January isn’t even over yet and I’ve drawn more than I did in 2008 :/ I FEEL LIKE SOMEONE’S BEEN SLIPPING ART STEROIDS INTO MY DAILY TEA OR SOMETHING.

Class in five hours OFF TO BED BYE.

Gotta get my shit together. Yikes.

Back story: I have a friend who, like myself, started university this year. She, unlike me, is living in a dorm, so naturally, she’s frequently exposed to parties and alcohol and all the good things university life has to offer. Long story short, she was getting hammered every single weekend and hooking up with a zillion guys for a good half of the term and falling behind in her classes, but she’s cleaned up her act since then. So today, she was telling me about an email she received from her brother. Said brother is a very devout Catholic and lives at a monastery. Apparently, he had told her that he was really disappointed in her conduct and strongly advised her to break ties with any and all non-Christian friends that she had, because they will inevitably lead her to sin.

…Yeah, uh, what? Excuse you?

My philosophy is that I’ll respect your beliefs if a) they are not discriminatory and/or hateful and b) if you respect mine (or lack thereof). And believe me, the respect I have for this guy is deep in the negatives.

I’d love nothing more than to type a tl;dr response to this, but I’m afraid I’ll be too bitchy (religious fundamentalists hit all my right buttons) and I’m tired as shit so I’ll leave it at this: hey, at least I don’t need an invisible man in the sky to be my moral compass. I strive to be morally good not because I fear some deity or don’t want to spend an eternity in hell, but because I genuinely want to be. I recognize sexual orientation is biological in nature have nothing but contempt for those who denounce the “homosexual lifestyle”.

If that makes me a sinner, then I can’t wait to get into hell. I’ll bring the booze.

An article I read recently criticized Gaga as being the “ultimate example of style over substance”. It’s true that sex, drugs and the like are dominant themes in her music, but what most people fail to realize is that she isn’t a musician in the conventional sense; she’s more of a performance artist. Only when you combine her image and her music are you truly able to grasp her message. Her music embodies the pop music industry — fame, glamour, sex, alcohol, etc.; when paired with the visually unappealing and borderline grotesque image she’s crafted for herself (as opposed to the typical polished pop star look), she is really commenting that there is much, much more to being rich and famous than the glamorous facade. Kind of Warholian, in a sense.

Her bizarre appearance, predictably, has sparked much controversy. It is often cited by anti-fans in arguments against her. This in itself sheds light on the depravity of modern society — there seems to be a (rather popular) notion that pop stars must dress and act like, oh, Christina or Britney or Miley Cyrus whoever is deemed to be “normal” these days and be sexy and beautiful.

More frighteningly, it showcases the narrow-mindedness of an overwhelmingly large number of people. Take the hermaphrodite rumours, for instance. One of the reasons this rumour continues to be so pervasive (just one look at youtube comments and you’ll see what I mean, though it’s not as bad as it used to be) is Gaga’s image: she’s ugly and weird and gay (i.e. not conventional), she probably has a penis (i.e. not normal). (Not very eloquently worded, but it’s almost five in the morning, so.) That is, these people (whether consciously or subconsciously) link being nonconformity (not really the word I’m looking for, you can’t really decide your sexual preference and physical features and personality to a degree, lol) to being abnormal, strange, and wrong.

But honestly? Even if she is intersexed, it shouldn’t have any bearing on how people perceive her. Just as race, ethnicity and sexual preference should in no way affect your opinion of a person.

Here’s a comment I came cross recently (unedited for the lulz):

U guys consider her a role model……….which is embarressing enough but as a role model she should be motivating ehr followers to fit in and get along wit people. Instead shes motivatign kdis of today to be freaks and fuckin outcasts. Until she stops acting and dressing like a nerdy bitch n wears something normal she straight trash wit a nice ass

This comment single-handedly outlines everything that is wrong with society. The astounding lack of literacy aside, the idea that, uh, “acting and dressing like nerdy [bitches]” and being “freaks and … outcasts” should not be tolerated whatsoever is incredibly close-minded and just really fucking sickening. This “us against them” mentality, I shouldn’t even have to say, is the cause of so many problems.

I, personally, would want my kids to look up to someone who doesn’t give two shits about what people think of him or her, someone who is absolutely comfortable with who he or she is, someone who understands diversity and tolerance in a community are absolutely crucial. But I digress.

But anyway, none of this should matter because this bitch can really fucking sing.

jesus christ. while i agree obama was a poor choice for the nobel peace prize, the ignorance in the comments is so incredibly WTF. i know i’m always ranting about stuff like this but this shit gets me SO RILED UP.

my favourite comment:

I Do Not Understad Why He Got It He Is A Rubbish President He Is A Muslem I Dont Trust Him

EXCUSE YOU. backassward fucks like this should be deported to some isolated island bc they’re clearly detrimental to the progress of society.

fuckkk i know i shouldn’t be getting so worked up but i’ve been seeing so much shit like this lately and i’m just so mad at the human race. what the fuck is up with all this hate and intolerance?

i can’t wait until i’m old and wrinkly and gross and shit and my grandkids are like WHAT THE FUCK people back then were fucking crazy!!! and i’d be like IKR I DON’T EVEN

math final in thirteen hours brb

eta: CAN THESE UNEDUCATED INBRED WINGNUTS PLEASE STOP THROWING WORDS LIKE SOCIALISM AND COMMUNISM AROUND WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT THEY MEAN IT’S REALLY FUCKING ANNOYING. AUGHGHLKGJSLKDJFLS

I can’t help but wonder if this assignment is insulting my intelligence.

I am outraged and so incredibly embarrassed by this whole ordeal. Normally I’m pretty apathetic towards school politics, but this is just…wow. Way to make UBC students look like stuck-up, spoiled brats.

“I see that as a win, but that doesn’t give me a mandate to do whatever it is that I had planned to do. So that means that whenever I make a decision, I’m going to have to consult with students on what it is that I’m doing.”

Blake Frederick likes to spew garbage about how important it is to be accountable to the student body. Meanwhile, he and VP External Tim Chu go behind the back of AMS council and file a human rights complaint to the United freaking Nations. Someone’s perception of accountability seems to be a little skewed.

He then tries to spin it off as though people opposing his (and Chu’s) actions are proponents of tuition increases. Seriously? UBC students aren’t stupid. This isn’t about rising tuition, it’s about the president and VP external of the AMS blatantly disregarding democracy and going rogue à la Sarah Palin.

Did I mention how he spent (at least) $3000 of AMS’s money hiring a firm to lodge this complaint?

The recent Ugandan proposal allowing gays to be executed is a human rights violation. The genocide in Darfur is a human rights violation. Tuition being allowed to rise 2% per year, as much as I hate it, is not even close to being a human rights violation. By pulling off this stunt, Frederick and Chu completely trivialize the plight of every human being on earth being denied their inherent rights.

In short: impeach these two buffoons.