Being At The Top Is Hard, Isn’t It?
First, I’ll give you sources.
How Stuff Works Facebook Page
How Stuff Works Website
Specific Article on How Stuff Works Website
Apple Inc. v. Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
So, I’ve determined, that Apple has issues. Which is no surprise, seeing how it’s a corporation, and corporations are considered people, and if they’re considered people, a psycho-analysis on them makes them psychopaths. (I just explained every action of any corporation ever didn’t I? 
)
I was going to post this as a comment on Facebook, but decided, that it was not the medium for this. So, here it is.
I disagree about the comment of Apple having a ‘sound case’ They don’t, especially if you think about it. Some of these things are along the lines of ‘how else do you expect it to be designed/displayed’ (e.g. the shape, face, icons; there are only so many ways you can draw an icon for settings that you can tell that’s what it is at a glance) others are things used on almost every portable device I’ve owned, (such as the cantilevered push button) and even others have been used on computers for years (the grid display.) There are only a few things that I see, in Apple’s list, that could actually be infringements, the metallic bezel, application notifications.
If anybody has actually handled an android tablet and an iPad, they are fairy different, especially when it comes to the icon displays on the home screen. iPad, is displayed in the same 4×4 grid with the dock on the bottom holding four icons. These icons are also forced into a place, having to go left to right, top to bottom, you can’t have an empty space between two icons. The display for an Android tablet, last I checked, was more like a desktop, allowing icons to be placed anywhere within a grid.
The argument, I believe, would be more appropriately geared toward the Galaxy S, rather than the Galaxy tab.
They say imitation is flattery, unless you’re a corporation, in that case, imitation is money. But then again, corporations are also psychopaths.
New Can Design?
Today while looking at facebook I read a friends status it said this:
“Don’t buy the new Pepsi can coming out with pics of the Empire State building and the Pledge of Allegiance on them. Pepsi left out 2 little words in the pledge “Under God.” Pepsi said they didn’t want to offend anyone. So if we don’t buy them, they won’t be offended when they don’t receive our money with the words “In God We Trust”on it. STOP DRINKING ALL PEPSI PRODUCTS… THAT WILL FIX THEM!! How fast can you repost”
My response? Good for Pepsi, they’re actually trying to enforce this separation of church and state we’re supposed to have. I wanted to respond with this big history filled thing, but determined that it would be a bad idea. So I just decided to post the whole thing here. It’s safer.
“I don’t buy pepsi to begin with, I don’t like how it tastes.
There’s also the issue that there’s supposed to be this separation of church and state.
but that doesn’t work so well when all money says “In God We Trust”, which was first required on all US currency in the late 1950′s, it was already there, but never required.
And the pledge of allegiance says “Under God” which, mind you, was never there to begin with, it was added two years prior to the bill requiring “In God We Trust” on all currency.
Yes, the Declaration of Independence does say “Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them” but, Thomas Jefferson also had his own version of the Bible (which was a little hinky.) There was also a lot less religious diversity, most people were a form of Christianity. (deists included, they believe in A God) and there was a number of Jewish groups, the largest being in South Carolina.
The acceptance and respect Christians have is seriously lacking. It’s posts like those, that reinforce an Atheist’s beliefs.”
The last part references a quote by Brennan Manning. A quote I tend to bring up a lot, because I believe the message he sends in that quote is true. So this time, I’ll give it to you.
The quote reads as so:
“The single greatest cause of atheism in the world today is Christians, who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, then walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable”
~Brennan Manning – Author, Friar, Priest, Contemplative and Speaker
It’s the fact that he’s a Friar and Priest that this quote holds so much power really. If it were from just any old author contemplative and speaker, it wouldn’t mean nearly as much. But, this man is a religious man.
You may have heard this quote before, you can find it in the beginning of a song by DC Talk. I personally, have not heard the song, but I know plenty of people who have, they mention it every time I mention the quote.
Religious discrimination, it’s happening in our own backyards, and we don’t even realize it.
So if you like Pepsi, go buy it anyway, don’t stop buying it just because their recent can design is missing two “important words” that were never there to begin with, that’s dumb.
Are You Sure You Want To Do That?
This is gonna be a bit of a soap box, but hey, isn’t this whole blog about that?
Anyway, today, I read an article by Central’s newspaper about how they are one of nine state public universities to support Eastern in a law suit against them for alleged religious discrimination.
