Postcrossing

Hey,

I have gotten a few questions about this Postcrossing thing.

I like to get mail. I like to send it too. So, I heard about this website at the UNI RA Conference and decided to sign up. The site is http://www.postcrossing.com. It is an online project that allows you to send and receive postcards from all over the world.

You click a link and get an address of someone in another country to send a postcard to. On the postcard, you include a code (like US-535692) that the recipient can use to enter the postcard on the postcrossing website once they get the card. After they register your card, you get entered into the queue to receive a postcard.

So far, I have mailed 6 postcards to places in Asia and Europe. 4 have been received and because of this, I have been sent 4 postcards of my own. It's really fun to get mail, especially from other countries!

P.S. If you are curious, the only thing different between domestic and international postcards is the price of a stamp. International mail costs $0.98 for a letter or postcard. Domestic mail is $0.28 for a postcard and $0.44 for a letter.

Facebook Survey

The Usual Stuff.

Name: Kevin
Birthday: 17 May
Age: 19
Nicknames: Kev
Zodiac sign: Taurus
Sex: male

Friends

Your best friend:
Craziest:
Cutest:
Friend with the best hair:
Friend you trust with all your secrets:
———————
Most understanding:
Last friend you went to the movies with:
Happiest:
—————-
Funniest:
Weirdest:
Scariest:
Most outgoing:
Spends the night at your house the most:
Has the cutest brother/sister:
Friend you would most likely die for:
Facebooks you the most:
Texts you the most:

Stuff
Do you have any tattoos? If so, what of?: not yet

What’s the last thing you bought?: pop and a candy bar at QuikTrip

Do you have a job? If so, where?: Yes, resident assistant and Staples

What was your most embarrassing moment?: slid down a slide during RA training into a pool of water

Last 4 digits of the last phone you dialed: 3988

What is in your pockets right now?: empty

What was the happiest moment in your life?:

Have you ever egged a house?: nope

Who is your role model?: local, state, national elected leaders and successful business people (no one in particular) and my parents of course

What’s your favorite holiday?: my birthday, but it is in the summer now :-(

When is the last time you stayed up all night?: last school year, studying before a test

What is your favorite book?: don't read as much as I'd like to

Who is your favorite author?: Lemony Snicket and/or Eoin Colfer

Where did you have your last birthday party?: Rider Hall Rec Room

Who came?: Katelyn, Kayla, Susan, Michelle, Michelle, Jessica

Who has changed your life the most for the better?: parents

What’s your favorite song?: Breakaway by Kelly Clarkson

What’s your favorite cd?: WOW 2006

What are your favorite pizza toppings?: Pepperoni

Where do you order pizza from the most?: Papa Johns, but that will change very soon

Have you ever been in the hospital for more than a day?: no

How many days is your record for time spent in a hospital?: a few hours

Why did you have to go to the hospital?: stomach pain caused by a cold, or wisdom teeth

How long has it been since you went to the mall?: 5 days

What’s the last movie you saw in a theater?: 27 dresses? I can't remember

What’s the last movie you rented?:

Do you like to write poetry?: not really since I only do it when I have to

Do you like to read poetry?: some of it is good

Have you ever written a song?: nope

After you read it to yourself did it sound stupid?: nope

What’s your favorite band?:

Who is your favorite solo singer?:

If you suffocate a smurf, what color does he turn?: haven't seen the smurfs since I don't have cable

Do you believe in ghosts?: yeah, or something similar

Have you ever seen a ghost?: nope, but sometimes you just feel weird

What is your favorite ride at the fair?: ferris wheel

What is your favorite inside joke you have with a friend?: "idk, you called me"

Name the people who know and understand that inside joke: Rider Staff 08-09

Have you ever thrown a party in which complete strangers have attended?: nope

Was there a guy named True there?: nope

Would you ever name your kid True?: nope

Would you make fun of some1 if you knew their name was True?: maybe, depends on what mood I am in :-)

Do you look more like your mom or your dad?: some of both, but I notice my Dad tendencies more

Are you an only child?: no

Do you have any brothers or sisters?: yes

Their names: Adam

Their ages: 16

What color is your computer?: silver

What is your favorite color of ink to write in?: black and purple, GO PANTHERS!!!

