Things You Must Respect

Recently I was visiting with my family. My older cousin and I we talking and we made a list for out siblings of things that all kids should know and respect. My sister didn't know one of them and my older cousin is like "How can you not know that? It's like looking before you cross the street, something that you just know." But it's sort of a fun like so I'll share.

1. Shot Gun This is not to be argued with. If someone calls Shot Gun the front seat is theirs. There's not Pistol or fancy rules to get around this.

2. Nose Goes For those of you who don't know, you call Nose Goes to mean not it. The last person to touch their nose is the one doing the unwanted chore or task. We use this very much especially with family get togethers. There's no arguing the Nose Goes. If you look around to see that your the only one not touching your nose start moving cause there's no getting out of it.

3. Fives If you say Fives when you leave your chair it will be safe so 5 minutes. People can sit in it while your gone, but when you come back everything will return to as it was, no ifs, ands or buts. However, if you forget to say Fives or overstay your time up, good luck getting that chair back.

Do you have any other important must be obeyed, unarguable no matter what side of the stick you end up with rules? Have you heard of all the ones I brought up?

Dream Vacation

On Saturday, I saw a bunch of my friends for the first time all summer, and it was pretty great hearing about all of the awesome places that they went. From as far away as Taiwan, to as close as the snowball stand, they all had stories to tell. Thinking about this, I started to wonder about all of the places in our world and how amazing it would be to go. So here is your challenge. Describe your dream trip, where, how you get there, and with who. I can't wait to hear all about them!

Wow I've Been Gone A While...

I haven't posted in a forever long time. I guess I sort of got caught in the flow of summer. But let me tell you about my past week. I'm really big on making films and movies. In the past I've made a few of them with my little sister and her friends. This summer I decided to make it into a camp. For a week we spent time casting, costuming, playing theater games and filming. In a week we filmed the whole entire Wizard of Oz and for anyone who knows anything about filming, that's no small feat. But what was even harder was being the main person in charge on 9 children for around 7 hours a day. My friend came and helped out but keeping 4th through 7th graders in check is not as simple as it sounds. It was an experience and I'm so glad I ran camp. I've learned things for next year, I gave kids an fun inexpensive way to spend the week and I even made a great movie out of it.

If you have something you want to share with kids, I think making it into a camp is a great way!! But here's some advice.

1. Get forms back early. I sent out forms for parents to sign with things like allergies on it and asking for their money. This is the only way to confirm someone will come. Even if they tell you 10 million times that they'll be there, until you get their money there's no way to know for sure.

2. Have a schedule. Every night before camp, I'd make up a time plot of exactly what I wanted to happen when. Instead of just writing "10-10:30 Games" I'd write "10-10:15 Dinner Party, 10:15-10:30 Half Life". That way I never blanked on ideas.

3. Be flexible. What you wrote in your plan will almost never go the way you wrote it. The things you though would take an hour take 15 minutes. The things you thought you could do in 10 minutes take a half hour.

4. Food is a savior. When ever people were getting tired or cooperation was low, a mere mention of food brought people back to where you needed to be. I always had snacks and lollipops and treats around.

5. Be consistent. You don't want to let people climb the trees half the time but not the other half the time. You might seem mean for always reminding people that they are not allowed to swear but in the end, they will appreciate that they know what to expect from you.

6. Never question yourself. You are the one in charge and even if you have no clue what's going on, you ALWAYS know what's going on. Instead of phasing things as "We're going to pick up now, alright?" say "Everybody clean up! The faster we do this the sooner we get games." This leaves not way for them to say it's not alright and offers an incentive.

I loved running a camp, but that doesn't mean it was easy. I spent about 30 hours prepping, 35 hours in camp and I will spend around 70 hours editing the movie. If you want an easy job running a camp might not be for you, but it is oh so rewarding.

If you were to run a camp, what would you run it on? How many kids do you think you could handle having? What ages would you work with?

(The picture is of my sister Rebecca, as a Munchkin.)

My Quebecois Twins

I know that and_then_hannah_was_all_like recently posted about how she is having an exchange student come for a whole year. My exchange girls are only here for a week but already we've had tons of fun. I live in New England and they live in Quebec but it seems like 2 different worlds. I really speak english and they really speak french. I've only lived in the country, they've only lived in the city. Despite this, we instantly clicked. A simple thing like making dinner turns into a language experience. Trying to explain what things are causes fits of laughter. (It's not that they don't know what things are, it's just trying to find the equivalent word in french.) Saying "trrram-poo-leen" took like 20 minutes. Yesterday, I read their french fashion magazines, and *gasp* discovered that even with a language difference the trashy things from here are the same as the trashy things there.

How many languages can we speak total on this blog? Have you ever tried to use the languages you learned at school in a real setting? How'd that work for you?

Bike and Walk for Life

Every year the children's hospital near me has a bike and walk for life. It's huge, thousands of people show up raising millions of dollars for cancer research. The bike routes are a 200 mile, 100, 50, 35 and 20. If you walk you can choose to walk 5K, 10 or 25. On site there's a tent stocked with free food, free massages, and music playing constantly. There are also tents getting people to sign up to be bone marrow donors and to raise awareness of different research projects.

I volunteered at what I think the best part of the event is. I gave out yellow ribbons. These ribbons are just a long piece of yellow surveyors tape but they stand for the reason many people ride the race. On this ribbon people write the names or messages to the people they want to honor or remember. Then at the end of the course, there is a memorial garden in which people tie their ribbon.

Sitting at the table where people get these ribbons was pretty amazing. Lots of people would write things like "Ride on" and "We miss you" with the person's name. Other people just didn't know what to say. Some ribbons had some many names written on them there was no space for a message, others simply had one name. Most people left the table happy that they had honored their friend or relative. Some walked past the table saying they'd cry if they made a ribbon.

The two dearest things that happen yesterday were:

1) A little boy maybe 7 or 8 walked up all by himself. I asked him if he'd like to make a ribbon. He said that he would so I gave him the ribbon and a sharpie to write with. He writes 'Mom' nothing more, and then leaves.

2) The second is that a women and her very young child came to make a ribbon. She wrote a name on it and her kid asked where that person was. The mother said, "They're in heaven, you can't see them anymore."

