Eng 001: Language and Writing

My Life

2008-05-08T12:53:00.007-05:00

Because of You by Kelly Clarkson is a great descriptor of my life, sometimes. I sometimes feel betrayed and hurt by a person I'm close to. Unlike Clarkson and her lover, I am used to the feeling from my parents. Many people would call me a "heartless asshole," because I can set my feelings aside and say things that people won't like.
The family I came from is very military oriented. I have been trained to set my emotions aside to do what needs to be done. I felt very betrayed when they decided not to support my decision to attend college. They expected me to join the military, like everyone else in the family. I chose to be the first in my family history to push for an education past high school. My parents don't think I can do it, so they refuse to support me. I am proving them wrong, however. So, it makes me wonder who is really being betrayed. Them for realizing that I am going to succeed despite their attempts to thwart me. Or am I the one being betrayed because I have a family who tells everyone that I'm failing, just like they said I would?
The song really relates, because when I do need something, like a new computer, I have to go to them about it. So, even though I'm being betrayed, I still go back to them.

Anchors Aweigh, Navy theme song is a really fun song, if you can sing it. I was raised with this song, since my family is very militia oriented. Not everybody was in the Navy in my family, but they were all in some form of military. My grandparents happened to be in the Army, as did their fathers, and their fathers before them. Being raised with military traditions can be odd for those not suited to deal with the harshness, and strict guidelines. Many people look at me and say, "how can you live with that?" I tell them that it's not too hard. It's in my blood having a strict structure to run my life. When they tell me that they can't see me in the military, with a gun, I only laugh.
"Do you see me in the military, with a gun? No, I didn't think so," is what I would reply. I do know how to hold my own in a fight, having the blood in me. But, I never use it. I am a major pacifist. I will try to solve any problem peaceably before resorting to hurting my foe. While it may not look like I am capable of violence, it just takes a couple jabs in a few pressure points to know down an opponent.

Zombie by the Cranberries is another descriptive movie of my life. My family, being military oriented, have all served in either the Navy or Army ever since all of the males have immigrated to America. My maternal grandfather's side has fought in every war that the U.S. has ever been in, starting with the Revolutionary War. My grandfather is actually cousins with General Douglas McArthur. Not direct cousins, however.
Having family in every war is a major pressure on one. I am the first not to participate in the military, despite the pressures from my family. I'm just not a gun holder. Zombie is a good video, because it shows what I am trying to stop by refusing to go into the military. I'm not opposed to war and violence, I just can't stand to take part of it. I am a firm believer that violence should only be used in self-defense, or defense of others. I don't believe in the oppression of others and that it should be stopped at all costs. Even though, the all costs could mean the destruction of a society, I am of the belief that is it better them than us. If I have to destroy someone to save my loved ones, then I will.
Many people view me as a pacifist, which I am. But, what they don't see is the rage I can pack when pressured. Having both parents in the military teaches you a lot. I have learned self-defense from them.

Magic has been another factor in my life. As a child, I loved Charmed. I always wished I could have had their powers. My all time favorite power would have been Paige's. Who wouldn't like the power to teleport and move things with your mind? I remember the days back in Oregon, when my little brother and I would walk the mile downhill to catch the bus. We would always play Wizards and Warriors. I would be the Wizard and he the Warrior. Together we fought all sorts of demonic forces that opposed us on our trek. The Puddle of Doom, the Midget Hill of Chaos, and the Cliff of the Underworld were a few of our more dangerous nemeses. The Puddle of Doom consisted of a ginormous puddle in the middle of the road we had to trek around, stopping occasionally to poke a stick at the water to ensure that nothing would attack us. The Midget Hill of Chaos; nothing more than a fire ant hill. My brother and I hated the "neurotic little pissmires" as Aldo Leopold once said about them. We would torture the things like no other. In winter, we would dump cold water on them. The Cliff of the Underworld was a ten foot drop we had to carefully navigate down, because if we slipped, it HURT!

As you can tell, I'm a major lover of Hakuna Matata in many languages. This is because I live by the law of life: what happens happens for a reason. Don't fight it, just embrace it. When it's in music, that just adds to the magnitude of it! When you have something in song, the whole world can understand what it is you're trying to say. That's one reason I love trying to learn languages. Some come to me easier than others. Japanese, for example, I'm finding really easy to learn. Spanish, on the other hand, is raping me in two ways from Sunday! I just can't get that language down. Yeah, I know some translation, but I can't do major stuff. Just simple words and phrases. Japanese is a language I love. It just seems to flow off my tongue. People may ask how I can learn a language with no letters in it. I just tell them that I find it easier, because I don't have to teach myself that the same letter can be pronounced differently in different languages. I just have to learn a whole new alphabet. It comes naturally to me, because learning something you have never even tried doesn't give you much option for variation.