Would you rather write in pen or pencil?: pen

How tall are you? 5' 10"

What’s your name again?: Kevin

Do you believe in God?: Yeah

Do you pray often?: not as often as i should, mostly at church

What’s your biggest fear?: insects (spiders), not being accepted

Do you believe in love at first sight?: um, maybe but it hasn't happened yet

Have you ever been in a car accident?: nope, but I slid off the road once

Who was driving?: me

Did anybody not survive?: what kind of a question is that?

What is your lucky number?: i don't really have one

Do you still believe in the tooth fairy?: yeah, sure

Does the tooth fairy still give you money?: it did for wisdom teeth

If so, did someone knock out your teeth?: nope

Who is your favorite family member?: parents

What is your favorite breed of dog?: don't have pets

What is your favorite name for a dog?: nope

What is your favorite name for a cat?: idk

Have you ever been drunk?: nope

Have you ever gotten high?: nope

Have you ever been on the radio?: yeah, probably news radio

Have you ever been on TV?: yeah, probably news tv

Have you ever been in a movie?: no

Who is your favorite actress?: idk

Who is your favorite actor?: idk

Do you have a cellphone?: yeah

Do you have a pager?: ???, who has one anymore

What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?: I've yelled at people before, I have hated people for no reason, but not very many

Why are all the fun things illegal?: because they are illegal they are more fun

What’s your favorite quote?: "Everyone has an invisible sign hanging from their neck saying, 'Make me feel important.' Never forget this message when working with people. " -- Mary Kay Ash

What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream?: choc cookie dough or strawberry

Who is your favorite person to talk to offline?: Kate

Who is your favorite person to talk to online?: Kristin

Who do you wish you were talking to right now?: friends

Do you have any nicknames that you liked that your friends no longer use? dictionary, kev-o

Who is your hero?:

What do you think of racism?: racism is wrong, discrimination is hurtful, stereotyping is how the human brain works

Are you racist?: no

What is your favorite day of the week?: Wednesday

What is your least favorite day of the week?: Monday

Do you like rain?: yes

Do you think lightning is awesome?: of course, especially good photos of it

What is your favorite word?: appreciate

If you could visit any country, where would you go?: back to Spain

How long would you want to stay?: 3 weeks

Who would you want to take with you?: Spanish speakers

How old do you act?: 20

How old is your best friend?: 20

How old does your best friend act?: 22

When you were young what did you want to be when you grew up?: a shop owner or an inventor

What do you want to be now?: a computer scientist

Do you think you were an adorable little kid?: kinda

What were the names of your imaginary friends?: Kevin the Kitty Cat

Do you have any pennies sitting on your computer desk?: nope, on the couch

What is the most unique thing about your bedroom?: a flamingo neon light

Do you have a black light?: yes

Do you have a strobe light?: yes

Do you have glow-in-the-dark stars?: no

Do you have anything that glows in the dark?: no

What color is your pillow case?: beige

What is your favorite thing to wear to bed?: t-shirt and shorts

Do you like Pepsi or Coke better?: Pepsi

Can you tell a difference?: yeah

What are you thinking about right now?: wondering if someone will call me

What is your favorite song to listen to when you are mad?: Trans-Siberian Orchestra

What is the last song you listened to?: Christmas music

What is your favorite movie?: idk

What is your dream car?: idk

How many times have you had the chicken pox?: once

When was the last time you brushed your teeth?: went to the dentist this morning

What is your middle name?: starts with a J



The Good Stuff

Do you have a girl/boyfriend?: no

What is his/her name?: skip

How long have you been together?: skip

Do you love him/her?: skip

Are you in love with him/her?: skip

Are you a virgin?: yeah

How many people have you slept with?: 0

Can you still name them all?: yeah

When was the last time you had sex?: skip

How long was your longest crush?: a couple of years

How old were you when you lost your virginity?: skip

Do you regret losing it?: skip

Who did you lose it to?: skip

How old were they when it happened?: skip

Did you use protection?: skip



Other Stuff

What is your favorite emotion?: happy

What is your favorite TV show?: NCIS or Numb3rs

What is the stupidest thing you’ve ever heard somebody say?: idk

How many cds do you own?: 20, but a lot of digital files

When you go to the movies do you throw stuff at people?: no

When you go to the movies do you throw stuff at the movie screen?: no, but that'd be fun

