Andrew Wallace's Poem

I've written 'most everything
in all my stories;
I've written tragedies,
and I've written glories.
I've made up fables
and put them in my poems.
I've sung my songs out loud,
and I'm sure you all know 'em.
I've told fairy tales,
I've written about real life,
I've given examples,
of failures and triumph,
glory and strife.
I've got my story,
as all of us do,
I've got stories of love,
just like all of you.
I've been through
what no one else has;
you know that thing, that same,
different story we all have.
Many of our friends have disappeared into thin air.
But if the air's so thin, why's breathing so hard
without them there?
There are so many stories,
and we all share them in a way
we've all been through the same things,
we've all had struggles from day to day.
the stories we've all written
whether invented and put on paper
or the stories that we've written
with our real lives full of labor
none of them are as great
as the story of a lonely man
none of them shine more
than that of an empty hand
our hands have never been empty
there's always been someone there
maybe they've just been hiding
in the thickness of the air
any man who feels alone
doesn't realize what he can have
if he looks around at the rest of the world
and reaches out his own hand.
because you're never the only one who feels lonely
there's always someone else
reach out and pull them up
because shared loneliness is never loneliness in itself.
but now that we know about loneliness
and we realize the forgotten have a story
there's still one that's greater
one lost in our search for glory.
the story that no one tells,
or at least no one can get quite right
because in this story there's no morning
and in this story, there's no night.
this is the story of the air
the air we all share together
it's where all our friends are
when we can't find each other.
it's the story i don't quite know
the one i can't get a hold of
it's the one i haven't even grasped
and for some reason I feel like
it's the one I can't let go of
our friends are always there
though we always search for them
somewhere in this air
the story will always support them

My Bucket List

What they said...and what we did

According to the story, after every Quantas Airlines flight the pilots complete a 'gripe sheet' report, which conveys to the ground crew engineers any mechanical problems on the aircraft during the flight. The engineer reads the form, corrects the problem, and then writes details of action taken on the lower section of the form for the pilot to review before the next flight. It is clear from the examples below that ground crew engineers have a keen sense of humor - these are supposedly real extracts from gripe forms completed by pilots with the solution responses by the engineers. Incidentally, Quantas has the best safety record of all the world's major airlines.
(1 = The problem logged by the pilot.) (2 = The solution and action taken by the mechanics.)
1) Left inside main tire almost needs replacement.
2) Almost replaced left inside main tire.
1) Test flight OK, except auto-land very rough.
2) Auto-land not installed on this aircraft.
1) Something loose in cockpit.
2) Something tightened in cockpit.
1) Dead bugs on windshield.
2) Live bugs on back-order.
1) Autopilot in altitude-hold mode produces a 200 feet per minute descent.
2) Cannot reproduce problem on ground.
1) Evidence of leak on right main landing gear.
2) Evidence removed.
1) DME volume unbelievably loud.
2) DME volume set to more believable level.
1) Friction locks cause throttle levers to stick.
2) That's what they're there for.
1) IFF inoperative.
2) IFF always inoperative in OFF mode.
1) Suspected crack in windshield.
2) Suspect you're right.
1) Number 3 engine missing.
2) Engine found on right wing after brief search.
1) Aircraft handles funny.
2) Aircraft warned to straighten up, fly right, and be serious.
1) Target radar hums.
2) Reprogrammed target radar with lyrics.
1) Mouse in cockpit.
2) Cat installed.

The Wisdom of Albert Einstein

All these are his quotes:
"Imagination is more important than knowledge."

"Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love."
"I want to know God's thoughts; the rest are details."
"I never think of the future. It comes soon enough."
"The eternal mystery of the world is its comprehensibility."
"Sometimes one pays most for the things one gets for nothing."
"Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new."
"Great spirits have often encountered violent opposition from weak minds."
"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler."
"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen."
"Science is a wonderful thing if one does not have to earn one's living at it."
"The secret to creativity is knowing how to hide your sources."
"Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he learned in school."
"The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing."
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe."
"Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts."
And my favorite:"Science without religion is lame. Religion without science is blind."

Trick or Treat!

COUNTDOWN TO TWILIGHT!!!

50 DAYS, 13 HOURS, 34 MINUTES, AND 47 SECONDS TILL TWILIGHT!!!

Pretty Piano Music

Fall Festival, Oct. 25, 2008 - Megan performed two pieces by memory: "Album Leaf" and "La Petite Negre," both by Debussy.

Story of my life...of her life...however that works.

Gov Sarah Palin was invited to meet with the Pope while he is vacationing south of Rome in Venice.
The liberal press reluctantly watches the semi-private audience, hoping they will be able to allot minimal coverage, if any.
The Pope asks Governor Palin to join him on a Gondola ride through the canals of Venice . They're admiring the sights and agreeing on moral issues when, all of a sudden, the Pope's hat (zucchetto) blows off his head and out into the water.
The gondolier starts to reach for the Pontiff's cap with his pole, but this move threatens to overturn the floating craft. Sarah waves the tour guide off, saying,
'Wait, wait. I'll take care of this. Don't worry.'
She steps off the gondola onto the surface of the water and walks out to the Pope's hat, bends over and picks it up.
She walks back across the water to the gondola and steps aboard.
She hands the hat to the Pope amid stunned silence.
The next morning the topic of conversation among Democrats in Congress, CBS News, NBC News, ABC News, CNN, the New York Times, Hollywood celebrities, and in France and Germany is:
'Palin Can't Swim.'

OBAMA IN KANSAS CITY!

