Tranquil Madness

Dance Dance

My town has a new annual contest in a format vaguely similar to Dancing With The Stars. A local school (with an annual dance revue performed by students) has local "celebrities" dance with a high school student at a big event to raise money. The "celebrities" are supposed to be well-known in the community. Naturally, people in the media are requested to participate.

Working at a newspaper, it was only natural there would be a request for a volunteer. One of the editors participated last year, and the contest was looking for another willing body. Because I happened to enjoy learning the few steps and moves of the Lindy Hop for a class presentation, I decided to volunteer.

The program recently held its first meeting, and I was introduced to the dance revue and several of its student/dancers. I met my dance partner, and we spoke briefly. An instructor suggested we might be able to do a fun and entertaining west coast swing routine. As I was unfamiliar with the dance, I said I'd be willing to give it a shot.

Naturally, later that night, I decided to look for performances of west coast swing. I must admit that I feel slightly intimidated.

This appears to be one of the simpler professional performances I've found. I'd be more than happy if I could come anything close to that.

A more complicated and technically difficult performance can be seen here, and a performance showcasing acrobatics and flexibility can be seen here. A performance that just amuses me greatly can be seen here.

This entire process is still in its early stages. I might not even do this style of dance, but I am curious to learn if and how fast I could learn this style.

Surreality

Surreal Moment of the Week: Watching three attorneys argue over two plastic bags filled with 24-year-old fingernail clippings taken from a dead woman during an autopsy.

R.I.P. Six Feet Under

It's hard to say good-bye. Once any emotional connection has been established, it's painful to watch it end. That's true whether it's with a person, a pet, or even a television show.

Three years after stumbling upon Six Feet Under, it's finally time for me to say good-bye. And it is not easy. In fact, I found it so difficult the first time that I couldn't finish watching the final season. Watching it with a friend forced me to confront the truth that doubled as the final season's slogan: "Everything. Everyone. Everywhere. Ends."

I first encountered HBO's series about a family of funeral directors when I was interning in DC. One of my roommate's had brought most of the first season with him. I sat to watch an episode from the second season with him on our first night living together that summer. I knew nothing about the show, but I was hooked before the opening credits could end. He didn't have the first season with him, though. He told me his partner was coming to see him that first weekend, and I asked if he could show up with first season as well. I spent the first month of that summer working in time to watch the twenty-six episodes of the first two seasons.

The series traces several years in the lives of the Fisher family. The viewer is introduced to the family mere moments before the patriarch (Nathaniel) dies when a bus hits the new hearse he was driving. His wife (Ruth) and his children (Nate, David, and Claire) are forced to cope with his death and with each other. Federico, a "restorative artist" with the funeral home, has his own family, but he owes a great deal to the Fishers. The viewer also meets Brenda, who Nate meets and sleeps with shortly before learning of his father's death, and Keith, David's secret boyfriend.

To understand why this show captured my attention and imagination, one really should watch an episode. The premiere would be best, of course, but any episode would serve the purpose. The stories are infused with raw, emotional frankness. The actors fill their (somewhat heavily) flawed characters with an almost uncanny power and grace. It is, at times, almost too much to watch.

The story arcs, the characters, and even the settings can be intense. The characters make stupid mistakes and foolish decisions. The series embraces the fact that these characters are human beings. The viewer, or at the very least I, could not help but to cheer for them when things go well and to hurt when their lives fall apart. They feel like a second family to me, and this is the only show I have ever seen that has caused me to want to actually comfort more than one character.

The series finale, while brilliant, hurt. It is easily the best ending I have ever seen. It, and especially the last seven minutes, were absolutely perfect and breathtaking. I wanted to cry, both from happiness and sorrow. And I can't say anything else without potentially ruining it for others.

Six Feet Under has impacted me more than I can possibly say or explain. It immediately struck a chord within me, and it hasn't really left since.

It's time for me to say good-bye to the Fisher family. Although I own the entire series, I will no longer be able to experience their lives with them. I only have my memories and what is essentially a moving photo album.

And, to paraphrase Nate, that sucks, but it's a part of life.

Numb

Accidents Wrecks do happen.

Today, I was sent to my first real accident wreck as a reporter. I won't go into much detail, but three-vehicles were involved and (by the time I left work) two people were dead. I arrived in time to see two people removed from the scene of the accident wreck on stretchers. I'm fairly certain one of those people died at a hospital later in the day, but I can't say that with full confidence.

