tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91691122012-02-16T06:43:46.725-06:00Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.comBlogger581100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-64019970939579332002012-02-03T14:03:00.000-06:002012-02-03T14:15:55.136-06:00

While we walked home up the hill today, past the piles of charred garbage, something I said made Paul pause.  "If we got a house here," I said, stepping around a pothole filled with sludge, "it wouldn't be that hard to make it nice." "Wow, you've come a long way," Paul said. "I never thought I'd hear you say anything like that." Truth is, I think like that everywhere I go: "What would

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-13870339758328486102012-01-28T00:49:00.000-06:002012-01-28T00:49:25.207-06:00

I loved playing house when I was little. I got to be the mom to a brood of children--stuffed bears, little baby dolls, a blue bird that chirped--and hold them tight in my arms. I named them, invented personalities for them, and included them all so no one would feel left out. I'm kind of doing the same thing again, here in India. Except instead of stuffed animals, my kids are real, live

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-30067310779355736042012-01-25T02:43:00.002-06:002012-01-25T03:31:32.525-06:00

Being in India teaches me to stay flexible. Just about everything is bendable—prices, schedules, laws. Questions like “When is our driver coming?” is answered by “After some time.” Sunday's 6pm minor-league football (soccer) match was suddenly rescheduled for 2pm because an electric problem meant their stadium lights wouldn’t turn on. The kids missed most of the game, but still got to see

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0Pune, Maharashtra, India18.5204303 73.856743718.3999798 73.6988152 18.6408808 74.01467219999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-12495691444341806192012-01-25T01:10:00.000-06:002012-01-25T07:33:43.253-06:00

I think India has gotten into my blood. At least her children have wriggled and squirmed and laughed their way into my heart. (And at least one of my friends discovered a little more of India squirming through his digestive tract...but that's another story for a different sort of blog.) I was last here a year ago -- living in the same side of a rented "duplex," even in this same room. My

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0Pune, Maharashtra, India18.5204303 73.856743718.3999798 73.6988152 18.6408808 74.01467219999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-65265544005733145582011-11-15T18:44:00.001-06:002011-11-15T22:41:36.103-06:00

At the end of Sunday's service, the pastor gave another one of those "calls" -- "If you want this from God, then stand up and say this." I think it was something about if you want God to talk more clearly to you. If you want God to speak to you with dreams. Whatever. It didn't really matter to me. "God, all I want is a child," I said. "You know that." To myself, I included, "I'm not

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-93089143870447382011-05-09T18:24:00.003-05:002011-05-09T18:36:05.999-05:00

(Finding Hollywood Nobody, by Lisa Samson. Part of the NavPress Blogger Review Program.) Teen girl Scotty, Samson's protagonist in this young adult series for girls, is on the run with her hippie grandma, Charley, from a mysterious stranger. Charley designs food for movies, so Scotty is in on the Hollywood scene even as they travel for movies shot on location. She blogs the latest gossip and

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-37813923973336935612011-01-28T04:09:00.001-06:002011-01-28T04:12:02.757-06:00

We climbed the narrow and steep staircase, ducking in places to avoid the ceiling. The stairs were just wide enough for one person at a time. The few windows in the tall building were barred, allowing only a small shaft of light to brighten the landings. When we reached the top, a woman in a pink, flowered Punjabi and checkered dupati greeted us, smiling shyly. The view from the top room “

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0Pune, Maharashtra, India18.5204303 73.856743718.3576588 73.6232842 18.683201800000003 74.09020319999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-80198627305185241922010-11-21T03:05:00.002-06:002010-11-21T03:23:30.576-06:00

A couple weeks ago, Old Navy's bright lights and sale signs called out to my bargain-loving soul. Like the mythical sirens, it had me trapped.... Paul and I needed warm clothes for the winter. Not to mention, Paul needed some pants that would stay on him. (He's shrinking! In a good way.) So I exchanged some $25 pants for their identical $7 clearance pair and picked up a $3.50 pair. I

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-26444731413200668772010-10-20T15:03:00.001-05:002010-10-20T15:44:03.613-05:00

