History @ MindSay 
war
What I found along the way, was that I liked a lot of the writers I found here: parents sharing the ups an downs of child-rearing, talented artists sharing their processes and the results, people of every political stripe, very funny people, serious animal-lovers, and deep provocative thinkers. The virtual-ness allowed people who would otherwise not associate - because of age differences, geography, political leanings, stuff - to come together to chat, fight, support, entertain, commiserate, educate and often, become friends. So I stuck around.
Tomorrow is my 5th anniversary. I'm still here and happy that it's "old home week" at MindSay.
Yo, Tooster - a personal post!
Last year I was almost dead set on becoming something in the medical career. I love watching medical shows (House) and especially medical documentaries (i.e. about OCD, conjoined twins, progeria, etc).
However, I've analyzed my life and realized with my laziness and lack of motivation for schoolwork, I cannot become anything in the medical career. Just because I am fascinated with the human body and different conditions, does not mean I am cut out to become a physician. It takes discipline, love of ALL people and able to control people when they are in hysterics/a mad fit of rage/etc, being able to work long hours, MANY years of school along with top marks, and not being grossed out by normal things.
When it comes to myself, I obviously lack discipline, I am not a fan of children (although I honestly love people...especially my friends. I care deeply about all of you...really, I do), I am lazy and therefore would not be able to work long hours, I do not want to be in school for too many more years (and again due to my laziness I have shit marks), and I get grossed out when I see someone bleeding in real life.
What it comes down to, is that last year, I thought I wanted to be in the medical career, but after realizing the above things, I changed my mind. I looked at my interests and decided that history would be much better suited to me, despite the fact it may be hard to find jobs here in T-BAY. I'm sure I will find something though. There are problems with every career path.
However, my main problem standing in my way is my laziness in school. I used to be a straight-A student, but after I went through a bad fit of depression a few years ago, I stopped caring, and stopped doing regular homework. As a result, today I am several weeks behind in all my courses, and brutally failing. I have very difficult courses (2 University courses and 2 advanced placement courses. Maths and Sciences, no doubt) and have dug my self a deep, deep hole in less than 2 months. I have no idea how I'm going to get from failing to above a 70% average before exams…especially with the fact that today I found out that only the first half my Calculus course counts towards my mark, meaning that I got to do extremely well on the last few assignments/quizzes/tests and the exam in order to get a passing mark. It will be hell, but it's something I got to do.
But now that I realize what I want to do in University, I'm asking myself "Why am I taking the extremely hard courses and not doing any work and failing when I could take easy courses, not do any work and pass?" It's obviously because last year I thought I was going into the medical career, but I really should have changed my semester around in September, and then I wouldn't be in this situation. And I wouldn't have to deal with the stuck up, rich, preppy kids either. They keep asking me "What is your mark, Kristal? What did you get on your test, Kristal?" etc etc. I always say, "I don't discuss marks." because it's really none of their business. This therefore poses the question "Why ask if you don't care?" (Hence the title of this blog.) Because really, they are not friends with me, I don't talk to them (and vice versa), and my mark has nothing to do with them. I believe they are asking in order to feel a sense of superiority against me. I don't know if they realize I'm failing (they prob. do) but really, they should be concerned about their own mark, not mine. I feel shitty enough for being selfish and not doing anything, I don't need them laughing at me along the way.
High school is bullshit. It's shit years in which the problems we face do not matter in the long run. Sure, things like pregnancies will affect those girls who get pregnant, but really, 90% of the people in my classes are caught up in the world of sports, student council meetings, drinking with friends and homework, and complain when a teacher they have tries to teach like a university professor to get them prepared for real life. It annoys me that they live in this protective little bubble of meaningless gossip, and unleash their "problems" unto other people.
I'm just glad that I got out of that group many years ago. I believe my friends really do understand the real world, and understand real problems. Of course we all bitch about our problems, but I really do think all my friends problems are true and really matter: they aren't about a basketball game, they are about illness, poverty and drug use. Of course we all worry about friends (myself included) but I believe in order to really be a high school student that's prepared for real life once they get out, we must know and experience bits of reality outside our shell. Of course, we all must enjoy friends: that's the fun! But we mustn’t be ignorant either.
I love you guys, truly and deeply. I'm so glad you face reality instead of ignore it. Don't ever lose that about you.
