Andrea's Blog (clever title eh?)

The big eighteen

2008-05-26T12:34:00.000-07:00

In 2 days one of my best friends, who is a junior, is turing 18 years old. Shes already going to be an adult, which is kind-of scary because that means i'm going to 18 soon too. I never knew time would go this fast. Turning 18 is a huge thing, but I dont know how me and my other friends are going to celebrate it for her. I was thinking about renting a limo for a couple of hours with my friends and each pitching in money and just driving around town but thats a lot of money and then we wouldnt be able to afford her an actual gift. So i think were just gonna go out for dinner and open gifts and have fun. I wish we could go somewhere for the weekend to celebrate it, like a road trip to chicago or wisonsin, but I'm probably dreaming too big for something like that to happen. I don't know yet what I'm going to get her. I'm thinking about making her a collage of her and her friends, because I'm good at making stuff like that and she loves pictures. She could hang it up in her room on her well. Also, I'll probably just go to the mall and pick out a shirt for her since she loves clothes.. so it'll be a good gift. I've known her for over 4 years now so I want to do something great for her big day coming up on Wednesday.

memorial day.. what is it?

2008-05-26T10:48:00.000-07:00

Today is memorial day, and we have the day off school :). I know memorial day is a day to celebrate the veterans who have died in wars they have fought for for our country, but thats pretty much all I know. So I researched the holiday and this is what I found..

It's on the last Monday of May.
It's formerly known as Decoration Day,
First made to honor soldiers of the American Civil war, it was expanded after World War 1 to include casualties of any war or military action.
A lot of people observe this holiday by visiting cemetaries.
In addition to remembrance, Memorial Day is also used as a time for picinics, barbecues, family gatherings, and sport events.
Americans also view Memorial Day as the unofficial beginning of summer.
Many Americans use Memorial Day to also honor any family members who have died, not just servicemen.
There are many stories as to its actual beginnings, with over two dozen cities and towns laying claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day.

I guess in my opinion, Memorial day is a day to recognize those who have been in our lives and passed away. It's usually a beautiful sunny day to spend time with the people you love and go to cemetaries and put flowers on their grave. I think it's a great holiday.

getting a head start on running

2008-05-26T09:50:00.000-07:00

This fall is my last year doing cross country and I want to make it my best by training hard and making it on varsity. It's easier to say that though, then actually go through with it. Summer is the time to sleep in and be lazy and enjoy the sun. But when you want to be in shape by the time XC rolls around, you have to get up early (when its the coolest.. around 5 or 6am) and run and run and run. After getting up that early and running for an hour or two, I usually shower and head back to bed. It's hard to get up that early though and have enough energy to run that long if you were out late the night before. You have to discipline yourself and all the hardwork eventually will pay off. After XC is over I'm usually in the best shape, I should be in the best shape BEFORE the season starts, but I dont start training until like 2 weeks before the season starts, which isnt good. I should start training before school gets out, aka now. My goal, this summer, is to run 500 miles, which is on average about 5 or 6 miles a day. It's not going to be easy, but that would be amazing if I actually met my goal. I would cut atleast 2 minutes off my time. I am excited for the new season because I love the people on my team and I obviously love to run, but I am scared that I wont be on varsity for my last year at Kennedy.

deadly memorial day weekend

2008-05-26T08:41:00.000-07:00

Last night when I was hanging out with my friends I got a phone call from my mom around 10:15 telling me to get my butt home because their was a big storm coming through. I didnt believe her, I figured she just didnt want me out late doing who knows what. So I drove home, and my friends stayed behind. It was only sprinkling when I left, but the winds picked up and it turned into a huge storm with the sirens going off. My friends were stuck at my friend Trevors house and they were freaking out. All I can say is I'm glad I left and listened to my mom. My family and I hung out in the basement watching the news until 11 or so and then I went to bed happy that the tornado didnt hit us. This morning I was reading the newspaper and it said that 8 people died yesterday from the storm. I guess it didn't only hit Iowa because my aunt called from Minnesota and said her and her friend were out shopping when it hit and they had to cover in a dressing room. And my aunts friend has hail damage all over her car, which would really suck. As I was reading the paper, I saw pictures of peoples houses blown off, with only the floor remaining. I've been in storms before but none of my family or relatives has ever been hurt and i'm very lucky to say that.

summer fever and distractions

2008-05-22T18:32:00.000-07:00

With school ending in less than 2 weeks, and the weather getting warmer.. kids are slacking off with their homework and wanting to get out of the house and do someting.. I'm also constantly working, so when I get home from work I'm too exhausted to "hit the books." I procrastinate instead, do my assignments at the last possible minute. It doesnt help that teens have all these distractions either. By distractions I mean instant messaging, texting, talking to people on their cell phone, hanging out with friends, and facebook. I'll admit that technology is keeping me from my school work and I know its affected a lot of other people as well. I try to hide my cell phone and turn off the computer when I study, but I'm so used to doing these things that I just can't keep them off and focus on studying. Nowadays, when we talk about distractions, we think of cell phone usage while driving. I used to not be able to make phone calls and text while I drove.. but now that I'm getting better of a driver and I'm a little more experienced, I can pull it off. I also can mess with my iPod and pick the song I want, while at the same time attempting to keep my eyes on the road. Its not easy to multitask but sometimes it just feels like you have to text that specific person back or they'll get mad, but I know messing with your phone or iPod is dangerous and I should stop. This summer my goal is to not become so attatched to all this new technology and focus on having a good summer and getting outside and enjoying life; away from a cell phone and computer.

im a senior now?!