I don't know if how meaningful these ribbons are conveys over into writing, but I wouldn't have rather spent my day any other way. Cancer sucks, and I'm so glad to feel like we might be making a dent in it.

*If you look really closely in the back of the photo you can see the memorial garden.

Weekly Weird- Nail Polish

Honestly, what girl hasn't worn nail polish? I even know some guys who have worn it! I actually really like the idea, it can just be for fun, or it can express your mood. I painted mine red and blue for independence day! But really, when was this weird fashion started? Actually, it originated 3000 BC in China! Of course, then it was used to represent social class, and I doubt it came in a little bottle with a mini paint brush to help you apply it. Modern nail polish, actually is a variation of car paint. I like nail polish, but it is such a bizarre idea! What's really the purpose of it?

Introducing. . . Emma's "Little" Sister

Hello! I'm Emma's (randomlogic) little sis. I'm almost 13, and going into 7th grade. My name is Rebecca, and I don't really know what else I'm supposed to say! I am on New Moon's GEB. . . and I like to ride horses! I also play the fiddle, read, and write a lot! I most kinds of music. And, yep, that's pretty much me! I'll be blogging for Emma this week!

~Rebecca~

Bye Guys

Hello everyone.

I just wanted to let you know that I'll be gone for a week at dance camp. It will be super fun I hope, and I'll let you know more about it when I come back. However, because I don't want to leave you without posts for a whole week my little sister (by little I mean almost 13) Rebecca will be blogging for me from my account. I'll let her tell you more about herself when she blogs and I've given her some ideas to talk blog about.

~RandomLogic/Emma

Happy 4th of July

For those of you who live in America, this is Independence Day. (For those of you that don't, feel free to email gwebbies@gmail.com with when and what happens on your Independence Day) It's a time to celebrate, to see your family, eat greasy food and watch fireworks. Now I'm sure most of you know what the average old timey celebration is, but maybe you haven't realized how huge the 4th of July is to tiny New England towns. We still have old cars, rafts of children, the fire men's barbecue, and a talent show, but there are a few things that are slightly unique.

An old time tradition in many places is to have a group of women twirling guns. People in my town thought that this was ridiculous, and one year emerged The Lawn Chair Ladies. They dress up as crazily as they possibly can, and the brigade does a routine with lawn chairs. When guns would normally fire, the lawn chairs clack. This has been happening for so long in my town, but it seems that a few other places do it too.

Now I don't know about your towns, but we don't have a marching band. Instead this group of people dress up in kilts with kazoos. They hum patriotic songs. There's a Drum Major leading, and kids marching holding flags with them.

We have frogs jumping contests and rubber duck races. There is a village versus village tug of war for the kids and an adult only baseball game. (In my town there is the Upper Village and the Lower Village. They are normally one town, but one the 4th people get so competitive it's funny.)

What are your Independence Day traditions?

(Ps. I just remembered how at this camp I used to go to, it celebrated Interdependence Day instead and all the different branches of the camp got together. I think that we really should be celebrating Interdependence.)

Exchange Programs

On August 25th, at about 5:00, we are going to the airport to pick up my new brother. Federico, from outside Buenos Aires, Argentina, is going to be staying with my family for a year. He is leaving his friends, family, house, most of his stuff, to come and go to school here. Some of my friends say, "um...why is a random guy going to be living in your house?" Some say, "well, make sure he is hot." The rest say, "OMG THAT IS SO COOL." I think its pretty cool. A chance to live in another country, usually speaking another language for a year would be so valuable. But what do you think? Would you go?

Polls

As you are probably aware, most other blogs have polls on them. I thought it would be cool to add polls on our blog. The only reason I don't have one up now is because I can never think of any good questions.... What are your thoughts? Is a poll a good idea or is it boring? If we got a poll, would you all spam the inbox of gwebbies@gmail.com with your creative questions? Please?

Weekly Weird- Yearbook Signing

Who ever thought that it would be a good idea to write in the pages of a shiny book that costs like $60? I mean, I think it's a great idea and all my friends signed my yearbook, but really? People normally don't write in books much less big fancy ones like lots of schools have. What did people do to stay in touch before? There is always a nice hand written letter, or you can assume that the people you want to stay in touch with you will but yearbook signing? It just seems peculiar. It's often turned into such a weirdly competitive social thing. I mean, why are you special if someone writes HAGS on your year book, just like they did on everyone elses? Overall I think signing is a great way to remember the good times but why sign the book as opposed to like something else?

Rest in Peace

Three days ago Michael Jackson the "King of Pop" died of cardiac arrest at age 50. Within the next few hours 28 of my friends status's were about him, the first time since the inauguration that they all had the same thing one their minds. Mostly "RIP MJ, I'll dance thriller in your honor" with the occasionally "The creeper is dead." No one could quite seem to believe that this seemingly immortal star had died so young. Now I agree that a life is a life and death is tragic especially with his three young kids still around, however what has he been doing to himself over the past few decades? No one quite knows but he can't have been healthy. He went from this strong dark teenager to a bleached white figure. He has had numerous plastic surgeries. Is it because of health reasons or simply because he was never happy enough with how he looked?

Death does funny things to the world. Before MJ died, most people I knew believed him to be a terribly sick minded person. Yes, they liked his music but no one supported him or called them selves a fan. Yet as soon as he dies, they all start thinking about how sad it was, and how tragic it is for him to die so young. They can't believe that this child prodigy turned world famous star could possibly die. Are they just trying to make up for years of slamming his mistakes or did they always feel this way and its just starting to get out? But this isn't unusual. It seems to me that when ever some one dies people always jump aboard the sympathy train like they were behind them from the start.

A little digression: When someone commits suicide it is often because people treat them terribly. Yet as soon as the person is dead, everyone was their best friend. They talk about how much the person influenced them and how they looked up to this person. Why couldn't we just realize that if we were all kind to them before hand, another life wouldn't have been lost? Be kind to everyone. Please.

Recently I feel everyone is dying or becoming pregnant. (No I'm serious, it feels that way!)

