Your Daily Forecast

"You aren't entirely sure what's going on with your mate or your best friend, but you should be able to clear things up if you can let them know that you're confused. Don't let misunderstandings come between you!"


This little quote right here was taken from my daily horoscope on Yahoo!'s homepage. These little sayings make me wonder, how often are horoscopes not true? But more importantly, how eerily true are they sometimes? A horoscope is a forecast of someone's future based on the alignment of the stars and planets. Make sense? Not really to me. I don't understand how the stars can predict my love life or how much money I'm going to make this month. Astrology has always been a matter that confuses me. While I can distinguish the Little Dipper from the Big Dipper in the sky, that's about all I know from the star gods. So how do the alignment of the sun, moon, and some celestial bodies pinpoint exactly who I am? I'm a Gemini, as is my twin brother, and what's weird about this sign is that we're twins. The sign for Gemini is twins. Because Geminis are known to be versatile and two-faced. Let's just hope two-faced in my situation is talking about my other twin, and not another personality. They're considered leaders and stubborn people. Another weird fact is that my name Jordan, in Hebrew, means "ascending from the gods, a leader to all." Which parallels with my Gemini description of being a leader. Creepy, I know. While these may not always be true, horoscopes are an entertaining way to pass the time. It's the tarot card readers that I'm scared of. I don't want someone telling me my future and ruining it for me. No thank you. I'd rather just trust the stars' definition on my Yahoo! homepage.


http://shine.yahoo.com/astrology/gemini/daily-overview/;_ylt=AqVcGGx2sMiE9G.xj7Ob5GN6b6U5

Going the Distance

Someone once told me, "Relationships are made out of convenience." People meet and stay together when it's most convenient for them. If you think about it, it's kind of true. Your mom and dad said they met in college, another couple met in the line at the post office on a certain day, and other people met by sharing a broken down elevator together. Yep, I've heard all these stories. What they all have in common is one thing, the right place at the right time. Coming from a divorced family, you realize relationships are all about timing. My father, who actually told me this quote, experienced this firsthand. He met his future wife, my stepmom, while he was living in Texas and she was in Tennessee. Well as fate would have it, they fell in love. Six states away. Basically convenience became an issue and they both knew they had to do something to salvage their relationship. So my stepmom, Shelby, packed up her bags and moved to Texas three weeks after meeting my dad. Too soon, some would say, but eight years later they're still going strong. And they credit the lack of distance between them.

After hearing this story you wonder do long distance relationships really work? Can people actually go the distance? Obviously there are people who have tested this and proved that long distance relationships can work. Props to them. I, however, am somewhat skeptical. That saying "distance makes the heart grow fonder" is true. But how long does that distance have to be? And what if the opposite happens, and you forget about them? Although I stand by my theory that relationships are formed from convenience, there are examples that make me doubt my theories. Look at all the wives and husbands who have spouses in the war overseas. One of them is my cousin and her new husband. Through Skype and "Dear John" letters, they make it work. It's cute, true love stories like this that give us hope. Overall though one thing's for sure. If you want to make it convenient for you, it'll happen. If you make the effort and go the extra mile (or thousands of miles), long distance relationships can work. It's just how much you're willing to tread that'll make the difference. 

Cock A Doodle Do!

Can't seem to wake up in the morning? Take a Rooster Pill! And what in God's name is a Rooster Pill? Well they're pills that regulate your body to wake up after 7 hours of sleep. Not only do you wake up on time, but you also wake up not feeling groggy or tired. It's a miracle pill. Made by a single mother, stressed and never getting enough sleep, the pill contains an assortment of vitamins including Vitamin B, thiamin, and riboflavin. These pills are known to maintain health and boost one's energy. The coating on the pill is said to get into your bloodstream so that you don't wake up feeling tired. Does it work for real? Honestly, I've never tried it. But for the decent price of $30-$40 per tablet, I'd be up to try. I wonder if they work for hangovers too...?

The Real World

The Real World. No, I'm not talking about the TV show like a lot of you probably thought when you saw this title. I'm talking about the actual real world of reality. Living in America, it's like we have no clue of what's going on in the outside world. The fighting in Libya, the earthquakes in Japan, and let's not forget the royal wedding in England. Well we all probably know about the last one. That's had about as much media coverage as the U.S. presidential election. All we know about is Jake Gyllenhal's new haircut and the tornado that hit the St. Louis airport. We are literally suffocated in a bubble. We're ignorant to the world around us. 

This subject bugs me a lot actually. A lot of people say they've experienced the world yet they've never even had a stamp in their passport. They say that they're concerned about world hunger, yet don't even donate a penny to the cause. We seem to give no credit to other cultures or their problems. In fact if you haven't been to Pakistan or Libya, you'll probably judge them poorly just because of the news coverage you've seen about them. But have you ever thought what other countries thought of us? What do they read in their newspapers every morning? Probably about the heightening price of taxes, our nomination of an African American president, and Reese Witherspoon's recent marriage. Even though we are one of the richest nations, with a ton of diversity, and a wealth of opportunities, are we in the real world? We're not the ones suffering for food and water like some poverty stricken countries around the world. We're not the ones who are afraid to step out in the street, because they're afraid of getting shot from the war violence. Not to mention, a war they have nothing to do with.

Even though I say all this, I have ironically never ventured past the North American continent. It's not that I don't want to, I just haven't had the opportunity to. I dream of the day that I can go abroad and see the world for what it really is. Different people living in different ways in different places. However I think I'm most interested in just experiencing things in someone else's life. Seeing the daily struggles of someone and all they go through to survive. I'm not talking about a five star resort vacation where shopping and tanning are the priorities on my list. I'm talking the real, up front way of living. I know it sounds somewhat depressing, but it's one of those things that will make you appreciate what you really have. And hopefully make you a better person. Ultimately it's a tough world out there. I hope one day I'll get the chance to at least try to understand it. And maybe, just maybe, find a way to help.

What Came First, the Chicken or the Egg?

