Choices, Mistakes, and Humanity

Oh what a topic.. haha I feel that choices are underrated so I'm giving them some long deserved publicity.
The truth is.. we make hundreds (probably thousands) of choices every single day, and most of the time we don't even think twice about them. We decide when to get up, what to wear, how to do our hair, what to eat (or not to eat).. and those are just some obvious ones. But I think that there are more important decisions than those.. and they're the ones we try to avoid, or think about less.. brush them off as unimportant or non-issues. There's a song by a band called Storyside:B and there's a line in it that really caught my attention one day. it says,
"We all are human we make mistakes but
We were given a choice to make"
It hit me because it's so true.. we use our humanity as an excuse for making mistakes, when really.. how CAN we use that as an excuse? If Hitler used that as an excuse for the choices he made, would that make it ok? And how many people, upon hearing that, would sit back and say, "ya.. I understand.. we all make mistakes." Some things just aren't mistakes no matter how you look at them. They're choices. Conscious choices that we make every day.
And that being said.. you never know how your choices are going to effect someone else negatively.. but also positively. For every decision we have to make, there's at least 2 options.. and at least one of them is going to have a positive outcome.. and it's not always clear, but it's the truth. So focus on the present.. your time is now. your choices are now. make the right ones.
And as for past mistakes.. they've been made.. they're done. Don't dwell on them. learn from them.
That's it.. I have nothing else to say. (weird...)
Peace (and Love)
-E

The Truth About Friends (According to Emily)

Recently I received (for the 20 billionth time) an e-mail trying to tell me who my friends are.. trying to convince me that my true friends are the ones who are there to bail me out of jail or something about them being in jail with me.. and a bunch of other crap that's really complete irony.. so first of all I want to say, if I'm ever in jail, please don't bail me out. I'm sure I deserve to be there and I think that paying the consequences for our actions is part of how we learn.. just saying..
But this inspired me to think about friends.. and what are true friends really? And since it seems people's ideas are a bit messed up.. I thought I'd share my own thoughts on the subject.. so, as Oscar Wilde once said, "True friends stab you in the front".. and I totally believe that.

Friends aren't afraid to face you and tell you when you're doing something they know you'll regret.. or when you're screwing yourself over.. I think that friends do more than just stand beside you. I think that friends are willing to jump in front of a train to save your life, but they know that you'd never let them. As Proverbs 17:17 says, "A Friend Loves at All Times" and John 15:13 says "Greater Love Has No Man Than This, that He Lay Down His Life For His Friends."

Friends help friends.. it's the truth. I feel fortunate to have so many friends who I can count on for anything at any time.. and I hope that I'm there for them when they need me. Friendship works both ways. and for that reason, I don't think friends should ever owe each other anything. What's mine is yours.. And truth be told, it's enough to know that your friends would do anything for you.. I don't think they necessarily have to do it.

I also think that with true friends there's no such thing as awkward silence.. not that there's never silence.. it's just not awkward. I think that once you can sit in total silence with someone and feel comfortable, you have nothing to worry about.
And as much as I could go on and on about friends.. I don't have time, nor do you really want to hear it. haha so on that note, feel free to add on to my list. :)

Emily Vs. Brian: Thoughts on Polygamy

I had a very interesting discussion last night with Brian. It was about polygamy. here it is

Emily: courtney says, "don't be talkin like you have to do anything.. mister"
Brian: shes got a point... and thats master to you.....i'm not married...
yet....???..
Emily: yes you are... clearly courtney would know
Brian: oh right.....thaaaaaaaat marriage.....i kind of forgot.....with all the children i have its hard to remember the wives....
I MEAN WIFE
Emily: right. ya, I understand.. courtney almost thought you were a polygamist...but I told her no.. you only have 2 legs
Brian: HAHAHA thats awesome
Emily: well ya.. more than 2 legs would suck..
Brian: are you kidding me....think of the different shoe combos
Emily:oh true.... man.. I wish I was a polygamist
Brian: tell your parents haha

At which point I preceded to tell my parents, and then found out that Brian was only kidding... but upon further thinking on this discussion I have changed my mind and would like to challenge my statement about wanting to be a polygamist. I got to thinking.. what about pants? Now, Brian, I know you aren't exactly an advocate for the pants-wearing society.. but if you ever wanted to wear pants and you had more than 2 legs.. well, that would suck. That being said, please state your rebuttal if you have one and others.. please feel free to argue for either side. Thank you for your time.
-E

holy crap, snow, and umbrellas

Is "holy crap" more appropriate than "holy shit"?
... that's not my topic, by the way.. I was thinking, though.. I haven't written a note in a friggin long time and so I'm wondering.. am I no longer officially a blogger? hmm that's messed..
things have been busy lately.. not that you particularly care.. so moving on.
Snow.. I love it.. as I walked home from work, soaking wet, I was thinking about how awesome snow is and how weird it is that we use umbrellas for rain, but not snow.. they're the same substance, are they not?
and I definitely got wet.. no doubt about that..
so maybe it's just one of those weird human ideas.. where somewhere along the line someone decided that umbrellas were for rain.. and sun apparently.. hmm so I'm thinking.. why not snow? and while we're at it.. why not leaves? like maybe we should start using them in the fall when there's falling leaves.. only problem is, that usually means there's wind and that doesn't always go over well with umbrellas.. ya I've seen mary poppins... I know how it works.
That being said.. this could officially be my most uninteresting note.. ever. don't rate it. I'm well aware. You're more than welcome to inspire me, though.. so I don't have to write about snow and umbrellas..

