Keeping the faith.

"For the first time in my life, I'm proud of my country."

Like a parent loves their child, I love my country. But I don't always like it. I love my country, but I've been disappointed so many times, in so many ways, to such an extent that it's really hard to be completely proud of it. I am proud of all of the things we've accomplished in the 232 years that this country has existed (and more). I'm proud of the Revolutionary War (guerilla warfare? C'mon, that was pretty clever at the time), the Constitution, the Emancipation Proclamation. I'm not proud of slavery or the Civil War or Jim Crow. I'm not proud of the assassination of Kennedy or King. But do you have any clue how many amazing inventions came from Americans? The cotton gin! The light bulb! The automobile! Peanut butter! America is absolutely amazing, in all its history and glory! I'm really proud and excited to live in a country with such a rich (albeit short) history. Democracy, industry, economy. I could say that there are lots of things that I'm really proud of.

In the more recent years - more specifically that last 10 years - things have happened that have worried, and ultimately disappointed, me. The Iraq War, most specifically. I'm proud of the American people's unity and strength on September 12, 2001. I'm proud of the rebuilding and the pure love of country and fellow man that I saw in the aftermath of the events of the previous day. But I'm sorely disappointed in the government's response. I'm disappointed, not in the war in Afghanistan, but in the war in Iraq. I'm not going to argue why here. But I'm disappointed in George Bush. I was very unhappy with the outcome of the 2000 election, but I hoped for the best. I hoped that the new Republican president wouldn't do anything to screw up what Bill Clinton had accomplished. I was young and in high school at the time and mostly oblivious to politics, but I counted on the President to do the right thing. I was disappointed in the President for shunning diplomacy. I was disappointed in Congress for giving him the big red button. And I was disappointed in the American people for letting it happen. And then, a year later, I was disappointed in the American people for coming back for more. We got screwed over and we bent over and said "Please sir, I'd like another."

But for the first time in as long as I can remember I'm so proud of my country that I want to go out and scoop up the first American flag magnet I see and stick it on my bumper. I don't put things on my bumper. Ever.

For a long time I was so disillusioned with the government that I rolled my eyes at images of the flag. To me it seemed trite and unenlightened to display the flag - a symbol of pride - when the government was so corrupt from the top to the bottom. I felt like so many people blindly followed the course of events because they didn't want to be unAmerican. But unlike Bush and the Republicans - and many others - I don't see dissent as unpatriotic. Just the opposite, the most patriotic thing that you can do for your country is to make your voice heard, even if it's the polar opposite of everyone else's.

But now I'm excited. Now I feel like the tables are turning. Yes, I do believe in that now-cliche word, "Change." I don't believe that Obama is our savior. I don't believe that he's going to bring world peace. But what I do believe is that he has a new, fresh vision for this country, a vision untainted by the Vietnam War and the Black Panthers and the dirty-hippies movement. I believe that the New Democratic Party has finally figured out that politics-as-usual isn't going to work. And that's what I'm proud of. And to me, the flag (in part) represents our government, so today I'm really proud of the political system. I know that we, as a people, can really rise above the corruption and I know that we are really a lot more intelligent (biased, I know) and hopeful than I and the world thought.

One problem that I'm truly afraid of is the idea that people voted for (or against) Obama because of his skin color. He garnered the support of more than 90% of the black population, more than any other Democrat. But why? Are all dark-skinned Americans also Democrats? Are they all liberal? Are they all seeking the same kind of change? Do they all think the same way??

My powers of logic tell me that this is highly improbable. So why else would over 90% of the black population vote for one candidate? I really detest the idea that white people vote for the white guy and black people vote for the black guy. I don't care who says it to whom, that's race. In whatever form it takes. And I can't push this nagging fear out of my head. The fear that as much talk as there is about the progressive nature of this epic election , racism hasn't changed. The state of racism in this country is no better than it was two days ago. It is no better than it was two years ago. Yes, it is truly awesome that a black man will be our next President. Yes, I am so excited and proud that I am here to see it happen. And I will probably watch his Inaugural Address alone at home in the dark with no pants (because I seem to cream myself every time he speaks... wadafxup with that?). But what got him there?

