THE. END.

Me at the end?
Am I no longer anything?
IS THIS THE END? Ohhhh. End of class… End of the year, and end of my high school career….
Sad day. Well, I met amazing people. I really did. I still cannot believe this is it. I know I want it all to end but a huge chapter in my life is over. I may never see people I love now so dearly, I cannot believe how simple it is that they are not going to be in my life anymore. I don’t care what people say I am going to try my hardest for the people who I grew so close to to stay in my life. Like VIVI!
She’s sitting right next to me in accounting as I type this final blog. She watched me do so many. Every Friday in accounting… she knows, she actually reminded me a couple times to do it! This is why I love her; And what about Lety? Yeah, Mr. McCarthy that Lety. Isn’t she adorable? She’s so cute she is one of the only people I will actually miss from here… from class of 2012. Her and Kamille. Back to Vivi though. I think I am going to meet up with her once a week and eat breakfast with her at Nuevo Leon. Haha. We do always look up food in accounting… yummm.
WHAT ABOUT DE EFE!?
I am definitely going to miss Vanessa. It’s weird how we grew close toward the end of the year. I mean come on. Really? I’m going to steal her away from José every once and a while and go shopping with her. Haha.
Me. I think I am the same, I never change. Maybe I do I just don’t notice. I know I can stay true to my roots and hopefully the only changes will be for the good. But philosophy made me think, and I like that.

Omg this is it… BYE :D
This is actually really sad… 

Prospective Philosophy Kid.

HEYYY SUCKAAS.
DO NOT DO IT. YOU WILL DIE.
FOR THE LOVE OF BOB DO NOT DO IT!
No, I am one hundred percent kidding.
I must admit though, I walked into this class thinking “oh hay. It’s senior year, philosophy, hey there blow-off”. Then the first day: BAM. I had a reading to do. I was not prepared for that. I was so confused. So for one, do not walk in thinking you can get away with doing nothing. And be prepared for these blogs. I grew to love them. Mostly because I get to ramble because I know only Mr. McCarthy reads them, and no one likes listening to me ramble in the first place. Haha.
Be prepared to actually think. In philosophy there is no right and wrong answer. It is all your perception and really digging deep into the text or movie, or whatever you may be doing. You cannot expect the answer to come and pop out at you, which I admittedly expect sometimes. Sometimes it is really, for lack of better word, trippy. You do not realize you can think that deep, at least I didn’t think I could do that.
Some of the books you read in this class are, woo, interesting. They will not be easy reads; you will actually have to take some time on them, but some of them are actually worth it. I got to say though… I did not like How Soccer Explains the World. Sorry McCarthy. But others, like Malcolm X were actually very intriguing.
The best part of this class though, is McCarthy, not to suck up. He is. He brings a character to this class. An open, flowing discussion can actually take place. It’s nice it’s nice. Gooood luck guysss.

thoughts on when i was a shorty.

I used to think that my toys would come alive when I was not looking… thank you Pixar.
I used to think that the sky was a different color in everyone’s eyes.
I used to think my dad was a superhero because of the long hours he worked.
I used to think the guy on the Pringles container would eat what was left in the tube, which is why I always left some in there.
I used to think everyone got a fairytale story with a fairytale ending.
I used to think I could sing really well. I was sadly mistaken.
I used to think Jasmine from Aladdin was Mexican, until I went to Mexico. Again, sadly mistaken.
I used to think babies came from storks.
I used to think ten dollars could buy me the world.
I used to think all in the world was good.
I used to be scared of the Quaker guy… thank you nickelodeon.
I don think these things anymore… well most of them. It is a phase that one grows out of. One experiences things and grows up. But everyone still has a little kid in them that gets crushed when they realize toy story was just a movie, the Pringles guy isn’t real, and Dad is just an insurance salesman. One makes memories and experiences life for its reality, the only think we can do with this superhero-less life is live it out to the fullest. We can make our own new grown up irrational beliefs.

Cuuuuckkoooossss.!

