Yesterday I started to notice some things out of place that I swore I put away. So I decided to do a little tidying up here in the old Raindrops house when this showed up.



Now, I know that wasn't here before, and then I turned around and found this:



And This:



Well it don't take a brick wall to fall on me. I know that I haven't complied with the peace terms worked out between me and Mr. P. I just forgot, and besides I thought he was in Rehab with his buddies Ralphie and Chester. I called the rehab center to try to talk to him and that was when I found out that all three of them, Mr. P, Ralphie, and Chester had escaped taking with them the entire supply of Clam Dip, Slim Jims and fermented Sardines.

When I asked what kind of Rehab facility would have on it's premises so much of the very substance it was trying to cure their patients of being addicted to, they hung up on me. When I called back thinking it was an accidental disconnect, nobody answered the phone. That didn't seem right, so I contacted the local authorities and asked them to check the welfare of the inhabitants and they said they were too busy investigating a major theft ring in their area. What got stolen I asked, the answer? Someone broke in to a local Supercenter and it's warehouse and made off with case after case of Clam Dip, Slim Jims, and fermented Sardines.

Scratch didn't know about the break out, but when he was talking to his buddy Biggie from the "Dog House" down in Atlanta, T was telling him about all the Slim Jim wrappers he found in the backyard. He didn't mention any clam dip containers or sardine cans so we don't know for sure which of the big cats are there. We think they stick together, but you never know especially with Ralphie liking to dine on mail carriers. The other two may object to that and have separated themselves from the scene of the crime, so to speak.

We know he's heading back here just because the cats have started showing up again, no telling how far that's going to go. I really thought I was done with all this. You would think that a reputable rehabilitation center would have done a better job, but I guess not. Well, I have to go and get more cat food and kitty litter, I think this is going to be a long week, and there's no telling where those three might show up next. Gee, I hope Ralphie leaves my mail carrier alone.

The issue isn't really popularity, it's the lengths some people will go to when they want and don't have it. I've been living with those lengths and how they have hurt people here that didn't deserve it. I didn't say anything to the perpetrator because she wouldn't have listened anyway. However, sitting idly by while people are being harassed to the point of fear is not the most pleasant situation I have ever experienced. The victim in this case actually told me she had arrived at the point where she was afraid to open her email. How frustrating for someone who cares about her to not be able to help?

I have come to believe the lists are at fault for that situation, and I am not the only one. Yes, I understand that it is the people and their anger, or desire for attention that will create the unpleasantness. Maybe they would do so without the list, but I don't know that. So, irrationally or rationally, I haven't decided which, I have come to believe it is the "list". This is my perception, and since I have seen the quest for position on that list lead to bullying and harassment of people, it tends to validate my perception.

Yesterday I did a post about my perception, that it feeds those with a competitve nature, and that it also feeds the very thing we object to in Blogstream. Excuse me, I should say I object to. It feeds the creation of blogs with no purpose except to malign and harass other people whose position on the list is higher than theirs. If you don't know, and how can we for sure, that Blogger B has created; under other names, Blogs C,D,E, F, G, and H, how do we know what to believe when they all make the same statements? Whenever I see something that looks like this may be the case, I just groan, and stop commenting there. I don't attack them for doing it, I'd like to but that would be lowering myself to their level.

I try to steer clear of these situations because they sow seeds of mistrust in all of us. I have a code of ethics that I try to follow, and it works for me, most of the time. Yesterday it didn't. Yesterday morning I went to a blog of someone who operates with the same code of ethics I do. He had posted a blog on Friday that gave his opinion about a situation. He was obviously frustrated, yet someone reading his opinion perceived that they were being attacked. Since this person doesn't stoop to that behavior, I couldn't understand why they just didn't ask him what was wrong. Is it that hard to extend the benefit of the doubt to a blogger who has shown most of us nothing but kindness and compassion? I got angry, very angry, and in my anger tried to explain what I knew and made the situation worse. There again, do I have a history of bullying and harassing others?

Opinions can divide or unite us, what I don't understand is why, when we have the divide, we can't agree to disagree without feeling attacked? I know what my intent was, and I know how it was perceived. I also don't understand why that happened. Reading the post this morning, and the comments I found that some understood the point of my post, and some felt that it was an attack on them, or on a friend of theirs. Folks, if we aren't going to bring an open mind to the blogging table, why are we here? I gave an opinion, which is nothing more than food for thought, or not as you prefer. Obviously my opinion wasn't well received. I don't have a problem with that except in one area. The point of my post was not popularity, it was the lengths some people will go to when they want it and don't have it.

Did anyone at all read this sentence? "Blogging as a competition equals ghost blogs designed to bully other bloggers. It equals fights, harassments, and misunderstandings." Or how about this sentence? "When you are provably at the top of the heap, you are a target through no fault of your own. You are accused of keeping other bloggers from getting up the list, you are accused of controlling your friends and keeping them from commenting on unapproved blogs. Does this really happen? No, of course not, and I have said so until I'm blue in the face".

Scratch, you asked me Friday night if I didn't feel sometimes that my words were falling on deaf ears and blind eyes? Ummmmmm, yup!!!!!!!!!!

I've been featuring new bloggers in my post once a week because too many are being overlooked. My opinion is, that is happening because too many bloggers only seem to use the most Popular list and then only the first two pages. We can use Recent, which obviously works real well since Bella found a blog in existance here since February of 2006 with a whole 203 visitors, and NO comments. It's all about attracting ADVERTISING. That's what these lists exist for. Statistics designed to attract advertising. Promote the blogsite with statistics and you get better advertisers willing to pay you. This is necessary in order for a blogsite to exist. The problem is, it also promotes competition among bloggers who are inclined to be competitive.

