Friday, December 30, 2005

Mid-West meets East

So here I am writing from the fabulous "Free wireless Internet" provided by the lovely and tightly cramped Bradley International Airport in Hartford( Note to Chicago: If dinky little Hartford has FREE internet, what the hell is taking you so long?), following two weeks of visiting family and friends.

Ever since I lived in Chicago I have only been able to make short trips home, thus making me feel like I never really get to spend time with my family. So this time I decided to make this trip as excruciatingly long as possible to ensure that we would all wanted to kill each other. This way it would hold me over for a longer time away. Weird logic right?

On this particular trip I began to really start to notice all the little differences about my home state of Connecticut and my current home, Illinois.
For the first week I felt great. I saw people that I have missed greatly, revisited all my old drinking haunts, sleep till noon everday. Never a dull moment. Then it dawned on me. Was I missing out on a better life in CT?

Ha! On to week 2....

The next week, it was the old CT I remembered. All the driving, chasing friends, sitting around and watching TV reminded me that my life had evolved past the point that CT could handle. And whats worse is that nothing even seemed to change there at all.

And then I began to miss Chicago. Not so much the city, but my new life in it. I missed my cats, smelly cab drivers, sleeping till noon (ok....wishful thinking), and most of all my new friends who I have come to realize are a big part of my happiness in my life now.

Not that there weren't high points in my trips. My family, as always, was glorious in their humor, their arguing, and most of all in their creating my sense of home.


So without further ado I present a few of the highlights from my families XMAS. And yes, yes, I know we are all nuts!

Mom, steve, and me

Piggin out

Dad and Diane....don't you just love her?


Dad in his true form


Me and Steve

Mission Impossible


Hmmmm.....ponder this

Brother Steve gets in touch with his feminine side

Gangsta Gangsta

Grrrr.....

Uncle Jim, Dana, Jodi

Tuesday, December 20, 2005


STRIKE!
I know I've wondered a million times what it would be like if for one day everything shut down and the masses were left to fend for themselves.

In Chicago, I have become sickenly dependent on the CTA and I don't know what I would do if they were to strike. I complain about walking three blocks to catch the bus now! Screw 50 blocks!
My heart goes out to all of the huddled, cold, angry commuters in New York City. Somehow it seems like they are gettin a real crap end of the deal. As a commuter I must say, riding public transportation in the first place ain't no picnic! Not only do we deal with the perpetual carnival ride filled with drunks, crazies, loud-mouthed kids, loud-mouth adults, obnoxious tourists, baseball fans, (don't get me started about the drunk jackasses that I have to stand pressed up against after Cubs games at Wrigley Field- that's a whole other blog) creepy men masturbating, homeless urination, stinky cars, non-reliability, long walks in the cold, CELL PHONE IDIOTS, the occasional rude and reckless driver, but now this. It's as if they are playing a sick game, thumbing their noses at the very people that supply their paycheck. Well I have one thing to these people:


Yea, that's right. I said it.

You know, I have a lot of respect for unions, when they are serving a good purpose. But nowadays, it seems that more and more, some unions are plain greedy and annoying.

I remember the days when unions were about helping people. Granted, the 33,700 transit workers have something to gain from this, but what about the millions of people who live and work in NYC?

It was reported today in NYTimes that 20 percent of NYC's workforce did not show up for work today. I'm positive that many of those were taking the day off because they knew they could get away with it (hell, I would), but many people will lose considerable amounts of money by not working.

And with the mania of Xmas shopping underway, retailers could see a financial hit of between 5 to 10 percent of their years profits. So I ask you, how are you helping when your are absolutely hurting more people?

Honestly, I don't have any ill will toward the workers, I just wish that the union heads would have planned this a little better. Maybe in the summer perhaps? When its not cold? Hmmm.....? Any of this sound better to you?

As if New Yorkers needed any other reasons to be cranky.


Friday, December 16, 2005

Holiday Wishes and A Little Soul

So, I am a huge fan of Trent's blog "Pink is the New Blog" because he has a great way of making fun of America's pop culture obsessions. Today I found this picture done by illustrator Todd Umbarger on his site:

How friggin hilarious is that?

And on a completely different note, I found this link to a throw-back Soul Train video and wanted to share it with you.....because who doesn't love Soul Train?


What is it about those dance lines that make me want to shake my ass? Although, I always seem to be the idiot who can't think of anything to do and I end up doing the robot ---------->

or the running man. Yea yea. Make fun if you must. Anyway, for this holiday season I want to wish everyone good times and good booze. And just in case any of you are wondering what I want for Xmas, I have furnished a list:

1) A date with my imaginary husband Jon Stewart.

2) A job here -------------->

3) And this:

I just wanted to make my list easy for everyone!

Later Gators!

Thursday, December 15, 2005

ATTACK OF THE POD PEOPLE!!!!!
Beware the wrath of the corporate monkeys......

So I've said it before and I'll say it again, I am not a corporate/or office person. It's not the life- sucking fluorescent bulbs or even the mindless babble that I find myself desperately trying to avoid every 5 minutes from the cows in Accounting. It's my own damn brain. Yup. It's me.

There is a great quote in the movie "Office Space" where the main character, Peter, is discussing his work day with these "Evaluators". He says something like, "In one day I probably do about 1 hour of real work." And this is what he does the rest of the time:

The scary thing is, lately I have begun to look like that at my desk. Snack food and all. I honestly have no idea how these people can come in every day and sit in front of a computer without contemplating the many ways of killing themselves using only objects the around them. I know I have a million times. I also think of the many ways in which I could get fired in a creative and memorable way. Here is just a few of my list:

1) Come to work in a monkey suit and throw my feces at people who anger me.

2) Photocopy my boobs and draw them into a face that I name after the CEO, and distribute.

3) Tell the truth to that woman in accounting who continuously asks me if she looks fat, by mass email.

Ugh, I could go on forever. You get the point. I think there is something inherently evil about a corporate environment that sucks all of the creative life force from your body. I mean how else would these people be able to come in everyday, do the same thing, knowing there is no end but death? If anyone knows, please feel free to educate me. I'm miserable and I'm only here 2 days a week!

I remember when I first started, I liked the idea of a steady paycheck and a low-maintenance environment. Now, I think I am becoming more unmotivated every day that I spend here! Not in my outside life and school though. In fact, I am more motivated in school so that I don't end up having to work in a place like this. Well, I don't want to get onto a rant here (too late, I think) but I just had to get that out.

In the spirit of creating chaos, I leave you with another of my favorite images from "Office Space". Rest in Peace dear fax machine. PC Load letter to you too.

Friday, December 09, 2005

Who Comes Up With This Stuff?

So here I am at my internship, just trying to make it through the day without becoming a
"pod person" (aka corporate monkey) and I stumble upon this little gem of a quiz. (note: sarcasm)

If you have time, take this quiz. It's not that it will enlighten you politically or anything, (if your already not sure, then you probably won't ever get it anyway) it's just so friggin random. I mean, how do they determine your politics with just a few questions? But to be fair I will say that it did get a grasp of my political leanings, but its just funny that it placed me somewhere near Gorbachov and Martin Luther King Jr., and between Hilary Clinton and Gandhi. Who knew Gandhi and Hillary would be so tight? Oh, and P.S, Darth Vader is in there? Randomness quotient = 100%. Interesting. But Random


You are a

Social Liberal
(71% permissive)

and an...

Economic Liberal
(18% permissive)

You are best described as a:

Socialist




Link: http://www.okcupid.com/politics



Thursday, December 08, 2005

It's been a while since I've posted anything. One word, Finals. Enough said.
So rather than whine about how uncreative I am because of school sucking out every inch of my brain capacity, I leave you all with this. Ah Beavis and Butthead. Ain't nothing like it.

Sunday, November 20, 2005

TORTURE

It’s become a daily event for most Americans to endure the torture of the “torture talks”. As the Bush administration back peddles across Asia taking an obvious change of tone toward his war critics, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Vice President Dick Cheney keep shop at home, up to their eyeballs in debate.

Clearly the United States Government underestimates the American people by pretending as if “torture” methods are uncommon in intelligence gathering missions. Do they really expect us to believe that the Senate could actually pass a measure requiring U.S. troops to follow certain interrogation procedures that would work?

