CARINA 360°: Rachel Zoe, my latest obsession

Back for it's second season, The Rachel Zoe Project has proven to be my guilty pleasure.

Rachel Zoe is thee stylist to the stars. From Liv Tyler, Lindsey Lohan, Nicole Richie, and my favorite, Anne Hathaway - which she dressed for the Academy Awards.

In the show are her trusty fashion associates: the adorable Brad Goreski. Who happens to be my favorite, how can you not love a man in a bow tie? And the hot, but ill tempered Taylor Jacobson. Her hunky husband Rodger Berman also takes place in the show, supporting Zoe every time something goes wrong.

Why am I so fascinated with this woman? Well, just look at her! She's to die for. Her hair, her clothes - she has incredible style! And her whimsy catchphrases. Whenever she sees something mind blowingly fabulous she'll always say: I DIE.

The show, however, is not just about ridiculously priced Armani gowns or Marc Jacob cameos. Serious things happen in the land of Zoe. Example, in an episode titled "Pin Thin" and Pissed Off," Zoe struggles to fight the rumors that she has an eating disorder due to her pin thin body. Girl can't help it! It's how she's built. I'm build with monster hips, Zoe’s born with a tiny frame.

Besides becoming a fashion icon, she is also a business woman in her own right. In the future she'll be launching a clothing line, handbags, fragrances, jewelry, etc... Which is rumored to be called "I Die." Funny I know. (What's not funny is what her haters at nymag & p-hilton say. p-hilton is so mean! )

But forget about those a-holes! Go read her book. Yup, she's also an author. Style A to Zoe: The Art of Fashion, Beauty, & Everything Glamour. Now shocking as it may be, I don’t have this book. I can’t find it at Barnes and Noble! Grrrrrr! (If you like me, that's what I want for Christmas.)

I wish people would appreciate the work Rachel Zoe does for America. No exaggeration here, she makes people look good. Do you have any idea how many people walk around looking all shlumpy? Now if only she could help Lady GaGa …

*carina360.blogspot.com

RANDOMora: Polanski still creating uproar

Since director Roman Polanski's arrest, it's become apparent many aren't too happy with him not serving for his crime sooner of raping a 13-year-old girl in 1977.

It's been over 30 years since his fleeting sentencing, but it's obvious Hollywood had no judgment of whether to hold this over his head much longer. However, just because he's holds a famous background he doesn't deserve to be in cold cell blocks like any other criminal?

Wrong. He does. Spite his age at age 76, it's obvious he wasn't going to be treated with a "Oh well, that was years ago." Unlike Nicole Richie and Mel Gibson, this isn't a DUI or even a simple unpaid car ticket. He broke the law, and no matter who he is, it has to be dealt with.

RANDOMora: Sarah Palin "Going Rogue" coming this holiday season

While watching my daily dose of "The View" this morning, I heard Sarah Palin, partner in crime to John McCain's presidential campaign, was releasing her book this holiday season. (Oh Santy, will you please?)

Reading up on this, I realize, what does she have to say, knowing that it'll be 400 pages? Now, I don't bash on politicians unless they back stab me wrong, so I'm really curious if whether I should consider buying this mysterious book. (That depends on the cost of course.)

It would enlighten me on the otherwise moose-hunting, fly-fishing persona we all picked up when first introduced. Oh, how I will never be so pleased when she crossed the scene as McCain's "Weapon XI." That's a reference to X-Men, keep up.

On ABC NEWS Jonathan Burnham of HarperCollins told the Associated Press it's "her words, her life and it's all there in full and fascinating detail." Or could it be just some Miley memoir: Completely ridiculous?

Well, let's just wait before we talk about something we aren't entirely sure about yet. Who knows, what if it becomes a best-seller?!

RANDOMora: Newlywed game opens it's stage for gays

Announced last Wednesday, the Game Show Networks' "The Newlywed Game" will feature Star Trek star George Takei and his longtime partner Brad Altman, becoming the first same-sex couple ever to be casted in the history of the series.

The couple got married September 14 of last year, just before the Proposition 8 had made its stance. Though they still stand husband and husband, the will now appear on the game show proving that not even a silly little proposal can keep their marriage from existing.

Not surprising many would way, "Well, it's about time." But, truly it was. The show states they are of "modern installment of the classic series ... of wide-ranging backgrounds." Much of which is one small step for man, one large leap for mankind. I know I will definitely tune in to the classic, but ever modern game show on television.

