Holidays on the Lawn

I know that Easter was mainly celebrated yesterday. However, this varies from place to place, branch to branch. For my friends who are Greek Orthodox, it will be next Sunday. (I believe it is the 19th) This monday, though not hugely observed in the USA is Easter Monday. It is a day for celebration and lighter festivities. 

Carrying on the tradition from 1878, there was an egg roll on the White House lawn for children. I think it's great that people are carrying on traditions for so long, but I have to wonder, do other religions which are supposedly equal get the same representation in the White House? I'm pretty sure they don't. Perhaps it's time to start traditions on the lawn for them too!

Do you have holiday traditions? My coverage was pretty limited to the USA, what do the various countries you live in do to celebrate big holidays?

Whether you were rolling eggs at the White House, attending church or completely oblivious to the fact that it was Easter, I hope that your yesterday was fabulous!

History Being Made

Just recently the first Passover to be attended by a president at the White House was held.* Obama and a small gathering of his friends, family and staff joined together to celebrate this Jewish holiday. Though we haven't yet had a Jewish president, it's nice to know how much is changing. 

Passover celebrates how, when Moses sent plagues to try to free the Israelites from Pharaoh, the Israelites marked their door frames with blood from a  sacrificed lamb to recognize not to kill their sons. By doing this, they were 'passed over'. 

Though Passover was actually Wednesday at sundown and on, my family had our Seder today. (Because we were all at different things at the actual time the past few days and we aren't all that religious, (my mom's christian and my dad's jewish)). We prayed, and sang, and ate. It's nice to have traditions some of which are typical and some of which aren't to look forward to every year. 

I suppose that while I'm on the subject of holidays, I should mention that today is Good Friday and this sunday is Easter. Good Friday is when Christians believe that Jesus Christ was crucified. Easter is believed to be the day he was resurrected. I'll try and talk more about my Christian side on Easter. 

Also, like usual if you would like to write about Passover, Easter, or any other holidays that your family celebrates, I'd love to hear about them at gwebbies@gmail.com

*corrected on April 11, 2009

Day of Silence

Speaking of movements and laws raising awareness of the harassment of LGBTQ students and people in general, the Day of Silence is rapidly approaching on the 17th. I will do a post about it but it would be even more awesome if someone else wanted to write about it. Perhaps someone who participated last year? Or someone who plans to participate this year. 

Email me your piece about the Day of Silence to gwebbies@gmail.com

Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa followed closely by Vermont

It's been an exciting little bit for Vermonters and Gay Rights Activists everywhere. Last week the bill for same sex marriages passed the Vermont Senate and the Vermont House. Governor Jim Douglas vetoed the bill like he had forewarned he would. This left us in suspense. Though it had originally passed the senate by quite a large majority, it hadn't quite made it to two thirds in the house. This morning the senate revoted and once again passed it by a large margin. Passing the house was going to be a close call but it made it by 100 to 49, which is as close a call as can be to still be made a law. 

Congratulations!!  And I hope that more states will be close to follow. Keep me informed with what is happening in the states/ countries around you by emailing gwebbies@gmail.com

Drivers Permit

I know that the laws vary from state to state, but where I am,  you can get your permit at age 15. A permit basically means that you can drive in your state with a sober adult over the age of 25. Because I live in a rural place where driving is very helpful, my mom and I wasted no time getting my permit. (You have to have your permit for a year before you can get your license and I want my permit as soon as possible.) 

We went down to the Department of Motor Vehicles so that I could take the test which I must pass before I can get my permit. The first part was an eye test and the second part was a 20 question multiple choice exam on the computer. The test it self was relatively easy (if you'd read the book they give you before hand) but it was a little nerve racking. I could get 4 questions wrong. Most of them were common sense, but there were a few things regarding specific laws that I was just like "WHAT?" to. 

Good news is I passed! And at this point I really don't have any bad news. I drove around a parking lot for a while, made it home with out hitting anything, I have a shiny permit with an ok picture and am one step closer to my permit. I do have some words of advice for those who still have to take this (or something like it where you live) 

1. READ THE BOOKLET. This may not seem important, but it has all the answers in it. And all the people I know who didn't pass the written test never read it. 

2. Bring everything necessary. Actually bring more than necessary. The only things that they told me I needed were 2 ID's. Well it turns out that beside that, I also needed my social security number and proof of residence. 

3. You can either take it on the computer or you can take it pen and paper. I say take it computer because they have these lovely pictures that can sometime help. For example, my friend got one that was "Do bicycles go with or against the flow of traffic?" She wasn't sure, but she clicked to enlarge the picture and it showed her. However, if you're one of those people who really likes having pen and paper in your hand, you could ask for it that was too. 

4. Take online practice tests at home. They have questions that, if not exactly the same, are very similar. And if you get the answers wrong, they will correct you with the right answer. 

5. Read the booklet. It will help. I promise. It was made by the same people who made the test. It has most everything that will be in the test. If you do well without having read it, you are either very informed on the subject, or a lucky guesser. 

6. Breath, relax. I read somewhere that 50% of kids don't pass my states on the first attempt. If you don't pass, you can always take it again!

I know that many of you who read this have already had your permit and now have your license. Words of advice? Things learned from experience? How about the driving test? Was it hard? What about Drivers Ed. Is it as painful as everyone says? 

Contacts vs. Glasses

I have these awesome glasses that I love and need for seeing things far away. However recently I've been contemplating getting contacts. Why should I get them if I love my glasses? I think that they would be very helpful onstage. Directors say there will be no glasses onstage. I understand that, but I would still like to be able to see. I have explained this to my parents but they seem to think that I can see "good enough". 

Pros of Contacts:

*They don't get in the way of your view.

*They don't blur or fog. 

*They don't change how you look.

Pros of Glasses:

* They require little work.

*They are pretty affordable

*They come in many styles to fit personality.

I love my glasses but I would like to try out contacts for a change. Anyone out there who has contacts and would like to give me an opinion? My parents say that contacts take a long time to adjust to, and that they aren't worth the amount of money we'd spend on them if I mainly planned on wearing them onstage. Still, I'd like to find a good argument for them. 

Ps. This morning at 4:24 I turned 15! 

April Fools

Yes, I realize this is a day late, but how else could I hear about all the pranks you played? 

Unfortunately, I didn't get to play any pranks worth talking about but some people I know did. In the french class before mine, a kid took the teacher yellow and red warning cards and stick them in jello. One of my friends broke up with her boy friend via face book, to see people's responses and went a whole day, before telling people that it was a joke. 

This year was not a particularly eventful year for april fools, but some years have been! What pranks did you pull this year? What is the best prank that has ever been pulled on you?