I'm trying to write something that could earn $42,000. It's not a best-seller novel (wouldn't that be fun!) -- I'm writing a grant proposal for the YWAM Phos House. And here's why I'm writing the proposal: The Phos House is a Christian community house on the UW Madison campus. We've been running a campus house since 1998. I lived in the first Phos House on Langdon Street back in 2000. And we

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-782789627592726522010-09-29T15:48:00.001-05:002010-09-29T15:48:28.414-05:00

Two months ago, I stood in front of a diverse class of students. Ages 19-60+, English speakers and non-native English speakers. People from nine countries. My task -- to teach them how to write authentically. Yes, I was intimidated. And yes, I had the time of my life. Whenever I sit at a desk for too long, trying to run a communications department on half of a shoestring budget, wishing I had

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-26549840135236882482010-09-17T00:53:00.001-05:002010-09-17T00:59:45.977-05:00

Vision Board: balance, books, comfort, friends, happy, country house, imagination, mother, street kids, peace, romance, healthy, hospitable, generous, provocative writer

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-2546448530260651972010-09-14T23:37:00.002-05:002010-09-14T23:41:58.811-05:00

Amazon shipped me a lovely box o' books yesterday. They're books I would recommend for any writer. They're written for aspiring writers under the age of 10, but I'm going to use them any time I teach adults. The first one is How a Book Is Made, by Aliki (1986). Of Reading Rainbow fame, this book shows 80's children the ins and outs of, you guessed it, book making. From the story's inception to

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-49774165915720712632010-09-09T22:49:00.002-05:002010-09-17T00:54:05.099-05:00

photo by onlinewoman In July, I was charged with the task of teaching "authentic writing" to a group of college students. These students were 18-55 years old, from North America, Africa, Asia, and Europe. They were missionaries for years who have seen and done "it all;" they were straight out of high school and filled with the fresh idealism of youth. They were new parents, grandparents,

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-70191147299251167802010-09-07T11:40:00.001-05:002010-09-07T11:49:46.875-05:00

by dwinstonfidler When I was younger and considered myself to be oh-so-arty, I kept my journal and pen with me on the airplane no matter what. You see, the heady moment of takeoff, when the force of the earth pulled against me so hard it made me dizzy, seemed to herald some sort of writer's enlightenment. Or maybe it was simply being "above it all" and having such a higher perspective.

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-49620618304474256692010-08-23T15:15:00.002-05:002010-09-07T11:35:32.128-05:00

image by Stephen Coff Part of my job in YWAM is working with beginning writers and communicators. I love to sit down with people one-on-one and help them craft a story or write an essay, to help make their ideas clear and compelling. It's fulfilling to help someone learn what others have taught me. I came across this story today on Chip MacGregor's blog and I wanted to share it. I think any

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-3270236262646290862010-03-21T00:17:00.002-05:002010-09-07T12:04:00.497-05:00

The first pages of "Isaac Newton" by Mitch Stokes, in the Christian Encounters Series, made me very excited to read the whole book. In fact, just the cover, the weight and feel of the book itself, its pocketability...I surmised that the book in my hands was one that any English major would love. And as long as it was not discussing the scientific theories that Newton discovered, I did enjoy it.

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-83959401741387978352010-03-05T11:22:00.001-06:002010-03-05T11:24:01.412-06:00

So my blog suffers from multiple personality disorder. Or maybe it's just a reflection that I am involved in many different kinds of things. Here's further proof: My job is the Communications Department here at YWAM Madison. We are on a very tight budget, but know that we must find ways to share about our different activities and events. We also don't have a graphic designer, so our print

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-75526519573418517142010-02-15T16:41:00.003-06:002010-09-07T12:05:24.664-05:00

The Voice of Psalms is a beautifully written book of Psalms in "The Voice" translation. It aims to provide readers with an engaging translation that pays attention to the “spiritual, emotional, and artistic” goals of the text (viii). This is not a literal study Bible but is an artistic translation. It charged the writers with preserving the flow and storytelling nature of the text. From the

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-84158964453502145972010-01-25T10:45:00.000-06:002010-01-25T10:45:44.076-06:00

