How to Past Time in an Airport, or Get Yourself Kicked Out And/or Arrested – Part 2

                My next suggestion to waste time deals with airport security. Bring something you shouldn’t in your carry on and when security tells you to remove it just argue with them. Then, when they have stated all of their objections, just agree, but then completely freak out. Freak out in whatever way you want; screaming, jumping, pulling your hair out, etc. and then calmly walk away. This would be one I should warn against, if not done properly, or even if done properly, you will have the chance of getting arrested, and/or locked up in an insane asylum for a few days.

                This next suggestion, while it may get you locked up, is probably a safer bet. Walk to the middle of the airport and then just start walking in circles. For the full effect, I would also suggest talking to yourself like a crazy person. Nursery rhyme contemplations usually work quite well. Watch out for avid texters however, because they will probably not notice your crazy person façade and just walk straight into you. It will probably hurt quite a lot.                                              

                Lastly, I would suggest going up to random people and continuously talking to them. Ask them the most random and craziest questions you can think of, and just don’t leave. Keep talking and asking questions, even if they get up and walk away, follow them. I would however stop if they threaten to kill you and your family or punch you in the face. I would assume that a broken nose on an airplane would give you a massive headache.

                Well there you have it. Last blog of the year and now you will know how to pass time on your summer vacation. I hope that you enjoyed my blogs this year but I am not sorry to say that I completely hated writing them. I hope you have a good life. (333)

                Sincerely,

                                Rice Crispies

How to Past Time in an Airport, or Get Yourself Kicked Out And/or Arrested – Part 1

                If you have ever been to an airport, I’m almost sure that you have deduced that they are a sanctum for wasting time. They are simply set up that way; passengers are supposed to arrive at the airport two hours before their scheduled flight and even then there might be delays or cancellations, and don’t forget about layovers for connecting flights. By the time you get to where you’re going, you have probably had to wait a good three or so hours just in an airport. Because of this, I have thought of a list of things that someone could do to pass this time. Be warned that you may choose to not do some of these things if you think that it will get you kicked off your flight completely.

                The first list is of things that you can do that you would probably see other normal passengers doing. If you are a student, you could choose to do some unfinished homework. It might even lead to the other passengers thinking of you as scholarly and studious. So much so that you may be asked to join the captain for educational purposes. Another completely entertaining thing to do is to just people watch. The people that come to an airport, come from all over the world .This highly increases the diversity of the people in the people watching spectrum and makes for a highly interesting past time.

                This next section is the activities that you should be warned to use your better judgment when deciding how to spend your time. I think that all of them, regardless of the aftermath, would be highly entertaining and perhaps hilarious if done correctly.

                The first activity would be to just listen to music. Start off listening to it quietly like any other person would but then jump up and bust out singing and dancing as loud and crazy as you can manage. Do this for an entire song and then just sit back down and quietly listen as if nothing ever happened. Feel free to make a few quick glances around following your presentation and enjoy the bewildered faces of your fellow passengers. (378)

How to Get Over a Plane Ride If You Have Motion Sickness - Part Two

                I also realized that another thing that helps is just to have something in your stomach and to stay hydrated. BUT, do not eat too much or drink too much. If you eat too much and get too full, you will probably feel like throwing up before you even get on the plane. Also, if you drink too much, you will either get water log and again, feel like throwing up, or you will have to use the restroom a lot on the plane.

                Another way to keep your mind off of the sickness is to find ways to distract yourself. You can either bring something to distract you like an IPod for music, a book, homework, papers for work, anything really. Just remember that you do have a limited amount of space so that kind of dictates what you bring. Planes also provide things to keep you occupied. They have music in the arm rests where you can find different radio stations. You just need to remember some headphones or purchase them for two dollars. Some planes also show movies. The only thing you need for those too is headphones. Sometimes though, the movie or show they play is completely boring so I would always have a backup thing to do just in case.

