SaraInWasteland

I probably spend about six to ten hours on the Internet a day. The Internet is what I do. Some people watch TV, others read, and while I do both of those things quite often (especially the latter), the Internet is what feels most comfortable to me, something I can sit and do for hours with nary a care in the world. When I'm not at work, it's almost guaranteed that I'm either sleeping or I'm online.

That's such a joke. "Yeah, Mom - I listen to alternative and metal so I'm sitting here in my room shooting up heroin for shits and giggles." It's ridiculous to assume that just because one listens to a certain type of music, they're doing drugs that are associated with that culture. That's probably where it comes from though to be honest - when you think of a rap video, what do you think of? Blunts, "*BLEEP*es," and forties. When you think of rock, what do you think of? I know I think of a lot of talented people who were taken before their time due to the effects of drug abuse. That still doesn't mean that just because I listen to a certain type of music that I'm going to do the drugs that are most often associated with it. I mean, if that's the case, then we don't have anything "clean" to listen to but religious music and country music - and even country is a stretch considering that they sing about alcohol so much. (No disrespect intended to country music - I was raised listening to it and I still listen to it every once in a while.) At the same time, we have to look at the history of the culture of these genres of music. Stereotypes exist for a reason. I am from West Virginia, the queen state of stereotypes, and you know, once upon a time, we may have been running about uneducated and barefoot and it got blown out of proportion. Stereotypes always stem from the same thing: the state of a minority being applied to the majority as a whole. The same goes for music. The drugs are associated with it for a reason; it didn't just pop up out of nowhere. I'm not saying it's right - in fact, it's very, very wrong, but that's the way it is. Also, parents have an obligation to protect their children and keep them safe. What kind of parents would they be if they didn't? Yes, parents can be overbearing at times but if I were a parent, I'd rather be safe than sorry. Now, as a child, I have a totally different viewpoint but you have to place yourself in the parents' shoes. That being said though, that website is giving some of the most absurd advice. If I were running that site, I'd tell people to look for personality changes, secretiveness, your child actually acting high, track marks, ANYTHING, before I'd tell them to base their opinion on what type of music your child listens to.

It can be as little as two hours or as many as eighteen with me. It depends on so many factors. For one, my bipolar disorder affects my sleep patterns. When I'm manic, I can wake up after just a couple of hours sleep and feel just as energetic as a normal person would after eight hours of sleep. Sometimes, if my mania gets too bad, I just don't sleep period (although it's been well over a year since it got that bad). If I'm depressed I could sleep all day, literally. Also, if I drink heavily, the next day I will spend all day asleep, usually on the couch, waking up every couple of hours then passing out again. On "average" (as if "average" is ever an option with me, but that's another story), I sleep anywhere from four to seven hours a day. Today, it's already 9:00 AM and I have to be at work at 5:00 PM, so I'm thinking I may end up getting four, at the most five, hours of sleep today. I like to try to convince myself that I make up for it on the days I don't work by sleeping a bit more (which is true), but in reality, there's really no such thing as "catching up" on sleep.

Captchas don't really bother me too much, but they do frustrate me sometimes when I can't solve them right off the bat. I understand why they're put in place but I thought the whole point was to make sure that you really are human. Well, what do we do when not even a real human can solve one? Captchas have been around for years now. You would think that by now they would have come up with a better way of resolving whether you are human or not.

It's awkward for me to watch those scenes with anyone - Mom, grandparents other family, friends, you name it. Maybe I'm just awkward when it comes to the topic of sex in general, but I always turn beet-red when one of those scenes come up and I'm watching the movie with another person. Oh, and in response to Zagubadu's post about it being your grandparents - yeah, it's ten times more awkward with them. (I lived with mine for the majority of my life.) Although, off on a tangent, my Grandma (God rest her soul) and I did once watch an episode of "South Park" together. It was the episode where Jimmy kept getting random erections. It was awkward at first - until she started laughing. That eased the situation a bit, lol.

I'm a girl and I have a male roommate. (Just for clarification, it goes no further than being roommates and friends.) He's actually pretty good about putting the seat down, but every once in a while he doesn't. It doesn't bother me though. If I walk in and the seat's up, I just put it back down, do my business, and go on about my day. I don't understand why some women make such a big deal out of it.

I have a job. I am a waitress. No, it's not the most glamorous job in the world, but it pays the bills. On busy nights, it can make for some damn good money too. The only thing I really hate about my job is how I have no set schedule and it's hard for me to make plans because I always have to look for the possibility of being called in on my days off. It's also very hard on my body (particularly my feet and legs) and it can be extremely stressful at times. However, I get along with most everyone that I work with and our bosses are pretty lax so we can goof off and have fun at work. That makes work not such a horrible place to go to sometimes.

Honestly I think the most important tip on here is to either have or develop an eye for a good shot. If you don't have that then you have just about no hope of ever getting a decent photograph. The camera can't, and won't, do all the work for you. I've seen some amazing pictures taken with a point-and-shoot camera, all because the photographer had an amazing eye for a good picture. I've also seen very expensive and professional cameras take less-than-perfect shots because the photographer just figured that the camera would do all the work for them. Either way, these were some great tips. Thanks for posting. :angel:

I can definitely understand your point about smoking. I know it's bad for me, but I'm in denial about it. I never want to make the connection between the loss of my upper singing register and smoking - I say it's because I'm out of practice. The truth is though, deep down I know this - it's because of my smoking. I let my addiction control my thought process and put me in denial. When I cough up globs of phlegm that taste like cigarettes, I deny that it's because of the cigarettes. When I get a headache because I've smoked too many cigarettes, I chalk it up to stress or something - but never the cigarettes. Deep down though, I know it's because of the cigarettes. I think certain habits do hinder thinking, and make us "turn off" our conscience, our sense of right or wrong, our sense of what is OK and what is not. This is a great point you brought up.

Personally, I hated high school. That had very little to do with the actual experience though, and more to do with the fact that I was bored out of my mind the whole time. It sounds very pompous of me (and I apologize in advance for that), but I was bored to death because, as a friend once told me, I was "too intelligent" for high school. This friend didn't mean that I was a math whiz or anything, but that I was very philosophical and to sit and learn over and over the importance of proper punctuation, etc. (as much of a grammar nut as I may be) was just boring me to pieces because I wanted to learn how things worked, how we are, why we do what we do, our thought processes - the basics that I was being taught in high school were just numbing to me. I couldn't challenge what the teacher was saying, I couldn't debate - I just had to sit there and take it. Now, as for friends, I had some and I loved them. However, for reasons not discussed here, I was a couple of years older than the kids I became friends with in high school. The maturity factor came into play here. I was putting a lot of thought into things that they couldn't even process. Therefore, our conversations were typically pretty superficial because if I would launch off into one of my tangents, they just didn't get it. This may explain why I kept most of my friendships outside of school - the people I was in school with couldn't get what I was talking about as well as others could. I eventually ended up dropping out and getting my GED. I would never encourage anyone to drop out. Stick it out as long as you can, because you may surprise yourself. However, never fall for the "system" of how it's done. Stand up for yourself if need be. I know a lot of people have had better experiences in high school than I did. I wish everyone could have those good experiences. They say college is the best years of your life. I guess someday I'll see....at least then I might not feel entrapped and I'll be free to argue.

She has three books out to date. Her first, "Wasted: A Memoir Of Anorexia And Bulimia" was a huge hit when it came out because it told the story of eating disorders unlike any other book that had been published on them, and is probably still one of the best books out there on the topic. Her second, which was a novel, "The Center Of Winter," focused on a family after the father's suicide. I can't say much about that book because I haven't read it, but I intend to do so sometime. Her third and most recent book, "Madness: A Bipolar Life," focuses on her life after "Wasted" came out, which is when she finally got the diagnosis that explained many things about her to herself: rapid-cycle bipolar I disorder. I am currently reading "Madness" and so far, it's a great book. She's also a journalist and poet, and also lectures on eating disorders, mental illness, and writing. Has anyone else ever read her work? What's your opinion?

Wow. That would be a truly amazing thing to witness firsthand. I remember when military jets used to fly over our house when I was a kid every once in a while, and sometimes while they were flying over, they'd break the sound barrier, resulting in that insanely intense sonic boom. Seeing it THAT close though would be amazing.

Well, I never said it would actually work on me. I just said I thought it was funny. If a guy actually said that to me, he'd get that "Say WHAT?" line from me. But just imagining it is pretty funny.

I do find this funny. I could just see some guy serenading a girl and then that comes out of his mouth. "Say WHAT?"

I'm always interested in hearing what people do for a living. Some people have very interesting jobs or careers, plus I love hearing about it because it helps me understand what sort of opportunities are out there for me and how vast the possibilities are. Currently I'm a waitress, but I certainly don't plan on doing this all my life. What do you do for a living?

For me, I think putting "fun" in school should mean that it becomes more interesting, more engaging. You don't necessarily have to have a girlfriend or boyfriend nor do you need to do sports or have a lot of friends. I dropped out, and I didn't play sports, have a boyfriend, nor have a whole lot of friends. What made me drop out is that it bored me to pieces. It wasn't engaging enough to make me WANT to learn any more than I had to. I honestly think that the whole education system, at least in my country (the United States) needs a complete and total overhaul. Many kids who drop out have so much potential and are actually very intelligent, but they're simply bored to tears with the way school here works. There is a huge difference between fun and slacking off. I remember having fun in subjects that I'm not great with, but still had a desire to learn about, because the teachers made the subject fun. Science is a great example of it. I do alright with science, but I'm not spectacular with it like I am with English and other languages, nor do I suck with it like I do math. I just do OK, but always had a lot of fun and had a desire to learn because it was just challenging enough to keep me wanting more, and we were constantly doing hands-on things as opposed to copying problems out of a book and solving them. Many kids just need that sort of stimulation, THAT sort of fun, not the slack-off kind. If the education system could find a way to make sure that all schools make all subjects and classes like that, I could guarantee that the dropout rate would be lower than what it is. I also think that there should be a little more freedom in the classroom. I know so many kids who hated school but love college because of the freedom to disagree, the freedom to challenge what is in the textbook, the ability to challenge the so-called facts with other theories and thoughts and ideas. That was another reason that science was fun for me. What was in the textbook was fact, but I could come up with something off of the top of my head, a random thought that was connected to what we were studying, and mention it in class. There would then be a whole discussion based around those ideas. In so many other classes though, there was no room for that. Heck, in a lot of classes, if we even dared to challenge what the textbook said, we were automatically wrong and there was no question about that. Fun doesn't mean not learning, it means making the learning fun.

I am the same way. I was raised on Southern, greasy, full-of-fat-and-calories food, but my family made sure we ate it in a healthy way and got healthy options along with all that delicious Southern food. We didn't get fast food all the time, and we certainly didn't eat a lot of junk food. Also, my Grandma helped us to control our portions. She used to tell us, "Don't take too much at once. When you're finished, if you're still hungry, you can always go back and get a little more." So many parents don't do this - they get fast food several times a week and feed it to their children, give their children incredibly-oversized portions, and then they wonder why their children are overweight and have health problems as a result? Trying to blame it on McDonald's or Burger King just doesn't cut it. I can't feel sorry for parents whose children are grotesquely overweight (aside from kids who have actual health issues such as thyroid issues) because they obviously have failed as a parent by not balancing it all out. Children aren't born knowing how to control their own food intake and diet, it must be taught. When parents are teaching the right things, it becomes a huge problem. The least these parents can do is man up and take some of the blame for it instead of crying, "McDonald's made my kid fat!" A lot of parents also forget to teach their kids about regular exercise. Being fit isn't all about food nor workouts - it's a combination of the two factors. Eating healthily doesn't do much if all you do is sit, just as exercise isn't going to help much if you're going to eat thousands upon thousands of calories a day. I'm not saying that parents need to get their kids a personal trainer, but the least they can do is trade out a movie night for an evening bike ride or a day at the park. On your note about five-ton toddlers, you are absolutely right. I believe that overfeeding a child THAT much should constitute as a form of child abuse, just like starving your child would be. On either end of the spectrum, it puts a child's health in severe danger and any behavior on the part of a parent that endangers a child should constitute as child abuse, simple as that.

I think this would be worth a try. I began smoking a couple of years ago and I wish I had never started. I am now officially addicted to nicotine - if I don't have my fix, I go crazy. If I could get that fix without all of the dangers of actual cigarettes, that would be good enough for me. I know that with each cigarette I light I'm destroying my body a little more, but somehow that's not enough to stop me. Maybe if I had an alternative that is possibly safer, then I wouldn't have that tinge of guilt in the back of my mind each time I light up.

I am definitely not going to neglect my account here anymore. Coming back and posting helped me remember that this is a fun place to be, and since it's basically general discussion, I can always find something to talk about on here. Many of the forums I'm on are based around a certain thing and therefore most of the discussions revolve around that one topic. Here, you can find a discussion for just about anything. Time is something that I seem to never have enough of, but I figure if I can make just a little more time for Xisto in my week, I can keep it up and get to enjoy the company here too.

Don't you just love how things tend to break right when the warranty ends? That's a sad fact - it happens with many products. The companies know this. They know the likelihood of it just up and breaking within the first year or two aren't very high, so that's why warranties usually only last that long. Also, products tend to get the most use (and therefore, wear and tear) during those first years of ownership, and the companies also know this. They offer the warranty for a specific amount of time because they know that the warranty will most likely end shortly before the product breaks. You lose out and they get off scotch-free. Not all companies pull that but many do. I guess it's just a sad fact of being a consumer in today's world where it's all about money, not about quality.

So here's the deal - I got it back! I earned enough to pay off the past due invoices (November and December) and as long as I don't slack off on posting here again, I should be OK from here on out. Things were crazy for me there for a while with work and studying, but I have decided to set aside time on my days off to spend time on Xisto. I didn't just miss my website, I missed the community too. Thanks to everyone for helping me out with this issue! You are all great! (Too bad Xisto doesn't have a karma/reputation system, or I'd give all of you some.)

Actually, the popping or cracking noise that we hear when cracking our joints is just the air being released from the joint. The bones aren't grinding against each other or anything of that nature. It's almost like when you pop a balloon - you hear the pop of the sudden release of air. The same goes for knuckles and other joints. However, that's just what I've read though so I wouldn't know for sure. :PI've also read that cracking your back is OK, as long as YOU'RE the one cracking it (by twisting, arching your back, etc.) because if someone else is applying pressure, then it could cause damage. Now I don't have room to talk though, because sometimes I'll have my mom press down on my back with me lying on the floor as it cracks better and feels better when it's done that way than any other way I've tried.

I believe that PDA should be allowed in school - to an extent. Holding hands, hugging, or a simple peck on the cheek is perfectly acceptable. However, practically eating someone's face in the middle of the hallway - not so much. I think that schools do go a little far by not letting couples hold hands, as that's a very platonic thing, but it's within their right to make sure that students don't have to watch people slobber all over each other everyday.

In the end, parents are responsible for what their children eat. It's not McDonald's responsibility to play diet police to children, just as it's not a TV network's responsibility to make sure that kids don't see what they shouldn't see. It's up to parents to make sure that their children eat healthy. McDonald's every once in a while isn't such a bad thing, but you certainly shouldn't give your child all three meals a day from McD's (or any other fast food place, for that matter). It seems as though so many parents in today's society constantly look for a scapegoat to play the blame on for their lack of parenting responsibility. They blame video games for violence, music and TV for their children having potty mouths or acting out, and restaurants for their children being overweight. I'm not a parent so maybe I don't have much room to talk but I've helped to take care of enough children in my day to know that their ability to make good decisions is less than that of an adult's. There's a huge difference between giving your child fast food every single day and letting them have it once a week or so. Also, the parents can order for the kids, and it's up to parents to choose the healthier options. Instead of the cheeseburger with fries and a Coke, how about nuggets with apple slices and milk or bottled water? Aaron Lewis was so right when he said, "Parents have forgotten how to be parents."

I don't mind watching shows with laugh tracks in them, as long as the show is actually funny. I know when something is or is not funny so the laugh track doesn't bother me. I usually don't even pay any attention to it. Now admittedly, there is something good to watching comedies that don't have a laugh track or a live studio audience because the silence can make the moment even funnier. Most of my favorite comedies though were filmed in front of an audience and therefore had a type of laugh track, and it never detracted from the entertainment value of the show for me.