Dec 19, 2009

>4000 teenage girls + rock and roll star = oh crap!

Ahhhhh, the Revolve Tour. An chance to spend time strengthening one's faith in the company of one's fellow teen girls. A time to be reminded that God loves you. Great music, great message, great fun.
This was my second time going. Last year was a blast despite the fact that I had had no idea who half the artists or speakers were. This year saw many familiar faces on the stage and some new ones as well. (I still didn't know who half the people on stage were!)
This year was fun too. It was also thought provoking and now we have a new diatribe.
Ready?
...
Remember, this is a rant so that means I maybe unreasonable, offensive, and overly honest about what I think and feel about this topic.
...
You sure you're ready?
...
STOP GROPING THAT GUY'S BUTT!
Why is this an issue? We're supposedly Christian girls, right? That means we're trying to stay pure and all that stuff. So why--why?!--did I hear girls saying "Yah, has such a cute butt"?
Okay, if you haven't guessed, before last Friday I'd never even heard of Stellar Kart. For all I knew, Stellar Kart was a flavor of ice cream! For those of you who--like I did--have no idea who they are, Stellar Kart is an all-guys Christian rock band. Christian rock band. Which means no provocative behavior, they stay dressed, and their lyrics are clean.
Why does hearing someone comment on the attractiveness of a singer's butt offend me Okay, let's look at this from another angle so you understand. How about a game of "What If"?
What if it had been a woman on that stage and a Christian guy had commented on her booty? Would you say that was inappropriate behavior for a young man of the Faith? If I heard a guy who was supposedly a Christian saying that about a woman, I would tempted to kick him in the...
For those of you who still don't get what I'm drive at let me put it this way: You are mentally groping that guy's butt when you say something like that. M'kay? Do I need to get out the flashcards? I don't care what you say to defend yourself; you are sexually objectifying someone when you comment about how cute their butt is.
Let's look at the definition of sexual objectification as stated in wikipedia:
Sexual objectification refers to the practice of regarding or treating another person merely as an instrument (object) towards the person's sexual pleasure. Objectification refers to an attitude that regards the human body as a commodity or as an object for use for sexual purposes, with insufficient regard for a person's personality
That is exactly what that girl was doing when she commented on the lead singer's butt. It no longer matter what sort of music he made, whether he liked pepperonis or sausage on his pizza, or even if he had a brain. His butt was now the most important part of his anatomy and now every girl around the original speaker was now talking about his butt and whether it was hot or not. Not his music. Not his personality. His gosh-darn-it, stinking butt!
Does anyone not see how wrong this is? Even if you're not a Christian, this should disturb you! For the last half century, women have struggled to throw off this exact sort of objectification. I'm sure our grandmothers and great grandmothers are very proud of us turning around and becoming the oppressors. Instead of the the objectified, we objectify.
And if that isn't enough to make you realize how messed up this is, remember those two stone tablets God gave Moses? I think I remember something along the lines of THOU SHALT NOT COMMIT FREAKING ADULTERY OR ELSE! (Yes, I know that that's not really how it goes, but I felt italics failed to give the emphasis needed at the moment.)
How is sexually objectifying a guy via saying he has a cute butt adultery? Well, here's the thing. Adultery is defined as an act that compromises your own or some else's chastity. In your head, you have just touched his butt. (Bad touch!) You have just sexually harrassed--sexually compromised--that guy. You have just committed adultery with him--and he doesn't even realize it.
I'm sorry. Did I offend you? By the way...
You have a cute butt.

Dec 15, 2009

It's not like I haven't been busy...

Oopsie. Haven't updated in a while, have I? Well, the semester is over, so maybe I can get some more blogging in. Would you guys like that? I know I would.
Let's see, what all has happened since my last update. Well, I completed my first concurrent semester of school, as mentioned above. And I graduated high school which means next semester I get to be a full-blown college student! *throws confetti and cheers*

Also since my last update, I have created three (maybe four, can't count at the moment) new videos on youtube! Check it out on: http://www.youtube.com/justalabyrinthjunkie. Please. I'm seriously starting to beg here.

My dad's colon removal went well, although he's not enjoying the cold weather nearly as much as he used to. Part of that may be the fact that he's lost some of his stuffings to keep him warm. Thank you so much to everyone who kept him in their prayers before, during, and after the surgery!
I went to the Revolve Tour conference and, boy, do I have a rant about that coming up!

Also, I went shopping recently. If you are ever in Tulsa, love to dress like a rockstar, and happen to be richer than I am, go shop at All Access! It is a million times better than Hot Topic and do you want to know why? There's no whiny, emo Twilight fans! Seriously, not a speck of Twilight merchandise; All Access is way too upscale for that.
Also, for the first time in my life, I own a top that is worth more than five dollars. The sales lady saw me lusting after a top that was on clearance and asked what size I wore and then gave it to me as a Christmas present! In comparison, I've nearly been thrown out of Hot Topic for wearing pink! All Access is definitely the better store. Go check it out.

And while we're on the topic of fashion, I am still seeing people in shorts and flip-flops! Hello, guys! It's been threatening snow for the past week and a half AND it's almost Christmas! I hope you ask Santa for new legs because you'll need them when the frostbite takes your real ones. I think it's time that we start intervening. If you see your friend out in just flip-flops, shorts, and a hoodie and she's not a legitimate athlete, slosh ice water over her legs and then lock her outside for about five minutes.
Seriously, she'll thank you later.

That's all for now, folks. I will try and be a little more consistent in my updates now that the semester is over.

Oct 30, 2009

If you don't take those flip-flops off and put on some real shoes, I'm going to rip your legs off.

Okay, ranting time. Why--WHY?--are 75% of the people I see on campus wearing flip-flops October?! I know Oklahoma weather is weird and you spend the occasional Christmas in a tee-shirt and shorts, but flip-flops, shorts, and a heavy coat in one outfit? Please tell me that people aren't so molly-coddled that they can't even dress themselves correctly for the season.
I mean, I love flip-flops. The only thing about colder weather I dislike (other than the chance of getting iced in) is that you have to start wearing closed-toe shoes. If I could, I'd never wear tennis shoes. But when it's cold enough that I start wearing a jacket, the flip-flops take up residence in one of the dark crannies of my closet until summer starts to roll around again.
And it's not just girls who are doing it. When I see a guy wearing a sweater with shorts and sandals, it doesn't matter if he's got rippling biceps; it screams "I'm a goober who needs help getting dressed! Hyuck! Hyuck! Hyuck!"
I wonder what guys think of girls who make this faux-pas. I'll wage it isn't: "Oooh Sexy legs!" Have you seen the goose-flesh on their legs? It's not sexy; it's scary! We're supposed to be the more fashion orientated gender, people! Who the h#// decided that this was an acceptable fashion trend? I'd like to meet them so I can knock some sense into them.
If you have to show of your legs, girls, there's these things called "tights". If you have to wear short skirts and shorts, layer them over some tights, please. You'll be warmer and won't look like you got dressed by playing Russian Roulette, Version: Fashion.
And as for flip-flops... Just say no. Please. (That goes for guys too. But not the part about the tights. If I see a guy wearing tights, I think I might hurt myself laughing. Just to warn you in advance.) Plus, if you wear those dreaded closed-toe shoes during the winter, you won't risk frost-bite like that Chinese guy in Pirates of the Caribbean: World's End. I'd post a picture, but all the ones I found were of the real deal and they aren't pretty. There are lots of alternatives to flip-flops so it shouldn't be too hard to find something more suitable for colder weather.
So, please, if it's cold enough you need a jacket, trade your flip-flops for some cute boots or tennis shoes. I'm begging you. Please!

Oct 18, 2009

Sanity? Since when was that mandatory?

Yeah, I know. I need to post more. Blah, blah, blah. A million apologies, a guilt trip on my part, and let's call it even.
They never told me about college is it is insanity epitomized.

Sep 19, 2009

Please check out my first video ev-ah!

