Guns. No roses.

I went to a shooting range Friday.

I think a lot of people take guns for granted.

Their are an estimated 223 Million guns in the US right now.

In 1995, 68% of Murders were committed with a firearm, 56% with a handgun

"Projected year when deaths from gunfire will surpass death from auto accidents: 2001"

"Number of people killed by firearms every hour in America: 4"

"Number of federal safety standars that apply to the manufacture of teddy bears: 4

Number of federal safety standards that apply to the manufacture of firearms: 0"

Something's wrong with that number.

I don't know why i decided to post on this, well i do but i dont know why i included all those numbers. When i first held that gun in my hand and heard the loud pops beside me it shuddered to think that somewhere in North America, 4 people died from similar pops that could easily come from guns exactly liek the one i held in my hand. I pulled the trigger.

*BAM*

Pulled it again, twice this time

*BAM BAM*

Sure, i'm shooting at paper. But some people shoot at people. Isn't it sad what the world is coming to that in some places you get a gun for applying at a bank? You're basically saying,

"Welcome to the Bank, Mr. Doe, Go Now and Kill."

It's ridiculous!

If you don't know what i mean i seriously think you should go to a shooting range and how a magnum for your first time and fire it and notice the difference between that and a cap gun.

It will blow you away.

*BAM*

*BAM*

*BAM*

*BAM*

Every minute.

Four people dead.

And that's North America, a safe country compared to some of the others.

When is it too much?

Next time you watch a movie or a television show and one person get's gunned down in the movie and you feel bad for that character, i urge you to think that during those 120 minutes that you are watching the movie, 480 people are gunned down, for real. And that's in one continent.

How do you feel about it NOW?

Jeff Dunham

K so if you haven't heard of Jeff Dunham, you NEED to. He's an amazing ventriloquist, and I just watched my first clip of his last week and ive never laughed so hard in my entire life! Honestly, he's hilarious so i seriously suggest you download the video for this. The following picture is a few of his cast members:

Walter, Peanut and Jose the Jalapeno (on a stick) and Jeff in the middle.
My new favourite, however, is Melvin the superhero. He's hilarious.
Favourite Quote:

Jeff: So let's compare you to a more well known superhero.
Melvin: Ok like who?
Jeff: What about superman?
Melvin: Oh he's good
Jeff: Well, can you stop a speeding bullet?
*Pause*
Melvin: Once
*Audience Laughs*
Melvin: Shut up..it hurts like Hell!

Awesome View (2)

Awesome View

Need i say more? More to come...

Monopoly

Monopoly. There's been a little bit of a buzz going on about this little game lately so i thought i would quell a few rumours. Mary, should i end up playing you, i would destroy you. Or come very close. Last night, i played Laura and Matt at it, and Laura lasted 2 hours. After that Matt took a $18,000 lead and i almost dropped out but stormed back with some lucky roles to have a finishing total of $24,898. Just a taste of what you're up against. Seriously though mary, i wrote this for you it was SO exciting. At the end of the game ALL the property was hoteled. Matt had dark purple and red..i had the rest. It was SO fun! I can't wait to see what you got!

Edmonton (Part 2)

So i decided i'd post about my past day. It was kinda fun. I'll start with watching House last night with Stefan. I've never watched that show before but it was really good so i think i might add that into my weekly routine of Monday night watching. Then we played a couple video games and then watched Ladder 49. Well at least i tried to, i lasted about 55 minutes then i fell asleep.

So this morning i woke up eventually (as in it took me a few minutes to actually get going). And when i did stefan was watching the Canada/Czech game which we won (maybe not deservingly) 3-2. So that was cool. Then we watched the end of Ladder 49. It was a really good movie. Sure, i do think their cool have been more action but it was good none the less. Now i'm watching '3 Ninjas' (thats right, 3 Ninjas). I'm going to go and get stefan some food because his debit card is here and he's at work.