Brief summary, in 2009 Miss Julea Ward was dismissed from Eastern Michigan University’s counseling program for refusing to counsel a gay student due to her religious views. She has since sued the school stating that she was dismissed for “alleged religious discrimination.”
Article from Central can be found here: CM Life
Also, an editorial here: CM Life – Editorial
Article from Eastern can be found here: The Eastern Echo
Article from University Of Michigan can be found here: The Michigan Daily
with a letter to the editor here: The Michigan Daily- Letter To The Editor
Articles from Ann Arbor News can be found here: “State’s Attorney General…” and “Lawyers for dismissed…”
Ok, so there’s all that, I just went to find them, I didn’t actually read them, because I don’t think I need to, to have a soapbox. And here it is.
Soap box? Good for the school! I mean, yes, Miss Ward did ask if someone else could see the gay student. But if the reason for asking if someone else could see the gay student simply because the student is gay, and it conflicts with your values. Shame on you. I feel that this sexual discrimination by Christians is hurtful to our Accept Everyone reputation we have. Or think we have. Whatever happened to that standing? I would think Mr. Brennan Manning would list her as one who creates Atheism. (I love that quote by him)
If you want to be a counselor, and at a school at that, you do not get to pick and chose who you see, because many schools assign by alphabet (letters A-J see counselor A, letters K-T see counselor B, and letters U- Z see counselor C) You are GOING to, by definition, see students who are gay, and are atheist, or agnostic, or Buddhist, or anything you do not agree with. One thing you are supposed to do, as a professional, is leave your religious beliefs at the door. If you want to help people do not let religion interfere, it shouldn’t. If it does, you lose your job.
Now, if you want to counsel, and keep your beliefs in the open, go to a Christian school, and get a degree there, now, according to a friend, these Christian affiliated schools prep you for dealing with people who you do not agree with (at least hers, and I don’t see why any other’s wouldn’t, unless they’re extremest or something.)
She says she was religiously discriminated against, well, she discriminated first.
If you can’t set your religious opinions aside to help people in a non-religious profession, maybe you should go do something with religion.
Spring Cleaning
Stumble upon; It’s this awesome site, with installable toolbar to any browser, perfect for procrastinating, or entertaining yourself when you’re bored, or looking for something in a related topic that you couldn’t find via google.
Anyway. Today, I stumbled upon a recipe blog with a post titles “Life Lessons From a 90 yr. old Woman” It’s generally seen as a chain email that get’s sent out, there have been a couple of places where it isn’t, this is one.
If you want to see the whole list you can find it here at Shoot First, Eat Later.
Number seventeen really caught my eye. “Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.”
So, with that little guideline, I’m going to go clean my room, and maybe my life.
The room, that’s pretty easy to do with following that guidline, but life, that’s a little different. How can you get rid of anything in life that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful? How do you determine if it is or not?
Friends, or perhaps more specifically Facebook friends. How many people on your friends list are actually friends, how many do you enjoy being around, and actually talk to. How many of them are just people from your history class, or that hot guy you met at a party that one time. Those “friends” are the ones you get rid of, It’s not like they’ll notice. And if they do notice don’t worry about it until you get a message asking why you defriended them, then just explain the situation and move on with your life.
As hard as it might be, limit, or eliminate procrastination. You’ll still have that time when you’re done with what you were procrastinating about, and this time, that open time will be after you’ve done what you needed to, and now you don’t have to worry about it anymore. What you’re procrastinating will take the same amount of time now as it would in two hours, so just do it now, and stop worrying about it. And, depending on what it is, it may take longer later (cleaning one’s room, doing th dishes.)
I’m gonna go clean my room, and my life, and encourage you to do the same.
Spam Page Views?
So, I was kind of half complaining to a friend a week ago or so, about the lack of page views, I really don’t care. But since then, they’ve magically gone up. Well, not in the way that people are coming to see. nope. Robots. I’m getting spam page views.
These are short links, like the links you’d use in twitter so you don’t use all of your 140 characters just with a link. And these referrer links, more often than not, lead back to nothing, maybe something trying to give out malware, but nothing either way. And then there’s one robot from a financial blog that keeps visiting, and it makes no sense. There is nowhere from there to here on that blog.
So, page view counts seem all fudged up because of these awesome little spam views. Who knew it was possible…. I thought my other blog was safe, LtmFH, but apparently not. It recently got hit with th spam views. After freaking me out with views from facebook. I still don’t know who that was…
So, Do you get Spam Views? because I don’t want to be the only one.
