I'm not an extraordinarily opinionated person. In fact, I pride myself quite a bit on being able to see issues from different viewpoints, and understand the benefits of different courses of action. However, through the course of this 2012 election, I've come to realize that although I will probably forever be an independent, I lean just slightly to the democratic side of the issues. And here's my reasoning, accept or reject it as you may:
The separation of church and state and the freedom of religion is sort of the basis of it all. This, to me, is sort of the social version of the Christian idea of free agency - the ability/right to make decisions on our own and to suffer the consequences. The beliefs of others, for the most part, I feel shouldn't be imposed upon me, and mine shouldn't be imposed upon others. This holds up as long as their beliefs don't put me in any kind of immediate danger (or "clear and present danger," to borrow lingo from a supreme court case about the limitations of freedom of speech). To use the traditional example, falsely yelling "fire!" in a crowded theater causing a panic is an example of the limitation of the freedom of speech because it puts people in a clear and present danger of being trampled.
So many of my (still-forming) beliefs on the social issues (doesn't apply so much to the economic ones) are based on this idea: just because I believe something doesn't mean we should pass legislation that imposes that beliefs universally. Take abortion for example. I'm not a supporter of abortion. I not only think it has some pretty heavy spiritual ramifications, but I've spoken with a few women who have had one (not a great sample, I know) and it has some pretty heavy permanent emotional ramifications as well. But I can't use that as an excuse to forbid someone from making their own decision, especially since the story gets all hairy when it comes to rape and incest. (It's not okay to kill babies except when in instances of rape or incest? If your main objection to abortion is that it is killing babies, why would it ever be okay to kill babies?) And as a side note, why is it opposers of abortion are also so heavily in favor of the death penalty?
It's the same idea behind the freedom of speech. I'm not a person who enjoys that there are picketers outside of temple square every six months to make a mockery of what I believe to be the truth. But they have every right to be there. The fact that they are there simply reminds me that we are so free in this country that we don't have to worry about getting in trouble for expressing our beliefs. Sort of the "I do not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it" thing.
So, for example, I hate pornography. I think it does so much damage to this world, to families, the individuals, to relationships, and to spirit. But I don't think it should be outlawed. It is protected under the same freedom of speech that guarantees we never have to worry about being publicly executed for expressing our opinions. And no one is being forced to look at it, to boot. (This is not a political example, since I don't think anyone is hoping to ban pornography.)
Economically, I know that through this election the candidates (especially Mitt Romney) have been addressing the "entitlement nation," those who have come to rely on the government for their sustainability and are not making the jump to self-sustainability despite being fully capable of doing so. To get rid of entitlement programs, in my mind, is to throw the baby out with the bath water. Universal health care adds coverage to SO many new people who previously could either not afford it or not receive the benefits of health insurance coverage due to previously existing conditions, that it more than negates the bad that may come from it.
Anyway, I'm sure I could continue but I've waxed boring enough for one day. This is not me saying that I have no room for being convinced otherwise (an ailment that I see as being the biggest culprit of government inaction today -- stubbornness and pride) or that new facts coming to light wouldn't completely change my mind. I also have completely left out things I agree with the right about, and I wholly admit that I don't know enough about economics to know what is the "right" course of action. (Actually I think it's foolish to think there is one "right" course of action, especially when it comes to politics. There is and always will be an argument on the other side that makes completely valid points and brings the issue to a standstill. And as a side note, I would rather test out someone's hypothesis and see where it goes and then make corrections rather than not do anything while people in congress argue about it. This is why I don't really care who wins today's election: Mitt Romney changes everything put in place in the past four years and it works out great? Awesome! It doesn't? Then we know better which course of action to take. Obama gets another four years and his policies have time to take effect and they work? Awesome! If not, then we get a new person who will have a more clear idea of how to fix problems. And although the meantime may be painful while working out the kinks, I still think this would solve the problems faster than bickering and blocking in congress does.)
Anyway, this is where I stand for now, slightly leaning to the left. And now it may make more sense (and give more meaning to) when a democrat says they stand for freedom.
Showing posts with label open for discussion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label open for discussion. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Something to think about
"Pride is a sin that can readily be seen in others but is rarely admitted in ourselves. Most of us consider pride to be a sin of those on the top, such as the rich and the learned, looking down at the rest of us.
