random ponderings circa 2007

Two men walk along a beach. The first man notices a sea shell and, like so many others he’s seen before, walks past it. The second man has never been to the ocean before. He has spent most of his life hidden behind a pile of papers at the office. Today as he walks along the beach for the first time, he notices the same sea shell as the other man. Instead of walking past it, he picks it up and admires its rough outside and beautiful, abalone colored inside. He decides to take it home as a souvenir of his first experience at the beach. At first he smiles as he walks past it each morning, because it reminds him of the sand he felt between his toes and the smell of the ocean breeze. Eventually he starts to forget it. He walks past it everyday and does not really notice it at all. What was once a symbol of the freedom he felt outside of his stuffy office, has now become just another object lying on a shelf in his home. Our senses constantly change. Every moment we experience something new. Yet most of the time we fail to notice.

Two people look up at the sky and see a cloud. One person sees the shape of a rabbit. The other sees a shape of a house. Which person “sees” correctly? Neither person sees correctly. A cloud is just a cloud - nothing more. Yet when we allow our imagination to see for us, an abstract object such as a cloud can become something else.

tv

A man named George Global once said “If it weren’t for electricity, we’d all be watching television by candlelight.” I found this quote to be funny and insightful. How many hours each day to we spend watching television? On average, I’d say I spend about two to three hours a day watching television. That varies depending on the shows that are on and what else I am doing at the time. On May 3, 1990 naturalist Bill McKibben spent several months video taping and watching television from ninety three different channels carried in Fairfax, Virginia. I can only imagine the state his mind must have been in when he finally stepped away from the television to wander into the light of the sun. The first thing he did was go into the woods and swim in a lake. After several months of T.V. watching, I would have dove head first into a freezing lake as well. In his essay “Television and the Twilight of the Senses”, McKibben argues that television dulls the senses and acts as a tranquilizer to the stresses we face in life. Although there may be some truth in his argument, television is not as big of a problem as he makes it out to be.
Is the way television portrays reality the same as it occurs in real life? For instance, McKibben describes the difference between watching a baseball game in real life and watching one on television. He says when you’re actually at the game you can hear “the sourceless, undifferentiated babble that comes from forty thousand people talking, laughing, rustling sacks of popcorn, a sound that the crack of a bat breaks so cleanly through, refocusing everyone’s attention” (McKibben 112). However, on T.V. we only see certain angles and every once in a while the game is interrupted by a commercial. A similar situation happened to me. A couple years ago I went to a Green Day concert. At the time, I didn’t even really like the band, but after the concert I became a big fan. A couple of months later, Green Day released a DVD/CD of a concert they did in England that same year. The DVD was called Bullet in a Bible and I got it the day it came out. Their singing routine was almost the same to the one they did in the Giants Stadium in San Francisco when I saw them in concert. However the feelings I had watching the movie and actually being at the concert where very different. At the concert, I could hear the music playing in my ears as if I were right in front of the stage, though in reality I was pretty far away. I couldn’t actually see the band members’ faces, but it didn’t matter because it wasn’t about watching; it was about listening and sharing a momentous experience with thousands of strangers yelling and standing in the freezing cold for the same purpose. Watching the DVD didn’t seem as overwhelmingly powerful as seeing the concert live. The field of view was minimized and the environment wasn’t the same as the concert. But just because my concert experience was so greater doesn’t mean that buying the movie was a waste. Because I got the movie I was able to see behind the scenes footage of how they came up with their new album, how they prepared for the concerts, and what it felt like to them to be on that stage in front of all those people. Watching it also helped me remember certain things about the concert that I wouldn’t otherwise have noticed. Although seeing the DVD was certainly not as amazing as seeing the band perform live, the way they were portrayed and glorified on that film was no different from the way they were seen through the eyes of their devoted fans.
McKibben’s prolonged exposure to television may have actually blinded him from the way T.V. is seen in day to day life. When people think of T.V. they have an image of someone sitting on a couch eating nothing but potato chips for hours and hours. In reality people usually multi-task while the television is on. They talk to friends on cell phones, pay their bills, go online, or prepare dinner. The only time they are ever really focused on the T.V. is if their favorite show is on or they are watching it with someone else. Even then, they usually only watch the T.V. for an hour or two and then leave to do something else. Let’s face it; too much of anything is bad. For example, if you were to see the effects of eating only potato chips for several months strait, who knows what kind of physical ailments would occur. Why should doing the same for television be any different?
What would the world be like without television? Odds are we would still find ways to distract ourselves from outside life. Computers, cell phones, and radios would become our new forms of television. The reason T.V. is so popular is because it fills the void of silence that elapses from time to time. We need noise in our life, mostly because we’ve become afraid of silence. It is like being stuck in a waiting room with five other people you don’t know. You have nothing to say to each other and an awkward silence seems to envelope the room. That’s why most waiting rooms and elevators have music. The music helps to cover up the silence you would otherwise be faced with. Television can cover up the loneliness, stress, and other worries you may feel.
McKibben claims that television is like a tranquilizer and people become too attached to it, but in reality it can motivate people to go out and help the world around them. One example of this is the show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. For four seasons this show has built house and helped families who suffered from low incomes, houses that were falling to pieces, and personal tragedies. The “Extreme Team” gave them a new home and a better chance at life. This show has inspired others to go out and help in similar ways. When people watch this show, they don’t stare at the television like zombies waiting for the next commercial; they connect with the families on the show and start to appreciate their own lives. T.V. can also make people aware of the difficult conditions others have to face everyday in third world countries. Foundations and charities greatly benefit from the support they are given thanks to the broadcasting power of television. T.V. also shows us what is happening in the world through the news. Each morning you can find out about recent events that occur locally, nationally, and in other countries. It’s interesting to think that in one hour a man in New York and a man in California can both know about something that happened in last night in another country. Television helps us connect to those around us and also help those who need aid.
Although television has become a big part of the way we live our lives everyday, it does not consume our lives. There are other things that can be equally entertaining and influential. For example a while ago I started writing blogs for fun on a blog website. To help come up with topics for my blogs I went to a writing website called www.creativewritingprompts.com that had over 200 prompts. Prompt number seven said “Electricity is a recent discovery. Think of twelve things to do when there is no power.” For this blog I wrote
“Oh no! The power's out. Luckily it's daytime so I don't have to bring out the flashlights. Hmmmm . . ., well I was watching TV. What should I do now? I can go outside and ride my bike. Of course I'm all alone and Em's not here. Riding your bike is fun, but not when you’re all alone riding in circles in the driveway. I could read a book. Let's see, I have Gone With The Wind, Lord of the Flies, Secret Garden, hey look a Stephen King book, a fairy tale book, an art book, Goosebumps, Far side Gallery, The 500 Best Urban Legends Ever!, Macbeth and Frankenstein, Jaws, 4 different ghost stories books, and my senior English class's Interactive Reader which has at least 12 stories I haven't read yet. Alright, those were some good books to read, but I've only listed 2 things I can do. I can also draw or paint. I can write another story in my 5th storybook. I can play cards. I can play the piano. Wow I'm half way there. I can play a board game, though I think it might be hard considering the fact that I'm all by myself. I can drive somewhere in my car. That means I can drive to the mall and buy some more books. I can listen to my CD player. Let's see that's 9 things. Alright 3 more things. Well, I guess I could clean my room . . . I can call my friend Maggie over on my cell phone. Then who knows what we might do. We could throw paper airplanes off the balcony. That's always fun. We could go swimming. We could . . . hey the power's back! Well, so much for all of that. That airplane idea sounded like a lot of fun. I think I'll call Maggie now . . .”
The fact is there are many things we can do besides watching television. It’s just that we use television so much we forget about all the other things we could be doing instead.
Television impacts our lives in many ways. Because this impact is on such a large scale, some fear that it may actually keep us from doing other, more important things in life. To McKibben, the more important things in life are being active, seeing friends, and living in nature. It’s one thing to watch T.V. from time to time, but another to watch it so much that you forget to enjoy the other parts of life. When you do watch it this way, it is easy to blame television for all of your problems. What people forget is that the T.V. in front of them is just a box. It can be turned off just as easily as it can be turned on. It does not control you or make you stay inside. The decision to watch T.V. or go hiking in the woods with your friends is all up to you.

