I would like to preface this post with a few qualifying statements. I realize that this is my first post in quite sometime, but I've said from the beginning that this blog contains my mini-rants written down mostly for my own benefit - this post is no different. I hope people read it, and I hope that it is helpful and eye-opening to those people who need such things. That said, this blog post is about North Carolina's proposed Amendment One that is going to be voted on tomorrow in the primary elections. This amendment states that the only union that the state will legally recognize is a marraige between one man and one woman. That said, this post is about the many many reasons why one should vote AGAINST Amendment One. I shall list my reasons for you.
1. I am a Christian. Because I am a Christian, I believe that any and all forms of hatred are fundamentally antithetical to Jesus' teachings of love, non-judgement, and the personal, one-on-one relationship that exists between each person and God. In other words, regardless of whether or not someone thinks homosexuality is a sin, that sin is between the individual and God and is not to be judged by anyone but him. Our job is to love our neighbor as we love ourselves, or at least as much as we ourselves would want to be loved. Because I am a Christian, I also believe that making the conscious decision to cause or potentially cause others harm is a grave sin in itself. Amendment One will affect hundreds of thousands of North Carolina citizens, gay or straight or otherwise, negatively. Read on for how...
2. I am a citizen of the United States of America and a strong believer in our Constitution and in the Amendment system that allows that Constitution to change with the times if need be. However, the amendment system, for either states or the nation, was not created so that rights could be diminished or taken. Amendment One is a categorical infringement on the rights of anyone living in North Carolina, and by doing so it ensures an increase in governmental power in one's personal life and space. No one who believes in small government, or separation of church and state, or in the ability for any individual to live one's law-abiding life as they please, should also believe in this Amendment.
3. I strive to be tolerant, open-minded, and to be the kind of person people can look up to. I do not always suceed. However, I could never respect myself or ask other people to respect me if I lived up to the hypocritical stereotype that Christians have maintained for centuries. I could not ask anyone to respect my personal decisions if I did not respect those of others - even if I disagree with some of those decisions. This is not to say that I think homosexuality is wrong or that homosexual or other non-heterosexual couples should not be allowed to have a legally recognized union. I think that every person deserves the same right to a legally recognized union as I do as a straight female; I could not expect to be privilege to rights guaranteed by our Constitution if those same rights weren't also available for black people, gay people, the mentally or physically handicapped, the rich, the poor, the tired, the hungry, and those that majored in under-water basket weaving.
4. I am a woman, a devoted girlfriend, and, hopefully, one day a mother and later a happy elderly woman drinking sweet iced tea on her wrap around porch. Because of this, it greatly upsets me that many other women are unaware of the harm that Amendment One will have on society. Unmarried victims of domestic violence may never see justice (27 domestic violence charges have been overthrown in Ohio because the victims were not married and a similar law to Amendment One had caused such ambiguity in the domestic violence laws). Potentially, I might not be about to see my boyfriend or make decisions concerning his health if he were in the hospital and family were unavailable. Children of unmarried couples, heterosexual couples included, would not have access to health care or protection under the law (there are nearly 90,000 unmarried families with children in NC). Elderly widows or widowers may lose access to pensions from previous relationships/marriages. Some cities allow the partners of government employees access to that employee's benefits, and this access would be lost if the two were not married. I want to be married, legally and religiously, but those in NC who have chosen civil unions or domestic partnerships instead, for whatever personal reasons they have, will no longer be legally cognized as a couple, and hence will lose any rights or privileges involving insurance, job benefits, taxes, protection under the law (from domestic violence, for example, or if they have children, laws regarding parental kidnapping could become irrelevant), etc.
5. There are many more important things for our government to be spending their time and money on than on an amendment that harms The NC citizens that those in government are supposed to represent. The education system in NC has been so damaged and defunded that serious and immediate steps need to be taken for its repair. The NC poverty level is still extremely high. The health of NC citizens, as it is with all of America, is rapidly declining, and though one's health is often a personal choice, better school lunches and spreading information about wellness programs for many state employees is a more worthwhile use of government resources than is diminishing citizen rights. The
NC economy and state budget is in a shambles - as a tax paying citizen, I don't wish my hard earned money to go toward the expenses of lawsuits and court cases caused by the passage of a harmful law.
