Updates and WWII Wall Pictures

Well, I promised a friend that I would put up a picture of my latest addition to the wall. So here it is.


My mom sent me some WWII pictures that I had up on my wall at the farm. I never got the chance to put them up at our new house, but I really love them and I thought they would make a nice addition to my dorm room. The upper right and upper left photos are of General Eisenhower talking to some men from the 101st Airborne division before D-Day (I'm a big fan of the Screaming Eagles, in case you didn't know). The center picture is of a little girl in France placing flowers on an American soldier's grave after D-Day. All of the other pictures were taken in the Pacific at places I'm not sure exactly where.

I haven't been very good about doing email updates so I thought I would add a little one in here. I was lying out on the front lawn last night with my section mates. And I realized how odd it was that I was here at this school. For as long as I can remember I have told my family that I would never go to school in Southern California. Here I am. I wanted to go some place with snow and cold weather. The average temp. here all year round is 75 degrees. I had my top two schools already chosen since I was 16. But I'm not at either one. I only really came to visit because we got to stop at Disneyland. But I'm here now. God really is amazing! I had my college life all planned out until He got in the way. And I'm so glad He did, because I know this is where He wanted me.


Cheers!

Your Literary Junkophile.


Amendment 1: Power equals force times velocity.

Amendment 2: I will be going to Mexico for a short weekend mission trip at the end of October. I can't wait to go!

Amendment 3: the 101st Airborne Division is what Easy Company (band of brothers) was a part of. I wrote a blog entry about them a while back you can reread it here: http://literary-junkophile.blogspot.com/2008/07/band-of-love.html

News, Next weeks, and Newton

Well, I am almost done with my fourth week of classes. Next week I will have my first physics exam and probably a paper due for my composition class. So this weekend is going to be a little busy for me. As those of you that know me well know, I am very interesting in politics and news in general, so I thought it would be fun for me to write a blog post about my news sources. Over that past year I have found a number of websites that combine give a well rounded information net. So here are my news sources and the reasons I use them.

Fox News http://www.foxnews.com/
I read this because in general it is more conservative than the other big news sources. They also have a great collection of different kinds of news. I always check out the health and science sections.

Klove News http://www.klove.com/news/
I read this news site because it is great for finding things of Christian interest. It is basically just a bunch of links to other sites, but they pull out things that maybe hidden on the back page but have special interest to the Christian world.

IMDB's news from Wenn http://www.imdb.com/news/
I read this news site because I know that this is the news that so many people my age care about. Many people don't care about politics, but the most recent Hollywood scandal. So I try to keep up on what other people know about. There are also some strange things that occasionally come up about politics, world views, and Christianity.

The Drudge Report http://www.drudgereport.com/
If you haven't found this news source you don't know what you are missing. This is my first stop in the morning before classes. It has everything from politics, the economy, to the latest science technology. Did I mention it is extremely conservative. I usually check Drudge Report three to four times per day.

I also read what my dad fondly calls "the local rag". Even at school I like to keep up with what is going on at home. This is also the only Newspaper I have ever been published in (letters of the editor), so it will always have a special place in my heart. Not, I really only read this to keep up with the news at home, since the NR is strongly left leaning.


Cheers!

Your Literary Junkophile.


Amendment 1: F=ma is the mathematical representation of Newton's Second Law.

Amendment 2: 15 days!

A month ago I was home...

Wow, I can't believe it has been a month since I left home. In some ways the time has gone so fast, but I feel like I have been here forever. The time really has flown, which is nice for me because I know that I will be home before I know it. But I also feel like I know everyone so well (at least in my section), that I couldn't have only known them for a month.

I miss you all terribly, and can't wait to see you. On that note: I will be home for a weekend in October (the 10th-14th). I will be at church, so those of you that are New Hope-ers will get to say hi. But if you don't go to my church you are welcome to stop by my house and say hi. Just let me or my mom know. I'm excited to be home for my birthday and to see my family.

My classes are going great. I had my first organic chemistry exam last Friday, and I did well on it. As of yesterday, I remember why I am a chemistry major. Up to this point we hadn't done anything new, but Monday we finally did something fun and exciting. (Well, exciting if you are a chemistry major). So, sorry physics and engineering majors that were trying to convert me, I am happy as a chem. major.

I just love going to a Christian school. I love being able to share that bond with fellow students and my professors. I can sit out on the lawn with a group of friends and sing praise songs and not be looked at strangely, or have a spontaneous prayer meeting without feeling odd.


Cheers!

Your Literary Junkophile.

Amendment 1: I mostly wrote this post because I didn't get a chance to write an email update this weekend (computer trouble). So if it seemed a bit odd, that is why.

Amendment 2: My interesting fact today is actually a questions. How do you win a tug-of-war game? If you have taken physics you will know that it isn't as simple as it sounds. Let me know what you think the answer is.

A Picture is worth a thousand words,,, here is a ten-thousand word entry

Here are some pictures I took last weekend around my campus.

Hummingbirds love the bush right outside of my dorm.

This picture was

taken outside of the administrative building.



My campus is crawling with lizards. It is hard to tell, but this lizard was actually about 6in. long.



This is one of those southern California plants that I have know idea what it is. (Mom, do you know?)



This is an arbor in the formal gardens on campus. When I say formal gardens I mean the part of campus you have to walk through to get to any class.



The Perfect ECD spot. Can't you just picture a late afternoon dance going on right here.


Some place I won't be walking. (I think this is poison oak)


Another beautiful tree.


The tree that hangs over my dorm.


Yes, I go to school with palm trees.


Cheers!

Your Literary Junkophile.


Amendment 1: I hope you enjoyed my campus tour.

Amendment 2: The chemical with the formula CH3CH(CH3)CH(CH3)CHCH(Cl)CH3 has the proper (IUPAC) name of 5-Chloro-2,3-dimethylhexane.

Lunch Time!

This is the lunch of a college student that isn't fond of her dining hall's food.


Cranberry juice
string cheese (that doesn't seem to want to "string")
Crackers
Apple Sauce
Spoon (I don't eat this, but finally have one is exciting)
Homemade chocolate chip cookie from home (my mom sent me some)


Cheers!

Your Literary Junkophile.

Amendment 1: I will write more this weekend when I have more time.

Amendment 2: The Correct answer on my poll was velocity. I'm so glad that two of my friends apparently are comedians or else have very poor reading comprehension.

I cried for them that Day

Well, I realized that I missed blogging on September 11th. So I'm making it up now. My greatest prayer for people is that we won't forget. I'm not talking about revenge or safety of our country (though protecting out country is of utmost importance), but the reaction people had was truly amazing. For the first time in a long time, our country had something to pull together for: to recover from 9-11. So I will start off by telling you what I remember about that day.

I got up early because we had some where to go. I heard the TV on in the living room; that was unusual, we didn't usually have the TV on in the morning. I walked in the room, and before I even saw the TV I knew something was wrong from the looks on my parents' faces. For the first time in my life I saw my parents scared. Later that day before my family prayed for everyone that had been effected, my dad made me promise that I would never forget that day. What happened, and the pictures we saw of people in other countries partying in the streets because of what had happened. I learned that day, that many people fear the freedom we have, and because I am an American I will be hated by some. By people that don't differentiate between children, soldiers, civilians, atheists, and Christians, only that they are Americans. I will never forget. What about you?


God has Blessed America!

Your Literary Junkophile.



This a picture I took while in Chicago, it is on the back of a statue outside of Soldier Field.

Nine days down... many more to go

well, I didn't have classes this morning, so I decided to get out my calculator and do some math. I did do my physics and composition homework as well, but I don't have a math class this semester so I thought I would do something fun. A few days ago my sister titled her blog entry "One day down...to many more to go". So I thought it would be fun to figure out just how many days of school I have left. (I assumed that there are 148 days of school in every year (that's how many I have here, if I don't do any May terms); I also assumed that I would finish school in four years of undergrad. and four years of medical school.) The total number: One thousand twenty-seven days of school left for me. I guess it is a really good thing that I actually like school, unlike some other blogger I know.


Cheers!

Your Literary Junkophile.


Amendment 1: Don't worry, I'm planning to write a nice long entry this weekend, complete with pictures of...

Amendment 2: If anyone has any specific questions about my schedule, my classes, or my life in general feel free to ask me. I'm trying to get around to emailing people, but right now it really isn't happening regularly.

Amendment 3: What's a blog entry without an interesting fact?

Amendment 4: An alcohol is a carbon group attached to an OH group. Two carbons triple bonded are called an alkyne. Two carbons double bonded are called an alkene. A ketone has a carbon double bonded to an oxygen.

Some things you may not know about me

My nickname as a child was Laura Bell (LB).

I would rather read a good book than be sociable.

Before I die, I want to travel to Israel.

I am an INTJ (google it if you don’t know what I’m talking about).

My favorite kind of salad is spinach with honey mustard dressing.

My favorite socks are purple.

My favorite animal is a beluga whale.

If you really want to annoy me, be late.

I like writing only when I don’t have to.

I have kept every card ever given to me.

I love getting snail-mail.

I always thought boy scouts would be more fun than girl scouts.

I would rather be sick in bed than have a sore throat.

I want to learn to scuba dive.

I can practically quote the entire Laura Ingalls Wilder series to you.

I went to half a year of Catholic Kindergarten.

I want to travel to Great Britain some day.

I actually like our rainy winters.

I choose my friends very carefully, so if I call you a friend it should mean something to you.

My favorite kind of candy bar is Twix.

If I had to eat one thing for the rest of my life it would be mashed potatoes.


Cheers!

Your Literary Junkophile.


Amendment 1: I'm not sure why I have been writing so much lately. Maybe I just miss you guys.

Amendment 2: See Mariah, I'm still blogging.

Stories of my First Week

Well, my first week is over! It went so fast that I can't believe it is already done. In general it was a really great week. I did find out some really sad and upsetting news from home and it was hard not to be at home with my family (one of our dogs died). But this blog is going to be about the good and happy stuff, so don't worry if you have a week heart or a passion for animals, you can keep reading.

My first story involves my English Composition Class. The title is actually the story. You see it should be titled "Learning to write by reading". I anticipated when taking this class that I would have to be doing a lot of writing, but when I got to my first class I was informed that I would only be writing four papers the whole semester. I also found out that I would be reading many essays by authors from dubious backgrounds with viewpoints that no self respecting American would hold. Already this has turned into a very interesting class.

My Next story is about my chemistry class. On Thursday I had my first Organic Chemistry lab. Usually the first lab is a short one, simply because you can't really do much when you have only covered the review material. So I did not expect to be there a half hour late (this turned my already four hour lab into a nearly five hour lab). Because of the hoods (if you don't know what these are, you are sadly science deprived) it is impossible to effectively run air conditioning in a lab. This meant that the lab stayed a nice seventy-eight degrees. Which in case you weren't aware, this is the warm and cozy temperature, the one that makes you want to take a nap. Needless to say, it was a very long afternoon.

My last story is about my southern California culture shock. I'm not sure why, but all of the girls down here have a tendency to dress in an immodest way. I don't know if this is culture related, weather related, or simply a lack of good judgment on their part. But there seems to be a ridiculous number of sun dresses walking around on any given day.


Cheers!

Your Literary Junkophile.


Amendment 1: Science lab Hood= a device that is used to pull vapors out of the air and keep them from getting into the main lab. It looks like a box that is enclosed on four and a half sides. So you can safely handle volatile substances or things with dangerous vapors.

Amendment 2: The most useful advice I was given in my O-Chem lab. If there is a fire in the building please get out of the building. (This and other common sense things were why the lab ran so late).

Its a Small, Small world

Well, I don't have much time right now. Lots of Homework already! But I thought I would tell a quick funny story that happened to me last night. Before I get to that, classes are going great, I'm really enjoying everything; can't wait to get home, but I am having fun. I'll find some time this weekend to give you all a proper report.

My story: Yesterday, I was chatting to Charlyn, while taking a break from studying. She asked me if I had every heard The Hand Song by Nickel Creek. I hadn't, so I looked it up on Youtube. Well, I really liked it and was listening to it later, when I happened to look over at the related videos and recognized someone. I met this person at WorldView two years ago, and then stayed with her when I went to visit a college last November. When I was there I heard her playing in a band, and apparently she put some of their music up on Youtube. Of all of the Youtube videos out there I had managed to stumble across the one I wouldn't ever expect to find. The world seems so small sometimes.


Cheers!

Your Literary Junkophile.


Amendment 1: If you aren't on my email list for updates let me know, and I will add you.

Amendment 2:

Amendment 3: When I started this blog last January as emails, I always added something cool that I had learned in class. During the summer, I stopped this but I'm going to continue the tradition now.

Amendment 4: If you integrate acceleration (if you have limits for the integral) you find velocity. Integrate velocity (with limits) and get position.

Amendment 5: That was from physics by the way.