Think about it, would Abu Ghraib have happened if we had those procedures?

Absolutely.

Trying to say that the soldiers didn’t know they couldn’t act like that is as asinine as saying that most people do not understand right from wrong.

The point is this, for years our government has acted covertly and sometimes openly to dominate and take control of situations they deem as “threatening”, whether other nations pose a true threat or not.

Look at the CIA. Ever since President Truman signed the National Security Act of 1947, the CIA has been linked to death and government overthrows in countries like Iran, Guatemala, Haiti, Vietnam, Cuba and many more.

Our government has always operated under a shroud of secrecy and in some instances they felt they had to in order to maintain the quality of life in America we know today. So how are we surprised and outraged when the horrific tales of abuse and scandal leak into our homes every morning with the daily news?

Blinded by shock and outrage, our fair nation fails to realize that our society itself has glorified these tactics. Look at our entertainment industry for example. The movies that gross the most money are often spy films or adventure movies like “Mission Impossible” to the James Bond series or even the humorous Austin Powers films.

Every year U.S. citizens have begun sacrificing more of their rights and have handed over the decision-making and the reasoning to our elected leaders in exchange for “security.” In fact we have empowered the government to run freely and without question.

And now we are shocked by how the system operates? It cannot work both ways. If the citizens of this country are outraged, then they must stand up. Otherwise, we will continue to be led by people who will openly and blatantly lie to protect their own interests.

“The history of the United States military is clear. Torture doesn’t work,” Donald Rumsfeld said. “The military knows that. We want our people treated humanely.”

Case and point.

Saturday, November 19, 2005

(www.ashersarlin.com)


DEAR INCONSIDERATE LAUNDRY ROOM HOG IN MY APARTMENT BUILDING,

For the last year I have kept silent. I haven't so much as complained, argued or posted annoying little notes. But after today, I just can't keep quiet any longer.

First and foremost I want to start off by saying that I am on to your little plan, and you suck.

A while ago I just chalked up your laundry room habits (ie: putting your clothes in the washer and conveniently forgetting them for an entire day, or putting your clothes in the bad dryer that requires $2 to finish your clothes and leaving them there damp so I can't take them out without feeling guilty) to lazyness. But now I see your genius. If you leave your clothes in the dryer, you know that most people will feel too guilty to take them out wet so they add quarters and time for you so that they will be able to use the dryer sooner. You are just a cheap ass aren't you?

I will no longer add quarters or for that matter, care about your wet clothes. I will no longer support you in a sick co-dependant laundry relationship. I'm sure you thought we had some good times, but the pleasure was always yours. Its over.

Although I'm sure that laundry is a chore we all don't like, we have to do it. So I try to get it over with in a fast and painless process. Why drag it out? And if you are going to drag it out, do it on a Monday for Christ's sake! Not SATURDAY or SUNDAY! Did you not know that the weekend is the busiest time for our fair laundry room?

So in closing I say this, you have made my life hell and now I am turning the tables. I hope you like mold my friend, because you will be seeing a lot of it from now on.

Thank you,

Your no-longer co-dependant neighbor.

Saturday, November 12, 2005


Thats either one stupid cat or one really tough mouse.  Posted by Picasa

Thursday, November 10, 2005






US to France: Welcome to our world


Now I'm not going to pretend that I am an expert in French History. Hell, I am only briefly familiar with your current history. But I can't help feeling like I need to weigh in on the current state of your country right now. Maybe its because for some reason I suddenly feel strangely connected to the French people.

Civil unrest you say? Class Struggle? Hmmmm... Do we ever have something in common.

I know that over the years there has been this Anti-French/Anti-American feud between our two countries, that has roots most likely found in war. And I also know that as hard as I may try, even I succumb to a little ignorance about your people now and again.

But considering that now you guys seem to be in quite a pickle, I feel it may be time for us to give up the stubbornness and for you listen to American advice for once. And not because we are some all-powerful, all-knowing nation, but simply because we know a thing or two about economic screw-ups. I mean really, who would be better than the United States to give you a crash course on what NOT to do in a time like this?

As the fires burn on in your fair country, I see many of your leaders in a political version of dodgeball. For this, I am very saddened. I don't know that much about this Nicolas Sarkozy character you got running the Interior ministry, but what I do know I don't like.

Any person whose bright idea for ending civil unrest is deportation is clearly not the sharpest tool in the shed. Does he not realize that that will only further the disdain and lack of trust by the poorer classes in your country?

I know by looking at the problem-ridden social programs instituted in the US by our government we are not setting a great example for a harmonious country, but at the end of the day we don't give up. That's the way it is here. We may have drama, but its everyone's drama to share and slowly (sometimes very slowly) we will figure things out.

Do you really want to run the risk of looking like the racist, bratty nation who decided that since they couldn't control the generations spawned from immigrant workers, that they would just sent them back? Seriously?

At least Jacques Chirac seems to have a clue:






``We need to respond in a strong and quick way to the unquestionable problems that many inhabitants of the deprived neighbourhoods surrounding our cities are facing,'' Chirac said.

So I say, get rid of this Sarkozy guy. He seems to be the reason a lot of rioters are unhappy in the first place. I can't remember which publication it was in but there was a great quote from this rioter kid who said the day they kick Sarkozy out of office would be the same day he would turn himself in. He could feel safe again in the hands of authorities.

Crazy right? Of course there is no way he would turn himself in but, hey whatever works right?

So dear France, in your great time of need I say look to us as your example, and try not to repeat. Learn to embrace your cultural differences for it will bring a chaotic beauty unparalleled. And most of all, give the Americans a break once in a while, for now you really see what it is like to live in complete dysfunction 24/7.








Tuesday, November 01, 2005


This is the kind of world we live in. ARE U KIDDING ME?? Posted by Picasa

This is where I'm taking my next vacation. Anyone interested? Posted by Picasa

A Filibuster A Day Keeps My Conflicts Away

So as we draw closer to our holiday seasons, there are things in life we look forward to and things that we dread.

Of course there is the hasstle of waiting in the circus-like lines of department stores as we make our last minute X-MAS purchases. (and when I say last minute I do mean the day before)

But then again, there is the luxury of food and booze that hopefully make all of our stresses melt away.

The other day as I was talking to my mother about the nomination of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court, she said something that struck me as funny. She said she was looking forward to the controversy that will no doubtedly spark up a good filibustering for the holiday season.

How funny is that?

So I began thinking about the filibustering system, and might I say that I am a fan? The fact that you can postpone something as serious as legislation by resorting to tactics similar to temper tantrums utterly amuses me.

So folks, for this holiday season, I give to you my idea of incorporating the age old tactic of filibustering into our daily lives.

How great would it be if you could just filibuster anyone at anytime about anything?

Think about it, SBC pissing you off? FILIBUSTER. This is what you do, call them up and invoke your rights to filibuster them. No longer will corporations have us by the short and curlies if they are mandated to sit through a filibustering process with all of their customers. Until they take the time to come to your house and finally fix your DSL that you have payed $5o friggin dollars a month for (ON TIME) but still cannot use successfully, you will filibuster them and take valuable minutes away from their workdays.

Soon they will be paying people not to be productive, but to listen to whomever decides to tirade!!

And in the spirit of the holidays, you should be able to filibuster long lines. I know its happened to all of us before: there you are at 7:55pm the night before XMAS and the store is closing in 5 minutes. Of course there are nearly 30 people ahead of you so what do you do? FILIBUSTER.

You recite useless babble at an uncomfortable volume in a manner that is almost psychotic to get the people ahead of you out of your way. I mean, it has to work. Especially if you are in the burbs.

City people might be a little harder to shake considering most of us spend 50% of our commuting week next to the crazy drunk guy peeing on himself while reciting the words to Twinkle Twinkle.

But still, don't be discouraged.

Even when Strom Thurmond filibustered for a record 24 hours against the civil rights act (that eventually got passed anyway), he came prepared. Apparently he dehydrated himself in a sauna the day before, and had an aide on stand by with a bucket.

Now thats dedication. Sick dedication for a completely stupid arguement, but dedication just the same.

And how often in school have you received a sub-par grade for something that you knew deserved better? FILIBUSTER.

