Accountable

Hey readers!

I have to admit, life seems pretty grey and hard to talk about after you go on an amazing adventure to the Mediterranean. That being said, I finally am writing again about my life and the things that amuse me therein.

Not being in school anymore gives me a lot of free time outside of work. I've picked up all my old hobbies that I've put aside en lieu of doing homework and studying. I have read multiple books, both for enjoyment and intellectually challenging-ness, that I have been meaning to get to. And I even found out I have unlimited texting now :D Life is good!

I have been, however, confronted with morality in the entertainment I am now seeking in my free time. I want to be informed! I have been reading political books, history, religious, sci-fi, and Mark Twain. I want to know about the things in the news today. I want to see the spectrum besides my own life of comfort versus others of pain, rape, genocides, cruelty, torture, and despondency.

It's easy enough to find these things in media as well as books...and twitter. I follow Breaking News on there and they give me an infinite amount of the stuff thanks to it constantly going on in the world.

So I mean, watching Rated R movies should be nothing, right? I mean, life is a Rated R movie, if not worse. Should I voluntarily ignore the topics covered in Rated R movies based solely on the seemingly ignorant fact that my church discourages it? Should I even be watching or reading documentaries about the violent and perverse actions of warring countries? So the church discourages us from being informed about the world, eh? Doesn't seem right that I should be ignorant of these evil deeds. How in the world then am I to counter these evils if I haven't seen, experienced, or know what they are?

To the unbeliever...God and faith doesn't hold in the face of guerrilla warfare and systematic war crimes. To the believer, understanding is also elusive.

So I want to know about these things in the only way I'm comfortable learning about them. Through media and most definitely not first hand experience. Who wants to be part of a war crime first hand?

I was at work on Wednesday when the security guard came up to chat with us. One of our workers pointed to the guards tattoo that I was politely ignoring and asked him about it. After explaining what it was, the security guard said he was getting it removed soon. I was surprised about this, mostly because if I got a tattoo (which I am in no danger of, trust me) I would keep it as a reminder of my sin in a form of self-aggrandizement. But he is getting it removed? He explained, "Well, I teach primary kids and I'm just tired of the questions they ask me and having to try to explain it to them unsuccessfully."

I enjoy greatly talking to my friends about controversial things. You get to see people unnerved and you also get to think about these things that are usually ignored or put on the fence as something to ignore. I've been talking profusely lately with friends about watching Rated R movies. I have been feeling a self-induced ignorance of late about the more serious topics in life because I avoid them as well as literature that delves into the more perverse things in life.

My friends already consider me well informed. How did I come to be well informed if I don't watch Rated R movies? There must needs be some inconsistency here.

Introspection day. Read about 8 articles on lds.org, put on MoTab to invite the spirit, and tried to listen to a spirit I have been avoiding as of late. It has come down to Brother Ezra straight out saying 'Don't watch Rated R movies'. So do I fulfill my desire to be informed when I am already informed or do I be faithful and ignorant?

So I asked myself, Do I believe in the prophet? Does he speak the word of God? Can he say anything contrary to God's will? Does God know what a rated-R movie is? Has he thought it necessary for me to know the evils of violence, pornography, and language (usual reasons for rated-R ratings)? Does evil ever really change? Is it really as elusive as I think it is? Isn't evil evil and good good? In the last days won't people call evil good and good evil?

I found myself explaining to my friends why it was ok to watch Rated R movies. How, Rated R movies can have deeper meanings and that sometimes they aren't rated R for violence or sex but because the topic is sensitive. Because it is hard for us humans to see in our entertainment what the holocaust was like or that war is not to be glorified but feared for the atrocity that it is. To those who use these justifications if not others, I cannot deny these truths. Many people cannot have empathy of these things easily save they see a movie about it.

As I am prone to do, I looked back on and analyzed at how I explained my newfound belief that Rated R movies were ok. But something was off with this belief and my current beliefs. That's why I had introspection day and tried to find an answer. It is because I am accountable to those I stand as an example for. Dear friends, I don't know if I am an example to you. I don't wish to have access to that form of pride. So instead I give another example that came to me. When I have children and they ask to see a rated R movie and I say no when I still do watch them, how will that hold any clout to their sense of truth? It will more hold sway to their sense of hypocrisy and my children will begin to see me as a mere mortal instead of their mother. And if you let your children watch rated R movies? And if you are able to overcome the feeling that you are instrumental to taking away their innocence? I have no doubt in my mind that the scripture will come to you that God prefers believers more than the fat of rams and repentance.

