Category: confessions

What’s in My School Backpack Right Now

treefroggyLeave a comment

Okay, I admit it – I couldn’t think of any cool ideas this week. Here’s what’s in my school backpack at the moment.

JanSport Right Pack Backpack - Blue Dusk | Journeys
This is the backpack I have. It’s cute. I found it at Target like three days before school started because my old backpack was broken.

https://www.journeys.com/product/jansport-right-pack-backpack-blue-dusk-17042

Computer and Charger

Technically the computer isn’t in my backpack (because I’m typing on it currently) but I packed it this morning so it counts. I have a either 2017 or 2018 (not sure) MacBook Air and it’s covered in stickers. My charger is also in my backpack. It’s the old kind that attaches magnetically and it’s kinda wide.

About Mac power adapters - Apple Support
https://support.apple.com/library/content/dam/edam/applecare/images/en_US/macbookpro/magsafe2-85w-power-adapter.png

My Main Binder

I always have my main binder in my backpack because I keep most of my papers in there. I have dividers for each subject and an extra for my English essays. The binder is green and it’s like 2 inches thick I think.

My Spanish Binder

I have a separate binder for Spanish because my teacher requires it. It’s purple and an inch and a half thick.

My Subject Notebooks

The academic classes I have today are journalism, math, and Spanish. I also have my chemistry notebook because I’m gonna do the homework during my study hall. My journalism notebook is purple, my math one is orange, my Spanish one is blue, and my chemistry one is yellow. I’m aware that my color choices might be controversial. Honestly, I just randomly assigned the colors at the beginning of the year. I kinda regret that choice now, but I deal with it.

My Pencil Pouch

My beloved pencil pouch has seen all of high school with me. One of my mom’s friends gave it to me in eighth grade. I keep a phone charger, hand lotion, chapstick, pencil lead, a fidget toy that’s a stick with glitter in it, a bit of trash, a Sharpie, an eraser, several black pens, lots of colored pens, a few highlighters, and my one favorite mechanical pencil in it. It’s pretty nifty.

My Glasses

I have reading glasses that are blue-light blockers. The frames are dark blue and white. They’re RayBan.

Ray-Ban RX 7185 8084
These are them ^
https://d26hhearhq0yio.cloudfront.net/content/misterspex/produkte/grafiken/6795230_a2.jpg

Glasses Cleaner

This is self-explanatory.

My Hero Academia Manga – Volume 7 and 24

I always bring some manga with me if I know I have a free block or study hall and don’t have a ton of work to do. I’m working on volumes 7 and 24 right now. I have about 11 My Hero Academia manga and these are the last two I haven’t finished yet. I’m looking forward to getting more manga for Christmas.

Amazon.com: My Hero Academia, Vol. 7 (7): 9781421590400: Horikoshi, Kohei: Books
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81f274gTf3L.jpg
VIZ MEDIA-My Hero Academia Vol 24 Manga | Newbury Comics
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0882/5118/products/VIZ_MEDIA-My_Hero_Academia_Vol_24_Manga-2449903_1024x1024.jpg?v=1595540063

My Calculator

My trusty TI-84 Plus CE always stays in my backpack. I’ve had it since last year. It’s the rose gold edition.

Brand new ti-84 rose gold | Texas brand, Rose gold, Graphing
Here’s a random picture I found of the same kind of calculator I have.

Tissues

I have tissues in my backpack because you never know what could go down at school. By that I mean getting a nosebleed or having a bad allergy day.

Some Candy That’s Literally Over Two Months Old

I’m not kidding. I have several packs of M&Ms from the first day of school when all the students got candy thrown at them. I wonder if they’re still intact or if they’ve melted and re-solidified too many times for them to be recognizable.

Some #2 Non-Mechanical Pencils

You never know if you’ll completely forget that you have a huge standardized test, so I have some #2 non-mechanical pencils just in case. I’m always ready to take a PSAT.

