Three's A Crowd

I have a mean sister. Except, she's mean psychologically and not physically. I don't really know which is worse, but I sure don't like the way she is. She can go piss up a rope, as far as I'm concerned at this point. Although obviously it all still gets under my skin. I just don't know how to make her disappear, even though she's chosen to evade herself from me (can I use evade in that tense?). I really don't like it all, and I am trying to build myself a family outside of those with whom I share blood. Through the courses of our lives, we have become so very different that indeed we are not even friends. It sounds easy to deal with on paper (computer screen?) but it is much harder when you've already lost the bulk of your family to death or famine*. Well, off I am to bed. Not to visit her FaceBook page for a long time now. Ideally, not at all again, but I am an honest lass, so I know I'll be back there before the year's through... *sigh* some people never learn, do they...

*Famine, in this sense, my sense, refers to the dire state of life my family was in due to the choices my parents made in their lifetimes. We were famished in many senses of the word.

What Would Jesus Do?

Pat Robertson on Haiti Disaster
by burghnews

CAPITALISM KILLS THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT

It's true, and I know this from both sides of the coin. Most prominently from behind the counter, as the working stiff who has to cater to the greedy hands of the buyers and the sellers. This is made manifest by having to work on Christmas Eve instead of being home with my family relaxing and enjoying their company. Working the day after Christmas - at 5:30 a.m. so people can rudely go out and return the gifts that they didn't like and buy yet even more shit they don't need.

And the same is true for another day of the year that I like to celebrate symbolically: New Year's Day. I'll be CLOSING on New Year's Eve and I'll be opening on New Year's Day - all instead of being home and celebrating the last day of this year and the first day of the new year. I am a somewhat sentimental person... I like the meaning behind these sorts of days and I like to be able to reflect upon an enjoy them. And now I can't, and it's all thanks to Capitalism.

Of course, this is just my little pity pot story - if you watch Michael Moore's new film Capitalism: A Love Story, you'll get a nice strong dose of the evils of capitalism on the grand scale. But for the everyday Judy, such as myself, enjoyment of life is extinguished.

Cry me a river, I know. But it's a noticeable result and I despise it.

And by the way, to the critics: yes, I too am a consumer. We all are. Every human being consumes, and we woud die if we didn't. I buy things I need. I buy things I don't need. Read my post again if you think I am a hypocrite, because what I am saying is that being held hostage to the demands of the general public and the money-grubbing of the capitalists behind the corporations and having to adjust my life and thus sacrafice the enjoyment of my life for this reason, is just the fucking pits. Period. Those of you who work retail know the woes of which I speak.

This is Just... Comical

Are We Really All That Evolved?

I don't think so...

COLUMBUS, Ohio — A judge has given a 90-day jail sentence to an Ohio firefighter accused of killing his dogs to avoid boarding them while he went on vacation.

Forty-three-year-old David Santuomo of Columbus pleaded guilty Wednesday to two counts of animal cruelty and one count of possession of a criminal tool _ a homemade silencer he used on the end of a rifle.

Assistant Franklin County Prosecutor Heather Robinson says Santuomo shot his two mixed-breed dogs Sloopy and Skeeter on Dec. 3 after tying them to a pipe in his basement. She says he dumped the remains in a trash bin behind his firehouse.

Prosecutors have said he bragged about the killings to colleagues.

Defense attorney Sam Shamansky calls the crime an isolated event “totally out of character” for his client.

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.

A Few Bad Apples

Bonjour! EDITED

Well I suppose it's time for a new post, don'tcha tink? After all, it is a very important day. Why, you ask? Because of this and this. Can hardly wait to see how they rule. But word is that they aren't going to overturn it - I can't believe that this is even an issue! I realize that for as far as we have come in terms of social justice, we still have a long way to go, but for goodness' sake! It is unconstitutional! And SHAME on religious groups saying that it isn't a matter of whether being gay is right or wrong and that it's only about the definition of marriage. So fucking what, if it's the definition of a word?! The claim that your children will suddenly be subject to the gay "agenda" because two people are allowed to commit to one another legally and have the same RIGHTS that you enjoy is asinine! Just asinine! Grow up, people. Grow. Up.

Anyway, on other news, I am finally done with the spring semester and am enjoying the short break before I start summer school. Statistics. I have full hope that I will be able to understand and apply what I learn as sociology utilizes statistics in all facets. Then it's off to university!!!!! Yay! It has been a long time coming. I have had to prepare and learn and get up-to-speed from a place of not knowing how to do much beyond long division. I have gained so much knowledge about everything from chemistry to anthropology. It has been wonderful and I am grateful for all I have learned and experienced. I discovered the love of my life (sociology) and have set out on a path to attain the dream of being a professor. I have grown to love the academic environment and have found that that is where I want to spend my career. I love learning and would very much like to be able to pass that along to students.

So I'm just taking care of the various red tape items in preparation for university. It is both exciting and scary. I may have to adjust how many classes I can take as I may need to get another job here (making that job # 3), but that's just how it is these days. I hope to be able to grade for a professor or something of the sort. We shall see.

Happy day to you all.

UPDATE:

F you to all you bastards who voted for the ban on gay marriage in the first place.

The Flipside of Evolution

Can you believe this fucking bullshit?!!? I am enraged right now!