People are people
So why should it be
You and I should get along so awfully
People are people
So why should it be
You and I should get along so awfully

So we're different colours
And we're different creeds
And different people
have different needs
It's obvious you hate me
Though I've done nothing wrong
I've never even met you
So what could I have done
I can't understand
What makes a man
Hate another man
Help me understand
People are people
So why should it be
You and I should get along so awfully
People are people
So why should it be
You and I should get along so awfully
Help me understand
Help me understand

Now you're punching
And you're kicking
and you're shouting at me
And I'm relying on your common decency
So far it hasn't surfaced
But I'm sure it exists
It just takes a while to travel
from your head to your fist (head to your fists)
I can't understand what makes a man
hate another man
Help me understand
People are people
so why should it be
You and I should get along so awfully
People are people
so why should it be
You and I should get along so awfully

I can't understand
What makes a man
hate another man
Help me understand
I can't understand
What makes a man
Hate another man
Help me understand
I can't understand
What makes a man
Hate another man
I can't understand (people are people)
What makes a man (why should it be)
Hate another man
Help me understand...

- Depeche Mode
posted by Shannon at 10:48 PM

still alive...
...though my life is still largely on hold... Still mired in the job search... ugh... though I have a pretty good handfull of decent prospects... hopefully something will pan out soon.

First off, good news... large quantities of it... David and I have now, finally, told all parents about our engagement... and been extraordinarily well received by all. =) Last night we went out to dinner with his mom and grandfather, who was up visiting... it was the first time I'd seen his mother for more than about a minute for the last three-and-a-half years or so, and it went really well.

On Friday afternoon, David and I went downtown in an effort to win tickets to the Depeche Mode concert that night. A new station in town, Star 105.9, had been giving out tickets all week, and I had been the 3rd and 8th caller (tickets went to the 9th). On friday, they were setting up outside the Rose Garden, and giving out tickets in a drawing every 15 minutes from 3:15 to 8pm... we got there at 3... and won tickets at 6! As luck would have it, they'd been giving out 200-level tickets all week, and during the drawings, until 6pm, which was their first drawing for 100-level seats. We were three rows off the floor, far enough back to get a great angle on the stage without craning our necks, but still be close to the stage, and the show was incredible. Wow! They allowed instant cameras at the show, so we bought one, and if the pictures turned out, they will be up as soon as they get developed... actually, they might not be up until I move out, since my scanner's still packed... but, anyway...

The only sort of bad news I have is that Dynee and I were planning on being roomates, but we are no longer going to. She had to get out, so she signed a lease to move in with another friend this weekend. I don't really have a problem with her doing that, but the way she went about it frustrates me... I hope to be able to sit down with her and talk things out soon... But, on a good note, I have a decent number of job prospects where I'd make enough to aford a pretty nice apartment all on my own, which in many ways I prefer the idea of... =)

Well, I'm doing this on David's computer... we've started walking together for about 40 minutes every other day (yeah! I'm getting active again... and I'm already starting to see results!) and we just finished today's walk... he's in the shower now, but he'll be out soon so I should probably go... =)
posted by Shannon at 11:00 AM

I'm not dead...
...nor have I fallen off the face of the earth. Since graduation, I've been back at home, and even though my parents now have DSL, I don't spend much time on the computer... except for long stretches of job searching... I'll get back to updating soon, but for now... I'm not promising anything...
posted by Shannon at 10:24 PM

Ahhh, what a week... dead week once again lived up to its name, and I was feeling close to dead by the end of the week... but the weekend was nice - APO initiation on Friday night, went out to dinner afterwards. Saturday night was the banquet, and afterwards Teresa,Andrea, Jessie and I went out at around 11:30 or midnight to Shari's and Castle. Tonight Pete made dinner for a bunch of the people on our staff (really yummy manicotti, and I don't even usually like manicotti). I'm down to about 4 pages worth of paper writing left (hooray!!!). Sleepy now, so I'm gonna go to bed and I'll update better later.
posted by Shannon at 1:49 AM

On Friday, I finished and posted my final project for the online class I'm taking (Internet Information and Culture)... we had to creat an annotated web guide, sorta along the lines of About.com. Since I've been putting so much time into job-searching recently, I made that my topic. Since I'm sure there are a lot of other people out there, including many of my friends, who could benefit from it, here is my project - .net a job.
posted by Shannon at 11:10 AM

lol - Invisible toy doll makes money out of thin air
posted by Shannon at 7:00 PM

In honor of national poetry month, Washington Post writer Richard Thompson arrangd these dubya quotes into a poem of sorts... here it is.

