My Grades Have Gone to Hell

I made an 81 (an 80.8, really) on the first part of a test in Chemistry, and a 67 (a 66.666...) on the second part. I'm missing lots of assignments for this quarter in Spanish 3. Edit: "Lots" being relative. The way our grading system works, you average the first and second quarter together to get the semester grade. Both quarters are fifty percent of your semester grade. I'm missing one of very few assignments and made a terrible grade on another this quarter, so it's a very low grade (a D!) being averaged with my B from quarter one to get my shitty-ass semester grade.

Only three people in Chemistry passed the first part of that test. You'd think the teacher would realize that if only three of twenty-something people pass an examination, it may not be us. It may be his sorry ass. And that maybe he should really get his lazy-ass self into fucking gear and do some legitimate motherfucking teaching. Maybe even engage us students. Fuck him. He can suck a dick.

It would seem he has yet to put those grades in. Or maybe he has, and my extra credit from last semester is just really kicking ass. Edit: Logic! He hasn't put them in yet. There's not a terrible grade under Q2.

Here's a snapshot from the online grades system:

Junior Year Sucks Major Dick.

Just saying.

This blog is called [[insert complaining here]] for a reason. And a damn good 'un at that. I complain. Profusely. Here we go. If I type this quickly enough, I can get back to Facebook-stalking the shit out of my latest male interest and still have time to make and use my damn flash cards.

At the same time that my school switched from a block schedule (four classes per semester, ninety minutes each a day, for a total of eight per year) to a, I dunno, regular high school schedule (seven classes a year, forty-five minutes each a day, the same classes all semester), I switched from taking regular old "smart people" classes to taking goddamn college-level classes. Fuckin' bullshit.

I'm now dealing with AP Calculus AB (not too terrible, probably my favorite subject overall), AP English 3 (not terrible in and of itself, but the workload can be irritating and I honestly don't give a flying fuck about symbolism or whatever the fuck and am of the opinion that most of it is utter bullshit), AP US History (which has potential for being mildly interesting if it weren't for the son of a bitch who teaches it), AP European History (tolerable, if only because the teacher is awesome), Spanish 3 (much more of a bitch than Spanish 1 and 2, which I really should have expected), Theater 2 (my easy class... for now; I think later this year when we do the show/production/play/whatever the hell my teacher is calling it today, I'll just have a breakdown), and Chemistry (I only slightly tolerate science- and even that is only for the cool shit- and this class is all the worse because, as a state-required class, it is super-easy and incredibly tedious; at least the teacher likes me).

That said, I'm just in a terrible mood today, so you probably shouldn't take any of that ranting at face value. I've been feeling like shit all day. All fragile and sickly and whatever the fuck.

I'm just going to get offline and make some flash cards now. I hope you have fun doing whatever non-AP fun shit you're doing. Fucker.

Schoolwork Over the Summer

I don't mind it. I, personally, have to read two books (Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Invisible Man) and answer one to two composition notebooks' worth of questions about them. For my own personal bettering in literature, I'm also working my way through The Norton Introduction to Literature: Shorter Eighth Edition. That's for AP English 3.

I'm also taking Personal Finance online this summer. I've always been able to grasp things quickly and teach myself when necessary, so why not? It's a required credit, and I'd rather take it in a month over a summer rather than spend one-seventh of my senior year wasting my time with it.

Now, I can understand why, after a certain point, homework can seem ridiculous- for example, the 10-minutes-per-grade rule: that you take your grade (for a high school junior, that would be 11) and multiply it by ten to get the number of minutes you should reasonably spend on homework. I, personally, never spent 100 minutes on homework last year, as a sophomore, and I don't intend on spending 110 minutes on homework next year.

Then again, I've never done very much of my homework at home, preferring to do it during "wasted time": in the car to or from school, after a test in a different subject, after the teacher is done lecturing but the period isn't over, etc.

I know that I have- or at least, I used to have, before my little break- a few readers in their teen years. What do y'all think? Homework? School work over the summer? Down with education?

