Just waiting for Kaylee to get home from work. Emily is at the family computer, typing away. She is waiting, too. The three of us will be meeting our dad at Ruby Tuesday this evening for a family dinner out. It's been a while, and I'm looking forward to it. I do wish I had known about it sooner, for just about an hour or two ago, I made macaroni and cheese for myself. I'm still pretty full. But I don't need to be hungry to spend time with them.
Kaylee's home now. We have a fly problem. Swatter time!
[Correction: We went to Olive Garden]
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Desert
The desert is dry and hot and uncomfortable. That is, for someone as human as I it is. I feel thirsty. I can see the heat rising off the sand in the distance. It plays tricks on the eyes. It tries to deceive unsuspecting travelers, who are lost and can not seem to find their way back to civilization. Were they not so susceptible to these hallucinations, they might not be stranded. I am one of them. I find I have passed the same cactus at least four times. I try not to walk in circles but the desert is having her way. At night, she is so cold. I shiver under the moon. What else is there to do but wait for the rain every day? Such a long way off it seems.
But a pillar of cloud and fire is set before me. I marks my steps and leads the way. He is taking me to water. He is taking me to safety. He is taking me to the place where it will rain for days. He will not be angry that I was lost in the desert, but will greet me with opened arms and proclaim my return. He is love. He is my love. And he is in me and with me and for me. Someday, He will lead me to the place where my thirst will be forever quenched, and the water on my lips will be delicious.
The desert is a wonderful place to wait. How much sweeter will be the day I come out of such a place!
But a pillar of cloud and fire is set before me. I marks my steps and leads the way. He is taking me to water. He is taking me to safety. He is taking me to the place where it will rain for days. He will not be angry that I was lost in the desert, but will greet me with opened arms and proclaim my return. He is love. He is my love. And he is in me and with me and for me. Someday, He will lead me to the place where my thirst will be forever quenched, and the water on my lips will be delicious.
The desert is a wonderful place to wait. How much sweeter will be the day I come out of such a place!
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
My 100th Post
HIV/AIDS has become such a huge epidemic. No, I'd rather say it's a pandemic because it's worldwide. If you are wondering what sparked this topic, I'll let you know that I am taking an online course about AIDS and epidemics. I've been looking at charts and graphs and reading up on the history of a lot of diseases, especially HIV and AIDS. It turns out that HIV infection is a HUGE problem and it's getting worse. True, there are not as many deaths from AIDS as there used to be, but the rate at which people are infected with the virus itself continues each year. In the 90's, it peaked. Now there is a consistent average of 40,000 NEW cases each year. And it's estimated that... I think it was something like 20-ish percent to 30-ish (again just an estimate)... Well, anyways, there are still a lot of people walking around who are infected but have no idea that they are.
And I'm curious. With all that we know about STD's and stuff, how could anyone not question every sex partner they have about his or her sexual and medical history? And if you are sexually active, how could you not get tested? You could be walking around with something that could ruin someone else's life! Is it really worth the one night of pleasure? Would you really trade that for a life threatening disease that you must live with?
And what can be done to stop it? I was originally playing with the idea that it could be made illegal to have unprotected sex if you have been officially diagnosed as being infected. I mean, it should be your responsibility to tell someone you are about to have sex with that you have an STD, instead of hiding it. Again, that's someone's life in your hands. But then there's the first ammendment. Shoot, I looked all over for it, but could find it. Anyways, the first amendment is that we have the right to live, speak, etc. However, they only apply to individual persons as long as they are not conflicting with someone else's rights.
For instance, murder. Murder is against the law because it conflicts with someone else's rights: the right to live! So if you KNOW you have a lethal STD and do not tell your partner, and you have sexual intercourse anyways, is that not a form of murder? Sure, the partner should have been smart enough to ask, but you are just as responsible. And what about drivers who are responsible for an accident and the person in the other car dies? Yes, they go to jail for man-slaughter. Of course, it was an accident! They didn't mean to spill their coffee in their lap and take their eyes of the road for that one second. They didn't know the light had tuned red... whatever. You see my point? Something so out of someone's control is still classified as a form of murder... and they didn't even know about it.
And what's the deal with accessory to murder? Just means you knew what was happening and didn't say anything... basically. Or that you helped but were not committing the act itself. An example I found online was that if someone were driving with friends in the car, and he suddenly pulled out a gun and shot someone in another car, the police would most likely charge everyone in the car with murder.
So maybe you're thinking, "Well, HIV doesn't kill right away. So it's not murder."
What about attempted murder? Poisoning? Ever see The Sixth Sense? How they caught that woman on tape poisoning that little kid over time through meals? (sorry if i just spoiled that for anyone) The point is, even though the kid was dying slowly from his illness, it was because she had been killing him slowly. So what if she had poisoned him just once and it did kill him slowly still? What's the difference between that and having sex with someone who doesn't know you have HIV when you do know? Is there a difference? You are risking passing something to them that will probably take years off of their life, which conflicts with their right to live. WOuld that not be an act of attemted murder, if not, even an accessory (if you wanted to blame it on the virus itself)?
Now again, these are just thoughts. I just think there needs to be improvement in how we are attacking this issue as more and more people are being infected with this deadly virus, and some who do not even know they are infected.