It's an odd thing to write about something like that, especially when what is written is less than four column inches of text (about 120 words). It's one of those things that will permanently and dramatically affect those who knew the deceased, but it isn't "big" news because car accidents wrecks happen all the time.

In order to keep a clear head at the scene and while writing, I think it is necessary to distance oneself emotionally from what happened. One can feel awful about what happened later. I think it is more important to share the story of what happened.

The big question to which this line of thought must eventually lead is at what point does a reporter (or anyone else dealing with this sort of thing) stop seeing people as people. That is not something I can answer, but I can say I have not yet met anyone guilty of that.

On a related note, I met the reporter from the Tyler paper who covered the death of my sister. We are both covering a rather important trial. When I told him I was from Mt. Enterprise, he asked if I knew any of the kids that were killed a few years ago because he wrote about it. It was a tiny bit awkward after I told him my sister was one of them.

Flight of the Conchords

On Sunday, I went to the Wheelers' computer apartment, and they introduced me to Flight of the Conchords. I'm not usually a big fan of musical comedy, but there is something about these two performers that amuses me a great deal. The following video is a clip from the premiere episode.

You can see the first episode online at HBO's website. I'd recommend it. It's even rather clean, for those of you who care about that kind of stuff.

Interlude

He said, "Can you hear me? Are you sleeping?"
She said, "Will you rape me now?"
He said, "Leave the politics to madmen."
She said, "I believe your lies."
He said, "There's a paradise beneath me."
She said, "Am I supposed to bleed?"
He said, "You better pray to Jesus."
She said, "I don't believe in God."

--from "Buddha for Mary" by 30 Seconds to Mars

Visual DNA

I found this via Katy and thought it was interesting. I could have provided an explanation for each choice I made, but I decided to leave it open to interpretation.

Evil Dead: The Musical

No, seriously. Evil Dead: The Musical. It's an actual off-broadway musical in New York City.

Is it sad I would like to see this out of a morbid curiousity?

Photo Feature II

I always encounter a problem when I stumble across an artist like Gilad Benari of Israel. His work is so consistently and utterly breathtaking that I am forced to spend far too much time enjoying his gallery. I can easily lose an hour studying photo after photo after photo. Benari is easily one of my favorite photographers on Deviant Art. I've got several of his photos stored away among my favorites.

Though I'll probably share another of his photos at a later date, it was "A Touch of Crayon" that introduced me to his work:

I don't remember how I first saw this photo. I was probably browsing through popular "conceptual" photos, but it doesn't matter. I do, however, remember seeing it for the first time. My first thought was that it didn't look real. I didn't think it was a photograph.

Once I accepted it as real, I began to delve into the beauty of the piece. The blinds and the window look ancient. They are cracked and rusted. The wooden pieces show their age, and you get the feeling that if you blew quite a bit of dust would fly off the edge. The colors are drab. The eye finds hints of color toward the back edge, but even it appears faded.

In the midst of this barren wasteland, a vivid splash of color commands the attention of the eye. It takes effort to look away from that red crayon. The strength of the color almost seems to mock the bland redness of the rust. In contrast to the aged window, the crayon appears brand new and unspoiled. The "point" of the crayon rests on a crack of the sill, subtly emphasizing the contrast of age.

The strangeness of finding a new crayon on the leaning against an old window sparks numerous questions. The most obvious, of course, would be "How did it get there?" However, I'm more interested in why it was left. Was it a child's crayon? Did he or she plan to add some color to the window or the drab wall? Where are the rest of the crayons, and does the owner even realize the red one is missing? One could easily create a story to answer these questions, and that is probably the main reason I enjoy this photo so much.

Photo Feature I

As I am significantly lacking in the posting department, I've decided to implement a new feature. Whenever I feel inspired, I will select one of my favorite photographs (most likely from DeviantArt) and elaborate on why I feel so strongly about it. If you have ever gone to my DA photo gallery and looked through my selected favorites, you know they range from the ridiculously simple to the incredibly complex and from the pure and innocent to the (arguably) risque.

It wouldn't be much of a stretch to say I agonized over which photo I wanted to discuss first. After much inner debate, I decided on the rather haunting "Effect of the London blast."

