Judgment 02/27/2012
 
Judgment is something many Semitic religious followers discourage. They say we should leave judgment to God.

I disagree. I think judgment is a necessary evolutionary characteristic . It allows us to determine how we live our lives, what we value, our morals, goals, and attitudes. By observing and judging others, we are given insight into how we want to be, and how we don’t want to be. Judgment is probably one of the greatest gifts we have been given. It’s known by other names too. Names like, intuition. Intuition tells us if we should walk down that alley and take the shortcut. It’s also called a conscience. Our conscience tells us if something is right or wrong. It’s all using our judgment.

But the real issue that people have a problem with, isn’t judgment on decisions or situations. It’s using it on other people. People that are different. But let’s take it a step further...

Hypothetically, “my neighbor just bought a lion; what the hell is wrong with him? You can’t raise a lion in the suburbs. It’s dangerous, unpredictable, not to mention the amount of kitty litter will be outrageous.”

…Now, my neighbor didn’t buy a lion, as far as I know. It’s illegal without certain permits, but hear me out. If this did happen, the entire suburban population would be in an uproar. HOA’s would go crazy, because they thrive on drama, and citizens would feel unsafe having their children play at the local park when you take Buttons out for his daily stroll. The neighbors will be irate, and rally against you. And even if you send Buttons away, they will alienate you for life because you were crazy and “Stupid” enough to adopt a lion cub.

It is a little crazy. Wild animals are hard to domesticate, and sure they all have those wild instincts that no amount of air freshener can cover up.

But so do we. We evolved for certain purposes (if you don’t believe in evolution, you are either uneducated or stupid, so don’t argue this point of all the ones I’m trying to make, I will not respond to your emails, because I don’t have time to focus on stupidity bred into individuals) as well, namely….judgment for survival.

My point is, the guy who buys a lion is being judged by fellow man. The gay couple down the street don’t get invited to parties, and Hindu next door is assumed to be a cannibalistic creepy guy, and the Muslim guy three streets over is seen as a terrorist.

The truth behind it is, that guy that bought the lion? He didn’t buy it, in fact, he’s an animal rehabilitation specialist that works at your local zoo, and the cub was third generation in captivity who was suffering from  a neurological disorder, and the zoo couldn’t care for him anymore. The gay couple down the street function the same as you and your spouse, only they can’t legally get married in 43 states, put their spouses on their insurance, or have children. The Hindu next door follows a strict diet, with relatively little meat, but every morning offers sustenance and sacrifice to their god of choice on their front door step. And the muslim, he may not even be muslim, but you can’t tell the difference, because you judged by their skin color. He may actually be from Bangladesh, Indonesia, England, India, or even American born and a Christian.

Now who feels like an asshole? You do. And you should, because you are.

But we judge. We judge everyone and everything.

So, I shouldn’t be surprised when people cringe when I walk down the street with my pit bull. Or they ask to pet her, then as they gently stroke their hand down her back and her eyes roll into the back of her head in a blissful state; they ask what breed she is, and I tell them she’s a pit bull, they recoil as if burnt.

They thought she was the sweetest thing until they heard the words “pit bull.”

Fine, she’s an American Staffordshire Terrier. I hereby renounce the term “pit bull.” She does not resemble a bull, and she does not reside in a pit, or fight in one. It took some time, but it has dawned on me, that this term is insulting. It’s assuming my dog has fought in a ring.

The damage done to these creatures is not their fault. It’s humans. So why are we blaming the dog, when we should be judging the humans caring for them? Or lack thereof. The damage done is not just physical to these dogs; it’s their reputation. These terriers just want to please us; it’s literally, in their blood. They want love, affection, and cuddling, just like our Shi Tzus, Schnauzers, and Poodles.

100 years ago, these dogs were seen as caregivers, much like the Peter Pan version of Nana, the St. Bernard, and functioned as babysitters, caregivers, and family dogs. The fear of 'pit bulls' is a relatively new concept. It's only been within the last 30 years or so, that we've experienced the widespread discrimination against this breed.

But what you may not know is that over the years, many dogs that now are considered “family friendly” by our society were once, and some still are, feared by the general public.

The Rottweiler, Doberman Pinscher, German Shepherd, Pyrenean Mountain Dog (a great goat herding dog), St. Bernard, Australian Shepherd, Chow Chows, Husky, Malamute, Great Mountain Dog, Boxer, and even Dalmations.

 http://www.understand-a-bull.com/Articles/HeroicPitties/HeroicPitties.htm

http://dogsinthenews.com/stories/070301a.php

These Terriers are also trained as service dogs. So tell me…if they are so dangerous as a breed, why would we train them to be service dogs? Why would they save the lives of humans at the expense of their own?

