Somebody is about to feel the fury of my fists

Not that my fists are all that furious. I guess that's not a really good metaphor. I'm furious, so maybe that translates into having fists of fury. Let's hope so, anyway, because my cell phone broke and the guy at Verizon seems to want to frustrate me in every way imaginable.

1. The phone is static. I mean...the thing has turned into a giant ball of static. It works occasionally and for maybe 2 minutes, after which talking is no longer an option. I don't yell. Clearly this is not a viable situation.
2. The guy, fully aware that I own a Mac (since I told him) nevertheless sent me back to my dorm to try to download the new software. Which can only be downloaded onto Windows. From Windows Internet Explorer. Neither of which I have, because I have a MAC.
   
3. So I trudge back to my dorm (this guy is lucky it's not really a long walk) and discover that -surprise! -I can't get the software. Here I am in Verizon waiting for my phone to get fixed when I wanted to be at the Athens Book Center trying to get a job.
   
4. Bastards.

On the plus side, classes are awesome. I'm excited about them. However, I'm also starving to death, so more on that later.




Quick edit: A discussion I had with my mom today has got me all fired up, and I've been writing (unrelated) things for almost 2 straight hours, so I'm a little fried and a lot irritable. Politics right now can only be described as a shitstorm. I can't stand to read a newspaper, half the Tweets I get on Twitter are related to this stuff and it's in the headlines everywhere -I get that there are controversial issues. I respect that. In fact, I think that's awesome.

What I don't think is awesome is the way it's being discussed -by either side as a whole, or even by most individuals.

I am so sick of anyone who disagrees with anything Obama says being labeled a racist/fundamentalist Christian/idiot. If their argument is not based on race, religion or a lack of intelligence and information, those kinds of comments are not only irrelevant, they're insulting to both the person being criticized, and the one making them. People who call the opposition racist, fundamentalist morons when that is not the issue at hand only serve to make themselves look like bigger, more ignorant jackasses.

If you don't agree with the point someone is making on an issue, argue with them about the issue. Don't attack them personally. What does that accomplish, aside from hostility? If someone attacked a point I made during a religious debate using the fact that I'm a creative writing major, I would laugh in their face. That's the same situation. If it's not relevant to the discussion, then leave it the hell out. There's no point stirring up more (unnecessary) controversy over an issue that's already divisive.

As for the other side, comparing Obama to Hitler is never going to get anyone anywhere except pissed off and frustrated. Make your point without getting over dramatic. Stop predicting the damn apocalypse every 30 seconds and actually research the issues once in a while (this is meant to be taken with a grain of salt -I know plenty of people who do their research on the issues at stake and can argue them well while leaving religion out of it. I'm not talking to these people). If your religious views are playing a role in what you think of the issue, and if the only point you can make involves Obama = Hitler/the country is being run into the ground/morals are dead/Obama = commie, but you can't say why, then shut up.

If you can't argue on the issues themselves, then don't argue about the issues by bringing in irrelevant points about the apocalypse and Hitler. It doesn't accomplish anything positive.

For real, productive discussions, people need to do their research, understand the issues at hand and learn to discuss things respectfully with one another. We are not small children on a playground fighting over who gets to pitch first at dodge ball based on which team has the better insults, we're talking about real, serious issues that will have a place in the lives of real people. So get over yourself, grow up and stop acting like babies -ALL of you.



I realize nothing in this post has anything to do with books whatsoever, so here are some links to reviews I've been writing.
South of Broad
The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
Richard Wright (he had a birthday)
Alex Cross's Trial