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Catching Up

So heres the deal:

I am now on twitter, and I'm feeling extremely connected already. :)
twitter.com/danadee

I have also set up a profile on linkedin.com
linkedin.com/in/danamccormick

I have decided to pay more attention to my radar...
radar.net User:DanaMc Invite Code:nerd

I'm writing (every once in a while) on Helium.com.

And I'm looking for exciting things to do/be a part of.

____________________________________________________________________


I'm driving to California with Josh on May 12th. We're doing a "1955 Drive," turning off our cells and using only an atlas the whole way. It should be an adventure. :)


Also, I'm leaving for Berlin on May 20th and will be in Europe until about July 8th. Go ahead... get jealous. Don't worry though, I called T-Mobile and they sent me the unlock code for my cell for free (who would have thought). So I'll be able to twitter my travels. :) Plus, I'll probably be ridiculously excited about everything and blog like every other night! Aren't you thrilled?

Grammar.

One of my Facebook "friends" just put up a new status: "Jane Doe thinks your dumb."

(her name isn't really Jane Doe- duh)

People should learn the difference between you're and your. Especially those that think OTHER people are dumb.


Just thought you'd like to know. :)

Counterfeit Art

Oh this is great. I always love the Worth 1000 Photoshop contests.. but I found a spectacular one today.

Alien Abduction!

So I'm taking a pseudoscience class. I know. I know.
But we had this pointless, yet ridiculously fun, homework where we had to write an alien abduction story, take UFO pictures, and try to take a picture of the aliens who abducted us.

Heres my Story:


I was sitting on the roof of my car. Perhaps the extra three feet off the ground brought them to me, perhaps it was something else- at the time, I wasn’t thinking of it.
I was cold, angry, tired, and hopeless. Fighting does that to a person, or at least to me in any case. I had been fighting. It was windy and the brisk air was making my eyes water. I wasn’t crying, I swear, it was the wind…
At first, I thought the light was just a product of my blurry vision. I brushed my tears away. Still there. I squeezed my eyes shut and reopened. Not gone.

What in the world?

Actually, nothing. Nothing of this world, but I wasn’t thinking of that at the time either…

The light had been bright- too bright. It had also been warm, which was comforting; giving my chill bumps a break. I had to be dreaming. I always enjoyed lucid dreams- if you couldn’t control the world, at least you could control your dreams. I stood up (on the hood of my car, in boots, because I knew I was dreaming and wouldn’t notice those scratches and dents when I awoke) and turned my face to catch the full warmth of the light. It advanced, getting brighter and brighter (too bright) until even my closed eyes could not face its intensity. I tried to exercise control of the dream and dim the light. I tried very hard. I tried to turn it off. I tried to make it the sun, and to put myself on a beach. I tried everything, and I failed. I hate failing…
It was then, in that instant, that the fear struck me. Immediately I was overcome and I opened my eyes. The light! Too bright! Then suddenly… darkness. Blindness? I scrambled off my hood, twisting my ankle on the way down (damn boots). I could feel the warmth growing stronger, even though my eyes had failed me. I scurried under my car, because surely, my car would keep me safe from whatever creatures were coming for me. I suppose I wasn’t thinking clearly. Had I known they had picked me specifically I wouldn’t have run. Had I known they’d been following me for years I wouldn’t have run. Had I known there was no way imaginable that I could have hid from them, I would have saved myself the embarrassment of running (and the twisted ankle of course). Or I might have still run.
But I didn’t know. So, at the time, I cowered under my car and waited. I heard noises (what else does one hear?). There were no engine sounds, just a soft thud when the craft encountered the hard soil. I heard hydraulics. I heard snapping. I heard… music. I longed to see, but was relieved I couldn’t. I would have probably peed. People do that sometimes when they’re scared. Not that I do. But, you know, some people might…
I lay there, trying not to pee, when suddenly I was blown out from under the car. When I say blown, I mean blown. I’m not talking about someone slowly pulling me out, or someone asking me to come out, or even anyone shoving me out violently. This was a gust of frigid air forcing my frame from under the car and into the starlight (that I couldn’t see). Welcome back chill bumps.
More snapping. “What the hell is that?” I thought. I was laying on the ground, wondering how exposed I was when I was pulled up by what felt like a painless hook attached to the back of my head. Standing was the last thing I wanted to do. I peed, and then I passed out.


