It ain't so big...

I know Neyland Stadium is kinda big but it was just entertaining seeing and hearing Tim's reaction to the visual stimulation provided by the river side image...now what are they gonna do with Phillip Fullmer Blvd?

Just a quicky tonight dear friend

Thanks Tim for driving me to Knoxville when my Greyhound bus was three hours late forcing me to miss my connection in Cincinnati. For those of you who haven't met Tim, he graduated from BGSU a few Saturdays ago at the age of 21. Now, I am no mathematician but...that's 2.5 years spent taking classes for a four year degree...and he was dumb enough to drive ME all the way to Knoxville on a whim! What was he thinking. He is a total gentleman--even opening my car door on occasion. Instead of flowers to say good-bye, he drove me all the way to Knoxville! WOO! "Squeak...just for you Dawn!" I may not be in the 2.5 year club, hell, I probably wont even be in the 5 year club, but by God, I got three As and two Bs this past semester and am officially a Sophomore!

This holiday brought many socks in my stocking and even more muddy pairs of boots as mom and I went hiking on Christmas Day to celebrate the Solstice. It was wonderful just being up on House Mountain.

I really have been stressing over what to say in a post, I will write more later about babysitting and what life has been like here in Knoxville (so far, sooo good). I am going out to dinner with my two best friends Erin and Lauren tonight and as it sucks not having a car...not paying for gasoline, insurance, or...the car itself is totally and completely worth it.

Happy 5th Day!

Dar Williams, "The Christians and the Pagans"

Mom, Liz and I had a wonderful Christmahanukkwanzica; we started a new tradition of holiday pizza and almost setting off all the fire alarms with as many candles as we could find around the house. We read our favorite holiday stories and opened gifts by the light of a headlamp. I love my Pagan, Unitarian, Lesbian family.

Happy holidays everyone, may the times with the people you have chosen to surround yourself be merry.

Course of Nature, Caught in the Sun

Carry On Luggage

So here I am hanging out with two of my favorite nephews and one of the very best nieces I could ask for and reminiscing about the great night I had yesterday. We are watching Planet of the Apes, cutting out paper hearts for each other, and eating McD's $1 menu...the entire thing. There is never a dull moment in this house.
I am taking a greyhound bus to Knoxville, TN on Monday and it will suck to not see a few particular people for three weeks. Dawn told me that I should try and smuggle my new found friend, (you know, the one I quit looking for), on the bus as my carry-on luggage. I can see the boarding process as something like this:
Driver: "Uhm, sir, do you have a ticket?"
Me: "No, sir, he is my carry-on luggage; he will fit into the overhead compartment or under the seat in front of me...he could just sit in my lap too."
Driver: "You too cannot share a seat unless you are one."
Me: "Uhm...that can be arranged."
There are other options as well, I could throw him on my back and wear a really big coat...
Driver: "Ticket?"
Me: "Not a problem." Then I would walk right on through.

I got this all figured out.

Home again.

Ah. Finals are over and a new begining is approaching. I am home again with the people who truly love me and a lot has changed. One roommate is engaged, one roommate is single, and another has fallen madly in love with a great woman. With the holidays near, we need to remember to take care of the ones you have given us so much. Thank you to everyone who has made my life ten thousand times better.

Evolution of Dance

This guy is showing the world what BG is MADE of!

I know you are reading.

This weekend was interesting. I haven't had much to say, I have been busy but not with anything really worth writing about. I once had a teacher that would bite me if she knew I just said that; "if it was worth happening, it is worth writing about" she would say. I guess she is right.

I tend to be attracted to people who need help-- which is ironic considering I might be the person who needs the most help. I have had many friends come and go on their own and people wonder how I can so easily let them run. I don't expect someone to stay if they really don't want to, no one in my life is worth as many tears as I have already shed. I have lost the energy that I once put into fixing friendships and changing myself to bend over backwards for you. I am finally tired. Maybe realizing that I cannot fix your alcoholism, I cannot stop you from doing drugs, I cannot stop you from throwing your education down the drain...maybe realizing all those things will allow me to move on. You downed an entire bottle of Vodka and it was all I could do to not slap you in the face and make you sleep out in the hallway. I put your arm around me to sleep because-- I do care about you-- but you were too drunk to remember. You need help and I can't give it to you. Three years is a long enough time for my attempts to not be working. Realization: 1st step to healthy living.

Fleetwood Mac-- Never Going Back Again

Thanksgiving

This was by far the best Thanksgiving ever. I love you Chris, hold on to the one you love for she is FREAKIN' AWESOME!

Each and Every Day

"Shit happens." Just before he passed away Ian's dad asked Ian if he wanted all of his worldly knowledge; it only took a second for these two words to come out of this man's mouth but it has taken a lifetime to figure out what they mean. I have never met the guy and have only seen one picture of him. This one picture was taken at his weakest moment and yet I knew that he will forever be the strongest man I will ever know of or have any connection to. I have more respect for Ian and his dad now than ever and hope that Ian takes care of himself as his dad took care of his friends and family above taking care of himself while knowing he was the one on his death bed. Whether he was consolling his sister when explaining that he was going to be alright or holding his son's hand in the hospital, this man has more guts to face death right in the eye and laugh than I can only hope to dream of. It is the look in Ian's eyes a few nights ago that he had when talking about his dad and how proud he was to be his son that has kept me wondering what I hope to learn and take from this time here on Earth.

Books, Window Blinds, and Home

I am discovering that as each day goes by that I do not write on my blog, I lose one follower. It is like a cult, you don't have a fun activity like burning crosses or peacefully joining together in the Ohm chant for five hours, you lose a cult member. I apologize for not writing in a while but as many of you know, or at least remember, finals are fast approaching and I am trying my hardest to stay focused in my brand new room with my brand new amazing roommate!

I am unsure if I have really spoken about the new living conditions. To be quite frank, they are so nice I tend to forget that I am living in the dorms at all! Tiffany is my new roommate, she is also a Freshman as she keeps on truckin' through the Pre-Pre Nursing School edjamucation requirements. On our first morning I woke up at 10:30AM to a bagel and cream cheese waiting for me; how delightful, eh?! Don't YOU wish you had Tiff as a roommate?! Now, don't worry, I did bring her breakfast in bed the next morning as a "thank you, thank you, thank you," for getting me out of that hell hole we like to call Mac. Our new room is only on the second floor, we have air conditioning, heat, a room twice the size of the last ones we were living in, and there are no pee stains on the carpet in the hallway (this of course is the best part)!

Anyway, I somehow forgot I was in college while moving into our incredibly nice dorms and have found myself with two projects and a ton of math all due on the Monday and Tuesday we get back from Thanksgiving Break. I can crank out projects and essays like there is no tomorrow but I have to have the book first that the project for Theatre 141 is about. I bought my book off Amazon.com/used a few days ago but unfortunately it hasn't come yet, I ended up borrowing a friend's copy-- I figured me showing up to class on Monday to look Carl right in the face and say, "I just didn't feel like going to the library over break, so I'll turn my project in later, is that OK," wouldn't go over so well. My other project is about leaving my legacy at Bowling Green State University. We are supposed to build something to make BGSU a better place to be; I think they just want our ideas because enrollment has been low recently. My project has a simple theme, "work hard, play harder." I am building a Ferris wheel that doubles as a clock, and is made out of a deck of cards. I figure they could put it in the middle of University Lawn and allow students to release some of their stress by taking a Ferris wheel ride.

When I sat down to type this I didn't think I had a lot to say-- but who am I kidding?!

