Obama llama duck.

Today was an odd day. Odd because I realized we've been in classes for three weeks now. Three weeks... quick, what have you learned?

I've learned a little about the American Civil Rights Movement. What corrections/prisons were like in Newfoundland in the 19th century. Um, that's about it.

My Intergovernmental Relation in Canada class is HELL. I have not caught on to anything because the prof can only talk about himself. I could tell you lots about his personal life, but absolutely nothing about "class material".

I worked really hard on my History paper tonight so I treated myself to Roman Holiday and a Crispy Crunch bar. Gregory Peck and chocolate... yum.

Dropped a giant glass container of coffee on my foot a little while ago. Since I bruise when I'm simply poked or grazed by a blunt corner, it is safe to say that I will DEFINITELY be having some obscure version of black foot within the next couple days. Pictures to follow.

I eat 'em raw like sushi.

During the summer I was constantly on the prowl for new music. Artists I had never heard off, listened or payed attention to.

Now I find myself searching for music I have definitely heard at some point but disregarded. A lot of singles - mostly because these are the ones I can find on Youtube.

Does anyone remember the show Rockstar: INXS? Man, I loved that show. They played every amazing song ever. Mmm, Nirvana covers.

Some other gems I've found in my quest:

Tori Amos' song Cornflake Girl... man, what a brilliant song
Foo Fighter's Everlong... never ever gets old
Gerardo Mejia's Rico Suave... haha... haha
Placebo's Running Up That Hill... an example of how covers are sometimes better than originals

Just some songs for you to listen to. Maybe they will make you feel good on your insides like me.

And David, I'd kill for a translation of Rico Suave.

Julia.

Sexy Cartman.

This makes me love him even more. And when exactly is he breathing?

Where is my mind.

Things that are on Sarah's mind:
1. French, and how I am destined to fail it.
2. This song, and its wonderfulness.
3. Ill health, and the power it has over my life.
4. Acupuncture, and other such last resorts.
5. My need to finish school, and to get on with the rest of my life.
6. Parking tickets, and my apparent lust for them.
7. Boys, and their continuing lack of appeal.
8. Painting/reading/scrapping/drawing/knitting and everything else that gives me peace of mind, out the window because of the stress which is university.
9. Extra-long pants, and them making my life easier (and more enjoyable).

Are you ready for this?

Canada's federal election is on October 14th and I have made it my mission to see to it that all of my friends vote (preferably not Conservative, but we all have our democratic rights so ultimately the decision is up to you).

Everyone has been asking me the same kinds of questions in this quest: How do I register? Who are the people running? Where do I vote? And so on.

So consider this...

SARAH'S HANDY GUIDE TO VOTING

Let's begin!

Am I registered to vote?

The National Register of Electors is a database containing basic information – names, sex, date of birth and addresses of Canadians who are qualified to vote. It is used to produce the voters lists when an election is called. The National Register of Electors is maintained using a number of different sources, including federal income tax returns.

Election officers update the preliminary voters lists during the revision period of an election. The revision period starts three days after the election is called and ends six days before election day.

Door-to-Door Revision
Elections Canada does door-to-door revision in specific areas where elector information needs updating, such as in new subdivisions (this is how I registered to vote in the last election and why it was so easy for me, I just signed a piece of paper saying I was 18, living here and a Canadian citizen).

Voter Information Cards
Elections Canada will send you a Voter Information Card (VIC) if your name is on the preliminary voters lists. The card will tell you that you are registered, and where and when to vote (note: for most of you this won't be sent to you in St. John's, but to your "real" home, usually wherever your driver's license is registered). For this election, a Voter Information Card will be mailed to all registered voters between September 17th and September 19th.


How do I add my name to this almighty voters list?

The two easiest ways would be:

Contact your returning officer. You should have your VIC by September 24th, so if you don't get one (or if it got sent to your parents' home, meaning the information is wrong) these are the people to call. Find out where yours is here (because I'm not sure if they change by constituency or by city).

Or you can register at the polling station on election day (although Elections Canada advises you to register before then). You must show valid identification, meaning:
1. A government document with your photo, name and address, such as a drivers license (this won't work for any of you because I am assuming none of you changed your address, this is based on the assumption that you're voting for the district you live in within St. John's).
or
2. Two pieces of identification from an "authorized list", one with your name such as a social insurance number card, and one with your name and address, such as a utility bill.
or
3. If you don't have acceptable pieces of identification, you can also be vouched for by an elector whose name appears on the voters list in the same polling division and who has acceptable ID. Both of you will need to make a sworn statement and the person doing the vouching can only do it for one other person. Make sense?

Here is a fancy way of saying all that as well as that "authorized list".

Still with me? Because the rest of it's simple. To find out if you're on the voters list, where you vote, what you need to take when you vote, who the candidates are in your area and pretty much everything else in handy form GO RIGHT HERE. Seriously, handiest little thing ever.

