Wax Political

This is it. This is the last post where I put off writing about the rest of the southern trip. Trust me, it will get done. But I decided, as much for myself as for anyone else, in this post I am going to expressly state my stance on many political issues. I'm going to show everyone whos curious where I stand on the hot topics that plauge our society today. And its going to be eye opening and perhaps a little bit frightening.

Gay Marriage-

I am not against gay marriage, but I am not so empassioned with it that I would take to the streets to protest for it. I guess I just don't care either way, but as I have some friends who are gay I suppose it would be nice if they could be made more happy by marriage, if thats what they are looking for. To be frank, I don't think I have anything against the gay in gay marriage, but rather the marriage. The whole idea seems sort of proposterous to me, but then again maybe I just havent met the right girl, haha. Anyway, do what makes you happy, and who am I to deny anyone that basic right? I'm not going to tell people how to live their lives. And for anyone who might say that marriage is some sort of sacred and heavenly thing, not to be lowered by the hands of homosexuals, I'd ask them to look at the divorce rate and spousal abuse rate (Not as much in the North, but if you do your research the statistics are utterly terrifying) and try to tell me that marriage is some silky white unstained construct. It isin't, it has not been, and it will never be. So, to sumerise, Gay Marriage= Fine by me.

War in Iraq- I never support senseless war. The question is, is this a senseless war, or a war with reason? Let me showcase the difference between the two. WWII was a war with reason, a somewhat noble struggle against facism and genocide. Thats something I support, although there are defiently aspects to WWII that bother me. More on that another time, maybe. Vietnam was a senseless war, for the most part. We were playing at something we had no buissness playing at, and stayed there because we were afraid to leave and look bad. Thousands of men lost their lives for really no reason, economic, political or military. The only people making money off of 'Nam were the weapon manufactorers in the good ol' USA. So this is a war I do not support, and find terribly foolish.

I think the war in Iraq leans more toward vietnam then WWII, although it is not exactly either. For example, there is some nobility in taking control of Iraq, in that we were able to stop a genocide and bring some resemblance of peace to the toherwise persecuted minoritys in the nation. Thats good. We toppled an evil dictator and established a more stable government. However, we are there to make a profit as well. Oil is a key reason as to why we stay in Iraq. We can't leave, because without our support everything would fall apart back into fueding war lords and stuff. The very lives we sought to protect would turn on each other and leave the most ancient of nations in nothing but ruins. But heres the thing...

Should America be charged with maintaining peace in the world, as the worlds most powerful nation? Why is this our responsability, and if it is, why are we ignoring many areas of the world? Its all political. If we are staying in Iraq to keep its innocents safe, why arnt we in darfur? why arnt we in Chechnia? Why arnt we in Rwanda? There are a lot of places, with a lot less oil, where we are a lot less present then Iraq. So really, its not Americas job to police the world, just to look out for its interests. If we were suddenly to find a boom of oil in ohio, a literal sea of black gold, I somehow think Iraq would be vacated a lot faster then is estimated these days.

So, overall, I am morally opposed to the idea of the war as it stands today, althugh I understand the need for people to be there. The economic incentive bothers me, but I dont think pulling out right now would be a good thing.

So War in Iraq= bad war that we should get out of, but can't currently.

Next topic: Illegal Immigration

The historian in me would like to note that this entire nation was founded on Illegal immigration, what with taking the indians land, pushing the Indians west, forcing the Indians onto the worst land in America, keeping the Indians impoverished, ect. But, for the sake of this blog post, ill keep my focus to Mexican immigration.

Mexican immigation is, for the most part, not a terrible terrible thing. Its ot a good thing, either though. This is one of those topics that is really ripe with positives and negatives, and im going to try to spell them out for you. The positives of illegal immigration is a lot of work gets done that Americans generally don't want to do. There are a lot of manual labor jobs that dont really appeal to Americans, even American laborers. The Mexican workers get these jobs done for us, and bring their money back to Mexico, usually, to help abutt the intense poverty there.

The negatives, the more I think about it, outweigh the positives, though. For example, at the msot basic level, what they are doing is ILLEGAL. While I am a person with an extreamly skeptical view on the law, you cant really aruge that they are not citizens and do not deserve the rights of citizens. And when Mexican workers reproduce across international lines, it leads to more poveryy and crippled academics in America. These children, who are americans by birth, are placed in a position where it is much harder for them to succeed. Their parents are laborers, they usually dont have a mastery of English...one thing leads to another, and this causes a rise in crime amoung mexican-american born youths in America...

