Change of Plans

I had a whole Thanksgving entry planned out, as the holiday celebrated around the country just passed. However, In reality, how many of you actually care about my Thanksgiving? Let's think about it logically and decide. Not many. So, why not write about something else. At school there has been sickness flying around, and basically everyone I know has been sick for a few days at least. I had dodged it successfully since the epidemic began. I Lysoled like crazy, washed my hands more than normal, and stayed far away from those infested with the nast bug. I guess one could say I'm a bit of a germophobe when people are sick. Personally, I don't really see that as a bad thing.
Naturally however, my time as come, and being home for Thanksgiving break, I can feel the congestion building. It's a light congestion, but it's there, making my breathing harder abd grosser than it has to be. It was only a matter of time before the sickness flew my way and latched onto me. What can I do though? Afterall it really is just a common cold, and with the proper sleep and nutrition should be gone in a few days. Let's hope that's the case. I really hate being sick. It puts such a damper on my day.

Cold!

My whole life I have loved the hot weather. During the summer I looked forward to going outside, getting sweaty, hot, and downright disgusting, and then walk in to a nice cold house, feeling the air rest upon my overheated body. It is a great feeling, and I still love it. However, I find myself enjoying the cooler temperatures that November, Decmeber, January, February, and March seem to bring. I know these aren't extremem colds, but they are a refreshing break from the hot we have here basically year round.
These days I find myself wanting the cold to flow in and stay for as long as possible. A brisk night walk in the 40 degree letter puts a tingle on my face that feels relaxing. Breathing and seeing my breath against the sky is a beautiful phenomenon that I can't describe. Wearing long comfortable clothes is a niec change from the shorts and tee shirts we're all so accustomed too. They make you feel different, and it makes others look and seem different.
I guess likeing the cold comes from when I was younger. As a young kid I always thought about college kids being in a cold environment - sporting their school sweatshirts, wearing scarves, gloves, hats. I'm not sure why, but when I thought of college kids, long apparel came to mind. Now I suppose, wearing said clothes makes me feel like a college kid. I feel like I belong here, even more than when it was hot.
The cold brings many things, Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday, Winter Break, a time to spend with those you love, and a new year, a fresh start. The cold has chipped its way into my life throughmany ways, but despite the ways in which it has, it's a pleasure. I love the cold, just as much as I love the hot. To me, a place like Florida has the best of both worlds, and I couldn't ask for anything better.

Stomping Grounds

Tuesday, or Veterans Day, we all had the day off. No class, no problem. Monday night my friend and I drove home, spent the night watching our favorite TV show Lost, and on Tuesday we went back to high school. We visited friends who were still stuck there, we saw teachers who we had, and we even gave little Q&A sessions about what college was like and what the kids needed to know in the future. It was great. High school was an important time in my life, and the friends I made there, and a few of the teachers I had the pleasure of having helped shape me into who I am today. There were two imparticular, two teachers that is, that had to be some of my favorites ever. I could relate to them, talk to them, annoy them, and I knew that if I ever needed anything, I could go to them with the answer. My sophomore year was the first time I had either of them, and I had them both at the same time; Mrs. Priddy 2nd hour for Chemistry, and Mrs. MacNeill 3rd hour for Algebra 2.
At the beginning I was a little unsure of my math teacher, but Mrs. Priddy I loved right off the bat. I made myself known, I was always willing to volunteer for stupid crap we had to do, etc etc. As my high school career went on, I became her undisputed favorite - last year her husband who I had for Statistics told me so - but I noticed if there was really anything outside of school that I need help with, or even if I just wanted to chat, she was very careful to not cross any crazy lines. That's very professional, and I understood that while I was attending my high school. Tuesday when I went to visit her, she was very standoffish, considerably more than when I was there! It really made me think that perhaps the relationship woth one of my favorite teachers was coming to an abrubt end.
Switching gears to Mrs. MacNeill, my 10th grade math teacher, the circumstances are comepletely different. After a few weeks back in 10th grade, I realized just how awesome this lady was. first off, she was way young, only ten years older than me, which made it very easy for me to relate to and talk to about some of my stupid dillemas. She was different then my chemistry teacher, I didn't really annoy her outside of classroom time that first year I knew her, but during class, and even when I needed to talk, she was always willing to sit and listen. As I grew older I TAed for her, I popped in to talk to her unannounced, and everytime (if she wasn't busy) she would stop and discuss everything I brought up. she became more than a teacher, she became a friend. When I visited Tarpon High School, I went to see her first, and she noticed me, seemed happy and surprised to see me, as a friend would.
Knowing that only one of my favorite teacher s could separate me from a once student made me realize that some people are just stuck in the past, and others are willing t understand that I'm not the idiot high schooler I once was. It was great to see everyone, whether they acknowledged me as an alumni or not. But all in all, the friendship between myself and my 10th grade math teacher is something I wish to pursue and keep strong. As weird as it sounds, it really isn't. She's not just a teacher, and I'm not just a student. No. We're two people who share common intrests, isn't that what friends are?

