Closet Country Music Lovers

Most have a specific type of music they like to turn to.

Living in Texas, you'd think I would like a bit of country music, right?

Not that we, like, put forth any type of image that we like it. Source

Really, though, country music isn't all that bad. BUT I won't say it's my favorite type of music. I can't be prejudiced against those other types of music. Really, though, I do have varied tastes. Anyone who touches my radio dial can tell you that I've got country, pop, rock, and alternative just on the first set of FM stations (and I haven't had a chance to set the rest since the last reset).

I really don't like stereotypes. Even if I didn't live in Texas, I'd still like country. Why? Because my parents listened to country. Some parents don't, and their kids grow up thinking it sounds like nails on a chalkboard (which, to me, actually isn't all that bad- chewing ice bothers me more, but whatever).

Thing is, the southern states get pinned with the country stereotype, people get the emo stereotype for dressing in black, but what does your geographical location or clothing have to do with what music you like?

I love some Linkin' Park. I can remember sitting in my childhood best friend's driveway listening to her older brother's CD of Linkin' Park and thinking we were the coolest thing around. I also remember having a cassette tape of "Follow Me," at the time considered "contemporary" music. Corky was fiddling with my tape player and pressed play and record at the same time- the horror!!! Those of us old enough to remember cassette players of the time remember what pressing play and record did, right? It ruined that portion of the song....now it's on my mP3 files. The full version, of course. At the time I was devastated- I didn't know that within a decade I'd be able to have it conveniently stowed in a pocket to play at a moment's notice.

This is a cassette tape. You might not recognize it if you're younger than 20.
It actually looks just like the one I had.
It will probably be rendered totally obsolete within the next few years. Except on the internet, where you can find images. Like this one, which is now immortal on my blog. Enjoy!!  Source

And what that change in technology has done to advance my tastes! Often I find myself surfing through songs, and I'll find a sweep of songs linked to each other that I like, which I then add to my phone. Now I have a phone, with my internet and music all right there too, and even some games...my computer is good for typing blogs. My phone, for some reason, cannot figure out that when I point at the box, I want to type in it. That's ok, I still have my laptop!

Oh, music. OK, my genres? And....go!- Alternative, Punk, Blues, Classical, Contemporary, Country, Dance, Electronic, Emo, Grime (?), Hip Hop, Indie, Latin, Mainstream, Movie Soundtracks, Musical, New Age, Oldies, Opera, "Other" (what could possibly go here??), Pop, Soul, Soft Rock, Rock, Jazz, R&B, Rap, Techno, World, "Unknown" (seriously? not going there....)

Kind of like this. This is probably where all the Unknowns and Others go to play. Source

Basically, I don't have a favorite song. I don't have a favorite artist. I don't have a favorite band. I don't even have a favorite genre! I like them all! Actually, I'm not as keen on some of them (Rap) as I am on others, but that's ok. I still have some instances of them. I don't judge a song by its genre or singer or anything like that.

I once asked someone if they had heard a song that was new, and they asked who sang it. I told them, and they weren't even open to listening to it, because they didn't like the singer. They said the song probably sucked. They didn't even give it a chance. It really brought me down a notch, because it actually had a message that I was trying to get across. I eventually got it across another way.

I'm honestly glad that I'm able to be so open-minded toward music. I've been able to hear some awesome songs I'd have never been able to hear otherwise, songs that I've been able to relate to. I've gotten my parents to where they turn the radio to other stations sometimes too. Of course, they do really bad impressions (sorry mom and dad), but at least they're more open about turning the music on, after the efforts of my sister, my brother, and me. They've found some songs they like that way, too.

And you know what? I've gotten some people who never would have otherwise listened to country to do so. And they liked it. And they were embarrassed when they found out that they actually liked country. You know why? They were completely wrong about what they thought about country- whiney, blah blah blah love songs about blah blah blah. If you've got this stereotype, stop yourself. Turn on some Lady Antebellum, Unkle Kracker, Brooks and Dunn, Toby Keith (he's actually kinda funny), or Rascal Flatts, and listen to a few songs. You may be surprised.

