Autism and Aspergers =/= Violence or Misogyny

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

Last Saturday I reflected on the tragedy of the Santa Barbara shootings. Within my entry, I have claimed that some sites are labeling Elliot Rodgers, the gunman behind the atrocity, as being written off as mentally ill. More specifically, Rodgers was supposedly suffering from Aspergers.

Aspergers is a high functioning form of Autism. It can often lead to awkward social interaction, repeat behavior, and clumsiness. These symptoms often start in the early normal language and cognitive development. Notice that nowhere in that definition is the word ‘violence’ included, but look at stories of Rodgers and you will notice that ‘Aspergers’ is splattered throughout the articles.

I find it sickening that the media would use such a scapegoat for something that they refuse to acknowledge. Instead of noting that what Rodgers did was out of hatred and misogyny, they choose to pinpoint it to a mental illness he doesn’t even have. While in other stories it was stated that Rodgers went to multiple therapists, we don’t know what exactly for. He could have possibly gone for the loneliness that he claimed he had, which was caused from his lack of friends and many rejections. However, his loneliness doesn’t connect to Aspergers, especially for the definition I just said. Plus wouldn’t the therapists have diagnosed him with Aspergers prior to the event, if not the first few visitations? And would the therapy and possible medication have stopped the shooting? We will never know.

Even some articles claim that Aspergers and violence have no connection whatsoever and they’re at the complete opposites of the spectrum. Instead, children who have Aspergers are often targets for violence as opposed to committing it. So rather than acknowledging misogyny and that it is incredibly wrong and flawed, the media chooses to use a mental disorder as a scapegoat. Not only does this make Rodgers and Lanza seem like tragic characters who were acting under the influence of an illness, but it gives a bad name to those who actually have this specific disorder. The media is damaging thousands of people who unfortunately have Aspergers, leading them to be attacked and discriminated against because of the “terrible things” their disorder can cause them to perform.

I’ve known people with Autism and Aspergers and to be honest, they’re no different from you and me. They’re just trying to get through life, if not with a little more difficulty. For them to be labeled as a part of a group where someone who couldn’t handle rejection well or felt like shooting up a school is just disgraceful. Those killers don’t belong in that group, especially Rodgers; who should be in a separate, acknowledged group of misogyny crime and not crime caused by a mental illness he didn’t even have.

Feel free to reblog, comment, and as always, feedback and followers are welcomed. So, what are your thoughts on Rodgers? Do you think he had Aspergers and why?

Elliot Rodger: The Misogynistic Murderer

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

There are times when I honestly give up on society and humanity because of how some people are. Some people can be so idiotic you don’t know how they function. Others sympathize with killers because they are ‘mentally ill’ when in truth they are nothing more than misogynistic loners.

Today, six victims were killed in a drive by shooting in Isla Vista, in Santa Barbara, a California college town. The murderer has been identified as Elliot Rodger, a twenty two year old who wanted retribution for no woman having relations with him.

Just before the killing spree, Rodger posted a video on Youtube. In the segment, Rodger claimed that college was a time for sex and pleasure, none of which any female would give him. None of them were ever attracted to him and he has felt loneliness since puberty. He also declared himself a God and the superior gentleman, thus flexing his masculinity. His beliefs of women owing him sex and that he was entitled to intercourse can be seen as misogynistic.  Rodger also had other videos on his Youtube account, discussing about why girls don’t want to be with him, his reaction to other couples, and many other videos. He even wrote a manifesto ‘My Twisted World’ chronicling his life and his many rejections up until the time of the murder.

As opposed to coping with his loneliness and understanding that women aren't alive to bow down to men or be their toys, he decided to go on a murdering rampage. He first killed three of his apartment tenants, gunned down some young ladies outside the campus’ sorority, stabbed a man in a deli, had a shoot out with some police officers and injured thirteen, and then proceeded to take his own life after wrecking his vehicle.

Some news sites have written Rodger off as having a ‘mental illness’, even though the boy has not properly been diagnosed or treated for being mentally ill. While he has been supposedly seeing multiple therapists, his mentality does not excuse the crime for which he has committed. His misogynistic beliefs and enforcement of male dominance, do not pardon him from the crimes either. Rather, they show that misogyny is still running amok in this world, leading men to murder, harass, and rape women for no reason at all. It also depicts that as a society, we would rather label a murderer’s intent as a mental illness as opposed to misogyny.

