Ramblings on Zombies *accusatory glare*

Zombies get a bad wrap. But that is wrong, because zombies are people too. I mean think about it. Zombies are definitely somewhat different from the rest of us- but that is no reason at all to treat them differently. Deep inside they are the same as we are. They have a heart and a brain and feelings that can be hurt.

We curse them and make tacky movies about them because they are different, because they have a slightly different diet than we do, because they dress a little different, and aren't such huge fans of bathing. But so what? This is America and that is not how we operate. Here people are allowed to be different, even strange. Here people are allowed to chase after their dreams. Sure Zombies have different dreams than we do. They have different goals. But that is what they do, not who they are.

We act as if them achieving their goals will somehow impede the rest of us in achieving our own goals. That's really all we are worried about isn't it? For some reason each of us thinks that the things we work so hard for are the most important things in this world, but that is not always true. There are others out there; Other people with other needs, and we sometimes get in the way. That is rude and inconsiderate of us.

We need to think of others more. Many of us claim to be willing to give up blood sweat tears and even limbs in the service of others, but who of us has actually done that? I for one have never donated an arm to the zombie cause and it makes me disgusted with myself. As soon as I finish this post I plan to make that donation, and make a difference in the life of some young zombie child who might otherwise go hungry. I encourage you to do the same.

We live in a world where all are treated equally, we have affirmative action and equal opportunity employment programs to ensure that a certain percentage of each race, former prisoners, and even those of different sexual orientations, can work and learn together. But why not the zombies? what have they ever done to harm us? Sure they gorge themselves on the occasional child and sometimes turn others into their own kind, but so what? That's no reason to shun them. There is no reason that they should have to work to earn such god-given rights as that of employment, education, healthcare, housing, utilities, groceries, and transportation when the rest of us are simply given all of these things by our loving government.

I feel that the government is seriously missing the mark here. The constitution calls for the government to look after the general welfare of each and every citizen. One's citizenship does not change just because their chemical make-up and overall species has changed. They are still citizens of this, the greatest country on earth, and they deserve all of the rights, privileges and freebies that come with that title.

So next time you find yourself in a dark alley with one of our zombie brothers, do not run, do not scream in terror or attempt to remove it's head with whatever sharp or blunt object you might have with you. Instead remember that he/she/it also has needs. Offer up your hand in friendship, which I am sure he/she/it will consider a gracious and delectable (tho small) snack.

Ramblings on GenCon '09 *contentment*

For those of you who don't know (of which there are probably a lot) Gen Con stands for General Conference, which is a semi-annual (that means twice a year) general meeting of the entire membership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I don't think anyone else actually calls it Gen Con. I just made that up :D . Anyway it is an opportunity for the members of the church to both hear from our leaders and also to vote and sustain them as the leaders of our church.

The actual meetings themselves (five 2-hour sessions in all - three on Saturday and two on Sunday) are held the first weekend of each April and October and are held in the church's Conference Center in Salt Lake City (if you read my last entry this is where I almost ran into a tree...among other mishaps that we coordinately-challenged people encounter) and broadcast all over the world in almost 100 languages. Like I said leaders speak to the membership of the church on these occasions. These are inspired, intelligent men and women who arguably teach me more every six months than I learn during all the time in between (yeah I go to college-but I'm kind of a slacker).

This year was especially awesome. I have been to conference up at the conference center a couple of times before - and it was pretty neat. Last April we had 2 tickets but 4 people and decided to all go up anyway - we managed to get 2 more tickets and had a great time going to a session. This year however we had 5 people, and no tickets, but decided to take the chance and go on up to Salt Lake (it's only like a 40 minute drive). We asked around and managed to get some of the best seats in the place for not 1 session, but two. It was glorious. We were seriously like 20 rows back from the podium. To get much closer than that you pretty much have to be either security or family of a speaker.

In between the two sessions we meandered around Salt lake a bit and found a place to eat. Afterwards on our way back to the car I even talked our friend Brittany into jumping into a fountain (she did not jump-she stepped in quickly and didn't even get her skirt wet- I want my $5 back). It was an enjoyable affair.

Above all else however, the talks given were amazing. Somehow it is more real hearing this person speak from a hundred feet away than on a TV in another state or country. I could feel the fervor in their voices and the dedication with which they spoke and it seriously impressed me. There were some amazing themes this conference, which tied together so beautiful that if I didn't know any better then I would think they had planned it (in reality each speaker prepares their own remarks separately and usually only find out what others are speaking about when the talks are given the day of). Among these themes were following: the Holy Ghost and the need to invite him more fully into our daily lives; Christ-like love & service and how they are one and the same; and the importance of following Christ - not just nitpicking at the Do's and Don't's - but loving those around us and also taking advantage of the sacrifice that he made for each of us by repenting and constantly working to change our lives for the better.

I'm sure that different people got different specifics out of this conference but these items in particular touched me. Sometimes it really is easy to get into the type of mindset where we worry so much about the Dos and Don'ts that we kind of forget the big picture. The big picture is love. It sounds like a corny Beatles song, but it is true, all you need is love. We are here on the earth because God loves us. We have the opportunity to return to our Heavenly father's presence because Jesus Christ loves us so much that he sacrificed himself for us, enduring more physical pain and mental anguish than any other person. We have the opportunity to thrive here on the earth by showing love to each other and serving one another in both temporal and spiritual ways. All you need is love. Seriously.

There are other important and specific things that we need as well, but as we follow the Holy Ghost (one of the themes) and integrate him more completely into our lives, each of us can be led to accomplish, and help others to accomplish, all that is necessary.

It's great to hear all of this and another thing completely to implement it all into real life. Every 6 months I have this struggle where I have been told so specifically what is right and I feel so sure about what I should do, but that doesn't necessarily make it easier. But as long as progress is progress and not regress, speed only counts for so much.

Ramblings on Comedians *chuckle*

On my last trip to Disney World I bought a button which has a picture of scar, from The Lion King, on it. When you push on the button Scar says “I’m surrounded by idiots.” I love this button, because let’s face it; we all are surrounded by idiots. I mostly keep it locked away in my trunk (yes I have a trunk-just like Harry Potter) because I think some people might take offense at being called idiots, but I think about it often. Many times throughout the day I can hear a little Scar voice in my ear saying “I’m surrounded by idiots”

I have a lot of comedians in my life. They are funny. Not funny like "real" comedians, but funny nonetheless. This is both good and bad. Good because it allows us to tell each other things that need to be said, hard things, in a somewhat less critical manner; bad, because sometimes sensitive things are treated a bit too lightly.

My friends and I are very sarcastic-my family too actually. In fact in my family we show our love for each other almost exclusively through sarcasm. This works for my family and friends, cuz we get it, but not always with other people. Sometimes a "loving" remark can be misunderstood as hostility.

My best friend and I frequently tell each other that the other is fat, and not jokingly, but it's also not offensive. It's our way of saying "hey man you need to watch it or you're going to die of a massive coronary someday" just in fewer words. It is an act of love - without getting all girly and mushy we are able to say 'hey I want you to be healthy and don't want to see bad things happen to you.' The same goes for when my friends tell me I drive like a madman. It's kind of true, I am an aggressive and somewhat impatient driver at times...okay most of the time - and I take their remarks and criticism to mean that they want me to be more careful.

Other people however, who have not been introduced to our way of communicating...well they don't take "you're fat" and "you drive like a moron" so lightly. I understand why, but I wish they understood my actual meaning when I say things like that. I'd like to think that I am not handicapped by this inability to communicate like a normal person - but I probably am.

Likewise when I find myself in a sentimental mood or at stressful moments I too can find offense in the funny (and often hilarious) comments made by my friends and family.

I began to think about all of this the other night when a friend of mine pointed out that I laugh a lot. Like a lot a lot - at everything. In large part I laugh a lot because I have learned in life to see most any negative situation, comment, or experience in a humorous light. I also laugh a lot because there is a lot of messed up stuff in the world, and a lot of messed up people, but if you really think about it - it's all quite hilarious too. Especially when we consider how almost any awkward, negative, or even tragic situation can be (and probably was) brought about by someone just being stupid.

Thanks to modern popular media, we spend most of our laughter on stupid people these days. Zoolander and mean girls are not hilarious because the characters are intelligent people who make good decisions. The writers who wrote them are obviously geniuses but in real life we are also surrounded by idiots. Not all of them are actually idiots, but let's face it, we all have idiotic moments. The other day, walking down the street in Salt Lake City, I almost ran into a tree because I wasn't watching where I was going. That was funny. It would have been even funnier had I actually run into it; a lot funnier in fact.

That, to me, is why there is so much to laugh at in the world. Sometimes that stupidity can bring about serious consequences that put real people in real danger. Imagining the circumstances that brought that about can still be funny though. A friend of mine cannot help but laugh (and quite loudly) whenever anything funny/embarrassing happens, and I love her for it. It’s hilarious; both the person messing up and her lack of ability to control her laughter.

Often, people are willing to overlook the not-so-smooth moves made by others in order to spare them embarrassment or whatever, but come on - we all do it. None of us is as smooth, tactful, or cool as we would like to think we are. Half the chuckles and guffaws that escape my lips I make in reference to myself. Just the other day I accidentally sent a couple texts to exactly the wrong person - It was extremely stupid - but also extremely hilarious. My roommate and I laughed for a good long while. And it was fun. Many other laughs followed as I attempted to repair the situation and as I was teased about it by the girls who got the text.

So, what’s the point of this all? I think we all need to laugh more. Again I find myself the perfect example of what the rest of the world should be (don’t be too jealous- it is a heavy burden to bear). If only Disney still made the Scar buttons for everyone to carry around and push every time someone tripped, dropped something, said something stupid, or even caused a minor catastrophe, I think the world would be a better, happier place.

Ramblings on Punks *growl*

So today I'm walking down the hall. V e r y s l o w l y. I knew I was gonna be late for my next class, but I assumed that there must be a good reason for the congestion. However, upon arriving at the front what do I find? 3 people standing in the middle of the hallway chatting away happily about who-knows-what, and the rest of the crowd squeezing their way past them on one side.

Can you say moronic? Not just the people standing in the way (who are obviously the biggest idiots in this situation) but also the people who squeeze silently past them. Not one of the goody goody little mormon kids walking by has the guts to tell them move the heck out of the way. So what do I do when I get to the front? I say "hey guys. See that huge mass of people trying to get through? Yeah that's cuz you're standing in the way - how about you go chit chat ANYWHERE else." I got some dirty looks, but they moved.

Sometimes I am one of those people. The kind that doesn't say anything. That just walks past with their head down. It annoys the crap out of me. Sometimes I am very anti-confrontational. I don't want any trouble. But other times...not so much.

I really don't mind people giving me crap or making my life more complicated. I can deal with it. But what annoys me beyond belief is when I see other people, especially people I care about, being inconvenienced or treated poorly by others. Like who the eff do these people think they are? They really think they are that much more important than everyone else? or anyone else for that matter? Sometimes I am sure it's more that they are just kind of stupid and oblivious, but that still suggests a certain level of self-absorption. It's not always as simple as people just standing in the way and I'm sure we all do it to some extent but seriously ppl get the eff over yourselves.

Sometimes I feel like a big loser for always worrying about what other people think/need, but at this moment I really don't feel so loser-ish about it. I am happy to say that I worry about other people a lot. Sometimes I speed Just because I feel like I'm holding up the guy behind me (note the sometimes - I usually speed just cuz I like to go fast) and at least once or twice a week I'll turn right when I don't really want to because I am in the right lane at a red light and I can see that all the cars behind me want to turn right and are waiting for me to get the heck out of the way.

When I go to my friends' houses I bring my iPod and the TV cable to it in case they want to watch movies off of it. Yes I also do this to avoid having to go back and get it from my place later on - but only because I would do exactly that. I try to hold doors for other people and I try to help when I go to gatherings thrown by others. I help stack chairs and take out trash - I have even been known to cut up and divvy out wedding cake at random receptions, because the people who volunteer for that stuff ahead of time would actually rather watch the couple dance and such. I even explain that I'm being sarcastic whenever I'm sarcastic because I'm worried that I might have hurt someone's feelings.

I guess I really just wish that everyone could be more like me, because I am the epitome of kindness, chivalry and all things good and cool.

No but really; Today of all days, considering all the self-righteous and self-absorbed punks out there, I am proud to be a people pleaser. I like seeing smiles on other people's faces and knowing that I put them there. Is there anything wrong with that? I'm sure there are volumes to write about what it means in relation to my lack of self esteem-but we'll leave that for another day, no?

Ramblings on healthcare *sigh*

Okay so I realize that not a soul on earth reads this, but I have decided that I don't care. I'm gonna keep posting shiz anyway. Pretty much because I can. Today a facebook friend of mine posted a YouTube video of congressman Mike Rogers making a very good case against the current bill on the table for Healthcare reform. The video was great. I agree with Mr. Rogers 1000%. But the comments after...holy crap are these people confused. I never respond to this crap online but I decided to today. Somebody has got to set these people straight.

One guy talks about how he wouldn't mind paying for the care of the %15 of Americans who don't actually have healthcare. And you know what? That's just fine. If he wants to pay for their healthcare then by all means go for it. But that does not mean that I and the rest of America have to pay for it.

I donate way more money to charities and such than most broke college students my age do. I pay 10% of my income to my church, a non profit organization which does tons and tons to benefit its members and others with that money. I also donate fast offerings which are used expressly for the help of those in need of food, clothing and other necessities. I feel comfortable donating my money to this organization because I know it goes to the right place.

I know of plenty of occasions in which the church has used this money to help those who can't help themselves with eveything from medical bills to rent and groceries. The church has strict rules and no middlemen. All of the church's leaders are laymen; they don't get paid. So my money does not go into anyone's paycheck. It goes to the people who need it. The church also doesn't just hand out money to people who ask for it.

Before giving anyone money for these types of things the Bishop checks to make sure that the family is doing everything they can with the budget that they have, in order to pay their bills. The church isn't going to give them money to pay their phone bill if they have a plan with unnecessary features, or give them money for a grocery bill that they could pay themselves if only they discontinued their cable TV subscription. And the church will not continue to help a family for months and months if they are not putting their own blood sweat and tears into providing for themselves. The government doesn't do it like that.

Long story short, (okay not THAT much shorter - but a little bit) I give MY money that I earn to organizations that I trust and that I know will not squander my money on people who are not trying to take care of themselves, or waste it all on middlemen. I bring this up because by creating a government healthcare plan, paid for by MY taxes the government forces me to donate to people that THEY deem deserving of it; I don't get a say.

Plenty of our money is already used in medicaid and welfare programs that waste our money. Federally funded programs like ACORN use our money to help prostitutes set up brothels and get illegal home loans(see foxnews.com). So why in the heck would I want to give more of MY money to the federal government so that it can go to people who don't deserve it and aren't working for it?

By charging me higher taxes to pay for other's healthcare and the like, the government takes away MY freedom to give MY money to charitable organizations that I want to donate to.

Another guy argues that it is our duty to help these people because they cannot help themselves(apparently he thinks all of this 15% are incapable of working). He then states that we must help them until they can help themselves and then they will become productive and contribute. There is a SERIOUS flaw in this guy's argument. He ASSUMES (and you know what they say about assuming) that people WANT to work and WILL work. I'm sorry to sound sinister but I have met WAY too many lazy people who are all too happy to leech off of the government(us) and stay home watching MTV (which we pay for) instead of working.