Yeah, I technically should be doing homework right now, but it was something to do while I ripped seams. Which was homework so I guess I was being productive anyway.
Anyhow, please check out my youtube channel.
http://www.youtube.com/justalabyrinthjunkie

Aug 31, 2009

The Karmatic Wedgie from Hell

Now, I'm not a big believer in destiny and fate and all that stuff. But sometimes when the going gets tough, I'm extremely glad that everything is not just a bunch of random occurrences and that whatever happens will work out for the greater good--even if its not the immediate good. If I was one of those really intellectual theologists, I would call this a "period of spiritual growth" or a "test of my faith". Whatever. I'm not and I'll be perfectly honest and say that cancer truly sucks.
I was too little to remember the first time Dad had cancer. Well, I'm pretty sure I'm going to remember it this round. After fifteen years of clean health, guess what shows up in his colon again? Hello, Mr. Cancerous Polyp!
Now, I'm not particularly worried. Actually, I'm more annoyed than anything else. I don't like seeing everyone freaking out and, when I tell everyone my dad's cancer is back, they inevitably freak out. Sometimes I feel like I'm not allowed to freak out because then everything will collapse, which makes me even more annoyed. Cancer sucks and not just for the patient.
Case in point, my mother broke out in shingles because of the stress. And on top of everything, the plumping is doing another one of its tri-monthly freak-outs so we spent a good part of the morning playing "Save the Books!". (It did have to sploosh down the wall with all the shelves. )
Strange as it may seem, a good part of my irritation is due to the fact of how normal disasters like this are. I can just imagine the conversations our friends and relatives have:
*This is a fictional conversation and none of the events referenced have happened before. Hopeful they never will.*
"Uh-oh! The Selby's barn caught on fire! They're going to have to stay over a couple of days."
"But it isn't the barn metal?"
"Selby's, remember?"
"Oh, right. I'll go dig out the spare sheets."
I'm exaggerating. A little. But as my friends will testify, we generally have about two incidents a year. I'm hoping this one counts for at least until I graduate college.

Aug 10, 2009

Start your engines!

Today was a milestone in my life; I finally passed my driver's license test. I am very, very happy to that I didn't fail this time. This partly due to the fact getting my license is very important to me and partly because I would have had to wait 30 days before I took the test again. I look forward to being able to assist my family and friends with this new skill I have learned.
Okay, that's enough sappy stuff. Diatribe time!
Almost everyone I've talked to has told me that the supervisors on the test are crazy. I was lucky enough that I had a fairly sane tester, but still there were a few things that just annoyed the crap out of me with one in particular. Potholes.
Every time I get in the car, I drive at least three miles across a road that looks like a dinosaur on a pogo stick has been bouncing on it. Plus, segments of the road aren't even properly paved--at least not in the sense of cement and little yellow and white lines. I know what a pot-hole is and how to avoid getting rattled around in the car like the last lonely jelly-bean in the tin.
So, the last thing I want is someone grabbing the wheel when because of a tiny dent in the road. I wanted to turn around and scream at the instructor, but even a hothead like myself isn't about to yell at the person who can deem you a road hazard.
Now, I understand that I'm slightly biased, but if there are any driver's test supervisors reading this then please listen to this heartfelt plea on behalf of anyone taken the test. Please, please, please don't grab the wheel from us unless we're about to a) hit something or b) hit something. There are few things more unnerving is someone grabbing the steering wheel and yanking it out from your control. Not only is our initial reaction "Oh my gosh! Car out of control! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!", but the second reaction we have is "Personal space! Too close!"
All right, I've ranted. That's it for now.

Jul 26, 2009

More summer pool-side literature...