- E-dawg

DEFINING MOMENTS

I'd like to take a moment to pause and talk about moments... defining moments in particular. Or how about defining words of wisdom... you know that one thing that that one person said once and it completely altered your life in so many ways that they are not known to man? Maybe you don't have one, so I'll go first..
I can remember my first time going to snocamp. I was in grade 7 so I was probably 11 or 12. I wish I could remember who said this.. I guess it was the guy hosting the snocamp or the speaker.. I'm not even sure. And I don't really remember him saying anything else.. I'm sure he did.. otherwise his presence at snocamp would've been fairly pointless... Anyway, I remember him saying "You are never too cool to have fun"... and it blew my mind and I have never been the same. True story. Now it's your turn :)

Does Anyone Else Think....

That Johnny Simmons looks surprisingly similar to Danny Ponce?? Or is it just me...? Ignoring the fact that Danny was clearly an 80's child prodigy and only about 12 years old in this picture and Johnny is more of an "up and coming" 20-year-old actor.... I'm talking facial features.. not haircut.

There's always someone cooler than you

Today I was reunited with this song... thanks to my ipod and it's random shuffle of songs... I don't have a lot to say about this right now. I think this says a lot so I'm going to post the lyrics and you can share your thoughts. It's called "There's always someone cooler than you" and it's by Ben Folds...

Smile
Like you've got nothing to prove
No matter what you might do
There's always someone out there cooler than you

I know that's hard to believe
But there are people you meet
They're into something that is too big to be

Expressed
Through their clothes
And they'll put up with all the poses you'll throw
And you won't

Even know
that they're not sizing you up
They know your mom fucked you up
Or maybe let you watch too much TV

But they'll still look in your eyes
To find the human inside
You know there's always something in there to see

Beneath
The veneer
Not everybody made the list this year
Have a beer

Make me feel tiny if it makes you feel tall
But there's always someone cooler than you

Yeah, you're the shit but you won't be here for long
Oh, there's always someone cooler than you
Yeah, there's always someone cooler than you

Now that I've got the disease
In a way I'm relieved
'Cause I don't have to stress about it like you do

I might just get up and dance
Or buy some acid-wash pants
When you don't care then you got nothing to lose

And I won't
Hesitate
'Cause every moment life is slipping away
It's ok

Make me feel tiny if it makes you feel tall
But there's always someone cooler than you

Yeah, you're the shit but you won't be it for long
Oh, there's always someone cooler than you
Yeah, there's always someone cooler than you
Oh, there's always someone cooler than...

Life is wonderful
Life is beautiful
We're all children of
One big universe
So you don't have to be a chump

And you know (you know)
That I won't (I won't)
Hesitate (hesitate)
'Cause every moment life is slipping away (away)
It's ok (it's ok)

Make me feel tiny if it makes you feel tall
Oh, 'cause there's always someone cooler than you

Yeah, you're the shit but you won't be it for long
But there's always someone cooler than you
Oh yeah, there's always someone cooler than you
Because there's always someone cooler than you

Cooler than you (boy)

Cooler than you (girl)
Cooler than you (sir)
Cooler than you (my lady)

Oh
Nerds go wild
Yeah Yeah

Always Forgive... Never Forget

Well, it's been awhile.. much too long, I must confess. Life has been a tad busy lately, but that's all over for the most part.. now it's just me and Fritzie's (a.k.a. work) and this has allowed me to do some thinking (finally). I kind of chose a random topic.. kind of... I love this topic, because it's one of those things where I suggest that you do something that you don't want to do.. you know.. the normal.
So I'm writing about forgiveness.. we all know the saying "forgive and forget" so I'm here to suggest that we should always forgive.. never forget. And here's why.. but first, I am going to explain something else briefly...
I have been told before that this is completely unbiblical and I would like to disagree for a moment and allow you the opportunity to show me where in the bible we are told to forget the things that people have done that have hurt us. Yes, God forgets.. are we God? no. Are we supposed to be like God? Yes.. but that brings me to the other point.
So what's the deal with forgetting? God forgets because #1. He can. #2. He has no reason or need to remember.
But what about us? Well, #1. Is it possible for us to ever forget? and #2. Should we forget? When we are hurt by someone, is it of any benefit to forget? or is it in fact more benefitial for us to remember. Of course no one wants to remember pain forever, but pain is how we learn and grow. "...we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope."

Forgetting often means losing out on valuable lessons. We put so much focus on trying to make pain disappear instead of discovering how we can learn from it and.. "rejoice in our sufferings". If we can truly learn to do this.. only then can we really forgive... When you can thank someone for hurting you and truly mean it.. that's when you know you're developing character. Always forgive... Never forget.
That's it for now.
-Emily.

PART IV: LOVE

Ya.. that's it. Just Love. And only because I feel like all my notes end up talking about Love... I can't cover this word in one note, but I'll give a brief synopsis anyway. Enjoy.
So, before I get too involved in this, I'm going to step back.. way back...
We're going to talk a bit about the origin of the word... and why I, personally, hate the word Love.
Love.. well, the word came from the German, Russion, and Latin words for "pleasure"... but for some reason, odd as it may seem, when Greek manuscripts were being translated into English, the word "Love" was used in place of 4 (sometimes 5) different words.
Confusing? kinda.. I'd love to end this here and say that our language is stupid.. good night and good luck. However, you would hate me for doing that, so I'll continue.
English has one word.. Greek has 4 (or sometimes 5).. how the hell did
this happen? Honestly, probably the biggest mistake of the English language.. EVER!
I have never in my life discovered a more loaded word than the word Love.. and it's no wonder! So here's the Greek:

-Eros.. if you have heard the word "erotic" then this should be fairly self-explainatory.. romance, sex, blah blah blah... all that stuff.

-Philia.. ever heard of Philadelphia? The city of BROTHERLY LOVE... ya that's about it.. The kind of love with which you love your friends, family.. it's a nice kind of love.

-Storge.. this one's not used often. It has to do with natural affection.. like parents loving their children. that kinda thing.