the name of the game is halo 2

How many hours each day to we spend watching television? On average, I’d say I spend about two to three hours a day watching television. That varies depending on the shows that are on and what else I am doing at the time. On May 3, 1990 naturalist Bill McKibben spent several months video taping and watching television from ninety three different channels carried in Fairfax, Virginia. In McKibben’s essay “Television and the Twilight of the Senses”, McKibben argues that television dulls the senses and acts as a tranquilizer to the stresses we face in life. (Although there may be some truth in his argument, television is not as big of a problem as he makes it out to be.) Although television has become a big part of the way we live our lives everyday, it does not consume our lives. A far more dangerous form of entertainment is modern day video games. Most people argue video games impact people negatively because of their violent content, when in reality the danger lies not in the violence but in the addictiveness of these games.
The name of the game is Halo 2. Well, actually at this point in the game it seems more like hide-and-seek. I’m hiding in a corner waiting for my sister Emily to come so I can jump out at her. A quick look at Em’s screen shows that she’s hiding in a corner at the other side of the map. Cheater. She must have looked at my screen and decided to copy me. Throwing patience and caution to the wind, I turn and head towards her. I’m still unsure of where she is, and all the buildings around me look the same. Suddenly I see her. I’m within shooting range so I pull out my shotgun and start firing. The first shot hits Em and her health shield goes down as she absorbs the first blow. Now my gun has to recharge as she starts coming at me. I can’t turn to run, because then she could shoot
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me in the back. My fate suddenly rests in my weapons ability to recharge. Why didn’t I reload it earlier? Too late now, Em starts firing at me and my health shield is severely damaged. Finally my gun reloads and I make my final round of shots. This is it, these last firings will determine who lives and who dies . . .Bang! And with that I take the lead. The score is now 1 to 0. The first to 15 wins. I turn my head and look at Emily sitting right next to me on the couch and I give her my victory smile. Then I turn back to the television, because she’s back and ready for revenge. When we first started playing Halo a couple years ago we would play for hours. As soon as we came home from school we would rush through our homework or put it aside and head strait for the game. While we kill each other, Em and I make jokes, laugh, and talk about everyday things. It seemed somewhat natural and even relaxing, though when you think of all the violence in the game the opposite idea may come to mind. By the time our mother would come home from work, we would have been playing the game for about three hours. What upset my mother most about the game was not its violent content, but the fact that we were consumed by it. The violence in the game was just a way to release the stress and built up anger within. The real danger was in the loss of control we had once we started to play.
The first time I realized the dangerous affects of video games was a couple of years ago. It started at Christmas when “Santa” gave my sister Emily, my step-sister Sarah, and I new Gameboys. After the first couple months, my sister Sarah who was a month older than me, tired of the game and stopped playing it. But Emily and I still continued to play whenever we could. Wherever we went, whatever we did, our games came with us. We would play it at the dinner table, we would play it after school, we
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would play it in the car, and so it went. Then one day while I was at my Grandma Margo’s house, Margo came up to me and asked me to watch baby Katie for a couple of minutes while she went out into the garage. I said sure. I was sat on the couch playing my Gameboy, and I assumed Katie would stay in the room and play with her toys on the floor. A couple of minutes later, Grandma Margo came back yelling at me because she found Katie at the door to the garage. She said she was disappointed that I couldn’t put the game down for two seconds to watch baby Katie. After that I avoided the Gameboy all together. I realized how strongly addicted to it I was and I knew it would only get worse if I kept playing it. My sister on the other hand kept it up. She still plays her Gameboy to this day, which is about five years later. She takes it everywhere she goes and has problems putting it down when we have somewhere to go or something to do. I had hoped she would “grow out of it”, but at this point I think she could continue playing it for several more years.
Despite what I learned from my experience with Gameboy, I am still currently addicted to another video game. This game isn’t hand held like the Gameboy, and it isn’t played on the T.V.; it’s a computer game called SIMS 2. It is perhaps the most addicting video game I have ever played. SIMS is a game in which you create a person or several people, move them into a house, and play their lives. When I start a normal game of SIMS 2, I tell myself I will only spend two hours on the game. Then I start making a Sim. In SIMS 2, the level of detail is astounding. You choose the person’s age, ethnicity, hair color, facial features, eyes, clothes, name, personality, and goals. The process of making a Sim usually takes anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour, depending on how many
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people you make and how much attention you give to their characteristics. After you create a family, you then move them into a house. I usually use a cheat to give them around 700,000 simoleons (Sim dollars). Then I start working on their house. You can build the house yourself by creating walls, placing doors and windows, painting the inside and outside, laying floor and carpet, adding trees and bushes outside, stairs if you want two or three stories, . . .etc. The process of creating the house itself takes about a half hour. Then you have to add furniture. You choose from a selection of beds, lights, bathtubs, refrigerators, bookshelves, . . . etc., and from all of these selections you can choose different colors. After you’ve finished the house and the Sims are ready, then you start playing. You can choose to reach the goals of the Sims, have them meet other Sims and form relationships, make them start a family, make them get a job, . . . etc. During all of this, your Sim has basic needs that need to be met such as hunger, hygiene, entertainment, social interactions, bathroom, and environment. With all these things to consider during the game, it is hard to think of things outside of the game. You’re drawn into the Sims and you get caught up in trying to create the perfect world for them. Eventually you start to realize that you’re playing someone else’s life and neglecting your own. There have been days when I woke up, went to the computer, played all day stopping only to eat, which was only after other people came in and suggested I take a break. What’s strange is that while I play I get more stressed and aggravated than I was before I started. I get frustrated over making the house and taking care of the Sim family with all of their needs. The games demand for constant attention wears you down and drains all the energy out of you.
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Television gives better benefits than video games do. When you watch T.V. you learn about the world through news, educational channels, and documentaries. At the end of a television program you at least have some satisfaction that your time spent watching was worthwhile because you got something out of the show that you can carry with you in your mind. With video games you get nothing for your time spent playing. You don’t learn a new lesson, you don’t hear a new revelation - you just distract yourself for a couple of hours from reality. So why after all this are the video games so much more addicting than television? It is because of the hands on experience. You play the game. You decide what to do, where to go, who to kill, and when to move. The game demands you pay attention by forcing you to play some role in the game itself. You become a part of the game in a sense. With television you can walk away, multitask, and tune it out. With games, you’re in control. Or at least, you think you are in control. You think you can say when the game ends. But in truth, the world around you passes you by and before you know it you’ve played for three hours longer than you intended. In the future, new forms of video games will arise. These will be targeted to larger age groups and both genders. Children will start playing these games quickly in life, and they will no doubt continue to play them into adolescence and adulthood. One day in the future, video games will become as popular, if not more popular, than television. My only hope is that we have the strength in the end to release the controller when it’s time to face reality.

