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Life is a case study in people.

This blog is here to report observations.

You know, I really love my work. It's fun to see the reactions people have to what I say. Honestly, you learn more about a person from their reaction to a stimulus than by simply sitting and talking to them. Sitting down and talking with a person allows them time to craft their answers and portray themselves in a controlled manner. But, when provoked, I find that most people have a knee-jerk reaction to things, and without that calm filter, their true colors come out. Something clicks in their brain, and the worst in them charges to the forefront like a roid-raging bull.

So I say I don't particularly care for someone, and in my opinion, that person fails as a human being in some of the most basic respects. The reaction? Two Facebook pages intended to demean me, and a slew of people making comments and thumping their chests in this sorry sack's defense.

The only problem is, they don't know ME very well. Instead of being offended, I've used them as a sounding board to reach a broader audience (people who have fanned these two pages, but are otherwise not connected to me), injecting what some people consider provocative material into the mix. In this case, I've been told that "I'm Christian, and this offends me because I'm Christian."

Yeah, because I give a fuck.

So, what makes a Christian uneasy? Why, the mocking of their establishment, of course. Feed a Christian a line of dialogue from someone like PZ Myers which states the exact opposite of their belief structure, and they grab their torch and pitchforks, marching as to war.

Yes, they consider this a mature and rational reaction. Amazing, isn't it?

They'll defend someone who's not all that great a person to begin with, and then to make matters worse, they'll take up the cause and defend their own imaginations on two fronts: They imagine this person is something way more than he really is, and they imagine a magic man in the sky who loves and watches over them. Two fictional ideas, vehemently defended by people who are supposedly grounded, respected community members.

Conclusions? For one, people are walking contradictions. There really isn't any other way to describe it; Do as I say, not as I do. Secondly, even people who think themselves good and above contempt are capable of the worst that humanity has to offer. Third, small minds tend to work in numbers. It makes them feel better, I guess.

Me? I work alone, because I lack something they have in spades: Fear. I'm not afraid of how other people perceive me; some idiots have taken that out of my hands anyway, so fuck it. I'm also not afraid of some divine punishment, giving my own free will complete license to soar. I don't need mob mentality. It's becoming quite clear that my own mentality is holding up just fine, and even the mob can't bring me down.

So, what's next? Showing them what the rational mind can do. By week's end, these two Facebook pages will be taken down, through normal channels (and some abnormal, I will be putting in a call to Facebook Corporate). Their creator will likely receive a reprimand at least, and at worst have his account suspended. And me?

I'll be sitting here enjoying some fresh popcorn and a whole mess of test subjects to further my personal research. Even when you're broke, you can find the resources you need.

And yes, for those of you who get the title, I do have my towel handy...

The View from Down Here

My name is Eric James Jacobson, and I am 31 years old.

I was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1977 and raised in the hills of Central Pennsylvania.

I was baptized Lutheran, and confirmed in the church when I was 13.

Yet, since I was just six years old, I have counted myself an Atheist.

No, I do not believe in God.

Despite this, the following things are true about me:

I am a hopeless romantic, and above all things, I have faith and belief in the fucked up emotion we humans call Love.

I'm a very caring person. Every chance I get, I contribute to social projects like Habitat for Humanity, or donate time and effort to charities for things like Breast Cancer and Autism research.

I try my best to be a good friend to those whom I call friend. I'm there when they need a ride, an ear to chew off, or when they need a shoulder - figuratively or literally.

Pending the results of a DNA test, there is a good chance that I am a father. And I don't plan on being one of those deadbeat dads, either. No fucking way in hell. I have every intention of being the best father I can be for Lucas, my limitations be damned.

I'm an animal lover, especially cats, if that isn't obvious by now. While I'm not some sort of PETA freak by any stretch of the imagination, I do believe that the other members of the Animal Kingdom (yes, we're members, like it or not) have every right to co-exist with us in some way, while still obeying the natural order (which we're lucky to be near the top of).

I'm the kind of guy who'll hold open a door for other folks, let them cut line, give them right of way on the road, and generally stay out of their way. I'm not here to inconvenience anyone.

I am an entertainer. I sing and perform, mostly because people like it. It brings me great joy to entertain other folks and make them happy. If they like what I'm doing and it makes them smile, then I can go home and sleep good knowing that I did my job.

I am not a bigot. Black, White, Native American, Latino, Arab, Indian, Asian, Gay, Bisexual - I don't care WHAT you are. What matters to me is WHO you are. There is only one race: The Human Race. We're all in this together, and quite frankly, we need all the help we can get from every source available.

And yet, I am one of the least-trusted people in America. I am discriminated against with insane prejudice. I am looked down upon. People would more likely fire a crass word at me and walk away fuming than say hello and ask how I am. I am trusted less than Hindus, Muslims, Bhuddists, Scientologists, and pretty much any other fringe group you can possibly think of.

Why?

The don't trust me because I'm a godless heathen.

Yes. My lack of belief in any sort of deity is the sole reason. Because I don't believe in God, I can't be trusted. I must be the enemy, because I am not with them.

Despite all the positive aspects of my life - aspects that I think make me just like a lot of other people who do the same things, regardless of faith - I am still at the bottom of the popularity food chain.

