Fear and Loathing in India

Hey there Rocklin High. I'm so glad to see you back from Thanksgiving break. Just thought I'd maintain some momentum with the blog over break, and return to the ever relevant theme of reality.

On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, a group of terrorists attacked the city of Mumbai, India...again, and again, and again.

Unlike "typical" attacks that we have seen, this was not a suicide bombing. The men moved together as a unit, attacking almost a dozen sites throughout the city nearly simultaneously.

These attacks, and subsequent hostage situations, lasted for over sixty hours, with the end of the carnage coming on Saturday.

As of yet, the reports I have seen have linked the attackers to a group known as Deccan Mujahadeen, a small time Muslim extremist group. However, the unique sophistication and timing of the attacks give us a few clues to the origins of the attacks. The men had training, and they had support from an outside force.

Sources are pointing to Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) as the source of the funding and training for the reportedley Pakistani extremists.

If this is true, it could spell disaster for the already tense relations between India and Pakistan. Only six years previously, the two nations were on the brink of nuclear war after LeT attacked the Indian Parliament.

Pakistan denies any involvement, of course, but emotions are inflated, and rash decisions would be horrendous, maybe even nuclear.

I heard a reporter ask if the attackers were linked to Al Qaeda, and it makes me worried that people truly don't understand what we are up against. The "terror threat" is ever present, and ever changing. The dynamics of these extremists are fluid, and they are not all the same.

Educate yourself.

Know the world around you.

And be prepared for more and more trouble...

Patience- are we losing it?

It's easy to get frustruated and lose patience. This week I think I've really realized how patience can make or break a situation. For instance, my friend was patiently teaching me a concept and helped me understand it, even though she already knew it. Coaches patiently try to explain a new drill to their team. Well, at first it is a patient approach. Hahaha. Living in a busy and dynamic household with a large family, I have to exercise patience all the time.

On the other hand, I think some things instill impatience. I am a big texter and instant messager. For sure, I use the internet every day- from homework to myspace. Perhaps instant results of technology of any form- not just the internet- are creating an impatient mentality on users. All it takes is a second to send a text and a second to lose your cool.

Twilight

I really didn't see the big deal with the Twilight books. I'm not really a big fan of vampire books, but after all the Twilight buzz going around, I've decided to start reading them. I really want to go see the movie, but I don't know if it will ruin my Twilight reading experience. How was the movie for those who saw it?

So glad it's break

I am definetley looking foward to Thanksgiving break. I'm not going anywhere out of town, but some of my friends are going to Hawaii and Oregon. The time off will from school will just feel like a vacation. Except, I won't mentally be away from school because I'll be reading- a lot. Anyone else in AP World has the World That Trade Created Project. I'm also going to try and study for my return from break. Other than that, I am definetley going to enjoy activities since I will have free time. I'll probably be swimming- but it's nothing new. Possibly, I might start up a couple of water polo games with some of my friends or play tennis. I get to see my friend who goes to Whitney and hopefully explore the new stores in the Galleria with her and begin Christmas shopping, already. Oh, and I'm getting my permit- finally! Things were too busy to get it exactcly on my half-birthday (late October), so I'm getting it over break. It would be great if I could continue writing my story- something that I don't get to spend much time on during a typical school week. Everyone is discussing the Twilight Movie, and honestly, it seems intriguing. I'd love to read the book because my sister absolutley loved it, but I'll most likley end up seeing the film first. Even factoring in the academics, I am anticipating a relaxing, social vacation. Only three more classes to go!

Pirates are terrorists

I have been listening to the news and I am surprised that almost every day there is another pirate seizure off the coast of Africa. I am pretty sure they are not like Captain Jack Sparrow and Will Turner. I am just wondering how do these thieves and cut-throats on their little equivalent of rowboats are able to take control of an entire tanker along with its large crew. The point I am trying to say is that governments are focusing their energies on terrorism in the Middle East, when the international trade routes are being threatened by African pirates. -Albert Teplitsky

Waterpolo Banquet

After today, waterpolo activities will be officially over. Our season already ended on November 7th after we lost in the first round of sections against Loreto, but now we have our waterpolo banquet.

