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Wow, I’ve gotten completely lazy with this thing.  I owe it to professors increasing the work load before break by 2000%.  OH Joy!  I planned on writing about two things:  the “What’s Morally Wrong With Homosexuality” lecture”, and my first panel experience for the education board of spectrum.  I’ll sum them up for you.  John Corvino, “the gay moralist” gave a lovely lecture on ideas surrounding homosexuality.  Like a dummy, I forgot to bring a pen and a notepad to take notes.  So I’ll tell you all the notes I took on the notepad in my cellphone.  ”Leviticous; slavery… If everyone was a catholic priest there’d be no society (He went to Notre Dame and they wouldn’t let him start a GLBTQ organization); Surgeon General represents lesbianism… AIDS; The parts don’t fit… yes they do; Unnatural- animals don’t provide us with sexual standards; Nature/Nurture- peoples discomfort; that’s weird, unnatural, wrong; Why do you have to be so open? Straight people are… “your father and I aren’t” yes you are, you talk about wives, husbands, boyfriends, girlfriends, your kids”.  So there are my crappy cellphone notes from that, do what you will with them.

As for the panel, it was fabulous!  Me along with two other girls answered many questions from an audience of 34 I believe.  The other two girls identified as pansexual and gender queer/stacie… her name is stacie.  It was interesting.  We were answering questions on behalf of “Safe Zone Training” which is an organization that provides questioning, confused, concerned students about their sexuality with a safe, nonjudgemental place to talk.  The questions we were asked ranged from “how do you get treated on this campus” to “how’d your family and friends react”?  I was very pleased with the interests everyone took in it.  I actually felt as though I was opening the minds of other people.  Hopefully I can participate in another panel.

Finally… tomorrow is Thanksgiving.  I can’t wait.  I’ve been hungry for it since a couple weeks ago.  As usual my dad and Ms. Darlene started cooking Sunday so the house has been smelling delicious every since I got here yesterday.  As usual there’s a million and one place settings because the house is going to be full to capacity with black people.  YAY!  As usual, I love being home.  I have space to move in my shower, I have plenty of room to relax, home cooked food, and friends who have been with me since the beginning.  You know, it always unsettles me, or makes me slightly uncomfortable that many people celebrate holidays without knowing exactly what they’re celebrating.  But it’s ok, because it brings family together and hopefully memorable times, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

That’s all I have for now.  I’ll try to update more often, but finals week is around the bend (KILL ME).  My birthday is coming up too! December 8th.  I’ll be an old lady.

Keeping My Interests.

Well, today in Communications 143: Introduction to Mass Media, I sat and listened to a 1 hour and 15 minute lecture and felt neither groggy or bored.  Mind you this lecture begins at 9:30am ECT (Early College Time), so it’s a bit difficult to stay engaged and listen.  But today I was successful in doing that, but the topic of today’s discussion didn’t hurt either.

Today’s lecture topic was labeled “Magazines and the Politics of Community and Identity”.  Seems pretty “banal” (a word my professor loves using), however the complete focus was around the Gay Press.  He used gay press as the topic for today’s focus because it displayed many of the key characteristics of contemporary magazine that most people won’t ever recognize.  The gay press exemplifies: fragmentation of the magazine industry, lifestyle commercialization, media as a primary socializing agent, and media, imagined community, and identity.  I won’t explain those foundation building blocks, but that was kind of his rational for using the gay press as his focus on lecture.

Of course when I saw this projected onto the two giant screens in front of the lecture hall I was thrilled!  However, I wasn’t sure how the rest of my lecture mates would respond to this topic.  I do go to Miami University Oxford which follows the trend of America as it pertains to conservatism.  As our guest lectures (The man who wrote my Mass Communications Book) on News Media Biased and Journalism told us, Miami University tends to parallel the views of America, i.e, a lot of conservative viewpoints.  Bottom line, I was interested to see how the class would react to the lecture.  Sidenote:  By the way, there are tons of gay friendly people here, well I should say lesbian Kara friendly people.  Could be because I don’t fit the stereotypical fat, butch, self-loathing lesbian?  But I’m glad I’m informing people about the GLBT spectrum.  Whenever someone has something ignorant to say about GLBT I simply take the time to explain to them a different viewpoint.  It usually goes well.

