The penguins are doing it, so why can't we?

You can read the full article here, but here's the gist of it: The book is called And Tango Makes Three. A parent complained that it was pushing a gay agenda and asked that it be banned. A committee said, "Whatever, bitch, don't get your panties in a twist." The parent appealed. The next committee said, "You better check yourself you fear mongering parent who can't take responsibility for your own child and must get authorities involved to also tell other parents what to do." Then the Superintendent said, "I'm the boss here, and I hate gays, too, so buh-bye book!" Other parents in Loudoun County were all, "Censorship bad!!!" But there is no system in place to allow them to ask that the book be put back on the shelves.

Yeah, you like my summarizing skills?

I totally want to read this book now and had never heard of these penguins. Thank you, crazy homophobic parent, for getting the word out on this book. I appreciate it.

The book is based on a true story of Roy and Silo, two male penguins at NYC's Central Park Zoo. They become penguin partners, and when all the other penguins start making babies, they want to as well, so they get an egg-shaped rock and try to hatch it. One of the zoo staff sees this and gives them an actual fertilized egg to hatch and take care of. The two dads and baby girl are still at the zoo being their adorable selves. I think it's very heartwarming, and anyone who sees something wrong with that beautiful story has something wrong with themselves.

I think if a child read that story, and then you told them, "Penguins choose one penguin and spend the rest of their lives together. Could you imagine if the zoo people didn't approve of two male penguins being mates and they separated them? The penguins would probably become very sad and miss their friend." The child would probably ask why the zoo people would do such a thing. What would you say?

I think now is a good time to tell my reason why I feel so strongly about GLBT rights. It's actually quite simple. When I was a very little baconyum and I first learned that some couples are two men or two women, I didn't really think much of it. I wasn't surprised. It made total sense to me. Why wouldn't there be couples of two men or two women? What's your point??? Then when I learned that there are people who hate them for it and even kill them for it, that's the part I didn't understand. That's the part that enfuriated me and saddened me and made me question good vs. evil.

Children don't need to be taught love, kindness, and acceptance. They are born with it. But somehow children are taught to hate and become narrowminded and judgmental. One of my professors in college was chatting with us one day and was talking about his son. Across the street lived a gay couple. His son asked him, "Why aren't they married?" And my professor said to us, "Wow. Now that's being openminded." And I thought, 'Yes. It's called being a child.' Trust me. People aren't born hating people.

The Year in Review: 2007

The Year in Music

I went to a Killers concert back in May at the Patriot Center. I got floor tickets and was in the center about five rows back. Brandon forgot to sing the second verse of "All These Things That I've Done" and said, "Shit," when he realized. The concert was amazing. I still have the "Shadowplay" video on my phone that I recorded.

October 30 was my best day of 2007! So many things throughout the day just kept going right, and it all led up to the Jimmy Eat World Concert at the 9:30 Club. I got in the front row, and I got one of Jim's guitar picks. The concert was incredible. The whole day was incredible.

November 11 was the Jimmy Eat World concert at Sonar. The concert was fantastic. The day wasn't as incredible as the last, but it was certainly more eventful.

Lillix's newest cd came out last year, but it became available in the US this year, and it played in my car for months. I liked Kelly Clarkson's new cd as well. I have yet to get the Spice Girls' greatest hits album, but I'm so glad they made one, and I wish I could go to their concert. The Jimmy Eat World cd was my favourite of the year of course. The Killers' B-side album was good, but their Christmas song "Don't Shoot Me Santa" was great, and I enjoyed all of their music videos they made this year, especially the one for "Santa". And last but never least, I love Britney's new album. Of course I listened to more music than that, but those are my highlights.

The Year in Movies

I kept a list of all of the new movies I watched this year over at my Livejournal just so I could make an end of the year top 10 list because I usually forget what I watched before September. It becomes a blur.

