tag:blogs.greenmtn.edu,2008:/mt/admissions//1 2008-11-17T19:40:20Z Movable Type 3.34 tag:blogs.greenmtn.edu,2008:/mt/admissions//1.121 2008-11-11T03:12:07Z 2008-11-17T19:40:20Z

I'll begin with the silliness and end with the seriousness. Halloween 2008!...

Nicole Ainsworth ]]> (The dog (Flip) was his owner for Halloween and vice versa...) This is a picture of me that we took in the dark so one could see the glow sticks that were intertwined in my horn. Anyways, a good time had by all. And we move on... I'll preface this with the fact that I am completely unaware of whether or not people actually spend much time contemplating these kinds of thoughts. And that, perhaps, they are somewhat inspired by my senior-status. Not to say that I somehow think I'm superior because of said status-- it's been a long road, but really, aren't they all? The one thing that unites us is the struggle. But what it comes down to is that struggle will somewhat change face soon. II'll be graduating this May, which really just means that I'll be entering a new phase of my life. Naturally, I'm spending a lot more time these days trying to figure out what my future may or may not hold. While there is potential for teaching in Taiwan, there's no guarantee. So then I'm thinking of that job as an English teacher at some high school somewhere (possibly in Concord, NH, if anyone's interested in hiring?), or, that financially unwise, but highly rewarding, job as a para-professional working in one-on-one settings with students who really need it or as a preschool aide. With my experience at the Communications Office, I could always be an editor or a journalist. And if I really wanted to pull strings I could probably do some kind of publicity work for non-profits. I could eventually join the Peace-Corps, or I could settle down somewhere and begin thinking about financial stability. I could, really, do anything. The unfortunate part is that I've never had such freedom. College was kind of a mandate by the old parentals (and I'll be forever thankful considering I wouldn't have been able to score this scholarship if I had taken those two years off of school like I had wanted to...) so I'm not really sure what to do next. I know I want to eventually get my masters, and there's definite considerations of getting my doctorates so that I can teach at the college level. But not yet. My spirit has a lot of searching to do. I know I want to travel. And whether or not that traveling is somehow related to the research I eventually want to do regarding international educational approaches, or my interest in working with students with Autism, or just simply teaching people English while learning a new language myself, I'm not quite sure. I know I want to help people. And that's really where this begins. I had this disagreement with someone close to me the other day--a disagreement that made me realize the limitations on my perspective of the world. I am surrounded by eager spirits--people hungry to help and heal the ills of the world. We are open. We are joyous. We laugh and we cry together, because, in the end, Green Mountain College is our primary family. Not to say that we don't have bases of support back home. It's just that may of us are empathetic because we've been through extremely trying experiences--experiences that, while making us stronger, have not made us unfamiliar with pain. And, well, our peers are more apt to understand our struggles than family members that are older, younger, or in between. That's part of the beauty of the college experience--especially at GMC. Nowhere else will you find such a large group of people with the same kind of vision of the world. Nowhere else will you be able to connect with people who share your sentiments, your passion, for the evolution of the future. And yet, in some ways, this can also be a weakness. Sometimes, after spending so many years up here in such a haven, you begin to forget that vastly different perspectives exist {note the vastly. There is diversity of opinion here, it's just geared toward an era of environmentalism and social action.} While feeling like you're a part of this huge movement toward a better tomorrow, you can begin to forget that in some places, there is still a lot of distrust. A lot of hate. Anxiety. Pain that people can't even begin to pen into words. You begin to forget. And then... you have a conversation with someone close to you. And you can't understand why they can't understand. There are days when I'm walking outside, and I look up toward the sky. Those are the days that I'm feeling particularly in touch with the vibrations of this universe. Those are the days when I realize that if the sky were to fall upon me at that very moment, I would die content if just one person could experience the amount of love I have for the world before I leave. If they could but experience the true beauty of the energy I feel. If they could just realize the kind of happiness they could bring to another's life with a simple compliment, or an appropriately placed smile. There is so much bliss in this life. And while I can't say that I feel it everyday, I do know it exists. It exists in the first rays of sun after a storm. It exists in the first trinkles of laughter of a new born. And it can only be appreciated because of our trials. I want to help people. I want to share this inherent motherly love that I've felt since a child. And yet, I'm beginning to realize that it can be difficult to share such love with people who have core moral values that completely oppose your own. I personally believe that every being in this universe deserves a fair chance at life. I personally refrain from killing even mosquitoes because I feel that I do not have the right to decide whether something lives or dies. I personally believe that is up to a grander being, spirit, energy than I to decide. Now, I've accepted that this is a completely radical viewpoint. I have no problem with people differing on this. But to see people who don't believe that every human being is equal, especially in a country founded on these principles? That hurts. It hurts the fiber of my very being to think that some completely disregard others because they have different religious beliefs or ancestral origination. It hurts to think that some believe that Americans are inherently more superior and, as such, inherently deserve the luxuries they recieve each day more than people in other countries. I'm not saying that people in our own country don't need help. There are too many to count. But I don't think that they somehow deserve my help more than someone from another country. I believe that is an unfair judgment to make. All beings are equal, and should be treated as such. So this becomes a moral dillemma. I want to help people, but... what if the people who need my help don't believe that everyone is equal? Or has a similar type of hatred? How does one get around one's automatic reaction to such hatred and respond with love? I know that this is the answer. I know that love is the only way to heal hearts, to help people understand how to love, to become the person I want to be. But I never realized it would be so difficult... I never considered the implications of loving all. To be human is to struggle with one's conscience. After all, it is what separates us (or so we think) from other creatures. It is what makes revenge as well as reward possible. It is what makes Ghandhis as well as Hitlers possible. I guess, now that I'm here, here at this turning point in my life, I want to know where my sense of morality is guiding me and whether it is in the direction I hope it to be. I want to know how I can help, and whether or not I will be able to help in the manner that I wish to as a teacher. I want to know what I can do to be the best person I can be: morally and intellectually. I want to know if I'm doing enough. For you. For me. For everybody. For the future of humanity. And unfortunately I feel that there are no answers. Only intuition. So let's see. ]]> tag:blogs.greenmtn.edu,2008:/mt/admissions//1.120 2008-10-29T18:10:21Z 2008-11-17T19:40:21Z

It's been a while, for which I deeply apologize. Apparently, a 30-page paper demands much more attention than I originally considered :). Thank you Seniorhood. To make up for it--an enchanting picture of a 7am frosty morning at GMC in...