What does “Almost Exactly” Mean?
When my (now ex) boyfriend broke up with me just over a week ago, one of the things he said was that he had been thinking about what he was looking for in a wife a lot lately. Like really, a lot. And one of the things he came up with was that I was “almost exactly” what he was looking for.
But what does that mean? What does that really mean? Is he just saying that so he doesn’t hurt me further, and that I’m the exact opposite of what he’s looking for? Or does he really mean it?
Dismissing the former, (because that would be lying to me, and last time I checked, he never would. And last time I checked he still cared about me (which was yesterday) and because he cares about me, he wouldn’t lie…. would he?) it would mean that I am missing a few, key traits, he’s looking for. Which bugs me, because it’s like he’s matching me to a blueprint. While, I may not know anything about architecture or building, I know that the house rarely matches the blueprint exactly. Which in this analogy, basically equates to, he’s not going to find exactly what he’s looking for because she doesn’t exist.
Though I can’t assume that, because I have no clue what he’s looking for. But if I’m “almost exactly” it, he’s screwed, because there’s no one out there like me, well, there probably is, but the likelihood of him meeting her is awfully unlikely.
But again, I don’t know what he means by “almost exactly.” I want to know, I want to know what i’m “almost not quite” but I feel like if I know, I’ll try to change myself to become her, and that would just not be me then…
But I wonder, If he wants a girl who sides on his side more than his friends, because if he does, I feel like shit for not, because I always feel like shit for not, not right away, but whenever he brings it up.
Or, does he want a girl who would watch movies with him, and cuddle. because if so, I didn’t do that enough either, and I feel like crap for it. And It was never that I didn’t want to do it. It’s just really hard to find a movie I’ll like. Maybe I should have been more willing to watch new things, but I really really don’t like comedies, they’re not funny to me.
Or, does he want a girl with similar movie tastes. if so, that’s almost a terrible idea, you’ll just be stuck with several types of movies.
Maybe, he wants a girl who wants to wait five or more years to have kids. I’m ok with that… for the most part. Part of that issue, is that I have set for myself, a personal clock, timeline, whatever you want to call it. Most women have it actually. And, well, now, it’s becoming a problem for me, I have friends starting to get married. That social clock, is ticking, and I’m not matching it. I can only go for so many years without kids before my social clock is messed up again. So five, would kind of have to be my max number of years of waiting.
Of course, maybe, there’s something else I’m completely missing. But I really don’t know.
Being matched to a blueprint hurts, especially when accompanied with the words “almost exactly” it’s like, almost perfect, almost flawless. It’s like saying I’m not quite good enough.
I almost match blueprints… so I’m right for him, because the house never matches the blueprints.
Terrible reasoning, I know, but it helps me sleep at night, knowing the possibility that he might be back, that he might come back to me.
My sad sad life, and a new blog.
So, lets get the bad news out of the way, other than the lack of writing…..
Sunday at 1 in the freaking morning when I was the only one home, Jeff called and broke up with me. Now, I mention it was one in the morning and I was the only one home because that means I had NOBODY to talk to after that, as for him, he had all his friends at the get together he was at. Thanks a lot.
No, I don’t resent him, we still kind of talk. And he feels like crap for what he did to me (he really really didn’t want to, but God told him it’s what he needed to do.) Yesterday I got what was on my mind to him. No lashing out at him, I did that Sunday morning through texts (that I hate myself for) after I woke up (after four hours of sleep) I just wanted him to know how I felt about some things, and maybe some clarity, which is tough to do when you something happens because God told you too, but of course, it doesn’t help the other, no matter how close to God they are. So, I just took it, because there’s nothing else really.
So, there’s that. Actually, if you really want more, go to my new blog, Letters To My Future Husband. But that’s my new blog, and I’m actually quite excited for it (and will probably write more there too (sorry)) It’s still in the works of being set up, but I wanted to claim the address before anyone else did, it’s already too bad that the person who claimed the address I wanted only used it for three posts five years ago, what a waste.
I’ll give y’all a first post, and then work on the look of it, I need a theme, and none that I can find will work. So it’s off to learn some CSS to make a theme I want. Sigh. Or maybe not because I need money for y’all to see it (how stupid) time to go sifting through the themes….. it’s a long weekend already.
