Thoughts on Today

At around 10:00 last night I saw the news on yahoo.com

"Osama Bin Laden is Dead" it read.

My first thought was, "What? Holy crap!!!" I turned on the TV, alternating between CNN and Fox News, and got the facts. Yep, it was true.

I've now had about 17 hours to let the news stew in my head. Now I want to write what I think about it.

All in all, it is a good thing. He wasn't a nice dude and certainly did a lot of horrible, despicable things. As far as I understand it, when the Navy Seals found him they gave him a chance to surrender. He would not, so that's when they killed him.

Most importantly, justice has been served. Those who suffered directly from 9/11 will never fully heal, but I know that his death has brought some peace to their lives.

I applaud the military for their bravery and stealth. I even applaud the president and his advisers for their role.

Gasp! WHAT did you say, Steph?

Yes. Obama isn't my favorite person, but as the Commander in Chief he did a good job executing this plan.

However, I don't think I can "celebrate" Osama's death. I am proud of the military and happy that justice was served, but I don't feel right being happy that someone is dead. After all, I'm sure Osama himself was elated when HE watched TV on 9/11. I don't want to be like him. It had to be done and the world is a better place without that man, I will not deny that fact.

Plus, I am a little scared. Osama's followers are probably planning some kind of retaliation. I don't know what'll happen in the upcoming days. The last thing I want is another 9/11. I know that's the last thing ANYONE wants. Also, I'm sorry to say, but Osama's death does NOT mean that the troops can come home. It just doesn't work that way, folks. His death just might mean that the troops have to stay out there a little longer. Yeah, that sucks, but that's how it is.

I'm not going to tell people how to think or to feel. If you feel like celebrating, then by all means celebrate. If you're scared or angry, then that's fine too. These feelings are the luxuries we are fortunate enough to have by living in a free country.

GOD BLESS THE U.S.A.

Enough with the monsters already!

I'm getting tired of hearing the word"monster" so often. I don't mean monsters in technical terms, like "vampires" (though I am pretty tired of those), I just mean the term in a generic form. It seems to have become socially and pop-culturally acceptable to be considered a monster. Kayne West, Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Nicki Minaj, and Usher have all had lyrics and/or song titles referring to "monsters", and I'm sure there's a lot more. (You could probably even count Katy Perry's song ET. Aliens are sort of like monsters.)

So, why does this bother me so much? Well, just take a look at the Webster definition of the word.

Oh jeez, Steph. You put a def. in your blog? LAME!

mon·ster noun \ˈmän(t)-stər\ Definition of MONSTER
1 a: an animal or plant of abnormal form or structure
b: one who deviates from normal or acceptable behavior or character

2: a threatening force
3 a: an animal of strange or terrifying shape
b: one unusually large for its kind

I get it. Those musical artists like to be "different". They're stars, celebrities, etc. They want to portray themselves as "threatening", "terrifying", "larger than life", and so on. That's very egotistical, if you ask me. I've heard that some celebrities suffer from the "God-complex". This is just a theory of mine, but I think that the God-thing has been played out, so they're going the other route. Either way, it all comes down to the same thing. "We're different, we're terrifying, we're beautiful, but we will destroy you." So, here's the thing, I don't like that mentality. I don't think using the word "monster" sets a good example for young people.

Wow, Steph. You're now going to play the, "kids today..." card?

Yes. Yes I am.

I know that it is hard to feel accepted in the world. I've been there, I totally get it. A lot of kids go goth/emo/whatever the crap it's called nowadays because they feel depressed and like they don't belong. I also know that in their own way some celebrities are trying to help the kids out. Songs like "Beautiful", "We R Who We R", and "Born This Way" give a positive message of, "Hey, I'm okay the way I am. Love yourself..." etc. That's fine. That's great, actually. If kids feel better because of those songs, then mazel tov to them!

What I DON'T like is kids feeling better because they've "accepted" themselves as monsters! To me, that's just like throwing in the towel. "Oh well, I'm a freak of nature. What's done is done."

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

Do NOT give in that easily!!! Accepting yourself as a monster does nothing but guarantee a lifetime of self-loathing/depression/anti-social behavior. I don't like the word monster being thrown around as it has been. Kids need to find acceptance in a positive way. Everyone has their issues, but nobody should think that they're a monster.

No one.

