I love animals. I know we're animals, but I don't mean humans (though I love them too).
I love how animals mimic us, and we mimic them. I love how in the movie, The Endless Summer, they show "Henry" the seal surfing the waves like we do.
What came first? Surfing seals, or surfing humans? Who learned from whom? I would suspect that seals have been doing it longer than we have. Henry was a really good body surfer! ; )
22 February 2008
09 February 2008
There, or not
I've started reading a book, Blue Like Jazz, piece by little piece. It is by Donald Miller, who currently resides in Portland, I guess. He has already talked about Horse Brass Pub.
The book is supposedly "non-religious thoughts on Christian spirituality" and I am pretty sure it came from the NW Collegiate Ministry. They have set a table up in the hall at school in the past, though not this year. Sometimes they have this interesting hot chocolate. I also got a water bottle at the same time I got the book.
Back to the book. I have decided to try reading it, even though I don't know if I feel like a Christian at all. I was Catholic as a kid, and now I'm not sure of anything. I know Jesus was a real person, a historical figure, but I don't know if I even believe there is really a god out there. Just because people have been talking about it and worshiping for thousands of years, does not mean much to me.
We all know that people can be pretty stupid.
How many people have faith in George W. Bush? Though his popularity has definitely declined since his b.s. re-election, many people still support this dude. Many of those people are also Christians...
In a nutshell, that scares me. So I am also going to read, God Is Not Great - How Religion Poisons Everything, by Christopher Hitchins. I have barely looked at what this book is all about but it should be really interesting.
I am already biased, because I can feel myself going into it hoping that my atheist ideas will be reaffirmed. I am not exactly open to the possibility of a higher being right now, my mind is basically made up. I do not think about "God" during the day, other than to question the existence of a god when other people bring it up.
I probably won't be able to just decide one day, whether there is one or not. I think I will always question and debate it in my mind, and remain non-religious. In the meantime, I want to be educated about all the different religious sects and spiritual theories.
The book is supposedly "non-religious thoughts on Christian spirituality" and I am pretty sure it came from the NW Collegiate Ministry. They have set a table up in the hall at school in the past, though not this year. Sometimes they have this interesting hot chocolate. I also got a water bottle at the same time I got the book.
Back to the book. I have decided to try reading it, even though I don't know if I feel like a Christian at all. I was Catholic as a kid, and now I'm not sure of anything. I know Jesus was a real person, a historical figure, but I don't know if I even believe there is really a god out there. Just because people have been talking about it and worshiping for thousands of years, does not mean much to me.
We all know that people can be pretty stupid.
How many people have faith in George W. Bush? Though his popularity has definitely declined since his b.s. re-election, many people still support this dude. Many of those people are also Christians...
In a nutshell, that scares me. So I am also going to read, God Is Not Great - How Religion Poisons Everything, by Christopher Hitchins. I have barely looked at what this book is all about but it should be really interesting.
I am already biased, because I can feel myself going into it hoping that my atheist ideas will be reaffirmed. I am not exactly open to the possibility of a higher being right now, my mind is basically made up. I do not think about "God" during the day, other than to question the existence of a god when other people bring it up.
I probably won't be able to just decide one day, whether there is one or not. I think I will always question and debate it in my mind, and remain non-religious. In the meantime, I want to be educated about all the different religious sects and spiritual theories.
09 January 2008
Ottimista
I love Les' optimism.
I have learned from her that if something doesn't happen, then it probably wasn't meant to be.
If you're the last car that doesn't make it through the light, at least you are the first car that gets to go when it turns green.
And when you feel really nasty because you drank too much the night before, look forward to the next morning, when you'll feel great (by comparison at least--and this is assuming you don't need two days to recover from a night of heavy drinking)!
I have learned from her that if something doesn't happen, then it probably wasn't meant to be.
If you're the last car that doesn't make it through the light, at least you are the first car that gets to go when it turns green.
And when you feel really nasty because you drank too much the night before, look forward to the next morning, when you'll feel great (by comparison at least--and this is assuming you don't need two days to recover from a night of heavy drinking)!
Milwaukie Stoner Slut!
Good, you need some education, maybe it will help you with your racism. I'd also recommend the class Common Sense 101. That would be a start!
16 December 2007
Follow-up on the N word
I've actually watched the documentary The N Word now and my feelings and thoughts about it have remained about the same.
The usage of the word is still troubling despite what people say about redefining its meaning and giving it a different kind of power, or really, stripping it of its power. But the bottom line is that whether you are using the "er" ending or just saying nigga, it is still unwelcome by some people and overused by others.
There were many different celebrities in this film that provided their opinions about it. Whoopi, Samuel L. Jackson, Chris Rock, Ice Cube... and many others. Most people said that it's definitely a word that is welcome depending on the people or family when it is black person to black person, but white people have no business saying it. I pretty much believe that much is true.
The film goes into the origin of the word, and its usage during the slave trade and the changing of the spelling and all that. The past history of this word is mostly negative, which is why using it today is so controversial. Many people want to take the word and make it powerful in a positive way, but there are also many, many people who can never let go of what it used to be used for.
One of the questions that I asked of myself, or the N-word-using people, was addressed during the documentary. If I remember correctly, the inclusion of "nigga" in a song makes it acceptable to use it in that context. Okay, that's kind of a relief. Considering how many people there are of all races & ethnicities that listen to rap/hip-hop music, it would be hard to avoid.