You may be a closet country music lover and not even know it. Expose yourself!!!!!!!!!!

The hat is optional. I've never owned one. You can wear one if you want, though. Lots of people do. Source

Boots are optional too. Apparently tourists, even when not in Texas, like them. Eden of Edenland gets them when she visits America from Australia. Amazing! I'll never understand the boot thing. I don't have any. Source

Prompt Me: University of Choice

College/university: It's a major part of every student's life, whether they go or not, and if they go, the factors involved in their choice of colleges and universities are huge. HUGE.

When I was in high school, I was a starry-eyed believer in the dream college, which wasn't much, but was much different from where I actually ended up going. My dream college, my sights not set on Duke, Harvard, or Yale, was Baylor University in Waco, Texas, about an hour from where we actually live. I sent off my (incomplete, as I was still a high school student) transcripts, took my SATs, and did all the things a graduating high school student is expected to do.

Knowing that I was going for more than a "Community College," I involved myself in a number of extracurricular activities- enough that I had to "narrow the list" to which ones I wanted included in the yearbook & in the Who's Who Among American High School Students Edition the year I graduated. Colorguard, UIL, and Choir were my favorites, but there was also National Honor Society, Student Council, a brief stint on the Debate Team, all four years in the Who's Who records, class Salutatorian, and if you want to be specific, within UIL, I competed on the Spelling and Social Studies Team individually every meet, as well as a number of times on the Number Sense team, Math Team, Creative Writing team, once on the headline writing team, several times with each of the science teams in biology and chemistry (my physics skills were weak)...in other words, I was the top notch high school student.

I primed my transcript (106 grade point average, not too shabby!), and added the extracurriculars, certain that I'd be ready for the college of my dreams.

Then reality hit, and I got the paper that showed the tuition bill for a semester at Baylor University, as well as my awarded scholarship. I was only 1/4 paid for, and I was not able to commute an hour each way every day (even though in the end, that's what I essentially ended up doing).

My parents pushed for me to find something closer and less expensive, and so I (very apprehensively and not quite willingly) did. As the acceptance letter and scholarship to Baylor sat beckoning on my dresser, I applied to the University of Texas at Arlington, sent my transcript, scores, and whatever other desired materials.

March 11, 2005, due to the "10% rule" (and maybe the whole doing well in high school thing), I was accepted as a freshman into the University of Texas at Arlington. Quickie about the 10% rule- if  you are in the top 10% of your graduating class at a public high school in Texas, you are automatically granted admission to the public college or university of your choice granted there is room in their freshman class (cases like UT Austin call for further inspection, as their freshman class often is far too large to accommodate all the 10% graduates)

Needless to say, although the tuition was much more affordable, and I still had a scholarship, this was not my school of choice, and I was not happy. In addition, I wasn't able to participate in any activities- they all cost money. So here I was a college freshman, going to class for a few hours a day, and going straight to work. Not quite a way to adapt to college.

Four (or six) years later...I'm kind of glad I "chose" UTA. They have a really good school of social work...who knows what path I would have taken elsewhere? I did gradually accommodate myself to campus, although I never really found myself "fitting" on campus. It eventually became a place where I felt comfortable, and I'm kind of sad that I'm not there this semester, my first semester after graduation.

No, UTA wasn't my first choice, and it wouldn't have even been a choice had my parents not wanted me to go to a college "close to home" that was "affordable"...but nevertheless, I ended up going there, and you know what? I'm happy I did. I'd never take it back. The professors, the few people I did connect with, even though we lost contact, the experiences I had, they all had an impact on me. It wasn't my first choice, but it was a very good choice, indeed.

This weeks topic:  College

via

Today's Prompt:  I chose not to go to college....
or I chose the college I did.....

Religion- A Controversial Topic

Day 4: Your view on religion

Oh Lordy (pun intended) let's open up a can of worms!

