American Idol

So for most of America, last night was the night we have been waiting for since May 21, 2008 when David Cook became our latest American Idol. I am a HUGE fan of American Idol, but yet I found myself a little disappointed after last night's show. First of all, I do NOT like the new judge Kara. She's like a less crazy but more conceited version of Paula Abdul, which doesn't work. The only reason we like Paula Abdul (other than her amazing hits like "Straight Up") is the fact that she is one hundred percent effed up in the head. Secondly, four is one too many. Now they have to have tiebreakers and guess who gets to break them? My love Simon Cowell. Yet, Simon let bikini girl through to Hollywood which made me freaking mad!!!! That little... I shall stop there. Lastly, there was no "stand-outs" either good or bad, at least in my opinion. However, I have found my favorite American Idol contestant of all time....(drumroll please) Xlex. Yes, I'm pretty sure that's his name. His story, endearing and quirky. He practiced singing in the closet so he wouldn't disturb his family. Turns out the closet was infested with mold and he got sick. Sounds like something I would do. He also took stabs at Simon and his "Britishness". This guy was smart, funny, and wasn't that bad at singing either. So even though he's not going to make it anywhere, Xlex will forever remain in my heart ♥

It's Been Awhile

Okay maybe that's an understatement. It's been a long time since I've last blogged and I must admit I missed it. That's exactly why I have found myself here again, writing a blog for the world to see, even though no one really reads this. Anyway, here it is, my latest blog. The subject for today is.... (drumroll please) Snuggies. Yes, those weird backwards robe thingies that, to my surprise, have become very popular. I have many questions for the creator(s) of the Snuggies that I will write in this post because I'm sure everyone else in the world is wondering the same thing (okay that's a lie). First of all, why the heck? Secondly, were you seriously that bored? And lastly, have you ever stopped and thought, "dude these things are just robes"? I can answer that last question. Of course you haven't thought that because you're rolling in the dough!!!! I commend you for that. Personally, I don't own a Snuggie, but my friend Brittany has one and she will tell you that she's got her money's worth. There are thousands of satisfied customers, but I don't think I will ever buy a Snuggie. I don't want to be part of that cult. That is all for now. Feel free to comment... and Snuggie owners please don't get the cult together and murder me! I now what you'll do, you'll smother me with one and then wrap my limp body in it and then toss me into a Snuggie factory where my hair will be used to make more Snuggies.

The Taliban Leader has no Faith...

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/11/14/pakistan.taliban.obama/index.html

Interesting title eh? What exactly doesn't the Taliban leader, Muslim Khan (yes that is his name), havae faith in? Two words: Barack Obama. I found this article amazingly controversial. First of all, Khan is one of the most-wanted list and yet they still were able to get a list of questions to him to answer? Secondly, they picked the Taliban to talk about Obama; does anyone else see anything wrong with that? Lastly, did people actually think that relations with the Taliban would ACTUALLY improve because we have Barack Obama as president? I mean, this whole article is pretty prejudiced and stereotypical. It just makes me wanna bash these people in the head. Grrr, I hate this article with a passion. Okay, I've recollected myself now and I think I can go on. Where was I? Oh yes! Hussein, and by that I mean Barack Obama which Khan kept to referring to him as. Did they really have to include that in the article? No it could have done without, yet it just seems like someone is trying to scare people again. Finally, I leave you with a quote that I found just utterly charming:

"If he behaves in the way of a real Hussein, then he has become our brother," he said. "If Barack Obama pursues the same policies as Bush and behaves like Bush ... then he cannot be Hussein. He can only be Obama."

Okay so I just realized that I forgot to tell you wonderful readers why I chose this article. As some of you may know, I have a creeper friend on Facebook who happens to be from Pakistan, same as Khan, and well, he loves Barack Obama which is why I added him in the first place. (He found me, I didn't find him by the way.) Anyway, I'm pretty sure this guy is part of some kind of gang and after reading this article, I started to wonder... "hmmm, maybe the reason this guy likes Obama so much is because he thinks, unlike Khan, that Obama is going to get in good with the Taliban or something." I hope that I am wrong although, that won't really change anything because creeper will still be a creeper, but it will make me feel better. Right now, I'm feeling that I'm on "The List" and that I'm being watched at this very moment. In that case, I'm sorry, I just wanted a foreign friend that's all :(.

