This was inspired by one of my pastor's sermons.
In 1492, Columbus accidentally stumbled upon the Caribbean. But he didn't know that. He thought it was India. He DIED thinking it was India. He just didn't know.
In the middle ages, the people thought the world was, 6/7 water: a chunk of land with salty puddles in it. They just didn't know.
Before Copernicus, everyone thought the sun revolved around the earth. It was clearly moving around us. They were pissed at Copernicus's crazy new theory. They just didn't know.
And that was the fun of it. No one. Really. Knew.
Columbus, Copernicus, and just the ordinary people saw the world as one giant mystery waiting to be solved.
Is the earth really flat?
Who made everything?
What if the Earth were the thing revolving instead of the sun?
How do I know I'm really alive?
How do you cure the measles?
Why are babies attached to their mothers?
Questions. Endless, exciting, bewildering, dangerous, difficult questions. Who knows? No one? Alright then, I'll find out.
Just imagine. A world where you just. don't. know. Everything is new, exciting, mysterious. Like being a child, only better because you can grow up and things are still just that exciting.
Now come back. To our world, our time.
"No, it's round. Duh."
"'Science' says no one made everything, okay? Drop it."
*eyeroll* "The earth IS revolving. And so are the other seven planets."
"Hook yourself to a heart monitor if you're so concerned about whether or not you're living."
"Gah, I don't know, just get the vaccine. It doesn't matter."
"Just Google it, will you?"
We know everything now. We have Science, the Internet, and all the philosophers before us to figure things out. We've got it from here. It's all old news.
And I find that deeply troubling.
I think science is really important. It's good that we've figured things out and have vaccines and treatments. It's good that we've come so far. It wouldn't be right for us to sit around and NOT figure things out.
But...it's a little sad at the same time. All the wonder, the bright-eyed questions and thousands of little mysteries every day...they're gone. We've solved the mystery. Cracked the case. Finished the puzzle. We think there are no more questions. No more mysteries. We've resigned ourselves to contented boredom.
We've lost the beauty of Wonder and the joy of Discovery. I can't even imagine a world where people Just Don't Know. I would want to get out and discover things, find the answers, think my very own thoughts.
There's no way to go back to ignorance, and I'm not saying we should. I'm just saying that we're living in a World of Lost Mysteries, or at least that's the way we look at it. We can't forget the great art of asking questions. There are still mysteries out there, we just have to pry ourselves way from Google long enough to find them :)
Showing posts with label science. Show all posts
Showing posts with label science. Show all posts
Monday, March 14, 2011
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Unwanted Days
Well. Today has just not been good.
I was lonely.
I was distracted.
I felt very unwanted.
And realized something awful:
I'm trying my best at chemistry. And I'm still honestly confused.
This may sound arrogant, but I've never struggled in a school subject for any reason other than pure laziness. Sure, physical science and biology had their kick-my-butt moments, but that was because I'd gotten behind and shirked the work.
I'm completely caught up in chemistry. I've actually been putting in the time these first two weeks of school.
Yeah, only two weeks and I'm like O_o
*sigh* I don't know what to do. At least I'm actually trying. That oughta count for something in the end, right?
I wish the other parts of my life worked that way.
~Kendra
I was lonely.
I was distracted.
I felt very unwanted.
And realized something awful:
I'm trying my best at chemistry. And I'm still honestly confused.
This may sound arrogant, but I've never struggled in a school subject for any reason other than pure laziness. Sure, physical science and biology had their kick-my-butt moments, but that was because I'd gotten behind and shirked the work.
I'm completely caught up in chemistry. I've actually been putting in the time these first two weeks of school.
Yeah, only two weeks and I'm like O_o
*sigh* I don't know what to do. At least I'm actually trying. That oughta count for something in the end, right?
I wish the other parts of my life worked that way.
~Kendra
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Things to Start
Thanks for following, Brenna!
Another good day so far :D No dog-washing or cake-baking, but I rode my bike again and did sit-ups til I couldn't anymore XD (Upper body strength: 0. Stomach muscles: not actually that bad.)
For all you wondering, the cake was good :D That was surprising, especially considering I sort of went a little astray with the recipe in some places...Heh :3 Come visit and I'll make it for you :D
Did you know that it's harder to start something than it is to keep something up? This is true no matter how you look at it. Physics itself proves it! When something like a cardboard is in motion across the floor, the molecules of the box and the floor more or less slide across each other. However, if you stop pushing, that gives the box molecules and the floor molecules time to settle into each other. When you start pushing the box again, you have to break their little bond to get going.
Since getting started takes such a conscious effort, I've made my third summer list...
Things to Start
1. Washing my face every morning - I mostly only do it when I have to remove my makeup. That can't be good for my skin. I'm trying to get better about this.
2. Exercising every day - I will bet you real money that I'm in worse shape than you. If you think I'm kidding, watch me ride my bike up these hills.
3. Eating more fruits and veggies - The thing is, I actually LIKE fruits and veggies. So this shouldn't be all that hard. I just need to be more deliberate in getting some at every meal.
4. Reading the Bible at night - Mornings just don't work for me.
5. Keeping my room clean - Heh. 'Nuff said.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
What happened to 6-10? I haven't thought that far yet XD Any ideas on more things I should start this summer?
~Kendra
Another good day so far :D No dog-washing or cake-baking, but I rode my bike again and did sit-ups til I couldn't anymore XD (Upper body strength: 0. Stomach muscles: not actually that bad.)
For all you wondering, the cake was good :D That was surprising, especially considering I sort of went a little astray with the recipe in some places...Heh :3 Come visit and I'll make it for you :D
Did you know that it's harder to start something than it is to keep something up? This is true no matter how you look at it. Physics itself proves it! When something like a cardboard is in motion across the floor, the molecules of the box and the floor more or less slide across each other. However, if you stop pushing, that gives the box molecules and the floor molecules time to settle into each other. When you start pushing the box again, you have to break their little bond to get going.