How many times have you been kicked out of the movies?: 0

Have you ever been kicked out of a grocery store?: 0

What annoys you the most?: can't remember, since it doesn't happen often
When people don't do their job and I have to do it for them, but I usually do it anyway

Who annoys you the most?: idk

Do you know any fake people? (People who act nice to you to your face but then talk about you behind your back): yeah, but not that many who are fake to me

What are their names?: idk

Where did you meet them?: high school and college

How long have you known them?: 3 years

Did you ever want to smack them?: idk, probably

Did you ever smack them?: no

What’s your favorite season?: Spring

What’s your favorite subject in school? Math/Science/Technology

What’s your least favorite subject in school?: English

Who is your all-time favorite teacher?: hard to choose just one

What school do you go to?: UNI

What is the mascot at your school? Panther

What grade are you in?: junior by credits, sophomore by time spent at school

What grade are you supposed to be in?: soph

What is your favorite song?: already answered

What song reminds you of yourself?: i can't think of one right now, suggestions?

What is your best friend’s birthday?: September

What is your favorite flavor of skittles?: red

Would you rather have friendship or love?: some of each would be really nice

What makes you nervous?: public speaking

Describe yourself in five words: you tell me...

If you knew the truth was gonna hurt you would you still wanna hear it?: yeah

Do long distance relationships work?: idk, have never been in one, but I have seen them work

Would you change yourself to make someone else happy?: make some one happy or make my self better, if it accomplishes both, is it wrong?

What one thing makes you happy?: seeing other people smile

What phrase or saying do you use the most?: "idk"

What’s your favorite scary movie?: idk

What would you do with a million dollars?: spend it wisely, college, house, donations

If your house was burning down and you could only take one thing with you, what would you take?: laptop has most value right now, everything else is replaceable

Were you shocked when you heard Princess Diana died?: umm, I am american

Who is the biggest flirt you know?: right now Amanda, but sometimes Kayla

Do they ever flirt with your crush?: no

Do you ever want to hurt them?: no, of course not

Do they know you like that person?: no

Are you glad this survey is over?: kinda, but it wasn't too bad

Coming Back to UNI, My Post-Mission Trip Analysis

As most mission trips are, the last one I went on was amazing. I have been telling people I had a lot of fun and we got a lot of work done.

I had so much fun for 2 reasons …

1. I helped other people. It is pretty simple, but as a lot of people know, you get a great feeling when you volunteer or share and help someone else. Well, I spent about a whole week helping others and that is almost too many good feelings for me to handle. :-)
   
2. I tried something new. Between some of the seafood the Gulf Coast is known for, the digging in the dirt, and the putting into action of skills I had seen on IPTV, I tried a lot of new things. And I enjoyed most, if not all of them.
   

The question some of us are asking is how does our contribution to the Gulf Coast help others? On the top, it seems like we worked for some people who could have done the work on their own. In some ways, if the city of Biloxi had enough free stuff available to give all that to us, they could give it to someone else or use it for rebuilding. But God wanted to make sure some Iowa farm guys and gals got to dig around in the dirt and sand. He knows we know about grass, weeds, soil, and hard work. Some others might have known how to do what we did last week, but I think we are good at it and I think God thinks we are good at it too. That is why he sent us there. I personally don't mind helping out a city. After a city is built, a city can help its residents. It can provide help that an outsider cannot. It can assist in the rebuilding of lifestyles. In some ways, a volunteer can only help with the rebuilding of a structure.

I think it took me a long time to change back into school mode. I spent about a week giving of my time, energy, and talents. Then I was expected to focus on myself again. It is hard and as someone else has said before, it is unfair how that is how college is set up: everyone has to make sure they are getting their good grades and no one has time to be concerned about anyone else's success. The first day back, I was uninterested in learning. The second day back, I was readjusting. Today I am better, but still finding it hard to focus sometimes. I wish there was a better way to transition back after a great experience like Ocean Springs and Camp Victor.

