Hmm so I lied...and interviews!
Alright...in spite of protestations to the contrary I've really been logging on to livejournal every chance possible to procrastinate. Besides, I just finished a three hour final about the bible so I earned this go around. Talk about brutal - identify which Book a passage is from and then give four reasons for the identification based on themes. But I think I did okay in spite of not really studying that hard (but I think going to class and sitting through all of those two and a half hour lectures was enough). Now I just have that twenty page paper to write...but I think I'm in that finals induced stress/no-sleep headache mixed with stupor that nothing frightens me now. I'll manage.
So now for a livejournal interview meme thanks to lovingislabor Here goes...
1. am i right to say that you were raised in a religious family? or one that was at least church-going? what are your opinions on organized religion now?
Umm actually not really. My family was Christmas/Easter Catholic and we never went to Church regularly, and I didn't reach confirmation. In high school I would have rather slit my wrists than set foot in a Church since I was hard-core wouldn't stand up for the pledge Atheist. Then in college I started going to the ever-so-liberal UU college group and I enjoyed it, so I've been going there ever since and I'm an official member of the Church. Then for some reason I started going to mass every so often last September since I didn't feel completely fulfilled spritually and I guess since I wanted to experience it again and I find it interesting.
Hmmm... I used to think organized religion was the devil, but now since I guess I'm a member of Church I'm kind of ambivalent about it like any institution. You can use it for good or you can use it for pure evil. Basically I don't think there's anywhere else you can routinely make community with others and talk about the important things in life like how to be a better person, not to mention sing songs and do other church related things. And with Catholicism, I enjoy the ritual aspect of it and when I need to hope for something Hail Marys fly out of my mouth. I don't believe in it really, but I find it emotionally comforting and calming I suppose.
One of the things that changed my mind was going to India and being in a real Mosque...it was so beautiful that I just felt like I could get up every day and pray there even if God is a really abstract concept for me. Also, even though Marx said "religion is the opiate of the masses" I feel like Marxism or any set of dogma can lead folks astray, and there's even weird shit that I find semi-religious like people getting their picture taken at Marx's grave and stuff. My main feeling about religion are its what you center your life around and what you worship - which could be money, zines, porn, whatever.
2. what is the first thing you are going to do after you have officially graduated from college? (like, when the ceremony is over and all that.)
Eh I'm not going to the ceremony (they don't even call your name), so I will consider myself graduated when I e-mail my paper to my professor. I'm seriously considering going ape-shit in the computer lab and demanding a group hug from everyone. But if I don't do that I think I'm going to just go to the O and get a milkshake or something.
3. what is your favorite thing about pittsburgh motherfucking penn-suhl-vay-nyuh?
Wow...this one is actually hard. I love that pittsburgh is a city but it still feels like a small town. I love that everyone has this kind of trashy unrefined aspect about them even if they think they are all cool. I love that it has this identity and inferiority complex like me. And I love 80s night like no other - that's probably my favorite.
4. what are three things about the world that piss you off the most?
I hate how all relationships these days seems so utterly fleeting. Since everyone moves around so much its impossible to have steady long-lasting relationships in spite of ever increasing communication technology. And even you want to stay somewhere either other people move or you get transferred or what have you. I don't see my older sister more often than maybe 1 week a year. I think it's so sad...it's impossible to feel real community and connection. But I think I'm just sentimental about all the anthropology books I've read about other cultures where everyone knows their second cousins intimately.
I hate that its so hard to change it.
It pisses me off when people on the bus don't get up for old people, pregnant women, and people with disabilities.
5. describe a time in your life when you were truly, genuinely happy beyond belief. what made that time so special or amazing? where were you? who was there? etc.
I was in Germany with American Music Abroad. We had just finished a concert and went back to the hotel, and I was feeling overwhelmend since we never had any alone time and I still wasn't totally jiving with all the other peeps. So I managed to find a window that opened up on to the roof so I could be by myself without anyone knowing that I wasn't taking part in social activities.
When I was out there, I heard this Elton John cover band that was playing in a bar a couple blocks way. So I just started dancing. And I've never felt so free in my whole entire life. It's like for a second I could stop worrying about feeling like a loser, and instead just dance and experience the great weather and my body without anyone judging me. It was ecstasy.
