andistuff

2007-01-01T07:59:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I've written. December tends to be a hectic month. As I write this I am in Turkey at a conference. It's been nice, relaxing and meeting other IS full-timers and part-timers. Nice to see who else is out doing the things I am. I have a lot more to write, lots of things that have happened over the past month, however the connection at the hotel is quite slow and so I will save it for a later date. In the mean time, Blessings for the New Year!

2006-12-08T04:08:00.000-05:00

Your Candy Heart Says "Get Real"

You're a bit of a cynic when it comes to love.
You don't lose your head, and hardly anyone penetrates your heart.

Your ideal Valentine's Day date: is all about the person you're seeing (with no mentions of v-day!)

Your flirting style: honest and even slightly sarcastic

What turns you off: romantic expectations and "greeting card" holidays

Why you're hot: you don't just play hard to get - you are hard to get

What Does Your Candy Heart Say?

Your Linguistic Profile:

60% General American English

15% Yankee

10% Dixie

5% Midwestern

5% Upper Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

Whats "dixie english"???

Your English Skills:

Grammar: 100%

Punctuation: 100%

Spelling: 100%

Vocabulary: 100%

Does Your English Cut the Mustard?

Mwhahaha, I'm smart!

2006-12-07T16:47:00.000-05:00

Your Brain's Pattern

Your mind is a firestorm - full of intensity and drama.
Your thoughts may seem scattered to you most of the time...
But they often seem strong and passionate to those around you.
You are a natural influencer. The thoughts you share are very powerful and persuading.

What Pattern Is Your Brain?

2006-12-07T04:52:00.000-05:00

2006-12-05T16:16:00.000-05:00

Christmas decorations went up today. Very exciting.

Not that I did much, but still, they make things a bit more Christmasy.

2006-11-16T07:38:00.000-05:00

I'm sick. No, not gross sick. Physically sick. Like bedrest sick. It sucks.

2006-11-09T05:33:00.000-05:00

Okay, so it's not THAT funny, but still. It entertained me while I was supposed to be at work. What more can you ask for?

2006-11-05T16:38:00.000-05:00

So apparently I didn't do the best job posting that video. But frankly I don't have the energy to change the size etc. It takes too much work and the asthetics of the site are not my major concern. I know that will come as a major shock to most of you.

I made lemon marmalade today. I am trying to think of what you would call it. I tried 'lemon-ade' but that's the drink. Maybe Monalade. Where does the word marmalade come from anyway?

I manage to still injure myself in the dumbest ways possible. This time... over extended my knee when my foot got caught on a 'jag' of the sidewalk while my knee kept going. No, I didn't fall. But my knee is super sore. Sleeping is a pain.

2006-11-01T04:11:00.000-05:00

Funny video...and yes, for the man/woman in the red. If you don't hold onto your head after an accident it may fall off. What on earth are they doing?

2006-10-06T04:51:00.000-04:00

Muslims debate Pope's speech reaction

By Magdi Abdelhadi
Arab Affairs Analyst, BBC News

Despite the predominantly emotional and angry response to the Pope's controversial remarks about Islam, some Muslim writers and intellectuals have been extremely critical of the way Muslims have responded so far.

The angry reactions to the Pope's original remarks included the killing of an Italian nun in Somalia and attacks on Christian churches in Palestinian territories.

But several Muslim writers argued that such violent reactions appeared to confirm the very things that Muslims have been seeking to refute.

Some concluded that it would have been better to engage in a rational debate with the Pope.

The European Muslim scholar, Tarik Ramadan, blamed Muslim leaders and scholars for such violent responses.

'Let off steam'

Leaders who deny their people freedom of expression, he wrote, find it convenient to allow their people to let off some steam as long as it is about Danish cartoons or words uttered by the Pope.

Mr Ramadan asks rhetorically whether it was wise of Muslims to feel offended by the Pope's quotation from a 14th Century Christian emperor while they continue to ignore questions they have faced over the past five years about the meaning of the term "jihad" and the legitimate use of force.

Khaled Hroub, a Jordanian-born academic, wrote that the aggressive and intolerant reactions failed to live up to the ideals Muslims believe in.

The Muslim reaction to the Pope's apology has also come in for a lot of criticism.

Mr Hroub wondered whether Muslim clerics can ever be asked to apologise for believing that Islam is the one and only true religion.

One columnist, Abdelwahab Al Affendi, ridiculed those who demanded a retraction of the Pope's original remarks.

Mr Al Effendi wrote saying that nothing short of the Pope's converting to Islam will ever assuage the anger of those people!

2006-07-19T00:30:00.000-04:00

Bergamot? Bergamot?

Until reading that, how many of you had ever heard of bergamot?! I hadn't until June 30th, at 5 pm when I had a third (yes, freaking third) attack after serving a pot of steaming Earl Grey tea.

Guess what, I drank earl grey before both my other attacks. And guess what flavours Earl Grey. Yes, that's right folks, bergamot. An 'essential oil from a fruit in the citrus family'.

Yesterday the doctor shot some under the top layer of my skin. My arm was swollen all day. Actually, it was still a bit swollen today. Ridiculous if you ask me. Just freaking ridiculous.

2006-07-03T19:15:00.000-04:00

An official Partner now...people give me your money!! :)

In Ottawa with cousins and uncles and aunts, lots of fun and laughs.

Ciao

2006-06-27T11:53:00.000-04:00

I'm off to spend three hours discussing my sanity. At least, that's the premise of my psychological screening appointment...I think. In all honesty I have no idea what to expect. Except for the fact that the appointment will be about three hours long. Wahoo...what a great way to spend my day :)

2006-06-25T00:07:00.000-04:00

Diagnosis - we have no idea what you are allergic to.

Gee thanks, that helps a super duper lot.

2006-06-22T11:31:00.000-04:00

Going for my allergy test today...YIPEE :(

And on another note, being home alone sucks.

2006-06-15T23:45:00.000-04:00

When I received my first "spam" e-mail offer, I admit I was a bit skeptical. I hadn't asked for any information on refinancing my mortgage, and the rates in the e-mail seemed too good to be true. Why hadn't I heard about this great deal on TV or in the Yellow Pages?

I kept receiving these e-mails for the next few months and, over time, I started to open my mind to the idea. It occurred to me that the odds of all these unrelated people being completely full of baloney were getting smaller and smaller. Mind you, a lot of e-mails were shooting around cyberspace at the time.

I think it was the third week of constant spam e-mails that finally convinced to take the offer at face value.

When I looked closer at the deals, some natural questions started popping up. First of all, would the cash they were offering be available immediately? Would refinancing my home loan lower my monthly payments, even if I took out some cash? Would I have to wait, or could I sign up today? Luckily, as I investigated the claims, the all-caps words IMMEDIATE CASH, LOWER RATES, and TODAY assuaged my concerns.

I like to think that there's no such thing as a coincidence, and those five serendipitous words, in their bright, multi-colored fonts, only reaffirmed that for me.

I was deleting the 140th e-mail from my Bulk Mail folder when I finally hopped the fence from the "probably not" to the "probably yes" column. Because I realized that, while all these e-mails were very similar, they were all from very different people! These unrequested offers were not only legitimate, they were a legitimate sensation!

Everybody was talking about them, from Maybelline Stackpole, to pdqun zjfspdbie to Lyle Ortiz. What reason would these people, some of whom shared a first or last name with some of my closest friends, have to dupe me? And then there was this straightforward yet enigmatic little message from Crookeder C. Mnemonics:

"Monotony that search party of inlet a made concretely bellow mountain bike," it started. "Authentically double-breasted the schmooze fire engine, phony the buildup by pantry timing. Obstinacy was occasional White House domesticity."

Who could argue with that?

Finally, I visit their website to explore this amazing offer I could no longer ignore. Any bozo can send off several hundred slightly different e-mails, but it takes a real professional to make a website, so at this point, I can see that this thing is the real deal.

It was as though the mortgage refinancers could sense my growing curiosity, because they kept sending me e-mail after e-mail even though I'd never replied or shown any interest at all. They really went out of their way to treat me like a valued potential customer.

Now, I've come late to the party on a lot of trends—cargo pants, DVDs, those Star Wars movies—but I'm not going miss out on this summer's mortgage-refinancing wave. After all, why would it be such a hot topic it weren't a good, sensible bargain?

I'll never forget the e-mail that sealed the deal. It had the same subject line as usual—"re: refnance"—but when I saw the "From" address, I could not believe it. This e-mail, which had arrived in my inbox at 5:13 a.m., was from none other than "jmilton"—yours truly! How could I say no to an offer that I myself endorsed? I couldn't, and I didn't, and as soon as I buy a house I am committed to refinancing my mortgage immediately.

