bonus vespers!

I’m back, awake, and more or less alive for someone who stayed up IMing past midnight. Just kidding. I like staying up late even more than I like early mornings. The only thing I’ll blame you for is my missing the sunrise this morning, and I’ve seen it enough it isn’t horribly important to me.

“If at first you don’t succeed, then break or change the rules so you do.” Okay, so maybe I changed the saying a little bit, but a school principle unknowingly helped me decide that this was true. Maybe, it’s just proof that there’s something wrong with the public school. The other day, my mom came to pick me up at school, but the van wouldn’t start when we tried to start it. We then got someone car trouble jump

I’m actually having some fun getting room cleaned. It’s a tough battle, but still fun. It feels and looks so much fresher in there now, and I’m only halfway done. I’ve stuffed five grocery bags as full as I could get them with trash. That is quite an impressive load for a pack rat like me. I’m just so happy with how my room looks and proud with my improvements.

I’ve had some interesting foods recently. Yesterday, I had an Asian pear. It’s shaped like an apple but is the brown-green color of a pear. The taste is a lot like something I’ve had, but I just can’t place it, and it’s driving me crazy[er]. Maybe it’s like starfruit, another Asian fruit I’ve had. I had braunschweiger for lunch today with Swiss cheese and a slice of tomato and on some heavy German bread. I like braunschweiger sandwiches. They rank right up there with onion and peanut butter sandwiches and peanut butter on celery. I had a coconut-pineapple juice recently too. Also very good.

I need to get signed up for the SAT. I’ve been doing a bit of reviewing with a program my parents bought. The only thing I really need to know has to do with taking it multiple times. Do any of you know how they work the scores if you take it two or three times? At a presentation my mom went to the guy said they take your highest score from each of the sections of the SAT, but my dad is convinced that your scores are averaged. The difference would be that it is beneficial to take it repeatedly if my mom is right, but might not be good if your scores are averages. Could you all please tell me what you know about it?

I’ve noticed some pretty disgusting and extravagant fashion trends among teens recently.
For some guys, the style seems to be wearing you jeans five sizes too big and halfway down their legs so all of their boxers shorts show, and girls jeans are really tight and a little low waisted. Also, why is it that it’s in style to have pants with holes pre scraped into the fabric? The jeans companies are making a fortune selling ripped pants for $40 to $100 and more.

I finally found our local Olympics channel. The reception isn’t great, but when we move the furniture into the proper position, we get color, and if we stand still and don’t breathe, we even get sound. ;) ;) In school, I was watching the Olympics and saw the people on camera were holding up a giant Canadian flag. They interviewed the US’s 16-year-old ice skater. Yesterday I was watching the snowcross or snowboardcross or whatever it was called and saw our 20-year-old competitor doing great out 18 feet or so in front of the competition, and then she just had to try that stunt and lose her gold. Oh well. Does anyone know where I can find what the medal count is up to?

I’m already getting a ton of letters from colleges. In the past week, I’ve received 16 college brochures. It’s starting to make my head spin trying to remember everything and decide what colleges I like. I think my favorites right now are a handful of the colleges in the Concordia University system (esp. CUW), some of the really prestigious colleges, Penn State, and Concordia Saint Catherine’s up in Canada. I’ve also receive the standard letters from the US Army, Navy, National Guard, and Marines. I just need a letter from the Air Force to know for sure that the whole US Military is crazy. I mean, after all, what other reason would there be for them all thinking they want me?

The snow tubing scheduled for last Sunday when church was cancelled was rescheduled for tomorrow. It ought to be fun. Artificial snow. 40 or 50-degree weather. Just wonderful. If you think I’m being sarcastic, you’re right. I dislike artificial snow and warm winters. I will have fun though.

NO MORE TELEGRAMS STOP WESTERN UNION TELEGRAM SERVICE OUT OF BUSINESS LAST MONTH STOP

Currently reading:
7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey
Darth Maul: Shadow Hunter by Michael Reaves
The Dragon King by R.A. Salvatore
Dune by Frank Herbert
High Calling by Evelyn Husband
Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer
The Teeth of the Tiger by Tom Clancy
That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis
Why I Am a Lutheran by Daniel Preus

salve homines!

Today I’m going to talk about school for a change. Oh, wait. I always talk about school, don’t I? Maybe it’s because school occupies almost all my waking life. At least I’m never sarcastic or anything like that. ;)

Last time I posted, I talked about the first day of the PSSAs. Since then I’ve had the two writing prompts to fight. The first prompt was definitely biased towards liberals. My [conservative] friends and I all agreed that the way it was worded it all but told you to write about liberal environmental concerns. The exact words of the prompt were:

“Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread in it. Whatever we do to the web we do to ourselves… All things connect.
“Write an essay that provides examples to explain this idea of the ‘web of life’.”

