Tis the Season

So, another year has come and gone since last Christmas.  Much has changed since then, yet much has stayed the same.  This year, yet again, Dad had to fly on Christmas so we celebrated early -- our Christmas Day was December 23rd, 2010.  I seem to have gotten some flak for having Christmas "early."

I don't think people really understand what the idea of this holiday is all about.  As I told a friend of mine who apologized when he found out my dad wouldn't be home for actual Christmas Day, "Holidays are what you make of them, not what date the rest of the world says they are." 
It doesn't matter that we celebrate a holiday on a different day than most people -- especially a holiday focused on family, love, giving and happiness. 

Christmas isn't about getting gifts, or putting up a Christmas tree.  It's about being with family -- at least it is in my family.  It's about getting together and loving one another and spending quality time together. 

Is Christmas the birth of Christ? To many Christians, yes.  Is Christmas the birth of Christ to us? Somewhat.

There are many more layers to Christmas than just that in our family.  To us, it is a time to give thanks for the wonderful things we have in our lives: friends, family and joy -- things far too many people do without.  To us, it's a lot like a second Thanksgiving -- giving thanks for the things we have.  Except there are generally a few presents under the tree, to the children's excitement!  We gather around the dinner table with great friends and great food and thank the all-mighty being upstairs -- whoever he, she or they may be -- for all that we've been blessed with. 

As for Santa Claus? Well, I'll believe until the day I die that he exists.  Santa is part of the magic that is Christmas.  I will forever believe that he is a "right jolly old elf." 

So, wherever you may be -- Naples, Florida or Caracas, Venezuela (where Dad is right now) -- enjoy the Christmas holiday with your family and friends.

Remember, Remember...

Just a few nights ago this country went through some sweeping changes in leadership.  The people took to the polls to elect the 112th Congress of the United States.  Most people voted to change the leadership back to a right-leaning coalition.  The President of the United States will remain the same until 2012, as will the Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid, but the Speaker of the House is likely to become John Boehner, a republican from Ohio. 

All of this "change" at this point in time can't help but make me think of one of my favorite films, V for Vendetta.  In the movie the main character, V, says something in a video that is broadcast to future London.  He says "There is something terribly wrong with this country."  That sounds, to me anyway, a lot like the message that Republicans were giving to the country about the leadership in the Obama-Pelosi-Reid coalition. 

I just felt this was a comparison worth mentioning.

Social Institutions

In society, there are many institutions that are put in place to categorize people; these categories are used to divide the human population of the world.  Gender, race, sexuality, class, nationality, religion, education, etc. These categories have been systematically put in place by the society at large in order to judge others, and in effect, disassociate themselves from others.

Personally, I don't buy into any of it.  My skin might be physically white, but I don't identify as white. I don't identify as black either.  I identify as me.  The same goes with any other institution set in place to categorize people.  It is automatically assumed that I'm white (we'll stick with race for the time being), but I don't even know enough about my genealogy to know if there are any members of my past family that were Black, Asian, or Hispanic.  Knowing this gives me the ability to claim to fall outside any of the socially "normal" categories.  I attend an HBCU.  My skin may be white but that doesn't stop me from being friends with, or identifying with those whose skin may be black. 

Race is a touchy subject in America. For example, as long as Barack Obama is the "first black president" instead of the "44th President of the United State of America," race will still be a problem.  All of this notion that we've "moved past race" as a culture is clearly hogwash.  As long as FSU students remain afraid to go south of Gaines St. or go out on the FAMU homecoming weekend, we clearly still have an issue with racism.  There may scientifically be three races (Mongoloid, Negroid and Caucasoid) but all three are still human beings.  Every person on this earth bleeds the same color: red.  That is something that won't change no matter what color skin we might have, what socioeconomic class we might fall under, who we go to sleep with at night, or what gender we identify with.  We all need food, water, shelter, compassion and most importantly, we need each other. 