Oh man I can see it now. Crowded school hallways would part in my presence if I had the power of the Filibuster up my sleeves.

You never know, filibustering could become an everyday thing. And even if the results ended up against our favor, we could get all that crazy rage that we end up taking out on our families during the holidays.

But then again, X-Mas wouldn't be X-Mas without someone getting drunk, crying, or angry. Hey, thats what families are for.

Monday, October 31, 2005

Lessons for Life

What would the world be like if Mozart never had a piano? Would the world be as colorful if Picasso had never learned how to paint? What would the game of baseball have been like if Babe Ruth had never picked up a bat?

These questions may seem silly, but they are not unrealistic queries when you consider the future of arts, music and athletic programs in schools.

Recently a teacher at a Southside Chicago Public School sat down to discuss her concerns for being trapped in a system that doesn’t allow children to strive. In her school, the primary focus is the basics, math and reading, but her fear is that the schools are leaving time for little else.

Not to long ago, as most adults will recall, a school day at most public schools consisted of the dreaded classes, horrific lunches, and to the dismay of most students, gym class. But even if you were the uncoordinated kid, you went to school acknowledging that at least you were getting some exercise.

And then there were the creative-type students who found their only outlets of release through art or music classes. After being the target of almost every dodge-ball game in gym class or lamenting the pointlessness of Algebra, the artistic students at least had an opportunity to forget about it all for a short time every day and immerse themselves in their work.

Today the world is shaping up to be a very different place for young minds.

The Southside teacher explained that currently at her school the kids have gym once a week and there isn’t any kind of music program at all.

How can this be?

In a recent study conducted in nearly 1000 schools in Illinois and with information supplied by superintendents, the hope for diverse learning programs is dwindling. Stephanie Banchero, a staff writer for the Chicago Tribune, investigated into this issue and found some very troublesome results.

In her early October article, she reported that as school budgets tighten across the country and the mandates of the No Child Left Behind Act take hold, educators are being forced to eliminate many art, music and athletic programs in schools to focus on the fundamentals of standardized testing.


So the real question yearns to be asked: What will our world be like in 10 or 20 years when we are not providing the tools for our children to explore the colors and beauty of music and art?

As our small world becomes even smaller with the advent of technology, it is a pretty safe assumption that without these things, we are running the risk of becoming a dull and homogenized culture.

And as the education systems in the U.S. bend to meet the needs of standardized testing, our country will be most likely producing far less creative thinkers. This could be a dangerous proposition in a technological time where creativity and innovation are of the highest importance to stay competitive with the rest of the world.

Pablo Picasso once said “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” If this is true, and we are not providing an environment for art to flourish in our youth, then where will art ever fit in?

Tuesday, October 25, 2005


Thanks Starbender!! Posted by Picasa

Happy Halloween Ya'll Posted by Picasa

Saturday, September 24, 2005


This posting is in honor of my mother who is currently sitting outside the White House with thousands of other people protesting George W. Bush. Posted by Picasa

This is about right....... Posted by Picasa

Sunday, September 11, 2005


This is how I feel today Posted by Picasa

Friday, September 09, 2005

The Service Industry: Dealing with morons since the dawn of time.

To all my fellow comrades who have fought along side me for years in the thankless, dirty, and frustrating trenches of the service industy: I commend your efforts. This blog is dedicated to all of the people who have ever been stiffed by customers, asked their age 99 times a night, had their asses pinched, been puked on or in the vicinity of, had to clean puke, wait on bachelor/bachelorette parties, I SAY THAT ONE AGAIN, Wait on bachelor/bachelorette parties, and listen to the general annoyance of women with shrill high pitch voices screaming about nothing while some asshole in a suit clicks his fingers at you as if your a fucking butler.

I am not your slave, I simply provide your drinks asshole.

Whew! Now that I got that out of the way, I have to say to all the people who shake their heads at this blog thinking, "Well you chose to work in a bar!", Shut up. Just shut up.

I think now would be an appropriate time to break out my vision of how to make this world a more liveable place. I think it should be mandatory (like civil services in Germany) for every high school graduate to work in the service industry for at least 2 years.

Reason #1- You learn the value of hard work and earning money

Reason#2- You absorb an endless amount of manners about how you should behave in public. (Due to the fact that you realize that most people do not have any)

Reason#3- You become a generally more considerate person to other people in social settings. (However, you do run the risk of completely losing respect for all human beings at the same time.)

Its amazing to me how close to animals people really are. NO really. Currently aside from a social experiment I call "corporate hell", I work in a music venue/bar. And over the years working at various establishments, I have realized that people, no matter what background or race or religion, all share one very common trait.

Manners.

Yes folks, manners. I have come to realize that we have stumbled upon a point that all people regardless of class or gender, all seem to fall short on.

I wont bore you people with the details, but lets just say this, I could write this blog for 4 days without stopping, just on the stupid things people have said to me, or done in my presence while in a bar/restaurant.

And we are talking everyone. Example: Man walks into the bar I work at. See's a bar full of people and a band playing on stage and asks "Do you guys have live music tonight?" Am I missing something? Does the loud music and people playing guitars escape this guy that easily?

Apparently. It happens at least twice a night!



Or my personal favorite on a slow night: "Where is everyone tonight?" I am often tempted to slap people upside the head, but I usually just reserve to my handy dandy sarcastic response of, "I don't know, I thought they were all with you."

Anyway, I dont mean to rant......actually I do, but the point is, try to be a bit more aware of your surroundings people. And no, despite what you might think, I am not pulling in hundreds of dollars a night, thats what strippers make, so dont be so fucking cheap!

Thank you for listening. I must leave now to go spend another night "Serving" you people. I just hope this blog gets to you in time.

Friday, September 02, 2005

Dear President Bush,

It occured to me this morning as I read the Hurricane coverage in the newspapers, that you might need a little reminder of something.

As you surveyed the damage from a safe leisurely distance, you had the realization that not enough was being done to help the people. The realization struck you so much that you continued the feeling by expressing it to the mainstream media. And i quote,

"The results are not acceptable"

May I remind you that you are the PRESIDENT. You control the money, the miliary, and the economy?! So any failure on their part is a direct failure of leadership on yours!

Of course the response is not acceptable.......you suck. You are in charge. What else can we expect?

Anyway, I thought someone needed to remind you before you continued to shove your foot farther into your mouth.

And here is a marvel idea! If you really want to help, prove it. I think you should move people into the White House. Let them stay with you! You have no problem housing the families of Sultan and Arabic princes when they come visit! Or let them use your ranch. Whatever.

Here is the chance to redeem yourself. Will you take it? I know I know.....redeem is a big word. Here is a chance to help your people, we all know you dont like to help anyone else.

Sincerely, (seriously is more like it)

Concerned citizen of the US

Monday, August 29, 2005

Playboy.....oh does he play!

So, I have to say this. I admire Hugh Hefner. To me, if you are an 80 year old man and you can convince a woman...err......let me clarify... a beautiful woman, to frolick around your house and bedroom like a endless sexual game of romper room, I applaud you. And to do it with 3-7 women? Come on the guy has got it made!

However, I am a woman, so therefore I see something a bit perverse in the whole situation. First of all, after watching the new E! television show "Girls Next Door", I desperately wanted to hate them and their lives. But I didn't. Seriously, how can you hate on a lifestyle that sweet?

But, there is that perversity again. I know he is Hugh Hefner, an icon, a sexual dynamo who has bedded more beautiful women than I can keep track of, but still at the end of the day..........

HE IS 80 YEARS OLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!! UGGHHH.

I quote from the movie Big Daddy, "Old Balls....gross"

And what facinates me about Hugh Hefner and the Playboy Enterprise, is how quickly women are willing to strip their clothes off for Hugh. How quickly every rising star actress will pose for a spread just for a little notoriety, or just to be seen in something as legendary as Playboy.

Marilyn Monroe was in it for Christ's Sake!

But at the same time, the typical american women spits fire over a nipple incident at the Superbowl, or a MTV makeout between Madonna and that white trash chick...whats her name? Oh yeah Britney.

But you give that same american women the opportunity to strip down and run wild around the Playboy Mansion, I would say 80% would do it in a heartbeat. Odd isnt it?

