Actually, I think it's been about 9 days since I turned on the computer. Lately, I don't want to deal with 859767 pages of spam, promising to enlarge my penis. When I don't have that, I have ridiculous emails from either former students who want me to tell them why they got such and such grade in class LAST semester (way to be on the ball, kids), or people from the clinic, wanting to know when I'm coming back (never. Hold your breath).
Last night, in the shower, I was thinking about something. Whenever someone we know is going through something - family problems, personal problems, health, whatever - it's as though we EXPECT that their work will be affected. I don't think that's fair. This isn't because of what happened to me - actually Making the Band 3 was on in my room, and I could kind of hear it in the bathroom. One of the girls was being told that her dancing and performing skills weren't up to par, and people were attributing this to the fact that the girl's mom was in the hospital. That may be true. But, what if it wasn't? What if she was performing at the same level, but people were being more critical of her because they expected her to mess up? That's fucked up.
I looooooathe Paris Hilton. Fine, the girl is famous for having sex on tape and having a super-wealthy grandpa. That's not why I hate her. I hate her because she is stupid. When she lost her stupid-ass dog, she put up signs all over the neighborhood riddled with run-on sentences. You have 900 billion dollars. Can't buy a computer with spell-check?
But worse? Far, far worse? Okay, she has decided that she needs to patent the phrase "That's hot." Even though any two-year old who bites into an overcooked biscuit could've put that phrase together. Anyway, now she's turned it into a t-shirt. Were there NO editors on hand?
Front of shirt: Thats hot
Back of shirt: Your not
No, people I didn't make a mistake. First, apparently, I'm not being told that "That is hot." But "that" has now become plural. As in - more than one THAT. But there is no verb in the statement. So I am confused.
Also, the back? "Your not." My not what? My what not hot? My what hot...my head hurts.
I can be a bit of a grammar nazi. I won't even deny it. Nothing made me want to vomit more than getting essays from my students who couldn't quite work the homonym phenomenon. But this is supposed to be a public product. I cannot tolerate this dumb-ing down of our country. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that our fearless leader can't even put together an adage correctly.
You know what I don't understand? My mom. I love her. And she is one of my best friends (I don't want an argument with one Salazabr - this is just how I feel). My mom and I were totally alienated from everyone around us when dad moved out - as far as I'm concerned, we are friends. One thing that I KNOW I got from her is her skepticism. She questions EVERYTHING. Why is it this way? How does it work? Be careful of everything you buy, Alyssa, because people will take advantage of you.
And I think that's probably why I'm so drawn to science or statistics. The only way to PROVE something is to be able to test it to be wrong. That's great. I can't say that something is or isn't unless I have a way to show that it isn't. And my mom? FAR worse than I. So, why is she so into religion? There is no way to prove religion because you cannot prove that there ISN'T religion. If you don't get what you pray for, it's because you weren't supposed to have it. God doesn't show himself because he doesn't have to. If you question it, YOU are wrong.
Last night, there was some kind of special on Dateline (I think it was dateline) about a guy who said he was possessed. As a child, I wasn't allowed to play games like Ouija, or ghostwriting, because, according to my mom, it's an invitation to demons. You're just asking for trouble. The weird thing is, if you're protestant, you believe that there is such a thing as possession, but yet, it's as though only the catholic church can do an exorcism. So what do you do if you're not catholic?
No wonder that movie fucked me up.
But anyway, the guy was basically depressed. He described symptoms of depression, and instead, he was having an exorcism. I thought my aunt was the only woman on the planet who believed that mental illness was caused by demons. I should've known that this came from some source of crazy.
If there IS such a thing as this (as I don't just mean the Regan MacNeill thing - I'm talking about ghosts or spirits, and I am just questioning because I guess it's possible...sometimes it's hard to release all of those weird ideals beaten into your head), isn't it possible that having an unnecessary exorcism is actually WORSE? Assuming that the devil is the evil, manuipulative trickster of stained-glass windows across the country, wouldn't that be exactly what he wants?
I'd rather balance a chemical equation. That makes sense to me.
Fin.
My apologies and a farewell??? - 2005-10-20
It should be Friday somewhere. - 2005-10-03
It's Friday again! - 2005-10-01
Amendment to previous entry... - 2005-09-26
Longer than I intended. It's to tide you over for another week. - 2005-09-23