The Movement

Last night I had the craziest dream ever, it manifested out of my desire for greatness--I think. A little background: I'm a very ambitious person, sometimes it gets in the way. A lot of the time I'll think I'm better than other people and I'll talk down to them. I'm trying to work on it, honest. But the point is, I've always wanted to do something that people will remember forever. Invent something, cure something, or even lead a revolution/rebellion. Okay, that last one was a bit out there...Now here's my dream.

I had a dream that I saved the world. Not by brute force/violence, but by words. In my dream I inspired a group of less than enthusiastic teens to band together and resist the Occupation. The Occupation was about adults interfering with the workings of the "Teen World". See, in my dream everybody was a teenager. Nobody aged after a certain procedure when one turns 13. The adults were from the time before the procedure. They were envious of the youth, so they controlled and oppressed them.

In these town-hall type gatherings, I would give the most eloquent speeches about freedom, unity, and untapped potential. The Revolution wasn't bloody, but the exchange of words was very sharp. In the end, we defeated the adults using nothing but words. To quote FOB, "I was an arms dealer, fitting them with weapons in the form of words".

I woke up as everyone was chanting my name. Overall that was a pretty good dream. It felt good to be able to move crowds with words, to be able to change something. I felt important in my dream. I think if a movement was ever needed in our time, I could probably step up to the plate. Wow, that dream on inflated my ego...

Redemption

I'm sure you've heard the phrase "Sell-Out" before. Well, I used that phrase to describe Fall Out Boy until I heard their new album "Folie a Deux".

When Fall Out Boy first started out, their sound was fresh and pure. It was full of originality...But when their album "Infinity on High" was released, they sounded different. FOB went mainstream to the extreme. Like many other fans I was deeply upset by the new direction the band took.

I felt that they sold out and betrayed their fan base! But then again, I have no influence whatsoever on the creative direction the band so my complaints were pointless. I think the biggest issue with bands is that when they first start out, the fans feel really close to them. But when they gain commercial success, we feel betrayed. Should we allow the musicians to stay poor in order for us to feel more connected to them? That's not very fair....

FOB came out with a song from their album "Infinity on High" which addressed the accusations of supposed selling out. The song was alright, but I wasn't exactly convinced--that is until "Folie a Deux" came out.

This new album's sound is much like that of the early FOB albums. I was so happy; I haven't stopped listening to it ever since. My favorite song from the album is " What a Catch, Donnie". In my opinion, FOB has redeemed itself and I'm going to stop bad-mouthing them in Biology.

Teaser

S P R I N G B R E A K
I mega-loathe springbreak. Whoever decides when we have breaks is really cruel. To dangle the promise of freedom in the faces of eager kids is just malicious. Why in March? Its still freezing! Springbreak is only a week, that's hardly long enough time to enjoy the "spring weather".We should just add the week we get off for spring break to our summer vacation. Think about it, we could get out a week earlier. Whoa, I just realized that I'm making school sound like a prison. Actually, It kind of is...But thats a whole other blog. Well I'm going to go make the best of this little teaser break, peace.

When It Rains

When it rains on this side of town, it touches everything. Everything seems to slow down, indetectable movement. Right now, I'm staring out my window, squinting past the rain. Why? Why did it have to rain today? Rain is so boring, so calm. I live for the hectic extremes in weather. It should either be scorching hot or bitterly cold. Not neutral rain. This type of percipitation should be outlawed for its uncanny ability to invoke depression. R A I N. Really Annoying Insignificant Nuisance. Hopefully, it ends soon....

Nicknames

Nicknames--hate them or love them, you still have one. What are some of your nicknames? Mine include: Creepa, Iffy, Demarcus, Amadinejhad, and The Other Cookie. My friends can call me these thought-provoking names, but what do people call me behind my back? Hmmm....the ugly side of nicknames are the ones you don't know about. I have to admit, I call some people special nicknames behind their backs, but they're not mean. At least I don't think so. They're sort of a little reminder of funny incidents that they might want to forget. Nicknames I've given other people are: Cupcake, Booty-Do, Twanks, Litterbox, and Enjoyle. Aren't they just weird? Especially Enjoyle. Unnamed person mis-spoke at lunch and the weird word stuck as their undercover nickname. There was this one time when a friend of mine got caught calling someone by their undercover nickname [Poo-Poo] and the kid freaked out, until she told him where the name came from---he thought it was funny, but didn't want to be called Poo-Poo again. LOL. I should probably stop referring to people by these nicknames....

