A Conversation about Books

I love reading.

Books are my happy place. Always have been. I don't remember a time that being in a book store didn't make me ridiculously giddy.

Except today.

Today being in Barnes and Noble made me angry. It made me angry for a few reasons.

1. The "Men's Interest" section (which I've spoken about before) still has the same set up.
Fishing, hunting, having rock hard abs, half naked women, guns, fast cars. There were no Men of Colour on any of those magazines. Not a single one. This also goes back to the sad societal fact that Men are regarded as cavemen. They are incapable of feeling anything except for raging lust and the desire to kill things. We, as a society, have decided that this is what the definition of Masculinity IS. There is no room for people who are different. Especially if they are of a different ethnicity. Because we like to WHITE WASH everything.

2. The "American History" section.
In this section of the store I counted only 3 or 4 books that were dedicated to People of Colour. And none of them were dedicated to peoples from the Asian continent. One book was on escaped Slave narratives (which ARE important to American History, but ONE is NOT enough!), one book was written by Condoleeza Rice, one was about Rosa Parks and one about a Military Officer's wife during a Crow Indian uprising. I only count that one because it does involve Native peoples. As a book ABOUT Native Peoples... That's debatable. That's it. And the American History shelves were rather large. They could've held a whole shelf dedicated to Civil Rights, Emancipation, Native People's history, etc. Did they? Nope. Not at all.

3. The "Civil War" section.
In this section there were literally NO books on Peoples of Colour. None. And I saw ONE book on Women. That was it. I do believe the Civil War was an integral part of History, but there were more than WHITE MEN involved in that period of Time.

4. The "World History" section.
Basically it was all European history with a smidgen of African history thrown in for good measure. There was a small amount of Middle Eastern history, but almost exclusively in how it correlated to America. Last I checked that was NOT the extent of the World...

5. The Store in General.
I wandered around the store and found very few books that pertained to People of Colour or were written by People of Colour except in the Classics sections... This bothers me. Not just because its all White Washed all the time, but because Authors of Colour write books ALL THE TIME. Not just way back when.

So, I think from now on I'll shop at Second-hand stores or online where I can find variety that isn't completely white washed and only about Men.

#FreeBree

In case you haven't heard, this was a thing...



Bree Newsome, an activist, took matters into her own hands and did a beautiful, brave and AMAZING thing by taking down one of the BIGGEST symbols of racism in America. She's right, we shouldn't have to wait for some White Lawmaker to take it down. We shouldn't have to wait to take down a symbol of tyranny.

#FreeBree #FreeJames #KeepItDown

Not sure who drew this but I'd pay to have it on my wall. Today we witnessed history. #FreeBree pic.twitter.com/oDm8tw4DbO

— Bipartisan Report (@Bipartisanism) June 27, 2015

Non-POC ask often how they can be an ally. James Tyson, who stood at the base of the flag pole as @BreeNewsome climbed. THAT'S an ally.

— April (@ReignOfApril) June 27, 2015

"She needed a superhero so she became one." #FreeBree pic.twitter.com/ifh4FChDot

— Rahiel Tesfamariam (@RahielT) June 27, 2015

Equality comes to America

Congratulations to the United States of America for FINALLY legalizing Gay Marriage (hereafter referred to as, simply, marriage) for the ENTIRE country!

Finally something I can be proud of America for.

Of course, as we all know, there is far more work to be done, so we can't rest on our laurels for long.

But today, let's be happy to have made this progress! For today, we have achieved something that so many people dreamed of and dared to hope for.

To Quote Harvey Milk:

"Hope will never be silent."

So, let us not be silent and continue toward what we all hope for. A world at peace.

Calamity

This is what is going on in America.

9 #BreloTrial cops file federal lawsuit, saying they are victims of racial discrimination http://t.co/guAdR9Hlm5 pic.twitter.com/pX5OaptgU3

— deray mckesson (@deray) May 24, 2015

That comfortability with white supremacy is a privilege, and silence about the violence and injustice of white supremacy is complicity.

— Ryan Dalton (@capetownbrown) May 24, 2015

Black women challenge new ordinance for evening curfew in Oakland with peaceful protest at 7p https://t.co/6vr7hekUTL pic.twitter.com/k42gnCxUJ8

— Dave Id (@DaveId) May 23, 2015

We don't do hands up in #CLE. We won't surrender. It's #fistupfightback pic.twitter.com/A0hhFtALhR

— Rachelle Smith (@rachology216) May 23, 2015

Obama's First Week On Twitter Meets A Racist Welcome Wagon http://t.co/oDsRQZWZyQ pic.twitter.com/tqqzRHEXi3

— Blavity (@Blavity) May 23, 2015

Maybe its just me- There is a difference between protest and riots- and its not based on color as the media thinks #BlackLivesMatter

— Marie (@GaryMillrat) May 23, 2015

Josh Duggar was a "minor" when he molested his sisters but Tamir Rice and Travyon Martin were "men" shot dead for holding candy and toy guns

— Terrell J. Starr (@Russian_Starr) May 22, 2015

#EmmaSulkowicz *waits for angry men to come in my mentions* pic.twitter.com/DX3I4GoQGs

— Zain (@theparkyeol) May 22, 2015

Soldier dies in police custody screaming: I'm choking on my blood http://t.co/yyhkpYaUoM Warning: Video hard to watch pic.twitter.com/L1vONoBS4d

