I can see it now, all of the people calling me a homophobe and other negative names now. What I am going to talk about is not meant to offend anyone, just my opinion on a very controversial issue. Call me what you must, but read on and see a point of view that you may not see out of a lot of people in college.

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I was extremely excited to go to Chic-Fil-A today. They have absolutely delicious food and today gave me a good excuse to indulge myself. However, when my friend and I approached the local Chic-Fil-A, the line stretched a quarter mile onto the street. I was stunned, but also had a huge smile on my face even though we decided not to stop by to get some chicken because we didn’t want to wait.

It’s hard to look at any social media and not see someone bashing Chic-Fil-A. If you haven’t heard about it, google it, it’s not that hard. But once you read it, realize this: the owner of Chic-Fil-A has a right to donate his money to any organization that he pleases. If where he donates his money offends you, don’t eat his food. Nobody is forcing you to eat there and not forcing down “anti-gay devil meat” (as I saw on Facebook) down your throat. This group of people also seemed to be the loudest out of either group. It seems as if a strong majority of people were against Chic-Fil-A and a minute group of people actually stood with Chic-Fil-A.

However, today speaks a tremendously different story. Photos from across the country show that many, many people are standing with Chic-Fil-A on “Chic-Fil-A Appreciation Day” where people supported Chic-Fil-A’s right to free speech by going to their local restaurant. But by looking at social media, you would think that it would be the opposite.

This is where I find a problem. I have quite a few friends who are ‘left leaning’ or ‘the average college kid’. They stand for something that they realize once by watching a TV show with a big celebrity supporting gay marriage and/or listening to a college professor once day and feel ‘enlightened’ (Trust me, I know a few people that are like that.) These people feel as if they are right about every issue and hearing a contrasting opinion (and popular opinion to a lot of Americans) will force them to yell out “RACIST!” “HOMOPHOBE!” and such labels that are not necessarily true. If someone doesn’t have a similar opinion to these people, this is exactly what happens. Look at Tea Partiers compared to Occupiers at your local college.

So now that the Chic-Fil-A Appreciation day has been a nationwide success, these same people are calling everyone who went to Chic-Fil-A today homophobic and even some people I know are asking people to de-friend them on Facebook if they happened to eat Chic-Fil-A today. Oh, the humanity! The fact of the matter is that there are still a tremendous population who don’t share a belief that most people in their late teen’s and twenties have. Many people in this country still believe that marriage is a unification between a man and a woman and that’s how it should stay. But if you feel that way, you are frowned upon by those people who don’t agree with you. Maybe you should take the words of Elton John”If gay people want to get married, or get together, they should have civil partnership. Heterosexual people get married. We can have civil partnerships.”

Cities such as Boston and Chicago are telling Chic-Fil-A to stay out of their cities because of their stance. Disregarding the fact that this is a big violation of the first Amendment, how do you think those cities feel now that lines were out the door at locations across the country to support Chic-Fil-A’s right to free speech?

Also, there is a “Kiss-in” planned for this Friday for those who want to boycott Chic-Fil-A. Not really sure how this will turn out, but one thing is for sure: the media will be covering this a lot more than the event today, because that’s how the media works. Even though I can almost guarantee that crowds will not be as big as they were today. See also: Tea Party rallies compared to Occupy protests.

So eat Chic-Fil-a or don’t. But I am going to eat my chicken because it’s delicious and now I know that I am sticking it to those who are completely against Chic-Fil-A, who seem to be in the vocal minority. It’s like the old adage: “Actions speak louder than words.” People showed their support for Chic-Fil-A and if you can’t handle it, I have no idea what to say to you.

 

Wake up blog! Time for a little bit of writing.

Anyway, I’m back writing on CFDD (How many times have I said this now?)

Anyway, sooooooo much has been going on in the news recently and it is driving me crazy not talking about it on LTWF. However, this post is not going to talk about that stuff, more about my anticipation for my gosh darn laptop to get into my hands!

I ordered one of those shiny new Macbook pros with the retina display last Monday.  I originally thought that it was to show up 7-10 days which would mean that tomorrow is when I were to receive it. N0. Apparently as I was putting in my order, the shipping time changed to 2-3 weeks. Yes, weeks. I called Apple to see if this were a glitch or anything but they just said I was in line and the time to wait changed as I was in line (Can I get one of those Disney fastpasses?) So now I sit here, typing on my 6 year old laptop, feeling antiquated. But I guess since I waited this long for these to come out, I can wait another week-week and a half, right?

In terms of software I am getting or thinking about getting, I was thinking of Adobe Creative Suite 6.. because it seems to be where a lot of professionals are heading towards now-a-days. I am also debating on other things to get that will help me and my possible career field. In terms of nothing relating to my major, is Diablo 3 worth picking up? I heard it looks crazy good on the retina display and was curious about it. Hmm… decisions, decisions.