                One of the things that may or not help you is turning on the air in the plane. This seems to be usually a last resort for people before they throw up though because it cools them down enough to alleviate some of the nausea. If cooling yourself down before the nausea even comes, I would highly recommend it.

                For some people, I know that computer screens and bright lights give them headaches. These headaches lead to their nausea. If you are one of these people, I would just recommend staying away from them before hand and while you are on the plane to avoid any unnecessary nausea.

                Well, those are all of the tips I have so hopefully they help you next time you find yourself traveling on a plane. (361) 

How to Get Over a Plane Ride If You Have Motion Sickness - Part One

                Recently I have discovered that I have begun to feel a bit sick riding in moving things, especially airplanes. Pharmacies have all of the motion sickness pills and other medical remedies that can supposedly help a person with this problem. While motion sickness pills might help with this problem, I have decided to write down a list of things that I have done to get over it pill free. This way maybe you too can get through a plane ride without having to pop a few pills if you so desire.

                My first suggestion would be to sleep on the plane. If you have ever fallen asleep before, which I assume you have, you will have noticed that time goes by very quickly. So, just fall asleep on the plane and sleep the whole way there. Then you won’t even notice that you were flying or felt sick at all. If you have trouble sleeping on the plane, just do whatever you can to be as tired as possible. Whether it is not sleeping the night before, or getting minimal sleep, or just skipping that morning’s coffee, just do it. If you still can’t fall asleep, try finding one of those soothing relax and sleep programs that is meant to calm people down. I don’t know about you but these things put me out in a second. I must warn you not to be too tired though because you have to actually make it on the plane before you fall asleep. It would be a bummer to fall asleep in the waiting chairs and have to repeat this process over again. I would also advise you not to try sleeping pill because you may have trouble waking up and that would be pointless for a pill-free diversion. (312)

Pacific vs Atlantic

                Pacific and Atlantic, Atlantic and Pacific; these two oceans are one of the same but completely different all at the same time. There are major differences in the temperature, life they contain, and scenery around them (at least in the United States).

                The most noticeable difference of the two oceans is the temperature difference, in the ocean and out of it. If you travel to California and go to the beach, the temperature of the air is at least ten degrees cooler than the air that is farther inland. This is because of something in meteorology and the fact that there is a breeze that hits some mountains and so on. Obviously I’m not a meteorologist, so if you want the answer you should really ask one. The ocean water is also completely freezing. I would guess that the water in the Pacific Ocean is at least twenty degrees cooler than the water in the Atlantic Ocean. Again, this has some meteorological back story that I am just not familiar with and that is what Google is for.

                The changes in water temperature actually affect the animal and plant life in the two oceans. Obviously being a warmer ocean, the Atlantic has a lot more tropical fish and such. This is where you would find coral reefs, sting rays, crabs, dolphins, etc. The Pacific has animals like sharks, eels, sea lions and other seals.

                What I have noticed, at least in the United States, is that the scenery around each of these oceans is completely different as well. Take California and Florida as an example; California is filled with overpopulated and scrunched cities and Florida has got more spread out, and low-level buildings. To put the geography in perspective, the Atlantic touches the US East coast and the West of Europe and Africa. The Pacific touches the US West coast and East Asia and countries close to Japan.

                If you look at a world map, you can obviously see that these oceans are connected. But, if you were to go and see these oceans first-hand, you would see how different they really are. (357) 

The Art of Tubing

                Tubing: a gigantic inner tube strapped onto a boat with a string, carrying an individual holding on for dear life over gigantic waves. While tubing sounds simple enough, there is an actual art to it. Knowing this art is the difference between staying on the inner tube and tumbling off and wiping out into the water.

                The first trick of the trade is knowing how to hold on. It may seem simple; just grab the tube’s handles, but certain ways of holding guarantee a longer survival rating on the tube. If you simply grab the tube willy nilly, you are going to fall off very quickly because your fingers will slip. I have found that the best way to hold onto a tube is by grabbing the handles and then moving your hands so that the tops of your hands are touching the tube; sort of in an inverted type of position.