A Dinosaur Pop It

He’s a T-Rex and he’s rainbow colored. I got him in France over the summer for like €5. Pretty good deal. He’s very precious to me.

My Rescue Inhaler

I have asthma so I carry a rescue inhaler with me just in case. It’s the blue kind.

A Little Bag of Crystals

Gotta keep the vibes good.

My Afternoon Medication

I take the quick release for my ADHD meds around 2pm. I keep the pill in a little pill holder I got in Barcelona. It has a Gaudí lizard on it.

An Extra Mask

Just in case.

My AirPods

So I don’t get bored during my free block or have to be the person listening to the assignment out loud. They have a turquoise case.

A Cliff Bar

I get hungry sometimes. I like the original chocolate chip kind.

Clif Bar Chocolate Chip Energy Bar - 1ct : Target
https://target.scene7.com/is/image/Target/GUEST_78522adb-1d31-4f17-b4a5-ed55767b5902?wid=488&hei=488&fmt=pjpeg

A Pair of Earrings – I Was Wondering Where Those Were

While checking my backpack to make sure I didn’t miss anything, I found my India agate crystal earrings. I haven’t seen those for a few weeks now. Glad I know where they are now.

Indian Agate Point | Etsy
They’re shaped like this except they’re earrings and they’re dark green.

https://www.etsy.com/market/indian_agate_point

Hope you enjoyed getting a peek into the chaos I call the organization. Maybe I’ll have a more creative idea for next week’s post.

Chaos Agent

jared315Leave a comment

There is one consistent detail that stands out to me about adults and that is their firm beliefs in themselves, their ambitions, and their character. I simply couldn’t look back at my memories and say something that I’ve been passionate about my whole life, or even my favorite food, I lack defining moments in my life that give me secure knowledge of what matters to me. I used to wonder why I didn’t feel I had these meaningful moments in life until I realized I was a bitch. I didn’t have any important moments in my life because I didn’t make any. I was too scared of being reprimanded by authority, or just having people misunderstand or be disappointed in me. I’ve realized that in the soup of life, sometimes you need to stir the pot to mix in the seasoning. I am ready to be mischievous, devious, or even dubious, anything to stir this pot. I’m still a child aren’t I, I feel it is my human right to cause a little havoc. I deserve to be asked “Do you know Tyler Durden?”

Leadership Tip of the Week: Managing Chaos | Lead Read Today | Lead Read Today

Why Opossums Are Awesome

treefroggyLeave a comment

I really, really love opossums. They’re smart, unique, friendly, and adorable. Here’s some cool facts about them.

They are the only marsupial that isn’t native to Australia.

Opossums are marsupials, which means they’re a subspecies of mammal that carry their embryo out to term in a pouch on their belly. The most commonly known marsupial is probably the kangaroo. Opossums aren’t much like kangaroos, but they also carry their joeys – a litter of which can contain up to 20 babies – in a pouch and then on their back until the joeys are ready to live by themselves.

There are several species of opossums, all of which are native to the Americas. They range all the way from South America to Canada.

The Opossum: Our Marvelous Marsupial, The Social Loner - Wildlife Rescue League
https://www.wildliferescueleague.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/possum-1802326_1280.jpg

They have opposable thumbs.

Much like apes, humans, raccoons, and some other species of animals, opossums have opposable thumbs. This means they have a fifth finger on the side of their paw that allows them to grasp objects and handle them in a way most that other animals can’t. Opossums usually don’t use this advantage for evil, though. Raccoons, on the other hand (pun not intended), will use their opposable thumbs to get into storage bins, to open trash cans, to unscrew lids of containers, to open doors, and other nefarious things. Opossums are much kinder than raccoons. Plus, it’s unbelievable cute when they hold things in their tiny hands.

Opossum holding bag of Marshmallows: aww
https://i.redd.it/upmnxw8jgz131.jpg

They have prehensile tails.