La Vie Boheme from Rent is an extremely catching song to me. It teaches me to go against the flow. While the song itself may be a bit on the raunchy side, it describes my friends and I perfectly. We can be some of the dirtiest people anyone could ever know when we are together. We take little trips to "naughty stores" just to see some of our friends turn new colors. In fact, four of us went the other day to a raunchy store on "O" St. The three people I was with were girls. One of them is Asian American. We love to make fun of her turning sixteen shades of red. We've even named one of the colors "Asian Red." We aren't insulting the Asians, it's just an inside joke. All four of us have 0ur quirks that individualize us. One of the girls is the "slut" of the group (no, she's not really. She's a virgin). We have the whore of the group. And the rainbow of the group. When the four of us are together in an XXX store, some people really turn colors! Usually Justine, the Asian American girl, due to the fact that she is so innocent. When we went to the store, she noticed a couple naughty things in the shape of Jesus. As of now, she can never think of Jesus in the same way. She always thinks of the naughty toys, that are also mentioned in La Vie Boheme.

What did I get myself into?

2008-04-18T20:25:00.003-05:00

I am a member of Theta Chi fraternity. After seeing this video, I started wondering what I really got into. One of the "actors" is a Theta Chi, the other is from Phi Kappa Tau. Observe:

See what I mean? Now, imagine that person being in the same fraternity as you! When we got our hands on this video, we didn't let Todd down for a month. Not only that, we also to have Phil. Nobody knows what to think of him. Sometimes he's "emo" sometimes he's more of a communist.
Granted, this was Breaking The Silence 2007. But still! He's wearing girl's pants!!! Phil is straight, too. We have no idea what to think of him!

Most of the people in Theta Chi are abnormal in some way or another. We have just about every major covered! No Theater majors, though. In fact, Theta Chi is pretty much the powerhouse of the Greek System. We control SAS, the Cooper Center, the Library, the Math Dept, Computer Services, Student Ambassadors, Weary Center, and Intramural sports. And, we have several members who are active in band, chorus, and just about every student organization. I think the only thing we don't have a hold on are PA's and minor on campus jobs like for the departments.

We are also known to the community more-so than the other fraternities because we are always doing service projects: Highway clean up, sponsoring, and just the other day, we aided with the blood drive, and most of the members donated blood. That's about 30 pints! Now, that may not seem like a lot at the time, but it's about 90 lives!

The guys here are all awesome in their own way. Some for brains, some for humor, some for the way they can't attract others. But, they all have something to contribute to the fraternity. I have my near limitless patience and kindness, and new perspective.
I'm glad I joined them, oddities and all!!

Rhetorically Red

2008-04-17T13:56:00.003-05:00

Red. We see this color everywhere, everyday: Streetlights, stop signs, clothing, blood, many restaurants, Christmas and St. Valentine’s Day, and even some internet hyperlinks. Given the variety of situations that the color red is in, one would have to assume that it means and appeals to different people. But, why does it appeal to different people? We will cover the myriad of appeals that red symbolizes. From pathos, to examples, to logos, red has a variety of meanings.

When it comes to pathos, the emotional appeal, red easily stands out. To an innumerable amount of people, red can mean different things. Some view it as an angry, hate-filled color. Others find red to be a kind and loving color. Those that view it as angry see blood and gore. Hence the term “So angry they see red.” On the other hand when red is a kind color, it is symbolic of hearts and love. This is why the predominant color of Christmas and St. Valentine’s Day is red. You see red cut-out hearts and ornaments and you don’t think of hate and blood and death. You think of love and peace and happiness.

Red is actually a favorite color to many different people. This is due to the fact that it symbolizes or reminds them of something they love. Paula McGlone, from Ireland, says that most of the UK sports teams have red on their clothing. Her sports club colors are black, and she loves the color red. Max Funky said his favorite color is red because it reminds him of the many video games he plays. Kim Knight likes red because of its vibrancy.

“It gets you energized and moving,” Knight stated.

Mandie Ruzicka also likes the color red. “I don’t f*ing know why I like the color. It’s just a f*ing good color! I just f*ing like it!”

I, too, like the color red. Many people say that it accents my facial color, which is usually either pale or blushed. When I have a pale tone to my face, people say it makes me look a bit darker. When I am flushed, red apparently pulls that color out of me, making me look angry or embarrassed.

In contrast, there are people who hate the color red. Kelli Means thinks that “it is an ugly color, like brown. I look bad in the color red. It’s too close to pink, which is another color that I absolutely despise.”

While skin tone may not have to do with emotions specifically, it does have an indirect attachment. If you see someone wearing red, you will most likely automatically assume something about them. Hey, they are stylish, or They do not look good in that color. You may even think that a person looks sexy or ugly, or even suspicious in the color red. The color may not purposely strike a specific emotion, but the thoughts that are spurred are based upon the emotion, or cause the emotion themselves. Thinking someone is sexy or ugly is not an emotion, but it founds the emotion of lust or hate.

There are many examples of the color red. Streetlights and stop signs are seen everyday in towns that have them. You see red shirts almost everywhere you look. Many restaurants contain the color red in their logo. Streetlights and stop signs. When you see them, it means stop. When you note the red on a passerby’s clothing, it’s because that person wants to stand out.

