Category: potpourri

Sandy Friends and Smiley Beaches.

yrreskrapLeave a comment

This weekend was so good.

Yesterday, I got off campus with my best friends to go shopping in Santa Barbara. I mean, what could go wrong there? Four girls on State Street, a beautiful sunny day in California, shopping. It was fantastic.

We ended up eating at Pascucci’s for dinner. Although I was never a big fan of the restaurant because I believe the food is incredibly bland, I nevertheless had an amazing time with my girls, all of whom I will miss so so so much after June 8th of this year…

Today, the girls headed out to the beach.

The day was beautiful and we made so many memories under the sun. Sand was everywhere and we strutted around in our bright bikinis, showing off our fabulous shorts tans we all accumulated from sports.

Anyways, although I am super happy, I am growing scared because of how close graduation is. 60 more days! And then we all part our different ways and walk the rest of the paths we were on.

All I can say is that I feel incredibly blessed to have crossed paths with such wonderful girls. I know I will never forget them and that we will always, ALWAYS stay best friends, wherever we are on this Earth.

Of Cars and Men

therightliberal2 Comments

I drove around 300 miles today and they were some excellent ones.

I took my parents on an Easter excursion to see some great wildflowers up near Los Olivos, CA. The drive from Ojai to there was magnificent, something to really enjoy.

The roads are in great condition and the weather was beautiful, and it didn’t hurt that my mother allowed me to actually drive fast today.

To many, the car I was driving is not one to go fast in, and I would agree. I was driving a 2008 Toyota Camry Hybrid, a car that has taken me many places, a car that already has over 120k miles on it. But if I try hard enough I can get it going and it actually handles pretty well.

I love cars, so much so that some may describe it as a problem. And on my drive today, every time I saw a car, I tried to think of its personality and what kind of person it matched. This doesn’t mean what person was driving, just, if it were a person, what person would it be?

I see a BMW 550i and imminently think of a pompous and obnoxious businessman. I see a small Toyota Yaris and think of a poor college student who is broke. I saw an Escalade smashed into a pole and thought of Mitt Romney.

But the gem of the day was seeing a BEAUTIFUL Ferrari 308 GTS cruising over HWY 154. Such a wonderful and fantastic car. I can’t help but get shivers when I actually see one driving.

I mean sure, I saw new M5s and 911 Turbos but they just have no class when it comes to a 308.

I am not a fan of older cars, I usually think they are slow and not really that good looking, but when you see a car that looks that good with a Ferrari badge on it, you have to respect it.

This is a video of the road (Figueroa Mtn. Road) I was on, although I was going a tiny bit quicker.

Internet Censorship

rangerthecat1 Comment

I can’t believe that it has gotten to a point at this school where we will have our every move monitored while using the internet.

I can understand that students have been using the internet for inappropriate things during inappropriate times, but I just can’t believe that it has come to this.

All I want to do is to go on Facebook for a few minutes during my free period and play some tetris, look at some photos, and chat with people from back home. But, because student have been extremely stupid and disrespectful, I can’t even spend a few seconds on facebook in my “free” time, and I have to wait until weekends or after study hall.

Personally, I don’t do anything wildly inappropriate on the internet. Sometimes, I’d go on facebook during study hall or play a few games during my free period. I also like to use Skype to get information about homework from my other friends that don’t live on campus.

I like to think of myself as an adult, and my peers would think of themselves as the same. It’s ridiculous how we are treated like children and monitored, even if we want to do something simple like watch a video on Youtube.

I’m so over this…

Insurance War

therightliberalLeave a comment

Oh America, how blinded you can be.

My families insurance is about to run out so we have started the battle to find a new one. This is no small task.

First there is the fact that there are thousands to look at. My mom spent hours upon hours searching and narrowing down the field.

She has been worried though because the last time we tried to apply, all three (me, my mom and my dad) all got turned down. It is not at though we have dangerous conditions; no history of heart problems, no history of cancer, etc, etc. But we do have some pre-existing conditions, especially me and my dad.

So my mom finally found some insurance that has a low rate of people they turn away, is a PPO and doesn’t have a deducible so high we have to mortgage the house.

So then she gets to fill out about 8 hours of paper work just to apply for it with a chance we get turned down. And our current Cobra insurance runs out at the end of the month so we really need to get on it.

The moral of the story: we should have a “socialist” health care system.