Backing out of race and moving into another touchy subject: sexuality.  I am automatically assumed to be a heterosexual when I meet someone new.  Why?  I may not be homosexual OR heterosexual, but I don't understand why all humans must have this preconceived notion of others before even getting to know them.  Human beings are just sexual, just like any other creature on the earth.  Scientists have found that many animals have sex with members of the same sex.  I feel that I must reiterate, humans are still animals, which means we retain many animal qualities.  Sex is a natural part of life, a part that humans partake in just like most other animals. 

Nationality is another institution that has some sketchy beginnings.  Why are we "proud" of a country that we didn't choose to be born in.  I didn't choose to be born in America, nor did someone from Switzerland choose to be born there.  That is a decision made prenatally by our parents (and partially by world governments denying or admitting emigrants). 

I must reiterate that social institutions are SOCIALLY and CULTURALLY bound.  Everyone behavior is their own decision, and should have no automated responses to certain stimuli.  There are many institutions that I don't buy into.  I only went into two of the big ones, but there are definitely smaller ones that I feel the human race should not entertain. 

Should I Double Major?

Well, today I talked to dad about some possibilities for my future and he had some good points.  He said that there will be some news firms that will only hire someone who has a degree in journalism, which I won't have if I don't transfer to FAMU or double major in journalism.

I thought about double majoring and the minoring in Spanish because I'm so close to having a Spanish minor anyway.

I'm not sure yet, we'll see.  I'm going to talk to Dr. Grable tomorrow about it and see what she thinks.

More to come on this later.

Summer

Well, I'm in South Florida for the summer, and I'm bored to tears.  Yes I have a job, but it is only there until 10am which leaves me with an entire day to entertain myself.  There are a few people in Naples to hang out with, but it's nothing like Tally, especially since graduation.
I hate this town.  I told myself to go to the beach today and be a beach bum, but I decided against it because there is really no one to go with and what fun is the beach without other people?
I'm really missing journalism.  I have nothing to do for the newspaper, radio station or class that involves journalism.  I've replaced summer journalism classes for answering phones.  I do enjoy what I'm doing, but I think that I could have spent this summer better. =\

Religion and Sexuality

I wish people could get past this religious barrier in this country.  We have so many religions represented in our 307 million person population.  There is Islam, Judaism, Christianity, Paganism, Catholicism, the list goes on and on.  We've inserted a line between Church and State, I wish that we could, as a society, insert a line between Church and sex.  This is a little different than separating Church and State, I know, but wouldn't it be wonderful if we could get past the judgment and hate because of something so private?  Sex is between two (or more) people and God.  Sex shouldn't leave the personal life, because it's such a personal connection between the people involved.  If I have sex with one person, then it's our business, not yours.  If I choose to tell you about it, that's also my decision, but it means I've told you in confidentiality and you don't get to go and tell any-and everyone you know about it.  We don't judge based on sexual position (missionary, doggie-style, etc.), why should we be able to judge based on gender?  It doesn't make sense to me.  To each is their own; much like I like Chinese food, and some people might not.  It's all a matter of personal preference.  Just because your religion might condemn it doesn't mean that mine does.  I'm not trying to change your religious attitude or belief, I'm just trying to help you understand that not everyone shares your opinion. 

Death on Tennessee St.

A few days ago, I saw something that I really wish I hadn't seen.  It messed me up.  I was driving home from a friends fiesta de su cumpleaños.  I was on Tennessee St., about to turn to take another friend to his place, when I saw the paramedic's Chevy Suburban turn its lights on and pull in front of me.  There was a man lying motionless in the street.  Well, I pulled off the road immediately and got out of my car to see if I could help (this was before any of the additional law enforcement/paramedics arrived).  I didn't see anything earth-shattering happen, but I knew that I needed to be there to help.  I've never seen a dead body before, and it's mind boggling.  This poor man was hit by a driver (we'll assume they were drunk, considering it was at 4 a.m.) and was, hopefully, dead on impact; I'd hate for him to have been in much pain.  Well, then TPD arrived, and they arrived, and they arrived some more.  I'd say there were close to 20 police cruisers there.  An ambulance arrived, but he wasn't immediately loaded onto a stretcher.  They blocked off the entire street, and put police tape up around it.  At this point I couldn't stay more, as I'd already seen far too much for my poor little brain.  Needless to say, I prayed for that poor man's soul and his poor grieving family and friends.  Rest in peace.

