Scary Tornado Dream

I had a sort of scary dream last night. Tiffany, Jessica, Jamie, Tiffany's mom, sister, and a friend of her sister's (basically, the group that went to DisneyWorld this January) were all going to Canada. For some reason (I never can justify/explain my dreams, lol . . . ) we decided to stop at this Thai festival the last day we were there. We were supposed to get back something like 2:00 am, and I was somehow supposed to catch a ride with Michellanne and Lisa down to school from Elkhart (who knows why they were in Elkhart . . . ), because it was close to the time to go back. Anyway, the Thai festival was beautiful, set on a mountain and with elaborate facades like temples and such, and lots of food. However, it starts to get windy and dark as night sets in. Then, of course, I see over everyone's shoulders as they're not paying attention an oncoming tornado peeking through some trees high up the hills near us. Diseregarding the physics of mountains, we know it is approaching, and there is no sirens, anything, because this sort of thin is apparently rare in dream!mountainous Canada. We all start freaking out and screaming, dashing for the little motel-like room we had rented to keep our stuff in for the day. I choose the closet as the safest place, and Tiffany, Jessica, and I fight over who gets to sit furthest away from where the tornado would hit, in the tiny closet. We end up Tiffany, Jessica, me, Mrs. Lent, Krissa, and her friend. We're all screaming and crying (except Mrs. Lent, because she is always so calm that I guess I can't even fathom her crying O.o) and bidding each other goodbye, as there is no hope, because we can already feel the building start to give way-- and the closet is just against an outer wall, anyway. Then, somebody's cellphone (or so I think) goes off-- it's playing Pachelbel's Canon (I remember this quite vividly). We can feel the building start to tear away-- the tornado is right upon us, of course-- and then the closet door flies off. We're stunned, clinging to one another, sure of our doom, and the tornado whips right through-- and we're fine.

Very bizarre.

Anyway, after that, it's already 3:25 am, so I've missed my ride-- and we discuss this on the way home rather than the tornado.

Scary Tornado Dream

I had a sort of scary dream last night. Tiffany, Jessica, Jamie, Tiffany's mom, sister, and a friend of her sister's (basically, the group that went to DisneyWorld this January) were all going to Canada. For some reason (I never can justify/explain my dreams, lol . . . ) we decided to stop at this Thai festival the last day we were there. We were supposed to get back something like 2:00 am, and I was somehow supposed to catch a ride with Michellanne and Lisa down to school from Elkhart (who knows why they were in Elkhart . . . ), because it was close to the time to go back. Anyway, the Thai festival was beautiful, set on a mountain and with elaborate facades like temples and such, and lots of food. However, it starts to get windy and dark as night sets in. Then, of course, I see over everyone's shoulders as they're not paying attention an oncoming tornado peeking through some trees high up the hills near us. Diseregarding the physics of mountains, we know it is approaching, and there is no sirens, anything, because this sort of thin is apparently rare in dream!mountainous Canada. We all start freaking out and screaming, dashing for the little motel-like room we had rented to keep our stuff in for the day. I choose the closet as the safest place, and Tiffany, Jessica, and I fight over who gets to sit furthest away from where the tornado would hit, in the tiny closet. We end up Tiffany, Jessica, me, Mrs. Lent, Krissa, and her friend. We're all screaming and crying (except Mrs. Lent, because she is always so calm that I guess I can't even fathom her crying O.o) and bidding each other goodbye, as there is no hope, because we can already feel the building start to give way-- and the closet is just against an outer wall, anyway. Then, somebody's cellphone (or so I think) goes off-- it's playing Pachelbel's Canon (I remember this quite vividly). We can feel the building start to tear away-- the tornado is right upon us, of course-- and then the closet door flies off. We're stunned, clinging to one another, sure of our doom, and the tornado whips right through-- and we're fine.

Very bizarre.

Anyway, after that, it's already 3:25 am, so I've missed my ride-- and we discuss this on the way home rather than the tornado.

Disappointments and Tragedies and 30 Days: Christian vs. Atheist

Hmm, I'm kind of disappointed I didn't get any sort of exemplary House award over at Lumos. I don't know why it's upset me this much-- or why I'm being stupid and talking about it here, since about half my readers now are from Lumos. Eh. I guess that must be why; an exemplary Puff would just enjoy being part of the group and not care about the awards. So I fail at Puffness, I guess.

(Particularly ironic, really, since I was thinking about making some "Woot! Go Puffs!" post, after I logged off, last night, commenting on how what made Hufflepuff special was that we don't just have a several very talented people that keep us afloat; we have several very talented people and an army of participation. So it's really a double-edged sword-- you can't really tell where you stand. Plus-- maybe this is just me being bitter-- awards are probably then harder to give. Everyone's participating, and everybody's doing their best. So I guess we need awards so we don't all defect, and end up like the former USSR . . . )

There was a terrible accident somewhere in Indiana, today: On transport from the Indianapolis Zoo, a truck carrying an octopus, several tropical fish, and bunches of penguins crashed on the highway. The fish all died, because of the lack of water, and several penguins were hit by oncoming traffic. I cannot think of anything more tragic! That really makes me want to cry . . .

Um . . . in good news, I found that pink polka-dotted bathing suit from last year I thought I lost?

I just got done watching an episode of the show "30 Days"-- a cute idea for a reality series, really, placing someone to "walk in someone elses's shoes" for 30 days. This one I just couldn't miss: Atheist goes to live in devout Christian household.

