Birthdays and Time

Birthdays can be a time of great contemplation and soul-searching. It's not my birthday (mine's in August), but my little sister's is this weekend and I was very happy to be home to be a part of it. It's amazing how fast the years go by. She's 4 1/2 years younger than me, and while I think it's often a point of contention between us, we've been getting along better and better with time.

Her family party was this afternoon. Now that I'm too old for a family gathering for my birthday, my sister's is the only time that most or all of our more extended family (just grandparents and aunts and uncles) are at our house. It's always nice to see everyone, even if we did just see them a month ago for Christmas. Which, by the way, I can't believe was a month ago already :P

So, that explains my lack of posting yesterday or earlier today, but why didn't I post later in the work-week as promised? I ended up actually trying to get some rest on Tuesday evening and only do a little bit of homework, which ended up causing me to get behind in my work for the entire rest of the week. I literally only caught up with everything for my classes on Friday morning. I MUST stay on top of my homework! This is getting ridiculous! I guess it's just so hard for me because this semester I have that night class on Wednesdays, plus I have a LOT more reading to do for my classes this semester than any other. And I know I'm only going to get more reading in the future; which is both a blessing and a curse.

I really do love to read, and I realize that it's an essential part of my major, but why is it so very time-consuming?! It's the one thing that I literally can't speed up working on. I can "scan" the assignment, but that does not deliver the same level of comprehension as actual reading.

I'm probably going to have to start cutting out some hobbies... like watching Youtube videos. They're my weakness I suppose. I subscribe to many "Youtubers" who post regular videos, many of which are 10+ minutes long, on average. But they've become my television. And they really do lighten my days; I've noticed I tend to be much more easily frustrated when I don't watch any videos as I eat breakfast in the morning. I'll just have to figure out a way to limit them, I guess :P

And that leads right back to time. It's funny how that happens (...a lot... to me :P haha). Time is the one resource that we cannot replace. Regardless of how fast as you brush your teeth in the morning, how much botox you have injected into your face, or how much you've grown in the past year, time is immovable and consistent ... unless you want to get into Einstein's theories and quantum mechanics, or whatever. I could barely handle basic physics junior year of high school lol xD But at least here and now, on Earth, third rock from the Sun in the Solar System of the Milky Way Galaxy, time cannot be influenced by our desires. In fact, it seems to defy them by slapping us in the face with the exact opposite of what we want time to do. "Time flies when you having fun" is so very true, and I KNOW you've experienced the feeling where you look at your watch during class, and then you look again at least 10 minutes later, but it was really only two. Yup, time is weird. And I've made too many concessions to it now writing this long post....

I'll leave you with a pretty freaking amazing video my roommate showed me xD

Until next time...

OH MY GOODNESS

Wow, I am so ridiculously tired. I was really hoping to blog about the Invisible Children or something this weekend... or blog at all... but I was so sick of being on the computer and researching things that I didn't want to do any more than I had to.

I'm normally the type of person who  needs a lot of sleep (at least 7 hours), but I've only averaged about 5 for the past few nights, and last night I only got 4. -_- Staying up over the weekend was just me being stupid and thinking, 'It's the weekend, so I can go to bed late and get up late,' and then deciding to go to breakfast in the morning or go to the morning mass on Sunday. And last night, I actually didn't try to go to bed very late, but since I had a medium coffee at 8 to help me concentrate, I ended up having to stay awake until 3. The reason I was staying up so late so much was that I was working on a huge project for my World Religions class.

Extremely tall desk. I didn't create this image :P

I was assigned, with a few other people, the general topic of Primal Religions, which we then had to narrow down and write a 4-6 page paper on and do a 10 minute presentation on. Doesn't sound so bad, right? Well, everything seemed like it was going wrong from the start of writing this stuff. I researched the Australian Aborigines and their worshiping of Ayers Rock, aka Uluru. It was quite difficult to find credible sources with the information I needed contained within them. I had a bunch of other homework to do, including reading a total of 60 some pages for my two history classes and I had to study for a quiz in Italian. AND I had no idea how to start my paper at first, so I worked on my Power Point presentation since I figured it could serve as some sort of outline for my paper.

