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fuck this!!

Despite all my struggles as you may remember from Part I of this article, I finally did manage to find a job. And the honest truth of it, finding the job was a lot harder than the job itself. One morning I got a call from Dominos Pizza. I had finally gotten a job offer, and with doubt to get another offer, I jumped at the first opportunity of employment. Making pizzas was not what I would have expected for my first job. Compared to many teenagers� first jobs, working a pizza shop is surely one of the better jobs.

Its easy to say that the best part of the job is the people I work with. I have the two best managers anyone could ask for, and the most agreeable coworkers. Sure, I�m the only girl that works there which has caused me to win the nicknames "sweetie", "darling", or the most common "hun", but I am just glad to get along with everyone, and that everyone gets along with everyone. Making pizzas was only bad at first because of lack of experience, but after a few weeks, the process of making a pizza is engraved in your mind. Eventually using the credit card machine and tossing the dough in the air become the highlights of the shift, and of course befriending the managers. Having my own money that I worked for is always extremely satisfying, especially when finally buying my own soy food and oil pastels.

The worse part of the job is always dealing with impatient customers. Sure we messed up a pizza, but its not like we killed their cat. Mistakes don�t happen because we are lazy or don�t care, mistakes happen because we are human. Since working at Dominos I have never felt more respect towards anyone who�s job involves customer service. I�ve learned that Friday and Saturday nights are usually a rush . When the computer screen is filled with orders that need to be put in the oven, all four phones are ringing, and pizzas are coming out of the oven, and there is only you and two managers, it becomes extremely stressful. And as with any job, one complaint will always be the chunk of your paycheck missing due to taxes. I�m not old enough to drink, not old enough to vote, not old enough to buy porn, not old enough to buy my own cigarettes, and not even old enough to see R rated movies at the theater, but of coarse- I�m old enough to be taxed, yes that makes absolute sense. (Fine, tax me but give me the rights of every other citizen.)

And now finally working and having experience "the real world" as adults try to tells us, "the real world" is the same world we live in now, they were just trying to scare us. The truth is, when you have a job that you are being paid for, it only makes sense to work for the money you are being paid. When you respect your managers and do as they ask without complaint, the job becomes very simple. Complaining will only make the job harder. Working with customers is many times the worst part of the job. No one deserves to be yelled at, not even if they committed the unforgivable, sinful, immoral crime of putting the wrong toppings on a pizza. In cases as that, yelling back at the customer would be nice. But keeping your arguments in your head and giving empty apologies keeps your job.

I am very glad to have a job of my own, and having a contribution to society (even if it is the small contribution of making pizzas). It is amazing how fast you can top a pizza in only two months of experience, and it is amazing how much you can learn about the so called "real world".-Cheryl Hatalla

The Yowza Issue!

It's been a lovely summer, and as it has come to a close, Issue 10 is late. I mean, it is the milestone 10th issue, did you really think it would be on time? You guys knew our punctuality wouldn't last long! Any way, this article is choke full of delicious and delectable information. Yoga, pilates, and gene doping! STD's, unisex, and the 48 Hour Experiment! All of these awesome things are now ready for your reading pleasure! Yowza!

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In this Issue:

Editorial- Liz's wonderful mom and the darling GiGi comment on our last issue.

Political Frustrations: Why Libertarian?- A opinion piece by the lovely Cheryl.

Music Column: Lower Paxton Youth Center- Abby tells us all about Youth Day and what the going ons are at the LPYC.

What if?- Liz ponders what our world would be like if there were only one sex.

Know your STDs before they happen- Cheryl breaks down the most common Sexually Transmitted Diseases.

Graduation Project: Part III (We are STILL going!)- Technically this isn't about graduation. It's about starting high school.

Gene Doping: The future of competitive sports is smaller than a cell- Liz explains gene therapy and doping and how it can affect you.

The 48 Hour Experiment- Liz and Katie Grove attempt to stay up for 48 hours; will they make it?

The Pledge of Allegiance- I wonder what this article is about?

Yoga not Yoda!- About yoga Cheryl writes. Yesssss.