For Thanksgiving Break they make us do all sorts of things to our room before "check-out." Tiff and I had to unplug everything from the wall except the refrigerator and our imaginary fish tank, take out our trash and recycling, vacuum, lock the windows, and open the blinds. Tiff left a few hours before me so I jumped onto Hulu.com and caught up with House. After getting myself up to date I took a shower. I forgot the blinds were wide open and completely flashed all of campus, only for a split second, but you know how it is when you are only on the second floor and your light is on while it is dark outside...even just a slip second would be a sight for sore eyes!

I guess on my final notes I made $40 bucks writing an essay for a friend in my math class. He had it all written but every other sentence wasn't actually a complete sentence and nothing was thought out so...I chucked it and rewrote it.

I joined USITT which is a Theatre Tech program where we meet in Cincinnati once a year for networking with other tech designers/sellers/buyers/students. It is a great way to meet people who I could potentially be looking for a job with in the next couple of years. The conference costs $200 for students which is a pretty good deal considering the experience but students are given the chance to volunteer for 15hrs instead of paying the fee. I just got my email yesterday that said I was accepted as a volunteer and I got my card this morning that says I am an official member of USITT! Exciting things are happening and I am sure, Turkey day will just bring a little more happiness and craziness.

"Meh"

So, I have a friend who says "meh" and then shuffles to the left (or right) when you ask him a question that he doesn't know the answer to. There will be more later on the big move today and why I am blogging at 3:33AM and not sleeping but everything is fantastic, this is way more exciting.

English Nerds Declare New Words
NewsNov 18th 2008
By Emerald Catron

Words that most people knew were words all along are now officially words! The editors of the Oxford English Dictionary (hot off the heels of announcing the most annoying phrases in the English language) and the Collins English Dictionary have added a host of "new" terms to their tomes, which are generally regarded as the authorities for modern English. A few gems include "crunk" (ha), "zombie"(duh), "Yogalates" (ugh) and the deceptively exciting-sounding "blowback."

But perhaps none is more exciting than "meh," that guttural grunting sound you've been making instead of saying, "I don't care." Although its origins are unclear, researchers believe "meh" owes its current degree of usage to an oft-quoted episode of "The Simpsons," which makes it even more awesomely geeky.

True, some people feel that the addition of such terms degrades the English language, but they can kiss our collective bahookie. That's right -- "bahookie" is another add. Oxford claims it's Scottish slang for "a person's buttocks," but we suspect it's some kind of elaborate joke played by exceptionally bored lexicographers. Stop trying to make "bahookie" happen, guys.

(Psst, dictionary dudes -- if you need to know how to perfectly illustrate "bahookie," you might enjoy Asylum's journalistic investigation of the world's most beautiful butt contest. Link is NSFW, obviously.)

Price is Right

WOW.

I love you, mom.

...but this is hillarious. The youtube clip title is "Gay weather man"


I know more men who are terrified of spiders, this is soooo funny. Keep an open mind. Hahahahahahhahaha!!!!

Epic

This video just makes Curling look like a beastly sport...whatever that means...I think it might be the backround music...

The day I plan on forgetting.

My day started out like any other...coffee.
I rolled out of my bunk bed, nearly kicking the fan out of the window, breaking the microwave, and stumbling around the cords blocking my way to a safe landing, and-- ah-- on the ground, alive. The new room layout sucks but, I am letting it go; hopefully I wont live here for very much longer. Anyway, I threw on another pair of pajama pants and searched for my cell phone. Ian's dad has been battling cancer for a few years now and just when they thought he has a chance at a few more months, he took a turn for the worse. I have been talking to him every day for the last couple of weeks just to make sure he is OK. I told Ian to call or text either way to let me know if/when he passes, day or night. I have really bad timing for leaving my cell phone at Shawn's.

I woke up at 9, I had three papers due, one in each of my classes and since my three classes are one right after another, I wouldn't have time to finish my Biology paper and print etc...After rushing through my Biology essay with an attached works cited page, I ran down with my three papers + works cited page saved on my trusty flash drive to the McDonald West computer lounge. The printer was out of ink. I went to the front desk where the printer was just "broken." Third and final shot with 20 min to go before class, the printer in the East lounge was out of paper...and my bad day begins.

I ended up walking into the first dorm room that I saw a printer and asked them if I could print a few things. I ran to class...about 10 minutes late and I am greeted at the door, "you know Carl just gave the class an extension on the paper?"

My 2nd class of the day was MEDT 205: HIV/AIDS. The only points given in class are for these short essays we write summarizing what we learned in the class before. They don't take long to write and are easy points. I really enjoy the class and don't mind the "busy work." I turned in my essay no problem...until I got back to my room to check my e-mail. I turned in last weeks essay again...

In between my MEDT 205 class and Bio 205, I had a little bit of time to run up to my dorm and shower. I completely lost track of time and slammed my laptop shut; somehow in the jumble of things I caught my pointer finger and tore it to ribbons. I grabbed what I thought were my keys and ran to the bathroom. I held my finger with a ton of pressure in the sink for 10 minutes...there was no sign of clotting... I was shoeless and keyless while spewing blood from my finger, not to mention already 5 minutes late for class. I ran down to the front desk and got a lock out key, grabbed shoes, my paper and bolted out the door with a tissue holding my finger tip on. I didn't realize how light-headed I was until I ran down four flights of stairs, across the street, and up another three flights. My professor 1/2 through class made another student drive me to the health clinic. I spent the rest of the afternoon in the doctors office getting the tip of my finger reattached.

After class I headed back to Shawn's dorm where I found my cell phone that had nearly exploded with messages and missed calls. I got the news Ian's dad had died and lost it.

This past week I missed Algebra due to the plague and my other finger(See Smurf Fingers). I had a lot of math homework to do so I went back to my dorm only to find my roommate listening to music, talking on the phone, talking to three other people who were standing in my room, and supposedly watching television. I don't need silence when I study but just the slightest bit of respect would be nice. I figured she wasn't watching TV because her back was to it so I turned it off; not 4 seconds later she flipped it back on and continued talking on the phone. We did this three times and after she "shuushed" me while I was crying on the phone with Ian, I broke. I slammed my stuff into my backpack and hit the road. I studied in the lounge and didn't come back till after my first class today. I cannot believe one person can be such a bitch...here is where you have to understand that I have heard her call me trailer trash and telling other people that I steel her mail. Understand, that I have HONESTLY never called her a bitch before to anyone, I keep my mouth shut, I don't talk to her, I don't touch her mail, I am never around...I have no problem with anyone until you cross the line first.

I am on the list with a friend of mine who is also having problems with her roommate to get a new room.

Three energy drinks later, a bag of peanut butter m&ms and ice cream, at four AM, I finished my math homework. I started today at 6:30AM with a meeting with my math teacher to play catch up.

Today has been better.

Words.

A note to all.
Learn to co-exist before you move into a dormitory.

Palin vs. Bush

Palin Blames Bush for Election Loss
AOL
Election News, "(Nov. 10) - Why did the Republicans lose the presidential election? Sarah Palin, the party's vice presidential candidate, lays the blame at the feet of the Bush administration.
In an interview with the Anchorage Daily News and KTUU Channel 2, Palin says, " I think the Republican ticket represented too much of the status quo, too much of what had gone on in these last eight years ... So people desiring change I think went as far from the administration that is presently seated as they could. It's amazing that we did as well as we did."
During the interview, which was conducted in her home in Wasilla, she described the "amazing" experience of running for vice president and took issue with "misinformation" that surfaced about her during the campaign. The Daily News also provides some video excerpts here.
The Alaska newspaper isn't the only media outlet studying the post-election Palin. The New York Times assesses how Palin's public profile -- and Alaska's -- changed in the months she was on the campaign trail. Her image at home has taken a beating, and many Alaskans are unsure of what to expect from her now that the election is over, the Times says."

