Babbling Belle

and Her Marauding Muses

A Random Rambling by Belle comments (0)

On “Time” magazine’s website there was an interesting article written by Maia Szalavitz on the law many states are considering adopting in response to the Casey Anthony trial.

Szalavitz writes:
“With Casey Anthony having been found not guilty of the murder of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee, outraged Americans are seeking other routes to justice and hoping to prevent similar cases.
About half a million people have already signed an online petition calling for a federal law — Caylee's Law — to make it a felony if parents fail to report the death of a child within an hour, or fail to report a missing child within a day. Legislators in at least five states, including Florida where Anthony was tried, are working on introducing similar bills.
 But is this really a good idea? Such legislation, introduced in the wake of shocking crimes, is notorious for having unintended negative consequences, as embodied in the law school cliché, "hard cases make bad law."

Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2011/07/11/cayleys-law-crime-fighter-or-more-grief-for-mourning-parents-and-troubled-teens/#ixzz1RuQOvrrh

While I agree that there is the possibility that rushing into writing a law due to a recent incident can have unintended consequences, I think Caylee’s Law or a similar law is something that is desperately needed in our country.

Szalavitz says that there are plenty of situations that could arise that would put innocent parents and guardians in jail for violating the Law. Specifically she says that if a child were to drown in a swimming pool, as Casey Anthony’s defense team claimed, that an hour could easily pass while a parent grieves over the death of their child. I disagree.

An hour is a very long time when you really stop to think about it. Sure, an hour can pass quickly when you are working on a task but when you are simply sitting especially with something displeasing or unpleasant is happening an hour can drag on. If your child were to drown in a pool, your first response should be to get the phone and dial 911 and then work on CPR. I have taken CPR and first aid classes and they all say that the few seconds it will take to grab a phone, dial 911, and put it on speaker while you attempt CPR will not make a big difference. The most important thing you can do when someone has drowned is getting them flat on their back on a solid surface and call 911 to get professionals to the scene.

The law could easily be written to have clauses where if a person at the scene informs emergency responders of the situation within that hour that they are not violating the law. The whole intent behind the law is to keep situations like what happened with Casey Anthony from happening again. Whether you believe that Casey Anthony is guilt or innocent, believe the jury or not, there should be a way to hold parents and guardians responsible for keeping their children safe.

I have been a nanny for over 11 years. I have had 2 boys that I am responsible for not only during evening out for the parents, but over entire weekends and all day every day during the summer months. There is not a situation that I have encountered or could possible imagine that could keep me from informing the police or emergency services of an accident. To argue that there is such a situation is absolutely ridiculous.

If you are in a car accident, you must call the police and emergency responders or you could be charged with a crime. You could face a fine, loosing your license, or even jail time. However, if you don’t report an accident has occurred and your child is injured or dead we’re suppose to let you get away with that? No accountability? That is why Caylee’s Law is so desperately needed.

Szalavitz also goes on to say that the requirement to report a missing child if they have been missing for more than a day would create too much work for the already overwhelmed police system. This doesn’t actually change any current laws. Currently, you cannot report a person missing unless they have been gone for at least 24 hours. So, parents reporting their child missing are not “adding” to anything. Caylee’s Law would simply hold parents accountable so that they will report their child missing.

The article claims that there could be many false alarms with reporting a teenager missing after only a day, or that people with custody problems could have miscommunications that would cause a false alarm. First off, if there is a custody problem the two sides will have either a court order or another agreement on who gets the child. If one party doesn’t give the child back when the agreement says to, than that would be cause to notify the police all on its own, regardless of Caylee’s Law.

Secondly, if a teenager sneaks out of the house at night, you would have to wait 24 hours to report them missing anyway. Even as a teenager, I could not imagine an excuse a teenager could have for not notifying their parents of their location within a 24-hour period.

While the Law would have to be written carefully to avoid unintended results, that is the case of all laws. Just because people are signing petitions to get a law passed doesn’t mean that the law will be rushed into the books. There is a long process that has to be followed for all laws and many governing bodies and people who would need to read, edit, and sign off on the law for it to be put into action. As long as everyone stops and thinks about possible ramifications, Caylee’s Law could be very beneficial for our country. We can stop innocent children who are murdered from letting their murderers go free.

Whether Casey Anthony is guilty or innocent, Caylee’s Law is needed and should have been enacted a long time ago.

Melancholy Daydreams...

A Random Rambling by Belle comments (0)

It’s dark outside, the house is quiet, and by all rights, I should be sleeping. I should be tucked safely away in my bed, my thoughts carrying me away to the Land of Nod. Nevertheless, I am awake.

When the world around me sleep and the stars come to shine is when I am the most whimsical, the most imaginative and the most melancholy. Not because I am depressed that I cannot sleep, but because the world I live in is not the world I want to live in.

I dive and consume books and stories with such abandon in a futile attempt to float away from this world.
This world of constant arguments, aggression, and the overwhelming need to “survive.” I don’t want to just survive. I want to live and dream and love.

In fiction, the worlddoesn’t revolve around your job, politics, or money. Fiction is about living. Deep, passionate love that no longer exists in the real world. The kind of love that is all consuming. The kind of love that people are willing to die for. That they have died for. The love so deep and so powerful that the only thing that matters is spending just one second with that special person. To hold them, protect them, and care for them.

In the real world people no longer love that way. They marry because it is expected. Because it is convenient. They delude themselves into thinking thatthey truly love their partner when in actuality their partner is just the best they have found. So many people in the real world marry and get divorced, or marry but loose the passion. They become so focused on being the married couple, of paying bills, that the love is lost.

When someone writes about the deep true love, people in the real world mock it. They roll their eyes and say it’s pathetic or sad. But the truth is the world is sad.