"The Newlywed Game" premieres its second season on GSN Monday, October 12.

CARINA 360°: Hugo Chávez - Socialist, Castro Enthusiast, and Baseball lover

Few days ago, President of Venezuela Hugo Chávez was interviewed by Larry King on Larry King Live.

Here in America, he's most known for his comment about President Bush. Saying he was "The Devil" and Bush made the room reek of sulfer. And he made even more shocking comments on Bush. Saying Bush ordered his assassination.

That's a huge statement to make. His proof?
“I saw those who wanted to kill me & the order came from the White House. It is no doubt in my mind.”

My mom calls him the devil! (She happens to have some very strong opinions on Mr. Chávez) She says he's a wannabe Fidel Castro.

Harsh.

But can you blame her? In a sense it's sort of true. I mean, he is friends with Cuban dictator, Fidel Castro. In fact he says the friendship they hold is, “profound, extremely close. He is like a father to me, a political father, I admire him enormously. He is one of the greatest men of the 20th century, of the 21st century.”

And the fact that Castro is a communist, “What's wrong about that?”
In the interview he just raved about how fantastic Castro is saying he is a ‘visionary.’

(My mom begs to differ.)

As we all know Chávez is a Socialist, and he says Capitalism is the root of all evil.

He’s friends with, as Larry King calls “America’s enemies.” Like Iran. But Chávez says he is a leader who wants to be friends with everyone.

Well, we are all on the same earth, might as well get to know each other right? I see his point there.

In Venezuela he says he drastically decreased poverty. And saying his country has a higher employment percentage than America.
He slams the accusations that he wants to build Nuclear Arms, and claims he was misquoted. He meant Nuclear ENERGY!

DUH! How can you get that wrong?

“Who launched the bomb on Nagasaki? ... we want to develop Nuclear Energy for medicine. One day we will run out of oil. We need to invest in technology.”

After all that political talk was done. King asked him some personal questions. Which were more fun to listen to. I prefer the more 'human' side of him, not the Castro loving political side.

His dreams were to be a baseball player or a singer. He loves poetry. He is faithful, loves JC!

This interview made me like him. Kind of. I think he successfully changed the way other Americans view him (except my mom).
He sure made himself sound like a good president.

Watch the entire interview here.

*carina360.blogspot.com

RANDOMora: The speech had Apollo 11 astronauts were stranded

What if, after the magnificent landing on July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 never came back to Earth? What if they were stranded and the day would then be known as a tragedy?

Well, that "If" was prepared for by Pulitzer Prize winner William Safire, two days before they had even landed on the moon. It is an "eerie" speech where Nixon was prepared to say a front of the United States.

In today's generation with the start of the Iraq War for what was for 9/11, and more currently the Health Care Reform because of those and others riveting costs (where already on a recent poll, 54 percent of Americans doubt that Congress will get this passed this year), government can be the brightest star, but also an ever waiting supernova.

Though frightening, it does prove that we are only human and no matter the goals we set, we must be sure we reach them. Otherwise, the outcome will be an unforgettable one.

RANDOMora: Should Obama be killed?!

According to ABC, over the weekend on Facebook there was a poll asking whether Obama should be assassinated. Secret Service has since removed the poll and are in search from which it came from.

On large social networks such as this, there are lots of things that go unseen even with the help of red blinking flags. But should the government take this seriously? Well, yes and no.

Yes, because it could be a serious and actual crime attack that should not be ignored.

No, because it could be some opinionated douche asking a "what if" scenario.

Sure "what if" can turn into "it can," but I think it was wise to take down the poll. Whether it was serious or just to pass time, sometimes you have to think common sense that the internet is home to ALL for ALL and nothing is taken too lightly when it comes to offense...the president's offense that is.