Nicole Ainsworth ]]> No. This was not taken in an elfin land of some kind. I really do love this green place... especially in autumn when its more orange-red-brown-cold than anything else. Insert witty one-liner here. I like this one because that white you see is frost on the bridge out back--and yes, I did take my shoes off in the blistering cold so I could walk across it barefoot to give the picture some metaphorical depth (regarding the roads we travel, etc...though now that I look at it, it seems as if some wild man roams out there. Do not fear, there is no rampant barbarian living off the land in the back of GMC. That I know of...) To be honest, I first started taking the pictures because I was interested in submitting something into the first Annual GMC "Eisteddfod." I guess it's this traditional Welsh lit and arts competition, and will include people playing specific music and singing songs in certain categories, reciting previously chosen poems, writing essays, and submitting either pictures or drawings of the GMC landscape. I'm not really sure if I want to submit them though? I mean, I've never taken a photography class or anything, and I'm sure a lot of the students who will be involved will actually have education in these areas. Plus, I'm not sure which one I would submit (any suggestions?) Speaking of frost, it snowed the other day, and while it immediately melted in most places, there are definitely areas in the mountains that have collected a fine layer of the white fluffy. I don't know about y'all, but it always feels too early for me if it comes before Halloween. Other than that, not much has been up, really. Lots of college-related work, plus the side-job, plus mentoring, etc. Like I said, that 30-page paper's been consuming a lot of my time. I feel like I know Kerouac personally by now (my thesis traces the religious tensions in his work... he was a Catholic as a child and a Buddhist as an adult...) Fall Break came and went. I stayed on campus, along with a much larger collection of students than I originally predicted. Naturally, I'm beating myself up for not going home now. I'm definitely missing the family wayyyy more than I thought I would. I guess I've always taken Fall Break for granted (it's only a few days...but they make all the difference, apparently.) A fairly large group of students took this time to go to an Obama benefit down in Pennsylvania, where The Dead and the Allman Brothers Band performed. While there were rumors Obama would be there too, apparently there was just a pre-recorded address they showed on this huge screen, to which Brent (who went) jokingly noted made Obama "absolutely frightening" because of how gigantic he looked on the screen. I guess any of us in giant form would be a little scary. I've also been enjoying Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert's take on the political mayhem prior to the November 4th election. It's been hilarious and bizarrely informative. OH! Roots of Creation (a band from NH) played tonight in the Gorge. I stopped by to "hang out for a few minutes"--which really equated to my dancing for two hours straight. They've been playing here once a year, since I can remember, and are really well received by the GMC population. Definitely worth a listen to, if you ever have the chance. And Halloween is in two days. I promise more pictures regarding that. Until next time... ]]> tag:blogs.greenmtn.edu,2008:/mt/admissions//1.119 2008-10-09T19:40:29Z 2008-11-17T19:40:21Z

In the past, I have written about my experiences in the Poultney Partners Mentoring Program. I've updated about various activities that Shannon (my mentee since I was a freshman) and I have done together, such as sledding, swinging, shopping, and...

Nicole Ainsworth DREAM Program. ]]> and our mentees. Plus, we also got these really sick shirts. Apparently, the shirt idea stemmed from a rather large DREAM group going down to Boston to visit some of the museums. It was a little difficult to keep track of all the kids in the crowd, so they decided that in the future, everyone would have to wear neon yellow so they could be easily recognized in such situations. It's even sweeter in Poultney because yellow and blue are the team colors for sports at the school. I'm pretty pumped for the upcoming year. And I think Shannon is too. For now, I must depart. It's Shannon's birthday tomorrow... and I have some shopping to do.]]> tag:blogs.greenmtn.edu,2008:/mt/admissions//1.118 2008-10-02T20:28:05Z 2008-11-17T19:40:21Z

I feel that one cannot avoid a genuine conversation about the state of our economy right now when communicating in any manner-- face-to-face, blogging, or otherwise. To do anything else seems, on some levels, an effort to escape the reality...

Nicole Ainsworth actually facing. ]]> want to hear, what we need to hear, or what others want us to hear. I'm not trying to sound paranoid or delusional. I'm only trying to be honest to myself. Throughout history, political leaders have chosen to withhold or reveal information based on what was either better for them at the time, or better for the country at the time. (Yes--that means that I personally believe there are times when information should be withheld from the general public. I believe that a human is an intelligent individual, but that large groups create mass mentality, which in turn can create chaos.) Essentially, I'm stating that there is a possibility the situation isn't as bad as it seems. Mostly this stems from my hobby of reading British news sources rather than American ones. The other day, I read an article regarding how the American media is comparing the issues we are having now with the stock market crash of the Great Depression. While it is true we've lost a similar amount of points (and indeed continue to lose--but we'll get to this later), percentage wise, it's not even comparable. The point is, our stock market is wayyyy larger than the stock market was at that time. So losing that amount of points, while disconcerting, is not actually as bad of a situation as the Great Depression overall. We may get there in the upcoming months. But right now? Not there. Furthermore, while: "[m]ore than 600,000 jobs have already been lost this year, according to the government..and there are currently over 9.4 million people looking for work in the U.S" according to cnn.com, according to bbc, the percentage of unemployed Americans is not nearly as high as it was during the Great Depression. What it seems like to me, then, is that this is a situation that could become as bad as the Great Depression, but the urgency with which Wall Street is reacting is creating an anxiety that is only making things worse. Of course stock prices are going to continue to plummet--those covering this situation have been in a hysteria over it. And when people have doubts about the economy, they are naturally not going to want to invest in the stock market. And without investors, but a huge supply of stocks to be sold, the price of everything drops. Basic supply and demand, my friend. And these doubts also affect common Americans, as they will naturally stop putting money into the economy because they are afraid of the impending doom and would like to have as much as they can if said doom happens. This, in turn, creates a disturbance in the economy as well. My point? Yeah. It's a really really really messy situation. But I honestly think that the media is making it worse by instilling, even ingraining, the fear that has everyone praying for a miracle right now. I'm just glad that people aren't running to banks yet to get all their money back. THAT is when we'll be in the same situation as the 1930's. May we somehow recover before that happens. I also wonder if maybe this is a blessing in disguise. This only occurred to me after reading this article. Maybe it's time for America to lose its ultimate "superpower" status--maybe it's time for us to share the spotlight with other countries in a friendly manner. (I think this is where the fear sets in though--will other countries be willing to be friendly?) Either way, if we were to make this occur successfully, there would be a shared feeling of responsibility for countries who need help. There would be a shared sense of responsibility for bringing down leaders who are hurting their people. It would no longer be America the country that polices the globe, it would be America and.... which would help us concentrate more on our domestic policies and in turn make us strong once again. Maybe this entire conundrum will teach us all a lesson about how banks and businesses are structured and funded. Many countries in Europe are already reconsidering the way they run their banking system because they are seeing how our structure has weakened us. So maybe this is just a bump in the road to restructuring our economy in a way where we (from CEO's to Jane Smiths) don't have to live our lives based off of money borrowed from other people. Which in my mind, would help us all out in the end. Who knows. I'm just hoping we can recover enough from this thing that we have time to implement the lessons we've learned. Please note that these are my opinions, and my opinions only. They are in no way endorsed by Green Mountain College, the members of my current political philosophy course, or the professors I've discussed this matter with. In fact, there are many issues that I may be missing all together--so I encourage you to comment about ideas that you believe in, don't believe in, etc. I'm sharing what I think because I want to know what others are thinking. And I believe open, honest discourse is what our country is about. It's how we decide in what direction we need to grow.]]> tag:blogs.greenmtn.edu,2008:/mt/admissions//1.117 2008-09-29T02:53:32Z 2008-11-17T19:40:21Z

