Journal Entry 1

Describing red to a blind man is a somewhat difficult task considering we've grown up on graphic knowledge. We've seen and experienced the color red. To a certain extent we ARE the color red. I would explain red to the blind man in a series of ways. I would first tell him red is a type of double-edged sword. With one side you show love and mass expressions of emotion while with the other you create destruction. Love and destruction.. Two very opposite things but both capable of causing each other. I would tell this man to picture everything that flows inside him. I'd tell him to remember back to the last time he was cut. Remember the liquid that trickled from those veins. That liquid was a vivid color with the intensity of the sun. "Sir, red is life." I'd explain to him like I did previously, we are red. Without us there is no existence of red but without red there is also a piece of us gone. I would have him recall everything that he loves and everything that has made him hurt so bad and picture the intensity of the situations combined. "That my friend.. Is red."

Journal Entry 20

If I could speak to one species of animal I'd choose to speak to cats. I would choose cats because the majority of my family owns cats including myself. I would love to be able to speak to my cat on a daily basis. He is a great companion and he deserves some good company. I want to hear from a cat what the life is like at home and outside. I'd find out what his favorite foods and activities are so I could begin to spoil him more. Once we become even closer than we already are I can use him as a spy to see what's going on at the house at all times. I would no longer have to worry about people sneaking into my room or talking bad about me while I'm gone. I could also surprise my family members by asking my cat what they've been worrying about. I could use my cat for the greater good of the family!

Journal Entry 19

I believe school attendance should NOT be mandatory. If some one wants to get an education that should be up to them. Everyone knows that if you truly want to have a good life then you must be well educated. Without education we as people are nothing. If we followed these rules we would only have those who rightfully deserve the position for the job. I believe this would help boost our economic situation greatly.. Also this would make our country a force to be reckoned with in the business area and other various zones of work. Even though this gives the nation to become less educated I doubt the majority of people would quit school all together. If that were to happen however we'd be in serious trouble as a nation. If the masses were less educated we wouldn't have as much advancements in any areas which would put us at a severe disadvantage to rival countries. This is simply my view on this idea and I have no knowledge of what could actually happen.

Journal Entry 18

If I could change two things about our campus I'd make it an indoor school and create a bigger gymnasium. I believe these changes would allow for an increased amount of commerce. With everything being close together people will have the opportunity to be more social and this increase in socialism will have positive effects on the students. Students will have the opportunity to make more friends and interact on a higher scales. Also if the school is strictly indoor this will eliminate the trash problem during lunch. Kids won't be able to just throw trash in the hall way or in the cafeteria. With no where for the trash to go but inside a garbage can we can be a small help with the global pollution problem. Next, I would like to create a larger gymnasium because the kids at our school truly enjoy their sports. With more space to play a wide array of sports the kids can only react positively. In addition, the children have tremendous school spirit. A great thing to have would be more space for the great assemblies thrown by the staff and ASB.

Journal Entry 17

A large issue to me is the steady rise of drug use amongst teens. This topic seriously bothers me because I come from a large family and being one of the oldest children I am afraid for what my siblings will have to go through. The thought of any of them being involved with drugs sickens me to my very core.. It is very important to me that this problem is brought under control. It's because of this kind of dilemma that I promote a drug free lifestyle not only to my siblings but the world. I make sure to answer any questions my siblings ask about drugs to make sure they stay far away from it. In addition, I advertise this lifestyle through my band. Because we all agree on this topic everyone in the band also promotes this. If my siblings were to ever get involved with this I'd be sure to give them my own type of punishment. I'd feel severely disappointed. Eventually I would teach them how to get back on track and live without it.

Journal Entry 16

Having a girlfriend has definitely been a significant experience, great achievement, large risk and an ethical dilemma all in one. This has made an impact on me in more ways than one. It has blessed me with the highest points of my life yet has cursed me as well with terrible moments of bitter agony. I can say I have never truly loved some one like the way I've loved this woman. The way this girl has made me feel has helped me through the most dismal points in my life. She has tought me the lesson that "You don't know what you have until it's gone." along with a few others. I have come to appreciate the little things in life no matter how insignificant the gesture. Every day is a blessing and I am blessed to be able to share my days with some one of such great importance. Even though there has been bad times between us those times have tought me a great lesson too. Never hold a grudge. Perhaps the greatest lesson I have ever learned. By letting everything,"slide right off your back" you open your world to a stress free life and true inner peace. I am more thankful for her than any personal possession in this world.

Journal Entry 15

The most valuable contribution I could make to a college campus is probably my musical prowess. As I've said in my past blogs I love music and not only do I enjoy what I create but I believe I'm very good at it. I have a knack for adapting to musical styles and have a small taste for every type of music. If I could find any others who are interested in the same area of music as I am then we could make magic happen. Even if I have no one I would definitely start something on my own. Recruiting members and spreading the word about music would be a fairly easy task! Once I have something started with a small group I would commence my plan of trying to make the school more musically involved and help people with musical tolerance. I'd go on to create clubs and gatherings and even karaoke nights! It'd be a ton of work but lots of fun at the same time.