Alright. My view...

A) For myself- It's called "Agnostic Theism". I do believe there is a higher power out there. However, I do not give the higher power a name (or gender- I would not say He, for example), or a number- I don't know if there is one or multiple. I do, however, believe that there is some sort of higher power in control.

The Agnostic part is that I don't attribute any sort of religious deity to the higher power- it is not "God" or "Allah" or whatever. I don't know what powers it has or does not have. The general meaning of agnostic is "not knowing"- and that's the principle here- we really don't know what's up here. People can Bible thump all day, but the Bible was written by people. Yes, people who say that God was speaking to them (do we know whether this was true?), but people, nevertheless. For me, I will never truly "know" what to believe, and I will not believe in a deity without knowing. I don't know what's up there, and I'm not going to tell anyone else that I know what's up there either. I'm not going to praise anything up there if I don't know what's up there. It's that simple. I don't know what's up there. I won't know what's up there, and neither will anyone else- Jewish, Christian, Muslim, Atheist- until after we've left and cannot come back to tell everyone else.

The theism part is that I do believe there is something up there. I don't know what it is (previous paragraph), and it's hard to praise something if you don't know what it is...but there is something. I do believe in the goodness of people, and that we should do what good we can while we are here on Earth, but I do not attribute that to religion. I do not attribute that to God or any other deity. I attribute that to my beliefs as a human being. Even if I were atheist, I would still be doing good things, because it is in my nature. However, I believe in theism, I believe in higher power, and I do believe that there is something higher in this universe. The extent of the powers of this deity or number of deities, and the characteristics, features, beliefs, wishes, etc., are not mine to theorize about. I will not try to guess what they want- rather, I will live my life, and if it is what they are pleased with, so be it, and if not, so be it. I do believe I am doing the best I can to be a good person. That's the goal I'm aiming for. I'm not aiming to push anyone else to believe this- I'm just aiming to get through life.

I believe there is some sort of place we go after we live, but I don't know what it's like. I don't know if there is a heaven or hell, but I'm pretty certain they exist. They may not be as described in certain books that people look to for everything, but they probably exist. I do believe there have been monumental times in history that have changed the way that man has lived, but I don't know when or how they happened- it could have been any of the myths we hear, stories from the Bible or other books of religion, or it could be something completely different.

As for creationism, a day, month, year, and so forth could be defined completely differently in the terms of whatever deity created the Earth and its inhabitants. It could have fluctuated between longer and shorter time periods, or time could have been massively longer or shorter than it is now. These people living massively long lives in the bible, hundreds of years, could have been living in times when a year was defined as much shorter- after all, look how long it took to get a regular calendar! As for the Big Bang theory, it could have been a part of creation- does this make me a Scientific Agnostic Theist?? The dinosaurs and evolution could have all been a part of a long massive day that whatever deity was testing to figure out what animals were best suited for survival on the planet he was creating...and giving us other planets to explore for fun (who knows what's going through a deity's head?) before creating the regular length we consider a night and day.

Anyone shoot down my theories- go ahead, they're just theories- I'll come up with something else. That's the way I am. I'll find a way to make a new theory. There are so many things that could be true, would be true, might be true. Earth is an endless mass of possibilities. Deities add to that mass, and the fact that nobody can see or know about them outside the realm of human life adds to the great debate. There will never be agreement on the subject- as long as humans have free will, there will be difference in opinion and interpretation.

Honestly, not truly knowing myself, I don't want to say anyone else is wrong, because any of these people could be spouting off the truth, or they could, every single one, be wrong. I don't know, therefore, I can't say. Who am I to follow, when I don't truly know myself? I just know there is something out there, and that's all I need to know. That's all I want to know, that's all I have to know. As long as I keep living life in a positive way, helping people and trying to make things better, I think that's all that matters, really.

