Holiday Wrap Up

Like everyone, I have been extremely busy. The snow has hindered me from doing a lot of things, and I am trying to catch up on everything the outside world needed me to do. I am beginning to realize that I don't like the snow that much, and I am very much so ready to see the green grass again.

I am very excited about Christmas, I can't wait to spend time with my family and friends. I also am extremely excited about New Years Eve! We just booked our hotel room, and I couldn't be more excited about it. This is going to be one of the greatest shows of my life!

I am ready for the new year. I'm ready to be done with college applications. More importantly, I am ready for second semester to get here. Which means that I should probably be studying for my AP Microecon exam, and I will...just after all the college applications are done.

Happy Holidays everyone!

And It Spread

Well, it looks like the snow is not going to stop any time soon...and for once I'm pretty excited. I really don't like snow that much, and my reason was that I hate snow days. There is nothing worse than having a snow day, because it means that you have to make it up at some point in time. Although, senior year has changed my views on that and I am elated to have a snow day, because seniorits has hit and I am ready for Graduation to get here.

I have a lot of things to get done over the break. College applications, start working on a Darfur Presentation I'm giving in January, read about 4 books that I started this school year and haven't finished, study for AP Microeconomics final and all my other exams...and most importantly, spend time with family and just have fun.

On an even better note, only 13 days until I'm ringing in the New Year with the Avett Brothers...the tickets came today...and I am getting really, really excited. :D

Sitting, Waiting, Wishing

I'm not sure how much longer I can wait for this letter. the suspense is KILLING me. I have braced myself doe the worse so if I get that letter and it's a rejection letter...I shouldn't be as hurt/sad/confused/disappointed.

So I'm waiting for the mailman to get here. I'm hoping that my letter is going to be there today. and then i hope that my mom gets here soon enough so i can open it...

I'm reading to get rid of this yucky feeling.

We came for salvation

There are only 24 days until I see the Avett Brothers for New Years Eve, and I am extremely excited! This is probably the greatest birthday/Christmas present anyone could ask for from there older sister...at least to me. :) Currently "Salvation Song" is on repeat, and this is because...in a few days, there is a chance that I could possibly have "bad feelings" towards this song. I used it in one of my admissions essays for Swarthmore, and if I don't get the letter that I want, I know that it will be a tough song to listen too...but no matter what, it will always have a special place in my heart. :)

So, here it is:

Cardboard,

I was looking through some old stuff that I have written and I found this. The more that I read it, the more I like it.

As I was reading something that I had written almost 2 months ago, and something caught my attention. I had written something that I hadn't even really thought about before.

...but I also think about how, for the most part, cardboard is durable..unless an outside force breaks it down.

When I read that, I realized, if you substituted the word cardboard with the word humanity, it's the best description of humanity that I could give at this moment.

I mean, a tribe in Africa is capable of surviving by itself until an oppressive government comes into the country and begins taking away resources, ignoring tribal boundaries, and for some places, killing off whole races and tribes.

As we get older, our "durability" to the outside forces switches. When we're younger, physical durability is something that we have a high tolerance to. We can fall and get a scrape and after 5 minutes be up and playing again.

I know that as I get older, my durability to things around me has weakened. Whether it be on a local, statewide, national, or international level; when I see something that's wrong. I want to change it, but I can't change everything.

After two extremely long, busy weeks, I am sitting in my room trying to grow used to the quietness that is overwhelming my house. I am extremely excited about what the next few weeks hold. Not only do I hear from Swarthmore, but I turn 18! and Emma's coming home in a few weeks and then there is Christmas. With Christmas break comes catch up with a lot of old (and new) friends that have gone to college. This makes me so excited about what is to come in the next few years. The more I think about it, the more excited I am about college. I was thinking about my schedule next year and I became extremely excited to think that for the next four years, for the most part, I will have the opportunity to take classes in the things that I want to study.

The one thing that I am extremely excited about is New Years Eve. I get to ring in 2010 with my older sister and one of my favorite bands! I am so excited to see the Avetts again. It is going to be one of the greatest NYE's of my life.

The one thing that I am looking forward to the most this next month is just some relaxation and family time. I'm looking forward to napping with KT-Bugg and having her yell for her Aunt Ya-Ya. I'm excited to have Emma home for a month. I'm excited to decorate the house for Christmas. I'm excited to have letters and cards come in from across the ocean.

A Jet Plane and A Big Idea, I Jumped Over the Sea

Minus the jet plane, this is essentially how Thanksgiving was started. The Europeans longed for a place that held what they considered religious freedom. So they set sail for a new land in search of there own society.

