Late Night Thoughts

I know it isn't that late right now, at least not my time, but that doesn't mean I can't have thoughts. Anyway, lately I've been thinking about changes. Mostly because I went through some major ones this year. I walked, meaning I crossed the stage from undergraduate to graduate. I got the folder for my degree, but due to some unforeseen circumstances I do not have my degree. I am now going to a JC. The sudden shift from a 4-year college to a JC has been rather harsh. I learned a few things. High School does not prepare you for a JC it prepares you for college. JC does not prepare you for college it prepares you for graduate college. I'm saying this because for some reason JC has some weird ideas about what college is like. I had a professor Thursday tell the class that a friend of hers (who happens to teach at the 4-year college I went to) said that the students that come from the JC ask questions that the High School kids don't. This professor was complaining about it. In 4 years at college I never once had a professor even hint that if we came to office hours they wouldn't give us the time of day. Every single one of my professors insisted we come to office hours. In fact a few classes it was required that we have at least one meeting with the professor. So the idea of a professor having problems with us asking questions blew my mind. I wanted to raise my hand and argue the point. In fact I still feel like emailing the professor and saying something about it. Problem is I don't think it would matter.

Another thing that JC's have is the old high school clicks. I admit that the 4-year college had some clicks, especially the Greeks, but when it comes to the JC I feel like I'm on a High School campus. There is no shifting of political ground a group has an area staked out all semester, not just for that hour between class one and class three (when class two is in process but they don't have that class hour filled). There is absolutely no parking. I thought the 4-year was bad for parking, this is nothing compared to the JC's parking problem.

I never thought I'd say this, but I miss my 4-year college. At the 4-year college I couldn't cross the quad without running into someone I knew. At the JC I can spend an entire day wandering and not see a single person I know. My first day at the JC I had to go out of my way to see someone I knew (a friend's mom works in the counseling office). After that I met a few other people I knew by happenstance. Every time since then that I've seen them has been on purpose. I have to go out of my way to see friends. I miss the random encounters (pun intended) of the 4-year college. Even still I was at the 4-year for paperwork I was there barely 20 minutes and saw people I knew. Hours on JC campus and no one. No classes with friends (I almost did, but was wait listed, there wasn't enough room for me).

I started this semester with a goal of not making any new friends. It's surprisingly hard. I'm not counting the one person I was introduced to, we only say hi in the hall anyway. I've gone out of my way to not speak to anyone I don't already know, for those of you that know me IRL you know how difficult this actually is for me. I walked past a group of people talking about the Zelda cartoon and had to resist the urge to say "Excuse me Princess". I wonder how well my promise to myself would have held up if I had said it. I went to the game room, it was closed (thankfully or knowing me, new friends for me!).

What am I getting at? I'm learning, that's what. I am teaching myself how to deal with a new environment. I have plans to move to the other side of the country for my career, if I can't handle a change in scenery here, what makes me think I can handle moving to the East coast? I've never even been to the East coast. There it is, I'm afraid of not knowing someone. Me not knowing someone...anyone. I can't go anywhere without knowing someone. I've been in Hawaii and ran into people I knew, not just one person, but multiple people I knew. What if the East coast refuses me that? Sure I know a few people thanks to the Internet scattered around, Georgia, NC, Boston, and even DC. That isn't the same though. I will have to start over. Sure I'll have my boy friend (hopefully) with me, but other than that I'll have to find a new D&D group. Or a book club or Anime group. Do they even watch Anime over on the East coast like here in Cali? I have an odd sense of humor, will they get my jokes? I don't want to start over, I really don't. I will though, and now at least I know what I will have to face. I know how hard it will be at first to not know a single face in a crowd of people.
Goodnight...or whatever it is really when you read this.

Observations from Slience

I participated in "National day of Silence" on the 16 of April and learned something interesting. People take your choice to be silence oddly, the most popular way was people started whispering to me after I showed them the note explaining why I was choosing to be silent. One guy actually thanked me (he isn't gay either). I was questioned on my motives by another, and one guy seem actually annoyed that I was refusing to speak he said essentially that verbal communication was hard to talk without. I agree that yes verbal communication is key to having a conversation, unless you know sign language, but 95% (yes that's the actually percent I'm not making that one up) of communication is non-verbal. Part of that is inflection but a lot of it is body movements and facial expressions. At points I felt like I was doing an interpretive dance, I did have a notebook to convey important ideas across and luckily I didn't have class or work, but I had to go to the bank. They teller thought I was crazy (my sister was my interrupter for this exchange). He didn't say anything, didn't even ask why I wasn't talking, just took it. He made a face though, one of "are you really just being annoying or are you mute?" he still didn't ask. I thought maybe I should give him the note, I didn't for some reason and I wish I had because I think of everyone who whispered at me I might have made the biggest impression with him.
Verbal communication is important but so is empathy. Without empathy all nuances of conversation are lost and your social understanding is extremely stunted. People with Autism don't have what is called mirror neurons so they lack the ability to empathize with people. I'm not sure where I'm going with that or any of this other than the thought that whispering to people who are being silent for a cause seems like an odd, but common, reaction. If I hadn't have known about it and someone gave me the note I would have immediately shut up and pulled out a notebook and joined the cause...not whispered to them, because whispering is a show of support (<---sarcasm).