It makes it so much easier and so much more affordable. I am not commenting on the mandate, that is irrelevant. What is relevant is that people in the US deserve health care, and it’s not free health care either.

We all pay a little and in the long run create a much better society to live in. Sounds like a deal to me.

To The Best Man I Know.

yrreskrapLeave a comment

This picture says it all.

I love my dad.
I don’t know any other immense, bottomless love.
During times of difficulty, he has been my rock and laid out the foundations for a secure home.

The only thing that scares me is how old my father is.
I mean, I am in no form ashamed of his age. My dad is 80 and he hasn’t failed to love me for a single day.

However, I do get worried.
Sometimes, when he does certain things, I feel a little tug on my heart.

For example, his once steady and strong hands tremble. His fingers move very slow and systematically.
He cannot stand for over 20 minutes at a time.
His sight is slowly slipping away; He can’t drive after the sun begins to set.
He gets sick more often. My father, man who hadn’t caught a cold in so many years, finally caught one this year and he is still trying to recover.

I know these are all natural, especially for someone so elderly. However, he is my father, and I can’t help but get a little sad to see him slowing down.

However, none of these symptoms of old age make me love him any less. Although I have been attending a boarding school 2 hours away from home for the past 5 years of my life and I don’t talk to him nearly as much as I should, he still remains number 1 in my heart, my blessing from God.

I hope that everybody gets to experience such a love. It is overwhelming and wonderful. It motivates you and places you on the right path. It lifts you up and betters you. It moves you without words. It is so powerful and definitely one of the greatest emotions God has given to his people.

My father allowed me to be the person I want to be. When I am older, I want to be able to give the same selfless, unconditional love to my children.

I love you dad, always. I will continue to try to be the best me I can. Hope your cold goes away soon!

Sprinkles ATM

yrreskrap1 Comment

One of the greatest inventions has been put into use this past month.

Sprinkles, my favorite cupcake store of all time, has opened up a 24-hr/ 7 day a week cupcake ATM. That way (if any of you have seen or experienced the lines at a Sprinkles Cupcake store), you don’t have to wait for 20-30 minutes just for your share of red velvet or black and white.

This invention is great for two reasons: efficiency and novelty. People are drawn to it because they do not have to spend too much time waiting in line. Working men and women alike can pick it up with a swipe of their card.

It is also a new and exciting way to approach such a simple dessert. I personally wouldn’t want to spend too much time in a line. However, my biggest reason behind checking out the cupcake ATM is just for the heck of it.

Besides, its fun! There is a little camera that follows the mechanical arm inside the ATM that leads you to the cupcake and follows it on its journey out into your welcoming hands.

This next break, I welcome everybody to check it out! The closest one to Ojai Valley School is in Beverly Hills:

College Crap

therightliberal1 Comment

Throughout the entire process of applying to colleges I have been disgusted. The application process is one of the most bogus ideas ever conceived and it should be changed.

Firstly, the process is incredibly biased. I am a very middle class white male which puts me at the back of the pack to begin with. But I have always had good grades and tested well so I wasn’t too worried.

Then it came to the actual application-filling-out part. This was incredibly time consuming during a period in which I was studying for three AP classes as well as working. I struggled to find time to work on the applications but with the help of my mother, the English major, I managed.

Recently, I have been receiving my letters back from the colleges, and there is only one way to put it: it has been disappointing.

Now it’s not what one may think because it’s not that I have been rejected from my top schools. I was wait listed at a couple and got into the rest (minus Pomona who unsurprisingly rejected me).

But despite getting in, I can’t go to most of them because my family and I cannot afford it. They have given me both achievement and need-based scholarships but to no avail. This angers me.

We live in a society that is constantly preaching about how important education is. Yet a student like me, who would almost surely succeed in these schools, is not given a real chance because I don’t have enough money.

Now, I understand that it really is a business. But if our country wants to really go up in the education rankings we need to make it easier for motivated students to get the education that they seek.

But despite my disappointment with the system, I still count myself lucky. It looks like I will be going to Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. They gave me a very nice offer and, despite being in Texas, is a very nice school.

Healthcare Hell

therightliberalLeave a comment

Unless you have been living under a rock, you will know that the Supreme Court is currently deciding if “Obamacare” is constitutional.

Now let me say this, I am not sure about the mandate. I get the point and I also see why people would be upset.

However, for those who say that the government is making a mistake by creating a healthcare system where people with pre-existing conditions can still get coverage, shut up.

