So today is the orientation thing for those who are doing a kirkwood class next year as a senior. This means they have their core classes in the morning at kennedy and then go do their kirkwood class in the afternoon. I am one of those people and boy am i nervous. It's so weird to think i'm actually going to be on a college campus with college kids (boys!) next year, the year i'm supposed to be feeling like the top dog, but am merely the baby of the bunch. How odd it is going to be next year, big kid in the beginning of the day and squirt at the end. I'm mostly excited, but still incredibly nervous. Senior year is already playing out to look like full of excitement!

Things that make my day
-hearing a led zeppelin song on the radio
-hearing any good, under played song on the radio
-hearing a string of good, under played songs on the radio
-being told a ridiculously dumb joke
-making inside jokes
-joking with others about others (it’s all in good fun)
-seeing the forecast predicts rain
-being outside when the rain starts
-getting to run/drive through the puddles from the rain
-being reminded of an old friend
-hearing from a friend
-being around friends
-turning on the TV just in time for a good show (sponge bob)
-having it be a good episode of a good show
-watching re-runs of old[ish] good shows (the cosby show)
-being told I look cute
-being told I look cute from someone who is cute
-telling someone they're cute
-knowing what's going on in class (ready for the test)
-feeling good taking the test
-getting the test back with a good grade
and
laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing laughing

(what a weird word)

If everyone fears of being judged, why do we continue to do so?

just getting it done to make the grade

My blogging skills have fallen in the current along with everyone else’s and are now just crap. No longer is there any depth or internal thought involved with the posts, it’s more like crappy get three blogs done in less than an hour kind of writing that I used to try and be very good to avoid. However I have fallen into the slump that most have and quite frankly, am not pushing my hardest to get out of. It’s just too easy to go with the flow. I used to feel pressure to actually have an intelligent appearance and feel to my blog, but I have now come to realize no one reads it. Why bother? Simply this is just a completion grade, and I need to just get these blogs done to make the grade. Not to mention summer is very nearly here, I’m sure Mr. Ayers has noticed the trend in blogs, better known as slacking off.

I’m not complaining about blogging. I do understand and agree with the fact that the only way to get better at writing is to force yourself to just do it, no matter how much you tell yourself the content you are currently spending your time on is grade A bologna. Mr. Moran made a great deal of that point, hence he graded mostly on word count rather than the actual content of the paper.

Yet, it is undoubtedly true that a piece doesn't have to be 600 words to be good. There are many pieces of writing that are very good and well written that only consist of a couple hundred words, maybe even less. And on the contrary, there can be writing that’s a few thousand words long and still be straight up awful.

There is a quote that I find to be perfect for blogging, “quantity, not quality.”

So with that being said, that’s exactly what I am going to do. I’m going to be rid of the delusion that people, besides Mr. Ayers actually read my blog, and then take down my wall of pride of thinking that every post has to be superior to the previous one. Funny how the more I write about how I’m terrible at blogging, the better of a writer I’m actually becoming. I feel enlightened.

Recently my blogs have been terrible, refer back to earlier posts if you wish to see writing that i actually put time and energy into.

mood changers

Some people claim they just wake up angry, before the day has even really started and before they really have anything to be angry about. Some people just wake up happy, glad that it's a new day, or for no reason in particular. But it's the beginning of the day, what is there to be joyful or upset about? I feel I don't have much emotion to express once I wake up, if anything I would just rather go back to bed. However, once I do acknowledge the day and what there is to bring that affects my mood.
Shouldn't that be what it's like for everyone?
If we were to all wear things that indicated our mood and how often it changed I'm sure that thing would be going off the Richter scale in mood swings. I am really interested now as to how much the average person changes their mood, and how many times they go back to the same mood in a day.

Trying to find some information on mood changes, I came across a short quiz. Give it a go, it is kind of interesting. (I'm a tree)
http://www.sam-e.com/learn/quiz?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=mood+swings&utm_campaign=Nature+Made+sam-E

Of course our mood is affected by our environment and our diet and sleep patterns, but is there people who are just genetically happier or moodier then others?

