Wednesday night happens to be the night of one of my most cherished long standing traditions, which I do not have many of these days. In fact, it currently happens to be my only long standing tradition, which is probably what I look forward to it so much. It is Wednesday night with the girls. A night were we usually workout, eat, drink wine, and totally lay everything on the table in mostly reassuring discussions. Last nights topics happens to be one of my favorites, mostly because I obsess about the topic. It is a topic borne out of frustration and I was given the opportunity to hear others opinions on a problem people rarely admit to. I will title the conversation hence forth as, "How does one shit rainbows?" Come on people, you all know what I am talking about.
Last night there were 3 different ladies, with three totally different life experiences. Different things effect us and that is why the conversation was just frustratingly therapeutic in a rich way. We all just simply wanted to know why it seems that some people just shit rainbows, all the time, all day, every day. From the opposite sex who casually walks about their life with just explosive diarrhea of rainbows (although I am pretty sure when my husband married the woman who walked under a thousand ladders, broke a million mirrors, was a horrible person, probably Hitler, in a past like, his luck, karma and ability to "shit rainbow" was quashed. Sorry!), to the acquaintance of FB with posts equating their life to something like skipping through a field of daisies while squirting out a rainbow with every step. (Though we all know these people to be frauds, it is still frustrating how obstinate they are about admitting adversity.) To the coworker or friend who love their job/life/kids/world so much they are marking everything up with their stupid rainbows. They never get laid-off, never fight with their kid of significant other, everything is always coming up roses.
What it seems to boil down to was that everyone wants success in their own way. Wanting your own success does not in anyway diminish happiness for other peoples success. It just gets frustrating watching it "happen" for everyone but yourself. For us, it was more about wondering when it was our turn? When would it be our time to shit rainbows for once? Everybody's success is different, some is fleeting and some sticks around for life. Sometimes it seems like days, weeks, months and years that we are floating around in life's not so pleasant excrement just waiting, working, searching for a glimmer of hope and color. Sometimes hard work is rewarded, sometimes nepotism, some time lies and manipulation, and sometime it is just frustrating when everyone around you seems to be winning but you. I think acknowledging as much actually sets you a little more free to search than you were before. It allows you to proceed with change. Success is not always tangible or materialistic. My 2 friends are raising 3 kids with the ridiculously bests personalities. Those kids reflect the love, warmth, and openness that resides in their homes and that is a giant success.
I think in retrospect, a big difference is that three of us are very authentic souls. We have a hard time grinning and bearing it through gritted teeth. When people hurt us they know, when we are hurting we are not ashamed, and when we fail it is for most to see. We have known each other for a decade, and we not only wear our hearts on our sleeves for ourselves, but for everyone else. Not everyone does that, and that is also certainly OK. But sometimes it is comforting to know others struggle along side of us, especially if it can be a shared experience. We can learn and help each other. We can share love, pain, and happiness. (We can also share wine and the inexplicable experience of watching Sharknado) We might still be searching for something but at least we are searching together and that itself is a rainbow. Our lives might not be perfect, we might not know where we are going, or how to get out of Bayview for that matter, but at least we still have hope that things are out there for us. For everyone out there, even if we think we are failing at times for a day, weeks, months, or years most of our failure is borne out of our own perception. Who knows, we might even be shitting rainbows to other people.
Me
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Plight of the Refugee
If you have not heard about the plight of the Yazidi people in Iraq by now you need to. If you do not know the general state of the refugee world, that should be a crime. Many American's have this uncanny knack to just avoid all bad in general, including the news. I say, why? When John F. Kennedy was elected to the presidency in 1960, many can recall one simple sentance from his innagural address, "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man." But to really know what he is trying to convey, you have to read his whole address. He was essentially asking for a new world, with law and order, with cooperation and prosperity. Most of all, he wanted his fellow Americans to not only participate in this new world, he wanted them to have a hand in creating it. What a better way to create that dream than by helping our fellow man in need, no matter how near or far. Our difference do not make us immune to the most common of human emotions, fear, suffering, sadness, joy, and happiness. Kennedy was predicting, in the dawn of the this globalized era, that Americans would have to play their part in order for the world to prosper. Do we have problems in our country? Most decidedly yes, can we overcome them and help others, definitely. But will we be able to sustain our success in a globalized world with increasing isolation of knowledge and understanding of the worlds problems? No.
We have so many rights and privileges it is hard for us to even comprehend just fighting for the simple right to survive. Beyond the right to survive, it is to survive in the way we fought for over 200 years ago. To be the makers of our own destiny, whether that be continue practiced religions, remain the master of our households without fear of what is outside, or simply, to go to school and get an education to help our family or country. The right to survive is not something that is granted around the world. It is so easy for us to say it is not our problem, to dismiss their plight because they are so far away. If we (and I include the EU, Australia, and our other Eastern Hemisphere allies, Japan, South Korea, etc) refuse to stand up to tyranny now, if we leave it unchecked, then what will we do when it comes knocking on our door, as it did on September 11, 2001, or with the recent downing of flight MH17.
