How Do You Know When You're in Love?

A first for me, I'm using my blog as a means to complete a homework assignment. The subject is Psychology and the assignment is to collect 1 short paragraph from a series of people answering the question: "How can a person know when he or she is in love with someone?"

So, help a girl out with her homework? Please?

Thanksgiving, Oh Boy

While each family has their own little quirks, I truly believe my family has had some strange times that nobody else can replicate. Especially during the holidays. Take this holiday for instance. My mother put her nursing degree to good use by injecting the turkey with butter. And yes, with a real needle. Probably one of the disposable needles we use for allergy shots for my brother and father. And speaking of butter, we managed to use two whole pounds of butter for our feast. Granted, it wasn't an ideal primal Thanksgiving, but we definitely nailed the high fat aspect of the diet. Dinner conversation was nice enough, until we brought up girls my brother is guilty of texting which launched into a huge discussion about sex, condoms, and the maturity needed for meaningful sexual relations. Poor mom was reminded of her fear of her babies having babies. Thankfully there's always wine in the house. We washed dishes to Christmas music and Harry Belafonte, and Dad and I watched The Fountainhead before bed. Considering my parents are in the process of getting a divorce, it could have been much more wild and dysfunctional.

So what is there to be thankful for? Alternative cooking techniques, a diet that embraces my love for butter and bacon, open communication in the family which helps prevent teenage pregnancies, holiday liquor, good music, Objectivism, a very amiable divorce, and my crazy, unique, loud, funny, outspoken family that I love.

Yeah, I think that's good. :)

I'm Really Girly Today

Home again.

1. My sister (AKA Diva of the Family) did my hair and makeup today. And she did well. I feel pretty.
   
2. I did some pregame for Black Friday by going to a few stores, trying on clothes, then logging what items I wanted and what size so I could get in and out quick Friday morning. Hope it works.
3. I danced around in my leotard in my huge basement.
   

Twilight Hysteria is Unhealthy

Yes! Finally somebody takes a serious look at the literary quality of the Twilight series (not just fantasizing about Edward's perfect topaz eyes) and sees it for what it is: crap. You can read it here.

The typical Twilight fangirl response to this would be (after shocked and indignant gasps of horror), "Well have you even Breaking Dawn?" No, I have not read the crowning finale to the series. I don't need to. I got through the first book, but couldn't get more than a few chapters into New Moon because Bella's pages of whining and pining over Edward wasn't going anywhere, and I had better things to do then trudge through an empty plot. I was given the rundown on the plot of the rest of the books: Bella and Edward get married, there's crazy violent sex that leaves Bella battered and bruised, then there's a pregnancy which rips her apart (literally), she nearly dies, but then Edward finally makes her a vampire to save her. All the while Edward is beautifully moody about the dire nature of his soul, Bella assures him he's a perfect being, and Jacob the werewolf sulks in the corner.

And this is the great romance of our times? Bella, a wholly undeveloped character, falls madly in love with Edward, also an undeveloped character (besides detailed description of his physique), for reasons unstated. Her passion is so intense that his leaving causes her nightmares and an addiction for danger. When Bella is with Edward she's constantly in a state of physical pain and peril. She literally wants to die for him. She wants him to kill her so they can be together forever. And this is the romance millions of girls (and women) are falling all over themselves to have? The ultimate goal is death by love? What? That kind of love is unhealthy. It's a dangerous pathology that leads to battered women.

So can we please calm down with the Twilight hysteria and look for a love story of substance?

Lost and Found, Dancers, Turkey!

Hello downtime!

1. I'm pretty sure I found the yearbook's missing flash today. I checked it out several weeks ago, but haven't had it on me because I thought I turned it back into the Talisman. Gear checkout didn't have it either. I was scrambling to find it (may I remind you it's a few hundred dollars to replace) and thought to try checkout again, this time more thoroughly. Low ad behold there it was. Yes! My savings are safe!
2. I'm working my way towards completing my final portfolio in lighting. I'm hoping to continue with my dancers theme, but it's hard because of scheduling. But I had a great shoot last night with an engaged couple in my dance class. And they asked me to shoot their wedding!
   