Farrah Fawcett passed away in the hospital surrounded by her friends and family the same day Jackson died. For quite some time she has been battling cancer, but that doesn't make her death less devastating. She is best known for being in the TV series Charlie's Angels. Very recently she made documentary Farrah's Story about her battles with cancer. It seems that she was always loved, so it's sad that her death was almost shadowed by MJ's death. We'll miss you Farrah!

This morning TV salesmen Billy Mays was found dead at home. No one is quite sure of the cause yet, though the autopsy should be complete by tomorrow. He too was only 50. He was known for his "boisterous hawking" of things such as OxiClean and Orange Glo.

Netflix Watch Instantly

Netflix has a selection on movies that you can watch online with just a click of your mouse. Though it's a relatively old feature of netflix, only recently has it become available for macs and only more recently have I started using it.

The Pros

-You can pick what you watch

-Like the normal netflix, it recommends things it thinks you would like

- It works where ever you have a computer

-The movie loads within 5 minutes

The Cons

-If you have slower internet, it often stalls out in the middle

-The quality isn't supreme, especially if you want to watch it in full screen

-There are no chapters or ways to move it efficiently

-The movie options that play instantly are limited

Overall, though I feel like it is flawed, the option to watch instantly is great. I'm not a particularly patient person so if there is a movie I want to watch or if I'm just home alone, I put on a movie. Though it sometimes takes a while to load, it's a nice thing to have while I'm doing other things online (such as blogging...). I also don't have television which makes this seem a whole lot better. If you do have TV, I would probably just stick to your shows and movies that don't stall out in the middle. Otherwise, I would definitely recommend that you give Netflix Instant Movies a try.

Neda

Hi girls! Long time no see. I wish I could say that I just popped in to catch up, but there's something that's been on my mind a lot that I wanted to make sure you're all aware of. (Not to say that I don't want to catch up! I'm one exam away from being done with tenth grade - yahoo! - and so I should have some more free time for a while.) I'm sure you've all heard a bit about the elections that recently took place in Iran. Here's a quick background from NYTimes.com:

Iran has had a quasi theocracy since the ouster of Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi in the Islamic Revolution of 1979. In June 2009, widespread protests over the results of a presidential election grew into the greatest challenge to its authority that the Shiite regime has faced.

On June 13, 2009, after an unusually bitter campaign, the authorities announced that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had been reelected. The announcement of his victory -- in which it was said that he had received more than 60 percent of the vote -- prompted mass protests by demonstrators who claimed that he had stolen the election. Mr. Admadinejad's main challenger, Mir Hussein Moussavi, a former prime minister with a reputation for honesty and competence, rejected the results and called on supporters and fellow clerics to fight them. In the final weeks of the race, Mr. Moussavi's campaign had gained tremendous energy, and huge rallies by his supporters had packed the streets of Tehran day and night.

Initially, Mr. Ahmadinejad and the country's supreme ruler, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, brushed off the outraged reaction to the results. But in the face of massive demonstrations, two days later Mr. Khamenei called for a high-level inquiry into accusations of election irregularities. But that failed to appease the protesters, as did an offer the next day to conduct a partial recount. Thousands of both pro- and anti-government demonstrators gathered in the streets, increasing tensions. Clashes with members of the Revolutionary Guards and their militia supporters left at least seven people dead during the largest antigovernment demonstrations since the Iranian revolution.

The country is, to say the least, a mess at the moment. The protests were initially nonviolent, but the conflict has been escalating. Khamenei is calling for increased opposition to the protesters and promising bloodshed if demonstrations continue, and according to unverifiable accounts (in other words, take this with a grain of salt because I can't vouch for its accuracy), a young woman named Neda was killed today while simply watching what was going on with her father.
From Twitter:

Who are you, Neda ?

Neda, the girl murdered by Basij today, and now the voice of the new revolution.

Neda's life was ended so that Iran's children might live free.

May she rest in peace, the rest of us can´t. Let´s make sure she didn´t die in vain.

Neda (voice).Those beautiful eys..Nedaye Iran.. The new voice of Freedom...

Neda's life today was not lost in vain. Non-violent movement of Iran will b victorious.

The world looked a girl in the eyes as she died tonight. Remember Neda.

Her name was ندا #Neda. It means voice or call in Farsi. She is the voice of the pple, a call to freedom.

(You may have heard of what's being called a Twitter Revolution: people in Iran are trying to get the truth about what's happening out using sites like Twitter. Iranian authorities have been trying to crack down on these people, leading thousands of users in other countries to change their location on Twitter to Tehran in order to throw them off, as well as tinting their Twitter icons green in a show of solidarity.)

It all boils down to this: It's a difficult time for Iran, right now, and as far away as Iran is from where we are, we need to remember that there are real people, including real girls just like us, who are being affected.

One last "Tweet":
In land where women lost their voice, appropriate that woman named Neda --Voice-- should become symbol that topples regime.

I ask one thing of you, girls: Remember that we are important. Remember that we have our own voices. Remember Neda.


(other sources: NYTimes.com: Violence Grips Tehran Amid Crackdown, Daily Kos: Her Name Was Neda, Life.com: Eyewitness: From Tehran's Streets)

The Great Debate: Video Games

There have been many studies showing that children who play violent video games grow up to be more violent. But why all the fuss over video games? It's not often that that you hear about books or movies causing kids to fight, so why would video games be different? Even before all these graphics people played violent games involving killing people to rise to different levels.

However, not being a gamer myself or knowing much on the topic I can't say much. What do you think? Do video games influence how kids act? Why is this any different from playing D&D with friends?

My Greatest Apologies!

I am so so so sorry I have taken such a long pause from you all. I wish I could say it will not happen again, but with busy lives I'm sure that it will. What have I been doing? Let's see. I took 6 finals (the last of which finish at 2:15 yesterday), organizing a camp I am running for kids this summer, filling out varies application and still trying to sleep.

Now that I'm back, I was looking around my friends' blogs to see if they had any creative ideas. A funny idea I saw was a weekly WTF. He takes some weird food or idea or something and just talks about how random it is.

Weekly WTF- Crocs

Who ever thought to take foam, pock holes in it and call it a shoe? I mean, I think they're really comfortable and I do wear them on occasion. But really? They come in almost every color and style ever thought of. You can get flats, flip flops, rain boots, even high heels? There are even going around that crocs are edible (though I wouldn't recommend eating them...).

