Sorry, the No Index, No Follow tags are (you'll need to add the opening and closing html operators): META NAME="ROBOTS" CONTENT="NOINDEX, FOLLOW"/ META NAME="GOOGLEBOT" CONTENT="NOINDEX, FOLLOW"/ Salut! […]
OK Damian, I have it working now. I also use Go Daddy, and Justin's "all in one" code also caused my server to crash, so it looks like a Go Daddy thing. I love Go Daddy though, the service is great, and this is no reason to switch (believe it or not, I also host over at Network Solutions) As for the fix: First, I did not put the rewrite code i […]
Man, thanks for the great review and info. I love that it could be argued that this movie is targeted at social workers and teachers who practice LaME. On a side-note: I hope to have that indexing turned around in 36 hours at the latest. Lots going on tomorrow. Moving furniture for wood floor dude Grandma hired for us (Christmas gift). […]
Thanks..I always wanted that comment follow-up plugin but always forget about it when I'm online. You'd think WordPress would have put that in their default code by now...How are you checking to see if it really redirects? Check Justin again and try to follow his steps. I think you may have got in too deep with the move and created a unique situati […]
The Endaka That’s All Folks Dark-Truth’s memory shall always be held in our hearts.
I met Rafael on his first day of work. I heard him before I saw him. Yes, I heard his warm and generous heart. He had a kindness that he tried to hide from people, perhaps to avoid getting hurt; I’ll never know for sure, now.
Rafael was passionate about so many things, and he swept you right up in it too. He used to play video game MP3’s in our office and say, “Can you feel it? Can’t you just feel it?” Then he’d play it over and over again until you said you did too.
He loved his family, sci-fi, and so much more. His love was strong, but quiet. To watch him affect and change the world was like art. He never pushed, or argued, or said disparaging things about the way things were. He simply saw a better way, and lived it. Slowly, those around him would come to understand it, and evolve right along with him. He was beauty in motion. His guidance was like a sunny day, inviting people to get out and play.
He always said that the universe was kind enough to let us stop here on our journey. It would nourish our hearts, minds, and bodies for the short time we are here. All it asks in return is that we learn what we can, and leave just a little goodness behind. He and I agreed a long time ago, that we wanted the goodness that we left to be in the form of compassion. And he did it. I can’t think of a single person in our lives, that isn’t carrying a piece of his heart with them. His compassion is still here.
Here is the official press release from Rafael:
This is it. Its the post that I’ve been dreading for sometime but knew it would eventually come down to. For sometime now Dark Truths has been slipping from the ranks of internet stories forums. Whether its due to a changing society or my time being more devoted to family and a small business, is not the reason, though they do play a key role. I am just not that same dark hearted horror fanatic that I was over 12 years ago when, in a college website building class in Pennsylvania, I began Dark Truths. Things change. People change. Ideals change. Everything changes. What have I learned from all of this? I found that I can be content with life as an artist. I’ve learned I love to create from scratch. I’ve learned that raising kids can be an exciting and even more scary than the most horrific movie. (Let anyone who thinks different try their hand at their child with a 103 degree fever racing to a hospital at 3 in the morning.) I guess in hosting the Dark Truth Ezine for 12 years, I’ve discovered the Light Truth as well. In the end you can have everything you want. It just takes a lot of work, sweat, tears, sometimes blood and persistence. But you can make it. Just never give up. Never let failure bar your way, its just a temporary setback. Always keep moving forward.
The web domain name Dark Truths will be allowed to perish. But the archive at http://www.darktruths.spyw.com will remain active as a library of work from those who have contributed over the years. Thank you for the stories and poetry and commentary over the years. If I have to leave you with any words of wisdom besides those I’ve left already, it would be to love each other. Don’t let petty bickering of mundane ideals or material possessions cause hatred to grow in your hearts. Leave no place for hatred to take root. Stamp it out. No peace is worth loss of liberty. Fight for it with your last dying breath. Good night and God Bless You All.
