Cyber Love?

My goal with this blog is to write an entry every day. That's not so easy, however, because some days I just have nothing to say. A few minutes ago, I was sitting at my computer, trying to think of a blog topic. I was having little success, so I began browsing Facebook; I then came across an add titled "Create Your Mr. Right."

The tagline for this add was, "Why look for Mr. Right when you can make him yourself? Design your Mr. Right now and start your virtual relationship." Now I know that we are supposed to be embracing the virtual era and taking advantage of all that computers have to offer, but to a girl who thought Match.com was weird, the concept of creating a "virtual relationship" is just plain disturbing.

The advertisement goes on to say, "Describe what you like in a guy and get your very own Mr. Right; a virtual boyfriend to keep you cozy on all those lonely nights." Am I the only one who thinks the creator of this website was insane? There can't possibly be a market out there for something like this... Right? It's not as if a cartoon boy, controlled by a computer, can really keep someone cozy on a lonely night... Right? Feel free to disagree with me, but that will probably freak me out.

Sororities...

Someone please explain to me why someone would spend more than two hours getting ready for a party, when she only intends to stay at the party for one hour. I have no idea why it happens, but it is the world of the sorority pledge. Not that the entire sorority system doesn't baffle me, but this part of it is bothering me most at the moment.

I'm sitting in my dorm room, trying to get some work done, but there are screaming girls running in and out of my room as they borrow each others' clothes, do their hair, put on make-up, and listen to crappy music. I stayed out of my room and gave my roommate an hour of this before I finally gave up and tried to come get some work done, despite the giggling and screaming. The readying then continued for an additional hour and as far as I can see, little change has been made.

The strangest part came to me when I heard the following conversation: "I have an eight-o-clock class tomorrow, so I will only be staying for like at most an hour."

Is a party really worth attending if you spend more than twice as much time getting ready for the party?

Really? Are we still in high school?

The concept of "study tables" is completely lost on me. I understand that our learning community directors want us to learn good study habits, get used to coming to the library, etc., but I personally feel that studying in a hot room in an uncomfortable chair with seven other people is hardly a good way to study.

In fact, before coming to this session today, I was in my cool, comfortable dorm room, studying for Economics. I then had to leave the peace and convenience of Washington Hall, pack away all my books, and walk ten minutes to Alden Library, where I now sit, unable to study and instead writing this blog. Why can't I study here, you ask? Because I am one of those crazy people who is totally OCD about reading. It has to be silent for me to absorb anything. Next to me, a girl is clacking away at her keyboard. Across from me is a boy with the squeaky pencil. Down the table a bit, people are talking. Not to mention the fact that I wasted ten minutes getting here, fifteen minutes packing and unpacking my notebooks, books, and ancient computer, and I will soon waste another ten minutes walking home.

The fact that I wasted more than thirty minutes to get here and get set up isn't even the point; the point is that I am an eighteen-year-old college student and I should be able to study my own way, on my own terms. Don't get me wrong; I'm not mad. I think our peer mentor and LC teachers are all fantastic. I even understand why this would be effective for some people. I just think this is a pointless exercise for me to partake in.

PS: Whisperers, keyboard clacker, and squeaky pencil boy... I did not mean to offend.

Bastards.

When I think about boldness in the media, especially on today's date, one front page nudges itself to the front of my brain. The day after September 11, 2001, the San Francisco Examiner published the page pictured at left. I remember that day being a slew of news reports and articles, but I don't remember what they said or who said what. Every paper in the country had a 9/11-themed paper the next day, but the only one that stuck in my head was the full-color, full-page picture of the twin tower, exclaiming "BASTARDS!" Some argue that it was inappropriate, offensive, vulgar, but even at age eleven, I knew that this one page embodied everything that Americans were feeling. It was before anyone knew what happened; New York was still in chaos. We knew, however, that someone had caused such a disaster, and we were angry. I remember reading that the publisher or editor of the Examiner said he wasn't trying to make a big statement; he said that "those bastards" was all he could think about that day, and so it became the headline.

The Examiner's front page was what people needed. September 11 was day one in the five stages of grief: denial. Day two was anger. The Examiner showed anger, where other newspapers and stations jumped straight to depression. I'm sure many people disagree with me, but I remember when I was eleven years old, long before I even thought about being a journalist; I looked at that page and agreed. It said what I was thinking, what many were thinking, and it did it in a way that was strong. It said "Get ready, America. We're going to fight back."

A lot has happened in the past seven years, and this entry was really a look back into the mind of my adolescent self. Things have changed; obviously we know more now that we did then, but I will always remember that front page and what it meant to me. There is so much more I could write right now, but I'll end it here.

Photo courtesy of www.september11news.com.

The Semi-colon.

Why is it that no one uses semi-colons anymore? I feel very out of place using my favorite punctuation mark in a world where it has become almost obsolete. Periods make writings look choppy, while commas can make a sentence seem long and unreadable. The semi-colon is perfect because it breaks up a run-on sentence while still keeping a good flow, without the finality of a period. While working at a newspaper over the summer, some of the editors attacked me for daring to use semi-colons, while others embraced what it brought to my writing. Our society so often misuses commas; proper semi-colon placement could fix all of that.

The Beginning.

Ever since the days of Xanga popularity, I've enjoyed blogging. Regardless of whether or not people actually read my thoughts, it's nice to know that I can come back, years from now, and get to know my past self. I look back at my old Xanga blogs and I am able to recall memories, some good, some bad, and I am able to think about lessons I learned, days I cherish, and situations I regret. I look back at the comments left by friends, enemies, aquaintences, and I find myself thinking about how much better everything is now, but I also think of how I never could have gotten to this point without those experiences. Three years ago, my freshman year of high school ended, and with it, my daily blogging. I've tried many times over the years to get back to it, but with little success.

Recently I started a music blog. I was working at the newspaper in my city and I was in the Metro section, writing breaking news pieces. Don't get me wrong, I was completely ecstatic about the internship, but I've always been an entertainment girl, and the paper didn't offer that outlet. So I started an entertainment blog where I could review CDs, talk about music, movies, whatever. If you wish, you can check out that blog at www.fragilecapricorn.blogspot.com. Bear in mind, however, that poor college students can't afford many CDs, so reviews will likely be few and far between.

This blog was created a few weeks ago to post vlogs by my friend Brenna and I. Those videos are now posted solely on YouTube, and this blog will be used to discuss journalism, the media, life as an OU j-schooler, etc., as per the suggestion of Prof. Stewart.

If you like it, read it; if you don't, that's okay to.