Why wont Palin just admit that the reason she lost was because we just wanted to take this whole "equality for all people" thing slowly, start black, go female?

To all four people...

To all four people who actually read this blog: thank you.
To all 10 friends that I have who don't read this blog: you royally suck.

This was never meant to be a "Dear diary...today I caught Shawn's eyes as he glanced at me during dinner tonight." This blog began when I moved out of my parents house, the experience of living on my own...with my best friend was interesting to say the least. There have been stories of cockroaches, stories or drunken teenagers, stories of doing laundry near the creepy room in our basement that looks like it was taken right out of Silence of the Lambs and videos of everything from T-Boone Pickens to the Smurfs. Everything on this blog is true or as close to the truth as possible to defend the innocent.

Thank you for reading, all four of you, I look forward to earning $30 for the royalties on my book.

Smurf's Call Dr. Smurf

Smurf Fingers

In the pictures I took, the flash washes out all the color but it was pretty blue...and still is. The one thing you can really see is the swelling on the middle finger and some of the bruising.

Afternoons

Sham-what? ShamWOW!

The girls in my biology class are really excited about this thing. "If the Shamwow commercial comes on in my room, everyone goes silent." -Storm

Congratulations Obama

I just saw this video a few days ago and haven't had time to post it. Check out the one white kid in the corner...
On the other hand, for those of us who voted for Obama, please be considerate of those who voted for McCain. We need to understand that Obama will do what he can to better society but these changes will take time and support from all Americans.

Curling Rocks...I mean...STONES.

So, I joined the Bowling Green Curling Team today...and spent the afternoon in the hospital. I love curling.
Carl, my Theatre 141 teacher and my new Curling HERO, taught me the basics today. I was doing really well falling on my butt or hip instead of my face until about 20 minutes before the end of my lesson. Somehow I landed flat on my back with my broom under me and my middle finger under my broom. Well, I got back up and looked at my finger, the shock didn't hit me until I grabbed the handle of the 6th blue stone and all of my fingers bent except for my middle one. I asked myself why i was flipping myself the bird and watched as my finger slowly turned the color of Obama's neck tie. I looked up at Carl who was white with fear that I had hit my head and wouldn't be able to contribute in the Miss. Julie conversation tomorrow and said "Uhm...I think I just broke my finger." His only response was "Can you bend it?" I moved every finger except for the blue one and he said "Good, its not broken, just bruised." I kept playing because-- I'm a beast.
Anyway, the voting booths closed at 7:30pm tonight and I couldn't risk not voting just because of a broken finger; I went to the Union and waited in line for 2 hours in desperate need of pain killers and a bathroom because again-- I'm a beast. I sent Shawn across campus on my bike to get 600mg of Ibuprofen which I took without water because-- what? I'm a beast.

You know what I've decided. Now, keep an open mind...I think I should become President. This would solve a lot of problems. I would run the country like Nature's Way Montessori School ran their lunch period. Food items with more than 14g of sugar would be banned, you would have to clean up after yourself, and we would listen to classical music all the time. After lunch everyone has to go outside for at least 30 minutes where we would build forts out of tree limbs and to go back inside, each person has to bring in a piece of trash. Oh-- and then after recess, we would have to meditate or take a nap and then we would go outside and dance around the Peace Pole in our stocking feet. I believe all children should be allowed to watch Power Rangers as long as they watch Captain America first.

Phillip Fulmer

Hide your porch furniture and put your cars in the garage.
Phillip Fulmer is to announce his retirement from coaching the University of Tennessee Volunteer Football team after a 17 year run.

I am unsure how I am supposed to feel; Phillip Fulmer Blvd. will need to get a new name. I will have to come up with a new plan for my Christmas break since I was planning on drinking, smoking dope, and running over small children with my car along side the football team. I was banking on the fact that Coach Fulm could get me another get out of jail free card. Oh darn

Enlightnment

I am

My mother has the worst sense of direction. I inherited this quark and have sense forth been condemned. I have very little memory of my mommy dearest when I was younger beyond her carting my brother and me around in her 1992 Silver Ford Station Wagon. Our family gives names to all of our cars and the “Silver Bullet” with its chocolate frozen yogurt stains on the back seat was no exception. If you have ever seen a silver motor home that just looks like a pill a bit too big to swallow, shrink that idea down to about half size and that is exactly what the Silver Bullet looked like.
My mommy’s face told the story. Her head was on a swivel as she glanced left to right reading street signs. Even at five or six years old, I knew we were lost. I might have been the only one in the car that cared because my brother just kept reading Goosebumps while mom remained silent. Keep in mind, six year olds, wear their emotion on their sleeve and I wasn’t put on Earth to break tradition.
“Are we lost?”
“We aren’t lost we are merrily having a scenic adventure” said mom. The tone of her voice almost covered the obvious fluster.
Now believe me, I did not understand the gravity of the situation I found myself in today until my husband asked me if we were lost while on rout to a friend’s apartment. We had had seen the reflection of my little red sports car in the same Shell Station window four times when I promptly responded “We aren’t lost, we are merrily having a scenic adventure,” I realized then at the age of 24, I have officially become my mother’s daughter.
Ever since officially gaining the title of ‘my mother’s daughter,’ I have accepted all the responsibilities that entail. I drive to Knoxville, Tennessee a few times a year and even though the rout is simple, take 71 south all the way down to Cincinnati, continue down 75 south until you begin to see signs for Knoxville, when there, call mom. On my various trips to Knoxville, I have accidentally been to Lexington, Maryville, Paduca, and Asheville; all are more than 100 miles away from Knoxville in all sorts of directions. I understand that maybe I should learn to read a map, but over the years spent on scenic adventures I have grown accustomed to finding my way the hard way. I do not believe that I am ever actually lost, I have just decided to go another way.
For all the scenic adventures, only one car has taken me on the most exciting. I paid my very first $250 car payment 27 days after I turned 15 years old. My parents were doing their civic duty by allowing me to earn my first car. The red Oldsmobile Alero with leather interior would speed down the interstate cutting through the mountains of the Appalachians and rounding each accidental turn with power and agility. The car has never been washed unless a few gallons of naturally distilled rainwater are dumped from the sky. Three years after making the first painful withdraw from my savings account, I am the proud owner of four very dirty hubcaps. The little red sports car, now dubbed “Rundown Red Thing,” sits in the driveway collecting dust day after day like my lone Algebra textbook under my bed.
The name of the car only foreshadows my most recent trip to Knoxville. Most cars can get a bit more than 3,000 miles on one oil change but my car, began asking for oil less than 1,000 miles after the oil and oil filter had been exchanged for new. I treat my car as if my own blood, taking it into the doctor numerous times for the same ailment to check for improvements. My “Check Oil” light had come on and my car began to smoke like a tugboat down the Tennessee River on a hot summer day. At this moment, I only know that I am far enough South that White Castle has turned in to Krystle and it is too late to turn back and go home. There are mountains, so I know that I am south of the Ohio River and I see my first “truck run-a-way” exit. I am in Jellico Pass. Once one gets into Jellico Pass, there is no exiting, entering, stopping, or speeds lower than 85miles per hour. My car has no oil and I will not be stopping for 36.5 miles.
In addition to my mom’s sense of direction, I have also inherited her luck. Ten miles down Jellico Pass, my car’s smoke is so thick that I have to hang my head out the window to see what is five feet in front of me. I know that my car is not going to make it and I decided to pull into a ditch. The thing about Jellico Pass is that not a single cell phone works the entire stretch of road; so there I am, in the middle of May’s rainy season, walking the 6 miles back toward the last rest stop.
With inclines and even steeper declines, trucks cannot stop for anything on Jellico Pass, excluding, but not limited to, small children. My cell phone eventually gained service and I could call my mother, I gave her direction to exactly where I was but the problem with Jellico Pass is that most of the rest stops are not accessible by the people driving the opposite direction.
In hoping that my mother would not get lost herself, I prayed a little prayer over my Snicker’s Bar dinner and spent that last few quarters that I had in my pocket next to the lint on a can of Coke. My mother ended up driving over 100 miles, all the way North of Jellico Pass, and back South to find me. I am my mother’s daughter.