"There is, however, a far more common ailment among us—and that is pride from the bottom looking up. It is manifest in so many ways, such as faultfinding, gossiping, backbiting, murmuring, living beyond our means, envying, coveting, withholding gratitude and praise that might lift another, and being unforgiving and jealous."
-- Ezra Taft Benson
"There is, however, a far more common ailment among us—and that is pride from the bottom looking up. It is manifest in so many ways, such as faultfinding, gossiping, backbiting, murmuring, living beyond our means, envying, coveting, withholding gratitude and praise that might lift another, and being unforgiving and jealous."
-- Ezra Taft Benson
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Some thoughts on advertising
It's funny to me to watch TV with older (50+ y/o) people, usually family members. Without fail, I will always hear someone say something along the lines of "when you get in advertising, you should make it so there are fewer commercials on TV! I just want to watch (insert program name here)." They're mostly joking, in that they know I have no control over that. But I bet that the first response most people would give if they were asked "how do you feel about television commercials?" would be more on the negative side.
Here's my rebuttal:
28 MILLION views?
Do they have to be funny for people to not get mad at ads? NOPE.
Ads don't just reflect popular culture, they can actually change popular culture. Think of the "Wassup!" Budweiser ads, or the "Get a Mac" campaign. (I just added this because we just talked about pop culture in a class of mine.)
Point being: people don't hate advertising. They hate bad advertising. And so do I.
And then of course almost anything Microsoft churns out, especially when they're trying to make something "viral." They should learn that viral videos can be viral because people make fun of them.
Yes... they were just so excited about working for Microsoft that they spontaneously broke out into song. Good one, Microsoft. Why do I own stock in these guys again? (UPDATE: I just sold all of my Microsoft stock!)
And of course, one of my "favorites":
And I'll just end with this. I didn't know it existed until just a few minutes ago. I agree with what one of the YouTube commenters wrote. "WTF was Microsoft thinking?" (WTF of course stands for "Why the face")
One technology blog writer mentioned how dumb it is for Microsoft to consistently portray its users as technology-illiterate morons. I guess now they're portraying them as nasty perverts who don't love their wives enough too.
I can't say any more about badvertising, because O.M.G.I.G.P.
Here's my rebuttal:
28 MILLION views?
Do they have to be funny for people to not get mad at ads? NOPE.
Ads don't just reflect popular culture, they can actually change popular culture. Think of the "Wassup!" Budweiser ads, or the "Get a Mac" campaign. (I just added this because we just talked about pop culture in a class of mine.)
Point being: people don't hate advertising. They hate bad advertising. And so do I.
And then of course almost anything Microsoft churns out, especially when they're trying to make something "viral." They should learn that viral videos can be viral because people make fun of them.
Yes... they were just so excited about working for Microsoft that they spontaneously broke out into song. Good one, Microsoft. Why do I own stock in these guys again? (UPDATE: I just sold all of my Microsoft stock!)
And of course, one of my "favorites":
And I'll just end with this. I didn't know it existed until just a few minutes ago. I agree with what one of the YouTube commenters wrote. "WTF was Microsoft thinking?" (WTF of course stands for "Why the face")
One technology blog writer mentioned how dumb it is for Microsoft to consistently portray its users as technology-illiterate morons. I guess now they're portraying them as nasty perverts who don't love their wives enough too.
I can't say any more about badvertising, because O.M.G.I.G.P.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Epiphany
Here's something that came to me tonight:
Don't expect to be able to judge how romantically interested you are in someone by the time you've spent together platonically.
Maybe you disagree? Let me know your thoughts, cause I'm still thinking through it myself.
Don't expect to be able to judge how romantically interested you are in someone by the time you've spent together platonically.
Maybe you disagree? Let me know your thoughts, cause I'm still thinking through it myself.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Peeing in the pool
So I had a friend the other day give the analogy that dating within your ward was like peeing in a pool. I didn't agree.
Then I was about to write a blog post about how I didn't agree, until another friend helped me realize just how bad it can be. I guess because I haven't experienced the negative stuff that can happen, I didn't really understand.
