Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence.
~George Washington
'Cause if everyone's your best friend within minutes of meeting, you're gonna get hurt alot and badly! That's what I think he should have added.
But American presidents are strange people. They are people who---for whatever reason---want to lead the most powerful country in the world. And, they have enough appeal and popularity to get elected by the majority of that country's citizens. Then, they have to be strong enough to do things most of us can't even imagine having to do.
Send people off to war and sometimes certain death, all for a greater cause.
Withstand the ridicule they get from their critics, and sometimes even most of their citizens.
Deal with people, day after day. People that they don't necessarily care much for. Annoying politicians. Insane dictators and generals. Suck-up journalists. Journalists who want to only find fault. The list goes on and on.
Whew! I am so not running for president! Even if I could have the Jonas Brothers play live for my birthday.
So even if we don't agree with whoever is prez, why can't we respect and honor them just 'cause their job is so hard on them already!
Right....and pigs can fly. *sigh* Ok, so people will never do that. It was a nice thought though! And I don't have those very often!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Monday, September 15, 2008
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Politics, or, We Don't Know Anything Anyway
This political year has been of especial interest to many people this year. History has been made several times over. Not only do we have the first big contender for presidency of African heritage, but also, a woman has been picked as the Vice Prez for the other big contender.
Oh yeah, you know who I'm talking 'bout now. Barak Obama and Sara Palin.
Obama had his speech-when was it?-a week ago? *yawn* It was soo boring. You'd think that someone who's had so much of his running steam based off his likability and eloquence would at least have an interesting speech. But no, that was too much for Obama at his acceptance speech. Now, my family and I are not Obama supporters or Dems, or even liberal. We're pretty core-line conservative, but I at least wanted to hear if Obama could say anything interesting and was disappointed when he didn't. Now, I know I'm too young to vote in this election. But I'll be of voting age next time, and if Obama wants to run again, he should be adding my generation into his calculations. And actually many of my friends and peers have watched and payed some attention to this race. If for nothing else, 'cause Obama's black and Palin's a woman.
Yes, many of my peers who wouldn't be able to tell you any candidates during any previous race have payed a good amount of attention to this race. It's interesting to us. Man against woman, minorities against majorities, rich against poor, oh wait, forgive me, both candidates are rich (regardless of what Obama tries to say.). It's the ultimate no-no race. It's pulling up all the taboos you're supposed to leave untouched. Everything from racial and gender issues, to teen pregnancy and the handicapped.
Which brings me to another thing. The media's having this freaking feeding-frenzy over Sara Palin's daughter being pregnant at seventeen. Why? I mean, it's not like Palin told her daughter, "Go have a good time getting knocked up tonight dear!" It was her daughter's choice. She's seventeen. More than capable to realize what she's doing and what the consequences are. She's dealing with enough, so is it too much to ask for them to leave the poor girl out of it? Yes of course it is. This is politics after all. Just as vicious as Hollywood, with far more important things in the balance.
Now I know that Sara Palin isn't the one up for presidential candidacy, but I'm sorry John McCain is boring. Yeah, he's got the whole soldier-and-POW thing goin' for him but, let's be honest here, there's nothing about him that just smacks you from the first and makes you go "Wow. That's really different.". Now, maybe he has something in his speeches or policies that is cool or special or something, but I am after all a teenager. And everyone knows we don't pay any attention to politics.
Oh yeah, you know who I'm talking 'bout now. Barak Obama and Sara Palin.
Obama had his speech-when was it?-a week ago? *yawn* It was soo boring. You'd think that someone who's had so much of his running steam based off his likability and eloquence would at least have an interesting speech. But no, that was too much for Obama at his acceptance speech. Now, my family and I are not Obama supporters or Dems, or even liberal. We're pretty core-line conservative, but I at least wanted to hear if Obama could say anything interesting and was disappointed when he didn't. Now, I know I'm too young to vote in this election. But I'll be of voting age next time, and if Obama wants to run again, he should be adding my generation into his calculations. And actually many of my friends and peers have watched and payed some attention to this race. If for nothing else, 'cause Obama's black and Palin's a woman.
Yes, many of my peers who wouldn't be able to tell you any candidates during any previous race have payed a good amount of attention to this race. It's interesting to us. Man against woman, minorities against majorities, rich against poor, oh wait, forgive me, both candidates are rich (regardless of what Obama tries to say.). It's the ultimate no-no race. It's pulling up all the taboos you're supposed to leave untouched. Everything from racial and gender issues, to teen pregnancy and the handicapped.