3 surveys circa 2006

(already posted)

A Bit Different From The Norm =]
Basic Bullshit.
What's your name?:	Jessica
Your age would be nice to know.:	19
Are you single or taken?:	single
Randomization.
What is your least favorite color?:	hmmm . . . orange . . .
What is the last thing on earth that you would like to do right now?:	dying would suck . . .
What clothes are you wearing?:	capris, shirt, jacket
What color is your bedroom?:	some say peach, I say light golden tan, . . . who knows . . .
What is your least favorite food?:	besides ham, cellery
What is your favorite food?:	potatoes :) mash 'em, fry 'em, put 'em in a stew . . .
And your least favorite drink would be...?:	Pepsi is EVIL!!!
In all honesty does myspace take up a great deal of your life?:	It use to, but not so much anymore
If you could be any age, what would it be?:	18472742908212478901273747, of course I'd probably be dead then . . .
Are you satisfied with the way you look and act?:	not completely, but whatev
Is Bzoink a website that you visit often?:	not really . . . advertise on your own time!
Do you do drugs and/or alcohol on a regular basis?:	NO!!!!!!!!!!
Do you think you are capable of not eating for 5 days?:	Capable yes . . . if by capable you mean weak and lying on the floor
What food and drink could you live off for the rest of your life?:	besides ham and cellery?, ummm . . . spinach
Boys and Girls Are Fun.
Do looks really matter?:	probably, but whatev . . .
Does size really matter?:	well if you're being smooshed by an elephant guess it would . . .
Have you ever had a boyfriend/girlfriend?:	nope
If so, how long was that relationship?:	386 years
What is your longest?:	longest what? finger? eye lash? arm?
What quality do you find most attractive in a boy/girl?:	blue eyes :)
Are you a virgin?:	yup
If you are not, do you regret doing it with the person you lost "it" to?:	blah . . .
If you are a virgin, are you in a rush to not be one anymore?:	nope
Is PDA disgusting?:	Poodles Driving Airplnes aren't disgusting, just crazy
Is there anything that you would change about your significant other?:	you mean besides the fact that he doesn't exist?
Do you think you could marry a high school sweetheart?:	It's a little late for that . . .
Would you ever consider having a long distance relationship?:	I'd need a relationship first before it could become long distance
Long or Short hair?:	I have short
Blue eyes or Brown eyes?:	Hazel, which is a nice compromise
Tan or light skin?:	light, I avoid the sun
Looks or Brains?:	No I don't looks at brains, sorry that sounds dumb. So maybe not brains . . . but not looks either . . .is there another option? . . . how about personality?
Words Associations Are The Best!
Orange.:	color=dumb, fruit=good
Cell phone.:	number?
Break.:	up
Music.:	YES!!!!!
Samantha.:	Momba, who?
Love.:	where?!
Time.:	out
Crash.:	course
Home.:	Alone (a good movie)
Animals.:	Plants
Sleep.:	anxiety
Sex.:	. . .
Death.:	Cab For Cutie, a good band
Long Distance.:	Relationship . . .
Winner.:	Loser
Gold.:	plated piano strings
Goodbye.:	adios
Running.:	to the mall to get something cool that you can't live without, oh wait . . . did you want one word?
Lie.:	Beautiful
This or That.
7up or Sprite?:	What's the difference?
Coke or Pepsi?:	Coke, Pepsi must die
Boy or Girl?:	I'm a girl who likes boys . . .
Run or Swim?:	run
Drive or Fly?:	I'll be like Harry Potter and fly while I drive
Ferrari or Corvet?:	Ferrariness
VW or Ford?:	VW
Cellular Device or Computer?:	computer! Internet . . . SIMS . . . Videos . . .
Sex or Foreplay?:	nope
O.C.D or A.D.D?:	My sister has A.D.D., so I'll take that
Boyfriend/Girlfriend or Friend?:	friend
Mom or Dad?:	both
Brother or Sister?:	sisters
Food or Drink?:	I'd like both thanks
Friends Aren't So Fun Sometimes.
Do you have any friends that you cannot depend on?:	I dunno
Do you have a best friend whom you can depend on?:	yup
Do you have more male or female friends?:	female
Are they crazy or quiet, or both?:	I've got friends of all kinds . . . crazy,outgoing, sane, not so sane, . . .
Is your best friend your boyfriend/girlfriend?:	nope
Do you sometimes hate your friends?:	I don't see them enough 2 hate them
How long is your longest friendship?:	ancient
Do you and your friends take myspace pictures together?:	no, do people do that?
What do you and your friends normally do when you hang out?:	see movies, talk, . . . normal human behavior
What is your best friend's name?:	Maggie/Katie/Chelsie/Sarah
How old is he/she?:	16/18/16/19
Are You Afraid Of...
Death?:	duh
Flying?:	only when I can't
Birds?:	oh yah, birds are terrifying. I'm afraid to go outside right now, I could be attacked by a pigeon . . .
Dogs?:	I have 3
The Light?:	A beam of light coming from a spaceship in the middle of the woods
Drowning?:	underwater? yes . . .
Crossing bridges?:	only rickety ones that are high over jagged rocks
Life?:	are u serious?
PDA?:	Yes, Poodles Driving Airplanes are scary
Crossing the street?:	if it's a freeway, yes . . .
Walking around alone?:	down an ally, in the middle of the night, in a dangerous part of town, . . . nah
The dark?:	yah
Cemetaries?:	no, cemetaries are cool
Physically fighting?:	Nah, I could kick butt
Confrontation?:	Is'nt that the same thing as pre-fighting?
The opposite sex?:	only when they're murderers . . . or Micheal Jackson
Take this survey | Find more surveys | MySpace Surveys Bzoink - The Original Survey Site

(already posted)A longer survey :