Friends.:)

...In the last blog I wrote about how I felt that my life sucked because of everything I was going through and how I felt it couldn't get worse. That was the truth. I knew that no matter how bad I had it I had friends.
...The fact that I had friends made me strong and it made me feel like I mattered. I also realized that many people cared. I wasn't alone in this not for one second. Many of my friends worried when I first had the pain and stayed worried till this point.
...Sometimes one can feel alone but no matter what someone is behind you giving you the extra little push you need to get through any obstacle needed. I sometimes have felt that no one really cared and that I was just some other kid that no one bothered to get to know. Boy was I wrong.
...Through this experience I have learned that even though you feel unnoticed you are always getting noticed by someone then by someone else and so on. At some point everyone will notice you and sometimes for different things. You can get noticed because your quiet, your caring, your smart, your confident, your shy or just because of a smile. It doesn't matter in what way you are noticed you just are.
...I thought I wasn't noticed in many of my classes because I liked being in the corner I liked being quiet and I tried not to draw attention to myself but even that drew attention to me.
...What does this have to do with friends. It shows that the people who recognize you for who you are are true friends. They will be with you through thick and thin and always by your side.
...It has been through this experience that I realized that I had more friends then i thought I had and even more people who actually knew i existed. It goes to show that we as people are getting recognized through our attributes even when we don't notice it.
...It had been through this experience that I realize how many friends I have and how i wouldn't have been able to do it without them.

Thumbs-Up Michy!: Warped Tour Disappointment

As summer comes to a slow end, I came to a realization as I looked back at of all the fun and exciting things I did. I attended a NeverShoutNever! show, was able to meet one of my favorite bands, A Skylit Drive, and watched a bunch of summer films. But there was something I had anxiously planned for over anysummer since middle school. And that was to be able to attend a Vans Warped Tour. 

I have been wanting to go to one ever since middle school because that's when my 24 year-old aunt started going and telling me about it. She's been to Warped about 3 times, supporting and promoting small local bands. Anyway, the Vans Warped Tour has been going on every year since 1995. It first started out for punk rock music but now the line-up features a variety of genres. Bands have different times and stages to be playing at, and it's usually very hot and crowded. Fun. But I can't really say unless I had experienced it myself. That's right, I was never able to go before because my aunt didn't want to "drag me along" before, and my parents thought I wasn't old enough. Well this is the year of 2009, when I turned 16, and my aunt promised to take me to Warped Tourthis year.

Boy, I was so excited I nearly knocked the roof of my house over. Ah, no not really. But I washappy, I've been hoping and waiting for that day to come for so long, when it was finally going to happen I was thrilled. 

Well, Warped Tour has already ended so I either went or didn't.

I didn't. 

My aunt called me last minute and said that her boyfriend was too lazy to drive up and take us to Sacramento, and so I wouldn't be going to Warped Tour this year to see all those amazing bands that I've been dying to see for a long time. I was crushed.

Speechless and silent in anger, I was disappointed yet filled with anguish. It was the biggest let-down at the time, and I happen to not take those very well. False promises aren't really my type of thing. I guess you could even say that I was a bit heartbroken.

 But in time, we human beings tend to get over lost causes and broken promises. I tried to. But every-time it comes up or an unexpected reminder of the event reaches my sight, it reallyreally hurts because I think of "oh that would've been so awesome to be able to go.." I just make it worse for myself and as I grow deeper in regret. 

Moral of the story: Don't break promises because broken promises suck. 

-More at thumbsupmichy.blogspot.com

iMissyRae 2.0: "I Can Do Bad All by Myself"

Spoiler alert! Don't read any further at your own risk!

Tyler Perry, who is well-known for his films about family ideals and African-American empowerment, has once again brought audiences everywhere another movie about the conflicts of a family struggling to stay together, and although the commercials practically reveal the plot of the film, the commercials themselves do not do the movie justice.

Yes, Perry still plays the routine role of Madea in this film, but instead of the usual marital problems that he incoorperates into his work, he focuses on the battles of a young nightclub singer named April, played by Taraji P. Henson, who is struggling to find love, security, and compassion for others.

As a result of a sexually abusive childhood, April struggles to trust men and anyone who comes close to finding out who the real April is. So she instead chooses to numb the pain through constant clubbing and drinking. Because of this partying lifestyle, Henson's character falls into an affair with a married man, who is played by Brian J. White, which is quite different for Perry's style since he tends to focus on the wife rather than the mistress. Above all, April practically plays the mascot of immaturity in the beginning of the movie and as a result of her selfish attitude and carpe diem outlook on life, she continuously has to choose between her happiness and responsibilities.

Meanwhile, across town, April's niece and two nephews fatefully find trouble and hope when they meet an old woman named Madea in a not so optimistic situation. Audiences soon observe a sleeping Madea being awakened by a crash downstairs. Those who have watched Perry's previous films will note that although Madea is portrayed as an old woman, her strength and attitude are that of a fighter -- she is always ready for an ambush. As Madea makes her way downstairs, she discovers sixteen year-old Jennifer, played by Hope Olaide Wilson, stealing (or at least trying to steal) a VCR player.