I didn't get the chance to update about the past couple weekends, so here we go. On the weekend of the 13th, I took a trip down to the good old NH to visit my family, hang out with some...

Nicole Ainsworth ]]> And yet another one of my favorites: The night before returning home, I had this curious dream that though it had only been a few weeks since I had last seen him, my nephew had suddenly grown into an eight-year-old boy and could maintain a decent conversation and everything. I returned home, and although he was certainly not the eight-year-old I had feared (seriously, the entire dream was filled with ominous thoughts about how I hadn't spent enough time with him during his formative years, etc, etc), I discovered his recent obsession with books. Apparently, though he is clearly unable to read, he is cognitive enough to realize that when he hands someone a book, there is something within those pages that said person can read to him. This process fascinates him, as he continues to hand items with writing on it to us to figure out what will happen. We saw this when my sister read his birthday cards to him. Though half of the pictures I took during the event were blurry because he was CONSTANTLY moving (hence, I think, the reason why he refuses to gain weight), his attention was immediately caught by my sister's voice and the pictures the cards offered. And here he is actually examining the card on his own, trying to figure out how it opens and closes and everything. It was actually pretty interesting to watch his reactions, considering I'm an education major with a strong background in psychology. He'll be a genius yet, I'm sure of it. In other news, my Gaby-Baby (aka godson), has his birthday party coming up this Friday. It saddens me that I won't be able to make it to the event. Hopefully, however, I will have pictures. I certainly should bother some people about that... Instead, I'm just going to offer a cute picture of him right now... (Written, as she realizes this means she actually has to chose a single cute picture... which is kind of the most difficult thing in the world when one has so many...) I think that's probably one of my favorite pictures from the summer. On the business end of things, I've been really digging my special topics philosophy class about the upcoming election. Though I'm only technically auditing it (meaning I'm not taking it for credits, and just sort of showing up to learn... *cough* GEEK!!! *cough*), I've been learning a lot. One of the books we are reading is George Lakoff's The Political Mind, which looks at politics from a cognitive scientist's perspective. In other words, he basically examines how the language politicians use can physically change one's brain, thereby affecting one's convictions subconsciously. There are certain terms, phrases, and metaphors that are used in common public discourse that have certain connotations and connections with other ideas and phrases because they have been repeated within the same context over and over again, and eventually embraced because these connections become physical creases and connections in our brains. For example, he notes that the term "tax relief," which is used by progressives and conservatives alike, implies that taxes are somehow "evil" because one needs to be "relieved" from them in the first place. If one looks at the facts, however, it is easy to see how taxes are in many ways essential to our way of life, as they provide the funding for programs such as public education and transportation. This means that much of the public is going to be against a politician that argues for tax increases, even if these taxes are going toward social programs that will in the end help out the American people more than hinder. It's really interesting to consider, especially as the debates go on, and the public discourse about our "financial crisis" continues (I think that many would agree that after reading Lakoff's book, this phrase in itself is one of the terms that we should consider before automatically accepting it and using it when discussing it). Needless to say, this class (combined with the current financial issue going on) has given me a reason to follow the news more closely, which in turn has made me realize how much I've been missing that's been going on in the world. An enlightening experience, needless to say, one that consumes perhaps far too much of my time. But it's interesting. Like, did you know that China recently completed a moon walk? Or that Ireland is currently in a crippling recession? Or that there's a semi civil war going on in Italy? Or that Paul Newman died of cancer? Said exploration on the internet inspired me to write an email to the Department of Education regarding the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) act and the weaknesses that I see in its implementation. I actually received an answer within five days of composing my letter, which surprised me. Though some parts of it seem potentially copied over from other informational sources about the act, there were definitely parts within the answer that showed that someone actually read my concerns and was interested in responding to them. Some of the claims made weren't 100% accurate-- still it was nice to get a real response. Apparently, it's about to get reauthorized, so the person responding to my email suggested that I write to my senator about the issues I had with the NCLB to get my voice heard, which is cool. Anyways. I think the moral of the story is stay informed. There's a lot more going on than you'd think. ]]> tag:blogs.greenmtn.edu,2008:/mt/admissions//1.116 2008-09-11T21:41:44Z 2008-11-17T19:40:21Z

So. It's the first semester of my final year of college. I've laughed. I've cried. I've seen new people arrive, and I've seen just as many wonderful people leave. I've spent hours on the back hill watching the sun sink...

