To the Netizens: Artistic Pontification

>
> So, I am making some effort to update this thing a little more regularly than I have been.
>
> To the people of the internet! I declare the need for art journals. If you dont have one, start. Write down your observations about things you observe, things that strike you, and art theory as well. :D I've been doing it for a couple months and it makes it really cool because it forces you to observe and remember what you observe. Anyways, I share some:
>
> "You cannot perceive others beyond or exceedingg the degree to which you perceive yourself. Because all execution has its root with perception, if you do not master this step, you build on a weak foundation and limit yourself."
>
> "Balancing focus artistically is like the focus of relgious study (I'm relating art to doing something I do every day now, which is study religion). There are millions of books and essays and commentaries of scripture, but it all comes down to the source, which is the scripture itself. The observable world is and should be the ultimate source of artistic reference and inspiration. All other things can be good but are nevertheless biproducts of the reference of observable reality. Personal observation and study of the world should be the foundation of our artistic studies."
>
> "Every drawing you produce is a reflectiono of your mental state. When your mind is frantic and desperate, what you will produce will be muddled and unfocussed and you will not see the potential it has. When you calm yourself and loosen up, the ripples of confusion and frustration slowly dissipate andyou will draw clearly, simply, and deliberately and you will see potential in all you do."
>
> Anyway, I would love to scan the actual sketches from the art journal thing, but I can't, so there's pontification. :D Until next time! :D
>

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FW: [Island of the Sequined Love Nun!] New comment on message from wiggle.

> Subject: Re: FW: [Island of the Sequined Love Nun!] New comment on message from wiggle.
> From: MissWiggle@myldsmail.net
> To: calicocool1@msn.com
> Date: Mon, 5 May 2008 15:57:16 +0000
>
> [forward this on to the blog]
>
> Hey scott! I think you gave me your address, but I lost it. :( In any case, mail sent to me is greatly appreciated! :D Mail is actually rather slow right now...and it probably has something to do with the fact that I haven't updated this blog since the beginning of forever.
>
> It's cool to know I'm missed at work, even though I do not doubt I was more than a little abnoxious. But just in case you're bored, you can tell everyone a lesson I learned this last week:
>
> If you find a lizard in a sticky trap (for mice), it is more merciful to kill it than try and save it. I found it a couple days ago and poked its fleshy belly to discover that it was yet alive and I took pity on it, so I decided to tear it from the sticky glue. After much effort, it was free and I set it loose in the grassy reeds outside my little shack. About half an hour later, I went back outside to find that while I had removed the lizard from the glue, I had not removed the glue from the lizard. He was an amorphous blob of wiggling sticks and leaves. That's when it became my mission to correct my mistake and remove the glue so that the lizard could again run free! First, I sprayed it with alcohol, taking great care not to spray it in the eyes or in the giant gash on its neck. That didnt really work. So then, I dunked it in some Dr. Tichenor's mouth was (which is about 5 times the potency of regular mouthwash) and by the time I was done doing that, his breathing was highly irregular and he wasn't really moving anymore. Left without real option at that point, I stepped on its head.
>
> It is now in lizard spirit paradise! :D
>
> Also, last week, I found a giant cockroach and tape recorded myself narrating his life story. I'll probably post it online after I return home....seeing as I can't do that out here.
>
> Tell people at work that I miss them and tell Elise (should she still work there) that I've mailed her, but I dont know if my letters got to her...but I haven't forgotten her or the back room crew either! That's all for now! :D
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Emily Pennock <calicocool1@msn.com>
> To: Becky Pennock <misswiggle@myldsmail.net>
> Date: Sun, 4 May 2008 14:14:19 -0600
> Subject: FW: [Island of the Sequined Love Nun!] New comment on message from wiggle.
>
>
>
>
> Date: Mon, 28 Apr 2008 23:21:19 -0700
> From: noreply-comment@blogger.com
> To: calicocool1@msn.com
> Subject: [Island of the Sequined Love Nun!] New comment on message from wiggle.
>
> Scott Peterson has left a new comment on your post "message from wiggle":
>
>
>
> I'm really, really slow...but I have now realized I can leave comments for you here...duh! Anyway, I just wanted to say hello! Oh this is Scott Peterson by the way, the fat guy in books...in case you forgot about me. Sounds like things are going well. I stole your address so expect something... amazingly... um... amazing... from me. There was one of your name tags laying around at work and that got us all reminiscing about you...you are much missed! Well I don't want to steal you computer time so I'll end this, but I hope things are going well and I'll bug you later.
>
>
>
> Publish this comment.
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>
>
> Reject this comment.
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>
>
> Moderate comments for this blog.
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>
>
>
> Posted by Scott Peterson to Island of the Sequined Love Nun! at April 29, 2008 12:21 AM
> _________________________________________________________________
> With Windows Live for mobile, your contacts travel with you.
> http://www.windowslive.com/mobile/overview.html?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_Refresh_mobile_052008
>
>

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FW: Mine General Epistle to the Netzors and the Utonians!

