bearbats

It feels great to be recognized by my idol and friend and favorite bassist, Peter Wentz. A couple days ago, on his blog, he asked about our opinions of what is going on in the Gaza strip. I replied with an interesting and opinonated response, which he the next day, out of 233 comments, posted up 10 of his favorite or ones which really spoke to him. I made it! I love it that he recognized my opinion.
Below is a copy and pasted bit of his response and his listing of the most interesting comments:

look at you, dropping knowledge

wow. when i posed the question on Gaza, i wasnt sure what to expect. some of you guys really surprised me with both how articulate and how passionate you are. when i studied poli-sci foreign affairs and the history of africa and the middle east were always the most interesting to me. some of the lines that europe and other colonialists and neo-colonialists drew seem so arbitrary, almost not fixable now… and some are now nearly impossible to investigate or discuss the humanity of people without a religious subtext.  i look forward to trying to get to gaza and see some of whats going on firsthand at some point this year, as well as the congo. i am not going to include my ideas on gaza here partially because i dont want to feel like im indoctrinating people, but, also some of you nailed some of my ideas on the head (im putting up a selection that stood out to me. that doesnt in any way negate yours, i have read them all). definitely a long read. if you like pictures of shoes or boys in bands kissing- this is not for you…
i tried to post a group of differing a opinions. the best advice i ever received on the politics of the middle east was from a professor who said ” be careful what your sources are and where you get your news from”.
can anyone name the number 1 and number 2 countries that the u.s. gives the most foreign aid money to?
also, id like to recommend a book that really has nothing to do with this topic but is one of my favorites: King Leopold’s Ghost by Adam Hochschild

Al1 day agoplease choose one of the following nations/countires to rule the strip of land (according to historical ruler-ship rights)
1)Canaanites
2)jews
3)Assyrians
4)Babylonians
5)Egyptians
6)Greeks
7)Macedonians
8)Romans
9)Byzantines
10)Crusaders
11)Islamic nations
12)Ottomans
13)Brits

and i’m sure that i left a couple out of the list… 
going on with the God point of view….why did all these nations conquer this stretch of land?
why did the Jews disperse?
all these happened, and none can be changed, neither can the fact that there is now an Israeli country. so lets move on from this!!!
Again, THE PROBLEM, can’t be solved over night…..
anger can be dealt with, and over time will subside… but hatred… now that is a whole other thing.
there are radical groups on both sides, those who want israel destroyed, and those that want the arabs away from there….
but these groups are a minority, and i think that the majority of the people on both sides just want to fucking live their lives in peace.
in my opinion, if it where up to the people, the world would have less problems

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing

Blondiie2 days agoI think its hard when you dont get the full story, only whats on TV, its hard to get inside the head of people ready to kill each other, but at the same time there must be some motive behind it. My IDEAL soloution as far as i can see is no more deaths. What mother/father/sister/brother/uncle/nephew ect. deserves the death of a loved one? Thats what gets me the most.

ryan smith2 days agoalright, i know that you were a 3 year political science major and i know that this topic was most likely covered throughout your prerequisite courses. but to be honest, the country of israel is obviously an ally but in the order of general politics the citzens of gaza are being treated horribly only because of the israel occupation. in the end its a double edged sword because the u.s. will always bring tyrants into power only to take them out decades later.

sharoneee1 day agoI’m really happy you asked this question becasue it’s extremely important to me. I believe that Gaza should stop shooting missles over into Israel. This hasn’t been somethign new that has been happening, this problem has been going on for years, and I think they need to realize that they should be thankful for the land they have, and civilize, instead of try to obtain the land given to the Israelis/Jews thousands of years ago.

This topic really hits home to me and offends me when people say that what Israel is doing is bad becasue I have lived in that country for over four years of my life, and I know what it feels like to walk around with a little feeling inside for you that there is a slight chance of death. There was even a point, when I was about 9, that I had a gas mask, and sometimes we had to bring them to school. Right now over 40 of my family members are living in Israel and I am scared for their lives. I understand that there is a larger death rate for Palestinians than Israelis, but the thing is the soldiers are aiming to catch terrorists, and are killing people in their way, rather than killing random people by dropping bombs to whenever they feel like aiming. 

