Rantish. Young Adult Fiction.

I cannot read young adult fiction.
It is bad for me. You know why?

1. It has awful writing in general that is wayyy below my standard/what I should be reading.
2. The content is just not helpful. Seriously?
3. All of the books have the same plot.
4. They are either about teens who have magical powers and/or enemies with magical powers, or they are about teens with "average" lives but absolutely ridiculous circumstances.
5. An AP Lit student reading the majority of YA Fiction is like a vegetarian eating this.
6. Every time I try to read YA Fiction, I end up wondering why my life is not like the protagonist's.
7. Why I don't have my Cinderella moment.
8. Why I don't have a boyfriend.
9. Why I don't show up to a social event, looking way too pretty for my own good despite not spending any time at all on my hair.
10. Why; halfway through the night when I am depressed, alone, and not expecting it; that one guy who is way out of my league doesn't come up to me and confess his love to me.

Honestly? My life is not like that.

Honestly? I don't think I want my life to be like that. Can you imagine the pressure?

Especially if you are busy having your Cinderella moment whilst trying to deal with wings growing out of your knees and an evil arch-nemesis with super-X-ray-laser-4D vision. That is serious stuff!

Also, Cinderella has to clean a lot, and I don't like to clean.

Katie

Drama

Being a hypocrite by nature, I had to write a poem/guide to avoiding drama. Because, honestly, there's too much of it.

What's the point of drama, please?

I can't figure it out.

I don't know why you love it so,

Or what it's all about.

The time that's lost in catty fights

Could be much better spent.

The lives that were so clear and free

Have entered their descent.

And all through your manipulation!

Tell me, why is that?

If I can say it plainly, ma'am,

You're asking for combat.

Truly, drama's root does lie

In simple insecurity.

What's worse is drama, as a whole,

Mistaken for maturity.

But fighting over boys does not

Necessitate this trait.

Just because you want a guy

Doesn't mean that you should date.

Honestly? If you are bick'ring

Over these poor guys...

You probably aren't ready

For your sky so full of pies.

Anyways, back to the start:

The issue that's at hand.

What's the thing that makes drama

So hard to understand?

Actually, it isn't bad,

It's quite the simple quip:

If the business isn't yours,

Then please, just zip your lips!

Do not meddle in a problem

Not involving you.

Do not confer with your friends,

Even if they knew.

It doesn't matter who you are--

You are not beyond

The pitfalls that come when you fish

In this piranha pond.

So... the point... don't meddle, don't gossip, know what is your business and what isn't. THE END.

Katie

Overachiever!

Well. Today, we (the whole school) were chastised for being inconsiderate. As a result, we all have to write a 250-word, 3-paragraph essay explaining how we are inconsiderate and how we can fix it.

Personally? I am bored of writing essays. THEREFORE, I wrote a 350-word poem, instead.

Inconsiderate
(A Poem)

Once upon another time,
On land quite close to here,
An attitude was rampant;
‘Twas like poison in the ear.
Not a person truly cared
For others and their needs.
This gave way to rudeness
And most inconsid’rate deeds.
Not to be a hypocrite,
I must confess that I
Am not the least of these, oh no-
Now, let me tell you why.
Sometimes I am not so prompt,
And on purpose that.
I figure that the mark is mine,
Thus acting like a brat.
You see: the strain is not my own--
I am disrupting class.
The teacher must feel slighted
When we come in late en masse.
Also, here in school, I find
That I can talk too much,
Espec’lly when it’s not allowed…
All things we discuss.
That’s not to mention what I say
When we do converse.
I do say quite thoughtless things--
And that part is worse.
I have a tendency to be
Quite direct and snide.
However, this gets really bad
When influenced by pride.
At home I do the same, ‘tis true;
Unfortunately so.
Also, I don’t tell my parents
All they need to know.
They like to be aware when I
Come home from being out.
However, often I do have
Better things to think about.
And so, I simply just forget
To alert my fam’ly then
And go right on to Facebook--
Inconsiderate again!
All in all, my problem lies
In my communication.
I need to be more diligent
In interpers’nal relation.
Added to that one concern
Of a timely arrival,
With it all I am assured
A considerate survival.
I know not the issues
That my fellow students face.
I know not the sins
That make them all red in the face.
However, I do understand
The root cause of it all:
A thoughtless, selfish attitude
Where others seem so small.
When we accept that people are
Worth just as much as we,
Our actions and our thoughts
Will much better be.

TADA!

Katie

PS- props if you catch the Hamlet reference :P

Tulips are pretty. Tuips are not.

I just spent 3.5 hours reading and writing about Limited Atonement.

My perspective:

I am not a Calvinist.

If you are going to be something, be it all the way. If you want to call yourself a Calvinist, I think you have to be a 5-point Calvinist... a TULIP.

For you uneducated, that's-

• Total Depravity
• Unconditional Election
• Limited Atonement
• Irresistible Grace
• Perseverance of the Saints.

Some "Calvinists," or "4-point Calvinists" do not believe in Limited Atonement. It scares a lot of people away. It scares me, although I can't say it's scared me away, since I'm still here.

Problem: 4-point Calvinism = TUIP. Pronounced "twip." And that's just not attractive.

Here's the problem... a lot of Calvinist theology is built on Limited Atonement. I can't tell you how many arguments in my Manual for Christian Doctrine book are built off of the assumption of Limited Atonement. How can you, then, call yourself Calvinist when you don't believe the middle of the 5 main points? It's still okay... just find yourself a different name. I do not call myself a Calvinist because I cannot adhere with certainty to their doctrine.

Now, for you who are wondering, "Uhhhh, what is this limited atonement thing?"

