FTW - The What Was That Edition

It's been a long time since I've done a good one, and in my mind, this one could the best one I've EVER done as an FTW...... Let's see if that works out...

Jump with me if you will...

What Was THAT

Do you recognize that symbol?... That is the symbol for the campaign known as "Above The Influence" aka ATI... It's a program for kids/teens to knock peer pressure back...... To me, it means much much more than that...

Are you ready?

FTW!!!

I say "Fuck Influence"! Of any kind...

Influence is bad, it doesn't matter what kind it is...... What kinds are there? Even the good influence? Yes, all influence

The so-called "good" influence. Maybe it's friends that are just trying to help you... Maybe family members just trying to show you a different way to do things(still legal). Maybe it's a good cause or charity just wanting you to help. Maybe it's those commercials on TV for the ASPCA...... but all of those kinds of "good" influence are bad. Why, Master, Why? Because if you use that kind of influence to make your decisions for you, then you lose a piece of your individuality. A friend example: the movie "Hulk" with Eric Bana. Listening to all my friends, they all said it wasn't any good, not worth my time. But I watched it anyway, and you know what, I liked it. If I would've listened to them, I never would've seen it. Now, I'm not saying you should completely ignore your friends suggestions, but dammit, don't let it be anymore than that. They are YOUR friends, you should respect their opinions and suggestions, but you should NOT live your life by them. Hell, give your own opinion back to them, remind them you are one of them for a reason. Also, I'm not saying to should listen to your family, some of what they have to teach is more of an upbringing than an influence. Your parents are trying to help out, but teaching you, but you still NEED to follow your own path. It may not be the same as your parents/family/friends... it's your own...... do not give in to the "good" influence......

What about "bad" influence? There is plenty of that too. There is peer pressure. Peer pressure could mean alot of different ends/means, but ultimately it refers to alcohol, tobacco, drugs - substance abuse, period. Definitely don't give in to peer pressure, if you wanna try it, I believe a person will, and it should be up to them, consequences included, but don't let a group of your friend talk you into it if you don't want to do it. Now, I'm not condoning drug use, just done get talked into it.......There is also prejudice. What is prejudice? Oppression or unfair treatment due to how someone is different from you, whether it be because you have a different color of skin, have a different religion, overweight(or close to it), different heritage, background, rich/poor...... it does NOT matter what the reason, prejudice is wrong, fine example is the Trayvon Martin killing. I do not care how the media want to twist it, turn it, tweak it, that dickhead that shot him was prejudiced and THAT was a hate crime............... There is also the media. I don't give a shit if you're liberal/conservative... Democrat/Republican... the people of the media are the worst influence. If you use the media to help you make any decision, please please pleeeeeeease return your human registration card to me NOW. The media stands for Majorly Egotistical Dickheads Influence America. They don't care about the truth, they don't care about the people who are watching...... they only care about the money they are making, the time they can be exposed on TV/Radio/Internet, and keeping their job by pushing the fear mongering agenda their bosses are trying to shove down the throats of the only good Americans left................. does that sound like someone you should be listening to? I didn't think so............then there is negative friend influence. I'll give you a personal example. I have a friend. She is a friend I care about very much, and I've known her for nearly 20 years. We could easily be a couple, together for a loooooooong time, but she will never try it, and never listen to me, her so-called best friend, because she has a friend to uses her, bends my friend to her will, and tries to ruin her life....... and my friend has repeatedly told me how much this negative friend really isn't a friend. That's what happen when you let a negative friend influence you that much... you become a puppet...

Then there is Bullying. What is bullying? It is influence by force. There are to kind of bullying: the schoolyard and ideals. Schoolyard bullying is like what you hear about in school. One(or more) kid(s) is(are) mean to and/or beats up another kid to steal their lunch, lunch money, or even personal possessions... or the jocks that beat up the nerd just because they are bigger. It's a way for the bully or bullies to feel bigger by oppressing the smaller person. It's an empowering feeling. And it's wrong. I think those that bully in this way need shown how it feels. Maybe, just maybe, they would stop. I doubt it, but fuck it, it's worth a try.