Of course Madea explodes and almost calls the police or in her words "calls da popo," but since Jennifer has her two little brothers with her (Manny and Byron), Madea allows them to stay the night and finds that there's more to these supposed criminals then she thinks.

It seems as though their grandmother hadn't been seen for four days, and being the kind woman she is, Madea practically forces April to let her niece and nephews stay with her until they eventually discover her mother's whereabouts.

Now, I definitely don't wanna spoil anymore details about the movie for you fellow blog-readers, but I will give my official Magnificent Missy Star Scale Score for this Tyler Perry original:

DRUM ROLLS PLEASE...

4 out of 5 stars


Yes, the movie was that good. The film kept the audience in tune with their emotions, proposed a complex plot that many could relate to, and allowed viewers to visualize their own happy ending. Although there were moments of exaggerated crying and screaming, the film conveyed a larger message that was more important then the dramatics. It showed viewers the importance of family and how religion and even a bit of spirituality can be beneficial for one's emotional growth. It also revealed a balanced opinion of views towards the subject of love and life.

Overall, I definitely recommend this movie. It made me laugh, cry, and smile -- all the things everyone needs every now and again..

Clearly Claire: Spiritless Week

I woke up this morning, excited, because today was all about 80's. I live for the 80's. It is, in my opinion, the best decade. I sometimes think I was born in the wrong decade. 

I watched the dance scene of "The Breakfast Club" in order to get in the mood. I put my hair into a side ponytail and walked out of the house ready to meet crowds with big hair, leggings, and neon colored- clothes, but I ended in a disappointed haze.

What happened to the elementary school days, where everyone in the class came in pj's on pajama day and multi-colored locks for crazy hair day? Well, wherever they went, they are sure long gone. I at least expected all of the leadership kids to be in their punk an d neon outfits, but not all of them were.

How do they expect me to have school spirit and get excited for homecoming, when they, themselves, cannot manage to even put their hair in a side ponytail or throw on a neon t-shirt. 

I do have to say, that I am not the most spirited. I forgot the first spirit day, which itself was not advertised very well, but even then all of the leadership students were not dressed. It is not that hard to dress like a boy.  To dress like a girl is a little harder, but all that is really needed is tissue, if you know what I mean.

I am not asking for every student to be dressed, because that is illogical. It wold be awesome, but illogical to ask that. I would just appreciate it if the people who came up with the days and yell at me in the hallway about my lack of school spirit would at least be dressed up (for not having dressed the first day). It that too much to ask?  

Amato still at risk

It's been exactly a month since the investigation about Amato began. As a follow up...

According to recordnet.com, Amato most definitely is now at high risk for losing his job. Many say it has to do with the investigation of "Tony Amato's involvement with an organization that links textbook and curriculum publishers with school administrators."

I say that a lot of people are jumping to conclusions, and from the looks of it, I see that if he is part of some sort of "secret organization," it is only kept hushed because of that fact that students get squirmy when they hear of bigger and better learning strategies.

Perhaps Amato is simply trying to find new ways to insure the best education for students. I found it very odd that the first thing they thought was that he was trying to destroy the school system. He's the superintendent! Come on, get realistic here!

Why would somebody jeopardize a job that great? Absolutely illogical. A lot are saying that they are trying to stop him from making needed changes. Some, on the other hand say that these reforms can't come quick enough.

We need somebody to get us out of this national debt, and if it takes better education for the future, then why not let him push students harder. Us students are the future, and if that hasn't occured to parents and administrators yet, well..here's your wake-up call.


For more information on this topic, there are several articles on recordnet.com and you can also contact the reporter below, who is the writer for most of them.



Roger Phillips
(209) 546-8299
rphillips@recordnet.com.

Stagg High's Mascot Just a Bit Fed up!