2008-05-22T18:16:00.000-07:00

Wow I havent blogged in FOREVER.. I need to get on that. Well yesterday the seniors left us, and now the class of '09 is the oldest.. I thought I would like being the "top dogs" of the school, but to tell you the truth, it's kinda weird.. Everyone at school is younger than me or the same age. I miss seeing the seniors, I've been used to them for 3 years.. and it's just weird without them at Kennedy anymore. I can't believe I'm a senior now.. well almost. It seriously seems like yesterday that I was freaking out about the 1st day of school at Kennedy. And in less than a year I will be leaving and on to college.. and out in the real world.. scary! The thing I am most excited about for senior year is senior pictures and having my own grad party and prom is always fun:). Also my friends and I have always planned that we would take a senior trip after we graduate, so I'm looking forward to doing something along that line. I am excited for next year.. but nervous at the same time!

mothers everywhere

2008-05-12T06:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Mothers day, the day to honor all the wonderful mothers in the world. They do so much; they cook, they clean, they do the laundry, they even hold jobs outside the home. They drive and drive around town, dropping off kids right and left at sports practices and music lessons. They help their children study and prepare their school lunches. They are superwomen, they do EVERYTHING. For mothers day, I usually wake up early to make my mom a nice breakfast in bed and make her a card and buy her flowers to plant. But yesterday's mothers day was a little lazy for me since I got home at 5am from prom. I was much too tired to do anything, and I feel bad about it now. :( My mom does so much for me, and I should have taken the time to atleast make her a card telling her how important she is to me. Her birthday is in 4 days though, I'll make it up to her then by getting her a good gift. I remember in 4th grade I bought this journal and on each page I had a letter of the alphabet with a picture (that i drew with crayons) of something about her. (For example, (A) My mom makes the best apple pies. and (S) She has a gorgeous white smile that lights the room.) Cheesy little stuff like that was what I said in the journal. It was probably the best gift I've ever gave her and It was called the "book of mom." She loved it and still has it to this day. I'm glad I spent so much time on it, along with any other gift I've ever gaven her, because she is very important to me and she deserves all the time and effort I put into any gift.

junioritis

2008-05-12T06:23:00.000-07:00

This year has gone by incredibly fast. I can't believe we have less than 20 days left and seniors are leaving in like a week. Saturday was prom, which I went to, and I didn't think all the much about the fact that for seniors, this is like the last time to "live it up." Since I'm a junior, I wasn't all the worried about having the night be totally perfect, because there is always next year. I feel bad for seniors, even though they are the "topdogs" at Kennedy High School, they are going under A LOT of stress within the past few months. Graduation, graduation parties, trying not to slack off too much for their grades, living up the last month of their high school career, prom, etc. Everything is thrown at you at once. I know that when I'm a senior, I'm going to look back and think, "Wow it feels like yesterday when I was a freshmen." It truly does. Time goes by fast and you shouldn't waste it by doing things you're going to regret. Junioritis has hit me though, I am slacking off in a lot of my classes because the weather is getting warmer and I am doing the minimum requirement in all my classes since I know the year is almost over. I understand all the stress seniors are going through and I feel bad for them, although they do get out of school in a couple of days. I am insanely jealous :P

technology: toooo much

2008-05-12T06:12:00.000-07:00

This morning, as I was eating breakfast, I read an article on a family who uses their laptops to communicate with eachother. Except the kids are not included in this discussion-- just mom and dad. They said they do this so their two little boys, who looked about 10-years-old, couldn't hear what they had to say. I thought this was just plain cruel. How are you supposed to have a decent relationship with your kids if your constantly secretly messaging your spouse? How are you supposed to have a decent relationship with your spouse even? Technology has taken over our lives. Us americans are using computers, cell phones, etc. to communicate RATHER than talk face to face every day. This article in The Gazette made me so mad. I feel terrible for those kids. Now, I don't know how often the parents are on their little laptops, but if I were the kids I would intirely left out from my parents lives. The kids are probably going to less sociable when they grow up because they are used to their parents using computers to communicate rather than speaking out loud. I hope society doesn't take after this family because techonology is getting over the top these days.

summer is here!

2008-05-08T18:41:00.000-07:00

Today I was sitting outside enjoy the gorgeous spring weather. My ideal weather is sunny with temperatures in the 60s to 70s. Nothing colder, nothing warmer. I think I could live like that year-round. Well, maybe I'd miss a white Christmas. With the sun shining on my face and listening to the birds chirping, it was so peaceful. Spring has sprung in my soul. :) I even did my homework outside! (Wearing sunglasses of course, so I wouldnt have to squint from the sun.) This kind of weather makes me much happier, I think it brings out the happiness in everyone. Just seeing light and getting some sun and fresh air is good for you. Summer, to me, means: laying outside attempting to get a tan, swimming in my friends pools, biking, running cross country, working, sleeping in, vacations, being lazy, and doing whatever I want! It's hard to believe this year is almost all over, less than a month is left. And in less than a year i'll be graduating.. wow. Time is going by fast. I'm glad the winter is finally over though, it's nice to see flowers and green grass for a change.

running leads to traveling

2008-05-08T18:13:00.000-07:00

My dad is a marathon (26.2 miles) runner, which means my family and I go on a lot of trips to different states because he likes to run in different races. It's really fun, I like visiting new places, but constant vacations kind-of gets old :/ especially because I get annoyed with my brothers and parents FAST. This weekend my family and I are traveling to North Dakota. I've never been there before, but my dad wants to run a marathon there. It should be fun but it's an 8 hour drive :(. Last year around this time, my family and I drove to Nashville, Tennessee so my dad could run in Nashville's "country music marathon." I love country music, so it was a fun time despite the 10 hour drive. A couple years from now, after a lot of training and hard work, I hope to join my dad in finishing a marathon. I don't think I'll be looking for a good race time though, my hopes are to just cross the finish line. Running a marathon is very hard. It's a mental mind game. You have to keep telling yourself that you can finish. If you don't have any hope, then you won't make it. You also have to have to physical endurance. You can't train for a marathon in a couple months, it takes much longer. To be a marathon runner you have to be very determined and persistant with your work effort and I respect my dad very much for that.

