Inari

Greetings everyone from the frozen desert of Idaho Falls, Idaho, USA! Yes, IF is borring at times, but I don't hate it here. I love the mountains (snowboarding baby!), the awsome whitewater kayaking, the backpacking in real mountains, and being so close to Yellowstone. For those of you who don't know much about Idaho (which is probably almost everyone), Idaho is home to conservatives, Mormons, potaoes, and more potatoes. (A small town near Idaho Falls has a fair every year called Spud Day, where they give out free baked potatoes. :laugh: ) Anyways, Idaho is probably the most consistantly conservative state in the USA. Our senators didn't even have Democratic opponents to worry about!!! Kind of freaky! Anyways, probably one of the most shocking thing for anyone visiting parts of Idaho (and Utah) is how religious/Mormon it is. I don't mean any offense to anyone who is Mormon, my best friend is Mormon, but I'm going to rant for a while. Idaho Falls is about 50% Mormon, so they have a lot of influnece on the city. It's crazy here! Nothing is open on Sunday, because Mormons don't believe in doing anything accept worshiping on Sundays. We also don't celebrate holidays on the correct days. Independence Day (the fourth of July) became "The Freedom Celebration" last year because it fell on a Sunday. We even cellebrate Halloween on the wrong day if it's on a Sunday. School is also vary different for non-Mormons. Even in elementary school Mormons and non-Mormons separte themselves. When my friend was in 1st grade a Mormon girl asked her what Ward she was in. Dana had no clue as to what she was talking about, and after that the Mormon girl never talked to her again. The also do seminary "dress up days" where good Mormons dress up on Wendsday to point out who is Mormon and who isn't. Yeah, being a Diest in this state sucks, but I still love Idaho.

[COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]Hmm... Last year I decided to dye the tips of my hair [COLOR=Red]red[/COLOR]. Not the hair color red, but [COLOR=Red][I]real[/I] red.[/COLOR] It looked pretty cool for a few weeks, but then it faded and turn a blond color. My ends were so fried that I had a friend cut them off. It looked pretty bad, and was uneven. My word of advice is never let your friends cut your hair unless they really know what they're doing. Also, I permed my hair about a year and a half ago, and it is still curly! I can tell where my hair has grown since then, but bellow that point my hair still curls. It sucks! I just want my straight hair back! I was thinking about chemically straightening it, but with all the chemicals I put in my hair, my beautician thought it would be a bad idea. Has anyone else had a never-ending perm that just wouldn't die?[/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkSlateBlue][quote name='Corry][SIZE=1']Our lives ARE cakewalks. Just wait unill you get to college. No one will teach you how to do things. You are given a book, an assignment, and are expected to learn it on your own. None of this guiding through BS. You are responsible completely for your actions in every way shape and form.[/SIZE][/quote] Welcome to my AP Biology class, in which the teacher is more of a figurehead who is only there to hand out the assignments and I have to learn it without any help from him. You learn to read the textbook and absorb information on your own. I agree with ScirosDarkBlade. Your perspective on how hard college is depends on your high school and how you challenged yourself with the courses available. By the end of this year I will have taken 8 AP courses, and I don't perceive that my undergraduate work will be too difficult. I have lots of friends in college who can verify that taking AP Chem. or US History from our great teachers was harder than any college course. They all said that compared to High School, college is a cakewalk. I would just say that you should enjoy your High School years. This is your time to find out who you are and who you want to be. Have fun, and don't let your parents or anyone else force you to do more than you can and still function well. I honestly don't think that parents can fully relate to the pressure that their children are under. It's hard being adults and teenagers, but in different ways. All you can do is your best.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkSlateBlue][quote name='DeathBug']On the other hand, I've never understood the logic behind saying, "Vote, even if it's not for my guy". If I'm voting for my guy, why would I want to encourage people to vote againat him. So, in the futre, please clear your choices with me, and I'll let you know if you should vote or not.