Wednesday, January 19, 2005
D'oh
Obviously, the answer is the US members of Congress.
Someone else in the backrow had a better idea: Canada.
D'oh.
In my bioethics class, the professor had asked the class who received the best health care in the world.
Obviously, the answer is the US members of Congress.
Someone else in the backrow had a better idea: Canada.
D'oh.
posted by Laura Keslar at 3:55 PM | |
Laura Update
School started.
And as much as people might like to think that 14 credit hours isn't that much. And that working for approximately 20 hours a week isn't much either. But combine that with the fact that most of my classes are writing intensive or math intensive (hey, I have over 50 problems of calculus to do between Tuesday and Thursday and I haven't taken a calculus course for over two years and I got a C in that calculus course), and my life is in chaos.
In fact, I have had to drop one class already and I have just called up the student paper and told them that I do not have the time or energy to invest into writing for the Wildcat.
I mean, if I don't have the time to blog how can I possibly have the time to write a 750 word column every week?!
I guess I can spend my time writing letters to the editor whenever the notion hits me.
The only problem with quiting the paper is that the opinions board is filled with liberals except for a very few.
Ah well. More reason to write in, I guess.
Yes, I realize that I haven't posted for a good two weeks, at least. So it is time for a very quick update to explain the lack of blogging. I can do it in two words:
School started.
And as much as people might like to think that 14 credit hours isn't that much. And that working for approximately 20 hours a week isn't much either. But combine that with the fact that most of my classes are writing intensive or math intensive (hey, I have over 50 problems of calculus to do between Tuesday and Thursday and I haven't taken a calculus course for over two years and I got a C in that calculus course), and my life is in chaos.
In fact, I have had to drop one class already and I have just called up the student paper and told them that I do not have the time or energy to invest into writing for the Wildcat.
I mean, if I don't have the time to blog how can I possibly have the time to write a 750 word column every week?!
I guess I can spend my time writing letters to the editor whenever the notion hits me.
The only problem with quiting the paper is that the opinions board is filled with liberals except for a very few.
Ah well. More reason to write in, I guess.
posted by Laura Keslar at 9:33 AM | |
Thursday, January 06, 2005
Those *Darn* Gay-Enablers and Arminian Churches
concerning a protest in Tucson.
The protest will be conducted by Wingspan, "Southern Arizona's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Community Center." It will be protesting Pastor Fred Phelps of www.godhatesfags.com and www.godhatesamerica.com fame who himself is appearing in Tucson to protest the play "The Laramie Project" put on my Rincon High School.
Obviously, I cannot offer my support to the LGBT community for religious reasons but neither do I offer my support to a man whose theology and actions are questionable (he has tenants of Calvinist in his theology among other things). By this I do not mean that I support homosexuality and will, in fact, oppose it based upon Biblical doctrine; however, this man has twisted biblical doctrine to fit his media mongering.
Besides, I can think of better things to do at 7 a.m. in the morning. Likewise, I doubt my "Arminian" theology will be thought well of. After all, he is protesting local "apostate, Arminian, pro-gay churches...for creating Tucson's satanic zeitgeist." In other words, he means First Southern Baptist Church, St. Augustine Cathedral, St. Alban Episcopal Church, First Methodist Church, St. Andrews Presbyterian, and St. Andrews Episcopal.
After attending First Southern Baptist Church a few times, I do find that it is a bit worldly, trying to appeal to the college students with their music and inappropriately dressed pastor; but otherwise, I did not find anything too objectionable about its doctrine. But obviously, Fred Phelps has. Then again, he is a five-point Calvinist with a bone to pick.
However, he did make a legitimate point. It is the churches of this town who have let us down. It is their job to pray, to evangelize, to win people over to their Lord and Master. It is the Christians of this town who have not done the God-given commandment of sharing the gospel.
So yes, Phelps has it right in one way...but so wrong in so many others.
It looks to be a fun week before school starts.
UPDATE: Garrett O'Hara pointed out that Fred Phelps never showed. Good thing I decided it was a waste of time to even go to the churches or school.
I admit it. I have a guilty pleasure otherwise known as Livejournal, the online diary website filled to the brim with teenage angst. Anyway, while browsing the u_of_a community, I discovered a post by
The protest will be conducted by Wingspan, "Southern Arizona's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered Community Center." It will be protesting Pastor Fred Phelps of www.godhatesfags.com and www.godhatesamerica.com fame who himself is appearing in Tucson to protest the play "The Laramie Project" put on my Rincon High School.