Now I'm writing a blog post with the conclusion that "peeing in the pool" is worth the risk, but with the purpose to spark a discussion and see what people think about it. Here are my thoughts (they are not very well formulated, and because I am inexperienced in this matter, they are subject to change. Leave comments letting me know what you think):
I remember having a conversation (I think it was with Ace, but may have been with Matt) about how so many girls (at the time) were saying they didn't want to give a relationship a chance because they were afraid of what would happen if it didn't work out.
We all know that high risk gives high returns, and modest risk gives modest returns. My question (and I guess my argument for why it is worth "peeing in the pool") is: when we are dating, are we looking for high returns or only modest returns?
Obviously we shouldn't only go on dates with people we feel we could marry. We should go on dates with people we think we could have fun with, and with the purpose of seeing if we could date the person more exclusively. Then we continue to date exclusively to see if we could get engaged. And we get engaged as a precursor to actual marriage. The steps are important, and one shouldn't be too focused on the end, but rather focused on the means.
But I've known too many people who dated and married someone in their ward to believe that it isn't worth giving people in your ward a chance simply because of what could happen if it didn't work out.
Sure there is a distinct possibility that one person will break up with the other, and it will cause awkward, crappy situations where you don't want to be around the person/try to avoid them, etc. That's something that comes with high risk.
But I would bet that most people who have had that happen to them have come out better in the end, with more experience and a better understanding of what they want in a spouse. It sucks in the meantime, but is beneficial in the long run.
I've spent way too much of my life avoiding risk. I can tell you from personal experience that modest risk has returned modest rewards. If you know of someone in your ward who you would date if only you knew for sure that it would work out, I say just go for it!
Take the risk. Because what people regret most in the long run is not having taken enough risks in life.
(Just read the five points the writer of that last blog entry makes. They're worth the time.)
Then I was about to write a blog post about how I didn't agree, until another friend helped me realize just how bad it can be. I guess because I haven't experienced the negative stuff that can happen, I didn't really understand.
Now I'm writing a blog post with the conclusion that "peeing in the pool" is worth the risk, but with the purpose to spark a discussion and see what people think about it. Here are my thoughts (they are not very well formulated, and because I am inexperienced in this matter, they are subject to change. Leave comments letting me know what you think):
I remember having a conversation (I think it was with Ace, but may have been with Matt) about how so many girls (at the time) were saying they didn't want to give a relationship a chance because they were afraid of what would happen if it didn't work out.
We all know that high risk gives high returns, and modest risk gives modest returns. My question (and I guess my argument for why it is worth "peeing in the pool") is: when we are dating, are we looking for high returns or only modest returns?
Obviously we shouldn't only go on dates with people we feel we could marry. We should go on dates with people we think we could have fun with, and with the purpose of seeing if we could date the person more exclusively. Then we continue to date exclusively to see if we could get engaged. And we get engaged as a precursor to actual marriage. The steps are important, and one shouldn't be too focused on the end, but rather focused on the means.
But I've known too many people who dated and married someone in their ward to believe that it isn't worth giving people in your ward a chance simply because of what could happen if it didn't work out.
Sure there is a distinct possibility that one person will break up with the other, and it will cause awkward, crappy situations where you don't want to be around the person/try to avoid them, etc. That's something that comes with high risk.
But I would bet that most people who have had that happen to them have come out better in the end, with more experience and a better understanding of what they want in a spouse. It sucks in the meantime, but is beneficial in the long run.
I've spent way too much of my life avoiding risk. I can tell you from personal experience that modest risk has returned modest rewards. If you know of someone in your ward who you would date if only you knew for sure that it would work out, I say just go for it!
Take the risk. Because what people regret most in the long run is not having taken enough risks in life.
(Just read the five points the writer of that last blog entry makes. They're worth the time.)
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Why nice guys finish last
I know you all probably have your own opinions on the topic. Here's mine. Of course this will include a lot of generalizations that may or may not apply to the reader, but honestly I don't care :) It also very much applies to everyone, guys and girls alike.
This also stems from things I've heard from a bunch of different sources, so this isn't new stuff by any means. Just a sad truth.