This age old question is probably the most annoying question someone has ever asked me. No, I have absolutely no idea what came first. Because don't you need an egg, to make a chicken yet you also need a chicken to make an egg? It's all quite confusing. This question is also one of Google's most asked questions in the past year. Well apparently "eggsperts" Professor David Papineau and poultry farmer, Charles Bourns, said that it was the egg. Why the egg? Because eggs were around long before the chicken was. Think back to prehistoric times when even dinosaurs had eggs. Every type of animal lays an egg. So if the egg didn't come first, how would all animals be here? Bourns says, ""Eggs were around long before the first chicken arrived. Of course, they may not have been chicken eggs as we see them today, but they were eggs" (CNN's "Chicken and egg debate unscrambled"). But do we really believe these "eggsperts"? Or is it just another theory trying to be proven by people claiming to be knowledgeable? In any case, it's just one of those questions that can never truly be answered. "What came first, the chicken or the egg?" will forever stay scrambled in my mind. 

http://articles.cnn.com/2006-05-26/tech/chicken.egg_1_chicken-eggs-first-egg-first-chicken?_s=PM:TECH

Blind As A Bat

Being blind from the time I could remember, I've never really remembered what it was like to wake up and be able to see the world. To wake up and not have to squint at the alarm clock and to not have to spend a good five minutes every morning trying to find where I put my glasses the night before. The funny thing is my family didn't even know I was blind until I was six. We were driving in Michigan and I asked my grandma why there were such big sticks in the snow. They were telephone poles.

Being legally blind is common these days and more kids than I thought have grandpa vision like me too! Being in college made me less insecure about my vision, because it seemed like everyone else around me couldn't see either. You'd be surprised how many people have the words "Restrictions to the Road: Needs Corrective Vision" on the back of their driver's license. Yes apparently I could be a danger to the road if I drove without glasses. To be honest, I can't even see the color of the stoplights when at the intersection if my contacts aren't in. I'm surprised they even let me get my license. 

A mere 10% of people in the United States are legally blind. Hey, I'm one of them! It kind of makes me feel special considering I'm pretty much normal otherwise. It's like one of those quirks everyone has about him or herself. Mine's that I can't see the person who's talking to me. But that's about the only good thing I can name about being blind. Try being in college and being blind. Having to somehow keep track of your contacts and pray to God your eyes don't get red when you're out at night. An eye doctor once told me to stay away from bars because the smoke in the air was causing eye redness. Obviously, this guy had never been to college. Or to a bar. That's why this year I decided to stop worrying about my eyes and find something that adjusted to my life. These wonderful things were daily contacts. And next up is LASIK. That's just if I don't go blind beforehand. 

He's Just Not That Into You... Because of You

"He should call me first." "Never be the first to text." "Play hard to get and he'll want you." These are lines that our friends tell us when first meeting someone of the opposite sex. It's like from the get go all we hear in our minds is "Play games, play games." But do games really help in forming a relationship? Does it really matter who texts first or who didn't?

I did a little experiment with one of my good friends and a guy she had just met. She met this guy one night at the bar and the next morning decided she really liked him. They had swapped phone numbers and planned to meet again. However when asking when she was going to talk to him she just blatantly replied, "He's texting me first. I'm the girl, I don't do that." Three days pass and... nothing. I insisted that she text him and she refused. She stated her reasons being that if a guy really wanted to talk to you, he would. Needless to say, they never ended up talking. Seeing him out a couple weeks later, he came up to me and asked why my friend was not into him. Little did he know, she actually did like him yet was too afraid to just be herself and text him. She let playing a game ruin the possibility of a relationship.

So this begs the questions, should we play games in relationships? In a society run by the ideals presented in the chick flick, He's Just Not That Into You, girls became even more afraid than ever to talk to a guy. Seeing Ginnifer Goodwin get denied over and over again by guys and Bradley Cooper cheating on his wife with a  young Scarlett Johanson made us wonder if there was any truth to any relationship. Do we have to play hard to get to... well, get what we want? Does playing games keep you from getting hurt? My answer to this is no. If you ask someone in a relationship how they got together, the majority will say that "It just happened." The reason it happened? Because both parties were interested... and showed it. Don't be afraid to look stupid by texting someone. The thing is if they don't text back, well move on. It wasn't meant to be. There's a lot of fish in the sea. Just man up and make the first move. I mean look at all the famous love stories. Romeo didn't find his love by waiting for Juliet to text him. Or send a messenger dove to him, whatever they did in those days. 

Dunk-A-Roos... Where Are You?

What ever happened to those snacks, Dunk-A-Roos? You know those kangaroo shaped cookies that you would dip in chocolate frosting? Or dipped in that little rainbow sprinkled vanilla frosting? Or even the new cookies n' cream frosting? Established in 1988, these snacks soared in the 90's and seemed to fall off the face of the earth when the millennium hit. So what happened? In my opinion I believe that it is a result of the rising obesity statistics in America. Obviously no mother is going to give her son or daughter cookies, not to mention cookies that you dip in a pile of chocolate. The new fad these days are celery and carrot sticks dipped into fat free ranch. Ew.

But I think the real reason for the fail of this cookie was their lack of advertising. These days you can't turn on the TV without seeing an advertisement but for some reason the makers of Dunk-A-Roos felt like they didn't need to advertise. However in 1996 they did come up with a competition for a new mascot, instead of Sydney, the kangaroo. They chose a mascot called "Duncan the Dunking Daredevil" in 1997, but even with this, the cookie just seemed to fail. It is also really only sold at superstores such as Costco. This could definitely lead to a lack of sales, considering not everyone has that prized Costco membership. Sadly enough I miss these little cookies and am always disappointed as I scan up and down the aisles of Kroger and only see Cheez-Its and Chips Ahoy. Nonetheless I still believe these little snacks were the best snack of my childhood. My only complaint was there wasn't enough chocolate frosting for dunking.

Today I Don't Feel Like Doing Anything

This is probably one of the few music videos I've ever seen that is all filmed from one place, the living room of a house. No extra sound effects, no special costumes, no fancy dance movies... Just a chill atmosphere of a man singing at his own beat. Bruno Mars' song, "The Lazy Song," one of iTunes top ten songs, has easily become a popular song to the youth of America. Not to mention it explains what guys really do when they're at home doing nothing. "Today I don't feel like doing anything, I just want to lay in my bed" are the exact lines of what I feel like half the time I wake up. Listening to this song makes you want to be the laziest person ever. Today "I don't feel like doing anything," but unlike Bruno Mars, I have finals, work, and four papers to write. So to take a break from studying or whatever work you're doing and listen to this song. Because in this song, everyday is Sunday.

What's a Meat Market?

Go to any sports gym between the hours of 3pm-6pm. What do you see? An overpacked room of people working out, stretching, sitting, and checking out the opposite sex. Being here at Southern Methodist University, the hours between 3pm-6pm are considered social hour. It's like the bar but on a Monday afternoon. I call it the "Happy Hour" of gym time. Right before sorority and fraternity chapters, it's poppin more than ever.

