An Update (accidentally put this on my other blog first)

School is back in session so my blog has become a bit sparse I admit. With two seminar style courses (one with a heavy reading list for the first half of the semester) and outside activities...my schedule has been a bit full, but I have spared anyone the freakout moment yet, nothing has occurred that would equal crazed level of panic.

I did want to discuss something of importance to me today, even if it does not reach the people who it is meant for..who would not care probably even if they did read it because I have learned that the internet is just a place to bark at others who do not agree with you.

Voting is a right here in the United States, it is actually a foundational part of our country's make-up and therefore it should be something that we as a society take very seriously and work diligently to ensure that ALL people have every opportunity possible to participate in that process, but for some reason...here in the US, we like to really try to make voting hard and that is confusing to me (really it is not, I mean I get it...but I am going to take this from a positive...let me explain angle today). 

As Americans we should want every single eligible person to have the opportunity to cast their votes to sway the tide of government, in a free society like ours...that right is paramount because it is how we, the average people...illustrate our support or disdain for the work being done in our name in Washington or our States. There are people who would like to make that hard for others...hell the other day I saw a clip of someone advocating tests again (please see the civil rights movements to understand why that sort of thing is disgusting).

People in the United States have been arrested, beaten, tortured, and MURDERED in order to vote and please understand creating long lines or closing polls to those who may work or have schedules that prohibit voting on Monday-Friday is a bad thing. It does not hurt a single person to have polls open every day of the week... it does not hurt anyone to work towards universal suffrage not just as a legality, but as a truth. 
It makes our country more representative of those who occupy it.

If that scares you...then you may need to re-evaluate what sort of government you want to live under, I am sure there are some less than liberated dictatorships who would love to have you.

*steps off soap box*

Being Stubborn

I do not buy into food fads and diet trends usually. I spend a lot of time working towards exercising every day and coupling that with attempting to eat better and with school beginning again three weeks ago, the processed foods sneak back in the diet and suddenly, I find myself getting sick after eating...often.

I do not believe I have any sort of gluten allergy, I can eat bread without any problems, but processed or sugar heavy foods... destroy me. 
For example, I made pancakes this morning and almost immediately after eating them I felt ill.  I am trying to figure out if it is a sugar thing, I do not eat a ton of sugar, but if I do eat something horribly sweet in a large quantity...it gets me ill every time and I am thinking some of these processed foods have just hidden sugar in them
It is so hard to pick and choose at the grocery store and maintain a budget so this food issue is really bugging me.
I bought a lot of fresh fruits and veggies this week... so we shall see, obviously the pancakes are doing horrible. 

What is up with the Founders?

Why is it that the "founders," you know...those guys who put together the United States' first governments (yea..remember...there were two) are portrayed as being pretty old... when in truth... they were not?

In 1776

James Madison was 25
Thomas Jefferson 33

If you look at portraits of them (granted most of their portraits come in the 1790s or after the Revolution)... they look a great deal older.
If you rely on the way they are portrayed in film...they all look well over mid-twenties and early thirties for sure.
What is that about?
Were they that weathered by life and stress in the Colonies that they just looked older or do we find comfort in portraying our leadership with more age and experience than they actually had?

Just found it odd...this is what I do when I read for class... I get stuck on the smallest and most insignificant thing.