Do unto others...

So I try to make it a point every day to do something nice for someone else. Well during the premiere of Grey's Anatomy tonight (woo-hoo! Season 3!) I saw a commercial for Liberty Mutual that was just fabulous. I put a link to it below so go check it out. So this is my petition to everyone to consciously do 3 nice things for someone else each day. It can be someone you know really well, or it can be a complete stranger. The only rule is that it has to be nice and selfless. Remember, it doesn't have to be a big thing, a really easy and overlooked thing to do is simply give someone a compliment. We think nice things about people all the time, so from now on, tell them! I'm going to implement this starting tomorrow, who's in with me? :) --A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76h8jbjZqOI

Bad Luck Party Guest!

An interesting little tidbit I thought I'd share:

Abraham Lincoln's son was invited to the assassinations of three U.S. Presidents:
The night that his father was shot, Robert Lincoln was invited to accompany his parents to the theater. He declined. When President Garfield was shot in a Washington, D.C. train station in 1881, he was present at Garfield's invitation. When President William McKinley was shot in 1901 at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York, Lincoln was present at McKinley's invitation. Although Robert Lincoln was not an actual eyewitness to any of these assassinations,
after McKinley's death, Lincoln let it be known that he wanted no further invitations from any US president. Three presidents had unknowingly invited him to be present at their assassinations. Interestingly enough, Robert Lincoln would not have been able to attend these events had not the brother of John Wilkes Booth saved his life years earlier.

How crazy is that??

A little rant...

Okay, so I know this is silly and not exactly blog worthy but hey- "it's my blog and I'll post if I want to!" :) There is a professor at Mason who teaches right before one of my classes. Everyday when we enter the room, the board is erased except for a quote that he apparently writes on the board before each of his classes. The thing that is crazy is that he spells a word wrong about 50% of the time! So far I've seen "rymes" instead of "rhymes" and "locamotive" instead of "locomotive" etc. I know this is nit-picky but it REALLY annoys me that a college professor is not only spelling words wrong on a regular basis, but that he is PURPOSELY leaving these misspelled quotes on the board for all the other classes in the room to see! Am I being silly and overly critical or is it okay that I expect more from those providing us with higher education?

Shiver me timbers...America's Beloved Villains

So in my Caribbean History class, we discussed pirates today. While it only encompasses one lecture period, it turns out it is the sole reason many people enrolled in the course. This made me wonder: What is it about pirates that makes us love them? If you look at the facts it doesn't quite add up. Do we look highly upon murderers, thieves, and social deviants? Not quite. So why is it that when you throw in a black flag, a silly hat and a dark sense of humor, we swoon? Boys want to be them, girls want to be wooed by them. It's just odd. I know I may have invested more into this thought being a history major but that just leads to another question. How is it that pirates have been so interestingly portrayed throughout history? Well I am planning on doing more research on the topic, but in the meantime, if you're interested check out this article. It's a really good overview of pirates in general and begins to answer some of my posed questions. And if anyone wants to plan a trip to the museum let me know! -A http://www.examiner.com/a-218099~Museum_explores_appeal_of_pirates_in_pop_culture.html

This is some craziness!

I had quite a few friends on myspace post this link in a bulletin. Apparently, the manager of Texas Roadhouse in Chantilly tried to get the Fairfax County PD to pay the restaurant $9000 after the restaurant was temporarily closed after the two officer shootings earlier this year. Check out the story if you're interested. Seems pretty shameful!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/11/AR2006091100964.html

Thank you

After the 5 year anniversary of September 11th, it seems that a lot of people have forgotten how important all the things our country does to keep us safe are. This isn't meant to be a political post as all my friends know where I stand on issues. But regardless of what your personal belief is of our president, or individual practices of our country, everyone needs to respect the people who defend our freedom everyday. The second we stop fighting for what America believes in, the lives of our fore fathers have been wasted. So do your part in changing the country by your vote, not a lack of support for the brave and brilliant people who support you from the front lines. Check out this video and think of it whenever you see a soldier or a veteran.

http://grouper.com/video/MediaDetails.aspx?id=892873
(only one minute long)

Blast from the past

"A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell, where his influence stops."

So tonight I had dinner with Nikki and our 5th grade teacher. It has been 14 years since we last saw her! That makes me feel really old! We had a fabulous time though. It was in her class that Nik and I became friends and has lasted ever since. She has always held a special place in our hearts, because she was one of those rare memorable teachers that inspired you to learn. Our year was filled with projects that challenged us while having a blast. I can't even do her justice so I won't try. I guess the point of this is just that I feel so blessed to have had someone in my life that made such a difference to me and my friend. There wasn't anything huge that she did, just a ton of little things that made a huge impact. So just remember in your random acts of kindness that you may not feel that you've done much, but you just might have changed someone's life.
-A

Huh?

I'm not sure why this wants me to post with my pic in order to put it in my profile but that's what I'm gonna do. Another thing that will become very apparent is that I am NOT a technical gal whatsoever! So here goes nothin!

Stepping into the Blogosphere

Well here is my first ever blog. Thanks to my good friend Jess, I have been sucked into a new realm of guilty pleasures! I always said I would never be interested in reading all about other people's lives, much less post information about my own. So the saying goes: "never say never". Perhaps this outlet will make me realize that my life is indeed more interesting than I currently assume. On the other hand, I very well may never post again and just comment on the acomplishments of my favorite little monster, Ella Beau. What a little beauty! So thanks for the link Jess, and to anyone else who finds this space, there may be more to come!
-A