9/11 and the Rise and Fall of Voldemort

9/11 forever stands out as a significant date in our history, so important that it needs no other name. The significance of this date is comparable to that fateful night Voldemort tried to kill Harry Potter, but instead brought forth the legend of the Boy That Lived. Much like 9/11, as Voldemort died, he brought forth life. The life of Harry Potter was ignited by that flash of green light, bringing forth a realm of different experiences that never would've happened if Voldemort had not killed his parents and Harry had not survived. On 9/11, as first responders, civilians, and terrorists died against the backdrop of the bright blue sky, a new life was also brought forth. Under the flag at half mast, our country united in grievance and we were almost reborn in our patriotism. Now, our society has tried to move on ten years later because 9/11 will always be part of us, but we will never let it define us. As the wise Albus Dumbledore said, "We must try not to sink beneath our anguish, Harry, but battle on."

Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

On July 15, 2011, thus started the beginning of the end. The characters many people from my generation have grown up with and have grown to know and cherish are being remembered for the last time on the big stage. Never again will there be another time in Muggle history that we can revel in the wonderful world of Harry Potter to the extent of the last decade.

I would first like to say that most of the Harry Potter movies suck. They don't make a whole lot of sense on their own, and the only reason why a lot of people like them is because they do a good job of illustrating what goes on in fans' heads. The casting from the very start was nearly perfect, and visually, the entire franchise has been spectacular. However, the movies have lacked a sense of clear explanation and narration, and the last movie was no exception. In general, the eighth and final Harry Potter movie was about what I expected: hyped, visually amazing, slightly disappointing, but overall satisfying. It was enough to satisfy the immense fan base but not enough to be called a great movie. Being a book purist, there were many major parts in the movie that did not match up to the book, and I didn't like that.

Pros:

1. Neville Longbottom: The mere fact that the prophecy could've applied to Neville as well as Harry makes him a very important character, and his true Gryffindor qualities really shown through in the last book. Arguably, the movie did a better job of emphasizing his importance. The movie was different from the book in that they made the slaying of Nagini much more dramatic, and gave Neville more dramatic scenes that really helped viewers remember that no, Neville is not a Hufflepuff. 
2. The Gray Lady: In the book, Harry's conversation with the ghost of Ravenclaw tower is not quite so dramatic. I also liked her little riddle about the Room of Requirement, and I also liked that Luna was the one that gave Harry the idea. 
3. The Flaw in the Plan: The movie almost completely changed the chapter from the book, which made the battle between Harry and Voldemort a public affair. In the movie, the two wizards "finished it together", which was both more visually pleasing and gave the characters a greater sense of finality. It wouldn't have necessarily been that important that the characters finished that way in the book, but cinematically, I liked that Voldemort and Harry had a more personal end. 
4. Ron and Hermoine's kiss: I liked that the movie showed Hermoine actually stabbing the Horcrux, while the book merely told us that it happened. I also liked that the kiss happened in the Chamber of Secrets. I was afraid that if the movie remained faithful to the house-elf comment in the book, it would've been awkward. 
5. "NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!": I was literally waiting for that line the entire movie. I am so happy that they remembered to include it, because that line sums up Molly Weasley's strong Gryffindor character. She isn't just the doting mother who has lost a son in the battle; she is a strong witch that is strong enough for revenge. 

Cons:

1.  Eyes: If the movie is going to harp about the importance of Harry's eyes looking similar to his mother's, MAKE THEIR EYES LOOK THE SAME. I don't understand the difficulty of making their eyes look the same. If you can make Voldemort have no nose, you can give the two actors some color contacts. Also, Snape's last words were "Look at me", NOT "Look at me. You have your mother's eyes." You do not change last words. If you are going to change last words, don't talk about eyes that don't look the same. 
2. The Deathly Hallows: The movie didn't stay true to the freaking title. The movie does not emphasize that Harry is the master of death because he possesses the Deathly Hallows, and it does not talk about how his acceptance of death is why he truly masters it.  
3. Wands: I didn't like how Harry snapped the Elder Wand in half and threw it over the bridge. In the book, he repaired his phoenix wand and returned the Elder Wand to Dumbledore, where it truly belonged. With the way the movie was structured, Harry would've continued using Draco's hawthorne wand for the rest of his life, which is completely wrong. 
4. The Gray Lady: Although I liked how the movie set up the conversation, I didn't like that she didn't mention anything about the history of the diadem and the Bloody Baron. The Gray Lady just got really pissed off. 
5. Dumbledore: Dumbledore is truly the most complex character in this book, and the movie absolutely not do that justice. The entire drama about Grindelwald and the Deathly Hallows, Ariana and Aberforth, was not really explained in the movie. The chapter "King's Cross" explained everything about Dumbledore's personal conflicts, and instead it focused more on Harry, which was not the point of the chapter at all. I realize that it might've been boring to have a long conversation in the movie, but I think that the movie maker people could've found a way of illustrating Dumbledore's explanation through flashbacks or something. 
6. The Next Generation: Why does Harry's kid look like some flat-ironed hipster punk? The did such a good job at casting; why did they half-ass the kid? He looks like so...typical. I would think that Harry Potter's kid would look more like him, at least have some messy hair or something, not some Bieber Swoop and a plaid shirt.

Curfews

I wish I had a curfew.