I am only including movies that actually came out this year (which is why Pan's Labyrinth, Children of Men, and Miss Potter won't be on the list). So here's the list:

1. Enchanted
   
2. Transformers
   
3. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
   
4. The Number 23
   
5. Alvin and the Chipmunks
   
6. The Simpsons Movie
   
7. Spiderman 3
   
8. Charlie Wilson's War
   
9. Live Free or Die Hard
   
10. Atonement
    

Honorary Mentions go to: Hot Rod, Zodiac, Pirates of the Carribbean: At World's End, Georgia Rule, and Good Luck Chuck

Worst Movie goes to: Premonition
Runner up goes to: Music and Lyrics

I want to mention that I did see Across the Universe just so you know it didn't make the list on purpose.

The Year in Television

I haven't had cable the majority of the year, but that doesn't mean much because of youtube. The show of the year for me is America's Next Top Model. I discovered it in September when I was visiting my mom, who has cable. I watched every cycle of it on youtube in about a month. Cycle 9 was a huge scandalous disappointment, but it gave us Heather, so it was worth watching of course. Cycle 10 better be awesome!

I also watched the first two seasons of Arrested Development on dvd. I got the third season for Christmas, so I am excited about that. Also, on dvd I watched Animaniacs and Ali G (or maybe that was last year. Whatever). Of course I watched Friends a bunch of times, but that's nothing new.

The Year in Books

Originally I did not have this, but I saw someone mention Harry Potter in their own 2007 entry, and I was all, "Oh, shit! I can't believe I forgot! I fail at being a Harry Potter fan!!!" So this section is being added two days later. Dammit.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows! The whole Harry Potter July was excellent. Went to midnight thingies for both the book and the movie. It was a little depressing that there are no more books, but I'm glad to have read through to the end because I like knowing. The whole series is brilliant!

Other books I read this year worth mentioning: I have no idea what I read this year. Maybe I should keep a list for that as well.

The Year in Life

I'll start by saying I had a total of eight employers this year. Eight! It has been a crazy year for work. My total since I have been working since the age of 16 is now at 20 employers. You know what? No regrets. I'm just a person who knows when to bounce. Also, this year I had a couple professional freelance photography gigs, and I started two websites (though I think I'm not going to renew one of them). Also, I made my first (and only) sale on eBay on my first try (though my second, third, and fourth tries were not as successful).

I made way too many big purchases and am now in even more debt than ever before, but that's ok. I'll start with the sewing machine, which I haven't used in months, that is sitting on my desk to the right of my laptop. I wanted to start a pillow business, but I guess I don't enjoy sewing as much as dreaming about the things I can create. Next is my Nikon D40x, which I named Isla (after Isla Fisher, who had a baby in October named Olive). It has not paid for itself monetarily yet, but I have gotten good experience and a lot of fun with it. Lastly, my largest purchase in my life, my new used Nissan Sentra, which I named Simon the Beast. His most winning feature is the aux-in port which I can plug Tangerine (my blue iPod nano) into.

Also, this year I moved out on my own (well, not entirely my own since I live with my boyfriend, but on my own in terms of out of my mom's house). That was at the beginning of April, so it's been almost nine months, and it's going pretty well.

Other things I would like to note about this year is my discovery of the Scrabulous application on facebook (it has consumed me worse than Snood did my freshman year of college), joining the Jimmy Eat World message board (which is full of pricks but also really cool people, and I made a new friend off of it as well, and a couple band members actually post there which makes it and them even better), continuing my ASL interpretation education (I mention that because it has led me to the study of ethics, which I may want to pursue for my master's), and one of my best friends getting married (we've been friends since fourth grade, so that was extra special. Back then we both thought I would be the first. We've kind of switched dreams along the way).


So that's my year in a nutshell. It was (for the most part) the year of the Pig, which is my year (hence I turned 24, since they are on a 12 year rotation). In a couple of months I will be making another year in review type of entry for my birthday, which I am looking forward to because it'll be my golden year (born on the 25th, turning 25).

So cheers to 2007! Welcome 2008!

I'll see you next year.