So who exactly do you see at the gym? Well first of you see the actual dedicated athletes. The people dedicated to their bodies, who know what they're doing on that treadmill, and how it affects their bodies. Then there's the people who are there with the goal to lose weight. They have determination in their eyes, they're sweating and the only goal on their mind is how they're going to look after their workout. Then there comes my favorite people. The sorority girls. The girls who wear makeup to the gym, hair preciously pulled back into a "messy" ponytail, short tight spandex, and of course their favorite sorority tee. Walking into the gym you see the room flooded with colors and phrases like "Crazy for Chi-O" and "Party with PiPhi." And the last group is the frat boys. These three hours to them are their golden hours. They walk around, slap each others hands, and bob their heads to their blaring rap music in their ears. They sit on the benches huffing and puffing as the check out the blonde who walks past them. They laugh, talk about what they're going to do that night. Oh yeah and they lift a 10 pound dumbbell some time in between... And for some reason are sweating as a result of it.

Sadly this is the sight almost every day at a college gym. As someone once told me, "It's a meat market." The guys are picking out which girl will be their next piece of meat, the next girl who they're going to "hook up" with. In a society run by looks and someone's physical appearance, this is the prime spot to find a mate. Unlike most girls think, boys are actually smart. They know where to go to find hot, barely clothed women. As gross as it sounds, it just goes to show how shallow our society is. Even a place to better yourself and become healthy has just become a "meat market."

Sober is Sexy

I first saw this tank top while viewing one of my friends from USC's Facebook profile. Someone had posted a link to her wall (I swear I don't stalk as much as it sounds like) with a picture of what they called the new Pi Phi tank top. And the words read... "The Only Coke I Do Is Diet." Knowing her from high school and knowing she was just oddly obsessed with Diet Coke, I thought it was funny. I also thought it was funny how someone was joking about a sorority's reputation on campus... But that's a whole other story. However this t-shirt got me thinking... Is this a message that we really need to address? Is coke use on college campuses really that rising? And more interestingly, would someone support this cause and actually wear this tank top on campus?

Reports from a site called "Michael's House," a chemically dependent rehabilitation center, states that "Cocaine use by college students reached a ten-year high in 2006 when over 5% reported using the drug at their time during school" (Cocaine Addition Statistics). Although not a significant number like marijuana use or especially alcohol use on a college campus, cocaine is surprisingly more common than one would think. Known as a drug "that stimulates the central nervous system and causes hyperactivity, euphoric feelings, increased blood pressure, and heart rate," kids are using this drug as another way get high on their Thursday and Friday nights. Mixed with alcohol and a college atmosphere, kids are without a doubt abusing this drug. That's why this campaign is so interesting, it's addressing a cause that most people turn their backs to. Cocaine.

 I think this campaign is brilliant, especially with the actor in the picture having tattoos and looking well, a little rough around the edges. Most people would think that he would be the ideal person to do drugs but be careful who you stereotype. This kid in the picture is a sober model for a company actually supporting the cause on the t-shirt. In other words, this campaign "The Only Coke I Do Is Diet" was started by a t-shirt company called, "Sober Is Sexy." Their other t-shirts include messages called, "Heroin Killed the Radio Star" and so on. Contrasted to the normal "Above the Influence" ads you see on TV and in print ads, this is literally wearable art. More specifically, art that carries a message. The real question is... would you be strong enough to wear this t-shirt or would you fear people would judge you as a "goody-too shoes"? Even though this may seem like a smaller issue than marijuana and alcohol, it is still a problem on college campuses. So what type of coke do you do? Personally I prefer cherry.

http://www.michaelshouse.com/cocaine-addiction/cocaine-addiction-statistics.html

W.O.R.D.S. With Friends

I'm addicted. It's bad. "Words With Friends," the popular iPhone app not only keeps me busy when I'm bored in class, at work, or just whenever, but also keeps me in contact with my friends. AND it expands your vocabulary... Or so I'd like to think. The 21st century Scrabble like game is either free or $0.99 depending on what version you buy for your 3G or 4G iPhone. It involves having a word bank of words and of course a double or triple word score, like the famous game, Scrabble. It even includes a little instant messaging window so you can talk to your opponent while playing them. However this iPhone app is not bilingual... as my roommate soon found out when her word, "Diez," was rejected. Nonetheless with a colorful and easily accessible board, even an idiot could play it. I-D-O-I-T. A word worth 12 points.

I think the funniest thing about this new app is how much more you can get in contact with your friend. From your iPhone, you can text, e-mail, Facebook, call, play "Words with Friends" and instant message your friend on "Words with Friends" all in about 2 minutes. Understandably it's the 21st century, but how many ways do we really need to keep in contact with our friends? F-R-I-E-N-D-S. 22 points. Bam. Just won my last game.

Peek-A-Boo, I See You!

 Peek-A-Boo, I See You? I've always wondered if animals had a sense of humor. If they could actually understand what we were
saying to them and react in an intentional funny way. Does this manatee know he's playing hide and seek? Do dogs know it's funny when they chase their tails around? One of my best friends is incredibly entertained by animal pictures. I've never really understood why until she introduced me to StumbleUpon... Then changed my settings to all animals. Bored in class, these little snip its of animals being funny makes my day. Whether intentional or not,  these animals are just flat out funny. Having a bad day? Just take a couple of these pictures I found while stumbling... I mean blogging.

Lifetime: The New CNN

Lifetime Movies. The ultimate woman's guide to drama and action in the world. It's funny too because these movies on Sunday nights are actually what keep us updated with this month's headlines. For instance this past Sunday, the new movie, William and Kate: Let Love Rule, aired on Lifetime. The Lacey Peterson murder story? Yep, there was a movie for that. The Amanda Knox story? Check. The Craigslist Killer? A movie for that too. Actually one of Lifetime's most viewed movies ever on their network.  And let's not forget the Natalee Holloway story. This story aired several years after the young teenager's death and was almost so realistic, it was eerie. Not surprisingly lawsuits from her family followed after the release.

But really, why watch the news when you can watch Lifetime? Instead of some boring news story, you get bad actors, overwhelmingly dramatic music, and tears and laughter all in an hour and a half. Who could ask for more? So this Sunday, girl or guy, snuggle up on your couch and catch up on news and gossip all within the 9pm showing of the newest movie. Until then, feel free to watch a preview below of William and Kate: Let Love Rule.

Chopped and Screwed.

Do you always feel like you're being overpriced, manipulated, or forced into buying something you don't want to? Well you're not alone. When you go in for an oil change, the corrupt guys at the car dealership proceed to tell you that your steering wheel fluid is out, your air condition filter is dirty, and you need new belts for your car. (What is a car belt anyways?) They try to sell you on each one, each costing $100. You spend almost $400 as you walk out the door. And all you came in for was a $29 oil change.Your purse feels light and you just leave feeling confused. 

