Hey.
Good news! It's not the last Centerfield Thanksgiving! Hooray! And I hope that everyone is good and uncomfortably full. I was dying and then I recovered and now I'm stuffing up again.
Here's the damage:
Two heaping platefuls, two huge rolls, much water, and three enormous pieces of pie piled high with whipped creme. And that was just for the main dinner. I just finished two more pieces of pie and soon I'll go for two more pieces. Okay I just got more pie. Yum. And chances are I'll help myself to some more stuffing and vegetables in a little while anyway.
That was the meal.
Now for the recovery process. Shooting!!! I shot a gun for the first time today. I also realize that this is turning into somewhat of a journal entry, so I'll try to tie in something interesting and thought provoking. I shot four different guns, firing a total of seven times. I have two cartridges from a big gun whose name I don't know (it was the biggest gun in my uncles collection), two cartridges from a .22, one cartridge from a pistol (so intense--I felt like Jack Bauer), and two cartridges from a shotgun. I learned a few things about myself. First, it's really fun to shoot a gun (rhyme and rhythm intended). Second, I'd make a horrible soldier. I wasn't aiming for anything in particular for five of my seven shots, but I did aim for a clay pigeon when I shot the shotgun. I missed horribly. I haven't the skill to aim well. Part of this could be attributed to my preshoot expectation of failure, but mostly I lack talent when it comes to hitting a target with a firearm. Thankfully that's not an especially necessary skill, and chances are if it really counted, a survival-oriented corner of my brain would take over and I'd be able to aim better. Anyway, hopefully there won't ever be a draft, because if there were and I were drafted, I'd willingly go, but I would not be an asset to the army. Third, I get really bored watching other people shoot. There's a reason why I've never watched Skeet shooting on the Olympics. I haven't a speck of interest as to how accurately a marksman can hit a disc of soft clay that crumbles as it's slung just as often as it holds together. I spent most of the shooting expedition in my dad's truck listening to showtunes. Also interesting is Jack's participation in this adventure. Jack is my nephew and he's five. He shot a gun today. that's twelve years younger than I was when I first shot a gun. I'm wondering how this excursion (with ended with him tired and crying) will shape his psychological perception of guns. Chances are, it won't have any effect. But let's hope he won't become a criminal. Okay that wasn't very good philosophising. Let's try again. Jack likes guns. He's a starwars fan, for one thing, and a couple years ago, if he got mad at someone he would yell "FIRE." That's not to say that he had impulses to shoot people, but it does indicate a connection between the expression of anger and a word with many violent connotations. Mind you, he's not meanspirited at all and he's not going to become a psychopath. The question is, after actually shooting a gun and experiencing the reality of it, not the hollywood ideal of it, with all the loud noise and the kick and the waiting in line and the frustration of missing the target, will his opinion of guns shift from "guns are so cool!" to "guns are kind of boring?" Would such a shift be good? I kind of think so and hope so, but then he might be robbed of the pleasure of action movies in the future and (let me rant for a second: there's a noise going on in the background that sounds exactly like my ringtone. It's driving me crazy) or...I don't know. Okay this philosophising didn't work out. Whatever. My mind isn't working perfectly because I ate so much and it's a little overloaded with signals from the nerves in my tummy. By the way, I ate more stuffing and vegetables and am now working on a major bowl of turkey. I'll probably have more pie, too. Good thing I'm getting back in the habit of running.
Do I have anything else to say? I don't know. I found a funny quote in The Canterbury Tales the other day, but it's a little vulgar, so I'm not sure I'll post it here.
A movie is starting now, so I'll be done.