Scatter Brained
I feel terrible. About what? About everything. I haven’t written anything anywhere except papers for school in months, and now that i think about it, that’s why i feel like crap. I have all this stuff weighing down on me without having written it down anywhere. Yeah, I’ve told people, but that’s just not the same as writing it in a journal or in a blog.
I tend to stop writing in my journal during my summer break because I don’t usually do much. When I travel I take my journal with me, but that’s it. Why? There’s no reason for it. But when I don’t write over the summer I always plan to pick it up again once school starts and stuff starts happening again. Well not this school year it would seem.
But nothing feels like it’s going right. I’ve stopped reading the Bible, I’ve stopped writing in my journal, and as it would turn out, Jeff doesn’t really want to go to church anymore because he doesn’t have many friends at His House, and tries to avoid it at all costs. This is kind of affecting me and him, and a little bit, our relationship.
This is the most scatter brained thing I’ve written, and it may not make sense, but please bear with me, because if I don’t get this out in the way it floats through my head i’ll be in this position till it does come out. I don’t know where this is going or anything. But it will certainly give you some insight as to how my mind works. Different ideas/topics will be broken up by paragraph. But this is how it is, it will not be changed or edited.
I guess I’ll try and start as far back as I can since I last wrote (kind of) and go from there, so there will be some sort of structure (maybe.)
In November, I went to the last home game of the year, which also happened to be the great rivalry game between Central and Western, we won. But I didn’t go to the game, the weather was miserable, and I didn’t feel up to it, instead we went and saw Red, but I had to wait a good half an hour or so before I found out that we won said game.
At some point before the 16 of that month I pre-ordered Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood for Jeff as a Birthday/Christmas present (his is on the 27 of nov. (3 days after mine.)) At this point, I’m going through slight mental withdrawal symptoms, doing whatever it takes to get my “fix” he’s got me playing assassin’s creed now… great.
Of course, these slight “withdrawal” symptoms are probably why I was never allowed a game console of any sort when I was younger. My mother must have know…. oh well.
Around thanksgiving Jeff came down and stayed with us and spent thanksgiving break with my family with my “sister” included.
My “sister” is my best friend since before we even started school, she lives down the street from me, and whenever we talk to each other, we pick up right where we left off. With an overview of how our lives have been and what they consisted of since we last talked. Comparing boyfriends, ex: our last one was a jack ass and needs to die, our current ones are amazing and feel like crap whenever they feel like they’ve done anything remotely wrong to us.
Anyway, his parents sent him is birthday present and new working laptop, as well as sending my parents a gift basket as a thank you for letting him stay with us for thanksgiving. my mom asked (in somewhat jest) if she should have sent them one for letting me visit in Seattle.
I went up to Central a couple weeks later after his finals and before mine, but had to cut my visit short due to a snowstorm coming, thats when I just started playing AC. Anyway, I drove home that night, kind of unhappy, but when i woke up the next morning, and then couldn’t get to school the day after, oh, and didn’t have power, I was kind of glad I had come home. Though mad I didn’t stay, I would’ve had power.
I went through exam week in tact, though it could have been better, though I did pass all my classes (in your face central)
Talking about Central, if I do go back I have a place to live all set up, and it will be awesome, and make my life amazingly easier, and better, because I’ll be closer to Jeff, as well as living with someone I actually want to live with.
At the end of December I went back up to Central to visit Jeff, and play assassin’s creed of course. I took a tumble down some stairs and strained my diaphragm, which is actually why I ended up playing Assassin’s Creed all weekend. It was incredibly painful to sleep that first night. I cried I was so frustrated, all I wanted to do was sleep and I couldn’t even do that. We ended up getting some couch cushions and putting one under my hips and one under my shoulders. That took all the pressure off and felt so much better. I was still sore and was taking tylenol every 4-8 hours to tone down the pain somewhat. Sitting wasn’t a problem, walking was iffy and standing was right out.
After getting home from Central, I unpacked and then the next day I went to Chicago with my mom. We stayed at Hotel Blake. For lunch that day we walked to the Hancock Building and ate at L’Appitito, and then we walked back. The next day we walked to the Aquarium and caught feeding time. and then had lunch at Panera. Afterword we went to the Museum of Science and Industry, with a friend, and then to a bar for dinner.
After those two days walking probably 4 or 5 miles my diaphragm felt much better.