"You have about as much choice in some aspects of your personality," Hamer and co-author Peter Copeland write in the introductory chapter, "as you do in the shape of your nose or the size of your feet."

This is regarding personality, but mood is just a step away from personality, isn't it? However, looking further into the article, "specific strips of DNA that appear to influence everything from mood to sexual orientation." is what this Hamer guy was experimenting with. It goes into great depth of this, and other things along the same line.
I found the article at http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,139036,00.html

I also found that there is a relatively popular book on the subject called Mood Genes by Samuel H. Barondes. It seems interesting, and I'm contemplating whether or not I should find it, read it, and then blog about it.

I'll keep you posted.

What we really want in the opposite sex

At this age, we all know what guys are looking for in a girl, and I don't feel the need to explain such. However, once all the hormones start settle out and they're out of the high school environment, they start to look for other things in a girl, and since forever, girls have been trying to figure out what that something is that guys like. My conclusion? There isn't any one thing that girls can say or do or look like that will get them any guy they want. I don't think there is a single constant in what kind of girls that guys go for, because no guy is the exact same and no girl is the exact same.

So what is it that we look for in the opposite sex? Is what we find attractive simply by nature? or somewhat corrupted by nurture? Naturally, girls are attracted to guys and guys are attracted to girls, however what is found to be desirable I think is by nurture. Different countries and cultures have different things that they are infatuated by. But what makes it all so different? We all are made up the same stuff after all, physically that is. So maybe most are all attracted to similar things physically, and it's the mental aspect that makes everyone so different.

While seeking an answer to my many questions, I came across this little excerpt on answerbag.com to the question why do we find intelligence so attractive? and some one's response.

"Intelligence is like this special key that opens up many doors to opportunity in life. I had to check out my good friend, dictionary.com, to find other buzz words that had such a magnetic appeal. In doing this, I made a rather interesting discovery.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/intelligence

I was struck by how each definition was constructed the same way. A very meaningful noun followed by a series of attributes in a prepositional phrase. I am not trying to be a grammarian here. My point is, "capacity", "manifestation", "faculty", "knowledge," and "gathering" are highly functional concepts. Someone intelligent, possessing these attributes, is a mover and shaker. Someone who gets things done. Someone who can grasp, absorb, and dynamically respond to life around them.

It is fiercely attractive to admire and respect someone. Those aforementioned terms say so much. What am I looking for in a significant other? The *capacity* to love, understand, and grow. The *manifestation* of love in action - of getting things done - forward moving - fruition. The *faculty* to appreciate classiness, maturity, and empathy. The ability to acquire and apply *knowledge* via education, common sense, and an in-tuned sense of personal growth. And, finally, the *gathering* of all these very special, unique gifts into a collective whole that is fully conscious. Such a person gives off an aura so strong that it almost feels like a physical quality.

The prepositional clauses that follow these lofty words give insight about how intelligence reaches out to touch and interact with the outside world - ideas, truths, people, meaning. People project who they are. True intelligence is so attractive because it radiates a sense of someone that makes him/ her almost glow."


After reading this I am simply convinced that intelligence is what we look for in the opposite sex, and the level of intelligence is what differs from person to person. Of course intelligence can't be the only thing we look for, and just some one's intellect on the concept can't be the absolute solution. So I decided to try and find a scientific fact as to what we find attractive, physically that is. This is a little something that I found.


Blue eyes are likely found to be so attractive because you can clearly see the difference between the iris and the pupil, and when you talk to someone you're attracted to, your eyes dilate a little bit. If you see a person's pupils dilate when you look them in the eye, you subconsciously find it attractive.(www.tmpnetwork.com/general_sciences/Why_Aren_t_Humans_Furry?offset=51)

What I thought was interesting about this,(whether or not it is true, you never know with the Internet) was it mentioned what our subconsciousness found to be magnetic, because our subconscious desires factor just as much as our conscience ones do into physical and emotional infatuation. I'm thinking I would enjoy doing some further research on this.

