Fluent in English

It's been a trend for a while that the internet allows for poor grammar and usage. Think I'm wrong? Go through your newsfeed.

The causes may vary: Public education, lack of intelligent stimulation, lack of spell check, sticky keys while eating caramel corn (IT HAPPENED!), or in my case, a lack of practice.

I've noticed, with SO MUCH EMBARRASSMENT, that I, too, suffer from horrible grammar. The kind that used to make me cringe, then promptly yell at the display. I hate myself a little for it. So I decided to do something about it. And by doing something, I mean write a blog post.

I distinctly remember the good ol' days of being the uncontroversial Queen of Grammar. Well, that's not true, that was my mom. I was the Duchess of Usage. I met fellow enthusiasts in high school, but still didn't feel threatened.

Now, I feel a need to submit my blog posts and Facebook* statuses to my English teacher before publication. Because I've caught myself messing up. Either I am worse at grammar now and am just realizing that, or I'm better now and never realized how bad I've always been, and I hope to God above that it's the former. Because I can fix that, that one is about present and future, but the past is stuck, and that scares me. 

But as there's been a decline in grammar, there's been an increase in snotty remarks and snippy ecards about how frustrating bad grammar is. But honestly, I don't know where anyone gets off feeling superior in that regard. At least not the people making those snide comments, because I'm sure the editors at MLA have better things to do, like debate about the Oxford comma.

No one is really fluent in English anymore, at least not in that regard. It's a sad thing, but it's true. My AP Lang teacher said, while in a heated debate about the importance of teaching grammar, that as long as the point is communicated intelligently, then there's no reason to be concerned with grammar's finer points. I, representing the pro-education side, argued that if we don't continue to teach grammar, the finer things will be lost. It's an art form, like great piano playing. And just like concert pianists have to practice their craft, so do grammarians theirs.

Maybe it's one of those things that is only valuable to those who have it, like how the people in North Korea, by and large, are completely content with that way of life because they don't know what it's like to live anywhere else. Plus, defecting is incredibly arduous. Actually, I'm really happy with that simile. I'm keeping it that way. No offense to anyone who would be North Korean by that comparison.

I'm just glad that I'm the one who was raised by the Queen of Grammar, because I do value my ability to determine a gerund versus a participle, though I'm not entirely sure I use 'versus' correctly to this day. Maybe I'll finally figure it out now that I'm aware of my shortcomings.

*Anyone else notice how the icon for Facebook is a lowercase 'f' but the little, red, squiggly line only goes away when it's capitalized?

No. 1

I have a sneaking suspicion that this will not be the first of this kind of post, hence the title.

"What kind of post is this, exactly?"

Good question, kids. It's about those weird, funny times when one moment I'm living like normal, then I blink, and in that fraction of a second, my perception changes, and all of a sudden I'm observing and analyzing my living patterns, but I can't write an entire post about any of them individually. These are my observations. 

First

I've noticed the number of syllables in my Starbucks order is inversely related to my mood. Basically, the worse I feel, the more I send my comma count through the roof. Think I'm lying?

Just hanging out with friends: 

-> Tall hot cocoa

Before my 8am Calc II class on the first day back from break, after closing at work until 1 am the night before:
-> Triple, grande, non-fat, no whip, extra hot, double cup white mocha

I am not ashamed. Much.

Second

I am the most optimistic when I'm setting my alarm. I have it set for 4:45. Wanna know how many times I've actually woken up at 4:45? Once, because I hadn't really fallen asleep since going to bed at 4:30.

It always happens to be that point at night when I think "I have so much to do tomorrow morning!" or "I will treat tomorrow-me to an extra 15 minutes of prep time!" or "I can get up and make pancakes before I go!" that I set my alarm. And then tomorrow-me either wakes up at 4:45, weighs the necessity of makeup against the warmth and comfort of sleeping in bed, and resets the alarm for later, or just sleeps through it. Flat out.

And that, kids, is how I almost failed philosophy.

Third

Third, I would rather spend money on new clothes than do laundry. Let's translate that into real meaning: I would rather not eat than do laundry. Let's translate that again: I still want to spend money on food, and I'd like to not do laundry, even though it's free, so I'll buy clothes, and the only way to have that much money is to work three jobs. I would rather work three jobs than do laundry. WHAT.