                Another way of not falling off is knowing how to balance on the tube. Every wave will shift you a certain way. The trick is to know how to offset the tube so you don’t get caught in the wave. If a wave pushes you to the right of the wake, balance yourself on the left side of the tube. Doing this though can be a bit difficult if you don’t know how and it might tip the tube. When you are balancing on one side of the tube, make sure you keep a good amount of your weight in the center. This way, you will be shifting the left and still keep your tube in the water.

                One of the easiest ways to stay on the tube is by keeping yourself inside the wake of your boat. The wake is the part with the least amount of waves so staying in that is going to be the smoothest ride. I suggest going on your hands and knees and then pulling the tube where you want to go. Make sure that when you go outside of the wake and are no longer in a position to move yourself, you go back to your belly.

                Hopefully with these simple tips you will be able to master the art of tubing. If not, just be sure to make a big splash and a worthwhile entry into the water. (393)

The Appeal of a Waffle House

                They may not be that common in the North, but as soon as someone travels anywhere in the South, they are almost guaranteed to find a Waffle House. After you eat at a Waffle House, it is hard to go back to IHOP or Perkins, or any other breakfast place.  A Waffle House is basically like one of those old fashioned diners that you see in movies. There is a grill in front of the counter as well as any other cooking amenities. The waitresses are all dressed in dresses and take your order on a small pad of paper. The menu is a simple rendition of normal breakfast foods and most of the items contain, yes you guessed it, a waffle.

                Being called the Waffle House, you would expect that their best menu item would be a waffle. You would be right. In every Waffle House I have ever been, the waffles never cease to amaze me. Everything good about a waffle is incorporated into these. The waffles have a sweet, and still starchy taste as a waffle should, and the texture is fluffy and yet still condensed. Put these waffles with some butter and syrup and I can almost guarantee that you will be craving some more. The only problem is that at a Waffle House, you are served a bunch of food. A normal meal is maybe a couple of eggs, some bacon or sausages, toast, and a waffle as big as a plate. As soon as you finish your meal, and are craving some more, you just can’t force your stomach to eat any more. So you regretfully, must leave those remaining waffles behind.

                If you don’t believe any of my descriptions of this old fashioned, South mass produced restaurant, there is only one way that you can find out for yourself if is true. So, the next time you make a trip to Georgia, or Florida, or Kentucky, or Tennessee, make sure you stop at a Waffle House and see if you dislike it. (346)

Violence is Beneficial

They are seen everywhere; in the news, on television, in magazines and newspapers; they are violent images. They are images of war time, and disaster, as well as crimes and protests. Susan Sontag wrote that “Perhaps the only people with the right to look at [graphic war] images are those who could do something to alleviate it…or those who could learn from it. The rest of us are voyeurs, whether or not we mean to be.” (Source D) I agree with Susan Sontag’s opinion that the only people that should view these photos when their viewing leads to action or knowledge. However, I also believe that everyone has a right, and a need, to see these images, regardless of the outcome of the viewing.

The first amendment granted Americans their basic freedoms; freedom of religion, speech, press, and assembly. The freedom of the press unleashed an entirely new phenomenon where people had a chance to publish the truth. Instead of hiding from the fear of prosecution, they were able to publish true and honest things that led to reforms, changes in opinion, and a reduced amount of secrets. These dramatic changes would not have occurred if these things were not printed and circulated across the World. These articles, and news stories, and photographs, would not have made any difference if they had not fallen into so many hands; some hands beneficial, and some hands not.

The truth has expanded over the years, so much so that it is debated whether or not our press says too much. A picture of three maggot covered bodies of US servicemen was published in Life magazine. Many readers were stunned by the picture but many soldiers praised the photograph for being published in the magazine (Source A). Of course such a vulgar photograph would be shocking, it’s an unbelievable scene, but it showed what our soldiers saw. War is a horrible thing and is filled with shocking images and horrifying experiences. By sharing this photograph with the world, Life Magazine is showing a piece reality. Whether the viewer’s decide to take anything from it or let the sight of it impact their future actions is entirely up to them, but they still have a right to see it.