MAKE THE PIE HIGHER
by George W. Bush
I think we all agree, the past is over.
This is still a dangerous world.
It's a world of madmen and uncertainty
And potential mental losses.

Rarely is the question asked
Is our children learning?
Will the highways of the internet
Become more few?

How many hands have I shaked?
They misunderestimate me.
I am a pitbull on the pantleg of opportunity.

I know that the human being
And the fish can coexist.

Families is where our nation finds hope,
Where our wings take dream.

Put food on your family!
Knock down the tollbooth!
Vulcanize Society!
Make the pie higher! Make the pie higher!
posted by Shannon at 6:42 PM

This is kinda neat - find out your aura colors

Crazy as I am, I'm about equal in like 4 different categories...
I'm mostly yellow (by one question):

Yellows are the most fun-loving, free-spirited, energetic, and childlike personalities in the aura spectrum. Yellows are wonderful, sensitive, optimistic beings, whose life purpose is to bring joy to people, to have fun, and to help heal the planet.

Yellows can either be very shy and sensitive, or they can be the life of the party. These playful characters have a great sense of humor. They love to laugh and to make others laugh. Yellows believe life is to be enjoyed. They like to live life freely and spontaneously. With a perpetual smile on their face, they remind people to not take themselves or their problems too seriously.

Yellows would prefer not to work at all, unless their work was fun, playful, or creative. They love nature, and often have concerns for the survival of wildlife and the environment. Dogs are very drawn to Yellows and often become their best friends.

and then equally:
Abstract tan -

The bright and curious Abstract Tans are unique characters in the mental family. They are the most childlike of all the Tans. Abstract Tans are open, friendly and outgoing. They have incredibly optimistic personalities. Though they frequently have high energy, it is also usually scattered. They tend to go in many directions at once.

All the other Tan personalities process information in a very logical and sequential manner. They process every step in a linear fashion, from one to ten. While Abstract Tans see all the details and steps which need to be handled, they do not proceed in an orderly fashion.

Abstract Tans have random thought processes. Rather than proceeding step by step, they attempt to work on all of the steps simultaneously. They do not sense that any one step is a priority — the first step is just another piece in the project, as is the last one. These sensitive individuals often appear to be scatterbrained to others.

Abstract Tans are consistently misplacing or losing their possessions and they usually can’t remember where they put things last. Their lives seem to be in a constant state of confusion and disorder. Abstract Tans energy is so unfocused that people around them can become agitated trying to pin them down.

Abstract Tans have energy similar to that of fireflies or hummingbirds. Their rapidly vibrating wings move a hundred times a second as they constantly change course in mid-air.

Green -

Greens are some of the most powerful and intelligent people in the aura spectrum. Greens are extremely bright. They process information and ideas quickly; jumping from steps one to ten. They do not like dealing with all the steps and details in between.

A project that is too detailed is tedious and boring for Greens . They prefer to develop an idea, organize a plan, and then delegate someone else to take care of the details.

Greens are very drawn to money, power, and business. These quick-thinkers are very organized and efficient. They write lists and efficiently check off the items on the list as they are completed. Greens recognize patterns and discover solutions very quickly.

When Greens are in their power, they can accomplish anything. They love to set goals and are determined to achieve them. Greens are “movers and shakers” when it comes to taking action. They are also typically the workaholics on the planet.

Greens are highly competitive and enjoy challenges. They thrive on taking risks. Gambling is common for Greens , especially if there is a potential for large winnings.

Being strong-willed, these powerful personalities are determined to have their own way, which they usually feel is the right way. A person is rarely able to win an argument with Greens .

and Indigo:

Indigo is the most recent aura color to arrive on the planet. Indigos are ushering in a new energy, a new consciousness, and a new age of peace and harmony. Whereas Violets feel driven to help save the planet, to educate the masses, and to improve life here, Indigos are here to live as examples of a new higher awareness.

