No, I do not believe they go hand in hand. Much.

I used to be deeply patriotic. Deeply. I loved singing "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and all the awesome songs like "My Country Tis of Thee" and "This Land is Your Land (This Land is My Land)", "America the Beautiful" and the National anthem.

However. I think people take the whole patriotism thing just a little too freaking far when they vehemently pronounce that "If you think America is so bad, go live somewhere else!" And lately, I have heard it ALOT. Not because I am an embittered American or anything, although if you want to hear me get started ask about my husband's status as a legal permanent residence or how long we've been WAITING...

The way I see it, some Americans seem to think that America is a perfect and flawless country that is just freaking wonderful. They seem to simultaneously slurp up the rah rah bullshit they were spoon fed back in the fourth grade about how our country stands for democracy, all the while forgetting the stuff the learned in Civics. I am talking about oh, the right to free speech. It's because my country is so "wonderful" that I have a right to openly air my opinion. So why should I move to another country just to talk sh*t about the government?

And you know what the big stinker of it is? I voted! I did. I voted. So there. Guess what-- I have a right to talk smack because at least, at the very least, I got involved.

I am sick of hearing about how great a country we are. Yeah, we are wonderful and there's not a chance in hell that I would willingly give up my cushy life, my directv, my high-speed connection, or my right to talk about what a moron GWB is, for ANYTHING. But ladies and gentlemen, we are not as wonderful as we think we are. America is like the Old Republic right before the sepratists moved in and GW... well he's gunning for Palpatine's spot in the whole damn thing.

Anyhow, the whole thing that got me ranting was my truly terrible first day of class in Human Sexuality (Part 2 since I failed spectacularly last time). New teacher. Ugh. New class. It doesn't help that there's maybe 1 openly gay person in the class and the rest of the students seem to be card carrying members of the right wing. Like hard-core right wing. So this is going to be the hardest class I have ever taken.

Especially when the teacher out and out states that if a person FANTASIZES about something then eventually they will go out and do it. The wrongness of this LUDICROUS statement just appalled me beyond belief. I actually yelled at my teacher. *ouch*

That said, on the knitting front I am looking for a Julie and Julia-esque project to do. I am not sure if I want to say, knit a pattern repetition a day from the 365 knit stitch calendar, or follow EZs Knitter's Almanac, or do something zany like that. Or I could just get my ass in gear finish the mittens and move on to the monstrosity known only as the knitted bear fur rug. ;)