Watch Out for the Falling Debris!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081107/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/cb_haiti_school_collapse;_ylt=AuvpGl7E8imqiDRbnYK.Udis0NUE
Follow this link and all of your dreams will come true.... okay I lied.
Do you know how hard it is to find an article that's not about the election? America, the world does not revolve around you!!! While Obama was kicking McCain's bum in the election, a school in Haiti collapsed and now the death toll is up to 30. I found this article quite disturbing not only because rescuers pulled bloody children from the debris with their bare hands, but because the school collapsed only eight years before! Now the minister who was in charge of the school can be charged for well to put it simply not giving a crap about the safety of some 500 kids. Jesus is the rock of my salvation? Not for these children. It's so sad to think that alll these children were probably woke up that morning and thought, "Thank you Jesus for giving me the chance to get an education so I can be a doctor, prostitute, etc." Then the kids get to school and it collapses while they're sitting in French class (yes there is a French teacher at this school). I mean I'm not dissing Jesus, he works miracles, but seriously a church-sponsored school collapses? it's just not right.

Happy Halloween! Here's a post for all you effigy lovers.

http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20081029/NEWS01/81029016
Earlier this week, an effigy of Sarah Palin was found hanging from a roof in West Hollywood. I found this quite amusing because, as most of you are aware, I detest Sarah Palin and all she stands for. However, this is besides the point. The true story comes from our own "neck of the woods" (as Al Roker always says). An effigy of Barack Obama was found on the UK campus by a professor who was riding a bicycle (it's okay to laugh). I first found out about the effigy from one of my Democratic Facebook homies who works at UK. It turns out, this was the SECOND effigy of the presidential candidate found on the campus. Meanwhile, nearby UK, the students of Transylvania were busy having a peace rally (not really, just wanted to stress the difference between UK and Transy and how obviously Transy is more appealing to me). Back to the matter at hand, effigies are stupid. Why would you waste money on making a likeness of someone? That is SO 500 years ago. Effigies are meant for skimmity-rides, not for presidential elections. We are in a new age of technology baby. We use blogs to degrade Sarah Palin and all she stands for. Get with the times for goodness sakes!!!!

Depression During Pregnancy Doubles Risk of Preterm Birth

www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/10/23/healthmag.depression.premature.birth/index.html

My article this week was about the increase in preterm births due to depression in the mothers.  I found this article interesting because there are many Americans, especially moms, that suffer from depression.  According to this article, doctors aren't sure how depression leads to premature babies, however they do know that it is not the result of antidepressants.  This point is completely obvious because if the women are on antidepressants then they won't be depressed.  I think CNN has lost it.  Anyway, this article makes me think.  Isn't pregnancy supposed  to be a "wonderful" time for a mother?  I mean, they're pregnant because they want a baby.  So, do the women who are depressed get that way because they aren't happy about being pregnant and furthermore, isn't depression and mood swings a "side effect" of being pregnant?  This article leaves me with so many questions and very few answers.  If so many women are depressed during their pregnancies, then why do they even have babies.  They should look up to Angelina Jolie and adopt babies from other countries.  Then we'd have happy moms and no orphans.  It's a solution to a crisis.