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) May 18, 2015

I'm sick over #HeatherHironimus being forced to "consent" to her son's #genitalmutilation. http://t.co/vYpFipDdCI

— Sarai Lillie (@wicked_roses) May 22, 2015

On #TamirRice and the "potential charges" http://t.co/fZNdL8ZsnP pic.twitter.com/5ik3Q5N4tV

— deray mckesson (@deray) May 22, 2015

They Love Our Bodies but Not Us: Powerful Images From #SayHerName Demonstrations http://t.co/Q805x1oSAL pic.twitter.com/ArNkC0O458

— Blavity (@Blavity) May 22, 2015

White bikers riot in #TwinPeaksShooting. Kill 9. 1000 guns. Arrests. Black men suspected of stealing. Skateboards. Shots. #OlympiaShooting

— Crystal L. Cochren (@CrystalCochren) May 21, 2015

“@_NeverFell_Off: Rest In Power. #SayHerName #BlackWomenMatter pic.twitter.com/jXGmXn4MC0”@IndyFeminists

— Marie (@GaryMillrat) May 21, 2015

Two female inmates filed suit stating Rikers guards repeatedly & openly raped them & others: http://t.co/rznxR3tkQk pic.twitter.com/HAxxvGWO2K

— Keegan Stephan (@KeeganNYC) May 20, 2015

“Nobody is more dangerous than he who imagines himself pure in heart; for his purity, by definition, is unassailable.” - James Baldwin

— Ryan Dalton (@capetownbrown) May 21, 2015

Dear white people https://t.co/8TsXwb2q9T

— Afrikan (@Homesterkid) May 21, 2015

Black men in 6 cities are more likely to be killed by police than in a car accident. (via http://t.co/f0GwfHMHQH) pic.twitter.com/j57WDVZgWD

— deray mckesson (@deray) May 21, 2015

“I never have been in despair about the world. I’m enraged by it. I can’t afford despair.”-James Baldwin

— zellie (@zellieimani) May 18, 2015

Minnesota's first hijab wearing police woman http://t.co/sV6kQNAi1H #mvslim pic.twitter.com/UZqqfweJyT

— Khaled Bey (@KhaledBeydoun) May 17, 2015

The violence in Baltimore the media won't show you http://t.co/EMWc3taTJU #baltimoreuprising #staywoke pic.twitter.com/pXt5DZa0BK

— Blavity (@Blavity) May 17, 2015

Quick Rant.

Quick Rant.
1. Stop trying to demean someone else's experience by saying "Not all police men," "not all men," "not all white people," etc... YES not ALL police officers, men or white people behave a certain way. That is true! However, if you are using it against someone who has experienced something terrible at the hands of *insert person type here* then you are being just as BAD. I'm so tired of seeing people saying "if this officer had been black he would've gotten away with it..." or "would the media have reported about this if a woman had done it?" That's BS and it completely demeans the experiences of people.

2. YES bad things happen to EVERYONE. That is true! Its NOT a contest! No one has had it as bad as you think you have. We're humans. We're never going to fully understand each other because how we experience things is unique to US as INDIVIDUALS. That being said, don't come in and say that a guy who has been molested doesn't understand being raped because he is a guy. That's simply not true. And its not a contest. Stop making it a contest! If we would all just SUPPORT EACH OTHER through the bull instead of trying to make ourselves out to be the bigger victim we'd a bit better off.
3. People just need to stop doing bad things to each other! Seriously. How hard is it to be kind to someone? Just because you don't understand something, doesn't mean You have the right to judge!! DON'T JUDGE. We're all just trying to make it in this world. And its a crappy one. So, instead of making it harder on someone else, why don't you mind your own business and just love? Its not you. Just let it go.
End Rant.

Governor Pence and the Road to Discrimination

Hey guys!

Long time, no blog. I've been doing a lot of stuff recently. And by a lot of stuff I mean I've been stressing out and being absolutely lit pissed over things out of my control.

And one of those things is this whole RFRA (Religious Freedom Restoration Act) going on in Indiana.

Confession time:
I live in Indiana.

Its a terrible law. Its a terrible thing. There is no actual FREEDOM in this law. None. The writing is so ambiguous that you can pretty much claim Religious freedom to do anything. Technically the laws can't touch you.

Its already being used to defend against child abuse and spousal abuse charges in other states... Just fyi.

And no matter what Governor Dip-Shit (I mean, Pence) says, this was designed to enable Government Approved Discrimination. You know why?

He said that the LGBTQIA community being classified as a protected class of citizen wasn't even ON his priority list. Why? Because he is a bigot.

On Saturday I went (along with at least 3,000 other Hoosiers) to Indianapolis to protest and rally against the signing of this into Law. It was signed into law on Thursday last week.

This is reality, kiddos. This is happening. Its 2015 and the Civil Rights Movement has pretty much been trashed by a law signed IN PRIVATE (because he knew the outrage and then has the AUDACITY to say he didn't know this would negatively impact the state!) by a Bigot.

Welcome to Fucking Indiana.

I live here and I am wanting to #BoycottIndiana.

So, here's what I want you to do:
If you live in Indiana, please use your right to VOTE! This is how these things happen guys. People don't use their VOICES and they get drowned out.