Since getting started takes such a conscious effort, I've made my third summer list...
Things to Start
1. Washing my face every morning - I mostly only do it when I have to remove my makeup. That can't be good for my skin. I'm trying to get better about this.
2. Exercising every day - I will bet you real money that I'm in worse shape than you. If you think I'm kidding, watch me ride my bike up these hills.
3. Eating more fruits and veggies - The thing is, I actually LIKE fruits and veggies. So this shouldn't be all that hard. I just need to be more deliberate in getting some at every meal.
4. Reading the Bible at night - Mornings just don't work for me.
5. Keeping my room clean - Heh. 'Nuff said.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
What happened to 6-10? I haven't thought that far yet XD Any ideas on more things I should start this summer?
~Kendra
Monday, November 23, 2009
Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth...
Hell, or biology final tomorrow?
Take a wild guess.
Note: "Same thing" will also be an accepted answer.
Take a wild guess.
Note: "Same thing" will also be an accepted answer.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Nostalgia
Quote Day:
“The world is full of people whose notion of a satisfactory future is, in fact, a return to the idolized past.”–Robertson Davies
So, today was the first day of school at home.
*groan*
NOW I remember why I prayed for summer. Doing school for 8 grueling hours with no rest will do that for you. And I'm still not done. I have stuff to do still, but it's BritLit, so it's not that bad.
Subject Rundown:
Latin: Somebody just shoot me. Either the exercises are so easily I want to throw myself off a building, or they're so hard I want to throw myself off a building.
BritLit: Awesome! Interesting, not too hard, great! I love literature!
Art History: Ugh, it sounds fun, but there's SO MUCH TO DO! We have to read all these books, write all these papers, memorize all the stuff about famous pictures, make a timeline of all the big music and art stuff we come across. It's just too much! I really like the books (How Shall We Then Live? and State of the Arts), but there's just too much to do.
Debate: Challenging, but fun, like last year. It's basically the exact same thing as last year.
Biology: Not really hard, just a lot of stuff to read over and work sheets to do. It's not good or bad yet.
Logic: Ridiculously easy, not fun, not what I love, and it's so disappointing! I love logic, but this isn't "real" logic. *scowls*
Alebra 1 (um, again): Do I even have to say anything?
Overall, *sob* I miss Challenge I!! Oh my gosh! You really never realize how good you have it until you're gone! I hate this! I *LOVED* Challenge I! It was, like, the best year of my whole life! (Challenge B was pretty awesome, too, though...). *SOBSOBSOB*
I just CANNOT live in the present, can I?? I was living so in the past last year that I missed the complete and utter AWESOMENESS of the year! And now I'm doing it again! I'll never learn.
But this year really does suck (so far...day two).
And last year really did rock beyond all freakin' compare.
Other than that rant, I have nothing to say. I feel like I'm just barely keeping my head above water, and school has BARELY started.
:'(
Next year when I say that Challenge III sucks and that Challenge II was amazing, come over and kick me, would you?
*sob*
P.S. Vote in the poll, s'il vous plait.
“The world is full of people whose notion of a satisfactory future is, in fact, a return to the idolized past.”–Robertson Davies
So, today was the first day of school at home.
*groan*
NOW I remember why I prayed for summer. Doing school for 8 grueling hours with no rest will do that for you. And I'm still not done. I have stuff to do still, but it's BritLit, so it's not that bad.
Subject Rundown:
Latin: Somebody just shoot me. Either the exercises are so easily I want to throw myself off a building, or they're so hard I want to throw myself off a building.
BritLit: Awesome! Interesting, not too hard, great! I love literature!
Art History: Ugh, it sounds fun, but there's SO MUCH TO DO! We have to read all these books, write all these papers, memorize all the stuff about famous pictures, make a timeline of all the big music and art stuff we come across. It's just too much! I really like the books (How Shall We Then Live? and State of the Arts), but there's just too much to do.
Debate: Challenging, but fun, like last year. It's basically the exact same thing as last year.
Biology: Not really hard, just a lot of stuff to read over and work sheets to do. It's not good or bad yet.
Logic: Ridiculously easy, not fun, not what I love, and it's so disappointing! I love logic, but this isn't "real" logic. *scowls*
Alebra 1 (um, again): Do I even have to say anything?
Overall, *sob* I miss Challenge I!! Oh my gosh! You really never realize how good you have it until you're gone! I hate this! I *LOVED* Challenge I! It was, like, the best year of my whole life! (Challenge B was pretty awesome, too, though...). *SOBSOBSOB*
I just CANNOT live in the present, can I?? I was living so in the past last year that I missed the complete and utter AWESOMENESS of the year! And now I'm doing it again! I'll never learn.
But this year really does suck (so far...day two).
And last year really did rock beyond all freakin' compare.
Other than that rant, I have nothing to say. I feel like I'm just barely keeping my head above water, and school has BARELY started.
:'(
Next year when I say that Challenge III sucks and that Challenge II was amazing, come over and kick me, would you?
*sob*
P.S. Vote in the poll, s'il vous plait.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Losing Losers
*swallows hard* Soccer practice is tonight at 8 o'clock. Not only is Ben-from-class on my team, so is Josh-from-class and all Josh-from-class's awesome siblings (at least the high-school-aged ones). Their family is insanely talented in soccer, and Ben isn't a bad goalie himself, so I think we have a really good team even though I don't know who else is on the team. Except me. But I hardly count. I don't do anything stupid, but I'm not really good either, so I'm kind of like a 0. I don't subract from the team's goodness, but I don't add to it either.