mexican-american students walkout

2008-05-08T17:45:00.000-07:00

In my Spanish III class we just got done watching the movie "walkout." It was really good, so I'm gonna do a blog entry on it :) "Walkout" is about a bunch of students who attend Belmont High School in Los Angelos, California. The teachers, who are white, discriminate against the chicanos (mexican-americans) even though chicanos are not the minority at their high school. There's a paddle in the their classrooms that says, "If it's not worth saying in English, than it's not worth saying at all." This is predjudice against the chicanos because they speak Spanish as well, and they get beat (or spanked) if they even say one word or phrase in Spanish. This movie takes place in the 60's but it was made only a couple of years ago. The chicanos also can't use the restrooms during lunch, the faculty is mean to them, and they can't share any part of their mexican culture in the classrooms. Mexican Americans are still very unheard of today, such as in history textbooks. We hardly ever hear about them, even though I know they played a huge part in history and they are ignored. The students at Belmont High are sick of being discriminated against and they want their rights. The main character Paula (who is played by actress Alexa Vega) starts a group that hands out surverys about being discriminated against because of your race. They eventually start picketting signs outside of school that say, "Brown is Beautiful," "Chicano Power," and "We want our Rights." Then, the group of students, stage "walkouts" which is when the students show up for class until the bell rings at 9am and then the students walkout of their school and start protesting. They do this because the teachers need the students there for their salaries, because they get paid based on attendance of the students. The teachers eventually give in and decide to consider what the chicanos want. They get some of the things they want but not everything, chicanos are still fighting for equal treatment to this day. But that doesn't really surprise me, since I see discrimination everyday at Kennedy still.

looking at photo essays & comics

2008-05-01T06:40:00.001-07:00

Today on Mr. Ayers blog we were instructed to look at the links he had for slate.com (a magazine.) He wants us to look at photo essays and comics combining words and pictures to tell a story. The photo essays were very interesting. I think it's interesting that pictures can tell a story just as well as words can. My favorite photo essay he had linked was the one about the middle east war. The pictures were really good and they show what war is all about. Some of the pictures were a bit much though, I didnt like seeing all the blood in some, but I guess thats what you get for looking at pictures from a war. It looks like a professional photographer took them. I also liked the photo essay on the childrens drawings and what the children say about what they drew. It was kind-of like a story, but the pictures were the main component of the story, because without them then we wouldnt know what the kids were trying to say. I am excited to make our very own graphic essays. The hard part will be coming up with a topic that easy enough for me to draw!

school lunch

2008-04-30T15:11:00.000-07:00

At Kennedy High School, you can only go out for lunch if you're a junior or a senior. A lot of kids don't follow this rule though, I see a lot of sophomores sneaking out the doors to have a quick lunch at Wendys or McDonalds instead of boring ol' school lunch. I can't really tell on the younger kids though, since I used to sneak out for lunch as a sophomore and I luckily never got caught. I don't blame kids for leaving though. I have D lunch, and there hardly is ever any food left to eat. The lines are so long, and people budge, so it takes over half the lunch period to even get your food. The food is every expensive and it doesn't fill you up. One little slice of pizza is not a lunch. One slice of pizza is 2 dollars, I could buy a burger and fries with the same amount of money at McDonalds, and it's about the same health equivalence. There is not many healthy choices at school to choose from. The only thing i've seen change is the fact that there is more apples, oranges and salads, but the main menus are still fatty (i.e. pizza, burgers, or fries.) Another thing is that our school now uses styrofoam plates and plastic forks and spoons. Are lunch ladies too lazy to wash dishes? Freshmen and sophmore year they had a machine to do that for them! I thought the world was trying to cut back on waste? Our school sure isnt. The styrofoam plates are terrible, they're not sturdy and they're a total waste to our environment. I understand now why so many kids want to go out to eat instead of eat school food. Besides the high gas prices rising to get to any restaurant, I think it's okay if students if leave school for lunch, as long as they drive safe.

desperate housewives obsession

2008-04-30T14:24:00.000-07:00

I LIVE for Sundays. You know what Sunday is, right? Desperate Housewives is on :) 8pm sharp, I'm sat glued to my couch, with the volume on full blast so I dont miss a word. My mom got me hooked on this show about 2 years ago after it first started airing on ABC. I fell in love with it because of all the drama and I got to know the characters so well. I like to compare myself with the characters and I think I am most like Lynette. My friend Abby is most like Gabrielle and Laura is most like Susan and Rachel (the perfect one) is most like Bree and Theresa is most like Eadie. It's a perfect match for all of us :) I took a quiz on desperate housewives about which character I am most like, and i got Lynette. During the writers strike, which lasted about 2 months, I was in total withdrawl from my favorite show. It was very hard to not have a new epsiode to watch, I had nothing to do on sunday nights. I'm very glad that the writers strike is over and my favorite show in the world is back on!

hannah montana star apologizes for racy photos

2008-04-30T13:34:00.000-07:00

(Disney's) Hannah Montana star, Miley Cyrus was photographed in a spread for the new issue of Vanity Fair magazine, which has become an international news story. With coverage in the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times and Newsweek, and newspapers throughout the entire world.

Celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz took the photos which include 15-year-old Hannah Montana star clutching a sheet with her bare shoulders and upper back exposed. Cyrus says, "I mean I had a big blanket on. And I thought, This looks pretty, and really natural. I think it’s really artsy. It wasn’t in a skanky way.… And you can’t say no to her [photographer Annie Leibovitz]. She’s so cute. She gets this puppy-dog look and you’re like, O.K.”

Leibovitz says, "I'm sorry that my portrait of Miley has been misinterpreted," the celebrity photographer said in a statement Monday. "Miley and I looked at fashion photographs together and we discussed the picture in that context before we shot it. The photograph is a simple, classic portrait, shot with very little makeup, and I think it is very beautiful."

But by Sunday, Cyrus apparently had changed her mind. "I took part in a photo shoot that was supposed to be 'artistic' and now, seeing the photographs and reading the story, I feel so embarrassed," she said in a statement issued by her publicist, Jill Fritzo. "I never intended for any of this to happen, and I apologize to my fans who I care so deeply about."