As much as I love a good yarn, sadly part of my summer reading must always fall into the "self-improvement" category. (Which is ridiculous because everyone knows I'm already perfect.) As summer draws near its inevitable end and the stores (and parents) start hollering at us to buy school supplies, I get caught up in the pre-school fervor and start perusing out books with titles like "Fun Ways to Cook Vegan", "French for Dummies", and "Sense and Sensibility". Okay, so the last one isn't a self-help book; no need to tell me that. But I do generally attempt to read books that aren't "literary-lightweights" by the end of the summer.
This summer I chose Ivanhoe and an assortment of books on the evils of interacting with the opposite sex--namely dating. I haven't finished Ivanhoe yet, so I don't think it's fair to Sir Walter Scott to rant and rave about it until I have. So, since I haven't finished reading about the silly English and French knights bashing each other with sticks, I'm going to talk about one of the interesting books I read concerning chastity.
Saving My First Kiss: Why I'm Keeping Confetti in My Closet grabbed my attention because--like so many young woman--I have spent plenty of time dreaming about the day that Mr. Right will come into my life and sweep me off my feet. (You can insert a dewy-eyed sigh here if you like.) But, considering how I'm not even registered to joust in the lists of love, the title intrigued me to say the least.
I own a chasity braclet, I've taken the vow to save my most intimate embrace for my husband alone, and I've never been kissed. Needless to say, I instantly felt that I could connect with the author as she explained her choice. I could understand and even sympathize as she described the secret embarrassment that accompanies virgin lips.
"Sweet sixteen and never been kissed." We've all heard the saying, haven't we? What's so shameful about not having been kissed by the time you're sixteen? Well, honestly, nothing; it just means you haven't found the right guy yet. However, our culture is obsessive about dating. A kiss is considered the seal that makes it "offical". If you haven't been kissed, than that means that you haven't been in a serious relationship. And, by the standards of our culture, if you haven't had a boyfriend by the time you're sixteen, then there must be something wrong with you. Hence, the shame.
Saving My First Kiss: Why I'm Keeping Confetti in My Closet not only alleviated the secret embarrassment I had suffered in private but gave me plenty of food for thought. I loved fairy-tales as a child and in most of them there's a reoccurring theme of True Love's First Kiss.
Yeah, right, big deal, huh? Not really. Read it again.
True Love's First Kiss.
The first kiss. Not the second or third. The first one. Which means Prince Charming had better not have snogged the princess from two kingdoms over or the spell won't break.
Wow.
Needless to say, I was very impressed with the book and the case it made for keeping sexual purity not confined just to the bedroom. I thoroughly reccommend it if you are dating or you aren't but want to.

Jul 15, 2009

Brainless peasant bashing

I'm a sucker for online games. Currently one of my favorites is Black Knight. Try it out; you might be surprised! (Especially if you're patient with the opening clip!)

Jul 8, 2009

Summer pool-side literature...

I read. A whole friggin' lot. I generally complete the local summer reading program in about a two or three days. From what I understand, this is abnormal. However, I don't understand why and--to be completely honest--don't care. I like books.
However, I don't like trends. So, I'm going to talk about trendy literature. *Rubs hands together, chuckling evilly*
Okay, first, let me be clear on something. Just because I don't like a book doesn't mean you won't. In fact, I highly recommend that you read the book(s) yourself to make a decision. I have weird tastes, okay? Which means that things that make me scream and pound my head against the wall may not even phase you.
The Book--note the capital "b", people!--for most readers this summer is Twilight or one of the sequels. Personally, I own Twilight and New Moon, but I'm starting to get a little sick of all the hype. Yes, I watched the movie and enjoyed it, but I liked Dark Knight better. Sorry.
Don't get me wrong; I like Twilight. It's not Dracula by a long shot and personally I think the Cullens are just angst-ridden elves with severe eating disorders, but I don't read it for the action. It's a fluffy, pink literary-candy and I like to occasionally indulge. However, I think the hype is overrated.
For those of you who somehow managed to retain your ingorance about this series' plot, you now have two options. Skip the next few paragraphs or read them and have the plot spoiled. In other words: PLOT SPOILER TIME! Actually, I think I'm going to borrow some wikipedia instead of typing it all up on my own. Meh. I'm lazy.

Twilight

Bella Swan moves from Phoenix, Arizona to live with her father in Forks, Washington to allow her mother to travel with her new husband, a minor league baseball player. After moving to Forks, Bella finds herself involuntarily drawn to a mysterious, handsome boy, Edward Cullen. She eventually learns that he is a member of a vampire family who drinks animal blood rather than human. Edward and Bella fall in love, but James, a sadistic vampire from another coven, is drawn to drink Bella's blood. Edward and the other Cullens defend Bella. She escapes to Phoenix, Arizona, where she is tricked into confronting James, who tries to kill her. She is seriously wounded, but Edward rescues her and they return to Forks.

New Moon

Edward and his family leave Forks because he believes he is endangering Bella's life. Bella falls into a deep depression, until she develops a strong friendship with werewolf Jacob Black. Jacob and the other wolves in his tribe must protect her from Victoria, a vampire seeking to avenge her mate James' death by killing Bella. A misunderstanding occurs, and Edward believes Bella is dead. Edward decides to commit suicide in Volterra, Italy, but he is stopped by Bella and Alice, Edward's sister. They meet with the Volturi, a powerful coven of vampires, and are released on the condition that Bella be turned into a vampire in the near future. Bella and Edward are reunited, and the Cullens return to Forks.