I may be fooling myself (god i hope not) but I like the idea that Barack Obama is the President-Elect regardless of his race, not because of it. He overcame racism in this country - against the odds - and proved the doubters wrong. He is a good person and so effective a politician that he was able to make people look past his skin color to see the good man that he is. I know that there are many people out there who made their decision - conscious or not - based on race, but I truly believe that the majority of the American people made their decision based on his vision, his politics, and his hope for the future.

Welcome to the New World Order

I still can't accurately express how I feel today. I don't know if it's really hit me. I don't know if it will really sink in until after inauguration.Republicans make fun of Democrats for their rock-star worship of Barack---... President-Elect Barack Obama. But I think there's something more.

Sarah Palin was promoted as an every-woman, as a soccer mom and Joe Six-Pack. But the real every-man is Obama. He didn't grow up in power. He didn't have a silver spoon in his mouth. He grew up from virtual poverty. He had to work, blood sweat and tears, to get where he is. He really does know the American people, because he has been one from the start. When I see him I see a man that I could know. I don't mean that I could see myself having a beer with him. I mean I feel like I've already met him. I feel like he has shunned the pedestal and walked amongst the people he serves. I see a man who wants to talk to the American people, who wants to listen to us and let us tell him what's best for the American people. He answers to us, We The People. He knows how important everyone is to the welfare of this country. And he may not have all the answers, but for once I feel like he will listen to his advisors, to the experts - Democrat or Republican - and to the people. No, he doesn't have the experience that McCain has, but leading the country isn't a closed-book final exam. He's got the resources and the judgement he needs. He wasn't in Vietnam, he doesn't have that baggage. He's not looking toward the past for the answers, he's looking to the future.That's why I am an Obamaniac. And that's why I am happier than I have been in a long time. I'm in awe that this country has finally come through. We've finally done something that, in my opinion, really is the best thing for this country. Forget black and white, I want change.

What is this society coming to when we have to debate, not the issues, and not the candidates' answers to our questions, but what questions are appropriate to ask the candidates?!



I don't care that Palin is a woman. This isn't about her duties as a mother. I don't want a hockey mom as a VP. I wouldn't want a hockey dad as a VP either. She claims that her daughter had a choice in what would happen to her and her baby, but she doesn't want to let anyone else have that choice. So either she's a liar (her daughter really didn't have a choice and she's saying it to save face) or she's a hypocrite. Either way, I don't want her in the office.

"God"

So I've been encountering atheists lately who seem to believe that people who believe in God (or any higher power, for that matter) in some form are stupid, ignorant, desperate, or some other of a litany of insulting adjectives.

Frankly, that pisses me off.

For full disclosure's sake, I don't believe in a big guy in the sky, but I do believe in an individual higher power - 'individual' as in within our own hearts and minds. That's the briefest synopsis I can come up with.

The fact is that religion is a creation of man. Realistically, God didn't exist until man gave Him a name (I capitalize out of respect for others' religious beliefs, not my own). But the important part is that God has guided mankind for thousands and thousands of years.

This isn't about my faith impeding on yours through my actions based on my misinterpretations of my holy book. This is about you telling me that I'm wrong and that I need to "see the truth" - whatever that may be.

Atheists telling me that I'm stupid and ignorant for believing in anything not based solely in science is *just as bad* as evangelicals telling me that I'm going to hell because I don't go to their church.

Fuck you.

The way I see it, religion and faith is a very personal thing. No one can tell me what to believe. You might provide a convincing argument, but I'm not going to believe something just because you tell me I'm stupid for not believing it (or that I'm going to hell).