And back to the old balls. I love you Hugh, don't take it the wrong way, but your 80. That borders on perversion. Your older than most men live to, and typically at that age they wear diapers.

I can just see it now, you and me cuddling on the couch and you reach over to give me a kiss, and there it is, the old smell. Well, what do I know? You have enough money you might have figured out a way to cover the smell.

But really, a word of warning to the girlfriends: ( And you should take this very seriously!!!)

Make sure you enjoy your time there, but get out quickly! You don't want to be stuck being the girlfriend that stayed too long and has to feed him his baby food. You know what I mean, it is bound to happen. He's 80. you are playing with fire! You think a 9 p.m. curfew is bad? It could always be worse.

Thursday, August 25, 2005

Our Slow Downward Spiral.....

Recently I was lucky enough to escape the claws of corporate america, school, and my other job long enough to have what we Americans call a "Vacation". Vacation to us is really any time where we are not involved in some sort of activity that involves thought. To the rest of the free world a Vacation is called a "Holiday" because you are actually gone long enough to break free of the mental imposition created by the mundane actions of everyday life. Fuck yeah! Celebrate! Its a Holiday! If only we were so lucky.

Anyway, back to my point. On my "vacation" I found myself sitting among a few folks out to catch a drink in the early afternoon hours at a family resort. Hell, its a vacation.

As I sat there quietly enjoying a lovely cocktail, immersed in the words of Steinbeck, a man next to me leans over and says, "Whatcha doin'? As if I was invovled in some sort of intergalactic learning activity unknown to the human kind.

So, I swallowed my disgust, leaned over, and politely but sarcastically said, "Reading. You know, words on a page, they form sentences in which you put together to form stories."

As I waited for some sign or recognition, I began to feel less normal and more like a social outcast.

And then came the words.............

"People still do that?"

I am not kidding.

I laughed politely again.....this time swallowing contempt and replied, "Yep, yes we do."

The point of this whole story is that I never realized how far removed people have become from books. And it scared me.

And it wasnt just that guy. My other afternoon drinking companions began discussing the last books that they had read.....................in high school.

I guess living in a city I take for granted that most people do not read. Everday I am surrounded by people glancing across pages on the trains or buses. And to me it doesnt even matter if they are reading a "Youth directed" lower standard newspaper, or a jaquelyn steele novel, the point is that they are reading.

So it got me thinking. How much more educated would we become as a whole if everyone was forced to travel public transportation, therefore creating more demand for reading materials to cure boredom?

Of course now with gas prices being as high as they are, that doesn't seem to be such a bad idea.

Screw our government, lets get the people from Disney to come in and build monorails connecting every town to every city in every state. They seem to have a pretty efficient system working for them.

Then again, I dont know how much travel imposed happiness I could take before getting nauseaous.

Well regardless of gas prices and our lack of vacations, I think we are struggling with a larger problem in our midst; Generations of people motivated only by visual stimulus, who call exercise lifting the T.V. controller from the sofa.

For gods sake people, Read a Book.

Friday, August 12, 2005

RELIGION ROYAL PT.2

Following the posting of my relgious debate with "Peter", I had an interesting conversation with "W" who we will call "Will". Below is a transcript of our conversation.

"W":

(Peter) and I (Will) both have devoted our lives to Jesus Christ but there are details about our faith that we disagree about because God has not revealed Himself completely to us at this time. So right now, we only see in part and know in part, but one day we will fully know about God when Jesus Christ returns. CS Lewis, (the author of the Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,) wrote a book called “Mere Christianity.” I mention it because it is common-sense reasoning for Christianity without using the bible. You may have heard of it, because it is a classic in Christian literature, but it describes the current state of the world, the human nature and condition, and argues that the world is ordered and controlled by one God, and follows that everything in nature and the world points to a one single God who has control over the tiniest aspect of life. It is written, that “No one is without excuse because all of nature majesty witnesses to God.” Abraham is the founder of Judaism, Islam and Christianity, and he did not have the organized religion system the bible outlines, but he recognized that there a powerful creator that gave him life, and he had faith.
The world did not create itself out of nothing, and arguments about common descent don’t dodge the order of the world. We are like children who think they own their parent’s house, and forget that “life is absurd” (to misquote Sartre.) How is it that I didn’t exist 27 years ago, but now I think that I created myself or have always existed, because this world is mine?
I think it’s easy to get hung up on bad examples of Christians, or blame governments for oppression and spend all our time serving our common man, so that we loose site that there is a God who has made everything, and that he is in absolute control of the tiniest detail. Our pride is our biggest enemy. I don’t think it’s hard to believe in God at all, but what makes it hard is our pride. We want to be in absolute control of our lives, and do anything we want when we want it. Jesus was not concerned with governments, but did what he was required as a citizen. America is one country that has only existed 200yrs, and will likely disappear like all the great empires in the past. When our constitution was formed, the framers were trying to create a government that honored God, but they are men, so if there are flaws in the system its okay, because we have a perfect God, that if we follow Him, then our lives will be fine.
"Peter" and I both believe that God is absolutely in control, and that Jesus Christ is His son, and that Jesus Christ is returning. Things like politics for example. I voted for Bush, and like Him, and I don’t mind if my vote doesn’t “count” because I believe that God is the one that runs all governments in the world and that if I follow God, everything will turn out fine. I know this by the examples of believers throughout history, and the evidence of the bible, etc. The bible is a religious document, but it is natural that we would observe an all powerful god, who controls the smallest atom, and know truths about him. It is obvious that the world was created, and all the commands in the bible are observances of this wonderful Creation. "Peter" discussed hygiene in levitical laws given to the Israelites. It was a brilliant example (to praise my friend) because it shows that Christianity is not a fiction, but is entwined with creation, so that they are inseparable. There is not a secular world and a religious world, but there is the way the world works, and then there is man’s attempt to remove God from creation because the world justifies it. The bible testifies that God is in control, because he shows us truth before we realize them, and as man has progressed, God has revealed himself more and more, through prophets and history, that is exclusive to Christianity. The original document reinforces God’s dominion because it is evidence that He is in control, like I said when all nature testifies to God.
Now you mentioned many truths but I don’t believe that is true. I believe that science and Christianity are inseparable, but all of the details are not defined. Christianity is a word we use to describe our vignette of the truth, but there is no more accurate religion in the world, or ever will be. New religions form from out pride, and desire to be God, and do our own will. God walked with Adam and Eve in the garden, and since the Fall, man has progressed further away from God. Buddhism, Islam, etc, are versions of Christianity that start with the truth, but then include the mutilations and altercations of man; each with its own tactic for distracting away from God. Even Christianity has had its dark times when man has tried to manipulate it, like the Reformation of the Catholic Church, or the Crusades, etc.
The glory of Christianity is it allows imperfect men to be considered sons of God like Jesus Christ, although we are imperfect. We are unable to know God and to follow God on our own. It’s important to know that it’s the sovereignty of God that has allowed the Bible to be maintained, but it’s also obvious that we would be unable to quiet the voice of creation, (which testifies of God) so that no matter how hard we have tried to hide the voice, ultimately, the truth will never be quieted. So it is impossible for men to tamper with the Bible. Like the reformation, when the Catholic Church tried to reinterpret the scriptures for power and control, the Holy Spirit caused the church to rise up and recapture the truth.
I can go on and on about how God is in absolute control and that is why Christianity is exclusive and true. "Peter" did a good job of arguing that also. This is why I am not so concerned about politics, but I am concerned about serving God. Christianity will never leave, because Jesus is coming back soon.
I tried to touch on how we are just waves in the ocean, that appear and disappear, and worrying about controlling our lives and making the most of it is really not something we can do. God decides the fate of the world, and he does use tragedy and pain to accomplish his will. I remember reading about Aaron’s son dying when he made an incorrect sacrifice. There is a great freedom in trusting God and following him, and knowing that we are temporary and have no real control. God has shrouded himself because of our sinful nature, so that we don’t know everything about him, and although "Peter" and I, and all other Christians have a personal experience with God, God is still the same and unchanging, and in absolute control. Debates about politics and religions and such will be ceased when Jesus returns, because there will no longer be this veil over our faces, and we will see God face to face, and know the truth and find freedom in it.


