On Pulling Your Head Out of Your Ass

So the whole "blog every day in April" thing... hasn't happened. Sorry, I've been busy.

Every generation has its civil rights issue. Ours is homosexuality, and I think, for the sake of the future of our society, it is something that should be addressed as soon as possible.

I'm not entirely sure what the people who hate homosexuals are basing their arguments on because I try to avoid talking to these people at all costs, but from what I hear, they're saying that it's in the bible. In the bible there are millions--I don't know an exact number--of scriptures, seven of which address homosexuality in some way or another, and most of which only mention it as a result of poor translation.

As for those who use the God-made-man-for-woman argument, of COURSE He did!! God isn't stupid, I'm sure He knew He had to make a man and a woman to make more people. That's how it works, if you have problems understanding that, it's your parents' fault, not homosexuals.

Lastly there is no excuse to hate anyone, let alone hating someone for something they cannot control. So pull your head out of your ass--it's against the sodomy law.

Also, I may do more posts on homosexuality because I really like this topic, and I haven't said everything I want to about it.

On College

In honor of National Tartan Day, yesterday, I decided to not post anything--yes, I forgot. Also, I'm not feeling very articulate today, so this post won't be anything special.

If I could have it my way, I would go to the University of Evansville. It's exactly what I want--comfortable university in a city that's big enough to actually do something in. But tuition is skyrocketing and it's looking less and less likely that I will be going there. Of course, I do have back-ups--Ball State University and Indiana State University--but I think there is something particularly difficult about letting go of a college that you've had your heart set on. 

Or maybe I'm over thinking things.

On Sarah Palin

Politics aside, Sarah Palin is a horrible human being. She never answers questions the way they were asked, she's vain, she is extremely biased, she gives us rationally-minded Christians a bad name, and her voice makes children cry. But, as much as I loathe this woman, and as much as it makes me sick to my stomach to say this, I think I have found an area where our beliefs overlap. This is, surprisingly, evolution.

In an interview with Katie Couric (one would think she would have learned her lesson the first time--but, no) she said the following

"I think it should be taught as an accepted principle, and I say that also as the daughter of a school teacher, a science teacher, who has really instilled in me a respect for science. It should be taught in schools, and I won't ever deny that I see the hand of God in this beautiful creation that is Earth... science should be taught in a science class."

I think--as insultingly stupid as she has--she has hit the nail on the head with this one. Evolution is the generally accepted scientific theory of the origin of species, and as such it should be taught in, of all places, a science class.

This kind of thinking can, and should, be applied in all realms of thinking--particularly when discussing education. For some reason, the parents who demand that certain books *cough*Huckleberry Finn*cough* (note: the link I posted in entirely satirical) not be taught in schools because they think that we should shield our children from the not so pretty parts of our history, or that certain words should be eliminated from use in schools despite their legitimacy as words and their possible rhetorical and syntactical usages, are relentless in their destruction of the educational system, and their insistence that their children can not form their own opinions and learn--let alone comprehend--difficult subjects.

On Indiana Weather

I'm going to keep this one short. Because I'm lazy.

Fact: Indiana weather is the worst, cruelest joke that mother nature has ever played on the human population. It never stays the same for more that three days, particularly during the spring and fall. Yesterday there were beautiful, blue skies all day, while I made my way out to my back porch to get a little writing done, that is until about 6 p.m., when the temperature dropped 19 degrees and the skies turned an overcast gray leaving today to be cold, gray, and rainy.

Don't get me wrong, I love rain... when it's warm. But this is simply ridiculous! It's spring break and the only thing that is springy is the wind and the influx of Facebook photos from beaches.

Until next time, enjoy the horrid weather.

On Nostalgia

Nostalgia, n: a wistful desire to return in thought or in fact to a former time in one's life, to one's home or homeland, or to one's family and friends; a sentimental yearning for the happiness of a former place or time: a nostalgia for his college days.