But it's worth pointing out that I'm not some Gullible Gus who'll jump at any offer no matter how many e-mails he's received. There are a whole range of products and services—low-cost OEM software, pills that increase the quantity and quality of my semen, hot stocks in the shipping industry, Ci4L1s—that are intriguing, but I still count myself among the unconvinced. For many of these products, I've only received 75–100 spam e-mails. These days, you have to work a little harder than that to get your hands on my Internet dollars.

2006-06-15T11:28:00.000-04:00

Been a while since I updated this thing. Here goes.

No more attacks...so far. Hope it stays that way. I go to a specialist on the 22nd, who will spend a good couple hours poking me with various things waiting to see if I stop breathing. I don't know about you, but I can think of a million better ways to spend an afternoon than that.

Right now I have millions of letters to write and all that kind of stuff. So, I must get back to work. Cheerio

2006-06-05T16:06:00.000-04:00

So, guess where I was yesterday...back in the hospital. With a worse reaction this time. It's extremely frustrating and slightly nerve wracking not knowing what it is I'm reacting to. Hopefuly when I get back to Toronto they are able to make a speedy discovery. Meanwhile the steroids are setting me all out of whack and putting hair on my chest :)

2006-06-02T19:32:00.000-04:00

So, today I had a bit of a scary experience. I got up at 6:45 and began my usual routine at CAN IL; ate breakfast, made a cup of tea, did my devotions, got in the shower, dressed, and was right outside the building where we have our classes at 7:45. Walking up to it I noticed my throat getting itchy. No big deal, right? So I walked up the stairs and into the room where we start the day off. I'm sitting there and I'm starting to find it hard to breathe.
I turn to the girl sitting next to me, who is a pharmacist going to Africa, and asked her what I should do. She looked around for benydril, and, not finding any, we rushed to the nearest pharmacy to buy some. I took it, and we sat down to wait to see if it kicked in. It seemed to, so 10 minutes later we got back into the car to drive back, figuring, aside from the drowsiness that is a side-effect, I was good to go.
Get back to the course, I'm sitting there, and my throat begins to close in even worse. Not a good thing.
Back into the car, rushing to get to the hospital. We get there, get me checked in. Meanwhile my tongue is getting bigger and bigger. Honestly, the thing felt HUGE, and my throat felt really really small. I was talking like a texan! To make a long story short, I'm fine (obviously), but they don't know what caused the anaphylactic reaction. I now am supposed to carry an epi-pen around with me and have a set of steroids I'm supposed to take for the rest of the week.
And the kicker, epi-pens expire after 18 months...they also cost $100 each. Now I know there's no price on life, but for the rest of my life I have to purchase a new one every 18 months. Seems a tad ridiculous.

2006-05-29T20:06:00.000-04:00

I'm sitting in the computer lab of Trinity Western in BC. Not exactly the place I would have pictured myself being a year ago. First off, I wouldn't have imagined myself being on a university campus...I mean, once I'm done who wants to go back to that whole learning process. Not me! Well, not for a couple years atleast. And also as it's in preparation for me to move to the Middle East, well, that's new in and of itself.

I spent Saturday and most of Sunday in downtown Vancouver with my friend Mary. We did some of the usual touristy stuff. Went to the Capilano supsension bridge (I HIGHLY recommend it) and then up Grouse mountain...which I recommend if and only if the sun is out and the snow at the top has melted. Yes, there was still snow. And now I'm in Langley, a little suburb in the middle of nowhere preparing to COPE with the overseas experience. Updates to follow, for now, well, dinner is ready and I must go. Plus, they're closing the computer lab and I don't want to hold them up :)

Cheers

2006-05-22T00:17:00.000-04:00

I'm sitting here in bed, absolutely exhausted but unable to fall asleep. No, I'm not super excited for something. Truth is I've been up super late every single night this week, and even though I've had almost no sleep all week I'm missing my bedtime call that has seemed to send me to sleep each night. I'm not going to get another bedtime call until Friday at the earliest...and then I leave for BC and will be without them for two weeks.
I can't believe that it was only this Tuesday I went kayaking. It feels like these late night phone calls have been going on forever. I actually had to look at a calendar to remind myself that the privelege of having them started only this week. Time is weird that way.
My late night calls are away on a camping and I'm really going to miss them :(. Heck, I miss them already.

2006-05-20T23:32:00.000-04:00

i think steph kerr is so cool!!!!!!!!! OH Ya

2006-05-18T17:03:00.000-04:00

Rumsfeld: Iraqis Now Capable Of Conducting War Without U.S. Assistance
March 17, 2006 Issue 42•12

WASHINGTON, DC—Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Monday that escalating violence in Iraq demonstrates that the Iraqi population is now capable of waging the Iraq war without outside military aid, and pronounced the American mission there "a complete success."

Rumsfeld lauds Iraqis' progress in making war.

"Over the last month, the Iraqis have been fighting like you wouldn't believe," said Rumsfeld in a press conference at the Pentagon. "New Iraqis are joining the war every day—so many, in fact, that we don't know where they all came from. It's almost as if they came out of nowhere."

"The scope and intensity of the combat in Iraq is such that I believe the presence of American forces in the country will no longer be required to help the Iraqi people plummet into meaningless violence," Rumsfeld added.

Rumsfeld had harsh words for what he called the "cowardly and small-minded opposition" to American involvement in the region.

"Critics of this war who said we couldn't inspire the Iraqi people to stand up and fight for themselves have been proven wrong," Rumsfeld said, gesturing toward a map displaying conflict across the entire nation. "There was the stubborn perception that after greeting us as liberators, the Iraqis had no fight in them, and couldn't effectively defend their interests. Without our presence on their soil, I doubt most Iraqis would ever have lifted a finger or picked up a gun at all. Now, there's almost no stopping them."

A Department of Defense analysis released Monday gave the Iraqi combatants high marks for morale, tenacity, and unit cohesiveness, and noted "outstanding improvement" in the following areas: improvised explosive manufacturing, roadside-bomb concealment, sniping, checkpoint attacking, civilian massacres, mosque destruction, and guerrilla-style ambush.

"The average Iraqi fighter has made remarkable progress and we are very proud," said Lt. Col. Bailey Whitman, a spokesman for coalition forces stationed in Baghdad. "In the past several weeks, people across Iraq have, in a systematic way unthinkable just three years ago, overrun both Shi'a and Sunni neighborhoods with devastating results. This is an out-and-out success by the standards of the modern American military."

The lieutenant colonel's remarks were cut short when a rocket-propelled grenade detonated outside his briefing room, spraying him with dust and pulverized glass. Brushing off his jacket, Whitman gestured to the jagged gash in the wall and smiled. "The Iraqis are doing just fine on their own."

Iraqi citizens, inspired by the U.S. military presence, prepare for war.

According to Commanding General George W. Casey, the Iraqi people are filling their role as models for independence in the Middle East. "We helped them get rid of a dictator, they held successful elections, they're writing a constitution, and, just like in our Civil War, brother has taken up arms against brother," Casey said. "After five to 10 years of unspeakable brutality and bloodshed, they'll be well on their way to a full-fledged democracy."

Rumsfeld, however, sought to reassure the Iraqi people that despite their rapid improvement,

the U.S. would not abandon them.

"We've accomplished a lot," Rumsfeld said. "But there's still so much to take from the people of this rich country, and we're not going to pack up and leave just because they're doing so well on their own. We look forward to working very, very closely with Iraq, once there's a friendly government in place that we can do business with."

Added Rumsfeld: "We plan to be around for a long, long time."

2006-05-17T23:27:00.000-04:00

Study: Alligators Dangerous No Matter How Drunk You Are
May 10, 2006 Issue 42•19

BATON ROUGE, LA—In a breakthrough study that contradicts decades of understanding about the nature of alligator–drunkard relations, Louisiana State University researchers have concluded that people's drunkenness does not impair the ancient reptiles' ability to inflict enormous physical harm.
"Our data strongly indicates that human intoxication does not transform an alligator into a docile creature that enjoys wrestling," said professor Ryder McCrory, chair of the Wildlife Taunting Department of LSU's prestigious Center For Bullying And Hazing Studies. "Despite its slow-witted demeanor and tendency to bask motionlessly in the hot sun, it's a mistake to believe that an alligator will passively tolerate a half nelson, no matter how much Southern Comfort is fueling it."
McCrory said the study yielded statistics that speak for themselves.
"In 10 out of 10 documented cases of violent alligator–drunkard encounters, the reptile was not influenced by the fact that the victim was 'just kidding' or 'just having some fun,'" McCrory said.
To an alligator, McCrory explained, a human forearm, even drunkenly dangled between the creature's casually opened jaws, still appears to be prey.
In field experiments, members of the control group performed no better-—and often far worse—than their sober counterparts in defending themselves against a 300-pound, seven-foot bull alligator. Even when armed with an empty tequila bottle.
"At best, the bottles bounced harmlessly off the alligator's snout," said LSU research assistant Tracy Sawyer.
When placed in water, the drunken volunteers fared even worse, and the alligator markedly better, Sawyer said.
In addition, the alligators far outperformed their inebriated human counterparts in the following areas: lunging, biting, crushing, dismembering, and swallowing.
According to the study, an alligator's characteristic grin should not be interpreted as a lighthearted reaction to the outrageous nerve of an alcohol-addled human. "Don't let an alligator's easygoing appearance fool you," Sawyer said. "These creatures have no empathy for drunken pranksters looking for fun. They are not black bears."
McCrory recommended that alligator wrestling be undertaken solely by professionals, specifically roadside-attraction proprietors. For drunkards interested in proving their mettle with alligators, the researchers proposed these guidelines:
Instead of baiting an alligator, seek another form of drunken recreation, such as attending a strip club, burning a pile of tires, or painting one's buttocks with a funny face and videotaping it.
Sick or infant deer are considered a far safer match for most inebriated humans; kicking a raccoon or squirrel already dying by the side of the road is also recommended.
Experts suggest that those who become aggressive after consuming alcohol would be safer channeling that energy into more constructive behavior, such as calling an ex-lover.
And McCrory warned drunkards who "absolutely must assault an alligator while inebriated" to first make sure it is not a John Deere Gator cargo utility vehicle. This oversight "is a common occurrence," he said.