It is great that I will be able to look back at the friends and photos I have from the trip. I met someone new. I grew my friendship with someone else. I recreated (I hope) an even better relationship and friendship with a third person. And between the 9 of us who went on the trip, we have about 500 photos, multiple blog posts, dozens of memories, and when added to the accomplishments of the Guatemala group, enough excitement to blow the roof off the LSC!

Thanks for reading and please let me know, in public or private, if you have any suggestions or comments about my thoughts/feelings.

Sincerely,
Kevin

It has been a while since I blogged last ...

It has been a while since I blogged last ... but I have been thinking about it for a while. Today, I feel like I have something I am confident about saying.



Maybe I am oversimplifying things, but I feel like I can fill in the dotted lines a little better today. Before, I had been focusing a lot of my time taking care of others. Whether it was looking out for their interests as a representative, taking care of their office supply needs at Staples, helping them answer a question in a class, explaining the project and tying it all together at the end, I have been helping others. And of course on the mission trips and service projects. Not just the holding a door or being pleasant, I mean the doing something meaningful for someone else.



Now, it feels like at college like I have been focusing on myself. I have been reflecting on who I am, who I want to be, how I interact with others, what I want for myself, and other similar things. This is good and everyone should do it, but I am getting bored thinking about it. Thinking about what makes me a bad person doesn't excite me or make me happy.



I thought I got my energy from seeing smiling people. People smile, not because they just want to, but because you have made them feel good. You have made them happy by doing something for them, or you have made them feel accepted and loved.



Taking care of only yourself is necessary at first to make sure I "stay afloat". But I am no longer in my first semester here. I think if I wanted to, I could go back to some of that other stuff I was doing. With a few changes of course, but I realized today that other than Christmas break, I haven't really helped others. I don't volunteer on campus; I don't tutor or answer questions. I don't do anything except sleep, go to class, see a few movies, and stuff like that. This just isn't doing it for me. I gave blood earlier this week and it gave me a feeling of joy that lasted for multiple days! It was the first time I had been that happy for a while.



I am concerned I have my priorities mixed up. There are a few reasons why I think this, but I won't go into them here.



I hope that this makes sense. I hope that I will be able to make the changes I think will work. I know that God will show me what to do if I get confused, as he always does. Comment if you have ideas or suggestions...



-- Kevin

Ideas from the Mission Trip

So here is the list of things I have from our brainstorming session. What else was there? Make a comment at http://blog.kshannon.info or on Facebook. Thanks!


Notes: Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Brainstorming session to think of ways HTLC and others can help in our home community Ankeny, Greater Des Moines Area)

• ARL: money, supplies, time, renovation
• Help to people who can’t do things themselves, older residents, help around the house, single parents, help with gardening
• Visit at Mill Pond and Sunny View
• Bring “Baseball” and other games to Ankeny (elderly people)
• Highway Cleanup (Adopt-A-Highway)
• Salvation Army Breakfast Truck and Meals on Wheels
• Cleanup at State Parks
• Transportation to Church
• Confirmation night or Youth Group night to Mill Pond (sing songs, etc.)
• Sunday School in the summer
• Serve food at the Youth Homeless Shelter
• During the School Year, which day should we meet on?
• A day to process, reunion, after the trip
• Find a project at the reunion meeting
• We could do more than one project
• We would need Youth leadership and organization
• On With Life (volunteering), contact and read newspapers
• Talk, Think, Pray, See what you are interested in

07/08/07 kjs

Student Council VP Elections

Public Notice and an Announcement on March 26th:

Each Spring the student body elects next year’s Student Council Vice President. This person then becomes President in his/her senior year. The office of Vice President is open to all members of the current sophomore class. Each candidate must pick up and later submit a petition signed by 50 students from grades 10 and 11 at Ankeny High School. Petitions are available in the main office and must be completed and returned before 3:15 on Friday. All candidates who submit petitions will be asked to give a 2-3 minute campaign speech. Speeches will be taped during the week of April 2 through the 5th and will be aired on April 10 during Advisement. The election will be April 10 during advisement. Only current sophomores and juniors will vote, but seniors may sign petitions. All sophomores are encouraged to run, and students who are not currently a part of Student Council ARE ELIGIBLE.

