Today I was all fired up for many reasons!  I used to get this way all the time- pretty much my entire feelings in high school.  However, on my mission I learned that I was too forceful with my opinion and that most of the time when I want to comment on something I should probably keep my mouth shut. I was just blissfully commenting on the world around me but it drove all of my companions crazy.  I may seem like an opinionated gal now but you have no idea how many times I want to say things but don’t. My tongue should be numb from being bitten so much.

My best friends are the one’s I can debate and discuss my opinions with and they don’t get all weird- a rare but priceless commodity (one that I have with my Mother and I LOVE that about her. My Dad is also a great conversationalist but often too busy to hash over politics or the news of the day).

Anyway, I actually kind of like it when the fiery side of me comes out.  It reminds me of my old poli sci days when I wanted to storm the senate and beat out any injustices in the world.  I feel like its a real side of my personality that I don’t show much any more.  I hope if I ever get married it is to someone who feels passionately about things and we can have engaging and exciting discussions.  That is kind of my dream actually. 🙂

What made me all passionate and excited today?

A combination of factors.

Four Weddings-

First, I made the mistake of watching TLC’s Four Weddings.  I was tired and nothing else was really on and I caved.  Now I know that anyone could look at my life and find waste.  I could be donating more to charity or helping the unfortunate more than I am. Everyone can.  That said, I can’t comprehend spending $50,000 or more on a wedding (some on Say Yes to the Dress spend half that just on their dress!).  When I think of the good that could be done by simply spending 1 or 2,000 less it makes me sick.  I guess it bothers me because it is so unnecessary.

I mean if people blow money on a fancy car at least they can drive it to where they need to go.  If they buy expensive clothes at least they can wear them repeatedly. As a 31 year old single girl you can bet I’ve been in and to my fair share of weddings and the experience of a marriage ceremony has almost nothing to do with the money spent.  My brother spent little with a mountain wedding in wildflowers with close family and friends, followed by a simple reception at our family home with a tent, cake and whatever.  What’s wrong with that?

Spending $50,000 or more for what is basically a big party just doesn’t make sense to me.  I don’t get it.

However, even if you accept that crazy notion, Four Weddings, makes it even worse by having the dueling brides nitpick every part of these extravagant weddings.   So now not only are things done to the 9’s but they aren’t enough, aren’t good enough.  It boggles my mind that a contestant yesterday who spent thousands was told ‘her wedding was a nightmare from start to finish’.   Really?  Give me a break.  They got married.  Isn’t that the important thing?

How about an episode of Four Weddings where the 4 brides have a budget of (I’ll be generous) 10k and have to make it work and they give the 40k to any worthy cause.  Now that would be a good show!

Lance Armstrong News-

Anyway, so that made me feel depressed.  Then I open my computer and I see Lance Armstrong has given up his fight over doping allegations. Then I see all kinds of twitter glorying in the downfall of the cycling King.  I think he probably did use performance enhancing drugs but there is something wrong about a system that can test 500 times and come out with false negatives.  How can we be sure about any of the athletes that inspire us if it can be wrong that many times?

To me it was just sad. I don’t feel joyful or vindicated at his demise.  As far as I see he can do a lot less good now and that’s a loss. Probably a justified loss but still a loss.  Sad…

NBC Mormon Piece

So Rock Center on NBC did a piece on my church last night.  I went into it with very low expectations as NBC is the most liberal news organization out there and has repeatedly allowed slander to come from its reporters about my church.  Recently a reporter Lawrence O’Donnell referred to us as an ‘invented religion’ and that Joseph Smith started the church as a cover for his affair with a maid.  This was not stated as a theory or opinion but as a undeniable fact.  He did later apologize after his comments received criticism from the likes of Bill O’Reilly and other national figures, but was never censored by NBC for his hateful remarks.