I'm pretty sure that statement just gave 99% of teenagers heart attacks due to shock. It's not so much that I want to come home at a certain time every night, I just want to know what time I'm supposed to come home without getting in trouble. Until now, I've never really had an established curfew, but last night I got home around 12 and suddenly I get in trouble.And I can't go see Harry Potter since apparently it's too late. IT'S HARRY FUCKING POTTER.

It's not like a curfew would make a difference anyways. People who know me well know that bending time is one of my favorite pastimes. 

Inhumane Treatment

I will not be seeing Harry Potter at midnight.
I will not be dressing up and hexing the first-years.
I will not be the Gryffindor sitting next to a Slytherin.
I will not be participating in a standing ovation at the finale of the greatest literary accomplishment in modern times.

Because I will not be seeing Harry Potter at midnight.

2011 is a really shit year to be 16 isn't it? It's a pretty shit time to have legal limitations on where you can go. It's a pretty mindfucking occasion to miss because of the simple fact that you are still confined to the statutes of parental control.

IT STINKS.

But you know, people who are going have fun.





Fuck you.

Haven't Done Shit

Things I Should Be Doing In Order To Have A Productive Summer

1. Study for SATs
2. Study for Math II Subject Test
3. Email my teachers recommendation stuff
4. College visiting
5. Working on college essays

Things I Have Done

1. Calculated my GPA for fun
2. Bought the Harry Potter box set
3. Read Harry Potter
4. Played with my wand
5. Blog about Pottermore

I'm never going to get shit done. I'm going to get to August and realize that the rest of my summer is going to suck. 

Pottermore: Dissappointing or Brilliant?

28 minutes ago, Pottermore.com was launched as an "online Harry Potter experience". I anticipated the owls gathering and JK Rowling's announcement as something incredible, but her video announcement basically said nothing. Apparently, this website is going to be about the readership of Harry Potter interacting in Harry's world online and Rowling will also release some information about the series that she has been keeping to herself all this time. While this is a pretty cool idea, the whole fanfare about the owls gathering and her big announcement was basically the dumbest thing ever, because it was kind of an anticlimatic announcement, wasn't it?

On the other hand, this is JK Rowling we're talking about. She is a certified genius. Her website has more portals and secrets than I could ever start to imagine discovering. So while I'm a little disappointed by the nonanswer to my questions about Pottermore, I have no doubt in my mind that it will probably be mindblowing.

Father's Day

“Anyone can fucking procreate, and most eventually do. I refuse to celebrate a statistical probability” --shitmydadsays

We really shouldn't be celebrating birthdays should we? We really shouldn't celebrate having a certain role in life. Happy Father's Day! It's another reminder that you were too much of an asshole to use a condom that one time! Happy Mother's Day! Thanks for squeezing me out of your vagina! Happy birthday! Congratulations on existing!

I refuse to acknowledge that today is Father's Day, besides the fact that I am outwardly acknowledging its existence by talking about how stupid it is. Wouldn't moms and dads prefer to be thanked for their roles on random days, rather than days that are set forth by stores in order to sell more ties in June and more Martha Stewart merchandise in March? Not only is Father's Day stupid, I just realized that basically all those stupid holidays are pointless. Memorial Day is nothing more than the day pools open and it's time to wear white. Labor Day just makes unemployed people feel bad. Earth Day is the day everyone recycles and feels like a superhero, and then the day afterwards, they buy a Hummer. 

These are the holidays we should have: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Feel free to celebrate accordingly.

Attempts at Cybersexing

You're now chatting with a random stranger. Say hi!

Official messages from Omegle will not be sent with the label 'Stranger:'. Strangers claiming to represent Omegle are lying.

You: heyy

Stranger: hey babe asl ?

You: 16 f usa

You: hbu hottie?

Stranger: im 15 f austalia ;)

You: fuck that i can talk to one of those in real life

You have disconnected.

 

You're now chatting with a random stranger. Say hi!

Official messages from Omegle will not be sent with the label 'Stranger:'. Strangers claiming to represent Omegle are lying.

You: hi

Stranger: hi

Stranger: i am gay

You: i am not

You: well, this presents quite a tickle, doesn't it?

Stranger: you do not feel like putting a penis in your mouth?

You: i mean, i just ate

Stranger: yes

You: if you were really flexible, you could probably suck it yourself and its so much more convenient for me

Stranger: why?

You: because you need to be pretty flexible to reach your own dick

Stranger: truth. hahahaha

Stranger: but you know why most were close to Brazil?

You: most what?

You: dicks? gay people?

Stranger: you ever want to eat milk shake?

You: i like drinking milkshakes. with a straw. at fuddruckers

Stranger: Ever wished you put a penis in your mouth?

You: theres one in my mouth now, why do you think i cant fit yours?

Stranger: if you want, that's great.

Stranger: asl?

You: 107, married, the north pole

Your conversational partner has disconnected.

 

From Hollywood to Fairfax

Certain celebrities give me good vibes. I fall in love with their imagined personas that their agents create for them, but I am defenseless against the onslaught of media and glamour that is part of the celebrity world. Most specifically, I imagine many male celebrities as part of my life. There are forty year old women out there who still think they can still get with Jay Sean, and to be honest, I don't blame them if all they have is a beer-guzzling husband to get home to. So anyways, in no particular order except for my number 1 is really my number 1, the following is a list of Male and Lesbian Celebrities that Should be Part of Linh's Life.

Darren Criss-husband Think of the beautiful babies we would make. They would be like beautiful Wasian-Asian babies with silky hair and beautiful green eyes. Hopefully the girls wouldn't inherit those bushy eyebrows, though.

