Fighting the Current

Further evidence that I have a class of pyromaniacs

We've been taking standardized tests in school for something like two hours each day. At the end of each section was a writing section, either solving problems or writing essays. I missed the entire third part to math question (where we had to explain mathematically why we did what we did, and I usually just do what comes to me on that stuff, so I had nothing to say) and did not notice until I was flipping through later. I've broken the rules on tests like that before and filled in answers after the time was up (at the most, five answers), but I felt bad about doing that this time, and really had no idea what to do in the first place anyway. So I went back later and wrote the graders a nice little note:

"Hello, Department of Education, I am convinced that the simplest answer must be the correct one. Therefore, I have determined that my entire problem to the left is most likely incorrect. The simple means to the simple answer was just beyond my grasp. I have not done word problems such as these since Algebra I or earler, and I was never very good at them to begin with. I apologize for wasting your time."

That letter even elicited a hearty laugh from a nun.

Yesterday was April Fool's Day, and oh, did my Physics class take it to the extreme. Every time the teacher turned back to face the class, there was less on his desk. When he returned from a break between the periods, his desk was barren and a lone eraser and piece of chalk were sitting on the chalkboard ledge. We'd have moved his desk if it wasn't fastened tightly to the floor. At 9:27 AM precisely, the entire class sizzled like bacon. "How many months did it take you to choreograph that one?" It was planned by a note passed around that class. At 9:31, we all coughed. At 9:45, we all clicked our pens. Someone took one of his Easter decorations, a small paper rabbit. A ransom note was found with the rabbit's ear taped to it. It said something to the effect of "Leave Twix in the cafeteria if you ever want to see your bunny again." He was really sad after that, sad and pissed off. I felt really bad, even though I had no part in that prank.

A conversation from Physics class last week. I kept forgetting to post it.
Student: "Can we mix chemicals and blow stuff up?"
Teacher: "Sure, and I'll buy you a plane ticket to Iraq."
Student: "Okay!"
Teacher: "No, actually, that's a chemistry lab. For Physics, we'd have to make a nuclear weapon."
Student: "Okay, can we do that?"

We had a "coffee house" in English yesterday as our project for Emma. (Sidenote: Finally done! I never actually read most of it, the middle two hundred pages really could have been cut I think.) We lit candles on each of the round tables. Most of the class spent the whole 10-20 minutes we were presenting playing in the candles. One girl was roasting an M&M, other people were running their hands through the flames, and still others were playing in the wax. People acted like they've never seen an open flame before.

This is only about a week after we went outside for a Physics class and spent the period using lenses to burn dry leaves. The teacher would stand in the beam when it was starting to go really well.

A quote which was in one of my textbooks:
"When the Nazis came to get the Communists, I was silent because I was not a Communist. When they came to get the Socialists, I was silent. When they came to get the Catholics, I was silent. When they came to get the Jews, I was silent. And when they came to get me, there was no one left to speak." - Martin Niemoeller (Robert Ellsworth, All Saints)

We got information in school today about what the procedures and roles and such were in the case of a chemical or biological attack. ::shudders:: It designated the area around the stage as the "Potential Morgue". ::even bigger shudder:: For a while at least, I don't think I'll be able to look at the stage in the same light. Just imagining classmates lying under sheets on the floor in front of the stage...

I was telling my mom about the information they handed out today and she said at the parent-teacher meeting a few weeks ago, the principal had had no concrete plans for where we were to go or what we were to do. She said it would have been hilarious if it hadn't been such a horrible topic.

"I won't cry. I won't cry. I will go mad."

I've discovered I have no idea of the definition of some words I hear daily. There are so many levels to each, so many different meanings, so many subtleties that I have no idea what any of them mean any longer.

Good
Evil
Intelligence
Stupidity
Love
Hate
War
Peace

Probably others I have not even realized.

My little old lady is in the hospital. They don't know what's wrong with her yet.

I went upstairs last night with every intetion of writing. Ended up writing five words and curling up in a blanket. I spent the next hour in a half-asleep, half-alert state, and hardly moved from it when my parents came in. After they came in, I think I actually fell almost all the way asleep and didn't wake up for another hour. I got a shower and fell back to sleep. Somehow, I'm still tired today. I'm a little tired, but really, really alert at times.

I never realized how much I watch peripherally. In trig, I see a dark shape in the door (I sit about three seats up from the door in the row closest to it) and look back to see a nun or a teacher. For getting good shots, I'll focus on the image in the screen, but watch the surrounding areas peripherally.

Took a quiz which took my opinions on theological and metaphysical matters and scored them up according to religion. lol, these were my results:
1. Liberal Quakers (100%)
2. Unitarian Universalism (96%)
3. Mainline - Liberal Christian Protestants (94%)
4. Mahayana Buddhism (86%)
5. Bahá'í Faith (83%)
6. Theravada Buddhism (81%)
7. Orthodox Quaker (79%)
8. Hinduism (74%)
9. Reform Judaism (70%)
10. Neo-Pagan (69%)
11. Sikhism (68%)
12. New Age (67%)
13. Jainism (65%)
14. Taoism (63%)
15. New Thought (60%)
16. Orthodox Judaism (56%)
17. Secular Humanism (52%)
18. Seventh Day Adventist (52%)
19. Scientology (51%)
20. Islam (49%)
21. Mainline - Conservative Christian Protestant (47%)
22. Eastern Orthodox (46%)
23. Roman Catholic (46%)
24. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (40%)
25. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (38%)
26. Non-theist (33%)
27. Jehovah's Witness (27%)

I don't really fit any of the molds, lol. I just think it's funny how every six months I get different results.

A friend and I were talking to the nun in the community service office about the plans for attacks. We said to her, "Did you know this office is designated as 'Psychological First Aid?'" It's never good when your "Psychological First Aid" bursts into laughter.

I'm going to go read or write. I don't know yet.