My geeky obsession

If you already know me, you know that I love the Harry Potter series. If you didn't know that, then you do now. I promised myself I wouldn't gush about the series in every post- and I'm keeping that promise- but I knew eventually I wouldn't be able to stay away from a post about it here and there.

I began reading Harry Potter during the summer after I finished seventh grade, not too long after the entire book series was on the shelves. I began reading the first book, and I enjoyed it. I soon connected with each of the characters, and truly relish the unique plot. I was hooked.

I finished the series within the length of the summer, and immediately began reading it through again. I had seen the first, second, third, and fifth movies before I read the books, and I thought the movies were averagely good. Not the best, but fairly interesting. After reading the series, I realized why many people were obsessed.

However, it wasn't until around July 2010 that began what I may refer to as, "The Year of the Potter." Yeah...lame name. But somewhat fitting. I was now looking forward to the seventh movie coming out in November, and part two the following year.

Fortunately for me, I have a best friend who is as in love with the series as I am. Indeed, we saw midnight premieres of the seventh and eighth movies together. Quite the experience, might I add.

Now, if I were to change the series at all, I would merely change when I read it. I wish I could have read it earlier, before I'd seen any of the movies, and during the time when fans had to anticipate the release dates of the books. Although waiting must have been a pain, I'm sure it was quite worth it.

I will admit that I am obsessed with the series. However, I am not in love with any of the characters, and I will not stalk J.K. Rowling or any of the actors and actresses from the movies. I appreciate the literature for what it is, and leave it at that. You could definitely call me obsessed, though. On the other hand- like how wondering if you're insane might mean you are sane- does admitting my obsession make it less "extreme"? WHO KNOWS, maybe I just think about stuff too much.

In conclusion, you can expect an occasional post about Harry Potter in the future.

Irritable Sounds

I hope you know the feeling, when I explain how a certain sound or sounds immediately irritate me when I hear it. For example, the sound an intercom makes just before someone starts talking into it? That short second of static, as they're turning it on? I do not like that sound.

And the sound of scattered clapping. When there's a round of applause and it starts to die down, but those few people who do just a couple random claps when everyone else is finished? For some reason, that irritates me.

Although it doesn't bother me in particular, I know someone who can't stand the sound of a bunch of people typing on a keyboard at once. That also applies to many people pushing buttons on a calculator at once.

So why do these things bother us? Well I have no idea, I just think they're interesting to talk about. However, part of me is still curious. Personally, I think whatever sound tends to bother you is generally random, or has no specific reason.

However, there is a sound that has grown to really bother me because of what it is. The last couple years, I had an clock radio that I set my alarm for to get up everyday for school. I always set it to turn on the radio when the alarm goes off. But, sort of like the intercom thing, there's a second of static before the actual radio turns on. I almost always was in the light sleep phase before my alarm goes off, so in my semi-conscious state, I would hear that noise. Every. Single. Morning. I grew to despise that sound, because in my mind, it will forever be tied to waking up in the morning- which is NOT my favortie part of the day.

Double take. Yeah, try that one again.

So you're walking down any public street, and you see a girl who is obviously pregnant. However, she looks like she could be in high school. What is your first thought?
This is a complicated question, because often people don't want to admit their answers. Often, strangers will think, "Oh wow, that girl shouldn't be pregnant. How could she have gotten herself in a place like that? Obviously she's not that smart. Her parents should have raised her better than that." Or something along those lines, give or take a few bad names.

But let's look at it again. For most people, they would think that the girl made a bad choice. Maybe she did, but keep in mind, because of that choice, she is followed by stares everywhere she goes, with strangers thinking the same things you are right now.

However, I've also come to think, maybe those judging strangers should look at it from another point of view. For example, I bet many of those same people who would cluck their tongues, shake their heads, and turn their young kids the other way before they see, would be even less approving if the young girl got pregnant then had an abortion.

Personally, being pro-life, I would approve more of having the child instead of having an abortion. So next time, just think, "Okay, maybe she made a bad choice, but maybe she's learned from it. Look, she's chosen to have the baby, instead of getting rid of it. Maybe that's a step."

The insanity of bullying.

Bullying. I hear that word and all things that come to mind are negative. Because nothing good comes of bullying. It shouldn't even exist.

Why do people even bully? I can think of no good reason. Maybe they were bored. Maybe they were having a bad day, and decided to take it out on someone else.

Bullying can either be minor or major. When it's minor, feelings are hurt, but life goes on.

But when it's major, it's not easy to just move on. Bullying someone makes them embarrassed, hurt, angry, sad, etc. However, bullying has a much higher toll than just drama on the playground: bullying has, in the bad cases, pushed people into such deep holes of low self-esteem, they become depressed and suicidal. People have killed themselves because they were bullied.

Now, ask me 3 years ago about cases like that, and I would be totally shocked. How could teasing make someone kill themself? Why didn't they just ignore it? Growing up with three brothers, I have come to have a remarkable knack for ignoring a person if I wish to do so. However, what I didn't know then, was how important needing to be accepted by people is. No, not exactly fitting in with the crowd, but at least having someone or a group of people to appreciate you. For the worst cases, the person being teased feels like they have absolutely no one to turn to. If they ignore everyone who bullies them, then that may leave them with nothing.

