Wednesday, August 5, 2009
I Like My Fellow Commuters
It is official. I am now tired of commuting. It wasn't too bad for awhile...but now I am ready for it to be over. I have to say, though, that I really like my fellow commuters. I feel that those commuting north from Salt Lake are great. Whenever I hear of accidents, traffic problems, etc., they seem to be concentrated on the commute going SOUTH. Read into that what you will...but I have concluded that I owe everyone who commutes north a thank you!! Good job! There is only one little slow down spot in Kaysville and there have only been a couple of little accidents...but nothing major. So, I have been overall very grateful. I expected much worse.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Summer Reading
Ah...summer reading. Thinking of light hearted paperback reads? Ha. Well, apparently I have missed the memo entirely on what is appropriate summer reading. I will just blame it on grad school. I put off reading things I have wanted to read because of grad school, so the summer is when I do my "for myself reading." Don't judge, but these are two books I would recommend, though I must emphasize, not for any fun, or escape value. If you are looking for something to get your mind off anything of a serious nature, these books are most certainly NOT recommended.
I started my summer off with The Kite Runner. I really felt like The Kite Runner had an amazing story of confronting the awful things we do, trying to reconcile and sometimes hide from them, and finally reaching redemption and confronting the costs of our decisions. The hope of love, amidst the most awful of circumstances, was illustrated vividly in this well written story. Most people I have talked to really have liked the book, but be warned, it deals with some hard story lines and some intense violence. It is set in Afghanistan beginning with the Soviet take over. It follows the story of a wealthy boy, and his boyhood friend through a moment that alters their lives and friendship. I was riveted and could not put it down. I felt the book was beautifully and simply written.
I just finished Massacre At Mountain Meadows, and lets just say, this book makes The Kite Runner seem almost cheery. I mean no disrespect to the awful events in The Kite Runner, but at least there is a sense of hope in the power of love and redemption at the end of The Kite Runner. Massacre At Mountain Meadows just made me wonder exactly how much evil lies in each human heart. I am sure most are aware of the basic events of the horrific story of the Mountain Meadows Massacre. I, however, somehow have never taken the time to learn the details of what happened and was horrified at the atrocity that occurred. The book is wonderfully researched and written and tells a very clear and gripping story. I was riveted by this book. I haven't read anything else on the Mountain Meadows Massacre to compare it to, but I felt the book was fair and balanced and painted a clear picture of what was happening in Utah at the time of the event. The authors really tried to explain the actions of the leaders in Southern Utah, and how the massacre was eventually carried out. It is very informative. However, despite the explanations of what was happening with the Utah War, society, mindsets of the time, etc., etc., I was left with the most sickening feeling in my soul about what evil must rest in each individual heart if allowed to be manifest. The authors really tried to explain how such mass violence occurs, and tried to explain the context, but at the end of the day, a group of men methodically masterminded the deception of emigrant men, women, and children and massacred them with their own hands, and the hands of ill-fated Native Americans. I was, and am more than ever, unsettled at how this happened. The book did not answer that question, and I am afraid no book ever can. But it was VERY informative, well written, and--I felt--balanced in the treatment of something so horrific I can't even comprehend it.
So, hopefully your summer reading is much more cheery, but I do recommend both of my summer reads thus far!
I started my summer off with The Kite Runner. I really felt like The Kite Runner had an amazing story of confronting the awful things we do, trying to reconcile and sometimes hide from them, and finally reaching redemption and confronting the costs of our decisions. The hope of love, amidst the most awful of circumstances, was illustrated vividly in this well written story. Most people I have talked to really have liked the book, but be warned, it deals with some hard story lines and some intense violence. It is set in Afghanistan beginning with the Soviet take over. It follows the story of a wealthy boy, and his boyhood friend through a moment that alters their lives and friendship. I was riveted and could not put it down. I felt the book was beautifully and simply written.