Questions may be directed to Ms. Featherstone or Ms. Prange, Student Council Advisors, Kevin Shannon, Student Council President, or any member of the Student Council.

no title

I was reading news stories on the internet today and I saw this one. I do not know the author personally or where she lives or anything, but I appreciated her story and I'd like to share it. It reminds me to be thankful for what I have and to sometimes help those who don't have as many things to be thankful for.

Surviving (and thriving) on $12,000 a year

I've made my choices, and they include no more husband, a college education and huge changes in the way I spend money.
By Donna Freedman

I'll be living on just over $1,000 a month this year. That doesn't sound like much -- and it isn't -- yet I plan not just to live on it, but to build a savings account.

My 2007 "income," the money I can actually count on, will be $12,084. I know this because it consists of alimony and a portion of a school grant. (I went back to college last year; the grant covers tuition and books with a little left over.) I already know my big-ticket annual costs, too: rent of $6,300 and $1,200 for car insurance. Subtract these from my income and I'm left with $382 a month for food, utilities, clothes, medical deductibles and co-pays, gasoline, renter's and life insurance and any help I give my daughter, who lives on even less than I do.

Make no mistake: I'm poor by choice, because I needed to change my life. I chose to leave my marriage, and I chose to become a student. I can live this way because I know it won't be forever. I'll have my degree in two more years, and I'll go back to work.

I survive on economies large and small. I bring my laundry to baby-sitting jobs (yes, I ask permission). I brown-bag my lunch every single day. I combine coupons and rebates to get items for free (I haven't paid for toothpaste, shampoo or other toiletries for years). I drink water, not soda.

But in order to thrive, you have to hustle, too, always looking for ways to save a dime or to make one. I exchange spent ink cartridges for reams of printer paper at Office Max. Whenever I see a candy dish, I put a piece in my coat pocket; if my energy flags midday, those toffees and peppermints keep me from buying snacks. After I won a basket of specialty coffees at a college event, I immediately sold it on Craigslist.com; I sold a "free after rebate" phone that way, too.

If you've never been really broke, all these desperate little economies might seem silly. You're probably thinking, "Why not have a soda? It's only a dollar." Because I've got just 382 of those dollars each month, that's why, and those dollars have other places to go. The COBRA insurance runs out in May and I'll need to get student insurance, at $389 per quarter. The car needs a 60,000-mile checkup. My share of a dental crown is going to be $486; I will ask for a discount if I pay in cash.
Jill of all trades
Last year I survived on a number of here-and-there gigs: freelance writing, work-study, baby-sitting, mystery shopping, resident manager (read: janitor and handyma'am) of my apartment building, paid medical research and writing for the community-college newspaper. (I was the oldest living cub reporter.)

There was little downtime; when I wasn't working I was studying, doing homework or writing papers. And I was perpetually weary and frequently ill all year long. Fact of life: A 48-year-old college student simply doesn't have the energy of an 18-year-old college student.

This year I'm dumping most of the part-time gigs. I'll still freelance and baby-sit, but very selectively. My new school means tough classes, a long bus commute and lots of reading and studying. More to the point, it's a great opportunity, and I'd like to take full advantage. So I'm choosing to work less in 2007, focusing instead on getting healthy and getting my education.

That means careful money management and a fair amount of sacrifice. I'm willing to do both. As a freelance writer and recent divorcee, I'm accustomed to lean living. Here are some of the mantras that have kept me going thus far:

It's not what I have, but how much of it I can keep. To paraphrase Ben Franklin, every dollar I don't spend is a dollar I have earned. So when I think I need something, I ask, "Can I do without this?" Often I find I can. If I can't, then my next question is . . .

How can I get it free, or almost free? The obvious answers are sites like Craigslist.com and thrift shops, especially ones like Value Village that offer coupons and half-off sales. My 99-cent clock-radio wakes me up every morning just as efficiently as a high-tech alarm from The Sharper Image. Rummage sales are swell, too; my church has an annual sale called "Superfluity" (I love that name) at which I bought my desk for $4 and a small chest of drawers for $1. I also buy Christmas and birthday gifts at Superfluity and an annual "500-family" rummage sale. No one has to know that that hardback bestseller under the tree cost you only 50 cents.