Pilates isn't a fruity drink!- Abby tells about the joy of pilates.

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Editorial:

One of the greatest issues. Truly motivating. I really enjoyed Chad's article on his experiment on Liz, it proved a great point. My other favorite was Cheryl's religion article. That was a great article. It let me in on some other religions I didn't even know about.

Great job, keep it up.

Ginger H.

Read the Revolutionist and loved it. Excellent articles. I always enjoy getting perspectives that have the freshness of, well, y'all. Margaret

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Political Frustrations: Why Libertarian?

America is based on freedom. With this in mind, common sense would easily tell you that Americans would vote for freedom. However in this case, common sense would fail you.

If you think about it for long enough there is no thing such as freedom. You say, well, America is free. Sure, we aren't told what religion to follow, or what to eat, but we are told that we cannot smoke pot and that we cannot drink underage. My point is not these examples, but that if we were completely free we could smoke pot and drink underage. The only realistic complete freedom is anarchy, but that would only lead to chaos. So you'd think Americans would vote for the most freedom possible without chaos. You would think every American would vote for libertarians- the most freedom possible without chaos. But apparently, Americans do not want to be as close to free as possible, so they hold up John Kerry signs and George Bush signs.

Unlike other political parties, libertarians believe in running the government the way it was supposed to be run, as the Constitution stated. While other parties have simply disregarded the Constitution, libertarians are based on the Constitution. While some parties are hoping to make new gun control laws, continue the war on drugs, continue censorship, prolong the war in Iraq, and invade privacy, the libertarians hope to do just the opposite and follow the Constitution. This election Michael Badnarik will be on the ballot in 48 states as the libertarian presidential candidate and Richard Campagna as the libertarian vice presidential candidate. So while you are holding up that Kerry or Bush sign maybe you should consider voting for your freedom and hold up a Badnarik sign. -Cheryl Hatalla

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Music Column: Lower Paxton Youth Center

Salem. Morris Lumpkin. The Vacancy. Jura. Alethian. These were some of the featured bands at Lower Paxton Youth Center�s first annual Youth Day. Youth Day was an all day concert event to raise money for the Lower Paxton Youth Center (once known as Penn Gardens), which soon turned into a Save the Youth Center Day when money came in short supply. Despite the lousy weather, over two hundred kids showed up to see the displays of talent that ranged from acoustic sets, to comedy acts and christen metal.

This wasn�t a one-time thing. The Youth Center holds shows at least twice a month with as much variety. In Passing, The New Years, Koji On The Roof, and The Vacancy are often headlining at the Youth Center. Other than shows, Vegan Dinner and Discussions are held where representatives from NOW and the Green Party have come to talk about their platforms. Theater, art, and independent film nights are also up-and-coming events to hit the Youth Center this year.

The Youth Center is a volunteer based non-profit organization. It�s been a place for teens into music to go and enjoy themselves for many years. LPYC is always looking for volunteers or bands to play shows. If anyone is interested in either, please go to the website www.lowerpaxtonyouthcenter.com and contact one of the current volunteers.

Events coming soon include an Acoustic Night on September 25 featuring Jesse Mills (6 o�clock) and a Then There�s Me farewell show October 9 (also 6 o�clock). Come out and listen to some music, converse, and be merry. �A.F. Wheeler

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What if?

As many of you know, we at the True Revolutionist like to write articles that will spark some thoughts in your brains. This article is one of those.

What if the human population was unisex? What if every person was the same gender? Obviously, there would be many changes. Bathrooms wouldn't have little signs on them dictating which gender should do their business where. Also, when children we're born, their parents wouldn't have to worry about the painting the room pink if it were a girl or blue if it were a boy, or green if they weren't going to find out. There would be no, "Road Rules: Battle of the Sexes" or other male versus female altercations. Also, there would be no "Spike TV" or "Lifetime" channels (and I believe we could do without the latter.)

But really, besides these little quibbles, there would be some BIG changes. Our anatomical nature would have to be completely changed to be compatible with our selves. No one can really fathom how that can work. Also, peoples options for "partners" would be doubled! Looking past the "sexual nature" of this concept, many of our traditions would be different. Weddings would probably be obsolete. Some other form of ceremony would surely be used to bind two people.