When you look at something or someone in need and no longer see it as humanities' duty, but a "political problem" you have lost the heart and soul of a human being. When we can reduce a group of peoples suffering down to "not our problem" you have lost the right to reach out when your time of need comes. I have always been flabbergasted and disgusted with our nations history to be so angry, bitter, and content with allowing others around the world to remain at the mercy and struggle of their unstable regions. It is like saying, "#Blessed" because you were born in the U.S. You were not "#Blessed." It is high time we realize we are freaking LUCKY. We are not so special that when we were some little seedling we got to chose, so lets stop pretending we are better simply for being American. The worlds problems are our problems, and in modern times have always been our problem. What sets humanity apart from the animal kingdom is our empathy, sympathy, and higher thought. Lets restore what makes us the superior being and have some compassion when looking at the plight of others, especially refugees. Americans should WANT to deal with this, we should WANT to help. No one is forcing us to, but how can we turn a blind eye to this suffering. Many believe we are "Christian Nation" if that is true than we need to make our sacrifice to help these people in need. If we don't, if we cannot muster the courage to reach out, then we need to stop pretending to be something we are not.
Kennedy's dream for this long forgotten address, "So let us begin anew--remembering on both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness, and sincerity is always subject to proof. Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate." Let us prove ourselves worthy of the title of the Greatest Nation. Let us become a beacon of hope, instead of hording it for ourselves. Only when we become brave enough to stand up to evil will we begin to feel the true meaning of freedom and liberty. Kennedy's vision inspires me, it is what being an American means to me. To see the fear in the eyes of the Palestinian child or the tears of relief and profound sadness in the eyes of the Yazidi who escaped, the distended bellies to the Somalian's feeling starvation and Al-Shaabab, the continued slaughter in South Sudan, and the children risking life and limb from Central America hoping for a life away from drugs, gangs, violence and enduring poverty makes it difficult to really sit in my comfy house every night safe and snug.
But that is what unites us human beings. When we are united in suffering and triumph, only then are we free. It is Kennedy's true call to arms that I will leave you with, because it is more important now than ever, "Now the trumpet summons us again-not as a call to bear arms, though arms we need--not as a call to battle, though embattled we are--but a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle, year in and year out, "rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation"--a struggle against the common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease and war itself. Can we forge against these enemies a grand and global alliance, North and South, East and West, that can assure a more fruitful life for all mankind? Will you join in that historic effort?" If we can't do it now, then when can we? We owe more to each other as fellow human being than we will ever realize.
(On a side note, I can't even search for pictures of children from the Gaza strip because it is to graphic and horrifying to look at)
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Total Disgust
I do not have children, mostly because I find it absolutely scary to love something so uncontrollably. Just the terrifying idea of loving something so much almost causes an anxiety attack. I am often told that I actually have no idea the kind of love you feel for your own child and while that is true, I also never imagined how I would feel about my family and friends as I grew older. The way I feel about my husband is more intense than I also ever thought, and the way I love my niece and nephews is suffocating. So no, I do not know what it is like to love my own child, but I can imagine. Part of my fear is knowing that at any moment that precious, innocent thing can be ripped from the clutches of your heart at moments notice. In the process leaving an gaping, oozing wound that will never be healed, creating an empty feeling down to your very soul. At least that is what I imagine losing a child feels like. Which is why I felt the need to write this blog. I can no longer turn on the radio on my way to work and listen to BBC news tell me of another airstrike or mortar round killing children in Gaza. (And NO to all my American friends who say, "Don't listen to the news." We should all listen to the news no matter how much it hurts, how confusing the feeling leaves us. If we do not know what is going on in the world we will never have a voice in standing up to it.)
I can no longer listen to Lt. Col. Peter Lerner describe such atrocities with buzzwords, such as "unfortunate" and "moving forward" and things like that. I no longer want to hear Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu justifying such deaths as the fault of Hamas, who first used them as human shields. When you kill four innocent children playing on beach, or three siblings feeding pigeons on a roof, or those in the UN school this morning, sleeping soundly and falsely believing they are finally safe, there is no justification, there are no buzzwords that are going to make it better. There is nothing you can do, but profusely and emotionally apologize to the families whose hearts have been ripped from their chests. The only imagery I can muster when I hear them, are those creepy old bosses who grab your arm and make you hit yourself while thinking it is funny, not weird. Or the socially awkward friend you hate going out with who drinks too much and thinks everyone is picking a fight with them. They make excuses for their behavior because they cannot control it. This whole conflict has become a sad side-show of over-aggression and heartlessness. It is sorely lacking the human element that just makes it so easy to excuse the deaths of innocent women and children.
Those in Hamas who are using civilians as shields have souls blacker than any anti-Christ could ever muster topped with a giant dose of cowardice. Those in Israel who quickly justify killing said shields are not far behind. It is a shame that in 2014 we are still excusing civilian casualties as a tragic consequence of war. What is the worst part about our the hideous world we live in is that we are allowing the victims to be blamed. The last time I thought long and hard about being born, I cannot remember anything about it. I certainly do not remember sitting around discussing to someone or something that I wanted to be born as Shannon Devine from Minnesota, tall, white, blonde and able bodied. Just like I did not get to chose the who, how and where I was born, neither did these poor Palestinian children. Furthermore, they did not get to say, "Hey, Hamas, come and infiltrate Gaza Strip. While you are at it, why don't your recruit all of our brothers who feel hopelessly trapped in a situation they also cannot control. Sure, take over our meager existences and while you are at, why not poke the bear who sleeps next to us and controls every aspect of our life."
