“I think the way we do things, we don’t need a lot of money to live richly…” – Greed

The Hobby Lobby debate has started. And the controversial ruling of the Senate with regards to Hobby Lobby’s ‘closely held’ interests in their chain. What does that even mean.

When I first heard the news, I thought to myself, “Wow…. well… Okay.” Then i figured to myself, I don’t want to make a scene, I’m just going to discreetly stop shopping at the Hobby Lobby because I didn’t really care for the way they wielded their religion as a way to get out of a law enacted that protects women health and controls pregnancy.

Then other people started putting up their opinions on facebook and the more I tried to see their perspectives, the more irritated I got.

On the surface level, (Since I don’t know what was actaully said during the hearing, and I acknowledge that it could have very well been a very compelling reason BESIDES religious freedom that the Senate would rule in HL’s favor) it is this, “Woman’s rights to healthcare and BC” vs “Religious freedom”.

Hey, I’m all for Religious freedom and that shit. I believe what I do, I don’t get into any sort of legal trouble because of it. You can’t arrest me for marrying a non-christian. You can’t arrest me for going to church and drinking wine at communion. You can’t arrest me for eating bacon. THIS IS ALL BECAUSE OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM!  Woot.

But we’re talking about a business here. A nationally owned business who employs people who are not necessarily all of the same faith as the founders and other ‘closely held’ owners. In that sense, if you DENY your employees BC, then you are in essence, denying them their right to religious freedom.

I suppose “religious freedom” only applies to those who want to freely practice Christianity.

In addition to that, I think that religious freedom can only get you so far with regards to ignoring laws… I mean… at what stage will they start arresting people who have mixed plants in their gardens (Leviticus 19:19)? Or even letting people go when they stone an adulterer to death, cause you know, that’s what the bible tells us we should do (Leviticus 20:10). I don’t even believe it is about women’s rights– so much as the use of religion as a way to combat law. I’m mostly upset that things like this make Christianity look bad….

This isn’t even really a win for religious freedom, just cause it’s law to provide that option to your women workers, doesn’t mean your workers will automatically take it (‘Ooooooo we provided BC so now you’re forced to take it!’). The employees could easily follow their religious guidelines and not take it. If they’re Christian… If they’re not Christian, now they have no option to get BC. Where’s the religious freedom for those non-Christians who want BC?

Honestly, I could care less that the subject is a woman-centric topic. I just am jaded to this notion that our country wants to be seen as a land of Freedom and simultaneously making it about being a Christian nation.

Well. Whetever. Back to just discretely stop shopping there. They don’t even really have very exciting products.

“Tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all.”

-A.L. Tennyson

I used to think this quote was for stupid romantics. In a way, it has become that. But just recently I learned it was not a poem about heartbreak in the lover’s sense– it is a requiem, written for Tennyson’s friend– his best friend– who passed away.

Knowing that now, I realize that this quote really resonates with me. There are a laundry list of things that I could say to argue the romance of the quote. “If a man abuses your love, and breaks you down and sends you crying– there is no way that your scraps of happiness can ever equate to the depths of your unhappiness.”

But it’s not about excusing anyone who may have hurt you, it’s not about anyone who broke your heart– it’s about someone who loved you and you loved in their entirety who was untimely ripped from your life.

Tennyson’s got it right, I think. That a friendship so strong brings so many happy memories and moments of happiness that are just so much better than that pang of sadness which comes with death, or just simply drifting apart. And of course, despite how much you may miss someone who is never coming back– the pain of now will not take away from the happiness that their presence brought you.

And here I started off the blog post thinking I’d be talking about how stupid the hopeless romantic is.

=}

Happy birthday PoPo.

I have decided that I don’t really dislike conservative view points… I just hate conservative attitudes…

How do such hateful and judgmental people live in our world… =\

I had an argument about ultra conservatives and ultra liberals. And though I dislike both– I said that ultra conservatives bother me more than ultra liberals. They’re negative, disrespectful, greedy and fight the system instead of trying things out to see if it will work or not. I mean, come on, the worst way to fail is not to try at all. But pushing people backward also bugs the bananas out of me.

Greed said though, that he hated ultra liberals more. That he would rather pick someone who has an ideal that doesn’t work than to reject all other responsibilities without any plan. Though… I think that extreme conservatives ideals are more harmful than not having a plan… but that’s just my opinion. Government shutdown people? Like… HOW DID THAT HELP ANYTHING.

I guess, if this was my engineering team, I’d rather have someone who barely got any work done, over someone who was vehement in doing things so that my projects would go backward. Not only is it bad for him, it’s also bad for the team. It affects the whole team.

Though… ideally, everyone just trys, even if they don’t agree.

Just saying…..

I think back a lot about my past and about the things that didn’t work out. I am fortunate in that I only ever had a first love, and a last love. So there isn’t a lot of sharing when it comes to secret places in my heart.

And to be true, I don’t have any feelings for anyone other than Greed. Not even Pride.