In history, there would have never been women fighting for women's suffrage. The men wouldn't have been the world leaders. In fact, many of the customs that have to do with how women and men interact would be nonexistent. In the Bible, there would be no reference as the woman being the "weaker vessel." I bet "Adam and Eve" would have been "Pam and Sam" too. Considering most of our names tend to be gender based, a unisex world would probably have very different names. This brings us to the point of gender based languages. Though it doesn't occur in English, almost all languages have nouns designated with a gender. In German, the word "the" in our language has three forms: "die" which is feminine, "der" which is masculine, and "das" which is neuter.

In this day, we have many controversies that are associated with gender. Homosexuality, cross dressing, and transsexuality can evoke an array of very extreme emotions in people. What if the concept of having a gender evoked these kinds of emotions in a unisex society? I saw an episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" once where they encountered a unisex species. This unisex world knew that other species had gender and didn't have a problem with it. However, if one of their own felt they leaned more toward being male or female then unisex, they were viewed as the pariahs of society, much like homosexuals are in our world. So really, even in a unisex world, we might have some of the same kind of problems.

Besides these, there are many other things that would be different from us. If you have any ideas about this article, or any other, please discuss it in the forum or e-mail one of us.-Elizabeth Morris

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Disclaimer I know this may not be the most pleasant article to read, but it is one that would have been written sooner or later to be featured in our sex chronicle. I want to thank Liz for her encouragement throughout this article. As stated by Liz, we are trying to step outside the box and become bolder by saying words like penis, vagina, and anal sex and by using plenty of explanation points! While researching and writing this article I noticed that this was the most disgusting article ever written in The True Revolutionist!-Cheryl!

Know your STDs before they happen

Each year there are 15.3 million new cases of Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Oddly enough, four million of these cases are reported in teens. Currently there are over 30 different types of STDs; most common of these are chlamydia, gonorrhea, chancroid, syphilis, genital herpes, and most notoriously, AIDS. Often times signs of these diseases are gone unnoticed especially when in their latent stage. (Also known as sleeping stage, when disease disappears for a little while.) In more serious STDs, it is important to notice and identify these signs as soon as possible before they spread to any other sexual partners or cause permanent damage. It is best to know warning signs of diseases before they happen.

Most commonly reported is genital herpes. This recurrent skin condition is usually mistaken for insect bites, yeast infections, jock itch, ingrown hair follicles, or hemorrhoids. Genital herpes occurs as painful red sores on the skin and can arise on not only the penis or vagina, but also thighs, butt, scrotum, and testicles. Herpes can also arise on the mouth or face, this is known as oral herpes and it is estimated that nearly 50% of America has oral herpes. This disease can be passed to anyone sexually active through direct skin contact and stays in the body for over lifetime. When the herpes virus is latent it lies in a bundle of nerves at the end of the spine. Stress, lack of rest, bad diet or exercise can reactivate the virus. Once reactivated, the virus travels through nerve paths to skin causing outbreaks. There is no cure to this virus, but certain medicines can help control outbreaks. The only way to completely avoid genital herpes would be strict abstinence.

One common and curable STD is chlamydia. Transmitted through anal, vaginal, and sometimes oral sex, chlamydia targets mucous membranes in the urethra, vagina, cervix, fallopian tubes or throat. In men, signs of this disease consist of swelling of testicles and milky watery discharge of penis. In women, the signs are usually more severe such as nausea, fever, bleeding between periods, pain during sex, lower abdominal pain, back pain, or abnormal vaginal discharge. Burning or soreness in throat is a sign chlamydia was passed through oral sex. To reduce risk it is best to use condoms and have sex with only one uninfected partner. To be completely safe, abstinence is the best bet.

