today, i really wanted to listen to a song.
but i didn't want to just listen to it with my head phones.
or on my computer.
i wanted to HEAR it.
and im not going to say what song it was because that would ruin the experience for me.
where i work, there is private access so basically only a handful of people can get in.
there is a restroom right by the door where i go to get in and it is huge.
like, think airport restroom, but one that never gets used.
the acoustics are so good in there.
so, i took my computer in and put it on the counter
and i sat next to it.
and i pushed play.
Archive for February 2012
Last night I was able to attend a showing of the film Kony 2012 put on by the Invisible Children foundation.
Kony 2012 Teaser from INVISIBLE CHILDREN on Vimeo.
it was nice to be able to attend this type of thing again.
while living in salt lake i would go every week to the city library for some sort of documentary showing or education forum. while in rexburg we have school and such, that piece of culture is sort of lacking here. i feel like there aren't enough cultural and community events besides what campus has to offer. so it was good
There is something about PBS that i just love.
They have culture pieces,
austin city limits,
masterpiece classics,
NOVA,
frontline,
online film festival,
american masters (the Margaret Mitchell one airs april 4th. cant. wait.)
they cover ALL topics:
science, parenting, music, art, culture, awareness, crime, politics, history yadda yadda yadda.
BASICALLY,
if you're not watching PBS (i watch online) then you're missing out.
now, I'm not a advocate of TV.
most things on it are a waste of time
and people get so involved in it.
a form of brain washing.
plus,
I'm pretty sure i have ADD and for the life of me, i can not sit down
and watch just any TV show or movie.
(well, i can if its on my terms. selfish, i know.)
but PBS is great.
it's taking over my down time at work and I'm OK with that. (it's kosh, I'm not just watching TV instead of working. i do both. i basically have the best job on campus.)
Daunting:: tending to overwhelm or intimidate.
On another note...
Ive been reading the book The Anatomy of Peace: Resolving the Heart of Conflict
in preparation for some exciting new things that could be happening in my life.
The book is all about how we can prevent the conflicts that cause so much pain in our lives and in the world. Because for the most part, we can.
Its funny how fast life changes.
I mean, its already the end of February.
February of 2012...
WOW.
and from Charlie Chaplin's "The Great Dictator":
"I'm sorry but I don't want to be an Emperor, that's not my business. I don't want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone if possible, Jew, gentile, black man, white. We all want to help one another, human beings are like that. We all want to live by each other's happiness, not by each other's misery. We don't want to hate and despise one another. In this world there is room for everyone and the earth is rich and can provide for everyone.
The way of life can be free and beautiful. But we have lost the way.
Greed has poisoned men's souls, has barricaded the world with hate;
has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed.
has goose-stepped us into misery and bloodshed.
We have developed speed but we have shut ourselves in:
machinery that gives abundance has left us in want.
Our knowledge has made us cynical,
our cleverness hard and unkind.
We think too much and feel too little:
More than machinery we need humanity;
More than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness.
machinery that gives abundance has left us in want.
Our knowledge has made us cynical,
our cleverness hard and unkind.
We think too much and feel too little:
More than machinery we need humanity;
More than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness.
Without these qualities, life will be violent and all will be lost.
The aeroplane and the radio have brought us closer together. The very nature of these inventions cries out for the goodness in men, cries out for universal brotherhood for the unity of us all. Even now my voice is reaching millions throughout the world, millions of despairing men, women and little children, victims of a system that makes men torture and imprison innocent people. To those who can hear me I say "Do not despair".
The misery that is now upon us is but the passing of greed, the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress: the hate of men will pass and dictators die and the power they took from the people, will return to the people and so long as men die [now] liberty will never perish. . ."
take me hiking.
or let me sleep a full night.
maybe go to Taco Bell with me.
I really like that booth the we consider ours.
lets go on a drive,
and listen to Brand New
and sing all of the words,
even the ones we dont know.
take me to Pocatello
and eat Indian food.
Maybe go to the water slides,
even though it is the middle of winter.
I really like water slides
no matter the time of year.
Lets go to the thrift store,
solely to listen to the music playing over head.
Maybe we can go to the city library
and you can read out loud to me.
like that one time.
that was a great time.
Or visit Winco in the middle of the night
for granola and treats.
Maybe we can watch Marcel the Shell one more time
and I can quote the whole thing while we watch it.
Lets just start walking
and see where we end up.
Or watch an old movie,
maybe some Dorris Day would complete today.
Lets.
Maybe?
i cant wait to go home today.
i have some of this
waiting for me.
i wish i had one of these
waiting for me.
this is how i feel today
this is what i wish it was like out side right now:
The best part of Valentines day?
The day after when I can get 4 big bags of conversation hearts for $1.04.
Thaaaaaaank yoooou.
(excuse his English, i dont think he uses it much in Guatemala)
"ive got bad news. On saturday we had our last activity night and played soccer with the kids and ended up breaking my foot...we called our liders and they got the ap´s to come pick us up and take us straight to a hospital in xela. My foot swoll to the size of a baseball! Come to find out, i got a fracture called the "jones fracture" or something like that, they put a cast on me at about 12 at night. So i had emergency changes to....the office...so im working as the secretary right now for president. Yikes, not what i was expecting for changes. I should be in a casy and cruches for hopefully only 2 weeks but i wont be normal for about a month and a half to three months.Nunez is training starting tomorrow hes going to get his kid. Originally i was suppose to go to Nahuala as a district leader...so, im pretty bummed, not my idea of missionary work but im trying to stay positive."
poor guy.
I've been reading Jesus the Christ at night before I go to sleep.
It has gotten too heavy for pre-bed time because it turns my mind on.