Really Long Survey (over 200)
What is your name?:	Jessica
Are you named after anyone?:	nope
What's your screename?:	hahaha . . .
Would you name a child of yours after you?:	no, that's dumb
If you were born a member of the opposite sex what would your name be?:	hmmm . . . Elijah
If you could switch names with a friend who would it be?:	Katie
Are there any mispronounciations/typos that ppl do w/ your name constantly?:	they mess up my last name by adding an "s" to it
Would you drop your last name if you became famous?:	nah
Basics
Your gender::	female
Straight/Gay/Bi::	straight
Single?:	yup
If not, do you want to be?:	maybe
Birthdate::	february 27
Your age::	19
Age you act::	. . .17 ?
Age you wish you were::	24
Your height::	5'10
Eye color::	hazel
Happy with it?:	I want blue, but green & brown isn't bad
Hair color::	brown
Happy with it?:	sure
Lefty/righty/ambidextrous::	righty
Your living arrangement::	home
Your family::	complicated
Have any pets?:	yup
Whats your job?:	student
Piercings?:	earings
Tattoos?:	nope
Obsessions?:	he he he . . .
Addictions?:	SIMS . . .
Do you speak another language?:	si/wee
Have a favorite quote?:	sure, I don't remember what it is, but I'm sure I have one . . .
Do you have a webpage?:	nope
Deep Thoughts About Life and You in it
Do you live in the moment?:	sometimes
Do you consider yourself tolerant of others?:	yes
Do you have any secrets?:	yup, and I'm taking them 2 the grave
Do you hate yourself?:	not usually
Do you like your handwriting?:	yah
Do you have any bad habits?:	nail biting, procrastinating
What is the compliment you get from most people?:	I'm tall
If a movie was made about your life, what would it be called?:	The Invisible Girl
What's your biggest fear?:	being eaten by a great white shark
Can you sing?:	not well
Do you ever pretend to be someone else just to look cool?:	no, that's dumb
Are you a loner?:	at times
What are your #1 priorities in life?:	besides living, ummm . . . family, school, art
If you were another person, would you be friends with you?:	sure
Are you a daredevil?:	no, that's probably why I'm still alive
Is there anything you fear or hate about yourself?:	I don't have very good social skills
Are you passive or agressive?:	which would make me passive
Do you have a journal?:	no, I have storybooks
What is your greatest strength and weakness?:	my imagination, and my lack of confidence
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?:	my weakness
Do you think you are emotionally strong?:	yah, maybe a little too strong sometimes
Is there anything you regret doing/not doing in life?:	yah, . . . regret sucks
Do you think life has been good so far?:	yah, I've had a decent life
What is the most important lesson you've learned from life?:	love God, love people, love yourself
What do you like the most about your body?:	I'm tall
And least?:	I'm tall
Do you think you are good looking?:	somewhat
Are you confident?:	we've been through this . . .
What is the fictional character you are most like?:	hmmm . . . I usually don't compare myself with fictional chracters, . . . maybe Louis . . . no se
Are you perceived wrongly?:	am I preceived?
Do You...
Smoke?:	ewwww
Do drugs?:	NO
Read the newspaper?:	sometimes
Pray?:	not usually
Go to church?:	sometimes
Talk to strangers who IM you?:	no, that's sort of creepy
Sleep with stuffed animals?:	no
Take walks in the rain?:	No one tkes walks in the rain, they just walk in the rain. I walk in the rain. I like the rain. I hate being cold. I don't mind being wet.
Talk to people even though you hate them?:	yah, when I have to
Drive?:	almost everyday
Like to drive fast?:	no, 70mph is good enough
Would or Have You Ever?
Liked your voice?:	no, it sucks
Hurt yourself?:	on accident? all the time.
Been out of the country?:	Scotland and Mexico!!!
Eaten something that made other people sick?:	no
Been in love?:	ummm . . . I don't think so . . .
Done drugs?:	no
Gone skinny dipping?:	no
Had a medical emergency?:	once
Had surgery?:	no
Ran away from home?:	ha, Emily . . .
Played strip poker?:	no
Gotten beaten up?:	no
Beaten someone up?:	no
Been picked on?:	depends on your definition of it
Been on stage?:	yah
Slept outdoors?:	camping rules!
Thought about suicide?:	everyone thinks about suicide at least once in their life. Only a few people seriously consider it.
Pulled an all nighter?:	no
If yes, what is your record?:	.
Gone one day without food?:	maybe
Talked on the phone all night?:	no
Slept together with the opposite sex w/o actually having sex?:	no
Slept all day?:	I tried, but I got hungry and bored so i got up
Killed someone?:	Yah, last Tuesday, . . .
Made out with a stranger?:	no
Had sex with a stranger?:	no
Thought you're going crazy?:	everyday :)
Kissed the same sex?:	no
Done anything sexual with the same sex?:	no
Been betrayed?:	yes, I have 2 sisters
Had a dream that came true?:	deja vu, it's freaky
Broken the law?:	probably, but not a big law
Met a famous person?:	no, I'm still waiting . . .
Have you ever killed an animal by accident?:	spiders, but it they weren't accidents . . .
On purpose?:	see above line
Told a secret you swore you wouldn't tell?:	probably
Stolen anything?:	ha ha, Em . . .
Been on radio/tv?:	no, I think I would remember that
Been in a mosh-pit?:	no
Had a nervous breakdown?:	no
Bungee jumped?:	no
Had a dream that kept coming back?:	yes
Beliefs
Belive in life on other planets?:	The U.FO.s like Belgium Waffles
Miracles?:	Juan Diego
Astrology?:	Do I believe in the study of stars?
Magic?:	Criss Angel :)
God?:	yes
Satan?:	yes
Santa?:	ha ha ha
Ghosts?:	yes
Luck?:	of the Irish!
Love at first sight?:	sure
Yin and yang (that good cant exist w/o bad)?:	carma
Witches?:	no
Easter bunny?:	no
Believe its possible to remain faithful forever?:	yes
Believe theres a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow?:	Leprechauns . . . Lucky Charms is good . . .
Do you wish on stars?:	You don't wish on stars monkey, you wish on asteroids or shooting stars . . . or weeds
Deep Theological Questions
Do you believe in the traditional view of Heaven and Hell?:	What's the "traditional" view? Odds are no.
Do you think God has a gender?:	No
Do you believe in organized religion?:	not really, It's something you should experince for yourself. Trying it as a group doesn't really work, at least not the way it should.
Where do you think we go when we die?:	well I thought either "heaven" or "hell", but recently I learned about the Final Judgement Day so I'm not as sure.
Friends
Do you have any gay/lesbian friends?:	my aunt
Who is your best friend?:	Maggie/Katie/Chelsie/Sarah
Who's the one person that knows most about you?:	me :)
What's the best advice that anyone has ever given to you?:	Don't be afraid to say what's on your mind
Your favourite inside joke?:	Emily . . . ha ha ha
Thing you're picked on most about?:	monkeys
Who's your longest known friend?:	Katie
Newest?:	name
Shyest?:	none
Funniest?:	Sarah
Sweetest?:	Chelsie
Closest?:	dunno
Weirdest?:	Emily
Smartest?:	hmmm
Ditziest?:	none
Friends you miss being close to the most?:	Chelsie
Last person you talked to online?:	Maggie
Who do you talk to most online?:	people
Who are you on the phone with most?:	people
Who do you trust most?:	Sarah
Who listens to your problems?:	I dunno
Who do you fight most with?:	Kitten!
Who's the nicest?:	Sky
Who's the most outgoing?:	Cinnamon
Who's the best singer?:	Chica
Who's on your shit-list?:	Paris Hilton
Have you ever thought of having sex with a friend?:	no
Who's your second family?:	I have one family, it's just spread out and divided
Do you always feel understood?:	no
Who's the loudest friend?:	Chrisie
Do you trust others easily?:	sure
Who's house were you last at?:	mom's
Name one person who's arms you feel safe in::
Do your friends know you?:	sure
Friend that lives farthest away::	Katie
Love and All That
Do you consider love a mistake?:	man this is a long survey
What do you find romantic?:	romance
Turn-on?:	light?
Turn-off?:	light? make up your mind!
First kiss?:	yah . . .
If someone u had no interest in had interest in dating u how would u feel?:	special
Do you prefer knowing someone before dating them or going:	yes
Have u ever wished it was more socially acceptable 4 a girl 2 ask a guy out:	blah
Have you ever been romantically attracted to someone physically unattractiv:	I dunno
Do you think the opposite sex finds you good looking?:	maybe
What is best about the opposite sex?:	they can be funny and spontaneous
What is the worst thing about the opposite sex?:	they can be controlling
What's the last present someone gave you?:	a pen
Are you in love?:	not today
Do you consider your significant other hot?:	if I had one, then yes
Who Was the Last Person...
That haunted you?:	the ghosts of Lampy and Turtley
You wanted to kill?:	hmmm . . . people who annoy me a lot
That you laughed at?:	Sarah
That laughed at you?:	Sarah
That turned you on?:	Jared Leto, . . . he's hot times a million
You went shopping with?:	Kari
That broke your heart?:	nadie
To disappoint you?:	nadie
To ask you out?:	nadie
To make you cry?:	nadie is a popular person . . .
To brighten up your day?:	Dean
That you thought about?:	Emily, I miss the monkey
You saw a movie with?:	Lots of people, we watched Death to Smoochy
You talked to on the phone?:	dad
You talked to through IM/ICQ?:	no se
You saw?:	dad
You lost?:	I lost Emily and I never found her again . . . she probably went to the zoo . . . she's a monkey . . .
Right This Moment...
Are you going out?:	no
Will it be with your significant other?:	no
Or some random person?:	no
What are you wearing right now?:	clothes
Body part you're touching right now::	my hair
What are you worried about right now?:	my test tommorrow, getting gas in my car, buying a blue book in the morning, studying, sleeping, eating, . . .
What book are you reading?:	I don't know. I need a new book 2 read. Any suggestions?
What's on your mousepad?:	the lettters IBM
Use 5 words to describe how you're feeling::	tired, empty, hungry, drained, bored
Are you bored?:	that's funny
Are you tired?:	ha ha
Are you talking to anyone online?:	no
Are you talking to anyone on the phone?:	no
Are you lonely or content?:	echo, echo, echo . . .
Are you listening to music?:	no, just a commercial on T.V. It's for Valtrex. It's for adults with healthy immune systems. Ask your doctor about once daily Valtrex to stop genital herpes. Commercials suck.
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One more survey: (posted)

