Roll Call

If you're a regular reader (ie, check about once a week or more) please leave a comment with your name (If you'd like it not published, just mention). I just realized how many "direct" readers I have, which means people are typing in my address rather than clicking links to it.

What's scary is out of all the oh-so-many in Katy/Richmond/Houston, they're all using different browsers and OSs. Which means there's more than one of you out there. Just curious who you are. :)

Yes, I'm Asking For It

I don't want to talk about politics now. Really, I've had enough.
So I'm not- here are two articles which, though written at the extremes, I agree with. I wouldn't write them so assertively, though I probably should... so I'm starting my assertiveness by backing them. Here they are:

"Sarah Palin... Ya, I'm Going There"

"More Thoughts On Palin" (written by the same blog author)

Ok, forget that. I'm writing. I really don't know how to feel about this. I mean, this is an amazing step for Republicans to have such a pro-lifer, family-lover on board, but like the article said, this is a major responsibility, and I have qualms putting her in such a position over so many people. How she organizes her life is her business, and I am in no position to judge, but it's all very oxymoronic and ironic. Ah the inner turmoil. This election is becoming so personally abnoxious that I'm glad I have 6 months... oops, 4 (where'd they go?) months till I'm 18.

I may write something less politicish soon.
Comment if you wish, but please no directed politicish/feminism/social equality arguments- I'm sick of it, though I will publish them for public discussion, unless requested not to.

The Future: A Scary, Yet Exciting Place

I thought I had all this university stuff figured out. I would go to U of C, I would apply to HBU as a fall-back, and I would apply to Rice because they're waiving my application fee, and to deny them would be idiotic.

Then I got several "talks" by parents and grandparents about my major choice. I find linguistics interesting, but I definitely see their point... for what?

So I started looking at other majors. Then other schools.

I thought I was back where I started. Confused, frustrated, and exhausted.

Google helped, as well as college board and a few college sites, but what really helped me was a comment from one of the girls I worked with. She said, "You use numbers all the time, and you're so literal about it. 24 hours is 24 hrs, and you just wrote undefined for your '$/hr'."

So I thought. I still plan to take at least a couple linguistics classes, but I'll probably major in something mathematical. Actuarial Science sounds interesting. Then Dalhousie University came up again. I haven't considered Dalhousie for a couple years. They have a sturdy math department there.

In any case, I have about four months till I want to have all my applications finished. I still have to take the SATs, and who knows what college board is doing about my National Merit standing.

Who knows where I'll be headed in 365 days.

Would You Make A Good President?

I just finished watching the Saddleback Forum, where Rev. Warren presented identical questions to both presidential candidates separately. It's probably the most I've heard from either man, and I'm starting to feel a little more hope than I was, either way. The fact of the matter is, Obama and McCain seem like strong men. I don't agree with each point that they make (though I was surprised to find myself favoring Obama over McCain in two answers). Their answering styles were unique- McCain was quick and to the point, and Obama meandered a bit. However, throughout the interview, what impressed me most were the questions. They were the type of questions I would ask my president. The topics were varied, but relevant to my life. Then I started thinking about my answers to the questions. Sure, not all were relevant ("Why do you want to be president?") but they gave me significant insight to myself. I've posted them below. Take some time to think about them- I believe they're questions we should all ask ourselves every once and a while. If you want, you can even pretend you're running for president.

1)Who are the three wisest people you know, and who are you going to rely on heavily?
2)What would be your greatest moral failure in your life, and what would be the greatest moral failure in America?
3)What was the most gut-wrenching decision you've ever made, and what is the process you used to make it?
4)What viewpoint did you have 10 years ago [personally, I'm going to go with 5, since 10 years ago I was a pipsqueek] that you have changed your mind on due to more knowledge/experience?
5)As a Christian, what does it mean to trust Christ on a daily basis?
6)Abortion: At what point is a baby entitled to human rights?
7)Define "marriage."
8)Do we still need federal funding for research on embryo stem cells?
9)Does evil exist, and if it does, do we ignore it, do we negotiate with it, do we contain it, or do we defeat it?
10)Would you require that faith-based organizations [church missions] forfeit their right [to hire those with similar beliefs (potential discrimination)] to access federal funds?
11)Do you think better paid teachers should be paid better (merit based pay)?
12)Taxes: Define "rich."
13)War: As an American, what is worth sacrificing American lives for? What would be the criteria for sending troops in for a genocide?
14)Which supreme court justice(s) would you not have nominated?
15)Would you be willing to create an emergency relief for orphans, like Bush did for AIDS?
16)What do you think the US should do to end religious persecution [worldwide]?
17)When do our right to security and our right to privacy collide?
18)In one minute, tell me why you want to be president?
19)What do you say to people who oppose me [as a pastor] asking you these questions [in a church]?

If you want, feel free to comment, though I'll definitely be moderating closely.

Sour Milk

I am in a blogging frenzie. Anyway.

I was just on the phone with my aunt when I caught a whiff of something bad. I have the house to myself for the week, and though I haven't accumulated enough dishes where I have needed to wash them (I've only had breakfast at home. I've been working and sleeping for the last week), I have rinsed each off and I couldn't think what the stench was. I glanced around the area, and noticed a tea pot that was on the table from when my mom had company over... before she left. Next to it was a small milk pitcher. From before she left (four days ago). Now, I can handle baby diapers. I can deal with animal waste (I've been the family doggy doo scooper since I was 5). I have picked up roadkill from the side of the road, which is a rather long story. I can hold someone's hair back when they're sick. But I don't do spoilt milk. There's this gag reflex, and I just feel like holding my own hair back. I think it's mostly the stench, but it's also partly the visual. Milk just shouldn't look like that.

Anyway, the "milk" is down the garbarator (which ran about 2 minutes till I was sure I could smell nothing). I am now doing all dishes and clearing every surface of this kitchen, so help me. If there is anything that was not found before, it will be found now.