-Thelo (sometimes this is replaced with the word love.. not always).. it's more accurately translated as "desire"

-Agape.. Believe it or not, this is the only word that is correctly translated as "love"!.. and it's a killer. Sometimes literally.. yikes.. It's known as self-sacrificial love. This word was used most commonly in the New Testement of the bible.. God's love for us is agape.. "Greater Love has no man than this; that he lay down his life for his friends"

So why do I hate the word Love? Well.. mostly because it has been washed out to translate all these words... Love is most commonly defined now as an emotion.. :S If that's the case, it's no wonder so many people hate love, love love, are confused by love.. Love in it's purest form is NOT an emotion. (feel free to argue with me.. I will bring you down. good luck.)

And now, since I really can't say much more because this is getting long. . I will leave you with my favourite definition of Love.. You've heard it before, an you're about to hear it again..

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails. "

Next time.. I'm ripping that apart jus for fun.. so.. more thoughts on love tomorrow.. or sometime when I have the time and energy.

Out!
-Emily

PART III: The future is friendly..?

The future.. Do we care?
What's left once I'm gone?
Well, I want to suggest that the people before us never asked that question. Perhaps it never crossed their minds.
Now we suffer the consequences...
and continually screw over generations to come.
And now I'm going to suggest something that may come as a shock to some of you... Pollution and global warming/climate change are NOT our biggest concerns right now!
Don't get me wrong.. I love trees and I enjoy breathing and if we can minimize the pollution then that's awesome.
But it's a surface issue
First, maybe we need to learn how to love.
Throughout my life, I have met many people (I'm sure you have too)... many people who seem to have it all together, but after getting to know them, I find that there is something missing and that is love.
Sure, most people say they know how to love or they say that they "feel" love... so I want to look at love and the best definition that I've ever found. (If you look at the greek, this is a definition of agape love which is the love of self-sacrifice. Probably the most "true" definition of love)

1 Corinthians 13: 4-8a
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8Love never fails.

The Qualities of Love.. here they are:
-Patience (let's face it, we could all use more of that) :P
-Kindness
-Protection (not in a sexual way.. I could write a whole note on that one all on its own, but I'll leave that for another day)
-Trust
-Hope
-Perseverance
-Rejoicing with Truth

The Un-Qualities of Love.. here they are not:
-Envy
-Boastfulness
-Pride
-Rudeness.. haha is that a word?
-Selfishness
-Anger
-Keeping records of wrongs.. also known as "holding grudges" and let's face it, who isn't guilty of this?
-Delighting in Evil

Seem simple? If it does.. read it again. Some of those points could really use some more depth and explaination, but maybe I'll get into that on a different day.
For now, I want to challenge you.. hmm weird, I never thought I would say that... but I want to challenge you to Love! Love your friends, love your enemies, love your family, love the people you don't even know!
Or, maybe pick one thing from the list and focus on it for the next couple weeks. We don't all struggle with all of them, but I think everyone has trouble with at least one of them.
That being said, let's band together and make this world a better place.. now and forever. It's not too late... Persevere! :)
-Emily

Does Anybody Hear Her?
by Casting Crowns

She is running
A hundred miles an hour in the wrong direction
She is trying
But the canyon's ever widening
In the depths of her cold heart
So she sets out on another misadventure just to find
She's another two years older
And she's three more steps behind

Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see?
Or does anybody even know she's going down today
Under the shadow of our steeple
With all the lost and lonely people
Searching for the hope that's tucked away in you and me
Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see?

She is yearning
For shelter and affection
That she never found at home
She is searching
For a hero to ride in
To ride in and save the day
And in walks her prince charming
And he knows just what to say
Momentary lapse of reason
And she gives herself away

Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see?
Or does anybody even know she's going down today
Under the shadow of our steeple
With all the lost and lonely people
Searching for the hope that's tucked away in you and me
Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see?

If judgment looms under every steeple
If lofty glances from lofty people
Can't see past her scarlet letter
And we never even met her

If judgment looms under every steeple
If lofty glances from lofty people
Can't see past her scarlet letter
And we never even met her

Never even met her

Does anybody hear her? Does anybody see?
Or does anybody even knows she's going down today
Under the shadow of our steeple
With all the lost and lonely people
Searching for the hope that's tucked away in you and me

Does anybody hear her? Does anybody see?
Does anybody even know she's going down today?
Under the shadow of our steeple
With all the lost and lonely people
Searching for the hope that's tucked away in you and me
Does anybody hear her? Does anybody see?

He is running a hundred miles an hour in the wrong direction..

PART II It starts with YOU

So here it goes.. part II. Oh, and Happy Mother's Day! :)
I want to respond to Lucas's comment on my last note. In case you didn't read his comment. Here it is:

"I think that God will be wherever he is wanted, but God can't stop these tragedies. God gave us choice, and it is people's choices that are the cause of these disasters. Not necessarily the choices of the killers either, the choices of society, and society's treatment of the killers before and after these attacks."

Good point, Lucas. And now I'm going to delve into that even further.
I do agree that God will be wherever he is wanted... in some sense. I believe that he is everywhere ALL the time, but that doesn't mean that he is constantly interceding. I think, though, that God absolutely COULD stop these tragedies, but because he is giving us choice, he will not stop them. If he did, we would never learn from our mistakes. That being said, Yes God is merciful, but he also believes in consequences. If you think about, it, though. He has probably stoped many more incidences from happening that we are not aware of.
But yes, I agree, society is screwing up BIG TIME and by society I mean me and you. Not just the general "society" statement. Let's face it, this is personal. It starts with you.

And now I want to take a look at Arend's comment. I found it interesting. He said,
"thats pretty tough. ...i dont know where, but isnt there somewhere in the bible that it says something about how the people will call out for God, but he will be gone because they rejected him....thats really scary."