I am so nervous. This is gonna be horrible. The coach is gonna make us run suicides or something and I'm gonna finish dead last and then throw up or something. Omg, this is so awful. Why did I even sign up for soccer? I'm so out of shape. This is awful. Oh my gosh. *MOAN*
*clears throat* Well, um, on a lighter note, I just finished watching 17 Again. I really love that movie. Every other line is a LOL, and the moral of the story is great. If you can get past the billions of inuendos, lol ;) Luckily Lizzy doesn't pick up on half of it, or I'd feel really creepy watching it with her. That's why I didn't want her coming with me to see it in the theater. I was so glad my mom hadn't made me take her, too. I wouldn't have been able to enjoy the movie knowing my impressionable little sister was watching in the next seat.
I did the 16 pages of pre-class biology today. I love the science book. It's written by the same guy as last year's was. The way he phrases things is really easy to understand, but it's still complicated stuff so I feel like I've actually learned something when I'm finished.
After school starts tomorrow, I might not be able to post as often. I'm not sure. I'd still like to post every day, and I'll try, but I'm not sure how hard this year is going to be. We'll just have to see.
In honor of school starting tomorrow, let me post a quick class "cast" and an unfair stereotype to them to help you follow me if I start using names.
1. Me - The Bigmouth
2. Ben - The Dare Devil
3. Tori - The Pretty One
4. Josh - The Nice Guy
5. Amanda - The Normal One
6. Kirsten - The Genius
7. Chris - The Clown
8. Jessie - The Good One
9. David - The Youngest
10. Alex -
11. Cassidy -
Yeah, that's our class. Alex (she's a girl) and Cassidy are new this year, so I don't know about them yet.
Writing that list almost made me cry. Know why? Because two very, very, VERY important people aren't on it. Ellie B and Taylor (he's a guy) aren't going to be in class this year. Y'all "know" Ellie. She's a follower and one of my best friends. She's been going to my school since 7th grade. We've started school together every year since middle school. She's awesome. She's part of the class.
And she won't be there this year.
Taylor goes back wayyy farther. We've known each other since we were five (wow, a whole decade), and done school together since we were like seven. We've both been going to THIS school since fifth grade, and every year as long as I can really remember, he's been in my class. We aren't amazing friends or anything, we don't even talk to each other that much. But we're exactly alike. EXACTLY ALIKE. I honestly can't imagine school without him there, asking the question I was opening my mouth to ask, finishing my sentence, giving me the word I was looking for when I'm talking, making the same stupid mistakes as me in math, helping me remember what I was going to say even though I hadn't said it, glancing at each other when someone says something stupid.
I don't mean to get all...memory-lane on you guys, but...all the sudden, it feels really wrong to be starting school without him. It'll be like half the class is gone, not to mention half my brain. We don't like each other all that much, we never talk, don't each lunch together, don't even see each other outside of class, but I'm really gonna miss him. Way more than I ever imagined. In some ways, more than Ellie. I'll still call Ellie and talk to her like every day, and we'll get together sometimes, but Taylor...I might never really see him again.
I don't know what to do about that. It's not like I want to hang out with him, it's just that I feel like I shouldn't be starting school without him. He's always been there, and I kind of figured he always would be.
Gosh, I hate this. I hate it when people leave that you never even knew you cared anything about. You know how whenever I get an email or Facebook fill-out and the question is "What are you most afraid of?" I always put "losing people"? Well, this is why.
I HATE this. Why can't everyone just stay where they are forever? What is so great about changing, growing up, being a LOSER and LEAVING? What is the deal?
*sigh*
I guess I'm done posting. Sorry for ranting.
Soccer in 2 hours and forty-nine minutes.
Carpe diem. You never know who's gonna just not show up next year.
I am so nervous. This is gonna be horrible. The coach is gonna make us run suicides or something and I'm gonna finish dead last and then throw up or something. Omg, this is so awful. Why did I even sign up for soccer? I'm so out of shape. This is awful. Oh my gosh. *MOAN*
*clears throat* Well, um, on a lighter note, I just finished watching 17 Again. I really love that movie. Every other line is a LOL, and the moral of the story is great. If you can get past the billions of inuendos, lol ;) Luckily Lizzy doesn't pick up on half of it, or I'd feel really creepy watching it with her. That's why I didn't want her coming with me to see it in the theater. I was so glad my mom hadn't made me take her, too. I wouldn't have been able to enjoy the movie knowing my impressionable little sister was watching in the next seat.
I did the 16 pages of pre-class biology today. I love the science book. It's written by the same guy as last year's was. The way he phrases things is really easy to understand, but it's still complicated stuff so I feel like I've actually learned something when I'm finished.
After school starts tomorrow, I might not be able to post as often. I'm not sure. I'd still like to post every day, and I'll try, but I'm not sure how hard this year is going to be. We'll just have to see.
In honor of school starting tomorrow, let me post a quick class "cast" and an unfair stereotype to them to help you follow me if I start using names.
1. Me - The Bigmouth
2. Ben - The Dare Devil
3. Tori - The Pretty One
4. Josh - The Nice Guy
5. Amanda - The Normal One
6. Kirsten - The Genius
7. Chris - The Clown
8. Jessie - The Good One
9. David - The Youngest
10. Alex -
11. Cassidy -
Yeah, that's our class. Alex (she's a girl) and Cassidy are new this year, so I don't know about them yet.
Writing that list almost made me cry. Know why? Because two very, very, VERY important people aren't on it. Ellie B and Taylor (he's a guy) aren't going to be in class this year. Y'all "know" Ellie. She's a follower and one of my best friends. She's been going to my school since 7th grade. We've started school together every year since middle school. She's awesome. She's part of the class.
And she won't be there this year.
Taylor goes back wayyy farther. We've known each other since we were five (wow, a whole decade), and done school together since we were like seven. We've both been going to THIS school since fifth grade, and every year as long as I can really remember, he's been in my class. We aren't amazing friends or anything, we don't even talk to each other that much. But we're exactly alike. EXACTLY ALIKE. I honestly can't imagine school without him there, asking the question I was opening my mouth to ask, finishing my sentence, giving me the word I was looking for when I'm talking, making the same stupid mistakes as me in math, helping me remember what I was going to say even though I hadn't said it, glancing at each other when someone says something stupid.