When I awoke, I was in another world- literally. I was also in dry clothes, thank god. There was that snapping noise all around me. My eyes still didn’t work. I reached out. I knew someone (or something) was close to me, and I reached for it. I would say “I found it,” if I had reached out, grasped around for it and finally felt my hand close on it, but this was much more like reaching out and being reached out to in return. I touched something long, slender, and, yes, furry. I recoiled. More snapping. Then, I felt the softness of the fur on my face, and something saucer shaped, almost like a suction cup cover each of my eyes and then fall away. I could see again. I looked around, and wished to be blind. I peed.
I was surrounded by 8-10 furry creatures. Normally, the word furry suggests images of tiny rabbits hoping around, or cute and cuddly kittens. I hope this is not the “furry” you are thinking. Think more of an abominable snowman, with the most caring and sweet face you’ve ever seen, yet a demeanor that suggests he might have skinned 700 “furry” rabbits for his coat, and 900 more just for the fun of it.
They were majestic. They stood upright, like a human, but they towered at a staggering 8 feet tall. They were actually fairly thin, though. Only their white/grey fur made them seem thick. Protruding from where their breasts might originally be, were two long slender tentacles with suction cup-like ends. Had I fondled one of these creatures earlier?! They each had four arms. Two smaller arms with hairless fingers created that strange snapping sound I kept hearing. Ah!- communication. Two larger arms, resembling normal arms (with fur) and performing normal arm functions, were busy doing arm things. One was passing a salve to another, who was coating my ankle in it, then massaging it with a suctioned tentacle. I probably would have laughed at this site (you probably would have too) but the pain in my ankle was quickly subsiding, so all I could do was stare.
The snapping was consistent. I found it hard to imagine one creature could hear and comprehend another over all of the snapping, but it seemed to be working fine for them. They moved with a graceful and steady speed and agility. I was shaking, but I wasn’t afraid. They were helping me. After they had applied the salve, and my ankle was feeling like new, they gathered around me and they all put their tentacles on my body. Their snapping took on a chant-like rhythm. The sensation was overwhelming and I immediately started crying, had an orgasm, and then went unconscious.

I remained with the Couziers (for that was what they had eventually told me they like to be called) for 4 years. I communicated with them through a special thought bug they placed in my brain. This bug was capable of translating what they were saying into whatever language I pleased. Sometimes I tried to practice on my Spanish by forcing my thought bug to translate that way. I still don’t know Spanish.
The Couziers taught me many things, though I doubt I taught them any. I learned of their planet, a cold barren land with skyscraping tree-like entities that produce a meaty fruit (which necessitated the Couziers abnormal height and thick fur). I learned of their culture, one filled with song, dance, peace, sex, and an ever-present search for truth and knowledge (which produced all their cool technology, and ankle healing salves).
These were the things the Couziers tried to teach me: Lessons about their pillars of truth. To always make music, for it instigates reverence and awe; To know my body and move it in line with the songs of my people and the song of my universe; To seek first peace among all people (and all creatures- even furry outer-space ones); To understand my sexuality and appreciate the pleasure the body can provide, and to always look for ways to grow, things to learn, and new truths to be discovered.

The Couziers had come to me with a mission, and they sent me back here to Earth to spread their word. I am their ambassador. Someday they hope to openly visit our planet, but someone has to make the way for them. Violent religions and skewed politicians would not accept the Couziers today. It is my job to spread a new morality and a new way of thinking, so that eventually we may be able to share our world with the Couziers and they may be able to share theirs with us.
I still visit the Couziers. They enjoy reports on the progress of humanity, and they like to give me new truths and information that they have gleaned from their relentless search for knowledge. I have been back on their craft 4 times, but for significantly shorter periods than my maiden voyage. I never fail to be surprised, though, whenever I spend 4 months with the Couziers, then return to earth 15 whole seconds before the “abduction” actually took place. There is still a lot to learn.

I have no idea why the Couziers picked me. It seems quite strange. I’m a coward. I’m a runner, a hider, a failer, a crier, and worst of all, a pee-er. Yet, the Couziers have faith in me and see something worthy inside of me. Perhaps this is the fundamental message they have sent with me- simply to appreciate the diversity around us. To love others for what they have to offer, and not to ostracize them for their shortcomings. Simply, to accept.





And here's some of my pix. The ones to turn in I couldn't take on my digital camera, and I think they actually turned out better.. but heres the ones I took digitally anyway.









Hehe.. oh well- it was fun. :)

xkcd

Here's the 3rd to the xkcd Journal Series... this series is one of my favorites :)

Insomnia.. ?

I'm having one of those nights.

I don't have them a lot.

