Interesting Sites To Share - Part 1

I am going to try something different on this blog. I like to travel to the furthest corners of the internet to find the most interesting sites, quizzes, and oddities, and it is something that I would like to share with you. I'll stick with sharing 4 or 5 sites at a time with my brief thoughts about each, and I am sure that more posts like these will be on the way. I have to find ways to keep this blog going regardless, so I believe that this will be a great way to drum up some new content.

Trying To Fix An Old Nintendo (And Somehow Succeeding)

My co-worker was trying to get rid of her old Nintendo Entertainment System, with multiple classic NES games (including Super Mario Bros/Duck Hunt, Super Mario Bros 3, and The Legend of Zelda) and different kinds of controllers. Being a sucker for old nostalgic electronics, as well as having an old analog TV in our house, I decided to take the goods off her hands. She informed me that the console does not work, but I figured I would try to make it work regardless.

The Subtle Art Of Reading Modern Self-Help Books

I have been on a binge on reading 'self-help' books recently. Whenever I feel down for an extended period, I would see what the best-selling modern self-help books are, and hope that my local library would have a copy to borrow. The modern self-help books I have read have given me a more positive outlook on life and a more positive attitude (in the short-term). When I talk about modern self-help books, my definition of a modern self-help book is that the language and communication of a book appeals to a younger audience. Younger audiences may not have the attention span to read a self-help book of a medical or psychological nature.

Reactions To My Old Facebook Statuses

I was meaning to do this for a while, but I wanted to see how cringe-worthy some of my Facebook posts were, back when I was a bit younger. It's the end of 2014, and I am going to share some of the oddest Facebook statuses I have made from 2009-2011, and give my reaction to those statuses. Some of these statuses expose how stupid I was when I made them, but now I can look at them now and just laugh. So, let me take you on this journey on the Facebook statuses I have made over the years.

Nothing's changed from when I wrote this status way back in New Years Day 2009. In fact, this was my very first Facebook status I have ever made. I had Facebook as early as 2007, but that time, all I was doing was uploading pictures, I had to make a strong first impression wit my first Facebook status, and I think I did that. I drew inspiration from this specific song, and to this day, I'm still cold as ice.

Goodness me, this was the first of many cringe-worthy Facebook statuses I've made. I'm not sure if I was trying to woo a girl, or just trying to show a softer side of myself. Still, even now, I think it's a pretty cool quote. and I got it from an episode of The Real Football Factories International. Back then, I was heavily into supporting Toronto FC and I thought the "Ultras" culture was the coolest thing in the world.

Sex, I clearly meant sex. Nice to see back in first-year university where my priorities actually were.

Again, priorities. I do remember her, and she was a very cute, petite woman, with luscious blonde hair. All I wanted to do was hug her, hold her, and squeeze her. I have no idea what she's doing now, but the last time I heard of her, she was in a sorority with a female friend I knew. Myself and my female friend had some good times together, if you catch my drift.

Why did I quote Kanye West? I'm still baffled as to why I would even do that for a Facebook status.

Yes. Yes it is. A rare instance of "Words of Wisdom" from the 2009 version of myself.

This Facebook status is a lie. Throughout my university career, all I wanted were the cheap thrills! Well, I'm older now, and I really don't want the cheap thrills anymore. Nah, that's a lie too.

Um. Moving on...

When I'm not quoting Kanye West, I'm quoting Nas. If you couldn't tell, I was a pretty big hip-hop buff.

One thing has remained constant, and that is my utter disappointment of the England National Team. This specific Facebook status came from England's exit from the 2010 World Cup against Germany.

Truer words have never been spoken. I've been thinking about making a cameo appearance next year as well.

I'll explain this story in a future blog post.

Using social media while you're drunk is never a good idea. As you can see, I was guilty of that. I would like to think that your phone can detect if you've been drinking or not, so that your phone can disable all social media functions. Also, I forgot who "the crew" actually was.

Ah, the standard "Follow Me On Twitter" Facebook status. Of course, I had people ask me why, and I offered this brilliant explanation:

Between then and now, I've definitely had my slice of the Twitter pie, and I'm not stopping anytime soon.

Also, follow me on Twitter, if you haven't done so already.

Isn't that the worst? Of course it is...

Well, there you have it, those are my reactions to some of the weirdest Facebook statuses I have made. I may do the same for tweets as well, so look out for that too. Apologies for not posting on the blog for a while, I've been quite busy, but I'm hoping to write some more in 2015. Hope you enjoyed this post, and have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Muhammad Ali and his Role in the Civil Rights Movement - Part 2

Part 1 is here.