So, people have been giving me a bit of hard time being our school mascot. They say well "You're too pretty of a girl to be in a huge smelly suit." And I'm just so fed up with it. I mean come on why do they care? If i have fun doing what i do then why should it even matter to them. Do I tell them they're too smart to be doing drugs. dealing drugs, or skipping school. No i don't so this is what makes me angry at times when they ask these repetitive questions. At first I was able to ignore it like it was nothing, as if it was just another problem in the world that meant absolutely nothing to me.
Its really not much of a big deal to me anymore. Yeah I'm a bit fed up and angry with what they say, but they're entitled to their opinion just as well as I am and now every time they ask me that question I simply tell them, "You know what you are entitled to your opinion just as well as I am entitled to my opinion and I'm also entitled to my freedom of speech and I can say that your opinion means absolutely nothing to me!"
Well this brings me to a brief little statement I am a mascot and yes I do enjoy it. Yes it's hot, but I simply love it. I mean if I mess up the crowd is not going to be like oh my gosh she messed up, they're going to think it was a part of my routine.

THE FRIENDLY FEMINIST: Lady GaGa

For Valentine’s Day, I wanted some sweet-smelling flowers, and a funny card.
Lady GaGa wanted “a good f***”.


No, she didn’t grow up on the wrong side of town.
No, she isn’t a prostitute.
And no. She’s not completely stupid. Don’t let her outrageous wigs, pantless outfits, and sequined panties fool you.


In an unidentified interview on her sexuality, which happens to be her most popular interview, she says the only thing she looks for in a guy, is…


Big assets.

And yes, that’s it.

But Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta learned piano at four and wrote her first ballad at 13. She attended the Convent of The Sacred Heart Catholic School (the same school Nicky and Paris Hilton went to) and was one of the 20 students around the world at that time to gain early acceptance into an exclusive performing arts school. She later was accepted into NYU.

And you thought honor roll was a big deal.

With a track record like that, I have to give her kudos. I’m seventeen and I don’t think I have as much to show for it.

What bothers me about Lady GaGa is her “identity”, or lack thereof. I’ve heard her music, listened to her interviews, and seen videos of her perform. The grandmother in me almost died. What on earth was she thinking? She’s not a person, she’s a blow-up doll! Who said it was okay to run around declaring how much casual sex you want or have had?

She’s all about attention and she’s so eager to please.

But she prides herself in embracing pop culture. And it’s clear. Contagious pop songs, risqué outfits, and enough hair and make up to make Andy Dick look pretty – this girl knows how to get a crowd.

But I think I know her secret.

She IS pop culture.

She epitomizes everything we’ve come to. She’s the icon of our skin-deep culture, a mirror to all the sweet, glossy sins we feed off of.

She’s fascinating. You don’t believe her. But you can’t help but dance or at least sing along when she’s on the radio.

So I salute you, Lady GaGa. I see the strings you are held by, and I am fine with them. Your little puppet show has us to our seats, but we’re more attached to ours than you are to your puppeteers.

You may not separate pleasure from business, but you’ve turned it AND us into one.

iMissyRae 2.0: Civilization Turned Annihilation?

We've all seen commercials for the upcoming movie 2012 on TV screens everywhere.

The movie's trailers consist of the usual crowd teasers -- fatal explosions, audio pulsation, and cataclysmic disaster. Throw that into a pot full of panic and you have yourself the ultimate end of the year movie.

Set to be released on November 13th, 2009, director Roland Emmerich, who has an extensive background in disaster movies, some being The Day After Tomorrow (2004) and Godzilla (1998), has again directed a thriller meant only to entertain the thought of worldly extinction.

But what makes this movie different? Sure the story line is compiled of fictional characters and settings, but in all realization, the event set to happen in the movie has a history.

When the Mayans were still in existence, they predicted a time of great change for the world: December 21st, 2012, otherwise known as doomsday. Though the Mayans didn't make any prophetic accusations, many speculate that this day will in fact be the end of life as we know it.

The 2012 phenomenon has been under close research and many sources including the prophetic texts from Nostradamus and The Book Of Revelation in the Bible, clearly describe an event similar to an apocalyptic catastrophe. However, no specific texts have confirmed the actual "end of the world" being in 2012.

However, there are numerous theories linked to 2012 describing what exactly will happen in this fateful year. Some predictions include the idea of solar flares, super volcanic eruptions, and even planet collisions.

But Missy, why blog about the end of the world? Isn't the whole situation a bit exaggerated?

Okay so the whole human extinction trend is a bit old news but after watching The Nostradamus Effect on the History Channel, I can't quite grasp the thought of dying in three years (and counting). The whole idea seems silly and vague yet I still ponder the situations we are supposedly "destined" to encounter, and as we travel forward, society's mood towards this phenomenon grows more anxious.

