Homestretch

Senioritis has seemed to hit an all time high. I..am unfortunately one of its victims. It pains me to even be sitting in my lovely desk chair typing this bunch of hooblah. Since I have absolutely nothing to write about, I will start off by stating a really random opinion. TODAY HAS BEEN THE LONGEST DAY EVER. You would assume that missing the first half of the day would make the day go by quickly, it instead seems to have the opposite effect. I also feel abnormally tired. Why does today feel like a Friday? I will admit that it’s nice to wake up to the realization that we’re in the homestretch. Only a couple more weeks of high school and we’re out. I’ve heard several people mention that they have bittersweet emotions about graduating. WHY?! Sure we’ll miss our friends. But isn’t that what Facebook is for? We’re starting our lives as adults. Free to make educational and personal decisions without being tied down. Freedom, I am looking forward to you. That is all I have to say for the moment. So congrats to all of you that have made your college decisions and I truly hope confidence burns in all of you. :) 

What is happening...

I'd like to start out my expressing my disgust for the whole Boston bombing situation. It saddens me that anyone would have the heart to hurt others. I always try to be open minded about the religion and thoughts of others. Situations like this make me lose faith in humanity. My prayers go out to anyone and everyone affected. Apart from these horrific events, there is that lovely group project that has been presented to us. I don’t so much mind the project, I just wish I had more time. English research projects have always seemed more time consuming than any other work I’ve been given. I have no idea why but it kind of stinks.  I’m crossing my fingers that this presentation goes well. I’d really like to keep a decent grade. So far my research is going well and for once, the topic is interesting. I’ve discovered that most members of the Beat movement of poets were really blunt and were usually very high on hallucinogens when they wrote their poems. Which makes them incredibly interesting and confusing…and for whatever reason long. I’m going to need some patience and a lot of luck to get through this successfully. 

On a more random note...here is a lovely meme that helps illustrate my hate for Justin Bieber. :)

That is all...

Hmmm..what to say oh what to say. Like many of my classmates, I am looking forward to a new chapter and what’s to come after high school. Unlike many of them however, I have no mixed emotions. I have never been more ready to move on. After landing my new job at the animal clinic, I then realized how much I loved the field of veterinary medicine. Knowing that in August, all I get to study is just that is an amazing thought. No more boring, pointless classes. Just awesomness. Along with the end of the year comes a lot of stress though. The amount of projects that have been thrown in my face are ridiculous and my grades are slowly falling due to my absence of free time and motivation. I need a break…and some ice cream and an automatic 5 on the AP exam. I mean, that is not too much to ask for right? Apart from the stresses of school, I’ll admit that life is pretty darn fantastic. My friends are fabulousssss as usual and my new coworkers are literally the bomb dot com. Alright, I’m done with the stupid phrases and I honestly don’t know what else to say. So, I wish you peace love and happiness. And I hope you all get ice cream..because ice cream is the best. 

Oh Poe..try

For once I can actually admit that I’ve somewhat enjoyed the content in my English class. Poetry has always been one of my favorite genres of literature. I do not necessarily like the century old pieces that are near impossible to read, but I still find them interesting once I do figure them out. Out of all the poets that have been presented to me, Edgar Allen Poe firmly stands as my favorite. There are those who complain that his work is weird or dark and it is, which is why it is awesome. His work is different from what many consider beautiful and effective poetry, however I find his to be the most fascinating of all poetry to exist. His poems are packed full of emotion and stories. My favorite Poe poem, Annabelle Lee is even pleasing to the ear. So I basically feel like anyone who negatively criticizes Poe is an idiot. You really can’t appreciate literature until you’ve read and analyzed one of his pieces. Apart from him, I have started reading up on the works of Sylvia Plath. I really appreciate her use of unique perspectives. She seems to dive down and expose emotion many people over look. Her use of personification in poems such as Mirror easily grabs a reader’s attention and often leaves me pondering on the subject of the poem. So in the end, not only is her poetry intriguing but it is beautiful to listen to. Every time I finish one of her pieces, it leaves me with the desire to read more and reminds me of how fascinating poetry can be. 

"..."

I'd like to start out saying that the article about quotations was beautifully written. I wish I had the talent of making opinionated essays, or just my writing in general sound pleasing to the ear. It usually sounds more like nails on a chalkboard when read aloud. But anyway, going back to quotations, I love them. I do appreciate them a little less when they are ridiculous, cheesy, “I am a teenager and I am so in love..” bs. Facebook is an acceptable place to share a quote. However, people need to select them carefully and actually put thought into them. For people like myself, quotes provide a better way of expressing thoughts I cannot seem to construct into written word. Sometimes they also provide a nice ego boost. This is especially true when it comes to society related opinions. It’s nice to stumble upon an inspiring and intelligent individual that shares the same values as you. Some of my favorite quotes derive from some of the world’s greatest people. Writer’s such as Robert Frost and Mark Twain have easily found their way to the top of my favorites list as well as great thinkers such as Albert Camus. Here are a few quotes I find inspirational. What moves you?