6. Lastly, I am against Amendment One because if it passes, it sets a precedent for future infringement on human rights (it could lead to all kinds of other harm to American citizens - it might even be made law that the government can execute citizens for any reason without a fair trial... Oh wait...). If it passes, thousands of people will be negatively affected, including myself potentially. If it passes, NC will be seen as an intolerant state whose government promotes discrimination and hatred - there goes the tourism industry or the likelihood of new companies coming to NC, stimulating the economy and increasing the job market. BUT, if Amendment One does not pass, then come May 9th, absolutely nothing will have changed. Marriage not between one man and one woman will still, unfortunately, be illegal. Rights of NC citizens won't have improved, but at least they won't have been taken away.
So, logically, voting for this amendment does not make sense. And I hope that morally, religiously, and emotionally, this amendment seems just as nonsensical to you as it does to me. Interestingly enough, when the head and heart come together on something, the world makes a lot more sense.
Tuesday, May 08, 2012
Monday, December 12, 2011
Graduate School: Take 1
Now that the semester has finally wound it's way to a slow, stuttering, painful stop, I thought I might reflect a bit on the past 4 months - for my own benefit of course, since no one else reads this thing...
1. I remember one Monday laying out on my coffee table all of the books, articles, and assignments I had to read all or part of or complete that week. I then remember thinking - "Crapola." ...or something like that. I'm still not used to the amount of work that graduate school entails, yet I know that there is only ever going to be more and more and more work to do.
2. Even though the amount of reading and work is enormous, generally I have found that graduate school work is some of the most interesting stuff I've done in school since kindergarten. This may seem obvious - the classes are much more specialized, there is no need to take any extra classes that you don't really want, and the professors often let you make your own topic choices when it comes to projects/papers. I still have to do 3 classes in a minor field, but Comparative World History is still pretty interesting (much more so than my other option of US History!), but the classes offered are often what the professors are most interested in and passionate about. All in all, learning in graduate school is pretty fun :)
3. I must learn to manage my time better. Like, MUST. I don't know how it's going to happen, and God knows I've tried for 4.5 years now to stop procrastinating, but eventually I'll get there. Maybe by the time I've completed my Ph.D. I won't feel the need to procrastinate any more - problem solved!
4. Cats are anti-graduate school. I love my kitten, and he can be so completely wonderful. But then again, pencils and papers and spiral bound notebooks and highlighters and all those things I need to use in order to get work done are all his favorite toys. Also, using him as an excuse - saying that I'll wait to do work until he's asleep for the afternoon... or the night... - has not been very helpful for #3.
5. I don't think there is a #5... at least not right now... ahh well - graduate school. :)
1. I remember one Monday laying out on my coffee table all of the books, articles, and assignments I had to read all or part of or complete that week. I then remember thinking - "Crapola." ...or something like that. I'm still not used to the amount of work that graduate school entails, yet I know that there is only ever going to be more and more and more work to do.
2. Even though the amount of reading and work is enormous, generally I have found that graduate school work is some of the most interesting stuff I've done in school since kindergarten. This may seem obvious - the classes are much more specialized, there is no need to take any extra classes that you don't really want, and the professors often let you make your own topic choices when it comes to projects/papers. I still have to do 3 classes in a minor field, but Comparative World History is still pretty interesting (much more so than my other option of US History!), but the classes offered are often what the professors are most interested in and passionate about. All in all, learning in graduate school is pretty fun :)
3. I must learn to manage my time better. Like, MUST. I don't know how it's going to happen, and God knows I've tried for 4.5 years now to stop procrastinating, but eventually I'll get there. Maybe by the time I've completed my Ph.D. I won't feel the need to procrastinate any more - problem solved!