As this conflict wears on, I am losing my patience in a world that should feel ashamed of itself. Ukranian rebels who are becoming delusionally more and more dangerous by the minute and their Russian backing increasingly belligerent. Truly becoming the abusive partner who beats up their significant other, all the while again blaming the victim. (Insert whatever title he is giving himself these days) Vladamir Putin's response is pretty much summed up by one sentence, (as he is wiping the blood from his hands) "See, look what you make me do when I am angry." (Complete with a cliched Russian accent) So more innocent lives lost, we chalk it up to another casualty in the fog of war. We do demand accountability on any ones part. We bicker over this and that while innocent families are looking for answers to a tragedy they never though would touch them in a million years.
There is no glory in killing someone, regardless of how you feel. Snuffing out a mortal soul before its time is more than just a tragedy, it is an abomination of humanity. Land, pride, nationalism, religion, power, and greed are never worth a human life, much less a child's. So I beg you with all that is holy, if anything truly is holy anymore, to stop murdering innocent civilians. If you cannot manage to do that, I ask that you deliver the words of your apology with the emotions of a human being who realizes they truly and utterly fu@&ed up. No more buzzwords, no more justification. Take responsibility for what you are doing and beg those mothers, fathers, orphans, families, and friends for the grace of forgiveness, all of which you have not bestowed upon them. I do not care if you cry, if you retch in pain and humiliation, if you get on your hands and knees, but the killing of children deserves outrage and emotion. It deserves more than the standard, "This was an unfortunate mistake, with unintended consequences. Going forward we will make sure that we will bomb cities with the utmost surgical precision."
I can no longer listen to Lt. Col. Peter Lerner describe such atrocities with buzzwords, such as "unfortunate" and "moving forward" and things like that. I no longer want to hear Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu justifying such deaths as the fault of Hamas, who first used them as human shields. When you kill four innocent children playing on beach, or three siblings feeding pigeons on a roof, or those in the UN school this morning, sleeping soundly and falsely believing they are finally safe, there is no justification, there are no buzzwords that are going to make it better. There is nothing you can do, but profusely and emotionally apologize to the families whose hearts have been ripped from their chests. The only imagery I can muster when I hear them, are those creepy old bosses who grab your arm and make you hit yourself while thinking it is funny, not weird. Or the socially awkward friend you hate going out with who drinks too much and thinks everyone is picking a fight with them. They make excuses for their behavior because they cannot control it. This whole conflict has become a sad side-show of over-aggression and heartlessness. It is sorely lacking the human element that just makes it so easy to excuse the deaths of innocent women and children.
Those in Hamas who are using civilians as shields have souls blacker than any anti-Christ could ever muster topped with a giant dose of cowardice. Those in Israel who quickly justify killing said shields are not far behind. It is a shame that in 2014 we are still excusing civilian casualties as a tragic consequence of war. What is the worst part about our the hideous world we live in is that we are allowing the victims to be blamed. The last time I thought long and hard about being born, I cannot remember anything about it. I certainly do not remember sitting around discussing to someone or something that I wanted to be born as Shannon Devine from Minnesota, tall, white, blonde and able bodied. Just like I did not get to chose the who, how and where I was born, neither did these poor Palestinian children. Furthermore, they did not get to say, "Hey, Hamas, come and infiltrate Gaza Strip. While you are at it, why don't your recruit all of our brothers who feel hopelessly trapped in a situation they also cannot control. Sure, take over our meager existences and while you are at, why not poke the bear who sleeps next to us and controls every aspect of our life."
As this conflict wears on, I am losing my patience in a world that should feel ashamed of itself. Ukranian rebels who are becoming delusionally more and more dangerous by the minute and their Russian backing increasingly belligerent. Truly becoming the abusive partner who beats up their significant other, all the while again blaming the victim. (Insert whatever title he is giving himself these days) Vladamir Putin's response is pretty much summed up by one sentence, (as he is wiping the blood from his hands) "See, look what you make me do when I am angry." (Complete with a cliched Russian accent) So more innocent lives lost, we chalk it up to another casualty in the fog of war. We do demand accountability on any ones part. We bicker over this and that while innocent families are looking for answers to a tragedy they never though would touch them in a million years.
There is no glory in killing someone, regardless of how you feel. Snuffing out a mortal soul before its time is more than just a tragedy, it is an abomination of humanity. Land, pride, nationalism, religion, power, and greed are never worth a human life, much less a child's. So I beg you with all that is holy, if anything truly is holy anymore, to stop murdering innocent civilians. If you cannot manage to do that, I ask that you deliver the words of your apology with the emotions of a human being who realizes they truly and utterly fu@&ed up. No more buzzwords, no more justification. Take responsibility for what you are doing and beg those mothers, fathers, orphans, families, and friends for the grace of forgiveness, all of which you have not bestowed upon them. I do not care if you cry, if you retch in pain and humiliation, if you get on your hands and knees, but the killing of children deserves outrage and emotion. It deserves more than the standard, "This was an unfortunate mistake, with unintended consequences. Going forward we will make sure that we will bomb cities with the utmost surgical precision."