The banquet starts at 5:30 PM at the Rocklin Sunset Center. It's dressed to impress. I'm not sure what that exactly means, but i'm just not going to wear jeans. I'll probably end up wearing slacks or a skirt.

I have to bring a dessert for the banquet because my waterpolo number is 11. I was glad I got a dessert because it is the easiest thing make. I made brownies last night. Cooking is usually always an adventure for me because I really suck at it, but brownies from the packet are pretty hard to mess up, so they turned out fine.

I think Katie Summers is going to get the MVP and she certainity deserves it. She lead or team in scoring and played almost all of the game. As for the other awards, I really have no clue. It will be fun to find out.

Hopefully, my parents will be able to make it there. Its looking doubtfully though because my dad is working and my mom has to go down and take care of my sister. If everything goes well she will make it there exactly when it starts, but ya know how that goes.

Either way I think it will be extrememly fun. Can't wait!

St. Louis!

Last week I traveled with Mr. Casey Nichols, Sami Wittwer, Amanda Palm, Brenna O'Niel, Krissy Pope, and the Whitney High crew to St. Louis, Missourri. We attended the JEA/NSPA national convention to meet with other publication staffs and go to sessions to learn from yearbook professionals.
On the first day we had a chance to go sightseeing around the city. We went up into the St. Louis arch, which by the way is absolutely enormoussssss. We took a tiny little clostrophobic pod up to the top, then we went out into this room with windows to see just how high you were. It was crazy. Then we went along the Mississippi River and took other various fun adventures.
Friday night there was a dance. Now let me just paint the scene for you here. 4000 highschool students, in one hotel. In one room. At a dance. With no rules. Now just imagine the 4000 nerdiest of nerds, gettin lowww. I mean down and dirty to very strange techno east coast music. It was out of control. I brought the hyphy movement with Sami and Amanda, and we got some stares to say the least when we busted out THE BIRD. Halfway into the dance, the convention director came onto the microphone. "We have no other choice but to shut down tonight's dance. Ceiling tiles on the floor beneath are falling and the chandelier has even fallen. It is no longer safe to continue this dance." And that was when the apocolypse of the yearbook world took place. Thousands of very, very angry nerds broke into a riot. People were screaming, chanting, breaking escalators, breaking chairs, and causing utter chaos in the Renaissance Grand. Every floor of the hotel turned into a party. I joined in on an Apples to Apples game with 30 people from all over the country. It was amusing, to say the least. And that is why I love the hilarious yearbook world.
Oh, and gas in Missourri is $1.78. It was insane. But Missourri is also freezing. It was snowing when we were walking down the street, and I literally believed that my ears were about to fall off my head. Oh, and on the plane ride there, a flight attendant didn't believe that I was over 15 years old and almost made me move from the emergency exit aisle on the plane. It cracked me up.
On a more serious note, we went to the Best of Show awards ceremony where Rocklin High's yearbook placed third and Whitney's yearbook placed first. It was pretty exciting.
Overall the trip was filled with alot of laughs. Alottt of laughs. And I am very sad that it was my last national journalism convention.

ACK!

Yesterday (Tuesday) wasn't a too much of a great day for me ... I was in the middle of a spanish test and completely blacked out. My friend Becky who sits next to me noticed that I did and was able to 'wake' me up thankfully. I got sent home after I finished my test (I was on the last sentence when I blacked out) and I apparently have some inner ear thing that basically makes me dizzy whenever I stand up, turn my head etc. Oh well, I'll make it through the day.

Fear and Loathing in the Teen Job Market

Driving around the avenue within Fountains, the trendy new outdoor mall right next to the Galleria, I've come to the realization that I am stuck in a circle. Literally and metaphorically. Because although I have been trying to land a job for the past four months, I have landed absolutely nothing.

