I want to talk about religion today. Specifically Christianity, but all others as well. It's been on my mind a lot this past week, and I would just like to have a general discussion of what I believe, what I don't believe, and how I feel. Feel free to comment about how I'm wrong, what you think I'm right about, how YOU feel, etc.
First of all, I am not a religious person. I don't KNOW what's out there - I don't know if there's a God, or many gods, or a giant tree, or a life as a hedgehog waiting for me when I die. I don't know, but I am not necessarily writing any of these off either. My eyes are open to signs, I'm open to proof in any direction, but as of yet, I haven't seen any.
I have a few major issues with Christianity specifically, and with organized religion as an idea. My issues with Christianity pretty much lie with God - Jesus was a cool guy, he said nice things and did what he could to make things better. God, on the other hand, is kind of a jerk. He's a little like an abusive boyfriend: you can't hang out with any other guys 'cause he's so jealous, he takes credit for the good things that happen but blame the bad stuff on you, and he tells you what to do and if you don't do it, you're screwed. I have issues with worshipping (shut up wiggly red line, I WANT TWO P'S IN THAT WORD) someone who does that kind of stuff. My biggest issue is the "you go to Heaven only if you believe in God" clause. I'm a pretty decent person - am I destined to burn in Hell JUST because I don't blindly believe in God? I don't think that's fair.
I feel like religion used to be a private, personal thing - you had this relationship with God, you prayed and went to church and had that community, and you lived your life in accordance with the Bible (or whatever it is you followed). Nowadays it's shoved in everyone's faces, forced to the foreground. I don't want your beliefs shouted at me as I walk down the street. I don't want to be forced to talk to someone about Jesus every time I step outside my house. That's what you believe, and that's awesome. I don't care. But you don't see me knocking on your door at 7 AM asking if I can tell you why God doesn't exist. I don't force pamphlets into your hands outside the mall detailing why you need to stop believing in Jesus or you'll be abducted by aliens. So you keep your beliefs in your house and your church, I'll keep my non-beliefs to myself, and we'll all be happy.
I'm not bashing anyone's beliefs, by the way. I respect everyone's equally: if I'm in a Christian household, I bow my head for grace; if I'm invited to Passover, I observe all of their traditions; if I were ever around Buddhists or Hindus, I would do my best not to offend them, too. Just because I don't believe doesn't mean I don't respect that you do. But if I respect your belief, I feel it's only fair that you respect my disbelief. Just don't try to convert me and we'll be fine.
Okay, so my issue with organized religion as a whole is this - it seems as though religion has become less and less about God and faith and compassion (which is really what all religions are about, being a good person and loving your God/s), and more and more about who is right. Who cares who's right? If you're a Jew and you think you're the ones who believe the right thing, why does it MATTER if I'm a Hindu and believe the wrong thing? Why does it MATTER, if you're Christian and I'm Buddhist, if I'm not going to Heaven? Why does it MATTER if Heaven doesn't exist, and all the atheists are right? Who really cares? Believe what you believe, do what you think is right, and let everyone else do their own thing. You're not going to force anyone into truly being a Christian, or a Jew, or a Buddhist, or WHATEVER, so just go about your own business. Love God or Allah or Krishna however you want, but LEAVE EVERYONE ELSE ALONE. Stop killing people over whose God is real. Stop attacking people for believing something you don't. I mean, we don't attack people for believing that French is a better language than Spanish, do we? We don't start wars over whether red is a better color than blue. No one has to die over anyone's opinion on Crocs, so why is religion different? If I'm allowed to hate Spanish, love red, and burn a pile of Crocs on my front lawn without a war breaking out, why am I not allowed to be an atheist without starting something? (... for the record, I want to speak both French and Spanish, like both red and blue, and DETEST Crocs. :D)
I just don't understand. I don't understand how some people can call themselves "Christian" while rejecting everything that Jesus Christ taught. I don't understand why these people get to go to Heaven while I'm not good enough. I don't understand why no one can see that all religions are exactly the same at the core - do good things, be a nice person, love your fellow man. And I know that a lot of the religion thing is the relationship with God, which is great and wonderful and I sometimes wish I had that, but that shouldn't be between anyone but you and God. Don't drag me into it hoping to convert me, don't use it to try to prove someone of a different faith "wrong," don't talk about it unasked or without some real reason. Your relationship with God should be private, while the benefits of that relationship should be public - your heart, your soul, your love, your kindness. These are the things we need more of, not arguments over whose God could kick whose God's omnipotent butt.
While we're at it - atheists, QUIT BEING JERKS. There is no reason for you to bash people for believing something YOU don't, either. I know, they started it by preaching to you, but SERIOUSLY. Just quietly don't believe in God, and if someone's offending you by all means speak up, but other than that, just LET IT GO. There's no need to offend people or just generally be mean. Like I said above, you keep your beliefs to yourself, we'll KEEP OUR NON-BELIEFS TO OURSELVES, and everyone will be happy, yeah? YEAH?! (I'm serious. It's just as pointless for an atheist to try to convince a Christian that God doesn't exist as it is the other way around.)
Okay. So this is my religion post. I might have more to say about it sometime, but aside from comments I'm hoping to leave it alone for a while. I don't like to talk about religion. I never want to offend people, but I don't want to be converted. I just don't. I don't want to believe in the Christian version of God, because I don't agree with what he teaches and I can't see any proof that he exists. The minute that changes, I'll let you know.
You want to know what I believe in? The majesty of nature. The mind-blowingness of science. Love of all kinds. The kind of magic that lives in nighttime car rides while blasting the Smiths with the windows down. Family and friends. Connecting to strangers in ways you never expected and creating amazing friendships. Music, how it can touch thousands of people in the same way, and yet differently. Evolution. Saving our planet. Helping people in need. Perhaps some force that helps and guides us, but how we ultimately have a choice. Dumbledore and Harry Potter. People, sometimes, though it's difficult when I watch the news. No day but today - I believe that there is only this, and we need to make it the best we can and improve it for the generations to follow. I don't care what happens after I die as long as I have made my life meaningful, touched someone else's life in a positive way, and hopefully made the world a little bit better for everyone else to live in.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Semi-accomplishment...
So last week I introduced the amazing goal-accomplishment challenge extravaganza. My goals for the week were:
2) Leave Post-Its with happy messages on them everywhere I go this week! -- FAILED
3) Give 10 random people a small present or a card. -- FAILED
44) Tweet a random fact every day. -- MOSTLY WON
31) Go to the gym thrice a week. -- FAILED
EPIIIC FAAAAIIIL. I didn't do any Post-Its or presents, but I Tweeted a fact every day but Friday and Saturday. I didn't go to the gym, but I did walk a lot on Wednesday, so perhaps that counts... buuuut I didn't do it again, so I still failed. D:
GO ME. =/ See, this is why I need this blog! This is why you're here! HELP ME NOT FAIL. I mean, if that's how well I do with stupid, easy tasks like those, HOW AM I EVER GOING TO DO THE BIGGER ONES?!
The next batch of goals will be slightly more important, with slightly longer deadlines. I will still be aiming for the gym three times a week, along with:
18. Learn at least three simple songs on my accordion,
27. Write some letters to the editor of the Sun News,
52. Start learning American Sign Language.
I will have two weeks to complete these three goals (posting some sort of proof, like a video of me playing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" on the accordion), so on the 7th we will find out if I get to be punished or not. :D The rules still stand for the gym, too - if I don't go to the gym or do some sort of vigorous physical activity AT LEAST TWICE a week, I shall be punished.
Which brings us to the topic of punishment for failing so hard this week! Yaaay. Please leave your suggestions in the comments, and we will vote on the best one. Then I will do it and upload some sort of proof (video, audio, whatevs) and everyone will have a grand laugh at my expense.
In other news, my face got wrocked off this week when I went to see The Parselmouths, The Moaning Myrtles, The Whomping Willows, Justin Finch-Fletchley, The Blibbering Humdingers, and ALL CAPS! :D It was pretty spectacular, and the trip was just generally awesome. <3 YAY HARRY POTTER. I am such a huge nerd. BUT I am okay with that. ^_^
Okay. So. That's about it for now. :D Suggest punishment ideas in the comments please!
