February 2009 Archives

So I'm blogging whilst watching the Oscars, and can I just say that it's kind of ridiculous that I've ALREADY teared up? When Dustin Lance Black accepted his award for Best Original Screenplay, it reminded me of how incredibly huge of an impact the movie made on my life and views. I truly love Milk and I'm rooting for Sean Penn to get Best Actor!

Only a few more hours or so until the Hollywood's biggest night. Here are my thoughts. These picks are who I believe will win rather than who I actually want to win:

Best Actor:
Mickey Rourke, The Wrestler - It will either be him or Sean Penn for Milk. While I feel Rourke deserves the award hands down, the Academy is all about politics, which could give Penn the vote.

Best Actress
Kate Winslet, The Reader - Again, if politics plays a role it could go to Meryl Streep for Doubt.

Best Supporting Actor
Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight - Seriously? Is there even any need to have any other nominees in this category?

Best Supporting Actress
Penelope Cruz, Vicky Christina Barcelona - I think this award SHOULD go to Marissa Tomei for the Wrestler, but in the end, critics seemed to like Cruz better.

Best Director
Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire - Overall, this had the best direction of any movie this year. Still would've liked to see Christopher Nolan get a nod for Dark Knight in this category but oh well.

Best Picture
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - I didn't like this movie at all, and Slumdog Millionaire should win this, but it probably won't. This movie should have been called the Curious Case of Benjamin Button: Forrest Gump Remixed.

Best Adapted Screenplay
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button by Eric Roth - Roth won this same award for Forrest Gump and since it happened before, it will happen again. Again, I felt Slumdog Millionaire was wayyyy better.

Best Original Screenplay
Milk by Dustin Lance Black - It'll either be this or Wall-E. We'll see.

It has been exactly ONE month since I have seen Sonny Moore!
It's like a one month aniversary!
*haha*

Some people get songs stuck in their heads. I get lines from movies and plays stuck in mine. (Well, songs too.)

I know that it's an old song, but has anyone heard the song stolen by dashboard confessional? The lyrics are so meaningful, it's very obvious that they put a lot of time into the song. The song is dedicated to a girl who made his life so much better. This song has touched me and many other people; it is a recommendation to all teenagers

Here's Amber's Plain White T's video:

Happy Valentines Day! Love is in the air and so is Dove chocolate. This holiday is celebrated all over the world. I have foreign exchange students in my schoool from Laos and Japan who say that every year they celebrate it too. But, really does anyone know where it comes from? Saint Valentine of course! He was a Saint who was martyred for refusing to give up his religion. On Feburary 13th during Roman times Saint Valentine put up notes, flowers, and let people know how much he was devoted to his faith. In memory we got a holiday called Valentines Day.

As I was surfing the net today I came across an article on Spring Grove Township deciding to have a later curfew for kids under the age of 18. Even though, we all know that many of us want to stay out later then 11p.m. unfortunately it's becoming a stricter law. Police will be roaming the streets looking for kids causing late night mischief. I think that by enforcing this law many kids and teens will see that they really could get into trouble more then they are aware. Then again it could always be broken.

Us as teens experience the worst parts of our lives in high school. Adults today will say that they never want to go back to high school, why? Maybe the reason is because the pressure is brutal. The band "Bowling for Soup", sings about how high school never ends. This in many cases is true, in Hollywood today the magazines only care about how much someone weighs or who is dating who. No one really cares about feelings, this indeed resembles high school. The pressure for girls is even worse. Think about it we have this perfect image in our minds of the typical American girl. We all know what the stereotype is, Jessica Simpson. The only thing about her that people don't like is that she sometimes plays the dumb card. We all know that she's really not stupid but just likes to keep people wondering what she's going to do next. The really sad thing of it is that more girls are becoming anorexic and obsessed with perfection to try and fit this image. Girls are more sensitive to things like this, if someone looks better then them some get jealous. In other words a lot of girls are very confident with themselves and don't care what others think. These people need to give celebrities like Paris Hilton and Nichole Ritchie a lesson.