Copied and pasted from a wonderful website Google found me...

Jesus died only for the elect. Though Jesus’ sacrifice was sufficient for all, it was not efficacious for all. Jesus only bore the sins of the elect. Support for this position is drawn from such scriptures as Matt. 26:28 where Jesus died for ‘many'; John 10:11, 15 which say that Jesus died for the sheep (not the goats, per Matt. 25:32-33); John 17:9 where Jesus in prayer interceded for the ones given Him, not those of the entire world; Acts 20:28 and Eph. 5:25-27 which state that the Church was purchased by Christ, not all people; and Isaiah 53:12 which is a prophecy of Jesus’ crucifixion where he would bore the sins of many (not all).

...I kind of think they might be starting to convert me. Scary thought, right? We'll save that talk for later.

Katie

Apologies

Okay. So. Apologies.

Actually, I would like to start with a tangent.

The internet is a wonderful thing. It has made information--facts and opinions--easily and cheaply accessible for almost anyone living in a developed country.

However, the internet, like any tool, has its definite downside.

For example, those facts and particularly opinions... are easily accessible, by pretty much everyone. Even when those 'facts' and opinions were recorded in the heat of frustration and/or indignant-ness. (no, "indignance" is not a word)

AHEM.

So. Now. Apologies. For real.

I am sorry that I posted something sorta mean and definitely awkward and unnecessary. I am sorry that I didn't think to delete the thing until this evening. And I am sorry that y'all had to sit through this apology.

Katie

laaaa, laaaa, laaa, DONE!

(to the tune of "La Cucaracha")

I am finished!

My Junior Thesis!

And now, I'll finally get some sleep!

All except for that

Most annoying fact:

My normal homework load's still steep!

Katie

Tips for the Conversationally Impaired

So, last night (*ahem* this morning) when I was really really awake and couldn't think of sleeping except for the fact that it was almost 2 AM... I decided to write a song.

Because I feel very strongly about this, and when you feel strong emotions you must sing them.

At least in your head... 1:45 AM is not a good time to awaken my mother!

(For a more enjoyable experience, imagine to a country-western-ish tune with twangy guitars and shakers for percussion. Also, the performer has a sardonic expression on her face. And she is wearing pink sequins, because she likes pink sequins.)

"Better Unsaid"

I get that I'm a skinny sprout-

That doesn't mean we must talk about

Minutia of my physical appearance.

And sure, I might be kind of smart,

But we don't need to pull apart

This groundwork of my pitiful existence.

And now I say, I cannot take this!

There's something that's awfully amiss.

And so I hope you understand

My ranting, raving, crazed demands--

Please, oh, please.

There's lots of stuff out there that's true

That you don't need to say!

Remember decency, oh, do--

'Cause you're driving me crazy...

And before I shoot myself in the head

Remember:

Some things are better left unsaid.

I think there is one golden rule

To keeping conversations cool:

Think before you even start to talk.

Just because a thing is true,

It doesn't mean it will help you

Or me-- please don't persist or I shall squawk!

And now I say, I cannot take this!

There's something that's awfully amiss.

And so I hope you understand

The message of an imaginary band--

Please, oh, please.

There's lots of stuff out there that's true

That you don't need to say!

Remember decency, oh, do--

'Cause you're driving me crazy...

And before I shoot myself in the head

Remember:

Some things are better left unsaid.

And this is my song.

Because so many things go wrong

When you say weird things for way too long

And my feelings on this topic are very very strong...

So please, oh, please.

There's lots of stuff out there that's true

That you don't need to say!

Remember decency, oh, do--

'Cause you're driving me crazy...

And before I shoot myself in the head

Remember:

Some things are better left unsaid.

*thank you, thank you*

and that will be all for tonight.

Katie

Join us next time for an extensive disquisition on delusional high school boys... just kidding. sort of.

Procrastination

Isn't it a wonderful thing?

I really ought to be working on my History homework or Junior Thesis... but I don't want to.

I really ought to be finishing up my daddy's Christmas present (yes, from 2009)... but I don't want to.

I really ought to respond to all of the emails from well-meaning friends telling me to stop procrastinating... but I really don't want to.

Don't think I'm lazy or anything... actually, I quite overwork myself. I wrote 3 more pages in my junior thesis today, and I accomplished other things like downloading G-Chat.

...But there comes a point where you really can't focus any more, no matter how much you will yourself. I'd actually like to focus right now, but I have too many more important things to do... like play with these styrofoam rings that came in the case with blank CDs!

Katie

smartie pants.

that's me!

(no, really, I'm not kidding)

...maybe.

So, I gave up the internet for Lent, yes? Toady I got back on full-fledged and, after church, spent about 3 hours "putzing," as my mother says.

Come 2:30, aforesaid mother decides that I need to get to work on that paper of mine. I say, eh, only 6 pages left-- I'll do it tomorrow. No luck. When she catches me on Facebook again, you can bet that I am grounded from Facebook until Thursday when I turn the *lovely* thing in.

And it's my own. stupid. fault.

Oh well, I'm sure it's for the best... you can see how good I am at focusing. In my defense, I did get a paragraph finished before I jumped on here to whine.

Katie

Welcome!

So maybe I'm addicted to blogging (how many am I writing for now? like 4?), but I like this one.

So welcome to

Awesome Possum

aka Veloquence on Toast.

Here you will find rambling streams of consciousness.

And semi-interesting insights.

And random thoughts.

And awesomeness.

And veloquence.

(And possibly a possum relocation program,* but we're still working on that one.)

Katie

*idea and phrase "awesome possum" copyright Megan Elizabeth. Used with assumed permission.