Walter Cronkite died at age 92 after a illness. He was known as “most trusted man in America” as anchor and managing editor of the “CBS Evening News”. I know that he was an icon in New York, and even though I was raised on Dan Rather in the early 1980’s, Cronkite was always mentioned in as the news authority voice. My grandparents and I would also watch the various news specials and clips on TV, and I would always see Cronkite’s memorable reports as flashbacks.
RIP Walter Cronkite.
**
In the current era we live in (instant Internet gratification and news) the influence of “an anchorman” has diminished so much, that we must consider that when analyzing the careers of these guys. The way news is delivered has changed and will never be the same.
With Cronkite retiring in 1981 at 65, and pretty much staying out of the way of the spotlight (something that is rare nowadays), his memory has faded, no doubt. If he had died in 1981, we may have seen a national day of mourning, close to the Michael Jackson coverage. If you grew up watching him (when there were only a few channels on TV, and he was THE source) you couldn’t help but form an emotional attachment to him.
In 2009, I know there are millions and millions of Americans in 2009 who never even heard of him, and don’t see his cultural significance. Others have some negative things to say about him.
Now, this is a little awkward to put this in the same post, but basically I believe in paying respects when someone dies, even if I had an axe to grind, because in the grand scheme of things the axe was just an illusion.
I understand that people feel differently about that. Heck, I remember when there was a waiting period before you can say negative things about a dead person, you know a social etiquette? That’s gone now. Here are some comments from the mutants I found- the same day. Is there truth to their words? {shrug}:
“I personally think the guy was overrated, but that is irrelevant now. I believe he had some old fashioned integrity but I also think a lot of his image was just marketing. My first thought, kind of cynical, was will Obama have a moment for Walter? Walter Cronkite certainly was more of an American icon than the wacko that Obama memorialized. Maybe a little bit of reverse discrimination here?”
“He reported we were defeated in the ‘68 Tet which we clearly were not, and he removed himself from the news media ride along crew list after the first shuttle disaster. My parents had little respect for him.”
“Cronkite was a liberal goon from the get go. This scumbag is now answering for the betrayal he heaped on this country. He was outed the minute he became a sniveling ninny on national TV when JFK was whacked.”
“I will be one of the few with the guts to be real and say it: I’m not sad to see this overrated liar go. Buh-bye.”
“I’m sure that Cronkite will be remembered gushingly by all of the liberal mainstream media robots whom he spawned and who idolize him (and probably many gutless idiots on the right, too). In so many ways, he is their Michael Jackson, minus the creativity and talent. In life, they already exalted Cronkite far, far beyond what he deserved and completely ignored his awful transgressions against our country. But the man they called “The Most Trusted Man in America” was really something far different: The Most Destructive Man in America. And that is how he should be remembered. He had the blood of thousands of American men–some of them really just boys–on his hands. Cronkite’s slogan was, “And that’s the way it is.” But if it came out of his mouth, you could be sure of one thing: that’s the way it wasn’t.”
“He taught Dan Rather everything he knew, and I do mean everything. Cronkite was the one who put the lie to the Tet offensive.”
“It would actually be poetic justice for Ted Kennedy to die soon after Cronkite. God has His own timeline though.”
“But But But…….he was the most TRUSTED man in America!!!! Cronkite was also a big proponent of the New World Order. A true sellout.”
“Well, you have to give Cronkite credit for something – after he retired he publicly and proudly admitted his liberal bias.”
“In the death pool I paid money into 33% of the people had him….not me”
“I always thought he was overrated. Nothing against him and not his fault but Huntley/Brinkley was a better news show. The media machine will kick into gear again.”
“The media loves to cover itself.”
“In a way, it’s kind of cool that Cronkite passed during the 40th anniversary of the moon landing. No one was more geeked about it than he was.”
Joseph Anastasio, 55, passed away on 6/6/2009 in Florida.
I first met Joe in 1999 at work. He was quite a character. He had great stories about his experiences in life, enough to write a book, major motion picture, and HBO ongoing series.
