With a new year comes new resolutions. I haven't been the best at keeping my resolutions, so this year, I've decided to have my family hold me accountable for my goals.
1. Read 25 books. It doesn't seem like a difficult task to me, but I'm always busy with homework and other stuff. I want to read more. I enjoy it, so it's sad that I barely have time for it.
2. Stay in shape. I'm not saying that I'm fat, but I want to be more healthy. Usually, marching band helps out with this, but that starts in late May and ends in October. What about the other 6 months? So I'm working on an exercise plan to help me stay fit and a better diet plan - less soda and sweets, unfortunately.
3. Eat healthier. That goes hand-in-hand with number 2, I guess. But I need to cut down on some of the food I eat. It's a wonder I'm not overweight; I can be such a pig sometimes.
4. Be less lazy. I guess this is the one that I'm going to have the most trouble with. Less procrastination and more work. This is the resolution where my family is going to really have to hold me accountable because I procrastinate a lot. And I just love those days that I just sit around home in some PJ's or sweats. Which isn't bad. But I can be more productive.
I had a lot more last year and I didn't get all of them done. I don't even think I managed to get any of them. But hopefully, I will follow through with these (since the list has gone down quite a bit and these are actually doable) and I know my fam will support me with what I do.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Thursday, December 29, 2011
A Chat with Abraham Lincoln
There is a site that allows you to chat with Abraham Lincoln. I tried it out. This is how the first part of our conversation went (I edited the grammatical errors):
AL: Well, hello there. My, what a fine day. What would you like to know about?
Me: What do you think of Obama? (I couldn't really think of anything else to say.)
AL: He is a fine young man.
Me: But he's a Democrat.
AL: I was a Republican.
Me: Exactly.
AL: Can you explain it to me better?
Me: You were a Republican and our current president is a Democrat.
AL: I was a Republican.
AL: Well, hello there. My, what a fine day. What would you like to know about?
Me: What do you think of Obama? (I couldn't really think of anything else to say.)
AL: He is a fine young man.
Me: But he's a Democrat.
AL: I was a Republican.
Me: Exactly.
AL: Can you explain it to me better?
Me: You were a Republican and our current president is a Democrat.
AL: I was a Republican.
Metal
I am a weirdo when it comes to music.I admit it. A lot of my friends and family say so, too. My musical tastes have changed a lot over the years. I used to be a chick who was completely into pop and country. I find it kind of funny that I despise country and most pop singers now.
When I was younger, my parents introduced me to a band called Jump 5. I just loved them. I got various CD's and videos of them. I also listened to artists and bands that I saw or heard on a show or something from Disney Channel. Jump 5 sang the opening theme for Lilo and Stitch, which I thought was the coolest thing ever. I also liked listening to Jesse McCartney.
Later on, when I was probably 10 or 11, I started getting into country. I wasn't the biggest fan, but I really liked Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift. Especially Taylor Swift. As a naive little 6th/7th grader, I believed that some of her songs applied to me and just were so true. I even used her song A Place in this World to try out for the school's talent show in 7th grade (this was, sadly, before I realized that I am a terrible singer).
I started getting more into metal when I was in 8th grade. I kind of liked the heavy sounds and I'll admit it - I liked feeling tough when I listened to it. I, however, didn't really know where to start. There are a lot of different metal subgenres and I only had pop CD's. I have my friend Marisol to thank for helping me out with this. In March 2010, the youth group went to a retreat. She introduced me to several bands. I believe the first was Demon Hunter, so they were my first metal band. Another one she introduced me to was Dead Poetic, now my favorite overall band.
I decided to find more bands. I searched all over the web and asked friends for recommendations. One day, while searching for Phoenix Wright fan videos, I found one with music by a band called Nightwish. I watched it. And again and again and again. The song was addicting. The vocalist had the most amazing voice. I could not stop listening to the song. This was how I found symphonic metal. (This same user also uploaded a video with music by Poets of the Fall, now my favorite secular band.)
One day, I found a song by Nightwish called Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan (Death Makes an Artist). It was a sad but beautiful song. I looked up the translation for the song. I fell in love with it. I also fell in love with the language. It was beautiful, in my opinion.
I searched for more artists that sang in Finnish. I also learned how to pronounce Finnish words so that I could sing along and start learning the language. I found artists like Anna Puu, Chisu, Jenni Vartiainen, and Johanna Kurkela, all suomipop singers. I actually liked listening to them - suomipop is so different from American pop. But I decided that I wanted to listen to Finnish metal. I searched some more. What I learned is that some Finnish bands sing in English so that they can have more fans, so my search for bands that actually sing in Finnish was a bit difficult. (This actually led me to another band from Russia.) It was a bit difficult, but the first one that I found and liked was Villiel
I am a weirdo when it comes to music.I admit it. A lot of my friends and family say so, too. My musical tastes have changed a lot over the years. I used to be a chick who was completely into pop and country. I find it kind of funny that I despise country and most pop singers now.
When I was younger, my parents introduced me to a band called Jump 5. I just loved them. I got various CD's and videos of them. I also listened to artists and bands that I saw or heard on a show or something from Disney Channel. Jump 5 sang the opening theme for Lilo and Stitch, which I thought was the coolest thing ever. I also liked listening to Jesse McCartney.
Later on, when I was probably 10 or 11, I started getting into country. I wasn't the biggest fan, but I really liked Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift. Especially Taylor Swift. As a naive little 6th/7th grader, I believed that some of her songs applied to me and just were so true. I even used her song A Place in this World to try out for the school's talent show in 7th grade (this was, sadly, before I realized that I am a terrible singer).