What are your thoughts on Crocs? Pretty, Comfortable, Tasty?

Safety Warning: Watch for Ticks

It's supposed to be an especially  bad year for them. They are disgusting and even worse, can carry diseases. I'm sure you all know about them, but just be careful. If you find one on yourself, have someone pull it off with tweezers and make sure that all of it is gone. Watch the spot to make sure that nothing happens. If it was a deer tick (the little tiny ones) watch for a big red ring that may form even a month after around it. That would be a sign on Lyme Disease. 

Finding a tick on me may have been one of the single grossest moment of my life.  I woke up and saw a bug on my side. Not realizing it was a tick, I tried to brush it off. It held fast, though its legs started moving in place. When I came to the realization that it was a tick, I scream bloody murder. 'MOOOOOOMMM, THERE'S A TICK ON ME. HEEEEEELP!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" I'll admit I may be a slight drama queen, but it was horrible. She came and got it off quickly, peroxided the spot and stuck a band aid on. Now 2 days later, the spot where it used to be is very tender and looks like someone welted me with a brand. I'm not sure whether this is natural or not (I think not) but I'll go see the nurse tomorrow. 

Either way, be careful of those ticks. They're not something you want sucking you blood. 

Life Stories: Kuthunk

The title is the sound my head makes when it collides with a sharp rock. I was standing outside the library with Chris. Hayley had just left and we were just about to head inside when "Kuthunk" a rock comes flying at my head. I stood there in a that shook. It's the place where you're not sure whether you're hurt enough to cry or whether you should just brush it off. My hand flew to my forehead and I felt a good sized bump swelling rapidly. I held in my tears for a second, but then it hurt so much. I leaned into Chris and started to cry with my hand still on my temple. He took my hand off it and declared a big bump but no blood. "You're going to be fine," he told me. "I'm getting dizzy," was my response. Chris led me into the library and sat me down in the cafe. "Stay here, I'm going to get ice." He came back a minute later with a bag of ice cubes and a librarian who wanted to call my mom. I insisted that I was fine, that the whole thing was an accident and that I'd let her know if things got worse so she let me be. When I'd calmed down Chris and I went into the other room and sat in front of the fan. Finally Chris had to go home. "You sure you're going to be ok?" I looked at him and nodded. 

Life Lessons Learned: 

• You enjoy throwing rocks, don't. It's stupid and someone's bound to get hurt. 

• If it hurts, cry. Even guys that might not be the most sympathetic at times will understand. 

• Sometimes a shoulder to lean on makes all the difference. Even if that shoulder happens to be your best friends boyfriend. 

• Guys can be so sweet when they're not being all macho and showing off for their friends. (and I don't mean that they're not normally) 

• Ice it. The more the swelling goes down, the less painful it is. If it gets to cold from ice, sit in front of a fan. 

• A giant green bump on your forehead and an ice pack are a great way to get out of doing things at practice! 

Memorial Day Weekend

We had our Memorial Day Assembly last friday. The band play, the chorus sing, teachers read poems, the junior air force had a color guard that presented the flag. It was your pretty typical ceremony. But it really got me thinking. I live in a relatively unpatriotic state. There aren't many kids I know who are proud to be American.  People who say the pledge of allegiance are often scoffed at. But why is that? Since when is it a crime to love your country? There are so many teachers and parents that tell of how different things were when they were kids, how people actually took pride in being American. During our commemoration, I realized that, maybe I don't agree with everything that my country has done, maybe it really frustrates me at times, but it is still my country. There have been people who have given their lives to defend what I have, the least I can do is to pause and appreciate them. So no matter where you live in the world, please stop some time today and think about those who have come before you. 

Quick fact: In America, if all else fails, if our army, navy, national guard and everything else goes down, the boy scouts are the last line of defense. It sure makes me think about them differently. I mean, these are our little brothers who go camping and tie knots. 

Top 5!

People pick favorites. Whether or not they matter, whether or not people should, they do. I'm wondering what: 

Your Top Things to Do When You're Bored? 

Favorite Color? 

Best Day of the Year? 

Biggest Pet Peeve?

Sorry... I had to ask favorites sooner or later... 

WARNING THIS IS A RANT!

First of all let me apologize for taking so long between posts. It is hell week for our musical and I will be home less than 8 hours this weekend which includes writing a page paper. The second thing I'm apologizing for is for using this as a rant site. Feel free to complain about what ever is on your mind in comments or posts you email to me. 

Today, at least where I live was bike and walk to school day. I live pretty far out in the middle of now where, but my little sister really wanted to bike to school. She biked last year with me, so my parents were fine with it. (I would have this year but my school is an hour a way and I've been dancing 5 hours a day and not getting home until after 11.) 

So at the end of our little road, she met up with friends on a still small but paved road. There were a good number of them, enough to be seen from very far away considering the road is flat and straight. However, they are conscientious and bike no more than 2 in a row. 

Here's where my rant really starts. They were biking and some idiot speeds by in his car. My sister swerves to avoid him, which sends her flying off her bike, 5 feet of the road, down a 10 foot bank, head first into a shallow river. 

The only good thing seems to be that she landed in a deep enough place, that she didn't break her neck or otherwise kill herself. 

The bad? She doesn't actually remember what happened. Her Back hurts. She got a ride home with a random young couple. But what irks me the most? The stupid idiot (insert explicates here) didn't even stop to see if she was ok. 

As if it's not enough to speed on a small road with tons of kids age 5-13 biking to school, you could at least stop to see if you can help when you cause someone to almost get killed. As Margaret put it, "I don't understand people sometimes..." 

The Debate on Motherhood

With Mothers Day just gone by, I wanted to know you's all's opinions on teenage mothers. Do you think that teenagers can be mature enough to give kids what they need? Will they be able to make it alright for their child if their family helps them out? What about abortions; is it alright for teenagers to get abortions if they know they won't be able to offer their child the support kids need? 