I read to escape, to live in a world that I wish could be real.
Where I am that girl who doesn’t need to work, eat, or sleep. That I can exist in this far off world, where living is living life, not just surviving. Myfavorite kind of photos show a glimpse of the world I wish I could live in. Nothing exists but each moment as it happens. No one worries about deadlines, due dates, jobs, bills, or gas. There is no war, disease, and famine. Each moment is perfect and peaceful.

At night, when all the world sleeps, I lay in the dark of my room with my headphones on. I play songs whose lyrics speak to this magical place of freedom. I close my eyes and I daydream of this wonderful peaceful world I want to live in. And in that place is a boy who lives only to love me. Who would sacrifice anything for me and I for him. There is nothing but perfect and beautiful forests and calm sunny fields. There is no rush, no hustle and bustle.

There is only serenity and us.


I explained in my first post that I have Hypersomnia and that it is a huge part of who I am as a person.

Most people have probably never heard of Hypersomnia before, as it only affects around 5% of the United State’s population. It is so rare that even though we have so many organizations spreading knowledge and awareness of seemingly every cancer and disease that we are starting to run out of colors for ribbons, there is no organization for Hypersomnia.

I went online to try to find such an organization in order to post a more professional description of what exactly Hypersomnia is, but was unable to find one. I did however find that Hypersomnia research is being conducted by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), which is a government run medical research institute.

NINDS has an information page on Hypersomnia that I will now post some of the information from:

What is Hypersomnia?
Hypersomnia is characterized by: recurrent episodes of excessive daytime sleepiness or prolonged nighttime sleep. Different from feeling tired due to lack of or interrupted sleep at night, persons with hypersomnia are compelled to nap repeatedly during the day, often at inappropriate times such as at work, during a meal, or in conversation. These daytime naps usually provide no relief from symptoms. Patients often have difficulty waking from a long sleep, and may feel disoriented. Other symptoms may include anxiety, increased irritation, decreased energy, restlessness, slow thinking, slow speech, loss of appetite, hallucinations, and memory difficulty. Some patients lose the ability to function in family, social, occupational, or other settings. Hypersomnia may be caused from a physical problem, such as a tumor, head trauma, or injury to the central nervous system. Certain medications, or medicine withdrawal, may also cause hypersomnia. Medical conditions including multiple sclerosis, depression, encephalitis, epilepsy, or obesity may contribute to the disorder. Some people appear to have a genetic predisposition to hypersomnia; in others, there is no known cause. Typically, hypersomnia is first recognized in adolescence or young adulthood.

Is there any treatment?
Treatment is symptomatic in nature. Stimulants, such as amphetamines may be prescribed. Changes in behavior (for example avoiding night work and social activities that delay bed time) and diet may offer some relief. Patients should avoid alcohol and caffeine.

What is the prognosis?
The prognosis for persons with hypersomnia depends on the cause of the disorder. While the disorder itself is not life threatening, it can have serious consequences, such as automobile accidents caused by falling asleep while driving. The attacks usually continue indefinitely.

What research is being done?
The NINDS supports and conducts research on sleep disorders such as hypersomnia. The goal of this research is to increase scientific understanding of the condition, find improved methods of diagnosing and treating it, and discover ways to prevent it.

My Story:
For my own personal experience with Hypersomnia, it started when I was about 10 years old. Before then, I was a huge tom-boy and was constantly outside running around or riding my bike. I could never sit still and dabbled in all sorts of different sports including soccer, gymnastics, and basketball.

Then during one summer, I was standing too close to a boy as he was batting during a neighborhood game of baseball. I was hit in the face by the bat and flattened by nose. I blacked out completely. I don’t remember much after that, I remember being on one side of the yard, getting hit, hearing screaming and people yelling my name but seeing nothing but black and “stars” and then being on the othe
r side of the yard. Witnesses said that I ran/stumbled as soon as I were hit and was holding my nose. I had two black eyes and had to ice my face. However, there isn’t much a doctor can do for a broken nose so I was left to heal by myself.

That same year my dad’s company was bought by another larger company. He was considering leaving to go to a completely different company but the new bosses gave him a large bonus in order to stay. As a result, my brother and I got our own little 10” TVs in our rooms and we choose between either a PlayStation (the first one) or a N64. I chose a N64 and I started to become even more of a gamer than I was before on o
ur SNES. After that summer when I got hit in the face with the bat, I stopped playing outside so much. I preferred to do things indoors that were more sedentary. Not too long after, I started needing more sleep than I had ever needed before.

I used to be the early bird and would wake up at 6 am even on weekends. I always was first up and claimed the TV long before anyone else. Shortly, after that terrible head injury I started sleeping in. At first on weekends it was just till 8 am, then 9, eventually I was sleeping until 10 am if I could. It got to the point that I needed to take naps after school. By the time I entered high school I had gained a ton of weight, was no longer in shape, never played outside, and took naps whenever I could.

My parents called me “lazy.” I tried to explain that I couldn’t help it, I was just tired all the time. They took me to doctors and the doctors would say things like “she’s being a normal teenager” or “don’t stay up so late at night, and don’t drink caffeine.” They never did any tests except for a blood test to check for low iron, which I did indeed have, but not enough to cause the extreme tiredness I was experiencing.

By the time I graduated high school and entered collage, I was sleeping an average of 16 hours a day. I arrange for my classes to never start before 10 am, would go to class and then come home and take a nap before doing any homework. On weekends, I was lucky to be awake by noon.

I was constantly getting into shouting arguments with my parents over the amount of sleep I was doing. It caused lots of stress and anxiety. I hated them for calling my fat and lazy when I felt I couldn’t help it. I was always depressed; sometimes more than others because I was never able to do things like normal people and I was overweight and never able to loose the excess no matter how hard I tried.