Thursday, June 26, 2014
The Ugliest of Trolls
America's favorite troll is at it again, and I do not mean the cute ones with blue frizzy hair that stands on end. I am talking about the woman who is so possessed with empty anger, rage, and decay that you cannot feel anything but pity for her. That is right, I am talking about Ann Coulter. If you have not read her gem of an article yet, here is a link to it. http://www.clarionledger.com/story/opinion/columnists/2014/06/25/coulter-growing-interest-soccer-sign-nations-moral-decay/11372137/
If I get a little "upset" while writing this, I have to apologize. You see I just spent the last hour and a half on me feet, cheering, clapping and in general willing USA to victory. Though we did not come out victorious, we did earn, and I mean EARN our spot to move one! YEAH! So I am more than slightly offended by this article. I am absolutely abhorred, more so than the fact that she is actually a syndicated columnist. Which I did not think was possible.
She starts her incredible un-American rant by stating, "I've held off writing about soccer for a decade-" Great, because she clearly knows nothing about the sport, which is evident the more you read the column. It is also incredibly irrational and by her logic, then yes, anytime America gets behind its national team (of course except when it is Football, not a international sport anyway, basketball or baseball, the only 3 acceptable sports) competing in a world event it screams moral decay. Anytime you cheer on Tiger Woods, Michael Phelps and the hordes of American athletes who devote entire lives to representing their country with pride, you are contributing to the downfall of our society. If that is the case, then please, I will be in line first.
As an athlete it is also clear this woman has probably never held a ball that was not old and wrinkly. If Ms. Coulter was ever an athlete then she would know that individual achievement is not why you compete. Individual achievement does not, will not, and never has won a team sport. I have proudly bled, sweat, cried and rejoiced with my teammates. THEY ARE MY MOST TREASURED MEMORIES. Not a single basket in a basketball game and not a single kill in a volleyball game. Though, since she expounds on individuality as crutch to protect her insecure nature when it comes to relationships with other human beings, again I have to have pity in that, she has probably never hugged her teammate after a clutch three pointer, never slapped hands so hard with her setter for stuffing a giant middle blocker. Never felt the magical shift in an intense game that starts to go your way because your teammate did something fabulous.
In addition Ms. Coulter is incapable of parsing out anything positive in general about anything, she is the ultimate Debbie Downer. (She probably just needs a hug, can we start a campaign to raise money to pay someone to hug her?) But, more so she is wholly incapable of see the skill, beauty or cunning that is displayed in soccer. It is a sport where the biggest and baddest does not always win. Skill, wit, and drive out play the physicality, which in my opinion makes the game fantastic. Any brute can put on pads and slam each other over and over and over again until they are incapable of sadly completing a coherent sentence and drooling, which is not funny. They are killing themselves for our pleasure. What is so special about that? Oh of course, in her opinion it is the brutality. The injuries. In a woman whose dogmatic nature is going for the jugular and the weakest always first and foremost, of course that is what would appeal.
Apparently, Ms. Coulter does not know that our team captain broke his nose in the first half of the first game. She is also unaware that they set the break on the field, he got up, spit out blood and has been playing ever since. Can we name a basketball player or baseball player that has done that lately? So apologies form the soccer world to Ms. Coulter if you do not fancy the game violent enough for your bad self. Not enough head trauma or compound fractures for her. It seems she would prefer the Roman Colosseum over any sport, and if that is the case then please, Ms. Coulter, you go first. Put your money where your mouth is. If you are too scared, then let me challenge you to a basketball game...one on one. No one in America has ever or will ever be force fed to watch soccer, furthermore. Anyone who is remotely interested in the sport actually knows how difficult it is to watch it. (I am not even going to get into the salaries and incarceration rates, or preposterous behavior of a majority our professional athletes)
Of course Ms. Coulter has to turn the sport into something political. She mistakenly believes it is her wheelhouse. But, I do feel we can forgive this because, lets face it, her demagoguery has created a nice little niche market for her. Something along the lines of what Huey Long and Charles Manson were able to create, mindless followers who fed off negative filth. Ugly people only have ugly words. If one her biggest complaints is that is is foreign, then please, she needs to give up on her conservatism. Any good conservative knows the basic foundation was founded from the likes of Edmund Burke and he was foreign. Not to mention Ayn Rand...yep she was RUSSIAN which means she was FOREIGN. Not to mention our good old Democratic government. Yep, a foreign idea as well.