He learned new computer technology very quickly, and even though he had health issues and was late in life in terms of learning computers, he quickly became one of the most productive employees in the company.
He had pride, was competitve, and was active until the end. I saw Joe at the end of May of this year, probably a week or so before he died. He said he was keeping busy. He was concerned about his wife’s health more than his own.
Joe always said great things about his wife, and was extremely proud of his children. He loved his dogs, too.
From what he had told me about his health, he had beaten doctor’s projections by years and years. He was a fighter his whole life.
I hope his family is able to cope with his absense.
BREAKING NEWS: Not only did TV pitchman Billy Mays die, but comedian Fred Travalena died as well. Rumors of Miley Cyrus death were greatly exaggerated thanks to a Twitter prank.
I’m glad I work with Tashman Technologies’ very own Captain Software II, who gives me the celebrity death updates every hour. He thinks that there is a cosmic conspiracy. First he said, “Deaths come in threes”. Then he said, “Deaths come in fours”. Now he says the whole world is messed up.
Here’s a NEWSFLASH for everyone searching for death trends, I’m gonna say it nice and clear:
About 250,000 – 300,000 people die per day.
Again, about 250,000 – 300,000 people die in the world per day.
So STOP saying “wow another celebrity died today?whats going on?”
It really makes you sound like a message board mutant.
People are saying rapper Husalah is dead. Was he stabbed in jail 5-6 times? Is he still alive? Is this based on a lie? This is breaking news. Husalah is an original member of Mob Figaz, and very popular in the West Coast underground. He is known for his dark and gritty style, and was on Myspace.
The reaction of Michael Jackson’s death at Tashman Technologies was pretty harsh- and I don’t mean the workers were sad. Although it certainly is a small sample, some workers’ reactions did mirror the legions of message board mutants.
It seems as if a few workers could only focus on Michael Jackson’s child molestation trials and his “weirdness” and plastic surgery. One worker said that Michael “jumped the shark” when he started to wear one glove.
Another worker lost respect for Michael when he began to bleach his skin and “try and turn white from being a black man”. This person chose to remember Michael as a little boy with the Jackson Five.
Even Micheal’s discography and production were attacked as well, with one worker calling him a “waste of talent”.
But most of the personal attacks and ridicule focused on Michael the person, not Michael the artist. He wasn’t even dead 24 hours and the crude sexual and racist jokes were in full swing. It was mayhem. Everyone had an opinion, but it was the men at Tashman who were truly unsympathetic and ruthless in their “Michael Jackson was overrated” rants.
Since the MEDIA coverage has been so intense and bombarding, this may be a reaction to attack the hype, but what they are really doing is bad karma. It’s fueled by envy. Why spit on someone’s grave?
TMZ is reporting that Michael Jackson has died at 50 from cardiac arrest. His father Joe Jackson initially spoke to TMZ today and said he was not doing well. New reports are still coming in, however, so this is a breaking news still in progress. Again, at this second, TMZ is the only source going on record..other news outlets are saying “coma”.
I had been doing a lot of thinking about Michael Jackson lately, about his legacy, his work, and him still being around in 2009 but being a Howard Hughes-type recluse. And how he’s pretty much a laughing stock in the U.S.
The criminal and civil trials, in addition to his eccentricities (germ phobia, plastic surgery, baby endangerment, eunuch, lawsuits, record label suits, etc.) and divorce really took away from his legend.
But he was a legend no matter what happened in later years.
From being a kid star to being a 1980’s freakin’ undisputed King of Pop, to making millions and millions until his death…
I’ve defended Jackson in the past because I don’t think he ever had a chance to grow up. I didn’t think he was a child molester, I just think he was a Peter Pan-type.
There’s really no amount of tribute I could give him here, I’m sure for the next week you’re going to be overexposed to every aspect of Michael Jackson’s legacy, music, and life anyway.
He is an international household name, bigger than Santa Claus, and larger than life.