It’s not the breed, it’s the owner. I cannot describe how much these words ring true. We’ve all heard it, and close-minded individuals disagree. But remember, the next time someone says it’s the breed; you can respond in one of the following ways...

You can either tell them they are stupid and uneducated, or you can tell them, if it’s the breed, then it’s their fault, because we bred them that way.  It’s their fault that they doomed a breed. Also tell them, that you’ll make sure that if their house catches on fire, they get attacked on the streets, or someone breaks in, you’ll make sure that your dog doesn’t save their life, and that no one else should let their pets help either.

So before you judge, try squeezing and hugging the crap out of a big drooly face, and watch their eyes, with their pretty eyelashes bat at you, and let them collapse on you, with the full weight of their love. Then you can judge the dog. If not, judge the person.
2 Comments
 
 
So, I'm taking a class on the Peoples and Cultures of Africa, and while I've come across this map before, I wanted to put into perspective for some Americans the TRUE SIZE OF AFRICA. It was only in the last year and a half or so, that I discovered how large the African continent really is, and I'd like to share it with all of you. Some of you may be aware of this, but I'm sure if you take the time to really take it in, it will be a shock as well.

I once had a professor tell me that Americans suck at looking at pictures. We see it, but we don't actually took a look and really SEE it for what it is. So I want to challenge all of you to take a good long look at this picture, then leave a comment with your first reaction to what you really see in this.

Africa has long been disputed on many maps, in reference to an inaccurate portrayal of its size. All map projections are somewhat distorted in their dimensions, it's only natural, because it's difficult to accurately portray a 3-dimensional object on a 2-dimensional surface, but alas, we try our best. However, this is not what I'm referring to. Many older maps, and even many today are inaccurate when it comes to Africa. It's often portrayed about the size of China, and in recent years, many map-makers have tried to correct this issue.
Below you will see some information regarding Africa's true size.

Please comment when the full weight of this hits you.
                                                                Do you know what I see?
                      ... Endless bounds of Possibility...


Add Comment
 
 
After a month off of work and school, most of us have returned to Texas State. The Quad is abuzz like a Grand Bazaar, and the masses of students are filing into their classrooms. My new career path has energized me to the point of caffeine having no effects. So far, the instructors are knowledgeable, excited, and laid back. It's going to be an exhausting and thrilling semester!
Over the break, I got a new car, a new cell phone (that's smarter than me), spent lots of times playing useless video games, ran around crazy like, spent a lot of money, and spent some great quality time with my loved ones.

To top it off, Santa brought me a ring. No, no...not engagement, but even better. I never felt like a ring on the finger makes anything legitimate, because it was legitimate long before that. The difference is: he didn't have to be told to do it, and I didn't have to pick it out for him.

Great semester, great career path, great classes, great job, and a great life.

I would say I'm blessed, but I don't think it's a blessing. It's a mixture of luck, good will, hard work, and amazing people. It's all because of the people I love, and the work put into it.

Remember: Reject and you will be rewarded.
I can't express to you all, what an amazing world this is, and despite my lack of sleep, (all my fault) I feel amazing, exhilarated, enthralled and overhwhelmed with good feelings. You know it's great when you can wake up after only a couple of hours of sleep and rock out to music on the way to work or school at 6:45 in the morning, singing at the top of your lungs.

So much has and gone wrong, and so much must be taken care of, but once you tell the stress to eat it, life becomes more than just tolerable. It becomes a wonderful world of full of vibrance and color, that you can't escape. But at that point, why would you want to?

_____

Meanwhile, a brief reflection of 2011. So many of us had a difficult last year, but 2011 is a year that all who experienced should never forget. Time magazine named  the Person of the Year 'The Protester,' in lieu of the worldwide stampede of people standing up for themselves and for change. Anonymous and other hackers are teaching the world not to let our lives becomeHarold Camping burst into the limelight, yet again, with his Rapture predictions, and while I resisted the urge to visit a thrift shop and buy old clothes and leave them all over town, I have to say...2011 taught us something very important:

There is a massive number of attention hungry and idiotic religious fanatics, some of you may know them as Conservatives (ba dum, tsss...) not really, and a massive number of stupid people, but we also learned: There is a huge number of amazing, worthwhile, intelligent people who are willing to fight to the death for the rights entitled to them by life.

It's beautiful, it's sad, it's invigorating, and exhausting. But we are a single world, with billions of people and hundreds of thousands of ways of life. Treasure it, enjoy it, and embrace.