45 of the most random things you probably never needed to know about someone
whats your name spelt backwards?:	acisseJ
What did you do last night?:	sleep
The last thing you downloaded onto your computer?:	pictures
Have you ever licked a 9 volt battery?:	no, I imgaine it would hurt . . . and taste like metal
Last time you swam in a pool?:	last summer
What are you wearing?:	clothing
How many cars have you owned?:	two
Type of music you dislike most?:	rap crap
Are you registered to vote?:	yes, and I have voted. It's not that much fun . . .
Do you have cable?:	yup
What kind of computer do you use?:	a normal one
Ever made a prank phone call?:	no
You like anyone right now?:	Jared Leto and Edward Norton
Would you go bungee jumping or sky diving?:	maybe bungee jumping
Furthest place you ever traveled?:	Scotland, but I wouldn't call sitting in a plane for 8 hours "travelling"
What's your favorite comic strip?:	Calvin and Hobbes
Do u know all the words to the national anthem?:	Jose can you see, by the dawn's early light?, which so proudly we hailed, at the twilight's last gleaming, who brought stripes and white stars through the perilous fight, . ..
Shower, morning or night?:	morning
Best movie you've seen in the past month?:	American Psycho, it was scary. Unlike Urban Legend which was hilarious . . .
Favorite pizza toppings?:	cheese!!!!
Chips or popcorn?:	chips
What cell phone provider do you have?:	Cingular
Have you ever smoked peanut shells?:	Is that even possible?
Have you ever been in a beauty pageant?:	no, I'm too good 4 that
Orange Juice or apple?:	Drink Apple Juice because O.J. will kill you . . .
Who were the last people you sat at lunch with?:	dad and kari
favorite chocolate bar?:	Crunch!!! I haven't had that in years . . .
Who is your longest friend and how long?:	Katie, 4 years
Last time you ate a homegrown tomato?:	not that long ago, . . .
Have you ever won a trophy?:	yah
Favorite arcade game?:	the one with the little critters that tke different color blass and you have to line them up with the same colored balls on the ceiling before it reaches the ground and u lose
Ever ordered from an infomercial?:	QVC!!!! I got the Goo Goo Dolls: Let Love In CD/DVD!!!
Sprite or 7-UP?:	both
Have you ever had to wear a uniform to school/work?:	no
Last thing you bought at Walgreens?:	probably a movie
Ever thrown up in public?:	yah, tis not fun
Would you prefer being a millionaire or finding true love?:	who says millionaires can't find true love?
Do you believe in love at first sight?:	sure
SPONGEBOB OR JIMMY NEUTRON?:	SpongeBobSquarePants!!!! Jimmy sucks, he should go back to whatever planet he was kicked out of. Spongebob rules the 7 seas!!!!
Did you have long hair as a young kid?:	no, it was short, and dumb looking. My style as a child was chosen by my mom, so I pretty much looked like a dork
What message is on your voicemail machine?:	"Hi, this is Jessica, I'm not here right now so please leave a message"
Where would you like to go right now?:	I was nt to go to Italy. I saw some pictures of thier art and architecture. I want to see it for myself. Italy looks sooo beautiful.
Whats the name of your pet?:	Mraz,Sky,Chica,Misty,Cinnamon, or if I get confused, "monkey" always works.
What kind of back pack do you have, and what's in it?:	It's a crappy backpack that I've had for 2 years. I have a notebook, the Bible, the Quran, some pencils and erasers, a hole punch, some post-its,my student ID card, . . .
What do you think about most?:	besides school, my friends and family, health, future, death, theology, movies, music, art, celebrities, the past, why people do the things they do, my flaws, nature, dreams..
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religious family tree

