Thank Goodness

This semester is coming to an end. It flew by... which frightens me. I only have 6 more days of school left. Then I only have two exams. I feel like when I look back on college, this will be the semester I remember. My first apartment. My first political protest. My first campaign issue. My first class in my major. My first hangover. All kinds of firsts.

But, enough of the past. Let's talk about the present.

CURRENT STANDINGS WITH:

My right shoulder: OW. I pulled it today pretending to be a bee. (Just don't ask)
The weather: freakishly warm
My computer: soon to be history
MAC computer: I will pick mine up at the UT bookstore next week! iMac here I come...
Prilosec OTC: turns out, works as well as Protonix
My parents: I miss them - Thanksgiving break wasn't long enough
My major: I'm convinced that this is the right major for me.
Italy: I miss it so much
Clarissa: I can't wait for her to get back
My hair: surprisingly long
My closet wall: now covered in magazine clippings (you know me and my collages)
My bed: very unmade
Christmas tree at home: UP!
Christmas music: in my car whenever it's on
Aunty Ruthy: set to arrive on Dec. 13th

Well, that's all the updates for now. I think I will go put off doing homework some more and read my new book. ("Couldn't Keep it to Myself - Wally Lamb)

Goodnight all *******

Marzipan

Dissapointment

I can't believe that amendment 1 passed with such a majority. I figured it would pass, but did THAT many people have to vote for it? It makes me sad to be alive, honestly. But, at least I gave it my all, right? I told as many people as I possibly could about it. I wore shirts and signed people up to vote. Is that really all I could have done? I just feel like most people who voted yes must not know many gay people. I can't imagine voting yes and knowing one homosexual person. It's just strange to me.

I guess I'm rambling, but I'm so... dissapointed is the word.

Tennessee, I'm dissapointed in you.

At least the democrats are doing well with everything. That gives me hope. On the way home tonight I listened to "Imagine" by Mr. Lennon. We just have to have hope about issues such as these. At least it got people talking and thinking. Someday it will be different. That's what we have to keep telling ourselves.

Goodnight, Tennessee

Mari

Rant Number 2

I am sick of the Republicans. I am sick of the Democrats. We need a new party. (No, not the green party. Although, they are precious) I don't even call myself a democrat anymore. I'm just liberal. I don't want to identify myself with a party.

Politics is all about the politics. Politics should be about the people, not the power. Doesn't our government work for us? I guess that is what it SHOULD be doing. Now, it's working for wealthy men. What we really need is an excellent president. I can't think of anyone who would say "That Bush is doing an EXCELLENT job running our country."

Another lovely topic is that of immigration. We need to remember that all immigrants are humans. We can't just send them back from whence they came. Let's ask a simple question, "Why are there illegal immigrants in this country?" The answer: "Because we tell them it is OK." True, few people probably say it is OK, but when people give illegal immigrants jobs, that is as good as a handwritten invitation in my opinion. And isn't it rude to invite someone and then tell them to go home? If I hear another negative comment about Mexicans I'll scream. THEY ARE HUMAN BEINGS. Some of them will leave their country and enter America. Some of them will enter illegally. Some of them will enter legally and stay until they are illegal. BUT- they are still human. Yes, there is a problem with illegal immigrants (who are not all Mexican, by the way), but is it really them who should be punished?

Is that enough ranting for tonight? I would rant about Tennessee's amendment 1, but we already know how I feel about that one.

- Mari -

The State of the Bland Address

I'll admit it. I just read Clarissa's and Nik's blogs and they inspired me to rant. :) I apologize in advance.

The war in Iraq terrifies me. I just saw a guy from my high school who was over there for two years. He said that he has flashbacks. Why isn't there a program or something for soldiers when they return to America so that they can be analyzed for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. Our country trains men and women to "fight the ragheads." They dehumanize the enemy and tell them to run over children if they get in the way. Most people's response to this is "Well, they need to do what is necessary." Shouldn't the necessary thing to do be to protect human life? I think people tend to forget that we are all humans. The only difference is culture and geography. I see all these young men and women signing up for the military and I want to say, "Do you really know what you're getting into?" I spoke with a recruiter and he said that every person he recruited was doing it for college money or benefits. None of them were doing it to be "patriotic." Don't get me wrong, I'm NOT saying that anyone in the military is stupid. I am saying that the military should paint an accurate picture of Iraq before sending them over.