But first, another video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o03XWoXG1rM
This is Andrew Keenan-Bolger singing a song from the Frog and Toad musical. We were talking about those particular children's books earlier, that's why I posted it :-)
Uncomfortably full,
Christian Jacob Frandsen
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Thanksgiving Eve
Dear Everyone,
I have written two "resurrection" posts that I never finished. I'll probably finish them and post them. Eventually. Anyway, I'm here in my Frandsen grandparentals' home and there's a conversation going on into which I was not invited and I don't know where my sister is and my cousin of the same age is probably totally beat from the basketball game he played this evening or else watching sports (and I don't watch sports, on television at least) and I tried calling so many people and basically no one can talk (except that I'm chatting with two people on facebook and soon I'll be chatting on Skype, which I just downloaded and haven't quite figured out and certainly can't take fully exploit because of my lack of webcam(era) and microphone...Okay so the Skype conversation is quite over (I took a break from the blog) and it was...very interesting because I was watching and listening to my friend (I'm respecting your privacy by not saying your name, Alex) but typing back to him. I became quite frantic and my typing became quite sloppy because of it. But it was fun :-)
So yes. Frandsen Thanksgivings. I'll write about those. They are always eventful. In the past they always ended up with me (and others) crying. This was when I was a very little kid. And there are always far too many people to be good for the structural integrity of the house, but that's just part of the fun. I love such get-togethers with my many cousins because I love having so many cousins. Though there is quite a bit of stress involved with having such a large family (photoshoots that last hours because everyone must be arranged perfectly and all the babies must be looking at the camera and smiling, very dangerous stampedes in the direction of the kitchen when mealtime comes about, awkward moments when you don't even recognize a relative, much less remember his name) it's basically the best thing ever because one can NEVER be lonely (unless you're me when I refused to take part in the snowball fight because I didn't want to lose brain cells), there's always more than enough food (unless you're me when I was off in my own little world and showed up for dinner after it was all gone), and warmth and family bonding abound (unless you're me when I decided I was way to cool for my family and decided to hang out with myself in the snow). (For all you English majors out there, I know that the previous sentence did not follow parallel structure. I was lazy. Okay?)
So Thanksgiving is tomorrow. Truth be told, I might cry. Not because I'm a little kid throwing a tantrum, but because it's the last huge Frandsen Family Thanksgiving in Centerfield, Utah. The very last one. I'm not quite sure my mind has completely wrapped itself around this fact. Utah Thanksgivings have been a biannual constant since birth. Thankfully, I'm confident that the world is not coming to an end, but it does feel like the end of an age. The point is, tomorrow might be a sad day.
The question now is, will my parents become Grandparents now? I mean they've been grandparents for a while, but will they now be Grandparents with a capital G? Will they be the old wizened figures there to greet their somewhat confused little grandchildren with a hug and a plate of warm (or a tub of frozen) cookies? Will my children perceive their grandparents the same way I perceived mine? Somehow I doubt it.
Anyway, wasn't that philosophical?
Here's a video of a good friend of mine:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iC9aIhyJK-8
I'll post the other drafts at some later point.
:-) and <3,
Christian Jacob Frandsen
P.S. Aren't you all so proud of me for not being political at all???
I have written two "resurrection" posts that I never finished. I'll probably finish them and post them. Eventually. Anyway, I'm here in my Frandsen grandparentals' home and there's a conversation going on into which I was not invited and I don't know where my sister is and my cousin of the same age is probably totally beat from the basketball game he played this evening or else watching sports (and I don't watch sports, on television at least) and I tried calling so many people and basically no one can talk (except that I'm chatting with two people on facebook and soon I'll be chatting on Skype, which I just downloaded and haven't quite figured out and certainly can't take fully exploit because of my lack of webcam(era) and microphone...Okay so the Skype conversation is quite over (I took a break from the blog) and it was...very interesting because I was watching and listening to my friend (I'm respecting your privacy by not saying your name, Alex) but typing back to him. I became quite frantic and my typing became quite sloppy because of it. But it was fun :-)
So yes. Frandsen Thanksgivings. I'll write about those. They are always eventful. In the past they always ended up with me (and others) crying. This was when I was a very little kid. And there are always far too many people to be good for the structural integrity of the house, but that's just part of the fun. I love such get-togethers with my many cousins because I love having so many cousins. Though there is quite a bit of stress involved with having such a large family (photoshoots that last hours because everyone must be arranged perfectly and all the babies must be looking at the camera and smiling, very dangerous stampedes in the direction of the kitchen when mealtime comes about, awkward moments when you don't even recognize a relative, much less remember his name) it's basically the best thing ever because one can NEVER be lonely (unless you're me when I refused to take part in the snowball fight because I didn't want to lose brain cells), there's always more than enough food (unless you're me when I was off in my own little world and showed up for dinner after it was all gone), and warmth and family bonding abound (unless you're me when I decided I was way to cool for my family and decided to hang out with myself in the snow). (For all you English majors out there, I know that the previous sentence did not follow parallel structure. I was lazy. Okay?)
So Thanksgiving is tomorrow. Truth be told, I might cry. Not because I'm a little kid throwing a tantrum, but because it's the last huge Frandsen Family Thanksgiving in Centerfield, Utah. The very last one. I'm not quite sure my mind has completely wrapped itself around this fact. Utah Thanksgivings have been a biannual constant since birth. Thankfully, I'm confident that the world is not coming to an end, but it does feel like the end of an age. The point is, tomorrow might be a sad day.
