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[Saturday
October 27th, 2007 @ 9:18am] |
It's been months and months since I've wrote in here.
I don't think I regret it.
Since I last updated, not a lot has happened, or changed.
The band season is almost over. Today is our last everything.
I'm very excited, and surprisingly sad, considering this is only my second year.
I guess it's just sort of hitting me now, that in just a few months, I'm going to have to grow up. I can't hide behind emotional problems when something doesn't get done. That just won't cut it. The work's going to get harder, and I can't just fake sick to get out of everything.
There's no more hiding. I will be completely exposed.
I'm clinging onto Phil like he's the last person on earth, not just because I love him, but because I'm scared as hell.
I want this more than anything.
But at the same time, I just want to stay forever.
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[Friday
July 6th, 2007 @ 2:54pm] |
I want to get this as soon as I turn 18. What do you think?
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[Thursday
May 10th, 2007 @ 5:26pm] |
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Different parts of the brain become involved when a person chooses to multitask. When the brain multitasks, a “toggling” action occurs, and the two tasks are performed separately.(1) According to a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study, “The switching of attention from one task to another, the toggling action, occurs in a region right behind the forehead called Brodmann’s Area 10 in the brain’s anterior prefrontal cortex.”(2) The corpus collossum, which coordinates information between the left and right hemispheres of the brain, is also involved in the process. (3) However, the brain has difficulty processing two inputs for the same sense. In order for the tasks to be performed simultaneously, a person must first prioritize and decide which task is the most important, and then switch gears and remember the “rules” for the task he or she has chosen to complete first. (4) This causes “time costs”, because the brain must spend seconds to accomplish this switch. (5) Due to the fact that “the prefrontal cortex is one of the last regions of the brain to mature and one of the first to decline with aging, young children do not multitask well, and neither do most adults over 60.” (6) This puts teenagers in a prime age for multitasking.
As technology has changed and advanced, multitasking has become commonplace. Cell phones, iPods, text messaging, chat rooms, and web sites such as Facebook and Myspace have been introduced, gearing today’s generation towards multitasking. (7) Possibly the most influential source is the computer. The personal computers of today have grown a great deal in popularity, and a survey done by Donald Roberts shows that “In 1990, the majority of adolescents said the one medium they couldn’t live without was a radio/CD player…In a 2004 follow-up, the computer won hands down.” (8) This increase in popularity lead to a study done by the Pew Internet Project, which concluded that “Young people are engaging in computer-based multitasking, as well as more general multitasking while using media.” (9)
Multitasking alters brain functioning, which consequently affects learning, especially amongst the youth. A recent study showed that “when a single area of the brain…has to do two things at once…there is less brain activation than occurs when it watches one thing at a time.”(10) Also, “neuroscience studies have shown that different parts of the brain are involved in learning when a person focuses all of their attention on a single chore.” (11) This can be dangerous when related to teenagers and studying. According to a Los Angeles Times/Bloomburg Poll, “53 percent of kids 12-17 did at least one other thing [sic] while studying, while 21 percent performed three other tasks simultaneously.” (12) As previously mentioned, multitasking involves making a mental priority “list”. The multitasking involved when studying at a computer involves instant messaging (IM) conversations, which the teen may choose to focus on first, instead of their homework. Some students even say that they write a sentence while their e-mail is loading, or while they are waiting for a friend to respond in an IM. (13) Another problem involved with multitasking while studying is the “rule changing” task, previously mentioned. “For example, a student who has completed her math homework and is ready to begin her English homework must first decide that she is done with math and ready to begin English (goal shifting) and then turn off the rules of addition and multiplication and activate the rules for reading a store (rule activation).” (14)
