Time=Busyness

by Sarah

Shopping malls. Facebook. Work. School. Relationships. Twitter. Food. Clubs. Causes. Religion. Family. Email.

Your house needs cleaning. Your car is running on empty with a flat tire. There's a stack of bills to pay. Someone wants your advice. Someone else your time. And yet another your money.

This is the life we live. There is always something to do and some responsibility to fulfill.

My question is: if our lives are only so long, why do we get caught up in all this? Why do our lives equate to busyness?

Shouldn't life be lived to fullest, with passion, purpose and abundance?

"But", you say, "I still have just as much to do. I can believe that all I want, but where am I going to find the time to live it out?" That's our excuse. We say, "I'll do it later," "Not now, I'm busy," and "I just don't have time!"

I'm here to say yes, that is reality. And if that is how you view it, you're never going to have time. You're never going to be responsibility-free. There's always going to be more to do.

I want to call us to live beyond that. To exceed expectations of fulfilling responsibilities and meeting deadlines and to live in spite of them. Live abundantly. Love people deeply. Take the day a moment at a time. Quit using excuses. You know, "take time to stop and smell the roses".

The Mystery of Vijontest

by: Mason

Howie Mandel. My parents remember him from St Elsewhere, and I remember him from reruns of Bobby's World. You might remember him from NBC's version of Deal or No Deal too. He also did some voice acting for Muppet Babies, which re-ran on Cartoon Network against stiff opposition from Rugrats. No offense Howie, but the production values on Muppet Babies were just too off-putting compared to Rugrats in all its lump-headed glory.

But that's not what I'm here to talk about. At 7:37 AM on February 6th, 2010, Mr. Mandel (via Twitter) gave us this description of America: Vijontest. Howie, what does this mean?
I've tried saying it repeatedly with different accents etc, like Mad Gab, spelling it backwards, tsetnojiv, even rearranging the letters (vest joint?). No luck. So I'm going into this blind.

Now I shall endeavor to find a definition of this word.

Possibility #1: A Canadian insult.
As we all know, via Wikipedia, Howie Mandel is Canadian. He currently lives in Los Angeles, but that's only because that's where the show business is. There are tons of Canadians who have made it big in America, and we love them! But I have a sneaking suspicion that they aren't as fond of us as we are of them.

Possibility #2: A Dutch insult.
As we all know, via Wikipedia, Howie Mandel hosted the American and Canadian versions of Deal or No Deal. And, according to Wikipedia, Deal or No Deal is of Dutch origin. The Netherlands is an extremely progressive area, and Vijontest is obviously a Dutch insult, criticizing us for being so conservative. Or at least slow on the uptake.

That's all I have. What do you think Vijontest means?