The MEDIA is labeling David Carradine as the title character in the movie “Kill Bill”, but he will always be Kwai Chang Caine, the Shaolin priest traveling the 1800s American frontier West in the influencial 1970’s TV series “Kung Fu”.
“To suppress a truth is to give it force beyond endurance.” — Master Kan. “Yet, it is eyes which blind the man.” — Master Po. “Because a man can see, he does not look.” — Master Po.
Carradine’s death is being investigated; he was only 72 and there was a rope in his room, according to some reports out of Thailand.
While you’re busy making turkey recipes and feeling awkward around the in-laws this Thanksgiving, Indian army commandos are battling terrorists who launched attacks against luxury hotels and other targets in Mumbai (Bombay), killing 104 people, at and near the Taj Mahal Palace. Over 300 people have been wounded.
Deccan Mujahideen, a new terrorist group, claims responsibility
While you are debating football games, eight Israelis, including a rabbi, are being held by terrorists in Mumbai Chabad House.
While you are juggling traveling issues with the family, and having a 4-day vacation, a British citizen has this to report:
“I’m holed up in my room with furniture blockading the door. I’ve been here for over 18 hours now, with no food, hardly any water, no television or radio or information.
“I’m listening to what’s going on outside, which for 18 hours has been punctuated by explosions and varying degree of farcity – semi-automatic and automatic gunfure and people rushing up and down the corridor outside.
Meanwhile, the NYC subway system is acting under red alert due to intelligence saying Al-Queda would strike Penn Station during the holidays. The northeast and Amtrak have been crippled during the busiest travel day of the year.
I guess we all have something to be thankful for this year: #1 that terrorists haven’t blown us up.
Anyway, Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
Remember, ESPN says: “Thursday’s first course may not be to everyone’s liking, but the rest of the football being played on Thanksgiving Day (and night) is tasty! All eyes will be on quarterback Donovan McNabb and whether he can bounce back from his benching last Sunday in Baltimore.”
LIVE…on Cronica TV..an Argentine police officer in trouble for human rights violations blows his brains out, while the most funny theme song of all time plays in the background.
Click on the pic for the direct link if you are sadistic!!!
You know, I thought I knew all the “happening” websites, but I had never head of JustinTV.com (basically it’s a web forum with streaming webcams) until Chuck at work told me about a 19-year old boy from Pembroke Pines, Florida OD’ed streaming live.
The comments posted were edging him on, and then he pretty much fell asleep and never woke up. Chatters made fun of him and many thought it was fake.
This is another sad story in the ongoing saga of the Internet blurring fantasy and reality, and anti-social people using the Net to express their suffering. The callous reactions of the suicide are all symptoms of the underlying desensitization of the world we live in today.
Not only were the chat comments bad while it was happening, but people made fun of this guy after the fact, too.
Here are some comments I found today:
“who the f— would OD on a webcam? that’s the most boring way to film a suicide ever. what a loser.”
“Too bad you didn’t post the link while it was fucking happening!”
“why do I always miss these when they’re live”
“That kid has made multiple attention whoring suicide related threads on the misc and it was sadly just a case of boy who cried wolf.”
“You will only see more of this s–…oh well”
“link to video is dead, any others? No, I don’t give a s– that some guy died, yes I’m a terrible person, no it doesn’t bother me in the least to admit that.”
“Don’t you think it’s a little creepy to watch some teenage dude kid on his webcam? Could you not find a better use of technology or time? If you’re gonna watch a cam why not watch some chick…”
“F-. Missed it.”
And here’s what the JustinTV CEO said:
“As for the broadcaster incident last night, we don’t comment on individual videos, however, our policy prohibits inappropriate content on Justin.tv. We rely on the community to flag videos that they feel are objectionable. Once a video is flagged, it is reviewed and quickly removed from the system if it violates our Terms of Use.”
DailySkew will not post the chat transcript, pics, or videos of this suicide (the pic in this post is a typical JTV chat room). You can find them yourself if you are morbid enough.
