Democrats vs Republicans

So a minor few of you decided to read this because you actually enjoy my blog, the rest of you probably decided to read it because you wanted to see which party I was going to rip so you could decide if you liked me or not.

The answer to your inquiry of who will be mocked and chastened is neither. Or both depending how you look at it. 

What brought this on is the realization that I finally understand what people mean when they say they hate politicians. Do I register as a Republican when I go to vote? Yes. Do I agree with most of the basic views of the GOP? Yes. However, do I like most of the people who are in office on a federal level? For the most part, no. There are too many RINOs (Republicans In Name Only) and not enough public servants.

In my mind when you become an elected official, you have ended your campaign and become a public servant. There is nothing I hate worse than a politician who makes decisions based solely on whether it will help him get into office next term.

There's a reason politicians were (are?) called public servants. Servants serve others. Duh. Instead of public servants, the ranks of our government at all levels is filled with "career politicians" whose only thought is for the next election.

I've thought about this quite extensively and I like to keep things simple so in my mind there are two things we need:

1. Normal people who decide to run for office be that at the local, state, or federal level of government. 

Normal people, everyday people, people like you and me, we can run for public office. There is no where that says you have to have a degree in political science or a lot of money to run for public office. It's public after all isn't it? Yes, there are certain requirements, but for the most part there is next to nothing that keeps us from being a part of our government. 

2. People actually paying attention to and caring about what is happening in the government. 

There is nothing to excuse our negligence in our patriotic duty to vote and be informed. We-- you and me and everyone else--have the privilege to live in this country (and if you don't think it's a privilege then watch the next few posts because there will definitely be one on that) and that privilege comes with certain responsibilities, like actually paying attention and using reason to consider who and what we vote for instead of just voting party lines. If you don't vote, you have no right to complain about anything that happens as a result of the government, which these days is most everything. No complaining about taxes or unemployment or the prices of goods or services or the state of roads or public parks.

I don't want to lose anyone because this gets too long, so just know that there will be more on the importance of voting and of being informed. And before I sign off, I'll leave you with something to think about...

"Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote that he is not making a present or a compliment to please an individual--or at least that he ought not so to do; but that he is executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society for which he is accountable to God and his country. "
Samuel Adams, The Writings of Samuel Adams, Harry Alonzo Cushing, editor (New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1907), Vol. IV, p. 256.

"Now more than ever the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless, and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness, and corruption."
James Garfield, "A Century of Congress" published in Atlantic, July 1877.

And last of all, feel free to disagree. I don't write this to have my ego stroked by those who agree. :)

Why I sometimes get lost in the Internet

As you may have noticed by now, there is no description on this blog to explain what it's all about. That's because I really have no idea what it's about at all. So having said that, today I'm going to give various links and videos that I have found worth my time and/or worthy of wasting my time... (Also, I'm hoping this is just my computer, but the spacing on this post is super duper screwy and it won't change, so my apologies if it's totally messed up. At least the content is the same even if the layout is less than aesthetically pleasing.)


1. Julian Smith TV

All credit for this one goes to my sister Whit for finding it and my sister Jac for always informing me when there are new ones. Julian Smith is without a doubt a huge spaz. I think that's why I like his videos so much. They are so off the wall that most everyone will enjoy them for some reason or another. There are a lot of videos so if you only get to watch a few I would definitely suggest Hot Kool Aid, Techno Jeep, Monsters Are Real, and I'm Reading a Book. My second tier choices would be Jellyfish, Grandma Like Whoa, Beached Whale, and Waffles. Okay actually scratch that. Now that I'm actually looking on the site this is getting waaaayyy too ridiculous because I also want you to watch Brag Call, I'm Brushing My Teeth, Trees Hate You, and Malk. So pretty much watch all of those and you'll have watched all the ones I really like. There are others that are okay, but these are the ones that I'd watch more than once/over and over and over again until mom gets super sick of hearing us quote them. :D :D :D P.S. I want you to know that it took forever to link all of those directly to the videos so you had best watch at least a few of them. Or you will break my heart and make me cry. :( 