Other links:
The terrible "youth" site on Elections Canada's website
How to vote by mail if you are not in your district at the time of the elections
FAQs, like "am I allowed to eat my ballot?"

Are we good? Remember, the leader debates are on October 1st and 2nd. For the first time in Canada's history there will be FIVE party leaders on the stage.

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER!

I exist in someone else's head.

When some people are sad, they cry. I generally just get mad. When some people are mad they cry tears of frustration. I just get angrier. And when some people are happy, they smile. I usually cry.

Last night, I honestly thought I was going to burst. Like burst. I kept shaking uncontrollably and crying and screaming and losing my mind. I had my two bifizzles beside me and in front of me Our Lady Peace.

I wish I could convey to you how much this band means to me. Pretty much anyone my age living in this country loves OLP, it’s almost unpatriotic not to. But to put into words what their music, their passion, their spirit has done for me over the past decade... well I can’t.

And I think the only way you would know how much this band means to me would be if you were standing next to me at that concert last night. Watching me sing along with every song. Watching me scream like my life was ending. Watching me cry with every emotional wave.

I knew it was going to be one of the best experiences of my life when before even any of the lights came on, the bassist started playing that deadly opening line for Naveed.


They played a lot of songs I wasn't thinking I'd hear (off their older albums) and only two songs off their latest one. Hope, Starseed, One Man Army, 4 AM, In Repair et cetera. Songs Ashley and I happily screamed along to.
The guitarist looks like a 19th c. painting in this photo:
Good news to those who missed this concert, they promised they would be back here when they tour with their next album. :)

Life inside a music box ain't easy.

My first semester of university was rough. As was everyone's I guess. We were all trying to adjust to a new school, a new city, a new life. The only comfort I took out of all three of these things was the anonymity.

I could walk around this city for hours and not have one person recognize me. I could attend a weeks worth of classes and not have a single person talk to me in any of them.

I loved it.

A girl I met on the bus while traveling to Stephenville last Christmas told me (three hours after meeting) that I hated people. I was shocked! Everyone tells me how great I am when I first meet a stranger, how I can make an awkward situation happy by asking the right kinds of questions. I am a people person!

This is not true in the least. I am not a people person, in fact, I am a misanthrope. I despise going out with groups of people that I'm not really friends with. I hate the awkward conversations that inevitably ensue when you see a person you haven't talked with in awhile. I can't take the effort that goes into forced conversations (this probably ties in with my inability to bullshit people).

For example (and this is not meant to hurt anyone's feelings), but every single time I come home from a SASF gathering I have a headache. Like a raging one. Every time. I like most of the people that go to these togetherings, but my mind cannot handle the forced "hey, how is school going?", "what are you taking again?", "oh, this is fun.", "we should totally hang out sometime!". I don't care about any of the questions I ask or am forced to answer, but out of politeness and general caring for the people who attend these SASF gatherings I pretend I do. And pretending (aka:bullshitting) gives me migraines. LITERALLY.

My brother constantly makes fun of me for my "hatred of being seen". If the family wants to eat out for dinner, we can't eat at the restaurant but must take it home. No going to the mall unless it's for a specific thing. None of this walking around to kill some time stuff.

I've always been like this. Maybe I really do hate people.

This whole nonsensical post is stemming from the fact that I can't even go FIVE SECONDS on campus anymore without having someone I know/recognize start a conversation with me.

Where did the anonymity of this city go? :(

I want a donkey show.

We're better off alone.

In the United States millions of dollars, countless people and dozens of months of effort are poured into their presidential elections. It is international news for almost a solid year before their Inauguration Day. Pretty much anyone in the Western world can tell you who the contenders are for the upcoming American elections.

Quick. Who are the leaders of all five major parties here in Canada? (And considering half of the people who read this blog are Poli Sci majors, you better know the answer)

That being said, the United States will have to share the limelight with Canada because it's...

ELECTION TIMEEE.

Ohhh, yes. Parliament has been dissolved and on October 14th (like an early birthday present!) Canadians will go out and choose a new (please, oh please, be new) leader for this country.

I am definitely getting involved in this election. Stephen Harper reigning this country for almost two years is LONG ENOUGH.

And maybe Stephane Dion looks like a mouse, but at least he is on the right path about the current war, the environment (his dog's name is Kyoto for goodness sakes) and social programs.

SO REGISTER TO VOTE. Do you realize none of you voted in the last provincial election ("none of you" being the friends who read this blog)? Consider it my birthday present. :)

Just don't vote Harper.

P.S. Looking for a laugh? Check out the Conservative Party's Youtube page and view the ads currently plaguing television. And what a surprise, they have comments disabled.

Third year begins.

I'll show you mine if you show me yours! Post it in the comments, pleaseee. :)

Atcha: In Pictures.

The trip was a great success! During the five nights (four spent sleeping in my car) and 2600km these are some of the pictures that were taken.