The more experience I have on my own, the less proficient I become at prioritizing. Instead, I've become better at triage and simplifying. By that I mean my diet has become the same thing over and over again, and anything that's too expensive doesn't make the cut. Also, if it takes too long to cook, it's out. Sorry, protein.

Fourth

I started this thinking I had so many witty things to say and clever ideas to share, when really, I don't. I just wanted to say that Starbucks thing in a Facebook status, but had already posted a status for the day, and didn't want to share twice. So I blogged about it instead. 

Again, I'm not ashamed. Much.

Then I blogged about blogging about it.

I need to quit.

It's Raining, It's Pouring

They say 'all things in moderation,' but really, who listens? Or rather, what listens? Answer: Absolutely no one and nothing. People show a complete disregard for this (or at least, I do), and so do the Powers that Be. 

There's a reason I just watched all 7 seasons of How I Met Your Mother on Netflix. And 6 of Doctor Who. And most of Scrubs. I can't help it. Moderation is quite frankly a foreign concept. There are too many questions that have no concrete answer. How much time is too much free time? Do I really spend too much time doing nothing? Is that actually the correct portion size for coffee? Are my blankets too fluffy and numerous? Are there too many things to do?

The questions can only be answered when it's too late, when I can take a step back and evaluate the situation and say "That. That is too much." It's never an 'in the moment' decision, and there's not really a line that you see yourself crossing.

And then there's the whole other problem of scaling back. If you can't see the line you crossed, how can you know when you've crossed back over? Some days I feel like Bruce Willis in The Sixth Sense, I've crossed over and have NO IDEA. (Sorry for the spoilers. But if you didn't know that already, that's your loss.)

Back when high school was coming to a close, I wanted nothing more than independence. I wanted to be in control of all of my decisions, I wanted that power. But then I got it. Now, I'm budgeting time between work and school and errands, and panicking about fixing my car and paying for food while trying to squeeze in a social life. Independence is great. All 24/7 of it. (Psych! Not really.)

Even while trying to budget my time, fit all things in moderation, sometimes I just can't help but overwhelm my day and have to take advantage of the 24 hour grocery store. It's the way it has to be; life isn't coming in moderation. Problems don't come budgeted. Everything comes at once. The mechanic, the registrar, and my doctor all have set hours. Something needs to get pushed back to 11:30 pm. Thank you, King Soopers, for knowing my needs.

I think my personal problem is that when I have everything under control, I think I can add just one more thing. It's like carrying groceries in from the car. That voice in your head says "Oh, come on, you can pick up one more bag! You're already getting the rest, why not that one too? And why not that one too? You can do it all in one trip, it's just one more bag! Then one more, come on!" Until all of a sudden, you go to open the door and one of the handles slips your grip while transferring hands and the milk falls onto the eggs and bread and the whole day is ruined. 

That may have happened. I'll never tell. 

Maybe it's like Buddha said, the problem is, we think we have time. Sometimes I forget to look at things realistically and just go with my impulses. Maybe when things get busy, I rely too much on my brain's ability to reason. Or employ defense mechanisms, like never admitting I'm not invincible. Actually, I don't think I'm as good at that as I used to be. Or maybe dependence was my defense mechanism. But that's not an option now. It's kinda an 'all-or-nothing' sort of thing. 

So even though they say all things in moderation, they also say 'when it rains, it pours.' There's always something pouring because its opposite isn't raining. There's always too much free time because there's nothing to do, or no free time because everything needs to be done, all at once, and you're the only one to do it. 

But it's alright. Just like when I suddenly became an adult, I'll adjust. It just happens to be that part of life when I'm too old to be a kid but too young to really know what I'm doing. It's a game of adaptation right now. I think I'll enjoy being a grown up. Actually, I think I'll enjoy being old. I'll enjoy not having to worry about where I'm going because I'll have already been there. 

Plus senior discounts. I can't wait for senior discounts. But that's a lifetime away.

Resolve

2012 being over, the obvious thought process is to reflect upon the year past and ahead to what can be made of 2013. The tradition to make a resolution can often be difficult, there are so many cliches to choose from, so as a conscientious blogger, I want to help you out.

That was a lie, through and through. This is not about me being a conscientious blogger, this is not about me wanting to be helpful. If I did that, the next thing you know I'll be posting about 15 ways to use vinegar as a cleaning agent. Never spend money on commercial cleaning agents again!
I'm also not posting about what my resolutions are. Though I may share a few that I have in mind for myself, that would be reckless and altogether quite boring.

