No, It's Not Okay

"If you're not a liberal when you're 20, you have no heart. If you're not a conservative when you're 30, you have no brain." - anonymous?

So I was at the bar last night (what? me at a bar?! never!) and I make a comment about how I helped my roommate write his Italian paper in order to get him to wash the dishes. Some guy next to me pipes up and says, "So if I do your house work, you'll write my paper?" and I laughed and said "sure."

He then proceeds to explain that he wouldn't really be able to do that because he doesn't trust anybody else to do as good of a job and as a poli. sci. major not a lot of people would be able to intelligently handle the subject matter. I agreed and said that I am rather picky about my work as well, but told him I'd love to handle a political science paper. He then said something about being a socialist.... yes,

a Socialist.

... and in light of the fact that we're yelling our conversation in a bar, and it's not a good place for real discourse. I laughed, again, and said something to the effect of "oh, you wouldn't want me any where near your paper." He obviously asked why, and I explained that I am on the complete other end of the political spectrum.

This whole conversation was alright until this point. Next he goes on to tell me that "It's okay, not everybody can have a brain."

(insert-screeching-tires-coming-to-an-abrupt-halt sound here)

Excuse Me?! I politely exit the conversation by pretending my roommate was saying something really really interesting. But the guy persists! He says things like "You just don't know how to think for yourself yet", and "Conservatives are wrong, and not grown up enough to admit it" etc. Not wanting to engage in an argument in a bar, with an idiot I continue to ignore the guy.

Then he comes up and says "Don't worry one day you'll figure it out and you'll thank me."

Here's where I turned around and I said "Actually, I'll thank you now. I'd like to thank you for providing an opposing opinion so that our democratic process can be more well rounded and considerate of the differences between people. I'd also like to thank you for providing the opposite end of the spectrum for people to listen to in order to expand their knowledge, and I'd like to thank you for being a complete liberal moron who is reinforcing my idea that extremist liberals are nothing but mouthy children."

He could have just left me alone and I wouldn't have gotten so angry! I would have ignored the fact that he's probably some upper-middle class brat who has never spent a day in a socialist country in his life, and only perpetuates what is fed to him through his liberal academia baby-food tube! (You know, the ones they give you in the hospital when you can't feed yourself or chew or anything?)

No, I never have been to a socialist country. Yes, my family does fine for themselves. However, there's no way on God's green earth that I am simply going to regurgitate what someone tells me! You need to critically review the world around you before accepting it as fact! Nothing comes out of anyone's mouth that isn't biased, either through selective referencing or skewed facts. Personally, I prefer selective referencing... but that's just me.

I can and do think for myself. Which is why my political opinions are a little odd. Not a frequent reader? Here are some examples...

1- I don't ever want a woman to be President, which is odd because I'm female (and yes, I've got real reasons)
2- I do believe in a bit of socialized health care (most American's aren't hot on the idea)... the Navy's done an interesting job of it.
3- I am pro flag-burning. Which is pretty vehemently fought against as an absolute crime against the nation. However, my reasoning is a whoooooooole other blog.

By annoying and ridiculing me, that guy simply proved that just like most other people... he doesn't think for himself. And no, that's not okay. It's not okay to pester your fellow Americans, it's not okay to be that self-righteous and cocky and its not okay to try and make me feel dumb.

I am not dumb. I am not a lackadaisical sheep [reference: Complete Bullshit: Part II]. I am not a heartless human being.

But, It's Okay, you'll figure it out eventually.

And then... you'll thank me.

__________________________________________________________

In Other News, a couple of my friends have been being well, not friendly lately. It's really disappointing. However, as I have had explained to me previously... Never make someone a priority when they have made you and option. (Thank you, Mommy) Thus, a few of my priorities have become options. On the upside, my greatest friends ever are still at the absolute top of my priority list. I love you guys. On a less cynical note, as the semester is ending things are beginning to change really quickly. It's a bit frightening to think of all the things that were different this time a year ago, and what's going to change a year from now. Finally, my room is clean. My house is clean (and decorated!) and I believe I'm going to NC this weekend.

I'm still particularly missing certain people, but if i didn't miss them... then they wouldn't be worth it.

I Hate Jessica Simpson

Check the Link...

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,313387,00.html

Grrrr.

Just because I can't sing, I'm not 5'10 and thin doesn't mean I can't date Tony Romo.

The Real Reasons Why Liberals Worry About Global Warming

As you very well know, I am a fan of lists. In order to keep me from rambling and going too far to the wayside I'll present the Real Reasons Why Liberals Worry About Global Warming in list form... with lots of pictures :)

1- Global Warming has the Same Initials as George W.
that really isn't much of a reason so much as a nifty coincidence. If Al Gore can't win against one GW, he'll fight against the other.

