Rants & Raves from the Willamette Valley

Alice

2010-12-27T13:34:00.000-08:00

Remember, Remember, the 5th of November

2010-11-05T08:55:00.000-07:00

Geeking Out

2010-10-19T10:54:00.000-07:00

I feel the need to share these things and I get tired of posting on Facebook. Click on any images to enlarge.

1) Super Hero Cake

I WANT this cake! Anyone reading, feel free to make this for my 26th birthday
(November 12th... just in case). ;) I do feel like the Green Lantern needs to be shown on here some how though. It's just not right for the Emerald Knight to be missing...

2) Html Cake

Here's another geeky birthday cake I thought was pretty funny. I saw this awhile ago and have had the picture saved on my computer for awhile.

3) Lego Matrix

4) The Evolution of the Geek

Which Geek Are You?

5) Atari Wall Decals (ThinkGeek.com)

6) Lego USB Memory Brick (ThinkGeek.com)

You can even stack 'em :)

7) Crayon Executive Pen (ThinkGeek.com)

Ballpoint pen that looks like a giant crayon!

8) 8-Bit Hanger (ThinkGeek.com)

Bringing your 2D User Interface into the real world

9) Laser Guided Scissors

10) His & Hers Chromosome Towels

Geeky Housewarming or Wedding Gift - Discount at ThinkGeek.com if you buy a set (in any combination)

11) World's First Robot Pop Star

For an article on it, click here

12) A Ring to Rule All Geeks

13) Geeking Out for Halloween

14) Marvel Superheroes Re-Imagined in the World of TRON!

For more, go here.

Is Art Essential?

2010-10-05T01:22:00.000-07:00

"See those people standing on the side of the road? The ones with the cardboard signs and are asking for spare change? Yeah, those people were Art majors."

That is what I was told by a friend when they first found out what I was in school for. Yes, it's still somewhat funny... I even retorted with, "Sure, but I'll have the best damn looking sign out there!"

I get tired of the pessimists though. Those that only think of practical solutions, instead of fulfilling their dreams. "Teacher" is an acceptable answer for the "What are you going to do with an Art degree?" question... by the way... in case you didn't know. See, the fact that you are even considering art as a career path worries the pessimists. Say that you are going to just BE an artist... well now... you might as well get use to your significant other having to take care of you for the rest of your life. There's no way you'd be able to become successful enough to support yourself, let alone a whole freakin' family!

It's true that many who try to break into the art world don't become as successful or famous as they may have dreamed, but isn't it better that they at least gave it a shot?

Now, there are people who ask about your career goal just genuinely wanting to know, but there are others who, even after giving them your (well rehearsed, lawyer-esque) closing statement... I mean, explanation, still believe your chosen path to be a waste of time and money - especially money.

As an artist, and a mediocre one at that, I will always believe art to be an essential part of life. Not just for myself, but for everyone around me. Everyone within our society, our culture.

(The following are a few of my own ideas and excerpts/thoughts from an article titled "Is Art Essential?" by Donald Harris:)

Art is not only everywhere, it also transcends time. "There is no geographical, ethic, or history boundary." Through art we understand the artist, we understand people, we start to understand our many differences.

Art often reflects the complexity that is within the human mind. Emotions are incredibly hard to understand or even describe. "Otherwise, it would be relatively simple to define love or passion, or hate, or anger, or contemplation, or happiness, or grief, or sorrow."

Emotions - a nonverbal form of communication. It can exist in works of art such as paintings, sculptures, music, or dance. Art also describes feelings in verbal communications such as theatre, poetry, or books. Our emotional life is the most uncontrolled or unpredictable, but clearly a part of our lives that informs our thoughts and actions as much as our intellect. "Art expresses the depth and variety or passions that are a fundamental part of our existence."

With the ability to express our inner desires or worries, in a visual form, we are capable of problem-solving. There are very few situations, experiences, or problems that only have a single solution (those exceptions being something like a mathematical equation).

Many non-artists, those that don't even doodle a little, probably can't grasp how much thought really goes into the creation of an art piece. Art is all about ideas... the rational activity of neurons lighting up in the brain to, in a sense, problem solve.

In works of art there are several outcomes available to the artist, each quite different to each other but still solid answers. Two painters can look at the exact same tree but interpret the surroundings, colors, and textures in completely different ways...

"Can we then conclude that art is essential? From a sociological or political standpoint, probably not. There are problems that are more urgent and compelling. We cannot expect from art that which it cannot promise or deliver, such as shelter for the homeless or jobs for the unemployed. On the other hand, is there something essential about the art that makes it compelling, worthy or our attention, fundamental to an understanding of ourselves and our fellow human being wherever they may be found on this earth, indispensable to our growth as educated and compassionate citizens, or a necessary component to the appreciation and enjoyment of historical achievements?"

Art can be seen as quintessential to an understanding of life in all of its diversity, richness, and depth.

Art teaches us that, in art and in life, there is more than one way to describe the same issue, equally revealing, equally compelling. It's another form of tolerance and understanding. Art is about making choices.

"Long hair is an unpardonable offense which should be punishable by death." ~ Steven Morrissey

2010-09-28T17:10:00.000-07:00

Whether you're a shoulder-length conservative or you like to clip it back, hairstyles are something that change with the times. One year, it might be the "in thing" to wear braids or cornrows... the next, may be pony tails high on your head or some wildly teased hair from something out of a horror show. No matter what the style, one thing remains unchanged. People continue to wear styles pertinent to their time, their idea of what's "in," their likes and dislikes. We are a very eclectic, fussy bunch of hair types.

Usually, hairstyles are reflections of our personality. For example, in the 50s a "duck butt" hairstyle was popular, and "greasers" slicked back their hair for a rebel-like look. In the 90s, mohawks were the perfect additions to tattoos and piercings. In the 80s, a mullet seemed like a good idea... but today, they are only for hicks. Also in the 80s, girls wanted feathered hair (a la Farrah Fawcett from Charlie's Angels), and the big hairstyle was seen as overtly sexy for young girls. Today, there are emo kids who deliberately try to get their hair styled so that it looks like they randomly cut into it using kitchen scissors, and they dye their hair black. Hairstyles can help us achieve how we want to be perceived.

On the other hand, a bad haircut can actually directly affect our personality.

As for me, I know I prefer short hair. People can assume I'm gay, boyish, whatever... but I just say I'm me. It's more comfortable, easier to take care of, and I feel more like myself. For whatever reason I feel like I am trying to be someone I'm not when I have long hair. It's uncomfortable to me... inside and out.

Several friends have even said short hair suits me better. I like to be active and having hair whipping around my face displeases me.

All this post's really saying is... Yay for Short Hair! :o)

Fall: A Time of Reflection

2010-09-10T01:03:00.000-07:00

Scars are souvenirs you never lose
The past is never far
Did you lose yourself somewhere out there
Did you get to be a star
And don't it make you sad to know that life
Is more than who we are

With the weather getting colder, I notice that I start to become more nostalgic. I look back to where I was in life and compare it to where I am now. It's a bittersweet feeling, as I imagine it often is for most.

Two years ago, around this time, I was just transferring to WOU as a Junior in the Art program. I was married. Excited for my new start as an art major at a new school. I had a husband who loved me and a dog that I adored. (Notice the wording of that previous sentence... if you read into it, it probably explains a bit of how I was back then.) I had a great life. A life that I'm sure some friends envied. I was only 23 years old, almost 24, and was married, lived in the hills of West Salem in a beautiful two story house. My husband and I would go on several mini-vacations through out the year and a big vacation during the summers. I had the life. The American dream for some. But alas, I was unhappy through it all. Why? Well, it's not something I feel the need to explain anymore. I'm not sure if I will ever fully understand it all myself.

Fast forward a year. I was 24, almost 25. I had separated from my husband in the Spring and was living with a friend. Over the summer the divorce was finalized. I had started dating a guy who I thought was great. The beginning of Fall term, my second year at WOU, was fast approaching. I was happier with my life. A fresh start I thought. A new beginning. Part way through Fall term the guy and I move in together. A different approach to exclusiveness for me, since marriage was the farthest thing from my mind. A taboo word for me even. We dated for 10 months, until the beginning of summer this year. Without going down a rabbit trail, we can just say he was not a good match for me.

Another new school year is approaching. I am still at WOU, still an art major. This time, however, I am going into this school year as a single woman. No attachments to any significant other. Not to mention I am also now living more on my own than I ever have before. It's a new feeling for me. Scares me, quite frankly. But it's also a good feeling. I am a serial monogamist. I go from one relationship to another with not much time in-between where I am actually single. No time to just be my own person. No chance to be my own person. Because I am a people pleaser when it comes to relationships. If there is a problem, I will change in order to fix it. Over the past few months I have realized this about myself and am in the process of actually standing up for myself and not being walked all over... but those of you who are similar probably can sympathize how difficult it is to change a part of your own personality, even if it is for the better.