There was a time when John McCain was a celebrated returning POW, and a national hero. There was a time when John McCain was an independent-thinking Republican. There was a time when John McCain was 50/50 liberal/conservative, and respected by Independents. There was a time when John McCain was a reformer and went up against the Washington system. There was a time when John McCain was a straight-talker, and a MEDIA-darling. There was a time when John McCain was mortal enemies with George Bush.
John McCain won the 2008 Republican Primary because he was the most moderate Republican, had a nice following and was the most qualified and electable candidate in a tough election cycle for Republicans. The mentality at the time was a Republican had no chance anyway.
Also, let’s take a look at McCain’s opponents: Mitt Romney- the economy expert- is a Mormon. Rudy Giuliani lost his 9/11 credentials and had too many skeletons in his closet (mafia, corruption, affairs). Mike Huckabee is a Christian Right extremist who speaks his mind. Ron Paul is an Internet cult hero, and 100% unelectable because of his truly outside-of-the-box theories and plans. Fred Thompson is a pimp.
The irony about the Democrat’s ticket was that instead of nominating a sure-fire candidate to easily win the election, Democrats had it down to an infamous woman and an inexperienced black American. Senators Obama and Clinton fought each other tooth and nail, in a very ugly campaign. The party was split, and all of a sudden the lame duck Republicans actually had a chance to win!
But what happened?
They blew their momentum.
Republicans Steve Schmidt and Rick Davis, the men that run McCain’s campaign, are no Karl Rove. Rove, the man who gave us 8 years of President Bush, and McCain don’t get along, to say the least. If Rove was in charge of McCain’s campaign, Obama would not be in this race…trust me.
So McCain had the B-team running his show. McCain doesn’t like to follow orders or play dirty politics ANYWAY. And he vetoed a lot of dirty tactics to attack Obama, no matter how negative the MEDIA told us his campaign was.
What was McCain’s platform at the beginning? To stay in Iraq forever. McCain stood behind the most unpopular position in this country.
McCain was forced to “sell out” to the RNC, change some of his stances, get the fund raising from major corporations, and I suspect the Republican heads broke the news to him that the GOP didn’t expect him to win this year anyway. I have a feeling that didn’t want him to really go after Mr. Obama (like calling him on Rev. Wright and other low blows) because they wanted to avoid Republicans losing even more seats in Senate and Congress.
McCain has been known to absorb punishment- he’s been doing it all his life. He was the fall guy this year. Whereas Romney is a rising star and Sarah Palin is a celebrity, John McCain’s prime was 2000. He wasn’t not a “real Republican” anyway.
In terms of debate coaching, speeches, and MEDIA savvy, McCain was poor in 2008. He looked suspicious- like a CEO, he stuttered, he had the lamest catchphrases, was slow, he constantly repeated himself, he contradicted himself on dozens of occasions, he didn’t win the debate series, and he attacked the MEDIA. Yes…he really attacked the MEDIA out of jealousy and frustration for their embracing of Mr. Obama.
When the GOP chose Governor Palin, the lines were officially drawn, and both Palin and McCain attacked the MEDIA everyday, firing up the base, inspiring radio talk show hosts, and FOX News, yet put the nail in the coffin on any chance for balanced coverage.
McCain’s paid commercials focused on Mr. Obama, as opposed to bombarding us with the fact that McCain really isn’t Bush, and never was. McCain’s advertisements, although just as misleading as Obama’s, never went for blood. It was up to the talking heads, Internet forums, and right wing spammers to defend and promote McCain, while push the big time character assassination of Obama. Of course, all of that backfired or had no real effect. Plus, by not going after Obama’s “real flaws” he angered the Right, who were forced to played armchair quarterback for McCain.
Sarah Palin is a controversial figure. Not only doesn’t she have any national and international experience or strong knowledge, but she’s been accused of corruption and race baiting Mr. Obama. She was a gimmick to pick up disgruntled Hillary Clinton voters. And many women saw right through that ploy. FOX News is the only channel that thinks she’s credible.
Unfortunately for McCain, since he didn’t know how many houses he and his wife Cindy own, the GOP panicked and got a “common woman” to be his running mate, instead of Mitt Romney, who would have been a great choice for Republicans and Independents who have concerns about the economy.
McCain’s campaign managers just kept changing his gimmicks, platforms, and Obama attacks every week, instead of focusing on McCain’s positive traits and qualifications.
Mr. McCain took the Joe the Plumber story waaay too far. McCain, I guess, was too far out, senile, or just having some fun, because he actually supports, stands by, and saw Joe the Plumber as a future victim of Obama under a his future socialist regime.
Yes, it’s really Joe the Plumber.
In the end, McCain couldn’t raise enough cash, couldn’t get enough endorsements, attacked the wrong things about Mr. Obama, didn’t have any style, isolated the MEDIA, seemed like a phony, lost the American Idol voting by acting as old and grumpy as he looked, and frankly pushed away his Independent supporters that respected him for 20+ years.
Ten years from now, most people would have forgotten who President Obama defeated in 2008.
It’s a shame, but McCain has been in the twilight of his career for years now. He never was the same after Bush and Rove played dirty and used psychological and MEDIA warfare to sabotage McCain in 2000.
I tip my hat to Senator McCain. I will always have respect for the service he gave to this country, and for his reforms he pushed. This election, his job was to go through the motions and be the sacrificial lamb, since the Democrats were going to win no matter what, but he personally tried his best. I’m sure there was a lot of behind-the-scene things that we don’t know about yet, but I’m sure Mr. McCain did the ethical and moral thing.
McCain got his butt whipped by the MEDIA, comedians, and by the average person in the street. His reputation has been tarnished, his political capital lost. In many ways, his campaign managers and Sarah Palin continued to perpetuate the class warfare in this country, in addition to stirring up racial tension, and anti-Muslim sentiment.
I’d like to think I saw and know who the real John McCain was.
As DailySkew readers know I predicted “President McCain” in April, and I don’t believe in changing predictions no matter what. So I’m just waiting it out until Nov. 4th, and will congratulate President-Elect Barack Obama when the time is right.
750,000 television spots and 5,000 movie trailers later, Don LaFontaine, 68, is dead.
The Voice Master has been an integral part of popular entertainment (movies, commercial, radio, promotions, TV, video games, etc.) for decades. Only recently thanks to some Geico commercials have people began to put a face to one of the most distinguishable and recognizable voices in recent memory.
Rachel Hoffman, NOT to be confused with the DailySkew’s own Dr. Richard Hoffman
ABC and 20/20 asks “Are Pot Users Criminals?” I guess in this post-9/11 world we live in, that question seems valid to millions of people, kind of like “Are undocumented immigrants illegal?”
You see, the last time I checked drug use without a prescription was illegal.
I happened to catch this on 20/20 last night, after driving over [censored]. I thought this article was a good follow-up to your post on the ill-effects of smoking marijuana.
Here’s my take: the 20/20 presentation makes it seem like a 1/4 lb of marijuana and six ecstacy pills is okay to have, and that the police were excessive in threatening her with felony charges — even though she had been busted once and was on parole for a year!
The police chief looked extremely nervous, getting grilled on national television. On television, nervousness = incompetent liar.
Not being smooth on TV doesn’t make you a liar or incompentent.
Everyone is blaming the police for sending her out on that botched sting. I agree that they come off as cops from Hazard County, BUT … what about HER?
It’s funny, when Brian Ross mentioned she was a College Graduate, he made it sound like it was the equivalent of being an Elementary School Graduate. “She’s just a College Graduate.”
Boy, how standards have fallen. Excuse me, but I’m not buyin’.
She was perfectly capable, as a 23-year-old ADULT, of calling her lawyer and getting legal advice. She was perfectly capable of reading whatever agreement she had signed, and seeing whether the deal to avoid jail-time was legit (assuming she even signed anything — she’s certainly smart enough to not just go with the word of a police officer from Leon County with no written documentation, as a College Graduate).
