Phrases That Don't Make Sense

I read this article last week called "14 Shitty Sayings" on a site called Wait But Why.  It was glorious.  The author talked about some common phrases and how they either make no sense or just really suck.  I nodded my head as I read along.  I've thought about how unhelpful a lot of sayings are, but I've never been like, "let me gather the bad sayings and explain why they're bad in a post."  The person who wrote this nailed it.  For instance, s/he writes: 

"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Why? Why, if someone fools me twice, should I feel shameful? And what kind of dick fools people twice? It should go, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, seriously get the hell away."  

Word.  I hate that saying.  Why am I wrong for giving people the benefit of the doubt?  You intentionally "fool" someone twice, you're the one who should be ashamed.  

Pair that with this gem:

"I’ll forgive…but I will never forget. Oh, won’t you? Well at least you forgave me, in that ominous vengeful way. Thanks for that."

Really, there's no point in forgiving someone if you're always going to hold what they did over them.  Or if you're going to forever associate them with their wrongdoing.  I hate this saying so much.  There's a difference between forgiving someone and acknowledging that they've apologized.  

The author also mentioned the saying, "I slept like a baby."  I'd also include, "It's like stealing candy from a baby."  Anyone who has had kids or has taken care of kids or has simply been around kids knows that 1. babies don't sleep well and 2. Stealing candy from a baby is hard.  Taking anything from a baby is hard.  Especially when it involves sugary sweetness.  There's pulling, stickiness, and screaming involved.  Not exactly something easy or enjoyable. 

I'd like to add to the list of shitty sayings. 

Before writing the phrases I can't stand, let me just clarify that I don't think you're a bad person if you say these things.  I say a lot of these things.  Except #14.  And usually when I say these things, I mean well.  I'm assuming that's true of most people.  But that doesn't mean the phrase makes sense, nor does it mean that it is the most sensitive thing to say in any situation.  So please, don't read these and be like, "I say this all the time!  Oh no!" or, "F you, I say this all the time!  It makes perfect sense!"  I've said most of these phrases, but that doesn't mean they aren't dumb.     

Without further ado, here are some other sayings that tick me off. 

1. The relatively new but much overused YOLO.  I don't dislike the overall idea of this.  It makes sense to "seize the moment" and recognize that this is your life and you should enjoy it.  I hate YOLO because of the way people use it.  "I'm gonna jump off the roof of this house into the pool twenty feet away even though it's dangerous and I could die because YOLO."  Nine times out of ten, when I hear people say YOLO, they're doing something that suggests they don't, in fact, understand that they have this one precious life.  You're yoloing wrong.

2. You can't have your cake and eat it, too.  I hate this saying.  I understand that it's normally used to say don't be greedy, and there is most definitely such a thing as wanting too much.  But I hear this phrase used all the time, and usually it's regarding someone who isn't being greedy.  Also, it's just a dumb saying.  Why would I have cake if I didn't want to eat it?  If you have cake in front of you, by all means, eat it.  It's kind of the point. 

3. Curiosity killed the cat.  Why on earth would you want to discourage curiosity??  Curiosity and wonder and questioning are wonderful things. 

4. Blood is thicker than water.  Not always. 

5. Welcome to the real world.  While I acknowledge that the world is not always the happiest place and it's often way too hard to function in the world, this saying is awful.  All it does is make young adults go into the world thinking there's nothing good coming.  And that they have to do bad/manipulative things to get by.  

6. He(She) had it coming to him(her)/What goes around comes around/Anything related to karma.  Oh, so all these bad things that are happening/have happened to me are my own fault?  K, thanks. 

7. It is what it is.  Again, what a pessimistic thing to say.  Might as well say, "This sucks but I have no hope that it will ever change so I'm going to not try and things will always be like this."  

8. He who can, does; he who can't, teaches.  To this I say one thing:   

  

9. Revenge is a dish best served cold.  Revenge is a dish best not served at all.  

10. Cut to the chase.  The only thing that bothers me about this is that when people say it, they're usually being exceptionally rude. 

11. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.  To an extent, and for a certain period of time, maybe.  Possibly.  But in almost every relationship, romantic or otherwise, it's usually better when you see the person. 