Thanks to a link from agent Chip MacGregor (not my agent, but we can dream, right?), I found out about a  promotional campaign by Thomas Nelson publishers. Thomas Nelson is giving away books in exchange for a book review and a link on your blog. You just have to write a 200 word review of the book, post it on your blog and a commercial site (like Amazon.com), and add a "badge" to your blog. Not

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-53326700405433606772010-01-23T01:42:00.001-06:002010-01-23T01:45:31.962-06:00

One of the visiting writing instructors recommended that I teach straight out of the Christian Writer's Manual of Style for my week on editing. I took one look at that book (now longer than the version I own!) and knew that it would make for one boring teaching topic! I remembered being so excited after all I learned in the editing week when I was a student in the YWAM Writing School. I wanted

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-36519792737123484202010-01-21T02:23:00.001-06:002010-01-21T02:24:48.217-06:00

All week, I've been dreading this last day of teaching. Grammar. Punctuation. Style. Not my favorites. I've learned that I like to let certain rules slide. For instance, rules about commas. And howevers. I've learned that I recognize (and actually follow) a lot of the rules, but can't explain in interesting terms why they exist. Both of these realizations make it difficult to teach grammar,

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-92086611219352936112010-01-06T14:14:00.004-06:002010-01-06T14:19:53.590-06:00

Here it is, the long-awaited final product of my craftiness. And here is how I did it: Step One - find and print pattern I found this one here, http://indiefixx.com/Feed_your_soul/downloads.html, as part of an art project. According to the website, "each month artists are invited to participate and to contribute a print which is totally free and available for download." This bird one is

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-85300168341279647412010-01-06T04:18:00.002-06:002010-01-06T04:25:03.806-06:00

"Is there a doctor on board?" A hesitant voice crackled over the intercom. I looked up to see if a movie just started playing, but the tiny screens were still blank. I waited for someone to say, "no, I'm not a doctor but I play one on TV." "We would prefer a doctor with experience treating, uh, psychiatric conditions," the voice hesitated. At this point, the passengers sitting on either side

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-38404387141462513202010-01-04T14:16:00.004-06:002010-01-06T04:24:04.638-06:00

Today I finally discovered how to fit more hours into my day. I'm leaving today for three weeks in Arizona and Texas. So in typical me-fashion, I am cramming a lot of extra things in my final few hours. I was cutting Paul's hair when I looked at my watch. It was 2:45 already. How had the day gone by so quickly? "Oh no, I still have to get to the library!" I said. Paul reminded me I still had

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-83830371864594987512010-01-01T18:51:00.000-06:002010-01-01T18:51:56.480-06:00

Anyone who knows my family is probably aware that my sister is a talented graphic artist and my brother a talented photographer. I joke that they got all the artsy genes and left none for me. I merely hope they remember who edited their college papers when they become rich and famous. It seems like since I lost Kaleb, I've had a strong urge to create things with my hands. I've sewed about a half

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-62638302103799826392009-10-23T17:31:00.002-05:002009-10-23T17:49:52.339-05:00

Here's our latest news about our family and mission work in YWAM. We love hearing from you, so if you'd like, please write us back at monika@ywammadison.org or paul@ywammadison.org.With love,Paul & Monika AllenServing in Youth With A Mission - Madison, WIIf you'd like to join our mailing list, go here and enter your email address. (Sorry the full image wouldn't upload into this blog post. Just

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0Madison, WI43.03677585761058 -89.428710937539.022164857610576 -96.8994139375 47.05138685761058 -81.9580079375tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-88140532837485441392009-09-15T13:04:00.006-05:002009-12-01T13:07:43.355-06:00

Nine months ago, today seemed forever-away. I read the paper from the doctor: Estimated due date -- 9/15/09. September, I breathed. So far away. A word filled with hope. With longing. With promises for a future filled with life. I imagined the day. The treetops tinged with fire and gold. Warm. A breeze. A baby in my arms. I imagined a son. From the beginning, I knew I would have a son. I

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com1Wisconsin, USA43.7844397 -88.787867839.8180432 -96.2585708 47.7508362 -81.3171648tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-2985097959788441172008-11-14T12:26:00.005-06:002010-09-07T12:09:02.423-05:00