I don't know what the solution to this problem is, but I know it is a problem. Maybe a seasonal Mexican worktroop could be established, where during times of labor they can come to America as forign workers and do the jobs, and get the pay, that they were accustomed to. Then they could return to Mexico and help negate the poverty that is so vicious there. If they want to relocate to America permanently, they should have to go through the same nationalistic process of all other immigrants.

So, overall, Illegal immigration is bad, and should be fixed!

On to more fun stuff!

Religion in Schools!

No place for it. I have never been a religious person, but I see no reaso to keep religion in schools. To what purpose does prayer in schools serve? Does it help to stabalize minds or something? I realize that America is supposedly a nation founded on Chrisitan beliefs (Again, I could contest this until the cows came home) but it is no longer that way. Perhaps the fact that I live in Liberal Massachusetts has soemthing to do wth it,b ut the chruch just is not a dominating institute around here. The south, yeah, I suppose it is. However, America does not need to push its ideology and traditonalistic faith onto other people who dont want it. Thats what church is for, not schools. Schools are a place of learning, not of forced consent. So, in my opinion, there is no place for religion in school, unless in a religiously orientated school or perhaps in a class based on religion.

Next....

time!

I think thats enough politics for one entry. I have other beliefs, but I'll keep them to myself for now. Maybe next time, though.

Inhale.

Exhale.

I'm not an artist, but I know a few. I met Jonathan Safern Foer yesterday. It was pretty cool.

Words as honey, words as venom

This post will not be long, or consist of what I usually write about. I dont have the time right now for all of that, but I do have the time for alittle something. so for you who wish to see the southern trip further explained, yuor going to have to wait until my next post, unfortunatly. more then likely, that means no Rant or Quote section this time either. Anyhow, I'll give a breif recap of ym day so far, and perhaps discuss some other things.

I woke up. Thats good. Went to clas, and didnt have anything to say unfortunatly. I feel liek deadweight showing up without having done the reading, like I'm wasting my time and the time of the professor and classmates. ultimatly I suppose I am (see: my p'rents) are paying for me to be here, and while that means I can pretty much not do anything as this is a service industry and is serving me, it also means that I should try to get the most bang-for-my-buck and experianc ethe most things I can, be that intellectually, socially, or what have you. so silence sucks, but it happened and won't ever again.

I had to buy a new book today for German history, so I went into town. It was easy enough to find, but tis such a ridiculous sham the way they overcharge you for books. I find it baosulutly disgusting, especcially ebcause I could get the book for free at the good ol' Wilmington Memorial Library. Anyhow, I saw this sweet journal in the store, so I decided to buy that as well. So far thats been the highlight of my day. It has lots of cool pictures on the front of ancient architecture, and I feel like some sort of bookish intellectual type writing in it. I don't really think im going to be using it as a tradtional journal, as I have this blog for that. The other journal, which I have named I WILL FILL YOU, is more for creative outlets. While reading in the library today, I wrote some poetry in it, and recanted a really stupid thing that happened this morning which I will elaborate on in a moment. I also storyboarded a short story I have committed myself to writing. When I finsih, yall can read it if you want. And you might.

Anyway, the ridiculous thing that happened to me, or happened near me thereby involving me. I was was walking back from class toward my car, when I hear the type of scream that the fabric of nightmares is consistant with. Blood curdling,e ct. i keep hearing it, so curiosity and perhaps a dash of altruism causes me to sort of hurry up and see. what I see sort of upset me. Theres a blind girl SCREAMING, screaming, on the side walk. She is flailing her cane around as if it were a weapon. I don't know why this is, but through her screams words start to form. The speacial transportation bus missed her, so now her roars will be her vindication! The bus will pay in the form of worried students and birds scattering off in fear. how ridiculous is this?

I'm sorry, but this is not pre-school, even though occasionally I wonder if perhaps I'm mistkaen and just at a resort of children. How can you, as a college student and thuis logically aged 17-24, think screaming after missing a bus is ok? I don't care whats wrong with you, its not the only thing. I understand that it means you can't go to class, but jesus. I thought a girl was being raped. I thought a girl was being murdered. And you missed the bus? Your ridiculous.

