.  But lately, denying and lying “seems” like a natural human reflex (See Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Rafael Paleiro, Bill Clinton, etc.).

But among the people that judged Weiner, I can’t believe that none of them acted like boneheads.  If we follow the rule established by the late George Carlin: “There’s a few winners...and a whole lotta losers”.  The only difference between Weiner’s wiener and mine is that very few care about mine.  But let’s not kid ourselves.  Weiner never invented sending explicit pictures to other people…not even among married men.

Truth is we laugh at the guy that slipped on a banana peel.  That’s all.  We watch reality TV to see people mess up, argue, fight and feel miserable.  The modern way of feeling better: seeing other people fall...or fail (instead of changing our ways).

Here you go.  “Knock yourselves out”, no pun intended:

Reality TV” is living vicariously.  Not really living.  You sit and watch others live in an aquarium...with a certainty that you would do better.  Just not now.  You are too busy watching.

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New Character(s) brought to this Blog: none.

This week’s lucky number: (11,087 + 78) /1,595 =  (yes…again!).

Personal message: To a telemarketer calling me on the phone (me speaking): “I’m sorry, I cannot help you.  I will have to transfer you to my financial department”.

Quote of the week: “It’s only funny until someone gets hurt...then it gets freakin’ hilarious” – Anonymous reality tv watcher.

To do: laugh (and to be able to laugh at myself).

Bad jokes when you are at the customs: “Do I carry any weapons?  No, just drugs.”

Take the money and run: Serena Williams got a $2,000 fine for her verbal abuse of an umpire, namely telling her she was “unattractive inside”, during last Sunday's U.S. Open final.  Tennis officials ruled that was not a major offense.  Williams earned $1.4 million at the U.S. Open.  Let’s take out our calculator...the fine represents 0.14% of her earnings.  For ordinary workers, that fine would be the equivalent of a few bucks.

Bad name for a cruise ship: The Bachmann (runner-up: The Gingrich).

 

Love letters, comments, opinions and complaints: reflectionsonamoderncircus@gmail.com