2) Leave Post-Its with happy messages on them everywhere I go this week! -- FAILED
3) Give 10 random people a small present or a card. -- FAILED
44) Tweet a random fact every day. -- MOSTLY WON
31) Go to the gym thrice a week. -- FAILED
EPIIIC FAAAAIIIL. I didn't do any Post-Its or presents, but I Tweeted a fact every day but Friday and Saturday. I didn't go to the gym, but I did walk a lot on Wednesday, so perhaps that counts... buuuut I didn't do it again, so I still failed. D:
GO ME. =/ See, this is why I need this blog! This is why you're here! HELP ME NOT FAIL. I mean, if that's how well I do with stupid, easy tasks like those, HOW AM I EVER GOING TO DO THE BIGGER ONES?!
The next batch of goals will be slightly more important, with slightly longer deadlines. I will still be aiming for the gym three times a week, along with:
18. Learn at least three simple songs on my accordion,
27. Write some letters to the editor of the Sun News,
52. Start learning American Sign Language.
I will have two weeks to complete these three goals (posting some sort of proof, like a video of me playing "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" on the accordion), so on the 7th we will find out if I get to be punished or not. :D The rules still stand for the gym, too - if I don't go to the gym or do some sort of vigorous physical activity AT LEAST TWICE a week, I shall be punished.
Which brings us to the topic of punishment for failing so hard this week! Yaaay. Please leave your suggestions in the comments, and we will vote on the best one. Then I will do it and upload some sort of proof (video, audio, whatevs) and everyone will have a grand laugh at my expense.
In other news, my face got wrocked off this week when I went to see The Parselmouths, The Moaning Myrtles, The Whomping Willows, Justin Finch-Fletchley, The Blibbering Humdingers, and ALL CAPS! :D It was pretty spectacular, and the trip was just generally awesome. <3 YAY HARRY POTTER. I am such a huge nerd. BUT I am okay with that. ^_^
Okay. So. That's about it for now. :D Suggest punishment ideas in the comments please!
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Look at all these updates! Whooo!
It seems as though they have FINALLY capped the oil leak, and so far it's held up. They said the naked eye could even see the difference within just a few hours or something, so that's encouraging. Too bad it took them EIGHTY-NINE DAYS TO DO THIS. Although, there is "something" seeping near the oil well, but they're not sure what it is yet or if it's an issue. I guess we'll find out pretty soon, huh? It'll either explode and destroy the ocean, or it'll be okay. =/
In less important news, I've caught up with the vlogbrothers! Wooot. And my epic wizard rock concert of awesomesauce is only TWO DAYS AWAY. :DDD I can't even.
Okay, onto REAL business. The challenge thing is going okay so far. I've Tweeted my random facts, but I have yet to give presents or leave Post-Its (I'm planning to do a lot of that on my trip, though) and I haven't yet made it to the gym. BUT. I have tomorrow, then if there's a gym at the hotel, Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, and then Thursday and Friday. So. I can totally make it. :D I'm fairly excited. I know these are silly tasks, but considering a) how I haven't even been able to do half of them yet, b) how weird I am around people, and c) how long I've wanted to do this kind of stuff, I'm okay with starting off with these. The next ones will probably be some sort of real challenge, something I really want to do, and will be more interesting for me to blog about.
Changing subjects! A friend and I are writing a musical based on Twilight, only BETTER. It will very much be a parody, and it will be hilarious, and we will post it on YouTube when we're finished. It's actually going very well. We have a few songs completed, some scenes totally finished, and most of the cast assembled. We're very excited. Except for all the thinking about Twilight we have to do... that part sucks. =/
Anyway, friends, that is all from me tonight. Just a little update on some stuff. Leave me your thoughts, comments, questions, whatevs. I'll probably update Thursday, or maybe Wednesday night, after I get home. There will be many stories, and hopefully some success on the challenge front! :D STAY TUNED. I'M SURE IT WILL BE FASCINATING.
In less important news, I've caught up with the vlogbrothers! Wooot. And my epic wizard rock concert of awesomesauce is only TWO DAYS AWAY. :DDD I can't even.
Okay, onto REAL business. The challenge thing is going okay so far. I've Tweeted my random facts, but I have yet to give presents or leave Post-Its (I'm planning to do a lot of that on my trip, though) and I haven't yet made it to the gym. BUT. I have tomorrow, then if there's a gym at the hotel, Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, and then Thursday and Friday. So. I can totally make it. :D I'm fairly excited. I know these are silly tasks, but considering a) how I haven't even been able to do half of them yet, b) how weird I am around people, and c) how long I've wanted to do this kind of stuff, I'm okay with starting off with these. The next ones will probably be some sort of real challenge, something I really want to do, and will be more interesting for me to blog about.
Changing subjects! A friend and I are writing a musical based on Twilight, only BETTER. It will very much be a parody, and it will be hilarious, and we will post it on YouTube when we're finished. It's actually going very well. We have a few songs completed, some scenes totally finished, and most of the cast assembled. We're very excited. Except for all the thinking about Twilight we have to do... that part sucks. =/
Anyway, friends, that is all from me tonight. Just a little update on some stuff. Leave me your thoughts, comments, questions, whatevs. I'll probably update Thursday, or maybe Wednesday night, after I get home. There will be many stories, and hopefully some success on the challenge front! :D STAY TUNED. I'M SURE IT WILL BE FASCINATING.
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Exciting new project! GOAL ACCOMPLISHMENT!
A little over a year ago, I made a list of 102 goals I wanted to accomplish in my life. Some were short-term or of indeterminate deadlines, like learning a new language or finishing at Tech; and some were longer term, like living in NYC for a while or being a vegetarian for a year. After a year, I've crossed off 12 of my goals:
19. Write a speech.
20. Give it!
35. Get my chest tattoo.
39. Protest something.
47. Buy a new car.
50. Be nicer in my day-to-day life.
54. Sow sunshine - plant sunflowers!
55. Take a random road trip.
57. Try Thai food.
67. Dumpster dive!
98. Save a life.
100. Try a new food every month.
So you can see the variety in my goals. There are four languages, three instruments, two sports, two dances, three body mods, and more writing goals than you can shake a stick at. And this would all be well and good except... well, I suck at keeping up with things. This is how it usually goes for me:
DAY ONE OF NEW LIFE-CHANGING GOAL ACHIEVEMENT CHALLENGE!
Me: I'm SO PUMPED for this new goal! My life is going to be TOTALLY AWESOME when I lose weight/write a book in 30 days/learn to play guitar/make a dress/become a vegetarian! I'm totally doing it!
DAY FOUR OF NLCGAC!
Me: I am SO GOOD AT THIS. I've totally stuck to my goals and am going to CHANGE MY LIFE. Whoooo!
DAY FIVE OF NLCGAC!
Me: Whoops, I overslept/am too busy/really wanted a soda/am sick/stupid excuses. Guess I'll start over tomorrow!
DAY SIX OF NLCGAC!
Me: What is the point? Everything I try to do is stupid and I always fail and I can't do anything right. I might as well eat a whole pan of brownies/sleep 18 hours a day/waste my life on YouTube/quit school and my job because I SUCK AND WILL NEVER AMOUNT TO ANYTHING.
DAY ONE OF MY FAILURE AT EVERYTHING!
All of my friends and family: So how's that thing you were doing coming along?
Me: ... yeah, I had to quit that.
DAY ONE OF NEW LIFE-CHANGING GOAL ACCOMPLISHING CHALLENGE, FOR REAL THIS TIME!
Me: THIS TIME I'M SERIOUS. I'm going to TOTALLY win! I CAN DO IT!
Et cetera.
So, I'm total crap at accomplishing things, but that was what this summer was supposed to be about - I'm jobless, I'm not in school for three months, I've got all this free time, so I was going to spend it improving myself and doing things to make me happier. And as of halfway through July, I HAVE TOTALLY FAILED. :D Big surprise!
And that, dear bloggy blog, is where you come in. I am going to BLOG MY WAY TO SUCCESS. :D I figure with an audience/people who will be disappointed if I fail, I will have incentive OTHER than me just wanting it to happen. Also, as an added bonus, IF I FAIL, YOU GET TO PUNISH ME! :D If I state a clear goal, like "I want to weigh 30 lbs by July 23" (only more realistic than that, obvs) and I don't win, you, my dear readers, will be able to submit punishments and vote on the ones you like the most. Obviously they will have to be non-lethal, legal things, but humiliating and gross and painful are okay. :D DOESN'T THAT SOUND FUN.
So here's how it's going to work.
* I have 50 goals on my list (I trimmed some from my original list - things like "go to Europe" and "live in NYC for a while," things that are unachievable right now), excluding the two that won't be completed until next summer.
* There are 24 weeks until the end of the year (what?! When did that happen?), so if I can manage to accomplish a few goals every two weeks, because some of them are one-shots ("try Greek food") and some will take some time ("learn some German"), I think I can wipe out all 50 goals.
* I will put deadlines on them, and will update each Saturday to announce the new goals and deadlines, and to report on my progress. Pictures, if applicable, will be provided to prove it, but I am HEREBY SWEARING to tell you the truth. I will not pretend to have accomplished something if I haven't really done it. You have my word. As Gaga is my witness, my hand on the complete Harry Potter series, I will be entirely honest about my success or failure.
* If I fail to reach my goal, be it through laziness or forgetfulness (although if there is some circumstance beyond my control, we will have to come to an agreement about whether I should be punished or if there should be an extension), you may suggest punishments in the comments, and vote on the best one. I will then make a video or take a picture or make a post of whatever the punishment is and upload it to YouTube or this blog for alllll the world to see.
* If I succeed at completing all 50 goals by December 31, 2010... well, something cool will happen. I'll need suggestions on rewards or something awesome to do.
This week's goals will be starting small, and the deadline for the first three is next Saturday:
2) Leave Post-Its with happy messages on them everywhere I go this week! (something I've been wanting to do for a long time, akin to PostSecret, only with happy messages instead of secrets) This will be especially exciting since I am going on a ~*ROAD TRIP*~ this week. :D
3) Give 10 random people a small present or a card. ALSO EXCITING BECAUSE OF THE ~*ROAD TRIP!*~
44) Tweet a random fact every day. (Ongoing, but as long as I do it for a week, this will be counted as complete.) People who don't follow me on Twitter will be able to see my Tweets in the sidebar! <<< It's over there.
31) AND SUPER BONUS GOAL OF ONGOING DOOM: Lose 80 lbs by Halloween, 2010. This will be the big one, the hardest one, the one I most want to accomplish. I think if I manage this, I should get something special. :D We'll see. As far as progress goes, I will be aiming to go to the gym thrice a week and weighing in every Friday night. As far as punishment goes - if I fail to weigh in, no big deal. IF I FAIL TO GO TO THE GYM TWICE, meaning if I only go once a week or don't go at all, I GET PUNISHED. So starting tomorrow, I have to go to the gym three times this week, or next Saturday you guys get to fill the comments with delightful punishments.
SO THAT'S IT! Goals are programmed into my phone to remind me, all the rules are laid out in this uber-long complicated post, and we're off! Leave me your thoughts, feedback, reward ideas, whatever in the comments, and hey - tell your friends/family/coworkers/people in Starbucks/favorite waitress about this! I need all the support I can get, and the more people suggesting punishments, the more fun it will be! So pass the link around, and help me get myself in gear and finally cross some things off this darn list! :D
19. Write a speech.
20. Give it!
35. Get my chest tattoo.
39. Protest something.
47. Buy a new car.
50. Be nicer in my day-to-day life.
54. Sow sunshine - plant sunflowers!
55. Take a random road trip.
57. Try Thai food.
67. Dumpster dive!
98. Save a life.
100. Try a new food every month.
So you can see the variety in my goals. There are four languages, three instruments, two sports, two dances, three body mods, and more writing goals than you can shake a stick at. And this would all be well and good except... well, I suck at keeping up with things. This is how it usually goes for me:
DAY ONE OF NEW LIFE-CHANGING GOAL ACHIEVEMENT CHALLENGE!
Me: I'm SO PUMPED for this new goal! My life is going to be TOTALLY AWESOME when I lose weight/write a book in 30 days/learn to play guitar/make a dress/become a vegetarian! I'm totally doing it!
DAY FOUR OF NLCGAC!
Me: I am SO GOOD AT THIS. I've totally stuck to my goals and am going to CHANGE MY LIFE. Whoooo!
DAY FIVE OF NLCGAC!
Me: Whoops, I overslept/am too busy/really wanted a soda/am sick/stupid excuses. Guess I'll start over tomorrow!
DAY SIX OF NLCGAC!
Me: What is the point? Everything I try to do is stupid and I always fail and I can't do anything right. I might as well eat a whole pan of brownies/sleep 18 hours a day/waste my life on YouTube/quit school and my job because I SUCK AND WILL NEVER AMOUNT TO ANYTHING.
DAY ONE OF MY FAILURE AT EVERYTHING!
All of my friends and family: So how's that thing you were doing coming along?
Me: ... yeah, I had to quit that.
DAY ONE OF NEW LIFE-CHANGING GOAL ACCOMPLISHING CHALLENGE, FOR REAL THIS TIME!
Me: THIS TIME I'M SERIOUS. I'm going to TOTALLY win! I CAN DO IT!
Et cetera.
So, I'm total crap at accomplishing things, but that was what this summer was supposed to be about - I'm jobless, I'm not in school for three months, I've got all this free time, so I was going to spend it improving myself and doing things to make me happier. And as of halfway through July, I HAVE TOTALLY FAILED. :D Big surprise!
And that, dear bloggy blog, is where you come in. I am going to BLOG MY WAY TO SUCCESS. :D I figure with an audience/people who will be disappointed if I fail, I will have incentive OTHER than me just wanting it to happen. Also, as an added bonus, IF I FAIL, YOU GET TO PUNISH ME! :D If I state a clear goal, like "I want to weigh 30 lbs by July 23" (only more realistic than that, obvs) and I don't win, you, my dear readers, will be able to submit punishments and vote on the ones you like the most. Obviously they will have to be non-lethal, legal things, but humiliating and gross and painful are okay. :D DOESN'T THAT SOUND FUN.
So here's how it's going to work.
* I have 50 goals on my list (I trimmed some from my original list - things like "go to Europe" and "live in NYC for a while," things that are unachievable right now), excluding the two that won't be completed until next summer.
* There are 24 weeks until the end of the year (what?! When did that happen?), so if I can manage to accomplish a few goals every two weeks, because some of them are one-shots ("try Greek food") and some will take some time ("learn some German"), I think I can wipe out all 50 goals.
* I will put deadlines on them, and will update each Saturday to announce the new goals and deadlines, and to report on my progress. Pictures, if applicable, will be provided to prove it, but I am HEREBY SWEARING to tell you the truth. I will not pretend to have accomplished something if I haven't really done it. You have my word. As Gaga is my witness, my hand on the complete Harry Potter series, I will be entirely honest about my success or failure.
* If I fail to reach my goal, be it through laziness or forgetfulness (although if there is some circumstance beyond my control, we will have to come to an agreement about whether I should be punished or if there should be an extension), you may suggest punishments in the comments, and vote on the best one. I will then make a video or take a picture or make a post of whatever the punishment is and upload it to YouTube or this blog for alllll the world to see.
* If I succeed at completing all 50 goals by December 31, 2010... well, something cool will happen. I'll need suggestions on rewards or something awesome to do.
This week's goals will be starting small, and the deadline for the first three is next Saturday:
2) Leave Post-Its with happy messages on them everywhere I go this week! (something I've been wanting to do for a long time, akin to PostSecret, only with happy messages instead of secrets) This will be especially exciting since I am going on a ~*ROAD TRIP*~ this week. :D
3) Give 10 random people a small present or a card. ALSO EXCITING BECAUSE OF THE ~*ROAD TRIP!*~
44) Tweet a random fact every day. (Ongoing, but as long as I do it for a week, this will be counted as complete.) People who don't follow me on Twitter will be able to see my Tweets in the sidebar! <<< It's over there.
31) AND SUPER BONUS GOAL OF ONGOING DOOM: Lose 80 lbs by Halloween, 2010. This will be the big one, the hardest one, the one I most want to accomplish. I think if I manage this, I should get something special. :D We'll see. As far as progress goes, I will be aiming to go to the gym thrice a week and weighing in every Friday night. As far as punishment goes - if I fail to weigh in, no big deal. IF I FAIL TO GO TO THE GYM TWICE, meaning if I only go once a week or don't go at all, I GET PUNISHED. So starting tomorrow, I have to go to the gym three times this week, or next Saturday you guys get to fill the comments with delightful punishments.
SO THAT'S IT! Goals are programmed into my phone to remind me, all the rules are laid out in this uber-long complicated post, and we're off! Leave me your thoughts, feedback, reward ideas, whatever in the comments, and hey - tell your friends/family/coworkers/people in Starbucks/favorite waitress about this! I need all the support I can get, and the more people suggesting punishments, the more fun it will be! So pass the link around, and help me get myself in gear and finally cross some things off this darn list! :D
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
A month later...
So I'm kind of bad at keeping up with things. :D But I'm back now! And I have three things to talk about!
THING 1: I've recently discovered the vlogbrothers on YouTube, which is the channel shared by YA fiction author John Green (Paper Towns, Looking For Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines) and his brother Hank Green (runs http://www.ecogeek.org, writes occasionally for the NY Times, does other cool things). They have this insane following called the Nerdfighters, who are made of awesome, and one of which I am. :D It is awesome, they are awesome, and it has made my life a lot more awesome since discovering them.
THING 2: The oil spill! Yeah! I've not really been following this very much, but recently I've been thinking more about it. It's TERRIFYING. I do NOT like this situation. It's very scary to think that the actual, honest-to-god END OF THE WORLD may be upon us. And I don't know what we can do to fix it, other than try to suck up the oil that's spewing out and figure out a way to scoop it up off the water. =/ But it's a very distressing situation, and I will be attempting to follow this from now on.
THING 3!: Vegetarianism and the world today! Putting aside the much-discussed issues of animal cruelty and health benefits, consider the resources that go into raising animals for meat. Half of our water supply goes into growing food that we feed to, well, food. It takes up to 16 pounds of grain to produce just one pound of meat, and about 20 percent of the world's population, or 1.4 billion people, could be fed with the grain and soybeans fed to U.S. cattle alone (goveg.com). It takes 5,000 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of meat, while growing 1 pound of wheat only requires 25 gallons. You save more water by not eating a pound of beef than you do by not showering for an entire year (goveg.com). These are some serious numbers. Our resources are limited, and frankly, I kind of think this is a waste.
I like meat. I'm a big fan of ham, burgers, steaks, and especially bacon. I've tried and failed at vegetarianism before, and I'm not saying we should all stop eating meat forever. I'm just saying maybe we could ALL cut back a little. Instead of 1 out of 10 people eating NO meat, what if 10 out of 10 people ate LESS meat? If we could all cut back on our meat intake, maybe just didn't have meat one night a week, or skipped the bacon and sausage at breakfast every day - that would save huge amounts of water and food, plus things like corn that could be used for alternate fuel sources. Not only that, but fewer animals would have to be raised for food, which would mean better living conditions, less land and grass devoted to raising food, and less gas consumed carting the animals back and forth. Not only all of THAT, but we would all be a little healthier.
Vegetarianism is hard, and it's not for everyone. And I know there are people out there who don't see any of these things as problems, and so will refuse to change anything about their habits. Those people probably drive Hummers and use their sprinklers even in thunderstorms and leave all their lights on while they're on vacation elsewhere. BUT, for every ONE of those people, there could be twenty people eating less meat, conserving energy, driving less and walking more, taking shorter showers, and buying locally. There could be, like, three vegetarians for every one of those people. Six bike riders. Four people who have gardens. It doesn't have to be one person doing it all - you can pick an area and go all out, or you can do a little of everything, but as long as you're doing SOMETHING to help our planet, you're helping save the world.
Well, save OUR world. The planet will go on without us - what we're really trying to save is the future of our species. We only have this one world to live on, guys. If we break it, we're going to die out. And with people like the Hummer guys and British Petroleum and the Octomom, I'm afraid that will happen sooner rather than later.
What do you guys think about all of this? Opinions on the oil spill? Arguments for or against full or partial vegetarianism? Leave me your thoughts!
THING 1: I've recently discovered the vlogbrothers on YouTube, which is the channel shared by YA fiction author John Green (Paper Towns, Looking For Alaska, An Abundance of Katherines) and his brother Hank Green (runs http://www.ecogeek.org, writes occasionally for the NY Times, does other cool things). They have this insane following called the Nerdfighters, who are made of awesome, and one of which I am. :D It is awesome, they are awesome, and it has made my life a lot more awesome since discovering them.
THING 2: The oil spill! Yeah! I've not really been following this very much, but recently I've been thinking more about it. It's TERRIFYING. I do NOT like this situation. It's very scary to think that the actual, honest-to-god END OF THE WORLD may be upon us. And I don't know what we can do to fix it, other than try to suck up the oil that's spewing out and figure out a way to scoop it up off the water. =/ But it's a very distressing situation, and I will be attempting to follow this from now on.
THING 3!: Vegetarianism and the world today! Putting aside the much-discussed issues of animal cruelty and health benefits, consider the resources that go into raising animals for meat. Half of our water supply goes into growing food that we feed to, well, food. It takes up to 16 pounds of grain to produce just one pound of meat, and about 20 percent of the world's population, or 1.4 billion people, could be fed with the grain and soybeans fed to U.S. cattle alone (goveg.com). It takes 5,000 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of meat, while growing 1 pound of wheat only requires 25 gallons. You save more water by not eating a pound of beef than you do by not showering for an entire year (goveg.com). These are some serious numbers. Our resources are limited, and frankly, I kind of think this is a waste.
I like meat. I'm a big fan of ham, burgers, steaks, and especially bacon. I've tried and failed at vegetarianism before, and I'm not saying we should all stop eating meat forever. I'm just saying maybe we could ALL cut back a little. Instead of 1 out of 10 people eating NO meat, what if 10 out of 10 people ate LESS meat? If we could all cut back on our meat intake, maybe just didn't have meat one night a week, or skipped the bacon and sausage at breakfast every day - that would save huge amounts of water and food, plus things like corn that could be used for alternate fuel sources. Not only that, but fewer animals would have to be raised for food, which would mean better living conditions, less land and grass devoted to raising food, and less gas consumed carting the animals back and forth. Not only all of THAT, but we would all be a little healthier.
Vegetarianism is hard, and it's not for everyone. And I know there are people out there who don't see any of these things as problems, and so will refuse to change anything about their habits. Those people probably drive Hummers and use their sprinklers even in thunderstorms and leave all their lights on while they're on vacation elsewhere. BUT, for every ONE of those people, there could be twenty people eating less meat, conserving energy, driving less and walking more, taking shorter showers, and buying locally. There could be, like, three vegetarians for every one of those people. Six bike riders. Four people who have gardens. It doesn't have to be one person doing it all - you can pick an area and go all out, or you can do a little of everything, but as long as you're doing SOMETHING to help our planet, you're helping save the world.
Well, save OUR world. The planet will go on without us - what we're really trying to save is the future of our species. We only have this one world to live on, guys. If we break it, we're going to die out. And with people like the Hummer guys and British Petroleum and the Octomom, I'm afraid that will happen sooner rather than later.
What do you guys think about all of this? Opinions on the oil spill? Arguments for or against full or partial vegetarianism? Leave me your thoughts!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Musings About Reproductive Rights
Abortion is a touchy subject - both sides feel very strongly about their arguments, the pro-choicers about being forced into parenthood, and the pro-lifers about killing the fetus. But I have a question - has anyone actually considered men's reproductive rights?
I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm totally pro-choice... but if we give women the right to choose, we have to give men the right to choose or it's not legally equal. If women get to opt out of being pregnant for 9 months, I'd say it's definitely unfair to force men to pay child support for eighteen years.