Changing gears now, it looks like the first show of Let’s Talk with Frock will air sometime late August or somewhere around there. I already know what I am going to do with the first episode, so stay tuned there!

Summer podcasts are also coming as soon as my laptop comes, which now looks like June 29th at the earliest. So once I figure out that stuff and how to post it on here, I’ll let you all know.

So this is where I’ll end the post today, have to go out and make some money now that my bank account is drained.

Signing off.

Time to blow off the dust on CFDD because it is summertime and I have a lot planned for CFDD in the summer of 2012.

First off, I have a post in the works that talks about concussions and the real life implications of them. I know that this story has been in the news for some time now but now since the suicide of NFL great Junior Seau is said to be connected to concussions, I started paying closer attention. Why? Well, because I have had a few concussions in my lifetime and who knows what will happen down the road for me. So look for that story on Wednesday.

Also, I am getting a new laptop this summer and things will be kicked into overdrive for CFDD. Whenever the new versions of the Macbook Pros come out, you can be sure that I am getting my hands on one. This means a lot for CFDD. First thing that came to my mind was podcasting. Since Let’s Talk with Frock is off the air until the Fall, I need my weekly dose of release therapy and discussion. Podcasting is coming. Not sure what I’m going to call it yet but you can bet that it will be a very entertaining show.

So this is a quick update on the happenings at CFDD. Summertime is here and now I have some free time on my hands to dedicate to the upkeep of the blog. So stay tuned! Follow me on Twitter @ryanfinfrock and like my Facebook fan page and instantly be notified when a new post hits the web.

Also, I need some good books to read this summer. There is nothing better than sitting outside on my porch and read a good book. I’m looking for some suggested reads out there from you guys, so let me know!

So here’s to a great, safe, and entertaining summer for everyone!

Signing off

That’s my life in a nutshell right now. I actually don’t know how I found the time to write right now. Anyway, I am back! For now!

If you are a listener of the Let’s Talk with Frock program, you would know that I haven’t been on the air for a couple weeks. Between spring break and not feeling well enough to do the show last week, I have a lot of catching up to do this week! Some people have been wanting my take on the Sandra Fluke, Rush Limbaugh controversy and I will definitely be talking about that this week!

Changing gears right now, I finished Mass Effect 3. It really felt good to finally wrap up the series and see what happens to Commander Shepard. Although it is not as good as ME2, ME3 finishes up multiple stories that I have started since the beginning, which is absolutely incredible when you reflect on it. But one thing that has been on my mind, like many other people, is the ending of Mass Effect 3.

I am a man who has a very strict interpretation of the term ‘entitlement’. If you listen to my show, it’s really obvious. When discussing matters such as video games, nothing is different. The ending of Mass Effect 3 had many gamers in an uproar. They felt as if Bioware (developer of the game) took the easy road to get the game completed. They felt that your decisions that you made in previous games weren’t taken in to effect for the final, no doubt the biggest, decision. I’m not going to spoil anything here because you really should play the games if you get the chance to.

So to make their disapproval known, gamers made petitions, ranted on forums, and even filing a complaint to the Federal Trade Commission to get the ending changed or to expound on the current ending. Why? Because they feel like they can make a better ending.

This is where entitlement comes into play. These gamers are all about themselves. They want what they want and if a developer strays too far away from what they wanted, they get in an uproar. Gamers are the hardest group of people to please, and in a way, I can sort of see why. More on that later. However, but when you conclude one of the greatest gaming trilogies of all time, you bitch… which is sad and pathetic.

Bioware spent nearly eight years to get the Mass Effect trilogy out. A labor of love to the many gamers who showed them all sorts of support. So this is how they (the gamers) treat them? Accept the game as it is. Video games are an art form, and if you petition one part of the game and what it to be changed… it is no longer an art form. It’s like saying, “I don’t like  the way the hands look on the Mona Lisa, let’s change it!”

News broke today that Bioware is making DLC (downloadable content) to address the gamers’ discontent. A cowardly and smart move all together. Cowardly in the sense that they broke down to the plea of gamers. They originally stood by their ending and saying the way that you feel at the end contributes to what they have done so well for 3 games. Now they are backing down and saying that change is on the way. This is also a smart move in the sense that it means more money for the company. Little explanation is needed there.

Now going back to what I alluded to before. I can kind of (very little) see where the gamers are coming from. They spent 60 bucks for this game expecting it to exceed all expectations. To them, they didn’t they spent as much as 180+ bucks on this trilogy, and the finale let them down, it was money wasted to them. But that’s where the sympathy ends.

Expectations were extremely high for the finale of this game. Expectations that Bioware knew going in and knew they had to deliver. But it was like when LSU played Alabama in football during the regular season. People called it the game of the century… and were let down when neither team scored a touchdown. Expectations are hard to meet. I don’t think gamers went into this knowing that.

For me, the ending was pretty well done. I believe the ending was supposed to make you feel a certain way, even if that feeling was discomfort.

That’s my analysis of this debauchery. Looking forward to see what the DLC is going to be.

