Bad, Bad Idea

Here I am, having a semi-perfect evening. Little homework, getting back into Counter-Strike and then deleting it cause I'm getting paranoid about my ever-diminishing hard drive space, and the nightly news report throws this in my face.

Texas senator proposes 'obesity reports'

.... I'm speechless.

Bad stuff on low-carb, interest in a book, doctors and dentists

Last night, me and a friend were getting dinner at a Subway. I noticed a list of nutritional facts about their dressings and sauces on the sneeze window (I believe that's what they sall it.) Their "Carb Conscious Ranch Dressing" had, in one serving, 200 calories, 20 grams of fat, and 1 carb. I've never been a big fan or believer in the low-carb diets, or any diet in that manner. But such statistics on a product to promote this type of diet don't look too appetizing to me.

On a more positive note, I'll be heading back to Iowa City this Wednesday, with me returning to town on Thursday. While I'm down there, I'm hoping to stop by Prairie Lights Books, my favorite book store in Iowa City, which I'm planning to pick up a copy of The Golden Bough from, a book which, according to how I interpreted Amazon's description, investigates how ancient beliefs in magic and religion tie into today's practices. It's of a growing interest of mine I may speak of at a later time.

I'm also going to Iowa City not just to skip school, which turned out to be my main reason why I did so earlier this month (involving some insurance mixups that made me reschedule to this week), but for doctor and dental appointments. Why these appointments are in motion, as well as being two hours away from my home, I will elaborate on in a post later this week. Trust me.

Stuff about while I wasn't posting

Sorry I've waited so long. A lot of stuff, a lot of procrastination. I'll start off simply by naming some of the things that have caught my eye over the last week.

Here in Iowa, They (politicians) are proposing a tax on grocery bags, which apparently already exists in some other state. This tax would charge $.17 per bag to the customer at checkout. The main idea, they say, is to promote recycling by having people bring their own bags. Now, I know the real reason behind this is to propose another tax to try to get our extremely underbudgeted.... budget from out of the deep water. And cause people know its a tax, the majority most likely isn't going to approve it.

A sentor from this state has a crazy idea of his own: Have Iowa become the only state to observe Daylight Saving time year-round. People have already objected to this, including a columnist from one of the state newspapers. If this was the case, people argue, then children and students would go to school before dawn. I wouldn't mind. Stumbling across Hudson Rd. in the dark sounds like fun. Heck, I can't stay up late and do that. And trying to avoid cars in the dark would really give my adrenaline a good zap. Nice way, I think, of waking myself up in the morning

As nearly the entire nation (except those individuals with no contact with the outside world) know, Johnny Carson passed away on Sunday. Sad thing is, I have no memories from when he used to be on. I was born a little late to infuse his image in my mind. Besides, in 1990-1992, the last two years he hosted The Tonight Show, I was already warping my mind with cartoons. They say today's examples of animation are weird and outlandish. Have they forgotten The Ren & Stimpy Show?

And some other tidbits about the last week:
I'm getting my first scholarship entry lined up... finally. Hope I can enter, and hopefully win enough to at least fund my first year of college.
Found out Unreal Tournament works without having the CD on the drive. To End User Licenses, I give you the flip of the bird.
Any actual player I've come across on Unreal Tournament are insane! The only people, besides myself, that play this game anymore are those that got it when it first came out. They've must have been perfecting their deathmatch skills from day 1. Needless to say, I get wasted every time.

Wonder how you get more readers for a blog...

Second semester starts on the second day

I got back today from being out of town yesterday. I was supposed to have a "doctor's appointment", which was rescheduled at the last minute, if you count last minute as 4 days before the original appointment date, due to stupid insurance complications. So I just took the day off. Hopefully that the 2 or 3 people that read this post realize this, even though I may have told them about this already. If I didn't, they'll realize that now.

I almost would have bought some books on mythology I saw in Iowa City. I can't remember their names so I have no ability to provide linkage. We did visit a gift store, the Vortex. I picked up a bargain CD of a Native American guitar artist, Bill Miller. The CD in particular was Raven in the Snow. I guess after listening to it, there's some hints of native lyric in there, but it's mostly kinna like acoustic rock. Needless to say, I have a new music artist to like.