So far, I have quite the interesting Thanksgiving experience. The past few days I have a had a killer toothache, and pain is usually something that I am extremely tolerant too...this pain however, was just TOO much. So I finally caved in and let my mom call the dentist. Although my dentist was out of town, someone could see me. As someone that hates the dentist, I had never been more thankful when he walked in and immediately began asking questions and checking to see what was wrong. Within 5 minuted I had a diagnosis and two prescriptions to get me on my way. All this in preparation for a root canal that I'm going to have to get done on this tooth in two weeks, if not sooner.

As always, I am extremely thankful for everything that I have in my life. As Modest Mouse says, "My friends, my habits, my family, they mean so much."

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! don't eat too much, although I'm positive that I'll be eating enough for 3-4 people. :D

Another Reason I Love These Boys

Once again The Avett Brothers have shown me a greater way to live my life. This time it was as I was trying to figure out which one of these amazing brothers sang "January Wedding." I stumbled across the 'mission statement' from the "I and Love and You" box set, and the words stopped me in my tracks. Seth Avett has a talent for writing that I am envious of.

The words “I” and “Love” and “You” are the watermark of humanity. Strung together, they convey our deepest sense of humility, of power, of truth. It is our most common sentiment, even as the feeling of it is so infinitely uncommon; each to proclaim these three words with his or her very own heart and mindset of reason (or lack thereof); a proclamation completely and perfectly new each time it is offered. Uttered daily and nightly by millions, the words are said in an unending array of circumstances: whispered to the newborn in a new mother’s arms; shared between best friends on the playground; in the form of sympathy-said by a girl to a boy, as the respect continues but the relationship does not… The words are thought in the company of the photograph and said in the company of the gravestone. It is how we end our phone calls and our letters… the words at the bottom of the page that trump all those above it, a way to gracefully finish a message, however important or trivial, with the most meaningful gift of all: the communication of love.

Only Seth Avett could so eloquently write about one of the greatest, most complex emotions that we have in such a way.

Have A Little Faith

As an avid reader, I get hooked onto an author and I read every book by them. I am in love with Mitch Albom, his new book Have A Little Faith is one of the greatest books I have read in a long time. It took me two days to read the book. The book is Mitch Albom's second non-fiction which starts out with his Rabbi asking him if he will do his eulogy, although he is no where near death. Albom has no real, substantial relationship with his rabbi. So, like with Morrie Schwartz, he begins to spend time with him and develop a relationship. This lasts for over 8 years.

So, like always, here are some quotes that I took from the book.

"nothing haunts me like the things we don't say" - Reb (Mitch Albom's Rabbi)

"...When the world quiets to the sound of your own breathing, we all want the some things: comfort, love, and a peaceful heart" - Mitch

"He kept the outside world at bay by keeping the inside world at hand"

Happy Veteran's Day!

Today I am reminded of an elderly man that I helped take care of in his later years of life. One thing that he loved to do was tell my sisters and I old war stories. We would often end up wondering into a spare room where he would show us the Purple Heart that was awarded. It was a few days after the initial landing of D-Day when he landed at the beaches on the coast of France. He was moving across the beaches and was hit by a piece of shrapnel. The shrapnel was embedded into his arm. There were many more war stories that he would tell us. One of the coolest things that he would show us was his uniform. It was something that I can still see clear as day in my mind.

After attending VA Girls State this past summer, I have a whole new appreciation for our veterans. There is one experience that often pops into my mind. The POW/MIA ceremony. It was one of the more emotional, intimate, special moments of the whole week. I can still hear my fellow Pocahontas citizen singing "Blowing in the Wind," and it was the most beautiful version I have ever heard in my life. Thinking about it still sends chills down my spine and tears to my eyes.

As I reflect on all the conflicts past and present, I am thankful for everyone that serves in our armed forces. There is a good amount of my high school that goes on to serve in the armed forces, and to them I am especially thankful.

Physics and Politics.

Energy: the ability to produce change in itself or the environment.

In this past election, this is exactly what we [the democrats] lacked. As I was sitting in Physics class and we were studying for our test, this term made me automatically think about what occurred the day before. The loss of four different races (Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, 14th HD) is still something that is fresh on my mind, being as it was only last night.

The statement has been made that the Republican party was more energized. I think that this is a false statement. I mean, they were more energized than we were, but it has a lot to do with the fact that the Democratic Party was not energized, we lacked the ability to produce change in itself or the environment. So I think that the Republican party was more appealing to some voters. We could not get the Democratic base out to knock on doors or to make phone calls. So in return, the rest of the Democratic Party did not get up and get out the vote. They sat on the sidelines and believed that it would get itself out.

As The Avett Brothers say in there new song "Slight Figure of Speech" - They say you have to lose a couple fights to win...Well, we all just lost either 3 or 4 races. So next year we have to energize the base and we have to work. We have to have the ability to produce change in itself or the environment. Granted change was created in the past 24 hours, it is just not the change that I want to see. It is not the change that I believe will "move Virginia forward."