I don't mean to get all...memory-lane on you guys, but...all the sudden, it feels really wrong to be starting school without him. It'll be like half the class is gone, not to mention half my brain. We don't like each other all that much, we never talk, don't each lunch together, don't even see each other outside of class, but I'm really gonna miss him. Way more than I ever imagined. In some ways, more than Ellie. I'll still call Ellie and talk to her like every day, and we'll get together sometimes, but Taylor...I might never really see him again.
I don't know what to do about that. It's not like I want to hang out with him, it's just that I feel like I shouldn't be starting school without him. He's always been there, and I kind of figured he always would be.
Gosh, I hate this. I hate it when people leave that you never even knew you cared anything about. You know how whenever I get an email or Facebook fill-out and the question is "What are you most afraid of?" I always put "losing people"? Well, this is why.
I HATE this. Why can't everyone just stay where they are forever? What is so great about changing, growing up, being a LOSER and LEAVING? What is the deal?
*sigh*
I guess I'm done posting. Sorry for ranting.
Soccer in 2 hours and forty-nine minutes.
Carpe diem. You never know who's gonna just not show up next year.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Pascal's Wager
Twenty-two followers! Whoa! Thanks, Gracie! :)
Well, the recital went amazingly. We all did very well, with no extreme mistakes. I'm just sad dance is over until like September!! Noooo! That's so sad :( I love dance. It's so much fun and it makes me feel great.
It's also really sad to think about the fact that I'll pretty much never see the seniors again. Ever. Possibly they'll come around for the recitals once a year, but they won't care about me. I care about them because they're awesome and moderately nice to me and I look up to them. I'm just a freshman who doesn't say much. (Yeah, I actually keep my mouth shut at dance :D) It's always sad to see friendships fade. But, hey, maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. The seniors haven't forgotten me completely YET! Lol ;)
The one good thing about dance being over is that I'll get to play with the little kids every Wednesday night now!! (Band practice for the church band, their kids come along, etc. We've been through this.)
I didn't write any Creepy--whoops, I mean "Mirror"--this weekend, but that's okay because it doesn't feel like I'm avoiding it like it sometimes does.
I watched the movie Zathura tonight. Stupid movie. No offense to any die-hard fans reading this ;)
Um...OHHH, right! Today is Bible Day! Okay, well...Let's go with Pascal's Wager. I know some of y'all are familiar with that (maybe ALL of you...), but let me just go over it really quick:
Blaise Pascal. Famous science guy. He was French (you can kinda tell from the name). And invented the first calculator (ish) thing. And I knew all that without Googling it :D That's what Challenge B does to you. *shudders...then grins*
Oh, yeah, and something about Pascal Triangle or something...I don't really pay attention to the math part as much. Haha, just kidding.
Anyway, Pascal basically said that we should put our bets on God.
Everyone wants to have a good life, right? I mean, seriously! Pascal's thinking was that if you believed in God and served him, you would have a wonderful life. Not *necissarily* because God exists, but because you believed you were doing right, and that makes us feel good inside. Plus, living by God's ideals is a lot more peaceful than living by what the world says.
So then Pascal said this (not actually quoting, here): when we die, either there is a God and we served him and we got to Heaven, or there isn't a God and we cease to exist.
If you chose God and he's real, then you have a happy life on Earth, and then die and get something even better. If you chose God and he's fake, then you have a happy life on Earth and lose nothing.
If you reject God and real, you live a sadder Earth life, then...let's just say, ya don't go to Heaven ;) If you reject God and he's fake, then you've lived a sadder life and gained nothing.
So pretty much, you get the better deal if you believe in God, whether or not he's real.
Personally, I believe there is a God. It doesn't seem very logical that all the world evolved from a premordial soup or whatever. Believing in God makes more sense to me. God makes sense to me, and I'm discovering that more and more as I look into things.
I DO see little inconsistencies in the Bible, though, I'm determined to figure out why that is. I don't want to just turn a blind eye to those things that appear to contradict each other--pretending a problem doesn't exist doesn't make it go away. I want to learn the truth. I want to look at the facts, and see where they lead me. I'm going to TRY not to be biased, and see what happens.
But I'm betting on God.
Well, the recital went amazingly. We all did very well, with no extreme mistakes. I'm just sad dance is over until like September!! Noooo! That's so sad :( I love dance. It's so much fun and it makes me feel great.
It's also really sad to think about the fact that I'll pretty much never see the seniors again. Ever. Possibly they'll come around for the recitals once a year, but they won't care about me. I care about them because they're awesome and moderately nice to me and I look up to them. I'm just a freshman who doesn't say much. (Yeah, I actually keep my mouth shut at dance :D) It's always sad to see friendships fade. But, hey, maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. The seniors haven't forgotten me completely YET! Lol ;)
The one good thing about dance being over is that I'll get to play with the little kids every Wednesday night now!! (Band practice for the church band, their kids come along, etc. We've been through this.)
I didn't write any Creepy--whoops, I mean "Mirror"--this weekend, but that's okay because it doesn't feel like I'm avoiding it like it sometimes does.
I watched the movie Zathura tonight. Stupid movie. No offense to any die-hard fans reading this ;)
Um...OHHH, right! Today is Bible Day! Okay, well...Let's go with Pascal's Wager. I know some of y'all are familiar with that (maybe ALL of you...), but let me just go over it really quick:
Blaise Pascal. Famous science guy. He was French (you can kinda tell from the name). And invented the first calculator (ish) thing. And I knew all that without Googling it :D That's what Challenge B does to you. *shudders...then grins*
Oh, yeah, and something about Pascal Triangle or something...I don't really pay attention to the math part as much. Haha, just kidding.
Anyway, Pascal basically said that we should put our bets on God.