Jessica Power
Nov. 11, 2008
Family Tree

After researching my family tree and talking to relatives about their religious beliefs I have discovered patterns within my family’s religious history. For one, it seems like religious practices and traditions have faded from generation to generation. Now the only “religious” members of my family and those who associate with their church do so for reasons related to marriage, location, or personal experiences. The patterns I have found in my family’s history also relate to some of the readings we have done in class and tend to confirm them.
Starting with my father’s side of the family, my grandfather Raymond Power’s grandparents on his mother’s side, the Hadelers, were German Lutherans and his grandparents on his father’s side, the Powers, were Baptists. Ray’s father, Robert Power, was born in Texas in 1888 and was Baptist and raised Ray as a Baptist when he was born in 1925 in California. My grandmother says that Ray had to read the Bible and go to church every Sunday, as well as sometimes during the week. My grandmother says he was “over-churched” and when he was old enough to practice his own religion, he decided to become an agnostic.
My grandmother, Jean Hanssen, who was born in 1926, was raised Presbyterian. Her mother, Alice Kaerwer, lived in Minnesota and baptized Jean and her brother when they were two years old. They then moved to New York where they attended the Christian Scientist’s church. When I asked my grandmother why she went to that church even though she was Presbyterian, she told me it was because the church was closest to her home and if it had been a Catholic church then they would have been Catholics. This reminded me of the Burned-Over district in New York and all the revival groups they had there, which made it hard for some people to decide what religion to convert to.
When Jean was 12 she and her family moved to California where she then officially became Presbyterian. When she married Ray, the Presbyterian Church was only 10 minutes from where they lived. Today the same church is only 3 minutes from her retirement community. She does not attend church every Sunday and is not particularly religious, though she does go to church on special holidays like Easter. Jean also baptized all four of her children, my father included, when they were young.
My father and his siblings were all raised Presbyterian. Today, my father, Fred Power, still remains a Presbyterian. He owns a Bible, though he never reads it and he does attend church, but only on special holidays to make my grandmother happy. My Aunt Nancy, who lives in Livermore, California, is a lapsed Presbyterian. She was attending church occasionally, but due to issues involving her divorce, she no longer attends the church she was going to. My Aunt Carol was a Presbyterian, but two years after her husband Bill passed away she announced that she had decided to become a lesbian. The news was accepted by my family and Carol is now a Metropolitan Community Church pastor in Corpus Christi, Texas. She is very religious and reads the Bible everyday and recently came to California to help fight against Proposition 8.
My uncle Brad who lives in Boston, Massachusetts is a Unitarian Universalist. The religion he practices emphasizes finding truth in different religions and being open-minded and acceptant to other people’s beliefs. The Unitarian Universalist church is headquartered in Boston, which may be one reason he chose it. Another that was suggested to me was the fact that it is “good for his kids”, which I think means showing them different views on religion. Uncle Brad and my Aunt Mary recently adopted two girls from Ethiopia who are six and seven years old. They attend the church regularly and the girls go there after school and sing in the choir. I think it was meant to be a way for them to meet other kids and gain a sense of community.
On my mother’s side of the family, my grandmother Lee Gail Wheling was born in 1942 in San Francisco. Gail’s mother, Evelyn Anna Flohrs, was born in 1914 in Minnesota and was a Lutheran. Gail’s father, Clarence Wheling, was born in Chicago in 1896 and was also Lutheran. My grandmother could not remember her grandparents well, but I do know that her grandparents on her father’s side were born in Germany in 1859 and 1869. Gail said that her parents went to church rarely and joked that if they “went in a church, it would probably fall down”. Gail herself does not regularly attend church or read the Bible, though she is spiritual.
My grandfather on my mom’s side, Rolla “Bud” Emerson Hunt, was born in 1939 and was raised Baptist. His father, Rolla Emerson Hunt who was born in 1902 in Iowa, and his mother, Emma Elizabeth Ulrich who was born in 1905 in Colorado were both affiliated with the Methodist church. Bud’s two sisters Marlyn and Georgia were following the Catholic faith. Marlyn changed to the Episcopal Church after she married her second husband who was a minister in an Episcopal church. Bud and Gail later got married in an Episcopal church. Bud does not read the Bible to my knowledge and I don’t think he attends church often.
My mother, Julie Willey, was baptized in the Lutheran church when she was young. She says she has attended many churches throughout her life and believes in no one particular denomination. She does say she believes in God and prays to him often. She had a recent accident in which she was bucked off a horse and would have died if she was not wearing a helmet. Throughout her life, she never wore a helmet when riding a horse and believes what happened to her that day to be a miracle by a guardian angel. She has since talked about God often, though she doesn’t and hasn’t to my knowledge, read the Bible. She also still does not go to church. She says she believes you can pray anytime and anywhere and you don’t need a church to do it. She says her beliefs are just “Christian beliefs” and the churches she does go to are plain “Christian churches”.
It seems like, when tracing though the farthest roots of my ancestry, that most of my grandparent’s grandparents were very religious. Those grandparents who came from Germany were distinctly Lutheran, which is not surprising considering that is where Martin Luther made his “Letters to German Nobility”. The Baptist parents of my grandfathers Ray and “Bud” also seemed intently religious, since both grandchildren managed to be baptized and raised in that tradition, though neither practices it now. I think that trend is similar to what Thoams Jefferson wrote in his “Bill for Establishing Religious Freedom”. People shouldn’t have the right to force religion onto others and when they do, those being forced often turn away from that religion or fail to believe in it. I also noticed that going down through the lines the parents of my grandparents tended to become more lax in general to their religions. My grandmother Jean’s mother baptized her as Presbyterian, but they only attended church to become a part of the community, and it didn’t really matter what denomination it was. Gail’s parents were Lutherans but rarely attended church. Then my grandparents themselves do not seem to be that tied to any particular religion, accept my grandmother Jean. My grandfather Ray was an agnostic, and my grandmother Gail and my grandfather Bud don’t go to church or practice any rituals. Even Jean who is proud to be a Presbyterian does not practice her faith by going to church often or reading the Bible.
As far as my parents, aunts, and uncles are concerned, only two are relatively “religious”. My Uncle Brad attends church with his family, though it is less for the religious aspects and more for cultural and community- oriented reasons. My Aunt Carol is probably the most religious out of all the relatives I have. I believe that she is most religious because she has always been an active member of the church and has always carried a faith in God. I think practicing the religion and believing in it from a young age to adulthood helped found it further for her.
I think location and marriage also have a lot to do with the reason some members of my family are more religious than others. My grandfather Ray’s father was born in Texas and was raised Baptist. I think Baptists in Texas were more diligent in their religion than maybe some other states, especially during the early 1900s. Ray however was raised in California. I think growing up in California and being raised as strictly in the Baptist faith as he was probably made Ray feel alienated by his religion and seen differently by a lot of people he knew. In my grandmother Jean’s case she was raised Presbyterian, but attending church and practicing the religion were probably not as important since she moved from Minnesota to New York to California and went to whatever church seemed closest. In my Uncle Brad’s case he also seemed to identify himself with the Unitarian Universalist Church because it was probably nearby and his wife and children felt comfortable there. My grandparents Bud and Gail were also married in an Episcopal church, although neither practiced that religion. Although marriage has played some small role in my families’ religious history, it seems location has played a bigger part.
As far as connecting to the readings, I think some of the patterns I see in my family’s past can relate to some of what we have read in class. For instance, I think my grandparent’s grandparents from Germany probably came to America believing it to be a place like John Winthrop described in “A Model of Christian Charity”. I think they felt it was a good place to come and practice their religion with people of similar faiths.
I think one of the reasons my German great- great- grandparents probably followed their practices and beliefs so stringently was because 1) they were raised in Germany were Lutheranism was founded and 2) in America they were probably clinging to their old customs and traditions since it gave them a sense of identity and place in their new country. This is very similar to what Mary Antin described in “The Promise Land”. Like Antin, my grandparents from Germany probably had difficulties keeping up their customs in an America that was far less religious than what they were use to. They probably abandoned some of their customs and only carried on the traditions they felt were most important.
I think the changes Mary Antin had over her lifetime is very similar to the changes that occurred throughout the religious history of my family. The oldest generations were very settled and founded in their religion. Then as that religion was passed on and my family started moving more they began to let go of their beliefs and traditions for a more modern and convenient way of life. Now in the present day, their beliefs are mostly spiritual except for the few that, like Antin in the end, still cling to the customs and traditions of their faith.

jataka tales

Jessica Power
Response Essay 3
1/29/09
Page 1

The Jataka Tales each give separate lessons on Dharma and the way life should be lived. In summary: “The Bodhisattva and the Hungry Tigress” story focuses on showing that the body and this life are only temporary and that you should put others’ lives before your own because in the end the reward will be greater. “The Bodhisattva as the Preacher of Patience” shows that life without material possession and distractions leads to a happier existence. It also tells that again the body is just a temporary thing and greater reward comes from becoming detached from your life. “The Past Lives of Gotama Buddha” shows that by following Buddhas’ lessons and taking refuge in them you can overcome suffering. It also emphasizes the idea of giving over to others for their benefit, and in the end the greater benefit is your own. The last story “Passage Denied: The Naga Who Tried to Become a Monk” shows that animals and normal laypersons cannot become monks.
Question 1) Which aspects of Buddhism are emphasized/neglected in these Jatakas in comparison with Buddhism as presented in Smith (The World’s Religions) and the film Footprint of the Buddha? One of the main things the Jataka Tales emphasize is self-sacrifice for the benefit of someone else. In “The Bodhisattva and the Hungry Tigress” the prince Mahasattva sacrifices himself to feed a starving tigress. The prince says his body is doomed to die and in this way it can achieve a greater existence in the next life for doing this good deed. The film Footprint of the Buddha mentioned this