So as a Democratic party we have to pick ourselves up, shake off the past 24 hours, and move forward.

Fired Up and Ready To Go....

Well, not as pumped as I was last year, but that is mainly because I'm not feeling all that great this morning. I didn't sleep to well, and so I'm a little drained in many aspects...but that is besides the point.

I am getting ready to spend the next 4 days trying my hardest to get the Democratic ticket elected on Tuesday. This has been somewhat of a strange election, but the one thing that we can't do is to sit and do nothing. That is why over the next four days I am going to be knocking on doors, making phone calls, and doing whatever else it takes to make sure that Virginia moves forward.

Ten Thousand Words

This week begins what will be one of the busiest weeks of a my life. On top of school, I have to find a job. Part of me thinks that the logical thing to do will be to wait until after the election, but I feel that I can at least begin the search.

Also, this is the one weekend during the year that I can get about 5-6 hours a week and still be energized. I'll be Fired up and ready to go to turn Virginia blue again. To me, there is nothing more exhilarating than to spend those 4 days up until election day running around like a mad person working to get the people you believe in elected. The one thing that I hope and pray for is that it's not rainy on election day. Not only because it makes for a wet, cold day of spending about 12-13 hours in the rain, it will probably mean low voter turn out. Frankly, that's the last thing that we need.



let's bring this thing home and turn Virgina blue....on another note, let's turn the 14th House of Delegates district blue.

Post Secret

I've decided that I'm going to start to post my favorite post secret(s) from the Sunday Secrets. This first one has to be the greatest one that I've seen in a while. It's simple, yet deep.

This one is something that speaks to me right now, although this is an older post secret, I have to make sure that I'm not choosing a school just because of the name, but because it is where I need to be.


This last one is one from last week and why I like it so much, I'm not sure.

...and searching for reasons and missing the seasons...

On my way to Gretna to take my ACT this morning, I realized that overnight it seems that the leaves have changed to the most gorgeous colors. The wide array of golds, reds, oranges, and the last hint of green make me excited. As I sat taking my test today, it started to rain...and I was lucky enough to be sitting next to the window.

The sound of the rain falling on the tin roof of the building next to me and the amazing color scheme of the trees were simply awe-inspiring.

I am definitely making plans to just sit outside and enjoy the colors this week.

Head Full of Doubt/Road Full of Promise

Tomorrow morning I get to do the one thing that I have hated about the past year. The ACT. I am not a fan of standardized testing at all, but I'll do what I have to do to get into college.

I have the urge to re-read Tuesdays with Morrie, so I've decided that tomorrow night I'm going to stay up and read it. It is one of those books that I can read over and over again and still learn so much from each time I read it.

I'm sad that tonight is the first Friday night that I haven't watched Real Time with Bill Maher, just because it's over for the year, not that it's really relevant to anything going on right now.

well, after this extremely pointless blog post, I'm going to bed.

Seek Up

These past few weeks have been crazy. School has me super busy and with everything else going on, I have no idea how I am finding time to sleep. It's ok though. The title of this post comes from a Dave Matthews Band song (imagine that) and I not only love what the lyrics have to say, I love the song in general. so enjoy:



it is not the actual version, it is just the first non-live version I could find. :)

The Looming Tower

I have recently taken the task upon myself to be more knowledgeable of the Middle East, and more specifically on Afghanistan. I am currently reading "The Looming Tower" by Lawrence Wright, and it is one of the most informative books that I have read in recent months. I figured that I should kill two birds with one stone, and am going to write my literary analysis for my College Composition class on the book.

I read a piece of an article about why Wright titled the book "The Looming Tower" and in the fourth Sura of the Qur'an it says "Wherever you are, death will find you, even in the looming tower." For some reason, this line intrigues me.

On a different note, I feel like my admissions essay went extremely well. We talked on everything from music to the health care debate to Afghanistan to why I want to attend Swarthmore.

and on a much different note, these past four days we had Revival at my church. Not only has it left me with a greater sense of the world around me, but with a greater sense of who I am and of who my God is. There will more than likely be more to come on this.

Ten Thousand Words

Tomorrow will be one of the most important days of my Senior year. I have my college interview with Swarthmore College. I am currently sitting at my kitchen table and have just finalized my plans for my interview. Luckily I don't have to commute all the way to Swarthmore for my interview, it will be with an alumni, in the city of Martinsville, a place that I know rather well.

I was asked to choose the place where we had the interview, and I picked The Daily Grind, a place that, once again, I know very well. The campaign office was located above it last year, and then we moved across the street with the Obama campaign. So I'll be in a very familiar setting, which should help when it comes to calming my nerves, hopefully.