Overall, I'm excited for this new school year. I am excited for what this new year will bring. I am terrified of being a responsible adult, but I think I'll be okay. I still have close friends and people who care about me.

But sometimes it's hard to be optimistic about certain life situations when all you truly want is to be accepted and loved by someone who you are also madly in love with. Is it really just a fairy tale? A hopeless romantic thought? Am I damned to repeat a cycle of "new beginnings" every Fall?

Theological Belligerence

2010-09-08T20:46:00.000-07:00

The Christian minister who has ignited a media firestorm with his intention to commemorate the Sep. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks by burning copies of the Quran appeared on "Nightline" Tuesday (Sep. 7) to reassert his church's commitment to the plan.

Terry Jones, pastor of the Dove World Outreach Center, a small, evangelical church in Gainesville, Fla., said that he and his congregation will go forward with the proposed "International Burn a Koran Day" on Sep. 11, 2010, in spite of concerns from the government that the event could put troops in danger.

"It's something that we feel we need to do," Jones said. "It's a message that we feel we need to send."

The pastor stated that he and his congregation have received death threats and will be armed on the evening of the Quran burning. "We are definitely prepared to give our lives for this particular message and cause," he said.

Jones' plans have been met with harsh condemnation from U.S. government officials. General David Petraeus warned that the Taliban could use images of the church's Quran-burning rally to incite violence against U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton echoed Petraeus' fears, adding that burning the Islamic holy book is a "disrespectful, disgraceful act."

"We understand that those concerns are valid," Jones said. "The question that we have is if we don't do it, when do we stop backing down?"

The Mindset of Incoming College Freshmen - Class of 2014

2010-08-20T10:55:00.000-07:00

The mindset of incoming college freshmen changes every year... but here's a look at the graduating Class of 2014. Most born in 1992. I'm only 25. I know I'm young. But some things make me feel old. And this is one.

I personally ran into a "new Freshman" scenario earlier this summer. Upon getting into my car, she thought something was wrong... because I had to manually unlock the door. It's a basic car. No power windows/locks. Even after I explained, she still looked at me funny. And I'm not even that old! What the heck!

Click the link for the Mindset List for the Class of 2014:

http://www.beloit.edu/mindset/2014.php

In the Mind of Mary - Please Wipe Your Feet

2010-08-12T12:35:00.000-07:00

(Disclaimer: Some of this may sound conceited. I am just writing.)

* Compromise can't be all one-sided. If a man wants to be the proud possessor of the deep devotion and thrilling mystery that is me, he'll have to give a few inches too.

* I greatly admire honesty, but careless, thoughtless remarks can wound my unexpectedly vulnerable heart more than anyone can ever guess, because I keep the deepest hurt to myself, inside, where it won't show.

* If a man values my love, he'll never be careless of my feelings. For all my gentleness, my apparent poise and calm, sometimes when I am the most silent, the woman inside is screaming.

* As determinedly ruthless as I can be when I've really been hurt and feel compelled to teach the guilty a lesson they'll never forget, I can also be unbelievably loyal and fiercely protective of anyone who has ever been kind to me. I am a warm and loving friend, capable of intense devotion, who will still be there when the fair-weather friends have all flown the coop.

* I like to know things. A compulsion to probe the buried, the hidden and the mysterious, to ferret out secrets. "Curiousity" is too mild a word. Knowledge is power.

* I have a deep need to understand the world around me. I have high ideals and I have my eye on what's on the horizon. I look ahead, and at times can seem quite restless. I am proud of my knowledge and of my morals.

* I am a tolerant, adventurous, and curious person, and I want to see the best in people and in life.

* I can't deny that sometimes I still have yet to fully learn the lessons of freedom, optimism, daring and self-honesty.

Past and Future

2010-08-09T17:26:00.000-07:00

I love looking through old photos. Sometimes you can ask family about those in picture, but sometimes it's also fun to stare into the frozen faces and wonder who they were, what were they thinking at that time, and (depending on how old the picture is) what they are up to now.

Old family pictures are what I love most. I have more somewhere, but for now here is what I have.

Arturo Quintanilla, Sr. - My Great Grandfather

Arturo Quintanilla, Jr. - My Grandfather (My Mother's Father)
I call this his "Ricky Ricardo" picture.

My Grandfather (second in from the right)
with his siblings, two are missing in this picture.

My Great Uncle Walter (17 yrs old) and My Grandmother Mary (12 yrs old) (My Mother's Uncle and Mother)

Grandma Mary is who I was named after. My first and middle name are hers.

Great Uncle Walt

Great Uncle Walter Lyon Chiene

Das kleine Mädchen

2010-05-26T14:37:00.000-07:00

Ein kleines Mädchen is weinend.
sie schreit: "ich bin allein"
Schwach und müde, sie stolpert weiter.
Ein klägliches Dasein.

Spring & Summer Events in the Willamette Valley

2010-04-28T09:04:00.000-07:00

Eugene Saturday Market in Eugene, OR
The oldest weekly open air crafts festival in the U.S. features handcrafted goods, food and music, rain or shine at 8th and Oak. 10am - 5pm
* Date: April 3, 2010 to November 13, 2010

McMenamins UFO Festival in McMinnville, OR
Come out for this festival that attracts over 5,000 visitors every year – enjoy an alien costume parade, live music by Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside, an alien costume ball and much more...
* Date: May 14, 2010 to May 15, 2010

Eugene Scottish Festival in Eugene, OR
Enjoy bagpipes, harps & championship fiddling. County dancers, clans, Scottish food & wares. Museum and gifts: 3060 River Rd 10am - 5pm.
* Date: May 15, 2010

Strawberry Festival in Lebanon, OR
Jr and Grand parades, open air country fair, world's largest strawberry shortcake.
* Date: June 3, 2010 to June 6, 2010

Wilsonville Festival of Arts in Wilsonville, OR
Celebrates visual, literary & performing arts. Colorful parade kick-off Saturday morning - free - with something for the whole family.
* Date: June 5, 2010 to June 6, 2010

2nd Annual West Bank Solstice Festival in Independence, OR
Local Oregonian artists and their works. Wine, music, food, summer begins, held in a beautiful park. What more could you ask for?
* Date: June 19, 2010

Salem World Beat Festival in Salem, OR
Travel the world at Riverfront Park in Salem. Dine, shop & watch breathtaking cultural performances in each of five World Villages. Join International folk dances, games & workshops at Oregon's premier international event. More than 125 performances, demonstrations and workshops in nine performance venues throughout the weekend, including costumed processions and Dragon Boat Races!
* Date: June 26, 2010 to June 27, 2010

4th of July Independence Days in Independence & Monmouth, OR (Inde-mouth)
Celebrate the 4th in Independence & Monmouth. Fireworks on 2 nights. Big parade July 4th. Vendors, family fun. $1 contribution suggested for fireworks.
* Date: July 2, 2010 to July 4, 2010

61st Annual Salem Art Fair & Festival in Salem, OR
200 artists from across the US and Canada. Live music and performances on two stages. Hands-on activities for kids, and much more!
* Date: July 16, 2010 to July 18, 2010

da Vinci Days Festival in Corvallis, OR
A three-day sensory experience inspired by Leonardo da Vinci, celebrating art, science, and technology. Where else can you find...art that makes you think, mini race cars built by school kids, a juggling physics lesson, a race of human powered all terrain vehicles, Grammy Award winning music, street performers, a community art project and sidewalk chalk art, food, beer, and wine, and the latest research in wave energy and other scientific breakthroughs… all in one place?
* Date: July 16, 2010 to July 18, 2010

Dallas Summerfest in Dallas, OR
A 4-day event that has something for everyone! The highlight is our parade on Saturday at 11AM. Food, Retail, Commercial & Art Booths Galore. Live Entertainment, Hydro Cart Races, Book Sale, Car Show, Art Show, Garden Tour.
* Date: July 29, 2010 to August 1, 2010

Polk County Fair in Rickreall, OR
Good old fashion County Fair, lots of family fun and entertainment. Beautiful Baby contest, tractor pulls, Youth Rodeo 4-H/FFA exhibits. Hours: Thurs. - Sat. 10:00am - 10:00pm, Sun. 10:00am - 6:00pm.
* Date: August 12, 2010 to August 15, 2010

Oregon State Fair in Salem, OR
Free entertainment, concerts and shows, carnival and rides, food and drinks, familyville, animal exhibits, Art exhibit, Artisans' Village, sports and recreation, science and technology, Oregon wine celebration, horse show events, rodeo finals and lots more.
* Date: August 27, 2010 to August 29, 2010

Artistic Quotes

2010-04-25T22:52:00.000-07:00

"If I could say it in words there would be no reason to paint."
~ Edward Hopper

"Have no fear of perfection, you'll never reach it."
~ Salvador Dali

"Art is not what you see, but what you make others see."
~ Edgar Degas

"Lord, grant that I may always desire more than I can accomplish."
~ Michelangelo

"Colour is my day-long obsession, joy and torment."
~ Claude Monet

"I don't say everything, but I paint everything."
~ Pablo Picasso

"I begin with an idea and then it becomes something else."
~ Pablo Picasso

"Painting is just another way of keeping a diary."
~ Pablo Picasso

"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up."
~ Pablo Picasso

Death Plays Its Sweet Lullaby by Mary Schuck

2010-04-25T13:03:00.000-07:00

Click to Enlarge the Image

"Death Plays Its Sweet Lullaby"
Drypoint Engraving - SP#2

A tribute to my friend, Mark Youngsma

Death Brings Reflection

2010-04-05T09:02:00.000-07:00

Because of the recent suicide of a friend, I believe I randomly start crying... not just because I miss him... but also because I now feel the bitter pain, anger and saddness that I could have caused my family and friends almost a year ago.