Your vote DOES matter!
It DOES make a difference!
And if you aren't voting, shitty things like this happen. We didn't have enough people who voted (especially in my area) and this asshat got elected. Along with several other people in his party who specifically wrote this bill so that they could push their ANTI-GAY agenda on the state.

Not only that, but please only visit businesses that serve EVERYONE! This is another way to fight back. Don't purchase, endorse or help out businesses that refuse service based on "religious belief."

I am so ashamed to be living in a state that has legalized Bigotry. Seriously, this is fucking pathetic guys.

America was built on Religious FREEDOM for ALL. Not just a few. EVERYONE is supposed to be fucking free under that banner.

We are all created EQUAL.

And if you have to boost your ego/religious beliefs by being shitty and denying equality to someone else, then you are failing at religion.

If there is a God, I hope he isn't anything like the people that fucking follow him.

"I Can't Breathe."

I am at a loss for words.

Normally I can't hold back from ranting about things. Especially like this. Especially like now.

I don't know what to say. Every time I try to speak, I just can't.

"I can't breathe."

"Atticus--" said Jemm bleakly. He turned in the doorway.

"What, son?"
"How could they do it? How could they?"
"I don't know but they did it. They've done it before and they did it tonight and they'll do it again and when they do it--seems that only children weep."

- Harper Lee, "To Kill a Mockingbird"

(Photo belongs to "Humans of New York")

Not Enough Love for All

Dear Aerie,
Today I was visiting one of your stores and there was a mirror that said "The Girl in this Mirror has NOT been retouched. The real you is sexy. #aerieREAL"

I have two problems with this.
1. By using "girl" you are completely ignoring those of us who are WOMEN, both Cis and Trans. We're not all children that look in that mirror. And, personally, I would hope you aren't marketing such items at little girls.

2. If we are ALL sexy, then why don't  you offer lingerie in bigger sizes for women like me? I'm not saying you should encourage obesity, that isn't it at all. But the best way to build a woman's self-esteem is to NOT exclude her.

Sincerely,
Sarai

10 reasons I asked if there was another way out of Barnes & Noble

Today, while I was at Barnes and Noble with my friend Kid, I met an author. His name is "Cousin Vinny." At least, that's what he chooses to go by. He was trying very hard to get me to buy his $27 book (paperback, mind you).

He apparently used to be a Soap Opera star, now turned Christian ("I have some spirituality in me") author. He spent 20 minutes raving about how wonderful his book ("The Devil's Glove") was (read: He was raving about how wonderful HE was). He told me that this book would "change your life" and is the best book for "preventing suicide."

He bragged about how he had "NEVER had a bad review" and then proceeded to hand me all of his reviews (in small time Christian newspapers and local papers), they were laminated mind you. Not only were they laminated, but he had apparently memorized each one. He handed me a review and proceeded to recite the whole article, verbatim.

He told me that there was literally no other book with that plot anywhere (spoiler: Its about baseball and Satan). When I mentioned that it was somewhat similar to "The Screwtape Letters" by C.S. Lewis, he swiftly denied it. "Those are two demons fighting over a human. This is ANGELS and demons fighting over a human. God and Satan battling for his soul." (I'm paraphrasing only a little there, this is how the guy talked)

He told me that the writing was the best I'd ever seen and that this would be my favorite book, ever. I sampled the writing while I was standing there... Let's just say it was nothing to write home about. He wrote like he spoke. Not very well.

I am saddened to say that a Pastor reviewed it as being a blend of "Paradise Lost, the Bible and Field of Dreams." Which is very disheartening for Milton and the Bible. To be compared to this is, well, its not a nice compliment in my opinion.

He emphasized that he was a "messenger" (the God part was implied) and when I asked why he didn't go by his real name (Louis Anthony Agnello Jr) he said it was his publisher's idea. It would be easier to "remember."

I told him that "Cousin Vinny" reminded me of Joe Pesci.
He said "Exactly!"
I said "I don't like Joe Pesci."
Taken aback, he said "You don't?"
I said "No. Joe Pesci does not endear me to your book."
To which he laughed, half-quoting me in disbelief.

Also, this guy has no concept of the term "personal space." (His breath isn't so great either) He kept touching me, as if I were an old friend, not a complete STRANGER. I'm not public property, get your paws off.

After I escaped him (it took about 20 minutes, mind you) I literally asked an employee if there was another way out of the store besides the front door because I didn't want to walk past him again. The employee was seriously taken aback and informed me that there was not. But also said that if I warn the front desk that I'm going make a run for it they won't think I'm stealing.

So now, I have a mission. Somewhat. I'm going to read this book, if only to write a terrible review of it. It seems only fitting that I do so, seeing as how I've reviewed the author. You're welcome, "Cousin Vinny," for the "first" bad review you've received.

The following is an open letter to "Cousin Vinny" recounting the experience.

Dear Louis Anthony "Cousin Vinny" Agnello (or "10 reasons I asked if there was another way out of Barnes & Noble"),

1. I am not public property able to be touched because I'm in your space. Just because we are inhabiting the same area does not make me less than human or give you the right to just touch when you feel like it. Did I give you permission?

2. Bragging about your Stripping days in the same breath as you're bragging about how wonderful your book is does not make me want to read it. Especially when you keep saying you are a "messenger" (the "from God" being implied by your "I have some spirituality in me" comments).