I'm ready for it though. I'm ready to go and rock this interview and get one step closer to my ultimate goal for Senior year: college.

organized chaos.

is something that I love. because that is two words that perfectly sum up politics.
in the past 3 days I have been back in the political game, but this time not the campaigning side.

Saturday night I attended the Pittsylvania County Democratic Committee Dinner. I got to see and talk with Tom Perriello, meet Steve Shannon, and talk with Seward Anderson (who I'm doing some campaign volunteer work with just now). It was great. I enjoyed it. I like being in a room with like minded people. hahaha

Sunday, I didn't do much political...although I persuaded my twin to drive me to Martinsville for the opening of Congressman Tom Perriello's congressional office.

Tonight we went to the office opening, and I got to see a lot of people that I just haven't seen in along time. So it was nice.

Tomorrow night I get to hit the debate scene. Which oddly enough is something that I love...there is no better way to see democracy battle than at a debate.

I and Love and You

The new Avett Brothers album "I and Love and You" is one of the best albums that I have listened to in a while. Like I did for the new Dave Matthews Band album, "Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King," I will pick a few of the songs that I really like and tell you why.

1) The Perfect Space - this song not only has amazing lyrics, but the sound is amazing too. One thing that I like about the album overall is that it shifts from the bluegrass sound and transfers to a more folk sound. There is a shift that occurs in the middle of this song that is mind boggling.

2)Kick Drum Heart - not only is this a great studio version, but it's a great live song as well. The drums in this song are amazing. I don't so much like the song for it's lyrical value as much as I just like the drums.

3)Laundry Room - this song is nothing more than lyrical genius. I don't even particularly like the melody, I just love the words. They leave me thinking.

Once again, overall...this is an amazing album. and I recommend that whether or not you are a fan, that you check it out.

A Day with TJ and Little Jimmy Madison

Yesterday was a lot of fun. Minus the rain, it was an experience that I will never forget. I got up at 4:30 and was actually early getting to school! I had decided to sit near the front of the bus, because I had a lot of homework, and I knew that the back of the bus would not be a good environment to be in to complete. Low and behold, the front of the bus wasn't either. It was ok though, I had lots of good conversation.

When we got to Monticello, it was rainy and foggy, but it was still beautiful. I kept thinking in my head that on day like this Thomas Jefferson probably sat in his study reading some of the greatest philosopher's writings. Or that he just sat by the window in his study pondering all of life's questions.

Next stop was UVA, and I loved the campus. It was beautiful and busy yet peaceful. I looks like an application will be sent that way.

The last stop was probably my favorite. I love Montpelier. Although there was very little furniture in the house, I could imagine the Father of the Constitution sitting in his study while he figured out the best form of government. I could see him standing outside, looking at one of the most gorgeous views I have ever seen.

It was a great day, from having a yawning war to great conversation to the weather to just being with friends.

Charlottesville or Bust!

Tomorrow I'm waking up super early and heading off to the wonderful city of Charlottesville for a field trip.

I'm pretty stoked, and yes I am going to be the nerd that wears her DMB shirt up there. :D

Once again, I apologize for the short post, but getting up at 4:40 is not an easy thing for me. There shall be pictures and stories very soon.

On a quick note, I saw the mailer from the Anderson campaign photo shoot, and I'm in there twice!

These past few weeks have been rather crazy. School has been keeping me busy, but that's ok because it's been good.

I am enjoying Senior year a lot more than I expected too. My niece is growing leaps and bounds and is walking and talking and is busy being as cute as a button. She is really liking books at the moment, not only her books, but mine also. I walked into my bedroom to see her sitting there flipping through Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. As a one year old, she liked to chew on it. It's probably more wear than what it got when I read it Freshman year. :)

Between papers and graphs, college essays and finding time to sleep, I also got my driver's license! This is a big step for me being as 3 weeks ago you couldn't get me behind the steering wheel.

This is only a quick update, but I promise for a much more promising post in the near future.

it's been two weeks...

and I am very busy with school!

The past two weeks of my senior year have been filled with late nights (most past midnight) of finishing homework, papers, tests, multiple phone calls to my online teacher, driving lessons(!), book buying, college essays, ACT registration, and a whole lot more!

I am very excited and optimistic about where this is going though.

I'm currently listening to my first, and only, :( Dave Matthews show from back in April, and it has made me realize that sometimes you just need to stop, breathe, and not to forget the things that you enjoy the most in life.

I have to get back to my Physics paper that's due tomorrow and have forgotten about until a few hours ago, but I promise that there will be more posts!

Senator Ted Kennedy - RIP

When I woke up this morning and read the headlines, I was saddened by what I read.

As the day went on, the realization that the US Senate had lost one of its greatest members weighed on my mind.

I hope that the state of Massachusetts elects someone that will help further Kennedy's agenda.

This is the First Day of my Life....

Well, not really...but it feels like it.

Tomorrow I embark on the journey known as senior year.