It seems these days there is no such thing as an honest corporation. At your doctor's office, they even tell you that you need this and you need that. Obviously worried about your health, you'll probably buy it. But do you really need it? Do you know best or do corporations marketed to you know better? Are these corporations marketing products to you or actually bettering your health? Like we talk about in our Intro to Creativity class, advertising is corrupt. They're not always marketed to better the public, in fact most the time ethics is not even an issue.  In my opinion I believe that it is half and half of whom you should trust. That being said, second opinions should never be underestimated. I remember one doctor told a close friend that he had a bacteria infection and had nothing to worry about. While relieved he didn't have to pay much and walked out of the doctor's office without a worry, he was back within the month. This doctor had just happened to overlook this infection, which in fact was cancer. This leads to the question of ultimately who can we trust? And who knows best for us? 

While being only nineteen and having a lot to learn in my life, I am just dipping my feet into the pool of manipulation. So unfortunately I will go through a lot of trial and errors and probably end up screwed from time to time. Hopefully the old adage goes, age makes you wiser. Because in a society of corrupt, dishonest individuals, you truly can only trust yourself. But until I'm that age, I'm just going to believe what my mother always told me... Mother knows best. Not some doctor being paid to tell you what you like to hear. 

T.G.I.T.

T.G.I.F. The phrase, "Thank God It's Friday," has been coined around the world as the ultimate way to celebrating the end of the week. Religious or not, everyone says "Thank God It's Friday." So why is Friday the best day of the week? Well obviously it's because it's the end of the work week and the weekend's the next day. There's no reason to wake up early, you don't have to go to the gym, pack a lunch for work the next day, or do any homework. In other words you have nothing to do. Thank God.

However in college, this term is slowly forming into T.G.I.T., "Thank God It's Thursday." Because these days, Thursday's the new Friday. Thursday, now the night to go out for college kids, is favored for the same reasons as Friday, even though most students have class the next day. But as my roommates say, "Oh, well!" In a sense the work weeks are becoming shorter and the real world is becoming less of a reality. But I'm sure me and every other college kid out there can agree this is not a problem. We have four years to enjoy ourselves, so why not enjoy every second of it? Even if it means starting our weekends a day early.

Gas. The New Pain in the Ass.

Living in Highland Park, Texas one would assume that things were already expensive. But with the average price of a gallon of gas soaring past $4.00, it's as if even the cheapest things in life are becoming unbearable to pay for. I feel bad for those people who drive Tahoes and Yukons and whose average gas fill up is well over $80. That right there could be someone's weeks worth of groceries. It has always been ironic to me that during troubling economic times, even the essentials rise in cost.

Minimum wage in Texas is $7.25. And the average price of gas in some places is over $4.00? Just to get to and from work, it seems as though people are paying half of their paychecks on transportation. The easiest answer to these raising gas prices, is to drive less and take public transportation. But tell that to people who are accustomed to living a lifestyle that allows them to do whatever they want. Being a college kid myself, it is hard to budget and to save money. And if someone told me to take the bus to work, I would respond that not only is it inconvenient but also... we have a bus station? It seems as though money is running through my fingers like sand and all my paychecks and allowances go to eating, going out, and well, living. And add raising gas prices, budgeting is becoming harder than ever. Even driving is costing an arm and a leg. Like I said before, gas is the new pain in the ass.

130 Pounds of....Sugar!?

How much sugar do you eat a day? A week? A year? According to a Yahoo! article by David Zinczenko, the average American eats "130 pounds of the stuff every 365 days" ("8 Best Supermarket Sweets"). That is 2.8 pounds of sugar a day. We might as well be shoving 12 cups of sugar in our mouth. America, we are officially gross. 

There is no average cost for a filling, but from my most recent trip to the dentist, my father will be paying $175 each for my fillings... Multiply that by 4, and it is a cool $700 to satisfy my sweet tooth(s)... Oops? So while I'd like to preach to everyone how disgusting our sugar intake is, I am sadly one of the statistics. So instead of being hypocritical and tell people we should really stop eating sugar, I'd actually like to stand behind my sugar cravings. Because Hershey's chocolate bars and Reese's peanut butter cups are what keep me going on those late nights at the library. And a bag of peanut M&Ms is what satisfies me when I'm having a bad day. So even though that is the most disgusting statistic I've heard in awhile, I'm just going to turn a deaf ear. Ignorance is bliss, right?

Going Steady?

Urban dictionary says the expression "Going Steady" means "what white kids in the '50s called 'dating'." In other words, "Johnny gave me his pin at the dance ... now I know we're going steady!".  Fast forward to the 21st century and no one, I mean no one, uses this expression anymore. In fact it as if dating is extinct as well. How many times do you see a young couple out to dinner on a Friday night? If you do a little experiment and sit at a popular restaurant next to a college campus, count how many couples you see on a romantic date. You'll look around and see a lot of groups of boys and girls, maybe a few parents out on date night, a few tables of boys hanging out drinking beers checking out the next table full of girls on a girls' night. So is dating extinct because of our society or do we just not have time for it anymore?

Our society preaches all about casual sex and having a fun, carefree lifestyle being single. Shows like "The Real World" and "Jersey Shore" are the best examples of this lifestyle. Not to mention, these are possibly the trashiest shows on television. Wonder why? Because they just show a bunch of hormone filled early twenty-something year olds all over each other, drunk, and making mistakes... in front of thousands of viewers. Including their parents. Ew.

Playing devil's advocate, as well, maybe our society really wants to date but just does not have time for it. If you're not in college, put yourself in the shoes of a college kid these days. You go to class during the day, have a part time job at night, spend your nights either going out to bars or doing homework, and also just add in time to...well, live. Time to relax, hang out with your roommates, and feel connected to the world. Not to mention a lot of Friday and Saturday nights, popular date nights, are filled with frat parties and group activities. So do we even have time to dedicate ourselves to another person? While some people may say this is easy to do, I am on the opposing side. It is hard to balance time for yourself and time for someone else. Especially in a society where women are influenced to be independent beings and this 1950's version of a woman, and a relationship, are cast aside. Maybe it's being selfish or maybe it's being smart. But in my opinion, how can one find themselves if they're with another all the time? 

5 Year Olds... The New Birth Control

Have you ever spent a day with a 5 year old? I mean a whole, 24 hours, nonstop day and night with a kindergartner. It's brutal, let me tell you. You wake up in the morning with them at approximately 6:15am. After telling them to go back to sleep and them playing a few games of "Angry Birds" on your iPhone, they ask you how long an hour is. Then they pick at your hair, ask you if you're still tired, and continually throw their stuffed animal in your face. Needless to say, you're up by 7am. You make them waffles and spread butter and syrup on them. Then the 5 year old complains there's too much syrup and makes you make new ones for them. After a quick, water fight also called bath time, the young child is clean and ready to get dressed. Then comes the picking out of outfits, also called the negotiation time. You argue whether jean shorts really go with the pink ruffly skirt she wants to wear on top. Or you argue about whether you need socks for sandals... According to kindergartners, you're feet will be too cold with sandals.