This evening my youth group gathered to watch Toy Story 3 together, which, if you've seen, you know the emotions that it conjures up within the viewer. 

Watching it the second time, I was able to focus more on the details of the plot, and appreciate it more in that aspect. However, two of the people watching had never seen it before, and watching their reactions reminded me of the first time I saw it and the feelings that came with remembering the first two films from my childhood.

And this, I believe, is the reason that Toy Story 3 was the most successful of the trilogy and why it is such a great movie to watch with friends. Nostalgia is so powerful because it causes people to recognize that they share emotions and memories with other people--something that transcends any other bond, religion, race, background, ethnicity, nationality, political alignment, prejudices, and any other way people try to divide themselves. Nostalgia gives people a common cause that doesn't carry hate with it.

Also, regarding blogging every day in April, I am not going to do an extra blog to make up for not doing one on the first. Get over it. :)

On Lists and Why I Hate Them

But before that, I would like to apologize to my six readers for not posting anything in a very long time. I've been extremely busy with school and making preparations for a coming trip to Italy and France this summer. That aside, my spring break is at hand meaning I have a few free hours here and there which I plan to spend blogging.

So, the list thing.

I hate lists, and I think the best way to illustrate why I feel the way I do about them is to show you my list for today with the things I've actually done marked out.

• Wake up on time
• Take a shower/other typical morning activities BEFORE doing anything else so I can actually get something done today
• Eat breakfast
• Get oil changed
• Get air in tires (living on a gravel road does weird things to tires)
• Actually finish chapter 2
• Get started on the first English essay
• Send in application for college open house
• Send in application for OLAB
• Turn off the Golden Girls marathon
• Write a blog post

In case you didn't get the point I was making, it was that I can make all the lists I want, but I almost never stick to them. Granted, I'm less prone to forget things, but, for the most part, with me, nothing really gets done until it absolutely has to.

The reason, I think, for my reluctance to do anything, is that I hate the idea of a list just as much as actually doing anything on the list itself. I'm too afraid that, if I actually follow through with absolutely everything on the list, my life will become more rinse-and-repeat than it already is. I'm reminded of a quote by Author Jack London

"I would rather be ashes than dust! I would rather that my spark should burn out in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry rot. I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. The proper function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time."

Lists feel too robotic--too much like I'm doing something simply for the sake of doing--even though I know that's not necessarily their purpose. I prefer to do things on-a-whim.

Lastly, to make up for my lack of blogging in a very long time, I am going to try--try, mind you--to blog every day in April. We'll see how long that lasts.

On a President's Day Deary

The only time that mass American Exceptionalism really pays off is on President's Day (and maybe the 4th of July simply because it's an excuse to blow things up). It's a pointless holiday, kind of like Groundhog's Day, except that most people get out of work and school. (The rest of the time American Exceptionalism is a nuisance and kind of annoying.)

So how did I spend my President's Day weekend? It started off on Saturday when I spent an our and a half walking through a local cemetery taking pictures of tombstones, like the one on the right of Opal who is last-name-less, to get ideas for a short story. Also, on Saturday I spent three hours at Barnes & Noble reading and people watching. (No, I don't feel creepy when I do this.) (Yes, this is how I spend my Saturdays.)

Then yesterday, in the evening, I went to youth group (or oof group, as my pastors' daughter calls it) where we talked about Glee and how awesome it is.

Today, however, I did nearly nothing of substance... nothing at all... I read a little... and wrote a little... and watched the rain a little... and ate some ice cream... a lot.

The reason that I post anything on this blog is because I think it is something that is worthwhile or important or funny. This post, however, is none of these. I suppose you could argue that simplicity is worthwhile, but I would disagree, simplicity is boring.

So there was really no point for me to post this, but I felt like I should write something so I didn't get into a rut of "I'll write something tomorrow" and then completely forget about this blog until I'm in college and look back on this pathetic little project and laugh at my immaturity.

That is all.