I'm gonna miss this...

I'm nervous and excited for 2012.. Last day of the 2011 school year and a few more days until 2012! I am excited that the first half of my last year is almost over, I can't wait to finally be finished with all of my school work next semester. I'm sad that this year is going by so fast. A lot has happen in the last few months and if my last semester goes by as fast as the first.... I am really gonna miss this.. Im getting closer to graduation but closer to leaving my friends :( I will miss you guys and of course I will be back to visit. I think it is time to just have some fun my senior year!

Over the Rainbow!

I read this article Tainted Love about gay marriage and I totally agree with it, check it out!
Anyway I wrote a rhetorical analysis of the acticle for an english class so I thought I'd share it.

Almost everyone has an opinion about same-sex marriage. Whether you believe it should be legal or you think we should continue to discriminate against homosexuals, we are all very much aware of the controversial subject. Gay marriage in the United States is illegal, although some states including Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont have legalized same-sex marriage. You can find many opinions about the legality of gay marriage online; one of those opinions is that of Dkcalpolo89.  According to Dkcalpolo89, our generation may ultimately be the ones who decided the future of homosexuals, and it is our responsibility to open up our minds and look to overturn the ban of gay marriage. In the online article “Tainted Love,” Dkcalpolo89 uses the rhetorical tools of logos, pathos, and ethos to persuade his audience into believing that banning gay marriage is wrong. By using these logical, emotional, and authoritative appeals, he sways his audience into believing his argument.

In order to persuade Americans to believe that banning gay marriage violates the ideas in which our country was founded upon,  Dkcalpolo89 writes, “[Denying] homosexual couples the right to legally marry is no different than denying marriage to Jews because they are not Christian.” These very powerful words tap into our emotions and force us to realize that making it illegal for a homosexual to marry really is unjust. No one would doubt that discrimination is wrong.

Dkcalpolo89 then continues his argument with this logical analogy:

The First Amendment of the United States Constitution explicitly prohibits our government from establishing a religion. This means that our government cannot interfere with our right to practice -or decide not to practice- a religion. Therefore, outlawing same-gender marriage because certain religions find homosexuality sinful violates the First Amendment right of individuals who choose not to follow those religions.

The United States Constitution’s First Amendment was written to protect its people from discrimination based on religion. Dkcalpolo89 points out that we are in fact violating “the equal protection of law guaranteed to all by the Constitution.”

                Violation of the Constitution is not the only reason Dkcalpolo89 has for arguing the ban of gay marriage. He writes, “In the U.S., a legal marriage grants couples many benefits not available to those who are not married.” Homosexuals are denied the rights given to married couples because they are not permitted the option of marriage, how fair is that? Homosexuals do not get to “[enjoy] the legal benefits and privileges that [heterosexuals] take for granted.”

Many opponents of same-sex marriage believe allowing same-sex marriage will weaken the institution of marriage, they are simply implying that “somehow marriage is more sacred when those entering into it are of different genders.”  Meanwhile, others feel that it will do harm to the rest of the people in our society. Dkcalpolo89 writes:

This argument forgets, however, that allowing homosexuals to marry in fact would strengthen the fabric of society by encouraging more couples to commit to building a life together and adopting children who may not otherwise be able to find a home.

 Dkcalpolo89 also points out that many other counties and states with in the U.S. are living proof that gay marriage does not harm others in the society.  He cares about society and if anything, gay marriage will only benefit our lives.

                Dkcalpolo89 uses rhetorical tools to convince us that what he is saying is right. He uses ethos by showing us that he cares about the well-being of society. With gay marriage more children will be adopted. He uses logic by reminding us of our First Amendment and showing us we are not abiding by it. He uses pathos by comparing the discrimination of Jews to, what he claims, is discriminations against same-sex lovers. Dkcalpolo89 wants us to see that discrimination is wrong even if we do not realize it is happening. Besides, as Dkcalpolo89 says, “it’s no one’s business what personal or love commitments others make.”

I love you guys!

It isn't often we are asked what we are thankful for and it isn't often we are given the chance to tell the people we love just how much we appreciate them. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we are given the chance to say, "I am thankful for..."

Personally I don't know that I could put everything I am thankful for into words. I don't think I could ever express who and what makes me thankful for the life I have, but I am going to give it my best shot.

I am thankful for my parents, Bill and Janet, without you I wouldn't have been given life. Without you I wouldn't have been encouraged to be an independent individual and always put my best foot forward. I love you guys!

I am thankful for my brother and sisters. I love having a big family, knowing that no matter what stupid thing I do I will always have someone to look to for advise. Nicole thank you for bringing Ayanna into my life. Kelly thank you for Ryley and Karissa. I love being an auntie : ) Bill I am still waiting for a lil monkie from you!! I love you guys!

I am thankful for my friends. I have a lot of amazing friends who make my life fun. When we are together we can do absolutely nothing but still have a blast! We steal cars without having a license, we jump in pools with our clothes on, we fall off of brick walls, run from fireworks, we laugh at a friend being drug across the ground by a slow moving car, we laugh when you want to know what it is like to lick someones eye, we laugh when you say "If I were a guy..." we laugh when the other wants to call the cops, we make plans to go skinny dipping, we have a plan for when our dryer catches on fire, and we will always make each other laugh even when one of our greatests friends isn't here everyday. I know there is never a dull moment with you, I love you guys!

I am thankful for Kyle. You see something in me that no one else sees. You understand me and accept the fact that I am insanly weird. You know how to make me laugh even when I want to pull my hair out. You believe in me even though I do not always have faith in myself, you are my best friend, and the person I tell everything to. I LOVE YOU!