A more serious, yet curable STD is known as syphilis. This disease enters the body through mucous and is usually passed through sexual activity, but can be passed from public toilet seats. Once inside the bloodstream, syphilis attaches to cells, which over time begins to destroy organs. If left untreated syphilis can ultimately cause death after passing through all four stages. During the first stage, only one single sore may occur, leading many to believe nothing is wrong. When finally reaching the second stage rashes may begin to appear all over the body. During third stage one may notice patchy losses of hair and a general ill sense of health. Syphilis can become latent and disappear for a while. Once reaching the four and final stage one may begin to experience heart and blood vessel problems, chronic nervous system problems, blindness, insanity, or paralysis. Once damage is done no medicine can reverse the damage. To avoid syphilis it is best to not have sex, or only have sex with one uninfected partner.

First evolving in parts of Africa and Asia, chancroid has made its stand in America. This highly contagious yet curable bacteria causes ulcers in genitals and is transmitted through skin to skin contact. Symptoms usually occur 10 days after exposure. Chancroid typically comes about as tender elevated bumps. These bumps become filled with pus and later open up with ragged edges. Many women are unaware when they are infected, however it is usually very painful for men. Antibiotics often clear up chancroid. As resources repeatedly state, abstinence is the only way to be 100% safe.

Transmitted through oral, anal, and vaginal sex, gonorrhea is a curable infection caused by bacteria. Gonorrhea can affect the throat, fallopian tubes, vagina, urethra, cervix and even the lining of the eyelids. Symptoms of this disease are similar to those of chlamydia such as pain during sex in women and swelling of testicles in men. Gonorrhea can also cause infertility, inflammation of prostate gland, urethral scarring, chronic menstrual difficulties, and miscarriage. Several tests for this STD have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration; culture test and gram stain tests. One highly affective medicine to cure gonorrhea is known as levofloxacin. Coincidently this STD, as all others can be avoided by abstinence or having sex with only one uninfected partner.

Most deadly is of course AIDS. Since the outbreak of Acquired Immune Deficiency it is estimated that 24.8 million people have died, and nearly one fourth did not know they had AIDS. Over time this disease weakens the immune system so that the body has trouble fighting off even simple colds. AIDS can be transmitted through blood, preseminal fluid, vaginal fluid or breast milk. Usually passed through sexual activities, it can also be passed through dirty needles. However transmission does not necessarily happen every time one is exposed. Many resources show that when used properly, latex condoms are highly effective from transmitting aids when used properly 98-100% of the time. As stated many times before abstinence is the only way to be completely safe.- Cheryl Hatalla

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Graduation Project - Part III (We are STILL going!)

As we all remember, or are experiencing at the moment, our freshman year of high school. For some, it was a door into another world opening up new possibilities. And for others, it just sucked. But before any of that got underway, we all had to imagine what was in store. I asked two freshman of the 04-05 year to record their feelings on moving to high school for a glimpse of what they�re expecting.

Thoughts on leaving junior high � I was extremely upset to be leaving junior high. I had finally gotten settled in eighth grade when I am suddenly whisked off to high school. Seventh grade was not fun for me, but eighth grade was a blast and I was finally getting used to being in junior high. I love my teachers (Mama G and Mr. Lapore!) and had many friends in my classes. The worst part is the fact that some of my friends will not be with me in high school. I hate how everyone gets split up and sent to different high schools. I will miss East Jr. and the memories I have from 8th grade.

Thoughts on entering high school � I�m really nervous. I don�t have many classes with my friends and I�m just afraid I�ll be lonely throughout high school. I�m also afraid the work will be too much and I won�t be able to maintain my near perfect grades. My goal in high school is to be Valedictorian. The new high school is huge and looks overwhelming. And now instead of being in a school with only 2 grades, there will be 4. It just all seems overwhelming. But I am looking forward to it a little bit. It just might be fun for me. I�ll get to meet many new people, and it�ll be easier to find more people who are into the stuff I am. In my eyes, there are pros and cons about the whole thing.

I guess it all depends on my mindset going into high school. If I think it will be horrible then it might be just that. I guess I�m the type of person to usually expect the worse, but this time I�m desperately trying to tell myself I�ll have a good time. I hope so. � Rachel Christensen

East Middle School... a reminder of what was and has been East Jr. High School. For many leaving a place called "hell" is easy, but for me, it was a home. Yet now, life goes on, time passes; people move... it's time I move as well. It is time to move on in life. Time to move into high school. Entering a new high school can be difficult, overwhelming for some. I feel that this is exactly the kind of thing I have been waiting for my whole life. The classes are more interesting and there are more people to hang out with. The competition will definitely be stronger this year than it was last year however, but I welcome new competition. It's just a motivation to get better. High School will be tough, especially to us freshmen. The seniors are going to be throwing us around like rag dolls. However tough the competition gets though, the better you must become. Four years of high school will be difficult, yet if you believe in yourself, you can make it through anything. � Brandon Hang

(Editing by A.F. Wheeler)

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Gene Doping: The future of competitive sports is smaller than a cell.

We've all heard stories about athletes who want an edge. An athlete becomes frustrated with not winning, even with all his hard work, or he is simply lazy. So, an alternative becomes available to these power hungry athletes: Steroids. Many times however, a blood or urine test can reveal to referees that steroids are in use, and his journey to athletic greatness is over. But what if there was a way to get an advantage similar to one gained with steroids but you only had to use it once? And, what if it was undetectable, and untraceable? It sounds tempting, and it also sounds like something from a sci-fi book. However, in the near future, this could be a very true reality.

Gene therapy is considered to be the future cure for many diseases. It involves taking a gene and sending it into the body, usually in a virus. To do this, the harmful part of the virus is removed and replaced with a therapeutic gene. Then, when sent into the body, the virus acts like it normally would, except it has a positive outcome: the replacement of a mutated or flawed gene. This, then, changes an aspect of the organism undergoing gene therapy. One way that this could be used in the future would be to help renew the lives of the elderly and those with muscular dystrophy. Muscular dystrophy (MD) and muscle loss with age are very similar. When one ages, our bodies tend to not always repair muscles, and this cumulative muscle loss causes many elderly to have worse balance and slower movement than when they were younger. Those with the most common form of MD (Duchenne's) lack the protein dystrophin. This protein helps to protect muscle fibers during normal movement. Muscles can regenerate fairly quickly, but the massive damage done to a patient with MD cannot be repaired with normal repairing mechanisms.

Gene therapy could help promote muscle repair for those with MD, or natural aging. Sounds incredible right? For those who are currently bedridden or weakened from age or MD it is, but for the sports community, it is not. Gene therapy could completely change the ethics of sports. Unlike steroids, which can be detected with a blood or urine test, gene therapy, or gene doping as it is called when used for immoral purposes, is nearly undetectable. Also, because this is fairly new technology, we don't know the side affects of gene doping on a normal person. Could we become too powerful? Would our bodies be able to handle it?

Even though it is kind of scary what we'll be able to do to our bodies in the future, it is also somewhat exciting. We, as the human race, could greatly improve the lives of many people. We also have an advantage in this situation, and that is the time to discuss this power. Inform yourselves, and discuss the pro's and con's and hopefully we can make a change that is overall positive.-Elizabeth Morris

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The 48 Hour Experiment

A lot can happen in 48 hours. In 48 hours, the earth spins two full times. There and two sunsets and two sunrises in most places in the world. Approximately 20,000 babies are born every 48 hours in the United States alone. Humans, however, need rest to recuperate and this causes many of these 48 hours to be missed; sometimes even half!

One day while sitting somewhere in my house, this brilliant idea dawned on me. "Staying awake for a full two days!" I thought. And so the plan was formed. Things this plan included were:

� My house

� A plethora of caffeinated beverages

� Lots of music

� ~~Cheryl and Abby~~ Katie Grove

� 48 hours of wakefulness

It was a simple and yet daunting plan. Katie and I would wake up simultaneously on the 18th of August at 8:30 a.m. Then, we would try and stay awake for the next two days. But really, was it even possible?

(DISCLAIMER: The following is the journal of Liz and transcript of Katie's tape recorder. They are published as is to help further illustrate the effects of no sleep. Yes, there are some swear words used. You have all heard them before, so please, if this really offends you, don't read it.)

August 17th, 2004 9:29 p.m.