I started getting more into metal when I was in 8th grade. I kind of liked the heavy sounds and I'll admit it - I liked feeling tough when I listened to it. I, however, didn't really know where to start. There are a lot of different metal subgenres and I only had pop CD's. I have my friend Marisol to thank for helping me out with this. In March 2010, the youth group went to a retreat. She introduced me to several bands. I believe the first was Demon Hunter, so they were my first metal band. Another one she introduced me to was Dead Poetic, now my favorite overall band.
I decided to find more bands. I searched all over the web and asked friends for recommendations. One day, while searching for Phoenix Wright fan videos, I found one with music by a band called Nightwish. I watched it. And again and again and again. The song was addicting. The vocalist had the most amazing voice. I could not stop listening to the song. This was how I found symphonic metal. (This same user also uploaded a video with music by Poets of the Fall, now my favorite secular band.)
One day, I found a song by Nightwish called Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan (Death Makes an Artist). It was a sad but beautiful song. I looked up the translation for the song. I fell in love with it. I also fell in love with the language. It was beautiful, in my opinion.
I searched for more artists that sang in Finnish. I also learned how to pronounce Finnish words so that I could sing along and start learning the language. I found artists like Anna Puu, Chisu, Jenni Vartiainen, and Johanna Kurkela, all suomipop singers. I actually liked listening to them - suomipop is so different from American pop. But I decided that I wanted to listen to Finnish metal. I searched some more. What I learned is that some Finnish bands sing in English so that they can have more fans, so my search for bands that actually sing in Finnish was a bit difficult. (This actually led me to another band from Russia.) It was a bit difficult, but the first one that I found and liked was Villiel
I am a weirdo when it comes to music.I admit it. A lot of my friends and family say so, too. My musical tastes have changed a lot over the years. I used to be a chick who was completely into pop and country. I find it kind of funny that I despise country and most pop singers now.
When I was younger, my parents introduced me to a band called Jump 5. I just loved them. I got various CD's and videos of them. I also listened to artists and bands that I saw or heard on a show or something from Disney Channel. Jump 5 sang the opening theme for Lilo and Stitch, which I thought was the coolest thing ever. I also liked listening to Jesse McCartney.
Later on, when I was probably 10 or 11, I started getting into country. I wasn't the biggest fan, but I really liked Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift. Especially Taylor Swift. As a naive little 6th/7th grader, I believed that some of her songs applied to me and just were so true. I even used her song A Place in this World to try out for the school's talent show in 7th grade (this was, sadly, before I realized that I am a terrible singer).
I started getting more into metal when I was in 8th grade. I kind of liked the heavy sounds and I'll admit it - I liked feeling tough when I listened to it. I, however, didn't really know where to start. There are a lot of different metal subgenres and I only had pop CD's. I have my friend Marisol to thank for helping me out with this. In March 2010, the youth group went to a retreat. She introduced me to several bands. I believe the first was Demon Hunter, so they were my first metal band. Another one she introduced me to was Dead Poetic, now my favorite overall band.
I decided to find more bands. I searched all over the web and asked friends for recommendations. One day, while searching for Phoenix Wright fan videos, I found one with music by a band called Nightwish. I watched it. And again and again and again. The song was addicting. The vocalist had the most amazing voice. I could not stop listening to the song. This was how I found symphonic metal. (This same user also uploaded a video with music by Poets of the Fall, now my favorite secular band.)
One day, I found a song by Nightwish called Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan (Death Makes an Artist). It was a sad but beautiful song. I looked up the translation for the song. I fell in love with it. I also fell in love with the language. It was beautiful, in my opinion.
I searched for more artists that sang in Finnish. I also learned how to pronounce Finnish words so that I could sing along and start learning the language. I found artists like Anna Puu, Chisu, Jenni Vartiainen, and Johanna Kurkela, all suomipop singers. I actually liked listening to them - suomipop is so different from American pop. But I decided that I wanted to listen to Finnish metal. I searched some more. What I learned is that some Finnish bands sing in English so that they can have more fans, so my search for bands that actually sing in Finnish was a bit difficult. (This actually led me to another band from Russia.) It was a bit difficult, but the first one that I found and liked was Villieläin.
Overall, I love metal and pretty much all types of metal. I love discovering new bands, too, so I'm always searching for some new ones.
When I was younger, my parents introduced me to a band called Jump 5. I just loved them. I got various CD's and videos of them. I also listened to artists and bands that I saw or heard on a show or something from Disney Channel. Jump 5 sang the opening theme for Lilo and Stitch, which I thought was the coolest thing ever. I also liked listening to Jesse McCartney.
Later on, when I was probably 10 or 11, I started getting into country. I wasn't the biggest fan, but I really liked Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift. Especially Taylor Swift. As a naive little 6th/7th grader, I believed that some of her songs applied to me and just were so true. I even used her song A Place in this World to try out for the school's talent show in 7th grade (this was, sadly, before I realized that I am a terrible singer).
I started getting more into metal when I was in 8th grade. I kind of liked the heavy sounds and I'll admit it - I liked feeling tough when I listened to it. I, however, didn't really know where to start. There are a lot of different metal subgenres and I only had pop CD's. I have my friend Marisol to thank for helping me out with this. In March 2010, the youth group went to a retreat. She introduced me to several bands. I believe the first was Demon Hunter, so they were my first metal band. Another one she introduced me to was Dead Poetic, now my favorite overall band.
I decided to find more bands. I searched all over the web and asked friends for recommendations. One day, while searching for Phoenix Wright fan videos, I found one with music by a band called Nightwish. I watched it. And again and again and again. The song was addicting. The vocalist had the most amazing voice. I could not stop listening to the song. This was how I found symphonic metal. (This same user also uploaded a video with music by Poets of the Fall, now my favorite secular band.)
One day, I found a song by Nightwish called Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan (Death Makes an Artist). It was a sad but beautiful song. I looked up the translation for the song. I fell in love with it. I also fell in love with the language. It was beautiful, in my opinion.
