Onward and Upward

Goodbye Everyone. I will truly miss you. It's unbelievable how quickly this term has gone by. This was the second go 'round for me in comp II--not because I couldn't do the work, but because most of my assignments were turned in late, some of it too late. My life's been one crises after another for several years now. It really wrecks havoc with school. What is the saying, "the third times the charm"? They you go. This class was definitely more enjoyable than the others, due partly to the skills of our illustrious Dr. M, and partly to the camaraderie of the group. This quarter, I changed religions (to something that actually makes sense), I started keeping a journal of sorts, and decided I would like to write a book. Surprise! Me, the great re-writer. This area has some pretty rich history that screams to be exploited. The north shore project, the road to nowhere and the creation of Fontana Lake are foremost among them. If I get published, please buy the book! Thanks for a great term. Good luck to you all.

Terry Brandt, barelythere2

Hello everyone in Dr. Manning's Comp II class. Well, here we are at the end of another quarter. I've seen a lot of improvement in writing skills this term. Some of you have worked harder than others (you know who you are). Dr. M should be proud. You've been great classmates; always ready to help one another and willing to listen to advice without falling apart. I hope to see you in future classes. It's always so hard to break up a good team!

Hello Everybody. With spring right around the corner, I've started to imagine flower beds and vegetable patches. In mountainous areas, flat lots are at a premium. Some people seem to have the talent and funds to create beauty on a rocky slope. I am not one of those. I long for the house I used to live in--a flat stretch of land beside the river. I spent many long hours working on my flower beds there. I found it very cathartic. Somehow, I seem to be able to get more privacy digging in the dirt than if I had locked myself in the bathroom. I only wish I had 20 more years or was independently wealthy. Then, I could be assured of getting that back, or a reasonable facsimile. Just as nothing is ever as simple as it seems, no situation can ever improve fast enough.

Hello everyone. Week 7 and still going strong.... Today I visited some of your blogs. I saw a couple of neat ideas--slide shows and music. But the thing that impressed me most was my classmates; Sarah, Kathy and Bruno. (I didn't visit everyone.) I was touched by how real and open you all are. I felt like I needed to mother Sarah and cry with Kathy (been there, done that), and Efrain Bruno - totally not what I expected. One of the things that has made composition difficult for me is my reluctance to open up. If you read my older posts, you'll see very little personal expression there. Reading your posts has made me feel closer to everyone and I appreciate that.

Now can someone tell me how to put music on my blog?

Some of the research that I've done for my paper explain a lot of things about my life. If 90% of the world's population falls withing the "normal" intelligence range, where would you be. When we look at groups of people, we see physical differences unique to each individual. If we start to divide them by interests, education, profession, and language skills, the people on either side of "normal" begin to drop out of the group. These are the individuals who are either above average intelligence, or below it. As social animals, we tend to gravitate to others who are like us. For instance, couples socialize with other couples, the athletes and cheerleaders stick together--away from nerds and geeks. In this way, intelligence makes one stand out, apart from the crowd. The further away from the middle of that bell, the smaller the group becomes. The economic crisis has forced a lot of professionals to accept employment beneath their level of intelligence. At some time, someone with less intelligence and baser instincts will become threatened by that intelligence because, in comparison, they become less significant. The Holocaust is a prime example. This is the way it has always been and will always be. However, as time passes, the curve is becoming less and less--almost verticle, in fact. We may reach a time when we erect walls to protect us from ignorance and barbarism.

This is Serious Stuff . . . . .

Hello everyone. Wow, Unit 5 already! Things are beginning to speed up, and this is only the beginning. More melodrama in my personal life is not going to help. Que sara, sara. I'm starting to feel the sense of urgency that goes with having gone astray at this point in the past. However, my topic this term is less involved so I don't have to learn as much to be able to write about it. Yes, I said "learn" as much. I may have mentioned last week that I was laboring (literally) under the impression that I was doing a writing assignment-so untrue. In real life, it is much easier to change your expectations than to wait for them to become reality.
Well, better get to it, asta la vista . . . . .

Please Return to Your Posts as Soon as Possible.

It's me again Margaret, ... and Barney, and Ethel, and RoseMarie, and Bruno, and Curtis et al. I have not input from my faithful followers regarding my proposed topic; must be too busy researching. But, time is of the essence--so I must forge on without their support. My latest brainstorm has resulted in the "Physical Aspects of Depression". I've discovered some amazing facts concerning changes in brain structure as well as its chemistry. So, as soon as my minions return, we'll begin work in earnest.