You ask for proof that God exists? Show me proof that He doesn't, then we can talk. Until then, keep your opinions to yourself. Religion does not belong on the debate circuit. Religion, faith and spirituality are not debatable subjects at all. Religion is not (admittedly) based on fact, so you can argue science and evolution until you're blue in the face and I'm going to step back and say "Well, that's very interesting." But in the end you've proven nothing. Except that you're an ass.

Whatever happened to "Live And Let Live"? Yea, we shouldn't support organized religion with government funding, I agree. But that isn't a point of argument. I'm sick and tired of people telling me that I'm wrong for my beliefs. From both ends. What I believe is none of your damn business anyway.

I R TEH ANIT-FEMME!!

"Essentialism
A person's sex is not limited to chromosomes, genitals born with, or attributes/personality. Not all women were born with a uterus/mothering instinct/2 x chromosomes. This community rejects the biological explanations of gender difference - as both gender and sex are not static black and white options - but rather a continuum of experience and perception. The root goal of feminism is not to make qualitative assumptions about an individual based upon the body that they were born into - this goes for both gender and sex."

This blog post is dedicated to LiveDrama and all the awesome feminists roaming around its depths.


Give. Me. A Fucking. Break.

: This is only one example of what I'm talking about

Men and women are different. I've read the book Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus. It's not a pile of tripe. I've educated myself on the subject in numerous ways including both psychology and women's study classes. I don't claim to be an expert here, but I'm not just talking out my ass. I haven't just created an opinion out of thin air or because that's what I'm told is right.

You can talk all you want about the "Oppressive Patriarchal System"(c)(r) but I'm not buying it all. I'll grant you the oppression part. In fact, I'll grant you most of the theory, but the idea that gender and sex has no biological basis is just plainly false. Gender identity is not completely unaffected by sex. And I'm not even talking about chromosomes, here (though with every argument there more than likely exists an exception, but it's just that - an exception, not the norm - and no, referring to a "norm" is not oppressive, it's a statistical state of being). What I'm talking about is the complex and intricate chemical environment that makes up who we are. The amount of each of the thousands of chemicals racing around in our heads and bodies help to create the entity that is US.

Setting gender aside, let's take me, for example. I have a variety of diagnosed and undiagnosed mental disorders, including, but not limited to, chronic depression and attention deficit disorder (NOT hyperactive). Let's look at chronic depression. Caused (as many experts believe) by the reuptake of seretonin in the brain. Chemicals that determine our general level of happiness. Yes, I admit, I am a victim of chemistry. And I'm okay with that. I didn't do anything to cause that. It's part of who I am. Every person has a slightly different level of seretonin in their brains, which affect who they are on a daily basis. It affects their mood, their outlook on life, their interpersonal relationships, and their personality. It creates *who they are*.

So, bringing gender and sex back into the equation, every gender-specific trait that exists in men and women can be linked back to a chemical in the body. Estrogen and testosterone are only two. Every human being has estrogen and testosterone in their bodies. Men and women simply have different levels. These chemicals, like seretonin, affect a person's moods and personality. This is not an assumption or assertion or a conclusion based on anecdata. It's a fact. A. Fact.

: Check this article out

It's about the book "The Female Brain"... I think the article (and the book, which I have yet to read, but will, shortly) says it all.



Disclaimer: This is all not to say that we, women, cannot overcome biology. I don't believe that women are biologically hardwired without control. Gay, trans, straight, atypical, stereotypical, whatever. We're all individuals and we choose our own destiny, but our destiny lies within the constraints of what we are given at birth.

Think of it this way... Take astrology (if you don't believe in it, pretend, for a moment, that you do) for example. Biology affects who we are in much the same way that the stars may (you know, if that's your thing). Except to a more definite and provable way. :)

*runs off to read more*

Internet 101

Also known as "Dude, What is UP with the Internet??!"

The great and awesome thing about the internet is that you're anonymous. As anonymous as you want to be. You can say whatever you want about people you hate, and you're anonymous. Even if you give someone your name, you're anonymous. You're just a name.

Except when you're not anonymous anymore.

See, that's where the term "Internet Dating" becomes a bit of an oxymoron. Everyone rags on internet dating as if it's the lowest, most desperate form of dating. While I have to say it's a very convenient way of meeting people, I am quickly discovering just how bad it can be.

This is because some people have done too much "Internet" and not enough "Dating"...

Seriously, if you've never been on a date, and you get on those internet dating sites, please... don't. It's people like you who make people like me feel like dirt. It's people like you who give Internet Dating a bad name. I'm not trying to be mean here, really, but I'm trying to be straight up. If you post one, crappy picture and have three sentences that describe you as an average, run-of-the-mill loser, please do the rest of us (you know, those of us who actually try to meet interesting people) a favor and go out and get some real, honest-to-god social skills before coming back and wasting your hard-earned money on a dating site. Learn how to create a profile, at the very least. If you claim to be looking for "Any" height, weight, income, education, interests, likes, dislikes, career, pets, etc, the only thing I can assume is that you really don't care who contacts you. So if you "wink" at me, I'm going to assume that you're "winking" at every girl on the site, and I will not - I repeat, NOT - be inclined to reply.

Yes, I'm on an Internet Dating site. I'm trying to Meet People.

I should also point out that Internet Humor is not amusing, attractive or endearing. This is, perhaps, my biggest gripe. Toto, I don't think we're on teh Internetz anymoar! Your little 'net buddies might think that cracking sexist and racist jokes at every opportunity is oh-so-high-larious, but it's not fucking funny. Like I said before, you're anonymous on the Internet. You're not anonymous on the phone. Or in person. I know exactly who you are. And with every "make me a sandwich" crack you're digging yourself into a deep, dark cistern. I assumed, when you messaged me on a dating site you were interested in actually, y'know, DATING me. So why, oh why in god's name would you think it was CUTE to tell me about the massive dump you took this morning?? Or why would you think it was attractive to tell me to bring you a beer, or to refer to cleaning toilets and floors as "woman's work"??

I bet you think this blog is about you, don't you?

Guys, let me enlighten you, if you haven't already figured it out....

The way to get a girl is NOT to insult her and her sex. Nor is it to make yourself look like an ignorant cunt. I don't care how rich or educated you are. If you've already revealed the depth of your crassness and bigotry on the phone and in email, there is no way in hell I'm going to meet you in person.

/rant

Celebrate good times, COME ON!!

Ok, as an amendment to the previous post, I should extend my compliments to Hillary for "suspending" her campaign. I know exactly why she's not terminating. She needs the money. She can't continue to raise money to pay off her debt if she terminates her campaign, so she's holding on a little longer to get what she can. Plus, like college loans, if she quits early (before the convention) she has to pay back all her loans much sooner.

I don't know how I feel about her being veep, though. I would be supportive if Obama asked her to be and then she turned him down - she can maintain her dignity and be free to pursue her own course of action. But I'm really afraid that if she got on the ticket with him, all the drama surrounding the primary season will just come back and linger. I think there's just too much baggage, and the last thing we, as Democrats, need is more baggage. We're already viewed as whiny, stubborn liberals. We need someone who's free of baggage.

This is a milestone in history for a variety of reasons. It's sad that despite women getting the chance to vote before blacks, they don't get a shot at the white house first. But the difference goes much more than skin deep.

I'm going to go out on a limb here, since this is my blog and no one gets to argue with me (not that anyone even reads this in the first place). I don't believe that the differences between races (skin color) are nearly as dramatic and significant as the differences between sexes. I don't think this is really a point of contention, honestly. Besides the physical aspects (I mean more than just thingies and hoo-hoos), emotionally and mentally we are different. Well, duh.

I don't mean to say that a woman would make a crappy president. I don't mean to say that men are better leaders. I just think that the differences between men and women are so deeply ingrained in our society that, rather than trying to ignore them by covering up our bodies and blowing off our monthly pains, we need to embrace and celebrate our differences.