  

Three Chemist Win Nobel Prize

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/08/science/09nobel.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

Yes, this article DID NOT come from cnn.com. As you can guess by the title, this article is about the infamous, very prestigous Nobel Prizes, particulary the science awards. The three winners were all from the U.S., two of them undeniably were of Asian descent. Of course, this really has nothing to do with the prize except that it only supports the common belief that Asians are smarter. I cannot disagree. Anyway, if you are a nerd like me, then perhaps you've already seen this article or heard about it while perusing the infinite depths of the Internet or mass media. I found this article quite interesting because we learned about it today in chemistry and I thought other people should know how important the finding of "glow-in-the-dark" proteins are. Yes, they were found in jellyfish which is amazing enough in itself, but they have become one of the most beneficial discoveries to science in the past decades. Why you ask, because these proteins can be introduced into cancer cells and show scientists exactly how these cells move and attack. This I believe is the first step to finding a cure for cancer. However, this article left me pondering a few questions. First of all, how exactly did Mr. Shimomura decide that these proteins could greatly benefit science? Or was it by accident that he discovered this? If anyone, including Shimomura can tell me, do post a comment. Furthermore, they have also been trying to use these proteins to create glowing tatoos. Is that really necessary? Can't they just use glowing ink? And finally, if you comment on only one thing, please let it be this: How much does it suck that if more than one person is chosen for the Nobel Prize, they have to share it? I mean, they have to share the credit. In the medicine field, one doctor was awarded 1/2 the prize while the other two doctors were credited with 1/4 each. Personally, I would want equal recognition for the award. Of course, that may just be my personal selfishness and my need for attention.

Ba-lack Omama for President!!!

Yes, you heard me correctly. This is what Ted Strickland called Obama during a tongue-twisting cry for support at the rally Thursday night. This blog will perhaps be one of the longest and heartfelt that I may ever post. So prepare yourself my children.

It all began Thursday after school. Miranda, Aaron (yes, self-proclaimed Republican Thompson), and I left the high school to attend the rally. But first, we had to make a few stops. First, Heather Tussey's boyfriend's house to pick up Aaron's camera, then to get gas (Aaron's father's truck if a fricking gas-guzzler), McDonald's for a quick bite, and finally, we found ourselves crossing the bridge to our destiny or destination. As we entered the campus, we saw the line, the line that seemed infinite (which in all reality a line is infinite, so really this was a segment).

We waited 3 hours in this line but Kudos to Ally for waiting even longer. Finally, we entered the Alumni Green where we waited another hour and a half because Obama was late!!!! Anyway, in that hour and a half, I received a contact high. Yes, you heard me. The sky above me was foggy from smoke and it wasn't from cigarettes. The he-she standing about four people away from me was smoking that Mary Jane. He-she wasn't the only guilty one though. A man was escorted out of the rally for smoking a joint (his excuse: Parkinson's) by the incredibly handsome Secret Agents. The waiting was miserable. By this time, there was a whole group of Greenup County homies standing around listening to the same folk pop , I love America music over and over again. Mr. Parsons made a good point, " Why all the folk pop when they should be playing Barack and roll?" I laughed even though it wasn't that funny, at least he was trying to keep a positive attitude. At one point, I had four people touching my butt, so I was very uncomfortable and a little on edge. Finally, the moment we had all waited for came. Senator Barack Obama stepped into the spotlight and into my heart. Yes, I often go back and forth on presidential camdidates even going so far as to say Obama was evil at one point. I deeply regret that comment. Anyway, he was as eloquent and thought-provoking as he always is and I left that night feeling fulfilled. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I wouldn't have traded it for anything, not even Hugh Laurie or John Mayer. Even though some of you may dislike or even hate Barack Obama, you must respect him. He has accomplished so much in spite of his limited experience. I am not one of those people who will try to pesuade you to vote for Obama, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But I for one believe Barack Obama is the "Change We Need". Yes, that was very very corny.

Bye Crikey!!!