Info Please

Today, I exerted a lot of effort into getting a friends phone number--mind you, I deserved it beacuse this person has been my friend for months, and I've never bothered to ask her for her number!

Here is the backstory:
I was on www.urbandictionary.com , searching through random definitions, when I came across one about a certain someone we all know very well. It was such a coincidence because Lexie and I were on that site yesterday in spanish and we were discussing the pros and cons of have your FULL NAME as an entry on there. Anyway, I found an entry about a teacher and I HAD to tell Lexie--here is where it gets frustrating.

I have a limited amount of contacts in my phone: I don't talk to some [place holders], and the others have no reason for having Lexie's number.
1st: I texted Kelsea and asked her to ask Rick to get Lexie's number from Jake. [she didn't answer back]
2nd: I texted Jesse and asked him if he knew anybody who would have her number--apparently, he still isn't over the hilarious prank calls he recieved.
3rd: I decided to cut-out Kelsea, and text Rick myself. [we had a bit of a tiff last year] He pretended not to know me, then proceeded to pretend that Jake didn't have Lexie's number. What?! They're dating, how does he not have her number!?
4th: Kelsea finally got back to me and asked "Why would I ask Rick to get Jake to give him Lexie's number? I have it"--I was completely side-tracked by that one. How did I miss that Kelsea would have Lexie's number?

So, after about an hour or so of aimless texts and half-hearted searching by third-party observers I finally got Lexie's number. We texted about the entry and debated whether or not to inform said teacher about the clever entry. Now, I'm going to reward myself with a cookie.

Pep-less Pepfest

Our pepfests are the saddest events in the history of all things related to High School. Nobody cheers, as a matter of fact, nobody cares. Where's your school spirit? I think it died along with the out-of-sync choreography of our borderline okay cheerleaders.



We have an exceptional student body, combined, our cheers could probably rival the teeny-boppers at the Hannah Montana concerts. But we don't care enough. Maybe if there was some sort of incentive involved...How sad. In order for us to sincerely cheer on our sports teams, we have to get something in return. Teenage apathy never fails.



I can understand where some people are coming from when they say that the pepfest are boring. The cheerleaders aren't that good[no offense], their cheers are painful to watch and sadly,dance team only performs once in a blue moon. Plus, its smelly and you're forced to sit next to weird people who do odd things [like pick their noses]

Lets just get rid of the pepfests, sorry sports teams...

Couldn't Stop Laughing

Have you ever laughed at something/someone so hard that you actually felt bad? I was recently introduced to a website where people can post laughable situations they've been in. The website is www.fmylife.com
I think the people who post on here want others to feel sorry for them, but secretly want to give the rest of us a good laugh. Why else would you post a very embarrassing moment of your life on there? Here is an example:
Today, I was introduced to my boyfriend's family at their family reunion for the first time. As I sat on the couch, his 4-year old sister comes in and jumps onto my lap. For a moment I was happy to think his sister liked me, only to hear her say "You're fat! I like fat things." FML

Or better yet, this one:
Today, I was stepping out of the shower while home alone. I heard voices coming from the living room. I grabbed a bat to defend my self and ran into the living room. I slipped on my tile floor and smashed my TV with the bat. No one was in my house but I left my radio turned on. FML

This one makes me feel really bad--both for her and for laughing hysterically:
Today, I told my boyfriend that I'd be going on a trip to Europe. I assured him that I would never cheat on him with any european guys. He replied with, "Why would I be worried? You're not very pretty." FML

If you're feeling really down, I suggest you click the link and make yourself feel better by laughing at other people's lives.

All New Low

You'd have to live a million live and suffer immense pain in each one to even sympathize with me today. I'd rather be burnt alive than relive the last half-hour. I'd rather be thrown from a speeding car, dunked in acid, stomped by a raging bull, and dragged across 1000 miles of razors. I'd take all of that and be grateful.

To truly understand this blog post you'll need background information. My parents, Stephen and Sarah, aren't exactly in the running for parents of the year. In fact they belong in a select pool of individuals who shouldn't have been allowed to procreate.

