I've found my rantypants!

After freshman/sophomore practice, my friend and I were waiting for our ride. We were reading the senior superlative list and talking to another friend about drama stuff. Someone else who I know who was standing nearby walks up to us just as I say that the plays this year aren't nearly as wildly awesome as they were last year. This other person is sort of telling me that I can't say that, that I should just be thankful that I got a part. They even tell my friend that she wouldn't have had a part if she hadn't gone and whined about it. This pisses me off. Nobody needs to butt in on other people's conversations and tell them what they can and can't say. Nobody got parts because they whined about it. There's no need to be bitter.
A few days ago, I was standing outside my Bio class, waiting for the teacher to come. I was having a conversation with someone, and out of no where, someone else tells me that I'm skinny. What are you supposed to say to that? I don't feel skinny. I don't see skinny when I look in the mirror, and it feels incredibly awkard if someon comments on that. I don't comment on your weight, please don't comment on mine.
One of the bloggers whose blog I read is in a childbirth class. They're not pregnant or anything, they just had to take a class and that was the only one left. They posted this big long rant the other day about how it's wrong to have your baby in a hospital because a doctor will preform a c-section for no reason, and that's bad for your baby. I totally get that argument, but it needs some background. You'd think this person could explain why so many Americans give birth in hospitals, why the default is a doctor, basically how we got this way. Their main argument was that mothers need to bond with their baby right after it's born, and you can't do that with a c-section. That needs more of a health explanation.
I had my Euro final today. I think I did decently, but there's really no way to be sure until the grades are back. When the class had started, I realized that I didn't have my binder and sort of freaked out, thinking that I left it in my Bio classroom. Only after school was over did I realize that I turned my binder in when the teacher told me to. Fail.
I also went to the Euro room for seminar to discuss my writing. I read all the FRQ answers I wrote this year and came to one epic conclusion. I am bad at using and explaining evidence. This is something that I've known for a long time. This is something that debate shows me time and time again. Any ideas on how to make this better?
I need to study for Bio. I've sort of (a lot) been neglecting it in favour of everything else there is to do. And now I must do it. Sob.
We're starting our interior design unit on Monday in Commercial Art. You have no idea how excited I am about this. God, I love interiors. Fabulous website of the day!
I think it's sort of funny how freaked out people are about the swine flu. The way I see it, normal people who really can't do anything about it have no reason to be worried. Since I'm a normal person who can't do anything about it, it's not my problem. This is how I avoid being worried about the majority of world events.
"Be silent always when you doubt your sense." Alexander Pope

Meat

I should be doing my Bio homework, but instead I'm explaining to myself why meat causes so many problems. This is one of those dumb ideas that will be funny later. Trust me.

Problems caused by meat

• World Hunger
• Bird Flu
• Pig Flu
• Genocide in Rawanda
• HIV/AIDS

Someone is going to say this is irrational. I could explain it, but I'd like to hear your explanations for the connections first.
I'm really not crazy. I promise.

ieeeeeeeeeeeee!

I passed my road test! I kinda messed up a little bit (well...it was a lot), but he passed me anyways. I'm ridiculously excited for my birthday and license now! And I want a car. But I don't think the car part is really going to happen. Sigh.
Other awesome thing: The test administrator's name was Vladamir.

"We are not youth any longer. We don't want to take the world by storm. We are fleeing. We fly from ourselves. From our life. We were eighteen and had begun to love life and the world; and we had to shoot it to pieces. The first bomb, the first explosion, burst in our hearts. We are cut off from activity, from striving, from progress. We believe in such things no longer, we believe in the war."
I'm reading All Quiet on the Western Front, just wondering how much you can regret something before you explode.

Weekend!