Mark Kenneth Youngsma
03/27/1985 - 03/31/2010

Spring Break... Chillin' at Home

2010-03-22T14:57:00.000-07:00

So I realize that I haven't really been blogging up to par. I find funny or interesting topics/articles elsewhere and just repost those to share with you all. I swear I use to be better than this. LoL

I just don't have a whole lot to talk about it seems. At least not blog worthy and with pictures. :o)

I'm in my Senior year of college, yet I have another year before I'll *cross my fingers* graduate. It's Spring Break now and last Friday I went up to my mom's and visited her and my sister.

My youngest nephew's birthday was St. Patricks Day so there was a birthday party for him on Saturday. My sister always makes cakes for her lil ones and Kaden wanted Lightning McQueen. I helped where I could. Actually... Brandon (her husband) and I and my sister all helped with the cake. It was funny having three adults decorate a cake together.

The bleachers are made out of toothpicks, made with a hot glue gun.
Rachael, my sister, realized that she probably should have made the track a little larger, but it worked. Kaden loved it. :o)

When the kids first arrived they all just ran around and played but then we had put some massive paper down on the table. This was a good time waster for the kids to color on, but it also served as a table cover. :o)

Kaden's the one with the green shamrock hat on and is all smiles. :o)

When it was time for cake, Kaden's wish was adorable. I think it's partly the little kid way he talks, but he said, "I wish... for a PUPPY!"

To the right of him is my oldest niece, Kaden's big sister, Kate.

Not pictured are my sister's other two kids. Karston, the oldest, was at a friend's house during the party and Kourtney, the youngest, was napping. Yes... my sister has four children all names starting with K. :o)

All in all it was a nice mini trip to visit them. Stayed the night at my mom's and hung out at my sister's.

As for the rest of Spring Break... I have no idea what will be happening. Probably just relaxing at home.

Imagination Acclimation by Mary Schuck

2010-03-12T16:29:00.000-08:00

(Click Image to Enlarge)

"Imagination Acclimation"

State Proof #2
Lithograph

Artist Statement:
Acclimation - to accustom or become accustomed to a new climate or environment; to adapt.
As we grow older we become more grounded to the reality that is around us.

Famous Movie Quotes Explained By Graphs

2010-03-10T19:31:00.000-08:00

Sometimes famous movies quotes are repeated so often that they lose their significance. That we forget the meaning and weight behind them. What does "We're not in Kansas anymore" even mean? It's so abstract. Luckily, it, along with seven other famous lines, are explained in these handy graphs.

Isometric Shapes Project

2010-03-04T18:07:00.000-08:00

Drawing Systems project a little while back.

(Click for Larger View)

"Stop using Jesus as an excuse for being a narrow-minded, bigoted asshole."

2010-02-27T11:16:00.000-08:00

Mary's Status on Facebook:
"Stop using Jesus as an excuse for being a narrow-minded, bigoted asshole."

--The Debate That It Caused--

Brandon (bro-in-law):
Am I really like that? Is your Sister or mom?

Mary (me):
I never attached names to the statement.

Brandon:
No, You put us all in the same group. If you are mad at someone talk to them.

Mary Schuck:
Actually, I'm not. I was curious what comments I would get with this quote. And figured you would definitely be one posting some comment. Guess I was right.

Brandon:
It's just a tad offensive. I know you didn't mean to offend everyone, but a little tactfulness can go a long way.

Mary:
I actually wasn't worried about offending people. In fact, I KNEW it would offend people... hence the curiosity of what kind of comments would be made.

Brandon:
Why are you looking to offend? What is it about Christians that offends you?

Mary:
Although Christianity does have its good points, the exclusive nature of many (not all) Christian groups opens the door to Christian bigotry.
To the Christian bigots themselves, their bigotry is usually invisible. It disguises itself as piety and righteousness. But to non-Christians at the receiving end, it is often plain old unadulterated bigotry.

However, I am not saying I don't believe in God. I even still consider myself a Christian. Though some what "no holds barred", definitely hypocritical and blunt.

Brandon:
Narrow-minded? yes I am, but so are most people. We all have our opinions. Bigoted? No, I am not intolerant of other's beliefs. I still believe in freedom of speech. People can believe what they want, but I have the right not to agree.

Mary:
And you also have the right to refuse the rights of others, because you believe they do not deserve said rights. Obvious controversial topic: homosexuality and the gay-marriage issue.

Brandon:
Wow, I feel we've come to the heart of the statement.

Mary:
Not really, it's just the most prevalent.

It's obvious that there are other forms of bigotry and that they often appeal to religion in justifying themselves.

Anti-semitism is fueled by the belief that Jews killed Jesus. Men may claim superiority over women, because it was Eve who seduced Adam into disobeying God. Homophobes may justify their hatred of homosexuals by finding condemnations of homosexuality in the Bible.

So bigotry and religious justification for bigotry often go hand in hand. However, Christian bigotry is bound to be the most common variety of bigotry. It has a stronger foothold in Christianity than any other kind of bigotry does. In the pulpit, Christian preachers will be more likely to condemn all other kinds of bigotry. There is biblical support for the claim that Jews and Gentiles, blacks and whites, and men and women are all equal in God's eyes. But most preachers are unlikely to tell their congregations that non-Christians can be just as good as Christians, that non-Christians and Christians are equal in God's eyes. Such "heresy" would probably get a minister booted out of his church.

Brandon:
People have a right to be homosexual. Do I think it is good for them? No. I think it is a unhealthy lifestyle. Most people who are in the said lifestyle, rarely stay with their partner for very long(less than a year). So the changing of partners becomes a huge issue. Especially with STDs and AIDS. I think that Christains who truly care for others, will have this as part of the reasoning for not supporting this lifestyle. (It is why I am worried about my brother.) I want him around along time. I also hate the idea that marriage might become something cheap. I took my marriage vows very seriously. Let those who want to indulge in gay-marriage call it by another name. I think marriage has already been defined.

It has nothing to do about being good. It has to do with being forgiven and acting in a way that thanks God for that forgiveness.

But you are right, I am not speaking for all So called Christians.

Mary:
It's not just homosexuals that don't stay with partners. That's a stereotype. There are plenty of heterosexuals that are quite promiscuous themselves. To say it's just a "gay thing" is a cop out.

Meghan:
High-five Mary. This isn't about Christianity being 'bad', it's about people using it as a shield and excuse to be a narrow-minded dick to others who don't share their views. It's not exclusive to Christians, but in most people's life experiences that's the 'group' it comes from.

Mary:
Of course! There's also Muslim bigotry and other forms of religious bigotry. I only focus on Christian bigotry, because it is the most rampant form of religious bigotry in the United States. Any other kind of bigotry I deplore just as much as Christian bigotry.

But, as you said Meghan, it is Christian bigotry that people in America see the most. Christians have much more "power" in this country than other religions have.

Ben:
"I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." -Gandhi.

Mary:
Oh, and to clarify, for Brandon's sake...

I want to say that non-Christians shouldn't practice any bigotry toward Christians. There are many fine Christians who are not religious bigots, and it is important to remember that non-Christians can be just as fallible as Christians. Many Christians are good people, and no one is a bad person just for being a Christian. Being a member of any religion doesn't automatically make you morally superior to anyone else.

Jen:
Definitely agreeing with Mary on these topics. No matter what the sexual preference, people are in and out of relationships. AIDS and STD's are not at all limited to homosexuals. To suggest that is ignorant. And to imply that homosexuals are more sexually irresponsible than heterosexuals is extremely ignorant as well. Gay or straight, male or female, Christian or Atheist or Agnostic or [insert religion/spiritual belief here], people are people and should have equal rights and equal value, and should be equally respected. These are the irrelevant categories that have been dividing people and breeding hatred for far too long. I think religion is a major setback for humanity. I do. We have children who are being brainwashed to hate others with differing ideas, to think that all of the other ideas out there are absolutely wrong/evil and that those other people are going to something called hell. This is elitism. And it is absolutely ridiculous. It seems so innocent. The Christian teaches their child to befriend other Christians and to be wary of other who are any variety of non-Christian. They are taught that that non-Christian needs to be saved from their "evil" lifestyle. So these Christian children grow up believing that there is something wrong with everyone who has differing beliefs. There is no hope for humanity if we allow this to go on. We will never grow as people if we continue to think this way and continue to blindly follow and never question the things that we are taught. As for the Bible, I don't think that it can be trusted. Infallible? I don't think so. There are too many inconsistencies. It has been mistranslated and over-revised. And aside from that, it could very well be an old book of propaganda more than anything else.