The question now is, will my parents become Grandparents now? I mean they've been grandparents for a while, but will they now be Grandparents with a capital G? Will they be the old wizened figures there to greet their somewhat confused little grandchildren with a hug and a plate of warm (or a tub of frozen) cookies? Will my children perceive their grandparents the same way I perceived mine? Somehow I doubt it.
Anyway, wasn't that philosophical?
Here's a video of a good friend of mine:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iC9aIhyJK-8
I'll post the other drafts at some later point.
:-) and <3,
Christian Jacob Frandsen
P.S. Aren't you all so proud of me for not being political at all???
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Pressure and Politics (but not political pressure)
Hey--
I realized today, just now, that having a blog puts a lot of pressure on me. I know I have so many interested readers and I really don't want to let them down. But right now I don't feel like I have a lot to say. I just can't handle it. So I'm deleting the blog, because it's just too daunting and I want my life to be easy.
Just kidding.
I don't really have a lot to say today, but I LOVE having the blog because I can say what I want to say and people can respond, but it's less immediate than facebook and less specific than email and less expensive than a newspaper column. So I don't have a lot to say, but I was thinking about politics earlier, so I might as well talk about that. Funny that I initially said I would avoid politics, but that seems to be a point of discussion for me. But we can blame the circumstances, seeing as the election was yesterday. Anyway, here are some tidbits.
--Political Informedness. This election, I chose to stay really uninformed about the election. Yes, it was a choice. I didn't have a huge amount of time when everything came under the spotlight last year and I felt no obligation to set time aside to become politically informed because I am a wee sixteen year-old and I can't vote. So I formed vague opinions based on the little research I did for myself and the opinions of people that I trust (from both sides) and I decided that I favored neither Obama nor McCain. I watched neither candidate speak formally, save for brief excerpts, and I quickly came to the conclusion that Obama would win and I got over it. I still think Mitt should have won. As I've said before I really hate politics. I hate the dishonesty of every politician. I hate the animosity between parties. I hate the enmity that so often rears its ugly head between close friends who can't see beyond their political differences. I hate the mob mentality of uninformed voters who violently support one side or another (in fact, I hate the mob mentality involved in the Obama campaign, because so many had no idea what they were voting for, they only know who they were voting for, especially among eighteen to thirty year-olds, but I'm glad that someone got them to care about something and I'm glad that they voted and I'm not upset that Obama was elected so it's all good), which is why I went from supporting Mitt, to supporting neither, to being against both. I never chose a side because I honestly didn't like either based on the little that I knew and also because I didn't know enough to feel good about choosing a side. And because it was fun to say that if I were voting, I would have written in Mitt. But, I was watching Obama's acceptance speech today (I haven't finished watching it, but I have watched most of it) and as the camera zoomed in on the faces of the audience who were beyond elated and very emotional, I felt a distinct disconnect with them, not because we differed in opinion, but because they cared and I didn't. Those of you who know me best know that I hate barriers. I hate feeling like something is preventing me from connecting with another human being. So I decided something. Well, I reaffirmed and added to a previous decision. I had already decided to become politically informed for the next election because I will vote in the next election (though government is not my favorite class, it has taught me two things: one of them is that an uninformed voter is an idiot--I don't intend to be an idiot), but beyond that I decided today to start today. Whatever happens in the next four years (and honestly, I haven't a clue--the only things I'm sure of are "Change" and a favorable rating for the new president as he begins his tenure), I pledge to myself and to any who want to hold me accountable that I will know more about what is going on in my country. I won't be perfectly and thoroughly informed to begin with, but when I have the time, I will take the time to read an article or watch the news. It's kind of funny--up until now I've cared deeply about the world around me, but not as much about the country around me. Furthermore, I decided to care. I'm not saying that my contempt for American politics has miraculously vanished, and I'm promising that I won't become emotionally attached to any candidate, and I certainly won't make politics an integral part of my life or personality, but I will care. Right now I'm not sure entirely what that will mean or means right now. But I know it means something. (By the way, the reason why I wouldn't care, and why what "care" means in this case is unclear, is because I'm not convinced that politics or government can affect my life or change it in any other way besides taxes and I'm not sure that politics or government can really make a positive difference in the world--I'd like to hope so, but I don't know if I can convince myself to think so, I'm too politically cynical and disillusioned. (-: )
