Rules Are Made to be Broken.

Okay okay okay. Everybody calm down.

Look at 'em... don't they look happy?

There are specific and tacitly understood rules about dating. We all know them by heart, though we might word them in different ways. Here's a few examples:

(a) date just one person at a time.

(2) no kissing another girl until you've broken contact with the first.

(D) non-committal cuddling must be consensual, and, for those who choose to indulge in that behavior, the same goes for kissing.

(IV) if you're looking for a firmly based relationship, honesty is always the best policy.


So, that said, let me be the first to point out, we all break the rules. This is why people's feelings get hurt - because somebody cheated. And you know what, it's kind of okay, because everybody cheats. We just have to take it in stride man up (or woman up, I guess). We're all in this together, and whether we choose to play the game flirty and dirty or cool and casual, we've all been on the receiving end of a few bad scenarios... but let's face it, we've caused them too.

So let's just cool off and remember: we play the game because it's fun, and the rewards are well worth the sacrifice.

the Golden Rule

I am so proud to be a Christian. Without Jesus Christ I have no idea what I would do. He's my rock and my salvation, and the reason for the hope that is in me. I have just completed my World Religions Course as of today, and along with insights into other religions, I have gained many into my own.

How cool is it that every single major religion teaches the Golden Rule? From the Torah to the Tao Te Ching, from the Qur'an to the Guru Granth, each exhorts humankind to show charity to one another.

Hinduism

This is the sum of duty; do not do to others what would cause pain if done to you.

Buddhism

Treat not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful

Confucianism

One word which sums up the basis of all good conduct... loving kindness. Do not do to others what you do not want done unto yourself.

Taoism

Regard your neighbour's gain as your own gain, and your neighbour's loss as your own loss.

Sikhism

I am a stranger to no one; and no one is a stranger to me. Indeed, I am a friend to all.

Christianity

In everything, do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets.

Unitarianism

We affirm and promote respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

Native Spirituality

We are as much alive as we keep the earth alive.

Zoroastrianism

Do not do unto others whatever is injurious to yourself.

Jainism

One should treat all creatures in the world as one would like to be treated.

Islam

Not one of you truly believes until you wish for others what you wish for yourself.

Baha'i Faith

Lay not on any soul a load that you would not wish to be laid upon you, and desire not for anyone the things you would not desire for yourself.

Hinduism

This is the sum of duty: do not do to others what would cause pain if done to you.

All these selections were taken from within the canon of their faith.

I don't know about you, but I'm overflowing with righteous pride in my Savior. Happy Easter.

Finals Shminals!

You are reading this post for the same reason that I am writing this post: because you have homework, and you're trying not to think about it. Finals is coming up. You're likely to be more stressed out next week than you have been in the past 6 months of your life (the last time you were taking your finals) only this time it's worse, because instead of freezing winter weather, it's getting sunny outside, your friends appear to have less studying to do, and they want you to go rock climbing.

And I just really, really want to play guitar. Or go longboarding. or clip my toenails, or stare at a wall... these things seem to be way more important to me than locating an American Chemistry Society Study Guide, reading 200 pages and writing 2 essays, completing my physics problem set, or proposing a synthesis for a polypeptide chain.

So, throw out your sense of responsibility, kick back, and watch a rerun of Grease. Responsibility comes later... and if it really comes down to it, you can always retake those classes. I'm not going to... but you could.

My Best Friend's Wedding

Congratulations to David and Anna Peterson!



Dave's been one of my best friends for a long while now. It was surreal to witness his union with Anna Richards for time and all eternity. I'm so happy for them. They looked fantastic.

Looking even more angelic than usual...

Watching Dave get married was a bittersweet experience for me. It's hard to let go of him and accept the fact that I'm never going to share a roof with him again - no more sleepovers, no more late night pillow-talks, no more ditching class to do homework together - but I can't even express my excitement that he's moved on to bigger better, more beautiful things. Anna is simply an amazing girl and couldn't be better for Dave. And vice versa, of course.

Traffic Lights - the Girl's Responsibility

You think this post is about you, don't you. Well it's not.

Here in the raging sea of hormones, aka Happy Valley, life is rife with boy-girl interaction. I have mentioned this before. And yet, another hitch in the relationship world has reared its ugly head, so I feel compelled to share a new principle, in hopes we can remedy the problem.

This is a little development on the "Getting Friended" principle, applicable to girls who are already semi-committed to a relationship. The theory: the Traffic Light Principle.

Observe:


Now let's break this down - there's lots of traffic lights out there, but they all have something in common: just three colors for their lights. Red, yellow, and green. Then, if you look closely in the picture, you'll spy just one little dude trying to navigate this sea of traffic lights.

You, girls, are the traffic lights. You have but one job: show us a red or green light. And if you're gonna choose the yellow one, that's okay - but follow the example of real traffic lights, and don't get stuck on the yellow for long. That is frustrating to boys.

So anyways, what I'm saying is this: if you like a boy, give him a green light. He will slowly and cautiously proceed forward - attempting to woo you, give you flowers, chocolates, a barbie, etc. - until you change signals. If it's a red light, we understand. We'll bail. We can find love elsewhere.

If it's a yellow light, we'll hang out for a while, but just realize that during the entirety of the "flashing yellow light" stage, we feel like our head is on the chopping block. Girls, have mercy. Give a signal. And whatever you do... don't do this:



Boys can only think of one thing at once. If you tell us to simultaneously go ahead and stop, turn left and turn right, walk and halt, all at the same time, our little heads are likely to implode.

So there you have it - the traffic light principle.
Learn it, live it, love it.

Life As It Should Be.

So I had a birthday, and it was one of the greatest I've ever had. To kick it off, look what I found outside my apartment on my way to school at 7:30 AM:


Thanks to Emma, pretty much my entire ward decorated the sidewalk outside my apartment. My camera wasn't wide enough to get it all at once! I had a good day of classes, the weather was phenomenal, then I spent the day outside on the lawn doing fun things like

...stuffing a pinata with my friends for later destruction (thanks to Dave, who decapitated Dora with a shovel later that night)...

...and jamming on the guitar.

We had a fun little shindig up in Midway at my parents' second home, which was amazing. Thanks to everybody who came. The best gift to me this year was to be able to be with my friends and just have a good time. For a while, we took a vacation from our problems, ate some cake, and lived the dream. Good friends and good times - that's what life is all about.


A little post-birthday fun - we had a barbeque in Kiwanis Park with our Stake and played some frisbee. Way awesome. I just wish the weather would have held up - two days later, it's 2 degress Celsius outside.

Turning 22.

Tomorrow is my birthday. Yes, I am very excited. The end.