Hey everyone, guess what? I'm in love! And it's finally with someone who can potentially like me back (although the love of my life is currently taken). Isn't that great news? The traits I like about the above person: funny, one of those people who isn't afraid to be themselves, intellectual, politically incorrect in a humorous rather than offensive way, not completely oblivious to politics, and our personalities don't clash! Woot woot!

So, what do you guys look for in a relationship?

Do you ever feel guilty when you start liking someone who's already in a relationship?

Rebel without a cause

I have a cell phone! Nah nah nah nah nah nah! Naw, this doesn't really constitute as a nah nah nah nah nah nah situation. It's one of those primitive cell phones that only has wireless phone, internet, texting, downloading, and picture service. Seriously, it was the most primitive phone in the whole store and I'm not even planning on using it for anything except its traditional use. Ben's family is back from Australia. I had a philosophical conversation with Ben and explained the personalities of everyone in journalism class this year to his parents. And then they gave me this Australian yeast spread called vegemite. You're supposed to spread it on bread, but very very thinly, or it will taste very very bad. Horray for new foods.

I have a cell phone, computer, car, email, TV and Xanga, but I don't have an iPod, CD player, and I don't plan on using my cell phone for things of a computer nature (ie texting, downloading, internet, sending pictures). Am I technology rebel?

I read in my manual that I have the option of muting my phone so the person on the other line can't hear me, but I can hear the other person on the other line. I was thinking that I'm never going to mute my phone because there's no point in calling someone if you don't want them to hear you. It's part of communicating, which is what a cell phone is for. When I got an email address, I used to email my friends so much that we would have nothing to talk about by the time I saw them in person. I hear from everyone who uses IM that they have to repeat everything they say on IM in person, because no one believes what they say on IM. Then again, my cell phone will allow me to leave the house while I'm expecting calls (and I'm going to be expecting lots of calls pretty soon because I'm a journalist) so I'll have more time to leave my house and be social. In this modern age of technology, are we talking AND communicating, or are we just talking?

The first day of school went well but it was kind of boring. "Hi class. My name is (fill in the blank). I teach (fill in the blank). Everyone look at your blue schedule to make sure you're in the right class. Here's a sylabus. Here's a million forms you have to sign or you'll get a detention. Here's a paper that has questions about you. I'll pretend to read the answers and pretend to care at the end of class."

I have friends in all my classes and I have lunch with Casey, Rachael, and Lisa. Yay! I'm stupid and I chose to sit behind Rhett for 2 of my classes. That wasn't a very smart choice and I think I'll come to regret it. I finally have a class with Kelley. Mr. Richards is going to be the funny teacher this year, but he doesn't seem to know that gay means homosexual or happy, but not stupid or unsophisticated. People who use the term "gay" incorrectly sound stupid and unsophisticated. Alanah, Mihan, and Caitlyn aren't in concert band anymore. I have to start making friends over again for that class every year, because so far all the friends I make one year quit band the next. My school offers both concert band and marching band for the first semester. The options are either to sit in a small classroom with 10 other students and play with couple of ensembles that you will perform in front of the class, and only the class, or get out on the stadium with 30 beautiful flag girls and go to parades and have the entire north area worship you. You can imagine which class most band geeks prefer. The fact that I have absolutely no desire to take marching band probably contributes to the fact that I am the only student I have ever known who has taken 3 years of the same class. So it made Mr. Reed just about laugh to see me walk in and sit in the first seat on the left side of the first row for the third year straight on. It went something like this:

Reed: Still sitting there, aren't you?

Me: Is this the second year?

Reed: Nope. The third year. You're getting old, Jenna.

Mrs. Taylor amuses me. She was the only teacher (other than Richards, who made fun of us) who actually talked about stuff other than the sylabus and the million forms we have to sign or get a detention. She told us about her life-threatening battle with diabetes. It was interesting. And then her heart stopped once for literally no reason and is a complete mystery to the medical community. She said, "So now they put a pacemaker in me. It's held to my body with super glue. If I ever go into cardiac arrest again, which I haven't, the pacemaker will start working. My doctor told me that when it starts up, it will feel like a horse kicking my chest, so if I randomly scream in the middle of class, that's probably why." I remember her saying that and thinking, "And I thought my burping was a serious detriment to my lifestyle." But my mysterious case of burping is pretty much gone now. I have that class with Garrett, Sam, Maureen, Abbey, and Rhett. Making his name small shows that I hate him, right? We all sit together in memory of European history class last year. Tim's also in that class. I don't have any classes with Evan or Fish, which is a plus, but I do have a class with Seth, which is less than pleasant because I hate him more than Evan and Fish combined times a million.

Today was my last day of summer break and first day with my full driver's license! Also, Chinese food=the shiznit (sp)?

After my post about homosexuality, I realized that I had a post about homosexuality, a post responding to someone's comment about those who are openminded toward homosexuals, and two banners at the top of my Xanga about gay rights, but only one post about the environment. I've come to realize that I focus on gay rights too much, but not about more pressing matters. I think gay rights is very important. I'm against writing discrimination into the Constitution, but we won't have a country with any form of a Constitution if we all die from destroying our earth. So here is a list of things that I think are bigger issues than gay rights:

environment, Iraq war, immigration, Darfur genocide, health care (although I shouldn't because I'm not at the age where I'm supposed to care. I think I know what my opinion is but I need more perspective), NSA spying, education, abortion

What issues do you think are greater than homosexuality? If you think homosexuality is the biggest issue, why?

Next thought... "Family values" is a phrase with a positive connotation that has been exploited by the religious right. I believe in family values. I believe that every responsible parent has values that they would like to teach to their children. If I ended up with kids, I would like to teach them important values that would help them be a productive and generous contributor to society, and I don't think teaching them to stay in the closet would help them. The values I would like to teach my kids is generosity, acceptance/tolerance, patience, honesty (about important issues), moderation, optimism

What values would you like to teach children?