B) Other people- I'm not going to tell someone else what to believe. I might tell someone else what I believe, but as far as what they believe, I'm not going to tell them they're wrong, or that they're going to hell. I can't say they're right or wrong. I don't know what they believe, I don't know anything about their deity, I don't know what happens after death, and I can't make any judgments. I won't preach about it. If someone asks me about it, I'll tell them- this is what I believe, this is why, and if you want to believe it, that's ok, if not, that's alright too.

As far as their children go, I believe that people should introduce their children to many religions- Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Catholic, even Agnosticism and possibly Atheism- and see which one they think they like the best. As for choosing a religion, this might be left for older children. One might raise them exploring different religions, letting them see more than just a book, but actually going to services and be involved. This will allow them to see what they're going into- and make an informed decision from there. This way they have the information and the experience they need to make that informed decision, and they don't feel pressured to do so. They should never feel pressured in the decision to follow a certain belief.

They should, though, be given the chance to experience different beliefs, rather than just growing up without the resources. If they don't know what's out there, they can't make an informed decision. The same is true if they only attend Christian churches, and are told they can choose. How can they know about other religions? The education they can receive from attending other churches, or at least meeting people from other religions, can be valuable to them for the rest of their lives, and will also help with acceptance of others (although some parents may go WHOA, I don't want my kid accepting that kid). It is actually a good thing for a child, even if the parent is hesitant. It's exploration, learning, education. It allows for informed decisions and lets the child know that it's ok to believe many different things. It teaches the child that there are many different views out there, and choosing one will be difficult.
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Allowing a child to dabble in religion teaches love, acceptance, culture, perception, and the value of exploration.


Agnostic theism (or...Scientific Agnostic Theism) takes into account that anyone could be right- and it acknowledges that while I believe there is a higher power, I don't know much about it, so I can't say much about it. The scientific part means I can't debunk science, but I can fit science in, because I don't know about the deity's mind, and perhaps they had different perceptions of time and space, and who knows, maybe they did some experimenting of their own. We don't know, and will never know for sure, although anyone can try to tell me what to believe. I'm telling you, I do believe there's something up there! I just don't give it characteristics like you do! I allow for flexibility, and that makes the topic of religion much more comfortable for me.

THOSE- those are my beliefs on religion. Let the wars begin.

Day 24: Small Town, Texas

Day 24: Where you live- Tell us or show us about where you live

Well, I live in Small Town, Texas, USA (because I really don't want to say which small town, more specifically than "near Fort Worth". From here on, Small Town will be ST. Just so I don't have to type it repeatedly.

Most STs in Texas are very similar. Future Farmers of America? Yeeee Haaaawwww!!! I shake my head...and walk away. I'm not the rodeo type. There is a *small* nugget of truth to the stereotype, I will admit. I do hate, though, that people generalize that every person living in ST, Texas is the stereotypical cowboy/cowgirl. Sorry to disappoint.

For example, I sort of live in between ST, Texas, and suburbia, which is nestled tightly on the edge of Fort Worth. My ZIP code lies in suburbia, my school is in ST. It's not the smallest of towns- I graduated in a mediocre sized class of just over 200 students, but it's the only high school in town. There is a grocery store, but only one. The only other place to buy stuff other than food is the filling station markets or the Dollar General. They have built a hotel since I graduated. They also have a few used car lots, a one room post office, and a bajillion gas stations. Oh, and a high school, a middle school, a 9th grade center, and a few elementary schools. They just changed the system (again)- it used to be a few elementary, an intermediate, a middle, and a high school, then a few elementary, a middle, and a high, and they just can't make up their minds!!

Suburbia is...well, suburbia! They have all the major shopping chains, and they all start within 2 miles the other direction of my house. They also have all the major restaurant chains, all the major chains of...well everything. A couple high schools in that town, several middle schools, and goodness knows how many elementary schools they have. A famous person graduated from there, not too long before we moved here. They have a hospital within a mile of my house (I can run to the emergency room...literally run!!). Quite a few people, and the roads aren't wide enough to quite accommodate the traffic yet.

