The Earth does not belong to us... We belong to the Earth.

There seems to be a misconception in the world about the importance of humans. People seem to think that they are THE most important creatures on the earth and therefore deserve life over all others. I can only imagine this frame of mind coming from Genesis 1:26 where it states:

"Then God said, 'Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.'"

Not being a religious person myself I disagree with most things in the bible and opt for the open mindedness, equality, and acceptance for all.

Recently there have been a string of Pit Bull attacks on people and their pets. As a pet owner myself I do fear the dogs coming near my own however I do not agree with the crowds that believe that the Pit Bulls should be banned and put down as family dogs. I know of many people that own these animals and are very happy with them and their temperament. Yes, it is known that these dogs were bread to fight and will do so at any chance, but is that not true of some humans as well?  

How many killers are out there as we speak; people let out on bail, people that are just KNOWN to be unstable but have not yet committed a crime, and even people that have committed a crime but are given the lax punishment of jail time. I mean, if my viewpoint is correct, why is it that an animal kills a person and their whole breed is put down, but when a human kills anything that person only gets 'confined' into a jail cell with computer time, outdoor time, fresh meals every day, TV, and visitors. Hell, it has been more then once when I have said that if I were homeless I would commit a crime just to get into that world.

In my eyes every creature is equal, and what more are we here for then to survive. People are building and building and building, encroaching onto the habitat of wild animals and forcing them to become overpopulated and searching for places to expand which, coincidentally, are into the places that we took over in the first place. People then complain when their cat or child gets eaten from a 'trespassing' coyote looking for fresh food away from its usual prey, which has become riddled with disease due to the same overpopulating that it itself is currently trying to survive? Does that not seem backwards to you?

And yes. I have heard the argument of the food chain many times over. 'Well if animals were smart enough to build and kill then they could do so, and until then we will continue our ways'. Yes my friends, you are correct. Animals did not evolve into the 'braniacs' that we believe ourselves to be. They are not smart enough to build homes, and produce weapons of mass destruction, and become a thriving society... but are they any less intelligent? No. Animals, until humans came along and F***ed everything up, managed to live in harmony with the earth and maintain a balance with their habitat, prey, and the environment as a whole. They are not the plague that has taken over the earth, the virus that has destroyed its own living space, the bearer of filth causing them to dispose of it wherever they please and in turn becoming those who 'shit in their own proverbial bed'. Nope. You are correct... they cannot think like we do... and thank god for that.

Sarah

Dotted lines are for... straddling?

In preparation for the big move I have been running around tying up loose ends and visiting with people before I leave. This scattered schedule has lead to an increased amount of driving which, in turn, has lead to an increased hate on for Toronto. Its as if people have never driven before and they just happen to be testing their first day behind the wheel on the days that I am on the road. There are just a few tips that I would like to share with the drivers of Toronto:

   - The dotted lines in the middle of the road are meant to separate the lanes, not to straddle and weave in and out of.

   - Signal lights are generally a good idea, or at the VERY least shoulder checking before you nearly side swipe me and force me into the other lane (thankfully i know how it drive and had pre-checked that the space was clear) *this has happened 3 times in the last 2 weeks*

   - Speed consistency is a bonus for everyone. I understand when you get caught up singing a song and slow down a bit.. but a 15km difference is just getting ridiculous... please... for the love of god... pick a speed! you are on a highway! It is extremely dangerous to speed up and slow down so often!

           *as a side note. if you don't want me to pass you (which is shown by your drastically increased speed when I try) then keep a constant speed. When you do force me back in behind you keep the speed that you so intensely wanted to drive at a few seconds ago, otherwise.. just let me pass! What are you trying to prove?

   - And finally, this is not cops. You do not need to swerve in and out of traffic as fast as you can. Its dangerous and irresponsible.. and you look like a douche. You know I'm going to see you at the next light... I have at the last 3... you are MAYBE gaining 1 minute.

In 6 days i am driving from Toronto to Ottawa. I can only hope for the best but I do sincerely hope that drivers are on their best behaviors as I, along with everyone else on the road, would love to make it home safely. Please don't ruin it for me on the home stretch.

That is all for now. I am safely in bed which is where I plan to stay for the most part while I study ethics for the next few days.

   - Virtue (Arete) : Excellence, being good at.

        * be good at driving, for Aristotle.

Sarah

Getting down to the dirt and grind.

Not so much dirt as books, but absolutely grind; grinding said books into my temporary knowledge compartment to be extracted for one single test before I hope to never hear about Aristotle, Plato, or Socrates again... at least inside a classroom environment: Allegory of the cave will always be an interesting read.

