Hi, I'm Alan

...and I'm sorry for NEVER posting on here anymore! I might as well say this now: I'm kind of over blogger. It's too... organized, I guess, for my head. This is more of a summer jam for me, when I didn't have to write formal essays and all that jazz.

You should really check out my tumblr, I update that sh*t everyday:

MY TUMBLR!!!

A blanket of stress? Ehhh?

Dawg, I want to go to Argentina. Or China. ASDLSAKJFH.

I feel like when I started blogging, my brain was so cleared of anything super stressful. It's weird, because those of you who read my blog frequently (aka no one) have seen me change a lot. Not to toot my own horn, but I have to admit that things have happened in my life since I started blogging (American Studies, Larissa and Anna leaving--although Anna leaving isn't anything new, it never gets any easier--, realizing things about certain friends that disgust me) that have both made me grow up and made my skin thicker (and you never thought "thick" and "Alan" would go in the same sentence! Zing!). Ugh, I apologize for the awkward dashes within the repetitive parentheses, but Joe has yet to teach us about the dash.

But lately, I feel like I have been kind of regressing back into the more timid, fearful version of myself, and I hate it. I never knew this side of myself until the beginning of freshman year. It's the side of me that constantly wishes I could be somewhere else - not even somewhere else, but sometime else. I am really happy with my life; I love who surrounds me, Larissa, Anna, Paul, my parents, my group of friends from Mercer Island, the "gems" (thanks Riss) I have found/have been trying to find at SAAS... But it's more about wishing I could be in a different part of my life, mostly the past. I don't know, this is just rambling now and alsdkjvcnalsdkjn.

BYE, love you.

Not one, but TWO good movies this weekend

DON'T READ IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN ZOMBIELAND OR PARANORMAL ACTIVITY (unless you're not planning on it... in which case, I feel bad for your sorry soul)

So I would like to start off by saying both of these movies are excellent! I will keep this entry short (as per my new approach to blogging - ten points for consistency) but you have got to go see these movies.

Paranormal Activity: one word: shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitballs. I never get legitimately scared from a scary movie, but holy cannoli! This movie is a modern day Blair Witch Project - meaning it is a mockumentary-style film (although you are led to believe it is real until the very end). The acting was actually good... at least, as good as acting can get for a horror film... I don't really want to say anything, because when I saw it, I didn't know anything about it - I recommend you go in the same way!!

Zombieland: this movie is more lighthearted, but still very well done. Although very similar to Shaun of the Dead, Zombieland (forgive me for not using proper formatting when writing titles, all you gramma Nazis) is a dramedy involving very different characters taking on a nation of zombies. The two things I liked most about this film were the emphasis on home and the importance of enjoying the little things. Much like The Wizard of Oz, this film brings together four different people (although two of them are sisters, a pre-existing relationship) who are trying to find their own version of home. They realize in the end, however, that they have created a new home among themselves. They also have a lot of fun being the last remaining humans; for example, they break the sh*t out of a Native American gift shop and situate themselves in Bill Murray's Beverly Hills mansion.

GO SEE THESE MOVIES!!! Bye.

Maybe, just maybe...

I'll stick to shorter posts for a while! Hm...

Recently, I've been enveloped by homework, play rehearsal, and most importantly, my sweet, sweet dose of reality shows (Survivor, Amazing Race, Real World/Road Rules Challenge: The Ruins)

I have a FAAAAAAAT amstud test on Thursday which has been calling my name, "Aaalllaaaan... aalllllaaaaaaaaan..." all week, and I'm sittin' here like, "lolwut." Because of this test, I will keep my descriptions of each show brief - NAY, I will write haikus about each!

Survivor

Does anyone else

notice those weird finger marks

under Russell's jaw?

I cannot believe

CBS chose to cast a-

nother Natalie

Like last season, my

horse this time will be Laura

why are you surprised?

Amazing Race

Dumbasses from Mass

are they that dumb, or do they

want me to hate them?