Instead, here we have another 23-year-old desperately hanging on to her teenage years, refusing to 1)grow up, 2)take responsibility for her actions, and 3)go to jail for four years.
She wanted a get out of jail free card. Well, she’s not jail … but if she had done what any sane, normal college educated person would have done, she would not have gone to some park alone to meet with two black men to buy drugs AND a gun. She would be alive today.
Excuse me, but I don’t feel sorry for the purple-floppy-hat-girl. The police were jerks, but she had a choice — she could have spoken with her lawyer. She could have read the agreement.
Estelle Getty, who played the wise-cracking and grumpy “Sophia Petrillo” in the 1980’s hit television show The Golden Girls has died at 84. Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, and Betty White released statements expressing their admiration for her.
At one point The Golden Girls was THE most funny prime time TV show, and a must watch show every week in my household in NY. It was pretty unique for 4-older women to carry a sitcom together!
It’s very possible that I wouldn’t be here today without the help of Fred Warren Hinde.
I’ll always remember the first day I met Fred. I was at the lowest point of my life, and sought a professional to work with me and get my head on straight- I was a confused, depressed, anti-social, hurt, and angry teenager who had just lost all of my money, status, self-respect, confidence, future, potential, and reputation.
Fred, who was a tall, big, and older man towered over me, but he greeted me with a jolly smile and chuckle, like Santa Claus, and shook my hand with the power that I had lacked.
Fred immediately asked me to forgive myself for creating the circumstances leading up to my state of pain. From the moment he laid eyes upon me he saw that I was a good person, a smart person, and an ethical and moral person, who just happened to make one wrong decision.
Here was Fred- a total stranger- who was able to see the real me, just by sensing my aura, composure, my speech patterns, and my answers. He gave me the benefit of the doubt, and I am eternally grateful.
Fred made sure to tell me that I was not his patient- that I was his client. And after a few visits, he told me I was his friend. Fred and I would have deep discussions about all aspects of life, from religion to politics to women to how he became a psychologist to his own personal history and views. We respected each other’s opinions, and he treated me as his equal, even though he was by all accounts a genius in the field of psychology.
I had studied psychology in school, and Fred always hoped I would pursue it. He would go on to teach me why compassion, empathy, listening, and love are traits everyone should have. He truly believed that 99% of the people were innately good.
He took me under his wing, and we would have lunch together so many times- his treat because he said he invited me, and I wasn’t working yet. Thanks to his confidence-building, however, he taught me the skills to go on an interview, and how to be genuine. I finally was able to pay for his lunch with time.
Fred got me interested in dream interpretation, and bought me a dream book. He also was very open-minded about rebirths and past lives, and gave me a book on that. Fred believed in a Force that made up the universe. And he believed in karma. When my cat required surgery, he handed me $100 without me asking for hit. He told me to pay him back one day when I could, but when I tried to give him the money years later, he wouldn’t take it.
Fred Hinde loved me unconditionally, and I loved him unconditionally. We shared all our fears, desires, and thoughts, without fear of judgment. I told him I was concerned about his smoking habits since he was in his early 60’s, but it was something he was used to and enjoyed, and said it was his choice. I realized that it was his choice, and I didn’t nag him anymore. He had lived a full, happy, productive life, and did so much good for people.
He encouraged me and recommended me to go to technical school to study programming. That lead me to a stable job.
That was Fred- always helping and giving to people who wanted to better their lives. The sheer knowledge and philosophies Fred shared with me, like how it’s acceptable to say “no” to people, and how to have empathy yet still realize that my feelings are ultimately more important than other people’s is too much for a blog post. Fred was honest and firm when it came to giving constructive advise, but said it in a way that was not brutally honest. He talked about not taking things personally, and striving to see things objectively.
One day, Fred told me that I was ready to be fully integrated back into society, and that I had been so for some time; I had held a job for a year or so, and although I still had my high and lows and will always have a quirky and sarcastic personality, he knew I was fine.