Has anyone seen the "1234" video by Plain White T's?

That is ultimately one of the cutest video I have ever seen ever.
I love cute little things like that.....
It give you an "Aww..." feeling.

Tell me what you think of it....
and if you havent seen it?!?!

SEE IT!

Peace, Love, & Music
Amber :)

Often time's kids don't like to listen to teachers. Teenagers have an opinion about school, that its "boring" and we aren't going to "use" any of the stuff that we are learning. Harrisburg Area Community Collage (HACC) begs to differ. The local collage is saying that the kids that come in aren't coming to collage well prepared. Often times they need remedial help in areas that they should have learned in high school. HACC has decided to turn away students who need help in these areas. Not to be cruel to students who actually need the help, but for students who come to collage thinking that it will be a big party freshman year. Many students who were originally at HACC went there specifically for remedial courses. Then the students went to Millersville.
his affects the nation because students often like to go to collage for other reasons then to study hard for the future. Then again not all students go to just mess around, some become great people because they work hard to get there. Students at Harvard or Yale won't be there partying all the time. But, then again this all goes back to high school when kids aren't taking the future seriously. They think that it's not going to affect them. Also the extra remedial courses are costing collages more then they need.

It is GORGEOUS outside! I command you, do something in the outdoors today!

As soon as I finish prepping a casserole for dinner tonight, I'm taking a glass of iced chai (prompted by Slumdog Millionaire, which was one of the best movies I've seen in a long time--but read Ariel's post for that) and one of my books (either "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri, "Antigone" by Sophocles for class, or "A Good War is Hard to Find" by my PGSA prof Dave Griffith--can't decide!) and sitting outside to chill.

Go on...stop reading this and go outside before it gets cold again. You know you want to.

In life there are choices,
But why do you keep
Making the wrong ones?

Each choice is a fork
In the road...
One is the right way
The other--the wrong way

Which do you choose?
The one less traveled on.
The one no one has traveled on,
The one no one wants to travel on.

So why do you go this way?
...to hurt them?
...to hurt me?

The truth:
You're only hurting yourself.

With the PSSA's this week, I was just wondering what other students thought of them. Are they a good idea or a waste of time? When I took them last year, they seemed never-ending. New tests are constantly being added, like the new science PSSA. Will there come a point where students will be tested too much?

I have to say that I didn't really know what to except when I first sat down to watch "Slumdog Millionaire." But once I figured out the format within the first ten minutes, I said to myself, "Oh, I get it! This is really cool."

"Slumdog Millionaire" is, without a doubt, one of the best movies of the year. It begins with an Indian "slumdog," or someone in poverty, having reached the last question in the Indian version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?". Since he's a "slumdog," the police suspect that he must have cheated.

However, the entire movie is him going through each and every question and explaining how he just happened to know the answer. This, in turn, tells the story of his life, which is mostly tragic, highlighted only by the girl with whom he is madly in love, Latika.

So I was channel-surfing the other night hoping to find a movie that happened to be playing, and I was in luck. I caught "The Notebook" just as it was starting. It was one of those movies that I knew many people (well, girls) have seen, and it was on my list of movies that I would "get to eventually."

And I have to say that I fell into the category of girls who swooned over Ryan Gosling and cried their eyes out.

'Cause I cried my eyes out, haha.

Ladies, all I can say is this: When you know that your boyfriend would read you the story of how you fell in love everyday just so you could escape your dementia for a few minutes when you are old, you have a great catch.

Simple as that.

(And Ryan Gosling is gorgeous.)

Last night it was like a warm October evening. Just like Halloween should have been this year, where did I end up? Last night I saw "The Uninvited" it was a very good story line. The ending is one of my favorites. I am used to in "chick flicks" the ending is just as if it was a fairytale. The prince and princess run off to get married. But, in "the uninvited" it is very ironic how it ends. Whether you are into thrillers or comedy, trying something new can always be a thought. Scary movies can leave you in a sense of fright as your walking out that theater door. But, it also makes you think how did the director do such a good job? I almost felt like I was in the movie being chased with the scared little girl. I give this movie about a 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Is being too nice and forgiving a good trait to have, or is it a flaw?!?