I could be wrong… but this may have to do with the book we’re reading. Possibly the movie we’re watching too… I don’t know, I’m just guessing… hahaha.
These poor souls in the looney bin. Chief is this silent man, simply an observer in this world of cuckoos. He has to wonder why he’s there. Why do these people pick at him and prod him for not speaking. Because he’s “deaf and mute” that trickster chief... he’s a clever man. But of course he’s not the crazy one is he… is he?
McMurphy… that’s our culprit really. He’s this pretty insane guy. Pretty much against the world, independent, wondering why he’s at this place. This place with true cuckoos. This life, he cannot imagine why anyone would want this. But there are people there voluntarily. That’s the epitome of crazy, well that’s McMurphy. The “cuckoos” cannot imagine why he doesn’t want to be there. Your life has this schedule. Nothing is really unknown. Nurse Ratched makes their lives what they’re supposed to be. McMurphy doesn’t understand this; he rebels so the “cuckoos” think he’s the crazy one.
But in reality, isn’t everyone the cuckoo one? Ha. No matter how normal you think you are, someone thinks you’re the crazy one. And that’s okay!
Believe me.
It’s the story of my life… this “Surrounded by cuckoos but I was the crazy one” topic. My family… craziest people I know, yet they always look at me as if I am the crazy one. I guess it really depends on your perception on, well, everything. Besides… a little crazy never hurt anyone.
(:

tu y yo ;]

When I think of together, I think of closeness, and when I think of closeness I definitely think of my family. My family is probably the best part of me, yes of me. Not just a cousin, or one of my brothers, or a single parent, or even a tia or tio. I love every single one of them and they each made a part of me, each one of them has made me who I am today. Even the bad parts were somehow influenced by them. For instance cursing in Spanish is definitely a trait I picked up from my grandpa and my mother, especially in situations, like around kids, when swearing is not exactly appropriate. My smart mouth, well I can thank my brother and Tia Silvia for that. The constant shopping and that compulsive buyer mentality are from my Tia Clarissa and my Tia Stefana. The need to clip out a coupon every once in a while de mi Abuelita. I feel as though my biggest competitor is myself, I always need to beat myself, not necessarily other people… just myself. Haha. That is one hundred percent a trait from my dad. We cannot stand to lose against ourselves. We are our biggest competition, because we are just THAT gangsta’. God, I love my family…
Together, together we can make the world whatever we want it to be but everyone has to be together… which is why the world would never be perfect. Every single tiny or big person cannot unanimously decide on something, which is why sadly there will probably never be peace or an end to hate.
But, together we can try to stop it ;] hehe.

'sta sola.

Loneeeeeely I’m so lonelyyyyyyyy,
I have nobodyyyyyyyyyy,
To call my owwnnn, OWWNNN
I’m so loneeeeely, I’m Mr. Lonelyyyyy
I have nobodyyyyy,
To call my owwnnnnnn.
Isn’t everyone a little lonely, I feel as though everyone at one point in their life feels alone, feels like singing Lonely by Akon. It is just one of those things; everyone gets just a little down every once in a while. You have to find those people who just will not leave you alone.
Personally, I hate being alone... publicly. I am definitely one of those people, who cannot eat in restaurants alone, or go to the movies alone, really anything. Even going to the bathroom with a big group of people is a tricky situation. Some would say I have a problem; I like to believe I’m just socially dependent. HAHA. Maybe I do have problems, but I do like my time alone, and believe me, I can make myself laugh, I would have no problems, but I do enjoy the company of people. Believe me though, I could completely have a blast all by myself. There are days where no one loves me or wants to hang out with me, and I will have a perfectly fun night all by myself, hanging out watching movies, but that cannot happen too much, I would probably drive myself insane. Haha.
I worry about people who feel so alone, like they have nobody to turn to. I would so be there for anyone who needed me, even if I didn’t know them, I would hug them and day it’ll all be okay. I hate to think there is anyone out there who feels so alone.

Earth? What's wrong with it?

Save the Earth!
Recycle all you can. Don’t drive anywhere, come on bike to work! Don’t use paper or plastic when you shop for your groceries, use those reusable bags. If you must drive, gas up on that biodiesel. Do not under any circumstance use paper plates! No matter how big that barbeque is going to be. If you’re feeling really inspired to be “green” get a solar panel and put that bad boy on your roof to power your house.
Realistically, very few people are going to make such a drastic change to their lives to “save the earth”, I know these changes don’t seem too drastic, but how much damage is made from using paper plates. Millions of people have barbeques on a beautiful Saturday. Half of them in our own neighborhoods it seems. If all these families or parties got a pack of 50 or 100 paper plates for this one Saturday… well that’s a lot of trees.
I think in the end, the problem is many people don’t care. That is so unfortunate! When will people notice? When there is no earth? Only when it affects their lives will anyone notice. That is our society, selfish. Sucks.
Society and the Earth is an abusive relationship…
Earth loves you more, but you don’t care. Slowly deteriorating its soul, or itself because it is so depressed you don’t love him or her… depending on what you like… slowly you guys will break up and you’ll both be depressed… maybe.
That was pretty good… I’m just saying.

