Thoughts while in class...

So I think you were all hanging on the trauma of whether or not I would be getting a Mac. And I'm pleased to say that I'm writing this on my black Mac (it's super sexy). So, I don't know how much I'm going to keep up with this blog. I mainly wrote this and the last post as a way of trying out this new app I have called MarsEdit.

A lot of people have given up on their blogs - I think, I haven't really been checking all that much, myself - and that makes it kinda hard to keep up your own. But, I think I might try it for a little while. Though, I fear that if this revival doesn't take hold, it might be the end of a blog for me for good.

So, when I do one of these blog resurrections, I feel obligated to give something more meaningful than just the usual stupid shit that I talk about. So today, in my African politics class, I was thinking of ways that I would improve the world if I were president or had the president's ear or something. Of course, while I like to think that my opinion kicks ass and that I'm right, I'm no expert. And right now a lot of these ideas are rough and need more work and thought, but I do think that I'm on the right track with some of them.

First: I agree with Bush (*shock!*). Democracy needs to be spread throughout the world, it is not only beneficial to us, but to those participating in such a system. However, I will disagree with him profoundly on where and how to go about it. How can he force his way into Iraq and then blatantly ignore the democratic uprisings in Burma? How can he support one of the worst dictatorships in the world, Saudi Arabia, and sleep at night? There needs to be a return to popular power. Give resources to the people. Our companies extract oil that makes kings richer and their citizens poorer. Let the people have a voice, let them be heard! They have demands, and these demands should not fall on the deaf ears of a ruler who is backed by greed. The United States could look to gain some popular support in a lot of countries. Stop the support of unpopular - meaning not fairly elected - leaders. Again, seeing the United States backing leaders that they have no control over, just serves to frustrate a populous. And frustration leads to a lot of dangerous things. In the short term, it might be counter to American interests, but the seeds planted in the long term are priceless.

The world, with the United States at the helm, needs to ride out this wave of ethnicity that is present in Iraq, Africa and Kosovo/Serbia, rise above nationalism and reach a level of internationalism. We are all stuck on this planet together and we need to start viewing our foreign policy that way.

Get rid of incandescent light bulbs - NOW!

Pit foreign and domestic car makers against each other in a drive toward more efficient cars. Tell the domestic manufacturers that if they make more efficient cars that the restrictions on foreign cars will be tightened. Tell the foreign manufacturers that if they make more efficient cars the restrictions on their cars will be lessened. Make them race to invest in technology that benefits all of us by making it beneficial to them.

Information is power. Companies like Yahoo! who conform to the demands of totalitarian regimes that look to stifle information to keep their people enslaved should be punished severely. They are an accessory to the crimes of the regime. They betray the ideals of the United States and for what? Greed? Whatever profit they make may as well be blood money.

I am done for now. May God bless America.

Signs of Life??

You Are Cayenne Pepper

You are very over the top and a bit overwhelming. You have a fiery personality, and you can give anyone a good jolt. You can easily take things up a couple notches, no matter what crowd you're running with.

What Spice Are You?

You Are a Comma

You are open minded and extremely optimistic. You enjoy almost all facets of life. You can find the good in almost anything. You keep yourself busy with tons of friends, activities, and interests. You find it hard to turn down an opportunity, even if you are pressed for time. Your friends find you fascinating, charming, and easy to talk to. (But with so many competing interests, you friends do feel like you hardly have time for them.) You excel in: Inspiring people You get along best with: The Question Mark

What Punctuation Mark Are You?

You Are Bare Feet

You are a true free spirit, and you can't be tied down. Even wearing shoes can be a little too constraining for you at times! You are very comfortable in your own skin. You are one of the most real people around. You don't have anything to hide. Open and accepting, you are willing to discuss or entertain almost any topic. You are a very tolerant person. You are accepting and not judgmental. You should live: Somewhere warm You should work: At your own business, where you can set the rules

What Kind of Shoe Are You?

You Are Wintergreen Flavored Gum
You are laid back, low maintenance, and super cool. You go with the flow, and you never cause too much of a fuss. You are very in touch with nature and the world around you. You prefer to keep things simple. Complexity stresses you out. You are a very real person. Openness and honesty are important to you. You can be friends with almost anyone, as long as they tell it like it is.