She ends her little ditty with a gem of a quote, "No American whose great-grandfather was born here is watching soccer." Ms. Coulter is false, totally false and pompous and 100% ignorant. (again why syndication??) I am as American as they come. I am also an athlete and here is what I can tell you, which is the truth. Again, I apologize because this is where I am going to get emotional. There was nothing more American than watching my American team fight. They fought from a bad position, from an underdog status. Nothing screams USA like overcoming the shit thrown at you and rising above it to succeed. Those 23 men, they exude what it means to be an American. Being able to watch some of my favorite players come home and fight with glory, defiance and pride for our country is something I more than cherish. I am American, and I am bursting with pride for Clint Dempsey, Tim Howard, Jermaine Jones, Fabian Johnson, Michael Bradley, Jozy Altidore, Aron Johannsson, Kyle Bekerman, Mix Diskerud, Chris Wondolowski, DaMarcus Beasely, DeAndre Yedlin, Graham Zusi, Omar Gonzalez, Geoff Cameron, Brad Davis, Timothy Chandler, Alejandro Bedyoa, Matt Besler, Brad Guzan, John Brooks, Julian Green, and Nick Rimando. If Ms. Coulter can not muster the goodwill to have respect then she should do what my mom always said, "If you can't say something nice, then DO NOT say anything at all." I am just gonna say....GO USA USA USA USA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If I get a little "upset" while writing this, I have to apologize. You see I just spent the last hour and a half on me feet, cheering, clapping and in general willing USA to victory. Though we did not come out victorious, we did earn, and I mean EARN our spot to move one! YEAH! So I am more than slightly offended by this article. I am absolutely abhorred, more so than the fact that she is actually a syndicated columnist. Which I did not think was possible.
She starts her incredible un-American rant by stating, "I've held off writing about soccer for a decade-" Great, because she clearly knows nothing about the sport, which is evident the more you read the column. It is also incredibly irrational and by her logic, then yes, anytime America gets behind its national team (of course except when it is Football, not a international sport anyway, basketball or baseball, the only 3 acceptable sports) competing in a world event it screams moral decay. Anytime you cheer on Tiger Woods, Michael Phelps and the hordes of American athletes who devote entire lives to representing their country with pride, you are contributing to the downfall of our society. If that is the case, then please, I will be in line first.
As an athlete it is also clear this woman has probably never held a ball that was not old and wrinkly. If Ms. Coulter was ever an athlete then she would know that individual achievement is not why you compete. Individual achievement does not, will not, and never has won a team sport. I have proudly bled, sweat, cried and rejoiced with my teammates. THEY ARE MY MOST TREASURED MEMORIES. Not a single basket in a basketball game and not a single kill in a volleyball game. Though, since she expounds on individuality as crutch to protect her insecure nature when it comes to relationships with other human beings, again I have to have pity in that, she has probably never hugged her teammate after a clutch three pointer, never slapped hands so hard with her setter for stuffing a giant middle blocker. Never felt the magical shift in an intense game that starts to go your way because your teammate did something fabulous.
In addition Ms. Coulter is incapable of parsing out anything positive in general about anything, she is the ultimate Debbie Downer. (She probably just needs a hug, can we start a campaign to raise money to pay someone to hug her?) But, more so she is wholly incapable of see the skill, beauty or cunning that is displayed in soccer. It is a sport where the biggest and baddest does not always win. Skill, wit, and drive out play the physicality, which in my opinion makes the game fantastic. Any brute can put on pads and slam each other over and over and over again until they are incapable of sadly completing a coherent sentence and drooling, which is not funny. They are killing themselves for our pleasure. What is so special about that? Oh of course, in her opinion it is the brutality. The injuries. In a woman whose dogmatic nature is going for the jugular and the weakest always first and foremost, of course that is what would appeal.
Apparently, Ms. Coulter does not know that our team captain broke his nose in the first half of the first game. She is also unaware that they set the break on the field, he got up, spit out blood and has been playing ever since. Can we name a basketball player or baseball player that has done that lately? So apologies form the soccer world to Ms. Coulter if you do not fancy the game violent enough for your bad self. Not enough head trauma or compound fractures for her. It seems she would prefer the Roman Colosseum over any sport, and if that is the case then please, Ms. Coulter, you go first. Put your money where your mouth is. If you are too scared, then let me challenge you to a basketball game...one on one. No one in America has ever or will ever be force fed to watch soccer, furthermore. Anyone who is remotely interested in the sport actually knows how difficult it is to watch it. (I am not even going to get into the salaries and incarceration rates, or preposterous behavior of a majority our professional athletes)
Of course Ms. Coulter has to turn the sport into something political. She mistakenly believes it is her wheelhouse. But, I do feel we can forgive this because, lets face it, her demagoguery has created a nice little niche market for her. Something along the lines of what Huey Long and Charles Manson were able to create, mindless followers who fed off negative filth. Ugly people only have ugly words. If one her biggest complaints is that is is foreign, then please, she needs to give up on her conservatism. Any good conservative knows the basic foundation was founded from the likes of Edmund Burke and he was foreign. Not to mention Ayn Rand...yep she was RUSSIAN which means she was FOREIGN. Not to mention our good old Democratic government. Yep, a foreign idea as well.
