BlahBlahBlah

So, here I am, searching around yahoo, and what do I find? Bullshit!!!!
Yesterday, I wasted ten minutes of my life reading one of their head articles entitled something along the lines of
"Vending Machine Foods to Avoid and What to Eat Instead."
Ok, if you are a wizened person, you may have guessed that this article pretty much tells you not to eat anything out of vending machines. But, I thought it might have an idea or two about what I should eat instead, presuming of course, that the latter group of choices would be out of that same vending machine with all the naughtiness. But no, it goes on to say have a yogurt or a diet soda. Well bull-e.
Seriously!
So then today, I am reading this article about exercising myths, and I personally think this guy is full of crap too!!!












Plus I can't help but think that he looks like an uglier, creepier version of Peter Weller with botox!

The First 2008 Presidential Debate

Hello all, glad you chose to read what I have to say.
I think that this was a good debate, though I was rather disappointed on both sides to hear much of the same slogans stories and slander that we have been hearing for 9 months. Unfortunately for those of you who know my political bias, this might come off as aggressive, but really the one of those stories that stuck out like a sore thumb as a repeat was McCain's story about Eisenhower and the Normandy invasion. I seem to have heard this one before, could it have been at the RNC?
I did think that McCain seemed a bit tense, perhaps he was nervous. He seemed rather rigid to me.
I also did notice that Obama seemed to stutter a bit on some of his answers.
I was disappointed with both candidates on their answer to the question about what they would cut to provide for this Bail Out. I thought that the second time around, Obama did seem to revise his answer a bit, he mentioned that he would have to cut some aspects of his alternative energy projects, though he did neglect to mention which ones.
McCain seemed to stick to this "I've got a pen, and I'm going to veto every single spending bill that comes across my desk. I will make them famous. You will know their names." popular phrase. That, personally, scares me. I think that if what he means is that he will veto excessive or unreasonable spending bills, great, but he should be more clear on that because quite frankly, we do need to spend some money. If we aren't going to spend any of it, why are we giving it to the government in the first place, and what are we not getting in return?
As a side note, I could only find one source that clearly sorted McCains suggested Citizens Against Government Waste website, as the site itself is rather confusing. This Blogger took it upon (his/her)self to summarize the earmarks supposedly requested by Senator Obama. Various other websites have suggested that McCain is fudging numbers, including the $100Million he could supposedly save us "tomorrow."
But enough of that. Both of the candidates concern me with their energy plans.
I think that Obama wants to spread himself too thin, sending money to various different projects, which in a healthy economy, would be a great idea. I think that with the way things are right now, we should really be focusing on one or two very promising technologies, and we should be working on those areas where the greatest environmental impact could be affected to the greatest degree. Namely, vehicular and electric power alternatives. The technology exists to have electric cars, and quite frankly, I think they would be safer. Bio-diesel seems to be driving up the price of food, and I don't really know that it is all that sustainable, renewable though it is.
McCain also worries me, because I would not be surprised to see oil supplies dwindle if not end in my lifetime, and I do think that we should focus more on alternative energy and getting ourselves off of our oil dependency altogether. Neither candidate really gave me confidence that they have what it takes to accomplish that, but Obama seems a bit more in touch with alternative energy projects and their necessity.
On foreign policy, I am not really all that confident in either candidate. I think that they are both passive-aggressive. However, I have a bit more confidence in Biden in this area than in Palin, so, there it is.
I did think it was a healthy debate, I thought that both candidates made some great points, and I have especially enjoyed reading the banter online critiquing that debate, which is what has led me to this.
Here is one to ponder, and this will be my final statement.
On several occasions, Obama began sentences with, "When I am President..."
In similar situations, McCain chose less difinitive wording.
I don't have time to run through the transcripts right now to pull out the quotes, but I hope to find time after I finish my homework, and I will then update this blog.
Thank you for taking time to read my drivel, and I look forward to your comments.
Your compatriot,
Katie May

GI Joe Jungle Trap

Yeah, from the good old days...

IQ test

So, I was wandering around the internet today and I decided to take an IQ test. My score was 129, which doesn't make me a genius (I object, I am totally a genius!), but it does put me plenty of points above average. In fact, I was looking and thinking to myself that I am above the average PhD graduate. Well, then school should be really easy for me, right? If only I wasn't wasting all my time taking online IQ tests...

So, here's a paper I wrote, if you want to read it.

Poverty in the Classroom
By Katie May Smith
Written August 2008
Published here on Google Blogger September 15, 2008

“Children are resilient, and a sensitive teacher can ameliorate the affects of poverty,” ~Shirley Aamidor, Ph.D. Professor of Education IU Kokomo

Poverty is an often overlooked, and very serious problem, and one that is quite personal to me, as I grew up well below the poverty line. According to the Institute for Research on Poverty, “In 2003, 12.9 million children in the U.S. under the age of 18, or more than one in six children, were living in poverty (U.S. Census Bureau, 2004).” Poverty is never a child’s fault or responsibility, and yet it rests on their shoulders like the weight of the world. Children carry their poverty into every situation in their lives, including, and perhaps especially to the classroom.

Many poor students are not as well prepared to learn as their classmates from more stable homes, and for a number of reasons. Issues like residential mobility and often changing schools, and poor nutrition can severely affect a child’s education. Furthermore, parents struggling to make ends meet are less likely to afford educational supplies that children need, from art supplies, to instruments, to the most basic necessities like clothes, pencils and paper, and are likely too distracted by the rigors of their lifestyle to have enough time or energy to actively engage in their children’s education. As a result of these factors, impoverished children can suffer socially and academically (Pellino, 2007).

Poverty reaches into the hearts of its children, and causes them to feel less valuable than their classmates. That very attitude can lead students to strive less fervently than they should to achieve in the classroom despite the obstacles they face (Pellino, 2007). The attitudes of teachers, administrators, other students and community members can have a significant impact on a student’s confidence in the classroom. With that power, there comes a responsibility to use that impact to the benefit all of our students, and especially the less fortunate, in any way that we reasonably can.

For the Rest of this paper, with full bibliography, see this Google Document

Thanks,
Katie May

Yo! Raisin money here for the MDA!!!

Yo, I gotta raise some bail money or they gonna lock me up!!!!!

For Muscular Dystrophy.

Donate here.

Thanks