Here's basically what I typed into my phone when this thought came to my mind (again):
Kindness can come off as weakness. Jerk guys are seen as more confident and make a girl feel like she needs to work to make him want her. It's like a challenge. And it is intriguing. Someone who is nice and shows interest is too easy to obtain. There's no challenge. People like what they can't/don't have. So it forces guys to play a game where, even if he is interested in someone, he has to hide it and practically show apathy towards a girl. It's like a hook. When he does finally ask her out, she can feel accomplished, as if she "won him over."
However a guy who is a jerk (DB) never lets a girl get to the point of completely winning him over, but gives her just enough to make her feel like she is making progress. This is why some girls stay with jerks for a long time and overlook the bad things about the relationship (lack of respect, no heightened sense of self-esteem, or even abuse in more serious cases) because they feel like he is changing.
I'm not the only one to think of this
And it's so dumb to me that books like this teach women to play hard-to-get for the exact same reason: people want what they don't/can't have.
The game sucks. Nice guys finish last. The end.
This also stems from things I've heard from a bunch of different sources, so this isn't new stuff by any means. Just a sad truth.
Here's basically what I typed into my phone when this thought came to my mind (again):
Kindness can come off as weakness. Jerk guys are seen as more confident and make a girl feel like she needs to work to make him want her. It's like a challenge. And it is intriguing. Someone who is nice and shows interest is too easy to obtain. There's no challenge. People like what they can't/don't have. So it forces guys to play a game where, even if he is interested in someone, he has to hide it and practically show apathy towards a girl. It's like a hook. When he does finally ask her out, she can feel accomplished, as if she "won him over."
However a guy who is a jerk (DB) never lets a girl get to the point of completely winning him over, but gives her just enough to make her feel like she is making progress. This is why some girls stay with jerks for a long time and overlook the bad things about the relationship (lack of respect, no heightened sense of self-esteem, or even abuse in more serious cases) because they feel like he is changing.
I'm not the only one to think of this
And it's so dumb to me that books like this teach women to play hard-to-get for the exact same reason: people want what they don't/can't have.
The game sucks. Nice guys finish last. The end.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
I'm sorry, but...
1. "Separation of church and state," I believe, is very much NOT the same thing as "separation of religion/religious values and The United States of America." Check your context and stop taking everything so literally, people.
2. Even if "separation of church and state" DID mean a separation of religious values and the U.S., it cannot be used as an argument against Prop 8!;If you want so desperately to separate church and state, how can you argue that a church-instituted ceremony like marriage must necessarily be allowed to those not affiliated with the church? They're separate, remember? Keep church things in the church, right? I guess only when it's convenient? To me it's like saying that it is wrong to only allow baptism to those who believe in the church they are being baptized into. Or only allowing worthy LDS members to enter the temple.
3. Something is seriously wrong when the opinion of one person can overturn the majority opinion of millions of people. This whole overturning decisions thing is also the very reason things happened in my family the way they did, and why people I know are in prison for things they didn't do because a judge somewhere with little experience in the case based a single-blow K.O. decision on unsubstantiated evidence.
Here's a Washington Post opinion article about it
K, it's out of my system now. Time to go boating.
2. Even if "separation of church and state" DID mean a separation of religious values and the U.S., it cannot be used as an argument against Prop 8!;If you want so desperately to separate church and state, how can you argue that a church-instituted ceremony like marriage must necessarily be allowed to those not affiliated with the church? They're separate, remember? Keep church things in the church, right? I guess only when it's convenient? To me it's like saying that it is wrong to only allow baptism to those who believe in the church they are being baptized into. Or only allowing worthy LDS members to enter the temple.
3. Something is seriously wrong when the opinion of one person can overturn the majority opinion of millions of people. This whole overturning decisions thing is also the very reason things happened in my family the way they did, and why people I know are in prison for things they didn't do because a judge somewhere with little experience in the case based a single-blow K.O. decision on unsubstantiated evidence.
Here's a Washington Post opinion article about it
K, it's out of my system now. Time to go boating.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Priorities
I had an interesting conversation with my mom a few weeks ago that has stuck with me. She was talking about how people often worry more and spend more time looking for their first job out of college than looking for a spouse.
How do you feel about that? It seems backwards as far as priorities goes, but I can't blame anyone for it being that way since finding a job fills a more immediate need. I just think something isn't right when we stress out more about finding a job that will last for a few years (heck, let's even say it lasts until you retire) and less about finding someone to spend eternity with.
