I Do Solemnly Swear

Ah, yes, the Presidential Inauguration. The time is near. Personally, I'm excited. It doesn't seem as though others share my enthusiasm.

While I do think that the group has a valid point {why should everyone be forced to use a semi-religious oath?}, I really don't see the big problem. Atheism is a belief system, just like Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Paganism, Zoroastrianism and any other -ism you wanna throw in there. I'm sure that if there was a Buddhist President they would not force her *hint hint* to say "so help me God" on the end of her oath or to have any religious figure there. While the inauguration is viewed by millions in person, on the tele, and over the internet, it is mainly a ritual for the President (elect) to express his feelings for his/her country and newly elected position. If Obama wants to have a priest there as a part of this momentous and special day for him, why not let him? If someone else wanted Tony Robbins or some other motivational speaker, I'm sure that would be allowed. And, weird as it might be for some, if a person wanted the Dalai Lama there, I'm sure there wouldn't be a lot of objection.

Why, then, is the atheist group so obsessed with not allowing a freedom to Mr. Obama?

My thinking is that many people see others expressing their religion as a push for others to believe the same way. Sure, I might not like that my family is all Mormonism, all the time {yes, even more than the BYU channel}, but do I have the right to ask them to refrain from expressing their beliefs when I'm around? Absolutely not. According to the First Amendment:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

While that might only really apply to Congress and the legislative wing of the government, we also have EEOC and other laws allowing people to express their religion without fear of persecution as long as they also respect the beliefs of others. Going along with that, why can't the atheists in this group be okay with Obama's expression of his religion and be fine with the difference from theirs?

Why can't any group in the world be perfectly content in the fact that other people believe in different things and not force those same people to conform to their belief system?

If we could fix that problem, I think we might actually achieve world peace.

Some People's Kids

And some people's fake mothers.

You'd think that after all the hullabaloo over the Caylee Anthony case and that poor child's body someone would not lie about a child missing. But, once again, there has to be someone stupid to prove me wrong. This woman even has the nerve to say that the child was left with a nanny and went missing from there. UGH! But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Meagan McCormic was so desperate to get back with an ex-boyfriend that she made up a story about a love child. When said boyfriend showed up, she then said that the nanny had been the last person seen with the child. She even went so far as to download a picture of a random kid in order to give police a proper description.

Poor ex boyfriend. No matter what he did to her, he doesn't deserve this kind of treatment - no one does. On top of that, trying to build off of someone's already ruined life and terrible lies is the worst thing I can imagine somebody doing, short of actually being Casey Anthony.

I really do hope that she feels ashamed for what she's done.

My Gift to You

I found the cutest website in the entire world... and it always helps to get into that bedtime mode so you can sleep and wait for a certain someone to show up.

http://www.cutethingsfallingasleep.org/

Enjoy!

Merry Christmas Everybody!

While these might be inappropriate for the Santa crowd, I'd like to share my favorite naughty Christmas songs.



Justin Timberlake is amazing. So is The Dan Band.

I Wanna Rock U Hard This Xmas - watch more funny videos

I hope everyone has a very merry Christmas and some happy holidays! =)

Happy Holidays

With the holidays approaching - or already here in some cases - I feel obligated to share some odd news regarding Christmas and Hanukkah.

First off, there's this interesting story about church members dressing like the stereotypical Jesus in order to bring awareness to the 'scandal' of saying "Happy holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas." Now I can understand being upset about that, but we do live in an age where freedom of religion is valued. I enjoy Christmas - for non-religious reasons - but I respect the people who do not. Even at work, I say "Happy holidays" despite the fact that most people who shop there, especially now, celebrate Christmas. While some find it disrespectful, I find it extremely respectful of others' beliefs. In this day and age, we need more of that.

In the monotheistic Holy Land, gold coins depicting Heraclius from the 600s CE were found by a tourist volunteering to help with an archaeological dig. I'm impressed at the number of things that continue to be found in that area of the world. I hope that more will be found to increase our knowledge in ancient history.

Now, I know that many people are upset with the snow and ice, but there are better ways to get rid of it than to try and melt it off your porch. At least it was his own house that he set on fire...

Here's another fun story. This South Salt Lake man tried to steal a fire engine in order to drive home to see his mom for Christmas... in Washington. Hopefully he wasn't in a hurry to play the Wii. He could get hurt doing so, or, even worse, could ruin their game system:



In a Hanukkah-related story, a man in New York won a latke (potato pancake) eating contest. Pete Czerwinski scarfed down 46 of the pancakes, coming in at a whopping seven pounds total. Latkes are extremely tasty, so, while I'm surprised at the sheer quantity Czerwinski was able to eat, I'm not surprised that someone like 'Furious Pete' could nom them down.

And, in the overwhelming spirit of the holiday season, scientists found that people will deliberately torture others if told to do so by people with authority. How disturbing is that? It's interesting, given the history of people during wartime and just plain greedy people as well; other people are always looking to seek approval from their superiors. Sadly, this is how the majority of bad things happen - craving approval, greed, fear. In the future - no matter how overwhelmingly idealistic I am - I hope that people can be more like the religious and political figures they idolize and act like decent human beings, not because they are told to, but because they know it's the right thing to do. And that should be the real message behind the holiday season - being a good person because it's the right thing to do, not because of rewards in this life or the next.

You Gotta Love YouTube

In searching for instrumental versions of songs, I was saddened to see that no one had halfway done versions of duets... until I found mss12000. He has a great voice and has done some amazing duets, just missing the girl part.

Here's the version of Baby It's Cold Outside that I just recorded with him.

Enjoy!



EDIT: And here's me singing Santa Baby. Yeah, the video is a little goofy, but I just figured out how to use Windows Movie Maker today, so I think it's pretty good.



Happy holidays!

Ever Heard of "Quit While You're Ahead?"

Apparently these people haven't. Squashing a group's constitutional right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness wasn't enough, clearly. No, now they want to revoke/nullify the thousands of homosexual marriages that took place while it was LEGAL.

This guy has a point:

"Proposition 8 must be invalidated because the amendment process cannot be used to extinguish fundamental constitutional rights without compelling justification," Brown said in a written statement.

According to the Ninth Amendment, "The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people." In non-psycho babble, that means any fundamental rights that are not directly listed in the Constitution are protected as well. Sexual orientation? Not in there originally. And, hey, aren't we all protected from discrimination based on our gender, race, ethnicity, age, and um... sexual orientation?!

I am so tired of all the high school drama BS. Every single group is discriminated against by somebody. It's getting to be too much to handle. I wish everyone could just be tolerant of other people's lifestyles. Seriously, I'm not saying that you should be homosexual by saying that you should support gay marriage - I'm simply saying that we need to all band together in order to get rid of the injustices in our own country. No matter what it takes, this country needs to recognize the basic right of two human beings in love to join together in a partnership that is recognized no matter where the couple goes.

Basically, here's a video I found showing how damn ridiculous this whole thing is. Enjoy.

Protect Marriage, Protect Children, Prohibit Divorce - watch more funny videos

Here's another great video of Jon Stewart discussing gay marriage with Mike Huckabee. Oh Huckabee, how misguided you are.

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Mike Huckabee Pt. 2

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

Really? We've redefined terms like "man" and "human being" but we can't redefine marriage? That, my friends, is a ridiculous notion.