This was really long, but it offends me when Israel is made look like the bad guy in the situation, and it hurts that at this moment, my family is at risk of their lives.

i’msadthati’mflying1 day agoI think that Israel has definitely stepped over the line in terms of defending its people. Israel is estimated to have killed at least 1200 Palestinians, whereas only 13 Israelis have died, according to the New York Times. Not to make a death count be the center of the issue, but this massive amount of civilian deaths will definitely make Hamas be more popular.
Before Israel launched their attack, Hamas was becoming less popular. They had been elected over Fatah, the more moderate group, it’s true, but Palestinians were becoming tired of Hamas. They had elected them mostly because Fatah was viewed as corrupt and didn’t do much for social services for the people, not because the average Palestinian buys into the Hamas ideology. You can’t bomb people into moderation, as one observer has said, and it seems that Israel is trying to do just that - and is not realizing that it will only make their security situation worse.
An ideal solution is so hard to come up with. I believe that the U.S. needs to finally stand up to its ally and call for an immediate ceasefire. We can’t mindlessly support them, as the Bush administration has done. We do need to support them in every way we can, although it doesn’t help our standing in the Middle East at all. We can’t be the big silent bully force behind everything Israel does. 
I am not arguing about the right for Israel to exist. Israel should, of course, keep the boundaries that they have now, instead of continuing to take land and develop in Palestinian territory. This is a point I don’t think has been emphasized enough - Israel is expanding! No matter how crazy and radical some Palestinians have been about Israel, Israelis don’t have the right to keep taking land. The Israeli government has allowed this to happen to appeal to its conservatives.
I know that I’m not an expert at all, but I also know that many people share this view of how the conflict should be resolved. I believe there needs to be:
1. an immediate ceasefire
2. a halt to the continued expansion of Israel
3. more international humanitarian aid to Palestine
4. a new US governmental policy that involves a promise to mediate
5. the eventual creation of a Palestinian state
I know that Israel was defending itself from rocket attacks. But its retaliation went too far, and now it has only made things worse for itself.

sophia (london)2 days agoI totally do not agree with what is going on on both sides of equation, that is what Israel are doing to the people in Gaza, and what Hamas are doing to the Israeli people. Everyone can see that Israel have the advantage when it comes to military operations and aid for their people, but I believe that the Palastenian people have the advantage of unity. Everytime they are hit by bombs and bullets, they all get together to redevelop their country that has fallen so many times before, and I admire that alot.
As for an ideal solution, at the moment there is none. One country will not back down until the other admits defeat, and it is plain to see this will not happen until one runs out of ammunition or people, and sadly I think this will be experienced by Gaza in both ways.
We just have to wait and see if countries will come to the humanitarian aid of the people in Gaza, and whether the “higher powers” can condemn the action going on in the Middle East and do something about it.

Pete - To get the story from the Middle East side (we are solely getting it from the Western side), I recomend you check Aljazeera International ttp://english.aljazeera.net/

Sorry that was a bit long-winded, I feel strongly about Middle East affair

Sandra3881 day agohey pete, 
So i cant answer your question fully just because the information that i base my opinion on is directly from the media such as t.v and the newspapers which are all published and air through american businesses and press so it is most likely to be biased. THere are always two sides to any disagreement just like in a relationship. The way i see it is that Israel does deserved their promised land however, it wont be given up easier through violence. I am not saying Israel is responsible, I am saying that violence wont really help solve anything. Are we going to have to wait until some one is killed just like Martin Luther King or take away like Ghandi? I believe in non-violence because through history, it can be seen that more has been lost than gained through violence. I dont think that what is going on in Gaza will stop anytime soon. In simple terms, no side is doing the right thing. Both are responsible for their actions, pointing fingers through the use of bombs and violence isnt the answer. The reason why Singer’s counterpart whom which i forget the name of said that instead of trying to come up with ideal solutions, how about we get the best “ideal” we can through the realisticism we have. thats just my opinion, everyone is entitled to it.

THERE I AM!!! ^^^^ sandra388 is me!! woohoo

I still dont see why people say Christmas beings people closer together. I mean, sure, it brings people together cause they have to but i dont necessarily believe it brings people closer. However, my view on New Years has changed. This new Years was slightly different for me. I kinda felt like the first little bloom on a Maple tree in the spring. i felt cold like a newborn but warmth was still around. this New years day to be specific, my boyfriends parents came over and had a great time with my parents, talking, discussing history and politics over alcohol. Lets just say it began to get interesting. It was up and down for me but for hte most part, i dont regret having my father make that phone call to the "future in laws." I never thought that day would really happen considering my family doesnt take me seriously, but it did occur.