Prehensile tails are a trademark feature of monkeys, but opossums have them too. They use their tails to hold onto thin surfaces better, to climb, to hang from branches, and to balance them as they walk. Their tails look a lot like the tails of rats, but there are muscles in their tails that allow them to use them much better than rats can. I, personally, think that their crusty, scaly tails are super cute.

15 Things You Didn't Know About Opossums - WorldAtlas
https://www.worldatlas.com/r/w1200-q80/upload/04/e6/cc/shutterstock-442647025-1.jpg

They are omnivores, but don’t hunt mammals (except for mice).

Opossums are omnivores, which means they eat meat and plants. However, unlike most meat-eating animals, they don’t hunt almost any live mammals as their prey. Opossums usually scavenge food from unlocked dumpsters, left out pet food, or road kill. The only live prey that they consume are worms, bugs, mice, and sometimes smaller birds or snakes. If they are really starving, they might go after a larger target like a chicken, but this is very uncommon.

Opossum Eating Photos - Free & Royalty-Free Stock Photos from Dreamstime
https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/b/north-american-opossum-also-called-virginia-opossum-didelphis-virginiana-marsupial-native-to-north-america-north-115393762.jpg
How To Co-Exist With Opossums - Forest Preserve District of Will County
https://www.reconnectwithnature.org/getmedia/de29a896-714d-4b67-bfe2-c360b56368d1/CoExistingWithWildlife-Opossum3-Shutterstock.jpg.aspx?width=3216&height=1984&ext=.jpg

They “play dead.”

“Playing possum” is a popular expression for pretending to be dead or asleep. Opossums have an flight instinct that causes them to fall to the ground, loll their tongue, un-focus their eyes, and pretend to have died when confronted by predators that they can’t easily escape. They won’t get up even if they’re jostled around. It’s pretty cute. To humans, it just looks like the opossum is having the best nap of its life.

They like to play dress-up.

This fact isn’t scientifically verified, but look at these guys! They sure do look like they’re having fun. They look adorable, too. So stylish.

(Photo credit to @seymourtheopossum on Instagram)
(Photo credit to @thepossumgal on TikTok)
(Photo credit to @itsmesesame on Instagram)
18 Cute Possums Who Nailed The Art of Adorable (Photos)
https://imgix.ranker.com/user_node_img/50070/1001387716/original/1001387716-photo-u2?auto=format&q=60&fit=crop&fm=pjpg&dpr=2&w=375

They make funny faces.

Sometimes opossums look like they just tripped and fell in front of the popular kids and the popular kids all saw their Paw Patrol lunchbox fall out of their backpack. It’s like my favorite thing. Look at this little guy.

(Photo credit to @gladysopossum on Instagram)

All in all, opossums are pretty cool little animals. If you see one near your house, don’t bother it or hurt it. They’re non-threatening creatures and it’s just living its life. If you can legally rehabilitate opossums or care for disabled ones as pets, definitely do. They’re sweet little guys. I love them so much.

Starry Surprise! Pouched Opossum Plush with Babies & Limited Edition Sweater
https://www.itsmesesame.com/uploads/1/6/5/0/1650787/s323078058933578006_p138_i8_w2560.jpeg

