Proud to be an American...???

Trying to control my rage right now. Some people seriously need to learn to fuck off -_-" but aside from that... I've been shopping for bumper stickers. No reason in particular I guess, because I haven't a clue what I would actually do with them, but mostly liberal things to counter the lame "W '04!!!" shit I see on all the hummers. And I'm sick and tired of being called "un-American" because I think a national healthcare system is a great thing, or because I refuse to say the pledge of allegiance until the words actually mean something (see my post on Will Phillips too btw, Nov. 2009. My reasons go a quite a bit farther than just gay rights, but they're valid just the same. We do NOT have liberty and justice for all, and until we do, those are empty words and empty promises!!!) & I haven't said it since high school; or because I am for allowing people to become citizens, & I think most "terrorism" in this country is either misguided "patriots" (for whatever cause) or complete bullshit designed to scare us into submission (or false wars for oil... just sayin'...), & we should get the fuck out of Iraq/Afghanistan because we're killing innocent people for no reason, inciting them to anger against us, and therefore creating more extremists and "terrorists."

I could go on, but I'm sure you get the picture. I'm sick and tired of people saying that only those with conservative values are true patriots, or true Christians, or whatever, because it's all complete and utter bullshit. So I found the perfect bumper sticker - I don't hate America. I hate the people who do hateful things in the name of America. Hunting "illegals" is NOT American. Denying citizenship to people born here is NOT American. Using your religion as an excuse for pushing your views on others is NOT American. Picking and choosing what parts of the Constitution you like is NOT the American way! Discrimination is NOT the American way! (However hypocrisy seems to be... -_-") This is NOT the home of the free-- I'll say it again, we don't have a fucking clue what freedom is in this country. And we won't, until we can as a collective group get our act together and actually follow what we preach, live what we stand for - Freedom, Justice, Peace, Fairness, Safety, Solidarity, Strength, Prosperity-- FOR ALL. Protecting our fellow citizen, as well as those who need our help. We're not some exclusive club, where a small majority get to decide who belongs, and who's a "real" member. I truly believe the founding fathers would be embarrassed and horrified to see what we've become... (Granted, they were fully aware the general populous were complete morons, and they weren't perfect in the least bit either-- in fact they were narrow-minded and downright racist-- but that's why they made the Constitution a living document, which is meant to change with the times... So that we could evolve into something greater. But let's face it- our way of life is dying... Our country is falling apart. All the more reason to change...)

If we're going to be the Protector of the world, then let's actually protect - end war and violence, end hatred, instill peace and stability. We're supposed to be the Land of Opportunity, but we can't forget that opportunity isn't just for the people already here. It's for ALL people of the world. Yes, that includes the people scrambling across the border. (Clearly we're doing something right if people still want to come here... What, I haven't a clue, but think about how much their countries must suck if this is better - a land built on institutionalized hatred and discrimination, where friends and neighbors turn their backs and/or guns on each other over political opinion, religion, little issues devoid of the big picture... We are a sad, sorry state.) If we are the Land of Freedom, then let's actually be the Land of Freedom! We're Americans! We're arrogant and rude and think we're better than everyone else! So c'mon, let's show them why we're here! Our army's slogan was "Be All You Can Be." So let's do that. If we're going to call ourselves the best, we have to actually BE the best. So let's make them all jealous , k? There's no point in being proud of being American if it doesn't actually mean anything, let alone what we pretend it does.

Happy Memorial Day... Keep in mind the millions who live and die to keep us safe-- our soldiers, our vets, their victims... and hope that someday there won't be a "need" for this pain...

Life as an Official Post-Grad-- Again.

So I will admit that it's been quite a long time since I've even thought about posting anything. This will be quite random... This morning, I finally received my diploma, so YAY GRADUATION! (Even though technically I've officially "had" my diploma since December, now I finally have the paper to prove it. So I'm Class of 2009.5 lol...)

As if anyone actually cares about my life, this week has been both hellish and awesome, from planting trees to hanging out in Philly with the Will to my Grace (we're still looking for a Jack, btw...), having lunch at the absolute coolest little Japanese bistro & bar, getting new piercings, living in what amounted to a prison cell in solitary confinement (a.k.a. a tiny dorm guest room on a completely empty floor, in a basically empty building...) & losing my debit card between Chestnut and South St... (And only realizing when I went to pay for the piercing... after noticing that my credit card wasn't working for some reason. That was a fiasco, but again, thanks to "Will," everything turned out to be just fine...) So yay, senior week!