So, he lectures about the atmosphere in America during the Pre-Stonewall riots period.  He asked if anyone knew what stonewall was and I looked back to see if anyone was raising their hand, as expected their were 0 out of 226 hands raised.  Of course I took it upon myself to shoot my hand up and answer his question briefly of what Stonewall was.  And for a side note, I sit in the very front of the lecture hall directly in front of the stage so I’m very visible to every one behind me, and the bright highlighter yellow-green hoody I was wearing didn’t hurt either.  Clearly I don’t mind being a stand out, in fact I prefer it, especially at Miami.

The rest of his lecture essentially went through the history of gay magazines from One, which was more like a news letter started in 1952, to current publications like Out, The Advocate, Girlfriends, and numerous other publications.  He discussed Supreme Court cases, social context issues of the 60s and 70s, gay vague advertising, and just a whole slew of topics pertaining to gay magazines.  He was showing a “Got Milk” ad in a magazine for an example of Gay Vague advertisement and he couldn’t think of the women’s name featured in it and I was like “Suze Orman”!  Then I felt, woah, slow the lesbian down… haha.  I was just excited, but his lecture continues on Tuesday and I’m excited to see what else is in store.

Speaking of sinful homosexuals, tonight at 7:00pm is a lecture called “What’s Morally Wrong with Homosexuality” by Wayne State University Associate Professor Dr. John Corvino.”He will be speaking as a philosopher, a moralist and as a gay rights advocate on the contentiousness of homosexuality. Dr. Corvino will discuss the most popular accusations against homosexuality’s morality and will ultimately argue that homosexuality is not immoral; but rather we have a moral obligation to treat gay people (and all people) fairly”.  Clearly I’m attending this, I feel like I should audio record with my laptop.

Continuing on the rainbow road, Monday I’m participating in my first panel for the Spectrum Education Board.  It’s basically to inform Resident Housing Association members why they should join safe zone.  Safe zone is an organization here on campus that promotes and open door policy to discuss any feelings one might be having about homosexuality.  It’s a safe, confidential, comfortable atmosphere.  So I guess we’re just going to be asked a few questions and we answer them from our experiences and point of views.   Again, hoping to the circulate the importance and image of the GLBT community

In closing, it’s just very inspiring and plain old awesome to have a lecture that sparks your interests again.  When this happens, tons of ideas about the future just start flying through your head and you don’t know where to start.  What’s for me in the future?! I don’t know I have too many interests.  I want to study the behavior and pattern’s of specific groups of people and how they interact with media, somehow I would like to be in the music business, I also feel the strong need to be involved with gay rights activism, I think advertising is interesting.  I JUST DON’T KNOW!  Having the broad major as Mass Communications helps I guess.

Tanget:  This is the facebook status I saw of one of my super conservative, yet lover of Cher, Adam Lambert, Elton John, and other sparkly people, facebook friends “Why does the media always attack smart conservative women like Sarah Palin, Carrie Prejean, and Ann Coulter”.  All I have to say is “ARE YOU FUCKING SERIOUS”?  By the way, Carrie Prejeans fit on Larry King was hilarious.  If you check it out, look at the way she’s trying to sale her book.

Hate.

I ABSOLUTELY LOATHE THE STEELERS.  Seriously.   They make me cringe.  I don’t care that Ben went here.  Please, Bengals, take care of them this Sunday.

By the way… the people right above my room, room 205.  Your sex is really loud and your bed is extremely squeaky from down here.  Please try to calm that down or pick appropriate hours of the day to partake in set activities, or buy WD40 for the springs on your bed.  Thank You, your downstairs neighbors.

Lazy.

I’m so lazy, particularly this week. Halloween was fun.  I was the website text from last night.com.  I’m lazy.  So, check out this website.  You can relieve 101 historical moments.  Super Awesome.  Awesomeness

 

Oh, and tell me these photos of abandoned theaters aren’t creepy

Bad. Good?

I’m terrible at prioritizing.  I mean… who wants to sit and study for a test?  I’d much rather hangout with my friends.  Which is the choice I choose 98% of the time.  It’s terribly difficult to force me to study or do HW.   But what if I died tomorrow?  I can say I made some good times with some good friends.

Nutshell.

This is a magazine article posted in my lovely University’s magazine called Miami Quarterly.  It’s an anonymous letter written from a waitress who I assume works at one of the restaurants uptown.  Sums up the image of Miami in a nutshell I think.  Brilliant as the love Cassie says .  I still like my school despite our snooty image, complaining won’t change anything.

By the way, check out some of the other articles on their internet version of the magazine, especially our haunted history.

