Happy (Late) New Year!

Happy new year, everyone. The wheel keeps on turning, and so another year has gone and passed through our lives. Never again, will we live through 2009! I think that might be a good thing.

What's new for me? Well, I'm working retail again, of course, and am slowly paying off my mound of credit card debt. It's frustrating, but hopefully it will be all gone this year.

This year I am also planning on returning to the wonderful land down under. Possibly in the next few months, even. 2010 sure does promise a few exciting things for me.

Let's get to the topic of the big R... Resolutions. Have you ever made a New Years Resolution and actually gone through with it? I don't think I have, ever. Well, last year I told myself that I would read more books. I think I made it through 3.7 novels over the year, so I guess that's a win. Kind of.

In the spirit of making promises I probably won't even keep to myself, let us continue with my resolution list.

1. The usual-choose healthier foods to eat and cut down on junk. I've actually begun this already, and I'm hoping that it lasts! I've been drinking much more water, cutting my soda down to one a day, as opposed to like 4. As for the junk food... haha. I've actually done really badly with that. I'm ordering pizza as we speak. :(

2. Be closer to the Earth... I plan on learning to garden this spring, or, this coming spring in Australia, hopefully. I want to be heaps closer to the Earth this year, as my world has been a little crazy lately...

3. Read moar! Finish The Talisman, read Cujo, and start on the Tommyknockers. At least get those down, please, future me!

4. The big E. Exercise more. Exercise = healthier = happier. So why not, eh?

I just hope that I'll remember these things, and actually have something to show for when 2011 rolls around. Or 2012. Or 2013.

Oh, Indiana.

So Indianapolis Public Schools are in the spotlight because of something that I think is pretty annoying. You all remember the school library when you were growing up. For me, it was a source of education that I could turn to outside of school hours. Thankfully, it wasn't my only way to learn about other things in the world, as my parents never put any parental locks on my computer, but I know that this was not always the case, and is not always the case, for many teenagers out there today.

Parents all over are finding comfort in new technologies that allow them to set what can and can not be seen by their child on the computer. They're a way to keep your 14 year old from looking at porn, from learning how to make bombs, from seeing graphic images of death and destruction... to keep them from looking at... other... religions?

Yup, that's what I was headed for. And I apologise for all the crazy OMG RELIGION RAWR posts as of late, (well just this one and the last, but it has to be said) but OOH when I get started, it's hard to get me to slow down.

Indianapolis Public Schools have a public .PDF file that shows what they allow and do not allow their students to search for while using the school computers. A lot of it is stuff that makes sense: no porn, no alcohol, no drugs, no chatting and IM-ing, games, hacking sites, etc etc. All that makes perfect sense. If a student were to log onto a school computer after school, it still makes sense that they would be restricted from looking at porn and alcohol and etc etc etc.

But I found a few pretty little gems in the PDF file, not sure if you all saw it the first time. Here, allow me.

LGBT: Sites that provide information regarding, support, promote, or cater to one's sexual orientation or gender identity including but not limited to lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, and transgender sites.

Now, I'm aware that little Timmy searching about homosexuality during the school day is probably not the best, as he should be working on his schoolwork. But I don't believe this should be blocked. What happens when Timmy, whose parents are very against homosexuality, has strange feelings about his own sexuality, and can't turn to his home computer for help? How does a Public School have the right to label this as wrong and worth banning?

Alternative Spirituality/Belief: Sites that promote and provide information on religions such as Wicca, Witchcraft, or Satanism. Occult practices, atheistic views, voodoo rituals or any other form of mysticism are represented here. Includes that endorse or offer methods, means of instruction, or other resources to affect or influence real events through the use of spells, incantations, curses and magic powers. This category includes sites which discuss or deal with paranormal or unexplained events.

Notice something missing? I did too. Christianity anyone? Oh wait, that's not alternative spirituality. A public school system is telling kids that Wicca, Witchcraft, Satanism, Shamanism, and Voodooism, are all WRONG. WRONG WRONG WRONG. How dare you search for those filthy things? Don't you know this is a private schoo-- OH WAIT. That's right. Public. Hm.

Honestly, while I do believe that if the options aren't open at home, kids should be allowed to learn more from the services provided at their school, if you're going to block one religion, you better damn well block them all. That means no Jewish websites. No Christian websites. No Muslim websites. Nothing. Nada. It's either let the Pagans be seen, or block them all.