I lived in Brazil for 2 years and there I saw a great example of how the government spoon-feeding people does them no good in the end. I love Brazil and it's people more than most of you could possibly understand, but Brazilians are very laid back people. The kind of people who don't work unless they have to. In northern Brazil, where I lived, the people are very poor and most of them are on some kind of welfare. At the beginning of every month they line up for blocks and blocks to get their checks from the government. The problem in Brazil is that they have a very small upper class and an even smaller middle class, and these two classes pay for a very very large poor class. So the checks that these people are getting aren't even big. They use these checks and whatever profit they can make selling candy and baked goods on street corners to pay for their rent and food for their families.

Systems like theirs, which reward people for not contributing to the system contribute to a polarization of the classes. In order to survive you either give up and lay back, in order to qualify for government assistance, or you work your butt off in order to break into the upper class. Which is much much harder there than it is here. By creating a similar system here - one in which you get free healthcare for not working and have to pay for it when you do work - we will similarly polarize our own classes and increase our own poor class by exorbitant amounts.

We live in a society that teaches us to do what is right for ourselves, as individuals. When was the last time you saw a movie or TV show in which a character was encouraged to give up their dreams in order to contribute to the family or community as a whole? I, for one, can't think of any, and I have seen A LOT of movies. They all result in the rest of the family making sacrifices so that one person can follow their dreams. Then in real life we all have this image, this idea, in which everyone is supposed to cater to our needs in the end and support the individual's happiness.

And when there are programs out there that actually pay people for not going to work and not contributing then that is what they do. Everyone has those days where they just don't want to go to work. If you could still live at the same comfort level and not have to work every day wouldn't you do it? "but a welfare check can't pay for the rent on my house and the kinds of food i like to eat" you say, but what if you had already grown up in the poor part of town? In a tiny apartment and learning to live with less expensive food and clothing? well a welfare check covers that doesn't it?

I don't want any of you thinking that I am categorizing everyone with needs as lazy and poor, because that's not true. But I am saying that it is a factor. I am saying that by rewarding people for not contributing to society then we will create a larger problem for ourselves and our country. A problem which then gets passed on generation after generation. Don't we already have enough problems as it is?

The point of all this is that we cannot bring some people up simply by pulling others down. There are crooks everywhere trying to scam others and make money by doing as little as possible. Those people are scum and I'd like to smack them. But I am a firm believer that a person at the bottom CAN work their way to the top by working hard and honestly. My own father did not graduate high school. He got a job at Kentucky Fried Chicken and worked his way into management. He worked hard 80-hour weeks with little to no sleep.

After marrying my mother they ran into some of the scum that I already mentioned. These people were dishonest and through corrupt business dealings pushed my parents into bankruptcy. From that point on my father and mother have been perpetual entrepreneurs, constantly working to dig themselves out of that bankruptcy hole. They've done everything from VHS duplication to party planning and even reselling restaurant equipment on eBay. I know no two people in the entire world who work harder. They've done everything in their power to make it in the middle class. They are both over 50 now and still work for themselves; they work hard and do honest work. AND they did all this while raising 6 children. You can't tell me that hard work can't take you places.

The healthcare and poverty problems cannot be blamed on a lack of government intervention. I find that most (if not all) of the problems we encounter in our country are a result of two things: laziness and greed, people attempting to work less and earn more as to glorify themselves and fatten their own wallets. What I feel is the best way to solve these problems is to find ways to do away with both of laziness and greed in our society. Not surprisingly both of these attributes are developed at a very young age in the home and taught/influenced by parents, teachers, and media - but that is a different rant for a different day.

First Post

So in my procrastination of schoolwork, I began to read people's blog. It's something I never do. I used to think blogs were stupid. But a certain person's blog (I won't say who) really got to me and made me see the benefits of spilling your guts to the world.

Heck maybe no one will read this. In part I really do hope that no one will read this. But if they do then I hope they like it. And if you don't like it...well shove off.

Let's just hope I don't totally suck at this. I have been known to start things before and never finish them. But I'll worry about that later, for now I need to get to that homework....and by get to that homework I mean check facebook one or two more times and then, if I can't find anymore distractions....then I'll do homework :D