3. You don't even KNOW ME, so how can you "guarantee" that YOUR book is going to be my "favorite book?"

4. You're trying really hard to get me to buy your book, but I feel like you're really just trying to explain to me why your penis is the biggest the world has ever seen. And I'm sorry, but I'm just not buying it.

5. Memorizing your laminated accolades doesn't make you seem cool, it makes you seem pathetic.

6. I am half tempted to read your book simply to give it a bad review. Seriously, you tell me how the writing is "the best" and that your story is "the most original" (fun fact: You're not original) and that the copies you are trying to hock are going to be "collector's items" because you are leaving that particular publisher, but I read a sample while I listened to you ramble and your writing style is similar to a 13 year old's. Seriously, I've seen better writing styles in Children's books. You write like you talk. Not very well.

7. You're visiting small towns in the Bible belt, of course this book is going to "sell like hot cakes."

8. Don't talk to me like I'm an idiot. You play like you're the "Devil" just for a scenario, but you're in my face telling me I'm worthless. The difference, as I told you, is that I KNOW I'm NOT worthless. My worth is more than reading your book though. Seriously, how could you possibly think that would make me want to read it? Pretending that you are the Devil and that this book is going to save me from Suicide and save my soul... Dude, you don't even know my Soul!

9. "The Devil's Glove" is a terrible name. It sounds worse than cliched. And trust me, I've read some pretty cliched books. (Usually in the genre you are in)

10. "Are you big readers?" Nope. I walked into Barnes & Noble because I like the scenery. Never read a book in my life.

I could go on and on, really. This was the worst meeting with an author I've ever had. And I didn't want to meet you in the first place! Thanks for telling me all about your schedule though, because I now know to avoid B&N until Friday when you leave for St. Louis.

Sincerely,
Sarai.

Post Script: Don't laugh at me because I said "Joe Pesci does not endear me to your book." I was being quite serious. Going by his character name really doesn't make you more likable.

An End to Poverty

Recently my husband sent me an imgur about how Switzerland was considering a minimum income program.


The point of the minimum income program would be to provide every citizen of Switzerland with $33,600 annually as a way to eliminate the poverty line. Pretty simple right? Sound good? The picture sparked some commentary (which I was also linked to) which, in turn, brought my attention to a program in Canada from the 70's called "Mincome." The project was based in Manitoba and provided families below the poverty line with a minimum, guaranteed, income every month.

I posted the picture (and commentary) to my Facebook page as a way to share with my like-minded friends. Obviously, I have some friends who are not so like-minded. The following is commentary made by my friend (LG) and myself.

LG: The problem with this is we have tried this in various forms, and people tend not to appreciate what they get for free: hence the vandalism, wasting of food and resources etc. I do believe in some forms of public assistance, but people in general need to feel they're contributing something to society, however little. Look around at the epidemic of children in this country who have no input from their fathers, financially nor emotionally. Herein lies much of the cause.

Myself: I would have to politely disagree. The problem isn't that children have no input from their fathers (mine has been non-existent in my life for almost 13 years and I feel no need, nor desire, to vandalize) or even that people feel the need to vandalize and take advantage. The problem is people not being able to LIVE.

If the government had caused the acceleration of minimum wage to coincide with the rise in average cost for goods and production we might see less of a problem. However, because the cost of services, food, medicine, etc, has risen dramatically while the amount of money flowing into the average working man's pocket has stayed at a pitiful (dare I say, negligible) amount, we are left in a flux.

I see nothing wrong with the Government (by the people and FOR the people) taking care of its People. The fact that the Government would rather spend literally Trillions on Military and on a war that was supposed to only last a "couple of months" (I am quoting Vice President Dick Cheney there) instead of providing affordable health care, food, better Education (we're ranked so abysmally on the World Wide scores that it is rather disgusting) and affordable birth control (so that there were less Children starving and without homes/families) is an absolute travesty.

The other problem is that we have a lack of proper education to show just how truly ignorant we've been of how the rest of the world works.

Places like Canada, Switzerland, Sweden, Germany, Denmark, The Netherlands, etc. have been putting time and effort into their People so that Sweden is shutting down an astonishing amount of their prisons because there aren't any criminals to fill them. Canada has higher prices, but better health care. So much so that Americans sometimes go to Canada to receive the health care they need! Denmark is the HAPPIEST country in the WORLD. In the WORLD! South Korea and Finland out rank us in Math, Science and English. 

The cause of our problem(s), is this: Our Government has become one that would rather waste tax dollars regulating women's bodies than protecting citizens from guns (I am pro-gun and pro-regulation), become one that believes that a Corporation can have Religious Rights (last I checked, Corporations aren't people) and We The People are the ones suffering. They are still getting the money they need to waste. They are still getting fed. They are still getting to make all the decisions for people that they don't even know and don't care to know.

That is the cause of our problem(s). The government has been completely warped from what it was intended to be.


Want more info on Project Mincome?

• http://public.econ.duke.edu/~erw/197/forget-cea%20%282%29.pdf
• http://www.dominionpaper.ca/articles/4100
• http://archive.irpp.org/po/archive/jan01/hum.pdf

Choose this day whom you will serve.