Welcome Home

The house needed fixing up, not to mention there was a faint but foul smell that hung in the air. The stains on the old beaten up walls that were torn with flowered wallpaper didn’t really help the situation become any less eerie. The stairs creaked slowly on each step, not to mention 1 step was missing about half way up, the railing was not sanded at all, the wood protruding in every imaginable direction, eagerly waiting to bury into an unsuspecting hand. Why did these two want to buy this disaster of an estate?
As the couple traveled up the 23 staired staircase, they viewed the second story and its many rooms that each had a dusty lit doorway, signifying that all the doors were ajar, all the rooms desperately hoping to lure the couple in side them through the dusty entry. After examining each torn apart and destroyed room, they finally came to an entry way that had French doors with polished gold handles. The doors were wide open, and a king sized bed was seen to the direct left of the entry way, up against a tattered wallpaper covered wall. The wallpaper was torn and shredded, but the bed was in perfect condition. A four posted bed with a red drape covered a neatly made dark red comforter with a white sheet seen underneath. The pillow cases were a bright red satin material, glimmering in the light coming from the 6 paneled window about 3 quarters down the right side wall next to the bed.
They noted the bed and both silently wondered why it was so beautifully made, then cautiously moved into the nearby master bathroom, which, as they were not expecting, was just as grungy as the rest of the mansion. On the right side of the bathroom, the shower was a wreck, the curtain hanging limply by merely 2 rings. The curtain, which they imagined was once white, was now a musty brown color, and smelled horrid. They then simultaneously turned around to notice a large polished bathtub which was filled a quarter high with a light brown fluid. They were rather intrigued by the mysterious liquid when they both saw a solid red drop fall directly into the slightly filled tub. They remained still, their petrified eyes glued to the bathtub in awestricken wonder, when another red drop fell into the light brown liquid, permeating its color and ripples throughout. They slowly lifted their now heavy heads and stiff necks to look at the ceiling which was quite low above them, only to find a red bead forming in the exact location above which the previous two hand landed. It was getting fuller and fuller until gravity pulled it down, and it seemed to the couple the longest amount of time a drop of any substance could take to fall.
After it had fallen into the tub that was filled with the mystery liquid, they both hustled frantically out of the master bedroom and to the remaining flight of stairs. After 13 excruciating steps that were filled with fear and anxiousness, they reached a small landing that led to one single black door with an old rusted gold key lock doorknob. Slowly the doorknob was tried, but it unfortunately was locked. 3 fierce kicks later, the black door had been kicked in, it now relying on 2 hinges to keep it upright. The room was humongous, and filled with massive black shelves that were filled with bags among bags that were filled with similarly shaped figures, however they were hard to make out, for the only light was coming from a small window, 3 feet in diameter, at the very back of the room. The smell that lingered in the air was unbearable, and they realized it was the smell they had encountered throughout the house, this time to a more intoxicating degree. Harmoniously in step, they moved farther into the dimly lit room, holding their noses tightly so they did not suffer from the lingering unnatural smell.
Then the door was spontaneously slammed shut, the window was covered by a dark blind removing all light from the foul smelling room. After a few unsure and scared seconds of darkness, 3 florescent lights turned on above them, but they were so far into the middle of the enormous room, the door was no where in their immediate sight. They followed a long dusted passage way between the shelves when they noticed a bare emaciated foot sticking out from underneath a stained ant tattered canvas. They nervously turned a corner when the sound of sloshing was heard underneath their trembling feet. They slowly looked down, seeing the dark crimson of blood flowing from underneath them. Mesmerized by the flowing of the blood they continued to look down rather than ahead when they ran into something blocking their path. Looking up, they saw a cadaver hanging from the ceiling with a sign that was written sloppily in dark red. The last thing the couple saw was a sign that merely said “WELCOME HOME”.

Googlers Beware!