Simon Baker-father I am so in love with his character on The Mentalist, and he was just too adorable on Ellen. I'm pretty sure Ellen is the only person who can bring out the true personality of any celebrity. Anyways, Simon Baker would be like, the coolest father ever. He's good looking enough that it's impossible for him to make ugly babies, but not too good looking because I don't want my friends hitting on him even once he's a silver fox. 

Ellen-mother Just think about ALL THE FREE STUFF. I would get like, a country for my eighteenth birthday because the king of Madagascar loves Ellen so much.

 

Robert Downey Jr.-uncle Whenever Simon Baker won't let me do something stupid and crazy and destructive, I can just call up Ironman. I have a weakness for quirky people (look at my choice for a husband) and Robert Downey Jr. still wears sneakers with suits to premiers even though he's like 50 million years old.

Matt Lanter-older brother It is not creepy to want a hot older brother. Hot brother=bring his hot friends. It's called benefits.

10 Incurable Awkward Moments

1. When there's someone dancing really badly in the middle of that circle at that party
2. That fat girl complaining about how fat she is, expecting you to say, "Oh no, you're not that fat", when the bitch inside you is thinking the exact opposite
3. Facebook stalking a complete stranger through mutual friends, and when you actually meet in person, you accidentally mention their photo from 2008
4. Accidentally liking something while stalking
5. Feeling your boobs bounce (good) as your stomach fat also bounces (very very bad) as you're running in a bikini
6. Going on a college tour and your parent asks about the social life
7. Pooping in school restrooms, each plop resonating off the highly echoic walls
8. Walking around naked home alone...until whoops, not alone anymore
9. Watching people pick out romance novels at the library/bookstore. It's like watching someone download porn.
10. You're the first in the family to be put in Hufflepuff.

I'm in a Haze of Unproductivity

You know those annoying people who put those Facebook statuses of their mundane lives, broadcasting to the entire world that OMG "sleep, school, homework" is like the most freaking profound thing ever? How many "likes" does one expect to get from a status like that anyways? Everyone knows that it's extremely embarrassing to have a status with no likes whatsoever. At least with a status like "lawlskis PANIS", you at least get one "like" from the one person who knows what the hell you're talking about. 

I liked Facebook back when you could see your latest status next to your name. Now, putting up a status is just like writing on your own wall, and it deceives the entire purpose of a status. It's like when you like your own post, which is synonymous to high-fiving yourself. Anyways, I used to feel that pressure to put up a new status because I felt that the very witty yet pretty old status I put up a couple of days ago was no longer relevant to my life. Now I don't feel that pressure and I don't spend twenty minutes staring at my computer screen thinking clever thoughts. Now I just don't share anything with the world except for my views on religion, Facebook, and Potter on this stupid little blog. Statuses are obsolete, people. 

Atheism

Frankly, I don't know why more people aren't atheists. Sometimes it is just so extremely hard to believe in God. Believing in God is like putting all your faith into insurance: You have to pay to get any benefits, and when you fuck up, your rates go up. But then again, everyone has insurance. It's understood as a tenet of societal norms that one must have insurance. But has anyone ever stood up and asked, "Why do I need insurance? I can certainly afford insurance, but I would rather use my money on something else"? It seems to me that there are a lot of people paying pretty high rates of praying and dedication to God and don't get anything back. Monks who dedicate their entire lives to God die of cancer. Humanitarians get assassinated. Murderers walk free.

Just so you know, I believe in God. I think God is a nice idea. I'm not one of those people who thinks God has any ability whatsoever to make a difference in the course of human nature. I do not believe that the blind man who has regained his sight was touched by the hand of God, but rather by pure chance and scientific reasoning. To put that much pressure on one person, even if he's the Big Man in the Sky, is a bit unfair, don't you think?

According to some people, the same man who made it rain in the middle of a drought, caused to drought itself. The same man who helps us fight the enemy, put the enemy on the earth in the first place. That contradictory standard people put on a mere idea complicates and ruins it.

I think the ideological world should just start over. We should all just become atheists and accept that all those miracles are just chance. There is no one calling the shots. That is not what God is supposed to be, some sort of nucleus of the universe. When you pray, stop asking for things, and start asking for not a hand in a miracle, but a hand to hold while life goes on.

Back in the Blogosphere and The Hierarchy of Success

For over a month, I missed Coachella photos, Glee reviews, personal ramblings. Every single time I opened up Google Chrome and saw the Blogger icon, I was tempted to click on it to indulge in the dozens of blogs I read daily, but I made myself stop and click on the Blackboard icon instead. However, even as I came down the homestretch of those darn APs, my mind kept on wandering to my usual whimsical thoughts and now I have a whole backlog of things to blog about. So to start off the slew of crazy awesome posts, I would like to lift the spirits of my readers with my encouragement: stop trying to succeed. 

By succeed, I don't mean stop trying to get into a good college and pursue an awesome career. But the world can only hold so many Nobel Prize winners, so many presidents, so many Madonnas, and so many Vera Wangs. I strongly believe that the hierarchy of high school directly applies to later life, and the best part is, IT'S OKAY!

The Senators and scientists discovering the next sustainable energy source are those people in high school who get two questions wrong the on the APUSH unit tests and are sophomores in Science NHS. Success almost always stems from youth, and rarely do we ever see the people on the cover of Time talking about how they sucked in high school. Sometimes I'm in the same classes as these people and although I might get an A in the class as well, I never come close to touching their standard. I used to feel depressed about that, but lately I have realized that it's inevitable that I will never be on top of the world like these other people. These people are the ones I'm basically going to be looking up to for the rest of my life, and hell yeah, I want them to be tons smarter than me. These successful people are the ones that will be the next generation of brains and talent, and I have no problem being average.