2- Global Warming Could Potential Drown Their Constituency
Now, according to a political map of red and blue states a large portion of the blue states touch water, minus New Mexico and Iowa. (disclaimer: this is the first red/blue state map I stumbled upon, and in the interest of time and my more serious academic ventures i used this instead of something that is absolutely accurate and harder to find on GoogleImage... it's for a silly blog, deal with it.)

[IMG]http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b180/EmyGrace/statesfinal.gif[/IMG]

And according to my eight minutes of extensive research global warming will cause the oceans, lakes and rivers of the world to have a "total relative rise of between 55 and 60 centimeters over a century." By my calculations (I'm not a math major so this could be wrong), that means in a century the water would rise 1.968 feet. That's not a considerable about but enough to start threatening the east coast. Add a few more centuries on to that and we're six or seven feet underwater. Which again (by my calculations) could cover a lot of stuff. So the map would look more like......

Yes, I know, you're all so very impressed by my Paint It! skills. However, please keep reading.

A lot of the red states lose some ground as well, however, my being mostly located in the core of America red states are kind of buffered. Now, I realize how very scientific my predictions are, but, really could they be that far off? I think we'd lose most of michigan (as well as Florida, which is a real shame) and considering how perilously close a lot of the North East has pushed its cities to the water, I think a ton of that would disappear too.

Anyway, that's why liberals are getting nervous... and why conservatives drive SUVs. Our lovely red states are going to be alright, and their blue states, well, there's not much hope.

And just for fun.... i found this map while I was looking for the other one... enjoy :)

________________________________________________

In Other News, after giving up drinking in order to be a little thinner for one day I gave up and shared three pitchers with two of my very greatest friends. I also got to talk to my Mommy last night... which was fantastic. Mommy's very good at putting my head on straight, although, I can't seem to get excited about any where else but Dallas. I have two weeks left in this semester, and hot damn, it flew by fast. I cannot wait to be in Cuba on the 15th of December and then in the water later that day :) I have a particular soft spot today for people who are far away (I really didn't mean for that to rhyme, I'm simply trying to explain that I miss you guys... call me). Homework time, ever written a paper on Metz's Screen Shot Theories as applied to Requiem for a Dream? Sweet, email it to me so I can use it.

Global Track Record & Naked Yoga

"If man does find the solution for world peace it will be the most revolutionary reversal of his record we have ever known." - George C. Marshall

This popped up on my Google Homepage this morning and it's been stuck in my mind all day. It's left me wondering why exactly is the human race's track record so bad? Why are we constantly screwing ourselves? Forgetting the ventures of our predecessors? Ignoring the horrible things in our past that aren't an anomaly but, rather, standard operating procedure?

People individually do it everyday, counties, states, whole nations find themselves in a hand-basket on the way to hell. Individually we make the same mistakes over and over again; dating the same horrible guy twice (or four or five times), procrastinating constantly, repeatedly losing our cool despite all evidence that maintaining your composure is a much better course of action. States keep ratifying and then repealing all the same stupid legislation... are we allowed to smoke in bars or not?... yes you can get an abortion... wait! no you can't! ... Nationally we keep having the same arguments in our congress that we've had for years! Why on earth do the platforms for our politicians never change?! Because we never accomplish a damn thing and move on!

On the whole "reversal of his record" subject... Sure, we've done some pretty great things for ourselves and the world. The institution of democracy, the polio vaccine, the United Nations, open trade agreements, space exploration and general humanitarian aid. But in all that time those things have all only been little band-aids on problems we had then and now. Why can't we learn that killing millions of people is a bad thing? Why don't we realize that just because we've got different economic systems doesn't mean the other people aren't still physiologically the same as us? How about just being nice to your damn neighbor and knocking on their front door to tell them they left the light in their truck on?

In my extensive experience in lots of different parts of the country, people in different areas are nicer to different degrees. The East Coast being one of the most cold and callous places I've ever lived in my life. It is a real blessing that I have neighbors and friends over here who are exceptionally kind people... with excellent track records. However, those couple of people don't out weigh the people who continually contribute to the denigration of modern society and perpetuation of a horrible track record. People in the MidWest and Texas (who are the nicest, on par with people in Tokyo) aren't going to be able to single handedly create a happy nation that contributes to a happy globe.

Here's my prescription for a (slow but eventual) reversal of our track record. Be nice. Go out of your way to smile at somebody today, or do something nice. Be responsible for yourself and someone else. Call your Mom. Call a friend you haven't talked to in a good long while. Go for a walk and wave at your neighbors. Write your congressman... not with a complaint but, instead, a compliment. Let someone know you think they're doing a good job. Our track record doesn't have to stay this bad... we just can't be lazy or it's going to get even worse.