C:

Ok, where do I start. I dont mind the conversation, but what I dont understand is why everytime a valid question is posed, the response is "Because I believe" or its "Gods will".

To me, that is a way of avoiding very obvious truths and questions. Everything I or any skeptic might say is easily combated with the rehashed words over and over again that have been drilled into your minds.

I think that its amazing that you believe in something so great. But I also think it is sad when one shuts off his ability to question. Where would we be as a species if there was no one to question or go against the grain? I know your answers already......"it was gods will for that person to go against the grain."..yadayadayada.

But really, you believe and live your lives along this very straight line, choosing to believe and refusing to question. I refuse to live my life that way.

Another thing, you said in your last email that if we "choose to follow HIM, our lives will be fine."

Are you kidding? Is that not the biggest piece of religious propoganda used to scare people into becoming well mannered and devout followers? I know many people who CHOSE to believe in him, whose lives were, well, NOT fine.

And I mean no offense in my statements, but you really have to hear what you are saying sometimes. You said in your email that Christianity is one of the most accurate religions in the world. WHAT? According to WHO? The Bible, Your own personal blanket? Christians? Why yes, of course you are going to believe that your beliefs are accurate. In the same way that I believe that the New York Giants are the best football team in the world. According to ME. I assure you that there are many people who would dispute that.

I wasnt going to bring this up until W mentioned it, but you discussed the Levitical issues that C was talking about in your last email. He was using that reference as proof that the Word is true. What you are both forgetting is that while, hygiene was discussed, there was also discussion of things that don't make any sense at all. We can get more in depth about that another time.

And your discussion of pride being the enemy. I disagree. Pride is not the enemy. Ignorance is. I believe that we have very few things in life that we can hold on to and call our own. Our deeds, accomplishments, experiences. And without pride, the human ego would not have a reason to go on with life. I am proud, well, to be proud. That is what sets me apart from other people. My ability to work harder, acheive goals, and gain valuable relationships and experiences keeps me going. I do not live my life according to pride and do things only for recognition, instead I enjoy quiet moments where I can reflect and know that I am responsible for the happiness or drama in my life. You understand?
One more thing. It seems to me that you are under the assumption that all things have come from your religion and its affect on the world. However, i think it is very dangerous to say things that infer that all cultures, including eastern cultures religions are spun from Christianity.

I think you said something about Buddism being the same until man mutilated and altered its principles. Where are you getting your information from exactly. (and if you say the bible Im going to kill you!) Really, I would like to know.

Okay, back to work!!

W:
No one has committed intellectual suicide, but we have realized that the truth is that Jesus Christ is God, and that He’s coming back soon. I don’t stop at every green light, because I’ve learned over time that green means go, and it would be foolish or even dangerous to stop at the green lights because someone could hit me. I still ask questions, but both "Peter" and I are satisfied that there is no greater truth than Christ. Of course there are things we question all the time, but we consider some things as facts. viz. I have no doubt that Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose again, but if a TV preacher tells me that he’s selling holy water from the Jordan river and I have to buy it to go to heaven, I’m going to question it against what I’ve learned is truth.
We will be fine if we trust in God. I believe this life is temporary and like a mist that disappears quickly. I am here maybe 100yrs, and in comparison, that’s not long at all. I think that my entire life could be in torture, but once Jesus returns, or my life ends, then all my suffering will be nothing compared to future joy. There is no promise that I will be content in life, and God could strike me dead at any moment. Pleasure does not define what is good either.
Pride is the embodiment of all that is wrong, and it is rebellion against God. Cory made a good contest that there are so many evils in the world he wished he never knew about. I think that seeing ignorance as the enemy is our pride saying, we must understand to be better and have more power, but ignorance is to let go of that power and have faith that you will be okay. We are slaves to the lives we live and that’s okay. I would consider innocent children better than a man like me who uses his knowledge for gain. It’s written that Knowledge puffs up, but Love builds up. ;)
Nothing is truly our own, because we are given everything. From our thoughts, to our language, to our reasoning, to our six senses to our very life, it was all given to us, and there is nothing we have that we can say we truly earned. Life is a gift and when you treat it as a gift and not strangle it, you become free of control. If you want your life, you have to lay it down because if you try to force it, you’ll lose it in the end.
I’m not saying that all religions spun from Christianity, but rather Christianity is the Word of God, and although we were not aware of Christianity, the truth about God has always existed. Abraham was not fully aware of Jesus Christ, but it was planned before life began that Jesus would come. There was an ideal of Adam and Eve, when they were innocent in the garden. They ate the apple, because they doubted God, and their knowledge led them further into sin. So I’m saying that God’s truth has been the same since the beginning, but all eastern religions are spun off from that truth. That’s obvious because how desperate many try to tie into the root to gain credibility. "Peter" said that Islam points to Ishmael, as its entry point, and even religions like Mormonism tie into the bible at some point. As for Buddhism and Hinduism they’re removing the Almighty god from it and freeing yourself from the cycle… Buddhism is an extension of Hinduism, and you can see the procession away from God. Hinduism removes God and says that nature punishes itself through Karma, but Buddhism says we don’t need to go through 83million births to be freed, but we can have nirvana on our own. Anyway, that’s a very detailed argument, and I’m more concerned with Jesus Christ. I believe once you understand Jesus Christ, the flaws of other religions become very visible


C:

I would rather be a slave in this life, and enjoy the ever present beauties that life has to offer, than exchange it for feeling content with a "faith". The difference between me and you guys essentially comes down to the fact that you are not comfortable living this life without feeling that there is Jesus, and a reason for it all. I on the other hand am comforted by knowing that I could never ever really know it all, and wouldn't want to. I dont need to put labels on things to feel happy, or sad. I don't need to wear a shroud of "faith" in order to understand why I feel things the way I do. I just know I feel.

I think it is very arrogant to say that you understand Jesus Christ. I have said before and I will say it again. If there is a higher purpose, what makes you so sure that you Understand what the real purpose is. You are human. I know what you are thinking.....because your love of Christ is enough. I say, bullshit. You are relying on the same instinct to turn inward for solace, that I use. Except when you come back out you are armed with your version of security, "Christianity", and I come out with inner perspective. I don't think it is pride when I admit to knowing nothing. How could it be?

As for knowledge puffing up, I hope to be the size of the Stay Puff Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters. I love to learn, open my mind, explore new depths, as I am with you in discussion. And I feel built up with love everytime I take a breath. you dont have to trade one for the other.

Your search for "truth" is ultimately a search for divine knowledge, without which you feel you would have no purpose.

Anyway, I think that we all could go back and forth forever. A seemingly endless debate of words and will. It will always have the same outcome though. You are both truly happy in your place in life, and I in mine. I have enjoyed our talks, and feel that if more people communicated as openly and freely, we would all be in better shape.


Thursday, August 11, 2005

Trimming the fat

Today, in the Chicago Tribune there was an article about how the FAA is beginning to have weight issues aboard aircrafts due to the rising weight of passengers.

Sometimes I am embarrassed to be a human.

When did it become acceptable to be morbidly obese? And I wonder whether the culture in this country is changing so much that skinny people will eventually become the outcasts and target of all mocking.

The interesting thing is, there are food shortages and humanitarian crisises of epic proportions occuring right now in Africa. There are 3 and 4 year old children that weigh about 14 lbs, and here in the states we have "super babies" hitting 50 pounds.

What kind of country are we building? The health care system is literally "weighed down by these people, and every day more and more people die from heart disease.

So I propose a plan. We have a people swapping program. Screw fat camp! We are sending you people to Africa to live off of millet for 3 months! Supersize what??

We in turn will take boat loads of starving children and adults, fatten them up with greasy fast food, and send them home with a few extra pounds and a taste for consumerism.

It will be an interesting experiment that will no doubtedly level the scales.

Honestly though, if more people relyed less on modern technology, and more on themselves, we wouldn't be facing the same issues.

It leads me to wonder, is the ever growing dependency on modern invention, fueling our appetite? When everything is so accessible, is it safe to say that it slows down our human urge to hunt, gather, forage, destroy, and conquer? Are we destined to become a race of useless blobs?