The kicker here is that they include a little thing about sites that encourage Hate and Racism. Here it is:

Violence/Hate/Racism: Sites that depict extreme physical harm to people or property, or that advocate or provide instructions on how to cause such harm. Also includes sites that advocate, depict hostility or aggression toward, or denigrate an individual or group on the basis of race, religion, gender, nationality, ethnic origin, or other involuntary characteristics.

I'm sorry if I'm taking this a little too far, but it seems to me like this little ban list is denigrating some of the school's students, based on their religion, gender, and involuntary characteristics such as their sexuality.

This is where I'm at for this: Unblock the LGBT websites. Either unblock the Pagan and Atheist oriented websites or block them all, including the Christian ones. This is a public school, not a private one, and you can't go around picking and choosing which religions are good or bad based on your own feelings toward the matter. Stop being so oppressive, Indiana.

-Manda-

Naughty or Nice? That's right, it's the AFA again.

Happy melodies chiming about roasting chestnuts while you shop... Gorgeous and gaudy ornaments dazzling from every corner of a store... The gentle jingling of money dropping into the till... Yeah, you guessed it... It's Christmastime again.

Doesn't it seem like that time of year comes earlier and earlier? November 1st rolls around and suddenly everyone and their dog is decked out in winter merchandise, calling out, "Thank you, and Happy Holidays!"

Well, that's how it should be, anyway.

I'm sure you remember the tales of Christmasses past; the so-called "War on Christmas," the "Christmas Controversy," or "Censoring Christmas" because apparently Jesus is the "Reason for the Season" (as though he personally called out and said, "Yeah, so, I wasn't born in December, but don't worry, you all can lay claim to this month. It's not like the other religions out there matter, anyway." Which we all know would be completely silly.)

According to the AFA, companies out there aren't doing enough to celebrate Christ through their advertising. That's basically the gist of it. They have a web page where AFA fans can submit stores to be entered into their Naughty or Nice list, which basically ranks companies based on whether or not they are "Christmas-Friendly" or if they are "Censoring Christmas."

Laughing yet? I'm serious, check it out.

Now, I recognize that not all Christians out there are crazy sensitive about whether or not Jesus is being celebrated enough through the word of companies trying to sell their merchandise, but the ones who have an issue with this at all are the ones who need to be pointed out here.

Not only are they absolutely loony for trying to get others to boycott certain stores, but the ones who are actually doing it? Wow.

The AFA is currently calling on their followers to boycott the Gap, Old Navy, and the Banana Republic because of an advertisement The Gap recently put out. They say it's necessary because

"The Gap is censoring the word Christmas, pure and simple. Yet the company wants all the people who celebrate Christmas to do their shopping at its stores? Until Gap proves it recognizes Christmas by using it in their newspaper, radio, television advertising or in-store signage, the boycott will be promoted."

They even went as far as to include this little fact:

"Last year, Gap issued this politically-correct statement to Christmas shoppers: "Gap recognizes that many traditions are celebrated throughout this season and we feel it is important to display holiday signage that is inclusive to everyone.""

Doesn't that basically cover the "Until Gap proves it recognizes Christmas" thing? I mean, holiday signage that is inclusive to everyone--doesn't that cover Christmas? Or is the AFA removing themselves from everyone else, putting Christianity on a pedestal, and thumbing their nose at all those apparently lesser religions that celebrate holidays in December? Oh, that's right, here's what they had to say about the season:

"Christmas is special because of Jesus. It's not just a "winter holiday." For millions of Americans the giving and receiving of gifts is in honor of the One who gave Himself. For the Gap to pretend that isn't the foundation of the Christmas season is political correctness at best and religious bigotry at worst."

Yeah, sorry, forgot that you see other December holidays as apparently lesser "winter holidays" in lower caps. I'm sorry, let's define bigotry real quick:

1.	stubborn and complete intolerance of any creed, belief, or opinion that differs from one's own.

2.	the actions, beliefs, prejudices, etc., of a bigot.

As defined by dictionary.com

Yeah. Hmm. Sounds kind of familiar, doesn't it, my dear folks at the AFA?

Christmas, for Christians, celebrates Christ. It celebrates Jesus' birth and his sacrifice for all their sins. While there is "strong evidence" that Jesus wasn't actually born in December, he is still celebrated widely by a large percent of the world's population.