_____________________________________________________

In Other News, never underestimate the power of doing naked yoga while blaring some Gary Allan. It's amazing how much you can clear your head while twisting yourself around naked. Also, I have learned that a couple of my friends really have no respect for me. Thus, they're cut off. I really don't have time to be patient with people who don't respect me. It is unbelievably frustrating to think that I have friends who think they're above the law of the land. I'm still rather frustrated with my relationship status and being a bit of an attention-needy girl... ick. Though I'm trying to remedy that with some good introspection and... you guessed it.... naked yoga :)

Cuba in t-minus three weeks and counting. Thank God.

I'm going to be late for class, oh joy. Maybe I'll tell my professor that I appreciate her not failing me, despite my attendance record. Think that would count towards reversing the human race's track record?

p.s. i think i broke my pinky... it really hurts. I could use some exceptionally hot and kind man to come kiss it and make it better.

Addendum

This is brief.... read the graphic and then move on to the next delightful post :)



Oh man, I think I'm going to cry I'm laughing so hard.

Lean-Mean-Moving-Machine: The Modern Navy Brat

Well, I've got a ton of laundry to do, some packing that desperately needs done and papers that I ought to be writing but instead I find myself poised in front of my computer with way too much on my mind.

Navy Brats lead an odd life. The true oddity of it didn't really come to light until recently. Not only am I really, really, really have difficultly dealing with the "So Where Are You From?" question; I have noticed that grappling with the whole what-do-I-do-after college thing has been complicated by my Navy Bratness.

First, when the Military asks you to move every two years for a totally of twenty years you get more used to change than you do consistency. Which is why being in Norfolk for an entire FOUR YEARS is driving me absolutely batty. The only way I've dealt with it is by getting out of state as often as possible, and moving houses each year. Also, moving around like that gives you a really poor idea of where exactly you're from... Allow me to explain. I was born in Maine (but, shhhhhh, we don't talk about that) and then lived in 13 different places since then, including three different high schools. My driver's license is from Texas, I pay taxes in Virginia, my parents are Pennsylvania residents, but PA won't give me residency because I've never lived there for more than 18 months. My siblings have the same problem. Audrey and Jackson are born in Pennsylvania but have Gitmo Driver's Licenses, Sammy was born in Florida and has been to seven schools in thirteen years.

The military has deprived us of our quintessential "hometowns". We've got no where to relate to and essentially we're the product of about twenty different environments. The problem is that when my answer is "Oh, I'm from the Navy" civilians give me that whole head-cocked-to-the-side confused look. So I've resorted to being from Texas. 1- I graduated from High School there, 2- My driver's license is from there and 3-it's technically the place I lived the longest (it beats VA, by a month... not counting my college years)

The reason I don't say I'm from Virginia? Oi, let's not even get into that. Suffice to say that the Commonwealth of Virginia is not Emily's kind of state. It's simply somewhere I'm going to school at, and getting the hell out of quickly.

Secondly, I've never been given the choice of where to move to. The Navy asks my Dadman & Mommy for their top choices for the next duty station, the Navy checks the open positions and then Emily, Audrey, Jackson and Samuel tag along for the ride. You adapt, you cooperate, you assimilate but you most certainly to not choose.

You may argue and say that I chose to go to Old Dominion. However, I did not. I was given the option of going to a school that gave me a scholarship or moving to Japan with my parents. Which isn't nearly as magnanimous of a decision as where to go after school. The biggest difference between the two is that now I don't have limiting factors. With the degree I'll have I could basically work in any city in the nation, and a large number of cities internationally. So how did I solve this problem?

Well, technically, I haven't. Although, I did kind of arbitrarily pick Dallas, Texas... but really for not that many good reasons. I'm still very very very confused about where to go. My Mommy keeps asking... "Why Dallas?" and my basic response is... "uh, because it's in Texas and I have friends there."

Normal civilian kids don't have to deal with this crap! They've got hometowns! Or cities they've dreamed of moving to for years. For Navy kids, we've already lived in those cities, and we've never been any where at all for years. In fact, it's absolutely terrifying to think I may get stuck in one city for the rest of my entire life. What the hell do you do then?! The military didn't train me how to handle the same people for the next eighty years. They trained me to be an exceptionally efficient and flexible moving machine. I can pack up and move cross country in less than a week, but sure as hell can't handle being in one spot for too long.

I wrote a blog very similar to this, probably two years ago, but it's main focus was on not being equipped to deal with my surroundings, not the lack of experience in picking my location. I wish I still had it but, dammit, MySpace deleted it.

In short, I'm confused out of my cotton-pickin' mind. And yes, I blame it on the Navy. Despite the innumerable wonderful things the military has done and continues to do for my family... training the children to be good decision makers is sure as hell not one of them.

Got any good city suggestions? Lemme know.