Face First into a Desk

jared315Leave a comment

When I was a wee boy, I had uncontainable energy and need to be moving. This symptom of ADHD never ceased, including the time my dad had taken me to his work office so he could make sure his files would be safe before our family went on vacation. My attention was not on my dad’s files at all, as one would expect of a six year old. I was focused on my dad’s rolling, cushioned, and spinning chair. I was more than focused by this chair, I was enticed. In my little six year old mind, I had to jump on this chair, I didn’t have a choice. It is a well-known rule to young children, that if there is a rolling, cushioned, spinning chair, you have to spin. So, that’s what I did, I spun. A six year old reached terminal velocity that day with the help of his also little brother. But this record promptly switched to a vault record as I soon went flying across the room. I must’ve been in the air for minutes until I speedily barreled into the corner of my dad’s conference desk. I was physically stuck on the desk for a few moments before falling off and causing further trauma to my head by banging it in a recycling bin. At this point in time I started teleporting between settings, ending up in beds I didn’t remember crawling into, or rooms I didn’t walk into. Eventually, I ended up in front of a screening of Batman: The Animated Series. I didn’t know how I had gotten there, but I just knew I didn’t want to leave. Sadly, I was put to sleep as the intro was ending, I soon woke up with 23 stitches in my small nose. I didn’t know 23 stitches could fit onto a nose, let alone a six year old’s nose, but I didn’t care. All I cared about was how cool I would look going back to Kindergarten.

Swivel chair definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

photo credit:Pinterest

My Top 5 My Hero Academia Intros

treefroggyLeave a comment

Here’s a My Hero Academia-centered post because I love it. There might be some spoilers, so probably don’t read this if you don’t want the show to be spoiled for you.

Number 5- Make My Story by Lenny code fiction (Episodes 52-63)

While this intro isn’t super flashy, I really like it. The song is catchy, and the intro shows all of the characters who matter during the Provisional Training License arc. It foreshadows that Bakugo will find out about One for All and become closer to Midoriya in a way that doesn’t spoil anything plot-wise. Also, I’m a sucker for transitions that go from showing All Might to Midoriya, so I love the beginning when All Might’s hair turns to the top of the hood of Midoriya’s costume.

My Hero Academia x Warframe - Make my story: Warframe
https://64.media.tumblr.com/9d58c7ddd403b018dc39bc460f7ad1ad/tumblr_pe6zt1tFhh1t6on53o1_1280.jpg

Number 4- Singin’ in the Sky/空に歌えば by amazarashi (Episodes 27-38)

I love this song. It’s beautiful and meaningful while still being upbeat. The intro almost comes out of nowhere because of how abruptly the song starts and I love that. The only thing about it is that it’s actually a perfect intro song for the Shie Hassaikai arc. I mean, the English translation of the lyrics is literally, “Inevitable, inevitable. The future is determined, so rebel against it.” That’s literally a perfect description of Midoriya’s fight with Chisaki when he defies Sir Nighteye’s vision and changes the future.

However, besides the song choice, the intro is awesome. The intro goes from the Stain/Internship arc to the final exams arc, and it weaves in both arcs seamlessly. It shows all of class 1A showing off their quirks and looking super cool. I love the ending when they’re all looking up to the graffiti “Plus Ultra” and Midoriya has One For All activated in his arm. It’s showing that a big part of the episodes that the intro leads into is Midoriya finally learning to control his quirk without hurting himself, and everyone looking at their schools motto is symbolic of their aspirations to become the best of the best.

Boku no Hero Academia — lgbtenya: THIRD OP- Sora ni Utaeba // If I Sing...
https://64.media.tumblr.com/96e4914f92662275ac9086967bad4e50/tumblr_oss97kZxZw1wu864go8_400.gifv

Number 3- Peace Sign by Kenshi Yonezu (Episodes 14-26)

Peace Sign is my second-favorite song from My Hero Academia. I can’t even describe how good it is. If you listen to it, you’ll know what I mean. And I love seeing class 1A not in the middle of a life or death battle with villains, so the visuals in the intro are some of my favorites too. It’s exciting and makes you want to see what happens at the sports festival. Overall, it’s a perfect example of a good intro.