A letter.

>
> Dear Red States: If you manage to steal this election too
> we've decided
> we're leaving. We intend to form our own country, and
> we're taking the
> other Blue States with us. In case you aren't aware,
> that includes
> California, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota,
> Wisconsin, Michigan,
> Illinois, and all the Northeast. We believe this split will
> be
> beneficial to the nation, and especially to the people of
> the new
> country of New California. To sum up briefly: You get
> Texas, Oklahoma
> and all the slave states. We get stem cell research and the
> best
> beaches. We get the Statue of Liberty. You get Dollywood.
> We get Intel
> and Microsoft. You get WorldCom. We get Harvard. You get
> Ole' Miss. We
> get 85% of America's venture capital and entrepreneurs.
> You get Alabama.
> We get two-thirds of the tax revenue, you get to make the
> red states pay
> their fair share. Since our aggregate divorce rate is 22%
> lower than the
> Christian Coalition's, we get a bunch of happy
> families. You get a bunch
> of single moms. Please be aware that Nuevo California will
> be pro-choice
> and anti-war, and we're going to want all our citizens
> back from Iraq at
> once. If you need people to fight, ask your evangelicals.
> They have kids
> they're apparently willing to send to their deaths for
> no purpose, and
> they don't care if you don't show pictures of their
> children's caskets
> coming home. We do wish you success in Iraq , and hope that
> the WMDs
> turn up, but we're not willing to spend our resources
> in Bush's
> Quagmire.
>
>
>
> With the Blue States in hand, we will have firm control of
> 80% of the
> country's fresh water, more than 90% of the pineapple
> and lettuce, 92%
> of the nation's fresh fruit, 95% of America's
> quality wines, 90% of all
> cheese, 90% of the high tech industry, 95% of the corn and
> soybeans
> (thanks Iowa!), most of the U.S. low-sulfur coal, all
> living redwoods,
> sequoias and condors, all the Ivy and Seven Sister schools
> plus
> Stanford, Cal Tech and MIT. With the Red States, on the
> other hand, you
> will have to cope with 88% of all obese Americans (and
> their projected
> health care costs), 92% of all U.S. mosquitoes, nearly 100%
> of the
> tornadoes, 90% of the hurricanes, 99% of all Southern
> Baptists,
> virtually 100% of all televangelists, Rush Limbaugh, Bob
> Jones
> University, Clemson and the University of Georgia. We get
> Hollywood and
> Yosemite, thank you. Additionally, 38% of those in the Red
> states
> believe Jonah was actually swallowed by a whale, 62%
> believe life is
> sacred unless we're discussing the war, the death
> penalty or gun laws,
> 44% say that evolution is only a theory, 53% that Saddam
> was involved in
> 9/11 and 61% of you crazy Bastards believe you are people
> with higher
> morals then we lefties. Finally, we're taking the good
> pot, too. You can
> have that dirt weed they grow in Mexico Peace out, -Blue
> States

Writers blog block

In the last few weeks I find myself sitting down to write an incredible blog only to watch my hand graze across the kl;' buttons to the <--backspace button then over the X button on the top right hand corner on my PC screen.
It royally sucks to not have much to type knowing that my life has become quite interesting over the last few days. This weekend was parent weekend and it was really awesome to see my mom. I find it entertaining not as scary as it used to be that we look more and more alike when we get together. We started off the weekend with a bang, COFFEE. I have relized that ever since living with Chris, every good day begings with coffee and a hug.

I am reading a book by Thich Nhat Hanh, Peace is Every Step. "If people in a household cannot smile at each other, the situation is very dangerous." Though my roommate here and I do not get along as well as others, I am practicing breathing. Everytime she plays the same 12 songs over again withing an hour, I stop and think, "I am at peace" while taking three deep breaths. I am learning how to co-exist with other females.

I think the reason I began this blog was to rant but now that I am reading this book, I find myself uninterested in the past or the future but more interested in just the now. How am I feeling being in the NOW? I do not now what I will want in 20 years. How am I to decide what my backup plan should be if I can't even decide what I want to study now? I enjoy writing, I enjoy building and designing sets for theatrical productions. I really am not the buisness person I know some would like me to be, I don't want the stress of Dentistry but I would love to help shape our future. Every day on my way to classes, I pass a rock with a plaque on it that says "In memory...1921." It is just a little tree. I am not even sure who it is in memory of but that tree has become a staple in the middle of campus. I am sure that not everyone who walks past it everyday notices it as much as me but it really has affected me in a way I cannot explain. I stop and think, take a breath, and continue walking while thinking, "How nice would it be to be remembered not by a tombstone noticing my death but remembered through being PART of this world, being something attached to this world and contributing to LIFE." I fully understand why I am searching for something to be a part of such as the United States Air Force. I wanted to give a reason for people to be proud of me.

Dancing Politians

This is a big what-if?
I think it is interesting, the differences between students on campus. Listening to students who are Democratic/Republican because of their parents or because they are listening to the news and polititians. (See previous post).
I am unsure if this picture raises my stress level or lowers it due to the hillarity and amazing photoshop work but...

"Joe the Plumber"

Flying High

Well, I guess I havent had much time for you...

What a week.

I guess I just haven't been myself and I appologize to everyone that I have blown off the last few weeks. I am being a typical college student and attempting to "find myself" I guess. The average grade in my Biology 205 class is a D, we all get excited when scoring a 3 or 4 out of 10 on our quizes but I am not complaining. I have recently discovered that I really hate biology. Ta-da! I could care less about my grades as from a young age both my parents have instilled in my the idea that it doesn't matter about the grade, as long as I do my best. Well, I am doing my best, if I am not interested in the subject at all-- and to be honest-- I could care less about nucleotides-- no matter how hard I study, I will never do very well. Does that make sense?
I made the journey to the Air Force recruitment center this last Friday. It was very eye opening. The last death the Air Force had was a few months ago when a man fell asleep on the runway and got spatted by an airplane attempting to take off. Ever since I had the opportunity to fly an airplane in Rochester, MN with Mr. Jim Leedham, I have wanted to finish earning my pilots license and remain up in the air 'till I run out of fuel. I love the freedom I had being up in the skies. Though the Air Force is the cushiest of branches, I do fear what this election will bring. Will McCain make this the next 100 year war or will Obama begin returning out troups. I am proud to be an American but there are too many ifs and buts for me to dedicate my life to the Air Force as of now. My mom came up to Columbus to see me and it was a nice surprise, I woke up with a very nice hang over and RING! "I am 40 miles away, please tell me you didn't join."
"I didn't. Why are you 40 miles away again?"
"I couldn't sleep."
"Oh."
It was nice to see her except for the ridiculous amount of tears that she shed while we were at the park. I am still impressed by how much salt water her eyes can produce. We talked about me taking a year off to work or hike the Appalachian Trail, live with her or live on friend's couches; anything but joining the Air Force. I run from everything that scares me and this next year will be a year of facing my fears. I need to stand up to those around me and fight for what I want, find respect for myself, better myself, and learn to be with others.
I am really enjoying just being. As much as I long to work again, it is nice to not be so stressed.
If I have learned anything this week, it is to listen to my brain a little more. I keep a 300 MAG bullet on my desk to think of the worste and best times of my life. Though I was not there, realizing the fragility of life through Rachel B's story has made me not take life for granted. Living with Chris has taught me the kind of person i want to be and remembering the 3rd of July, Red White and Boom-- the BOOM being when we didn't have fireworks so to keep up with the neighborhood we shot the 300 MAG into the ground leaving a grapefruit sized hole in the ground. For the last few years I have focused on the worst of times but all I can do is live in the now.