Retarded Child With a Hunched Back

I was rooting through the desk in the back room at my dad's house like the eccentric busybody that I am (hey- I live there once every few weeks, I have a right to look through desks, right?) and found a DVD that I don't believe has been touched since the end of my seventh grade year. My Gifted DVD from the seventh grade.

You could probably use a little bit of background information. I will provide that. Gifted was where they stuck the obscenely over-intelligent kids who didn't really fit in (okay, so maybe that isn't the official description). The program was later renamed Horizon, which Mr. Z (Z being short for Zajdel, the surname of the fucking awesome teacher I had for Gifted) said he came up with while passing a gas station or some such thing. Moving on. On Thursdays and Fridays, for one class period- about forty minutes total, I believe- we, the geeks and nerds who will someday rule the world, got to leave Normal Class and go to Gifted. Yes, the capital letters are meant to be there.

During the second semester of the school year, each Gifted class (we were divided up by grade; all the seventh-graders were in one class, all the eighth-graders in another, etc.) got the chance to make a movie. In sixth grade, my class, which was comprised of about seven students, made (well, attempted to make) four movies. My personal favorite- the one I still get compliments on today, four years later- is titled something along the lines of The Adventures of Mustache Lady and G/T/S Man, G/T/S Man meaning Grandpa/Teacher/Superhero Man. G/T/S Man was a BAMF, in case you can't tell. There was something about a Holy Cow in that one.

Anyways, I've lost my DVD from that year, but Mr. Z, whom I still visit occasionally on Thursdays and Fridays when I can get the hell out of my fourth period, has promised to hook me up with another copy.

But I found the DVD from the next year. Seventh grade. Our movie- an entire eleven minutes long- was called The Stolen Keys. Rosie was a huge player in that one. I believe I had one line throughout the entire thing. Rosie didn't like what I did with the script, so she edited it until it was how she wanted it. I suppose you could say I'm a little resentful. Moving on.
I watched it with my good friend Katie last night (rather, this morning... it was two in the morning). We cracked up. Our dear friend Tyler's voice had not yet deepened at that point, and he was going through his Monk phase. Our friend Sarah had short hair. I was... well, I looked like a retarded child with a hunched back. I mean, it was bad. I'm surprised my mother let me out of the house like that. Jesus.

My "What the Fuck?" Moment

I was informed today that Pre-Calculus is a four-point class for me and a number of other sophomores, whereas it is a six-point (or weighted) class for the juniors and seniors taking it with us. Why? Because they took Algebra w/ Trig last year. Apparently math classes are only ever weighted after you've taken four math classes already during your high school career. Which I have not. Pre-Cal is my third (I took Geometry and Algebra II last year). What the fuck?

Honestly, I think that's the most fucktarded rule I've ever heard of. I really think all the math classes you take beyond those required of you (you have to have completed Algebra II in order to graduate) should be weighted. I'm going the extra mile; stop rewarding those who don't want to work for being such shitheads (some people deserve to be left behind) and start fucking rewarding me! I deserve a weighted grade! If McMullin gets a C in that class, he gets four points averaged in with his GPA, whereas if I get a freakin' C, I get two points! My GPA is gonna go to shit all because of that fucking class.

Top 10 Lies Teachers Have Told Me

We've all been lied to at some point or other: "Coffee will stunt your growth." "Santa won't bring you anything if you keep acting like that, you little shit." "I love you." Being lied to is a part of life, something you just have to get used to unless you're a character in a Ricky Gervais movie. As it turns out, our beloved teachers and educators (not always the same people, y'know) are no different than the rest of us when it comes to twisting the truth.

10. "No, Harry Potter does not relate to the standard curriculum in any way, shape, or form."
9. "Not to worry! Our cafeteria has many vegetarian options!"
8. "Of course immortals aren't real. Nothing lives forever."
7. "Our nation's founders were all good, Christian men."
6. "High school is difficult to adjust to."
5. "Former President Bush is an intelligent man."
4. "This won't be on the exam, so don't worry."
3. "Why, yes, this theorem has many real-life applications!"
2. "Sarcastic people never get far in life, Artemis."
1. "Of course I didn't vote for President Obama!"