2. A Very Potter Musical

Once Upon a Time, there were some kids from the University of Michigan who really liked Harry Potter and really liked musical theatre, so obviously they made a Harry Potter musical. It's awesome! The sequel sucks though. Don't bother with it. Anyways, there's not much else to say about it...you just have to let it speak for itself. ***If the video on their website is being slow, you can also watch it on YouTube.*** Also, I'm not sure who credit for introducing this to me goes to but for some reason I'm thinking it was Earl. So props to you Earl, you're the bestest! 

3. Full Metal Alchemist 

Okay, confession time. I really like manga. A lot. But for the most part I can balance my life and not waste too much time reading it. The one story I always fail at not just reading for hours upon hours is Full Metal Alchemist. It's just so freaking amazing. I realize this might not be your thing, but that's okay because this isn't your blog. :) And anyways I figure I have to pass along all the amazingness that I've found. Credit for this goes to Matt who got me hooked on this story and Whit who got me hooked on manga in general!

4. Sleep (or how to hack your brain) 

Now this isn't something I've wasted an enormous amount of time on. In fact I just found out about it a few days ago from Michael, who is a fellow part-time insomniac and also the nicest person in the world (or so he tells me). Mostly I just like how little scientists know about our brains...it makes me that much more sure that we weren't formed out of goop spontaneously. ;D I think really why I put this up here is just to represent all the weird things that I find on the Internet when I'm trying to google something (NO! NO! You stupid computer! I meant what I typed, stop auto correcting all my searches!) and find something better that I then have to look up more about. Hooray for 731,000,000 results in 0.17 seconds! ... ?

5. Glenn Beck and The Blaze

Some of you will hate me for this, but I also like to read articles on Glenn Beck's website and on The Blaze. While I prefer to think for myself so I usually end up going to other sites and reading lots of stuff, these two sites are typically where I like to start. Part of it is because I usually agree with them (and who doesn't like to read stuff that correlates with their own beliefs?), but part of it is because it's so un-PC which makes me all sorts of happy inside. If you don't agree with it then that's your prerogative, but I like it so it gets a spot on the list.

6. Ravemaster

More manga/anime but this is one that I watch rather than read and it's on YouTube. Oh and they have to translate it so it's not all up yet which is super sad. :-( Props on this one go to Brian who got me totally hooked. :)

7. Blogs!

Obviously, I spend time writing a blog. I also spend time reading a blog :D :D :D So, in order to maybe get my friends some more readers (if I have more than them in the first place, which is extremely doubtful) I'm going to give you links to my two favorite blogs to read! So here's the first one and here's the second...Neither of them are as irritating as I am and they write about completely different (but super amazing things). Hooray for Ryan and Emma and their super legit blogging skills!

Well, you've probably found at least one more way to waste time on the Internet. Or you could go do something with your real friends (I know, strange right?) Have a fantastic day!

A New Post (in which Harry Potter helps teach a lesson)...

Harry Potter is everywhere right now what with the release of the final installment of the films, but while most are focused on the end of a franchise (so to speak) and the continuation of a love of a series, I've been more focused on what we can learn from Harry Potter and all of his wizarding pals.

Why do people love Harry Potter and his story? Why do you love it?

Could it be that people yearn for a world in which the underdog triumphs over the monolithic power of tyranny? Where good always triumphs over evil? A world where people are filled with the passion of a cause and of friendship?

Interestingly enough, it's probably all of these things. For some reason we as people limit ourselves to believing that great friendship and love, triumph over evil, and breaking free from tyranny can only really happen in movies. But that subject will have to wait for another time because I have something else in mind. 

Grindelwald. Gellert Grindelwald. For the greater good.

Grindelwald is in my opinion one of the most interesting characters in the seventh Harry Potter book, if not in the whole series. He's a youth with too much ambition and too little morality. He's a dark wizard second only to Lord Voldemort himself. He, in the end, redeems himself slightly by lying to Lord Voldemort about the location of the Elder Wand. All in all, he's a very in-depth character.

