Shedding Light on an Old Problem

I finally put a name to a problem that has been on my mind lately. How I didn't think of it before, I don't know. I guess it's because I've never had to deal with it...until now.

Bullies. Bullying.

We all know about it, and we all say that it won't happen to me. Dismiss it. Out of site, out of mind. But, that doesn't make it okay. That doesn't just get rid of the problem. We as human beings with feelings have to identify it and put a stop to it.

The bullying is not happening to me personally, but rather to people around me. Still, these people are important to me, and the bullying needs to stop.

Do the bulliers know they are doing it? I have no clue. Perhaps they will read this because they also have close relations to me.

I will address the types of bullying surfacing in the situations because I feel awareness will open the eyes of those people and others who also see the bullying happening.

Physical.

The most common type to witness out there. But, it also can be greatly overlooked in minor instances. Pushing, shoving, smacking, punching, and so on are the clear indicators of physical bullying, in an intentional manner of course. This is where the problem lies. We playfully hit each other nowadays, so actual physical bullying can be taken as rough housing instead of a problem. If you feel physically threatened or are being physically bullied, tell an adult. Your mom, dad, teacher, principal, friend's mom, or someone you know and trust.

Verbal.

So frequently passed over. Even I didn't catch this at first. Verbal threats, verbal abuse. Words can hurt just as easily as fists. The saying goes, "Actions speak louder than words." But words cut to the heart and soul. Words impact self-esteem and self-image. They can make you think twice about doing something in order to avoid the bullies. Some times no matter what you do those verbal abusers come back to bite anyways. All most anyone can fall into the bullier or victim position. And, I mean anyone of all ages, young to...adult. This type is so hard to identify because it can happen without conscience knowledge of it. I would advise tyring to tell an adult but also go to the person causing the problem. Tell that person what is going on, in a polite and friendly way, because chances are that person may not be aware of bullying you.

Cyber.

Personally, I haven't seen this arise yet within the people I care about. However, cyber bullying still exists. Steps have been taken to vigorously stop this type, which may be why I am not seeing it in my home community. Does not mean though cyber bullying has disappeared completely. People monitor sites that host cyber bullying, but notify an adult if you see any sign of someone being cyber bullied. The Internet can be the worst place, so I cannot stress getting the attention of help in order to stop cyber bullying.

Bullies develop any where and at times without them even knowing. Get the attention of authorities or adults. When you find an adult, make sure the adult can actually help you because the adult could even worsen the problem rather than solve it.

Bullies lead to emotional and mental distress. We need to put a stop to such a life scarring problem. So many good kids are out there being bullied. If only just a hand full of these bullies are stopped, many more kids could be free of a damaged life. Stop the torture. Stop the bullying.

Do you remember...

"Eh, what's up, doc?"

I love Bugs Bunny. Now and forever. I was never into Mickey Mouse as much as Bugs Bunny and his pals. Always outwitting Elmer Fudd and Daffy. Portraying himself as great in anything and everything he did. He was the top...bunny. I wish they would let him reign again. Bugs taught people of all ages important lessons in life. Never play with dynamite. Someone IS out to get you. Sarcasm is funny only up to a point. Guns are dangerous. Duck season over rabbit season. Aliens DO exist..., and they are out to get you. Even the smallest thing can pack a big punch (figuratively and literally). Bugs is my favorite. I draw my own bunny cartoon from Bugs inspiration.

"I knew I should've taken that left turn at Albuquerque."


He loves lasagna but hates Mondays. Another favorite of mine is Garfield. That scruffy, fat, orange and black cat always cracks me up. I've seen TV shows of him lately, but I think he's just more of a comic strip kind of cartoon. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the TV shows. I just think Garfield didn't have as much of a "water-down" personality that the television shows project nowadays. He's crude. He's rude. But, that's Garfield. He just doesn't really care about anything other than himself. Cat food? Blech. He would dump it on your head. This cat eats fine food. Lasagna being his absolute favorite, and it's also one of mine. I've got three Garfields at home (one of which my dog eyes a lot). I am glad to say that Garfield cartoons still do exist in their full splendor. Hopefully, we can keep this way.