...........................
so, interviews are fun. if you want in on the meme:
1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by asking you five questions of a very intimate and creepily personal nature. Or not so creepy/personal.
3. then you update your LJ with the answers to the questions.
4. also include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the post. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.
So now for a livejournal interview meme thanks to lovingislabor Here goes...
1. am i right to say that you were raised in a religious family? or one that was at least church-going? what are your opinions on organized religion now?
Umm actually not really. My family was Christmas/Easter Catholic and we never went to Church regularly, and I didn't reach confirmation. In high school I would have rather slit my wrists than set foot in a Church since I was hard-core wouldn't stand up for the pledge Atheist. Then in college I started going to the ever-so-liberal UU college group and I enjoyed it, so I've been going there ever since and I'm an official member of the Church. Then for some reason I started going to mass every so often last September since I didn't feel completely fulfilled spritually and I guess since I wanted to experience it again and I find it interesting.
Hmmm... I used to think organized religion was the devil, but now since I guess I'm a member of Church I'm kind of ambivalent about it like any institution. You can use it for good or you can use it for pure evil. Basically I don't think there's anywhere else you can routinely make community with others and talk about the important things in life like how to be a better person, not to mention sing songs and do other church related things. And with Catholicism, I enjoy the ritual aspect of it and when I need to hope for something Hail Marys fly out of my mouth. I don't believe in it really, but I find it emotionally comforting and calming I suppose.
One of the things that changed my mind was going to India and being in a real Mosque...it was so beautiful that I just felt like I could get up every day and pray there even if God is a really abstract concept for me. Also, even though Marx said "religion is the opiate of the masses" I feel like Marxism or any set of dogma can lead folks astray, and there's even weird shit that I find semi-religious like people getting their picture taken at Marx's grave and stuff. My main feeling about religion are its what you center your life around and what you worship - which could be money, zines, porn, whatever.
2. what is the first thing you are going to do after you have officially graduated from college? (like, when the ceremony is over and all that.)
Eh I'm not going to the ceremony (they don't even call your name), so I will consider myself graduated when I e-mail my paper to my professor. I'm seriously considering going ape-shit in the computer lab and demanding a group hug from everyone. But if I don't do that I think I'm going to just go to the O and get a milkshake or something.
3. what is your favorite thing about pittsburgh motherfucking penn-suhl-vay-nyuh?
Wow...this one is actually hard. I love that pittsburgh is a city but it still feels like a small town. I love that everyone has this kind of trashy unrefined aspect about them even if they think they are all cool. I love that it has this identity and inferiority complex like me. And I love 80s night like no other - that's probably my favorite.
4. what are three things about the world that piss you off the most?
I hate how all relationships these days seems so utterly fleeting. Since everyone moves around so much its impossible to have steady long-lasting relationships in spite of ever increasing communication technology. And even you want to stay somewhere either other people move or you get transferred or what have you. I don't see my older sister more often than maybe 1 week a year. I think it's so sad...it's impossible to feel real community and connection. But I think I'm just sentimental about all the anthropology books I've read about other cultures where everyone knows their second cousins intimately.
I hate that its so hard to change it.
It pisses me off when people on the bus don't get up for old people, pregnant women, and people with disabilities.
5. describe a time in your life when you were truly, genuinely happy beyond belief. what made that time so special or amazing? where were you? who was there? etc.
I was in Germany with American Music Abroad. We had just finished a concert and went back to the hotel, and I was feeling overwhelmend since we never had any alone time and I still wasn't totally jiving with all the other peeps. So I managed to find a window that opened up on to the roof so I could be by myself without anyone knowing that I wasn't taking part in social activities.
When I was out there, I heard this Elton John cover band that was playing in a bar a couple blocks way. So I just started dancing. And I've never felt so free in my whole entire life. It's like for a second I could stop worrying about feeling like a loser, and instead just dance and experience the great weather and my body without anyone judging me. It was ecstasy.
...........................
so, interviews are fun. if you want in on the meme:
1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me."
2. I will respond by asking you five questions of a very intimate and creepily personal nature. Or not so creepy/personal.
3. then you update your LJ with the answers to the questions.
4. also include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the post. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.