Arend, I am guessing that you were referring to Micah 3:4 which is talking about the Israelites when they were turning against God. I do believe, though, that God will respond to us if we are faithful to him and we need to keep in mind that he knows our hearts... creepy. Anyway, here's a story that Jesus told. It's a good one.

Luke 18
The Parable of the Persistent Widow
1Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. 3And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.'
4"For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, 5yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!' "
6And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"


I think we need to ask ourselves that... "will he find faith on the earth?"

And now I'm going to leave you with lyrics to a song that is musically distasteful, but lyrically awesome.

Hero (Red Pill Remix)
-Superchick
Verse:
No one sits with him, he doesn't fit in
But we feel like we do when we make fun of him
Cause you want to belong do you go along?
Cause his pain is the price paid for you to belong
It's not like you hate him or want him to die
But maybe he goes home and thinks suicide
Or he comes back to school with a gun at his side
Any kindness from you might have saved his life

Tag:
Heroes are made when you make a choice

Chorus:
You could be a hero
Heroes do what's right
You could be a hero
You might save a life
You could be a hero, You could join the fight
For what's right for what's right for what's right

Verse:
No one talks to her, she feels so alone
She's in too much pain to survive on her own
The hurt she can't handle overflows to a knife
She writes on her arm, wants to give up her life
Each day she goes on is a day that she's brave,
Fighting the lie that giving up is the way,
Each moment of courage her own life she saves
When she throws the pills out a hero is made

Tag
Chorus

Verse:
No one talks to him about how he lives
He thinks that the choices he makes are just his
Doesn't know he's a leader with the way he behaves
And others will follow the choices he's made
He lives on the edge, he's old enough to decide
His brother who wants to be him is just nine
He can do what he wants because it's his right
The choices he makes change a nine year old's life

Tag
Chorus

Little Mikey D. was the one in class who everyday got brutally harassed
This went on for years until he decided that never again would he shed another tear
So he walked through the door, grabbed the four-four out of his father's dresser drawer
And said I can't take life no more
And like that life can be lost
But this ain't even about that
All of us just sat back and watched it happen
Thinkin' it's not my responsibility to solve a problem that isn't about me
This is our problem
This is just one of the daily scenarios which we choose to close our eyes
Instead of doing the right thing
If we make a choice and be the voice for those who won't speak up for themselves
How many lives would be saved, changed, rearranged
Now it's our time to pick a side
So don't keep walkin' by
Not wantin' to intervene
Cause you wanna exist and never be seen
So let's wake up and change the world
Our time is now

Chorus:
You could be a hero
Heroes do what's right (our time is now)
You could be a hero
You might save a life (our time is now)
You could be a hero, (our time is now) You could join the fight

THERE WILL BE MANY MORE BLOGS AFTER THIS ONE

Recently I felt the need to focus on a particular issue. I haven't written about it yet because I didn't know where to start. I still don't. For this reason, I'm re-posting an e-mail that I received. I want to hear your comments and I will write my next blog in response to your responses.

Dear God:
Why didn't you save the school children at:

Virginia Tech 04/16/07

Amish Country, PA

Wisconsin

Columbine High School

Moses Lake , Washington 2/2/96

Bethel , Alaska 2/19/97

Pearl , Mississippi 10/1/97

West Paducah , Kentucky 12/1/97

Stam! p, Arkansas 12/15/97

Jonesboro , Arkansas 3/24/98

Edinboro , Pennsylvania 4/24/98

Fayetteville , Tennessee 5/19/98

Springfield , Oregon 5/21/98

Richmond , Virginia 6/15/98

Littleton , Colorado 4/20/99

Taber , Alberta , Canada 5/28/99

Conyers , Georgia 5/20/99

Deming , New Mexico 11/19/99

Fort Gibson , Oklahoma 12/6/99

Santee , California 3/ 5/01 and

El Cajon , California 3/22/01

Sincerely,

Concerned Student

--------------------------

---------------------------

Reply:

Dear Concerned Student:

I am not allowed in schools.

Sincerely,

God


How did this get started?...


I think it started when Madeline Murray O'Hare complained
she didn't want any prayer in our schools.
And we said, OK..

Then ,

someone said you better not read the Bible in school,
the Bible that says
"thou shalt! not kill,
thou shalt not steal,
and love your neighbors as yourself,"
And we said, OK...

Dr. Benjamin Spock said
we shouldn't spank our children
when they misbehaved
because their little personalities
would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem.
And we said,
an expert should know what he's talking about
so we won't spank them anymore..


Then someone said
teachers and principals better not
discipline our children when they misbehave.
And the school administrators said
no faculty member in this school
better touch a student when they misbehave
because we don't want any bad publicity,
and we surely don't want to be sued.
And we accepted their reasoning...


Then someone said,
let's let our daughters have abortions if they want,
and they won't even have to tell their parents.
And we said, that's a grand idea...


Then some wise school board member said,
since boys will be boys
and they're going to do it anyway,
let's give our sons all the condoms they want,
so they can have all the fun they desire,
and we won't have to tell their parents they got them at school.
And we said, that's another great idea...


Then some of our top elected officials said
it doesn't matter what we do in private as long as we do our jobs.
And we said,
it doesn't matter what anybody,
including the President,
does in private as long as we have jobs and the economy is good....

And someone else took that appreciation a step further
and published pictures of nude children
and then stepped further still by
making them available on the Internet.
And we said, everyone's entitled to free speech....


And the entertainment industry said,

let's make TV shows and movies that promote
profanity, violence and illicit sex...
And let's record music that encourages
rape, drugs, murder and suicide

And we said,
it's just entertainment
and it has no adverse effect
and nobody takes it seriously anyway,
so go right ahead.

Now we're asking ourselves
why our children have no conscience,
why they don't know right from wrong,
and why it doesn't bother them to
kill strangers, classmates or even themselves.