The following is in response to someone saying that Music isn't that powerful, that Homosexuality is wrong and some misguided things about Suicide. Unfortunately, she removed the comments so I can't post them here. However, you get to read my reply anyway! (Also, I apologize for how NOT stream-lined this is. It was a stream of consciousness rant to my phone and I have copied it... Verbatim)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That's why we still listen to Gregorian chants from the 1100's. That's why we still have hymns from the 1700's.That's why we still listen to Beethoven and Bach and Mozart. You can't say that music has NO lasting power when, in fact, its been proven, over several centuries, to, in fact, have lasting power. The other thing is, even if, a person does not have a physical hand in a suicide, they have a hand in a suicide. There are always reasons and its not always a cry for help and its not always for attention. And its not always for selfish reasons. Some times its selfish; a good portion of the time its selfish, but some times its not.

And your articles are just, you went and looked for something to support your opinion. Not any actual, real leg-work, as far as finding things to support it. Just... things that coincide with what you believe. Which, I mean, most people do and that's fine, but you shouldn't do that.

Also, if we're going to get into the biblical side of things here: we have to go with either the New testament or the whole bible. Now, if we're going with the new testament, we have to admit that Jesus never said anything about homosexuality, abortions or sex outside of marriage. The biggest commandment that Jesus gave to us was "Love thy neighbor as thyself" and "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." And we, as Christians, seem to have forgotten how to "do unto others." Especially as we want them to do unto us.

You have to ask yourself the question: "Would I want somebody to come in and tell me that my marriage isn't valid just because they disagree with how I live MY life?"

No.

"Would I want somebody to come in and tell me that I can't have a life-saving abortion because they disagree with it?"

No.

The truth of the matter is that there are a lot of Christians who have had abortions because they're "life-saving." And then we argue about that some more too.

The point is that you either have to go with the whole book or the new testament. And if we're going with the new testament you have to admit that Jesus never said anything about homosexuality. Nothing. Not one verse.

Jesus devoted absolutely no time to sexuality. Paul, on the other hand, devoted lots of time to it. And, I would like to point out that, Paul is not the best example of humanity, just throwing it out there.

If we're going to go with the whole bible, then we have to look at the point of fact that we wear clothes that are of mixed texture, eat we shellfish, we eat pork, we touch pork skins when we play football, we gossip about celebrities. Because it is gossip. We're talking about them out of turn. We don't even know them. We're gossiping.

Its just... And we have to say that we're women but we don't actually leave our family home when we start our periods. We don't, you know... and if you tell me that those laws are out dated; those laws are the same laws that you find along with homosexuality. You can't say that homosexuality is NOT outdated, but everything else is. That's not the way it works.

So. Either you have to follow the whole book or you have to, or you can cherry pick. Which, I mean, is what a lot of Christians do. Which is really sad. So, if we're going to cherry pick, the whole bible, we're going to pick verses like homosexuality is wrong.

We're not going to cherry pick the verses that say that children who speak out of turn to their parents should be stoned to death. Or anything like that. You know, because that would just be silly! That law's outdated; you know, "thou shalt not murder." Okay, but God said to...

You can't really reconcile the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament, because Jesus was a fun loving hippie. You know, peace, love and... you know, apple juice. Not really apple juice, but peace, love and wine.

God was all "destroy everything!" That's, that's where I get a little bit sketchy about Christianity, its because I, personally, cannot look at the bible and say "God and Jesus are the same being." Can't do it. Because God of the bible says that he is a "jealous God." But jealousy is listed as being an incredibly evil and wicked thing.

If God is jealous that means he's sinning, but God can't sin because God is... God. Okay...

So then we look at Jesus, who is the perfect example of someone who loves everyone, regardless. God, on the other hand, not so much.

God's like "Kill this," "Kill that."

"What's that? You defeated this army? Kill their children!" That's in the Bible. Go look it up. I can point out verses.

Its just like... Then we get onto the topic of sex.

Again, we can go to the bible and sex, sex, sex. Everywhere. We're sexual beings. We were created to be sexual beings. So, when you look at the bible you've got: people going out and raping, you've got people going out and having sex with prostitutes who turn out to be their daughter-in-law.

You know, you go into this, I mean... The bible is chock full of sex. But its not "bad." Okay, so how is it any different than what's going on now-a-days? Its, its not. People don't really change. Sex is a big thing and will always be a big thing. And the only people trying to suppress it are the church. I don't feel like God wanted us to suppress sex, but that's just me. Especially since he "created" us for it. Its just like...

You also have to think about the fact that, you know, Adam and Eve were probably having sex in the garden and God was watching. There's that. And, technically speaking, they weren't married. Just want to throw that out there. If you want to get really technical, they weren't married.

They were the only two people alive, but they weren't married because, according to a lot of people now-a-days, marriage involves having a certificate. You can't be "married" otherwise. So, Adam and Eve didn't have a certificate of marriage, so they weren't married.

"Joining as one flesh," yeah, that's sex. Just FYI.

Abnormal.

Normally this would be the time of year that I rant about the rampant commercialism and hypocrisy surrounding one of the biggest holidays of the year. I do that often. Rant, that is. I rant about a lot of things. A lot of the time. I can rant until I'm blue in the face, but it changes nothing. Not a single thing. I'm not even sure it changes any opinions.

I just keep talking, hoping that someone will come to their senses, but I'm not sure they do.
Its a side effect of being a Libra, if you believe in that kind of thing. I want everything to be balanced. I want intelligence to be prevalent and acceptance to be commonplace. I want everyone to be happy. That never happens.