Another event that Muhammad Ali had a big role in, in terms of the Civil Rights Movement was his refusal to be drafted into the Vietnam War. In 1964, Ali failed to qualify for military service, because even though he passed the physical requirements, he failed the mental aptitude test. In 1966, the Vietnam War was expanding, and the United States needed more people for the war effort. The United States decided to lower their test scores for the qualification of military service so that more people could be qualified to take part in the military. These actions left Muhammad Ali eligible for the draft and induction into the U.S. army. Ali could do one of two things: He could follow the United States Government and report to Vietnam, or he could follow his heart and faith. His initial concern about entering the draft wasn’t exactly religious or political; he thought he was in danger of having his life turned upside down. But when he first heard that he was eligible for the draft, he stated that he would refuse to serve in the United States Army and was publically considered a conscientious objector due to his religious beliefs. Ali stated that:

"War is against the teachings of the Holy Qur'an. I'm not trying to dodge the draft. We are not supposed to take part in no wars unless declared by Allah or The Messenger. We don't take part in Christian wars or wars of any unbelievers."

Ali wanted to stay true to his religious beliefs, and not be a part of a conflict that wasn’t his. Ali also enraged the U.S. Government and caused controversy around the country and the world by saying: “I ain’t got no quarrel with them Vietcong, they never called me a nigger.” Many people were enraged by those comments and the media were livid over what he said. On April 28, 1967, when the U.S. government called him for military service, he refused to budge. Ali was warned that he was committing a felony punishable by five years in prison and a ten thousand dollar fine. When the U.S. government called him again for military service, Ali did not move forward. He was arrested and the New York State Boxing Commission, as well as other boxing commissions stripped Ali of his boxing license. He was basically banned from boxing in the United States. Newspaper writer Milton Gross of the New York Post talks about his refusal of induction by saying: “Clay seems to have gone past the borders of faith, he has reached the boundaries of fanaticism.”

At his trial on June 20, 1967, after 20 minutes of deliberation, the jury found Ali guilty, and he was convicted of refusing induction into the United States Army. Ali was sentenced to the maximum imprisonment of five years in prison as well as a ten thousand dollar fine. He was also stripped of his world heavyweight championship title and prohibited from fighting in state boxing commissions across the country. Muhammad Ali’s couldn’t fight in a boxing match for another three years. Over those three years, Ali fought to appeal his conviction by staying in the public spotlight and giving speeches at rallies in college and university campuses across the country, where there was a strong opposition to the Vietnam War. Ali explains why he refused to fight in Vietnam:

"Why should they ask me to put on a uniform and go 10,000 miles from home and drop bombs and bullets on brown people while so-called Negro people in Louisville are treated like dogs?"

In 1970, Muhammad Ali was able to fight again and in 1971, the United States Supreme Court held a trial for Muhammad Ali. The Court of Appeal Board denied Muhammad Ali’s claim to attain conscientious objector status, but didn’t state the reasons as to which grounds were rejected and which were sustained. Therefore, by unanimous decision, the Supreme Court reversed Ali’s conviction of refusing induction into the United States Army.

Muhammad Ali’s refusal to fight in the Vietnam War averted attention from Ali’s racial views and it put him in a position where many people, including whites and white opinion-makers, could relate with him. Initially, Muhammad Ali was looked at with suspicion, especially around the time when Malcolm X was assassinated in 1965 and when he took the persona of the Nation of Islam. But when he refused to be inducted into the United States Army, it started a bond between Ali, and the white liberal media.

After Muhammad Ali’s retirement from boxing in the early 1980’s, The United States began to recognize Ali’s achievements inside and outside the boxing ring. In 1996, Muhammad Ali was chosen to light the flame at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. It was a proud moment for him and the American people, as around 3 billion people around the world watched him light the flame to start the Olympic Games. In 2005, Ali received the Presidential Medal of Freedom at a White House ceremony, and the United Nations Association of Germany awarded him the Otto Hanh Peace Medal for:

“Outstanding services to peace and international understanding, especially for his lifelong commitment to the American civil rights movement and the cultural and spiritual emancipation of black people throughout the world."

To this day, Muhammad Ali has devoted himself to humanitarian efforts around the world, as well as supporting education efforts of all kinds and encouraging people to respect and better understand one another.