There are many kids who would not be ashamed to say they cannot imagine living life without the internet, Google, and everything that comes with that. According to studies and research though, it seems that these tools that are known as very helpful, are not so helpful to many youngsters at all. It has caused for many myths to occur, some true, some false, others yet to be determined. However, the doubts for the future are out there, and it is very important that these doubts are looked at and explained why they should or should not be worth fretting about. The characteristics of the Google Generation are similar, yet different, the majority having to deal with the effects of the internet and how it plays a role in the lives of the individuals, for better or for worse.
Perhaps what is known as one of the most infamous traits of the Google Generation is the fact that they cut and paste just about everything. When writing papers, all that is needed is a press of the control button on the keyboard while at the same time pressing the c button. And with that the text wanted is copied. Following this is a simple maneuver of holding down control and v and the paste is complete. This trait causes the members of the generation to find something they’re looking for, barely understand it, and use it to get the grade they need for school. The argument concerning the cut and paste way of life, is that it doesn’t help children participating in this activity learn. Many argue it is lessening the quality of research skills within the Google Generation kids. If all they have to do is skim the reading, copy what looks good, paste it in a word document, and they’re off, no knowledge learned. On this matter, it would seem the experts’ doubts are right, what good is the internet doing for our future?
As previously stated, not everything dealing with the how the Google Generation goes about their lives is a bad thing. There are some good things about younger people knowing how to work the internet. As the future grows nearer, people as a whole have to begin to assume technology will become more and more prevalent in society. Basically, the children growing up in the Google Generation have been around this blossoming technology most of their lives. Who better to learn how to use the internet, than those who have been engulfed by its being and most up to date version ever. Many of the older generations do have a general idea of what they’re doing, and are one the internet just about as often as the kids are, but for the future, these kids are going to be the ones leading the way. In this sense then, the knowledge of the internet and how it works isn’t bad, as long as one knows how to go about using it properly.
With that, it brings up the next argument, one that has been discussed and tossed around countless times. With all of the cutting and pasting going on, and all of the skimming and not reading going on, it would appear that the Google Generation kids would in reality have no sense of how to actually use the internet. Where is it written however, that as they mature, correct ways of research via internet can’t be learned? Not every participant categorized as a member of the Google Generation should be labeled as a poor researcher. As the tasks get harder, the research must become more in depth. It is important to realize that as the technologies change, the people using them change as well. Though the previous generations have ways of researching and doing things, who says the upcoming generations’ way of researching is less of a complexity. The sooner the generation begins to use the internet and its qualities properly, the more advanced there are destined to become.
Granted these are only a few examples of what is, isn’t, and what is yet to be understood about the Google Generation, but they are useful tools in understanding the generation growing. Sure, there are things that aren’t at all good about how they use the internet, but despite that, there are other qualities the posses, and many that have yet to be discovered. One could say that all this generation needs is time, and they’ll finally understand how to use their resources properly. Until then, it is only safe for them to do what their known for best, cut and pasting, skimming, social networking, and multitasking.

Oh teacher I need you....

I wrote this Junior year for Teacher Appreciation Week for NHS. It was worht five volunteer hours. I like teachers, so I wrote about them.

Smart, Helpful, Weird, Caring, Educated, Crazy, Professional, Wise, Sweet, Pest, Nice, Qualified, Old.

After asking students and adults ranging from age 6 to age 77, these are the first adjectives that they thought of when hearing the word “teacher”. Each word can be taken as a compliment, whether the adjective used is the word weird or helpful. Every teacher is a pest once in a while, and, not gonna lie, most of the teachers I’ve had have been crazy, possibly mentally ill. I’ve had young teachers, and I’ve had old teachers, but even though their ages might differ in many years, they all want to accomplish the same thing. Retirement. Although retirement is a fantastic goal to set out for, there’s another accomplishment that comes to mind when actually thinking of why a teacher becomes a teacher.
Old man Webster describes the verb “teach” as thus: instruct; impart knowledge of, direct, and (what seems to be a favorite) discipline. What knowledge do teachers actually want to instill upon us lousy kids? Usually we’re sleeping or text messaging when you’re talking anyway, however whether we’re paying attention, making fun of you, or facing the complete opposite direction with an Algebra 2 folder on our desks while we’re in American History, we’ve all learned something valuable somewhere along the line, and I think it’s safe to say, it was from one of you. Maybe it’s the lesson on how to solve sine and cosine graphs, maybe the chemistry lesson on the periodic pattern of electronegativity which stuck with us through chemistry class. However good these lessons do us in the future, I know that I’ve learned other countless lessons that aren’t necessarily related to Math, History, Science, English, or any of those electives we can choose from.
Aristotle said this: “Those who educate children well are more to be honored than parents, for these only gave life, those the art of living well.” We’re around teachers more than our parents from the ages of 5 to about 18, that being said, we’re bound to learn life lessons from you somewhere along the line. I’ve been observing teachers since kindergarten, my mom’s a teacher, her friends are teachers, and I’ve noticed, they only want what’s best for the students that sit in their classroom for 180 days out of the year. The math teacher might be teaching math, but there’s so much that’s being taught that lies beneath the surface, I know I’ve found it, and I know many other students have found it, and we’ve all discovered it because each one of you has taught it to us. This speech isn’t a brown nosing attempt, I can do that without writing something like this, this is simply the truth of how I and many others feel about a person that means so much more than Webster describes them, this is the truth about how much we appreciate and how much we actually do learn from our teachers.