2006-05-15T22:43:00.000-04:00

A Third Culture Kid (TCK) is a person who has spent a significant part of his or her developmental years outside the parents' culture. The TCK builds relationships to all of the cultures, while not having full ownership in any. Although elements from each culture are assimilated into the TCK's life experience, the sense of belonging is in relationship to others of similar background.

I am a third culture kid. I understand a lot more about myself right now. And while this is partially stolen from a fellow TCK's site...it is applicable to mine.

2006-05-15T17:29:00.000-04:00

Using all the letters each time, how many words can you make from the letters REIAMN?

2006-05-12T22:29:00.000-04:00

So I'm lying in bed right now in extreme pain. This is me trying to occupy myself to keep my mind off the feeling of something burrowing through my tooth. It's not really working. If I were writing with a pen you would be able to tell where I had to stop writing because of a bolt of pain. I feel like a big baby. Maybe my pain threshold is lower than most...maybe it's not and this is actually severe pain.
No ones at home...I feel all alone. I need a hug.

Which Simpson are you?

2006-05-12T21:40:00.000-04:00

You Are Marge Simpson

You're a devoted family member who loves unconditionally.

Sometimes, though, you dream about living a wild secret life!

You will be remembered for: your good cooking and evading the police

Your life philosophy: "You should listen to your heart, and not the voices in your head."

The Simpsons Personality Test

2006-05-11T18:28:00.000-04:00

I have only one thing to say today. Root canals hurt.

2006-05-10T15:32:00.000-04:00

So I've become addicted to two computer games. Haven't played any in ages. Here, you go be addicted now as well :D

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/games/circle-breaker.html

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/games/snakenumbers.html

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/games/orboxb.html

2006-05-07T22:58:00.000-04:00

In two weeks I head off for BC, the first step in me leaving Canada for the Middle East.
I'm getting nervous, and in some ways am beginning to somewhat doubt my decision. But, I know that I'm taking the road I'm meant to take and as long as I keep that thought at the forefront of my brain I should be fine.

Don't forget me when I'm gone. That would be really sad.

2006-05-03T10:48:00.000-04:00

So, before I get accepted as an Interserve Partner I have to go through a Psych assesment. Prior to that assesment I have to do all these written and computer tests. That is what I spent yesterday doing and man...it sure takes it out of you. Who knew that 5 hours of 'how are you like your mother', 'was/is your father a loving/good man', and 'would you ever cheat to get ahead' could take so much effort.
However, it is now almost done. Well, atleast that stage is. I now have thousands of other things that are piling up. I may need help!

2006-05-01T18:41:00.000-04:00

It's been a year since I started this blog. Not too much has changed in a year now that I look back on it. I mean, aside from me finishing school, getting ready to move overseas, having my older sister make plans to move to Japan, my little sister starting highschool....
Life stays pretty much the same.

Steph, "call me"

2006-04-30T01:13:00.000-04:00

I'M DONE!!!
I'M DONE!!!
I'M DONE!!!
I'M DONE!!!

sorry, just had to share that. NO MORE UNIVERSITY FOR ME! YAY!

2006-04-25T09:07:00.000-04:00

Which super hero are you?
http://quizfarm.com/test.php?q_id=92013

So today my sister left to head up north. Well, actually, she just walked out about 20 minutes ago. It's the last time I see her until either she comes to visit me or I go to Japan to visit her. It's a kind of scary thought.

We went to see a movie together on Friday...sort of a last sister shindig. The movie was "Kinky Boots" (yes the title is a little odd) and it is one of the best movies I've seen lately. The entire theatre was laughing hysterically during many parts of it.

Now I really should study. I have one of my two exams today. After about 8ish tonight I will only have one more University exam to write...ever! YAY! It's an exciting thought. Studying now, however, is not.

I should just buckle in and do it. ARRRRRRRRGH

2006-04-21T17:36:00.000-04:00

Chris and Amber Tompkins finally had their baby!!! I say finally even though Sloan Grace was born on her due date, prompt girl that she is. Isn't she cute?

2006-04-21T17:14:00.000-04:00

So on Tuesday I got suprise tickets to the LOTR musical/play/theatrical presentation. I'm not going to get into how I got to go, it will take way too long and...well...it's a bit of a secret :P.
Anyway, the show was amazing. I was a little hesitant about how exactly things would be done. I mean, the books are a trilogy of 500 pages per book...the movies are 3 hours each...and the play is 3 hours in it's entirety. Also, the idea of singing with the LOTR, I mean, people singing to one another kind of threw me off. However, it turned out pretty darn good although I do understand why some people may have not liked it.

When we got into the theatre (the CLOSEST seats I've ever had!) the hobbits were all on the stage 'hanging' around as they would on a midsummer night. Those of you who have read the books will know that hobbits like dancing, singing, and eating. The hobbits on stage were partaking in all of this. It was nice, set the mood, creative...all that jazz.

As expected they had to cut some stuff out, Tom Bombadil once again got the short end of the stick, so did Faramir and a couple other subplots. However, if you look at it in perspective they still did a good job with the plot line. Also, the way they did the Ringwraiths was amazing. They managed to make them look etheral, the horses actually looked only half-alive (one of the only things that dissapointed me with the movies was the Ringwraiths and their horses). Overall the sets and costumes were very well done, branches grew out over the entire orchestra area, up onto the walls and over the ceiling.

The singing didn't destroy the story either. Unlike what some people expected, that the characters would sing to eachother, the music was used more as a mood setter. Arwen frequently sang in Elvish on the sidelines and the hobbits sung a few bar songs and travelling songs and the like (after all they love their music). But no conversation took place in song...thankfully!!!

Honestly, the only thing I didn't really like were the couple of scenes where they had singing in Elvish after a major event happened such as Boromir dying. I understand Boromir is a major character and deserved the attention payed to his death, but when you're sitting there for over 3 hours, some stuff has to go. Overall though...amazing experience...glad I got to go.

Last time for atleast 2 years.

2006-04-20T22:14:00.000-04:00

This weekend is a very sad weekend. It's the last time I'm going to see my older sister for probably about 2 or more years. She leaves on Tuesday to go up north for the summer and won't be getting back till September. Since I'm leaving sometime mid-summer I won't see her before I go. And then she leaves at the end of September for Japan. My family will be truely global come the fall. And I, in the Middle East, will be in the center. Not that that means they'll be visiting :(
Time flies so fast. It feels like only yesterday my sister and I were 10 and 9 respectively and traipsing around Islamabad together. We used to have lots of fun in the fields near our house, got ourselves lost a couple of times.

2006-04-11T11:35:00.000-04:00

I just thought everyone should know that I never ever ever have to write a University paper AGAIN! YAY! I am all done! Hahah...suckers!

Only two exams before I have an official BA.

2006-04-05T04:13:00.000-04:00

4:11...done, finally. I didn't do a great job editing...but at this stage I'm not too concerned.
I ended up not doing any of the topics I had short-listed. Ooops. Ah well, now I'm done and I couldn't care less.

Now I can get some sleep.

Yay! Jays won! It was a GREAT home opener. Helped a bit with the distraction.

Only one more University assignment ever...EVER!!

2006-04-05T02:37:00.000-04:00

2:36...1500 words down, 1000 to go. Progress is being made.

2006-04-04T22:48:00.000-04:00

It's 10:46, my essay is due at 9 am tomorrow and I still haven't written a word. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME! I can't afford an all-nighter. Geez.