I mean, is there something I'm doing wrong here? Am I not making myself available enough? Not wearing the right clothes? Did I remember to brush my teeth?

It would be comforting to know that it was one of these things, but, in fact, one of the major contributions to my joblessness is the economy. Specifically, the fiery burning sinking of the economy.

See, as it would have it, the neo-laissez-faire policies of decades of presidential and legislative policy have come back to devour our lives. Indeed, the deregulation of many financial institutions has allowed these same business to run amok, taking dangerous chances and risking the security of their shareholders in order to boost profits.

Unfortunately, they took one chance too many.

Now, with such business as Circuit City and Linens & Things capsizing, the miniscule job market available to me is evaporating at a faster and faster rate.

As time goes on, I will begin to compete with adults in a market with higher and higher demand...but fewer jobs. These adults will also be more experienced and educated than their teen counterparts.

In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor released a statement examining teen job availability, citing a sharp decrease, forcasting a 34.2% employment rate.

This is the lowest percentage in 60 years.

Seems to me as though I'm going to be "SoL," and without a car, since I can't pay my car insurance.

Isn't it great to be in America?

eek

ive already been accepted to a few colleges and applied to a few more, but i have yet to finish my UC application. it might have to do with the fact that i have not perfected my personal statement, but i havent even gotten through the rest of the application. with the deadline counting down im starting to stress myself out again. i went from freaking out about college before the csu deadline, to semi calm and under control after i had started to apply, to once again, pretty stressed. ive just got to commit and open up my web browser to the uc app site, and just do it. one day...

seniors!

I cannot explain how excited I am to be a senior. With the second semester starting sooner than we know June 5th will be here! I'm also glad I don't have to deal with the childish rules at lunch. The blue lines? I'm sorry I'm going to college in less than a year I don't think I need lines to tell me where I can and can't go. College is going to be a breath of fresh air away from all the restrictions set in place by this lovely school.

ii && !!!!!!1

alexiis iis my hero. she iis the most bad @$$ person ever. she saved my liife once. you wouldnt understand. ii was hiikiing up near humboldt && a rabiid dog crossed my path. when the rabiid dog and ii made eye contact, ii knew my liife was iin danger. thats where alexiis comes iin. from out of no where, she flew down from the moon && rescued me. iin spandex. iit was sexy. anyway, she saved me from a dog. a rabiid one. and now iim here, && aliive, to tell the story. to you. my readers. praiize zultar!!!!!!!!!!!!1

FULLERTON

I got my first college acceptance letter from Cal State Fullerton!!!!!! It was so exciting opening the letter, just thinking it was another update, and see "Congratulations, you have been admitted to Fullerton for the Fall 2009 Semester." Even though Fullerton is not my first choice, it was extremely exciting to know that I have been accepted somewhere. If it came down to it, I know that Fullerton is a really good school, especially for journalism.

Besides that, all is well. I got an A on my Econ test!!!!! I'm just in another one of my good moods. :]

Honor Bands are coming

Finally, RHS musicians are recording audition tapes and trying out for the local and distant honor bands! Other than the Sierra College Honor Band, I was the only one representing our school last year at Capitol Section, NorCal, and AllNorthern (although I made NorCal, I couldn’t afford the drive to the college but made the band nonetheless). So this year we have around 9 people auditioning, which is very exciting. These groups represent the best high school musicians within small areas including the local eight counties to all of the northern half of California. The audition piece this year for both alto saxophone and clarinet (which are the only two I’ve seen) are extremely difficult. Not sure how I’m going to pull it off this late in the game, but attending each would be such a great experience, it’s what I look forward to each year. The top conductors from around the country are invited to run these groups. I remember my sophomore year at Capitol Section, Dr. Hammer from UOP was a life changing experience for most of everyone who attended. The deadlines are approaching and the pressure is on, but I am looking forward to everything it has to bring! :)