"Religion is far more of a choice than homosexuality." So true. A person doesn't wake up in the morning and decide to be gay for a day/week/30 days/a few years. It's something that we're born with, something that makes up who we really are. Until we all embrace our sexuality - whether that means marrying another girl or being perfectly fine with expressing your sexual nature like someone who truly loves their bodies and sexual lives - no one is going to be happy.

I hope that people can learn to see past their own bigotry and fears in order to embrace people of all backgrounds and lifestyles someday. I am determined to help fight the good fight, to be a soldier in the army of love. Even if this problem isn't solved in my lifetime (which it better be), I am dedicated to the cause. I hope that you'll join me.

Surf or Sex?

I might have problems, but I'm wondering exactly who would give up sex for two weeks in order to have the internet in their home? Almost half of women, and less than a third of men apparently would.

I'm guessing either these people aren't in a relationship or don't get jiggy with their partners/friend's partners/random people that often. Now, maybe it's just me, but I fail to see the benefits of this. I mean, sure, a lot of people need the internet for work and such. It's an interestingly sad commentary on our society that people are more interested in their jobs, facebook, and internet porn than spending some love time with their significant other.

On the other hand, intimacy is the important thing, not the sex.

Now, here goes my [not so] wholesome image... and Theron's (sorry hun).

I love Theron with all my heart. We have a wonderful relationship. I'm pretty sure that the internet could never match the intimacy that we share, with or without sex. The sex isn't important, but the intimacy is. Still, I think that picking the internet over Theron is the wrong way to go in any situation.

Maybe it's just because I'm a romantic hippie, or because after almost a year and a half I'm still crazily head over heels for him, but love should be the most important thing in our lives. Can anyone imagine how the world would change if that were the case? If we all actually started practicing the teachings from all the great religious figures {The Buddha, Jesus, Muhammed, etc}? I think we could actually have a good chance at world peace if people stopped looking out for their best interests and started looking out for others.

So if you were asked, what would you do? Pick the person you're supposed to treasure or the internet that seems like it gets in the way enough already?

I'm A Happy Cow?

How ironic that I moved from the west coast to Wisconsin... and that I love cows...

I do have to say, the cold here is better than that in the Northwest though. The cold there is so wet that it makes it worse really. Here, the cold is dry enough that it's not too bad.

I hope Kirsten wins.

Wayne Brady

People like Wayne Brady because he makes Bryant Gumbel look like Malcolm X.

Chappelle Show: Dave's Night Out with Wayne Brady - watch more funny videos

I Believe in Harvey Dent (Barack Obama)

I bought The Dark Knight yesterday. It was a necessity - I own pretty much every other Heath Ledger movie and every superhero movie. Besides, this movie was the most amazing thing I've ever seen. It's a cinematic masterpiece that will be very hard for the next Batfilm to top.

I've always likened Gotham City to Chicago. Maybe it's because of the few areas of Chicago that've been on the news, or because I think it's worse than Milwaukee... or even because I hate the Cubs. I don't really know. After watching the news coverage of Gov. Blagojevich's poor decisions, I put in my new lovely movie and began to watch.

I realized how much my respect and admiration for Obama was like Gotham City's citizens and their trust in Harvey Dent at the begining. Now, I only equate Obama with the Dent of the first half of the film, so don't think I'm going to start bashing the man that I voted for. The idealism that Obama represents, the ability to rise above the crime and slum and be a role model for people... I am in awe of them.

Obama had not yet spoken out about Gov. Blagojevich when I planned my post, so I wondered how he might react, given his former comment that it would be innappropriate to comment at the time he was asked to. There are so many good speeches and sayings that Dent participates in in the film.

It doesn't really have that much bearing on the situation at hand, but I think it is important these days to remember that the night is darkest just before the dawn, that the hardest parts in life come before things get really good. Obama is the hero that this country deserves right now, the person that we need to help get things fixed. And I think it's pretty cool that my favorite politician and movie kind of line up.

Religious Education

What do you think of when you see that headline? Do you think about going to a Catholic high school? What about a Muslim elementary school?

I think of learning about and coming to an understanding of the different religions around the world, from the past and the present. In short, the following story is a great example of what I think of.

Boys in grades 6-8 from Trinity Presbyterian Church and Townsend Street School are learning about the different monotheistic traditions that they may come in contact with in order to eliminate stereotypes, fears, and intolerance. Mark Bedford, the minister who began the program, is considering expanding it to include Hindus and Buddhists as well.

Basically, representatives from the different religions come and speak with the children and answer their questions. One of my favorite people, imam Ziad Hamdan from the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, is also taking part in the program.

This is an amazing program and I wish that more people had access to this opportunity. Eliminating stereotypes and other biases against religions early on will have a far better effect than the same programs later on, but it is important for people of all ages to learn about their misconceptions of others.

I hope this program expands exponentially.

Happy Late Thanksgiving

I hope everyone had an alright day.

I have to work at 5:45 this morning... if you're mean enough to shop at Kmart at 6 in the morning today, you sincerely suck. Basically, I'm trying to keep myself awake long enough to finish my energy drink and get out the door this morning.

Fun fact: name your kid after something that you and your sweetheart have bonded over. Yes, Theron, that means that someday when we have a boy, we can name him Tuvok (or a girl, Seven). I like how Pete says no one knows the real reason behind the name... kinda weird, but he married into the Simpson family, so what do I expect right?

Well, I hope everyone enjoys their Black Friday... and that you're sane enough to NOT go parading around stores filled with way more people than the fire safety limit okays.

Are Teens Dying For Attention?

It seems more and more like teenagers these days are craving more attention. That's not really an issue, but the problem is the new and more destructive ways that teens are going about getting that attention. Gangs are more rampant now than ever before because kids just want to belong to a group of people that care about them. Families aren't enough - parents are never home or, when they are, instead of love and care, shouting and abuse is the present.

This article that I found on CNN really disturbs me. This poor kid decided to end his life in a very public way. While I do not doubt that he was depressed and, clearly, suicidal, I believe that this was the ultimate cry for attention. Subconsciously, this kid wanted someone to alert some sort of authority figure to get him help. Instead, these people mocked him and watched him die:

He was seen lying on his bed on the streaming video, posted on the Web site Justin.tv. On the site, a person can stream video from a Web camera while "viewers" chat with each other in a box next to the video, Crane said. The comments and video have since been removed from the Web site.

Crane read the comments posted during the 10 hours the youth could be seen lying on his bed.

As the teenager was lying on his bed, she said, people were typing things like, "Oh, that's not enough to kill you." Others, she said, were egging him on, saying things like "Go ahead and do it." Still others thought it wasn't real, Crane said.

About 11 a.m. Wednesday, Crane said, some viewers began to get concerned, writing things like, "He's not moving" and "He's not breathing."

One contacted the site's moderator to get the youth's contact information, she said, and the police were notified.

Why didn't someone get help sooner? If they had, maybe this poor lost kid could've gotten the help that he needed. I don't ever want to wish harm to anyone, but I hope that those who watched this young man take his life never forget what they were party to, that they are haunted by what they experienced.

I cannot understand the terrible things that people do these days.

Forgive Me Father, For I Have Voted...

Father Jay Scott Newman from St Mary's Catholic Church in Greenville, South Carolina, is requesting that people who voted for Barack Obama do penance before taking communion again:

Both Obama and Joe Biden, the vice president-elect, support legal abortions. Obama has called it a "divisive issue" with a "moral dimension," and has pledged to make women's rights under Roe v. Wade a "priority" as president. He opposes a constitutional amendment overturning the Supreme Court decision.