Enough is as good as a feast. I love to eat. I don't love paying for it. Because I don't have a "regular" job of at least 20 hours a week, I don't qualify for food stamps. So I shop very, very carefully, and I go to the food bank. Most weeks I can count on potatoes, apples, bread and a can or two of vegetables. Some lucky weeks I get milk, orange juice, pasta, tomatoes, rice or a small package of meat. I cook a lot of beans and stews, and I'm adequately fed -- maybe not as richly or as conveniently as I'd like, but well enough to keep me going.

Every day is casual Friday! When my jeans are in tatters I buy a "new" pair at Value Village (one pair cost me just $1.63, and it was new -- still had the department-store tags on it). I spend $15 or less on running shoes from clearance tables. I've bought a couple of thrift-store tops, but mostly get by with shirts I've had for ages. (Hint: The clothes dryer takes years off the life of your duds. Get a drying rack.) Some days I wish I looked nicer. Most days it doesn't bother me, and I doubt it'll bother anyone else, since students at my school have been known to wear flannel PJs to class. Bonus: When you dress the way I do, panhandlers hardly ever ask you for money.

Announce my intentions. Time and again I have found that when I need something I should "put it out in the universe," which is also known as "prayer." One night last fall, squinting over my homework, I realized I needed more light in the apartment. A day later, a halogen floor lamp landed in the Dumpster outside my window. Recently my umbrella got cranky about opening. The next week I was given a high-quality bumbershoot as a thank-you gift for helping with a campus blood drive. Coincidences? Maybe.
$20 to feel rich
I've decided to increase my monthly church tithe to $20. Sure, I could use that extra $240 a year. It just about equals the university registration fee, or the money I promised my daughter toward the price of her wedding dress. It also represents almost half of the car insurance premium heading my way in April.

But giving that money away makes me feel rich. No matter how straitened my circumstances, I can be a part of services the church provides for the homeless, the impoverished elderly and those living with AIDS. In other words, tithing reminds me that there are lots of people worse off than me, people who'd love to have my so-called "problems."

That's not to say that I wouldn't like to have more cash. It would allow me to help my daughter, to secure my future, to buy more roasts and fewer pinto beans. But I figure I won the cosmic lottery just by being born in America, a country where I can not only work on a college degree at age 48, but also find scholarships and education grants to help me pay for it. I have a roof over my head, food every day, family and friends, and occasionally even a $10 student ticket to the Seattle Symphony. Some days I feel like the luckiest person in the world.

If I really am lucky, then I'll make it through 2007 with a positive bank balance. Check back with me next December and I'll let you know how I did.


Originally seen on http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SavingandDebt/LearnToBudget/SurvivingAndThrivingOn12000AYear.aspx

Happy End of December

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the of the generally accepted calendar year 2007, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere. And without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishes. By accepting these greetings you are accepting these terms. This greeting is subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to actually implement any of the wishes for herself or himself or others, and is void where prohibited by law and is revocable at the sole discretion of the wisher. This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual application of good tidings for a period of one year or until the issuance of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first, and warranty is limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole discretion of the wisher.

No, I didn't write this, but I thought it was funny! Merry Christmas also.

Kevin's Election Top 10 List

Hi, here is a note of encouragement for you to go vote on Election Day.

My Top 10 Reasons You Should Go Vote on Tuesday, November 7th

10. It gives you an excuse to not do your homework and/or get out of the house.

9. Because you have an opinion on illegal immigration, abortion, human rights, same-sex marriage, taxes, education, jobs, the economy, or any other issue and you want to vote for someone who agrees with you.

8. It will stop the phone calls on Election Day. (There is no box on their calling sheets for “I’ve voted”, just go vote, then they saw you there and believe you)

7. You are friends of Meredith (Sen. Lamberti), Michael (Rep. Boal), Lyric L. (Fmr. Mayor Johnson) or anyone else on the ballot.