It was pretty hard to write on. Even my liberal teachers thought it was bad. I managed to beat it though. To get some conservative views in it, I even managed to drag in abortion and use it to illustrate how our actions affect others. The second one was much better. It was:

“At what age are people ready to assume the rights of adulthood?
“Write an essay persuading others that your view is valid.”

The past few days in American Lit., my first period class, we’ve been watching the movie “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?” The acting is really good, and it has a couple insightful life lessons, but most of the story is really creepy and full of dark humor.

My economics teacher, Mr. Fish, was really out of it earlier this week. He did a bunch of odd things, the funniest of which was writing “Mall Wart” on the chalkboard instead of “Wal-Mart”. Thursday and Friday, we’ve had a sub in Econ because Mr. Fish is having a minor surgery. Today, we finished everything early and got most of the period as free time, but we ended up just watching the scenery out the window. While we watched, a really strong wind picked up. The clouds were racing across the sky, and we could hear a roaring thrumming sound. The American flag we could see was held steadily straight out from its pole. We saw a CV High School banner get ripped off a light pole along with one of the horizontal metal bars that was holding out from the pole. Then we watched a stop sign be blown over and run over by a Fed-Ex truck, which was wobbling in the wind. It really was quite a sight.

In one of my study halls, I’m getting help from a really cool Latin IV kid for my Latin III class. During my other in study hall, I was down the IMC (the Instructional Media Center aka. a school library with a big ego), and I noticed that the sophomore English classes are down there working on their bibliography projects. I pity the sophomores. Even though I got the bibliography stuff quicker than most of the kids in my class, I still remember how hard the project is because of the meticulous attention to details. (psst... Go perfectionists! ;) :P )

The trigonometric proofs we’re working on in my math class have been almost physically painful, and math comes easily to me. I think I did alright on our test today. I was the only person who seemed to be walking out of the room sure I’d gotten a 100%.

For Valentine’s Day, I didn’t get anything :( , but that didn’t surprise me. I did send valentines to a handful of friends to let them know they’re appreciated and on my own time did some research on the background of Valentine’s Day. Despite being as mean as I am, I’ll share some of what I learn with all of you. Valentine’s Day’s earliest roots lie in a Roman pagan festival to the god of fertility that was held on February 15th. Then, in first few centuries AD, there was a or were several Saint Valentines who died as martyrs. No one is quite sure if it was one associated with a couple different Roman towns and finally put to death for his faith in Rome or two or three Valentines who lived and died in different places.

Well, that’s about all I have time to write tonight. I have a lot more to say, but it’ll have to wait until tomorrow… er… later today because I’ve just spent all my time talking to a couple of my regular readers. valete omnes amici!

Oh no! The full moon is coming out from behind the clouds! Augh!

Yay! The 13th! My lucky day!

School was just schooly. The first day of English PSSAs went well (I finished before anyone else in the room), but the writing prompts don't start until tomorrow. If someone else cheated by looking ahead in the booklet to see what the writing prompts are, and then told the classroom, is it cheating to do research on what I now know I'm going to be writing on?

I went to the orthodonist today. My braces are working fine. They should be off before senior pictures this fall.

Since I didn't do or think much today, I'm going to post a great consevative article my dad got sent.

CALVIN AND HOBBES - AND MUHAMMAD
February 8, 2006
by: Ann Coulter

As my regular readers know, I've long been skeptical of the "Religion of Peace" moniker for Muslims - for at least 3,000 reasons right off the top of my head. I think the evidence is going my way this week.

The culture editor of a newspaper in Denmark suspected writers and cartoonists were engaging in self-censorship when it came to the Religion of Peace. It was subtle things, like a Danish comedian's statement, paraphrased by The New York Times, "that he had no problem urinating on the Bible but that he would not dare do the same to the Quran."

So, after verifying that his life insurance premiums were paid up, the editor expressly requested cartoons of Muhammad from every cartoonist with a Danish cartoon syndicate. Out of 40 cartoonists, only 10 accepted the invitation, most of them submitting utterly neutral drawings with no political content whatsoever.

But three cartoons made political points.

One showed Muhammad turning away suicide bombers from the gates of heaven, saying, "Stop, stop - we ran out of virgins!” which I believe was a commentary on Muslims' predilection for violence. Another was a cartoon of Muhammad with horns, which I believe was a commentary on Muslims' predilection for violence. The third showed Muhammad with a turban in the shape of a bomb, which I believe was an expression of post-industrial ennui in a secular - oops, no, wait: It was more of a commentary on Muslims' predilection for violence.