The world of cartoons and television shows has changed much. VERY much. I miss the Angry Beavers, Doug, Hey Arnold, Popeye, CatDog, Hamtaro (yes, I watched the show about talking hamsters), Power Rangers (the original show not the ninth or tenth generation they are in now), and so many others that I can't think of right now. They were the best shows out there. At least, that's what I think. Yeah, they had all the "violence" and "other" content that make the parents of modern day drop their mouths open in shock. But, those cartoons had truth. They told kids to tell the truth and showed the consequences of lying! Some parents look at these shows in disgust because of all the double meanings people have put upon them! Think people! To me, it's better to watch the Coyote fall off the cliff a thousand times than to view some music videos put on YouTube. Society is much more...expressively chaotic. We have a wider acceptance of moral values now than a decade ago. It's hard sometimes to find a middle ground between the preschool counting "cartoons" and...well...Family Guy. Bugs Bunny has that middle ground. Just enough humanity to lead to a lesson with the dash of explosion on the side. A perfect dish. A classic. Don't see much of those lately.

Cartoons are like wine. They age just fine.

Quote Me on Mondays!!

I am going to take a page of "quotes" from this book my mom got me, 1001 Things Every College Student Needs to Know (Like Buying Your Books before Exams Start) by Harry H. Harrison Jr., and write my opinion of them. These could be short or really long. It just depends on how it plays out.

Okay, so from page 123 (how weird):

393. You need to know taking notes will help you pay attention--which is, of course, the...uh...point

This is so obvious, but notes are VERY important. You can never have too many notes. Even if the notes you took on the chapter took 15 sheets of paper...Notes can decide the grade you get on that ridiculously difficult exam you took last week...(groveling)...er...The professor may or may not send you notes so take your own anyways.

394. You need to know if you can't read your handwriting now, there's no way you'll decipher them at the end of the semester.

Haha. I could point this out to a couple of my friends, but I think they already know. If you can't read you own handwriting, you epically fail. Just kidding. Seriously, not knowing what your own handwriting says is a major problem. I would suggest typing your notes in class or get a program on your computer that will type the professor's lectures. Recording the lectures works, too, but I wouldn't try it. However, it's up to you.

395. You need to know the Cornell Method for taking notes. Draw a 1.5 inch margin on the left. Take notes on the right side of the paper and add questions pertaining to the notes on the left side.

I don't use this. It's too much of a hassle for me to do in class. I use the list method, which is pretty obvious as to how to do it. You can try this if you want, but I know for sure that this won't work for me. There are other methods besides this one and the list method, too. Just look them up. I'm too lazy and tired to do it right now. Ask me later.

"In the beginning was the Word"

College life. It's always in motion. First, you're streaming down the fast lane, not quite sure how you got there or how to control the speed, and when you think you're just about to crash, you slow to a crawl. You have time. Spare time. The most precious thing for a college student.

I have classes. Those classes require me to read in textbooks and learn from them. And, once I'm finally finished, I now have always one more book to read. The Book. The Word. The Bible.

Yes, I have taken that leap into reaffirming my faith. My Baptist faith. I didn't just decide this out of the blue (well, maybe some might argue that but it's not out of the blue for me). Three of the greatest people I have ever met started the idea in my head because they have so many passages committed to memory. I barely knew what was going on.

So, on I shall read. I am in Exodus in the Old Testament and John in the New Testament. Sometimes I take a moment to connect the genealogy or reflect on the day's reading. I already feel closer to God even though I've only just begun!

I am learning more of the New Testament since I have a New Testament class, but it's different. My professor assigned us a paper in there, and my topic is the concept of Jesus' family (I picked it to make that clear). I never knew there were such controversies over Jesus' brothers or Mary's virginity. Fortunately, today I found a book in the college's library that talks about his brothers and how they can only be Jesus' brothers. I looked up passages in my Bible to verify what the author was saying and eventually came to this conclusion (I don't know yet if I am going to include this in my paper): Jesus had four brothers, James, Joses (Joseph), Judas, and Simon, two sisters, and two cousins (that I have read of so far), James and John, who became Jesus' disciples.

Other students here have different religions and beliefs. I understand that. I knew that. But, I want to stand strong in my faith. Stand as strong as a petra (or rock) that only God can move!

This won't take a couple of days, a week, a fortnight, or a month. I'll be finished in a year. Hopefully, I will have a few passages committed to memory, too.

But, I'm only at the beginning. And, "in the beginning was the Word" John 1:1.