So going into it with low expectations I was still floored at the bias with which it was approached from.  Nearly half of the show was about ex-Mormon’s with a grudge including Abbey Huntsman and some guy from the Book of Mormon musical- who was given an entire section, more time than the welfare system or even Mitt Romney!

Everything was done with a stilt or agenda.  Even things that I would think everyone might admire were spoken of in a cynical and jaded way.  For instance, in describing genealogy the reporter said ‘Mormon’s are obsessed with genealogy’.  Or when business success was discussed it wasn’t a good thing, it was this group of greedy capitalist Mormon’s who only help out each other.  Same thing with the welfare system, undoubtedly the most complimentary part of the piece, was told in a style of ‘Mormon’s are good at helping their own’.  Never mind the millions of dollars of aid we give to areas of the world with little to no membership.

Look, you can disagree with my religion.  I get that but don’t pretend to do an objective piece and then be completely nonobjective.  You know what that is called?  Propaganda.  And don’t think it is lost on me that 4 days before the Republican Convention the most liberal news media does a smear fest on the Mormon church.  They are trying to reinforce that Mitt Romney must be a racist, chauvinist, homophobic, capitalist pig, because look where he comes from!

I  mean how can you have a story about a major religion and not have one leader from said religion? And we have 15 of them with hundreds of General Authorities, so its not like asking the Pope for a visit.  They didn’t even get a BYU Professor or the like to speak for the church.  There were a few brief comments from a Church Historian and that was all.  Does that seem fair to you?  How can something be fair if one side is not allowed to express their beliefs and thoughts?

They didn’t even interview any of the Mormon senators and congressman, which could have been fascinating with such divergent characters as Orrin Hatch (who has never refused an interview in his life) and Harry Reid.  No, instead you had Abbey Huntsman complaining that her bishop wasn’t nice.  Give me a break!

Now I’m not expecting a fluff piece.  I am open to unorthodox views on my religion.  I have no problem with Joanna Brooks or other people who are placing modern stances on my admittedly traditional beliefs.  I am open to thoughtful and respectful discussions but let’s start on an equal playing field. Let’s give everyone a fair shake, or at least close to it.

Anyway, I thought it was a smear fest.  It made me mad and I am not ‘over-sensitive’ or emotional.  I get very offended when people discount my thoughtful views as simply reactive emotions because of my beliefs.  No I actually thought about why it bothered me and you know what it still bothered me!  And it really made me think twice about these types of news pieces.  I prefer real live interviews to this type of scripted, edited work.  I promise, don’t believe everything as fact,or at least the whole story, when you watch shows like 20/20 or Dateline.

But I guess that’s what we get for having a Mormon running for President…Sigh. I partly want Romney to win just so he can prove all of these idiots wrong.  (Not to mention he’s a great leader, reformer, financial planner, and has a proven track record of working with both parties. No, the media wants you to think I only like him because I’m Mormon and the head office told me to…).  Like Kennedy with Catholicism I hope Romeny can show that he can lead without any direction from Salt Lake, and that all of us in this church are not the puppets we are sometimes made out to be.

On a related note, if you want to see a fair, interesting, interview of a Mormon watch John Stewart interview Joanna Brooks on the Daily Show.  A comedian gets more truths and asks better questions than seasoned reporters.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-august-9-2012/exclusive—joanna-brooks-extended-interview-pt–1

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I was also really fired up about my latest diet.  It’s been 4 years of this crap.  I’m soooooooo sick of it.  I’m almost ready to throw in the towel and just say ‘Look I can do what I want to do.  I’m happy.  My vitals are great.  I like the way I look.  To Heck with it!!!  I’m so tired of the scrutiny and always feeling like I am not good enough.  I just want to be on freaking maintenance already.  What would be so bad about a life where I weighed 250 lbs and kept up my swimming and my other activities?  I’ve tried everything and my body just doesn’t want to lose weight and I’m tired.  That’s it.  I’m tired.

Anyway, there you go.  The fired up Rachel!