Open Letter to Gerdy

Dear Gerds,

Gertrude, I don't know how to tell you this, but something needs to be said. We've known each other for three, fantastic years now. You have taken me to countless significant places in my life. You've always been there for me; pointing me in the right direction, sticking by my side, and leading me home safely. You've been considered as one of my best friends, nay, even a family member. You know my address by heart circuit board. See, there I go, That's exactly it. You're a GPS. We can't be together anymore. Remember that chilly January night when you told be to "Turn right on Arthur Street in 150 feet", and I told you to *hehem* "Shut your whore mouth"? You have 512 Megabytes of memory. Of course you remember. But I remember too, and this is just one thing time has proved irreconcilable. That's why you have to go, Gerdy. You have to go far away. That's why I just searched for the most fuel-efficient route to the Atlantic Ocean. This is our last ride together. Maybe some shark will rip out your circuit board, just like you tore out my <3.

Teenage Driver

Why Didn't I Think of This Earlier?

My blog project is growing on me.


Over the past month or so, I've been dissecting Seth Godin's blog. I encourage you to check out at least one post at http://sethgodin.typepad.com/. Look for the bald head, and you've reached your destination.

 

 Godin is making me think like an economist and a marketer, and I love it. He's really good at breaking down complex business concepts into digestible, simplified pieces. We have something special. Not really, but his latest post was titled "Unexpected Turbulance" (not like I experienced that in the past 24 hours, but I definitely did), and I really understood what he was talking about.

I have come to the conclusion that I'm slow. I wish I did this earlier. But, when I reached to click on the "New Post" button on my blog, something caught my eye. Monetize. I like that word, because it's like money. So in the spirit of marketing, I just added advertisements to my blog... I think. We'll see if it all works out, but it would be interesting to see if somebody out there really thinks the minimal (but ever so precious) blog traffic I receive is worth getting an advertising income. I'll literally keep you posted on how my little marketing experiment works out.  Maybe I'll earn so much, I don't have to worry about those college tuition bills looming around the corner. Maybe I'll earn a penny.

Risk!

No pain no game.

I was a risk taker/ride warrior/daredevil. Actually, so much so, my AOL Instant Messenger screen name was Daredevil7321, and had been my email address until I found a more sophisticated fit... Three months ago. How did it all start? Quinn Labowitch, this is a shoutout to you. Remember when you used to have a boat on Gray's Bay? Yep, we were hardcore tubers. You're mom called me a daredevil, and I wanted it to stick. It didn't. It's a total lady-slayer of a name. Right?

Well, I've come to realize it has become less and less applicable to my life. What risks do I really take? I try not to cross lines. If the benefits of a successful risk outweigh the effects of a failure risk does that mean I should take it? Usually, my answer is no. Since elementary school, I've consistently become more shy.

But this year, forget it. I'll show up in a tuxedo and

if I want to. I'll participate in Mr. Wayzata and probably make a fool of myself. I'll invest $2 in a cheetah print bow tie.

A week from today, I'll be in Colorado, skiing down mountains. Talk about risks. This trip, I'm going to ski down the back of a mountain in an un-groomed bowl. More to come... but enjoy the last days of school this year until I get back to you.

Ha ha ha. Ho ho ho.

What you REALLY learn in mo pro...

As I tie myself to my chair on this beautiful Saturday morning, I can't help from hating on Mo Pro. Maybe it's because I need to crank out eight source analyses. Maybe it's because I'm heated we have a test, issues discussion and paper due date in the next 10 days. I couldn't tell you what we specifically talk about in class other than some politics, some sociology, and some economics. What I can tell you, is all the weird, messed up things we usually end up talking about. So here's a brief list of the random things Mr. Schmit has taught other blocks, and my block in the past three months...

