Theater Folk

Another old blog that was stuck in "draft" status. These events happened back at the beginning of April.
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Some time in February, I was an extra in a movie. All I really had to do was sit around on the ground and cheer for a football game going on. It was quite tedious and kind of exhausting to have to cheer for several minutes at a time to make sure that they got the noise and the shots needed. But all for the sake of the film, right?

People keep asking if there are any major names in this film. It's an independent film so no A-list stars but actors and actresses that have been in various things like The Walking Dead, another had a bit part in The Blind Side. Last Thursday I got the call back for the big fight scene. We started out the day getting dirty for our parts. We're supposed to be a people living without power for a few months. There are two different camps--the good guys and the bad guys. I'm one of the good guys so I'm not too dirty. After wardrobe and makeup, most of us stand around in groups talking, eating breakfast, and trying to stay warm without wiping off our makeup.

For the first part of the morning, my new friend Naomi & I lean ourselves up against a minivan and sun ourselves like cats until we're asked to move by the owner of the car. Blah. We then head over to the other van and sit down in front of that on the cold ground. We're now amongst the other extras who seem to be theater folk. My first inkling of how these people were was when I walked to the port-a-potty with one of the other extras. She was super excited to be in the movie but was even more excited at the terrific opportunity it was for her daughter. The whole long walk to and from the port-a-potty was about her daughter who was an aspiring model and actress. I was stuck walking beside a stage mom....

Back amongst the extras camp, people are starting to break out in song and dance. The 65-year-old lady who keeps reminding us all that she is way too old to be an extra in this movie (why is she here again??) apparently has to leave at 4PM because she has to get to the theater but not before she's passed around a picture of her brand new grandson to everyone. She was in an advertisement where they had to do a country line dance for 8 hours straight with the guy that drove me to the set. He, of course, demonstrates the line dance. The daughter I heard so much about on the way to and from the port-a-potty gets up and starts demonstrating the dance moves to the play she's trying out for soon. This whole scene makes me giggle. I'm just not among my own kind, am I? LOL

Finally we get to film some scenes. Although I'm one of the good guys, I have to dress up like a bad guy to help fill in some gaps among the bad guys camp. So when the director calls "action" we have to run through an obstacle course of cars and sprint down the hill with murder in our veins. Some people have been chosen to jump over the cars...and yes the theater folk all get the parts on that because they are always the first to volunteer. Stage mom keeps putting leaves in her daughter's hair and making sure she's mussed up enough for the scene. Daughter is getting annoyed with this. I'm with her...why don't we leave that to hair, makeup, and wardrobe?

The thing that made my mouth drop open the most involved the guy that drove me to the set. He & the daughter of the theater mom have to jump over the cars so they are supposed to run first. The rest of us are behind them and we charge right when they are on top of the cars. After the third or fourth take, the director decides that we should all run in from the left instead of from both sides so he corrals us over. Man-who-drove-me-to-the-set says to theater-mom's-daughter "Not you, Allie...you're fine." Allie goes back over to the right side while the director is checking the board to make sure it's his name under "director." Theater folk...

I Think I'm Missing the Romantic Gene...

I've been a really lazy blogger as of late. The thing is, I don't have much to say lately. So I combed through my "drafts" and picked out a few pieces, cleaned them up and published them. This is sort of a long one with a bunch of tangents!

I'm SO not a fan of the Twilight Saga. I don't really have an interest in romance movies, especially the ones that set people up for unrealistic expectations for their futures. I don't even like the ones that ARE possible, like The Notebook. I guess I'm just not a fan of the sappy romantic. I'm a little more rock 'n roll for that. I like my parents' story. They went to the same church and my dad thought she was cute so he asked around to find out her name. Then, he walked by her and said: "Hi Julie!" And as much as we teased my mother about her reply, I think it shows where my feisty comes from. She replied: "I don't think it's fair that you know my name and I don't know yours!" While this is romantic, there is nothing in that story about how they fell in love from the first sight and professed that they were each other's whole world, etc! And there is that info in the Twilight saga. And how do I know this? Because I'm 3 books into reading the saga. *face palm*