Mothers Day

Hopefully, you all did some wonderful things for your mothers today! I have been feeling rather overwhelmed because I'm getting over being sick, the musical opens in 3 days, and I have tons of work to catch up on, so I didn't do as much as I should have. I sort of wished her Happy Mothers Day, gave her a hug and left it that. (Normally I get up early, make her breakfast in bed, clean the house, pick fresh flowers, etc, you get my drift.) 

Did you do anything for your the mothers or grandmothers or important women in your life? Any ideas for easy things to do that will mean a lot to mom? 

Silly Rules

Has any one besides me ever heard of those totally random rules about fashion? 

Things like, you should only where sandals between June 1st and September 1st and no one should where white after labor day?   How did they come about? I mean, was it some random girls trying to make themselves better and being fashion polices or was there an actual reason that they came around.... Does anyone you know actually follow them? 

I always thought they were just sort of funny things, but then in high school, I met people who actually listen to things like that. I was sort of amazed and slightly horrified.  Just wanting to know yous all's opinions. 

The Great Music Debate

OK, so here's the debate question on the week. 

What do you think about free music downloading from websites? 

Do you download your music from places like limewire? Does the price of music in itunes have any effect on that? (Now that it's 1.29/ popular song. meh) Or do you chose to support the music industry and purchase all of your music fully legally either through CD's or by Amazon or itunes or the such? This is good for the artists and keeps your computer virus free. If you get your music legally, what do you think about burning disks from friends? It's technically not legal, but that doesn't stop anybody I know.... 

As for me, I'll confess not all my music comes legally. I get the majority of it from my friends and the rest is a mix between itunes and free download sites. I feel slightly guilty stealing from artists who need the money but I try and make myself feel better by never using limewire. (I'm not sure what my logic is there but....) 

Every Tuesday, I'm going to try and have a good question to debate, either political or ethical or whatever. Email me question suggestions at gwebbies@gmail.com

Websites

Sorry for being behind on blogging. I'm just getting over being really sick. (Just a normal cold, although everyone is convinced I should be quarantined) 

I figure that since you all read this blog, you must have some other things that you do when you come online as well. When I go on the computer my line of fire is something like the following. 

I check my email, I go on facebook and read any updates, I blog if anything so inspires me, I go on the Seventeen Answerology site, I read my wall on New Moon Girls, I browse random news feeds, and search other random things. 

I don't have time to do these all every time, often I just check my email and facebook, but the other things are fun too. What sites to you look at when your online? How much time would you think you spend online every week? Do you think that's more or less than most other people you know? 

Swine Influenza

Hopefully you've all heard about the outbreak of Swine Influenza. It is a contagious strand of flu originally passed from pigs to humans and now passed from human to human. There are currently 91 confirmed cases in the U.S. and 1 death*, Mexico has had 26 confirmed cases including 7 deaths. Canada follows behind with 6 cases. Swine Influenza has also been confirmed in New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Israel, and Spain.** Though no cases have been confirmed, there are over 100 suspected cases in Australia, South America and much of Europe. 

Symptoms of Swine Influenza are  much like any normal cold you would have. A fever, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, etc. However if you think you may have been exposed to a case of Swine Influenza and have these symptoms, you probably should see a doctor as soon as possible. 

To protect yourself, just to everything you would normally do to avoid getting sick. Wash your hands, avoid close contact with infected people and try not to travel into regions with confirmed cases. According to the CDC, eating pork will not infect you. 

More cases are being reported every day as Swine Influenza spreads like wild fire. So please wonderful people, do what you can to stay healthy!

*www.cdc.gov

**www.who.int/en

Reasons Why Emma Shouldn't Cook

You know why I'm jealous of my little sister? She makes the most amazing different things. One day it was Chocolate Mousse, the next was Lemon Creme Pie. (The pie was so good my cat licked the whole top of it off as it was resting on the counter, yeah my family wasn't to happy about that but what we ate of it was good). Not only do her creations taste delicious, they also look amazing. 

But, I didn't seem to get that skill. My lack at cooking and baking is actually pretty funny. 

1. I can cut myself on a fork. Yes, I was dancing around my kitchen and my hand flew down on the dish tray where an evil fork cut me. 

2. I though 2/3 meant two or three or somewhere in the middle. Yes, I realized my mistake after I read it out loud to my mom. But this is the same reason I don't like math. I don't like things that are exact. (For the record, it means two thirds.) 

3. I still can't seem to figure out the difference between baking soda and baking powder. But, hey, at least I realize that there is a difference. 

4. I don't actually like to eat what I make. Yeah, my sister is the only one that actually really likes to eat what I make. 

5. My patience is lacking.  I don't like to wait for things to be done, especially when they smell yummy. I'll stick with cookie dough. 

Do you all like cooking? What are your favorite recipes? Least favorite food? 

Take a Leap!

Alright, so I know that for me at least, this blog was sort of my secret place where I could say what ever I felt like. But for the sake of trying to get more people to come read this, I told my friends about it. They all really liked it and at least some of them have kept reading. I want to you all to please try and recruit more people to blog with us. 

Please, tell your friends, comment on posts, send submissions to gwebbies@gmail.com!

"The best things in life aren't things"

When I was thinking of something to blog about this quote just sort of popped into my head. Not really sure why, but I figure I'll go with it. 

"The best things in life aren't things." 

is a quote credited to Arthur Buchwald. Buchwald was a well known columnist for the Washington Post. His satire of American politics made him well known though sometimes under appreciated.   

My sister went off with her friend for vacation and both my parents were working, so I was home all alone. Instead of gloating about being left with nothing to do my whole vacation (okay, I admit, there was some of that too) I laid out in the sun on the porch with my dog. 

Sure, maybe I didn't jet off to the Bahamas on vacation, and I'm not singing in Notre Dame like some of my classmates, but I am happy and loved. I figure I'm not so badly off after all. What ever you did or are doing for your vacation remember to look for the truly important things in life. 

(ps. I sort of feel like a cereal box saying that :D) 

A World of Change

If you could change one thing in the world, no matter how big or small, what would it be?

Emma's Ridiculously Long Day of Silence Story

For most schools, the Day of Silence was yesterday, though for some reason it was Wednesday at my school. Almost all of my friends vowed to be silent the whole school day. And for the most part we all followed though. 