Clearly You Can’t See That… So, here’s what she had to say:

Oh how I love thee. You and your Karisma bags filled with size -3 pants that cost $900 each walk into my restaurant. I smile enthusiastically as I come to your table, eager to serve no one but you. I’ve been waiting

all day just for you two, my only customers. I count the hours until you walk through that door and then my heart jumps for joy, as you look over the menu, in your Ralph Lauren outfits with a confused look on your faces. 

I admire your devotion to the brand and the fact that if it were a religion, you (and the credit card your parents pay for) would be the most devout followers of

Ralph Lauren-ism.

As I cheerily state my name, one of you cuts me off with your request for a cup of soup and a water. A grand total of $10 for you and your friend combined. Don’t worry about knowing my name, just cut me off and tell me exactly what you want. I am your humble, lowly slave. In fact, please just snap your fingers in the air and no matter how busy I am or how far away I am, I’ll know that you need me for something minuscule. Like the saying goes, “every time a bell rings an angel gets its wings,” every time you snap at a waitress, her self-worth goes up a whole half of a point. It’s just what she lives for … to be snapped at by spoiled, rude people.

I work quickly to get the items to you and savor all

the time you spend speaking with your friend about important things like celebrity gossip, how many times you’ve been tanning today and how you need to go to cvs to get some more platinum Miami blonde hair dye while gazing at your expensive fake nails to see if they look just right. Oh, I know I was supposed to go home at 2 p.m., but having you come in at one and sit around until four is just fine. I love to spend extra hours working when I have a ten-page paper due tomorrow – but

that’s my fault for having to work so much and put myself through school. At least I’ll have the privilege of making some money for the great job I did serving you. I would just fall to pieces if I didn’t have you, sweetie-pie.

You finally snap your fingers at me as I walk by. You

ask for the check. I have six other tables, but no matter – you, my darling, are the only one I have eyes for at this very moment and I know you know that since that’s how it’s been your whole life. You’re the apple of your daddy’s eye and mine too. I let out a sigh of gratitude as I gingerly hand you your checks and curtsy as I back away and thank you so very much for coming to my restaurant and getting soup and a water. It’s a good thing you didn’t

miamiquarterlyonline.com

go to a coffee shop where there aren’t any waitresses and you can sit for as long as you want and you don’t have

to tip anyone regardless of the total amount of things

you bought. That would be a waste of time, so instead, please, oh please waste my time instead.

You rise from your seats, Vera Bradley / Coach casecovered Blackberries in hand and turn to leave the restaurant, Karisma goodies in tow. I wave goodbye and thank you for coming in and you gracefully ignore me while your friend murmurs something that sounded like “thanks” … or maybe she just sneezed. Nevermind. I watch you leave and count the minutes until you return.

I turn to clear your table and the whole 30 cents that lie there are like a beacon of hope – to me, my wallet and my Miami bill for going here. Now I can buy a whole bag of penny candy at the old fashioned candy shop down the street or perhaps a slingshot. Don’t worry bad tipper, I won’t spend my 30 cents all in one place. Who tips at least 20 percent anymore, anyway? Not you.

You have no concept of that idea because you’ve never waited tables, but that’s okay. I can only hope to see you soon and that the tip you leave next time will be a modest 10 percent. Perhaps even 20 percent if you have your wits about you.

The Waitress

Jokes.

As much as I let people make jokes about me being a lesbian and as much as I think it’s hilarious, sometimes it affects me.  In the sense that I have no one, absolutely no one here to relate with.  At least no one who’s close-ish to me.  It might not seem like a big deal, but it kind of is because no one really understands where you’re coming from.  It’s always comforting to share similar experiences.  I guess I’m not making a hard enough effort to seek out those people.  I’ve met a few, but none of them are exactly the kind I want to make friends with.  Beggers can’t be choosers I know, but still.  But I do thank my friends here for dealing with my almost obnoxious (I suppose) straight forward “lesbian” comments and other mentions.  But then again… who else am I suppose to go to?

Ah! the thought of me being single for even longer than I am/have been is also constantly lingering above my head. And Miami is probably the last place I would be able to fill that void.  And you all know I’m the biggest hopeless romantic. It’s sickening.  But I guess that’s not always bad.  I can focus more on school, and continue being straight girls “experiments”.  I don’t mind that either because it’s fun I suppose.  And if one more person tells me “I think you’re going to end up straight with a big muscle man husband who plays a sport,” I’m going ape shit.  ARE YOU FUCKIN SERIOUS?  sheesh, don’t even get me started.  Seriously… stick yourself in my slip-on shoes.  It’s not all rainbows and  happy flannel shirts all the time.