They're common in my family though. My whole life my mom has had problems sleeping. She used to come in my room and wake me up at some ungodly hour to tell me stupid things like "Don't wear baggy T-Shirts to school anymore, they make you look trashy." Her mind races about ridiculous things and eventually she just gets up and plays on the computer or watches TV. I still get e-mails from her at like 4:30 in the morning sometimes. I've learned my brother has become the same way. He has to have earplugs, complete darkness, and get an early start to make sure he gets some sleep.

I feel lucky that usually I fall right asleep- No matter what. I can conk out at 2 in the afternoon even if I only woke up at 12. I heart sleeping. However, tonight I can't sleep. I realize its only 1am, but its been a very long day. I had to be up at 8:30 this morning, and I worked ALL day (10-8). I'm exhausted, but when I lay down this is what I think:

1. I have to keep my grades up. My GPA depresses me. I imagine I'll keep letting it fall, until I end up with exactly a 3.0 because thats all I have to have to get $20,000 of my loans forgiven. So sad. So sad.

2. My dog chewed my passport up. I'm going to Germany at the end of May. I need to get a new one, pronto.

3. I have zero coin.

4. I have absolutely no idea what I want to do with my life. I know that I care about books, knowledge, writing, truth, religion, freedom, equality, education, and breaking taboos... but I don't know what I can do with any of those things that will make me any money.

5. I REALLY need to wash clothes... and dishes... and clean my room.

6. I need to buy new pillows.. mine kinda suck- hardcore.

7. Thinspo (I just learned about this earlier today)

8. I'm not that great of a writer...



I hope this not being able to sleep thing doesn't become a habit. It's silly. I'm far too laid back to be worrying my little head about things all night long. ;)

Shouldn't a girl be entitled to her beauty rest?!


I'm going to put King of the World on and try again......

(I've gotten up 4 times and changed this post... and I've restarted King of the World 3... This is getting silly.)

xkcd - Munroe

Good xkcd today.


"I didn't even know I *had* the Monty Python 'Lumberjack' song."



I also friended Mr. Munroe on Facebook today... we'll see if he accepts. If he doesn't, I think I'll just be that crazy person that friends him a million times until he finally does. :)

(I love how "friend" is now used as a verb)

Religion and Obama's "More Perfect Union"

I watched Obama's speech the other day (I know this is fairly late) and I really loved it. I'm not going to go too far into the dynamics of the race arguments, because even though they were great, thats not what I really want to write about. Yes Obama's speeches are great, and yes you can call him a "televangelist" or argue that he's just a great orator with words that sound pretty, but I would argue (and Parker would agree) that if you read that speech on paper it would be just as moving and just as good.

Here's the speech, in case you missed it:


But, I digress. The issue that I want to talk about is not race or candidate preference, but religion (duh.. you know me). When I watched the speech I paused at a particular point where Obama mentioned all the worlds great religions. He said, "In the end then, what is called for is nothing more, and nothing less, than what all the worlds great religions demand, that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us." I turned to the person beside me and began a rant on the ability of "No Religion-ers" to have morals too, arguing that it was ironic that while Obama was giving a speech on the divisive power of race he was still ignoring the divisive power of religion.

I understand that Obama cannot make an appeal to people with no religion. I know that this would be political suicide for him. However, it pains me to see any group of people treated as lesser citizens and I yearn for the day when Americans can accept atheists and agnostics as people too, and a politician can speak out against religion.

The person next to me did not agree and told me that hope in an America that accepted non-religious people was futile and naive. Hm... sort of like hoping for a country where races are treated equally, where women don't suffer from discrimination, and where gays and lesbians aren't treated as second class citizens?

I believe the fight against the religious monopoly goes hand in hand with Obama's fight against racial divisions... and I'm not alone. Sam Harris wrote a great article on the issue.

He says:

"Like every candidate, Obama must appeal to millions of voters who believe that without religion, most of us would spend our days raping and killing our neighbors and stealing their pornography. Examples of well-behaved and comparatively atheistic societies like Sweden, Finland, Norway, and Denmark—which surpass us in terrestrial virtues like education, health, public generosity, per capita aid to the developing world, and low rates of violent crime and infant mortality—are of no interest to our electorate whatsoever."

and

"Obama did not say that religion’s effect on our society, and on the black community especially, has been destructive—and where it has seemed constructive it has generally taken the place of better things. Religion unites, motivates, and consoles beleaguered people not with knowledge, but with superstition and false promises. Surely there is a better way to bring people together in the 21st century."

and my favorite,

"But Obama’s candidacy is also depressing, for it demonstrates that even a person of the greatest candor and eloquence must still claim to believe the unbelievable in order to have a political career in this country. We may be ready for the audacity of hope. Will we ever be ready for the audacity of reason?"