> Subject: Mine General Epistle to the Netzors and the Utonians!
> From: MissWiggle@myldsmail.net
> To: Delimetrius@myldsmail.net; Geminiblue17@yahoo.com; trishlvpt@cox.net; im_here_im_there@hotmail.com; i_am_not_satan@hotmail.com; calicocool1@msn.com; pamelapennock@hotmail.com; jmason@weber.k12.ut.us; bhpennock@yahoo.com; yvonneb1207x1@netzero.net; Delimetrius@myldsmail.net; Geminiblue17@yahoo.com; trishlvpt@cox.net; im_here_im_there@hotmail.com; i_am_not_satan@hotmail.com; calicocool1@msn.com; pamelapennock@hotmail.com; jmason@weber.k12.ut.us; bhpennock@yahoo.com; yvonneb1207x1@netzero.net; Delimetrius@myldsmail.net; Geminiblue17@yahoo.com; trishlvpt@cox.net; im_here_im_there@hotmail.com; i_am_not_satan@hotmail.com; calicocool1@msn.com; pamelapennock@hotmail.com; jmason@weber.k12.ut.us; bhpennock@yahoo.com; yvonneb1207x1@netzero.net
> Date: Mon, 5 May 2008 16:45:24 +0000
>
> [EMILY: once you get this, post it on the blog. kthxbai! ^o^ o yeah, post pictures if you can, too. That is all :B]
>
> :) It has come to my attention that there has been a lack of communication on my part with my family back home. :) I just discovered the audio recording from Christmas where uncle Brian mentioned he hadn't heard anything of me. That being said, I felt guilty, so I have asked around for emails and these are ones that have been brought to my attention. I will summarize my mission thus far and do a little catch me up.
>
> *cracks knuckles* here goes...
>
> I have served in 3 areas under 3 companions. The first area, Lafayette, I was greeniebroke by an apostate missionary who really didnt teach me to do anything but sit in a car. After 3 months of being clueless as to our lack of productivity, I was moved to Patterson where I met Sister Fivas who spent a week discovering that I had not been taught anything at all in the 3 months I had been out, and she proceeded to whip me into shape. I was transferred from Patterson to North Denham in February and have been with Sister Black for 3 months. Transfers are next monday and I'll find out where I'm going then.
>
> In my mission, so far, people have
> -asked me to marry them (twice, different people within the span of 2 weeks; awkard drunk guys in the ghettos)
> -thought I was an under cover cop
> -thought I was a drug dealer
> -countless people mistake me for a pentacostal or a j-dub (aka j-ho's or jehova witness)
>
> I helped 2 people get baptized. One in Patterson named J Bob (his brothers names were Sir Bob and Mister Bob). The other one is here in North Denham and her name is Charlene Potts. J Bob is a hardcore nerd and so we got along great. We were basically friends before we formally taught him. We ran into each other in the oddest of places, hardly coincidence, and he recognized that and was baptized right after I was transferred out. Charly was baptized right after I was transferred into this area. I didnt teach her but a couple times, but I committed her to get baptized and told her that it was 'her decision and we wouldnt want her to be baptized until she knew it was right'...which she tells me is exactly what she needed to hear. She's a former catholic, about 70 years old and is going to go to the temple in a year. She's solid.
>
> Even though my first area was with an apostate companion, and even though we really did not work, we did manage to reactivate a man who hadnt been to church in over 50 years. That was amazing. His name is John Outlaw. He's a very peculiar person with a riotous past. He was very ready for us to visit him. It was amazing.
>
> All in all, I have learned a couple lessons that I'll briefly state:
> -Brush your teeth (people here have rotted out nubs and gold caps galore)
> -Don't become a stripper. I've met too many....
> -I have an appreciation for basic education and literacy. I have met several illiterate people in every area I have been. It's sad to see so many people not know how to read.
> -Appreciation for proper roads. The roads are like rivers...they just layer asphault over asphault until you have a roiling surface. you can literally bottom out a car just driving down a straight 'flat' road.
> -Shoes are incredibly important for a healthy spine (my shoes suck)
> -I have seen the difference in the countenance of those who serve others vs those who serve only themselves.
> -Frustrated confusion, inconsistency, and hypocricy of most organized religions (hence everyone here church hops. It's not about what you believe and what you know, but more about how warm and fuzzy the pastor makes you feel).
> -Value of family traditions and continued fellowship.
> -Horrible effects of apostasy; the higher the responsibility/knowledge, the bigger the splash. People who know too much and then reject it simply cannot sit back in their own unhappiness-they have to destroy the beliefs of others.
> -If you wont do something in the service of the Lord with Him backing you, you probably wont do it on your own.
> -Dont drink tap water (my throat was freakish!)
> -People think missionaries are confession booths. I have heard stories from people who have gone to war, who had to remove their US uniforms in order to go in basically as ghosts and they have described to me what they have had to do. I can never erase such images from my mind and I do not wish to pass them to you. I'll leave it at that.
> -Everyone complains about the cleanliness of their own house, yet refuses help when we offer service. The house could even be spotless and they still say its messy!
>
> Anyway, there's a lot more, but I want to keep this somewhat under control, hehe.
>
> I have met a few people in the film industry out here. I taught a member of the Catholic Dioces who is also an actor, and I just helped a member move into our ward and she's a costume designer for movies. I've met several digital artists as well, and have drawn pictures for every district leader I have had. :) People comission me out here and I draw their pictures for free on my p-day.
>
> Now, I'll tell you the weird foods ive eaten out here.
> -Frog Leg: Like chicken and fish combined