I suck at cooking, I don't own a vaccuum, and I don't spend an hour putting on makeup and doing my hair. I'm smart, I'm outgoing, I'm assertive. I have a lot of qualities that most men possess - I like fixing things, I love football, and I love cars. I hate it when people call me "sweetie" or "kiddo", and I hate it when men talk to me and look at me like I'm a piece of ass.

But I love being a woman. I have to confess, it gives me warm fuzzies when a guy gets nervous talking to me or when a guy opens the door for me. I really like the traditional date, where the guy pays. I prefer the guy to make the first move, though I might move in first if he's talking too long for my taste. This doesn't make me an anti-feminist. At least I don't think so. I consider myself a very strong feminist. I believe that every human deserves equality, and with that equality comes choice. I will never judge a woman who wants to stay home with her children. I am a career woman, but I can't say what I will feel when I have children. But I'm glad that I have a choice in the matter. I know I will always have that choice, and that makes me comfortable.

When I say that I think the differences between men and women should be celebrated, not ignored, I mean that I think men and women are equal, but different. I am just as good as you, even though I look and act differently. I ask to be treated with the same respect and dignity that you treat anyone else. Just because I bleed once a month and have the ability to bear children doesn't mean that I'm fragile. That is what I think of when I think of feminism.

Then again, maybe I'm just another looney.

And the winner is...

Compliments of www.dieselsweeties.com

Has anyone told Hillary yet? No seriously, cause I don't think she's heard the news. Dude, you LOST. Stop making all women look bad and just bow out graciously. Obama has already CLINCHED it, and she's still up there trying to make her case. It's like the whole party has packed up and left and she's still on the stage, talking into a dead mic. Even your supporters have resigned themselves to asking for you to be Veep. But you still won't concede. What point are you trying to make? You're just making the DNC look bad. We understand that this is a great big turning point in our nation's history, but you really need to understand that you're making women look bad. After you it's going to be a long time before any women gets to where you are again. Let it go already, please?

I'm a woman, I know it's hard to get anywhere, but sometimes you've got to be the bigger man and be a gracious loser. Being a sore loser makes you just look like a whiny bitch. And no one likes a whiny bitch, no matter what they have between their legs.

Big Fat Liar

I fucking hate liars. No, seriously, I'm not even kidding. Don't lie to me. Don't tell me "it's not you, it's me." And no, rewording it doesn't count. "I'm just really busy and I think it's best for all parties involved if I'm just single right now." Bullshit. BULL. SHIT.

I'm a woman, I'm not an idiot. If you don't feel the chemistry, that's fine, I probably don't feel it either. If you met someone else you'd like to try it out with, great, I'm not your girlfriend. I'm not fragile. I'm not going to cry over a guy I've gone out with TWICE. This ain't high school, my life isn't over after every guy.

This is ridiculous. It's one thing to stop calling. It's another thing to lead me on, telling me "let's still be friends" and giving me a big pile of steaming shit you call a story. If you don't have the balls to tell me straight up that it's not going to work, you're not worth my time, as a friend or otherwise. I have fucking integrity, and I won't buy it.

While we're talking about liars, don't get me started on the stupid crap that unneccessarily makes me look/feel like an idiot. If you think this top makes me look like a fat skank, TELL ME. You think I WANT to look like a fat skank? No. Sometimes girls need an honest opinion. Now, I'll admit, I'm not like most girls. I don't ask a question if I don't want an honest answer. Most girls aren't like that. Most girls want you to tell them those pants look hot, even if they make her look like a cow. Not me. If these pants make me look like a cow, I'd rather know it, so I can throw them out and get some pants that DON'T make me look like a cow.

On the same vein, if I talk too much or if my apartment is too messy for you, or you can't deal with my baggage as it is, TELL ME. If half the guys I've gone on a date with told me one thing that was wrong with me, I'd probably be married by now. I'd have found all my flaws and I'd have FIXED them. But I can't fix something if I don't know it's fucking BROKEN.