Everyone wants to have a good life, right? I mean, seriously! Pascal's thinking was that if you believed in God and served him, you would have a wonderful life. Not *necissarily* because God exists, but because you believed you were doing right, and that makes us feel good inside. Plus, living by God's ideals is a lot more peaceful than living by what the world says.
So then Pascal said this (not actually quoting, here): when we die, either there is a God and we served him and we got to Heaven, or there isn't a God and we cease to exist.
If you chose God and he's real, then you have a happy life on Earth, and then die and get something even better. If you chose God and he's fake, then you have a happy life on Earth and lose nothing.
If you reject God and real, you live a sadder Earth life, then...let's just say, ya don't go to Heaven ;) If you reject God and he's fake, then you've lived a sadder life and gained nothing.
So pretty much, you get the better deal if you believe in God, whether or not he's real.
Personally, I believe there is a God. It doesn't seem very logical that all the world evolved from a premordial soup or whatever. Believing in God makes more sense to me. God makes sense to me, and I'm discovering that more and more as I look into things.
I DO see little inconsistencies in the Bible, though, I'm determined to figure out why that is. I don't want to just turn a blind eye to those things that appear to contradict each other--pretending a problem doesn't exist doesn't make it go away. I want to learn the truth. I want to look at the facts, and see where they lead me. I'm going to TRY not to be biased, and see what happens.
But I'm betting on God.
"If you believe, and God exists, you gain everything. If you disbelieve, and God exists, you lose everything."
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Slaves and Studying
Last night was so much fun!!!!!!!
I had to skip dance, which was definitely NOT (I had to study), but I got to go with my parents to band practice for our church. After I studied, guess what I did? I PLAYED WITH THE LITTLE KIDS!! My favorite thing to do EVER! (Not really, but close.) That is so much fun, let me tell ya. Two nine year old boys and two seven year old girls.
Wow. It's weird thinking about how old they are now...I've known Ryan and Maddie since they were three and one, and Abby and Jarrod since they were four and six. THEY'RE SO BIG NOW!! I feel all...old or something, lol! Anyway.
We played--you'll NEVER GUESS--slaves.
YES, SLAVES! To some of you, you're like, "Oh, the big deal is that they played slaves. Okay. Got it." But the people who have known me since I was little know that it's a big deal because THAT'S WHAT MY FRIENDS AND I USED TO PLAY/DO, TOO. It felt so strange to be playing it again. Weirder than you can imagine. Like stepping back five or six years.
It was also weird because Ryan was a lot stronger than I remembered him being. In like two years or so, he's gonna be able to take me out. Which is weird, because I'm not exactly WEAK OR SOMETHING, and he's only NINE. And he's not, like, fat or anything (lols). So that was weird, because the first time me and Abby and Maddie tried to "escape" (we were the slaves, Ryan and Jarrod were the owners), I figured I would let the boys catch me, and then after a while, I'd just push them off of me and run away for real.
Only I tried and Ryan caught me by surprise, and then I was on the floor, blinking. Huh? Lol! It was hilarious. I was like "Wow, you are a lot stronger than I remembered." Of course, then I got up and outran him in like six steps and was ready for him the next time, but it was harder to get away than I expected. So yeah. It was just weird.
And now I'm thinking this has to be at least ONE OF the weirdest posts I've ever written. *shrug* I know it's weird that I like playing with little kids, and it's even weirder than we play SLAVES, but, hey, that's just me :) And it was really fun. You should try it sometime ;)
Also today, I saw someone I hadn't really seen in a long time. It was awesome. Not going to say more, but I think I already have in a post...let me find it...ah, here it is: http://puelladei.blogspot.com/2009/01/randomness-at-its-best.html Read that. And the comments. It explains it a little.
Studying went okay today. Physical science, not so great, American Government and memorizing my poem to say for the class are both going GREATLY!! So, I guess two and a half out of three isn't bad. Not bad at all.
"Mirror" still sucks, but I think I'm coming out of writer's block. Maybe. I started writing some of the sequel, and it's at least getting me out of the rut. The only problem is, I have such GREAT IDEAS for the sequel, and for the next generation, but I really, really, REALLY didn't want this to turn into a series. I really wanted to write ONE BOOK, and then just be DONE. But noooooooooooo. My characters have to keep having KIDS in my mind and cool stuff like that. And so much more. *moan*
Over all, it's been a KILLER two days. Despite exams. Who woulda thought, huh? Guess you never know. Carpe diem :)
I had to skip dance, which was definitely NOT (I had to study), but I got to go with my parents to band practice for our church. After I studied, guess what I did? I PLAYED WITH THE LITTLE KIDS!! My favorite thing to do EVER! (Not really, but close.) That is so much fun, let me tell ya. Two nine year old boys and two seven year old girls.
Wow. It's weird thinking about how old they are now...I've known Ryan and Maddie since they were three and one, and Abby and Jarrod since they were four and six. THEY'RE SO BIG NOW!! I feel all...old or something, lol! Anyway.
We played--you'll NEVER GUESS--slaves.
YES, SLAVES! To some of you, you're like, "Oh, the big deal is that they played slaves. Okay. Got it." But the people who have known me since I was little know that it's a big deal because THAT'S WHAT MY FRIENDS AND I USED TO PLAY/DO, TOO. It felt so strange to be playing it again. Weirder than you can imagine. Like stepping back five or six years.
It was also weird because Ryan was a lot stronger than I remembered him being. In like two years or so, he's gonna be able to take me out. Which is weird, because I'm not exactly WEAK OR SOMETHING, and he's only NINE. And he's not, like, fat or anything (lols). So that was weird, because the first time me and Abby and Maddie tried to "escape" (we were the slaves, Ryan and Jarrod were the owners), I figured I would let the boys catch me, and then after a while, I'd just push them off of me and run away for real.
Only I tried and Ryan caught me by surprise, and then I was on the floor, blinking. Huh? Lol! It was hilarious. I was like "Wow, you are a lot stronger than I remembered." Of course, then I got up and outran him in like six steps and was ready for him the next time, but it was harder to get away than I expected. So yeah. It was just weird.