I think I'm done with that. I can't change the world as a whole. I am just one voice. Just one verbose, opinionated, ranting, voice. I raise it, but am I really heard?

I'll keep ranting, keep talking, if only to hear myself I guess. I just am not going to pin my hopes to changing anything. I'm going to pin my hopes that I will change one mind and they will raise a voice to join mine. And maybe that will happen and maybe it won't.

I feel abnormal right now. But I'm tired and don't feel like fighting.

In Defense of Short Hair

The following is in response to an article I came across thanks to a friend on Facebook.
http://totalfratmove.com/why-girls-should-not-cut-their-hair-short/

~

To the frat boy who seems to think that short hair automatically makes a woman ugly,

In case you haven't looked in the mirror recently, you aren't such a peach yourself.

I promised myself that I wouldn't stoop to your level, because that would be insulting to ME. And my mother used to say "If you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all." However, my mother also taught me to stand up for what I believe is right. So, instead of letting you continue, I'm going to stop you right there and I won't let you finish.

Boys (I wouldn't call you a man, because real MEN don't act the sexist pig) like to claim that sexism doesn't exist. And, if it does, it is most definitely MISANDRY, because Feminists are all man-hating bull dykes who make it impossible for a perfectly nice man to live with his simple pleasures. Feminists come in and ruin a perfectly good party or a perfectly good lay or a perfectly good "dumb blonde" joke because they're ugly and can't get a man.

The funny thing is that the term "feminist" is not limited to women of a homosexual nature. In fact, there are a lot of MEN (there's that word again and, no, it doesn't mean what YOU think it means) and women of varying sexual orientation, skin color and beauty make up the word. You think you can set limits, but in reality, it has to do with a collective conscience. All of us, who are living in the 21st century, realize that NONE of us are EQUAL until ALL of us are EQUAL. Meaning, that women should be able to *gasp* cut their hair, shave or not shave, dress how they want, etc. All things that men have been able to do.

And yes, Misandry does exist! It exists because BOYS believe that MEN can't express any feminine traits without being "gay," "pussy-whipped" or "weak." Misandry exists because BOYS don't know how to be MEN and they live like petulant assholes for the rest of their lives.

So, welcome to the 21st Century. Believe it or not Women can do any of the following:

* Vote
* Have Sex with WHOMEVER THEY PLEASE
* Dress how they want
* CUT THEIR HAIR
* Drive
* Have as many children as they want
* Go where they want
* Read
* Write
* Not shave their legs, privates or under-arms
* Own their own property
* Get a divorce from an asshole who thinks cutting their hair makes them ugly

Sincerely,
The Girl whose Husband helped her cut her hair short, because she wanted it that way, and who is still beautiful despite your stupidity.

50 Years.

50 years ago, today, John Fitzgerald Kennedy was assassinated. The culprit, Lee Harvey Oswald (though his guilt is fiercely debated in certain circles), was later murdered in prison.

It was a death that rocked the Nation. Not just because it was the death of a president. But because it was the death of the youngest president, one of the most popular presidents of our time, because he was the president who put us on the moon.



"If by a 'Liberal' they mean someone who looks ahead and not behind, someone who welcomes new ideas without rigid reactions, someone who cares about the welfare of the people-their health, their housing, their schools, their jobs, their civil rights and their civil liberties--someone who believes we can break through the stalemate and suspicions that grip us in our policies abroad, if that is what they mean by a 'Liberal,' then I'm proud to say I'm a 'Liberal.'"



He fought hard during the Civil Rights movement, he worked to make living conditions better for the Native Indians, he put us on our Moon Landing path. He was a fan of Hemingway, he wrote a Pulitzer Prize winning book, he served his country in the Navy.

He was far from perfect (he had numerous affairs, one of which was with Marilyn Monroe). He made mistakes. He was human. He made this country better. Let's not waste the progress he made in his short time as the 35th president.



"Today and in the decades to come, let us carry his legacy forward." —President Obama on the Day of Remembrance for President John F. Kennedy (I couldn't have said it better myself.)

On Monday...

Dear Aunt Peggy,
I keep expecting you to call, even though I know you're not going to. I keep expecting you to leave me a voicemail message, saying, you know, "what do you want for lunch on Monday?" And I keep thinking "what am I even going to do on Monday?"

I've had a lot of suggestions.

"Well, you could always catch up on all your reading." or...
"I'm sure you'll come up with something, you have plenty of time." and...
"What will you do on Monday?"

My answer is, I don't know.

What will I do on Monday, Aunt Peggy?

You're not going to be there and I keep thinking, "man, I kept putting off cleaning those pictures for you. And, man, I kept putting off going and seeing you there at the end. And, man, I did a lot of putting off didn't I?"

And then I keep thinking you never broke any promises to me before now. In one fell swoop, you broke several.

I don't have a picture of you. Besides the one I took on my phone when you weren't paying attention. Can't see your face.

And you broke your promise that you would live to 100, 'cause we still had seventeen more years to go.

And, you know, broken promises. I'm not angry at you. I just wish you'd been able to keep them.

But I keep thinking that you had the spaghetti and meatballs all ready. And that you were so excited we were going to have spaghetti and meatballs because we hadn't had it in a long time.

And I keep coming back to "what am I going to do on Monday?"

Because we're not going to get to share our McDonald's cup of coffee anymore.
And we're not going to get to eat goulash together anymore.
And we're not going to get to rant at Pat Robertson anymore.
And we're not going to get to do any of those things anymore.

