Musings of a rather confused mind...O_o

Ok so I know I suck and I really need to learn to update BEFORE the sun goes nova. But there is a good reason for my absence. I have been doing homework. Lots and lots of homework and trying to save my sorry ass from failing a class that I could teach better than my instructor. Which is why I was failing in the first place. But that is neither here nor there. The class is done, and I will have my grade soon enough.

When I was doing my research for the final paper I had to do for the class, I came across an interesting bit of information. My paper was a comparison of creation myths and I focused on the Norse and Christian myths, since they share quite a few of the same archetypal characters (which, for the life of me I could NOT remember the word archetype when I was doing the actual paper. I had to use the word stereotype or some shit like that.) and watching my very Christian classmates' heads explode when I was talking about my paper would have been great. Too bad my school is entirely online.

Over the course of my research I naturally had to do some research on monotheism versus polytheism and one of the papers I read to use as a source discussed the Isaac-slash-Ishmael-slash-Jesus conundrum. For those of us who are not familiar with the story, a brief retelling is in order. The Christians have Jesus as their slain god-son. The Jews have Isaac as the nearly-slain chosen son. The Muslims have Ishmael as the beloved son. They are basically the same character and they are all there to serve the same purpose. The three main monotheistic religions out there today (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam for those slow children in class) all claim to be "Abrahamic" in that they all trace lineage back to Abraham who also happened to be the father of BOTH Isaac and Ishmael. Ishmael was born first but that apparently does not matter.

The article tells of a story which is supposedly straight from the Bible (I really need to read it. Apparently more goes on there than any of the other novels I read) about an argument Isaac and Ishmael get into. The fight is about which of the two is actually more beloved to God. I can see that being an issue for the basis of the story. What I do not understand (and this could possibly just be because I am not a Jewish male) is why what they are choosing to be an argument has any standing whatsoever. The fight basically boils down to "I was circumcised by choice and you were not therefore He loves me more."

Wait, what?!

Ok, so following the logic, Ishmael (who presented that argument) made it clear to God that he loves Him more because at the age of thirteen he decided to have his foreskin removed. He should be the best because he chose to have it done and Isaac had it done when he was a baby and it was the parents' decision. I dun geddit. The article goes on to talk about how they compared scars to see who's penis was cut the deepest, and that is where I stopped reading because it was getting too weird.

So is that the ancient version of "who's is bigger?" For starters I do NOT get the reason behind that game at all and I have had many a fight with boyfriends because they want to see how they compare to other guys I have slept with. At the risk of sounding cliche and unoriginal, size really does not matter. Any woman who says it does has spent far too much time in front of the computer or the DVD player with her giant excuse for a vibrator.

Second, and again this is probably because I am not Jewish and do not understand the importance of it, is circumcision really that big of a deal? I have seen many a penis in my day and only one was uncircumcised. I do not understand the obsession with having a redundant part of the penis removed.

According to the very same book in which this argument took place, the only thing that made the two different in the eyes of the very confused (in my opinion) deity who demanded the death is name and mother. One was born to an Egyptian slave and the other was born to the slave's servant who was in her 50s and "divinely visited." That divine conception (seriously I think once the Christians came across the idea they felt the need to run with it) made the first wife out, the second wife in, and the whole family dynamic got rearranged.

Talk about needing a therapist. Or at the very least a visit to Jerry Springer.

None of this makes one ounce of sense to me, but that is the end of my rambling. If you have any advice/additions/what have you, leave it for me!! Hopefully I may be able to better understand all of this insanity....

Old friends and new beginnings

As I have stated before, I will be moving to Germany shortly. Right now there is not much going on with that, just waiting to hear about when paperwork needs to be completed so it will be processed and we will be shipped. I did learn that I'm only allowed to have 2 bags and one carry-on. I'm working on finding a computer bag big enough to hold my laptop, as well as a few books cause that's like a 13-hour flight. I look forward to going, but lord help me I do not look forward to being in the air that long. I have no fear of flying, I just don't have the ability to sit still for that long. Got me in trouble a lot in school.....

Anyway, I digress. I recently started talking to a friend from high school, and I mentioned to him that I was moving to Germany. It turns out he is stationed at Aviano Air Base in Italy. He is a 6-8 hour drive, or a one hour flight, from where I will be living. So now we are making plans to hang out once I'm there.

My point of this isn't how cool it is that I'll have a friend when I hit Europe, my point is that of all the places for me to go, and of all the places for one of my friends to be stationed, it is really cool (and just a bit creepy) that they are so close. It almost seems as if it's all a big cosmic joke. "Haha Kiarah. You want to get away from people (although by no means do I want to get away from this friend. We haven't even seen eachother in two years. Graduating from high school kind of sucks...) and I'll throw you in an area where people still know you." I am thankful that I will be able to spend time with this friend; I have missed him these past two years. I am also thankful that I will not be alone four thousand miles from home, with only my roommate to talk to.

I have noticed that life tends to throw curve balls like this when we most need it. I hope I don't have need of a close support system while I am overseas, but I'm glad the universe is setting me up to have one just in case the need arises.

Music that Keeps Me Sane

So, thanks to a happy chain of events I have been introduced to the glory that is Steampunk. The musical and aesthetic style both make me wish I had money to burn, or the crafting ability, so that I could dress in the fashion EVERY DAY!! Then, a few days ago, I happened to run into this. I want to find these people and make them fix my house.

On a similar, and fairly related note. I recently watched Howl's Moving Castle again. And I realized that a lot of the movies, especially the anime that I love, is done in a Steampunk setting. Now, I have been told that the book is much better, but I can't help but love any movie done by Miyazaki.

But back to music. I also have recently fallen love with Voltaire. Cool, rather quirky, and impossible to set as an alarm. I tried to set The Beast of Pirate's Bay as my alarm, but it just incorporated itself into my dream. Good thing I didn't need to get up for anything more important than homework.

Between Abney Park (who gave the inspiration for the name of this blog) and Voltaire, I have filled most of my iPod. Damn good music and small storage space. I feel like my music should feel like genie from Aladdin.

Ummm..... Hi?

So I started this blog because I am moving to Germany shortly and I wanted my US friends to be able to hear and see what's going on.

I guess a bit of introduction is in order. Hi, I'm Kiarah. Nice to meet you and all that. I currently live in North Carolina, but as I said before I will be moving to Germany shortly. I will be there for a year to work and study and play and basically just learn to be a grown-up (although the latter will probably never happen ;-]...).

I am a member of my local Pagan community and if pressed to really try to describe my personality I would have to say that I am rather outspoken and energetic. Oh, and that I am usually called a bitch. I just turned twenty and, as much as I hate it, I can be pretty girly. But I also love getting my hands dirty and I never run from the chance to help a friend in need. I have tattoos and piercings and I am unrepentant in my quest to be as individual as I can stand.

For the next few months I will probably be talking about my school and getting everything ready to move. I look forward to going, but I am still trying to wrap my brain around the fact that I am able to get out and experience another culture.

Glad you're here and ready to go along for the ride.

Oh, and by the way.... Hold on because once we hit the skies things will get a bit rough.