No, I'm not perfect. I won't pretend I am. I'm just another fucked up woman trying to figure out where she fits in the world. And if everyone I meet gives me one piece of constructive criticism, I might just be able to figure that out before I die.


P.S. I'm not always this angry, really. I'm just more interesting when I am. :)

The Lie of Feminism

For full disclosure's sake I'll put it out there that I am an Obamafan. Obamamama. Obamarama. Obamaramamama.

I am disgusted by people who insult feminists who don't support Hillary Clinton. I am a feminist. I think Hillary gives women a bad name. I think she panders, and I think she's fake. Her idea to get rid of the gas tax (but just for the summer!) is ridiculous. It's market manipulation, and that's exactly why we're in the trouble that we're in. Congress is accusing the big oil companies of market manipulation to artificially inflate gas prices, and she wants to do the same thing (for the opposite ends). All it would do is increase demand (oh, gas is cheap! Let's drive cross-country!) and what we need is to reduce demand. We can't cure cancer with flu medicine. We can't fix the problem by simply treating the symptoms. We need to reduce our dependency, and until we do that the American people are just going to have to deal with it. I agree with Congress that the oil companies' profits are ridiculous, and the markup for oil is disgusting. Sure, we can attack that problem, that would be good. But it won't solve the problem. If we somehow force oil companies to reduce profits by reducing the oil markup, prices will go down, demand will go up, and we'll be back where we started. Not to mention the fact that it would just contribute to the problem of global warming.

The fact is that we're a gluttonous society, and now we're paying for it. Permenant solutions won't come quickly, and trying to put a bandaid on it won't save us from our own oil hunger. Clinton, though, is thinking too short term. Her idea is stupid. Just. Plain. Stupid. I'm embarassed for her. I'm embarassed by her.

She's run an awful campaign. If she can't get her act together to win the nomination how can we expect her to win the election, much less run the damn country?? It pisses me off that women all over the place want to tell me that I'm betraying feminism because I don't like Hillary Clinton. Just because she's got tits doesn't mean I should vote for her.

I guess this all comes back to that important, universal argument: "You don't knoooow me!"

Old Men

((x-posted to an LJ community))

Dear Obnoxious Random Execs,

Nice to meet you, I'm C, the new Sales Analyst. I know I'm young enough to be your daughter and/or granddaughter, but my name is not "kid" or "sweetie" or "hon". I know that females are an endangered species in this office but giving me that shit-eating grin when you get to shake my hand because your wife hasn't let you touch her since before I was born is not a good business practice and will not get you your oh-so-valuable data any faster, nor will it encourage me to "tweak" your numbers to make you look good for Mr Boss-Man and subsequently make me look brutally incompetent when the numbers turn out to be wrong. I am not stupid. I am not a little girl. I know more than you do. I'm smarter than you. I, with my Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics, have more education than you, with your Associates in Elementary Typing Skills. Stop treating me with kid gloves. I will be your boss one day. And you will regret making those oh-so-subtle sexist remarks.

Also, please stop censoring yourself with a statement like "Oops, there's a lady in the room!" when you feel like cussing out an account. I DON'T CARE. I've cussed before, I know what those words mean. Treating me like I'm a child is going to make me lose respect for you *much* faster than letting a four-letter word slip out once in awhile.

And stop staring at me like that. I'm not your eye-candy, you creepy old fart. Just because I'm friendly doesn't mean I want you to be my sugar-daddy.

Not Yours,
C

"You don't knooow me!"

So a (very) brief background: I got my BS from the University of Mary Washington, which was in the national spotlight last year at this time (and again last December) because our newly-hired President got drunk, drove, got in an accident, went to the hospital, checked OUT of the hospital against doctor's orders, went home, got BACK in his car (still drunk) and went for another drive. He got two DUI's (to which he entered an Alford plea - accepting charges without admitting guilt). In December he wrote a long, self-absorbed letter to the Washington Post, claiming that he was wronged for being fired.

