Note: I apologize in advance if I misuse any terms – not my intent.If I am misusing any terminology, let me know and I will make the necessary edits.
I received an email today from the Minnesota Republican Party encouraging me to contact my legislator to encourage them to support the Student Safety and Physical Privacy Act (HF 1546). Now, I’m used to being on the opposite side of the Minnesota Republican Party (MnGOP) on most things. However, I am not used to their logic being so just. . .nonsensical that it makes me head hurt and inspires me to write a blog post. Well, congrats MnGOP, today you did just that.
In the email, their reasons why this bill should pass are as follows:
“- Ensure that schools continue to provide bathrooms and locker rooms separated by biological sex.
– Ensure schools can meet individual student needs who are uncomfortable using the facility that corresponds with their biological sex by providing access to a private, faculty, or other facility.
– Protect all students’ basic physical safety and privacy rights when in personal intimate settings.
– Protect the current status of girls’ athletics.
– Maintain local control by school boards, and policy oversight by the legislature, with regard to transgender accommodations.”
Now, to be fair, I’m not on the opposite side on all of these points.
Should we “Protect all students’ basic physical safety and privacy rights when in personal intimate settings.”
Absolutely, without a doubt.
And I’m totally in support of local schools districts taking a stand in this policy area, just like the St. Paul Public Schools did earlier this week. Good on you, St. Paul School Board, for being a leader on this issue.
However, let’s look at the points where I think MnGOP logic fails.
Here are some cameraphone #protips to kick off 2015. You can thank me later.
1. If you don’t look your best in a selfie (remember to hold the phone with your arm extended above your head for the most flattering angle), or it is not in focus, or your finger is in front of the camera – just take another! No shame in aiming for your best look in each and every selfie!
2. Clean off your cameras on the regular. There are likely fingerprints on it, which leads to smudgy photos. This includes the forward facing one.
3. FOCUS. Before you click, select your focus point. Please.
4. If it is super blurry – consider not posting. While your moment across the room from the President may have been amazing, the crappy blurry photo that makes him look like a blob doesn’t really help us be in the moment with you.
5. Background awareness. Make sure you aren’t capturing anything uber-awkward in the background of your photo. You don’t want to end up on a Buzzfeed list of the most inappropriate photo backgrounds of all time, do you?
6. Just say no to the selfie stick.
7. Choose your filters wisely.
8. Don’t auto cross-post – except at times from Instagram to Facebook. Since Twitter no longer shows Instagram photos in Twitter streams, people may not click to look at your masterpiece.
9. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. Don’t overshare.
10. Have fun. Explore. Share you world with others!
The tightrope that I’m walking just sways and ties.
The devil, as he’s talking, with those angel’s eyes.
And I just wanna be there when the lightning strikes.
And the saints go marching in
And sing slow it down,
Through chaos as it swirls,
It’s us against the world.
Right now I am, for lack of a better world, struggling. I feel as if everything is moving quickly and I just can’t keep up.
Now, this is not to say things are bad for me right now – in fact things are pretty decent. However, I keep running into large and dominant road blocks when I try to do things; if it isn’t writers block, then it’s no motivation, lack of creativity, exhaustion, too many ideas, lack of tools needed, the list goes on and on.
Now I read a question posed once about creativity and whether everyone is given a certain amount and once you use it up, it’s gone.
I surely hope this isn’t the case.
Without creativity, a lot of what makes me me would be lost. The thought of this makes me worry since I’ve spent so much time and energy trying to discover who I am and what makes me happy. Now is not the time to have all of that crumble.
And if we could float away,
Fly up to the surface and just start again.
And lift off before trouble just erodes us in the rain
Just erodes us in the rain
Just erodes us and see roses in the rain
Sing slow it down
Slow it down
Through chaos as it swirls,
It’s us against the world.
Through chaos as it swirls,
It’s us against the world
I can’t force it. That will only make things worse. I need to just be in the moment and seize opportunities. Forcing it or dwelling on my lack of creativity and motivation will only make me angry and frustrated – causing the whole cycle to repeat and get worse.
I need to process my thoughts and emotions. I need to get outside and get fresh air. I need to just stop living inside my head. I can’t force this either. It really seems like a lose/lose.
But if it is one thing I know, is that I’ve been here before and I’ve made it through. I can do it again, I just need to have a little patience and faith.
Those of you that follow me on Twitter know that I often tweet things using the hashtag #thingsithinkabout. Often these are random, silly, and rarely profound thoughts I have which are usually inspired by something I am watching or doing.
Some recent gems. . . . .
I think I’m going to start a Stevie Wonder cover band.
Question: Has Hasbro weighed in on the Scrabble rip-off Words with Friends the Board Game?
Pretty sure accio is the spell I’d use the most.
I keep forgetting what day it is. If only there were a block of TV shows on ABC to remind me.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is my Graceland.
Has Willard Scott announced his own 100th birthday yet?
Which is worse – negative political ads or a commercial for the next Twilight movie?
Does anyone actually eat the stick that comes with Fun Dip?
Is it possible to not eat the small boxes of Nerds by pouring the entire box in your mouth?
I can’t be the only person who thinks these things. . .or am I?
In other news, the 2012 election season is OVER! Thank cheesus! No more negative ads on TV. No more doorknocks, phonebanks, or lawnsigns. I’m looking forward to a bit of campaign vacation since it’s basically been back-to-back campaigns (in some form) for 6 years. I think I’m going to tap out for a bit and recharge.
I’m looking forward to some new things on the horizon professionally, as well as a few personal creative projects I have in a queue that I finally need to just push myself to do.
I was checking out some posts on elizabethbanks.com and came across this post. I proceeded to watch the video, which gave me chills – in a good way.
We are voting on a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage here in my adopted home state of Minnesota. I wish I could make every voter watch this video. I will never understand why people can be filled with such hate and malice towards something as simple, pure and beautiful as love shared between two people.
Watch the video. Listen to the words. And Vote No if you’re in Minnesota.