I searched for more artists that sang in Finnish. I also learned how to pronounce Finnish words so that I could sing along and start learning the language. I found artists like Anna Puu, Chisu, Jenni Vartiainen, and Johanna Kurkela, all suomipop singers. I actually liked listening to them - suomipop is so different from American pop. But I decided that I wanted to listen to Finnish metal. I searched some more. What I learned is that some Finnish bands sing in English so that they can have more fans, so my search for bands that actually sing in Finnish was a bit difficult. (This actually led me to another band from Russia.) It was a bit difficult, but the first one that I found and liked was Villiel
I am a weirdo when it comes to music.I admit it. A lot of my friends and family say so, too. My musical tastes have changed a lot over the years. I used to be a chick who was completely into pop and country. I find it kind of funny that I despise country and most pop singers now.
When I was younger, my parents introduced me to a band called Jump 5. I just loved them. I got various CD's and videos of them. I also listened to artists and bands that I saw or heard on a show or something from Disney Channel. Jump 5 sang the opening theme for Lilo and Stitch, which I thought was the coolest thing ever. I also liked listening to Jesse McCartney.
Later on, when I was probably 10 or 11, I started getting into country. I wasn't the biggest fan, but I really liked Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift. Especially Taylor Swift. As a naive little 6th/7th grader, I believed that some of her songs applied to me and just were so true. I even used her song A Place in this World to try out for the school's talent show in 7th grade (this was, sadly, before I realized that I am a terrible singer).
I started getting more into metal when I was in 8th grade. I kind of liked the heavy sounds and I'll admit it - I liked feeling tough when I listened to it. I, however, didn't really know where to start. There are a lot of different metal subgenres and I only had pop CD's. I have my friend Marisol to thank for helping me out with this. In March 2010, the youth group went to a retreat. She introduced me to several bands. I believe the first was Demon Hunter, so they were my first metal band. Another one she introduced me to was Dead Poetic, now my favorite overall band.
I decided to find more bands. I searched all over the web and asked friends for recommendations. One day, while searching for Phoenix Wright fan videos, I found one with music by a band called Nightwish. I watched it. And again and again and again. The song was addicting. The vocalist had the most amazing voice. I could not stop listening to the song. This was how I found symphonic metal. (This same user also uploaded a video with music by Poets of the Fall, now my favorite secular band.)
One day, I found a song by Nightwish called Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan (Death Makes an Artist). It was a sad but beautiful song. I looked up the translation for the song. I fell in love with it. I also fell in love with the language. It was beautiful, in my opinion.
I searched for more artists that sang in Finnish. I also learned how to pronounce Finnish words so that I could sing along and start learning the language. I found artists like Anna Puu, Chisu, Jenni Vartiainen, and Johanna Kurkela, all suomipop singers. I actually liked listening to them - suomipop is so different from American pop. But I decided that I wanted to listen to Finnish metal. I searched some more. What I learned is that some Finnish bands sing in English so that they can have more fans, so my search for bands that actually sing in Finnish was a bit difficult. (This actually led me to another band from Russia.) It was a bit difficult, but the first one that I found and liked was Villiel
I am a weirdo when it comes to music.I admit it. A lot of my friends and family say so, too. My musical tastes have changed a lot over the years. I used to be a chick who was completely into pop and country. I find it kind of funny that I despise country and most pop singers now.
When I was younger, my parents introduced me to a band called Jump 5. I just loved them. I got various CD's and videos of them. I also listened to artists and bands that I saw or heard on a show or something from Disney Channel. Jump 5 sang the opening theme for Lilo and Stitch, which I thought was the coolest thing ever. I also liked listening to Jesse McCartney.
Later on, when I was probably 10 or 11, I started getting into country. I wasn't the biggest fan, but I really liked Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift. Especially Taylor Swift. As a naive little 6th/7th grader, I believed that some of her songs applied to me and just were so true. I even used her song A Place in this World to try out for the school's talent show in 7th grade (this was, sadly, before I realized that I am a terrible singer).
I started getting more into metal when I was in 8th grade. I kind of liked the heavy sounds and I'll admit it - I liked feeling tough when I listened to it. I, however, didn't really know where to start. There are a lot of different metal subgenres and I only had pop CD's. I have my friend Marisol to thank for helping me out with this. In March 2010, the youth group went to a retreat. She introduced me to several bands. I believe the first was Demon Hunter, so they were my first metal band. Another one she introduced me to was Dead Poetic, now my favorite overall band.
I decided to find more bands. I searched all over the web and asked friends for recommendations. One day, while searching for Phoenix Wright fan videos, I found one with music by a band called Nightwish. I watched it. And again and again and again. The song was addicting. The vocalist had the most amazing voice. I could not stop listening to the song. This was how I found symphonic metal. (This same user also uploaded a video with music by Poets of the Fall, now my favorite secular band.)
One day, I found a song by Nightwish called Kuolema Tekee Taiteilijan (Death Makes an Artist). It was a sad but beautiful song. I looked up the translation for the song. I fell in love with it. I also fell in love with the language. It was beautiful, in my opinion.
I searched for more artists that sang in Finnish. I also learned how to pronounce Finnish words so that I could sing along and start learning the language. I found artists like Anna Puu, Chisu, Jenni Vartiainen, and Johanna Kurkela, all suomipop singers. I actually liked listening to them - suomipop is so different from American pop. But I decided that I wanted to listen to Finnish metal. I searched some more. What I learned is that some Finnish bands sing in English so that they can have more fans, so my search for bands that actually sing in Finnish was a bit difficult. (This actually led me to another band from Russia.) It was a bit difficult, but the first one that I found and liked was Villieläin.
Overall, I love metal and pretty much all types of metal. I love discovering new bands, too, so I'm always searching for some new ones.