The "It Gets Better" project is a well-known support group for LGBT teens, giving hope that it gets better for them in the future. I feel that this group has spread awareness of bullying very well. However, it's still happening.

A teen that spoke out against anti-LGBT bullying through a video several months ago, killed himself about a week ago. Jamey Rodemeyer was bullied- at school and online- because of his sexual orientation. Reading into more articles, I found that the online messages were calling him gay slurs, and telling him straight up that everyone would be happier if he was dead.

Absolutely ridiculous. That's the only way I can think to describe it. If you are thick enough to tell someone to kill themself, then you are neither smart nor good-hearted. First of all, to speak of suicide in that light and harsh tone, either your conscience is in the wrong spot, or you have no grasp of the concept of death. Second of all, to honestly hate someone so much and to wish them dead, is completely inhuman.

We are supposed to love each other, that is what all humans yearn for in their life. Acceptance, kindness, and love. You don't have to get sappy with everyone you see, but a simple act of kindness can mean a lot to someone.

And to all bullies out there: Get a new hobby. Whether you tease to feel better about yourself somehow, or just for sh!ts and giggles, knock it off. Because even if someone was the butt of a joke once, I guarantee they will be ashamed for much longer. If you've knocked down someone's pride so many times that they can't properly feel good about themself, then you should feel horrible. To anyone who bullied Jamey- or anyone else into suicide- I hope it haunts you for the rest of your life.

"It gets better," is a good message, however I think it's missing something. Love should be promoted. Love each other and love yourself, because everyone has a right to live. No one deserves to go through bullying, so let's emphasize the kindness that everyone should have learned even before they were in kindergarten. Respect and be nice to everyone. If that simple rule held up, I think the world would be a much better place.

The meaning of swear words

"Profanity is prohibited."
I've heard this phrase many times in my life, and I always followed by it, while in context. Because swear words, more often than not, are rude and inappropriate.

I don't like to swear much, because I have realized that the overuse of swear words has dulled the intensity of those words. When I see someone who uses the f-bomb in every single sentence, I become skeptical. What do I mean by that? It means that I don't take them seriously when they swear, even if it's in a mildly appropriate circumstance. If I do happen to swear, I want it to pack the punch that swear words should carry.

But in one of my mind-wandering, debate-the-philosophy-of-things days, I began to think about the whole purpose of swear words. Are they really "bad words?" Or are they solely an outlet for anger during a stressful moment? Well, I began leaning toward the latter. Swear words are a mild form of relieving stress, and are often used when someone is angry. I tend to swear more when I play during the softball season, because it's an outlet of frustration when I make a mistake, like dropping the ball. In that situation, I swear under my breath, usually before I even think about it.

But are swear words "bad words?" Well, they are obviously frowned upon, especially when used in the wrong context(recently, I was totally shocked to hear a boy, who looked no older than fifth grade, call a girl a b*tch). But when you look at the explicit meaning, what do they mean? Well, it seems to be common knowledge that bitch is another word for a female dog. However, when it is used as a swear word, I'm pretty sure the user doesn't mean, "You are a dog that is capable of having babies."

And what about the f-bomb and s-bomb? Do they have actual meanings? Well, I know they do, but they are almost always used out of context when "launched."

In my frame of mind, swear words and bad words shouldn't be the same thing. For both, you should hesitate before using them. It is encouraged in society to avoid swear words as a whole. Bad words, however, shouldn't be something that should be avoided. Bad words should be treated extremely carefully, so they are used in proper context. They shouldn't be near-meaningless, like swear words, but rather carry a heavy meaning.

Sh*t shouldn't be a bad word. Murder, rape, and hate should be bad words. War should be the most hurtful bad word that exists.
But they aren't. Instead, it's more frowned upon when people misuse words like the f-bomb. Instead, people- young and old- throw around the word, "kill" like it means nothing. Instead, only soldiers who have been through war will be haunted by what it really is, and shudder at the sound of the word.

Lion King, and other 3D movies.

The earliest 3D movie that I remember from my childhood was "Sharkboy and Lavagirl." Way back when 3D was paper glasses making it look like a hand was actually reaching at you. At the time, it seemed really cool.

But then came "Avatar". The big 3D movie with special effects that was supposed to change everything. Honestly, I didn't see the movie until it came on DVD. But there was enough hype for me to get the picture. Now 3D was RealD, and the picture would look like you were actually there in the movie.

The very first RealD movie that I actually saw was "Tron". It was quite the experience, although after a while, it definitely made my eyes tired. As someone so accurately described the ways of RealD, it's like the movie is taking place on a stage, where everything is in the correct perspective, and nothing jutting out too far at random and awkward times.

Now, most recently, I saw "The Lion King" in RealD, which was quite awesome, considering it was one of my favorite movies as a child. I found this experience particularly epic, because it brought new life to a classic movie.