Later today laura is ocming over though..and then Magoo too. Tomorrow me and stefan are going to DHQ to have lunch with Brian Venables. Hopefully we still get to. Then thursday i dono what i'm doing yet except for going to band at night with stefan and laura. Friday i'm meeting with Alyson and the Ian and the Grande Prairie people so that should be a lot of fun. Saturday morning i'm going home! It's been fun! Still a few days left!

P.S Mary, monopoly is ON!

Edmonton

Hey, so now i'm in edmonton, and it's been TONS of fun. And then i was told to get off my lazy butt and blog by someone i just met (won't mention any names though, Courtney) so here goes.

Well, i got to Edmonton wednesday morning and Stefan was there to pick me up. It had been a good flight in most ways, the guy i was sitting next to was really nice and he talked a lot, mostly about different travelling he's done. I don't mind listening to people like that in a 4 hour flight because it gets my mind off the fact that i'm hundreds of thousands of feet in the air. Yay.

The first thing we did was go to his job so he could check on a few things. I love his workplace so i didn't mind that whatsoever. Next we stopped into the bank and saw Mel, who i havent seen for at least 3 years so that was really good to see her and catch up even if only briefly. Then we came back here, watched Robin Williams and Mark Lowry and played monopoly. I won, as usual. (However, every other game we've played i.e Scene it? or Trivial Pursuit, i got my butt kicked so it evens out). Then Erin came over and we hung out some more and then went to my old job in Edmonton, Dairy Queen. We had some burgers then some blizzards then came home. Anyway so now onto thursday night, i went with Stefan and Laura to band and worship practice. So that was fun, met a couple new people and thats that.

Umm..friday tried to go bowling but their was a long lineup so we went to Wendys which was fun. Then saturday i worked with Stefan at jersey city, got a couple new shirts and then went to young adults where a few of us played ball, we ate pizza then played Trivial Pursuit DVD and Shout about it Movies 3. Sunday went to edmonton temple and saw all my old friends and church goers which was awesome. Grabbed lunch, came here, watched Dawsons, then i went to the mall to try and get a relient k ticket but couldnt. Oh well guys have fun! Umm so tonight we watched a couple movies and here i am. Woo. And that's that. I'll update it later when the week is older! Happy reading!

Valentine's day? What's so special?

Ok so i have a few thoughts on this whole "Valentine's Day" extravaganza.
Firstly i think Valentine's Day has been made too commercial. According to one of the varying myths on it's origin,

"Valentine actually sent the first 'valentine' greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl -- who may have been his jailor's daughter -- who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed 'From your Valentine,' an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. It's no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France."

He didn't need roses and chocolates, so why do we feel we need to? We don't. By buying flowers and chocolates we're not telling our love ones how much we love them, no, we are indeed telling Hallmark how much we love them by going along with their ridiculously priced merchandise with the promise of automatic love and woo-ing.

Also, reading a couple friends blogs i have to agree with them. Why do we feel like love just has to be concentrated on one person? It doesn't but because the word 'love' has been hoisted on such a high pedistle it's a hard word for most of our generation to just say if it's not meant in a romantic way. With the help of Hallmark, love has been changed from a feeling of affection towards anyone to a feeling of love for just one person.

Finally, why do we feel like we have to put out extra amounts of this epidemic "love" on February 14th? That's silly. God wants us to love each other 24/365! So we should do that! I say, happy Valentine's YEAR! Love everyone! It's kind of interesting though, the word love is uttered a total of 262 times in the Bible, whereas it's counterpart "hate" is only used 83 times. I know this is kinda meaningless with the rest of my blog i just find it fascinating that God pushes the word love on us, love each other as love ourselves, love our neighbours, and all that..but yet we only seem to show this one day a year and only to select people. So my thing is, love everyone, all the time.

And now, a few love quotes, just for fun:

Ambrose Bierce:
Love: a temporary insanity, curable by marriage.

Amy Bloom:
Love at first sight is easy to understand; it's when two people have been looking at each other for a lifetime that it becomes a miracle.

Bible:
Love is patient, love is kind.It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.It is not rude, it is not self-seeking.It is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.Love never fails.I Corinthians 13:4-8

Don Byas:
You call it madness, but I call it love.

thanks to http://www.wisdomquotes.com/cat_love.html for the quotes!