In other enws, I had a pretty killer conversation with my favorite professor, Prof. donson, this morning. I told him about Neutral Milk Hotel and how their lyrics are vaugly based on the European holocaust and anne Frank. It peaked his interest, and then he said he rememebred me from a few classes in the past. We caught up on some stuff, and he asked me to emailhim the songs later. So I guess I'm going to. Hes a cool guy, that Donson.

It's time for an embarrasing confession. Please, don't think any lessof me readers, becaus eI don't. I didnt choose this, but If I could have I probably would have. I am starting to become a rather big fan of Taylor Swift. Its not anything that can be helped, nor would I want you to. I basically know all her songs, and its basically awesome? Or something. I want to see ehr in concert....in November. anyone want to go?


I guess that blind girl casuing an uproar will be my rant for today, so now all I need to do is find a quote.

Hmmm

"I am intimidated by the idea of being average"- Taylor Swift.

I'm lame, I know.

more later.

"The Die is Cast"

And so it is. How goes it, readers? Its been a while since I blogged last and honestly my only excuse is I ahve been rpetty busy. But thats not leigitamite, so I'm going to make a bigger effort to post more frequently. So, here goes my next post. I'll start by detailing our first day in the city of New Orleans.

We woke up late, because we were so close to the city we decided sleeping in would be a good thing. We eventually did get up, packed up our things, and left our little motel next to the Winn Dixie. Before we left, however, Pereira was horrified to see a hick woman yelling at him not to pour the wtaer in our cooler out and onto the ground. He did so anyway, and we left that small stone of a place behind.

We drove through the last shady remnants of Mississippi, what with its truck stops and hate crimes, and then crossed into glorious Louisiana. The welcome center was my second favorite, behind only Alabama nd its rockig chairs. They had a lot of information, which we gathered up and then continued on our way. We drove closer and closer to the city, and I dont knwo if anyone else felt this way but I thought Louisiana was much much more....civilized? then the other areas of the south we had been in, a few exceptions (Birmingham, sort of) standing. It just seemed like a bastion of civilization in the otherwise rural southland. To be honest, I'm a country boy at heart, and the farmland sort of drew me in with rapt attention. So Louisiana, while a relief to the unease that encapsulated MS, was not the same south as Virginia or Alabama was for me. Anyway, I digress...

We continue, getitng closer and closer to the city. Surrounded by pelican clad liscense plates (State bird of LA), we get onto the massive and seemingly endelss bridge that connects Slidell to NOLA, going over Lake Pochartrain. It was excellent, and itneresting, and beautiful and made me feel happy in the stomach. We listened to Ludo, of course.

We crossed the city limits and entered NOLA soon thereafter. Its an interesting city. It definetly has its slums, expeccially on the outskirts, but its probably one of my favorite cities ever. It was beautiful in the areas we were at, but ill get to that later. For now, we checked into our hotel and then decided to explore...

And as today is the climax of our southern adventure, I'll continue this post tommorow!


As for college life...


Classes are good. I enjoy them all, for the most part. I guess a breif rundown will be in order.

Age of Augustus- Rome from the death of Julius caesar to the death of Augustus Octavian. Its probably my favorite class, but I'm not so sure anymore. Classics ids are easily the geekiest kids outside of the sciences, and our professor, while awesome, shows what being a classics professor means, socially and otherwise. Hes an odd guy, but I had a fun discussion with him one afternoon about the sexual liasons of romes greatest emperors. Always fun.

Great Trials- Prolly my least favorite, but its still not bad. Just a lot f reading and then a lot of discussion. The kids in my class are all fairly intelligent, and I think one or two are probably smarter then me. I know one kid picks up ons tuff I dont even really see. But watever, I cold totally beat him up :)

Modern German History- with ym buddy prof donson, this class is a ton of work, but well worth it. Its interesting seeing how Germany grew and developed. It really is all about coal, you know... Nazism is coming up, and that should be terrifying and interesting.

Witches-Myth and Reality- This class rivals the Age of augustus for favorite, although its taught from a feminist perspective. Although I suppose theres really no other way t teach this, as the majority of people persecuted for being witches were women. Did you know that there are still withc hunts going on today? Mostly in South Africa and Indonesia. Wanna know the craziest thing? Theres a group who sit on the friggin' UN to discuss hunting witches. Yeah, that UN, the united nations....And yeah, they kill them. Pretty horrificly, as well. Like drag through lonley afican roads until the skin literally peels from you, like the soft red flesh from an overripe apple...
The discussion for this class is the best, because its me and 5 other kids with the professor, and we just have the most interesting discussions.