The Archuleta Craze

So I was listening to the radio this morning and I noticed how much David Archuleta comes up now a days. The few times I have seen him he seems so adorable, but I think its funny he's more popular than David Cook and he didn't even win American Idol! I was listening to the Wake Up Call and they were saying how Archuleta was on the Ellen show and he was talking about lettuce? Apparently he's called lettuce boy because of this time he stood up for lettuce at Arby's. He sounds adorable! But Kelly and Gavin started saying how he has no life and he should have thought of something less nerdy to talk about. He's normal just like us, and was probably just nervous going on a TV show! At least Jason stood up for him. I am not necessarily a fan of Archuleta, but seriously, Kelly and Gavin took it a bit to far, like they sometimes do. I really do love listening to the wake up call and sometimes they're pretty funny, but from what I have heard they did not treat RHS with much respect or care when we came to their station as "School of the Week". They should probably be more careful and considerate since Archuleta is performing at Jingle Ball next month. So not to say that I don't like the show, but seriously, they really need to be more careful with what they say sometimes, especially about the people that support the station they work for.

What Dreams May Come

An incredible journey of one soul. The movie "What Dreams May Come" starring Robin Williams and Cuba Gooding Jr. brings to light many different aspects of philosophy that might have otherwise been too obscure to grasp.
At Sierra College the Philosophy teacher often suggests movies to better understand his subject matter- for learners like me this is the perfect strategy. The first movie he assigned was the original "the Vanishing" which explores morality and human psychology.
Then we watched "Donnie Darko" which is about the idea of free will, time travel, and the role God plays in all of these.
The most recent movie blew my mind away "What Dreams May Come" contains the human capacity for love and philosophies of the afterlife and consequent rebirth. The afterlife described to me in the movie appealed to me on so many levels. Of course this is only one of the cultural afterlife philosophies- there are countless more. Not only did I learn about philosophical views of heaven and hell, but I had a good long cry. The movie was about two hours and i think I continuously wept after the first 25 minutes. It was beautiful- both heaven and hell are illustrated with the most magnificent imagination. Heaven is colorful and glorious. Hell is even beautiful in it's own right- at first terrifying but after a while the most gloomy and depressing place imaginable.
In the film soul mates are separated; one in heaven and one in hell. I had not really considered rebirth. the idea that after heaven you can go back to earth is not something commonly preached at church unless of course you are Jesus. Everyone should watch this movie as it broadens our common horizons and illuminates our daily lives.

S & D

Tomorrow, I finally get to start my season in Speech and Debate. I missed the first tournament, but there is a new one tomorrow and I'm very much looking forward to it. The entire experience is just plain old fun. You get to meet interesting people from all sorts of different schools, getting to know them and making new friends(you're hoping to crush them later on in the competition, but it's still friendly). The one drawback is that I have to get up at 6 on a Saturday, something I REALLY don't like to do, but still, it's an amusing day, and after a few years of this, gaining experience, it helps with life. I have become rather good at speaking in presentations, and of course colleges love you for having participated in Speech and Debate. At any rate, I'm really excited, so wish me luck, and hopefully I will win out against all our rival schools.

A Holiday on a Tuesday

So, we went to school on Monday, had Tuesday off, and then went back to school on Wednesday. I thought it was pretty sweet! Sunday night felt wierd, like, what's the point of going to school tomorrow for just one day? But of course, I did go to school on Monday. I think lots of people felt like it was kinda pointless. Some people said it felt like a Friday cuz there was no school the next day, but I didn't think so. It didn't feel like any day of the week to me... So Monday was wierd but Tuesday was obviously awesome! Who cares it's not part of the weekend as long as there's no school, right? I mostly just did homework and hung out at home. But I also got over ten inches of my hair cut off to donate to locks of love and I went to the varsity girls volleyball first play off game of the season (Rocklin dominated!). I've got to say that Wednesday was one of the best parts about having Tuesday off. Usually, 4-day school weeks can end up seeming at least as long as a regular 5-day week, but Wed. totally felt like a Monday to me, so every time I remembered it was Wed. I would get so happy knowing that it was really the middle of the week already!