My sister and I have an interesting, if not dysfunctional, relationship. I'm the baby but I've always taken care of her. She is a self-professed mess. I have blamed every wrinkle in my face on her. She has a knack for getting into and creating situations that make everyone worry. I think part of it is she loves the attention, she loves people worrying about her. So I constantly worry about her and she never worries about me. In fact, there are huge chunks of my life that she knows nothing about. Even if I do confess to something that is happening in my life that has me stressed, there's no check up to see how I'm doing. And it's not just her, most people in my life never check up on me to see if I'm alright. Probably because I'm strong. I've always made it through. Always. The other reason is that if they were to ask me how the situation is with ____ a week later, I wouldn't have the slightest clue as to what they are talking about. So this is our relationship. I bend over backwards for her because she needs me. I get interested in things that she loves because it's important to her. And I've long stopped begrudging her for the way she is. It just is. I love her and this is how our relationship has turned out. I'm very amazed that I haven't made the same concessions for other people/family members in my life.

Now that you have the back story on our relationship, you can now understand why I decided to take on the task of reading the Twilight saga and watching the movies. Because my sister loves them. I personally think the story is stupid. Seriously, how does one fall in love with a vampire? Or a werewolf for that matter? At least a werewolf is more plausible because, in this story, they don't hunger for human blood./flesh. Plus, they are human for part of the time.

Stephenie Meyer is a great writer. I especially liked reading the parts of the book where she described in detail the back story of the vampires and werewolves and how they came to be how they are. But when we start discussing things like desperately wanting to become a vampire just to be with someone for the rest of eternity, I have to fight my natural gag reflex. I won't even change my religion for someone or quit eating meat for them much less change my status from "living" to "living dead."

My sister is very much "Team Edward" while I'm (if forced to choose between this ludicrous love triangle) am "Team Jacob." Supposedly Edward (the vampire, for those not in the know) has been able to slowly become accustomed to denying his desire to sink his teeth into Bella and make her a tasty snack. What the book does NOT address is what happens when Bella's on her period? I've always wondered this while reading the book. Did this make it harder for him to resist her?

See, if she would choose Jacob (the werewolf), it is more "normal" and she'd have to give up a lot less. Here are my reasons for being "Team Jacob."

1. She wouldn't have to become immortal to be with him. Yes, Jacob does not age while he is able to phase into being a werewolf. But he's only a werewolf because there are vampires around. So if the Cullens (the vampires) would just go away, Jacob would stop phasing and he and Bella could grow old together.
2. She wouldn't have to lie to her parents or give them up. If she becomes a vampire, she has to start thinking of reasons why she can't visit them anymore. It's not like she has to keep thinking of new ways to avoid her parents, she just has to think of enough lies for the next 40-50 years until they die...then she doesn't have to worry about it anymore. As Edward tells her, after 100 years everyone you know is dead anyways.
3. She wouldn't have to live forever. Seriously, who REALLY wants to do this? As much as I adore living and will fight tooth and nail to keep myself in this position, I feel that there's a reason why we all die. But let's say you're special and God or whatever deity you believe in has decided that you will live forever. Okay, that sounds awesome right? Except after awhile, all the people you know start dying. You have to live through your kids' deaths (unless you turn them into vampires too). And what's more, over the years you start making new friends because we are social beings and tend to do so. And then THEY start dying. So either you become really calloused about losing people in your life or you have to live through the heartbreak all over again.
4. Edward is a drug and Bella choosing him is akin to giving herself over to an addiction. Bella's reactions, feelings, and emotions all point to her being addicted to Edward. She's stated that she can't live without him, she seems to get edgy when they're away from each other too long, and when he does actually leave her, she goes missing in the forest for days. She clearly exhibits signs of withdrawal. Maybe I'm not emotional enough...but any guy I get serious enough will have to face the fact that if they die, I will go on just fine without them. Yes, I'll miss them horribly and experience deep grief but I will never get myself lost in the woods, crawl into a fetal position and shiver for days just because he's no longer around. I will, however, probably go to their closet, smell all of their shirts and cry myself to sleep.
5. Jacob has the stability to NOT kill himself just because she died or she rejected him. Edward has stated several times that if she were to stay human and die, he would bring about his own death because he cannot conceive a world where she didn't exist anymore ("barf bag, please!!!").
6. Realistically, Bella is not at an age where making choices is her forte. People's brains don't stop growing until they are in their early 20s. And the specific area that is still growing is the part that allows you to see the consequences of your actions. I.E. She doesn't fully understand the ramifications of turning into a vampire and she's refusing to listen to Edward and other people tell her why she should wait.

