BlogFerret

1. My friendship is valuable.

I’m a very loyal, fun, and intelligent person, and one can benefit greatly from my company. If you are my friend I will happily drop everything to come to your aid, burn up a quarter tank of gas just to hang out with you for an hour or two, and I will always be genuinely happy to see you. Recently, a friend of mine found out that I was coming to visit a city vaguely in her vicinity (She lives on Cyprus and I was in Athens) and she actually booked a flight and a hotel room just to hang out with me for a day and a half. Not everyone appreciates my friendship that much. Some people don’t appreciate me enough to return my calls or take two minutes to IM me. That problem made me sad for a while. Now I feel that it’s really too bad that some people can make time for others and not for me, but it’s not my loss.  If someone has dropped me for whatever reason, and he or she can condescend to return my calls one day, even just to chat, I’ll be happy to talk or meet up, but I’m not crying over these people anymore. And I’m giving their X-mas presents to someone else who will appreciate them. Neener.

2.  It may not be apparent from the state of my weblog, but I’m an excellent writer. No, really. I’m that good.

I may be a bit too fond of adverbs, but other than that minor issue, I’m quite the wordsmith. I plan to make my writing public in some way within the next year, come hell or high water. I’ve been talking about making money writing all my life. It’s about time I did something about it instead of just wishing and tap-tap-tapping away at my computer keyboard.

3.  The universe is progressing as it should.

It’s ridiculous to get worked up and shorten one’s life over setbacks. I was under the illusion that after the multitude of setbacks I had experienced in my life, not the least of which included “That Bitch Katrina” (as my Aunt Patsy so eloquently puts it), that I was finally “on track” and would be able to control my life and prevent any future setbacks. I thought that because I finally had a plan that nothing and no one would interrupt that plan.  Well, of course I was wrong. Naturally, I was pissed. I was also tempted to do something insane like find religion or get knocked up or something. Luckily, I came to my senses and realized that I will be okay and I don’t have to keep to some crazy self-imposed “schedule.” True, I won’t live forever, but I’ve still got time: I ain’t dead yet.

4. While one may benefit greatly by having a “mentor” or “peer support,” in one’s field, these assets are not absolutely necessary for success.

I can’t say I don’t look at someone who has had a mentor in his or her field without envy. I also admit that while I was never the student who spent large amounts of time in anyone’s office, I sometimes wished a professor would take that much interest in me. I was lucky to have found my thesis advisor at LA Tech who did take an interest, and about three or four fellow students who (hopefully) would be willing to help me with my articles and other writing, but I can’t say I’ve ever really had a consistent mentor or group of interested peers who I was able to see on a regular basis. Did this put me at a disadvantage? Probably. Am I totally at a loss about continuing my education into the PhD level? Definitely. Is there a possibility that without peer support or someone who can direct me during the application and funding process that I might end up entering a program even later than I set out to do? Of course. Am I going to make it anyway? You can bet your ass I will. Will my work be on a par with those who have had a more contiguous education and more direction and mentoring? It will probably be better in some cases. I am damn smart. Fear my analytical skills.

5. I can climb 509 steps and then eat gelato before dinner, all while severely jet lagged.

I can also utilize various forms of transportation requiring multiple connections even after having been awake for 26 hours. Because that’s just how I roll.

Brien gave me a gift card to Amazon for my graduation. Well, what with moving and all, and then my perverse enjoyment of anticipation over gratification, he basically almost got me a birthday present (2 weeks!).

I just wanted to say thank you again, Brien, and let you know that you got me really cool stuff. I got an educational book, a movie, and an electronic gadget - ok, a memory card, but it goes inside an electronic gadget. I put them on my Amazon store as the last three items, if you’re curious. But yes, through the magic of Amazon, I was able to get three of my very favorite things.

I’m pretty sure I’ve thank3ed everyone else for graduation goodies, but if I’ve missed you, feel free to berate me by email or even here, (sort of) publicly. I won’t be offended. And then you’ll probably get a thank you note in the mail if I have your address.

And yes, Brien, I could have emailed you, but this way is better: it announces your awesomeness to the world. If that makes you uncomfy, I’ll happily delete this post.

Graduation is imminent. I just keep thinking about dinner. If I can get to dinner time, I will be okay. Too bad that’s 8 hours away.

I am going to have to see if my cell phone makes noise when I IM . . . no, really. I’m serious. How am I going to get through a 3 hour ceremony, sitting next to people I don’t know, without moral support? The tiny post-Katrina UNO graduation was bad enough, but an insane giant assembly center full of people? How do they expect us to get through that without a drink? Sheesh.