Red is such a catchy color that many restaurants use it in their logo to be prominent: McDonald’s, Burger King, Dairy Queen, Wendy’s, Raising Cane’s, and Red Lobster. All of these dining locations have the color red as a part of their logo, and they are all famous restaurants. Coincidence? I think not. Yes, there are those places that don’t use red in their logo: Long John Silver’s, Cracker Barrel, Village Inn, Runza, and Perkins. How many of these restaurants pull in the revenue that matches the former?

Shopping centers also try to focus upon the color red: K-Mart, Shop-Ko, Target, PetSmart, and our own Westfield Mall. All of these stores contain red, even if it is just a small segment of the logo. The former companies all pull in millions of dollars a day, easily. They don’t even compare to Wal-Mart, however. And, even this store contains the color red in its logo. I can think of very few shopping centers that don’t contain red in their logo: Barnes and Noble, Bed Bath and Beyond, Best Buy, and American Eagle. None of the latter stores can accumulate the revenue of the former, even though they are national and international corporations.

Even grocery corporations contain the color red. Safeway, Affiliated Foods (a grocery store corporate chain) Bag ‘n Save, HyVee, and Super Saver are five national companies that include red in their names. Albertson’s is the only grocery store I know of that doesn’t contain red in its name, or logo.

Red even appeals to one’s logic. When you see red while driving, biking, or walking you know that you are to stop. This only applies to red that is involved with road laws. You may walk past a person wearing a red shirt, but you don’t stop…unless you plan on talking to them. Stoplights and stop signs signal for a driver to stop driving until the light turns green, or you look and it’s safe to cross past the sign. While it may be the law that states one must stop at a red sign, it also point to one’s logic. You see a stop sign and think red while driving means danger, or warning. Maybe I should stop and look both ways before driving into this intersection. So that’s what you do; you stop. When walking or biking and you come to an intersection, you see the light on the other side says “Don’t Walk.” Your logic tells you that you better not step out into the street unless you hazard wanting to get run over.

In the end, red can have a multitude of meanings under different contexts. It can affect the emotions, meaning anything from lust to hate. Red is a vivid color, one that catches the eye, which is why so many retailers use it. It even appeals to one’s logic when it comes to stoplights and stop signs. www.about.com is a great website about the color red and its origins and hidden means. It gives some “red language,” definitions of the color, matching color combinations, and design patterns (like feng shui) using the color red. Now, when you see the color red, what are you going to think? Oh, red shirt, I should stop. Or, Ooh! A red shirt! I think that is a nice shirt. I should tell him/her! I’m banking on the latter. Otherwise, you won’t be moving when I’m around. I love red shirts and I wear them all the time. Yes, people do stop, but they do so to read my shirt. This is due to the fact that most of them have some witty saying on them. Hmm. I wonder what color I should analyze next. I think I’ll go with blue.

Little addiction

2008-04-13T23:58:00.003-05:00

Humanity seems to revolve around this substance. What is it? Coffee. Why? What is it in coffee that makes so many people go crazy when they are on it... or off of it for too long? I personally found this Bumper Sticker off of Facebook hilarious because it's so true about a majority of my friends! A white, porcelain coffee cup on a saucer has spilled over onto the table. The coffee, loaded with creamer, is a shiny gold color running off the end of the picture, while coagulating, much like blood would. At the bottom of the picture are the witty words:

NOOOO!

NOT THE COFFEE!

I NEED THAT TO LIVE!

What I want to know is: why do I find this ad funny? What is it about this Bumper Sticker that appeals to me? I believe that Logos, and Pathos are major factors as to why this picture appeals to me. Examples and Cause-and-Effect seem to be the main strategies in attaining people to look at the picture.

Logos, a play on one’s logic is pretty obvious in this bumper sticker. The logic behind this witty picture is that I’m going to die now that I don’t have my coffee. This strikes MY logic because it makes me think that too many people are dependant upon the stimulant. While others might not think what I do, it is obvious that the creator of this sticker is clearly addicted to coffee. It makes me think that if there are more people like that in our country, then we are all, for lack of better term, screwed!

If you are a coffee drinker, you will know that coffee isn’t usually a gold color. Instead, it’s black. Unless, you put cream of some sort into it to change its coloring. Even then, coffee is a more tan or beige color, as opposed to the gold. This makes me think that the spilling of coffee is like the spilling of money you can’t get back unless you are willing to lick the table for it.

The coagulation of coffee, like blood, is probably no coincidence. Blood is essential to survival. If you don’t have enough blood, you’ll die. I find that this sticker illustrates that effect through the clogginess of the coffee. Coffee is becoming an everyday necessity, like blood. There has even been a new saying, “I have too much blood in my coffee system.” This saying, by one of my friends, strikes me as hilarious. She is about as big of coffee drinker as Kara, if not more so! Although, my other friends' grandma's doesn’t spike their brownies.

