Saturday, October 27, 2012
The Many Banes of My Existence by Alexis: Sing Hallelujah, Come On Get Happy!
The Many Banes of My Existence by Alexis: Sing Hallelujah, Come On Get Happy!: I've finished all assigned papers and projects for this quarter and have gone through all assigned reading at least twice. For me, this is...
Sing Hallelujah, Come On Get Happy!
I've finished all assigned papers and projects for this quarter and have gone through all assigned reading at least twice. For me, this is a major cause for celebration. I went to my parents' refrigerator and helped myself to a Guiness. I can't stand the taste but like the buzz, so I plug my nose. In addition to the buzz, Guiness increases my appetite. I'm looking less like a refugee but still need to add a couple of pounds if I want to reach menarche before I hit my twenties.
This quarter has been the most academically demanding term of my life. I've had other quarters or semesters in high school and in university where I've dealt with major adversity and trauma, and i've taken more quarter units, but I've never had so many loaded courses all at once. I don't meet with advisors or counselors on anything resembling a regular basis, but I was called in to meet with a counselor because a computer red-flagged my schedule of courses as being unusually difficult, and the counselor wanted to ascertain that I knew into what kind of a jam I was getting myself. I told him I knew it would be rough but that I was confident that I could handle it. So far I'm handling it. I still have midterms and finals to go, but my lowest score on any exam this quarter has been 98.
This is my favorite point in every term. Once I've done the readings, papers, and projects, I can start living again. I can hurdle when I feel like it and can dive when the diving pool is open. I wouldn't go so far as to say that I don't like college, but my very favorite part of it is being finished.
I don't want to subject myself to any potential alcohol poisoning, but I'm probably going to help myself to a second Guiness in a few minutes. What are my parents going to do about it, anyway, even if they notice? Confine me to me room, which has a TV, multiple computers, lots of books, multiple phones, a piano, a violin, and a really comfortable bed? Gosh, I'm scared.
This quarter has been the most academically demanding term of my life. I've had other quarters or semesters in high school and in university where I've dealt with major adversity and trauma, and i've taken more quarter units, but I've never had so many loaded courses all at once. I don't meet with advisors or counselors on anything resembling a regular basis, but I was called in to meet with a counselor because a computer red-flagged my schedule of courses as being unusually difficult, and the counselor wanted to ascertain that I knew into what kind of a jam I was getting myself. I told him I knew it would be rough but that I was confident that I could handle it. So far I'm handling it. I still have midterms and finals to go, but my lowest score on any exam this quarter has been 98.
This is my favorite point in every term. Once I've done the readings, papers, and projects, I can start living again. I can hurdle when I feel like it and can dive when the diving pool is open. I wouldn't go so far as to say that I don't like college, but my very favorite part of it is being finished.
I don't want to subject myself to any potential alcohol poisoning, but I'm probably going to help myself to a second Guiness in a few minutes. What are my parents going to do about it, anyway, even if they notice? Confine me to me room, which has a TV, multiple computers, lots of books, multiple phones, a piano, a violin, and a really comfortable bed? Gosh, I'm scared.
The Many Banes of My Existence by Alexis: A Close Friend of the Family Passed
The Many Banes of My Existence by Alexis: A Close Friend of the Family Passed: A close friend of my family left his mortal existence Thursday. This particular friend happened to be a dog, which makes his departure felt ...
A Close Friend of the Family Passed
A close friend of my family left his mortal existence Thursday. This particular friend happened to be a dog, which makes his departure felt no less.
The dearly departed, otherwise known as Boogie Man Molnar, suffered an apparent brain hemorrhage
Thursday evening. His beloved immediate family was with him as he passed. He went, from all accounts, very quickly.
The memorial service was held today, and I was lucky enough to be in attendance. My parents were participants in the service. My dad played his guitar while he and my mom sang "Time of Your Life" by Green Day, which was reportedly one of Boogie Man's favorite songs. My dad also gave the invocation. My pseudoaunt's brother gave the benediction, and my pseudoaunt's cousin eulogized Boogie Man.
My dad made the offhand comment that he had sunk to new depths in playing and singing at a dog's funeral. I believe he's actually risen to new heights.
The dearly departed, otherwise known as Boogie Man Molnar, suffered an apparent brain hemorrhage
Thursday evening. His beloved immediate family was with him as he passed. He went, from all accounts, very quickly.
The memorial service was held today, and I was lucky enough to be in attendance. My parents were participants in the service. My dad played his guitar while he and my mom sang "Time of Your Life" by Green Day, which was reportedly one of Boogie Man's favorite songs. My dad also gave the invocation. My pseudoaunt's brother gave the benediction, and my pseudoaunt's cousin eulogized Boogie Man.
My dad made the offhand comment that he had sunk to new depths in playing and singing at a dog's funeral. I believe he's actually risen to new heights.
Rest in peace, Boogie Man.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
The Many Banes of My Existence by Alexis: Cartoon Dislike
The Many Banes of My Existence by Alexis: Cartoon Dislike: I have an almost irrational distaste -- I don't really like to use the word hate in this sense -- for Sean Hannity. Plenty of rational reas...