Obviously, I cannot offer my support to the LGBT community for religious reasons but neither do I offer my support to a man whose theology and actions are questionable (he has tenants of Calvinist in his theology among other things). By this I do not mean that I support homosexuality and will, in fact, oppose it based upon Biblical doctrine; however, this man has twisted biblical doctrine to fit his media mongering.
Besides, I can think of better things to do at 7 a.m. in the morning. Likewise, I doubt my "Arminian" theology will be thought well of. After all, he is protesting local "apostate, Arminian, pro-gay churches...for creating Tucson's satanic zeitgeist." In other words, he means First Southern Baptist Church, St. Augustine Cathedral, St. Alban Episcopal Church, First Methodist Church, St. Andrews Presbyterian, and St. Andrews Episcopal.
After attending First Southern Baptist Church a few times, I do find that it is a bit worldly, trying to appeal to the college students with their music and inappropriately dressed pastor; but otherwise, I did not find anything too objectionable about its doctrine. But obviously, Fred Phelps has. Then again, he is a five-point Calvinist with a bone to pick.
However, he did make a legitimate point. It is the churches of this town who have let us down. It is their job to pray, to evangelize, to win people over to their Lord and Master. It is the Christians of this town who have not done the God-given commandment of sharing the gospel.
So yes, Phelps has it right in one way...but so wrong in so many others.
It looks to be a fun week before school starts.
UPDATE: Garrett O'Hara pointed out that Fred Phelps never showed. Good thing I decided it was a waste of time to even go to the churches or school.
posted by Laura Keslar at 9:32 PM | |
My Belated Blogging New Year's Resolutions
Yes, it's a little late (or perhaps early, considering when I started blogging). And yes, it's been done.
But I have had time to think and have become motivated by Evangelical Outpost's suggestions for how to start a blog, though it has been about a year that I have been blogging at Rings of Benzene.
As it is, one of the reasons I started blogging was to learn more and to write better. However, with the rush of school and work and relationships, better writing has been put on hold. My writing even suffered from it while I wrote for the Daily Wildcat.
Part of it was that I refused to spell check anything thinking that my grammar and spelling were just fine. Besides, I was just lazy.
The other part of it was I tend to be rather repetitive in how I write. I typically use the same transitions for paragraphs in each post (or column) that I have written.
I also found that my writing lends itself to be very condescending through the use of rhetorical questions.
Lastly, many of my posts from the last semester have appeared to be rather link-oriented, with little focus on opinions. Or, if it was opinion-focused, they lacked direction and insight, repeating the oft-said beliefs to the point of being repetitious. Something I had suffered from as a columnist for the Wildcat was that I sounded like a ill-informed, ranting college student; that feeling carried over into my blog because of these failures on my part as a writer.
As such, much improvement is needed over this next semester; but if I can fix these issues, I am sure that my writing shall improve.
While some of the more personal resolutions include losing weight (who hasn't said that) and stop procrastinating (as if), I have some for the blog.
Yes, it's a little late (or perhaps early, considering when I started blogging). And yes, it's been done.
But I have had time to think and have become motivated by Evangelical Outpost's suggestions for how to start a blog, though it has been about a year that I have been blogging at Rings of Benzene.
As it is, one of the reasons I started blogging was to learn more and to write better. However, with the rush of school and work and relationships, better writing has been put on hold. My writing even suffered from it while I wrote for the Daily Wildcat.
Part of it was that I refused to spell check anything thinking that my grammar and spelling were just fine. Besides, I was just lazy.
The other part of it was I tend to be rather repetitive in how I write. I typically use the same transitions for paragraphs in each post (or column) that I have written.
I also found that my writing lends itself to be very condescending through the use of rhetorical questions.
Lastly, many of my posts from the last semester have appeared to be rather link-oriented, with little focus on opinions. Or, if it was opinion-focused, they lacked direction and insight, repeating the oft-said beliefs to the point of being repetitious. Something I had suffered from as a columnist for the Wildcat was that I sounded like a ill-informed, ranting college student; that feeling carried over into my blog because of these failures on my part as a writer.
As such, much improvement is needed over this next semester; but if I can fix these issues, I am sure that my writing shall improve.
posted by Laura Keslar at 12:53 AM | |
Wednesday, January 05, 2005
Hasta luego, Rehnquist
I am assuming that his reign as Supreme Court Justice shall be coming to an end and the debates and partisan fighting shall be just beginning as we see who shall fill in the empty space.
It looks as though Rehnquist isn't coming back to the UA to teach.
I am assuming that his reign as Supreme Court Justice shall be coming to an end and the debates and partisan fighting shall be just beginning as we see who shall fill in the empty space.
posted by Laura Keslar at 1:03 PM | |
OT: Crazy Weather
But what's really crazy is the weather. Holy moly. In the east Phoenix area, I heard you all had hail. And Scottsdale even had a tornado warning.