12. There's no such thing as a silly question.  Yes, actually, there is. 

13. Everything happens for a reason.  No, everything doesn't happen for a reason.  Do good things often come out of bad situation?  Sure.  But there's no reason kids are abused, people are killed in accidents, etc.   This kind of ties into #6 for me.  When people say this, it minimizes what you're going through.  Let me grieve or process without telling me there was a reason for this - don't worry, just because I don't think things happen for a reason doesn't mean I don't understand that good can come from bad things.  

And my absolute least favorite saying:

14. Money can't buy happiness.  You never hear poor people say this.  Obviously, money doesn't guarantee happiness nor can it buy things like true love or real friends.  You know, the whole, "the best things in life can't be bought."  Absolutely.  But money can buy things like food, shelter, and health insurance.  All three of those things make being happy easier.  It's hard to be happy at all when you can't afford to live.  So please, don't tell me that money doesn't buy happiness while I'm eating my Sugar-O's cereal in water or when I'm missing work due to some debilitating illness that could have been prevented with proper health care.  This saying is especially bad when a wealthy or middle class person says it as a response to hearing a working class person say they wish they had more money.  If you honestly think money doesn't affect happiness, you're privileged and likely delusional. 

See, they know.   

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Charlotte

Weekling: W.3

For previous posts in this series, go here: Weeklings

Happenings

This week was slightly better than last.  I felt a bit better physically, but have been exhausted pretty much every day.  (Which is also why I haven't kept up the daily mug shots.  I'll start that back up tomorrow.)  Right after the surgery, I worked my part time job because.. money.  (I couldn't work the full time because it involves a lot of driving.)  So I was in pain.  Then I was all, "You know what, I should just prioritize NOT being in pain and rest/take medicine the way I was supposed to and not work."  So that helped.  And then, like a fool, on Friday I jumped back into normal life instead of gradually getting back.  Walking and driving and talking when you haven't done it in days is not fun.  So now I'm wiped out.  But.  It was worth it.  My friend got married this weekend and it was fun.  Tiring, but nice.  Also, I caught the bouquet (well, another girl and I both caught it, but she surrendered let go right before I went to let go, so I win).  If the legend is true and the person who catches the bouquet is the next one to marry, I feel bad for all the other single ladies there because that's not likely happening any time soon.  But I digress.

My roommate and I were all, "Hey, this'd be a great time to find out how bad at taking selfies we are."  (Again, up until like, a week ago, I was NOT a selfie person.  I still wouldn't say I am, but I sometimes will participate.)

Pictures with the important people:

The groom.

The bride.

Other things.  The Monuments Men is my new movie obsession.  I love it.  I don't know that I want to read the book, but I really enjoy the movie.  I don't care what the critics on Rotten Tomatoes think.  

I went on a bit of a clothing purge this week.  A lot of people find that refreshing and liberating, I found it frustrating.  Whatever.  

Thankful for

My friends.  Also, little tv traditions.  I'm not a huge tv person (I prefer movies), but I really enjoy watching a tv show every week with the same people and the same meal.  

Books I'm reading now

Good Lord, I'm STILL working on The Twelve Tribes of Hattie, Little Women, and The Great Divorce.  I'm almost done with The Great Divorce.  And I added Divergent.  Because what else should you do when you can't finish your current list?

Best kid quotes

I was only at work two days this week, so really there's not much.  I did have a conversation with an eight year old girl that was somewhat funny?  She looked at a first grader and said, "Look how small her legs are.  I wish my legs were that small."  So, this is sad, not funny, because little girls shouldn't be fed ridiculous beauty standards.  So I faked confidence and was like, "girrrl my legs aren't small and I'm having dinner with a man tonight.  And even if I wasn't, pshhh, I like my legs.  They get me places.  And you're too young to worry about your looks OR about boys at all."  (This man I was having dinner with was not a boyfriend, but, like, she didn't know that.  Also, to put this into context, she talks to me about boys she likes a lot.)  But anyway.  The funny part.  She goes, "you're right.  I have lunch with boys in the cafeteria.  We sit in the table.  It's nice and I want to do that a lot.  It's like having a servant.  They all pick things up for you when you drop them in stuff.  You should go out with boys more often so you can have servants." Nice thinking, kid. 