By 7th period my friend Hayley still hadn't said anything all day. Our 

teacher gives this thing randomly once a week. It's called ROT or Random Oral Testing. There are over 200 cumulative vocabulary words that he quizzes us on ORALLY. It can happen any day of the week, but it just happened to be the Day of Silence. We all go into the room and get settled, and our teacher says "Put away your notes, It's ROT time." Hayley and I and everyone else in the class, even if they were talking sort of looked at him as if to say "Really? Today of all days?"  Mr. 'Teacher' tells us "I realize it's the Day of Silence and I support it, but you have to make a choice. If you chose to continue your silence, you will receive a zero, or you can suspend your silence and not put your grades at sake." 

Hayley and I looked at each other. There wasn't even a choice. We were going to continue with our cause, no matter what. We are both relatively good students and could afford to fail once. There wasn't a second's hesitation for me. We sat in silence as he went though the different rounds. He always included us to give us a chance to speak if we wanted to, but every time, there was silence. 

Mr. 'Teacher': "Emma, Onomatopoeia"

Emma: "......" 

The whole class looking between him and I, to see if I'd give in.

It was a little intimidating, but it felt really good to stand up so fully for something I believe in. Then at the end of class, Mr. 'Teacher' always gives us a chance to hear how we did out of 25 points, in front of the whole class. He'd be like "Connor, would you like to know your grade?" Connor would of course say yes. Everyone always says yes because they don't really mind people hearing their grade. When he called my name, there was silence. I couldn't talk for myself and everyone knew I'd failed. However one kid I know, who's sort of a clown called out "Tell her!"  He meant it in a totally joking way, and Hayley and I understood that but Mr. 'Teacher' didn't take it that way. He flipped out at the kid telling him, that he was doing what Hayley and I were protesting. When the kid tried to say something in his defense, Mr. 'Teacher' just told him he had nothing to say. 

We all sat there in silence watching this, and when class ended, the Day of Silence ended too. Hayley and I walked out together proud of what we'd done, but not thinking of giving it a second thought. 

They next day, the heads of the Rainbow Alliance at my school, walked up to me at the beginning of a class. They pulled my into 

the hall and asked for my opinion of what had happened. I told them. They said that our principal had already heard what had happened and would be talking to the teacher, but they wanted me to talk to her and fill her in on my side of the story. I did, but I also told her that I was completely aware of the fact that I was going to fail when I acted. 

People have told me that they have been talking about it in their other classes. Teachers have come up to Hayley and I telling us that what happened was wrong and that we should fight for a grade. The Rainbow Alliance is taking the teacher to JCOMM (the judicial committee in our school) about what happened. They say that even if we don't care about the points, no one should have to choose between grades and a cause they believe in. 

I guess it all goes to show, you never know what you're getting into when you stand up for what you believe in. I wouldn't have done anything differently though. 

Did you participate in the Day of Silence? What were your experiences? 

If you didn't, was it because you have different opinions on the cause? If so, I'd love to hear them. 

Maybe you didn't participate because your school made it difficult, how did your administration support or not support the Day of Silence, was this expected or unexpected? 

TV Time

 I think if I had to make a list of inventions from the last century that made a significant impact on my life, near the top of the list would be television. Good old TV has been my faithful friend and stalwart ally for years, always quenching my boredom and giving me something fun to do (much to my mother's dismay). I really don't watch that much of it, but I definitely enjoy television :) In all honesty, TV is extremely useful and practical -take the news, for example, or the Weather Channel. But the practicality of television isn't really what peaks my interest today. What I'm wondering is what you enjoy watching on TV. I'd say what I watch is a mix of regular teen stuff and some more obscure interests -this week, via TV, I learned about modeling, deadly tornadoes, savantism, Simon Cowell's annoying albeit funny frankness, and the expected North Korean missile launch. I watch a lot of educational and random TV shows on Discovery Channel, family-oriented (not viewer families, but shows that profile families) shows on TLC, and too much news for my own good. But I have my guilty pleasures -last night I spent almost an hour watching the girls on America's Next Top Model verbally attack each other (and somewhat enjoyed it.) TV is also an interesting social tool -when The Secret Life of the American Teenager was on, it was an instant conversation-starter for me and my friends, as are other shows like American Idol, Desperate Housewives, and NCIS (at least in my school). But my all-time favorite show is My So-Called Life, from the 1990s, so no one's ever heard of that :) What do YOU like to watch on TV? How often do you watch? Are you a major fan or a casual follower?

-Snowflake

Holidays on the Lawn

I know that Easter was mainly celebrated yesterday. However, this varies from place to place, branch to branch. For my friends who are Greek Orthodox, it will be next Sunday. (I believe it is the 19th) This monday, though not hugely observed in the USA is Easter Monday. It is a day for celebration and lighter festivities. 

Carrying on the tradition from 1878, there was an egg roll on the White House lawn for children. I think it's great that people are carrying on traditions for so long, but I have to wonder, do other religions which are supposedly equal get the same representation in the White House? I'm pretty sure they don't. Perhaps it's time to start traditions on the lawn for them too!

Do you have holiday traditions? My coverage was pretty limited to the USA, what do the various countries you live in do to celebrate big holidays?

Whether you were rolling eggs at the White House, attending church or completely oblivious to the fact that it was Easter, I hope that your yesterday was fabulous!

History Being Made

Just recently the first Passover to be attended by a president at the White House was held.* Obama and a small gathering of his friends, family and staff joined together to celebrate this Jewish holiday. Though we haven't yet had a Jewish president, it's nice to know how much is changing. 

Passover celebrates how, when Moses sent plagues to try to free the Israelites from Pharaoh, the Israelites marked their door frames with blood from a  sacrificed lamb to recognize not to kill their sons. By doing this, they were 'passed over'. 

Though Passover was actually Wednesday at sundown and on, my family had our Seder today. (Because we were all at different things at the actual time the past few days and we aren't all that religious, (my mom's christian and my dad's jewish)). We prayed, and sang, and ate. It's nice to have traditions some of which are typical and some of which aren't to look forward to every year. 

I suppose that while I'm on the subject of holidays, I should mention that today is Good Friday and this sunday is Easter. Good Friday is when Christians believe that Jesus Christ was crucified. Easter is believed to be the day he was resurrected. I'll try and talk more about my Christian side on Easter. 