I was constantly hungry, craving carbs and sugary snacks. I was only able to function at all because I was a frequent coffee drinker. Once I started college, especially with the hours and hours I had to be in class and then studying for the classes, I became a coffee addict. I didn’t like regular coffee so I would drink Mochas, specifically Starbucks Mocha Frapachinnos as I don’t like hot drinks normally. I would order on my way to classes a Venti (extra large) Mocha Frap with an extra shot of espresso blended in. I would also get bottles of Coke or Mt. Dew at school when the coffee was gone. Then if I had so much homework or studying to do that I couldn’t take a nap after my classes were over, I would again hit the Starbucks for yet another Venti Mocha Frap extra shot. That didn’t help my weight problem one iota.

Finally, in February of this year (2011), I started feeling as if I had a nasty head cold that just wouldn’t go away. I fell asleep in my office at school where usually I was able to stay conscious while I was out. We had just changed insurance to Kaiser Permanente and I had a completely new doctor earlier in the fall. I went to see my doctor about the cold and found out that I had Mono. I tried to explain that I was always tired, and after a long discussion where I relayed all the symptoms that had been plaguing me for years and what my previous doctors had said she referred me to a Neurologist. She said she thought I might have a disorder called Hypersomnia and that only a Neurologist would be able to know for sure. I had to wait until I was over the Mono and then I was sent to the specialist.

The Neurologist thought that I may have it as well and scheduled a sleep study to test for it. I had to go to a special floor at a near by hotel where they had video surveillance in the rooms, and nurses/technicians running the studies. I had to not nap for an entire day, which was extremely difficult and painful. If I didn’t sleep or take a nap, my body would start to ache and give me pain as if I had be pushed from a moving car. I then had to report to the study and they hooked up dozens of wires to my head, chest, legs, and arms. I was then told to go to sleep “normally” so that the sensors could detect what cycle of sleep I was in, how much my limbs twitch or move, my breathing, and dozens of other things about my sleeping habit. In the morning, they woke me up and I had to say the entire day still hooked up to the sensors! They would come in periodically (usually every 2 hours) to let me “take a nap.” I then would be woken up after 15 minutes of “napping.” Normal people would be unable to fall asleep after a full nights rest in less than 10 minutes or at all. I fell asleep every single time they said I could. In fact, I tried to fall asleep when I wasn’t suppose to and they had to come in and keep me awake until it was time to nap again!

I then had another appointment with my Neurologist a few weeks later. He said that I did in fact, have Hypersomnia. He explained to my parents and me that it is a very rare disorder caused by brain damage. He told us, that the brain damage is caused by either a blow to the head (the baseball episode) or a virus. It damages the receptors in the brain that tell your body that you have had enough sleep and that it is time to be awake and alert. If you have Hypersomnia, those receptors are damaged and your body believes you are suffering from Sleep Deprivation. That then causes your body to crave carbs and sugary foods in order to get “needed energy” that you don’t actually need. He believes that my weight was caused to do the Hypersomnia and the affects of it. The Neurologist went on to explain that all my coffee drinks and pop was my body’s way of “self-medicating.” That the only reason I was able to function as well as I could was because of that self-medication. He believes that with treatment, I could get better grades, loose the weight, and be able have a better life in general. He also said I was lucky to find out when I did, that the people he usually sees getting diagnosed for the first time are often older in their 50s or 60s!

I was prescribed stimulants, which trick my brain into thinking that those receptors are in fact intact and working, normally. I now have tons of energy and am able to attend classes, work, and have a social life no problem. A side effect of the drugs is loss of appetite so I no longer feel hungry. Ever. Not even a little tiny bit. I have to force myself to eat and when I first started, I forgot to eat some meals. I have to set alarms and be very careful what I do eat, so that I am getting the necessary nutrition my body needs. I eat lots of fruit and vegetables and some protein and try and stay away from sugary foods or breads. I have lost in two months 50 lbs. The doctor says that it is okay to loose that much weight in a short timeframe, since I was Extremely Obese. It also helps that now I am active every day and can’t sit still and do nothing anymore, so now I am getting more exercise.

It has completely changed my life! I can’t even begin to explain the huge impact it has. Before, I was sleeping all the time, didn’t want to go out with friends, and was barely awake. If it was awake, I had to be doing homework or studying because the rest of the time during the day/night I was asleep. Grocery shopping was enough to make me want to take a nap. I spent all my money I earned babysitting on coffee. Now I have lots of money that I don’t know what to spend on since I don’t need coffee, I am up and moving by 8 am, have lots of time and am able to focus and concentrate so much better than ever before!

I can no longer drink coffee or caffeine to the excess any more. I can still have an occasional pop or coffee drink if I so desire but I have to be careful or I will get very shaky and jittery. Another side affect is acne, which I had before, but now it is extremely bad because the drugs make my skin oily. I try to wash and shower twice a day to keep it under control but the drugs have made such a huge difference I would rather have gross acne and be able to LIVE than have clear skin and be sleeping all the time. If I never get a boyfriend because I have acne on my body (not just my face) then so be it. Now I can go out and do and live my life and I am willing to take acne than still suffer from the Hypersomnia.

I also now can be extremely talkative and not realize that I am going on and on about things unless someone tells me. I essentially am taking legalized “speed” although; it is different from what you would buy illegally on the street, as it is safer and regulated by the FDA. So that is why my skin looks like I am a meth addict, I can be jittery, and too talkative, as those are symptoms that people who do “speed” experience. The reason I am not “high” all the time is because of my brain damage. If I didn’t have Hypersomnia the medication would affect me completely differently than it does now.