In short, her relationship with Edward does not seem healthy at all. You shouldn't have to choose between your relationship and seeing your parents for all of eternity. You shouldn't have to change yourself just to be with someone because it will look odd that you're 78 and he's 17. And if that person should decide to leave you one day, you should be emotionally and mentally stable enough to continue to care about your own well being and not get lost in the woods.

Seriously, You're NOT Gonna SHUT UP????

I can see myself becoming a curmudgeon about some things. For one, I'm starting to hate movie theaters. I already refuse to go during a time when I know they will be packed because I don't like strangers touching me. I also won't go to "kiddie" flicks because of the adult to child ratio that tends to happen there. Somehow, I figured that going to the theater at 1:40PM on a Saturday afternoon might not be so bad. But I'd forgotten the pull of Harry Potter...

The theater was relatively empty. I didn't have to sit next to anyone but there was a couple who sat one seat away from me. When they sat down, they seemed nice enough so I didn't really mind. I managed to ignore the kids occasional kicking and pulling on my seat from behind but this couple soon became too hard to ignore.

For starters, the lady (who was closest to me) really took the movie seriously. Whenever something bad happened she would gasp and say: "nooooo!" This left me amused after the first time but annoyed by the 10th. I guess I didn't realize that there were people out there that got REALLY into their wizards and muggles.

Then the couple had to talk about EVERYTHING! Whenever Harry stuck his head into a bowl filled with memories he had to whisper: "He's doing that so he can see what's going on..." I wanted to say: "Is your wife really that stupid that she can't figure that out? You have to tell her?" During the louder scenes the couple felt it was acceptable to talk out loud in a normal speaking decibel. When I got so annoyed that I couldn't take it any longer I politely said: "Shhhhhh!" They ignored this and kept right on talking. So I whispered: "Seriously??? You're NOT gonna shut up???" and stared right at them. They ignored this too. Normally I would have gotten an usher but I didn't want to miss any more of the $8 movie than I already had so I moved to the other side of my girlfriend.

After the movie, in the bathroom I notice this same woman coming out of a stall while my girlfriend and I waited for our turn. I indicated that she was the woman who had spoiled our viewing pleasure (after I moved my friend discovered immediately why I was so annoyed). So we began a delightful discussion about people who talk in the theater, loud enough for this woman to hear it. Again, she was oblivious.

I think I'll stick to the theater no one goes to even though it means I've gotta wait a month or two to see them...

Why I Don't Watch American Idol

I'm probably going to catch a lot of flack for this...but I hate American Idol and other reality shows. I used to watch the Biggest Loser and the Amazing Race and I've seen a season of American Idol and Survivor. I also used to watch Bad Girls Club but soon got so sick of the drama that I quit. I also stopped watching Biggest Loser and the Amazing Race because of the drama as well. The Biggest Loser was a great show in its infancy but soon people started playing games and sequestering themselves into rooms to talk about the other contestants. Dancing With the Stars used to be interesting until the stupid public kept eliminating talented dancers to save those that acted as the comic relief but really couldn't dance. And in the end, the person who usually won wasn't the person who deserved it the most. I actually wanted to be on the Amazing Race at one point but I soon got sick and tired of hearing the couples yell at each other and bicker. If I want something real, I'd rather watch something like 20/20 or a "news of interest" type show.

Perhaps I'm becoming one of those people that are just out of the loop because when I look at the covers of magazines in the checkout aisle, I barely know anyone on the cover. I also wonder why these people are famous. What special talent do they have? Why do people tune in to the Kardashians? Why do I care about what goes on in their lives? Same with Paris Hilton--why exactly do I care what she did last night?

