Speaking of British Literature

Flow gently, sweet Afton, among thy green braes!
Flow gently, I'll sing thee a song in thy praise!
My Mary's asleep by the murmuring stream --
Flow gently, sweet Afton, disturb not her dream!

Thou stock dove whose echo resounds thro' the glen,
Ye wild whistling blackbirds in yon thorny den
Thou green-crested lapwing, thy screaming forbear --
I charge you, disturb not my slumbering fair!

How lofty, sweet Afton, thy neighbouring hills,
Far mark'd with the courses of clear, winding rills!
There daily I wander, as noon rises high,
My flocks and my Mary's sweet cot in my eye.

How pleasant thy banks and green vallies below,
Where wild in the woodlands the primrose blow:
There oft, as mild ev'ning weeps over the lea,
The sweet-scented birk shades my Mary and me.

Thy crystal stream, Afton, how lovely it glides,
And winds by the cot where my Mary resides!
How wanton thy waters her snowy feet lave,
As, gathering sweet flowerets, she stems thy clear wave!

Flow gently, sweet Afton, among thy green braes!
Flow gently, sweet river, the theme of my lays!
My Mary's asleep by thy murmuring stream --
Flow gently, sweet Afton, disturb not her dream!

<3

Stephen King

I'm apparently becoming a bit of a connoisseur (crazy French spelling...) of film adaptations* of Stephen King's books and short stories.

The Langoliers
The Shawshank Redemption
Secret Window
Misery
1408
Sometimes They Come Back, which i just saw tonight.

He's talented. There's no question there.

But I don't really like his endings. He builds up to them so well, and then...bleh. I know the 'most important part is the ending' (Secret Window...the ending for which was indeed 'perfect') and that it's probably the hardest to write. But still.

And then I realized it- the ones with resolved endings aren't the ones that spook you. It's the vague ones that creep you out the most.

This movie also = great reason for why you shouldn't mess around with spirits and ghosts and crap. Not that the main character was...but still. Just saying.

rating- one thumb up, and one sideways.

*normally I fight vehemently against those who see the movies but have never touched the books. I consider these to be an exception because movies are over and done with in an hour or so (making them less creepy), and you can watch them with other people...so you're not so freaked out. And you can just close your eyes if you don't want to see something.

A comparison

Shakespeare: grocery store romance novels :: LOTR: Harry Potter

Sorry kids. HP was interesting and all, but Tolkien just plain owns.

Nada te turbe

Simply beautiful. And so much better in Spanish. But it's no good if you don't understand it...

Nada te turbe,
nada te espante,
todo se pasa;
Dios no se muda.
La paciencia
todo lo alcanza;
Quien a Dios tiene,
nada le falta;
Solo Dios basta.
~Santa Teresa


Translation...
Let nothing disturb you,
nothing surprise you,
all things pass;
God does not change.
Patience
it wins everything;
whoever holds onto God
lacks nothing;
God alone is enough.

Things of today...

Today I lost the last tiny bit of respect that I might have had for Emily Dickinson. This poem is part of a song we're singing in choir, and once I got past the trippy wording, I realized what it said...hence ruining her for good in my mind.

Gah! This kind of theology is so upsetting. I mean it's right there in Hebrews!

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We had an interesting announcement in choir tonight. CAS (the creative arts society) was have a free pizza and condoms night. Yes, and it's everything that it's name would indicate. They give you free pizza as a draw (though it's hardly necessary...which is the lamentable bit) and they have someone [presumably...i never went, but know people who have] talk about safe sex and the like and then pass around a bag of assorted condoms and you take as many as you like.

I just breaks my heart, quite honestly. To think that one of the most precious things God gave us....and that He said was "very good".....is being so terribly abused.

Sex is for marriage! And for nothing else. You know what it is outside of marriage? Fornication. Once again. Pick up a Bible- it's in almost every single list of sins that are made.

Gah.

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On a happier note- God is awesome. And turns little-to-no practice time into worship that praises Him mightily. 'Tis good.

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I learned something very interesting in pscy class today: so....basic psyc 101 lecture- there are pleasure centers in your brain, to which a molecule called dopamine binds when you experience something enjoyable. (There's a reason why "dope" is derived from dopamine. When you smoke it, it creates more of this molecule which binds to the pleasure centers making you happy/ high.)

People who are easily addicted to things (drugs, alcohol, and most anything you can get addicted to) have more pleasure centers in their brains than the "average" person. So when they ________ (fill in the blank...say, have a drink) they enjoy it more than a "normal" person would. The dopamine has more places to bind to, and you feel happier.

So if you've been addicted to something in the past, you're predisposed to becoming addicted to something else (or the same thing) again.

It's just a matter of psychology.

And we wouldn't be able to overcome any such obstacles without His love, mercy and grace.

It's just the Truth.

The Singing Butler

I love this painting.