Will we ever be ready? I hope so.

Richard Dawkins

Evolutionary Biologist, Atheist, and Author, Richard Dawkins came to the University of Texas and spoke on his book The God Delusion Wednesday evening. The event didn't start until 7pm, but when I got in line at 5:20, there were probably already 700 people in front of me. Luckily though, I happened to be on the side of the building that Dawkins came in on. Look how close I was:



Anyway, the lecture was amazing. I wish I could have videoed the whole thing, but they asked us not to video at all, and I looked very funny holding my camera up for like 50 seconds anyway. Here's a clip of an answer to a question about why Atheism is important:



His voice is so cute. ;)


He also used a clip from comedian Marcus Brigstocke in his lecture. I found it on YouTube. This video is over 7 minutes long, but Dawkins only used the first 3:15. Its really pretty funny.




Dawkins has also started the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science and has included a great list of goals and priorities for the foundation. These include fighting the epidemic in the science classroom, research on things like why people are more interested in astrology than astronomy, and at what age a child is most impressionable, maintaining a database of available lecturers and thereby supporting the next generation of freethinkers, publishing books in America or Britian that may only be published in one country, supporting The Out Campaign, and raising consciousness about the religious label imposed on young children who no more identify with Christianity or Islam than they do with Marxism. These aren't all, but these are my favorites. :)


The Out Campaign is pretty cool... they sale Scarlet Letter T-Shirts w/ a big Atheist A on the front... How cute is that?


Also, through links from Dawkins's Site, I found a fund to help finance security for Ayaan Hirsi who was born into the Islamic faith, and now speaks out and condemns it for many different reasons, including its treatment of women. The death threats may not come in such a large number if Ayaan Hirsi was simply a dissenter who spoke out every once in a while. However, she happens to be a fierce politician, an author, and one of the mind's behind Theo van Gogh's 11 minute film titled "Submission Part 1." van Gogh was murdered because of his views, and his killer left a 5 page letter to Ayaan Hirsi impaled on the corpse. In any case, she is a freethinker whose free speech is coming with a large price. How can she marry? How can she raise a family? She has to be surrounded by security and practically running from one place to the next. This story disgusts me. If you'd like to help her out donate Here. If you'd just like to read a pretty good Time's article on her, then go Here.


Anyway, Dawkins is great, so is Sam Harris, Carl Sagan, Christopher Hitchens and all the other emerging freethinkers... Go watch some videos of them, you'll enjoy it. :)

I'll leave you with a Dawkins quote:

"We are going to die, and that makes us the lucky ones. Most people are never going to die because they are never going to be born. The potential people who could have been here in my place but who will in fact never see the light of day outnumber the sand grains of Sahara. Certainly those unborn ghosts include greater poets than Keats, scientists greater than Newton. We know this because the set of possible people allowed by our DNA so massively outnumbers the set of actual people. In the teeth of these stupefying odds it is you and I, in our ordinariness, that are here."

Pseudo-Science

Can someone please tell me why the history channel and the discovery channel continue to pollute the world with pseudo-scientific claims and programs?

Currently, the History Channel is "investigating" UFOs and USOs (Unidentified Submerged Objects). Their "evidence" is nothing but "eye-witness" accounts. Any moron in the world who wants to be on TV can claim they saw something "they'd never seen before." Are you kidding?! These people say they saw a light in the sky. Later 2 college students said they were experimenting with weather balloons and thats what people had seen. However, all these eye-witnesses refuse to accept that as an answer.. for some reason, in their minds, its more probable that these lights were from extraterrestrials, than weather balloons... Seriously?

Not too long ago the Discovery Channel did a whole program on Mayan Prophesies about the end of the world. A whole fucking program on how the world will end in 2012.

This isn't science. I'm disgusted with the lack of science and math education in our schools today, the lack of science and math knowledge present in our adult culture, and with the surplus of pseudo-science in popular culture.

Tattoo!

Wham, Bam, Thank you Tom Robbins :)

Politics, Religion, and Tattoos.

cute story: Here

Disturbing story: Here
1 in 4 teenagers have an STD yet the church just distributed a list of 7 Social Sins including "Bioethical Violations" such as birth control, and the religious right still pushes against HPV Vaccinations on moral grounds. Disgusting.