(Follow the photo link and click the photo for an enlarged version)

Immediately after any kind of major news concerning violence, the focus is sternly fixed upon the aftermath. If you can ignore the argument over whether or not this focus is right or wrong, you have to admit most people want the gory details. The terrorist bombings in London was no different. The news media was practically flooded with photos of bloody and injured commuters and general transportation wreckage.

Sue Anna Joe, a 24 year old photographer, was in London the day of the bombing. Instead of shooting more of the carnage, she turned her camera to the window of a "shop" to capture a notice someone had taped to the glass.

Reflected in the glass are buildings of London that are unknown to me and probably to most people. One can make out the cross at the top of a steeple. Perhaps the photographer was hinting both that the destruction was caused by an extremist interpretation of religion and that some turn to religion during times of crisis.

Taped onto the glass is a simple note announcing the closure of "Albannach," which is presumably the name of the shop. The note also adds an apology for inconvenience. However, the apology is both in parentheses and a much smaller font. Is the author of the note truly sorry, or did he or she feel obligated to offer a token bit of kindness following the national tragedy?

I am not sure what to call the object along the bottom of the photo, but the circulating spikes make it appear menacing in this bluish tone. Similarly, the lamp seen just past the window's glass has spikes, adding to a generally unwelcoming and cold tone of the photo. Did the bombing create this sense of coldness, or did it just give it the opportunity to show itself?

All in all, it's a very interesting piece of photojournalism that would never be published in an actual newspaper. It provides some insight into the reactions of London residents, but it also generates a number of questions.

Most importantly of all, I like the photo. It's always possible I'm reading too much into certain aspects of it, but I still find it enchanting.

Music Videos

EDIT: Added more videos. Newest ones are italicized.

Yes, I know. I have all but stopped posting stuff altogether. I don't really have an excuse other than I rarely feel like writing anything here for now.

To help fill the empty void left by everything I am not writing, I decided to share the music videos to random favorite songs I have had over the past several years. This idea springs from accidentally finding a music video on YouTube and remembering being asked on numerous occasions what music I like.

Before following any links, however, please note the following:

1. I have tried to choose my favorite song from each band listed. I know for a fact that I like more of each band's songs.

2. This list is by no means exhaustive. Bands were chosen simply by coming to mind. I am sure I will add to this at later dates.

3. Many of these videos may contain content some of the more conservative viewers may consider . . . questionable. I will provide a content warning to those videos I feel need it.

4. These are relatively large files and may take a long time to load, especially if you have a slow connection. For reference, loading times at LETU have taken anywhere between ten seconds and two minutes.

Rock:
Linkin Park: Crawling
Adema: Giving In (Content warning)
Korn: Thoughtless (Content warning)
The Killers: Somebody Told Me
Three Days Grace: Animal I Have Become
Green Day: American Idiot
Garbage: Only Happy When It Rains
The All-American Rejects: Dirty Little Secret
Marilyn Manson: Tainted Love (Content warning)
Disturbed: Forsaken
Pearl Jam: Jeremy
Incubus: Warning<
AFI: The Leaving Song, Part 2

Pop/Other:
Black Eyed Peas: Pump It
Gorrilaz: Feel Good Inc.
Anna Nalick: Breathe (2 AM)
Madonna: Frozen (It took me way too long to find this. I couldn't remember the song's name.)
Gavin Degraw: Chariot
Sting: Desert Rose

Musicals:
Rent: La Vie Boheme A (Content warning)
Moulin Rouge: El Tango de Roxanne (Content warning, maybe)

Comments

Hey! Look!

My comments work again! Yay!

And I copied the code in all by myself!

Amnesty

I found something surprising in my mail today. Along with the latest issue of The YellowJacket and the junk from Student Foundation about flowers, I found a letter from Amnesty International.

The letter, naturally, was a plea for a donation. It summarized the driving force behind the organization, and it contained quotes from a couple of people that the organization has helped. According to its website, "Amnesty International undertakes research and action focused on preventing and ending grave abuses of the rights to physical and mental integrity, freedom of conscience and expression, and freedom from discrimination, within the context of its work to promote all human rights." Because I support that goal, I will likely send a donation.

That isn't why I'm writing this, though.

