Trespass sweetly urged. Give me my sin again.

NaNoWriMo is Starting Soon...

2009-10-16T04:40:04Z

I'm trying to prepare myself for NaNo. I don't know how I'm going to manage yet, but I'll worry about that later. For now, I have a working title which will most likely change once I start writing. I haven't written a single word yet so I'll be starting dry. All I have is a vague idea. Look at my self-made cover and see if you can guess what this one is going to be about. (Oh the actual art was something I found in an internet search. I'm using this for creative purposes only. It will not be the cover art for any finished project.)

This is very real for a lot of people

2009-07-30T00:42:39Z

The Iranian government will cut electricity, phone and internet service tonight (if it hasn't done so already) in order to keep the vigils scheduled on Thursday for the June 20 martyrs quiet. More people expect to be martyred at these events, including a young woman named Fayah:

"I love life. I love to laugh and be with my friends. There are so many books I want to read, movies I want to see, people I want to meet. I want to marry, to be a good wife and mother. I want to grow old with the people I love, to feel the sun on my face, to see the ocean, to travel.

My country is in a terrible state. People have no jobs. There is no money. People have no freedom. Women must hide themselves from the world, and we have no choices.

Our people--we are not terrorists. We hate terrorists. And that is what our government has become. They kill our people for no reason. They torture us in their prisons because we want freedom. They make our country look evil, they make our religion look evil.

We are fighting for our freedom, for our religion, for our country. If we do nothing while injustice abounds, we become unjust. We turn into the ones we hate.

I have to fight. I have to go back on the streets. I will make them kill me. I will join Neda, with my friends, and then maybe the world will hear us.

I never thought I would become a martyr, but it is needed. The more of us they kill, the smaller they become, the more strength the people will have. Maybe my death will mean nothing, but maybe it will buy my country freedom.

I am very sad that I will never be a mother, that I will never do the things I love, but I would rather die than do nothing and know that I am to blame for the tortures, the murder, the hatred.

Please tell the world how much we love life. That we are not terrorists. We just want to be free."

Copied from invaderwitch

Thanks to idiomagic for this and other information. Please repost.

Anonymous Iran
The Silent Wave

A note from Me: Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by the injustices of the world. Reading this made me cry, but it also gave me hope. As long as people are willing to push back against oppression, freedom can never be silenced. Indifference is the true freedom killer, I salute those who keep fighting in spite of their fear.

Today

2009-07-23T15:20:04Z

Taken from booksbooksbooks:

Thought for the day:

“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.”

—	Oscar Wilde

Fact: A bumble bee's wings are not proportionate to its body size. Lesson: Don't get hung up on what you think can't be done.

A Few Macros I Made for Tumblr

2009-07-23T02:16:29Z

The Little Things Mean so Much to Me...

2009-05-26T18:20:48Z

As I may have mentioned in several forums late last night, I am wireless at home again. I was so excited last night my first reaction was to dance around like Tom Hanks when he made fire in Castaway.

I MAKE INTERNET WIRELESS CONNECTION.

So what if it took me six hours. I did it...IN YOUR FACE!!! And with that said, I confess I'm typing this little blurb from the library.

No, I'm not taking summer classes. I'm here for the solitude so I can finish the book I've been talking about for months and months and months. I'm dangerously close to finishing the first draft, which I have to say is pretty exciting. Then I will move onto the next stage of "is it good or is it bad?" I will not be able to dwell in this stage for long because I'm sure I've mentioned...I'VE BEEN ACCEPTED TO GRADUATE SCHOOL. No matter what else is going on, that remains the best news I've received this summer. (In regard to myself...)

Quite frankly, with thoughts of grad school on my mind, I've also been entertaining the idea of applying for a study abroad program for my second year. It is too early to see where that prospect will lead; but when I meet with my adviser and mentor in a couple of months, I'm going to ask about incorporating it into my study plan. I already have an idea where my scholarship will be focused and the type of research I want to do...so we'll see...

PART II
NOT SO GOOD THING
THIS IS THE DETAILED STORY A FEW OF YOU ASKED ABOUT IN REGARD TO MY GYM.

The changes in my life are good for me...and to round out the experience I joined a gym. Hummm. It's been almost a month ago now. I was so happy when I joined up... WARNING** MAJOR COMPLAINING TO FOLLOW**

When I signed up, I was a little reluctant to sign up for a personal trainer too--mainly because I'm trying to learn how to live beneath my means. I knew I would have more money in August, so I told him I would sign up now and add the training in August. However, as fitness centers are prone to do, they put their best looking and most charming person up front to entice you to sign and he did a great job in convincing me. He convinced me I could sign up and then make changes within seven days if I didn't want to spend the extra $$ on the training sessions. I was sold and agreed.