OBAMA WILL BE IN KANSAS CITY AT THE PLAZA THIS SATURDAY!
THE GATES WILL OPEN AT 4 BUT THE ARRIVAL TIME IS NOT KNOWN.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO COME PROTEST, MY FAMILY AND I WILL BE THERE!
BRING YOUR SIGNS!!!

Sam Graves and Kay Barnes Debate

Tonight MWSU hosted Sam Graves and Kay Barnes for a political debate at 7pm. There seemed to be more support for Sam Graves, but the attendance level was very close. It was very disheartening to see all the News Press reporters talking to Kay Barnes after the debate...but I guess that's St. Joe for you.

The first opening remark and question were given to/done by Kay Barnes, as decided by a coin toss. Kay opened up by bashing Sam Graves. Saying "you Sam have been in congress every day for the last eight years, and look where that got us today". Well Miss (not Mrs. since she has been married three times!) Kay, one month ago, Sam Graves was at the Loves Gas Station in Gower MO talking to people about the price of gas. On that day gas prices were $3.69. Today if you go to the pump, gas is $2.69 per gallon. I see exactly where Sam has gotten us.

Sam, however, opened up with stating that he is pro-life, believes that marriage is intended for a man and a women, and that he cares about small business' and farmers. Sam, on the other hand, didn't make any comments against Kay in his opening remarks.

After the debate, my mother commented that in her college journalism class, they were taught that people best remember the name that they have heard the most. So when people get to the polls, they will remember the name they have heard the most. Every time Kay was given a chance to talk, she said Sam's name at least three times. Sam on the other hand would say "my opponent" when referring to Kay.

I can't recall Kay answering a single question directly. She would simply bash Sam, and list off every single thing that she thought he was doing wrong. Sam, however, was very down to earth. He would explain to the people the "political lingo" that the questions used.

When remarking on the Bailout Bill that was passed, Kay made the comment that Sam was not suffering, as proven by the fact that he owns eight airplanes. Sam burst out laughing (along with the crowd). Everyone who knows Sam knows that every single piece of airplane parts that are in his barn are all junk! He pays taxes on ONE of those airplanes, because it is the only one of the "eight airplanes" that actually flies!!!

The only thing Sam ever said against Kay was to question her on the fact that she "bailed out" her chief of staff when he failed to pay the loans. She paid him $200,000! (which was money taken out of our tax dollars!!!) (The News Press reporter said that he would have to look into this remark).

I have many more thoughts, but it's late. If you have any questions I would LOVE to talk more about the debate! Enjoy guys!

Love...

Explain the wedding garment to us, you will say. There is no doubt at all that it is a garment which only the good have, those who are to be left at the banquet, preserved for the banquet to which no bad person has access, to be brought through to it by the grace of the Lord. These are the ones who have on the wedding garment.

So what is that wedding garment? This is the wedding garment: "But the goal of the commandment," says the apostle, "is love from a pure heart, and from a good conscience and from an unfeigned faith." That is the wedding garment. Not any sort of love; even people after all, who are companions in a bad conscience are often enough seen to love each other. Those who commit armed robberies together, who engage together in witchcraft, who share their devotion to play-actors, who yell encouragement to their favorite charioteers and huntsmen, they all, very often, love each other. But you don't find in them "love from a pure heart, and from a good conscience and from an unfeigned faith." It's only such love that is the wedding garment.

-Saint Augustine (concerning Matthew 22:1-10)

Alright, lets put this in 21st century English. Love from a pure heart is the only kind of "true love". Yes, lots of people are able to love. I'm not saying that they don't love each other. But the only true love comes from those who have a pure heart.

"In so many millennia, the humans never did figure love out. How much is physical, how much in the mind? How much accident and how much fate? Why did perfect matches crumble and impossible couples thrive? I don't know the answers any better than they did. Love simply is where it is." (from the book 'The Host')

Pumpkin Fest!!!

It's that time again! (wow, has it already been a year???)
The Pony Express Museum hosts PumpkinFest every year. Great food, wonderful entertainment, and lots of CR!
I was very thankful that Miss Hannah came to see The Fiddlers Three preform, and stuck around to hang out with me.
This is the new statue that will be placed in the museum as soon as we can find space for it!

Joe Biden

JOE BIDEN WILL BE IN ST. JOSEPH TOMORROW AT MWSU!
IF YOU WISH TO COME PROTEST, WE WILL BE MEETING AT THE CLOCK TOWER BETWEEN 7:15 AND 7:30. WE WILL HAVE SIGNS TO HOLD UP!

Letter to the Editor

I was feeling inspired after my last government class. So, I decided to write a Letter to the Editor. This is just the first draft, but I wanted to see what you all thought and if you had any changes that you think I should make. Thanks a bunch!


Our country was founded on the Puritan Work Ethic. Which means that our Founding Fathers worked for work's sake, not for the money. We are raising a culture that tells our young people to get the best job they can, so that they can make the most money they can. We’re teaching them to live for Fridays, instead of living for Mondays. We’re choosing jobs that will give us the most glory, instead of doing the most good. Our beliefs determine our character. Our char actor determines our behavior. If we believe that being lazy is OK, then we will form a lazy character. If we form a lazy character, our society will in turn become lazy. In 1933, Adolf Hitler was sworn in as the Chancellor of Germany. The German people didn’t think their vote mattered. They didn’t think that letting one man have a little extra power would effect them. We are becoming that people. A nation of people that don’t think our votes matter. The young people of this nation must rise to the occasion of voting this November if we don’t want to see a serious fall in our society.