Merrrrry Christmas!

...and a happy New Year- but I'll get to that later :)

Mac vs. PC

TomTom ONE

Gone are the days of using maps! I have three Christmases this time of year- one with my dad's side of the family, one with my parents and brother, and one with my mom's side of the family- in Florida. One of the presents that my dad received (which is really kindasorta a family gift) at His side of the family's Christmas, which was yesterday, is the TomTom ONE- a GPS. It comes with easy to use software that lets you customize your TomTom, including adding more voices. They've got a few pre-installed, but with just a click, you can add voices that speak Mandarin, Norsk, Italian, and even Suomi. (whatever that is!) Right now I've got English (UK) on default, but I'm considering switching to Irish... :)

Christmas in reverse?

I hear SO much about "The Reason for the Season," that being Jesus's birth, and I'm reminded not to focus on the physical things, and look to the spiritual and unseen gifts Christmas brings. But honestly, I'm going to go out on a limb, and lay my head on the execution block for a minute.

Maybe the physical parts of Christmas not only bring the holiday to life, but actually participate in what makes the season truly special. If somebody tells me "Happy Holidays," I'm not planning to have a stroke and say, "It's MERRY CHRISTMAS!" No. I'll say, "Oh, you too!" *insert smile and polite nod here* You wanna know why? Because I'm a rebel. and there ARE more holidays than just Christmas around this time... Anybody remember Winter Solstice (No, not another way of saying Merry Christmas or Happy New Years- it ACTUALLY EXISTS) or Kwanzaa? (It's a CULTURAL holiday, people! NOT religious!) How about New Years?
My favorite part of "The Holiday Season" is being with my family- and opening presents. I can sound as selfish, self-centered and physically-focused as you want, but somebody is giving ME a present that they think I'll enjoy-(Most of the time I do!) They've thought about me, and expressed it through their wallets! I've also been given the opportunity to give them a little luxury... With the economy how it is, even the smallest things that can bring a smile to a face and a little extra light to the eyes is worth every penny. I also love the physical travel aspect. Having been bitten by the travel bug many moons ago, any excuse to explore the world, I'll take. There is something about sitting the the car for 12 hours to be with people who want to hug the breath out of you no matter how bad and "travelled" you smell, that makes me smile. There are those moments of pure bliss when you're all playing a card game and you're dealt the PERFECT hand, so you go out, leaving the other 8 family members seething and plotting your demise while you bask in the victory limelight. Wait- did I just find myself admiring not so much the physical, but the emotional and spiritual aspects we are gifted with this time of year? Maybe I'm really a circle enthusiast at heart, and my mind just seeks that well rounded balance. Well, whatever the meaning of my day dreaming, don't forget the reason for the season, and make holiday giving a way of living. (Somebody stop me before I turn into Dr. Seuss!)

Baby Hippo UPDATE

Her name is now Lola- (I love choosing the winner!) :)

Name the baby hippo!

Born November 13th in an English zoo, the latest addition to the family, a female pygmy hippo is now looking to the world to give her a name. Check out the options, the details, and vote on your favorite name: LoKo, Kadina, Zimmi, or Lola (my choice) here. Polls close Friday, December 12th.

"Doubt is the beginning, not the end of wisdom." - proverb

It's outrageous. Apparently, there will be no investigation of President Elect Obama's American citizenship. To join the armed forces, you must present a birth certificate- but to become the most powerful man in the world- in charge of that same military, you can simply say that you were born in the US?!?!? I can promise you that if a Republican were in that same position, there would be an investigation. Don't get me wrong, I definitely believe that the time for change has come- not that it's anybody's fault, but the world itself has changed, and we need a new strategy for this era. Yet, if this is the kind of change we're going to have, give me a time machine!

I've given in!

I must admit, that this weekend I sat down and read Twilight- I finished it (the first book) last night and am in the middle of New Moon right now. *insert guilty look here* I've constantly heard mixed reviews, from people who said they really liked the books, people who said that everything was too perfect (I'm not really seeing that as much- I mean, yeah, they all have pretty fantastic lives, but also have a HUGE price to pay for the way that they exist) and then there are the ones dead (haha, no pun intended) set against it. Right now I'm kind of in the middle. As a Harry Potter fan, I've always had a sense of... (shall I say balance?) about these things- and I'm not as bothered by magic, witches, wizards, spells, vampires, etc. I see them as characters in a persons imagination, poured out onto paper for other people to read. I'm not denying that some of these things exist, and I have to be cautious. But as a writer, I know how simple it is to randomly create a character, not even based off a real experience and give them a life. Essentually, if I read something that I feel convicted about, I'll stop reading (with God's help- who do you think I am? Superwoman!? :P) but so far my alarm system has not gone off for the Twilight series, and I really hope it doesn't.

Sorry to be so crass-

But we're screwed. Apparently the news of the hour is that leaders in Congress have agreed on the auto bailout plan-that the bailout would include billions in short-term loans, which could prove disastrous in our hurting economy. I cannot even begin to say that I have the solution, but I don't think that bailing out the Automotive industry is the way to go. We'll see what happens, I suppose :/

I'm baaaaack!

So what have I been blogging lately? I have had three blogs in the last two months that have more than occupied my time. The first and most time consuming is my Puppy Blog, which is following my three puppies- (Now we're down one, but if you know of anybody who wants one of the other two, drop me an email!) Secondly, I went on a Student Action Team with Generation Joshua for the campaign of Ric Keller, and wrote about my journey through this blog. Third, (and most recently) I worked on the campaign for Saxby Chambliss (you would not believe how many times I heard people call him Zaxby!), which you can read about here. So rest assured (you lone reader) that my time neglecting YDE has been well occupied!