11.10.01 >1721

I stumbled across this old post of Richard's today, and wasn't sure how to react to it. Or rather, I wasn't sure how to respond to the whole concept of the Jedi being a religion.

I think Rich puts it best at the end of the post : "I'd imagine Lucas' take on the whole subject is more akin to that great Star Wars sage: 'Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid.'"



11.09.01 >2108

This passage swims somewhere in the middle of page 113, from Catch-22 :

"Suppose we let you pick your missions and fly milk runs," Major Major said. "That way you can fly the four missions and not run any risks."

"I don't want to fly milk runs. I don't want to be in the war anymore."

"Would you like to see your country lose?" Major Major asked.

"We won't lose. We've got more men, more money and more material. There are ten million men in uniform who could replace me. Some people are getting killed and a lot more are making money and having fun. Let somebody else get killed."
I wouldn't tie this into the same situation our country's involved in right now (what the heck is this war on terrorism crap? This is more like an aerial bombardment!), but since this word seems to be floating around a lot, I would like to think that someone out there in a U.S. Army uniform feels the same way as Captain Yossarian.


>1834

"I hate masks. I think I wear one every day and take it off for certain people."

I also have a problem with masks. I wear one to isolate myself from others, to hide my true feelings; lately, though, I think he's forced me to peel off the mask and be truthful to those close to me. It's never easy, but it's the far better choice than living a lie.


>1444

They Fight Crime! Just keep clicking on "Try Again!" to see what you get next ... L.T. (whom I give credit to for this link) said it gave him "ideas for a million seasons of TV." A million seasons of TV, and a million story ideas ...


>1252

Here is this week's Friday Five :

1. What toothpaste do you use? Colgate Regular.

2. What color/brand is your toothbrush? Oral B/Red.

3. Do you use mouthwash? Nope.

4. What gum/breath mints/breath spray do you use? Big Red, most of the time nowadays/mints : anything really strong that I can get my hands on/no spray

5. How do you plan to spend your weekend? Oy ... so much for my "automated" response. One way or another, I'll be getting to Livermore for church on Sunday. Besides that, I've no plans except to clean and buy food for my apartment. Oh, and my roomie's b-day is on Monday, and I'd like to get somethin' for her ...



11.08.01 >2252

I would prefer to keep my complaints to myself (unless something really ticks me off and you invite me to vent) - but what would you do if there's a person who seems to irritate you to no end, and you're too polite to tell him to shut up and stay focused on the topic at hand?

There's such a person in my Reporting class. Discussions can sometimes get a little strained because this person goes off on tangents that have nothing to do with what's being talked about around the table, and it's surprising that my professor has been able to put up with the guy for so long. Like, tonight's session, for example - the prof read aloud parts of four national, ongoing news stories and asked us to localize each of them. Up goes this guy's hand : "Hey, did you know blahblahblah about that? Isn't that amazing? I think that's crazy. What do you think, prof? What's yer angle on this issue?"

WHAT THE HECK!?

I guess I should also mention that bluntly telling him that he's off-topic doesn't help any. He just says that this is an issue that he thinks is important, and apparently it's important enough that he feels it's necessary to share such nonsensical drivel and stall the entire class discussion.

C'mon, dude, stay with it here ...

*Still mumbling angrily under her breath, Rhe ambles away from the soapbox*


>1647

If someone told you they were "on top of the world," would you ask this person if you could join them? I sure would!



11.07.01 >2245

I'm pretty sure most of you have heard some type of music or a song that reduces you to tears. The song below (well, this is part of it, anyway) made my eyes sting :

I know the answer to your question
Yes, the Father still loves you
But sometimes when you have children
You don't always like what they do

So when you go to your Heavenly Father
Saying "Lord, I love You"
And when you ask Him for forgiveness
This is what He'll say to you ...

"I sent a message in the wind
When the birds sang a song
And when you went to sleep last night
I told the moon, 'Shine all night long'
I just wanted you to talk to Me
And I know it's been awhile
And to answer your question
You are still My child
My child ..."


from "Still My Child"
Mary Mary : Thankful
I hold this promise close to my heart always.


>1019

I was going to wait to put this blog up as "site of the week" sometime in the future, but the Pantheon was too koo-el to pass up ...



11.05.01 >1900

Are You A Blogaholic? I got a 52 out of 100 : "You are a dedicated weblogger. You post frequently because you enjoy weblogging a lot, yet you still manage to have a social life. You're the best kind of weblogger. Way to go!" (link via blog veritas)

~ * ~

Now this totally rocks : Mena held a coloring contest at her blog, and today the winner was announced. Here is Catherine's winning entry :



>1623

A journal entry from 07.22.01 :

Lately I've been thinking about death. Not anything morbid, really, but if you think about it, we are vulnerable to death's touch no matter where we go. If death was once limited to a certain area of life, you can't tell anymore. Its effects are more visible in some places than in others, but the level of vulnerability is the same everywhere.

We take life for granted at our own expense. Tomorrow was never guaranteed.
Jeff wrote something that adds to this entry :
"It takes years to create a person. Nine months’ labor, years of patient parenting, decades of schooling and interacting and soul-shaping. And a person, too, can be obliterated in a moment ..."
Not too sure what prompted me to post on this subject, but I hope all this makes sense!



11.04.01 >1523

Have you ever felt the urge to cry
But the tears never surface
To leave you be?

That's how I feel.



11.02.01 >1235

It's that time again! Here is this week's Friday Five :

1. Do you eat breakfast? What did you have today? I am never hungry in the morning, but I usually drink something to keep me 'til lunchtime.

2. What beverages do you usually have in a typical day? Water, hot chocolate, tea, or fruit juice. Soda occasionally, when I'm craving a Pepsi - I've pretty much lost my taste for soda, so I don't drink it that often anymore.

3. White bread or wheat bread? Wheat bread! The only white bread I eat is french bread.

4. What's your favorite kind (potato/tortilla/corn) and flavor of chip? Definitely tortilla - Tostitos Restaurant Style. Potato chips, too - Pringles (any flavor) and Doritos (original). Lots of others, but these are the only 'uns I could think of at the moment.

5. How do you plan to spend your weekend? Maybe I should write up an automated response for this question! At least for the next few weeks, I'll be going home to Livermore. I'm gonna read my li'l heart out, read ... umm, read ... maybe terrorize the neighbors? Oh, wait, Halloween's over ...


>0022

Oh, to live with the reality of terrorist threats. (That was sarcasm, people. If it happens, it happens.)

Savannah Blackwell from the S.F. Bay Guardian was a guest speaker at our class tonight - the main purpose of her visit was to give an overview of all the measures on the S.F. ballot. The creation of a Municipal Utility District is the biggest issue. PG&E has gone to great lengths to sway voters to vote against Measure I and Proposition F. According to Blackwell, Measure I would create the SF MUD; she predicted PG&E would probably take the City to court on that 'un. Proposition F is basically backup - it would mean a cleaner transition from the Public Utilities Commission to the WAPA (Water And Power Agency). So while Measure I is in court, S.F. can just go ahead and take over the transmission lines via eminent domain.

Or so Blackwell says.

Since I blogged about this last time, I had to take a closer look at all the drama and complications goin' on behind the scenes. (From what Blackwell told us tonight, there seems to be a lot of that goin' on. Not that I'm surprised - not when you've got several people on the Board of Supervisors who go head to head with Willie Brown on a regular basis.) So I've taken a step back, since I've heard the views of those for and against public power. I've still got a few days to consider my choices ...