Undoubtedly,
if we thought about it long and hard enough,
we could figure it out.

"We Reap What We Sow"
(Galatians 6:7)

THE UNIVERSAL SNOOZE

Snooze
–verb (used without object)
1. to sleep; slumber; doze; nap

Nothing in that definition confines the snooze to 9 minutes.. so why do our alarm clocks?
The Answer: Nobody knows for sure.. but here are some ideas. Click here
And now I would like to say that in all seriousness, the snooze button is entirely useless. I will admit that I use it from time to time...
Actually, If I'm completely honest, I use it on a daily basis.
Fact is, however, that we are losing sleep by using the snooze button.. especially if we use it every day!
If you know you don't have to get up at the time your alarm is set to.. then set it to a later time.. simple.. or is it?
Not really.
Everyone knows that getting out of bed as soon as your alarm goes off the first time, will probably leave you in a bad mood for the remainder of the day. Nobody likes to be rudely awakened from a deep sleep. Hitting the snooze button a few times allows us to relax... and snooze!
on www.43things.com (43 Things is a place where you can write down your goals, get inspired by others, and share your own progress) 283 people would like to "stop hitting the snooze button" .... ???
Are you serious?!
If this is your primary goal in life, maybe you should just STAY in bed...
On the other hand, The snooze button could also be called life's physical procrastination button. And if your goal is to stop procrastinating, then I congratulate you on getting so far as to make a goal and I wish you the best of luck.

-Emily

PETER PAN, TREES & THE COMFORT OF BOXES

The more I think about it, the more I fall in love with Peter Pan..
Not so much Peter Pan himself, but just the whole idea of Neverland.
I think it's absolutely brilliant and this is why.
Not because I'm condoning immaturity,
And I have no problem with death,
And it's really not because of responsibility either... I can handle responsibility (and sometimes I even like it!)
But I think that there is something about kids that we all lose. Our creativity, our imagination, our love for life, our lack of concern for what other people think.
For the most part, it's trained out of us by teachers, parents, society, classmates, older siblings...
I once asked a group of my friends to draw pictures of trees.
I noticed that the first thing they did after they started drawing, was to comment on eachother's work and criticize their own work. Then they'd adjust their trees to look as similar to the best tree as they possibly could.
(My friends are getting used to my social experiments so it's ok....) :P
Quite a bit longer ago (is that grammatically correct??) I asked a group of 5 & 6 year olds at my church to draw pictures of trees. They all looked entirely different.. Not only that, but they prided themselves on their uniqueness!

The Most Beautiful Christmas Tree I've Ever Seen!

What a strange concept...
Okay, so as teenagers, we'd all like to think that we're "individuals" , that we're "unique" and that we don't "submit to peer pressure"
I'll believe it when I see it.
It seems that it's right around highschool when people start trying to "find themselves" and discover who "they really are", so what I don't understand is, why would they join a stereotype?
Let's face it, we all feel more comfortable in boxes.
We put everything in boxes. It keeps things organized.
Music is boxed by genres (so are movies), Clothes are boxed by "styles", Books are boxed by literary types, and so on and so forth.
That being said,
We all want to fit in a box because, let's face it, standing alone isn't much fun.
So, I dare you to get out of your box. Be who you were when you were 5 years old.
When you comment on this note, I want to hear about stereotypes.. but not just any stereotypes. Tell me where you fit in. What's your box?? Do you like it?
And remember, we're not all the same. If we were, half of us would be useless.

-Emily

WILL IT BLEND? & CRAZY THINGS THAT YOU'VE PUT IN THE MICROWAVE

Well, I'm back... after a break yesterday. It seems that note-writing drains my energy.
Yesterday, my dear friend Alex Bruce, introduced me to something that has greatly impressed me!

www.willitblend.com
Will it blend?
I have to say, I have no idea what would posess someone to create such a blender.
Who would ever really find this useful?
I guess there are probably people out there who really like to destroy their posessions. It's barbaric, really.
Also really funny...
Ya, I'll be honest, I would probably get enjoyment out of putting a Sony handycam in a blender... hmm
But what about microwaves?
No that I think about it, the kitchen has some pretty destructive tools. In all honesty, it's probably the most dangerous room in your house X100.
Okay, so really what I want to know is.. WHAT KINDS OF CRAZY THINGS HAVE YOU MICROWAVED?? I want to hear your stories.
Or other kitchen stories.. please keep them clean.. wait.. nah, don't bother.
Have Fun!

P.S. GO CANUCKS GO!

HIDDEN WASHROOMS & PEOPLE WHO SUCK AT GIVING DIRECTIONS

RESTAURANTS WITH HIDDEN WASHROOMS & PEOPLE WHO SUCK AT GIVING DIRECTIONS

The more I think about it, the more it seems strange to me.
If this next paragraph confuses you, maybe you should get out more.
I wish that I was in such a situation recently so that I would have a clearer example. Normally I wouldn't wish for this, though.
Anyway, I'm sure we've all been there... those dreaded restaurants with hidden washrooms! (or "restrooms".. but who rests in there??)

The pre-meal conversation generally goes something like this:
"I think I'll go wash my hands"
"Ya, me too"
"Where's the washroom?"
"I don't know"
"Do you see any signs?"
"no"
"Maybe we should ask"
"No, let's just look for it."
"Ok"
And the adventure begins!
The search for the hidden restaurant washroom.
I don't know why, but for some reason, some restaurants don't seem to think it's necessary to display proper signage to their washrooms!
Then there are those wonderful basement washrooms.
You know the ones where you feel like you're entering a dungeon and risking your life for the sake of urination.

