Semester Reflection

The past semester has been an extremely crazy one outside of school. I've had to cope with a lot and I'm hoping it won't hold me back from graduation. I missed a lot of school due to family issues, housing issues and sickness. I know I'm extremely capable of passing at this school I've just had very undesirable circumstances. I need to kick it into high gear for these last couple of weeks. I can only pray that they let me graduate. God knows stuff like this is out of your hands and all you can do is ask for help from a higher power and hope they hear your call.

Family, part 1

I decided that since there are way too many parts to my family to put in one post, I will split it up into what will most likely be a four part story.
The first nine years of my life were fairly ordinary. There were a couple of things that might have set it apart some. When I was an infant there was a drive-by done on my house, but it was because we lived in an unpleasant neighborhood, and we later found out that out house was not the target. My dad was partially involved in this period of my life. Him and my mom split up before I can even remember but I do have memories of my dad drinking a lot and him and my step mom fighting constantly. I can remember hearing her blame me for everything from my room and saying she never wanted a kid in the first place.
My mom was doing very well for herself at this time as well. After the whole drive-by incident she found an apartment in a much better neighborhood for us to live in and got a really good job as a dealer at what was then Flamingo Casino. She had a very healthy relationship.
This was probably the most, and only stable period of my life.

My Weekend

Last weekend was a fairly productive one. On Friday I went to a friend's birthday party. It was pretty crowded and I saw a lot of familiar faces which was very fun. Then on Saturday my friend had her graduation party and I went to meet a lot of her family and friends out in Oak Grove, Missouri. All of that took up most of the day for both of them day and I was pretty worn out on Sunday so I used it as a relaxation day, to try and get rid of some of the stress I've been building up. I did indulge in some video games, but it was on Wii so I got exercise in the process.

Your Type is ENFJ

Strength of Preferences % -
Extraverted - 44
Intuitive - 50
Feeling - 62
Judging - 11
You are:
moderately expressed extravert
moderately expressed intuitive personality
distinctively expressed feeling personality
slightly expressed judging personality

I think this is fairly accurate. I like to be open and talk to people to a certain extent. I always follow instict rather than rules. I'm very in touch with my feelings and the feelings of those around me and I rarely ever judge. I think it sums me up fairly well.

Time Management

After watching how much time I waste just sleeping and laying around I've decided that I will begin to exercise instead. This will give me more energy and allow me to start a proper sleep schedule.
I also spend a lot of time on my computer and games aimlessly. If I could replace this time with reading or intelligent computer use I could gain a lot of knowledge that could be very useful.
Lastly I will cut out the pointless road trips to no where. Or at least bring something productive to do while I am on them.

Personal Updates

It's been pretty slow in the personal life lately. Basically the same daily routine every day. I'm still trying to figure out the whole school thing. I know I'm going for sure but with all the changes that have gone on in such a short time there have been many plans that have gone out the window. Still holding up hope that I will be able to attend in the fall though.

A Day To Remember

This is one of my all time favorite bands. They have a very poppy sound but eventually get into heavy metal breakdowns. I have grown to call their sound pop-core. At this point they already have released three album, which I believe the second is best. UPDATE PENDING!

Super Smash Bros. Brawl

Ok now James really?
I'm sorry but you're sad excuse for skill will be proven wrong very soon.
I will humiliate you and you will be bowing down to me.
I am a beast at any video game.
Try me. You will be disappointed,
In yourself.

HOW I DO!

I am extremely different from anyone around me in my own mind. People may have the same looks but my mind is more unique than anything you'll ever see. It is constantly flowing with ideas and solutions. I find myself sitting and thinking for hours just because of the depth I can delge into the things in my mind. I am a very artistic person. I love music and "realist" art. However I do retain some of my childlike hobbies such as anime and video games. I like anything that can challenge my mind and make me think. In terms of music I have a broad expanse of likes, with very few dislikes. I go through hardcore rock, alternative rock, techno, classic rock, metal, jazz, hip hop, R&B, country, and occationally just a little bit of classical Mozart or Beethoven. There are many other things about me you may find interesting. If you have any questions just ask.

Label Me, Fine, I'll Be Somebody Else

If you ask me, labeling can be one of the most harrassing, abusive and discriminatory ideas in the American culture. All it really is, is generalization mixed with a commonly used central idea. Take me for instance. I constantly get different generalizations about what I am, whether it be "emo", "goth", "scene" or any other generic labels people come up with. I think they are one of the most ignorant things we could have ever started using and I still don't understand why we still do. People need to throw that childishness out of their lives. It's one of the reasons why america is such a violent and ignorant place. I love this country, but there is only so much I can take.

Bridging the Gap

There is now a fairly big debate on Obama's promises to bridge the bipartisan divide. As if we already don't have enough to worry about without someone digging up another thing to question. But lets just delve into this a little bit to see if Barack is the trustworthy president that so many already think he is.

Since he came in office he promised a bipartisan form of presidency, but he has not been very assuring of this promise. For example, the $787 million dollar economic plan that was opposed by the Republicans was still pushed through congress. He has a great way of saying he's trying to make changes through oration but what do the people closest to these "changes" have to say? Many believe he has mistaken kindness and listening for bipartisanship, while in reality you can't just preach and listen to suggestions, but also must include those suggestions in your presidency.