Suburbia sort of runs into Fort Worth- it's a bit difficult to tell where one merges into the other (they're that close). So I can drive less than 15 minutes and be in the heart of Fort Worth, if I really want to. That is, if I really want to. The traffic on I-35W, the main interstate running north and south through the city, is typically not easy to drive, even during hours not considered rush hour. The only hours during which it's even halfway navigable is between 11pm and 4am....and I don't really want to be driving then anyway. However, if I want access to anything in a big city, Fort Worth is right there, and I can get downtown in a reasonable amount of time without excessive travel.

As far as my house, it's a cozy (not-so-little) 4 bedroom house. Since my brother used to live here with my sister and parents and I, it was the perfect number of rooms, but now we have a spare room for guests and whatnot. We have 3 baths- 1 between my room and the extra room, my sister has her own, and the master bath. There is a family and a formal living room, a family and a formal dining room, and multiple hallways leading here and there. We all have walk-in closets, and we also have a walk in pantry, almost big enough to be a room in its own right, lol. We also have a 3 car garage. I love our house. We have a front yard the size of....well, our front yard isn't much, because our lot is like a slice of pie (we live on a cul-de-sac). The back yard, though, is huuuuuuuge. I think I recall my dad saying we have one of the biggest lots in the front area of our neighborhood. We could probably fit a house back there. With our shed. We used to have a trampoline and a pool back there, but the trampoline got old and weak in the Texas sun, and the pool just....didn't go up one summer. We didn't use it after that.

So now, you know about where I live...

Huzzah!!!

Lost in Stereo(types)**

When I say "Canada" or "Alaska," what are some of the things that we first think of? Naturally, a lot of the people who don't live there will think of ice or snow. Even though I've never been there, and I know that they don't always have ice and snow, I know it's pretty damn cold up there compared to what it is here, typically.

When people think of Texas, and often other Southern states, they think of heavy, thick accents, horses, tumbleweeds (for Texas in particular), Country, and rednecks. Personally, this gets on my nerves. I know that is sort of a double standard, for me to associate Canada with cold, Aussies with awesome accents, Florida with people who aren't so swift***, Ohio with cheese (and The Blog O' Cheese really helped with that one....!! He's really one of my faves though =P He's awesome), but it's really difficult for me when people stereotype Texas.

It's also difficult for me when people stereotype things that aren't necessarily geographical, like physical or mental issues. People with physical limitations aren't always limited by them. People with mental problems aren't always depressed. People with either problem don't always see it as a problem, and sometimes they're the most functional and successful people in society. A lot of the most successful therapists and counselors have had drug addictions counselors, therapists, or some kind of other problem that a "normal" person would think of as a issue that would hold them back.

The thing is, these things are exactly what push these people push forward, push harder to succeed. The things that may have held me in a state of "oh no, I can't function" are exactly the things that have pushed me to succeed in obtaining a degree in the field of social work. A lot of the guys in the work that I do, they see the things I've said and done, and in the end, the ones that hang in there, some of them have said that they'd like to help others with addictions when they're able to get degrees in the future. Some of the people I work with have histories of their own, stories to tell. Everyone has something that they've overcome, but they don't let their problems define who they are. They let their success define who they are.

These stereotypes, they are a silly thing. We all get caught up in them, and we all get caught up in them at one time or another. People are expected to look, act, or speak a certain way. When people see me, they expect me to be younger than I really am, just because of my appearance. That's a stereotype. If you haven't seen me, you can look at my vlog here. Yes, I look and sound very young, and that's something I have to overcome on a day-to-day basis. I've lived in Texas most of my life. Do I sound Texan? Not really. To foreigners, I sound American. That's about as close as I usually get.

Sometimes, we let stereotypes set in and really define people, and sometimes, they let those stereotypes get to them. They finally start following those groups, and it's unfortunate when they get caught up in something like drugs, addiction, or crime, simply because of their appearance, neighborhood, or family. Somehow, that has to stop. I've seen far too many that are in treatment simply because they live in the wrong place, but they have nowhere else to go. Everyone that lives around them is in the drug culture, and it is really difficult to avoid. There are the types that get caught up in crime because that's the only way that they can afford to live; mom spends their food money elsewhere, and they've got too many kids in the family to go elsewhere. They got framed. They were in the wrong place at the wrong time, and they LOOKED guilty. Looked guilty? Really? It's really unfortunate.