Will we die? Will every species on the planet cease to exist? Will mankind have made it this far to see the world fall apart? The facts.. well there aren't any. All we have are ancient prophecies and our own intuitions, but if you happen to be sleeping, eating, or even partying on this fateful day and nothing happens.. THEN we can just laugh it off at our ten year reunion.

Until then, beware! You never know when destiny will sneak up on you and demolish your species.

(*Distressful organ plays in background along with rolling thunder and echoed "muahahaha's" Screen fades to black.)

Fin.

Amazing.. Maybe?

Okay, so I know everyone has a mom or dad or maybe both parents. Well I have both. My dad doesn't understand me whatsoever, but who's dad does? It's like he don't even care at times. Aside from all this we get along at times and we relate on many levels. I may have a closer relationship with my mom, but there are things I can talk to my dad about that I wouldn't be able to talk to my mom about. Like when my friend died like almost a month ago, I was able to talk to my dad about it and he understood me and how I was feeling and how I am still feeling.

One day we were coming back from church. it was probably a week after I found out about my friends death and I asked him, "Dad have you ever lost one of your friends when you were younger to any type of violence?" His response was, "Yeah, why babes?" "Because dad I lost my friend a week ago," "Was he the kid that got shot on airport out east by the pizza place?" I broke down in tears and said, "Yeah, that's him. Dad I miss him so much. I don't know what to feel anymore. He was somebody that I was close to, someone that made me smile when nobody else could, he was like a big brother," My dad patted me and said, "Don't cry, he is still here with you, not physically but emotionally. Just because you lost one friend, does'nt mean its the end of the world. I know exactly what your going through and how much it hurts, but you need to stop and think. Would he want you crying over him right now and being all sad over him?" I told my dad, "No he would want me to smile."

Clearly Claire: Because I Can

If you have ever been locked in a political debate with me, you know that I don't go down without a fight. I pull out all the punches, I use secret moves, and I make sure I get every fact just right in order to crush not only your argument, but your spirit to argue. I like to leave my opponent crying on the floor begging me to stop. Yet the way a man protested and showed his opposition to Obama's heath care plan shocked even me.

I thought I had seen it all. Hitler mustaches apparently weren't enough for the brutal crowd protesting Obama's supposedly socialist plan. Being compared to the worst man in the 20th century if not of all time is harsh but that is old news. Protesters already used that tactic with Bush and even though it was disturbing, I had already seen it. So what protest am I talking about. Well...

I am not talking about the senator who, in the middle of Obama's speech about his new heath care reform, shouted "You lie!" when Obama spoke that his new plan would not cover illegal aliens. This loud-mouthed, somewhat rude protest has been blasted throughout not only respectable news organizations, but was also shown on "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report".

No, that was not the thing that really bothered me this month. It would have bothered me extremely if it had not been for another event that took place at a rally held by Obama to explain his health care plan to the people. It seemed to be a regular town meeting with people shouting that Obama was going to kill their grandmothers but as it went on, it seemed to get a little more worrisome.

A man had decided to bring an AR-15 to this rally. That is an automatic weapon. What has our country come to when we, as citizens, are using guns as a type of intimidation to our president. The reason he brought the gun...because he can! That was his answer.

Whatever happened to signs and banner and shirts. I really am afraid if the only way to get attention towards your cause is to bring a loaded AR-15 to a rally full of people. How is this an okay way to act around not only a present but a group of people. If you want to hit below the belt...FINE! If you want to block an entire street...FINE! If you want to peacefully yell and cheer and disrupt the quiet...FINE! But I am not okay with bringing a loaded automatic weapon strapped to your back to a crowded area of people where a president is speaking.

Do we have no sense at all?

life sucks when.....