After wrestling with them to sit in their car seat, you drive them to the park. On the way, Taylor Swift is on repeat as well as the latest version of KidzBop. If you thought Justin Beiber was bad, just listen to this. You'll spend about 25 minutes at the park because the child will probably scrape their knee or have a nervous breakdown because someone stole their wood chips. So to make them feel better, you'll take them to Sonic and order them ice cream which they'll proceed to spill in your car and all over your school bag...with your laptop in it. After grabbing napkins to not only clean your car, but also wipe their tears you set out for home. And this is the best time of the day, naptime! Well that is if you can actually get the kid to nap. You'll read books, tell stories, shut the blinds, and put on the sounds of the ocean to calm them down. After closing the door lightly you'll hear them starting wailing that they don't need a bedtime. Advice to the wise... just put in your iPod and ignore. 20 minutes through listening to blasting music, you'll take out your earphones and discover the inevitable... silence. While thinking this is great, you soon hear a little voice come up to you, "I wet the bed" it says. And you spend your next few minutes collecting sheets, putting them in the washer, and once again collecting tissues to give to the 5 year old crying.

In the evening, you'll put on iCarly (Note to all... Barney does not exist to these new age kindergartners) and make them their Kid Cuisine dinner. They'll take a bite of their Dino Nuggets and burn their tongue and then you'll have to entertain them with holding an ice cube on their tongue while it messily melts down their shirt. This leads to the second bath time of the day, however, this one filled with screams and wailing because the shampoo got in their eyes or their Barbie mermaid's hair got stuck in the drain. After a second wrestling match and putting them in their Tinkerbell pajamas, you finally get them in bed. You read them a story and they encircle their body with their collection of stuffed animals. One must remember that the big ones circle the little one's feet and the important, smaller ones stay up top in a convenient cuddle position.  Then gradually someone falls asleep....and it's you. You wake up snuggling a teddy bear and see it's 11:30pm and you've somehow been tucked beneath pink sheets. Oh and the 5 year old is nowhere to be found. Frantically you go in the living room and find them passed out with the TV blaring and a bowl of melted M&Ms in front of them and chocolate all over their face. And to add to the perfect timing, the child's parents walk through the door right as you are discovering the sleeping child.

Sound like a nightmare to you? Well that was my last Saturday with my little sister. I think it's funny schools spend so much time focusing on either abstinence only programs. With this epidemic of teenage pregnancy happening in the US, people really need to start getting creative with their teenage sex programs. In my opinion, have a high school senior spend a day with a 5 year old. They can take my sister if they want. Because any one would agree that 24 hours with these little monsters, is the best birth control out there. If this happened to be a nationwide experiment, I'd bet my money that the percentage of teenage pregnancies in America would drop drastically. I guarantee it.

A Simple Little Kind of Free

"Nothing to do, nowhere to be, a simple little kind of free." This phrase, coined by lyrics of a John Mayer song, obviously, represents to me the perfect feeling that we all strive for in our busy lives. The days that we get once at year (if we're lucky) on spring breaks, holidays, or even just a lazy Sunday. But how is it possible to have a day of nothing with so many distractions? Can you honestly turn your phone off for 24 miserable hours? Or put your computer away in its case and never bring it out? Not to be harsh but people often sound like hypocrites when they say they strive for a relaxing break from the real world. Every vacation I've ever been on, the wife or husband has his or her Bluetooth in their ear and the children have iPods or Gameboys in their hands. In other words, if we always strive for "a simple little kind of free," why do we never give ourselves a chance to achieve it?

The actual meaning of the phrase, "nothing to do, nowhere..." in the song, "Perfectly Lonely," is John Mayer going on and on about how he is perfectly fine being lonely. Although I wonder is he perfectly fine with being lonely? If everyone thought like John Mayer, marriage would not exist and love would be an urban myth. Without realizing it, it is perfectly natural for us to flock to other people for comfort and attention. The picture, in the famous movie, The Notebook, possesses the perfect balance of the two. The balance of a peaceful, relaxing day and being in the presence of another person. As the ducks prove, we travel in flocks. No one wants to be sad alone and no one wants to travel alone. Although a huge supporter of doing one's own thing and having time for yourself, the time you surround yourself with others just doesn't even compare. Being alone may balance out yourself, but to really achieve "a simple little kind of free," I believe that you need to be free with others as well. It's just natural to flock to other people, especially when you feel free with yourself. Basically I'll just leave it up to a heartbroken, bitter singer to be the only one to support being alone. Because quite frankly I'd hate to wade the rough waters without my flock.

A Place Out West

Last summer I worked at a media company in Downtown Dallas. The focus of our work was selling billboards to clients in the greater Dallas/Fort Worth, Tyler, and Louisiana areas. Even though we put up the billboards, we had no control over what information was on the billboard. In other words I saw that anything really does go for advertising. Although there are restrictions where to post these billboards (i.e. all billboards pertaining to alcohol or tobacco had to be at least 10 miles away from a school district), there were really no restrictions on the wording. Anything goes, and by anything, I mean absolutely anything and everything. It's widely accepted that "sex sells."Whether it be the subtle hidden message of ice trickling alongside a glass of Jack Daniels or in this case, the blatant view of a woman's backside, sex is the key to catching a consumer's eye. Sadly. The woman's short shorts, being larger than the actual text of the ad, proves where the eyes are supposed to be directed first. Although a child may not understand this ad, an adult definitely will. Maybe it's a man driving down the highway, wanting some excitement or quite simply a change in his life.  Being attracted to this ad, he may see Texas as its opportunity. Yes, even paralleling "sex" with a brown, flat, dirty piece of land can make even the Lone Star state seem appealing. The majority of us who see this ad may gasp in shock. Or laughter. Or both. I personally thought of the Dixie Chicks' 90s hit song, "Wide Open Spaces."  Ironically as the original song goes, " It takes the shape of a place out west." Well by looking at this billboard, one can say that Texas definitely has taken on a new shape.

Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary

Made of vodka, tomato juice, lemon juice, Worchestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, pepper, and celery, an olive, and a lemon wedge for garnish, this sounds like the worst combination of ingredients to make a drink. Yet this drink is delightfully tasty and known as one of the best hangover cures. In fact it's proven that the tomato juice actually metabolizes the alcohol in the stomach faster. Served at brunch places and airlines around the world, it's the go-to drink for adults on a nice Saturday brunch day. 