Most people fall in the average category, meaning we'll make up the electorate and the consumers of society. We will be the doctors, lawyers, advertising executives, speechwriters. We are the people those famous brains will step on, but it's inevitable that the world needs us. We may not be on magazine covers or make breakthroughs, but that's perfectly fine. How is the world supposed to work if there's no one to follow the leaders? 

Oh, and those people stumbling down the halls drunk and shrugging at an F in regular English? The world needs sandwich makers. 

Date Rape is a Lie

This is a very serious topic. There are people suffering out there, and the fact that people aren't aware of this extremely important cause is very sad. My heart goes out to you, date rapists.

I find the term "date rape" extremely contradictory. If you're going on a date with a guy, obviously your ultimate goal is not to share stories about your childhood and shit. If you go on a date with a guy, and you're leading him on by kissing him and flirting and winking and doing that foot rubbing thing, the entire time you're eating your appetizer all he can think about is Awww yeahh Ima get some.


So then you go back home and he starts putting the moves on you, and you continue to lead him on and it just goes on and on and on and poor Mr. Horny has a huge boner and then you won't let him follow through.
...
...
...
Bitch, that's the worst thing you can do. Do you not understand that men biologically NEED SEX? The only way he's ever going to get rid of his blue balls is to masturbate right there in your bedroom, so you can either participate in the activity with him or awkwardly pretend to do something else while he relieves himself. Why are women so cruel????

Side note: All my knowledge and wisdom comes from much hypothetical thinking, and really creative friends. I do realize that this is a highly offensive blogpost, but deal with it. Just so you know, I'm only supporting date rapists who "rape" girls who lead them on, not ten-year-olds or anything.

Potter on Omegle: Dark Mark, Patronuses, and Beer

You're now chatting with a random stranger. Say hi!

Official messages from Omegle will not be sent with the label 'Stranger:'. Strangers claiming to represent Omegle are lying.

Stranger: Hello there

You: whoaa dude

Stranger: Whoaaa?

You: the dark mark...up in the sky

Stranger: no freaking way...

Stranger: we gotta expecto patronum that shit

You: uhhh RUHTARD much?

You: you dont expecto patronum the dark mark you freaking bloke

Stranger: You do if you don't take Harry Potter too seriously

You: when you feel the dark mark burn, you summon yourself to the dark lord, not try to summon a goddamn silver beaver

Stranger: That would actually be freaking awesome

You: voldemort is probs getting a little impatient. shouldnt we get going?

Stranger: Probably not. I got some studying to do, and this is about as far as my knowledge on HP goe

Stranger: *goes

You: yes that potions exam tomorrow is supposed to be quite difficult

Stranger: So far I've only managed to make beer.

Stranger: A+ in my book, but the profs don't seem to share the view

You: ohmigosh make your own beer kit! i saw it in the as seen on tv store!

Stranger: Now you have GOT to be freaking kidding me

You: what?

Stranger: No matter.

Stranger: I gotta get going anyways

Stranger: have a good one!

You: thanks i quite enjoy beer

You have disconnected.

Spring and Pollen are in the Air

I'm one of those people who are extremely affected by the changing of seasons. Today is the first day of spring and even though I just spend the last half hour or so hauling manure up and down the hill from my car to the backyard, I have never felt better. The sun was shining, the breeze was tickling my hairless legs (that's right, bitches, I don't have to shave), and the sound of my sniffling, runny nose harmonized with the hum of my neighbor's lawnmower. I am newly determined to whip my flabby self into shape in time for swimsuit season, and I am also on a mission to find the strongest allergy drug out there.

Cannibalism

Being Asian, I'm exposed to a lot of weird foods. I don't personally think it's that strange to eat chicken heart or shark or octopus, but apparently the only animals that are acceptable to eat are boring ones, like cows and pigs and chickens.

You would think that I would be down with eating just about anything, and if trapped on an island with no means of survival but the human corpses strewn about, many people would probably assume that I'm one of those people who would do anything for self-preservation. I thought that I was that type of person too, but the thought of cannibalism makes me really squeamish, and it wasn't until today that I realized why.

It's not the fact that I would be chewing on my friend's leg or whatever, because most of my friends have meaty legs and I would have a good sustenance, but I think about when I survive, I'm airlifted off the island safe and sound, and then...I have to go to the bathroom.

After you eat someone, YOU POOP THEM OUT. That's the part that scares the crap out of me, literally. Think about taking a dump and then looking at your shit as you're about to flush and thinking, "Oh hey, ABBY IS FLOATING IN THERE." I can't fathom the idea of actually pooping out a human being. I can deal with the eating part, I'm all right with the thought of having a person go down my digestive tract, but I cannot poop out a person. I'm already supposed to squeeze out a person at the other end eventually, and I just can't do it more than I have to. If I'm going to shit anybody out, they have to be alive.

#100: FCPS Is In Deep Shit

Almost a year ago, I started this blog because I'm one of those people with a million thoughts swirling around in my head, and once in a while one of them will shine brightly in the midst of it all and beg to be shared. Most of the time, these thoughts are sort of humming around in my brain, but once in a while, one of them will be shouting so loudly that it will make my heart race and my head pound and my fists clench because certain things in life make me angry.

