Oh Dear

Mrs. Bagley of Cardigan Empire fame 

has a post today 

so very worthy of the minute or two it takes to read it. 

My sentiments exactly, 

dear stylista! 

What the Fashion World Could Use a Little of Today

When I saw this video about Jordan Christy and her accompanying book on Cardigan Empire this morning, I knew I just had to post it here as well. I am so so so so so so SO happy to see and hear a beautiful young woman speak about modesty and classy behavior and self-respect in such a positive and happy way. This is just the boost I needed today. I have so many friends my age who are sweet and good, but still they're trapped by today's dress "standards" of tight/see-through/barely-there clothes and it makes me not only sad, but seem like I am shy! I'm not shy - I have self respect!

So, please enjoy this lovely young lady speak about something we could use a fashionable resurgance of: modesty and self respect.

Author Jordan Christy from Jordan Christy on Vimeo.

Solicitation

Or can one really solicit prayers? Because that's what I am in need of right now. Details aside, I am at a crossroads and am in need of clarity and conformation. As well as support and love. I am doing my best to reach out and keep my head above water, which is working so far, but I feel that I need could use a little extra bolstering about now. Like many, many people, I am walking a difficult road and am hoping for easier times ahead.

So, if you've got a minute, say one for me, send me some love, however you do it. I'll receive it and I really will appreciate it. Thanks.

This helps, too.

Just the Boost I Needed Tonight

Waiting for the Old and Ignorant to Die

Mine Heart Doth Swell

Man, oh man. This kid makes my heart swell with pride. Have you ever heard a more eloquent and well-spoken 10-year-old in your life?! May this child be blessed with a smooth and clear path in his studies of law in years to come and may the world be in turn blessed with his heart and mind to indeed create and promote 'liberty and justice for all".

I am just beaming right now!!

I Have Just One Thing To Say To You...

OK. Tyra Banks is AWESOME!

Your Sunday Lesson

Because of One Great Man

Today is the National Day of Non-Violence. This is because it is also the celebration of Gandhi's birth. Two great days in a row: yesterday was Vegetarianism day, and today this. Awesome. Gandhi was my first Hindu inspiration. As previously noted, I feel very connected with all things Indian, but as Indian culture is not very prominent in the States, I hadn't heard of this great man until I was in my teens. Now that I study Hinduism and Indian culture more academically, I have found it to be a pleasure to get to know this man more. The most beautiful part to me is that his message didn't die with him. Through his courage and efforts he is known, and thus his message is known. The UN recognized Gandhi's contribution to the world and has codified this day to be a national day of non-violence. I think he would be most pleased even if it is only one day. It is a start in the right direction.

A Message of Love

I absolutely love President Monson. If I could have the chance to sit down and have lunch with him, I would pour my heart out to him and seek his advise.

Oh No, Mr. Maher!

Boy howdy. I couldn't agree more with Bill and the other two reasonable people on his panel. The woman, well, what can I say? She's been brainwashed the same as literally billions of other "believers" have over the centuries that religion has had it's terrible reign. My hope is that as we finally progress intellectually, religion will be washed out and reason, logic, and critical thinking will take it's place.

JOE PESCI DOESN'T FUCK AROUND

Love

Seeing this just reaffirms my stances on what I do believe in and what I do not. I am so grateful to live in a free country; I am so grateful that I haven't been brainwashed by religion; I am so grateful to have felt love as a child despite the hardships; I am grateful for my open heart and mind.

Oh Me of Little Faith

What will be left when I've drawn my last breath
Besides the folks I've met and the folks who've known me
Will I discover a soul-saving love
Or just the dirt above and below me

I'm a doubting Thomas
I took a promise
But I do not feel safe
Oh me of little faith

Sometimes I pray for a slap in the face
Then I beg to be spared cause I'm a coward
If there's a master of death
I bet he's holding his breath
As I show the blind and tell the deaf about his power

I'm a doubting Thomas
I can't keep my promises
Cause I don't know what's safe
Oh me of little faith

Can I be used to help others find truth
When I'm scared I'll find proof that it's a lie
Can I be led down a trail dropping bread crumbs
That prove I'm not ready to die

Please give me time to decipher the signs
Please forgive me for time that I've wasted

I'm a doubting Thomas
I'll take your promise
You've always kept me safe
Oh me of little faith

~ Nickel Creek, Doubting Thomas

Faith

Normal Shmormal

"Ever Wonder How Normal You Are?" an article by Father Lou Guntzelman.

Complexity's Overrated, Anyway ...pfft...shaw...

It has been said that the genius of Einstein was not in his ability to grasp the complex, but rather to grasp the simplicity where others could only see complexity. About Mozart's music Einstein said, "like all great beauty, his music was pure simplicity."

~ William F. Reynolds

My Fellow Prisoners:

This Is What Lack of Education Looks Like, Folks

Take a close look. If anyone you know has these symptoms, immediately rush them to university and enroll them in Critical Thinking 101 and Life Science 101. It's a jungle out there.

Is Glenn Beck Really A Monster?

No. Is he a saint? Well, he is a Saint, but not a Saint.

You know what? I'm no conservative (shocking, I know) - not by a long shot. But I really don't like it when people intentionally give misleading information to others and present it as fact.

This happened today on a blog in my blogroll (you'll find it if interested). The blog author gave the post a nasty title about Glenn Beck and proceeded to copy and paste text from another web page - not run by Beck, nor a site about the book - about some passages from Glenn Beck's 2003 book, The Real America. This particular passage went into a somewhat disturbing bit of detail about a supposed fantasy relationship Beck had with his sister as a young man. Fine. Weird. But that's all the author of the blog posted. From this blog author's link to the web page they took this information from, there was a further excerpt from Beck explaining that he used this story, whether it is true or false was not stated and really doesn't matter in this case, to further explain a larger point he was making - a parable of sorts.

What I think of this story, or Beck's politics in general, have nothing to do with this to me. I am defending him in this instance because this poster was misleading their readers by only posting part of the truth and presenting it as the whole truth. That's just not thinking critically, which is what intelligent and thoughtful people do. When you have a captive audience, you are bound by Socratic eithics, in my eyes, to present the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Especially when using someone else's words. Period.