Stephen:
Vehemently refuses to conform to American society. He'd rather live like he was still in Sudan. (Forcing everyone around him to do so too) You might ask yourself "Whats so wrong with that?" You have no idea, but that's a whole other blog topic. Stephen ALWAYS overreacts and expects the impossible from everybody.

Sarah:
The obedient housewife. How many times have I stood up for this woman?! Never one to outwardly disagree with Stephen, Sarah always makes things worse. Her favorite torture technique is comparing her children to other people's children, then belittling everything that makes her children themselves. The same goes for Stephen, but this is Sarah's specialty.

I could easily ramble about how horrible life is with them, but I'm focusing on the one event that changed it all. The one event that can't be topped or undone. No, they didn't beat me, but I wish they had. It probably would have been easier to take then what they actually did.

Today started out like any other Sunday. Boring and empty. I decided to stay in bed and listen to my Ipod. Apparently, Stephen had been calling my name for some time, but I couldn't hear him. He busted into my room and demanded to know why I was ignoring him. I tried to explain, but I was wasting my breath--he wasn't even listening.

He tells me to go to the living room. Stephen decides that I stayed in bed because I'm lazy and that I don't want to be with the family. (Which isn't true, I already told you why). Now, I'm angry because I'm being yelled at for doing absolutely nothing. So I went into the kitchen, and I guess I had a dirty look on my face, which Sarah decides was directed at her (It wasn't). She scoffs, almost hisses at me. "Don't look at me like that." Again, I try to explain, but she isn't hearing a word I'm saying either.

I'm so angry that I'm on the verge of tears. They're out to get me, I haven't done ANYTHING they've already begun to verbally reduce me tears. The angry look on my face sets Stephen off. He decides we need to have a little talk. (These never end well) He politely asks what I want, where I want to go. I don't understand what he's talking about, so I stayed silent. He says "This is just a talk, I want to know what you really want, because you don't want to be in this family" It suddenly clicked. I'm being kicked out...(He threatened to kick me out the previous week for stating the obvious: he hates giving people rides)

Sarah walks in, she sits next to Stephen and chimes in "Good, I better sit in on this. She was giving me dirty looks in the kitchen." At that moment I wanted to lunge at her throat. She ALWAYS makes things worse. I was being Tag-Teamed by these two Nazis and I had no way out.

Stephen kept asking where I wanted to go because he didn't want in his house anymore. I stayed silent. He yelled about how he can't live in the same house as someone who doesn't smile, always stays in their room because they hate their family (I'm a loner, I like being by myself), & someone who is always gets angry when they're asked (TOLD) to do things (Am I supposed to be ecstatic about it?). He went on yelling about how I'm ungrateful and undeserving. He wasted his time raising a useless daughter who would amount to nothing. Sarah added in that I'm lazy and stupid. She went off on how Martha and Chol know how to cook traditional meals and that I was abandoning the culture.

The entire time my eyes were welling up because this was a one-way conversation. I couldn't defend myself so I stayed silent and cried. Then, they said something that nobody should ever hear. Words that carry more weight than anyone can imagine.

Like I wasn't even there, they discussed how much better their lives would have been if I had died in Kenya (I was really sick as a baby). They talked about how everyone would be so much happier and how everyone would think of them better because they wouldn't be hindered by an embarrassing/disappointing daughter.

The tears just started pouring out. I always knew I wasn't their favorite child, but to hear them wish out loud that I was dead is worse than death itself. And just they way they talked about it added to the sting, they were so casual, as if they were talking about the weather. Sarah casually suggested suicide.

Honestly, I considered it for a moment. Why not end it? It's not like they care either way! I would be free. Free from the stress, the yelling, and belittling. But then I would just be giving them what they wanted. And what about my friends? The only people I'm ever happy around. I can't take my own life--I have to much to live for.

I've decided to stay here. Even though that means I have to suffer as if I'm being burn alive every time they look at me. But on the bright side, just two more years and I'm gone. The second I turn 18 I'm never looking back. Stephen and Sarah who?