But then there are those wonderful friends. The friend who went first.
They already found the washroom. They know where it is.
Generally their directions sound something like this.
"I dunno. Just look for it"
or
"Just go around the corner"
Or something similar
These directions are, of course, useless and they'd be better off to say,
"fly in the direction of the moon and take a write at the 43rd star."
"Thank you. That is much clearer. I'll be back after dinner"

Well that's all. I have no more to say. (What a relief, eh?)
Goodnight & Good luck!
-Emily

STRATEGIES IN GAMES, LIFE, & THE SUBLIMINALITY OF BROKEN DISHES

STRATEGIES IN GAMES, LIFE, & THE SUBLIMINALITY OF BROKEN DISHES

Recently, I noticed an interesting cultural habit.
If you've ever played a board game, card game, or possibly some other game, you may know what I'm talking about.
It's also quite possible that you will have no idea what I'm talking about.
So I'd like to say, I ever play a game with you and you win,
I quite honestly don't want to know how you won.
Why do people explain their strategies?
Clearly we have already been impressed with your winnings.
Must you also impress us with your strategies?
Even in non-strategic games?
On top of that, what good is the strategy to anyone once everyone knows it?

I once played Go Fish with a collection of idiots.. I mean, a group of friends..??

If there is honestly any strategy to this game, I haven't yet discovered it.
And yet the winner felt the need to inform us all of how they managed to skillfully defeat each and every one of us with their intelligence, artistry and obvious experience in the game of Go Fish.
I suppose that it was important for me to know how they knew that I had 2 aces, 3 kings, etc.
With that in mind, I'm pretty good at that game. I've developed about as much skill at it as I have in life.
People should explain their life strategies more often.
Only if they're winning, of course.
If they're losing, they shouldn't speak, but it always seems to be the losing ones who are dropping strategies like a swiss chalet waitress drops dishes.
So here is my one and only piece of advice.
Never try to use broken dishes.

Sincerely,
Emily

GIFT WRAP, FEMINISM, NINJA TURTLES & DUTCH BLITZ!

Gift Wrap...
Good Idea or no?
I figure it's pretty useless, seeing as how gifts can't stay hidden forever...
Why do we hide them anyway?
"I'm going to give you something... but I don't want you to see it!"
Good concept!
But I'm not here to bash gift wrap. I'm sure that whoever came up with the idea is making millions.
However, I would like to say that I believe that Gift wrap is one area in which Feminism has failed misserably.
Men and women are NOT equal in the wrapping paper department!
Sure, you can go anywhere else in wal-mart and the men and women are treated as equivalent sexes until you start shopping for wrapping paper.
If you've tried this, you'll probably agree with me. There is a serious lack in male gift wrap! We could do something about this... then again, why bother?
They've been saying that since the beginning.. who cares? It's wrapping paper... it's useless and you rip it anyway.
Get over it.
But let's continue our discussion on feminism.
So yesterday, I found myself in McDonald's... gross, but hey, My intent was only to buy Ice Tea (which I love very much).
I walk in, and see the Happy Meal toy display and I am confronted with a glorious sea of Ninja Turtles and... The Wizard of Oz...??
Right..
So all thoughts of Ice tea set aside, my thoughts turn to Ninja Turtles (for obvious reasons).
I come to the realization that I must buy a Happy Meal. It would be silly not to.
Have no fear, this story has a point.

So I order the happy meal and I ask if I get to choose the toy (obviously I would prefer Mikey over Raph, Don, or Leo.. personal preference) and she asks me what Wizard of Oz toy I want...
??
Clearly this is another situation where feminism has not done it's job. I don't want Toto.. I want Mikey and no, I don't think Dorothy has a nice dress and the ruby slippers are ugly. (Not to suggest that I don't love the movie.. one of my personal favourites.. Mostly due to the fact that it was the first movie ever to be filmed in colour. That is an impressive feat, I must say.)

To end on a more positive note..
I received a flyer in the mail today from the Christian Book store in town. I was reminded that they sell the truly amazing game... Dutch Blitz! Why? I have no idea... it seems random.. Tell me your thoughts on that..

Ok that's all.
Later DayZ! (you have to spell "Dayz" with a "Z".. I don't know why.. ask Zellers. They probably started that.... Marketing... pfft)
-Emily

Tylenol, Gravol, & Thoughts from the ceiling

When you have been lying in bed for the past 62 hours, you find that the ceiling becomes one of your closest friends.
There has never been a more important time for you to have a good looking ceiling.
Unfortunately, mine could use some help. Perhaps a make-over would serve it well. If it could talk, I'm sure it would agree.
I've never realized before how much it bothered me that that stupid Failure to Launch poster is upside-down. Maybe it really didn't bother me before. That's quite possible.
I've been tempted to get up a few hundred times to straighten out the Superman poster and re-stick the corner of the Lord of the Rings poster...
Like that'll happen.
How can people live with such disorganization?
The answer: we'll never know.
But I've also come to find, that along with the ceiling to keep me company, I've become fairly good friends with Tylenol and Gravol.

Tylenol really doesn't do much, but it's comforting to know that it's trying to help. And how can you possibly be mad at it for that?
Gravol, on the other hand, can be your best friend in the world if you're lacking sleep!
It's no good before a final exam
And it's best to avoid it an hour before your wedding...
That's an entertaining thought.

If nothing, I must keep myself entertained, because although I can't die of boredom, I still don't find it to be much fun. I think I'll get up tomorrow.

-Emily

INFLATO SUITS, GHANDI & SNOW IN APRIL?!?

I guess I wrote those topics backwards.. I'm gonna start by talking about snow in April.
I think it's ridiculous. What more is there to say??
Green Christmases and white easters... what a strange oddity.
I was talking to someone yesterday who tried to tell me that we have snow in April every year...
I'm kinda thinking that umm.. no we don't.
However, if it continues to snow like this for much longer,
I'll have a good excuse to not get my film project done..
Although, after the lovely scene I made on Thursday, I don't think Mr. Baughman is really liking me all that much.
Harping on things of the past is rather pointless, though. So... moving on.
I was looking at the Wal-mart website yesterday because I was told that they have army helmets in their toy department. (I never found them, by the way)
What I did find was a Superman inflato suit and it seriously blew my mind..
If you've ever owned an inflato suit of any kind, consider yourself cool.
Because you are.

