better than music.

what's better? listening to conversations on bus rides home..

[shortened version.. i wish i could include those brackets like in church readings for an extended version but this is the gist of it]

guy: i figured it was better not to do anything 'cause what could i tell the judge in the morning? i go to school, work, and last night got in a fight with this guy who stole my weed? even though he was crazy, i couldn't do anything..

girl: well, times are tough. i was sitting on the back of the bus getting threats from this guy, and all i could think of was, i deal with ppl like you at work.. you know, since i'm a social worker. i told the bus driver, "hey, just think you should know that i'm being threatened back there." and you know what he said? "what do you want me to do about it?" i told him, "thought you would want to know about it, 'cause you know, it's your bus." it's a rough time for everyone.

guy: yeah, and you know, the funny thing is people don't realize it's our society that perpetuates it. we're told to think that we need nice clothes so we can look good, all those fancy things, whatever... getting jobs 'cause they pay lots of money.

girl: exactly. but what i think it really is, is that there isn't enough money for people to get an education. and i think that's important. before i came to Cal i was like that too, going through life not knowing that these decisions were being made for me. then i took classes

guy: like psychology, english? all those thick books filled with knowledge..

girl: yeah, and sociology too.. those are all good. so you can't blame them, 'cause it's really not their fault they don't know any better. and that's why i want to do the work i do.. i feel like it will help people realize things they didn't even think of before.

guy: what's that type of person called? when you're influenced by your environment?

girl: i know what you're talking about.. yeah, most people are like that. until you realize that there's other knowledge out there you're stuck in the world you're in.

guy: when's it gonna change?

girl: when there's a revolution. and it's gonna be soon. well, it's gonna get a lot worse before it gets better. and we got to realize that we shouldn't be going against ourselves, we should be rising up together. but i mean, it's starting.. the revolution is.. just like how the french people overthrew their government. it's gonna happen if people don't see things are changing. 'cause we need something to change.
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AND THAT REMINDED ME WHY I'M HERE- to hear coversations like that ('cause i definitely did not make that up) and to keep questioning what my purpose in life is... i really do think we all have a purpose. it just takes some a longer time to figure out what it is.

MINI!

there's a field trial for the NEW 100% electric MINIcooper! to be eligible for the 1 yr lease you have to live in southern california or NY/NJ area.. someone do it so i can ride in it! ^_^

if you're going to the new California Academy of Sciences, don't look! highlights..

glad the Philippines is the richest of something..
i'm sure so many others thought this too.
(like Josh.. pointing..)

this wall was larger than life.
i liked the jellyfish-ish thing..

thumbs up for colonization.

probably one of the coolest things. i recommend going here first 'cause then you go down to the aquarium after..

i love SF.
more pictures on facebook..

blankies!

make awesome tents! i slept here two nights.. ^_^ this is one of my favorite things to do.. i don't know if i could handle sleeping in real tents. in the woods. with bugs.

Grandpa John

McCain walks like a penguin. I know that doesn't have anything to do with his qualifications.. There are just so many things about McCain (grandpa-ness, voice of death) that make me not want to listen.

My dad is voting for McCain, even though he said he liked Obama before.. 'Cause Obama is saying things he would do as President, but, like McCain said, had voted differently before. Josh sent me the link to factcheck.org.. And I wish everyone could read this stuff:

"Once again, McCain said that Obama raised taxes 94 times. This came up in the vice presidential debate, and it is a bogus charge.

Fact check.org, a non-partisan watchdog, has analyzed the charge.

Of the 94, 23 of those votes were indeed votes against proposed tax cuts. Eleven of them were increases on families earning over $1 million to help fund programs such as Head Start and school nutrition. And 53 were on non-binding budget resolutions that foresaw allowing tax cuts to expire as scheduled. Such out-year projections are meaningless, since non-binding budgets are passed each year.
Fact.check.org ruled the claim misleading.
--Glenn Kessler"