What I find fascinating is that I received a letter from Amnesty International. I am intrigued by this because, as far as I know, I have never donated money to any charity (or other) organization connected with them. Why would they ask me for money?

Do they just randomly send out letters across the country and hope for a response? If they do, that seems awfully inefficient. I would hate for my donation to be used to pay for more letters that would ask for more money.

If it isn't random, how did they come across my name and address?

Two Random Thoughts

Earlier today, an old friend of my parents called looking for them while they were not here. It has been quite some time since I last saw this guy, and neither of us recognized the other's voice. When he finally realized who I was, he exclaimed that I sounded nothing like myself. He said that I "sounded like a Yankee." I smiled and told him laughingly that I was sorry.

---

It is rare for me to be surprised by anything on regular television programming. Most of the writing is so tragically predictable. When a season finale is so shocking that I actually stop breathing for a few moments, it's good. The ending of the fourth season of Alias practically knocked me off my feet. It's kind of ironic, though. Alias has so many twists I knew something was coming, but I never would have predicted what happened.

Happy Holidays

From the bottom of my liberal politically-correct heart, I wish everyone out there a happy holiday season. I hope everyone has a safe and merry Christmas and a joyful New Year's Eve/Day. If anyone celebrates any other holidays, I hope that those are joyous occasions as well.

Season of Lights

I will concede the fact that I am generally annoyed by most things Christmas-related. I believe this is because Christmas is overdone, for lack of a better word. I quickly tire of all the sales and decorations and lights and music and etc.

Despite all that, I think this display of lights is quite possibly the coolest Christmas display ever. Be sure that your sound is turned on.

Subliminal

I really need to starting paying attention to the sequential titles of my posts.

As I was looking at the "recent entries" box on the left, I was amused.

"Shocking Discovery?"
"Children"
"The Next Generation"
(Shocking Discovery! Children: The Next Generation!)

"Alien"
"Freedom Fighting"

"Katrina"
"Excess?"

"Classes Begin"
"Six Feet Under"

I can't help but wonder if my subconscious is trying to send me some kind of message.

"Quoth the Raven. . ."

I am also reading American Gods by Neil Gaiman. This book I read when I take breaks from writing essays and studying for finals.

The book is a fantasy-type book that has gotten very interesing. I found the following passage just a few moments ago, and I decided that I have to share it.

It is below the cut because of a swear word.

Context: Shadow is a man recently released from prison. He is under the employ of a man called Wednesday. He just received word from a talking raven about what he needs to do.

The raven flew up and away. Shadow looked at the corpse of the baby deer. He decided that if he were a real woodsman, he would slice off a steak and cook it over a wood fire. Instead, he sat on a fallen tree and ate a Snickers bar and knew that he really wasn't a real woodsman.

The raven cawed from the edge of the clearing.

"You want me to follow you?" asked Shadow. "Or has Timmy fallen down another well?" The bird cawed again, impatiently. Shadow started walking toward it. It waited until he was close, then flapped heavily into another tree, heading somewhat to the left of the way Shadow had originally been going.

"Hey," said Shadow. "Huginn or Muninn, or whoever you are."

The bird turned, head tipped, suspiciously, on one side, and it stared at him with bright eyes.

"Say 'Nevermore,'" said Shadow.

"Fuck you," said the raven. It said nothing else as they went through the woodland together.

I'm a Liberal Christian!

At least, I am according to the Belief-O-Matic. My results can be seen below.

Your Results:

The top score on the list below represents the faith that Belief-O-Matic, in its less than infinite wisdom, thinks most closely matches your beliefs. However, even a score of 100% does not mean that your views are all shared by this faith, or vice versa.

Belief-O-Matic then lists another 26 faiths in order of how much they have in common with your professed beliefs. The higher a faith appears on this list, the more closely it aligns with your thinking.

1. Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (100%)
2. Orthodox Quaker (98%)
3. Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (85%)
4. Seventh Day Adventist (80%)
5. Liberal Quakers (78%)
6. Eastern Orthodox (73%)
7. Roman Catholic (73%)
8. Reform Judaism (73%)
9. Unitarian Universalism (67%)
10. Orthodox Judaism (60%)
11. Islam (57%)
12. Sikhism (50%)
13. Bah�'� Faith (49%)
14. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (48%)
15. Neo-Pagan (44%)
16. Jehovah's Witness (43%)
17. Secular Humanism (43%)
18. Hinduism (42%)
19. New Age (41%)
20. Mahayana Buddhism (40%)
21. Scientology (40%)
22. Theravada Buddhism (40%)
23. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (37%)
24. Taoism (36%)
25. New Thought (34%)
26. Nontheist (30%)
27. Jainism (30%)

Wedding Photo

Did you miss the wedding of the cynic and the teacher? Did you go to it but just didn't get to spend enough time with the happy couple?

If the answer to either of those questions is "yes" (and even if it isn't), check out this gorgeous photo of the newlyweds walking down the aisle. I'm rather proud of this photo.

Surreality

Have some time to kill? If so, I highly recommend that you read One hundred surreal things that have happened to me. I do not know this woman, but she seems to lead a very interesting life.

Some of my favorite portions are provided below.

I would also like to mention my great love for the Metaquotes community once again.

92. Did you know that if you eat seventeen big sticks of cotton candy over the course of a single day at the carnival, you will become so incredibly amped-up on sugar that you are actually reasonably convinced that you can fly? And may then, in a fit of 'I can fly'-osity, climb the side of the Ferris wheel, thus forcing your uncle (who works for the carnival) to try to get you down by turning the Ferris wheel on, under the assumption that you'll just sort of slide gracefully down to ground-level? And more, that people that amped on sugar are capable of feats of super-human strength, and may cling to the bars of the Ferris wheel like lemurs once it starts to move, resulting in several hours of riding the Ferris wheel in a whole new way? Because, well, yeah. That can happen. (I was thirteen, I was stupid, sue me.)

5. Because I was bored and had a container of glow-in-the-dark paint, I painted myself ghost-glow green, taped fake blood pellets to my feet, lit a candle, and wandered through my apartment complex glowing and leaving bloody footprints that vanished completely in the middle of a walkway. Half the neighbors moved out over the course of the next month and a half.

Look! A Quiz!

Because I seem to be struggling for actual content:

Sleeptalking

I found this far too funny not to share. I may have found this so funny because I occasionally mumble things in my sleep, of course, but I'll let you decide.

Found via metaquotes:

During 7th and 8th grade, I attended a boarding school in upstate New Hampshire. I always got along well with my roommates and appreciated such an interesting repore. The only thing I couldn't stand was being woken up in the middle of the night.

One evening, shortly after going to bed, I heard my roommate Tyler loudly whispering to me...

"Ben!" I didn't respond, a little confused. "Ben!" With this second call, I sat upright and looked across the room. "Hey Ben!"

"What?" I said in an exacerbated tone.

"Quickly, come this way!"

"What?"

"Come on! Or they'll get you!"

"Who'll get me?"

"The Monsters! Dammit, Ben, they're almost here!" By this time I had realized it was a dream, so I was slightly intruiged but still annoyed. "Come on, Ben! Let's go!"

"Fine..."

"Watch out for the cliff! Don't get too close or you'll fall!"

I paused for a moment, a smile breaking out over my face. This was my chance. "Ahhhhhhhhhhh!" I cried out, tailing off as if I had fallen.

"NO! BEN!"

He didn't say anything after that, but the next morning he told me he had a weird dream where I fell off a cliff while running from monsters.

Link

The Beauty of S*P

I would never have thought that my view of Christians as a whole would be so eloquently expressed.

Everyone should go read this one comic. If you want to see the events that lead to that comic, begin here and work your way forward.

I will be giving the typical something positive disclaimer. The comic is not for the easily offended. Despite this, I think everyone I know should read at least the conclusion (the first one linked).

Mixed Messages?

I saw a billboard with a rather strange message as I was driving back to LETU this afternoon.

It was one of those Virginity Rules billboards. If you aren't familiar with that campaign, it attempts to encourage young people to abstain from sexual activity. Personally, I think they are fighting a losing battle, but it is a battle that should be fought.

Anyway, the message on the billboard was: "Get in the Game, Choose to Abstain!"

With a number of modern euphamisms for sexual promiscuity revolving around "games," what are these people doing using that phrase? I really wish the people responsible for these things would move away from the "LIEK OMG VIRGINITIZ R TEH KEWL!" campaign.