His relationship with Dumbledore is both interesting and puzzling as well. Dumbledore completely bought into Grindelwald's plans for the greater good. You and I reading the story probably thought about how dumb, how naive Dumbledore was in his youth.

But in reality, we don't have much room to talk.

As I completed my Sunday morning routine of eating breakfast while I read select portions of the paper before I get ready for church, I read an opinion line comment that said, "If the rich are the ones who create jobs, what kind of a job are they doing? There are no jobs. Let's get the rich on the ball and do something for our country. Create jobs -- or let's raise their taxes for the benefit of the country." 

Now there are a lot of things wrong with that statement, but I'd like to focus on that last part -- "or let's raise their taxes for the benefit of the country" -- sound familiar?

For the greater good. For the benefit of our country. 

It's not the desire to make things better that's at fault here. It's the desire to make things better at the expense of someone else that is immoral and unjust.   

Now I could go on and on about all of the minor workings of what exactly is wrong with this and why it's wrong, but that's not really the point at the moment. My point is why do we insist on separating our beliefs into categories? Why is it alright to believe one thing in a story and a different thing in life? Why is it acceptable to hold to one standard at home and another at work? What happened to consistency? What happened to moral rectitude and a firm set of beliefs? What happened to common sense and logic?


You will most definitely get more on this topic although whether or not Harry will be involved again is undecided at the moment, but for now I just wanted to get everyone thinking...


So, what inconsistencies to you hold to so firmly in your own lives that might need a little bit of rethinking?

I can't focu--Oh. My. Gosh. Giraffes!

I've decided that sometimes life just likes messing with me.

Take this blog for example. When I first started I knew for a fact that no one except my roommate and my family back home were reading it so I felt free to share whatever I liked. As it got more popular (mostly among other friends but also among strangers that stumbled upon it) I was super excited that others were reading it, but now I get all paranoid and don't really want to share anything too personal because my life doesn't need to be more complicated with stalkers and the like.

Although, even supposing that I might obtain a stalker is a bit conceited. I'm not actually that awe-inspiring. I'm kind of like...a giraffe. Super awesome if you've never seen one before but really easy to get used to except when they do something strange--like lick you with their freaking huge purple tongues.

Or we could have this amazing situation. You fret and worry yourself half to death over a decision for almost a MONTH and then the person you were so worried about offending or hurting totally beats you to the punch and makes the decision before you've decided how best to do it. I mean sure, it makes life a lot easier and less stressful, but you feel kind of dumb stressing so much in the first place when the other party just threw it out there in casual conversation. It's kind of like getting camel-slapped. Not particularly painful, but surprising to the nth degree.

(I couldn't find an illustration to explain a camel-slap, but it's been used in my family for quite some time to describe when one person smacks another person's forehead...usually when they're not paying attention because they tend to make really stupid awesome faces. Since I couldn't find a legit picture I'm including this picture of a camel hoping that it will quench your desire for more illustrations.)

This blog totally started off as a commitment to write more (or at least it did in my head) and it's completely turned into something else so sorry about that. I think I'll just wrap it all up with a nice quote by Anton Chekhov a Russian playwright, short-story writer, and physician who said, "Any idiot can face a crisis - it's day to day living that wears you out." 

"Stay fierce and funky fresh" sounds like pretty good advice and it has alliteration, sooo that's my salute to you. And here's a nice ending illustration video (google images failed me but youtube was a definite win)...

 

***By the way, just in case you were wondering, this post definitely wasn't named until after I'd written it. The giraffes were a byproduct of my completely inability to focus when I have multiple ideas in my head.***

I'm the cooliest kid ever! :D :D :D

So as my super conceited title has informed you, I think I'm the cooliest kid ever!

I usually hate the summer. I know--I'm a freak. It's just that usually the summer is awesome for about 2 weeks and then you're either:

a. bored out of your mind or
b. put to work by your illustrious and lovely mother who also happens to be quite the slave driver.