I'm not saying I'm exempt from it either. Cause I'm not stressed about finding a wife. (In case that's what you were thinking.) But I have no idea what I want to do when I'm done with school.
How do you feel about that? It seems backwards as far as priorities goes, but I can't blame anyone for it being that way since finding a job fills a more immediate need. I just think something isn't right when we stress out more about finding a job that will last for a few years (heck, let's even say it lasts until you retire) and less about finding someone to spend eternity with.
I'm not saying I'm exempt from it either. Cause I'm not stressed about finding a wife. (In case that's what you were thinking.) But I have no idea what I want to do when I'm done with school.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Why Soccer Sucks
1. They don't review the plays. All this technology we have now, and they won't look to see what really happened. Instead, much of the outcome of the game relies on what the refs think they saw in the mass of players on the field. Here's my point illustrated:
Oh yeah, I forgot you can get called for a hand ball when it hits you in the cheek. That makes sense.
2. Soccer players are the biggest pansies in the world. Here's my point illustrated a few times:
There's tons of other videos like that.
3. How much time is left?? Today in the USA - Slovenia game, it reached the 90 minute mark and the officials added 3 minutes to the game. Then just before the 3 minutes were up, someone got injured (or so they made everyone believe. See #2.) and they played until about 94:25 or so until one of the officials blew the whistle. The announcers didn't even know if that was a whistle that signified the end of the game. What a joke!
4. There's an exciting moment every, what? Ten minutes? Good grief. That's like worse than watching baseball. (Ohh it's a pop fly! It's going to deep center! It's going.... going... oh no wait, it was caught. That's just another out, same as all the other ones.)
Sorry soccer (football) fans, but your sport sucks. The only cool thing about it is that so many people all over the world like it, which creates a vortex of cyclical confusion in my mind.
Oh yeah, I forgot you can get called for a hand ball when it hits you in the cheek. That makes sense.
2. Soccer players are the biggest pansies in the world. Here's my point illustrated a few times:
There's tons of other videos like that.
3. How much time is left?? Today in the USA - Slovenia game, it reached the 90 minute mark and the officials added 3 minutes to the game. Then just before the 3 minutes were up, someone got injured (or so they made everyone believe. See #2.) and they played until about 94:25 or so until one of the officials blew the whistle. The announcers didn't even know if that was a whistle that signified the end of the game. What a joke!
4. There's an exciting moment every, what? Ten minutes? Good grief. That's like worse than watching baseball. (Ohh it's a pop fly! It's going to deep center! It's going.... going... oh no wait, it was caught. That's just another out, same as all the other ones.)
Sorry soccer (football) fans, but your sport sucks. The only cool thing about it is that so many people all over the world like it, which creates a vortex of cyclical confusion in my mind.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Cheese is not mold!
I know I already put this on my Facebook, but I just had to put it out there again.
I'm a bit of a mold-phobic. When I see any small amount of mold on anything, I'll just throw the whole thing away. This is most applicable to breads and cheeses.
Then most people are like "Silly Bob, everybody knows cheese is just mold anyway!" At this point I always think, "I should look that up, because I think that's a bunch of bull...logna." (Get it? Like "bologna?")
So today I finally did. And it turns out I'm not silly at all! (At least, not for that reason...) CHEESE IS NOT MOLD! At least not the kinds I ever eat. Here's a quote from eHow.com's article "Is Cheese Really Mold?":
So you say, "See?? There it is! 'Mold is used in the cheese-making process for some types of cheese."
And I say, "Here's the rest of the quote: 'Some types of cheese that are made using mold include Roquefort, blue cheese, Gorgonzola, Camembert, Stilton, and Brie.'"
So hah! No one eats those kinds of cheeses anyway! (Except maybe bleu cheese, which they shouldn't be eating anyway because it's gross.)
Furthermore, if there is visible mold on any of those soft cheeses, you need to throw it all away. Only on hard cheeses where mold isn't used in the cheese making process can you safely cut mold away. And even then, it is recommended that you cut at least one inch around the edge of the mold, since mold grows roots into the food.
Now if I ever hear someone tell me that 'cheese is just mold' I will just refer them to my blog.