Hu's on First

The new Abbot & Costello routine

This has been brought to you by the lovely people from metaquotes.

Read any comments at the site at your own risk.

What is She Doing There?

It's very rare for me to see/hear something that actually makes me spit out what I am drinking. I often hear things that might make me almost choke on what I am attempting to ingest, but it takes a true comic gem for it to actually make it out of my mouth.

Tonight, I was watching VH1. Despite popular belief, VH1 does occasionally air programs other than stupid list shows. The channel has two programs that I actually enjoy watching. The first is I Love the: [insert decade here]. I find it interesting because it provides a year-by-year history of a decade's pop-culture. The second is My Coolest Years. My Coolest Years recalls the high school experiences of a number of "celebrities" and puts them into a number of different categories.

I had the pleasure of watching My Coolest Years: The Dirty Hippies. I had already seen The Jocks & Cheerleaders, The Metalheads, and The Bad Girls (and most of you can just shut up, I'm allowed a guilty pleasure or two), and I had made some popcorn and opened a new Dr. Pepper.

About five or so minutes into the show, I started to take a drink. Popcorn makes you thirsty, after all. Anyway, a person appeared on the screen as I was taking my drink. This person surprised me so much by being in this show (The Dirty Hippies) that most of my Dr. Pepper went into my popcorn bowl.

I saw Ann Coulter.

Yes, you read that correctly. The ultra-neoconservative crazy Republican pit bull and author of conservative propaganda Slander, Treason, and How to Talk to a Liberal (If You Must). Ann Coulter.

I laughed. And laughed. And laughed.

I find it incredibly difficult to believe that this woman is a real person.

'Tis the Season

I approve. (Warning: Cartoon violence implied.)

Of course, I don't believe everyone hates Christmas music as much as I do.

Oh, the Irony. . .

Can anybody explain to me why a certain ultra-neoconservative (who shall remain nameless) is delighted that, by the time he has children, he will be able to select their sex beforehand?

This makes absolutely no sense to me whatsoever. The guy is opposed to gay marriage, abortion, democrats, and anything other than his own views, but somehow he is excited to play god with his offspring.

Silly inconsistent neocons, you bring so much pain humor into my day.

Friends of Iraq Blogger Challenge

See that new link over on the side? Want to know what it is about?

The Friends of Iraq Blogger Challenge seems to be a catch-all title for the numerous projects undertaken by Spirit of America. The project I have chosen to support (after it being brought to my attention by Wilson and Eliot) is seeking donations to help Iraq's universities.

Go to Spirit of America's website (specifically the Iraq's Universities section) for more information.

If you feel you are able and a blogger at LeTourneau, feel free to join the Yellow Project Team and donate.

If you feel you are able but not a blogger at LeTourneau, feel free to donate anyway.

Are You Kidding Me?

From a GE owner's manual:

"GE supports the Universal Design concept--products, services and environments that can be used by people of all ages, sizes and capabilities. ... For details of GE's Universal Design applications, including kitchen design ideas for people with disabilities, check out our Website today. For the hearing impaired, please call 800.TDD.GEAC (800.833.4322)."

Only Because This is Cool. . .

Biological molecules? Cool!

You are mRNA. You're brilliant, full of important,
interesting information and you're a great
friend to the people you care about. You may
have sides to you that no one understands. But
while you understand more than most people,
you're only half-there most of the time.


Which Biological Molecule Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

I'm mRNA? Then why does Genetics hate me? Argh.

The Jabberwocky

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought--
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

"And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arm, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"
He chortled in his joy.

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

--Lewis Carroll

If anyone actually understands all of that, please contact me. My psyche and I would like to have a discussion with you.

That is all.

Election Maps

I know. Everyone and their mother is sick of hearing stuff about the election. I sympathize, really.

However, when things like these come to my attention I feel it my duty to point them out. Besides, I find them interesting.

These two maps I found on Wonkette:

Purple Haze

Veritcal Division

The following site was found through Andrew Sullivan:

Maps and Cartograms of the 2004 US Presidential Election

Before you ask, I do not get all of my news through Sullivan and Wonkette. I do enjoy both sites immensely, though.

Global Personality Test

Before you sigh and roll your eyes at me, remember that I have not actually shared my quiz results for something like this in quite some time.

Besides, other people were doing it.