yo d [yog d for those who graduated in 06]

It's basically winter, and Yogurt Delight is pretty empty these days, but I'm still going. I like Yogurt Delight better than Big Spoon because Big Spoon feels unsanitary with all the topping compartments that anyone can access, and the quality of the yogurt is not as good as Yogurt Delight's. Yeah, Big Spoon is cheaper depending on how much you get, but Yogurt Delight is just better. Also, my loyalty is to Yogurt Delight because it's by my house and I've been going there since I moved here, summer or winter. No matter where you choose to go, you should have frozen yogurt all year round, not only during summer. A hot chocolate would be nice when it's freezing outside, but it's not yet, and frozen yogurt feels really good on most days. I'm not really sure why I started talking about this, but frozen yogurt is good...so... yeah.

Christmas Jitters

I have 5 best friends, a boyfriend, a mom, and a brother to shop for. Christmas may be completely awesome, but it's also incredibly stressful. I LOVE shopping for other people, it gives me such a rewarding feeling. Although I'll probably be dropping a big chunk of change, but i don't care, my friends and family are worth it. Christmas is such a great time of the year because when it's freezing outside you can sit by a fire and sip hot chocolate, not coffee, because that's gross. I think wrapping presents is a lot of fun, kind of embarrassing i know. I know a lot of people don't celebrate Christmas because of religion, or their family just isn't into it, but i couldn't picture not celebrating Christmas. I think my little heart would break. Anyway, i think I'm prepared for the holidays this year, i have money in the bank, and soon it will be gone. But oh well. Oh and I'm stoked to get school off.

YAYYY.

Why Monday?

Usually the Winter Jig at Rocklin High School is on a Friday night but this year, that all changed.  Winter Jig should never be put on a Monday in my opinion. Lack of attendance at school on Monday was relevant causing the dance to have less attendance as well. Many people could not go to the dance due to sport events or vacations with families. Winter Jig should stay on being on Fridays as well as staying in December. Winter Jig should usually be in the month of December. Its called "Winter Jig" for a reason the month of November is not a winter month. Many people thought it was awkward to dress in presents and Santa's helpers when the dance was in December. Just in my opinion the dance should stick to Fridays so in that case more people would attend and people would less likely have conflicts.

Why so Serious?

When looking back to insure that I turned in a blog from a couple weeks ago, I came upon something I would have never expected. An anonymous person came across and commented on my blog like I had just bashed their Religion. The blog I posted was about how downhill popular music is sinking. Obviously, this person somewhat misinterpreted what I was trying to get across. And they seem to not understand what a blog is either. They claimed that I posted a "biased" topic... I don't think I know of many blogs that aren't which is a pretty laughable thing to say. They got on a roll of confidence and just kept going. They made comments such as "you just seem immensely incompetent" (referring to my statements based on the particular music genres) and "you obviously haven't explored the world of music enough". This was unbelievable. Not only that, this person decided to belittle me and refer to my examples as "genres I speak of". What is laughable about that is, they decided to include genres I never even mentioned such as "gnar"(?) claiming that I referred to it. So for the most part, I was pretty disappointed in this persons reaction especially since they said "I doubt you know real rap groups" and other lashing comments. I guess this person did not realize I was talking about POPULAR music not a couple garage bands like they mentioned. Anyway, I'm not trying to start anything, but just cool it and quit the Shenanigans. Take your talk somewhere else. No one wants to hear from a negative Nelly. I mean, I thought posting blogs were about our views, not to be falsely criticized for them. 