Therefore, I've never been the biggest fan of summer. Oh also it's super hot during the summer here which I hate. A lot (Speaking of "a lot" I feel like everyone should read this).

This summer I was given the task of finding a job owing to the fact that I now have first hand experience with the phrase "broke college student". I probably applied for about 20 jobs and received the same answer everywhere--"we don't hire summer help".

As frustrating as that was I just made some contingency plans. I'm now teaching piano and taking odd jobs. My odd jobs are probably what make me feel like the cooliest kid ever. Through a series of events that could probably be considered miracles I've been able to do massive amounts of yard work (and I have the farmer's tan to prove it), play piano for a church and a children's theatre, and this next week I'll be working some construction building a deck.

I guess what I'm getting at is that I kind of feel like I've stuck it to the man. Our economy sucks but thanks to a little inventiveness and some super helpful skills I've learned over the years, I probably won't starve this next semester. Which makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. :D :D :D

I don't really know how to end this in a way that won't be completely anticlimactic to my announcement that I'm the cooliest kid ever so here's a picture for you --->

 

The Family: A Proclamation to the World

The First Presidency and Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

"We, the First Presidency and the Council of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, solemnly proclaim that marriage between a man and a woman is ordained of God and that the family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children.

All human beings—male and female—are created in the image of God. Each is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny. Gender is an essential characteristic of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.

In the premortal realm, spirit sons and daughters knew and worshiped God as their Eternal Father and accepted His plan by which His children could obtain a physical body and gain earthly experience to progress toward perfection and ultimately realize his or her divine destiny as an heir of eternal life. The divine plan of happiness enables family relationships to be perpetuated beyond the grave. Sacred ordinances and covenants available in holy temples make it possible for individuals to return to the presence of God and for families to be united eternally.

The first commandment that God gave to Adam and Eve pertained to their potential for parenthood as husband and wife. We declare that God's commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force. We further declare that God has commanded that the sacred powers of procreation are to be employed only between man and woman, lawfully wedded as husband and wife.

We declare the means by which mortal life is created to be divinely appointed. We affirm the sanctity of life and of its importance in God's eternal plan.

Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to love and care for each other and for their children. "Children are an heritage of the Lord" (Psalms 127:3). Parents have a sacred duty to rear their children in love and righteousness, to provide for their physical and spiritual needs, to teach them to love and serve one another, to observe the commandments of God and to be law-abiding citizens wherever they live. Husbands and wives—mothers and fathers—will be held accountable before God for the discharge of these obligations.

The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan. Children are entitled to birth within the bonds of matrimony, and to be reared by a father and a mother who honor marital vows with complete fidelity. Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners. Disability, death, or other circumstances may necessitate individual adaptation. Extended families should lend support when needed.

We warn that individuals who violate covenants of chastity, who abuse spouse or offspring, or who fail to fulfill family responsibilities will one day stand accountable before God. Further, we warn that the disintegration of the family will bring upon individuals, communities, and nations the calamities foretold by ancient and modern prophets.

We call upon responsible citizens and officers of government everywhere to promote those measures designed to maintain and strengthen the family as the fundamental unit of society."

This proclamation was read by President Gordon B. Hinckley as part of his message at the General Relief Society Meeting held September 23, 1995, in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Take Me As I Am...?

So I know that some of you enjoy worlds of butterflies and rainbows and unicorns that have magical farts (MKK that's for you), but I happen to live in the real world. And although my last post was nice and happy, it's back down to business now. My business is mostly sarcasm and facts. My subject today is social problems. For those of you who'd rather not think about problems I'm going to do you a favor--stop reading and go do whatever it is you were doing before you stumbled onto my doorstep.
Anyways...