Although young, I have seen exactly the problems behind our current system. Just yesterday I was diagnosed with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.

But because my family’s coverage is about to run out, I could not schedule appointments because we will run out of coverage and chances are I won’t be able to be put on a plan. This worries my parents far more than me, but it is a valid concern.

I consider myself lucky, I do not have a disease that is life threatening or controls my life. But for those who do, who is to say that they do not deserve coverage?

They are citizens of our nation, just like a healthy person, and as part of our society they deserve care they can afford.

You can call it a socialist program or whatever you want, the fact of the matter is that it is what people need. People need coverage so they can survive without massive amounts of debt and massive fears every day.

It is worth the tax increase we could see, and it is worth being potentially mandated to have health care. And let’s be honest here, the people trying to get rid of the mandate feel as though they should be able to turn it down because they have health care.

Taxes happen and lead to the society we have today so stop complaining. You want to live in this great country? It will cost you. Just like living in Beverly Hills, there is a price. But there is also a reason people are willing to pay the price.

I have no idea what the Supreme Court will decide but I urge them to make the right choice. Rule what you want as far as the mandate but please see that we need to get rid of the rejections relating to pre-existing conditions.

Lets get this done and make a better country, giving people support that they need. Lets make a better and stronger society and keep building our country.

Ojai Valley School continues to Relay

rangerthecat1 Comment

In the past two years, I have been one of the many students from Ojai Valley School to attend an amazing event called Relay for Life. It is sponsored by the American Cancer Society to raise people’s awareness and fight against cancer in a fun and community-oriented event.

When I first signed up to attend the Relay for Life event at Buena High school in Ventura, I had no idea what it was about. But within no time, there were hundreds of people and tents set up all around the track with different information, games, prizes, raffles, and live music as well. Everyone was walking or running around the track, and it was a great feeling to see all of these dedicated people in once place.

All of the teams, including the OVS team, raises money ahead of time to donate to the American Cancer Society to help research. Last year, our school raised over $5,000, earning us the Silver award, which means we donated in the middle category of high-level contributors. Although OVS is a little school, we are still mighty. Donating $5,000 is such an amazing contribution that I never could have even imagine for us.

This year, OVS is in the game once again – we even have our own Ojai Valley School page on the Relay for Life website where there is information and an opportunity to donate to this great cause. (Click on the link to go to the page)

Personally, I absolutely CANNOT WAIT for the Relay for Life event this year. It has been an amazing experience in the past, and I’m sure we can contribute just as much if not more this time. So far, we have $50 worth of donations, but I know how supportive our school will be and the donations will grow greatly over time. If money isn’t an option, anyone can contribute by attending the event and walking, running, or just being there to support. The first year was great, the second was even better, and I’m looking forward to a flat out amazing time this year.

I highly encourage everyone to check out the Relay for Life website and our school’s personal page and help support the fight against cancer!

Your Feet

yrreskrap3 Comments

Your Feet

“When I cannot look at your face
I look at your feet.

Your feet of arched bone,
your hard little feet.

…But I love your feet
only because they walked
upon the earth and upon
the wind and upon the waters,
until they found me.”

Pablo Neruda

I love this poem because it can describe anybody that is special to you. Friend, family, boyfriend, or girlfriend.

My mother has always told me that your feet are the doorways to your well-being. If it is flu season, and your feet are bare, you are welcoming the sickness into your body.

I’ve always wondered why she said that. I mean, I could understand why she would advise me to take good care of my hands or perhaps my head, but my feet?
I figured that it was because we use them everyday to walk, to sprint, to skip, to tiptoe, to dance, to keep a rhythm. And since we use them so often, it is crucial that we take care of them.

But this poem took my perspective to another level. Your feet carries you from place to place.
It is not how often you use them or how you use them that make them so special but where they bring you and who you will meet.
That is why my mother stresses me to take care of my feet.

My feet have brought me so far these past 18 years. They brought me up and down mountains and through my life’s pinnacles and pitfalls.

It’s quite funny because my feet used to be my biggest source of self-consciousness. I hated them. I hated the way they looked. I especially hated that because of 4 years of soccer and track, I have two black toenails.
But now, I kind of admire them for where they have taken me. It is almost as if I have a strange respect for them.

Now, as I am going to college, it is time to let my feet take me wherever they choose to go. OH and the places I will see! The people I will meet!

Life is remarkable.