And now I'm thinking this has to be at least ONE OF the weirdest posts I've ever written. *shrug* I know it's weird that I like playing with little kids, and it's even weirder than we play SLAVES, but, hey, that's just me :) And it was really fun. You should try it sometime ;)
Also today, I saw someone I hadn't really seen in a long time. It was awesome. Not going to say more, but I think I already have in a post...let me find it...ah, here it is: http://puelladei.blogspot.com/2009/01/randomness-at-its-best.html Read that. And the comments. It explains it a little.
Studying went okay today. Physical science, not so great, American Government and memorizing my poem to say for the class are both going GREATLY!! So, I guess two and a half out of three isn't bad. Not bad at all.
"Mirror" still sucks, but I think I'm coming out of writer's block. Maybe. I started writing some of the sequel, and it's at least getting me out of the rut. The only problem is, I have such GREAT IDEAS for the sequel, and for the next generation, but I really, really, REALLY didn't want this to turn into a series. I really wanted to write ONE BOOK, and then just be DONE. But noooooooooooo. My characters have to keep having KIDS in my mind and cool stuff like that. And so much more. *moan*
Over all, it's been a KILLER two days. Despite exams. Who woulda thought, huh? Guess you never know. Carpe diem :)
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
It's THAT Time of Year
Well, folks, it's here.
Exam week.
Actually two of them. This week and next week. It's the time of year (for me) when I really wish I'd paid more attention in class. And at home. And just generally.
This also means the end of school is in two weeks for me (or maybe it's three...not sure). I know, I know. Go ahead and scream "WHAT?!?!?! LUCKYYYYYYYYYYY!" But it's not like this year was easy for me or anything. I HAVE actually worked hard. Very hard. This has been a challenging year. Challenge I (ninth grade) is supposed to be the hardest of the highschool years, though, so maybe next year will be better. I get to take logic again next year, so it can't be all bad! Yippee! :) I'm such a nerd, lol!
Here's the bad news: in two-or-three-can't-remember-which weeks, I WON'T SEE MUCH OF ANY OF MY FRIENDS! Crap!! I love seeing people. I love hanging out. I love laughing and learning with my classmates. Sure, we'll get together over the summer, but there probably won't be one single time when EVERYONE is there. There will always be the person who couldn't make it. *sigh*
I also found out some bad stuff about a friend. Well, sort of. I sort of found out and he/she (not saying which) is sort of my friend. More like an aquaintace, and "found out" is more like heard it in gossip, but I can totally believe it. It's sad, but I think it might be true. *sigh again* Oh well.
Okay, for the heck of it, I'm going to tell you how my school system works. We call each grade level something different than most schools:
Foundations/Grammar (elementary school):
Abecedarians (infant through kindergarten)
Apprentices (1st and 2nd grade)
Journeymen (3rd and 4th grade)
Masters (5th and 6th grade)
Middle School/Dialectic (middle school):
Challenge A (7th grade)
Challenge B (eighth grade)
High school/Rhetoric (high school):
Challenge I (ninth grade/freshman)
Challenge II (tenth grade/sophmore)
Challenge III (eleventh grade/junior)
Challenge IV (twelfth grade/senior)
Haha, random. But whatever. I thought easier to understand some stuff I say if I explained that.
"Mirror" is going, to put it mildly, terribly. I haven't written much in over a week. I have no idea where this is going anymore. And I REALLY REALLY REALLY want to finish this story. I don't want it to be another Oh-well-that-was-okay-but-now-I’ve-lost-interest-and-it-doesn’t-really-matter-anymore story. I actually really LIKE this one. *moan*
Hmm. I don't mean to be so mopey. Some stuff is going okay. Dance is going well. I can ALMOST do the split I've been trying to do for THREE STINKIN' WEEKS. Today may be the day. I'm going to try really hard before dance tonight.
Studying is going as well as studying can go. I'm working hard and trying and retaining for the most part. Haven't even BEGUN to try with science though. I'm thinking next week is going to be horror on a stick.
There I go, being all depressing again. I'm not depressed, really; I'm just stating the facts and they aren't all that cheery right now.
Finished "The Boxcar Children" and "The Princess Bride." The former was pretty much what I expected. The latter wasn't. I always forget how disappointing the ending is. *shrug* Oh well. It's still good. Just don't read it for the amazing plot or anything. It's more like creative entertainment. I still love it and recommend it to anyone.
I should go. I'm actually done with school work (I even did math well today :D), but I'm rambling and I don't really have anything else to say. Bye!
Exam week.
Actually two of them. This week and next week. It's the time of year (for me) when I really wish I'd paid more attention in class. And at home. And just generally.
This also means the end of school is in two weeks for me (or maybe it's three...not sure). I know, I know. Go ahead and scream "WHAT?!?!?! LUCKYYYYYYYYYYY!" But it's not like this year was easy for me or anything. I HAVE actually worked hard. Very hard. This has been a challenging year. Challenge I (ninth grade) is supposed to be the hardest of the highschool years, though, so maybe next year will be better. I get to take logic again next year, so it can't be all bad! Yippee! :) I'm such a nerd, lol!
Here's the bad news: in two-or-three-can't-remember-which weeks, I WON'T SEE MUCH OF ANY OF MY FRIENDS! Crap!! I love seeing people. I love hanging out. I love laughing and learning with my classmates. Sure, we'll get together over the summer, but there probably won't be one single time when EVERYONE is there. There will always be the person who couldn't make it. *sigh*
I also found out some bad stuff about a friend. Well, sort of. I sort of found out and he/she (not saying which) is sort of my friend. More like an aquaintace, and "found out" is more like heard it in gossip, but I can totally believe it. It's sad, but I think it might be true. *sigh again* Oh well.