Like an injured bird, he had nurtured me back to good health, and let me fly away on my own, without looking back. I had kept in touch with him perhaps once a year just to tell him that I was okay. I never told him about any drama or negative stuff going on.
I tried to get into contact him a few years ago to tell him about my fiance, but one of his office’s answering machines never got to him.
This Friday night I wanted to tell him how much he positively affected my life, and for him to meet my wife, who is caring just like he. I was up all night thinking about all the things he and I talked about, and how our friendship was 100% genuine, and how he went above and beyond any professional. I used to laugh when he had told me he disliked paperwork, procedures, and board meetings.
Fred also allowed me to take charge in group settings, and gave me valuable experience being his sidekick when it came to helping people with substance abuse problems, and people who were trapped by the invisible chains we all imprison ourselves with.
Fred was the type of man who worked to make a difference in people’s lives one person at a time, and he had once told me about other people whom he had helped in the past. I wanted to call Fred Monday and tell him how much I appreciated him, and how altruistic he was. Of course, I had already told him these things years ago, but I know that he would be very proud of my marriage and how stable my life has become, walking the right path.
Fred and I didn’t have to maintain constant contact. I always saw him as my guardian angel, with his warm smile and gentle laugh, looking out for me. He had actually wrote several letters of recommendation for me, and put his reputation on the line. Whereas many other people talk the talk, Fred wrote his signature on more than one occasion to benefit me without the slightest second of hesitation or with lawyers involved.
His telephone number was unlisted, and since most of his career was spent pre-Internet, I had problems trying to records of him. I finally called some message service for an office listed under his name, and a woman called back.
She informed me Fred died of a heart attack around 3 years ago.
I’ve been crying on and off again for around 16 hours this past day, as much as I try to hold it in. Fred would know it’s part of the normal grieving process. And he wouldn’t want me to be sad. But I can’t hold it in. I wanted to say goodbye, and tell him how much of an influence he had on my life, and the lives of all the others I have positively touch, like my friends and family. That is good karma in action, and Fred Hinde was the only father figure I had since I moved down here to Florida. It was because of him that I am here now. I know he refused to take credit for anything, but I know he would have liked to hear the words from my mouth one more time. But I can rest easily knowing that Fred was satisfied and finished with me, and that he knew I was fine.
Fred Hinde is a role model for all humankind, one of the most kindest and gentle human beings, yet someone who could be tough and aggressive to get something done. I’m sharing my experiences with him so everyone knows and strive to follow his example.
An eye for an eye makes the world blind. Only through understanding and compassion for others AND ourselves, can we begin to change the world.
If any of Fred’s family or friends read this post, I would appreciate if I can contact Mary and tell her how much Fred meant to me and my family.
Let’s give a round of applause to ALFREDO ACEVES, who is now leading the pack (as of Monday @ 1:47PM) for the 2010 New York Yankees 5th starting pitching slot (ERA of 0.90 in 10 innings). Based on ERA and innings pitching, Aceves is 1st, Sergio Mitre is 2nd, Phil Hughes is 3rd, Chad Gaudin [...] […]
I got the 2010 Census in the mail yesterday. I plan on filling it out. You may be wondering … why ™ am I not following Glenn Beck’s advice? Hahaha. You’re kidding, right? Congressional redistricting is based on the Census. This affects the distribution of Federal funds to states and local counties for things like [...] […]
This time around I realized that the raccoon was free from suffering now. It's a shame its life had to end like that- it was blameless; humans built roads in the middle of his ancestor's forest. Progress and technology broke that raccoon's legs and took his life tonight. But now the suffering has ended for it. I mourned the raccoon and the way […]
ust a quick observation before I run: I jumped from watching 1980's pro wrestling to the 1991 Survivor Series because WWE put up the whole PPV online for a limited time. It never fails to amaze me how much things change. It was like I was in a time machine from 1987 to 1991... […]
The End aka That’s All Folks Dark-Truth’s memory shall always be held in our hearts.