Trait Snapshot:

does not make friends easily, secretive, introverted, reclusive, observer, dislikes leadership, does not like to stand out, dislikes large parties, values solitude, solitary, nihilistic, does not fit in, does not want to fit in, submissive, unassertive, suspicious, prudent, unadventurous, worrying, weird, intellectual, frequently second guesses self

Political Sadist

I just have to get this off my chest.

I am kind of hoping that Bush wins the popular vote but Kerry wins the electoral college.

Or maybe Kerry could win the popular vote but Bush win the electoral college.

Or maybe their could be a tie in the electoral college.

I just want to see the aftermath. Can you imagine the uproar any of those scenarios would bring? I think it just might be worth it. . .

Unique (and Cheap!) Costumes

Oh. My. God.

I really don't know what to say about these.

They are sure to grab the attention of others.

Why I Voted Third Party

Newspapers, magazines, and a number of blogs all finally seem to be officially endorsing either Kerry or Bush for the office of President. Therefore, I have decided that it is about time for me to explain my position and thoughts concerning this election to the best of my ability.

I voted early two days ago. I voted for Badnarik, the Libertarian candidate. As my vote has already been cast, feel free to disagree with me, but understand that my vote can not be changed.

Many people view voting for a third party candidate a waste of a vote. I could not disagree more. It may be true that third parties rarely win offices, but the point of voting is not to try to vote for the candidate who will win. By voting, a person expresses his or her views on a subject. If that person disagrees with both major parties, he or she should still vote. Since many people do not (and never will) vote, choosing not to vote is a weak way to show disapproval. If one instead examines the views of third parties, one may find groups of people who also disagree with the two major parties.

Voting third party is a much stronger way to protest the current direction of our country. The third party voter still is passionate enough about politics, but the voter disapproves of both paths the country has to choose between. Each side lost a potential vote. When enough voters realize this form of protest, both the Democratic and Republican parties will modify their stances in an attempt to bring the third party voters into their respective ranks.

I suppose another position to explain is why I am against both Bush and Kerry. I suppose this could get interesting as I have never attempted to fully explain why I want neither man in office.

Why I Did Not Vote for Bush:

George W. Bush was definitely the right man to have in office for 9/11. When he decided to invade Iraq, I quietly supported his actions. I was not happy about the decision, but I felt that the man knew what he was doing.

However, I then learned that Iraq did not have what Bush claimed it had. I understand that this was an intelligence failure. If the Bush administration had just come right out and said that they made a mistake, I would have continued to back Bush.

They did not do that, though. In fact, Cheney even flat out said that the adminstration "already knew" that Saddam did not have WMDs. Bush has been attempting to justify the war by showing the atrocities that Saddam had been performing and the corruption in the UN. All of that is true, but that is not why Congress voted to go to war. Don't get me wrong. I am glad that Saddam is no longer in power. However, I am disgusted that our President is trying to justify going to war after the main reason he wanted to go to war has been proven to be untrue.

I also believe that Bush has mishandled the war in Iraq. There should have been more troops there from the very beginning. He should not have declared a victory as early as he did. He should be attempting to get world support now that we are already there.

As far as economic policy and government spending, I do not think Bush did a good job at all. I believe that the tax cuts he made were the right choice at the right time, but when a President cuts taxes he should also cut government spending. Bush is apparently unable to do that. The fact that his campaign has attempted to show Kerry in a bad light for planning to spend large amounts of money is laughable. At least Kerry has said that he will have to cut back on his plans in order to deal with the gigantic deficit Bush has created.

I am also disgusted with Bush's attempts at domestic policy. I was appalled that he would attempt to increase government regulation of marriage. I am horrified that he has often structured his policies to appease the religious right. I am a full supporter of individual rights. Attempting to create laws based off of religious beliefs will restrict individual rights and liberties. Bush (and many lesser Republicans) seem to forget that the United States is a democracy and not a theocracy.

Why I Did Not Vote for Kerry:

John Kerry is an interesting candidate for the Presidential election. It is less than a week until Election Day and I still do not know where he stands on many issues. While I believe that no area of politics is as simple as black and white, Kerry seems to refuse to take a solid stance on any single issue. This fact is something the Bush campaign has fervently used when smearing Kerry.