Procrastinating...again

2006-04-04T13:54:00.000-04:00

You'd think that, these being my last ever assignments for University I would be in a rush to get them over and done with. If you though that, you'd be wrong. It appears that my ability to procrastinate has reached a new level. I have my last ever essay and assignment due this week (Wednesday and Friday respectively) and I have been unable to concentrate. In fact, it has been so bad that I still haven't decided on a topic for my essay.
The course, Theory of Classical Economists, isn't necessarily boring...it's just that the topics aren't sparking any great ideas. So far I have the choices narrowed down to...

1) Veblens contributions to economic theory
2) Marx on Commodity Fetishism
3) Malthus' Population theory and modern population problems
4) Malthus on the Poor laws and Social Policy
5) A topic of your own choosing...

That is a list, narrowed down from 22 choices. However, my 5th choice is causing a bit of a problem because it opens up a million and one more doors.

But on a happier note, once I finish this (after an almost guaranteed all-nighter) and hand it in tomorrow morning at 9 am...I will have only one...yes, one assignment left. Which, sadly, will require another couple all-nighters to complete. I have managed to get myself into quite a pickle.

Also, my knee hurts. I don't know how I did it...but accident prone moi managed to bung it up good. It's swollen, has a lot of fluid on it, and hurts in almost every position. Doctor's recommendation...take 3 weeks off work. Ha...like I can do that.

Athletic Banquet and other stuff

2006-04-02T22:55:00.000-04:00

So last night was my final athletic banquet as a University student. Sitting there it made me feel kind of depressed...I've realized I'm going to miss more about school than I originally thought I would. As always the soccer girls cleaned up in the awards department.
The only thing that sucked was the fact that because the hotel remembered us from the year before (we weren't the best group of guests), they shut the entire hotel down at 1 am. So even if you just wanted to have an innocent good time you couldn't. Overall though, I'm gonna miss having these shindigs every year.

Fionnuala Padilla

2006-03-29T20:50:00.000-05:00

I opened my junk mail to discover that I had a significant amount of SPAM from an individual by the name Fionnuala Padilla. Now, I know that people who send out junk mail try to manipulate names, but HONESTLY!!! Fionnuala Padilla??? You have got to be kidding me. I think I'm going to name a kid that.
And while we're on the subject of SPAM. Enough already. It's way too dissapointing when you open your mailbox and you have 10 times as much junk mail as you do real mail. And I had 10 'real' messages today. 100 junk emails in ONE freakin day. I'm going to shoot someone.

Falling behind

2006-03-11T13:32:00.000-05:00

Ever get that feeling that no matter how hard you try to keep up you just keep on falling behind? It's the kind of feeling I imagine I would get if I ever ran at the olympics. All these professional athletes racing ahead of me while I stagger out of breath. Well that's me right now. My to do list grows daily and I seem to be incapable of actually crossing anything off it.
It's partially my fault. I come home from work and the last thing I want to do is start typing letters, applications, or school work. And every time I decide to set a day out just for that purpose something comes up, or I get sidetracked. As of now my list is over two pages long, and I've only managed to do five of the things on the list today.
Come to think of it...this wasn't on my list, so I should get back to the truely productive things.

heheh...

An enjoyable post for you polisci students - a little belated perhaps but still...

2006-02-26T22:06:00.000-05:00

The Rhinoceros Party of Canada was a bona fide registered political party in Canada from the 1960s to the 1990s. Operating within the Canadian tradition of political satire, the Rhinoceros Party's basic credo, their so-called primal promise, was "a promise to keep none of our promises." They then promised outlandishly impossible schemes designed to amuse and entertain the voting public. The Rhinos were started in 1963 by Jacques Ferron, "Éminence de la Grande Corne du parti Rhinoceros". In the 1970s, a group of artists joined the party and created a comedic political platform to contest the federal election. Ferron (1979), poet Gaston Miron (1972) and singer Michel Rivard (1980) ran against Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau in his Montreal. The party, which claimed to be the spiritual descendants of a Brazilian rhinoceros who had been elected member of São Paulo's city council in the 1950s, listed Cornelius the First, a rhinoceros from the Granby zoo, east of Montreal, as its leader. The party claimed that the rhinoceros was an appropriate symbol for a political party since politicians, by nature, are "thick-skinned, slow-moving, dim-witted, can move fast as hell when in danger, and have large, hairy horns growing out of the middle of their faces.

Rhinoceros Party platform
Bryan Gold of the Rhinoceros Party described the party platform as two feet high and made of wood. "My platform is the one I'm standing on." A candidate named Ted "not so" Sharp ran in Flora MacDonald's Ontario riding with the campaign slogan Fauna, not flora, promising to give fauna equal representation. Sharp's platform on the controversial abortion issue was clear: "If elected, I promise to never have an abortion." Party Member (and singer) Michel Rivard once went on TV (during free air time given to political party) and stated: "I have but two things to say to you: Celery and Sidewalk. Thank you, good night."

The Rhinos have also promised to break every promise (a platform plank they claim has been copied and put into execution by the mainstream parties) and have promised, if elected, to immediately demand a recount. Other platform promises released by the Rhinoceros Party included:
repealing the law of gravity,
reducing the speed of light because it's much too fast,
paving the province of Manitoba to create the world's largest parking lot,
providing higher education by building taller schools,
instituting English, French and illiteracy as Canada's three official languages,
offering to retrain those constituents who want to become illiterate by enrolling them in a state educational institution,
tearing down the Rocky Mountains so that Albertans could see the Pacific sunset, or moving them one metre west as a make-work project,
legalising pot. And pans. And spatulas. And other kitchen utensils,
building sloping roads and bicycle paths across the country so that Canadians could "coast from coast to coast",
responding to the energy crisis,
reducing energy costs for transportation by moving the cities of Montréal 50km west and Toronto 50km east,
abolishing pumping oil out of the ground as that oil is there to keep the earth moving smoothly on its axis and if you withdraw the oil, the whole thing will grind to a halt,
abolishing the environment because it's too hard to keep clean and it takes up so much space,
annexing the United States, which would take its place as the third territory (after the Yukon and North-West Territories) in Canada's backyard, in order to raise the mean temperature of Canada by one degree Celsius,
replacing the Canadian Armed Forces with clones of Vladislav Tretiak,
making bubble gum the national currency, so that it could be inflated or deflated at will,
breeding a mosquito that would only hatch in January so that "the little buggers will freeze to death",
turning Montreal's Saint Catherine Street into the world's longest bowling alley,
adopting the British system of driving on the left; this was to be gradually phased in over five years with large trucks first, then buses, eventually including small cars and bicycles last,
as an energy-saving idea, putting larger wheels on the back of all cars so that they will always be going downhill,
selling the Canadian Senate at an antique auction in California,
putting the national debt on Visa,
declaring war on Belgium because a Belgian cartoon character, Tintin, killed a rhinoceros in one of the cartoons,
offering to call off the proposed Belgium-Canada war if Belgium delivered a case of mussels and a case of Belgian beer to Rhinoceros "Hindquarters" in Montréal (the Belgian Embassy in Ottawa did, in fact, do this),
painting Canada's coastal sea limits so that Canadian fish would know where they were at all times,
counting the Thousand Islands to make sure none were missing,
running a Penny Hoar in Toronto on a safe sex platform,
running more than one candidate per riding as an MP's salary is certainly enough to support more than one person,
exploiting acid rain as an electrical energy source by placing dissimilar-metal electrodes in Canadian swimming pools in order to use them as batteries,
making Canadians stronger by putting steroids in the water,
banning lousy Canadian winters,
moving the Vatican to Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville,
Quebec to promote tourism,
putting the West Edmonton Mall on wheels and rolling it to areas of the country suffering from economic depression,
turning the Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine tunnel in Montreal into a free carwash by poking hole in the ceiling.

A British Columbia splinter group proposed running a professional dominatrix for the position of party whip, breaking with the province's colonial heritage by renaming "British Columbia" to "La La Land", moving the provincial capital, and merging with the Progressive Conservative Party so as not to split the silly vote. Despite the obvious appeal of banning winter, the Rhinoceros Party never succeeded in winning a seat in Parliament. In the 1984 federal election, however, the party won the fourth-largest number of votes, after the three main political parties, but ahead of several well-established minor parties. Rhino candidates sometimes came in second in certain ridings, humiliating traditional Canadian parties in the process. In the 1980 federal election, for instance, the Rhinoceros party nominated a professional clown/comedian named Sonia "Chatouille" Côté ('chatouille' means tickles in French) in the Laurier riding in Montréal. Côté came in second place, after the successful Liberal candidate, but ahead of both other major parties: the third place New Democrat, and the fourth-place Progressive Conservative candidate. Chatouille received almost twice as many votes as the PC candidate.
Early in the party's history, when it was mainly composed of French-speaking Québécois, they chose as their official translator a party member who was the only unilingual anglophone party member at the time. Although not recognized in the United States, former baseball pitcher Bill Lee ran for President of the United States in 1988 on the Rhinoceros Party ticket.