• The YMCA song is a "gay anthem". The song came out during the first burst of the gay-lesbian civil rights movement, about the same time Pride festivals started. It's artists, the Village People, were stereotypes of iconic gay sex images. "They have everything for you men to enjoy, you can hang out with all the boys..." Just Google it. (courtesy of Block 3)
• The Happy Birthday Song is owned by Paul McCartney. Now the more I look into this, it has become apparent that this is rumor. Many sources say Time Warner owns the rights. Either way, in training at Pump it Up, we were informed we can start singing Happy Birthday, but as a worker we're not suppose to sing to the end since that would be copyright infringement. I still sing all of it. Get at me Time Warner. (courtesy of Concert Choir and String Orchestra Block 2)
• Mr. Schmit can do everything. His friend created a plane, so Mr. Schmit made an engine for it. Mr. Schmit fixes his own cars. Mr. Schmit doesn't follow the rules of high-class museums in Rome. Mr. Schmit doesn't sleep (he's literally at WHS for 12 hours a day). Mr. Schmit cuts his own daughters' hair. Mr Schmit is almost legally blind, but still is allowed to drive. Mr. Schmit...

 I could go on, but I should really get started on all this Mo Pro. And college apps. And Comp projects.

On Desk Divulging-- The Harrison Family's Computer Desk

My desk is a hot mess.

Thermometer, clock, piranha. What argument was my dad trying to make my placing a thermometer at the right hand of my computer monitor? I may never know. There isn't one or two, but rather three clocks in a 60 degree view centered on the flashing screen in front of my face. Nothing teaches time management in the Harrison household like a tick, TICK,  tickTICK TicTIICK TIIIIICKK consistently blaring at irregular intervals as three clocks compete to be heard. Piranha you ask? Who doesn't need a good scare to escape the vice-grip of Facebook. 

Meet Piranha Joe.

Baby pictures, books and bubble gum.

Oh these aren't three separate items. But rather a book of memories (a.k.a. pictures) stuck in a blank book by bubble gum.

It's amazing what you can tell about a family from just four things laying on their desk. You can often make a guess on how functional that family is. From our desk, I think all you take away from it is a crooked expression and a mutter of "dubbs - tee - eff".

Eenie Meenie Miney Mode... hehehe But Actually Good Luck.

1.Nationalism is broken into three parts by George Orwell in his Notes on Nationalism, and is similar to patriotism in that it’s devotion to one’s country. Positive nationalism is the most associated with patriotism, encouraging national pride and well being. Negative nationalism, is more of the extremes, which has ties to intolerance and exploitation of the people by its leaders. Transferred nationalism typically makes scapegoats, to put the blame elsewhere. This briefly outlines all the different possible definitions of nationalism, and shows patriotism is synonymous with positive nationalism.

2. Patriotism is devoted love, support, and defense of one's country; national loyalty. In the words of George Orwell, patriotism is identifying oneself with a single nation, placing it beyond good and evil and recognizing no other duty than that of advancing its interests. It’s not what can my country do for me, but rather what can I do for my country. Without patriotism, we Americans would still be under Great Britain’s thumb, paying taxes up the whazoo.

 

3. Patriotism was a sole, biggest factor in pushing the United States into the superpower that it is today. The feeling of belonging that patriotism gives to its constituents gives people the incentive to work hard for a common goal. Manifest Destiny, the 19^th century belief for America to extend and enhance its political, social, and economic influences across the continent, would never have taken hold if people weren’t patriotic to the United States.

 

4. Moments of intense patriotism are often very successful in sending a chill down necks. For instance, look at the beginning of our war for independence, and the first battle at Lexington and Concord. In Lexington, colonists had begun backing away, but then someone fired a single shot. Eight colonials died and ten more were wounded. One wounded American patriot, whose wife and son were watching the spectacle, crawled 100 yards to die on his front doorstep (2). Now that’s patriotism.