4. Cats are anti-graduate school. I love my kitten, and he can be so completely wonderful. But then again, pencils and papers and spiral bound notebooks and highlighters and all those things I need to use in order to get work done are all his favorite toys. Also, using him as an excuse - saying that I'll wait to do work until he's asleep for the afternoon... or the night... - has not been very helpful for #3.
5. I don't think there is a #5... at least not right now... ahh well - graduate school. :)
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Before I go out in the rain...
...I usually have an umbrella.
My kitten, Tux, is currently eating my best friend's sister's bridal bouquet on my kitchen table. I am laying on the couch playing with my brand new, completely amazing, laptop. My boyfriend has gone to bed for the night and is probably looking completely adorable as sleeping loved ones often do.
I feel like I'm experiencing the calm before the storm...
Graduate school begins for me in 3.5 weeks. Normally, I would be completely prepared by now - i.e. I would have paper and notebooks and all my school supplies purchased and ready to go; I would have folders created on my laptop and in my email client for each of my classes; I would have set up parking and have mapped out where I go when.
I'm a bit of planner see. But apparently, UNC-Greensboro has all of its incoming graduate students wait to register for classes until about the week before the start. Hmmm... they are messing with a totally not spontaneous person's mojo here!!! And because I'm not officially a registered student I can't get a parking pass, purchase textbooks, and all the millions of other things I would love to have done :(
But I'm calm.
My kitten, Tux, is currently eating my best friend's sister's bridal bouquet on my kitchen table. I am laying on the couch playing with my brand new, completely amazing, laptop. My boyfriend has gone to bed for the night and is probably looking completely adorable as sleeping loved ones often do.
I feel like I'm experiencing the calm before the storm...
Graduate school begins for me in 3.5 weeks. Normally, I would be completely prepared by now - i.e. I would have paper and notebooks and all my school supplies purchased and ready to go; I would have folders created on my laptop and in my email client for each of my classes; I would have set up parking and have mapped out where I go when.
I'm a bit of planner see. But apparently, UNC-Greensboro has all of its incoming graduate students wait to register for classes until about the week before the start. Hmmm... they are messing with a totally not spontaneous person's mojo here!!! And because I'm not officially a registered student I can't get a parking pass, purchase textbooks, and all the millions of other things I would love to have done :(
But I'm calm.
Monday, July 04, 2011
An Important Story
Something so awesome, so thrilling, so inspiring happened to me last night that I have to write about it.
My story begins at a pool party. I had an amazing afternoon and evening hanging out with some of my best friends and relaxing in the pool - that's what summer should be all about! By the time the festivities ended and I got home it was about 10pm, which is still pretty early for me, so I decided I'd be lazy and get on Facebook, chat with friends, and play some Dragon Age: Origins (yep). I put my hair up in a messy bun at some point during this time, unconsciously I'm sure. About 3 or 4 hours later I decided I should probably actually get to bed and get some sleep, but noticing that I reeked of chlorine from my long day in the pool, I knew I'd have to shower first. So I go into the bathroom.... turn the light on... look in the mirror... take my hair down out of the messy bun... and... MY HAIR WAS CURLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well wavy. BUT IT WAS SOMETHING!! At this point, I'm freaking out - my hair is never curly, or wavy, or even crimpy. It's straight. Like, I almost always let it dry naturally, and it's straight. Like, for junior prom it took a whole bottle of extra hold hair spray to put my hair up in spiral curls, which proceeded to only last for about 4 hours. But no, at this point, there were definite waves in my hair!!
By now I've already run into the bedroom to show my sleeping boyfriend the magnificence of my curly coif. He was a bit less impressed.
Then I deeply regretted my need to shower. It would go back to straight, blah, normal hair.
But everyone has to shower eventually. And I really was getting headache from the remnants of the chlorine smell.
So no one else got to see my amazing waves of hair. It probably occurred after the specific mixture of that amount of chlorine, still damp hair, and a perfect, never to be repeated, messy bun.
But I promise it was real.