In order to express their displeasure with the idea that Muslims are violent, thousands of Muslims around the world engaged in rioting, arson, mob savagery, flag-burning, murder and mayhem, among other peaceful acts of nonviolence.

Muslims are the only people who make feminists seem laid-back.

The little darlings brandish placards with typical Religion of Peace slogans, such as: "Behead Those Who Insult Islam," "Europe, you will pay, extermination is on the way" and "Butcher those who mock Islam.” They warn Europe of their own impending 9/11 with signs that say: "Europe: Your 9/11 will come" - which is ironic, because they almost had me convinced the Jews were behind the 9/11 attack.

The rioting Muslims claim they are upset because Islam prohibits any depictions of Muhammad - though the text is ambiguous on beheadings, suicide bombings and flying planes into skyscrapers.

The belief that Islam forbids portrayals of Muhammad is recently acquired. Back when Muslims created things, rather than blowing them up, they made paintings, frescoes, miniatures and prints of Muhammad.

But apparently the Quran is like the Constitution: It's a "living document," capable of sprouting all-new provisions at will. Muslims ought to start claiming the Quran also prohibits indoor plumbing, to explain their lack of it.

Other interpretations of the Quran forbid images of humans or animals, which makes even a child's coloring book blasphemous. That's why the Taliban blew up those priceless Buddhist statues; bless their innocent, peace-loving little hearts.

Largely unnoticed in this spectacle is the blinding fact that one nation is missing from the long list of Muslim countries (by which I mean France and England) with hundreds of crazy Muslims experiencing bipolar rage over some cartoons: Iraq. Hey - maybe this democracy thing does work! The barbaric behavior of Europe's Muslims suggests that the European welfare state may not be attracting your top-notch Muslims.

Making the rash assumption for purposes of discussion that Islam is a religion and not a car-burning cult, even a real religion can't go bossing around other people like this.

Catholics aren't short on rules, but they couldn't care less if non-Catholics use birth control. Conservative Jews have no interest inforbidding other people from mixing meat and dairy. Protestants don't make a peep about other people eating food off one another's plates. (Just stay away from our plates - that's disgusting.)

But Muslims think they can issue decrees about what images can appear in newspaper cartoons. Who do they think they are? Liberals?

COPYRIGHT 2006 ANN COULTER

DISTRIBUTED BY UNIVERSAL PRESS SYNDICATE

Filled to overflowing with sarcasm, ultra-conservative, tolerant of the peace loving muslims. Just my kind of article. I mean, not that I would ever dream of being sarcastic, but what's not to like?

valete!

Happy Sunday!

As I mentioned as a postscript yesterday, the snow finally came. It kept snowing all of last night and has snowed some today. It might be snowing more now. I can’t tell because it’s too dark to see anymore. Church was cancelled because of the snow. We were told when we got the first call that the youth group might still go snow tubing, but received a call later saying we wouldn’t because too many people were “still digging out”.

I’ve finally gotten around to doing a thorough cleaning of my room. I have no idea how long it’s been since I last cleaned it properly. It was probably when we painted a year ago. I’m very proud of myself for making progress. When my mom walked in, her comment was “Wow. I can see the floor”. Maybe I’ll actually get it really really clean, put in the wood floor we have waiting, and buy the plush blue area rug I want to complement my orange walls.

I’m getting really frustrated with the television stations around here. The Winter Olympics have been going on for three days now, but I haven’t been able to find any stations showing any of it. They are happy to show college basketball, Californian golf tournaments, and motorcycle racing, but heaven forbid that they show giant international winter sports competitions. The only brief mention they’ve gotten was when Michelle Kwan dropped out of the ice skating competitions because she’s been suffering from some injuries and this way someone else can have a go. Sad news. She was really good even if she didn’t get any Olympic golds.

I heard Audioslave last night. I like it. I tried my best to remember what the songs were, so of course I’ve forgotten. I just don’t know about that name though. I find it much easier to relate to twenty matchboxes than it is for me to relate slaves of audio.

The PSSA tests are coming up for me this Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. They are Pennsylvanian achievement tests that all Juniors have to pass. There are tests in English and Mathematics, but this week is only English. Math comes up mid-March. I hope I do alright. I know that I can pass it at the level I need to get, but I’m a little nervous that the five paragraph essay writing prompt will bring me down from the really high level I know I capable of. We did a bunch of practice and preparatory stuff in my English class. However, I was absent for the writing prompt practice. Juniors shouldn’t have to take so many big exams. PSAT, midterm exams, PSSAs, SAT, ACT, some other test if you might want to go into the military, and final exams. Ugh. Well, wish me luck and God’s blessing on the PSSA. I’ll tell you when I need to be blessed in preparation for the other tests.