I just finished Massacre At Mountain Meadows, and lets just say, this book makes The Kite Runner seem almost cheery. I mean no disrespect to the awful events in The Kite Runner, but at least there is a sense of hope in the power of love and redemption at the end of The Kite Runner. Massacre At Mountain Meadows just made me wonder exactly how much evil lies in each human heart. I am sure most are aware of the basic events of the horrific story of the Mountain Meadows Massacre. I, however, somehow have never taken the time to learn the details of what happened and was horrified at the atrocity that occurred. The book is wonderfully researched and written and tells a very clear and gripping story. I was riveted by this book. I haven't read anything else on the Mountain Meadows Massacre to compare it to, but I felt the book was fair and balanced and painted a clear picture of what was happening in Utah at the time of the event. The authors really tried to explain the actions of the leaders in Southern Utah, and how the massacre was eventually carried out. It is very informative. However, despite the explanations of what was happening with the Utah War, society, mindsets of the time, etc., etc., I was left with the most sickening feeling in my soul about what evil must rest in each individual heart if allowed to be manifest. The authors really tried to explain how such mass violence occurs, and tried to explain the context, but at the end of the day, a group of men methodically masterminded the deception of emigrant men, women, and children and massacred them with their own hands, and the hands of ill-fated Native Americans. I was, and am more than ever, unsettled at how this happened. The book did not answer that question, and I am afraid no book ever can. But it was VERY informative, well written, and--I felt--balanced in the treatment of something so horrific I can't even comprehend it.
So, hopefully your summer reading is much more cheery, but I do recommend both of my summer reads thus far!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Summer Love
Things that go through my brain read a lot like news briefs from the radio these days. Wonder why? Ha, ha, ha. I have listened to a lot of NPR, it is true. I feel very informed, adequately alarmed, and cautiously hopeful for the future because of my news listening. And I like to pass on interesting things you may not hear other places.
Okay, this is why I love people. Since 1929, a giant red light has flashed on the Pittsburgh's skyline and spells out the name of the city. On July 4th, Tom Stepleton was watching fireworks with friends and realized there was a K in the morse code. It was not just an errant K...the spelling of Pittsburgh had become Pitetsbkrrh. On Monday, the name had become Tpebtsaurgh. They say the code still runs on 1930's technology. So, I'm thinking it is time for an upgrade.
NPR link: (there are You Tube videos of the blinking lights...and yes, I watched them) http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106606968
I love this because a) Pittsburgh actually has a red light spelling out the city name, and b) someone actually knew what a K looked like in morse code.
[On the flip side...I don't love tourists and escalators. I thought maybe it was just a DC thing. Nope. It extends to all corners of the country.]
Other things I love this summer.
Convenience Stores. Yes, I love them. I am going to chalk it up to my drive across the country. But where else can you find only junk food, soda as far as the eye can see, snacks, and very interesting people? I find I feel compelled to stop at them now...even though my trips have not exceeded 2 hours one way thus far into my summer.
Almond Joys. This is linked to the above. When my dad shared an Almond Joy with me over the weekend, I forgot how tasty they were! AND he informed me they sell cookie versions of them. Though generally only at convenience stores. Thus, the conversation about c-stores. (And no, I have not found the cookie version yet, but I am actively looking).
21 Guns. The song (hence the italics), not actual guns. I ignore the blatant anti-war message [I will post about my views on our war(s) later...**]. I personalize the message to my own, personal, life. It speaks to me in a very bizarre way. A few songs have done so in the recent past...Viva la Vida, for example. 21 Guns is a bit depressing, so I won't quote any lines here. But, it is what it is.
Chex Mix. The kind you buy (I would never be ambitious enough to make it...). It is so good and has a much better zip than my old love, Goldfish. And I just realized a lot of my loves revolve around food. I promise I do not weigh 500 pounds yet...
**I am not pro-war (like I think war is an answer), but I am also not pro what Green Day is saying about war. I have other opinions I will share later, I am sure.