I'm nervous. I'm scared. I'm happy. I'm anxious. I'm just a big ball of emotions.

This first semester I'll be taking:

College Composition
Physics
AP US Government
AP Microeconomics

Old Dirt Hill (Bring That Beat Back To Me)

This is a video from Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds 2007 "Live at Radio City Hall" performance.

The amazing talent of these two is phenomenal.

As I get ready to start Senior year, this is all that I can sing in my head.

Enjoy!

campaign tales

I woke up this morning not feeling to swell.

I was nervous and sleepy and groggy.

I pushed past it, cut on Jon Stewart, and laid in bed contemplating the day ahead of me. I hadn't been campaigning in close to a year.

I got up, got dressed, and anxiously awaited my ride coming to get me.

As i hoped in the car I was once again asked if I was fine with canvassing with the candidate, Seward Anderson. I told them it was fine, and that it would give me an opportunity to get to know what his stances were on everything.

Canvassing was a blast, and I am definitely ready to hit the campaign trail again.

It looks like it's going to be another great election season for me!

-Seward Anderson '09!-

I'm Hitting the Campaign Trail.

Tomorrow, for the first time this summer, I'm heading out to canvass for the local House of Delegates race, and I am very, very excited.

I'm very excited, and I'll have some stories and possibly pictures of it.

So Much To Save

Dave Matthews Band is at it again, and this time it's for the environment.

They have brought back something from last year, So Much To Save. This is a chance for there fans to help the environment, while at there concerts. Even if you haven't been to a summer show [like me] you can still get the album. It is a free download, after pledging to do one of five things. It includes not only a few DMB tracks, but an Avett Brother song! and a few others that I have not heard of, but am on the way to hearing shortly.

check it out.
Good music. Good people. Good cause.


http://www.somuchtosave.org

I'm on the move, again.

I'm leaving in a few hours to head to Pennsylvania to visit with some old family friends. The difference is, that this time...I'll have internet access.

So, I may do some blogging while I'm there. It all just depends on what I'm doing.

have a good week!

Goode won't seek Republican nomination for 2010

The Danville Register and Bee and the Martinsville Bulletin both ran stories today about former Congressman Virgil Goode's decision to not run for the 5th district congressional seat that he lost last year to political newbie Tom Perriello. Part of me is saddened, because I was kind of looking forward to a rematch between Congressman Perriello and Goode.

Here is the emailed statement as run by the Register and Bee:

I sincerely appreciate the privilege accorded to me by the citizens of Virginia’s Fifth District to serve them in the U.S. House of Representatives from January 1997 to January 2009, and I am especially grateful to those who voted for and supported me in past elections.

I have decided not to seek the Republican nomination for Congress in 2010.

It is my hope and expectation that Republicans will nominate a conservative who will oppose the record deficits and debt of the current administration, will support secure borders and oppose amnesty for illegals, will recognize and reduce the huge threat that terrorists pose for our country, will support pro-life issues, and will support the traditional definition of marriage of one man and one woman.

I look forward to supporting and working for that candidate in 2010.

My hope is that the Republican party will give us a candidate that will not only be a good candidate, but a candidate that will be strong for the Republican party. I may not be a Republican, but I believe that one of the worst things for them to do will be to give us a candidate that will not be a strong candidate.

Finally Home!

After an amazing week in Claiborne County, Tennessee, I am finally home.

Over the next few days I'll be blogging about everything that went on in the past week. Participating in ASP is a emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual challenge that leaves me exhausted and seeking/searching for more. [not materialistically, but mentally, emotionally, and spiritually]

I hope everyone had an amazing week, I know that I sure did.

ASP

I will be out of town this week on a mission trip in Tennessee.

There will be no internet access, so there will be no blogging, no email, no facebook, no newspapers, and a possibility of low phone access.

I'll be spending the week working on a house, it should be a fun but long week.

There will be lots of blogging about the week when I get back.

Have a good week everyone! I know I'll be having a good one!

Post Secret.

my favorite Post Secret of the week is by far:




this weeks are amazing, as always.

postsecret.com

Martian Child

The past two nights I have decided that I wanted to watch a movie before I go to bed. I don't have much time to watch movies, so I've been watching a few before I go to bed. Last night I decided to watch "Martian Child." This was probably the greatest movie I have seen in a while.

The movie is about the relationship and journey of a widower (played by John Cusack) and his adopted son (played by Bobby Coleman). David Gordon (Cusack) is a Sci-Fi writer who receives a phone call about adopting this little boy (Coleman). He quickly learns that Dennis (Coleman) thinks that he is from Mars. The whole movie David tries to teach Dennis how to be human. He tries to teach him how to fit in.