To wrap it up, here's another quote from the article:
I'm a bit of a mold-phobic. When I see any small amount of mold on anything, I'll just throw the whole thing away. This is most applicable to breads and cheeses.
Then most people are like "Silly Bob, everybody knows cheese is just mold anyway!" At this point I always think, "I should look that up, because I think that's a bunch of bull...logna." (Get it? Like "bologna?")
So today I finally did. And it turns out I'm not silly at all! (At least, not for that reason...) CHEESE IS NOT MOLD! At least not the kinds I ever eat. Here's a quote from eHow.com's article "Is Cheese Really Mold?":
"Cheese is not a type of mold, but mold is used in the cheese-making process for some types of cheese."
So you say, "See?? There it is! 'Mold is used in the cheese-making process for some types of cheese."
And I say, "Here's the rest of the quote: 'Some types of cheese that are made using mold include Roquefort, blue cheese, Gorgonzola, Camembert, Stilton, and Brie.'"
So hah! No one eats those kinds of cheeses anyway! (Except maybe bleu cheese, which they shouldn't be eating anyway because it's gross.)
Furthermore, if there is visible mold on any of those soft cheeses, you need to throw it all away. Only on hard cheeses where mold isn't used in the cheese making process can you safely cut mold away. And even then, it is recommended that you cut at least one inch around the edge of the mold, since mold grows roots into the food.
Now if I ever hear someone tell me that 'cheese is just mold' I will just refer them to my blog.
To wrap it up, here's another quote from the article:
"The misconception that cheese is nothing but mold is false. In fact, mold on cheese can release potentially harmful toxins and is highly undesirable."
Sunday, April 18, 2010
There's no place like home
I'm not entirely sure what I want to say, which is odd because most of the times I blog, I do it because I think of something I think is interesting, look around me to see that no one is around, so I tell everyone instead. (And of course by "everyone" I mean those (lucky?) few who actually read this.
So I don't deal with change very well. On my mission whenever I was moved to a new area I went through mini bouts of depression (just feeling down, not really depression) for anywhere from a day to almost a week. I always got over it though once I remembered that the Lord's work is great everywhere. (Although definitely harder in some places...)
And then sometimes I just ignore the situation and hope I will get used to the idea of the change over time without getting down. So far this has been how I've dealt with my whole strange family situation over the past few months. Maybe I'll talk about it more in the future. For now it is sufficient to know that things will work out well, but it will probably be just under 3 years until that is true.
Today was, bar none, the most productive day I've had all semester. I woke up at 8:30 (early-ish for me) and graded about 110 papers. Then I started making the book for my media class presentation. By 1:40 I was in the adlab making videos for my account management presentation, which took me until about 6:30. So I was basically going straight from 8:30am to 6:30pm. The sad thing is this is probably how many of you spend most of your days, and you're thinking "that's the most productive you've been this year? Wow, I'll trade lives with you any day!"
That's alright.
K I'm rambling, so I'm going to bed so I can go to church. I haven't gotten to take the sacrament in 2 weeks (general conference weekend, then a friend's baby blessing that took place at the same time as sacrament meeting. I can definitely feel a difference, and can't wait for sacrament meeting tomorrow.
Weird how we (I?) take things for granted so often.
Oh yeah, and how do you like new look of my blog?
So I don't deal with change very well. On my mission whenever I was moved to a new area I went through mini bouts of depression (just feeling down, not really depression) for anywhere from a day to almost a week. I always got over it though once I remembered that the Lord's work is great everywhere. (Although definitely harder in some places...)
And then sometimes I just ignore the situation and hope I will get used to the idea of the change over time without getting down. So far this has been how I've dealt with my whole strange family situation over the past few months. Maybe I'll talk about it more in the future. For now it is sufficient to know that things will work out well, but it will probably be just under 3 years until that is true.
Today was, bar none, the most productive day I've had all semester. I woke up at 8:30 (early-ish for me) and graded about 110 papers. Then I started making the book for my media class presentation. By 1:40 I was in the adlab making videos for my account management presentation, which took me until about 6:30. So I was basically going straight from 8:30am to 6:30pm. The sad thing is this is probably how many of you spend most of your days, and you're thinking "that's the most productive you've been this year? Wow, I'll trade lives with you any day!"
