My New Computer

I took out a loan to get a computer yesterday! I am way more excited then I should be. I haven't ever had a computer of my own, which is strange now a days I have heard. This this will be all mine. I took out a loan for it like an adult.

I'm getting a Mac Book, and yes, I am going to buy a purple cover to go over it as well! I am so excited. This weekend, I will no longer have to borrow peoples computers to check my email. I will actually be able to download the pictures off my camera. I can use the computer whenever I want, and don't have to depend on anyone else.

It's strange how much my life revolves around computers, but i guess that is just how it works now a days right?

I am so excited : )

Insulin Resistance

I have been diagnosed with Insulin Resistance. And now that I have posted it on my blog, that makes it official right? Things are always more real once you put them in the public eye.

Insulin Resistance sounds scary, but it really isn’t. Basically, I am just “pre-diabetic”. “Insulin resistance is a condition in which the body produces insulin but does not use it properly”, basically my body will store the insulin in fat particles rather then distribute it properly throughout my body. This makes it very easy for me to put on weight, and very difficult for me to lose it, if I don’t eat properly.

I have probably had Insulin Resistance my entire life, but I have always eaten properly, since recently. Growing up we ate whole grains, lots of fruits and veggies, and very lean meat. Since I have moved out on my own, I have bought the cheapest food I can fine: white bread, potatoes, pastas, and cheap meat. These kinds of things are very bad for me, and will cause rapid weight gain as well as make me very tired and bitchy because my body is not being properly nourished.

Obviously, I am not blaming my weight gain in these last several years on my condition (because I am ultimately pretty lazy), but it is a factor that I have to consider now with any diet.

What does this all mean? Basically, in order for me to be healthy, I have to eat as though I am diabetic. No white breads, starches (such as potatoes), sugar, salts, basically anything that tastes really good, but isn’t healthy. I have to stick to a whole grain diet, with lots of protein and veggies. Not all too bad eh?

So, when I say “no” when you offer me cookies, sweets, white breads, and many bad carbs, I am not saying “no” to you, I just can no longer eat those things.

Insulin Resistance can be controlled, and even reversed, so I guess I can just hope for the best. And hope my “pre-diabetes” does not turn into full blown “diabetes”.

Facebook/Myspace

My life, as well as the lives of a majority of my friends, has seemed to become “Myspace” and “Facebook” co-dependant. More and more decisions I have in my life are based on facts I have learned through these sites, rather then through life experiences. Would life be different without these social networks?

I remember when it was perfectly normal to call your friend up and ask, “What are you doing tonight?” Then you got to actually listen to them make up a phony excuse on the spot, and not have to wait for a response (constantly logging back into Facebook to see if they have responded yet).

I remember when I actually had to tell people about a party, and not just send a “group invite”.

I remember when there was not second guessing, when you got a clear response, and when things were more personal.

I remember when I used to take pictures because I wanted to remember the occasion, and not because I needed a new Facebook album.

I remember when “Good” photography wasn’t based on how many comments you got on your picture, but rather, actually being a “Good” photographer.

Ha, do you remember when people wanted to be something other then a photographer?? It seems like everyone goes through the “photographer” stage now that we have these social networks.

I was thinking about my 10 year high school reunion the other day. And realized, it’s really not going to be a big shock. I can see any of my classmates on their Facebook today if I want too. I can check on them. See which ones are married, pregnant, got fat, graduated college, etc. Is the 10 year reunion really going to be such a big deal? Are these social networks ruining to fun in a lot of things?

If these social networks are ruining the fun, are the ruining more? Relationships? Socializing? I think so.

If you have a big problem with someone, do you call them and meet with them to talk it out? Or do you just send them a Facebook message?

Communication is lost.

I don’t know what I am trying to prove with this. I guess a lot of things. I am getting of on one million tangents.
I guess I am really just trying to say, I really hate social networks. And I think I am done.

Freedom of Religion is Not Free

Wouldn’t it be nice to live in a country where one of our founding amendments was “Freedom of Religion”? Where anyone that lived here would be free to practice whatever religion they truly believed in, without prejudice. Where Muslims could be Muslims, Jews could be Jews, Buddhists could be Buddhists, and Christians could be Christians. No religion was considered, “Better then the other”, and all were equally recognized.

This morning I was driving to work and I passed a Christian school. I thought how wonderful it must be to have a place where you can freely demonstrate your religion. Where you know you are not going to be judged because you pray in school. To have a place where you truly fit in. But, shouldn’t that be free for everyone? Shouldn’t you be able to pray in peace?

Why are we not allowed to pray in schools? If we have freedom of religion, couldn’t we pray wherever we are free? And, couldn’t we bow to “Allah” instead of pray to “God” or “Jesus”?

Supposedly, we are not allowed to pray in schools because not everyone prays, and the people that don’t pray will be left out. In search for equality, we are segregating. Instead of being able to pray in a public school people are forced to build these “....Christian.. ..Schools....” that are in turn segregating the people that are not “Christian”. Is this the direction ....America.... is moving? In order to celebrate our own faith we have to build ourselves a temple to worship.

Freedom of religion is not free. When you start having to build yourself a place to pray, freedom becomes a little less easy

Feminist Revolution Revealed

Woman have been fighting for their "rights" since the beginning of time. Ever since the first female neanderthal was ordered to roast the wild boar for supper, woman have been fighting for equality. Honestly, "equality" is what everyone is fighting for, but I would rather fight for happiness.

Since the 70's, when the feminist movement really took off, stay-at-home mothers have been viewed completely differently. No longer was it the typical, accepted, view of the female role. It now was a woman giving up her life for a man. Surrendering her own self for others. Blah Blah Blah. And many people stopped accepting a "house-wife" as an acceptable job.

If a 17 year girl went to the career counselor and told him/her that all they wanted to be was a housewife, what would the career counselor say?

If I said that all I really wanted to do was be a wife and a mother, what would you say? If I said that all I want is to have dinner ready on the table when my husband gets home, what would you say? If I said that all I really want to do is stay at home and raise the children, clean the house, and cook the food, what would you say?

Am I giving up, or selling my self short, or what?

Honestly, this is ALL I know I want to do. This is it. I want to be a good wife, and an excellent mother. That's absolutely it. That is all I want to do. And with our current "feminist movement", it has been so hard to accept it.

I keep thinking I have to go to school, get a degree and become something. But, I know that no matter what I get a degree in and how happy I am with my job, I will give it up as soon as I have kids. And it's not that I would "give it up", it's that I would want too! I wouldn't view it as "giving it up" I would view it as doing something different. Doing something that I have to do, and want to do.

And I am not saying that, that is what I want to do NOW. I'm not saying that I want to grow up RIGHT NOW, get married and have kids. Because that is silly. I'm still a kid myself. I'm just saying that, that is all I want to do someday.

And, I don't view it as giving up. And, I don't view it as selling myself short. I just know that is who I am, and all that I want. I just don't know what I want to do until then.

The most important thing to me has always been my family, and I have always been great at taking care of them. That is all I want to do.

I'm not fighting for equality exactly, I'm just fighting for the right to do what I want to do without discrimination. I'm looking for people to accept the fact that I want to be a housewife, and not look down on it. Not think that I am selling myself short. I'm not looking for feminist equality, I'm looking for you to accept my happiness.

Procrastinating

The idea of procrastination has been crossing my mind lately. What exactly consists of being a procrastinator, and when does it cross the line into something else?

Through out school, I have definatly been a giant procrastinator. Putting of a ten page paper to the night before. I finished my ENTIRE senior project the week it was due. I am definatly a procrastinator. But, I think it crosses the line when your act of procrastination actually affects other people's outcomes. Finishing the paper the night before, or finishing a project the day of is one thing, because they only affect your own outcome. If things go wrong, only you will be the one with the bad grade. But, when your procrastination ends up involving another person, that is not procrastinating, that is just selfish laziness. Your own laziness ends up affecting someone elses outcome.

I think the term "procrastinator" has become a very relax term, and a term that people seem to not use correctly. It has the conotation to be almost comical as well, "hahaha, yea...i didn't even start my paper yet, I'm such a procrastinator". And in fact procrastination is almost comical, when someone else is screwing themselves over. BUT, it is not comical, nor is it procrastination when your own selfish act is actually screwing someone else over as well. Just something I have been thinking about lately. So before you start to put something off, please consider: does this involve someone else? If it does, the please, consider again. If you keep putting it off for your own selfish laziness, then please consider never getting married or having kids, because you are obviously not a team player.

Thanks very much for listening, I will get back to work now.

Religious clarification

I am a Unitarian Universialist. Case and Point. I am tired of people saying that I do not have a religion, or am not religious. And, I am tired of people saying that I am not christian. Both of these statements are not true.

But my beliefe is when people don't understand something fully, they just assume. So rather then just bitch and moan about people not understanding me, I might as well explain.

I am a Unitarian Universialist. A definition, "Unitarianism is the belief in the single personality of God, in contrast to the doctrine of the Trinity (three persons in one God). It is the philosophy upon which the modern Unitarian movement was based, and, according to its proponents, is the original form of Christianity. Unitarian Christians believe in the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, as found in the New Testament and other early Christian writings, and hold him up as an exemplar. Adhering to strict monotheism, they maintain that Jesus was a great man and a prophet of God, perhaps even a supernatural being, but not God himself. Unitarians believe in the moral authority, but not necessarily the divinity, of Jesus. They do not pray to Jesus. Their theology is thus distinguishable from the theology of Catholic, Orthodox, mainline Protestant, and other Christian denominations, who hold the Trinity doctrine as a core belief."To make things a little more simple: I believe in God, and I believe in Jesus. But, rather then praying to Jesus--who may have simply been a prophet--I pray to God. Jesus was a great man, but not necisarily the religious divinity--that right goes to God. Other then that, there are very subtle simmilarities and differences. Rather then explaining them myself, here are the main points that are true: They do not have a creed or formal statements of faith that must be believed in its entirety or used as a test of character in order to be accepted into fellowship with other Unitarian Christians. However, they have set out some basic principles that distinguish their faith from other Christian groups.Although there is no specific authority on these principles, the following represent the most generally accepted:
1.the belief in One God and the oneness or unity of God.
2.the life and teachings of Jesus Christ is the exemplar model for living ones' own life.
3.that reason, rational thought, science, and philosophy together with religion and faith are not mutually exclusive.
4.that man has the ability to exercise free will in a responsible, constructive and ethical manner with the assistance of religion.
5.the belief that human nature in its present condition is neither inherently corrupt nor depraved, but capable of both good and evil, as God intended.
6.the conviction that no religion can claim an absolute monopoly on the Holy Spirit or theological truth.
7.the belief that the works of the Bible are inspired by God, but were written and edited by humans and therefore subject to human error.
8. the rejection of traditional doctrines that they believe malign God's character or veil the true nature and mission of Jesus Christ, such as the doctrine of predestination, eternal damnation, the Trinity, and the vicarious sacrifice or satisfaction theory of the Atonement.

Most Unitarian Christians would say that Jesus of Nazareth and his followers and disciples would today be defined as Unitarian Christians, and that Unitarian Christianity is the form of Christianity most closely following the direct teachings of Jesus. However, Unitarian Christians respect the beliefs of others and do not believe that the Unitarian Christian way is the only way to follow God's will.

So, thats basically it as far as the Unitarian aspect of my religion. But the reason Universialist is added is because of a seprate beliefe that I hold to be very dear. The Universialist is added to show that I believe in the "free and responsible search for truth and meaning". This is free from my own personal beliefs in Jesus and God. I believe that everyone is able to search for their own spiritual beliefe that works best for them, in complete harmony and unity. Universialists have their own beliefe system:
1.The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
2.Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
3.Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
4.A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
5.The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
6.The goal of world community with peace, liberty and justice for all;
7.Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part

So, in a nutshell: I am a unitarian universialist. I believe in god, and jesus, and the bible. But I also believe that the bible was written by humans and has room for error. Furthermore, the bible should not be held higher then anyother branch of religion. As long as a religion is being seeked out for the good of humanity, and the betterment of people as a whole, it should be honored and cherished. So, there I am. Religion in a Nutshell.

If you would like to do further reading please visit:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unitarian_Universalism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unitarian