Okay, this is why I love people. Since 1929, a giant red light has flashed on the Pittsburgh's skyline and spells out the name of the city. On July 4th, Tom Stepleton was watching fireworks with friends and realized there was a K in the morse code. It was not just an errant K...the spelling of Pittsburgh had become Pitetsbkrrh. On Monday, the name had become Tpebtsaurgh. They say the code still runs on 1930's technology. So, I'm thinking it is time for an upgrade.
NPR link: (there are You Tube videos of the blinking lights...and yes, I watched them) http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106606968
I love this because a) Pittsburgh actually has a red light spelling out the city name, and b) someone actually knew what a K looked like in morse code.
[On the flip side...I don't love tourists and escalators. I thought maybe it was just a DC thing. Nope. It extends to all corners of the country.]
Other things I love this summer.
Convenience Stores. Yes, I love them. I am going to chalk it up to my drive across the country. But where else can you find only junk food, soda as far as the eye can see, snacks, and very interesting people? I find I feel compelled to stop at them now...even though my trips have not exceeded 2 hours one way thus far into my summer.
Almond Joys. This is linked to the above. When my dad shared an Almond Joy with me over the weekend, I forgot how tasty they were! AND he informed me they sell cookie versions of them. Though generally only at convenience stores. Thus, the conversation about c-stores. (And no, I have not found the cookie version yet, but I am actively looking).
21 Guns. The song (hence the italics), not actual guns. I ignore the blatant anti-war message [I will post about my views on our war(s) later...**]. I personalize the message to my own, personal, life. It speaks to me in a very bizarre way. A few songs have done so in the recent past...Viva la Vida, for example. 21 Guns is a bit depressing, so I won't quote any lines here. But, it is what it is.
Chex Mix. The kind you buy (I would never be ambitious enough to make it...). It is so good and has a much better zip than my old love, Goldfish. And I just realized a lot of my loves revolve around food. I promise I do not weigh 500 pounds yet...
**I am not pro-war (like I think war is an answer), but I am also not pro what Green Day is saying about war. I have other opinions I will share later, I am sure.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
My Soap Box For The Day
I am sorry, but I just have to say it. $1.4 million for a funeral?!! Are you even kidding me with that? And from a state that is in such an economic mess that they had to issue IOU's to people! IOU's! I understand that Michael Jackson was a great musician. I really do and I appreciate his music and legacy to the musical industry. I value the creative process. I value the arts. Good job. But really? Coverage and tributes 24/7. We are fighting two wars, Iran and western China are in a bit of chaos, North Korea is lead by crazy town with nuclear capabilities, but please, lets focus on Michael Jackson every second of the day. My grandma was reduced to watching a dog show on tv because there was nothing but Michael Jackson coverage (and that was before his funeral/tribute)! I too like to escape this crazy time we are in, I really do. But consider this. We (myself included, don't you worry) love to hate Bush for the way America is viewed around the world. But $1.4 million for a musician's funeral. Could the rest of the world possibly dislike us for other reasons? And it is no wonder California is millions of dollars in debt.
[I am not supporting Bush, by the way, with the above comment. No worries, I could provide another post about Bush and how I feel about him. But I won't.]
Okay, I'm done. Sorry. I tried to refrain. But for me, someone who is just trying to make it through grad school, watching her family struggle in living honest, decent, good lives while trying to raise a kid, run a farm, and pursue their own creative ventures, it is just crazy to see the focus we give to music/sports/movie stars. How about a little attention to those giving their lives for our country, working to find cures for diseases, or participating in causes to help out the human race in very personal and real ways? I know...it is a soap box.
And understand that I do think Jackson deserves tribute and more than normal recognition. The bottom line is the over the topness of it all. But the media does overkill really well. I will always, in the end, blame it on the media! Ha... I won't even get started on Sarah Palin. Overkill. Okay, I'll just say one thing. She needs to disappear and quit talking. I am bound to never vote Republican again if they use her as their poster candidate. If she would just stop whining about being picked on! What did she expect?!!
[I am not supporting Bush, by the way, with the above comment. No worries, I could provide another post about Bush and how I feel about him. But I won't.]