Nicole Ainsworth So. It's the first semester of my final year of college. I've laughed. I've cried. I've seen new people arrive, and I've seen just as many wonderful people leave. I've spent hours on the back hill watching the sun sink below the horizon (each sunset with its own unique beauty to marvel). I've tromped through the woods on the Vermont and New York sides of the Poultney River with friends on a mission to go swimming or explore, or completely alone so that I could listen to the music the wind makes in the trees, or simply to center myself. I've groaned about seemingly impossible homework tasks; I've fallen in love with the cadence of previously unknown writers. I've traveled to the other side of the world and back, while sometimes missing out on opportunities right here on campus...In short, my experiences at GMC have left me with many precious memories and lessons, and through it all, GMC has become a place I can call home. And now, I must prepare myself for that to change. here) which really means the same thing?) So I suppose I'd better embrace it. I think the most difficult aspect of that, however, is embracing the monumental amount of change. Not only will I be leaving the safety net of GMC by next May, but my friends' lives are changing just as quickly too. Over the summer, for example, one of my best friends got married. Yea that's right. Married. And although I had the amazing opportunity to be a groomswoman in the ceremony (Yes--I did write GROOMSWOMAN), it's still kind of weird that it happened in the first place. I mean, yea, I'm 21 and my parents got married when they were 23... and Katie and Toby are 23... but still. I guess it sort of just happens like that. One day, you're playing videogames in your friend's livingroom eating stale cheese balls and drinking wayyy too much mountain dew until 3 o'clock in the morning... and before you know it, you're here: And yes, that is Brent rocking a neon-pink bandanna, you know, because GMC kids are awesome like that. In all seriousness, though, it was very surreal. I remember being twelve-years-old and watching my little sister walk down the aisle as a flower girl for my cousin and being slightly bored and moody because I was twelve-years-old and that's what twelve-year-olds do when they are forced to wear uncomfortable dresses and heels for extended periods of time. But there I was, standing in a field watching Katie "walk up the aisle"... and I'm crying. Trying to stand there attentively in front of a large group of people without them realizing I'm crying. It was awkward, but I was so happy that it didn't even matter. Anyways, I'm sharing way more pictures. Here are all the grooms...people. And Katie and Toby's son (my godson) hanging out with his cousin before the ceremony. And of course, the ceremonial cake (I'm surprised things didn't get messier...) All in all, I'd say Katie and Toby's wedding was probably the biggest event of the summer. Otherwise I worked full time at a gas station as a third shifter, met a number of bizarre human beings, and wrote a ton of poems about said human beings. Stay tuned for some of those, as they are going to be the focus of my Senior Writing Project (an optional independent study I'm taking simply because I need external motivation to organize my work and actually do something with it.) Originally, I was planning on centering this project around a different theme--I even spent several weeks over the summer organizing the pounds and pounds of poems that I have-- but I had the brilliant realization one early morning (after talking to a young woman with a seven-year-old shoeless boy about the boyfriend who chased her out of her house with a crowbar) that the stories I was hearing were meant to be shared. This world is a crazy place, and sometimes the only one around to listen is the complete stranger selling you gum behind the counter. Anyways. More later. ]]> tag:blogs.greenmtn.edu,2008:/mt/admissions//1.115 2008-05-05T16:50:16Z 2008-11-17T19:40:21Z

So my last big project was completed approximately... 1 hour ago. What a relief. The education program here at GMC is absolutely amazing. And by that I mean the professors are doing exactly what they tell us to do in...

Nicole Ainsworth So my last big project was completed approximately... 1 hour ago. What a relief. The education program here at GMC is absolutely amazing. And by that I mean the professors are doing exactly what they tell us to do in every class--constantly reflecting on the effectiveness of their methods. I'm not sure if this is a new thing this year, but I've had to teach a lot of lessons the past two semesters. This involves creating a lesson plan, linking it to state standards, creating worksheets and discussion questions as necessary... not to mention actually teaching the material. Sometimes you can do a quick search on the web and find an informative worksheet on direct objects, for example, so your prep time isn't that long--all you have to do is cite the site properly. When you want to do a really interesting lesson that you've created yourself, however, it can be overwhelming. I think I spent five hours last night just trying to get all my worksheets worded correctly, only to realize that I had a TON of worksheets, which led to some confusion for the students. That's another positive aspect about these classes--peer critique. After you are done your lesson, your classmates reflect on the positive aspects of your lesson, and then offer ways you can change it so it's more student-friendly (after all, they are acting the student that day). You are then responsible for making the changes you believe should be made to your lesson plan, and reflecting on the experience. I think this latter aspect is extremely important. I remember freaking out in the middle of last semester because I realized that I wasn't that good at reflecting on my own teaching skills. As I've gone through these classes, however, I've picked up different ways to tell how effective my teaching has been, as well as a number of strategies that really help students understand what is expected of them. Naturally, I'm not quite a pro at this yet, but that is what student teaching is for. After the success I found in today's lesson, I'm actually pretty excited. Only one more year and I graduate... The lesson I taught today was based on this English teacher I had in tenth grade. She's actually one of the people that convinced me that teaching might be a good career option (though unwittingly... even I didn't realize it until several years later). She was an absolute inspiration to everyone-- she was young, understanding, beautiful. She had a brilliant smile and offered very specific praise when necessary. She was a bit on the eccentric side--at one point, she invited the music teacher to come in and play bongos as we recited our poetry. She once told me that she was eager to read my published work someday. I guess this is probably why I always felt connected to her... (though the fact that I had a dream about her helped. It was really weird--we were in Africa somewhere in this warehouse and zombies and vampires were trying to get in. Naturally, we were freaking out because we had nowhere to go. Suddenly, she turned to me and said: "Nobody else knows this, but I'm pregnant. How am I going to save the baby?" And that was the end of the dream. A week later, a friend who had kept in touch with her after she moved to AZ told me that she had just found out she was pregnant...) Anyways, during one of the classes I had with her, she brought in a collection of odd items for us to personify. This was... an interesting experience. I ended up choosing a ball of twine. Mr.Twine was a grumpy old man with an affinity for knitted sweaters and long rolls on the beach. His major enemy was Mr.Spandex because he was so young and new and always attracted the ladies. It was kind of hilarious. But she absolutely loved the story for one reason or another, and used it as an example in future lessons. So I went with it. I brought a number of odd items in--including a stapler, a cd player, a cribbage board, a tie dye bunny, a ball of yarn, and earrings--and had students personify them. I also rewrote my story about Mr. Twine. He was now Mr.Scratchy and his worst enemy was Mr.Zip-Tie because he can "hold things together infinitely better than him." It was such a blast. Everyone had a lot of fun with it. The head of the education department also happened to be in visiting/observing (stressfulllllll!!!!!) and I think he had a lot of fun too :). The characters were diverse: There was Sunny the CD player who really just wanted to be a rock star, but was working at the local restaurant as a dish boy until he found success. Then there was Mrs.Cribbage, the cribbage board, who went on a rant about how no one ever played her anymore. Was she that outdated? Why was she always alone and forgotten among the sweaters while the kids played colorful games like Twister and Bop-It? Then there was Goodie and Baddie, the matching heart-shaped earrings. They belonged to Mrs.Lukewarm, an ace journalist who always wore her these earrings because she believed they gave her luck in finding a story. What she doesn't know is they are actually conscious creatures who DO make a difference in her everyday adventures. And of course, Vlad the conservative stapler who expressed his views about the loose morality of loose leaf paper these days. Tsk. Tsk. Not to mention Louie the tie dye bunny, King of the Wonderland Mafia. He was the bunny who originally brought Alice into Wonderland, so he was punished by the Queen with tie dye fur forever. Amazing. What great fun we can have with personification! So. Exactly one week left. I don't know if it's going to fly by or inch--I only have a handful of brief assignments to complete, but then there's also studying for exams to do. Meh. Good luck to everyone with the end of the semester! tag:blogs.greenmtn.edu,2008:/mt/admissions//1.114 2008-04-29T21:22:50Z 2008-11-17T19:40:21Z

