Category: potpourri

Math Down, The Rest Is History!

yrreskrapLeave a comment

Yesterday was grueling.


My morning began with YouTube videos by khanacademy (who is BRILLIANT by the way) on solids of revolution. My favorite breakfast of waffles and milk didn’t manage to make my morning any better.

I dragged my legs as I forced myself to the Lecture Hall. I sighed as I saw the cold metal door knob and my opaque reflection on the still glass door. Then I went in.

It was torture. Hours and hours of math. I panicked. I think I did horribly.

With a bad mood, I went to the cafeteria to grab lunch before my track meet. With my Princeton Review AP U.S. History Exam book in hand, I trudged to the big, yellow Ojai Valley School bus.

The meet got a lot off my shoulders and I managed to get a lot of studying done. I met my friends at Cate School, Denali and Blake, both friends from 8th grade and that got a lot of stress and grief from my AP exam earlier that day. It helped me realize that I shouldn’t stress but I should try my best for the next test because I can’t change the my previous test score but I can try to get the best score for my next AP test.

Next:

Tomorrow, A.P. U.S. History.

Wish me luck!

Man Tattoos Faces of Royal Couple on Two Front Teeth

Paloma Spencer1 Comment

Of course by now we most likely all now about the infamous wedding between England’s Prince William and his lovely wife Kate Middleton.

And although I was accustomed to the minute-to-minute news updates of what she is wearing or the exact words he said to her on their wedding day, I was surprised to discover articles discussing crazed fans of the couples and their somewhat odd actions to express this.

One man, a 29-year-old British plumber who goes by the name of Barmy Baz Franks, recently paid over 1,500 dollars in order to spend six hours at his dentists office.

And rather than getting his teeth pulled, or having those dreaded cavities filled in, Franks was instead watching his dentist place temporary ivory art onto his teeth, creating pictures of Kate Middleton and Prince William with dentistry brushes and stencils.

“I’ve done some unusual dental cosmetics in my time, but this was certainly one of the strangest,” said his dentist, Dr. Neil Gerrard.

Unfortunately, this man has gotten much ridicule for this tattoo as people exclaimed it looks more like something stuck on his teeth than any sort of art.

However, Franks claimed that he only got the tattoo in order to support the couple on their royal wedding.

“I love the family, and this was my way of lending my support to their big day,” said Franks.

Although he may be a little bit too obsessed in some people’s opinions, just remember that this art does wash off in a matter of three months, and hey, I bet you the Prince and Princess will most likely hear about this one!

shh…promise not to tell!

yrreskrapLeave a comment

Woah. Two years.

Sounds like a long time.It is a long time. But I don’t know why, it doesn’t feel like a long time. Time doesn’t exist or really matter when I am with him.

Two years ago, on the 29th of this month, a much younger, braces-clad me was asked out by my current boyfriend. We both have grown so much since that day and learned so much about each other. Tomorrow, 24 hours from today, we will be hitting our 2 year milestone.

This is a big deal; neither one of us have been in a relationship this long and with the impending graduation coming closer each day, I want to make sure that tomorrow will be a special day, a memorable day that he can look back on after he walks the cobblestone stage.

I plan on making him a scavenger hunt. A series of six clues that lead him to me. I will tell him that I can’t see him because I am busy studying for the upcoming AP’s and that I am so sorry that I can’t see him on our anniversary. Then, his friends will make sure he doesn’t eat dinner or leave the vicinity of his room. He will find his first clue which will come with a rice krispies treat that I made in the shape of a letter. After finding all the clues, the rice krispies will reveal my location and he will meet me there to find a dinner made from scratch!

It’s not much, just a few pieces of paper and time spent putting a few ingredients together. But they say that the best way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. If he likes it, then that’ll be the best thing!

Life and Facebook

vabenissimoLeave a comment

I have a “terrible” habit.

And, my friends ask me,
“Are you okay? You deleted Facebook!”

Among many merits of this wonderous social-networking site, I particularly enjoy connecting with my friends and families from long-distance, and taking an advantage of people’s privacy–just kidding.