My story begins at a pool party. I had an amazing afternoon and evening hanging out with some of my best friends and relaxing in the pool - that's what summer should be all about! By the time the festivities ended and I got home it was about 10pm, which is still pretty early for me, so I decided I'd be lazy and get on Facebook, chat with friends, and play some Dragon Age: Origins (yep). I put my hair up in a messy bun at some point during this time, unconsciously I'm sure. About 3 or 4 hours later I decided I should probably actually get to bed and get some sleep, but noticing that I reeked of chlorine from my long day in the pool, I knew I'd have to shower first. So I go into the bathroom.... turn the light on... look in the mirror... take my hair down out of the messy bun... and... MY HAIR WAS CURLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well wavy. BUT IT WAS SOMETHING!! At this point, I'm freaking out - my hair is never curly, or wavy, or even crimpy. It's straight. Like, I almost always let it dry naturally, and it's straight. Like, for junior prom it took a whole bottle of extra hold hair spray to put my hair up in spiral curls, which proceeded to only last for about 4 hours. But no, at this point, there were definite waves in my hair!!
By now I've already run into the bedroom to show my sleeping boyfriend the magnificence of my curly coif. He was a bit less impressed.
Then I deeply regretted my need to shower. It would go back to straight, blah, normal hair.
But everyone has to shower eventually. And I really was getting headache from the remnants of the chlorine smell.
So no one else got to see my amazing waves of hair. It probably occurred after the specific mixture of that amount of chlorine, still damp hair, and a perfect, never to be repeated, messy bun.
But I promise it was real.
Friday, July 01, 2011
Time Never Stops Flying
Blogging seems to be its own vicious cycle... It's been nearly a year since I have written anything on this blog that I've spent so much time on playing with the design. I really have redesigned this thing so much - just as much as I've "thought" about adding a new post. Now I figure that time's only going to keep flying by, so might as well put something out there before time's all gone and I'm too busy for piddling around with designing a blog.
So my first post last year stated that it was the summer before my senior year of college. Currently it's the summer before my first year in graduate school. LOTS of time flying right there. lots. a lot. I mean, so much has happened in the past 12 months. Got through my first year of living with my boyfriend - AWESOME :) Succeeded in filling that apartment so full of furniture and random things that every time I go home and my mom wants to give me another antique apron I have to tell her that I don't have the drawer space (yup). Graduated with distinction (according to the ceremony program, but really I was 0.011 GPA points away by the end of the semester - bummed, but still did really great!). Graduated with a math degree from UNC-CH (part of the reason I still did really great! Math is one of the hardest majors UNC offers...). Also graduated with a history degree (YAY!).
Speaking of history - I loves it :) Not the recent stuff like all the silly World Wars brought on by small, though tragic, events and the useless diplomats and aristocrats that refused to act like civilized men. But no, the old stuff - Medieval stuff to be exact :) It's awesome. Not lucrative, naturally, but awesome. The invention of the stirrup, stuff like that, just... awesome. So awesome, in fact, that I am pursuing my Masters in European History with a Medieval Concentration. If I'm uber-lucky? I'll get a job :) I'd love to be a professor. One of my professors at UNC made a huge history impression on me and I basically want to be just like him when I grow up :)
Which I sincerely hope isn't anytime soon in a lot of ways! I am adamantly against bills and waking up early every day and "planning for the future". But then again, 24 seems so close (when I'll get finished with my M.A.)... I guess I can just go get a Ph.D. then :)
Anyway, it's bed time and I need some alone time from our new kitten who is getting doused with water from a spray bottle every 5 minutes in this hyper phase of kitten life...
'Night!!
So my first post last year stated that it was the summer before my senior year of college. Currently it's the summer before my first year in graduate school. LOTS of time flying right there. lots. a lot. I mean, so much has happened in the past 12 months. Got through my first year of living with my boyfriend - AWESOME :) Succeeded in filling that apartment so full of furniture and random things that every time I go home and my mom wants to give me another antique apron I have to tell her that I don't have the drawer space (yup). Graduated with distinction (according to the ceremony program, but really I was 0.011 GPA points away by the end of the semester - bummed, but still did really great!). Graduated with a math degree from UNC-CH (part of the reason I still did really great! Math is one of the hardest majors UNC offers...). Also graduated with a history degree (YAY!).