Okay, I'm done. Sorry. I tried to refrain. But for me, someone who is just trying to make it through grad school, watching her family struggle in living honest, decent, good lives while trying to raise a kid, run a farm, and pursue their own creative ventures, it is just crazy to see the focus we give to music/sports/movie stars. How about a little attention to those giving their lives for our country, working to find cures for diseases, or participating in causes to help out the human race in very personal and real ways? I know...it is a soap box.
And understand that I do think Jackson deserves tribute and more than normal recognition. The bottom line is the over the topness of it all. But the media does overkill really well. I will always, in the end, blame it on the media! Ha... I won't even get started on Sarah Palin. Overkill. Okay, I'll just say one thing. She needs to disappear and quit talking. I am bound to never vote Republican again if they use her as their poster candidate. If she would just stop whining about being picked on! What did she expect?!!
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Randomness
NPR tells me that the next “it” thing for movies will be making movies based on board games. I know… Who wants to see Monopoly on the bigscreen? However, as NPR reminded me, I will remind you: Remember Clue?
You think the internet is always going to be there for your news perusal, that you will be able to access it when you want and get what you want. But one person was able to cause internet sites to nearly overload and caused outages on some popular news sites. That person is, of course, Michael Jackson.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/06/26/michael.jackson.internet/index.html
And for things I did not know…Did you know Parley P. Pratt was murdered in Arkansas in a story full of drama? I am still a little fuzzy on how I missed this fact all my life. My dad didn’t quite know all the dramatic details either, so I feel okay.
Did you know Sir Isaac Newton at one time was also warden of the Royal Mint, and thus in charge of catching counterfeiters? Admittedly, I barely understand the science and physics behind why he is famous, but I do like to know randomness about people's lives!
You think the internet is always going to be there for your news perusal, that you will be able to access it when you want and get what you want. But one person was able to cause internet sites to nearly overload and caused outages on some popular news sites. That person is, of course, Michael Jackson.
http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/06/26/michael.jackson.internet/index.html
And for things I did not know…Did you know Parley P. Pratt was murdered in Arkansas in a story full of drama? I am still a little fuzzy on how I missed this fact all my life. My dad didn’t quite know all the dramatic details either, so I feel okay.
Did you know Sir Isaac Newton at one time was also warden of the Royal Mint, and thus in charge of catching counterfeiters? Admittedly, I barely understand the science and physics behind why he is famous, but I do like to know randomness about people's lives!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Majoring In What We Need?
I had a friend mention the other day that she believed people major in what they need. Her example, she says, are the countless people who go into counseling and actually need counseling. I thought this was fascinating and immediately applied it to myself (When I tried it with things like my engineering majoring friends, or computer this or that, I started drawing blanks...go figure). Jenette's undergrad major: History. Jenette's grad major: Museum Studies. Is there something that draws me to these majors? Aside from the interest factor, I think there might be something to my friend's theory (for me, anyway...).
I am fascinated by the past. And particularly the material culture left by those in the past. You've heard the phrase, "Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it." And so I ever so hopefully look to the past. But increasingly realize that the same mistakes are made over and over and over again--and often by cultures that study the past! Yet I am still fascinated. Fascinated enough to want to work in a museum where the aim is to NOT let go of the past. And so, here's the tie to my life... I am fascinated by my past. And I search my past trying to make sure I don't repeat the same mistakes, but anyone who has read my journal (which, incidentally, is no one but me), will see I repeat the same patterns over and over. And I don't let go. I don't let go of a lot of things I should. I wrote this little thing in 2004. It applies to my life in 2009 even more...
Letting Go
Holding on--until I cannot move
from what I thought would save me.
Fastened forever to an ideal that wasn't real--
Holding back from the beauty
that could be my life.
A flash of lightening--briefly--
exposes the mountains
To show me a new beginning.
But to get there,
I must let go.
So, amidst this lame attempt at poetry (?? ha--don't judge too harshly!), I find my dilemma. How do you learn, let go, remember, forget, and move forward, all at the same time? Impossible... but I am moving on from the year of two broken hearts and an uprooted life. Let's hope I have learned from the past.
Other random history quotes I found, which I enjoyed immensely:
"History is merely a list of surprises. It can only prepare us to be surprised yet again."
--Kurt Vonnegut
"The charm of history and its enigmatic lesson consist in the fact that, from age to age, nothing changes and yet everything is completely different."
--Aldous Huxley
"In every conceivable manner, the family is link to our past, bridge to our future."
--Alex Haley
"I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience. I know no way of judging of the future but by the past. "
--Edward Gibbon
"We learn from history that we learn nothing from history."
--George Bernard Shaw
I am fascinated by the past. And particularly the material culture left by those in the past. You've heard the phrase, "Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it." And so I ever so hopefully look to the past. But increasingly realize that the same mistakes are made over and over and over again--and often by cultures that study the past! Yet I am still fascinated. Fascinated enough to want to work in a museum where the aim is to NOT let go of the past. And so, here's the tie to my life... I am fascinated by my past. And I search my past trying to make sure I don't repeat the same mistakes, but anyone who has read my journal (which, incidentally, is no one but me), will see I repeat the same patterns over and over. And I don't let go. I don't let go of a lot of things I should. I wrote this little thing in 2004. It applies to my life in 2009 even more...
Letting Go
Holding on--until I cannot move
from what I thought would save me.
Fastened forever to an ideal that wasn't real--
Holding back from the beauty
that could be my life.
A flash of lightening--briefly--
exposes the mountains
To show me a new beginning.
But to get there,
I must let go.
So, amidst this lame attempt at poetry (?? ha--don't judge too harshly!), I find my dilemma. How do you learn, let go, remember, forget, and move forward, all at the same time? Impossible... but I am moving on from the year of two broken hearts and an uprooted life. Let's hope I have learned from the past.
Other random history quotes I found, which I enjoyed immensely:
"History is merely a list of surprises. It can only prepare us to be surprised yet again."
--Kurt Vonnegut
"The charm of history and its enigmatic lesson consist in the fact that, from age to age, nothing changes and yet everything is completely different."
--Aldous Huxley
"In every conceivable manner, the family is link to our past, bridge to our future."
--Alex Haley
"I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience. I know no way of judging of the future but by the past. "
--Edward Gibbon
"We learn from history that we learn nothing from history."
--George Bernard Shaw
Monday, June 15, 2009
Fail
It may seem like I'm obsessed with Google, and I might be just a little bit, but Google failed me. Usually, I'm quite confident I can Google anything and within a few minutes I can find my answer. It is how I can have credibility when I give my dad a hard time for still relying on his trusty encyclopedia set. Or when I tell my mom, "Oh, yeah we can find out how to tie a quilt without knots on the internet." However, I was too over zealous. Because my quick usual searching methods left me without what I was looking for. And so now, I don't know where to go for answers! Oh, to be a product of the technological age! It's a good thing I learned some survival type skills (i.e. starting camp fires, milking cows, etc.) at the Heritage Center, just in case the world's technologies really fail.
(Oh, I started my internship at the Church History Museum. I want to share fun stories, but I'm scared. I signed some confidentiality paper and so I am lost. What will I talk about? My best stories always seemed to come from work! Actually, I think I'm fine. I am an intern, let's be honest. I will not be in on any secret meetings. Though, on the second day I was standing guard for an original Book of Mormon, handwritten Book of Commandments, and other such interesting Church stuff. Ha.)
(Oh, I started my internship at the Church History Museum. I want to share fun stories, but I'm scared. I signed some confidentiality paper and so I am lost. What will I talk about? My best stories always seemed to come from work! Actually, I think I'm fine. I am an intern, let's be honest. I will not be in on any secret meetings. Though, on the second day I was standing guard for an original Book of Mormon, handwritten Book of Commandments, and other such interesting Church stuff. Ha.)
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