Randomness

Here I sit, alone with only my thoughts fluttering around in my fast paced mind, only to wonder about the future, the very small future in the long scheme of things. For I am only one life, a small insignificance that only a pin head of people throughout this world will only know and meet. The bewilderment of it all drives me to be all I can be, and do all that I can to succeed in this ever growing world. Do I really even matter? I mean obviously to those I love and spend countless days with I matter, but does anyone else even care? It’s not important though, not really.
This battle many people call life doesn’t seem to difficult, it doesn’t seem like it will drain me, yet I think I am over estimating my strength to succeed. Things have always come so easy to me, handed to me in a certain light, will I truly be ready for this step, this commitment of survival on my own? The goal in my life is to help people understand the good life can bring them, cure them of their issues, make them all go away. I want to be someone that a person can sit down and talk to, laugh with, cry with. But how can I be this person if I don’t know how to do this without someone spoon feeding me? I’m too impatient to wait and learn how (what a horrible trait)?
I’m probably over exerting my tired mind, for it is rather late, almost midnight, yet here I sit pondering my capabilities on succeeding and understanding adult life at a mere age of seventeen! What an oddity I must be! Surely thinking about the way I want to conduct myself later in life in a necessary thought process, but why bother with it now, a time when I’ve got so much on my plate. Perhaps I should keep my mind free and clear. And as I write I realize I am freeing and clearing my emotion filled brain. Oh good God, the emotion filled writing, it does toy with me rather annoyingly at that.
It is bothersome to me though, the fact that many adults do not think young minds are capable of high levels of thinking. We can think much harder that any of you lot can! I’ll prove it any day or time, (not now though however, for I am quite busy writing this total randomness down , and I do hope it is being enjoyed, for it is rather enjoyable to write may I add) and I wont be afraid to exert my brain capacity to its absolute fullest, in fact I eagerly await the meeting.

Stressssss

I am pretty good at shaking things off. Something comes hurling at my head, I am usually swift enough to see it and deal with it rationally. But there is a situation scurrying around my brain and body that is giving me stomach ulcers - I can feel it. The problem isn't about school or home life, it's about a fantastic experience I could be apart of that would no doubt be a great adventure to say I have done. But still, despite the doors it could open, and the things I might be able to take part in there is still this annoying feeling of concern and worry is lingering. I'm not afraid, trust me when I say there is no fear in the situation before me, for I see worry and fear two different things. However, there is this strange feeling, that glass half empty feeling that is just taking over my life! So here's the story, the situation, you will now get a glimpse into my crazy brain.
I have the chance to go to Honduras for 6 weeks over the summer, to be apart of an archeological dig! The excitement that this brings comes rushing to me, making my brain fill with interest, I become focused on only this. And that lasts for about 30 seconds. Then my mind begons to play tricks on me, I go from hell yes! to holy shit! in an instant. The amount of money that this trip will cost, the amount of time that I will be spending there, and hell, digging in the ground for six weeks? Is that even fun? Is this trip going to be anything like I think it will? It is so annoying to want something so bad, but be worrying about these things at the same time.
My friends and suitemates are telling me to go. Apply for it. Even if it does suck, it is an experience. And I know they're right. I feel that too. But they aren't sitting here having to deal with asking their parents for 5,000 dollars, having to be in a foreign country for 6 weeks, having their mind wonder constantly about what it is I'm actually going to have to do! It is way too hard. Way too much to be dealing with.
I'm getting details on the trip from the coordinators, and hopefully that will give me a better understanding of what the hell it is I'm supposed to do there. I really want to go because I know as I get older opportunities like this get slimmer and harder to do. I need to do this, I know I want to do this, then why is my brain screwing me like this. Not gonna lie, it's a little annoying.