After a good night's sleep, I decided I wanted to keep a few of the training sessions but NOT as many as I originally asked about. I called and left a message, which was not returned. Later that night I read over the contract and noticed there were three days to make changes not seven. (LIE # 1 for RUSH FITNESS) So I called again the next day, I got voice mail again. I left another message in detail of what I wanted to change. Again, I received no call back. Over the following days, I called every day but one--each time leaving a message. I still got no call back. During this time, I didn't go to the gym but a few times because I didn't want to use the package without clearly defining the terms. I decided on the seventh day that if I couldn't get a response by phone, I would drive to the center and force them to deal with me on the spot. This time when I called, I got a live person. Who said he had called me back. (LIE# 2 for RUSH FITNESS) My cell tells me who calls even when they do not leave a message. Anyway, I was willing to let all that go because I had him live and I could discuss my problem.

He tells me by phone, oh we can make those changes no problem. He was leaving the club before I would be able to get there so he told me to come by a few days later because he was off the following day. I'm thinking, "no problem." WRONG... I go in a few days later and he makes a show of trying to bring up my account but not being able to find it. Then he goes and gets his manager, who also makes a big show about not being able to pull it up because the account is now with the home office. The reason is because after three days they can't make changes to the contract. (LIE # 3 for RUSH FITNESS) I knew in my gut he was going to pull the three day card. So I politely told him, I've been calling almost since the day I signed up with no response from the center and before he could go any further, I told him I could have my cell phone company pull the records and prove it--along with the fact that his people hadn't called me back. He tells me that he is sorry, but he is going to contact the corporate office and they would contact me in 24 hours to fix it. (All the time he keeps trying to get me to use the trainer. (I guess he believed that using him would make me want to keep all the sessions.)

Twenty four hours later, no contact from the corporate office. I call. When I get voice mail, I hang up and drive to the center to speak with the manager. He said that he didn't send the email until the previous afternoon, so the corporate office still had until that afternoon before the 24 hour period is up. (LIE #4 for RUSH FITNESS) He never mentioned the previous morning that he would be sending it later. In fact, he said he would contact them immediately to resolve the situation. Again, he pushed me to work out with the trainer. I refused...he wanted it TOO much and my gut feeling was talking to me again because it was Friday...and since the corporate office would close at five, I had a gut feeling I wouldn't be hearing back from them that afternoon, so I called the corporate office and left them a message, which you guessed it...WAS NOT RETURNED.

I knew when they didn't call back, the excuse was going to turn into well they don't work the weekend, so it will be Monday. At this point, I didn't care. I called and left a message on SAT and SUN too... When Monday arrived, they still didn't call, so I called them and explained on their voice mail the run around I had gotten and that $$ wasn't the factor anymore. It was the principle of it all. I did get a call back, but as luck would have it, they hung up right when I answered the phone. I called back immediately, and got...VOICEMAIL. I left two messages that same day, no call back. I called again the next day and said that I would gladly pay an attorney four times the amount they were expecting from me to resolve this matter and hung up without leaving my phone number. They called me back immediately making excuses. (Further proof that they got all my other messages.)

I explained again what I wanted to do with my contract. She threw out the three day card. I told her I could prove I had been trying to contact them since then. She says, "You have to do it in writing." I completely snapped. I told her I didn't accept her response, and that I didn't care and she WAS GOING TO FIX IT. She kept repeating herself, and I kept saying you ARE GOING TO FIX IT. She said I should calm down. I told her that I couldn't calm down at this point. She finally put me on with her boss. Who tried the same thing. He said that they couldn't go into the computer and change it after the three day period. (LIE # $#$#@$ for RUSH FITNESS) I told him in no uncertain terms that I didn't believe him. We went on like that for a few minutes before he finally recalled something I had said in one of my original calmer messages... I had mentioned that I didn't want to get the trainer now, but I wanted one in August. -- so he says to me, "Honestly, the reason the big guys don't like to make changes after three days is because of the accounting. They use it to project earnings for the year and blah, blah, blah...(PARTIAL LIE for RUSH FITNESS) His offer was to push making the payment I was going to make for the training sessions back until August and then split it into two payments so I don't have to deduct so much at one time. What makes his last statement a partial lie is that he then offered to waive my June payment all together. (That would mess with accounting too, although, it is not as large of a payment.)