Journal Entry 14

"He does not possess wealth, it possesses him." A fairly obvious quote in my eyes. This quote means that a man has become so consumed with greed that he is fueled by it. A man with no ambitions but to be wealthy and stay wealthy is simply sickening. Currency on its own I'd a truly corrupt and disgusting idea. Greed and gluttony are two awful emotions created by humans. What makes it even more hideous is when these emotions are involved with money. 3 man made ideas that have been ruining the world since a very early time. A man who lets his money possess him has failed as a person because that means they have given up on friends and family. They have been totally consumed with malevolent forces. Money is cold and could never fill up the void left by missing family members and friends. If I ever encountered some one consumed by such emotions I would try my best to eliminate the negative feelings. However, if I couldn't rid them of those nasty feelings I would have to eliminate myself from that persons life completely.

Journal Entry 13

Dear sir/ma'am,


Hello there! My name is Anthony Rodriguez! I am going to be your new college room mate and I am prepared to make the best of our time together. I am an easy going 19 year old guy who is ready to have a great year. I guess I'll use this time to describe my physical appearance.. I'm a pretty big man. I'm about 6 feet tall more or less and pretty heavy. I have pretty long straight hair that I've dyed a few shades darker brown than my original color. I wear pretty tight clothes and am always worried about looking nice. I come from the small city of Chula Vista not quite far from the border of Mexico. I am half Mexican and half white but I am more in touch with my Mexican side. With that being said I hope you have or I can introduce you to some southern hospitality! I would also like to say I come from a very musical background. I am in a band and I love what I do along with the music I create. Hopefully my guitar playing doesn't bother you too much because I'm playing all the time! My parents are divorced and both of them have been remarried so as you can guess I have a huge family. I love all of them including my step-relatives. I am ready to invite you into the family if you can accept me and the rest of my family. I hope you will write me back and we have a great year!

Journal Entry 12

"Action!" The lights shine in as I wake from my deep slumber. My eyes are irritated by the light so I get up and close the curtains. Walking out of the room, in a fashion similar to that of a zombie, I would make my way to the kitchen. I would look in the fridge 2 to 3 times alternating between it and the freezer before I finally decide what I'd like to eat. Most likely I'd find nothing appetizing but I need nourishment none the less. I'd skip breakfast for now giving myself the false thought that there'd be something better when I come back. I make my way to the restroom and turn on the shower. I proceed to take a shower, savoring the feel of the warm water against my skin. I would then go back to my room and get dressed then continue on with my day by performing chores then going out with friends.

Journal Entry 11

What do you feel has changed you most in life?

The thing that has changed me most is the break up between my mother and father. That one event has single-handedly changed my perspective of the world. It has shown me so many truths that the world has to offer. I have beared witness to the fight or flight response illustrated by all animals. It has showed me that truly no one can be trusted.. Not even those closest to you. When your own father walks out on you, or any parent for that matter, you are left with an unbearable emptiness. This pain plagues many people and some a lot worse than me. It has also showed me that nothing in this world lasts forever. It is either physically or mentally impossible and there's no avoiding it. It's these universal truths that have molded me into the person I am. It's these bases that I live by and that are at the center of my mind. With every decision I make I take these thoughts into deep consideration. I do this because I want to avoid what happened between my parents at all costs.

Journal Entry 10

The best advice I've ever received was given to me by my idol Zak Hansen from The Word Alive. He told me that if I truly want to be a famous musician then I have to practice for hours, strive for my goal and never give up. This advice was given to me nearly 2 years ago.. Today I am proud to say that through following his words I am closer to my goal than I could ever imagine. Two years ago I had barely began to poke my nose into the music scene. Now, my band is slowly gaining publicity and in turn so am I. I sit at home and play guitar everyday, whether it be a few minutes to many hours. That in itself has made me progress as a musician farther than imaginable. That is about 50% of the reason why I have come this far. The other 50% goes to complete and total dedication. I put everything in this world behind my band/musical career. I do this because there is nothing I want more than to live my dream fully and happily. I swear that I will always follow Mr. Hansen's advice and I will never let anything stop me from realizing my dream.

Journal Entry 9

If I could create my own holiday I would make a day dedicated to music and musicians. I believe music doesn't get enough recognition as is. Music is the ultimate release for every person. Whether they express themselves through music or they listen to the music and find peace through the lyrics and melodies. This holiday would be celebrated around the world with large festivals that consisted of parades, gatherings and group work. The parades would have enormous floats and blimps dedicated to the appreciation of music and it's creators. The floats would have mannequins of artists or large scale models of bands. Music of every genre would be played all day non-stop thoughout the regions of the world. The only places where music wouldn't be heard is where human life isn't present. All people of every race and origin would be required to get together and play something for one another. They could play any instrument or sing to each other in anyway they'd like. They could cover songs, perform original pieces or collaboration pieces. Also at the end of the day people would be given the opportunity to collaborate on certain artwork.