I've realized it isn't ignorance. It hasn't been blind faith or putting on the fence the 'question' of rated R movies...It was more the answer and faith to my other questions. God, if I don't watch these things you have warned me of, will you still inform me? Can I still have access to the ways of countering these evils in the world? Will I be strong enough to face them on your arm alone when I am ignorant? Will you accept my ignorance as a tool to use as I only gain information on the evils of this world from literature and documentaries that inform me in a righteous way? Is there such a way?

I have found many ways. As I read about history, it is laced with these evils. However, I have felt that good history books, lovely political books, and wholesome entertainment inform their constituents but do not relish in the evil unearthed therein. I have found that evil is always evil and there are no 'new' forms of evil.

Congrats on getting to the end of this post! I wrote it more for myself than anyone else. I felt my experience might help others who have gone through the same things I have. I may still find myself growing to incorporate other ideas. I might even convince myself that I am wrong, even now. Hopefully I won't let my human self choose things my spiritual self wouldn't. I still hold to the truth that I will never judge a person who watches rated R movies. Every persons salvation is between them a Christ. May the Holy Ghost be your guide.

Portal II Free

So this ad was placed on Craigslist this last Saturday. You'd think I'd be excited about a free video game, right? Well, I found out about it when someone texted me about it:

"I would love to have you Portal 2. Can I come pick it up from you?"

This confused me since not only was it from an unknown number and there was a grammatical error but I also had yet to have seen the ad, but I soon informed myself. I responded:

"I think you texted the wrong person, for I sadly do not own portal 2"

She then indignantly responded: "Hmm, I copied the number correctly off of Craig's List. Sorry about that."

"It's ok. Sorry it wasn't real."

I then thought to myself, "Someone's pulled a prank on me with my phone number". After a few more ill-placed text messages from random strangers eager to see if I still had the free $50 video game (one who begged me to text them back asap and another who actually quoted the link to the ad), I decided to find it for myself. I was, unfortunately, at work. I flagged down my boss, who has an iPad, and proceeded to search for it. Sure enough, the ad above had my phone number on it and I dutifully began to flag the post. However, until it was removed, I decided to have some fun with the already gullible text-ee's. I started to respond such things as various forms of apologies for not owning the game. My favorite was "What's a portal?", for that would certainly tick off any true gamer fan. :)

But now I've got it removed. Ta-da!

Of course, I tried to figure out who did it. I still don't know, so I only have my conjectures to console me. However, I did try to figure it out. A friend suggested that the post-ee might have encouraged their friends to text me about it as part of the prank (no need mind you, plenty of random text's received), so I used my handy stalking skills (i.e. googling the phone numbers who texted me then matching the unblocked names to facebook/myspace searches), but to no avail.

Now I'm just afraid that my identity will be stolen while I'm abroad @_@

Communal Computers

This is the background on a school computer. Waaaaaaah?????

Cameo Apperances

So I have made two cameo appearances on two websites in the past little while.

First, for my work I made it onto their website! I'm the one in the white jacket http://www.shopsatriverwoods.com/

Second, I made it on the Provo Mayor's Blog! I'm in the collage, in the picture of the people sitting on top of the white house. What can I say, I had good seats :D -> http://provomayor.blogspot.com/2011/07/parade-from-my-view.html

Not my best work

I'm working on an Independent Study essay and this is the first paragraph that I just wrote...pre-final draft of course:

"There are three mathematical problems that arose in Ancient Greece that have provided endless hours of methodical thought for mathematicians throughout time. However, it was established in the 19^th century that they cannot be solved save by approximation using a straightedge and compass. They still influence mathematicians today because as these problems are attempted to be solved, many mathematicians have created a form of mathematics that creates a whole new section of mathematics for mathematicians to use."

Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaatttttthhhhhhh...th.

Funny Photos

So I've taken a lot of photos that make me giggle lately and I thought I'd share them. Enjoy~!