Overall, this year

is very forgettable

down with team zebra

The Ruins
Oh hey, Cohutta

how've you been since we last spoke?

You are a banjo

Oh boy, Johanna

I loved you on your season

but now you are lame

TOODLEZZZZ

I sure do wish my car's turn signal was louder...

AHHHH. Okay, I haven't posted in over a month, and I feel like azz. However, I haven't forgotten about my little slice of heaven... and a fresh, new post is coming up very soon! I just have to figure out some things (i.e. life) and then everything will be good.

Am I frazzled enough for you?

SCHOOL/Life and Stuff

Oh sh*t guys, school time.

I started school on Tuesday and it's........... school. I dunno.

Except it's weird, because this is the second year (sixth grade being the first, lawlz) in which I went to school on the first few days and was actually sweating I was so nervous. American studies, aka intense 101, created a pit in my stomach not only the first few days, but during the whole summer. I don't want to say too much because I don't want to refer to people without their knowledge, but you basically gotta know your sh*t and if you don't, you're f***ed. :D Orange you glad I put things so nicely?

However, I have been thinking about SAAS a lot recently (perhaps because school started, but ya never know...) and I discovered two things that would make the school a hundred times better (academically, don't even get me started on social dynamics):

1. Women Teachers
The few times I've had women teachers at Seattle Academy, I always end up liking the experience a lot way more than with a male teacher. From what I've seen, women teachers generally relate to different personality types much better than men teachers. Also, the women teachers I've had have the tendency to teach more romantically, and I like that a lot more than a Machiavellan approach. Also, there are just way more men than women in the faculty. Creating a balance would simply be a good thing to do. Specifically in the arts, history, and math deparment - where the four music/theater directors are men, it would be nice to see a woman direct a vocal show or play. Where all history teachers are men and have similar approaches to teaching, it would be nice to see a woman teach. That also goes for math.

2. Journalism/School Newspaper
If SAAS developed a journalism program, that would open up a lot of doors for students who don't necessarily want to perform in the style that all extracurricular activities share (speeches, singing, acting - all in front of audiences). The only thing we have at Seattle Academy along the lines of "journalism" is a parent newsletter called the SAASWatch, but it's basically all written by one woman. You have the option to be a "SAASWatch Intern," and write articles about random things (which I plan on doing) but it would be awesome to have a student run newspaper. However, if I tried to start one my junior year, on top of everything else, it would be the death of me. So... if you go to SAAS, start one? Kthx. Also, we have the facilities for it - laptop program, lotsa paper and printers (for a paper); I'm sure the vocal room has some nifty recording tool (for a radio show); and we have a film program, so I'm sure some kids would be interested in taking charge of production (for a school news station).

Haha, basically SAAS kinda blows. But... I won't go too much into that one!

God damn it, Lindsey lent me Mario Kart Wii and the only thing I want from that game is to unlock Baby Daisy, but it seems like quite a feat, and a time consuming one at that. Also, I miss Larissa. Life is definitely more "mehh" when she isn't around. It's not that she always gave me advice and I was dependent on said advice, but she was just a good friend to have with me and we agreed and were on the same page regarding just about everything. Plus, we hung out all the time this summer, and when that kind of thing is interrupted it's hard to go back to everything else. All of a sudden I have to find friends in my own grade... what? No.

Anywho, junior year so far is one bumpy, pothole-y road, but I'm ready to rock this sh*t! Bring it awwwwwn.

Check out my brain purge!

This decent enough kid I know named T-Stweezy has a blog (?), and I saw this interesting thing he had on there called a "brain purge" - basically a candid, handwritten thing in which you say random things that are on your mind... Because I am a sheep, I tried it out!

Here it is, folks!

Oh, by the way - the last two sentences are, "When other people are aloof, it makes me uncomfortable. "To Kingdom Come" by Passion Pit is the best song I've heard all summer."