Monday, December 26, 2011
Christmas
I love Christmas. It's such a joyous time for me. I love the Christmas lights, the decorations, the smells (y'know, like gingerbread and peppermint and stuff) and everything else. And it's a cliche, but I love being around my family and enjoying the true reason behind it.
This is also the one occasion where it's perfectly acceptable to wake up at an unholy hour and wake others up at that time, too. I usually sleep until around 8, but yesterday, my sister woke me up at 6:30. It was the only time that she could get away with it, of course. I mean, it's Christmas. I wanted to get up at around 2 because my parents told us no earlier than 6:30 and I wanted to make them mad, but I forgot to and I figured that sleep was better anyway.
Early on in the present-opening, I got a cross wall hanging from my sister. I told her it was beautiful and thanked her. She beamed and said, "You're welcome. You can keep it." Made us laugh.
We all got some pretty neat gifts. My sister got a guinea pig, whom she has named Guinea. He's adorable. We've all been having fun since yesterday.
It's sad that Christmas is over, but oh well. 364 more days to go until it all comes back.
This is also the one occasion where it's perfectly acceptable to wake up at an unholy hour and wake others up at that time, too. I usually sleep until around 8, but yesterday, my sister woke me up at 6:30. It was the only time that she could get away with it, of course. I mean, it's Christmas. I wanted to get up at around 2 because my parents told us no earlier than 6:30 and I wanted to make them mad, but I forgot to and I figured that sleep was better anyway.
Early on in the present-opening, I got a cross wall hanging from my sister. I told her it was beautiful and thanked her. She beamed and said, "You're welcome. You can keep it." Made us laugh.
We all got some pretty neat gifts. My sister got a guinea pig, whom she has named Guinea. He's adorable. We've all been having fun since yesterday.
It's sad that Christmas is over, but oh well. 364 more days to go until it all comes back.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Cupcakes Are Now Dangerous
Apparently, the TSA took away a woman's cupcake before she could board a plane. Because of the frosting. According to them, the frosting was too gel-like and could therefore pose a threat to security.
Awesome.
I talked about this while my mom, aunt, sister and I were all eating breakfast burritos. Dad was in the kitchen. I was shocked to hear that my mom and aunt fully agreed with them. Mostly because we usually agree on stuff. The one Democrat we've ever had in our family that I know of was our great-grandfather, who passed away in January. But anyway. They said that the cupcake could have indeed had an explosive in it.
I respect their opinions. But I still cannot fathom that the TSA took away a cupcake. That's just how I feel about the whole situation. It's a cupcake.
So I would just like to warn everyone. Beware of cupcakes in airports. Because, you know, the frosting could explode at any given moment.
Awesome.
I talked about this while my mom, aunt, sister and I were all eating breakfast burritos. Dad was in the kitchen. I was shocked to hear that my mom and aunt fully agreed with them. Mostly because we usually agree on stuff. The one Democrat we've ever had in our family that I know of was our great-grandfather, who passed away in January. But anyway. They said that the cupcake could have indeed had an explosive in it.
I respect their opinions. But I still cannot fathom that the TSA took away a cupcake. That's just how I feel about the whole situation. It's a cupcake.
So I would just like to warn everyone. Beware of cupcakes in airports. Because, you know, the frosting could explode at any given moment.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Hatred
On Thursday, I had a bio test that I had to do. I, of course, had no desire to take it. At all. My solution to the problem was to ask if people hated me. If they did, they could ram my head into a locker or wall.
I asked several people. None of them said that they hated me. I ended up taking the bio test, but I continued to ask people afterwards. No one said that they hated me (some did, though they were rather sarcastic). I'm not sure what I was expecting; I usually get along with people. If people truly do hate me, they don't show it. But I asked anyway. I asked a lot of my friends. I even asked people I didn't know. One of my friends assisted me in this, though I'm pretty sure she was doing this to prove her point (that no one truly hated me). I even asked a friend that doesn't even live in Colorado. Of course, it would have been pointless to ask, since he probably wouldn't be able to come simply to bash my head into a wall, but I asked anyway.
When he answered, he asked if I was being for real and why I was asking. I explained it to him and he said that I shouldn't ask such a thing.
It then hit me. He was right.
I thought it about it. I then realized that it was probably asinine to ask everyone if they hated me. It was probably a bit insulting and annoying. And it was probably pointless. Because I came to the realization that I was asking the wrong people. No, I don't mean that I should have asked different people. I mean that I was asking people whom I love. I love all my friends. I don't know some of them that well, but I still love them nonetheless. These are the people with whom I've laughed, cried, and had some of the best times in my life with. The fact that I was asking them if they hated me, even if it wasn't serious, was something silly.
I asked several people. None of them said that they hated me. I ended up taking the bio test, but I continued to ask people afterwards. No one said that they hated me (some did, though they were rather sarcastic). I'm not sure what I was expecting; I usually get along with people. If people truly do hate me, they don't show it. But I asked anyway. I asked a lot of my friends. I even asked people I didn't know. One of my friends assisted me in this, though I'm pretty sure she was doing this to prove her point (that no one truly hated me). I even asked a friend that doesn't even live in Colorado. Of course, it would have been pointless to ask, since he probably wouldn't be able to come simply to bash my head into a wall, but I asked anyway.
When he answered, he asked if I was being for real and why I was asking. I explained it to him and he said that I shouldn't ask such a thing.
It then hit me. He was right.
I thought it about it. I then realized that it was probably asinine to ask everyone if they hated me. It was probably a bit insulting and annoying. And it was probably pointless. Because I came to the realization that I was asking the wrong people. No, I don't mean that I should have asked different people. I mean that I was asking people whom I love. I love all my friends. I don't know some of them that well, but I still love them nonetheless. These are the people with whom I've laughed, cried, and had some of the best times in my life with. The fact that I was asking them if they hated me, even if it wasn't serious, was something silly.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Music
I love music.