Cartoon Dislike
I have an almost irrational distaste -- I don't really like to use the word hate in this sense -- for Sean Hannity. Plenty of rational reasons exist for disliking Sean Hannity, but I'm not sure any of those reasons are behind my rather intense aversion to Hannity. While he's not as totally insane as Glenn Beck or quite so caricaturish as Limbaugh, he has the potential to cause more harm because a few more people who are maybe a bit stupid but not total idiots take him seriously.
Hannity is not as incarnately evil as Ann Coulter, although I'm not 100% sure she's for real. Much of the venom she spews is so far beyond outrageous that I wonder if anyone intelligent enough to vocalize beyond the level of grunting can actually believe she's serious. Sometimes I wonder if perhaps Ann Coulter has an awesome gig and she knows it, and if she's going to ride it as far as it will take her. Probably not, but still I wonder.
While my political leanings are most definitely liberal, I'm not blindly in opposition to all things conservative. I don't despise Bill O 'Reilly. I think David Gergen, who's moderate, is one of the most astute political analysts around. No one's funnier than Carville, and I place a high premium on comic relief, but Gergen has a better handle on what's really happening in D. C. than just about anyone in my opinion.
With Hannity, it's almost as if the omnipresent smirk on his face makes me angry every time I see it, even before he says anything.
Ann Romney is starting to have the same effect on me. As much as I dislike Mitt and don't want him to be president, I might be able to tolerate a Romney presidency [for one term, anyway] if Ann and the five Romney sons would agree to hie to Kolob (an allusion taken verbatim from an LDS hymn, believe it or not) for the duration of the term. The oldest son, Tagg, or whatever his actual name is, somewht unnerves me. Matt and Josh aren't quite so bad. Ben, the MD, has a permanent sneer on his face. perhaps it's just the way his mouth is formed, but it looks like a sneer to me, and it puts me into an instant bad mood for an entire day if I have to see it. The youngest son, Craig, looks totally caballo loco to me. Maybe it's just my perception, but there's something in his eyes that seems not quite right, and I don't think it's Graves' Disease. Then again, maybe it's his weird hair. I'm somewhat surprised all the Romneys didn't wrestle him to the ground and cut it into a more respectable style.
Hannity is not as incarnately evil as Ann Coulter, although I'm not 100% sure she's for real. Much of the venom she spews is so far beyond outrageous that I wonder if anyone intelligent enough to vocalize beyond the level of grunting can actually believe she's serious. Sometimes I wonder if perhaps Ann Coulter has an awesome gig and she knows it, and if she's going to ride it as far as it will take her. Probably not, but still I wonder.
While my political leanings are most definitely liberal, I'm not blindly in opposition to all things conservative. I don't despise Bill O 'Reilly. I think David Gergen, who's moderate, is one of the most astute political analysts around. No one's funnier than Carville, and I place a high premium on comic relief, but Gergen has a better handle on what's really happening in D. C. than just about anyone in my opinion.
With Hannity, it's almost as if the omnipresent smirk on his face makes me angry every time I see it, even before he says anything.
Ann Romney is starting to have the same effect on me. As much as I dislike Mitt and don't want him to be president, I might be able to tolerate a Romney presidency [for one term, anyway] if Ann and the five Romney sons would agree to hie to Kolob (an allusion taken verbatim from an LDS hymn, believe it or not) for the duration of the term. The oldest son, Tagg, or whatever his actual name is, somewht unnerves me. Matt and Josh aren't quite so bad. Ben, the MD, has a permanent sneer on his face. perhaps it's just the way his mouth is formed, but it looks like a sneer to me, and it puts me into an instant bad mood for an entire day if I have to see it. The youngest son, Craig, looks totally caballo loco to me. Maybe it's just my perception, but there's something in his eyes that seems not quite right, and I don't think it's Graves' Disease. Then again, maybe it's his weird hair. I'm somewhat surprised all the Romneys didn't wrestle him to the ground and cut it into a more respectable style.
The Many Banes of My Existence by Alexis: "Senior" Picture and Other Matters
The Many Banes of My Existence by Alexis: "Senior" Picture and Other Matters: I just got my senior pictures, which were taken last week. No really compelling reason exists for my having delayed my senior portrait until...
"Senior" Picture and Other Matters
I just got my senior pictures, which were taken last week. No really compelling reason exists for my having delayed my senior portrait until my second year of university attendance. I did have a a yearbook photo taken at the studio that was taking all students' yearbook photos for my school, but my face was bruised from an accident, and even with heavy cosmetic application and major retouching (made even easier with computerized enhancements) the best of the shots wasn't terribly flattering.