Not only is studying while multitasking time consuming, but the information that is learned is “more superficial, inflexible, and concrete.” (15) Consequently, if a student obtains a new skill while multitasking, he or she will have difficulty being able to apply that skill in various ways later on. (16) When students multitask, they cause their homework to take considerably longer, affecting both their grades and their social lives. Studies have shown that “for all types of tasks, subjects lost time when they had to switch from one task to another, and time costs increased with the complexity of the task.” (17) Stawar estimates that “over the long run, the time required to make these switches may lead to a 20 to 40 percent decrement in actual productivity.” (18) Dr. David Meyer reasons that the additional time needed comes from the brain’s necessity to switch between tasks, creating a lag time, or “time costs” which add up depending on how long a person is multitasking. (19) According to Keifer, “Skill acquisition involves progressing from slow, deliberate processing to [sic] fast, automated processing.” (20) Teenagers who multitask while studying accumulate time costs, forcing them to spend longer on their homework, and consequently feel rushed. By rushing through these steps, teenagers may be sacrificing valuable time needed in order to learn the skill. And although the student may be communicating with friends while studying, the interactions are less social than they would be in person. “If you’re IMing four friends while watching That 70’s Show, it’s not the same as sitting on the couch with your buddies or your sisters and watching the show together.” (21) Valuable social skills are lost due to teenager’s preference to multitask, especially with the rise of Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) games, which are attributing to the multitasking craze. Time magazine recently wrote a story which documented the life of an average American family. When the children’s parents arrived home from work, they were rarely even acknowledged, due to the fact that the daughter was talking to friends online, and the son was playing video games. (22) Because they were so caught up in their media multitasking, the family did not sit down together for a meal. (23) This has become commonplace in American homes. When teenagers multitask, especially with video games, they tend to focus solely on the game. (24) However, they are still multitasking within the game. Games such as World of Warcraft, an MMO, offer various tasks that can and usually are intended to be completed simultaneously. Within the game, quests that are given are usually intended to be completed while finishing another quest, in order to save time and gain reputation with different factions at the same time. At any point while completing these “quests”, players are able to interact with other players through a messaging system similar to IMs. (25) This “habitual multitasking may condition [players] minds to an overexcited state, making it difficult to focus even when they want to,” for tasks such as homework or common conversation. (26) Several risks are associated with excessive and frequent multitasking. Multitasking allows teenagers to procrastinate, which gives them less time to complete the original task, increasing stress and anxiety when the student must finish the assignment. (27) According to Shellenburger, “Chronic high-stress multitasking also is linked to short-term memory loss.” (28) Not only is short term memory damaged, but “intense multitasking can induce a stress response, an adrenaline rush that when prolonged can damage cells that form new memory,” making future learning more difficult.
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[Wednesday
April 18th, 2007 @ 6:20pm] |
What makes it worse is when, it's all your fault.
And you could fix it.
But you don't think it could make you feel better.
Or all you want is instant gratification.
Or you've got addictions.
And you wonder whether or not you're making the right decision. Wonder if you only act the way you do to spite another. And at the same time, you don't even care about any of that.
You want to face your problems. But you hide from them. And you've watched it happen to so many other people. People in your family. And it scares you. And it makes you sick. And it makes you sort of feel like dying.
And then there are moments where you are free. And happy. And sometimes it's natural. But those moments are rare, and some come with a bite. Because you're only happy because of living in the past.
And then you escape. And it's just a facade. And it's all a lie you tell yourself to get by on. And you know that when you wake up, all that will have happened, is that you've let your life go on around you. And the people that once cared about you...well, they don't. And you want to be angry with them. But you really don't have a right to be. Because you did it to yourself.
That's what it all comes back to. All the misery you put yourself through. You caused it. You could have stopped it. And now you've complicated it. And you're expected to know what you want. But you can't. You never can.
Replace all the you's with me's and I's and first person pronouns. You just feel pathetic typing it out as if it's your life.
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[Monday
April 9th, 2007 @ 4:48pm] |
I played World of Warcraft for 12 hours yesterday.
I got my dungeon 3 gloves and a new staff.
I need to be shot.
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[Wednesday
April 4th, 2007 @ 5:27pm] |
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Yesterday was such an awesome night, you don't even know.
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[Wednesday
April 4th, 2007 @ 6:33am] |
To follow the trend...
20 things that I want to say to people but don't. Ask and I'll confirm/deny. If you don't want it posted, IM me.
1. You're really not as great as you think you are. If you were just a little more humble, people might like you more.
2. I'm glad we never dated. It would have complicated things so much, but I still wish we could hang out more.
3. Despite what you think, I don't flirt with your boyfriend. He flirts with me.
4. You have been a bigger part of my life than anyone. No matter what happens, you will always have a part of me, and I will always, always love you.