Deans Book- Extreamly Loud and Incredibly Close- This book is phenominal. I love it. The class is so so, but the book. The book is phenominal. I feel like a softy, but there are parts in it that force emotion out of me. Like, it makes me sad, or happy. Its beautifully written, and I reccommend it to anyone and everyone. I'll be meeting the Author next tuesday. But legit, I amost cried once while reading it. Cuz im a weirdo like that. But more on that later...

Socially, things have been good. I have been keeping pretty busy, went on a few hikes, made a few new friends. Lots of vollyball has been played. I am going to be tutoring kids from perhaps the most fiscally impoverished school system in the state, Greenfield, 2 days a week. Ought to be fun. I also get to run recess, which will definetly be fun.

I'm probably going to do this thing called bes uddies, where I hang out with a metally challenged person my age and just be a friend to them. Get to make a few friend, and do a bunch of cool stuff, so thats gonna be good.

Natalie and I have said we are going skydiving. I want this to happen, so I intend on doing it. If anyone wants to join, we can plan it accordingly, but its gonna be awesome.

I'm president of O-hill house council again.

RANT!!!! its back!!!!

Emotion from media-

Why is it that Extreamly close and incredibly loud makes me almost sob like a lil kid? Why is it I had to fight to finish Anne Frank, that reading every ew chapter was like tearing open a half healed wound? How come whenever I hear certain songs, I lose my ironlike masculinity and get all mopey? If anyone doubts the power of words, and how they can transform the way you percieve, look no futher for evidence of the contrary. Words are more powerful then images, if you ask me. Write baout a child dying, and its more real for me then a picture of a dead child. Its sort of scary how emotions can be summoned so. I'd almost go as far as to say they can be packaged. Watching a sad movie isint anyhtig other then going to experiance a unique expression of sadness, and the same is true for a happy movie, ect. For things we can't see, feel, weight, tough, trade or hold, emotions sure can be used to create powerful effect, and powerful profit. I have no doubt in my mind that through the manipulation of emotion, its entirely possible to change the course of a nation, or the world. Manifest destiny, an emotional package of glory and self right. go for it, take it all. From a different perspective, what was done to the native Americans was the worst travesty on Americas tract record (With maybe an exception in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Read the first hand descriptions of those if you want to feel real lucky to have not been there...). Its just interesting....if I could make everyone mad at someone, or happy for someone, ro sad for someone...I could definetly do something to someone.

So that was the rant.

QUOTE:

"iacta alea est" The Die is Cast - Marcus Julius Caesar.

And so it is.

It's a hard pill to swallow

But oh how the flavor sticks with you, time.

Anyway, Its been a little while, and im gonna blog big time tonight. I'm gonna finish Alabama day, then write all about my college experiance thus far. So here goes!

We went into the woods in Moundsville to explore that which was not presented before us. There are a lot of cool things out there, we saw illogically placed trees and bugs that were really red and dangeorus looking. Ryan also got a rare soda for his collection, the unusual and almost surreal Grapico. It was a happening. We left Moundsville after I attempted to charm the women at the counter, to no effect. Even my knowledge of Alabama football didnt make her budge. But I got a t-shirt and a magnet and a mess of memories.

We set out toward Tuscalosa and the esteemed highway that we called home, but saw the irresistable signs that said "Flea Market" and couldent resist. We were in the boonies, lemme tell you. We pulled over and it was set up like some sort of odd little village of trash, with tiny houses overflowing with debris and other peoples rubbish being resold as hidden treasures. We encountered a old woman, named granny, who gave us life changing advice and ideas about what to do in new orleans. After that exchange we set out o the road, going back toward the bustling college town of Tuscaloosa. We stopped to get some food in this buffet (which are all over the south) place called Ryan's. We were in a minority there as far as the color of our skin is concerned. As in, we were the only white people in the establishment. Not that there is anything wrong with that. Just sayin'.

