Have you heard

 of stumbleupon.com?  It is the most fun time-waster ever!  I love it.  I stumbled upon this the other day:

Sorry that I'm so obsessed with really random quotes-I've clearly been on a little bit of quote kick lately, as evidenced by my last three blog posts.  Oops.  It's just that all  of these scholars and philosophers say it so much better than I ever could.  And this one just seems especially relevant today, especially when interpreted a little bit broadly. :) I hope you all like it as much I do.  Have a lovely afternoon!  I'll spend mine writing a ten-page research paper. Boo.

I wasn't going to press "publish post". But...I just can't help myself.

Hello, there.  I'm going to try and direct a little bit of frustration I'm feeling into something constructive.  I would like to talk about politics.

Political parties are not like sports teams, and there is therefore no place for sports-like rivalries in the political sphere.  Because, guess what?  Nobody wins.  It's not a game, it's people's lives.  It's their freedom, their basic rights, their safety, their welfare.  It's not a game, and it's not a fight.  Ideological differences amount to nothing in the scheme of things, because political parties are just a means to an ends.  The end goal should be the best possible society with the highest possible level of happiness.  Ideally, this can be accomplished through conservative and liberal practices.

I think that people should start focusing on what can be done to improve American politics instead of name-calling and hate-mongering.  I think that people should shift their points of view to include the possibility that consensus might be the best option.  I think that people should stop assuming the other side is morally wrong, because they aren't.


I'm not an apostate.  That's all.  

"People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they are not on your road does not mean they have gotten lost"-Jackson Browne

Cherishing

I found this quote today.   It says,

"Cherish your solitude.  Take trains by yourself to places you have never been.  Sleep alone under the stars.  Learn how to drive a stick shift.  Go so far away that you stop being afraid of not coming back.  Say no whenever you don't want to do something.  Say yes if your instincts are strong, even if everyone around you disagrees.  Decide whether you want to be liked or admired.  Decide if fitting in is more important than finding out what you're doing here.  Believe in kissing."

This is good advice, right?  When I first read this, it kind of blew my mind.  I love it.  I think we should all be secure enough in ourselves that we can truly cherish solitude.  How beautiful of a concept is that?  I've found myself alone this week a lot more than usual since i've been so busy with classes.  And I've had a really great week.  Sometimes, solitude is very refreshing.

Anyway, that's all I have to contribute to the internet for today.  Enjoy your weekends!  

It's either gray or blue.

Blue skies are something I miss terribly. Pretty much every day when I would get out of school last year at Mountain View, I would walk outside and be stunned by the beautiful, beautiful, gigantic, blue desert sky. Sometimes you can see the curve of the earth because the sky is just so expansive and overwhelming. It's one of my favorite things.

You just don't get the same sky in Provo. And that's okay with me, because otherwise I wouldn't be able to appreciate how special it is when I go home. Anyway, I didn't intend to write this post to come across as all homesick-y. My point is that a clear blue sky is something that makes me terribly happy. I'm going to steal an idea from one of my favorite stranger's blogs, the rockstar diaries, and tell you ten things that make me terribly happy.

1. clear blue skies (obvi)
2. learning about things i've heard of, but never knew anything about
3. watching my humanities professor describe classical music and look like the happiest person in the world
4. online shopping for things i could never afford or actually wear in public, like wedding dresses and business suits and four hundred dollar sweaters and fabulous shoes
5. finding inspirational quotes by very smart people
6. orbit spearmint gum, coupled with bath and body works peppermint lip gloss. yum.
7. ballet flats
8. going to bed early, as in before 1 am
9. when the cannon center has pine nuts in the salad bar
10. literal, direct answers to prayers

Sometimes, I think it's good to count your blessings. It's also super fun. Anyway, that was a great exercise. I'll probably remember I have a blog again in like three months. So...see ya!