Religion is the source of so many lies, it's ridiculous.
LIE: Homosexuality is a sin.
LIE: Women are inferior to men.
LIE: One religion is right and all the rest are wrong.
LIE: Atheists have no morals.
LIE: Morals come from religion.

Mary:
Jen, you're amazing. And I'm glad you decided to comment and give you're opinion on the topic since we grew up in the same town, church, etc.

Jen:
I think you're amazing, too, Mary! I think we're on similar pages. Tired of the setbacks, the things that make people think there is only one correct view, and the intolerance of all other views, and the hatred that stems from that, and the attempt at forcing said view onto those with said other views. Fortunately, there are a lot of people out there with a variety of different viewpoints that are waking up to the lies that we've been told.

Laraine:
when i saw that dude admitted to being narrow-minded i knew i didn't need to read ahead. too funny. and actually i'd say religion is redonkulous. as soon as you stop questioning things you've started your role as a moron.

Jen:
Yep. We should never stop questioning. Even if it leads us to a point that makes us reconsider the things that we thought were true once. I would rather discover a lie that shatters a supposed truth than go on believing a lie.

Mary:
Exactly Jen. I am constantly questioning my own beliefs / ideologies.

Beth:
ehem...I really shouldn't say anything.
Ah, hell...
Remember how religion got its beginnings...All religions...to answer our origin questions, because it's too scary to think that it all just happened chaotically-through chance. With that understanding, we can see how one group of people can think that their ideas are more 'logical' than that of another group. And with that, we can see how fights can break out between two differing groups. Hmmm, then we have battles, then wars, along with propoganda, and integration of differing religions with each other. With that understanding, especially looking at the basic beginnings of religion, we can say that those who fight the hardest for their beliefs are the ones who are most afraid of being proven wrong....those who are afraid of the holes in what they've been taught. And then there are those people who are third or fourth or fifth or hundredth generation who are only following what they've been brainwashed to believe is the truth. So compassion is what we need to show people who don't understand. It's hard, but it's the best way to work...fight fire with fire, right?

Yikes.
Okay, and Brandon, REALLY? Homosexual relationships last less than a year? Who ARE you? Where have you been, bro? Your brother is going to do fine as long as he was taught how to have a loving caring, and respectful relationship with whomever he chooses to spend the rest of his life with.
I think Mary's status is spot on. If someone wants to be a bigoted asshole, pick someone who is a bigoted asshole as your role model, not the C-Man.

Mary:
Hetero-marriage... Homo-marriage...

Marriage in general started because of the Crusades. Men would leave for war and never come back, finding new wives. Marriage was the only way to ensure that they would feel obligated to come back. The churches had too many unwed mothers to deal with.

Interesting how all these things actually started... when you actually look. Even religion for that matter.

David (brother):
Jen, I want to respond to something you said. " I think religion is a major setback for humanity. I do."

Religion is something that has given humanity its greatest cultures, thinkers, civilizations, and ideas. Religion has done many things that we now regret, but let us not think of religion simply has being that has set us back. On the contrary, religion has made us who we are. Western civilization, Eastern civilization, etc., would not be what they are today without religions.

I was in India in 2009 and I walked the streets of Hyderabad and the surrounding small towns and villages around it. All around me were Hindu temples along with memories of past religious rule. In the three trips I have made to India, I can never escape the presence of religion. Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Animism, Sikhism, etc., were all around me. We can look at the oppression that Hinduism causes in the caste, or the terrorism done in the name of Islam, but this is not telling the whole truth about the experience of these religions. That is why I will defend all religions, even those that I disagree with, against the claim that they have held humanity back. Yes, there are doctrines that need to be done away with, but let us give the whole story about religion before we condemn it.

Mary, I also take issue with the idea that marriage started with the crusades. There are Old Testament laws for marriage which were written a thousand years before the crusades.

Mary:
I am glad you commented though, bro. You are the historian of the family. :) And I appreciate that.

Brandon:
Just to set the record straight. I know it sounded like I came across as not knowing what I was talking about, but proof is a better arguement.

MONOGAMY VS. PROMISCUITY: SEXUAL PARTNERS OUTSIDE OF THE RELATIONSHIP
Lest anyone suffer the illusion that any equivalency between the sexual practices of homosexual relationships and traditional marriage exists, the statistics regarding sexual fidelity within marriage are revealing:
... See More
Married couples

· A nationally representative survey of 884 men and 1,288 women published in the Journal of Sex Research found that 77 percent of married men and 88 percent of married women had remained faithful to their marriage vows.[9]

· A 1997 national survey appearing in The Social Organization of Sexuality: Sexual Practices in the United States found that 75 percent of husbands and 85 percent of wives never had sexual relations outside of marriage.[10]

· A telephone survey conducted for Parade magazine of 1,049 adults selected to represent the demographic characteristics of the United States found that 81 percent of married men and 85 percent of married women reported that they had never violated their marriage vows.[11]

Male Homosexuals

Research indicates that the average male homosexual has hundreds of sex partners in his lifetime:

· The Dutch study of partnered homosexuals, which was published in the journal AIDS, found that men with a steady partner had an average of eight sexual partners per year.[12]

· Bell and Weinberg, in their classic study of male and female homosexuality, found that 43 percent of white male homosexuals had sex with 500 or more partners, with 28 percent having one thousand or more sex partners.[13]

· In their study of the sexual profiles of 2,583 older homosexuals published in the Journal of Sex Research, Paul Van de Ven et al. found that "the modal range for number of sexual partners ever [of homosexuals] was 101-500." In addition, 10.2 percent to 15.7 percent had between 501 and 1,000 partners. A further 10.2 percent to 15.7 percent reported having had more than one thousand lifetime sexual partners.[14]

· A survey conducted by the homosexual magazine Genre found that 24 percent of the respondents said they had had more than one hundred sexual partners in their lifetime. The magazine noted that several respondents suggested including a category of those who had more than one thousand sexual partners.[15]

"Commitment" in Male Homosexual Couples

Even in those homosexual relationships in which the partners consider themselves to be in a committed relationship, the meaning of "committed" or "monogamous" typically means something radically different than in heterosexual marriage.

· A Canadian study of homosexual men who had been in committed relationships lasting longer than one year found that only 25 percent of those interviewed reported being monogamous." According to study author Barry Adam, "Gay culture allows men to explore different...forms of relationships besides the monogamy coveted by heterosexuals."[16]

· The Handbook of Family Diversity reported a study in which "many self-described 'monogamous' couples reported an average of three to five partners in the past year. Blasband and Peplau (1985) observed a similar pattern."[17]

· In The Male Couple, authors David P. McWhirter and Andrew M. Mattison reported that, in a study of 156 males in homosexual relationships lasting from one to thirty-seven years:

Only seven couples have a totally exclusive sexual relationship, and these men all have been together for less than five years. Stated another way, all couples with a relationship lasting more than five years have incorporated some provision for outside sexual activity in their relationships.[18]

And so, no, I don't think I am a bigot. But I do think I can still hope that those involved in this lifestyle will not end up dying from it. It is dangerous.

You can get AIDS from the lifestyle and it can kill you....Why does it have to be so....us against them? Why can't there be compassion? Why can't people just agree to disagree?(Beth, Jen) Why all the animosity?

Why so critical of my way of life even if you can't comprehend why I believe the way I do? I believe I am not doped by my father's beliefs. Rather, I see why he made the decisions he made. He wasn't a Christian until he was in his 20s. He had good morals, but didn't know squat about God. Now, he is very convincing in his arguements for believing the way he does.

There is alot of bitterness in these words that you have said, I wish that source of that bitterness would heal. I don't wish you anything but kindness and peace. May you have it.

Mary:
AIDS is actually more rampant in heterosexuals than homosexuals now. Being homosexual doesn't necessarily make you more susceptible to getting AIDS than if you were straight. ANY person that is promiscuous has that chance of AIDS or an STD.

I'm not being critical of any way of life. I wasn't actually trying to offend anyone, yes, I KNEW that people would get offended, but that's their own doing.

The quote wasn't directed at any particular person. It's just stating that SOME use God/Jesus as an excuse to be bigots.

Sarah:
Mary and Jen - I am saddened to see the hurt in your words. I am unsure what the church (or those within it) have done to hurt you so. It is obvious that you have chosen to walk a different path than I remember you choosing in your youth. What I find interesting is that you both ran in circles that pressured their beliefs on others and condemned you if you didn't believe the same way. Although I am glad that you are now willing and able to see people as people, I plead with you to see God as God and not as his far from perfect creations show Him to be. I am also one for questioning everything, which is what we are called to do in the Bible. I am sorry if your pastors, teachers and leaders never allowed for that.
Brandon - in situations like this, a pissing contest is not in order. It would be best to remind Mary you love her, although you disagree, and leave it at that. I am positive that she knows where you stand, hence the fact that she knew you would respond.
David - Mary has always spoken highly of you! Your words were amazing and challenge me to study more!!! Thank you.