I'm not a huge fan of Hannah Montana, but I know who she is and I feel bad about all the bad rep she is getting from this, but Miley did know what she was getting herself into. Her parents did too, with them being there through the entire photoshoot. I think she is just regretting her decision because her young fans are offended by what she did. She should of thought more about her reputation from her fans' points of view, but I don't think all this drama from a few pictures is necessary.

show & tell grapic essay (response)

2008-04-24T13:41:00.000-07:00

I thought the article we read with the cartoon and words called "show and tell" was very interesting. I really enjoy art and drawing so it was right up my alley. For my project after the AP Lang test, I think I am going to do a graphic essay, since I love to draw. I learned a lot from this essay. I learned you can use pictures to tell a story, without words. And you can, of course, use words, without any pictures. Although I think the best comics are ones who use both at the same time and they're balanced. Too many words is unnessesary if theres pictures to go along with the story. It would be very hard to do a graphic essay, because you have to know what you're going to say and be able to draw it well enough to make sure your reader understands what is happening. It would be hard to consider the drawings and words seperately. I like how McCloud, in the beginning, starts off with a boy doing a show and tell of his robot. The teacher asks him why he likes his robot and he says, "Because it can do this." (And then he shows the class how his robot can change into an airplane.) At that age, kids say "this" and "that" because they dont know how to explain. Which is kind-of like a comic, which needs both pictures and words to convey it's message. I think graphic essays are a kind of literature that often gets ignored but shouldn't be.

reality television

2008-04-24T13:07:00.000-07:00

I used to be a big fan of the television, until I started getting more and more homework, and working. Also, the internet takes up most of my time because I'm always talking to my friends online. Or I'm on my cell phone, or trying to get my homework done. I basically never have time for t.v. anymore, which sucks because when my friends talk about their favorite reality shows I have no idea what they're talking about. I used to watch The Bachelor, What not to Wear, Survivor, Real World, The Hills, Greek, Grey's Anatomy, and Desperate Housewives. It seemed like almost everyday of the week I would strive to get my homework done so I could watch "my show" at that specific time. My parents would yell at me to turn the t.v. off and go to bed, but I'd whine and whine, "Please mom and dad, it's my favorite show and it's only an hour long!" And so they'd let me stay up, if I was lucky, and finish the show. If I ever missed an episode I'd feel so lost, like I have to watch it or I'd miss something so incredible. Nowadays, I miss a lot of reality television but I've learned theres more important things than staying glued to the t.v. everynight, such as getting my homework done. I'll never forget my "reality tv obsession" but I'm glad I've slowly drifted away from it.

one person CAN change the world

2008-04-23T07:49:00.000-07:00

In history we are learning about famous black leaders in the 1950's/1960's who have impacted society. Malcom X, an African-American, was sick of racism in the United States during this time, and wished to have two different societies; blacks and whites. He did not believe what Martin Luther King Jr. wanted. Malcom X and MLK had two totally different perspectives. MLK wanted racism and segregation to end and he told black people to "turn the other cheek" when white people would yell mean things at them. MLK also told his followers to boycott stores and shops without violence and to be strong, and not fight back, and to have a lot of discipline to ignore the hateful words and actions toward them. Malcom X, said the opposite, he was always very loud and clear about his opinions and he would not accept black people to be treated this way. He viewed all white people as terrible, cruel human beings and he wished to have a segregated society. (I.e. If you wanted to get a hair-cut and you we black, you had go to a black barber. If you were white and wanted to get a hair-cut then you would go to white barber. Malcom X believed that whites and blacks could NOT live together. Whites would come up to Malcom X and ask if they could do anything to support his cause because they believed what he had to say, but Malcom X wouldn't even give them the time of day, he hated white people. I never knew Malcom X and MLK Jr. were so different.

"...Early in life I had learned something... that if you want something, you had better make some noise." --Malcom X

"A man can't ride your back unless it's bent." --Martin Luther King Jr.

doing some good for the world

2008-04-23T07:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was April 22nd, otherwise known as Earth day. Behind our house is, what used to be, a creek with trees and wildlife. It's very pretty, except for the fact that there is a lot of garbage and littering in the water. My brothers and I used to hang out at the creek all the time, it's very peaceful and sometimes I would go back there just to "escape" and get some peace and quiet. I would go back there to read, or maybe even do homework, or just explore with my brothers. On earth day, a couple of years ago, my brothers and I decided to go back to the creek in our icky clothes so we wouldn't get all muddy, and pick up trash and move rocks so the stream would go faster and stop getting blocked by all the litter. It was really fun, and we improved the creek a lot. We even made areas where we could sit and hang out. We also made a waterfall with rocks. Every earth day from then on, my brothers and I continued to go down to the creek and clean it up. It was a fun tradition that we had, until houses started being put up around the creek and we stopped going. It was sad, seeing our "secret hang out place" dissapear. It's still there, it's just kind-of impossible to go to now that the weeds around the creek have grown so tall and most people don't enjoy you walking around in the backyard to get to the creek. I miss the creek, a lot, and I know my brothers do too. But I am very proud of myself and my brothers for trying to do some good for the world and having fun at the same time. I think that's what Earth day is all about.

the a.p. lang test.. (eeek!)

2008-04-15T15:36:00.000-07:00

Last saturday I took the ACT test. I studied for the ACT with this big book my dad bought me that had practice tests and tips. The book helped, but I'm nervous to see my scores, because it was a difficult test. Coming up soon is the AP Lang test, on May 14th. Today I registered for it and it got me thinking that the test is less than a month away! And I have done little to no studying at all, besides the practice tests we took and the vocab words we learned in class. I will probably just buy an AP book on English Language. I need to start studying for it. We have done practice tests in AP and I have gotten really bad scores, so that is not helping my confidence with doing well on this test. I want to do well on it and I want to get college credit for taking this course. I find it very helpful that we do practice tests and learn new words everyday in class. After we go over the answers and/or the vocab words, and talk about them for a while, so it sinks in and I remember more that way. Overall, I am very nervous for this test, even though our class discussions do help. I hope to study a lot within the next few weeks and get a decent score!

perfect prom

2008-04-15T06:41:00.000-07:00

Ever since I was a little girl, I had always dreamed of going to prom. It's like your wedding day; getting all dressed up and looking like a princess for a whole day. It's supposed to be the best time of you life. I've learned prom is very stressful though, and planning the big day out can create a lot of stress and drama. I got asked to prom this year by a senior friend, since Kennedy's prom is for seniors only unless a senior asks an underclassmen to be their date. I am very excited to go, but prom got me thinking about the pop culture of today.. We spend so much to look good! Prom is very expensive; a dress costs around 200 dollars and a tux rental comes out to be around 150 dollars. Plus shoes, getting your hair done, make-up, nails, etc. It adds up fast. Plus dinner, tickets, and flowers. Prom can blow your savings account through the roof. Since I've never been to prom, I am excited to see if all the money I spend is worth all the fun and memories I get from that night. Prom wasn't always this much money, it was a very formal dance at the end of the school year, but people didn't usually go all out like teens do today.

blame the french

2008-04-10T06:26:00.000-07:00

I have been researching more on my topic, knowing that Mr. Ayers is soon going to say, "1st drafts are due tomorrow!" I don't want to freak out the night before, so I am working hard at deciding what I want to narrow my topic down to. I thought I was just going to write about the pros and cons of tanning but now that I've been researching, I've found some interesting information on how tanning even began and I think it would be useful to use in my paper. Heres what I've found on the cultural history.. but I don't know if I will use it in my paper or not yet.

At the time of Shakespeare, before the Industrial revolution, skin color used to define class systems; it separated working class from ruling class. In Europe, during much of the 18th and 19th centuries, fair, freckle-less skin was considered attractive, especially in women, since tanned skin was associated with manual labor such as on a farm or in the outdoor employ of a wealthier person. Having fair skin signified that one was wealthy enough to hire other people to do work for them. In ancient Rome, people used to lighten their skin with cosmetics, by powdering their faces.

Labor patterns then shifted during the early 20th century, with indoor work becoming the norm, tanned skin came to be seen as a membership of the leisured classes. When famous French fashion designer Coco Chanel (in the picture above) accidentally acquired a dark tan during a vacation on the French Riviera in the 1920's, she started a fad among whites for tanned skin. Now bronzed skin among whites signifies social status, wealth and health, possibly for the opposite reason. Now that most jobs are done inside, tans among light-skinned people signify the wealth required to have the leisure time to get a tan. A tan in the winter meant the bearer had enough money and status to afford a vacation to an exotic, warm climate.

By the 1970’s, people began to develop skin cancer from baking their bodies in the sun for too long. They were totally oblivious to the fact that their sunburns would turn into skin cancer only less than 20 years later.

iowa state university

2008-04-08T06:46:00.001-07:00

Over break, I visited Iowa State's campus with my family. We scheduled a tour on April 4th of the campus and to meet with the guy ahead of Graphic Design (the major I want to pursue.) I loved the college. The campus was really big and pretty and the dorms were nice. I decided that I'm not going to bring my car when I go to college because freshman have to park really far away and they dont use their cars for anything really, just to drive home, which for me, is 2 hours away. Everything in Ames is really close to the campus too, grocery stores, malls, and Iowa State students get free bus transportation so that helps out a lot. When I want to go home to see my family, I will just get a ride with one of my friends and I will pay them for gas. Iowa State is the only college I have looked at so far, because it's the only college in Iowa that has my major. I really hope I get in because I havent looked at any other colleges. I am very excited to graduate from high school and start life at college where I'm on my own. It will be scary, but I am looking forward to such a drastic change. :)

are cell phones destroying our lives?

2008-04-08T06:22:00.000-07:00

I can't live without my cell phone. When my dad takes it away from me so I can get my homework done, I freak out on him. I'm so dependent on my phone because that is the only way I communicate with my friends. My friends are my life, I talk to them constantly, either on the phone or via computer. I think my social life and my phone has strongly effected how long I study and do homework each night. I am constantly texting, I text more than I talk on the phone. I sware I am going to get carpals tunnel syndrome from constantly texting. I think teens text more than they talk on the phone because its easier. You can do it quietly, and if you're shy its easier to to talk since you're not actually using your voice to communicate. Also, if you just have one little question to ask or if you want to tell your friend something, you dont have to call them up and have a long conversation with them, you can just tell them something in a couple of words instead of wasting your time with a long phone conversation. I think that cell phones can be good in some ways, they strengthen relationships with your friends and family. Since my mom and I both have verizon wireless, we can text eachother for free. I taught her how to text so she can stay more connected with me. Now, if she wants to know what I'm doing or where I am or if I can pick up one of my brothers from school, she can easily just text me a quick message. She knows I will respond, because I am constantly texting anyway. I think cell phones have more down sides though; they take over our lives. I know that if my friend doesnt reply to my text message within that next hour that something is wrong because she always has her phone on her! Why do we just assume that people are constantly available to talk? Before there were cell phones, we had home phones, and people weren't always available to talk then. Teens these days, even adults, are constantly looking at their phones for new messages and opening their phones to send a quick message. Cell phones used to be for talking only, now we have text messaging, and it's changing the way the world communicates, and how we waste most of our time.

my seventeenth birthday

2008-04-08T06:02:00.000-07:00

This year I turned 17 on April 5th, which was over spring break. This was the 1st year, ever, to have my birthday on a day where we didnt have school. I usually make birthday treats for one of my classes and I'm used to people at school saying happy birthday to me and making me signs for my locker. It was weird being at home for my big day, but it was nice to sleep in and be able to do whatever I wanted and not be stuck at school half the day. For my birthday I got manicures and pedicures with my friends and then we went out to eat at genghis grill and 2 of my friends who were supposed to be in florida came home early (which I didn't know about) and surprised me and my other friends at the restaurant. My jaw dropped when I was them, so it was a good surprise and I was very happy to see them after they had been gone for so long. After dinner, we went back to my friends house and opened gifts and ate ice cream cake. It was really fun. The rest of the night wasn't planned, we just drove around and listened to music and did whatever. It was a really good birthday overall.