I view this as a major analogy to many aspects of life. The first being blood, as stated above. It could also stand for air or water. If you have neither, you are doomed to die a slow agonizing death. The coloring of the coffee could also represent money. People can’t really live without money. They may be able to survive in life, but they can’t afford to LIVE! To me, it also means that if you keep buying coffee, you are spilling your money out in front of you.

One Cause-and-Effect comes to mind when I examine this picture. This is: I am going to die now. I don’t have my coffee to sustain me, so now I will die. That almost makes me sad. I have so much more to live for! This sticker states that to not have coffee is to die. Well, not having oxygen, blood, or water is to die, also. You don’t see too may people complaining about that though, do you? Well, not to mention they are too weak to talk…might be a problem.

A final factor in this Bumper Sticker is its appeal called Pathos. The play of emotions. Reading this sticker, one can glimpse the agony, frustration and anger. When one loses something they need, they will be in agony, of course. The frustration is about the coffee, which is apparently a necessity in the life of the creator. And, certainly, anger. I mean, who wouldn’t be angry when they spilled a cup of delicious, golden, coagulating coffee? I would be so mad. I don’t know what I would do!

Zaireeka Reflection

2008-03-09T21:57:00.003-05:00

Our "experiment" reminded me much of something I had done in elementary school. I believe that it was in the fifth grade. What we did was place four different genres of music around the room: Jazz, classical, country, and pop. We were to do our assignment while listening to the four types of music playing at the same time, and write about what we heard the most.
As it turned out, the results were almost tied on what was heard. About half the class heard the music that was closest to them, and the other half heard the type of music they like better. The two or four people in the middle of the room heard what is constituted as white noise and were able to space it out. They were the ones whom completed the assignment first and best due to the fact that they didn't have the distraction of the ability to distinguish music.

While this wasn’t quite the same experiment we did in English, there were the similarities. There were many more differences, though. For one, in fifth grade, we didn’t have a crazy instructor pacing around the classroom, checking everything, and touching the knobs and dials. We also had the same type of music player for all for types, because that was part of the control. In English, there were no controls, only variables, which creates a very horrible experiment. When you have a full stereo and a dinky CD player, you are bound to have volume problems. Everybody had to crank their music, and I had to turn mine down. A final difference was that everybody in fifth grade was an equal distance from the music player. The people who were closest to the music player were all the same distance away from it, as were the people who were furthest away from the player.

		MUSIC PLAYER
	DESK	DESK	DESK
MUSIC PLAYER	DESK	DESK	DESK	MUSIC PLAYER
	DESK	DESK	DESK
		MUSIC PLAYER

Zaireeka Observation

2008-03-06T13:34:00.003-06:00

We get started, and the first thing I hear is "Track One" from all around the room, followed by "Disk one," "disk two," "disk three," "disk four" from the various CD players.

Click on picture for video

The music is starting. I hear a base, drum set, what sounds like whirligigs, and some random, indescribable noises!
This is a bit strange, I think as the music starts. It's really weird sitting there and hearing fragments of music coming from around the room, corroborating, making it sound like one CD on a super high surround sound!
I hear a bunch of "Ah's" emancipating from Gary's stereo, and Sylvia's is the first to have works spewing from the speakers.
Number two has stomping, or thunder. Now, a Phantom of the Opera quality kind of music is radiating from each of the music systems. Well, for a few seconds anyway. There are bunches a guitars and "ah's." As I look around, I notice some people are making the this-is-strange type of face. I can't blame them, however; I'm thinking the same thing!
I can now hear and understand some words: "You're invisible now," then it reverts back to the mumbling that I've been hearing throughout.
Ooookaaaay, I'm thinking, The CD's are now screaming. No doubt in agony to this music!
I notice that many people are laying or sitting Indian-I mean "Native American"-style. I am the only one in a desk though. I can't write on the floor; I need a desk.
My stereo is now playing a bass, now a flute, now a trumpet. More people are starting to lie down. And I really don't want to write this as I glance at my book. I'm tempted to pick it up and start reading. This is the perfect music to read to!
Track three is sounding odd, more than likely because two players are out of sync! Sylvia's is a bit behind, and Gary's is a bit ahead. His is playing one of the ugliest thing's I've ever heard! It sounds like one of those banshees you would find on TV. I look up, a bunch of my classmates are looking up at others, and some are scribbling away, furiously, in their books.
Professor Ware, the oddball that he is, is just walking around the room, sitting at various locations and screwing with the volumes of the players.
I mouth to Katelyn, "This is strange." I don't know if she understood or not, but she nods just the same.
You can really tell that two players are now out of sync by the atrocious noise diffusing throughout the room. It's horrible!! I am glad that Kara and I are synced, at least!
OOOH. Here comes Professor Ware to adjust the volume of the speakers... again! I am about to suggest that we just blare them all and see what happens and feel the full effect, but I hold my tongue. Instead, I grab the remote for my stereo and press a button to see how much time is left. Twenty-two minutes!

Gary’s is now way ahead, Kara and I are still synced, and Sylvia is two or three seconds behind. More people are starting to lie down.

