My Present, Most-Liked Ballads

Here are the songs I am most infatuated with at the moment in a somewhat ranked order:

Glamorous Indie Rock and Roll - The Killers
If Work Permits - The Format
KC - Matt Pond PA
Ice Dance - Edward Scissorhands Soundtrack
Snow (Hey Oh) - Red Hot Chili Peppers
My Doorbell - The White Stripes
Hide and Seek - Imogen Heap
You Don't Know How It Feels - Tom Petty
Jacksonville - Sufjan Stevens
You Only Live Once - The Strokes
Coast to Coast - Elliot Smith
Lying is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking her Clothes Off - Panic! at the Disco
Right Where It Belongs - Nine Inch Nails
Landed - Ben Folds
Eve of Destruction - Bishop Allen
Time Bomb - The Format
How To Be Dead - Snow Patrol
Shallow (Acoustic) - Unwritten Law
Seventeen Years - Ratatat
The Boxer - Simon and Garfunkel
E-Pro - Beck
Prog - Pinback
Say Goodbye Good - The Promise Ring
I Will Follow You Into The Dark - Death Cab For Cutie
Oceans - The Format
Past and Pending - The Shins
Ups + Downs - Saves The Day
Allentown - Billy Joel
Fortress - Pinback
Hey, Man - Nelly Furtado
Naked As We Came - Iron and Wine
Miami - Counting Crows
Your New Name - The Format
Rose's Theme - Cacoon Soundtrack
Wishlist - Pearl Jam
Mary's In India - Dido
Breathe - Erasure
Dead End Song - The Format
She's My Ride Home - Blue October
Love You Madly - Cake
Sha Sha - Ben Kweller

Three Cheers!!! Samber Has A Pad!

So, we just bid on a condo, and got it at a great price. It is a 3 bed, 2 bath, 1247 sq. ft. condo in Saratoga Springs. It's the top, right condo in the photo. It's an apartment style condo with vaulted ceilings, garage, pool/clubhouse, views of Lone Peak and Utah Lake, and was built in 2005. I'm about twenty minutes from work, and Amber is about 5 minutes from work. It's more space than we will need for the next 2-3 years, and the payments are going to be easily managable. We are pretty excited. Hopefully we are not shunned by y'all for living down south. We will be closing in 3 weeks.

What I Don't Get

What is it with people backing into parking stalls? Do they need to make a quick get-away? I don't understand this. Is it really that difficult backing out? Obviously not, since they backed up in order to get in. Is it really worth the trouble? It seems to me that this is a male thing, from what I've seen. Not to be harsh on females, but we generally have a more difficult time than men (how come they can zip backwards at 40 miles an hour?). So guys, what's the deal?

Global warming

Fun little summer pasttime

Something I've always wanted to do:

ROLLER DERBY!!! Ever since I left USU and the rugby team, I've been looking for a way to get mean again :)

WHO'S WITH ME???

Toni Being All Patriotic

I had a funny thought today. I was driving to work and when Piper is in the car I usually keep the music G-Rated, FM 100. Well the song that says... "Proud to be an American...." came on, you know the one we sang in elementary school, and I just decided to belt it out. And I was thinking I bet that the veterans up in heaven are looking down on me, some dumb, self absorbed blonde girl belting out I am proud to be an American where atleast I know I am free!!!!.. and thinking, now this is why we did it, it was worth it.

My House Today

"Real Christians Don't Gay Bash"

I read this great editorial today on Common Dreams that stood out to me. It's called "Real Christians Don't Gay Bash" by Rev. Jim Higby. Here is the link:

http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0714-22.htm

It is about, basically, what the title says. This excerpt sums it all up:

"Jesus was kind and understanding, but he was not silent about those who abused the vulnerable. He called them “wolves in sheep’s clothing.” Christians must follow the example of Jesus and confront those vicious predators who use the Christian religion as a camouflage for bullying. We must be as understanding and kind as we can be, but to be tolerant of the oppression of others is not true tolerance."

My dad and my brother can be considered homophobic and they like to trash talk gays whenever the subject arises. My sister-in-law's uncle is gay, and his sister calls him "the damn fag." This kind of behavior has always bothered me, even before I found out that one of my best friends is gay. Whatever happened to "Love the sinner, hate the sin"? As Christians, we believe in charity, which is the pure love of Christ. Where is the love in putting down another human being, simply because of the choices he makes--choices that have absolutely nothing to do with us, as each person is given agency to make individual decisions and act accordingly?

I don't know where I stand on the issue of homosexuality. On the one hand, I believe it is wrong. On the other hand, I don't believe I have a say in what a person chooses to do--practice that lifestyle, marry, etc. Who am I to tell another person how to live? All I can do is exemplify charity in my own life, in addition to standing up for those who are persecuted.

Sorry for bringing up another higly-controversial topic, but it is one that is close to home for me.

Quote of the Day

"Those who would sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither."

- Benjamin Franklin