Monday was the start of a new semester… It’s reading intensive. Philosophy Psychology, History, and Sociology. That’s a pile of reading there. But they’re all elective except for history. So it should be fun.
and that leads me to today…
My other best friend, over on Jesus Loves You, is having issues with her friends at school. They’re the ex, she’s me. She wants to be friends, the do, but they don’t. I think she should just leave them she’s trying, they’re not. They’re being bipolar about it, and won’t even talk to her, they want space to sort the friendship out, but it won’t work that way. They don’t want to work at it at all, but they want to be friends with her.
Oh well….
So, I guess that wasn’t as scatterbrained as it could have been, I just needed to get all that out of my head and written down somewhere.
A No-Poo and School Update
So, I realised the other day, that it’s been just under a month since I last posted, and just over a month since the last No-Poo regime update.
So, we’ll start with the no-poo.
It’s been about 40 days since I went no-poo. I can’t really see much of a difference at all. And today, my hair is really really frizzy, so I feel as if It hasn’t done anything 
. On past days, it seems to go well, I might have to add more vinegar to my white vinegar solution. Which worries me, because I do have slight dandruff, and I’m afraid if I add too much, it’ll have adverse effects. But I’ll change that recipe tomorrow, and try it out later this week. I should also not use the usual terry cloth towel to dry it, it doesn’t help with the frizz at all.
According to naturallycurly.com I have 2c wavy hair, prone to frizz, and doesn’t take well to styling, yep, that’s my hair. So, if any of you out there share similar hair, I would LOVE to hear how you manage you’re hair, without too many extra products either, I’m not one to spend hundreds to make my hair behave.
On another note, I discovered my boyfriend really likes the fact i have natural red highlights, and would love to invest in them, and bring them out a lot more, by colouring my hair. Looks like i’ll be buying henna at some point for that. (it’s natural, and colouring. )
School, is well…. school.
I’ve been doing well in my psych and math class, and well in my French class (as far as I can tell.) I though I was doing well in my English class…. I might not be doing as well as I had hoped, I got a 50% on the last paper I got back, and I totally missed the assignment before that. I don’t remember any of the other assignments, but I have another editorial analysis, and a documentary analysis/review thing coming up, As well as a thesis statement for the research paper coming up. So maybe, I can get back to a place where I feel more comfortable.
On October 6th, WCC had a transfer fair, I went to the CMU table and asked them my questions, and got redirected to the registrars office, (I’ll double check with admissions when I go up next week) and handed a card with the instruction to email him with any questions. I also need to email the band director for the marching band, probably not until march though. Technically, I would have to re-audition, because I’m not a student, I might have to anyway, but at least if I email the director I’ll know for sure. I was so happy, that the guy at the Central table could answer that question. These guys really do know their stuff (I mean it is their job, but you never know.) I will admit he couldn’t answer my rematriculation questions (therefore he refered me to talk to the registrars office,) but that’s not entirely his fault, he wasn’t expecting to answer any.
I’ve been up to Central a several times, for games mostly, but also for a time off school. There’s only so much being home and attending college I can handle. So going home is amazing. Yes, I consider Central home more than the house I grew up in. It’s more welcoming, and less oppressive than my family. That family, is the one I prefer. I try to be positive about being stuck with my family, but there really isn’t anything to be positive about, I have to drive half an hour to class and home monday through thursday, and I’m stuck there until I’m done with classes for that day. And then, instead of going back to my roommates, I go back to my parents and my brother. On top of that, I get the occasional feeling of failure. I have no classes on friday, that’s about the only good thing about being stuck where I am.
I’ve been trying to figure out my living situation for next year as well (all going according to plan of course.) Now, I’d love to live in an apartment, but the signing for that is like next month. Well, that’s when most places sign. Pretty much putting living in an apartment next year not possible.
But the other day Jeff asked if I wanted to live with him and his roommate Jay. I totally wouldn’t mind, I know Jay wouldn’t mind (he likes having me around,) but Jeff? Last time we had a conversation covering that topic, he said he wouldn’t. I asked him three times if he was ok with that, and I still need to have the verbal conversation with him, just to make sure.
I was kind of planning on living with Nichole and her roommate Karen, but right now everything is tentative.
I really really really would prefer to be somewhere that allows pets. I have this adorable little kitten, and she’s coming with when I move out for good, but I would really love to take her with me next year. I hate the idea of leaving her here.
I feel like I’m just rambling at this point, so I’ll just leave you at that. You don’t need to hear my tale of woe.