Movies

Hey, i saw this idea on a friend's blog so here goes. These movies were posted on imdb.com. They're the top 100 movies of all time, according to that website. Red movies i've seen, Green movies i own.

1. CITIZEN KANE (1941)
2. CASABLANCA (1942)
3. THE GODFATHER (1972)
4. GONE WITH THE WIND (1939)
5. LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962)
6. THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939)
7. THE GRADUATE (1967)
8. ON THE WATERFRONT (1954)
9. SCHINDLER'S LIST (1993)
10. SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (1952)
11. IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946)
12. SUNSET BOULEVARD (1950)
13. THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI (1957)
14. SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959)
15. STAR WARS (1977)
16. ALL ABOUT EVE (1950)
17. THE AFRICAN QUEEN (1951)
18. PSYCHO (1960)
19. CHINATOWN (1974)
20. ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST (1975)
21. THE GRAPES OF WRATH (1940)
22. 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968)
23. THE MALTESE FALCON (1941)
24. RAGING BULL (1980)
25. E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL (1982)
26. DR. STRANGELOVE (1964)
27. BONNIE AND CLYDE (1967)
28. APOCALYPSE NOW (1979)
29. MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON (1939)
30. THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE (1948)
31. ANNIE HALL (1977)
32. THE GODFATHER PART II (1974)
33. HIGH NOON (1952)
34. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (1962)
35. IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (1934)
36. MIDNIGHT COWBOY (1969)
37. THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES (1946)
38. DOUBLE INDEMNITY (1944)
39. DOCTOR ZHIVAGO (1965)
40. NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959)
41. WEST SIDE STORY (1961)
42. REAR WINDOW (1954)
43. KING KONG (1933)
44. THE BIRTH OF A NATION (1915)
45. A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE (1951)
46. A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (1971)
47. TAXI DRIVER (1976)
48. JAWS (1975)
49. SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (1937)
50. BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID (1969)
51. THE PHILADELPHIA STORY (1940)
52. FROM HERE TO ETERNITY (1953)
53. AMADEUS (1984)
54. ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT (1930)
55. THE SOUND OF MUSIC (1965)
56. M*A*S*H (1970)
57. THE THIRD MAN (1949)
58. FANTASIA (1940)
59. REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE (1955)
60. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981)
61. VERTIGO (1958)
62. TOOTSIE (1982)
63. STAGECOACH (1939)
64. CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (1977)
65. THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991)
66. NETWORK (1976)
67. THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE (1962)
68. AN AMERICAN IN PARIS (1951)
69. SHANE (1953)
70. THE FRENCH CONNECTION (1971)
71. FORREST GUMP (1994)
72. BEN-HUR (1959)
73. WUTHERING HEIGHTS (1939)
74. THE GOLD RUSH (1925)
75. DANCES WITH WOLVES (1990)
76. CITY LIGHTS (1931)
77. AMERICAN GRAFFITI (1973)
78. ROCKY (1976)
79. THE DEER HUNTER (1978)
80. THE WILD BUNCH (1969)
81. MODERN TIMES (1936)
82. GIANT (1956)
83. PLATOON (1986)
84. FARGO (1996)
85. DUCK SOUP (1933)
86. MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY (1935)
87. FRANKENSTEIN (1931)
88. EASY RIDER (1969)
89. PATTON (1970)
90. THE JAZZ SINGER (1927)
91. MY FAIR LADY (1964)
92. A PLACE IN THE SUN (1951)
93. THE APARTMENT (1960)
94. GOODFELLAS (1990)
95. PULP FICTION (1994)
96. THE SEARCHERS (1956)
97. BRINGING UP BABY (1938)
98. UNFORGIVEN (1992)
99. GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER (1967)
100. YANKEE DOODLE DANDY (1942)

Ive seen maybe 15. I don't own any. Does that say something about my taste in music or Imdb's knowledge of movies?