I think every girl deserves a guy who makes her feel like the prettiest thing on earth :)

Bloggers Block

I don't know how writers manage to write for a living. How do they always find something to write about? True, they're more weekly, or monthly, and not three times a week, but I still don't know how they do it. Finding something to talk about wouldn't be my problem I'd say, but rather what there is to say about the topic I think is where I tend to get stuck. And I'm sure I'm not alone. I don't even know how some of the kids in my class manage to have 15 or so posts a month. I am not putting them down by any means, honestly, I admire their ability to just write and write and write. Maybe it's because I am just lazy. I don't want to put that much thought as to what I want to blog about. I know they aren't supposed to be perfect, or final draft quality by any means, and that is probably what I have the most difficulty with. I like to be able to be somewhat proud of what I put up in my blog, because there is no way I would improve as a writer if I just half-assed my way through everything. But with that comes the time and commitment that I don't know I can necessarily always dedicate to my blog. That is another thing, do these people who have more the needed posts on their blogs always just sit in front of their computer and write? And if that is the case, I don't feel as much as a schmuck, because blogging is not my life, and as awful as it sounds, neither is school.
What is the point in trying to do well in things anyway? We all die eventually, and if you're busting you butt on something that is making you miserable, what is it worth? I know work ethics and being a hard worker are excellent qualities to have, but what's the point? It's like those who are always trying to do their best are really doing it for someone else, and not themselves. But maybe that is what society needs more of today. Doing things rather for others than them self. Which leads me to comment on how much I can't stand people being rude, or rude people and I must say my 6th hour is full of them.
An Example.
So we're in class, working on a worksheet of something, I don't know, and the kid in front of me manages to drop his pencil. His pencil rolls past me and directly under the chair of the girl next to me, (we're in individual desks you see). It was blatantly obvious that the courteous thing to do would've been acknowledge the fact that the pencil is under your desk and the respectful thing to do it for you to get it. But not, she just sits there. Pretending to be so absorbed in what we were doing that she was apparently too busy to take a second and get the pencil for the poor guy in front of me. Now if she was reading a book, she would have has something small to back her up (I've received phone calls, while the phone was in my pocket, and not notice because I was so caught up in a good read), but no, this was a stupid math work sheet that I would think nearly any one would gladly take a break from. So, while the girl next to me is acting to be ignorant to what is going on, the guy in front of me stretches and struggles to reach back so he can get his pencil that was under this girls desk. I found this rude.
Another Example.
Again, in the same class. I am reaching into my backpack to pull out my little pencil bag, and little did I know, it was unzipped, and of course, I pick it up the wrong way. Colored pencils and highlighters scatter between my desk the guy's desk beside me. This guy wasn't even doing anything, not a worksheet, not reading, nothing. Just sitting there. Of course, I already feel slightly embarrassed and like a fool for having my things being all over the place, but the boy couldn't have taken a moment to help my flustered stuff gather my things. Yes, even by his feet. You could've at least kicked them my way, jerk. Needless to say, I was fairly aggravated by this, and till this day think very little of that kid. First Impressions Are Lasting Impressions. That is for certain.