It's Friday.
I like this part of the school year. I've finally gotten used to everything, it's getting warmer, I'm getting hyper, it's all good. Then it ends, because that's the way the world works.
I spent last night at a school board meeting. They were talking about cutting any programs that make school good, but not sports. Most of us will go on to be professional athletes, so clearly sports are the most important parts of our education. Fortunately, the arts people organized and a bunch of them got up to talk. Most of them were better speakers than the adults, which I think says something about the lasting skills that things like drama and broadcasting and debate give you.
I'm taking my driving test tomorrow, assuming there isn't another epic equipment failure like there was on Wednesday.
What would be the most interesting time period to live in? I've decided that it's either the Enlightenment or WWII. We've been talking about this for a while, and I feel that one of the fundamental questions is whether you're born when you were actually born and have some knowledge of the time period, or are you a person who was actually born in that time, not knowing what will happen next. I think I'd prefer to be born now and time travel. It's good to know what's happening next and be able to see the bigger picture. Honestly, I think that's the main problem with the government, is that they'll never know for sure how their actions will affect the future until it's too late to change anything.
I'm considering buying a new pair of Chuck Taylors. What colour should I get?
I'm asking myself why we bother with all of this. This strange society that we've just constructed for ourselves, that we put so much effort into. Why? Why do we have it, why do we need it? If it was abolished, putting humans back at the beginning of our history, would we turn into the same thing we are now? What if we had the same technology that we have now, but less people and no government?
I want to find a good answer for "Why Europe?". Somebody put it on the summer list.
I have no idea what I want to do if I grow up. However, I do know what my house will look like. Next time I can't think of anything to blog about, I'll tell you. It will be trippy. But not, you know, that kind of trippy. Because that would be wrong.
I looked up someone on Facebook who I never expected to find, but then....they were there. It was weird/shocking. Nah, shocking is too strong a word. I need to learn more adjectives.
Why do I spend so much time thinking of the future? It's the only thing that I can think about and think about without ever getting tired of it. Why is the concept of me in five, ten, twenty years so interesting?
This makes me ashamed to be human. Please, just remember that things that you say that don't seem like a big deal really are to the person on the other end of it.

Dumbai

That's the plural of dumbass.
When dividing power in Europe, you should give it to the countries that have never tried to take over other countries.
Good Countries:
Norway
Sweden
Finland
Poland
Iceland
Switzerland
Belgium
Netherlands
Bad Countries:
Britian
France
Germany
Russia
Italy

The problem is that the bad countries are usually the ones making the big decisions in peace talks, so they give themseleves power. Dumbai.

We live in a world ruled by fictions of every kind — mass merchandising, advertising, politics conducted as a branch of advertising, the instant translation of science and technology into popular imagery, the increasing blurring and intermingling of identities within the realm of consumer goods, the preempting of any free or original imaginative response to experience by the television screen. We live inside an enormous novel. For the writer in particular it is less and less necessary for him to invent the fictional content of his novel. The fiction is already there. The writer's task is to invent the reality.

~ J. G. Ballard ~

I just went on wikiquote and saw this, the quote of the day. I love it. Why can't I say stuff like this? I want to invent the reality, but my reality doesn't flow, it doesn't sound good. No one else wants my reality. Which needs changing, the reality, or the people?

Also, delicious book covers. Check 'em out.

Futuristic

Just like this cartoon.
I'm not a person who tries to be perfect or seems perfect or has ever gone within a million miles of perfection. I'm not good at school, I'm not the best at any hobby, I'm not the pretty one*. I'm fine with that. I'm me. I like that.
I will change the world. So will you.
When I can't sleep, I ask "what if?", it's alarming how much of this has to do with history, but that's probably just because Euro has eaten my mind. So it goes.
What if the Evil Baby Orphanage worked John's way instead of Hank's?
What if people hadn't convinced me that I was smart?
What if I was dedicated?
What if I grew up somewhere else?
What if I was born to the half of the world's population that lives on less than $2 a day?
What if I never meet Dean**?
What if I can't write this thing?
What if I've given up before I've even begun?
What if my butterfly killing theory of history is wrong?
What if this is it?
What if I stay here forever?
What if I leave?
What if I don't go to college?
What if I don't graduate?
What if I let the worst happen?


*Please do not leave the comment that you're maybe thinking of leaving.
**Dean is something like Edward Cullen in that he cannot be a real boy, but he is a figment of my imagination. Play along.