Oh, before I go. I can’t decide if I should send some humorous Valentine cards to a couple girls who are just friends. Could you people who read my blog give me a little advice here? Thanks.

valete amici!
[vanishes in a puff of bright blue, pine scented smoke]
[coughing is heard in the distance]

PS. Don’t anyone tell my mom my blog address if she comes knocking at your door. She’s been trying to find it (i.e. asking me for the URL every time she sees me). It’s not that I have anything on here that she shouldn’t read. I’d just prefer she didn’t.

salvete!

What happened to the snow?!? It was supposed to begin early early this morning, but I it's now 11 o'clock and the ground isn't even damp. See the photo? Not even damp!!! Grr... From now on I'm back to making my own weather forecasts. When I used to do that, I was always much more accurate than the weathermen anyways. www.weatherunderground.com is the site I use most to look at weather maps.

If you'll now look to the right, you'll see the other side of my class ring. You see "Art" and "Aaron Nemoyer" shaped out of gold, just the way my name was always meant to be. ;) :D

Now, since I'm having way too much fun this morning with my digital camera. I'll stick another one in here. Look below. I have decided that when one's drain glows it is a sure sign that you have a radio active sewer and soon will have problems with gaint bugs and mutant reptiles and giant goldfish. :P

The other day at school I saw a shirt I want. I'm sure most of you have seen those pink shirts that say, "Real men wear pink," right? Well, this was my colors. It was a red-orange shirt with big bright blue lettering. It said, "Real men wear orange." I need to get that shirt.

MH soon will have it's second couple. I just heard last night that Nathan Fischer proposed to Katie Gehlbach. She accepted of course, and they'll be the second couple MH has turned out. The first being Nick and Naomi Kavouras (formerly Naomi Rhein). I have two sisters. Both aren't actually part of my family. Katie Gehlbach is my older sister because she adopted me as her brother so she could legally annoy me. If the sister that adopted me gets married, then what is her husband's relation to me? Is he my adopted brother-in-law, or does he have to adopt me as his brother-in-law first? :P

In case you didn't know it, today is Saturday! Hooray weekend! Hooray one day I can sit around in pajamas all day! Actually, while I'm sitting writing most of this it is midnight. I'm writing on a greasy paper plate (see picture) and eating my midnight meal of spaghetti and cheddar cheese because we're out of paremaesan.

I was thinking deeply again. I know, I shouldn't do it, I might hurt myself. ;) :P But I did it anyways. I was thinking how our generation is the first to grow up with the internet. That means that we're the first generation for whom it is easy to maintain long distance friendship and keep friends long distance and such. We are the first generation that can easily fufill promises to keep in contact with higher school friend. Just thought it was interest. I'd thought of more when I thought of that, but that's all I remember.

I'm reading the book Hope Was Here. I guess it's a pretty good book.

None of the stations I'm flipping through are showing the Winter Olympics. That stinks. They're just showing college basketball and warm golf tournaments in California. I really wanted to watch those. Gr.. It must be Canadian prejudice. They know the Canadians will do better than us. Oh well.

valete!

PS. 4:00pm It's snowing now. The snow is late.

I had school today. We watched a movie in english class / American Lit. The Troubles of Gilbert Grape. In math I'm now getting the trigonometric identities stuff.

We finally have cold winter weather again! We're supposed to get snow tonight and tomorrow morning. Six to twelve inches of it.

The ring is a digital picture of my class ring. A gold cross on a navy blue sapphire. "Cumberland Valley HS" around the gem. 2007 and a eagle custom made eagle for our school on the side you see. An eagle is our school mascot, and I graduate in June 2007. There are diamonds set in the zeros of the 2007. On the other side is "Aaron Nemoyer" and a bunch of art implements with "Art" in small letters over them. The bottom is scraped-ish so it has a texture. Inside, in the top, is engraved "Matthew 28:20" thats my confirmation verse. The full verse is "And lo I am with you always. Even unto the end of the age." Well. That's all. Just thought I'd tell you about it.

valete amici!

cari amici, salveo ad meum most recent post! :-P

You may be wondering, "What did Aaron do today?", and I would be mean for me to deny you the answer to your question. And the final answer is: not much. I went to school.

Today I recieved a letter from the U.S. Nation Guard. They seem to think that they want me to join. This means that the Army, Navy, Marines, and National Guard are all after me to join them. Maybe I should flee to Canada. Does the promise to teach me skiing, snow boarding, and curling still stand? ;-)

A few days ago I recieved my first letter from a college. Carleton College. They're 5th in the nation by US News and World Report's ranking. They got my PSAT score from College Board (210 out of 240 when about 147 is the average). They obviously haven't seen my grades.