So let's get one thing clear: this is my New Year's Eve wishlist. I am not sending it off to the North Pole, I'm sending it to cyberspace. Now you, my little elves, can either go about checking it off or ignore it entirely at your own discretion. Maybe you put me on the naughty list, I don't know. 

Here's a hint for all my literary minded friends: yes, that cross contamination of holidays was intentional, and very, very important.

Now, to the meat of the article. Onward and upward! Or downward, I guess. This scrolling makes everything a little anticlimactic.

1. Be a more conscientious consumer

No, I don't intend for this to mean "find better bargains". Yes, it is a little self serving to wish for this from a service job. But when you read why I mean what I mean, hopefully you'll feel compelled to comply.

Last night, I had the esteemed pleasure of cleaning IMAX glasses from the receptacle labeled "Please Return 3D Glasses" in big, bold letters. When I picked up the inner bag to bring the glasses back to the cleaning station, it started to drip.

"Wonderful," I thought, "Just perfect." Then I realized it was dripping red, oozing crimson. Goody. Then when I finally opened the bag, I found the cup. It was not one of our lovely movie theatre cups, no. It was from a fast food chain for those who like to eat fresh on an underground train. Specifically Michael Phelps and some guy with over-sized pants.

I understand not wanting to buy from the concessions stand. Prices are steep, I'm not denying that. The people you'd by it from know that. Every time a cashier rings up an eight dollar large popcorn, they are acutely aware that you just spent more in 3 seconds than they make in an hour. Actually, I'm pretty sure the same goes for the small popcorn too, after taxes.

The high price rate, however, does not give you any sympathy when ignoring the rules and signs is your game. It does not give you any rights, any excuses, any leeway, or any strain of understanding. Especially not when you don't even pay the prices, and bring in your own drink, then throw it away half full in an IMAX glasses receptacle. 

What I mean by being a conscientious consumer is to understand what consequences your actions will have within the establishment. Put yourself in the shoes of the people who work there, because most of them make minimum wage. They don't make enough to justify a blatant disregard for common sense (or literacy) on your part.

Every person should have 3 jobs in their lifetime. 
1) Cleaning up after strangers
2) Serving strangers
3) Customer service

Having to clean up after strangers is a branding experience. It makes you aware of how piggish humans can be when they aren't held accountable for their messes. There's a joke to be made about politics and future generations in there, but that's a tangent and I'm resolving to stop doing those. But the point is, cleaning up after people makes you more apt to clean up after yourself, because you don't want to be the person that makes strangers clean up after you. Because you know what it's liked to not be thanked for it.

Serving strangers, having to get them everything they desire, taking nothing but money in return, then having that money taken away to be compiled and distributed out of your sight, it's hard. It is. It takes a special kind of person to be the middle man in the chain of consumerism. They are bossed around by company and customer alike. The more pious human beings know the value of service, but they do it for a higher cause. Doing it for minimum wage is just as humbling (or humiliating) but with less of a reward. 

Customer service is its own breed of service. The difference is that in service, customers usually are more patient, less aggressive, and generally speak in softer tones. In regular service, if the guest is upset, there's usually something in your power that can be done to resolve the situation. If there isn't, you direct them to customer service.

In customer service, what the customer wants is usually something intangible, (and occasionally unintelligible) and it requires a lot of the person behind the counter. The job of customer service is to atone for all the shortcomings of your coworkers, to be the face of blame, to be the scapegoat (which the customer usually sees as the true culprit) and to smile all the same. By being a conscientious consumer, understand that the person behind the counter is making just as little money as the person behind the register. They are reading from a script designed by people they haven't even met, and have only as much power as minimum wage can buy.

Also along this line, be conscientious of your fellow consumers. Don't pay in pennies when there's a long line. Respect the tensa-barriers, even if there's only 3 other people vying for the register. Don't let your kids kick the seat, run wild, scream like crazy, tap the speaker/microphone, dishevel all the displays, and then reward it all with everything they ask for. It breeds poor consumers for the future. 

 
Abridged: Be nice. Be aware. Be sensible.

2. Ask more of yourself than of others

Funny thing about resolutions, they are (usually) made one night a year and forgotten a month later. People shirk the responsibility that they gave themselves. It's okay to get tired. It's okay to need a break. But the thing is, everyone tends to get tired around the same time. When someone shirks responsibility, they cast it off to land on someone else. And that's just inconsiderate and rude to the person it lands on.