First things first, I went to go see "Narnia: The Musical". Yeah, I know. It was just about as epic as it sounds. But my friend was directing it and the guy that played Mr. Tumnus was pretty spectacular :D So I was happy with it, overall. This is my roommate, who kindly and magnanimously went with me. :D
So the play was at a school in Springville I believe...whatever city is 15 min south of Provo. The theater had a wall wholly dedicated to old school photos of the cities annual parade. I have two photos that were my favorite. The one above is of the Golden Onion award that reminded me of the "Good Egg" awards I used to strive diligently for in elementary school. So that little girl on the left is me, but with a huge egg award instead of an onion :D

Now the picture below I am going to give you my interpretation through dialogue.
Pageant Winner: "Ok, I'm here for the pageant photo shoot? Where should I go? Oh, over here? Ok. And you want me to wear...you want me to wear a statue of liberty costume? Ok, ok, I can do that."
1 hour later
Pageant Winner thinking: I've been standing here, envealoped in a flag, posing as the statue of liberty, and I still don't know what the fuzzy thing by my feet is...

Ok, I'm done pretending to be funny, but seriously WHO thought of this? It's just...it just makes me glad I'm not a pageant winner.
Yes, I thought it said Obama shaved ice too :D This picture was taken at my local Smith's grocery store and I'm just glad I had my camera.
So I went to the U2 concert this past month and I have to say...what do you have to do to get this job?!?! You get to sit up in a man-made arena and shine lights on a singer for 3 hours...at an EXTREME height. I'm just saying, it's pretty cool...and those seats are slightly ridiculous.

Who the heck are you?!?!?

Today I deleted me some 'friends' on facebook. Mostly it involved deleting people who came up in my mind as "Who the heck are you!?!?" However, my guilt-ridden mind from deleting friends came up with the idea to give them a final omage. However however, I only thought to do this half-way through. So here is an omage to some of my friends/observations.

Funny trend, I deleted all the Jacobs save my cousin. Apparently that name just isn't friend material unless I'm forced by fate to have a relationship with them...and thinking of the ones I deleted, it's horribly true.

Note: The perfect time to delete someone is when they're on their mission. Bwhaha! Ok, I only did this to one girl who I didn't recognize...but I don't think she'll miss me when she gets back...and if she does, then she'll just think that we weren't friends beforehand and she'll add me again :D

Honorable Mentions:
Jillian Robinson (friend of a friend I added once), Jeremiah Robinson (helping friend stalk him), Jerald Costa (he hated me, I don't know why we're friends...), Michael King, Shanlee Robertson (hahaha)

While I was going through names, there WERE some people who I didn't recognize that I kept. Either I couldn't tell who they were by their name or their picture. Yes, I too fell prey to friends who had gotten married that I wasn't even aware that they had gotten married. I then had the urge to delete every person who didn't invite me to their wedding...but I'm not spiteful *sticks nose in air*

The other people I kept even though I couldn't recognize them involved people I don't think I could get away with deleting @_@ I'm too afraid I'll see them awkwardly around campus. I'll have to wait til I move or something. And don't worry, if you're reading this, its not you. Though, if you don't wave to someone/say hi while you see them in real life then should you really be facebook friends? That's when you are only facebook friends in hope that the other person will be famous someday.

I also had trouble recognizing new friends @_@ I almost deleted my visiting teaching companion.

Ok, these next three girls I didn't delete, but they are all named Haley and are the only 3 Haley's I'm friends with. I'm sure you'll think what I was thinking when you look at the pictures, haha.


Once I leave college I will probably delete more...if my conscience allows it...

Ding Dong

So Osama Bin Laden is dead. President Obama announced it on Sunday and ever since then, the world has been reacting.

People will tell you how to feel.

You can already buy memorabilia.

Even the Vatican is sharing it's opinion:
"(Reuters) - Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden will have to answer to God for having killed many people and exploiting religion to spread hate, the Vatican said on Monday.

The Vatican has often condemned the concept of violence in God's name."

(which I thought was amusing considering the years of about 100 A.D. to about 1600 A.D. )

I've had various people tell me they had the Wizard of Oz song stuck in their head all day...myself included...Ding Dong the Witch is Dead!

But the thing I find most amusing are peoples interpretations on the event.

There's the Onion's opinion: "BREAKING: Violent Death Of Human Being Terrific News For Once http://onion.com/k1kJam"

Apparently his death is good and also not really effective at the same time for 'the market'.

3 people I follow on Twitter quoted Mark Twain:
I've never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure - Mark Twain

And of course we have to compare him to Hitler. Though it's actually a cool happenstance! Both Hitler and Osama were proclaimed dead to the world on May 1st. (Article here)

So what is my opinion? I thought I'd share something from my journal.

