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therealljidol2013-08-09 09:49 am
clauderainsrm.livejournal.com) wrote in therealljidol2013-08-09 09:49 am
Entry tags:
Green Room - Week 11 - Day 8
A couple of weeks ago, there was a report that George Zimmerman helped some people who were in a car accident. Stop rolling your eyes, and bear with me, as usual, I’m going somewhere with this.
The internet almost instantly divided itself between “OMG, WHAT A HERO!” and “HE KILLED TRAYVON! HE IS A MONSTER AND THIS IS SOME SORT OF PR STUNT!”. It came down pretty much along political lines.
Now, the truth of the matter is something still very much in dispute in some circles, and we may never really know what he did, or why he did it.
But maybe that’s not the point. The facts don’t really matter a lot when you break it down to the gist of “People make some really bad decisions, and sometimes those same ones can make very good ones” – that no one is completely one way or the other – and that maybe caricatures are just that, exaggerated viewpoints that have little to do with the actual person.
These are things that you can talk about. But you put the “Zimmerman” name in there, and the whole conversation shifts into something else entirely.
Which is why I didn’t mention the specifics in my post yesterday. Because chances are, you’ve heard of the story I was talking about. You have an opinion. You didn’t know she was a former Idol contestant. But you either know about her post that went viral – or you’ve seen the stuff that came out after, with her and her life being picked apart on Reddit and dozens of other social media sites.
Some people seemed to miss the bigger point of making that post – that the details *didn’t matter*. I excluded them because there doesn’t need to be another post about the subject. I’ve seen more than enough.
But what I *don’t* see is the idea that a “history of mental illness” DOES NOT EQUAL lying. Heck, from what I’ve seen and/or heard, there are people who scanned what I said and came away thinking that I said just the opposite!
So, I’ll repeat it: Does NOT equal.
Dealing with depression is bad enough without people dragging it all over the internet because you chose to talk about something important to you.
Talking about THAT doesn’t require the details. But considering that I had emails asking me if I *was* going to say something about the subject, I figured that I should at least tell you where my head was at, and why I was suddenly bringing up the subject.
I’m quite sure everyone reading this knows someone who has a “dramatic” life. Things are always happening to them, and at some point you wonder “Why are all of these really bad things happening to them????”
There is usually someone who steps up and “calls BS” on it – saying that they are just making up stuff to get sympathy.
You know what? Sometimes they are. I’ve certainly seen a few of them.
Sometimes they aren’t though. I’d wager the vast majority of times people *aren’t* just “making things up”! Bad stuff can, and does, happen to people. Jumping to the conclusion that someone is lying about an event they are reporting because they have a history of mental illness is akin to saying that someone wasn’t “actually raped” because they have had sex before. The logic just doesn’t hold.
More importantly – it doesn’t matter what the “facts” are. Which is the real story. It’s the only real detail that you (or anyone else) need to have – that people are complex, and regardless of what you *think* you know, if someone is reaching out for support, they probably need it.
It’s NOT “drama” to talk about these things, or to allude to a “developing situation”. It’s nothing that is currently happening in Idol. But rather something that is happening *to* someone who once participated, and as such, is part of our extended family. Which is why it “matters”, and why I need to address it.
I’m not interested in the breaking down of if you believe her or not. In fact, I’d rather avoid that, because it’s taking quite a bit out of me to NOT waltz into some of these sites and start breaking heads. If someone were to decide that they had a negative opinion around *here*, yeah, I’m not sure that I could contain that impulse. Which I don’t want… because those people folks talk about the internet, they are more than just a couple 0s and 1s. There are actual people on the other ends of those interconnected tubes.
Just remember that, and act accordingly.
***
There is a poll that is happening – so act accordingly on that as well: http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/682110.html
***
I now return you to your regularly scheduled posting pictures of your cats, already in progress...
The internet almost instantly divided itself between “OMG, WHAT A HERO!” and “HE KILLED TRAYVON! HE IS A MONSTER AND THIS IS SOME SORT OF PR STUNT!”. It came down pretty much along political lines.
Now, the truth of the matter is something still very much in dispute in some circles, and we may never really know what he did, or why he did it.
But maybe that’s not the point. The facts don’t really matter a lot when you break it down to the gist of “People make some really bad decisions, and sometimes those same ones can make very good ones” – that no one is completely one way or the other – and that maybe caricatures are just that, exaggerated viewpoints that have little to do with the actual person.
These are things that you can talk about. But you put the “Zimmerman” name in there, and the whole conversation shifts into something else entirely.
Which is why I didn’t mention the specifics in my post yesterday. Because chances are, you’ve heard of the story I was talking about. You have an opinion. You didn’t know she was a former Idol contestant. But you either know about her post that went viral – or you’ve seen the stuff that came out after, with her and her life being picked apart on Reddit and dozens of other social media sites.
Some people seemed to miss the bigger point of making that post – that the details *didn’t matter*. I excluded them because there doesn’t need to be another post about the subject. I’ve seen more than enough.
But what I *don’t* see is the idea that a “history of mental illness” DOES NOT EQUAL lying. Heck, from what I’ve seen and/or heard, there are people who scanned what I said and came away thinking that I said just the opposite!
So, I’ll repeat it: Does NOT equal.
Dealing with depression is bad enough without people dragging it all over the internet because you chose to talk about something important to you.