I really should be in bed right now, but "That 70's Show" is on and that show is hilarious. Alas. Now, I am somewhat tired, but I have a feeling that I will really grasp the concept of tired soon enough.

August 18th, 2004 8:49 a.m.

Though Katie and I were supposed to wake up at 8:30, I ended up waking at 7:30. This made me quite angry. I hate my internal clock!

9:00 a.m.

Ok, Katie just called me and she too woke up at 7:30. I suppose our inside clocks are synchronized. I need to drink water now.

2:46 p.m.

My mom wants me to make a list of things we need.

� Grapenuts

� Energy drink

� Sushi

� More Munster cheese

5:58 p.m.

I'm at art class having a pathetic attempt at landscaping. Katie is, of course, kicking ass, as is everyone here. Class is almost over though. There is a short notice show tonight at Penn Gardens, (excuse me! the Lower Paxton Youth Center). April, Katie and I are going after we eat sushi and rice.

August 19, 2004 12:15 a.m.

I started to get tired. Then I realized the key to keeping awake is movement. I did some jumping jacks and I'm a-ok. Katie is painting the cover art from "Room's Too Cold" by The Early November. The Show was lovely and quite funny. Sunflower seeds are good. I wish they had shells.

2:40 a.m.

We're holding out . We were gonna bake a cake but didn't want to wake my mom with the pre-heating sounds the oven makes. Shots are the best way to drink diet coke. Still thinking about how funny the show as. Katie is taking shots of water. How lame. Now shes dancing.

3:37 a.m.

I washed my face. I feel clean.

4:49 a.m.

I feel light like cotton candy.

5:43 a.m.

Katie just looked at me and said, "I'm tired.'

6:17 a.m.

I came up with this brilliant idea to make coffee. I hate coffee. I filled my cup like, a third of the way full with sugar and mil and still, bleh. Katie liked it though. I feel kinda sick, though I'm awaker. (Editor's note: When I wrote this, I actually wrote "awaker." I wanted to say "more awake" but didn't.)

9:17 a.m.

I am not feeling so bad.

3:36 a.m.

At around 12:00 Chad and Little Fox came over. We walked to Turkey Hill for slushies and lunch. Then we walked around East. We came home and I baked a lemon bundt cake. Then we played bull and stuff. Lots of fun. I'm really quite awake now, but once it gets dark it will be hell to keep awake. Mostly we'll have to over come boredom. You guys don't realize how boring it is to be very quiet downstairs. I got my messenger bag in the mail. I'm so indie right now, it's insane. Little Fox is doing kick flips, or attempting to at least. Mom says I'm on my "second wind." I hope it lasts the night. This morning I didn't think we were gonna make it. Now I do.

6:26 p.m.

I'm tired. I need caffeine. Someone help me 13 hours left.

6:37 p.m.

I can do it I can do it.

9:40 p.m.

10hourstogo/technically 9 hours and 50 minutes

Abby left about a half hour ago. She really helped keep us awake by making us laugh so hard. She was making fun of a certain organization and it was quite humourous. We did shots of Coca-Cola and it's really sad. Because I'm the only one whose good at taking shots and I'm not even planning on ever taking alcoholic ones! It's incredible we are actually going to finish. This is because no one thought we could! The only person that didn't call us crazy was Erika Hartmen. Her response? "Sounds fun."

11:45 p.m.

Things to avoid: Warm, comfortable, seducing couches

Things to interact with constantly: Diet Coke

12:18 a.m.

Things I dislike:

�Tiny skirts

�Chad calling me when I'm trying to sleep

�How bare my fireplace wall is

�How I should be sleeping

�How my mother got me a tiny can of energy drink

�Coffee

�Strange noises from outside

�How those fucking crickets won't shut up

�Not knowing what this thing on my floor is

�Bert snoring

�How I always have a ratio of 2:1 of towels to clothes in my dirty clothes hamper

�How there's 7 hours left

�How I am cold.

�How Katie won't finish her Straylight Run cover art

�How I'm gonna have to type this up tomorrow

Did I mention I'm bored?

12:28 a.m.