Disney: Creator of Future Train Wrecks and Over-Advertised Pop Stars

Miley Cyrus: The latest cardboard cut-out from the disney channel line. Loved by all repressed "tweens". If I hear another Miley Cyrus song, I might just shoot someone in the face. My little sister insists on singing her songs 24/7. Have you ever watched her show "Hannah Montana"? Don't, it will turn your brain to mush. The entire cast of that train wreck is utterly talentless. I've seen 3rd graders in Christmas Plays with better acting skills than them. Can she even sing? If you pay attention you might actually realize that she doesn't sing; she yells. Ugh, I'm just really tired of her. Maybe she'll fade like most Disney children, or she'll grow up to become a tragic starlet like her predecessors[Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears, etc.]
I probably should channel my disgust toward the evil media giant that is Disney. What happened to Disney? Once upon a time it use to be about the classic cartoons and quality entertainment. Disney has perversly cheapened entertainment and the poor child stars it lures into its vicious cycle of over-used laugh tracks and future train-wreckism. But I guess as long as parents are willing to empty their pockets for Disney, I'm going to stop complaining.

So Sad...

I'm sure most of you have heard by now about Michael Phelps' incriminating photo. When I first heard about it I thought "Who cares!? He is 23 years old, and he just owned China. Let the guy enjoy himself!". Now he has been suspended for 3 months, and the 2012 olympic games are on the line. What?! Seriously, we need to get lives. Why do we hold celebrities to a certain standard that we would never impose on ourselves? If he was just some random guy, would you really care? One reason people are so upset by this, is that they considered Phelps' their hero/role model. I have a few things to say to people who put celebrities and athletes on pedastals, then feel crushed when they turn out to be human:
1. Really?
2.They're regular people just like you, you'd be better off looking up to your neighbor.
3. They don't owe you anything, there is no legally binding contract that says they have to be your role model and live up to your standards.
4. Look up to people you actually know...
I personally think that Phelps' has nothing to apologize for. We should probably apologize to him for being nosy and overreactive to his personal choices. Celebrities and athletes are human too, they just happen to be in the public eye and subject to our intense criticism.

Lovely Weather

Have you noticed how much warmer its been lately? I love it! But of course, it's going to inevitably get colder and crush my hopes of an early spring...
I went grocery shopping yesterday and all I needed was a light jacket! And I actually saw the sun for the first time in forever--we used to be amazing friends, back when he was around lol. We'll I'm going to go enjoy it while it lasts :)

Really?

I was at Winterfest last night--it was pretty lame. The DJ, for some reason, kept playing songs that the crowd wasn't really responding to. People stood around for the most part.
Now, the reason for the title is quite shocking. So there I was, just dancing with friends, when I saw them. There was this...couple [for lack of a better word] and they were "dancing", if you could call it that. The act was so outrageous that people were gasping and pointing at them. This "couple" took grinding to a whole new level. I will not go into the details, but they were pretty much having sex on the dancefloor.
The only thing more shocking than their lack of shame, is peoples reaction toward it. Most guys were literally craning their necks to see, then encouraging the guy to keep going [REALLY?!]. Most of the girls had a look of disgust on their faces; I don't blame them, it was over the top.
This got me thinking, will this become the new standard dance act at these dances? I have no problem with grinding, because everybody does it. Its suggestive, but harmless. There probably be limits though. Try to keep it from being live pornography please!

Glued to the Tube

I am addicted to TV, I didn't realize just how bad it was until I started planning out my week. Without really noticing it, I arrange my daily life around my favorite TV shows. I know, it's quite pathetic. I usually do all of my homework at 4 [it takes me anywhere from a half hour to an hour, depending on how much busy work is dished out at the local prison]. Next, I eat and shower, then prepare to watch TV. My schedule:
MONDAYS:
7:00-House
8:00-Heroes
9:00-Secret Life of the American Teenager
10:00-[any neglected homework]
11:00-Kyle XY [I rarely stay up this late, but Kyle is on at the same time as Heroes!]
TUESDAYS:
8:00-Scrubs
9:00-Law & Order: SVU
WEDNESDAYS:
8:00-Lie to Me
9:00-Real World [I'm a loser for watching, but it's addictive!]
THURSDAYS:
9:00-Burn Notice
FRIDAYS:
7:00-Everybody Hates Chris
9:00-Psych
10:00-Best Week Ever
TV is basically my brand of heroin. If my cable went out, I might actually die... I don't know what I'm going to do once Track season starts...but then again we only have a few meets and practices aren't that long. Wow, I just realized I'm another statistic--just another kid out of millions who prefers technology rather than physical activities to pass time. I'm totally okay with it. It's fun making pop culture references that only I understand.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly...