Which brings me to another thing. The media's having this freaking feeding-frenzy over Sara Palin's daughter being pregnant at seventeen. Why? I mean, it's not like Palin told her daughter, "Go have a good time getting knocked up tonight dear!" It was her daughter's choice. She's seventeen. More than capable to realize what she's doing and what the consequences are. She's dealing with enough, so is it too much to ask for them to leave the poor girl out of it? Yes of course it is. This is politics after all. Just as vicious as Hollywood, with far more important things in the balance.
Now I know that Sara Palin isn't the one up for presidential candidacy, but I'm sorry John McCain is boring. Yeah, he's got the whole soldier-and-POW thing goin' for him but, let's be honest here, there's nothing about him that just smacks you from the first and makes you go "Wow. That's really different.". Now, maybe he has something in his speeches or policies that is cool or special or something, but I am after all a teenager. And everyone knows we don't pay any attention to politics.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
My Commentary of the Olympics and History in the make
I'll be the first to tell you, in general I hate sports.
Sure, I played basketball once, but that was a long time ago when I was young and dumb. I am wiser now. Team sports and I do not mix. Neither do I and most sports really. I only watch the Superbowl for the funny commercials and the snacks my dad will only give me if I stick around. I never watch basketball. Too many painful memories. And baseball just puts me to sleep.
So saying I'm not a fan of sports would be a smige of an understatement for me. Unless it's the Olympics.
I ADORE the Olympics. And for a few short weeks every few years, it's all I care about. Ok, so not really. But me and my family are pretty obsessive over it. We'd watch the Olympics all day, every day if they were on. We scream and cry for our favorite athletes. (And boy, do we ever have favorites.) We get all wound up when the Chinese, or the Russians, or-heaven forbid!-the French get higher points or lower times. At least one of us girls gets a crush on at least one male athlete every time. And at least one of the boys decides they're going to be an Olympian in an at least one sport. The Olympics are quite eventful 'round here.
So here's some highlights of the Olympics and of our reactions.
First off: Michael Phelps.
Man, can the dude ever swim! And it doesn't hurt that he's got a totally hott bod. What? I'm just sayin'! But enough of my fan-girlishness (and my cousin's, and my best friend's, and my little sisters', and my little sisters' bffs, and every other straight female in the entire country!). Let's get down to the theatrics.
When we saw that first relay where we just barely won against those @#$! Frenchies (oh yeah, who got smashed again? Because, pardon me, but I don't think it was us. Score!) my family started screaming and jumping and pointing at the screen. (Yes, we know they can't see us or hear us. Who cares!?)
Then Boopsie and I watched the replays and realized how close Michael Phelps got to having a err, wardrobe malfunction there at the end with his low, low suit. *snicker, snicker, snort*
Skip ahead a few races (and medals) and we're at the seventh race and WoW, was that ending amazing! Just as we were starting to get slightly bored of Mr. Phelps ("Oh, wow. Michael Phelps got another gold medal. Big surprise.") he had that AmAzInG-win-by-a-nail-literally-finish! And then his mom's face! Ah-ha-ha-ha! She was in total and utter shock! (I've got to get some pictures up to show you) She thought he came in second but then when her daughters started screaming "He won! Michael won!" the poor woman almost fainted. And the guy in front of her! Bwahahah!!!!!! Everyone else was jumping around and screaming and he was just like, "Omg. Omg. Michael Phelps won. By like a nail. Omg." *snicker, snicker, snort!*
On to gymnastics!
By far, Boopsie and I's favorite Summer Olympic sport, gymnastics also became a favorite the Princess and the Hobbit-Hannah girl. They were jumping and twirling and attempting to stand on their heads. (That didn't go very well)
We got sooo enraged when we got lower scores than we deserved. Boopsie and I freaked out (jumping, screaming, tears of joy) when the Men's team got bronze, and the Women got silver, and then Nastia Luikin and Shawn Johnson got gold! But we also freaked out when Kevin Tang fell on the pommel horse, and when Alecia Sacramone fell, and when Nastia got silver when she deserved gold, and when Alexander (Sasha) Artemov fell and, and, and, ah! It was too much! Towards the end there Boopsie and I started to sound like that commentator guy. ("What a reep off!")
Shawn Johnson became our favorite out of the women's team and we decided they we would be best friends if we ever met. And on the guy's team, well, they were all so cute! But our favorites were Johnathon Horton and Sasha. They were the cutest. ;P
Yes, gymnastics was very emotional at our house. Mom cried when Nastia got gold for all around, Boopsie and mom cried when Shawn got gold for balance beam, I cried when Sasha and Nastia didn't get gold...and dad? Well, he made fun of all the guys that weren't American. Especially the French and Germans.
Now I'd like to make an observation about our teams.
Isn't it interesting how diverse our teams are? Our all-around gold medalist for women, Nastia, is a Russian immigrant (her parents were actually gymnasts for the Soviet Union.), as is Sasha who's dad got a lot of medals for the Soviets. Kevin Tang is of Asian descent. Alecia Sacramone is Hispanic. Raj is East Indian. Johnathon Horton's dad was an astronaut!
I just think it's cool how all these people from totally different backgrounds, ancestries, etc. came together to fulfil the "American Dream".
But after all, isn't that what being an American is all about?
*********************************
Ok, I'll post more about the Olympics later (probably sometime tonight) and when I do I'm gonna cover Marathons (yawn, so boring), diving, beach volleyball, volleyball, and basketball. Plus I'm gonna do a post of pictures from/of memorable moments or people/ (Not that every moment and person wasn't memorable. This is the Olympics after all! But these will just be the one's I noticed and remembered.)
Sure, I played basketball once, but that was a long time ago when I was young and dumb. I am wiser now. Team sports and I do not mix. Neither do I and most sports really. I only watch the Superbowl for the funny commercials and the snacks my dad will only give me if I stick around. I never watch basketball. Too many painful memories. And baseball just puts me to sleep.
So saying I'm not a fan of sports would be a smige of an understatement for me. Unless it's the Olympics.
I ADORE the Olympics. And for a few short weeks every few years, it's all I care about. Ok, so not really. But me and my family are pretty obsessive over it. We'd watch the Olympics all day, every day if they were on. We scream and cry for our favorite athletes. (And boy, do we ever have favorites.) We get all wound up when the Chinese, or the Russians, or-heaven forbid!-the French get higher points or lower times. At least one of us girls gets a crush on at least one male athlete every time. And at least one of the boys decides they're going to be an Olympian in an at least one sport. The Olympics are quite eventful 'round here.
So here's some highlights of the Olympics and of our reactions.
First off: Michael Phelps.
Man, can the dude ever swim! And it doesn't hurt that he's got a totally hott bod. What? I'm just sayin'! But enough of my fan-girlishness (and my cousin's, and my best friend's, and my little sisters', and my little sisters' bffs, and every other straight female in the entire country!). Let's get down to the theatrics.
When we saw that first relay where we just barely won against those @#$! Frenchies (oh yeah, who got smashed again? Because, pardon me, but I don't think it was us. Score!) my family started screaming and jumping and pointing at the screen. (Yes, we know they can't see us or hear us. Who cares!?)
Then Boopsie and I watched the replays and realized how close Michael Phelps got to having a err, wardrobe malfunction there at the end with his low, low suit. *snicker, snicker, snort*
Skip ahead a few races (and medals) and we're at the seventh race and WoW, was that ending amazing! Just as we were starting to get slightly bored of Mr. Phelps ("Oh, wow. Michael Phelps got another gold medal. Big surprise.") he had that AmAzInG-win-by-a-nail-literally-finish! And then his mom's face! Ah-ha-ha-ha! She was in total and utter shock! (I've got to get some pictures up to show you) She thought he came in second but then when her daughters started screaming "He won! Michael won!" the poor woman almost fainted. And the guy in front of her! Bwahahah!!!!!! Everyone else was jumping around and screaming and he was just like, "Omg. Omg. Michael Phelps won. By like a nail. Omg." *snicker, snicker, snort!*
On to gymnastics!
By far, Boopsie and I's favorite Summer Olympic sport, gymnastics also became a favorite the Princess and the Hobbit-Hannah girl. They were jumping and twirling and attempting to stand on their heads. (That didn't go very well)
We got sooo enraged when we got lower scores than we deserved. Boopsie and I freaked out (jumping, screaming, tears of joy) when the Men's team got bronze, and the Women got silver, and then Nastia Luikin and Shawn Johnson got gold! But we also freaked out when Kevin Tang fell on the pommel horse, and when Alecia Sacramone fell, and when Nastia got silver when she deserved gold, and when Alexander (Sasha) Artemov fell and, and, and, ah! It was too much! Towards the end there Boopsie and I started to sound like that commentator guy. ("What a reep off!")
Shawn Johnson became our favorite out of the women's team and we decided they we would be best friends if we ever met. And on the guy's team, well, they were all so cute! But our favorites were Johnathon Horton and Sasha. They were the cutest. ;P
Yes, gymnastics was very emotional at our house. Mom cried when Nastia got gold for all around, Boopsie and mom cried when Shawn got gold for balance beam, I cried when Sasha and Nastia didn't get gold...and dad? Well, he made fun of all the guys that weren't American. Especially the French and Germans.
Now I'd like to make an observation about our teams.
Isn't it interesting how diverse our teams are? Our all-around gold medalist for women, Nastia, is a Russian immigrant (her parents were actually gymnasts for the Soviet Union.), as is Sasha who's dad got a lot of medals for the Soviets. Kevin Tang is of Asian descent. Alecia Sacramone is Hispanic. Raj is East Indian. Johnathon Horton's dad was an astronaut!
I just think it's cool how all these people from totally different backgrounds, ancestries, etc. came together to fulfil the "American Dream".
But after all, isn't that what being an American is all about?
*********************************
Ok, I'll post more about the Olympics later (probably sometime tonight) and when I do I'm gonna cover Marathons (yawn, so boring), diving, beach volleyball, volleyball, and basketball. Plus I'm gonna do a post of pictures from/of memorable moments or people/ (Not that every moment and person wasn't memorable. This is the Olympics after all! But these will just be the one's I noticed and remembered.)
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Freak-me-out
Have you ever been somewhere, just going about your own business & then BAM!-you see a ghost? Well, not a real ghost, but a "ghost" from your past? On the Fourth of July, I got the biggest freak-out by one.
We were leaving the firework show on the water in Ocean Springs. The fireworks had been beautiful & loud. Poor 4-going-on-14, he was terrified & kept saying "I am going to die.". Perfectly serious. So as we walked away, sandy & slightly shell-shocked, I saw him. There, standing on a corner looking at me was a guy who looked exactly like a guy I used to know. Only this guy was shorter & his hair was longer. He stared at me for a second, then smiled, waved, said hello & even pointed me out to his friend! I was so flustered & weirded-out I didn't even realize my dad was talking to me 'til he asked loudly what planet I was on. So I kept walking to our van & after a couple blocks I glanced behind me & EEK! He was RIGHT THERE! Like, ten feet behind me smiling at me. Finally he went down another road, but I was still so weirded-out. It was almost like someone had plucked a memory out of my mind & stuck it right there in front of me.
We were leaving the firework show on the water in Ocean Springs. The fireworks had been beautiful & loud. Poor 4-going-on-14, he was terrified & kept saying "I am going to die.". Perfectly serious. So as we walked away, sandy & slightly shell-shocked, I saw him. There, standing on a corner looking at me was a guy who looked exactly like a guy I used to know. Only this guy was shorter & his hair was longer. He stared at me for a second, then smiled, waved, said hello & even pointed me out to his friend! I was so flustered & weirded-out I didn't even realize my dad was talking to me 'til he asked loudly what planet I was on. So I kept walking to our van & after a couple blocks I glanced behind me & EEK! He was RIGHT THERE! Like, ten feet behind me smiling at me. Finally he went down another road, but I was still so weirded-out. It was almost like someone had plucked a memory out of my mind & stuck it right there in front of me.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Inspire
What would inspire and drive men
to fight?
To sacrifice
Everything?
Riches? Honor? Fear? Power?
Yes to all of these, but in this case it is
an idea.
The idea that perhaps
people should be free to make their own choice.
That maybe, just because something
or someone
is older, more powerful and simply stronger
it's not always right.
The idea that
"all men are created equal"
The idea that
"we the people"
are maybe able to make
our own choices.
Such an idea
inspired men to face
fire and water,
cold and heat,
hunger and disease,
blood and broken bones,
and the ultimate defeat of death.
We can sum this idea up
into a single word:
Freedom
to fight?
To sacrifice
Everything?
Riches? Honor? Fear? Power?
Yes to all of these, but in this case it is
an idea.
The idea that perhaps
people should be free to make their own choice.
That maybe, just because something
or someone
is older, more powerful and simply stronger
it's not always right.
The idea that
"all men are created equal"
The idea that
"we the people"
are maybe able to make
our own choices.
Such an idea
inspired men to face
fire and water,
cold and heat,
hunger and disease,
blood and broken bones,
and the ultimate defeat of death.
We can sum this idea up
into a single word:
Freedom
Monday, June 30, 2008
Imaginary Vacation
Since I can't afford a vacation to any exotic places, I'll post pictures of them. And dream...........................................................................................................
Troy, Turkey 
Athens, Greece
Sydney, AustraliaSurfing, sand, sun, sea, surfer-dudes. Need I say more?
Ginza, Tokyo Japan
I would love to spend a semester in Tokyo. Hey! Maybe I will.
Monday, May 26, 2008
In Memoriam
Today is Memorial Day. It hasn't been a National Holiday for quiet a while.
I've researched the history of Memorial Day & this is what Wikipedia (I'm addicted to Wiki!) has to say:
Following the end of the Civil War many communities set aside a day to mark the end of the war or as a memorial to those who had died. Some of the places creating an early memorial day include Charleston South Carolina; Boalsburg Pennsylvania; Richmond Virginia; Carbondale Illinois; Columbus Mississippi; many communities in Vermont; and some two dozen other cities and towns. These observances eventually coalesced around Decoration Day (What Memorial Day was originally called), honoring the Union dead, and the several Confederate Memorial Days.
Since I'm a Mississippian, I will give special place to the Columbus story
Many of the states of the U.S. South refused to celebrate Decoration Day, due to lingering hostility towards the Union Army and also because there were very few veterans of the Union Army who lived in the South. A notable exception was Columbus Mississippi, which on April 25, 1866 at its Decoration Day commemorated both the Union and Confederate casualties buried in its cemetery.
Now, also since I'm a Mississippian I can add more to the above lines. Columbus began to commemorate Union & Confederate soldiers because church ladies started decorating all the graves, not just the Confederate ones as they said "The Union mothers are missing their sons too, & we'd want them to honor our boys so we'll honor theirs." Bravo ladies! But it's so true. Even to this day, there's resentment against the "Yanks" here. I know it might sound crazy to some of you, but it's true. The pain from the Civil War ran so deep here in the South. Plus, we Southerners are notorious for holding long set grudges & bad traditions.
Now that you know this, perhaps you'll see Memorial Day in a new way?
But isn't it tragic that it took the deaths of so many (over 600,000!) to bring us back together?
I've researched the history of Memorial Day & this is what Wikipedia (I'm addicted to Wiki!) has to say:
Following the end of the Civil War many communities set aside a day to mark the end of the war or as a memorial to those who had died. Some of the places creating an early memorial day include Charleston South Carolina; Boalsburg Pennsylvania; Richmond Virginia; Carbondale Illinois; Columbus Mississippi; many communities in Vermont; and some two dozen other cities and towns. These observances eventually coalesced around Decoration Day (What Memorial Day was originally called), honoring the Union dead, and the several Confederate Memorial Days.
Since I'm a Mississippian, I will give special place to the Columbus story
Many of the states of the U.S. South refused to celebrate Decoration Day, due to lingering hostility towards the Union Army and also because there were very few veterans of the Union Army who lived in the South. A notable exception was Columbus Mississippi, which on April 25, 1866 at its Decoration Day commemorated both the Union and Confederate casualties buried in its cemetery.
Now, also since I'm a Mississippian I can add more to the above lines. Columbus began to commemorate Union & Confederate soldiers because church ladies started decorating all the graves, not just the Confederate ones as they said "The Union mothers are missing their sons too, & we'd want them to honor our boys so we'll honor theirs." Bravo ladies! But it's so true. Even to this day, there's resentment against the "Yanks" here. I know it might sound crazy to some of you, but it's true. The pain from the Civil War ran so deep here in the South. Plus, we Southerners are notorious for holding long set grudges & bad traditions.
Now that you know this, perhaps you'll see Memorial Day in a new way?
But isn't it tragic that it took the deaths of so many (over 600,000!) to bring us back together?
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
They Say the World
Sees you
Like you see yourself
I wonder if that's true
I don't think it can be.
No one sees Isode
as a punker
except herself.
People don't see Maya
as fat. Ever though
her main topic of conversation is
her weight.
So I don't believe
the world sees you
like you see yourself.
I believe the world
sees you as they want.
As whatever they are most comfortable
with. So perhaps it is
useless
to try & change our image.
And yes. I am a bit jaded.
But I still try.
Like you see yourself
I wonder if that's true
I don't think it can be.
No one sees Isode
as a punker
except herself.
People don't see Maya
as fat. Ever though
her main topic of conversation is
her weight.
So I don't believe
the world sees you
like you see yourself.
I believe the world
sees you as they want.
As whatever they are most comfortable
with. So perhaps it is
useless
to try & change our image.
And yes. I am a bit jaded.
But I still try.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Yes, I did go to Swaziland. But I'm still not sure what to say. How could I? But, I do know now that I want to help, maybe not overseas (although I plan on taking a missions trip back to Swaziland next summer), but in the inner city of our own country. This summer in fact my youth group will be helping around the metro area. I am physched, but most everyone else (especially the guys) are rather, um, terrified. And one in particular thinks I'm insane. Ah well. I am.
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