In other news, I am on the lookout for another job... It's not that I don't like where I am now, it's just that I need more money. I was hoping to move out by the end of the summer, but the way things are looking, there's just no way I can afford it. So here's a little advice - if you can avoid getting a Chase Student Loan, do it. I don't know why things got so messed up, but they decided to combine all of my loans (which each had a different interest rate dependent on my cosigners) and hike the interest rate up to some ridiculously high number, without any explanation as to why. My plan was to pay off as much of 1 particular loan as possible, then try to get a small loan so I could go to grad school (which would also postpone the rest of my loans...). Problem is, the expected loan repayments are so insanely high compared to my current paychecks, so add that on top of the car insurance payments... I'll be lucky if I can pay for any of that, let alone rent, utilities, etc... I'm hoping the student loan legislation that passed as a part of the health care reconciliation package will bring my repayment plans back into an affordable range... because right now, the monthly payment is at least 50% of my monthly income, when legally, it should be no more than 10%. And that's all just from Chase. I also have federal loans, Sallie Mae loans, and my mother has a parent loan... Yay, college! So if you can manage to go without loans, more power to you. As for me, and 90% of the Class of 2010 from my school, we'll be in debt til we're in our 50s.

Another issue regarding financial aid- my younger sibling was accepted to Columbia U. Yes, the Ivy League NYC Columbia U, new favorite of Blair Waldorf, etc etc... However, due to their ridiculously tiny financial aid package, and their idea that $48,000 expected family contribution is completely reasonable for a mother of 3 who doesn't even make half of that in a full year (not including child support, etc.). I can't even afford my own college education, so there's no way I will be able to pitch in... But really, what nonsense is this, when a obviously intelligent but needy (minority) student isn't able to attend the school of her dreams because the school's idea of financial aid is $1,000 of work study (which, depending on the size of the department, few people ever make in full...) and a tiny grant?! There's more to this story, involving incompetent and disorganized financial aid and admissions offices, but what else is new...

Hmm... In terms of politics - Arizona is just too much craziness, BP is still trying to get away with murder & force the majority of payment on taxpayers, and Rand Paul is about as much of an idiot as his father. Seriously... I tend to agree with a lot of libertarian viewpoints, but seriously, you CANNOT call for a constitutional ban on abortion and same-sex marriage and other things you don't like, but criticize Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity Employment and the ADA [Americans with Disabilities Act] and still call yourself a libertarian at the end of the day. That just does not make any sense whatsoever. It's just downright hypocritical. Where is the consistency??? Either the government stays out or it doesn't. You don't like the government telling employers that they can't discriminate against people based on things they can't help (which is essentially what it's for - race/ethnicity, age, gender, disabilities within reasonable ability to do the job with or without some minor assistance, & in some states, sexual orientation, which will likely become part of the federal law within the next year or so) but you'd actively use government to enforce what a woman can or cannot do with her own body, publicize private medical records because of an abortion, or keep 2 people from getting married? How does that fit into the libertarian way? Individual liberty??? Civil liberties?? It seems that a lot of people I've encountered who identify as libertarian want the government to stay out of people's lives, except when those people doing things these "libertarians" don't want them to do, because they personally find it morally objectionable, often for religious reasons. So what about our right not to have your religion forced on us? I would give up my "right" to get married if it means one of my gay friends can. I don't want to, he does. Another thing the Catholic Church seems to STILL advocate - killing your children before they're born is horrendous and wrong, but abusing them and raping them is ok. In fact, they'll even cover it up for you. W. T. F.

And maybe it's just because Paul is a Republican, and therefore has to cater to their desires in order to get elected. It happens. But c'mon. Consistency is so much nicer than hypocrisy.

Lol, how's that for a week's worth... I think if I continue, I'd just end up ranting forever... So have a nice weekend!

Sorry, Mr, President, but I don't think so...-- New Evidence...

I thought I should make it official- yet another thing on which I completely disagree with our President... It seems that now that healthcare is out of the way, and all other really important issues are on hold, we've reached the end of what we have in common... for now. Kudos on jobs and the economy, the health care breakthrough, pulling a lot of troops out of the useless wars, etc. (He's a centrist, I'm too far left it seems. Hey, what can I say, all political match tests told me we only had about 44% compatibility in ideology anyway-- compared with 75% Nader, who I would've voted for otherwise-- and he's since changed his mind on certain issues due to new information, etc. He's working on keeping most of the promises that matter, so that's good... Everything else... He's a politician, what else did you expect? I still think overall he's a great guy, very intelligent, really like his personality and such. Hope that someday we'll fight for something together again. And now this sounds like a breakup letter. Sorry, Mr. President, but I'm leaving you for now. Lol...)

