Hmmm. I can't help but wonder...

What's his agenda? I mean, this guy is definitely trying to endoctrinate my class. Why?
Read this: http://http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2005/08/22/050822ta_talk_hertzberg

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And then, read this taken from my college website:

It seems plausible that Hendrik Hertzberg, author of the article “Mud” which was featured in The New Yorker in August of 2005, makes Creationism and/or Intelligent Design (or the ridiculousness thereof) his primary claim – and reputes the possibility of these ideas being remotely valid. On page two of Hertzberg’s cynical article, he states (with obvious bias and distrust), “But I.D.—whose central (and easily refuted) talking point is that certain structures of living things are too intricate to have evolved without the intervention of an “intelligent designer” (and You know who You are)—enjoys virtually no scientific support.” Not only does Hertzberg make the claim that the Intelligent Design (I.D.) theory has little to no scientific evidence and is easily refuted, but assumes an audaciously mocking standpoint that makes his prejudice crystal clear. The very next line, for example, says that the I.D. theory is “not even a theory, in the scientific sense, because it is untestable and unsupportable by empiracle evidence.” Hertzberg also calls the I.D. theory a “misguided war against reason” fought in a “last-ditch skirmish.” Unfortunately, Hertzberg continues to harp on the foolishness of Intelligent Design (giving repetitious examples of “embarrassed” men who testify that “intelligent design is not a scientific concept”) yet fails to give any evidence of his own that would illustrate how unsupported the theory of I.D. truly is. Instead, Hertzberg draws upon his apparent previously-understood knowledge of the contesting theory – Darwin’s Theory of Evolution – and declares in the first page of his article: “This view [The Theory of Evolution]…commands solid majorities…and thanks to the overwhelming evidence for its validity, has the near unanimous support of scientists everywhere.” Hertzberg seems to think that his attestation of its legality (without providing evidence) is enough to satisfy the reader. He attempts to expel any lingering considerations the reader may have had concerning I.D., preferring to throw the theory on the chopping block and exultantly parade Darwinian Evolution before its eyes. However, I’ve got a problem with his approach.
Mr. Hertzberg, no matter how voluminous your claims, and no matter how excessive your opinion, I’d like to see the evidence behind the assertion. Which assertion? Both – the primary claim, that of the absurdity of Intelligent Design, and the secondary claim, that of the “overwhelming evidence” in support of the Darwinian Theory of Evolution. Yes please, overwhelm me, and then perhaps I’ll be more inclined to give ear to your sadly unsupported, mud-slinging lambasting.

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I'd love to hear feedback on this set of essays.

Other than that, my life has been filled with...well, more of the same. I've even been to busy to goof on facebook, or talk on the phone, or hang out with friends. Yesterday, I began my week of college finals. I had one yesterday, one today, and two on Thursday. And then - winter break! I am really looking forward to it.

I can't believe that Christmas is seventeen days away. That's just crazy.

Look at the stars, look how they shine for you, and everything you do, and they were all yellow.

I came along,
I wrote a song for you,
And all the things you do
And it was called "Yellow".


I've been buying and listening to a lot of Coldplay over my absence. Some of it is rather melancholy, but the lyrics are fanciful and fun to sing with. My current favorites are "The Scientist," "Fix You," and "Yellow," from the albums "A Rush of Blood to the Head," "X & Y," and "Parachutes," respectively. I also bought Owl City's newest album, "Ocean Eyes." I'm amazed I enjoy their music - it's very much electronic pop, and normally I hate that genre. But this stuff is pretty good. (And finally, I bough Peter Gabriel's track from the movie "Wall-E"...gotta love it).


Besides music, my life has been full of 1) lots of school, 2) even more homework, 3) candy and soda, 4) no dance, and 5) meetings with Mr. Stephen Apenteng!


1) It's Thanksgiving "break"! I am looking forward to having no science on Thursday, or government or history...but I'll miss my English. Ah well. Breaks are really always welcome.


2) The homework, however, is NOT welcome. I have a lot to do over my "break"...


3) Butterfingers and Smarties. Rootbeer and Cream Soda. Enough said.


4) Dance is out for the week, which I think is pretty sad. Who needs - or wants - a break from your favorite hobby?! I took off dance last week as well, but for a very special reason...


5) Mr. Apenteng came back!! His last visit was around the last week of April, 2008 - and he was there during my baptism. This man is an incedible, Spirit-filled, Ghanaian man of God. This year he spoke on prayer, and dreams - what a blessing, and an answer to prayer. And when he told me goodbye on Sunday night, after a late-night prayer meeting at my parent's house, he said, "See you in Ghana!" Oh how I would love to go! We'll see. I'm praying. Some of you know that I've wanted to go on a mission to Africa for years...and perhaps this is the door. Hmmm.


