STRIPFEED

My newsfeed is like a Vegas strip sidewalk, littered with quick, indulgent ways to get a heart attack and neon click bait articles screaming "Click Me!" Controversy lurks at every corner beckoning poor, pathetic passersby as they try to keep their heads low and stay out of trouble. And as fun as a night out on the strip would be as my thumbs scroll through more opinions than facts, I hope this place isn't like the rest of the world. Because if it is, you'll find me tucked away in a hotel admiring the view out my window. How beautiful chaos can be when you're watching from a distance.

RELIGIOUS MUMBO JAMBALAYA

I know I'm officially a Mac user when I try for the Alt + A to Select All.

I don't know why I started off with that.

Yesterday, a friend of mine texted me about her annoyance with some Facebook friends on a feed complaining about the possibility of schools introducing sex education at an earlier age. Friends who happen to be the same as she (about 23). "Can anyone see the irony in that?" she texted. Why yes, friend. I can.

Earlier today, I read about a Texas state rep who recently filed a resolution to implement the inclusion of God and the Ten Commandments into the state's public schools. Phil Stephenson, I believe.

Religion is such a touchy subject. Touch, touch. Poke. You never know who you're going to offend or what friends you're going to lose with the statements you make. But I mean, as insignificant of an individual as I am, I guess I can just sit in my own little corner and quietly sort through my thoughts on the matter.

I don't really know why the push for religion is a priority, given the current circumstances that the nation is in. There are more pressing matters at hand, in my opinion. The economy could be - could be - a pretty big one. You know, could. Globalization has been opening up access to a new pool of workers who are able to work for significantly less pay than Americans. Middle-wage paying jobs are now offered overseas, and corporations are growing more profitable because they do not employ as many people as they used to. The financial wellbeing of the senior management and owners are being ensured at the expense of average employees. Tax policies seem to favor investors and high-wage earners. This isn't anything new; the employment rate is at an all-time low within the past thirty years. I don't even know if Stephenson's proposal will actually provide measurable results in bettering the nation, let alone the state of Texas.

But to what purpose does it serve to include the public acknowledgement of God in the state's public schools? I thought the public acknowledgement of God was made clear from the many, many many times in demonstrations, boycotts, pamphlets, television syndications, holidays, the bottom of my In-N-Out cup, small booklets passed out on the corners, organized groups, publicized fits of outrage...fuck--Church? Forgot about that one. I have friends who are religious. But those closest to me believe and feel as they wish, and allow me to do the same. I don't really feel threatened by those who propose similar resolutions as Stephenson's, because this world is progressively growing. The vast majority, compared to past centuries, have grasped the ability to reason. Surely they won't take a big, fat step back and call takesies backsies on what the Supreme Court already ruled against years ago.

The primary purpose of school is to educate those attending. You'll open up a big can of worms by advocating to support prayer and display of any religious citations on public schools. To specify, WHAT religion? There are too many versions that will probably demand the same acknowledgment. Which version is right? Surely not the one you believe in? How convenient. And don't call me Shirley. #snuckinanairplanereferencerightthurr

It's actually the conduct of the believers that leave such a bad impression on the idea of religion itself at times. I always thought that religion existed as a form of spiritual support, to better oneself in ways they wouldn't have been able to without. Maybe I'm wrong, but strong believers who remind me as to why I should convert make me feel as though religion is an inevitable disease. I would like to think that those who truly believe their religion to be right can give it enough faith to spread to willing believers, not resisting skeptics. Before asking non-believers if they can change their entire basis of reasoning and insight on existentialism, ask yourself if you are capable of doing the same.

I don't mean to sound as though I am attacking the idea. It's only those who try to shove it down my throat that really make me see the corruption behind it. I don't mind coexisting, because there are many different paths that an individual can take to find guidance and ways to improve as a person. I happen to have taken a different route. It is extremely hard for me to listen in on arguments from someone who disagrees with something that goes against the Bible, but doesn't adhere by its teachings entirely. Pick and choose, if you wish, but please allow others to do the same.

I think the Bible is a rulebook enforced for those who accept the legitimacy of its teachings. It doesn't apply if you don't see the value in it.

And I'm not even mad or anything. I'm just, you know...sitting here. Having eaten my Lean Cuisine too quickly and all.

THIS PICTURE IS ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE

In the process of trying to "figure out" Facebook, my mother recently uploaded this little gem. And, like the tightly-wounded ball of emotion I am, it had me oohing and awwing from nostalgia.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you my youngest brother, Lewis, from years and years ago. Adorable, yes? He's thirteen now. A far cry from this teary-eyed little toddler who obviously did something bad enough to harbor a punishment from our parents (i.e. roam free and be happy like the child he was). And like the assholes we were (are), my other brother Lawrence and I cackled and snorted as we grabbed the household camera and a Valentine's Day Winnie the Pooh doll to amuse ourselves for what seemed like forever. Probably a couple of minutes or so.

To everyone else, this picture is that of a sad baby. To me, it's the tough sibling love that my other brother and I took advantage of because we were horrible children with a sense of humor. It's a reminder that Lewis wore hand-me-downs, hence the gender-neutral cardigan he is seen wearing here. It tells me that we were still living down Hayes Circle, in neighborhood with streets named after the past Presidents of the United States. Someone had given me that Winnie the Pooh doll one year in junior high. I held onto it that whole day because almost everyone else got flowers and balloons on Valentine's, so I had to keep my hands and self-esteem preoccupied.

I can only smile wistfully at original and candid Kodak moments like these. How times have changed, with our generation growing up and making a transition into a digital era. And here we are, taking endless snapshots of ourselves, our friends, the skies looking on like a Christian music CD commercial, our meals-turned-artwork, random and serendipitous acts of nature (or of God, for some). Here we are, deleting pictures because we are able to get a second chance of taking a noteworthy photo.

I find that the nostalgic value of a picture is directly correlated with the amount of time that passes. A picture taken now only serves as a reminder, not a memory. Only when I pull up a ridiculous image of me reading a Canon camera manual to my stuffed guinea pig do I recognize this as a mark in progress and compare it to the person I have become. Of course, this is all common knowledge. These news don't break grounds. I'm not teaching; I'm only thinking out loud.

The beauty I find in picture taking is that no one has to be a photographer to get the world to see what they see, in the light, angle, or moment that they see it in. This is one reason why I usually opt out of asking everyone to group together, while the boys straighten their faces and the girls break their backs to feign the appearance of aesthetic appeal. I like catching people in the middle of a good moment, naturally lost in whatever they are doing, saying, or feeling. And I have absolutely no experience in photography. I just know when I want to visually bookmark a point of time in my life.

Say cheese, everyone.