...we all have times when we think are life sucks or wish it were better. we all times when we think life cant get any worse and well i have been there.
...right before summer break my leg started to hurt and i thought i had pulled a muscle during one of my work outs or during a golf practice. i even went to the doctor to go get it checked. both the doctor and the x-rays stated nothing abnormal.
...my doctor thought i had pulled a muscle and with a week or two i would be all better. and this is when i thought my life sucked.
...i couldn't walk or practice golf. this summer was the summer i was going to train hard and make my way to first on the golf team. but i had no luck and things got worse.
...things got so bad i had to start taking pain medications and soon after i had to see a doctor again. this doctor said he would say my nerve along my spin was inflamed. so then we started heat packs which would only help for about 5 minutes.
...then my parents talked about going home weeks in advanced to see what was really wrong but i didn't want to ruin every ones summer so i told them i could hang in there. after one week it was decided that we were going home that this needed to be taken care of before school stared.
...the 21 hour car ride home was just painful. i couldn't put myself in any position to stop the pain and the pain medicine wasn't helping. i had officially hit rock bottom i thought to myself.
...when we got home we went to see our family doctor he was shocked to know it had gotten worse. especially seeing all the pain i was in. so he scheduled more test. but the tests should up clean. well i couldn't do the MR, i couldn't keep my leg straight for that but they thought it was clean.
...the next thing is a saw a doctor the next day but he only noticed something near my stomach but didn't know what it was. so finally my doctor set up an appointment at Stanford's children hospital. yes i am still a child:).
...they set up the same test my doctor had so that they could have them and they had to put me under anaesthetics to get the MRI done.
...the next day the results show i had cancer....now i know my life sucks when i have cancer.

CARINA 360°: Obama, the healthcare guru

Boy oh boy, Obama has been a busy bee this week. First he told all the youngsters in school to be good [see blog below!] But today, the topic was on health care.

From what I’ve heard, I’m telling everyone to relax! Play it cool now. Jump in front of a bus if you want, YOUR GOING TO HAVE THE BEST HEALTH CARE EVER! Because this time, the insurance company's will pay for your broken leg.

Taking effect in four years, and costing 900 billion over 10 years. Obama's plan (he coins it as his) makes it illegal for health insurance company's to deny you for a preexisting conditions. And makes it affordable to those without health insurance. I think it'll bring peace of mind to those drowning in medical bills. Medicare?, he's got that covered! He said he will protect it. He'll also make my future mammograms cheaper. How 'bout that.

Sounds to good to be true? Well, it sort of is.
Not everyone will be covered. Illegal immigrants are left out.

*Sighs.

The plan will provide only to the people who are here legally, but not citizens. ¿Comprende?

Sad I think, I mean, they are hard workers, they are human. They don't risk their lives and leave their families behind for fun. The least we can do is make sure they are healthy. Am I right?

No wonder he was booed. coughJoeWilsoncough.

But regardless, he did good. He reached out to the republicans, independents, even his own party. He was, certainty, bipartisan, a hard goal reached tonight I think.

RANDOMora: Schoolhouse of the White House?? Obama gives an opening school year speech

"I'm just a bill" is a song written by awesome rock stars, in an awesome CD educating awesome young minds about their government and what it takes to create laws for all Americans to abide by...awesomely that is. It's catchy lyrics, "Well, it's a long, long journey/To the capital city.../But I know I'll be a law someday/At least I hope and pray that I will,/But today I am still just a bill," and the unforgettable cartoon narrative of a curious lad are symphonies to a child's soul, but do they know exactly they are saying? Should they? Well then, what would be the point? Surely not to just sell CD's, although how many kids would really want a copy of the "Schoolhouse Rock! Rocks" in their iPods?

President Obama's speech this morning was nothing government related but just another song to added to the awesome play list. It questioned no health care plan or pointed a finger saying "I want YOU, dot, dot, dot," except to say "Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future." But why the controversy? Well, it's not just the people who dislike President Obama, though I'd say would be majority, but countless Americas worried about what he planned to speak about because of his inevitable conflicts conferences on America's political stance. I say it was only fair people had a feeling in their gut as it's only natural to any president wanting to speak to America's children. Yes, it's a sign of mistrust, but it's tough trusting a government with a bad wrap. Like your grandpaps have said before (if any have), "Never trust the government." In other words don't take what you hear and see as merry as it appears, you never know what the government could be hiding...hence torturing.

The speech was rather blanch like you'd expect from an auditorium assembly where the principal goes over a power point describing the years goals. Not the meaning, it was good stuff, like in an assembly, don't play too many video games, take school seriously, "What can you do for your country" bit. Now that that's over, can we please rant over something more seriously life consuming? We break out in the slightest breath, worried our world is coming to an end. Though, caution we must take, let's not let terror rule our imaginations. There is another famous quote, "The only fear is fear itself." I swear I have used this phrase to close off many arguments before, but here, it suits best.