I do not like Elena Kagan as a potential Supreme Court Justice one bit. I've been doing a lot of research (or at least, what little can actually be done, as few people seem to know anything about her), and I can't say that anything that I've seen is going to help us. I was willing to overlook the lack of experience thing since she has the academic background and excellent grasp of law (as much as I value experience, sometimes you just have to dive right in...), however I am quite disappointed that (although we knew she would likely be blandly moderate) she is in no way, shape, or form a progressive. Here's what I've found: Ms. Kagan is personally against DADT, which is good, however it would seem that on all other issues, she has decided to strictly follow precedent instead of allowing new interpretation. She believes that there is "no constitutional right to same sex marriage" (Solicitor General Confirmation Hearing, 2009, as provided by NYT). She believes the death penalty is constitutional. She supports infinite detention (the ability of the US government to hold a suspect for an indefinite amount of time, without charges). To sum up the rest of the data I've found so far, she appears to either not have an opinion or view of many major issues or tiptoe around the issue in favor or precedent (i.e. not making a decision?), and supports a lot of Bush era legislation.
An author on Alternet.org wrote about how Ms. Kagan would be moving the court further to the right. I was hesitant to form on opinion on that article alone, but I think now it is safe to say that his article is not inaccurate. Justice Stevens was one of the most progressive activists and justices of the SC, ever. (Hey, the guy is REALLY old...) Anyone less liberal than he is would make the SC more conservative. That's just math/logic. Unfortunately, there is a clear lack of balance between conservative and liberal ideology in the SC, which is all too evident in the court's rulings. The SC is supposed to be nonpartisan and centrist, which arguably Kagan is supposed to be as well, but the majority of the justices are very conservative and have in the past let their personal beliefs influence interpretation-- which creates flawed, biased precedent, which Ms. Kagan has vowed to uphold.

Another thought when watching the news this morning - the GOP senators aren't protesting this for the most part, and they've agreed to give her a fair hearing. Sadly, that immediately sent up red flags. Why not? Because they truly like her, and she conforms to their political ideology... She opposes marriage equality, supports Bush's wartime bullshit... Though this article, from a clearly very conservative author (who calls for conservatives to unite against this extremist... lol...) claims she's a proud liberal who will fight for marriage equality...? (Then if none of us supposedly like her, why is she so likely to be confirmed? But this article proves my point exactly about how viewpoints and ideology can lead to drastically different interpretations of the same information!)

So why does this matter? I want to stress that this is not about her personal viewpoints but her interpretation of the constitution. Her job is not to have an opinion but to interpret the law. (And here's where the psychology comes in...) Unfortunately, as a law is generally something written by another person or group of people, an interpretation cannot possibly be completely objective or an accurate depiction of what was initially meant by the law, and is always affected by the subjective effects of the interpreter's reasoning. To say that more simply, she can't know what the author really meant to say, so she has to say what she thinks it means and vote based on that. And since every person is unique, the way we view things is unique, therefore she can see the same things we see and come to a completely different conclusion. For example, we can look at the constitution and see many reasons why it is unconstitutional to ban same-sex marriage. However, she can look at those same reasons and interpret them as being why there is "no constitutional right" to it. THIS is why it matters that the justice needs to be more liberal. They call them views for a reason. It's how you see the world, and how you analyze and judge. If everyone has the same kind of cognition and interpretation, there's no room for reinterpretation, or different ways of thinking. There's no room for learning something new. Whatever happened to Diane Wood???

Clearly, we need more information, but so far, this seems to me like a conciliatory gesture to the GOP and not a serious nomination... That seems to be happening a little too much lately. Yes, we all need to play nice and work together. However, we still need to get shit done, and undo the damage that's been done. Maybe Ms. Kagan will turn out to be a wonderful, fair Justice. Granted, once appointed, Ms. Kagan will have a "lifetime" to reflect and interpret our Constitution. Even Justice Stevens started out as a conservative Republican... There is always hope.

Just Thinking...