________________________________________________________________

In Other News, I made the mistake of calling one of my ex-boyfriends last night. What possessed me? I believe that can be blamed on a substance called.... Coors Light. Did the conversation go badly? No, but that's not the point. On the upside, Thanksgiving is this week and I'll get to see my sister and whole extended family. Another plus, I've been talking to a very good friend of mine who is overseas a whole lot. I cannot wait to see him next semester. : ) Man, I can really be a girl sometimes.

Dr. Lefever Cried in Class Today

[07 Nov 2007 Wednesday]

10:39 AM - Norfolk, VA

She's one of the most amazing and profoundly intelligent professors I've met in my time at ODU. One of those women who seems to have complete control over herself and her environment. But today, while giving an example of what our rhetoric speeches ought to be like... she cried.

As she delivered the Gettysburg Address, she got to the end...

"It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. "

...and tried really hard not to but she cried. It was probably for her husband who is a psychiatric doctor overseas right now caring for soldiers. She could also have been crying for the soldiers all over the world who have died in an effort to preserve the concept of a Nation, and the concept of right.

It's also possible that she was crying simply because the Gettysburg Address is still eerily relevant during today's war on terror. Whatever her reasoning was, she really got to me. And made me wonder why more people don't connect things in the past with the events of today.
History isn't an episodic time line of individual events. It's a continuous flow of events that blend from on into the other.

There is a reason why people say that history repeats itself.

While we may not be involved in a literal civil war, all the bi-partisan bickering that's going on and undermining our efforts overseas might as well equate to a civil war. The whole country should pause, take two steps back and really look at what we're doing. There are a lot of men who are "hallowing" a lot of ground out there right now... and we really ought to do something about that.

________________________________________________________

Gettysburg Address
Abraham Lincoln November 19th, 1863

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.

It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Achmed the Dead Terrorist

[31 Oct 2007 Wednesday]

7:35 PM - Norfolk, Virginia

Jeff Dunham is a ventriloquist who has Achmed (a-c-phlegm-med) the Dead Terrorist as part of his act. (If you haven't seen it yet, the video is at the bottom) It's hilarious, in fact, it's histerical, it's also so damn true.

See, we can laugh like crazy when Achmed says "I kill you" but it dawned on me today while talking to a friend of mine who used to work in Gitmo... if Achmed were real, and that close to an American... he would in fact want to kill him. So why have we trivialized Achmed down to a hilarious little skeleton spoof of a terrorist? Because we can? Because we don't take terrorism seriously? Because terrorists with their odd little towel heads are inately funny?

No, I think it's because we've forgotten. Forgotten that September 11th wasn't an oversight or an accident. Forgotten that everyday there are jihadists making plans to kill our soldiers, and any American they can get their hands on. America lacks the long term collective memory that would cause us to be able to honestly support our troops. A lot of people are simply going through the motions, putting up signs in their yard, putting a sticker on their SUV... and then laughing at a comedy sketch that pokes fun at the idea that Terrorists want to kill Americans.

In an interview once, a very reliable source (i.e. my dad who i interviewed for a thesis project) once said, " Make no mistake, babykid, an Islamic extremist will kill you and me if given the opportunity, period. No question in my mind. As I write this, many detainees are thinking of ways to kill, hurt and disrupt American lives. It is fact, true, the real thing. Where we haev these detainees is the best place for us to keep them."

I do realize that I am being cynical and that there are other ways of critically reviewing the piece. For instance, we can be seen as literally laughing at a dead terrorist who, despite his fervor for the cause, is dead. However, I think most people just in general think it's funny because it's a silly cartoon that we can relate to through the skewed media interactions we have. Don't ever forget that there are men and women putting themselves into situations where real terrorists actually want to kill them... and they're doing it so that we have the right and ability to laugh at Achmed.

God Loves Me... and Here's Why

[10 Oct 2007 Wednesday]

1:25 PM - Norfolk, Virginia

Here's a short list on the reasons why in the past week it has been apparent that God loves me...

1- God puts people in my life who slake my need for affection... and that makes these people the most wonderful human beings on the planet. Not only do they reaffirm my belief that some men can have intelligent conversations, but they remind me that everybody is loved no matter how quirky (or drunk) we all are.

2- Despite the Cowboy's not deserving their win on Monday night, God said "Ok, Emily, I know you've had a bad day and your pictures disappeared but here's a field goal to make your day better." Final score, 25 to 24, Cowboys. Thank God :)

3- For the first time in a lot of years, I feel like a good big sister. Audrey and I got to hang out for a whole lot of days straight and despite minor annoyances.... we got along famously. Not only did I pull of picking her up and getting her to Cuba and back safely but I think she had a hell of a time, and I partially blame that on me :)

4- This morning (10-10-2007) I overslept and missed a class that I hate missing. I think it's exceptionally disrespectful to simply not show up. However, when I checked my email I was informed that the class had been cancelled. Thank God!

