Appreciation Post

I appreciate computers, internet, phones, and TV because they make it so that the entire world can partake of general conference. Woot woot!

Best speech on abortion I've heard

So I don't know how many of you have seen this, but you should watch it if you haven't. This little woman asks some pretty hard questions that I think we all need to consider.




http://viralvita.com/video/this-speech-on-abortion-by-a-12-year-old-left-her-pro-choice-teacher-and-half-the-internet-speechles

Ipod

I just have to say that I love my ipod. I love having a little thing that I can carry around with me that has all of my favorite tunes. Music is the bomb-diggety and really does make life better, so I like that I have something that allows me to take music wherever I go. Huzzah for modern media!

Women and the Priesthood

So, this is a hot issue right now in the LDS church.I haven't gotten into the debates much, but I've been thinking a lot more about it since I read this last night. I really don't want offend anyone, and I really don't want anyone to feel attacked if you think differently; I just thought it was a well-written article that brings up some very valid points.

This woman is of the opinion that women don't really need ordination to the priesthood (widespread, anyway), and I personally am of that opinion as well. I'm posting this because she has brought up some points that I have not yet heard and that I really like.

Personally, in regards to this issue, I feel strongly that there are forces behind this principle that, as finite beings, we just don't understand yet. I have a strong testimony that God is at the head of this church, and that He will reveal what He needs to when He needs to. There are dynamics all around this that we just can't see that He can. I do not think men are more than women because of their priesthood; I believe that men and women are equal, but not the same, and that men need the responsibility of the priesthood more than women do. I have observed/read/experienced, and therefore have come to the conclusion, that women already have an innate spiritual sensitivity that men have to work at. The priesthood helps our men do that. We, as women, help them do that.

I would encourage you, if you don't know what to think, or what to do, to pray about it and ask for yourself. Your answer may be different than mine, but that's ok, because it will answer the question you  have. For I also have a strong testimony of personal revelation; it's real, and God can set your mind at ease about any question you may have, whether it's about women and the priesthood, babies, boys (or girls :), missions, or the little things, like where are my keys? or, what happened to my mascara?

God really cares, and He won't lead us astray. I have faith in that, and so I will continue to be faithful. And who knows, maybe in the next bit of time here women will be allowed to be ordained to the priesthood; if so, that's great! God will have revealed it, it will be time for it, and that will be cool. But if that time isn't right now, I'm all right with that too. God knows better than I do. Bottom line.  I don't know much, haha. But I do know He's real and that He will take care of me as long as I let him and I keep the promises I've made with him. This brings me much comfort, as this world and the direction it's going worries me (home church issues aside). But I know that with Heavenly Father on my side, I can get through this life happily. Not necessarily without fear, but he will give me the courage I need to live my life well and as a godly woman, which will (and does) take courage. So, my friends, work hard, play hard, pray harder. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Phones

After our smaller discussion on Wednesday, I've decided that I am glad cell phones exist, even though they have the potential to become a huge problem. (I hope I never, ever, ever, EVER get addicted to my phone to the point where I would rather lose my sense of smell than my phone. That ain't right).

But, it is really nice to be able to text and if you need, call someone from virtually everywhere. I was thinking about this the other day and I realized my husband and I will have a different experience than my parents did. Back when they were a young couple/parents, they didn't have phones that they could text with. He had to call the land line to find out what was going on at home, and she an office phone. Nowadays I can just text my husband and we can stay in contact all day that way. I wonder if that helps, hinders or has no effect of marriages?

Anyway. Cell phones. A cool invention, very convenient, one I'm grateful for.

One of Those Days

This last week or two has been rather difficult. I've hit the semester brick wall, in addition to which my baby girl took a nosedive off the bed at 3 am last week, is teething, and has been sick for the past couple of days. Consequently, I haven't gotten much sleep, and it's really surprising how dysfunctional you become and how hard life gets when you don't get enough sleep, haha.

The other thing I've noticed when one is sleep-deprived is that it's a lot easier for Satan to get his whispers through to you, and he's been working hard on me this week. I've had a difficult time believing that I can do any good in this world, and that it doesn't matter what I do or if I'm here, and that evil will win.

Pretty depressing, right? (Satan is a jerk).