Also, like usual if you would like to write about Passover, Easter, or any other holidays that your family celebrates, I'd love to hear about them at gwebbies@gmail.com

*corrected on April 11, 2009

Day of Silence

Speaking of movements and laws raising awareness of the harassment of LGBTQ students and people in general, the Day of Silence is rapidly approaching on the 17th. I will do a post about it but it would be even more awesome if someone else wanted to write about it. Perhaps someone who participated last year? Or someone who plans to participate this year. 

Email me your piece about the Day of Silence to gwebbies@gmail.com

Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa followed closely by Vermont

It's been an exciting little bit for Vermonters and Gay Rights Activists everywhere. Last week the bill for same sex marriages passed the Vermont Senate and the Vermont House. Governor Jim Douglas vetoed the bill like he had forewarned he would. This left us in suspense. Though it had originally passed the senate by quite a large majority, it hadn't quite made it to two thirds in the house. This morning the senate revoted and once again passed it by a large margin. Passing the house was going to be a close call but it made it by 100 to 49, which is as close a call as can be to still be made a law. 

Congratulations!!  And I hope that more states will be close to follow. Keep me informed with what is happening in the states/ countries around you by emailing gwebbies@gmail.com

Drivers Permit

I know that the laws vary from state to state, but where I am,  you can get your permit at age 15. A permit basically means that you can drive in your state with a sober adult over the age of 25. Because I live in a rural place where driving is very helpful, my mom and I wasted no time getting my permit. (You have to have your permit for a year before you can get your license and I want my permit as soon as possible.) 

We went down to the Department of Motor Vehicles so that I could take the test which I must pass before I can get my permit. The first part was an eye test and the second part was a 20 question multiple choice exam on the computer. The test it self was relatively easy (if you'd read the book they give you before hand) but it was a little nerve racking. I could get 4 questions wrong. Most of them were common sense, but there were a few things regarding specific laws that I was just like "WHAT?" to. 

Good news is I passed! And at this point I really don't have any bad news. I drove around a parking lot for a while, made it home with out hitting anything, I have a shiny permit with an ok picture and am one step closer to my permit. I do have some words of advice for those who still have to take this (or something like it where you live) 

1. READ THE BOOKLET. This may not seem important, but it has all the answers in it. And all the people I know who didn't pass the written test never read it. 

2. Bring everything necessary. Actually bring more than necessary. The only things that they told me I needed were 2 ID's. Well it turns out that beside that, I also needed my social security number and proof of residence. 

3. You can either take it on the computer or you can take it pen and paper. I say take it computer because they have these lovely pictures that can sometime help. For example, my friend got one that was "Do bicycles go with or against the flow of traffic?" She wasn't sure, but she clicked to enlarge the picture and it showed her. However, if you're one of those people who really likes having pen and paper in your hand, you could ask for it that was too. 

4. Take online practice tests at home. They have questions that, if not exactly the same, are very similar. And if you get the answers wrong, they will correct you with the right answer. 

5. Read the booklet. It will help. I promise. It was made by the same people who made the test. It has most everything that will be in the test. If you do well without having read it, you are either very informed on the subject, or a lucky guesser. 

6. Breath, relax. I read somewhere that 50% of kids don't pass my states on the first attempt. If you don't pass, you can always take it again!

I know that many of you who read this have already had your permit and now have your license. Words of advice? Things learned from experience? How about the driving test? Was it hard? What about Drivers Ed. Is it as painful as everyone says? 

Contacts vs. Glasses

I have these awesome glasses that I love and need for seeing things far away. However recently I've been contemplating getting contacts. Why should I get them if I love my glasses? I think that they would be very helpful onstage. Directors say there will be no glasses onstage. I understand that, but I would still like to be able to see. I have explained this to my parents but they seem to think that I can see "good enough". 

Pros of Contacts:

*They don't get in the way of your view.

*They don't blur or fog. 

*They don't change how you look.

Pros of Glasses:

* They require little work.

*They are pretty affordable

*They come in many styles to fit personality.

I love my glasses but I would like to try out contacts for a change. Anyone out there who has contacts and would like to give me an opinion? My parents say that contacts take a long time to adjust to, and that they aren't worth the amount of money we'd spend on them if I mainly planned on wearing them onstage. Still, I'd like to find a good argument for them. 

Ps. This morning at 4:24 I turned 15! 

April Fools

Yes, I realize this is a day late, but how else could I hear about all the pranks you played? 

Unfortunately, I didn't get to play any pranks worth talking about but some people I know did. In the french class before mine, a kid took the teacher yellow and red warning cards and stick them in jello. One of my friends broke up with her boy friend via face book, to see people's responses and went a whole day, before telling people that it was a joke. 

This year was not a particularly eventful year for april fools, but some years have been! What pranks did you pull this year? What is the best prank that has ever been pulled on you?

Friends for Everyone

I was looking for ideas of things to blog about and one suggestion that I got was the friends that some day you'd like to met. That got me thinking and I decided to make a list of friends that I think everyone should have. I have already found some of them and some of them I hope to find some day.

The List: In No Particular Order

1. A girl who's always there for you NO MATTER WHAT.

2. Someone who knows your views and whole heartedly agrees.

3. Someone with completely different opinions to share ideas with. 

4. A guy who tells you that you look pretty no matter what, in a non lovey way. 

5.  A friend who doesn't mind relaxing and being immature once in a while. 

6. A college (or older highschool friend) who's been though what you're going through and will give advice without judging. 

7.  Someone you know who lives perhaps in another state so you can tell them all the drama and problems in your life without worrying that they'll know who you're talking about. 

8. The friend who's arms you can fall into for a hug always, at anytime. 

I know that I'll think of more to add as time goes on. What about you guys? What type of friends should every person have? I know that there are many more to add to my list because one can never have to many friends. 

9. Somebody who is practical and down to earth yet sympathetic, to put your problems in perspective. -Snowflake

Voteearth

Also be aware, today is Earth Hour! From 8:30- 9:30 your time, please consider turning off your lights to raise awareness of the growing problem of global warming. 

