Blowing up money

I like watching fireworks.

I guess. I mean, if fireworks are happening, I'll watch them. What I don't understand, though, is all these millions of firework stores that open up around the middle of June. Yes, Captain Obvious, I realize they are there because people like to buy fireworks around the 4th of July, but that's exactly what I don't get.

Buying fireworks. Especially those stupid little ones that make a loud noise and they're done. It's like burning money. Literally.

But maybe I just spend too much of my money on trivial things like food and rent.

Really, people?

So first, 70 reporters show up at the "unveiling" of the damn Obama dog. And CNN thinks it's important enough to make me watch it.

And now I'm supposed to care that the man swats at flies?!


Isn't there a war going on or something?

I'm still alive.

OK, so it has officially been almost a year since I've written in this thing. But I think I'm going to try to make it a habit again. I guess I had forgotten how much I love speaking my mind to a faceless audience who may or may not care about anything that I have to say. So does everyone on Twitter. Sue me.

...But as Sheldon Cooper would say, "That would be the very definition of a frivolous lawsuit."
Did I mention I LOVE "The Big Bang Theory"?

Xmas, ignorance and religious fanaticism

I really can't stand to be corrected. Especially when I'm not wrong.
Today I announced in a text message that "There are exactly five months until Xmas!" The person I was texting responded, "Yep. Christmas." I asked him if he was correcting me. His response? "Yes, I dislike that very much." That, my friends, sent me through the proverbial roof.
I guess the reason this exchange made me so mad was that I have had the conversation before. In fact, last year around Christmas, I listened to a group of people ranting to each other about how much they hate the use of the term "Xmas." They spoke of how it proves that people are forgetting the "true reason for the season" and that the X symbolizes "crossing out Jesus" from the Holiday. Because I was so amused by how self-righteous and ridiculous these people were being, I did not chime in and explain to them what the "X" actually means...
The first two letters of Jesus' name in Greek are Chi Rho (written XP). The chi rho symbol was used by early Christians before the development of the modern cross. It was written that "On this symbol, thou shall conquer." The Romans used simply the Roman letter X. Hence, the abbreviation for Christmas (Xmas) is derived. Therefore, good people, using the letter "X" is not a means of eliminating Christ from Christmas. Rather, it is a valid symbol with Christian origins.
I am Catholic. I attended a private, Catholic school from kindergarten until I graduated high school. And it was not until I moved to the South for college that I realized just how much many of the Protestant religions (namely, Southern Baptists) hate us Catholics. They have a million misconceptions, and rather than finding out the truth, they choose to refer to us as "crazy" and say that we're headed "straight for hell." (I'm not kidding. People have told me this before.) I am not trying to stereotype and say that all Protestants are Catholic haters. I know for a fact that that statement is not true. I am simply speaking from my experience.
I don't care what religion you are. I am Catholic, and no one is going to convert me. But I also will never try to challenge what anyone else believes in regard to religion. I can coexist with other faiths just fine. What I cannot tolerate, however, is ignorance. You do not have the right to condemn other faiths when you don't even fully understand their teachings. Especially since no one here on earth has a say in whether anyone else goes to Heaven or Hell... or wherever else you may believe the afterlife is located.
Let's face it. We're all sinners. No one is perfect. And the fact that you say "Christmas" instead of "Xmas" will not automatically make you right with God. Neither will the fact that you can brag about going to Church every week. Faith is personal. Please, everyone, focus on your own relationship with God, but don't worry about everyone else's.

I'd like to present... Scientology.

I had to write this speech for my communication studies final. I'm giving it on Friday. I am, of course, not a Scientologist, and I don't really know anything about it... But this speech was really fun to write.