I'm reading through my blog right now, just thinking about things. Other than a few obvious grammar errors I somehow missed, I kind of like rereading what I wrote. It's like seeing yourself in another light, if only for a moment (though I do have to say, that's one of my few real skills. I can look at things objectively, including my own thoughts and actions... ^^" See, I was made to be a psychologist...) Though I guess it's quite obvious that I've gotten lazy lately. Work really is exhausting, but some miraculous accident, I don't have a schedule for this week (I'll call about it if nothing changes by tomorrow... I deserve today off for the last few days though!) so I get to play catch-up with life. Things have been quiet on the healthcare front, as well as that stupid FB group advocating the death of Obama... even Arizona talk has died down (though I have something new to add to that later, maybe tomorrow...)

A co-worker yesterday said something rather surprising. Now first, let me say that the place I work for has a longstanding reputation as a "family company," plays country music almost nonstop, and is covered in "American" things & memorabilia. Most of the employees I work with are avid NASCAR fans (I kid you not...) with many grand-kids, terrible grammar, and no college diplomas. (Talk about stereotypes... -_-" This place is pretty bad about that too. They not only stick to them, but promote them. Very sexist, often racist... Sad. I'm looking to move soon...) Anyway, my co-workers and I have very, very little in common, including age and politics. I also recently began working with another group (of mostly immigrants) within the company. When I met them, apparently it was assumed that I was a Spanish-speaking Dominican woman. (How they reached that conclusion, I don't have a clue. I'm not Dominican, or Hispanic, & I don't speak a word of Spanish either... People are actually closer when they assume I'm African-American than Hispanic.) Clearly, there is some sort of hierarchy and serious racial tension here (despite the fact that the highest-ranking manager is Hispanic, and there really is a lot of diversity overall. It just seems like sometimes certain departments are grouped by ethnicity...). Anyway, back to the co-worker from Group A (the NASCAR-loving grannies, and also from group Smug). While working, we run into Group B (Spanish-speaking cleaning people... Again, way to be stereotypical, Unnamed Company.). Co-Worker sees Group B workers, hears them speaking Spanish with each other as they begin to walk away, and says "We're in America, we speak English. They should go back to their own country..." in a nasty tone. Clearly she must have seen the expression on my face, because she suddenly stopped mid sneer, covered her mouth and went back to work.

What is it with the anti-immigrant sentiment in this country? Like somehow those who move here are lesser people, or less-than American, because we were born here (and speak a language that isn't even native, but we pretend it's better that every other language). Isn't that what America truly means? A nation of immigrants, working hard for a happy, fruitful life of peace and prosperity.

And on another note - we finally have an official nomination for the Supreme Court... Congratulations to the nominee, Elena Kagan... She has a decent chance of making it past the GOP without a filibuster (because she appears to be fairly conservative enough, which I'm thinking in this case will be a really bad thing...), and she's certainly well educated and acquainted with law. Personally, I think there was a much better option for a myriad of reasons, instead of the safe, moderate (and quite inexperienced) choice, especially to replace Justice Stevens; but nonetheless, congratulations Ms. Kagan.

(It would seem that Bold Progressive is now "following" me on Twitter. Normally, I wouldn't care, but somehow they found me, so... This either means I'm seen as a Progressive, or I sent a "tweet"  about one of their petitions & totally forgot about it... Though considering my own list includes TrueMajority, Maddow, Olbermann, Greenpeace, Change.org & Bill Maher... ^^" Not a hard conclusion to come to I suppose.)

Do I look illegal to you??? Show me YOUR papers!!!

Ok, clearly if you've been keeping up with me (anywhere but here) you'd know that the 2 biggest topics on my mind right now (outside of garden & work) are Arizona & drilling. I attempted to tackle drilling before, so now for Arizona...

Just checked a FB group I'm in, called 1 MILLION Strong AGAINST the Arizona Immigration Law SB1070, and it looks like we're getting closer to 2 MILLION! (Only 1 or 2 trolls so far...) Such a great show of solidarity against horrible legislation... Now, I know that Governor Brewer tried to allay some of our fears about the very high likelihood that this law will promote racial profiling, but rest assured, we know better. But aside from that... I'm also quite concerned with the social implications of this law as it applies to those proven to be citizens. We've seen that, during the first weekend after the law was passed, 30 people were let go after being arrested on the street. At least one was randomly pulled over with no excuse. When those 30 people return to their lives, how will things be the same? Even though they were able to prove that they were legal citizens, by whatever standards, how long until they are questioned by their neighbors? I think it's likely they will always be looked upon as suspicious, and others will constantly looking for proof of their status-- whether it be proof that they really are citizens (which will probably be mastery of English, American flag t-shirts, a cowboy hat, and a crappy Texas accent... ^^") , or proof they they are illegal immigrants, which could be anything thanks to the paranoid masses of the south and midwest. Will they later be deported anyway? Is it possible that people will just be rounded up in the streets and interrogated? Yes, it's completely possible if only for this reason - why not? If it gets rid of dangerous criminals, anything goes. At least, that's what they're trying to tell us. I don't buy it. Not to mention that it's a complete waste of time for police officers, who will undoubtedly be spending more time rounding up people to interrogate rather than focusing on worse criminals...