6. You are giving into peer pressure from those under 18. (Yes, you are)

5. This is your biggest and best opportunity to get back at those who make annoying laws.

4. It only takes a few minutes.

3. You know you want to vote for yourself for Polk County Public Hospital Trustee or Soil and Water Conservation District Commissioner (Think about it, how cool would it be to get that call that you have won an election). (Or you want to put your Government teacher’s name on the ballot).

2. The vote in any one precinct, city, or state could come down to a few 100 votes (this means you DO make a difference).

1. You like to fill in bubble sheets (please remember to read the directions).


Polling Places are open from 7AM to 9PM in the Des Moines area. If you don't know your polling place, go to http://www.vote411.org/pollingplacebystate.php?ms=RTV_Home or call 866 687 8683 or see me at school and I will see if I can help you. Have a good weekend and Go Vote on Tuesday!

Kevin

I don't have a good title.

Hello readers and Facebookers,

Something happened at school this week that make me upset. If you have Mr. Mullins, you heard him talk toward the end of this week about people getting things stolen from PE lockers. What kind of people do things like that? Do you need to be in study hall instead of having a free period because you can't do something productive with your time? Are you so poor that you must break the law to survive? If you need financial assistance, don't steal from people in my PE class. None of us like it. Go talk to your Guidance Counselor. No one wants to have money, cell phones, cameras, etc. stolen or "long-term borrowed" or "five-finger discounted" from them. I don't get it. I hope peer pressure can stop people like this. If not, maybe peer presure doesn't work, which is a good thing!

What morals and values do high school students keep today. Do we need to revisit the six pillars (http://www.charactercounts.org/)? They seemed to work OK then, and I imagine they have just been improved. Anyway, thanks for letting me vent...

I am off to the football game now and I hope everyone has a good weekend and good luck Band at ValleyFest!

Kevin

5 Weeks Down, More to go.

So here is what is going on.

I am kind of a geek, so I should be able to regularly post on a blog, right?

Wrong, school and classes and teachers, although fun, take a lot of time. Homework is no fun. Yes it was, in 5th grade, it was cool to have homework. Now it isn't. I have more to do, but typing on to a computer entry that no one would normally read, except it will be on all of your homepages when you wake up.

One thing I have noticed, is that dozens of people sign on to Facebook at about 11:57 to be the first ones to do something just after midnight. I don't get it. YOU ALL NEED TO SLEEP.

I need to apply to colleges. I have two apps done and almost ready to send, except for transcripts. Those don't need essays. I think I will apply to something like 6 or more colleges, so I can decide what I want to do. I wore a UNI shirt today. I must have had 8 people ask me about it. I don't know why, but either they saw it was a college and asked me about it or they saw it was purple and decided to ask me about it.

It is 11:00 pm and I still have to do Calc homework. Good night, or whenever you read this. (This is so much more fun than math!)

Kevin

Homecoming Week Activities

Not as many people know about it yet as I want to. So here they are...

Monday – Labor Day and NO SCHOOL

Tuesday – College/Pro Team Clothing Day

Wednesday – 80s Dress Up Day

Thursday – Dance Dress-up Day – Black and White
All-City Pep Rally – 7:00 PM HS Stadium

Friday – Hawk Spirit Day
Pep Rally - HS Gym
Homecoming Game – HS Stadium

Saturday – Powderpuff Football
Homecoming Dance 8:00-11:00 PM – HS Gym

Spread the word!!

Kevin S.
Student Council President

Ooh, cool...Look my blog is on Facebook!

Well actually they are called notes, but it is a normal person's blog. I actually wrote this on blogger.com or http://kshannon.blogspot.com but they can appear on here too. I know the next person to set up their Notes will be Joe W. or Jeff W. (I only put their names in here so that I could tag them :) ). Anyway, if you get a chance to read this, I hope you will. I am excited as to what Facebook will do next.

Kevin

P.S. If anyone knows how to program, or is just interested in what others are doing, look at the developer link at the bottom of this page, or take a look at http://facebookapplications.com .

Hi again

Hi.

I apologize to those who are reading this and looking for an update. Well, here's the basics.

School started; I got a schedule; and a locker; nothing came from the messages I sent, people forgot about it; I like most of my classes, teachers, and classmates; people are nice;

That's all so far. I went to my grandparents, San Antonio Texas, Des Moines.

Kevin