First of all, there isn't much that I can say. I know that my description was extremely biased, but if you want unbiased news, go to the BBC. We put our faith in this guy, as a school and his employer. We trusted him to run and represent our school and he turned around and buttsecksed us. Then he claimed that he had a "problem"... a "disease" and he needed help not ostracism. This pisses me off. I've known alcoholics, and I have clinical depression, so the idea that this guy is suddenly the poster child for untreated depression and alcoholism pisses me off. You've hit rock bottom, so you deal with it. Don't expect anyone to fix your mistakes for you. I'll grant you the disease aspect, because that doesn't change my opinion of you. Ok, so you have a disease that's been untreated and self-medicated for 40 years. That sucks. But when did that become MY problem? When did that become UMW's problem to deal with?

I've seen people comparing his untreated alcoholism and depression to having cancer. They say "If they fired him for having cancer, there would be an uproar!!"... News Flash, genius: Cancer doesn't put innocent bystanders in harm's way. Cancer patients don't get in a car and kill people because of their cancer. Alcoholics do. UMW didn't fire him for having a disease. UMW fired him for making a very poor decision and putting himself as well as everyone around him at risk. There is no comparison. If he had taken responsibility right off the bat (that means not driving drunk to begin with) and asked for a leave of absence to take care of his disease, I'm sure the Board of Visitors would have been much more understanding. But no, he just left it alone and got himself into trouble and then turned it around on US. Because WE weren't understanding enough and WE acted rashly and WE ostracized HIM. Bullshit. He did all of this to himself.

Anyway, all that aside, the latest incidents crack me up. April 10th, 2007 he got TWO DUIs. He was put on driving probation for a year in September. April 10th 2008 he got another DUI. Do I really need to say more?

This guy lambasts his former employer for firing him, for not having compassion for his disease, for not letting him go into rehab before deciding to terminate his employment. Then he goes and does it again. Oh yea, and he was on his way home from an AA meeting.

Apparently his wife had taken out a restraining order on him a few months prior to his latest incident. I have to wonder what exactly is going on in his life. Despite everything, I would love to read his book when it comes out, because I just cannot understand what can be going through his head right now.

This all sounds just like a Lifetime movie in the making. :)

Living Faster, Dying Younger?

So apparently American women's life expectancy is declining. What a shock. There's this sense of shock that here, in America - one of the most developed countries in the world - women are dying younger than their grandparents.

News Flash: You didn't think that our health care system was really that adequate, did you? We spend more on healthcare than any other country, and yet our system sucks. (I should note here that yes, I did watch Sicko.) Americans are fat. Americans smoke. Americans eat crap. And wouldn't you know it, we're trying to infect the rest of the world with our crap. McDonalds in China. Now China's getting fat. When will it stop?? People all across Asia and Africa (including the Middle East) are dying from food shortages. Gee, whiz, I wonder where all that food went! Why don't we send some of our fattest fatties over there and tape a new show for the reality channels. We'll call it "Fast Fatties" and the contestants will all have to survive in the poorest villages without any money. See how fast they get slaughtered and roasted. Yum!

I apologize if I seem a little cynical, but it's somewhat disgusting that we're eating ourselves to death while half the world is starving to death. Go fig.

P.S. Arby's is buying Wendy's for more than $2M. Wendy's apparently has been struggling since the death of founder Dave Thomas in 2002. R.I.P. Dave. Damn I think I need a frosty now. *tear*

P.P.S. Costco and Sam's Club are rationing rice. I guess people are stocking up on rice. Like we're gonna starve when we run out of rice. I say stop buying rice altogether. Or buy some and send it to the Middle East. Just buy a big old bag of rice and pay the $100 in shipping and send it to some soldier in Iraq to give to some hungry family. That's what I would do. But I eat my rice. Yum.

