ugh....halloween

I don't know what it is about Halloween, but I can get into the spirit of dressing up but beyond that, I could care less about the holiday. I don't usually go out or make plans, I just stay home and watch movies or work (like I did tonight). There's just something about it that I don't like and care for that kills my mood. I get all excited about what I'm going to be and then when the day comes to get dressed up my mood has died and I could care less about getting dressed up and going trick-or-treating.

With the widespread availability of calculators, is it necessary for students to learn arithmetic?

Even with the advancement and widespread availability of calculators, it should still be necessary for students to learn arithmetic. People don't usually carry around calculators and the ones that are on the phone can only do basic and simple calculations, so by knowing how to do arithmetic, students will be able to figure things out on their own. Nowadays, we have become dependent on their calculators and downloads that we can add from the computers onto the calculators. Sometimes when someone is trying to figure out how much carpeting or fencing and they don't have a calculator handy, they should be able to figure out how to find ther perimeter and area so they can have the correct amount of fencing or carpeting or flooring.

Can guys and girls be JUST FRIENDS?

Why is it that nowadays guys and girls can't be JUST FRIENDS??? If a guy and a girl want to just hang out, almost everyone assumes that they are going to hook up and that they like each other. I have a friend Tim who is like my older brother I swear. We can tell each other everything and anything and talk about anything and not get uncomfortable about it because we are that close. We walk around campus linking arms and sometimes have our hands around each others waist as we attempt to walk without falling over from laughing and people think we are dating just because of that. There's this kid that I work with, Bill Mcleod, and I really like him, and I think he may like me but I'm not sure, and we were talking about this and he says he puts up with the same thing. We both agreed that by having a really good, close friend of the opposite sex allows us to try and figure out how the opposite sex thinks and interprets different situations. We are supposed to hang out this weekend and a lot of people that we work with know that I like him and that we are supposed to be hanging out and they keep teasing me about it because I think he likes me as just a friend but they are like "ohh he wouldn't have agreed to hang out with you if he didn't like you" and it's like uhh yea he could have.

You know what?

McCain does kinda of look like Steve Martin to a certain degree. It's kind of funny and could be the reason that I could never take McCain seriously. Every movie that I've seen with Steve Martin is a comedy and if I think that McCain looks like him, I'm never going to be able to see him as a serious person who may possibly be running out country.

I don't wanna do ANYTHING

If I could do anything, I would cure cancer. I've found out that in my family on both sides, there is a lot of different types of cancer running in our genes. I would love to figure out a way to get rid of cancer for good, without having to use radiation or chemotherapy. I would also make it affordable for everyone because I don't think it's fair that people don't get the same treatment just because of their income and financial status. My aunt was recently in the hospital because she wasn't feeling well, and hasn't been well for 9 months. Turns out she had a cancerous mass on her lungs and it was pushing down her heart. She has lung cancer because she has smoked ever since she was a teenager and she may have brain cancer. My nan and great-uncle died from the same types of cancer and one or two of my cousins have breast cancer but survived. My mom has thyroid cancer but thankfully it is in remission since 2001, so cancer is a big thing in my family.

Explain why you do or do not smoke.

I choose not to smoke because my mom used to smoke when I was younger. When I was about 7 or 9, I made my mom promise me to stop smoking if I stopped biting my nails (she hated when I did that). She quit smoking and I quit biting my nails, and haven't done it since. Also, I don't smoke because both my nan and one of my uncles died from lung cancer (along with some other types of cancer) and I don't want to die from lung cancer. I've done D.A.R.E. programs when I was in elementary schools and am part of my town's municipal alliance and it's program where it tries to do things for the community to keep the kids substance free. Another bonus is that since cigarettes are so expensive, I get to save a bunch of money and spend it on things that I really like or want instead of blowing it away on cigarettes.

The United States has never had a female president. To what do you attribute this

There has never been a female president because a majority of Americans are afraid of change. Many people are afraid of change and don't want to find out what it would be like to have a woman president. Men have been running our country for decades and so by now, we have grown accustom to that, so to go and change what we are comfortable with would create a lot of fuss. When we have our comfort zone, we don't want to let anything new in or change anything. By not allowing anything new into our comfort zone, we are never able to experience something new and exciting or something new that could be for the better, but we would never know.

It has been said that computers are taking over our lives. Do you agree or disagree?

I agree that computers are taking over our lives. Computers are taking over our lives from different angles. There's the dating, the spelling, the communication. More and more people are turning to the internet for finding their perfect match and paying for dating websites. People are turning to computers for when they type up a report or any other kind of paper because of the ability of the spell checker in microsoft word. People are also using the internet as a main way of communication. They are sticking to instant messenger and email instead of making plans or talking in person.

Is it better to have brothers and sisters than to be an only child?

Personally, I think it is better to have brothers and sisters than to be an only child. I was an only child for twelve years and granted it was fun, but I would get bored easily and lonely. Now I have a six year old brother and it's so much better. My one friend who is an only child is the most spoiled stuck up snob you could ever meet. She gets whatever she wants whenever she wants because there are no other siblings. It's better to have siblings because you can talk to them and play with them (depending on the age) and hang out with them.

Guess what I heard today?

That's totally ridiculous that out country is 700 trillion dollars in debt but Johnny Depp (no matter how gorgeous he is) is going to get 55 million dollars for one stinking movie. I love Johnny Depp and the Pirate movies but I have only still seen the first one. Granted he looks drop dead gorgeous as a pirate, as does Orlando Bloom, but for some reason, I just can't get into the movies. I know a bunch of people that are obsessed with the Pirate movies, but that's just utterly appalling. I'd like to know how a film company can afford to pay him that much money but yet we have people losing their homes to foreclosures, not being able to afford food, heat, or gas, living off of welfare and other sources of help. Just because he is so popular, doesn't mean he deserves to be payed that much.

Should women in the military services be assigned combat duties?

Why not??? If women can do traditionally male roles in the workplace, why can't they be assigned combat duties of they are in military services. I think they should be allowed to. Women have a way of organizing things and making sure that things go according to plan. Even though being in the military is traditionally male, more and more women are joining and should be given the same chances that males are given to be assigned a leading position in combat duties and any other branch or job.

My office is sub-arctic

I think the hardest part about college is managing time for work and homework. I have no problem with the parking because I had the same situation at my high school, it was impossible to find a spot to park half the time. For me, I have trouble managing my time because I'm not used to having one class only twice a week or one night a week so I forget to do the homework until last minute. Then I'm at work til 11 at night so it's hard for me to get up in the morning and do my best on my homework because by the time I get home from work, I'm exhausted. For me, the rules aren't that much different; no cell phones, no eating/drinking in certain classes, be on time, only a certain amount of absences, etc.

What, in your opinion, are some of the reasons so many people have pets?

I think that some people have pets because pets help get rid of stress and allow for mental and emotional freedom. A pet, no matter how bad of a day you have had, will automatically put you in a better mood because they are always happy and constantly loving. Pets have unconditional love for their owners. No matter the pet, they allow us the chance to vent and not say a word because they can't speak (unless you get a bird that talks). Both me and my brother have japanese beta fish and I love coming home and going to the fish tank to feed the fish and talk to it. (My fish's name is Hubert.)

What animal do you like (or dislike) the most? Why?

My favorite animal that I like the most is a penguin. I absolutely adore them. They have to be the cutest animals ever. I love how when they walk, they waddle. They look like they are wearing little tuxedos because their fur is black and white. I love watching them in movies and how they nose-dive down a hill of snow and land into the water. They're such graceful swimmers too. Penguins are my all-time favorite animal. They are the cutest animals ever and I think it'd be pretty harrd for any animal to even try and come close to the cute and awesome factor.

Painful as anything!

So today I had to go to the foot doctor and get an ingrown taken out and holy crap am I feeling it now that my toe isn't numb anymore! About 3 weeks ago I noticed my toe was starting to hurt really really bad but I figured it would go away so I thought nothing of it. After a week, I went to the foot doctor and he's like "Oh, you have an ingrown" and I was like uhh ok??? Turns out it got infected so I had to take and antibiotic and then come back in two weeks to see how it is. Well today was when I had to go back. I got there and he told me that he was going to spray my foot with something that was so cold that it would feel like my foot is numb (liquid nitrogen) so that I wouldn't feel it when he put the, at the time I thought it would only be one, needle in. Well it turned out to be three needles just to numb my freaking toe, and each needle made me bleed so I have three spots, making a ring with blood from the needles. Then I sat there for around 45 minutes just to make sure that my toe was fully numb that I wound up falling asleep while he went and helped other patients until my toe was ready. When he came back I woke up and he touched my foot and asked if I could feel anything when he touched it. I didn't realize he had already touched it so I asked "did you touch it yet?" and he started to laugh saying that it was numb enough. Then I covered my eyes while he did what he had to do because I know if I looked I would have freaked out. Now that I'm home the numbing has started to fade so I occasionally get really sharp shooting pains from the acid he poured in the cut he made (yeah....acid) and it hurts like hell. So now I get to limp around and waddle because all the feeling hasn't come back yet. O0oo0 and when they finished with my toe and it was time for me to leave, I couldn't put my lip flop back on because my toe was numb so I looked really weird trying to put it on.

Discuss some of the advantages and/or disadvantages of having three or more generations of a family living together under the same roof.