“The evil that is in the world almost always comes of ignorance, and good intentions may do as much harm as malevolence if they lack understanding.” –Albert Camus

“Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first.”
-Mark Twain

“Suppose you were an idiot, and suppose you were a member of Congress; but I repeat myself.” –Mark Twain

“Two roads diverged in a wood and I - I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.”
-Robert Frost 

Senior Year Blues

It’s 6:53 pm and I already want to go to bed. I thought senior year was supposed to be easy. I just have three major projects due tomorrow. No big deal. I cannot express how ready I am for these two months to be over. There seems like there’s still so much to do. College is right around the corner. :l I do have a few positive remarks. I don’t know about everyone else, but I am so very enthused to be done reading Beloved. It was weird, and took a long time for me to read. It was such a dry novel. I was starting to think it was never going to end. I’m also very excited that we’re almost done with independent reading. Having to read Beloved and another book outside of class at the same time wasn’t exactly my cup of tea. I never seem to have enough time for it. I am running out of things to say, and this is a super boring blog entry (sorry), but hey, most of you can relate. Good luck to you guys. Here’s to hoping everyone’s life gets a little less hectic  and a little more fun. 

Dear...

Dear overly immature high school students,

You realize your insane level of obnoxious behavior right? Or maybe you’re just too caught up in the search for brain cells to comprehend surroundings. Oh you know the friend of a guy of a girl’s sister who looked at you. Congratulations, he was probably trying to figure out why there were a bunch of children out roaming around alone. NOT SAFE. Despite your failed attempts at dressing yourself and your pounds of caked on makeup, you don’t look or act any more mature. Your he said, she said bologna isn’t much fun to overhear either. Learn to face a problem face to face. Be civilized but wise. You can start by eliminating “OMG”, “YOLO” and “SWAG” from your vocabulary. If I hear it one more time, you will be smacked into oblivion. It’s not cool to be ignorant. Oh, and liking a band is ok. But you shouldn’t have Harry Styles’ face on your nails and “Mrs. Styles” on your shirt. Be normal. Society begs you..

Oh you’re pants are on the ground, very attractive. Do you remember when wearing a belt actually had a purpose? No? Well I do. Oh, but it’s a song and it looks cool..to have your pants on the ground. Your argument has no effect on the sane people in society. Pull em up buttercup. Foul language isn’t really appreciated Sir Curses a Lot. Do you kiss your mother with that mouth reeking of alcohol and hatred? Language and life are beautiful, don’t ruin it for those who care.  

Take advice,

An annoyed school mate

Say No to Stupid

Never in my life have I heard of creative spelling…ever. Fortunately I am able to say that I grew up in an elementary school that stressed the importance of strong spelling and reading skills. I’ve always thought of myself as a strong speller and I honestly cannot imagine someone allowing me to misspell stuff to avoid hurting my feelings. I’m not even a teacher and I find that insulting to society. Sometimes the amount of ignorance floating around in this world creates this ridiculous fear within me that it might someday become contagious. I hope in all honesty that some concerned parent or community member stands up and calls these people out. I find the whole concept of “creative spelling” utterly stupid.  And the last thing this world needs is more stupid people. I feel like there should be some kind of more rigorous and required list of content (vocabulary and reading skills) that needs to be enforced in primary schools. Without literacy our world would basically fall apart and I’m not sure that I am ok with that. And really, if GOOGLE even disagrees with the educational benefits of inventive spelling…maybe you should just stop. Just say no. Say no to stupid.  

Guilt Trips eh?

Oh guilt trips..they are unfortunately a journey I visit often. My tendency to speak before I think tends to get me into a lot of trouble. And sure, you hear about paternal guilt trips but I seem to screw up everywhere. My attitude and insomnia also seems to be a big contribution. I am known for occasionally and unknowingly taking out my stress on others. And I realize I have a problem and I am working on that by the way and am making steady progress. The article on guilt mentioned food guilt and I can honestly say that when it comes to food, there is no guilt. Yeah sure, that doughnut I had for breakfast was probably like a million and a half calories, but guess whose happy and full?! All the dieters can stick to their cardboard crackers, and I’ll take whatever they reject. Well, with the exception of 19 twinkies in a row. That seems to be a bit much. I feel like part of the issue in modern society is that everyone takes things too seriously. Lighten up, eat, drink and feel however you want. There’s no reason to be so taut. Like Mark Twain said, “Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life.”