At issue for the church locally and nationwide are exit polls showing 54 percent of self-described Catholics voted for Obama, as well as a growing rift in the lifestyle and voting patterns between practicing and non-practicing Catholics.

In a letter posted on St. Mary's Web site, Newman wrote that "voting for a pro-abortion politician when a plausible pro-life alternative exists constitutes material cooperation with intrinsic evil."

Catholics who did so should be reconciled to God through penance before receiving communion, "lest they eat and drink their own condemnation," Newman wrote, echoing a I Corinthians admonition for anyone who partakes "without recognizing the body of the Lord."

The response from parishioners has been supportive by a margin of 9 to 1, Newman said. He also cited Scripture in urging parishioners to pray for Obama and cooperate with him wherever conscience permits.

I can understand that church's stance on abortion interfering with the political stance that many people take. However, when most people vote for a politician, they do not do so based on one single issue. I'm sure that many Catholics who voted for Barack Obama do not like his stance on abortion, but agreed with his plans to fix the economy, Iraq, and other issues. Doing what is best for the country is not grounds for penance.

It seems like the majority of the Catholic Churches aren't too happy about this, especially given the fact that Biden is a Catholic himself. But really, the biggest issue, the article says, is that mass-attending Catholics voted for McCain - who opposed abortion. Those who don't attend mass... well, you can guess.

One of the commenters have listed the Rev. Newman's email address, which I'll list here only for posterity's sake: jayscottnewman@mac.com.

Let's Just Pretend Like It's The Weekend

It's starting to get colder, like that's really any surprise given that we're as quarter of the way through November. While I'm excited for snow, I'm definitely not excited about how the cold weather is already affecting my joints.

It's days like this when I just want to curl up in a ball and be lazy-cuddly all day. Jack Johnson has always been one of my favorite artists, but for today he's all that's playing on my computer. I really could go for some Banana Pancakes right now. :)

I miss the times where it was just so easy to curl up with Theron and snuggle all day. I hope that the holidays bring a little more snuggle time.

Veteran's Day

Today is a day to honor anyone who has served in the United States armed forces.

My uncle Nathan has always been someone who has inspired me. Growing up, he was more like a brother than an uncle, both because of age and the fact that we lived in the same house. I always looked to him for guidance and help, not to mention to learn how to be a cool tomboy. Without him in my life, I would be a completely different person and I am so grateful that he is still around.

As I've noted before, my uncle served in the military and was deployed to Iraq for about sixteen months, missing the last few months of his wife's second pregnancy and the adorable little girl's birth.

He has gone through a lot of hard things; despite that, he is still true to himself and his beliefs. I am so proud to be a part of his life and to have shared so much of it as I did. I can only hope that, as I grow older and mature, I can be more like him... and go visit all of them :)

That's So Gay

I was checking facebook a few minutes ago and it got my blood a-boiling!

I am friends with someone who used to work at Kmart with me, but I really just dislike her in almost every way. Honestly, she was a terrible worker. Since then, she posted incorrect information about Barack Obama's heritage and then blasted me and another person for politely correcting her mistakes.

Anyhow, someone had commented on her status and they got into a little conversation. The friend was sad that my "friend" couldn't stay at school longer after the play and referenced it was being "gay."

Here's a video explaining how I feel if you're tired of me ranting (I love the Wanda one).

If you think something is bad or stupid, say it's bad or stupid. There are at least half a dozen other adjectives you can use to describe something.

I could say that something is SO Kayla or teenage girl who doesn't do anything, but that would be rude right? How much ruder would it be if I said "that's so crime victim?"

So, seriously, please find a word that ACTUALLY describes your situation/problem/whatever. I'm pretty sure an oppressed group is not what you want to talk about.

Kthxbai.

Oh, and in case you have a fever, here's two videos as your prescription.

More On Proposition 8

I'm still pissed that it passed.

Religion shouldn't be involved in politics at all. If we are truly a nation with separation of church and state, then gay marriage shouldn't be an issue. Theron says that marriage shouldn't be a word or concept that is allowed in the Constitution, and after giving it some thought, I'm still on the fence. Even if it isn't a religious wedding, we all say that we're "getting married," not a civil union. While marriage really was a religious idea, I think that it's changed to mean a joining of two lives, a partnership between two faithful, loyal, and loving people. If we say that marriage shouldn't be in the Constitution, then we need to call all "marriages" civil unions. If people want to call it marriage, more power to them. Maybe then people won't be so upset with gay people getting the right to marry whomever they want.

This story on CNN really frustrated me. This issue is a big one in my family, because my parents are Mormon and I am not. In fact, my whole extended family is Mormon. I know that my mom is upset with the protests around Mormon areas that the church's support for Prop 8 has brought, even if she hasn't said anything to me. However, I think that the church should've been prepared for it, not to mention that churches should NOT be getting involved in political matters in the first place.

Anyway, here are some parts of the story that really struck me:

"It is disturbing that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is being singled out for speaking up as part of its democratic right in a free election," the church said in a statement Friday.

On Thursday, Roman Catholic and Mormon leaders said their efforts did not target any specific group.

The coalition of religious communities and citizens who supported Proposition 8 wanted to preserve "the bedrock institution of marriage" between a man and a woman, said Cardinal Roger Mahoney, the Catholic archbishop of Los Angeles.

"Proposition 8 is not against any group in our society," Mahoney said in a written statement.

_____

The American Civil Liberties Union, Lambda Legal and the National Center for Lesbian Rights have filed a lawsuit contending the ballot initiative was "improperly used."

According to the three groups, "such radical changes" as outlawing gay marriage cannot be made by ballot initiative, but must, "at a minimum, go through the state legislature first." The groups also argue the measure takes away a "fundamental right" from lesbian and gay Californians.

The three organizations filed the legal challenges on behalf of Equality California and six same-sex couples who did not marry before Tuesday's election, but would like to be able to wed now.

The three groups contend that California must honor the marriages of the 18,000 lesbian and gay couples who have already married.

______

First off, if I'm not mistaken, isn't there some rule that says churches aren't supposed to get involved in politics or endorse certain people? Wouldn't that apply to issues too? They shouldn't really even talk about abortion, let alone gay marriages. Anyway, I love how the churches say that this isn't a measure attacking any group of "our" society. I know they probably meant that their intention is not to attack anyone, but that's exactly what they're doing.

Using the Bible to back up the argument against gay marriage is just like people using it to justify slavery or polygamy. Religious people need to understand that the Bible is NOT to be taken literally anymore. If being gay is such a crime, then why haven't gay people been wiped off the earth Old Testament style? Oh wait, that's what people think AIDS is all about right?

I'm tired of the old mindset. This is the twenty-first century and times are changing. If you don't want to be a part of the change, then move somewhere else. This is America - land of the FREE and home of the BRAVE - and here we accept each person as s/he is and we give them certain inalienable rights. You can have your ideas, your preferences, but you do not have the right to limit how other people can do things. If what Ellen is doing is actually causing YOU harm, then you have a right to mad. Otherwise, shut up because no one is going to make you marry a gay person.

Really? I - I - Really?

So I recently read this story, which just put into words what CNN and other news organizations were saying:

Seven in 10 African Americans who went to the polls voted yes on Proposition 8, the ballot measure overruling a state Supreme Court judgment that legalized same-sex marriage and brought 18,000 gay and lesbian couples to Golden State courthouses in the past six months.

"I think it's mainly because of the way we were brought up in the church; we don't agree with it," said Jasmine Jones, 25, who is black. "I'm not really the type that I wanted to stop people's rights. But I still have my beliefs, and if I can vote my beliefs that's what I'm going to do.