So I decided to wander around campus and take some cool pictures today--which made me realize that I didn't post too much about Earth Week. Irony of all ironies. Earth Week is like seven days of celebration at GMC. There...

Nicole Ainsworth ]]> And even one I found after wandering around the woods a bit... Go Green Mountain students. I also realized with a start that flowers are in full bloom right now. Spring has just been so weird. We had like three days of rain, two weeks of summer weather, now it's raining again... but the flowers managed. And they are quite beautiful. Here's a picture I took from the green in the center of Ames circle. Therefore, the building you see in the back is Ames. And then another picture that includes the garden in the middle of the green, only at a different angle. And I just thought this scene was cool. It totally brings me back to my childhood when I used to go to those rural fairs in New Hampshire and there was always some guy using his chainsaw to make a gigantic wooden bear out of a tree or something. Although I've seen an art student working on the piece from which these wood chips came, I didn't get to see the final product (I think it was brought inside to avoid sogginess.) And of course I had to take a picture of the tree all in bloom. I still don't know what kind of tree it is, but it smells heavenly. And the au natural bike racks... And another garden that I honestly did not realize was blooming until today (despite the fact that I pass it everyday going to work? I don't know if I'm just way too busy this semester or what...) Oh! And my friend brought this canopy from home. For a while, he had it up in his room... don't ask me why. It just kind of made the place seem more comfortable because we had tapestries hanging from it (though certainly not as many as we do now...) Anyways, we brought it out during Earth Week to protect ourselves from the sun... and then added carpets and more tapestries as necessary to protect us from the rain. Now we can just sit out back on the hill and chill. Also as of late I realized that there is an old wooden bench out near the softball/baseball field (yet another ironic concept, considering I've been here for three years). It's not right next to the field, though, so I'm not sure if it used to be for the purpose of watching a game or if it was part of an outdoor classroom at some point. Either way, it's really neat because the long grass has literally taken it over... hence the reason I never noticed it before. And last but not least, I leave you with a picture of erosion in action. The river is pretty high right now because of all the snow we had this past winter, so the water is snaking its way in a million different directions. In this particular case, it has eroded away a lot of the embankment, but there's still this outcropping that's just sort of there... but what's really neat is that because of the rain recently, there's water dripping from the outcropping into the river. I wish I had a better camera to take this particular picture, as then I could do one of those slow shutter speed things and get blurring water drop trails in the picture. Unfortunately, I don't have that kind of camera, nor would I be able to do this even if I did, as I've never taken a photography class in my life. One day it will happen though. I swear. That's about it for now. More soon, I'm sure. ]]> tag:blogs.greenmtn.edu,2008:/mt/admissions//1.113 2008-04-28T18:31:39Z 2008-11-17T19:40:21Z

Last week was beautiful. And when I say beautiful, I mean like summer weather, hardly a cloud in the sky, and maybe a slight to moderate breeze everyday. People were discarding their shoes and jackets (and responsibilities quite frequently) to...