So this morning I went looking for the spirit. One of the fastest ways for me to feel the Spirit is to watch a mormon message or two. These just really help me out. And guess what? Here's a perfect one that addressed much of what I was feeling. God is so good that way. :)

Books

So, recently I've boycotted homework and started reading books I want to read, and I really love reading. I always have. In fact, during the semester I usually can't read what I want to because nothing else will get done.

I had never thought of books as media before until I took this class, though. I've always loved books, and I've pretty much always had a love-hate relationship with "media," so I never put the one under the other. But, if they are media, they're one of my absolute favorite forms. :)

Reinforcement of today's lecture

Found this! Reminded me of our discussion today.

Miss Representation and a Good Dad

So, the movie we watched on Wednesday affected me pretty strongly as a woman, but also as a a mother, as I have a baby daughter. The movie made me grumpy and angry and sad and I wanted to throw things at men, haha. I also think it raised some really good points and questions, however. But, for a little while, I felt like I could do nothing to fight this wave of sexual-ness that is perpetuated by our culture, and I felt that I couldn't do much to bring my daughter up well in spite of all of this.

But, I can. Heavenly Father is on my side and I've got a brain in my head and a husband who feels as I do. I can do this parenting thing with their help, and bring up girls who think they're beautiful simply because they are, and I can bring up boys who respect women for more than just their rack size. This is possible. It means diligence and awareness 24/7 on my part, but I am willing to do that for my children.

I've been thinking a lot about this since Wednesday, and just this morning I ran across this blog post that just made me happy and gave me more hope. It's a letter from a dad to his daughter about the very thing we've been talking about!  It's perfect. I'd encourage you to read and see what you think.

jhttp://www.quickmeme.com/p/3vt86j

Scriptures as media

Recently my husband and I have made a concerted effort to have scripture study every morning. We've done very well since we started a week ago, and I already look forward to it. We already have a very good marriage, but I feel that it blesses our marriage even more and helps us be more patient and understanding of each other. I feel it also helps keep at the forefront of our minds Why we love each other, and so love has been expressed much more frequently and freely. It's really quite amazing, and it's only been a week!

This is a very positive example of media for me. Words really do have power and the scriptures have some of the most powerful words out there. It's been humbling to realize that my previous idea of "all media is bad" is really very wrong. God really does use all forms of media for good, just as Satan will try to use all forms of media for evil. This struggle has been going on since the world began. Right now, though, I can use media to influence my life and the lives of those around me for good. :)

New Media Obsession

So, Professor Coyne contacted me a week before our reality TV show lecture and asked me if I would get into a "fight" with her during class to illustrate a point. I agreed (as you know), and then decided that if I was going to argue effectively, I had to watch a reality show or two. So I watched some Top Model, some Extreme Makeover; then I watched an episode of Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, and I REALLY liked it. So I watched another episode. And another. And.... another.

Woops.

Kind of took over my life. I'm trying to stop, because my homework definitely suffers. The last time I got sucked into something like this, it was to The Nanny Show from the '90s. It was bad. The show wasn't even that good!

Anyway. Media. It can take over your life!

Beethoven's Fifth

I just wanted to give a shout-out to Beethoven. I'm taking Music 101 and we're studying Beethoven at the moment. He's pretty awesome.

Have a listen! Here's his 5th Symphony. It's on my bucket list to hear this played live, because I'm pretty sure it will be one of the most transcendal experiences of my life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOk8Tm815lE

Anti-love rant

So this week I watched a YouTube clip of all of the princesses in real life (as in, they weren't animated) singing about love n' stuff. Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Ariel, Jasmine, Belle and Elsa were there (Tho I must say, Elsa was a little random).

 So, in the clip, all the girls are hanging out in some house, and Ariel starts it off by saying, "Look at my flowers girls! Eric got it for me (giggle giggle)," and all the other girls giggle along with her except Elsa, who stalks off into another room to sing about how she doesn't need to hide behind a man or true love. By the end of the song, she has stalked around the entire house and has convinced all of the other princesses that they don't need men either and therefore are strong female characters.

Cute, in principle. Not accurate, however.

I don't mind when a woman saves herself in a movie. I might even applaud it. But I take exception to 2 messages this little YouTube ditty sends.