First of all, the vast majority of "illegals" are not dangerous at all. Most are not here for trafficking but for honest work. Yes, those who are selling drugs or people across the borders or across the ocean should be stopped. (Though if we legalize and regulate drugs, we wouldn't have such a problem! Prohibition is the the greatest factor that lead to organized crime!) But in a way, it seems like everyone is really just being punished for existing... Emma Lazarus must be rolling in her grave. :-(

Though really, when you have liberals AND conservatives pissed off for the exact same reasons, you know you fucked up. I found (and lost) a video the other day from a random conservative group. The video was about a hispanic truck driver, an American citizen, who was randomly singled out, pulled over, and immediately arrested because he didn't have his birth certificate on him (even though he had his driver's license and social security card, etc.). His sister had to bring the certificate to him in jail. And she brought hers with her just in case... The second part of the video is the camera guy interviewing a local lawmaker of some sort, pointing out that out of the 105 people arrested since, 30 of them were legal citizens; that the law allows anyone on the street to be arrested for no reason; The camera crew also pointed out that the lawmaker and his friends had no idea what's in the bill, as he kept insisting that the supreme court says it's ok to arrest anyone for whatever reason (which contradicts and completely violates the 4th amendment, which is partially why some conservatives are pissed off), and denied that it will be profiling, etc. Clearly, we're not all on the same page here. I only read the official summary released by the Arizona state government, and skimmed the full bill, and could tell it was going to be a horrible idea. (Here's the full thing.) And while the amendments are "supposed" to stop profiling, who's to say they actually will? Immigrants can look like anyone, but they're targeting Mexican immigrants (who, yes, are in fact the majority in that part of the country...), therefore Hispanic people are far more likely to be targeted for arrest because they'll "look Mexican." How is that not racial profiling? The new amendments require there to be at least 1 other unnamed reason other than race/ethnicity. But clearly, race is still a HUGE factor. So again, how is this not racial profiling? Not to mention a huge waste of taxpayer money, police officers' time and energy, and a potential destroyer of the social And why do Republicans think they're going to get any votes from Hispanic people or Latinos, or really any ethnic minority after this bullshit? Cuz I'm totally missing that part too.

I could go on to explain my suggestions for immigration reform, but that would take too long right now, so maybe I'll save that for another post. I will say that I do believe in comprehensive immigration reform. I do think that these people should be allowed to be legal citizens, and that there should be a way to facilitate the naturalization process without excessive penalization.A co-worker recently told me that she was finally allowed to become a citizen, after a long process that required her to live here for 5 years. (I found more details here.) I don't mind the national ID card (as it would probably just end up being the passport card all over again anyway -- you know, our passports have a little card version? Costs like an extra $45 or something...) as long as we keep out biometrics... That's just a little too creepy for my tastes, a little too Minority Report (which was a great movie way back when...).

As for me, the daughter of a legal immigrant from South America, I will be boycotting Arizona (lol like I buy anything from there anyway, or would ever visit... I don't like deserts). I was told the other day that I apparently look Dominican (???), so it's probably better that I stay away from crazy, paranoid people for a while... It's hard enough dealing with NJ tea partiers and Chris Christie -_-". (Though on a good note, I'm getting to know my senators, and I'm really liking what I'm hearing so far... I never paid attention to state things much. Trying to break free from the whole NJ bubble...)

One last thing - Like stickers? Like free things? Like the picture at the top of the page? Disappointed with Arizona's new law? Or just like politics? Get your free stickers here!

This is not a "Natural" Disaster!