Things I like:

�My Starting Line girl sketch

�Abby's flyer

�Katie's watering coloring skills of an artist

�Brand New

�Sleep

�Being warm

�Photos

�WaSGA (Editor's note: Walter and Swivet's Great Adventure aka Chad and I's independent project)

�Non-alcoholic shots

�Bert not snoring, but asleep

�EoPN (Editor's note: Existentialism on Prom Night, a song by the Straylight Run. I don't know why I was so into abbreviations that night.)

12:39 a.m.

I just wanna sleep 'cause I'm so fucking bored.

2:00 a.m.

It's not that we're tired (we are) we're just so incredibly bored and if we stop moving we could slip away. Maybe we won't make it out of sheer boredom.

2:41 a.m.

Please, save me.

3:45 a.m.

This is becoming a battle of wills. A battle between my body and my brain. I haven't slept in 44 hours. 44 hours, that's insane. The thing is I don't feel tired. Not the tired when I'm sick or overworked. Just very weak, like my muscles are dissolving. If I close my eyes I can feel my whole body collapsing in on itself so I can finally sleep (I don't close my eyes often.) 3 more hours and 45 minutes.

5:53 a.m.

An hour and a half. I want to sleep very much.

7:30 a.m.

I made it. Katie did not.

Epilogue:

So, essentially, we made it. Towards the end, Katie kept slipping away for two seconds, so I'd yell at her, she'd be awake for another 30 seconds, slip, I'd yell. After doing this about 10 times I just let her sleep. She slept for an hour and a half. I think I fell asleep once for about 10 minutes, but I don't remember. Even though we were definitely awake those last 12 hours, it feels like a dream. Looking back, those last 12 hours were so hard. It seems so surreal. As you can see, 48 hours of wakefulness IS possible. However, I don't think it would help with efficiency at all. Towards the end, we were really fighting ourselves to keep awake. Did we do it? I believe the answer to that would be yes.

Picture time!

-Elizabeth Deanna Morris

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The Pledge of Allegiance � I Wonder What This Article Is About?

We�ve all said the Pledge of Allegiance before. I remember learning it in Kindergarten and being so proud when I actually knew all the words. What we�re never told, really, is to what we�re pledging. Sure, the flag and the United States, but what exactly does that stand for?

The Pledge, which evolved in the late eighteen hundreds, was said by school children while saluting the flag at a National School Convention. It was originally written by either Francis Bellamy or James B. Upham and later revised to say �under God� in 1954.

So when you recite the Pledge of Allegiance in the morning before school what do you really mean? Are you actually pledging your allegiance? Have you ever thought about what the words are saying? If not, maybe you should. The oath states �I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.� It�s pretty simple right? Well maybe it�s just me being cynical and what not but when I think of America I don�t think of this grand �republic� we�re all united under. I�m not sure I really want to pledge myself to the anti-gay mindset, or corporations, or our President who is sending young soldiers (who can�t even buy liquor but can sure die for our country) into Iraq to fight.

�Pledging allegiance is downright undemocratic, but if we must pledge allegiance to something, why on earth are we pledging it to a flag?� said an article in The Irregular Times. So, yes, you can laugh at me for getting information from a newspaper with such a name or you can think about what they�re saying. Is our loyalty being reduced to cloth? To me, it seems as though the Pledge of Allegiance should have a whole bunch of footnotes and asterisks defining what we�re pledging for. �With liberty and justice for all*.� *Unless you�re gay, a certain religion, or foreign, that is. How fair is that? If America really stands for what it says we wouldn�t have all this racism or sexism.

By no means am I suggesting getting rid of this creed. If you�d like to say it, go ahead and say it (as long as you know what you�re talking about). Being forced to recite the pledge is a violation of our rights stated in the constitution, which is why no one is held at gunpoint if they don�t. My point is that most people pledge because they�ve been told to. This reduces the �sacred act� into a mindless activity that loses its meaning anyway. But by not saying the pledge you are standing up for your right as an American to have your own opinions and not supporting the flaws in America�s system.-A.F. Wheeler

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Yoga not Yoda!

