Swine, Fawkes, Maine

• I haven't written for awhile! Ugh. Too busy, too busy.. and NOW I have the Swine. Yes, you heard me, the Stupid Stinking Piggy H1N1 has hit my house. My brother got it first, then my mother and my sister, and now ME.. But at least it gave me a second to blog, right? I've been doing mostly everything on my phone lately. Checking facebook, and emails, reading a few blogs. But its SUPER hard to post a blog, or to comment on another person's blog on my phone.. so I really have been reading all your blogs, or at least... most of them, even when I wasn't commenting! I promise, after the swine has its time, I will be better.

• Today is November 5th. And no, I'm not British. But I LOVE England.. and its crazy Holiday today. Today is Guy Fawkes Day! So we must remember, remember the 5th of November.. if none of you crazies know what I'm talking about, and I know PinkNic knows, because I borrowed her celebratory picture for Guy Fawkes Day, which hopefully doesn't make her crazy and go blow up Parliament. (that's what Guy and his friends attempted). I think that in my swineyness.. I'm going to watch V for Vendetta today. Since that's the only way for me to celebrate, in England they get fireworks and sparklers, and yummy food. Yeah.. not in Sandy Utah, but I love V for Vendetta.
  
• So, back to the swine.. I don't get to go back to school, or work until November 12th! That's a week from today. WHAT am I going to do for a whole week?! I've been wishing for a "real day off", where I didn't have to go to school or work for a DAY. But now, I won't be making any money, which is just super pleasant.. I don't get to see any of my friends, at work, school, or anywhere else! Because naturally, I can't go ANYWHERE. And, everyone else is going to be in school, while I'm sitting on my ass at home falling behind. How cool is that? Not so much, yeah I agree.
• On a Political Note: I am PISSED off at Maine. Why is it that people think its cool to choose hatred over any kind of love and equality?!? Just who are these crazy people, that I truly do not have any respect for?
• OH and Phoenix was awesome.. I loved it. Pictures to come soon, probably in the next week, one of the days where I have more energy to go get my camera from downstairs and bring it back up here.
  

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Happy 25th Harry!

Today is this man's 25th birthday...

I've always loved him..

...But seriously, what's not to Love?

my favoritest picture of him, of all time

Happy 25th Birthday Prince Harry!
Welcome to the Quarter Club!

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Iran and the West

BBC will start showing a three part series on the history of Iran and the West. I want to watch this! Here's the information about the show, taken from the BBC's website here.

Iran and the West: From Khomeni to Ahmedinejad

(click here to listen to excerpt from website)

For the first time, the BBC tells the story of Iran's relationship with the West over the last 30 years - as seen by the key players and political insiders from both sides.

Marking the 30th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, each programme focuses on a different decade in Iran's history.

Archive footage and interviews recreate the diplomatic tensions, false dawns and intricacies of political negotiations that have marked the relationship so far.

Programme one:

The inside story of the beginning of the Islamic Revolution in Iran.

In 1979, Iran was ruled by a monarchy in the guise of the Shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. But he was only just clinging to power following a succession of strikes and protests.

And waiting in exile was Ayatollah Khomeini, the spiritual leader with a long history of opposition to the Shah. When he returned to the country to be greeted by several million Iranians, the royal regime collapsed as guerrillas and rebel troops began to overwhelm the forces loyal to the Shah.

Not long afterwards, the US embassy in Iran was stormed by a group of students - triggering a hostage crisis that would dominate the last year in office of US President Jimmy Carter, ultimately ending in his downfall.

Iran and the West: From Khomeni to Ahmedinejad tells the inside story of all these dramatic events, from the people who were there at the time.

First broadcast 20 July 2009

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Travel Wish: Europe, I love thee

Four years ago today I was on my way to my Study Abroad in London, England. It was one of my favorite experiences, ever. I wish all the time that I could go back. While we were there, we also traveled to Paris, and Rome, and had an awesome time. Here are some pictures from that trip, and here's to hoping that I can go again!
{and that it will be better than the last time I was in Europe: hurl}

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Fling off Thy Sadness!

I have been reading a lot lately. I got into a few girly~girly novels, and read one of them in just one day! So I have updated my 50 Books in 2009 list again. I've read 11 books now. I'm slowly creeping towards my goal. I hope I can really make it! Eek! At the rate I'm going, I don't know if it will work. Guess we will see. I think since I'm taking the Summer off from school I will have more time to read books and catch up.