Blogging as a competition equals ghost blogs designed to bully other bloggers. It equals fights, harassments, and misunderstandings. I agree that it doesn't have the same effect on everyone, but it does enough to make life less than peaceful for the rest of us who just want to have fun and share ideas with others. Anyone who has watched the number one most popular bloggers being attacked over and over again, and it has happened to 2 of them, has to see that the list has a great deal to do with the attacks. When you are provably at the top of the heap, you are a target through no fault of your own. You are accused of keeping other bloggers from getting up the list, you are accused of controlling your friends and keeping them from commenting on unapproved blogs. Does this really happen? No, of course not, and I have said so until I'm blue in the face.

Ignoring the supposedly few bloggers who feel that way has increased the problem 100 fold. The problem is the Blogstream SOFTWARE does not have a feature or list if you will, titled NEW BLOGGERS. The software has information on how to promote your blog which is fine, if that's what you want to do. What about the bloggers that aren't interested in competition, that are interested in nothing more than finding a few friends and staying out of the controversy? They do exist. They aren't being found because too many people are using the MOST POPULAR list to find new blogs. They are also using the Recent feature where they will be introduced to bloggers with an established history and the number of comments to keep them on the list.

Love and Light From Healing Creek has a post up that explains all of the lists found in the blogstream software and gives ideas on how to correctly use them. I don't approve of the lists for the reasons I've stated, but if you want to use them you need to read her post. Despite an accusation that I received, I DON'T think that my way is the only way. I just was trying to find a way for new bloggers to be welcomed into the community that Blogstream was and could be again, before people became so interested in their position on the lists.

The title of the post in reference is Advanced Blogstream Surfing.

If we're so much better than animals, why do we do things like this?





Why does this surprise me?





Atlanta Falcon's quarterback Michael Vick is accused of involving himself in a dog fighting ring. A couple in Arizona have had their children removed from their care because they were so busy online playing Dungeons and Dragons that they couldn't bother to feed their 22 month and 11 month old children.

There is a multitude of horrible events that happen in this world. All of them receive the attention of the media, and this is good. The problem is, that we've become a society that has defined ourselves by all that's bad. I see that mentality even here in Blogstream.

We no longer offer assistance to our neighbors when they are in need. We lock our doors and live in fear of robbery or worse. We talk about a "sick society" yet each one of us are part of that society. Are we all sick? Do we not all do our part to make our lives better?

Scratch from Echoes of The Tomb and I have been featuring new bloggers we find. We are doing it to help our fellow blogstream neighbors find a place for themselves in the overall scheme of things. I'm not seeing that it's helping all that much, I get quite a few visitors and the percentage of "welcomes" that are being left on the new blogs is quite small. I'm disappointed in that, I had hoped my readers were kinder than this.

To the few of my readers that have taken the few minutes it takes to go and welcome the new bloggers I say thank you. To the many who haven't I ask WHY?

Throughout man's habitation of planet earth someone has always tried to improve on something that was thought to be pretty darn good in it's original form. At least the male of the species thought it was. I can't speak for all females, but some of the "improvements" in sexual technique have made loving a whole lot more interesting than it used to be before some bright fella wrote the Kama Sutra. I speak for myself when I say that since the Kama Sutra some of the "improvements" have gone a bit too far.

Vatsayayana, compiled the Kama Sutra in the 2nd century and it was translated to English by Sir Richard Burton in the 19th century and is widely known as the original sex manual. It is actually less about the pursuit of pleasure for it's own sake and more about the enjoyment of pleasure in the context of a virtuous and rewarding life. If one adheres to all of it's teachings it is thought that it will break the cycle of rebirth. Followers of the Hindu practices know that rebirth is what happens when you don't get it right the first time. The section of the compilation that concerns itself with matters sexual, gives various positions and techniques that are designed to enhance the experience for both partners. However, nowhere in that particular section do we find, phone sex, online sex, IM sex or Text sex.

The 90's gave rise to the birth of phone sex. One called a 900 number, furnished the "operator" with either your telephone account or a credit card number and someone would talk you into having an orgasm. I've examined that idea and have come to the conclusion that it was nothing more than an expensive session of self amusement. Not ever having tried it, I have no actual knowledge of the experience, so feel free to enlighten me if you do. I really wasn't aware that self amusement required anything more than some uninterrupted time, and possibly a vibrator, but given the number of people who actually used these services apparently I am not as informed as I should be. I suppose, if you aren't involved in a relationship it is cheaper than hiring a prostitute.

The natural and cheaper progression from phone sex would be online or IM sex. There are whole chat rooms devoted to the pursuit of orgasm with someone you can neither see, or touch. You don't even know if they actually are female if you are inclined to like females. So you sit there typing out instructions followed by pauses while your hands leave the keyboard and travel to various parts of your own body. How thrilling. I actually read that part of the thrill was waiting for the person you are having this experience with to respond.

With the improvements in technology one can now have sex anywhere and at anytime. The latest in the self amusement category is texting sex. The requirements would be a cell phone and two working thumbs. No candlelight, no soft music, no member of the opposite sex attractively attired to enhance their desirability. No kissing, no compliments no anticipation of what the other party will look like once clothing has been removed. All of the anticipation stems from the words on the little screen. I read that in the heat of passion typos are prevalent. What heat of passion? How does one even approach passion when typing and reading at the same time?

Much of the technology available today was designed to make our lives easier. Since our lives have been made easier obviously we have far too much time on our hands. Text messaging is now taking place constantly. I see people walking down the street texting. I have seen people driving while text messaging. I had a visitor this week who sat on my couch and text messaged while her Husband talked to my Hubby and myself. I had this urge to grab the cell phone out from between her thumbs and shove it up....... Nevermind, that act would give a whole new meaning to texting, we won't go there.