Political successors
The party abstained from the 1993 federal election while they questioned the constitutionality of new rules that required the party to run candidates in at least 50 ridings at a cost of $1,000 per candidature. At 14:30 hrs,(EDT)September 23, 1993, Canada's Chief Electoral Officer, Jean-Pierre Kingsley, refused to accept the party's abstention and ordered the removal of the Rhinoceros Party from the Registry of Canadian Political Parties, effectively outlawing them from the Canadian political system. He also directed the party's official agent - Charlie (le Concierge) McKenzie - to liquidate all party assets and return any revenues to the Receiver General of Canada. On instructions from the party, McKenzie refused. After two years of threatening letters, Ottawa refused to prosecute McKenzie who now holds the dubious distinction of being Canada's "most least-wanted fugitive." François Gourd, a prominent Rhino, later started another political movement, the entartistes. The entartistes attracted attention in the 1990s by planting cream pies in the faces of various Canadian politicians. Other Rhinoceros Party members founded the Parti citron (Lemon Party), which attempted to bring a similar perspective to provincial politics in Quebec, with much less success. Recently however, the Parti Citron became a federal party, and has enjoyed widespread support from silly people nationwide. More recently, the Absolutely Absurd Party has attempted to revive the traditions of political satire that the Rhinoceros Party originated. This new group, however, is related to the Rhinos only in spirit.

taken from :http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhinoceros_Party_of_Canada

Sore

2006-02-19T17:13:00.000-05:00

I would just like to update everyone on the fact that I am sore. SO So so sore....
Lessons learned...#1 - snowball fights are only good when there isn't a layer of ice 2 inches thick
#2 - if you have a snowball fight, expect to get plowed into the snow several times...by several different people...at the same time
#3 - don't try and swing dance without warming up
#4 - leave gymnastics to the professionals

A very educational weekend...

Oh...and of course #5 - don't pour boiling hot water over yourself unless you want to pull a PK

And I'm off...

2006-02-17T15:56:00.000-05:00

Just a really really quick note saying that I got the job. Yay! There are some things to work through first, but it's there...
Now I'm off to spend a sleepless weekend up in Muskoka Woods with a bunch of highschool kids. Yippee!! Should be fun!

Cheers

Nervousness and anxiety...

2006-02-12T21:01:00.000-05:00

I'm not normally a person who experiences either nervousness or anxiety. Come to think of it, since both those words mean almost the same thing the statement had a tad of redundancy to it.
Anyway, off the tangent, I'm nervous because sometime this week I hope to hear about a job. Job locale being Middle East, position being public relations. I'm nervous about it in two ways. First off I'm nervous I won't get the job, which will throw me in a chaotic spin of trying to find a job elsewhere, and secondly I'm nervous I will get the job. It's a very traumatic feeling. I'd be moving out of the country, I would have SO much to accomplish in the two months before leaving, and I'd be leaving home for the first time. Now, I love being independent etc. etc. but it's a little frightening.
I'm in a tizzy...guess all I can do is wait. But then I've never been very good at doing that either.

A funny beer ad...

2006-02-01T23:30:00.000-05:00

In general I find ads to be frustrating and annoying. Overall they are a waste of my time. But then sometimes good ones come along. The "I am Canadian" one for example, or the "Evil Car"(http://www.ebaumsworld.com/sportka.html). This is another example of a funny ad. No, it's not the funniest I've ever seen, but considering the current callibre of ads out there this is pretty darn good.
Enjoy

http://www.bigad.com.au/

While I'm at it...this trailer is pretty funny too...what the plot will be about is beyond me but a bunch of dancing penguins, one being voiced by Robin Williams? I am so there.

And looking up those ads got me on a video clip streak...so, here are some more, some old, some new.

http://www.ebaumsworld.com/antiboredom.html
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/chatter.html
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/stagefall.html
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/cartrailor.html
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/umbilical.html
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/dorkvsglass.html
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/videos/vanprank.html
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/badcorner.html

Pictures 3...

2006-01-16T20:20:00.000-05:00

Me doing the limbo, I had no idea I could go this low. I managed lower but there is not photographic proof :(.
All of us doing some form of dance...don't ask, I'm not sure what was going on either

Pictures 2...

2006-01-16T20:12:00.000-05:00

Nadia and I drinking to the new year...surprisingly this required significant coordination...

Nadia dancing round her "pole"...no she wasn't drunk and she didn't need to pee either. Just doubled over in laughter

Pictures...

2006-01-16T20:05:00.000-05:00

These are all New Years Eve at JP's house...I haven't gotten my pics uploaded on the computer yet so these will have to suffice for now. Nadia is the one in the blue turtleneck, the rest are JP's family and inlaws and nieces and nephews.
And...if you haven't already guessed the one below is JP being his usual self :)

Updatish

2006-01-16T18:57:00.000-05:00

Well, considering the fact that I have now been back for over 5 days, I think it's time I wrote a little about my time in Lebanon. To sum it up in a word...AWESOME.
Everytime I travel I realize again how much I love to travel...and Lebanon was a great place to go. I'll try and post some pictures.
The only bad part of the trip was the first two days. With my absolutely amazing luck I was 'fortunate' enough to get an absolutely horrible case of the flu??? the first day there. So I spent the next 24 hours throwing my guts up in an overpriced hotel from which I couldn't move because I was too sick to. Ah well, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger and the rest of the trip more than made up for the crappy first two days. Luckily a friend of the family who lives just out of Beruit came and picked us up after the first 16 hrs of throwing up. She took care of me and provided a bit of entertainment for Nadia which was very nice.
New Years Eve was spent with Jean-Paul and his family. JP is the best friend of the younger brother who owns the restaurant that I work at. He showed us the nightlife of Beruit...a memorable experience which, for Nadia's sake I won't get into. You can thank me later Nadia :P. Anyway, JP is an artist and slightly eccentric. He is also a charmer and a ladies man...heheh...overall a hilarious guy.
After a couple days doing stuff around Beruit...visiting the Rauche (pigeon rocks) and a couple of the shopping districts we rented a car and spent one day going north to Byblos (oldest continously inhabited city in the world) and Tripoli. Both archeological sites were amazing. Byblos was nice because there were descriptions posted all over the place, however, in Tripoli you were allowed basically free reign of the Crusader castle, including several extremely deep chambers that were very eerie. It's amazing that structures built over 1500 years ago, some even 2000 years ago, are still standing. I mean, North american and Western European structures seem to fall after just a couple hundred years. Also, the bricks these castles were built of...HUGE. About shoulder height and twice as long. The second day we had the car we went south to Sidon and Tyre, Sidon had the castle on the sea and Tripoli had a Roman city and the Hippodrome. Now that was an astounding structure...all built for the purpose of watching races.
We then spent a couple more days touring Beruit, going out a bit at night, visiting a couple Lebanese clubs (toronto ones are horrible in comparison) and stuff like that. We also went to the wedding of one of Nadia's cousins. Sunday we went to the Bekka valley where Nadia's family is originally from. Spent Sunday and Monday seeing all (or most) of them before coming back late Monday night. And then, Tuesday at midnight we were driven to the airport by JP for our flight out.
That's a brief sum of the trip and doesn't cover nearly half of the stuff I did...but it will have to suffice. I hate the feeling of writing in a journal and that's what this feels like :).
Now for the attempt at uploading pictures, hold on to your seats.

Only one day left!!!

2005-12-24T21:40:00.000-05:00

Well...in just over 24 hours I will be on a plane to Lebanon. I'm so excited. Since a million people have asked me "why beirut" I will explain now. (Not that many people read this...but still). Since I am planning to someday live in the middle east, I feel like I should have a feel for all of the regions before I move. Lebanon is my chance to experience life in one part of the middle east.
If anyone wants updates while I'm gone...this is the only place they're going to be happening, and maybe not even here.

And on that note...Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night :D...And Happy New Year while I'm at it. Hope you all have a wonderful holiday season!

2005-12-20T11:45:00.000-05:00

Had an infuriating exam last night. It once again brought to my attention the idiocy of professors and their TA's. The exam was literally impossible. The details brought up in the multiple choice and definitions were probably ones the TA himself would be unable to answer without outside help. And the worst realization of the night was, that the time I spent studying for the stupid exam could have been so much more productively used. I greatly hindered my efficiency by wasting time studying for an exam that was impossible (wow...that's the economics in my speaking). Should have been studying for South-East Asian history, a class that I had a flying chance of getting an A+ in...until I had to waste time studying for my other course.

Irritation supreme. I need a holiday.

only 8 or 9 more days!!!!

2005-12-17T18:16:00.000-05:00

So, depending on how you count down your days, there are only 8 or 9 more days until I leave for Lebanon. The excitement is through the roof :)

In the meantime some more jokes...because I am so absolutely clever and because I have a huge mind block when it comes to writing anything but exams during exam time.