"Other" Wars

http://www.youtube.com/swf/l.swf?video_id=PdJUCU1UH2w&rel=0&eurl=http%25

Unfortunately, this was sent to me in an email as a link and it wouldn't let me actually put the video up here. Please watch this; it is disturbing and I am going to put a warning on this, it is graphic.
Our government needs to get their heads out their asses and realize that ever dollar they spend, ever child lost, every other government they tear down around the world, is not making us look better. I believe this is the best country on Earth, hell, I wouldn't live here if I didn't think that; but don't you think we should maybe focus on our OWN country a little? We have torn ourselves down, I can barely afford to eat and I know others who are one step from living on the streets. Why not spend the 500 billion dollars that we put into this war and figure away for us to not DEPEND on the oil oversees. Did we jump at the idea of war for "weapons of mass destruction" or OIL?

VOTE.

Oh lookie there!

Oh my goodness, can you believe it? The stock market crashed again?

No shit the stock market crashed again (sorry grand)! I don't know about you but that was totally and completely expected since all the government even thought about was making the stock market appear to look like it was doing well opposed to actually fixing the problem. There is still a ton of oil we wont drill that would be cheap on our side of the planet, we are still out-sourcing jobs and marijuanna is still illegal-- thus we STILL CAN'T TAX it!
So here is the problem, bailing the economy out is not doing anything. Take the 3 billion dollars we used to "boost" the economy and pay off everyone's morgage; that way, people can actually spend money on gasoline, clothes...and SHOES!

I have Biology and though I have more to say...going to class right now is way more important.

T Boone Pickens

Have you heard of this man? Ian told me about him; this man has an interesting point. This country imports way too much oil and we need to focus on wind energy, check this out.

Plug.

I promise I don't JUST plug my brother into every conversation I have, but he is the most tallented person I know and I love him for it. Every day I am jelous that he has the energy and just plain ability to get up on stage and...make a fool of himself. I wish I could see him live instead of just these damned videos-- he is headlining at the Magic Castle in L.A. I am really excited for him, maybe somewhere down the line I will find something I love to do.

The Castle Basement

Reborn Dolls

This is just creepy, why wouldn't you want to just enjoy your children being gone?

Benevolence

BENEVOLENT:
1. characterized by or expressing goodwill or kindly feelings: a benevolent attitude; her benevolent smile.
2. desiring to help others; charitable: gifts from several benevolent alumni.
3. intended for benefits rather than profit: a benevolent institution.

I am taking a one credit hour class called Springboard, UNIV 111. The class is limited to 25 people in each section and the program focuses on connecting Freshmen to Upper Classmen. We give speeches and get feedback from our mentors on how to improve our speeches or just get advice on how to make it through the next four years. Today's assignment was "My Timeline."

Anyway, we had to pick three people that have inspired us to be the people we are today and use one word to describe them. The last half of my speech went something like this:
"There are two lasting gifts we give our children, one is roots, the other is wings."
...
"A few months before graduation, I moved out of my parents house and in with my best friend, Chris A. His benevolent nature has showed me the kind of person I want to be. Paying $1100 in bills each month of the last half of my Senior year while attending Columbus State Community College allowed me to spread my wings that my parents gave me long ago."

About ten minutes after giving the speech I received a text message from Chris:
"What word did you pick for me?"
"Benevolent"
"Ouch."

That "Ouch" was the ouch heard throughout my body-- I though when using Thesaurus.com I might have accidentally read the antonyms! All day I have been worried I called my friend an ass hole in front of my entire class!

Country music

"What kind of music do you like?"
"Anything but country..."

Well, that was the conversation I had with my roommate Christina not a month ago.
As I am writing this and reading it to her...
"Hey-- I said-- 'Sometimes I listen to country!"

She didn't.
I spent the few weeks after that conversation and before we moved into our now humble abode building a library of music that was more on the rock and roll side and less on the country side-- but it just turns out my roommate is a LIAR!!! The last three songs that were on our never-ending loud speaker (we take turns listening to music with out head phones) were all country. I like country but I find it interesting how many people lie when they say they listen to country...what's there to be ashamed of? At least her favorite song isn't "I Like Big Butts" or something like that right?!

"Pay no attention to those who talk about you behind your back, it simply means you are two steps ahead."
-Anonymous

A BOX OF CHOCOLATES

You thought I was kidding

I know what you are thinking, there is no way the RAs would put up with the guys urinating in the hallway as I speak of but lets face it, guys will pee where there is a wall. I got back late from a party just this past weekend and while I was waiting on a friend to let me in downstares and literally as I am carrying on a convorsation with a guy-- he wips his soldier out and starts urinating on the brick wall of my building-- the building that I live in!!! Grr...
I pick up the Daily BG News on my way back to the dorm between classes. On the second page there is this thing called "The Daily Blodder" where the police post the most recent offensives with the offender's full name, age and hometown. (I believe this form of public humiliation is much worse than a fine or jail time.) Anyway, this section usually takes up an entire 1.5 inch wide column, all the way down the left side of the entire page on the weekends from Thirsty Thursday to Slurring Sunday but on the weekdays there tends to be fewer offensives. My personal favorite was today's "Wednesday: 12:43AM. Sem Guerrero, 27, of Toledo, was cited for public urination within the 100 block of E.Court." In the future, you can go to www.bgnews.com for the complete blodder list. This is ridiculous.

Old Crow Medicine Show, "Wagon Wheel"

I love this song too...they are amazing.

A promise kept

I told you I would put some pictures up...eventually all this chaos will be a bit more orgonized...

Finale

Having friends you know will stick around for a long time is listening to the first 30 seconds of 745 songs for 9 hours on your way to North Carolina...for the weekend. When you finally make it to the dorm room and you’ve had a good day, all you want to do is tell your roommate all about it but she is already crying—so you listen instead. You realize what kind of person you want to be—you don’t smoke but you carry a lighter because you realize your best friend probably already lost his...4 days ago. Having friends you love so much is about doing everything in your power to improve their life including swallowing your pride to talk to the one man you ran away from to improve your own life. I am sitting in the back of a Jeep with my knees in my face to keep my friend comfortable. That is what friendship is. While my friends were having the chance to be irresponsible teenagers, I was paying rent and getting the cable turned back on. Now is my chance. I use my stories to help my friends make theirs. Realizing that all I can do is listen and be there for my best friend, talking him through a custody battle but I can only be there in spirit. It is getting darker and all I can see is the cigarette butt flying back in the window bee-lining its way to my eye ball but I understand that—that is what relaxes her so I don’t say anything. You sleep with a gun and look up to keep an eye on your son; I miss living with you, doing your laundry cause I know you would do the same…I miss living with you, cleaning the house cause I know you had a hard day. I just miss it-- that thing we had-- that connection-- we could talk about drugs, fishing, sex, guns and how to defend myself all in one night. No worries—happy days are near. People just don’t understand, this is what a friendship is about.

"You look good in my shirt"
"Every time I hear your name"
"Put a girl in it"
"You can let go daddy"

Let's Come Home Tonight

Amanda, Christina and I just got here (to North Carolina) Friday at 1:30am after a 9 hour drive listening to every song (at least the first 30 seconds of them) in my iTunes account. By the time we actually made it to "our" beds as asleep it was 5am. We are women and we needed to chat. It was amazing trip and we are already planning on doing it again eventually but wooooo-- thank god we don't have to drive again till Sunday.