Speaking of history - I loves it :) Not the recent stuff like all the silly World Wars brought on by small, though tragic, events and the useless diplomats and aristocrats that refused to act like civilized men. But no, the old stuff - Medieval stuff to be exact :) It's awesome. Not lucrative, naturally, but awesome. The invention of the stirrup, stuff like that, just... awesome. So awesome, in fact, that I am pursuing my Masters in European History with a Medieval Concentration. If I'm uber-lucky? I'll get a job :) I'd love to be a professor. One of my professors at UNC made a huge history impression on me and I basically want to be just like him when I grow up :)
Which I sincerely hope isn't anytime soon in a lot of ways! I am adamantly against bills and waking up early every day and "planning for the future". But then again, 24 seems so close (when I'll get finished with my M.A.)... I guess I can just go get a Ph.D. then :)
Anyway, it's bed time and I need some alone time from our new kitten who is getting doused with water from a spray bottle every 5 minutes in this hyper phase of kitten life...
'Night!!
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Obsessions to Cure The Summer Blues
Sooooooo.... as noted in my previous post about Summer, I'm a bit iffy towards the entire concept. Today I spent a lazy summer Sunday with my family and my boyfriend = translation = it was pretty darn boring. Like, basic Stats class boring (when you're a math major who stopped hearing about "taking the mean/median/range like a decade ago). In other words, I'm totally over this summer.
To lighten a bit of this time and to be a bit lazy in the overbearing heat that this season is, most regrettably, well known for, I'd like to compile a list of things I've found interesting enough to be slightly obsessed about.
Facebook Games: completely lame and hazardous for college students during the school year, these addicting, redundant flash games have kept me up more than a few nights.
New Summer TV shows: including Covert Affairs (A+ rating thus far), Rookie Blue (A-), and The Gates (B+ and a new, innovative twist on mythical creatures).
Old but Good TV shows: including The Bachelorette. In fact I'd like to take this moment to challenge anyone that may come across this blog to slap Frank right in the money-maker if they ever meet him. Also, Law & Order: SVU - this one started when my boyfriend introduced me to the original Law & Order a long time ago, the obsession has grown ever since. Marathons are so bad for my health.
Games: In the beginning of the summer it was Kingdom Hearts, but after I beat the big bad boss at the end (which took freaking FOREVER), I haven't actually gotten around to finishing the whole thing. Also, Final Fantasy.... 13? I think? Idk it's the one with the sex crazed chick Vanille (for real, all that girl does is make sex noises the entire time!). Upcoming: the ability to play Mass Effect 2 once my boyfriend gets the desktop set up at the apartment, and in September CIVILIZATION V come out!!!!!!! (so excited btdubs).
I'll probably be back with more - but in the mean time, you should try some of these boredom chasing obsessions out for size :D
To lighten a bit of this time and to be a bit lazy in the overbearing heat that this season is, most regrettably, well known for, I'd like to compile a list of things I've found interesting enough to be slightly obsessed about.
Facebook Games: completely lame and hazardous for college students during the school year, these addicting, redundant flash games have kept me up more than a few nights.
New Summer TV shows: including Covert Affairs (A+ rating thus far), Rookie Blue (A-), and The Gates (B+ and a new, innovative twist on mythical creatures).
Old but Good TV shows: including The Bachelorette. In fact I'd like to take this moment to challenge anyone that may come across this blog to slap Frank right in the money-maker if they ever meet him. Also, Law & Order: SVU - this one started when my boyfriend introduced me to the original Law & Order a long time ago, the obsession has grown ever since. Marathons are so bad for my health.