So Much to Do, So Little Time

This week can’t be over quickly enough. My work schedule is not cooperating with my school schedule and the amount of work I have due in a couple of days is ridiculous. *sigh* Why can’t senior year be done and over with now? In other news, so far Beloved doesn't seem to be so great. I’m pretty bored with it as of now and it’s a little on the strange side. The odd mix of fantasy and realism is strange, something I've never encountered before in a reading. There are times that I feel like maybe there are just periodic earthquakes until the tables go flying at them. Then my opinion changes and I’m not quite sure what to think. The names of the characters (with the exception with a couple) are really odd and it makes the story kind of confusing at times. I’m seriously hoping that this novel starts getting a little more intriguing to me. If not, this is going to be a rough few weeks. The same goes for my second independent reading book. The summary made it seem interesting but the summary on my 1^st book was too. And no, just no.  Well, instead of blabbering on about nonsense I should probably start working on my reading journals for this week. That’s all folks. :)

Imagine

At the moment, my mind is almost completely void of thought. I’m tired. And yes I kind of want to go to bed at 8:00. Don’t judge too hard. Next week should be lovely considering the amount of work I need to get done by then. Not to mention I have to juggle work and a relationship in between that. Ah that divine transition to adulthood. It’s tiring but really does carry a sensation of fulfillment and independence that is rewarding to me. I honestly don’t have much to say. But I will digress and write about something somewhat entwined with literature. I’m not going to write much about The Road, mostly because that seems like the only thing anyone’s written about in their blogs (reading the same thing repeatedly has to be getting old).  Yeah it was depressing and gruesome and I loved it. I do think that’s sufficient opinion from me. My independent book however was another story. It wasn’t what I thought it’d be but I guess it represented my topic rather well. The troubles with closed minded upbringings, sexual defilements and constant racism really emphasized how corrupt society is. It’s kind of upsetting to me that I can say that with confidence. I feel like life shouldn’t be that way. I guess it’s not up to me though. Seems like we (society as a whole) definitely have some work to do. Just imagine how nice things would be if we all behaved like human beings instead of diseased animals. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRhq-yO1KN8

You Said What?

I’ve never been one to sit down and ponder about the evolution of vocabulary, but the article Mr. Mullins suggested about the etymology of the B- Word was rather intriguing to me. I didn’t think I could write enough about that single word so I did some further research and was blown away by what I found. Some of the phrases used in common dialogue are incredibly incorrect. I’m guilty of using some of them incorrectly myself, but I’ve never thought twice when I said them. It’s amazing to me that something as complex as language has the ability to change so easily. I encountered a website that examined the use of some very common sayings, one such saying being “spit and image.” When I first read that statement, I honestly had no idea what they were talking about. As I read through the paragraph, the author proceeded to explain that the phrase, “spitting image of…” is actually really incorrect. The phrase “spit and image” was introduced into English vocabulary in the 1820s and has managed to morph into a completely different set of terminology in a rather short amount of time. I won’t bother boring you with other phrase explanations but I think you get the idea. I wonder what the English language will be in later years. If phrases like YOLO and BFFL are all that’s ever said..I won’t want to live on this planet anymore. 

*sigh*

It feels like Christmas break was a year ago at this point, I’m tired and the 32 hour days seem to be getting longer. Didn’t they used to be 24 hours? Anyway, this blog is depleting the last bit of thought process that remains today. But I am happy to mention that I’ve almost finished The Road. And this news is actually bittersweet. I wish it just kept going forever. I love it. The quizzes in class have been all but enjoyable but I will admit that I feel like they help me analyze the book better. I would never have thought through some of the connections proposed on those pieces of paper. And although I usually always despise creative writing, I’ll admit that the Found Poetry idea was pretty great and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was kind of fun searching through passages and quotes to find and create my own twist on the story. Sharing my work didn’t seem as rough as usual either. Maybe the recent insomnia has implanted an “I don’t care anymore” affect on me. I complain a lot (sorry) because it makes me feel better, but in reality, this semester has been pretty smooth so far. :)

Back Again

It feels like it has been ages since I last had to write on this blog..oh wait, it has been ages. I honestly can’t say that I've missed it much. (Sorry Mr. Mullins) I guess I should start off by saying that I hope everyone’s holiday was as wonderful as possible and congrats, only 5 more months to go guys! So far 2^nd semester is going by a lot more quickly than the 1^st and I feel like I've been able to get a lot more completed. My independent reading book is unfortunately not what I thought it’d be, but I am only like 30 pages into it. The Road however, has turned out to be one of the best books I've ever been given the opportunity to read. It has an excellent plot and even though it is violent and grotesque, the story and characters (except for that kid) are likable  The only complaint associated with this novel that I have, is McCarthy’s style of writing dialogue pretty much sucks. However, I still absolutely love love love the story. I am truly sorry to those of you that are unable to appreciate the awesomness of this book. I think as I wrote this, that I might have just convinced myself to re-read this novel and maybe even read other works by McCarthy. It’s amazing how such a brief reflection can influence such a lovely epiphany. ;)