My appointment for that particular photo sitting had been made more than two months in advance when my crutch got caught in the grout of my pseudo-relatives' old apartment, causing me to fall on my face. The stitches or the residual scar under my chin wouldn't show, but not much of my face was spared from either bruising or swelling. A couple of days after it all went down, it occurred to me that the photo shoot was only three weeks away and that, while the swelling would probably be gone, the departure of the discoloration might not happen in that three weeks. I was in Utah at the time, but I googled the studio, got the number, and called them in an attempt to reschedule. The person who answered the phone insisted that they were booked solidly and that no openings were available before the yearbook's deadline for inclusion. I would have had no problem with being excluded from the photo section of the yearbook, but I knew just how big a conniption fit my mother would have pitched, so I didn't cancel the appointment.
When my mom first saw me following the face plant, two weeks later and one week before the scheduled portrait sitting, she freaked out. She called the studio in attempt to reschedule (I told her it was futile) and was told that had she called a week or two earlier, a change could have been made, but it was too late. ?!?!?!?!?
So I went to the studio at the appointed day and time and had my blue, purple, and yellow face photographed. (Depending upon the depth of the bruising, the contusions were at different phases of healing, hence the multi-colored effect.) The proof we selected for the yearbook was a waist-up shot barely showed my face, much less my bruises, in the 2.5" by 1.5" or whatever the small size that was allotted for each senior's photo. I suppose anyone who looks at the yearbook will wonder why I chose a picture in which I can only marginally be distinguished from Osama bin Laden, but that was and continues to be the very least of my concerns.
Other things happened during my senior year of high school that moved portrait sittings from the back burner to entirely off the stove in terms of priority. Neither I nor my parents thought about it last year, either. This summer I had an auto accident in which an airbag deployed, leaving its own telltale fresh but temporary discoloration. For some inexplicable reason, this caused my mother to think of the photo shoot. The across-the-street neighbors in our present location operate a photography studio. My mom set up an appointment for October, and I had pictures taken last week.
My dad wanted me to leave my hair curly for the picture, but that point wasn't negotiable. My hair didn't turn out great when I straightened it that day, so I ended up choosing one of the wind-blown shots, since it didn't particularly matter in those shots that my hair actually looked as though it had been styled by a blind person wearing gardening gloves. The picture is far from the most glamorous senior portrait ever taken, but at least I don't look in the picture as though I just returned from a date with Mike Tyson.
If you didn't know, the picture to the left of this of this blog (the larger one at the top; the smaller black-and-white picture was from when I was almost six) is my official "senior portrait," albeit two years late. Since I'm seventeen, I can rationalize that I'm now the age most people are when they have their senior pictures taken, anyway.
My appointment for that particular photo sitting had been made more than two months in advance when my crutch got caught in the grout of my pseudo-relatives' old apartment, causing me to fall on my face. The stitches or the residual scar under my chin wouldn't show, but not much of my face was spared from either bruising or swelling. A couple of days after it all went down, it occurred to me that the photo shoot was only three weeks away and that, while the swelling would probably be gone, the departure of the discoloration might not happen in that three weeks. I was in Utah at the time, but I googled the studio, got the number, and called them in an attempt to reschedule. The person who answered the phone insisted that they were booked solidly and that no openings were available before the yearbook's deadline for inclusion. I would have had no problem with being excluded from the photo section of the yearbook, but I knew just how big a conniption fit my mother would have pitched, so I didn't cancel the appointment.
When my mom first saw me following the face plant, two weeks later and one week before the scheduled portrait sitting, she freaked out. She called the studio in attempt to reschedule (I told her it was futile) and was told that had she called a week or two earlier, a change could have been made, but it was too late. ?!?!?!?!?
So I went to the studio at the appointed day and time and had my blue, purple, and yellow face photographed. (Depending upon the depth of the bruising, the contusions were at different phases of healing, hence the multi-colored effect.) The proof we selected for the yearbook was a waist-up shot barely showed my face, much less my bruises, in the 2.5" by 1.5" or whatever the small size that was allotted for each senior's photo. I suppose anyone who looks at the yearbook will wonder why I chose a picture in which I can only marginally be distinguished from Osama bin Laden, but that was and continues to be the very least of my concerns.
Other things happened during my senior year of high school that moved portrait sittings from the back burner to entirely off the stove in terms of priority. Neither I nor my parents thought about it last year, either. This summer I had an auto accident in which an airbag deployed, leaving its own telltale fresh but temporary discoloration. For some inexplicable reason, this caused my mother to think of the photo shoot. The across-the-street neighbors in our present location operate a photography studio. My mom set up an appointment for October, and I had pictures taken last week.
My dad wanted me to leave my hair curly for the picture, but that point wasn't negotiable. My hair didn't turn out great when I straightened it that day, so I ended up choosing one of the wind-blown shots, since it didn't particularly matter in those shots that my hair actually looked as though it had been styled by a blind person wearing gardening gloves. The picture is far from the most glamorous senior portrait ever taken, but at least I don't look in the picture as though I just returned from a date with Mike Tyson.