Easy enough, I think, since he was emotionally abusive and I was the one at the time that didn’t want to let it go. But for all the tears, depression, mutual anguish from being used by each other… there was only one thing in our relationship that I really regretted.

And no, it was NOT the time I accidentally was seduced by his then other ‘sex buddy’ into a rather bizarre threesome. lol, you’ll have to hunt through this page to find the rest of that story. It’s a good story.

The only thing I really blame Pride for is keeping me from going to a building dedication. Continue reading →

So the other day I was talking to Greed about one of our couple friends. We had said, it seems that they buy a lot of these new things for their home all the time and yet they always appear to be hurting for money.

The item in question, a K dollar sex swing.

Not kidding.

I tried to be realistic and just shrugged, “some people spend money on things. We spend money on experiences. In the end, we spend just as much as they do”

“But they seem to need more money.”

I smiled trying to be somewhat sagely and said, “Every one needs more money.”

And very seriously, he said to me, “We don’t need more money.”

Did I mention recently how much I love this man?

Thinking about it later, I must admit that we are a double income couple. But still, considering that neither of us feel a ‘need’ for money must mean that we are blessed. We’re already at the threshold of money in which we can afford to start buying a house. We’re on track for money we said we should be earning to support kid#1. Though I am still arguing we wait till we’re munnied up for kid#2.

And… actually… we could also probably buy that sex swing too. =}

Maybe I’ll wait till the midlife crisis.

I just got finished watching Agents of Shield episode 1.17 ”Turn Turn Turn’.

• 1) Called it.
• 2) Semi-called it, as soon as it got to that point….
• 3) I really really really admire Joss Whedon’s ability to see good opportunities for unique and often painful stories– and then just taking them.

Wash’ death for instance. It hurt so much be cause you loved him (come on, admit it everyone) and also because he’s not the type of character that would die. There’s a formula for that– like Book’s character, his death was sad but you kind of expect him to die. Not that I want him to die, but it doesn’t surprise you.

Well… Whedon always surprises you.

And he’s pretty much one of the most creative people I don’t know. Really. I love his wit, his ability to see the whole story, the subtle ways he develops people and plot lines… the way he does not hesitate to take painful story twists… Uggh. That’s my favorite, in a love-hate sort of way.

I think we could be friends. I think that I think like him.

I guess ever Science fiction fanatic wants to believe that you think like Joss Whedon.

Greed said to me the other week, “He seemed to get his big break on Avengers. Nothing else was really that big.”

He never got into Buffy.

But it’s true. Everyone seems to give Agents of Shield bad flack. Dollhouse had harsh critics there too (though I kind of sympathize with them, since it didn’t really start off on the best footing). And I’m not quite sure why Firefly tanked, but that too didn’t do so hot with the cool crowd.

Four shows down the line though, I’m begnning to see a pattern in Whedon’s work. And while I really like that he advocates strong female leads, I can’t help but think (and be a bit critical) of Skye as a ‘I’m half-Echo-three-eighths-Willow-and-a-tiny-bit-Buffy’. And also, does the Bus remind any one else as a ‘not as cool but still kinda fun’ Serenity? Just saying…. formulas man.

Though, enough ranting– I do like the show. I wish Whedon could just… you know… write three TV shows at once. Cause, you know that in his brain, there are a hundred of un-told stories in there.

<3

Love you Joss.

Meanwhile, becuase we’re talking about the Whedonverse. Check out this article about a movie he did earlier this year.

As a woman working in the service industry: You really need a lesson on e-mail etiquette… >=\

So like, I do not like gum for the most part, with the exception of Ice Breakers. Particularly the peppermint ones. Somehow, they remind me of my childhood. That and Zebra, but only for a few seconds then it goes into the bin.

You know, it’s astounding how well things are going in my life right now.

• Yes, of course my aircraft is getting to the crunch time– and I’m working till the dark hours of the night.
• Yes, of course I decimated a deer and are sinking out a chunk of cash to get the repairs and the rentals.
• Yes, I’m not living with the man I married and must settle for a one hour phone call late hours of the day… for the next year.

Okay– not so ‘astounded’ as much as feeling blessed that I am happy. And I am very happy.

In college, I had considered myself blessed that I was depressed. I know, sounds somewhat counter intuitive, to be blessed that you are depressed. But even then I realized that being so far down a dark place and getting out of it again resulted in this entirely new perspective of life. One of which re-draws the boundaries of emotion such that anything above depression is a blissful feeling. And now I know that what I experience is amazing and to be cherished.

Now, I don’t have to be ‘wowed’ in order to express happiness. I’m not even content, my life is great.

Yeah. I’m bragging.

Today (and all week) I am representing a team of engineers that are my support. I’m presenting to a team of other engineers and I just realized that I am a young woman presenting designs to panel of veteran gentlemen. And the only other woman in this 20 person meeting is the program manager from our production sister company. And they respect my opinion. They respect me.

And I will deliver.

Just…. gotta motivate my designers. It’s funny when they ALL are older than I am.

On a side note: Friday is happy hour!