"God doesn't approve it, so I don't approve it. And I approve of Him."

The overwhelming rejection of same-sex marriage by black voters was surprising and disappointing to gay rights advocates who had hoped that African Americans would empathize with their struggle.

Pablo Correa said his mind was made up by a TV spot in which a young girl comes home from school and tells her mother she learned how a prince could marry a prince.

Really? I can kinda understand the church argument, but really?

I thought that black people, especially those who had lived through (or relived through stories) the era of interracial marriage banning AND the era where blacks couldn't officially get married at all, would support the homosexuals. Am I really just too far out there? Does religion override their ability to help people in a similar situation?

I am really sad that this ban passed. Eventually, gay marriage will be allowed (most) everywhere, but I really felt like now was the time. If we're so ready for change and equality, why can't we grant it to the group that is the most discriminated against?

This argument that children will have to learn about princes marrying princes is bullshit. Kids aren't taught about marriage of ANY kind in school until they're old enough to understand (aka middle school at the very earliest). Even then, this information is NOT shoved down their throats.

This election, with the exception of Obama being put in the White House, was a failure on many fronts. Not only did Proposition 8 pass, so did a ban on unmarried adoptions and foster care in Arkansas - which was directly aimed at gay couples.

That's right, because every gay child is the result of a gay parent...

All this discrimination is just freaking ridiculous. Since people seem to NOT understand the basis of the Constitution and Bill of Rights, I'm rewriting both.

This Is Your Victory

I'm reminded of the famous Goonies line "This is our time, it's our time down here."

I don't know whether it was because I knew I got to see Theron or because I knew Obama was president-elect, but I was eager to wake up this morning, to greet the sun with a cheery smile and not one of those classic "five more minutes" routines.

I know, deep down in my heart, that this is what our country needs. Hopefully other people will realize that soon too.

For a fun audio slideshow, via CNN, click here.

President Obama

:)

I am so excited for what the next four years (maybe even eight) will bring.

Theron says there is voting fraud going on, since he "didn't know wisconsin had 84 million voters."

But I am too happy to write more about anything. So I am going to go enjoy the rest of my happy election night and get ready to see my honey tomorrow :)

Peace & love y'all!

Imagine being told that, despite your great fortune in finding the person you want to spend the rest of your life with, you were not allowed to marry them. In the past, this issue affected minority groups such as African Americans and targeted interracial marriage specifically. Today, there are some who want to treat yet another group as a bunch of second class and unworthy citizens.


This is what California wants to do. After giving gay people the right to marry, they want to take it away from them.


If you live in Cali and can vote on this issue, please vote no. You don't have to be gay to support gay marriage. And if you don't want to support gay marriage, just think about not being allowed to marry the person of your dreams, even though you found each other.


If someone tried to tell me that I was forbidden to marry Theron or whoever it is that I'll end up with, I would do all that was in my power (and quite a bit beyond) in order to get my right to marry him set in stone. How incredibly unfair it is for us to deny a minority group the right to marry when every other group's right to do so is protected in the constitution. My perfect dream of the future is not just living with someone and sharing my life with him, but to have it legally documented that I commit myself to him for the rest of my life, that I love him enough with all of my heart to forgo all other potential mates and simply choose him. Without that piece of paper, I just love him - not saying that is not good enough, but it isn't the same.

--------------------------------------------

What Is Prop 8? (borrowed from votenoonprop8.com)

The following information will be included in the November ballot materials.


Ballot Title and Summary
Proposition 8:

ELIMINATES RIGHT OF SAME-SEX COUPLES TO MARRY.

INITIATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

Changes California Constitution to eliminate right of same-sex couples to marry. Provides that only a marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.


Fiscal Impact: Over the next few years, potential revenue loss, mainly sales taxes, totaling in the several tens of millions of dollars, to state and local governments. In the long run, likely little fiscal impact to state and local governments.


On August 8, 2008 Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Timothy Frawley ruled that the Attorney General’s Title and Summary of Proposition 8 is accurate.


Ballot Argument

OUR CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION – the law of our land – SHOULD GUARANTEE THE SAME FREEDOMS AND RIGHTS TO EVERYONE – NO ONE group SHOULD be singled out to BE TREATED DIFFERENTLY.


In fact, our nation was founded on the principle that all people should be treated equally. EQUAL PROTECTION UNDER THE LAW IS THE FOUNDATION OF AMERICAN SOCIETY.


That’s what this election is about – equality, freedom and fairness, for all.


Marriage is the institution that conveys dignity and respect to the lifetime commitment of any couple. PROPOSITION 8 WOULD DENY LESBIAN AND GAY COUPLES that same DIGNITY AND RESPECT.


That’s why Proposition 8 is wrong for California.


Regardless of how you feel about this issue, the freedom to marry is fundamental to our society, just like the freedoms of religion and speech.


PROPOSITION 8 MANDATES ONE SET OF RULES FOR GAY AND LESBIAN COUPLES AND ANOTHER SET FOR EVERYONE ELSE. That’s just not fair. OUR LAWS SHOULD TREAT EVERYONE EQUALLY.


In fact, the government has no business telling people who can and cannot get married. Just like government has no business telling us what to read, watch on TV or do in our private lives. We don’t need Prop 8; WE DON’T NEED MORE GOVERNMENT IN OUR LIVES.


REGARDLESS OF HOW ANYONE FEELS ABOUT MARRIAGE FOR GAY AND LESBIAN COUPLES, PEOPLE SHOULD NOT BE SINGLED OUT FOR UNFAIR TREATMENT UNDER THE LAWS OF OUR STATE. Those committed and loving couples who want to accept the responsibility that comes with marriage should be treated like everyone else.


DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIPS are NOT MARRIAGE.


When you’re married and your spouse is sick or hurt, there is no confusion: you get into the ambulance or hospital room with no questions asked. IN EVERYDAY LIFE AND ESPECIALLY IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS, DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIPS ARE SIMPLY NOT ENOUGH. Only marriage provides the certainty and the security that people know they can count on in their times of greatest need.


EQUALITY UNDER THE LAW IS A FUNDAMENTAL CONSTITUTIONAL GUARANTEE. Prop 8 separates one group of Californians from another and excludes them from enjoying the same rights as other loving couples.


Forty-six years ago I married my college sweetheart, Julia. We raised three children – two boys and one girl. The boys are married, with children of their own. Our daughter, Liz, a lesbian, can now also be married – if she so chooses.


All we have ever wanted for our daughter is that she be treated with the same dignity and respect as her brothers – with the same freedoms and responsibilities as every other Californian.


My wife and I never treated our children differently, we never loved them any differently and now the law doesn’t treat them differently, either.


Each of our children now has the same rights as the others, to choose the person to love, commit to and to marry.

Don’t take away the equality, freedom and fairness that everyone in California – straight, gay or lesbian – deserves.


Please join us in voting NO on Prop 8.

Rock the Vote!

Vote. Do it. Everyone who's anyone is doing it. *peer pressure*



NOTE: If the video isn't done loading onto youtube, I am sorry. I have to run, so check back in a bit to see if it works then.

<3

L Is For The Way You Look At Me

Yesterday we were talking about love in one of my religion classes. I really like Dr. Vance - he's a great professor, but in general he's an awesome guy. But I digress...