--Barack Obama. Before anything else, I want to say that it brings great joy to my heart to know that someone other than an old, rich, white man was elected president. I would have been even happier if a Black woman had been elected (not if it were Oprah, though). It's a hard reality for me to grasp or even imagine, but I do know that it is a reality that severe racism exists in our country. This makes me really sad. As unsophisticated as that sentence was, I can't put it any other way. No matter what his policies are, it's fantastic that Obama is president simply because he broke a barrier by becoming the first non-white president. Anyway, I learned a lot about Obama today, just by watching him speak. I had seen him speak before, but only in short excerpts and sound bites. Here are my thoughts on his acceptance speech. It was remarkably written and it contained many good things. Just when I felt a little excluded, he reached out and addressed the delicately-referred-to listeners whose support he hasn't yet earned. Though I think he could have been a little more inclusive earlier in his speech, when he was specifically inclusive, it was just wonderful. Second, his family is beautiful and I respect him so much for being so honest and open about his deep feelings for his family. In fact, that was my favorite part of the speech because that was the point when I really felt genuine emotion through the computer screen. Third, he's not the remarkable orator that everyone built him up to be. He is a very gifted speaker, it is true, especially compared to Bush and other politicians whom I have seen speak. But he doesn't make my list of brilliant public speakers. He has this strange sort of vocalism before many of his words and he sometimes stresses the wrong word and he has a couple other mannerisms that I find a little distracting. More importantly, I don't feel engaged or emotionally involved when he speaks, and that's not because I disagree with him (what was there to disagree with in his acceptance speech, anyway), it's because I don't feel any emotion or genuineness or plain honesty when he speaks (and by honesty, I mean honesty in an acting sense, not in an I-think-he's-lying-to-me sense). Though I know he really believes in his words, I don't feel like his delivery is completely rooted in his heart. That being said, I think he is a very likeable speaker (I totally understand why he woke up the youth of the nation) and a very talented speaker, especially compared to other politicians I've heard. I just don't think he's as good as many of my good friends have set him up to be. But that's okay, a president doesn't have to be a brilliant performer, but Obama certainly is a good one. Fourth, he seems a little bit cocky, not a ton, but a bit, mostly at the beginning of his speech. Of course, he had every right to be proud of himself, I mean, he'll be the most powerful man in the world come January, but he seemed the slightest bit full of himself, which irks me. But I've also heard that McCain was much more arrogant and that was one of his big problems. I'll assess that later when I search for McCain's speeches on Youtube. Fifth, he was very grateful in his speech, and that was nice to see.
--An anomaly. The other important thing that I learned in my government class is that a good citizen should distrust his government. It's clear that people trust Obama. It's also clear that America needs hope right now. How do you find the balance between an optimism and affection for a president and a healthy distrust for those in power? How do you do it? The distrust part isn't hard for me, but the hope part is for me. I'm pretty optimistic about most things in life, but I'm fairly cynical about the course of the country. I honestly think that things will just get worse, not necessarily because of Obama, but just because. Anyway, I'd like to hope (especially because so many other people are hopeful) but I also think that the Obama craze and all the happiness about his success in the election should be tempered with a healthy distrust for the government. That's what the founding fathers intended, and if we can trust anyone, we can trust them
Okay, I realize this post was way long. I'll work on writing shorter posts. Here's a video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JQ69a88CmE
I love this song and this is my favorite version on Youtube. I wish I had this guys technique.
--Christian Jacob Frandsen
I realized today, just now, that having a blog puts a lot of pressure on me. I know I have so many interested readers and I really don't want to let them down. But right now I don't feel like I have a lot to say. I just can't handle it. So I'm deleting the blog, because it's just too daunting and I want my life to be easy.
Just kidding.
I don't really have a lot to say today, but I LOVE having the blog because I can say what I want to say and people can respond, but it's less immediate than facebook and less specific than email and less expensive than a newspaper column. So I don't have a lot to say, but I was thinking about politics earlier, so I might as well talk about that. Funny that I initially said I would avoid politics, but that seems to be a point of discussion for me. But we can blame the circumstances, seeing as the election was yesterday. Anyway, here are some tidbits.