Adherency.

http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=16396603&postID=113892503399447667

I don't really know how to start this so i just will. Never in my 20 years of life have i been so offended by what a friend of mine posted on a blog. Yesterday i was told to check out a friends blog for his post on adherancy. Throughout, he makes some valid points, but some thinks that he says just are not necessary. Attack me if you want on this one, you really can, but i don't believe you have the right to say 80% of what you said. First of all, when you discuss the covenant you make it seem like people who take this covenant are NEVER going to sucuumb to those evils again. Seriously, have you never read or heard any testimonies? It happens all the time, covenant or adherant, it DOESNT matter people make mistakes, Satan tempts us all just no offence but whether or not you're an adherant and believe all the same things or have read some card in front of a bunch of people doesnt make a speck of difference. It doesn't make you "more" or "less" christian if you have or haven't read or agreed to the covenant and just the fact that you try and say that is truly offensive for me especially.

I am NOT a Senior Soldier *gasp* i have NOT taken the covenant *gasp* but i STILL believe what's ON the covenant *GASP* Wait, he said that's useless. Yes, thanks. I'm useless, my friends are useless, well, i'm glad YOU think so. Fortunately their are those of us who are less narrowminded and know that whether or not you take the covenant does not change how usefull you are to the Salvation Army. Yea, i don't go to some War College and proclaim to fight, yea i don't put on some tight collared suit every sunday morning. Yea, i sit at home and at church, in my own clothes and fight with prayer, i do what i can where i am. I don't feel that i'd be any more usefull at some school in Vancouver wearing a uniform. You're basically saying that you over there doing that or more useful than the rest of us. You may be right. Wait, no. You're wrong. Doing what you do, sure, is GREAT. It really is. But it's no GREATER than adherants who worship God every sunday morning but just don't feel they need to justify it by reading some card and putting on the uniform. Besides the fact whether or not adherants are less worthy, who are you to judge? Hi, is your name God? NO. You CANNOT sit there and make those judgement calls on other people. As i said in one of my comments on your post, judge not lest ye be judged. So unless you're claiming youre never going to fall to any kind of temptations or for example, watch any kind of movies that are questionable to what God would like you to watch, then don't say anything like that.

"Adherency is affiliation without commitment!" Ok..well. No, it's not. You're taking the word commitment way out of context on this one. Adherents can commit to serving God without putting on that uniform and making those promises out loud. I know you're sitting there saying no they can't but they can, don't be stupid.

Basically all i'm saying is that their is something wrong with your belifes. I, as an adherent who's NOT useless, know i'll never be perfect but i'll stil strive to be a better person and share my beliefs with others. You seem like you think by signing the covenant that you ARE perfect, and that your uniform is the only way people will listen to you. Grow up. The covenant is really a glorified way to show people the commitment you made. I'd rather quietly make a commitment but tell otehrs about it with my enthusiasm. I don't need to wear a uniform to do that. NOBODY does. Yes, your statements are BOLD. But sooner or later we have to draw the line between BOLD and BULL.

Tagged

Ok, so i got tagged. Here we go:

Four Jobs I've Had:
1. Counsellor at Pine Lake (Cluster 3, and Skoch, YOU did everything? Come on..lol)
2. Grill boy at Dairy Queen
3. Sports Director at Wabana
4. Cashier at Shoppers Drug Mart

Four movies i can watch repeatidly:
1. Remember the Titans
2. X2
3. Hot Shots Part Deux
4. The Italian Job

Four Places i lived:
1. Ottawa
2. England
3. Edmonton
4. Toronto (Current)

Four T.V Shows i Love:
1. the Simpsons
2. the O.C
3. 24
4. Friends

Four Places I've Vacationed:
1. Spain
2. Scotland
3. France
4. Montreal

Four Sites i Visit Daily:
1. www.tsn.ca
2. www.nhl.com
3. http://skochscorner.blogspot.com (Shameless plug, i know)
4. www.hotmail.com

Four Place's I'd rather be right now:
1. At a hockey game
2. Barbados or somewhere warm
3. West Edmonton Mall
4. Anywhere else

Four People I'm tagging:
..enough people have been tagged, i refuse to endure this any further..