Krissy had this on her blog, and I thought it looked cool, so I took the test to get my own daemon. Right now, I have a hare (solitary, spontaneous, humble, flexible, and passive) named Calanon, but anyone reading this can rate me on five personality characteristics and change my daemon.
If you're wondering what it's all about, in the His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pullman, a daemon is your soul in an animal spirit form. And if you haven't read the trilogy, I highly recommend them!
Video: It's 70's music Wednesday.
I don't mention it that often, but I'm in grad school again. I guess I just like collecting pieces of paper that have no discernible impact on my life. Anyway, the plan was to happily work my full-time job and sneak in a class or two each semester until I'm done. Then my advisor encouraged me to take 3 classes this semester, which actually wasn't that bad until the last couple of weeks where all my final papers were assigned and due the same day.
And of course, that covered Matt's birthday last week, which we celebrated with a weekend trip out of town, so that meant a few days that were spent trying to ignore the big pile of stuff that needed to get done. That's all behind me now though as I just finished my last final exam of the semester, and I was even two days early. I'm so insanely pleased with myself. And I get to breathe again! And I have two whole weeks without papers! There really aren't enough exclamation points for that!
Plus, I get to catch up with everyone on Vox! Yay!
Book: What book are you most ashamed you haven't read?
Submitted by Byrne.
I like this question, but I don't have a response for it. I think I like it because it reminds me of the silly joy I get from being able to tell someone talking about the latest literary masterpiece, "Nope, haven't read it. Don't plan to." I always have a book in hand, and people seem to equate that with someone who has grand thoughts about important books, but really, it just means that I love to read.
I mostly read fantasy with a smattering of science fiction and mysteries because those tend to be the books that make me happy to have spent my limited time in their worlds. I do like discovering new authors and books, so I branch out when something seems interesting, but I never feel like I have to read something because of someone else's expectations. (If only I could be so strong when it comes to other types of expectations!)
Having said all that, I guess I do feel bad for all those times I skimmed a textbook just enough to figure out what was important for that particular professor so that I could get my lovely A. I was way too fixated on a grade in the past where it got in the way of really learning, which is a shame. So I guess I talked myself into a bit of an answer after all, but even for those, I'm not ashamed of not reading them. I just wish I had been more focused on the process of learning than stressing about the final grade. And skimming or reading quickly for the main ideas still serves me well in grad school to get a handle on things, so it's a good skill to have.
I hope everyone has had a great weekend so far. This morning I was reminded of a poem I love by Madeleine L’Engle, so I thought I'd share it with you.
“I Am Become Like A Pelican . . .”
I am become like a pelican in the wilderness . . .
For I have eaten ashes as it were bread,
and mingled my drink with weeping . . .
But thou, O Lord, shalt endure for ever. -Psalm 102:6, 9, 12
God is dead? Well, of course God is dead!
Where have you been? Did you not see the dark
Cover the hill and strike against the cross?
We killed him then two thousand years ago
And once was not enough. We kill him now
In each denial, each unloving act.
Daily we kill him, trampling on his name,
Spitting on his word. And we are told,
And rightly, that he died between two thieves
And not two candles shining on an altar.
And yet there, too, perhaps most terribly,
He’s crucified each day by priest and those
Who take him, unaware of all the clouds
Of witnesses encompassing them in song
And prayer, who kneel there coldly unaware
Of those who suffer in the adjoining pew.
We do not understand his feast; we live
Again his crucifixion, but forget,
Each time we crucify him there again
Between those candles whose bright flame is lost
To darkened eyes, that when we died for us
After three days he rose, and still for us.
We kill him, but we cannot keep his light
From blazing forth in flame for every one
Who fouls his word and calls him dead and cries
In loneliness because his name is lost.
And yet, receiving now my heart’s true food
I feel his light rush coursing through my blood.
Nourished by his spilled wine and broken bread,
I know that my Redeemer is not dead.
I've never seen Dancing with the Stars, but now I'm thinking it might be kind of cool. I never would have thought of mixing a tango with the Star Wars theme like Joey Fatone and his partner did, but I thought it worked really well.
But the coolest thing about this is that my mom sent it to me from YouTube. I love that she's playing around with stuff like that now, and it's really handy for when she wants to tell me about some TV show I don't watch.