5- Finally, on the big list of reasons why God Loves Me. He, again, reaffirmed my belief that there are good, old fashioned men in the world. The kind who wear their dog-tags 24 hours a day and still open doors.

There are about a million other small blessings that occurred but that would take me forever to list and I probably didn't even notice half of them. I saw my Mommy and some of my best friends ever this weekend and thus can survive in Norfolk for another couple of weeks :)

____________________________________________________________

Here's the name dropping "i-miss-you-already" portion...
Big Matt, JT, Val, Benny... I love you guys like crazy ... I can't thank you enough for taking care of my drunk ass and being just as ridiculous as I am :)

Losing My Linear Mind

[07 Sep 2007 Friday]

3:27 PM -Norfolk, Virginia

People have an obsession with symmetry. The divine number, equal proportions, linear equations, the anomaly of congruency in nature. We want things, ideas, messages, concepts, communication to be a linear transaction that is easily consumable and simply translated. We fail to recognize that it is the asymmetrical twists to life that truly make it lived in. Despite our desire to plan and carefully construct everything from our scholastic papers to the organization of our homes it's the incongruencies that perpetuate our existence.

Asymmetry is what draws our eyes, piques our minds and begs us to question. Things like "Alright, why didn't my plan work out?" or "Huh, I wonder why that's out of place"... or just having to actually sit down and figure a problem out because it doesn't directly present us with a solution. We ought to appreciate the irony in life because it throws us off just enough to really be able to appreciate what goes on.... but only if we're paying attention.

We're told to arrange our consciousness, our ideas, our possessions, ourselves in a linear manner. But, I hate to break it to you darlin', this is the age of ritalin, A.D.D. and over-stimulation... I'm not just focused on writing this down, i'm singing what playing on my itunes at the same time, watching my cell phone for a call, listening to my neighbors outside and wondering if i really am hungry enough to go downstairs, tell me what the hell is linear about all of that?... Arrange what you're telling me, what you're trying to convey the same way you aim a bouncy ball...

Just throw with good intentions in a general direction and pray.

Don't just look at one facet of what's going on, or one reason you made a decision. It wasn't your head or your hearts that told you to do something, or told you something was wrong. It was every sense you've got working in a hundred different directions at once. You can say, "well that crosses the line" but really, does it? Did something really bother you enough for you to say there ever actually was a line? Or does it just push you far enough out of your comfort zone, is it asymmetrical enough to make you think? And thinking hurts, it upsets, it doesn't flow with your carefully laid plans.

I love feeling like my brain works.

Final thought..... go be first rate."The third-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking with the majority. The second-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking with the minority. The first-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking. - AA Milne"

____________________________________________________

In other news, ZiegFest on October 20th... in Houston. I can barely contain myself I'm so excited :)Also, it feels amazing to not be scared to get what I want. Thank You, Mr. Gospel :) Finally, God Bless Bill Thayer Jr. RIP, babe. I've missed you for years.

Damn Signs & the Crazy Lady

[27 Aug 2007 Monday]

6:53 PM - Norfolk, Virginia

Current mood: annoyed

I've seen so many "Support the Troops, Stop the War" signs it makes me sick. What makes you think that stopping this war is supporting our troops? What makes you think a sign in your front lawn does anything but mark you as slightly politically opinionated? What makes you think that the troops know you're supporting them with your little sign?

First, pulling out of the war would be a premature admission of defeat. The troops are making progress, and by being there and making process they're honoring the effort and memory of every American Hero who has died in any war. To pull out early would mean that their sacrifice and contribution meant little because serving our political agenda is more important than completing the objective they worked and died for.

That sign in your yard means you took the time to pick it up and stick it in the ground. Okay, great. Now go take the time to get on www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil and leave our boys in uniform a message telling them how much you support them. Go get on www.OperationUSOcarepackage.org or AnySoldier.com and send a very deserving soldier a piece of home. Would you spend some of your precious time and/or hard-earned money to support these guys or is your sign enough? Because if it is enough, you're delusional.

You make ask why I'm so passionate about a stupid sign. It's because I got yelled at today. I mean yelled at like finger pointing and everything because I made a comment to a friend of mine at a cross-walk. Some lady turn around and said " Your conservative opinion is what's ruining this nation. If you would shut your mouth and realized how much your president f'd up you'd realize those signs and bumper stickers are the only sane voice America has."Well excuse the fuck out of me but if bumper stickers and signs are the only sane voice we've got well, then the phrase "hell in a handbasket" is a gross understatement.

And "my" president? Look, crazy lady, just because you didn't vote for him doesn't make him singularly "my" president. The second time around there were no glitches, the democrats just couldn't produce a strong enough candidate and the relatively quiet majority won out and we got G. Dub. It's called a democratic process not an emily-picks-who-runs-the-free-world process.