A link to the original post about music: rhsflash.blogspot.com/2008/10/day-music-died.html

All-American

On November 5, 2008, I left 3rd block early to go to an appointment I had in Sacramento. This appointment was to officially receieve my certificate of citzenship for the United States. I've been living in the U.S. as a permanent resident since 2000, when I moved here from Toronto, Canada. It was a laborious process, I'm sure, but because I was only 9 I don't really remember that much about it.
I think you have to live in the U.S. for something like 5 years before you can even apply to be a citizen. And let me tell you, it is one of heck of a process. The forms you need to fill out (N-600) are extremely tedious and I had to fill one out for myself, my brother, and after my dad gave me all his information, I filled his out as well. Not to mention that the processing fee is rather expensive. I experienced my fair share of frustrations during the long process, but I think the final result is clearly worth it.
Technically, I became a U.S. citizen back in June, when my dad was sworn in as a citizen (so many people fit into one room, so many lines, and lots and lots of waiting) because once one of your parents becomes a citizen, it automatically makes you, as their child a citizen. But I didn't have any proof that I was actually a citizen. So that's what happened yesterday.
I went to the immigration office in Sacramento, waited around, worked on some Econ, and finally they called me, my brother, and my dad into an office.
They basically just asked some really arbitrary questions to double check that all the info I put on my N-600 forms was indeed correct. And after that process (it took longer than it would seem), I was asked to say an oath, swearing that I would remain loyal to the U.S. and not to any other country.

Needless to say, I don't really feel any different. But it's actually comforting to know that I'm officially a citizen now and I can say that I am American (because you could totally I wasn't before, right?).

soooo...

why is this "Twilight" movie such a big deal?
woohoo, it's a movie about a vampire and girl falling in love.
seen it, hated it.
cliche just isnt interesting at all to me. it's more like....boring. a good friend of mine has actually been counting down the days until the movie premiere because she loved the novel, on which the movie is based on, that much.
i suppose i could see the intrigue in finding out how Hollywood twists the plot or dialogue or something to make it more suspenseful or mysterious or something, but i mean come on, a vampire? i almost think i'd rather watch the cheesy parody, "Shawn of The Dead" on Comedy Central before i watched Twilight.
but speaking of movies, this kind of reminds me of the movie coming out in December with Jim Carey titled "Yes Man". the idea is that the character goes through his whole life saying "no" to everything and loses out on a lot of opportunities, so one day he decides to change and start saying "yes" to everything. a comedy with jim carey is likely to be as funny, if not more, than expected. BUT, i think the real laughs will come from "Zack and Miri Make a Porno". it looks like pure comedy. although....i think "Sex Drive" would also be funny mostly for the fact that its story line is a young kid meets a girl on the internet and suddenly throws everything to the side in order to travel cross-country to meet her.

Jiggin on Monday

For the first time ever, Winter Jig is on a Monday because Tuesday is Labor day. There were no friday's left after homecoming and before Winter Break. I think that this dance is going to be one of the least populated because people most likely going on a short vacation over the weekend, and just miss school that monday. However many teachers think that this dance will actually boost attendance on that Monday. So far, only about 30 tickets have been sold, but sales continue though this week and the day of the dance. Also, the theme,a s always, is winter, however since the dance is early in November, I have a feeling that many people will dress in Thanksgiving or fall attire. Overall, I hope this dance is a sucess, but I feel that many people will skip out because it is on a Monday.

WinterTime

As the school year progresses the season is changing. We know that winter is almost. The leaves on the tress are falling off. It is finally that time where you can't leave the house without a jacket. I love winter. It's the best coming to school in jeans, a sweatshirt, and uggs. But it has been so hard to get out of bed in the morning. I hate taking off those warm covers. With winter here we know that the holidays are on there way. The holidays are my favorite time of year. I love the food, presents, time off from school, and just spending time with friends and family. I can't wait for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years. They are almost here.

Election withdrawals

YES WE CAN.

YES WE CAN.

YES WE CAN.

YES WE CAN.

YES WE CAN.

YES WE CAN.

YES WE CAN.

President-Elect Obama said this seven times in his victory speech Tuesday night. I've never felt so empowered, so impassioned, and so hopeful of our future as a unified nation.