My potential problem would be using the word more and more in daily life, because I pick up mannerisms and vocabulary in a snap. And I am not about to start talking to people like I am someone I'm not... What's up, nukka? No. If any friend of mine who is black says nigga to me I know that they are obviously not trying to offend me, it's an affectionate sort of term. But will I call them up and say What's up my nigga? Nah. Because would they be like, Hey dego how you doin?! Or What's up cracker?.... Probably not!
In general it boils down to the tolerance of the word by individuals. Just as we are raised practicing different religions or customs, some families probably teach each other that using nigga is not okay and it is demeaning to black people, whereas others may be raised in a family where it common to hear It's time to eat, niggas!
Whatever the case, practicing respect for your fellow man or woman, regardless of their ethnic background, is a step in a positive direction.
The usage of the word is still troubling despite what people say about redefining its meaning and giving it a different kind of power, or really, stripping it of its power. But the bottom line is that whether you are using the "er" ending or just saying nigga, it is still unwelcome by some people and overused by others.
There were many different celebrities in this film that provided their opinions about it. Whoopi, Samuel L. Jackson, Chris Rock, Ice Cube... and many others. Most people said that it's definitely a word that is welcome depending on the people or family when it is black person to black person, but white people have no business saying it. I pretty much believe that much is true.
The film goes into the origin of the word, and its usage during the slave trade and the changing of the spelling and all that. The past history of this word is mostly negative, which is why using it today is so controversial. Many people want to take the word and make it powerful in a positive way, but there are also many, many people who can never let go of what it used to be used for.
One of the questions that I asked of myself, or the N-word-using people, was addressed during the documentary. If I remember correctly, the inclusion of "nigga" in a song makes it acceptable to use it in that context. Okay, that's kind of a relief. Considering how many people there are of all races & ethnicities that listen to rap/hip-hop music, it would be hard to avoid.
My potential problem would be using the word more and more in daily life, because I pick up mannerisms and vocabulary in a snap. And I am not about to start talking to people like I am someone I'm not... What's up, nukka? No. If any friend of mine who is black says nigga to me I know that they are obviously not trying to offend me, it's an affectionate sort of term. But will I call them up and say What's up my nigga? Nah. Because would they be like, Hey dego how you doin?! Or What's up cracker?.... Probably not!
In general it boils down to the tolerance of the word by individuals. Just as we are raised practicing different religions or customs, some families probably teach each other that using nigga is not okay and it is demeaning to black people, whereas others may be raised in a family where it common to hear It's time to eat, niggas!
Whatever the case, practicing respect for your fellow man or woman, regardless of their ethnic background, is a step in a positive direction.
25 November 2007
The "N" word
I have questioned the usage of the "N" word myself lately, wondering why it is still so widely used when its origins are so negative.
I plan to watch the documentary, The N-Word (2004, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0417003/) in a few days when it arrives from Netflix.
My friend told me there was a documentary about the word when I told her about a situation I witnessed on the bus where a girl was freaking out because of the interaction she had with these teenage boys on the bus--this girl got upset at them calling her "bro" and I said she was silly to take it so literally, I said "bro" is so commonly used, it's kinda like how "nigga" is used a lot. My friend said she had to disagree... And as the words left my mouth I realized that of course, that's not exactly what I meant. "Bro" is by no means the same as the "N" word.
So what is the deal with the usage of the "N" word? When I listen to our hip-hop/rap music of today, much of which I love, and it is flooded with the word, repeatedly... I wonder, since it is generally not acceptable for people that are not black to freely use the "N" word, but it is so embedded in many song lyrics... How exactly am I supposed to really feel a *special connection* with an artist whose songs I don't feel comfortable singing out loud?!
And I wonder how many people only practice using it because many people around them do, and if they thought about it enough, they would realize how much better it would be for the word to not be used in everyday conversation.
Although its usage is substantially more confusing than others, the "N" word isn't the only expression in our modern language that has negative origins yet is still commonly used... What about calling women bitches/cunts, or the phrase "That's gay" (which makes no sense in most contexts that is used for)?
Americans everywhere could do everyone, including themselves, a favor in developing a little more tact and class, and compassion for their fellow man (or woman!) regardless of where they come from, what deity they worship, their skin color, language spoken, etc. I personally think it is really important to retain our differences and recognize them, and let our cultural heritage follow us through life in many ways. Our differences are what make us individually beautiful--and our ability (or potential ability) to accept each the differences of others is what makes us all really one and the same.... human...!
24 November 2007
The Holidays
~*~
Holiday times bring forth warmth, love, presents, good food, drinking, and usually a substantial amount of drama. Come to think of it, in the past year, I can't think of a time that was not kind of overly dramatic. Ce la vie, I guess.My Thanksgiving was mostly pleasant; my best friend hosted Thanksgiving dinner at her and her boyfriend's home for the first time, and I must say she is quite the lil Suzy homemaker. There were a bunch of different things to eat, and you were happy and full whether you ate meat or not.
A tofurkey sort of looks like an un-cut hunk of lunch meat that you'd see in a deli case.... it's just this spherical shaped thing. I don't know how I feel about it.
The next big things to worry about are final exams and projects, what to get people for Xmas, and of course, the mistletoe dilemma.
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