When NASA first started sending up astronauts, they quickly discovered that ballpoint pens would not work in zero gravity. To combat the problem, NASA scientists spent a decade and $12 billion to develop a pen that writes in zero gravity, upside down, underwater, on almost any surface including glass and at temperatures ranging from below freezing to 300 C. The Russians used a pencil!

A little girl went up to her mother one day while holding her stomach saying, "Mommy, my stomach hurts." Her mother replied, "That's because it's empty, you have to put something into it!" Later that day when her mom's colleague and her husband were over for dinner. The Evangelist began to feel bad. Holding her head she said, "I have such a terrible headache!" The little girl looked up at her giving her the sweetest smile that any little child could give. Then she said, "That's because it's empty, you have to put something into it!"

(I get a very vivid mental picture reading this one...)

A man is walking down the street one day when he notices a very small boy trying to press a doorbell on a house across the street. However, the boy is very small and the doorbell is too high for him to reach. After watching the boy's efforts for some time, the man moves closer to the boy's position. He steps smartly across the street, walks up behind the little fellow and, placing his hand kindly on the child's shoulder leans over and gives the doorbell a solid ring. Crouching down to the child's level, the man smiles benevolently and asks, "And now what, my little man?" To which the boy replies, "Now we run!"

Two Washington politicians had locked themselves out of their car, and unfortunately some important papers they needed for a meeting were inside. "Let's use a coat hanger to pull up the lock," suggested the first.
"Oh, no," argued the second. "Someone might see us and think we were trying to break in."
"Then we could use my pocketknife to cut away the rubber around the window and stick our fingers through to pull up the lock."
"No, no! People would think we're too stupid to know how to use a coat hanger to open cars."
"Well, we'd better do something fast. The top's down and it's starting to rain."

And now the joke for which we thank Mike Sanders and his exasperation...

Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson go on a camping trip. After a good dinner and a bottle of wine, they retire for the night, and go to sleep.Some hours later, Holmes wakes up and nudges his faithful friend.
"Watson, look up at the sky and tell me what you see."
"I see millions and millions of stars, Holmes" replies Watson.
"And what do you deduce from that?"
Watson ponders for a minute."Well, astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, I observe that Saturn is in Leo. Horologically, I deduce that the time is approximately a quarter past three. Meteorologically, I suspect that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. Theologically, I can see that God is all powerful, and that we are a small and insignificant part of the universe. What does it tell you, Holmes?"
Holmes is silent for a moment. "Watson, you idiot!" he says. "Someone has stolen our tent!"

Less than a month!

2005-11-29T21:33:00.000-05:00

Wow...3 posts in two days...I am getting good at this. Or otherwise I'm just attempting to procrastinate...you take your pick.
So, less than a month to go before Lebanon...I am extremely excited, to say the least. Technically we still don't know exactly what we're doing there...but Nadia and I will force each other to have fun. Sounds enjoyable, no?
Things on the agenda to do...
Go skiing...I can hear all of you going, "What? There's snow in lebanon? They have SKI hills?!" And to answer you all, yes, there are some great mountains in Lebanon, they get tons of snow in these mountains, and while they may not have the chalets that say the Swiss or Whistler do...there are still plenty of opportunities to ride the slopes.
Go shopping...great exchange rate, lots of cool stuff. Do I need to say more?
See some archaeological sites...some may say boring...but they can be fascinating.

Now does anyone have any must sees for Amsterdam?!

2005-11-28T20:29:00.000-05:00

Apparently when you don't post for a while they reconfigure the whole website in order to confuse you. Where is everything?!?!

so I plagarized

2005-11-28T20:25:00.000-05:00

Okay, I realize that I have completely stolen these off of PK's blog...but they were funny.

The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. The nun made a note, and posted on the apple tray:"Take only ONE. God is watching."Moving further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies.A child had written a note, "Take all you want. God is watching the apples.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
A little girl was talking to her teacher about whales.The teacher said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because even though it was a very large mammal its throat was very small.The little girl stated that Jonah was swallowed by a whale.Irritated, the teacher reiterated that a whale could not swallow a human; it was physically impossible.The little girl said, "When I get to heaven I will ask Jonah".The teacher asked, " What if Jonah went to hell?"The little girl replied, "Then you ask him".
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
A Kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children while they were drawing. She would occasionally walk around to see each child's work.As she got to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was.The girl replied, "I'm drawing God."The teacher paused and said, "But no one knows what God looks like."Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing, the girl replied, "They will in a minute."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

It's been a while

2005-10-15T10:10:00.000-04:00

Apparently I'm not very good at keeping this thing updated.
Yesterday I managed to spend over $1500, all in one fell swoop. It went towards buying a lovely airplane ticket to Beirut. That's it, it's confirmed! YAY! I'm so unbelievably excited. I leave right after Christmas to spend 2 whole weeks there. So, if anyone has any brilliant ideas on things I should see/do, pass them along.
Besides that, I'm counting down the days until I'm finished the student life. It's hard to believe that I'm almost there. I know I'm still 'technically' a student in January, but I don't really consider three hours of class a week "studying". Only two more months of this insaneness.

back from trekking, sunburned and strong

2005-08-31T16:38:00.000-04:00

Went on a family camping trip, backpacked in a good hour and a half (or rather 2+ hours in, and 1 1/2 out) with everything on our backs. Me, being lucky, got an extra 90 lbs to carry, my little sister. The trail, marked difficult, was a little too much for her at points, and as a result she held onto my backpack about 50% of the time. 130+ lbs is a hell of a lot to carry. Regardless of the difficulty though, it was fun. The water was Carribean clear, and Atlantic cold, an interesting combination. The camp sites had nothing but a 12x12 platform to put your tent on, and all the water had to be boiled etc. I also got an interesing sunburn, bikinis do that to you. I'm glad to be home and to be able to sleep in a bed (my "padding" was a lousy piece of foam, that while didn't weigh much also didn't protect much), my back is killing me.

Repetition...

2005-08-27T00:16:00.000-04:00

Apparently I like the subject title "ads", I must become a little more creative when it comes to giving these titles.

Ads...

2005-08-27T00:09:00.000-04:00

Okay, really, this whole ad thing is getting ridiculous. You see a comment, get excited because you think someone is actually reading your blog, and then, when you read it find out it is some stupid ad for a product you'd never consider buying. I mean, Jamil has ads for freaking CEILING fans on his blog comments. Not just plain ceiling fans, but chain pull ones. How did they know that that was what I was looking for. It's ridiculous. People, poor advertising. Rather than getting me interested in the company you are instead making me loathe you, and I don't like loathing things, it puts me in a sour mood. Marketing is a dying art.

On a happier note, exams are FINALLY over. For those of you who know me, you know that me and stress are rare companions. I manage to work, study, play, and do some "extracurricular" with very little stress involved. This exam period has been a completely different ball game. My eyes twitched, I got migranes, I was always anxious. Something happened to me that I didn't like. Me, stressed?! Maybe that was what made it even worse. I'm so used to being relaxed during exams that stress confused me into being even more stressed. Don't you love how I try and come up with explanations for my idiosyncracies?

And now I'm off to bed, it's been calling my name all day and I can't put off answering any longer.

Aiyaya

2005-08-02T23:22:00.000-04:00

I honestly hate assignments, and writers block. I've had the worst case of writers block this past little while. Those of you who know me know that I almost NEVER hand in assingments late. In fact I think I've only ever done it once in my entire university career. But that's all changed now. I am incapable of stringing even a single coherent sentence together that has anything at all to do with the material I'm supposed to be writing on. I need some serious help. Really...

$32,000 plus in a year...

2005-07-18T15:42:00.000-04:00

I've begun all my masters applications recently, and come upon a slight problem. I need to some how gather a large amount of money in a not so long period of time. If I end up studying somewhere in the UK (which is beginning to look more and more likely), I'll need something like $32,000 by next September. Now sure, if I were working somewhere full-time...then that wouldn't be TOO bad. But for a student?! Heck, that's a lot of money. And so, the brainstorming begins as to how I can make the money. Robbing a bank looks better and better.

You really think we're next?!

2005-07-11T18:29:00.000-04:00

Apparently I'm naive...and stupid. Or so say the dozen or so people who have tried to convince me over the past week that Canada will definately suffer a terrorist attack in the near future. Maybe I am naive, maybe I shouldn't think that these supposedly muslim terrorists have an agenda only against countries that directly flout them such as the US and England. Maybe I'm stupid. But still, come on! This is Canada we're talking about. A country that hasn't attacked a Muslim nation, and is apparently the terrorists route into the United States. How are we on a hit list? I mean, maybe we're on a 'list', but realistically I don't see it happening. I just hope I don't have to bite my tongue later on.