Eclipse

The vampire Victoria (James's mate from Twilight) has created an army of "newborn" vampires to battle the Cullen family and kill Bella. Meanwhile, Bella is forced to choose between her relationship with Edward and her friendship with Jacob. Edward's vampire family and Jacob's werewolf pack join forces to successfully destroy Victoria and her vampire army. In the end, Bella chooses Edward's love over Jacob's and agrees to marry him.

Breaking Dawn

Bella and Edward are married, but their honeymoon is cut short when Bella discovers she is pregnant. Her pregnancy progresses rapidly, severely weakening her. She nearly dies giving birth to her and Edward's half-vampire-half-human daughter, Renesmee, but Edward injects Bella with his venom to save her life by turning her into a vampire. A vampire from another coven sees Renesmee and mistakes her for an "immortal child", whose existence violates vampire law, and informs the Volturi. The Cullens gather vampire witnesses who can verify that Renesmee is not an immortal child. After an intense confrontation, the Cullens and their witnesses convince the Volturi that the child poses no danger to vampires or their secret, and they are left in peace.

Thank you, Wikipedia! Okay, plot-wise I've seen worse, but I've also read better. To tell you the truth, Breaking Dawn was my least favorite of the Twilight books plot wise and Eclipse was probably my favorite. Why? Because Eclipse was one of the only books where Bella actually struggled with her feelings towards Edward--if only because he had werewolf competition, but that's irrelevant.
It's hard for me to talk to Twilight fans. I don't like Bella that much and apparently that's a cardinal sin. I would probably like her better if she was more realistic.
For instance, there's a seen where Edward explains why vampires avoid the sunlight. Bella narrates:

Edward in the sunlight was shocking. I couldn’t get used to it, though I’d been staring at him all afternoon. His skin, white despite the faint flush from yesterday’s hunting trip, literally sparkled, like thousands of tiny diamonds were embedded in the surface.
Bella Swan, Twilight, Chapter 13, p.26

Her reaction? "Bite me! Please!" No "What the *bleep*!" or anything other than an "Oh, okay! Now make me sparkle too!"
Even as early as her first encounter with him, Bella begins to obsess over Edward. She has no life beyond Edward; she needs nobody but Edward; she doesn't even care if she dies for him. In New Moon, when Edward leaves, she becomes suicidal so that she can "hear" him scolding her inside her mind.
Personally, I think any normal seventeen year old girl who just discovered her boyfriend sparkled in the sunlight would freak out or fall over laughing. Bella trusts Edward. A little too much if you ask me. Need another example? Okay. You asked for it.
Bella goes out with some friends and gets separated from the group. A group of very unpleasant men want to spend intimate time with her and it looks like Bella isn't going to get an choice in this. But wait! Here comes Edward out of nowhere in his shiny Volvo! He saves Bella and explains that he had been following her and that's how he knew she was in danger.
Wait! Hold on! Stop the car! He was following her? If I was in a car with a moody guy who announced he had been following me, I think I would probably jump out the window. For someone whose supposed to be a policeman's daughter, she doesn't seem to realize that this is what is called "stalking". In most scenarios, stalkers are dangerous. Good thing Edward's just a vampire, then, isn't it?
And when you let a seventeen year old male--and I don't care how long he's been seventeen--be inside your room while you are sleeping, you are taking a risk. The fact that he's a vampire doesn't make it safer; if anything, it's probably more dangerous.
Personally,I was under the impression that love was supposed to be an equal partnership between a man and a woman that strengths both parties. Emphasis on "equal" and "strengths both parties". You could put "both" in italics if you wanted. If anything Bella gets the very short end of the stick in this. It's like as soon as Edward enters Bella's life, her brain turns to jello and her common sense into so much whip cream.
Most girls would be at the very least a little uncomfortable having a vampire watch them sleep, but then Bella isn't most girls. She's fictional, for which I'm immensely grateful.

Now that I've ranted for a very long time, guess whether I love or hate this book.
The truth is I love Twilight. I love it enough that it annoys the snot out of me when people say that Edward is the ideal boyfriend or that they want to be like Bella when they grow up. I take my literature very seriously; things like bad grammar or inconsistancies in the plot annoy me to no end. But I don't believe that I'm going to find my "Edward" out there someday and to be perfectly frank it would scare the heck out of me if I did. In fiction, that sort of thing is harmless. In reality, it's an entirely different matter.
So, in conclusion, read Twilight, enjoy it for the intellectual candy it is, but don't think it's realistic.