So I got some Easter candy, despite advice from medical professionals and nutritionists across the nation. Easter candy for me consists of these staples: Elmer’s Gold Brick and Heavenly Hash eggs, Reese’s peanut butter eggs, and jelly beans. Unfortunately, it almost looks like it will be a jelly beanless Easter.

I got 1 package each of our easter staples, and they will be shared by four people. I got them at Wal mart. Wal mart only had Starburst and Jelly Belly jelly beans. These are not jelly beans, to me. Honestly, though, if the Jelly Belly beans had been in festive springtime packaging, I probably would have bought them. Well, this morning, I went to Brookshire’s to get a few things, but guess what? Brookshire’s also has no jelly beans. I was appalled.

When I told my husband that I was beginning to suspect that there were no more jelly beans, ever, he asked me deadpan, “Didn’t you get the memo?”

I do seem to be feeling much better. I stopped posting in October only to begin again yesterday, and here I am posting again! I was browsing yesterday and today looking for configuration instructions for a plugin I installed in October and promptly forgot about. (More on this later when I actually use it to generate content.) I read an article about how to bring readers to one’s blog with an aim to make money blogging, and the author insisted that one’s blog have “focus.” Read the rest of this entry »

Because the site is “under construction” I have the chance to write a few things that few people will read until a couple of months from now, if they read them at all. Whee.

I just want to make a few comments about depression and maybe even bipolar disorder. For a couple of months, I guess I was pretty sick. The only way I know I was sick is because I had a hard time completing my normal everyday activities.

Oh, and I suppose I have to admit that for a week or two, I was convinced I was possessed by demons. I guess if you know me well enough for you to be more than moderately or academically interested in the previous statements, then you should contact me via email or phone if you would like to know anything more about that. For anyone who has doubts, no, I haven’t been what people would consider “religious” for a number of years now. Enough years to be comfortable with that.

At any rate, I’m mostly enjoying my life. I wish I had more social contacts, and I won’t be graduating until May instead of March, but mostly life is good. Although there are some days I wish I had the credit to buy a large boat and become a pearl diver, or a studio and become a yoga teacher, or get certified and become a diving instructor… No, really. People don’t understand how close I am to really doing these things.

At any rate, I hope this has given you, the reader, an insight into who I am and what my life is like. Heh.

LOL Dracula

Happy October!

Dracula Blogged 

Her husband had hit her three times in the head with a hammer; this news preally upset the family.

It was like God had just slapped me in the face with love and mercy.

I always like to see Kathy Griffin do well. I especially enjoy it when she pokes fun at the “A-list” celebrities, even if she’s using that to make herself into a sort of celebrity.  HOWEVER, check this shit out:

http://www.atheists.org/action/alert-13-sep-2007.html

Ms. Griffin, who is an open Atheist, told those attending the awards ceremony that “a lot of people come up here and thank Jesus for this award. I want you to know that no one had less to do with this award than Jesus … Can you believe this shit? Hell has frozen over. Suck it, Jesus, this award is my god now.”

While these remarks may constitute free speech, they can also be considered extremely offensive to Christians. I understand that true free speech often offends, but check out what Ellen Johnson, the President of American Atheists, said of Griffin’s speech:

It’s permissible to make religious comments at the Emmy Awards and other public events as long as they do not criticize or threaten the self-appointed ‘Religion Police.’ Celebrities can go on national television to ‘thank’ Jesus, or Allah, or Scientology for their success, but an Atheist cannot make an honest and forthright statement that their success came from developing their talents and working hard…

This statement has a problem, and no, I’m not referring to Johnson’s incorrect pronoun agreement. The fact is that Griffin did not make an “honest and forthright statement that [her] success came from developing [her] talents and working hard.” She was doing fine up until “Suck it, Jesus.” It’s okay to say that Jesus didn’t have anything to do with one’s triumph if that’s what one believes… And it was pretty funny what she did say. However, the atheists really can’t be that surprised that the academy wants to censor Griffin. I mean, what if someone got up there and said, ” Yeah I got here because of my love for God. You atheists are nothing but fuckstains on the moldy mattress of humanity.” Then who might be calling for censorship? NOT because of religious remarks, but because maybe it could be considered extremely intolerant of atheists?

Thanking Jesus for an award does not automatically insult atheists, just as NOT thanking Jesus doesn’t automatically insult Christians. And yes, Griffin is a comedienne, and yes, “edgy” shit these days involves being extremely impolite and perhaps offensive. Still, I think the atheists could hitch their wagon to a better phrase. “Suck it, Jesus,” while it might have a ring to it, doesn’t really portray an educated, mature, or thoughtful point of view, nor does it present a tolerant stance. I would think that atheists, often being people of science and careful thought, might want to get behind a more, um, for lack of a better word, “classy” statement? Of course, I’m all for free speech.  Even if it makes people look like jackasses to advocate free speech sometimes.