Where I stand: I, as a follower of Christ, am not offended. However, I take this as a reminder that Christ ministered to the unlovely. Those outcastes and mistreated by those who took God's love and law and made it into a do's and do not's ruling. Although I am a part of the Christian religion, I do not believe that God made me out of a cookie cutter mold. Jesus loves me and my piercings and tattoos. God calls me to believe and to act like it. What does that look like? Why not visit with me and let me show you, rather than use words. My hope is to speak God's love so loudly (with actions) that no one hears the words from my mouth.

Believe me when I say that I love you all and will be praying for you.

Beth:
Mary, you are soooo evil for posting this!! ;) I'm not going to respond to anymore of this tripe. It's pointless.

David:
Sarah, thank you for your kinds words. There was a time when I was willing to challenge everything that Christianity said but now I find that there is much truth within it. I am not orthodox (whatever that means), but I see Christianity as my faith even if question much of it.

Ronni:
"It's just a tad offensive. I know you didn't mean to offend everyone, but a little tactfulness can go a long way."

If you take offense at Mary's comment then it is probably aimed at you. Personally I read it and thought, "so true, it's fellow Christians that give everyone the bad name."

I have many friends who are pagan, does that mean I can't be friends with them, NO! It means I need to set an example of what a Christian should be. It means I should show them the benefits of being a Christian and living in God's love. It means when they find out I'm a Christian I need to open my arms to them even more and accept them for who they are so that they may find Christ.

Most of my pagan friends assume I am pagan because I do not condemn them; I am a sinner too! Who am I to condemn?

And as for the comments on homo-sexuality: I have seen MANY MORE gay/lesbian couples with a true commitment than hetero couples. One in particular that comes to mind are two men in their 60s now who have been together since one was 18 and the other 19. Percentage-wise, homosexual couples stay together longer then heterosexual couples. The problem is that the only way we get this information is through "random" surveys because there is no census of homosexual couples. And calling it a "lifestyle" is disrespectful... you want them to listen to you? You want them to be saved? You need to be respectful if you truly want them to listen to you. By being rude and aloof to these things just makes them aloof back.

God does not put one sin above another (unless you're Catholic)... it is not the actions themselves but SIN is ONE THING: DISOBEYING GOD. Have you disobeyed God? Yes, therefore you are a sinner. Even something as simple as condemning someone else or disliking them for their sins IS A SIN! It is called PRIDE. You are no better nor worse than your fellows; you are either saved or not, but we are all sinners!

Brandon:
Sarah- Thank you for those words. I agree, and getting wrapped up in this arguement wasn't my idea, I just got carried away. I really wanted to know why Mary would post something like that. I was surprized.

Ronni- If you read the bible, you will find what God thinks is sin. I am not saying homosexuality is wrong, I am defending God's point of view with some statistics I found. He says it's wrong, and he even thinks some sins are worse than others(read the old Testament). If the punishment is worse then the sin is too. You are right in saying that everyone has sinned. I have sinned too, but it is the blood of Christ that washes the sin away. But I am no longer a sinner, but a saint, I am a Child of God, and a follower of Christ.

Mary- You are right. AIDS is actually more rampant in heterosexuals than homosexuals now. Being homosexual doesn't necessarily make you more susceptible to getting AIDS than if you were straight. ANY person that is promiscuous has that chance of AIDS or an STD.
This is a very good quote. and I think that this is the very thing that I am afraid of for my brother.

Everyone else. Thank you for this discussion. But I am done with it.
Special thanks to Sarah for putting this into perspective. Good day.

Jen:
Ah statistics.... Statistics, Brandon, are absolutely worthless. They prove nothing. I noticed that you were comparing MARRIED heterosexual couples with unmarried homosexual couples. I have a feeling that the statistics, although worthless, would be a little different if you were to compare mature heterosexual couples and mature homosexual couples. You're trying to compare people who want to be in a committed relationship with people who don't. It's nonsensical. Maybe you should find some worthless statistics on unmarried heterosexuals and their number of sexual encounters.
But as I said, statistics prove nothing. There are too many variables to consider, including the mindset of the folks who participate in ridiculous surveys, and the mindset of the folks who don't, or the time of day the survey is performed, or the stress level of the participants, vs the stress level of the nonparticipants, etc. etc. etc.
"...AIDS... ...it could kill you..." So can drinking pop or sitting for extended periods of time or eating fast food or having heterosexual sex or doing drugs or drinking fluoridated water or eating animal products or tripping down a flight of stairs or being hit by a car or stressing out about things that aren't your business...

Ronni:
"So can drinking pop or sitting for extended periods of time or eating fast food or having heterosexual sex or doing drugs or drinking fluoridated water or eating animal products or tripping down a flight of stairs or being hit by a car or stressing out about things that aren't your business..."

I absolutely love that!

Latin for the Day

2010-02-26T16:08:00.000-08:00

Carpe Diem - Seize the day
Carpe Noctum - Seize the night
Carpin Denium - There's a fish in my pants
Carpe Ovum - Seize the egg
Cave Canem - Beware of the dog

formspring.me

2010-02-24T18:46:00.001-08:00

Ask me anything, yes... anything... http://formspring.me/schuckster

But Can We Cuddle Afterward?: Holiday Inn Offers Human Bed-Warming Service

2010-01-23T16:59:00.000-08:00

Holiday Inn is now offering a complementary human bed warming service at its London Kensington location (pissing will still cost extra).

If requested, a willing member of hotel staff will jump in your bed, dressed head to foot in an all-in-one sleeper suit, until your nightly chamber warms up.
Holiday Inn spokeswoman Jane Bednall described the plan as something like having a "giant hot water bottle in your bed."

Really, Jane? Was the metaphor really necessary? I'd like to think everyone here can imagine what a stranger in a bunny suit lying in their bed is like. Like awesome. I call little spoon!

Recycled Art

2010-01-23T12:51:00.000-08:00

Chris Jordan’s Running the Numbers series aims to display America’s relationship with consumerism. Shown is a recreation of Seurat’s masterpiece, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of Grand Jatte, done with 106,000 aluminum cans. A closeup of the work is immediately beneath it.

Yong Ho Ji makes sculptures out of old tires. He sees tires as a symbol of out-of-control consumerism.
Tim Nobel & Sue Webster met while they were studying Fine Arts in University together. Now they are best known for their art made from trash collected from the London streets, which shows an image when light is projected in front of it.

Sex Explained Graphically

2010-01-22T18:17:00.000-08:00

Hilarious post from Frucomerci.com
Click on the picture to see the rest of them!

The Changing of Gender Roles Continues Around the World

2010-01-22T16:40:00.000-08:00

The Female Factor
In Germany, a Tradition Falls, and Women Rise

NEUÖTTING, GERMANY — Manuela Maier was branded a bad mother. A Rabenmutter, or raven mother, after the black bird that pushes chicks out of the nest. She was ostracized by other mothers, berated by neighbors and family, and screamed at in a local store.

Her crime? Signing up her 9-year-old son when the local primary school first offered lunch and afternoon classes last autumn — and returning to work.

“I was told: ‘Why do you have children if you can’t take care of them?”’ said Ms. Maier, 47. By comparison, having a first son out of wedlock 21 years ago raised few eyebrows in this traditional Bavarian town, she said.

Ten years into the 21st century, most schools in Germany still end at lunchtime, a tradition that dates back nearly 250 years. That has powerfully sustained the housewife/mother image of German lore and was long credited with producing well-bred, well-read burghers.

Modern Germany may be run by a woman — Chancellor Angela Merkel, routinely called the world’s most powerful female politician — but it seems no coincidence that she is childless.

Across the developed world, a combination of the effects of birth control, social change, political progress and economic necessity has produced a tipping point: numerically, women now match or overtake men in the work force and in education.

In the developing world, too, the striving of women and girls for schooling, small loans and status is part of another immense upheaval: the rise of nations in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

In both these worlds, women can remain trapped by tradition. Now, a social revolution — peaceful, but profound — is driving a search for new ways of combining family life and motherhood with a more powerful role for women.

Westerners are quick to denounce customs in, say, the Muslim world that they perceive as limiting women. But in Germany, despite its vaunted modernity, a traditional perception of motherhood lingers.

The half-day school system survived feudalism, the rise and demise of Hitler’s mother cult, the women’s movement of the 1970s and reunification with East Germany.

Now, in the face of economic necessity, it is crumbling: one of the lowest birthrates in the world, the specter of labor shortages and slipping education standards have prompted a rethink. Since 2003, nearly a fifth of Germany’s 40,000 schools have phased in afternoon programs, and more plan to follow suit.

“This is a taboo we just can’t afford anymore; the country needs women to be able to both work and have children,” said Ursula von der Leyen, the German labor minister. A mother of seven and doctor-turned-politician, she baffles housewives and childless career women alike, not to mention many men in her Christian Democratic Union.