Then there is Ideal Bullying. This is where someone tries to push you into their way of thinking by any means necessary. Seems lately that one of the fastest growing form is that in the "Belibers" or fans of Justin Bieber. Age, race, sex doesn't matter, they believe that he is the greatest ever. While, I won't knock someone down what they believe in, these misguided people will knock you down for what you don't. Voice your opinion. Say that you don't think Justin Bieber is very good. If there are any "Belibers" within earshot, they will find ways to cut you down, and get others to cut you down too just because you voiced your opinion about him. Fuck that. I don't like the little fucker. I WILL not like the little fucker. There is no one on the planet that will change my opinion about it. It's that kind of thing that sets those assholes off. If you like him, good for you, but no one else has to unless they want to......... Then there is the anti-gay bullshit. That is another form of Ideal Bullying that is even supported but members of OUR OWN government. Wasn't this country built on the principle of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? As long as it's legal and isn't purposely hurting someone(like murder), who are we as a society to tell someone else what their form of happiness can or can't be. One of my good friends from high school is gay, and you know what, I support him. I may never be gay like him, but dammit, he's happy. It's not hurting me, it's not hurting anyone else who lives in his apartment complex, anyone he works with, or the little girl that lives down the street from me, the guy that lives in a shack on the other side of the world, or the old lady that lives in the motherfucking shoe...... He's happy...... It's legal...... They aren't sacrificing goats to Satan......... let it be. No of us should have the power to limit what happiness could mean to anyone else, as long as no one legitimately gets hurt............ oh, and to quell the issue of "gay marriage doesn't lead to children, and could lead to the extinction of the human race"...... yeah, I've actually heard that argument......really? What about all those kids in foster homes and orphanages? Kids their parents didn't want or couldn't raise or parents that passed away.......... why couldn't gay married couple adopt if they wanted to? Sure, a gay couple can't physically have children of their own(except with surrogates or paths of that nature), but why can't they give homes to children that don't deserve to be stuck in those horrible situations. Isn't that a good thing? I sure as hell do...... if not, Angelina Jolie is going to collect them all before the rest of the Pokemon trailers even get started...

The worst example of Ideal Bullying......... Organized Religion... one word away from Organized Crime. Don't jump on me about faith, if you believe, if you wanna believe, then do it, but I'm talking religion. I can see it now, I'll get comments and/or email with finger pointing at certain religions saying it their fault...... okay, let's look at extremist Muslims, like the late Osama Bin Laden and al-Qaeda. What all they have done has been wrong, super wrong, horribly wrong....... but they were the first. Roman Catholics and the Crusades...... learn about those? That was Christianity. Christians and Catholics like to hide behind their beliefs and their books so they can get away with anything...... disagree? Like at Pat Robertson. He is a Christian TV Terrorist. Everything he and his cronies say that implies that's what the book or God says you should do is just another way to bullying you, making you fear it, and profiting off of it. Think about it... the 700 Club... sending them $700... do you know what that really does? Makes Pat Robertson $700 richer for each person that does it. Proof? How else is The 700 Club still on TV and NOT on TBN, THE Christian Network. They don't even want his drivel on their network. Pat Robertson is a terrorist. Plan and simple. But it's not just national level, it's local level. Say you decide you want to start going back to Church, and you decide you want to pick a local Church with a history. You go in and don't agree with the delivery of the "Word", the "Message", and come even close to saying anything that resembles disagreement, and you will be swarmed with resentment and possibly worse. If it's not their idea or way of thinking, it's wrong, and I've seen Churches that have gone from Religion to gang warfare to organized crime of the Russian Mafia.......... It should be THAT you believe, not WHAT you believe.......... By the way, I'm not religious...... could you tell?

I could give you more, but I'm getting tired.

However you explain it... "Fuck Influence"

Thank you very much for your time...... And if I got one more person to change their ways, then my work was a success......

Remember... "Before you give up, before you take the fall, you tried your best. The World, Fuck Them All"

~The Master is Out