I voted in the primaries this year :)
I also caucused... which was.... uh.. interesting. You would think that with all the talk and hype they would have been prepared for a record caucus turnout.. but no.. they weren't. Some creepy guy with a mic got up and said "okay, uh, we need everyone to sign this paper." And everyone got up and tried to run and push to the front of the sanctuary. Yes. I said sanctuary. You see, even though we have the false assumption of Separation of Church and State, my caucus was held in the sanctuary of a Lutheran Church. I was sufficiently creeped out while I waited in a wooden pew for teh festivities to begin. All I had to look at were visitors cards and hymnals... ew.



















I was standing in the middle of the sanctuary here... it was mass chaos. Very representative of the way our government works, actually..



I also got a letter back from Tom Robbins!!!! It was awesome. I'm the happiest girl alive :)
He said he likes the symbol from Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas. It was developed 5,000 years ago to memorialize a visit to them by extraterrestrials from the star system Sirius. hehe. Anyway I had Josh draw it on me so we could see how it looked:

Cool huh? :)


Catch ya l8er.

Letter to Tom.

I mailed my letter to Tom Robbins today. Aren't you excited?




Yes- its addressed to the Union of Mad Scientists.... don't ask.

Tom Robbins Tattoo

Okay, I've been thinking long and hard about getting a new tattoo, and I've finally come up with the perfect idea.

You all know how much I adore Tom Robbins, right? You better.. or else you've never read my blog... Well, I was thinking that my tattoo MUST be Tom Robbins inspired, perhaps something from the first book of his I ever read, Fierce Invalids Home From Hot Climates, or perhaps just a generic "Tom Robbins Themes" piece, or just a great quote (he has TONS).

BUT THEN.. I had a stroke of genius. I hear lovely Tom responds personally to fan mail he receives, answering all questions and complying with mosts requests... :) So I'm writing him a letter and asking for a little creative help in designing a tattoo! Isn't that exciting?!?!?! Oh I do hope he replies.. I love him so very much.

I'll keep you posted. yay!

People and Things that I Love

I'm in the library right now, and I really should be reading Thucydides.. but I don't feel like it. :) You should be excited because that means I have an hour to blog for you! Woot!


FIRST:

I want to make a list of people/things that I really like- a WHOLE lot- and admire in one way or another. People/things that have impacted my life.

1. Tom Robbins - my favorite author of all time and someone who says what he thinks and brings a lot to the table. You have no idea the influence he's had on me.

2. Bob Schneider - <3 his music. Freedom.

3. The city of Austin - Small town girl moves to the city. The diversity, the ideas, and the culture that pours from this city has forever changed the way I see the world.

4. Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins, & Freethinkers across the country - Thank the spaghetti monster that free thought and rationalism are back on the rise in America.

5. Dana Stauffer - My first Political Theory professor. The first time I ever got to truly explore why as Americans we think democracy, justice, and freedom are right, what it stems from, and if we're right or wrong. I love political theory.

6. My Dad - Gave me a passion to be the best at whatever I do, strive for perfection, and always persevere. Independence and a tough skin.

7. Parker Zangoei - My first out and out atheist friend. :)

8. Josh Bruno - its okay to be nerdy, a little weird, and just all together different. A special kind of elitism without pride. What its like to TRULY enjoy someone for who they are. Adventure. Randomness. No inhibitions.

9. Andrea Perez - my best friend from high school = nearly unconditional love. Accepting someone's flaws and loving them anyway. :)

Woot. Cool. <3



SECOND:
XKCD Series.





THIRD:

I want this bookshelf. Please.


Thanks.



Okay- I actually forgot that I need to be at class early today- so this is all you get! Have a great day!

Valentine's Day

On this day for celebrating love... and for reminding everyone without someone special how lame they are... I'm going to recount my favorite Valentine's Days (since today is destined to suck).



Okay.. lets go ALL the way back to my Sophomore year of High School :)
(Keep in mind, I was a sophomore in high school, so everything seemed WAY cool... and I was still romantic back then.. hehe)

I got to school that morning and Mason (my high school sweet <3) bust into my classroom with a big bag of Hershey's kisses and a card that said "I'd give you a bag of my kisses.. but you can't confine love." Or something equally cheesy. hehe

Then.. after my first period class I went to my locker and found a cute pink teddy bear with a card that said something like "You are the 'bear' essentials in my life, babe."