An example: Some case in Kansas (Hermesmann v. Seyer) in which this sixteen-year-old girl started having sex with the twelve-year-old boy she babysat for, having the baby when she was seventeen and he was thirteen. The district court, and then the Supreme Court of Kansas, ruled that the thirteen-year-old had to pay child support because "the issue of [his] consent was irrelevent." A thirteen-year-old girl would not even be legally required to give birth to a baby conceived in statutory rape, let alone pay anything. The case refers to the girl's "wrongdoing" in quotes - try getting off that easy if you're an older teen male who impregnated a barely teenaged girl. He'd be really lucky not to go to jail.
I just find it odd that no one, including men, has brought this up. Everyone's all up in arms about women's rights and equality and all, but where is the equality for men in the fight for reproduction rights? Shouldn't men get to decide, too, if they want to be parents? If a man wants a baby and a woman doesn't, all he can do is try to convince her to keep it. If he doesn't want it and she does, he can either try to talk her out of it or leave her, and then he still has to pay for the kid. How is that fair? A woman only has to be pregnant for 9 months, but child support must be paid for all 18 years. A man gets no choice in the matter. Where are the pro-choicers for THIS issue?
Now, this is not to say that men shouldn't have to support their children, because sometimes the mother can't. But why not, say, just for the first ten years? Or if the mother doesn't have a good job, or isn't able to leave the kid anywhere? Or if he leaves after the kid is born, he has to pay, but if the mother has advance notice, he doesn't? Why is it required for the man to pay all 18 years? There should be criteria OTHER than "Is he the biological father?" on the child-support application.
And I know a lot of women would be outraged at the idea, but seriously, if you're going to go on about equal rights, they've got to be equal for everyone. If you get pregnant and your man says, "Honey, I don't want to be a father yet, can't you give it up?" and you say, "Screw you, it's my body," and then he leaves you, he shouldn't be required to pay for it. He made a choice before the baby was born, just like an abortion or adoption, and therefore he should legally be free of all responsibilities vis-a-vis this baby. However, just like abortion, there should be limitations: It can't be a form of birth-control for men (i.e. if he's done this __ times, he's cut off); in the circumstances of rape or incest, if the baby is born and the man is identified, he is required to pay child support; as mentioned above, if the woman cannot take care of the kid by herself, he must pay at least the first 5 years, maybe more depending on the circumstances. I think that would work out in pretty much everyone's favor.
What do you guys think?
I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm totally pro-choice... but if we give women the right to choose, we have to give men the right to choose or it's not legally equal. If women get to opt out of being pregnant for 9 months, I'd say it's definitely unfair to force men to pay child support for eighteen years.
An example: Some case in Kansas (Hermesmann v. Seyer) in which this sixteen-year-old girl started having sex with the twelve-year-old boy she babysat for, having the baby when she was seventeen and he was thirteen. The district court, and then the Supreme Court of Kansas, ruled that the thirteen-year-old had to pay child support because "the issue of [his] consent was irrelevent." A thirteen-year-old girl would not even be legally required to give birth to a baby conceived in statutory rape, let alone pay anything. The case refers to the girl's "wrongdoing" in quotes - try getting off that easy if you're an older teen male who impregnated a barely teenaged girl. He'd be really lucky not to go to jail.
I just find it odd that no one, including men, has brought this up. Everyone's all up in arms about women's rights and equality and all, but where is the equality for men in the fight for reproduction rights? Shouldn't men get to decide, too, if they want to be parents? If a man wants a baby and a woman doesn't, all he can do is try to convince her to keep it. If he doesn't want it and she does, he can either try to talk her out of it or leave her, and then he still has to pay for the kid. How is that fair? A woman only has to be pregnant for 9 months, but child support must be paid for all 18 years. A man gets no choice in the matter. Where are the pro-choicers for THIS issue?
Now, this is not to say that men shouldn't have to support their children, because sometimes the mother can't. But why not, say, just for the first ten years? Or if the mother doesn't have a good job, or isn't able to leave the kid anywhere? Or if he leaves after the kid is born, he has to pay, but if the mother has advance notice, he doesn't? Why is it required for the man to pay all 18 years? There should be criteria OTHER than "Is he the biological father?" on the child-support application.
And I know a lot of women would be outraged at the idea, but seriously, if you're going to go on about equal rights, they've got to be equal for everyone. If you get pregnant and your man says, "Honey, I don't want to be a father yet, can't you give it up?" and you say, "Screw you, it's my body," and then he leaves you, he shouldn't be required to pay for it. He made a choice before the baby was born, just like an abortion or adoption, and therefore he should legally be free of all responsibilities vis-a-vis this baby. However, just like abortion, there should be limitations: It can't be a form of birth-control for men (i.e. if he's done this __ times, he's cut off); in the circumstances of rape or incest, if the baby is born and the man is identified, he is required to pay child support; as mentioned above, if the woman cannot take care of the kid by herself, he must pay at least the first 5 years, maybe more depending on the circumstances. I think that would work out in pretty much everyone's favor.
What do you guys think?
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Top Five Records Presents - Bands
One of my favorite movies is High Fidelity, in which John Cusack plays a record store owner who is always making "Top 5" lists. I'm going to do a series of Top 5s, starting with a big category - bands! I will do Top 5 Bands Right Now, and Top 5 Bands of All Time.
TOP 5 BANDS RIGHT NOW
1. ALL CAPS.
There is a phenomenon called wizard rock, music based off of Harry Potter. I, needless to say, am a huge fan. Two of my favorite bands are good friends, and one member from each, Luke and Kristina, created a band called ALL CAPS, which is basically just nerdtastic. They have songs about World of Warcraft, The Office, robots falling out of love, NaNoWriMo, zombies, and other nerdy things. :D They're pretty awesome - funny or sweet lyrics, good voices, neat music. I love them a lot.
http://allcapsband.com (oh my god, they're so cute)
2. Endless Mike and the Beagle Club
Oh my god, these guys. They are so fantastic. :D They're this little obscure band from Johnstown, PA, who writes amazing songs about mundane things like living in the same town your whole life, not finishing college, seeing all your friends grow up and get married and have babies while you're still not sure who you are... it's amazing. Their album The Husky Tenor changed my life. <3 Their music is great - they have like, sixteen people "in the band," who just intermittently show up to record stuff on weird instruments - and the lyrics are really insightful and catchy, and Mike's voice is so sweet and weird and honest. They're an amazing group of musicians, and every one of you would do well to have this album.
The Husky Tenor - mediafire.com/?0jykjtw2dwc
http://www.purevolume.com/endlessmikeandthebeagleclub
3. Joss Whedon.
Okay, so he's not a band, but his music is so fantastic! :D I've been listening to the soundtrack to "Once More With Feeling," the musical episode of Buffy, for a month and a half now. It's so creative and awesome. And Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog?! GENIUS. God, that man is just... well, God, kind of. XD Joss is boss, as Summer Glau famously said. And it is true. Go download the soundtrack to Dr. Horrible and tell me he's not a genius. Actually, don't, because if you don't think Joss Whedon is a genius, we can't be friends. XD (I'm kidding.)
http://whedonesque.com
4. Lady Gaga.
I am no longer ashamed to admit that I love me some Gaga. :D At first, I resisted, but I was converted. She has a pretty decent voice, and her songs, while not genius-level, certainly are catchy and fun. But the real appeal of Madame Gaga, of course, is the costumery and craziness of the woman herself. She's a throwback to the days of Bowie, Madonna, and Prince. She's a show in and of herself. And that is really why people like her - or at least, why I do. She's fierce, and fabulous, and utterly unafraid to be herself, and who cares about the people who don't think you should wear thirteen-inch heels and rhinestones glued to your face to go to the grocery store, SHE'S gonna do it ANYWAY. (Also, "Bad Romance" is RIDICULOUSLY catchy!) <3 Gaga <3
http://www.ladygaga.com
5. She and Him.
Zooey Deschanel sings. Who needs to hear more? :D No really, she has an amazing voice, all lilting and sweet and easy. Their first album was covers, while their second is original stuff, and both are amazing. Aside from her being adorable and a pretty decent actress, this girl can sing.
http://www.sheandhim.com
TOP 5 BANDS OF ALL TIME
1. The Beatles.
... It's the Beatles, dude. ANYONE'S bands of all time should include them.
