went for a meeting with clients in another town with my boss

driver was bullying other cars by speeding then flashing the headlights aggressively

got to the meeting, spent 15 minutes talking about the case, and an hour and an half talking BS

Probably because you're really intelligent and have a lot of common sense, something not many people my age have around here! I thought you were about a year older than me :O

Hungover.

Had a couple of rum and cokes, a Grey Goose vodka martini, some beer, and a Four Loko. I found out that all one has to do to get free drinks at a bar is be female and not standing with a guy you came to the bar with. Usually, I'm at the bar with my guy friends. I went up there solo, and the free drinks came fast and plentiful.

My friend was opening for a national comedy act (Phil Hogan) last night, so that's why I was drinking. Phil Hogan's a nice dude, also.

Today, I've just been hungover and uncomfortable. Yesterday was my ab workout...today supposed to be doing legs and arms, mainly, but I feel gross. May just take a jog later, if I feel less queasy.

This didn't go over well, by the way. The dude either lied or is a moron, but his room mates weren't told about the situation at all. So when they came home they were confused and a bit defensive, like me and my friend broke in and were gonna sack the place. But ... they realized we were just sitting there and their stuff wasn't stolen so they mellowed a little. Then they told us that we in fact couldn't have our dog so ... that just won't fly. We got our money back and guy admitted to being an idiot, after ducking my calls for 3 days. So, relieved to have the 420 dollars back, not so happy that I need to keep house-hunting.

Just saw dazed and confused coz my friends told me I was very like one of the characters. lol. I don't see it but whatever.

The movie was ****in greaaaaayt!


Also today one of my best friends from England told me that I sound too Irish. lol. haven't spoken to him in person for a while, he was in shock.


http://talktomejohnnie.com/wp-conten...11/dazed2.jpeg

slept til 4 in the afternoon. had two cigarettes for the first time in about a week which was nice.

Today was kind of a good day for me. Very recently, I have slowly begun discovering how liberating it is to truly accept that other people's beliefs don't actually need to be argued against if those beliefs oppose mine and aren't doing someone harm. Although I'm still coming to terms with what should be considered "harm", whether imminent or vague and indirect, today I fully realized how good it feels to simply state my own beliefs and leave it at that, feeling confident enough about them that I didn't have to argue to support them.

Today I had dinner with my parents and some of their long-lost Christian friends. I don't believe those friends knew I'm an Athiest, as I had grown up in the same churches they attended, but there were a lot of points in the discussions that I felt were aimed in my direction, what with my tattoos and being the only one drinking beer. I remained polite, agreeable, and supportive.
I invited them to my house, where more Christian discussion resumed. Played the proper host. I was a likable guy like I've always been. Toward the end, when they were all leaving, they immediately felt the need to tell [specifically] me about how the bible says you reap what you sew, and that if you don't follow the word of Christ, your life will be in ruins, etc.

I thanked them for the wisdom, let them know I am an Athiest, and that my life is fine (my parents chimed in to fervently agree), and they are welcome to return any time they want.
I could see it in their eyes... they did not know what to say. So we exchanged pleasantries and gave them all hugs as I showed them to the door.

In retrospect, when wondering if they thought they were going to change me with their "Christian love" or not, I realized it does not matter in the slightest. I know how I want to live my life and I know what I believe in. I have always been vocal about putting stock in reason and my own self above all else, but it wasn't until today that I really came to terms with the fact I didn't need to worry about anything else. I don't need to justify that. And I don't need to change their beliefs. And I shouldn't care if they believe I'm going to die and go to a place I don't believe in! lol.. It really hit me how absurd that is.

So, here I am in the afterglow of feeling more successful than I've ever felt in a theological debate with a Christian.
Now, the only thing I need to figure out is how to deal with ignorant people who actually endanger the well-being of others with their beliefs. I haven't figured out how to come to terms with that, so it's just going to keep pissing me off.

Oh well. Progress is progress, I suppose.

Well, okay story time

So my ex and I have been broken up for about a month maybe. I didn't tell many people because I spent quite some time pining, but ok so I make friends with this really nice guy,Anthony. Keaton, my ex, has been kbing me for ages and then he finally wants to talk to me tonight??? And I need a ride to class tomorrow because my stepdad who's crazy and mean and spends all my mom's money has been kicked out of the house....and Keaton offers to drive me and he gets all flirty and I'm just like, I ****ed someone else tho, don't get any ideas. And then

ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE

He goes over the deep end and tells me he ****ed a dude. And I'm like, what the ****? Because he's never shown any tendencies before.

Like...what even

trying to convince a religious person otherwise is the most futile act one could ever hope to take part in. I have never once gotten anywhere in an argument/discussion so what you did by keeping your mouth shut was definitly the wise thing to do. What alot of those religous types need to learn is "you worry about you and ill worry about me".

Indeed, but I'm beginning to realize that the greater satisfaction comes from not even being inclined to change their minds. Whether it be for their right to their beliefs or you yours, or for any other reason not including for the benefit of someone's well-being. But the satisfaction, I'm finding, should not come from changing the belief system of another person solely to have it adhere to your own, regardless of who's correct.
This was a big thing for me in the past, and I'm still struggling with it in a lot of different ways. When I don't agree with something, I feel the absolute NEED to argue my position, regardless of the outcome. I'm only just beginning to really understand that my beliefs are completely independent of that and should not need such an action to sustain itself.

Ironically, when you start to understand this, you have to also understand the other side of the coin and accept that they will believe the opposite of what you do by the same conviction. Sure, one side may have a bit more critical thinking behind it than the other, but if critical thinking is absent in certain belief, then--as a counter-argument--it's not going to do much to affect it anyway.
I think maybe the best argument of personal beliefs are made internally, even if they are the result of consistent external influence. As long as someone comes to a conclusion on their own, they are more likely to adhere to it, versus someone trying to force it on them.
It doesn't mean we can't try to plant seeds...
But I'm pretty sure that's what the religious people are trying to do as well.

So, whatever side of the coin we may be on as individuals, we can hope what we want, but hope by force is never going to yield results, and--more importantly--we really shouldn't need that hope to begin with. It gains nothing if we are secure in our own beliefs and those beliefs are enough for us.
I'm not an evangelist. As much as I would like to, preaching science and reason is going to get me just as far as science and reason has been doing since its inception.
I'll just "pray" that others will subscribe to it, hoping their minds eventually weigh more than their hearts.