When it comes to this, some of those silly stereotypes, like my accent, become secondary. how can we avoid these children growing up in the wrong environment get involved in a healthier environment, so as to avoid them being involved in any type of environment where they'd be associated with crime or drugs? This was part of one of my papers last year, and is related to an assignment this semester that I'm already brainstorming.

The point is, though, don't let a stereotype define who you are, and definitely don't let it define anyone else. I look much [edit]older YOUNGER (thank you mom for pointing this error out, I do not look older) than I really am. Even though I am about to complete a degree, I've had my own struggles, some of which people might think would keep a person from getting a degree. I'm not rich, despite my locality. I don't have a horse, and have never ridden one to my knowledge, despite living in Texas since 1994. I don't own boots or a hat, although I love my blue jeans. I lack a Texan drawl, and y'all is not a word that is spoken much in my language, unless I'm saying "I usually don't say that word." I'm far from skinny, but it's not from eating greasy hamburgers- aside from my mom's, which she doesn't make often, I cannot tell you the last time I had a hamburger, because it has been quite a while. I am not the stereotypical college student- I took 6 years instead of 4. I don't like iced tea or Dr. Pepper, or even coffee. In fact, I'm starting to have an aversion to soda in general, because none of it has carbonation, thanks to something that I'm taking. Hopefully, it'll help me to lose weight. I am an intern, but I do far more than paperwork. In fact, paperwork is one of the smaller parts of my job. I also love reading. Stereotypes? I don't fit most of them.

A few I do fit: I'm excited about graduation. My favorite color is blue. I like looking nice. I still have my parents, all my grandparents, a brother, and a sister, and live in a house. I'm shy, but I talk a lot when I get to know people. It's easier for me to talk to someone over the internet because I can't see them. I type pretty fast (typically 70-80 wpm, although sometimes it's as low as 60). This is a difficult task. It's hard to find the stereotypes I do fit. Stereotypes are difficult to place people in because they are very rarely true!

Next time you think about putting a person in a stereotype, stop to think about what you know about that stereotype, and instead, ask the person questions about themselves in general. People like to talk about themselves, not their stereotype. A person is themselves, not a product of those around them, and that is an important thing to remember when getting to know them.

Credit here

**This is a reference to the song "Lost in Stereo"
***I was born in Florida. Therefore, in applying this statement, I am also incriminating myself. I am in no way trying to offend anyone, and if I had no ties to Florida, and if I had not been born in Jacksonville, I would not be making that statement

Miami-bound

I'm writing this as we're on the road to Miami....Oklahoma, that is. What's in Miami? As far as I know, it's an Indian reservation with a casino. It'll be a bit lengthy probably, given that it's a 6-7 hour trip from DFW.

I'm kinda worried about my classes. I received a less than failing grade on a paper for my research class. It's about how major depressive disorder can affect high school dropout and the choice to not go to college.

Indeed, depression can affect a person's motivation and self esteem so drastically that they no longer have the desire to go to school, or to stop doing the work- which leads too poor academic performance, another factor in school dropout.

It's really difficult to get the motivation to do much of anything when depressed, no matter at what point you're at in your life. Sometimes, facing this overwhelming exhaustion and dread might be the best thing a person can do when they are feeling this way, though. Getting out will get them around other people that could positive influence.

Being torn between the wish to get as far away from the depression as possible, coupled with the anhedonia depression brings, can cause a lot of conflict. It's not that the person doesn't want to get better; the problem is, everything, even the smallest task seems like a monumental and mountainous obstacle, which is really daunting and discouraging.

