Just one day

Ho hum

Thanksgiving's over now...turkey's are much safer...maybe. Next up, Christmas. With only a month to shop for it I'm thinking of what to get people. Nothing spendy, that's for sure. Not that I wouldn't like to buy everyone a spendy gift, but having little money really impacts that decision! So, I'm brainstorming now...have a few ideas...need a few more.

Oooh ohh...Pirates! The fifth...can't wait. Sorry...the commercial was just on.

So...there's a web comic that a classmate mentioned. I checked it out. It's kind of entertaining, actually. Cheshire Crossing

Hmm...what else? well I just found one of my school books from high school, something I passed around to people to write in. It's a blast looking through all that they've written. I miss Yam though, the foreign exchange student from Thailand. She was so sweet. Looking at it kinda makes me miss high school, but then I remember that it was high school and no longer miss it. Oh, and if anyone knows Sophia Perez, let me know...I'm constantly trying to find her again. She was a good friend, you know? But I have found a lot of old friends I had on myspace. It's neat and kinda crazy. Our lives are constantly changing and we aren't the same people we were...and that's not a bad thing.





Well, time to work on my paper. Catch ya later.

--A

the time's upon us

So it's down to the wire
and stresses abound

actually not too bad now, one paper down...maybe a couple to go.


What I'm not enjoying is the cold, crappy weather. Sure it's nice sometimes...when you can sit in a nice warm house, drinking tea, with nothing hanging over your head. You sit there and watch the rain come down and the wind blow through the trees.

But, when you have to go out in it...it isn't nearly as enjoyable. The cold creeps in no matter how much you cover yourself. The rain either hits you or soaks the bottom of your jeans and your jacket. And if its windy it's even worse. It whips right through you. A strong wind? Say goodbye to your umbrella, if you've got one.

It's nothing new though. Portlanders deal with the rain. Coastal folks deal with the rain. It's almost always there, and yet I never failed to get pissed off at it...dread it's coming...and wish it to go away. The same old annoyances and nothing new.

Well at least I got this pretty picture a while ago...

My First Term at PSU...in the Spring

flooding, quake, belief

come dive in puddles with me...and today we could...literally.

so...after flooding and earthquake, however minor, here I am...and I am tired! Busy busy day...but I was at work listening to John Mayer...I find I have to listen to somewhat relaxing music at work as it keeps me a little less stressed while I'm there (cuz my job tends to get me worked up at times). Anyway...I was just listening to his music and started thinking a little about his song 'belief'

here are the lyrics...

"Belief"

Is there anyone who
Ever remembers changing their mind from
The paint on a sign?
Is there anyone who really recalls
Ever breaking rank at all
For something someone yelled real loud one time

Everyone believes
In how they think it ought to be
Everyone believes
And they're not going easily

Belief is a beautiful armor
But makes for the heaviest sword
Like punching under water
You never can hit who you're trying for

Some need the exhibition
And some have to know they tried
It's the chemical weapon
For the war that's raging on inside

Everyone believes
From emptiness to everything
Everyone believes
And no ones going quietly

We're never gonna win the world
We're never gonna stop the war
We're never gonna beat this
If belief is what we're fighting for

What puts a hundred thousand children in the sand
Belief can
Belief can
What puts the folded flag inside his mother's hand
Belief can
Belief can



here's what I think...

the first verse has some truth to it as usually if your mind is set, then your mind is set. This is unfortunate because an open mind seems better than a closed one. but, case in point, sometimes at PSU there are the people with the signs condemning everyone to hell unless they repent. Now, I am not an avid church-goer, but I do believe in God. I don't think I'm going to hell because a sign says I will, and I don't think that those who choose not to believe in "our God" (whomever 'our' may indicate) are necessarily going to hell either. So there you have it, one sign did not change my beliefs. and that sam sign did not make me stop and consider their argument either. The second part of that verse just makes me think that people generally don't like to be singled out. We go with the flow, follow the crowd. Unless the topic is something we are passionate about, people generally don't stray outside their comfort zone.

The refrain part is true...we all have ideas of the way things ought to be run and if something completely adverse to our idea of things happen, then we don't sit back and watch it happen. Of course, this isn't always true...because when things aren't going my way I have been known to merely grumble about it.

The second verse is very visual. belief's an armor...that works. we use it to defend ourselves to others and to ourselves. we use it to defend other's actions. the problem is that we fight with it...people don't like to accept they are wrong...actually more acurately : people don't like to admit that there isn't necessarily a 'right' and a 'wrong' and sometimes beliefs can hurt people and things you don't expect them to.

The third verse is basically saying that we'll sometimes use our beliefs to prove things to ourselves, not just others. People want to prove their 'right' and that's when trouble can happen.

the chorus has truth...beliefs are just that...beliefs. Everyone believes something different, so no one can 'win'. The whole world will never agree on the same thing....we are too diverse and that's not always a bad thing.

The last part is just sad. how many wars have been fought over different beliefs? isn't it safe to say that all of them have? and it has led to deaths...many many deaths.

I'm not saying that people are wrong to have strong beliefs. And I don't think this song is saying that either. What I think it's saying is that we need to be open to other people's beliefs...we don't have to accept them, and they don't have to accept ours, but people should be open. Look into all the arguments and all the sides. Then make your stance. War is a terrible thing. Our country is at war and I thank all those brave men out there defending us all. I just wish there was a different way...isn't there a different way? why do so many people have to die?

Rain Rain

Just can't get enough of that rain, can we? At least it hasn't been like last year...when no one was prepared for the first rains and all the gutters were clogged with leaves so roads flooded all over the place. Good times....ugh! Come on...we live in Oregon...Portland even...there's always rain! At least that hasn't happened yet this year.
Time to remember how to drive in rain again for most. Bring on the cold, bring on the wind, bring on the colds! It starts getting colder and that's all it takes for me to get a cold...
Then everyone complains about the rain...okay not everyone but most do. Say how much they hate it...and yet they've lived with it for years and years, most. I begin to think a part of us must like it to live with it for so long.

Yes, definitely umbrella season.