...just wondering.

Love, Peace, & Music
Amber :)

Phil Scott is a teacher I greatly admire but never had a chance to thank for how wonderful he was to me.

Mr. Scott has probably been teaching for more than 20 years, and this year is his last. I've known him since seventh grade. He was not only my history teacher at Christian School of York, but he was also my favorite.

His quirkiness and unique teaching style always grabbed my attention. He was a great example to look up to spiritually. He was not afraid to tell us that he messed up, but he told us ways to avoid problems and was an excellent source of wisdom and knowledge.

As a history teacher, he always had new and fun ways to teach us things about the past. He actually made history fun and somewhat enjoyable. He didn't just read out of the textbook but told us stories of his past and what it meant to him.

I remember every day, at the beginning of class, he would grab clippings from the York Daily Record and read us the latest current events. Or, during a big test or exam, he would randomly burp or make some sort of strange sound that made us all laugh.

I felt comfortable around him. If I had a problem, he would be one of the first people I'd go to, which is the way a teacher should be. He is probably one of the best teachers I've ever had, and I will miss him dearly. I'm sure after all the things he has taught me ---- and probably taught hundreds of other students -- no one can complain or forget about dear, old, Mr. Scott.

-- CORINNE ELLIOTT, Central York High School

I've never had a recurring dream, but it seems there's a first time for everything.

Wordle.net is a site for people who are looking to be entertained for hours. It creates word clouds, arrangements of words in different directions, fonts, and colors that look like carefully arranged puzzles.

Users provide the text via a word box, a URL to a blog or blog feed, or a del.icio.us user name. The text can be anything from a favorite song, poem, or words that describe a person or object. Once the text is submitted, the program randomly arranges the words. The user can then change the wordle by altering the font, color, or layout. There are more than 25 fonts available and a variety of unique color schemes that range from blue meets orange to chilled summer and even dull candy.

Once users are completely satisfied with their creation, which often takes a good 20 minutes to complete, the wordle can be printed and/or submitted to the gallery, where it is accessible to others.

Wordles can be used for many things. Students can use the word clouds as a creative visual aid or simply to decorate a bland locker. They look sophisticated enough to be given as a gift to show appreciation and affection or to simply put a smile on a friend's face.

--Reviewed by LAURA DETTER, Susquehannock High School

There aren't too many things that get under my skin, but one of my biggest pet peeves is when people put down other people's dreams. Lately, people I know have been facing situations in which somebody told them they weren't able to do something or tried to hinder them from doing something they wanted.

My school is performing the musical adaptation of "Annie" this spring, and a combination of students from my school and surrounding schools tried out. Some faced opposition.

I was upset to hear a student from another school told that if she auditioned, she could be assured she would not get a lead role in any of her school's musicals. I was even more upset to find out the immature comment came from the mouth of an adult.

Adults should never put students down for trying to further their experience by taking part in a production.

As an adult, you are responsible to further children's learning and inspire them to excel and work toward a successful future, not to make crude comments that do nothing but diminish your character. Being an adult means being grown up. If you make childish remarks, then you might as well be a child.

Sometimes I don't think adults realize how much power their words have, and how severely those words can affect a child's life. Their words can be the stepping stone to a child's bright future, or a stumbling block which will hinder their growth. Another student's friends and family made remarks about her coming into the city and being around "all those black people."

Wow.

The fact that people can make mindless comments such as that amazes me. It's 2009. Racist comments just make you look dumb. Trying to ridicule your friends for not being as foolish as you makes you look even dumber.

Channel your energy into something more positive. Do yourselves and those around you a favor and ditch the negativity. Trust me, life will be so much easier.

i fiori mai hanno paura. the flowers are never afraid.
colla neve o il sole, with the snow or the sun,
loro sono in piedi, ancora, they are standing, still,
maestosi, divini, allegri, majestic, divine, cheerful,
i colori mai scuri. the colors never dark.
ma la gente, oh, la gente, but the people, oh, the people,
loro siedono da soli they are sitting alone
colle ombre e non luce with the shadows and no light
ma i suoi riflettori, but their own spotlights,
guardano i fiori. looking at the flowers.