There is something about New Years day that makes you think that there is some hope within you legft somewhere. Its so cliche but so true, its like getting a box of spray paints to work with and its all soo new that you cant help but hope for better chances to make greater disasters. It kinda makes you feel like you can actually move that one Jenga piece at the bottom to the towering top of the jenga stack. Its kinda cool in a brutal way, cause you know you gotta do better this year in wahtever it is you want. But having that one cool summer breese, or one glimmer of hope, or little light in the attic makes you feel so much better. i guess im always hoping for the better but still expecting the worse. Nontheless, im not expecting the worse of the worse, which to me is a little better.

 

Do you Believe in Sleepless Dreamers?
I'm not sure if this will make sense
But thank you for making me want
to be a better me for you
You make me want to say
"Good night stars, Good night Moon"
With you, I appreciate pins and needless.
 
My head can get dusty
But you keep the lights on,
Even when I want them off
You make it impossible to frown
You make the world go inside out.
 
You make the sun take a nap
You even make enemies believe they are heroes
Best this is the lie they actually believe
Better yet, you make turtles turn to ninja's.
 
Even in the cold winter air, you make every word count
And when I'm alone, no on can catch me
Because I'm thinking of you
Between my thoughts of you and well you.
 
Despite my desire to dream
I can't keep a secret from blooming
to your face even through my dreams,
Plus, secrets are written then rejected.
 
Time is never on  my side
Unless its with you
Otherwise, it leaks through my fingers
and out my eyes like alkaline
I guess its fair, you steal my time
I rob kisses.

You always tells me "get some sleep"
But really, I need you more than a nap
Plus, the sun catches ZZZzzzs for me, you know that
Even with no sleep, no make up, and no heart
I wont forget the day I met you
 
At the same time, I wont forget
your my bedroom boy, you keep my heart
From stopping, even though your the one
causing palpatations
I guess you can die from love
This makes no sense but thats what makes you taste good,
Only sweeter.
 
I hate when people say they want
To live forever with the One.
I want to die with you
I want to steal you
Im so selfish, Even the fish die.
 
I guess I'm just sick in the head,
What can I say, its cruel to be young
But we all wish for starry nights
ghosts and goblins and to stay
Forever Young
 
Even when awake and the sun is napping
I am the dreamer dreaming of you
Until the cats use up all their lives
pigs begin to fly
and the Human race dies.
I still dream of only you.
 
-Sandra Struzik
January 3rd 2009.

The Climbers
A Mountain Climbing exploration
Took us to these distant peeks
Where no one's ever been before.
Was it my imagination?
Did i feel this mountain move?
Did i hear it snore?

Rockabye
Rockabye babe, in the treetop.
Dont you know a treetop
Is no safe place to rock?
And who put you up there,
and your cradle too?
Baby, I think someone down here's
Got it in for you.

Whatif
Last night, while I law thinking here,
Some Whatifs crawled inside my ear
And pranced and partied all night long
And sang their same old Whatif song:
Whatif Im dumb in school?
Whatif theyve closed the swimming pool?
Whatif I get beat up?
Whatif there's poison in my cup?
Whatif I start to cry?
Whatif i get sick and die?
Whatif i flunk that test?
Whatif green hair grows on my chest?
Whatif nobody likes me?
Whatif a bolt of lightening strikes me?
Whatif I dont grow taller?
Whatif my head starts getting smaller?
Whatif the fish wont bite?
Whatif the wind tears up my kite?
Whatif they start a war?
Whatif my parents get divorced?
Whatif the bus is late?
Whatif my teeth dont grow straight?
Whatif i tear my pants?
Whatif I never learn to dance?
Everything seems swell, and then
The nighttime Whatifs stike again!

----- hilarious, the last one is written for me.. haha Whatif this or that, whatif i die tomorrow, whatif things dont work out,  whatif whatif whatif.. WHATTHEFUCK! lol

so iv been doing a lot of thinking lately and i still really want a tattoo. The first one that i want is a red peony flower with the word L.O.V.E to be within it or somewhere near it. the L.O would represent not only my grandfathers last name (Lucjan Opaczynski) but it would be a reminder to love others value everyday and to simply remember Love. The peony is also my favorite flower. My second tattoo that i want is just near my ankle. I want 2*R there. So when im lost, the 2nd star to the right will guide me to what i need. Unfortunately, i dont know the placement of the first idea cause i wanted it near my hip but i know that when i want to have children in the future, that will stretch. I need to think of a place that looks feminine, that i can hide (not visible to public) and wont stretch. Any ideas? I plan to get one of them for my 21st birthday, the issue is the parentals are anal about it but we shall see. At that point i might just do it.

keep surviving xoxss

heyy
so after spending the passed about 7 hours with about 18 people, and wiyh my family, I still have to say I dont like Christmas. But thats not even the point right now. I just know i dont like it.