If you didn't know, the picture to the left of this of this blog (the larger one at the top; the smaller black-and-white picture was from when I was almost six) is my official "senior portrait," albeit two years late. Since I'm seventeen, I can rationalize that I'm now the age most people are when they have their senior pictures taken, anyway.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Guest Lecturer in One of My Classes
One of my courses this quarter is Biology of Cancer. It's not a degree requirement for me. You will now have a pop quiz: Why would Alexis take an elective that robs her of so many of her few leisure hours each week? A)) Alexis is a masochist. B)) Alexis is stupid. C)) Alexis really likes cancer. D)) It may impress medical school admissions committees. E)) all (or none) of the above. If your choice was Answer D, you aced the quiz, although Answer B may give you a 100% score as well, depending upon who scores your exam.
An oncologist specializing in leukemia and lymphoma lives in the city where my university is located and will be a guest lecturer for my class this week. The oncologist who will deliver this lecture is none other than my father. This will not be the first time I've endured having my dad lecture one of my classes.
When my brother and I took biology in ninth grade, my teacher thought it would be really fun for the class to have Matthew's and Alexis' father speak to the class. How bad could it possibly be? I asked myself. That was before I knew that someone had given my dad when he was in college a long-sleeved T-shirt with pictures of the organs of the body in places approximating their actual locations. (The sleeves had muscles.) Had I know my father owned such a shirt, I would have simply removed it from his closet a day or two before his scheduled appearance and hidden it. Hindsight is often 20/10. Surely enough, my dad walked into our biology classroom on the appointed day wearing the obscenely hideous shirt. The only thing that might have embarrassed my brother and me more than the shirt itself would have been if the shirt had matching pants. Thank God that if pants existed to go with that Godawful shirt, whoever gave the shirt to my dad was too cheap to spring for them. Otherwise (while I cannot speak for my brother) I quite possibly might not have lived through the experience to tell about it.
My dad was such a smash hit that he lectured at our school a couple times each year following his initial appearance. I don't believe he ever wore the organ shirt again, but he wore other articles of clothing with obnoxious biology-related captions. Once when he lectured on human reproduction (if anything could possibly be more humiliating than having one's father appear on campus in an organ T-shirt to lecture, it could only be having one's father lecture to one's class on the topic of human reproduction) he came down for breakfast the morning of the lecture wearing a tie boldly emblazoned with the slogan "If I were an enzyme, I'd be DNA helicase so that I could unzip your genes." I tried telling him politely that he would be viewed as a pervert if he wore that tie to my school, but he only laughed and said, "It doesn't mean anything dirty, Alexis" and went into an explanation of how helicases separate nucleic acid strands, which I already understood quite well. It was only after I threw a complete hissy fit and cried that my mother insisted he go upstairs and find something more appropriate to wear to my school that day. (Four years later he and my mom insist it was all a big joke and that he only wore the tie to breakfast to get a rise out of me, but I'm not so sure I believe that.)
I doubt many of my classmates in Biology of Cancer even know my last name, as they tend to ignore me, and even if they do know it, they wouldn't know for certain that my father and I are related. It's not as though we share any obvious physical anomalies, or even resemble one another particularly strongly. I look more like my father than un-like him, but the two of us don't resemble one another to the degree that he and my brother do or that my mother and I do. Furthermore, this isn't high school. I don't have to pretend anymore that I was hatched from an egg or was the product of immaculate conception. It's OK to admit that I have parents. Just the same, I will go through my dad's closet tomorrow and remove any articles of clothing that possess any potential of embarrassment to me.
An oncologist specializing in leukemia and lymphoma lives in the city where my university is located and will be a guest lecturer for my class this week. The oncologist who will deliver this lecture is none other than my father. This will not be the first time I've endured having my dad lecture one of my classes.
When my brother and I took biology in ninth grade, my teacher thought it would be really fun for the class to have Matthew's and Alexis' father speak to the class. How bad could it possibly be? I asked myself. That was before I knew that someone had given my dad when he was in college a long-sleeved T-shirt with pictures of the organs of the body in places approximating their actual locations. (The sleeves had muscles.) Had I know my father owned such a shirt, I would have simply removed it from his closet a day or two before his scheduled appearance and hidden it. Hindsight is often 20/10. Surely enough, my dad walked into our biology classroom on the appointed day wearing the obscenely hideous shirt. The only thing that might have embarrassed my brother and me more than the shirt itself would have been if the shirt had matching pants. Thank God that if pants existed to go with that Godawful shirt, whoever gave the shirt to my dad was too cheap to spring for them. Otherwise (while I cannot speak for my brother) I quite possibly might not have lived through the experience to tell about it.
My dad was such a smash hit that he lectured at our school a couple times each year following his initial appearance. I don't believe he ever wore the organ shirt again, but he wore other articles of clothing with obnoxious biology-related captions. Once when he lectured on human reproduction (if anything could possibly be more humiliating than having one's father appear on campus in an organ T-shirt to lecture, it could only be having one's father lecture to one's class on the topic of human reproduction) he came down for breakfast the morning of the lecture wearing a tie boldly emblazoned with the slogan "If I were an enzyme, I'd be DNA helicase so that I could unzip your genes." I tried telling him politely that he would be viewed as a pervert if he wore that tie to my school, but he only laughed and said, "It doesn't mean anything dirty, Alexis" and went into an explanation of how helicases separate nucleic acid strands, which I already understood quite well. It was only after I threw a complete hissy fit and cried that my mother insisted he go upstairs and find something more appropriate to wear to my school that day. (Four years later he and my mom insist it was all a big joke and that he only wore the tie to breakfast to get a rise out of me, but I'm not so sure I believe that.)
I doubt many of my classmates in Biology of Cancer even know my last name, as they tend to ignore me, and even if they do know it, they wouldn't know for certain that my father and I are related. It's not as though we share any obvious physical anomalies, or even resemble one another particularly strongly. I look more like my father than un-like him, but the two of us don't resemble one another to the degree that he and my brother do or that my mother and I do. Furthermore, this isn't high school. I don't have to pretend anymore that I was hatched from an egg or was the product of immaculate conception. It's OK to admit that I have parents. Just the same, I will go through my dad's closet tomorrow and remove any articles of clothing that possess any potential of embarrassment to me.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
The Many Banes of My Existence by Alexis: It Was Easier When I Could Just Be Cat Woman
The Many Banes of My Existence by Alexis: It Was Easier When I Could Just Be Cat Woman: With Halloween rapidly approaching, I have plans to make. I'll still be up to my neck in readings and assignments, but I do plan to take the...
The Many Banes of My Existence by Alexis: It Was Easier When I Could Just Be Cat Woman
The Many Banes of My Existence by Alexis: It Was Easier When I Could Just Be Cat Woman: With Halloween rapidly approaching, I have plans to make. I'll still be up to my neck in readings and assignments, but I do plan to take the...
It Was Easier When I Could Just Be Cat Woman
With Halloween rapidly approaching, I have plans to make. I'll still be up to my neck in readings and assignments, but I do plan to take the night off. It's highly unlikely that my parents will allow me to spend the evening in [the college community I'm not allowed to name], but i may have the opportunity for a little fun with people close to my own age.
I haven't yet decided on a Halloween costume. I don't know how to make myself look like Ann Romney, not that I'd necessarily want to resemble her even on Halloween. I could make a really realistic Gabby Douglas, but skin color makeup is considered to be in poor taste. If the boy who is not my boyfriend were attending festivities with me, we could be prince William and Kate, but his university is in Los Angeles, and Halloween is on a week night this year. The polygs haven't been in the news much lately, so dressing up as one of them would be somewhat pointless. I could drss up as a Mormon lady missionary just for the hell of it. I'm not sure what they wear, but it wouldn't be hard to find out.
My body type wouldn't make a very realistic Honey Boo Boo Child.; she probably even has more physical development in her favor than I do. Her mother would be fun to portray as well, but I look even less like her than I look like Honey Boo Boo herself.
I could be Chelsea Handler or Suri Cruise or Michele Bachman or Wonder Woman before she grew breasts. I suppose I could also dress up as Nicky Minaj, or I could impersonate a nun. In a real pinch, I could dress up once again as Trailer Trash Barbie. If I choose the trailer trash Barbie, unless I wear a sign, I'll just look like one of the pre-teen skanks in my former city.
the possibilities are numerous, but I'm not all that excited about any of them.
I haven't yet decided on a Halloween costume. I don't know how to make myself look like Ann Romney, not that I'd necessarily want to resemble her even on Halloween. I could make a really realistic Gabby Douglas, but skin color makeup is considered to be in poor taste. If the boy who is not my boyfriend were attending festivities with me, we could be prince William and Kate, but his university is in Los Angeles, and Halloween is on a week night this year. The polygs haven't been in the news much lately, so dressing up as one of them would be somewhat pointless. I could drss up as a Mormon lady missionary just for the hell of it. I'm not sure what they wear, but it wouldn't be hard to find out.
My body type wouldn't make a very realistic Honey Boo Boo Child.; she probably even has more physical development in her favor than I do. Her mother would be fun to portray as well, but I look even less like her than I look like Honey Boo Boo herself.
I could be Chelsea Handler or Suri Cruise or Michele Bachman or Wonder Woman before she grew breasts. I suppose I could also dress up as Nicky Minaj, or I could impersonate a nun. In a real pinch, I could dress up once again as Trailer Trash Barbie. If I choose the trailer trash Barbie, unless I wear a sign, I'll just look like one of the pre-teen skanks in my former city.
the possibilities are numerous, but I'm not all that excited about any of them.
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
The Many Banes of My Existence by Alexis: I'm Included in Mitt Romney's Binder Full of Women...
The Many Banes of My Existence by Alexis: I'm Included in Mitt Romney's Binder Full of Women...: Actually, I'm not. I just felt like saying that. Seriously, I have no clue as to what he meant when he brought that up. Is it anything like ...
I'm Included in Mitt Romney's Binder Full of Women
Actually, I'm not. I just felt like saying that. Seriously, I wasn't totally clear as to where Mitt was trying to go when he brought that up. Is it anything like having been included in Heidi Fleiss's black book? if so, I'm definitely not in it.
The Many Banes of My Existence by Alexis: Fair and Unbalanced?