Chanukah, for Jewish folks, is known as the Festival of Lights. If my memory serves me well, it's not one of the "bigger" Jewish holidays out there, but got blown up and assimilated the gift-giving and decorating customs because of how close it is to Christmas. I apologise if I completely butcher the story, but if I recall correctly Chanukah is an 8 day long event celebrating the fact that despite there only being enough oil to light a temple menorah for 1 day, the oil lasted for 8.

For the Muslims, Hajj is the pilgrimage to the city of Mecca, and corresponds to the holy day "Id Iladha," which commemorates Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son because God said so. It's one of the five fundamental Islamic requirements (or pillars) that each Muslim is supposed to take part of at least once in his or her life.

Yule, for pagans (including Wiccans), is a winter festival celebrated on the winter solstice, which usually falls between Dec 20 and Dec 23 and is the shortest day of the year, the time when the earth is farthest away from the sun in orbit. Yule is celebrated as the returning of light, as the days will begin to grow longer. It is also seen as the rebirth of the God/The Sun.

And for African Americans, there's Kwanzaa. It was created in 1966 as the first specifically African-American holiday, and is a 7-day-long celebration featuring candle-lighting, feasting, gift giving, and more importantly, to "give Blacks an opportunity to celebrate themselves and history" according to Ron Karenga, the creator of Kwanzaa.

Despite that Christmas may be technically the most celebrated holiday, the fact that the AFA wants to step aside from all those other apparently lesser wintertime holidays and declare that because these businesses won't celebrate JUST Christmas, we are going to deem them "Naughty" and encourage everybody to boycott them is very unsettling.

I mean, the pagan customs celebrated by the Norse, the Celtic, the ancient Romans (during Saturnalia) have all been incorperated into current Christmas activities. Yes, the Yule Log, the decorated tree, and even going door-to-door for some good old fashioned caroling (also known as wassailing) can all be traced back to Norse origins. And yet the AFA wants to blow raspberries at the other religions out there, because apparently being lumped in with other non-Christian holidays is unacceptable, and yet they call the Gap bigots?

Yeah. I see how it is.

And a Happy Fuckin' Christmas to you too.

Oh, in case you're wondering, here's the Gap's commercial.

Just a quick update.

My cat got bitten by an animal and I took him to the vet a few days ago... He's doing a little better, but still having a little bit of trouble walking around places, as he's got a giant cone on his head and still hasn't figured out that it doesn't fit in small areas.

It was an abscess that needed to be lanced and drained, so he's got a tube in his shoulder that leaks puss once in a while, which is really gross. And he's spent the last few days stoned out of his mind. But he's doing a bit better today, so that's good.

I've been mostly out applying at jobs and taking care of the cat, while still trying to find ways to be creative at home. I have started painting a box, which I will line the insides with soft fabric hopefully. It is nowhere near done, but I'm proud of myself so far.

I've also been trying to be supportive of my boyfriend, who has been having a really rough couple of days lately. He had a problem last night with a guy who ended up stealing $200 worth of merchandise from the store. It's been pretty rough on him, but I'm holding out hope that things will turn around quickly for him. For now, I am having a slight WoW withdrawal, as he has spent most of his free time playing WoW without me in this last week, and it makes me a bitter jealous lady. Haha.

-Manda-

Thank You Hulu!

With busy schedules, running errands, paying off debt, picking up the kids, dropping off the kids, picking the kids back up, and doing that whole thing over and over and over and over again, I'm sure anyone could get frustrated about missing their favorite TV shows.

Thank goodness for Hulu. I get busy sometimes, end up running to the store or flat out forgetting about when my favorite TV shows are on, and I know many people out there can relate. I've been able to catch up on most of my missed episodes simply by going to hulu.com.

It's a streaming website that allows you to watch TV shows, movies, behind the scenes clips, and much more. It's absolutely wonderful for catching up on missed episodes, the news, or even for expanding your tastes in television. With everything from The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien to Family Guy to Nova and much more, this website does us all a huge favor and lets us watch things we've missed for free.

I've enjoyed watching from this website for a while now, and would definitely suggest it to my friends. The only not-so-good thing I could think to say is that a lot of their movie selections are composed of several older films which younger people these days might not find too interesting... However, if you're looking to take a step back in time and watch something from your youth, it's worth a shot to take a look.