"My sincere reaction is that I am glad that a man so willing to kill so many innocents deserves his death. He could do nothing for this world but continue to bring irreparable damage to families and loved ones if he continued in his ways. However, I am reminded that God loves him. He is a son of God. And any pain caused on him from his sins, Christ too Atoned for. However, he also Atoned for all the pain that Osama himself caused upon so many of God’s other children . And may God be his judge. "

So has justice been served? Did Osama get Jimmered? The world is also horribly humorous about it all...which I believe shows a measure of insensitivity. This is about a man being stopped from killing more people. He hasn't stopped trying to kill civilians since September 11th. Yes, lots of other innocent civilians have died during the U.S. war on terrorism...does that compensate for our victory? We can only assume that the U.S. would stop creating casualties of war when terrorists stop attacking us. And that is a completely different goal than a terrorists'.

I'm glad so many people in the journalist world still have a moral compass...I'm glad they still ask these hard questions of 'Should we be rejoiced over revenge?' that I didn't want to ask because I was so happy someone had been brought to what I considered justice.

Dusting off the Keyboard

Hey! I'm alive!

Some random updates of happiness:

-I'm graduated! Whoot whoot! And while this is a very exciting moment in my life I can't help but feel all dressed up with no where to go. Gotta find a job!

-I got a Kindle for graduation! :D While it's weird to read off of it, I am getting used to it and loving it! I'm 8% away from finishing my first book on there, Mark Twain's Autobiography (which I have been dying to read since Christmas)

-I got one of my favorite callings for church! :D I can't say yet cause I haven't been called called, but I'm oober excited! :D

-I'm going to California in a week! :D I have to save my books and things from being thrown out but I also get to go to Six Flags (haven't been in 6-8 years) and the beach :D It's going to be a good weekend to say the least!

-I've paid for my study abroad and got a spiffy backpack! :D It's Dakine and I love it! 2 months~! Wow...in two months I will, for the first time ever, travel somewhere off the North American continent...I'm tempted to do my own version of 'Innocents Abroad' (By Mark Twain) (after I read it of course! :D)

Quotes

So I'm reading Russian Novels that, me being the feminist that I am, are quite...amusing...to read. Enjoy.

"..A woman is like a sack--it holds whatever you put in it..."-Gogol

"Sooner some other female weakness, but no one has yet reproached me for thievery."-Gogol

"Just let the mamas and the aunties start working on [a young girl] now. In a year they'll have her so filled with all sorts of female stuff that her own father won't recognize her."-Gogol

"Since Poets began writing and woman began reading them (for which our heartfelt thanks), they have been called angels so often that, in their simplicity, they've come to accept this compliment as the truth. They forgot that the same poets (in return for money) acclaimed Nero as a demigod."-Lermontov (I don't know if I've quoted this one before...sorry if I have)

Here's another other funny one not related so much to anti-women-ness :D

"...agreeable conversation is better than any food."Gogol

Domo-kun!!!!

Would you still be my friend if I wore this everyday until it turned to rags?

Cause I have fallen in love with it.

Unfortunately for me I won't own it until I earn enough money to buy ridiculous things.

44

Just an update:

I got to 44 cats on my left hand before I got sick of it and didn't want to get the world record anymore (min is 56 cats). I just...looked at my blue hand the smell of ink made me ill for some reason. So I stopped.

It did, however, keep me awake in all of my classes. I.e. a miracle.

Records

I was directed to the website urdb.org and these are the records I aspire to beat.

Largest Group "Meow" Rendition Of 'Lean On Me'

How to implement: I think I can make this a successful ward activity

Largest Group To Dance "The Carlton"

How to implement: Next family reunion :D

Most Cats Drawn On A Hand

How to implement.Friday in class. This woman is married and this is how I plan to catch the eye of some lucky guy. That or I'll take a picture of my hand with one of the rings I have on my left ring finger. One of the two.
And yes, I really will be doing this last one. :D

Girly Time

I have a lot of questions right now and my iPod has the answers:

1. Just how amazing will a study abroad to the Mediterranean be?
-Comin' Home Baby by Michael Bublé

2. How does one go about learning how to spell Mediterranean correctly?
-Matchbox by the Beatles

3. How do your really feel about me iPod?
-Pulling Teeth by Green Day

4. How will my teacher take an essay on where nothing I am saying hasn't been said before?
-Seize the Day (Chorale) from the Newsies soundtrack

(YEAH!)