3. It's Thanksgiving break! I can't wait to flex my domestic skills cooking dinner!
   

Insightful Little Cartoon

Beware of the snake oil salesman pandering the latest government panacea:

This Weekend

Some good things from this weekend:

1. Signing Santa was this Saturday. I had a blast signing on skates and getting my picture with Santa (haven't done that in many years). It was covered by both the local and college newspapers, and the extra publicity is gret to try to get the American Sign Language minor back.
   
2. It was my brother's birthday Saturday as well. He had his first wrestling tournament that day and won 2nd in his weight class. I didn't get to see any of his matches, but I will next week!
3. I started reading a book about starting my own business. It got me thinking about what I wanted to photograph. The typical senior portrait and weddings won't cut it for me in the long run, but luckily I was watching So You Think You Can Dance at the time. I realized that dance and other performing arts have a real need for photos and video. It's something I love and it's not as formulaic as hooting weddings. I have a niche now! Exciement!

The History of Big Government

I recently finished "The Rise of American Big Government: A Brief History of How We Got Here" by Michael Dahlen from The Objective Standard. It details from the 19th century to today how America went from a mostly laissez-faire capitalist system to the socialist nanny-state fiasco it is today. The article also describes the positive effects of free enterprise as well as the negative effects of government regulation in the economy.

Here are the opening paragraphs:

"Nineteenth-century America was the closest thing to capitalism—a system in which government is limited to protecting individual rights—that has ever existed. There was no welfare state, no central bank, no fiat money, no deficit spending to speak of, no income tax for most of the century, and no federal regulatory agencies or antitrust laws until the end of the century. Consequently, total (federal, state, and local) government spending averaged a mere 3.26 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The Constitution’s protection of individual rights and limitation on the power of government gave rise to an economy in which individuals were free to pursue their own interests, to start new businesses, and to create as much wealth as their ability and ambition allowed. This near laissez-faire politico-economic system led to the freest, most innovative, and wealthiest nation in history.

Since the beginning of the 20th century, however, capitalism and freedom have been undermined by an explosion in the size and power of government: Total government spending has increased from 6.61 percent of GDP in 1907 to a projected 45.19 percent of GDP in 2009; the dollar has lost more than 95 percent of its value due to the Federal Reserve’s inflationary policies; top marginal income tax rates have been as high as 94 percent; entitlement programs now constitute more than half of the federal budget; and businesses are hampered and hog-tied by more than eighty thousand pages of regulations in the Federal Register."

I found it refreshing to read a history of the Industrial Revolution, Great Depression, and WWII economy that was backed up with facts and objective analysis. Anytime I learned about those times in school, it was always tainted with leftist overtones. The industrialists were robber barons, children were forced to work in unhealthy conditions, workers were exploited, and the government rode in on it's white horse to save America from greedy monopolies. When talking about business at that time my Western Civilizations teacher actually said in class that communism is the best economic system, but people aren't good enough to practice it. At the time I felt in my gut that she was wrong, but I had no ammunition of real facts. This article was a good reeducation for that time period.

The article is only available in part online for non-subscribers. I suggest you subscribe to the journal (60% off till November 30!), buy a PDF of this article, or head to Barnes & Noble and pick up a the current issue!

Dresses, Bellydancing, and a Hand Turkey

Meh. I'm so tired.

1. I got to see (online at least) what Andrea's bridal gown and my bridesmaid dress will be. The wedding is unofficially in March.
2. I photographed bellydancers today and had a blast. It makes me want to take classes. The girls looked so powerful and confident with their movements. Plus it looks like a ton of fun.
   
3. The first thing Samm said to me when she walked in the dorm was, "I made a hand turkey!" Who says you're too old to do crafts.
   

FIVE Good Things!

Today was a really good day! There's way more than 3 Good Things!

1. I had a great "ghetto light" shoot at the Air Evac Lifeteam base. Check it out.
2. I got a lovely and encouraging email from Brian Masck about changing my major. It made me smile.
   
3. The Bosnia to Bowling Green gallery is officially open!
4. I did two photo shoots, did some shopping, went to an Deaf community event, played around with studio lights, and got a ton of homework done. Today was one of those rare busy but not anxious days. I could use more of those.
5. Rainy day + guard nostalgia = spinning my umbrella like a dork and not caring who saw.