Talking about THAT doesn’t require the details. But considering that I had emails asking me if I *was* going to say something about the subject, I figured that I should at least tell you where my head was at, and why I was suddenly bringing up the subject.
I’m quite sure everyone reading this knows someone who has a “dramatic” life. Things are always happening to them, and at some point you wonder “Why are all of these really bad things happening to them????”
There is usually someone who steps up and “calls BS” on it – saying that they are just making up stuff to get sympathy.
You know what? Sometimes they are. I’ve certainly seen a few of them.
Sometimes they aren’t though. I’d wager the vast majority of times people *aren’t* just “making things up”! Bad stuff can, and does, happen to people. Jumping to the conclusion that someone is lying about an event they are reporting because they have a history of mental illness is akin to saying that someone wasn’t “actually raped” because they have had sex before. The logic just doesn’t hold.
More importantly – it doesn’t matter what the “facts” are. Which is the real story. It’s the only real detail that you (or anyone else) need to have – that people are complex, and regardless of what you *think* you know, if someone is reaching out for support, they probably need it.
It’s NOT “drama” to talk about these things, or to allude to a “developing situation”. It’s nothing that is currently happening in Idol. But rather something that is happening *to* someone who once participated, and as such, is part of our extended family. Which is why it “matters”, and why I need to address it.
I’m not interested in the breaking down of if you believe her or not. In fact, I’d rather avoid that, because it’s taking quite a bit out of me to NOT waltz into some of these sites and start breaking heads. If someone were to decide that they had a negative opinion around *here*, yeah, I’m not sure that I could contain that impulse. Which I don’t want… because those people folks talk about the internet, they are more than just a couple 0s and 1s. There are actual people on the other ends of those interconnected tubes.
Just remember that, and act accordingly.
***
There is a poll that is happening – so act accordingly on that as well: http://therealljidol.livejournal.com/682110.html
***
I now return you to your regularly scheduled posting pictures of your cats, already in progress...
no subject
As an alcohemical enthusiast and former amateur bartender, I encourage science. Just be careful. You think the ones you're drinking right now are strong ...
I'd offer to mix you one out of my liquor cabinet, but ... well, you know. Internet, two dimensional, etc.. But see if the bartender (this one or the next one) has any orgeat syrup. Do *not* let them try to sub in some crap almond liqueur or beverage flavoring. It's not even close and will ruin the flavor. (Trust me: science.)
no subject
I'm home from the bar now, but will definitely keep this in mind for my next excursion! The bar I was at is literally a block away from my apartment, AND I know the bartender, so I just tip like crazy and can pretty much get whatevs. Besides. Nothing done in the name of science can possibly be a bad idea, right?!
no subject
But that's the beauty of science: you can learn from the mistakes of others.
So, instead I'll say: "Hooray for science, albeit incrementally!"
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As for absinthe - ya got me on that one. One of my coworkers however is really into the stuff (yes this is what gets discussed in the teachers' lounge, just saying) and he swears up and down the best way to drink it is to light it on fire first.
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Dare I ask what's a "Flaming Christmas Bastard"??
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What's in a Green Dragon?ETA: Scratch that, Googled it. Oh, science!*Compared to the Four Horsemen, which is just as dangerous as it sounds.
** PRO TIP: DO NOT FORGET THIS STEP.
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I need to try this Flaming Christmas Bastard concoction. It'll either be amazing, or taste like several different flavors of Listerine blended together, and there's only one way to find out which!
Green dragon is...er...nothing I would ever DREAM of making! But - hypothetically speaking - it is what may possibly result (in theory only, of course!) if one were to use high-proof alcohol to extract various chemicals from cannabis and consume the resulting tincture.
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Next you're going to tell me you make Mind Erasers with Chambord instead of Kahlua.
That's right -- and that way is science! (I find the fire takes the astringency out of the Ice 101, but maybe that's just me.)
no subject
What's in a mind eraser??
no subject
A mind eraser is a layered drink (not a shot, a proper drink). Kahlua on the bottom, then a vodka, then sprite on top. You stick your straw in the bottom of the glass and drink it as fast as you can. The kahlua (or chambord, if you're from Jersey) is cloying enough that hitting the vodka isn't as bad as it sounds; then the Sprite (or similar clear carbonated beverage) washes it away. --with your mind, along with it.
I'd say I have fond memories of doing Mind Erasers, but, well ...
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(Do you have little straws? You can't do it without a little straw; it's the crucial part of the delivery mechanism.)
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It turns out I have neither little straws NOR Kahlua! (I just discovered I do have Apple Pucker and Captain Morgan though, which makes a badass spiced-apple-cidery shot). I am so hitting up the liquor store tomorrow in order to remedy this situation.
no subject
*cough*
I mean, good luck. :-) (And I do recommend the Kahlua over the Chambord. I find the Kahlua's a more dense flavor and takes the shock of the vodka with more efficiency.)
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And by "incriminated myself" I mean revealed to the world how much I totally adore theoretical chemistry! ♥
no subject
BwahahahahaWell, sure. This is all theoretical. I mean, no one can prove a thing. It's not like you forgot to burn the lab notes.no subject
Er. I mean. Lab notes? What lab notes?!
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(Ya know, I've been meaning to start watching that ever since I realized it's done by the same Vince Gilligan who was my favorite screenplay writer from the X-Files)