As time goes on, I gradually see that most people claim that Tumblr has a pernicious effect on most-- which I cannot disagree with. But then again, it seems that everyone is a critic anyway. I honestly couldn't tell you my opinion on Tumblr except for the fact that I've been a member of it for about a year and a half now. I also couldn't tell you that others' opinions about this blogging site are ostensible, because it may be true to them. I guess I can give the pros and cons about being an almost addict to it.

To be completely honest, Tumblr has given me the best friends I could ever have. Some of them, there was a scintilla when I first talked to them, and others, it took more time. And the great thing is that none of my friends are homogenous, but instead, all have different personalities. In reality, the main reason why I enjoy this site so much is because it introduced me to one of my best friends. I don't know how we clicked, probably when we found out that we had the same political and religious views, but we are closer than ever now. He is fastidious to everything I say; he remembers even the smallest details. And that is what a best friend is for, the little things. You could say that we're pen pals in some ways, for we send each other birthday cards, Christmas cards, and his high school graduation was just this past weekend. I think the fact that we're such good friends gives me a break from the environment I am put into when I go to school everyday. Being able to have this friendship allows me to express my feelings and feel happy all at once. Never has he been lugubrious, or made me feel that way.

But on the other hand, Tumblr does have some effects that I resent. Now, it is not as worse as before, but when I started, I was addicted-- truly addicted. My schoolwork came second to it. But nowadays, I eschew from using it too much during the week, and on the weekends, I am way too busy with SATs and ACTs and other activities I participate in. The only negative effects came in the beginning months. Sometimes I indulge in staying online for a long time, putting my valuable time in jeopardy. But then again, when one indulges on chocolate while on a diet, isn't it the same effect?

Although my opinion on Tumblr may be somewhat impasse and could probably cause controversy, it is ultimately my opinion. Some have a more positive outlook and others may have a more negative one. I don't think I am transgressing from what a normal teenager would do; I try to make friends and have a good time. I get the best of both worlds, I guess.

Hercules

My friend and I have always talked about getting a dog together although he lives many miles away. My parents both grew up with almost 10 dogs each and it saddens them to know that we cannot have the same childhood experience as they had. My sister is quite allergic to dogs, cats, rabbits; any animal with fur, you name it, she's allergic to. But one catch is that my parents know the strenuous effort they put into in order to raise their dogs.

They know that a person's milieu affects a dog (whether you can walk, play, and spend time with it), along with the amount of attention it gets. In the beginning stages of raising a dog, my parents tell me stories about how the dogs would obliterate the house and they had to train the animals as soon as they could. The constant running around and caring enervated their lives for many years-- but still, they are thankful for having the opportunity to raise pets.

One thing that my parents hated when raising dogs is the feeling of letting them go when they pass. Everybody knows that every person and animal is prone to prognosis and it is completely unavoidable, but to go through days, weeks, and even months of sadness was heartbreaking for them. They would perform corteges for each and every dog they had to let go; tears and sadness exuded from their hearts.

So I guess maybe it's not a good idea to get a dog, although I do love them more than I should. I just want to develop that intimate relationship with a pet; so maybe I will get a dog with my friend. We're already planning to get a dachshund.

Sometimes, change isn't a good thing.

As we were watching Othello in class, I noticed that the actor who played Othello is in the new series of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. It may be just a matter of fact that I have a predilection for the old series, but with Laurence Fishburne, the show has tanked for me. Although CSI is one of my all-time favorite shows, if the new cast is in an episode that is on TV, it is nearly soporific. But as many people know, the original cast is always the "best," and most are blase when it comes to adding new characters and cutting others. Nowadays, it is herculean to sit through an hour of CSI, so I scour for the old episodes.

Another show that has altered it's original "cast" is American Idol. The original Paula, Simon, and Randy, made the show; although some of the arguments were not euphonies, I think they were very equitable in their ways. With the addition of Ellen DeGeneres and Kara DioGuardi, I think the show has whittled down its quality. And to top it all off, this season is not my favorite. I think it's the incongruous chemistry that the contestants have with the judges, and even more, the audience. Slow song after slow song makes this season absolutely straining to watch and I hope they recoup the charisma of the show-- with the missing presence of Sion Cowell.

Stress stress stress

I guess the stress that has piled upon me this year finally hit it's last nerve because last week I had my first episode with my mom. I do recall my parents saying something completely lilliputian and I snapped; I screamed even though I knew that my stress was tacit. Thankfully, this is the first (and hopefully last) big fight I've had with my mom this year about school--I honestly thought it was going to be worse. I must admit that I did feel sorry afterwards because half the time, my mom was transfix with astonishment but I wasn't trying to be malevolent, I was just under an interminable amount of stress.