However, many parts of my personality have changed since I began treatment. I am pleased with the changes and so is my family as well as seemingly my friends. If you think you may be suffering from Hypersomnia, I suggest talking to your doctor and ask to see a Neurologist about it. Most likely, your primary doctor will have never heard of Hypersomnia. Be aggressive and don’t give up! However, remember, that only 5% of the population has it. However, that 5% is only those that are diagnosed. I believe that it is a bigger problem than doctors think and that it just goes undiagnosed so often.

Again, it is hard to understand exactly how bad it was before I was under treatment for Hypersomnia. It is also hard to explain the vast difference between before treatment and after. I don’t think anyone can really understand unless they have suffered or someone in their family that they live with and see every day has suffered. You really cant’ over-exaggerate the affect.

So that’s Hypersomnia…so when people say “what the heck is wrong with you?” I can now say with supporting documentation that I am brain damaged. I have Hypersomnia and that is what is wrong with me. Hypersomnia is not something that can be cured. I will be on medication for the rest of my life. I will probably be unable to have any children as the medication will 99% change of causing a birth defect or mental/developmental defect in the child. Luckily, I always wanted to adopt a child, and there are more laws protecting the rights of parents who use surrogate mothers.

Hypersomnia has made me who I am today; the good and the bad.
And that’s it…that’s all she wrote….

NOTE: In case you are wondering why I stopped at question 66 when I said in the first post I would go to 100, I stopped at 66 because my favorite/lucky number is 6. 6 is too short of a number for this kind of questionnaire/icebreaker so I stopped at 66. Especially since I am a big talker and many of my answers are more like paragraphs or individual posts than short answers. 100 questions of me babbling would be beyond ridiculous!

1. How do you define honesty?
     Good first question! This is very big for me. Honesty is the MOST important thing to me. If you tell me you are going to do something, be somewhere, whatever and you don’t, that is a deal breaker for me. I won’t trust you very much anymore, and I will always be wary of you. I think you should ALWAYS tell the truth. It’s a matter of HOW you tell the truth that matters. For instance, if you see your friend’s boyfriend cheating on her, you tell her. However, you don’t go “omg you wont believe what I just saw!” you have to be sensitive. Being honest and being considerate are not mutually exclusive. If you want to tell someone that something they do or say bothers you then do it! Just remember “I feel…” goes a long way. People can’t get mad at you for how you feel. I think “drama” happens a lot of the time because of simple misunderstandings and that if people were upfront and honest about things everyone would be much happier. “You Lie, You Die!” is what it comes down to with me. You lie to me and your dead to me…you can’t come back after a lie.


2. What is your biggest fear or worry? 
     I really don’t have any “big” fears or worries. I try not to stress out about things. I am not always successful however. Usually I do stress at first about things that many people would find ridiculous to be stressing over. For instance, I’m a big planner. I have to plan everything out in little details and space my time accordingly. If something unexpected happens I stress and go “omg, now what am I going to do? Why are they doing this? This is stupid!” etc. I tend to get angry at whoever has caused the change in my timeline. But then, after a little while I take a deep breath and go “okay, I can do this” and then I re-plan and re-schedule and get what needs to get done, done. My first reaction is usually one of stress but it doesn’t last for very long.

3. What is the main thing that makes you unique?
     Nothing. I have too many things happening all the time that make me unique. I’m just me. That’s it.

4. What is the oldest item you own? 
     A US history school textbook from a great, great, great aunt or grandmother (now I can’t remember which) dated from the 1850’s. For those that don’t know your own US history that was before the Civil War!

5. If someone was to give you one gift, money is no object, what would you want to receive?
     A trip around the world and a new Nikon SLR with a super long zoom.

6. What does it mean to have courage? 
     To do something you are afraid of doing because you know it to be the right thing to do. Doing something that you know can end badly for you mentally, emotionally, or physically because you know it is the right thing to do.

7. Do you have a nickname? What is it? 
     My dad has only ever called me “Baby-Girl.” I can’t even remember the last time he called me by my first name. Ever. I literally don’t remember what my name sounds like in his voice! I also have Mel that my friends called me when I was younger. Hardly anyone ever does anymore though.

8. If you could have any special magic, what would it be? 
     I would want to be able to do all sorts of different things like in Harry Potter but without a wand and without having to say the name of the spell. But more like Warlocks in Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instrument series.

9. If you had three wishes, what would you wish? 
     I would wish for the end of needless suffering from corruption and disease. 1 Billion dollars so I can have fun, travel the world, and start and/or help charities as I wish. I would also wish for 10 million dollars for my brother and parents as well as 5 million for each of the people that have impacted my life or are my friends. That would include the family that I have worked as a babysitter/nanny for 11 years the Hawkins, my friends from "The VanCougar," my favorite professors and teachers, as well as my Uncle Robby who has served our country in the Air Force for many years.

10. What is your greatest strength? 
     I think my honesty and loyalty are my greatest strengths. As I said earlier, honesty is number one for me. However, loyalty is also number one for me too. If you are my friend I got your back 110% no questions asked. Whatever you need I will give it or help you. I’ll drop everything if you need me, at any time, no matter what. I expect the same from my friends as well.

11. What is your worst weakness? 
     I often have a hard time understanding some people in certain situations. I often think that some things are “common sense” but really they are not. My mother and I are both the same type of personality in a lot of ways. We are HUGE organizers and planners. To me list making, micro-scheduling, and other type A personality quirks are common sense. When people do not do this I can’t understand it and often get frustrated with them. For instance my schoolwork is labeled and organized both in my backpack (via binders, binder tabs, separate notebooks per subject) and on my computer (separate folders for each thing; “School > Summer 2011 > Class Name”). When people just throw their graded papers into their bag I cringe. When they have dozens of icons on the desktop and can never find a file I cringe. I don’t understand that way of thinking. It drives me crazy! I get very frustrated when people keep doing it. I have a big problem of letting frustration become anger or irritability and I am trying to work on not letting that happen. I need to stop being such a control-freak but it is hardwired into my DNA and brain from 4 generations on both sides of my family of control-freaks!

12. If you could predict the future, what would you do with that knowledge? 
     Nothing. Every Sci-Fi fan knows that there is no point in predicting the future as it always changes with each decision everyone makes every day. Even if you were to tell someone something in order to save his or her life etc., it wouldn’t work. Eventually, what was going to happen will happen. See “Final Destination” series for one example from the Horror/Thriller movie genre. See various “Stargate SG-1” episodes as well as “Stargate: Ark of Truth” and “Stargate: Continuum” for Sci-Fi references. Also see various Star Trek episodes from all Star Trek series and “Star Trek: Generations” for more well-known Sci-Fi examples.

13. Where do you see yourself in 20 years? 
     In 20 years I will be 43 years old. I hope that I have had a successful career and had the opportunity to travel the country and world. Around 40 is when I am thinking that if I am ever to have kids is when I will. I don’t think I will be able to carry my own child myself due to my medications that treat my Hypersomnia (see my post “Hypersomnia” for more info.). But I hope around 40 that I settle down and either get a surrogate to have my own child by blood or adopt one. I have said for as long as I can remember that I want to adopt at least 1 child. I didn’t know when I started to say that, but my mother recently told me that I started saying that at age 5.

14. What do you do when you first wake up in the morning? 
     Curse that it’s morning and roll over to go back to sleep. Then usually I end up getting up a few minutes later due to my cat, Ninja, crying because she either made her litter box stinky and wants it changed (yes my cat hates the smell of her own crap and will cry and bug you until you change it EVERY TIME SHE GOES) or she is crying because she wants food.

15. What would your tombstone say? 

Babbling Belle 
Buried Alive 
????-????

16. How would you describe standing on a beach looking at the ocean? 
     Perfect Heaven, but only if it’s a Washington State Beach. Cloudy or sunny it doesn’t matter. I need the ocean!

17. What is your favorite outfit to wear? 
     I like to wear comfy, dark blue, boot cut jeans, a geeky t-shirt with a lightweight hoodie with converse, skater shoes (flat bottoms), or Sketcher’s Boots. I’m more of a “whatever is clean and comfortable” girl than the “fashionista.” I like to wear layers because I get hot easily so I usually still wear only hoodies (although I do increase thickness) even in the winter. I prefer zip up hoodies if they are plain but pull overs if there is a design.

18. What do you do when you are driving alone in a car? 
     Listen to music! I dance in my seat at stoplights too. :D

19. If a friend is being bullied or harassed by someone, what do you do?
     Protect them and stand up for them. Call out the person doing it and tell them to shut the fuck up.

20. If you could become anyone's friend that you want, whom would you choose?
     Johnathan Hillstrand from the F/V Time Bandit on "Deadliest Catch." He seems so cool and I think he would be a blast to hang out with! I also would love to hang out with David Hewlett from "Stargate SG-1/Atlantis."  He is a riot and I would totally love to hang out with him all the time!

21. If you could travel to space, would you go? 
     Without question! I wouldn’t even hesitate! There is nothing greater than to be able to go into space and see into the past, future, and infinity. I want to be able to look down at our little blue marble. The problem would be getting me back down to Earth, I’d just want to stay up there floating forever!

22. Would you want to travel the world on a boat in the sea? 
     If it was a pirate ship! That would be my childhood dream come true!

23. Describe your favorite vacation. 
     Well the only time we really go on a “typical family vacation” is when we go to Disneyland. We do day trips to the beach or Seattle but most of our “vacations” are spent at home usually doing things we never have time to do normally like landscaping or deep cleaning the house or something. I want to travel more and go other places besides Disneyland. I LOVE Disney and Disneyland but I have been there 5 times and there is so much more to this country and this world than Disneyland! I want to see it! I would rather do the touristy sight-seeing and museums in places like New York, Washington DC, London, and Rome than go to Disneyland again.

24. Is competition good for you?
     Not usually. I mean, competition is a great motivator, but I think competition can get a little too heated and I don’t like the type of bitchy person I can get to become when competition gets really serious.

25. If you could study anything you wanted in school, what would you want to learn more about?  
     EVERYTHING! If I had an infinite amount of money without ever having to work at a job, all I would do is travel, shop for electronics/geek toys, and go to school. My dream “job” would be to be a professional student. :P I would love to get degrees (at least B.A.s) in Anthropology, Archaeology, Astronomy, Physics, Graphic Design, Sociology, Linguistics, Japanese, Asian Culture, USA History, European History, Classical History (Roman and Greek eras), Classical Mythology, Latin, Egyptology, Medieval History, Theology, Astro-Physics, Engineering, Mathematics, and whatever else strikes my fancy! But the specific one’s listed would be first on my list, although not necessarily in that specific order.

26. If you could pick any career, what would you want to be?
     Well if we are dreaming, professional student/explorer. Essentially I want to be like a mix between Indiana Jones, Dr. Daniel Jackson (yes I know Jones and Jackson are essentially the same person), Dr. Rodney McKay, and John Sheppard. Why John Sheppard? Because I want to be as kick ass as him! I want to be able to shoot like him, and have his fighting skills and military training. Hell if we’re dreaming I’ll just be a cross between all those people and live in Atlantis in the Pegasus Universe where I can be a member of Sheppard’s flagship team! LOL. I am a sad sad person…..No seriously, with my Literature Degree and my minor in Journalism I hope to get a job starting out at a newspaper or magazine. Eventually I want to work with a book-publishing house as an editor/publisher. I want to be the person authors send their manuscripts to and I get to read all the novels and edit them and help them get published. I want to work specifically in Teen Fiction or Young Adult Ficton with a focus on Young Adult Fantasy/Sci-Fi. THAT would be a dream job! Sadly, that means moving to either Chicago, New York, or London as all the BIG publishing houses are located there. That’s why I need to work at a paper or magazine somewhere in the NW first to save money for a big move across country and be able to get more experience as a writer/editor. If I like journalism I may stick with it, but right now my dream job would be to work with a publishing house like Random House.

27. Do you want to be famous? 
     HELL NO! All those people getting up in your Kool-aid all the freaking time is sooooo not worth it! I am a loud and vocal person but I like to live quietly really. I don’t like a lot of attention on ME. I usually am loud and vocal because I’m trying to get people to laugh, relax and have fun, not because I want attention. In fact, if you actually LISTEN to me, I usually am talking about anything but me!

28. If you could become a character in a TV show or movie, who would you chose to be? 
     I think I already answered this one before, but if I was to actual BE that specific character it would depend on the show/movie. I guess I’ll just list the characters from my big fandoms, although if you see a boy listed I mean I want to be that person, but a girl!
Stargate SG-1: Dr. Daniel Jackson

Stargate Atlantis: too hard! John Sheppard or Dr. Rodney McKay….probably Sheppard cuz Rodney is a little squishy and I would rather be fit and badass who happens to be a genius (Sheppard DID pass the MENSA test after all) than a socially-retarded Astro-physic that is squishy. Even though Rodney is TOTALLY ADORABLE!!! I SOOOOO want to hug and cuddle that man! <3 <3 <3

Firefly: Kaylee!

Buffy: hmm…probably Willow pre-lesbian.

Angel: (yes I know it’s the same universe as Buffy but there are different characters!) Fred (that’s a girl for those who don’t know)

Harry Potter: Hermione Granger….but less bitchy and stuck up…she does get to be with Ron in the end and he’s sooooo freaking cute! Not to mention a pretty damn powerful wizard to be able to keep up with Genius!Hermione and SuperPowerful!Harry.

Twilight: (SHUT UP! I love Twilight!) Bella for sure. Edward AND Jacob!?!!? That’s just totally not fair! I mean I love Jasper because he is WAY badass and sooo freaking hot! Well at least in the movie he’s hot and he’s more badass in the books, but anyway….2 guys for 1 chick HELL YES!

29. What is your favorite holiday?
     CHRISTMAS!!! I love shopping! The problem is I usually spend and do WAY too much for people! But I love shopping for other people. I love giving presents and baking sweets and I love the weather and everyone is happy and and and…. GAHHHHH getting to excited here.

30. If you had to spend a day not using any technology, what would you do?
     Read a book or three…or six…my record is 8 all over 250 pages…again I am a sad sad person.

31. If you could be a cartoon character, who would you want to be? 
     Well first off I am not going to even talk about Anime because it says “cartoon” and there is a difference between “cartoon” and Anime. As for Cartoon, hmmmm I dunno that’s hard! Probably Belle from "Beauty and the Beast," the Disney version. She’s pretty, got the really buff handsome prince (see end of movie ppl!) and that HUGE ASS LIBRARY!!!! I mean I would be her just for the books!

32. Do you know how you got your name?
     Depends on who you ask. Ask my mom and she says she thought it was pretty. Ask my dad’s mom Grandma Mary and she says I was named after my Grandma Callista’s best friend. Grandma Callista is Mary’s mother. Grandma Mary says if she was ever going to have a daughter she was going to name it after her mom, Callista, but that Grandma Callista told her that her name was horrible and to name the girl after he best friend. Mom says she never heard that story and didn’t know that, but Grandma says I was going to be named after both Great Grandma’s since my middle name June is the same middle name as my Dad’s-Dad’s-Mom Bertie June. So Mom says random pretty name, Grandma says kinda/sorta named after my other Great Grandma from that side of the family. Do I need to mention that my Grandma Mary hates my Mom and my Mom hates my Grandma?

33. Apple Juice or Orange Juice?
     GRAPE! Way better :D But Orange if it’s to go with breakfast.

34. Are you morning or night person?
     Night! I like things quiet. That may change when I get my own place, but at night it feels like I have the house to myself and I can do what I want without interruptions.

35. Which do you, prefer, sweet or salty foods? 
     Used to be sweet before Hypersomnia, now it’s salty!

36. Ninjas or Pirates? 
     BOTH :D When I as a little kid we always played Pirates because we had bunk beds that were our “ships” and mom used to make us treasure chests full of “booty” and little treasure maps. We used to watch Pirate movies all the time especially “The Goonies” and “Cutthroat Island.” I even watched the old black and white version of “Blackbeard’s Ghost” and various different versions of “Treasure Island.” But Ninja’s are super cool and my cat is named Ninjas so it’s impossible to pick between the two.

37. Autobots or Decepticons? 
     Autobots!!!! Bumblebee is the SHIT!

38. What was your favorite TV show as a kid?
     "Reading Rainbow," "Little Mermaid" the TV show, "Loony Toons," "Tiny Toons," "Eureka’s Castle," "Gummy Bears," "Care Bears," "Duck Tales," "Tailspin," "David the Gnome," and way too many more to list.

39. Do you collect anything? 
Really old books, pretty gold-inlaid hard covers of classic literature (see Barnes and Noble Collectors Series), Panda stuff, and Hello Kitty stuff. I also had always wanted to collect those really expensive fancy Disney snow globes. I finally got one last year so now I have a collection of one! LOL. I also have been collecting pieces of things I will need for when I get my own place. When I graduated from high school I went and registered for a “wedding” at Target and went around the store with the scanner gun and scanned a bunch of kitchen stuff and things you need for your own place like lamps, laundry baskets and stuff. I got a huge pink laundry basket full of cooking and kitchen stuff from my mom’s friend. I also have bought glasses, dishes, and silverware when I find nice one’s I like on sale. I have a couple boxes in the attic full of brand new stuff for my future place. I also asked my Mom when she goes back to Disneyland with my brother in August to see if they have any really cool Pirate office stuff. My dream is to have a big library/office done in all old world stuff. I want those big floor-to-ceiling dark wood bookshelves all along a wall (maybe two) and a huge dark wood executive desk and cushy chair. I want an old globe or one of those drink/bar globes! Even though I don’t drink it would be cool. And I want dark floors, wall and curtains. I want it all to be Pirate themed. Basically I want it too look like library/den that could also be a Pirate Captain’s office with old maps framed on the walls and everything.

40. If you could have any superpower, what would it be? 
     Like X-Men where you only get one? Or like Superman where you get a couple? I’m assuming since the question says “superpower” not “superpowers” that you mean like X-Men. Hmm…Well probably Telekinesis like Jane then.

41. What is your favorite color?
     HOT PINK!

42. What is your favorite animal?
     Panda Bears!

43. Do you believe in extraterrestrials or life on another planet? 
     DUH! Yes. I do. And my reason is very simple. The universe is HUGE, beyond our human minds can picture huge. There is no way that we are alone in all that space. If you know anything about Astronomy and our Solar System than you know that it is located in a very difficult part of space to get to. I do believe that there are other living beings on other planets and they could be either less advanced than us, same technological advancement, or further advanced than us. They could be humanoid or they could be something completely different. I know however that they have never been to Earth, and probably will never want to come to Earth. Again, we are very difficult to get to safely, and two and species that has technology to have interstellar travel would have the ability to pick up any and all of our radio waves and waves whether they be military or civilian. One look at our messed up, war-torn, corrupt world and they would turn around. Hell one look at our TV shows and they would turn around! I mean "Jersey Shore?" Really people?

44. Do you believe in ghosts?
     I believe that Ghosts are entirely possible and that some Spirits may linger on this Earth and are able to impact this plane of existence or try and communicate with us. However, I do think that 99% of the people who claim to have seen or heard a ghost are full of shit.

45. Do you have any bad habits? 
     I chew on my nails and rip hangnails. Don’t ever look at my fingers too closely; I am all scabbed and gross.

46. Do you have any celebrity crushes? 
     WAY too many to count! LOL. My big ones right now are Johnny Depp, Robert Pattinson (although I’m not an insane scary fan, I do think he’s hot. Especially with his disheveled hair!), Leonardo DiCaprio, Joe Flannigan, Michael Shanks, Alex O’Loughlin, Scott Caan, Daniel Dae Kim, Matt Smith, Arthur Darvill, Nathan Fallon, Ben Browder, Rupert Grit, and Tom Felton. Men that I would totally throw myself at if gotten the chance even though they are now old: Gary Oldman and Alan Rickman. Gary Oldman was SOOO hot when he was younger! Especially during the mid-90s! Alan Rickman’s nose is too big to ever classify him as “hot” but he is good looking and his voice….OMG that’s enough to make him shaggable right there! That was probably more than you wanted to know…Boundaries Belle, Boundaries!

47. List 1 thing you would change about yourself?
     My tact. I need more. I am too abrupt sometimes.

48. Any tattoos or piercings?
     Just my ears, 1 piercing in each. I love tattoo art and think they are beautiful on the right person when they are newer. But I could never get one not because of needles, but because I would never be able to make up my mind over what to get. That and any weight you lose or gain will stretch the tattoo weird, the color fades over time, and when you get wrinkly the tattoo get’s blurry. I love tattoo art, but until there is a way to make tattoos stay looking like they do after you’ve gotten them and the redness has all gone away, I will not be getting one.

49. What’s the first thing you notice in the opposite sex? 
     Face: eyes and hair mostly. I have a thing about good eyes and great hair. I want enough hair to run my fingers through. After that it’s all about the biceps, pecks, abs, and butt. :D I like my men lean and mean baby! Although I don’t mind some pudginess and roundness either because that makes them adorable and cuddly ^_^ I love to cuddle! If they have a great personality, sense of humor and are willing to treat me like a princess with great hair and eyes I’m pretty much sold.

50. What personality traits do you look for in a partner?
     Fun, intelligent, polite, loyal, protective, great sense of humor, adventuresome, passionate (get your minds out of the gutter people, I mean about goals and ambitions and that kind of thing), hard-working, living, kind, generous, sweet…. you know basically what every woman looks for in a man.

51. List 5 goals on your life’s to-do list: 
     1. Touch a pyramid.
     2. Learn to drive a manual transmission.
     3. Learn to swing dance.
     4. Write a children’s book.
     5. Learn to play guitar.

52. Name 1 thing you miss about being a kid: 
     Getting to play outside all the time. I miss playgrounds and riding bikes and not worrying about doing something because I might get hurt. I used to be a daredevil. I would throw myself around, climb things, do anything and never stop and think “I could fall and this could happen..” or “this could hurt.” Now I don’t like to jump down from too high of a place because I might hurt my angle or something else stupid. Self-preservation is good, but somewhere along the way (probably when I became addicted to video games instead of playing outside all the time) I became a wus about some things because “that would hurt!”