The Many Banes of My Existence by Alexis: Fair and Unbalanced?: Sean Hannity tweeted after last night's debate, "Game, set, match...one of the best debate performances ever by Mitt Romney # HofstraDebate...
Fair and Unbalanced?
Sean Hannity tweeted after last night's debate, "Game, set, match...one of the best debate performances ever by Mitt Romney #HofstraDebate."
Call me biased, as I admittedly am, but I just didn't see it quite that way.
Call me biased, as I admittedly am, but I just didn't see it quite that way.
Monday, October 15, 2012
The Many Banes of My Existence by Alexis: The Duggars Are Displaying Both Ignorance and Immo...
The Many Banes of My Existence by Alexis: The Duggars Are Displaying Both Ignorance and Immo...: The Duggars are actively campaigning for Todd Akin in his bid to continue to represent his district in the U.S. House of Representatives. Th...
The Duggars Are Displaying Both Ignorance and Immorality by Campaigning for Todd Akin
The Duggars are actively campaigning for Todd Akin in his bid to continue to represent his district in the U.S. House of Representatives. This is the same Todd Akin who stated that women rarely become pregnant through rape because the female body has ways of dealing with such indignities and can shut down ovulation or employ other measures to protect itself, thereby negating the need for any discussion concerning a woman's right to choose whether or not to continue a pregnancy that occurred as a result of rape. Since, in the words of Akin, the possibility of conception as a result of forced intercourse falls somewhere between highly unlikely and virtually impossible, any discussion of need to end a pregnancy that occurred as a result of rape is supererogatory.
This is the person the Duggars are publicly supporting. if anyone thinks JimBob's and Michelle's brand of ultra-conservative religious fanaticism is harmless, he or she might wish to think again. A person who even completed lower division high school science requirements should be too knowledgeable to offer such an ignorant assertion. Even the staunchest of pro-lifers can, for the most part, recognize the ludicrosity of Akin's bizarre claims.
On the other hand, the Duggars have a devoted following. Some of the Duggars' fans will still recognize stupidity for what it is, and will, despite their fondness for the Duggars, vote according to their senses of logic and of right and wrong. Others, however, while they're not in overabundant possession of IQ points, might have avoided making dangerous choices in voting, but will be swayed by the Duggars' support of Todd Akin.
Segments of our population show stupidity when it comes to allowing themselves to be unduly influenced by the opinions of celebrities. This is true with regard both to liberal and conservative points of view. If a person wishes to buy clothing based on what bands or styles a celebrity wears because he or she admires the celebrity's sense of style, that is rational behavior. Likewise, if a person chooses to use a particular toothpaste because a celebrity who happens to have nice teeth endorses the product, there is some logic to that course of action, although anyone who believes that the celebrity has beautiful teeth because of his or her toothpaste, and not because of the costly cosmetic dental procedures, he or she is, in my opinion, naive, but there would at least be a cause/effect relationship on which the person's reasoning was based.
On the other hand, celebrities are fond of injecting themselves into our nation's election process by endorsing candidates. While celebrities' first amendment rights, like anyone else's. allow them to express themselves politically or in virtually any other regard, people who are influenced by the political opinions of entertainers, athletes, or other celebrities positively scare me. why would anyone care, except as a matter of curiosity, who George Clooney or Ted Nugent endorses in a political campaign? Why do we as Americans give celebrities credibility and a prominent platform for expressing their political views? Does anyone honestly believe celebrities have more knowledge than do average citizens in regard to which candidate is best suited to fill a public office? I can understand not watching an entertainer's television appearances, not going to see his or her movies, or not purchasing a musician's recordings if one is put off by the entertainer's brand of politics. I'm not necessarily recommending this course of action, as I personally prefer to keep politics and entertainment separate and distinct, yet I could understand someone else making a choice to boycott an entertainer because of his or her political actions. The reverse, on the other hand, makes no sense whatsoever. Why would anyone allow his or her vote to be influenced by how celebrities, who have no more and no less political knowledge than do the rest of us? It's unfathomable.
The Duggars are offering their time and fan base in support of a candidate whose knowledge of biology wouldn't get him as far as tenth grade. Some of Missouri's voters will undoubtedly be swayed by the Duggars' support of Akins and will vote accordingly. While I'm glad I don't live in Missouri, this gives me limited consolation. A member of the U.S. House of Representatives, can effect legislation that affects the nation as a whole/ People of Missouri, please use your brains when casting your ballots.
P.S. Todd Akin's parents are first cousins, once removed.
This is the person the Duggars are publicly supporting. if anyone thinks JimBob's and Michelle's brand of ultra-conservative religious fanaticism is harmless, he or she might wish to think again. A person who even completed lower division high school science requirements should be too knowledgeable to offer such an ignorant assertion. Even the staunchest of pro-lifers can, for the most part, recognize the ludicrosity of Akin's bizarre claims.
On the other hand, the Duggars have a devoted following. Some of the Duggars' fans will still recognize stupidity for what it is, and will, despite their fondness for the Duggars, vote according to their senses of logic and of right and wrong. Others, however, while they're not in overabundant possession of IQ points, might have avoided making dangerous choices in voting, but will be swayed by the Duggars' support of Todd Akin.