Nick Stuban was on the tip of every tongue two months ago. As I wrote earlier, grieving his death must be done respectfully. However, being angry in the name of Nick is nothing but honorable. 

Do you realize that Fairfax County has several high schools on the Top 100 list, we are one of the wealthiest counties in the entire country, have passing rates on AP exams that puts the national average to shame, send students off the UVA and Harvard, and that Woodson is at the top of it all, being the number one school in the county? I can deal with the tough curriculum; I can roll my eyes at the last-minute school cancellations; I can take a deep breath when my 4 AP classes seem to engulf me; I cannot hold back the anger I feel about FCPS's hypocrisy. 

How can a schooling system that promises to produce upstanding citizens of society even say that when the only way administrators are insuring that is by stomping out the seemingly bad seeds? Zero tolerance: one mistake and it's all over. One mistake that a stupid teenager makes because whether or not he or she lives in the Bronx or the suburbs, there will be stupid teenagers. One mistake and the school is scared that their prestigious pedigree will be marred by an offense, shipping that student off to a different school in the county, as if that will make everything better. I thought that school was supposed to be some sort of Life Simulation: you aren't going to be coddled, but remember that life goes on. Zero tolerance is not real life. In real life, one doesn't fuck up once and life stops. Life goes on regardless of an obstacle, because obstacles are part of life, and part of learning about living is getting over these obstacles. If school is about preparing students for the real world, FCPS sure is doing a shitty job.

How can I sit in class and learn to discern between right and wrong, learn that humans make mistakes, learn about logic, when the very school system I learn from is breaking every single pillar of forgiveness, morality, and humanity that they have encouraged me to learn. Sure, it's okay when these virtues are discussed through Twain or Thoreau or Dickinson. But when it comes time to apply the curriculum, FCPS decided that it's much safer to care for the integrity of the institution, rather than the well-being of an actual human being.

What scares me is that I don't know who to blame. How can I be properly angry when I don't know who to be angry at? It's that argument that society is made up of people, and people are often ambiguous. I know the teachers at my school are as enraged as I am about the injustice of zero tolerance, but does that mean I have to start hating administrators? These people are just doing their jobs: implementing the rules. So who wrote the rules? Well, that's the part that comes right back and bites you in the ass. The rules are made by both parents and teachers and administrators, who are all part of the system that brought Nick down. Those same people are mourning his death. Hopefully they realize that they were part of it. Hopefully something like this won't ever happen again.

Not only is FCPS in huge trouble because everyone in Virginia knows about it, the whole freaking country knows about it. Not only did the Washington Post make it front page news, but TIME magazine also made zero tolerance and Nick Stuban an issue. It's a national epidemic, because society is obsessed with being perfect, and the only way to do that is follow FCPS's example and purge all imperfections.

This is my 100th post. Make this the last time I have to write about this.

The Integrity of Lying

Lying is a part of life because the truth is not black and white, and when it is, it’s hard to face. Degrees of reality often carry different weight for different people. Every time a person tells a story, certain details are augmented while others are either omitted or played down because the teller of the story thinks that certain parts of the story are more important than others. Every citizen of the world is such a storyteller, relaying events or ignoring them because we think some events contribute more to the general equation of life more than others.

Is not saying the something the same as lying? If I had gone to the bathroom and not told someone I had done so, would that be a lie? It wouldn’t, because me trip to the bathroom doesn’t amount to anything in the end. It doesn’t affect anything hugely on a grand scheme because it doesn’t really change anything. However, if I had gone to the bathroom and broken the toilet and not told anyone, would that be a lie? Well, some might argue that it’s not because I didn’t not tell the truth, I just didn’t do anything. However, that contributes the ending equation, doesn’t it? So I guess it is a lie.

But what if a broken toilet doesn’t really affect your life all that much? You might have other things on your mind, and a broken toilet might seem catastrophic to some people, but the supposed teller of the lie might not think so. That results in a conflict of integrity. Person A is a criminal of toilets because he or she didn’t say anything about the broken toilet. Person A doesn’t think this is a huge deal until Person B finds out about it and accuses Person A of lying. Who is right? Well, when a person of authority happens to be Person B, Person A is at a huge disadvantage. The toilet works fine, you just have to jerk the flushing thing a couple times for it to work. However, Person A is stuck paying for a new toilet because Person B wants to teach Person A a lesson. 

The Most Unproductive Day Ever

Went to sleep at 8:30 PM last night and woke up in a state of panic at 6 AM the next morning. By the time I got home from school, I was ready to just throw shit to the wind and have it hit someone in the face, because I just decided that this particular Tuesday I wouldn't give a flying fuck.

3:00-Watched Pretty Little Liars. That Caleb has got quite the bod...and the cheekbones. I have a weakness for cheekbones.
4:00-6:00 Watched Friends while pretending to read my AP Biology textbook. I'm not sure why it took that long because it wasn't even that many episodes.
6:00-8:00 Read the Secret Life of Bees for AP Lang (PRODUCTIVITY BOOST) and watched Friends bloopers on my ipod. Life rocks.
8:00-11:30  actually have no idea what I did. I'm pretty sure I sat on my bed staring at the ceiling or something for more than three hours doing nothing and not even know it.
11:30-1:00 Showered and spend the rest of the time (up until now) watching Darren Criss videos on YouTube. HE IS SO ADORABLE AND HANDSOME AND AWESOME. Mugglenet asked him in an interview if he would try to put Harry Potter references in Glee. OMG if that happened, it would literally die of happiness.

I don't really care what you say. Those pink sunglasses are sexy.

February Is A Rather Uninspiring Month

I love those random days in the winter that are 70 degrees and you just feel like singing and prancing in the wind, but the next day is cold and lonely again. You sadly put away your shorts and reach for those goddamn sweaters. I want springtime. I don't care that the pollen will cause me to gauge me eyes out...I need sunshine and breeze and skirts and flip flops.

I was looking at old Facebook photos of summertime. I was so tan and happy and warm :(

Self Conscious

Korean FOBs ruined it for the rest of us Asians. They hang out in their stupid little groups and speak Korean, even though I KNOW that they can speak perfect English to each other, and they cest each other all the time and won't be normal around non-Koreans. The two most annoying groups in school are the crew people, who just spend their time getting jacked and cesting, and the Koreans, who talk like everything is a question. And all the boys have extremely high pitched voices. It's not natural. Just because Asians supposedly have small dicks doesn't mean that they have to have girly voices.

And then, all the rest of the Asians get a bad rep for hanging out together, because it seems like we're like the FOBs, hanging out with other Asians and talking in Asian, when we're actually whitewashed people that happen to have chinky eyes. Now I feel self-conscious when I'm in a group of people with too many Asians, because I think other people are judging me as one of those stupids that only hang out with Asians. I wouldn't have this mindset if the Koreans hadn't ruined everything for me. I could hang out with three other Asian people and not feel weird about it, but NO not anymore.

I also think it's because I have some sort of paranoid, overanalytical social logic. I am constantly assuming that the people around me care about tiny little social details as much as I do. I'm an extremely judgmetal person, and just because I have a constant running monologue in my head, I think other people do too.Apparantly, it's just me. I'm pretty sure it's schizophrenia.

Friends with Benefits

In the sad, depressing state of post-Valentines, couples often discover that after the glitz of roses and candy, perfume and serenades, relationships are nothing more than artificial happiness. Biologically, humans are a bunch of dickheads. I'm pretty sure that our brains are not wired to be with a soul mate for the rest of our lives, rather, we screw around and divorce left and right. That whole sex addiction thing is totally real. Think about it. All animals screw around and make babies all the time because they are inclined to according to how brains are wired. Humans are the same way, which is why I propose the ideal relationship as a Platonic one with a little extra on the side.

It's technically perfect, because people won't go crazy trying to suppress themselves, and we could all go around being the truly unstoppable whores that we really are. Not like I would know; the only friends with benefits I have are those who let me copy their homework.

Ravenclaw

Ravenclaw: If the world were run by Ravenclaws, it would be a much more logical and orderly place, if not boring. Ravenclaws are known for their intelligence and thinking. While Gryffindors often take actions due to a gut feeling, Ravenclaws regard the heart as weak while the brain as strong. However, being smart doesn't necessarily mean this is the right house for you. To get into the common room, Ravenclaws must answer a question or riddle, showing that abstract thinking that requires logic, philosophy, and cleverness is the secret to true intelligence. Luna Lovegood is a bit kooky and spacey, but she is always the first in Dumbledore's Army to point out the logical solution in her airy voice. She is also not panicked when she is trapped in the cellar with Ollivander, but strong willed because her logical mind knows that there is no way Voldemort can succeed.

Slytherin

Slytherin: Slytherins wrongly hold a bad connotation because a large number of evil people in Wizarding history were Slytherins. Although many evil people are Slytherins, that doesn't mean that Slytherins are evil people. The characteristics of this House often leave these people more susceptible to the temptations of being a Death Eater, because ambition drives the accomplishments of many Slytherins. Ambition and cunning can lead to the ruthlessness many of the Death Eaters displayed, but when we look at Snape, Draco Malfoy, and even Professor Slughorn, these characteristics held true despite the pressures of the evil surrounding them. Snape had ambition in that he wanted to protect Harry, but only for his selfish desire of loving Lily. Draco was not born inherently evil despite antagonizing Harry, but he was merely pushed into that archetype due to the atmosphere he grew up in.

Hufflepuff

Hufflepuff: The easiest way to describe the qualities of a great Hufflepuff is to look at an Olympic athlete: Hufflepuffs are hardworking and loyal. Like athletes on a team, Hufflepuffs can overcome differences to find the similarities in people to create bridges. They understand that in the end, we are all human and our similarities overpower the differences we think are so important. A lot of people overlook the Hufflepuff house because it seems to be the insignificant house, not producing heroes or villians or intellectuals. However, one of the alumni of the Hufflepuff house include Nymphadora Tonks. She exhibits the hardworking nature of that house, and can love Lupin despite his werewolf alter ego because she doesn't see that aspect of his character as important as his sense of love and compassion.

Gryffindor

Gryffindor: It seems that everyone wants to be a part of Harry's House, because many people feel that this house of heroes is "the best". However, Gryffindors are more than just brave and heroic souls. Gryffindors often have the weakness of hubris, or a thirst for heroism that is often augmented by a selfish desire for glory. We might think that heroes do everything for the sake of the damsel in distress, but the knight in shining armor is looking for a prize. For example, Peter Pettigrew is an example of a fallen Gryffindor, because his search for an identity as a hero blinded his judgement. Gryffindors are also very intuitive, because they often listen to their hearts rather than the voice of logic. Sometimes there is this gut feeling that a certain decision is right over another one, even though it might not make sense, and however illogical, Gryffindors hold extreme faith in humanity. One of the reasons why Gryffindors make such good heroes is because they give people the benefit of the doubt, and that goes back to the idea that they often listen to their intuition.

I believe that we all have a bit of each House in our blood, but true Gryffindors are valiant, brave, good-hearted, trustful, and just a little bit selfish.

Houses

I find it quite surprising that a lot of people don't understand the characteristics of each Hogwarts House. Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin all have defining characteristics that are important to the Sorting Hat, but we each have a bit of each house in us. Dumbledore himself said that he sometimes thought that students were sorted too early, and this is seen in many of the characters in which their House placement is a bit puzzling.

As your humble Harry Potter crazed blogger, I feel it is my pleasure and duty to educate you about the Houses at Hogwarts. Upon reading my upcoming posts, perhaps you can place yourself in your respective House, or better yet, ask someone else which House they think you belong in. The characteristics of Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin encompass the virtues of all wizards and witches, and if you don't seem to possess any of these qualities, you aren't meant to be part of the magical world. Which is fine, I guess, but don't bother associating yourself with me.

One of My Two Loves

Awwww look! Hot Asian Guy From Glee is wearing a metallic suit, pink shirt, and blue tie without looking geeky. He's kind of my hero. I can't find a picture of Darren Criss at the SAG Awards, though. It's quite sad, but I'm sure he looked fabulous and quirky and adorable enough to make the fangirl inside me weep.

Seeing

“The green ray is a seldom-seen streak of light that rises from the sun like a spurting fountain at the moment of sunset; it throbs into the sky for two seconds and disappears” -Annie Dillard, Seeing

Most of the time life feels like this great big muddle of useless crap that I'm not really sure about at all. Most of the time it seems so hopeless, like time goes by so slowly as the day goes by but so quickly as time goes on. Every single day I want to start somewhere new and look for what I'm supposed to be doing with my life. I feel like what I'm doing right now isn't living, it's just filling up a life with unexpressed time. 

One day, though, I'm going to find that green light on the horizon. I learned from a lot of people that you can't find that spark of life if you're looking for it; you have to live in order to happen upon it. I wish I were in a position in which I can see that green light, like a spurting fountain, but right now all I see is darkness.

Claustrophobia

I like snow days. I just hate snow. I am stuck in my house with three different types of Chips Ahoy cookies and no treadmill. I'm not supposed to leave the house, so I stay in my room and reread every single childhood novel I possibly can and ignore the SAT book lying on the floor. I can almost feel my butt inflating.

Nick Stuban

Most tragedies result in unification and a changed viewpoint in most people's lives. After 9/11, an awakened America reflected on its materialistic culture and embraced the roots of the country through patriotism and moral values. On Friday morning, my high school was a sobered place, not quite as abrasive as a normal high school setting should be.

I was also ashamed to see different reactions to tragedy. Just because of one student's death, many people were crying over someone they didn't even know. It is disrespectful to jump on the bandwagon of grief, just for attention. If you didn't know Nick Stuban, it's okay to be sad and sobered, but it's not okay to be talking about how much you miss him when you never talked to him. 

In today's public media, Facebook is how we express things to the world. I saw many statuses talking about how much they would miss Nick, but I also saw statuses saying they would miss Nick even if they didn't know him personally. It is a noble thing to be sad after a tragedy, but it's a disrespectful thing to be sad about something just because everyone else is. It is not enough to wear black on the wake of his death to express your compassion; truly expressing sorrow for someone concerns specific actions.

Especially today, a lot of people have lost faith in the power of prayer. Whether or not you believe in God, don't mock those who do and are praying for Nick's family. Praying doesn't change anything, but doing so makes some people feel that they are channeling their grief into a higher power, and also letting Nick's family know that they care. 

Personally, Nick's death made me think about my problems in a different light. Teenagers are born to be dramatic. We have all gone through some sort of dark moment in our lives that we think will never end, and the only solution is to end it ourselves. Think about all the people you might hurt. Just take a deep breath, and remember that life goes on. 

Those Quirky Boys Get Me Every Time

My obsession with Darren Criss continues. I'm pretty sure I would rather meet Darren Criss than Daniel Radcliffe, because Darren Criss isn't just Harry Potter. I feel like we have some sort of soulful connection, but in a noncreepy way. I'm a little sad that he has become so successful because now I'm sharing him with so many other people, though I loved him first. May I reiterate that he's from A VERY POTTER MUSICAL and NOT GLEE??

Awwwww. Darren Criss wears pink sunglasses and Harry Shum Jr. wears a plaid shirt. It's just too much quirky for me...I'm all smiley and giddy now.

The Skins Bandwagon

I wanted to punch everybody who had a status related to Skins yesterday night. "Omg Jershey Shore and then Skins! So excited!" The US version of Skins is exactly like the UK version, right down to the script, which they modified to be more Americanized and that was about it.

I started watching Skins after I saw Slumdog Millionaire and fell in love with Dev Patel. I found out he was part of the show and I watched the first episode out of curiosity. I then became borderline obsessed because not only is Skins a highly addictive show, but it's brilliantly written. Although they are partying and doing drugs left and right, the characters of Skins are amazingly complex and developed throughout the show so they represent bigger ideas related to the youth generation. For example, Tony represents control, manipulation, and egocentrism. But after his accident at the end of the first season, he has to reinvent himself, finding out that his leadership of the group is just as effective without his manipulative ways. Cassie represents vulnerability and love, and serves as a contrast to her male counterpart, Sid, who represents innocence, kindness, and the underdog in all teenagers.

Although the makers of the UK Skins themselves came to the US to remake Skins, I know it's not going to be nearly as good because they aren't even doing a show based on it. It's just the same show with different actors, following the same plotline. Trying to recreate something amazing is never going to be up to par.

I just know that everyone is going to be newly addicted to Skins and Skins fever will take over the entire freaking country; everyone oblivious to the brilliance of the UK version. So just watch the UK Skins because it quite possibly the best drama TV show ever.

From left to right: Sid, Chris, Cassie, Jal, Anwar (Dev Patel!), Maxxie, Tony, Michelle

Those Procrastinating Hypocrites

There should be a rule that the county has to decide on closings and delays by a certain time the night before. Those procrastinating dumbshits waited until 4:30 AM last time to post on the website that there would be a delay, and the night before, 99.9% of us were not typing on Word documents for school, but switching between Facebook and the FCPS homepage. It was an endless cycle of F5 and commenting on some status along the lines of "WTF FCPS" or making your own status along the lines of "WTF FCPS". So basically, the entire county is one procrastinating hot mess, and it's a vicious cycle that can't be stopped unless someone decides something at a proper time, say 9 PM.

Furthermore, all those people hoping for a snow day and another huge snowstorm are kidding themselves. Last year's storm was just a freak of nature, and it's not going to happen again this year, I'm pretty sure. If it did I might cry because I would once again be wearing my Snuggie 24/7 and shoveling my way down the street. Winter 2010 was a dark time for me. Anways...

F5
F5
F5
F5
F5

You have got to be freaking kidding me.

Darren Criss enjoys fingerless gloves

Darren Criss has an amazing sense of style. Pretty? More like supermegafoxyhot.

Stream of Consiousness

It's Sunday night and I'm having one of those ADD moments when my mind jumps from wow this dining room table looks like shit all my schoolwork crap is on here and there is a random pen with VIAGRA on it WHOOPS how is a pen going to help erectile dysfunction anyways? Why in the world would I purchase a 3-inch binder...there is half a ruler I wonder where the other half went OMG someone just chatted me on Facebook how exciting oh wait it's someone only semi-exciting how anticlimatic. Doesn't it suck when you're trying to procrastinate and the parental units are staring over your shoulder blogging looks legit though it looks like you're typing up some important paper when you're really just typing things like BETCH, FREAK, HARRY POTTER. I wonder what my life would be like without Google I would probably die and then want to Google why Google doesn't exist hahahahahahahaaaaa I just thought of something funny. Grounded for Life. That show is the greatest. I wonder what happens when the VIAGRA pen runs out of ink? I feel like you could do a "That's what she said" thing to that but my prudish little mind hasn't quite come up with a connection yet...

What the devil's going on here?

Kudos to Lucy Taylor and her amazing shirt and kudos to Starkid Productions for the quite spectacular A Very Potter Musical. And kudos to me for coming up with a rather clever little list:

Instances in which "What the devil's going on here?" would be appropriate

Crewcest is occuring.

WHAT THE DEVIL'S GOING ON HERE?

Receiving a gradesheet. It's either complete shit or a complete miracle.

WHAT THE DEVIL'S GOING ON HERE?

During the multiple choice portion of the AP Lang exam. I swear, the stuff they're testing you on isn't English.

WHAT THE DEVIL'S GOING ON HERE?

Substitute for WTF.

WHAT THE DEVIL'S GOING ON HERE?

The boyfriend/girlfriend is caught cheating.

WHAT THE DEVIL'S GOING ON HERE?

A bad outfit, especially on a flamboyant gay guy.

WHAT THE DEVIL'S GOING ON HERE?

Celebratory, for example if one were to be accepted to Yale.

WHAT THE DEVIL'S GOING ON HERE?

The original created in AP Lang :)

Update On The Life

I spent the best four days ever at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Florida, and I came back with absolutely no inspiration to blog about it. It wasn't so much the butterbeer or the shops or Ollivander's; it was more the amazing atmosphere that was so electric I can't even describe it. As soon as I stepped into Hogsmeade, I felt as though I belonged. I guess that was the best part for me: the overwhelming feeling of happiness I got from just being in that little world.

All in all, winter break was pretty good. Though the last post of 2010 expressed some negative feelings toward this family vacation, let's disregard all that and concentrate on happy feelings. My whole family is psycho anyways, including me, so it's not like it's a huge surprise that we drove each other crazy.

I spent New Year's Eve at my cousin's house and played with my adorable nephew, Timothy! I LOVE HIM. He's so smart and knows so many words. LOOKIT.

Hearing about my life is pretty boring. I'm really just posting because I feel bad that I haven't posted at all in a really long time. It's pretty lame for the first post of 2011, but who cares? I hate New Year's. It's a dumb holiday. Why do people get drunk and make out to celebrate the passage of time? The whole resolutions thing is a total fail, and why do people feel the need to suddenly become awesome people in the dead of winter? If anything, the new year should start in September, when school starts. That is honestly when things seem the change and a new beginning commences. 

I was thinking about what will happen in 2011. 

• Finish the most stressful year ever.
• Take tons of stupid standardized tests so I can get into college. 
• Stress myself out trying to make money for a trip I want to go on.
• Stress myself out with college applications.
• Possible get into college early-decision.

Holy crap.