The advantage of having three or more generations living together under the same roof is that there is always someone to watch the youngest generation. You can learn things from the previous generations instead of reading it in a book. Disadvatnages is that there is a lot of arguing and conflicts. When I lived in Kearny, in my house was my grandma (my dad's mother), my mom, me, and my dad. Needless to say my dad was the odd one out in the house and always outnumbered. My mom and grandma would constantly fight over every little thing. The plus side to having my grandma living with us was that I always had someone to talk to and play with when my parents were at work or I wanted something to do. It was kind of like having a built-in babysitter. I loved having my grandma downstairs, I could go visit her any time of the day.

Does a person have to be wealthy and powerful in order to be considered successful?

No, a person does not have to be wealthy and powerful in order to be considered successful. There are many ways to define success. To me, success is when you enjoy your job and what you do no matter the pay, having a house, and a loving family (if you choose to have kids). Success does not necessarily mean wealth and power. Success is defined as long as you are happy with yourself and the things you do. People can be the most powerful and wealthy, but chances are they are miserable because they are not happy. Money can't buy happiness or love, and to me, that's the definition of success.

Ugh

The last time I had to do something that I didn't really want to do was go to Johnstwon, Pennsylvania this past weekend. We go up every year to visit a friend of the family who is 85 years old. I really didn't want to go because that was the weekend I was supposed to go visit my bestfriend down in North Carolina where she goes to college. I wound up going to Pennsylvania with my family and visiting Josephine. It wasn't the greatest weekend because it was really really boring. I made sure to bring a lot of music and books to keep me entertained while we were up there for the weekend. Then I begged to go shopping so that helped a little bit too.

How can parents promote good reading habits in their children? Discuss.

Parents can promote good reading habits in their children by starting to read to their kids at a young age. As the child gets older, they can offer little rewards for every book or couple of books they read on their own. For me, my grandmother started taking me to the library when I was two and she taught me how to read. I think because I learned how to read at such a young age is the reason why I love to read now. I think if a parent starts reading to their child at a young age, the child will have good reading habits as they grow older. Right now, we are having my little brother read a book to one of us every night. He is five, almost six, so my parents figured that they should get him reading so he will get into a habit of reading a book every night before he goes to sleep, whether it be to himself or to one of us.

America has many regional foods. What would you recommend to a traveller who wanted to experience food from the South?

If someone was going to the South for the first time, I would definitely recommend grits if you are looking for something to go along with your breakfast. When my family and I drive to Florida every year, we always stop in Georgia and order grits. Grits is kind of like farina but a little less thick and more white in color. Farina is usually more brown in color because it is made from wheat, where grits is not. Almost every place in the south has grits, which is usually served as a side. Some places in the North offer grits but they don't taste the same.

Is it better for a political leader to be feared instead of loved? Why or why not?

I think it's better for a political leader to be loved instead of feared because if they are feared, we would be afraid to do anything wrong, even something little. When I think of a feared leader, I think of the dictatorship that Hitler created during WWII. Everyone was given the choice to either follow him or pretty much die. He has gestapo dressed as regular civilians so they could listen in on people and report everything back to Hitler, and if you said something bad about him or disagreed with him, there was a good chance you were killed or punished. I would not want to live in a country where I feared a political leader. Sed leader doesn't have to be feared just to be tough. They can be tough but still loved by their followers.

Does our society allow women to assume masculine roles more readily than it allows males to assume roles traditionally called feminine?

In today's society, it's more easily accepted for women to to assume roles that were originally considered to be for males only than for men to assume roles traditionally called feminine. I think it's harder to accept males assuming roles originally called feminine because there are some things that we never assumed men would do or want to do. For some reason, people get weirded out if a father is raising a child on his own because that means he does laundry, cooks, cleans, and takes care of the house and child. People are always shocked when they hear a male say that he can cook. My grandpa cooks better than half the women in our family. It's hard to accept males taking on traditional female roles because we are not used to it.

Which of the four seasons of the year appeals to you the most? Why?

I'm stuck between winter and fall. I love fall because the weather is still pretty nice out, it's not too cold or too hot. I also love driving and seeing all the different color leaves on the trees, to me that just looks so pretty. Winter is just amazing because there's snow, enough said. I absolutley love when it snows and all the trees, especially evergreens, have a blanket of snow on them. Ot has to be my all-time favorite scenery. It's so awesome when everything is covered in a blanket of snow because it looks so clean and pure. It's the one season where you can snuggle up under a blanket next to a fire with a cup of hot chocolate and a good book. The freezing cold weather is okay because you can always bundle up with more layers until you're warm, granted you might look like a marshmallow.

Name your favorite game or sport and explain why you find it enjoyable.