the effects of tanning: good and bad

2008-03-25T06:02:00.000-07:00

For my paper, I'd like to give only information on tanning, not argue anything. My plan is to explain it like no one knows what tanning is, with a lot of details. (This will be my introduction.) Then I want to explain the good effects of tanning and the downsides/health effects of it as the body of the paper. Even though I have an opinion that tanning is not worth it, I don't want my opinion to show through my paper. I don't want it to be biased. I'd like to include a lot of statistics and interesting facts about tanning that most people do not know. I know how I am going to start my paper and what the main focus will be, but the hard part is staying on track and not jumping all over the place. I don't know how I am going to wrap up my paper either, I will probably come back to my introduction and say something that has to do with the beginning. As of now, I know my main focus for my paper and I hope it turns out well.

the easter bunny isn't real!?

2008-03-20T17:32:00.000-07:00

I think of easter as a fun holiday to spend with my family. Good food, visiting with relatives, easter egg hunting, and lots of chocolate and money in the eggs is my idea of a good time. :)

I remember a long time ago, I don't remember what age I was, I saw my mom in the kitchen filling easter eggs with candy. I was shocked; I remember saying, "Mom, doesn't the easter bunny do that?" And she told me SHE was the easter bunny. I remember saying, "What! Really!?" It's funny because I would always nag my mom that there was no easter bunny and then when the secret was finally out that there really wasnt, I was mad that she told me. I wish she would have never told me, even though I wanted to know so bad, because it's fun to believe and have an imagination! And then I stood there with my mouth wide open and said, "So that means there's no Santa? Tooth Fairy? (etc.)" I was happy she finally told me the truth, but to this day, I still wish I was a kid again and believed in fairy tale creatures.

Every easter, My family and I drive to my grandparents on my dad's side of the family. I get to see all my cousins and we eat a big meal, then we look for eggs around my grandparents farm. It's fun because all the eggs are really spread out (and hard to find) since they have a huge yard and tons of things to look behind for the eggs. The eggs are usually filled with dimes, pennies, and nickels.. and each of us usually end up with about 5 dollars each. We also get big easter baskets of candy and marshmallow peeps. Oh, I forgot to mention we also get all dressed up and go to church that morning. Last year I had pink-eye on easter so I wasn't able to do anything! It was bad, I was upset. Hopefully this year's easter turns out good and we have nice, sunny, easter-y weather. :)

photoshop: the secret to looking gorgeous

2008-03-20T16:24:00.000-07:00

My birthday is coming up.. and today I was looking at adobe photoshop cs3, which is six-hundred some dollars; something I really really want for my birthday, but i know it's just a dream because I doubt my parents would ever buy me something that much. I want to be a graphic designer when I grow up and I love working with computers/ads/art, so photoshop is right up my alley. I came across this picture of Faith Hill in Redbook magazine. I've always wondered, so celebs really look like this? And I guess I found my answer, no. The picture is totally different; Faith's eyes have more make-up, her face is flawless, her hair is lighter, her arms are slender, she's much more skinnier, and she doesnt have any "flab around her dress." I think her 'before' picture looks prettier, actually, but that's just me. When I get older, I would love to do this kind-of work. I love touching up pictures and lightening them and messing with every effect. It would be amazing if I got photoshop for my birthday or any day, I would be the happiest girl in the world. But for now, I'll just continue to dream to do this kind of work when I'm older.

happy 1st day of spring!

2008-03-20T15:20:00.000-07:00

Since today is the 1st day of spring, It got me thinking... I love this season. J The weather is perfect, not too hot and not too cold. Also, my birthday is during spring, something I always look forward to. And so is spring break, which I love because of the week break from school. Spring is also a perfect time to run because the sun is not beating down on your nor are you getting frost bite. Today was one of the 1st days I went running outside since like September. It felt so good to just get outside and breathe instead of being stuck inside all day. Being outside and being able to be active makes me happier because I am free to move around and exercising makes me feel better about myself. This spring my goal is to run every day and get outside more and enjoy the weather. I’m so glad the snow is all gone, except I probably just jinxed myself by saying that because we’re supposed to get 1-3 inches tonight. It’s so weird seeing the green grass for once and not white snow all the time. I just wish this warm weather would stay this way.

continuing research information

2008-03-20T06:06:00.001-07:00

Tanning is something almost everyone knows about, so it's pretty easy to find imformation for my research paper. I found a lot of websites that have to deal with both sides of tanning, whether you should or shouldn't do it. The research I found was pretty authorative, one source I found was from the Skin Cancer Foundation. The people who write on this website are medical doctors and dermatologists. They are highly educated so I think they know what they're saying. The authors purpose it to explain the downsides of tanning and kind-of persuading that tanning salons should be banned. This source is pretty general. It doesn't get into the nitty gritty details. It summarizes what is bad about tanning and gives us the true facts. From reading this source, I learned the name of the "cancerous/bad cells." Tanning is a 2 billion dollar industry in the United States and there are 25,000 salons in America. Tanning bed use is increasing and people who visit salons 10 times or more a year are 7 times more likely to get melanoma. Medical experts are thinking about banning salons, which I never thought they could do. Students in my class gave me comments on my topic and they asked me to research why people tan even though they know the risks. One person said they know someone who tans but skin cancer runs in their family! Another commenter said I should talk about both outdoor tanning and indoor because the risk is just about the same.
Some good questions that my peers have came up with are...
-what is the youngest age you're allowed to go tanning? oldest?
-does tanning inspire the growth of any other cancer?
-what are other methods for getting a tan? do they work just as well?
-do most people pay for it themselves? Or do their parents pay/support their tanning?
-why do people ignore the risks of tanning?
-are their benefits to tanning?
-do tanning salons do anything to warn customers of risk?