Nicole Ainsworth Last week was beautiful. And when I say beautiful, I mean like summer weather, hardly a cloud in the sky, and maybe a slight to moderate breeze everyday. People were discarding their shoes and jackets (and responsibilities quite frequently) to enjoy the sunshine. Hordes of college students made their way down to the river with bathing suits and bicycles, as others started up the grill for a nice outdoor barbecue. It was fantastic. And now many are thanking the weather gods for this sudden onslaught of rain. I know I've discussed the subject with a lot of my friends--we all have papers due today or tomorrow or this Friday, and rain keeps us indoors working on that 10-page psychology paper, and away from the trails on Buckner Preserve or the canoes on Lake St. Catherine. Though Green Mountain College students are blessed with the number of outdoor adventures that lie relatively close to the school, such blessings can be curses when the weather gets really nice and the semester is coming to a close. My solution? Visit Poultney in the summer. It's a grand old time. Speak Truth to Power is officially over. We did a total of two performances on Friday and Saturday of this past week. I'd say that both went fairly well, though I seem to have reacquired whatever illness has been plaguing me and spent the majority of the time on stage Saturday trying not to cough. Ick. The performance consisted of a total of four parts. We had the jazz band playing during the beginning, then the actual performance, then an intermission of sorts with more music and food, and then a final portion during which international students shared their own human rights violation stories. This latter part was extremely powerful for me, as I hadn't heard this portion before Friday night's performance, and I had no idea what many of these students had been through. Its boggling to realize that these kinds of things can actually happen in the first place. Why does the world work in this way? I was especially touched by Wai Phyo Myint's story. She's from Burma, and worked as a journalist there for five years. During her time there, she helped create a petition that eventually saved the members of seven towns from forced labor for the government. It was not only inspirational as it showed that people can make a difference even in countries where the oppression is ridiculously overpowering, but she also ended her piece with a fantastic quote from Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi: "Please use your liberty to promote the liberty of the oppressed." I really like this sentiment, as I think it truly captures one of the most backward aspects of the human rights movement. The people who can make a difference are usually the ones who don't realize what is actually going on in these other countries and are busy dealing with their own day-to-day. It's truly time for those of us who can speak out about the atrocities going on in the world to be loud about these atrocities, to get others to recognize that there is an issue, and to get them to join together with us to make a difference. Man. I'm starting to rethink my choice of being a teacher--I feel like I could make an infinitely larger change in the world if I became a journalist who traveled to these parts of the world and spoke out about what is going on. Then again, it's a truly dangerous job. You're risking your life by telling the truth. I just can't believe that after all these years, there are still places in the world where stating the truth is a death sentence. Anyways... The annual Honors Tea was also held this past Sunday. My entire family came up because there was rumor (ie: Student Life sent a notice home) that I was receiving an award. When I mentioned it in passing to my parents the other weekend, they told me they were coming up, but I didn't realize this meant that my entire family was coming up... I got to see my nephew and both my sisters! Insanity! We all have such busy schedules that this rarely happens. In fact, my older sister has only been here once before for like five minutes. So I was extremely surprised when I saw her and my little nephew chilling out on the lawn beside Ames. Though I've been invited to every Honors Tea, I've never attended because I knew it would just involve my standing up when they asked all of those on the President's List to do so-- which isn't that exciting. This year, however, I was informed that I was going to get an actual award. So I attended and received the Secondary Education Achievement Award! (How ironic, since I'm reconsidering whether I want to be a teacher or not...) Either way, it was nice to know that my teachers have confidence in my ability to teach, as I'm pretty nervous about student teaching next year... *insert cringe here* In the end, I'm sure it'll be fine, and I'm sure that even if I don't end up being a teacher right away, I will eventually. I just care wayyy too much about education and about kids to not end up working with them. It was also a pretty neat experience because I got to see what my peers were up to. I learned a lot about who is majoring in what (you're usually a little uncertain if these people aren't in any of your classes, which they tend not to be if they're a different major) and then when professors discussed the achievements of these students, I learned a lot about the crazy projects people have been working on. So interesting. I found out that my RA has done a ton of volunteer work that I was previously unaware of--she won both the James M. Pollock Aware for Exception Service & Dedication to Green Mountain College as well as the Dr. Jesse Bogue Scholarship. So kudos to her! That's pretty neat stuff. Other than that, it's been the same old same old. I just finished my final big paper for the semester--I only have three two pagers and a lesson plan left, which is super awesome. (You mean there is a light at the end of the tunnel??) Now I'm just trying to secure a job for the summer working with preschoolers or students with disabilities. I might have an in at two different places, but I can't be interviewed until I'm back in the state, etc, etc. Gah. This real world stuff is for the birds. Anyways, until next time...]]> tag:blogs.greenmtn.edu,2008:/mt/admissions//1.112 2008-04-21T13:46:00Z 2008-11-17T19:40:21Z

Only three more weeks of school... and I think we're all seeing the major effects of this... lots of stress, lots of things due... and lots of low immune systems... I got sick this past week. It's not going away....

Nicole Ainsworth ]]> excellent restaurant in Manchester. I guess my grandma goes there sometimes with my aunt, so my grandma didn't realize that it was a big thing until she actually got there. YAY. Naturally, we had to take pictures of all the guests...(oh, and a kudos to my cousin David for taking most of these pictures with his fancy camera...) And then some close-ups on the cute kids... Here's my second cousin once removed: Here's my nephew: Here's my hero of an aunt (re: sweetest person in the world) holding my nephew: And of course, my grandmother holding her latest great grandchild (I think William makes five... but I could be wrong... I have a lot of cousins to keep track of). Overall, it was a great time. Good food, good people, good conversations... Good time. I also got the opportunity to go to the Spring Concert here at GMC this weekend. It was fantastic. Here is the website to the band-- Toots and the Maytals. They've been credited with inventing the word reggae, which is pretty cool, if you think about it. It was a jammin' band and Toots had the entire audience dancing by the end of it. This is honestly the first Spring Concert I've been to at GMC (I personally haven't been interested in the other bands that have played, but I've been told that the past concerts were a lot of fun.) It was especially neat this year because the tickets were free for GMC students and only $5 for anyone else--pretty inexpensive for a couple hours of good music! Anyway, that was pretty much my weekend. Now time to slowly but surely get my homework done without over stressing myself. This whole sickness thing is making it hard to sleep at night, which means I'm just exhausted and constantly napping during the day. Not so good, especially when said naps lead to weird dreams where one of your good friends is a vampire that has died from Ebola. Is that even possible in any of the vampire mythologies? Jeeze. Until next time... ]]> tag:blogs.greenmtn.edu,2008:/mt/admissions//1.111 2008-04-14T16:37:45Z 2008-11-17T19:40:21Z

What a delightful weekend. So my friend Ben Jankowski... (checking for pictures...) (request denied...) (oh wait... nope... here he is on one of his sailing adventures...) My friend Ben is not only good at sailing, but also happens to be...

Nicole Ainsworth My friend Ben is not only good at sailing, but also happens to be a total drama geek (I know he will take no offense to that statement). Ironically, the first time I talked to him--which was wayyy before we started hanging out--was because he was wearing a NH Drama Festival shirt that indicated he had gone to the same festival I had performed in a couple years prior. Anyways--the point is that he directed a musical this semester, and I had the opportunity to see it this past Friday. AND it was amaaaazing.]]> Here). I've seen her perform here at GMC before, but for some reason she wasn't scheduled to do so this year. So they rented a van and we all went up there, had some dinner together (YUM), and then meandered our way over to the show. It was great. She really is an inspirational person, not to mention hilarious. She has this tendency to tell you stories that either connect to the song she's about to play in theme, or were the inspiration behind the song. Sometimes, she'll even tell you a little something in the middle of the song. I think what I like about her so much is that she's so... real. She's just a girl from Minnesota singing her heart out. And while her songs are uplifting, they aren't obnoxiously or too optimistically so-- she still discusses the struggles she went through to come to that understanding about life. Speaking of which, I really like her perspective on life. She looks at these absolutely obnoxious things in a way that makes you laugh about how absurd it is, instead of grumble. It's just a good time. She performed in this restaurant kind of place--so we were all gathered close around her in like sofas or at tables. Very intimate setting for a concert. You just felt like you knew her by the end of it. Anyways, I'm off to go finish a paper. Until next time... peace.]]> tag:blogs.greenmtn.edu,2008:/mt/admissions//1.110 2008-04-08T18:51:43Z 2008-11-17T19:40:21Z

So it's finally feeling like spring here!!! FINALLY! So I took the weekend off to enjoy the thrill of it all. (This is a pictorial representation of the excitement this weekend created)....