However, I heard the other day that RealD movies are going downhill. The cost of having movies in RealD isn't paying off with how many people actually see it in RealD. Why this is, I'm not sure.

But the reason why I don't see as many RealD movies as 2D? Because it's paying 2-5 more dollars, for the same movie. When I saw the midnight premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, part 2, I saw it in 2D. Two of my friends saw it at the same movie theater at midnight also, but in RealD. Their thoughts? It was really cool. When Voldemort was died, they said it looked like the little pieces of Voldemort were flying up right in front of your face. I admit, that would be neat. But guess what? VOLDEMORT STILL DIED. Seeing it in RealD doesn't change the plot or ending of the movie.

So is RealD worth it? Well, in the case of The Lion King, I think it was. For Tron and Avatar, it probably was. But will I go see Crazy Stupid Love in RealD? Or would I have enjoyed Marley and Me more if it wasn't just available in 2D? I say probably not. When the movie has special effects that are seen even more dramatically in RealD, then that may make it cooler. But for movies that don't have many special effects, I'd stick with the 2D.

Will I feel the same when I move out and have a career that pays enough me to always be able to see the movie in RealD? I don't know. All I know is that a movie is essentially a story on screen. If the RealD doesn't enhance the story enough to make me satisfied even though I payed more for it, then obviously not.

The artist that is me.

If you already know me, then you know that I love art. I draw, paint, and occasionally sculpt. I enjoy taking many art classes at my school, and plan on expressing myself through art for the rest of my life.

I would not call myself a professional artist by any means; I'm in high school. But it is a passion of mine, and in my eyes, that's enough to call myself an artist.

I always saw drawing as a hobby of mine, but now I'm starting to perceive it as a lifestyle. When I'm drawing or sketching, the pencil feels at home in my hand. Rarely do I not doodle in class. Only too often, I catch myself looking at something in the real world, and brainstorming how I could sketch it into a composition. And I love colors. "Colors" in itself could get on the list of my favorite things.

The project that I'm working on now is actually an assignment in the drawing class that I'm taking. It's a perspective project, which means we're supposed incorporate two-point and three-point perspectives. Basically, those techniques are supposed to achieve the look of- for example- a skyscraper when you are looking up at it from the ground. The top of the building is smaller compared to the bottom, since it's farther away.

For that, my composition is a little girl hanging upside down from a jungle gym. The perspective is looking up at her from the ground. When I first started, I wondered whether I'd settled on a composition that would be too difficult. But now, as I'm nearing the finished project, I really like how it's tying together.

My interest in art somewhat branches into my interest in writing. In my own way of explaining it, art is creating pictures with pencil, paint, or pastel. Writing is creating pictures with words.

Art history also fascinates me. One of my favorite major art events in history was the art revolution. In short, this was when cameras were invented, so now portraits and landscapes didn't need to be drawn. Thus, artists had to find something else to draw or paint.

One of my favorite quotes referring to the art revolution is this:

"When everyone could create naturalistic landscapes or portraits with a camera, it made little sense for artists to do so laboriously with paint and brush. Thus, painters began to think of canvas not as a reproduction of reality, but as an end in itself. The purpose of a painting was not to mirror reality, but to create it." (McGraw-Hill)

That quote came from a textbook! Honestly, I didn't think I'd read something like that in a textbook, but I'm glad I did.

Spirit Week

This week my school is having Spirit Week! One of my favorite times of the school year, no doubt. I really enjoy planning how I'm going to dress up for each day.
Some of my favorite memories of past Spirit Weeks...One week we had twin/clone day, where you make plans with someone or a group of people, to dress the same way. Me and my best friend bought Thing1/Thing2 shirts, and wore them with matching jeans, shoes, and hairstyles. That one in particular was a fun one, because it was our original idea. Another was during spring term, we had movie character day. That same friend and I dressed up as Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley, respectively. Obviously that idea was from the book and movie series, Harry Potter. That one was also particularly epic, because our costumes rocked. It was also slightly awkward, because I'm pretty sure a total of 15% of the student population dressed up for that day...oh well...

Next week, we will be having a Decades Day(60s, 70s, 80s), Crayola Day, Twin/Clone day, Jersey/Spirit Day, and Lazy Day.

Now, almost all of these days have been repeated from past Spirit Weeks. This isn't a problem, but being the type of person I am, it somewhat bothers me. I like creativity, and repeating ideas doesn't exactly please me. Now, I'm not going on a rampage saying they should change it, but if I were to create my own fantasy Spirit Week, this would be it:

Mix & Match Day- wear as many conflicting colors and patterns as possible.
Crazy Hat/sunglasses day - self-explanatory.
Celebrity day- dress up as a celebrity of your choice. See if others can guess who you are.
Color day(crayola day with a twist)- pick your own favorite color, and try to dress in only that one color.
Spirit day- Classic. Gotta keep that one. Dress in your school colors.

About This Blog! :D

This blog is probably going to be fairly random. Whatever interests me at the time, or inspires me, I will write about. However to give a vague idea, I may talk about what peeves me off, current events, or just interests of mine!
Well, whatever I end up blogging about, I hope you enjoy it! :)