So, what am I going to do on Monday, Aunt Peggy?

What am I going to do on Monday?

I thought maybe I'd still come and share a cup of coffee with you.
And maybe I'll bring my books and I'll bring a blanket to sit on so I don't get grass stains all over my rear.
And maybe I'll go and buy a chocolate soda.
And maybe I'll figure out how to make goulash on my own.
And maybe I'll use those potholders that you gave me.
I'll put up all the knick-knacks you gave me.
There's a lot of maybe's.

But Aunt Peggy, I'd much rather be with you. I'd much rather actually be getting to see you than wondering what it is I'm going to do.

Who am I going to watch "The Price is Right" with?
Who am I going to banter with about who pays for what?
Whose going to make me ham salad even though I don't eat pork? But I eat it anyway because you made it. The only time I ate pork for a really long time.
Whose going to worry about me while I'm off gallivanting in DC and whose going to ask me what "erectile dysfunction" means and whose going to ask me all these questions I don't know how to answer?

Its not fair, Aunt Peggy.
I love you.
I miss you.
I'm sorry I didn't come and see you at the end.
I'm sorry.

A Dozen Reasons

A friend of mine on Facebook posted the following image:



This was my response.
1. Dogs aren't sentient beings who can sign a marriage certificate and the fact that we relate homosexual people to animals is wrong in every sense of the word. (And if we are going biblically, I can think of several people I know who have sexual intercourse outside of marriage, which is also a sin. And lots of politicians like to have affairs, which is also a sin. And eating pig meat/touching pigs is a sin. The list of sins goes on and on. Someone loving someone else shouldn't be up for some politician to decide on.)

2. Oil companies make millions of dollars a year off of gasoline and they pay less taxes on it than you and I do.

3. The government shouldn't be spending our money on prisons, guns and what not when they could be spending it on feeding our children, fixing our roads and providing proper healthcare and education for the future voters.

4. You DO have freedom of speech. There are consequences for EVERY action. You can say what you like, doesn't mean that you should.

5. Its not about whether or not YOU are responsible enough to own a gun; its about making it safe for everyone and still maintaining the Second Amendment, which says nothing about being able to own whatever gun you want. For example: You live near a seemingly nice individual. He has been proven to be mentally unstable and has been in and out of the hospital for increasingly terrifying paranoid episodes where he believes everyone is trying to attack him. There is no background check for his mental history. He is able to purchase a gun and then he loses it and shoots a bunch of people up. Including children. I'm sorry, I just don't feel like someone who has been proven to be mentally unhinged should be allowed to have a weapon of any kind.

6. Global Warming is brought to you by Scientists and not Weathermen, so this argument is both invalid and silly. I don't know about driving a Prius, but you don't have to be any political party to care about whether or not your planet is being taken care of.

7. I do care about babies dying. I care about the millions of little children that are starving in the United States alone. I care about a young woman who has been raped and is being forced to carry the child of said rapist simply because someone's beliefs are different. I don't hold to Abortions. I don't like them. But I believe they should be safe and legal if someone should have to have one. And no one should judge what someone else is going through unless they've been through it themselves.

8. I think everyone should be able to have free health care. Health is part of the pursuit of life, happiness and liberty. And we were all illegal immigrants way back when we got here. That is not to say that I approve of disregarding immigration laws, because I don't. But if someone comes here illegally and tries to make up for it by becoming a legitimate citizen they deserve the same treatment as a legitimate citizen.

9. Businesses should be able to profit without beggaring the people that work for them. Wal-Mart makes millions of dollars a year while the majority of their employees have to be put on Government programs to take care of themselves. $7.25/hour is not enough to survive on in this day and age. Minimum wage in other countries that can compete with ours on economic levels are upwards of $16/hour.

10. No one is trying to re-write the constitution. However, no one seems to try to actually follow it either. Freedom of Speech, freedom of Religion, etc.

11. Actually the majority of our oil comes from here. Followed closely by Canada and Latin America. Only 12% of our oil comes from the Persian Gulf, while almost 40% comes from here.

12. I used to be a Republican. I started doing research and listening to other people's points of view. I started reading books and trying to understand where other people stood on different topics. I came away with the belief that I may never change the world, but I could change how I viewed it. Instead of being told what to believe I decided what I wanted to believe. And that's part of the reason I vote Democrat. I still vote from some Republicans, but I pay very close attention to where they stand on certain issues and I do my research, ALWAYS. I don't want to be led when I can lead.

Belief

Note:
This list is in no particular order.

1. Circumcision is wrong, no matter your gender, simply because it takes away YOUR right as a human being to decide what is done to your body, even if you are infant.

2. Abortions should be legal for everyone. I may not always agree with it, but I have not stood in that woman's shoes and should not be allowed to make decisions for her. Regardless of my personal views.

3. Gay marriage should just be Marriage. And MARRIAGE is a human right that should be available to anyone. (If you are one of those people who likes to quote the bible, but you are living in "sin" with your boyfriend, keep walking. Hypocrisy doesn't further your viewpoint.)

4. All Human Beings were created EQUAL.

5. Marijuana should be legal. It should be controlled, like alcohol and cigarettes, but it should be available for consumption instead of crowding up our prisons.