Austin Thomas Gray

 Austin Thomas Gray

16 January 1991 - 25 February 2005

Austin Gray, you were an amazing person and an even better friend.  I truly love you from the bottommost depths of my heart.  There has never been, nor ever will be an end for the love that I feel for you.  You are what drives me to do the best in my schoolwork and my journalistic work.  The phrase "Only the good die young," is the most unfortunately true sentiment that I've ever heard.  If you could be here now instead of me, I'd gladly trade places with you.  You deserve so much more than the hand you were dealt.  I love you.

La Hermanita de Pingüino

So, today my little sister got in a car accident because her boyfriend broke up with her over something as ridiculous as a haircut.  They'd been together for almost two years and she cut her hair and he broke up with her.  She was so upset that she was crying while she was driving and she rear-ended someone.  This little prick threw away a wonderful girl over something as trivial as a haircut, and why? Because she didn't tell him before she did it that she was going to.  Are you kidding me?  Why does it matter? It doesn't change the girl you're in love with.  But no, you had to throw it all away over some hair.  This has created havoc for her, and this is probably one of the worst weeks of her life.  Thanks.  Way to be a prick.

State of the Union

Tonight, the twenty-seventh of January, President Obama gave the State of the Union address.  It lasted nearly two hours and he addressed many topics that are near and dear to almost all Americans, some that affected me possibly more than others.

• College tuition costs.
• Don't Ask, Don't Tell
• Clean energy

College tuition is a pain.  Even after Florida Bright Futures (which is a fantastic system allowing me to go to school for thousands less than most people around the nation), I'm still left with nearly a thousand dollars of tuition to pay for, on top of housing, books and spending money for food and laundry.  It's been nearly 4 months that I've been without part-time work, and before that I was without part-time work while at school for my entire college career.  Tallahassee is the hardest city to find work in in the state of Florida.  "In this economy, a high school diploma no longer guarantees a good job."

Don't Ask, Don't Tell is a policy started by the American Military to keep gay and lesbian people from fighting side-by-side with straight men in our armed forces.  This policy was started under the Clinton administration back in the 1990's and it states that gay men and women can serve, but they must prove to be celibate, which is nearly impossible. “I will work with Congress and the military to finally repeal the law that denies gay Americans the right to serve the country they love because of who they are.” 


Clean energy is something that President Obama has said that he'd fight tooth and nail for.  Nuclear power is currently used on many Naval aircraft carriers and submarines.  Why can't we harness this clean and safe energy to be used on land to power a grid for much longer and much more efficiently than we currently do with natural gas?  Solar energy is already used in many homes in Florida to heat swimming pools, why can't we harness the energy of "The Sunshine State" to power our homes and vehicles?   “…to create more of these clean energy jobs, we need more production, more efficiency, and more incentives.”




President Obama, you're not on the campaign trail anymore, stop trying to fight for your party to keep the supermajority in the Senate.  Focus on what's going on in Washington and get things done that really need to get done.

A Month-long Hiatus

Sorry that I took a hiatus, y'all.  Finals came up, and then winter break commotion with the family.  But I'm glad to say that I'm back now, and starting a new semester.  I'm beginning my major (communications) courses at FSU and my minor (journalism) courses down at FAMU. This semester is panning out to be a great one so far.  The first day of class was at FAMU and the first assignment was to obtain a death certificate (which is public record).  This was a very interesting assignment.  The next class I had to produce an autopsy report.  That was even more hectic, but I eventually found one on the internet which was ok'd by the teacher.

Overall, this semester is looking up.  I'm in the process of geting involved with the radio station down at FAMU; hopefully I'll be able to DJ down there soon.  I'm a "mentor" for the news department at V89, so I'm excited for that. 

I'll leave you with this.  I'm really glad to be back to writing, and I can't wait for this semester to produce some epic blog posts.  ¡Ciao!