Prejudice!

The World's Greatest Cat is floored by how prejudiced people can be.

Prejudice is alive and well here in the good old US of A.

Just not in the way you think it is.

See, people show their intolerance all the time, like they did in the bad old days. Only now the targets are (usually) different. Kathy Griffin once told Jesus to "suck it." And those Christians she gave the figurative finger to by saying it? Griffin made it clear in a later interview to C.B.S. that she couldn't care less about them or their feelings.

Fair enough. But ask yourself this: would Kathy Griffin publicly tell the Prophet Muhammad to do the same thing she told Jesus to? You know full well what the answer is. Kathy Griffin, simply put, is a coward. Sure, she's funny, but she's a coward.

Then again, prejudiced people are cowards. That's why they're prejudiced. Archie Bunker was the most fearful person on earth. To go easy on people who are different than you is to lower your defenses, to leave yourself open to hurt. Better to always be on your guard, to always be on the attack...if, of course, you're a coward.

Still, the fear of prejudice can be taken too far, as well. Just turn on the TV if you don't believe me.

Chris Matthews of M.S.N.B.C., for instance,  is a smart and capable commentator. Or at least he used to be. These days, you see, he's as apt to accuse large swaths of people of racism as he is to give a nuanced opinion of beltway politics. It's too bad, really. Matthews has allowed his fear of prejudice to turn him into a comical reactionary.

Ultimately, it all comes down to this: try to be nice to people. Not just the the people your supposed to be nice to, either.

And not just when it's convenient to.

African Americans, for instance, have been ridiculously deemed infallible by many in the media. Yet I've seen African Americans deal with crap in places where it seemed no one was around to defend them. Again, prejudiced people are cowards.

So just be nice. Or I may have to sick Kathy Griffin on you.

 

On Confidence

The World's Greatest Cat Always Knows Exactly What She Wants.

So I'm doing it. I'm writing my elusive World War One script. I've wanted to do this for years. Years, I tell you! And now I'm actually penning it. Feels good. This post isn't about my creative writing, though. It's about the fact that sometimes you just have to shrug off your fears and get things done.

One of the things about me is I question. A lot. In fact, the art of questioning is something I've mastered. Seriously. I'm Picasso with the inquiries. It takes me forever, if at all, to make a decision.

Truth is, I'm the sort of guy who feels we only get one shot at life, so we shouldn't screw it up. Therefore, I weigh my options obsessively. To the point of inertia. And that's not good. Maybe it has something to do with the fact I grew up with a learning disability. Back then, people with learning disabilities were forever getting beaten down for not getting things "right." Yet the past doesn't excuse the present.

The harsh reality is there's a thousand reasons not to write this script right now. No one may be interested in buying it. Not too many people are curious about the First World War. I'm lazy. My writing needs to be improved. The list goes on and on forever.

I recently found myself actually getting depressed by it.

Then I saw a Floyd Mayweather interview last night where he gave the impression he just does what he does and everything works out. What Mayweather does, in case you don't know, is train and box. And he does it better than anyone. He doesn't obsess over strategy. He doesn't question a million questions. He simply does his thing.

And that's what I'm doing right now - I'm simply doing my thing. And my thing is writing.

Are You Anti-Tebow?

Some people are just bitter because they don't have really cool things.

Are you anti-Tebow?

Do you find yourself happy to have learned that poor Tim was cut from the New England Patriots? Do you hope to never see his smiling face again...ever? If so, you need to look over the list below. Perhaps you're justified in your Tebow aversion. Then again, perhaps not. You be the judge.

Some very possible reasons for being anti-Tebow:

• You're a serious sports fan who feels the guy just isn't that great. This is a perfectly legitimate reason for feeling as you do. You're not really anti-Tebow so much as you're pro-legitimate sports star. If a football player gets as famous as Tebow has, you feel the guy has to have earned it. And, let's face it, Tebow hasn't proven himself to be on the same level as a Tom Brady, or a Troy Aikman, or a Joe Montana, or a Terry Bradshaw, or a Joe Namath, or a... 

• You simply aren't the type of person who falls for hype. Again, this has less to do with Tebow than it does with the way you see the world. Tebow is wildly popular among a segment of the population and that in and of itself raises your ire. If you're someone who avoids Star Wars movies and Bob Dylan songs simply because slavish fandom rubs you the wrong way, you're probably never going to be a fan of Mr. Tebow, no matter what he accomplishes on the field. 

• You don't like Christians. This, sadly, pretty much makes you an idiot.   

• You're shallow and go along with the crowd. Public opinion has largely turned against Tebow, so now you too feel the need to proclaim that you "just can't stand the guy." It's okay. You're just one of those individuals who follows the majority. It's a scary world out there, after all, and survival is priority one. 

         

          Seriously, though, you've got to grow up. Everyone sees through you.

•  You enjoy watching famous people fall from on high. It's understandable to feel this way, but it's kind of pathetic, nonetheless. Chances are you don't know any of the famous people you delight in seeing "humbled." What's more, if you did know them, there's a chance you might actually like them. Jealousy really is the most embarrassing of emotions.