Long Weekends

2005-07-03T23:31:00.000-04:00

Long weekends suck. Unless you get to go away and party, or stay and party. I, however, got to stay and not party. Almost everyone I knew went away, or did something special. And I was left at home, working every day/night, with nothing to do after work. It got pretty boring. And so the boredom has remained all weekend. URGH!

No real idea what it means, but it's got my name in it

2005-06-27T01:20:00.000-04:00

My current music/CD obsession is the newish Killers album. Great disc...track #5 rocks. Anyway...I haven't really had time to digest the lyrics for this song...but it has my nickname in it so I like it. I may decide I don't like it after I have time to figure out what the song is actually about.

Andi, You're A Star Lyrics
On the field I remember you were incredible
Hey shut up, hey shut up, yeah
On the field I remember you were incredible
Hey shut up, hey shut up, yeah
On the match with the boys, you think you're all alone
With the pain that you drain from love
In a car with a girl, promise me she's not your world
Cause Andi, you're a star

Leave your number on the locker and I'll give you a call
Hey shut up, hey shut up, yeah
Leave your legacy in gold on the plaques that line the hall
Hey shut up, hey shut up, yeah

On the streets, such a sweet face jumping in town
In the staff when the verdict is in
In a car with a girl, promise me she's not your world
Cause Andi, you're a star
In nobody's eyes but mine
Andi, you're a star
In nobody's eyes but mine
Andi, you're a star
In nobody's eyes
In nobody's eyes but mine

I've given up studying...

2005-06-27T00:59:00.000-04:00

Can someone please explain to me how I started studying for an exam over a week early, yet am still literally pulling an all-nighter the night before. This has been the year for annoyances when it comes to studying and papers. I vowed to not procrastinate, and was rather successful. Almost all my assignments were started with ample time. Yet in every single case I was still frantically finishing up papers or studying the night before due dates. Apparently it doesn't make a huge difference to either my grades or my timelines if I start ahead of time. And as a result...extreme frustration. I mean, how unfair is it that when I try and be proactive, school bites me in the butt....and when I procrastinate it once again comes around and bites me in the butt. So I've given up studying and pre-emptive attempts on assignments. Once again I am going to go by my motto of "last minute stress = efficiency". Let's see how long it lasts.

Random Chicken Queries

2005-06-23T17:21:00.000-04:00

You know I'm procrastinating when I have time to find this and actually read and contemplate it. It's enjoyable if you yourself are also seeking to procrastinate.

Why did the chicken cross the road??

Plato: For the greater good.

Aristotle: To fulfill its nature on the other side. To actualize its potential.

Karl Marx: It was a historical inevitability.

Machiavelli: So that its subjects will view it with admiration, as a
chicken which has the daring and courage to boldly cross the road,
but also with fear, for whom among them has the strength to contend
with such a paragon of avian virtue? In such a manner is the princely
chicken’s dominion maintained.

Hippocrates: Because of an excess of light pink gooey stuff in its
pancreas.

Jacques Derrida: Any number of contending discourses may be discovered
within the act of the chicken crossing the road, and each
interpretation is equally valid as the authorial intent can never be
discerned, because structuralism is DEAD, DAMMIT, DEAD!

Thomas de Torquemada: Give me ten minutes with the chicken and I’ll
find out.

Timothy Leary: Because that’s the only kind of trip the Establishment
would let it take.

Douglas Adams: Forty-two.

Nietzsche: Because if you gaze too long across the Road, the Road
gazes also across you.

Oliver North: National Security was at stake.

B.F. Skinner: Because the external influences which had pervaded its
sensorium from birth had caused it to develop in such a fashion that
it would tend to cross roads, even while believing these actions to be
of its own free will.

Carl Jung: The confluence of events in the cultural gestalt
necessitated that individual chickens cross roads at this historical
juncture, and therefore synchronicitously brought such occurrences
into being.

Jean-Paul Sartre: In order to act in good faith and be true to
itself, the chicken found it necessary to cross the road.

Ludwig Wittgenstein: The possibility of “crossing” was encoded into
the objects “chicken” and “road”, and circumstances came into being
which caused the actualization of this potential occurrence.

Albert Einstein: Whether the chicken crossed the road or the road
crossed the chicken depends upon your frame of reference.

Buddha: If you ask this question, you deny your own chicken-nature.

Howard Cosell: It may very well have been one of the most astonishing
events to grace the annals of history. An historic, unprecedented
avian biped with the temerity to attempt such an herculean achievement
formerly relegated to homo sapien pedestrians is truly a remarkable
occurence.

Salvador Dali: The Fish.

Darwin: It was the logical next step after coming down from the
trees.

Emily Dickinson: Because it could not stop for death.

Epicurus: For fun.

Ralph Waldo Emerson: It didn’t cross the road; it transcended it.

Johann Friedrich von Goethe: The eternal hen-principle made it do it.

Ernest Hemingway: To die. In the rain.

Werner Heisenberg: We are not sure which side of the road the chicken
was on, but it was moving very fast.

David Hume: Out of custom and habit.

Saddam Hussein: This was an unprovoked act of rebellion and we were
quite justified in dropping 50 tons of nerve gas on it.

Jack Nicholson: ‘Cause it (censored) wanted to. That’s the
(censored) reason.

Pyrrho the Skeptic: What road?

Ronald Reagan: Well,……………….

John Sununu: The Air Force was only too happy to provide the
transportation, so quite understandably the chicken availed himself
of the opportunity.

The Sphinx: You tell me.

Mark Twain: The news of its crossing has been greatly exaggerated.

Mishima: For the beauty of it. The chicken’s extension of its
sinuous legs sent shivers of a dark despair into the souls not only of
the silently watching hens but also the roosters, who felt a sudden
sexual desire for their exquisite comrade. The dark courage of the
chicken was as beautiful as drops of dew upon jade at midnight, struck
by a partial moon, its light filtered through clouds. One of the
deeply aroused roosters could stand the intensity of the moment no
more and bit off the head of the beautiful, courageous chicken-hero,
whose wine blood was deliciously drunken by the road, and he died.

Johnny Cochran: The chicken didn’t cross the road. Some
chicken-hating, genocidal, lying public official moved the road right
under the chicken’s feet while he was practicing his golf swing and
thinking about his family.

Camus: The chicken’s mother had just died. But this did not really
upset him, as any number of witnesses can attest. In fact, he
crossed just because the sun got in his eyes.

John Sununu (again): I would argue that the chicken never crossed the
road at all. That it is a story concocted by the Clinton
Administration to distract attention from their failed agriculture
policy. Where is the evidence that the chicken crossed the road?
Where, Michael?

Michael Kinsley: Oh, John, come on! Everybody knows the chicken
crossed the road. What evidence do you need? It’s obvious that the
chicken crossed the road. Your whole argument is just a smoke and
mirror tactic to distract us from the fact that most chickens polled
now back the Democratic Party. You ought to be ashamed of yourself,
John.

Siskel: I don’t know why it crossed the road, but I loved it. Thumbs
up!

Ebert: I disagree. The whole thing left the audience wondering; the
chicken’s crossing the road was never clearly explained and the
chicken didn’t emote very well. It couldn’t even speak English!
Thumbs down.

Michael Kinsley: But you both agree it did cross the road, right?
See, John. I’m right as usual.

Jumping in puddles...

2005-06-22T20:34:00.000-04:00

Recently I've begun catching up with my friends from my childhood. Now, I know I'm not old, but by childhood I mean my time in Pakistan. It's been amazing and extremely nostalgic. It's also made me realize that those really were the days. I mean, when you're a child all you can think about is growing up, becoming an adult, being cool like they are. Why is it that we always realize too late that what we had was good? I've realized I look a little too much towards the future. Maybe I need to live life a little bit more in the now. Or maybe go back and be a kid for a while. I think I need to go dance in the rain and jump in some puddles.

Decision

2005-06-19T23:57:00.000-04:00

I had a wave of relief this week. In an epiphany of sort I stumbled across a research/focus idea for my masters. Realizing what I wanted to do felt like I had known all along, but had just failed to vocalize it. Anyway, I have decided that I want to study the effects of culture on diplomacy and international relations. Those of you who know me know that I love culture, and that I'm also interested in politics. Well now I've discovered something that will let me look at both. Yay me! Now all I have to do is actually get in to a school. Something that may be a tad bit tricky.

I know this is silly but...

2005-06-19T03:03:00.000-04:00

Your dating personality profile:

Religious - Faith matters to you. It is the foundation that you build your life upon. You trust that God has a plan for you.
Liberal - Politics matters to you, and you aren't afraid to share your left-leaning views. You would never be caught voting for a conservative candidate.
Athletic - Physical fitness is one of your priorities. You find the time to work athletic pursuits into your schedule. You enjoy being active.