I decided to look around and count. Six people are lying down (one is asleep, I think). No, eight are lying, and more are falling asleep, or just thinking with their eyes closed. I really don’t know how people can sleep with this atrocious racket. It’s unbelievable! I hazard a glance at the overhead screen to see the title of this newest song, track 5. “The Train Ran Over The Camel, But Is Derailed By The Gnat.” What an odd name!

Kara and I are still synced. Gary is about 10 seconds ahead, and Sylvia is two or three behind.

There is now one person I’m positive is asleep, maybe two. Professor Ware is still walking around the room. 10:28 left. Yay, we are almost finished with the racket!!

I wonder what we are going to do next. No doubt some horrid essay about all of this!

Eight people are lying down.

It’s starting to sound like wood shop in here! “March of the Rotten Vegetables.” Oddest titles I’ve ever heard. Oddly enough, I can almost hear the vegetables on the march! Another person sat up, and I still think that the one is sleeping.

YES! Last song! 4:12 left! It’s about dogs and the toys they didn’t ruin. Kara’s is the only one playing music, and the others are narrating words. Nope, Sylvia’s is the only doing words now. The others’ are doing music.

I have no clue what to think anymore! The three back to playing words (mine, Gary, Sylvia) are so off sync, one can’t make heads or tails of what’s going on! I glance at the timer, 45 seconds. Class is almost out, too! About five minutes left.

It sounds like Gary’s just broke, until mine and Sylvia’s join in. Then you can tell it’s dogs barking and fighting. SILENCE. Thank Goodness!

Observation

2008-03-03T01:53:00.005-06:00

I have about eighteen hours to make an observation, turn it into an essay, and hand into my classmates to test the mercy of their pens is what I think as I look at my watch and note that the time is 6:10 pm on the 25^th of February. I am sitting in the main room of Theta Chi, preparing for the meeting. I have just learned that instead of our regular meeting, we will be having a guest speaker. In fact, he was one of the first pledges of Theta Chi fraternity here at Nebraska Wesleyan University.

Yes, this is the day before the rough draft is due, but I decided I liked this one much better than my trip to the Westroads Mall, which I know that at least one other person did. I tend to rant too much when I have to talk about a public place and I see things I don’t like.

I am at the fraternity, having just left work from the library. Everybody had just finished their meals, and was waiting to be excused from the table to take their seats at the meeting. I guess I made it just in time! I am actually mastering this time management thingy! I work until 6:00 pm on Mondays. Theta Chi has the weekly dinner at 5:45, lasting fifteen to twenty minutes. The last couple of weeks when I work, I manage to make it to the meeting just before it starts up! I am actually excited about that for a few seconds until the meeting starts up.

We go through the usual routine: role call, creed, people talk. Today’s meeting wasn’t really all that special or funny due to the fact that we have a guest speaker. His name is Dick Meyer, and he was one of the first pledges of Theta Chi. I am extremely busy taking notes on what he says, because I am also writing an article that will be handed into a couple of newspapers by the fraternity. I am actually super excited about that!

It is actually a bit hard to pay attention since the lights are off, Meyer is being redundant (telling us for the third or fourth time that the average age of the crew was 72), and I am in an extremely comfortable couch! Reminds me of class sometimes. I get really relaxed, the lights are off, and we are watching an extremely boring movie that teachers have shown every year, to every biology class since the 70’s or 80’s. I want to doze off, but I know I can’t since I need to pay attention.

That only makes things harder, of course. I am trying to write two different things in the dark. First I am writing what I’m doing, and I am also taking notes on what Mr. Meyer says. It’s a very hard thing to do, writing in the dark on two different objects, about two different things. My notes are all over the page. I didn’t do my observation in the composition notebook because I have a slight OCD thing. I can’t stand random writing. So, I wrote on another piece of paper, and will read off it, and put it into my notebook if Professor Ware would like me to.

Everybody is dressed up extremely well; I was able to take note of this before the lights went out. I know that the reason behind it is Mr. Meyer. I find it extremely strange though, that most of the people in the fraternity seem to color coordinate every time we have to dress up formally. Last week, most of us were wearing red and white. Today it is mainly black and red or white. I don’t think that the people who live in the house plan it, and I know that those of us who live out don’t. It is actually a lot of fun to be wearing the exact same suit as two or three other people, and none of you planned it. Especially when those two or three are your closest friends in the fraternity! Sometimes I think that there is more to this “brotherhood” thing than just a bond to the house. I think that we are truly connected to each other!

I am sitting next to Andrew Riquier, whom I think is falling asleep. I ponder waking him up, but before I do anything he pulls himself out of it. Darn! I could have had fun waking him up. I am a very evil person when it comes to that. Need to focus on Mr. Meyer!!

He just finished telling us about what LST stands for (Land Ship, Tank by the way), for the third time. I think it was third... I lost count when I got distracted thinking about waking Andrew up, doing the observation, and plotting an article. You really should not be sitting somewhere comfortable when doing this, I’m starting to learn!