It's time for me to write. And I mean WRITE with as much emphasis as can be conveyed over a blog like this. I originally thought that I could hammer out the second half of my book draft by writing for one day a week for 3 months. I should have done my math a little better. Research and write half a book in 12 days? Covering 13 countries, cultures, and time periods? Was I mad? (Better yet, am I

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-47871173413356190802008-10-23T12:52:00.005-05:002008-10-31T11:56:57.963-05:00

Last week, Paul took the Discipleship Training School students to Chicago for a week of outreach. They had one of the busiest weeks ever...that ended in being playground building-project leaders with Kool Aid and an old rapper from Run DMC (Rev Run). More on that some other time.Brad, the leader at YWAM Chicago, taught them about evangelism and perseverance. He shared a lot about his own life

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-74889359695505525432008-07-18T13:53:00.003-05:002008-07-18T14:08:46.207-05:00

It was the perfect setting for a wedding...clouds draping the volcano in the background, parting for the sun on cue. The bride and groom only had eyes for each other. They walked slowly through the gardens after the ceremony stopping to admire the flowers (and each other) and pose for pictures.We were in El Salvador for my brother-in-law's wedding. It was beautiful! I had never been to El

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-20099779563278208712008-06-03T22:44:00.004-05:002008-06-03T23:21:28.473-05:00

It has been far too long since my last post. I thought I would write in here every day, or every week at the least. Hah! Life has a way of getting in the way...especially when it comes to documenting life of the changes that life brings.In the Bible School for the Nations news.... We've completed the Old Testament and are now onto studying the early church. I know there is so much more for me to

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-47887348128848888142008-05-06T16:50:00.003-05:002008-05-06T17:18:12.363-05:00

My parents clearly named me Monika, which means "woman of wisdom" or "adviser" depending on which name book you look at. The scripture verse associated with my name comes from Proverbs 2:5-6, which essentially says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge and understanding. Before I was even born, my parents prayed for me that I would be wise and understand the fear of the Lord.I

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-37871644442751877542008-04-20T23:57:00.003-05:002008-04-21T00:33:47.585-05:00

Yes, it's true. I think. Well, it was my dad who said Lake Geneva was home of the soap opera The Young and the Restless. But he also said he turned down an offer to sing with the Beach Boys.We were in Lake Geneva for the first-ever YWAM Central District Regional Gathering. Jim Stier, director of the Americas and former President of YWAM, was the keynote speaker. I'm looking forward to listening

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-19873695977665369742008-04-08T23:54:00.006-05:002008-04-10T00:03:30.139-05:00

Last week, we studied sin, and I have never felt so free and uncondemned and excited!You must be shaking your head, wondering what kind of fundamentalist freak I am.Here's why: First, I (re)learned what sin is, (knowing the right thing to do and not doing it) but more importantly, what sin isn't.an accident or a mistake – Adam and Eve didn’t fall and trip into the tree, and an apple landed in

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-44191866950743571362008-04-03T19:50:00.006-05:002008-06-23T12:00:53.460-05:00

"I'm studying Job the man...not the workforce," I wrote as my Facebook status. I admit, I was more than a little nervous to read Job. Nervous because I had read some of it before in my "read the Bible in a year" program. And nervous because I've heard a couple sermons about him. I was nervous for the same reason as what I wrote in my last post--I was afraid of what I might find about God. Would

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-52068875071259461482008-03-30T13:31:00.005-05:002008-03-31T01:00:26.311-05:00

I'll let you in on a secret: Before this week, I didn't enjoy reading my Bible. I didn’t know how to study it. I felt stupid and guilty and frustrated because I knew there was so much more to the scriptures than what I could understand. I was afraid of what I would find. And I didn’t want to misinterpret it. So I just didn’t even open the Bible.My relationship with God began to seem like a small

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-4419678741716456392008-03-17T17:35:00.000-05:002008-03-19T17:40:21.472-05:00

When I was in high school, a friend once argued with me that truth was not 100% knowable.I didn’t understand the implications of his argument and thought it seemed like a pretty safe, non-committal thing to say. So I agreed with him. What’s the harm? I thought. But as I’ve grown up I’ve thought about that statement more deeply. I’ve realized the consequences of thinking that way, living that