5. I really miss you too much to even say. I don't know if you realize how much I enjoyed spending time with you when we were younger. You've just got so many friends, and so much going on in your life, that I really feel like you don't have time for me.
6. Stop trying so hard to be up on everyone's life, and pretending like you do drugs. It doesn't make you cool.
7. My feelings towards you are constantly changing. I will pretend to be okay with everything, but it still kills me, and I don't think I've fully forgiven you. Maybe I can in time.
8. You never fail to confuse me. I'm never sure if you're my friend or not. No, I don't get along with your group of friends, and I get sick of you picking them over me every single time.
9. I am really glad we started talking again. I almost forgot how much fun you are.
10. You are so goddamn intense. I absolutely love talking to you, and can't wait till we hang out. EDIT: I LOVED hanging out with you. =]
11. You create your own drama, and it's stupid. Stop doing things that you know are going to upset other people then ask for sympathy, and get mad when you don't get it. It's irritating.
12. You're pretty, but not drop dead gorgeous. Constantly posting pictures of yourself makes you look stuck-up, narcissistic, and vain. Also, the strange faces you make are unattractive.
13. You used to dislike me, I think. I've never been sure how you feel towards me. I think we're on good terms now, but we hang out with totally different people, and I doubt we'll ever talk after you graduate.
14. Your goofy attitude is not funny. Most of the time, I find you cruel and stupid, and I really don't think you can sing at all. You play off of other people's embarrassment, and I can't stand you for it, even if everyone else adores you.
15. I have absolutely no respect for you whatsoever. Be loyal to your friends, or you don't deserve to have them. And you definitely don't.
16. Honestly, you were one of my best friends. I don't know what the hell has happened to you. Stop messing around with my other friend's emotions. It's really shitty, and he doesn't deserve it. If you don't want to be with him, leave, but don't expect him to not hang out with me because you're jealous.
17. It feels really weird to say it, but in a way, I love you. Not the kissy way, more like philos. You've been there with me through thick and thin, no matter how bad I screwed up. You've kept my secrets, and you've seen me at my highest highs and rock bottom. I don't think I've ever told you how much I really appreciate you, and I'm sorry if it seems like I take you for granted. Also, you should stop letting people walk all over you. Including me.
18. I find you to be very hypocritical. At times, I don't mind you, but for the most part I think that you're whiny, spoiled, and that you're just trying to get attention.
19. Not every guy is attracted to you. In fact, few are. And the ones that do legitimately like you, you toy with. Are you stupid? Pick one, stop flirting with all the rest. It's possibly one of the most annoying traits I have seen in anyone, ever.
20. Don't go into the army. I'll miss you so much, even if we don't talk as much as I'd like to.
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[Saturday
March 31st, 2007 @ 12:44pm] |
This is the worst feeling I have ever had.
And I think I may have made a horrible mistake.
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[Monday
March 19th, 2007 @ 10:47am] |
Chere Karissa,
Mon frere est tres terrible! Mes parents ne veulent pas qu’il habiter dans notre maison. Je suis triste. Que lui arrivera-t-il?
Triste soeur,
Chloe
Chere Chloe,
Parlez a ton frere et tes parents. Si tout le monde parle a chaque autre, votre frere sera bon.
Chere Karissa,
A l’ecole, un grand carcon est mechant. Il rit quand je tombe, et un fois, il a me frappe. J’ai parle a mes parents, mais ils ont me dit “Pleures plus!” J’ai peur. Que dois je faire?
Aidez-moi!
Michael
Chere Michael,
Parlez a ta prof. Elle peut aider-vous. Ta prof peut raisonne avec le garcon, et il serai gentil. S’il est mechant, allez une autre piece.
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[Monday
March 19th, 2007 @ 10:29am] |
Every person has a story to tell. David Sedaris, author of his memoir, Naked, has seventeen. This memoir would be enjoyed by those who appreciate quirky tales told with sharp wit and humour. However, Naked is not a book for young audiences, as it contains swearing, drug use, and some sexual situations. Sedaris’ stories are full of laugh out loud moments, but have enough significance to hold a reader’s attention. His cynical, self-conscious views are often endearing, and the experiences in the book are easily relatable, allowing the reader to connect with Sedaris. I have read other works by Sedaris, and happily, Naked stands up to par with his other works, which were fantastic.