It wasn't only his moment to shine. He made it OUR moment. The success of the campaign reflects the transformation of the United States. Over a century ago, the election of someone belonging to a minority race would have been deemed unfathomable. To look back at how far we've come (as seen with Ann Nixon Cooper)...all I can do is repeat those timeless words...YES WE CAN.

I am having election withdrawals, and I'm sure many people feel the same way. On Tuesday night I was completely engrossed in the election coverage on CNN. The hologram of will.i.am was INCREDIBLE...that just goes to show how AWESOME Anderson Cooper is.

America is back. There is no doubt that politics will be a part of my future career, and I have Obama to thank for that. I have more confidence in the integrity of our nation, and I have Obama to thank for that.

Yes We Did.

It flashed on the screen after a commercial break, precariously placed in the center of my TV screen: Barack Obama Elected 44th President of the United States.
I know the election will soon be over-chewed on this blog, but I want to express my newfound pride in my country. Let me specify-- my home country, NOT my home state. But that's a different story.
That we, the United States, could rise to this occasion, that we could come together and elect a man to the position of president who is unlike any before him-- this I am proud of.
Why this was possible has been and will be analyzed over and over again, I am sure. Perhaps Americans are sick of the war. Perhaps we're willing to take a gamble (the gamble being because Obama's been in the public eye for so little time) simply because we can't handle our current Administration any longer. Simply stated, they have failed us.
But here we are, only 143 years after slavery was abolished, 138 years after African Americans earned the right to vote-- and we have one as our president.
This I am proud of.
However, (disregarding his color completely) what he represents brings even more hope to my heart.
He has already, just in this race, brought people together. He has a calm strength about him, one that greatly appeals to a country that needs, more than anything, someone to hold on to. We are in peril in so many ways, and we need an honest, fair president to bring us through.
We have chosen to place our trust in Obama, and this is wisely done in my opinion.
His speech was awe-inspiring, his promises great and all-inclusive.
With the Bush administration, we were told to stand back, the government would make the desicions. As a result, we're a divided country going down economically, and it's getting worse by the day.
As Obama said in his speech, "These challenges are not all of government's making. But the failure to respond is a direct result of a broken politics in Washington and the failed policies of George W. Bush."
TRUE.
I have hope. For the first time, I am proud to be an American under what soon will be the Obama Administration.
As this transition takes place, Obama will choose his cabinet. He will be guarded by the best protection the US has to offer during this transition that will be so difficult for a country so stuck in its ways.
And we will see, after 8 years of misery, how Barack Obama will prove himself. We will see how he lives up to his promises of a better life for all of us.
And I'm truly ecstatic to watch it happen.

The Neverending Story.

But really, more like the neverending season.

Water polo is STILL going on. The Varsity girls made it to Sections and had a two week break in between games. It's pretty weird, since we're used to having two games a week for two and a half months straight. The season is usually very fast-paced.


We have what could be our last game on Friday, depending on if we win or lose. I can't say i want the season to be over, since its my senior year and i'll probably never play again. But really, its been dragging on forever and i think i might get a little relief if it ended.

Oh well, i love our team, i guess i'll just have to live with whatever happens.

In The Near Future

I am excited that it will be less than a year until I become a senior. I only have to take six classes, which will be a really nice change from having a full schedule with eight classes. I will be closer to turning 18 and having more independence. Although I am not looking forward to it because I want to take 3 AP classes and it will be more difficult. The stress of the upcoming college process will be more of a reality and my childhood will be shortly ending. An it also seems like it would be better to take more classes before college so that it will impress colleges. For now, though, I will enjoy my childhood and the high school experience and do everything I can to prepare for college, before it passes by too soon.

Goodbye, College

The economic fiasco the world has been having fun with these past few months has taken it's toll on everyone, and will continue to do so for many more months, if not years. It's also been toying with my college funds, which are in limbo with the stock market. I have lost at least half of the money for my education, a total loss of about thirteen thousand dollars. I hate how I have no control over the rest of my life. It makes me feel so helpless, watching my financial support sputter and fail.