We were talking about the difference between being in love with love itself and being in love with the person you think you're in love with. Augustine said that the bishop's curse is to be in love with the fact that he loves God, not actually loving God himself. But I began to think that this curse could be applied to romantic love as well. This led to a HUGE epiphany for me - and right in the middle of class too!

It made me think of my past relationships. In high school, I was really in love with love and the fact that I was 'loved.' And even some of my more recent relationships seem to be the same thing. As much as I loved Adam and Nando both, it seems like I was still in that phase. And it seems like most of my insecurities and anxiety/separation issues stem from that problem. I never knew when the love was gonna wear off, and I was so scared it would be the second we were apart.

But with Theron... it's completely different. While I don't like that we don't get to see each other all that much right now, I'm okay with it. I can honestly say that I want the best things in the world to happen to him and for him. Hopefully, our happily ever afters match up and the best things for him involve me. As sad as it would be if they didn't, I love him so much that I will just be grateful for the time that I've gotten to spend with him. I really am in love with him, and it feels so amazing.

:)

EDIT: I decided, since I got a camera now, to post this as a video - my first vlog! ZOMG!

A World Away...

And this poor guy is being forced to fix his lawn?

Jensen's wife, just like my aunt did, chose to return to her family's home with her child while her husband is overseas serving our country. I can understand that he could hold the wife responsible, maybe saying that she could've made other arrangements. However, he seems to not be sympathetic to this family's problems, as is displayed in his own words:

"I really don't give a [expletive] where he is or what his problem is," said Chick Edwards, owner and developer of the 47-lot subdivision at the south end of Oak Street in Kennewick.

"It doesn't matter to me," said Edwards, who insists Jensen has violated terms of the homeowners-association covenants requiring that landscaping be completed within one year after an occupancy permit is issued for a home.

"[Jensen] doesn't have the right to walk away from his obligation," said Edwards, who as the developer is the only member of the homeowners association. "I have most of the property still, so I am the homeowners association," he said.

I'm sure that if Jensen had the choice, he would MUCH rather have stayed home and taken care of the lawn and such instead of being over in the middle east dodging bullets and car bombs. He didn't just walk away from his obligation sir, and it's so sad that you think that.

Fried Obama?

I just saw this on CNN and it really got my goat.

Some Republican party member put up some of these fun fake bills. Notice anything wrong with them?

The biggest opponent to these fake bills? Another Republican party member, who cites these racist remarks as a big part of why more African Americans do not join the Republican party, even if it's mostly what they believe in.

The husband of the woman who has been distributing them says they're not racist at all, asking if spaghetti and meatballs are racist too. Their daughter says it's not racist because it's just food and she eats chicken and ribs and watermelon. She wants to know who decided that these are stereotypes, because it certainly wasn't her.

Amazingly enough, I eat ribs and chicken too! Yet, I still find this racist... Hmm I wonder why. Let's see here... We have fried chicken, ribs, watermelon, koolaid, Obama as a donkey, and these are all on food stamps. Tell me how this ISN'T racist.

(For more on the actual story, go here. As a note, I am an Obama supporter because I believe in him, his plans, and that he is the lesser of two evils. However, if I was not an Obama supporter, I still would believe this is racist. This is not me trying to get pity votes for him or anything else along those lines. This is simply me trying to show that race is still a big issue in the U.S. despite years of 'acceptance and equality.')

Oh Ringo!

Ringo Starr is refusing to answer anymore fan mail or sign anymore autographs because he is "too busy."

I can understand you not wanting to answer every letter my friend, or sign every autograph, but the fans are what getcha money! If you don't do nice things for them, then you probably aren't going to do as well in the pop industry. McCartney is going to outsell you again, not just because he's a better musician (haha) but because he's nice to the fans.

At least you put a cut off date on your refusals. In the meantime though, I bet you're going to get a lot of 'great dislike' mail (I won't say hate, because nothing can make me hate a Beatle) with people being all sad that you don't like them anymore!

Unfortunately, having fans is part of the game. You have to please them, since they pay your checks. But, good luck Ringo. Hopefully you get what you want out of this not wanting to be so busy business.

Miss Independent

So, in watching the, uh, Presidential debate the other day, I started wondering... Who is running on the Independent ballot? CNN hasn't talked about it - Fox News hasn't talked about it. WTF?

Sooo, I decided to go a-searchin' to get some answers... Oh, how I love the interweb.

Surprise, surprise - Ralph Nader is running again. His VP would be one Matt Gonzalez. He really hasn't done that much of note. While normally I would say that Nader needs to give up on running (isn't this like the third time he's run?), this might be his year. I sincerely hope not, but you never know. Enough people are tired of the two choices that are always being televised...

Bill Ingram, with VP Jon Greenspon, is also running. Apparently he's from Wisconsin? I never heard of him before today. Here are their goals for the first week of their stay in the White House if anyone else magically knows they're running:

During the first 178 hours, not days or weeks, We intend to:

1. Go to Iraq and Afghanistan.
2. Stop unchecked earmark spending in the United States Congress
3. Put the Southern US Border Fence on a fast track to protect American citizens, and
4. Give America back to the people.

Seems like a friggin' tall order to me.

And Bob Barr is also running. Wayne Allyn Root would be his VP. These Libertarians really have no chance. Not that I think any of these crazy Independents do...

I'm all registered to vote now. If you plan on doing so, the deadline in Wisconsin (unless you plan to do so when you vote) is October 15th, so get on it. If you don't plan on voting, don't whine if you don't get your way. :)

So the Brewers lost

Ryan Braun is staying classy, as are all of the Brewers. Most athletes like that nowadays seem to be an exception, which I think is so sad.

We had a great year - heck, we made the playoffs! In the end, the Phillies were just a better team. If they hadn't won the first two games, I'm sure we'd still be in it right now. Congrats to them and I hope they do some good out there.

Over at Brew Crew Ball, we're already starting to get excited about next year - I guess that's the great thing about sports, there's always another season. More talk about Sabathia is starting to happen - Will we keep him? Should we ditch injury-ridden Sheets and pick up Sabathia, or should we rest our laurels on Sheets and Gallardo again? Personally - and I love Ben, don't get me wrong - I think it's time to pick up CC if he's willing to stick around. Look at how much he's done for our team! I honestly don't think we'd have made it as far as we did without him. He is so classy and such a great example for the rest of our young team. Unfortunately, I don't have the money to donate so we can keep Ben & CC. We'll see what Mark Attanasio decides to do.

I'll definitely be following Brewers news in the off-season and I hope you will too.

On a fun non-baseball note: I have the first cold of the season... and I hate it. Being allergic to pretty much all cold medicine (aside from cough drops) is just making my life a living hell :(

Well, shucks...

Oh Brewers... Poor CC. I wish that they would've taken him out earlier. I love the guy, but clearly he wasn't playing well - leaving him in didn't help us at all or his self-esteem any. I felt like Sveum forgot Yost was gone... Hopefully it's not the last we see of him and we can end on a good note.

So Saturday we should win - I won't say we will again in case it's me that's cursing them. Ueck is throwing out the first pitch, which might help give the guys some motivation?

True to the "you are what you eat" theory, Fielder says he's garbage (of course I'm kidding, I love the fluffy guy). I honestly hope that he doesn't believe that because it's not going to help him - or the team - mentally at all.

For more on the subject, you can visit KLSnow's Frosty Mug at Brew Crew Ball. I stole his links, but it's okay since I cited it. :) Oh the joys of college history papers...