 

Don’t forget that Let’s Talk with Frock airs every Friday from noon-2 ET on norsecoderadio.com – Your Campus Radio Station. Join the discussion on Twitter @ryanfinfrock

On a completely unrelated note. Tim Tebow was traded to the New York Jets today. I am actually going to follow this extremely close this season. I have a feeling that the New York media is going to use a fine-tooth comb when he plays. It’s definitely going to be a challenge. But I think that it’s like oil and water, it will not mix at all. That on top of Rex Ryan being the egotistical ass that he is, Tebow is in for a rude awakening. But maybe that’s why the Jets brought him aboard: to hopefully change the direction of the organization. It will be very interesting.

Signing off.

 

“Tune to cheapfivedollardress.com for more in depth analysis on topics covered in my show.”

I’ve been saying that for a while now on my show. And as you can probably tell, it really hasn’t happened. It turns out that being a full time college student, working a job, and managing a blog takes up a hell of a lot more time than I thought it would.

This is not an excuse in the least bit! I want to be certain about that. CFDD is definitely not dead… it just has been hibernating. I will definitely have some stuff on here before my show this Friday. My main theme for the show this Friday is Racism in America. Is it real or are people just way too sensitive on the issue? I have some stuff in the works to give a deeper meaning of what I am talking about right here on CFDD. Be sure of that! It will be up on Thursday night.

So that’s what I’ve really been up to for, well, a while now.

Changing gears now, if you know me personally, you know that I have a deep passion for video games. However, I don’t fall into the stereotypical representation of a gamer. I enjoy playing video games because it is the second strongest form of story telling next to reading a book. Getting an Xbox 360 (PS3 fanboys, don’t say a word) for Christmas one year has opened my eyes to interactivity and how games have totally changed our culture.

Games that have really had me in awe have been games such as Bioshock, L.A. Noire, and the Mass Effect franchise. So you’re probably wondering why the hell I’m talking about video games. Well, first of all, Mass Effect 3 releases on March 6 and I have it preordered. Having played the demo, I had no choice but to find out what happens in the ‘final’ game of the series. I highly recommend, if you haven’t played a Mass Effect game before, check out the second one and try not to be in awe. “Frock, what the hell man! All you are about are social issues and politics! What’s this shit about video games?” Well, when I need a release from the shit that goes on in life, I turn on the Xbox and zone out. It’s a huge release and just not think about anything else. “So that’s why you haven’t been posting to CFDD, you are a video game nerd.” If you want to think of it that way… go ahead. To each his own, I guess.

CFDD is now out of hibernation and back to full gear. Posts are coming in abundance. Well, I shouldn’t say abundance, because then I set the bar too high and set myself up for failure. A famous person once told me that I should never have goals because if I don’t then I can never be disappointed.

As always, follow me on Twitter @ryanfinfrock and like my Facebook Fan Page. Social Media is freakin’ awesome. Got a topic for me to talk about? Comments? Suggestions? Leave a comment here or hit me up on Twitter.

Signing off.

 

Oh… almost forgot. In my Politics class today we watch a video on Obamacare. How it got passed and how it got shoved down Americans’ throats. It was talking about how great it was and that Republicans were the enemy. Has anyone else noticed this indoctrination on a college campus. I mean I’ve heard of college professors being liberal.. but this is insane. Let me know how you feel!

Signing off for real this time..

Take two!

I know, I know. I didn’t do a good job of the upkeep of CFDD. I’ll admit that. I’d say that I’d write a post and never come through. Writing is soooo time consuming. In today’s fast paced world, who has the time to actually sit at a computer and type… for fun? Well, that was my mindset in 2011. College seemed to be in the driver seat and kicked everything else in my life out of the car. CFDD seemed to be the first one kicked. However, he is back in the passenger seat in 2012!

Now that I got that cheesy analogy out of the way, down to business! Let’s Talk with Frock premieres TOMORROW, Friday, on norsecoderadio.com from 12-2 PM ET. I have big things planned for 2012.. I just don’t know what they are yet. I had such a blast in 2011 on the air that I want to get more creative this time around.

If you have viewed CFDD in the past, you’ll notice that all of my previous posts are gone.. forever. It was a hard decision for me to make but after thinking about it… I didn’t really have anything of substance posted and it was causing format problems with the site itself. So I changed the format and theme for CFDD. I went for something simplistic and easy on the eyes… and free. I was shocked to see the number of ‘premium’ themes on WordPress. Themes that cost 45, 65, even 99 bucks. Being a college student, it’s obvious that I didn’t go down that route.

So here we go, Cheap Five Dollar Dress in 2012! I’m sure it will be one hell of a ride (again with the car analogy, I’m sorry!) Follow me on Twitter @ryanfinfrock and send tweets my way during my show on Fridays and we can have Tweet discussions during Let’s Talk with Frock. Or send a tweet for a show topic. Social Media is freakin’ awesome!

Signing off.