(Kudos to L-kun for helping me wrap this up!)

Jun 29, 2009

I will hug him and squeeze him!

Inbred into our psyches is this thing called "parental instinct". It's especially prominate in the females of our race, resulting in strange cries such as "OOOooooOOOOoooaw! Whadda cute bay-bee!" The older the female, the quicker they dissolve into a puddle of baby-talk and kissy faces. Admittedly, men do it too, but only when they think people aren't looking. Nature protects its young with a cuteness factor so high that it threatens to melt the human ability to think logically.
The parental instinct is a dangerous thing, because it's not always in the interest of self-preservation. This is something I know from personal experience with a very cute, but destructive fox-hound. Many a teenager who's volunteered to babysit has suddenly found themself cowering behind a barricade and praying that the parents come home soon.
Okay, so not all babysitting gigs are that truamatic and if you actually choose a pet more suited for your lifestyle then it's acutally a rewarding experience. (I just made the mistake of getting a dog that can run five hours day five days straight.) However, if you just want a cuteness fix, here are a few websites that can oblige:

Jun 27, 2009

X-men move over!

On the suggestion of some good friends of mine, I started watching the first season of Heroes while doing math homework. Before I say anything else, let me just say that it's not a show for little kids in any sense. Some of the problems that the main characters face are definitely for more mature audiences and there is a lot of blood.
One of the main reasons for the gore-factor is Sylar. He is a serial killer who appears to randomly target people and then cuts out their brains. He's sadistic, sneaky, and despicable. He's one of those characters you love to hate.
I was actually pretty surprised about how the character has developed--and I'm not even done with the first season! He starts out as a mysterious bogey-man, always shrouded in shadow so you never, ever see his face. His attacks are strange, random, and spine-chilling. But as the season progresses, you discover more and more about him and the pattern behind the seemingly random killings.
See, I'm a bit of a weirdo in the fact that I earnestly believe that a well-written villain is an integral part of any movie, book, or t.v. show. The better the villain, the better the conflict between good and evil. I believe that villains are usually the characters that receive the least planning and forethought in their development or receive too much at the expense of the other characters. Sylar, however, is just one of the many intricate characters on Heroes. I look forward to seeing how things play out further on in the series.

Jun 25, 2009

And everybody was Kung-fu fighting!

I have this habit of watching movies and playing video games only after every other single person has seen it and the hype is long over. I don't do it on purpose; it just seems to happen. Well, today I watched "Kung-Fu Panda".
On one hand, it's really sad when a kid's movie has one of the best villains I've seen in a while. On the other, I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. I cheered for chubby Po and wondered why the heck I hadn't watched it sooner.
Even my elder sister--L or L-kun, depending on how annoying I'm being--enjoyed it and she's very picky about her movie intake. We even tried to figure exactly how wiggling your pinky can make people go "FWOOOM!" I'm not a kung-fu fan and I'm more like Po than Tigeress or Snake, but I think that's why I enjoyed it so much. Doesn't just about everyone want to be a ninja when they grow up?
Of course, I read a lot of reviews bashing it for promoting obesity. I also read reviews saying it was crude, violent, and inappropriate for children. I'm not sure how these people came to these conclusions--maybe they accidentally walked into a different movie and reviewed that instead--but I, for one, was remarkably surprised at how clean it was. There wasn't a single instance of foul language and, aside from Po's butt landing on the bad guy's head during a fight, there wasn't any potty humor. Now, admittedly, there are lots of slow-motion, kung-fu fights, but they weren't violent. It was more like a Jackie Chan movie than anything else.
Whatever the reviewers say, though, I know I'm going to add Kung-Fu Panda to my list of movies I wouldn't mind seeing again.

Learning curve

Okay, so this is my first ever post on my very own blog. A little nervous here, but I'll get over it.
Inspiration Hurts is going to be my new center for diatribes, monologues, and other thoughts I probably should edit before posting. (I probably won't, though.) In it, I'll probably rant about what I don't like and gush about what I do like.