There were a couple of eye-rolls throughout the show, of course. One great scene was when the Atheist woman brought the Christian couple to a meeting of "The Society of Free Thought," where the members discussed the rather overlooked prejudice of Atheists in America, from their lack of a tax break "just because we've got one less god than every other church in Dallas" to the ever-present Christian symbolism in the public forum. There was a terrible moment, in which I felt embarrassed for the Christian guy for looking really stupid:
Atheist guy: How would you feel if the dollar bill said "There is no God?"
Christian guy: It doesn't.
Atheist: But what if it did?
Christian: It doesn't.
Atheist: Just pretend for a moment--
Christian: Look, if you've got a problem with the money, you can just leave. Move out of America. Here in America, the money says we believe in God.
Logic was totally lost on this guy.

His wife was much better, though, and I wish they would have focused more on how she and the Atheist woman found common ground and could discuss rationally, rather than the irrational, hardheaded husband continually poking at her and then refusing to listen-- or acting as if he totally didn't understand. I think he was intended to project: "That is so stupid I can't even fathom it," but instead he projected: "I am so stupid I can't even fathom it."

It's interesting though to analyze the setup. They could have very easily gone for the drama setup: stubborn Atheist vs. stubborn Christian. Nobody gets anywhere. Yet they had a very open Atheist (which-- this may sound very politically incorrect, but-- I think is more often the case in our society), willing to hear their views and appreciate them without compromising her own, and speak on hers without forcing them to compromise theirs, and both an equally open Christian and a stubborn, rather narrow-minded one. I think it made a good point-- particularly since the one came off as such a stupid jackass, really, and he even came around a bit in the end! Tolerance: The one true great religion. It goes with everything!

One thing that frustrates, amuses, and consoles me at the same time about human nature: it's so personal. We get these high and mighty ideals, but once we experience intimately someone who holds the opposite, how so the general and abstract falls. Whites in the South during the slave era professed they "hated the black race" yet opened declared affection for individuals, such as childhood nurses or personal maids, with whom they spent much time and intimacy. It goes on and on. Particularly when one spends time in someone's company, grows to love them, and then finds out their *dirty little secret,* it becomes impossible to resist! "It can't be!" they first cry; "You're not like that! You're too good for that!" Yet the truth is clear.

Disappointments and Tragedies and 30 Days: Christian vs. Atheist

Hmm, I'm kind of disappointed I didn't get any sort of exemplary House award over at Lumos. I don't know why it's upset me this much-- or why I'm being stupid and talking about it here, since about half my readers now are from Lumos. Eh. I guess that must be why; an exemplary Puff would just enjoy being part of the group and not care about the awards. So I fail at Puffness, I guess.

(Particularly ironic, really, since I was thinking about making some "Woot! Go Puffs!" post, after I logged off, last night, commenting on how what made Hufflepuff special was that we don't just have a several very talented people that keep us afloat; we have several very talented people and an army of participation. So it's really a double-edged sword-- you can't really tell where you stand. Plus-- maybe this is just me being bitter-- awards are probably then harder to give. Everyone's participating, and everybody's doing their best. So I guess we need awards so we don't all defect, and end up like the former USSR . . . )

There was a terrible accident somewhere in Indiana, today: On transport from the Indianapolis Zoo, a truck carrying an octopus, several tropical fish, and bunches of penguins crashed on the highway. The fish all died, because of the lack of water, and several penguins were hit by oncoming traffic. I cannot think of anything more tragic! That really makes me want to cry . . .

Um . . . in good news, I found that pink polka-dotted bathing suit from last year I thought I lost?

I just got done watching an episode of the show "30 Days"-- a cute idea for a reality series, really, placing someone to "walk in someone elses's shoes" for 30 days. This one I just couldn't miss: Atheist goes to live in devout Christian household.

There were a couple of eye-rolls throughout the show, of course. One great scene was when the Atheist woman brought the Christian couple to a meeting of "The Society of Free Thought," where the members discussed the rather overlooked prejudice of Atheists in America, from their lack of a tax break "just because we've got one less god than every other church in Dallas" to the ever-present Christian symbolism in the public forum. There was a terrible moment, in which I felt embarrassed for the Christian guy for looking really stupid:
Atheist guy: How would you feel if the dollar bill said "There is no God?"
Christian guy: It doesn't.
Atheist: But what if it did?
Christian: It doesn't.
Atheist: Just pretend for a moment--
Christian: Look, if you've got a problem with the money, you can just leave. Move out of America. Here in America, the money says we believe in God.
Logic was totally lost on this guy.

His wife was much better, though, and I wish they would have focused more on how she and the Atheist woman found common ground and could discuss rationally, rather than the irrational, hardheaded husband continually poking at her and then refusing to listen-- or acting as if he totally didn't understand. I think he was intended to project: "That is so stupid I can't even fathom it," but instead he projected: "I am so stupid I can't even fathom it."

It's interesting though to analyze the setup. They could have very easily gone for the drama setup: stubborn Atheist vs. stubborn Christian. Nobody gets anywhere. Yet they had a very open Atheist (which-- this may sound very politically incorrect, but-- I think is more often the case in our society), willing to hear their views and appreciate them without compromising her own, and speak on hers without forcing them to compromise theirs, and both an equally open Christian and a stubborn, rather narrow-minded one. I think it made a good point-- particularly since the one came off as such a stupid jackass, really, and he even came around a bit in the end! Tolerance: The one true great religion. It goes with everything!

One thing that frustrates, amuses, and consoles me at the same time about human nature: it's so personal. We get these high and mighty ideals, but once we experience intimately someone who holds the opposite, how so the general and abstract falls. Whites in the South during the slave era professed they "hated the black race" yet opened declared affection for individuals, such as childhood nurses or personal maids, with whom they spent much time and intimacy. It goes on and on. Particularly when one spends time in someone's company, grows to love them, and then finds out their *dirty little secret,* it becomes impossible to resist! "It can't be!" they first cry; "You're not like that! You're too good for that!" Yet the truth is clear.