you're gonna miss this

2008-03-19T16:52:00.000-07:00

Today I was listening to a country song on the radio called, "You're gonna miss this" by Trace Adkins and it got me thinking about the past 16 years of my life. It's funny how we, as kids, always say how we can't wait to turn 14 so we can get jobs, 16 so we can drive, 18 so we can be "adults," and 21 so we can legally drink and gamble. We always want to be older, so we can have more freedom, and we like to plan our future out and think about the fun times ahead. But the truth is, in a couple years from now, we really do look back and say, "I wish I would've enjoyed my life more.. I wish I would've spent more time doing ____ or spending time with ____." It's time to take a good look around at our lives and enjoy them for as they are now, and live life without any regrets, because you truly are going to miss this. Once you get older, you wish you were a little kid again. An example I can think of is kindergarten, when I hated nap-time.. I could never fall asleep and I thought it was stupid, I wanted to play! Not sleep, jeesh! But now, as a teen, I hardly ever get any sleep and it seems like every kid in high school would love to have a nap-time. I wish I was a child again so I wouldn't have to focus all my time on school work and get outside and run around and just have fun for once. I wish those days wouldn't have gone by so fast. After hearing this song, I've decided to look at my life in a more positive way because I know that I will regret getting older and miss those times when I was young.

the famous rubix cube

2008-03-17T17:17:00.000-07:00

My younger brother owns a rubix cube, and he has a huge fascination with it. He is always messing (twisting and turning) with it and he can solve it pretty fast after he bought a stupid book on how to solve it. They say people who can solve it are super smart, which I believe because I can't seem to figure it out and my brother has a 4.2 gpa and he can solve it so I think there's a correlation there. My brother said it's just pure memorization of formulas and patterns that you look for. He can solve the cube in about a minute, I've seen him do it and the world record is about 20 seconds. My brother said that there are robots that can solve the rubix cube, which is pretty neat. The man who invented the rubix cube, Erno Rubic, says, "the Cube is an imitation of life itself --or even an improvement on life. The problems of puzzles are very near the problems of life, our whole life is solving puzzles. If you are hungry, you have to find something to eat. But everyday problems are very mixed--they're not clear. The Cube's problem depends just on you. You can solve it independently. But to find happiness in life, you're not independent. That's the only big difference." I like this quote because he relates the cube to real life and it's true that our whole world is about solving problems. I have not solved the rubix cube, I think fairly few people in the world have; but I look forward to (hopefully) learning one day. Maybe I'll ask my brother to teach me sometime soon.

the big deal about saint patty's day

2008-03-17T16:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to Carlos O Kelly's with my friends and we ate dinner together. It was fun, especially when we met this leprechaun. Today is St. Patrick's day and I don't know much about the holiday so I decided to look up the history behind the big day and learn about leprechaun's, since they're such weird creatures.

I learned that the Leprechaun is an Irish fairy. He looks like a small, old man, dressed like a shoemaker, with a cocked hat and a leather apron. Legend says that leprechauns arevery unfriendly, they live alone, and pass the time by making shoes. They also have a hidden pot of gold. Tresure hunters are said to often track down a leprechaun by the sound of his shoemaker's hammer. If caught, he can be forced (by violence) to reveal his treasure, but the you must keep their eyes on the leprechaun every second. The leprechaun is tricky, he often tricks people into looking away and then he vanishes, and all hopes of finding the leprechaun's treasure is lost.

I also researched the holiday... I learned that St. Patrick is the patron saint of Ireland and one of Christianity's most widely known figures. Even though he has his own holiday, his life remains a mystery; it's not uncommon that many people don't know that much about St. Patrick's day. Many of the stories associated with St. Patrick are just exaggerated storytelling. Another interesting thing I learned was that the Chicago river is dyed green every year for St. Patrick's day, I never knew that. My family and I dont have any special traditions for this holiday, just to wear green. I didn't wear green today though :-X I dont have that much green clothing. I'll just have to buy something for next year's March 17th.

my spring break

2008-03-16T13:26:00.001-07:00

This year, for spring break, My family and I are going to Wisconsin Dells on that sunday through tuesday the last week of March. It should be really fun, I haven't been to Wisconsin Dells since like 7th grade, so 4 years ago. I bet there are a lot of new water slides and new stuff to do. Once my family and I get back from the Dells, we are going to visit colleges in Iowa for me to look around and experience what campus life is going to be like. We plan on visiting Iowa State (my preferred college choice,) University of Iowa, and UNI. I'm really excited. My cousin, Megan, is going o UNI right now so I might stay the night with her in her dorm. I want to go to Iowa State, even though it's really far away because they have a good art school and they have my major, Graphic Design. After all the college visiting over break, I will hopefully have a better idea of what campus life is like. My birthday is also over spring break, it's April 5th. I've never had my birthday over spring break before, which is kind-of exciting since I'm use to always having to go to school on my "big day." I will probably celebrate my birthday with my friends by going out to eat or something. It should be a good break :)

no last minute rush

2008-03-16T13:17:00.000-07:00

I never procrastinate, okay "never" is a big word, but for the most part I really dont. I don't know how all my peers can pull it off at the last minute. I like to work ahead; get things done ahead of time so I don't have to deal with that nagging stress. I don't enjoy feeling rushed-- I always work ahead on projects and assignments just so I can get them done and over with. My brother, Nathan, who is a freshman has a 4.0 gpa and he always does his homework sunday night, at the last minute. It's not fair that he does his assignments at the last minute, rushed and still manages to get a better grade than me at everything. Almost all of my friends are like my brother, and manage to pull off projects at the last minute. In the morning, before school starts, I always find my friends at our locker sitting down doing their homework and they actually get it done! For writing notebook entries, or blog entries as we now have, I would always do my 5 entries on the weekends and then I wouldnt have to worry about them during the week, so I would always be 5 entries ahead. I hope I never lose my "working ahead ability" because I enjoy getting things done early so I dont have to worry about them!

the dentist = the old boogeyman

2008-03-14T19:42:00.000-07:00

When I was little, I had a fear of the dentist... I'd cry and cry to my mom and dad that I didn't want to go. They always picked at my teeth and would put these big pieces of paper in my mouth that would make me gag so they could “take a picture” of my teeth, which I know now is x-rays. They’d also put this fluoride stuff in my mouth for a minute, which tasted terrible. I would just sit in the dentist chair and suffer while I tiredly held my mouth open for them. I couldn't wait till the appointment was over because then I got to pick out two prizes. I usually got a sticker and a bouncy ball. Nowadays, I'm too old for those prizes (at least that's what the dentist says.) I've grown up and got over the fear of going to see my dentist; she's just trying to take care of my mouth. I've suffered thought the pain of cavities, getting a root canal in middle school, and more.