Top 10 Reasons Gay marriage should be Illigal

01) Being gay is not natural. Real Americans always reject unnatural things like eyeglasses, polyester, and air conditioning.

02) Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay, in the same way that hanging around tall people will make you tall.

03) Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behavior. People may even wish to marry their pets because a dog has legal standing and can sign a marriage contract.

04) Straight marriage has been around a long time and hasn’t changed at all like many of the principles on which this great country was founded; women are still property, blacks still can’t marry whites, and divorce is still illegal.

05) Straight marriage will be less meaningful if gay marriage were allowed; the sanctity of marriages like Britney Spears’ 55-hour just-for-fun marriage would be destroyed.

06) Straight marriages are valid because they produce children. Gay couples, infertile couples, and old people shouldn’t be allowed to marry because our orphanages aren’t full yet, and the world needs more children.

07) Obviously gay parents will raise gay children, since straight parents only raise straight children.

08) Gay marriage is not supported by religion. In a theocracy like ours, the values of one religion are imposed on the entire country. That’s why we have only one religion in America.

09) Children can never succeed without a male and a female role model at home. That’s why we as a society expressly forbid single parents to raise children.

10) Gay marriage will change the foundation of society; we could never adapt to new social norms. Just like we haven’t adapted to cars, the service-sector economy, or longer life spans.

For the original site (I think) follow me! Meaning that link, not really me as a person, because I didn't write this list orginally I actually found it on this site.

Script Frenzy

Well NaNo passed me successful and now for some ridiculous reason I've got it in my head to do script frenzy. 100 pages of script in 30 days. This will be the first script (other than one for a creative writing class) that I've ever done. I want to do an actual play. The whole reason this came to be a good idea was today while at work I had an idea pop into my head.
The life of a handful of college students through their interactions at a coffee shop. I probably wont hit 100 pages, especially since priority will be going to homework for my thesis paper...hmm too bad I'm not taking this class in November I may have a 50,000 word essay.

Well here is to my crazy this year!

A review of "Alice in Wonderland"

It was beautiful! I was swept up in the story and the visuals (maybe I should make this a review of Avatar as well, just kidding). The acting was superbly done. Johnny Depp was totally in his element as the Mad Hatter.
Mia Wasikowska was an amazing choice for Alice. I am now looking forward to seeing her next up and coming films (yes even Jane Eyre, a book that was the only good thing from those sister's (that I've read)).
I am glad Anne Hathaway turned down the role of Alice (oh so long ago) and said "Yes I'll play the White Queen, Please!" (Though how she held her hands the entire movie I just wanted to come over and put them down at her sides, it was reminiscent of the old style princess of Disney (Snow White for example) though that may have been the point it was still annoying, my hands hurt just by looking at her).
Helena Bonham Carter plays a good crazy person. From Bellatrix Lestrange to Mrs. Lovett she really pulls off the "I'm so nucking futs you can't even fathom where my head is when you've got it your hands." Then again she can also pull off sweet motherly type (Mrs. Buckett) in fact the only reason I even knew she played that part is I just looked at her IMDB. The first roll I remember her in was Merlin as Mogan Le Fay (dear God was she made for that roll) so the whole nucking futs bit has been what I've always seen her as. Just saying that as the Red Queen she was magnificent (so stop complaining about Tim Burton overusing her and Johnny Depp, because he's doing it for the good of the project!).

I give this movie 5 out of 5 stars and if it doesn't get at least nominated the Oscar committee is on some nifty drugs.

Back in the swing of things...for now

New semester here I am. While things may still be chaotic (at the best of times) I have the confidence that everything will go if not according to plan at least passable alternatives. I moved, and there is no power/gas at the new place yet. So I'm spent last night and will spend tonight (and possibly tomorrow night) at the old place. Classes so far look great! I have one class left to go to and that is the only class I actually need this semester, unfortunately I'm not actually enrolled in the class yet. The joys of cut classes and such means there weren't enough of this class for everyone who needs it. So here's to keeping my fingers crossed that I can get into it. If I can't I'm thinking of just scrapping this semester and holding off graduating once again. I suppose it is a good thing I haven't actually been accepted to my graduate college of choice as of yet.

Have a nice day and I'll be seeing you again soon I hope. (I will be getting internet at my new place tomorrow it seems! Yay!)

I've been crazy busy lately, I'm in the process of moving and in between terms. Money is tight due to needing a car, life is just complicated right now.