Also, if we had voted Kerry in it would have been a tragedy. During the civil war they kept Lincoln despite his unpopularity because he ran the slogan "Don't switch horses midstream." Switching to Kerry three years ago would have been like switching from a horse to a goat midstream. Translated into normal people words.... very bad juju.

I wish I were in Cuba. I wish I were surrounded by barbed wire and communism and around people who knew there was a mission to be completed and far, far away from the hippy, freak, pinko, liberal crazies who make me wish I carried the righteous frying pan of God to beat them with.

Don't get me wrong, I love liberals. They give me an opinion to bounce my own ideas off of, if there were no liberals and we all had the same right wing ideas this would be some odd form of communism. However, partisanship is what gives us democracy and I happen to really like democracy. Thus, I really like liberals. It's the crazies that give them a bad name, that's all. Ranting has made me hungry. Somebody write me and tell me I'm not off my rocker.

_____________________________________________________

In other news, today was my last first day of school. I'm officially a college senior who loves her classes (despite the amount of them).

I Love When the Range is Hot

[16 Aug 2007 Thursday]

1:54 AM Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

There is something to be said about waking up at 0800 to the National Anthem being played over loud-speakers and then immediately hearing the sound of 50-cals going off on the range in the distance. It's comforting? reassuring? relaxing? most American thing ever? Pick one.

I leave for Norfolk in a little more than two days and I'm not sure I'm ready to go back. I've gotten used to my job schedule and my online school schedule and my diving schedule and my social schedule and things like the range. I've gotten used to appreciating things because of the great irony that is Guantanamo Bay.

Digression... let's take a quick look at this irony thing. 1- this place is gorgeous, but the detained enemy combatants can't see outside their designated areas.... 2- i'm a free law abiding American, but the camps have Comedy Central and I don't.... 3- I get to be online whenever I want ranting about whatever I want and somewhere on this same island there are people who aren't allowed to because it's a national security threat... 4- i snorkel and drink and hang out and take pictures and do all those amazing wonderful things that Americans get to do right next to the people who wanted to take all of this away from me.

What's going to kill me is when I go back to the states and see just how apathetic and silly the general public is. Also, i start my Civic Engagement and Political Media class (or some crap like that) and this one girl always upsets me. Last semester she called everyone who works in GTMO "murdering traitors" and I went ballistic. I can't imagine how crazy i'll go if she says it this semester, or even something like that. I might just have to choke a bitch.

I've made some of the best friends i've ever had down here and if some girl who thinks she knows everything insults them and my Dad... I really would have no self-control or composure about myself. I love my friends down here. They're honestly some of the most amazing people I've ever met in my entire life. This summer would have been a complete bust if I didn't have them. The best part about them is that when i leave it's not going to be a traumatic depressing experience... down here it's just how things go. When you're dealing with civilians they don't understand that people come and go and when your friend leaves it's not the end of the world. They get sad and start behaving oddly... with friends who are military (or at least brats) you don't have to worry about losing your friend, you're just sending them away so you've got a house to stay at in another city.

There are hundreds of people down here itching to get off island... and here I am, unhappy to be going. 5 on the irony list... those of us down here voluntarily want to stay and those on orders cannot wait to be gone.

___________________________________________________________

In other news, other than all this staying/going craziness and some other major stressors, I've been uncharacteristically happy lately. I think it's the addition of a certain person to my social scheme. Also, I still miss somebody who left at the beginning of the summer something fierce. He made quite the impression.

A Little Crazy ... but I Like It

[31 Jul 2007 Tuesday]

1:40 AM

Charlie Daniel's apparently wrote this... and even if he didn't... i'm still pretty proud of whomever did. As a disclaimer it's involves some name calling, which I don't think indicates an informed opinion and it's even further right than I usually am (which is hard to do). Anyway, enjoy.

_______________________________________________

An Open Letter To The Hollywood Bunch

Ok, let's just say for a moment you bunch of pampered, overpaid, unrealistic children had your way and the U.S.A. didn't go into Iraq.
Let's say that you really get your way and we destroy all our nuclear weapons and stick daisies in our gun barrels and sit around with some white wine and cheese and pat ourselves on the back, so proud of what we've done for world peace.
Let's say that we cut the military budget to just enough to keep the National Guard on hand to help out with floods and fires.

Let's say that we close down our military bases all over the world and bring the troops home, increase our foreign aid and drop all the trade sanctions against everybody.
I suppose that in your fantasy world this would create a utopian world where everybody would live in peace. After all, the great monster, the United States of America, the cause of all the world's trouble would have disbanded it's horrible military and certainly all the other countries of the world would follow suit. After all, they only arm themselves to defend their countries from the mean old U.S.A.

