shit kenzi says

I feel rather as if I have disconnected myself from the world. So here's a little bit of what I've been up to.

Still stupidly busy. Apparently I'm graduating in January and taking the Bar in February and, ummm, who knew that either of those things would be so much work? On the plus side, last week (or maybe the week before) my boss told me that I'm one of the best externs he's ever had (I'm tied with some guy who's now in New York) and he wants to give me contract work after the term is over. So yay for being impressive, or some shit. ;-) On the minus side I still have to both apply to and study for the Bar, and it's going to cost me upwards of $500 just to apply, that's not even including any Bar prep courses I might try to take (which usually cost around two grand). Money is so stupid and we hates it, precious.

My poor, old car is truly dead and gone and now I have a new one (financed with the Da's help). My new baby is a 2007 Ford Focus that's not quite as spacious as the recently deceased, but gets better gas mileage and should be more reliable. So yay new car!

I'm behind on most everything fannish and I have pokes and inspirations but no real drive to produce anything at the moment. Maybe I'll accomplish something over the US Thanksgiving holiday (I do have a Susan of Narnia story percolating that I really want to tell). I have been watching The Walking Dead, which is awesome. Zombies are a girl's best friend.

I have also, somehow, become a Sunday School teacher for the 12 and 13 year olds. Well, okay, part of it was being made to leave the young adult ward as I am too old and single (oh Mormons, always with the lulz). Truthfully, I like where I am now a whole lot more, and I kind of love teaching the tweens. They're scattershot and loud and surprisingly insightful. I have to say, the highlight of my first class was telling one of the kids to sit down because we weren't done yet and HE TOTALLY SAT DOWN. I fear that all of this power may go to my head.

The lowest point was when we got into a tangent conversation about evolution vs. creationism and I couldn't express why I am on Team Have It Both Ways. Later I realized that all I needed to say was "What, you think God can't do things however He wants to do them? Are you smarter than God, or something?" Here's hoping I get the random chance comes around again.

Ugh, am very tired. And just learned that they're coming to check my furnace on Friday and my apartment is the opposite of neat and orderly. Oh the humanity!

comments at http://liptonrm.dreamwidth.org/22616.html.

Am feeling remarkably rage-y today. I logged onto Facebook for the first time since the Health Care Reform vote on Sunday and was slapped in the face by a status/thing about Health Care Reform signalled the End of Days, along with a reference to the Mormon myth that a Mormon (obviously a good, republican) will save the US Constitution (no, seriously, there are people who believe that). And then I had a rage blackout and only just stopped myself from commenting with the vilest, filthiest words imaginable.

I am just so motherfucking sick of this bullshit. And that was on top of discovering that, apparently, it's better to give money "ironically" to the KKK then to accept corporate sponsorship. [Warning: linked page contains graphic images of violence.] Yeah, we're a post-racist society. Sure. And let's not forget how protesters acted during the Health Care Reform debate over the past weekend.

I'll post later about last night's SPN (which I enjoyed) and the Stephen King novel that I stayed up way too late finishing. When I get the rage out of my system.

comments at http://liptonrm.dreamwidth.org/4850.html.

Am up late because I'm up late so random post is random. =D

I'm not sure how many of you know this, but when I was in high school I had a passionate affair with Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time books. My copies were dog-eared and I had a sekrit pretend world and everything. But then I realized that the books were on, like, part 63/? and nothing ever seemed to happen in any of them, so I stopped reading them. It was a good break-up, we're still friends and everything. So, I was at the bookstore the other day and, being in a friendly mood, I picked the latest installment up off the shelf and started flipping through it. It has the distinction of being the first posthumous book in the series and was largely written by some author I'd never head of. While perusing the author page I noticed that the new guy was a BYU alumnus. And then I put the book down, walked away, and, when I was as secluded as I could get, laughed my guts out.

RUN FOR THE HILLS!!!! THE MORMONS ARE TAKING OVER!!!!! HIDE YOURSELVES!!!!

The lulz, they are epic.

It's officially Thursday and there is new Show today. And I have pumpkin-chocolate chip cookies cooling on the stove. Life can be surprisingly bearable at times like these. ;-)

hmmm, I'm awake. And you all know what can't sleep in the middle of the night means! That's right, it's confessional time.