Obviously there is much much more that I am thankful for and I am blessed with the people in my life!

Angry @ technology!

So I wrote this really long post.. it was deep and kinda crazy stuff. Aanndd... I lost it! Now I am extremly upset. This is why I am not going into a career where I will need to use a computer! Computers are overrated and I quit. It just blows my mind that I can lose an entire post when at the bottom of the screen it has a button that says SAVE! It ATOMATICALLY SAVES every few seconds. So please explain to me why it didn't save. It said draft saved at 1:17 PM and yet it is gone. I don't think I have ever wanted to slam the computer screen on the floor and run it over with my lawmower more than I do right now!!! I don't even know what that means or why I would have a lawnmower at school.
Computer... You rue the day!

You Don't Know What You Got 'til it's Gone.

So it's my senior year, just a few more months of living with the parents and coming to high school. I'm not as excited as I thought I would be, I'm actually kinda sad. It has recently occured to me that with graduating I leave more behind than I realized I would. I won't graduate with all the people I went to kindergarten with or the people I built relationships with over the years. I made the choice to graduate early and as happy as I am, I don't want to have to leave most of my friends here when I go. Yes, I have friends that will graduate with me but it's still a weird thing. I went to kindergaten with the people I'm leaving behind. Not only am I leaving my friends but I'm taking a year away from the time my parents have with me. It's just been the three of us for so long and I know it will be hard for them to have an empty house next August when i'm off to college. There are so many good things about doing what i'm doing but at the end of the day I will miss my friends and my parents when I'm gone.

Friends who read this.... don't tell me to just stay because that only makes me feel bad when I shouldn't. I have to move forward with my life in the best way possible. Even if it mean leaving you here with teachers that annoy you and children you want to kick. I have thought about how we would be if I stayed and we graduated together, and I have come to the conclusio that regardless of how soon I leave.... we will all fall apart and go our own way in the end.

My last home volleyball game is this Friday. I sat in one of the many doctors offices that I have been to in the last two weeks, and I thought about how weird it will be knowing that it's really the last time I will set foot on that court to play a high school volleyball game. Seniors that is something to think about when you play your last volleyball game, your last basketball game, or the last time you walk down the hallway as a high school student. As little as those things are, you don't know what you got 'til it's gone!

Ouch!

As you may already know I play varsity volleyball for the Lady Lopes. Being a member of the team it was my responsibility to take a concussion class and become educated on concussions, for example I needed to know how to recongnize a concussion for myself or a fellow Lady Lope and know what to do. During a volleyball touney in Joe City last weekend I fell in an attempt to save the ball. Not only did I completely miss the ball I slammed my nog into another player, Kyndra. I remember hitting her hip then opening my eyes as Tonisha helped me up. I know I was falling on my knees but I don't recall rolling onto my back, which is how I ended up before I was pulled to my feet. I didn't have a headache, I didn't feel confused, I didn't have a change in vision, and I didn't feel like I was on the floor for too long. After the game I noticed I had a headache but didn't seem to remember falling. On the bus ride home I got sick and missed out on a movie with the ladies. By Sunday I remebered falling and hitting my head on Kyndra. Monday I asked coach if she remembers me falling and she replied, "Yeah, I didn't know you hit your head I just thought you were mad at yourself for the play." Tonisha said the same thing. Here I am not sure if I actually hit my head on Kyndra's hip but pretty sure it happen. I couldn't ask Kyndra if she remembers because she wasn't there that morning. I ended up going to the nurse who suggested I see a doctor. I went to the clinic where the doctor said I needed to go to the ER. At the ER the doctor didn't seem to worried about it, said I have a concussion take it easy and I will be on the court again in no time. But here I am four days later with my head still pounding. I can't sleep, I don't eat much, I always feel like throwing up, and sometimes my vision gets weird.
Even after the concussion class I felt like I would know if I got a concussion. I felt like other people would know as well. Concussions are sneaky and dangerous! They hurt like heck and if they aren't treated properly they can cause serious brain damage. My concussion was an accident, like all concussions, and I didn't even think it could have happened with a hit so slight. Looking back I realize I was a little confused about what just happen, but at the time I didn't think anything of it, neither did the other players. Get educated about concussions and try not to be as clumsy as me! Thank you Tonisha for helping me up, Kyndra for not hitting your head too (one concussion per team is more than enough), and thank you coach for making us take the concussion training because a concussion would never have crossed my mind before taking that test.

Lady Lopes Hoohaa!

Truth or coincidence?

A few weeks ago I was asked to take two personality tests. After examining my results, I decided the tests were accurate in assessing my personality. The tests described me as blunt and a natural leader. Everyone who knows me can describe me as brutally honest. I know that when I am put in a group or around people who are doing the same task I find myself leading the group. When I do something I do it to finish it, learn something, and do it right. I want my end result to work efficiently. I organize things so that I can quickly get a "perfect" product.
Not only did the tests say I was a planner, leader, organizer, and a go-getter, it said I over analyze things. I'm a thinker, I often over think things and I notice everything. I like to ponder things before I let other people know what I have on my mind. I find myself being the first to notice things and the first to have a solution to something others do not necessarily think about. For example, even if something already works, I try to find a way to make it work better. How many other people do that?
Although the test was accurate, I looked around and saw that not everyone got the same results from each test. I also noticed that some of the results didn't describe that person at all. I am skeptical about personality tests. I feel like I could take someone else’s results and find a way to relate it to myself, I could somehow make it tie into my personality. I have such a diverse personality that almost anything sounds like me.
Personality Typing..... is there truth in it or is it simply coincidence? I'd like to hear what you think.