The honest truth is that bipartisanship in a figment of the utopia everyone is looking for. While it is nice to believe those changes might be available, it is also slightly naive and a little ignorant. The republican and democratic parties were created to oppose each other. They have almost opposite ideas when it comes to running the country and as Americans they are often too hard headed to even consider the other side's suggestions. While it may be harsh and a little critical, history has proven it true throughout the decades.

Church

I've found that through all of the stuff going on that church is the only real retreat I have. At least there I have adult role models that have a structured lifestyle and friends that I can count on. I'm thinking about moving closer to my church so I can have a more positive environment. I've been finding it really hard to concentrate and find motivation in the situation I'm currently in. Everything just feels so opressive.

More turns

Well this wasn't the warm welcome I was expecting when I came home from my grandpa's funeral. I got home from school today and found out me and my mom are homeless. Apparently her and her boyfriend got in a big fight and we are officially kicked out. I'm ready to get out of this town. The atmosphere alone is so depressing I can hardly breathe. I need a morale boost pretty bad about now.

School

So I just finished my first day back to school from Florida. I just realized how immature everyone here really is. It's like no one really values their life. To be honest, it's really sad. Especially with the way things are going right now for me. The last thing anyone here needs to be doing is wasting their time trying to impress everyone else and find ways to better themselves. I guess I'll have to let them learn by living though. Right now my main focus needs to be me. Regardless of how selfish that might sound.

Florida

I just got back from visiting the family. It was a pretty emotional week due to the circumstances. The funeral was very nice. I guess they had already planned out all the expenses and such just in case this happened. Apparently he was still having problems with alcohol which was part of the reason he died. Hopefully it makes my grandma start to check what she's doing with her life.

Really bad week.

I'm extremely sad to say that my grandfather died Sunday, April 14th. He was about 70 years old so he lived a decent life. I know he'll be missed a lot. I'm flying down on Monday to go be with my family in Florida. It's not exactly the costal dream vacation, but at least I'll get to see everyone. I don't really have much to look up about this week. I just have to stay strong.

Life Defined

Not exactly the senior year I had been hoping for. It's been extremely hectic and stressful trying to figure everything out. Plus every time things start to look up something brings them down. I know I'll make it through though. I have the will power and I'm not dumb. Right now I need to cut out any kind of reliance on anyone and start to work for myself. I'm still trying to figure out the entire college thing. Unfortuately things didn't go quite as well as I planned. I'll just keep my head up. I know I can perservere.

My Top Five Time Wasters

This is just a little reminder to myself to try and improve my study skills.
Number 5 - Driving around with friends for no reason. I spend about five hours a week doing this and it is pretty pointless because we have no destination.
Number 4 - Social Events. While these are a lot of fun I spend quite a bit of time in these. At least ten to fifteen hours a week. I want to cut it down but still do it occasionally.
Number 3 - Television. I think this is the most pointless one. I spend probably around ten hours a week watching it and don't even enjoy it. Replace with reading.
Number 2 - Naps. These will be difficult to give up. I'm accustomed to one each day after school so they add up to about five to ten hours a week. Get more sleep at night.
Number 1 - Video Games. Ah the games. This is going to be the hardest to give up. I think they can be a valuable tool to learn problem solving but not at the rate that I use them. At probably around twenty one hours a week I could definitely cut this down a bit.

I have a few more petty things I also do but those should be very simple to change. It will not be an easy task but I think I can manage a change.

President Barack Obama's Stimulus Package

http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/subjects/u/united_states_economy/economic_stimulus/
Economic Stimulus

The stimulus idea passed in the House of Representatives with a vote of 244 to 188 with not a single vote for it coming from a republican. The Democrats believe the economy is in dire need of a stimulus since the downfall of Wall Street this Fall. President Obama's stimulus plan is one of the largest in history, capping off at $819 billion. Many economists think this idea will lead to a even further downfall due to one problem. You cannot force people to spend the package and many will pocket it and save it. The economy will only be revived in one way; a widespread and long term jump in economic spending. We need to find ways to make people spend money without hurting themselves. In my opinion, which I know may be highly criticized, we need to take a page out of the Communist book. If we allow more government involvment in personal and economic decisions then we can be sure that things will change. Since one person cannot guarantee an income from one day to another they will become more stingy and hold on to their money. This will result in an even larger downward spiral. Now lets say we let the government have more control of the distribution of money. Workers don't get pay cuts or laid off. They are able to spend more money and bring an income to businesses. The businesses can buy more wholesale and produce more in the factories and the economy can return to normal. if not stronger.

Computers Use in the Classroom

http://www.education-world.com/a_tech/tech/tech211.shtml
Computers in the High School Classroom

Based on this article I've found that many teachers don't believe there is time for computers with the curriculum that they must teach because of the state requirements. I think there are some things that must be completed and we can't just go jump on the computer every day, however I've also found that there is plenty of time in the daily schedule set for me. Many times I find myself sitting there staring at the wall for lack of work. I can't really blame this on the teachers, though, because they have a standard set to them and aren't required to do anything else. However, we are coming into a new era. One where computer use will have to be like reading a book. If you can't do it there will be no way to survive. Isn't it about time for the state to recognize this and create a curriculum based around technological use? I realize this will be no cheap feat, and will most likely take years to achieve, but I know it is possible. I've seen it happen before. The issue of restrictions on computer use is also touchy. There will always be ways to get around any kind of internet blocker. We will never find a quick fix to this, but there are ways to more closely monitor what is going on in the classroom. Don't always make every assignment so straightforward and narrow. Kids love creativity. As long as you allow them that they will listen better.