You are currently browsing the monthly archive for January 2008.
thought one — english muffins rock. that’s right R.O.C.K. We can’t keep them in stock at the house of love, we’ve branched out into multiple brands
thought two — my dresser was filled with crap. lots of unmatched socks and holiday socks. the desire to purge came after not being able to find any of the socks i actually wear, after purging sock drawer i purged all other drawers and rid myself of un-wearable t-shirts and tank tops
thought three — my cats are clingy when i spend a day at home, they must be near or on me at all times. cute but annoying
thought four — natural cheetos are A-MAZ-ING. Way better then the original, and no orange finger residue
thought five — i’m like an egg, hard shell exterior, but once you crack me i’m just goo on the inside
Today is Martin Luther King day. I love this holiday, I love remembering/honoring this man.
So here’s a quote of his I love which goes along with another discussion (one side found here) David, Amanda and I have been having…
The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you may murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate. So it goes. … Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.
It’s a compelling argument for the fact that the end cannot justify the means. And as much as I love the concept and believe it is true, there is a nagging voice that declares that in this moment, in this state of depravity there are necessary evils. There are necessary wars, there is necessary violence.
Bottom line, we need still need MLK’s voice, we still need someone with a dream of something better then the “necessary evils”, to talk about a modern day movement of freedom, we could use his perspectives on all that has happened and all that is coming. We need someone to transcend the politics and the rhetoric and the electoral math, we need someone with a vision, someone with hope, we need a voice that cries out for righteousness in our governments, local and national. Not just righteousness on one issue, but righteousness for all people.
Can you feel the paradox that I feel? This is a challenge for me, to have hope but to be realistic, how much is possible today? In my time? I know that one day we will have a righteous King and I am eager for that day. But are there really answers for this week, and next year, and the middle east and for Darfur? In my most honest moments I feel like there are no good answers, there are no real solutions. And whenever I reach that point I shelve my thoughts for another day, I transition to meditating on rain drops and roses and whiskers on kittens.
so enough from the soapbox of depressing analysis.
talk amongst yourselves.
I so can’t sleep right now, so right now you’re about to experience rambley random Kristen. Even I have no idea what is about to go down.
The bitter chill
It is soooo cold here right now, going outside makes you want to cry out for your own death and clench your rattling teeth until the roof of your mouth begins to slowly bleed.
In-cred-i-bowl
I bowled today and tied for first place. I am not a big bowler but I have a consistent throw/roll and know how to adjust it accordingly. Happy Birthday Jesse, I love you and Char endlessly.
Pet life
Annyoung, my cat, snores. It might have something to do with his morbid obesity. That’s his new year’s resolution, to lose a few pounds.
Football
Tom Brady has the throw of a golden god. No really, he reads the coverage and he always finds his man. The man could make your jaw drop, but it makes for a very predictable football season, so while I’m in awe of the consistency, it’s B-O-R-I-N-G.
Embarrassing story
My most embarrassing high school moment is on facebook. I was reading through some high school alum stuff and yep one person just says, “remember when…” I gasped, it’s so sweet how some thing will live on for-ev-er I hate/love the internet.
oh and about this post… yeah I am so totally still that girl on the bus. Maybe I’ll never grow up.
Those are my thoughts in a nutshell about the elections. I’d like to move it along, please. I want a candidate that is all about moving humanity forward, I want a candidate who proves we are moving forward. That’s all I want, some progression (well that and someone who completely agrees with everything I think).
So while “change” is the political buzzword, I don’t really think it’s specific enough. I mean hellloooo, change is coming, that’s inevitable, there is a man leaving that white house. It’s happening, no one needs to vote for change, the constitution is ensuring it.
I’m not sold on any of the candidates, most of them have a glazed over look in their eyes that say to me either “puppet dictator” or “I’m tired already”.
I personally think the Democrats have backed themselves into an unpleasant corner that reeks of “hopefully in another 4 years”. The two strongest candidates are too polarizing and the third guy no one seems to even know (although I like him quite a bit).
Republicans have backed themselves into an unpleasant corner that reeks of “we don’t know what we really want to get out of this whole thing”. Can anyone define what a republican is anymore? What is this party really standing for?
again that’s my personal overall view of the field.
And so personally, when I look at the Democrats and think of Clinton and Obama, I think to myself… if a nation would vote in one of these two it would at least mean clear progress. Before people begin spontaneously combusting let me explain.
Despite my abhorrence of some of their political stances, a win for Obama or Clinton would represent a change in majority opinion in our country, it would represent, to me, putting our money where our mouth is. Do we as a nation really believe that a woman or an African American could run a country? Do we really believe what we’re telling our kids in classrooms across the nation? Can those kids grow up and be treated as equals?
I just want some proof of some progress we’ve made in last four decades. I just want to know if the majority of American people really are ready for that type of presidency. Sadly, I’m not sure we are.
As for the Republicans, it’s the best of the not so great. I don’t have many strong opinions about them, other then McCain seems like a decent choice.
The last 8 years seem to have all but handed the Democrats this next presidency, yet I wonder if our nation is ready for that kind of progression.
I will say that the view from here is nice, that is to say that I’m glad I won’t be voted in as president in 08. I’m glad the next four years of my life won’t be slave to others wars, whims, and relative compromise; I’ll be affected definitely, but I’ll take that over slave any day.
Random Political Ramblings brought to you Overly Opinionated Spontaneous Thoughts inc. avid sponsors of all things nonsense.
I’ve already laughed for a good thirty minutes about my new look, I love everything about it. It is perfectly nuance-d and totally obvious.
It is brought to us by the brilliant David Scoggan, his blog has really shone a light on this blogging community by bringing us new topics (ranging wildly from relationships to philosophical issues) and a dryer sense of humor.
The header makes me think immediately of my road kill adventures found here and here, but it really speaks to my over all perspective; taking the seemingly cute things in life and hacking them to pieces. Of course that’s how I view myself, I’ll leave the majority of interpretations to you all.
Anyway drop by and check out David’s blog, it’s a solid read.
Feels like lately all I’ve been doing is talking to myself; repeating to myself the same little phrases, sometimes I wonder if I’m a little OCD, or just plain mad.
I had a moment last week, sitting in a drive through after they had botched my order and all I could think was “he’s not listening to me.” And all of sudden right there in the drive through I just started to cry, those big crazy people tears. I couldn’t pull it together to correct the whole situation so I just took the wrong order, knowing that I was really crying about something else.
That’s so me. I have a hard time knowing how I feel, I have a hard time knowing why I’m crying. So while the messed up order truly was sad, I was freaking out because I felt like no one could hear me. Have you ever had a dream where you keep screaming but no sound comes out? I feel like that sometimes, I feel like that no matter how I express myself no one can really hear me, I feel like my loudest voice is the one inside my head.
I am surrounded by amazing friends, people who just exude patience and long suffering, they help me sort through my stuff, they keep asking me questions until finally I can hear my own voice, and I connect the jumbled up emotions to specific situations. These people keep me sane, they have helped me figure it out, and sometimes, these days, I can hear them in my head and begin figuring it out on my own.
The internal dialogue churns on, sorting and categorizing my thoughts and tears, placing them in little boxes, in little cabinets, in little spaces in my mind, connecting them with prayers and pleas and laughter.
I agree; enough, enough about onething.
moving on (said with light overly cheerful voice).
Here I am in a completely new year. It’s 2008 and by the way why aren’t we traveling in space-like hover mobiles by now?
That is to say, sometimes we imagine ourselves in the future as farther along then truly realistic. I do this quite a bit. I remember in 5th grade thinking the 8th graders looked huge, but then when I was in 8th grade never really feeling like a giant physically or in maturity.
2008 seems like a date from the future, it seems like I should be farther along in my life, farther along in the progression of being human. Like I’m stuck in some adolescent phase of existence, I’m an adult by all accounts but I really feel like a blithering child most days.
Shouldn’t I be sophisticated like Grace Kelly or poised like Condi Rice or bold like Ani DiFranco? Shouldn’t I be starting a movement or book or a coherent thought?
I just figured I’d be further along, I just figured I’d be some sort of astronaut by now. Never mind my deep seeded hatred of all things math and science, surely I should be conquering some sort of space odyssey.
I am NOT on a space odyssey, I’m back in the six grade at the museum of science and industry replaying conversations of children on yellow school buses (or was it blue). Fast forward and I’m still THAT girl on the bus or in that dungeon of a classroom, trying to figure out what I was feeling/thinking/saying/doing.
I’m just saying six grade to now, not that much has changed, except I don’t wear near as much flannel.
David looking concerned.
Sammy concentrating on transactions
These two didn’t have to be here, but they gave their week to us.
Too cute!
My parents worked the same grueling hours as all of us.
Oh Darin, you are so precious.
Nadine, you rock!
Lael, you are a clothing queen.
The picture of patience.
Sweet, sweeter, and sweetest.
Beautiful people.
Amanda smiles for no one.
Way to work the floor girls.
Oh sweet Brooke, you feed off the frenzy.
Hartke contemplating the finer points of cashiering
Jeff being demur.
Matthias securing a exit.
Bringing it all together.
For a little bit of extra cash, these guys will break bones.
Dearest Heidi, we’re going to saint you. We revere you highly, without you I would be a sobbing glob on the floor, with you I can soar high above the eagles. You are the wind beneath my wings.