I don't know if I will ever look at the moon the same way again. That's how powerful "Dear John" by Nicholas Sparks was. It's about two people trying to find love, facing times good and bad, just hoping to make it work.

If you had any doubts that real life is more exciting than fabricated plots -- or even partially scripted quasi-reality -- the National Geographic Channel's show "Locked Up Abroad" is here to renew your faith in the adventure of reality.

Must-have vegetarian staples

1. Quinoa: This tasty rice substitute is chock full of protein, that magical substance we vegetarians seek out like nobody's business. Eaten with any combination of vegetables, these seeds from the goosefoot plant (don't be frightened by its name, there are neither geese nor feet in quinoa) add a unique twist.
2. Chicken-free stock: Chicken stock is the most common broth used in soups, so just because a soup seems vegetarian, it could be the opposite. Vegetable stock can be made or bought, and most will have plenty of iron and B12 vitamins, which are hard to find in meat-free diets.
3. Edamame: Edamame are green baby soybeans boiled in their own pods and then extracted for consumption, with benefits similar to quinoa. They're perfect to sneak into any dish to add protein without distracting from the other ingredients -- for both sides and main dishes.
4. Morningstar veggie burgers and crumbles: There are dozens of veggie burger and crumbles ("fake" ground beef) manufacturers, but Morningstar definitely has the best variety. For vegetarians who occasionally miss the taste of meat, Morningstar provides almost disconcertingly convincing fake meat products with close-to-equal nutritional value in terms of vitamins and protein. The burgers are great if you are a member of a meat-eating family and need an easy meal every now and then. The crumbles also work well for chili, soups, pasta, and more.
5. Reading glasses. No, I'm not suggesting vegetarians eat reading glasses (there's very little protein in lenses, from what I've heard). But it's important to take a close look at ingredient lists while shopping or snacking. Many foods contain meat products in some form or another, so avoiding them requires some label inspection. The main ingredient to avoid is gelatin, which is extracted from the collagen in animal bones and hooves and can be found in Jell-O, marshmallows and gummy candies.

-- MARYBETH SEITZ-BROWN, Spring Grove Area Senior High School

Temple College, later renamed Temple University, was founded by Dr. Russell Conwell in 1884. This inclusive research university has a total of eight campuses and offers 300 degree programs. With its main campus located in Philadephia, the second largest U.S. city on the East Coast, there will never be a dull moment. Students can expect concerts, art shows, and all the other happenings you would find in a city.

Today, many teens and adults do not focus solely on the road while driving. Multitasking has become a major problem while behind the wheel and has become a source of accidents. Case in point: Texting while driving.

In fact, seven states (Alaska, California, Connecticut, Louisiana, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Washington) have now made it illegal to text while driving.

So, do local students think texting while driving should be illegal?

"No, just because it is illegal doesn't mean people, especially teens, will stop texting. I think it would be difficult to be caught, so it's a waste of time for this law to be made."
-- Aaron Hare, 17, Susquehannock High School

"I think texting should be illegal while driving in Pennsylvania. The driver will be more aware when he or she isn't texting. Texting shouldn't be a priority at that time. Both hands should be on the wheel while driving."
-- Erin Whitlock, 16, York Catholic High School

"I think it should be illegal. A text message can wait. If it's that important, the person who sent it will come and find you."
-- Kirstin Hughes, 14, Northeastern High School

-- KATELYN SWADE, Susquehannok High School

The blood-lusting vampire movie finally made its way to the big screen.

"Twilight" is a sensational movie that many teens fell in love with. According to Bitten and Bound, a Hollywood news Web site, it made $70.6 million its first weekend in theaters.

It details the truths and lies of a mythical vampire's life.