Hello again. In the last week, I have discovered that the storey about using only 10% of your brain may very well be a fallacy, or what John Geake calls a neuromyth. His point being that electrical impulses are taking place in all areas of the brain at any given time. I'm not sure that totally rules out the percentage thing though. If you scatter a pound of seeds over 4 acres, you still have only "a" pound of seeds. I've been really busy this week--shopping for a car, looking for money to pay for the car, looking for work, figuring my taxes, and oh yeah, school. This term is really, really flying. We're almost half way!

Hello Everyone, welcome to my blog. If you look at the upper right hand side, you will see today's wordplay. I will try to add something new every time I post. I wanted to be able to add a little humor to your day in addition to giving you something to think about.

It has been said that man uses only 10% of his brain. If so, what is the other 90% doing? Assuming that the other 90% is used to regulate autonomic body systems and that these percentages are fixed, would you conclude that the 10% is broken down into smaller units for conscience thought, personality, language, creativity, behavior, etc.?

Well, I guess this is it for this term. Although I have difficulty with the writing process, I have enjoyed the class. For those who have this course in the future, I would like to leave you some advice: Be Very Specific About yourThesis.. Make sure that it is narrow enough to adequately address in eight weeks. If you find yourself drowning in information, you probably need to narrow it even more. I believe that a thoughly researched paper on one aspect of theurapeutic medicine, is better than a broad summery on the various uses of stem cells. Too Much Information!

This is Sam. She is my constant companion. She has had three operations to remove cancer from various places on her body. Last August, two weeks after she healed from the last operation, I noticed another hot spot near where the last one was. She's 12-13 years old. I don't want to put her through that experience again--the vet agrees. Now she has become very, very spoiled. (Much more than I normally would have allowed.) She sleeps a lot. Sometimes she gets stiff and has to get up and walk to the next room and back. She also is much more talkative than she used to be--moans, groans, barks and yips. But she still likes to play and loves to go for walks. I understand that cancer is common in black labs and I'm trying to prepare myself for her absence. Sometime in their life, everyone should have a pet as loving, loyal and spoiled rotten as Sam has been.

It's All a Blur

This has been my worst term for awhile. There are only four days left and I'm still behind. It may not be my best work, but I will finish everything. Many moons ago, when I went to college the first time, I didn't go out to celebrate the end of the semester. I didn't have that feeling of fulfillment or satisfaction from having done a good job. I felt relieved. I'm not saying I feel that way now, but maybe something similar. Regret? I'm not ready to end this one. I haven't learned everything. I don't feel fulfilled or even content. As a matter of fact, I feel a little cheated. There was so much material to cover that, even had I not gotten behind, I still would not have touched on every topic. I rushed through everything, remembering just enough to pass the final. Good thing I'm not planning to become a doctor!

The new year begins on January 13th

Another year older! I detest New Year's. It reminds me of the people I'll never see again, the opportunities I'll never have again, the places I didn't go, the things I didn't do--you get the picture. Does that make my glass half empty? I don't know.
Speaking of things I didn't do..... several years ago I had an opportunity to do something that most people will get. While driving home after a rain shower, I found the End of the Rainbow. It was on a side road that runs from Bryson City to Ela. Literally, ON the road. When you're driving through one, its as though the rainbow is always just beyond the front of your car. I didn't stop. What a shame. :-( I would love to have that moment back. As it was, I felt as though I should be sparkling or glowing or something. But no, same old me. For the rest of my life, I will always be looking for the end of the rainbow.

Im n ur lab making potty n ur beaker.

I just turned in the 1st draft of my term paper. It's called "Failure to Thrive in Cloned Animals or What's wrong with Dolly? I think its pretty good. There's a lot of things that need more explanation, and some that I should had added, but didn't. I still have a little time to research those. If I don't understand a particular facet of the topic, I leave it out! lol

This is CC, that's short for copy cat. She is the first kitten ever cloned. Adorable, right? I thought so too, so I'm sharing the pic and caption with my followers.

Time's running out . . . .

Wow, only 3 more weeks. (Gotta be honest, I missed a few) This term has flown by and I'm not ready for it to end. Not just scholastically either, although I am WAY behind. I feel like I'm just getting settled in--starting to know people a little and make some friends. Today, for instance, I started following a new blog from one of my classmates. The networking is really incredible. I'm still trying to find my way around. I plan to continue my blog after this term ends. I hope others do as well.