That is at least what I was thinking this morning when we woke up at 9am to go to the Four Seasons Mall (it's waaaay better than the "Small" we got in Bowling Green)... We spent the day sight seeing-- we are in the furniture capital of the world, Thomasville, so we had to go see the giant chair and the dresser. There will be pictures when I get back to Ohio. After seeing all the over-sized furniture and the red caboose, we went to LaHa, La Hacienda-- apparently Chipoltle doesn't count as real Mexican cuisine. We followed LaHa with Starbucks, the local hangout. Throughout the day, Amanda drank Cherrywine, a knock-off Cherry Coke, Starbucks, a ton of candy etc etc etc... We are sitting at Starbucks and "I think we should drive home to BG tonight, you want to?" "No." "Why not, I'm wide awake!!!" Amanda was so hyper she was shaking and telling stories faster than I can, I have met my match. After a quick blow to the head, she settled down and we agreed tomorrow is a better idea. As I am trying to be the spur of the moment, responsible irresponsible teenager-- you will be happy to know, I use my head every once in a while.

Safe

...9 hours later...

I texted most of you but just so you know...I made safely to North Carolina. It was awesome and I will write more later but it is 2am and I am sleepy...listening to the first 30 seconds of 7435 rap songs really keeps you awake!

Love to all.

On my way...

As you are reading this, I am probably on route to North Carolina...spur of the moment, see ya later dad...surprise!

A lot of space and few ideas

In 750 words or less explain how the education of your generation is better or worse than your parent's generation.

There are multiple reasons why I believe my parent’s education was better than the education my generation is receiving today. Stricter laws, lowering the standard of education and busier schedules have contributed to unsatisfactory education for my generation. Regardless of the need, the amount of federal funds given to each school depends on standardized test scores that may not show the true aptitude of each student. While the idea of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 is a good one, it has trained children who have the potential to be at the top of their class to not try as hard because they have to learn at the same speed as their peers. Parents of children in my generation are not as involved in the education of their children as they were when my parents were young. With busier schedules and less time for families to sit down and talk about school or the problems in the students’ lives, teachers have literally lost control in their classrooms over the past few decades.
The No Child Left Behind Act established on January 8, 2002 has forever changed education. My parent’s education was better than the education students in my generation are receiving due to new laws declaring that the Federal Government is to cut funds and benefits to schools with lower test scores. A good grade in my parent’s generation was not nearly as important as whether the child was learning or not. Statistically, lower test scores are found in inner-city schools where teachers are not given money to pay for proper materials and other necessary equipment for the education of their students. Higher test scores are typically found in areas with higher taxes and more federal funding. Whether the area from which the child is from or if the student just does not perform well in tests, cutting budgets just lowers the potential for improvement. While raising the standards in public schools is important, taking money and resources away from students because of their test scores is not the answer but sadly the “norm” in today’s society.
The No Child Left Behind Act has forced teachers to educate to the lowest echelon of the student body. If a student is able to excel in a subject, they are not given the resources to surpass their peers. Students who are found at the top percentile of their class become board and uninterested in learning to their highest potential. Our current society does not cater to those who excel in studies but rather the students who struggle; while standards are being raised, the education system is allowing students to “slack-off” if they understand the information already. Students who do not have the ability to learn as quickly as other students are trained by the act to not try because the teachers are forced to slow down so “no child is left behind.” No matter how slow the teacher discovers a child is learning, the teacher has to meet that speed, regardless of other students. Our public schools in today’s society do not prepare high school students for college. College professors teach to the students with the most potential and drive to learn.
Each night, when my parent’s were my age, they would sit down with their families and have dinner. In today’s society, children’s days are filled with sports practices, extra-curricular activities, and work. Many children are provided with cars allowing them to come and go from their houses as they please. With busy schedules and easily available transportation for students, often children do not take the time to sit down with their families for a nightly dinner. Time around the family table teaches children communication skills while providing them with at least one good meal. Sitting down each night at the dinner table provides parents with time to communicate with their children about their school activities and other important happenings in the child’s life. When my parent’s were young, teaching was not only done by the set educator, parents were actively involved in the process of the education of the child. Consequences were used in the classroom when needed and parents supported the respect for teachers and administration. Teachers are unable to discipline students as they see fit for fear of retribution.
In today’s society, students are being hurt by the new laws put in place by the Federal Government. My parent’s generation was challenged regardless of their ability but rather by the teachers identifying their potential to learn.


I wrote this for a scholarship, I figure it isn't what they wanted to hear. Life has been pretty quite here in Bowling Green. My roommate came home at 2am all full of shits and giggles, it was nice to see her excited to stay here for the weekend. She went to a bar and had "some old guy" dancing "all up on her." As she was falling asleep she was mumbling something about the Cupid Shuffle or the Crank 'Dat Slide, or the Cleveland Shuffle. I agreed to teach her Lindi Hop if she agreed to teach me the Cupid Shuffle. I am totally intrigued. She said she was sad because she was the only one at the club that new the Cupid Shuffle-- I wonder why?
I needed to take this night to watch The Goonies and eat Ho Hos on my futon with my other friend Jen. I am trying to get healthy the old fashioned way-- chocolate.

Nothing new

Recently, the dorm has been pretty quite, I know you all (all three of you), only read this blog for the hilarious and mostly true stories of dorm life whether you are trying to re-live your own past or live vicariously through me-- you will just have to deal. I have officially been sick for 11 days now but luckily the cough hasn't killed me yet. Yesterday, I had class from 12:30 to 3:20, at 4, I was planning on exercising and running down to the Health Center for more information on volunteering opportunities. This semester, I plan on working as a mentor in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program, donating plasma to help save a life, volunteering in the S.A.I.N program at the Health Clinic and (as a requirement from my mother), Yoga every Tuesday night. It is a busy schedule but with going from working 2 jobs and full time school to no job and incredibly easy classes, I am board. Not having a car is a challenge but I actually like being able to focus on school and having a life--stress free-- rather than scrounging for $280 for a car I can't drive. Anyway, yesterday afternoon around 3:30...I got to my room, sat on my futon to take a break before starting my fun-filled nightly to-do list and I was OUT...like a light. I woke up at 10:45pm...oops. All day, I was thinking of the things that I had to do, I remember telling Christina, my roommate that I had to do somthing but I couldn't remember what it was. At around 12:30am I took 2 Niquil gels and got into my pjs. At 12:35am I got my math book and folders together for (todays) class and at 12:36am, realized I had 97 selected problems to do out of a 7 page review packet due at 8am today...damn. Chad always tells people that I cannot fight sleep for the life of me. Niquil usually knocks me out but I was bound and determined to do every single problem! At 2:30am I was 1/2 there-- only 45 more problems to do. This weekend I founded the Lazy Squad and appointed my friend Mike el presedente. I texted Mike at 3:03am, when I finally finished, "I just discovered the meaning of procrastonation!!!" I promise I am better than this, I would just like to point out that 1) I am still alive and 2) A few weeks ago, on my BIRTHDAY, I wrote a 2 page essay for one of my many bio classes 2 weeks in advance. So there.

Erik.

Keep your eyes out in your local Target stores, Erik recently filmed a Magic video!
I'll keep you posted if I learn anything else about the video.

Homesick for the ghetto

It killed me enought to watch Aedan hit his nose on the coffee table but I understand that children get hurt; seeing Chris shed a few tears of his own while attemping to spot the gushing bloody nose was the toughest thing about living on my own. I miss you Chris and Aedan.
Chris wrote this for his son, its completely and totally awesome.