5. I first discovered patriotism on a visit to colonial Williamsburg. Life in the 17th century was not something I was looking forward to, yet it turned out to be my favorite Thanksgiving ever. First settled in 1699, the entire township smelled of old books and candle wax. Everyone was working together to better Williamsburg, and hopefully expand into the outside world (east VA). I got to watch the first patriots in America make goods and trade them. It's an experience I'll never forget.

6. Many people wrongly consider patriotism to be synonymous nationalism. Nationalism means to give more importance to unity by way of a cultural background, including language and heritage. Patriotism pertains to the love for a nation, with more emphasis on values and beliefs. While a nationalist may view their country as better than any other, a patriot still sees there is room for improvement. A nationalist often is focused on the past, trying to explain past mistakes, while patriots focus more on the future.

 Works Cited

1. "George Orwell: Notes on Nationalism." George Orwell - Eric Arthur Blair. Novels. Essays. Articles. Reviews. Biography. Bibliography. Web. 23 Nov. 2011. <http://orwell.ru/library/essays/nationalism/english/e_nat>.

2. "War in The American Revolution." Shmoop: Homework Help, Teacher Resources, Test Prep. Web. 23 Nov. 2011. <http://www.shmoop.com/american-revolution/war.html>.

3. "Difference Between Nationalism and Patriotism | Difference Between | Nationalism vs Patriotism." Difference Between Similar Terms and Objects. Web. 23 Nov. 2011. <http://www.differencebetween.net/language/difference-between-nationalism-and-patriotism/>.

Tis the Season

Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Doesn't that look great?

Two years ago, my best friend since Kindergarten had to move to Wyoming. Hunter wasn't too fond of his dad picking up a job in Jackson Hole, but on the third day of Summer they were off to a new home.

Why am I saying this now?

• It's snowing, and it's kind of a gross type of snow. Look at those Teton Mountains. You can see those from Hunter's porch, and that snow looks beautiful. He's already climbed to the top of one of them I know, and I wish I was there doing that right now!
• HE'S VISITING. I got a random text yesterday asking if he could crash at my place, so uhhh...I'm pretty excited

And in a couple days, MY WHOLE FAMILY WILL BE VISITING. Grandparents and all my brothers will be here under one roof. I imagine they're going to be asking me about college the entire time, so I better prepare a spiel for that. But I love Thanksgiving. The Turkey Trot, eating, sleeping, a five day weekend, Black Friday (yes I'm one of those nuts...) it doesn't get much better than that.

Everyone who's reading this... All 2, maybe 3 of you,

Happy thanksgiving

The Rhetoric of Communication

Several arguments are unintentionally made, often through what's seen as disrespect considering "proper manners."

• A businessperson who leaves the restaurant table to answer a page is suggesting he would rather be somewhere else. This one page has more value to him or her than the other person's company.
• A doctor who leaves the table to answer a page however, leaves the impression that what he's doing is more important than socializing at that dinner. Someone's life could be on the line!

• Telephone solicitors who mispronounce your name is not a good way to start a conversation. This sale obviously isn't too important to him. Do you think he would mispronounce a future employer's name wrong? No, he would research pronunciation so he would appear more credible. 
• Robot-like telephone calls are as impersonal as it gets. The message is just trying to be distributed as far as it can. If the robot doesn't first state why it's calling or why it's message should be heard, the results could be disastrous. If it keeps calling, that can just be annoying! It's never a good impression.

Example example of interpersonal mass media I often see are those late night infomercials. They all follow the same formula. Someone painfully struggling. It's difficult. They're questioning why they're even doing it. It's almost backwards, for example their lives are in black and white, just like my grandparents childhood. Until we invented color a couple years before the filming of the Wizard of Oz. Next, flashy lights. Smiles, colors, success. How can you live without this product? You can't, so pick up the phone and dial now!

Pentad:
An act is shown, and it's so much easier after the introduction of the product.
The predicament takes place in a situation you often find yourself in, or fear you may find yourself sometime.
This adversity can be overcome, by everyday you! And the product...
The agency shows it with such precision and accuracy. This could change your life for the better.
They want to make money. Period.

