Lest you think I'm turning liberal...

I am studying for my American Social Problems final right now. Can I tell you how much this book frustrates me? It is written with an incredible liberal slant! Any time the current President is mentioned, it is quickly followed up with an explanation of how he is wrong- SEVERAL times throughout the book! Bush's Faith-Based Initiatives is brutally attacked, while every other governmental policy on poverty and aid is left untouched. I understand that the authors may not feel that FBI is best, but is a college textbook the place for that? They even slammed him for getting into Yale on his family connections, because he doesn't support affirmative action but was a recipeient of it. I think the authors of this book forget that the government did not have a policy in force to REQUIRE Yale to let him in. Ugh.

It also manipulates statistics. Here's one example: The text pointed out how 73% of characters on prime time network television shows are white- what an outrage! However, in doing research for the subsequent paper on racism I had to write, I realized that 74% of Americans ARE white! Is that racism, or simply an adequate representation?

I suppose that being a sociology major I'm asking for it...

ETA: I just read that what matters is not whether you are male or female, but where you individually choose to live on the "gender continuum"...

from monday night

i felt like i could vomit.

the sky was starting to darken. it had been quite sunny today after a heavy rain last night. i have had increasing feelings of emotion about this evening- anticipation mixed with fear, doubt, and excitement. i walked into the building, not quite knowing which of those feelings was the strongest.

i have taken the plunge. four years since i waved good-bye to moody bible institute, i find myself enrolled in more college classes. this time, i’m attending columbia college, and will major in history with a minor in education.

so here i sit. the professor is talking about the city of ur (sidenote, i have jon’s laptop, which happens to contain an 80-slide power point of ur- i’m looking at pictures of what she’s drawing on the white board…)

now that i’m here, i feel much better. students in front of me are furiously writing every word the professor says. the woman in front of me is working out the cramp in her hand. that i can see, i’m the only one with a laptop. nice. i’m sitting in the back corner (close to an outlet) with no one next to me. there are probably 25 students, most military. some are adorned in ACUs, others just have the distinct haircut.

it is certainly and odd feeling, going back to school. I haven’t completed an assigned reading- let alone written a paper- in years…

i have now been in class for an hour and 45 minutes- only three hours and 15 minutes left (yes, for those of you who are math-impaired- that’s FIVE hours!)

this is going to be a long night…

to everything turn, turn, turn...

sorry i disappeared. i have been living in the dark gloomy world of no-internet-at-home.

yes, we're back. we moved. to a climate that demanded i actually turned my air conditioner on in the truck in january. yes. it's wonderful. (just don't talk to me come june...)

we ended our time at grace christian academy on a tuesday, closed on our house on wednesday, and headed to michigan on thursday. i enjoyed this trip much more than thanksgiving, for we could actually spend time with people instead of on the road back-and-forth! unfortunately, i got sick the night before we went to be with my family, and didn't get feeling better until the day we left... suffice it to say i was a bit foggy the whole time.

we got back into fayetteville late on friday, packed on saturday, and loaded the truck on sunday. thankfully, rocky and carolyn were there to help... and help us unload... and help us paint...

yes, the day after we moved in, we got the bedroom and living room (complete with vaulted ceilings and a chair rail) painted. we really couldn't have done it without rocky and carolyn. their experience and willingness to help went miles in getting us moved in and feeling at home.

we've now been here for a week. i start classes tonight- eek! haven't been to school in a while... this is weird... i'm taking western civ I at a local campus (from 5:30-10:30 pm) and western civ II online. fun fun.

that's as much of an update as i can cram into this post... i promise more interesting thoughts are to come!!

well on my way...

i just got it. the official word on my degree status from moody. they were actually pretty generous with me (as they should be... seeing how the majority of my credits are moody credits...) and are telling me i am lacking 16 credit hours for my associates degree (leaving me 7 credits they did not apply). very doable.

the annoying thing is 2 of the courses- a 1 credit hour "ministry internship"-um... heeellllooo.... welcome to my life! the frustrating thing with that is that who knows when i'll actually be able to accomplish it, what with moving and all...

the other one is basic computer skills. i can guarantee you i have more than basic computer skills. i wish there was a way to test out...

i'm rather looking forward to the other courses: hermeneutics/bible study methods, the church & its doctrine, educational foundations (ok... that one not as much...), and intro to literature. if we are somewhere near a community college in the fall i may just do the lit and/or computer there. we shall see.