throwdown!

sitting at my brother's graduation, i perked up when the student speaker said, "as jesus said..." because, you know, i'm always looking for more jesus-y things to talk about. then he goes, "there is no greater love than this, to lay down your life for your friends. but mary did something even more difficult." so are you saying jesus was wrong, mr. new high school graduate? ARE YOU?

[the argument that watching someone you love die is even harder is probably valid. but calling jesus wrong is still in pretty bad taste, if you ask me.]

his high school's motto is "the lord has chosen new wars." isn't that interesting? it's judges 5:8, in the douay-rheims translation, if you're interested. we're talking about a new kind of warrior. now THAT is a new jesus-y thing for me to talk about.

the other highlight of the ceremony was when they were talking about the valedictorian and how he's going to harvard to be an environmental engineer to work to find a energy alternative to fuel. i mean, kind of a specific goal, but whatever - anyway, a random lady in my row just goes, "YESSS!!" like, FINALLY someone notices the fuel crisis and wants to do something about it. 

so, when the dean was talking about their transition from being high school students to graduates, he said, "in a few minutes, when you hopefully get your diplomas..." because yeah, they had just given them diploma covers until after the ceremony. from what i remember, we got our diplomas as we graduated - but if you didn't graduate, you'd find out right then when they gave you an empty diploma cover. ouch. and at my other brother's high school graduation, there was a whole section of kids at the end of the line of graduates who had just fulfilled their requirements that day - in his district, you could finish your classes online. 

for one of his friends, i believe that my brother went over to his house with a box of coffee and a box of donuts, sat him in front of the computer, and said, "you're graduating. today."

straight from the outgoing president - "popularity is fleeting. principles are forever." he's all myspace inspirational about it, isn't he? i clicked on it because it's the interview in which he talks about how he's [apparently] not playing golf because of the war. but it's so bizarre to read his actual words. what a disturbing worldview he has, right?

meanwhile, i'm watching the episode of JAG in which harm gets hit by a car, then goes to a hospital that immediately gets taken over by terrorists. he's currently trying to deliver a baby, diffuse a bomb, and convince a terrorist to defect at the same time. LOVE THIS SHOW.