Pictures like the one in Life Magazine make people believe that society has gotten too relaxed in their restraint of vulgar images. Even though it seems that everything is published, some newspapers use what is called the “cereal” test. According to source B, newspapers ask questions like “What images would readers want to see over the breakfast table? Or what images would they want their children to encounter?” I assume that the main idea behind this test is to prevent future complaints about the images that are published. If especially disturbing pictures are published, they obviously have a higher purpose than just entertainment. Whether people learn from these photos or not, the newspaper’s intent of publishing them was to give readers the opportunity to gain new knowledge.

            Violent images leave a distinct mark in society, especially the extreme and particularly crude ones. While it is better to learn something from these images, everyone should be able to see them regardless of their post-viewing experiences. Every published photograph has a reason and was put out there for people to see. To deny the right of viewing or publishing is just wrong; in both a constitutional and a moral way. Susan Sontag was correct in her thinking that the only beneficial people viewing it are those who could change it or learn from it. She was incorrect in her idea that those were the only people that could view the images. Everyone has the right to view these images regardless of the aftermath. (632)

Key West Beach vs Pompano Beach

          Recently, my family took a vacation down to Florida. We stayed at Pompano Beach, Florida but we traveled down to Key West for one day. From our travels I was able to compare the two beaches and decide which one I liked best. First of all, if you have a chance to go to either of these beaches I would recommend it; the Atlantic Ocean is amazing.

         

          First I will start with Pompano Beach. Centered right outside of Ft. Lauderdale, It was the most populated beach. Right behind the beach, there was a lot of hotels and condos. This was kind of nice because if you had to use the restroom or if you required some other hotel service, you could always go and get it. They also had places where you could rent various items like chairs, umbrellas, trampolines, etc. The beach was also lined with un-hatched turtle nests. This added a little uniqueness to the beach because there were so many.

         

          The beach that we went to in Key West was one off of the main beach so it was more isolated than Pompano Beach. The fact that it was a more isolated beach kind of showed in the beach quality though. The beach had a lot less sand than Pompano Beach. I mean the sand in Pompano Beach was probably brought there but still. There were also no waves at the Key West Beach. It was different from the actual coast, It was kind of part of a bay where the ocean waves didn’t touch. Because the Atlantic Ocean water was so clear, and the lack of waves made it very easy to see the bottom, which kind of made it gross because of all of the seaweed that grew.

          Even though we found some beaches to be better than others, they are still beaches so they really can’t be overlooked. If you ever find yourself at either of these beaches, I would highly recommend going to them. (339)

How to Pass Time during a Car Ride - Games

The first game that we have played is the license plate game. All that is required for the license plate game is a piece of paper, a writing utensil, and a good eye. The goal of the game is to see who can spot the most license plates. Every time you see a license plate, you write down the state that it came from. At the end of the trip, see who got the most states. Usually it is only really long car rides when you find all fifty states.

          A few years ago, my mother bought a set of auto bingo boards. They are in the shape of regular bingo boards but instead of letters they have pictures of things that you may see in a car (airports, police officers, speed limit signs, etc.) We always bring them along and play a few games in the car. This usually lasts a while and we find it amusing.

          The next game is the alphabet game. This one is similar the lecense plate game but instead of looking at license plates, you look at signs. You start at the beginning of the alphabet; A, and when someone spots the letter A on a sign they yell it out. Then it moves to the next letter; B, and so on and so forth.

         

          Another game, usually for shorter car rides, is the semi game. Each person chooses a color except for white. As soon as all colors are chosen, everyone looks for that color of semi. The person with the highest number wins.