The spread of all-day schooling in Germany, a trend she considers “irreversible,” is a sign of the times, Ms. von der Leyen said in an interview. “The 21st century belongs to women.”

Women already form the majority of university graduates in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which groups 30 nations from Europe to the United States to Turkey and South Korea; this year, women will become the majority of the American work force.

Add to that an economic crisis that has hurt traditional male jobs in manufacturing harder than female ones in services — in Germany, only 10,000 of the 230,000 who have lost jobs in the slump were women — and the female factor emerges as stark.

Everywhere, women still earn less, are more likely to work part time and less likely to hold top jobs. But young female doctors, for instance, are rising in numbers, and women dominate middle management in major consumer companies. They could run the hospitals and corporations of tomorrow. Many will be family breadwinners; in Germany, every fifth household is already sustained by female income.

Working women seek not just a paycheck, but also fulfillment of ambitions, both personal and professional. “I love my son, and I love my work,” said Manuela Schwesig, 35, the new deputy leader of the opposition Social Democrats, who is the mother of a 3-year-old. “I am a more fulfilled mother for working and a more motivated politician for having a child."

(Continue Reading the Article Here)

The Atari2600 Joystick

2010-01-15T18:10:00.000-08:00

Christopher Locke's Retro Tech fossils

"Hilarofustis atarium (commonly referred to as the Atari Joystick)"

Modern Fossils

Monsters and Marilyns

2010-01-15T17:51:00.000-08:00

Jesse Lenz' Monsters and Marilyns.
And not just the stereotypical monsters like Frankenstein or Freddy, but also with Marx, Hitler and Stalin. And even Bin Laden, Castro, Michael Moore and Obama. All Warhol-style.

Jesse Lenz Website

Warped Priorities

2010-01-04T19:57:00.000-08:00

Two days after the Salem city council approved a $25,000 gift to the Festival of Lights Parade, the Salem Repertory Theatre announced its curtains would fall for the final time after December's performance of "A Christmas Memory."

On the surface, the two incidents have little to do with each other, but they are indicative of city officials' warped priorities. Rather than bolstering a venue that provides year-round entertainment adding to Salem's cultural canvas, the city chooses to dump a huge wad of cash into a one-time parade that is essentially a mile-long commercial.

Article from "Facing the Facts" in the December 2009 issue of Salem Monthly

Happy Eat-Til-You-Puke Day!

2009-11-26T15:27:00.000-08:00

Turkey: A large bird whose flesh, when eaten on certain religious anniversaries has the peculiar property of attesting piety and gratitude.

What we're really talking about is a wonderful day set aside on the fourth Thursday of November when no one diets. I mean, why else would they call it Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving is an emotional holiday. People travel thousands of miles to be with people they only see once a year. And then discover once a year is way too often.

Jon Stewart:
"I celebrated Thanksgiving in an old-fashioned way. I invited everyone in my neighborhood to my house, we had an enormous feast, and then I killed them and took their land."

May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have nary a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!

The Sharpie Show

2009-11-22T17:24:00.001-08:00

Oktoberfest

2009-09-17T22:44:00.000-07:00

I'm up in NE Washington visiting my dad. :) Haven't had much to really post about lately.

But everyone should know that Oktoberfest is oompahing in Mt. Angel, OR! Started today and goes til Sunday!!!

http://www.oktoberfest.org

Community Service Has Come So Far

2009-09-10T23:07:00.000-07:00

12-Year-Old Boy Scouts Volunteer To Give Women Breast Exams

Captain's Log: Earth Date 2009/7/5

2009-07-05T15:25:00.000-07:00

I have returned from the brown, flat and heated abyss known as the Midwest.

As the crew and I began our mission out there we knew it would be a hard quest, for our transport's air conditioning unit had failed us.

2,075 miles later and in only 2 days, thanks to our hyper jets, we arrived in an unfamiliar world. The world's sun was blazing. The air humid. And many species unknown back home. Many of them that survive on our blood!

The creatures that lived on this world were surprisingly hospitable. One crew member, 1st Officer Rosenkoetter, is actually a native to this world. And she was able to communicate with the local creatures, allowing us to find food and shelter. The 1st Officer's parents lived here and we were eagerly ushered into their dwelling space.

While visiting this world we managed to find a local mechanic with the appropriate knowledge of our earthcraft. This fine fellow managed to fix our conditioning unit, which was most appreciated for the long journey home.

Our trip home was a struggle, however, for fatigue was setting in on the crew. Morale was low and we all were longing for the familiarity of home.

However, it was a successful mission, with little incident occurring.

The Words of Humans Fill Me With Fear

2009-06-07T03:14:00.000-07:00

by Rilke

The words of humans fill me with fear.
They name all the things with articulate sound:
so this is called house and that is called hound,
and the end's over there and the start's over here.

Their thinking is scary, with scorn they have fun;
they know what will come and what came before;
and even the mountain is sacred no more:
their property ends just where God's has begun.

I'm meaning to warn them and stop them: Stay clear!
It's the singing of things I'm longing to hear.
You touch them and stiff and silent they turn.
You're killing the things for whose singing I yearn!

Men & Their Need For Chivalry

2009-05-15T12:16:00.000-07:00

Last night I had a conversation with a friend of mine. He said he was having a rough time and felt confused about girls and relationships, mentioning past girlfriends and such.

So early this morning I was thinking about our earlier conversation... I wanted to give him my own observations of what I have seen or experienced over the years.

And here they are...

Men are sometimes obligated to act with chivalry.
Pretty sure, for most men, it is built into them to be protective and chivalrous, which is all well and good until they fall into the category of blind stupid chivalry that ends up messing up their life. One big example of this type would be when a guy stays in a lousy relationship out of a sense of pity (he doesn't want to hurt her feelings) or obligation (he started this thing, he guesses he has to finish it).

More so, one main situation that I seem to see men be blind to is when they buy into the idea that a woman's situation in life, shaggy dog story of terrible experiences, failures or problems are accidents of fate, or bad luck, or incredible circumstances out of her control, or actions of people or persons other than herself... meaning of course that she could do nothing other than what she's done considering what has happened TO her life.
Sure traffic accidents, disease, childhood abuse, or adult assaults do unfortunately happen. But, rather than observing how she handles these realities to learn about her strength, personality, and character, men decide to step in and heroically take over that responsibility for her.

Worse still, if she is still in distress, men assume that their must be some "dragon" to slay. However, dragons are generally the types of things that are OUTSIDE the person and guys need to look to see 1) how heavy a contributor and supporter she is to her own misery, and 2) how hard she works to survive and actually make things better. I know... nerdy analogy... (: but guys won't look or pay attention to these issues if they are off running after the dragon.

(Now for a movie analogy...) In Jerry Maguire, the girl in love with Tom Cruise is thrilled that he's turned to her in his "hour of need," but her sister appropriately comments, "He'd go home with a garden tool if it showed him any attention."

In spite of all the "garbage", some guys are drawn in by a girl's (pathetic) protestations of love and perhaps made guilty (tweak that chivalry!) by her "not wanting to lose him" (because she has so little).

To really be honest, a pretty face and a great body seem to have the magic touch to dumb guys down. Y'all make assumptions about pretty women that ain't necessarily true. While I'm sure there is a biological drive for men to pick up attractive women with wide hips may have some relevance to suggesting superior health and fertility, projecting your genes into future generations isn't the only consideration in human life: mental health, personality, and character are more important to the quality of your life in your own generation.

Ever read Hagar the Horrible comic strips? I read one awhile back online that seems to fall into this category pretty well. He comes across a beautiful damsel in distress tied to a post. He asks, "Excuse me, but aren't you a damsel in distress?" "Yes," she answers. He then asks, "Would you like to be rescued?" "Yes," she replies, "but only by a handsome and young knight in shining armor from a really good family." Hagar walks away confused. "Damsels are getting more picky every day."

So, perhaps the damsels in distress don't really want a man's help. Perhaps they want him to be their life or to give them a life and take responsibility for them so that they don't have to exert effort to fix it themselves. And so that, unfortunately, the guy can be the one to blame when they just don't "feel" better.

I think the "fix-it" mentality is part of the reason that the self-proclaimed nice guys fall into bottomless pits. Chivalry IS a good thing. Stupid chivalry is not only not a good thing, it's a black hole that sometimes seems so obvious to everyone around the guy when they are doing it, yet it's difficult to let go.

In all fairness to men, they seem to be pretty outwardly focused, meaning they don't usually spend a lot of time ruminating over their motivations and anxieties. When men end up becoming an "escape ladder for the damsel" they start to wander toward the "stupid chivalry."

One trait seeming to be more typical of guys than girls is taking the opposite sex at "face value." Us women, unfortunately, are more like paranoid shrinks asking questions like, "What does that REALLY mean?" or "What are you REALLY saying?" or "What are you REALLY feeling?"