But did you ever think where this drink was named after? Especially since it was named after one of the most horrific legends in witchcraft history. "Bloody Mary" was the witch who appeared to children and scratched out their eyeballs before eventually killing them. Gruesome, I know. The old adage continues to say that if a child spins around in front of a mirror and chants "Bloody Mary" 13 times, the witch will appear in the mirror. This little witchcraft game became a staple of childhood slumber parties around the world. While parents were downstairs popping the popcorn, their children were upstairs summoning witches into their homes. Being the youngest of my cousins, I was always the one summoned into the dark room to do it. And let me tell you, it scares you... when you see the glow of your own reflection in the mirror. "Bloody Mary" does not necessarily appear and well, I still have both my eyes intact without a scratch. Nonetheless it's comical to me that every time I take a sip of my Bloody Mary drink, I can't help but chant "Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary" in my head. The phrase that once jolted my body of fright at 7 years old, now merely rids it of any sign of a hangover at 19.... uh, I mean 21. 

Will You Accept This Rose?

If you're like any other 18-45 year old woman with nothing to do on a Monday, you are probably camped out on the couch for yet another episode of "The Bachelor." In other words, a guy's ten minutes of fame, oh wait, I mean his attempt at finding a wife on TV. I personally have never consistently watched this show, but after watching just this one season of it, I watch it more for the free entertainment than hoping he finds "the one." And it saves me a trip to the movies plus a ticket and popcorn. Why not watch?

Brad Womack is the Bachelor on the 15th season of the hit reality show. What started out as an actual quest to find love, has turned into a "Survivor" cat fight between the women contestants. And let's not forget the main event, Brad, who films his therapy sessions to prove he's truly heading in the right direction. Now any one in their right mind can tell he is absolutely BSing America, not to mention these women. While therapy is an acceptable method of help, filming your sessions cancels out its credibility all together. Obviously you're not going to say exactly what's on your mind with all of America watching.

So this begs the question, why are they even still doing this show? Or more importantly why are we still watching it? It's because we're hooked. And the producers know exactly how to do it. By sending contestants to trips all around the world from Costa Rica to South Africa, it almost forces the contestants to "fall in love." This "swept off your feet" phenomenon is a method producers use to help force a relationship between the contestant and the Bachelor. Not to mention with incredible editing, a soundtrack comparable to that of Titanic's, and increasingly pathetic women throwing themselves at a spray tanned and scripted Bachelor, it is easy to make an audience think you can find love anywhere. Of course after signing contracts, staying under the radar for months, and finally announcing to the media their "split," "The Bachelor" and it's contestants follow an all too common process that one can predict from the first episode. This show, although entertaining and easy to poke fun at, diverts away the idea that real love is out there. Like most people who meet at college or in the frozen food aisle, true love is out there, as supported by real life. So even though Hollywood producers glam up love... Everyone who has experienced it or at least something close, can attest the opposite. Love is not always glamorous and should not be made a mockery as it is in this show. Although its message is to bring two people together, I'd rather let fate do its course then let Chris Harrison ask if I'd accept the final rose.

Dream, Dream, Go Away

As a child, I had one dream and one dream only. I was at Six Flags Over Texas with my mom and dad and while on the Texas Giant roller coaster, a tornado hit. Then the next thing I know I'm running in a wheat field with Dorothy's red, sparkly slippers from Wizard of Oz all alone in the middle of a tornado. First one must know that my absolute biggest fear is severe weather, most specifically tornadoes. So why do I choose to live in Texas? No idea. On another note I should say that I had this dream beginning at age nine and it finally ended when I entered college. I didn't understand why I stopped dreaming. Maybe it was the lack of sleep, or no sleep, or maybe I had just grown out of my childish dreams. But then something clicked.

Dorothy's red, sparkly slippers were always tapped to go home. My mom and dad were pictured in the tornado, but not in the wheat field. And more importantly, my parents got divorced when I was nine. Looking back on it all, my childish dream actually had more significance than I could have ever thought of, even now. I was looking for a way home, felt alone, and it was as if I was literally swept off my feet by the announcement of their separation. Psychologists have been saying for years that dreams point to reality. I guess I just didn't see my reality till I stopped dreaming. It was as if the dream of a happy family was gone and reality hit. Like a tornado. 

Sing It, Sista

This video, which was sent to me from my own mother as a joke, instantly made me want to create a blog about it. She thought it was funny because it was everything she taught me growing up to be. An independent woman who could support herself without another person, more specifically a man. And she believed that this child was a mirror image of me at 5 years old... God I hope I wasn't that stubborn. In any case though when people say that our children are our future, I couldn't agree with them more. What we teach our kids and what society teaches our kids molds them into who we are today. Just by watching this video, it's evident that her parents, especially her mother, have some sort of impact on her. But today in the 21st century, I'd say, "more power to ya sista." Almost two hundred years ago, women didn't have any rights so the fact that a 5 year old is professing her want for a job before a man is absolutely amazing. What's even greater about this video is how adamant she is about her future plans. It's not like she said it once, but is rather preaching it like Samantha Jones in "Sex and the City."

The funny part about this clip is the background story that is on the side of her YouTube profile. This little girl is actually yelling at her brother, who at about 18 years old, won't let her come with him on tour with his band. Obviously, a little worked up she lashes out about all men not letting her work. What is just a sibling rivalry has turned into quite the YouTube hit. And not to mention a true testament to children literally being the voices of our future. 5 year old boys should watch out, they're growing up with the strongest generation of women yet.

[Insert Greek Letters Here]

Labels. Louis Vuitton, Prada, True Religion, Hermes, Tory Burch, Marc Jacobs, Alpha Phi Kappa Zeta Delta. Being a college student at one of the undoubtedly materialistic campuses in the nation, labels are everywhere. Whether it's your bag, your pin on your bag, your car, or your keychain on your car keys every girl in college unknowingly labels herself in one way. Girls from every direction of the country all have one thing in common, and it's not their willingness for a good education. It's the David Yurman ring on their finger. Coming from many different states and meeting many people, it's so odd for me to think the first light that I saw at my college was not a bright light for my future but rather the reflection off of a girl's ring filling out her dorm applications.

It's funny to think that people claim they come to college to escape high school. Yet when they come to college, they're more high school than ever. Why would one person who has four years before they hit the real world waste it being someone they were the four years prior? We may live in a bubble now, but the second graduation comes, that bubble's gonna pop. Our friends will be scattered around the country following their jobs, some may get married, and others may stay in college to relive more high school. And trust me, as a girl who has been to nine different schools, this pattern never ceases to go wrong. Things change, they always do.