Games: In the beginning of the summer it was Kingdom Hearts, but after I beat the big bad boss at the end (which took freaking FOREVER), I haven't actually gotten around to finishing the whole thing. Also, Final Fantasy.... 13? I think? Idk it's the one with the sex crazed chick Vanille (for real, all that girl does is make sex noises the entire time!). Upcoming: the ability to play Mass Effect 2 once my boyfriend gets the desktop set up at the apartment, and in September CIVILIZATION V come out!!!!!!! (so excited btdubs).
I'll probably be back with more - but in the mean time, you should try some of these boredom chasing obsessions out for size :D
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Life Tidbits from the Past Month
Hello to my currently non-existent fan base!! I would ask how you were but, naturally, you probably wouldn't answer.
I do realize that I've been neglecting my postings a wee bit and I'd like to catch every non-existent body up on recent events.
My boyfriend came home from England/Scotland/Ireland = happy me :)
My laptop decides to wig out on me = very very annoyed me.
In fact, the IT people at my university couldn't even tell me what was actually wrong with it beyond what I already knew. Basically, now (it was a lot worse and more complicated before I fixed part of the issue) my wireless only works perfectly when there is a 5 out of 5 signal from a network OR is unplugged. Yes unplugged. Soon as I plug in the AC adapter and if the signal is anything less than perfect - internet access w/o annoying wires is kaput. Look up this problem online. No one has it. My laptop invented a totally new problem. Which would be cool if I knew what to do with it and then I could feel all proud of myself. But no: it's like a pet kitten has found, slayed, and brought to me a rat that happens to be able to sing postmortem. Cool, interesting, until you can't get it to SHUT UP. Then it's annoying. Like my laptop.
The nice IT man did give a few tricks to try when I return home. Maybe my proverbial deceased rat will grow an off button.
Oh! and I have a job. Nice right? I'm now waitressing at a local restaurant and it's quite fun.
Minus the gossip. Not a shift goes by where I don't have to hear about one of my coworkers talking about another coworker. The cyclical part is that often I'll hear person A talk about person B only to hear person B talking about person A five minutes later. It's slightly ridiculous, but then again, I guess it's also natural. I guess it'd be impossible to truly not talk about people. The vicious part is that I get sucked into the cyclical part. Like a vortex or a... black hole, or some other space thing that sucks. I guess it's not so bad though.
Notably, the word "kaput" looks super weird. Like the word "does" does sometimes - think about it; ever read a sentence and think it's subject is female deer?
I do realize that I've been neglecting my postings a wee bit and I'd like to catch every non-existent body up on recent events.
My boyfriend came home from England/Scotland/Ireland = happy me :)
My laptop decides to wig out on me = very very annoyed me.
In fact, the IT people at my university couldn't even tell me what was actually wrong with it beyond what I already knew. Basically, now (it was a lot worse and more complicated before I fixed part of the issue) my wireless only works perfectly when there is a 5 out of 5 signal from a network OR is unplugged. Yes unplugged. Soon as I plug in the AC adapter and if the signal is anything less than perfect - internet access w/o annoying wires is kaput. Look up this problem online. No one has it. My laptop invented a totally new problem. Which would be cool if I knew what to do with it and then I could feel all proud of myself. But no: it's like a pet kitten has found, slayed, and brought to me a rat that happens to be able to sing postmortem. Cool, interesting, until you can't get it to SHUT UP. Then it's annoying. Like my laptop.
The nice IT man did give a few tricks to try when I return home. Maybe my proverbial deceased rat will grow an off button.
Oh! and I have a job. Nice right? I'm now waitressing at a local restaurant and it's quite fun.
Minus the gossip. Not a shift goes by where I don't have to hear about one of my coworkers talking about another coworker. The cyclical part is that often I'll hear person A talk about person B only to hear person B talking about person A five minutes later. It's slightly ridiculous, but then again, I guess it's also natural. I guess it'd be impossible to truly not talk about people. The vicious part is that I get sucked into the cyclical part. Like a vortex or a... black hole, or some other space thing that sucks. I guess it's not so bad though.
Notably, the word "kaput" looks super weird. Like the word "does" does sometimes - think about it; ever read a sentence and think it's subject is female deer?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)