It's scary how convincing some of these infomercials are. They can appeal to every audience, even if the product is completely irrelevant.

Excuse me, but I just discovered an Aqua Globe can water my plants for me.

On Studying for Finals, and Not Doing Awesome.

With so many finals, I'm in a rather sassy mood. So when I googled "studying for finals", I was shocked someone would make a blog post "How to Ace Your Finals Without Studying."

http://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/about-and-contact-info/

So I'm going to do what any other exhausted high school student would do. Talk back. Sass. Rip this freakshow of an article to shreds. Bullying? Yes. But here I go.

"I’ve never been that keen on studying before an exam." - Alright, bite me. Who does? Way to start of with a strong ethos characterized by the word, Loser!

"I rarely study for more than a half hour, even for big final exams worth more than half my grade." - I hate you.

"For some of my math classes I have yet to do a single practice question for homework." - I hope your putting all the hours you're saving to good use. And not just writing these articles to make me feel bad about myself.

"Most people study by cramming in as much information before walking into the test room, whereas I consider studying to be no more than a light stretch before running."- Great. You're bringing running into this. It's official, I'm never going to run again. You run. You're a meanie. Therefore meanies run. Suck on that syllogism!

And now, he decides to give us advice. It's genuine. Kind. Almost... Sweet. I look to the box on the right...

And the hate comes back. I hope you never show up in my google search again. You are dead to me.

Ritualistic Writing

Writing has always tested my patience. I can stare at a sentence for ten minutes, imagining tons of ways to reorder the words or play with commas. Then decide, nahh, and throw out the entire sentence. Not only is this inefficient, it's frustrating! So I've developed a step by step process this past week to get in the mood for my rhetorical analysis.

     1. Go for a run. I would need to just get out of the house, and start getting in the writing mindset. Completely let your mind wander on the subject.
     2. Take a shower. Who wants to write as a sweaty mess? Not this guy. I like to think the water spewing from my shower head is symbolically washing all my bad ideas away. Then I get frustrated that I would think of something so sappy.
     3. Eat some food. Don't munch while you write though, zoning out in front of a bag of chips is the last thing the author of my article would want. But I definitely can't think creatively on an empty stomach.
    
 By now, I'm exhausted. I'm so slap happy, that I'll write anything that comes to my head. I won't fuss over a sentence into the late hours of the night, I"ll just write. Then sleep. Then the next morning/afternoon, I can revise the simple grammar mistakes and elaborate more on the big picture when I can think logically. It seemed to work great! I never lost it and went into panic mode... which is quite the success. 

Pump It Up.

Whenever I'm at work I can't get this song out of my head. It's not to the point where I'm singing it yet, but I often end up humming it when I'm alone. Yeah, it's sad.

Since August, I've been working at Pump It Up at Highway 55 and County Road 24. I think it's a perfect fit because I love working with kids, and it's a blast. I get to jump around, listen to music, and it's pretty good pay too. The best part is I have yet to play with a kid who isn't ecstatic to be there. I'm usually watching parties of  seven-year-olds, and every shift I've asked a birthday kid if this is the most fun they've ever had in their life. The typical response is, "YES!" and then they go off and run through an inflatable obstacle course.

I've only worked for three months, but I couldn't tell you how many parties I've lead. They all mush together. But two weeks ago I had the scariest shift yet, and it wasn't just because of the inflatable skeleton standing in the lobby.

While working "Pumpi's Playground", a kid casually walked out of the inflatable and came up to me. Did I say he was covered in blood? His white shirt was a good 40% red.

I immediately went into panic mode. I got all the other kids out of the inflatable, helped clean this guy's wound, and convinced his mom to buy him a new, clean, Pump It Up t-shirt. Then I went in the inflatable with a flashlight, Lysol, and paper towels galore. Within ten minutes I had cleaned it all up, and I reported the incident to the manager. I STILL don't know where all that blood came from. I cleaned a little scratch on his elbow, but this was A LOT of blood in A LOT of places.