2. Weezer.
Nerd rock at it's best. The Blue Album and Pinkerton will always remind me of high school and certain people, and will probably always make me either laugh or cry. Weezer is just too cool. <3
3. The Decemberists.
This band is just ridiculous. They are so good it HURTS sometimes. Their lyrics, their music, Colin Meloy's warbly little voice... it's just too much. Instantly a classic, I don't think I'll ever stop listening to this band.
4. The Smiths.
The pinnacle of high school misfit rock, the most famous band no one's ever heard of, the band made infinite by The Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Smiths will always have a place in my heart. Morrissey is an amazing singer, and his lyrics are somehow both strikingly poetic and painfully straightforward. The Smiths are one of those bands that are classic high school weird kid bands, and I guess the weird high schooler in me will never give them up.
5. Ozma.
Another one of those bands that will always bring back high school memories for me. I love this band. They're also obscure - I'm always surprised when anyone else knows who they are. But they have some amazing songs. They're a little like Weezer, which might be why I love them so much, but their lyrics are so clever and sweet that it's clear they have a voice of their own. Rockin' tunes, ballads, amazing solos, gut-wrenching choruses, heart-gripping vocals... these guys rock out loud. They're fantastic. <3 I love me some Ozma, and I probably always will.
Oh my god, that was hard. XD It's all subject to change, anyway. Who can really pick a top 5 favorite anything and stick with it? My favorites change all the time. But this is but the first installment in a series of Top 5s. Next, possibly, books! :D That won't be hard at all, right? O_o
TOP 5 BANDS RIGHT NOW
1. ALL CAPS.
There is a phenomenon called wizard rock, music based off of Harry Potter. I, needless to say, am a huge fan. Two of my favorite bands are good friends, and one member from each, Luke and Kristina, created a band called ALL CAPS, which is basically just nerdtastic. They have songs about World of Warcraft, The Office, robots falling out of love, NaNoWriMo, zombies, and other nerdy things. :D They're pretty awesome - funny or sweet lyrics, good voices, neat music. I love them a lot.
http://allcapsband.com (oh my god, they're so cute)
2. Endless Mike and the Beagle Club
Oh my god, these guys. They are so fantastic. :D They're this little obscure band from Johnstown, PA, who writes amazing songs about mundane things like living in the same town your whole life, not finishing college, seeing all your friends grow up and get married and have babies while you're still not sure who you are... it's amazing. Their album The Husky Tenor changed my life. <3 Their music is great - they have like, sixteen people "in the band," who just intermittently show up to record stuff on weird instruments - and the lyrics are really insightful and catchy, and Mike's voice is so sweet and weird and honest. They're an amazing group of musicians, and every one of you would do well to have this album.
The Husky Tenor - mediafire.com/?0jykjtw2dwc
http://www.purevolume.com/endlessmikeandthebeagleclub
3. Joss Whedon.
Okay, so he's not a band, but his music is so fantastic! :D I've been listening to the soundtrack to "Once More With Feeling," the musical episode of Buffy, for a month and a half now. It's so creative and awesome. And Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog?! GENIUS. God, that man is just... well, God, kind of. XD Joss is boss, as Summer Glau famously said. And it is true. Go download the soundtrack to Dr. Horrible and tell me he's not a genius. Actually, don't, because if you don't think Joss Whedon is a genius, we can't be friends. XD (I'm kidding.)
http://whedonesque.com
4. Lady Gaga.
I am no longer ashamed to admit that I love me some Gaga. :D At first, I resisted, but I was converted. She has a pretty decent voice, and her songs, while not genius-level, certainly are catchy and fun. But the real appeal of Madame Gaga, of course, is the costumery and craziness of the woman herself. She's a throwback to the days of Bowie, Madonna, and Prince. She's a show in and of herself. And that is really why people like her - or at least, why I do. She's fierce, and fabulous, and utterly unafraid to be herself, and who cares about the people who don't think you should wear thirteen-inch heels and rhinestones glued to your face to go to the grocery store, SHE'S gonna do it ANYWAY. (Also, "Bad Romance" is RIDICULOUSLY catchy!) <3 Gaga <3
http://www.ladygaga.com
5. She and Him.
Zooey Deschanel sings. Who needs to hear more? :D No really, she has an amazing voice, all lilting and sweet and easy. Their first album was covers, while their second is original stuff, and both are amazing. Aside from her being adorable and a pretty decent actress, this girl can sing.
http://www.sheandhim.com
TOP 5 BANDS OF ALL TIME
1. The Beatles.
... It's the Beatles, dude. ANYONE'S bands of all time should include them.
2. Weezer.
Nerd rock at it's best. The Blue Album and Pinkerton will always remind me of high school and certain people, and will probably always make me either laugh or cry. Weezer is just too cool. <3
3. The Decemberists.
This band is just ridiculous. They are so good it HURTS sometimes. Their lyrics, their music, Colin Meloy's warbly little voice... it's just too much. Instantly a classic, I don't think I'll ever stop listening to this band.
4. The Smiths.
The pinnacle of high school misfit rock, the most famous band no one's ever heard of, the band made infinite by The Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Smiths will always have a place in my heart. Morrissey is an amazing singer, and his lyrics are somehow both strikingly poetic and painfully straightforward. The Smiths are one of those bands that are classic high school weird kid bands, and I guess the weird high schooler in me will never give them up.
5. Ozma.
Another one of those bands that will always bring back high school memories for me. I love this band. They're also obscure - I'm always surprised when anyone else knows who they are. But they have some amazing songs. They're a little like Weezer, which might be why I love them so much, but their lyrics are so clever and sweet that it's clear they have a voice of their own. Rockin' tunes, ballads, amazing solos, gut-wrenching choruses, heart-gripping vocals... these guys rock out loud. They're fantastic. <3 I love me some Ozma, and I probably always will.
Oh my god, that was hard. XD It's all subject to change, anyway. Who can really pick a top 5 favorite anything and stick with it? My favorites change all the time. But this is but the first installment in a series of Top 5s. Next, possibly, books! :D That won't be hard at all, right? O_o
Sunday, May 23, 2010
More about the protest.
I haven't stopped thinking about Friday all weekend. I don't know why exactly it affected me so deeply, but I was seriously freaked out Friday night. Crazy, yes, but I couldn't shake the nervous feeling, as if Shirley Phelps-Roper was hiding in my dark kitchen, ready to jump out and beat me to death with a "God Hates Fags" sign.
I spent Friday night looking stuff up about these people, for some reason. I just wanted to understand, I guess. I watched some interviews, looked over their site (I don't think they do get money, after all - at least, they say they don't take donations, and there aren't any ads), read all of the FAQs and stuff... and I still just don't understand. Why they preach hate, they say, is because God preaches hate. They quote a bunch of Bible verses to "prove" that God hates, and that God doesn't love anyone on Earth, and there's nothing any of us can do but repent to change that.
As far as religion goes, I am not sure what I believe. As far as gods and myths and holy books go, I'm not sure where I fit in. But the lessons and virtues taught in nearly all organized religions - those I can get behind. Compassion, love for all things, The Golden Rule. I believe in those. And lately it seems that not many people do anymore, first and foremost these horrible Westboro people. Jesus, whether or not you believe that he was the Messiah or even existed, preached compassion and love. We can all agree on that, right? His basic message was "Love everyone and treat them with kindness, and do good deeds and you'll be rewarded in Heaven." Pretty much. He just wanted everyone to be happy, right? Even mean people, he told them to repent and change their ways, and there was still a chance for them. He didn't hate - I mean, sure, he was a man, and sometimes he got emotional, but overall he was a good guy. And he didn't want to see anyone in pain. And he told us to love and be kind and do good in the world, which in my book is pretty much the opposite of "I hate you all and it doesn't matter what you do, bwahaha."
I'm not even totally sure if I believe in any sort of an afterlife. I wasn't brought up religious. My parents were, but they didn't force us to go to church - unless we were at my grandparents' houses, because Christianity is very important to my grandmothers. And we went to church with them, and we listened, but it never really struck a chord in me like it does some people. On my own, I've researched Buddhism, Hinduism, Wicca, and I've paid attention when my Christian and Jewish friends talk about their faiths. I've been to Passover seders, Christmas masses, religious funerals and weddings. But still, I don't have any faith in God or Jesus or Christianity as a whole. I just don't. And that means I don't believe in hell, so telling me that I'm going there is really an empty threat. But even though I don't care about going to hell, I still do nice things and try to think the best of everyone and do what I can to save the world. And honestly, I think that means more than someone else doing it just because they don't want to go to hell.