Nicole Ainsworth (This is a pictorial representation of the excitement this weekend created). ]]> We then meandered our way up this mini-mountain that belongs to Amber's cousin (Amber being one of the very cool GMC chicks who came along with us for our aimless meanderings). We bravely made our way up the dirt back mountain roads (parts of which were washed out), in an attempt to get to the top, only to realize that it really was impossible to get to the top. The road just got scarier and scarier the farther we climbed. It was still fun, though, because there's this huge horse ranch on it, so we got to see a bunch of horses on the way up. We ended up stopping in front of this cliff face that had all these mini waterfalls on it, instead, and relaxed there for a bit. It was incredibly beautiful. Quite a nice place. We then meandered our way back to GMC and down to the river. What with all the snow we had and all the rain and all the... everything... it's like one big puddle out there. I've never seen the river sooo high, or the paths down there so muddy. I had mud up to my knees by the time I got back. But it was totally worth it. I haven't been down by the river in such a long time! Though it took a bit to find a dry place, Ev and I finally found some old reeds to sit down on. We ended up chit-chatting for a couple hours, just being lazy and enjoying the sunlight. It was quite relaxing. I've been having a bit of a hard time focusing on my homework as of late, but I think it was because I just needed to take a couple days off to enjoy the sun rather than continue to work myself to death in my room. The entire weekend totally rejuvenated me--I've been getting a lot of work done ever since. (So that's a bit of advice: when you're starting to get antsy... take a break. You'll get more done in the long run...) Of course, Ev being the photographer, many pictures were taken while we talked... some of them are good... some of them are just plain goofy. It's really hard to keep a straight face when someone is intent on "capturing the sun glinting in your eyes" and keeps on mocking you/making fun of you when you are sitting straight (I have a bad habit of slumping. SO WHAT! Give me a break!) So here's one of the first tries... Now, keep in mind that he told me to be "serious" like five seconds before he snapped the picture. Note my level of seriousness. And I was totally serious in this one. For real. But then he got his stupid pictures. Ev also has the tendency of taking really off the wall pictures of himself. Whenever I let him borrow the camera, I get it back with really weird pictures. Like really weird. Here's one of the more normal ones. I actually kind of like it... even if you can only see half his face... And then we came back to campus and hung out with a majority of the crew we had been hanging out with all day. And we watched the sunset, which was GORGEOUS, per usual. Is it just me, or does it look like somebody painted that? Seriously. Sunday was much the same: lazy and wonderful. I woke up REALLY late (I haven't had that much sleep in... years, it feels like), and then cooked a big breakfast/lunch/dinner with Ev that consisted of quite yummy and way-too-filling food. We then went for a bit of a walk, and just sort of soaked in a little bit more sun, before I took a nap (I might be getting sick? I'm not sure why I need so much sleep lately), and Ev played video games with the boys. Then he was off, and I was up and doing that last minute homework that college students are notorious for (hey, we're not perfect you know) and that was the close to the weekend. Yesterday was difficult for sure. With such beautiful weather, it's really hard to lock yourself inside and finish that paper. But I managed, once the sun went down. That's the plan for the week. I figure if I get it done now, I can take another weekend off later. :) Well, cheers, then. Hope all is going well. Oh, and I was corrected by 'brent's dad' (aka Mr.Duchesneau) that he was the one who told me that this past spring was the earliest we'll ever see it in our life times. Yay for random facts.]]> tag:blogs.greenmtn.edu,2008:/mt/admissions//1.109 2008-04-03T20:07:14Z 2008-11-17T19:40:21Z

Something that I love about GMC is the fact that there's always music playing. There are a number of campus bands, some of which will jam out the coffee house or the gorge every now and again. It's fantastic being...

Nicole Ainsworth Something that I love about GMC is the fact that there's always music playing. There are a number of campus bands, some of which will jam out the coffee house or the gorge every now and again. It's fantastic being around so many creative people, so many great musicians. looong drive back, depending on how late the show goes. But this past weekend, I was somehow coerced (haha) into joining Becky and this group of people she met down at the Langerado festival in Florida this past Spring Break to go up to Burlington. (What a crazy crew! One of them owns his own business, so he's either doing a job, or jumping from concert to concert until he gets contracted for another job.) It was all rather random. I was walking back from the dining hall, when I saw Becky hanging out with the kids in the back of their van. I had met them the night before, so I went over to see how they were doing, when they were leaving, whathaveyou. And then they told me they were leaving in like half an hour to see this band in Burlington, and asked me if I wanted to join. I honestly had ten bucks to my name, so I told them maybe some other time... but when they offered to spot me the fiver, I couldn't resist. I ran up to my room to get a few things and then... OFF I WENT!! It ended up being this band called Lotus. I had heard OF them before, but had never heard their music. I didn't really care much, though, as I figured it'd be a great night of dancing either way. It ended up being a funky techno band... I don't really like classifying them as that, though, because although they were technically techno, I tend not to like techno all that much, so the word has bad connotations for me. Haha. The truth of the matter is I DANCED FOR FOUR HOURS STRAIGHT. So they must have been pretty good. There were a ton of people up there from GMC, so I was pretty much surrounded by familiar faces. I also bumped into a friend that I haven't seen in OVER A YEAR there (she lives in Burlington currently), which was uber sweet because she's such a doll, and I wasn't expecting to see her again for a while. What a random adventure. I think the best part about it was the fact that I felt closer with the kids from GMC who were there after the concert. Even the kids I didn't ride with... somehow I felt like we had shared that moment, so our lives were that much more intertwined. Maybe that's corny. Either way, I feel a lot more comfortable around some of the people there that I don't normally hang out with. I guess music just... helps the bonding process. I mean if you're jamming out to a song next to someone who is jamming just as hard, you kinda feel closer. Anyways, it was absolutely fantastic and I'm stoked to go to another show now. I can't believe I've been missing this scene my entire time here. I hadn't experienced it, so I didn't really know what I was missing, I guess. I'm already planning on going to an Ellis concert next week sometime, which should be a cool time, too. Peace. Love. Music. ]]> tag:blogs.greenmtn.edu,2008:/mt/admissions//1.108 2008-04-02T19:01:45Z 2008-11-17T19:40:21Z

Wow. I was just going through the pictures on my camera, when I realized that I haven't even updated about my 21st birthday, my adorable nephew on Easter, or the fact that my pseudo brother is getting married. You'd think...