Okay, my dad's telling me to go to bed now so I'll finish this quick. Last weekend was the Winter Gala Dance. About a week before it, there was an annoucement that 1) There would be drug and alcohol testing at the dance of anyone suspected of having used drugs or being drunk and 2) that girls should wear any innapropriate clothing. It was horrible to hear how many people were against having the drug/alcohol testing, but I already knew that lots of the juniors and seniors drink. It's also distgusting seeing some of the very revealing clothing girls wear to the dances. I went to one dance last year, and there were a couple girls wearing "dresses" that hardly covered what should be. I didn't go to Gala. Not that I don't like dancing, I *love* dancing. I just didn't go because there areb't any girls at my school that I'd ask out.

Finally, THE FEAST IS FULL!!! AUGH!!! Alas! I stil might might have a chance of getting in. We are joing up with a Michigan group that is already registered and sent a cover letter in with our registration saying that we were post last last minute aditions to their group. Hopefully since the group is already registered we'll get slipped in. Oh, why didn't my parents register monthes ago when I first said we should?!? Why?!? I'll just hope. AND PRAY!!!

valete nam pavo tempore!

PS. If the picture below (in the previous post) isn't displaying, then click on it to see the picture. It's my class ring. Up close and personal.

Greeting to all of you from Ego qui non sum!

First topic of discussion. I didn't think to mention this before, but a couple weeks ago there was an assembly at school. It was one of those motivational presentations. I thought it was good as far as assemblies go, but there was one thing that I found rather ironic. Schools all seem really concerned with remaining entirely secular and entirely seperated from religion, right? But in the presentation it talked about what we are "meant to be". Doesn't that imply some kind of design and therefore a Designer? I found that funny.

Next on the agenda for this entry is school. I'll complain first. My math teacher is horrible! She hardly teaches at all. She just talks about how fun math is and about her life stories. Last Friday, the first 20 minutes of the 40 minute class were spent by her telling us this kind of stuff! The story she spent the most time on was even one that she's told us several times before! I spent the class period darwing a full-page, shaded, three dimensional "HELP!" on the back of my Chem. notes. [goes back and shortens rant] Okay. I'm glad to have that out of my system. I'm finally getting caught up on all the stuff I've missed the times I've been out sick, so I'm happy about that. I decided I needed to drop my Art class though. Alas! :'( Because I am so behind in everything. If I was going to make up my stuff for Art it would take even more forever because most of it is studio time. I will make sure I keep drawing and painting lots on my own.

As I'm sure you all know, this past Sunday was Superbowl Sunday. The Pittsburgh Steelers versus the Seattle Seahawks. The Friday before, they play Steelers hype music on the school annoucments, and in economics class Mr. Fish played Steelers music and let us talk for the beginning of class. Living in Pennsylvania I cheered for the Steelers and... The Steelers won!!! Yipee! Yahoo! Hooray! My heart wasn't really in it for the Steelers though. I was born and raised in Chicago, so I have to support the Bears. I'd really hoped they'd make it to the Superbowl since theyed been doing so well, but they didn't. Oh well. At least the Sox won the World Series. I guess I shouldn't hope for too much in one year.

Finally, I'm finally cleaning my room. It's nice having a floor. I found my stamp collection. I did a bunch of sorting it.

Well, that's about all. I guess I'll be going now.

valete, amici!

Oh. PS. For those who have encouraged me in listening to rock instead of country. I listened to rock last night. I heard a Matchbow Twenty song I liked. It was about being crazy or some such topic. My favorite. :D

valete!

Happy February! Happy Chinese New Year! Happy anything else that's happened since I last posted!

Nothing has happened to me over the past couple days except for school, so I'm going to write on a topic started on Seth's blog and continued first on Heidi Mae's and now on mine.

KNIVES! GUNS! Et cetera! [insert maniacal laughter here]
Because I used to live outside Chicago, I understand the need to carry a weapon for your protection. The problem is, knowing you have a weapon is you tend to do things more rashly, less thinking and such. I carry a knife around everywhere just in case, and I've been taught how to use it by my black belt neighbor who's taught me other karate and how to use a kubotan. Actually, the kubotan keychain is a lot better because it only takes a little training to get the hang of, but it isn't something your opponent would know what to do with if he got it from you. It's basicly just a metal stick with a keychain on the end, but I know some routines with it that could easily end up breaking arm and elbows and such. How's that for cheerful?

valete, amici!