With finals quickly approaching and summer calling for me in the background is very difficult to prioritize my time (even though it should be obvious). Studying, hanging out with friends while I still can, packing up my room, planning events and gatherings back in Calgary, securing jobs for when I get home... what is REALLY more important?  Really though, any of the above seem better then studying. Skyping with my boyfriend also seems to be taking priority over other things, and apparently writing this blog does too.
Is it AMAZING how, when there is no school work to be done there seems to be absolutely no housekeeping to be done (including life organizing), but when finals roll around there are an infinite number  of things to do that are better then studying... like dust, go through clothes, straighten posters that you will soon be taking down anyway, and of course 'stumble', which i like to view as broadening my knowledge base... that's like studying right?

In my quest to avoid studying I came across my forever favorite ad campaign: 'Real men of Genius'. The writing style in these ads blows my mind with its own genius and completely hits the mark when relating to, and describing, these 'real men'. Everybody knows one of each of these men and these ads  encapsulate them PERFECTLY, its hard not to laugh every time. When people can relate to your ad, by either seeing themselves or someone they know, you have a winner. People like to think that ads are speaking to them specifically. Like a song on the radio after a break up, you just KNOW it was written for you, and you fall in love with it. If you have not seen these ads I would HIGHLY recommend them. (you can also check out 'Real American heroes' which was the previous name for the campaign)

As for my current campaigns, we presented our Southern Comfort event today dressed in full western wear (with push up bras and an extra button undone for bonus marks). Personally, I think if brought to life, this event would be one of the best events to hit Canada. It's called the 'Mix me a new one Tour' and pretty much revolves around classic southern/western fun with alcohol and great bands. The Tragically Hip and Deadmau5 were selected as the two main bands (to incorporate the bluesy/jazz feeling as well as emphasize the 'big idea' of 'mixing' with the current most popular DJ). An event where you get a great drink (with 5 free samples) in which you can mix with any of your favorite mixes, being served by beautiful people, listening to the best music there is, with events like bull riding, corn eating, and various small western games for which you can win more alcohol and other various prizes... for free? Hell... I'd probably fly back to Toronto to attend (though i would suggest they stop in Calgary). I hope we get a good mark cause, lets be honest, its an awesome idea!

I suppose only time will tell...

I should begin to focus on the work I have AHEAD of me, like studying. And this is where i leave you: Wishing that SoCo hires Sumaya, Becky, and I as their promotional team, and addicted to watching and finding all the 'Real men of Genius' ads. You are on the same page as me.

Sarah

Between lives

I feel like my life is a countdown. Counting down the days until school starts. Counting down the days until my boyfriend comes and visits. Counting down the days until i get to go home for my birthday, for Christmas, for reading week, and finally for summer again. Counting the days until I have to go back to school (although I wish i would stop that). It just seems like, when you live in two places, you only have multiple temporary homes rather then any sort of permanent home.
For example: In the next 5 months i will be living in 5 homes. Rez for the rest of the semester, parents house in Calgary, boyfriends house in Calgary, apartment in Vancouver for internship, and finally my new apartment in Toronto for the rest of school.

There are ups and downs to every location:

Calgary has all of my friends and family and boyfriend but i cant stay for long because I always have to leave for school. As well i generally sink back into negative ruts in regards to personality and complicated friendships. My feelings are always very split when i go home, but over all it is my favorite place to be: it has the most love.

Toronto is great because i have school and new experiences and new people to be meet. I love my school and the projects, and i also love my part time job at the nearby mall. But even through all of these great life enhancing activities i feel as though I am missing out on the social aspect of life. I don't have many friends here (which is partially my fault and partially the fault of others) and the friends that i do have are often busy. However i am working on making new friends and hope to strengthen my bonds in Toronto so the next two years are manageable.

As for Vancouver i have not been there yet but I feel that it will have a positive impact on my life. I have an internship there, my own place, my boyfriend will be driving up and home with me, i have friends and family in the area, and the trip will end with a great road trip and a friends wedding.

I feel like i am sleeping my life away in Toronto. Being that i went to school for 2 years in Calgary before transferring to my current program i have 1 less course then others in my class and feel that the work load is not nearly heavy enough. I am the kind of person that likes to work straight for hours and get things done; because of this i am a keener when i get new projects and usually finish them the night or next that i get them. Following that i have very little to do for the next 3 weeks that people are given to complete it. I only work twice a week at my job and see friends maybe once a week when they have time. This does however leave time for me to watch every episode of every show i like online and skype with my boyfriend for hours on end, so i can't complain. But nothing beats working on a good campaign.

I am looking forward to moving all of my stuff into the new place in 2 weeks. My dad is coming down to help me find and move furniture and then we are driving up to ottawa to have an egg hunt and easter dinner with my cousins before flying home for an easter egg hunt and dinner at home! going to an awesome 19th-24th :) I love organizing and packing and unpacking so this move is really something to look forward to. I hope i can find some great furniture.

Anyway, thats enough about me. My future blogs will hopefully be more useful to onlookers and offer something in return for their time. Looking forward to offering some useful updates in the way of work, school, and internships!

Sarah

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