The Family Diary

I came up with this story idea a while, long while ago. It's about a single dad, Charles Cris, and a single mom, Melissa Jones, falling in love and getting married. The only problem at the wedding? Both families of seven have never met each other. So, Charles and Melissa create the family diary, a collection of entries by everyone in the new family. From the oldest of 22 to the youngest of 7 (this may change I don't have all the characters yet), the family tells of their ups, downs, and everything in between as they try to become somewhat of a "normal" family. Tell me what you think. I will put up the members of the family (that I have so far), and each member has his or her own personality. Also, I am writing each entry in a different font. Some time later I might post their personalities (although some may be obvious through the name).

Cris Family:

Charles-father
Corbin-21 year old son
Ginger-19 year old daughter
Jasper-18 year old son
Whittany-16 year old daughter
Dakota-14 year old daughter
Kennedy-11 year old son
Rockel-7 year old daughter


Jones Family:

Melissa-mother
Nicholas-22 year old son
TBD-adopted
TBD-border
Steven-16 year old son
TBD
Achley-8 year old daughter
Ashley-8 year old daughter

My Latest Obsession

Lately, I have been obsessed with a couple of websites, writing websites. First, http://www.teenink.com/ because I can read some writing there and publish stuff. Next, http://www.facebook.com/ (self explanatory). And, lastly, http://www.webook.com/. Why WEBook? Well, I can actually develop a story there. It also lets you get feedback from other writers and even authors (one of the authors I met has a link to the right). From there you can put your stuff on it Page to Fame option. It costs some money, but people rate your first page. If they like it enough, you can put more on there. Another option it has is Agent in box. This is free. You can submit your completed manuscript for agents to look at. It's a really cool writing website. I would definitely encourage you to check it out.

Also to the right are some links to my Teen Ink publishings and fellow bloggers as well as that free online book.

Writing is SO Important

Where would we ever be if every person in the world stopped writing? I'm thinking choas, explosions, total mass panic because nobody knows what happened!!

People tend to take advantage of written works, and most don't even know they do it. No writing means no newspapers, no magazines, no Facebook, no Twitter, and no internet. How could anyone ever live in such horrible conditions? Nobody could. We rely on writing so much now, eliminating it is not an option.

Yes, you could make a video. But where would you put it? The internet is gone. TV? Take out all written words...and maybe it's possible. However, buying air time would be expensive and require contracts. Verbal words aren't as trustworthy. People need the evidence recorded. This way would get over complex and not worth the trouble.

What about communicating directly? This solution definitely would work if you had time on your hands as well. Let's face it we need writing and writers (you know the ones who do the writing?) or else getting through one day is not possible. At ALL.

I'm not telling you to go out and praise the first journalist you see (you can if you want but that is your choice). I just want you to realize that the smallest bit of information in a newspaper or magazine or on the internet most likely took a lot of work to get. Don't grovel. Just exhibit some patience and you will be rewarded. Words can't travel like speeding bullets.

Lost in My Own Little World

I haven't had much to post about because not much has really happened. I'm just writing more to my story which is good, and I just edited some things in my short story. I played nine holes yesterday to get some peace and quiet but also because I need to practice. Need to be at the top of my game, or as close to it as possible, when golf season hits. I got some thinking done. I really just need to write all parts of the story that I have in my head onto the computer. My characters are doing a lot of moving in the story right now, but they will stay in a familiar place for a little while. And, it's a place that won't take a lot of surfing the web to find. New characters are coming into play including a homeless person. I may put one more chapter in my Facebook notes, but the rest can be read through request only (I'll mention this on Facebook, too). I maybe just paranoid, but I don't want my story to get stolen.

Just wanted to give an update.

I was looking up something, and I came across this... http://www.comicsalliance.com/2010/05/17/superhero-periodic-table-superpowers/

New Name and New People

Okay before you ask, no the new name has nothing to do with meeting new people. Two completely different situations here. Alright now that's cleared up...

