Lurking in the bathroom....

So, I found this in the bathroom this evening.

It's apparently a house centipede, and is pretty harmless, and takes on such creatures like the cockroach. But I don't care. Don't lurk in my bathtub!

Then Chris found this blog from someone else, and it's way funnier than I could ever be.

Everything I needed to learn about life I learned from working at Starbucks part 3

I've learned to be kind to others from working at Starbucks. I've learned, like Plato learned, to be kind for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.

I've learned how to read a person in the way they hand you their chosen form of payment.

I've also learned how to be a parent.

I've learned to teach my children to not wipe their disgusting slobbery boogery sticky hands all over the glass in a place of business. I've learned to not take my children into a place of quiet and contemplation if I cannot control my children (bless it, I hope that never happens).

I've learned to teach my children to say please and thank you to everyone. I've learned to teach them how to act in an adult environment - not pulling hair, and not screaming and running all over the place, grabbing breakable things.

But most of all, I've learned to teach my future children how to treat others. To teach them to respect those around them, no matter what kind of worker they come across. I know that politeness isn't inherent, it's taught.

Every day we get a little bit closer to iPhones! W00t!

I've found that playing "catch up" with money is a lot harder than you think it is.

I'm serving coffee, not savin' lives. I'm taking it in stride, and letting it roll off my back.

Some people deserve decaf.

In a week, we'll be taking my sister and her friend to see a concert in the ATL! I always wanted an older sibling to do that for me. We're staying for a few days with my awesome Uncle.

Anthony Bourdain is my hero. I want his job. Except for the killing animals and eating innards and offal part.

Oh wait. That's his whole job. I'll just watch his show instead.

My BFF is moving away in a month. I'm so proud of her, but damnit.

I'm so excited to go back to New Orleans this fall.

Change I believe in

This man inspires me and makes me a little teary...

Dichotomy

Lately I've been faced with what some consider an issue of faith, and others consider an issue of humanity.

There is a common belief that in order to be "moral" one has to be a believer in some kind or religious being.

Moral, according my old friends Merriam and Webster, is
1. of or relating to right behavior
3. conforming to a standard of right behavior
4. sanctioned by one's conscience or ethical judgement
5. capable of right or wrong action

So, morality is acting in accordance with accepted "right" behavior of humanity. Basic human morals come down to a few tenets.
Don't kill me. Don't steal from me. Don't lie to me.

All "moral codes" set by ALL religions and philosophies of the world include those things. Most of them also include some form of what is known as the Christian "Golden Rule" - Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Basically, treat people like you would like to be treated.
Christians have and follow their dogma and their morals, hindus believe in karma, (buddhists do, too), those of the Jewish faith believe in the ten commandments like the Christians, and there's no more stringent code of morals than that of the muslim faith.

While these major world religions might differ in many ways, their followers believe that there's something else out there sharing with us morality and ethics. In order to get the followers to follow those codes, they typically have some sort of alternative, typically negative punishment or consequence for negligence or disobedience. Christians, Jews, and Muslims believe in eternal damnation, and those that believe in reincarnation do not want to come back as a dung beetle (although a lifetime as a dung beetle is much more preferable than eternal damnation....)

So, I guess it's hard for someone deeply seeded in a faith so bound by morality (Christianity) to understand how someone without their faith could be moral.

I do not follow the "Ten Commandments" given to us by God through Moses on Mt. Sinai. I don't necessarily believe in all of the teachings of Jesus and his followers. I don't know what I believe in at all. I believe that karma is a force at work in the universe, but it's not contingent on any deity. I do not live by the Bhagavad Ghita, or the Upanishads. I do not follow a book or the teachings of any one religion or philosophy.

While I don't claim a religion as my own, that does not automatically exclude me from the realm of "morality". Morality is not contingent on God, or a god-head delusion. There is god-less morality, and I guess I'm an example of that.

This all has come from how there are people that would never find me to be a moral and good person because my morality isn't driven by God, or whatever. It almost hurts my feelings that I work with people who can never see me as a good person without being a Christian person.

Hallelujah

Well I heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do ya?
Well it goes like this
The fourth, the fifth
The minor fall and the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah
Hallelujah


Well Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
she tied you to her kitchen chair
And she broke your throne and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah
Hallelujah


Well baby I've been here before
I've seen this room and I've walked this floor
I used to live alone before I knew ya
I've seen your flag on the marble arch
Love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah
Hallelujah


Well there was a time when you let me know
What's really going on below
But now you never show that to me do you?
And remember when I moved in you?
And the holy dove was moving too
And every breath we drew was Hallelujah
Hallelujah

Well maybe there's a God above
But all I've ever learned from love
Was how to shoot somebody who'd OUT DREW YA
And it's not a cry that you hear at night
It's not somebody who's seen the light
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah
Hallelujah

---Jeff Buckley

Bummer!

For the past month or so, I switched back to using Bare Minerals makeup because I do love the simplicity and the feel of the makeup. I even spent half of my spending money allowance on a new foundation because what I already had was expired.

In the past month, my face has suffered a severe series of breakouts. I found out today that one of the only 5 ingredients in Bare Minerals foundation, the one that gives skin a healthy glow, is a known skin irritant. Bismuth Oxycloride is a known skin irritant and a by-product of the lead refining process, known to cause irritation and breakouts!

One of the other ingredients in Mica. Mica also gives skin that "glow", but it's known to irritate acne! Gah! I thought mineral makeup was going to be good for my acne! Booo!

The zinc oxide in the foundation, the physical sunscreen, is a skin calming ingredient and skin protectan. It's the same ingredient in Gold Bond, most diaper rash creams, sunscreens, and also calamine lotion. Apparently it's calming properties can't make up for the irritating properties of the foundation ingredients! I'm so sad, because i love the stuff, I just don't love the massive amounts of breakouts I've had since I began using it again.

Boo hiss on Bare Minerals! I know there are a lot of people who love bare minerals, and who don't have any problems with it at all. For that I'm happy - I'm glad it works for someone! Sadly, it doesn't work for me. Anyone want what I have left?