Okay, for the heck of it, I'm going to tell you how my school system works. We call each grade level something different than most schools:
Foundations/Grammar (elementary school):
Abecedarians (infant through kindergarten)
Apprentices (1st and 2nd grade)
Journeymen (3rd and 4th grade)
Masters (5th and 6th grade)
Middle School/Dialectic (middle school):
Challenge A (7th grade)
Challenge B (eighth grade)
High school/Rhetoric (high school):
Challenge I (ninth grade/freshman)
Challenge II (tenth grade/sophmore)
Challenge III (eleventh grade/junior)
Challenge IV (twelfth grade/senior)
Haha, random. But whatever. I thought easier to understand some stuff I say if I explained that.
"Mirror" is going, to put it mildly, terribly. I haven't written much in over a week. I have no idea where this is going anymore. And I REALLY REALLY REALLY want to finish this story. I don't want it to be another Oh-well-that-was-okay-but-now-I’ve-lost-interest-and-it-doesn’t-really-matter-anymore story. I actually really LIKE this one. *moan*
Hmm. I don't mean to be so mopey. Some stuff is going okay. Dance is going well. I can ALMOST do the split I've been trying to do for THREE STINKIN' WEEKS. Today may be the day. I'm going to try really hard before dance tonight.
Studying is going as well as studying can go. I'm working hard and trying and retaining for the most part. Haven't even BEGUN to try with science though. I'm thinking next week is going to be horror on a stick.
There I go, being all depressing again. I'm not depressed, really; I'm just stating the facts and they aren't all that cheery right now.
Finished "The Boxcar Children" and "The Princess Bride." The former was pretty much what I expected. The latter wasn't. I always forget how disappointing the ending is. *shrug* Oh well. It's still good. Just don't read it for the amazing plot or anything. It's more like creative entertainment. I still love it and recommend it to anyone.
I should go. I'm actually done with school work (I even did math well today :D), but I'm rambling and I don't really have anything else to say. Bye!
Friday, March 13, 2009
Ehh, not much, but all good!
I have had a very wonderful and...interesting day.
I got a ton of school work done. Still grappling with my philosophy project, but my science research paper is going well and so is MATH! WOW! Creepy is going okay, and my dog is getting used to the invisible fence just fine.
I feel kind of sick right now, but I'll be okay in a little while probably, lol! Will probably post something of more significance later, but who knows?
Oh, and check this out: http://toseizethenight.blogspot.com/
w00t w00t!
I got a ton of school work done. Still grappling with my philosophy project, but my science research paper is going well and so is MATH! WOW! Creepy is going okay, and my dog is getting used to the invisible fence just fine.
I feel kind of sick right now, but I'll be okay in a little while probably, lol! Will probably post something of more significance later, but who knows?
Oh, and check this out: http://toseizethenight.blogspot.com/
w00t w00t!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
My Obsessiveness, and I Meet My Own Character!
Hmm. Not much to say.
*sigh* I can't stop thinking about "Star Wars." I'm such an obsessive person. I feel everything about ten times stronger than your average person. When I love something/someone, it's way more powerful and crazy than my friends. The same with everything! I get really into books and movies. I was the number one publicist for "Twilight"! Lol! I go through phases. They usually last about a month. Some things with me never change though. I'm not completely a changing person. And when I do quit having an insane interest in something, I don't start hating it or anything. The spark is just gone. BUT, if I read the book/see the movie/come in contact with the person, the passion will return! Always does. Ask Darth Vader :) (LOVE THOSE MOIVES.) Oh, and guess what? I just realized today that I've been spelling my favorite villain's name wrong! It's "VadEr" not "VadOr."
School is.....bleck. I don't understand physical science and I'm putting off asking for help because I know I'm already behind...I don't want to call attention to the fact that, well...I've slacked. Not a ton, just a little, but still. *sigh* And I'm getting deeper in confusion by the minute...Not smart, I know.
Writing "Creepy Story" is going pretty well. I'm at sort of a dead end, but for some reason that doesn't bother me as much as I guess it should...
Oh my gosh! Something crazy happened yesterday! Okay, so, there's a character in COJ (Chronicles of Jeolotoe) named Ember Smokeman (she's a fire fairy, lol). She's an incredible dancer and is an entertainer for the Fire Lord. She's spontaneous, hilarious, and intense. Well, guess what? There's a girl in my dance class that's just like her!!!!!! It scares me! The girl (McKinna) looks exactly like I imagined Ember, acts exactly like Ember, her VOICE is just like Ember's, people like her just like people like Ember, she's funny like Ember, and she dances pretty well!! (Ember dances better though.) It's soooooo creepy! I feel like I brough McKinna to life! I know that's crazy and I didn't, but it's so weird! I feel like I know her so personally. I feel like I just want to walk up to her and talk to her for days on end. I feel like she IS Ember, and I want to have a face-to-face conversation! You have NO IDEA how weird it is. I honestly feel like I've met my own character. I've never actually talked to McKinna though. She's a senior and I'm a freshman, so I'm not sure if she would talk to me...It's still crazy though.
Well, that was a loooooooooong post! Sorry. You're probably bored stiff (if you've even made it this far into the post). I'll stop. :) TTYL!
*sigh* I can't stop thinking about "Star Wars." I'm such an obsessive person. I feel everything about ten times stronger than your average person. When I love something/someone, it's way more powerful and crazy than my friends. The same with everything! I get really into books and movies. I was the number one publicist for "Twilight"! Lol! I go through phases. They usually last about a month. Some things with me never change though. I'm not completely a changing person. And when I do quit having an insane interest in something, I don't start hating it or anything. The spark is just gone. BUT, if I read the book/see the movie/come in contact with the person, the passion will return! Always does. Ask Darth Vader :) (LOVE THOSE MOIVES.) Oh, and guess what? I just realized today that I've been spelling my favorite villain's name wrong! It's "VadEr" not "VadOr."