To me, it just seems to be something so magical. Something that can affect your emotions in such a way... it's indescribable. It has such an impact on people, sometimes positive and sometimes negative. And there is just so much out there... so many different genres and artists. I love discovering new artists and bands.
I am not a big fan of country, but I love other genres. I usually listen to metal. Most of the artists and bands I've listened to speak English, but lately, I've been listening to more songs with different languages. I mean, why miss out on some great music just because they don't speak English? I usually check for a translation to make sure I'm not listening to something with language or something, but I enjoy listening to songs in all sorts of languages - Finnish (the one I listen to most), Russian, Romanian, Spanish, Korean, Japanese, French, Hindi...
When I was younger, I mostly listened to pop. I preferred Jump 5 and Jesse McCartney. I, however, became more exposed to different types of music and I enjoyed most of them. I even enjoyed country for a while. It was when I was around 13 or 14 that I started to hate it.
I'm always willing to try new stuff out. I like to ask friends for recommendations or search around on the Internet. Most of the time I spend listening to music is usually metal or suomipop (Finnish pop).
I myself am a trumpeter and while I don't consider myself to be very good at it, I love to play it. I also like to try to play songs on trumpet (I usually listen by ear and do this. For me, transposing is a pain in the neck). I love to listen to all different trumpeters - everyone has their own unique sound - but one that I look up to is Alison Balsom, partially because she's a girl. Many famous trumpet players are guys and I just admire her for being one of the few that's a girl. I am currently teaching myself how to play piano, but I also want to learn percussion, baritone, tuba...
I also like to ramble about trumpet. There was a time where I was riding with my mom to the airport to pick up my grandmother. I somehow got to talking about trumpets and I just could not stop talking. I just love the trumpet so much.
So in general, I just love music. I can't get enough. Then again, can anyone?
Monday, November 28, 2011
Things You Wouldn't Know
It's been a while since I've blogged and I was stuck on what to blog about, so I searched for some ideas. One site suggested blogging about things that people probably don't know about me. This seemd rather easy and somewhat fun, so I decided to do it. These are things that people might not know either because I've never mentioned it or because I simply don't talk about it.
1) I have two pets. I have a gray and white four-year-old Manx named Velcro. He is technically my pet - the rest of my family kind of hates him anyway - and he's an outside cat. He's very affectionate and loves attention. My other pet is my brown two-year-old shih tzu/poodle mix (shih poo) named Wookiee. He's the family's dog and he's playful and friendly.
2) The only instrument I can play is trumpet, but I want to learn more and start a metal band called Marshmallow Fluff. Seriously, how many metal bands have you heard of with cutesy names? So I'm going to try and learn another instrument or two.
3) I've always wanted to play drums. Always. When I joined band in middle school, I was really excited because I was finally going to learn. When I got in, though, one of my band directors said that you could only do percussion if you had 3 or more years of piano experience. I had no musical experience whatsoever, so I just decided to go try the trumpet. I ended up liking it, so I decided to stick with it. Now I'm teaching myself how to play piano and I eventually want to teach myself how to play guitar, but percussion is at the top of my list.
4) I hate frosting. Many people know this, but I still hate it. With a passion. I wish I could be a normal American and like frosting, but I can't. I always have to scrape it off when I'm eating some cake or a cupcake or whatever.
5) I really want to go to AnimeCon or something and cosplay as Dahlia Hawthorne or Maya Fey from the Ace Attorney series, but I would either have to save up for both tickets and a costume or figure out how to make my own costume. I often see all these cosplayers' costumes and I have to wonder how they did it. I'm awful at sewing (and I also really hate it) and I'm not good at that kind of stuff.
6) I moved to Colorado a little over 4 years ago. For the most part, I like it, but we need an In-N-Out here. And a Disneyland. And an ocean. That's probably the worst part - being in a landlocked state.
7) When I was around 13 or 14, I wanted to have a quinceanera. Even though I'm American and I don't have a bit of Hispanic blood in me. I just thought it was the coolest thing ever and I kind of wanted to have my huge celebration early. Why wait until you're 16, right? I, however, have already turned 15 and I just went out to dinner with my family. This year, I don't even want a huge celebration, either - I'm kind of planning on just hanging out with friends and doing dinner with my family again later.
8) I want to learn Finnish. I think it's an awesome language. I changed my phone so that everything is in Finnish and I have some notes on it in my binder, but it's a confusing language, especially because I've been teaching myself. I'm also trying to learn Spanish, but that language is easier, especially because I have it as a class at school.
9) I have fractured my elbow and possibly my tailbone. The former came out of pretending to be a cat and falling off a couch. The latter is when I slipped while on some stairs. It really hurt to walk.
10) I enjoy reading, writing, biking, music, hiking, law and politics, video games, movies, and a lot more.
1) I have two pets. I have a gray and white four-year-old Manx named Velcro. He is technically my pet - the rest of my family kind of hates him anyway - and he's an outside cat. He's very affectionate and loves attention. My other pet is my brown two-year-old shih tzu/poodle mix (shih poo) named Wookiee. He's the family's dog and he's playful and friendly.
2) The only instrument I can play is trumpet, but I want to learn more and start a metal band called Marshmallow Fluff. Seriously, how many metal bands have you heard of with cutesy names? So I'm going to try and learn another instrument or two.
3) I've always wanted to play drums. Always. When I joined band in middle school, I was really excited because I was finally going to learn. When I got in, though, one of my band directors said that you could only do percussion if you had 3 or more years of piano experience. I had no musical experience whatsoever, so I just decided to go try the trumpet. I ended up liking it, so I decided to stick with it. Now I'm teaching myself how to play piano and I eventually want to teach myself how to play guitar, but percussion is at the top of my list.