Segments of our population show stupidity when it comes to allowing themselves to be unduly influenced by the opinions of celebrities. This is true with regard both to liberal and conservative points of view. If a person wishes to buy clothing based on what bands or styles a celebrity wears because he or she admires the celebrity's sense of style, that is rational behavior. Likewise, if a person chooses to use a particular toothpaste because a celebrity who happens to have nice teeth endorses the product, there is some logic to that course of action, although anyone who believes that the celebrity has beautiful teeth because of his or her toothpaste, and not because of the costly cosmetic dental procedures, he or she is, in my opinion, naive, but there would at least be a cause/effect relationship on which the person's reasoning was based.
On the other hand, celebrities are fond of injecting themselves into our nation's election process by endorsing candidates. While celebrities' first amendment rights, like anyone else's. allow them to express themselves politically or in virtually any other regard, people who are influenced by the political opinions of entertainers, athletes, or other celebrities positively scare me. why would anyone care, except as a matter of curiosity, who George Clooney or Ted Nugent endorses in a political campaign? Why do we as Americans give celebrities credibility and a prominent platform for expressing their political views? Does anyone honestly believe celebrities have more knowledge than do average citizens in regard to which candidate is best suited to fill a public office? I can understand not watching an entertainer's television appearances, not going to see his or her movies, or not purchasing a musician's recordings if one is put off by the entertainer's brand of politics. I'm not necessarily recommending this course of action, as I personally prefer to keep politics and entertainment separate and distinct, yet I could understand someone else making a choice to boycott an entertainer because of his or her political actions. The reverse, on the other hand, makes no sense whatsoever. Why would anyone allow his or her vote to be influenced by how celebrities, who have no more and no less political knowledge than do the rest of us? It's unfathomable.
The Duggars are offering their time and fan base in support of a candidate whose knowledge of biology wouldn't get him as far as tenth grade. Some of Missouri's voters will undoubtedly be swayed by the Duggars' support of Akins and will vote accordingly. While I'm glad I don't live in Missouri, this gives me limited consolation. A member of the U.S. House of Representatives, can effect legislation that affects the nation as a whole/ People of Missouri, please use your brains when casting your ballots.
P.S. Todd Akin's parents are first cousins, once removed.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
The Many Banes of My Existence by Alexis: Joining Honey Boo Boo's Family
The Many Banes of My Existence by Alexis: Joining Honey Boo Boo's Family: About a month ago I was sick and my dad felt obligated to keep me company when I was watching an episode of "Here comes Honey boo Boo." My P...
Joining Honey Boo Boo's Family
About a month ago I was sick and my dad felt obligated to keep me company when I was watching an episode of "Here comes Honey boo Boo." My PseudoUncle showed up and watched part of the show with us. My dad doesn't like any television program that I like. Even if he does like a show, if he finds out that I like it, he will reverse his stance on principal alone and dislike the show simply because I like it. In the case of "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo," however, no reversing of his stance was necessary. He hated it from the very first little blurb before the episode even started, which made me love it all the more
My dad complained the entire time the show aired that everyone in our house-- even those not watching it -- was losing IQ points by osmosis. Then my PseudoUncle joined in on the complaints.
They didn't think the footage we were seeing on TV was for real. They thought most of the redneckocity or whatever one would care to call it was dreamed up by the producers. While I've said the same thing myself, I couldn't allow my dad and my PseudoUncle to trash my new favorite program with impunity. I had to defend June, Alana, SugarBear, Pumpkin, Chubbs, Chickadee and anyone else even loosely associated with the show.
My dad has since decided that I would fit in with the Honey Boo Boo family better than I fit in with my birth family. He claims to be making arrangements even as I type to have my
possessions transported to McIntyre, Georgia, so that I can move in with my kindred spirits. He said that spending five minutes in the presence of those people will in all likelihood lower my MCAT and LSAT scores to the point that I'll never even get into law school, much less medical school, but it's a price that must be paid. Human beings have a biological compulsion, he says, to be in the company of their natural peers, however far and wide they must travel to find them.
My father is proof positive that a person can have an MD and still be, for practical purposes, a functional moron.
My dad complained the entire time the show aired that everyone in our house-- even those not watching it -- was losing IQ points by osmosis. Then my PseudoUncle joined in on the complaints.
They didn't think the footage we were seeing on TV was for real. They thought most of the redneckocity or whatever one would care to call it was dreamed up by the producers. While I've said the same thing myself, I couldn't allow my dad and my PseudoUncle to trash my new favorite program with impunity. I had to defend June, Alana, SugarBear, Pumpkin, Chubbs, Chickadee and anyone else even loosely associated with the show.
My dad has since decided that I would fit in with the Honey Boo Boo family better than I fit in with my birth family. He claims to be making arrangements even as I type to have my
possessions transported to McIntyre, Georgia, so that I can move in with my kindred spirits. He said that spending five minutes in the presence of those people will in all likelihood lower my MCAT and LSAT scores to the point that I'll never even get into law school, much less medical school, but it's a price that must be paid. Human beings have a biological compulsion, he says, to be in the company of their natural peers, however far and wide they must travel to find them.