At this writing, most of the Indigos are children, although there are a few Indigos who came as forerunners years ago. The words used to describe Indigos include honest, aware, highly intuitive, psychic, independent, fearless, strong-willed, and sensitive.

Indigos are old souls who know who they are and where they've come from. Some consider Indigos to be bizarre. These assertive individuals are born with their spiritual memories intact. Many parents report that their Indigo children regale them with vivid details of past lives or recent encounters with spiritual beings. Parents also report that these children can read their minds and seem to have amazing psychic abilities. Parents are often at a loss as to how to raise these amazing little beings.

An unusual characteristic of Indigos is that they frequently appear androgynous. It is often difficult to tell if Indigos are male or female, homosexual, heterosexual, bisexual, or asexual. It's as if Indigos have both the yin and yang, male and female qualities within them. Their sexuality is not their primary concern however; it is their spirituality.

posted by Shannon at 6:29 PM

ahhh... lovely pouring down rain... how beautiful, and cool... And such a blessing for my poor friends battling allergies =) ahhhh...
posted by Shannon at 1:19 PM

Yawn...
for some reason, I didn't go to bed until nearly 5 am last night... I just wasn't very tired... I am now, though...

oh, well... back to work on my website project... I'll post when it's done...
posted by Shannon at 10:24 AM

where have I been?
I'm not even gonna bother apologizing for my most recent blog disappearance... I've been focused on school & job search, and the AI game to which I am now addicted... but I'm back, and gonna try to keep up a bit better... Shannon needs to learn balance

here's a survey I got off Kine's page...

1. Who was the last person you yelled at?: Gotta be David... I don't yell often, but early this weekend we were both snippy...
2. Who was the last person you kissed?: David
3. What was the last memorable book you read?:not a novel, but I've recently been reading SARK's books and they've made quite an impact
4. When did you last dance?: Randomly - some time in my room this week, I'm sure... more organized - the last LGBTA dance a few weeks ago
5. What's the last thing you want to hear from your parents?: I really don't know
6. When did you last go for a walk in the park?: APO picnic earlier this term =)
7. When did you last do your ironing?: ironing? what's that? ;-)
8. When was the last time you smiled all day?: not uncommon... probably last weekend
9. What color of socks do you normally wear?: this time of year - none... otherwise, black
10. Did you ever attend a private school?: No
11. Do you like stuffed animals?: Yeppers...
12. Have you ever smashed pumpkins?: Nope
13. Do you read labels when shopping for food?: For the most part, yes - though, living in the res halls, I seldom actually shop for food... and sometimes I find it a better idea, with the limited selection here, to just ignore the labels rather than condemning myself to not being able to eat anything
14. Can you quote Shakespeare?: hmmm... I can recognize quotes better than I can recall them... but I do know a few Shakespeare quotations...
15. Do you like playing baseball?: Nope... I'm starting to develop a slight appreciation for watching it, though...
16. Are you a neat freak?: LOL!!! um, no.
17. What is the worst injury you have ever given someone?: The incident that comes to mind was when I was about 6 and I was riding the school bus and getting teased mercilessly by the girl next to me... eventually she tried to pull up my shirt, and I'd had enough, and I bit her hand... yeah - I was a somewhat socially inept child...
18. Do you ever eat lemons plain?: Yum!
19. Have you ever fired a gun?: Nope, don't plan to, either.
20. Do you own any knee-high boots?: I wish! I only have mid-calf boots, because I've had trouble finding knee-high ones that fit and aren't ridiculously expensive. but the boots I do have are very spiffy - one pair sparkly red, the other black w/ 6-inch heels.
21. Are you attached to extreme people?: yeah, I am... especially outgoing ones...
22. Do you like swimming in lakes?: yep
23. Have you ever streaked at a football game or any other public event?: Nope... I don't think most people would like to see me naked... otherwise I'd have no problem with streaking, etc, actually.
24. What is your favorite gemstone?: Opal, alexandrite, pearl
25. Have you gone on many blind dates?: I've never been on a date with anyone I wasn't already a 'couple' with, much less a blind date
26. Has someone done something extra nice for you?: many people, many times. I love my friends! =)
27. Did you have a crush on any of your teachers?: not that I can think of
28. Have you ever been lost in a bad part of a city?: don't think so
29. Would you rather have a mint or fruit flavored gum?: minty fresh
30. Do you have road rage?: I'm a pretty mellow driver... traffic and such rarely gets to me...
31. Have you ever eaten grass?: tasted, yes... eaten, no
32. Do you ever eat food right out of cans or jars?: olives & pickles straight out of the jar ore ok by me... everything else needs a dish of some sort...
33. Has your mind ever gone blank?: hasn't everyone's?
34. Have you ever met anyone interesting at the laundromat?: I haven't been to a laundromat since I was about 7...
35. Do you have recurring dreams?: I almost never remember my dreams ... been that way for at least 10 years, so I don't know... when I was little I had one recurring nightmare...
36. Are you kind?: I like to think so
37. Would you give a needy person the shirt off your back?: literally - probably not, to be honest
38. Do you have any beanie babies?: I have one I was given by a really good friend in high school, a couple others from my mom.
39. Would you rather be hot or cold?: cold all the way... you can always put more clothing on, but there's only so much you can take off - once you're naked, where do you go from there?
40. Is the glass half full, or empty?: if it's my water glass, it's usually empty, because I drain it so quick ;-)
41. Do you exercise or work out regularly?: working on it...
42. Could you kill if your life was threatened?: depends on the situation... probably.
posted by Shannon at 7:12 PM