This is what makes me lose hope in humanity. That there are men out there like Rodger who are not only getting played off as a tragic victim to a mental illness, but also being treated as a hero to other men who share his views. That is another factor that makes me lose faith in this world: misogynistic, chauvinistic, and ruthless men who believe that they are God’s gift to the world, that women only exist for their pleasure, and the actions they commit because of these beliefs.

Women are entitled to their own bodies and have the right to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ and choose who they want to be with.  Yet there are some men who believe otherwise. We women have come so far as inspirational icons, leaders, discoverers, artists, rebels, protesters, and many other aspiring positions. We are tigers with burning eyes and lipstick, we are heel clad warriors with Einstein like intelligence, we are delicate cherry blossoms with thorny wit, and we are beautiful. We are no sex toys to any man and if they don’t like that we say ‘no’ to their sexual advances, then tough bananas. We are no inferior gender, we are just as strong, if not stronger, and if this world can’t see that, then there’s clearly something wrong with it.

Misogyny is real and it’s men like Elliot Rodger who enforce it. Regretfully there are other men in this world who enforce Rodger’s beliefs and exercise them on a daily basis. I believe it’s time for the world to wake up and see that this is a serious issue. Don’t you agree?

May those who lost their lives in this horrific tragedy by Rodgers’ hands rest in peace. As for Rodger, well, there’s a special place in Hell for men like him, and I hope the Devil gives him his due. 

Tolkien Tries His Hand at Beowulf

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

Show of hands, who likes J.R.R.Tolkien? For those of you who raised their hands, fantastic. For those of you didn’t, dear Hell what is wrong with you? Go out and read his books, your brain will thank you (and so will I).

The famous writer of “Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” is long gone, but in his place we have his legacy: his literary works. His books have entered our culture, creating whimsical worlds to entertain us. However, there is another piece of Tolkien literature that very few know of that was just recently published.

Tolkien was an Oxford English professor who often dappled in Old Norse and Old English languages. From these topics, arose “Beowulf” the classic Norse tale that was not only Tolkien’s early love, but was also touched by his hand.

“Beowulf” is a famed Norse epic in which Grendel, a monster, raids Beowulf’s dining hall. Beowulf, one of the strongest men in existence easily smites Grendel and his mother, an evil dragon. This piece attracted the eye of Tolkien as he attempted to translate it from such an ancient language, to a more modern, understandable read. The translation was abandoned for many years so he could pursue “The Lord of the Rings” series. However, he would go back to it every now and then. Picking away a section or a sentence and translating it, as many scholars have done before.

Now Tolkien’s translation of “Beowulf” has been published to the public. People will be able to see how the master of literary language tried his hand at translating a classic epic.

So what are you waiting for? Go out there and enjoy a good read. 

Eyes Up Here, Chaperones

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

Prom season is in the air and as girls fuss over their hair, boys make sure their tuxes match their partner’s gowns. Corsages are ordered, countless of dresses are scrutinized and tried on, and the limo is paid for. Prom is a momentous occasion that’s often idolized in television series and movies. It is an important evening in a teenager’s life to get dolled up, go dancing, and be given the celebrity treatment.

On May 14^th Richmond, Virginia had a prom for homeschooled students; one of the seniors, Clare Ettinger, was asked to leave because her sparkling dress was attracting the eyes of older men, and made them believe it would bring "‘impure thoughts" to boys.

Ettinger felt violated from the whole ordeal which originated no sooner she reached her destination. A teacher claimed Ettinger’s dress was too short when it met her finger length, as the dress code required.

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Here is Miss Ettinger's dress all sparkly, lovely, and meeting the finger length requirement.

After she fought that it met the guidelines, she proceeded to go to the prom which was chaperoned by older men. Once again the teachers approached Ettinger and told her to leave because the chaperones complained that her dress and swaying was too provocative. Ettinger claims that there were girls wearing even shorter dresses and dirty dancing, but none of them were asked to leave. The young lady was escorted by both a security officer and a teacher. She was also given a refund for her prom ticket, but her friends that left with her did not receive one.