That worked well until I spent at least 8 hours total working on the Power Point when upon finishing it I still had no idea how to start the paper. So I goofed around with my Power Point more, which actually did end up making it better, but I still had to write the stupid paper!! This was yesterday, and I finally just started writing things, in an attempt to get my creative juices flowing. Well, apparently my creative juices bladder has an infected tract or something because I literally had the most difficult time cranking out this paper.

I usually don't have much trouble at all writing a paper once I get going. And that did happen in spurts yesterday. But every time I wanted to move on to a new section of my paper, I began the process over again of trying to figure out what information to deliver and how to deliver it.

In the end, I barely got the minimum of 4 pages for my paper, but I think my Power Point turned out pretty good. And I think I did a good job of presenting it, despite my state of utter exhaustion.

Another thing that's really been getting to me is the fact that it's been so freaking cold outside (at least -1 most mornings, if not less) that I kept getting rather bad nosebleeds. I'm sure that also contributed greatly to my "drained" feeling (pun intended :P)

I'll try to post a few more times this week to make up for the break. Sorry for venting so much; it just hasn't been a very good weekend and Monday haha.

Here's a vid to lighten the mood :)

I love watching this family on Youtube! Watch their other videos if you can, they're amazing singers: all of them!! Plus some of their songs are free downloads on their website ^_^

Until we meet again...

Busy, busy!

Sorry for no recent posts! School's been picking up and I haven't had much time. I do still plan to continue with my charity features, but I think they'll be more or less moved to the weekends since I have more time then.

Ugh, school. It's so exhausting. I hate how I never feel like I have enough sleep, and then half the time I can't even get to sleep at night! :P So many paradoxes...

I think exercising might help though. I get some exercise walking all over campus and to the third floors of buildings everyday, but I need to get some real work outs. I always felt best when I was in shape in high school, and even that wasn't too often because I'd always end up getting sick during the cross country season (thereby losing all my new muscle mass).

I'll leave you with the song I've had stuck in my head all day:

I love it :D hahaha

Until next time....

Falling Whistles

This post will be considerably shorter than my last for two reasons:

1. It's late (for me :P)
2. The website of this charity is far more eloquent and revelatory than I could ever be.

I think my favorite new charity is Falling Whistles, which is based on the fact that in the war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (where's the Congo? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Republic_of_the_Congo what war?! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kivu_conflict). 

A person, I'm not exactly sure of his name, he doesn't seem to advertise it, went to Africa with TOMS for a shoe drop a few years ago. When he had finished his work with TOMS, he decided to travel through various countries and see as much of Africa as he could. When he reached the DRC, he realized that the war down there was much worse than most people had ever imagined. Not only is it the deadliest conflict since World War II with more than 5 million casualties, but also, since there are so many dead and wounded, children are being sent into battle every day to fight wars for grown men sitting in air conditioned armor-plated vehicles (or better yet, a cozy building in a large city somewhere). The guy, who had known about the child soldiers and the charitable organization Invisible Children (which I will also discuss, in another post), was not only surprised by the conflict, but he was appalled by the stories some refugee boys told him. One of them was about the children who are too small to carry a gun, and so are sent to the front lines armed with only a whistle to draw the enemies' attention and serve as a barrier for the first shots.

So, he wrote a journal entry shortly after speaking with the boys he came across (http://www.fallingwhistles.com/story/story.html?keepThis=true&TB_iframe=true&height=575&width=960). At that moment, he decided to do something, and formed his charity, Falling Whistles.

I have yet to personally support this charity through donation or the purchase of a whistle, but I intend to as soon as I have some money to spare. I want a whistle so I can use it to spread the word about the atrocities of the war in the Congo, and to help those poor children who grew up in such violence that they draw pictures of machine guns for fun. I want to be a whistle blower for peace.The homepage of Falling Whistles is here: http://www.fallingwhistles.com/. Please watch the video that plays before directing you to their main page, if you can. Also, turn your sound on. They have an amazing PR team. I've only just realized in writing this that their Youtube channel is apparently gone for some reason. Hopefully it will be back up soon.