My father is proof positive that a person can have an MD and still be, for practical purposes, a functional moron.
Saturday, October 6, 2012
The Many Banes of My Existence by Alexis: Espanol for Dummies
The Many Banes of My Existence by Alexis: Espanol for Dummies: My dad has decided that if I'm considering medical school and planning to live in California, I need to learn to speak Spanish. He now only...
Espanol for Dummies
My dad has decided that if I'm considering medical school and planning to live in California, I need to learn to speak Spanish. He now only speaks to me in Spanish, which is fine with me, as I really don't care all that much about anything he says, anyway. He might just as well be speaking Lithuanian. I have a sixth sense and can tell when anything he says relates to money. If such is the case, I pay attention and attempt to understand what he is saying. If it's not about money, however, I smile and say, "Si, Senor" whether he's talking about school, dinner, or a herpes virus.
Vaya con Dios.
Vaya con Dios.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
The Many Banes of My Existence by Alexis: More Wackjob Professors
The Many Banes of My Existence by Alexis: More Wackjob Professors: I've been in college for just long enough to note that it's pretty much the norm for professors to be abnormal. My first quarter of attendan...
More Wackjob Professors
I've been in college for just long enough to note that it's pretty much the norm for professors to be abnormal. My first quarter of attendance here was a summer session, which gave me the blatantly false impression that most university professors are sound of mind. Since then I've learned that summer sessions are largely staffed by adjunct staff, who may be a degree or two to the west of bona fide sanity, but offer not even a cheap imitation of the eccentricity (a euphemism, by the way) that university students will experience when September hits and the "real" professors return.
When I have a little more time I will more formally evaluate the mental health [or lack thereof] exhibited by my professors of this quarter. For now, suffice it to say that the more things change, the more they stay the same.
When I have a little more time I will more formally evaluate the mental health [or lack thereof] exhibited by my professors of this quarter. For now, suffice it to say that the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Monday, October 1, 2012
The Many Banes of My Existence by Alexis: A Loaded Schedule of Courses Is Preferable to a L...
The Many Banes of My Existence by Alexis: A Loaded Schedule of Courses Is Preferable to a L...: I'm entering what will likely be my most difficult quarter of school ever if I end up in law school, and second only to third-year rotation...
A Loaded Schedule of Courses Is Preferable to a Loaded Gun
I'm entering what will likely be my most difficult quarter of school ever if I end up in law school, and second only to third-year rotations of medical school if I go in that direction. Only two of my present classes are required. The others are needed to pad my resume, so to speak, and to make me a more competitive applicant. I've already completed law school requirements. I could graduate in June and would probably be admitted to the law school of my choice, but I will have a better chance of thriving once there if I'm nineteen when I make my initial appearance in law school. I would have a tough time even being admitted into medical school if I applied this year. Furthermore, I need to fulfill some sort of a lab internship as a medical school candidate, if that's the option I choose.
I'm taking Biology II, Biology of Cancer, Inorganic Chemistry, Neurobiology of Brain States, and Study of Descartes as well as [pre-recital] music performance/piano.
I'm going to take the MCAT in spring of 2013. I'll take a lighter course load so that I can prep for the MCAT, and probably for the LSAT once I've finished the MCAT. I don't plan to take either exam twice, but there's probably time to sneak in another attempt in a worst-case scenario. If I categorically self-destruct with regard to the MCAT, I'll have a reasonably good idea that I was not successful after taking the test, even before receiving scores, and will conclude that it's an omen and that I should be taking my talent [or lack of such] in another direction. In a worst-case scenario in which I'm admitted neither to a medical school nor to a law school I would care to attend, I can get a master's degree and reapply the following year, as I would still only be 20 when starting, which is still considered relatively young, for both medical school or law school.
So far I'm coping with the rigorous load. At this time last year, I would have expected that I would have been overcome with anxiety in the face of so many demanding courses. Right now it just seems like one more hoop through which to jump.
I'm taking Biology II, Biology of Cancer, Inorganic Chemistry, Neurobiology of Brain States, and Study of Descartes as well as [pre-recital] music performance/piano.
I'm going to take the MCAT in spring of 2013. I'll take a lighter course load so that I can prep for the MCAT, and probably for the LSAT once I've finished the MCAT. I don't plan to take either exam twice, but there's probably time to sneak in another attempt in a worst-case scenario. If I categorically self-destruct with regard to the MCAT, I'll have a reasonably good idea that I was not successful after taking the test, even before receiving scores, and will conclude that it's an omen and that I should be taking my talent [or lack of such] in another direction. In a worst-case scenario in which I'm admitted neither to a medical school nor to a law school I would care to attend, I can get a master's degree and reapply the following year, as I would still only be 20 when starting, which is still considered relatively young, for both medical school or law school.
So far I'm coping with the rigorous load. At this time last year, I would have expected that I would have been overcome with anxiety in the face of so many demanding courses. Right now it just seems like one more hoop through which to jump.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)