Quackenbush Follow-Up

Well, I googled Quackenbush and got some info on the name. Thank goodness for modern technology huh? Yeah...Alright.

I bet you didn't know that almost all Quackenbush's living in the U.S. can be traced back to a Dutch immigrant name Pieter Quackenbosch who moved here in 1653. He was born in Oegstgeesst, Holland in 1614. The name Quackenbosch actually has a much different meaning that I thought it did. In Dutch, "bosch" means "forest." "Quacken" would be the sound a frog makes. I guess my guess about it meaning something about a duck was a bit off. But hey, give me a break, I don't speak Dutch. And no, it's not the same as German.

Quackenbush is the most common adaptation to the name in North America. Other variations include: Quackenbos, Quackenboss, Quakkelbosch, Quakenbush, Qualkinbush, and Kwakkenbos. So if you know someone by one of those names it would be safe to conclude that they are of Dutch decension. It would also be pretty safe to conclude that sometime in their childhood they got made fun of because of their name. By the way, if you ever meet someone with that name, please let me know because I want to meet them.

You know what...I was just doing some more research on the name and it said that "quacken" might actually have something to do with a duck. My self-esteem level just went from like -1 all the way to +5! I'm actually not sure how you would measuer that sort of thing, but it was more just to be used as an example.

That's that I guess. Quackenbush. Just to think that less than a week ago I was living my life without any knowledge of that name. My life is so much more complete now...

Quackenbush.

I was looking at this children's book on a shelf in my house and something caught my eye. The author's last name is Quackenbush. Now, I don't know for sure if that is the guy's real last name, but I'm pretty sure it is. If my last name were Quackenbush...I would definitely...um...well I'm not fully sure what I would do. I think I would write children's books. I guess that's not really that original of an idea is it? Oh well, I still think Quackenbush is an awesome name. How do you get a name like that anyways? I don't want the smart alek comment "you get it from your dad, duh." I mean how does that name start out? Quackenbush. I suppose maybe there was some guy that raised ducks and would let them live in bushes. Or maybe it was some duck hunter that was really good at shooting ducks from behind a bush. Maybe it has nothing to do with ducks at all. Maybe it comes from quaker, like quaker oats. Or like the quakers that came to the U.S. on the mayflower. Who knows!? I'm kind of curious now after writing this blog. I'm gonna look the name up and find out where it comes from. Quackenbush...I'll let you know what I find out in my next blog.

People not Property

I went to the movie "Taken" on Saturday night. I went into the movie thinking it would be a cool action movie with an awesome plot line. And it was, it was a fantastic movie in my opinion. But the thing that I got out of it wasn't just a cool way to disarm someone with a gun. I came away from that movie kind of pissed at people. Not all people, but certain stupid people whose lives are so screwed up and who have to just have screw up other people's lives as well. People involved with sex trafficking to be more specific.

I'd never really thought about this topic much before. I've "known" about it, but never really given it much attention. The movie really showed me how much of a terrible thing this is. Granted, the movie is based on someone's fictional ideas and thoughts about how to entertain other people, but there is a lot of truth to it. The "bad guys" in the movie treated women like they're nothing. Nothing but comfort "tools." How can you have so little respect of a human being, let alone a woman!? Girls were treated merely as a business, as way to get money. That's so wrong! We were talking about the Rape of Nanking a couple weeks ago in history class and it didn't exactly make sense to me. After seeing some of those situations that girls are put through in the movie it put it in a whole new light for me.

How can your mind become so twisted and sick!? You take a girl that you don't know, someone's daughter, someone's sister, maybe someone's girlfriend and you take possession of her, like an animal. You kidnap her and then force her to go through extremely undignifying things. I would like to ask the people that are in that sort of "business" if they would do that to their own sister or girlfriend or daughter. I really would.

Who Wants to Write a Story?

Public speaking isn't exactly my favorite thing in the world to do. Actually I have a somewhat strong dislike for. I wouldn't volunteer to do it, unless I have for some class and I just want to get it over with. It's kind of the same for writing. I'm not huge into writing things that tons of people can read. I mainly write for myself or for a small group of friends to read. So this blogging business is a bit of a stretch. But I figure as long as I have to do this, I might as well have a good time with it. So I think it's time for some audience participation...How about everybody that reads this blog adds a sentence to the comment "box"( I don't really know what it's called). We can make like a story from a bunch of peoples comments. I just thought that would be kind of neat to see if anyone will actually do this.

It's Sunday Again.

Hello there. Well I guess it's that time of the week again...Sunday. Time for everyone to squeeze in their two blogs for the week so that we keep our grades up in J10. It's kind of funny how everyone seems to do this weekly assignment at the last minute. You would think that it would only be the procrastinators that would do that. But wait, maybe we're all procrastinators. Maybe our parent's generation is right about our generation. Maybe all of their thoughts of us being lazy, and slackerish, and shallow are true. But, you know what, I don't really care right now. All I know is that I have my two blogs done for the week. I guess that's that.