Random

I woke up this morning feeling better than I did yesterday.  That's not saying much, but I was irrational and was all like, "I feel better than yesterday!  I'm healed!"  So then I decided it would be a good idea to reorganize everything.  Papers, clothes, the closet, old office stuff, you name it.  Of course, this made the pain return and now that's what my room looks like.  Excellent!  

I did start the lamp project I mentioned last week, so that's cool. 

To-do

I'm determined to do the compost bin this week.
I'm too lazy to think of anything else right now.

Links worth looking at 

Sorry, but I'm not even giving descriptions.  And I'm only posting three links.  I know, I'm slacking.  Because bed is a thing I need to go to right now.

Why Procrastinators Procrastinate - Wait But Why
Dead broke, not dead beat - Al Jazeera
Indoor Herb Garden Ideas - Creative Juice

The end. 

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Charlotte

Late Night Photo Dump of Me and Two of my Favorite Friends

Today was the first day since surgery that I've tried driving and walking for more than five minutes straight.  It was painful and exhausting and I needed to take my medicine a few times, which sucked because I can't drive to work with it :/.  BUT tonight was the rehearsal for my friend's wedding and it was fun.  Photographic evidence:

Fitting room selfie? eh.

__

Charlotte

The Hunger Games vs Harry Potter: Female Characters

For the entire series, go here: The Hunger Games vs Harry Potter

If you haven't read the books but want to, just know there are spoilers in this here article.

One of the best things about both the Games books and the Potter books are the female characters.  This isn't news.  Unlike in the Twilight books, the main female characters in these books are strong.  They've got interesting personalities.  They have purpose.  It's so good for girls (and just readers in general) to have strong female role models in literature.  I can't even wait to have kids just so I can read them wonderful books like these.  (..Is that weird?  Whatever.)

This probably isn't good form, but I'm going to declare the winner and then give my reasons.

It's Harry Potter.

***

So Katniss is obviously a great female character.  I mean, she's the leader of a revolution, dammit.  She possesses characteristics that are generally assigned to men in literature (...and in society).  She's the breadwinner for her family.  In the absence of a father, Collins doesn't give us an eldest brother, she gives us Katniss.  Better yet, Katniss steps into this role and provides for her family by hunting.  She doesn't get a job in a bakery or a clothes shop.  Obviously, there's nothing wrong with either of those things, but with most female characters in literature and television being squeezed into one of those two professions (or very similar ones), it's nice for readers to see that women aren't limited in what they can do and how they can provide for their families.  

For the most part, Katniss is harsh.  She's cold and angry and stand-offish.  She cares deeply about the people she loves, but she's not a warm person.  (I'd argue that, despite how they sound, these characteristics aren't entirely bad.  They got her where she is.)

Aside from showing a degree of emotional strength (albeit a defense mechanism), Katniss is physically strong, as well.  Girl gets shot at in the third book and continues to try to defend a hospital filled with injured people.  Also, she, you know, wins the hunger games.  That too.  

One of the good things about Katniss' character is that Collins gave her layers.  Like Shrek:

Sure she's cold and hard, but she struggles with emotions.  Throughout the story she goes back and forth on whether she wants to be in a relationship with Gale or Pita.. or if she wants a relationship at all.  But it doesn't become a catty, immature love triangle (again, that can be found in Twilight).  She doesn't go jump off of a cliff to get either man's attention and she lie and cause problems with anyone.  She just feels the need to discover herself a bit more before being ready to be in a relationship - and before knowing what she can give and receive in a relationship.  Ultimately she chooses Pita, because he can make her happy.  Gale is angry and Pita is more caring, gentle, and optimistic.  Collins makes it so that Katniss isn't just a mad, cold woman, but she also doesn't get all googly-eyed over every cute man she sees, either.  It's important that she chooses a life partner consciously and for the right reasons - they work well with each other, balance each other, and can bring each other happiness - instead of falling for a man because he lusts after her. Personally, I think the former is more romantic than the latter.  And more sensible.  

Basically, Katniss is fierce. 