Individuality is preached daily. Our Intro to Creativity class encourages us to be our own person and learn our paths to discovering our own creativity. How can we be individually creative, individually efficient, and more important individual thinkers if we continue to label ourselves? In two years, the pin on your bag will mean nothing, the shirt that you were dying to have will go out of season, and the sticker on your car will only be a way to find your car in the parking lot. In other words, why not just burst your bubble now? Because sooner or later, someone else is going to do it for you.

Monogamy... Schmonogamy

If it is true that we evolved from the species of apes, then we must take on some of their characteristics. Right? Somewhat. In terms of attraction towards other sexes, we actually symbolize these mammals more than we think. According to recent studies, through countless Internet blogs and magazines like Cosmo, monogamy is actually unnatural for our species. Many married couples think that just because you lose the intimacy in a marriage, means it's over. Not necessarily, it's actually part of your nature to covet what someone else has. Think about it, if you are a person on a new diet, wouldn't you want that nice, juicy blue cheese bacon burger that your friend had instead of your field greens and vinaigrette? If you say no, you're lying. If you're a newly married person it's just natural for your eyes to wander, even as soon as your honeymoon.

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Women accuse men all the time of being cheaters and players. However, interestingly enough, statistics show women are pretty similar to men from this standpoint. So ladies, we may be wrong at who we point our fingers toward. 45% of married women are likely to engage in some sort of affair throughout the courtship, while 55% of men are assumed to do the same. So why is it that we blame men for things we naturally do as well? It's the natural old question of the battle of the sexes. Are men better than women, or vice versa? While we may not have an answer to this question, we do have an answer to one. We may not be monogamous creatures by nature, but we can be by choice. If men really weren't meant to be monogamous, women would've given up ages ago. And shows like "Sex and the City" would have never existed.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2010/OPINION/07/27/ryan.promiscuity.normal/index.html?iref=allsearch/

Enough is Enough

Gwenyth Paltrow, Lindsay Lohan, Brooke Hogan, Hilary Duff, Leighton Meester, and Paris Hilton. All actresses (or just famous rich girls) turned into "singers." While Paltrow and Meester actually proved their vocal talents in the best selling movie, Country Strong, the others do not even come close. And now Kim Kardashian, star of "Keeping Up with the Kardashians," is next. And this one is bad, actually no. It's like nails on a chalkboard. It's sad to think that these women, some really talented hopefuls, think some record studio editing techniques, trendy beats, and an image of glitz and glam can turn them into today's pop star. Kim Kardashian, a sex symbol and television movie star, does not need something to drag her reputation down. And this single, originally titled "Jam," is her heavy anchor pulling her towards rock bottom. These repeated attempts of these famous women makes one wonder, how much is enough? Enough fame? Enough money? Enough attention? Listen in and give your opinion. But it can pretty much be agreed on, enough is enough.

Ah The Simple Things in Life

Stressed? Watch this video and it'll bring a smile to your face. While missing the times when things were simple in life, like ripping paper, it really makes one wonder if it's worth it to stress out so much on that paper you may be writing. This YouTube video broadcast on my Yahoo! homepage came at the perfect time sitting in SMU's Fondren Library. This 1:43 clip made me not only wonder how a baby can be so entertained by paper for so long, but also the last time I've really laughed so hard. So take a minute, rip some paper, and have a good laugh.

Got Pants?

The world of advertising is constantly coming up with new ways to catch the eye of the consumer. This truck, by far, capture the interest of the consumer, even when they're in their car. Smartly projected on the side of the truck and made to seem real, it not only makes the passerby laugh but may also intrigue them to think if they actually do need a plumber. This ad on wheels proves the everlasting creativity of the advertising industry and brings a new light against boring old infomercials. Rather than just looking it up in your yellow page book (who even has one of those nowadays?), you can simply make the call while stopped at the red light. Convenient and efficient. Just as any services should be.

iPads for High Schoolers

After leaving my private high school, Mater Dei, which I attended for 4 lovely years, my friends and I heard that news that all the new students were getting an iPad. This device would be casually picked up with their books in August. Almost 2,100 students would receive this square, flat computer screen which cost at least $500 each. So basically kids, some freshmen being only 14 years old, come into high school learning how to type on a touch screen. This learning is a far cry from the "Type to Learn" programs we had at (gasp!) desktop computers. The funniest part about all this is our school sneakily found a way to raise tuition by including this in the cost. Parents pay $35 a month to help with "maintenance" fees. Ultimately is this promoting higher learning or covering skyrocketing tuition fees for a private school to stay afloat? And the ironic part is by the time these kids enter college, they're going to have a hard time reading a book. God forbid it doesn't come on a touch screen.

http://www.ocregister.com/news/school-287275-ipads-mater.html

Supraventricula....what?

If someone would have asked me what SVT was a couple years ago, I would have no idea what to tell them. The definition of a word, or acronym in this case, changes from person to person. To me, SVT was a type of car, a Ford SVT to be more exact, that one of my friends drove in high school. However in late December 2009, I learned the appropriate definition of this acronym.

One Friday morning sitting in my overly crowded dorm room, my heart rate began to race. Sitting on the floor, eating cereal, and doing no activity whatsoever (it was Friday morning) I didn't think anything of it. But when my roommate saw my face go pale and my whole body began to shake we knew something was wrong. Rushing to the Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, it was my first time in an ambulance (Not as glorious as it looks on shows like ER). Overwhelmed by wires, tubes, straps, and frantic looking EMTs, nothing helped to get my heart rate down. At this time, it was a whopping 260 beats per minute. One of the EMTs told me I had SVT, supraventricular tachycardia, and having no clue what that was, I thought I was dying. Freaking out was probably the kindest way to describe my emotions at that time.

Once at the hospital (and after 6 hours of exercises and drugs to break the heart rate) my heart was beating at a steady 100 beats per minute. The cardiologist came in and... oddly released me on the spot. I looked at him like he was nuts... certifiably nuts.  But apparently I had a common heart condition that was caused by being born with an extra circuit in my heart. It was common in mostly babies, but also people whose hearts had just matured. With me just turning 18 that year, it all made sense. Although a scary experience and something I never want to relive, I realized later that if I had just paid attention in Biology class senior year, I could have saved myself the freak out. A short hour long surgery later, I was cured. And to say the least, I'll always remember the meaning of SVT. It is not a car, but rather a mild heart condition that is more scary than harmful. Now the C minus I got in Bio is all making sense now.

A Dog's Life

"Did you ever walk in a room and forget why you walked in? I think that's
how dogs spend their lives."
    --Sue Murphy

Ever wonder how dogs really spend their lives? They can't speak, they're colorblind, and they hear absolutely everything. They spend their time chasing their tails, searching for crumbs under the couch, and sleeping the 8 hours in a day that one is away at work. Yet it is always funny when people say that dogs are a "man's best friend." By a human's definition they're not really a friend. They don't talk back, don't borrow your clothes, and only sit there listening with wide eyes.... Actually I take that back, they sound like the best friend I ever had.