That's alright.
K I'm rambling, so I'm going to bed so I can go to church. I haven't gotten to take the sacrament in 2 weeks (general conference weekend, then a friend's baby blessing that took place at the same time as sacrament meeting. I can definitely feel a difference, and can't wait for sacrament meeting tomorrow.
Weird how we (I?) take things for granted so often.
Oh yeah, and how do you like new look of my blog?
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Yes, Dear, King of Queens, and Everybody Loves Raymond
are the same shows!
Men are irresponsible, thoughtless, lazy pacifists.
Men are irresponsible, thoughtless, lazy pacifists.
Women are controlling, nagging dictators.
There is no compromise, no serious discussion, very few kinds acts, way too much bickering.
Unfortunately, I think these shows are popular because too many people think it is "so true."
Some lines from the shows:
"What keeps me from cheating on you?"
"I will DIVORCE you."
I could keep going on, but it depresses me a little bit.
Some lines from the shows:
"What keeps me from cheating on you?"
"I will DIVORCE you."
I could keep going on, but it depresses me a little bit.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Rants
It's probably not a good practice to not write in my blog for almost 3 months, and then have my first post in such a long time be complaining.
I was going to complain about how chick flicks make dating more difficult for guys, but I think I'll let Matt do that since I'm sure he can be much more elaborate than I.
I did, however, just catch myself up on the whole Max Hall controversy thing, including watching his press conference and reading the apology statement issued earlier tonight. It all started from seeing a Facebook group called "Max Hall is classless."
My take:
Hall was frustrated from the things that Utah fans did to his family last year. He's understandably upset and was (probably wrongfully) using the press conference to vent his anger.
That being said, I've heard so many things about incidents started/perpetuated by Utah fans that I can't believe it is just a coincidence. I know BYU fans do/say things out of line (believe me, sitting in the west seats during the 2007 BYU - Utah game was enough for me to be disappointed with even the elderly BYU fans...). But ripping out goal posts at the opponents field? C'mon Utah.
Also, the language used on the Facebook page by the Utah fans isn't really helping their case against Hall's remarks. And not that it's related, but their language isn't helping me gain a respect for their academics either, especially when I see Utah fans using words like "unsincere." (by more than one person...)
Oh well. I thank Utah for a great game Saturday. It was a lot of fun to be at. I'm done complaining about this.
I was going to complain about how chick flicks make dating more difficult for guys, but I think I'll let Matt do that since I'm sure he can be much more elaborate than I.
I did, however, just catch myself up on the whole Max Hall controversy thing, including watching his press conference and reading the apology statement issued earlier tonight. It all started from seeing a Facebook group called "Max Hall is classless."
My take:
Hall was frustrated from the things that Utah fans did to his family last year. He's understandably upset and was (probably wrongfully) using the press conference to vent his anger.
That being said, I've heard so many things about incidents started/perpetuated by Utah fans that I can't believe it is just a coincidence. I know BYU fans do/say things out of line (believe me, sitting in the west seats during the 2007 BYU - Utah game was enough for me to be disappointed with even the elderly BYU fans...). But ripping out goal posts at the opponents field? C'mon Utah.
Also, the language used on the Facebook page by the Utah fans isn't really helping their case against Hall's remarks. And not that it's related, but their language isn't helping me gain a respect for their academics either, especially when I see Utah fans using words like "unsincere." (by more than one person...)
Oh well. I thank Utah for a great game Saturday. It was a lot of fun to be at. I'm done complaining about this.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Honesty, anonymously
Try saying that 3 times fast!
I have a friend (who is a girl) who just moved in to a new ward. (I'm not sure if she reads my blog or not, so if you know this is about you and you're upset that I know the following about you, I'm sorry! Please don't be mad!)
That being said, she told a guy friend of mine that she wanted to make a good impression on the guys in her new ward and was wondering what it was she could do to be more attractive physically and in personality. She believes she has an issues with quickly becoming a friend and never moving past that phase.
Frankly, I like this approach of hers and I would like to propose that all of you who read this blog (and who know me personally) do the same.