Hopefully the economy will struggle back, and give me hope for a educational future.

Midnight Mascarade

For many students in the Rocklin community, this past Friday was not only Halloween but the night of their homecoming game as well. Friday, October 31 was Whitney High School's homecoming game. They played El Dorado high school.The stands were quite packed although the rain poured upon the crowd throughout the varsity game. After I was completely drenched from head to toe i decided to leave the game. Later I found out that Whitney completely blew their opponents out of the water, scoring 49 points and not allowing El Dorado to score at all.

In present times it appears that students care much more about the dance than they do the game. Whitney's dance was themed "Midnight Mascarade", however the wearing of masks was not permitted. The hours of the dance were also different then our Rocklin High School dances.

It went from 7:30- 10:30, somewhat akward times if you ask me. getting into the dance took about an hour as well. This appeared to be largely do to a new way they are enforcing their freak dancing policy. They put a hot pink paper bracelet on your wrist (which was unfortunately in your pictures) similar to something that you get a sky zone or sun splash. If you got caught freak dancing they cut the band off as your warning. If you were found freak dancing again without a braclet you got kicked out. I think this is a very clever way to enforce the school's freak dancing policy, however I wish they could have figured out a way to put the bands on faster.

Despite my minor disatisfactions with their homecoming dance, overall I found both the game and the dance very enjoyable, worthwhile uses of my time.

ahhh Palin...what a joke

Hey Becka, would you like to explain the joke here?

"he would love to go hunting for baby seals with her"

The highlight of my day

I went to the corner of sunset and park and protested prop 8 today. It started with just a few of us. Eventually more and more people started showing up and we ended up with like 20 people, some of which were just random people that drove by and started to join us. The rain was pooring and we stuck it out like savs. We got our message across and got a surprising amount of good feedback. Then a boy on a vespa drove by and bought us water and granola bars and told us he really appreciated what we were doing. It completely made my day. It gave a little faith in humanity that i've been needing lately.


Tomorrow is election day. Everyone deserves equality, and anyone can fall in love. Vote no on proposition 8 and give hundreds a chance to be with the person they love forever. No one has the right to judge others just because homosexuality is "untraditional". Love is love, and that's the most powerful thing that has withstood time. So give it a chance, and spread a little more tolerance and acceptance in this world.



Oh, and of course, Barack the vote.

We need a little Obama in our lives.

The truth really does set you free

I have four of the best friends in the entire world, and they mean everything to me. But lately we have all been having the same thoughts about how we feel like we have all grown apart, and aren't nearly as good of friends anymore. I really started to get scared; I was afraid the most important people in my life were going to fade away.
Aside from all of this, my mind has been in places that I can't describe. I have been on this quest to find myself lately, and has taken me away from the life I usually live. The usual, "Why am I here?" and "Who the hell am I?" thoughts have been running through my head constantly. Surprisingly enough, I took a big leap foreword in my quest and found a part of myself I have been hiding for too long.
When I came to this realization, I knew I couldn't keep it inside any longer. And I knew that these four people were the people that I could trust the most, and that would still love me to the ends of the earth no matter what. I told them I had something to say to them, we met up after school, and I told them.
In the past week, my friendship with these girls has been the best it has been in a very long time. Not only did the weight of the world get lifted off of my shoulders after sharing my secret, but my worry about the end of the best friendship I have ever witnessed has been eternally forgotten.

My Thesis Makes Me Wonder

As I'm writing my thesis for Animal Farm, I'm reflecting on the novel and how there are so many hidden meanings to the smallest symbols in the book. It makes me wonder what other hidden meanings there are to the smallest everyday things, especially those the media presents. Take advertisments, for example. Every detail that sticks in a consumer's head is meant to persuade them to buy whatever the company is trying to sell. Or how about a song? There's usually a deeper meaning behind the lyrics the artist is trying to convey. Sometimes we don't catch on to these things the first time. Perhaps everything is not truly what it seems...