Rich Dad, Poor Dad

Since I was a kid, my dad has grilled me about money every opportunity he had. By ten I had already read "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" (as did my brother, even though his was listened to by a tape recorder) and to be honest learned nothing. Absolutely nothing. Nonetheless my dad sends me articles about money on a weekly basis. This one he sent me back in January caught my eye.

From another blogger,"Character Traits and Behaviors That Make You Rich" by Laura Rowley, the author explains 6 traits that characterize a rich man. "Propensity to plan, math confidence, financial literacy, smoking, powerlessness, and conscientiousness." Blatantly I only understood about 2 of these terms, one of which was smoking. According to the study, "a typical non-smoker's net worth is roughly 50 percent higher than that of light smokers and about twice the level of that of heavy smokers." Obviously non smokers are more economically stable (that is if their other finances are constant), but 50 percent higher than that of a person who enjoys a cigarette or two on their lunch break!? Pretty surprising. Although the Health Associations issues warnings about smoking on a continuous basis, I'm pretty sure if you stuck this article in The New York Times, people would listen to it more and stop smoking. It's a sad but true fact, people's ears perk up more when you talk about money than their own health. Maybe the Natural Drug and Food Association should take a hint and enforce people's economic status as a side effect of being a smoker. If we can't get people to listen by threatening death, maybe if we threaten their bank account, they'll listen? It's safe to say our thought processes these days are going up in smoke.


http://how-to-be-rich-and-happy.blogspot.com/2011/01/character-traits-and-behaviors-that.html 

Like Mother... Like Daughter

Growing up, I was daddy's girl. Inside and out. We both had tan skin, brown eyes, brown hair, and liked to watch football on Saturdays. How could I not turn into him when I got older? Well come college, that's exactly what happened. My mom nor my dad attended college so when SMU's Parents Weekend rolled around, it was needless to say quite entertaining to see them interact in a college atmosphere. What I saw, shocked me. Absolutely shocked me. My mother, in her defense one of the youngest moms, acted as though she was my age the whole weekend. Making friends with all the frat boys, drinking a Keystone like it was a nice glass of Italian wine, and dancing up a storm at the downtown bar, she was in her element. Ironically an element she had never been in before... Well for all I know. After that weekend I saw more comparisons with her than ever. I take on way too many tasks at once and can never say no, understanding the value of a truly good hairspray, obsessively cleaning then making it all a mess the next day, and taking the role as party planner for every little event that inked its way into my planner. Scary as it is, looking back I realize these were all qualities in my mom I had admired. It's just now I appreciate them more. For I am now Kimberly.

Dead Wrong, Yet So Right

Mind maps may be a way to express our thinking, but I really hope no one thought mine reflected me personally. That is because I used the ugly and somewhat gruesome word "dead" for the central idea. The idea for my mind map came to me one Saturday as I was ringing up a customer at the boutique I work at. While buying our new, off-the-shoulder Valentine's Day dress, she explained to me how she was going to surprise her "deadbeat" husband. She then went on to describe how she was nearing the "dead end" of her marriage. Amazingly this conversation took place all while I punched in the 16 digits of her American Express credit card. While she was complaining about her life, I was planning my project. And as she left she yelled to me "Honey, don't ever marry a man who's balding before he's 20, you'll go 'dead wrong'." And boom, just like that, I had my advertising project. One day I hope she comes in again, for I have to thank her for my A plus on my project.

"Ummmm...."

1. Drivers who don't use a turn signal.
2. People who read out loud when they're typing in an e-mail or a letter.
3. People that don't use coasters.
4. Students who prolong class by asking insane questions.

Number 4 is personally most relatable for me, but this comprises just a fraction of the list for the "World's Biggest Pet Peeves" at "getannoyed.com." But what is the thing that drives me most crazy? The use of the word "um." First of all is "um," um, even a word? Poor Natalie Portman, beautiful, talented, and even pregnant, as she gave her Oscar award winning speech last Sunday. Instead of remembering to thank her stunt double, she instead used the word "um" possibly 44 times... in a 3 minute speech. What could have been a beautiful speech for such an amazing performance was rather littered with a two letter word that tainted its significance. Ever since 3rd grade when a girl gave her student council president speech and said "um" every other word (she lost the election...), I have been forever annoyed by this word. This two-letter word, although harmless, is more annoying to me than speed bumps. "Um" does nothing than slow us down and get in the way.

Don't Forget to K.I.S.S.

The famous saying "Don't forget to stop and smell the roses" is comical when they're covered 5 feet below snow... as they were a couple weeks ago. Whoever came up with that saying obviously did not live in Texas, or any other place capable of anything but perpetual sunshine. The best advice I was ever given was by a friend. Stressed out and frantic about the upcoming weeks, she just told me "Don't forget to KISS." Quite frankly, "Keep it simple, Stupid." Caught up in busy lives, sleepless nights, and unlimited interaction, it is sadly hard to "keep it simple." And in a way we are all "stupid." Life's only stressful if we make it that way and "stopping and smelling the roses" just slows us down. So don't be stupid, just keep it simple. And quite simply, you're stupid not to try.

The Happy Nomad

Sixteen is the number of houses I've moved around to. Nine is the number of schools I've attended. Four is the number of states I've lived in. In more brief terms, it seemed like I drove a U-Haul more than my own car. Born in Illinois and raised throughout three other states, to this day I leave the "Hometown" portion on applications blank. My partner in crime is my twin. A fraternal twin. My younger half is a boy who lives in North Carolina and who I am a good twelve inches shorter than. We're not close by any sibling means, but there's always that twin connection that I can't even put into words. We're products of divorce and most people would think that was a bad thing. But without it, I wouldn't have my five year old half-sister, whose smile can brighten any day. Moving around a lot was rough. And coming from a divorced family, I always felt like I had to work harder to get what I wanted. In other words through all my experiences, I feel as though I've lived 40 years even though I have a few months till I even hit 20. While old at soul, I'm young at heart. Basically I'm your typical working college student, but with a little more complicated life map. Nonetheless I believe cookie dough is better eaten before cooked, "Up the Amazon Without a Paddle" is my favorite nail polish, and TiVo is the greatest invention of the century. The friends I have are like angels on my shoulders and the life I'm living seems like a fairy tale. To me, the groups of people I've met, the numerous front doors I've passed through, and the ultimate fight to make it work is what makes me who I am. Not what I fill in on my DMV form. I may have a different upbringing than most, but I wouldn't take it back for the world. Because without I wouldn't be me.