--Political Informedness. This election, I chose to stay really uninformed about the election. Yes, it was a choice. I didn't have a huge amount of time when everything came under the spotlight last year and I felt no obligation to set time aside to become politically informed because I am a wee sixteen year-old and I can't vote. So I formed vague opinions based on the little research I did for myself and the opinions of people that I trust (from both sides) and I decided that I favored neither Obama nor McCain. I watched neither candidate speak formally, save for brief excerpts, and I quickly came to the conclusion that Obama would win and I got over it. I still think Mitt should have won. As I've said before I really hate politics. I hate the dishonesty of every politician. I hate the animosity between parties. I hate the enmity that so often rears its ugly head between close friends who can't see beyond their political differences. I hate the mob mentality of uninformed voters who violently support one side or another (in fact, I hate the mob mentality involved in the Obama campaign, because so many had no idea what they were voting for, they only know who they were voting for, especially among eighteen to thirty year-olds, but I'm glad that someone got them to care about something and I'm glad that they voted and I'm not upset that Obama was elected so it's all good), which is why I went from supporting Mitt, to supporting neither, to being against both. I never chose a side because I honestly didn't like either based on the little that I knew and also because I didn't know enough to feel good about choosing a side. And because it was fun to say that if I were voting, I would have written in Mitt. But, I was watching Obama's acceptance speech today (I haven't finished watching it, but I have watched most of it) and as the camera zoomed in on the faces of the audience who were beyond elated and very emotional, I felt a distinct disconnect with them, not because we differed in opinion, but because they cared and I didn't. Those of you who know me best know that I hate barriers. I hate feeling like something is preventing me from connecting with another human being. So I decided something. Well, I reaffirmed and added to a previous decision. I had already decided to become politically informed for the next election because I will vote in the next election (though government is not my favorite class, it has taught me two things: one of them is that an uninformed voter is an idiot--I don't intend to be an idiot), but beyond that I decided today to start today. Whatever happens in the next four years (and honestly, I haven't a clue--the only things I'm sure of are "Change" and a favorable rating for the new president as he begins his tenure), I pledge to myself and to any who want to hold me accountable that I will know more about what is going on in my country. I won't be perfectly and thoroughly informed to begin with, but when I have the time, I will take the time to read an article or watch the news. It's kind of funny--up until now I've cared deeply about the world around me, but not as much about the country around me. Furthermore, I decided to care. I'm not saying that my contempt for American politics has miraculously vanished, and I'm promising that I won't become emotionally attached to any candidate, and I certainly won't make politics an integral part of my life or personality, but I will care. Right now I'm not sure entirely what that will mean or means right now. But I know it means something. (By the way, the reason why I wouldn't care, and why what "care" means in this case is unclear, is because I'm not convinced that politics or government can affect my life or change it in any other way besides taxes and I'm not sure that politics or government can really make a positive difference in the world--I'd like to hope so, but I don't know if I can convince myself to think so, I'm too politically cynical and disillusioned. (-: )
--Barack Obama. Before anything else, I want to say that it brings great joy to my heart to know that someone other than an old, rich, white man was elected president. I would have been even happier if a Black woman had been elected (not if it were Oprah, though). It's a hard reality for me to grasp or even imagine, but I do know that it is a reality that severe racism exists in our country. This makes me really sad. As unsophisticated as that sentence was, I can't put it any other way. No matter what his policies are, it's fantastic that Obama is president simply because he broke a barrier by becoming the first non-white president. Anyway, I learned a lot about Obama today, just by watching him speak. I had seen him speak before, but only in short excerpts and sound bites. Here are my thoughts on his acceptance speech. It was remarkably written and it contained many good things. Just when I felt a little excluded, he reached out and addressed the delicately-referred-to listeners whose support he hasn't yet earned. Though I think he could have been a little more inclusive earlier in his speech, when he was specifically inclusive, it was just wonderful. Second, his family is beautiful and I respect him so much for being so honest and open about his deep feelings for his family. In fact, that was my favorite part of the speech because that was the point when I really felt genuine emotion through the computer screen. Third, he's not the remarkable orator that everyone built him up to be. He is a very gifted speaker, it is true, especially compared to Bush and other politicians whom I have seen speak. But he doesn't make my list of brilliant public speakers. He has this strange sort of vocalism before many of his words and he sometimes stresses the wrong word and he has a couple other mannerisms that I find a little distracting. More importantly, I don't feel engaged or emotionally involved when he speaks, and that's not because I disagree with him (what was there to disagree with in his acceptance speech, anyway), it's because I don't feel any emotion or genuineness or plain honesty when he speaks (and by honesty, I mean honesty in an acting sense, not in an I-think-he's-lying-to-me sense). Though I know he really believes in his words, I don't feel like his delivery is completely rooted in his heart. That being said, I think he is a very likeable speaker (I totally understand why he woke up the youth of the nation) and a very talented speaker, especially compared to other politicians I've heard. I just don't think he's as good as many of my good friends have set him up to be. But that's okay, a president doesn't have to be a brilliant performer, but Obama certainly is a good one. Fourth, he seems a little bit cocky, not a ton, but a bit, mostly at the beginning of his speech. Of course, he had every right to be proud of himself, I mean, he'll be the most powerful man in the world come January, but he seemed the slightest bit full of himself, which irks me. But I've also heard that McCain was much more arrogant and that was one of his big problems. I'll assess that later when I search for McCain's speeches on Youtube. Fifth, he was very grateful in his speech, and that was nice to see.
