STOP WITH THE CLICHES ALREADY

Look, I know that some people find comfort in religion. It only irritates me, however.

This idea that everything is destined to happen, or that everything happens for a reason (that you can't know until later) is tiring.

We make our own futures. They aren't written for us. IF there was a god that has predetermined our lives, and we can't affect it, then we might as well lay in bed all day, because whatever happens is destined to happen.

I've got 5 words for you: Suicide, homicide, genocide, famine, and disease. Any god that has already decided that people should suffer these without the possibility of escape is not a god I want to claim.

I have free will, regardless of the existence of a god. I choose the direction of my life, I get the credit for the good decisions, and I get the blame for the bad ones. That's life.

--A.W.C.

I guess I'll just sit at home for a few weeks

Well, I got laid off last Friday. Had been working there loyally for 8 years. I rolled with the punches, expressed a willingness to work with the new management, did what I was asked in a timely manner, and......they laid me off. At least I wasn't the only one. I know that it is just business, but I can't help wonder if there weren't better choices to be made. Oh well, I can't change that now....

So, that means I will be job hunting soon. I haven't been on a job interview in over 8 years. Hopefully my experience giving job interviews to applicants will help me.

Stay tuned...

--A.W.C.

It's time for real change.

No, I'm not talking about Barack Obama's brand of change from a Republican run administration to a Democrat one. I'm talking about real change. It's time we stopped listening to the far left and the far right. It's time we realized that both sides have no real interest in fixing everything. As long as something is broken, they can always blame the other side and implore American citizens to vote for the opposing parties candidates. It is time we realized that they both have it wrong!

Come on, people! Do some research. Find someone else to vote for. Stop voting just because some has a "(R)" or a "(D)" after their name when they make an appearance on TV. Stop voting for one person just because he says the other guy can't do the job. Let's vote for someone that didn't base their campaigns on personal attacks.

Let's find individuals that we believe care about the future of this country and our children, and let's encourage them to run for office. We may have to start small, but that's OK. Get on city councils, get elected as mayor of your city, and start taking care of your constituents.

We don't need representatives whose only goal is to remain in the seat of power; we need representatives that want to REPRESENT their people. If they don't get elected again, then they need to understand that it is because the PEOPLE didn't like the job he/she did.

This goes both ways! You have to learn about your representatives...local, county, state, and federal. You need to educate yourself about what they vote for and against. You need to hold them to their promises. We need to call them out when they make promises they can't possibly keep while they are campaigning. We need to hold them accountable for what they do and what they don't do. Today, politicians count on the general population to NOT do any of these things. As long as we remain ignorant, they have an increased chance of keeping the status quo.

I don't care how futile you think it is. DOING NOTHING WILL ACCOMPLISH NOTHING. If you really want to see some changes, then STOP VOTING FOR REPUBLICANS AND/OR DEMOCRATS. They are the source of the problem, and our ignorance fuels it.

-A.W.C.

School!?!?!?!? What was I thinking?

OK. So I started school last week. Taking my first class in 13 years! WTF was I thinking?

It's not that bad. Just a little culture shock. Within the first class (which is about 2.5 hours of class time each week), I received two lab assignments, and before my second class even starts, I already have my first real Essay assigned.

English 1302 may not be very difficult for people that took English 1301 last year, but those of us that took it 13 years ago are having a tough time adjusting. I never even heard of MLA format, and now I have to write essays using it.

*Deep breath* It'll be OK, but, damn, I have some adjusting to do.

-A.W.C.