I've also gotten over my fear of seeing the orthodontist. I use to hate it, probably because when I had my braces I would always have to come back in and they would tighten the brackets, which hurt really bad. I couldn't eat anything hard after they tightened them. I'd live off of jello, mashed potatoes, and chocolate ice cream :). My braces were on for a little over 2 years. I also had a head gear to get rid of my overbite. All the pain was worth it though, whether it be going to the dentist every 6 months or seeing my orthodonist every 3 months, which led to my beautiful straight smile. I may not have thought that all the pain was worth it at the time, but now I'm glad I suffered through it all. I'm happy I don’t get anxious or nervous anymore when I'm due to see the dentist or orthodontist.

research topic: tanning

2008-03-14T06:36:00.000-07:00

I've decided that for my research paper
I am going to go into depth on the subject of.. TANNING
and the effects of it, pros and cons.

This article i found was about "smart tanning" and the author talks about how indoor tanning moderately will reduce your risk of getting sun burned, and how not all dermatologists are against tanning moderately. Where as, this article is about the "downsides of tanning" and how it can lead to cancer. For my paper, I plan to research both sides of the argument and I won't put my opinion on the subject in the paper.

research paper ideas

2008-03-06T06:04:00.000-08:00

Drug Use- focus on one specific drug, effects, how it changes peoples lives
Culture- of a different country, not America. Learn basic ideas
Traveling/Vacationing- trip statistics, where people go on vacation and why

how to sprain your ankle

2008-03-04T17:54:00.000-08:00

I am a ditz; I trip and drop everything. Last thursday, on WPA night, I tripped on the ice after dinner at Osaka. I tripped on the ice in my heels. I can't walk in heels in the first place, let alone on ice. So it was pretty much a disaster waiting to happen. Right after I fell, my ankle was hurting me but the pain went away so I shrugged it off. Luckily I was able to dance, but for the pictures I probably have a nice big bruise on my knee, lovely. The next day, my ankle wasn't hurting me either, oddly enough. But that night it began to ache and it was hard to walk on so I began to limp around the house and my brothers started calling me "limpy." The next day I had to work and my foot was killing me, I really wanted to call into work and say I couldnt move but I decided to suck it up and limp around for the 4hrs I was scheduled to work. On sunday, my mom took me to the hospital because my foot was still killing me and part of my ankle was bruised and swollen. I got xrays done and it turns out that it was just sprained and they gave me a boot.

if were experiencing global warming, why is it snowing so much?

2008-03-04T17:02:00.000-08:00

Global warming, isn't it suupsed to make our world warmer? So why is it snowing every other day in March still? Why is the weather so wierd? I decided to do some research on global warming to find out the facts. I

googled my question and found that Global warming and cooling cycles happen over a very long period of time. The current warming trend has been going on now for 18,000 years. What we're experiencing now in Iowa is localized weather and it's expected at this time of year. I also learned that March is actually the snowiest month. When scientists talk about global warming they're looking at the whole world over long periods of time, so I guess the "big" change in temperature is happening very slowly, and not as fast as I thought it would.

Now, I'm not complaining that the temperature hasn't been rising, because I know when summer comes, the heat is going to kill. But this harsh winter, worse than any I've ever seen in my lifetime, got me thinking about this question. I guess global warming hasnt really hit us yet, but maybe it will effect our summer temps? We'll see, whenever summer gets here.

sarah dessen: young adult author

2008-03-03T06:35:00.000-08:00

Sarah Dessen is my favorite author, she writes about teen girls dealing with everyday life and common problems. Here's an overview of some of her books...

That Summer is about a 15yr old named Haven, who is dealing with her parents going through a divorce and her father is getting remarried and her older sister is getting married as well. Haven wishes that things would just go back to the way they were.

Someone Like You is about a girl named Scarlett who's boyfriend died and she is now carrying his baby. Scarlett's best friend, Haley, who has always been there for her, is helping her get though this time in her life. It's a book about loss and friendship.

Keeping the Moon, one of my favorite books, is about a girl named Callie who has lost a ton of weight because her mom is now a famous fitness person. Callie is forced to stay with her eccentric aunt for the summer while her mom is traveling around the world promoting her fitness equipment. While gone for the summer, she meets 2 girls at her job and they teach her how to love herself for who she is and break out of her "shy shell."

Dreamland, one of the more popular books by Dessen, is a book about a girl named Caitlin who meets seductive Rodgerson Biscoe, before long he starts abusing her and gets her hooked on drugs. Caitlin is so into him that she doesnt even notice how she is changing, and in the end she has to go through therapy.

This Lullaby, one of the 1st books I read by Dessen, is about a girl named Remy who isnt really into dating since her mom has remarried 5 times. Remy meets a boy named Dexter, who doesn't pass any of her "rules," but she then falls for him.

I love Dessen's writing because she writes about girls my age with problems and everyday life that I can relate to. She has a new book coming out in April of this year and i'm very excited to read it :)

what am i going to write about?

2008-02-27T07:13:00.000-08:00

For my blog.. I will continue to write in it as I would in my writing notebook. The topics I write about are totally random, from what I did that day to something I saw at school. I often write about my interests and I often use it as a diary, to say whats on my mind and vent.