4) I hate frosting. Many people know this, but I still hate it. With a passion. I wish I could be a normal American and like frosting, but I can't. I always have to scrape it off when I'm eating some cake or a cupcake or whatever.
5) I really want to go to AnimeCon or something and cosplay as Dahlia Hawthorne or Maya Fey from the Ace Attorney series, but I would either have to save up for both tickets and a costume or figure out how to make my own costume. I often see all these cosplayers' costumes and I have to wonder how they did it. I'm awful at sewing (and I also really hate it) and I'm not good at that kind of stuff.
6) I moved to Colorado a little over 4 years ago. For the most part, I like it, but we need an In-N-Out here. And a Disneyland. And an ocean. That's probably the worst part - being in a landlocked state.
7) When I was around 13 or 14, I wanted to have a quinceanera. Even though I'm American and I don't have a bit of Hispanic blood in me. I just thought it was the coolest thing ever and I kind of wanted to have my huge celebration early. Why wait until you're 16, right? I, however, have already turned 15 and I just went out to dinner with my family. This year, I don't even want a huge celebration, either - I'm kind of planning on just hanging out with friends and doing dinner with my family again later.
8) I want to learn Finnish. I think it's an awesome language. I changed my phone so that everything is in Finnish and I have some notes on it in my binder, but it's a confusing language, especially because I've been teaching myself. I'm also trying to learn Spanish, but that language is easier, especially because I have it as a class at school.
9) I have fractured my elbow and possibly my tailbone. The former came out of pretending to be a cat and falling off a couch. The latter is when I slipped while on some stairs. It really hurt to walk.
10) I enjoy reading, writing, biking, music, hiking, law and politics, video games, movies, and a lot more.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Abortion
Why does it exist?
This is more of a rhetorical question. I do know the answer to this. But is there a legitimate answer?
This topic is something that is really huge. Since I first learned about it, I've always been against it. I suppose that last year, though, was when I really decided to actually start learning more. Last year, in civics class, I decided to run for president. I did it without thinking. I knew that I would never become president because I'm not good at arguing and politics really isn't my thing (though I do enjoy it). But before I knew it, I had gone to the white board and written my name down along with the other candidates. Oh, how I regretted my decision. But I ran for president anyway.
I remember studying various issues in civics. Of all the things we studied - assisted suicide, welfare, etc. - abortion is the one I was the most passionate about. I was positive that I would be able to counter every argument because I just knew it was wrong.
And yet I couldn't.
I think the biggest argument that came up was, "But what about in cases of rape and incest?". That was the hardest. I can't exactly remember what I said when I was standing up there, trying to answer that, because it was a good point. What happens when a woman is the victim of such an awful crime and she becomes pregnant because of it? What if she doesn't want the baby?
I am going to address some arguments that I have heard. I will also be more than happy to debate with anyone on this topic, though I will not do it on this blog, on Facebook, etc.
Argument: Abortion is a simple procedure that merely removes the fetus/embryo from the woman's body.
Answer: It is not as simple as one would think. If abortion is a simple procedure, then it surely wouldn't hurt anyone to watch a video of it, right? Or see pictures of the baby after the abortion? I have seen too many photos to count of babies after abortions and part of a video of an abortion (I couldn't take much more and I just stopped watching it). If this is a simple procedure, would you be able to watch it?
Argument: It's just a bunch of tissue.
Answer: Tissue does not have a heartbeat, unique DNA, brain waves, etc.
Argument: Abortions are safe.
Answer: They are not safe. Many women have experienced mental and physical problems. Consider these statistics:
And yet I couldn't.
I think the biggest argument that came up was, "But what about in cases of rape and incest?". That was the hardest. I can't exactly remember what I said when I was standing up there, trying to answer that, because it was a good point. What happens when a woman is the victim of such an awful crime and she becomes pregnant because of it? What if she doesn't want the baby?
I am going to address some arguments that I have heard. I will also be more than happy to debate with anyone on this topic, though I will not do it on this blog, on Facebook, etc.
Argument: Abortion is a simple procedure that merely removes the fetus/embryo from the woman's body.
Answer: It is not as simple as one would think. If abortion is a simple procedure, then it surely wouldn't hurt anyone to watch a video of it, right? Or see pictures of the baby after the abortion? I have seen too many photos to count of babies after abortions and part of a video of an abortion (I couldn't take much more and I just stopped watching it). If this is a simple procedure, would you be able to watch it?
Argument: It's just a bunch of tissue.
Answer: Tissue does not have a heartbeat, unique DNA, brain waves, etc.
Argument: Abortions are safe.
Answer: They are not safe. Many women have experienced mental and physical problems. Consider these statistics:
- Every year in the U.S., 11% (about 140,000 women) of women experience complications immediately. These include infections, hemorrhaging, and even worse medical problems.
- In the twelve months after an abortion, women have a death rate that's four times greater than what that of the women who decide not to have an abortion and continue their pregnancies.
- Some women who have had abortions in the past have complications when they actually try to get pregnant again. This includes premature births and ectopic pregnancies.
- When a woman has an abortion, the risk of getting breast cancer is increased.
- A study done in New Zealand revealed that women who had abortions had mental health problems that were 30% higher than that of a normal woman. Additionally, another study (also from New Zealand) showed that 78% of girls that were 15-18 experienced major depression. The study also showed that it was 43% higher than girls who were pregnant but chose to keep the baby.
- A 1994 survey showed that women who went through counseling after abortions had problems like insomnia, resorting to drugs and/or alcohol, and eating disorders. These all happened after the abortion.
- Many women have had infertility problems after an abortion.
Is it really worth it?
Argument: It's an unwanted child and shouldn't have to go through the pain of being unwanted as a child.