Stream My Hero Academia MHA OP 2: Peace Sign - Symphony Orchestra by granddad_kyle | Listen online for free on SoundCloud
https://i1.sndcdn.com/artworks-5v7zMxsflxXByuzS-Rv723w-t500x500.jpg

Number 2- ODD FUTURE by UVERworld (Episodes 39-51)

As I said before, I really like the abrupt start of intro songs, so I love ODD FUTURE. The visual of Nana Shimura and All Might in the beginning is so nice but always makes me a little sad because All Might clearly looked up to her so much and she didn’t get to see how amazing he became. I love seeing Shigaraki with All for One reaching through the portal to put a hand on his head for the same reason. Whether they’re good or bad guys, the mentor-student dynamic always makes me unreasonably happy. The ending is probably why this is my number 2 intro. Midoriya stands up and reveals that he’s standing in front of All Might, then they both pose heroically. I love their father-son relationship.

Steam Workshop::My Hero Academia Season 3 / opening 4 「ODD FUTURE 」
https://steamuserimages-a.akamaihd.net/ugc/920299023021253697/120060AE10E531B9DA06741E3818BFC4F98047FA/?imw=637&imh=358&ima=fit&impolicy=Letterbox&imcolor=%23000000&letterbox=true

Number 1- THE DAY by Porno Graffitti (Episodes 1-13)

I think everyone who’s watched every season of the show expected this. Do I even have to explain this one? THE DAY is indisputably the best intro in the series. The song is a bop, the visuals are super cool, and it introduces every student in class 1A. As I mentioned before, I love the transitions between All Might and Midoriya, so the punch at the end where Midoriya’s arm flickers back and forth between it being his arm and being All Might’s arm makes me so happy that I want to scream into a pillow. THE DAY is obviously the best song used in the series, and it’s probably one of my favorite songs of all time.

THE DAY (OPENING 1) - Boku no Hero (My Hero Academia) - LETRAS.COM
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/-77UEct0cZM/0.jpg

Squid Games > my homework

navraj22Leave a comment

Last night I got home and figured I’d watch a single episode of Squid Games before I did my homework.

6 hours later, it was 12:22 and I had finished the series. I knew I had homework. Homework I wanted to do. I knew it would take an hour or two, but I just kept watching. I ended up going to sleep at 1:30, throwing to the wayside the two supplemental essays I had planned to draft.

This morning, I absolutely mashed snooze on my alarm. I woke up at 7:30, the time that I need to leave my house to make it to school. I showered and ended up leaving at 7:45 getting here decently late.

The show was so good. I think because of the language barrier, some of the cues that would have made the storyline more obvious didn’t hit me, or the millions of others watching the show right now. I asked a Korean friend about his take on it and he said it was super obvious the whole time, but all of the twists didn’t hit me.

The binge I got caught in was not so good. I wanted to stop watching but I just didn’t. I still got the truly necessary work done but as usual, my head was barely above the water that is missing homework and B’s.

This is something I want to gain more control over, but can’t seem to achieve. I think it might be because I tend to be able to do work very well at the last moment. I have operated this way my whole life with a lot of things, but with certain things, like projects and papers, I know I should be starting earlier.

Especially heading into college, I want to be able to get things done early. I say early, but this definition of early refers to what I would imagine is everyone else’s regular.

I am slowly getting better at managing my time, some days go fine, but oftentimes, say once a week, I push things to the side and get LAZY.

Do you do this?

PC: deadline.com

The Story of a Man Snapping my Neck

jared315Leave a comment

For weeks on end all felt in my neck was a strain

My misaligned spine was causing me quite a lot of pain

So after months of waiting I made a chiropractic appointment

Which did much more than a muscle relaxing ointment

CRACK

At first I thought the man had killed me

for his monstrous hands hinted at villainy

I had thought he snapped my neck in half

Or stretched it out like a giraffe

I was vulnerable in this behemoth’s grip

For he could pull my limp head off if his hands were to slip

I was at this mans mercy

pleading he wouldn’t hurt me

But in the end he helped me

And made sure to announce his efficacy

Back Pain and Chiropractors

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/science-says-chiropractor-can-help-solve-back-pain

The Mind is a Dangerous Place

jared315Leave a comment

The mind is a dangerous place and as a former hopeless nihilist I feel I have earned the right to say that. The worst part about thoughts is that they don’t stop. It can be torturous to spend a single protracted moment in your mind when every thought is weaponized in some way to be destructive. The psychological degradation brought on by a depressed mind is exhausting. Every thought drags you deeper into the pit until your mental breaks and you give up.