-Kristal St. Jean
Not right! I bear them no personal grudge; indeed, I rather feel sorry for them. Maybe even that is too strong. But they're a strange lot, with beliefs that include the number of souls that will enter Heaven. What is it, 218,000? or 144,000? Whatever; the only thing that keeps them from killing each other is that they're afraid that the martyr will get to Heaven in their place. I suspect there are some who would suggest that they do so and decrease the surplus population [thanks, C. Dickens].
I think, on a global level, it is most unfortunate that religion operates as it does to divide and conquer the unwary. Think about it. When any religious person (I was going to say fanatic) attacks your way of thinking or beliefs, they want you to join with them in THEIR flock's beliefs, etc. [Sheep make up flocks. They follow. Thinking isn't part of the process.] And they are blasphemers by their own definition in that they lie about their intent. Read the Commandments - you can go to hell just as well/badly for lying as you can for killing. And what is their intent? World domination. Everyone shall follow MY beliefs, or they don't belong. Tell the truth, folks, sell World Domination T-shirts at your next rummage sale.
When you listen to the arguments about what each of these groups thinks sets them apart from all the others, it becomes ludicrous; rather like:
Do you like chocolate?
Yes...What kind, dark or milk?
Milk, yes...With or without almonds?
Ummm, rather fond of chilli, actually...HERETIC!!!! <screams> <gunshot>
So, maybe what I should be doing is, instead of getting huffy when the JWs show up, I should offer to save THEM. And the first thing they should learn is that God [what many call Nature] could care less about what laws we follow or the concept of SIN. There are things we do that offend our fellow beings, and no forgiveness or retribution will correct it. An actual change in the offender's behavior such that they will never repeat the offense would be worthwhile, though. And as for laws, try bargaining with the Almighty for an exemption from the law of gravity after you step off a girder at 300 feet; see if you don't reach the ground faster than if you took the elevator.
The larger problem with religion is the "we" versus "them" mentality. The entire state of Israel, for better or worse, was set up thus. Why? The Jews did not need a "homeland" to survive as a people. [Don't get the idea that I think Israel should be destroyed or told to change their ways. Destruction is wrong, and it's too late for change. We just have to live with what they are. But we don't need to support it.] The Jews have, in my experience in America, the best of both worlds today. They are very clannish, which helps keep their faith alive; they place a high value on education and acheivement, which keeps them in useful jobs; and they integrate well into society. Sure, there are exceptions, and there are some few who have no qualms about short-changing outsiders - but, guess what? That's true of ALL groups, so don't pick on the Hebrews for that. I think the worst thing about the Israel precedent is that other groups have chosen to follow the example, resulting in enclaves of "Our People" who are intolerant of "Your People" and proceed to perform ethnic cleansing. The result is impoverishment all 'round. I guess I suffer from Americanism. My family has been here for so long and is so intermarried that we (my generation) have forgotten the old hates and disputes that plagued our forebears - which include Irish, Saxons, Normans, British, Scots, French, Germans, and who knows what else... have to be some Vikings in there.
There is much to enjoy in life, and being sensual, happy, well-fed, and kind is not sinful - even when you share these expressions with someone who does not believe as you do. So, get out of the church and into the garden, for starters. Commune with nature. Build, plant, and prepare for the next season (which is the easy-to-picture future). That will give you a meaningful reason to get down on your knees.
Your foot is the same size as the distance between your wrist and elbow. You can put your foot in that area and it will fit. Your forearm and foot are the same size.
After going into heat, an unaltered female ferret can actually die if she does not mate. Similarly a spider can die when molting because it requires using every muscle and tremendous energy.
Goosebumps are actually caused by a muscle. It is called the arrector pilli muscle.
Yahoo! is an acronym for “Yet Another Hiearchical Officious Oracle.”
“Britney Spears” is an anagram for “Presbyterians”.
Istanbul, Turkey, is the only city in the world that lies in two continents.
Over 1/2 the population of Uganda is under 15 yrs. old.
The first seedless grapes were kind of an accident. Thousands of years ago in the Middle East, a random genetic mutation caused a group of grapes to spontaneously abort their own seeds before the seeds could develop hard casings. The result: seedless produce. To reproduce the fruit, a sly farmer simply cloned the vine (with no seeds, there’s nothing to plant)—meaning that all seedless grapes today are direct descendants of that one mutated grape vine.
Foreign Accent Syndrome is a rare side effect of brain trauma, whereby a patient’s enunciation is altered to the point where it begins to resemble a foreign accent. Perhaps the most famous example occurred in 1941, when a young Norwegian woman began speaking with what sounded like a German accent after being hit in the head with shrapnel. Her community, thinking she had Fascist sympathies, shunned her.
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