Drivetime Musings

1) Accelerating suddenly after you've realized you're driving like an idiot does not change the fact that you were driving like an idiot.

2) Turn lanes are not a suggestion, nor are speed limit signs, stop signs, or gas pedals.

3) A yield sign is meant to be used for safety purposes; i.e. if there are no cars coming, you do not need to yield because there is nothing to yield to.

4) Try not to be the person that gets honked at.

Neutrality

I was watching an episode of The Tudors the other day and the Pope, played by Peter O'Toole, was shown walking through the chambers of the Vatican and the multi-colored garbed guards caught my attention.

I've seen them before, being Catholic and all, and have wondered before who they were.

I knew there was something unique about them and that they weren't Italian, but other than that I was drawing a blank. Here comes Wiki!

I would think they would cross themselves...but they salute the Pope?

The Swiss Guard, as they are known, are the only ones still in existence. They formally began protecting the Pope on January 22, 1506. Great day. The Swiss Guards had been a part of the Vatican protectorate since the late 1400's as mercenaries. Yeah, so neutral.

The Vatican and Switzerland maintained a connection as other groups were disbanded both in Switzerland and in the Vatican. The only ones left standing are there today, more ceremonial than anything. Kinda like the changing of the guards guys in London. Pomp and circumstance.

But early on they did perform their duties admirably, helping Pope Clement VII to escape the sacking of Rome for one.

The requirements to join the ranks of the guards are that he must be a single man, Catholic (shocker), and must have completed basic training in the Swiss military. Once they are accepted, which is no easy feat and a great honor, they are sworn in on May 6 each year, the anniversary of the Sacking of Rome.

The uniform is distinctly Renaissance in appearance and the colors represent two Pope's family colors, Pope Julius II (blue and yellow) and Pope Leo X (red).

While they were considered more ceremonial over the passing years, after the assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II in 1981, training was stepped up and the guard was more formally recognized as a protectorate again, necessary to guard the Pope from harm.

There are loads of other little details and rumors, such as the possibility of becoming a guard is passed down from Father to Son and reminds me of A&M in this regard. Familial connections. I don't know if it's true or not, but there's just no telling.

On the note of The Tudors, I would highly recommend viewing it if you enjoy period pieces. The costumes are spectacular, the music is fun (I like RenFest, no shame), and of course the story is one that even us kids in America through our minimal European history lessons in class know all about. Henry VIII, six wives, two beheading's (though I always thought all his wives were beheaded), several affairs and intrigue, him taking over the Church, excommunication...on, and on, and on. Really fascinating stuff.

Unless you don't have the stomach for lots of sex scenes. Because there are quite a few. And if that's what gets you interested...then more power to you, I suppose.

Time

Yeah, so I have no idea where the past six weeks have gone. No clue. I realize I watched an excessive amount of television, did a bit of blogging, and spent an inordinate amount of time alone without talking but I can't believe I spent so much time doing that.

I'll be happy when my self-imposed prison sentence is over. While being at home and catching up on television is great I miss human interaction and working.

Yeah, working.

Kinda like back in the day how I got tired of summer vacation and was ready for classes to pick up again by July. I was that kid.

At least now I can look to get back to working with zero pain. I'm still blown away about how that's going to feel. And extremely excited.

Sidenote: this oil spill is out of control and now Britain is mad at us...well, smart guys, since you're so much better than we are, civilized and intelligent, shouldn't you have caught on how dirty your company was? Yeah, almost all engineers and oil companies were well aware of BP's lying, cheating ways. Not my fault...why should we pay the price? Just because this oil isn't reaching your shore, does it mean you should punish those it does?

Just saying.

I like the hay guy. Clever thoughts, possibly brilliant. Why scoff?

Monarchy

I made the mistake of wanting to know more about the English monarchy because of my newfound love for The Tudors.

Big mistake.

Go wiki it. It's a novel. And very convoluted.

Successions were broken with assassinations, bastard children, wars, treaties and mistresses. The monarchy changed hands scads of times. An English king lorded over Scotland and Ireland, sometimes France. There were marriages among cousins to preserve the line, the loss of the sanctity of marriage and a King so beleaguered with the requirements of the Catholic faith that he declared himself head of a new church.

An entirely new denomination. He was more than a bit crazy, methinks. Granted, I think he was 2nd cousins with his mother. Excuses, excuses, I know.