I was lucky enough to break this seemingly endless loop by repressing emotion and taking away meaning and depth from every emotional outlet. My past statement of being a former nihilist was a lie, however I am no longer a hopeless nihilist. I’m just a person who copes with stress and anxiety by believing nothing should make me stressed or anxious because it lacks meaning and worth. I understand this might not sound like a valid process of thoughts as people will question my morals around every corner, however, I assure you, I have decent morals. As well as many other decent qualities. Greatest of all though, the biceps. The biceps s h r e d, and that among other things boost my dopamine levels giving me dreams and ambitions to quickly acquire. Finding something, anything interesting would lead me to want to try, learn, and quit. However some dreams in my head take a long time to learn. These thoughts of my future give me ambition to live an active and fulfilling life. I found reason along the ashes of self destruction.

My Key to Happiness

jared315Leave a comment

Sometimes I just want to sock someone in the nose. I obviously mean this statement figuratively but sometimes I get so riled up over things so stupid. I don’t mean I’m a little b*!/h that cries over everything, but I feel that a lot of stupid stuff happens to me. These emotions that are evoked from my pissed off self may define who I am to some people, however to me the way I deal with said frustrations defines who I am. Sometimes I eat, other times I try to wack golf balls as hard as possible, but most importantly I “sweep it out the door”. This is my twist on the common phrase of “sweeping it under the rug,” however I changed it for myself. I feel that sweeping the dirt under the rug implies its kept there and can’t be erased or forgotten, however under my rug there is an endless pit. There’s nothing going on back there, its void, null. There is no backstage or backstage party, once I sweep it behind the curtain its gone. I simply forget my emotion and uneasiness, what better coping mechanism could there be? In retrospect this may be destructive and it is obviously stupid to neglect self reflection, but hey at least I’m happy.

Angry man screaming — Stock Photo © billiondigital #161276248

Executive Dysfunction

treefroggyLeave a comment

I have ADHD, and a symptom that impacts my life every day is executive dysfunction. Executive dysfunction is something that neurotypical people experience too, but it’s usually strongest and most visible in people with ADHD.

Understanding executive function is the best way to get a grasp of what executive dysfunction is. As defined by Harvard Center on the Developing Child, “Executive function and self-regulation skills are the mental processes that enable us to plan, focus attention, remember instructions, and juggle multiple tasks successfully” (Harvard, 2020).

When looking at the DSM-5 criteria for diagnosing ADHD, it’s obvious that most people with ADHD lack the ability to do these things without outside help, which is where the term “executive dysfunction” comes in.

For me, executive dysfunction hinders my ability to manage my time, control my impulses, remember important upcoming events, and split my attention between multiple things. These effects have led me to miss deadlines, accidentally ditch my friends when we were supposed to hang out, and miss points from not realizing that I’ve left out key details in assignments.

Since I’m in high school, my executive dysfunction mostly affects my schoolwork and learning experience. For an adult with a job, it could cause them to get fired because of repetitive mistakes. The stakes are higher for adults, which is why learning effective strategies to combat executive dysfunction is important.

I hope that this article helps people understand ADHD and its symptoms better. Remember to look out for your friends or family who have ADHD to make sure they’re taking care of themselves.

Works Cited:

“Executive Function & Self-Regulation.” Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, 24 Mar. 2020, developingchild.harvard.edu/science/key-concepts/executive-function/.

Executive Dysfunction & Learning Disabilities in Kids with ADHD
https://i1.wp.com/www.additudemag.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/newsletter-illustration-making-decisions-can-be-difficult-ts-465347492.jpg?resize=1280%2C720px&ssl=1