Mt. Lemmon is getting a possible 18" of snow and we have already had so much rain. I was just glad I didn't have to drive from Phoenix to Tucson in the rain. That would have been awful. I had a bad enough time driving in the rain for about five minutes going 40 mph.
Arizona isn't supposed to have weather like this.
My mother told me that she had a crazy conversation with a lady at church who thinks the world is going to end when all the planets are lined up in a straight line.
But what's really crazy is the weather. Holy moly. In the east Phoenix area, I heard you all had hail. And Scottsdale even had a tornado warning.
Mt. Lemmon is getting a possible 18" of snow and we have already had so much rain. I was just glad I didn't have to drive from Phoenix to Tucson in the rain. That would have been awful. I had a bad enough time driving in the rain for about five minutes going 40 mph.
Arizona isn't supposed to have weather like this.
posted by Laura Keslar at 1:00 PM | |
Open for Business
That it prevented small private companies from ever having a chance at gaining access to federally and state funded research because they did not have the resources to buy it from the univeresities?
That it prevented new technologies from penetrating the market?
That it kept Arizona from ever being a bio-tech state?
Oh, I do. I got chewed out several times for saying that it was a good thing that Proposition 102 (it would have allowed for the state to own private stock) was not passed by the people.
But funny how Arizona's economy is ranked by CEOs as one of the best for business. Even better, Phoenix was ranked third as being one of the best cities for business. Funny how that is.
I mean, despite how the state isn't "supportive" by giving out enough subsidies, despite the state's constitution hindering small companies from receiving new technology, despite it all, Arizona is still one of the best states for businesses.
Surprise surprise.
What's even better is that California and Massachusetts, two states where their universities are allowed to obtain private stock in companies, were scored as some of the worse states for businesses.
Anyone else remember the complaints against the Arizona Constitution? Where students, legislators, bureaucrats, and university officials said that with the AZ constitution prohibiting the State or its intities from owning private stock that Arizona economic growth was being hindered?
That it prevented small private companies from ever having a chance at gaining access to federally and state funded research because they did not have the resources to buy it from the univeresities?
That it prevented new technologies from penetrating the market?
That it kept Arizona from ever being a bio-tech state?
Oh, I do. I got chewed out several times for saying that it was a good thing that Proposition 102 (it would have allowed for the state to own private stock) was not passed by the people.
But funny how Arizona's economy is ranked by CEOs as one of the best for business. Even better, Phoenix was ranked third as being one of the best cities for business. Funny how that is.
I mean, despite how the state isn't "supportive" by giving out enough subsidies, despite the state's constitution hindering small companies from receiving new technology, despite it all, Arizona is still one of the best states for businesses.
Surprise surprise.
What's even better is that California and Massachusetts, two states where their universities are allowed to obtain private stock in companies, were scored as some of the worse states for businesses.
posted by Laura Keslar at 12:56 PM | |
Barry Goldwater is the man (so is the Goldwater Institute)
Is it just me or do you love the new layout at the Goldwater Institute?
posted by Laura Keslar at 12:29 PM | |
No way, Jose
To say the least, I felt the same disgust for the name "Angel"; always sounded like a girls name to me. Don't know why any self-respecting parent would name their child that.
But this shift in name changes is to be expected, considering that Arizona is the biggest port of entry for illegals and is home to one of the biggest foreign born populations.
And, expectedly:
The prominence of the name Jose should come as no surprise since Arizona is the second fastest growing state in the Union, with much of its growth in the illegal and legal immigration department (26% of the state's growth during the 1990s is attributed to foreign-born immigrants).
While I am not indicating that hispanic illegal immigrants are over running the state and country nor am I implicating them in the name change, but the shift in names highlights the fact that Arizona's population is a changing one.
This changing population has a potential for increased wealth. But it also has potential for trouble. As much as I dislike the shoddily written Proposition 200 for its lack of ability to do all that much in preventing illegals from using that which is not theirs, it is a step forward in the right direction.
Good thing that it is no longer prevented from becoming a law.
But along the original lines of this post, I am not so much surprised as I am disgusted. Jose is such an icky name.
PS
Desert Rat Ramblings indicates that Jose has now passed Michael as the most popular boys name in Arizona.
To say the least, I felt the same disgust for the name "Angel"; always sounded like a girls name to me. Don't know why any self-respecting parent would name their child that.
But this shift in name changes is to be expected, considering that Arizona is the biggest port of entry for illegals and is home to one of the biggest foreign born populations.
