Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Teen Ink

So I've got a bunch of stuff submitted to this TEen Ink thing, which is a site online where you submit poetry and visual art and pros and shit like that and then people vote and comment and rate and sometimes you get into their magazine, which would be awesome. So people should go to this link right here... http://www.teenink.com/search.php?smodel=all&sall_uid=1607 ...and vote and rate and comment and help me get into their magazine, because you have NO FREAKING IDEA how badly I want that and how cool that would be.

Help a girl out?

Lovez you,
Brii333

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Okalahoma!

So our school musical this year is Oklahoma!, which, in my opinion, is one of the most annoying musicals ever written. However, I get to play Ado Annie and that's fun, so it's okay.
We've been doing practices for about two weeks or so now, and Sean (the guy playing Jud) had only come to one practice. He showed up at one to say that he "wasn't sure" if he was going to be in the play or not, and we told him to either be in it or not so we could find a new Jud if we needed to, and he quit.
I'm torn between being murderously irritated and uncontrollably excited. First of all, when you sign up to do something, you do it. No excuses. However, I was starting to get sick of him after being at One Act rehersals with him for a whole month. Whatever. Mostly I'm just pissy cuz now we need to find another guy that's willing to sing. Do you know how difficult that is in this area? Apparently it counts as a point against someone's manlyhood to be in a musical. Who knew?
But other then that, it's good. Practices are reasonably fun, besides the annoyance of fidgety, "i-can't-sing-louder-then-a-whisper-even-though-every-other-time-I-open-my-mouth-I-try-to-drown-every-other-little-sound-out-just-because-I-can" choras kids, I mean. Not all of them. Just three and a half fourths of them.
Phew! I'm ok. **breathe!**
Lovez2yew
Brii333

Monday, February 8, 2010

OMFG COLLECTIVE SOUL

OMG COLLECTIVE SOUL IS GOING TO BE WITHIN THIRTY MILES OF ME ON THE TWENTIETH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wonder if my Dad would be open to buying tickets. I mean, I understand it's a recession, but this is COLLECTIVE-FUCKING-SOUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Collective Soul. I mean, we should be able to find decent priced tickets somewhere online. Right?

Collective Soul. COLLECTIVE SOUL.

I don't think I'll be coherent for the rest of the day.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Writing

Writing is difficult. Those of you who actually have read my work (http://adjectives-on-a-typewriter.blogspot.com/) know that yeah, I can write a pretty decent poem and all that. But I can never seem to finish a short story or anything like that without a deadline. The one on Paranoid Schizophrenia that I wrote was written the same day it was due. It's not that I don't like writing them, it's that I get mad and think they aren't any good and then I quit. I mean, I know I'm being rediculous and that first drafts are SUPPOSED TO SUCK, but I just get mad and throw the notebook into the corner of my bedroom underneath my desk/shelf/whatever-the-hell-it-is reserved for discarded stories and cut up magazines and old photographs and sketches and leave them there. Once in a while I'll dig one up and work on it a little more, but it's never more then a page and I always throw it back into the pile. How am I ever going to get anything done if I continue like that? WTF!!!!!!!!!


So if anyone's got any ideas on how to make me kick my own butt out of the realm of procrastination and frustration, that would be positively lovely.


While you're at it, you can check out my other blog (link in the first paragraph )and give me constructive criticism, because I like that. (wow, aren't I just awesome at promoting? I should do that for a living. **heavy sarcasm**)


xoxo,
Brii333

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Paranoid Schizophrenia

The short story that accompanies this paper is up on my second blog, http://adjectives-on-a-typewriter.blogspot.com/