At one point in the movie, they are driving down the road, and David is trying to get Dennis to forget that he's from Mars. Here's whats said:

Dennis, can I just say one last thing about Mars? - which may be strange coming from a Science-Fiction writer - But right now, you and me here, put together entirely of atoms, sitting on this round rock with a core of liquid iron, held down by this force that seems to trouble you, called gravity, all the while spinning around the sun at 67,000 miles an hour and whizzing through the milky way at 600,000 miles an hour in a universe that very well may be chasing its own tail at the speed of light; And admist all this frantic activity, fully cognizant of our own eminent demise - which is our own pretty way of saying we all know we're gonna die - We reach out to one another. Sometimes for the sake of entity, sometimes for reasons you're not old enough to understand yet, but a lot of the time we just reach out and expect nothing in return. Isn't that strange? Isn't that weird? Isn't that weird enough? The heck do ya need to be from Mars for?

This quote to me could be asked of anyone. Change the last four words as to why you keep yourself from fitting in, from belonging to the world around you.

If you haven't seen it, I believe it is a must see.

Let the Search Begin

With the summer before my senior year, the infamous search for college has begun. This will be a long, grueling process that in the end will result in the place where I will spend at least the next 4 years, if not the next 7. It's hard to believe that I will spend the first five months of my senior year filling out applications, to wait until April to find out my fate.

So, let the search begin!

I'm indecisive....

and this has led to the change of name in my blog.

I was not really feeling my original title. After a few hours of listening to the new DMB album, I made the decision that "Dive In" was a not so much a better song, but a song that when I listen too, I feel more connected.

Post Secret

Post Secret has to be one of the greatest things that I ever stumbled upon. [with the help of my sister] The blog consists of secrets that have been sent in by people anonymously. On Sunday, a new set of secrets are posted. They aren't archived, so to find old ones, you have to google it.

The secrets contain everything and anything.

Into The Wild

Not only is "Into The Wild" an amazing movie, it is also an amazing book. Christopher McCandless' journey for self-actualization is an inspiration to me.

I have watched the movie probably 20 times and read the book at least a dozen. The last time I watched it, I heard a line that I had never paid attention to before. McCandless, played by Emile Hirsch, is standing at the top of a cliff talking to Ron Franz, trying to encourage him to climb up the cliff to see the view. He says to him, "The core of mankind comes from new experiences." These words are something that have stuck with me over the past two weeks as I've done things that I have never done, and more than likely will never do again.

Along with not only being a great movie and a great book, there is a great soundtrack. Eddie Vedder, lead singer of Pearl Jam, did the soundtrack as an attempt at a solo career.

A Tea Party on the 4th of July

The Danville Register & Bee is running a story on the Tea Party that was held today at Ballou Park in protest of recent decisions made by the government.

Speaking at the event were former Congressman Virgil Goode, Delegate Danny Marshall (R-14th), and Republican candidate for Congress, Bradely Rees.

There are plans for another tea party in October.

Happy 4th of July!

I've spent the day with family celebrating the holiday and I hope that you all are doing the same.

Although I am British, I still celebrate the 4th of July. After studying American history for a whole year, it is true to say that the experiment that was implemented by the Founding Fathers was a successful one.

Happy 4th!

Virginia Girls State, part 4.

This is my last installment about my experience at Virginia Girls State. One of the days we had a morning session with 2 General Assembly members. The two delegates that I had the opportunity to hear talk were Delegate R. Lee Ware (R-65th) and Delegate Jimmie Massey (R-72nd).

The biggest concern for all of us there was education. Question after question dealt with education, there were a few about energy, and there were even some comments made about uranium mining in Pittsylvania County. With Delegate Ware being a history and government teacher, it was interesting to hear his responses to the questions. Delegate Massey spent a lot of time redirecting the questions to Delegate Ware, because this was his first time speaking to a Girls State delegation, and all of the questions dealt with education. It makes sense that Delegate Ware would answer the questions being a teacher, where Delegate Massey is a business man.

There was some information that they gave us that made me proud to live in Virginia. Virginia has been named the best:
-place to raise a kid.
-place to get a higher, public education.
-place to do business

One thing that Delegate Massey said "Democracy doesn't work if the people in the democracy don't participate." He said that there is probably going to be a 50-55% of registered voters in the state of Virginia will vote in the Gubernatorial election this year. In a democracy, that isn't acceptable. Anyone that is eligible to vote, should vote.

Afterwards, I had the opportunity to eat lunch with Delegate Ware. The one question that I asked him was, if he thought as younger/newer delegates were elected to the General Assembly, did he think that the sense of partisanship would be put to the wayside for more across the aisle work. His reply was that on most issues, there is a true "across the aisle" approach to most legislation.

Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King

This is probably one of my favorite Dave Matthews Band albums.