Today, Muhammad Ali represents the living personification of Martin Luther King Jr’s message that all people are deserving of love. Sports Journalist Kevin Izenberg described Ali’s life:

“Ironically, after all he went through, the affection for Ali is largely colour-blind. Late in his career, he developed a quality that only a few people have. He reached a point where, when people looked at him, they didn't see black or white. They saw Ali. For a long time, that mystified him. He expected black people to love him and crowd around him, but then he realized white people loved him too; and that made him very happy.”

To sum it all up, Muhammad Ali just wanted to be loved and accepted by everyone. To himself, he was just a man with an opinion. In the 1960’s, America found it hard to accept anyone of colour, but now in this day, people have realized the things he had to go through to get to where he is. His greatest contribution was his ability to rally the African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement. Ali never took crap from anyone and had a sort of an in-your-face style, which can be argued that it sparked the black people to stand up for what they believed. Ali stood up for certain principles: that equality among people was just and proper. He gave Black Americans a purpose to stand up for themselves. Ali stood up for his principles and sacrificed a lot for them. You can’t call someone a great man just because of what they achieved, but also what that man had to go through to achieve something. Muhammad Ali was a great man, because he inadvertently became a civil rights pioneer. He was a shining symbol of rebelliousness against an unreasonable social order.

Muhammad Ali and his Role in the Civil Rights Movement - Part 1

I've contemplated sharing this for a while, but I am finally going to share this piece of writing. This is my history essay that I have written when I was in my first year at university. I have written this essay around March of 2010, and it was the creation of many hours of research that I have personally put in. I can't remember what grade I received, but I'm sure it was a solid A-minus. It's nice to see the differences in my writing from then to now, and to see how far I have come along.

I have not changed the content in any way for this post. Everything is the same as it was when I originally submitted the essay. The only alteration I have made is the removal of references. If anyone wants to know the references I have used, I will be happy to provide those in a separate blog post. Due to the length of the essay, I have broken it up into two parts. Part 1 is below, and Part 2 will be posted tomorrow. Any comments are greatly appreciated.

The 1960’s were a time of unrest in the United States. There were protests across university campuses opposing the Vietnam War. A generation was starting to find a voice. The 1960’s were also the height of the Civil Rights Movement, where black people were trying to fight for equal rights to their white counterparts. Many leaders stood up to the cause of fighting for equal rights, such as Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, but there was one recognizable figure that used his popularity to stand up for what he believed and gave a sort of hope for African Americans during these tense times, and that man was Muhammad Ali. He was a young, brash man, who provided a great example on how to be an individual protester by speaking about his beliefs and his dislike for racism in the United States. Muhammad Ali played a big role in the Civil Rights Movement by expressing his views in certain events he was a part in, such as his affiliation to the Nation of Islam, as well as his opposition of the Vietnam War. His example rallied the African Americans to fight for black pride and black resistance against white domination, as well as for the equal rights they truly deserved.

Muhammad Ali was born as Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. in 1942 named after his father, Cassius Marcellus Clay Sr., to a working-class family in Louisville, Kentucky and began his boxing career at age twelve. He began to fight in the amateur ranks in boxing, and quickly became a rising boxer, having an amateur record of one hundred wins with five losses. He participated in the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome, Italy, where he won a gold medal in the light heavyweight division by beating his Polish opponent. After he won the gold medal, he returned to his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, where he experienced the racism that was gripping the United States. He thought that he was going to be treated like a champion because he won the gold medal, but he was refused service at a “whites-only” restaurant, and then fought with a motorcycle gang. Disgusted by the racism and hardship he had to deal with, Cassius threw his gold medal into the Ohio River. What he did was an act of defiance, and it was a stand to the mistreatment of blacks in the United States. That single action is the beginning of his fight in the Civil Rights Movement. That action is what also intrigued Nation of Islam leader Malcolm X to invite Cassius Clay into the Nation of Islam.

After Cassius Clay’s first heavyweight bout with Sonny Liston, where he finally became the heavyweight champion of the world for the first time, he revealed that he had become a member of the Nation of Islam, and had changed his name to Muhammad Ali.  He got the name Muhammad Ali from the leader of the Nation of Islam, Elijah Muhammad. Muhammad believed that the name Cassius Clay was “a slave name” and wanted to change his name to represent a slave-trader, rather than a slave-liberator. It is widely assumed that Muhammad Ali was attending Nation of Islam meetings even before his match with Sonny Liston. This obviously sparked controversy in the United States, and few people accepted his new identity. He was hated not because he was black, but now also because of his newly found religious beliefs. He became a member of the Nation of Islam when the United States were looking at the Nation of Islam with suspicion, and even with hostility. He didn't help his cause with the white public of the United States when he started to flaunt and express his religious views. When talking about his new name, Muhammad is quoted as saying:

“Cassius Clay is a slave name. I didn't choose it and I didn't want it. I am Muhammad Ali, a free name – It means beloved of God – and I insist people use it when speaking to me and of me”

Muhammad Ali became the most visible spokesman in the Nation of Islam, and those teachings became the core of who he was at the time. He spoke on a variety of issues. On the integration of white and black people, Ali says: “We who follow the teachings of Elijah Muhammad don't want to be forced to integrate. Integration is wrong. We don't want to live with the white man; that's all.” On the issue of inter-racial marriage, Ali says: “No intelligent black man or black woman in his or her right black mind wants white boys and white girls coming to their homes to marry their black sons and daughters.” On the issue of brotherhood, Ali says: “We're not all brothers. You can say we're brothers, but we're not.” On the need for a separate black homeland, Ali is quoted saying:

“Why don't we get out and build our own nation? White people just don't want their slaves to be free. That's the whole thing. Why not let us go and build ourselves a nation? We want a country. We're 40 million people, but we'll never be free until we own our own land.”

These views presented by Muhammad Ali were views that he felt strongly about. Ali embraced his black heritage when many African Americans were trying to run from it.

Obviously, the media, as well as white Liberals and black Americans came down hard in Ali and his views. Tennis great Arthur Ashe gave his opinion on Muhammad Ali’s ties to the Nation of Islam, saying:

“I never went along with the pronouncements of Elijah Muhammad that the white man was the devil and that blacks should be striving for separate development; a sort of American apartheid. That never made sense to me. It was a racist ideology and I didn't like it.”

Former heavyweight champion Floyd Patterson also added his opinion on Muhammad Ali and the Nation of Islam:

“I've been told that Clay has every right to follow any religion he chooses and I agree. But, by the same token, I have every right to call the Black Muslims a menace to the United States and a menace to the Negro race. I do not believe God put us here to hate one another. Cassius Clay is disgracing himself and the Negro race."

Another former heavyweight champion, Joe Louis chimed in with what he thought as well: “I've always believed that every man is my brother. Clay will earn the public's hatred because of his connections with the Black Muslims.” It seems that many people had something to say to oppose Ali and his religious views, but to many others, Ali is viewed as the prime symbol of black pride and provided a resistance to an unfair social order by preaching something that was different from mainstream values.

Part 2 is here.

Random Thoughts 12

Okay, story time...

I once knew this guy in high school (I'll call him B), and we knew each other since elementary school. He's an incredibly intelligent and responsible person who I thought would be very successful when he got older, and as of now, I guess that's partly true. Even though he was a bit of a dick sometimes, he was okay to be around, and some of the more spineless kids looked up to him and followed him wherever he went. Anyways, back in high school, he was the Student Council president, and he didn't have any enemies, but he was susceptible to doing something stupid in order to please some of his friends.

I remember back in Grade 12, he was in class working on something with his friends (I wasn't in this class). Now, there was another student in the class (I'll call him M) who was a bit nerdy and goofy looking, and other people made fun of him regularly. One of the guys in the group (who I'll call S) dared B to go up behind M and grab him on his ass. I can't remember what B wanted in return, but B agreed to do it. S was armed with a video camera and B went in position behind M, who was bending over to look at something. In one fell swoop, B grabbed M on the ass, but B didn't do it once, he did it twice, in the same class, on the same day.

The videos of the Student Council President grabbing another student on the ass made it on Youtube for a few weeks, and pretty much everyone on the school saw the videos. Then the school administration caught wind of the videos and B got in trouble. The videos were taken down. I think B got to keep his Student Council President title, but I can't remember the actual punishment he actually got. I'm sure this incident is something he will definitely regret.

Okay, another high school story...

I knew this guy who was in my Grade 12 Math class (who I'll call JJ). JJ was Asian, and I could tell by looking at his behavior that he was someone that cared deeply about the marks and grades he got in school (probably instilled in him by his parents). Another tidbit about JJ was that he was named after a popular rock singer (I'll let you figure out who that is). One day in class, the teacher was handing back a test we previously completed that marked. JJ got his test back and he began to throw a bitch fit. Why, you ask? Because he got an 80 on the test.

Now if this was me getting that 80, I'd be pretty happy. I'd find out about what I did wrong so that I won't make the same mistakes in future tests, and then be on my way. JJ, on the other hand, was almost in tears and complaining to the teacher about the mark he was given. In one way, I was laughing my ass off that this guy would get up in arms over an 80 on a test. In another way, I felt a bit sad for him, as he was normally a student who would normally get 90+ on tests. I don't think before this, he's experienced getting a grade less than 90. I would have loved to be in the room if he ever failed a test, that's for sure.