My reason for not voting for Kerry is much simpler than my reasons for not voting Bush. I just don't trust him. I can not vote for a candidate who may change his mind about almost anything at any time.

Kerry also seems to think that the government can and should solve any problem. I heartily disagree with this line of thinking. I believe that the federal government is already bigger than it should be, and I believe that Kerry will increase its size.

Fun Political Photos

I am not anti-Bush. I promise.

With that said, go look at this photo.

I laughed.

Before anyone starts, I realize Bush's heart was in the right place with the No Child Left Behind Act. It is a shame, however, that teachers all over the country are against it and say it is underfunded.

Update:

And just to prove I'm not anti-Bush, here is a picture of Clinton campaigning for Kerry.

Bush and Abortions

Would anyone have predicted that under a staunchly pro-life conservative President the number of abortions would increase?

According to this article, the average number of abortions has risen by over ten percent in states that have abortion statistics. The article shows the intriguing connection between economics and abortions.

Intersting.

[Link found through Andrew Sullivan]

The Dilemma

Even if you have decided on who you will be voting for, I would like you to go to President Match and take their quiz to see how well each candidate matches your opinions.

My results surprised me.

Kerry: 59% match
Bush: 29% match

Apparently, I agree more with Kerry. I find it amazing that I agree with neither of the two real candidates on more than three-fifths of the issues.

I wish the quiz included third part candidates, though. That would have made the results a bit more interesting.

Debate Fun

The lovely people over at Wonkette have provided a way to make the VP debate a little more interesting.

Class Politics

A funny thing happened in British Literature I yesterday. I was having a conversation with a friend about politics that went something like this:

ME: I think I'm going to vote for a third party since I'm in Texas and my vote is pointless anyway [since Bush is going to win Texas no matter how I vote].

FRIEND: You would seriously waste your vote on a third party that you know won't win?

ME: The point of an election is not to vote for the winner. I'm going to vote for who I think is the best candidate.

FRIEND: You don't think Bush is the best candidate?

ME: I don't think any of the choices are the best candidate.

At this point, two other students sitting in front of us turned around:

RANDOM STUDENT 1: Amen!

RANDOM STUDENT 2: Yeah, I agree with you.

I simply looked at my friend and smiled. He later told me to stop laughing about my victory.

My opinion of the general LeTourneau student body was improved by those two students yesterday.

From the Creators of South Park...

Blame Scott and Wilson for this.

Quiz can be found here if you are interested.

Computer Question

Does anyone have any idea as to why my computer has stopped allowing me to open links in a new window? "My computer hates me," though true, is not the answer I need.

I can not even delete the comment spam because the delete confirmation is in a new window. The plus side to this window problem is that I have not had to deal with any pop-ups actually coming through and annoying me.

Any suggestions how to fix this?

Advice to Parents With Childless Friends

If you know me very well at all, you know that I have some rather negative opinions of small children. This has been with me for as long as I can remember (yes, that does include when I was one).

Therefore, I found the following link rather amusing. It is a post in a LiveJournal giving advice to parents about how to treat their childless friends. If/Before you read this article, I must tell you that it can be extremely crude in a few areas. Read at your own risk.

Here is a small sample from the section entitled "Pets":

Also, try to prevent them from making loud shrieking sounds around our pets. Excited children sound much like squealing rabbits, and this has been known to drive some dogs to kill. As much fun as this would be as an organized sport, it is not yet recognized in the U.S., and it is also hell on carpets.

Go here to read the rest.

Fun Icons

Today I was perusing a Livejournal community I lurk at and I found a number of icons I really enjoyed. I thought that some of my readers may enjoy a few of them.

Here are a few:

This is my favorite:

And here is a nice random picture:

Political Immaturity

Normally, I can stand politicians mocking each other. Normally. I happen to think that the John Kerry Flip Flop Olympics slightly crosses the line.

Now, I would not have cared if this had been on some other website because it does make a point. Making the point with entertaining flash animations on the GWB official website is a bit immature.

Shame on you, George.

Randy's China Email

Well, I have decided on a winner. Congratulations, oh Vengeful one! Martinez gets honorable mention, though, so I'll probably get something for him as well.

If you want to send me email while I am in China, you can send one to my letu account and I will send you the address. You will also get a copy of the correspondence guidelines.

I am also putting the correspondence guidelines right here.

(Edit)