Though the stories are not in chronological order, they are fairly easy to piece together. Naked narrates Sedaris’ life, from his childhood to his adult years. As a child, he suffers from severe Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (O.C.D.), which drives him to lick light switches, press his nose against scalding cars, and hit himself in the head with his shoe, much to the dismay of his teachers. He was raised with his sister, Lisa, father, alcoholic mother, and slightly insane Greek grandmother. As he ages, Sedaris attends multiple colleges, occasionally dropping out to take various odd jobs, such as sorting apples and finishing wood. Because of his fear of driving, Sedaris hitchhikes wherever he needs to go, and on one occasion, he brings his paraplegic friend Veronica along for the ride. Sedaris saves the title of the book for the last chapter, where he visits a nudist colony and gains a new perspective on people and the world.
Naked is, plain and simple, hilarious. More often than not, Sedaris finds himself in highly awkward and embarrassing situations. In a chapter titled “Something for Everyone”, a college aged Sedaris accepts a job finishing wood. The woman who hires him also hires a hypocritical black man, who Sedaris never quite trusts. In the end, the man steals money from his employer while she is away. Sedaris witnesses this, and instead of stopping him, he replaces the stolen money with some of his own. During his childhood, Sedaris suffers from O.C.D. His rituals, by themselves, are not funny. The reactions of his teachers and his mother’s reactions to his teachers make the chapter “A Plague of Tics” a riot. During one class period, Sedaris recalls,
“I slipped off my shoe pretending to examine the imprint on the heel.
‘You’re going to hit yourself over the head with that shoe, aren’t you?’
It wasn’t ‘hitting’, it was tapping; but still, how had she known what I was about to do?”(8)
When his teachers come to discuss the matter with his mother, she merely offers them drinks, and challenges them to find a solution to her son’s problem.
If Sedaris’ humour does not appeal to a reader, he or she will still be interested in the stories. Sedaris’ experiences almost always end with irony or a lesson. In the chapter “Cyclops”, Sedaris tells of his father, who constantly exaggerates and makes up stories in order to prevent his children from being reckless. While he has well-meaning intentions, he often tries to protect his children unnecessarily. Sedaris father tells stories that range from stabbing a friend’s eye out with a pencil to killing someone while driving. The latter story scars Sedaris so badly that he is unable to bring himself to ever get a license. The chapter ends with Sedaris father stating, “Oh, you kids. Not one of you has got so much as a teaspoon of gumption. I don’t know where you got it from, but in the end, it’s going to kill you.” (52) Little is left to the reader’s imagination. Sedaris describes every room, every scene, and every person in perfect detail, without ever becoming tedious or boring. His daydreams are entertaining, intriguing, and descriptive, such as this image from the chapter “True Detective”.
“My mind was snagged on the thought of those jubilant silver dollars, raucous and dizzy with their first feelings of independence. I pictured their splitting into groups and traveling by night to avoid any excess attention. It might prove difficult to roll over grass and leaves, so I imagined them huddled in the carport, deciding it best to stick to the roads and sidewalks.”
Sedaris is a self-critical word-smith. His wit and sharp tongue are present in every page. He also leaves no doubt as to whom he idolizes. Sedaris’ mother is a perfect example of the wit her son inherited. When Sedaris’ Greek grandmother Ya-Ya goes to church one day, Sedaris’ father suggests that she might be making friends. Sedaris’ mother sharply responds, “Right. Then they can wolf down a few steaks at the Peddler before heading over to the discotheque. Face it, baby, it’s just not going to happen.” In the chapter “I Like Guys”, Sedaris is forced to come to terms with his sexual orientation. Even when examining himself, he never loses his sarcasm, at times becoming a bit harsh with himself.
I found myself connecting more to Sedaris’ childhood tales. Prior to reading the book, I read another work by Sedaris, entitled Me Talk Pretty One Day. I loved the book, and glanced through Naked, which seemed to have fang marks imprinted on each page, a trait common in Sedaris’ books. After reading the first few chapters, I found that I could relate to his problems with O.C.D. Later in the book, the fact becomes increasingly obvious that Sedaris’ gets anxious in most social positions, a feeling that I share with him.