She ends her little ditty with a gem of a quote, "No American whose great-grandfather was born here is watching soccer." Ms. Coulter is false, totally false and pompous and 100% ignorant. (again why syndication??) I am as American as they come. I am also an athlete and here is what I can tell you, which is the truth. Again, I apologize because this is where I am going to get emotional. There was nothing more American than watching my American team fight. They fought from a bad position, from an underdog status. Nothing screams USA like overcoming the shit thrown at you and rising above it to succeed. Those 23 men, they exude what it means to be an American. Being able to watch some of my favorite players come home and fight with glory, defiance and pride for our country is something I more than cherish. I am American, and I am bursting with pride for Clint Dempsey, Tim Howard, Jermaine Jones, Fabian Johnson, Michael Bradley, Jozy Altidore, Aron Johannsson, Kyle Bekerman, Mix Diskerud, Chris Wondolowski, DaMarcus Beasely, DeAndre Yedlin, Graham Zusi, Omar Gonzalez, Geoff Cameron, Brad Davis, Timothy Chandler, Alejandro Bedyoa, Matt Besler, Brad Guzan, John Brooks, Julian Green, and Nick Rimando. If Ms. Coulter can not muster the goodwill to have respect then she should do what my mom always said, "If you can't say something nice, then DO NOT say anything at all." I am just gonna say....GO USA USA USA USA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Transcending #Blessed
If you know me, the fact that I absolutely hate "#blessed" is not new. Aside from the fact it is a humble-brag in its most basic form, it is also the implication that a higher power chose you over countless billions to bestow some sort of greatness or a general good feeling. You are "oh so lucky" to have something others do not. In addition to this unfortunate trend, another thing that really grinds my gears (If I can take a page from Peter Griffin I will any day!) is the obsessive talk about diets, non-diets, work-outs and non-work-outers. You know the ones who either state, "OMG am totally going gluten free/vegan/paleo/clean eating, to lose weight and get healthy!" Or the, "Totally ran 6 miles, then did bikram yoga, now I can't wait to swim 5 miles. #Tri-athleteforever!" Then the ever present, "I totally love my body, why would I waste time working out when I can spend hours cuddling under a blanket fort with Jack and Jill!"
What all this probably relates down to is every Tom, Dick, Harry and Sally feeling the need to update the world on every poo, snack, push-up or church service attended. Despite the fact that it also implies, in a passive-aggressive way that what you are doing is better than others, for me it goes deeper. I consider myself pretty reasonable and laid back. I eat what ever I want within reason. I work out, unless something fun comes up. I am not one to care what other people think of me, ahem, apparently after this blog that point is moot. But, what I am trying to sum up, is that we are so anxious about what we are doing and why we are doing it, it drives little ol' pragmatic me absolutely nuts. In not knowing why this was driving me nuts, per usual routine, I self-reflect on it. It has to be something wrong with me, I am the common denominator = Me as the problem. But then, as I read the greatest article written in a long time an idea struck me.
http://theweek.com/article/index/263639/i-went-undercover-to-find-out-why-people-do-crossfit
You see, as someone who has always struggled to "fit into things" because I am rather large, physically and personality wise, I just stopped trying and started to count my #blessings for all that is good. It as been amazing. Part of doing that required me to figure out my general preferences in life and learning about what I believe and why. This might sound condescending, but part of doing that was realizing that the largess of our world transcends anything even remotely related to us. The little tiny human beings on a giant world, with billions of other tiny little human beings, making said giant world smaller by the day. Aside from the stark realization that our actions do in fact have a reaction that definitely effects others, in the grand scheme of things we are completely insignificant when we act alone. So why the anxiousness? Why no moderation?
This my friends is what bothers me. You see I have a dirty little secret that I learned years ago from one of my favorite professors. When I say I transcend modern day politics, I truly transcend modern day politics. My confession is that the giant conservative streak that runs deep inside me desperately clings to moderation and tradition. Not in the sense that I actually believe gay marriage is bad, or that it is any of my business what my neighbor lady does with her who-ha. Totally socially liberal. It is my pragmatic nature that just wants people to chill out, just be. This could be my crippling inability to deal with other people's anxiety, but dudes....just chill out. Do what humans always do and survive.
What I am saying, if you are lactose intolerant, just cut out dairy. No need to go full paleo. Clean eating? What the hell does that even mean? I hope you are washing your fruits and veggies, even they are organic. Is that what it is implying? Or folks, could it be someone branding a term to make money off you? How about we say, we are cooking the traditional way with whole ingredients, just like my mom or grandma used to do.We are so anxious to be on trend, on point that our anxiety seeps through our pours. If you furiously trying to obtain a beach body, awesome, but how many people are going to notice? How many strangers and why? If you do not want a beach body, then go put on your swim suit and quite bitching about how free you are feeling about your post baby body. See above comments about the person who only eats chicken breasts and drinks water to obtain the beach body. Who is going to care? Why do we care about what strangers think anyways? I am going to drink my wine with another hunk of cheese on gasp! a french baguette, probably followed up by escargot soaked in butter.
I swear on all that is holy, if we can't just relax and accept we are in for a world of hurt. Happiness and acceptance comes through us. Not a specific workout your cousin Vinny told you to do. Not a diet touted to clear up every problem you have ever experienced. The world is best experienced through living and trying. Try everything once, do everything once. Do not let the anxiety of fads or trendy social ventures get to you. If wine gives you a headache, it is simple, just do not drink it. But damn girl, we can still go out for a margarita! (Or tea if guess if you do not drink) If you think someone is watching you, I guarantee they are not. Do not let insecurities rule your world and most of all instead of counting and displaying your blessings, be gracious and grateful. Just do not deprive yourselves of things that give you joy and do not rely on cheap gimmicks to ease your pain. I understand very clearly that the world gray, but there are something that are just black and white. The world is hard enough without us making it harder for ourselves.