[/quote] Hehehe... Of course Death Bug... Bush all the way. *falls over and dies of heart failure, because she has no health insurance* (j/k) Good point, but as an Idaho citizen, it doesn't really matter who you vote for. The Republicans always win. Our incumbent senator Mike Crappo won his reelection with 99% of the vote. Most of the Republican candidates just go unchallenged. (Or challenged by an even more conservative Republican, God help us!) [QUOTE]You know, it's funny; that's the only reason Kerry-supporters ever give me for wanting him. =P[/QUOTE] I'm sure that this is also true. I just see more blindly Republican, straight ticket voters than Kerry "just cus" people. Neither candidate is perfect or even anywhere near perfection, this election is defiantly the lesser of two evils. Both candidates have good and bad aspects to them, and I just respect people who go out and learn the issues and then make an educated decision based on that. Well, since Florida went for Bush it looks bad for Kerry, though he could still pull through. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]Oh man! I wish that I lived in a swing state like Ohio! Idaho has been republican for so long that no one cares about us at all. Hell, we don't even care about the election! Damn those Idaho hicks and religious fanatics! (j/k) Anyways---- I will turn 18 twenty-two days after the election and it sucks! *sigh* Well, today in the most republican state out there, I wore a Kerry-Edwards yards sign as a mini skirt to school. (I wore pants, because it kept falling off.) Anyways, I got the most interesting looks and comments. That was exactly what I was going for. I just want people to care and get out there and vote if they can. It really pissed me off when a senior in one of my classes said he could vote, but wouldn't. I chewed him out so bad, oh well. It was interesting to notice that in this increasingly Republican state, the only people that I saw wearing button/shirts/yard signs/etc. where Democrats. It just goes to show who actually cares in a non-swing state. We're so Republican that no one cares anymore. See, I respect people who want Bush for good reasons, but "Kerry blows" is not a good enough reason for Bush to be president. As for the election, I'm pretty sure we won't know who is president until well after tonight. I'm kind of hoping that Bush wins the popular vote and Kerry wins the electorate, a reverse of 2000. Maybe then we could abolish the out-dated Electoral College, and standardize voter registration and polling procedures, but that's just me. Hmmm.... Gay marriage.... Personally I'm pro-gay marriage. Gay's should have the same financial benefits of being married as straight people do. Gay marriage is the is twenty-first century issue paralleling the interracial marriage issue of the mid-1800s. The country has typically headed towards increasing liberty, especially with the constitutional amendments. (Think about the ban on alcohol and how it was repealed, women's voting rights, etc.) Anyways. To anyone who can vote, GO OUT AND VOTE. I don't care who you vote for (mostly), but I would like the voter turn out rates for young people to increase, so our issues would be considered up there with health care, and social security for the old. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]Interesting subject! I know that I could never develop and keep a relationship with someone I met over the internet. It would just be too hard. I would need to meet them in person first, or it would never work out. Right now I'm dating a freshman in a college close to my home. (He still lives with his parents.) We've been dating for about nine months now and things are going great. (We even went to Europe together, it was so much fun!) And now the subject of a long distance relationship has come up as I decide what college I want to apply/go to. I want to go to college far away from here, as in I live in Idaho and would like to go to college in the northeastern United States. He, for mainly financial reasons, will probably be going to University of Idaho next year, a relatively good school, but not the school for me. Now I have to decide between going to my dream college and trying to keep a long distance relationship or staying near the man I love. In the end I will probably end up close to him in Washington, Oregon or Montana, just to keep the relationship going. Talk about a dilemma... I guess that we're both a little weary of long-distance relationships and college because of the nasty break up our friends just had when one of them moved to Pennsylvania. So in the end I just don't want to risk loosing him in a long distance relationship.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]I love it! It was very deep, and I had to read through it a couple of times to make sure I understood the thoughts that went into it. (As best I could.) I like how you used your references to musical rhythm measurements along with the biological references. (Too much AP Bio? ;) ) These really added to your word choice. Also the references to color and sound were very powerful. These added to the chaotic sense and "staccato" beat. This also has a philosophical feel to it. "Humanity / The other side / Divinity" This was powerful and it open's the reader's eyes to the mortality of human life. Death is a natural thing, and this poem truly captures the chaos of death. When I first read it, the poem was fast and slightly confusing until the end (and the lines mentioned above) which added a rational, thoughtful, reflective (?) touch to this poem. The last line truly pulls this work together. It's very free flowing and doesn't have that forced sound. I loved your use of words ending in -nity or -ity. I'm not sure if it was planned or just happened, but it was very affective. It gave a sense of balance to the chaotic feel to the poem. As far as changing it goes, I wouldn't change anything. This came from you and your own soul. By following others' suggestions, you will lose some of its uniqueness and personal flare. Good luck in the contest, and I hope its not a scam to make you pay them lots of money to publish it, but oh well! This poem is brilliant regardless of what other critics say. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]It snowed today! Those big fluffy flakes that get caught in your hair and eyelashes. It was so magical. At lunch I went out and ran around in the snow. (IN flip-flops of course! :D ) It all melted by the time school ended so I didn't have to drive home in the snow, but it was so cool. This was the first snowfall for this year. I'm so excited to break out my snowboard and hit the slopes. Yeah! :wigout:[/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]Drix basically outlined this pretty well for you, so I'll be brief: To initiate the kiss I would suggest putting your hand behind their head and pulling them close to you before the kiss. This helps your aim (missing her lips is never good, but don't freak, just adjust your position) and this also helps to warn her that your going to kiss her. I would suggest eyes closed first, and after that I think it's a preference thing. As far as hickies go... I'm not much of a fan for these... Just giving little kisses on her neck or blowing in her ears can do wonders. I personally would get too board while my boyfriend was giving me a hicky... But I think it depends on the person. Last just be open with her about this. Don't be afraid to ask her what she did and did not like, as well as tell her when she is doing something undesirable. Communications skills are the basis of any strong relationship.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]Hmm... As for the last poem I never thought of the redemption aspects, but I like it. I suppose I was thinking more along the lines of Midnight Rush's interpretation, but their both good. It's good to know that people can pick out my metaphors, while I struggle to make them very secretive and deeply embedded. What the title says three? Oh well, here's another poem. [CENTER][B]My Black Pool of Misery[/B] Standing on the edge of the darkness, I enter, The opaque surface parting to pull me inside, Slowly slipping under the deep pool of misery, Gasping my last breath and holding it within. Floating in misery far from the light, Lost in confusion, pulled under by pain, Like quicksand it consumes my soul, Losing myself in the murky water. From the surface there comes a light, A pebble breaks the surface and enters in, Ripples resonate across the dark surface, Through perfect circles the silver pool clears. Under the surface I spy the light, It lingers for me to follow it out, Hungry for breath, I eagerly swim upward, Emerging from the pool with new hope. Shrinking from the blackness of the pool, I start my new life away from pain, Releasing the all encompassing sorrow, Living in this world full of light.[/CENTER][/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]Wow! wrist cutter wrote a post longer than two lines! I'm impressed. (J/K :D ) [quote name='wrist cutter']I suppose we should have the liberty to kill people too?[/quote] I agree that liberty is a dangerous thing and that as we destroy the laws already in place we risk shaking the foundation that organized society is based on. With that said, I don't feel that legalizing marijuana will lead to the crumbling of our society and or legalizing murder. [quote name='wrist cutter']I don't get what your point is. Having a law against substances that will kill you is a bad thing??[/quote] My point is that marijuana should be legalized because people should have the right to judge for themselves whether or not to use this substance that [I]can[/I] kill you [I]if used incorrectly[/I]. [quote name='wrist cutter'](though I agree we need more laws regarding who can and cannot have sex).[/quote] I never meant or said that. I don't agree, accept in cases of people purposefully spreading AIDS to unknowing victims. Other than that it's not the government's job to regulate the sex of consenting adults. We have the liberty to choose for ourselves just like we should be able to with marijuana. [quote name='Zeta']Just this week I found out that about 71% of the people in jail are there for first time offenses with drugs.[/quote] That's interesting, and with the overcrowding in prisons this is an important issue. I'm not saying that abolishing laws is the answer to overcrowded jails, but legalizing marijuana would be beneficial to the situation. These people are only criminals according to unjust laws, so according to Thoreau these people are justified and hopefully can make a loud enough statement to change that law. Civil disobedience yeah! :wigout: [/COLOR]