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[Wednesday
February 14th, 2007 @ 7:42pm] |
It's been a very, very long time since I've updated. Well, sort of. Anyway.
+ I now work at Hungry Howie's on Grosse Ile.
+ I am dating Phillip ♥
- Grease practice is going to take over my life in the next 2 weeks.
+ I got a 99% on my Advanced Bio test and it makes me smile a lot.
+ I go on adventures.
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[Monday
January 22nd, 2007 @ 2:43pm] |
Karissa Baker
World literature
5th hour
1. In what ways are The Canterbury Tales humourous? Please give ample support and explanation for your points.
Every individual has his or her own sense of what is amusing. Irony, lewd humour, and people who make fools of themselves all lend a hand in making Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales comic. The Reeve’s Tale tells a story that is the perfect definition of irony, and The Miller’s Tale portrays sexual humour as well as showing the general stupidity of men. While meant to prove political and social points, The Canterbury Tales hold many different grains of humour.
Irony in a story is defined as having an outcome of events contrary to what was, or might have been, expected. In The Reeve’s Tale, the miller was generally expected to get away with the two men’s grain. In the story, the reeve states “A thief he was, forsooth, of corn and meal, and sly at that, accustomed well to steal.” (2) So not only is the miller a thief, he is good at what he does, strengthening the assumption that he will succeed in stealing the food. He was also known to be a strong man who threatened death on anyone who tried to sleep with his daughter. The fact that both of his women are taken, and the men get their food back completely unscathed is the height of irony, hilarious in itself. Karma finally takes vengeance on a man so wicked and arrogant, the retribution is both satisfying and amusing.
The drunken miller who tells his story out of turn foreshadows a tale that is full of lewdness, mirroring his own personality. The lengths that the characters go to in order to sleep with each other secretly are so desperate that it is funny. Alison lies to her husband, and makes up a completely nonsensical story about a flood, which her husband believes. Absolom’s desperate attempt to win Alison’s heart serenades her outside of her window, a funny display of affection which still exists in our films today. He sings, “Dear lady, by your will, be kind to me,” while her husband is sleeping right next to her. The exchange between Nicholas and Alison’s husband is humourous due to the density of the husband. When Nicholas tells him that “in less time than an hour…every man shall drown and lose his life,” to which the husband responds, “Alas, for my wife! Alas, my Alison! And shall she drown?…But is there nothing to be done?”(1197) His wife who he loves so dearly is intending to cheat on him with Nicholas. Later, after Nicholas and Alison have been together, Absolom returns and requests a kiss from Alison. She allows him to kiss her “bare bum”, though he is not aware at first. This is crude humour in and of itself.
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[Saturday
January 13th, 2007 @ 2:45pm] |
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I passed my road test. ♥
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[Wednesday
September 27th, 2006 @ 6:12am] |
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Cruel Intentions is easily the best movie ever made. Ever.
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[Friday
September 22nd, 2006 @ 6:36am] |
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So basically, I am destroyed.
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[Sunday
September 10th, 2006 @ 6:21pm] |
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I am gauging my ears. =)
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[Wednesday
July 12th, 2006 @ 3:31pm] |
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Happy birthday Ally :)
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[Tuesday
June 20th, 2006 @ 4:00pm] |
blue eyes and sandy hair
remind me of the place,
where the brilliance of the ocean
washed over the shore.
& now the summer breeze is back once again
bringing with it
the promise of your love
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[Saturday
May 6th, 2006 @ 11:14am] |
Last night was so much fun. We had the play until like 8 30, then the cast and their signifigant others (plus a few random audience members) headed out to Applebees. We were worried there wasn't going to be enough room seeing as we hadn't accounted for the audience members, but it all worked out fine I guess. I sat with Julia, Alicia, Aleea, and Katie. Apparently Alicia is afraid of asians.
I guess there was a little drama afterwards, because there was going to be a RENT party at Steph's house. I'm pretty sure the signifigant others of the cast were kind of mad they weren't going, but it was a cast RENT party, not a cast plus everyone's girlfriend/boyfriend party. That and I was busy picking stickers off of Steph's car. The person who did it even went as far as to go inside of her car and put in stickers.
The RENT party was really fun. I wish I could've stayed the night. Got home around 1 and went to bed.
A good night.
And tonight, we go bowling!
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