Her sister, Prim, is also strong.  She's a kid though, and her strength isn't fully displayed until the third book.  I love Prim, just like pretty much every other person who has read the books.  She's like, what, 14?  And she goes into a war zone to help heal people?  Word.  But I think Collins missed an opportunity to really create another strong female character with Prim by waiting so long to show us how impressive and brave Prim was.  I understand that novels can't fully develop every character and that Prim's main role in the book was shaping Katniss' personality and actions.  But I do think that there was room for more main female characters in The Hunger Games.  Of course, we have Joanne, Mags, President Coin (who isn't strong and wonderful, but fills a position that is normally reserved for men), etc.  There are a lot of interesting women, but they aren't main characters.  I can't really talk about Effie and the make-up teams because their personalities are shaped more by the class they're in than by gender, which makes sense as class structure (and indeed class warfare) is one of the central aspects of the trilogy.

The Harry Potter books, on the other hand, have no shortage of excellent female characters.  Rowling had seven books for character development, so there's a bit of an advantage over Collins, I suppose.  Maybe.  There are countless women in the Potter books, but I'd say the main female characters are Hermione, Mrs. Weasley, Professor McGonagall, Ginny, Bellatrix Lestrange, Tonks, and Lily.  

I love how Rowling incorporated so many different kinds of women into the series.  I think society pretty much demonizes women no matter what they choose to do (Stay at home moms "don't do anything," working moms "neglect their kids," etc.  Eye roll.), so it's refreshing to see such a wide span of women in the books.  

Hermione is a smart overachiever.  She's caring and brave and let's be real, Voldemort would still be alive if Ron and Harry didn't have so much help from Hermione; she figured out Nicholas Flamel, the basilisk, some of the mysteries surrounding the horcruxes and the deathly hallows.  If not for Hermione, Harry'd be dead and the series over at the end of the first book.  

Mrs. Weasley is a stay at home mom.  But that doesn't mean she's not smart and brave - she's also essential to the books.  Her strength lies in how warm and welcoming she is.  She provides a home for Harry several times throughout the series.  She treats him like her own, something he acknowledges he's grateful for.  Her home is always open to anyone who needs it (it's sheltered Harry, Hagrid, Tonks, Hermione, etc).  It's where the Order finds safety.  Mrs. Weasley manages to make even the filthiest and hateful places - 12 Grimmauld Place - a little more cheerful.  Through Mrs. Weasley, Rowling shows that all women, regardless of their vocation and calling, are instrumental in helping people and you know, destroying evil.  Anyone who thinks motherhood is easy or being a stay at home mom is equivalent to never working should take a look at Mrs. Weasley.  

Professor McGonagall is probably one of my favorite characters in the Harry Potter books.  One, she's sassy.  

Two, she's intelligent and dedicated to what she does.  She's gifted in her field and she's not scared to fight for what's right.  Also, she's old, unmarried, and without children.  Rowling so far has given us a know-it-all but save the day teenager, a stay at home mom, and an old, single, childless woman and - GASP! - they all have worth and are important to the cause.  They're all wonderful.

Ginny is fearless, Tonks is funny and skilled (..and hunts dark wizards.  What what.) and is a working mom, and Lily, though we never exactly "meet" her, is selfless and loving.  Bellatrix is not a Good character, but she's powerful and, like President Coin in The Hunger Games, it's nice to see women in roles that are almost always saved for men.

Rowling gives us the full spectrum of women.  They all have goals and purpose.  They're all strong, but they're strong in different ways.  Whether it's solving clues or keeping everyone fed, the women in the series are giving and kind and helpful to the cause.  Rowling shows us that women aren't to be defined as one vocation or one strength, and that's beautiful.

While both are a breath of fresh air when it comes to female character development, the Harry Potter series wins because it's got such a plethora of different kinds of women doing what they're good at in order to fight for Good.

Now, GIF central:

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Charlotte

Daily Mug Shot 5/22/14

So I've been slacking on these... but:

Sorting socks and watching Funny Face... and drinking tea. 

A Facebook Conversation About God and Gratitude

Apologies for the formatting issues on this.  I just copied and pasted (other than taking out the names), so it's weird spacing and stuff.  Also not great grammar.  But that's not what matters, yes?   My friend and I were talking and I just thought this turned into a great conversation, so I wanted to post it.  Enjoy!

C

Hey, really random question.

L

yes

??

C

So, I know I do this when I pray, and my friend who prays does it, but I'm wondering if it's a thing even for people who don't pray. I know you're consciously grateful for things because like, duh you are a good person. Do you think about the things you're thankful for at the end of each day?

Or would you find that weird?

