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| Hi strangers! 
So, I kindof forgot that I had Xanga, but in light of recent political events, I thought now would be a good time to bring it back for a little fun controversy.  For those of you that I haven't kept in touch with, I'm in grad school
at University of Southern California, living in Los Angeles, and I'd love to hear from y'all!!
Ok, on to the topic:
I have to say that this is the first time I have been so heated about politics! PLEASE go out and vote this year. It is so important, and everything is going to be affected by the next president and vice president.
Here is what I hear most often in church: "Which candidate will promote God's choices on abortion, gay marriage, and Christian values?" with the expected answer being the Republican ticket.
But if this is your reasoning, then I think you'd much better ask: "Which candidate will promote God's choices, that are clearly laid out in the Bible, such as helping the poor, defending the oppressed, and loving others?"
The article entitled "My Personal Faith Priorities for This Election" from the Sojourners website (http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=sojomail.current_issue) lays this out well.
Anyway, I think that Obama/Biden will do more to address these issues effectively than a McCain/Palin ticket. I don't think there's any ambiguity that if you look at the actual proposals of each candidate instead of listening to slogans or wholesome, but unfounded or uneducated promises. (By the way, just in case you've heard otherwise on media, Obama is also a Christian, not an Arab, or a Muslim, and it's actually a little racist to assume that from his skin color or name he's less likely to be a Christian.)
And finally, in my personal opinion, which is of course what this whole entry is :), I want a president who is smart and can respond wisely to new and stressful situations, not one that is impulsive or easily angered. And while I don't discount McCain's experience and abilities for our country, I am concerned that his age and health will leave us in the hands of an extremely unexperienced, and (at least as demonstrated in interviews) ignorant, woman. Here is where I become especially heated, if you can't tell  .....
MY PROBLEM WITH GOV. SARAH PALIN AS VICE PRESIDENT (and/or president)
I am all for gender equality, but I am more for a smart and capable person running our country, regardless of gender. I honestly feel that this year's Republic VP pick has been an offense to women, and even the National Organization of Women is endorsing Obama/Biden. And there are clearly reasons why.
For example, Gov.Sarah Palin yesterday, in her first address on Congressional policy, said, if elected, she would spend billions on efforts to help those with special needs, which I think is awesome! I don't know anyone who doesn't want to help kids with special needs, actually. Just like I don't know anyone who's "PRO-Abortion" or "ANTI-American." However, she then said:
"Where does a lot of that earmark [wasted] money end up anyway? [...] You’ve
heard about some of these pet projects they really don’t make a whole
lot of sense and sometimes these dollars go to projects that
have little or nothing to do with the public good. Things like fruit
fly research in Paris, France. I kid you not."
Here's the link so you can hear her ridicule fruit fly research as though it were the craziest, more worthless thing ever: http://kr.youtube.com/watch?v=HCXqKEs68Xk
What she must not realize is that fruit fly research is one of the most important areas of research for not only Autism Spectrum Disorders and Down Syndrome, but also cancer, Alzheimer's, and aging. In fact, recent findings using fruit flies have actually identified a possible early marker for Autism, giving a scientific base to the early intervention she wants. Mocking the science that will ultimately provide the cures for these diseases is reckless ignorance and is scary! I can understand differences of informed opinions, but this is a slap in the face to science without realizing how closely science is tied to health and society.
And this is not the first thing she has said out of what can only be characterized as ignorance. In interviews it is clear that she doesn't understand, on any fundamental levels, the issues at stake for our nation. She didn't know names of political journals, newspapers, or magazines. She has said four times that she will expand the role of the vice president's office, which is unconstitutional. Don't get me wrong, she seems super nice and is a great speaker and motivator. However, I don't want her running this country.
Anyway, there are millions of other things that she has said, and McCain as well, that have caused me to shake my head in bewilderment, or my fist in anger. For a lengthy tirade, email me.  But for now, I'll stop here, and just beg you to do the research and think carefully before voting this year! And if you made it this far, thanks for reading. 
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| I realized today that I've been in LA now for one YEAR, one month, one week, and two days. Time flies!! It's been a pretty much incredible year+ out here. However, despite surfing, BCD tofu house, roscoe's chicken and waffles, great friends, and always amazing weather, I still miss that down home, small town, wide open feel of Texas. 
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| So I've been pretty busy this semester. Not a ton of time to go out, but when I do get a break, I usually just want a quiet meal with friends. But this week, things calmed down, and I've had lots of down time. So now I'm all ready to go out - except everyone else is busy.  So, I decided that I'd go out on my own.
My mission tonight was to go to a sports bar to watch the Mavs game. I've seen people sitting alone at bars before.. that seems ok. Except they're all 60 year old men. But whatever, minor detail.
So, I go to this bar/restaurant called Carmine's near my house. I drive past it all the time and it looks decently popular. Plus there is a Starbucks nearby, always a good sign.
I walk in, and it's super crowded. My master plan of sliding into a seat at the bar and chatting it up with the bartender: failed. Instead, I stand awkwardly in the middle of the bar, scanning the tables and crowds. They're all full, and what's worse, there's no Mavs game on. I ask the bouncer if he can put it on, and he says (and I quote) "Who?" I say, "The Dallas Mavericks..? They're playing the Denver Nuggets... you know.. NBA....." Yeah, he didn't know. He's into WWF.
Then I leave, and try another bar because I'm determined. This one is called Crowne City Brewery, and it's also packed. Again, the bar is full, so I just kindof hover awkwardly in the middle of the room. *awkward turtle* I ask the bartender what they have on tap. The bartender looks at me, and then looks at all the tap handles, clearly labled, and I sheepishly order a dark ale.
Anyway, there's only one TV out of about 15 that has the Mavs game on, because the Dodgers and the Lakers had games tonight. So I try to watch it and not get in the way of people walking around, but I am kindof in the walkway.. Finally I find an empty table to sit at, order some food, and enjoy a meal and my beer  while watching the Mavs lose.
During this time, I also notice that, indeed, most people are with friends or at least one other person. And the people sitting alone at the bar are, in fact, aging men. Suspicions confirmed.
So, I've come to a few conclusions from this: 1) I'll go back to Crowne City because they have this deal where if you try 100 different beers, you get your name on the wall, 2) I kindof like going places alone because there's this sense of liberation from societal norms, and 3) next time, I will go earlier before things get really crowded. That way I can secure my good seat at the bar.  | | |
| This is possibly the most hilarious and witty thing I've seen in a long time, so I watched it about 15 times. Someone out there is very, very clever.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-KWYYIY4jQ
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| I like to think that on days like today, people all over the world are congregating, having pi-offs and eating commemorative pi-shaped pies. What a day for rejoicing! 
Urban Word of the Day
www.urbandictionary.com
March 14, 2007: pi day
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=pi+day&defid=1135067
March 14th. A "holiday" celebrated by math geeks everywhere. Pi is approximately 3.14, and March the 14th is 3/14.
Example: omg t3h pi day d00d, we are so 1337, pi roxxors t3h boxxors! | | |
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