Then again, I have wondered... what's the point of an inflato suit? Like obviously it looks amazing and the attraction factor is off the radar..
I guess that's enough reason to wear anything.
That's probably why Ghandi dressed the way he did.
I was asked to write about him... I'll be honest, my Ghandi knowledge data-base is lacking!
I guess he loved peace. I also love peace.
I think peace is a beautiful thing. It goes hand in hand with Love and there is nothing in the world that is greater than Love.
I read once that he almost became a Christian. This makes me wonder... is Ghandi in heaven? Perhaps. Perhaps not. Maybe he was a Christian, but not so much in the religious aspect. I mean, maybe he didn't "practice" Christianity. What a strange term.. practice.
I don't blame him for not joining the "Christian" church. They kicked him out because of his race.
Ah yes... Feel the love!
I could make a lot of criticisms about the early church because of that. But I won't because I know our churches today aren't much better. Ya, they try and there are a lot of people in them who could call themselves better than that.
That being said... never forget to Love, and if you need to use Ghandi as a role-model... go for it.

Peace (and Love)!
-Emily

DO-OVER BUTTONS & THOUGHTS ON PRAYER

Today I was reminded once again of how great it would be if we had a do-over button for life.
You know when you go through a day and everything goes wrong and you don't do anything right and at the end of it all, you just want to redo the day.
It reminds me of when you're little and any problem can be fixed by yelling,
"DO OVER!"
And everybody just assumes that the first time didn't count.
I once heard somebody say that they had never had a day like this.
I like to refer to that as memory blocking.
Sometimes I wonder if the redo would be any better than the first time. Perhaps not.
Sometimes I find that these days are actually easy to forget.
Probably because these kinds of days are generally lived in a completely different mindset.
Otherwise they wouldn't be quite so bad.
It's days like this that prayer seems to be the most useful.
Is prayer meant to be useful?
Well, perhaps.
Prayer is partially for the purpose of developing a relationship with God, assuming that you are praying to God. Otherwise, I really have no idea what you're trying to do or why you're doing it. Whatever it is.. good luck with that.
Nevertheless, I'm curious to hear responses so I'm going to ask an open ended question here, and that is:
Do you pray? and Why?
Well, that is all
Prayerfully yours,
-Emily

P.S. I apologize for the lack of visuals. I had a good picture for this one too! Unfortunately, the photo uploader thinger isn't working :(

ODDLY SHAPED 3D CHAT CHARACTERS & CHEQUES UNDER $10

ODDLY SHAPED 3D CHAT CHARACTERS, CHEQUES UNDER $10, & SWEATER VESTS

I'm starting to love Ad boxes.
I think they are probably one of the best advertising methods. It's this whole idea of hammering something into someone's head. You know, the repetative training method.
Internet ads... they are awesome if you are an advertiser
they suck for everyone else
but who cares. We get to see the website... they get to pay for it.. I'm not gonna argue.
I was looking at a page on facebook a few minutes ago and discovered a note-worthy topic... 3D online chats...
wait.. not only that.. but the chat characters..
they have oddly shaped legs. They're skinny at the top.. and wide at the bottom...
I don't know what posessed the artist of these cartoon people to draw them in such a strange way.
Perhaps they have legs like this and don't know any different.. is that even possible? They're so messed up. I appologize if you have legs like this... but can I just say that you should never wear shorts or skirts. thank you.
And since we're on the topic of strange people doing strange things... (that was our topic wasn't it?)
Upon looking at my bank account today, I noticed that I had written a cheque for $5... why? I don't know... Apparently that's not normal behaviour. Should cheques have a minimum?
I'm not paying for cheques.. so really, I could write a cheque for $0.10... but who would deposit it? Probably no one.. unless you needed $50 and realized your bank account had $49.90, but then maybe just look for a dime and get over it.
But then again.. who would use a credit card for $1... *cough*facebook gifts*cough* anyone else find this strange?
There should be contests where we get points that can be spent on gifts.. or perhaps points should be awarded for account activity....
In closing... St. Mary's AM is sporting sweater vests tomorrow. We feel that the sweater vest does not get enough publicity.

Peace!
-Emily

THUNDERSTORMS, BEING BUSY, & BUS CANCELLATIONS

I was sitting in English class today, racking my brain for ideas for note topics. I thought of a few, but then realized that I was much too busy to really write about any of those topics thoroughly enough to do them justice.
I got home, opened my laptop, realized that I have to go to work in half an hour so I thought, what better topic to write about than being busy?
I've heard a lot of thoughts on this. Some people say it is a good thing. Others say it is a bad thing. I think it's both. Lately I've had more work to do than I really have time for.
In this situation, I'd say it's not a good thing. I see a lot of people struggling with this in the same sort of way. Other highschool students know that we live every day hoping that tomorrow's schedule includes a bus cancellation.

Which makes me think.. why don't we have bus cancellations when it's raining?
I checked out the weather network to see what the weather was looking like for tonight and it's calling for thunderstorms.. quite possibly for the 3rd time already this week.
I have yet to see any lightning.
I'm beginning to think that busyness leads to insanity.
Thunderstorms quite possibly also lead to insanity.
Therefore Busyness = Thunderstorms and if they cancelled school due to rain, Busyness = Bus Cancellations... I like where this is going.
I've often thought that high schools should allow students to take at least one day off every month just for the sake of homework. I thought they wanted us to do well...
At any rate, this note could also be affectionately dubbed "Procrastination" which means that I must depart!