Jessica Power
Response Essay 3
1/29/09
Page 2
concept by saying that it is good to cling to nothing and to let go of the world since it is not permanent and will not last forever. Another aspect of Buddhism that was mentioned in the “Bodhisattva as the Preacher of Patience” story was that we should be mindful of others and not ourselves, which Smith mentioned in his chapter on Buddhism. “Our duty to our fellows is to understand them as extensions, other aspects, of ourselves – fellow facets of the same Reality” (Smith 103). In the story “Bodhisattva as the Preacher of Patience”, when the Bodhisattva is being cut by the angry king, the Bodhisattva feels no physical pain, only sorrow for the fate that will befall the king in the future.
Question 2) What attitude do these Jatakas take toward the physical world, the environment, and human life? The stories seem to treat the physical world as a place of beauty and distraction that is impermanent and must be overcome to reach enlightenment. The tales’ attitude toward environment seems to admire nature for its beauty such as in the “Bodhisattva as the Preacher of Patience” in which it is mentioned that the “great- souled man lived in the middle of the forest, in a place delightful for its solitude, and beautiful and like a lovely garden”. I think also that nature is appreciated for its exclusiveness from the world and the sense of privacy it gives to the Bodhisattva so he can concentrate more. The stories’ attitude towards human life seems to be that it is filled with suffering and is ultimately fated to end, but by focusing on Buddha and his teachings it can be overcome.


Jessica Power
Response Essay 3
1/29/09
Page 3

Question 3) What attitude do these tales suggest with regard to animals and animal-human relations? Some of the tales seem to contradict each other on the aspect of human-animal relations. “The Bodhisattva and the Hungry Tigress” shows the Bodhisattva giving up his life to a “fellow-creature” the tigress. Yet in “The Past Lives of Gotama Buddha” the when the Barber kills some birds to eat them all the disciple does is say no “thank you” when some is offered to him and the Barber is not punished for eating the birds. Then in the story “Passage Denied: The Naga Who Tried to Become a Monk”, after a naga is denied the right to be a monk, it seems that animals are being excluded from the Buddhist community and cannot “advance in the practice of the Dharma”. Ian Harris’ explanation of this in “A Vast Unsupervised Recycling Plant: Animals and the Buddhist Cosmos” seems to clarify this confusion. The Jataka Tales “provide a guide to the proper conduct of humans. However it could be argued that the often highly anthropomorphic character of the essentially pre-Buddhist folk-tradition of these narratives is largely devoid of “naturalistic” content, thus defeating the intention of those who bring them forward as evidence in support of an authentic Buddhist environmentalist ethic. Indeed, the animals are not really animals at all, for at the end of each story the Buddha reveals that the central character was none other than himself in a former life” (Harris 208). A similar situation can be seen in the “Peacock Poem” from Ivette Vargas’ “Snake-Kings, Boars’ Heads, Deer Parks, and Monkey Talk: animals as Transmitters and Transformers in Indian and Tibetan Buddhist Narratives” because the poem does not
Jessica Power
Response Essay 3
1/29/09
Page 4

focus on the peacock itself but uses it as a metaphor for the principles that the Bodhisattva should follow. In the end it seems like the Jataka stories do not focus on teaching about animal-human relations but more on the lessons Gotama Buddha wanted to pass on to his followers.

power outage prompt circa 2006

Electricity is a recent discovery. Think of 12 things to do when there's no power.
Oh no! The power's out. Luckily it's daytime so I don't have to bring out the flashlights. Hmmmm, well I was watching TV. What should I do now? I can go outside and ride my bike. Of course I'm all alone and Em's not here. Riding your bike is fun, but not when you’re all alone riding in circles in the driveway. I could read a book. Let's see, I have Gone With The Wind, Lord of the Flies, Secret Garden, hey look a Stephen King book, a fairy tale book, an art book, Goosebumps, Far side Gallery, Urban Legends, Macbeth and Frankenstein, Jaws, 4 different ghost stories books, and my senior English class's Interactive Reader which has at least 12 stories I haven't read yet. I guess I’ll read my Urban Legends book. They always have interesting stories in there. Like this one entitled "Nameless Cheat":
An aged teacher at Eton College was overseeing a history examination one afternoon. When the allotted 2 hours were up, he told the pupils to put down their pens and went down the aisles collecting their papers. When he came to one pupil, he said, “I won't be collecting your paper as I saw you cheating." He was about to proceed when the pupil stood up and exclaimed haughtily, "Cheating? Do you know who I am?” The teacher, having dealt with many arrogant pupils in his time, responded disdainfully, "No young man, I do not, nor does it bear any consequence." The pupil said smiling, “Oh it does. If you don't know who I am ..." and without finishing his sentence, he stuffed his paper into the middle of the pile the teacher was holding and ran out of the classroom.
Alright, that was an interesting story, but I've only listed 2 things I can do. I can also draw or paint. I can write another story in my 5th storybook. I can play cards. I can play the piano. Wow I'm half way there. I can play a board game, though I think it might be hard considering the fact that I'm all by myself. I can drive somewhere in my car. That means I can drive to the mall and buy some more books. I can listen to my cd player. Let's see that's 9 things. Alright 3 more things. Well, I guess I could clean my room . . . I can call my friend Maggie over on my cell phone. Then who knows what we might do. We could throw paper airplanes off the balcony. That's always fun. We could go swimming. We could . . . hey the power's back! Well, so much for all of that. That airplane idea sounded like a lot of fun. I think I'll call Maggie now . . .

~ Jessica

survey circa 2006

The Best Myspace Survey
* . . About You . . *
Eye Color::	hazel
Hair Color::	brown
Height::	5'10
Favorite Color::	blue
Screen Name::	Pirate J on myspace
Favorite Band::	I have several. Keane, Green Day, Goo Goo Dolls . . .
Favorite Movie::	I have MANY
Favorite Show::	House, Arrested Development, Whose Line
Your Car::	Honda Civic LX
Your Hometown::	S*******
Your Present Town::	S*******
Your Crushes First Name::	D***
Your Grade::	Freshman in College
Your Style::	Cool designs and themes
* . . Have You Ever . . *
Sat on your rooftop?:	yup
Kissed someone in the rain?:	nope
Danced in a public place?:	yes
Smiled for no reason?:	yes, I do that often
Laughed so hard you cried?:	yes
Peed your pants after age 8?:	no
Written a song?:	well, I've written poems that could be considered lyrics
Sang to someone for no reason?:	no
Performed on a stage?:	once
Talked to someone you don't know?:	yes
Gone out of your way to befriend someone?:	hmmm... maybe
Made out in a theatre?:	no
Gone roller skating since 8th grade?:	probably
Been in love?:	. . .
* . . Who was the last person to . . *
Say HI to you?:	probably Maggie when i called her the other day
Tell you, I love you?:	no se
Kiss you?:	no se
Hug you?:	my dad
Tell you BYE?:	Kari
Write you a note?:	I don't know that one...
Take your photo?:	Emily
Call your cell phone?:	dad
Buy you something?:	Kari
Go with you to the movies?:	my grandma
Sing to you?:	Trevor
Write a poem about you?:	no one has ever writtena poem about me
Text message you?:	my mom
Touch you?:	that question sounds wrong
* . . What's the last . . *
Time you laughed?:	earlier today
Time you cried?:	a while ago
Movie you watched?:	Wedding Crashers
Joke you told?:	I don't usually tell jokes, just funny statements
Song you've sang?:	Mr. A-Z
Time you've looked at the clock?:	right now, it's 5:40
Drink you've had?:	chocolate milk. twas tastey
Number you've dialed?:	Maggie's a couple days ago
Book you've read?:	my storybooks
Food you've eaten?:	soy beans, they make a nice snack
Flavor of gum chewed?:	mint
Shoes you've worn?:	flip flops
Store you've been in?:	Kohls
Thing you've said?:	hmmm... I'll just say something now since I don't remember. " Metal puzzles rule."
* . . Can You . . *
Write with both hands?:	I use to be able to when I was 4. Then I became a rightey.
Whistle?:	yup
Blow a bubble?:	yes
Roll your tounge in a circle?:	taco
Cross your eyes?:	not with my contacts in
Touch your tounge to your nose?:	no
Dance?:	not well
Gleek?:	what's gleek?
Stay up a whole night without sleep?:	yes
Speak a different language?:	si
Impersonate someone?:	a little
Prank call people?:	no
Make a card pyramid?:	yes
Cook anything?:	probably not
* . . Finish The Line . . *
If i were a ...:	tree, what tree would I be?
I wish ...:	upon the stars
So many people don't know that ...:	I write stories.
I am ...:	Sam I am
My heart is ...:	currently in my body
Take this survey | Find more surveys You've been totally Bzoink*d