I also find it appalling that people are obtaining fame and recognition for things such as acting badly and teen pregnancy. Why the need to glorify this? Raising a child is tough work, and even rougher for a teenager. However nowadays teens can have children willy-nilly and not suffer the same consequences because they'll just go on a TV show. I'm not trying to get on a high-horse and condemn anyone who has been or is a teenage mother. I know a lot of smart, ambitious, intelligent women who were teenage mothers. However, I think that it isn't something that a teen should aspire to be. Hold onto your childhood for as long as you possibly can. You have the rest of your life to devote to adult things such as raising children.

As a singer, I think that most people assume that I will be into American Idol. After all, it's a singing competition and singing is what I do. At one point a specific person would ask me on a weekly basis if I was watching the show. Every week I would assure them that I was not watching it and could not foresee myself watching it in the future. They would recount with: "Oh but you should...it's REALLY good this year." I'm sure that it is. I'm sure that there is a wealth of worthy talent on the show. In fact, I love a lot of the singers that have been on the show. I greatly respect Kelly Clarkson, I love Crystal Bauersox, etc. But there is also this side of me that thinks singers should put in their dues and time like other musical acts have done. One of my sweetest friends, Beaux has had a band for many years. I've known him since 2006 (I like to say: "I knew him when he had short hair and took his shirt off at shows--because now he has long hair and never strips anymore). His band was opening for Jani Lane and I liked them right away because they were good. I never like the opening band but they used a freaking didgeridoo! Beaux doesn't really care about fame or fortune, he's a philanthropist. He was named USO Entertainer of the Year and he and the boys in the band will be spending their summer visiting various bases to entertain the troops. They also donate money to save the silverbacks who are losing their homes due to man's progress. How many American Idol contestants go on the show to give back to the community?

So shoot me if you will but I just can't get into reality shows. Especially when they turn down talent like the female singer in Lady Antebellum. She didn't even get to the round where she saw the judges and she has a great voice. On the other hand, you could say that acts like Britney Spears hasn't really paid her dues either but I'm not much of a fan of hers or other manufactured talent. However, I will make an exception for Justin Timberlake because he is hella talented. In a nutshell, that is why I don't like reality shows. Too much drama...

I've Been Banned from Tyrrell County

Okay so it's only a self-imposed ban but clearly they do not want my kind there. My frustrations with this county go all the way back to the Friday before Easter. The Pep & I took a trip to Ocracoke Island, all by ourselves. Little did I know that Tyrrell County was a speed trap. Thankfully, my faithful little pup by my side growled at the officer who came to the window to reprimand me for my heavy foot. Good girl!

Fast forward to the present where my court date arrives. Yesterday I started figuring out exactly what time I had to leave in order to be at the court house on time and what time I would need to leave to be back in Raleigh for my doctor's appointment. I start thinking about the process as I've experienced it in Raleigh's court house. In Wake County, people start lining up by about 7:30 and the D.A. and magistrate start talking to people about 8AM. Then court starts at 9 for those that request a trial or are not allowed to have their ticket reduced. So mentally, I'm figuring all of this in. Tyrrell County Courthouse is 2 hours and 38 minutes away. In order to be there by 8AM, I'll need to get up at 4AM and leave by 5AM. Because who knows how the traffic will be and if I have to find a place to park, etc! Anyways, it seems it will be a busy, busy day.

Also yesterday, I had an appointment at 5:45PM. I'm not sure why I decided to make this appointment as rush hour traffic is a nightmare. On top of that there was a a four-car pile up on the way as well. I'm unable to call and inform them that I'm running late because 2 weeks ago I had to do a factory reset on my phone which made me lose all my phone numbers. Since I'm about 10 minutes late for the appointment they have to reschedule me. I run home and begin changing the tail light casing in my car. I get the old, crushed casing out of its spot and attempt to replace it with the new one. IT...DOESN'T...FIT! After replacing the old, crushed one back again it was time for bed!