In 1980, "Psychotherapy and Religious Values" was published. In it Ellis, the author, concluded "that human disturbance is largely associated with and springs from absolutistic thinking--from dogmatism, inflexibility, and that [being extremely religious] is essentially emotional disturbance." This could lead to any number of discussions but I'd like to focus on the implications it presents for how we run our lives. It's interesting that we need a psychotherapist to tell us this but, in other words, the best way to relieve any guilt we may feel is to believe that there is so such thing as a moral or immoral life.

Thirty years later, no one really needs the psychotherapist to tell them this, but no one really acknowledges that that's how we run our lives. This attitude has displayed itself in a variety of ways but none more prevalent than the popular "take me as I am" ruse.

Society today dictates that we as people just accept everyone exactly as they are. Standing up for what you believe in makes you cruel and ruthless, bigoted and intolerant, selfish and arrogant. The world looks up at you as you stand on the mount that is your principles and scoffs that you could ever believe that you have morals because the world doesn't believe in morals any longer.

Morals are a thing of the past. Today's code relies more on silence and acceptance. It doesn't take much to see it; it's infiltrated media, music, politics, even religion. These are the areas that I've chosen to pull my examples from.

I'm sure that some of my readers will not agree with what I have to say. Some of you will be offended. That's life--I doubt it's the first time and it won't be the last, so deal with it.

I figure I'll get what is probably (though not necessarily) the most offensive out of the way first. Politics. Don't we just all love talking politics? To be honest I have quite a few friends who refuse to talk politics with me so this could get kind of gnarly. What I'd like to talk about is Proposition 8. I'm sure you've all heard about Prop8. If not you can go here or find your own info elsewhere.

I support Proposition 8. Fully, completely, totally, unequivocally, without a doubt. I have friends who are gay or lesbian and they'd probably be offended by this. But that's my opinion. It doesn't mean I hate gay people. It means that I believe marriage is between a man and a woman, simple as that. I believe being gay is a lifestyle not the way you're born. Again, I've probably offended someone already, but that's that. That's my opinion. And that's the funny thing...in the minds of some I have been branded as homophobic or as an intolerant [insert offensive language here], but I'm required by nothing to believe that your beliefs are right and mine are wrong, no more than you are required to cast off your own beliefs to embrace mine.

So now that I've offended about half of you, you can choose if you'd like to keep reading. My next issue is with a certain song that just about sums up the problems with society: Lady Gaga's "Born This Way". Unfortunately, I've heard this song waaaaaaaaaay too many times thanks to the girls who insist on playing the worst music possible on the radio in the dorm bathrooms, but I digress. If you haven't heard this song go check out the lyrics.

Now for those of you who are worried, no I'm not going to talk about gays anymore, don't get your panties in a bunch, I'd like to just focus on the overall message of the song. Lady Gaga seems to be under the impression that just because God made her, she isn't a mistake. Not to say that God accidentally made a person (that's just ridiculous), but we make our own decisions. How we are now is, in fact, not how we were born. We've gone down many paths and made many decisions and they all influenced us and we've changed. Just because you're a certain way now doesn't make it right. Just because you do something doesn't make it right.

It all goes back to the psychotherapy...the easiest way to relieve your guilt is to convince yourself that there is no such thing as a moral life and therefore no such thing as an immoral life.

My last topic will flow in quite nicely since I'll be talking about religion. I believe God made man and woman in His own image and that He loves all of us. However, some people, some churches, seem to be under the impression that God loves us just the way we are and there's nothing more required of us. Yes, God loves each and every one of us, as a father loves his children. No, we're not done. Like I said, God loves us as His children and like all fathers He wants us to become better. I don't know why this is such a concept to some, but we're here for a reason. We're here to be tested and tried and to endure and overcome in the end.

So there you have it...I'd rather you not take me as I am. The person I am now is hopefully a lot worse than the person I'll be in the future. And the things I believe that make me who I am, that lead me to lead the life I live, are there to make me better. Some things are wrong and some are right. And though there might be those that condemn me for my morals and for the mount I stand on, still I stand and I declare that I will never accept myself or anyone else the way they are until we have become the best we can be. And let me tell you, that's going to be quite a long time.