TV

TV! TV! TV! I can't help it. There is just something abut the television that captures my attention. I can' ttell you what, but it is there. I can watch just about anything, whether it is a cartton, a drama, a movie, a comedy, something educational, something stupid, something live, a reality show, like I said, anything! Like everyone though, there are TV shows that are airing new epsidoes right now I keep a tab on, and I make sure I watch every week. Obviously there are 'old' TV shows I love, but they've been cancelled, so for this post, they just don't fit in (sorry Boy Meets World, The Nanny, and of course, Gilmore Girls). In this I'll probably just end up rambling about issues on my TV shows, my favorite characters, and why the hell the writers are screwing with my brain all the time. So, Lost fans, House fans, and CSI:NY fans, here we go!
So, we start with Lost. Plane crashes, stuck on an island, and crazy things begin to happen. This show is a brain killer. What was worse was I strated watching it in Januray which meant I was 3 years behind, and I had a month until the fourth season started, so I watched my friends DVD's for what felt like ever. But then season 4 started, and I kind of regretted putting my brain through, considering this show was like nothing I had seen before. So many secrets, so many storylines to keep track of. So much information being thrown in your face! Yet, it is genius. Pure genius, there has been nothing like this that I can recall on TV. In this show, it'l probably end, and we still wont know everything. Which is probably the way it is supposed to be. The differences in the characters makes the show well rounded, and it gives my people to root for and against, along with making me even more confused =].
Then there is the lovely show of House. A medical show, yes, the main focus being on diagnosing the patient and helping their crazy problems that happen so rarely they deserve to be shown to the world. But there is more to this show that meets the eye. Character devlopment is huge in this show. Gregory House is known as the jerk. He says everything everyone is think but he just doesn't care what you think. What a perfect character, right? The way he interacts with his team of doctors and his colleagues has one guessing every epsiode how these people function just knowing him. There is more to him than being an ass though. Who wouldn't want to hang around with someone who says it like it is? That just takes all the pressure off you, right?!
First there was CSI: Las Vegas. Then there was CSI: Miami. Fianlly, there was CSI: New York. This one caught my attention most, and I fell in love with it almost instantly. I love the idea of using science while at the same time solving a puzzle to put a perpetrator behind bars. I love the science of forensics and how they work. too bad real life CSI isn't anything like the TV shows, but hey we can all dream right? This show is just different from the other ones. Las Vegas was the original, everything was fresh and new, Miami is well, Miami, there are beach dramas, hotel dramas, tourist dramas. But New York City, is an array of crazyness. What isn't there in New York? There is city, Central Park, a river, everything one could want for commitiing murder, and everything for the NYPD to use against those criminals. It's a perfect mix.
So these shows might not sound like masterpieces from my little interpretations, but they aren't the point of this post. The point is that we all like different things, for different reasons, and somehow, somwhere, something on TV is going to depict it. And that is fascinating. It makes you fell less alone, it makes you feel like you aren't the only idiot who has a love for plane crashes, brutally frank doctors, or the perfect city for crime.

Hands Held High

Hands Held High
Is there anything worth fighting for? If there is, why care, why bother? Because all we need is one voice to start a purpose. All we need is a ray of light. Letting something one disagrees with take over their lives is failure. It isn’t what being a human is about. We were meant to do, not stand back and watch. Letting their voice be heard is crucial to the making of our country – standing for what we think is right.
“Linkin Park” has always been known as a loud rock band. They’ve always let their voice be heard. Early in their career it was very subtle, but there. Now however, because of recent circumstances, they have because they dislike the way the government (among other things) is being run. Now, they lay their feelings out on the floor, for all who wish to hear and take part in.
Their hit song “Hands Held High” preaches about their feeling on the nations view on the impending foreign situation, and they hint at who it responsible for it: The Leader stuttering and mumbling for nights he refused to reply:, and it seems like they are taking a blow at George W. Bush, and they have every right to. Do I agree with bashing our leader who WE voted into office? No. However I do believe in fighting for what one believes in, which is precisely what they’re saying and doing throughout the entire song.
The song also tells the foreign view of our soldiers over there and how people coping with it – very poorly. They talk about how the war is taking over families lives. It depicts the people about how our leader is running thing. In the song they state the people are thinking “The rest of the world laughing like what’d he say?” and because of the war situation their opinions changed to “Scared and angry like what did he say?” .
They take the time to show that the world is seeing us as completely insane and it is time for us to start seeing us like that as well. They are trying to once again say to screw what is being thrown at us. It is time for change, and the only way to get it is by doing and thinking against the tide. They say it best in this line: “Jump when they say they want to see jumping. Fuck that. I want to see some fist pumping”. Linkin Park is telling their audience to get up and become the black sheep, to be different, dare to so what they think, what they know is right.
What is it about these guys though? They are after all just a few friends from high school that decided to start a band. They speak to millions of people throughout the world, and one would think because of their success, perhaps more people would do what they think is correct. The lyrics in this song though, have a presence about them and there is something that people take note of. It makes them stop and listen. It makes them stop and feel the power of what they’re saying. This song allows people to relate to something that they could be very well be feeling, especially with the situations happening throughout our country.
This country was built on what people fought for, even if it was turning their back on their superiors, but these days, it seems like we are too afraid to do it. In the song ‘Hands Held High’, there is a sense of fight in their words. A sense that something needs to be done, but we just let it be. They tell it straight up that there is work to be done, but we just sit back and we let it happen. Is this song a push to do something, or is it to mock us? Yes, it is saying to stand up and work towards what you believe is right, but still, there is that sense of humility there.
So what are the guys of “Linkin Park” really saying then? That we need to fight for what is right, or that it is just like us to sit back and let it happen? Personally, I believe they are sick of it and they want it to be resolved. They want us as a nation to do whatever we can to flip things around, to change the course of where we are headed, to make a new and powerful decision. They aren’t saying do it illegally, no, they are just saying that it needs to be done. We are the ones that can change the way the world looks at us. So instead of them laughing at our leader and instead of them being afraid of what our leader might do, we can make a change in this country by voicing our opinions, by making new choices for our country.
It is up to us to make it happen, it is up to us to make this glorified change. But it can’t be done without will power. They are asking us to empower ourselves in this song, they are asking to take a look at the war and the leadership here, they are asking us to ask ourselves if we think it is right, and if we do or don’t they are asking us to take a stand and say why. Why is it important to us? Why is it important the world sees us as contenders, not as weaklings? That is for us to figure out, that is for us to state, that is for us to change.