Answer: The child is not unwanted. The mother may not want him/her, but there are plenty of people who would love to adopt the child.
Argument: What if it's deformed/disabled?
Answer: No one is perfect. About six years ago, my mother was pregnant with my little sister. The doctors told my mom that my sister had Downs syndrome and encouraged her to go through with an abortion. My mother, of course, refused. First of all, we all love my sister and we would never, ever do an abortion just because she had Downs. That's discrimination - wouldn't the abortion of a child who's disabled be the same as saying that any disabled child should be killed? If disabled children were killed in the womb, it wouldn't make a difference if we went right ahead and killed disabled children who have been born.
Want to know something else? My sister was born without any "deformities" whatsoever. These trained professionals were completely wrong.
Argument: What about rape/incest?
Answer: This is the argument that I had so much trouble with before. This is my answer: would an abortion really erase the effects of what happened? The wounds, both mental and physical, are still there. Abortion can only get rid of the baby. It can't get rid of the crime itself. Also, in a study done by Dr. Sandra Mahkorn, it was discovered that 75-85% of rape/incest victims don't even want an abortion! I don't think rape/incest can ever justify abortion.
I would also like to say this: the plaintiff of the famous Roe v. Wade case, Jane Roe (a pseudonym - her real name is Norma McCorvey) is now pro-life. Isn't that a bit ironic? Also, not all abortions are successful. The first abortion survivor I heard of was Gianna Jessen, whose mother had gone into have an abortion when she was just 17. She had a saline injection, which was supposed to burn the child. Instead, Tina (her mother) gave birth to her. She eventually gave Gianna up for adoption.
Obviously, I only covered some of the many arguments that are out there. There are plenty more pro-abortion arguments. But these are my views and answers to some of the arguments I've heard the most.
Sources
She's a Child, Not a "Choice". Arvada, CO: Personhood USA, 2010. Print.
"Roe V Wade - Norma McCorvey." N.p., 26 Oct 2004. Web. 5 Nov 2011. <http://www.excerptsofinri.com/roe_v_wade.html>.
White, Amy. "Abortion Survivor Gianna Jessen." N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Nov 2011. <http://www.blessedcause.org/aborticide/survivor.htm>.
Shaver, Jessica. Gianna. 1st ed. 1998. Print.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Writing
It has been a while since I have stared at a completed piece of writing (whether it be a poem, a short story, etc.) and felt proud of it.
I think the last time I took pride in my writing was when I was eight. I had written two stories, both around 60 pages each. It was about a young girl named Noelle (named after me - my middle name is Noel) and her best friends Chloe and Amanda. The stories were about her living in the fictitious city of Creepyville, where odd things happen to her and her family and friends. I had started many different drafts of the third story, but I eventually gave up. The first story is about how Noelle's friends, while leaving her house after playing in the snow, accidentally step on a crack in the sidewalk and a tornado whisks them away. They come back later but are sworn to secrecy, so Noelle is left in the dark about where exactly they went and why the tornado took them away. Noelle also goes through some other things like her mother being remarried, a fight with her friends, her older sister leaving to join the army, and more.
The second story starts when the girls are fourteen and ready to go to high school. For whatever reason, I decided to leave Amanda out of this story until the very end, when Chloe and Noelle get matching gold charm bracelets and wave them in her face. Amanda starts whining to her dad. Apparently, I had her change from a sweet friend to a rich, snobby braggart who always took pleasure in showing off her stuff to Chloe and Noelle. Anyway, Chloe convinces Noelle to go to Space High, a school in outer space that trains teens to use their superpowers correctly. (Apparently, Chloe also underwent some changes, because she didn't have any powers in the first story.) At first, Noelle believes that she doesn't have any powers, but she soon discovers that she has super strength and the ability to fly. This was inspired by the movie Sky High. I was obsessed back then.
Anyway. It's been a while since I've taken pride in my works. It's been a while since I stared at a completed piece as if it was my own child because in a way, it was. I knew these characters almost better than I knew myself. I knew the trials they had gone through because, well, I'm the one who put them through them. I guess that now that I'm seven years older, I'm a bit less naive and my writing has greatly improved. I went back through the stories and found some grammatical and spelling mistakes. More than anything, though, I realized that the story was really lacking. For example, I noticed that none of the characters changed at all. They were dull. The stories were simply about a girl who had adventures. Like Dora the Explorer. Which makes me feel sick - I have no desire to have any character of mine be like her. But the stories were seriously lacking. They make me laugh now because in my opinion, they were cute. But it's still kind of hard to see them.
I also have a published book. No, you wouldn't be able to find it anywhere, because there are only about two or three copies in the world. It was this special thing that we all did in third grade. That was about a holographic tortoise and a raven who desperately wants to eat the tortoise but can't. The raven dispatches a cat to get the tortoise for him. The tortoise and cat were based off of my own pets, Tortilla Chip (Torty for short) and Heart (who was the daughter of my older cat, Mrs. Sammy). This book was probably shoved into the corner of my closet or at the bottom of a box because it is like the other two stories. While I was proud of it then, I came to realize what the story needed.
I feel that it's so hard to write now. It all starts with an idea. I usually let the idea just sit for a few days. I think about what could happen in the story. I then think about whether it would be a good idea to write about the story or not. If not, then it gets tossed out and I wait until a new idea comes to me. Which is rare, considering that I've had writer's block for a while. But I do have a few ideas that I've been working on.
Then I actually write. I rarely ever plan because it's so tedious. It's a bad habit, but that's what I do. Sometimes I have a few paragraphs written out in my head, and then I put them on paper. Then I have this other bad habit of reading what I wrote, thinking that it sounds childish, and deciding to not finish it because I have this feeling that it can't get done. Especially because I have so much else to do, like homework, localization, etc.
But...