TV families portraying real ones

I wonder what television tries to imitate when attempting to make their show families seem like real ones. What's their motive? Is it to be a dysfunctional yet charming assembly? Or to clone the ideal family personality? Whatever their goal is, it never seems to hit the nail on the head when it comes to what a real family is like. I find this most true with teenage characters. The media is just unable to reassemble real life youth.
I blame Disney and Nickelodeon mostly for this. Their television shows make it seem like life is so easy and fun and that's all there is to it. For example, icarly. She lives and in an incredibly nice apartment in San Diego with her older brother who in reality, doesn't have a real job. Yet, they two seem to stable themselves just fine considering Carly's up to date living quarters and fashionable wardrobe.
Of course, real TV isn't going to show the down sides of life. They're only going to show us what they think makes the world happy and what our little fantasies are, which I think is fine. Considering television is merely a form of entertainment and should be appealing to its audience.
However, when television becomes a reality to some is the problem I think. Some would think it to be common sense that television isn't real, but I fear that not all have gotten that memo, which is what I find irritating. Maybe it isn't the television industry its self that I think is being too fake, it is the people that are consumers of it though. It is not as easy as it seems to be living a flashy life, and I don't think people get that. They absorb all the false information on how life really is and eventually translate it so they think it is real.
That is just one example of television families, today anyway. The trend seems to be the less parenting the better, another show, What I Like About You ( and quite frankly a personal favorite because I adore Amanda Bynes), but again, it is two sisters that live together, without their parents. However, the oldest sister is relatively successful in the business world, and so is their father, so I can see how it is somewhat logic that they are doing okay. They don't have the flashy apartment, or clothes, but they have personality, which is what I think I am drawn to most about it.
However, there is a fine line between realistic television, and reality TV. I find that most reality TV shows are garbage and full of conflict and drama and I would have to say that though some of the emotions may be real, they ruin the idea of bringing the real life world on screen. Why some one would want to sit on their butt and watch busty tan blonds talk smack and back stab each other beats me. I absolutely loathe such an idea to be considered "entertainment".
But what does that say about our world today? Why would our society enjoy watching mean and nasty people at their finest? I don't get it, and I have yet to find some one who does watch those shows and can give me a reasonable explanation for watching shows like The Hills. (Sorry, that's the only example I can think of right now.) What I would think would be concerning about so many people watching these acts happen would start doing such themselves. Is our culture going to become a bunch of heartless, cold, back stabbing, whiny beings?

I am now capable of posting from my phone. Yay :)

Segregation in School

In U.S. history we are currently discussing the civil rights movement, and how so many people fought so long and so hard to all be considered equal and be able to intermix with each other in peace. However, many years later, civil rights passed and all, nothing seems to have really changed. Naturally, everyone segregates themselves, and I find it is especially noticeable in school.

Why do we do it? Why do we continue to just stay separated from each other after so many people suffered trying to make us blend. Is it just the fact that we feel comfortable around people we have things in common with? That naturally, people don't like different? Well if that's the case, how can you blame the white people for not wanting to be with black. I'm not saying the acts that were displayed and the intensity of the whole situation was acceptable, nor the fact that white people even took blacks away from their home, but once we let them know they're accepted, they still go their own way. Everyone does it. For example, if someone who is tall and athletic comes across someone who is petite and doesn't like sports, they instantly repel. Is it just what people have in common that brings them together? Yet, there is students who are part of the same sports team or club or even class that never talk to each other. I'm not saying that I am one who isn't guilty of this, but it is because of that reason that made me stop and wonder, why does our society do this?

Lunch is a prime example of segregation. Nearly instantly after the bell rings to signal people to lunch, everyone breaks up. They go to their little clique, or their boy/girl friend or whoever they feel they're comfortable around. Is it plainly just the fact of being with a group you feel fits comfortably?

I get so frustrated with people who would rather go off in their own little corner and be by them self rather than branch out, meet new people, and try new things. What are they going to do when they go off to college? Or move positions in a job? Forever be lonely? Personally, I wouldn't think that would be worth it. True, I am one who loves trying new things and isn't afraid of different, so my perception may be askew to those who aren't. I understand being shy, and lacking confidence, but how is one going to over come those things when they let the fear of new consume them? Of course, I cannot judge, that isn't fair. But I do wish people would branch out more and be accepting of different things.

Starving for Attention

Oh the things people will do just to get attention, and what for? So they can have a glimpse of having everyone focused on them? But why? So they think they are accepted? Because? Are we insecure?