1) Love is silly and makes you dependent on a man for all of your rescuing.
False. Love is not silly; in fact, love between a guy and a girl is quite lovely, particularly when it's a healthy relationship (though that's an entirely different conversation). Love is about helping each other and being willing to do things for this person we normally wouldn't do. If that means rescuing you from a crazy octopus lady or helping you escape your palace walls, aight! Bottom line is; Love is not bad, and it's not crippling to you or your life. Loving a good man is a wonderful experience. It can be frustrating, yes, but loving doesn't mean that you have to wait for him to help you with everything. Heck, you might even help him.


2) If you have a man, you're a bimbo and a "Weak" female character.
Oh please. Didn't Ariel rescue Eric? Didn't Jasmine escape her castle all by Herself? Didn't Cinderella have the guts to disobey her stepmother and find true love anyway? Doesn't Belle read books? What bimbo reads books? Hm?

I understand wanting women to be strong and have their own identity and strength. I get that, and I support it, strongly.  But there's nothing wrong with loving or being with a guy as a part of that identity and strength. I do not believe one precludes the other, which is what a lot of media teaches. Women are fundamentally loving creatures; this love can (and does) include family, friends, children and yes, a man. Why downplay such a beautiful ability and power for good?

A good definition to know, whether married or not

So, I don't know how many of you have already seen this. This guy talks about why sex should be more sacred and less common than it is, and why. It's a succinct, short clip, but I really love the point he makes and I think he's onto something. This is good to watch whether you're married or not; I think it will give you food for thought. It's not awkward at all, either. Please watch it, if you've got 3 minutes!

http://www.faithit.com/john-mark-comer-biblical-talk-sex-purity-beauty-love/

Messy house friends

This blog post really jived  with me. I think that most people think that they have to present a clean house to people so that those people will like them. It's been my experience, though, that most people, when not entertaining or trying to impress, have a messy house. Why can't we all acknowledge that and be friends anyway? Social connection/connecting would be a lot less stressful, and maybe that would help people be more willing to try and make friends! I think many people are stopped by the fact that cleaning a house in-depth is tiring, and people just aren't worth the energy it will take. I've been guilty of this. Though I do think Americans are losing the idea that friends and a community are important, and I think that's a mistake. We need friends. We need human interaction. So. Don't sweat the small stuff. :)

http://dugansincahoots.com/2014/01/23/we-cant-be-friends/

More better advertising

Yay for nations who are changing their models n' stuff! Come on America, let's hop on that wagon.

http://www.upworthy.com/a-catalog-that-believes-reality-can-sell-clothes-better-than-photoshop?c=ufb3

Frozen: As cool as it seems?

Heyo! So again, I was cruising down my FB wall, and found this lovely post from one of my sort-of friends. She apparently hated Frozen, and because most people I know LOVED it, I was intrigued and clicked upon it. I read it. It's a bit longer than a traditional blog post, but she has some really interesting points, and she pointed out some things I noticed while I was watching the movie, but at the time I didn't really notice that I was noticing them. If that makes sense. Anywho.

If you're interested, here's the link. My opinion of the movie Frozen is pretty neutral; I liked some things and then thought some other things were pretty silly (as in, stupid silly). I liked Tangled better. :)

https://medium.com/disney-and-animation/7c0bbc7252ef

Advertising

So after our advertising class, I have found myself being much more aware of the advertisements around me and what their motives might be etc. It's kind of eye opening. IT'S EVERYWHERE. I feel myself becoming a much more critical consumer. It's kinda cool. :)


Really, it's quite amazing what a little bit of education can do for you.

Homebirth: Birth At Home: Au Natural

So I don't know how many of you know that it's possible to give birth at home, but it is. Because it's done at home, very rarely are any drugs/administered (they can be, though, by request and depending on your attendant). This scares people. It shouldn't.

I personally am of the opinion that a healthy woman with her head in the right place can have a beautiful, natural birth wherever she wants. I know this is true, because my mother and several of my aunts have had babies at home. I had my baby at home. It was an amazing experience.

That being said, I don't wish to discount the birth experiences of women who have/need medical interventions; birth, no matter what course it takes, is hard work and any woman who goes through it should be congratulated. I do strongly feel, though, that there is not enough proper education about home (and just natural) birth and its pros and cons. There are many pros; I did not make my decision to have a home birth lightly. Bottom line, home birth is not as dangerous or weird or scary as many people think it is.

Here's an article that talks about home birth. Please, read it if you're interested, and if you have any questions for me, please let me know! :)

http://www.mana.org/blog/home-birth-safety-outcomes

SmartPhones

So, call me old-fashioned (cu'z I probably am) but I think having a computer for a phone is a little odd.