Mr. Meyer is wearing his tan US Navy land uniform, telling us about preparing the ship they are remodeling preparing to sail to America. He is going off on a tangent about who is who, so I am taking the time to actually observe!

The couch is one of those types like most L-shaped couches: rough and comfy! The grey floor looks like it needs shampooed. And I can tell this in the dark! It is a bit warm in the room since there are about twenty-five fraternity brothers packed into the room. Mr. Meyer has seven or eight awards. I can’t tell for sure, because some are bigger than others. I do know that there were two rows, three on the top, and I think four or five on the bottom. He is missing the middle two fingers of his left hand up to the first knuckle on the digits, and has a ring on the ring finger. It’s not a wedding ring, though, so I am going to try and find out what it is. I do, and it’s a Mason ring! Mr. Meyer is a Mason! That is so cool! I knew I had seen him before!

I had gone to a funeral as a support beam for one of my friends. It was for her figurative grandfather, who also happened to be a Mason. I swear this world keeps shrinking! Pretty soon it will be just like the Small World ride at Disneyland. As long as we don’t suddenly break into the harmonious “It’s A Small World” song I can survive!

Mr. Meyer is back on track! He is telling us about his life before he joined Theta Chi. Meyer is saying how he went straight into the navy after high school, served his two years, and decided to give college a chance, where he majored in Party-ology, and minored in Women-ology. That is until he joined Delta Omega Phi, which later became Theta Chi. And, we are done.

It is now time for personal, or one-on-one, questions. I have quite a few for him, but now I can’t remember them! I shook is hand and thanked him for coming. Mr. Meyer has some rough hands, but I don’t know what else you would expect from an eighty-one year old. I stuck around for a bit and waited for everybody else to finish up with their questions and whatnot. While I was waiting, Scott Lloyd (the guy who asked me to do the article) came up to me and thanked me for doing this for him. I told him it was really no problem, but I do need a bio on Mr. Meyer to add in to the article. Scott told me he’d get it to me.

When everybody finished talking to Mr. Meyer, I go up to and introduce myself. At first, he thought I was the secretary of the fraternity. I clarified that right away, and he was ready to chat up a storm about his time in Crete. I find it personally fascinating, and can’t wait to talk to him again when I have more time, and no essay to type up for what I did just a few minutes ago.

2008-02-25T01:20:00.004-06:00

So, if you look at this paper's time date, you will notice that it a little bit late. If you really want to know why, I've the most interesting story for ya.
You see, I was walking along merrily, listening to my CD player and carrying around a little bag with four other CDs, when some crazy guy (I think his name was Joshua Ware) decided to pick me up and toss me down a conveniently placed well. That well was pretty deep, about 50 yards, I'd say. I was falling for a few seconds. But, I landed on something soft, and survived, amazingly enough! I don't know what I landed on, and frankly, I didn't care. I was alive!
When I stood up to look around, I noticed an archway. This was no common archway, either. It seemed to be made of some sort of silvery substance, and it glowed. When I moved over closer to the arch, I noticed it was a liquid, Mercury I believe, and the glowing came from beyond the arch, and was only reflecting off the Mercury.
So, I being the idiot that I am, decide to follow the path through the archway. It went on for what seemed to be miles, and there were strips of what I can only guess were all of the elements. I saw gold, silver, aluminum. When I got to what I assumed were the Lanthanide and Actinides, I decided to start running, to avoid any radiation poisoning. I soon-well, it wasn't really soon, it was more of a later, so I later arrived at the end of the multi-elemented tunnel.
When I arrived at the end, I was in complete surprise! I never would have expected to find this room!

I walk into this room, and this is what I see! Even the labels were there! I wanted to spend many, many hours studying this exquisite room, so I did. I tried to find where everything that went "off drawing" went to.
For example, if you look closely, you will see the outlet, with a cord coming out of it. That cord is very fringy, making a a fire hazard! I wanted to see where the mysterious cord led to, but when I got to the end of the striped wall and floor, there was nothing but white. No cord, no room, nothing! I took a few steps forward, thinking I was just blind for a sec. I wasn't thinking about looking at my hand until after I took those steps, I then gave myself a V8 smack. When I turned around, I couldn't find the strange room. I had to fumble every which way! It could have been for hours or days, I don't know. I never got hungry though.
After a time, I finally made it back to the room, and decided I was done examining it, after that escapade.
As I was leaving, I walked past a doormat, inside the house. I should have been suspicious, but I wasn't; I was just trying to get out of there!
All of a sudden, the doormat hollered at me, "Hi! I'm Mat!"
I nearly died of a heart attack. I spun around and tried to figure out who said that, but there was nobody there, except for what was labeled as a priceless masterpiece. Honestly, it looked like the art of a two year old! I think it was supposed to be on old lady. The piece was labeled "Picasso on Crack" which, I guess, explained a lot.
When I looked at the doormat, it shouted at me once again, "Hi! I'm Mat!"
After seeing that, I decided that the radiation got to me, and it was time to leave! I sprinted all the way though the 311 elemental rings in the hallway to make it back to the well.
But then I remembered something. I have no way out. I've got a CD player, five CDs, and some head phones. Heck, I didn't even know where the well was located (cursed English professors and their confusing ways)!
So, I did what any light, sensible person would do. OH! Do you know how rare that is, to find a light sensible person! That is nearly an oxymoron! Most light people don't have enough sense to keep their body healthy, and most sensible people are sensible enough to eat. Yes, there are the exception: the people who are light naturally, for example! Kara Maddox is both light, and sensible, as is Katelyn Delaney! But, I digress.
I used my headphones and a CD as a grappling hook and step. I would toss the earphones as far as I could, and climb up. Then, when I reached the end of it, I would stick a CD there to balance myself on. I managed to make it up the well side in about three hours, when I noticed it was 11 pm, on a Sunday night. This meant that I was trapped down the well for two days! I wasn't even hungry, either! Maybe I was affected by the radiation.
As soon as I escaped from the well, I ran to the nearest computer to tell of my adventure! And as a warning to all, be ware of man named Joshua Ware! He is an evil man who forces us to take five CDs or Tapes down a well or onto a desert island with no reason!