Your Top Ten Traits

1. Religious
2. Liberal
3. Athletic
4. Intellectual
5. Adventurous
6. Big-Hearted
7. Practical
8. Traditional
9. Wealthy/Ambitious
10. Outgoing

Your date match profile:

Practical - You are drawn to people who are sensible and smart. Flashy, materialistic people turn you off. You appreciate the simpler side of living.
Religious - You seek someone who is grounded in faith and who possesses religious values. You believe that a religious person can enhance your life.
Shy - You are put off by people who are open books. You are drawn to someone who is a bit more mysterious. You want to draw him out of his shell and get to know what he is all about.

Your Top Ten Match Traits

1. Practical
2. Religious
3. Shy
4. Conservative
5. Big-Hearted
6. Adventurous
7. Athletic
8. Intellectual
9. Traditional
10. Funny

Take the Online Dating'>http://www.datingdiversions.com/">Dating Profile Quiz at Dating'>http://www.datingdiversions.com/">Dating Diversions

People can really suck sometimes

2005-06-19T01:27:00.000-04:00

Work sucked today. Well, it didn't completely suck, but it left me feeling pretty unfulfilled. To make a long story short, tips sucked and customers were just plain annoying. One table didn't talk, another was exceptionally rude, another was oblivious to everything, and the list goes on and on. Sometimes being in the service industry makes you question the human race. Is there no such thing as consideration? Do you not see me running around like crazy? Do you not think that I, as a fellow human being, would like to be treated with some respect? I know that at the moment I am 'just' a server, but I'm not stupid. I'm not doing this for life, it's a school job. But surprisingly, even with the bad night of customers I still enjoy my job. My bosses are fun, and they treat the staff with respect.
I guess it just goes to show you that some people are extremely considerate of others, while other must have missed the entire lesson on "manners" growing up.

Updatish

2005-06-10T15:03:00.000-04:00

It's been a while since I wrote here, perhaps it's because I don't really think anyone reads it so I feel silly updating no one on goings on, yet at the same time it's not quite private enough for me to write all that silly stuff most people would write in a journal. And in that limbo I find it kind of akward.
I turned 20 a week ago. And for the first time I had a birthday that made me feel older. It's not that I did an activity that did it for me, it's more the fact that being '20' rather than '19' is a much bigger difference that being '18' rather than '17'. I don't think people do it intentionally, but when they hear 19 they automatically think of a very young person, yet at 20 this assumption stops. Never mind the fact that I've accomplished what any normal 21 0r 22 year old had, when I was 19 I was young. I used to always keep my age to myself rather than have to deal with the possibility of feeling inferior because of it. After a while of getting responses of shock and then changing attitudes I got fed up. But now that I'm 20, things are beginning to look up. Already I've had two people's responses prove that 20 is indeed a much larger age than 19. Stupid, but true.
Celebrating my 20th was surprisingly fun as well. Now as most of you know, I am not normally a club kind of girl. Likewise, though I like my drinks as much as the next person I try not to overdo it, something that seems to be a necessity for most people on their birthdays. Anyway, this birthday me and 4 other people born within that week went down to the club SeVIIen. Suprisingly I had fun. I didn't have a lot to drink, which was fine with me, and I actually danced the entire night. Probably the factor that helped the most was that almost a third of the dance floor was composed of people who had come out to celebrate with us. All in all...good times.
Other than that I've led a sadly regular life the past little while. It's seems that all I do is go to work and school. Not that I'm complaining because it will feel great to be done in January!

2005-05-23T17:25:00.000-04:00

I'm sitting here listening to the radio and have come to the decision that radio ads are perhaps the worst form of marketing ever considered. I think I've heard about 3 decent radio ads in my lifetime, a lot fewer than the decent TV ads. I guess it's probably because there are no really good beer ads on the radio. Why is it that beer companies continue to make the best ads?

The Things I Appreciate

2005-05-17T02:59:00.000-04:00

I appreciate,
That my parents will always forgive me,
The regularity in knowing that no matter what time I wake up I will always want more sleep,
How my dog will always curl up on my bed when I go to sleep and start snoring,
How Sophie loves to give hugs and how she calls me her favourite sister, even if I'm not,
Curling up in bed with a good book,
The calming properties of tea,
A drink and a chat with close friends,
Jazz music,
A big breakfast on a weekend with my family,
Being able to count on the quoting of movie lines around the dinner table,
The comfort of the Bible,
A good hug,
A good friend,
A hot summers day with a light breeze,
A long swim in the lake,
The feeling of accomplishment after a hard work out,
Ah, there are too many things to list!

A mobile thumb

2005-05-16T02:29:00.000-04:00

After what has seemed to be forever, the surgeon finally informed me that I was here to fore allowed to use my hand with out a cast. Yeah! Gone is the restrictive, uncomfortable, and annoying device, that though it helped heal my hand, was a nuisance from the start. For those of you who don't know, I tore the ligaments in my hand during a very drunken incident. No, I was not the drunk one. It's a ridiculous story really, one of those anecdotes that proves the permanency accidents can have. Anyway, I was helping a drunk friend, moving her from the public toilet up to my hotel room. A place where I figured she could sleep off the alcohol while waiting for her friend to pick her up. As I went to lift her she went unconscious and I fell backwards, putting my right hand out to brace myself. Anyway, to make a long story short, the angle at which my hand hit stretched my thumb, tearing a couple lovely ligaments. But, at long last the cast is gone. And though my hand is no where near it's old capabilities there appears, at long last, a glimmer of hope. Man, I hate injuries!

Dandelions

2005-05-10T15:22:00.000-04:00

Since my parents get back from Australia tomorrow I decided I would be a good daughter and REALLY clean the house up. Well, needless to say, I finished two rooms and got bored. I'll clean the rest of the house up later. I also decided to go outside and do some weeding. In the past 3 days my back yard has gone from green to yellow. Not dry grass yellow, dandelion yellow. I swear someone came in the night and planted a million dandelions, we never had this many weeds before. Do you know how FRUSTRATING it is weeding? It's one of those jobs that seems to be never ending. No sooner to you finish a patch then anther one pops up. After a good 2 hrs of weeding I went inside to take a break. When I went back outside to admire my hard work there were 4 new dandelions. My backyard must be built on some radium or something, these dandelions are mutated to grow faster than normal!
Now my back hurts, and it looks as though I never took the time to weed the entire time my parents were gone. So much for the good daughter act. I guess I am going to HAVE to clean the house up really well.

Injustice - Rwanda

2005-05-09T14:10:00.000-04:00

About a tenth of the Rwandan population was massacred during the 100 days of genocide in 1994. I came across this fact today and it shocked me. A small group I meet with once every two weeks has been looking at human injustice across the world. Two weeks ago we watched 'Hotel Rwanda', an immensely powerful and shocking movie. How did the world sit by and allow 800,000 Rwadan people to die? Where were the international actors before, during, and after the event? How is it that international actors, who are usually more than ready to involve themselves in any issue overseas, decided to look the other way during the 100 days in which Rwanda was in turmoil. The United States decidedly ignored the event, Europe similarly turned a blind eye, and Canada, following in the steps of the rest of the world sat back and watched.
I personally cannot imagine surviving a genocide such as Rwanda faced. According to the statistic 1 out of every 10 friends would have been killed within the span of 3 months. 1 out of every 10 relatives, coworkers, class mates, and neighbor's. I can't even begin to wrap my head around the figure.
The entire issue confounds me. How can people harbor so much hate that they would be pushed to the extremes of massacring people who they had previously lived side by side with, let alone little children. Yet somehow it happened. It disgusts me what human beings are capable of doing. We who consider ourselves to be a moral and superior species, killing and allowing the killing of one-another.
It's sad.

This and That

2005-05-08T00:26:00.000-04:00

So, what exactly does one write in these things? It seems odd that I have even sat down to write again when it actual fact I can think of nothing to write.Went to see Evita today. I always leave the theatre convinced I want to become an actress. They seem to have so much fun dancing around and singing. Eva Peron's history continues to astound me. Did she do everything for power, or were her actions motivated somewhat by genuine concern? An argument that would take way too long to get into. Regardless, once again, the best actor seemed to be the narrator. It's odd how often that seems to be the case. You'd think the narrator could be some plain old individual sitting there singing in any plain old way the basis for the story. Instead this guy jumped around, got sworn at, along with a whole lot of other stuff. Seeing Evita made me wonder even more what the LOTR musical is going to be like. I find the idea of Gandalf dancing and singing slightly perturbing. Likewise, although Sauron may be a fine character for a bass in an opera he isn't exactly a character I would want to meet in a musical. It should be extremely interesting to see.Anyway, although the boredome is intense I am really out of things to write. Why oh why did I leave my book on the subway! STUPID!

And so it begins...

2005-05-07T00:29:00.000-04:00

Well it seems, that after much cajoling, I have finally joined the world of blogging. All the "cool kids are doing it", and even though I don't often go in for what all the cool kids are doing it appears that I have indeed caved this time. And so, on that note I join the world of blog. It feels great to be here!