What 2010 Taught Me

(I already wrote this blog once... yet it somehow got deleted before it was ever posted! This is officially my first major upset of 2011!)



The follow list is things I learned in the year 2010. It is in no particular order and I'm sure some of the items will seem odd to the reader of this blog.



Here we go...


*Vampires are still popular... ugh!



*The people who work at mall kiosks are pushy and fake.



*"To Kill a Mockingbird" is an excellent book! I hadn't read it before.



*There is a lot of "@$$-kissing" in the world of retail. I am not able, nor do I have a desire to participate in such actions.

*I get tired of people being fans of really, really stupid crap!

*Cream cheese won-tons are tasty!



*The "Incident" of 2009 was NOT my fault! However, I'm sad to say that the proof of this came with great pain of another.



*(To the instigator of that pain) "Once a douche bag, always a douche bag!"



*Nice guys turn out to be jerks and the jerks turn out to have a good heart.



*I LIKE KILLING ZOMBIES!!! (Left 4 Dead!!!)



*It is not possible to have a genuine "Girls Only" weekend when one of the girls is a married woman. She will call, text, and whine about her spouse and how much she misses him.



*I still want to travel.



*I do want to earn my degree... but it is mostly so I can get a job that actually pays a decent salary.



*I don't want to get old.


*I'm glad I'm no longer a teenager.

*When someone says, "How are you?" or "How's it going?" the only acceptable responses are, "(I'm) Good/great/fine, how are you?"

*People don't really care HOW you're doing... they're just exchanging pleasantries.

*I still have no idea what happened in the movie, "Inception". I think I'll be forever confused on that one. It's almost as bad as "The Matrix".

*I don't like "Glee". I... just... don't.

*"It is what it is" came into my life. I use it now as a sort of mantra.

*Longevity in marriage no longer guarantees eternity.


*While divorce truly is hardest on children, divorce due to unfaithfulness is hardest on the innocent spouse.


*I now have a better understanding of why parents struggle through their child's teenage years.


*The State Fair is more fun when you have a ton of money to blow.


*Wendover is fun--but it sucks when your money gets blown.


*Christmas really has become too commercial.


*People hate people who say, "Christmas is too commercial". I used to hate them too.


*Haunted Houses are much more fun when you go with a group...especially when someone in the group is genuinely scared.


*When you laugh in a Haunted House, the workers don't really bother you.


*The further back they go, the more likely two people will be on the same side.


*Screw your loyalty... we all know I'M RIGHT!!!


*Pride is a nasty business. I've waded through plenty of those waters.


*The older you get, the less cute it is to be a "goody two-shoes".


And finally...

*There comes a point when you have to work things out for yourself. People can't always solve your problems when they've got a huge pile of their own.


Hopefully, these lessons can help me make the best out of 2011.

Pure fiction (though kind, sorta, maybe, somewhat based on reality)

Jillian sat with her legs crossed as she unknowingly tapped her french-manicured nails on the table. Her long, blond hair fell down the back of her sparkly, purple tube top.

"Ugh, she's late," Jillian muttered under her breath.

A goth waitress approached her table with a look of annoyance Jillian had seen earlier. "You wanna order yet?"

"Um, I already told you," Jillian sneered, "my friend isn't here yet!"

"Sorry," the waitress said as she sulked away.

Jillian rolled her eyes as she pulled her blingy, faux-emerald crested cell phone out of her $90 handbag. It was two minutes passed the last time she had checked it. "What is her problem?" she thought. "This is, like, so rude!"

Just then, the singer Ke$ha's voice wailed from her phone. Jillian answered it in six notes. "O.M.G. Where ARE you? I've been sitting here for-EV-er, and this goth chick is, like, totally being a snob to me!"

"I'm not coming."

"Um... what?"

"Jillian," the voice was rude, but sincere. "I can't deal with you right now."

"W-what are you talking about, Sade?"

"I can't deal with you or your stupid problems. I'm not coming to lunch. You're selfish, stupid, and I can't stand your boyfriend."

"What does Dirk have to do with this?" Jillian snapped.

"He's boring. All he ever talks about is Family Guy. Newsflash: no one cares about Family Guy! Also, he always goes on about the news."

"So, isn't the news, like important?"

"Of course," Sadie replied. "But he just assumes everyone is as liberal as he is. He doesn't let anyone else chime in about things. Plus, whenever you say anything, anything at all, he turns to me and says, 'Isn't Jillian cute? She says the funniest stuff!' "

"What's wrong with him saying that?"

