Divided We Fall

Sometimes tough decisions, that you really don’t want to make, have to be made for what you love.

When I was young I remember thoroughly enjoying wildlife. I watched every nature documentary that was available on basic cable, and literally celebrated when Animal Planet came into existence (I am still to this day disappointed that it isn’t all documentaries). Going along with this animal obsession, I loved a movie about a cheetah. I do not recall what it was called, but I know the general story line of the movie. Basically two children find a baby cheetah whose mother has been killed and raise her until she is full grown. They then, because they love her, have to set her free. Neither the children nor the cheetah want to be separated from one another. Going against every intuition they have, the children throw rocks at the cheetah until she runs away.

The right decisions often go against every intuition.

The same general story can apply to teamwork. Sometimes, people who do not even like each other, who have opposite views on how certain situations should be handled, have to work together. During this campaign season we see a nation divided in what I sometimes think is a frightening way. The division of democrats and republicans has existed for years, but this division was ignored for quite some time after 9/11. People were AMERICAN and that is all that mattered. It was all about doing what was needed to protect the homeland, to ensure security (even if some politicians obviously abused this power).

So why in a time when the far-reaching effects of a horribly run government and a crooked presidential administration have finally caught up with us (and not many politicians deny this) are we unwilling to work together? The 700 Billion Dollar bail out plan has not passed the vote. I do not know how I feel about the plan itself, but I do know that I am just fed up with the politicians of America. SINCE WHEN can we not get off of our high horses and work together when our country is in need? The militia during the Revolutionary War got over their personal differences and worked together to turn the tide of it. I am sure that the many heroes of 9/11 had different viewpoints when it came to politics, yet that did not stop them from saving so many. I guess what it really comes down to is this: our political system does not work anymore. Some thing has to change, and soon. Don’t start screaming “RADICAL!” yet either, hear me out.

If the governmental leaders that America has elected to keep the country stable, and the people safe, refuse to get over their partisan affiliations to do so, something is inherently wrong with the system. I do not claim to know what can fix this problem, I only want to bring it to people’s attention. SOMETHING has to change, and I wouldn’t be surprised if something major does, very soon. It will take more than a new president to reform this crooked nation run by politicians looking for votes and fat wallets before they look for the common good.

Perhaps it will take a little hope, real hope. Our country had that once.

She's Just Not That Into You

I was talking to one of my good guy friends today and realized that men are utterly clueless when it comes to women. Obviously this is a well known fact, but I think their ignorance goes deeper than what I had originally imagined. Below I have compiled a list, with the help of a few of my girlfriends, to aid men when they are trying to date. The most important thing to remember, guys, is that women won’t actually SAY what they want to, they will try to signal you to their true feelings by a series of actions. Also, keep in mind that you are not deserving of all women, no matter how great you think you are. Some women aren’t just playing hard to get, they ARE.

SIGNS SHE DOESN’T CONSIDER IT A DATE:

-She looks pissed when you try to pay for her

-Her arms are crossed throughout the entire movie

-She doesn’t talk to you much during the movie (not even during previews)

-She talks about herself throughout dinner and doesn’t ask about you

-She keeps looking at her watch

-She says she is inviting friends to come with

-She wears a tshirt and jeans when she normally dresses up

-She leaps out of your car as soon as you pull up by her apartment


THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:

-Just because a girl snuggles with you doesn’t mean she’s into you

-Sometimes girls will kiss you goodbye just so you’ll leave

-If you have been friends with a girl for awhile, and she asks if you are still dating someone, this DOES NOT MEAN SHE HAS FEELINGS FOR YOU. Sometimes girls are just your friends, and that is it. Making conversation about significant others is something friends do, it is a common practice. Get over yourself and realize she is just trying to be friendly. If she wanted to come on to you, she would.

-If she cancels plans, she doesn’t want to date you

-If she kisses you when she is drunk, it doesn’t count as a kiss. Refer to this quote from the movie Death at a Funeral:
Justin: You can't fight what we had together. Martha: Justin, it was one night. It was a massive mistake. I was drunk out of my mind. You could have been a donkey!

-If she always tells you about plans she has later in the evening, she doesn’t want to date you

-If you tell her to pick a restaurant and she picks one that is geared towards children, she doesn’t want to date you

-If she talks more about her cat and tv shows than her actual interests, she doesn’t want to date you

-If she never calls you except to cancel or see what your status is on plans that you made, she doesn’t want to date you

-If she hasn’t added you on Facebook and you know she has an account, she doesn’t have a thing for you

-If she flat out ignores every compliment like you didn’t say it, she doesn’t want to date you

-If you are hanging out with her and some of your guy friends, and she starts flirting with them, she is looking for a way out

-If she mentions her ex in passing conversation, she is not ready to date you

-If she avoids your phone calls/texts/emails/instant messages/Facebook messages she doesn’t want to date you

-If you write on her Facebook wall and she deletes it, she doesn’t want to date you

-If she refers to you as her “friend” to everyone she introduces you to, she doesn’t want to date you

-If you work with her and you aren’t having sex in the broom closet, she doesn’t want to date you

-If you are the one that asks her to spend time with you, and never the other way around, she doesn’t want to date you


Perhaps these clues can help the clueless among you to take a hint, and quit going after girls that have no intention at all of dating you. These should also help you recognize the ones that might be interested.

