the 4th of July

The number 4 in Chinese means death, or to die, it 's an unfortunate number. In the U.S. or I suppose western culture 13 is pretty awful.

Every year I look towards the 4th of July as just another lazy day in summer, sometimes spending it with family and other years with friends. This year it's a combination of the both and after reading some books which have mentioned America as a nation for the free and independent, I can't help but be a little bitter.

With the economy so down in the dumps and the current Administration looked upon to do something magnanimous about it, I feel hopeful and so far disappointed. I realize that to look up to Obama to fix everything is unfair to him, but he's a representative of what the American struggle. He's succeeded. It's something that I mean to do once I get through all education and work experience stuff.

I know that people say that happiness doesn't come from money but from acceptance from family, but money is a really important part of that. Money is what affects your family's moods and how they view life. Those who are affluent need not worry about money and how your family is going to afford to pay the rent or put food on the table. These are the people who have to find happiness in the aforementioned way.

Finances are what drive this country. It's true. After working in the federal government for only two weeks I have already heard millions of dollars being tossed around for projects. Or even billions of dollars. I wonder where the government finds all this money. The people who carry out these projects must be paid and their employees have to be paid. I wish that our capitalist system was less about profit and more about making sure that everyone was comfortable, and still generating a profit.

How can we let people live on the streets when we are throwing extra food into the trash and buying useless electronics that we don't really need? Why are we worrying about the inconsequential things when there are those who are struggling every day to project the appearance of being well situated so that they don't lose the respect of their peers and co workers? Why does the press focus so much on celebrities who are obviously so well off? Should there not be more news about the homeowners who are going bankrupt and the failure of American schools to teach values to the students? Are the plights of the average joe less newsworthy? How could it be when we all at times feel the same pain and struggles.

Why are people more likely to sacrifice for stars than the cusp of retirement couple who can't make ends meet?

So let's celebrate the independence we won from the British on this momentous day. We deserve it, we strove hard and long. It's a day of remembrance and a reprieve from the hardships of daily life, but not a holiday from reality.

You have 4 minutes to choose the best possible response..

Dear World,

Why are AP exams so close? Why do I have one on Tuesday? Why is that one the Spanish one?

Why is May so busy? Why haven't I gotten my self together? Why is lacrosse season almost over?

Okay, instead of asking more questions, I would rather post about things. Entonces.

This Monday is the Blair-Northwood game which I am very excited about! I hope we perform at our highest level.

Tuesday: AP Examination #1

Wednesday: English Research Paper GO!

Thursday: Kiera's Birthday, Media Paper and Presentation GO!

Friday: Lacrosse Banquet?

Saturday: AP World Review/Viola/Garden Party?

Sunday: CAPPIES voting -blah

Then it shall be my birthday! Hooray. Note so self.. schedule driver's test.

Anyhow the future!

-Peter, Bjorn, and John Concert tonight. I am excited. They are from Sweden as so many good things are (namely Sara G.).

more to come later!

The Hazards of Love

New Favorite Album: The Hazards of Love.. and also self-named Telekinesis!

So I have given up practically on ever writing well enough to get a 8 on any of my English essays, really it will never happen. My ideas are not original or well thought out enough for the AP rubric, at least for English. I can write fantastically for World, but really that is all about memorizing information and writing it eloquently, and delivering your point. In English, you have to make it "sexy" as Plotinsky would put it. It is freaking hard. Even when I had my pretty interesting point (at least I thought) of Americans watching medical shows to fulfill their messiah complex, I think I got a yawn from the class. Bother.

Also, I don't happen to excel excel in any particular area. I am what you would call a well rounded student.

Also, another thing. I hate when people speak for everyone else, especially when they are fixing a label on the entire group. Like privileged. I hate that word. When people speak of CAP they are always calling us a group of privileged, upper middle class, suburban (and often white), unappreciative, take for granted, kids.

First of all, upper middle class. jeez Please speak for your own socioeconomic class and don't lump everyone together because I would not consider my self that particular label. Yes, I suppose I live in the suburbs. NO. I am not white. I happen to appreciate my opportunities and I don't take those for granted unlike some of my peers. One person I know said that he doesn't know what the whole hub hub about the economy was because he was not affected about it and he doesn't understand why all his friends are so freaked out. That is someone who I would call "privileged" someone who doesn't need to worry about finances in a time of economic crisis.