Anyway, in other news, it would seem that BP/"Deepwater Horizon" really did think the "dome" was a good way to stop the oil spill/flow. Many of us really thought they were joking. I guess we'll see what happens... The other option being considered is chemical, so perhaps the "dome" will be a safer choice? Something needs to be done ASAP, and as much as I hate the idea of releasing tons of chemicals into the water... Would the situation be better or worse if they didn't? There isn't enough research to be sure either way, and if they wait any longer to do something, the crude oil will do even more damage to the flora and fauna of the coast... Ironically, BP was just about to be honored for their safety or something or other before all of this happened... Clearly, someone on the awards committee wasn't really paying attention to BP's safety standards - or obvious lack thereof.

As it says on my FB status -  
[cue gigantic oil spill in gulf of mexico] fox news anchors - "hey, look how much is down there! we should drill that!!!" [facepalm]

Seriously. Post gigantic spill that threatens to destroy what's looking to be the waters and shoreline of the entire Gulf Coast region (and now parts of the east coast), the "Drill, Baby, Drill" proponents (who were quiet up until now) and a certain blonde female Fox News anchor (though really, there are so many...) decide to open their mouths, again in favor of more offshore drilling. W. T. F. I posted a link a while back showing a Media Matters clip of some of their comments (refresh the page if you get an error message) and some of their research. Even those who experienced firsthand the catastrophe that was the Exxon-Valdez spill in Alaska in '89, including ex-half-governor Palin, have been among the voices promoting the need for more drilling. Some of them even claimed this was a "natural disaster!" There is nothing natural about oil spills of this magnitude. Yes, oil is natural, but the 1 million+ gallons currently floating around the Gulf of Mexico were never meant to be siphoned out of the earth's crust and poured into our vehicles-- though technically this could have been done without such a major debacle, had BP actually instated or followed proper safety protocol. Oh, and let's not forget the decades of deregulation started by Reagan & Bush Sr. (Still a horrible idea, though. What happened to our electric cars of the future???) Conservative Democrat Mary Landrieu, President Obama, and other Democrats have been among DBD voices at times as well, though at least in light of recent events, many of them have been at least willing to reconsider, thank Skinner-- including Republican governor Arnold Schwarzenegger of California. And apparently, there is evidence floating about that BP was involved in the Exxon-Valdez spill as well -- but their decades of greenwashing have kept details of their horrific mistakes hidden under the seabed. Yay. (And no, I don't actually think this was some sort of conspiracy. BP has a long history of ignoring safety protocol and rules in favor of profits. Big surprise there. Because OSHA is a waste of time and totally doesn't matter, and employees are just workers, not human beings...)

There is nothing safe about oil drilling, whether on land or in our once-beautiful oceans. We absolutely need to move towards cleaner, safer, more Earth- and Ocean-friendly energy options. Though given the choice between land and sea, land would have to win. It's easier to control a disaster inland than it is when the ocean is involved... (Part of what annoys me so much about the term "green" is that it focuses so much on Earth in terms of plants and conservation, but doesn't compensate for the fact that 3/4 of the Earth is water! We're the Blue Planet. The ocean is the source of all life, and it's what keeps us alive on the land. The oceans determine weather patterns, food, etc. We need to protect our waters and all creatures in it!) 

Apparently I'm finally having some influence on my family - my mother bought our first solar lights, like these. We have CFL bulbs (as much as my mother and I despise them...), healthier, more natural food, my little garden in the back (now full of sweet, delicious strawberries!), etc. These are things every family can do, with very little cost but many long-term savings. It's a small start, but every step counts! See my (ugh...) Twitter feed for other ways you can help the cause.

Random..

[Why does everyone automatically assume that if you're an independent you must be a moderate who generally sides with conservatives? All independent means is that you are independent of the party system, specifically R or D. It's not a political position on it's own, and it certainly does not put us in the middle but on the side, or outside, or however you see it, but on equal footing as a party member. (And yes, there is an official Independent party, however I really don't think that's the same as being an independent unless you are specifically referring to R/D parties... If you belong to a specific party, it defies logic to call yourself an independent.)]

Now that all of that's out of the way-- Work is exhausting (as it is quite physically demanding, for hours at a time with few breaks), so I just haven't had the energy to write/post anything new. So this will be relatively random. Like this- Today I realized that while I described my schedule as "waking up at an ungodly hour," there's a strange sort of irony in that. I'm an atheist. Every hour is an ungodly hour! Words are so very strange...

Another thing I find rather creepy- couples in identical outfits. What the hell??? Will be posting something later, I'm just bored at the bus stop...