"Don't you know you're a dream come true
Don't you know how much daddy loves you,
Oh and when I'm feeling all alone and blue
All I have to do is think of you
It was a sunny Sunday on a Summer day
When i first heard you were headed my way
Through my ears into my heart
Oh the joy has spread through my every, my every part
Aedan Christopher my love is true...for you
Oh and when I feel all alone and blue
All I have to do is think of you
Oh my son when I'm feeling all alone and blue
All I have to do is think of you"

Mat Mays and El Torpedo

Toward the middle of the video, there is a series of card tricks done, yup, thats my brother!

Old Crow Medicine Show, "Tell It To Me"

I love this song!

Biology to Biology

"Oh, you took Anatomy, you can practice on me if you would like." I have seen this pick-up line on the internet, there is a web page full of them but I never knew boys actually used them. That is what I get for my schedule. I am currently killing time between bio and more bio to go to more bio tonight...and then wake up and go to another bio class tomorrow. I am with biology majors all days, every day and on top of that, I live in the NHSRC, (Natural Health Services Residential Community). Living with science people is fun other than the fact that I am constantly reminded that there are over 4,000,000 bacterium on the water fountain at any given time. Ew.

Check your tires

Check your tires

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Erik.

My brother rocks.

Football and Losers

Let's face it, I never liked football until I lived with boys. I root for the teams that I have connections to but I don't know players' names or what a running back does other than run. I know the ultimate goal of the game, what a touchdown is, and the general rules and regulations of the sport but other than that, have very little knowledge. Quie frankly, seeing 300lb men sprint faster than I can is just plain entertaining. Like Guitar Hero, I do not understand how to play football video game style but more power to you if you are skilled in both. I do however, not tollerate trash talk unless it is coming out of mouth, call me a hypocrit but it is so much more fun when you are the speechless one opposed to me. Anyway, I am getting to my point...
My friend Ian is an LSU fan and ever since the OSU LSU incident of '07, we are barely on speaking terms when it comes to football. This is the text messege he sent me yesterday when, addmittingly, OSU got stomped.

"Augh. Poor OSU. Better luck next year. Whats that? How is LSU doing? 2 and 0 so far. Ha ha ha. Ian"

More?

I was so excited to sleep in today, it is Friday and since yesterday was Thirsty Thursday, you better believe I was awoken by a strapping young man urinating on my door, again. It has nothing to do with me or my roommate, we figured out that my door is the same amount of doors away from the elevator as the bathroom door is from the stairs on the other side of the building. Does that make sense? I would draw you a diagram but I hope this is just not necessary. Anyway, I was up till 3AM helping this young strapping boy to the correct door, my RA's door, "Here you go, this is the bathroom door, when you walk in, don't miss, aim high Joe." Oh, alright, that didn't happen. But on my way to get a sandwich, a boy was urinating in the middle of the hallway down on the boy's side. Our floors are co-ed opposed to all the other buildings that are all boys on one floor and then all girls on the next. What were they thinking putting Freshmen boys and girls on one floor? We take bets to see how many boys will crawl out of the closet sized dorm room of the blonde bombshells in the morning down the hall. Seeing 3 football player sized men stumble out of the room, I mean closet, is like watching (I apologize for the cliche) 15 miniature clowns crawl out of an even more-miniature sized car. As I am trying not to picture, but at the same time picturing the...sleeping arrangements...RIIIIIIIINNNNGGGG! Crap. Fire alarm.
Another one.
Quick-- put on pants, put on a bra, where are my shoes? Bang! Ow, my head, you know, they should either make the bunk beds shorter or the ceiling-- taller.

It is just one of those days

It is an amazing thing living with 80 other boys and girls all on one floor. The plague hit late last week and is still going strong making it from room to room. When it came originally, I started looking for a sheep to slaughter and smear across the door frame on my dorm room but ran out of time. Two days ago I started feeling the itch in the back of my throat. Crap. It's here, I thought to myself. I just didn't move fast enough. Yesterday I barely made it through my only two classes from 8-10:50AM due to the shivering and quivering, the sneezing and coughing. I think they might have to amputate my nose.

I got a crush on Obama

Barely polical...but as much as I make fun of those who just vote for the candidate that is cuter...I am totally crushin' on Obama.

One touch knockout

If you haven't heard of "Chi ko," you need to watch more youtube.

I think it is entertaining that Dillman's reasoning behind why Chi ko didn't work on an 8th degree blackbelt is because he held his tongue in his mouth wrong. I am going to try this Cho ko and when a large man jumps me from behind on the streets, I am not going to scream for help, I will be saying "Uhm, sir, can you relax your tongue and lay it flat in your mouth please?"

On another note, the reason I bring this crap up is because I was watching UFC on Spike last night. I have a sick passion for seeing grown men throw themselves at each other only to get the shit beat out of them. Hey now, it is not different from men getting excited while watching women wrestle in green jello. Anyway, two men, an officer in the croatian army and a huuuuuuge hispanic man were locking into the cage together. They started out throwing a few punches and one kick each. Then-- out of no where the Croatian is on the bottom, his eye is cut and for 2 minutes, is barely defending himself. The referee seperates and stands them both back up. Less than 30 seconds later, the huuuuuuge guys leg leaps out of no where and BAM-- contact with the croatians temple. The croatian is down for the count. The worse thing was that while the poor man is falling, his ankle curled under his leg that is the size of my head and snapped in half. Ouch.
I wonder what would have happend it the coatian used Chi ko.

Spending more money, better?

“Vote or Die.” The campaign used by Hollywood celebrities such as Paris Hilton and
Sean Combs radiates with the power of the people in a democracy. Children of all ages look up to celebrities for the fame and money pouring out of each of their pockets regardless of the fact that many of the celebrities who sported the slogan decided they were too busy to actually vote. Democracy is a “form of government in which the supreme authority rests with the people,” William McClenaghan explains in American Government, a high school textbook. Regardless of how much money is being spent on campaigning across the nation, the people of the United States of America continue to have the choice to vote. The amount of money spent on campaigning should not have an effect on democracy in this country but subconsciously, American’s have a tendency to remember money.
The question still stands, is spending an immense amount of money on campaigning good or bad for democracy? Seeing how big names with big money are following presidential hopefuls for the first time this year, along with a rise in the amount of registered voters, the fact is clear; voters follow money. Though money captures the attention of a wider range of people who are able to vote and brings people to campaign events, many people who attended a speech by Oprah Winfrey supporting Barack Obama as president admitted to only attending to see the world renowned daytime talk show host. Pouring money into campaign slogans and other eye-catching buttons and signs may drawl attention to your name but will hurt democracy in the long run. Psychologists have studied voting for decades and have discovered the tendency of voters to vote for the name they recognize or simply the last name they saw before they went behind the curtain to vote. The more signs put up around town with the candidate’s name on it forces more people to think about the name and commit it to memory but does give any idea as to how that same candidate feels about abortion or the Iraq war. Money will not force someone to research a candidate’s views but does have the power to subconsciously cause a person to vote for a certain candidate. A true democracy cannot survive with money directly controlling votes, subconsciously or directly, through bribes or gimmicks.
Over the last 20 years, with a rise in campaign spending, while attention is brought to the necessity in voting, democracy has been changed forever. A true democracy allows the voters to decide for themselves who they are to vote for. Voters should have the ability to listen to debates and read what a candidate has to say but without even the ability to view Obama’s web page without signing up for daily email, voters are almost being pushed away.


I wrote this a while ago for a class but thought it was a good thing to pull out of the archives.