Causes me to think about everything I read and makes me want to
ponder and learn more, when really I should be sleeping.
But the past few weeks I have really started to better understand Christ's love.
His love for us, and what love, pure love really is.
Today I listened/read old conference talks instead of Jesus the Christ.
I read one by Bruce R. Mcconkie titled The Seven Christs.
and then I landed on this gem The Meaning of Love by Clark Swain
"A song tells us that “love is a many-splendored thing.” In a humorous waylove has been referred to as a supersaturated solution of sentimental slush. It has also been described as an insane desire to squeeze orange juice out of a lemon. Throughout the centuries poems have been written, songs have been sung, mountains have been climbed, and battles have been fought because of love. Even murder and suicide have been committed in the name of love.
We do not always think in an accurate way about love. One of the incorrect and irrational attitudes we tend to have is that love is merely a mystical feeling, a mysterious power that takes over; and when it comes, we “fall into it,” helpless to control it. We are prone to think that it can vanish as mysteriously as it came and that we are helpless to prevent its leaving.
A number of months ago a woman came to me for counseling. She explained that she had fallen out of love with her husband and had fallen in love with another man; she and the new man were considering divorcing their marriage partners so they could marry each other. Each had several children—ten children were involved—and yet they were considering giving up these children and their partners because they had fallen in love with each other. The woman felt that she was as helpless to learn how to love her husband once again as she was helpless to terminate her love for the other man.
Another individual who came for counseling told me that he was thinking about divorcing his wife because, he said, “I don’t think I love her anymore,” as if it were impossible for him to do anything to change his feeling. Such a person needs to learn the meaning of real love. We need to stop thinking of love as a mysterious power that has control over us. We need to think of love as a way to treat other people, rather than as something that happens to us; then we will begin to have power over our loving.
Those who conclude that love cannot be defined—that there is no way to explain it and it is something we cannot understand—are those who think incorrectly about love, who think of it as a mystical feeling, a mysterious power, a trap into which one may fall. Those who think of love as it really is can define it, explain it, and understand it."
Im cleaning up my computer and found these.
Consider me now nostalgic for home, the out doors, and doggies.
I took this Visual DNA & personality test.
"You're a free spirit, and the idea of just packing your life up and taking to the open road has probably crossed your mind. You love positivity and romance and are drawn to the spectacular scenery of nature. Stress and deadlines just aren't for you. If you had your way, every day would be an adventure full of new discovery."
"You're a Seeker. A good listener with a heart of gold, you're someone your friends know they can rely on for support and advice in good times and bad. You're kind and generous and helping others comes naturally. A sensitive soul with an expressive nature, you tend to be quite a romantic at heart. Sometimes you love nothing more than escaping into your very own dreamworld. Spontaneous new experiences can be really inspiring to you and you like exploring your creative side from time to time. Right now, you may feel like life's a bit boring. You're stuck in the same old routine and could probably do with bit of a change. When it comes to bringing positive change to your life, don't try to move mountains. Baby steps are definitely the way forward. For example, if you'd like to lose weight, don't set yourself up to fail with unrealistic goals. Be kind to yourself and remember that slow and steady wins the race. It's important to remember to tap into your inner strength and to believe in yourself. Take on new challenges and stay stimulated so you remain enthusiastic and inspired by life. As a Seeker, you get excited by new ideas. You like adventure and original experiences that stimulate and challenge your status quo. Stay inspired with a rich mix of activities, and find time for hobbies that allow you to explore your creative side. Learn to recognize when you need variety in your life, and then incorporate it into your daily plans. There's no better way to feel centered and balanced than to spend some time out in the fresh air. You understand that a change of scenery can reinvigorate you and remind you of what matters most in the world. Remember, it's not a luxury but a necessity, so allow yourself that quiet time as often as you can."
I have woken up late
every
single
day
this week.
Apparently my alarm clock is broken.
(it really is, there is no sarcasm here. I'm
actually really good at getting up when it goes off,
you know,
when it actually does go off.)
Conversation hearts are going to be the death of me.
I swear they are my favorite candy.
and no,
they don't taste like chalk.
Loving Zee Avi lately
And Mr. Cosby is always so great on a gloomy day
Yikes dude,
i found this article on soda and just about threw up.
my room mates and i have recently developed a really bad habit of going to Horkley's
and getting a larger-than-should-be soda.
well, no more for me please.
I have to confess.
Lately I've been a tad frustrated with some people.
You know,
the ones who always have something to complain about (like me right now)
but yet they don't really do anything about their situation.
so eventually you start to not feel so bad for them?
the ones who don't think out side of the box,
they just do what every one else is doing.
purely because its all they know.
or maybe
ignorance.
fear.
denial?
I want to help people realize that life
isn't a list of 3 or 4 options.
its limitless.
(once you put that fear aside)
I found this project interesting
"The Willard Asylum for the Insane was an institution in Willard, New York designed help people with chronic mental illness, and was in operation from 1910 through the 1960s before being closed by the state. In 1995 New York State Museum staff were given access to the secrets left behind decades before when the doors were shuttered. After an initial investigation they became aware of an entire attic full of suitcases in the pathology lab building, the personal belongings of patients admitted to the asylum who supposedly never left. In an effort to archive and document the history of the institution photographer Jon Crispin has been given the rare opportunity to photograph the contents of each suitcase and has launched an extremely successful Kickstarter project to help fund the endeavor."
Graphic designer Vahram Muratyan has a website where he compares Paris and New York.
Love them.
Also,
sometimes we get to skype
and it is
nice.
"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life.
Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other
people's thinking.
Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice.
And most important, have the courage to follow your heart
and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want
to become. Everything else is secondary."
to become. Everything else is secondary."
-Steve Jobs