I am a kid, but I am not so young that I don't know what I am talking about. I happen to know a lot about the economics of this country at least from my own position. And so people in my Research class who speak for the whole class, describing us as disconnected from the rest of society because we are protected in our bubbles. WHOA. Speak for yourself, and yourself only.

Hm. I just read everything that I just wrote and I sound a bit too self-righteous and perhaps a bit pretentious. But in actuality, I do believe in what I wrote and I think it's logical for people to get pissed when other people speak for them and label them something when they are not.

Tangent:
APs. lamesauce, they are terrible and I have 3. And some people are taking more. Why are they doing that? Why would they do that?

Tangent:
30 Rock is the best television show ever since Gilmore Girls, Ugly Betty, Pushing Daisies.. okay actually it is up there with all of those shows.

God. Will I ever get a 8?

Amherst College April 8th 2009

Amherst College:

• Hilly -1
• Beautiful/absolutely gorgeous campus +1
• Spacious, airy forms +1
• Highly selective (15%) -1
• Interesting music class +1
• Very, very friendly students +1
• Cute guys +1
• Town is fairly amazing +1
• Town is very small -1
• In the Five college consortium +1
• Incredibly cold -1
• Music lessons are covered if you take one music class a year if you are under financial aid +1
• Students are fairly hip +1
• Seems like many students are from the same socioeconomic backgrounds -1
• Have qualms about the diversity of the campus -1
• The athletic facilities are amazing +1
• Theatre on campus with movies playing 4x a week +1
• There is an environmental science major +1
• The environmental science major is only 2 years old -1
• The admissions officer kept saying how the kids who are more sophisticated apply early decision -1
• More acceptances during reg. decisions vs. early decision
• Awesome Panini +1
• Will meet 100% of demonstrated financial aid with no loans +1

Amherst as of the moment +5

Clark University

Clark University:

• Friendly, open dining hall +1
• Dorms are small and narrow and harsh -1
• Good financial aid to the max +1
• Avg. class size is 21 -1
• Women’s lacrosse club +1
• Varsity Field Hockey +1
• Students seem friendly +1
• The town has seen better times -1
• The labs are pretty dank -1
• Newly refurbished library +1
• Compost +1
• Small population size +1
• Campus is pretty small -1
• Not exactly the most scenic -1
• No incredible fashionistas -1
• Need to complete a class in each of the 8 cores
• Free Fifth year of tuition if already a Clark Student, not a transfer +1
• Overall, pretty unexceptional -1

Clark is at the moment: +1

Hampshire College

-70's architecture -1
-70s furniture -1
-Engaging, interesting students+1
-Farm+1
-Written evaluations instead of grades +1
-Small campus (1400 students) -1
-Unexceptional food -1
-Non-meat options +1
-Organic/Local food +1
-One dining hall -1
-Co-ed bathrooms
-Small dorms -1
-High probability of getting a single if you want +1
-Themed housing +1
-Easy access to resources +1
-Good Bus system +1
-Cool Town +1
-Composting +1
-Lots of smokers -1
-Bathrooms connect dorms
-Interdisciplinary/choose your own concentration Divs I, II, and III +1
-Gorgeous campus+1
-Inclement weather -1
-Happening music scene+1

Hampshire College as of now: +6

Williams College

The Post about Williams College:

-got there, wet, rainy and pretty grim looking -1
-class in the SAB (South Academic Building)
-found SAB, needed to find class, found class with help of Kate a girl who is from Central MA. Thanks Kate for helping me! +1
-Interesting class, felt like I could learn something +1
-Small, accessible campus +1
-Pedestrians rule, cars stop! +1
-"Downtown" Williamstown is one street -1
-No Chinese food -1
-Sushi, Thai, good sandwiches +1
-Enthusiastic Tour Guide w/ "real" tour inside frosh quad +1
-Beautiful Sci. Library +1
-LEED certified buildings +1
-Confusing signs -1
-Admissions info session -1
-Social atmosphere +1
-Talk with Lacrosse and Field Hockey girls +1
-Wireless Internet EVERYWHERE +1
-Coffeeshop +1
-No close music venues -1
-Only one theatre with capacity of two movies -1
-No shops for clothes -1
-Study Abroad programs covered in financial aid +1
-Meets 100% demonstrated financial aid +1
-Oxford Tutorials (professor and two students classes) +1
-Small classes, professor student bond +1
-Lobsters +1
-Vampire Weekend and Girl Talk visit +1
-Students seem to genuinely like the college +1
-Stylishness and hip students with rad clothing +1
-Winter Study (one course) +1

Total for Williams College as of now: +14