7 People Who Have Changed My Life

There are a lot of people who change your life every day. That obnoxious guy in third period made you roll your eyes, the stranger who almost ran over you made you give him the bird, and the cashier/bagger duo at Publix made you laugh at their antics.

However, these aren't the people I'm talking about. Although they influence you in some minuscule way or other, they don't have a lasting impression on you (or at least, they usually don't). No, in this post, I'm going to focus on the people who have changed the way I see myself and the world.

1. Katie Collins has made me closer to God. Whatever feelings of irritation I originally felt that she was so religious are now gone, permanently replaces with a deep feeling of gratitude. Without her, I would never have felt as close to God as I do now. We may have a few fuzzy differences in opinion when it comes to worship, prayer, and the like, but that doesn't matter in the long run: without her, I would never have even believed in God, and would have committed suicide last November when I was convinced there was nobody in the who gave a flying fuck about me. I thank Katie for assuring me that there's much more than a crowd of people who care about me: I've got the big guy in the sky on my side.

2. Ryan Philipp has made me love history. History's one of my passions now, but I would probably still think of it as boring if it weren't for Coach Phil. The first day of class, I thought, "Now this guy really loves history." Well, yeah, you say. He's a history teacher, for Christ's sake. Still, though, I was surprised by the way Phil (as we students affectionately call him) managed to be so enthusiastic about what I had, until that point, thought of as the one subject where even the teachers seem to have a bit of distaste for it. I became determined to figure out why this man was so interested in history, and I'm glad to say that I found some amazing things in my textbook. (Well, okay, in the lecture notes, seeing as we never used our textbook, but whatever.)

3. Gregory Onision has made me vegetarian. He was the first one to convince me that eating animals isn't only immoral, it's also not healthy. Through his videos on YouTube, I discovered things- over the course of a few days- it would have taken me months to find out any other way. His videos encompass a wide range of other things, too, so even when I'm not in the mood to be re-lectured on how meat isn't just murder, it's suicide, I can still have a challenging three and a half minutes, thinking logically about what he's said. Onision isn't preaching, he's informing. (Thank Merlin for that.)

4. Amy Gleaves, whether or not she meant to, made my life a living hell for a few months. I burned myself with matches and lighters (no scars are left from that, thank God), I couldn't concentrate on anything, and I had to call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline four times over the course of three weeks. I finally found a way to literally move away from the situation, but being around her still hurts. I don't think this woman will ever fully understand the extent of the damage and havoc her presence wreaked on my body. I don't blame her 100%, but I know I will never- no matter what anyone says- be able to see her as an innocent bystander when it comes to my mental health.

5. Regina Spektor- yes, the singer- has inspired me to write music. I am teaching myself to play piano, and it's going pretty well, if I do say so myself. I'm in the process of adding music to my previously vocals-only songs. The amazing ReSpekt is not the only person responsible for my not-incredibly-sudden foray into the world of music, but she's definitely played a major role. Her music is very unique, and since I first heard a song by her, I've wanted to sound as great as she does (with my own style, of course).

6. Steve Reed gave me discipline. He is, quite possibly, the best damn English teacher the world has ever seen. I mean, this guy means business! Mr. Reed (no nicknames from students for this guy!) is a hardcore disciplinarian, and definitely one to correct your word usage. He's well-known for saying things like, "No, you did not accidentally leave your homework in your locker. You did not trip, fall, and leave it in your locker, did you? No, you mistakenly left it. Now go get it. Do it again and you'll have lunch detention." Everyone in my class had a love-hate relationship with the old man. We loved him and his life lessons (and he could ramble on about some life lessons, let me tell ya), but hated him once we got in trouble. Typical eighth graders. Anyways, the guy made me understand that putting in effort is, you know, a good thing.