Survey 

Marcel from Top Chef

Marcelishious, defenition,
make them girls go loco.
He likes to rap, which is not wack.
he makes gelee's and foams.
He's the M to the A-R,
C-E to the L and
He makes them women so stoked you can tell he's Marcelishious.
[BRIDGE!!]
(So delishious)
But he isn't jealous,
of Ilan or Sam, Elia or Cliff
He's so vishious
(woooo-WEE!)
He cooks that food so HOT HOT!
And they be linin down the block just to eat at his restraunt
[CHORUS]
(He's so Delishious)
He's Soigne!
(He's so delishious)
He got Cliff DQ'd yay!
(He's so delishious)
I pray to god he isn't gay!
(He's Marcelishious)
T-T-T-T-T-T-T-TASTY, TASTY!

girls are like apples

----------------Girls-----

-----------are like apples------
-------on trees. The best ones-----
-----are at the top of the tree.-----
---The boys don’t want to reach---
--for the good ones because they--
-r afraid of falling and getting hurt.-
-Instead, they get the rotten apples-
from the ground that aren’t as good,
but easy. So the apples up top think
something wrong w/ them when in
-reality they're amazing. They just--
---have to wait for the right boy to
---- come along, the one who's-----
------- brave enough to climb-----
---------- all the way to---------
-------------- the top ----

funny Signs

Sign over a Gynecologist's Office:
"Dr. Jones, at your cervix."
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In a Podiatrist's office:
"Time wounds all heels."
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On a Septic Tank Truck in Oregon :
Yesterday's Meals on Wheels
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On another Septic Tank Truck:
"We're #1 in the #2 business"
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At a Proctologist's door:
"To expedite your visit please back in."
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On a Plumber's truck:
"We repair what your husband fixed."
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On another Plumber's truck:
"Don't sleep with a drip. Call your plumber.."
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On a Church's Billboard:
"7 days without God makes one weak."
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At a Tire Shop in Milwaukee :
"Invite us to your next blowout."
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On a Plastic Surgeon's Office door:
"Hello. Can we pick your nose?"
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At a Towing company:
"We don't charge an arm and a leg. We want tows."
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On an Electrician's truck:
"Let us remove your shorts."
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In a Nonsmoking Area:
"If we see smoke, we will assume you are on fire and take appropriate action."
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On a Maternity Room door:
"Push. Push. Push."
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At an Optometrist's Office :
"If you don't see what you're looking for, you've come to the right place."
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On a Taxidermist's window:
"We really know our stuff."
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On a Fence:
"Salesmen welcome! Dog food is expensive!"
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At a Car Dealership:
"The best way to get back on your feet - miss a car payment."
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Outside a Muffler Shop:
"No appointment necessary We hear you coming."
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In a Veterinarian's waiting room:
"Be back in 5 minutes. Sit! Stay!"
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At the Electric Company :
"We would be delighted if you send in your payment.
However, if you don't, you will be."
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In a Restaurant window :
"Don't stand there and be hungry, Come on in and get fed up."
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In the front yard of a Funeral Home :
"Drive carefully. We'll wait."

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At a Propane Filling Station ,
"Thank heaven for little grills."
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And don't forget the sign at a Chicago Radiator Shop:
"Best place in town to take a leak."

Fears Circa 2006

Fear

I am not a coward, but I do have several fears that I have yet to overcome. Most people have fears that they are ashamed to admit. The shame comes from telling people that they lack the courage to face something that others may not find frightening or scary. However, there are many fears that people share. For most people, these include spiders, high places, sharks, or darkness. I also share in some of these fears. While fears may come in different forms to different people, in each case they are all usually difficult to overcome.
One of my greatest fears is of great white sharks. This fear started when I was little and I accidentally watched Jaws when it was on T.V. Everyone who knows me is aware of my fear. I make no attempts to hide it because in a way I feel my fear is justifiable. After all, great white sharks have been known to attack people and there are few people who could survive that kind of attack. Although I fear sharks, I have no real fear when it comes to being in the ocean. That doesn’t mean that I want to go out in the middle of the ocean, but I have no problem wading in water at a beach. My fear is most plainly shown when a great white shark is shown on T.V. Memories of the movie Jaws come back, and I usually end up covering my face or running out of the room. Despite the affects my fear has on me, I have made some attempts lately to overcome them. I sat through the entire movie of Jaws. It was not as frightening as I remembered it. There were only a few parts that scared me, and that was mostly from surprise. I am now eager to watch Jaws 2 and 3, especially since I know they are less frightening. But I still get nervous when a shark comes on the television, and I refuse to watch the movie Deep Blue Sea. Though I have mostly overcome this particular fear, there are still others I have yet to conquer.
I have always been interested in the supernatural. I was told that when I was younger, my parents and I lived in a haunted house. I can account for this as well with some of my memories of early childhood. We lived next to a cemetery, and my parents and I can remember that things would always go missing. A remote control that was on a table would go missing and my parents would search all over the house for it. Then three days later it would end up on the table. I don’t really fear ghosts in particular, but there are times that I feel paranoid that I am not alone and there is someone there that I can’t see. Even that fear wouldn’t have bothered me as badly had I not seen movies like The Exorcist and The Entity. I am interested in ghost stories, but I wish that I could erase the memory of those two movies. Both deal with evil spirits that purposely hurt and try to kill people. What’s even more frightening is that The Entity was based on actual events. Being harmed by something you can’t see or defend yourself against is a recurring fear I have. It is also a fear I may not be able to rid myself of.
These are some of my fears. They are fears that I hope I never have to deal with in reality. They are both forces I cannot control or defend myself against. Luckily I think I can avoid sharks fairly easily. I just stay away from the middle of the ocean and television shows with killer sharks. As for the evil spirits, I think I might know what to do if I encounter one. After all, I have seen ghost shows, Unsolved Mysteries, and even read some books on the subject. Although these fears do affect my life, I don’t let them control it.