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-57994805493665752262008-03-11T17:36:00.000-05:002008-03-19T17:39:35.107-05:00

Pardon the title’s cheesy pun…. Paul and I shared at Tyler’s Grace Community Church this afternoon, with the group called SWIM (single women in ministry). Paul’s Gram is part of this small group/Bible study that meets every week to talk, pray, and study the Bible or Christian life topic together. They always invite us to share about our missions trips and are excited to learn about what’s going

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-1165538207037239252006-12-07T18:36:00.000-06:002006-12-07T18:36:47.126-06:00

Here’s an interesting post about how to get to know your characters by thinking of them as people beyond the current book you’re writing. The post delves a little into literary criticism of Jane Austin, but it’s not a difficult read at all. (It makes me homesick for English power lectures….)Ramblin' Writer: Extending Characters' Lives

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-1131745107896757782005-11-11T15:37:00.000-06:002005-11-11T15:41:35.443-06:00

Do you take turtle with your coffee?Folgers checking report Iowa woman found creature in packageCHICAGO - Procter & Gamble Co. is looking into a report that an Iowa woman found a dead turtle in a package of its Folgers coffee, the company said on Friday.P & G spoke with the woman, Marjorie Morris, on Thursday. The incident was reported by the Associated Press.Morris says she found the

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-1131467509384556222005-11-08T10:26:00.001-06:002008-04-04T01:30:57.754-05:00

We're married now..into our second week together. I feel like we've already begun to settle into a comfortable pattern, even though life is not "ordinary" just yet.At least we've got our apartment set up, chosen which side of the bed to sleep on, and programmed the coffee maker. The rest will come eventually.I think I'll become a morning person...slowly but surely. Paul's morning stretches much

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-1127026756157151972005-09-18T01:52:00.000-05:002005-09-18T02:02:03.600-05:00

YWAM & Hurricane Katrinaby Me :) As you know, many people are suffering terribly in the United States as a result of Hurricane Katrina. Mercy Works, a YWAM ministry in east Texas, has already sent three semi-trucks to Gulfport, Mississippi filled with water, ready-to-eat food, and baby supplies. They’re working with a church in Gulfport that is affiliated with FEMA, the National Guard, and

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-1126026472079999572005-09-06T11:36:00.000-05:002005-09-06T12:07:52.103-05:00

Anarchy is worse than the worst tyranny, because human beings will do anything to each other if they can get away with it. NEW ORLEANS - As looters filled the streets and shots rang out, the city’s overmatched police knew that whatever other endeavors Hurricane Katrina brought to a halt, crime wasn’t one of them.

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-1124434395738672632005-08-19T01:49:00.001-05:002008-05-27T14:37:28.075-05:00

I became enlightened during a recent staff meeting. Yes. I am now proud to offer you a link to the following inspirational videos: http://www.vintage21.com/jesusvideos.htmlLest you think I have lost my salvation and am on a firey yet wide road to sulphur, brimstones, and eternal damnation, just know that the videos are a "satirical look at what some people think Jesus is like."It's hard to say

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-1124172043948192182005-08-16T00:55:00.000-05:002005-08-16T01:00:43.956-05:00

At a recent scavenging hunt at the Half-Priced Bookstore, I came across an old treasure. A Wallflowers CD I used to own in high school -- Bringing Down the Horse.It's a CD that I broke for some reason. Some teacher made me feel guilty for listening to "unchristian music." Gotta love it when people put unnecessary restrictions on others. Just like in the movie The Village. A few scared people lied

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-1116300096647930872005-05-16T22:20:00.000-05:002005-05-16T22:21:36.650-05:00

Congratulations! Your IQ score is 135Your Intellectual Type is Insightful Linguist. This means you are highly intelligent and have the natural fluency of a writer and the visual and spatial strengths of an artist. Those skills contribute to your creative and expressive mind.