Also, I really hope that didn't come off as snobby or rude. Just most of my friends are Christian or don't believe in God lol so I already know how the first group goes about it.

L

I don't think that's weird at all. So, ever since my Dad died, I try to do that more actually. I regretted how ungrateful and how much I took my dad and the things we did together for granted, so when he passed I told myself 1) I'd live every day to my fullest because you never know when it will be your last (super cliche, but true) 2) Always tell your loved ones that you love them and 3) have many adventures. Things I'm still working on include being more thankful for things, even when things are rough. When things are going well I tend to be more positive, but if I'm stressed, I'm hella negative and put myself down and just end up not thinking about how good I already have it.

For a while I used to write in my journal every night 1) one positive thing about me and 2) things I'm thankful for. It's just good practice, religious or not

I'm not thanking god or anything though

it's more of a positivity and good energy exercise

C

Yeah I think it's good too, regardless of whether it's aimed at God or not. I just wanted to make sure I didn't sound like I was trying to be all high and mighty lol. I also actually used to write it down, but they were prayers. But yeah, word. Super good to do, I think.

L

yes, agreed. It def does not sound high and mighty. It's really important in my mind. You also end up learning a lot by doing it.

C

word.

I'm just brainstorming a post I want to do on things to do in order to survive every day lol and was hoping the things I write aren't only applicable to religious people, you feel me?

L

I need to start doing that agin

again*

C

yeah.

I don't write the things I'm thankful for, and I don't think of one thing I like about myself (though you're right, that's a good thing to do), but I do try to thank God for the things I'm grateful for every night. I don't go over every single thing, but the big ones. I suck at praying though lol.

L

lol that's good though

confession: I've prayed a few times in my life. But it's really only been when my grandma has been sick or if I'm worried about her. And I do pray to God.

It's a little weird. It's usually in moments where I feel I have no control

C

lol you don't have to call that a "confession." Before I started really thinking about/seeking God, I never prayed except for in times of desperation. I used to remind myself of that quote, "no one is an atheist in the fox hole" or whatever, which is kind of a cynical quote. But I don't think it's a bad thing.

L

word. It's just something most people don't know about me. And I mean. I'm not an atheist. I'm agnostic. Which basically is "God? Idk. Maybe, maybe not."

C

Yeah I feel you. Do you ever think about trying to..idk the word. Trying to find out what you feel to be true?

C

Also, this quote: And I imagine that a careful examination of all of our stories would reveal the subtle and grand gestures of a God in pursuit of us because against all odds, He loves us. And he will never stop seeking to draw our hearts to Him, though we may “wander to the ends of the world.”

Reminds me of myself because I've been such a doubter and still fall into doubt/confusion A LOT.

L

hmmm. So I guess I went through that a bit, but not so much in terms of God. Like, I feel reincarnation is to be true. But once I got older, I started to realize that it didn't matter as much. Even the things that I believe. Sure, sometimes it helps me get through certain things and definitely adds a lens to how I view the world, but in general, I focus on the here and now. I focus on learning as much as possible and experiencing as much as possible because I think that's important for personal/soul development.

C

Yeah, I agree. Although for me, I'm not religious and don't believe in God because it helps me get through life. Actually, in a lot of ways, it makes it harder, because I have such a tendency for anger, so when things go wrong it's hard for me to accept that bad things happen while also believing God is good.

It's just something I feel to be true.

L

that's cool though.

When I was younger, in my gut I used to believe there was something. Idk about God though. Especially the idea of one God. That didn't sit right with me. Then again, I also believe in the multiverse sooooooooooo yeah lol

C

lol it's so nutso. I really do think God is real. I mean, I get sooo confused as to what God is, what he looks like, what his role is, etc. But I think I've had that gut feeling forever, despite all of the horrible things I've been through, and I think that's a testament to probably the Holy Spirit and I probably should stop ignoring it, you know? Humans are great, and I think gut feelings exist for a reason. Does that make sense?? idk. And I believe the universe/space/whatever else there is is infinite, but I believe God is infinite and has infinite power.

L

kewwll

What a profound response lol

my kewlll that is

C

hahaha

good convo

L

yes! I haven't had a convo like this in a while. Last time was with Ange a couple years ago, I want to say.

C

haha yeah

I read stuff relevant to this a lot but yeah, most people don't usually want to talk about it

L

I like talking about it once in a while

I used to talk about this stuff all the time in HS and like freshman year

C

Yeah. That makes sense.