I think asking more of yourself is realistically the most logical life plan. If you need something done, do it yourself. If you need something got, get it yourself. If you feel like you need to trust someone, trust yourself. Never allow the burdens you place on others be collectively greater than the load you bear.

I believe in what I call karma, even though I'm pretty sure it's far off from what it's supposed to be. Basically, what I believe is that being a better person today than you were yesterday will reward you tomorrow. People like to fall back on "Karma's a bitch" when really, karma is a great thing. It means you have control of your own situation and life. You set the terms and conditions and life has to pretend to read them and check the little box before continuing.

That being said, living life to the easiest today will only make it harder tomorrow. Always ask more of yourself than others, because if you're not strong enough to support yourself, how could you hope to help others? And if you don't help others, who will be there to help you when your plate gets just a little too full?

Karma, optimist style.

3. Don't wish ill on others

Really, it's is just rude to hope for someone else's worst. In fact, it's a little sadistic to derive pleasure from the misfortune of others. There's a word for that, schadenfreude, and the Germans came up with it. Infer what you will.

I don't know a single person that has the same life story as me. In fact, I know there isn't one. And the same goes for everyone else, too. Sure, the big things might be the same, but sometimes it's the small things that can define a person's attitude. Like that grouchy lady behind you in line while you dig for a quarter in the bottom of your pocket. You could wish for her to have a bad day, but you don't know, she may be having one already, and that's why she's grouchy.

Along the lines of the karma thing, I believe in the momentum of thought. Positive thinking yields positive results, and the converse. Negative thinking will yield negative things, and honestly, is it worth it to have your Jiminy Cricket chastising you for grouchy lady's bad day? For as messed up as Disney's made some of us, they threw in some good lessons here and there. Like "always let your conscience be your guide". At the end of the day, there's always one person you'll be going to bed with, don't give them reason to keep you up all night. 

4. Give the benefit of the doubt

This is something that used to be a given and people wouldn't have to resolve to do this. In those days, movies cost 10 cents and people went to the soda parlor afterwards.

But in all honesty, it's been a trend in my observation that a mistake is much grander than it should be. If I see one more post about there/their/they're with the caption "Im such a grammer nazi, lol," I'll throw my computer. At the risk of doing this myself, don't openly criticize other people. You never know when you'll mess up in the same exact way and seem a hypocrite.

Malapropisms used to pluck such a comedic chord, and now they're apt to incite a full-blown, caps locked BRAWL in the comments section. Really? C'mon. Don't unfriend someone over an apostrophe. As I write this, I have 6 other tabs open, 3 texting conversations in the works, and Spotify playing. If you're the kind of person who can focus on one single task while on the internet, I hope you heed my warning and show mercy.

Footnote: This applies to more than just internet grammar, sorry for the lack of variety in examples.

5. Follow through

This shouldn't really stand on its own, it's more of a .5 than a 5. 

I know I'm not the only one to have made a resolution that I promptly dropped, so this resolution is a win-win for my fellow January-only resolutioneers. This way, if you keep your other resolution, you get to say you did two!

And if you fail to follow through, at least there's the irony to laugh at. Win-win.




I've only ever kept one resolution in my life, and that's because I made it with an end date in mind. My idea is that every day can be like New Years Eve, that you can wake up any day and decide to start living a better life, (toldja the hybrid holiday thing would come up again). And sometimes it doesn't have to be for a whole year, it can just be for a time. I don't know a single wife who's done the pre-wedding diet and work out routine since they said "I do", but they kept it up until then, and that's an accomplishment.

Reader's challenge: Did I post this late to be ironic? Or do I really just need to work on following through? You'll never know.

Actually, I don't think I'll ever know.

Demise of Humanity

As the world is supposedly ending soon, the end of the year 2012 is not ending quite like any of the others (except all the other "The End" scares, but I was hardly old enough to care then.) I don't necessarily believe the world will end tomorrow. Or tonight, depending on who you ask. I feel like I'd be okay if it did though. 

The thing is, even though I don't believe the world will end, I think my subconscious does. I've been acting oddly friendly and helpful and happy lately, and though that could be explained by the holiday spirit, those who know the holiday me would tell you otherwise. I'm usually cynical and cross once the shoppers get to bustling and the bells start to jingle in every store and most intersections. And even in the years that I catch the Fa-la-la Fever, it's usually an anxious, energetic sort of infection. But not this year. This year, I'm at peace.