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/10/02/ike.missing/index.html

Okay so I'm not going to lie. I was COMPLETELY misled by the way I first found this article on the CNN website under the Latest News heading. You would be too if you read Gators, Dead Cows Hide Bodies of Misssing People. So I like some others instantly thought, "Oh My Goodness the alligators ate the dead bodies!" But no that would actually be too interesting for CNN (no really I love CNN). The article is actually just about people still missing after Hurricane Ike. And yet, I still have a feeling that CNN was trying to in some way suggest that perhaps the bodies are missing because the alligators have consumed them. Of course, that may just be me. On a much more serious note, I do feel sorry for the families that still have loved ones missing and I hope they return and are reunited (wow, Reunited just popped into my head that's a good song by the way). I have no clue how horrinle it must be for those people... okay I'm depressing myself now so I must end on a happier note.... GREENUP COUNTY SENIORS ARE GOING TO ROCK FACE TOMORROW AT BATTLE OF THE CLASSES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Weird Questions Push Buttons of IT Techs

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/TECH/09/25/odd.it/index.html?iref=hpmostpop

To change things up a bit this week, I decided to pick an article that was a bit more amusing than informational and yet, this article gives great advice. What advice you may ask? Don't mess with IT techs! People call in and ask some of the oh how should I put this FREAKING DUMBEST QUESTIONS EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Read the article to find out exactly what I mean. Even if you don't read the article though, I'm sure you can use your imagine. Anyway, I didn't really learn anything from this article, I already knew half of America was lacking in common sense ( I include myself in that group). This article is great for anyone who wants to laugh a litttle unless you've actually called and asked one of these questions. In that case, I'd wear a brown paper bag over my head for the rest of my life. Well, that's about it. I mean, this will make even more sense if you actually read the article. I leave you with one question to ponder... Are we really that dumb of a nation?

Orbiting Satellite Helps Scientist Track an Endangered Species

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/09/18/rats.satellites.ap/index.html
The first thing I thought when I read this article? Aww, look how cute kangaroo rats are! Then I read that they are endangered and that made me really sad:( So what did I learn from this article? They use satellites in outer space to track little five-inch rodents. If they can do that, then how can we be sure that scientists aren't watching us. I really wouldn't want scientists to watch me because they'd discover some embarrassing things that NOBODY knows about me. Anyway, wouldn't it be weird if the kangaroo rats found out they're being watched? They would probably be like "Oh crap, we're being watched! Everyone is able to watch us mate!" Then of course there would be an even bigger decrease in the rat population because they wouldn't want kangaroo rat porn to be leaked onto the internet. Oh, I think I just crossed the line. I must keep in mind my blog entries must be somewhat educational for Litteral's class. But seriously, who wants to read boring facts???Anyway, the purpose of the satellite tracking is to track the population because scientists want to be able to bring the population back up because many native animals take advantage of the presence of kangaroo rats. All I can say is that it's kind of weird that they are tracking the furry critters, but I really hope the kangaroo rat population does increase. Of course if that happens, we'll see Paris Hilton with one as a pet in no time!

Extinct Frog Survives Devastating Fungus

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/09/11/frog.extinct.ap/index.html

What do Austrailians do in their spare time aside from enjoying Vegemite sandwiches?  They look for what are believed to be extinct Armoured Mistfrogs.  However,  it turns out these frogs aren't extinct!!!! A graduate student from James Cook University found that the species of frog was still alive even after the species had nearly died out from a fungus.  There have been 30 to 40 of these little survivors found and they are all infected with the chytrid fungus.  The fungus doesn't seem to affect the frogs though.  I guess that proves Darwin's theory of evolution.  Obviously the frogs' genes have mutated to protect them from the fungus.  And that's about it.  This article wasn't really that interesting, but this article proves that scientists are sometimes inefficient.  Thank goodness for that or else a lot of people would be out of a job. Yay Armoured Mistfrogs, you're not extinct. You guys definitely have to be having the best week ever!!!!!!!!!