Ohhhh and you know how Ryan Braun was blogging about the post-season run? I missed the one after the first game, but here's the latest installment (don't mind my advertisements). He says that there hasn't been a drop in confidence, but, as much as I love him (yes, I love everybody), I highly doubt that's the case. I even have a drop in confidence and I don't play for them! Although, if Bush can't pitch well Saturday night, I might just sneak out of work and into the bullpen... I can make it to home plate at least.

Judgement Day!

It's here! Just an hour and a half more until the showdown between the Brewers and the Phillies beings.

Since y'all know by now how much I love Ryan Braun, I was ecstatic to hear that he had blogged about the situation the ball club is now in. (Thanks Theron for entertaining my obsession!)

I am so freaking excited not only for the game but also to be off work for the games today and tomorrow. Part of me is sad that it isn't in Milwaukee so I can't drive down and try to listen by the stadium, because I'm weird like that.

Let's go Brewers!

Goosebumps?

For some reason, all this post-season stuff I'm reading keeps giving me goosebumps. Could it be because Theron, his dad, and my stepdad are obsessed with the Brewers? That I've had to hear countless stories and opinions about how the Brewers have blown past chances? Or that I'm interested in a potential MVP and a potential Cy Young award recipient?

Whatever the case may be, Milwaukee is ablaze with Brewer fever. A rally was held yesterday at Summerfest grounds and over 14,000 people attended. I am so glad that I couldn't go - yikes! I think this is the best part of the article:

As Braun took the microphone, fans chanted, “MVP, MVP.”

They got even louder when Sabathia said he would start Game 2 on Thursday.

Brewers closer Salomon Torres continued working the crowd into a frenzy when he took his turn at the microphone.

“What’s up, Milwaukee?” he yelled. “I said, what’s up Milwaukee? Twenty-six years you’ve been waiting. Twenty-six years! You can wait no more!”

After thanking Brewers fans for their support, Torres acknowledged that the road to the playoffs wasn’t a smooth one.

“I know it’s been a very, very hard season for all of us,” he said. “At times, a lot of people thought, ‘We’re not going to make it.’ ”

Torres paused. The crowd rumbled.

“But we’re here!” he yelled. The crowd erupted.

AND in case you've been hiding underneath a rock, Gallardo is starting game one of the series against the Phillies. With him pitching, here's the confirmed lineup:

1. Mike Cameron CF
2. Bill Hall 3B
3. Ryan Braun LF
4. Prince Fielder 1B
5. J.J. Hardy SS
6. Corey Hart RF
7. Rickie Weeks 2B
8. Jason Kendall C
9. Yovani Gallardo RHP

It's pretty much business as usual, just with more at stake.

Imagine how crazy this could all get if we beat the Phillies... or if we don't. Either way, it'll be a circus, but the fans here crave vindication - we need this. All we've heard about the past few years is how good the team is gonna be and how far they'll get. I can honestly say though that, although I hoped that we'd get to this point, I wasn't sure we could do it until we got Sabathia. And even then, I knew it'd be close. But for me, faith in the team was renewed when Ryan Braun stepped up to the plate Thursday night with the bases loaded. Right then I knew he'd hit a grand slam and win us the game. With the loss on Saturday, my hopes dipped a bit, but I knew we could blow the opposition away on Sunday with CC on the mound.

And now, with Yoga taking the mound in game one, I'm confident that we can win it. The confidence grows with CC pitching game two.

The future brings with not only hope, but the true test of the Milwaukee Brewers - can they follow through with their plans? Do they have the determination? I'd like to think so.

Sleep well Milwaukee - dream about the glory that tomorrow brings.

I Promise!

I'm posting stuff after class today. I have a test in a few minutes here that I'm cramming for. Come back and check around 3 for more fun bloggings!

<3

BREWERS IN THE PLAYOFFS!!!?!?!?!!

That's right baby!

Ryan Braun hit a 2-run HR in the bottom of the eighth to put the Brewers ahead of the Cubs 3-1.

The Brewers play on Wednesday against the Phillies and will probably start Yovani Gallardo.

More to come later.

For now, PARTY!

Can U Meet Up 2nite?

Anyone else getting tired of hearing about problems people are getting into while texting? Seriously, don't people have the common sense not to stop in the middle of the street while texting? Or, you know, not operate a train?

In Silicon Valley, they're talking about banning texting while driving.

WHY CAN'T YOU JUST NOT FREAKING DO STUPID STUFF?

I text while I drive. I also text at school, at work, in the bathroom, even (gasp!) in the shower! Honestly, if you do almost anything in a smart way and in moderation, it can't hurt you. If you'd just determine the right time to text is not while crossing the street or driving a train with tons of lives on your shoulders, then you'd be fine!

People just talking on their phones have a hard time driving. Imagine that, unlike myself, they don't have the number/letter key configuration memorized, that they don't have the ability to text without looking with 98% accuracy. Those same people who can't drive and talk at the same time are now talking to others in the car, listening to music, not obeying driving laws, AND now their attention is drawn to making sure they're spelling something right?

Maybe texting while driving should be banned. Maybe there are only a select few of us can that do more than just walk and chew gum at the same time. Or maybe this is a case of the stupid few ruining it for the rest of us?

Talk amongst yourselves, I'm feeling a little furklempt.

One Whole Year!

As of tomorrow, Theron and I will have been together for a whole year.

It's funny to think of how much my life has changed in the past year. When I look back at my life before Theron, I just take for granted that he was there somehow.

I haven't seen him since move in day (almost three weeks!) but he's coming down today to spend the weekend with me. :)

That said, unless I see something ridiculous, I will not be online that much this weekend, much less posting bloggings about crazy stories... so have a good weekend everybody!

One Day More

In high school, awebunch of my friends (and my sister!) and I were in Les Miserables. While everyone ended up getting bronchitis and, in fact, being miserable, it was one of the funnest experiences of my life. SO, imagine my happiness while surfing Funnyordie.com (run by Will Ferrell and his friends - think YouTube but all comedy) today and finding this lovely video.

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

I'm spreading it around like wildfire. Palin as Madame Thenardier is amazingly awesome. Honestly, I think this is the best video since... umm... the press conference over Yost getting fired yesterday?

Who Wants My Virginity?

No, it's not mine - and trust me, I'm sure that Theron would object.

This girl is going back to school to get her masters and wants to create some "financial stability" for herself. I'm sorry, but how is prostitution going to create stability of any kind? This story just brings up a myriad of questions for me - how do we know she's a virgin? How can she be sure that whoever buys her virginity isn't going to a) hurt her, or, b) infect her with a disease or a baby?

She wants to get her masters in marriage and family therapy... What's a stunt like this going to do to her future marriage? How is her future husband going to react to this? Will it be something that they will be able to move past or will it ruin her future relationships?

Trust me, I believe that education is the key to our future. When we learn about the world around us, we can improve it and fix things that are currently wrong. However - and this could just be the feminist in me - I can't believe that anybody, let alone a woman who respects herself, can take part in this fiasco. I sincerely feel pity for this girl.

Maybe she's had too many of these chocolates?

The Beauty of Love

Love can make us jealous, whiny, annoying, clingy, bitchy, and just downright stupid...

But, love can also help us to endure the hardest of the hard & the worst of the worst. It can force us to be selfless in an otherwise self-centered world.

This is the only news story that I want to share today. This woman is in a coma in order to reduce the amount of pain that she is going through from her terminal strain of hepatitis. She was brought out of it long enough for her bedside wedding to her long time partner. She is only expected to live a few weeks longer.