This year, I'm not sad for another year passing. I'm not mad at the drivers on the road. I'm not wishing ill on the Lexus crossovers that cut me off. I'm not even saying horrible things in my head about the customers who ask me ridiculous questions. In fact, I'm wishing well on everyone and everything. I'm singing along to all the carols and dressing in sweaters and scarves. And I'm loving every minute of it. I'm not doing it ironically, I'm not doing it out of obligation to tradition. 

The thing is, if the world were to end tomorrow, I wouldn't want to go out as a cynical Grinch. I'd rather go out as contented as can be. I wouldn't want to go out angry at all things and people and humanity. I'd want to go out full of hope.

At the risk of sounding like an idealist, I really believe that if there were more people with this mindset, we'd be a better race. When the Mayans predicted the end of the world, maybe they weren't talking about the asteroids or the zombies. Maybe they meant the end of humanity. Maybe they meant the end of the way of humanity. With all the shootings and the doomsayers and the malice, I'd easily believe that. But I'm not willing to accept it.

If meteors start falling from the sky and the world starts burning, I'll be happy to die like the rest of the world, I'd rather hug Erika through the bars of a prison like Seeking a Friend than to be like Will Smith in I Am Legend. But if it's the morality we're arguing, I'll fight that tooth and nail. We are good people.

With that being said, go spend time with loved ones. I am. 

That 4 Letter Semi-Word

While the first posts were meandering thought, I genuinely hope to spark some discussion with this one.

I was in the airport on Wednesday and after having a movie moment (think opening scene from Love, Actually) with my very first best friend, we went to the gift shop for postcards for her to take back to the poor souls of Indiana who don’t know what mountains are. It was there that it happened, an assault on my very identity.

Any Coloradan knows what the vintage license plates look like, the green mountains with the white sky, and that now there’s a line of bumper stickers featuring said design, flaunting a characteristic of the driver. Really, anyone who’s driven near the 303 in their lifetime has seen RUNNER or NATIVE on the back of a Subaru at one point; they’re ubiquitous, but more importantly, they’re marketable. Colorado is a state to be proud of. It’s like “Oh, you run? I run at a mile high.” or  “When I learned state history in 4th grade, I drew a rectangle and got full credit. Your move, Texas.”  

I was admiring the wall of adhesive self-advertisements when a new one caught my eye (a rarity, like I said, they’re ubiquitous) and it made me cry a little on the inside.

Semi-Native.

First of all, what does that even mean, semi-native? I challenge you, reader. Google “native definition” and see that I am not lying. A person born in a specified place or associated with a place by birth, whether subsequently resident there or not.   One more time: A person BORN IN a specified place or associated with a place BY BIRTH. Really, how can someone be semi-born in a specified place? Challenge #2, google how many babies are born mid air, then try to figure out how many of those births happen in Colorado airspace. By definition, only that number of bumper stickers should be made, and honestly, should be bought by the airline responsible for the safe delivery as congratulatory gifts to the newborns.

Maybe I’m putting too much influence on the preposition. But that means someone must be semi-born. That one is harder to explain, and much messier, and slightly more gruesome depending on how deeply you think about it. So I’m moving on from that. But feel free to hypothesize in your own time.

That leaves the final option, and the most likely, which I must therefore accept by the principle of charity. People disregard the true definition, nay, the etymology of the word native (Google challenge #3) and think it refers to the rearing and raising, the life lived. Fine. They’re wrong, but I’ll play along for the sake of the post.

I understand feeling like you belong somewhere even though you weren’t born there. Colorado is an awesome state, it makes sense to want to be a part of it. But we have a word for people who move here. It’s called transplant. Put that on the back of your car, not this ridiculous excuse for a word. Semi-native... Pah!

So maybe I’m a little possessive of my nativity. Just a little. But the truth is, I am damn proud to be from Colorado. I love my sports teams, I love my sunrises and sunsets, I love all four of my seasons, I love my state history and my state’s future. So yes, it bothers me that people call themselves “semi-natives”. That’s like Benedict Cumberbatch calling himself a semi-brunette even though it’s a dye job. You weren’t born that way. It’s okay, we accept you for it. Just call yourself a transplant and (as long as you don’t admit to being from Texas) you’ll be welcomed into the family. (If you’re from California, don’t bother lying about it, your driving will betray you in the end.)