I was just on USATODAY when I came across this article about Obama choosing a gay Bishop to give some sort of speech at his inauguration. G-A-Y, this three letter word seems to stir up controversy whenever it so much as leaves the lips of any random person.
Well, I looked at the comments and realized that they all had nothing to do with Obama or the article, in fact they were a continuous argument over homosexuality and its ongoing battle with religion. The commenters sort of polarized--one group was completely fine with it, the other wanted to force the fear of God into them and their supporters.
Personally, I'm Switzerland when it comes to arguments like this. But I am curious to know: Why is it such a big deal, to either side? People will be people, and we should just let everyone be...putting our personal biases into the way we treat people is no way to live.
I've also noticed that it's mostly the super religious people who have a problem with the situation. I'm not branding religious people as intolerant and overall ignorant, but the trend is hard to deny.
I also think that some Gay Activists should cool their jets a bit when attacking religious people or anyone who doesn't agree with them. People have the right to believe what they want, and they aren't afraid to exercise that right. For every Pro, there is a Con. For every birth, there is a death. You can't have one without the other and you can't expect and en masse sway belief without one going the other way.
As Americans, it is our constitutional right to practice religion, but please, don't use your faith to try to dictate how someone else should live their life. And just because you're advocating for a lifestyle that not everyone agrees with doesn't mean that you should alienate anybody who doesn't agree.
Tolerance, from either side, is a beautiful thing. Let's not perversely cheapen it by resorting to violence or slander against a person you disagree with.

Runner's High

Earlier this year I made a New Year's Resolution to get fit--not only for my health, but because Track is coming up and I don't want to start out the season on horrible shape. Yesterday I decided to get right on that and exercise. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be and I actually liked it! I planned it all out by time, not distance: I would run for an entire song straight [which is on average 3.5-4 minutes long] then walk for about a minute, run for two songs straight, walk for two minutes, run for three songs straight, then walk for three minutes. After the running, I worked on my upper body and all that cool stuff. Then, I did the running routine again except in reverse order. About half way through this I was about ready to give up: my legs ached, my lungs burned and I had a huge headache. But I kept pushing through until it stopped hurting...a runner's high. It was an amazing feeling, you should try it sometime. Endorphins rock. I think it's funny that you have to get through the worst in order to get to that feeling. Of course, when you're all amped up on your accomplishments, you forget about the inevitable pain you will experience the next morning...

Bingo

It's true: old people LOVE bingo. Yesterday, Martha and I went to St. John's Nursing Home and chilled with the residents. It was pretty cool. First, we learned how to work the bingo ball-machine thing, then the reward process, and how to transport the residents. The scariest thing was transporting them from their rooms to the dining area where the games were being held. I pushed their wheelchairs REALLY slowly and tried as hard as possible to not hurt them, but of course there were a few bumped feet or banged up knees :( There was this one woman who I helped and she just made the experience a memorable one. She was very confused about the whole bingo process and so I pulled up a chair and sat next to her. I would point out the number if she had it and then she would put her chip on that number--we made a pretty good team. After many rounds without winning she began to give up. I felt really bad and I encouraged her to keep playing, that she'll get lucky in the next round. The whole time I was telling her this I just kept thinking "PLEASE, just let her WIN!!!"....She never won :( While we were waiting for our ride, one of the residents came up to us and said "You be sure to come back now, I really enjoyed your company". It felt really good that they liked that we were there. I definitely plan on making regular visits.

New Year's Resolutions

New Year's Resolutions: Do they really work? Or are they just there as a reminder of what failures we were the previous year? Either way I still make a few each year. For 2009, my resolutions are simple and achievable. I want to be more outgoing, stop procrastinating, get fit, be A LOT nicer, and I want to be less apathetic. The last one might be a bit of a challenge because I am indifferent to almost everything--it's actually pretty sad. I should also volunteer more. I'm trying to become a youth counselor for my J10 project, it could be very interesting. I have high hopes for 2009!