CNN.com - Prince, now Jehovah's Witness, swears off cursing - May 28, 2001 - ugh... apparently he's also now "preaching about the importance of virtue"... yikes. What aliens took him over???
posted by Shannon at 1:03 PM

Butch versus Femme Test

this is me:
ANDROGYNE
Your score placed you in the category of Androgyne. This is the true middle of the road, neither butch nor femme. You may also wish to review Soft Androgyne and Hard Androgyne, the two categories surrounding you. In a ranking across the femme/butch gamut, if 1 is femme and 100 is butch, you fall between 48 and 52 on the scale. For a review of where you fall in the overall population in numbers, refer to this chart. Your group encompasses folks of all types, genders, and orientations, though is not as large a part of the population as the hard and soft androgynes surrounding you.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You are the best of both worlds, and have absolutely no feeling of being either femme or butch. You see yourself as "you" and that's all that matters. You dislike labels, surprised yourself by even taking this test, and are now laughing as you identify with this definition!

You switch roles fluidly without thinking from nurturing/subordinate to providing/leading as the situation demands. You are often a jack or jill of all trades and master of a few, but not all.

In clothing you go for the practical, not always bothering with the concept of neatness if that interferes with comfort or the time it takes to get dressed. Wrinkles don't drive you crazy, though you do prefer to keep reasonably up to date in your style, without going to any extreme in it.

You are shy in many ways, being intimidated by overt aggression as well as complete silence in a conversation. You tend to babble to fill silent space and clam up when confronted.

Odds are good astrologically that you are a Libra, Pisces, Gemini, or Aquarius.

You're willing to try anything once as long as it does not pose a risk to you. You're also good at doing just about any job, as long as you find a way to get trained for it. Physically, you're average in fitness, not being overly concerned about being either "curvy" or "chisled". If you are female and have some endowments, you wear a bra in public but not at home.

For partners you are comfortable with all types, for you are a peacemaker and changeling at heart, changing yourself to fit the situation and avoid hostility. You aren't a doormat, though, and do express your opionions.

posted by Shannon at 12:57 PM

Interesting Postal Restrictions Around the World
posted by Shannon at 12:14 AM

Here's another article about the Taliban and the horrid things they do. scary stuff...
posted by Shannon at 11:08 PM

and, to make it even scarier - Shrub is giving them US support! *shudder*Bush's Faustian Deal With the Taliban
posted by Shannon at 11:04 PM

My god, this is scary - Afghan Taliban Orders Non-Muslims to Wear Badge
posted by Shannon at 11:00 PM

Qwest's pay-phone rate jumps to 50 cents - they must be trying to drive more people into getting cell phones...
posted by Shannon at 10:15 PM

Towel Day - May 25, 2001. A fitting tribute.
posted by Shannon at 7:18 PM

lol!!! What a silly monkey! (requires Flash)
posted by Shannon at 3:44 PM

Just in case you need another reason not to eat at McDonald's...
posted by Shannon at 3:38 PM