The rules:
This is not an exercise in self-esteem building or compliment fishing! You can compliment, but only if you have a suggestion/opinion/general betterment to offer with it. And don't feel like you need to compliment me to offset a suggestion you have. I won't take it personally!
I really appreciate people's input. I've described my dating woes as self-inflicted a few times before, and it hasn't changed quite yet. But I would like to be prepared as best I can as soon as I finally come to my senses.
And that is about to happen very soon. I can feel it coming.
I have a friend (who is a girl) who just moved in to a new ward. (I'm not sure if she reads my blog or not, so if you know this is about you and you're upset that I know the following about you, I'm sorry! Please don't be mad!)
That being said, she told a guy friend of mine that she wanted to make a good impression on the guys in her new ward and was wondering what it was she could do to be more attractive physically and in personality. She believes she has an issues with quickly becoming a friend and never moving past that phase.
Frankly, I like this approach of hers and I would like to propose that all of you who read this blog (and who know me personally) do the same.
The rules:
- Be anonymous. When posting your comments/opinions, sign out of your own account and don't include your name. I'm fairly certain this is possible for everyone, but I'm not positive. I believe this will help people feel open to express their true opinions. (I think when it asks you to choose the profile you're posting as, there is an option to post as "anonymous.")
- Be specific. If it's my hair, my dress, my musk, don't just state it. Let me know what you think I could/should do to be more appealing/pleasant.
- Be honest. Remember that because it is anonymous I REALLY WON'T KNOW WHO YOU ARE. I mean, I know who follows my blog and all, but I won't be able to match the comments with the profiles. And I won't look for ways to match them up either, because I don't care. I just want your true opinions/thoughts on the matter.
- Be diverse. Try to include both physical and personality suggestions if you can.
This is not an exercise in self-esteem building or compliment fishing! You can compliment, but only if you have a suggestion/opinion/general betterment to offer with it. And don't feel like you need to compliment me to offset a suggestion you have. I won't take it personally!
I really appreciate people's input. I've described my dating woes as self-inflicted a few times before, and it hasn't changed quite yet. But I would like to be prepared as best I can as soon as I finally come to my senses.
And that is about to happen very soon. I can feel it coming.
Friday, August 21, 2009
The Chase
I just figured this out about myself... again: I like the chase a lot, but I don't care too much for the catch.
Similar to my roommate's recent post, I think having what I want isn't what makes me happy, it's the thrill of wanting something I don't have. Not necessarily something I can't have, but just something I don't have. And maybe it's not just me. Perhaps this is the same reason why material things can't really bring you happiness.
In dating, it seems like as soon as I develop a crush on someone, I don't want to lose that wonderful/slightly ill feeling I get whenever I see them, talk to them, think of them, etc. I think subconsciously I want that feeling to stick around, so I take no action. I don't ask them out, I just hang out. I don't take risks, but I play it safe. I guess maybe I worry that if they're not interested, I'll have to replace that wonderful feeling I associate with them with a feeling of rejection.
But that gets me nowhere! I've already posted a few times about not passing up opportunities, but I have such a hard time actually taking advantage of them! (Granted, I have been doing better recently.)
So here it is: I want to hear your suggestions on how I need to go about changing my nature of passing up good dating opportunities when they're presented. Any rants/raves/ideas you have are welcome.
Similar to my roommate's recent post, I think having what I want isn't what makes me happy, it's the thrill of wanting something I don't have. Not necessarily something I can't have, but just something I don't have. And maybe it's not just me. Perhaps this is the same reason why material things can't really bring you happiness.
In dating, it seems like as soon as I develop a crush on someone, I don't want to lose that wonderful/slightly ill feeling I get whenever I see them, talk to them, think of them, etc. I think subconsciously I want that feeling to stick around, so I take no action. I don't ask them out, I just hang out. I don't take risks, but I play it safe. I guess maybe I worry that if they're not interested, I'll have to replace that wonderful feeling I associate with them with a feeling of rejection.
But that gets me nowhere! I've already posted a few times about not passing up opportunities, but I have such a hard time actually taking advantage of them! (Granted, I have been doing better recently.)
So here it is: I want to hear your suggestions on how I need to go about changing my nature of passing up good dating opportunities when they're presented. Any rants/raves/ideas you have are welcome.
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