Contrary to what many believe, yoga is not a set of exercises or a meditation technique. Yoga is a state of mind. When the mind is completely still. Yoga is usually achieved through meditation so there are no thoughts or distractions, but over the last 2,000 years other practices can cause one to experience this stillness. Asana (physical postures) is the most common form of yoga practice in the West. Yoga can be described as a small reversal of consciousness. The reality is that the present moment is all we really possess. Truly having anything else is just an illusion.

Yoga originates from the word yuj of Sanskrit. Translated as "to center ones thoughts" or "to meditate deeply", yoga is thought to be a 4,000 year old practice. The oldest actual documented reference to yoga was a drawing of a man in a yoga pose found in 1920 in India. However many researchers believe yoga didn't emerge until 500BC. Though there is no one beginning to yoga many texts seem to contribute to this practice. One text would be the Vedas; the oldest written record of Indian culture, dating back 3,000 years. The main point of yoga is to reach self realization through four paths: love, knowledge, work, and psychophysiology. This path of astanga yoga can also be known as the "8th limbed" form of yoga. The eight limbs consists of yama (restraint), niyama (observance), asana (posture), pranayama (breathing), pratyahara (withdraw of senses), dharana (concentration, dhyana (meditation), and Samadhi (consciousness).

Yoga has many positive effects on the human body, not only mentally, but physically. Before a yoga session many may feel unfocused, anxious, lazy, and lethargic. After yoga sessions, one may feel loose, relaxed, calm and connected. The main goal of self realization is improved health, vitality, reduced stress, increase sense of well being, generosity, and compassion and understanding. Yoga is also known to reduce menstrual disorders, heart disorders, eyestrain, colds, cancer, depression, and even wrinkles. In a recent experiment at a yoga institute in India, 255 people with asthma began yoga. At the end of the experiment 74% of the tested people had been cured of asthma.

One of the most basic poses of yoga would be the corpse pose. While this pose may seem easy, it becomes difficult when the must let go, the mind must stay alert to observe the relaxation process before finally surrendering to rest. The first step in this pose is to lie flat on back with feet slightly apart, arms slightly out and palms up. Close eyes and focus your attention inwards. Slowly scrunch your toes and flex your feet. Lift right leg two inches in the air briefly tense all muscles in leg, and let fall to the floor, repeat with left leg. Tighten muscles in the length of spine. Inhale deeply then slowly exhale letting the chest release downwards. Lift arm and make a fist with the right hand, drop to floor and repeat for the left hand. Tighten face muscles, roll eyes, drop chin to chest. Continue focusing inward, let go of everything until your bones feel heavy. Stay in this pose for 5- 15 minutes

For more information on yoga, there are many resources online, and plenty of books at your local library. -Cheryl Hatalla

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Pilates isn't a fruity drink!

Pilates, a faster, more hardcore form of yoga, has become one of the new fads in exercising over the past couple of years. It�s designed to strengthen your �core muscles� (basically, your abs) and give you a more flattering stomach line. But Pilates does much more than that. It is said to strengthen your whole body; arms, legs, even your mind.

Unlike other forms of exercise, Pilates focuses on quality of movement, not quantity. There isn�t much repetition, but more combinations of flexibility, balance, and strength. As the story goes, Joseph Pilates invented this method of working out. He was born in Germany and got beat down a lot because of his �small sickly size�. Before you know it he bulked up and was modeling for anatomy charts, chasing women, and running around during winter wearing bikinis. (I�m not making this up.)

These days Pilates videos, books, and magazines can be found almost everywhere you turn. I wanted to see what all the hype was about so I got a beginners mat work out video and tried it. Surprisingly, it wasn�t as hard or as strenuous as I imagined. In fact, it only took about a half hour and the instructor showed modified versions of all the exercises incase you�re weak. (I was.) Before the work out began the host promises, �And remember what Joseph Pilates said, �In ten sessions you�ll feel better, in twenty look better, and after thirty you�ll have a completely new body!�� So, I guess after ten sessions I did kind of feel better and I�m not sure, so you guys will have to let me know if I�m looking better.

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The True Revolutionist

Staff:

Cheryl Hatalla

Abby Wheeler

Elizabeth Morris

http://truerevo.diaryland.com