Again, thank you for reading, and please help save some lives! :)

TOMS Shoes :D

As I said last night, I was going to think of things to post about and make the posts more fun and interesting. In saying so, I had forgotten one of the main reasons I started this blog to begin with: to spread the word about my favorite charities! So, here's my first post along those lines, starting with TOMS, my first charity love :D

<3 :D (sorry for the poor quality :P)

TOMS Shoes was founded in 2006 after Blake Mycoskie traveled to Argentina and discovered how many children do not have proper footwear, if any at all. He realized that if there are so many children without shoes in a "developed" country, how many millions in developing countries also do not have shoes? He also realized how critical it is to own shoes, since many diseases like hookworm enter the body through the feet (which can cause stunted growth and health problems for the rest of a person's life). Also, schools include shoes in their dress codes, and so children who cannot afford or find shoes cannot go to school. The video below is from the first-ever shoe drop in 2006.

Blake started TOMS (Shoes for TOMorrow) based on the principle of "One for One" giving. For every pair of shoes you buy, TOMS gives a pair to a child in need. I guess they're not really a charity, because they really are a business with paid employees. But I love them because they turn consumerism on its head, and they make it charitable. Plus, their shoes are freaking comfy :D

I discovered TOMS in early summer of 2009, and I have since accumulated 6 pairs of shoes, a necklace, and a shirt, thereby donating 8 pairs of shoes to children in need. You can read more about TOMS here at their website: http://www.toms.com/movement-one-for-one. They have excellent customer service, and did I mention the shoes are super comfy??

Another awesome thing TOMS does, to raise awareness for their cause, is hold an annual "Day Without Shoes," which has grown every year. Last year, several hundred thousand people spent April 8th barefoot, myself included. It really opened my eyes to the kind of suffering that people go through when they don't have shoes. You literally have to pay attention to your every step, or else suffer the consequences. The next one is April 4th (I'm pretty sure) and I'm super excited to do it again!! :D

TOMS is also the inspiration for another charity (which is an actual charity), which I'll probably talk about next.

Below is a poem about TOMS and also the importance of water. TOMS's official Youtube account is: http://www.youtube.com/user/tomsshoes, and they have really cute videos on there too (the poem is fan- made).

Thank you for reading, and please do what you can to help support this awesome company and the need for shoes!! :D

Well it's official...

I have finally had all of my classes at least once for this semester! I really like all of them, which makes me glad because that doesn't happen too often haha. I have a total of 17 credits and I'm taking:

• U.S. History from 1877 to the Present, which may be the most boring class because my professor rambles a lot and he uses really old teaching methods. But I can definitely deal with that as long as he grades reasonably.
• Italian, which seems like it will be really fun (no sarcasm) since my prof has already made us sing and we say the numbers through 20 about 10 times each class. She is so much nicer and more patient than my French professor from last year :P She (French prof) moved too fast and refused to speak English for 90% of any given class.
• Living on the Edge (of Empire), which is a US history course based on colonial America through 1800. I've had the professor for this class before, and she's hilarious and as bubbly as the seltzer water she loves so much.
• World Religions, since I've always been interested in different religions of the world (I'm Christian) and I have to take 2 religion courses as a requirement at my college. My professor seems kind of strict, but nice enough. He has trouble with technology though, poor guy, haha.
• The Philosophy of Human Nature, again as part of a requirement, but also because I'm interested in it. I took regular Philosophy for the first time last semester, and I really loved it. So this class will hopefully be a sort of continuation of that, despite having a different professor for it. I may minor in Philosophy, we'll see. I'll probably minor in Global Cultures, since I only need a few extra classes to get it.
• Movies with a Message, the class I had tonight, and I only have on Wednesdays. It seems like it will be pretty interesting, I just hope the movies we watch are good. We are using our two hours of class time to discuss the movies, not watch them. So, hopefully they'll be interesting enough to discuss for a good while, haha.

Well, that's about all I got. I hope you don't mind my senseless ramblings haha. I hope to make my posts a bit more fun in the future. I want to think of some random topics that I can discuss, and I want to include pictures with the posts. I will be using Adam Young (from Owl City)'s blog as a guide --> link in the sidebar on your right :)

I'll leave you with a video from a series that two of my favorite Youtubers have started on weekdays. They just talk about random stuff, and it's thoroughly entertaining :D

Until next time....

School :P

Well, I made it safe and sound back to school. It's so weird to be back! I literally felt like I was entering the Twilight Zone or a deja vu type thing when I walked into my dorm hallway. I've only been gone a month! I guess I got more used to being home than I even realized haha.

I'm hoping my classes go well tomorrow, and that I don't have a lot of homework to do. I vowed before my finals last semester that I would do a better job of staying on top of my work (so I don't have to write a 10 page paper in a day and a half again), but now that I'm back up here, I feel so hesitant about doing much. Just gotta get back in the swing of things, I suppose.

On the other side of coming back, it was great to see my roommate again! I wish she lived closer to me so that we could visit each other during breaks, but at least we get along so well when we're at school haha. Much, much better than my original roommate from last year. I would even turn down a single to stay with her; she's so much fun to be with :)

I'm still wondering about the adventures this semester will bring; hopefully they will be as fun as they seem to be. Also still struggling with how to properly balance schoolwork, work-work, and leisure time in its various shapes and forms. I'm not the type of person who needs to constantly be on the move, constantly making plans and fulfilling them, etc. Much of the time, I'd rather just read a book or watch tv in my spare time, rather than exert more energy above what I already spent on my work. I guess this is just another big part of college life. Time goes so fast up here, I still feel like a freshman, adjusting to this life. Still looking forward to where it takes me. :)

Watching Despicable Me with the roomie now :) Such a cute movie, especially if you still have a childish sense of humor (slapstick).

I hope your semester/ quarter/ week is going well too! I wish you great luck in all your endeavors :D

Back to School

I can't believe how fast this month has gone! I love being in college (I'm a sophomore) and having such a long break, but it barely goes any slower than my 10-day breaks of grade school and high school. I love to learn -- that's part of why I chose to be a history major, because history is constantly being made, and one can never know it all -- but I can never escape those feelings of dread, anxious anticipation, and a bit of worry before school starts :P Plus, where I live and also where I go to school, we definitely get our fair share of winter weather, so the roads are always a concern as well. The weather will hopefully be better tomorrow anyways, and that's when it really matters (although I was hoping to go shopping today :P).

I made some updates to the blog, as you may have noticed. I like the fishy thing, it's amusing at 2 in the morning xD and all the links on the side are my favorite websites and/ or charities that I love :) Please browse at your leisure and help me support them!

That's about it for today. I haven't even started packing yet...

Here's the newest video from Shaycarl. I love watching him every day :D

Until next time...

Industry - Why I Chose My Title

Hello readers,
I'm pretty much expecting you to only be the people I tell about this, lol. But, regardless I'd like to start off by saying why I chose this title. It's from my favorite song by my favorite artist Jon McLaughlin. I'll link a Youtube video below, but I feel it sums up what I'll probably talk about most on here pretty well. I am torn between the consumerism of this American culture. Heck, I contribute to it all the time; I love shopping. But, I also love helping other people and giving to charities and such. It seems like so much of the time, it's so easy to only think about yourself. But what about the feelings or the situations of others? I try to keep an open mind in everything I do. I may not be very good at it, but at least I try, unlike so many others.

Anyways, already ranting haha. I was inspired to do this blog largely due to Cindy, one of my best friends who also has a blog (http://tea-house-moon.blogspot.com/?spref=fb) and said I should get one. :) Also, one of the people I subscribe to on Youtube, Shay Carl, who is famous (on Youtube) for his daily vlogs with his wonderful family, has a saying: "if it's worth living, it's worth recording!" He may have gotten that from somewhere else, but regardless, this will be my way of recording my life. I may not live such an interesting life that I can whip out a video camera every few minutes, but hopefully we will both find it interesting enough to record here :)

Ok, I better go to bed haha. I'm normally an early-to-bed type, but my body clock's gotten messed up thanks to a dreadful cold and incessant coughing :P

Until we meet again...