Not only did I skip a day today, it was also the first day of the second semester. Hopefully none of my teachers will think lightly of me because I was gone. I'm only taking one english class this semester, an extra biology-based class and a shop class for fun. Also, my release was shifted to 5th hour so I still have a period in the day to work. Bad news is though I have gym in that slot the first 4 1/2 weeks. My schedule for this semester is as follows:

1st hour - Anatomy & Physiology
2nd hour - Metal Technology I
3rd hour - Composition and Rhetoric II-Advanced Placement
4th hour - Spanish III (81 out of 100 on the 1st final, wOOt!)
5th hour - Release with gym first 4 1/2 weeks
6th hour - Pre-Calculus B
7th hour - Advanced Placement Biology

Everything except my 4th, 6th & 7th hours has changed this semester. I still factor in that I'll be gone for at least 4-5 more days this semester, 2 of those being doctor & dental appointments in Iowa City, going to the junior sciences symposium at the University of Iowa, and the ALPHA trip, which hopefully planning has not halted. Last year we didn't go due to overall procastination in planning the trip. We have a good idea where we want to go and what to do, but we need to get arrangements set up now. And seeing how the, as far as I know, only readers are ALPHA students - hint hint

4 days till Semester Finals, Part Two

I survived the 1st half of my semester finals. I'm not too happy about my pre-calc (had to answer about 10 of them with last-minute filling in the blanks), but I finished my AP Biology test with 5 minutes to spare and it had more than 1.5 times the questions of the math test.

On top of all that, tomorrow is the start of a 4 day weekend. Friday is a workday for teachers, where they were supposed to be filing the final results from the semester finals, which due to yesterday's weather won't be finished till next Tuesday. Monday is Martin Luther King Jr's birthday and that's another day of school off. I'm in class for the last of my tests on Tuesday, then I'm off to Iowa City Tuesday night and most of Wednesday. I got a biology packet that's technically due Wednesday, but seeing as I'll be out of class that day, might as well not turn it in till Thursday.

I looked up some information on LARP, or Live Action Role Playing. During that time I managed to read someone's top 10 list of why it sucks and a clip from Reno 911 spoofing LARP players. Personally I've never done it. Would I given the chance? Yes. Would I be totally hardcore about it 24/7 during an event and even when were "real-life" people like cops who wanted a word with me I'd stay in-character? Ummm I'm not willing to go that far. I spoke about this with a friend earlier tonight online and he joked that I wouldn't truly be LARPing if I didn't act like that jackass stereotying a LARPer in the video clip. More to come when eyelids don't feel like they're stapled shut. Actually, I'd say more like taped shut. It sounds less painful.

I h8te finals week

It's finals week now, meaning I should be studying. Instead I've spent the last hour having dinner, googling for kabuki pics and overall blowing off my studies, which isn't to say that I haven't done any. I ran through some of the tests on the CD that came with my AP Biology textbook. Most of my studying so far though has been going over my pre-calculus and spanish notes. I have a feeling they'll be the toughest. Not to mention my eyes are getting weary and I really doing want to do any more serious reading tonight.

On another note, a friend of mine is planning to send in an application to the University of Iowa. He's declared himself an open major, which I guess gives him freedom, which in most cases is good. Myself, I've declared myself a microbiology major. I'm visiting my hematologist next week and I have some ideas, college-wise, I want to run by him. Not to mention he's providing me a job for while I'll be in college.

It's official, I can't cook... I suck at making puppy chow

I tried making puppy chow, but unfortunately all I have is a big sticky batch of peanut butter, chocolate chips and Crispix cereal. I didn't have a bag to mix the powdered sugar with it. It doesn't taste bad though, but it's not real puppy chow.

Due to the ice outside, for the first time in about two years I think we have a school cancellation. It's not officially a snow day in my mind since I haven't seen any plows pushing sixty tons of frozen H20. Even better, I have the place to myself today since mom's at work and most likey, she'll be staying at my grandma's house again tonight. You see, our apartment property has one entrance/exit, which is on an incline so we're slightly below the level the street lays on. When its icy, it's a struggle to get even the largest 4x4 veichle (fyi, my mom drives a '91 Chevy Corsica LT) up that. So mom's bunking at grandma's so she can actually get to work.

I also ate at McDonald's last Thursday for the first time in 4 months. I got myself the "Two cheeseburger Extra Value Meal". My experience on chowing down on their food could have been worse. I could have gotten 2 double cheeseburgers from their 99-cent menu or even 2 double quarter pounders with cheese, which I did once or twice in my life. I don't hate them with a passion like PETA, Dr. Phil and a certain Cleveland hospital do. I know their food is far from healthy but once in a while isn't going to make me any more plump than I already am. I blame a diet of meat and half the junk food crap at high school.