The new name. Well, I'm not going to deny it. Things are changing, but they are good things. My teacher finished her book and started a blog http://serendipiteeblog.com/, my close friends and I are going off to different colleges (but we won't be far), and the friends I will be leaving behind are exploring ways into the writing world. I'm still writing a story (hoping I can take it far). I am going to college on academic and athletic scholarships, and I have decided to major in Biology. Also, I am going to try to find some way at college to continue writing stories (I found out they don't have a newspaper...but they have this writing center thing that I will try). The same three elements that stuck me the nickname Bones are sticking with me in college. The three elements that basically define me, my roots, my bones. They are my frame like a skeleton, and they hold me together just like bones are supposed to do. I branch from them to make muscles and bloom to form skin, but golf, writing, and forensics make up the foundation I stand on, the one people recongize me. How did I get the name? My dad started to call me that last summer when I went to Lipscomb because I am going into forensics. Not necessary anthropology but still serology deals with parts of a human. "Bones" went from a nickname due to my ambitions to golf. My dad wrote it on every scorecard when we played a round together (him being "Old Man"), and my high school golf team took nicknames of their own because of "Bones." From there it found its way into my high school newspaper staff. I put it on the back of my staff shirt and used it in our laser tag games. Most (if not all) of the staff knew that I am going into the forensics field, so "Bones" made sense. I use it for my comments. It's going to serve as a reminder of my roots, my bones, the people who helped me get this far and support me in whatever comes my way. But bones don't go unchecked, so I'm not leaving you guys. I'm only an hour and a half away and trust me I'm coming to visit any chance I get. I've written this in one of my friend's yearbooks, but it needs to be said to all of you. This is NOT (I repeat NOT) a "good-bye," it's more like a "see you later" because I'm coming back just not until a little later.

The new people. This part is much more self explanitory. I had freshman orientation today and met new people as well as reaquainting myself with old ones. It was awkward. It was quiet (very quiet), but some how I was able to possibly start a new friendship. She has hinted some aspects of my older friends, but I don't really know too well yet. I got my schedule, but I don't have a roommate assignment...yet. "Are you excited about college?" Yes, no, maybe, sort of, kind of, I don't know. But, I am excited about my classes, and yes, I think that is weird.

Now, you know. I hope nobody cried when reading this. That would make me feel bad, and if you did cry, well I can't say you weren't warned. The events around you were the warnings.

Oh, and the sunflower? I wanted a new picture that didn't have me in it and was bright, lively. Also, sunflowers are my favorite flower. The butterfly just made it better.

My blog will be more eventful now. Whether a review on something, a happening of some sort, or just any opinion, I am writing more on here now, and it's because of you. So there. Happy? I'm writing more. :P

Be on your toes though. I may be just around the courner.

*Special Mentioning: I would like to thank J. Lockhart for designing the new banner for my blog.

The Lightning Thief flops out of water

So, I got back from my trip today...or yesterday...whatever. Anyways, I decided to watch Percy Jackson and the Olympians The Lightning Thief on Direct TV Cinema paper view. I finished the book not too long ago, so it was still fresh in my mind (I am currently on the fourth book...just FYI). I looked at the actors and actresses who would be playing the characters, and I recognized a lot of them. I didn't think from the previews that the movie would stray to far from the book. Well, I was hugely disappointed. The movie excluded some key characters that play important parts later in the series and some pivotal scenes were contorted to measures that weren't in any way described in Rick Riordan's The Lightning Thief. And, yes, I am listing them.

I was fine with the opening of Zeus and Poseidon talking about the missing lightning bolt. Kind of puts the audience a step ahead in describing the problem. The movie moved along until they got to the museum. Percy was supposed to hit the girl bully with some cool water action, but that got cut out apparently. I wasn't real upset about it; however, not killing the Mrs. Dobbs Fury, I found annoying. Book: Chiron throws Percy the pen Riptide to kill Mrs. Dobbs then gives it back to Chiron. I can understand cutting out the three Fates part and shortening the chase scene to Half-Blood Hill. I really looked forward to the fighting on the hill, but that got cut way short, too.

When Percy wakes from his unconscious state, Annabeth is there looking at him. She believes he is the one. We don't get to meet Mr. D, and we don't ever see Clarisse, the daughter of Ares. Percy is first taken to cabin 11 where he meets Luke. Percy's god parent doesn't claim Percy until the game of capture the flag. In capture the flag, Percy is told to defend by the creek. Clarisse and several other Ares offspring attack Percy. He falls into the water and gains power through the water. Luke takes the Ares flag, and Annabeth takes off her invisibility cap (she was near Percy the whole time). Then, a hellhound appears out of nowhere and attacks Percy. I think Chiron kills the beast, and when Percy stands, everyone gasps at the trident symbol above Percy's head.

Eventually, we get to when Percy is given the quest to go to the Underworld in order to bring Zeus's lightning bolt back before summer solstice. Percy goes up to the attic to the Oracle to get the quest through a rhyming prophecy. Annabeth volunteers for the quest because she has always wanted to go on one, and Percy chooses Grover as his second companion. Never once does Hades personally call out for Percy. Also, the group is not given a map, and prior to their departure, they know where the Underworld is located.