Anyway, to wrap things up...I agreed to the offer, because I was really tired of arguing...I know if I kept pushing, I could have gotten the contract canceled because the guy sounded so relieved when I relented. One of the last things he said to me was that he was going to call the gym and have the trainer call me to set up a session. Guess what that was over a week ago...NO CALL BACK...

The moral of the story kids...Don't sign up with RUSH FITNESS CENTER, and watch your back with other fitness clubs because I think a lot of them operate like this.

Star Trek--Spoilers for the latest Movie

2009-05-11T02:05:29Z

I orgiginally posted this as a comment in another community, but I thought it was worth sharing here too since I hardly blog. I've expanded a bit to make it more spoilery... You have been warned.

I don't know if I qualify as a Trekie since I've never been to a convention and you couldn't pay me to dress up like a character and show my face in public...BUT...I have seen the reruns of the original series in syndication and I've always loved the show. When I was a kid watching it, I always wished there was a real Star Fleet to join.

As for this movie, there were a few things that were changed from the original. SPECIFIC SPOILER [Vulcan exploding, Jim's father dying on the day he was born, Spock's mother dying] However, a nice spin on the changes is that the writers gave a plausible explanation for the changes and a subtle acknowledgement that canon was being changed.-SPECIFIC SPOILER [All the previous events were the direct result of something future Spock did, that resulted in a Romulan going into the past and causing those events to change.] One thing I have to give kudos to the writers about is the way they stuck to those changes. (no matter how I feel about them) There was no magic time travel fix. A few things I wish hadn't changed were the destruction of Vulcan and the death of Spock's mother. Mainly because this changes the future of one of my favorite old school episode. (The one where Spock's parents travel aboard the Enterprise.) BUT those changes did not make me love this film any less. & With the changes in canon that were made, there is infinite possibility for more movies or even a new TV series.

SPECIFIC SPOILER One thing I did not expect was Uhura and Spock as lovers. I'm actually not opposed to the pairing, but I would have expected an affair with Kirk--as it was hinted at in the original series...It wasn't clear if the alternate universe was responsible for this relationship or if this was a relationship that had taken place & ended before old school canon picked up.

Also there were a few things that finally got an answer from the original series. How Dr. McCoy got his nickname for instance. I'll leave a few things unspoiled... I loved getting to see the way all of the characters initally met--even though, the alternate time line means we still aren't seeing the way the original characters could have met... All and all... I loved the remake... I loved the choices in casting. I was a little unsure about an OVERLY goodlooking Doctor McCoy, but the actor playing him nailed the Southern nuainces of the original.

Long before Zach Quinto was cast, someone threw his name out on a fanboard as a possible Spock. I knew instantly he was perfect for it. I was NOT disappointed. I can't wait to see this movie again...and I haven't made a statement like that in a LONG, LONG, LONG time.

What's on my mind...

2009-04-05T20:41:03Z

I remember, about two years ago, I posted every day; if not on lj, then on myspace or some other blog service. Now, I can hardly be $#@! to even get on myspace, so I have to ask myself, "What has changed?" If I'm honest, I have to admit a lot of it is me. Fifty percent of my problem is I'm too lazy to take the time and energy that is needed to do those things; and fifty percent of the problem is that I know I should be doing something else more productive to my future. I've spent months trying to pull my future together and tie up loose ends.

Here is a short list:

I finally took my GRE a few months ago and finished up my Graduate School Application. I still haven't had a response to it yet, and I'm trying to deal with the possibility that I may not be accepted. I'm working on plan B, to be revealed at a later date. (What to do when grad school falls through.)
I've sorted out a lot of my financial woes. ($@# economy) Although things aren't perfect, I'm seeing the light and I'm actually saving money. (My trip abroad is looking promising again, but not set in stone yet.)
I've made a lot of progress with finishing the novel I've been working on for ages. I'm so close to the end, I feel a little guilty typing here instead of there. I've had a few people make suggestions for how to proceed next. (some say get an agent, some say look for a publisher directly, & some say self publish.) I'm not a big fan of self-publishing so I'm rejecting that idea, for now at least.
I'm currently working for the US Census Bureau. It's a temporary job, but I like it. It's allowing me to sort out a few things and save $$ so even if I hated it, I would still like it. (It turns out the job is a bigger deal than I thought. I had to swear oath to protect the privacy and rights of US citizens.--If I violate Title 13 of the US Privacy Act, I could face a 250,000 fine and imprisonment...Needless to say, I'll not be sharing any work stories with you.