Now this is going to sound terrible, but I got a five dollar tip from my manager for cleaning the blood. I'm pretty sure I got a commission for the t-shirt sale too...

But of course, what song was playing when I was approached by a blood soaked seven-year-old? Yep. Technotronic.

Now I haven't seen this Technotronic video before I linked it to my blog. Hopefully my next shift doesn't consist these dance moves and psychedelic colors. But I'll keep you posted.

Get it? Posted. This is a blog. And I'm posting. It's funny. LAUGH!

I Wanna...Put an End to the Idea that Americans are Slackers.

How many high school students do you know that look like this?

Honestly.
 Two Million Minutes. Great movie, but terrible, terrible hasty generalizations. I enjoyed it. It was inspiring. But at the same time a huge blow to the self-esteem of a wannabe engineer. The goal of this movie is respectable. Rah! for patriotism. We will always be the world’s greatest super power! Blah, Blah, Blah. But just like every documentary, I can’t help from thinking every aspect of that film was staged. The indifferent American genius, the Grey’s Anatomy Genetics study party, everything led to the director’s point. American’s are lazy, but fortunate in that we still can be very successful. It’s more competitive for Asians, but even making room to study twenty-five hours a day may not be enough to get what they want. This film was very successful in using scare tactics, to argue one underlying point. With increased globalization these past few decades, competition is transglobal, and America is falling behind. And I totally agree, after seeing the work ethic of some high school students from the viewpoint of one of their peers. Wayzata High School has 26 AP classes to offer. The cheapest way to get college credits. So why do students choose to slide by with a schedule of History of Film, Personal Family Issues 1, Personal Family Issues 2, and Marine Biology? (I don’t mean to bash these classes, I have just heard some things about the effort they require).

But I also see American high school students hard at work, involved in everything, truly seizing every opportunity presented to them. Whites, African-Americans and Asian-Americans all living in their studies. I don’t have a problem with socializing, and in so many career opportunities people-smarts is just as important as book-smarts. I refuse to believe we are going to loose influence in the future years just because we’re graduating fewer engineers.

From my understanding of I Wanna be Average, the reason many students aren't succeeding is because the bobber isn't being thrown out far enough off the shore. Rose uses this metaphor to describe a specific time of his life when vocational education students weren't succeeding because teachers weren't setting the bar high enough. A counterargument to this thought is presented by Patrick Welsh in his article For Once Blame the Students. Welsh stresses student self-initiative, and I think he really respects students that posses a desire to learn. But from my personal experience, I think both are flaws in the American education system. I think it’s ridiculous that some teachers don’t assign work just because they don’t want to grade it. I think it’s even more ridiculous that some students just choose not to do their homework some nights. To be honest, I don’t have a proposal, but the attention these literary works are bringing to these issues are the first steps to changing our system for the better.

Pet Peeves

Some things that occasionally make me hate the world...

• Chewing with your mouth open

• It's carmel. Not "care-a-mel".

• Twirling hair

• Using there instead of their

• Every other word spoken is profane

• Someone who always has a better story 

• Artificial orange flavoring

• Sharing scores on an assingment

• Yelling out answers

The world would be so much better without these.

Obsession Confession

Something has been on my mind. I've got a problem. It's out of my control. It's consuming my life. Goodbye grades. Goodbye social life. 

Hello Dexter.

Dexter Morgan and his twisted "code" is my drug. Familiar with it or not, enjoy this little trailer.

CLICK FOR THE BEGINNING OF THE END OF YOUR SPARE TIME.

So what makes this series so interesting? Let me tell you...

A serial killer killing serial killers. 