Their first encounter with monsters is on the bus. Three Furies. They evade them by destroying the bus and finding Medusa's shop. The scene with Medusa is more or less accurate except Percy mails the head of Medusa to the gods when he kills her. Next, the Nashville scene. That NEVER happens. The Hydra is even introduced until second book, and Percy doesn't get a shield until the end of the second book. Oh, the pearls do not play as big of a part as the movie makes them be. Although the pearls are very important in escaping the Underworld, they are not the focus of the book. THE BOLT IS!! That's why it's called The Lightning Thief. Geez. The group's next stop is the Gateway Arch on the way to Denver. The monster Percy fights there is a Chimera and its owner Echidna. In order to escape, Percy must dive off the peak of the arch into the Mississippi River. His dive into the river unveils some other perks of his powers. A messenger from Poseidon tells Percy some things and that end that.

Next. They meet the god of war, Ares. Percy doesn't like this god though he gives them some food to eat. Ares wants Percy to fetch his sword from the Tunnel of Love ride. What he doesn't tell them is that the ride is rigged by Hephaestus, Aphrodite's husband. Percy and Annabeth have to survive the ride of death in order to retrieve the shield and get the assistance from Ares. After that the hotel scene comes (the hotel scene would come after the Nashville scene in the movie), I don't really have to describe it. The main point is emphasised.

The group go to Santa Monica Pier so Percy can get some advice from the messenger from before and the three pearls. Then, they go to a water bed store and encounter yet another monster before they find the place that holds the entrance to the Underworld. I would cut that in the movie because its not THAT important. I would extend the Underworld scene. Hades does not want the bolt nor does he even have it. He tells Percy that he has had it in his backpack the whole time, and Hades demands Percy to give back his Helm of Darkness (Ares put the bolt in a pack he gave Percy, but technically Luke did steal both). Percy must fight the god Ares to get the Helm back. He succeeds by injuring Ares in the heel.

Throughout the quest, Percy gets some strange dreams, and when the group is in the Underworld the pit of Tartarus tries to pull Grover in (Percy gave Grover Luke's winged boots because Zeus would kill Percy if he tried to fly, but Luke bewitched the boots). In the pit of Tartarus, the Titan Kronos lies waiting for a opportunity to rise again. When Ares is defeated, Kronos roars in outrage which probably saves Percy from being killed by Ares.

Percy flies in an airplane to make the deadline for the return of the lightning bolt. He goes to the Empire State Building alone and faces Zeus and Poseidon. Alone. Zeus isn't as nice as the movie makes him, and I liked the way Poseidon was much more caring about Percy than I thought him to be. Hades returns Percy's mother. Percy gets to come home for a little bit. He gets the package back, but he gives Medusa's head to his mother who uses it to turn Gabe into stone. Gabe is sold to an art exhibit. The movie shows Luke plummeting into the sea, but Luke reveals his treachery at the end of the book when Percy is almost killed again. Poison by a scorpion this time, and then the end of the book.

So, to me this movie was butchered as bad as if not worse than Eragon. I liked that book as well. But, it's sad that movie makers don't follow the book sometimes. The Harry Potter movies and Twilight saga movies acknowledge the general flow of the book very well. I know not all specific details can be obtained, but come on at least get the general stuff right. If the next book, The Sea of Monsters, is made, I hope a better movie comes out of it. Twilight was rocky at first, but the new director made New Moon a whole lot better. Maybe if a new director came in or the current one (if they decide to make the next book that is) sticks to the book a lot more, the fans of the novels would enjoy the movies more rather than hope the movie will be good, fear it will SUCK, or know it will not be worth the while at all. The authors take great pride in their written work. Producers and directors should realize that and do their absolute best and beyond to NOT tarnish the authors' work because this damages their pride, too.

How to be a Surfer 101

Okay, so I'm on vacation in South Carolina with my best friend Anne. She decided to bring her body boards so we could ride some waves. As we were having fun, it occurred to me that anyone can be a surfer. All he or she would need to do is... 1. Buy a surf board, 2. Find some friends to go surfing with you, 3. Go to the beach (very important), 4. Sit out in the ocean, and 5. When someone asks why you aren't riding the waves, tell him or her that you are waiting for the perfect wave.