         

          Finally, the last game I have is the celebrity game. To start, someone says the name of a celebrity or a famous person like Brittany Spears. The next person will say the name of another celebrity with the first letter of the first name starting with the previous celebrity’s first letter of their last name. So the next person could say Shel Silverstein. Saying a celebrity with a double letter name, like Mickey Mouse, Ronald Regan, etc., would reverse the order of the people playing. So in this example, the person who said Brittany Spears would be next.  

          Hopefully these suggestions will help you stay occupied during your next car ride, but if not, you can at least say that you knew what to do! (388)

How to Pass Time during a Car Ride - Dos and Donts

If you have ever been in a long car ride, you have probably found yourself with nothing to do. I have compiled a list of my family’s common ways to pass time on a road trip and listed them below. So whether it is two hours or twenty four hours, you will hopefully never get bored and it might even speed up the time!

         

          The first and most important thing not to do during a car ride is twiddle your thumbs and just sit there. Sure, you can look out the window but wherever you are going, I assume that the terrain will probably be the same after a while which will ultimately lead to your boredom. The second “no no” in a car ride is too many rest stops. It is fine to stop every once in a while for gas or the required services but keep it to a minimum. If there is someone in your car that has to stop to use the restroom every half hour it makes for a very long car ride. I would however, recommend that you stop at interesting places along the way. It may make the trip a bit longer but they will make the trip more fun.

         

          There are always the normal activities that would keep you occupied for a while; i.e. reading a book, watching a movie, listening to music, painting your nails etc. There are also those electronic games and the travel games that you can get just about anywhere that sells toys but they can be a bit difficult to play in the car. If you are feeling especially bored, or just don’t feel like doing any of the common activities, you can always print out some road trip songs and sing them along the way. I warn that this method will definitely get annoying for some people. My family always chooses the car game route. Not like bingo or anything, just simple car riding games. (341)

The Girl Who Played With Fire Annotation

                In AP Lang we are discouraged to read multiple books in a series, but I was so intrigued by the first book, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and gave in to reading the second when I was contemplating my next read. I was delightfully surprised to find that it wasn’t really a continuation of the first book. While it did contain some of the main characters, it was centered on an entirely new concept and adventure. The first book explored the disappearance of a well-known figure while this book was an adventure through the world of the sex trade in Sweden and the mission to expose it. It contained violence, drama, love, and suspense. In my opinion, if a book includes that many genres it is almost guaranteed to be phenomenal.

This is a fiction book that is centered in Sweden and the surrounding parts. I realized in the first book that it was a little hard to figure out all of the Swedish cities and jargon and in this book the characters moved around a lot more. I could have found a map and tracked all of the places but I kind of got used to at least the vicinity they were in by the author’s description.

As I said earlier, this book is full of suspense. The author has an uncanny ability to make the entire book suspenseful. Everything that was mentioned and every suspicion I formulated from it had ended up being wrong and in an entirely different situation that I had not even thought was possible much less expected. I’ll admit that my basic knowledge of any other form of drama or literature had given me the inevitable suspicion that the heroes and main characters will win and live and the bad guys will always lose but other than that I was clueless. The author added so many twists that I had trouble keeping up. This did not decrease my addiction for the book at all though.

The Girl Who Played With Fire is a phenomenal and exhilarating book and I would recommend it to anyone and everyone. While it does get a bit eccentric and sexual at times, it is so suspenseful and addicting that it cancels out all things wrong with it. (390)

Be Yourself

            When I was eight, my family went to Disney World. Every day we alternated going to the Disney parks in order to make it to every one of them. On the very last day, we went to Epcot. Epcot is very different from the other parks; it is not packed with amusement rides and theme park games. Instead, it represents the World, and time. In the park, there is a lake, and surrounding the lake are eleven different countries from all over the World. These countries are filled with buildings and shops that resemble those found in those places and regions. When we got there, we decided that in order to get the full experience, we would buy one dessert that represented each country; a crème brûlée from France, chocolate from Germany, and flan from Mexico.