What all this probably relates down to is every Tom, Dick, Harry and Sally feeling the need to update the world on every poo, snack, push-up or church service attended. Despite the fact that it also implies, in a passive-aggressive way that what you are doing is better than others, for me it goes deeper. I consider myself pretty reasonable and laid back. I eat what ever I want within reason. I work out, unless something fun comes up. I am not one to care what other people think of me, ahem, apparently after this blog that point is moot. But, what I am trying to sum up, is that we are so anxious about what we are doing and why we are doing it, it drives little ol' pragmatic me absolutely nuts. In not knowing why this was driving me nuts, per usual routine, I self-reflect on it. It has to be something wrong with me, I am the common denominator = Me as the problem. But then, as I read the greatest article written in a long time an idea struck me.
http://theweek.com/article/index/263639/i-went-undercover-to-find-out-why-people-do-crossfit
You see, as someone who has always struggled to "fit into things" because I am rather large, physically and personality wise, I just stopped trying and started to count my #blessings for all that is good. It as been amazing. Part of doing that required me to figure out my general preferences in life and learning about what I believe and why. This might sound condescending, but part of doing that was realizing that the largess of our world transcends anything even remotely related to us. The little tiny human beings on a giant world, with billions of other tiny little human beings, making said giant world smaller by the day. Aside from the stark realization that our actions do in fact have a reaction that definitely effects others, in the grand scheme of things we are completely insignificant when we act alone. So why the anxiousness? Why no moderation?
This my friends is what bothers me. You see I have a dirty little secret that I learned years ago from one of my favorite professors. When I say I transcend modern day politics, I truly transcend modern day politics. My confession is that the giant conservative streak that runs deep inside me desperately clings to moderation and tradition. Not in the sense that I actually believe gay marriage is bad, or that it is any of my business what my neighbor lady does with her who-ha. Totally socially liberal. It is my pragmatic nature that just wants people to chill out, just be. This could be my crippling inability to deal with other people's anxiety, but dudes....just chill out. Do what humans always do and survive.
What I am saying, if you are lactose intolerant, just cut out dairy. No need to go full paleo. Clean eating? What the hell does that even mean? I hope you are washing your fruits and veggies, even they are organic. Is that what it is implying? Or folks, could it be someone branding a term to make money off you? How about we say, we are cooking the traditional way with whole ingredients, just like my mom or grandma used to do.We are so anxious to be on trend, on point that our anxiety seeps through our pours. If you furiously trying to obtain a beach body, awesome, but how many people are going to notice? How many strangers and why? If you do not want a beach body, then go put on your swim suit and quite bitching about how free you are feeling about your post baby body. See above comments about the person who only eats chicken breasts and drinks water to obtain the beach body. Who is going to care? Why do we care about what strangers think anyways? I am going to drink my wine with another hunk of cheese on gasp! a french baguette, probably followed up by escargot soaked in butter.
I swear on all that is holy, if we can't just relax and accept we are in for a world of hurt. Happiness and acceptance comes through us. Not a specific workout your cousin Vinny told you to do. Not a diet touted to clear up every problem you have ever experienced. The world is best experienced through living and trying. Try everything once, do everything once. Do not let the anxiety of fads or trendy social ventures get to you. If wine gives you a headache, it is simple, just do not drink it. But damn girl, we can still go out for a margarita! (Or tea if guess if you do not drink) If you think someone is watching you, I guarantee they are not. Do not let insecurities rule your world and most of all instead of counting and displaying your blessings, be gracious and grateful. Just do not deprive yourselves of things that give you joy and do not rely on cheap gimmicks to ease your pain. I understand very clearly that the world gray, but there are something that are just black and white. The world is hard enough without us making it harder for ourselves.
Monday, June 16, 2014
Wow...I Can't Believe She Said That: Every Four Years....GO USA!!!
Wow...I Can't Believe She Said That: Every Four Years....GO USA!!!: There are few things in life that we as a society are not forced to consume, be exposed to, or generally jammed down our throats. Poli...
Every Four Years....GO USA!!!
There are few things in life that we as a society are not forced to consume, be exposed to, or generally jammed down our throats. Politics being one of the main offenders, our consumer culture and object of the ever present "15 Minutes of Fame." In our country Baseball lasts April to October (though I can't complain about that one), NBA from end of October until June, the NHL October through at least April, and the dreaded NFL (the one I actually despise) from August to January. I am not sure about NASCAR or Golf, but it seems they are on almost every weekend. Every four years we have the winter Olympics, the summer Olympics, the America's Cup, and the World Cup. For many of us, those moments are magical.
In the Olympics, you have mostly amateur athletes who have dedicated their lives to a sport they will received little glory in, after the competition is over. It is a moment for America to stand with pride behind these individuals as they fight on in the name of honor for our country, the most important if only accolade they will receive. The America's Cup an event for rich people, attractive mostly to the few who understand the excitement, concepts, and intensity of sailboat racing. But the World Cup. The World Cup is the WORLDS foremost sporting event. Revered by soccer loving nations everywhere. Now if you are a soccer loving American, it is easy to follow your teams, leagues and favorite players with minimal effort, but you still have to make an effort. It is not like you can turn on Fox, NBC, ABC or even ESPN on a Sunday morning and see the La Liga or the Bundesliga. The MLS might be featured on your local station, but if you live in Chicago and want to see the Seattle Sounders play LA Galaxy, you have to make an effort to make that happen. So, I am going to implore two simple things of you, my fellow Americans.
