Random Thought: I Wish Someone Would Invent This

I need to listen to music at night to be able to sleep. Unfortunately this can be a problem if I am sharing a room with someone who needs silence to sleep. I usually get around this problem by just sleeping with headphones in my ears, but that can be rather uncomfortable and it tends to drain the batteries of my MP3 player. So, because of this I wish someone would invent a music player were you direct the sound to one specific area and anyone outside of that specific area would not be able to hear the sound. Now, I don't know if this is even possible given how sound waves work. But that is why there are really smart people in the word. So that they can figure out how to make impossible things possible, and then make a lot of money off of it.

Until next time, au revoir
~Nat

Christmas Reflections

A belated Merry Christmas to you all! I wanted to actually post this on Christmas, but due to sleeping in, hanging out with family and too much delicious food sitting in my stomach, I was unable to do it.

Yesterday was a ton of fun! I always love getting together with my family (even if my cousins are really weird and gave me the money to by my Christmas present from them and then made me wrap it up so that I couldn't open it till I was with them on Christmas), and yesterday was no exception. In the afternoon all of the grandchildren got together at the Grandparent house and played some games, and then we went to another relative's house for supper and presents. As proof of my extreme nerdyness, I got exceedingly excited when I discovers my present from my Grandparents contained post-it-notes.

But even though family, presents and post-it-notes are all awesome, we all know that, that isn't what Christmas is really about. Unfortunately, it is hard to focus on the birth of Jesus, when opening presents is so much more interesting, and most of the  time I really fail at it. But this year I decided that on Christmas eve I was going to read the Christmas story from my Bible and really spend some time thinking about it. As I was laying in bed, contemplating, the extent of Jesus' sacrifice really hit me. See, most people focus on the cross and how much He suffered for us there, but his suffering started a lot sooner than that. I mean, He left heaven, an absolutely perfect place, where He was with God all the time, came to this completely messed up world and lived with us for over 30 years. I mean when you think about it, would you be willing to leave paradise to save a group of people who hated you? Probably not. I doubt I would have done something so selfless. This is just another example of the awesome love Jesus had for us, and how completely amazing our salvation is.

So yeah, this is what I am going to try and think about on Christmas from now on.

Until next time, au revoir.

~Nat

P.S. It has come to my attention that some people would like to receive email notifications when I post. If you are one of those people, send me an email at scrawledacrossthepage@gmail.com and I will be sure to add you to the mailing list.

Of Night Owls and Early Birds

I like to stay up late. Really late. Like, 2:00 or 3:00 in the morning late. Don't get me wrong, I love sleep, and always regret having to leave it when my alarm clock goes off. But there always seems to be one last interesting thing I need to do before I go to bed. Even when I try really hard to get to bed earlier, I never seem to manage to get under my covers before midnight.

Of course these late night lead to late mornings. I usually don't leave my bed until after 11, and I often get ridiculed for sleeping so late. Which leads me to a question: why is it socially unacceptable to sleep in past 9:00? I mean, seriously, why does a person have to be awake during certain hours and asleep during certain hours? What is wrong with sleeping till noon and staying awake past midnight? I say, absolutely nothing. I personally think better later at night (yes I know technically 1:00AM is "morning" but I consider anytime that is dark and most people sleep to be "night")  and my thoughts flow more freely, so it is easier for me to do things like write (which is why I am writing this at 1:27AM). Now, if I am tired, some of those thoughts won't be coherent, but they come out of the recesses of my brain a lot faster if I am writing after the sun goes down.

I guess the point I am trying to make with all of this, is that the notion that everyone has to go to bed in the hours where the letters "PM" follow the numbers and get up before all of the hours ending in "AM" have passed, is silly. Go to bed when it works best for you, get up when it works best for you, and don't feel horrible just because you are eating breakfast when everyone is eating lunch. Although I would probably not recommend staying up past midnight when you have to leave at six the next morning for a debate tournament. It is not fun.

Until I write again, au revoir.

