vacation

- Not really, but I am going to see some family today; should be a fun time. I'm also going to be meeting the "boyfriend" of one of my cousins. Hopefully I won't have to take drastic action and throw him out. Or watch my cousin Mike throw him out.

- 290 push-ups in a single shot. That's almost as impressive as 300.

- I'm getting stressed out again. I have a major paper due the day before my pastor asked me to fill in for him. The next two weeks are going to eat at me like sharks on Robert Shaw.

- People's thoughts tend to be shaped by the thoughts of those around them. Duh, says you, but I'm going to continue anyway, despite your rude protest. It doesn't matter how ridiculous someone is, if they can get a few people to praise them for how funny, smart, interesting, etc., a whole slew of people will come along and take that exact same position. I think it comes from a desire to belong, which is really the only explanation for the Beatles.

The problem is the resulting vindication of par. We praise the normal, the trite, and the skilless as if they are something great, simply because others have done it before us. We don't reach for the stars, anymore. We are content with the mediocre and we can't really imagine anything better. This has to be why Saved By The Bell lasted as long as it did, and why CSI Miami is still on now.