Twitches

So I have a problem. It is called eye twitching, and it has been happening to my left eyelid for over a week. I heard it was from lack of sleep, stress, or even something I might have eaten. However, I sleep fairly well, at least 7 hours a night, I do not feel overly stressed, and I eat basically the same things everyday. Why is my eye doing this? Besides it being annoying, it distracts me from tasks at hand. During an exam, I had to stop just to focus on the fact that me eye was twitching uncontrollably. I've looked up info on my problem, and it says a cure was to just let it be. I have let it do its thing, and it continues to twitch. Another solution was BOTOX, but I don't plan on using that anytime soon. What to do, what to do! I do not know how much longer I can take this. My friend said this happened to her once, and it lasted for two months. TWO MONTHS! I can not take this much longer, how am I supposed to deal with it for two months! This is taking over my life, infact it is happening right now. Twitch twitch twitch. So if you all see me in class, do not think I am making weird faces at you, or rolling my eyes at you. I'm just trying to cope with the eye twitching that is taking over every second of my life.

Work from highscool

I had an assignment in my creative writing class in which I had to clip out phrases and work them into a poem. Honestly I didn't have anything else to write about this week, so here we go.

Rachel Dryce
May 9, 2007

Sometimes it appears there’s no rhyme or reason,
If someone says something amiss,
I feel like I’m falling out of that window,
You were, are still – A point of light,
An active member,
It’s magic.
Critics declared you a hit,
A cat-walk aided hit,
Telling jokes while cameras hone in on faces,
You see in their faces they so believe in the magic,
They no longer accept your death.
The 2 week period put things in perspective,
Because I had never known,
What was your most pleasurable experience?
You were always about fabulous storytelling,
They were great, I felt like I wasn’t here,
And I have you to thank far a lot of fond memories,
And after a brutal ending,
That old bat!
Her life’s dream was to meet Cinderella.

They're Everywhere!

Can anyone begin to explain that weird mix of feelings you get when you find out something new and then you see that thing everwhere? It is so weird when it happens, and depending on the type of information it is, a person either loves it or hates it. It has happened to everyone; you find out what car your crush drives and you see it everywhere, you hear a song you love and you hear it more than you ever thought possible, or you learn about a new animal, let's give an example of bonobos*, and you see the term or a picture more than ever before. Let's face it though, no matter how much you like your crush, that song, or that animal, it gets so annoying seeing that newly found knowledge everywhere! At some point don't you just want it to go away? The problem there is that, the reason it goes away, is because you have found something new to focus on, and that concept is even more frustrating. To get rid of an annoyance, anotherone has to arise? How discomforting. But, when does an annoyance become something a person looks forward to? When does it become the point when all a person does is look for that new thing to turn up everywhere? Another funny trick we play on ourselves. Exactly the moment we start looking for something random, we can't find it. Just when you think your crushes car is ubiquitos and just when you begin looking for it, it's no where. Just when you want to find an article on a bonobo, there aren't any. The car ride all you want to hear is that new song on the radio, it doesn't play. It is amazing the tricks our minds can play on us when we learn something new, and when you stop to think about it, how hard it is to control what our brain does! An old saying says that people are to "roll with the punches", and it looks like when our brain is in control, we might as well, or we could really end up going completely insane!

*A bonobo is a type of chimp, and yes, I see mentions of them everwhere thanks to Anthropology class.

Top Ten Animals

Black Rhino, Black Rhino
What do you see?
I see a Giant Panda looking at me.

Giant Panda, Giant Panda
What do you see?
I see a Tiger looking at me.

Tiger, Tiger
What do you see?
I see a Beluga Sturgeon looking at me.

Beluga Sturgeon, Beluga Sturgeon
What do you see?
I see a Goldenseal looking at me.

Goldenseal, Goldenseal
What do you see?
I see an Alligator Snapping Turtle looking at me.

Alligator Snapping Turtle, Alligator Snapping Turtle
What do you see?
I see a Hawksbill Turtle looking at me.

Hawksbill Turtle, Hawksbill Turtle
What do you see?
I see a Big Leaf Mahogany looking at me.

Big Leaf Mahogany, Big Leaf Mahogany
What do you see?
I see a Green-Cheeked Parrot looking at me.

Green-Cheeked Parrot, Green Cheeked Parrot
What do you see?
I see a Mako Shark looking at me.

Mako Shark, Mako Shark
What do you see?
I see Zoologists looking at me.