This can apply to Othello because I think Othello snapped due to the amount of stress he was under with his suspicions about Desdemona. I thought that he would be resilient with his actions, for he was out of proportions with his thoughts. Even though Emilia tried to exculpate Desdemona, Iago did all he could to keep her mouth shut-- kill her. I think Othello and Desdemona's relationship was bereft of communication. In any case, Othello's thoughts overtook his gut feeling; I think he truly knew that Desdemona was dedicated to him. Although I did not like Desdemona as a character, she did not deserve to be killed.

Oh, foolish Desdemona

Ingenuous Desdemona doesn't seem to notice anything happening in her surroundings. Or maybe, she is quite aware but is not erudite with her knowledge. Either way, in which she presents herself in the book is quite irritating for my taste. Yes, she is young, similar to my age, but the image that I get from Desdemona is that she is ignorant and perhaps playing dumb. I come to this conclusion because her persona is tacit; I could tell by her interactions with others that her mind wandered aimlessly.

Desdemona is charming with her looks, but her jejune personality is uninteresting and quite mundane. It is evident that she is just a pretty face and nothing more. In the beginning of the play, I thought she would blossom into a more developed character, but she was just a surface character for me. I honestly thought that Emilia was a much more captivating character than Desdemona. She was obsequious to Iago, yet she had an underlying drive to use her knowledge to, perhaps, deceive Desdemona. She had Desdemona on a string, practically subjugating her. Emilia was interesting to learn about because she had charisma, yet Desdemona was dull.

Desdemona was just a beautiful girl yet so shallow.

"My passion still means more than anything."

I can guarantee you that everyone across America has heard about the music sensation, Lady Gaga, and words cannot express how much I love her and her music. To some, she is august, but to others, she is considered too "over the top" and too "exposed." Personally, I respect her very much for the way she presents herself to the media and her fans. Along with her music, I feel as if her attitude towards her life also puts her on top.

A Gaga concert is an unofficial Mecca and in some eyes, a concert is full of bunkum, but this "bunkum" is respected and even worshipped by her little "monsters." Her music spreads messages in such indirect ways and is very versatile; one can dance to her music and relate to it on a deeper level as well. Her panache fashion style also puts her in the middle of all the media. Her wacky hair bows to headdresses to shoes to her almost-to-nothing outfits leaves fans inspired because she shows people that it is okay to be who you are. Although it sounds very cliche, it is very true.

Lady Gaga-- or Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta-- does not ostracize anybody from her messages and music, instead, she embraces all people to come together and realize that being different is okay. For that, I respect her greatly and enjoy listening to her music when I need a little pick me up. Oh yeah, also, when my dad knows who Lady Gaga is, you know that she's famous.

"Do you know what a B and E is?"

I was watching Dane Cook's performance, Vicious Circle, recently, and he did a segment about a B and E-- a break and enter as a matter of fact. He wanted to do a B and E when he was younger and he gave a monologue about his entire journey through his almost B and E. The entire monologue was absolutely hysterical, but it got me thinking-- what do victims of a robbery feel?

There is always a feeling of perfidy about people out there, after all, they say you can only trust yourself. But then again, when a criminal does want to perform an illegal action, he must feel some kind of scruple because everyone has a conscience, do they not? Usually there is something in their past that provokes them to take part in these actions. A show, Criminal Minds, gets into the head of the criminal and tries to decipher his surreptitious ways. Like CSI, there are crimes being made and crimes attempted to be solved. But unlike CSI, there isn't much forensics, but more psychology, which I think it a great twist on a similar shows like these.

A robbery could disparage a home physically, but a family emotionally as well. They have no trust in the people around them, especially their neighborhood, which could be devastating. Thank God Dane Cook didn't perform his B & E-- although a great story, it could really hurt a family!

Going for the Gold

Watching the Olympic games is one of my favorite pastimes I share with my family. Well, usually my father doesn't even watch with us and my brother goes to sleep early, so I guess it is just a pastime I share with my mother and sister. The thing I love about the Olympic games is that you may feel as if some of their techniques are near quixotic; impossible and unreal, but they accomplish them regardless.

But on the other hand, there are many disappointed faces when watching the games. All of the athletes put in such hard work and practice into their sport and when one mistakes follows another, they cede and their confidence is crushed. Although sometimes the coach's faces show deprecation of his athlete's mistake, he must be proud either way. After all, many of the athletes are either parvenues of their own country or internationally; their faces are known world-wide after the Olympics.