*The quote included above can originally be found here: I Bribed My Children with LEGO so I could Read this Book - Carrots for Michaelmas

__

Charlotte

The Hunger Games vs Harry Potter

I'm sure this discussion has already taken place on several blogs, but there's no such thing as too much book talk.  Right?  Right.  

I love both The Hunger Games trilogy and the Harry Potter series.  I think both are well written and have great themes.  If I were in charge of education policy in America, I'd make both mandatory reading.  Alas, I am not.  But I am in charge of this blog, so I can blather all I like about the two here.  Lucky readers!  (All three of you.) 

Anyway, instead of writing all of these in one very long post, I thought I'd break them up into a little series of posts.  I'll link each one I finish up to this post, which can be found under the "books" section on the blog.  Hopefully the first one will be up later tonight.  Get excited. 

*Disclaimer: I've only read The Hunger Games trilogy twice... I've read all of the Harry Potter books at least six times.  While it doesn't mean Harry Potter automatically wins, it probably means I can delve deeper into it.  We shall see.

Posts:

The Hunger Games vs Harry Potter: Female Characters

Daily Mug Shot 5/18/14

No mug shots 5/15-5/17 because stupid health. 

Weekling: W.2

For previous posts in this series, go here: Weeklings

Happenings 

This week knocked me out.  All that blood work I got done last week?  Well, this week I finally got the issue resolved and am gallbladder-free.  So it's a good thing, but the process sucked.  Until this week, I only had bad memories of surgeries and hospitals in general.  Lungs collapsing, excessive bleeding, bad doctors - you get the idea.  Well, this time I had a killer surgeon and wonderful nurses.  (Now that I think about it, describing a surgeon as "killer" is probably not the best idea.  Let's change that to "awesome" surgeon.)  It was still far from fun, but it was less traumatic.  Also, I wasn't allowed to eat.  Anyone who knows me is aware that I like to eat.  A lot.  So every time a nurse or doctor asked me if I had any questions, I basically just asked, "Do you know when I will be able to eat again??"  Classy.  Priorities.  To sum up the whole experience: 

So yeah.  Since I had that going on, this week was pretty slow.  The exciting things this week?  I joined this movie club thing and got four movies for a dollar.  I can't wait to watch Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, Mary Poppins, and Dumbo.  Also, the season finales of my favorite shows were all pretty awesome.  (The Mindy Project, Grey's Anatomy, and Once Upon a Time.)  I need to binge watch Cosmos. 

Oh, very important update: pulled pork quesadillas are my new favorite food.  Favorite favorite.  I want one now. 

I'm working on this post about the Harry Potter series and The Hunger Games trilogy and I just... I just want to write books.  ah.  

Speaking of books, a very exciting thing of excitedness happened this week.  The "mother's day gift" I got myself (yep) came in the mail.  Look:  

My friend Liz helped me pick it out and I've been admiring it since I got it in the mail.  I think I'm equally excited about the package it came in... is that weird?  Brown paper packages tied up with string OMG THAT IS MY FAVORITE THING.  Other than pulled pork quesadillas.  But really, it's so quaint.  Swoon. 

Thankful for

My not-killer surgeon.  And the anesthesiologist.  And everyone else who had to listen to my ridiculous questions (This air bubble in my IV won't kill me, right?  I'm not gonna wake up during surgery, right?  CAN I EAT NOW?) and answered with kindness instead of eye-rolling, which is how I would have handled myself.  

My friends Alison, Liz, Ade, and Kayce for going to the hospital and staying there for so. many. hours.  And for helping me drink ginger ale when I couldn't lift the cup up (pathetic).  And for helping me get dressed, which I wouldn't have even asked for if I wasn't heavily medicated.  And for buying me French onion soup.  Food.

The nice weather. 

Books I'm reading now

I'm still working on The Twelve Tribes of Hattie and The Great Divorce.  I've added Little Women to the mix.  

Best kid quotes - I work part time with kids, and they're hilarious.

"Wow, Charlotte, I didn't know you could make me feel better by reading Dr. Seuss to me!  It worked, even though you stutter a lot!" 

Thanks, kid.  - nine year old girl 

"How do you finish word searches so fast?  Do grown-up eyes have x-ray power?"