It’s terrible that she was taken away by a police officer, like she committed a crime when really she did nothing, but obey the rules and try to have a good time. It’s sickening to know that because older men couldn’t keep it together, they had to ruin a young lady’s prom. It’s even more disgusting to know that they, mature men, should have been able to control themselves. The “impure thoughts” they were claiming were probably the ones running through their heads, which is even more shameful. Ettinger was so upset with this ordeal that she wrote a blog entry about it, telling her side of the story.

Thank you for reading and as always, feedback and followers are welcomed.

What are your thoughts on tonight’s entry? 

We Need Our Girls Back

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

On April 14^th, 2014, in Chebok, Borno, 276 Nigerian girls were abducted by Abubakar Shekau, a Nigerian Islamist rebel leader of the group, Boko Haram.  Since the time of the kidnapping, some of the females have been able to escape. For the past month, we have heard little to nothing at all about the troubling situation. Instead, we have been fed stories of the hostages being forced to marry their kidnappers, being sold as sex slaves, and being trafficked over the border to Cameroon.

Today was possibly the first time I heard anything on these girls. I happened to hear a brief and detailed report about them on the Channel 6 News. The Islamist rebel leader submitted a video through Youtube, announcing that he will exchange the girls for Boko Haram’s prisoners. In the video we also witnessed the Nigerian ladies clad in ebony and grey veils, sitting on the ground, chanting and singing in Arabic. However, the strangest factor of the video is the speaker himself. According to sources like CNN and other web sites, Shekau is supposedly deceased. Clearly, this must be someone impersonating as him, carrying on his name, and actions of his departed leader.

After the video was presented, the reporters made their remarks. One in particular triggered my brain into a frenzy of confusion, anger, and concern.  This comment included that the president of Nigeria was possibly considering returning the girls home.

The word ‘possibly’ shouldn’t even be used in that sentence.  ‘Definitely’ should replace ‘possibly’, especially when it comes to rescuing the lives of young, human beings who haven’t even seen the world yet. We are dealing with youthful lives here and not property or inanimate objects. These lives should be treated as humanly as possible and should be returned home; not possibly considered, but definitely considered. What troubles me even more is the fact that everyone is just now reporting on this dire situation and taking a stand to do something about it. It baffles me that nothing was being done over a month ago when it originally occurred.

On May 10th, Nigeria’s government has assigned two army divisions to find the girls. The Nigerian president has claimed to meet with neighboring countries as well as Britain, France, Israel, and America.  Let us hope we can find these girls and bring them back home, where they belong, and not in the possession of their captors. 

Pokemon: A Sequel to a Classic

Good afternoon everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

This past week we have received some extremely exciting news which can be summed up in two words:

Hoenn. Confirmed.

This November, Pokemon Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby will be hitting the shelves just in time for Christmas. According to the released teaser trailer, they will be set in a new dramatic world, and feature a new adventure. Based on these words, it seems like these new games will be like Pokemon Black and White and Pokemon Black 2 and White 2. Where Ruby and Sapphire will be the original and Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire will be the sequels, based in new lands with a new plot.

This trailer also shows us the covers for the games, displaying a newly made over Kyogre and Groudon. Could these be the mega evolution forms of the legends?

Along with these two mythical beasts, there is a theory circulating around the web which recalls that when Pokemon X and Y debuted, someone discovered the mega evolutions of Latios and Latias. Along with Rayquaza, Kyogre, and Groudon, Latios and Latias were the legendary birds of Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire. It could be possible for Latios’ and Latias’ mega evolutions to appear once more, not just in Pokemon X and Y, but Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby as well.

I am elated about this news because I grew up when Pokemon first came out. I followed the series all the way up to Ruby before calling it quits because I thought I was getting too old for Pokemon. However, Pokemon Y reminded me of how much I loved the game and it showed me that it too grew up.  It’s more than likely I’ll be picking up Alpha Sapphire as a Christmas present to myself. I just hope that they keep the secret base building that the original Ruby and Sapphire offered.

Feel free to leave your comments below and as always, feedback and followers are welcomed. Tonight’s question is:

What are your thoughts on Pokemon Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby?