Abuse and Rihanna

Written by our very own Snowflake! If you have article, story, drawing, poem, etc, that you have made which you would like posted email it to gwebbies@gmail.com

Usually I'm not one to take the entertainment news seriously, but the story of Chris Brown's assault on Rihanna caught my eye. As surprised as I was at Chris Brown's actions, I was even more shocked at how teenage girls across America reacted. I was literally gaping when I read the facts: 46% of Boston students think that Rihanna is at fault for the attack, and 52% believed that both were responsible, even as Rihanna was rushed to the hospital for her injuries. So what's up with that? After doing some more research, I found out that almost 10% of teenagers report being hit or slapped by a boyfriend or girlfriend -and many teens don't report these incidents, so the numbers are likely even higher. And domestic violence isn't something that only happens in inner-city areas -it's a problem all over. Culturally, some people say, factors such as hip-hop music give an image of an aggressive male, saying that violence is the answer. I personally am not sure music is to blame, but I think that the lack of negative response on the part of teen girls in cases like this is scary. Chris Brown allegedly choked Rihanna, yet teenage girls repeatedly send the message that Rihanna somehow set him off. This may be true, but assaulting Rihanna isn't the way to solve it! The saddest part to me is that many of these girls have been victims of dating abuse, but they still think it's okay. I think this really exposes a glitch in our culture that desperately needs to be fixed.
-Snowflake

What a Terrible Joke

Like most people I was always horrified at the racist and sexist and just plain terrible jokes that a lot of high schoolers (and even some fully grown people) make. 

Q. What do you tell a woman with 2 black eyes? 

A. Nothing, you've already told her everything. Twice. 

When someone told me this, my mouth and the mouths of those around me just dropped. We didn't even have anything to say. Why would someone even say something like that? Finally my friend Clara gets out, "That's horrible." The person responds happily, "Yeah, I know!" 

So why do people say things like this? Do they think it's funny? Is it for shock value? Is it out of ignorance?

I think that in a way, these jokes are a direct reflection of how far our society has come in the past 100 years. Hearing them is a reminder of how different things are now then when our parents grew up. Times are changing and we need to realize that. 

The second related thing is telling people how terrible these jokes are when they are said. Now I'm all for saying "Wow that's terrible," and standing up for our rights, but do people really need a lecture for saying jokes like the one above? I certainly know people who think yes, but I think no. I'm sure that 99% of the time, these jokes don't come from ignorance. And I am pretty sure that people don't truly find these jokes hilarious. I think that they say it for the shock value and lecture only increases the shock. 

On a slightly different point, my friends and I sometimes say things like this to each other because of how ignorant other people sound saying them. We mean it to laugh at the people saying the joke not the joke itself. Does this make us horrible ignorant people? I should like to think not. 

I'd love to know what you guys think. Agree with any of this? Disagree? 

Identity

I worry about how other people judge me every day. But more important than how other people view us is how we view ourselves.

 How do you identify yourself?

 By your age?

 Gender? 

Religion? 

Interests? 

Where and how do you see yourself in the world today? 

How about in your school? 

Among your friends?

 If you were to make an "identity chart", what would be on it? 

-Snowflake

Animal Adventures

Just recently I went with 21 other kids from my school down to Florida. We went to a camp at Busch Gardens. If you like animals and ever get the opportunity to do this, it is most definitely amazing and totally worth the money. 

We went behind the scenes and worked with the keepers, we helped them clean animal cages before the park opened and hand fed animals like giraffes and sloths. One day we went over to Sea World, we saw Shamoo and the dolphin shows and feed sting rays and dolphins. In our free time, we wondered around with friends going on rides and getting henna tattoos. We stayed at Mzinka Lodge at Busch Gardens, though we were so busy that we didn't spend much time there.  The whole camp is made to help give kids experience in zoology is they are interested in going into the field. I loved the experience and think I may go back by myself next summer. 

Are you interested in animals? Would you want to be a keeper? Are you interested in behavioral sciences? Have you/ would you take the opportunity to do something up close like this? 

The picture is of me petting the animal ambassador armadillo. 

An Issue...

I was just wondering, what are your positions on prostitution? We were having a debate about it in class, and this could be an interesting topic for discussion. Comment with your position.

New Talking Ipod Shuffle

Apple unveiled the new iPod Shuffle last Wednesday. Ok, you think. Whatever, the shuffle still stinks because you have no idea what song you are listening to. And it is here that the 3rd generation Shuffle has you beaten. This tiny 1.8 inches tall by 0.3 inches thin (that’s smaller than a battery) music player can talk to you. Wait, what? Yep, a new feature aptly named VoiceOver means that the MP3 player can talk to the user in 14 languages, telling them the artist and title of the song they are listening to. It even announces the names of your playlists. And when your battery needs charging, VoiceOver can tell you that, too. The new Shuffle also has 4 GB storage, 1000 songs worth, and a fancy new set of earbuds, with the controls on the cord.
What do you think about this? Is it worth the $79?

3.141592653589793238462643383279

So the title is pi as far as I know it by memory. Why is this at all relevant?  Today happens to be Pi Day or 3.14 the 14th day in the 3rd month.  Pi is the irrational number that is found when dividing the circumference of a circle by the diameter or π=C/d. 

At my elementary and middle school, we always made a huge deal about the day. We had a whole school assembly with competitions. There was who could say the most pi from memory (the record this year was the same girl its been the past few years with over 200), who could recite the Greek alphabet the fastest from memory (alpha, beta, gamma, delta, epsilon, etc) (I can do the whole thing in 3 seconds), best pi artwork, best skit based around pi, best pi costume and the best song written about pi (my friends and I won that in 8th grade by rewriting the lyrics to the Harry Potter song, you know the one that goes Snape, Snape, Severus Snape, Dumbledore). 

The whole point to this post? Well there really isn't one other than to remind you to value your math and watch Harry Potter Puppet Pals. Oh and it's also and excuse to say good bye for the week. I'm headed of to sunny Florida for the week where I may or may not have access to a computer to write to you all. Farewell and Omega. 

(Thats the last letter in the Greek alphabet and it didn't really fit in that sentence but it seems right somehow so I'll leave it.)