But don't forget to judge. It's the greatest thing endowed to you by your Creator.

Signing off, have a great day, week, and month.

Add Comment
 
 
Originally written 12/7/2011

It’s been some time now, and a lot has changed in the last few months:

Today is a day that changed my life.

I finally took a step that I was deathly afraid of before.

I changed my degree plan.

You can roll your eyes and scoff, its ok, and I won’t be offended. But for someone who decided 7 years ago that she wanted to be a journalist, it’s a huge step, a huge risk.

These last month’s I’ve had an attitude problem. Ok, so I’ve had one all my life, but recently, it’s escalated.

I kept telling myself to get over it, keep on trucking, and to suck it up, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of unrest and unhappiness.

I finally realized what my problem was: COMPLACENCY.

I don’t know if a crazy old Geology teacher ignited it in me. I don’t know if it’s my love for culture and people, but Geography has been screaming my name for months, and once I silenced the empty chant of ‘Journalism’ in my head, I could finally hear it. Now, I don’t know if it’s going to get me anywhere, but…

It hit me. In traffic.

I don’t need to hate the mass media and its superfluous structure. I don’t need to fight to change it. I NEED TO CHANGE. I don’t have to change to fit the confines of the cell of western society. I don’t have to press my face close to the bars to feel like I’m a part of it anymore. Because, if you reject the confines of what being an American has become…more often than not, I believe the Universe will reward you for it.

I sure hope so, because my career depends on it.

I thought turning away from Journalism at this point would end up in a lot of wasted time, energy, and money, in a time where I feel restricted to “get in, and get out,” as my university likes to do.

But I realized this is for me. It’s MY education. Not my parents, friends, fellow students, or the pressures of society. MINE. I can do whatever I want. I can do philosophy if I damn well, please.

I’m not going to, but I realized that just because I was busy telling myself something doesn’t mean it’s who I am or what I want to be.

Because it’s not about the money. If it was, I would be doing engineering or IT.

Do you know how hard it was to do that? To completely reject something despite the fact that it’s a job and can pay the bills? To COMPLETELY reject the opportunity to get ahead in this world?

It’s far easier to say you would do it, than to actually do it.

But I stewed on that idea.

I need money to live…I’m deathly afraid, as are most of us, of what would happen if I didn’t pay my bills.

But I’m also paying for knowledge. I don’t need a piece of paper telling me I can write. I know I can. Damn well, might I add?

I need that piece of paper to remind myself that I’m armed with knowledge to change the world, one small idea at a time.

We all are, but education brings those ideas to the front of our minds, and motivates us to make it a reality.

If I wanted money, I wouldn’t have turned to Journalism. I wanted to inform people, to make a difference in this ignorant imbued country. To tell my neighbors about why the Arab Spring is important, because odds are, they don’t care, and everyone thinks so much that goes on in this world doesn’t affect them.

But it does…and it did. They would care if it were their rights. They should care because the OCCUPY movement is based on the same principles: “We’re fed up.” In the words of Emily Lazarus in her poem “The Great Colossus:”

"Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

But there’s so much more to it than that. For me, Journalism only lets me briefly explain it. But if my knowledge is deep and profound and I speak with words from the heart, more will listen, more will care.

I have chosen a degree in Geography with a minor in Anthropology. I don’t have a clue what I want to do, but I know it involved those disciplines. I might be flipping burgers in a few years, but at least I can rest assured I have the knowledge I want. All I know right now is that I’m pursuing what I love beyond any worldly expression. It’s not what I do as a career, because odds are I may not be working in the field of my degree, but I know what I want. I want to learn, and as human beings, we should all yearn for knowledge until our heads our bursting with so much information we can’t hold it all.

 People, their relationships, where they are. Spatial patterns, and culture. GOD, the culture. So rich and vibrant. That’s something that needs to be shared. And it’s amazing how so much culture has formed and evolved and been shared and blended into a bright tapestry that can’t even begin to be described. But I want to try. To bring just a glimpse of that into the lives of others, so that maybe they can appreciate what I see when I look at a map, or a globe, or someone different than me.

Biologically, we are 99.99% the same, and yet we completely have transformed ideas and transcended through time, and crossed vast oceans to share ideas, customs and traditions with each other.

As cruel and vicious as we can be as a species, we also share a massive colorful culture thought no person should live without embracing and experiencing.

By its very definition, the word culture means the following:

1. The quality in a person or society that arises from a concern for what is regarded as excellent in arts, letters, manners, scholarly pursuits, etc.