Ever since I alluded to some of my more intense emotional stuff I've felt kind of obligated to talk about it. Well, not obligated, per se. I guess it's more along the lines of 'I'm totally going to use my lj for cheap therapy' again.

Though I won't just be talking about emotional stuff. In order to get to the heart of the matter I'm going to have to talk about that most eyebrow-raising of Mormon activities, the mission. Many of you, if not all of you, know that once upon a time I was a missionary in South Texas and that there were some emotional reprecussions when I wasn't one anymore.

So let's get down to business.

( Called to Serve )

Wow, apparently I had a lot to say. You know, when I decided to start blogging about Mormonism one of my goals was to present how things looked from the Mormon side of the belief gap which caused me to subsume my own ambiguous feelings. It looks like I've overcome that conceit. Which is a good thing because brutal honesty is good for the soul.

Now I can focus on the meta that's been poking at my brain; it's tentatively titled Free Will vs. Determinism in the SPN Universe. It has the distinct possibility of turning into a monster post all of its own. I'm sure you're all "thrilled" to hear that. ;-)

I, ummm, I think I've joined the Obama White House fandom. I can't stop reading news articles (like this fascinating behind the scenes look at the campaigns) and hanging on every rumor about who the President-Elect will appoint to his cabinet. The fact that Rahm Emanuel will be the new Chief of Staff is so damn exciting. Not only is he a terrific choice for all sorts of reasons but the crack just kind of writes itself. Not only is he Ari Gold's brother but he was also the inspiration for Josh Lyman, except he's about a thousand times more effective and interesting than Josh Lyman ever was. The crack pretty much writes itself.

But, anyway, my addiction to this new fandom is so bad that I watched most of the Sunday morning politico talkshows. Rahm Emanuel was on Face the Nation! And David Brooks was on every show that I saw; it always amuses me how the talking heads I see on PBS get around. And did you see on Friday that my governor, Jennifer Granholm, is part of the Transition Economic Advisory Board?! OMG AWESOME!

You know how I know that my love for my new fandom has gotten bad? During our ritual Thursday night SPN phone-call hiyacynth and I spent roughly 3 minutes talking about Show and the rest of the time talking about how much we love the new administration and the new First Family. Sasha and Malia in the Rose Garden! With the First Puppy! Michelle kicking ass and taking names! OMG, I have the hugest crush on Michelle Obama. BARACK/MICHELLE OTP!!!!

Politics isn't a new fandom for me. Heck, even back in high school I could honestly say that Madeline Albright was totally one of my heroes. I've just been on a bit of a hiatus for the past few years. But now that there's some new material coming out I'm all over it. It's good to be an American again.

On a more serious note, seeing the Election Night rally in Grant Park made one thing abundantly clear to me; years and decades will still be spent overcoming racism and so many other problems that still plague this nation, but the wounds of 1968 have finally been healed. We can start to move beyond the political acrimony that infected the Boomer generation and forge something new.

I would also like to state, for the record, that as a Mormon I am deeply ashamed of the involvement my church had in passing Proposition 8 in California. I think that a church whose foundational story is that of persecution and prejudice should not be so quick to extend those same tragedies to any other group. The rhetoric of hatred has no place coming from a people whose gospel is based on love.

But a new day is dawning, my friends. And if the Obama campaign proved anything it is that if we stand together we can change the world. The road is long but together we can make it to the end.

Wow, having time is an amazing thing. It gives me the freedom to do things like wash dishes and post. I've been meaning to talk on the following topic for a while now, and with all of the latest rigamarole there doesn't seem to be a better time than now.

So, without further ado: ( Demystifying Mormonism, Part 2: Are Mormons Christians? )

And that's my two cents. As always, all commentary and criticism are welcome.

So apparently PBS is doing a whole thing tonight (ETA: and tomorrow night. Thanks to liz_marcs for the heads up) on Mormons and Mormonism (both Frontline and American Experience) and that's cool. It's also a good time for me to share with ya'll who I am and what I believe and why I believe it.

( Mormons: Not as Strange as Your Grandparents Might Have Thought )

Well, that went better then I thought it would.