"Twilight" also shows the ups and downs of vampire life. They might not be able to cry, but they have the same emotions as humans. Edward, a 98-year-old vampire stuck in a 17-year-old body, wants Bella, a lonely junior in high school, to live life to the fullest, feeling sad when she wants the opposite.

When I first walked into the theater and sat down, I thought it would be like any other vampire movie. Fangs, blood-thirsty creatures looking for mouth-watering humans. I was wrong. It was more.

The way the vampire family, the Cullens, care about each other is touching. They were there to help Bella, and even when she put them in danger, they still cared for her. After watching the movie the first time, I had to go and see it again!

The love, trust, and uncovered secrets had me on the edge of my seat. The way the characters interact and act around each other was amazing. The vampires fit right in with the humans, even though in their heads, they don't. It is hard for them, even to the point where I can say I don't know how hard.

I was never a vampire fan, always thinking they were cheesy, but the Cullen family changed my mind. There were no fangs or coffins, just undeniable love.

-- Review by ALICIA MILLER, West York Area Middle School

After using technology at school each day, Tiffany Stoudt, a senior at Susquehannock High School, comes home to surf the Internet and chat with friends.

"I don't talk on the phone as much as I text. I'll send about 200 texts in three days," said Stoudt, who also spends about five hours per day on the Internet.

From the media Stoudt is exposed to, she said she notices a definite message of conformity.

The mass media, since World War II, has promoted a thinner body image to consumers, according to the National Institute of Media and the Family. These images are broadcast to the 98 percent of American households that own a TV, according to a 2001 U.S. Census Bureau survey.

What effect does this continuous flow of media have on teenagers? Consider the results caused by Hollywood-created perfection.

Katelin Allison, a junior at Dallastown Area High School, sees these unrealistic ideals in magazines.

"They discuss extreme exercise routines and diets," she said. "The idea of 'stick thin' is the idea of perfect. I think that's really bad on [teens]. I see that and think 'I want to be like that.' I see it in my friends, [too]."

Julia Orlidge, a senior at Susquehannock High School, said she notices advertisers' ways of relaying cause and effect, such as promoting a new diet pill while picturing a beautiful, slim model who thanks the diet pill for her fabulous new looks.

"[The products] are always so expensive" she said. "They just want your money. [What they say] is not true."

Allison said she realizes the digital techniques advertisers use to create artificial worlds.

"It's unrealistic. Everyone [in magazines] is airbrushed, stuff you would never see [in reality]. It's all a big game; the advertisers just say 'what can we do to get this customer?' It makes me angry."

Susquehannock High School teacher John Loucks has taught students in his visual communications classes about the digital arts and their uses for about the past 15 years. Loucks notices a benefit to using such technology in school, such as knowing what to look for in terms of deceptive media.

"Question everything you see," he said. "Say, 'is this real?' I learned to believe nothing you hear and only half of what you see."

With such images broadcast across the nation, as Allison said, Americans should not be shocked to learn that the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders estimates eight million females in the United States have an eating disorder.

Recently, Orlidge saw a friend battle an eating disorder. The girl was 18 years old and 105 pounds when she realized she was not healthy, and motivated herself back to a normal lifestyle.

Other problems, just as serious, coincide with wanting a smaller waistline, Allison said.

"It takes up so much of your life," she said. "You can drown yourself in reading a magazine or watching TV; it could take away from all the stuff in your life. I see girls who are skipping lunch and all of a sudden they start to lose weight. It starts out innocently, then all of a sudden it's a habit."

However, there is some value in these media images, as Orlidge said. Several years ago, she began to exercise regularly to lose weight and conquer low self-esteem. Now she feels happy with her appearance, she said.

"I'm glad I worried about the way I looked and made the effort to lose weight," she said. "Some girls just take it too far."

But they do not have to, said Allison, who recommends avoiding situations that increase the pressure of looking "perfect."

Stoudt also has advice for battling insecurities.

"Don't worry about what others think," she said. "Eventually you will leave high school and will need to form your own opinions; you can't do that if you are worried about other people judging you."