Antidepressants, antideshmreshants

Have you seen the ads for that fibromyalgia pain medication? It mentions that "This medication is not an antidepressant." That makes me laugh.

In middle school I was depressed. Yea, I know, so was every other middle school kid who got tormented by their peers. I was in therapy from 7th grade all the way through college. I went through all the normal depression stuff - laziness, lack of motivation, ridiculous suicide attempts. Yes. I call it ridiculous, because in the throes of depression and angst (over, I believe, unrequired love) I wasn't exactly the brightest tool in the drawer. I won't go into details, but suffice it to say that I started with a handful of pills and ended up staying awake all night with extremely dry and clear sinuses. What? I was 14!

Antidepressants make me sick. No really, I was on one for awhile that made me throw up in the middle of study hall. But seriously, the thought of putting kids on them makes me get all twisted up inside. I'm not saying they don't work. I'm not saying that parents should never resort to pills. But it makes me sick when parents just throw pills at the problem.

I had a really good relationship with my parents. I mean, through all the teenage angst, I was really close with both my mom and my dad. That is probably the defining reason that I made it through the cloud. And I firmly believe that anyone can get through the cloud. But you can't just take pills and expect all your problems to go away. So many kids are just stuffed with pills, whether they want them or not, and nothing works. So their parents stuff them with more pills. I'm not a parent or anything, but I'm pretty sure that you gotta build some sort of relationship with your kids before you start relying on chemicals. Personal relationships are so underrated. How are you ever going to get to know your kids if you just put them in front of the tv all the time, or just shove a video game in their hands or let them glue a cell phone to their ear? Stop complaining about all this damn technology and get the fuck outside. The sun is the best antidepressant out there.

"My name is Domino Harvey. I am a bounty hunter."

Not that Domino Harvey would ever take the time to create a blog.

I don't kick ass, I don't take names. I'm not a model, nor a movie star. I'm not going to make an attempt to introduce myself. I don't need much of an introduction.

I come from a small family. Well, in numbers we're not that small. I have two aunts and about 4 or 5 uncles (I lost count years ago). I grew up with a brother and a sister, but they both left home before I even hit middle school, so it's been my parents and I since then.

My parents... In order to know my you have to know my parents. One word: hippies. I kid you not. Genuine, bonafide hippies. My dad had long hair, my mom had long hair. They met in a hippie commune. They hitchhiked across the country and back. They lived at Haight-Ashbury. They got busted for selling dope. My dad burned his draft card. They got married by a Unitarian minister wearing clothes that my mom made herself. There exists a picture of them, with another couple standing in front of - you guessed it - a VW Minibus painted with flowers.

My mom got a degree in microbiology. My dad dropped out of college and bummed around a bit before he managed to get a degree in physical anthropology. And then a masters and a Ph.D. and some other one. They adopted two kids, both of mixed race, and opened a bookstore. I was born a few weeks before it folded.

This is the family I come from. I'd like to tell you that I am my own person and that I am completely different. But I'm not. I'm totally progressive, dedicated to education, always looking for new ways to be creative, but constantly trying to strike that delicate balance between the left brain and the right brain. I played music all through middle and high school and then got my bachelor's in math.

Yes, math.

Yea, I know, you're probably not good at math. Or you think I'm crazy. Or you hate nerds. Don't get me started on how many people say that. I've actually considered telling people that I have an English degree, just so I don't have to explain myself.

I didn't do it to get a good job. I didn't do it because I'm a nerd. I did it because that's what I'm good at. I'm good at numbers. I'm not a nerd, I'm not a dork. I don't know anything about Star Trek - or Star Wars for that matter. You know what my favorite trilogy is? Back to the Future. Or Indiana Jones. That's the trilogy debate in my life. I love cheesy 80s movies.

I have no clue what I'm going to write about in this blog. Maybe work. Maybe movies. It is what it is, so stay tuned......