Stuck in a Well...

2008-02-20T13:56:00.004-06:00

If, for some mysterious reason, I get stuck in the bottom of a well and only had five CDs in my possession, I would most certainly hope that those CD bands are Enya, Evanescence, Kelly Clarkson, Reba Duets, and Mystic Moods Orchestra. A bit of an odd collection, I know. But, I would then have a variety of music to listen to so I don't have the same genre.
The reason I chose each of these CDs is not only for the variety, but also because each has something that has a meaning to me, depending upon my mood. Enya is a relaxing type of music for me, Evanescence for when I'm ticked off, Kelly Clarkson when I'm happy, Reba Duets has a small variety of everything, and Mystic Moods Orchestra helps me to sleep.
Although, when I'm stuck in a well, I don't think I would be getting too moody, except at myself for falling in the stupid well in the first place.

A great Enya work is "Angel."

One of my favorites by Evanescence is "Bring Me to Life."

My all time favorite Kelly Clarkson song would definitely be "Never Again."

I absolutely HAVE to have "Because of You" on the Reba Duets CD. One of my favorite songs. I don't know why, though!

And, as for my Mystic Moods Orchestra, I would go for "Soldier in The Rain" for a video, at least. My favorite Mystic Moods doesn't have a video, but "Soldier In The Rain" is a very close second, anyway.

You may not like the type of music that I am into, but honestly, I don't care what type you are into. I wasn't planning on being stuck in a well in the first place! So, when I went walking in the woods, I took a few of my favorite CDs. Not that it really matters, noticing how I am more than likely going to starve to death. The chances of being rescued aren't all that great if nobody has noticed the big gaping hole in the ground. So, I'll just die with my favorite music.
I do have to question the idiot who carries around a boombox anymore, though. Seriously, who does that? We have iPods for a reason... SO WE DON'T HAVE TO BE STUCK WITH FIVE CDS!!! Depending upon the size, we could have anywhere from 240 to 40,000 songs!!

Brains or Brawn... What do we want?

2008-02-16T20:14:00.001-06:00

I don’t mean this to be derogatory, but my respect level for jocks had just lowered itself exponentially. I was at work the other day in the library, when I saw four of them leaving the building. As you leave the library, you notice that there is a set of double doors past the detector. One day, one side of the door was closed, due to the heavy wind, with a sign that said to use the other door. Well, these jocks (I won’t say what sport to protect the integrity of the others), all four of them, just HAVE to try the door that is locked before using the open door.

I was just shocked and appalled at the new stupidity of people. I would have expected it from the stereotypical “Barbie” girls. But seriously, guys who play sports should know how to read and follow directions on a piece of paper. If not, what the hell are they doing playing sports where they have to read a chart telling them where to go?

Five minutes later, I was still staring, dumbfounded, at the door that they had unsuccessfully tried to open. It really got me to wondering: what DO Americans place more of an emphasis on? Brains or brawn? It seems that anymore these days, more and more Americans are looking down upon those with no athletic talent. Yet, at the same time, they frown upon those who lack the mental capacity to keep up with the other students. Parents seem to want their children to be both genius and athletic. I can only say that a small number actually are. I mean, sure, some of the athletes are pretty smart, but in a specific field, like history or trigonometry or geometry, because it is all stuff they can learn and forget, or it actually helps them on the field or court.

Now, just because some people aren’t athletically inclined doesn’t mean that they are super geniuses, either. They are the good “normal” people. But, then there are the “Barbies.” I have no clue what to even think about them. They don’t seem to have a brain or a body. Except, of course, for the implants that they (or, more than likely Daddy) have paid for. Sometimes I wonder if they have so much money because they don’t spend any of it on food. Seriously, when you never eat, except for maybe a cheese cube a week, you must be saving on the big bucks!

But, I digress before I have even more people trying to kill me in my sleep now.