Armchair astronomer discovers unique 'cosmic ghost'

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/space/08/07/space.discovery/index.html

I'm not exactly sure why they call them armchair astronomers because either you have to go outside to look at the stars or you look at astronomical "stuff" on the Internet. In that case, you're probably sitting in a computer chair. Anyway, this is another article for science geeks about a new types of astronomical galaxy that was discovered by a 25-year-old teacher. Of course, she wasn't from the United States, she was from The Netherlands. It seems American teachers don't have time to look at pictures of stars to notice that there's a hole in a spiral galaxy. You know American teachers are too busy grading the papers of children that don't give a crap if they pass school or not. Yes, I just insulted most American students for their lack of enthusiasm when it comes to learning. Wait, where was I? Oh yeah, Voorwerp. I learned alot from this article actually. For the longest time I thought that you had to have no life (kinda like me) to spend time in front of a computer classifying galaxies. It turns out though that it's kind of addictive maybe I should try it. I also learned that Voorwerp is Dutch for "thing". I've always wondered what the Dutch word was for thing now I know and I can die happily. Oh yeah I forgot to add that I learned that computers are still dumber than humans when it comes to astronomy. Humans rule!!!!!!!! Let's see, what else do I have to say? Well, I didn't really know anything about Voorwerps before I read this so now I have even more random facts to bore people with... and I really don't have any questions after reading this article because the truth is that I don't really care about the subject matter. I think I know more about Voorwerps to get me through life or at least college. Thank you person with no life for providing with such a wealth of information about something as menial as holes in galaxies.

My New Japanese Relative

For all of you who haven't heard, my cousin Sean has married a Japanese woman (yeah she's actually from Japan, more precisely like 20 minutes away from Tokyo). What do I have to say to this? It's so freaking awesome!!!!! I mean how many of you guys can say you have such a culturally diverse family? Oh, I also have some Germans in my family but they're creeps because one asked my other cousin out... Anyway, Reiko is awesome. I so want to go to Japan tomorrow. Okay, on a completely different subject, my predictions for the Backyard Brawl? Greenup will get its butt kicked by Russell as usual, some people will do something stupid, and it may rain. Still, I wish the football players good luck... they need all of it they can get.

Technology Turning Chocolate into a Sweet Science

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/08/27/high.tech.chocolate.ap/index.html

Talk about pointless science. It seems that chemists are now getting involved in creating one of the most coveted of all candies: chocolate. First of all, who knew that you could make chocolate without actually using the things that usually go into chocolate such as cacao beans? Yeah, by simply combining molecules, you can make chocolate! It's kind of cool to think about when you're a nerd or a chocolate lover (both can be dangerous to your well-being). Anyway, these are the things I found most interesting about the article. You can make chocolate in a laboratory.There are actually people out there in the world (probably their own) who think that when choosing your chocolate, it should only be based on flavor. I would have to disagree, texture also plays a major role. Besides, I trust chocolate that has been made using some natural ingredients more than I trust chemical chocolate. I mean, can you think of what kind of chemicals go into that chocolate? And finally, out of the $18 billion worth of chocolate sold, $16 billion comes from the sale of dark and organic chocolate. This reiterates the point I just made about no one wanting chemically enhanced chocolate. Even though I don't really agree with the mind set of the chemists who make chocolate, I do have to admit that from a scientific point-of-view, this article is flipping awesome. I leave you with one question: If they can make chocolate from molecules, can they somehow alter it so that chocolate tastes wonderful but contains no fat or calories? It would be so amazing if they could. Why do I have to wait on someone else to do that for? Hey, I'll just do it myself.

John Mayer, I can help you!!!!!!