My favorite sport is baseball. It is the only sport that makes sense to me and I can understand it with no problem. The one sport I cannot stand is football. I'm sorry but I think it's just a game where you try to score a touchdown and avoid getting body checked to the ground or dog-piled on. My favorite game of all time has to be badminton, hands-down. When we played it in high school my friend and I would make our teams and have names and get so into the game that whenever it was time to end gym, we woud complain and groan because we were having so much fun. Me and a couple of friends wanted to start a badminton club on campus, but when we went to talk to student life, they told us no because of pickleball. Needless to say, we were pretty upset by that.

Should teenaged children of divorced parents have the right to decide which parent to live with? Discuss.

It really depends on the situation of the parents. I mean if one parent, the favorite one, is a drug addict and that's who the child wants to live with, the child should not be given the option to live with sed parent. If both parents are financially stable to sane enough to raise a child, then the child should be able to choose who they want to live with. In court, some people can lie just so that the child will be granted to them and then they can collect money for being a single parent. I think it's not fair that the court should just assign the child to a parent. The child should be able to choose the parent they want to stay and live with, granted the child will be safe.

Third cricket found

The group paper isn't that bad, but it's definitely not the easiest. It's hard to find times that the five of us can get together before the paper is due, and sadly the only day that we can get together is thursday, the day before it's due. I think group papers are easier when you are in high school because everyone is from the same town or live close by, in college it's a little harder since we are from all over. The best part about working on the paper was that everyone pretty much accepted the weird ideas that Amy and I had, which was pretty sweet because I figured they would hate them all and make us change everything. The worst part is trying to come up with an idea of putting everything together and making it presentable.

"Manners belong to a bygone age; they are no longer relevant." Attack, defend, or modify

I am half and half with that statement. It's true, most kids these days don't pay attention to manners and don't always use them, but that doesn't mean that they are no longer relevant. I know that me and my two other cousins, we are the same age, use our manners and make sure we do, or else we get wacked upside the head. I work at WaWa so I see a lot of children and teens who are using their manners when we ring them up at register. At WaWa it's actually a lot of the adults who don't use their manners and come in and talk on their phones the entire time. If anything, I would say that most adults don't care about their manners and that this generation of kids are beginning to use them more and more. I'm sure others don't agree, but from working where I do, that's what I have concluded.

How do you account for the popularity of horror films? Discuss.

Horror films have to be, by far, my favorite type of movies. I think it's the thrill and adrenaline jolt we get from watching the movies that make them so popular. Some things that happen in the movie are just so ridiculous that we watch them. My favorite horrow movie of all time is the original Exorcist, because the things that happened in that movie are just so ridiculous. I know the first time I watched that movie was with my dad at midnight and I was so scared because I had never seen anything like that type of film before. Someone was explaining the movie to me one day and I was like wow, I want to rent that, so my dad and I went to blockbuster and rented all three Exorcist movies. For one thing, the other two are nothing compared to the first, they are less scary and make no sense. Barely anything that happens in horror movies ever happens in life so that's what makes them so popular.

Why did you choose the career for which you are preparing?

The career for which I am preparing for is a cardiologist. Ever since I was a little girl my mom has told me that I always said that I wanted to become a doctor when I grew up. I was never really sure of what kind of doctor I wanted to become until my sophomore year in high school. I had to do a science fair project for my biology class so I decided to do something on the human heart. While doing the project, I found out that my family has really bad health history with our hearts. I also found out that my grandpa has had 9 heart attacks, that the doctors know of, and is still active and alive. After I found that, I knew I wanted to become a cardiologist. My mom asks me from time to time if I still want to become one and I tell her yes. I have doubted myself sometimes but it'll be worth it in the end.

Should college students have complete freedom to choose their own courses? Discuss.

No, I don't think that college students should have complete freedom to choose their own classes. I know that sounds weird, but if you think about it, we really shouldn't. I'm a perfect example as to why we shouldn't be allowed to do that. Since I'm a biology major, I have to take a lot of credits for just Sciences alone, but then I need my Math and my English classes too. If it were up to me, I probably wouldn't take all of my English courses and my two or three courses of Math. I would stick strictly to the science classes and that would be it. There's a good chance that if college students were given the complete freedom to choose our own classes, that a good percentage would not wind up taking the classes that we would need for our intended major. No one wants to have to take a class that they don't want, so even if they needed it, there's a good chance they wouldn't bother to sign up for it.

There were TWO crickets in my house

The first essay that you had us write actually wasn't bad at all. I understood what we were supposed to write about and I actually did better than I thought I did. I don't have the greatest writing skills so I figured I did pretty poorly. I guess the only problem that I had for writing the first assignment was how to write why it was and American cultural icon, even though it was the American Red Cross. I know how to describe it and what the Red Cross does, but I had a somewhat hard time saying why it is a cultural icon. This second one is proving a little bit harder for me because I'm used to a structured essay, not an assignment where we have to come up with a community and then have rules and regulations and things like that. For the third essay, for me, I would prefer a structured essay or even a persuasive one (as much as I hate them).