Why you bunch of pitiful, hypocritical, idiotic, spoiled mugwumps. get your head out of the sand and smell the Trade Towers burning. Do you think that a trip to Iraq by Sean Penn did anything but encourage a wanton murderer to think that the people of the U.S.A. didn't have the nerve or the guts to fight him?

Barbra Streisand's fanatical and hateful rankings about George Bush makes about as much sense as Michael Jackson hanging a baby over a railing.

You people need to get out of Hollywood once in a while and get out into the real world. You¹d be surprised at the hostility you would find out here. Stop in at a truck stop and tell an overworked, long distance truck driver that you don¹t think Saddam Hussein is doing anything wrong. Tell a farmer with a couple of sons in the military that you think the United States has no right to defend itself. Go down to Baxley, Georgia and hold an anti-war rally and see what the folks down there think about you.Please visit Clarksville, Tennessee and the 101st Airborne and talk that SHIT, please visit those Real American's.

You people are some of the most disgusting examples of a waste of protoplasm I¹ve ever had the displeasure to hear about.

Sean Penn, you¹re a traitor to the United States of America. You gave aid and comfort to the enemy. How many American lives will your little, "fact finding trip" to Iraq cost? You encouraged Saddam to think that we didn't have the stomach for war. You people protect one of the most evil men on the face of this earth and won't lift a finger to save the life of an unborn baby.

Freedom of choice you say?

Well I'm going to exercise some freedom of choice of my own. If I see any of your names on a marquee, I'm going to boycott the movie. I will completely stop going to movies if I have to. In most cases it certainly wouldn't be much of a loss.

You scoff at our military who's boots you're not even worthy to shine. They go to battle and risk their lives so ingrates like you can live in luxury. The day of reckoning is coming when you will be faced with the undeniable truth that the war against Saddam Hussein is the war on terrorism.
America is in imminent danger. You¹re either for her or against her. There is no middle ground. I think we all know where you stand. I will stand with the soldiers, airmen, and sailors. The hard working men and women of this great country. Not the overpaid, pansy ass, Hollywood wimp wanna be's, and has beens, who can't hold a candle to real American's, the middle class blue collar workers.

What do you think? Boycott any Hollywood type that protest against the USA.

God Bless America

Charlie Daniels

____________________________________________________

There are some changes going on in Gitmo that the press won't ever tell you about. The new Admiral is trying to give our guys a break by changing their duty sections and bringing more people down so they don't have to work so damn much in the camps. Rock on, Buzby... our guys deserve more of a break.

So Apparently

[14 Jul 2007 Saturday]

5:15 AM - Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

my friend is leaving tomorrow...which is kind of sad because i'm almost sure i'll never see him again.

at least, i'm not going to get my hopes up.

however, i just realized...the only pieces of this friend i'll have left are...a pair of basketball shorts and some great advice.

the shorts i kept on purpose, i mean hell, they're comfy.
the advice was unsolicited but unbelievably helpful.

my friend says i'm worth it... and the advice was simply to believe that.though 'it' was never defined, just vaguely alluded to as everything.so apparently, i need to believe that i'm worth everything.

i'm going to miss the kid... bad.and wear the basketball shorts for pj's like they're going out of style.

and that's the Gospel truth.

Complete Bullshit: Part 2

[01 Jul 2007 Sunday]

2:07 AM

Category: Life

I just got back from vacation stateside. Stacy's wedding was amazing (i've even got pictures up) and just being back in the states was nice. But I've been back in Gitmo for twelve hours now and have come to a realization. I love Gitmo... not because it's the greatest place in the world to live, but rather, because it gives me something to care about.

Obviously there are things (namely social issues) that you can care about stateside. But very few people do.

Exhibit A... When I was in Norfolk I was driving my Suburban, with my mom and two little brothers in it, down Church Street at 930 at night. Next thing we know six shots get fired off (that didn't sound like they came from an airsoft gun) on the other side of the row of houses next to us, or at the least damn close. The next day on the news I find out that what we heard was a 16 year old boy was shot to death in that same area. Want to know how much time they spent on that story on the news? Less than the time it's taking you to read this paragraph.

It shouldn't be commonplace that these things are happening! It should upset us, and instill some sense of immediacy that something ought to be done. Now I feel terrible because the only thing to cross my mind after hearing the story was a very selfish, "it's good we got out safe". (i also feel terrible about the fact that i put my little brothers any where near something like that) Humans don't care outside of our own bubbles! If I were being considerate I would have at least thought about the kids' family.

Down here though, there's a sense of immediacy. Almost daily I hear stories about the guys who work behind the fence having literal shit thrown at them, spit at, threatened with weapons. It makes me care. I care about these guys and their well-being, safety. It gets my adrenaline going and makes me desperately want to be able to kick a detainee in the head... or to make it possible for the people working back there to do it! Suddenly, I'm compelled to actually feel like I'm living... not just plodding along. There's more of a purpose to my job than just slinging beer, I'm one of eight bartenders down here who gives these people a place to relax and not have stuff thrown at them.