~Nat

Study Finds Connection between Hideous or Boring Football Uniforms and Winning

Here is another made up news story I wrote awhile ago. Enjoy! 

~~~

By Natalie Schneider

Big Blue Cow News, November 1, 2010

Football season has come upon us and the sight of grown men running into each other fills our television screens once again.  But a new study conducted by the Phil Randum Study Group may change how we view this beloved game. The study examined the football rankings for the last 20 years and came to a startling conclusion: in almost all instances, the best teams were the ones with the boring or unattractive uniforms.

“I was as skeptical as everyone else when we started this project,” Andrew Apikture, an employee at PRSG said. “I didn’t think there could possibly be a correlation, but it is true.” Apikture said that you could even see the connection when you looked at this week’s rankings.  Of the top ten teams only one does not have a uniform that is “either hideous or a complete snooze.” Apikture stated that TCU has the only decent uniform on the list and that Oregon, which is number one, had its uniform designated as the “most ugly uniform on the face of the earth.” In direct contrast is Akron, who is ranked 119, and whose uniform was “very pretty with its gold and blue.”

Some people remain skeptical about the findings of the Study. John Elway, former quarterback for the Broncos, scoffed at the alleged connection between uniforms and winning. “The idea that what a football player wears can affect his playing is ridiculous,” Elway said. “I was a great football player, and it had nothing to do with my uniform.” But not everyone is as disbelieving as Elway. Shortly after the study was released the coach of Notre Dame announced that they would change the color of their uniforms from their original blue and gold to lime green, tickle-me-pink and Clemson orange. A few hours later Army released a statement that their uniforms next year would be tie-dye with accents of aquamarine. In contrast, Florida decided to go the other route and intentionally make their uniforms boring by changing their colors to red and white. Urban Meyers said in a statement to the press, “The study found that red and white seems to bring success, as 50% of top 10 teams wear those two colors. Without Tim Tebow on the roster, we figure we have to try something. If this doesn’t work we may try recruiting talented players.”  

Not everyone is as accepting of the studies results. Two days after Virginia Tech announced that their uniforms would be modeled after the wardrobe of Ronald McDonald; angry fans swarmed the PRSG building. Police officers had to be called in, when some of the fans started throwing rotten bananas and cantaloupes at the windows. “I can’t believe idiots like this are allowed to remain in business,” on angry fan stated. “All their junk about uniforms having something to do with winning is just stupid.”   

Others expressed grave concern at the effects of this study further down the road. “It is quite possible that this study could change football as we know it,” said Economist Dr. Amelia Sheppard. “And it won’t be for the better.” Experts fear that because of the new shift towards unsightly uniforms, fans may be scared away from the game. According to Ed Stillman, an expert in all things football, most football teams have a loyal fan base that will remain with them no matter what. But a majority of the fans are the type that may decide to desert a team simply because their uniforms are hideous. “The sad truth is that a majority of American football fans are fickle people,” Stillman said. “And if more football teams follow in the footsteps of Notre Dame and Virginia Tech, it may be disastrous for college football in America and for the American economy.” College football produces roughly $756 billion dollars in revenue, which amounts to around 5% of the US GDP. “If we were to lose half of that revenue due to fans leaving, it would mean disaster for our economy,” Dr. Sheppard stated. “Our economy is still very vulnerable from the economic downturn, and even losing that small amount would be a significant blow.”

Despite all of the controversy surrounding the study, PRSG stands behind their conclusion. In a statement to the press, President John Anderson said, “All of our findings are based on sound evidence and no matter how load you shout, or how many fruits you throw at us, it will not change the facts. PRSG is very thorough in all of our studies and we will always stick with our results.”

Sometimes the Best Things are the Hardest

As is probably very evident from my posts, I am a Christian. I believe that there is a God who created everything and He sent His Son to die for me and save me from my sins. But sometimes, it can be easy to doubt these things. It can be easy to wonder if there is a God and if I am just tricking myself into trusting in something that doesn't exist. It is times like this that I lament the fact that God does not show Himself. I call out that it would be easier to trust if I could just see Him or hear Him. 

But then I remember that sometimes it is the hardest things that are the best for us.If a marathon were easy, it wouldn't be worth running. If  Mt Everest were easy to climb, there would be no triumph in concurring it. If it were easy to qualify in debate (yes, everything in my life eventually goes back to that) I wouldn't be worth putting a lot of effort in, I wouldn't learn and grow as much, and the thrill of breaking would not be nearly as sweet. 

So, even though it is really hard sometimes, and sometimes the chatter of the world places doubt in my mind, I  think I am going to stick it out. I'll just hold on to trust, and pray for Him to help me through this, because I know at the end, it will  be totally worth it. 

Until next time, au revoir.

~Nat

And You Though I Couldn't Do It

Ha! I did it! I got a post up this week, just like I said I would. Oh, ye of little faith, you thought I wouldn't get it done, didn't you? Actually, truth be told, I didn't think I would get it done, but we can keep that between ourselves. Okay?

Anyway, my life lately has been pretty crazy. Added to the normal school and debate work I have to get done, was a college application to Hillsdale. Ack! I can't believe I am applying for colleges already! Time really has gone by fast.

Because of all of the work I have been doing for the application (I can't believe they require two 500 word admission essays) I don't really have time to write about a lot. So, I am just going to let you read one of the admission essays I have been slaving on for the past week. I hope you have more fun reading it, then I had writing it.

"What is good character and why is it important? You may cite examples from literature, the arts, science, politics, history, athletics, business, education or your own personal experiences."

According to Webster’s American Dictionary, character is “the…traits that form the…nature of a person.” Therefore, good character may be defined as the righteous and upright traits that shape a person’s nature. Because the essence of government will reflect the nature of the people, it is essential that the individual’s character be of a good quality.

People will transfer their character traits to those they influence, shaping the nature of society. The main vehicle for this transference is the relationship between a parent and their child. A parent plays a vital role in shaping the character of their offspring. Through words and deeds, they provide an example that the child can follow and incorporate into their consciousness. This is the reason children of criminals most often turn to crime. The character that the parent portrayed is one that condones wrong doing.

A nation’s government will echo the heart and nature of its citizens. If the people are corrupt the government will in turn become corrupt. During elections, people often “sell” their votes to politicians who promise them the most benefits. They consider their personal gain above the qualifications of the candidate. This leads to the election of nominees who willingly compromise their principles to win, fostering a political atmosphere where it is nearly impossible to garner support without selling votes to the corrupt political establishment. This summer I volunteered for the campaign of State Senator Dennis Pyle. He was running against incumbent Lynn Jenkins for the Republican spot in the Congressional race. Jenkins’ record showed her continual compromise in Washington. She voted in favor of Planned Parenthood and tax increases, both actions contrary to her campaign promises. In contrast, I was witness to Pyle’s strong character and his unwillingness to compromise his principles. But because Jenkins went along with the established political order and made concessions to gain support, she was the candidate that was elected.

By contrast, a person’s character may also have a profound effect on society for the better. During the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, William Wilberforce and his small group of followers fought valiantly to end the English slave trade. Due to their determination, Parliament passed the Slave Trade Act in 1807, making England the first Western nation to outlaw the slave trade. It is good characteristics, such as these, that are the most difficult to pass on to others. Human beings have inherently flawed character, and so individuals naturally are drawn towards immorality. Therefore, it is more difficult to transfer the righteous aspects of an individual’s nature than it is to pass on the negative character traits.

Our character is our most important feature; it defines who we are and its effects have far reaching consequences. Individuals with good character can bring about momentous and beneficial change, but if a nation’s citizens are corrupt, they will bring about the ruin of the country. It is for these reasons that good character is vital, and is something for which we should always strive.

Until next time, au revoir

~Nat

The Answer to One of Life's Many Questions: Why Colonel Doesn't Have an "R"

If you have been following my blog for awhile, all two of you may remember a blog post I made awhile ago about spelling, and I complained about the missing 'r' in colonel. For the rest of you, I'll be nice and give you a link so you know what I am talking about. 

Ok, now that you are back from reading my old post, I can move on. 

The other day I was reading The Mother Tongue: English and How It Got That Way (this has become one of my new favorite books. Yes, I do have very weird interests) and I came to the chapter on spelling. Much to my great excitement, this absolutely amazing book explained about why there is no 'r' in colonel!!!!!!! Now, I am going to pass this splendid bit of information on to you. 

"Colonel...comes from the old French coronelle, which the French adapted from the Italian colonello...When the word first came into English in the mid-sixteenth century, it was spelled with an r, but gradually the Italian spelling and pronunciation began to challenge it. For a century or more both spellings and pronunciations were commonly used, until finally...we settled on the French pronunciation and Italian spelling." 

See! I knew the French had something to do with it!

A couple of other interesting fact that I learned from the chapter on spelling:

1) For the longest time people didn't care at all about consistent spelling. In fact, in some cases they would  spell the same word two different ways in the same letter. Why can't things be like that now?

2) During the early 1900's there  was a movement to simplify spelling in the US. The Simplified Spelling Board released a list of 300 words that were commonly spelled two different ways (like judgement and judgment) and endorse the simpler spelling. They were able to get the support of National Education Association and President Theodor Roosevelt, and actually succeed in changing the way words like catalog and program were spelled. Sadly, WWI happened and so a great movement died before it could do any real good.

Well, I think I have thrown enough useless facts at you for one day.

Until next time, au revoir.

~Nat

P. S. I apologize for the fact that I haven't posted for a really long time. Unfortunately there is this thing called life, and it takes up a lot of my time. But I shall endeavor to improve, and post something about once a week. We shall see if I can manage it.