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-1116297772334372282005-05-16T21:40:00.000-05:002005-05-16T21:42:52.336-05:00

May 13, 2005 6:02 p.m. ETMan's best friendby Ron ReaganThey are calling her “angel baby,” a newborn abandoned in the Lenana forest on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya last week.The 7 pound 4 ounce baby girl had been placed in a plastic bag and dropped in the woods without nourishment or water. There she lay for perhaps two days, starving, her umbilical cord infected. She must have cried out, but

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-1106777628662194902005-01-26T16:13:00.000-06:002005-08-14T15:58:20.683-05:00

Insert cheesey picture here.

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-1102326520044315902004-12-06T03:45:00.000-06:002004-12-06T03:52:02.700-06:00

I live in such a strange state: http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tips/getAttraction.php3?tip_AttractionNo==1645 And yes, I've seen this eyesore. It really is a large pink statue of an elephant. With sunglasses. Basically in the middle of nowhere. Yee-haw. In other news, I'm supposed to be working on my gender project. I really am missing my laptop now, though. I miss the keyboard the most.

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-1102254982719688132004-12-05T07:52:00.000-06:002004-12-05T07:56:22.720-06:00

Blog will be a new entry in the 2005 version of the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition. The complete list of words of the year is available at http:/www.merriam-webster.com/info/04words.htm. I find words to be fascinating...especially their rise and fall. And what about what the choice and availability of words means to a specific culture. Take Japanese, for example. The

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-1102254441901310962004-12-05T07:44:00.000-06:002004-12-05T07:47:21.900-06:00

"It is necessary only for the good man to do nothing for evil to triumph," Edmund Burke (attributed) "Tread softly because you tread on my dreams," William Butler Yeats, 1899 "Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in Mankind; And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee," John Donne, 1624 "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -- I took the one less

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-1102116272129411872004-12-03T18:22:00.000-06:002004-12-03T17:24:32.130-06:00

A group of residents plan to protest in front of two campus bars this weekend. Leaders of the Racist Dress Code Coalition told News 3 that Johnny O's and Brothers on University Avenue are banning clothing associated with hip-hop and black culture. Brothers' dress code forbids sports jerseys, cut-off shirts and hats worn sideways. http://www.channel3000.com/news/3969797/detail.html

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-1101224161694770312004-11-23T09:27:00.000-06:002005-08-14T16:05:36.676-05:00

"I would like you to give a message. Please do your best to tell the world what is happening to us, the children. So that other children don't have to pass through this violence."The 15-year-old girl who ended an interview to Amnesty International with this plea was forcibly abducted at night from her home by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), an armed opposition movement fighting the Ugandan

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-1100972628554785862004-11-20T11:39:00.000-06:002005-08-14T16:04:22.100-05:00

WILLIAM SHATNER - That's Me TryingAlbum: Has Been (2004)(Feat. Aimee Mann and Ben Folds)I got your address from the phone book at the libraryWandered in, looked you up and you were thereWeird that you've been living, maybe,2 miles away for the best part of 20 yearsYou must be, what, in your early forties nowIf I remember,You were born in June or was it May?Eisenhower was the president although it

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-1100620396767267572004-11-16T09:48:00.000-06:002004-11-16T09:53:16.766-06:00

Sometime between 3am and 5am my laptop disappeared. As in, was stolen. I don't know what to do with myself. My life was on that thing. People here are being really nice about it. I have to figure out now about going to the insurance company and the Swiss police. It's just too surreal.

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-1100554707403091252004-11-15T15:38:00.000-06:002004-11-15T15:38:27.403-06:00

Proof I'm A Moron Just thought this was an interesting blog that I would like to keep reading to keep me chuckling. That's all.

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-1100545187103924502004-11-15T12:42:00.000-06:002005-08-14T16:02:22.766-05:00

Such Great Heightsoriginally by Phil Collins. (My favorite version is by The Postal Service.)i am thinking it's a sign that the freckles in our eyes are mirror images and when we kiss they're perfectly aligned i would like to speculate that god himself did make us into corresponding shapes like puzzle pieces from the clay and true, it may seem like a stretch, but its thoughts like this that catch

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9169112.post-1100542063642116782004-11-15T12:05:00.000-06:002004-11-15T12:41:16.930-06:00

This here's my first placeholder. All blogs begin lamely. Why should this be any different?

Monikahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08207846459803680724noreply@blogger.com0