7. Mary Frances Rudy has provided me with more cultural experiences than I ever thought possible. With my Mimi, I've been swimming with dolphins and stingrays, met some extremely interesting people (not nearly as interesting as the stingrays, though!), and wandered aimlessly through art galleries on cruise ships. This woman is a piece of work, for sure, but she's also an incredible person. Thanks to her, I've done things many people may never have the chance to do- and I've also learned not to take such things for granted. I squeeze the most I can out of every trip I go on with her, every play I see.

There you have it. Those people have had profound effects on my life in general; I didn't bother listing the obvious (my mum and dad for making it all possible, hehe... oh God, the mental images... ew). I certainly hope you've enjoyed this weird little insight into my world. I've said some things that I haven't really ever told anyone- how odd that the first entity I share them with should be the internet.

This post required quite a bit of soul-searching, let me tell you. I mean, there are tons of people I know have changed me- that wasn't the hard bit. The difficult part was figuring out how they'd changed me. I mean, seriously! You ever tried to think about it?

Tune-a-Licious Tuesdays

In an effort to force myself to listen to popular music (and remember to post), I'm starting a little thing I'll call Tune-a-Licious Tuesdays. Musical Mondays are over-used, so there.

I'm great.

No, this isn't just, "Hey, I like this song." It's also, "I think that this is a good website to find new music, and this one sucks, and check this out- you probably haven't heard any of their other music, have you?" I think I'm really going to get into this.

Feel free to tell me about songs and albums you love/hate/both, and how much of a... you know, I was going to make a Miley Cyrus joke, but I can't even bring myself to go there.

Hanging out in the A+ Lab at school; the juniors are taking the ACT and we're going to be stuck in first period for the next, oh, three and a half to five hours. At least Wilson (he teaches Biology, my first period) isn't with us- we're in the lab because he's one of the proctors. The library and the entire math/science wing are closed to anyone but proctors and people taking the test.

Since we're in the A+ Lab and bored to death, Wilson gave us the opportunity to do extra credit: concept maps (in Inspiration® 8.0, if you want to know) on a) Cell Theory and Cell Parts, b) Monomers, Polymers, and the 4 Essential Organic Compounds, and/or c) Scientific Method.

I did the Scientific Method because it's the easiest. Pretty straight-forward, with a small loop at the end (where you re-test the hypothesis). Meh. I figure I'll get a decent amound of points... here's a screenshot [edit: and... apparently not]. I would totally have done it a bit prettier, but I'm not on my Mac, and I can't be bothered to put in that much effort when on my computer- as opposed to this thing from the early 2000s- it would just take pressing three buttons. But I digress.

At least I can still save in png format. :P

Edit: GOD FREAKING... *urgh* I can't give you a screenshot because the school is retarded and has blocked all image hosting sites, even ones where it's impossible to see everyone else's pictures. You know, made for people like me. Fucking hell...

Valentine's Day

Yep, the big V. The one all the singles hate, all the females with dates cherish, and all the males with dates... well, they aren't always exactly all about it.

My school does a few things to celebrate Valentine's Day. We can fill out matchmaker sheets for free, then pay a dollar to get our results (which only contain the names of people of the opposite gender who match you- and of course, who filled out their sheets).

We can also send and receive Candygrams. What are Candygrams? Candygrams, my dear, unenlightened friend, are small bags of candy with valentine cards attached. I got a Batman one with a nice bunch of candy. I also got a truffle, a Twix, a Snickers, and a bag of Valentine's Day M&Ms from Julianna. She's so sweet...

I sent a bunch of Candygrams: Jenny, John, Jonathon, Katie, Tyler, and Kristen. Well, I mean, I didn't really send them. It was more like Jenny decided she wanted to spend over a fifth of her allowance (around fifteen out of fifty dollars) on being a good person for V-day, so she dragged me over to the table in the caf to get some with her so she wouldn't look stupid (as if having another person there with you when you buy an ass-load of Valentine's makes you look less retarded).

She sent me one, so of course I sent her one. I haven't eaten my candy yet, since I'm in the school library and all, and I'm focused on not breaking any more rules than absolutely necessary.