What has happened to the love of my life? Since fourth grade, I have had an unnatural obsession with John Mayer that has only gotten worse with time. I thought my life was over when I found out that my sensitive, witty pop/rock god was with Jessica Simpson. I mean, Jessica Simpson? I don't care how beautiful she is how can you even stand to be around someone that stupid?? Anyway, that relationship ended with John Mayer publicly dissing Ms. Simpson. And I thought to myself, "Thank you Jesus, you just saved John Mayer from certain death." After Jessica, John dated some other people nothing major and then he met Jennifer Aniston. First of all, she's ten years older than him. I mean I don't have anything wrong with that big of an age difference as long as the man is older than the woman (ahem Hugh Laurie and I lol), call me old-fashioned. I wasn't worried though because John is a player to say the least and Jennifer Aniston's biological clock has become a ticking time bomb, making her extremely clingy, something John Mayer doesn't need. Yet, the relationship grew and I started to worry with news in the air of a backyard wedding, etc. Finally though that relationship has flown down the pipes. Jennifer and John have split, but the split hasn't exactly been clean. You see, John siad that he broke up with Jennifer because they were, "at different places in their lives", yet Jennifer is saying that she is the one who ended it because John cheated. All I can say is this, John Mayer needs to stop dating celebrities and remain a bachelor for the rest of his life. Hey, it's worked for George Clooney thus far. But this is beside the point, no the main reason for this blog post is John Mayer's new look. One word: EWWWW!!! Okay, so maybe that isn't really a word but that's the only way I can describe the new buff, crew cut John Mayer. It saddens me... Dear John Mayer, the fans miss the old you!!!! :(

Arsenic and its Connection to Type 2 Diabetes

http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/08/19/arsenic.diabetes.ap/index.html

1) I found this article while searching CNN for something interesting. We already had to worry about all the pollutants in our water, but now we have to worry about arsenic, which is poisonous and affects the production of ATP, a major force in creating and transferring energy among cells ? Even more upsetting is that arsenic doesn't only cause poisoning but also is said to be a factor contributing to Type 2 Diabetes. Although some argue the validity of the connection between arsenic and diabetes, it still remains certain that arsenic does exist in our drinking water. The only way to prevent ingesting large amounts of inorganic arsenic is to raise water safety standards. However, whether these standards would be taken into immediate effect or not would make all the difference. Water, one of the most vital elements of life has become deadly, kind of ironic isn't it?

2) I suppose this article was intended for an audience who has interest in pollutants and their effects on human health. I can tell this is the intended audience because of the attention paid to supporting evidence and the terminology used.

3)This article interests me because I am a science nerd. I love anything dealing with science and how it affects human kind.

4)I knew there were many pollutants in water which come from pollution but also natural sources. The pollutants in water only become a problem when high levels exist because they can lead to poisoning, cancer, and now, diabetes.

5) The three things I learned:

• Seafood contains nontoxic organic arsenic.
• Arsenic can get into drinking water as minerals dissolve, but it is also produced from coal burning and copper smelting.
• The United States lowered arsenic standards for public water systems to 10 parts per billion in 2001 because of known cancer risks.

6) Supposedly arsenic levels in water have caused health problems in other countries such as Bangladesh for many years. This leaves me with one question, if arsenic levels have led to problems, then why aren't more researchers studying the effects of arsenic on the human body. If arsenic can cause diabetes, what else can it do?

Welcome to the Wonderful World of Cierra

I believe this blog calls for a proper introduction. So, where should I start? I guess I should start with the most important.... MICHAEL PHELPS WINS YET ANOTHER GOLD, TYING THE RECORD HELD BY MARK SPITZ AND DOES IT BY BEATING CAVIC BY .01 OF A SECOND. This leads me to conclude one thing, Jesus loves Michael Phelps. As you can tell I am a Michael Phelps fan, but I'm not as obsessed as some people are (you know who you are). I suppose that's enough about Phelps, now for a little about me...

1. I hate the Jonas Brothers. Seriously, why does everyone love them? They have no talent and the only reason they are popular is because they took the Disney route. What is the Disney route you might ask? Well, it's how untalented people such as Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers, and those losers from High School Musical become the envy or love of every thirteen-year-old in the world. I just don't get it.
2. I recently had a life-changing experience where I realized for the first time that I want to help people, especially the child soldiers in Africa and the poor souls in Darfur. I hope to raise money this school year to send to all the wonderful organizations dedicated to the cause. Most importantly though, I want to raise awareness.
3. Last but not least, you should know what defines me. To put it simply, it's Saturday morning and I'm making a blog for my anthropology class when I should be asleep. Enough said, I'm a nerd.