Wootage

Vague Verity gets the book. Tell me where to meet you...in the comments.
I'm in Bio right now. We've just finished our test. I got a 82% or something. That's pretty close to my average in the whole class. Awesome. But not really.
There are some posts that start out with a really awesome idea and pictures and everything. This is not one of them. This is a get on blogger and ramble type of post.
I have to go to Euro in fifteen minutes. I like Euro at the end of the day a lot more than I liked it third block. We had B lunch, so whenever we were doing a project in class, we would totally slack off in the first half of class, saying we'd do it after lunch.
I need a plan. I feel like knowing what I want to do if I grow up would make me a little more motivated. Right now, I'm motivated in Euro and Commercial Art, but not much else.
Blurgh.

Bam

I need to finish my homework. I fell asleep too early, and now it's 4:20 and I need to make a calendar of all my studying. Fun.
I think money is a series of ridonkulous promises. Just thought I'd throw that out there.
Ohhhh. I've just finished Give and Take, which is the book from Concord Free Press. I need to give it away to someone. It contains some...uhhh..."adult themes" so you've been warned. If you want it, leave a comment. First comment gets the book. Yay.

Things I learned from Wikipedia

The Russian government decided that their weapon of choice against Estonia is spam. Cyberwar? Why didn't anyone tell me about this when it happened?
Koni has a larger page than Barney and a much larger page than Miss Beazly.
Florence Harding is in the running for most interesting underrated first lady. And Eleanor Roosevelt was not the only lesbian first lady, Rose Cleveland (okay, not the president's wife) was too.
Apparently there has to be an organization with a fancy name for a total of six operating "Intentional Communities" This and this one with the stupid name are worth checking out.
Autonomous buildings are a sort of captivating idea, mostly because the Dymaxion House is one, and you know how I feel about that.
Human scale is a pretty obvious concept that did not need a wikipedia page.
One of the first Car Free Days was in Reykjavík. They really like fireworks and have the largest geothermal heating and cooling system in the world.
And the Dubai Police Force prints their email addresses on their cars.
And there's pirates in the news. Next, you'll hear about zombies, unicorns, ninjas, and warewolves uniting to free the guy being held captive.

Why Today is Awesome

Thing One
I was getting ready this morning and saw thisMy plants are growing! This made me really happy. It should make you happy too!
Then...
I went to King's. It was really freeking cool. Apparently it's the largest used bookstore in the country. Anyways, I got books. And it was super. See that red book? Henrik Ibsen.

Want.

Someone else used a rolley map thing in their house. On AT, of course.

One Good Reason

Not to run away to Iceland.http://www.flickr.com/photos/anna9370/2714275954/http://www.flickr.com/photos/stuckincustoms/http://www.flickr.com/photos/tanktv/http://www.flickr.com/photos/fjalarinn/1170338073/

This is a public service announcement

If you want me to consider going to your school, please send me something pretty.
Not like Denison University.

They sent me a boring letter, along with a thing to send them if I want more information. They haven't entered the digital age, so they don't have a website, apparently.
On the other hand, Tulane University sent me something nice.
Bonus points for using Chuck Taylors.This looks sort of boring from the outside, but when you open it...
It tells me about the different things I can do there.
Please, think of something new and fresh if you want people to even consider going to your school.

Lists make me happy.

I am going to live in a place like this. Because it is cute.
I am going to spend all day imagining things.
I am going to be someone who has motivation.
I am going to be funny but serious sometimes.
I am going to paint the walls grey. And I will have a pedestal sink.
I am going to be good at speaking.
I am going to prove that none of this matters.
I am going to stand with the world swirling around me, a little island in the middle of nowhere.

Look! Shiny!

My grandma just asked me "How I got to be such a fucking smart ass." She did use those words. People wonder where I get it from.

Also, this is super awesome.

Jack the Dripper

His family reads some letters here.
Am I the only one who's a little annoyed when everyone starts comparing this recession to the great depression? I feel like that's going to make it worse. That's probably an irrational idea, but.
Also, AT's smallest coolest contest has started. Squeee. Also, I don't think the bathroom here, the one with the white walls and the black shower is a real bathroom. No one has that cool of a bathroom.