Slanted Media, Dangerous Statistics

I have known for a long time that the media was slanted. I learned in high school the power of an unbiased question on a survey or poll. Results of a poll or survey are not reliable if a question is slanted in any way. Slanted questions lead to slanted statistics (as if they couldn’t be skewed even based upon reliable questions).

Today I thought I would punch someone when I read this story. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26612538/

It wasn’t the subject matter that made me so mad; it was the way the story was written. The statistics used were so slanted in their portrayal it made me want to scream. Here, is one example:

“More than 5,000 U.S. teens die each year in car crashes. The rate of crashes, fatal and nonfatal, per mile driven for 16-year-old drivers is almost 10 times the rate for drivers ages 30 to 59, according to the National Highway Safety Administration. Many industrialized countries in Europe and elsewhere have a driving age of 17 or 18.”

It is like they have totally disregarded the age group that they are intending on shifting the driving age to. Perhaps looking at the statistics involved with those ages 17-18 would be something important to look at. Or drivers ages 19-25.

There is a poll at the end of this article that is such a leading question it makes me want to be sick. Here is what it says:

Do you think states should raise the age for getting a driver's license? * 8339 responses

Yes. Raising the driving age would help save lives. (65%)

No. Teens can be responsible as adults when driving. (35%)


If a poll is going to be given as a yes/no option the two answer choices have to be the opposite of each other. They cannot contain different explanations. The way this poll is written is obviously trying to steer people to vote yes. Because making the age higher would save lives, but that isn’t necessarily because teens are not as responsible as adults when they are driving. If everyone stopped driving today it would also save lives.

At the very end of MSNBC’s horribly written article is an attempt to seem unbiased. In this section they talk about the debate over the driving age, citing examples of how states have dealt with the danger of teen drivers without raising the age. The survey, however, is before this section in the article. Also, they still fail to discuss traffic accidents that are caused by drivers older than 16 that are not caused by alcohol. They say “Karen Sternheimer, a University of Southern California sociologist who studies accident statistics, cited federal data from 2007 showing that drivers ages 25 to 34, as well as those ages 45 to 64, were nearly twice as likely to be involved in alcohol-related fatalities as 16- to 20-year-old drivers.” But this is obvious. With the ability to go to bars comes an increase in drunk driving. This still does not even begin to address the issue of dangerous teen driving.

Perhaps MSNBC needs to reevaluate their writing technique

Damsel in Distress Disorder

I opened my eyes and found myself in a war zone outside of a high school. I sat in the back seat of a car, my body draped over a set of screaming twin girls who appeared to be around four years old. With a shocked breath I assessed the situation and realized that the girls needed to get into the building in order to stand any sort of chance. The problem was that the people shooting at us were on the roof of the school. Taking a chance I unbuckled both girls, wrapped them in my arms and started to sprint toward the school.

Suddenly I was inside, seemingly unhurt, and the girls were being taken from me. I saw in the eyes of the woman who took them that they would be safe. It was then that I collapsed on the floor, trying to figure out how I had gotten into this strange and dangerous situation. I was shaking from apparent shock and couldn’t get my facts in order. As I was shivering, wondering if I was about to be killed, I glanced up into the most caring and nervous eyes I had ever seen. The opal color of the eyes threw me off, until I realized I wasn’t frightened. He reached his arms out and circled me in them, and I knew he would keep me safe.
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It is strange, this endless desire to be rescued. I keep finding myself hoping to be in a horribly trapped situation with my life or mental well being on the line. I don’t want this to happen per say, but I am willing to let it occur if someone rescues me like they did in my dream. Perhaps I could be saved by a dashing man in clothes that I do not even notice because his eyes are so pained at the thought of losing me in any way.

I am not alone in fantasies of this nature; it seems that most women can relate to desires such as this. There are books and movies that play off of this constant want to be helpless just so someone can save you. The Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer is one such example. It doesn’t seem to be the fact that Bella isn’t afraid of vampires in this series that is so enthralling. It is the utter adoration that Edward has for her. The love is evident, but it is the fact that she is truly helpless and he saves her many times that sells the books.

Is it simply an evolutionary quality, women’s constant need to be rescued and feel safe? Perhaps it is a hand-me-down emotion that has been inherited from the days of pack mentalities. Being saved by a man could be on par with having an alpha protect the pack and the cubs within it. Perhaps despite the women’s liberation movements, they, along with men, are still driven by instinct.

Or perhaps, I just need a boyfriend.