Seattle

Have you ever been to Seattle? No, really been, just to hang out and see the sights? I have, and on a good day, it's the most beautiful thing I've ever had the chance to experience. Probably the two must-sees are Pike Place Market (all of it) and the fountain just a ways from the Pacific Science Center.
The Market is filled with all kinds of sights, smells, and sounds. Whether it be jewelry, clothing, doodads, or food, they're all worth a look-see. And when you do have a quick look, you'll almost always be surprised by the craftsmanship or quality...or the price, high or low. But you have to see the fishery that has a great fish-tossing routine, right inside the main entrance.
As for the fountain, it's beautiful. The sun, the grass, the water, the trees, and right behind you, the Space Needle; you can't help but think, wow. The best time of year to see the fountain is at the Bite of Seattle, 'round about July 23 or so, when these great shops line the sidewalks and park, full of delicious food from a giant variety of different cultures. It's the best.
Now, as far as places to go, the Science Center and the Seattle Aquarium are always fun, not to mention the Seattle Children's Theatre. But you have to go to Mama's Mexican Kitchen for lunch, just off of 2nd and Bell. The place has cool walls covered with memorabilia or paintings. The atmosphere there is quite pleasant, let alone the phenomenal food. If you're not in the mood for Mexican though, just down the street from the Aquarium is a cool pier with a bunch of shops. You know you're at the right one if you see a pirate shop. Inside a ways is this great bakery, that makes some great chowder inside a sourdough bowl. That stuff is the bomb.

Feel free to walk around, see some sights, and discover a few cool places of your own; that's what the experience is for. But it's all the more fun when the weather is great, and your best chance of that is in July or August. So come on up and have fun!

Summa Time, Summa Time

Have you ever walked out of the doors of your school at the final bell on the last day of school and felt the same, like it's not over yet?
Same here.
Why? Because I have summer homework!! How dumb is that?!
Ask any teacher about the point of summer homework and I'll bet that they can't give you a straight, convincing, legitimate answer. Why? Because summer homework is pointless. The reason summer break exists is to give you just that - a break over the summer. It's not a very long weekend that gives you more time to do more homework. Besides, who can guarantee that it's going to get done with some real effort if you do assign it? They're kids, on break. No way it's going to get done at the beginning of summer. My bet would be that a good part of the work was totally last-minute.
So why assign any if you can't ensure some real effort? Answer me that and you're insane.
And yet, every year, it comes without fail. One of the textbook examples of how life isn't fair.

Atheists, Agnostics, and the Alternative

I have grown up in the LDS church. All its doctrine makes sense to me, and my life is better as a result of remaining faithful. So when it comes to atheists, I can't help but think that their way of thinking is more than a little depressing. Just think about the concept: we didn't come from anywhere, no one is looking out for us, there are no such things as miracles, and when we die, we do not go anywhere like heaven or hell; we're all just floating around here with no purpose, guidance, or origin. I mean, come on. That's not depressing, thinking that if no one loves you, that's it? If you're needing guidance, and no man can give it to you, sucks to be you? When you die, that's the final straw, you never go anywhere happier or better? Well, no wonder teen suicide numbers are frighteningly high. Not much of an existence if this is your only one.

Please do not get me wrong, I have the deepest respect for atheists and all members of all different religions alike. I just have trouble accepting the concept that atheists share.

The thing about Christianity or any religion with a loving deity/higher power is that you know that after all your troubles, trials, and tribulations, you are loved. For religious folk, there are a couple of things for sure: death, taxes, and (deity)'s love. Give me one example in your life where you were not just a little tiny bit happy when you knew for sure that someone loved you. There you go.

Also, most Christian religions promise a much better, happier, more perfect afterlife where you can be happy, if you follow that gospel's teachings (which almost always teach you to be a good person). Atheism doesn't have this thing most people can look forward to. And these people who do believe in it are generally less optimistic than those who do not.

Happiness is important. Happiness is healthy. Happiness is desirable. Why not be happy? I think that if you have a religion, it's easier to have a more postitive outlook on life, and therefore easier to be happy. And that's one of the most important things to me, and will be throughout my life.

Poem

My sister recently left, never to return, for 18 months. I miss her.

Rainy day
Just won't go away.
I fear with Sun gone
Sadness has come to stay

Despite people's efforts
To fill me with cheer,
It's hard to be happy
When Sun is not here.

I simply can't live
Without my precious Sun.
I just go on a journey
To find where it has gone.

But it is not easy.
The path becomes hard.
I feel like fragile glass
Soon to break into a thousand shards.

And yet I am strengthened
For I know I'm not alone.
Although I have no Sun
His glow keeps me warm.

So when I feel down
And miss Sun oh so much,
My God is on my side
I have His hand to clutch.

When it's a rainy day,
When sadness may ensue,
Take courage, my Sun!
He is there for me and you.

The LDS church rocks, and you know it

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the most amazing churches on this earth. Did you know that the LDS church is the 5th largest in America? If it's a cult, how come its membership numbers are so high, growing to over 13 million worldwide? It is also the fastest-growing, and it has the biggest genealogy database in the world. Now, there are a few rumors I've heard about the church that I really need to debunk:
--Mormons don't practice polygamy.
--Mormons do NOT have horns.
--Mormons believe the Bible as well as the Book of Mormon to be scripture, and we focus our studies equally amongst the two.
--The Mormon religion is most definitely NOT, I repeat, NOT a cult.
--There are NO such activities such as sacrifice, sexual perversions, or women-beating going on in the temples around the globe. I've been inside, and besides, they're just too pretty and stand out too much to be houses of Satan. Does every chick house and drug dealership stand out as white and pure and simple as these temples do? No. They blend in.
--Mormons do NOT believe men are superior to women.

If you have any other questions about the LDS church, feel totally free to ask. Remember: the best way to find out about the church is to ask Mormons. That's what the missionaries are for, and you've probably seen these shirt-and-tie, bike-riding, name-tagged young men before. Consider this: if there are two rival companies competing for customers, one of them is probably going to say nasty things about the other to get more customers. But ask them about themselves, and they're totally open for a questionnare. Companies = churches, customers = members.