She sent one to some guy in theatre that one of my friends likes, and signed that friend's name (kinda a bitch thing to do). She also sent one to a teacher everyone is pretty much convinced is lesbian (coughcoughMsO'Nealcoughcough), and signed it from the goofiest male teacher we could think of (that would be Nauert, for any Harpeth-ers reading... yes, she thought it would be funny... yeah, it kinda was).

Bird or Rat?

Okay, so technically his name is Byrd, not Bird. But still. They're pronounced the same, aren't they? Yes. Moving on.

My Career Management teacher is Mr. Byrd. We all call him Byrd behind his back, but if you address him as such (with no 'Mr.' in front), he gets severely pissed. I don't know why, so don't ask me. None of the other teachers have a problem with it: Mr. Phillip is Phil (or Philly, depending on your level of daring). Mr. Nauert is Nauert. Coach Wilson is Wilson.

Whenever he says something about his day (at the beginning of class, and he goes on for about fifteen minutes), he finishes with, "And that's my story, and I'm sticking to it." He always screws up the directions grammatically.

Segment: ... ,(IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS), ...

What, are we creating abstract art with our instructions now, Byrd? Blegh.

He thinks he's hilarious, and I guess he assumes we think so, too. He always laughs at his own jokes (yeah, not cool), and when he laughs, his eyes (covered by glasses that already make them look small and beady) scrunch up and become even smaller, and his mouth distorts into some odd shape that makes his teeth look narrower and pointier.

When he laughs, he looks like a rat.

Byrd is a rat. That is the point of this post.

School Internet

Since I live in Nashville (Davidson county) and Harpeth is in Kingston Springs (Cheatham county), I'm actually not supposed to come here. Nobody really cares, though. I keep their test scores high, and if I can work it out so I go here instead of Hillwood (shudder) then boom ka boom, I get to stay.

In order to work it out so I can stay, I'm getting a ride with my friend Tyler's mom (my second period math teacher), Mrs. A. This would work out totally normal, except that Tyler is doing football conditioning or whatever- yeah, I'm not a sports person- and has to stay after school until about four o'clock.

So, to entertain myself, I brought my laptop today and hung out in the library (free wifi and all the books I can read, since Ms. Wuller loves me) for a while. I looked around for information on the publishing industry and talked to a few people online that said since I'm so young, I'll have a hard time getting published. "Why?" I asked. 

"Because young people aren't good writers," was the common response.

Ugh.

I literally groaned out loud the sixth time I got this reply, and Coach Kelso (he does the track team, and was doing some sort of massage thing for the teachers- not sure why he was in the library) goes, "You making much progress?"

"Not really," I say, frowning as I unplug the computer. 

"Uh-oh!" he says. I wind up the power cord. "You doing a research paper?"

"It's more of something for my own interest," I say, and close the laptop.

"What is it?" probes Kelso.

"I'm trying to find a way to publish the book I'm working on, even though I'm thirteen."

He raises his eyebrows, and whether he's genuinely impressed or humoring me, I do not know. "You should talk to some publishers."

No shit, I think, but manage to hold this sentiment back. "Yeah, I think I'm going to Google some in the Nashville area." I realize how often I say that phrase and wonder if it sounds weird. Anyone else in the Nash- erm, living around Nashville- say it often?

"Good plan. I mean, they're probably gonna be really impressed. People like you don't come around every day."

I smile and nod. He's right. Can we say 'confidence boost'? If- when- I get this damn thing published, I'm going to put him in that thank-you section I'm planning. You know, the bit where you thank every person that helped you, and a few that didn't, really?

But I won't overload it.

Anyways, I just glanced at the title of this blog and realized how off-base I just got. Here's the original HOLY SHIT IT IS RAINING REALLY, REALLY HARD 

Moving on. 

Original point: my home page in Safari is blocked. (It's the Pirate Bay. I guess Harpeth isn't a huge fan of torrenting? Psshh, that's their problem, not mine.)