Today is April 1st, and it still snowed here most of the day!!! WTF?! So not cool! Its like some sort of April Fools joke, by the Weather Guru or something. I don't know! But it better stop. This poem is perfect for today:

"Awake, thou wintry earth -
Fling off thy sadness!
Fair vernal flowers, laugh forth
Your ancient gladness!"
- Thomas Blackburn, An Easter Hymn

Tomorrow is The Grand Opening at The Rack. I hope there's not too many people! Ick. I worked at the Sugar House Rack on Saturday. It was interesting. I got to go with Lindsey from work, and she's pretty awesome, so it was good. I'm glad it was her I got to go with. The manager of that store, Bridget, took us out to a cafe nearby, and paid for our food. Way nice. The actual manager of the Accessories department was totally weird though. Our actual manager from the Sandy Rack called while we were on break and wanted us to call her back, the manager at Sugar House told us not to! She's like "oh, we need you to keep working, don't call her back." WHAT? So so strange. Yeah, here, let us disobey our actual manager, sure that makes sense..

I finally watched MILK the other day with Ashley, my sister. I can't believe how crazy this world is! WHY do some people think they are so important, and that they are so great and religious and wonderful, and think it is their right to belittle people that are "below" them!?!? I don't understand. It made me so mad.. and sad.. and happy that we are actually getting somewhere in the Gay Rights struggle. BUT at the same time, I was like dude! there was a proposition (Prop 6) that had similar arguments to Prop 8, and people are still so super bigoted?! Guess we haven't changed that much. I mean, Prop 6 was almost thirty years ago!! Ah, it just amazes me. My sister wrote more about the whole struggle, and the crazy woman, Anita Bryant that was the voice for the Religious Right during the movement. Click here for her blog post about it. All in all it was a good movie, and I am glad that it was made. We all need to be reminded of the different struggles for equality in this imperfect country.

In other current events, the G-20 starts tomorrow in London. I hope that people will protest for their causes peacefully, so that their voices can be heard, and not be overshadowed by not-needed violence and disruption. Although, I would love for someone to be like HEY Why didn't anyone arrest al-Bashir when he traveled out of The Sudan to Qatar, this past week?! Argh.

But the best news of today, I don't know if I said anything recently but I have been talking to my adviser at school about doing an Internship next Spring for my Social Work degree. It will get me so much closer to graduating. Well, last Wednesday, an opportunity came up in New Delhi. I thought it was a total long shot, but I thought what the hell, I'll apply. My adviser called me this afternoon to tell me I got in. So I will be in New Delhi, India from January 2010 to April 2010! Wahoo!! I've always wanted to go to Delhi! Now we're just trying to get my sister over there doing something, so we can go together. I'm so excited!
Just Kidding! APRIL FOOLS! :)

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Travel Wish: L-O-N-D-O-N

LONDON

Oh how I miss thee..

I have to go back to London. It has been by far my most favoritest city in the entire world. So how could I not include it in my Travel Wishlists? Sigh.. if only I were rich, and could pay for a nice British flat each summer.

Best things about London:

• RAIN - I love the rain, I know I know some people hate it. But I love the sound of it.. the freshness in the air, the funky clouds over the island and the green green grass.
• The Tube - Another thing people love to hate.. but I really loved it. I love the community feel of it, in such a big city. Mind The Gap
  
• Big Ben - best man of all time, hands down. I literally skipped down the street the first time I saw the big ol' clock.
• The History - I love history.. and I love all of the museums, and historical buildings!
  
• The Pomp and Circumstance - along with the Royal family's pictures always being on the front page of trashy magazines. haha. Love it.
• The Accents - make. me. swoon.
• The Shopping: Especially Covent Garden!!
  
• Cornish Pasties!!
  
• Crepes and fresh squeezed orange juice, right by big ben. YUM
  

You find no man (or woman), at all intellectual, who is willing to leave London. No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford."
~ Samuel Johnson

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Why I Love Prince Harry.. Are we sure he can't be King??

Sentebale: "forget me not"



Prince Harry is awesome. He has founded a charity called Sentebale. As if serving his country in the Royal Army was not enough. It looks like he has inherited his mother's need to serve, and I love him for it. Sentebale literally means "forget me not", and Prince Harry & Lesotho's Prince Seeiso are trying to do just that. They are trying to help the children of Lesotho, those that have been abandoned, abused or orphaned by tragedy. Usually related to HIV/AIDS.

Prince Harry described it this way: "Sentebale means 'forget me not'. We chose the name as a memorial to the charity work of our own mothers, as well as a reminder to us all not to forget Lesotho or its children."

I mean, everyone loves William.. "Wils" this.. "Wils" that.. but, King Harry has my Vote.

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