Whereas, stereotypically, guys, even if they do bother to ask for a clarification, rarely think much about the response they get. If I were to be cynical I'd say it's because you men really don't care very much. I don't believe that's generally true at all, though. What I do think is that guys are all basically intimidated by the powerful and seemingly unpredictable emotions of women (like my friend had said, us girls are all psychotic on some level :) ... )

I could go on, but I don't want to.

I will leave you with this thought though... damsels perpetually in distress are usually the architects of their own miserable prisons and problems.

If Today Was Your Last Day - If Tomorrow Was Too Late

2009-05-10T00:38:00.001-07:00

"Each day's a gift and not a given right."

If today was your last day, would you be happy with how you've spent your life? Would you be happy with the choices you made and where you have ended up? If today was your last day... how would you live it? I'm not speaking of the kitsch, tawdry, or cheesy responses of what amazing fun things you were do with your last remaining hours but rather what should really be important in life.

Would you take the path less traveled? Forget your fears and inhibitions that have only kept you from doing what you've only dreamed of? Not let anything or anyone stand in your way for what you want to accomplish.

If tomorrow was too late, would you really live each moment like your last?

"What's worth the price is always worth the fight."

Live life like you're never living twice. Don't take the free ride or put yourself on auto-pilot. You can miss out on so much. The friends you could have had, the joys the bond people together, the pain that makes you stronger. The many lessons one learns.

If today was your last day, would you finally call old friends you never see? Would it take such an event for you to start living, start caring? Would you take that chance to be with someone you care about, to not have to wonder about the "what ifs"? To reminisce about old memories and forgive those who have hurt you? If today was your last day, would you take your grudges to your grave?

How would you make your mark? Regardless of who you are or who you think you are.
Would you do whatever it takes? You can never rewind a moment in this life. The hands of time are never on your side.

PISS OFF POSTIE!

2009-05-01T12:29:00.001-07:00

It's The Little Things...

2009-04-30T07:22:00.001-07:00

It's the little things in life that make me happy....

....like coffee. Mmmmmm..... coffeeeeeee

My New Coffee Pot

Put a cup up to it, press against button, and liquid goodness dispenses.

2M4M

2009-04-20T01:14:00.000-07:00

Maniacal Sabbatical

2009-04-13T21:10:00.000-07:00

Wow! I haven't written in awhile. Well... a lot of shit has happened. But rather than boring you with details I will leave you with a new poem of mine.

Get out your thesaurus if you need. ;) hahaha

Maniacal Sabbatical

disposition
on a
prepubescence
past time

the total
of one's
nature
variegated

encompassed
by a herd
of perturbed
walnuts

rosy-cheeked
rectification

Not-So-Secret Secrets

2009-03-30T00:25:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I wish I would die under tragic circumstances while I'm still young, so people will remember me for everything I could have been, instead of growing older and failing to live up to the expectations set for me.
The previous statement I took this from a postcard sent into PostSecret and used it as my own.
I sometimes think it'd be fun to get in a major car accident.
I generally dislike small-talk. I see nothing wrong with silence and I feel no need to fill the void with inconsequential babbling.
I am self-destructive, manipulative, self-mutilating, self-medicating, bitter, nefarious and anti-social .... and I like it.
I prefer the night from daylight. The idea or feeling of not being so exposed to the world is comforting. The silence at night, I both enjoy and despise. While there is less distraction, there is also an overwhelming sense of abandonment and loneliness.
I've sent multiple cards into PostSecret and wish I actually had the backbone to say what I write and to live my life how I believe I would be most happy.
While I am a stereotypical American who loves money and the materialistic gains I can achieve from it - I honestly would rather not have to deal with anything money-related.
I sometimes wish I could be a nomadic hobo. Not because I think it'd be fun, but because I think I would appreciate life more.
It irritates me to no end when I'm on the phone with someone who is either a) watching television and not talking to me, but not saying they have to go or b) talking to someone else near them, ignoring me.
Most of the time when people call I pretend I don't hear the phone or I'm not home. Not because I don't like the person, but because I hate phones.
Then again, I sometimes pretend I'm not home when people knock.
I personally despise being dependent on medication.
I pride myself on being similar to my father... I'm not sure if that's such a great thing.
I have abandonment issues.
If someone asks me about personal problems I usually brush things off as if things are looking up.
I have gotten sort of use to it now, but part of me still can't stand being asked, "Are you okay?"
---- Especially when I'm feeling fine - happy even - and people assume something must be wrong because I'm not flapping my jaw.
I dislike counseling. Not because I think it's a crock... but because I'm afraid of change. I don't think I'll like who I may become. I'm use to how I am now.
While I love technology and typing on the computer, there is something romantic and calming about writing things out long hand - even more so in pen.
I have never been arrested, but when I was in the 4th grade I was detained by 2 or 3 police men.
I pride myself on being tomboy-ish, but wish I had the confidence to be more girlie.
I feel most like myself when around those that live monetary-average lives, cuss freely, have tattoos and have piercings.
I wish I had the opportunity to live in Europe.
I identify myself with the skater/punk/tattooed crowd, but often feel like a poser when I dress like them.
I can hardly ever sit still. I often have to be popping my knuckles, twitching my leg or foot, or be playing with something such as a pencil.
When writing stories, papers or poetry I try to use larger vocabulary. I love vocab but fail to recall words when actually speaking.
I wish that I could be a part of a female or co-ed version of a real life Fight Club.
I love listening to LPs (records) and believe that it is the only correct way to listen to classical music (the exception is listening to it live).
I generally despise "girl-talk", gossip and, for the most part, loathe hanging out with the female gender ... however there are exceptions.
I hate social norms and the retribution/peer-pressure that appears or becomes apparent when you stray from it.

A Poem to Share

2009-03-21T02:06:00.000-07:00

I generally save my poetry for my poetry blog, "From the Mind of a Versifying Artist", but I felt like sharing this one on here as well. A fairly new one, wrote it just earlier this week, if I remember correctly.

Thoroughfare Vagrant

small gamine
squalling
a token of
abandonment

frame fatigued
and worn
dogs barking
shuffling
staggering along

perception is
attentive
trepidation encircling
anticipate
every night terror
drawing breath

attempts to
remain afloat
recollection of
a barren
buckthorn

recumbent on
cobble stone
drawing the
drapery to
one’s
subconscious
to arise
nevermore

The Taboo of Mixed-Gender Friendships

2009-03-19T15:26:00.000-07:00

THE SHORT VERSION

One of the most annoying situations for me is the taboo of men and women being close friends, ESPECIALLY if one or both are married or in a relationship. If they are friends, it is likely that the spouse is also heavily involved in this friendship and the two friends hardly ever hang out together without at least one of the spouses/significant others around.

It is not to be said that the male/female friend and husband/wife should not be friends as well and/or that they shouldn’t ever hang out together along with the woman/man, but that this male/female friend would is primarily the woman/man’s friend. Usually this situation occurs when the male/female friend and woman/man have known each other longer than the woman/man has known her/his spouse.

Some may think that this becomes a predicament because, in a girl’s case, the girl may have grown up a tomboy. Or that in some cases the female gender generally annoys the woman because she is not interested in trivial gossip, shopping and scrap booking. So, while growing up, the majority of her friends would usually be guys.

-----

This taboo is seen, in my opinion, most frequently in a church setting. I remember as a teenager sitting in my youth group listening to someone announce the etiquette of how one goes about asking for help with anything spiritual, life lessons, etc. If you were a boy you would talk to the Youth Pastor. If you were a girl, you would talk with his wife or with the Youth Pastor, so long as his wife or another woman was present.

Immediately I thought this to be incredibly annoying. I didn’t want to talk to the damn wife. Yes she was there to help, but she was not the leader that was hired and was shown to be qualified to help the youth. When dealing with underage teenagers, I understand the specific guidelines that need to be issued for sake of some legal reason, let’s face it; do I need to say anything more than “catholic priests”? Even worse, that particular scenario usually entails same gender children.

However, I feel that if we are both adults and you need to talk with me in a public room, with another person present or in a room with the door open – because I’m of the opposite sex – I think you are insecure. You may call it staving unneeded rumors, but I just call it insecurity.

Basically, I am annoyed with the ingrained feeling I have that I will never have the chance to be as close with a male teacher, leader, friend, pastor, authority figure, etc. as another male, simply because I am female.

Cows and the Government

2009-03-18T18:23:00.000-07:00

DEMOCRATIC
You have two cows.
Your neighbor has none.
You feel guilty for being successful.
Barbara Streisand sings for you.

REPUBLICANISM
You have two cows.
Your neighbor has none.
So?

SOCIALIST
You have two cows.
The government takes one and gives it to your neighbor.
You form a cooperative to tell him how to manage his cow.

COMMUNIST
You have two cows.
The government seizes both and provides you with milk.
You wait in line for hours to get it.
It is expensive and sour.

CAPITALISM, AMERICAN STYLE
You have two cows.
You sell one, buy a bull, and build a herd of cows.