As I'm typing this, I'm watching Dave Matthews Band: The Road to Big Whiskey. Also as I am typing this, I am trying my hardest not to scream and dance and look like an idiot. There is something about the music of DMB that I can't really describe in words. The vibe that is given from every song is phenomenal. As I watch this documentary, I am falling even more in love with the music of DMB.

I will be honest, as much of an avid DMB fan I am, I have not had the chance to purchase and fully listen to the new album. I have only been in town for one week this summer, and have had limited internet access. I have heard over 75% of the album though.

Each song on this album, that I've heard, is truly phenomenal and unique. My top 3 songs would be "Funny The Way It Is," "Why I Am," and "You and Me." Each one has a different feel.

"Funny The Way It Is":
The thing I like the most about this song is the fact that it just talks about the irony of our everyday life. The lyrics are thought provoking and the melody bone chilling. By far my favorite song from "Big Whiskey" and probably one of my favorite DMB songs of all time.

"Why I Am":
For those that don't know the background of the song, late band member LeRoi Moore was constantly telling Matthews that they needed to do something with the song. Bass player Stefan Lessard also picked up on Moore's arguement and felt that the song would go far. After Moore's death, Matthews threw some lyrics down, took the song to Lessard, and it was decided that the song was to be put on the new album. This is Moore's song. Since it was written after Moore's death, it was easy to put Moore into the song. Not only is it amazing lyrics, there are amazing guitar riffs, and it is an amazing song for Moore.

"You and Me":
This song has a whole different feel. As at the end of the documentary Matthews and Carter Beauford are discussing how this song is a great note to end on. To paraphrase, the rest of the album is like a "dark train ride" and "You and Me" is the "light at the end of the tunnel." The acoustic guitar in this song is signature to Matthews amazing talent, and the lyrics are right where they should be.

There is a new revitalization on this album, that I feel is going to be around for a long time.

Virginia Girls State, part 3

During the week, we had the opportunity to take a class. I did not get my first choice of class, Public Speaking, and ended up in a much better class, Women in Government. I am glad that I ended taking this class, because I got to meet some of the greatest ladies that help run this great Commonwealth.

On the first day, I got there early, and got a front row seat. I was excited. The first person to speak to us was Kate Hanley, Secretary of the Commonwealth. Throughout her "lecture" she gave many statistics. The numbers that she gave compel me even more to one day run for public office. The United States ranks 71st in the amount of women that hold public office. Two percent of the US Congress is women, there are 17 in the Senate and 72 in the House. In the state of Virginia, there are 8 in the State Senate and 16 in the House of Delegates. The greatest quote that I got out of the whole "lecture" was "Every father's daughter can be President." She also told us that in politics, men and women have different rules. Surprisingly, there was a lot of discussion about clothes. There were three points that were made that we should know. If a female politician reads, understands, and explains numbers, it could translate into votes. Just because you're a women, you can't make it everything about "women's issues", education, health care, etc. Also that when it comes to campaigning you have to be able to prove that you can do it on your own.
The second person that talked to us on the first day was Claire Gastanaga. The overarching theme of her "lecture" was, "Do you have a prefect enough life to run for public office?" Which is something that I think about everyday. As I'm making decisions, the question in the back of my head is, "I could be running for public office one day, would this harm me in the future?"
The last speaker of the day, was probably one of my favorite speakers of the entire class, Nancy Rodrigues, Secretary of the State Board of Elections. She has the job of making sure that every vote is counted, which has to be a very big burden. The one thing that stands out the most, is that afterwards we were talking, and she told me a story about Congressman Perriello.

The second and third day of my Women in Government class don't have very detailed notes, partly because I was nervous about giving my speech, and partly because a lot of the same things were said over and over again.
A few key quotes from day 2 are: "Women come to government not with a personal agenda, but to help others." I would hope that this wasn't only true about women, but men also. For some reason, I didn't write who said it, but I did for the other one. Jane Woods came and spoke to us for a little while, and a key quote from her was, "There isn't one yellow brick road." I believe that this is true for all walks of life, not just politics. The last quote that made me think a lot is something that I believe also pertains to every walk of life. It's about fighting for ideas, not about fighting other people.

Unfortunately, I did not have to opportunity to go to my class on the last two days, I had a cabinet meeting and then inauguration practice.

Virginia Girls State, part 2.

Throughout the week we had many speakers come and talk to on different topics. Most of our speakers held public office, others just had an amazing life story.

The first speaker was a man by the name of Toney Lineberry. When Lineberry was in highschool, he was in a car accident that left him paralyzed and in a wheelchair. His story truly makes me understand the importance of wearing a seatbelt. It also made me realize the importance of thinking about every decision I make, because in a split second, my whole life could change right in front of me.