5. How will karma take vengence on my Poli Sci TA for being a real stickler?
-Cancer by My Chemical Romance

(I would feel really bad for this one if I just hadn't found out that the wrong TA is grading my hw and I don't have to deal with her anymore)
(P.S. I'm a little scared my iPod would wish Cancer on anyone...)

6. My framed photos of my bestest of friends fell off the wall yesterday, what does it mean?
-Track 06 from my Valentines CD

(You'd like to know the song on that cd, wouldn't you! Can't Buy me Love by the Beatles. So true!)

7. Just how clean does my room really need to be?
-Christmas Eve Montage from The Nightmare Before Christmas Soundtrack

(eh?)

8. Why do I always find a new TV series to watch right when I have a ton of school work to do?
-Dig a Pony by the Beatles

(Is this justification to stop doing hw right now and watch tv? Yes, but just because you have a motive doesn't mean you have to have an action)

9. How good are the actors at the Empress Theater (where I'm going to go see Don Quixote in March)?
-A Spoonful Of Sugar from the Mary Poppins Sountrack

(This does not comfort me)

10. What is something I can improve on?
-Song for the Asking by Simon & Garfunkel

(You're a funny little iPod, aren't you!)

BOPHC

Today in my Russian class we learned that Dostoevsky was part of a philosophical group called the Petrashevsky Circle. I was thinking to myself that one day I'd like to start a philosophical group where we got together and talked about stuff. Maybe a book club?


I think I'd call it 'The Brick Oven Pizza Hearts Club" or BOPHC for short. Or maybe even just BOPH so that it sounded like the french word Bof! :D Yes!
We could get together at least once a year and eat heart shaped pizza. Oh the yumminess of the tradition! And talk about deep, unanswerable questions as well.

All goal-setting aside, I almost forgot about this tradition! Ha! I remembered last minute and realized I couldn't go for lunch (since it was 3 in the afternoon) and had to take out to avoid waiting in line for 45+ minutes because of all the other people who would be there tonight.

Yay pizza!

And remember, this is for posterities sake, so be honest.

If I ever go to Russia, I want to remember this dream I had last night just to see if it will come true.

The furthest back I remember is when I separate from the group I'm with (no idea who) visiting Russia. No one wants to go with me to see the Russian circus but I have this have-to-do-this-once-in-my-life mentality. So I head down the main street to the ticket booth. First things first we have a mix-up because I thought they didn't take American money, but then they changed their mind. There were three possible options. I could see Bobo the bear, the regular circus, or ride the flow-rider. I wanted to see Bobo the bear REALLY badly...but as I was buying my ticket the ticket lady turns towards me and says, "Actually, Bobo the bear just died. You can't see him." Distraught I decided to not go to the circus anymore and asked her where a good place to eat authentic Russian food was. She directed me back up the main street.

Then I woke up wanting kolaches. And not just regular kolaches, German kolaches.

I wonder about my self-conscious sometimes.

Menace to Society

You know, no woman's blog is complete without an angsty post about marriage.

However, today I bring you a critique of an article I happen to glance upon in the school newspaper, link here. (This was on the front page)

This article does particularly apply to me, so I decided to read it while I shirked its sister article here. It also ironically applies because I went in to see a councilor today about graduation. I am sadly now under the illusion that I cannot graduate because I have not gotten married yet (see the checklist from the second article...though I guess I also don't have a job.)(!)

Anyways, these are my favorite quotes and favorite thoughts thereof...

“I feel like there is a pressure for everyone to just get married as fast as they can. It’s sad, but some girls start to lose hope if they’re 21 and not married before graduation,” Townsend said.

Yes. I think I've lost hope. It must be "hanging out" with 'reason' and 'eternal perspective' over in pagan lands where only lesser-than-BYU-attendees are. Ashlet Van Wagoner (Author of first article), I expect an opinion section letter from you on Tues/Thursday claiming this article was required writing for some stupid publishing class.

"In an unscientific survey of a small number of students, the average age a BYU student was socially expected to be married was 22 for females and 25 years old for males."

Yes. The best source for statistical facts are from unscientific surveys of a small number of students. Excellent journalism there. Oh, and by the way, 25 just happens to be the age of the 'menace to society' adage. I'm really shocked you came up with that number! But 22! I might as well dye my hair grey, walk with a stoop, and adopt 5 kittens now!

I guess I shouldn't be too irked by this front page article in the school newspaper. However, thank you Daily Universe, for making sure I will never take your journalism seriously again (except for the girl who does the opinion viewpoint articles. You rock! Unfortunately there's no link to you on the website.)