I apologize for any typos ahead of time, as the stupid peice of crap would not let me copy and past my three-page essay. (throws computer out window) Don't judge me too harshly for not wanting to double check.

~~~~

Schizophrenia is characterized mainly by hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized speech or behavior. In most cases, a teacher may be the first to notice a problem, as schizophrenia causes educational problems such as difficulty concentrating, behavior or performance inconsistancies, or reactions that seem inappropriate to the situation.

The standardized diagnosis for the U.S. and most other countries states that three diagnosis criteria must be met:

1) Two or more of the following symptoms for most of a one month period; delusions, hallucinations, disorganized or catatonic behavior, disorganized speech or a lack of emotional response, speech, and/or motivation. If the delusions are judged to be bizarre, or if the hallucinations consist of hearing one or more voices commentating the patient's actions/thoughts or conversing with each other, then only one symptom is needed.
2) Social or occupational dysfunction.
3) Duration--The patient must exhibit continuous signs for at least six months, including at leaste one month of displayed symptoms.

A patient cannot be diagnosed with schizophrenia if symptoms of a mood or pervasive developmental disorder are present. It also must be confirmed that the patient does not have a medical illness that could produce schizophrenia-type symptoms (however rare the occurance). Some of these include metabolic disturbance, systemic infection, syphilis, HIV, epilepsy, brain lesions, or delirium.

In the paranoid variety of schizophrenia, paranoid delusions (such as believe the government is watching your every move) and hallucinations (usually auditory) are the most prevalent symptoms. The delusions of a paranoid schizophrenic will be focused on a central idea, usually the one that he or she is being singled out for harm. Another type of common delusion in paranoid schizophrenics is delusions of grandeur, such as the idea that one can fly, or is famous. The hallucinations of a person with this form of schizophrenia are usually auditory rather then visual. These auditory hallucinations are almost always a voice or voices, and may talk to the patient or each other. In many cases, the voices give a running critique of the patient's actions, emotions, or thoughts, harass or insult the patient, or tell them to do things.

Records of schizophrenia before the 1800s are rare. The possible existing accounts of the time period are difficult to confirm as schizophrenia, because of the differences in culture or language. there are various Greek, Roman, and Egyptian examples of medical literature that describe a similar condition, but the 14-volume medieval Arabic encyclopedia, "Al-Quanun fi al-Tibb" ("The Canon of Medical", is most promising. This medical and psychological text talks about junan Mufrit, or Severe Madness, which is defined by schizophrenia-type symptoms.

James Matthew Tilly is the first documente, d case of paranoid schizophrenia. He was committed to Bethlem Psychiatric Hospital on January 28,1797, after accusing the home secretary of treason and complaining of plots against his life. He also believed that a gang of criminals skilled in "pneumatic chemistry" lived near the asylum and were torturing him with rays from an "air loom." According to tilly, they only used this on the important political figures of the day (and himself, of course) and were forcing them to do the gang's bidding. Their purpose? Espionage.

In 1853, the syndrome was defined as demence precoce, or early dementia, because of the dementia-like symptoms affecting young adults nad teenagers, the term schizophrenia didn't appear until 1908, when Eugene Bleuler realized that the disorder was not a form of demential, as his patients gradually improved rather then deteriorated. He proposed that it was, instead, a separation of function between personality, thinking, memory, and perception. his term (Greek schizein, to split, and phren, mind) is now the common name used for this disorder.

There have been many speculations about the causes of schizophrenia. for a period of time in the early twentieth centure, schizophrenia was considered a hereditary condition. Thousends of schizophrenics in the U.S., Germany, and Scandinavia were sterilized and, under Hitler, killed.

A current theory suggests that combined factors of genetics, early environment, and social processes contribute to the development of schizophrenia. Brain scans of schizophrenics consistently show that dopamine activity in the mesobolic pathway is considerably higher then in the average person. However, no single cause, organic or otherwise, has been determined.

The most common treatment for schizophrenia is a dosage of an anti-psychotic medication. This tends to suppress the dopamine levels in the brain. Psychotherapy or social rehabilitation is an important part of recovery, as well. In some cases, a patient may be forced into hospitalization, as the fearful delusions of a paranoid schizophrenic may cause them to become violent if they feel the need to defend themselves.

Schizophrenia is often accompanied by obsessive-compulsive disorder--far more often then can possibly be a coincidence--but the direct connection has not discovered. Schizophrenics are also likely to have major depression or an anxiety disorder, and almost half the schizophrenic population will attempt suicide in their lifetime. The lifetime occurance of substance abuse is about 40% higher then in a non-schizophrenic. Long-term unemployment and poverty or homelessness is also very common. The average life expectancy of person with schizophrenia is about ten to twelve years less then those without this disorder, due to other increased physical health problems and the higher suicide rate.

Paranoid schizophrenics are often looked on with fear and pity, and with good reason. Schizophrenia changes a person's perception of reality--their minds are almost literally undone. Nobody knows precicely what causes it, but we get closer with every study. For now, schizophrenics remain under the power of their delusions, and tehre isn't much we can do about that.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Gluten.

What is it about gluten that is so tastey? mmm, gluten.

Seriously, though. My friend is not allowed to eat anything with gluten in it, and everything that is on the list of stuff she can't eat is tastey, and everything on the list of stuff she can eat is revolting. Well, except for like, fruit and veggies and velveeta and stuff. Mmm, tastey.

So all of this got me asking--what the hell is gluten? I went onto Wikipedia (the Free Encyclopedia), and typed "gluten" into the search engine. What did I discover, do you ask? Well, basically gluten is a combination of the two proteins gliadin and glutenin, and about eighty percent of the wheat seed is gluten. It gives bread dough it's elasticity, adds chewiness to baked bagels and such (mmm, bagels. yummy!).

So apparently only about half a percent of the U.S. population has an adverse immune response to gluten, and the only cure is avoiding gluten all together. In our times, it's uber hard because MSG (Monosodium Glutamate) has gluten in it (imagine that *Sarcasm*). This is translate for "All that has no gluten is disgusting."

So, basically, I told you all that just to say "pity those who eat no gluten! Pity themmm!!!"

That's all, folks!
xoxo,
Brii333

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Subverting the Tyranical Fashion/Beauty Paradigm

I QUIT. I just fucking QUIT. I am not watching my weight anymore!!!! If I'm a fat fucking bastard, thats fucking okay with me!!!! If I'm a fugly anorexic looking bitch, that's fucking okay, too!!!!! I will not adhere to an idealistic vision of beauty marketed by fashion magazines and negetively reinforced by a society dumb enough to believe that real beauty is only seen on the cover of a magazine. Fuck it!!!!!!!

Now I'm going to eat a fucking bagel and ENJOY IT!!!!!!!! Take that, assholes.

Lots of Love and a Late Merry Christmas to You,

Brii333