--An anomaly. The other important thing that I learned in my government class is that a good citizen should distrust his government. It's clear that people trust Obama. It's also clear that America needs hope right now. How do you find the balance between an optimism and affection for a president and a healthy distrust for those in power? How do you do it? The distrust part isn't hard for me, but the hope part is for me. I'm pretty optimistic about most things in life, but I'm fairly cynical about the course of the country. I honestly think that things will just get worse, not necessarily because of Obama, but just because. Anyway, I'd like to hope (especially because so many other people are hopeful) but I also think that the Obama craze and all the happiness about his success in the election should be tempered with a healthy distrust for the government. That's what the founding fathers intended, and if we can trust anyone, we can trust them
Okay, I realize this post was way long. I'll work on writing shorter posts. Here's a video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JQ69a88CmE
I love this song and this is my favorite version on Youtube. I wish I had this guys technique.
--Christian Jacob Frandsen
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Election Day Miscellany
Dear Everyone,
This is very appropriate. Check the date at the bottom, it will shock you.
"Make no mistake about it, brothers and sisters, in the months and years ahead, events are likely to require each member to decide whether or not he will follow the First Presidency. Members will find it more difficult to halt longer between two opinions. President Marion G. Romney said, many years ago, that he had 'never hesitated to follow the counsel of the Authorities of the Church even though it crossed my social, professional or political life.'
"This is hard doctrine, but it is particularly vital doctrine in a society which is becoming more wicked. In short, brothers and sisters, not being ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ includes not being ashamed of the
prophets of Jesus Christ. . . . Your discipleship may see the time when such religious convictions are discounted. . . . This new irreligious imperialism seeks to disallow certain opinions simply because those opinions grow out of religious convictions.
"Resistance to abortion will be seen as primitive. Concern over the institution of the family will be viewed as untrendy and unenlightened.... Before the ultimate victory of the forces of righteousness, some skirmishes will be lost. Even in these, however, let us leave a record so that the choices are clear, letting others do as they
will in the face of prophetic counsel. There will also be times, happily, when a minor defeat seems probable, but others will step forward, having been rallied to rightness by what we do. We will know the joy, on occasion, of having awakened a slumbering majority of the decent people of all races and creeds which was, till then, unconscious of itself. Jesus said that when the fig trees put forth their leaves, 'summer is nigh.' Thus warned that summer is upon us, let us not then complain of the heat."
--- Elder Neal A. Maxwell
10 October 1978
For those of you, and hopefully there are more than just one or two, who are not Mormon, here's what I've been thinking about today:
--Henna. Katy Pedelty allowed me the use of her Henna for today. It's so fun!!! I have a Music heart made out of a treble clef and a bass clef on my right wrist (Katy did that for me on Saturday night) and a tracing of the lines on my left palm. I'll probably put more on tonight and post pictures at some point, just for you, Gabrielle :-) Anyway, everyone was asking for a Henna today. I gave DeDe and Suzanne "peace, love, and music" Hennas. I gave Kat a flower. I gave Ili a heart. I gave Allie a dove (notice a trend? It changed when I got to theatre, as expected). In sixth period, theatre, I gave Sarah Phillips a tiny star, Sarah Sherman a supercool heart/peace sign design, and Lindsey a butterfly. Nick got "Equius" on his left index finger with a scale (the scales of justice) and "Veritas" on his right index finger (with the sword of truth). Rishi got an interesting NON-buddhist design, but I really wanted to write Sanskrit characters. Except I don't know Sanskrit. In any event, his looked like a snowflake. Carrie got a "Mrs. A-Z" because she went to the Jason Mraz concert on Saturday (I was so jealous). My favorite of the day was Robin's. It started out as a peace sign on her forearm, but then it became this compass-looking doodle. And then it became a flower. And the flower grew leaves. It's beautiful. Oh and I forgot Chantal and Sean. Chantal got "Love" with a heart connected to it. Sean got a peace sign. And I forgot Katy, but she was earlier in the day. I gave her a Bass/Treble heart and a cursive "Dona Nobis Pacem." The point is, henna is fun.
--SNL. We watched it today in Government. Just the Tina Fey/Sarah Palin stuff. I wish we'd watched some of the Obama stuff, too, just because that would have been fair, and also because some of the other videos we watched were pointless and one was really quite offensive. Anyway, others really like it. So I want to watch it. The limited amount that I've seen is so intelligent. The only problem is, it's so darn late at night!
--Nodes. Jramie (yeah, that's how I spell it) belted an A or something today. It was good. Clarke tried, but unfortunately, Clarke is very much a bass. I don't want him to get nodes. I don't want to get nodes. And I'm terrified of learning how to belt come fall 2009, when I take my first MDT voice class. But I really want to learn. It's just scary. I should meditate.
--The wearing of political materials. I fashioned a "Yes on 8" sticker in first period this morning. During lunch, I got some bumper stickers. I really wanted to put a bumper sticker across one of my back pockets, because my green corduroys would have made a nice (maybe a little gross) contrast with the yellow and because it was funny, but I didn't end up doing it because my hands had Henna on them. Anyway, people weren't as hostile as I thought they might be. I got some looks from friends, and one "It's really good you're not voting" but for the most part, people were very respectful of the expression of my views, especially considering the hostility towards "Yes on 8" picketers and the whole I-got-picked-up-by-the-cops-for-legally-distributing-doorhangers-for-Prop-8 thing that happened on Saturday. By the way, any of you with whom I have not discussed Propostion Eight, and those of you with whom I have who want to know my exact position, I'll write an essay for this blog over the weekend explaining everything you did and didn't want to know about my thoughts on Prop Eight. But I don't really want to talk about it until then, because I've talked about it enough so far and my tongue is tired of it.
And, because I missed the Jason Mraz concert on Saturday, here's a good video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkHTsc9PU2A
And because I like musicals, here's another good video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdZBNcILeH0
That one is Stephanie J. Block singing a GREAT song from 9 to 5: The Musical, based on the movie of the same title, with songs by Dolly Parton. It's opening on Broadway pretty soon, but I got to see the world premiere in Los Angeles at the Ahmanson! I smell many a Tony nomination for this show.
Thanks for reading and Love,
Christian :-)
This is very appropriate. Check the date at the bottom, it will shock you.
"Make no mistake about it, brothers and sisters, in the months and years ahead, events are likely to require each member to decide whether or not he will follow the First Presidency. Members will find it more difficult to halt longer between two opinions. President Marion G. Romney said, many years ago, that he had 'never hesitated to follow the counsel of the Authorities of the Church even though it crossed my social, professional or political life.'
"This is hard doctrine, but it is particularly vital doctrine in a society which is becoming more wicked. In short, brothers and sisters, not being ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ includes not being ashamed of the
prophets of Jesus Christ. . . . Your discipleship may see the time when such religious convictions are discounted. . . . This new irreligious imperialism seeks to disallow certain opinions simply because those opinions grow out of religious convictions.
"Resistance to abortion will be seen as primitive. Concern over the institution of the family will be viewed as untrendy and unenlightened.... Before the ultimate victory of the forces of righteousness, some skirmishes will be lost. Even in these, however, let us leave a record so that the choices are clear, letting others do as they
will in the face of prophetic counsel. There will also be times, happily, when a minor defeat seems probable, but others will step forward, having been rallied to rightness by what we do. We will know the joy, on occasion, of having awakened a slumbering majority of the decent people of all races and creeds which was, till then, unconscious of itself. Jesus said that when the fig trees put forth their leaves, 'summer is nigh.' Thus warned that summer is upon us, let us not then complain of the heat."
--- Elder Neal A. Maxwell
10 October 1978
For those of you, and hopefully there are more than just one or two, who are not Mormon, here's what I've been thinking about today:
--Henna. Katy Pedelty allowed me the use of her Henna for today. It's so fun!!! I have a Music heart made out of a treble clef and a bass clef on my right wrist (Katy did that for me on Saturday night) and a tracing of the lines on my left palm. I'll probably put more on tonight and post pictures at some point, just for you, Gabrielle :-) Anyway, everyone was asking for a Henna today. I gave DeDe and Suzanne "peace, love, and music" Hennas. I gave Kat a flower. I gave Ili a heart. I gave Allie a dove (notice a trend? It changed when I got to theatre, as expected). In sixth period, theatre, I gave Sarah Phillips a tiny star, Sarah Sherman a supercool heart/peace sign design, and Lindsey a butterfly. Nick got "Equius" on his left index finger with a scale (the scales of justice) and "Veritas" on his right index finger (with the sword of truth). Rishi got an interesting NON-buddhist design, but I really wanted to write Sanskrit characters. Except I don't know Sanskrit. In any event, his looked like a snowflake. Carrie got a "Mrs. A-Z" because she went to the Jason Mraz concert on Saturday (I was so jealous). My favorite of the day was Robin's. It started out as a peace sign on her forearm, but then it became this compass-looking doodle. And then it became a flower. And the flower grew leaves. It's beautiful. Oh and I forgot Chantal and Sean. Chantal got "Love" with a heart connected to it. Sean got a peace sign. And I forgot Katy, but she was earlier in the day. I gave her a Bass/Treble heart and a cursive "Dona Nobis Pacem." The point is, henna is fun.
--SNL. We watched it today in Government. Just the Tina Fey/Sarah Palin stuff. I wish we'd watched some of the Obama stuff, too, just because that would have been fair, and also because some of the other videos we watched were pointless and one was really quite offensive. Anyway, others really like it. So I want to watch it. The limited amount that I've seen is so intelligent. The only problem is, it's so darn late at night!
--Nodes. Jramie (yeah, that's how I spell it) belted an A or something today. It was good. Clarke tried, but unfortunately, Clarke is very much a bass. I don't want him to get nodes. I don't want to get nodes. And I'm terrified of learning how to belt come fall 2009, when I take my first MDT voice class. But I really want to learn. It's just scary. I should meditate.
--The wearing of political materials. I fashioned a "Yes on 8" sticker in first period this morning. During lunch, I got some bumper stickers. I really wanted to put a bumper sticker across one of my back pockets, because my green corduroys would have made a nice (maybe a little gross) contrast with the yellow and because it was funny, but I didn't end up doing it because my hands had Henna on them. Anyway, people weren't as hostile as I thought they might be. I got some looks from friends, and one "It's really good you're not voting" but for the most part, people were very respectful of the expression of my views, especially considering the hostility towards "Yes on 8" picketers and the whole I-got-picked-up-by-the-cops-for-legally-distributing-doorhangers-for-Prop-8 thing that happened on Saturday. By the way, any of you with whom I have not discussed Propostion Eight, and those of you with whom I have who want to know my exact position, I'll write an essay for this blog over the weekend explaining everything you did and didn't want to know about my thoughts on Prop Eight. But I don't really want to talk about it until then, because I've talked about it enough so far and my tongue is tired of it.
And, because I missed the Jason Mraz concert on Saturday, here's a good video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkHTsc9PU2A
And because I like musicals, here's another good video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdZBNcILeH0
That one is Stephanie J. Block singing a GREAT song from 9 to 5: The Musical, based on the movie of the same title, with songs by Dolly Parton. It's opening on Broadway pretty soon, but I got to see the world premiere in Los Angeles at the Ahmanson! I smell many a Tony nomination for this show.
Thanks for reading and Love,
Christian :-)
Monday, November 3, 2008
Pilot Post
Hello Everyone!
Welcome to Christian's Blog. While on the subject of blogs, I recommend Andrew's Blog. But back to the point. Unfortunately, this post won't be very interesting. And I may not have time to post anything interesting for a few days because of a particular period of life called high school that seems to take up a fair amount of time. But I promise I'll be interesting as soon as possible.
Anyway, this blog, or weblog to be proper, doesn't have a particular direction right now. Nor does it have a particular look or fixed title. I'll start blogging and figure out what it will be like a few posts in so that I can come up with something clever for the top of the page and pick a design that's more visually pleasing and specific to the content. But my guess is that I'll end up talking a lot about musicals. Or books. Or life. Or paintings. Or people. Probably not a lot about politics, but maybe a little. I may well talk a lot about how much I hate politics. For example, this election has made the past week hell. But I'll probably ask you, my faithful readers, for your opinions on various issues, even if I don't offer my own.
So yeah. Come back and read regularly. It should be fun.
Love,
Christian
Welcome to Christian's Blog. While on the subject of blogs, I recommend Andrew's Blog. But back to the point. Unfortunately, this post won't be very interesting. And I may not have time to post anything interesting for a few days because of a particular period of life called high school that seems to take up a fair amount of time. But I promise I'll be interesting as soon as possible.
Anyway, this blog, or weblog to be proper, doesn't have a particular direction right now. Nor does it have a particular look or fixed title. I'll start blogging and figure out what it will be like a few posts in so that I can come up with something clever for the top of the page and pick a design that's more visually pleasing and specific to the content. But my guess is that I'll end up talking a lot about musicals. Or books. Or life. Or paintings. Or people. Probably not a lot about politics, but maybe a little. I may well talk a lot about how much I hate politics. For example, this election has made the past week hell. But I'll probably ask you, my faithful readers, for your opinions on various issues, even if I don't offer my own.
So yeah. Come back and read regularly. It should be fun.
Love,
Christian
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