Warning: from this point on, there are some controversial issues discussed, not meant to cause anger or argument, just encourage thought. If you're easily offended, or don't want to read about something you don't agree with, I have some noncontroversial blogs posted, and I'll post another with this one. Again, I'm no expert, and I'm not trying to force my ideas on anyone; I'm just putting them out there. Here goes.....

People make a lot of assumptions about true clinical depression- including that it's only a bad mood that will pass, an assumption that could even become dangerous. The truth is, nobody should recklessly judge something without being exposed directly to it. If you've never tasted a hamburger, you can't properly tell me about it no matter how hard you try. If you've never been rock climbing, you can't describe the thrill of climbing to the top and seeing the view. Also, if you've never directly met a person, you can't assume what their personality or demeanor is like. That means even if you know them over facebook.

Truth is, everyone wears masks, and you never really know a person until you've met them and spent some time with them.

Once you do meet someone, it's not proper to really judge someone, but it's difficult to not have a perception or impression. Just remember that what you see isn't always the whole situation, and may be completely contrary to the truth.

Try to remember that we are all human, we all have our flaws; therefore there is no reason for one person to really judge another. We all make mistakes, and no, not even I am perfect (lol). Some make mistakes worse than others, but we all grow up in different environments and have different factors affecting us.

It's disappointing how intolerant some people are, and how some are even taught that too much tolerance is a bad thing. They need to know that it's acceptable to accept other people as they are.

There are many instances of this in history, and not just against those of different ethnicities. Women and children, religious differences, and even mental illness and the criminals have been discriminated against.

Women, of course, still are bound in life by stereotypes that date back as far as recorded history goes. Some countries are worse than others, but there isn't a nation in this world that doesn't have preconceived notions about the roles of gender.

One of the interesting things I found in doing research on the history of mental illness is something that is hardly spoken of- I didn't even know about it at all until I read Jodi Picoult's "Second Glance."

In the early 20th century, especially in the 1920s and 1930s, there was a movement called the "eugenics" movement. Basically this idea promoted the involuntary sterilization of criminals and those found to be "feeble-minded." This movement was especially strong in the US during that period. Many of those housed in institutions were prevented from reproducing, because scientists were suggesting that criminal behavior and mental illness were genetically inherited and passed from generation to generation.

The problem was when Hitler took hold of this idea, and proposed that keeping certain people from reproducing, and getting rid of those with the bad genes, would in a way "clean up" the gene pool. Anyone with much knowledge about history knows about Hitler, the Jews, and concentration camps.

Of course, at this point, Americans disconnected from "eugenics," but in some states it's STILL legal (really!!). There are also other procedures these days that could be considered to be related to eugenics.

Often when a woman is pregnant, especially if she is older or has a high-risk pregnancy, she might choose to have amniocentesis done, to see if they're having a healthy baby. If not, they are given the decision to abort-a very controversial decision. Who decides who has the right to live? What are the limits, benefits, consequences? What judgments will be made about the mother regarding her decision?

There are many factors to consider, which really could create a blog of its own. The mother's health as well as that of the fetus are crucial. What about if baby and mother would both live, but the baby's life would be significantly impaired or shortened? Does the mother let the child suffer? Here I will insert that yes, I am a fan of Jodi Picoult, lol. Her book "Handle with Care" addresses this, when a mother sues her obstetrician, who happens to be her best friend, in a wrongful birth lawsuit after her baby is born with what is more commonly known as brittle bone disorder. Quite a touching book, if you ever get the chance to read it.

Anyway, back on topic, If a baby is conceived through rape, that is a whole issue of its own- should she be responsible for all the medical expenses, as well as the daily reminder of the trauma? Even if she puts the baby up for an adoption, she still has to carry it with her for 9-10 months. In this case, there's nothing she could have done, and it's not her fault, she wasn't neglectful; however, should the fetus be aborted and not given a chance to live?

At what point is a fetus considered alive- when the egg is fertilized? When it plants itself? When it reaches a certain stage of growth? Does it know what is happening?