Even if your life or your family aren't being immediately threatened you should feel blessed to be where you are. Somewhere around you there's a risk that someone else is taking that makes your life a little cooshier (phonetically that would be koosh-ee-er). Whether it's a policeman, fireman, EMT, local volunteer at the soup kitchen, the goodwill lady... you name it. There are people out there who take do things so that the rest of us can sit around and hear about it on the news. Somebody will make that 16 yr old's mother a casserole and help her plan the funeral... they're taking a risk by stepping beyond their own bubble to help another human being who's having a rough time. It doesn't matter about the valence of the risk... the point is it's being taken!

Some people are even passionate about risk taking... i.e. the peace corps, missionaries, some military personnel. They literally make it their job to help other people out, to be considerate and sometimes to lay down there lives and try to stop those new stories from showing up so often. And these passionate people are often considered anomalys, like there's something wrong with them. No, there's nothing wrong with them... there's something wrong with the rest of us.

I will concede that sometimes there is simply nothing you can do. Although you can always write a letter to your Senator, and whether he reads it or not you'll still get a letter back and the sense that you at least tried. Trying is what separates the lackadaisical sheep from the men.

In other news, Michael Moore makes me want to vomit. This movie "Sicko" is ridiculous. He took a group of people to the one place in Cuba where there's any kind of health care system... and then he strategically cut out all of the footage (or maybe just didn't take it) of what i've been told Cuba is really like. He portrays the health care in Cuba like it's the greatest system in the world. Now, Mr. Moore, can you explain to me why a Cuban was willing to lose both his legs to come over the American side if Cuba is so great? Why would this man swim through barbed-wire, voluntarily want to be around us heathen Capitalists, and literally lose his legs if he had it so good on the Communist side? For the record, he's not the only one who wants in.

Again, I will make a slight concession. Health Care in America is no where near perfect... but neither is it in Canada. Do you know how long you have to wait to be treated for anything in a socialist health care system? Unless of course you've got a camera crew behind you. You can't call and make appointments in Cuba, you have to walk in and pray that you're the early bird. Michael Moore oversimplifies life elsewhere. He's not going to change America by lying to us all. Open your own eyes and see for yourself. Mr. Moore's telephoto lens is skewed worse than Bill O'Reilly's on a bad day... which can get pretty ridiculous sometimes.

_____________________________________________

And in completely unrelated news... I have offically gotten rid of a person who made me feel like a selfish-self conscious-vengeful-insecure-spoiled little princess. Don't keep people in your life who make you feel like that... you're worth it, they're not. Now that i've written you a whole book, if you made it this far... Congratulations. If you made it this far and actually read the whole thing I sincerely hope it was worth your time. Good night, sleep sweet, and please don't be a lackadaisical sheep.

Complete Bullshit

[28 May 2007 Monday]

2:28 AM

Current mood: uncomfortable

Category: Life

You can search Google, Wikipedia, Ask.com, YouTube, Facebook and Myspace and you get nothing but biased bullshit about Guantanamo Bay. I look this stuff up because I'm concerned, not only for the men and women down here dealing with a traumatic work situation everyday but for America as a whole.

The Americans inside the camp put their lives on the line every time they walk into that camp and they get nothing but some bumper stickers and maybe a by-line of support from the American public. This place sucks for the people working down here. Sure it's in the Caribbean but when your work is an omnipresent stressor that you can't get away from it wears down on people. There's very little for the sailors, soldiers, marines and coast guard to do down here. As hard as MWR might try there's only so much they can do. Want to know why?

Because no one seems to care about these guys. Everyone seems to be so caught up with being politically correct, and doing things "like they've always been done" that nothing progresses! If there were American's who looked past their cushy lives and realized why we can live our lives the way we do, then the military might get the help and support it needs. The media and random oppinionated people mouth off because they can... great, awesome, exercise your right to an opinion...just please don't be regurgitating what you've been told!

People use words like "torture", "depraved", "inhumane" when describing this place and it's because they're TRAINED to use those words. The only deaths that have gone on here in Cuba were suicides... not because of the immense torture they were going through but because they organized it to make a point and humiliate the United States Government. It's called assymetrical warfare! [You know that whole concept of not marching at the enemy head-on, but using alternative methods (i.e. how we won the revolutionary war).]

While I'm down here I have preciously little to do other than work, sun bathe and read. (Yeah, I know it's tough.) This won't be my last little tangent against the mainstream idea of Gitmo. In the mean time, pray for our Sailors, Soldiers, and Marines. Don't just thank them and show your support on Memorial Day. And go find something to be passionate about.

______________________________

By the way, seeing Danny Glover get shot in the movie "Shooter" was the highlight of my day. Miss ya'll and see you soon.emily grace