God forbid there was any actual natural disaster that would leave us without food, water, electicity, or......hold on kids.....IPODS!!!!!!!!! Whatever would we do?

(Note: I do not own an IPOD.I try to fight forward movement from time to time, and yes I carry a walkman cd player. According to my friends, avid IPOD users, I might as well be carrying around an 8 track player.)

Anyway, I guess I want to say, no offense to those of you who struggle with obesity and are really trying to get better, but to the rest of you here is some advice:

1) Stop making excuses. It is not acceptable to live in a culture that sympothizes with others who are living highly destructive lives.

2) Stairs are not just for normal weight people. You can use them too!

3) Take the words "Extra" out of your vocabulary

4) YES, one little milkshake will hurt.

5) Flaming hot Cheetos and Pepsi is not an acceptable breakfast

6) If you find yourself complaining to a store clerk about them not carrying your size, its probably because they dont make clothes that size.

7) Just because it is called channel "Surfing", does not make it a sport.

8) Calling a built in tummy tray for beverages and snacks convienient, is the same thing as calling a triple bypass fun.

9) Wheelchairs are for the elderly and disabled. If you find yourself in one, you have a problem.

10) If you don't want to have to pay for 2 seats on an airplane, become 1 person.

There, I feel better now. Again, I want to say that I support overweight people who have serious problems and are trying to get better. However, if you choose to live your live extra large, dont be suprised when you have to expand your pants and your budget.

Tuesday, August 02, 2005

IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE CENTS$$

Dear Chicago Cab Drivers,

Alright cabbies , I got some beef with you. You see, I am on to you. I have figured out your ways, and Im here to say......um.....im here to say......ugh..........Well I figured you out!! Haha!

Here's the deal, I take cabs on a pretty frequent basis, about 2-3 times a week. Usually late at night when public transportation becomes a bit too scary for my taste, or after a night of light to heavy drinking.

So recently as I made my way home, grumbling on the inside about having to shell out almost $20 for the ride, I made a realization about the way in which we are conditioned to tip. ( Now for those of you who are non-tippers, I have to say in defense for all other service industry workers and veterans, you are scum, and I will deal with you in a later blog. )

Anyway, I noticed when we pulled up outside my apartment, the meter said $13.45. So, being the consciencious and very generous person that I am, I always assume to give a dollar tip just for the ride. (Note: If they put anything in or out of the trunk for you, it is a few more)

Now there are those of you who may consider a dollar cheap, but you are the same people who probably never take cabs, and when you do, you are visiting friends and whip the money around indispensibly like toilet paper, and than go on and on about how good you feel to give tips to cab drivers that have moved here from other countries. But for the rest of us, who frequent cabs all the time and have since grown tired of interviewing every driver on his country of origin and what his plans are in the U.S. , we understand that a dollar per trip, with an occasional conversation is more acceptable.

Anyway I digress. So, I was about to hand the driver a 20 when I realized that he only had $6 in his hand. Seems fair right? $13.45 fare, I give him $20 then he gives me $6 of which I can choose to tip him.

But then I got to thinking. What about the other .55 cents? Now, I know this might come off as a self righteous or selfish rant, but considering I work in the service industry, I feel I have a right to pose a concern on this issue.

When I give change at work, I give them ALL the change, not the rounded up number. Just think of how much extra money I would be making if I rounded up every tables change and then extended my hand for additional gratuity.

Now I know it's just pocket change, but when I mentally add that pocket change over the course of one month it figures something like this:

3 cabs a week: $1 tip + 50 cents they assume= $4.50 a week

X 4 weeks = $18.00 a month in gratuity

$18!!! Thats more than a whole cab ride!!

So even if I am nitpicking, and I don't count the voluntary gratuity, the cabs are recieving a amount of $6 a month in money they are not even offering me in change.

That might not seem like alot to some people, but $72 a year is a lot to some people.


Anyway, the moral of the story is, don't look at me funny when I ask you for the .55 cents, or the .35 cents after giving me my change. Because you know what, that's not how it works. YOU give ME my change, then I decide what I want to tip YOU.

And for all of you that think that I am giving cabbies a hard time, I'm not, I got much love for them escorting me home night after night, dealing with all the traffic, drunks, traffic, etc. etc.

And I understand gas is expensive, but remember, I am aware of the fact that the prices of cabs just went up too! And now I am aware of your other side operation. So start carrying change guys, cause if you come across me, I'm gonna want it.

P.S

Oh and by the way, when a girl gives you a few extra dollars to make sure she gets inside her apartment safely without being mugged, dont be a jerk and drive off until she is inside. At least give the illusion that you give a shit. Thank you for listening.


Sunday, July 31, 2005

A MATTER OF RELIGION


Lately, I have been lucky enough to stumble upon some interesting people with whom I share very heated, in depth, and interesting theoretical debate. I myself, not being particularly attached to one affiliation of religion, am usually interested to hear what others have to say and offer, but am usually left scratching my head by realizing how completely attached some can be to the notion of their "God". Now, to preface, this will not be anti-religious or pro- religious rant. Nor will it be some sort of defense of my own opinions. The following is simply the transcripts of some very interesting debated emails that I shared with some very cool people, topics ranging from libertarianism to Christianity.

I like to think of myself as someone who is open mined enough to engage in these types of conversations without stomping off to my corner, shaking my head in confusion. But often times, I end up feeling more comfortable in the place that I am in, and more affirmed in my own beliefs.

For the purpose of this blog I will name the very Christian commenter "Peter" and I am "C".
Enjoy!

PETER:

I am a libertarian, I became one last fall before the election, the whole affair seemed so tremendously superficial and inflated, I just got fed up and started looking at third parties. I read Badnarik's essay's and was really blown away by how direct it was, I agreed with most of what he had to say, and his message was not cheapened. I voted for Badnarik and all the libertarians on my ballot. I think Noam Chomsky said he was an anarchy-libertarian, sometimes I get really enthused about chomsky and have little chomsky binges and get all indignant. Righteous indignation is nice from time to time but one finds that too much gall gets kind of lame after a while.

You should get religion, not just religion, but the good religion. That stuff we talked about a little bit that night at the blues club was only like the tip of the iceberg. It is weird that people don't see some of this, it is kind of like that thing about how once I was blind but now I can see, yeah, now that I can see out and around me a bit and kind of gauge what is going on it is strange to imagine being so blind before. Jesus takes you deep, when you get with him it is something else. Everything out there seems like superficial noise when you draw near to Jesus, there is this awesome indescribable peace, or this profound joix de vivre, you can literally get high in the Spirit. Jesus is like one of the best kept secrets there is out there. Don't be swayed by the abuse of cliches and the aesthetics involved, think of some of the things you learn when you start to think critically about the media, aesthetics are a formula to prime the will, In art you learn how to break beauty down into the elements and principles, things have different psychological implications, aesthetics are extremely manipulative. Like think for instance if the quintessence of evil were to be manifest in a innocent cuddly kitten, you can bet that people would still look at it and say awwww. I'd say that most of the stuff that turns our generation away from getting into the real substance of the good religion is aesthetic. Think of how the people you went to school with were, I bet that you could name bands that your peers listen to just by seeing what they are wearing, and that within the readimade aesthetic identities most rely on an implication of some sort of tragic darkness, and beyond that have an implicite unarticulated or even openly stated enmity against Jesus. You are a smart girl, I can tell that, you have a capacity for resilience, maybe it has something to do with that italian stuff, I urge you to read about Jesus, ike actually read a Gospel, I bet you have already. I recommend a translation that doen't use thee's and thou's and all that embellishment, and read a gospel, one of the first four books of the new testament. You might have learned alot about christianity, but even if you learn about christianity, like church doctrine and history, that is often shaded by the fact that humans are fallable, fortunately the preservation of the bible is meticulous and reliable. Please set down for a while what would hinder you from an honest unbiased look at this stuff.

Ok I'm tired of preaching, you are too genuine too just get swept up in all the worldly stuff that proves itself shallow over and over again, if not immediately then with time . transcend fasion and dull religion , embrace Jesus.