I will try to post something else about my adventures in South Carolina (maybe our Verizon Wireless Navigation mishaps), but I'm not promising anything.

Also, salt water is gross...and evil.

Later Dudes and Dudettes!!

Woes of a Book Collector: Number Three

Okay, lately I have been yearning for an Amazon Kindle because, to put it simply, the thing looks awesome. An iPad has is a computer and the Amazon Kindle into one, but I already have the computer thing. So, an iPad would defeat the purpose of a laptop which would not be good. Plus, I don't think I would be comfortable relying on one tool for everything and hoping that it does not die on me. At least I would have a back up...well for sources. And, it would be easier for me to look a source while typing instead of switching back and forth. How does the Amazon Kindle relate to a book collector? Well, if you don't already know, an Amazon Kindle allows access to millions of books without purchasing them at their regular prices (I think each book is $0.99.), Wikipedia, and other electrionic writing materials. It is also probably cheaper than the iPad (I don't know that for a fact. I didn't check.). Well, that is about it. I want an Amazon Kindle...so bad. But, I can wait...for now.

A tale so lovely it will give you chills

Melissa Marr unveils a whole new perspective of faries with her book Wicked Lovely. The main character Ashlinn and her grandmother have the rare gift of the Sight, which gives them the power to see invisible faries. However, Ashlinn believes the Sight is a curse. Her grandmother forces Ashlinn to follow strict rules to keep from attracting the faries attention.

But, the rules begin to fail Ashlinn when the powerful Summer King, Keenan, seeks her out. He is convinced that Ashlinn is the Summer Queen whom he has been looking for for over nine centuries. Keenan's love Donia also stalks Ashlinn in order to warn her of Keenan's true nature. More than ever Ashlinn needs her best friend Seth, whom she has intimate feelings for, to help devise a plan to escape the eyes of Keenan and Donia. And, if that weren't enough, Keenan's mother Beira wants Ashlinn dead, so she can keep her wintry hold over the mortal world.

Marr's first of three books takes you on a friged roller coaster ride with twists and turns not reachable by the average human. Though the first couple of chapters start out a little slow, they are the build up to an entangled love square that keeps you guessing until the end. Once you pick up this book you won't believe what happens next.

Woes of a Book Collector: Number Two

TWO: I have a habit of buying books on impulse. Although I have been able to control myself, it's hard to resist temptation. So many good titles, so many good stories...It's a wonder to me how anyone can go into a bookstore without buying one single book. Impulse book buying is also how I have accumulated the dozens of books I have crammed on my closet shelf and shoved behind my footon. I shrank my buying to books of series that I am currently reading, so that helps some. In addition, I haven't been actual book shopping which REALLY helps. But, it's only a matter of time. I have gift cards to my favorite book stores, so I am armed and dangerous.

What I Wrote in Newspaper Today

Today in Newspaper, we had two songwriters come in and talk about songwriting and writing in general. They had us do an exercise in which we shouted out random words off the top of our heads in three categories: Subjects, Places, and Transportation. One subject was sacrificial chambermaids...but my group didn't use that. We created a story using ninja-pirates, Germany, and a whale. I was thinking of what to write, and I kind of created my own story while the rest of my group made up a different one. I didn't say anything; I just wrote down what I came up with. I didn't want to be rude and impose my ideas onto their creation, so I just quietly (like always :P) jotted it down. Here is the particle story I came up with:

Massive Southwest headliners flew overhead about every two hours. Full of tourists and the occasional CEO. Perfect victims for the perfect attack.
We've got to hurry, thought the ninja pirate captain. Or else the Germans will foil our plan.
"Load the cargo!" the captain yelled.
Ninja pirates charged toward the wooden crates and began hauling the dead, rank baby whales into catapults.
"Prepare to fire!" The captain listened as his orders echoed down the lines of his crew. The men pulled the vomit-inducing whales back and took aim at the next group of corporate planes.
"Fire!"

This is why I am considering a future in writing. It's possible that I may change my mind on careers...yet again. But, I don't know. I love newspaper class. :)

Woes of a Book Collector: Number One

This will be the start of a continuous list of obstacles that a book collector, me, encounters with every purchase of a new book.

ONE: I never have enough space on my bookcase. I currently own one case that has four shelves, which is definitely NOT sufficient for the dozens of books I own. The bookcase is filled completely (mostly with books that I have read), and I even stacked books in that space between a book and a shelf. However, I am quickly running out of room. I hint to my mom that I need another bookcase, but I don't know if THAT will ever happen. My books and I yearn for more space.