But back to my point - where is the compassion, the love, the undying faith that most people associate with religion? Why is it good enough to believe in God, but not follow his teachings? And at the other extreme, why do some people think it's okay to follow (their interpretation of) his teachings so far that they forget the whole point? The point of most religions, as I understand it, is to be a good person. Whether you're rewarded with Heaven, reincarnation, good things coming back to you, or candy bars, or bunnies, or nothing at all - the point is, be nice to each other. Love each other. Treat people with kindness. And I think we've all forgotten that lately.
So I propose, in light of the horror of Westboro Baptist Church, we step it up a little. Combat their hate with love. Make it a point to do something selfless each day. Listen to someone when they're sad, or when they're happy. Try to understand before you get mad when someone cuts you in line. Forgive the girl at the register for getting your order wrong. Tell your family and friends you love them every chance you've got. Give someone a hug, or a compliment, or pick someone up when it's raining and they're walking home. Obviously, be careful and be smart, but above all - be compassionate.
I spent Friday night looking stuff up about these people, for some reason. I just wanted to understand, I guess. I watched some interviews, looked over their site (I don't think they do get money, after all - at least, they say they don't take donations, and there aren't any ads), read all of the FAQs and stuff... and I still just don't understand. Why they preach hate, they say, is because God preaches hate. They quote a bunch of Bible verses to "prove" that God hates, and that God doesn't love anyone on Earth, and there's nothing any of us can do but repent to change that.
As far as religion goes, I am not sure what I believe. As far as gods and myths and holy books go, I'm not sure where I fit in. But the lessons and virtues taught in nearly all organized religions - those I can get behind. Compassion, love for all things, The Golden Rule. I believe in those. And lately it seems that not many people do anymore, first and foremost these horrible Westboro people. Jesus, whether or not you believe that he was the Messiah or even existed, preached compassion and love. We can all agree on that, right? His basic message was "Love everyone and treat them with kindness, and do good deeds and you'll be rewarded in Heaven." Pretty much. He just wanted everyone to be happy, right? Even mean people, he told them to repent and change their ways, and there was still a chance for them. He didn't hate - I mean, sure, he was a man, and sometimes he got emotional, but overall he was a good guy. And he didn't want to see anyone in pain. And he told us to love and be kind and do good in the world, which in my book is pretty much the opposite of "I hate you all and it doesn't matter what you do, bwahaha."
I'm not even totally sure if I believe in any sort of an afterlife. I wasn't brought up religious. My parents were, but they didn't force us to go to church - unless we were at my grandparents' houses, because Christianity is very important to my grandmothers. And we went to church with them, and we listened, but it never really struck a chord in me like it does some people. On my own, I've researched Buddhism, Hinduism, Wicca, and I've paid attention when my Christian and Jewish friends talk about their faiths. I've been to Passover seders, Christmas masses, religious funerals and weddings. But still, I don't have any faith in God or Jesus or Christianity as a whole. I just don't. And that means I don't believe in hell, so telling me that I'm going there is really an empty threat. But even though I don't care about going to hell, I still do nice things and try to think the best of everyone and do what I can to save the world. And honestly, I think that means more than someone else doing it just because they don't want to go to hell.
But back to my point - where is the compassion, the love, the undying faith that most people associate with religion? Why is it good enough to believe in God, but not follow his teachings? And at the other extreme, why do some people think it's okay to follow (their interpretation of) his teachings so far that they forget the whole point? The point of most religions, as I understand it, is to be a good person. Whether you're rewarded with Heaven, reincarnation, good things coming back to you, or candy bars, or bunnies, or nothing at all - the point is, be nice to each other. Love each other. Treat people with kindness. And I think we've all forgotten that lately.
So I propose, in light of the horror of Westboro Baptist Church, we step it up a little. Combat their hate with love. Make it a point to do something selfless each day. Listen to someone when they're sad, or when they're happy. Try to understand before you get mad when someone cuts you in line. Forgive the girl at the register for getting your order wrong. Tell your family and friends you love them every chance you've got. Give someone a hug, or a compliment, or pick someone up when it's raining and they're walking home. Obviously, be careful and be smart, but above all - be compassionate.
Friday, May 21, 2010
I made a protest! :D
Today I crossed off "protest something" from my list of life goals. These horrible people, the Westboro Baptist Church from Topeka, KS, came to Myrtle Beach this week to protest at our churches and high schools. This group maintains several websites, all along the same lines - godhatesfags.com is their main one, but there's also godhatesamerica.com (and pretty much every other country in the world, apparently), godhatestheworld.com, jewskilledjesus.com, and priestsrapeboys.com. I'd say don't go to any of their sites, 'cause I think they get money for it, but if you're really curious about them, Wikipedia has some good info.
Anyway, what they believe is basically, anyone who isn't a member (all of whom are family members - incest apparently is okay) of their church is going to hell. Pretty much. Blacks, Jews, gays, other Christians, Hindus, the Pope, soldiers, and anyone who "enables" ANYTHING. EVER. They hate them all. And they picket at funerals, for victims of hate crimes and fallen American soldiers alike, they picket at churches (Catholics seem to be favorites), they picket at high schools, claiming that the teachers are allowing our children to grow up damned, believing homosexuality is okay and allowing different religions and all that. I don't even know, they're ridiculous and they hate pretty much everyone. Their picket signs say things like "God hate fags," "You will eat your children," "You hate God," "God hates America," and other stupid things that don't make much sense.
I don't know why they came to our town, but we were totally ready for them. :D They went to six high schools today, three in the morning and three in the afternoon, when kids were coming and going. They weren't allowed on the property, but they made sure they stood at high traffic areas, on a street corner or at a light. I made signs with my friends last night that said things like "I am human and I need to be loved" (mine obviously), "All kinds of love are fine, it's your hate you need to watch!" (a Margaret Cho quote!), and some Bible verses, like "Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love," and "Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins." It was cool, 'cause a lot of signs on our side quoted the Bible, and not many of theirs did. ^_^ We also made a big banner on a sheet that said "God loves everyone," which also seemed to be a pretty popular idea on our side.
We met at Socastee High at 7:45 AM, joined by about fifty other people we didn't know, and stood across the highway from the WBC jerks. Across from the school, lining the fence, there were many more of us, maybe over a hundred. From what I hear there was a DJ and all kinds of craziness. But I don't think there were any more WBC people other than the ones across from us. People were honking and yelling and throwing peace signs and thumbs up as they drove past us, booing and thumbs-downing the WBC, and the stupid people were singing, but we drowned them out with our yelling and occasional bursts of songs. A lot of people had funny or nonsense signs, saying things like "God hates Thai food," "God thinks you're totally awesome," "Dumbledore and Grindlewald forever," "God hates these Tetris blocks," and "Who brought donuts?" It was fun, but a little scary seeing these people in real life. They had a kid, maybe 10 or 11, holding signs saying these awful things, and he really believes it. That's scary. It was sad and enraging and terrifying all at once.
They left before we did, and some of us followed them down the road until they got in their cult van and drove away, and some of us stayed a little while on the street, holding our signs and wooing at the people honking for us. Then we got breakfast! :D
At 2:45 we showed up, this time before the bad guys, at St. James High, where I went for a year. When it opened in our sophomore year, half of our class went there while the other half stayed at SHS, so our class sort of feels like we belong there too, even though it sucks. :D Anyway, there were a CRAPTON of people there. Possibly over a hundred. Definitely close. It was pretty great to see that many people out there supporting this thing, and it was made even better by the fact that the WBC numbers were barely in the double digits. We won. ^_^ People were yelling and chanting (this group was very into the chanting) and all the cars were honking... it was really cool. And this was much less scary, somehow. The WBC didn't sing or chant or anything, but at one point one of the guys yelled over at a little girl on our side. He said "Not you, little girl, not you," I think because she or someone near her had a sign that said "God loves everyone" or something along those lines. But she was like, six! LITTLE-little. It was messed up. But he was the only one who shouted that I could hear, so I'm calling our shouting a victory. And they again left before we did, causing five solid minutes of shouting and cheering from us, and I'm calling that a victory, too. :D
All in all, it was a fun day and I really feel like I did something good, but there are also feelings of sadness, pity, anger, fear, and the fact that they don't care if we counter-protest. I mean, we didn't do it for them, but knowing it made absolutely no difference to them kind of sours it a little. But still, it was great to see our community come together like that, all religions, races, genders, sexualities - and in the Bible Belt and all! It was heartwarming to see the passion our side exhibited, and knowing that it was happening at four other locations with the same kind of results makes me really feel proud of Myrtle Beach. I'm proud of us, of our town, and most of our country for similar actions. It was a really great experience.