I guess it's time to start anew. I guess it's time that I stopped dilly-dallying by simply writing poems (which are fun, but I seriously need to get back to writing stories) and just wrote. It's time that I followed the suggestions of my friends and other people (such as authors contacted for advice) and just write. Because that's what I used to do, and that's how I successfully wrote - and finished - stories.
I think the last time I took pride in my writing was when I was eight. I had written two stories, both around 60 pages each. It was about a young girl named Noelle (named after me - my middle name is Noel) and her best friends Chloe and Amanda. The stories were about her living in the fictitious city of Creepyville, where odd things happen to her and her family and friends. I had started many different drafts of the third story, but I eventually gave up. The first story is about how Noelle's friends, while leaving her house after playing in the snow, accidentally step on a crack in the sidewalk and a tornado whisks them away. They come back later but are sworn to secrecy, so Noelle is left in the dark about where exactly they went and why the tornado took them away. Noelle also goes through some other things like her mother being remarried, a fight with her friends, her older sister leaving to join the army, and more.
The second story starts when the girls are fourteen and ready to go to high school. For whatever reason, I decided to leave Amanda out of this story until the very end, when Chloe and Noelle get matching gold charm bracelets and wave them in her face. Amanda starts whining to her dad. Apparently, I had her change from a sweet friend to a rich, snobby braggart who always took pleasure in showing off her stuff to Chloe and Noelle. Anyway, Chloe convinces Noelle to go to Space High, a school in outer space that trains teens to use their superpowers correctly. (Apparently, Chloe also underwent some changes, because she didn't have any powers in the first story.) At first, Noelle believes that she doesn't have any powers, but she soon discovers that she has super strength and the ability to fly. This was inspired by the movie Sky High. I was obsessed back then.
Anyway. It's been a while since I've taken pride in my works. It's been a while since I stared at a completed piece as if it was my own child because in a way, it was. I knew these characters almost better than I knew myself. I knew the trials they had gone through because, well, I'm the one who put them through them. I guess that now that I'm seven years older, I'm a bit less naive and my writing has greatly improved. I went back through the stories and found some grammatical and spelling mistakes. More than anything, though, I realized that the story was really lacking. For example, I noticed that none of the characters changed at all. They were dull. The stories were simply about a girl who had adventures. Like Dora the Explorer. Which makes me feel sick - I have no desire to have any character of mine be like her. But the stories were seriously lacking. They make me laugh now because in my opinion, they were cute. But it's still kind of hard to see them.
I also have a published book. No, you wouldn't be able to find it anywhere, because there are only about two or three copies in the world. It was this special thing that we all did in third grade. That was about a holographic tortoise and a raven who desperately wants to eat the tortoise but can't. The raven dispatches a cat to get the tortoise for him. The tortoise and cat were based off of my own pets, Tortilla Chip (Torty for short) and Heart (who was the daughter of my older cat, Mrs. Sammy). This book was probably shoved into the corner of my closet or at the bottom of a box because it is like the other two stories. While I was proud of it then, I came to realize what the story needed.
I feel that it's so hard to write now. It all starts with an idea. I usually let the idea just sit for a few days. I think about what could happen in the story. I then think about whether it would be a good idea to write about the story or not. If not, then it gets tossed out and I wait until a new idea comes to me. Which is rare, considering that I've had writer's block for a while. But I do have a few ideas that I've been working on.
Then I actually write. I rarely ever plan because it's so tedious. It's a bad habit, but that's what I do. Sometimes I have a few paragraphs written out in my head, and then I put them on paper. Then I have this other bad habit of reading what I wrote, thinking that it sounds childish, and deciding to not finish it because I have this feeling that it can't get done. Especially because I have so much else to do, like homework, localization, etc.
But...
I guess it's time to start anew. I guess it's time that I stopped dilly-dallying by simply writing poems (which are fun, but I seriously need to get back to writing stories) and just wrote. It's time that I followed the suggestions of my friends and other people (such as authors contacted for advice) and just write. Because that's what I used to do, and that's how I successfully wrote - and finished - stories.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Title
...Hi.
I'm Christi. I used to blog. I stopped last year and I decided it would be fun to get back into it. This is the place where I'll share the thoughts, opinions, and whatever else I want to that no one really cares about. So I guess this blog is more for myself than anyone, but if anyone decides to read this thing, then yippee.
Some people consider me shy and others think of me as a social butterfly. So I guess I'm a bit of both. I prefer to stay inside and play trumpet or something rather than go to a dance or party (though I somehow found myself buying a homecoming ticket this year), but I still enjoy hanging out with my friends.
Anyway. The title comes from a song called Linnuton Puu by Finnish pop singer Anna Puu. One of my favorite verses goes like this:
Sanojasi vailla
Olen vain suunnaton tie
Ilman viitta
Suunnaton tie
In English, the words are:
Without your words
I'm just an endless road
Without a guide
An endless road
So that's where the title that totally lacks imagination comes from.
I'm Christi. I used to blog. I stopped last year and I decided it would be fun to get back into it. This is the place where I'll share the thoughts, opinions, and whatever else I want to that no one really cares about. So I guess this blog is more for myself than anyone, but if anyone decides to read this thing, then yippee.
Some people consider me shy and others think of me as a social butterfly. So I guess I'm a bit of both. I prefer to stay inside and play trumpet or something rather than go to a dance or party (though I somehow found myself buying a homecoming ticket this year), but I still enjoy hanging out with my friends.
Anyway. The title comes from a song called Linnuton Puu by Finnish pop singer Anna Puu. One of my favorite verses goes like this:
Sanojasi vailla
Olen vain suunnaton tie
Ilman viitta
Suunnaton tie
In English, the words are:
Without your words
I'm just an endless road
Without a guide
An endless road
So that's where the title that totally lacks imagination comes from.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)