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to Miami, Florida for the annual Church of Scientology Convention. My name is Amber Harding. I am a minister at the Church of Scientology in Coral Gables, and I am very excited to have so many esteemed believers gathered here in South Florida today. Just looking into the crowd now I can see John Travolta, Kirstie Alley, Priscilla Presley… Thank you all so much for spreading our message and revealing the truth to the American public. Speaking of spreading our message, our first guest has been an outspoken advocate of our Scientology mission since his conversion in 1990. He found his first success with Scientology when he overcame his dyslexia through the learning methods of our founder, Mr. L. Ron Hubbard. In addition to promoting various programs that introduce people to our mission, our speaker has campaigned for Scientology to be fully recognized as a religion in Europe. He has lobbied officials in France and Germany, where Scientology is thought of as merely a cult. He has supported our cause by campaigning against the prescribing of dangerous, mind-altering drugs, such as Paxil and Prozac, to both adults and children. He has been verbally attacked by media professionals such as Matt Lauer who criticize his work simply because they have made no effort to understand the good that Scientology can offer the world. He has endured criticism from self-righteous bloggers and reporters who have closed their minds to the endless benefits of our religion. Through all of this criticism, our speaker has remained steadfast in his beliefs and has volunteered to come here today to share with us his perspective about how to remain faithful and strong in a world where so many people live in darkness. In addition to his work with Scientology, however, our speaker has been a successful actor since he first broke into the film industry in 1983 with Risky Business. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and has won nearly 40 other film awards, including Golden Globes, MTV Movie Awards and People’s Choice Awards. He is also one of only three actors in the history of film to have seven consecutive 100-million-dollar blockbusters. In Japan, the Memorial Day Association named October 10, 2006 after him because of his many visits to the country. But do not let these accolades fool you. His movies speak for themselves. Anyone ever heard of Mission Impossible, A Few Good Men or Vanilla Sky? How about Minority Report, Jerry Maguire or Top Gun? Yeah, I thought so. Our speaker’s lovely wife Katie has even joined us and is sitting right now in the front row. It is my honor to introduce faithful scientologist, famed actor and recipient of the 2004 International Association of Scientologists Freedom Medal of Valor Award. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Tom Cruise.

An Expo to Remember

I have met more country music singers than you can shake a stick at.

I don't understand that cliché, but I felt it was appropriate. Anyway, yes, I have met many, many country music artists. The list includes: Billy Gilman, Dierks Bentley, Rodney Atkins, David Lee Murphy, Big & Rich, Blue County, Billy Currington, Ray Scott, Trent Willmon, Jack Ingram, Aaron Tippin, Billy Dean, Emerson Drive, Josh Turner, Keith Anderson, Jamey Johnson, Blaine Larsen, Danielle Peck and Craig Morgan. (I'm probably forgetting a few, but you get the point.)

Even though I have met so many artists, however, I have never before felt as star-struck as I did two weeks ago. I went to the annual Country Music Expo, sponsored by 95.5 WFMS in Indianapolis. My friend Aly and I attend every year because it is a great opportunity not only to see several artists in concert, but also to get autographs and meet them in person. We were excited about the Expo this year, but we had no idea it would become the best Expo EVER.
Aly and I adore Garth Brooks. In fact, we're bordering on obsession. No, we did not meet Garth Brooks, but we got about as close as we will probably ever get - We met his lovely wife, Trisha Yearwood. They told us she was busy, so we expected her to rush everyone through as quickly as possible. Not true. Trisha was an absolute sweetheart. She took the time to have conversations with us, sign personalized autographs (not just a quick scribble that doesn't resemble anything in the English language), and posed for individual pictures with everyone. I love her even more now, not only as an artist, but also as a person. She was absolutely fantastic.

Country Music Expo 2008

 Seven from Whiskey Falls

Whiskey Falls  

 Jake Owen

Jack Ingram 

 Trisha Yearwood

Phil Vassar 

 Luke Bryan

Temporary Finals Hiatus

I promise I'm still alive.

Thanks to finals and final papers and everything else professors are throwing at me lately, I haven't really had time to post anything worthwhile. But I'll be back soon. That is, if finals don't kill me.