I can understand that she must be in terrible pain if they have decided to keep her in a coma. Maybe it's just me - that I'm a hopeless romantic, that I'm so head over heels still after a year that I can't imagine being by Theron but not really being there, that I can't stand not seeing him for more than a week without getting amazingly lonely - but I can't imagine wanting to be in a coma - no matter how much pain I'm in - for the last few precious days and weeks of my life instead of staying awake with the people I love. Because of my health problems, I've thought about many of these types of scenarios and what I would do. I could understand if my husband didn't want to see me in pain so much - I would certainly sympathize. But I wouldn't want to be asleep so long before I die.

Even if I had to be in bed the whole time, if I had to eat through a tube, if I had to be pumped full of mega strength prescription meds, I would stay awake. I think I would suffer more to know that I was in a coma, going to die, and not spending time with someone that I love so much.

Politico!

Okay, so I had a million pages to read over the weekend in between working and all that fun stuff. Funny enough, part of my homework was to look up things about women in the news. I decided to look around the election areas to find some issues that obviously exist and are being pushed in everyone's face.

I think it's interesting to note that, in just about every teen pregnancy, we always get mad at the girls - like they could've done something to fix it... I really hate this double standard crap.

We were comparing issues that Palin and Clinton have been faced with in this campaign in my American women history class today, and comparing those to any issues that Obama and McCain have faced so far. Obama was criticized for the church that he attends and Rev. Wright's views. Palin's (former, but only because of her move to Juneau) church has some issues too. Sure, some people might see Obama's church as racist. I see Palin's former church as sexist and ignorant. Oh, and ignore the errors in the article... :)

If you don't like McCain, you can look up some of his short-comings here. However, if you have issues with Obama, click here.

EDIT: If you want information on the misconceptions surrounding Palin, here's yet another page from factcheck.org that Theron found.

You can expect to see more frequent blog postings as I nail down a real schedule here... Ohhh bad pun wording by the religious studies major...

I Have A Thing For Odd News

It's just too fun to not blog about.

Here's the weirdest news of all - David Spade is a dad. Not only that, no, but the mother is a Playboy Playmate?! Weird. The baby was born in late August. Hopefully, her doctor wasn't like this guy.

New Jersey is one crazy ass place. I think it's pretty sad that the youngest daughter has to raise all those kids now. But, thank g-d she wasn't home so that someone can take care of them.

This couple's will seems more like one that would've been left by an angry parent. However, I can see that the husband really never felt supported by his brother. I wonder what Robert thinks about all this now that his brother's dead and buried?

Oh! And breaking news! He Kexin, the little Chinese gymnast, is underage! Big surprise there. I doubt the Olympic Committee even cares right now, otherwise they'd have found out.

It always breaks my heart to see children treated poorly. That's a big part of why the following stories bother me.

An older couple in Arizona kept their grandson in a closet. Unlike Harry Potter, this young child was not allowed to attend school, play, have friends - anything. He was barely allowed out of the closet and barely given food. He weighs a mere 48 pounds at age nine.

You'd think if you were having a class sleepover that security would be pretty tight right? Or at least that the guardians on site would sleep in shifts in case the kids needed potty help or something. Unfortunately, this class down under didn't think about that. I want to know what the hell these guys were doing in the building, let alone waiting in the toilet. I think that they knew someone female was gonna have to use the bathroom during the night, and when it was a little girl that just made them happier. I hope that she is okay.

Weird News

I'm trying everything I can to avoid taking about Sarah Palin... and more importantly her pregnant, engaged seventeen year old. So enjoy these odd stories I found in the den of the enemy (aka Fox News).

Ever feel like you wanted to take your mother with you everywhere you go? What about your girlfriend's mom? Well, now you can! The new 'Mom in a suitcase' will help you to keep close and cuddily contact with your mommy (or a friend's) without being embarrassed by cheek kisses in front of others. Supplies are limited so call today!

For those moms out there constantly embarrassed by their children, there is also help. No longer do you have to worry about locking your daughter in the trunk, a la Casey Anthony, but you can rent a storage unit to hide them in too!

Speaking of trunks, this Brazilian man survived three whole days locked in a trunk.

And here's why you don't do drugs... or rather, why you don't approach homeless guys to ask for drugs and then invite them back to your apartment. And really, Saw? Couldn't he have picked a movie with a little more umph to it?

Thank G-d

I don't have anything else to lug up the five flights of stairs to my dorm room.

Yesterday was move-in day. Theron and I were able to get everything upstairs in a relatively good amount of time. We got most of it done early, so maybe that's why it was easier. It seems like most people waited until a little later to show up and start moving.

I got everything done yesterday that I needed to, which is so nice. We had a floor meeting last night and I guess most of the girls on my floor are freshmen, so it was a little awkward because no one wanted to talk, but they seemed nice.

My bed is extremely comfortable. I actually woke up at a regular time because I didn't feel as though I slept poorly. Theron gave me a whole bunch of his posters, so it doesn't feel naked in here... and his cow ottoman - it's so cute!

I know that the biggest thing I will have trouble with is being more outgoing. I tend to isolate myself when there are people I don't know very well unless I'm at work (don't ask, I don't get it either). Hopefully when I get home from work one night, I'll be able to branch out a little more and be a little less anti-social.

The Sex Files

David Duchovny really is a freaky m-f-er. Then again, I suppose that sex is a much better addiction than anything else he could be exposed to in Hollywood. Given his recent Showtime show Californication, however, it could be expected. It's still kinda weird to think of him as a sex addict though.

I guess McCain has picked a woman for his VP. I'm sure it's so that people will vote for him based on the "I wanted Clinton because I'm a feminist" situation. I wonder what her position is on drilling for oil in Alaska?

The classic cartoon move comes to life! Of course, it didn't turn out exactly right, but the baby is okay at least.

I'm not entirely sure how this kid was planning on using the heart or the eyelids for that matter, since I'm sure they both would've brought up a lot of questions. It makes me wonder if it's something that his former heart's owner planned on... similar to The Eye, which was a much better movie than I thought it'd be.

And, speaking of attempted murder, Steve Jobs' obituary was recently published in Bloomberg News. I guess they make pre-death obituaries in order to get the story out faster when the death occurs, and it accidentally got published. I wonder what they'll do when he actually dies now.

At least they got it fixed before death. This poor witch was executed and just recently was exonerated. I guess she was Europe's last executed "witch" but the last witch trials in Salem were held almost a year earlier. How very odd.

Oh, and to avoid losing your head like the witch, I wouldn't go to Mexico right now... or at least the Chichi Suarez and Buctzotz regions.

Hefty Fines

I apologize for my long absence once again. All my free time has been going to organizing school stuff and finding cute things for my dorm room... not to mention a weekend away at Theron's.

Air Canada might face some fines should there be an accident where a life vest would save a passenger's life who dies in the future. It's removing the life vests from the airplanes it controls in order to save money on fuel and lose some weight. Seems to me that you should work on getting bigger planes than losing precautionary measures that can save lives.

The Dalai Lama is in the hospital! He'll be fine, just undergoing some tests for a bout of abdominal discomfort.

AND this ridiculous spider killed a family dog. I feel bad for them, but honestly the guy with the arm bite on this page seems more worse off.

Speaking of worse off, this baby's cancer was diagnosed simply from a picture. How amazing is that?

Joe Biden!

When the Presidential race started earlier this year, I was cheering on Delaware Senator Joe Biden. During the debates he continued to impress me with the answers he gave. I was sad when he left the race, but knew that I would see him again as Obama's VP.