Sigh. So, that is the first woe of a book collector.

Decisions, decisions, hmmm

Okay, so I'm majoring in Biology and minoring in Criminal Justice next year at Martin Methodist College because the college has yet to get a major in Chemistry or Forensic Science. I'm also going there to play college golf, which is a big deal for my family and my school since I am the first girl from my high school to sign to play college golf. I plan on trying to joining their newspaper as well because as you might know I love to write.

Now, here's the dilemma. I can't decide what I want to do.

On one hand forensic science is something that I've taken a great interest in, and I really want to get into because every case is like a new puzzle. You collect the evidence and try to piece together the truth and nail the perpetrator. I make it sound easy, but the jobs are so complex. The smells, the sights, and well if you have ever watched CSI you know what I mean. A forensic serologist or any forensic scientist in general will get to experience that (even though I'm kind of hesitant about the dead body part) because it's part of the job. I took an interest in forensic science (honestly) after I watched the CSI show for some time and went to a CSI Camp in 2008 to learn more about forensics. I zoned in on serology because it dealt with the lab work, and that is the type of work that I am determined to do.

On the other hand I am a great writer, and I have my newspaper advisor, current editor-in-chief, sophomore editor-in-chief, and staff members to thank for that. Had I not decided my sophomore year to join The EDGE, I doubt I would hone the writing skills that I have today. And, I highly doubt that this blog would even exist. I also wouldn't have met all the friends I have made because of newspaper. The EDGE has made a significant change in my life. A good one (for those on the newspaper that read this :P). A career in writing has not left my mind. I've been thinking about this type of career about as much as the previously mentioned one. And, like I said it hasn't escaped my mind.

And, since I don't have another hand I'll improvise :P, on my foot my Professional Golf Instructor keeps telling me that with my swing and concept of golf, I could make it to the LPGA! Now, that itself is always exciting to hear, and I will admit I smile at the thought of being an LPGA golfer. But, I don't know where my college golfing career will take me or even how long I will stay with golf. Right now, I plan on playing golf for a long time, but I can't predict the future. An LPGA career is on my mind as well, and as long as I stick with golf and continue to improve, I will definitely consider a possibility. But for now, I'm just looking forward to college golf and my education after high school.

It's a lot to think about, and all of it has been on my mind recently this week. I'd like some suggestions or any comments. I'd like to find a way to incorporate them all, but I have yet to figure out a way to do so. So there :P; that's my dilemma. Hope I didn't burst your brains in the process. I'll have another intriguing post later. Tune in to find out!!

YouTube Craze

Ever since my friend Kolby has spent the night at my house, she, my sister Megan, and I have been coming up with funny video ideas. I have posted some of our videos on YouTube, but I still have to post our "commercials." The ones that are up there now are a series called The Possessed Pug Purse. They are pretty hilarious, but I'm just saying. The Anchorwoman is my sister and "Janet" is Kolby. I am the camra person; I must note that these videos are taken with a cell phone. Therefore, they are not of the best quality. Here is the link to the first video. You should be able to find the others from there. I hope you like them and feel free to leave ANY comments. Good or bad.

http://www.youtube.com/user/bkkriz

And again, more videos will be posted soon whether you want me to or not.

Failure to Recall

I have been vigorously applying for scholarships since the beginning of the school, trying to get as much "free" money as I can for college. I have applied for so many now that I can't remember how many I have actually applied for...

Page after page of monotonic questions, always typing in my name, address, home phone number, gender, parental information, etc., etc. Everything seems to just blend together because every page of the applications wants the same thing over and over. Isn't there an easier way?!?

...sigh...

I have completed and sent many, many applications, but I have yet to win one. It's frustrating. I feel as though I'm wasting time and effort, but I keep telling myself that I have a good chance at winning this one.

I must add that I have won something, but this was because I was the only person in my school who applied for it. However, the object won was not money. I really, really would like to win some money.

I suppose I must also include the fact that I am getting some scholarship money from Martin Methodist College to play golf there.

But I didn't really win it.

I stress the win part because I want all my efforts of laborious typing/writing to amount to something other than a moan and disappointment.

My family is middle class, and the way several scholarships are setup middle class income families are discriminated against. I don't get an equal chance compared to other applicants.

I don't mean to rant. I'm just a well-deserving student, among many, who so badly wants to win.