I guess you could call me an Olympic fanatic, for I stay up, eyes glued onto the TV screen, during the late hours of the night. Another thing I find interesting about the games I that some athletes feel supercilious to their competition. For example, Yevengy Plushenko from Russia felt superior to the other athletes because of his title as the gold medal champion of men's figure skating, but Evan Lysacek proved him wrong. What I loved about Lysacek was that he was colloquial; he was like an average American, just like us. When he found out he won the gold, he simply uttered, "No way." I think seeing an athlete this way sheds a new light on him.

The fact that success comes with the amount of hard work one puts in is surely credulous after the many events at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics games. I can't wait to see what the rest of the games hold!

"His was like a vodka shot and a snort of coke kind of thing."

Johnny Weir may be the most fabulous man to ever skate on ice. He is an anathema to some people and an icon to others, but for me, he is my pretty little gazelle. I don't know what it is but he has a genuine charm that seems to draw me in every single time I see his face. On one hand, like every other skater, he gets maladroit when put under pressure, but he always puts in 100% and ends up giving everyone a great performance. Every performer has a feeling of sang-froid every time he steps onto the ice, but it is the skater who overcomes that fear that is put on top.

My favorite performance by Johnny Weir was when he skated to Pokerface by Lady Gaga. I can't even begin to explain the energy and the eccentricity that pours out of the performance. If one goes on Youtube, he or she can see the dossier of performances that Johnny has been involved in, from the Olympics to national competitions and even going to Korea to spend time with Yun Na Kim, a Korean figure skater. He goes further than a skater usually does during his career. There are some things about him that are cryptic, such as his orientation, but his skills and effort on the ice are truly evident.

I love Johnny Weir on levels that most of you probably won't understand.

Mother, I am a dreamer

I love sleep, I absolutely do. Unfortunately, my mother castigates me when I sleep in after 10am. But what I don't understand is that if I continue to sleep in my room, I am not bothering anybody, therefore it is a win-win situation. In addition, when I do wake up, I'm quite laconic; my responses consist of grunts and "yeah." I am not an obstacle to anybody, so let me sleep!

I guess my parents expect me to be ebullient like my brother in the morning, but hell, he's nine years old. This expectation usually turns me into a malcontent because it causes me to sleep even later-- just to tick them off... it usually works. I think there are two main reasons why I enjoy being in deep slumber so much. One, I love being snuggled up in my blanket with that warmness that you feel in the morning. Also, when ten minutes actually means another half hour, possibly falling back asleep.

And second, I love dreaming, I really do. Even when I don't remember my dreams, they're so vivid. If there was a moratorium on dreaming, I probably wouldn't go to sleep because my dreams are the only place where things are more interesting than my daily life. Sometimes I dream about not being able to see or talk, and other times I am in bizarre situations. All in all, dreaming is something I love and I am so thankful I have the ability to do so.

Winter Ball '10

This was the first year I went to Winter Ball and I had indescribable fun. Seeing everybody dressed up, but some more tawdry then others, was nice sight for sore eyes. When the time passed, the number of students burgeoned and the entire ballroom was filled with suit jackets and colorful dresses. But before meeting everyone at the Marriott, we had to take pictures first. Oh, how that was an interesting experience. Cameras flashing and parents yelling, it was chaos. Our garrulous personalities truly got in the way of being organized and orderly when taking pictures. This was an event all its own, and once finished, we headed over to the hotel.

When the music started playing, we could tell that the teachers were analyzing or even excoriating us with our friends, but when talking to my study hall teacher, Ms. Nunez, she remembered that she didn't pay much attention to the teachers either. Our only purpose was to have fun, and that was achieved through the course of the night. Now that I have experienced Winter Ball, I surely can't wait for prom!

Apologies for the unsophisticated language that follows.

I'm just a teenager when it comes down to the technicalities. I speak in teenager argot to my parents and sometimes I hector my brother and sister. What can I say, we only live once, and I'm going to live like a teenager for as long as I am one. When I wake up on weekends, I am saturnine; upset and sluggish at the fact that the sun has risen and my day has to start. My parents absolutely loathe at the fact that I wake up past 10am, and I have an invidious nature in the household. I used to be the "good kid" and now I'm the one who everyone has to look out for. Clearly my capricious personality is not appreciated Ah, the teenage years.

But unlike most teenagers, I succumb the negative attitude and peer pressure that kids my age undergo. I don't think most of the things that high school students feel as if they must do are necessary, they are just trying to "fit in." (I just realized this is the most cliche blog post in the world.) When one fits in, they should fit in for their personality, not the kind of clothes they have on their backs or throwing the greatest parties.

I have no idea where this blog post is going. All I'm trying to say is that I'm a teenager and I will live like a teenager, but I guess I do have some morals, even though I do wake up at noon.