Speak Your Mind 195 #971-975

QUESTIONS

1. Do you have a dog?

2. How long do classes in your school last?

3. What kind of pop do you like the best?

4. Do you like using cordless telephones?

5. Do you think voting is a privilege?

ANSWERS By: Austin Smith

1.No, but I have had a dog.

2. When I was in school they shifted from 45 minutes to an hour.

3. I like Dr. Pepper.

4. I don’t use corded telephones at all, so if that’s any indication…

5. As opposed to other countries, yes certainly, voting is a wonderful privilege; but in this country, I think that most every one should have to vote and be educated on the subject of the vote.

Soda and Productivity

A lot of people drink soda, or coffee or tea, or some other caffeinated drink. The usual reasons are the same: they either need the energy boost or like the taste (which means they need the energy boost and want an excuse). I personally don’t drink coffee and rarely drink soda or tea. But this wasn’t always the case. I can remember a time not too long ago (a few months) where I was drinking several sodas every day. Most people are fine with this or even need it, I know someone who gets almost sick when he goes through soda withdrawal. I went through withdrawal when I “quit” soda and it is terrible, but I managed to do it and here’s why I did it.

Back even longer ago I wasn’t getting much done. I subsist on liquids mostly because I’m either to lazy or not hungry enough to make food (I haven’t eaten breakfast in months). I only got soda when we went out, I had none at home because my house is the type of house where you only get things if you write them down on the list or ask for them just before (which is a good thing). I decided one day that getting soda would be good, and might even improve my productivity.

When I got it for the first week or two I was fine, nothing really changed, I thought. But soon things started to change. I started wanting more and more soda every day, kinda like an addict. I would save my soda for when I was working, which ironically made me work less because I would just drink the soda and then stop working. I tried to compensate for this by working only at certain times when I wanted soda, which cut my work times even more because I wasn’t motivated. The worst thing though I didn’t even realize was happening. I was staying up later because of all the caffeine, (or just the sugar) which meant that I was getting up later. As I have discovered, getting up and being fresh and awake is one of the major components of working and enjoying that work. Soda was slowly but surely destroying my sleep schedule.

Most of you don’t know me so I’ll just tell you that when I don’t get things done I start to get mad. Not getting things done infuriates me. I didn’t fully realize that I was now a tired, angry, and lazy individual until I stopped soda all together. I had been “addicted” to soda before and quit several times, but that was when I was in school and didn’t care about what I was doing (it also served as a good distraction when I was quitting). I finally quit again by reducing the amount I drank a day slowly. I then had about a week of head and body aches where I was even less productive and really tempted to go back to soda. When that ended however I got ten times as much done per day, I was more focused and even more alert, provided I had gotten enough sleep the night before.

I know that I’ve been making soda drinking sound very serious. It really isn’t and I’m sure it doesn’t affect some people. I still do drink soda when I go out or on a trip. But just be warned that it can cause some serious problems, and I believe that my life is better now that I’ve gotten it out of my house. Think of some things you “can’t” get through the day without and see if you really need them, or if they really are helping you. The answer may surprise you.

Speak Your Mind 63 #311-315

QUESTIONS

1. What is your favorite meal in the school cafeteria?

2. Is it a good idea to have a pop machine for students to use during school?

3. What did you have for breakfast today?

4. Are you afraid of spiders?

5. Do you think poor people are happy?

ANSWERS By: Austin Smith

1. When I went to school it was pizza.

2. I hate the idea of giving anything remotely good to students seeing as I graduated two years early just to get away from them so, no.

3. I didn’t have breakfast today, I had a bagel and some eggs at one o’clock. (I got up at eight)

4. Not until they’re on me.

5. Depends on the poor person. I’m sure some are and some really, really, aren’t.

Speak Your Mind 49 #241-245

QUESTIONS

1. What color do you think is the best color for a car?

2. What color glasses do you like the best?

3. How many push-pus can you do in a row?

4. Do you think cremation is a good idea?

5. How much ice do you think there should be in a glass of pop?

ANSWERS By: Austin Smith

1. White, less glare, less hot.

2. Eye glasses? Rims? then black

3. eighty to one hundred or so maybe more.

4. If that’s what you want to do, sure.

5. About a quarter of the total volume on a hot day, less to none if it’s cooler.

Speak Your Mind 26 #126-130

QUESTIONS

1. Do you think children should be allowed to have pop?

2. Do you think it’s important for a boy to learn how to do laundry?

3. Do you have many t-shirts with sayings on them?

4. What is the first thing you usually do when you get home from school?

5. What is your favorite vegetable?

ANSWERS By: Austin Smith

1. As in music? No. But if you mean soda, then yes, though regulation of the amount by parents would be beneficial.

2. Of course, everyone should at least know how. (I was going to make a joke about that being women’s work but I just couldn’t)

3. Not many, but I will buy more.

4. When I went to school the first thing I would do when I got home was to catch up on the online things I missed or sleep.

5. Potatoes all the way man.