Ok I'm really tired of preaching, If I annoyed you by assailing you with the Gospel stick, just tell me and I'll tone it down, I won't stop wanting you to hook up with Jesus though. please respond if you have time. Some people feel uncomfortable when people display as much evangelistic zeal as I just did, Don't feel obligated to discuss religion beyond what you are comfortable with.


C:

There is a article called "Delusional Democracy" that I wrote in frustration at our whole political process that might interest you. I can't say that I have gotten that much into Libertarian literature, but I totally agree with you about 3rd parties, or 4th parties even. However, in our chronically bias and corrupt legal and political systems in this country, the other parties don't really seem to have enough impact, except to swing votes from one of two people that ultimately will be in power. It's the less of two evils theory i guess. I'm not condoning it, i am just being realistic. I think it sux though.

Something needs to change in a very "fall of the roman empire" type of way in this country in order for things to be shaken up enough for change. I mean think about the problems we are facing today. We live in a state that is very close to uprooting all of the policies for which we have lived for 200 years.

Now I believe that these systems are in dire need of revamping, however, there are a few liberties and balances that cannot be thrown off or aside. For instance, (I know you are religious and this is not meant to offend you), but the whole movement to undo separation of church and state. Now in a perfect world, we would all be able to live peacefully under one roof and share similar beliefs. But we don't.

So by infusing religion back into our government, we run the risk of isolating and separating the different cultures and religions in this country that we have today even more than they even are. Wasn't this country founded on the principles of freedom from religious persecution, be it Catholicism, Protestant, Judaism, whatever? In theory, People wanted to settle because they could supposedly live freely in a governed society and belief in smurfs if they wanted too.

Nowadays, there is the argument that schools should teach creationism and evolution. Well what about the little Jewish girl, or Muslim boy, or native American kid, who sit in these classrooms everyday. How fucking confused are they gonna be? Pretty soon are we going to have to separate all children to schools of religious beliefs? It is a conundrum.

I am open to people living and dying by their beliefs in life, however, they are YOUR beliefs and a free society should not have to follow.

I think that the only way to keep balance in a society, and to keep peace, is to leave the social programs, education, and governing systems, as neutral entities, and allow people to live among each other practicing their own beliefs on their own time. That saves a lot of conflict, and time that would be spent in arguments/debates about deciding policy.

Anyways, sorry about the rant. I do that sometimes
.



PETER:

Ok, on the libertarian thing, yeah I realized that my vote didn't count but I will strongly object to the notion that it detracted from the two major parties votes. I approached voting in as honest a way as I could think of, well maybe that is a little more of a noble statement than it's worth. I voted for the candidate that I agreed with the most, I think that is the essential Idea in voting. Granted that I could have contributed to the bipartisan madness had I wanted to, and I knew that my candidate was not going to win, my vote was for badnarik, not for bush or carey, and after what my mind went thru in bipartisan thought neither of them could have gotten my vote. My vote was more valuable than most americans votes were. i represented a larger proportion of badnariks voters than any one person was a percentage of bush or carey. In fact I did more as an individual to bring badnarik victory than any one person did to bush or carey, I'm not absolutely sure but I think it is true. I don't know, maybe I'm being obstinate, but the larger political process was just too ,much for me to make a decision for either of the two big parties.
Another underlying motif in the political process that I cannot stand is the over use of the conservative/liberal breakup on everything. I postulate that the two party system forces people to think in red and blue or conservative and liberal, and I think that to attempt to view lifes issues from this paradigm is inadequate.

I urge you to reconsider your view on church and state. I will say that your reasoning Is clear and makes sense but I think you may benefit from a broader more general view of religion on the essential character of a nation. What I'm saying is that the view of religion you presented is sort of based on the premise that faith in God is impotent. Now granted, I don't think you or many people with similar views would feel comfortable saying to the effect that I think religion is impotent, because you probably don't believe that it is. (sorry, I don't like assuming so much but do bear with for the functionality of the statement). I think that many people's mental picture of the power of religion has a lot to do with mystical events or signs and wonders and profound encounters, and that God is otherwise detached. While I would say that it is true that signs and wonders and amazing things are a part of religion, a wonderful and cherished part too, backing up and looking at the seemingly mundane aspects of the effect of Faith in God. We have to remember that normal tangable existence as well as spiritual presence coexist in the seeming mundane/everyday things of life. Look at some of the things in the bible in the old testament, many of these things aren't just about the fireworks of mysctic encounter. God outlines to Moses things like hygenical practices, the basics of clean living while camping in the desert. Also functional things like a judicial system. There are even things in there about crop rotation, crop rotation that is more in depth than the farming methods we currntly use. This doesn't sound so profound initially but consider that the hygiene relavent ordanances come thousands of years before people have any idea that bacteria exists, they figured out that bacteria exists in 1683 and then like in the 1800's figured out that it causes disease. Think of the grotesque lack of proper hygiene practices in europe's history, or even in the civil war in the U.S., where more casualties were from sickness than from violence. Or on crop rotation think of the dustbowl in the 1920's or 30's in the U.S. in Oklahoma, because of poor farming practices like lack of crop rotation. People are born naked and helpless, we don't know much of anything, somebody needs to spell out clearly to people simple things like don't sleep with your mom. EVerybody would be like the folks on the Jerry springer show. It might be humerous to watch people from trailer parks duke out their inscestious soap opera conflicts, but that is a cheap thrill based in shock value and if it were going on in evry one of your neighbors houses and you were trying to raise a family that was wholesome and genuinely beneficial to the human endeavor you'd freak out. We have some morality in us instinctively, but human beings are way bad at determining right and wrong for ourselves, think of greed or the things that people do that you wish you never heard about. Human history isn't neat and tidy, it has it's dark points, plenty of them, but the light in all of this would not happen without some basic morality, and that is something best defined by someone beyond mankind alone, one with infinite foresight. 97.7 or something like that percent of religious believers in the united states are either Christian, Jewish, or Muslim, my 97.7 percent is rough, from something I read last night, anyhow. Jews Christians and Muslims all honor the Old testament, Jews honor it pretty much exclusively, Christians honor it and the New testament, Muslims honor it, they regard Jesus as a prophet too, and they have their own writings. Sure ther are miscelaneous other religions out there, and we should tolerate them as well, but in practices that involve religion with politics sufficient general ambiguity is used in the semantics that all believers can bow their Hearts to "God", Christians to Father/Son/Holy Spirit, Moslems to Allah, And Jews to YHWH, there might even be folks out there who are pagans or what so, but as long as they are polytheistic they probably won't mind a nod to God, if not to one then to another. Secularism sounds like it's nuetral but really, when most people, which is really true, most people do believe in God in some form, it is shutting everyone out.

So all that I just stated was just a practical measure on the inclusivity of acknowledgement of God in government, but beyond that, God is real, and why should He acknowledge a notion that throws Him Away to rely on their own delusions of how things should be. Do you really want the absolute authority over you to be the state? One can get away with disobeying the laws of the state, by lying cheating and stealing, or by offering bribes, the authority of the state is trumped by the inherent cleverness of man in his determination to have his own way. I know that for me what keeps me inclined toward doing what is right, doing what is right, admitting when I am wrong, and obeying the laws of the state is not the state itself, but the knowledge that I am loved by God more personally and more intimately than any other loves me or can love me, and that it hurts him when I knowingly do wrong in order to have my way in the World. I think that I have my share of kinks that aren't worked out yet but through Jesus's atonement formy wrongdoings, (which saying it that way makes it sound like I know technically how it works, I'm still working on that part) and his compassion and ongoing hand in my life, I will be saved and preserved to be a part of His Coming New Vision of Peace, which is Heaven on Earth.



C:

As far as what you responded to, in response to my response (Phew), I have to say that you still didn't really completely answer my question. Now I agree that I wouldn't want the State to have total control over me, but I also don't want a religious sect having control over me. Lets put this into a different kind of context.

Lets say You, are living your life day to day the way you always have, believing in Christianity, Jesus, and feeling fulfilled in the fact that you can be free to do so. There are other opinions, ideas, religions out there, but you are content with your own. Now, one day a group of people that represent a fictitious majority (Religion X for the sake of the argument), but not your religion, begin taking more and more control over the place in which you live.