53. Name 1 thing you love being an adult:
     Doing what I want, when I want.

54. What’s your favorite song at the moment? 
     Hmm…right now I’m obsessed with “Break Even (Falling to Pieces)” by The Script. I love Alternative music the most out of everything.

55. What is your favorite song of all time? 
     I honestly cannot answer this question. I listen too way too much music and way too many different genres to even begin to try and pick something. What mood I am in, what I am thinking about and what I am doing/where I am determines what song I like the most at any given moment.

56. What’s your favorite thing to do on a Saturday night? 
     Write and listen to music.

57. What’s your favorite thing to do on a Sunday afternoon? 
     Read or clean. Which by clean I mean organize things.

58. Do you have any hidden talents? 
I can decorate cakes with professional tips and techniques. I love to bake and decorate cakes, cupcakes, and sugar cookies.

59. What is your favorite book? 
     Again this is too hard for me to answer. I love classic literature like Les Miserables, Poe, Jonathan Swift, Mark Twain, Oliver Twist and all Charles Dickens, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Homer, and Jules Verne. I love fantasy and sci-fi like Tamora Pierce, Rick Riordan, Harry Potter, Inkheart series, Twilight, Cassandra Clare, Hunger Games series, Narnia, the Discworld books and more.

60. Would you rather have 100 million dollars or true love?
     True love

61. Name 1 thing not many people know about you: 
     I love music, and love to sing but I am actually tone deaf. I have hearing loss in both ears from too many ear infections to count. I also have inner-ear balance problems for the same reason. I had my first ear infection when I was only a few months old. I used to get them several times a year, every year. When I was 12-13 I finally was told to see an Ear Specialist where they tested my hearing for the 4th time and said I was fine again. When I was 16 I was back at the Ear Specialist and they tested my hearing again. This time I had some loss of hearing, as well as sensitivity to some higher pitches. That specialist said I should have had tubes put in my ears as a little child but that by then I was too old to have the surgery. I still get ear infections and if it is windy outside I have to wear a hood or I will get an infection. I have had so many in my life that several times as a teenager/young adult I have thought I had one and gone to see the doctor only for the doctor to say I am fine. 2 days later sure enough, I am back at the doctors and I have a massive ear infection. I essentially am able to know by what my ear’s feel like and the pain whether or not I have an ear infection before the doctor is even able to see it.

62. If you HAD to change your name, what would you change it to? 
     I would change it to something more trendy and cool probably. Something that could have a good shortened nickname come from it that would sound really cute or hip. But I don’t know what that would be.

63. Do you believe in the afterlife?
     Yes for sure. Heaven and Hell both.

64. Name your absolute favorite summer beverage?
     Coca-Cola. There is nothing better on a hot summer afternoon than a huge class of ice and Coke. It’s heaven.

65. What’s the most enjoyable hour of your typical weekday?
     Any hour spent in the office!

66. If you could live forever, would you? Why or why not?
     No. I would not unless all my loved ones could also live forever. I would never want to outlive everyone and be alone just to be alive forever. As for “I want to see what happens in the future” as I said in question 63, I think you can watch the world and your loved ones from Heaven.

In The Beginning....

A Random Rambling by Belle comments (0)

I decided to start a blog when I removed myself from Facebook. I got tired of listening to everyone's bullshit on Facebook. It ended up being filled with nothing but negativity and turned very depressing and annoying fast. I wanted to start a blog not because I want friends from Facebook to keep up with me, but rather as a way to practice my writing. It doesn't matter to me if someone reads this or not. So I will be happy with even 1 reader or 1 follower.


Obviously, since this is a blog, I will be using the first person and while normally I try to avoid conjunctions in my professional writing, I will use them here. I don't want to sound to pretentious by saying things like "I do not want to sound too pretentious," or "I do not care..." So while my goal is to practice my writing, don't be surprised if it is a bit more relaxed and informal than my professional writing. I may or may not post pieces of those writings here on this blog. Writing in any form or type will help improve writing in general.


For the most part however, I will be writing here in my blog all the things that I think about during the day that I try not to say in order to not offend people or that i keep inside so I don't end up in arguments and fights with people. I also will probably be posting rants about all the things people do wrong or how they frustrate me.


This is a warning to my friends that have decided to weasel the address to my blog from me: if I post something here that is negative or seems like a rant about YOU then please read at your own risk. Mostly I write those things to get everything out and after I am done I feel better and no longer care about whatever it is that angered or frustrated me in the first place. I am not going to censor or edit my blog in order to not hurt your feelings. It is your choice to follow this blog if you don't like it, don't read it.


Essentially this blog will be full of Geek Culture, Social Commentary (including my views on "hot button issues"), Movie/Tv/Book reviews, some video game reviews/rants, and lots of posts about Sci-Fi and Fantasy. I am a Literature major and I love Sci-Fi shows, action movies, and I have a deep fondness of Teen Fantasy Novels. Yes that does include Paranormal Romances like Twilight.


So without further ado, I feel like now is the appropriate time to introduce myself. This part seems a bit redundant to me since the only people who are likely to read this are my friends who again have weaseled out the address from me. <3 You guys! :D


Rather than try to describe myself, which makes me feel awkward, I will instead post a second post with one of those long chain email question things, that my high school friends used to send me every other week. I will be also posting an entry about Hypersomnia, which I only found out about 2 months ago that I suffer from. Hypersomnia is very important to understand in order to understand my past and me as a person.


TTYL!

About This Madness

Welcome to Babbling Belle and Her Marauding Muses! I'm Babbling Belle and my Muses Marauder...
I am full of contradictions, random thoughts that often border on philosophical, and a very corny sense of humor. This blog will be a compilation of all my randomness.
Enter at your own risk...

Minions..er..I mean friends...

Past Ramblings

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