What Flavor Gum Are You?

You Are Somewhat Sexy

While you may not be the sexiest person in the world, you have your sexy moments. You sometimes carry yourself well, and it gets you a lot of attention. You have a lot of sex appeal ... as long as you remain confident, friendly, and adventurous. The only times you seem unsexy are when you lose your confidence or sense of adventure. How You Are Sexy You are friendly and outgoing, even to people who don't deserve it. Your positive body language makes you even sexier. You are flirtatious and fun with most people. You know how to keep things light, friendly, and sexy. How You Aren't Sexy While your look may suit you, people are getting tired of it... and that's not sexy. Why not change it up? You don't always go after what you want, and you tend to be afraid of failure. And there's nothing sexy about being passive.

Are You Sexy?

You Are an Apple

You are strong, powerful, and even a bit stubborn at times. You have enough strength to help those around you in trouble. You are adventurous and charming. Many people are drawn to you. You love life, and you enjoy traveling the world. You enjoy fine food, art, and culture. People have accused you of being a snob, but that's not accurate. You do enjoy the best things in life. Unlike snobs, you truly appreciate quality... not just pretend to.

What Type of Fruit Are You?

What Brian Means

You are full of energy. You are spirited and boisterous. You are bold and daring. You are willing to do some pretty outrageous things. Your high energy sometimes gets you in trouble. You can have a pretty bad temper at times. You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something. You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense. You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun. You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing. You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long. You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start. You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic "Type A" personality. You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people. You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts. You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

What Your Handwriting Says About You

You are highly energetic. You are a passionate, intense, vigorous person. You are somewhat outgoing, but you're not a natural extrovert. You think first before you act. You tend to be independent, rational, and logical. You are very detail oriented and meticulous. You are a careful thinker and a true intellectual. You need a bit of space in your life, but you're not a recluse. You expect people to give you a small amount of privacy, and you respect their privacy as well. You are somewhat traditional, but you are also open to change. You listen to your head and your heart. You are a poor communicator. No one really knows exactly what you're getting at.

What Does Your Handwriting Say About You?

Your Kissing Grade: A-

You are truly an amazing kisser. Your kisses are extraordinarily mind blowing. Whether you're naturally a good kisser or not, you've taken the time learn how to be the best kisser possible. Anyone would be lucky to get a kiss from you!

How Do Your Kisses Rate?

What Your Pizza Reveals

You have a hearty appetite. You are likely to complain if a restaurant has small portions. You aren't particularly picky about pizza. It's so good... how could you be? You fit in best in the Western part of the US. You like food that's traditional and well crafted. You aren't impressed with "gourmet" foods. You are dependable, loyal, and conservative with your choices. You are cultured and intellectual. You should consider traveling to Vienna. The stereotype that best fits you is geek. You're the type most likely to order pizza to avoid leaving your computer.

What Does Your Pizza Say About You?

3

An Effect of Spring

One day the air was mild, the Luxembourg Gardens were flooded with sunshine and shadow, the sky was as clear as if the angels had washed it that morning, the sparrows were twittering in the depths of the chestnut trees, Marius had opened his whole soul to nature, he was thinking of nothing, he was living and breathing, he passed near this bench, the young girl raised her eyes, their glances met.

But what was there now in the glance of the young girl? Marius could not have old. There was nothing, and there was everything. It was a strange flash.

She cast down her eyes, and he continued on his way.

What he had seen was not the simple, artless eye of a child; it was a mysterious abyss, half-opened then suddenly closed.

There is a time when every young girl looks thus. Woe to him upon whom she looks!

This first glance of a soul which does not yet know itself is like the dawn in the sky. It is the awakening of something radiant and unknown. Nothing can express the dangerous chasm of this unlooked-for gleam which suddenly suffuses adorable mysteries, and which is made up of all the innocence of the present, and of all the passion of the future. It is a kind of irresolute lovingness which is revealed by chance, and in which is waiting. It is a snare which Innocence unconsciously spreads, and in which she catches hearts without intending to, and without knowing it. It is a maiden glancing like a woman.

It is rare that deep reverie is not born of this glance wherever it may fall. All that is pure, and all that is vestal, is concentrated in this celestial and mortal glance, which more than the most studied ogling of the coquette, has the magic power of suddenly forcing into bloom in the depths of a heart this flower of the shade full of perfumes and poisons, which is called love.

At night, on returning to his garret, Marius cast a look upon his dress, and for the first time perceived that he had the slovenliness, the indecency and the unheard-of stupidity, to stroll in the Luxembourg Gardens with his "every-day" suit, a hat broken near the band, coarse teamster's boots, black trousers shiny at the knees, and a black coat threadbare at the elbows.

Disney movies are so sad...

BEAST: You came back.

BELLE: Of course I came back. I couldn't let them - Oh, this is all my fault. If only I'd gotten here sooner.

BEAST: Maybe... it's better... this way.

BELLE: Don't talk like that. You'll be all right. We're together now. Everything's going to be fine. You'll see.

BEAST: At least... I got to see you... one last time.

(BEAST caresses her cheek with his paw running his fingers through her hair. She holds it with both hands feeling his touch. His paw falls and his head drops back, and his eyes roll back into his head and close. BELLE puts her hands to her mouth in shock.)

BELLE: (Crying) No, no! Please! Please! Please don't leave me! (She places her head on his chest and whispers)

...I love you.

Between posts...

You Should Drive a Black Car

You're the type of driver who's totally dominant and even a bit aggressive. You see the road as a "dog eat dog" world... and you're not about to get eaten! You like to drive a vehicle that conveys power. Big engine. Big price tag. You rule the road - and you like everyone to know it.

What Color Car Should You Drive?

You Are Totally Like Your Mom

You and your mom are practically clones. You think alike, and you even seem to read each other's minds. You're definitely you're mother's child... and that's just fine with you.

Are You Like Your Mom?

Your Life is Rated PG-13

Your life isn't totally scandalous, but you definitely don't shy away from adult themes!

What is Your Life Rated?

apologies...

It has recently come to the attention of Complete Works of BS that part of our last post was untrue. While we strive to meet the highest levels of journalistic integrity here, at Complete Works, we can not always achieve them despite our best efforts. The report that Brian would be coming home a week earlier than expected was published before it could be properly confirmed. Our deepest apologies go out to our loyal readers; we hope that they will continue to enjoy this blog with our assurances that measures are being taken to prevent such an occurrence in the future. And, on a separate note, Brian will be returning home in 28 days as previously scheduled on the 2nd of June.

21 days and counting...

Two rather big things of note... First, I'm gonna be back a week early. Basically, that last week is for finals, just like at Penn State, but since I don't have any finals during finals week there was really no point to my sticking around. My mom should be making the bookings today at some point, so it's not quite official yet. This is good, cause otherwise I would have spent that last week here just getting stir crazy. The only bad thing is that it cuts down on packing time. And for a big pack like this, it's good to do it smart. But, knowing me I'll probably start a good while in advance especially as a procrastination technique.

Second, my compy has decided to break. For a long time the screen was really picky like it wouldn't stay in certain positions. Now it'll only stay in two, all the way open or all the way closed. So, of course, I'm gonna see if I can fix that when I get back to the States. If I can't do that though, it's gonna be time to look for a new one. There is huge pressure on me to get a mac. We'll see.

You Are a Ham Sandwich

You are quiet, understated, and a great comfort to all of your friends. Over time, you have proven yourself as loyal and steadfast. And you are by no means boring. You do well in any situation - from fancy to laid back. Your best friend: The Turkey Sandwich Your mortal enemy: The Grilled Cheese Sandwich

What Kind of Sandwich Are You?

What People Think of Your Mouth

People see you as both demanding and irresistible. You are often the center of attention - and that's how you like it. You are up for anything and very energetic. People sometimes propose wild ideas to you. And who knows? Maybe you'll take them up on it. You are known to be a little freaky!

What Does Your Mouth Say About You?