- seven year old boy

Random

Good Lord.

Our gallery wall just keeps growing and I love it so much.  

We get Better Homes and Garden Magazine (it came with a pair of curtains), and in one of the issues there was an article about throwing a paint party.  Of course it was real fancy-like in the magazine, but my roommate and I decided we'd have one that would be low key.  We think we're going to have it in the nearby park, but we'll see.  

To-do

Cream cheese waffle sandwiches - myrecipes.com

Small compost bin - Young House Love

Political Tours

I'm not much of a breakfast person, but I love strawberries and cream cheese, so those look like a good idea.  I feel like it's not something you only make for yourself, though, so I'm going to have to figure out a day to have my friends over for breakfast. ;)

I'm a little bit obsessed with Young House Love.  Just a little.  We don't have a yard here, but we have a small deck, and I think a compost bin like that would easily fit and could be hidden with potted plants.  

Okay, so, political tours is a long-term to-do.  I've been wanting to go on one of these for years.  They're trips to places where there are political conflicts going on, and I think it sounds really interesting. 

Also, this (I couldn't find the actual article):

Links worth looking at

Lecker: The grass-roots movement for educational equality - Stamford Advocate 

The re-segregation of American schools  - Al Jazeera 

Both of these are pieces on education.  Especially relevant looking back on Brown. 

World Under Water - WorldUnderWater.org

This website allows you to type in your address and see what your home will look like with rising sea levels.  The house I used to live in: 

It's a two-story.  Yikes.

The Mother of God and the Scandal of Flesh and Dirt - Daniel Bearman

"These Church Fathers explain that Jesus did not just appear to have a body of Flesh and bones like us. Nor was his body created out of thin air. Instead, Jesus took flesh from Mary to form his body. Even more scandalous than the idea of God becoming flesh was this idea that his flesh came from a woman. This was a kind of reversal of the creation of men in the garden where the flesh for Eve was taken from Adam. Now, the flesh for the new Adam, Jesus, was taken from the new Eve, Mary." 

I've never thought all that deeply about this, so I really enjoyed the post. 

Why You Should Appreciate Being Told to Check Your Privilege  - Eric Krupke

"If you claim to be an ally, or someone committed to ending oppression, you should consider being asked to check your privilege an effort to better your activism. It’s not a personal attack, and it’s certainly not a request to apologize for your position of privilege, which you did not choose and have no control over. It’s a helpful appeal to reexamine your place in the fight to end oppression, which is often to do less talking and more listening."

Yes.

Heaven Changes Everything - Homecoming  - Pray for Ben Sauer 

Last week, I included a link to this blog.  This little boy, Ben, passed away on the 13th, and I really don't know what to say about his mom's blog other than I wish I could think the way she does.  Everything I've read on there has been amazing, even the heartbreaking stuff. 

Glenn Greenwald: from Martin Luther King to Anonymous, the state targets dissenters not just "bad guys" - The Guardian

"The opportunity those in power have to characterise political opponents as "national security threats" or even "terrorists" has repeatedly proven irresistible. In the past decade, the government, in an echo of Hoover's FBI, has formally so designated environmental activists, broad swaths of anti-government rightwing groups, anti-war activists, and associations organised around Palestinian rights. Some individuals within those broad categories may deserve the designation, but undoubtedly most do not, guilty only of holding opposing political views. Yet such groups are routinely targeted for surveillance by the NSA and its partners."

There's no excuse for government overreach. 

Do You Agree About These Motivations of the Upholder, Questioner, Rebel, and Obliger? - The Happiness Project

There's really nothing monumentally important about this link, it's just a bit interesting. 

Invisible Double Dutch  - Jimmy Fallon 

Skip to 1:40.  This looks like so much fun.  

Overcoming Fear  - House Unseen 

"In the face of my fears, the Church, in her timeless wisdom, in all her beautiful knowing, throws this fact: I am called, obligated, to use MY talents, too.  No matter how nervous I am to share them with all of you or how ashamed I'm sure I'll feel the first time I'm turned down, I realize now that I have to do it anyway." 

I needed to read this, and I'd recommend it to basically anyone. 

Bible action 

The book of Jonah.

Bonus

 That's all I got.  Enjoy the rest of your Sunday :)

__
Charlotte