Alright, I'm gonna switch gears from the high school stories and talk about something else.

When it comes to the people in my life, I always believed that it was important to try to keep the people who have made a positive impact in my life, and cut ties with the people who have made a negative impact in my life. That has always been a rule I always lived by and I continue to live by to this day. I once knew someone who was at one time a great friend. Nowadays whenever I reach out to that person, that person doesn't even respond, and whenever I post something on social media that person doesn't like, that person responds with negativity.

I just don't feel like I should invest my time in that friendship, regardless of how close we were at one point. Frankly, I'm just tired of it, and I've moved on. I hope that person has moved on as well. I will treasure the good times, but I can't stay open to that person anymore, and I hope I never hear from that person again.

I've never fully addressed that issue, but with what I just wrote, I hope I've cleared things up once and for all. I hope this is the last I will talk about that.

Random Thoughts 11: An Observation, A Hard Truth, and Another League Title

Okay, some more random thoughts, accompanied by a random picture from last February's Auto Show...

I've had Twitter for over 2 years, and for the most part, it has been great fun. One of the things I noticed when I would casually be on Twitter is that I am able to read certain underlying situations that people are in just by reading their tweets, and I don't mean that in a "creeper" sense. You can tell a lot about someone and what they are going through by seeing what they tweet, how they tweet, and how often they tweet. If people have feelings that they want to express on Twitter, they will do it, but sometimes I see people implicitly express their feelings, either by sub-tweeting, or by other means. All these tweets begin to paint a portrait of yourself, and there are people who can either see that portrait, or they are unable (or too oblivious) to see it.

Now, time to switch over to something else, and it is a hard truth...

If you are single, you may be thinking about a certain someone, someone that makes you feel whole. Unfortunately there is something I have to break to you. You may think this person looks amazing. You may think this person has an awesome personality. You may think this person has big dreams and ambition. You may think this person is the "one" that you want to spend the rest of your life with. But if that person doesn't feel the same way that you do towards that person, then it isn't to be. It is a terrible feeling, yes, but I am here to tell you that you can get over it. Hopefully you'll find someone who is even better and can make you feel even more amazing, so don't lose hope.

Quick thoughts on United winning their 20th league title: Awesome, United blew away the rest of the competition and none of the other big clubs made a reasonable challenge for the Premier League. Man City failed to perform when it mattered, and Chelsea are pretty much a shit-show at this point, especially with the management and ownership. But back to United, I would never expect Carrick to be the standout player in this Man United side. RVP, Rafael, and De Gea have also had big seasons as well. Although they were knocked out of the other cup competitions (don't get me started on the Champions League exit against Real Madrid), I am generally happy with Man United's season. The squad could use a little bit more tinkering, but I am optimistic that Man United can put up more of a fight in the other cup competitions next season.

So until the next part of the random thoughts segment, bye...

Random Thoughts 10: "Well Good Day to You, Engine Light"

Hello again. Only two thoughts for today. On to the first...

A week ago while I was at school, my engine light decided to show itself from hiding. I'll give you some background. I drive a black Nissan Maxima, and it can be a gentle soul when it wants to be, but it can also be a bastard when it wants to be. Last week, it decided to be a bastard, and on came the engine light. The car has been idling quite rough, and after looking at the engine, I decided to wait until after I finished my exams and left school to get the problem checked out.

Fast forward a few days later, while driving around to do some errands, the rough idling stopped and the engine light magically came off. It was a bit weird how the problems corrected itself. Maybe my car was trying to tell me something, or maybe my car simply has multiple personalities. Who knows. Anyways, I haven't had problems with the car since (fingers crossed).

Also, my car passed the milestone of 150 000 kilometers. Here's to another 150 000 more.

On to my second, and most important thought.

At the time of me writing this post, I only have 1 semester left for my undergraduate degree. After I left my last exam and came home for the holidays, it started to hit me on how much I will miss going to university. More importantly, I am going to miss the great people I have met while I was going to university. When I came home, I wasn't really feeling myself. I will be finished university very soon, and although I should be excited that I will be finally finished, a bit of uneasiness has set in, because all the great people that I have met will all go their separate ways. There is something else that is bothering me, but it is slightly personal, and may be a blog post in the future.

The important thing I should probably take from these feelings in to try to keep in contact with those who have made a positive impact on my time in university. Hopefully this will lessen my fears about leaving university, and leaving those who have had those positive impacts on my university career.