I also found that my parents continue to have no faith in me and do not trust me. People during the christmas feast were talking about going to cancun, or Cuba and I was complaining how all my friends have been able and allowed to go but i havent. So i thought maybe money was the issue,so i asked my parents, "waht if i paid for hte trips? Would i be able to go?" and my mother still replied and said "No, your always going to be our baby. Its enough that we allowed you to be in a relationship with your boyfriend since you were 17." So now, I cant be taken seriously with my boyfriend because im not engaged and cause they think that if I get engaged, I am "locking myself up for a limited world with no freedom." so either way, i cant win with that. and their excuse for not letting me go on vacations is this `because your a girl!`I fucking hate it. They dont trust me because they think im too stupid to take care of myself, they think im too naive to not be taken advantage of, they think Me and my boyfriend will get into trouble. I feel like im being punished for being with him now because its like, "Oh, youve been with him since u were 17, so thats enough of a provilege for you, your not getting more out of us." so because of that retarded mentally and because "im a girl" im not able to go on vacations. So with both situations i cant win. I talked to them about engagements, and they are pretty much saying that i need to be 23 which sucks in a way cause im so over being labelled "a not serious couple, who are only in puppy love stage." People, we have been dating for 3 years and 3 months!! fuck! i absolutely hate it. I think i will start to pull Marissa's and start doing more of what i want, like, if i want to do PR instead of Law and im stopping myself of doing Pr becuase i want my parents to see me as their lawyer, well too bad, tough luck, no more of that. Im starting to play the game my way. No more little miss nice.

Merry Christmas at the BearBatS residence.
I wish i could spend Christmas day just with my boyfriend, away from my family. Hes the only thing in my life that has stability, so that is why when he starts to get on my nerves I start to freak out cause losing him or fighting with him isnt a glitch in the system, it would be a system shut down. I cant wait to just be able to live on my own or with my boyfriend and spend Christmas' with him.

Sorry for the recent negative posts, just have a bad umbrella during these rainy days.

I feel like Im 4 people in one body.
Im the achiever
im the underachiever
im the lover
Im the hater.
Im your worst nightmare
Im your best friend
im what you call, your ace woman,
your jack of all trades.

knock once for the father
Twice for the Son
Three times for the Holy Ghost

it gets me by. West coast Smoker.