2. That which is excellent in the arts, manners, etc.

3. A particular form or stage of civilization, as that of a certain nation or period: Greek culture.

4. Development or improvement of the mind by education or training.

The very word makes me feel like I can take it and scoop it into my hands and hold it. Imagine. To be able to physically grasp an idea would give us a completely new sensation we’ve never experienced. I want to bring that to others, because that’s how geography and people make me feel.

So much to learn, so much to appreciate, and so much to love.

If you’ve never experienced it, you haven’t had a true taste of life and what it really means on this planet. If you shun change, indifference, or the color of a person’s skin, you not only are rejecting what it means to be human, but you are missing out on the most vibrant and beautiful thing humans have ever created.

I realize that a piece of paper doesn’t guarantee me financial success. It doesn’t guarantee me anything. But I’ve learned one thing; I’m at no more of a risk right now, than I was 6 months ago, or I will be on the day of graduation.

Because my knowledge will still be there, and I can still share it, no matter what I do for money.

So, it’s not too late. I don’t care what bullshit excuse you have, because it is bullshit, I know, I was there. IF YOU AREN’T HAPPY WITH WHAT YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU ARE LEARNING, OR WHAT YOU ARE DOING:

YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG.

You should stop immediately and go buy a new car. Because your life crisis is happening now, and if you don’t change it, you’re wasting your life. LOVE something so deep it hurts and it’s all you want to talk about. If you don’t have it, search until you do, but never give up. NEVER.

It’s never too late. FOR ANYTHING. Don’t just stay with that job because it pays the bills, don’t stay with that person because they are nice to you, and don’t SETTLE until you are HAPPY with it.

Mohandas Ghandi said that you should BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD.

How often is it we quote someone from history, but we never truly grasp what it means, or apply it to our lives? Don’t you think maybe we should try it?

I thought I needed a degree in Journalism to fight ignorance, but I don’t. I just need the KNOWLEDGE.  The massive amount of ideas mixing, merging, blending and morphing all around us is making history, and it always has. Over eons we have evolved into creatures of deep thought, desire, and need, and it makes us perfect and unique. I want to see it, taste it, and feel it in my bones. I want to go shouting across the rooftops so that everyone else can see it, too.

So they can feel it. Because if it’s not amazing, it’s not worth your time. DARE to bend the bars of your society, so that you don’t have to live with your face pressed against them. Until we make the decision to remove them, we’ll never even know they are there. We are an amazing species and we take for granted all of our accomplishments. The ability to hold a pen, to make words, to share ideas so vastly different across oceans and continents with people you feel a connection with but have never seen…We should have faith, and give others hope. And I know now, that is exactly what I want to do.

I already have faith, but I want to give others HOPE.

1 Comment
 
 
I wasn't going to post this because of it's graphic nature, but this is a classic example that people can come to work together for greater good. Whether or not the motorcyclist survived I don't know, but the fact that so many people came together to move the vehicle is amazing.

Simply amazing. See? We can work together as people.

The embedding has been disabled, but you can still click on the video, then the link it supplies to watch it. Really, you should watch it, we could all take a lesson from this.

Here is the news story that covered the incident in Utah:
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/52568494-78/car-motorcyclist-bystanders-curtis.html.csp




Add Comment
 
 
            I don't normally spend much time playing with add-on's and what-not's on Mozilla. But after the beautiful letdown that is Internet Explorer, I gotta say it: Firefox is the perfect browser to cure the ache for procrastination and fill it with lots of yummy excuses.
            Wouldn't you rather stumble your way across the vast expanse of the internet than study Japanese until your eyes cross?
            So, I got a new laptop and when I downloaded Firefox to gear up for the Fall Semester and get a ahead on my procrastination prep, but I kept getting a message about how my internet was different than everyone else's and an offer to "Webify myself."
            Um...no thank you. It just sounds kind of creepy...and weird.
            "Webify myself."
            So, true to the nature of procrastination, I opened my laptop and wondered what I could do to pass some time instead of working on homework. And what did I see? "Webify me!"
            I did it. I didn't like some of the questions, but I must say, the outcome was interesting and I like my results.
            It's a simple process, just answer some basic questions about yourself, and the answers are analyzed to give you a profile of your behavior and attitude in relation to your internet usage. No worries, no personal information is required, so your privacy is protected. Well, as much as it can in this day and age.
        Follow the link on my image below for full analysis and explanation of each of the items on my webified page. Have a great day everyone, and stay tuned. Also check my link above to the University Star. With school back in full-swing, I probably won't update more than once or twice every week or two, but I'll try. I will have regular weekly columns with the University Star for anyone interested in more of my writing! Have a great week!
Picture
Add Comment
 
 
I had the worst parents in the world. They were unrealistic, supportive, didn't plan my life, and told me "NO" once in a while.

For generations the rumors have come and gone concerning Disney's concepts of "Happily Ever After", "Prince Charming", and the Disney "Princesses." Many people think it deludes children, boys and girls alike,  into thinking the world is a beautiful place filled the struggle of Good vs. Evil in which Good will always triumph. They would be right in their assumptions.

Good and Evil is rarely black and white, in fact, there's a whole lot of gray that is often misunderstood. Good fails to overcome evil; the endings are often heart-wrenching; and sometimes we never find our knight on a white horse. But I wouldn't trade it for the world.

It's nice to escape to a place where I can run through the plains of Africa with Simba, swing through the jungle with Tarzan, or ride a magic carpet with Aladdin. Didn't you ever want to save China with Mulan? Go under the sea? Didn't you gaze with longing at the enchanted castle?

Disney stands for so much more than a happy ending, or a Prince Charming. Disney stands for a star to shoot towards and in doing so, we just might reach the moon. I remember Halloween as Belle in Beauty and the Beast, and I remember my obsession with Esmeralda. I still yearn to be her. Beautiful, strong, and she stood up for the poor and down trod.

So the meaning has changed over the years, so what? I may not dream of the ends like I once did, but now I use the women of Disney as a model for how I want to be in life. I want to be strong, independent, to find love, to be hurt only to be saved at the same time.

Disney doesn't distort our children. It lifts them up and gives them hope that love is out there just waiting to be found if you look for it. It teaches us that love never truly dies, and that we must go through pain and heartache in order to grow as people and to grasp our future.

It is the duty of parents to nurture imagination and let it blossom into the unknown. It's also the duty of parents to teach children that it will happen, it just may not happen the same way. Don't crush the dreams of the young. It's the greatest sin. To crush the dreams of childhood today is to create the monsters of the future.

Make a child's innocence last just a little longer, make it that much sweeter before they have to see the world for the terrible beauty that is born from the loss of innocence.

I still listen to the music of Disney, still watch the movies, and to this day I am inspired to do good. It inspires in me a hope, a dream, a desire to fulfill what my imagination creates, and to never doubt myself. Even if I fail, even if I change  only the life of a single individual my life will have not been wasted.

It's all because my parents let me watch Disney. My parents never laughed about perverted conspiracies, they showed me anything is possible, and they nurtured the dream. That dream is what my generation is missing today in the midst of war, suffering, political agenda and ignorance. The Happily Ever After is out there, "Second Star to the right, and straight on till morning." You may not be able to see it, not because it doesn't exist, but your Ever After is what you make it.

So I’ll keep my Prince Charming and Princesses, my Happily Ever After’s and my white horses, I’ll just let logic take the reins.
Add Comment
 
 
"Why, hello Mr. Pill Bug. What are you doing so far from home? Let me help you. No need to be squished on your journey through the hallway. It's alright, Mr. Pill Bug, I understand you are more closely related to Crustaceans than insects, and that's why people like you so much."

I paused because I'd nearly tripped over a guy kneeling on the floor in the middle of a hallway today as I entered the building to my Literature class. I stopped, about to ask him what he was doing when I heard him talking to a pill bug, better known as a roly-poly bug. His buddy was standing next to him, silent. I'm not sure if it was annoyance, confusion, or reverance, but nonetheless. This cute guy not fitting the typical Abercrombie stereotype took the time to remove "Mr. Pill Bug," from harms way.

Most people wouldn't care, in fact, I wouldn't have paid much attention. But the fact that a young man took the time and had what seemed to be an enlightening conversation with a Pill Bug left me smiling at the small act of kindness for the next few hours.

I don't know who you are, and I don't really care. But sir, you made my day.


Add Comment
 
Disney Love 07/18/2011
 
Here is something to think about. I am posting this video, and I want you guys to look at the content of these Disney movies. What do you remember from Disney movies as a kid growing up on them and raising your own children on them?

Do you think it deludes our youth into believing too much fantasy and not enough reality? This will be my next discussion, and I think it will surprise many of you! So please watch and think about it. Enjoy!
Compliments from Scurvied on YouTube.
Add Comment
 
 
I've watched On The Rocks countless times, and they never get old. This is an a Capella choir from University of Oregon, they are amazing. Take the time to watch it, you won't regret it! By the way, this is their official video, but it is their voice,s I assure you, they have many live rendition on YouTube.
Compliments of leodasilvaHD's YouTube channel! Enjoy!
Add Comment