"Jillian," Sadie sighed. "You're so naive. You can't even see the fact that Dirk sees you as a little girl. You're a part of his collection, though not shrink wrapped. He's creepy and weird."

"You know what," Jillian stood, grabbed her handbag, and headed towards the door. "YOU'RE just jealous, Sadie! Your last break-up was shi% and you can't handle the fact that anyone else in the world is happy!"

"See, that's what I meant. You're naive."

"Naive about WHAT?" Jillian opened her car door and slammed it behind her.

"You live in a fantasy world, Jill. You think you're happy living in your condo with your career and your small dogs. You love having Dirk as your man. You love the image you portray. When you're high, you're high. If anyone, like me, comes looking for help--you shove them away. There's no room for darkness in your world of light.

"But then, when things go wrong in your family or you have some stupid fight with Dirk, you want the whole world to shower you with sympathy. 'Oh poor, poor Jillian! Her uncle in Arkansas stubbed his toe; everyone rush to her aid!' You don't care about my problems, though. You won't listen to what others are going through, so why should we listen to you?"

"Look Sadie," Jillian had started her car and was weaving in and out of traffic. "I don't know what your problem is, but I've never been treated so rudely in my life! As far as I'm concerned, we're through!"

"I thought you'd say that," Sadie replied. "I know I was harsh, but I wanted to tell you the truth. It really hurt that you blew off my birthday to stay home and do puzzles with Dirk."

"I stayed home because I was stressed out. You don't know what I'm going through!"

"Okay, whatever," said Sadie. "But just so you know, I'm going through bad stuff too. You don't even understand the financial peril I've been in trying to help out my brother. He's probably going to go back to jail because of his addictions."

But Jillian didn't hear those last few sentences. She hung up on Sadie.

"Bitch," Jillian muttered as she sped her way home.

Trust and Faith

"It is more shameful to distrust our friends than to be deceived by them. " --Confucius

It has recently come to my attention that a friend of mine doesn't trust me. Or rather, she doesn't have faith in me. Needless to say, this is unsettling.

Hold on, Steph. Who are you to talk about trust? YOU don't trust anyone! Also, as you've blogged before, you've lost faith in all humanity!

Alright, calm down. Although technically true, I never said I don't trust my FRIENDS. I just don't trust the general population... a.k.a. humanity. And I've lost faith in them mostly due to what years of retail has taught me. Customers suck.

That's besides the point. I don't understand why my friend doesn't trust me because, as far as I know, I have a squeaky-clean track record with him/her. I have most always been true to my word and I've made it a point to not cancel on planned events. Also, as of a few days ago, I was welcomed with open arms into my friend's home.

But I will admit that there is a bit of a backstory to all of this. One person I no longer trust (due to that person's actions) is friends with my distrusting-friend.

Wow. This isn't confusing at all.

Look, I'm not going to get into the technicalities, okay? My friend thinks that I am going to ruin an upcoming event by doing... well... I don't even know what... fighting, I guess, with the person I distrust.

What?

He/she thinks I'm going to cause problems, even though I've told him/her that I won't. Now, to his/her credit, it is a semi-resonable thing to be concerned about. After all, I wouldn't want drama at my get-together either. And it is somewhat reassuring that he/she has also spoken with the other party.

Jeez, Steph. Why didn't you just use fake names? It's not like either one of them read this blog... or anyone, for that matter.

What I am really trying to say is that my word is not any assurance for my friend. He/she thinks I am going to cause problems. I'm not. I have absolutely no desire to do so. All I want to do is go to the get-together, catch up with people I haven't seen in awhile, and just have fun. So what if so-and-so is going to be there? He/she had every right to be invited, same as me. I'm not ghetto and have never been very confrontational anyway. (Not to imply that all ghetto people ARE confrontational... they're not.)

But let me end by saying this... it doesn't feel good knowing that you don't trust me, friend. Considering all that's happened (and you KNOW what I mean), I think I've handled myself decently. It's at LEAST a C+. Can't you please have some faith in me?

And to you, reader; oh what you must think. "She's crazy," "She's paranoid," "She's bitter and cold," "She's cynical," "She's stupid," "She had a mean soul!"

Think what you will... I know I do.