THEN.. during my 3rd period class I got called to the office to pick something up... He'd gotten me a dozen roses and he'd written I Love You on it in about 5 different languages and something like "No matter how you say it, it still means my heart belongs to you."

Oh Mason, ever the romantic...

__________________________________________________

Okay- Good V-Day #2

This was junior year of high school. Mason and I had broken up (again.. we probably got back together at some point after this.. lol), and I was dating Nathan.

It was either a weekend, or I skipped school, because Nathan showed up at my house w/ supplies.

He brought a 12 pack of Dr. B (I think- in any case, it was a Dr. Pepper substitute) and strawberries and chocolate, and chocolate chip cookie dough.

We tried to melt the chocolate and make chocolate covered strawberries*, but it didn't work quite right lol... then we baked the cookie's- only we made one giant heart shaped cookie instead of lots of cookies. I remember him saying "We're baking our own cookies and no one can tell us how to do it. Lets bake one HUGE cookie!!!" He was so excited... it was cute.


*I don't like chocolate covered strawberries, but he was so cute I couldn't tell him. On the next valentine's day he got me a big thing of chocolate covered strawberries- because that's what we'd done on our first V-Day! Haha, I still couldn't tell him, I gave them to my mom and pretended I'd loved them! A few years later, having forgotten that Nathan might still read my facebook I included the phrase "I hate Chocolate Covered Strawberries" in my "About Me" section. Of course, he found it.. lol It was quite funny.

__________________________________________________

Last year Josh and I ate at a cute little Italian restaurant.. got all dressed up and got a little tipsy off the wine. It was a great Valentine's Day just because he was great... :)

__________________________________________________


Anyway, since Valentine's Day is just depressing this year, I was trying to come up with a holiday that I'd actually like.

I ran this idea by Josh and we came up with Smart People Day!

It would be held in a multi-level club and to get to the next level you'd have to answer a question/puzzle. Of course the questions would get harder the higher you got. And when you finally got to the top....... there'd be a HUGE nerd orgy. hehe ;)

ha!

On another note, does anyone find it disturbing that this day originates from a man getting stoned to death?
Anyway, I hope your Valentine's Day Rocks (no pun intended) - do something exciting! Woot!

Music.

I love this song.. right now I love it. Right now it speaks volumes to me... and so I thought I'd share it (even though I tend to dislike this artist these days).

Pat Green - Temporary Angel (lyrical excerpts)



Well I believe in hope and marriage, forever and I do,
But love suffers pain when you try too hard
And tonight we're living proof.
If we fell in love already, we can fall in love again.
There is no doubt we can work it out,
Find a way to fall back in.

....

Be my temporary angel, I'll be your love for just one day.
Hold me for the moment, let the moment fade away.
When you wake up in the morning, and your heart tells you to stay,
Be my temporary angel forever, when forever comes our way.

...

We can start this thing all over,
Let tomorrow wait it's turn.
Forget about the past it will never last,
Strike a match and watch it burn.

Accelerated Free Fall

Sorry this took so long, but here's my skydiving video from this Christmas Break..

Enjoy the adrenaline rush!!! :)

My Library :)

I was rearranging my "library" in my apartment, so I went ahead and gathered some fun facts for you.

Currently I am living in a one bedroom apartment. I have been here 5 months and I plan on moving in August, so lugging around a lot of books is a BIG pain. Thus, some have been left at home with my parents.


However, I have somehow accumulated:


136 Books (if we use an averaged cost of $12- which I imagine is far too low- then I've spent $1,632 on books in the last 2 1/2 years.)


9 books on Politics or International Relations


27 books related to religion
- 8 Novels
- 5 "general religion"
- 8 Atheism/Agnosticism/Skepticism
- 3 on Islam
- 3 on Christianity


11 books on Political Philosophy/General Philosophy
- 1 Montesquieu
- 1 Vitoria
- 2 Kant
- 2 Hobbes
- 1 Rousseau
- 1 Locke
- 1 Machiavelli
- 1 Nietzsche
- 1 Thucydides


9 books on History (That I didn't count in Politics)
- 4 of which are Historical Fiction


8 Tom Robbins Books


13 books that I consider Classics
- 4 that were stolen from my high school


34 Hardback books


49 books that I haven't read
- 36% isn't that bad
- most of these are worthless novels that were bought on Sale


14 books that I'll probably never read
- again, worthless novels


25 books written by Women Authors
- 4 of those that fall into the "I'll probably Never Read" section
- 5 that I liked
(This disturbs me)


and 1 children's book (my favorite growing up)




What can you tell about a person from their bookshelf? :)