Invisiblity powers say wha?

Invisible.
One is only invisible if one chooses to be, I think. I mean someone chooses their own destiny and their own fate. The way people see them is only the way they present themselves. If you’re not going to put yourself out there you will not be seen. Sometimes that is a good thing though. Sometimes one needs to bring themselves in, become invisible and be happy with just themselves. If someone cannot do that, then they are not comfortable with themselves as a whole. Which I have to say… is not good.
If you cannot stand on your own what does that make you? Invisible. This invisible is not the good kind. If you need someone else to be seen, well it isn’t a good thing. How can someone not see you? The only way this could be true was if you deep down believe you are invisible. This is unfortunate. Everyone has something to give to this cruel world no? I think so. So if you believe that you are invisible then you must believe you have nothing to give to this world, then why take up the space?
Truth is, no one is taking up space, but sometimes someone needs to push them though. I believe in fate, but I also believe that one makes their own fate happen. If you give up, then it is over. No one will finish things for you. Only you can make stuff happen for you. If you want to be seen, if you want to be heard, you have to make things happen for yourself, it is no one else’s fault or responsibility to make you visible. It’s up to you.

Best movie of all time is Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. This needs no review. It’s as simple as Ferris Bueller is the best movie ever made.
Although I did momentarily forget about this amazing movie, I don’t know how I could do such a heinous thing; to forget about this epic tale of the coolest guy ever. But I did. Actually, it was in this class that this movie was brought back to my attention. Nobody appreciates this movie anymore. My dad rented it one day and we watched it and I was in love. I hid it in my room so he couldn’t return it. Then I believe I watched it every day for two weeks… in secret. Now it’s out in the open. Except it’s not like it isn’t normal, because it is the best movie ever!
Maybe I feel this way because it is a classic 80’s movie… I love 80s movies. The clothes, music, cursing it’s all just so wonderful. The HAIR. How could I forget the hair? There is no 80s movie with people with flat hair. The atmosphere of the movie is always just so big and colorful. Full of personality. I think Ferris Bueller’s day off is the epitome of an 80’s movie. The adventure of a kid cutting school. I don’t think any high school kid could ever have a day as awesome as the day he had that day. WITHOUT GETTING CAUGHT!? He didn’t even get caught, that takes some major skill. Especially considering the number of close encounters he had. That just doesn’t happen anymore…

that stuff, ya know? art?

Art… right… like in a museum? Hmm, well, see about that. I mean I don’t really go to museums, ONLY because I have the attention span of a fly. Otherwise I would very much enjoy a museum but yeah. I have been to museums but I don’t really remember the experiences. OH! There was this one exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary art, actually two. One was a tunnel of colors pretty much, it was pretty cool. That was a very trippy experience. I didn’t really sit there and evaluate what was going on; I was like in the 8th grade. I was more concerned with how I looked, not how the art looked. But anyway, this piece of art it was crazy, and I feel if I were older I would have enjoyed it even more. But looking at it now, maybe this is presenting the different perspectives of life. Some people’s worlds are black and white, some are pink and purple, and some are a rainbow. I don’t really know, that’s how I see it now, and I like it. The other exhibit was a tunnel like room that from the outside seemed like orange light, but as someone walked deeper in it became black and white, like your life was in black and white! That was crazy, I like art that shocks me. Other than this single trip to the Museum of Contemporary art, I don’t really remember. Oh well, there’s the museum of Mexican Art, which I love. A piece of art doesn’t stick out though. I do love the ofrendas during Dia de Los Muertos. That’s always beautiful.

Of course, there’s always my favorite art. GRAFFITTI. :]

we have the right.. riighhht?

We have the right?
Do we really? We have the right to remain silent anything we will say can and will be used against us in a court of law. I swear we’re always getting punished. Always told to be quiet, that things we say, expressing our mind, our thoughts, is a bad thing. Then why is the first amendment freedom of speech? Why do we have this amendment if that power, that option, is not even applicable? I do not see the point in saying there is something there isn’t. It is absolutely pointless. Saying America is a free country. Eh… kinda. If you don’t have the right papers one can’t even go to college. Kids that work so hard, hard to move forward, but their status of “illegal” is just holding them back. PASS THE DREAM ACT.
Gotta get my little plea in there.
Connecting to the class, this unit on art, especially street art, do we have the right? There really is no right. Due to the fact that, well technically, street art and graffiti is “illegal” we don’t have the right. Personally, I like graffiti; it’s so pretty and colorful. The excitement, it’s crazy. However maybe that may be a big part of graffiti, the thrill. Then street art, the statements, the thought provoking art, that’s pretty much open to the world. We should have the right. We should have the right to express ourselves in more than one way, in all ways. First amendment, come on. We should be able to express ourselves through speech, music, art; any form of art, whether it is in a museum or on the street.
THAT’S RIGHT. GO GRAFFITTI.

Happy birthday :]

The second year I have a class of yours McCarthy…

I still forget when your birthday is. It’s definitely after Rudy’s... And in the first week of March. That’s all I got. Hahaha, sorry.

On a serious note... You have been my favorite teacher, hands down. You’re very real, and like hilarious, makes your classes great. I have never wanted to transfer out of your class, and when I saw “Philosophy--- McCarthy, Ian” on my SENIOR YEAR schedule, I was so happy. Then they switched me to Fanning, so I was sad, and then back to McCarthy and I was happy… again. Soooooo…

Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Mr. McCarthy!



Ps. Tony and I knew you were a Tagger. We called it last year… I called him the day you admitted it. Just thought you should know. Hahaha.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx is known.

Reading the Autobiography of Malcolm X has opened my eyes to so much. Honestly I didn’t know much about the man. I knew he was a Civil Rights activist, and I knew he was very “controversial” because of his philosophical views, his ways of life, and his way of taking actions. He was known to be open to violence, and many people didn’t like that. Even now people do not appreciate his ways. When I told my dad that I was reading his book, he gave me a face. As if he didn’t approve. I defended the choice in reason telling him that he obviously didn’t know the whole story. I couldn’t believe that my own father did not see Malcolm X as a leader, and idol, a man to be known.
WHAT IS HIS PROBLEM?!
Malcolm X is someone that everyone should know his story. This book should be read way more in schools. Like everyone else in the world, Malcolm was flawed, sure. But so is everyone else, everyone has their own opinions, but X is still a man that should be known.
College on Jackson. Other than that I was oblivious. As I’m sure most people are.
Most people think of Malcolm saying something like this:

“I am for violence if non-violence means we continue postponing a solution to the American black man's problem just to avoid violence.”

But—he also said this:

“Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.”

That’s something everyone should know.

X X X X X X X X X X X X X X. There it is.

X is that good stuff, that treasure, that unknown and it gives us a sense of familiarity… sort of.
At a young age we are taught that when a pirate or an adventurer looks for an x, because evidently under that x is the treasure. But does the pirate or whoever even know the treasure is? Think about it. The treasure is usually a mystery. Doesn’t this say a lot about our society? That even at a young age it is instilled in our minds that mystery is the best. Mystery makes the world go round. Mystery makes the world simply more interesting.

So in reality, in the real world, what is X? Is X the future? Is X what we want?

WHAT IS X?

Malcolm X; a brilliant man, a man with experience, a man with a plan, and a man who could answer such a deep question.

X had some extreme beliefs, that were fully understandable and his perception of the civil rights movement, well not to be canny but he was right on the spot.
The best thing about X was that I do not think he had fears of consequences he was fully prepared to take on his consequences, but he would be charged unfairly. His beliefs were pretty dead on and to him were the best; to many people they were the best. X told it like it was, and marked the spot in the times where things needed to be turned around. Ultimately it happened.

Musicaaaa.!!

B.o.B Presents the Adventures of Bobby Ray
By B.o.B
Honestly, I wanted a song from this album that was only available if you bought the whole album on iTunes, and it was $7.99 so I figured why not and clicked “BUY ALBUM”. Fortunately the album isn’t half bad. Eleven songs complete the album and completely worth it.
Usually an artist sticks to his or her genre. But B.o.B stays very diverse. Love songs, a bit of rock, rap, and a mix of pop. “Lovelier Than You” has a nice beat, very mellow, and the melody is extremely catchy. The lyrics probably make this song for me though, they are a little cheesy, but I’m a girl so… yeah I do like it. I think it’s worth a listen. “Magic” featuring Rivers Cuomo is a more of the Pop persuasion. The beat is very contagious, where you just kind of really feel the need to get up and dance. I feel it is definitely a pumping up song. There is also a great deal of featuring artists: Lupe Fiasco, Haley Williams, T.I, Playboy Tre, Janelle Monae, Rivers Cuomo, Ricco Barrino, and Eminem. Obviously, there is a lot of variety.
Most mainstream music, although I’m not sure if B.o.B counts as mainstream, the lyrics are not deep, or they just sing about getting drunk in the club and sex of course. B.o.B does not give me that vibe at all. In “Don’t let me fall” he sings about life, about it being hard, about striving, karma, love, heartbreak. I feel he is very well rounded in his music; However some people may see this as a lack of focus. I feel people should give ALL of his music a shot, not just what is on the radio.


:]

i know i know i know this means something!

Story of my life… seriously. When something happens that leads to a significant chain of events it has to mean something. It has to be fate. It had to happen; the stars determined my life a long time ago… right?
The problem is, when something happens that leads to everything else, why did it happen? Who made this happen? Could not possibly be me. It had to be my fate. Or did I make it happen, by making good decisions. Not the “right” decisions, just good ones. I don’t think there is such a thing as the “right” decision.
I know right from wrong. I know when I should say something is wrong. I know when a subtle statement really means something else. I think growing up in such an urban environment helped me with that. I can usually pick out the sly, sometimes really mean, underlying meaning to anything really. Does that mean I am just so cynical I can’t take a simple comment? No, not at all; I love compliments. I just know when people mean bad, I don’t blow up and start cursing at them saying “you don’t even know me!” and throwing a tantrum, but I know it means something.
I know what I know because I have lived it. I have lived good fate, bad fate, mean things said to me coated with something nice. But I also know that I can do the same. It doesn’t mean I will. But it is nice to know that I can. It’s also nice when I just treat their lives.
Good times, good times. :]

a good sammich.

Fairplay is a grocery store by my house, on Cermak and Western. Honestly, most people really dread going to Fairplay on the first of the month because it gets very crowded and they are open 23 hours of the day; but the other 29 days it’s fine. It’s a large basic less-expensive neighborhood grocery store. There is one little twist though, in the deli they sell fried chicken and sandwiches, made them right there. Now I know sandwiches aren’t elaborate or anything, but these are the best. I swear. They take the fresh made Italian bread, baked in the bakery part, and they give you your choice of meat, sliced right there in the deli, as well as choices of cheese. This may sound like an ordinary sandwich; tomato, lettuce, pickles, whatever your little hearts desire. However, there is something special about Fairplay sandwiches. For one, they are huge. One simply cannot eat it alone. It’s the size of a loaf of bread so it is definitely a sandwich for a type of outing, or in my case dinner for two or three. They cost around fifteen dollars, and it is completely worth it. I think it’s the mayonnaise, oils and seasoning they put on the bread. I honestly can’t say exactly what they put on the sandwich or how they make it, but who cares? It’s delicious. Especially with a soda and some chips, it really completes the sandwich.
:]

I'm yo shoe.

Heyyyy.
Down here! I know this is awkward. But…Yeah, your shoe is talking. Well if you paid any attention to me you’d know that I talk. Gosh. Is this a problem? No I’ll tell you a problem. You are always stomping around! That’s a problem. Do you have some problems you want to get out? Oh, I’m sure it’s not about me. But you know you’re taking it out on me. Like you got a problem with me or something. Is it too much to not always walk so mad and run around all the time? Cause I get tired too ya’ know. It’s not easy being a shoe. Yeah I have feelings! I’m well aware that I’m a shoe…I have to sacrifice and give up my down time on your calls… I don’t know if you noticed but you’re not one for taking breaks. Especially from me! Would it kill you to use the black boots just sitting in the closet all day long that you NEVER wear? ‘Cause I need a break.
That brings me to my next point. Would it kill you to get a pedicure? I know times are rough… but so are your feet. There is only so much I can take girl. I mean you don’t even have to get a pedicure. Just soak them in some highly medicated hot water. Well if I’m not comfortable than why do you wear me almost every day!? Yeah, I went there.
I’m pretty? Well, that’s sweet. OH stop with yourrrrr flatterrryyyyyyy!
:]