So the day starts by me oversleeping 1 hour and 45 minutes! Gah! Miraculously, I get ready in 15 minutes and am on the road by 6AM which should still put me at the court house by 8:30--which I'm hoping is not too late. While I'm on the road, I get to thinking that maybe my thought process was all for naught. I'm used to dealing with the Wake County court system. It's the capital and a hassle. Maybe this county will be small, like the one I grew up in and move swiftly! So I call a friend of mine and have them look up Tyrrell County. Turns out that the population of the entire county would fit in my home town of 4,000 people. This is looking good for me!

I arrive at 8:30 and don't even have to bother looking for parking because there's a spot available right in front and what's more, it's FREE! Instead of speaking to the D.A. before going into the court room, like Raleigh, we just sit in the court room. I think we doubled the population just by showing up to traffic court. We form two lines and when it's my turn, I inform the D.A. that I would like to use "Prayer for Judgment." Prayer for Judgment is a benefit that North Carolina offers its drivers who have a clean driving record to keep their record clean. If you have not received a speeding ticket in the past 3 years, you can request Prayer for Judgment and therefore you do not incur any points on your license. The D.A. informs me that in order to request Prayer for Judgment, I will have to have Raleigh forward my driving record and come back on a later date! Ugh! Why didn't they tell me this before? Again, I'm used to the way Wake County operates. They already have your driving record in front of them so you don't have to worry about any of that. Clearly, Hog Waller, NC don't play that... So the D.A. reduced my ticket and the only thing I saved were a few points on my record and $5. Which I didn't really save $5 because I ate up almost an entire tank of gas just to fight the ticket.

I start to drive home and I'm pissed because I wanted to use my get-out-of-jail-free card but because I'm refusing to make the trip again another day, I had to forfeit it and therefore cannot use it again for 3 more years. My friend Barbara said: "Are you planning on getting any more tickets?" Me: "No...but I can't drive the speed limit. It depresses me and stresses me out." She laughs at this. But if you've ever ridden in a car with me, you know that this is true.

I'm out of the court house by 9:22AM and home by 11:46. At 1:30PM I leave for my appointment with a doctor's office. I have a new patient consultation scheduled for 2PM but want to get there early as there is surely paperwork to fill out. I arrive at 1:47PM and sure enough I'm put to work filling out forms. There's one man and a woman seated before me. Soon 3 other ladies and a gentleman join the room and all begin talking about their experiences with this doctor's office and what I'm hearing ain't so good. For one, the lady in the corner announces that her appointment was at 1:45 and it is now 2:15. At about 2:45 I stand up, go to the receptionist's desk and ask for my paperwork back. I say: "I was a potential new patient and my appointment was at 2PM. It's now 2:45 and I was told the consultation would last 30 minutes. I no longer have time to sit through a consultation and be able to make my next appointment." The receptionist says: "My apologies, can we keep your paperwork and reschedule you for another time?" I reply: "I've taken time off of work and made an effort to be here early. I'm not impressed with having to wait 45 minutes for an appointment I already scheduled. You're not the only ______ racket in town. May I please have my paperwork?" And I leave (after taking the paperwork from her). Onto the next appointment. Which went really well. My primary care doctor hasn't seen me since I've lost over 30 lbs so it was good to catch up with her and hear praise for my hard work.

After several errands I go home to my animals and take a nap. I'm halfway into the nap when I'm awakened by my phone ringing. It's the doctor's office that I left without being seen. The voice mail message states that she's very sorry about the "mix up in scheduling." She would love it if I called her back to reschedule the appointment. Well now I'm thinking: "Mix up in scheduling?" How could there be a mix up in scheduling if she called to confirm the appointment yesterday? And of course, I cannot get back to sleep.

*Sigh* But tomorrow's another day and it's Friday. At least the debacle is over!

The Versatile Blogger Award

I'm quite honored to receive an award. I have no idea what this award means except perhaps I'm random? I like being random in a non-weird sort of way. Most of my Mobile Uploads and Wall Photos on Facebook are something funny that I saw when I was out and about. Even my status messages are a bit random. I've long thought about writing a blog about the different types of Facebookers there are out there. I started it, but somehow it didn't come out as funny as I imagined in my head... But I digress. Apparently I'm supposed to write 7 interesting things about myself. 

1. Opening canned biscuits scares the pants off of me. There is always that POP and you never know when it's coming. Sometimes it happens right when you tear off the paper. Sometimes it holds on, making you push a spoon into the crack to make it pop--and I do so with my eyes winced, turned away from the action. I always scream.  

2. When I go to sleep at night, I start out lying on my left side. During this position, I take the time to reflect on my day, my dreams, goals, stuff that makes me happy, etc. I think thinking of happy things before you go to sleep has a big effect on the sleep you get. I always sleep great when I do this. When negative emotions have overcome me, I haven't been able to sleep as well. But when I'm REALLY serious about sleeping, I roll over onto my back and there I pretty much stay for the remainder of the night. If I get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, I will typically climb back into bed and fall asleep on my left side. When I was little, I was a very restless sleeper. Sometimes I'd wake up with my head down where my feet would be. Or if I'd slept in my parents' bed, my feet would be all over their faces. (On a side note, the person in the attached picture looks identical to one of my friends...I'll have to ask him about this.)

3. I have a habit of blurting out whatever comes into my mind without thinking how it sounds...and sometimes I say it a little too loudly. For example, when talking to co-workers about a great place to get a steak I said: "At that restaurant, there is this taaaaaaaallll black guy and boy does he know just how I like it!" Or upon seeing it was starting to rain and color the sidewalk, I blurt out: "Oh look, there are sprinkles on the floor!"











4. I'm not your typical girl. I love cool cars, rock & roll, horror movies, sports (mostly baseball & hockey), my nails are not fake, I don't go crazy over babies or cats, floral prints are ugly, I rarely cry, I hate lipstick, and I don't get most women's issues. I also have 5 tattoos and have plans for more.

5. I can tell a pregnant woman what the sex of her baby is by asking ONE crucial question. I've never been wrong yet! Unfortunately it's an extremely personal question so I only ask whenever I'm very close friends with the couple.







6. I have sensory nerve damage in my left thigh from routine painkiller shots after they put a plate and screws in my right ankle. Parts of my thigh are extra sensitive while other parts are numb. Sometimes it tingles painfully and I have to bang it into submission. I get strange looks when I do this...

7. I have a song running through my head on an almost continual basis. Drives me nutters. There are some songs that I have to turn off immediately or else they will get stuck up in there for days and cause me to check myself into the nearest mental institution.

Don't Tread On Me!

"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak to an attorney, and to have an attorney present during any questioning. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be provided for you at government expense."

Anyone who watches crime shows such as NYPD Blue or Cops has probably heard these words before (and I'm sure some of you out there have heard them out of an officer's mouth as they were arresting you, naughty!). These are called the Miranda Rights and having them read to you means that you have been Mirandized. These rights are brought to you by the Amendments 5 & 6. Technically, you do not have to be read your Miranda Rights in order to be arrested, only to be questioned after you've been accused of a crime. Additionally, they won't read these rights to question you when you are NOT a suspect. And, they do not have to read you your rights if they are merely asking questions of fact that do not point to guilt such as name, address, Social Security number, etc. 

You can thank Ernesto Miranda for police officers being mandated to read these rights. In 1963, Miranda kidnapped and raped a mildly retarded woman of 18. He was arrested, brought in for questioning and admitted his guilt to the police as he was not aware that he had the right to not incriminate himself or to have an attorney present. At the trial, Miranda's attorney tried to have his confession thrown out because he was not notified of his rights. This attempt was denied and Miranda was convicted. In 1966, the issue was taken to the Supreme Court and based upon the 5th & 6th amendments, they ruled that people should be told what their rights were before questioning because up until then, the police were taking full advantage of people's ignorance in this area. 