Nothing but poetic justice. Dexter Morgan is a blood-splatter analyst for the Miami police department.  However, outside of his job he hunts the very people his job are trying to detain and interview. As creepy as it seems, the story is from the point of view of yep, you guessed it, Dexter. Dexter is a protagonist with EVERY characteristic of an antagonist. Throw in a couple of dysfunctional relationships and some plot twists that will leave your head spinning, and you'll be be consumed by this monster. 

Last June, my friend first introduced me to Dexter on Netflix. Free. Instant. Always at my fingertips. Let's

just say the two seasons on Netflix lasted me a week or so. Naturally I bought the next three seasons on eBay, and they lasted me all but another month. 

And then I was done. There were no more episodes available. (60 episodes)(60 minutes) = 3600 minutes  my life spent, yet I was still unsatisfied.

So I kicked my addiction to the curb right? Actually, yep, I did. No doubt it would occasionally pop into my thoughts, but I'm proud to say I went a streak of 45 whole days without watching an essay.

What happened? I relapsed. Season 6 debuted this past Sunday. And it has clouded my thoughts once again. But I am stronger than this, I have the strength to wait until Winter Break for the next twelve episodes.

What are you thinking? Do you want to watch Dexter? What? You think I'm erratic? You think I'm crazy?

   Say it to this guy.

Knowledge is Power!

In President Barack Obama's Third Annual Back to School Speech, his primary audience is every high school student across the nation. I infer that it's primarily high school students, because the speech addresses trying new things and appreciating every class, instead of addressing arts & crafts. Obama is able to connect to the high school students he is speaking to by referring to him as "you guys", and talking about video games, band, basketball, Facebook and Twitter. This is an effective way of connecting to the audience because one of these things- sports, music, video games and social networking- is a typical common interests for high school students.

Obama's primary argument, is education needs your complete focus if we want to better our nation. His factual reasons to support this argument include him stating that 60% of jobs will need more than a high school diploma, as well we have now decreased from 1st to 16th in proportion of young people who have a college degree. Some basic assumptions in this argument include everyone should want to better the United States' international standings, as well as education is the best way for us to do that.

By using a variety of appeals, Obama tries to convince students about the significance of an education. He
uses Pathos to describe how teachers are "cramming their days" for you, which implies we should not let them down. He argues with Ethos by citing specific examples of highly successful teenagers who have bettered their home communities, as well as the scientific community, with their hard work. Obama even uses Logos by citing a fact stating how important post high school education is for getting a job.

In his speech, Obama uses concise language, and doesn't just read a script, but rather discusses education at a slow pace. He gets his points across in very few words, and speaks slowly so it can be processed before he jumps to his next thought. Obama leans to his right, slouches, and appears to have his left hand hand in his pocket when he's letting us high school students in on his little secret, that he "wasn't always the best student." This movement makes his personal story seem more sincere, while also appealing to the audience's character. He explains how one hour you can be an artist (as he leans to his right), and the next you may want to be a scientist (as he leans to his left). He pauses before saying Twitter, which builds suspense to the comedic aspect of the prestigious President of the United States referencing Twitter. He sets up parallelism by stating "You wonder. You question. You explore. You color outside the lines every now and then."

By keeping his intonation relatively high and constant by saying "although [earning A's] is a good goal to strive for," this sentence stands out from the typical cadence at the end of his sentences. He also raises his intonation when he speaks about how some  might be wondering how you'll pay for college, which suggests having questions about such matters is okay, since you typically raise your intonation in a question. His cadence is especially noticeable when he talks about how important his ethics class is to him today, with that falling intonation and pause adding to his sincerity. Obama ends his speech by changing his tone to that of a pre-game pep talk. A noticeable syntax change with much shorter sentences occurs, which was very effective in drawing my attention. Without looking at his paper, and by using great eye contact, his pointing out on how our country is depending on us high school students is a very uplifting conclusion.







Not to be that guy... but Rick Perry 2012. I had to say it after being so complimentary.