[quote name='Baron Samedi']What if we look at this from another side: aside from medical uses, what good does marijuana do?[/quote] [COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]What good do cigarettes or alcohol do? Not much aside from the claim that red wine helps with lower blood pressure. The real question is why should these potentially harmful products be legalized and the one word answer is [B]LIBERTY[/B]. We have the liberty to get in a car when the death rate due to car crashes is tremendous. We have the liberty to live in polluted cities and ruin our lungs. We have the liberty to smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol even though these habits are unhealthy. We have the liberty to have unprotected sex between consenting adults, even with the threat of AIDS and other STDs. People should be able to choose for themselves what "risky" they want to participate in and should suffer the consequences of their actions. If marijuana was legalized I personally would choose not to use it because of the harmful side-affects, but I feel that I should have the liberty to decide that for myself. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]I feel that marijuana should be legalized for medicinal purposes. Marijuana has many positive effects on patients with tremors and other neurological ailments. It can also be used in place of morphine a highly addictive pain medication with side effects just as bad as marijuana. We can also learn so much from working with marijuana to create better medications that are less harmful, but with the same medicinal qualities. As for allowing people to use marijuana for non-medicinal purposes I would still have to agree with its legalization. I don?t feel that marijuana is more of a gateway drug than alcohol or cigarettes. Generally people don?t start taking cocaine or other ?hard? drugs with out trying other things like alcohol, cigarettes and tobacco. This ?gateway? argument has blown itself way out of proportion and I don?t feel that legalizing marijuana would increase the amount of ?hard? drug usage. If anything legalizing marijuana would lead to safer use of marijuana. This would standardize the dosage and purity of a joint so that people using marijuana aren?t subjected to some of the more dangerous marijuana forms sold on the streets. I personally feel that people should not use alcohol, tobacco, marijuana or any other drug irresponsibly. A drink now and then or an occasional joint isn?t that bad for you. It?s when people abuse these things that there are problems. I also feel that if marijuana were to be legalized there would have to be ?driving while high? laws such as the various blood alcohol level laws across the country. Driving under the influence of drugs is dangerous and should be illegal. In short, marijuana for medicinal purposes should defiantly be legal, while the widespread legalization of this drug should be handled responsibly.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]Great topic Chibihorsewoman! It's kind of interesting to me when I think of what my mother has done with her name. When she married my father she dropped her middle name and changed it to her maiden name and kept his last name. (Coincidently they gave me her maiden name for my middle name, but not my brother.) After my father died she remarried and kept my father's name. She is a published, respected microbiologist and didn't want to lose her professional prestige because she remarried later in life. As for me, I will probably just keep my maiden name or hyphenate it according to what my husband and I decide to. (If I get married of course.) If we hyphenated my name, then we would give our children the hyphenated name, but if I kept my name and he kept his, I would let our children be named after him. I would do this so that all of my children have the same last name, and it would be less confusing that way. My history teacher did this. His wife kept her maiden name because she had a PHD in Russian History and is a feminist, but their daughter is named after her father. I think that there are lots of non-feminist reasons to keep your maiden name; I think that it has more to do with gender equality. Well that's my two cents on this subject. [/COLOR]

[COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]Well here it is my last poem for now. I wrote this the other day durring and english lecture. I tried to follow a rhythmic patter, but I'm not sure if I like it so much. Try and figure out all of my symbols/metaphores. It should be interesting. [CENTER][B]A Rock in the Sea[/B] In the midst of the swirling dark ocean depths, Waves rising and falling in their own time, Turmoil and chaos in the moon?s design, A rock stands firm, struggling in the dark. Waves crashing down, thrashing the rock?s face, Crumbling away into the endless sea, Smothered and soaked, swept under by great waves, Revealing fresh scars only time can heal. The sun?s bright rays pierce the dwindling storm, Glistening in the light, comforted by the warmth, Though the waves broke the stone, it has survived, Chasms run deep, but yet it still lingers. Water left remnants of its destruction, Minerals and debris stranded on its face, Changing its surface, allowing new life, Seeds creep from the crack and reach for the sun. [/CENTER][/COLOR]