Biden understands that we can't just pull out of Iraq right away, that it needs to be done carefully and in stages, otherwise chaos will ensue in that region... again. He grew up a regular middle-class kid and has worked so hard to get where he is. He brings a huge amount of experience to the Obama ticket.

He can be quite wordy, which takes away from what he has to say. However, being the same way, I know that he doesn't mean to. He just is trying to fit so much information into everything he says - both in order to get hiss ideas/answers out there and to seem smarter.

All in all, I think Biden was a great choice for VP. I'm excited for them to get into the White House and make some much needed changes.

It'll be interesting to see who McCain chooses as his VP.

I'm Better Off Without You

So my ex from high school called me the other day. I was at work, and we ended up playing a nice game of phone tag. I finally was able to get back to him tonight, only to have him tell me that he never wants to talk to me again. John is ridiculously stupid, so it's not like it's that big a deal.

I clearly have no problem with this other than the fact that we never talk anyway. He went out of his way to call me for the first time in three or four months to tell me he doesn't want to talk to me... Literally, I've talked to him twice this year.

Apparently when I broke up with him the first time (yes, there was more than one), it really screwed him up. We had an honest conversation a few months back about his fiancee and how threatened I felt when we had been going out. One of the biggest reasons I broke up with him was because of the relationship that I could see beginning to form. I knew at some point that it would come down to her or me, and that I would be the one left out.

The funniest thing about this whole conversation was that I kept thinking about Theron - how much more eloquently he would put it, how there would be no phone call if I had broken his heart and he moved on, how ridiculous it all was.

It's amazing how someone from the past can remind you how good you have it right now.

I'm sure that it's embarrassing for Theron to read about himself and how wonderful I think he is, but I like embarrassing him. :) He really is amazingly wonderful. There might be days where I get annoyed with him, where I'm not as understanding of his needs, where I flirt with other people a little too much... But he is my dream man. He's everything that I've read and dreamed about since I was a little girl, and sometimes I forget that I went for so long without him. I love him more than he'll ever know, and I'm so excited for the rest of our lives to start.

Bad Girl

No, loyal readers, this won't be about my latest series of comments on Brew Crew Ball. Instead, this is about physical discipline in our schools.

As a youngster, I attended Yujin Gakuen, a Japanese Immersion elementary school which has since set up programs in Colin Kelly Middle School and North Eugene High School. I only attended for kindergarten and a bit of first grade, mostly due to an illness, but also in part because of the way they handled me and the other children.

My illness, Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (Still's Disease), has been so bad in the past that it has prevented me from doing things that normal children love to do physically. During first grade, we were required to sit "criss-cross-applesauce" in our Japanese classes. One day, after recess, I couldn't sit that way due to the amount of pain that it caused. I tried explaining to the teacher, but she wasn't listening and didn't care. She picked me up by the wrist, suspending me in mid-air as she spanked me several times. She put me down and then forced my legs into the criss-cross position.

Physical discipline in Eugene (as well as the whole state of Oregon I believe) is illegal. She did not ever get reprimanded for her actions towards me, but she did later reprimand several other students and resigned.

I can confirm what the CNN article indicates - physical discipline does not help children act better. It simply makes them afraid of their parent/guardian/teacher/etc. And, as in my case, it's not always warranted punishment. It doesn't really help anyone to understand the reasoning behind why they are being punished. Honestly, detention helps kids understand and avoid repeating their actions more effectively.

I vote that physical discipline in our public schools should be banned. Private schools already don't have to follow the same rules, and it would be hard to demand they follow this one as well.

I Now Know All Of Downtown Milwaukee

Not too long after admitting to the world that nobody really likes me and I didn't have any friends, the ones that paid attention more than I thought stepped up to help cheer me up.

I went to Milwaukee with Ali yesterday, after eating tasty Culvers kids meals for lunch. We parked not super far away from where we wanted to go, but we weren't paying attention and we pretty much ended up walking all the way out to the lake, then all the way back over to the river. We took a boat tour, which was pretty fun. Although we had planned on going shopping a little, we didn't end up getting to because of how long we walked.

We watched part of "21" which ended up being a lot better than I thought it would.

Then another friend called me and we ended up going bowling over at AMF. I made a couple of new friends there.

We went back to the Bergs, a set of dorms at Carroll. One of my new friends is an RA, so we got to hang out in her room... and she showed me where I'll be in September. It could be because of the lighting, but that room looks terrible. :( It felt like a prison cell, and I am definitely not excited about that. Next year, I'm aiming for Charles House or being an RA.

It was a fun day, but I'm definitely paying for it right now. My calves are aching something terrible and I STILL have the headache that I had yesterday afternoon.

World War III?

Militarily, the United States is already stretched thin. We're in both Iraq and Afghanistan, with an invasion of Iran possible in the not-so-distant future. For the most part, our issues with North Korea have been resolved - or rather, it's not an issue at the moment. Add to that the millions of men and women stationed all around the world in strategic places (or just military bases) and it's even worse. Now imagine that Russia doesn't accept our demands regarding Georgia... or that Russia doesn't appreciate us choosing Georgia over them.

There is a cease-fire in effect, but we'll see how long that lasts.

According to Mikhail Gorbachev, Georgia surely started the conflict. But, according to the Georgian president, Russia started it, so who knows. Perspective is the name of the game.

I don't really have that much more to say on the subject. I don't know the history of either country that well, aside from during the wars of this century.

Yet Another Way to Screw Our Soldiers

I know it's happened to most of us - you go to the airport, getting ready to fly someplace where sunblock is gonna be your biggest worry... and then your bag is too heavy, so you have to pay extra fees. A minor inconvenience for us can turn into a major pain in the ass for our soldiers.

Imagine, if you will, that you're getting deployed to Iraq. You've said goodbye to your sobbing family and made it through security before nearly having a mini-breakdown in the bathroom. You've been told the items that you need to bring with you, and really the only extra things you have are a mini photo album of your family and friends, and drawings by your kids. You're flying on American to get to the base where you'll depart, so you know that, unlike on other airlines, you'll get to check more bags for free. The only problem is you have three bags, and American only lets you check two for free or up to 190 pounds worth of luggage.

Now, if you don't have a voucher from the military, you have to pay anywhere from $15 to $250 before you can board the plane. You might get reimbursed at the end, but that's not a guarantee since not every 'business expense' is refunded.

And what about coming home? The trip is the same, only maybe you lost some stuff while in Iraq, along with picking up some souvenirs for your family in Germany during your time there.

Why not make an exception for our men and women in uniform? Let's make it so that they don't have to have a wavier or pay the extra money for necessities that they'll need going off to war. I don't think that's too much to ask for these people putting their lives on the line, whatever your view on the reasoning behind it may be.

Comedic Tragedies

In the past two days, two seriously funny people have passed away suddenly.

Bernie Mac, 50, passed away Saturday from complications related to pneumonia that forced him to be hospitalized. The last statement before notifying the world of his death actually said that he was responding well to treatment and recovering. Sadly, we all know that everything can change in a millisecond.



And today, at 65, singer Issac Hayes was found unconscious in his Tennessee home near a still running treadmill. I suspect, due to the treadmill still being on, that the cause of death is probably going to have been a heart attack. A little more than two years after leaving South Park over issues pertaining to Scientology (Hayes' religion and the famous subject of the South Park episode "Trapped in the Closet"), it seems as though Chef will never return to any screen.