Ruminations from the Temple

After a bit of mudslinging going on within my own circles, I feel compelled to clarify my political position. I would consider myself a conservative; raised a democrat with a mixed voting record. I have always believed in voting for the best candidate, regardless of their party affiliation. I believe that all Americans have the right to vote for whomever they choose appropriate. I support the military and the strengthening of our military. I think there is rampant dishonesty on both sides of the aisle. I also believe that the mainstream media is biased and unreliable. I believe that the secret ballot is just that, secret; no one has to disclose who they are voting for. Moreover, they can change their minds at the last minute, if they so choose. I have never been swayed to vote for any person because of a bumper sticker, someone standing waving a sign on the side of the road or a recorded political message on my phone. Really. I believe that unborn babies should not be disposed of i...

When I was in high school, for my senior year, I made the bold choice to attend "beauty school" for half of my classes. This included taking theory classes all summer leading up to my senior year and then all of my senior year. I enjoyed cutting & styling hair, learning about color, giving manicures & pedicures, etc. However, as I got closer to the end of my training, I began to realize that most that come out of beauty school don't make much money. I also realized that I had not done as much research (next to none!) about my chosen career and had to admit I had made somewhat of a mistake. I did not finish my training and did not take the boards, but cut the hair of friends and family for years following. Unfortunately, as I got older and my hair got shorter year by year, I was increasingly frustrated at my inability to find a hair stylist that I was happy with. I would watch them cut my hair, and lament to myself, "geez, I wish I could just cut my own...