Journal Entry 8

"Use what talent you possess: the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best." -Henry Van Dyke

This is a quote I feel I can describe myself with or relate to. I have a small talent in many things and I never let not being the best hold me back. I move on and grow in that area so I can become a better person in that zone and over all. I pick things up quickly so I never have a problem with progress. I move forward and never look back. I leave people's opinions in the dust and keep trying to get better everyday. Perseverance is the key along with practice and dedication. I live my life by these rules every day without regret. However, being able to stick by my words is probably the greatest talent I own and could ever ask for.

Journal Entry 7

If I could introduce something to a primitive culture I'd definitely choose to expose them the idea that nothing is impossible. Absolutely everything can be attained through perseverance and hard work. "Practice makes perfect" is truly the motto of the world. The possibilities are infinite for a culture that believes they can do anything. If I was allowed I would make sure their minds would never be corrupted by the thought of currency so these aspirations could actually come true. Imagine a world full of people not limited by the term impossible.. This would be a truly advanced civilization the would be constantly evolving and making new advancements. With an idea such as that I believe there aren't really set backs or negative effects. It only gives room to advance and keep moving forward.

Journal Entry 6

The greatest Change I believe I am making amongst the locals is the positive message my band and I are putting forth. Putting unity and Christian values first followed by a drug free life style we are trying to change the views of our fellow people. It has become apparent that most children and young adults have lost themselves to negative substances and ideas. They have lost respect for there bodies and minds which I believe is severely wrong. The body and mind are sacred and it is a privelage to own them. It also bothers me that the majority of these young people don't believe in anything. They don't put themselves into the life of science nor religion. In their eyes we simply exist and nothing more. This upsets me and goes against everything I stand for and have learned in life. For this reason I have created a group that does not use drugs and promotes our God. We hope to achieve our goal and become famous so we can help people on a widespread scale instead of just the locals. Regardless of how big we get we are doing what we love and are affecting certain individuals already.

Journal Entry 5

If I had the responsibility to place 1 million dollars in what ever projects I see necessary I would choose to place it in educational facilities. It is a morose thought that there are places in the world where children must go without free education. Intelligence is a gift given to human beings and it should only be our right to be able to learn freely. How would you feel if you had to idledly stand by and watch other children who are already more gifted than you are gain even more luxuries than you. As the constitution states,"All men are created equal." it's unfortunate that this statement is not true to this day. In addition, if everyone could have the opportunity to be thought we, as a civilization, would become much stronger and more advanced. Anyone could walk out and have an intelligent conversation with some one on the street that'd already be great progress. If we were to ever be visited by an advanced civilization they would respect us in our efforts to gain knowledge. However, as of now we remain nothing but a laughing stock of the universe with our greedy ways.

Journal Entry 4

If I could go back in time and be some one else I would most likely choose Abraham Lincoln. I've always wanted to experience America in the earlier era's. In addition to that I would be able to help end slavery and learn the ways of the pre and post civil war era. An even bigger benefit from being Lincoln is that I would be the president of the United States. I would be able to live the life of luxury, be in absolute power, bring a great deal of peace to the world and make a huge impact on the future. The only downside to being Lincoln would be having to face death by assassination. Especially because I would know the exact date of my death and where it would take place. Also I would have an extremely large number of white people hating me and trying to end me.

Journal Entry 3

Although I feel like the majority of school is pointless there are most definitely things I have learned that I integrate into my everyday life. The most useful of subjects in my opinion is English. Since I live in North America the most essential part of day to day life is English. In addition, luckily for me English is the number one language to know on this planet so it is of even greater use to me to learn about this language, my language. The advancements I have been making in the English language thanks to my teacher Ms. Eddy has amazed me day after day. Another subject of great use is mathematics. I personally wouldn't find use for geometry, algebra or calculus but the basic math skills are a necessity! Although pronounced differently numbers look the same in every language and are needed for the simplest of tasks. Finally, the study of history allows me to be a more knowledgable and well rounded person. Not to mention it helps us to not make the same mistakes as those of our forefathers. That is if your intelligent enough!

Journal Entry 2

Competition has always existed amongst people and plays a great role in society. Since the earliest days of the cave man to modern day man being jealous of his neighbors car. Society revolves around competition today. Without competition we wouldn't have the marvelous inventions of today or the sports entertainment on t.v. Competition is healthy because it gives certain people aspirations to be better, physically and mentally. Although competition usually leads to someone trying to one-up another person it's this act that grants us newer and greater objects, ideas, and people. Unfortunately, with competition also comes conflict. Not all people can peacefully resolve their conflicts which makes competition unhealthy to a certain extent. Fights break out every day over petty arguments and most of those arguments revolve around some sort of competitive act. A most notable real life instance is fights with your siblings over a game of some kind. The older child is usually the better of the two which leads the younger kid to accuse their sibling of cheating or hacking. If the younger child is the better one that leads to an even greater conflict where the older child becomes out raged and believes the win to be blasphemous.