Here's to hoping for bus cancellations!
-Emily

THE DRUNK EXCUSE, RELIGION VS. GOD, AND...

THE DRUNK EXCUSE, RELIGION VS. GOD, AND THE ACT OF JUDGING OTHER PEOPLE BASED ON THEIR JEANS (sorry, that wouldn't all fit in the Title bar)

Recently I've heard a lot of peope use this wonderful excuse for stupidity. I call it... "The Drunk Excuse"! Why? well.. mostly because that's what it is. People do stupid things and when you comment on those things at a later time accordingly the reply with responses such as,
"It's not my fault. I was drunk" or
"I don't even remember doing that, I was drunk" or
"Oh I did not do that!" (clearly implying that they were drunk)
This leaves me to wonder... why would anyone say that?
Must you relocate the stupidity to a previous time and make it worse than it already is?
There is no need.
We've already established that you are stupid.
Enough said!
But this brings me to something else and it seems to be a common topic in today's society. Religion vs. God.
Can you seperate them? The answer: Yes..
I don't even need to go into that, but I will.
God never expressed much interest in religion.
Yes, he had his laws, but that's it.
Religion generally includes human laws, but God believed in Love.
Love God.
Love Your Neighbour as yourself.
Are you doing that? Good. You shouldn't have a problem.
Some people will read that and say,
"Emily.. what if I want to judge other people based on their jeans?"
And I will say,
"Yes.. that is a problem... So, allow me to help you."

Jeans have been around for a long time. Allow me to introduce you to the history of Jeans: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeans <--- look there.. I don't feel like telling you.
Back to the task at hand.
Jeans. They come in many sizes, shapes, colours, and styles. I like jeans. You like jeans. We all like jeans. Let's keep wearing them.
That said, feel free to judge me based on my jeans.
Seeing as how there are so many options associated with jeans, it shouldn't be hard to find ones suited to each individuals personality. Allow judgement.. or get new jeans.

Emily, OUT!

The French Canadian National Anthem, Nose-Pickers, and OCD

Recently it was brought to my attention that the french version of our wonderful national anthem is nothing like the english version. We all know the english.. if you don't know it, check out my last note.. but here's the french version translated into english:

O Canada! Land of our forefathers
Your brow is wreathed with glorious garlands!
Though your arm knows how to bear the sword,
It knows how to bear the cross!
Your history is an epic
Of the most brilliant feats.
And your valour, in faith steeped,
Will protect our homes and our rights;
Will protect our homes and our rights.

That being said.. I like it better. It makes more sense, and it's much more.. I don't know. Anyway, that is that and I haven't much else to say about it... now onto the next thing.

I was at work yesterday and was reminded quite openly of a habit we've come to known as nose picking (or the picking of one's nose). A man, upon ordering a coffee and then coming to get a refill, took a seat in a booth. Nothing too unusual about this event.. except maybe that two hours later, he was still occupying the same booth.. fast asleep with his finger up his nose. I watched for a few minutes as he moved his finger, clearly digging for gold. If you were there, you would've laughed too. At any rate, he left a short while later, and left us a tip which nobody wanted to touch which brings me to this: We touch money and we truly do not know where it's been. This is gross. All you OCD folk out there, this one's for you.. don't touch the money.. the guy handing it to you probably got it from the guy picking his nose.. or somewhere else best left unknown.

O Canada... Thoughts on Our National Anthem

O Canada!

we all know how it goes.. many of us hear it every morning at school, but how many of us have really taken the time to examine the words to this song? I didn't.. until recently. I find it very interesting that I have no idea what most of it means.

O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.

With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!

From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

The first question that came to mind when I was looking at these lyrics was..
Why native? Obviously we're not all native to Canada, and yet we sing about it being our native land. The dictionary defines native as: "being the place or environment in which a person was born or a thing came into being: one's native land." I have no answer to this wondering..

In all thy sons command? What does that even mean? "In all thy sons command"... The beginning of that line is talking about true love for our country.. but I don't understand the rest of the line.. any ideas?

The true north is rising... strong and free.. haha what an odd mental picture.. I'm not sure what "the true north" is.. but I guess it's probably referring to Canada. Canada is the true north and we are rising. That's nice.

This is my favourite line God Keep Our Land Glorious and Free! Amen! Whether or not it was ever glorious is debatable, at least the human part of it.. i don't know if we were ever glorious, but the nature aspect... definitely glorious! I heard that they were trying to remove this line from the song.. I think that would be a horrible mistake.

The original O Canada had 3 extra verses. I like the last one

Ruler supreme, who hearest humble prayer,
Hold our Dominion, in thy loving care.
Help us to find, O God, in thee,
A lasting rich reward.
As waiting for the better day,
We ever stand on guard.
God keep our land, glorious and free.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee!

I wish we would sing that more often. Those are some powerful words right there! Anyway, I should end this. It's getting pretty long! Next time maybe I'll write about the french translation and "why is it hardly like the english version?"
Over & Out
-Emily

Does My Opinion Change The Facts?

It came to my attention today in English class that our world has lost all sense of truth. This brings me to the question, does my opinion change the facts? How about my "point of view" or the way I see things in general. Are we each creating our own truth? Where does that leave us? I'd argue that this argument is a useless waste of time. Just because I think it's true, doesn't make it true. Yes, I agree that some things are obviously opinion based, but you can't argue that a line is straight when it's actually crooked... or can you? We all have seperate view points so something that I believe is true, may or may not be true.. but my beliefs don't change the facts. Perhaps there are far too many unknowns.. far more than we would humanly like to admit to. Whatever the case, I do believe in one absolute truth and that truth will set you free. That is all. As for the rest, it's not important. After all, what difference does it really make if I think a tree is brown and you think it's purple? Overall, we are wasting our time or maybe just trying to pass it so we can get through our mundane lives.
Well, that is all. Be free,
-Emily