I don't understand attention seekers, and honestly, I think the only thing that would make a person become one is because they're insecure. True everyone has their insecurities, but I don't understand why some one would feel the need to express them, to try and fix them. Seriously, we all need to accept that everyone is insecure about something and knowing that should give us a self esteem boost. I'm just saying.

What Makes People Comfortable and Uncomfortable

Different things affect different people's comfort levels. That is a given. But what is it about certain things that just makes things feel awkward, and makes them feel right? I don't know, that is what I am trying to figure out.
What makes you uncomfortable?

com⋅fort
7. a cause or matter of relief or satisfaction
awk⋅ward
7.embarrassing or inconvenient; caused by lack of social grace

Funny how both of the definitions I am referring to are number 7 on each list...

However I still cannot come to some sort of root cause that brings awkwardness. Discomfort I would say intertwines with different. When you're doing something or in a situation you're unfamiliar with, things aren't the most relaxing. Yet, is it possible to have things be familiar and part of routine be uncomfortable? Like same 'ole same 'ole, is that ever thought to be awkward?
I can't fathom a situation or thing when it would be. If it is something you know, and is a part of you, it should go by with ease, because you are already aware of what is required and expected of it.

Does comfort affect stress or does stress affect comfort? Which comes first? If things are uncomfortable, that would raise a deal of stress, and if things are stressful, that would make things lack in comfort. But what about anxiety? Is that a part of the mixture?

Interesting on how one little thing can stir up so many emotions.

Personally, I am most comfortable and relaxed when I know what I am doing. But then again, who isn't? That is what I am trying to figure out.

Things being out of the norm, that is what causes discomfort. For example, one growing up in the safe and serene environment of the suburbs would feel positively oafish being thrown into a down town Chicago scene. And vice versa? Yet, maybe if you've had to adjust multiple times in various surroundings, new things don't make you feel as uncomfortable. So then what would?

Ah I have just thought of a familiar situation that would lead to discomfort, and that would be an unpleasant memory triggered from such. This is a rather extreme example, but say if you grew up in a household that abused alcohol, chances are it is possible you feel very uncomfortable about being around the substance, knowing of the side you saw of it as a child. If the initial situations its self was uncomfortable, then encountering it later will almost always be so. That is what I would think.

However, there is always exceptions to everything, and I would say if an initially awkward occasions continued to reoccur, it would eventually become less awkward and before you know it, rather comfortable. Like going out on your own, you would get the hang of it, and find that you're rather enjoying yourself.

I think you could say that I have come to somewhat of brief idea of which makes people comfortable or uncomfortable, but I don't think there is much depth, its just some ideas I have accumulated I suppose you could say.....

break up songs

I've decided that it would be interesting to come up with a list containing some of the best of the best, break up songs that is. The way I see it, is with having about a year left of high school, a lot of relationships are going to be breaking it off, because we all know no one wants the added stress of a relationship on top of everything else. Understandable, but not necessarily always easy to cope with. With that said, I've decided to accumulate a list of breakup songs that (veered more towards a female audience) well, will make you feel better while singing along at the top of your lungs in your car. Trust me, it helps.
(Note: not all of these are the official video, some don't have one, nor could I find a legitimate video at all for others.)

• "Nothing Better" by Postal Service





• "Attack" by 30 Seconds to Mars





• "Goodnight Goodnight" by Hot Hot Heat

• "White Horse" by Taylor Swift

• "Crying" by Aerosmith
(all of the embedding options are disabled, you can look it up yourself)


• "Pictures of You" by The Cure





• "So I Thought" by Flyleaf

However the one that I feel has the best lyrics to shout is "Over You" by Christ Daughtry. However I am incredibly irritated about the fact that all the official videos have been disabled by request......

So this isn't the largest list of break up songs, but it gives you the idea. I think the best breakup songs are the ones that talk about moving on and how their life is better without the other person who they before thought they couldn't live without.

If i think of more videos to add to the post, I will.