Valentine

I have here a poem that I wrote in math class a couple years ago...pertaining to Valentine's Day (which, for those of you that don't know, is on the 14th of February every year. Yes, I was surprised that they have it on the same day every year too.) So I'll just let it be written out here, on the internet, so that everyone in the whole wide world can read it (everyone with access to the WorldWideWeb, that is). Here we go...hope you like it. Even if you don't like it, I'm gonna go ahead and write it out.

Valentine, Oh Valentine
I am yours and you are mine
No one can separate us,
Our love is divine.

Valentine, Oh sweet Valentine
We shall go to a forest of pine
On some lovely date,
Or go out to dine.

Valentine, Oh dear Valentine
Could this be a sign?
When you walk by me,
Your legs are so fine.

Valentine, My beloved Valentine
You are thin like a vine
Your silhouette is so lovely,
This none can deny.

Valentine, Oh tender Valentine
You are the only one for me
And as everyone can see,
We were meant to be.

*Dear reader, if I find out that you have plagiarized my poetry in any way without my consent (which is slightly redundant), I will personally find you and...ask you politely not to do that again.

Who makes up these words anyways?

I have in my hands at this moment, a "Dictionary of Contemporary English." I am about to open it to a random page and randomly point at a word and blog about it. Here I go...wish me luck....OUCH! IT GOT ME! RUN! RUN! Just kidding there. Don't worry I'm alright. Ok, here we go...Page 566..."inclined plane (noun)." (Definition: a flat sloping surface that meets the horizon at an angle which is less than a right angle)

Let's pull this definition apart to understand it a bit better alright?

First of all...flat. I think of pancakes when I think of flat.

Secondly...sloping. I think of mountains when I think of sloping.

Thirdly...surface. I think of drowning beneath the surface of water.

When I hear the word "meet," I think of a blind date (you don't meet your date until they show up).

Now on to "horizon." Of course, the first thing that pops to my mind is a car.

After hearing about cars, I think of wheelies when I hear angle.

Lastly, everyone knows that "less than a right angle" means less than 90 degrees, which isn't that much. Pretty lame for a wheelie if you ask me.

Ok, so we've taken apart the meaning of "inclined slope" so as to understand it better. Now let's see what we've learned.

Inclined Slope: "A drowning mountain of pancakes that is on a blind date. The date picks her up in a cool car and pops a wheelie. Unfortunately for the date, his wheelies are lame and so his date dumps him."

Inclined slope

Why would anyone ever want to use that term, it doesn't even make sense.

D o u b l e S p a c i n g ?

H o w w e l l d o y o u t h i n k y o u r m i n d c a n r e a d ? D o e s i t c o m p r e h e n d v e r y t r i c k y s t u f f o r d o e s i t j u s t s t i c k w i t h t h e r e m e d i a l s t u f f ? E v e r y o n e ' s d i f f e r e n t s o d o n ' t f e e l b a d i f y o u d o n ' t r e a d a s w e l l a s o t h e r s . O n e t h i n g t h a t I ' v e e n j o y e d d o i n g w i t h m y b l o g s t h i s y e a r s o f a r h a s b e e n w r i t i n g s o m e w h a t c o m p l i c a t e d b l o g s t o r e a d . F o r e x a m p l e , I ' v e w r i t t e n t h e m b a c k w a r d s , a s r u n - o n p a r a g r a p h s , a n d a f e w o t h e r s . N o w I t h o u g h t I w o u l d t r y w r i t i n g w i t h a s p a c e i n b e t w e e n e v e r y l e t t e r o r m a r k o f p u n c t u a t i o n . I s u p p o s e i t m i g h t j u s t a l l a p p e a r a s d o u b l e s p a c i n g t o m o s t p e o p l e ' s m i n d s , b u t I ' m c u r i o u s a s t o h o w e a s y t h i s i s t o r e a d . . .

super bowl

Ah yes, the super bowl. This huge event that happens once a year and that causes one of the biggest frenzies in our society. Of course football is fun to watch and play and it's a great thing to get in to, but it's not everything. When I hear people screaming during the last few minutes trying to "cheer their team on" I sort of chuckle to myself and think of the imprudence of it all. In five years will you really care who won Super Bowl XLIII? Probably not. The only chances of that happening are if you're a big fan of one of the teams, know someone personally related with the team, or were at the game. To me the most meaningful part of it all came after that game. The post-game talks with the players and coaches of the losing team interest me most. I really enjoy hearing what they've learned from the experience and how they've grown as a person because of it. Anyone can shout and hoot and hollor if you win, but it takes character to reflect and improve upon what you could have done better when you lose.