Anyway, all those little things combined has helped me get on track with my future, and that is mostly what I've had on my mind lately... AND AS AN ADDED TREAT FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE READ THIS FAR...Here is a little snippet of what I hope to be doing by the end of the summer, or possibly next spring....I doubt I'll do all of the touristy stuff in the places I've visited before, but there are some things I can't get enough of... The Louvre...I'll probably break from the crowds and get a map to spend my day in The Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities section. (Sigh...You may never hear from me again.)

Itinerary

Day 1

(Tue.) Board your overnight transatlantic flight.

Day 2Arrival in

(Wed.) Uniformed Globus Hosts are available to help you make the most of your stay.

Day 3London

(Thu.) Sightseeing with a Local Guide includes all the famous landmarks:

Overlooking The Houses of Parliament along the north bank of the Thames River

Houses of Parliament

Day 4London–Paris, France

(Fri.) Meet your Tour Director and traveling companions and transfer to the railway station to board the EUROSTAR TRAIN to Paris, the splendid capital of a beautiful country. (B)

Day 5Paris

(Sat.)

The Arc de Triomphe standing in the center of the Place Charles de Gaulle

An optional excursion to the baroque Palace of Versailles is available. Tonight, a lively cabaret show might be just the ticket. (B)

Lucerne, Switzerland

Enjoy some time in the wonderful town of Lucerne

(Sun.) Enjoy a comfortable drive past Fontainebleau Forest and the vineyards of Burgundy. Turn east towards the Swiss Alps and arrive in picture-book Lucerne. (B,D)

Day 7Lucerne

(Mon.) During your walking tour, admire Thorwaldsen’s LION MONUMENT

The iconic Chapel Bridge in Lucerne is the oldest wooden bridge in Europe

to the Jesuit Church. Balance of the day is at leisure to explore the quaint narrow streets, to shop for Swiss watches, or to join an optional excursion to one of the famous Alps surrounding Lucerne. (B)

Day 8Lucerne–Liechtenstein

Enjoy some time exploring the beautiful Innsbruck
,
A church on an Austrian mountaintop
–
The Hohensalzburg Fortress is the largest fully preserved fortress in Europe

(Tue.) Leave Switzerland and stop for a short visit of Vaduz, capital of the Principality of Liechtenstein, before entering the Austrian Alps on your way to Tyrol. In Innsbruck, walk through the Old Town and take pictures of Emperor Maximilian’s GOLDEN ROOF before continuing to Sound of Music Salzburg. (B,D)

It is official...

2009-01-29T04:09:27Z

If you're looking at this post and asking yourself who the $@#$# is gloriatempest , don't panic. I used to be Nathanspet. I just did a little name change thingie... I wanted something with my real name in it and this was my final decision. Like it, Love it, Believe it, Commit it to memory....

gloriatempest @ 2009-01-28T20:31:00

2009-01-29T01:43:47Z

I'm considering a name change for my journal...not a new journal mind you, just a change for the current one. The thing is...I don't know what I want to call it...Here are some of my thoughts.

GloriaHistorian-To reflect not only me, but my chosen profession.

GloBaby-A nickname that many of my friends use for me even though some have never met each other. They just randomly called me by the same nickname.

TempestRage- Part of a lyric to one of my favorite song.

AmbrosineIgnigius-The names of two of my characters.

HistoryLover2013-The first part speaks for itself. The numbers represent the date I will graduate with my PhD, If I am accepted into the Graduate Program.

I'm watching Doctor Who On BBC America

2009-01-25T06:00:02Z

I haven't watched season four Doctor Who in months, until tonight. They showed Midnight and then Turn Left, both great episodes. Of course, I loved just about every single episode in season four. Anyway, watching it now, knowing that David Tennant is on his way out and that Catherine Tate was a one season companion, I have to admit....

As much as I love him:

And as much as I will definitely miss the way he played this character:

I realize now. That I miss so much more....

And even with his crazy brand of brilliance...

I can't be consoled about separation...and

As much as will always be "MY" Doctor, will always be "MY" companion...

Anyway...Just had to get that off my chest....

Happy Birthday Kat

2009-01-23T21:49:11Z

Happy Birthday to you...
Happy Birthday to you....
Happy Birthday dear Kat...
Happy Birthday to you...!!