P.s Clearly I’m making a habit of blogging in wee hours of the morning.

And I’ve had the same cough for at least a month.  I think.  What the hell?

Birthday

Today was my suitemate Hannah’s birthday.  So me and my other roommates decorated mini birthday pumpkins, had a cake, and made paper flowers.  She also got a 180g ipod from her mom.  But the best birthday present hands down she received was from her best friend.  They became best friends junior year in HS and she also went to Miami last year, but unfortunately transferred to a different school for this year.  Well the birthday present her best friend gave her was a scrap book.  But not just any old run of the mill scrap book.  This was the most beautifully decorated well done thing I’ve ever seen.  Just by the looks of it I could tell it took months to work on.  Inside the scrap book each page was devoted to a different friend or person in her life.  Her friend emailed a long list of people in the summer time and asked them to write a few nice words or anything you want to share with hannah.  So I had a page, her roommate had a page, her stepmom, mom, and dad had pages, people she’s worked with.  Each page was decorated with special pictures and items that are relevant to each letter.  I’m telling you this girl Hannah has honestly 20 really really best friends and not just acquaintances.  She was reading the letters out loud to us and they were beautifully written from each friend.  Hannah, Kelsey, and I even cried when she read the ones from her parents.  Bottom line, I’ve never seen a better birthday present in my life. Her friend even taped two secret letters inside the back cover.  She opened it, and one was written from God’s standpoint, and the other from her puppies that died a while ago.

The gift was just so well thought out.  Honestly, it couldn’t have gone to a better human being.  Yes, me and Hannah are COMPLETELY different in EVERY single way.  I mean EVERY way.  But there’s something about her.  She’s so wholesome, so religious, so cute and little.  Like a ball of light that never gets angry.  She can make the angriest man smile.  She works so hard, and doesn’t take the breaks she deserves.  Loves to sing, has the voice and smile of an angel, has the cutest laugh ever.  So many people love her on a deeper level than just a superficial friendship. And I totally understand why they do now.  She’s very lucky to have such devoted friends.  Her friend drove down from Dayton to surprise her on her birthday and hand deliver the scrap book even though Hannah was going home this weekend to get it.  If that’s not a true friendship, I don’t know what is.

Pain.

Well I’m in pain due to a variety of reasons.  One of the stronger ones stemming from my deathly double-over cramps that just love to occupy me for about a week.  Luckily I’m numb from them (thank you pills).  Also, my right lateral area on my bicep region has been in pain for a while.  I have to clue what’s going on there.  But the most pain I’m in comes from someone else.  If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s to see a friend hurt or upset.  It’s 330am and I’m still up.  My newest cherished friend, who happens to be my roommate is very upset right now.  I’ve never seen her like this.  It’s honestly breaking my heart.  I’m not really great at handling these types of situations, however, we talked and I think I did pretty good on this one.  I hate seeing people suffer, especially the ones I love the most.  I hate feeling powerless.  I always feel like it’s my job to fix it…

Also, it’s my suitemates birthday.  She’s 20 today! I swear to bob, she’s thee cutest little midwestern/southern/western girl you’ll ever meet.  The cutest laugh, brightest smile, brightest blue eyes I’ve ever seen, freckles.  She’s so adorable.  S0 polite.  I love the girls I live with despite how completely different we may be.

Metal Mouth.

Well… I’m conjuring up the days of my youth at the moment due to the awesome metal retainer I’m wearing in my mouth.  My orthodontist told me to wear it as often as possible, which means of course I’m wearing it all the time.  It’s the first time I’ve had my retainer in probably 2 or 3 years.  I think I left my old one at a restaurant.  My teeth look much better already.  Sadly, I will no longer be able to whistle through the gap I’ve come to love to pass idle time.

Speaking of metal mouth, do you guys remember the Halloween episode of Daria?  It featured a few horror stories and one of them was called “Metal Mouth”.  I LOVE that episode.  That show in general.

P.S. I just finished my second pizza lunchable in two days.  I don’t care how suicidal unhealthy those things are for you, I’ll never get tired of eating the deliciousness in a tiny plastic container! However, I’m angry they got rid of the small spreading stick, and the desert pizza chocolate frosting and M&M’s.  Do they still sell that kind?