Still, it's fascinating to see the chain of succession, where it broke, who broke it and how, the bastard children recognized and ignored, and grandchildren usurping their elders.

Irrelevant of all of this, they have a pretty sweet accent. It's all curves and bends, smooth and lyrical. Nothing harsh about it. We sound much more like our Germanic ancestors with our American accents, all strict lines and right angles. Blurg.

Significance

What is the significance of moving the tassel on your graduation cap from the right to the left in high school? You watch the ceremony, they've all got them on, they walk the stage and quick slide it to the other side.

I remember doing it. I have no idea why though.

So I Wiki'd it. I'm of a curious nature, this we know. I don't want to gossip, I just want to know.

The graduation cap is also called a mortarboard, P.S. Reason? It looks like the tool used by bricklayers to carry the mortar. Interesting.

However, pertaining to the meaning behind transitioning from right to left with the tassel? Nada. Wikipedia has let me down. Which, sidenote, was part of the Valedictorian's speech on Friday for my cousin's graduation. We laughed. I say we...we being the nerds in the crowd.

The tassel is simply moved to represent the graduate becoming, well, a graduate. Nothing more. What a bummer. Maybe it's tied to some secret society thing. Yeah! That'd be cool. But of course they wouldn't share with the class why, so...back to square one.

Regardless, graduating high school is a huge accomplishment and a very big threshold to cross on the way to adulthood. It's fun to celebrate, it's a challenge to achieve, and a huge learning and growing experience throughout the process. Graduating is a release from your former self, leaving an institution that you began as a snot-nosed 13-year old kid who was (and possible still is) incredibly awkward for varying reasons.

It's nice to leave that behind. Once you go to college you can truly become the person you wish to be. Reestablish your identity, picking the most favorite parts of your personality and possibly others' as well. College and the few years after are some of the best times for personal growth and significant life changes.

I'm a quarter-century old with a long life yet to live and I'm still learning.

Oh, and here's to the end of an era: With my cousin graduated from my alma mater, he concludes the reign of family members that began in 1989. Same school.

Okay, there was a one year gap in 1993...but still!

21 years...I think we made a lasting mark. We had an FFA member, a Band President, soccer stars and football heroes, and a girl with the voice of an angel. We are all about diversity in this family.

Sorry, Clements, I doubt you'll end up with a family this big again walking through your halls making names for themselves in so many different ways. Sucks to be you!

Quirky

The following is funny:

1) How people only crave Chick-fil-a on Sundays.

2) And how they need to stop at Hobby Lobby after.

3) Saying the following before anything: "I do do..." Ha. Do do.

4) When singers mispronounce words in a song to make the lyric rhyme.

5) How the capitol of Texas, the reddest state in the Union (just go with my exaggeration, m'kay?), Austin, has a motto that says they need to stay weird and who hosts a huge concert fest filled with hippie-go-lucky people.

6) How if you hang out with me you'll do things you haven't done since you were 7 and wouldn't normally do until your 80.

When you wish upon a star...

For a person who struggles memorizing the lyrics of most songs I hear, I am damn good with the Disney ones. It is hard to deny the brilliance of Alan Menken and company.

You name it, I know it...unless it's from one of the bad movies. You know which ones I'm talking about: Cinderalla II and the follow-up blockbuster Cinderalla III, among other such winners. Disney is all about money, we know, even at the sacrifice of the classics. I'm so looking forward to Snow White II: Dwarves' Revenge. I mean, she did nearly get them all killed and totally made them miss work for a few days to come to her rescue because lame Prince Charming couldn't do it alone. Diamonds aren't going to mine themselves now, are they?

He doesn't exist anyways, you know, "Prince Charming". A hearty thanks to Disney for providing false hopes and dreams to millions of young girls since 1937.

I'm sure I should feel embarrassed by my skill, but I just can't muster the emotion.

Plus, since Disney will one day rule the world, I'm cool with that. It means that there will be speakers on every street corner pumping out the melodious tunes we all know so well. Including the bad guy songs, which tended to be the coolest. Come on, you know you loved singing along with Scar and the Hyenas. Gaston marauding Belle vocally as she traipses through the village. And you know that whenever those cats said, "We are Siamese if you don't please..." ba-dum-bum-bum, you bobbed your head in time.

Don't lie. Walt is listening.