BUREAUCRACY, AMERICAN STYLE
You have two cows.
Under the new farm program the government pays you to shoot one, milk the other, and then pours the milk down the drain.

AMERICAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You sell one, lease it back to yourself and do an IPO on the 2nd one.
You force the two cows to produce the milk of four cows. You are surprised when one cow drops dead. You spin an announcement to the analysts stating you have downsized and are reducing expenses.
Your stock goes up.

FRENCH CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You go on strike because you want three cows.
You go to lunch and drink wine.
Life is good.

JAPANESE CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk.
They learn to travel on unbelievably crowded trains.
Most are at the top of their class at cow school.

GERMAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You engineer them so they are all blond, drink lots of beer, give excellent quality milk, and run a hundred miles an hour.
Unfortunately they also demand 13 weeks of vacation per year.

ITALIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows but you don't know where they are.
While ambling around, you see a beautiful woman.
You break for lunch.
Life is good.

RUSSIAN CORPORATION
You have two cows.
You have some vodka.
You count them and learn you have five cows.
You have some more vodka.
You count them again and learn you have 42 cows.
The Mafia shows up and takes over however many cows you really have.

TALIBAN CORPORATION
You have all the cows in Afghanistan, which are two.
You don't milk them because you cannot touch any creature's private parts.
You get a $40 million grant from the US government to find alternatives to milk production but use the money to buy weapons.

IRAQI CORPORATION
You have two cows.
They go into hiding.
They send radio tapes of their mooing.

POLISH CORPORATION
You have two bulls.
Employees are regularly maimed and killed attempting to milk them.

BELGIAN CORPORATION
You have one cow.
The cow is schizophrenic.
Sometimes the cow thinks he's French, other times he's Flemish.
The Flemish cow won't share with the French cow.
The French cow wants control of the Flemish cow's milk.
The cow asks permission to be cut in half.
The cow dies happy.

FLORIDA CORPORATION
You have a black cow and a brown cow.
Everyone votes for the best looking one.
Some of the people who actually like the brown one best accidentally vote for the black one.
Some people vote for both.
Some people vote for neither.
Some people can't figure out how to vote at all.
Finally, a bunch of guys from out-of-state tell you which one you think is the best-looking cow.

CALIFORNIA CORPORATION
You have millions of cows.
They make real California cheese.
Only five speak English.
Most are illegals.
Arnold likes the ones with the big udders

Useless Facts of the Day

2009-03-17T12:37:00.000-07:00

I read awhile back that women with short hair have less of a chance of being raped than women with long hair...... SO CHOP THOSE HAIR-DOS LADIES!

Here are some other totally random and useless facts:

More people are killed by donkeys annually than are killed in plane crashes.
(watch out for those crazy donkeys, especially the long haired ones...)
More than 2,500 left handed people are killed every year from using right handed products
(all the more reason for the Leftorium)
The average chocolate bar has 8 insects' legs in it.
(high in fiber you know... )
You share your birthday with at least 9 million other people in the world.
(in other words... you are NOT special)
Banging your head against a wall uses 150 calories an hour.
(easiest exercise program ever! may cause brain damage, but it's ok, you won't remember)
It only takes 7 pounds of pressure to rip your ear off.
(so really... Van Gogh was a pansy because he had to use a knife)
You use more calories eating celery than there are in the celery itself.
(see... I told you... eating IS a sport)
On average, there are 178 sesame seeds on each McDonalds BigMac bun.
(that means it's healthy... right?)
Odds of being killed by falling out of bed - 1 in 2 million.
(I guess I'm a rare exception)
Odds of being killed in a plane crash -1 in 25 million.
(although, if a donkey is on the plane, the odds greatly change)
The Apollo 11 only had 20 seconds of fuel when it landed.
(they were screwed from the beginning)
Airbags explode at 200 miles (322 km) per hour.
(if the impact don't kill you, the object meant to save you will)
The average human produces 25,000 quarts of spit in a lifetime, enough to fill two swimming pools.
(Mmmm... nothing like a spit filled pool. Now just add urine for the full effect of being in a public pool)
Your brain weighs around 3 pounds. All but ten ounces is water.
(you're not as smart as you think you is...)
A can of SPAM is opened every 4 seconds.
(and a puppy a murdered every 5 seconds for said can being opened)
If you gave each human on earth an equal portion of dry land, including the uninhabitable areas, everyone would get roughly 100 square feet (30.4 m).
(don't you feel special now?)
Americans on the average eat 18 acres of pizza everyday.
(hence the majority of us are disgustingly obese and just reply with, "please sir, can i have some more?")
More Monopoly money is printed in a year than real money throughout the world.
(no wonder the economy is in the shitter)
If the population of China walked past you in single file, the line would never end because of the rate of reproduction.
(time for mass ethnic cleansing! wait... did i say that out loud? my bad...)
The average person has over 1,460 dreams a year.
(and according to Freud you probably want to have sex with your parents)
The average person laughs 15 times a day.
(poor emo kids and there lack of humor)
It has been calculated that in the last 3,500 years, there have only been 230 years of peace throughout the civilized world.
(we should be due, right? meh... peace is for pansies...)

Aging: An Epidemic

2009-03-17T03:04:00.000-07:00

Talking about the deeper meaning of life and death is still a taboo in American culture and many others. Even today, we still feel uncomfortable and awkward talking about these types of issues. Sex is not nearly as much of a taboo subject as it once was. In fact, no topic is held back from public display and discussion, except for death. Death is something we want to forget about. A 1991 Gallup poll showed that Americans almost never think of death, or think of it only occasionally.

Throughout the world, death and the rituals that surround it are steeped in taboos. Death is celebrated, embraced and feared. Around death and the dead, cultures put in place diverse restrictions and practices associated with clothing, food and ritual.

If death is such a commonality in life, then why do we not like to talk of it? Long hospital stays, in which independent decision-making and privacy are reduced, are seen as a loss of dignity. Additionally there comes a social loss, which also first has to be coped with. Also important is the religious philosophical attitude of the afflicted. The worry about surviving dependents and not yet finished things pose an added burden.

The conflict about dying is an ongoing process in which feelings such as fear, depression and anger are "normal", calling for different adaptation and defense mechanisms at different times.
Today, even getting old is seen as a disease and is also, like death, becoming a taboo. Not just for women, however, but for an increasing number of men as well. The word taboo conveys the fear and the threat of social rejection. An aging body may be perceived as impure/deteriorated, no longer deserving any social worth, and even attention. In high-income countries, aging is increasingly deprived of value, although with a milder slope for men in comparison to women, and for the rich in comparison to the poor. The taboo is therefore associated with social discrimination.

In an article titled Is Looking Your Age Now Taboo? by Natasha Singer, she talks with Susan Burke, a woman who recently turned 50 and is feeling the pressure of needing to do something about the wrinkles she now sees in the mirror. Though the number of Americans who regularly have cosmetic facial injections is estimated to be only about one million, the mere availability of the procedures has heightened the pressure on women over 30 to consider a level of intervention that until recently was embraced only by the famous or the rich.

“Women have always been under pressure to look good, but that has increased recently because we have become so used to seeing perfect, unwrinkled faces,” Ms. Burke said. “Now when you see someone who looks like a raisin or a prune, it seems so unusual that you are almost repulsed.”

There was a time when mothers made it taboo for their children to attempt anything that did not fit their age; for example, girls were forbidden to use cosmetics till quite late in their lives and strict curfews were given to boys until they were deemed mature enough to stay out later. These are just a couple of things that parents kept strictly under their control, and their duty as parents generally involved preserving their child’s innocence for as long as they could. As they grew older, children got to taste the new experiences that come with age and learned to savor and appreciate them. Unfortunately, in the nauseating society we live in today, the lines have been blurred between children and adults.

Our celebrities of Hollywood are just one, but a major, example of what causes this blur. We are all exposed to what is supposed to be beauty perfected. However, even if we are not swayed by the Barbie and Ken doll figures we see before us, others around us are and we begin to feel the pressures to fit in.

As Jacqueline Bailey, a friend of mine, counted the wrinkles on her face, she said she realized that she knows them. “I can trace each one, remember which situations and which people caused them to exist. Some memories are painful – there are new lines that softly cross my forehead…” Bailey states. “But some are quite wonderful – my laugh lines have deepened, now that I have rediscovered the importance of laughter and nurturing friendships…”
I believe that Bailey puts it best by saying, “These lines are mine. I know where each and every one came from. I own them. And I've earned them. And why would I want to erase my life from my face?”

Why, indeed? Why are we all hung up on what we look like? Unfortunately we live in a society that puts the taut and smooth surfaces of youth on a pedestal, and for many like Susan Burke and Jacqueline Bailey, their faces are ones that are recognized as lined and aging. Is lined and aging a bad thing? Not in my opinion. As the saying goes, “with age comes wisdom.” If we hide our age, then are we hiding our wisdom? Why would we want to appear more ignorant than we are? Or perhaps, for many, it is because we are so ignorant that we hide the wrinkles.