So if you are reading this, and if you are sexually active, PLEASE go get tested. Even if you and your partner have never had sex with anyone else before, you never know. Or if you are sexually active with multiple partners, GO GET TESTED OFTEN! Probably after every partner would be good. And you don't only owe it to yourself to get tested, but to those who you may have sex with in the future. And always ask your partner about their sexual and medical history. If they don't know whether or not they have anything because they haven't gotten tested, DON'T HAVE SEX WITH THEM!!! Especially if they have had sex with other people before. Encourage them to get tested.
Oh, and ladies, birth control pills or patches will NOT protect you from STD's. Either use a condom or don't have sex at all if you don't know his history. Seriously, (and this goes for guys, too) you may be totally turned on and stimulated, but it'll be worth giving up rather than finding out later that you have HIV or another STD, and that you probably gave it to five other people.
WHAT THE HECK!!! Is the world's addiction to sex going to be what does it in?
(This was a very long and aggravated rant. Sorry, I just want the world to be a better place. It just seems that if people could just keep their pants on long enough to ask the right questions, we would be a lot better off.)
And I'm curious. With all that we know about STD's and stuff, how could anyone not question every sex partner they have about his or her sexual and medical history? And if you are sexually active, how could you not get tested? You could be walking around with something that could ruin someone else's life! Is it really worth the one night of pleasure? Would you really trade that for a life threatening disease that you must live with?
And what can be done to stop it? I was originally playing with the idea that it could be made illegal to have unprotected sex if you have been officially diagnosed as being infected. I mean, it should be your responsibility to tell someone you are about to have sex with that you have an STD, instead of hiding it. Again, that's someone's life in your hands. But then there's the first ammendment. Shoot, I looked all over for it, but could find it. Anyways, the first amendment is that we have the right to live, speak, etc. However, they only apply to individual persons as long as they are not conflicting with someone else's rights.
For instance, murder. Murder is against the law because it conflicts with someone else's rights: the right to live! So if you KNOW you have a lethal STD and do not tell your partner, and you have sexual intercourse anyways, is that not a form of murder? Sure, the partner should have been smart enough to ask, but you are just as responsible. And what about drivers who are responsible for an accident and the person in the other car dies? Yes, they go to jail for man-slaughter. Of course, it was an accident! They didn't mean to spill their coffee in their lap and take their eyes of the road for that one second. They didn't know the light had tuned red... whatever. You see my point? Something so out of someone's control is still classified as a form of murder... and they didn't even know about it.
And what's the deal with accessory to murder? Just means you knew what was happening and didn't say anything... basically. Or that you helped but were not committing the act itself. An example I found online was that if someone were driving with friends in the car, and he suddenly pulled out a gun and shot someone in another car, the police would most likely charge everyone in the car with murder.
So maybe you're thinking, "Well, HIV doesn't kill right away. So it's not murder."
What about attempted murder? Poisoning? Ever see The Sixth Sense? How they caught that woman on tape poisoning that little kid over time through meals? (sorry if i just spoiled that for anyone) The point is, even though the kid was dying slowly from his illness, it was because she had been killing him slowly. So what if she had poisoned him just once and it did kill him slowly still? What's the difference between that and having sex with someone who doesn't know you have HIV when you do know? Is there a difference? You are risking passing something to them that will probably take years off of their life, which conflicts with their right to live. WOuld that not be an act of attemted murder, if not, even an accessory (if you wanted to blame it on the virus itself)?
Now again, these are just thoughts. I just think there needs to be improvement in how we are attacking this issue as more and more people are being infected with this deadly virus, and some who do not even know they are infected.
So if you are reading this, and if you are sexually active, PLEASE go get tested. Even if you and your partner have never had sex with anyone else before, you never know. Or if you are sexually active with multiple partners, GO GET TESTED OFTEN! Probably after every partner would be good. And you don't only owe it to yourself to get tested, but to those who you may have sex with in the future. And always ask your partner about their sexual and medical history. If they don't know whether or not they have anything because they haven't gotten tested, DON'T HAVE SEX WITH THEM!!! Especially if they have had sex with other people before. Encourage them to get tested.
Oh, and ladies, birth control pills or patches will NOT protect you from STD's. Either use a condom or don't have sex at all if you don't know his history. Seriously, (and this goes for guys, too) you may be totally turned on and stimulated, but it'll be worth giving up rather than finding out later that you have HIV or another STD, and that you probably gave it to five other people.
WHAT THE HECK!!! Is the world's addiction to sex going to be what does it in?
(This was a very long and aggravated rant. Sorry, I just want the world to be a better place. It just seems that if people could just keep their pants on long enough to ask the right questions, we would be a lot better off.)
Sunday, July 01, 2007
wiggly worms
wiggly worms in and out
i thought i had an assignment due tomorrow
but i'm so ahead that i thought i was behind
now there's time for rest
none for worrying
my love is outside mowing the lawn
what fun that must be with heat rash
i don't hear the mower now
he must be done
hooray hoorah
i can't wait to cuddle up
and we will nap peacefully
i squished the wiggly worms
i thought i had an assignment due tomorrow
but i'm so ahead that i thought i was behind
now there's time for rest
none for worrying
my love is outside mowing the lawn
what fun that must be with heat rash
i don't hear the mower now
he must be done
hooray hoorah
i can't wait to cuddle up
and we will nap peacefully
i squished the wiggly worms
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