So we have what is known as a solid hang there, and finaly set out on the highway west, toward the barren wasteland known as Mississippi. (The lady at moundsville I so ineffectivly tried to charm told us to roll up our windows and plow right through the big Mississip) We basically didnt stop as we drove through Americas second poorest state, the black highways and occasionally trucker our only company. We got hit by some pretty furious rain on the way through the state, but kept on trucking driving down the body of it, toward the coast. We were actually gunning for Louisiana, but had to settle for the border town of Picayne.

We got to Picayne and decided to stay in a hotel for the night. So Me, Land and Ryan made it happen and ran into a nameless girl at the desk who I christianed Vicky. She looked like a Vicky, whatever that means. She was wicked southern, but not the belle kind. More like a swamp land cinderella, and thats putting it nicely. Ayhow, we got our room, move our stuff in, and then explore the parking lot a bit. I went into Winn Dixie, a rare and unique supermarket that only exists in the deep south. There we bought rare Sodas, big Red and something else which name escapes me currently. We then called it a night, mostly.

Now, for college!


This year has already had its ups and downs, and only a week to experiance them. So I'm gonna highlight the highlights and scrouge up the lowlights for ya, right quick. Who knows, you might even enjoy it.

My classes are generally ok. A lot of reading, more then I am willing to do, honestly. I'll manage though, no worries. Scheduals not to bad, a few intense walks here and there to get across campus, but nothing heart breaking. Nice to see my friends again, but I miss those who arnt here anymore. Pat Storey came up, and it was a delight to see him as usual. Living with Gumbleton has been better then expected, but I wouldent call it good.

I guess thats it for now. Its late, I ahve class, blah bla blah /end.

How goes it?

First and formost, I am exhausted. Things are wiggling in front of me and I don't like it very much. I dont knwo how long ill be abl to mak this before exhaustion kicks in and I pass the F out! Anyway, here goes.

Day Three of the great southern trip!!!


This day was known quite simply as Alabama day. It was, perhaps, our most action packed day. We got up arly, rising with the very stars that happened to have fallen on Alabama, and raced toward the state line from our hotel in Georgia. It was an incredible feeling crossing into Alabama, as I feel it really encapsulates the heart of dixie. We stopped at the welcome center and took note of the new time zone, as Alabama is Mountain time, or something. We rocked out on incrediby comfy and cliche southern rocking chairs and then said adios, getting back into the SUV and blazing through northern Alabama.

We saw a sig for a flea market every sunday, somewhere near Decarur, Georgia. We couldent resist, and I doubt any of you readrs could eaither. We pull off the road and into this magical place where the southland is strong, and ride down a long dusty dirt road ( no joke) to this massive warehouse typ place. They wre slling melons and produce outside of the place, and then as we passd thorugh I could feel the hot stares of angry southerners as thy gawked at our MASSACHUSETTS plates. We entered, and I could write for days about this palce. The country people smoked freely in their stands, and th scnet of tobacco filled the already murky air. Confedrate paraphanalia abounds. I almost bought a CSA shirt, and no, I am not a confederate. Just to hav one, thats all. A man sold Ryan and Jim some variously flavord ciders, and I ended up buying a book for double the price it was marked at from a fat woman who wouldent show her face to me. Sketchy!

We left this place--rather hastily on the departure-- and got back on the interstate, with the destination of Alabamas largest city, Birmingham, in our hearts and on our minds. We drove for a while, and noticed more and more religiously themed overtones on the side of the high way. W eventually arrived in Bham, also known as the magic city, also known as Bombingham, also known as the most racist place in America, also known as th belt buckle of the bible belt! Your city can't stack up.

The streets were deserted.

I mean it. No one was walking the streets of a city almost 400,000 strong. It was incredible. A rouge exception explaind to us that this was becuase everyone was in church, ad it would be impossible for peopl to walk those incredibly wide and empty streat when they were getting their worship on. So we just walked the streets ourselves! But we encounterd a homeless man who asked us for change in the most complimntary fasion ever. We couldent oblige him.

We explored the city more, around UAB and th hospital. Then we left. I will return someday, birmingham. I have things yet to do with you.

After birmingham, we went out toward tuscaloosa, to Moundsville archeological park. Its a lot cooler then it sounds, and it actually sounds prtty cool. Lots of big ol' native American mounds and such.


I hate to do this, but im to tire to continue. I will finish this entry tommorow, with what happend today and the remainded of Alabama Day.

PCe