Zoologists, Zoologists
What do you see?
We see a Black Rhino, a Giant Panda, a Tiger, a Beluga Sturgeon, a Goldenseal, an Alligator Snapping Turtle, a Hawksbill Turtle, a Big Leaf Mahogany, a Green Cheeked Parrot, and a Mako Shark looking at extinction.

Mall Mess

There we were, sitting on the shuttle that takes usd to the mall. When we arrived, a plethera of stores awaited our money to be spent. We drifted for a while, looking for the perfect store to waste our money in first. After a while, boredom started to set in, afterall, how long can one spend at the mall just window shopping. That sucks. To top it off, we weren't on the mood for food court food, so we could skip on that delectable pastime. So, two of us out of the group decided we were going to bail, and head back to campus. We made our way through the unfamiliar mall, and headed towards the shuttle pick up point. We sat, waited, waited, and still waited, until my friend Andrew realized that the shuttle stopped running and hour and a half ago at five, the time at which we had arrived to the mall. So there we were, stranded at the mall on a friday night, and it was growing dark. Luckily I wasn't alone, or tears would've started pouring from my fearful eyes, but I contained myself, and preceeded to call everyone I knew at school who had a car. No one answered, and those that did were gone for the weekend. Andrew reccommended walking what would've been an hour and a half walk, and there was no way I was doing that in an unfamiliar place! So we decided to see what the city bus could do for our sorry souls. We found a bus that would take us to the Transit Station, and we prayed that a bus from there would take us safely back to the promised land of USF. Thankfully, there was one, and it was bus number 6 that drove us back to where we belonged. I was a little scared and nervous to take the city bus, considering I've never done that before without parental supervision, but it was time for new experiences, and this one I think should go down in the history of me. So what was the lesson learned? Yea, you're right! Don't take the shuttle to the mall after school of Friday's.

Mp3 Memoir Analysis

After listening to ‘Us and Them’ again, my perspective hasn’t changed a bit. This kid is a selfish kid who can’t seem to give up his candy to some people who live next door to him, simply because he thought they were weird and different than him. Not to mention, the basis of why he thinks his neighbors are strange is because they live life a little differently than he is accustomed to. It is wrong and selfish to assume people who are different than you aren’t worth enough to give even a little piece of candy. It is terrible that they are his new form of entertainment because of how strange they are to him and his personal life. In no way did hearing this memoir out loud change my opinion in the least, because it is still saying the same thing as when I am reading it. It still is showing selfishness, it still is showing that being different means you’re an outsider, it is still poking fun; none of that I take lightly in today’s day and age.

Memior Analasis

This is Emo:

What I’m getting from this is that stories in general that people hear, see, and know give us a false interpretation of what love is. There are certainly valid reasons as to why a person would feel this way, but I find it hard to believe that people as a whole base what they think love and life are on things they see and hear in entertainment. Children, sure, they have no life experiences to go on, but once a person has enough life journeys to conjure together, they can surely start to determine what is true and what isn’t. If the author of this memoir is going to blame the false telling of entertainment for his failed love life, then the author really needs to go out and explore the world more. It just all feels like they are looking for a way out of thinking that what happened to them was something unfathomable. Failed ‘love’ happens more than actual love does, and excuse the entertainment world for wanting to give a good story, not a lousy one most of the world is used to!


Us and Them:
In my eyes, this really just dwindles down to not assuming things about people you don’t know. The Tomkey’s were not what the author’s family was used to, and there for started a streak of curiosity in him as a young kid. When they bothered the author’s family the night after Halloween, the curiosity seemed to grow into more of a dislike, because of their odd habits. They also made the author angry because he had to give up their candy, and though it was quite selfish of the author to be so rude as to make a fuss about them taking some, it made them even more apprehensive to become friends with the Tomskey’s. In fact, after they had disrupted the author’s evening they stated that a hatred was now imparted on the Tomskey’s. They agreed they had been piggish and selfish, but they could never really get over that one night when they had taken the candy the night after Halloween

