And here is my second post. I'm feeling very good right now. I was out walking on Steele St. and 39th. It is beautiful out tonight; the air is cold enough that it makes you feel alive. One of these days I'm going to go to the Himalayas and see the Buddhist monasteries (that's the Himalayas, right?) I mean, Nepal. It's very appealing, the idea of becoming a Buddhist monk for awhile. I believe all of the cares of the world can be conquered by the mind, perhaps because I depend upon my brain so much.

This is all rambling. Just sit for awhile in silence. It's so nice to simply put a halt to the churning apparatus of thoughts that always surrounds us. Everyday just go for a walk or do something. Leave work during your break and instead of hanging out in the cafeteria or smoking outside or chatting idly with a co-worker, just go walking outside. Leave school, stop reading your books and writing your papers. What's important in the end is just to enjoy life. As Baudelaire says, "Enivrez vous, n'importe sur quoi" or something like that.

I haven't really done that much besides today. I finished editing a paper for French, turned it in (and was 15 mnts late to class in the process because my printer takes a long time to print) and then found out that it wasn't due 'til Tuesday. Oh well, it's over with anyway. Now I just have the Hum paper.

I also read Romans. It's for school ? well, I'm not a religious nut yet. But I have to say that Romans was very inspiring. I took it to mean that you can be saved even if you don't believe Jesus is Christ; the message of toleration I liked. Paul's opinion on good works, however, I'm not sure I believe in. Now granted, now one should perform the commandments in the Torah simply because he wants to get on the right side of divinity, I don't think, but on the other hand, I don't believe in "sola fide." It's very tempting of course; Paul very likely places faith subordinate to good works because good works spring from faith. If one doesn't sanctify his soul to God, he is left to the mortal way of sin and will perish. A few thoughts.

I will not take up regular religious rantings. I so will not. Oh God, and I have Dante's Vita Nuova as the title for my site. Good lord. Oh no.

So now I have to read Acts. I don't go to a religious school, either, I go to Reed College in Portland Oregon, whose three tenets are Communism, Atheism, and Free Love (none of which holds true in my case, interestingly enough). I'm feeling better today. I wish I didn't depend so much on other people for my welfare. But then, no man is an island. I wonder...I address myself as if I were speaking to someone who didn't know me, but is anyone reading this at all?