Hey,
So i just came on here at 3 36 am to vent and rant about how shitty shit happens to me about 68% of my time on Earth. Today my FAD FOB package didnt come like i hope for every single day. its like living Christmas morning over and over for the past week except there are no presents under the tree once you are downstairs. Over all, i thought my day was going ok until I went out with my bff Kristen and my boyfriend where basically, i got sick from eating something at a cafe/pub and while playing pool, i kept feeling queesy. So we had to leave and while on my way to my bfs car, i basically throw up all over the snow. It was absolutely disgusting. There is something so desperate about throwing up though. But yeah, so as we were heading home I still felt sick but a little better. once i got home, I told my boyfriend to just head home so i could rest. The second i got into my house, lets just say, i spent a good 30 mins making a mess of my washroom. I dont need to discuss the details, but it was a cross between stomach flu and too much rollercoasters. The second all that was outta me, i felt about 60% better. my mom then gave me Pepto Bismol and it went away after a while. But the terror of the 23rd doesnt stop there! My brother and I havent spoken in about a month or so, maybe more over well, a lot of issues we have that are unresolved and some may never be resolved. Today his wife came in to talk about it. The talk made me realize how many issues I actually really have with my brother and the person he is. I get it that hes a good hearted person but I DONT see that side of him whatsoever. The person who he is and how he acts towards me also makes me become an ugly person at home. I cant take it. How can you not be yourself in your own home. I feel like im the one black crayon in the entire world and no one needs to use it, im helpless. I dont know what to do. christmas is about bringing families and people together to rejoice the birth of Jesus, yet, I cant even get my brother to approach me for once and talk to me. its always me having to approach him, its always me havign to defend myself my entire life, its always me having to be the bigger person. Im so sick of having and forced to be that person. I dont want to have to be the ugly person he makes me. I want to show my family the better side of me, but how can i do that when the second i Do that, I get judged and attacked?!! I feel like everyone knows the real me but my brother and his wife. My friends and my boyfriend know the real me and whats why they love me. I know im a good person, I know i have a good heart and I know im a caring and compassionate person. yet, my brother doesnt know it and I dont know that about him. How sad is that?!
On top of all this, I feel shitty about my grades, I feel like i keep trying and i dont see the results i want. I dont know what i want to do any more in life. Im stuck on 2 polar paths of going to law school or becoming a PR person or publicist, maybe working for a PR firm. I just dont know where my life will take me, and although, thats the 'fun' in life sometimes, at this point, I wish i had a sign that told me which path to take. Despite the recent negativity, at least i got a plan. I do plan on doing volunteer work for either a PR firm or a Law firm just to get my feet wet with the 2 environments, work up a resume possibly. Its something that I must do. I also plan to bring up all my grades this term by 3-7+ percent. Blah, Some people wish they could worry about grades, while I wish i could worry about groceries! But im  still constantly reminding me that i am lucky to be able to have an education! Another thing that has been seeping through the cracks in my brain again is the idea of a promise ring from my boyfriend. I feel like everywhere i go, everything i do, and the people i see or watch all have promise rings or their boyfriends have taken the step to ensure they are only committed to one another through the symbolism of a promise ring or an engagement. Now i know this is unrealistic, being that well, my boyfriend cant afford such a thing now. Im sure my parents, if he asked, they would need to think about it but its not out of the Q at all. its a possibility they would support it. I dont want a $10,000 rring. I want soemthing reasonable and representative of me and my love for my boyfriend and his love for me. I am so ready for something more than just being bf/gf and looked down upon as puppy love. I have been with this man for 3 almost 3.5 years, and i have no doubts. Why not have something to represent our love? I just keep telling myself that the time will come when the time will come and that it is what it is and I cant do nothing about it. *knocks some sense into her head* |
There has been a lot running through my head, not necessarily all the time but the second it all creeps up, the second i get depressed. I just need time i suppose with everything. I need to be patient, it just gets extremely difficult with everything. Im sorry to those that read this and know it affects them. But i need to vent and be honest with myself at the same time. I need to stop kidding myself. 
On a lighter note, HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO EVERYONE!!!!

-Keep surviving, 
BearBatS xoxss 

I just bought the book of childrens poems which really arent so children like. i love the poems, they are like the perfect combo of traffic and green lights. it reeminds me of my childhood when librarians would read the poems to us. Gunna read through some poems!

Im still working on my Folie a Deux piece. I need to get better and newer paints to finish it off, its like half done but needs detailing. Im pretty proud of it! I cant wait to post it up here for everyone to see.

I stil havent received my Folie a Deux Trois package. I've been waiting patiently but im starting to get a little annoyed with the process. But i will say this, when the package comes in, I will freaking flip out because iv been so excited for the package. I can not wait!! watch it come in about 11 hours lol. i wish!!! The album is amazing, I bought it for my boyfriend so i had a chance to listen to all the songs. I absolutely love the record. I think its as good as TTTYG and Under the Cork Tree, its def better than Infinity on High, not that InH was bad, it was amazing but FAD beats the shit outta it.

ah, im going to bed, its like 3 am so im gunna force myself to sleep.
ill check in later, keep surviving,
xox ss

Hey exiled and those that dont put babies in the corners,
So im new to Friendsorenemies but iv'e known about it for a while. Im a huge fan of Fall Out Boy and a lot of the bands under decaydence. I love Hey Monday, The Academy is..., The Cab among many. I absolutely adore Pete Wentz and his wife Ashlee Simpson- Wentz. I think they are a great couple. They remind me a lot of how my boyfriend and I are together. Eveytime I see a picture of Ashlee and Pete, it reminds me of my boyfriend and how much me and him are in love.

Im 20 years old, my name is Sandra. Im a pretty creative person and i love to do a lot of crafty things. I enjoy painting things that initially inspire me, I also love making my own designs but i dont have the connections to get help with furthering my creativity on a larger scale. I enjoy just relaxing with friends, playing pool, watching movies etc. I also go to university of Toronto, I study criminology and ethics, society and law. its a lot of very interesting subjects but its a ton of work. It keeps me busy at least and blocks my thoughts out of my head that plague me.

I will continue this intro about me another time. Im actually going to go out tonight with my friend, Kristen, for Starbucks <3 and watch the Hills finale with her as well. I gotta watch it cause its just so crazy and funny and ridiculous. I will try to keep this updated, it helps me.

keep surviving,
xoxss