            Each of these desserts had their own unique taste and every bite left me wanting more. It wasn’t just that these desserts tasted good, because they did, it was that they were an entirely new and exciting experience for me. Each country had its own dessert; a dessert that had made its way to fame in the many years that the country had existed. It had entangled itself into the country’s history and somewhere along the way, it became a representation of the unique culture and traditions.

            Since then I have realized that it is not just countries with these distinctive and delectable desserts, it is also people. Every time I meet someone, I look for these traits and characteristics that represent them as a whole. It is automatically evident when someone has a trait that doesn’t belong to them. For instance, if I traveled to France in search of the perfect crème brûlée and spotted a Mexican flan on the menu, I would be completely baffled. My mind would be so stuck wondering why that flan was on the menu that my crème brûlée search would fade into the background and eventually be lost.

            It is important to keep the crème brûlée distinct because it is France. It represents everything about France and by replacing that crème brûlée with a dessert that belongs to something else; France is lost and is no longer represented by something distinguishable.

I believe that everyone should be themselves and strive for those delectable and distinguishing characteristics that are completely unique to that individual. Without them, they are no longer memorable, and no longer interesting. (410)

A Tribute to My Father

If anyone has taught me about love it was my father.

My father is not an extraordinary man on the outside; he could walk through a supermarket without extracting more than a glance. I assume he appears to be like any other father; a thinning hairline, emerging pot belly, smile lines beginning to show, and pictures of his kids in his wallet seated in the back pocket of his pants. The extraordinary bits are under his father façade, invisible to the human eye but clear as day to the abstract world.

Ever since I was little, my father has shown me how to love. He used to take me into our living room and set me on the coffee table. He would select the same CD from the rack every time, put it in the stereo, and skip to the one track that played the song “Butterfly Kisses” by Bob Carlisle. When the lyrics started playing, he would take my hands, put them around his neck, and we would sway back and forth to the music and he would sing to me. One time, I told him that I when I grew up, I would play this song at my wedding so we could dance for real and I could be like Belle in Beauty and the Beast. He said “Lexi, you go ahead and play any song that you like, but if you play this one, I will cry my eyes out.”

Believe it or not but this was the first time that I was even aware guys could cry. As I grow older, my father is there every step of the way teaching me more and more about boys and the many things that they are capable of. He comforts me when my relationships get tough and gives the best advice he can when applicable. I don’t know what I would do without my father because he is, and always will be, the first person to teach me how to love. (339)

The Hunger Games; Movie vs the Book

                The popular and fantastic book known as the Hunger Games, has recently come out as a movie and like the book, has topped the selling charts and was sold out in almost every movie theater for three weeks straight. I went to see the Hunger Games two weeks after it came out and was surprised to walk into a crowded theater. I read the book before I went to the movie and to be honest, was expecting to be disappointed. I was actually very pleased with the outcome of the movie compared to the book. I thought that it kept with the book for the majority things but it did leave out a few details.

                One of the biggest differences that I noticed was where Katniss acquired her mocking jay pin. In the book, the mayor’s daughter, her basically only friend besides Gale, came to see her before she left on the train to go to the Hunger Games. When she came, she brought the pin with her and told her to wear it as a sign of disrespect to the capital. It was pretty big thing that she gave it to Katniss though because the pin was pure gold and in the district that they were from it was hard enough to afford bread let alone a gold mocking jay pin.

                Another difference was that they left out the story in the beginning where the man and woman were running away and got caught by the capital. Gale and Katniss were out in the woods and the woman looked at Katniss and wanted them to help but Katniss was afraid and then the girl was captured. Katniss also encounters the girl again when she goes to the capital. The girl had her tongue cut out and was a servant for Katniss and the others.

                Even though I was kind of disappointed about these main differences and the other more subtle things that the movie people left out, the movie did follow the book pretty closely. I also understand with the time crunch why the producers and writers decided to leave these little things out. The movie was absolutely phenomenal though and I would recommend it to anyone that hasn’t seen it yet. (381)