I hope you get everything you need and want for your birthday.

Huggles.

I don't know who you find hot these days...I guess that's proof we should meet up for a chat sometime soon. :O) ...but here is a little bit of pretty from the olden days...

Hopefully, we will get to see the bestest companion ever before D.T.'s curtain call.

It's a January 1st Thing!

2009-01-01T20:51:45Z

* I'm so busy today. I considered postponing my resolution post; but then I remembered one of my resolutions is to stop procrastinating, so here I am... I really do feel positive about the coming year. I think it's going to be my year. "The year everything changes." ;o)

My resolutions in no particular order:

1) Read one new book a month. My book shelves are practically overflowing with unread books. I borrowed a book from Marcus at our write-in that I'm dying to read. (More on the write-in on another day.)

2) Finish writing the first draft of my novel, find an editor, do my second draft and then get an agent.

3) To exercise more. The standard new year resolution is to lose weight, and certainly I should do that; but I'm more interested in exercising and gaining more energy so I can do all the things I want to do.

4) Volunteer Work- I went on-line and found a website devoted to matching people up with volunteer organizations. I found a great one where I can be a pen pal to a fifth grader. I just have to pay the $6 dollars for a background check. Naturally, they have to make sure the kids are safe.

5) No More Procrastination-When I was younger, I never procrastinated. I wanted something. I didn't wait. I did what I had to do to get it--nothing evil. I just worked the problem single-mindedly until I got the desired result.

I have several more private goals. Although I'll not mention them here, I'll definitely post my success or failure next year.

** I hope everyone has a lovely New Year and even if you like to shun resolutions, I hope you make at least a few goals this year. :) I'll leave you with a quote that a friend of mine sent to me.

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same."

Marianne Williamson

I'm glad the New year has finally arrived. Allons y guys.

Defining A Few Goals

2008-12-28T21:07:42Z

** As I mentioned yesterday, I plan on spending the next few days putting together a list of goals and resolutions for New Years, but now I wonder if I should put together a list of things I want to happen or things I need to happen. Should I compile a list based on self improvement or society improvement?

In general, I think resolutions are supposed to be about improving yourself so I think I can get away with choosing egocentric resolutions. I guess this puts me back to my original question...want vs. need. Maybe I should choose a little of both.

**Now I need to know how many resolutions I should make. I hope I'm not limited to one. A part of me thinks I shouldn't be wasting so much time on making a decision; but then another part of me knows that if plan to make real changes, I should be spending this much time on thinking things through.

I hope those of you planning to make resolutions are doing the same.

Several Items Not All Related...

2008-12-28T03:22:25Z

** I cleaned out my entire journal and deleted all of my old posts. A new year is on the way, and I feel this is going to be a fantastic one... I take that back... It's going to be one of the best years of my life. I can feel it. Over the next few days, I plan to compile a list of resolutions. I've heard some people say they are avoiding resolutions this year because they never keep them. However, I believe goals and hopes help drive us to be better. I'd rather make them and attempt them, than to give up before trying.

** I don't always get a lot of comments here, and that doesn't bother me. I usually keep up with most of you on your journals and posts; and for the most part, I talk to you as often as you post. However, I've noticed my flist has grown, if not by people than by sheer number of posts, and it is almost a full-time job to reply to everyone. With this in mind, I'm going to have to reduce commenting to once or twice a week. Please don't think I've lost interest in your life, but I have to manage my own just a little bit better.

** Also, I'm in a few RP and Blog communities right now. Although I like them all, some of the pressure has taken the fun out of them. I can't treat my RP's as more important than the novel I'm writing for publication. I may have to back out of one or two. I plan to drop it or wrap it up by the new year.

** I've already made several changes with my journal as far as design and mood theme. Now that Christmas is over, I'm looking for a new default icon. I have almost 100 icons to choose from, but none of them seem just right. I have room to add a hundred more icons so if anyone can direct me toward some new icons please do. I'll take reccomendations.

****Spoilers****
**I saw Marley and Me today with several friends. It was a sweet movie. I teared up when I realized the dog was going to die; but by the time they started to euthanize him, almost everyone in the theater was crying...and when I say crying, I mean they were sobbing. There was so much sniffing going on that I felt like laughing. I tried so hard to hold my laugh in that when it finally escaped it was a loud snort and bark of laughter. I know everyone around me thought I was a cold hearted $#@$, but that was not the case. If I had been alone and unaware of anyone else crying, I would have cried too...I'm sure of it.