I'm sorry that I'm not sorry.

"You can't go on tonight... your face ain't black enough"

"But if I don't get paid tonight I'll starve!"

"Excuse me? Rub on this coal, or I'll make sure you starve!"

"Okay, Sir."


In a time where minstrel shows were entertainment, and restrictions due to Jim Crow Laws were an everyday occurrence, blacks had it tough. It's been 141 years since the passing of the 15th Amendment was supposed to grant blacks equal rights. By finding loopholes, primarily in southern states, blacks were treated no different after the abolition of slavery in the 13th Amendment, and it was all in legal accordance to the various laws generalized as the "Jim Crow Laws".

The Blind: The board of trustees shall. maintain a separate building. on separate ground for the admission, care, instruction, and support of all blind persons of the colored or black race. (Louisiana)

This type of discrimination just sounds ridiculous now! Who would ever do that? And in the words of Mrs. Cardona, "Woah, dude, that's crazy!"

Then why do I still see discrimination like this regularly? Saying "I'm sorry I wasn't sorry" can't make up for how were treating an entire race in the 18th, 19th, and bigger half of the 20th centuries.

The firestorm I have witnessed the past couple months concerning a group of Muslims wanting to build an Islamic Center in Plymouth is way past absurd. I read countless letters by uneducated citizens, published in the Star Tribune and Sun Sailor explaining in their own demented way that we can't allow this Islamic Center to follow through, because these people were the people behind 9/11. In reality, all they want is a space to practice their religion.

Yes the Jim Crow Laws came and went. However it seems we didn't learn anything from them! Wake up America, I thought we were better than this. We're acting like the immature 141 year-olds whose idea of entertainment was minstrel shows.

Sincerely,

An Emotionally Charged WHS Senior.

Why THEY Write.

Brendan Gill shares about his love for words in a short story from our assigned reading. His interest for words started with be exposed to "ladyfingers" and "chicken à la king", which is eerily similar to some of my first memorable exposure to words. 

I was mortified when my mom was going to serve ladyfingers while hosting a party. I was even more scared when I assumed we had to kill the king of all chickens to eat this one meal. But the first time I remember thinking how cool words could be, conveniently has everything to do with my blog's title. 

In second grade, I had just met Nick Reath, one of my best friends still to this day. We were competitive to say the least, and I'll never forget when we started throwing out the biggest words we knew. "Onomatopoeia" I said, and he replied with "Antidisestablishmentarianism". Dang, he won this round. I asked him what it meant, and he was clueless, so we went to the library in Oakwood Elementary School to check it out. 

"Opposition to the withdrawal of state support or recognition from an established church, especially the Anglican Church in 19th-century England."

Huh? Even now I don't fully understand it. Is that a double negative in a twelve syllable word? Why is there even a word for this? And how on earth was Eminem able to pull it off in the rap "Almost Famous"?

This word will forever haunt me.

Why I Write

I write for myself. I leave post-it-notes all day, everyday. I also write the occasional journal entry, just so I can reminisce on family vacations when I'm drinking coffee outside a Parisian cafe twenty years from now. If I'm not writing for one of those selfish reasons, I'm writing for the other selfish reason of that one letter, A-F, I receive every eight weeks or so.

I prefer writing numbers, symbols, and calculations. But I'll admit writing an anecdote on a personal experiences is growing on me.

I remember I first started writing because my mom bought me a harry potter themed journal at the book fair in first grade. I wrote the names of all my elementary school crushes back then. But now I write (in the same journal...) just so I can remember what was going on in my life. I couldn't tell you what my daily routine was back in 9th grade. So hopefully I can keep this writing streak going, and truly make my senior year unforgettable.

Andrew

Introduction

Hi all. This is my first post of many (apparently). Enjoy!

And here's a poem to hopefully make your day...

Roses are red

Violets are blue

You better follow me,
Or I'll find you.

Nahh I'm just playing.