Anyway, what they believe is basically, anyone who isn't a member (all of whom are family members - incest apparently is okay) of their church is going to hell. Pretty much. Blacks, Jews, gays, other Christians, Hindus, the Pope, soldiers, and anyone who "enables" ANYTHING. EVER. They hate them all. And they picket at funerals, for victims of hate crimes and fallen American soldiers alike, they picket at churches (Catholics seem to be favorites), they picket at high schools, claiming that the teachers are allowing our children to grow up damned, believing homosexuality is okay and allowing different religions and all that. I don't even know, they're ridiculous and they hate pretty much everyone. Their picket signs say things like "God hate fags," "You will eat your children," "You hate God," "God hates America," and other stupid things that don't make much sense.
I don't know why they came to our town, but we were totally ready for them. :D They went to six high schools today, three in the morning and three in the afternoon, when kids were coming and going. They weren't allowed on the property, but they made sure they stood at high traffic areas, on a street corner or at a light. I made signs with my friends last night that said things like "I am human and I need to be loved" (mine obviously), "All kinds of love are fine, it's your hate you need to watch!" (a Margaret Cho quote!), and some Bible verses, like "Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love," and "Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins." It was cool, 'cause a lot of signs on our side quoted the Bible, and not many of theirs did. ^_^ We also made a big banner on a sheet that said "God loves everyone," which also seemed to be a pretty popular idea on our side.
We met at Socastee High at 7:45 AM, joined by about fifty other people we didn't know, and stood across the highway from the WBC jerks. Across from the school, lining the fence, there were many more of us, maybe over a hundred. From what I hear there was a DJ and all kinds of craziness. But I don't think there were any more WBC people other than the ones across from us. People were honking and yelling and throwing peace signs and thumbs up as they drove past us, booing and thumbs-downing the WBC, and the stupid people were singing, but we drowned them out with our yelling and occasional bursts of songs. A lot of people had funny or nonsense signs, saying things like "God hates Thai food," "God thinks you're totally awesome," "Dumbledore and Grindlewald forever," "God hates these Tetris blocks," and "Who brought donuts?" It was fun, but a little scary seeing these people in real life. They had a kid, maybe 10 or 11, holding signs saying these awful things, and he really believes it. That's scary. It was sad and enraging and terrifying all at once.
They left before we did, and some of us followed them down the road until they got in their cult van and drove away, and some of us stayed a little while on the street, holding our signs and wooing at the people honking for us. Then we got breakfast! :D
At 2:45 we showed up, this time before the bad guys, at St. James High, where I went for a year. When it opened in our sophomore year, half of our class went there while the other half stayed at SHS, so our class sort of feels like we belong there too, even though it sucks. :D Anyway, there were a CRAPTON of people there. Possibly over a hundred. Definitely close. It was pretty great to see that many people out there supporting this thing, and it was made even better by the fact that the WBC numbers were barely in the double digits. We won. ^_^ People were yelling and chanting (this group was very into the chanting) and all the cars were honking... it was really cool. And this was much less scary, somehow. The WBC didn't sing or chant or anything, but at one point one of the guys yelled over at a little girl on our side. He said "Not you, little girl, not you," I think because she or someone near her had a sign that said "God loves everyone" or something along those lines. But she was like, six! LITTLE-little. It was messed up. But he was the only one who shouted that I could hear, so I'm calling our shouting a victory. And they again left before we did, causing five solid minutes of shouting and cheering from us, and I'm calling that a victory, too. :D
All in all, it was a fun day and I really feel like I did something good, but there are also feelings of sadness, pity, anger, fear, and the fact that they don't care if we counter-protest. I mean, we didn't do it for them, but knowing it made absolutely no difference to them kind of sours it a little. But still, it was great to see our community come together like that, all religions, races, genders, sexualities - and in the Bible Belt and all! It was heartwarming to see the passion our side exhibited, and knowing that it was happening at four other locations with the same kind of results makes me really feel proud of Myrtle Beach. I'm proud of us, of our town, and most of our country for similar actions. It was a really great experience.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
I hate liking stuff. =/
Those of you who know me are aware of two vital habits of my me-ness:
a) that I like things for stupid reasons and obsess over them to no end, and
b) that I hate things for no reason and avoid them at all costs until something forces me to like it.
Case in point, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I avoided it the entire time it was on because (in my opinion, based on the one person I knew who watched it) only stupid people liked it, and I hate Sarah Michelle Gellar with a passion. She is stupid. She's got a stupid monkey face, with stupid little non-eyebrows, and she is stupid. I don't like her.
I DO, however, like Joss Whedon. I watched Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-long Blog, then Firefly and Serenity, and BAM! I was hooked. So when Dollhouse came out, I decided I loved it just because Joss had done it. That's when I realized the folly of my ways - to truly call myself a Whedon fan, I HAD to watch Buffy.
So, thanks to Netflix because it's totally awesome and had all 7 seasons on instant watch thing, I'm up to season 5. And... well... I love it. I love it so much. It's my favorite thing and it's awesome and I love it. Still hate Sarah Michelle Gellar, and consequentially Buffy, but whatevs. Oz and Xander and Willow and Anya make up for it, and I LOVE IT, and I'm going to buy it and love it forever.
That's what I do. I watch something, love it, and then find everything all the actors have ever been in. I'm a little crazy with the whole six-degrees thing. I made a chart once! It took hours and hours on IMDB, and four whole sheets of that giant sketch paper. But it was awesome, and now I can connect anyone I love to anyone else I love (not in six steps, usually, but I can still do it!) on command.
I should probably stop hating things just because everyone else likes them, because sometimes (par example - Lady Gaga, in all of her fierce glory and awesomeness) they are actually worthwhile. But then, on the flip side of that coin, there's Twilight. And then I feel totally justified in hating things blindly because the masses like them. :D
a) that I like things for stupid reasons and obsess over them to no end, and
b) that I hate things for no reason and avoid them at all costs until something forces me to like it.
Case in point, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I avoided it the entire time it was on because (in my opinion, based on the one person I knew who watched it) only stupid people liked it, and I hate Sarah Michelle Gellar with a passion. She is stupid. She's got a stupid monkey face, with stupid little non-eyebrows, and she is stupid. I don't like her.
I DO, however, like Joss Whedon. I watched Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-long Blog, then Firefly and Serenity, and BAM! I was hooked. So when Dollhouse came out, I decided I loved it just because Joss had done it. That's when I realized the folly of my ways - to truly call myself a Whedon fan, I HAD to watch Buffy.
So, thanks to Netflix because it's totally awesome and had all 7 seasons on instant watch thing, I'm up to season 5. And... well... I love it. I love it so much. It's my favorite thing and it's awesome and I love it. Still hate Sarah Michelle Gellar, and consequentially Buffy, but whatevs. Oz and Xander and Willow and Anya make up for it, and I LOVE IT, and I'm going to buy it and love it forever.
That's what I do. I watch something, love it, and then find everything all the actors have ever been in. I'm a little crazy with the whole six-degrees thing. I made a chart once! It took hours and hours on IMDB, and four whole sheets of that giant sketch paper. But it was awesome, and now I can connect anyone I love to anyone else I love (not in six steps, usually, but I can still do it!) on command.
I should probably stop hating things just because everyone else likes them, because sometimes (par example - Lady Gaga, in all of her fierce glory and awesomeness) they are actually worthwhile. But then, on the flip side of that coin, there's Twilight. And then I feel totally justified in hating things blindly because the masses like them. :D
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