All in all, Hulu is definitely awesome and something that I would--and do--recommend to everyone I know. Hulu is currently (as I'm aware) only available to those in the United States. I'm hoping for it to be available in Australia soon, as I've grown quite addicted to this form of enjoying television, and am planning on returning to Oz someday. :)

-Manda-

Nerdy Gifts

Nerds. You know them, you love them, you may be one. When a birthday or a holiday rolls around, you may wonder to yourself, what can I get him/her this year? Wonder no more, I've recently discovered some pretty awesome stuff that any nerd, myself included, would just love to get their hands on.

Cat Paper Clips, for example. Not only do they have cats on them, but they are paperclips. It's simply the perfect gift for those who can relate to Angela from The Office.

The Juice Bar Portable Solar Charger is a fine choice for the eco-friendly nerd on the go. My boyfriend bought a solar charger a while ago, and it's perfect for those moments when your Nintendo DS or your cellphone are low on battery and there's no socket in sight. The one he has is just about the same size as a regular non-flipping cellphone, which makes it easier to carry around with you.

For those of you who lock themselves out of their house every so often, I encourage you to take a look at this interesting Sprinkler Hide-A-Key. Not only is it discrete, but it's very clever and I don't think many people would think to pull up your sprinkler, unless they were being a complete jerk.

Ah, Oregon Trail. I remember sitting down in the hallway computer center at my elementary school and immediately logging onto that game. Not only was it educational, but hell, it was one of the most fun games a kid could play at the time, aside from Sim City. Enter the Oregon Trail T-shirt. Yessss.

Winter is on its way, and we all know that means the temperature is beginning to drop. Time for your nerd to cuddle up on the couch in his or her Snuggie and watch a few movies. But why settle for a Snuggie when your geek could be sleeping in the belly of something far, far nerdier? Maybe it's time for the Tauntaun Sleeping Bag. Whoever thought this up deserves the highest of props--it's adorable, and I'm willing to bet that it doesn't smell anything as bad as the one in the movie did.

There are just so many awesome things out there that would be better than a pair of socks or a new tie. Well, maybe unless it looked something like this. But anything less deserves a slap on the wrist. Nerds these days are everywhere, and you gotta show how much you love and care for them, because they're the ones fixing your cable and helping you set up your email. So spoil 'em. I love nerds.

-Manda-

ComputerGear Fun Computer Gifts 'N More

ThinkGeek Stuff for Smart Masses

J!nx Clothing for Gamers and Geeks

Why do people do this?

If this is all I can see of you at night at the last second when you're walking on the side of the road, then you are doing something VERY WRONG.

Tonight I was driving out to pick up my brother from his girlfriend's apartment as a favor to my parents, who were busy with other things. It's currently raining very hard out, and there is so much water on the roadway that a single car coming my way felt like daybreak trying to blind me.

My eyes have a tendency to be sensitive to light. When I drive at night, and a car is coming on, I do what my driving instructors always told me to do, and look to the white line on the side of the road, so I don't focus on the oncoming car and wind up permanently installed into their windshield. The only problem is, the lights still blind me temporarily, especially when they're new lights, or those crazy blue ones, or when people are rude enough to have their brights on. It's frustrating, but what else can I do?

So I was driving along on the road that I live just off of, and about to take a curve, knowing full well that there was a car coming, as I could see the reflections off of the water-covered roadway. I turned my attention to the white line of the curve, to guide myself (though it was insanely difficult to see thanks to the water reflecting light again), and try to slow down on the curve as quickly as I can. Suddenly, from nowhere, two figures clad entirely in black hoodies and dark pants are standing RIGHT next to my car, and instinctively I pulled the wheel closer to the yellow dividing lines in the middle of the road. Luckily I didn't cause an accident, but it put me in a scary situation.

Right after I picked up my brother, I was trying to turn right out of the parking lot, and suddenly was face to face with the figure of ANOTHER man in black, and I nearly ran HIM over as well! After we got into town again, I had my brother run into the store with the list from my parents. He quickly got everything on it, then we left. I saw a young lady in black cross the street at the cross walk, jog about ten feet from the other crosswalk, and then wait on the sidewalk until she had a chance to jaywalk across the street.

What is with people not thinking about what they're wearing, and then practically leaping in front of cars?! It's dark out. It's raining. Visibility sucks. Not everyone has 20/20 vision like I do, and even then I found it hard to spot them. Why are you wearing black at night? Do you care at all for your safety?

Please, please PLEASE, if you're going to walk at night, think to buy a reflector of some sort, or at least wear bright clothing so that you're easier for drivers to see, because who knows... The next time you go for a stroll in your black hoodie could be the day that somebody's grandmother becomes a killer.

-Manda-