Our future

"I'm a Republican!"
Those three words came out of my friends mouth the other day and it hit me-- YOU are my future? Shit. I turned around in my swivel chair attached to my desk and asked, "what are your views on taxes between the rich and middle class?"
"I don't know! I asked my mom yesterday and she told me I was a Republican!"
Shit.
Maybe you should watch the Democratic National Convention, you know Obama is coming to Dublin, OH, why not go see him?
"No way, Obama is never going to be president."
"Why not?"
"He's black."
Shit.
"Really? I didn't notice, I did notice that McCain is OLD!!!!" I followed by sticking my tongue out at her and turning back around.

I never joke about these things, this really happend. For those of you who are registered to vote because it was the cool thing to do or it was just required by your Government teacher your Senior year of High School, please watch the news, its way more interesting than you may think.

Burnt Cookies

They didn’t taste very good
Even the unburnt pieces I managed to find
Among the dough I didn’t eat.
Usually when I make cookies
They are beautiful and delicious;
Not these.
Dark, brown, and hard
Cemented to the cookie sheet
Spread across the entire pan
Placed under hot water for
Four hours;
Eventually the bonds would break
And the scraping would begin
Scrape Scrape Scrape
It turns into a melody
To amuse me during the hour
Of scraping.
Then suddenly, the cookies are no more
And I am worried
Left with only yet another good story
Of the cookie sheet and me.


This is from the night when everything went wrong. I love my best friend Erin, we have known each other since we were 6 and every time we see each other-- we bake. Cakes, cookies, chex mix (we have found a way to bake it), and other various delicious treats. Anyway, Erin's parents left for Temple around 7:45 and were to be back around 10. In two hours, what could go wrong?!
I spoke too soon. With in two hours, we had forgotten about the cookies in the oven, her dog had chewed through the cord on her clothes iron, i had shattered the light on the fan in the living room, her cat had class in its foot and we were missing another cat. It was a fun night.

A Heavy Brow

All I want to do
Is have your trust again
Dance across your eyelids
Tango up your heavy brow
And erase the pain that I have caused

If only I knew to take your battered body
And breathe it back to life

If you let me foxtrot with you
All the way down to your nose
And fix what I have done
I would try to earn your trust

If only I knew to take your battered body
And breathe it back to life

If you let me waltz with you
All the way down to your cheek
And ride a tear from you chin
To see where it would fall
I would promise to dance with you again

Just wait for me to return

CLOSED FOR CLEANING

After a few days of being here at BGSU, I have seen some interesting things as you have read before...
But the other day, (all my good stories happen on my way to the bathroom) I got to the community bathroom and noticed the trash can was missing. I turned around and looked down the hall for Jim, our cleaning mastermind who I think should become president, but no one. So I did my buisness and headed down the hallway back to my room and practically ran RIGHT into a girl holding a trashcan stumbling every few feet she could muster, then stopping to dry heave. Only in McDonald...

It was just wonderful waking up at 3:25AM to banging on my door and then giggles... Only in McDonald...

You know, I wouldn't have posted anything but all I need to do is pee and brush my teeth but after grabbing my keys, putting on shoes, opening my door, locking my door, walking ALL the way down the hall, turning right, the left, then right again...I got to the bathroom...and there is a HUGE sign saying "CLOSED FOR CLEANING." Damn.

In Heaven

Chris, sorry this took me so long!

Breathalizer

"My cousin has one of those alcohol things in his car."
"A breathalizer?"
"Yeah...he has had three DUIs so he bought one."
"How old is he?"
"19."

It was at that moment in the convorsation I knew it was going to be a fun night. I wasn't drinking, I was eating my weight in:
1)Mashpotatoes with gravy
2)Ice Cream
3)One Cookie
4)Yogurt
5)Chicken Nuggets
6)French Fries
Now, you see, I had to walk 30min to get to the Sundial, where the good food is, and then continued to walk the entire distance around the campus after getting lost for 1.45hrs. I have no guilt.
Anyway, enough about the wonderful food...I am salivating right now...I need a tissue... So my friends and I get back to the dorm and not three min after I walk in the door, and say, "Honey, I'm home!" An ambulance pulls into the parking lot of my dorm. Due to my curiosity and crave for gossip, I popped my head out my room door only to find 8+ underage drukards standing on my welcome mat. The chillins' had ambled down to our side of the hall for fear of the cops that were called. Long story short, as the EMTs walked away with the gurney...
"Three shots of vodka and he's out?"
"Welcome to college kid."
"Ah, he will enjoy his 7:30 class with a really nice hangover, punishment? Check."

Bio Dorm

When living downtown in Columbus I heard stories of the condemned house next door (see previous post). The house I speak so much about was the very nice house that had been taken over by cockroaches. The homo sapiens abandoned ship and moved on. Anyway, the reason I am telling you this is because while leisurely walking down the hall that I live at the very end of, I noticed a note on the dry erase board on my RA's door. "I saw a cockroach in my room and don't know what to do, can you please call the exterminator man, I don't like bugs." Really? On the NHSRC (Natural Health Science Resident Community) floor? I really hope these girls get stronger stomachs, I prefer that the woman checking out other woman's vaginas hold their lunches in during the awkward moment of finding...bugs.

blame Wes for this.

I force everyone I meet at Bowling Green to watch this. It is a good icebreaker.

Fire Alarms

I don't much like fire alarms. Well, I don't mind the excitement every once in a while right before you read the first word on the hardest test of your life. RRRRRRIIIIINNNNGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!! Ah, yes, test delayed, mission: completed. But maybe 3AM is not a good time to pop popcorn and go take a shower then use the hair straitener in your room that is already filled with popcorn smoke because you just hit the popcorn button on your 1943 microwave that was given to you by your great-grandmother in her will. Yesterday around 2:53AM, alarm. "What do we do?" A girl asks me with a completely stoic tone of voice while standing in the middle of the hallway. "Maybe, like, go outside maybe, like, yeah." I reply in an oh so more peppy tone. Sorry, it was just too easy! I love it here, great choice.

First Aid Kit...Check.

With my first aid kit in hand and 6 big burley men following me with all of my worldly possesions being toted in bright blue IKEA bags, I moved into McDonald West dorm on the Bowling Green campus Saturday. To get from the car where we parked to my room, we walked three miles past six stations where they were handing out cups of ice cold H2O. As we were walking past these water stations I just kept thinking, "were not running a marathon, we are just moving me into my dorm room-" I know realize why so many. 3 miles, 4 flights of stairs, the entire length of a football field long building, and back down again...repeat. My roommate, Christina is really cool, she brought a "fold and fuck."

For everyone who told me that the Mac dorms were where the party's at--people on my floor must be smoking pot and drinking alone because everyone keeps their door closed except for my roommate and I. People are always welcome.

I appologize for being so syincal (is that how you spell it?), I really like it here, my mommy drove all the way from Knoxville and helped me move my stuff, for the record she was surprised how much I didn't bring. My stuff had room to breath in her car. I realy do like it here, people are really nice, I ate at the Pita Pit with a good friend, Cameron, and have been attempting to remember 3000 names. At least I brought my first aid kit and notes on CPR from my Red Cross Training.

Good Idear!

I am going to hell.

Gets me every time.

vertical living

In the ghetto, we don't keep our furniture on the porch, because it gets stolen, we keep in vertical near the front door.

coup d'état

Living on my own is quite interesting, not having to explain to my parents where I am at all time is...different... Dad said I couldn't move out, so I did. It is wierd not having to tell my parents that I am going to the park so I got a white board for our fridge. My roommates know where I am most of the time. It is a hard habit to break.
Lets face it, I am OCD. I slept on the lazyboy last night but woke up at 6am to find two cockroaches on the counter of my kitchen. The neighbors abandoned ship after the cockroaches decided to (stage a?) coup d'état. Now that all the roaches have to eat is a bottle of bleach left behind by the former residents, they have zoned in on my humble abode. I spent the last three hours cleaning my kitchen. Ew.