Don't get me wrong; it's great to have GoogleMaps or be able to access email if you suddenly need to and you're not near a computer, but overall, does one really need an iphone, a tablet, and a laptop? This is like information overload. That's a lot of computers (for I would argue that smartphones are mini-computers). I myself don't have a smartphone; I can't quite decide if I want or need to make that plunge yet. So I'm kind of talking from a blind spot here; I don't have first-hand experience, so I'm probably pretty prejudiced, haha. But please! Educate me. :)

The struggle is whether I really need this thing with all of the conveniences it offers, or if this convenient thing is going to take up even more of my time in giving me useless information and distracting my attention away from more important things. I dunno.

What do you think?

I just sort of loved this...

My Aunt posted this on my FB wall as well as a bunch of my siblings walls; there are 8 of us and most of us love to dance. I thought this was super creative and fun, and totally worth watching. :)

http://www.wimp.com/coupledances/

Sexy You

Aight. So I was perusing Facebook the other day and someone had posted this article,and I clicked on it, and so I read it, and I really liked it. I really like what the company is trying to portray in regards of body image; no photoshopping, no supermodels, and you, as yourself, are sexy and beautiful.

This is a subject near and dear to my heart. I know many many women who are not happy with their bodies, or who don't think they're beautiful, and it drives me NUTS because they ARE beautiful. It also makes me really mad at American media, because they're giving us this standard that isn't actually attainable in real life. You can't photoshop yourself and then go walking around. Nope; it's great to have curves, or to be skinny or round or hippy or lippy or whatever. So I really dig this push to alter the media view of women's beauty. Thus, I am blogging about it! Take a look.

http://mashable.com/2014/01/21/aerie-lingerie-ads/

Baby monitor; Yes or No?

So, I don't know how many of you have seen these (I'm usually behind in the technology department), but last week my husband and 5-month baby girl and I were out and about at Target and I saw these baby monitors. Let me see if I can plug in a picture...

Ta-da! That's the first time I've done that. Exciting. :) Anywho, now you can Watch your baby sleep OR be awake. I'm sorry, to me that's just dorky. Why would you watch your child be awake? Go get the baby and hang out together. I'm still trying to think of a reason why you would want to Watch the baby sleep on your screen; maybe SIDS? If you can think of a good reason, let me know, because I'm still trying to figure out if screens are an absolute necessary step-up from just the sound monitors or not. Cu'z this could be a really good use of media or an unnecessary one. Still reasoning it out, but I'm leaning towards unnecessary... What say you?

Media!

So, I'm taking a Media class at school. Really it's how media affects human and family development. It's wildly interesting; it also requires that I write at least twice a week about the media in my life. This will be a learning experience, haha. I figured I'd start out kind of general like, with some thoughts about media.

It seems media is everywhere. Books, internet, film, tv, video games, music, advertising; someone asked in class "when do we NOT use media?" the answer to that question is "when we sleep." I thought about that a lot. I come from a family with a mother who doesn't particularly care fore media (other than books and music; she really digs those). But video games are of the devil, and a computer is not a huge mainstay in her life, and we've never really had ipads or anything. What I grew up with, then, is that books are the best and the rest is kinda whatever, if not damaging. So I thought that would be my attitude as well. But maybe it won't be.

It occurred to me that the medium of media, in general, is a neutral entity. It is not fundamentally good or evil. It just is. It's how it is used that pushes to one side or the other of the fence. What's published, what it's agenda is, how often it's used (which is now a consideration in our electronic world).

 I think something can be good (like Facebook) but even a good thing can become an issue if used too much (like if one is on Facebook so much homework never gets done, or you're neglecting spouse/kids/friends/whoever). Moderation in all things, right? I think there's a media addiction problem, though, because media is so easy to consume and it gives us a sense of importance. "Oh, somebody dinged me; it must be important, because it's to me." Or how often are you're going through your day, and you're not getting any texts, and finally you get one and you announce, "Somebody loves me!" and you seize your phone with gladness, happy that your existence was verified for the day? I've experienced this before. It's an interesting phenomenon.

I'm intrigued and my curiosity is piqued. Media is so much a part of our world now I realize it would be wise to understand how it works, what's out there, and it's effects. Even though I may not care for a lot of it very much, it will still affect me and my family, and so really I ought to learn about it. Let's rock n' roll.