Nicole Ainsworth 21st birthday, my adorable nephew on Easter, or the fact that my pseudo brother is getting married. You'd think I'd be on top of this. So. Here's the inevitable Easter picture of my nephew, who is now almost 7 months old. (Boy is he going to hate me when he grows up and realizes I've posted pictures like this of him on the internet. hahaha). Yes, those are bunny ears; yes, my father yelled at my sister for putting said bunny ears on him (he's going to be a sissy! he says); and yes, you do see a little bit of drool on his face. He's teething, man. Give him a break. :) ]]> awesome Friday since it was my 21st birthday as well as my friend Nia's 20th), the first full day of spring and... *insert trumpet sounds here* WORLD POETRY DAY!!! Can you believe it? I had no idea! The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization decided in 1999 that March 21st should be dubbed World Poetry Day. So basically, it's a day dedicated to me. I mean. I came first. And I'm a poet. Thereby, logically, the UN created this day to celebrate my brilliance. Sort of. So, in an attempt to celebrate both my birthday and World Poetry Day, I asked people to create haikus in my honor. And I got some odd responses. (My friends are... interesting people). I received everything from poems like this: Haiku is not hard; In fact - rather simple, yes. Happy Birthday, you. to this: Hands & Heart Wide Spread With Soul Light Healing Minds Seven Thirds of Time (Which I still don't quite understand, but my friend Lo told me that it was a description of me...) Right. So, along with a bunch of haikus, I also got this AMAZING wrap for my birthday from my friend Becky. It's a beautiful piece with a jade Shakyamuni Buddha in it. For some reason, the picture didn't come out as clear as I wanted it to. But it's beautiful and that's all you need to know really. Anyways, on Friday night, the whole G-town gang met up with the GMC crew at Brent's house for a big birthday bash for Nia and I. It was awesome. I haven't seen a lot of those people in a while. Once there, I received yet another present: a big old birthday kiss... And yes, I walked around the rest of the night with that imprint on my forehead. I am sooo cool. Finally, as I mentioned before, I discovered over break that my bro Toby is getting married to his girlfriend Katie... and soonish. As I am the godmother of their beloved child, I will most certainly be involved. I cannot express how exciting this is for me. I haven't had friends get married before. I got the opportunity to visit them over break, which was great, as I got to hang out with my godson for the first time in a couple months and see this soon-to-be-married couple shine. They are already acting as if they are married *insert stories of fleeting disagreements followed by kisses here* It's delightfully cute. And in an overwordy nutshell, that's the that of it. OOH! But one more thing. Probably the best picture of Toby and I ever from when he stopped by to wish me a happy birthday before going to work. Until next time...]]> tag:blogs.greenmtn.edu,2008:/mt/admissions//1.107 2008-03-28T01:24:04Z 2008-11-17T19:40:21Z

There was this amazing speaker I saw tonight. He was invited for a Voices plenary, which is basically a speech that all the Voices students (second semester freshman, mostly) had to attend to write a two page reflection on (but...

Nicole Ainsworth There was this amazing speaker I saw tonight. He was invited for a Voices plenary, which is basically a speech that all the Voices students (second semester freshman, mostly) had to attend to write a two page reflection on (but it's open to the public). Normally, I wouldn't attend something like this. I just happened to get out of a meeting early and bumped into a girl who reminded me that the speaker was tonight. I am so glad I went. What a once in a lifetime opportunity. Road from Ar Ramadi: The Private Rebellion of Staff Sergeant Mejia. I haven't read it, but I'm considering it. Maybe on a really sunny day when everything seems absolutely perfect. Because, boy. The stories he told were absolutely horrifying. These are real stories. Real stories about what's going on over in Iraq. True stories that most Americans are oblivious to. He deserted because of moral issues, because of the things that he saw. His first mission involved working at this place for prisoners of war, where he was assigned to keep certain suspects going into questioning awake for DAYS at a time. They were all blind-folded, and the American soldiers were responsible for commanding them to move left, right, up, down, etc to ensure they stay awake. If they started to nod out too much, the soldiers had to hit the wall with a sledge hammer, which rung loudly in the prison, so everyone thought that it was really a gun or an explosion going off, and they would immediately wake up and keep moving. Then of course, the last resort-- put an unloaded gun up to their head. They'll feel the cold steal and their heart will skip a beat, they're so anxious to please. How frightening. I realize that this world isn't perfect. I try to rationalize it by considering the fact that everything needs to be balanced somehow. There'd be no peace without war, right? But why, how do we end up resorting to methods like these? What darkness lies within the human soul that permits stuff like this to happen? How do we rationalize the violence away with a simple word-- "enemy"? And that's sort of how he felt. That's why he left. There was another story he told us about when he and a group of soldier were walking through a town. I guess a little local boy threw a rock at this lieutenant's head, and the guy got sick of it and wanted to show the boy a lesson. So he put him in cuffs and dragged him through the rest of the town to put him in prison. The other locals began to gather, watching this dude drag an eight year old through town, when this old man started running after and screaming at them. At last the lieutenant stopped, finally agreeing to let the old man teach the kid a lesson. So the entire platoon watched as this old man, CRYING because of the brutality he has to display to save this boy from an unknown imprisonment, slammed this kid with his fists into a bruised pulp until the lieutenant finally let him stop. It's so crazy. So hard to understand. Sergeant Mejia was a psychology major when he was in college, so a lot of the comments he made detailed how such an environment can affect you psychologically. I think that was the best part of the speech-- he tried so hard to make you understand the different thoughts, stimuli, whathaveyou that could lead to that kind of insanity. But he did it in a way that didn't justify the actions... just helped you make a tiny bit more sense of this world. I mean, you're far away from family, food rations are odd, you are assigned to do these crazy things that you're too afraid to speak out about, you have to march through towns knowing that anyone, everyone in a window, door, car could be an enemy trying to kill you, and you don't know whether you just almost kicked a bomb or a piece of garbage. It's scary. You're on the edge of your seat without a break, missing the people who mean the most to you in the world, and wondering if you're ever even going to see them again. How would that affect you? Anyways, he certainly left because of the things he saw, and now he's dedicating his life to helping people realize what war can be like, to help them get over the romantic vision that many people have of war. He's certainly a very brave man. And a pretty good speaker. He made a lot of humorous pop-culture references that had most of the full auditorium giggling. Anyways, I'm pretty satisfied with the fact that GMC hosted him. We get some of coolest people here sometimes. Until next time...]]>