They say crazy things, like "Atheism is a religion." Um, no. Theism is practicing Religion. Atheism is literally "Without Theism," or without practicing Religion. To use an analogy that will make Christians uncomfortable: Sexual Reproduction is reproducing through the act of sex. Asexual Reproduction is reproducing without the act of sex. Yummy! Sex!

They say that we're "Agents of Satan." Um, no. If we don't believe in any sort of God figure, then it logically follows that we don't believe in any sort of Devil figure, either, sorry.

They claim that America is somehow a "Christian Nation." This would lead one to believe that they think we don't belong as citizens of this "Christian America" because we're not Christian. Well, I'd like to remind them that while I'm obviously not Christian, I'm not anything else, either. And no, the Founding Fathers, Christian though some of them may have been, had the foresight to make sure that our basic rights included Freedom of Religion, and that our Constitution made it clear that no one religion would be established as a State Religion. No "Christian Nation" for you, sorry.

And there's another thing: Why am I saying sorry so damned much? What have Atheists done throughout history that they should be sorry for? Should Abraham Lincoln be sorry because he abolished slavery, a practice abused by so many Southern Christians?

Christianity, and Religion as a whole, has a lot to be sorry for, and it's all well-documented historical fact. So, I'm done saying I'm sorry.

I won't say it until the Irish Catholic Church apologizes to the people it abused and faces justice for its actions - In the Name of God.

I won't say it until the Vatican cracks down on filth like that worldwide, and apologizes for centuries of abuse and cover-ups - In the Name of God.

I won't say it until supposedly-good people like Pat Robertson and Fred Phelps quit spewing their rancid bile and apologize for being absolute, colossal douchebags - In the Name of God.

And you know what else? I'll continue being an Atheist. But more importantly, through my words and my actions combined, I will continue to be as good a human being as I can be, and contribute positively to society as much as I can. I will continue to love, to entertain, to give, to drive, to build, and to care.

In the name of Human Kind.

Small Town

Well, things have pretty much settled in the aftermath of Thursday morning's insanity. The story so far:

From what I've gathered, Jessie has been wandering about for some time saying he was going to kill his mother. While I haven't pinpointed a reason yet, it looks like no one took him seriously, with the possible exception of Kacey. In the end, WTAJ (CBS10, Altoona) reported it that evening as Jessie acting alone, with no mention of Kacey's involvement. That was a bit of a relief, seeing as how I'm obviously very worried about someone I consider a good friend.

Cause of death is likely to be blood loss from slash wounds to the throat and wrists, but I've heard some reports of possible blunt force trauma as well, which wasn't reported by WTAJ during their 5pm newscast. If that's the case, then Cindy suffered a very frightening death at the hands of her own son.

But what would possess a child to kill his own mother, let alone do it in such a violent and nasty way? One possible scenario is that, mad at his mother for some reason and sent over his breaking point by something, he beat the ever-loving tar out of her and, scared of the consequences of that, killed her to silence her. If that's the case, wrong move, just made things worse.

What makes a kid rage against his mom like that? Any number of things, really, could - either on their own or, more likely, in tandem with more - contribute to a child's anger. Jessie is a part of a very selfish and spoiled generation, the grandchildren of the Boomers and children of TV Generation parents. With doting grandparents desperate to stay young by living through their grandkids, and parents who are either unwilling or unable to connect with them on much of any level, its really no surprise how these kids fall off the boat.

Most adopt a "Fuck The World" mentality, refusing to care about this or that or the other thing and only focusing on their narrow view of the world around them. They feel trapped by their surroundings, with a fear of inability to escape their mundane existence in their tiny niche of the world. They assault their ears with the overly-aggressive, testosterone-fueled anthems of Hardcore music, and at the same time feed their depression with the whiny crybaby sounds of Emo. The "fuck it all" attitude leads to indifference to school, work, life, and pretty much anything that isn't branded PlayStation or Aeropostale.

In effect, they've desensitized themselves to sympathy, empathy, and have failed to find outlets for the wellspring of emotions swimming around inside of them. Social interaction, even among family, is retarded, and bridges (rather than being burned) aren't even built in the first place.

With a parent who, while trying their best but still falling short, can't make a connection with their kid, the other side of the bridge doesn't even get past the foundation phase. With neither side making any effort, any emotional bond is all but erased.

The kids end up reacting negatively to any parental "intrusion," distrusting and coming to resent any effort by their parents for anything, over time becoming a conditioned response. Kid will run off, do what he/she pleases while they're out, consequences be damed because the parents lack the skills to enforce any punishments. Grounded or no, kids are right back out doing lord knows what.

But what drove Jessie to kill his mother, and in such a violent manner, is something that needs to be looked at in order to understand the true nature of the generation gap kids and parents these days have to deal with. If I were to go any further with this subject, though, I'd never get any sleep.

And yes, I know, it's Caturday. I'm going to try my best this time around...

UPDATE: 6:43am - Whoopsie. Eric too tired, forget to check teh Googles. Here's a Centre Daily Times blurb, although it's fairly limited at this time. Looks like I'm the only one releasing names other than perp and vic. Can that get me in trouble? Eh, fuck em.