Memior Draft #1

The drive from Anaheim to Burbank was only 45 minutes, but despite that, it was easily the longest drive of my life. A typical Californian summer’s day, the sun was shining and my family was playing cliché Beach Boys music in our rented Ford Taurus. Our GPS system (which we had named Phyllis) told us to make a left, and there it was, the WB Studio Walls, lined with humongous billboards of all the TV shows it films or had filmed. We parked, and I could hear and feel my heart pounding thorough my chest. We were finally here.
As we walked into the lobby-gift shop combo, every WB TV show or movie one could think of had a product we could ever want there. DVD’s, shirts, key chains, watches mugs, and more! But, despite my fascination, there was no more time to waste! The tour tickets my dad had preorderd read our names and times, and we were off! A quick movie about the history of The WB, and it was off to the trolley that was to take us around the studios in a timely two hour tour.
Out first stop, the set of ER, was an interesting experience, seeing the hospital that always looked so real now actually looking so fake. Then we saw a long stretch of road made to look like New York City, in which scenes of the movie “Vanilla Sky” with Tom Cruise was filmed. We saw the Harry Potter ford Anglia, The Batmobile, and the Mystery Mobile from “Scooby Doo”, and in that room with the cars, a quick glance at the oh so sexy leg of Brad Pitt. I was enjoying my time, but there was something missing.
As we climbed back inside of our trolley, our cameras at the ready, we turned a corner and my visit finally began. Since January 3, 2005 I had been mesmerized, in fact crazed about the Gilmore Girls, my favorite TV show of all time. The set of Stars Hollow was right in front of me. The sign that read when Stars Hollow was founded and its miniscule population, Luke’s the every episode diner, Lorelai Gilmore’s (my favorite character) house, Rory’s (Lorelai’s daughter) study tree, and the list goes on and on. How badly I wanted to get out and be part of the set, but I wasn’t allowed.
Every comment about Gilmore Girls that the tour guide made I knew the answer to, and I had to contain myself to keep my mouth shut. I was so awed and amazed that I was where so many of my favorite episodes had been filmed; I didn’t even realize my journey had only just begun. That May, the sixth season had concluded, and now the seventh season (and what I know now was its last) filming had started. New storylines were everywhere around me, I couldn’t contain it any longer. Then, when our trolley stopped in from of sound stage six, we were told we were going into the set of Yale, where Rory attends college. And to my disbelief, even more excitement took a hold of me.
In we went, and I was standing where I had only witnessed my favorite actress (Lauren Graham who plays Lorelai Gilmore) stand, where I had only seen on TV, and even seeing what was supposed to be outside was actually inside, everything still felt real. Remembering episodes that had taken place where I was standing was and still is unimaginable. As we headed out (much against my wishes) we were told to be very quiet, for the cast of Gilmore Girls was filming in the Gilmore Mansion soundstage right next door! As we passed by, parking spaces of the actors were seen, trailers were viewed, and I hoped with all my might that the actors I loved would walk out, so I could revel in their greatness! But we passed by, and though time stood still, no one was seen, and we left the set where I had been in heaven.
Our tour was wrapped up with a museum, where inside Gilmore Girls had its own display. Nothing was to be touched, but with Lauren Graham’s outfit from season four’s “The Fundamental Things Apply” (one of my favorites) how could I resist? I brushed the white collared blouse with my shoulder so indiscreetly if I saw someone do what I did I’d laugh. But despite the badly executed stealth, it was worth it, and I’ll never forget any minute of my Gilmore Girls trip.
When we arrived back to our starting point, I practically sprinted to where the Gilmore Girls memorabilia was and finally decided on a watch which had the Gilmore Girls logo on the face. I was so thrilled to now be the owner of an official WB Gilmore Girls watch only available through the tour I had just taken. As we left the Studios, I let the day settle within my, I took a breath, and hoped that this feeling would never subside.
Looking back I find it funny to think that I was that excited, but then I remember what an impact this show had on my adolescent life. I’m aware that not everybody can relate or even understand why this visit meant so much to me, not everyone has had something affect their life this much. I look back and wish that I had seen an actor from the show, and realize I might never have that chance again, and how close I actually was to meeting people I look up to. When my family traveled to California I knew we were going to be visiting The WB studios, but I didn’t know it would’ve affected my life as much as it did. Being with my family in a place that meant so much to me also helped my experience become what it is to me today. This trip to Burbank, California on July 25, 2006 was easily the best day of my teenaged life, and it will never be forgotten.

Passing Judgment

Stereotypes are extremely hard to deal with in the world today. Everyone has them against them, everyone has them against someone. And, it really isn’t fair. To walk down the street and hear something about a race, a religion, a culture, presuming that person saying it knows nothing of that race, religion, or culture. It bothers me immensely to hear harsh false statements about groups as a whole, whether they’re meant to be hurtful or not. It frustrates me that the leaders of countries allow their governments to place information to their public about other nations that are false. To us, us meaning Americans, a lot of us look at the Middle East as a region where everyone hates us. Everyone. But, is that really fair? On the flip side, is it fair that they look at us as though we are the ones bringing complete disarray to their world? Neither side is correct. There is no one religion in this world that is ‘right’ or the ‘only one to follow’, why should one be it? Why should the color of someone’s skin determine how they’re going to act and why they act a certain way? Why should the religion of someone determine what they look like? Honestly, is passing absurd judgment even worth it? The study of a culture, race, or religion, should be what people do before passing unfair judgment. People as a whole, throughout the world, need to take a step back and realize because someone looks different, partakes in a different style of living, doesn’t mean they should be mocked. Nothing can be solved over night, but with intelligence and a purpose, anything is possible.