All the “like” buttons, comments, uninformed lurks of my profile, messages, and pictures, especially the tagged ones, can sometimes be overwhelming. Also, I, as a high school senior, is afraid of secretive patrol from college admissions, even if I have nothing to hide, having an unknown identity search for my private life frightens me. In the future, my Facebook could play even more detrimental roles in debilitating my identity to the future juries, creditors, insurers, ex, employers, and strangers.

To aid these concerns, Facebook has invented vastly complex privacy settings that if one is not a supreme expert in the field of Facebook and digitalized media, this privacy control can give a worthy headache.

So, whenever I feel too distracted and time-consumed in taking precious care of my fabricated life displayed on internet, I quit, at least temporarily.

It’s not an illness nor a sin. Nothing is wrong with my identity, personality, and life. I just do not feel like devouring my time to talk to strangers, staying alert to check if highly undesirable photos have been tagged recently, or selling my privacy to the public.

Indeed, my life still continues, just not on Facebook, but in actual reality. And, I will definitely return, when communication and connection become necessary.

Just saying, Facebook deactivation is sometimes needed.

Space

venturatrekerLeave a comment


As a little kid I always wanted to be an astronaut.  I mean what boy didn’t.  It’s one of those cliché things that every little kid must do.  But what is going to happen to all the little kids now that Obama has stopped manned shuttle voyages.

Kids are going to have to fantasize about not as cool jobs, like firemen or police officers.


Now look at the astronauts themselves.  The entire US astronaut corps will all be out of work.  And let’s be honest, most places are looking for job experience and management skills, not men and woman who go and kick it in space on a regular occasion.

So to conclude I think all of us need to band together to help save our Astronauts.

SAVE OUR SPACIES!!!!!!

One Man v. A Row of Tanks

yrreskrapLeave a comment

As I was working on my second Decades Paper for my history class, the dusty shelves in the memory department of my brain were revisited. My eyes fell upon a small paragraph, containing information that I would have probably just skimmed over had it not sparked something in the murky abyss of my memories. Two words reminded me of the struggles of countless students and even more so of one brave civilian who decided he had enough.

Tiananmen Square, 1989.

Students, mothers, fathers. Civilians alike banded together in the name of political reform. They had just lost a leader and strong liberalization advocate, Hu Yaobang, and felt it was in their hands to fight for the changes they wanted to see. And fight they did.

Through mainly non-violent protests, more and more people joined the cause for a more liberal government. However, the communist government fought back, mercilessly.

Buildings were on fire. Rubble and debris littered the floor. Many civilian lives were lost. However, throughout this fear for the government and citizen lives, one man refused to back down. One ordinary man who did an extraordinary act.

This is a video of the man who courageously stopped a row of tanks.

It’s quite breathtaking. To have the strength to go alone in front of tanks that can crush the human body in a matter of seconds.

Silently, I scolded myself for having let the dust collect over such a power event in those shelves of mine. So I decided to blog about this single event. This event happened 21 years ago, way before I was even born. I had almost forgotten this important moment as I am sure many other who will read this blog have as well. I am writing this blog to remind people that such bravery exists in today’s society and to inspire those who have never heard of this man-whose name I don’t even know-that stood against the row of tanks.

To learn more about this event watch the following video:

My Current Thoughts (Literally)

shredicusmaximusLeave a comment

My thoughts as of this hour:

Why would you think of expanding the baseball playoffs Bud Selig? 10 teams by next year in the postseason? It’s kind of weird that we’re playing the October classic in November. If you want to watch your favorite team play the Fall Classic on Christmas day, let’s keep that as a fantasy.

Spaceballs was an awesome movie. Daphne Zuniga is totally hot and sexy in that movie and I wish I had a space winnebago. That’d be awesome.

My Kick Ass poster is falling off my wall, it’s a real eyesore.

I would love it for Facebook to stop sending me event invitations and offers to see who is viewing my profile. I don’t care because they never post anything or say hi. So stop giving me false hope by having the notification ad pop up! I’m a lonely soul folks!

I wish the Cate game didn’t get cancelled, I wanted to throw fire again. Go OVS Baseball!

I’m digging 90’s contemporary rock and punk music. Green Day, Soul Asylum and Third Eye Blind are really doing it right now.

Last but not least, it’s so refreshing to vent your emotions. You need to do it every once in a while. If you don’t, you’ll explode.