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I'm going to be starting - or revising, rather - a new short story. It's based off of a dream or vision that Timothy shared with me a while back. I've thought about it so much I'm not sure what is the factual vision and what is fabricated from my mind, but it doesn't really matter. My story will begin with a scripture - Psalms 91:7, which says, "A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee."
Alright, that's enough. I'm going to give too much away. I'll try to post my first draft when it's completed.

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Well, I'm going to call it a night. Hope you all have a blessed Thanksgiving!

Skunks are our conversation...skunks, and Horton Hears a Who.

SO - wow, where to begin?

Katie S. and Audrey A. came over this weekend. Saturday - and Audrey is still here! I have had so much fun, and I am exhausted - obviously...it's about 4:45am! Audrey and I are watching Horton Hears a Who.

I'm too tired to write, but I'll leave you with a photo.

NOTHING can separate me...

I have so much to say. It's all swirling around in my head, but I can't figure out a way to get it out articulately.

I've taken a blow from the enemy today, as has the body of Christ. When one member suffers, all the members feel the pain. It's so easy to be angry - to hold it in - to be reclusive.

It's not hopeless. You're not worthless. I'm not Godless. This life isn't over. Trials and tribulations may come, but God won't give us more than we can handle, and -

Nothing can separate me from the love of Christ Jesus my Lord!

I'm not afraid, and I won't back down. I will believe in the face of unbelief.

________________________________

I have a lot to accomplish this week, college wise. My midterms are over, and I found out that I made an 87 on my history! That raised my grade about five points. I'm pretty happy about that. I'm making a 99 in English so far... yes, you can't possibly imagine how happy I am about THAT!

I've got two papers due Tuesday - a research outline, for Government, and a creative writing paper in English. This assignment is going to be a blast - I'll post it when I finish.

Besides that, I'm sick - hopefully not with the Swine Flu. I know a couple of people who have come down with it recently. I'm starting to lose my voice, which is extremely irritating - those of you who know me know I enjoy conversing, and am very good at it.

________________________________


Think I'll call this a post. Not very long, or exciting, but maybe next week I'll have something good for you. I'll leave you with the best verses to match my day:

"Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all out tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ."
II Corinthians 1:3 - 5

and

"For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 8:38 - 39

It's a wonderful thing, freedom is.

Well, this week is officially over - this week full of tests and stress and a sleep deprivation. I am so relieved. FREEDOM!

[I am pretending housework and chores don't exist. Shhh. Don't burst my bubble.]

I took the PSAT this morning at Calvary, bright and early. I figured I'd see a couple of people I knew from sixth grade, which is when I attended Calvary, and I did: Bethany B., Ashley C., and Amanda T. Oh, how I miss those girls! Kenny G. was taking the test, too. Almost made me want to go back. My mom and I briefly discussed the possibility of me taking a few classes there next year - like math and Spanish. Hmmm.

The college midterms went well, I think. English was easy - almost too easy for confidence, you might say. We had to read and analyze a poem we'd "never seen before." Dr. Franklin chose Walt Whitman's "When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer." It was an interesting, but short poem, and I think pretty straightforward. I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

The history midterm was alright, too. We had to write one long essay (2 1/2 to 3 pages), one short essay (1 to 1 1/2 pages), and two other half page to one page essays. I finished in time to complete two out of three extra credit options, too, which were also both writing (a description of an event and a rant about the way the Constitution has impacted America today). I'm hoping I do really well on these...I need an A to boost my grade.

There was no government midterm (which made me very happy), but I am currently working on a huge research paper. We were told to chose a "hot button topic," or something we had been discussing in class. I chose to study the thoughts/opinions/laws/regulations on euthanasia/the "right to die." It's very interesting, albeit a little morbid, so far.

So now, I'm sitting in my driveway, soaking up the returning sun, and thinking about next week. I don't think I've got a whole lot DUE next week, but I do have a whole lot to DO. I'm starting to get used to the college routine, and I'm not horribly behind in reading, but I just have a lot of studying. If you're in the neighborhood with your books, give me a call, and we'll see if we can't get together and do some studying. Studying alone is such a lonely thing. (Is that repetitive?)

Anyways, I think I'll be signing off for today. Hopefully next weekend I'll have something to write about, besides school. That's not a promise, but a passionate hope. In the meantime, if you'd like to read something less boring, I'd suggest reading my friend's mom's blog, "Fish in My Hair." She's an incredible story-teller and very entertaining. http://www.fishinmyhair.blogspot.com/

Hasta la vista, baby.

