I really need to find my inner peace point. Some sort of area inside me that lets me calm all the anger and hatred that I seem to be feeling on an almost daily basis now. It's not right, it's not fair to the people around me, and I think for the most part it's uncalled for.  It's also giving me really bad headaches and draining me of energy.

      I started working out again after taking a week off for my injury, so that should help. I think the main problem is my paranoia.  Anymore i see almost everything as a slight or insult.  Or maybe even a conspiracy.  After years of being around people and listening to them talk about their "friends" behind their backs, I think I've become paranoid that everyone does that all the time.  I know logically they don't but I still wonder sometimes.  My one solace where that is concerned is that I'm pretty convinced that if people are going to say something mean to me, they're going to say it to my face. 

      In other news, I'm excited about moving to Ada in the fall.  It will be a fresh start, with a brand new town, location, and people.  Maybe I can do it right this time.  I was almost there at Hemisphere's and then I messed that up.  I'm also excited to (I believe) finally see the path I'm supposed to be following.  It's not going to be easy, and each step gets progressively harder, but I suppose that's the way any good adventure has to be. 

      As corny as it sounds, whenever I get depressed or angry, I ask myself, "What would Superman do?"  And I answer that he would face whatever hardships he had to, with a minimum of fuss and bad attitude, because it's the right thing to do.  That's the kind of man I want to be.  And much like Superman, my parents have set the example for me to follow.  Throughout their lives they have made sacrifices and gone through hard times, because they had my sister and me to look after.  They did it because it was their responsibility.  And they learned that to complain about it only drains your energy.  I hope to one day be able to live up to these examples (both fictional and parental) and say that I'm worth a damn. 

      Really, the more I think about it, the only kind of anger worth having is righteous anger.  And that generally only comes on behalf of someone else.  Whenever I'm mistreated, I can usually just go on about my business and (hopefully) not be too sore about it.  It's when I see someone weaker than me being mistreated by a bully that my anger really comes into play, and this is the only kind of anger worth having.  The kind that doesn't drain your strength, but enhances it. 

       I think I've written enough for now.  I've got plenty more to say on philosophy and religion, but that can wait for another time.  I have to get to bed, and I've ranted enough.

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Someone said to me today that all beliefs, whether we agree with them or not, should be respected.  Now, on the surface, this sounds all good and PC.  But let's really examine that statement.  To give a belief respect, in my view, is to give that belief some kind of credit.  You may not agree with it, but simply by saying, "I respect your opinion" you are lending that belief some sort of validation.  If it is respected, it is at least worthy of consideration.

With religion, this may be a good approach.  Even with something as asinine as Scientology, there is no quantifiable, objective way to test religious theory.  You have to take it on faith.  So in the interest of preventing some sort of Holy War, it is probably best to say, "Hmm, that's interesting" and then go and buy a slurpie and sit and think about how wrong the person is.  But what if a person's belief is that they should go around killing infidels because God told them to?  Or a group of people believe they should commit mass suicide because there's a comet approaching Earth?  To say that you respect such views, even if you disagree, would only embolden such people.  It would give them a feeling of confidence that what they have to say is worthwhile, when really any person with any common sense would tell you that it's not.

And what about more secular views?  The organizations that believe it's okay to have sex with children?  This is their belief, but should we respect that?  By respecting something, you condone it.  While you might not agree with it, to even give it the decency of respect strengthens the believer's resolve.  I don't like rap music, but I can respect the artists who make it.  In this way I'm saying that while I won't listen to it, I don't believe it should be done away with, and that it has a place in our society.  But if I were to say that about NAMBLA, then I would be saying that such people have a place in our society, and they absolutely do not.

Friendship

friend       (frend)  Pronunciation Key 
..BOF_HEAD-->n.  ..EOF_HEAD--> ..BOF_DEF-->

1. A person whom one knows, likes, and trusts.
2. A person whom one knows; an acquaintance.

I have been thinking alot about friends and friendships lately.  It is actually a more confusing subject than one would think.  The best analogy I can come up with for a friendship is to compare to the human bone.  Our bones are made to protect us an withstand assault.  If you hit a bone, a lot of the time it will repel the attack and protect the individual.  But if you turn a bone a certain way, if you hit it just right, then it breaks like a twig.  It is the same way with a friendship.  Most of the time it can stand up to attack, and helps strengthen you.  But hit it just the right way, and it shatters like glass.

You know what I'm getting tired of ?  Politics being treated like a football game.  Back in 2004, people were polarized into two camps:  Republicans and Democrats.  Or, in sport team terms, The Elephants and The Donkeys.  People didn't really seem to care about the issues, they only cared that they're "side" won.  Never mind that neither side had a really clear idea as to what to do about Iraq, or international terrorism, or any issue really.  Nope, the teams suited up in their respective red or blue jerseys and took the the national field. 

Flash forward to 2006.  The Democrats take Congress from the Republicans.  Liberal media types have a field day, claiming it as a huge victory for the Donkey's.  Why?  Does a Democratic congress mean that suddenly the nation's problems are fixed?  Do they really have a plan for fixing the mess we're in?  Not that I can see, but it's sure a feather in the cap of anyone on the left. 

We are now approaching 2008, another presidential election year.  Already we have two major players vying for the position:  Hilary and Obama.  People are saying that Hilary will be a strong contender because she will get the women's vote.  Because she herself is a woman.  Obama will be a strong contender because he...well because he's cute and has never had sex in the Oval Office.  I haven't heard either candidate come up with any solid answer to what they plan to do about Iraq, the deficit, gas prices, terrorism, North Korea, or any other of the myriad of problems we face as a nation.  But that's okay, because we have the Homecoming King and Queen running for office, and that's all that really matters.  And as for the Elephants, I have no idea who they're going to put in the quarterback spot this year.  It will probably depend on who the Donkey's have running, a male or a female.  Because as we all know, it's not about who's best suited for the job, it's about how the two size up on television.

You know, come to that, I have a great idea.  Why don't we just have a reality show competition to determine the Presidency?  Because basically, it is already.  It isn't about brains or a good solid platform.  It's about who looks better, has more sex appeal, and who is the most popular.  Why have a plan for the nation when all you have to do to win is play saxophone on a talk show?  And I can guarantee it would fix voter apathy. People are more apt to vote for the next American Idol than the next American President.