I'm not!

So I've been watching a lot of what I say on facebook more than usual lately. Not only because I lack this (kinda...but in a different way), but also because I feel that everything and anything I am going to say is going to be taken wrongly by someone.

For example,

In my Russian class I read this AMAZING book Eugine Onegin and I want to quote a ton of things from it like,

"Of course the love of tender beauties/Is surer far than friends or kin:/Your claim upon its joyous duties/Survives when even tempests spin./Of course it's so. And yet be wary,/For fashions change, and views will vary..."

Isn't that beautiful poetry that is absolutely true (and I dislike poetry in general mind you)? But I feel like if I post it on facebook that someone will take offense. I've never been afraid to post my opinion before now, so what's up with me? Am I trying to appease too many people? Too many people that aren't myself?

And no, I'm not trying to pointedly or indirectly write this to someone. When I have a biff with someone, I'll talk to them about it or forget about it cause its not worth getting mad at the person over. I don't know. Don't I?

Man, I'm re-reading this post and even I think I'm writing it to someone when I'm not. I'm not! Maybe I know something about myself that myself doesn't know or doesn't want to know. What a pardox I am!

Anyways, here's some more poetry that I liked from the book. Enjoy.

Eugene Onegin chp4 pg 92 stanza 20, "Hm, hm, dear reader, feeling mellow?/And are your kinfold well today?/To hear what I'm prepared to say/On 'kinfolk' and their implications?' Well, here's my view of close relations:/They're people whom we're bound to prize,/To honour, love, and idolize,/And, following the old tradition,/To visit come the Christmas feast,'Or send a wish by mail at least;/All other days they've our permission/To quite forget us, if they please-/So grant them, God, long life and ease!"

"Fare thee well, and if for ever, Still for ever, fare thee well." -Byron

And this last one is a portion of the book that hit me hard at the heart. I'd memorize it if I liked poetry :)

chp 4 st. 51 "...Oh, blest is he who lives believing/Who takes cold intellect for naught/Who rests within the heart's sweet places/As does a drunk in sleep's embraces/Or as, more tenderly I'd say/ A butterfly who blooms of May/ But wretched he who's too far-sighted/Whose head is never fancy-stirred/Who hates all gestures, each warm word/As sentiments to be derided/Whose heart...experience has cooled/And barred from being loved...or fooled!"

Ok, I lied, just one more! I posted this on my door after my roommate and I laughed at the truthfulness of it.

chp 3 st. 22"I've known great beuties proudly distant/As cold and chaste as winter snow/Implacable, to all resistant/Impossible for mind to know/I've marveled at their haughty manner/Their natural virtue's flaunted banner/And I confess, from them I fled/As if in terror I had read/Above their brows the sign of Hades:/Abandon Hope, Who Enter Here!/ Their joy is striking men with fear/For love offends these charming ladies./ Perhaps along the Neva's shore/You too have known such belles before."

My pet bird was put down today because of complications with her having eggs. So since this is a blog mainly dedicated to happiness, I find myself reminiscing on what made her such an excellent companion.

She had her quirks. She liked my brother even though he did nothing but go out of the way to scare her, liked to eat paper, and had the fond nickname "popcorn-hawk"

We never cut her wings because none of us could stand to see her not fly anymore. We love our freedom in my household and to take that away from even a little bird, after she has gained it, is too much.

Lastly, she was a great companion and an inspiration for many a doodles and symbolism.

All dogs go to heaven. Well, I am going to extrapolate here and say that Cockatiels do too. RIP my dear sweet bird.

Reading

I've done me some nice amount of reading over the past two weeks. And by nice, I mean 1 book. I finished "Gone With The Wind" and couldn't help feeling closer to my little brother who is in the South right now.

Also I hate Scarlet. Just had to get that out there.

But I wanted to note that I'm taking this class where we study Russian novels that have been translated into English. I am also reading the NYT EVERY DAY. This is an amazing feat for me because I really detest journalism. There are some good writers out there and, thankfully, the NYT is very good but the majority of the time I just don't like how journalism is written. However, as the new years bodes people making resolutions, I have decided to get over myself for New Years and start doing (a few) things that I hate. Reading the Newspaper, reading non-fiction, and (taking some proverbs verses to heart) curbing my tongue are a few of them.

Therefore, I fully expect to be a fully informed, lower-decibel, communist citizen when April comes around.