ReaLiz: Breaking stereotypes

Any other morning would have started with the sound of Mr. Sherman talking about the wonderful, but confusing human anatomy. Instead I started off with my own anatomy feeling off balance. My stomach was in a whirl, it didn't feel like I had butterflies in my stomach, but more like giant and fluttering birds. Last Wednesday, Sept. 2, I marked my first Students In Prevention presentation. A presentation that took a summer of preparation.

Students in Prevention (SIP), is a peer to peer drug education and prevention program, where two high school juniors from each high school is chosen to dedicate 6 weeks of their summer to learning and teaching about the many dangers of drug use. The program is exclusive to San Joaquin County, and I was fortunate enough to receive the chance to be one of those peer educators. As a program we usually present to elementary schools, but my partner Nou and I had our first presentation at our very own Stagg High School.

Before the highly anticipated presentation began in Mr. Hiddle's drivers ed and health class, we were warned that this would be our toughest presentation, that high school students really didn't care to learn about the true dangers of drug use, but that most importantly high school students are too busy using drugs to even care what their very own peers had to say. I am proud to say that my partner and I showed all these stereotypes to be false.

So as one of the six presentations began first period, faces of complete boredom looked back at my absolute nervous self. We started our presentation with a pre-questionnaire, which asked students to answer true and false questions, as well as asking questions that require their very own opinion. Going over these questions was possibly one of the most interesting parts of the whole presentations. One of the first questions asks if a shot of hard liquor, a glass of wine, and a glass of beer all have the same amount of alcohol. When we asked the students to share what answers they chose, most of them said it was false. It was surprising for them to learn that this statement is actually true. Their jaws dropped with refusal when my partner and I told them that a shot of hard liquor had the same amount of alcohol as does a mug of beer, this being because even though there is more fluid in a mug of beer, that just means that there are more ingredients.

As the presentation moved on to topics of the addiction process, a four-phase process that a person goes through when becoming dependent on a substance, and family roles, roles within a family that are adopted as a result of an addiction, the faces of the students lit up. They laughed along as we had students come up and apply props to the character they were adopting.

By the end of the day, my throat was in desperate need of about a gallon of water and my feet felt as though I had walked for about three days straight. I must say that after this day, I realized why teachers are always so tired. But most importantly I realized that students do actually want to learn about the effects of drugs. There are people who think that all high school students want to do is ignore those who are trying to teach them. Sadly this is a stereotype that follows until we hit our later adulthood. In my English class, we brought up the fact that with every generation, people will always look down on the teenagers and say that they are wilder and less caring than the ones of generations past. I am sorry to inform many adults that teenagers do actually care about some things, it may not be all the time, but we do care once in a while.

-Lissette...one of those teenagers who actually cares

Here is a video about our summer SIP training: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tju2meklq1k we sent it to the Ellen show.

Anatomy Lesson of the day

THE ANATOMY OF A MATH TEACHER:13 27 10 50


they're made up of...

-13% droopy eyes

-27% frustration with tennagers

-10% nerdness

AND FINALLY......

50% of a math teacher is the pythagorean theorem


100% unnappreciated.

Clearly Claire: Love Becomes Obsession

I have always loved reading. It is something I do a lot. I am the annoying person in the back of the theatre during Harry Potter that is yelling "That wasn't in the book" and "Did they even flip through the pages before they made this movie?" But it seems that lately, I have been more drawn to my television.

See, the beauty of television is that it is like a moving picture book that also talks to you. But when does this switch from just a love of television, to an obsession. If any of the following applies, you may be a TV addict...

• You have a favorite show for every day of the week
• You talk about your favorite shows as if the people in them are you friends
• You hear yourself saying things like "I am totally boycotting a station because they cancelled my favorite show"
• You begin to quote lines from the show
• You start reading books, watching movies, and playing games that the characters do on TV

The sad thing for me is that all of these apply to me. I have to get home everyday by a certain time because I am gonna miss my favorite show. I used to talk about the Gilmore Girls as if they lived in my town. I boycotted ABC after they cancelled "Pushing Daisies". I love to quote things I hear on shows. One of my favorite bands is "The Shins" which I discovered on my favorite show.

I guess after a stressful day at school, it is easier to tune out in front of the television that it is to think about that essay due for English or that experiment due for Chemistry. But the good news is, is that I have accepted the fact that I have a problem and that is the first step.

If only there was a Television Lovers Anonymous.