"Shuttle 'No Time' is ready for launch." Beep. Beep. "Err, rodger that."

I have a history midterm on Tuesday.
I have an English paper due on Tuesday.
I have a government response paper due Wednesday.
I have an anatomy/physiology exam on Thursday.
I have an English midterm on Thursday.
I have the real-deal PSAT on Saturday.

I have no time to blog.
But I think you may understand why.

"There is no pit so deep that He is not deeper still!"

- courtesy of Corrie ten Boom. I would love to be just like Corrie ten Boom when I grow up.

In describing this week, "awful" would be an understatement. I don't think I've even been so stressed out about school. I also don't think I feel like blogging about that topic.

So, here's a question for you: what's the worst thing Fry's could do to your computer?
Answer: lose ALL of your information. Every single file.

Yep, that was something else I dealt with this week. My laptop is a huge, out-dated system, complete with Windows Vista and built for people like my dad, who think "bigger is better." (I love my dad, but I think he is technologically challenged.) Actually, the desk-top sized screen is perfect for watching movies...but that is beside the point. I don't have time for movie-watching anymore.

My computer crashed for the fourth time in a year and a half about two months ago, and I took it back in to Fry's, where the computer is warranted, on August 24th. Just as they had every other time, they insisted that they had to wipe my system and completely restore it to new. Just as I had every other time, I agreed, and handed over my precious computer.

I don't have enough time, energy, or patience to explain all the mistakes they made with my computer, but here's the overall idea: they had to switch out the motherboard. According to some of my techno-savvy friends, that is a fairly easy procedure. However, Fry's managed to order a malfunctioning motherboard, then the wrong montherboard, and when finally ordered and installed the correct one, over a month after I had given them my computer, they "forgot" to re-download my information.

And then I found out that they "lost" ALL of my files, documents, photos, everything! Either lost it all, or lied about backing up my system beforehand.

Most of my pictures are on my parent's system, and a few are on CD-ROMs. I have lost a whole year's worth of English papers; but honestly, I could care less about that. I can re-install all of my programs - Microsoft Office, Outlook, etc. - without much inconvience, besides the time it takes for installation. But the most painful loss will be the dozen documents I had written and saved on that computer alone, my free writing. Stuff like short stories, poems, thoughts, the beginnings of novellas, fantasy, memoirs. It makes me ache, thinking of the hours of effort, emotion, and love put into those little documents, all of which are lost in cyberspace. It's not a good feeling.

So - the moral of this story? Never, ever, EVER go to Fry's. Why? First off, they stink, and secondly, I may be forced to have a long, uncomfortable conversation with their whole staff. And when I finish, I'd rather you not have to be known as the friend of the eccentric, who freaked out because a computer-fixing store broke her heart and lost her information.
...Yes, that is called sarcasm.

But just as Corrie ten Boom forgave her tormentors, I'll forgive the dummies who erased my documents.
"There is no pit so deep that He is not deeper still!"

Where to start? Definitely NOT at the beginning...

Most of you probably know me already, so I won't take the time to introduce myself tonight. If I feel the need for introductions at a later point, I may go ahead and give the run-down of my likes and dislikes. But for now, I think I'll jump right into my life, and write about the details facebook won't allow me to elaborate on. That will give you a better glimpse of me than any list possibly could.

NCTC. This is my first semester there, and I'm not quite sure if I love it or hate it. I take three classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays - English Comp 1, with Dr. Franklin, US Government, with Professor Rollins, and American History, with Professor Thompson.

For tonight, I think describing my favorite class, English, will be enough.

English 1301 is literally a class full of punks. I'm talking nearly every kid in that class (there are about 25) has piercings and vibrantly-colored hair and tattoos and skinny jeans. And I hate to say it, but some of them aren't too bright. I could give several examples, but I will refrain for the privacy of the individuals.

Dr. Franklin is - let's face it - your typical crusty old gentleman-professor. He loves debate, and loves to make you feel stupid. But there's something about him I really like, something significant enough to keep me from writing him off my "favorite professor" list. He's almost completely deaf, and wears hearing aids...and he's an excellent lip-reader. Two weeks ago, Dr. Franklin accidentally left his hearing aids at home, and yet he was able to carry on a fully-normal conversation with everyone in the class. I was impressed.

I have a fairly-lengthy poetry analysis due by tomorrow, so I'm going to cut my thoughts short for tonight. Pity, because I have a lot I could write about. Expect to hear about my analysis.
Hasta la vista, bebe.

September 13, 2009

It's been a while since I've ventured to blog. But here I am.