America

smackyjackjack2 Comments

America. Oh America. You are such a great country, but less can be said about the people that inhabit you. Americans have proven themselves to be some of the stupidest people on the planet. I can’t even imagine what other countries think about you when people like Palin and Trump are even considered to be in positions of power.

Part of your problem, America, is that you are so cocky. Why do you allow yourself to think that you are the best country on the planet? Every other politician has to make some stupid comment about the greatness of you, or how you are the best country on the planet. I have news for you America, you are not.

Take a seat America, this could take a long time.

Great countries do not torture people, America. They do not set up secret camps just for the sake of humiliation and torture of another race.

Great countries do not ward off immigrants, America. They do not send poor children with no where else to go back to their country. They do not waste money on foreboding walls to surround their country.

Great countries do not ignore the environment, America. And by the  way, a Hummer is not a symbol of intelligence or masculinity.

Great countries do not allow for CEOs of major companies to be paid in millions per year when others do not have enough to eat.

Great countries do not deep fry the twinkie.

Great countries do not disregard the foundations on which their countries were built upon.

Great countries allow ALL people to be free, and not just some.

Great countries have respect for other countries.

And finally, great countries do not think of themselves so highly. They are humble and recognize other countries as being great as well. They do not put down nations for having religions that are just as stupid as their own. And they do not hate others for liking soccer. Ok, never mind, soccer is pretty lame.

Crunch Time

yrreskrapLeave a comment


Who knew so much pressure could mount up on one’s shoulders? I’m trying to cram so much information into my head. The AP weeks are coming up and I am on the brink of crumbling. AP Calculus AB and AP US History the first week, followed by three SAT II subject tests that saturday. Oh and what else? An AP Biology test that upcoming Monday and an AP Writing and Composition test to top it all off.


I am beginning to think that I will not be able to get the grades that I want to on these tests. I will need to stay up very late and buy multiple Starbucks double shots from Starr Market. However, what frustrates me is the recent ruling that girls are not allowed to stay up to study in the girl’s lounge past lights out. I just can’t wrap my head around it.


I understand that the faculty is concerned with us staying up and that those staying up may have abused the privilege by eating food while studying or being on Facebook. I am not going to lie, I did both. But that doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t be eating in my room or checking my Facebook for a quick five minute reprieve (because my brain cannot handle studying for hours on end without a quick break). However, I don’t think that the faculty understands that we cannot reach our goals of staying up to study and fully grasp our studies as well as do extra work for the upcoming SAT and AP tests in our rooms. My roommate usually goes to bed after a half an hour or an hour after study hall and studying under the small light of my desk lamp is very difficult. I chose to stay up. I want to stay up. I do so to get the grades I get and I do so to stay on top of things. But now that I can’t stay out in the lounge, I can’t study to my fullest potential.


It’s crunch time. This weekend and every night after tonight, I will be studying, studying, studying and praying my BUTT OFF so that God would bless me with the knowledge and preparation I need for this test. Ahh, maybe I should build my own personal girl’s lounge as an extension of my room. Ha! Now that would be odd.

Okay, time to think for real

shredicusmaximusLeave a comment

It’s official. With the warmth of the April sun came the arrival of my long awaited letters from the various institutions I had hoped would see enough light and potential to accept me into their ranks as an admitted student. Three places received my applications, Chapman University, Bard College, and (as referred to in one of my previous blogs) The University of San Francisco. All three of them have since sent packages back informing me of my admission. I looked through the packets from each different place and thought “oh —-, now what do I do?”

How do I make a decision that affects possibly the next four years of my life? A commitment to an institution for the best is what is required of me to make come the first of May. A first rate education, and a great time with many different opportunities presenting themselves. Who could I meet at these places? how were the dorms? where are they located? Questions of “where do you want to go?” and “what do you want to study?” have now transformed into “where are you going to call home for the next four years, out of these three?” So with all these thoughts in mind, now I really have to consider what options I have upon my table. All these places I have applied to because I liked each of them and what they could offer me as a perspective student. Now, here I sit, amidst all these new pressures. Pressures of “where do we go from here?” have replaced the ones of old regarding “what do I need to do to get there and how am I doing?” All I know is for the next week or so, I might lose some sleep at night. Bags may form under my eyes and I may feel much lighter on my feet but why worry? After all, I know I’m going somewhere. (: