Dirty Rotten Son of a Bitch

Pardon that...but seriously.

Where is the loyalty? Where is the integrity? Where is the self-respect? You think you know somebody.

I thought he had it. I guess not. Breaking my heart.

I can't even describe how sad I am.

Imagine your best friend who has never let you down. He has never been anything but the best. He has been reliable and constant and trustworthy.

Now imagine that person stabbing you in the back. He doesn't even have the decency to be open and upfront about it. You find out the horrible thing he is agreeing to over Twitter.

It sucks, huh?

My mom says my dad and I are being ridiculous. But she doesn't understand. She really doesn't

Relationships are like a poker game

Relationships are like a poker game I have realized. It's interesting. 

Think about it. 

2 people playing the game. Each brings something to the table. At first you are generally conservative. Keeping the stakes low. You don't want to raise them too fast or too soon. That leads to disaster and loss. 

Then someone will raise the stakes by say, texting you more often or asking you to do stuff more often. The other must either fold, call, or raise. If you fold, you are out of this game. If you call, it will go on. If you raise, it may go on but it also may end depending on the other player. 

Next round the stakes may raise again, or you continue with what was "called" last round.

Then one ups the stakes. Say you are holding hands now - are you going to fold? call? raise?

How do you decide? Maybe you thought you wanted to fold but actually want to raise.

Maybe you were ok with calling but not raising. 

Maybe you thought there was a possibility of raising but now you want to fold and get out. 

Sometimes it takes a while for you to know what to do in this poker game. 

Its hard. The more there is at stake the harder it is to make a decision. 

**I have never played poker in my life and know basically nothing about it**

Fenway

I'll start by quoting my papa:

"After a 95 year hiatus, the winning World Series game happened last night. At Fenway Park.

Sure hope they re-sign Jacoby.

Loved that Drew hit that home run. He was due.

Papi got walked to TIE the WS record for walks in a game (a milestone in pitching cowardice).

What a Series.  Just when you think you've seen it all you get an outcome deciding obstruction call in one game followed by a pick-off walk-off in the next.

Molina missed that tag at the plate. Didn't matter, though.

A BALK in the WS?!?! Wow, now I gotta cut my daughter slack.

Parade today in Boston."

Now my own words.

It was beautiful. Koji Uehara - check out his story here -  and also his son's interview here -->
pitching that last pitch to Carpenter was beautiful.

The beards are beautiful.

Boston Strong is beautiful.

Fenway park is beautiful.

Boston fans are beautiful.

Victory is beautiful.
  Jacoby Ellsbury is beautiful and we had better re-sign him. 

There is just a certain happiness that pretty much only comes from your baseball team winning the world series. That happiness is beautiful. 

Much like these bearded men:

It is a beautiful thing

Red Sox are going to the World Series.

It is great. Fabulous. Wonderful. Love it.

All those hours in the union using their TV cause I don't have one have paid off.

Cardinals vs Red Sox. Wednesday. Game one at Fenway.

BE THERE

In case you missed it....Prince Fielders Belly Flop

I am going to rant for a few minutes about the Red Sox...

Seriously?

You go through an entire regular season with stats like you do and then you get to the post season and make the dumbass mistakes that you are making??

Good golly. Let's stop giving Detroit no-hitters and strike-outs like they're candy, why don't we?

Let's watch the ball....

YOU ARE KILLIN ME SMALLS!!



Rant over. Let's do this ISH!

College was not "fun"

You know what?

Until this, my senior year, I never would have used the word "fun" to describe college. It more just "was".

Like, "Yeah. I am in college. I'm studying anthropology. Its cool. I love my classes. Everything else is alright. Could be better, could be worse."

Now it goes more like this, "Yeah. I am in college. I am an anthropology major and I love it! And I freaking love my life. I basically have a 24 hour party 7 days a week. It is so much fun. Holy crap."

As (maybe) mentioned in a previous post (or maybe on my Rocks & Twigs & Things sister blog), I made a goal to be more social this year and I am pretty sure that that is happening and that is why I am having so much fun all the time.
**Now I really do not mind being by myself - in fact I love it. I prefer it most of the time, but right now this whole social thing is working**

Anyway. I have had more fun in the month and a half ish of this semester than I had in the previous two years combined.
Someone finally got me to Country Swing Club this year and that is a beautiful thing. It is a good time and I love it. It is fun.
I also am tutoring for athletics now and I love my football players. They are hilarious and entertaining (and sometimes even focus on doing their school work :) and I love the few hours a week I spend helping them keep up their grades. They are FUN.
Another thing that is making life so fun. I am living in the moment. Very little forethought into my life these days. For example, yesterday. I had watched conference in the morning, Joseph came over in between session and we (aka he) had lunch (when I was supposed to be doing homework!) and then we watched the second session at Cassie's. Afterwards we three had a very long and philosophical conversation about God (when I was supposed to be doing homework!) We left Cassie's and instead of going home and doing homework like I knew I seriously should have....I went grocery shopping with Joseph (...again...). We shopped and then as he dropped me off afterwards at like 10 to 6:00, I got a text from mi amiga Kim. She said she had tickets to this Diwali Night here at UW. The tickets were to the dinner starting at 7:30 but the cultural part was going on from 5:00 onward. So I hurried and texted Zane to see if he was going to priesthood or if he wanted to go to Diwali Night with me. He was in so I took the tickets and we had an awesome time at Diwali Night. I REALLY SHOULD HAVE DONE HOMEWORK. I REALLY NEEDED TO DO HOMEWORK.

I was on the phone with my mom this week and she said to me, "You have been yawning a lot lately." So I kind of explained how I had been of the attitude "What the hey? I am in college! I am young! Let's have some fun!" I then told her how I thought I was done with that lifestyle since I was so bloody tired. She basically chastised me for being such an old lady all the time and that I really needed to act my age and keep making poor life decisions because I wouldn't always be able to do so with so little consequence.

But I have continued on the live in the moment lifestyle where between going to bed or doing homework and going to hang out with Joseph or go to Diwali Night or Shari's for game night with the girls, I choose the non-sleeping & non-homework route. And life has been fun. College is finally fun.

Now it isn't all sunshine and daisies since I am pretty sure my grades are taking a hit. But I sure can hear my mom saying, "It is about damn time."




AND RED SOX ARE KILLIN IT

This

Right herehttp://wapc.mlb.com/play/?cid=mlb&content_id=30974179

A really cool experience

It's funny. You'd think I would feel different now that my dad has been excommunicated from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Like I might be angry or sad or confused and take out my feelings by distancing myself from the church or something...But it's not like that.

I feel happy even. I don't know why except that it must be the Holy Ghost's influence on me.

I drove home friday after class to be a part of the disciplinary council on sunday night. It didn't go as planned. We did not learn the lesson that we had anticipated learning:

"For clarification, we weren't of the conviction that the children should be at the disciplinary counsel to hear the "outcome." We had already discussed that at length in our family beforehand. We all were prepared for any outcome. What we are absolutely certain of was that they should be allowed to see the process as it took place.

In our discussions with them we talked of the Spirit that attends a disciplinary council. We discussed the format and the procedure. We reviewed the scriptures and what they say about disciplinary councils. We were certain this would offer them an opportunity to hear from people who disagree with their father and hear how other people interpret the scriptures and how they relate to the history of the church. We were looking forward to the opportunity for them to see the scriptures used by me and then by the members of the high council testify of gospel truths. The Spirit witnessed to Stephanie this would be a faith promoting meeting for them to attend. The outcome was a non-issue.

In any event, again we would like to thank you for your service. We know this has been difficult and bear no resentment for you or anyone involved.  I am saddened, even ashamed that there wasn't an open process which allowed my children to have this important opportunity.  I've prized the underlying principles of the gospel which involve persuasion, knowledge, meekness and avoid control, compulsion and dominion.  I wanted my children to witness this glorious process in which men of good faith and belief come together to work through an important disagreement.  I had wanted them to behold the Spirit leading to unity."

But we DID learn a different lesson or two:

1) Family is important. It is the most important thing God has given us. Our family is a reflection of us and our lives. The scripture "By their fruits ye shall know them" (Matthew 7:20) has new meaning for me. The fruits are your family. That is true. Think about it...we use the word "roots" to refer to family heritage and such. It makes sense! The Snuffer clan was a pretty damn sturdy and strong fruit tree last Sunday night. Our roots can withstand anything.

2) Man is imperfect. Man will always be imperfect. And IT DOESN'T MATTER. God is perfect. He is the source of all light and truth so no matter what people do (excommunicate your father) or don't do (listen to the spirit) you can bear them no ill, think no less of them, sustain them fully and know that you can go to God as the source of all light and truth. It does not matter that man (YES, even your church leaders, YES even your Bishop and Stake Presidency and Thomas Monson) are imperfect and make imperfect decisions without utilizing the divine gift of the Holy Ghost. IT DOES NOT MATTER. God is with us all if we let him be. And THAT is how we will attain salvation. 

3) Disagreement is a good thing. Really. 

"Disagreement does not require warfare, and sometimes makes for very healthy and interesting conversation between those holding different views. We all need to push beyond rhetoric into the substance of the disagreements. Once we do that we can find the ability to love one another even as we disagree."

Where would we be if Joseph Smith hadn't disagreed with the churches of his time? How can we learn to be Christ-like if everyone agrees on everything? How do we learn to love despite differences and disagreements? I don't think you can. It is not meant to be easy to love everyone. It is meant to be a refining process. 

SO...

I am grateful for the disagreement and discussion that occurred between my family and the Stake Presidency. It taught me three important lessons that I thank God for. 

God works in awesome (and mysterious) ways. I would suggest to those reading this that you find out how he works. It will be worth it 10000X over. 

P.S. I love the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I am thankful for Institute and my YSA. I love my leaders and sustain them and pray for them. I love general conference and the men who dedicate their lives to the cause. I also know that these things will prepare me for the next world, while remaining here in this one.

The story of my first week back PART II

So there I am at church on the first sunday after classes started. I am sitting in Sunday school when I hear my Bishop and a friend, Joseph "whispering" in the back...loudly...

So I text Bishop, "You and Joseph, quiet!"
He texts back, "Yes ma'am"

I find out later that, at this point, bishop writes this to Joseph

So I also get a message from Joseph that says, "We were just talking about what kind of a date I will take you on"

To which I reply, "oh goodie. Hopefully you two planned a good one"

So after church I am walking out and Joseph says "So when are we doing this thing?"

I guess maybe you'll hear about how that one goes as well...maybe...

This story of my first week back is mostly the story about how in the first week of my senior year I have roughly the same amount of dates as I had in my freshman and sophomore/junior year of college. (not to make myself sound like the antisocial person that I actually am or anything...)

BUT, since I had a goal of being more social this year...I'd say I am well on my way to meeting that goal...

The story of my first week back

So there I am, thinking I was going to meet with my Bishop on the thursday night of the first week. This thursday night just so happened to also be the night of the Singled Out activity (more or less the same as this old TV show just the Mormon YSA version).

So I go thinking I'll hang around the activity until my meeting but I get there to find out that Bishop is MC-ing the activity. So I have to hang around til he is done.

Anyway the first round goes like this:

A boy, named Hyrum, is picked from the mens bowl of names and blindfolded. He sits at the front of the room. Then all the girls in the room go up to the front and Bishop asks questions:

What is love to you?

1. Warm and Fuzzy like Uggs
2. Fast and frenzy like Nikes
3. Footloose and free like flip flops

I chose 3. Hyrum chose 3 as well. So those girls who had gone to the 1 & 2 areas sat down.

Chose a plant that best describes you:

1. A cactus, prickly and hard to get close to
2. *some super long scientific name of a plant I don't know*
3. Some other plant I don't remember

I chose 1. Hyrum chose 1. So those girls who had gone to the 2 & 3 areas sat down.

At this point there were less than 10 girls. We maybe answered one more question like this and then there were 5 of us left.

This was the elimination round. We were asked to draw a picture of a fun date.

I drew a basketball court with me and a boy playing.
**IT LOOKED ROUGHLY LIKE THIS...

**

Some other drawings were a swing set, riding horses, and hiking. The artists (us ladies) then walked to the side of the room and Hyrum was unblindfolded. He walked around and chose the picture that he liked best. 

You guessed it....it was mine! 

I went from not even planning on participating to winning the first date of the night. Just. My. Luck.

Well it should be fun...we got a gift card to Chilis. Maybe I'll let ya know how it goes...

Part two of my first week back will come up shortly....

Newly (mostly) vegan

I know right?

Well I started thinking about being vegan vegan cause of this book:

But then I decided to basically just be smart about what I put in my body....which means that I cut out dairy because it is not   so   good  for  you.  (decide for yourself what you think...)

As well as meat...you can do your own research. 

But I decided eggs might be harder to cut out (even though I have stopped eating them for a couple weeks now). 

So now I use Almond Breeze in stead of milk and Morning Star for meat stuffs....

I eat potatoes and rice like there is no tomorrow. 

As well as fruits 

• grapes
• canned peaches
• canned mandarin oranges
• apples

and vegetables

• this Vegetable Medley is GREAT
• spinach
• kale

beans

• garbanzo
• black

Anyway...I just feel better about everything. I have more energy and blah blah blah...

Also it is just easier...I have a few options that I can mix and match to create something delicious. It is simple and I think simplicity is a God-like quality...

Anyway...I would recommend that book up there ^^^^^^ to anyone. I am also reading a few other ones about a similar subject and I'll let y'all know about those.

It can't hurt to be educated!

Rocks and Twigs and Things

If you like my blog....check out this one.


Enjoy!

Migraines

I want to try and describe how migraines feel. I know they are different for everyone who gets them, but I want to try and paint even a small picture of what a migraine feels like for those who are lucky enough not to have to endure them.

To begin, we will quote "KD" from Yahoo answers:

"pain like nothing I've ever felt began in the back of my head and it hurt so bad I couldn't cry and when I tried to move, it felt like the only thing that would alleviate the pain was to chop my head off.

I tried to drink some water and within minutes, I began projectile vomitting. I ended up passing out from the pain. I couldn't talk and there was drool coming out of my mouth. Forget about crying from the pain because that would have caused my head to move and that would have been way too painful.

I kept thinking that I needed someone to chop my head off because it was so painful."

That is just the beginning...there are lots more awesome things that happen while "migraining".

Personally, here is how it usually happens for me:

I wake up at 3:00 am on a Saturday night/Sunday morning. I have a blinding headache that explodes when I open my eyes, when I close my eyes, when I roll over, when I stand up. Explosions all over. I try to fall back asleep but its kind of hard when land mines go off every 32 seconds inside your skull. especially behind your eyes. Not conducive to sleep. 

The only thing that lessens it for me enough to fall back asleep is to get in the shower. So I take whatever pain killers I have and then get into the shower. Lights off, because lights are pretty much the worst thing besides moving. so I sit on the floor of the shower, in the dark, letting the sound of the water soothe the migraine out of me enough for me to fall asleep. That usually takes about 40 minutes. It's nice, thats when I feel the best. Then when I think I can stand up and get out of the shower, and go back to bed I do. 

Certain sounds make me want to vomit while I'm migraining. It's weird. Like that annoying beeping when a truck backs up makes me feel like someone is playing with my uvula. Plenty of sounds make you want to retch. 

Another thing I experience: a craving for diet coke. I don't drink soda and I haven't since I was a sophomore in high school. But when I get a migraine I crave diet coke. (And another thing: I hate diet coke, I think it tastes like soap). I want it. I know it will help. So if there is someone nice enough to get me one I will drink it. 

Anyway...that is just a small part of the migraine experience. Hopefully you never have to endure one!

It's weird...right?

I am 20 years old now. That's weird right? I mean au revoir to the teens. Hello twenties. What the heyo am I supposed to do in my 20s???

I guess most people's list look like this:

- graduate college

- graduate grad school

- get married

- find a job...a real one that requires skills other than entertaining children or filing ish on a computer

- have kids

- buy a house/car/something significant

Ayyyyaaa. Well number one is first on my list and I see number two on the horizon since I think grad school here in the 801 would be great. Maybe. Ha! 

When my dad brought out my birthday cake (Lemon Nothing Bundt Cake) with all the candles I had a moment of excitement where i thought to myself, "WOOHOO! I'm 17 years old!!" Talk about strange. I mean that was literally three years ago. Like before my senior year of high school. Why did I think I was 17 again? (Great movie btw)

It is a weird feeling being out of the teens and really into adulthood. I mean I obviously still feel 17. I think that's cause my 17 year was the best I've ever had. Here's to the 20 year though! By this time next year I could be in a whole new world. 

Eeeep. Whatevs. Life's great. I like things to change. So here we come. 

PS

In case you hadn't realized from these posts, new Kylee is now present Kylee. Old Kylee is gone and happy about it.

Summer school....so close

Summer school ends this week. As soon as I turn in my finals online. UGH



SO CLOSE


On a completely unrelated note.....something is on the horizon. I can feel something big brewing.


And this summer has been completely awesome. So awesome. Rough and unexpected, but awesome.


Options for my life in the next few years:

1. Fourth year of undergrad + study abroad + minor
2. One more semester of undergrad that I use to study abroad
3. GRAD SCHOOL (masters in public health somewhere in Utah - Westminster? U of U?)
4. Be done with school and move to small town america to work in a diner near a beach
5. Find myself a rich guy... *wink wink*


ok so I don't really want 5 to be a legit option...but hey, if life hands you lemons....right?

It's time for the cliche post about summer

Summertime. HOLY COW.

Love it.
Why?

Because its the time where you can wear the same clothing for 4 days in a row and no one cares. Its the time where you can shower only twice a week and then count the times you swim or are at the waterpark as another form of shower.

Because its the time where you can sit and do absolutely nothing and enjoy it!
Or read the hunger games in one day, reading from the part where she drops the tracker jacker nest to when they announce that two tributes from the same district can win out loud to your sisters in the living room.
Or take a bike ride or a longboard ride and just do it. Not thinking about what you have to do when you get home or what you were supposed to do before. Living in the moment 100%.

It is the time of sunburns that hurt but make you feel so alive. It is a time of tan.

Its the time when you dont really wear shoes.

Its the time when you don't put your contacts in until noon.

Summer when its so bloody hot you get cranky.

It's when you have minimal responsibilities.

When you only look at your phone once a day and get to be free from it the rest of the time.

I love summer. I really really do. Love it. It is great.


ENJOY SUMMER PEOPLE

"I've just had an apostrophe" about who I am

..."I think you mean an epiphany"

"Lightening has just struck my brain"

"Well, that must hurt"

GUESS THAT MOVIE!
Anyone?
Anyone?
Well for those of you who got it, GOOD JOB.
For those who didn't...keep stewing on it.


Anyway, I did have a weird epiphany last night as I was falling asleep. It was super simple but so incredibly profound that I am still trying to decide what to do next.

I do realize that this probably won't make sense to anyone but me but I'm still putting it out there.


The epiphany: Past me can never be simultaneous with present me and present me can never be simultaneous with future me and past and future me will never exist at the same time.


Lately I've been feeling that I have been holding myself back from changing or being "me". But it's not the me that I am now that I am not letting myself be. It is the possible future me that I am not letting myself become.


Why? Well I have some thoughts. The main one has to do with me "preserving" myself for some unknown entity...

Entity A: someone that I know from my past that I want to stay the same for
Entity B: someone from my future that I don't know that I want to be this me for
Entity C: some unknown entity (whether real or not I cannot say) that I am staying this me for
Entity D: past me wants to keep me from turning into future me
Entity E: future me doesn't want to come forth
Entity F: transitional me is afraid to commit to future me, but also doesn't want to remain past me

The other thought is that others around me are sort of holding me back...

Those are my theories as to why I won't let me be myfutureself. I don't know which one is most realistic or if they are all hanging out inside me working together.

I have realized that when I am not thinking about Entities A-F I am myself (the transitional moving forward self). But as soon as I start thinking about Entities A-F I alter back to now me which I think should be past me. It's a strange concept really.

I need to be future me because if you think about it, past me is already dead and gone. She died when I graduated high school. She died when I started and finished my first year of college. She died when I had my heart broken. She died when I got a job at the university. She died when I started and finished my second year of college. Each new step I take kills a part of the old me. And rightfully so. That is the way it needs to be.

Past me, present me and future me cannot be all there. They are MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE. They're
sep

ar

ate

And they always will be. I need to decide which I want to be since limbo isn't really a place to begin with. 

Well, I know which God wants me to be, now I just have to reconcile that with what I think will get me what I want. I know God wants future Kylee to kick present Kylee to the curb after thanking her profusely for all the work she did while she was here:

Future Kylee: "Hey Kylee, you know you made all the difference since you've been here. You have prepared the way for me to begin anew with such an incredible head start. I am so thankful that you did what you did while you were here"

Present Kylee: "I just did what made sense and what made me happy. I definitely didn't walk my path unscathed, but I do think I am a helluva lot better than past Kylee. Don't tell her I said that, since she helped me out in the beginning, like I'm helping you out now"

Future Kylee: "I totally understand. We change and its hard to let the future become the present, but Kylee, you really have done all that you can do. You have fought the best fight, you have kept our course, you have kept and built the faith. You need to leave now. Let go."

Present Kylee: "I know...but let me hang out a little longer please...I can show you the ropes."

Future Kylee: "I cannot get any more help from past Kylee since that by definition will keep me in the past."

Present Kylee: "I guess you can call me past Kylee now, present Kylee. Good luck. Remember what we learned and decided while I was present Kylee. Keep it up so that future Kylee can be better than me and you."

NEW FUTURE KYLEE: "Good bye past Kylee. I won't let us down"

NEW PAST KYLEE: "I'll stay close."

That is kind of how I picture it in my head. 

I know that is a pretty accurate depiction of how it needs to happen, but for some reason past me is holding on. 

My problem: I have not placed enough trust in God. 

The solution: Ask for help.

If all goes well, this may be the last interaction y'all have with this present Kylee.

It's been too long since I've featured these two....

...stunning, handsome, talented, and attractive guys...

Most their work is better than the original

Especially that one...

I am so glad there are semi-obscure (thanks Allen for introducing me to these guys), super talented people out there to fix what the overrated, under skilled artists create. I hope it continues in like fashion.

Seriously, people like these guys make music sound like what it should. They take a good idea, bad production (Mirrors) and turn it into the music that it wanted to be before JT turned it all wrong. They release the true product and I am thankful for them.

Be thankful people!

Who knew that so many lions wanted to eat human babies..

Learning Gender

Here is a paper I just wrote for my Women's Studies Class....I havent really edited it. I just whipped it out this morning.

I thought and thought and thought about the moment I learned gender. That moment where I realized I was a girl and so had different expectations for life than if I were a boy. I thought about my childhood and growing up.  I thought about my first years at school. I thought about my friends; were they boys or were they girls? I thought about the activities I enjoyed when I was younger; were they girls’ activities or boys’ activities? I could not come up with anything. I drew a blank as to when I realized I was a girl and what that meant for my identity. I seriously considered creating a fictitious experience. Something striking and profound, yet still believable. BUT, I decided to use the truth. I still may not know what being female is supposed to mean.

            Growing up I would classify myself as a tomboy. You would be hard pressed to see me in anything other than my brother’s hand-me-down basketball shorts and an old t-shirt that once may have been a girl’s, but was now so dirty you’d think it was a boy’s. I didn’t have female friends in my neighborhood until I was about 10. There were a couple girls when I was really young, but they moved away early. I spent 75% of my time with my brother and his three neighborhood friends. I did (or watched) everything they did. Climbing fences, skateboarding, tennis, digging holes to China in the backyard, videogames, fireworks, fires and all other things that cause parents to claim, “boys will be boys”.

            I knew my brother did not like me hanging around all the time but never did it cross my mind that he didn’t want me there because I was a girl. I always knew he didn’t want me there because I was a whole 21 months younger than him. I was younger, smaller, less coordinated and less capable than he or his friends. Still, I attempted everything they did fearlessly, trying to earn my spot. I don’t believe I was acting like a boy. I was acting like myself. I was doing things that made me happy.

            When I finally did find a female friend my age we did all sorts of things that I would not assign to one gender or another. We rollerbladed, biked, swam, played Mario, dug to China, rode horses, played basketball in the driveway, made our own 11 year old business cards with stickers and markers, made those beaded lizards, and many other activities. I have never been big into playing with dolls or dress up. I enjoy doing arts & crafts (a stereotypical female activity – just look at Pinterest), sewing, and babies. I also love longboarding, playing sports, fishing, playing videogames and setting off fireworks. Until now I have not assigned these likes or dislikes to a male or female category. They have always just been me. I never learned gender I suppose. I learned Kylee. Whatever Kylee was or liked.

            I understand that I had a freedom to be like a boy, whereas boys do not have the freedom to be like girls. As it says in Women’s Voices, Feminist Visions, girls will proudly raise their hands when asked if they identified as tomboys in their youth. When asked if they were sissies in their youth, very few guys proudly raise their hand and claim that. (Shaw and Lee 105). I was able to participate in activities that I liked even if traditionally they were boys activities. I could l enjoy skateboarding and fireworks without criticism or mocking. If a young boy enjoys playing with dolls or doing arts & crafts, he gets beat up by others, called gay and weak. These things are girls’ activities and so they are less.

            While it is absolutely hilarious, If Men Could Menstruate by Gloria Steinem proves a point in the assigning of gender roles and expectations (Shaw and Lee 238). The point is that activities and things associated with men are more desirable, more prestigious, and more valuable. If men could menstruate, “menstruation would become an enviable, boast worthy, masculine event” (Shaw and Lee 238). If men suddenly all enjoyed knitting, instead of Super Bowl Sunday, there would be Knitting in November celebration with beer and chips. This proves the point that gender is what we make it. The things associated with each gender are ranked, but when reappropriated that ranking changes. This can be a positive change or a negative change. As it is put in The Social Construction of Gender, “wherever a task is done by women it is considered easy, and where it is done by men it is considered difficult” (Shaw and Lee 127). This includes menstruation.

            I think it a fascinating construction. I still cannot seem to grasp why we insist on places people and activities and identities into little boxes labeled “Men” & “Women”. It seems to me that these restrictions and assignments only limit our abilities to be 3-dimensional, fluid, and flexible. Why can’t a girl play baseball with the boys without enduring comments and criticism? Why do the boys on her team have to be told that a girl throws better than them to motivate them? I have been fortunate to learn Kylee and not gender, but I feel that I am one of very few.

This man may be the reason I pass summer school

If are a student, either formally in classes or just in life, LOOK UP

KHAN ACADEMY



He's great. I am so grateful to him. His Chemistry videos are AMAZAZING

Check out his other subjects. He knows his stuffssss

Google Hangout Father's Day Style

Meaningful words

Y'all better read this.

Slacking

I apologize to my readers...if they care...for not being on top of it.


Remember this?

Well I wasn't in summer school then so I thought all would be great.

NOW THAT I AM IN IT I AM DYING.

Golly...it is kicking my butt.

But Public Speaking ends this week and then Chem and PE go for another two weeks and my two online classes start BUT!


Somewhere in there I will remember that I have a life and get back to it.
Which may mean that I might post sommore things.



By the way, Cassie and I are on a Heroes kick right now. Not sure if its that good, but two seasons in and starting the third one this week, we are addicted.

Speech #4

Here is part (I lost the complete draft in the depths of the computers on campus) of my 4th speech.

General Purpose: To persuade

Specific Purpose: At the end of my speech, the audience will agree that school uniforms are better than free dress or dress codes for 3 reasons.

Central Idea/Proposition of value: School uniforms are better than free dress/dress codes

Organizational Pattern: Topical

Introduction: Mark Twain once said, “Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.” Educators have long debated the rules and regulations around clothing and attire of students. Should they enforce a uniform code or let the students wear what they please? I wore a uniform from the time I was in school at age 4 to the time I graduated high school at age 17, with the exception of one year. Using my own personal knowledge and the opinions and experience of educators today I am going to tell you three reasons why school uniforms are better than free dress or dress codes.

Signpost: To begin we will look at the equalizing power of uniforms.

Main Point 1: Uniforms act as social equalizers (Eppinger 2009)

               I.     Uniforms level the playing field for lower socioeconomic status (Eppinger 2009, Boutelle 2008)

a.     It is a common argument in the uniform debate that schools should be a safe place without worry about differences in status whether socially, economically, etc. (Bodine 2003).

b.     "What if the uniforms disappeared tomorrow?" Gulden asks. Differences between "our needy kids and fairly well-to do kids might become magnified and polarize the campus," creating resentment and tension. "Life has enough hurdles for families and kids; I don't think one of them should be here at school. There's that stigma of 'my socioeconomic status.' Kids 5, 6, 7 years old shouldn't have to deal with that." (Boutelle 2008).

             II.     Uniforms lessen comparisons based on material goods and place more emphasis on academic abilities.

a.     Some believe that uniforms take away the students individuality since it is most obviously expressed in the clothing that is worn. This clothing usually sparks envy and competition because so and so is wearing name brand while this person is wearing Walmart or Target.

b.     The creativity that is “being stifled” can be more appropriately expressed “academically and artistically… Uniforms allow children the right to distinguish themselves by the deeds they’ve done, not the duds they wear.” (Boutelle 2009)

Signpost: Now that we have seen the equalizing effects of the uniform, we will turn to the effects on school performance.

Main Point 2: Uniforms improve the “school climate” (Eppinger 2009)

               I.     Students are often distracted more by what they wear/how they look than their studies (Eppinger 2009)

a.     Viewed as work clothing rather than play clothing (Eppinger 2009, Boutelle 2008, Yeung 2009)

b.     Distractions over immodest clothing reduced or eliminated (Boutelle 2008)

             II.     Tardies are reduced when students wear uniforms

a.     There is no stress over dressing in the mornings because your administrators have decided what you will wear everyday (Eppinger 2009)

b.     This reducing the time needed to dress in the morning and so students are less frequently late to their morning classes

Signpost: Remembering the equalizing power and the effects on performance that uniforms have, we will next move on to the influence on crime in schools.

Main Point 3: Uniforms reduce crime in schools.

               I.     Theft/violence over expensive clothing is reduced (Eppinger (2009)

a.     In his 1996 State of the Union Address, Bill Clinton challenged schools ''to teach character education, to teach good values and good citizenship. And if it means that teenagers will stop killing each other over designer jackets, then our public schools should be able to require their students to wear school uniforms." (Boutelle 2008)

             II.     Gang clothing/signs are eliminated (Eppinger 2009, Boutelle 2008)

a.     In inner city schools, much of the conflict, violence, and crime occur due to gang affiliations. Wearing the wrong color can get you into trouble in certain neighborhoods

b.     By implementing uniforms, these risks are reduced

Signpost: To close lets review the three reasons we discussed today.

Conclusion: The three reasons uniforms are better than free dress are: 1. Uniforms are social equalizers, 2. Uniforms improve the school climate, and 3. Uniforms decrease crime in schools. ______?