If a woman cannot care for a baby, or even just the doctors' visits associated with pregnancy, what should she do? Carry it to term without the proper care and risk her health and the baby's? Abort it? Even if it's aborted there are the regular checkup that go along with pregnancy.

My opinion (this is the only place I will insert opinion) is that it should only be available to those with high risk pregnancy where the mother or baby's life is in danger. Those who had no control over their pregnancy (rape victims in particular) should be given the option, but also be offered the medical expenses if she carries it to term to have it adopted or keep it (also her choice). These are the only cases in which it should be considered. [end rant]

Sorry if it's a bit much to read, it's been a long ride (6 hours) so I've had a lonnnnnng time to think. We're still not there, but I think this is enough to digest for one day.

And, at the end of the day, I find out that the free wifi access is only "free" for 24 hours.....what kind of bs is that? *sigh* I'm out for the night, auf weidersehen....

Exploring possibilities- part one

Every person has a certain level of tolerance for those around them; some people are very open-minded, others so judgmental it's almost sickening.

For the most part, intolerance for any reason is propelled by a lack of knowledge about the person or idea that isn't tolerated, sometimes due to false stereotypes through the media, or passed along in a family.

I like to think about myself as a very tolerant person. I don't follow any sort of political ideals because very often they insist their way is the only way. I also tend to steer away from religion, but decided to share some thoughts today. I generally avoid conflict, and these, among other things, are hot topics for debate.

Here's the disclaimer for this blog. If you have very strong beliefs and a closed mind, you might be offended, angered, or upset because my views are not congruent with your own. I also must stress that I AM NOT presenting this in ANY way as the truth, just examining possibilities that I've considered, which may or may not be correct. If you are going to read all of this, be prepared to have an open mind- and if you'd like, you can share your own ideas with me through comment or at ashlw87@yahoo.com. Keep in mind that I'm not trying to change anyones views, just encouraging people to have an open mind to consider that their views are not the only way to look at things, and we should not judge each other or be hateful because of differing perspectives. For a story about different perspectives, click here to read about considering perspective. Also, please remember that I am not judging or discriminating, just exploring possibilities.

Today, I've been thinking about religion- who am I to name the higher power and spread the word, if I never heard the words myself? People are by nature sinful; how can we trust that the writers of the bible are accurate, honest, or even sane? We have no verification for this except the writings of other people. However, they can't be discredited either, because they migh be correct. I believe there us someplace we all go, but there's no way for a human being to determine the guidelines for where we go and why.

As far as evolution and creation theory are involved, it's possible that they could havehappened simultaneously. First the earth came to be. Is it possible that God (or any other higher power) made an explosion such as...say, a BIG BANG, which formed the planet? Absolutely. Is that what happened? I'm not in the position to say for certain, nor is any other human being. As far as the time frame- a minute in God's or any other realm could be thousands or millions of years. If he took a whole day to create the heavens and earth, I certainly see how it could be possible that the evolution of the earth could have happened in that time frame, so the evolutionists have their view, with fossils and carbon-dating, them there's the possibility that this planet that evolved could have been created by a higher power.

The Christian bible proposes that first light and dark were created, then the water from the skies on day 2, land emerges on day 3 and plants, grass and trees, separating light from dark to create days, seasons and years. In earth time, this could have occurred in any number of years, but it was defined as 'days' by the bible. Considering measurement of time was not thoroughly developed until well after the 13th century, it's feasible that a day could last any amount of time in ancient time, since we only know they had "very primitive" methods (but not tools) with which to tell time.

When tools were developed to tell time, they varied between cultures and regions. Keeping a definition of time that would be used all over the world would not be created until the 19th and 20th century. Therefore, determination of the time perspective from both a higher power and communicating time between regions before documented, recorded time is pretty much frivolous. A variety of explanations can be hypothesized, but there's really no reliable way to be certain.

For now, that's all I care to talk about as far as religion goes, although I have a feeling that my perspectives on these things. Of course, all of this material is open for individual interpretation (and yes, I could be wrong too).