The Second speaker was Attorney General Bill Mims. AG Mims was a very good speaker. One of my favorite of the week. He said something that has been sticking out in my head, "We [the delegates at Girls State] are often called the best and the brightest, but we shouldn't focus on being the best and the brightest. We should be focusing on our promise and potential." He talked about the Prinicple of Emapthy, and that we need to understand others feelings if we are going to be successful in public service. Another quote by him that has been making me think a lot is "If life is about something outside of yourself, you will be satisfied."

The third speaker was Lt. Governor Bill Bolling. When it comes to how Bill Bolling got his start in politics, I feel like we are very similar. His first political experiences were when he was 15, he did campaign work. This led to him want to be a Political Science major. I did my first campaign work when I was 16, and this had led me to want to major in Political Science when I go to college. He told us that we were the exception to the rule, because we already viewed politics and government as an important part of life. He advised us to keep the passion alive. There are two quotes that I believe are really relevant to me as I look not only at politics, but my life as a whole. The first is, "You are only limited by the limitations you set for yourself." The second is "Our diversity is our greatest strength and weakness."

The fourth speaker was Republican Gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell. Since it was my first time hearing McDonnell speak, I spent more time listening to hime, than I did taking notes. The one thing that I did take down is advice that I think every American needs to hear, "Government is not a spectator sport."

The fifth speaker was one of my favorite, Governor Tim Kaine. This was also another person that I had not heard speak before, so my notes are limited. I can remember my friends laughing at me because I was so excited that I was going to get to hear Governor Kaine. I had one goal, and it was to get a handshake. I forced my friends to let my have an aisle seat when ever anyone was speaking, but most importantly I had to have it when Governor Kaine was speaking. Governor Kaine said gave a quote by Henry David Thoreau to describe his term as governor, "I love my fate to the very core and rind." At the end of his speech, I got my handshake. This picture is a blurry snapshot of just before the great handshake took place.

The sixth speaker we had was a women by the name of Nancy Redd, a Martinsville native, that wrote a book entitled "Body Drama." I can't find my notes on what she talked about, but from what I can remember at the moment, it was a lot about being true to yourself.

Our last speaker was someone that I had been waiting to hear all week, Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds. This time, I had a specific goal. I wanted to meet Creigh Deeds. Deeds was the only speaker that arrived at Jarman Auditorium early. As I walked in, I flashed him a big smile. My friends all tried to get me to just get up and walk on out and go and talk to him, I wasn't going to risk getting in trouble. When one of my counselors walked in, my friends told her I had a question, and her reply was, "Is it for me, or Creigh?" She let me go out and talk to him, and I even got a picture.The best qoute that I got from Deeds isn't relevant to my life at all, I just found it funny. He said,"I'm running for Governor, I'm not running for dictator."

Virginia Girls State, part 1.

This will be a part series, just because I have notes scattered about from the different speakers, and they are not on hand right now.

Last Sunday, I embarked on what would become an amazing week of sleep deprivation, learning, and most of all, relationship building. About 2 to 3 months ago, I was selected to attend Virginia Girls State. As I anxiously walked into my dorm at Longwood University, I was filled with a strange emotion that I am still yet to label. I got off the elevator on the fourth floor to see my two smiling counselors sitting there, waiting to greet us. I quickly settled into my room, said goodbye to my mom, and walked back up the four flights of stairs wondering what I had just gotten myself into. I soon migrated from inside my room to the hallway, in which I saw smiling girls staring at a map of Virginia. We began circling where we were from, and I was the furthest south. A smiling face piped up, “Who’s from Danville? That’s where I’m from.” A friendship soon began, and in less than 30 minutes we were in the hallway, playing name games and talking like we had been friends for years.

On June 21st, I stumbled into a new city, Pocahontas. By June 27th, I know have a new home town; the amazing city of Pocahontas, the city of dream catchers. After a long Sunday night, I was still unsure of what I wanted to run for. For those of you that do not know, Girls State is a week long study of state government. From local,
to party, to state politics. By Monday morning I had made the decision to run for governor. Although it was an unsuccessful run, at my party convention I placed 3 out of 9 girls running. Most importantly, I gave a speech to 350 plus girls! After the elections were said and done, I was appointed to the Governor's Cabinet. My city supported me all the way and I was appointed the Secretary of Finance.

Through out the week I heard some amazing speakers, and I'll have notes on what each of them said. I also had the priviledge of taking a Women in Government class, in which I met some amazing ladies that help run this state.

This has been one of the most memorable experiences of my life, and I'm missing all my Pocahontas ladies.

There will be more later, I'm in the process of piecing together all that happened this week. There is one overarching theme though, as much as I learned about VA state government, I learned at least twice as more about myself.

Funny The Way It Is

The name of the blog comes from my favorite song from Dave Matthews Band new album Big Whiskey and The GrooGrux King. The song, "Funny The Way It Is," speaks about the irony that surronds us in the world we live in.

Here's the video: