So I was thinking to myself how I feel about Katharine Mcphee losing American Idol...

I was upset Katharine didn't win becuase guys aren't very emotional. It was like watching Reuben win. Uneventful. At least Taylor tried with that whole retarded "soul patrol" crap. I'm happy for Katharine becuase she's too good for American Idol, and her career is going to go places so far and beyond Taylor's becuase she has POTENTIAL, and Taylor's already peaked. He'll fade away like Reuben unless he can be as appealing in the studio as he is on stage.

Katharine will just grow and get better for many years to come. She's been losing her voice for the past month, but she still sounds FANTASTIC. Her second performance of Over The Rainbow never fails to make me cry, and I watch it a million times a day. Taylor, though unique, is just a flash in the pan. Katharine is one in a million...influenced by many but utterly incomparable. With the voice of an angel and her natural, unmanufactured beauty, she'll become a legend, and all of America will hang their heads in shame at their joke of an American Idol.

Feel like having a good cry?:  http://www.americanidol.com/finale/videos/?vid=408  (Her second performance of Over The Rainbow)

Ahem...It is true that I've come down with the Mcpheever, that inexplicable feeling of excitement that is related/has anything to do with American Idol contestant Katharine Mcphee. Let me take a moment to soak this in...

I was relatively normal before even after Katharine's entrancing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." Then I logged on and thought to myself on a whim "Why not google Katharine Mcphee?" I soon found out. What preceded was my wasting of an entire weekend avidly reading the message boards and sifting through a hundred of my tapes just to find American Idol, to "find" Katharine Mcphee. By Sunday night I was a mess. I hadn't studied for my biology final. I hadn't looked at my World Geography Map of the World for that final. I hadn't completed my Fine Arts Project, and I found myself staying up all night rushing to begin/complete an English portfolio I should have done a long time ago. I didn't even go see The Davinci Code. This weekend was all about the Mcpheever.

For those who don't watch Idol, you're probably puzzled as to why I've suddenly gone crazy over a contestant on a reality show. Hopefully this speaks for it self...

  http://www.rickey.org/blog/2006/05/katharine_mcphee_somewhere_ove.html

Her first audition...

http://www.nothingtoxic.com/playVideo.asp?id=1264

But what caused the true Mcpheever? Articles bashing Katharine on her supposed "conceitedness, arrogance, bitchiness, slutiness" none of which I have witnessed. So she's questioned the judges on occasion. It's not like she was nasty about it. Even worse are the allegations that a combination of her looks/sex appeal/daddy's connections are what have gotten her to the top two. Along with this is a review of how she's changed and how she becomes "prettier" each week to get more votes( she's lost weight, but she admits to personal insecurities about her roller coaster weight changes, and she was gorgeous when the show started, despite the makeover the stylists felt that she needed)  and becomes a spoiled brat when she "doesn't get her way." You'd make a funny face expression too if you were harshly panned in public for something you deserved praise for. 

People make up anything. I don't even feel like I'm watching the same show as these the people with their skewed perceptions. Is it a crime to be happy to discover you're advancing to the finals of American Idol. Not everyone fakes bawling their eyes out when another contestant is voted off. Strange how she's ridiculed for being "fake" when she's being as real as they get on idol. She tells the truth and doesn't color it with pretentious apology ( When asked if she thought the audition process was fair she said candidly, "No" and that talented people were cut and others moved on because they were pretty. Most everyone else, of course, said that yes, the process was fair. What a pack of liars...). 

Next are the incessant rumors of pregnancy, scientology, "contrived" wardrobe malfunctions, and fake breasts (I have seen the video, but I find myself more perplexed than anything. If you want to see this video: http://tmz.aol.com/article2/_a/exclusive-video-katharine-mcphees-raw/20060516133509990001). She's the only idol contestant whose ever suffered such scrutiny and public bashing (who didn't commit a crime, though there are rumors floating that Taylor Hicks has previously been arrested for drugs...). And all becuase of what? She grew up in Sherman Oaks, California, and was "privilieged" but how does this deter from her talent? 

Then there are the more credible criticisms of her voice, but to that I can only be sorry that some just don't get the vocal purity/versatility/richness of Katharine's special talent. When it comes down to it, though, the controversy just peaks my interest even more, and Katharine is now far and away my favorite idol (a title previously reserved for Kelly Clarkson). There's something about her that I can't explain.

Her voice is unique to the competition, as in there's no one whose ever moved so fluidly through different ways of voice technique. There are so many different nuances to her voice, she's like a different person every week (though I beg her to never again sing "The Voice Within"). At some points her voice holds the power of an exquisitely controlled Whitney vocal, or a piercing Mariah note (she should be careful of thoughs, however),  yet no matter what she does there's a signature "Mcphee" sound that makes each song her own with little effort, making her performances never come off as karaoke (which is more than I can say for Taylor Hicks),but for some reason the judges have pigeonholed her, convincing the public that she can only sing "the standards," albeit more beautifully than anyone ever on the show.

 Have they forgotten her version of KT Tunstills "Black Horse and a Cherry Tree," her singing "Bringing Out the Elvis" on country week, her faithful rendition of Aretha's "Until You Come Back to Me," or have they also forgotten comments from such influential music gurus (Tommy Matolla) gushing over her spectacular range and talent and the rarity of her voice quality (some say it's all because her mother is a voice teacher, but some people are just born to sing...).

Oh, I could go on and on about the injustices Katharine Mcphee has suffered at the hands of the judges and lusty viewing public desperate for a white male to win (Chris Daughtry, despite his talent, was not the "2nd coming," though I agree He should not have been ousted. Elliot should have). Anyone who says Mcphee is a throwback to Clarkson and Underwood is obviously lacking in essential discerning tools. I don't know how Mcphee has gotten under my skin, but the feeling is a peculiar, suppressed exhilaration.

Most likely it's for tommorow's finale and the subsequent crowning of the idol champion (Most of the time, and aside from a few special moments, I don't see the appeal of Taylor Hicks. He could never make it in the business with his copy-cat soul attitude and persistent semi-retarded yellings of "SOUL PATROL!"). Most importantly, through this whole Mcpheever business, I've finally come to terms with an idol resentment of seeing Ace Young voted off. I understand now. While I was blinded by my immediate infatuation with his voice and (I admit) his smoldering gaze, Katharine Mcphee was there all along, waiting. Ace Young had to leave so I could discover my true idol, Katharine Mcphee.

Get the Mcpheever! Vote for Katharine tommorow night. Let's relinquish this queer hold the south has over American Idol!

It's been a while, and as of right now I have no message of introduction or explanation of what has definitely been a long, difficult, BUSY year. God, I hate being a sophomore...just two more weeks. Anyway, I just want to post something I just wrote over on the NSHSS message board about same-sex marriage...Yes, it's a filler blog, but I've missed blogging so don't complain. Be happy for the temporary end of my silence...

While I don't claim to have read all entries of this topic (13 pages...jeez), I have definitely read enough to feel I can contribute a somewhat new view to the conversation (though I apologize if this has been said previously).

 Focusing on the "issue," which is the concept of same-sex marriages, not the influences, stereotypes,and religious controversy that surrounds homosexuality in itself, there can be several clear arguments on both sides.

 In the con list, same-sex marriage argues their legal rights without considering so much that the institution of marriage is grounded in the church, which follows the bible, which states homosexuality as a sin (yet also not stating that it is wrong for them to get married-this is simply assumed).

 That being said, no offense meant to the church but whether or not they like it, marriage is no longer the property of religion (civil ceremonies-happen all the time)but more under the dominion of the government (of course the legal rights and such).

 Earlier there were opposing views stated on the government's moral clause and how this affects the laws of the country. It would be absurd to think that ethnics and morality play absolutely no role, or ,otherwise, the court system would be a joke; yet there is a fine line when it comes to certain freedoms denied to some that are admitted to others, a sort of "selective freedom" you might term it as.

 Especially when there is such a dividing line of opinion, we can't simply rule with the majority and leave out so many million others. This is where my "pro" mind comes to action for same-sex marriage. It admittedly seems very peculiar that there is this mindset of gay marriage abusing the sanctity of marriage, but this is ridiculous. In such modern times when divorce and short, Las Vegas marriages run rampant, it would seem refreshing to see to people so committed to each other as to flout conviction in a way, perhaps even losing friends and family in the process, just to marry the person they love and want to have a normal family life with.

 Just in cased anyone is confused, I approve of same-sex marriage. I see no point in apposing something that does not affect me yet means so much to others. I do believe, however, that there can be a compromise.

 With respect to the church and the religious groups who definitely won't quit and who truly believe in that married gays are in abomination in the eyes of the lord, I promote civil unions with all the legal rights of marriage, family, and adoption (which I'm sure has been said already). Unfortunately, to all those who are homosexual but are also very active in the process of religion and are close with God but don't want to give up a lifestyle that he/she was born to, they will simply have to bear it. Life isn't exactly easy for a gay monotheist...

 But what do I know? I'm not gay or religious. I certainly don't have my sights set on politics. I'm simply a person with an opinion, and it kills me to see the deterioration of our country based on what I view as petty argument, perhaps not tidily or easily, solved but simply resolved through compromise, sacrifice, respect, and understanding of those who are different, not necessarily in their identity but in opinion.

P.S. Don't think me naive. I'm sure the situation is far more complex, but I just don't see how.

...make a blog entry? That seems to be the question.

I guess the answer is yes.

 I can't remember the last time I did an entry...Yes I can.

 Now I must study twenty pages of Biology notes.

Don't ask. Just read. Soon you'll see what I'm about, my mood. Its not a good one...

I have edited this blog entry

So many may not know that, yes, there is something I go geek over, and that is Animorphs. Over on the Project Am website, they're creating an animated flash series of the books, but we also discuss them like they just came out...Anyhoo there's a big controversy over the way it ended (**spoilers**). I, for one, think its just the worst, laziest ending ever! It even negates the idea of doing suitable fanfiction without rewriting the ending. Well, I woke up this morning in a brainstorm, a bitter, angry brainstorm. I'm not a fanfiction type of person, but I did donate five minutes of my time to what may be considered sacriligious. And I still can't tell you whether its an end or a beginning.

Animorphs: The End

            Jake here. Again. Whew! Our suicidal mission in space was nearing its final culmination. I, Jake, renewed leader of the Animorphs, have just given my last order. Ever. When faced with little option, I could only do one thing: Ram the blade ship, so that’s what we did.

****

 Animorphs: The End

            From any vantage point, the view would be spectacular but especially from here, on the outside looking in. The small, swift Rachel strung a path, not stealthily but deadly, toward its foe, its old friend. As it collides with the Blade Ship, one could say the site is destructive, dangerous…beautiful. She wound her way through its bulky mass, the two ships tangling, wrestling in a ring of stars, Rachel weaving into the Blade Ship, the Blade Ship melting, seeping, fading into the Rachel. With one final, fluid moment, The Rachel became the Blade Ship; the Blade ship became the Rachel, their steely souls embracing into one until both receded, faded, and finally disintegrated… into nothing.

            For one split, miniscule, point in space, the heavens, ever so slightly, stood still, paused, at once in awe, in confusion. Then all was continued, the universe reborn. As if it had never happened, never existed.

            At once, it was all gone, no yeerks, no strife, no andalites, no war, no humans, no life, and in the end…there were no Animorphs.

(P.S. Though their house is basically destroyed, and I'm shallow for being worried about my sister's computer, clothes, video games, and movies, my family is fine, and everything is okay, and my aunt has called us, so...big relief)

My family is fine.Their area did not even succumb to any bad flooding. Aside from extensive damage to an already hopeless roof, they are are alive and well. Except I have no idea where my aunt is. Where she lived, Kenner near the airport, is almost completely under water. Hopefully she has gotten out.

 As the water level risees in new orleans, so does my anxiety. My great aunt (who is sick) and my brother left almost an hour ago to pick them up. I did all I could to explain that the bridge was dangerous and they knew not of what other dangers lay on the street---trees, downed power lines , "hot wires", cars...Though the information on the news is lengthy, it is still difficult to gauge locations...If Avondale is far enough from New Orleans as I pray it is, everything should be okay, and I should wake up in the morning with my sister in the house. If I can get to sleep...

I write in a state of sadness today. As most know, Hurricane Katrina has just ravaged New Orleans. I won't go technial because...I just won't.

I live in Eunice, Louisisana. When Hurricane Katrina hit Florida...I barely batted an eyelash. It was just another storm. Saturday, I powered up my computer and the incessant beeping of my desktop Weatherbug immediately caught my attention. I clicked on it and read the alert message on Storm Central...Hurricane Katrina (a category 3 at the time) heads for Louisiana. Watching the forecast track, I noticed my area was highlighted, so I immediately came to attention. This was no longer just another storm...

All day, I heard news stations claiming (with a certain amount of glee) that this was the BIG ONE, the one the people of Louisiana have been waiting for since Camillie in 1969. An immediate mandatory evacuation was unleashed  and New Orleans and the surrounding areas declared by Predident Bush as a Disaster area....more than a day before landfall. I stalked the news for a while...not much. The thought of calling my sister, who just moved in with our grandparents over the summer, flashed through my mind and quickly dismissed. More than likely, they had evacuated. When I went to sleep that night, Katrina had just strenghthened to a Category 4 storm.

I woke up the next day, slightly comfortable that Katrina was on a track well away from Eunice. Again, I powered up my computer, clicked on the Weatherbug, and the first thing I saw stopped me dead "Hurricane Katrina now a MONSTER Category 5". At this, I turned on the news, and what I saw confirmed my worst fears: New Orleans was in trouble.

It was at this time, I picked the phone to call my sister, confident that they had already made plans for evacuation. They hadn't. And this was the theme for the rest of the day. A few times, my aunt and I pondered the thought of driving down there and getting my sister and my cousin. It was my grandparents who were too stubborn to leave, who didn't want to bother with the news, who would just "ride out" the storm. My aunt, who lived further into the city in an apartment building had the same idea. From what I gather, she had the means of transportation but didn't want to deal with the traffic. As for my uncle...I had no idea where he was.

I made it a point to call frequently, giving them phone numbers to call, even ordering that my grandmother call 911 when it had gotten to late. It was my wish that my urgency would get through. But I see now that it did not. My sister told me she was packing, and I felt a rush of hope at this, only to be disappointed when I hear she just did not want to get her stuff wet.

As I learned I had no school the next day, the news reported a slight weakening, a drop from category 5 to 4, but of course this made no difference. Hurricane Betsy was just a category 3.

I went to sleep last night defeated, angry, hurt, sad, a plethora of emotions. My dreams were riddled with images of hurricanes, my own bout with Hurricane lily three years ago, a significantly weaker force than Katrina. My anger focused mostly in on my grandma but also on the newscasters and there somewhat obvious disappointment that Katrina would not make landfall as a 5, that it was weakening, that it just might not wreak the devastation they had forcast, that they might just not be witnessing a piece of history. But of course they were. Katrina proved a force to be reckoned with.

My resltess sleep continued until I popped awake in the afternoon with one thing on my mind: call my sister. Of course this was impossible, considering the massiva power outage and downed phone lines. I searched all news channels hoping to catch a glimpse of what the city was like. Is  it under water? And yes, parts of it is. I braced myself when hearing of neighborhoods flooded to the rooftops, people sitting on their roofs to be rescued. I know this is not the time to curse them for such foolishness. What's done is done, and all I can feel now is compassion and agony. It is now five minutes to five. Katrina has moved inland, continuing its destructive path.

I hear the reports: Parts of this parish are underwater, Areas south of Lake Ponchartrain whitecapped. But I'm clueless on which side of New Orleans Avondale, La is located. It's so small, that it deosn't even warrant a dot on the map. The death toll unknown, I have no idea what has happened to my family, and I will not know for a while. But I guess all I can do now is wait...and hope.

Eh...So I figured I'd type a quick update. School started, and I am officially convinced I've developed some sort of Learning Disability over the summer...seriously. My schedule was majorly screwed up but was never really fixed due to the inflexibiliy of taking honors courses. I made a myspace profile:

( http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=23720321&Mytoken=20050827200813)

I'm surprised how my much my cool factor has escelated this year . I'd go into more detail about my ruined shedule, but I'd prefer to give a bit of good news. I lost 15 pounds the right way, and I really don't know how that happened, seeing as how I always eat what i want...but I geuss it's the subtle changes that count. No one at school has commented on it, but you'd think they'd notice my pants falling off left and right? Aw well. I already have five research assignments (all due within the next 4 short weeks), one in World Geography ( due on Thursday with very little notice) and four in English (though one is a 50+ bonus assignment) that all deal with JohnSteinbeck/The Great Depression/Of Mice and Men, etc...

We had our first Pep Rally Friday, and it was decidedly more exciting than last year. I wasn't a measly Freshman being booed as soon as I walked through the door . I hate to say it, but I really don't like the Freshman, despite the fact that I was one last year. Of course there are a few exceptions...One of the mistakes on my schedule has actually led to one good thing...

Acting I. I've already been asked by the teacher to represent the school in the District Speech/Drama competition in March, which came as a complete surprise to say the least, considering my phobia of public speaking combined with my tendency towards chronic shyness and a reservation that shows I'll never EVER come out of my shell, but what's done is done. I'm actually quite excited about it.

 Algebra sucks. Enough said. Biology II has proved thrilling. For some strange reason...English II is my coolest class, all credit due to an awesome teacher. World Geography has its ups and downs. The Autobiographical Mapping Project due in a few days is definitely a down. Fine Arts Survey (basically a dumbed down version of Art I), despite the fact that it is another scheduling mistaks/usless class that could be better spent taking a class I actualy need like French I ad Intro to BCA...has been kind of fun, though I'm positive I have no artistic talent, but the teacher is really nice and encouraging. I'm sure her coincious haunts her day and night for telling students lies for seven hours a day...Just Kiddin, though it is partly true.

Athletic PE has actually turned out okay for now, since we haven't started conditioning yet, just weight lifting, which, in spite of the fact that I only went to the weight room a few times last year, is actually something I'm good at. While most girls struggle on the added weight of the bench press, girls that have done way longer than I have, I lift with ease...must have been those push-ups I did over the summer.

I've joined three clubs that I was not in last year, FBLA, GPA, and Academy of the Stars (AKA Future Business Leaders of America, Governor's Program on Abstinence, and Drama) in addition to Quiz Bowl, Science Club, ETS, Track, Student Council, and Renassaince. I actually considered attending my first football game...then stopped considering it. I am agaion boycotting Homecoming this year for the simple fact that i do not have a date. I did, however, attend the Back to School Dance, but only to fulfill my obligation to Student Council and also because a friend of mine, notorious for avoiding these events, decided to go...oh not of her own free will, mind you, but because she accidentally signed up for the dance committee...

Just another year at school? Definitely looks that way...

I know I've been quiet the last couple of days, but I have a reason. I will cease writing in my blog rgularly for quite some time, though I will try to make one entry per week. School is starting , and I need to be incredibly focused. That said...I had an amazing day yesterday!

I visited an astronomy professor at the university, and we talked for three hours! (though he did most of the talking). I understood more about black holes and the speed of light, than I ever did from a book I've read. The highlights were as follows. The first thing he showed me was this huge ceiling to florr map, filled with real live snapshots of galaxies and a few stars. The amazing thing about it was was that it was only taken from a very tiny, narow, point of the night sky, but contained milllions of galaxies! I can now tell the difference between a hot str and a relatively cool stars (red stars are cooler than blue stars...thought that was weird

Next he explained about light travel, how this picture we were looking at was truly giving us a glimpse into the past, looking back in time. The reason for this being that light has to travel, and it takes a certain amount of time for the light to reach earth. Far out in the universe, it takes 13 billion years, for the light of those galaxies, stars, and general space debris to reach Earth, so in taking a picture, we have an exact look at the universe 13 billion years ago. Moving on, I finally understood that a black hole isn't really a hole (duh!).

In order for the explanation to begin, he told me about how a rocket launches a space shuttle into orbit, the orbital velocity and the escape volicity (enough force to escape earth' s gravity pull and send people to the moon). Long story short, if Earth was more dense, more packed together, its gravity field would be to strong for any object to escape. When I realized the professor was getting to my question about black holes, a light went off in my head. Ding! Ding! Ding! I'd elaborate , but I can already faintly hear the zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz's.

 The most important thing I felt me told me was when I mentioned how profound astronomy and physics is, how it takes a whole other string of explanations and examples before  I get the answer I'm looking for. He said it was important that I honestly understand how it works, so I won't accept his answer on faith. The paraphrased version of his words were (I found them to be quite philosophical) "To believe in science is not to accept it as faith, but to have a true understanding of nature and how it works".

 There was so much more in those three hours, but I'll fast forward to his mention of LIGO (not about to explain this because I'm not even sure I understand it). It's an observatory where an experimentation with gravity waves is taking place, and if its succesul, a Nobel Prize will be won! Adding to this excitement (which I'm sure no one else cares about but me) is that I could possibly have a summer job there, though I'd realy have to brush up on my computer skills and mathematics. He stressed the importance of having a great mathematical foundation that I was scared out of my mind. Lol Math is not my strong point. Despite the fact that I make straight A's, as soon as the year is out and as soon as soon as standardized testing comes around, I realize that its blown into one year and out the other.

 Other qualifications (on becoming an astronomer/astrophysicists) include the ability to write welll (I don't see this as a problem for me because if I put my mind to it, the words tend to flow) and public speaking, essential for exposure (this is a definite problem for me, as even the whole time the professor and I talked, I could barely articulate a single question of mine, and I was thankful that my e-mails had been so well thought out , so he knew I wasn't a complete idiot...Lol)

So, I started the summer unsure about my aptitude ins science and math, and now I know its incredibly founded, but if I get this excited about stuff most fifteen year olds barely bat an eyelash at, I must really want to be an astronomer. Right? Anyway, I'm thinking of worling a a research project in my spare time, and the professor wil help guide me in picking a topic and working throught the steps. Can't Wait!

This poem is one written by my mother (my inspiration for the last entry I made). I'm not sure when she wrote it , but it's dedicated to my great aunt (her aunt) who passed away (I never knew her)...It doesn't have a title, so I decided to give it one. Now of course I'm incredibly biased, but this is my favorite poem ever.

(I have edited this blog entry)

I believe I've posted this poem once beore (my second post), but for some strange reason I deleted it...(I can be pretty weird somtimes)This was actually the first real poem I've ever written (earlier this year) I was going to enter it in a contest but missed the deadline, and since I haven't a thing to say today (except that I went to my optometry appointment and now I need new glasses) here it is ( I never really went back and edited it though). It's pretty long so bear with me...