Stuff I need to make some time for, soon

1. Thinking about my summer plans
2. Thinking about my career goals
3. Reading all the books and web sites I’ve been meaning to read
4. Making connections with professors
5. A hobby
6. My family

Sister, preach it!

I love Margaret Cho.  People find her abrasive or whatever, but I think she’s hilarious, and she’s putting herself right out there as an in-your-face funny woman — something the world seems to have a problem with.  I love this quote from the Notorious C.H.O.  (link)

And I have self-esteem. Which is pretty amazing because I’m somebody who wouldn’t necessarily have a lot of self-esteem, as I am considered a minority. And if you are a woman, if you’re a person of color, if you are gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, if you’re a person of size, if you’re a person of intelligence, if you’re a person of integrity, then YOU are considered a minority in this world. And it’s gonna be hard to find messages of self-love and support anywhere….

When you don’t have self-esteem, you will hesitate before you do anything in your life. You will hesitate to go for the job you really want to go for. You will hesitate to ask for a raise. You will hesitate to call yourself an American. You will hesitate to report a rape. You will hesitate to defend yourself when you are discriminated against because of your race, your sexuality, your size, your gender. You will hesitate to vote. You will hesitate to dream.

For us to have self-esteem is truly an act of revolution. And our revolution is long overdue.

Driving bigotry underground

Sometimes we can be so insulated in our own circle of like-minded people, that we get a big shock when we find out what people are *really* like. When a Sikh classmate of mine was denied entrance to a bar because of his turban, the article about him had comments like:

My Rostafarian religion requires me to wear a baseball cap [sideway]. No turbin no entry. Deal with it loser!

If he does not like it, he should go back to his own country. He is just another sand niger.

follow the rules or get out. i have never seen such a whiney bunch as mid-easterners. they have a seisure reaction to every slight, real or imagined.

And here is an article about an Indiana school where the principal has decided to censor a student editorial asking for tolerance of gays. Again, look at the comments:

VD

I have heard so many people complain about Valentine’s Day. I mean, yeah, I guess it kind of sucks if you don’t have someone to be with, but can you just respect other people’s beliefs and quit griping? I swear, there is a War on Valentine’s Day going on, and no one is pulling any punches like they do for the War on Christmas, the Crusade on Halloween, or the Jihad on Rosh Hashana (ok maybe I made the last one up).

And for those of you with the whole, “It’s soo~ overcommercialized (*rolls eyes*),” argument — don’t EVEN go there. I don’t hear you whining about Christmas. And those of you who honestly do go around making the same diatribes around Christmastime (my condolences to your relatives), what about Halloween? Or Mardi Gras? Or even Spring Break??

“Ugh, I hate Spring Break, it’s soo~ commercialized.”
“I know! And all the pressure to go out and party. That’s why I always stay home and do nothing.”
“Yeah, I’m just gonna watch some winter-themed movies with a bowl of Doritos.”
“Well, there’s also that anti-spring break party going on.”
“Sure, whatevs.”

Please. Get over yourselves. It’s just a day. It’s just taking your girlfriend to dinner. Sorry if my heart doesn’t bleed at your plight.

Ex-reverend is ex-gay?

In this article, former Rev. Ted Haggard claims he has been cured of being gay. You will remember Haggard as the fundamentalist pastor who was disgraced when his male lover/prostitute came out publicly about their 3-year relationship and meth use.

Ralph said three weeks of counseling at an undisclosed Arizona treatment center helped Haggard immensely and left Haggard sure of one thing.

“He is completely heterosexual,” Ralph said. “That is something he discovered. It was the acting- out situations where things took place. It wasn’t a constant thing.”

Why Haggard chose to act out in that manner is something Haggard and his advisers are trying to discern, Ralph said.

All due respect to Ex-rev. Haggard, but who are you kidding? Three weeks and you’re “completely heterosexual”? Lindsay Lohan has been in rehab longer than that, and you don’t hear her claiming to be “completely sober.” In fact, what respectable addiction treatment program gives its clients the message that they can be cured completely? Excuse me, but addiction is lifelong — think of AA meetings and mentors. And I’m not saying that being gay is like an addiction at all, I’m just pointing out the hypocrisy in their doctrine. Being gay is yummy and fun, and completely healthy.

Oh, and check out this piece from back in December:

The former escort predicted Haggard would disappear for a while, then emerge as a man who has been “cured” of homosexuality. Jones also believes Haggard will use the opportunity, write a book and make millions.

So, Ted, how’s the book coming?

Good atheism

So I was reading the Facebook profiles of people in my class, for fun, and I have found that many of them are Christians and proud to say so. But few people I know have put that they are atheist. Now, part of the reason, I’m sure, is that few people would be comfortable making such a strong statement against the existence of God — we just don’t know for sure. But there are (must be) others like me who actively think there is probably no God, or have reason to not believe in God. We just are afraid to admit it.

Part of it is the recognition that belief in atheism basically means you believe everyone with faith in God is wrong. You can do it in a harsh way, claiming that others are under a “delusion” (as Richard Dawkins’s book states). You can also do it in a milder way, which is what I usually do, by saying that, “Faith in God doesn’t work for me, but I think it can help some people.” Which is basically the same spiel I give for people who swear by ridiculous alternative medicine remedies. Another part of it is the fear that declaring atheism is the same as painting the words, “Save me” on my chest.

Atheists have got to learn to be proud of their beliefs. And at the same time, to be tolerant of other beliefs. I think that’s the major obstacle to atheists today.

Bad atheism

But oh so funny:

On Yahoo Answers, Tribble Macher asks, “How can I not speak of the goodness of GOD and his saving grace found in Christ Jesus?”

Freshbliss answers, “Duct tape works wonders.”