And, expectedly:
The annual arrival of 1.5 million legal and illegal immigrants, coupled with 750,000 annual births to immigrant women, is the determinate factor— or three-fourths— of all U.S. population growth.[Center for Immigration Studies]
The prominence of the name Jose should come as no surprise since Arizona is the second fastest growing state in the Union, with much of its growth in the illegal and legal immigration department (26% of the state's growth during the 1990s is attributed to foreign-born immigrants).
While I am not indicating that hispanic illegal immigrants are over running the state and country nor am I implicating them in the name change, but the shift in names highlights the fact that Arizona's population is a changing one.
This changing population has a potential for increased wealth. But it also has potential for trouble. As much as I dislike the shoddily written Proposition 200 for its lack of ability to do all that much in preventing illegals from using that which is not theirs, it is a step forward in the right direction.
Good thing that it is no longer prevented from becoming a law.
But along the original lines of this post, I am not so much surprised as I am disgusted. Jose is such an icky name.
PS
The numbers reflect the state's rapidly growing Hispanic population and could also explain how Jose became the most popular boy's name in the state in 2004. [Tucson Citizen]No, duh! I mean, unless Anglo women all of a sudden had a desire to name their children "Jose," I doubt there could have been any other reason.
posted by Laura Keslar at 12:15 PM | |
While I have been gone (or the things that I care about enough to comment on)
Eric Spratling, formerly of the State Press, is no longer blogging at his old college blog but now back to his more personal one and his hero-worship blog, as well. Hopefully he updates more often than he used to.
The long-awaited blog-update by Luke Duke at Puzzlestud has made Laura very happy. Maybe he shall post more than the one update during these next six months than he did the past six months.
Proposition 200 is now law, or so indicates The Desert Tusk via
Speed of Thought. I am just wondering what happened about the litigation from the opposite spectrum that was arguing that the proposition was meant to be more wide-spread than how the State interpreted it.
Eh, I came back to find that I had 880 posts that I havent looked at. Consider that daunting for the person who normally has only 50 posts that are unread. Bah. So I am lazy and only commenting on the most important things (at least to me).
Eric Spratling, formerly of the State Press, is no longer blogging at his old college blog but now back to his more personal one and his hero-worship blog, as well. Hopefully he updates more often than he used to.
The long-awaited blog-update by Luke Duke at Puzzlestud has made Laura very happy. Maybe he shall post more than the one update during these next six months than he did the past six months.
Proposition 200 is now law, or so indicates The Desert Tusk via
Speed of Thought. I am just wondering what happened about the litigation from the opposite spectrum that was arguing that the proposition was meant to be more wide-spread than how the State interpreted it.
posted by Laura Keslar at 10:02 AM | |
Sunday, January 02, 2005
Long time no see
Been away from the good ol' blog for...let's see, about a month? Blame finals and the holidays.
But now that the new year has started, perhaps I can start back up good and steady, eh? Call it one of my New Year's Resolution (that and losing the ten pounds I gained in the past two weeks).
All in all, it shall be a nice year. Except for the fact that I found out that although I got accepted for an interview with the College of Pharmacy, they did not happen to get my application fee on time due to the holiday and their taking a two week vacation. Last time I logged into their site, it said that my application was rejected. So it looks as though I shall be getting that BS in chemistry after all.
That just means I get to graduate in a year from now. Yippee.
Ah, I suppose I shall do a rounding up of all the news in Arizona that I missed. Or something like that. Suppose that is a great way to start the year.
So yes, Happy New Year!
PS Guess what I got for Christmas? A giganto Israeli flag from the boyfriend. That and a car, but that was from Mom and Dad.
Ok, enough with the personals.
So it is the new year. Happy new year?
Been away from the good ol' blog for...let's see, about a month? Blame finals and the holidays.
But now that the new year has started, perhaps I can start back up good and steady, eh? Call it one of my New Year's Resolution (that and losing the ten pounds I gained in the past two weeks).
All in all, it shall be a nice year. Except for the fact that I found out that although I got accepted for an interview with the College of Pharmacy, they did not happen to get my application fee on time due to the holiday and their taking a two week vacation. Last time I logged into their site, it said that my application was rejected. So it looks as though I shall be getting that BS in chemistry after all.
That just means I get to graduate in a year from now. Yippee.
Ah, I suppose I shall do a rounding up of all the news in Arizona that I missed. Or something like that. Suppose that is a great way to start the year.
So yes, Happy New Year!
PS Guess what I got for Christmas? A giganto Israeli flag from the boyfriend. That and a car, but that was from Mom and Dad.
Ok, enough with the personals.
posted by Laura Keslar at 3:49 PM | |