Nintendo's News for the Gaming World

Good evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

With E3 just around the corner, Nintendo has tons of surprises in store. E3 is basically a gamer convention where companies like Sony, Nintendo, and other game industries show off their latest projects. One of Nintendo’s main features for E3 is that once again there will be no press conference. Instead, there will be a constant live stream entitled the Nintendo Treehouse.

Another treat Nintendo has for us gamers is the latest Fatal Frame game for the Wii U. While this is a Japan release only game, we can only hope that it will come to America. Fatal Frame is a game where you shoot pictures of ghosts, aka an occupation that any Ghostbuster or ghost hunter would love to have.

Another interesting game on the horizon is the latest Phoenix Wright game. As opposed to being set in modern times, it will be sent back in time to hundreds of years ago in the Meiji era of Japan. This game will focus on the ancestor of the titular character, as well as the ancestors of many other characters in the franchise.

For all the Pokemon lovers, there will be a new game released entitled Pokemon Art Academy. In this game, you draw Pokemon. Any Pokemon from Gen One to Gen Six are at your artistic mercy. For now it’s only a Japan release, but it may come to the United States.

Lastly, Mario Kart 8 has been mostly featured throughout Nintendo News. However, today we’ve received some good news and some strange news. The good news is that your vehicle comes with antigravity technology which allows the wheels to spin sideways and provides a spin boost if you run into other characters or just feel like spinning. There is also a new feature called Mario Kart TV (MKTV), where you can view your past races, and upload them to Youtube. This is the first time that one of Nintendo’s games as ever connected to a social site. The final piece of good news is that we now have a full cast of characters for the game, including Baby Rosalina.

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Look at those cute little cheeks! 

 As for the odd news for Mario Kart 8, it’s a character that for some unknown reason has been added. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Pink Gold Peach.

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Look at that cold, unfeeling girly stare!

You may leave your confused remarks and concerns in the comments section. Also, feel free to follow me and as always feedback is welcomed. One final question of the night though:

What are you looking forward to in the future of gaming?

May the 4th Be With You

Goods evening everyone and welcome to The Magical Mystery Blog.

Sunday is a day that might seem like your average day. You rise to a new day and do what you have to do. However, this Sunday is a special day. This Sunday is May the 4^th, which may seem like a typical  date, but to “Star Wars” fans it is far from ordinary. You could say it’s out of this world.

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This blog is a trap for puns. Just like the Sarlacc.

 May the 4^th is a play on words of the famous “Star Wars” quote, ”May the force be with you.” The force is a binding, metaphysical power within the "Star Wars" galaxy. It is a power used by iconic characters from the franchise such as Yoda, Darth Vader, Luke, and pretty much anyone who uses a lightsaber. The force can be used for good or evil.

“Star Wars” fans celebrate this particular day by quoting the movie, possibly throwing a “Star Wars” themed party, engaging in “Star Wars” activities (lightsaber battles, anyone?), and many other fun festivities. This year’s May the 4^th will be more special than ever because we have received a large chunk of news as big as the Death Star.

On April 29th, the cast was confirmed for “Star Wars: Episode VII".Within this confirmed cast, are some of the original “Star Wars” celebrities. Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia), Harrison Ford (Han Solo), Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Kenny Baker (R2D2), Anthony Daniels (C-3PO), and Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca) have all agreed to return for the latest Star Wars installation. Once again, we will see the iconic six characters take to the screen as their respective parts, and revive the spirit of “Star Wars”.

Joining alongside them will be Adam Driver (Hannah’s boyfriend from “Girls”),  Andy Serkis (Gollum from “Lord of the Rings”), Daisy Ridley (“Casualty”, “Mr.Selfridge”, and “Silent Witness”), Domhnall Gleeson (Bill Weasley from the “Harry Potter” franchise), John Boyega (Chris Tanner “24: Live Another Day), Max von Sydow (“Minority Report”, “Shutter Island”, and “The Tudors”), and Oscar Isaac (“The Bourne Legacy” and “Robin Hood”).

So far, the cast sounds great for the upcoming “Star Wars” movie. Let’s hope the “Star Wars” future is as bright as Alderaan’s explosion and as wonderful as George Lucas.

Feel free to comment and reblog and as always, feedback and followers are welcomed. Tonight I leave you with a simple question:

What are your thoughts on “Star Wars: Episode VII”?