Suddenly, your opinion is becoming drowned out among people telling you that they know the ultimate truth and that their beliefs in Religion X and their leader XX is the only truth and the sooner you understand that the better off you will be. Now you don't necessarily disagree with their or anyone elses beliefs, but you are comfortable with your own and don't understand why that should change.

Well in this fictitious example, it wouldn't really make a difference if it were just opinions, but its not. in our culture today, some of the religious views represent things that affect more than just our conversation. Look at stem cell research, abortion, prayer in schools. Now I'm not saying i agree or disagree with any of them, what I'm saying is that these are things that come under scrutiny because of religious beliefs and therefore set a precedent of how EVERYONE lives in our society.

Now back to Religion X, how would you feel being a Christian, living among all of the Religion Xers shouting to get your attention. Magnify that by about a 10 and you start to grasp how I feel.

I think it is great that you have such faith, and that you are willing to teach others. And that in your heart you believe, no feel, it to be true.

But remove yourself from your emotions and consider that if you were anyone else, your beliefs may be different based on what you have been taught, experienced, and felt in your life.

Now tell me, how are you any more right than anyone else in your beliefs? Forget all the historical stuff and the bible. ( i know that may be hard) Look at life, removed from what you have been taught, as just life, with a higher purpose that maybe we are not supposed to know.

I was telling W, that i believe that there is something greater than ourselves, but I think it is silly for us to believe that we have even figured out a fraction of what it is. As long as you live your life as a good person, and enjoy each breath that you take, the reason we take those breaths become secondary.

I understand that most people are not strong enough to live their lives without a purpose. I mean, emotionally weak people need a reason to get up out of bed everyday and if they can find a reason through believing in GOD than I think that is amazing.

I also understand that there are brilliant minds such as yourself who can give me reason after reason why and how Jesus existed and that he is coming back, so on and so forth. But at the end of the day, I would have gotten out of bed anyways, you know? And I would have basked in the notion that there are millions of other people out there who share the same beliefs, through different stories, that I hope to learn one day.

I have faith in people. (most of the time!)
I have faith in myself.
I think that is an amazing thing.



PETER:

I started to reply to your last e-mail, but it got erased before I finished it, that or I lost track of it. I can't remember exactly what we were talking about to perfect detail, but I believe we were talking about church and state, and my response was going to be on why it is beneficial to honor God in the public arena, though a number of different belief systems exist among the population. The reason I think it is beneficial to honor God in the public arena just in general I think was outlined in the last response. I think that if I remember correctly I stated that regard for God is healthy because of the basic foundation it lays for justice and cultural establishment, a lot of things we take for granted. To that, before before I will address the plurality of belief systems I will add that if we were to have only a secular authority as the highest standard of morality layed out in our societal conscious, it would be disastrous. Humanity is not fit to claim that it can set the standard for the highest authority, note that on your website you rail against corruption and the rediculious practices in the government, we cannot "get it right" on our own. The mechanisms of our psyche that demand self interest in order for basic survival of the species corrupt our most righteous aspirations. People who mean well still abuse and oppress other groups of people to atrocious extent, thinking they are right, only because their scope does not extend to understand the needs of the groups they oppress. People are magnificent creatures, but consider that it is impossible for people to understand the needs of other people who are foreign to them. We can be our cruelest in our efforts to be kind even. There is probably a lot more to be said about what I just stated but I will continue and address regard for God in the public arena within the context of religious plurality. The God we should address in public is the most high God, the absolute top, the greatest God. We should address no one smaller, I mean, why should anyone worship a god who also has a God over him/her/it. Then beyond that, anything that would claim to be worthy of worship who were not really the absolute highest authority, would be pretty pretentious. I think that is pretty essential, I mean, we should not in our acknowledgement regard some generic god. So far I've written purely in terms of concept of diety, in rational terms, I mean, even an athiest could agree with that, I think, they might disagree that there is a God or gods, but they would probably agree that if perchance they were wrong on the exitence thing and that there were a God or Gods that only the absolute highest most powerful God is worthy of worship. If there is someone out there who wants to worship a diety they regard as inferior, they have betrayed their worship by regarding that god as inferior, and have further demeaned themselves by worshipping an inferior. I will not for a second consider that there is some other supreme diety than God who has revealed himself through the Bible, that is what I believe, and not only believe by mere feeling, but on the soundest rationale I have a capacity for, I would even extend to say I know that the God of the Bible is God. I do not care to demean any human being that disagrees, because by believing in God I believe that all humans are made in His image and that they are all wonderful creations. I would say that I pursue God, but I don't know everything there is to know about Him, I have learned a lot, and I want to learn as much as I possibly can. At this time I don't know what he looks like for instance. I would want every man woman and child to render their hearts to Him, but I understand that I cannot force this to come about, that this is a matter of the heart and that it would be wrong to force someone into believing, because that would be corrupted belief. So for plurality, I can live in a country where other people worship God in a different manner. I am cool with Jews, they've got it right I'd say, but I understand that a number of factors play into why most of them don't believe in Jesus. The Jews were waiting for God to send their messiah, and when he came, they had distinct ideas about what he was going to do, but those distinct ideas were not in line with what God had planned. They estimated what it was going to be like, and didn't recognize it while it happened. Muslims believe in the Bible, but they've taken on some other information, and they kind of don't view it as absolute. Islam also advances forcefully, accept allah or die was how it was for a long time, I'm sure for that matter christians had some of the same blunders, but those action would have been the product of their minds not Gods. Islam advanced largely violently for a long time in history and that accounts for much of its spread and establishment, and a lot of the world then has islam as thier belief system. That takes care of the 3 major religions, most of the believers out there. I know there are people who believe a lot of other things out there too, but I think those things would be too much too addres in this letter specifically except to say that anyone who believes in god believes that their god is supreme or believes their god is second-rate, but they would probably pray still. In a prayer for the sake of our nation, it is no question that my heart would be bowed toward the God of the Bible. But my neighbor might have his heart bowed to Allah, or somebody else, I am still going to love him, I might if context provides tell him about my faith, but I will not bludgeon him with it. To have secular authority doesn't only offend Christians, but also Jews, Muslims, any pagan, or deist, and possibly agnostic. Secular supreme authority means that athiests rule that humanity and all its vices and folly is the supreme authority.

seperation of church and state never meant that religion was to be out of the public arena, it was meant that the government would not dictate things to the religious. It was put in place so that the government could not send a preacher to jail for preaching. That applies to imams and rabbis and other religious leaders too, that they cannot be forced by the government to teach and preach as the government wills.

Look at the abolition of slavery, look at the civil rights movement. Those things happened because people regarded God over the authority of the government. That didn't happen because of secular authority.



C:

I don't think that I have so much of a problem with people leading the masses with religion to motivate, inspire, help, etc etc. I have a problem with the packaging.
Stay with me here. You said in your last email that you refuse to believe that there is any other GOD but the one that you believe in. And that most major religions are similar in their beliefs. That is fine with me. What I can't understand is why can't it just be "GOD" without having to conform your thinking to one story or another.

If in fact, it is the one supreme GOD, it doesn't really matter what story you believe, as long as you believe something, right? I think that you can have the Bible, or the Koran, or whatever. I think it is all the same. I believe that whatever helps you live your life, is what you should believe in.

Can't I just say that I believe that there is a higher power, without having to commit myself to the very details of how and why? We all know that historically humans are very mischevious and forgetful people. How can we trust them getting the story straight? Thus being human. Why is it so important to focus on the details? As long as you live a good life, treat others with respect, and have LOVE in your heart, every little detail of creation to the present, is not necessary. I believe history is important, so in that sense, I understand why people would join such heated debates, but I also think that getting the facts straight, often leads to more problems than solutions.

And so, I guess what I am trying to say is, I think it is wonderful that you have found what you deem to be the ultimate "truth". But I feel that I have my own sense of truth in my heart, without having to wrap my brain and heart around one particular version or the other. Does that make sense?

At this point in my life, I do not feel lost or misguided. I do not feel like I need answers to questions about GOD. I do not seek the ultimate "Truth". I feel that I am blessed, and I feel that there is something greater than myself. And because of that I do not seek confirmation. Maybe thats just me.

Anyways, if your GOD is all forgiving and I am wrong, I dont think he/she will hold it against me!!!! J/K