6. Equal pay for Equal work. How hard is this concept?!

7. Healthcare should be free.

8. Rapists should be punished, not the victim.

9. Freedom of Religion means freedom for ALL religions, not just yours.

10. If you don't vote you have no right to bitch.

Respect for the Enemy.

 Can someone explain to me two very important things:
1. Why is Guantanamo Bay still open?
and
2. Why do we keep our prisoners there?

Last I checked Cuba and the USA were not the best of friends, so can someone explain to me why we would keep our political prisoners there?

The following video is hard to watch. It is difficult, but it is relevant. I am sad that Mos Def went through this situation, though I am proud of him for bringing this issue to a forefront.



"If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner."
- Nelson Mandela.

"But who prays for Satan? Who, in eighteen centuries, has had the common humanity to pray for the one sinner that needed it most?"
- Mark Twain

"It is easy enough to be friendly to one's friends. But to befriend the one who regards himself as your enemy is the quintessence of true religion. The other is mere business."
- Mahatma Ghandi

"In taking revenge, a man is but even with his enemy; but in passing it over, he is superior."
- Francis Bacon


"Racism is a refuge for the ignorant. It seeks to divide and to destroy. It is the enemy of freedom, and deserves to be met head-on and stamped out."
- Pierre Berton

DOMA Defeated.

"The Defense of Marriage Act, the law barring the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages legalized by the states, is unconstitutional, the Supreme Court ruled Wednesday by a 5-4 vote." - Huffington Post.

Congratulations to all those who are in love with someone of the same gender!!

A Girl named Anne.

Recently Justin Bieber has been in the news for a rather controversial note he wrote in the Anne Frank House's guest book. For those of you who have been unaware (lucky you!) here is what he wrote:

“Truly inspiring to be able to come here. Anne was a great girl. Hopefully she would have been a belieber.”

Now, my biggest problem isn't what he wrote (though we'll cover that in a moment). It is all of his fans asking "Who is Anne Frank?"

This outrages me. HOW can you NOT know who Anne Frank is/was? What are you being taught in school that you skipped over this important piece of history?

Here, let me enlighten you:
Anne Frank was a young girl living in Amsterdam during World War II. She was Jewish and her family hid from the Nazis in what Anne termed the "Secret Annex." She dreamed of being a writer and she kept a diary during her time in hiding. She, and her family, were discovered and taken to Bergen-Belsen (a concentration camp) where she, and her older sister Margot, most likely died of typhus. She was 15.

Her diaries were published 1947, by her father, Otto Frank. He was the only survivor of their family.

When I was about thirteen or so, my grandfather gave me "Anne Frank: The diary of a young girl" for Christmas. It was one of the most precious gifts he ever gave me. I was Anne's age (when she started her diary) at the time. I remember the impact it made on my life. My sadness that this bright light had been snuffed out so early in her life. My heart still aches whenever I think of this brilliant young woman who never had the chance to properly shine.

What angers me the most isn't Justin's comment, though it was uncouth in the situation, it is that so many young people have no idea who this beautiful young woman was. And they have no interest in finding out!

America is lacking in Education. We spend more on our weapons and our wars than we do our children. Prisoners get better educations than some of our children.

For example: The US ranks 14th in Reading, 25th in Maths and 17th in Science as compared to Finland (purported to have the best educational system in the world) which is ranked 2nd in Reading and Maths and 1st in Science. If you don't believe me you can have a look at the following chart created by PISA (Program for International Student Assessment) of the top 34 countries.



This isn't the only comment to outrage me lately (as to education).

As many of you know, I am a huge BioShock fan. Recently BioShock Infinite came out (a game I have waited a couple years for) and I was pleased with the historical details it went into.

A, somewhat, brief synopsis of the game: BioShock Infinite is much like its predecessors in that it covers different ways blind belief and -isms can destroy us. Unlike the previous two, we were not in Rapture. We are no longer in the world originally created around Andrew Ryan (Ayn Rand) and Objectivism (Ayn Rand's philosophy). We are in Columbia (not the country Columbia), a world in the sky and very much like America in 1912, partially because it is an extension of America.

There are a few historical battles mentioned in the game. Namely Wounded Knee and the Boxer Rebellion.

There was a comment that my husband found by someone who played the game. It said "BioShock makes the best Skyrim references" and had a picture of the Battle of Wounded Knee sign in the game. He was referring to the "I was an adventurer like you, but then I took an arrow to the knee" line said multiple times by various guards in Skyrim. He seemed blissfully unaware that there was a real event called the Battle of Wounded Knee.

I've said this before, I know I have, but if we don't learn from the past how are we to ever survive the future? How will our children make it in this world? What happens when we all stop learning, when we all stop reading? What happens? What happens when we forget young women like Anne Frank and battles like Wounded Knee? What happens when we no longer bother?

To Justin: Your comments were inconsiderate and uncouth. You didn't come across as being cute or witty. You came across as ignorant and proud. Too proud to realize how much of an ass you made yourself look like. Anne Frank wasn't your typical teenage girl. She probably wouldn't have floundered at your feet. If anything, I think she wouldn't have liked you at all. If you had read her diary maybe you would realize she wasn't into the whole self-appreciation crap.

I used to think you were funny Justin. I didn't like your music, but you were a cool kid. I hate the person you have become. You are so self-absorbed and rude. So proud and arrogant. I hope, one day, that you grow out of it.