About the Rants



So I wrote something that sparked your interest, eh? Chances are I triggered one of two emotional responses within you:

A) The "Bravo! Encore!" feeling.
B) The "Boo! Hiss! What the hell is she thinking?!" feeling.

It might be something else entirely, but speaking from personal experience, those are the most common reactions people have to written opinion articles. Regardless of what you yourself are feeling after reading one of my essays, please look over the following before taking any action about it:



  1. These are Rants. By definition, ranting is a form of loud, extravagant speech and the contents of this section are no exception. The bulk of these articles were written when I was mad or frustrated about something. When I'm pissed, I tend to come off as a lot less rational than I normally do both in speech and in writing. (I challenge you to find someone who isn't the same way when he or she is angry.) I write these essays as a way to vent.

  2. I like to exaggerate. Much of what I say in my rants is purposely hyperbolic as a means of trying to make my point (also a direct result of my internal frustration). Don't take everything you read here literally! If you do, you'll likely miss the overarching point I'm trying to make. If you are unfamiliar with hyperbole or sarcasm or satire, you probably should stay away from this section entirely.

  3. These are opinions. This means that I do not expect you or anyone else to agree with anything I say. I'm not trying to force my points of view down you throat. If you are a thinking individual and you don't agree with me, great! I'm not going to dispute your right to believe what you believe, so kindly give me the same respect, won't you?

  4. On a similar note, my opinons aren't black and white, nor are they set in stone. I may come off as a very stubborn and rudely biased person sometimes, but I'm really not. I'm open minded about nearly everything and am more than willing to listen to dissenting points of view--it actually helps my own thoughts and ideas evolve. There are only a few things I hold fast to that no one will ever sway me on; I'm not unwilling to change my mind all the time.

  5. If you feel the need to flame me (whether in an e-mail, an instant message, on a message board or in some other form), please do the following first:

    • Take a deep breath and count to ten.

    • Make sure you've read this Disclaimer page carefully.

    • Ask yourself if I and my rants are really worth your anger and energy (I guarantee you they're not).

    • Get over it. I don't think anyone out there reading this truly wants to get embroiled in a flame war over my stupid musings. It's not worth my time and it's not worth your time.

    • If you would like to engage in a friendly (note the emphasis) debate on a certain issue presented in a rant, I am more than happy to do that. As I said, I welcome dissenting opinions. I don't welcome flames.


  6. If want to feed my ego by complimenting me on one of my rants, I won't stop you. If, after reading this disclaimer, you still feel the need to flame me for some reason, well...I won't stop you from doing that either. However, any and all e-mails sent to me become my property, and if I find your e-mail particularly insightful (or hateful and/or stupid in the case of flames), I reserve the right to post it here. Be sure to keep that in mind.


Are we all clear now? Good. You may now proceed to read my Rants or e-mail a question or suggestion. Thank you!