That being said, please let me hold onto this small piece of pride, and don’t dilute it with your four-letter qualification. I am a Colorado native. The only “semis” that belong here are on the highways. I don't normally feel inherent dislike towards people or things or ideas. This is just one of the times that reminds me occasionally that I have raw nerves. Please don't hate me. Especially not when I duplicate this sentiment after a day of skiing.

Super, Heroes.

Originally, I was planning on posting something about Pinterest or dog leashes (or one particularly offensive bumper sticker) but then some mentally unstable man in Connecticut reminded me that choosing a direction for your life affects more than just yourself. So this came out instead. And quite honestly, it feels better than posting about crafts or shih tzus. Here goes.

Most little girls grow up believing in princesses and fairy tales. Not me, no. I grew up believing in superheroes. The Men in Tights who fought for everything good in humanity. As unlivable as the world became, as awful and treacherous as we made it, they would see something worth fighting for, and they would. Fight for it, that is.

How accursed they must feel, to bear such a heavy burden, to protect all the little children in the world from growing up too soon, to preserve the good in humanity. But the truth is, that’s something we are all charged with. It’s the responsibility of every human being to make the best society they can. No one is exempt from this, not the hipsters, not the atheists, not you or me, not anyone.

I’ve grown up in Colorado. I was 4 when Columbine happened down the street. I had just gotten back from the mountains when the gunman attacked the school in Bailey. I worked the phones at a movie theatre on July 20, 2012. I’m no stranger to shootings. That’s not to say that they don’t rattle the foundation of my being every time one occurs, but rather that I have had a lot of opportunities to learn from them.

I went to a friend’s house to watch coverage of the elementary school massacre because whenever tragedy strikes, I need a hug. The recurring thought in my head all day was “Why would I ever want to raise a child in this world?”. Then she said something that woke me out of my KBO mentality: “We need to work harder to make a world we can raise our kids in.” 

That’s the truth of it, honestly. Here I am, my adult life before me, the possibility of having a career and a family shimmering just over the horizon. This is the precipice. It’s a golden opportunity we have at this age. I think I’ll never have as much potential in my life as I do right now, and that goes for the entire generation. Most of us haven’t started a career or family yet. We still have so much control over where our lives can go, so much we can determine for ourselves and society by choosing. There’s the old standby, that some are born great while others have greatness thrust upon them. I believe there’s a third group: those that choose greatness.

Right now, we get to decide what kind of world we’re going to create down the line. It’s a little scary to think that the hipsters will soon be of the age to run companies and countries. What’s scarier is to think that soon we all will be of the age to run more than just our own lives. We get to make decisions, we get to have influence. But we’ll get back to that, because I want to talk about superheroes again.  

I need to qualify my belief. I’ve always had a good grasp of fiction, I never believed they existed, but rather in what they stood for. They stood for good triumphant, for sacrifice in the face of tragedy, for simply BEING THE HERO. I think sometimes the world forgets what it’s like to have a hero, because everyone is looking to someone else. We ALL need to be heroes. True, I’m not acting as a mild-mannered blogger while waiting for my red phone to ring, I am simply just a girl with a computer. But sometimes I like to think that if I say the right thing at the right time in someone’s day, I can be their hero. I think everyone can be somebody’s hero. And truly, I believe that all evil in this world stems from people who had no hero.

I really believe my friend is right.This is America, for crying out loud. We are not a society of malice and hatred, of turmoil and destruction. We are a community. It’s our responsibility to each other to maintain peace. The influence that each individual has on a society (told you I’d get back to that) is all just a piece of the whole. It’s our responsibility to make the network a livable place, where we can see movies and go to school and work without fearing for our lives. Somewhere along the line, someone screwed up. Someone that somebody else looked up to, or counted on. Super job, heroes.Now this domino effect of killings has resulted, and the community, instead of strengthening, has begun to panic, to point blame at everything but itself.

On that note, in response to Morgan Freeman’s opinion regarding sensationalist media (see link below), I don’t think he’s entirely wrong. Especially not the end, when he calls to action every person. He did that in just over 270 words (or at least he’s been credited with that), I’m so sorry that mine is so much longer. 

Abridged Version: Be a good person. Help other people to be good people. Be a community, not a group of individuals. Be a hero. Be super.

I’m a nerd.

Link to “MF” response: http://www.reddit.com/r/politics/comments/14wyhp/morgan_freemans_response_to_the_shootings/