First and foremost, these games are on ESPN, ESPN2, they are available channels on almost every television set in every bar in America. Like almost every other sporting fan in this nation, soccer fans love to watch their game with a cold beer in hand. Did I mention this only happens every four years?? So please just give us one television set with volume in your humble establishment. If our crowd outnumbers the space, give us two television sets and we will reward you in the form of payment for excessive beer drinking and an atmosphere of merriment, especially if our team is winning. Please, have mercy and patience for all of our cheers and shouts of, "OOOHHHS!", "AHHHHHS!", "OOOOMMMMGGGS!" or "YYYEYEEEAAAHHH" and in general any loud noises we make because, this is the World Cup! We patiently wait through every NFL season listening to the same things. Please do not act offended or scared because we are making loud noises...This has been pent up for four years! You can catch the golf scores later, we can turn it to the baseball game at halftime so you get the highlights. This only happens every 4 years!!
The second and final thing is to remember that we are Americans and unfortunately more partisan and nasty than ever. We have team and a pretty decent one this year. We are the nation of underdogs in this sport. The US loves an underdog, lets get behind these boys. They are unlike most professional athletes we are used to seeing. They don't make millions, very few have endorsement deals and the ones that do are not as lucrative as other sports or soccer players form around the world. These guys play for love of the sport and are representing our great country. This is the month that we show our appreciation for the great U.S.A! Lets get behind our boys!
So please, when you are sitting there bashing soccer, just remember this is our one month out of four years. Please have pity on our lot as we embark on the one of the greatest months in our sporting repertoire. When you get "scared" by our random shouts of ecstasy or despair, just remember what it feels like when the Packers win or lose, or your emotional investment in the Chicago Blackhawks. Most of all, give our boys a shot. They play today at 5pm central standard time. They have worked hard and deserve for everyone to stop for a second and check them out. They play Ghana the team that knocked them out of the tournament 4 years ago. The game was ugly, brutal and the boys played their hearts out. Most importantly it is an opportunity for us citizens to get behind a team that can unite us again, if only for 90 minutes. No US politics in soccer. We are one country, one team! Go U.S.A!!!!!
In the Olympics, you have mostly amateur athletes who have dedicated their lives to a sport they will received little glory in, after the competition is over. It is a moment for America to stand with pride behind these individuals as they fight on in the name of honor for our country, the most important if only accolade they will receive. The America's Cup an event for rich people, attractive mostly to the few who understand the excitement, concepts, and intensity of sailboat racing. But the World Cup. The World Cup is the WORLDS foremost sporting event. Revered by soccer loving nations everywhere. Now if you are a soccer loving American, it is easy to follow your teams, leagues and favorite players with minimal effort, but you still have to make an effort. It is not like you can turn on Fox, NBC, ABC or even ESPN on a Sunday morning and see the La Liga or the Bundesliga. The MLS might be featured on your local station, but if you live in Chicago and want to see the Seattle Sounders play LA Galaxy, you have to make an effort to make that happen. So, I am going to implore two simple things of you, my fellow Americans.
First and foremost, these games are on ESPN, ESPN2, they are available channels on almost every television set in every bar in America. Like almost every other sporting fan in this nation, soccer fans love to watch their game with a cold beer in hand. Did I mention this only happens every four years?? So please just give us one television set with volume in your humble establishment. If our crowd outnumbers the space, give us two television sets and we will reward you in the form of payment for excessive beer drinking and an atmosphere of merriment, especially if our team is winning. Please, have mercy and patience for all of our cheers and shouts of, "OOOHHHS!", "AHHHHHS!", "OOOOMMMMGGGS!" or "YYYEYEEEAAAHHH" and in general any loud noises we make because, this is the World Cup! We patiently wait through every NFL season listening to the same things. Please do not act offended or scared because we are making loud noises...This has been pent up for four years! You can catch the golf scores later, we can turn it to the baseball game at halftime so you get the highlights. This only happens every 4 years!!
The second and final thing is to remember that we are Americans and unfortunately more partisan and nasty than ever. We have team and a pretty decent one this year. We are the nation of underdogs in this sport. The US loves an underdog, lets get behind these boys. They are unlike most professional athletes we are used to seeing. They don't make millions, very few have endorsement deals and the ones that do are not as lucrative as other sports or soccer players form around the world. These guys play for love of the sport and are representing our great country. This is the month that we show our appreciation for the great U.S.A! Lets get behind our boys!
So please, when you are sitting there bashing soccer, just remember this is our one month out of four years. Please have pity on our lot as we embark on the one of the greatest months in our sporting repertoire. When you get "scared" by our random shouts of ecstasy or despair, just remember what it feels like when the Packers win or lose, or your emotional investment in the Chicago Blackhawks. Most of all, give our boys a shot. They play today at 5pm central standard time. They have worked hard and deserve for everyone to stop for a second and check them out. They play Ghana the team that knocked them out of the tournament 4 years ago. The game was ugly, brutal and the boys played their hearts out. Most importantly it is an opportunity for us citizens to get behind a team that can unite us again, if only for 90 minutes. No US politics in soccer. We are one country, one team! Go U.S.A!!!!!
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