Just ponder this: What do Americans really want? Do we want to be known for our steroid injected, mindless jocks; our nerdy, pimple faced minds; or our stick figure, big bosomed, airheaded models?

Why don’t we just mix the three and see what we get? Who knows, we may create a major force to be reckoned with!

"Oops, I Have A New Rant..."

2008-02-14T12:24:00.005-06:00

Haha. I have to laugh at Jeff White's post about Britney Spears and her "Oops, I Did It Again" video!

You do have to give her kudos for being able to do that before the drugs and baby came along. The choreography and lyrics leave something to be desired, however. I mean, seriously. Who can't walk around strutting while saying "Oops, I did it again. I played with your heart, gotta open the gate?" It just takes a few thrusts of some body parts and some squeaking of a voice, and voila! You've got music! If that were true, we would all be musicians. I believe that Britney should have stopped before she got here, and quit while partially ahead with "Baby One More Time."

I do believe that she has turned into a rather interesting person, now. I mean, she is trying to imitate Princess Diana. I don't think that is going to well for her, noticing how she has landed in the loony bin, lost custody of her children to rapper Kevin Federline, who really is no better. Oh, and Princess Diana is dead. She has been for quite some time now!
In my opinion, Britney has snapped. If her parents were any good at all, they would have noticed it, also! They are in part to blame that the girl lasted this long! I also blame the parents for allowing Britney to be in the house. Who knows, if it weren't for her, we may not even have the Jamie Lynn Spears controversy with her baby! Jamie Lynn was only trying to live up to her sister's standards, which I think is ironic, after you watch "Zoey 101," a show staring Jamie Lynn about how a person should do the right thing, and stand up for themselves, and all that "stuff."

2008-02-10T16:06:00.000-06:00

"Nothin Better To Do" by Leanne Rimes is an excellent music video!! It described my life before I got to college. With out the cool song and dance, of course. My parents are the type that don't want to let you out if they can avoid it! I literally had nothing better to do than plot my wonderful escape from the tyranny that I was placed in. I had some very ingenious solutions at the time! I was contemplating everything. From sneaking out the window to blowing up some play-dough, I had thought it all. I realized that that I didn't have any windows in my room, so that did away with that idea. I also lived in the basement, so it was a bit hard to blow up an outside wall. I was going to steal a spoon and dig my way out...after I got past the brick and cement layers!

In the end, though, I could never get away! The gates closed just as I was getting to them.

My advantage was my youthful persistence and the fact I was bound for college, soon!

I had realized, a little late, they actually go to bed pretty early, so I could just walk out the back door as soon as they fell asleep. But, in the town of Spalding, there is nothing to do after nine pm, let alone ten. Unless, it is the weekend, and the student populous is out drinking and carousing. Two things I have never done, and one of which I will never do.

I just wish I could incorporate the song and dance into everything. I love the little dance they do from 2:20 to 2:30. If you look at my life, you will see it isn’t quite that coordinated! And, I can’t sing to save it! So, where does that leave me?

Quotation from Antwan02

2008-01-31T14:15:00.000-06:00

"I am predisposed to the essay with knowledge to impart- but, unlike journalism, which exists primarily to present facts, the essays transcend their data, or transmute it into personal meaning. The memorable essay, unlike the article, is not place-or time- bound; it survives the occasion of its original composition. Indeed, in the most brilliant essays, languages is not merely the medium of communication; it is communication." - Joyce Carol Oates.

I am struck by this essay in a myriad of ways. I usually want my writing to be remembered, but there are the occasional pieces I think are utter crud, and want nobody to even think about! My LAS paper last semester is an excellent example of a paper I don't want remembered! It was crap, and I know it, but I just didn't want to do anything to fix it. I managed to throw that paper together in 36 hours. Which, I know, you aren't supposed to do with term papers, but I kept getting so frustrated when I took a thesis to him and he said no. Every thesis I had was rejected. So, I finally asked him for one, and, amazingly enough, managed to receive a workable one out of him. My problem, he hated it after I turned it in. I swear the man had it in for me.
Other essays of mine I hope are remembered for an eternity, or as long as a person has their memory. My extemporaneous one's from speech are an excellent example of what I want remembered. I loved extemporaneous speaking, and I was GOOD at it! I made it to state my Senior year. But, I went over time. In extemp, that is very hard to do!
I guess I better explain extemporaneous speaking, if you don't understand it. What we do in Extemp is go up to an official, when it is our assigned turn, and draw three topics. We can read the topic and choose which one we would like to do and put the other two back away. Once we return to our seat, the fun begins! We have one hour to write a 5-7 minute speech about our topic, and they are nothing easy. For state speech, I had a question that went along this line: Is the Association of SouthEast Asian Nations (ASEAN) becoming more like the European Union (EU)?" We can use what ever sources we brought with us, provided they are hard copy, and our mind. We are not allowed to use any electronics in there whatsoever! But, man was it fun. After our hour, we went to our designated rooms and gave our speech.
Once that was over, we waited to do it all over again, for a total of two times, three if you made it into State.

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2008-01-24T14:28:00.000-06:00

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