School is.....bleck. I don't understand physical science and I'm putting off asking for help because I know I'm already behind...I don't want to call attention to the fact that, well...I've slacked. Not a ton, just a little, but still. *sigh* And I'm getting deeper in confusion by the minute...Not smart, I know.
Writing "Creepy Story" is going pretty well. I'm at sort of a dead end, but for some reason that doesn't bother me as much as I guess it should...
Oh my gosh! Something crazy happened yesterday! Okay, so, there's a character in COJ (Chronicles of Jeolotoe) named Ember Smokeman (she's a fire fairy, lol). She's an incredible dancer and is an entertainer for the Fire Lord. She's spontaneous, hilarious, and intense. Well, guess what? There's a girl in my dance class that's just like her!!!!!! It scares me! The girl (McKinna) looks exactly like I imagined Ember, acts exactly like Ember, her VOICE is just like Ember's, people like her just like people like Ember, she's funny like Ember, and she dances pretty well!! (Ember dances better though.) It's soooooo creepy! I feel like I brough McKinna to life! I know that's crazy and I didn't, but it's so weird! I feel like I know her so personally. I feel like I just want to walk up to her and talk to her for days on end. I feel like she IS Ember, and I want to have a face-to-face conversation! You have NO IDEA how weird it is. I honestly feel like I've met my own character. I've never actually talked to McKinna though. She's a senior and I'm a freshman, so I'm not sure if she would talk to me...It's still crazy though.
Well, that was a loooooooooong post! Sorry. You're probably bored stiff (if you've even made it this far into the post). I'll stop. :) TTYL!
Thursday, January 15, 2009
What Causes Autism?
Hi! Okay, so in science this semester, we have to write a formal research paper. I decided to do mine on something close to my heart: What causes autism? One of the kids at my church has autism, and he is so sweet. He's a high-functioning autistic kid, which means that his autism semptoms aren't quite as severe or numerous as other kids'.
I've done research on what causes autism, and I found out some really interesting things. Many people are saying that vaccinations are causing autism, but I wanted to find out what is in the vaccines that people think is causing the disorder. The answer is this: a special form of mercury called "thimerosal" which is used as a preservative in vaccines. Apparently, there are about three different forms of mercury, and it's the thimerosal form that is in vaccines.
But then I thought, okay, let's say that thimerosal is the cause of autism. Then why do some kids get autism but not others? The answer is that some children are born with the ability to deal with or get rid of thimerosal, and some aren't. The deficiency wouldn't normally be a problem, except that children at a young age are exposed to the thimerosal in vaccines.
Still, all research says that thimerosal is NOT the cause of autism, just a trigger. The absolute cause still seems like it might be genetic. The thimerosal and other things only trigger the disorder.
One other trigger I found out about is very interesting: TV. Yup, it looks like watching too much TV as a little kid can trigger autism, if the potential is already there. Michael Waldman saw this connection. His son started watching a lot of television shortly before he was diagnosed with autism. Waldman decided to see if TV might be triggering the autism, so he made his son stop watching so much TV.
Within six months, the kid was almost completely better.
The last possible trigger for austism I've found so far is fish. Children whose mother's ate a lot of fish while pregnant seem to get autism more frequently.
Well, I hope you weren't completely bored, and if you were, that is totally cool with me. Not everyone can be fascinated by disorder triggers :) As a matter of fact, I wasn't either until I started this research. It's kind of interesting after all!
I've done research on what causes autism, and I found out some really interesting things. Many people are saying that vaccinations are causing autism, but I wanted to find out what is in the vaccines that people think is causing the disorder. The answer is this: a special form of mercury called "thimerosal" which is used as a preservative in vaccines. Apparently, there are about three different forms of mercury, and it's the thimerosal form that is in vaccines.
But then I thought, okay, let's say that thimerosal is the cause of autism. Then why do some kids get autism but not others? The answer is that some children are born with the ability to deal with or get rid of thimerosal, and some aren't. The deficiency wouldn't normally be a problem, except that children at a young age are exposed to the thimerosal in vaccines.
Still, all research says that thimerosal is NOT the cause of autism, just a trigger. The absolute cause still seems like it might be genetic. The thimerosal and other things only trigger the disorder.
One other trigger I found out about is very interesting: TV. Yup, it looks like watching too much TV as a little kid can trigger autism, if the potential is already there. Michael Waldman saw this connection. His son started watching a lot of television shortly before he was diagnosed with autism. Waldman decided to see if TV might be triggering the autism, so he made his son stop watching so much TV.
Within six months, the kid was almost completely better.
The last possible trigger for austism I've found so far is fish. Children whose mother's ate a lot of fish while pregnant seem to get autism more frequently.
Well, I hope you weren't completely bored, and if you were, that is totally cool with me. Not everyone can be fascinated by disorder triggers :) As a matter of fact, I wasn't either until I started this research. It's kind of interesting after all!
Monday, January 12, 2009
Elaboration
Okay, so, I promised to elaborate on my death by physical science. :) Well, basically I waited until the day of the test to figure out that I had no idea what I was doing. So, I freaked out and panicked and thought I was gonna flunk. But, but my dad helped me out, and everything is cool now. :) It's all good.
But I still reeeeeeally don't like physical science.
Or any science, actually. I'm really more of a literature, language and philosophy person. Oh, and logic. I just love logic. *sigh*
P ( Q
~P
Ergo, ~Q
I love it. Call me crazy (and I know I am), but I do.
Okay. I know. I'll quit talking while I'm....well, not even ahead, but not so far behind...okay. Bye. I apparently had too much red kool-aid today. :D TTYL!
But I still reeeeeeally don't like physical science.
Or any science, actually. I'm really more of a literature, language and philosophy person. Oh, and logic. I just love logic. *sigh*
P ( Q
~P
Ergo, ~Q
I love it. Call me crazy (and I know I am), but I do.
Okay. I know. I'll quit talking while I'm....well, not even ahead, but not so far behind...okay. Bye. I apparently had too much red kool-aid today. :D TTYL!
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