> -Gumbo: The best stuff ever; rice with broth and chicken and sausage!
> -Jambalaya: Spiced up rice with chicken and sausage
>
> Anyway, I'm doing fine out here. I run every morning for at least 6 minutes and am determined to keep myself up to par physically, mentally, and artistically while I'm out here. I have spent most of my free time drawing requests from other people. So far, I've drawn jesus on the water, angry jesus (not what I imagine, but that's what the guy wanted), some creative illustrations, and am currently drawing a bunch more stuff for other people too. Yeah, that's vague...but I'll just say that I got access to paints out here and some canvases (thanks to a great member) and have done some painting in the last 3 weeks. Yay!
>
> Anyway, I've attached some sample things I've drawn here and I hope you guys enjoy them. :)
>
> I'll try and keep in touch with you, now that I have your addresses. :b I have so many things I want to say, but not enough time or room to say them. As far as spiritual experiences go, I have had far too many to count, so I'll just relate the latest incident.
>
> I was walking along a street and a man flags me and my companion down and we start talking religion. Louisiana is a religion...melting pot, I suppose. Religion is a real business down here. People get rich off it. Anyways, there are a lot of churches and because of this, people bounce between religions and pastors and most that I have met have just become confused and declared themselves non-denominational (which is a misnomer, because it is a denomination). Anyway, so the guy who walks up to us is one of those who has church hopped for years, gotten frustrated, and given up on organized religion.
>
> So, we start out talking civilly about general things and all of a sudden he begins to attack mormonism based off of the anti that he has read about mormonism. Let's just say that was the beginning of the bash. The scriptures say that the holy ghost will bring all things to your rememberance. Well...there's no way that it was just me remembering all the stuff I did. We bashed for 2.5 hours standing in front of his house. Despite the argumentative nature of the conversation, it was still a conversation. It was rough around the edges and he and I combated a bit, but he still listened to what I had to say to the degree. At the very least, though, after leaving the conversation, he can no longer say that Mormons are a bunch of brain washed people who never search or learn for themselves or think outside their own box. He met with missionaries in the past who didn't stand up to him, I guess.
>
> That is one thing that I will mention that I am very proud of, with my religion is our sweet boldness in being able to say "dont take my word for it; I could be full of it. How do you know what I'm saying is true. Don't take my word for it. Read it, become your own expert on the subject and pray to know it's right because God is the only being in the universe who will not lie to you."
>
> He had read a lot of anti. He had read a lot of alligations against the church. I know what's out there to be said, I've read it too. I, myself, have been anti'd before. What it ultimately comes down to, though, is most people who get anti'd against mormonism, never truly investigate it. They will read essays on it. They will read opinions on it. In every case their information is second hand at best and slanted by the bias of someone's reconceived notion or objective. To truly investigate something, you read the source material, not commentary on the source material. How stupid would it be to take a lit class in college and never read any of the books assigned. What would happen if you just read essays on them? Your knowledge would be fragmentary and perhaps you would understand the subject from that specific angle and not for what it is on a whole.
>
> In my studies on the Holy Ghost and patterns that righteous people follow (in the Old Testiment, New Testiment, and Book of Mormon), I have found that consistently, wicked people refuse investigating true knowledge and searching for answers. They are complacant and perfectly comfortable with their own preconceived notions and remaining thus in a form of ignorance. The righteous seek out knowledge and prove the material. In 1Sam 17:39, when presented with the armor to protect him against golliath, david tries it on and then decides it isn't right. The lord had not 'proven' such a thing to him, yet he dared to put it on, heft it, and try it out and when it did not feel right, then he took it off. But, he still was open to it. That's what I ask people to do out here. I don't care if you've "been saved" i dont care if you have a million statues of mary on your front lawn, I dont care how much you pay your pastor every week. The pattern of righteousness is expansion of knowledge and self. Try it out. Read the freakin book. Dont take my word for it and dont take others either. My opinion is just as biased as the anti-mormonism essays that so many people read. Forget it all. You can argue any point if you put your mind to it. Never base your belief off the opinion of someone else. Read it yourself. Take such measures into your own hands and personally decide.
>
> We as mormons have the confidense to tell people to do this. I dont know any other church that does, and I've seen a lot of varied religions down here. I find it particularly funny that other religions have to have anti-mormon classes to keep us from converting the congregations (after all, I'm sure such classes are great to keep money in the pastor's pockets).
>
> Anyway, bashing was cool and I'm glad I survived. :D Sorry I haven't sent any mail, and since this is being posted on my blog, I might as well say hi to all the internet geeks out there! :D I began this blog rather timidly stating that i wasn't trying to shove religion down anyone's throat; I'm still not...that's not my place. Like I just said, I could be full of crap, so don't take my word about this stuff. Go to the source.
>
> That's all for now. :D
>
>

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