Contrary to popular belief, not everyone is aware of their rights. Furthermore, most people do not realize that the U.S. Constitution and the Bill or Rights do not just apply to the citizens within the country. They apply to all people who set foot on its soil under the 14th Amendment. Because being in this country makes you susceptible to the law of the land's jurisdictions, you are also afforded its rights. Just as Michael P. Fay was sentenced to a hefty fine, jail sentence, and 4 whacks of a cane for vandalizing Singapore, foreigners must obey the laws in our country. And this inclusion is what makes our country so great! To me, the required Miranda Rights being read to the accused, the Bill of Rights, the Constitution, and other values that our forefathers set out to establish are pretty darn fair. In a lot of ways, they were way ahead of their time. 

The Fourteenth Amendment states “No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws." Note, this last part says "any persons" not "any citizens."

People want to invoke the Constitution, etc when it works in their favor but deny their existence in a speech of incredulity when they don't. For example, I had a friend pass around an email message asking you to sign your name at the bottom to show your opposition to the government removing religious symbols from government buildings. The people electronically "signing" this waiver (which I'm quite positive the muckity mucks of Washington D.C. would never see...) were LIVID that the Pentagon and other such buildings were being stripped of crosses and other religious paraphernalia or other emails would be upset that the Obamas didn't put up a Christmas tree. Several problems with this issue. To put it simply, there is a separation of church and state, which I am wholeheartedly glad for for the following reasons: 

1. I don't want the leaders of my nation to represent me religiously. I might not believe the same way that they do.

2. Why are we so incensed at the government refusing to take a Christian stand? This would send out the message that "we are Christians" and therefore alienate the many Jewish, Buddhist, Islamic, Hindu, atheist, etc citizens of this great land. How would they feel if the government decided to slap the Star of David on every building--would they be okay with this?

3. Spirituality is a very personal thing for me. I don't understand the concept of wanting religion constantly in everything. I don't want to have it thrust in my face everywhere I go because, again, I might not believe what you believe so why must I be subjected to it everywhere I go?

The #2 statement is what makes me think our forefathers were ahead of their time. They mostly did it because of the religious oppression previously experienced by other countries but they were right on the mark. Everyone should feel welcome in America and so they attempted to create a neutral government and a space where everyone could worship (or not) in the way they saw fit.

But I have digressed a bit. To get back on the subject, I submit to you Faizal Shahzad and the Times Square bombing. Although born in Pakistan, Shahzad became a naturalized citizen in 2009. After the bombing, Representative Peter Kind and Senator John McCain both opposed to the police reading him the Miranda Rights. Senator Joe Lieberman went a step further and stated that he felt America should strip him of his citizenship so that his rights can be denied to him (did he even do his homework before opening his mouth on this issue?). But here's the rub. As I stated previously, by simply being in this country, you are afforded rights. Stripping someone of their citizenship doesn't mean that they don't have any rights. And all of this was before Shahzad was allowed due process. What sort of a precedent would this set? To me, it carries terrifying capabilities. For example, let's say that this blog is used against me in a valiant effort to enact the Patriot Act and label me a traitor to this country because I think the above representative and senators are verifiable wingnuts for their stance on this issue. So I'm arrested as a Pakistani sympathizer and all of a sudden, my entire country is against me. I haven't even been convicted of anything, I'm merely accused. But because the accusation is one that is so heinous in our country right now I should be stripped of my rights, strung up and flogged? What about "innocent until proven guilty?" 

Now I'm definitely not on Shahzad's side but should we also strip child molesters of their citizenship and refuse them of their rights as well? What about people who abuse animals? Serial killers? Are we limiting this revocation to naturalized citizens or are we including those that were born here as well? Where does the line get drawn? Without the Miranda Rights, suspected criminals would not be able to retain specific rights because they did not know about them and without this caveat, the government would have free reign to unleash whatever terms they wished upon someone at any time merely by accusing them of a crime. 

Thank God for the intelligence of our forefathers for having brilliant ideas (even if these are not always carried out correctly) that make our country so great. Yes, despite all of our problems and issues and grumblings about gas prices, we really do have it pretty good here compared to a lot of other places that we could live. 

And because I live in America, I'm free to say the following: God bless America! And thanks to the many men and women who fight every day to continue my ability to live free. USA! USA! USA!