Okay, so my summer classes started. This isn't that big a deal but all the reading I have to do for my Sociology class is going to stop what little writing I've been doing. Now, beyond that, I do have a few announcements.

First, for those of you waiting for the story "Seals of the Past". I've decided that I'm going to roll that plot into "A Game of Gods."

Second, "Dogs on Monogamy" is stalled. The next chapter is moving slowly, I've got an idea for the chapter but it's... it's just not working to well. I still like the story just that chapter bugs me.

Third, well, since no one adopted "Days of Madness" I'm changing it's status to Hiatus. There a couple ideas written down and stored for it so I might continue it, if anyone wants it though they're free to pick it up.

Fourth, I am in the process of moving computers. This actually could have happened at a better time, since classes just started and I'm working on compressing files so I can transfer them quickly and simply.

Now, that's out of the way. I want to do a quick poll. Some of you are familiar with my story "Pirate Priestess", and I wanted to know if anyone was still interested in that story. I have the outline for it, but if there isn't enough vested interest I'm going to take it down.

"A Selfish Wish" is stalled at the moment due to lack of motivation. I do intend to continue it once I settle into my core classes this fall. "What's in a Soul: Memories of a Chaotic Life" falls into the same place as "A Selfish Wish". There's still quite a bit left and I even have most of the remaining story planned out I just don't feel like writing it.

There is something I'm forgetting... AH, I'm really sorry CarmMeldoll. I have the idea written out for that fiction I was supposed to write for you but I haven't actually written it. Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo---- SORRY.

I just think I have to much on my plate, I've written all this down and will get to all of it once things slow down. SOC-210 is killing me though. I bow down at the mercy of my readers and beg for forgiveness.

I wish you all the best with Sociology, I know it is very time consuming and requires a lot of reading, thought, analysis, and then the exams. What I did was to break it down into three points.

(a)emergence
(b)structure
(c)self consciousness

These points characterize the level of analysis and understanding that is required and unique to Sociology. All of us have our own unique way of studying and I am sure you will do great.

'What's in a soul' I just love it and I hope you will continue with them all when you are through with your studies, or when you do find some time. Le deseo todo mejor. (I wish you all the best)

Thanks for the well wishes. It's not to bad, just a rough schedule. It's a 16 week course crushed into 8, for the summer semester.

It seems intense, crunching a sixteen weeks course by half the time means you will have to double up on your studies, good thing about that is that you will be finished in half the time, and your time management skills will be greatly improved. And hopefully you can get back to your great stories.

Totally understandable. Besides, school comes first. I can always play fanfic review tag with r0o in other stories. LOL. Good luck with school.

Yeah, but I also have less work other then reading to do. One essay, two discussion boards, Midterms, and my capstone project which is a powerpoint presentation. I'm still deciding on my topic for the capstone. Right now, the keyboard is in my lap so I can finish reading chapter one and do part of the Research quiz...

Thanks for the well wishes, have fun playing review tag DQ.

You mentioned capstone, so I take it this is your finals or senior year, and that you will have to present to a panel on all that you have learnt for your major. Wow! take your time. Will there be R&D involved?

No, I'm actually a freshman. This is my first year in college. The course however, is entirely self study as an online course. The capstone project assuming you make it to that point, does act much like dissertation but doesn't earn me anything more then credit for the course. I'm considering doing something on the high school education system... still not sure though. I'm actually leaning more towards something about the lack of discipline in high school students.

I know I lacked it.

My Sociology course is only a sophomore course anyway. It's Introduction to Sociology. Note it's a 210 course.

Ok, so you will get the credit for the introduction, and I like the topic you chose, lack of disipline in schools. You said you chose it because you were not too well behaved back then. I was a bit of a trouble maker myself. But on a more serious note, lack of disipline in schools is a global problem that needs to be addressed.

I would love to see some of the points you come up with for some of the solutions. Maybe you could go on to become a psychologist, dean of discipline or a social worker. We need more well thinking and morally inclined individuals to groom young minds.

I'm going to school to become a teacher. English is going to be my Major but I think I'm going to minor in languages rather then literature. That's still a little up in the air, I've got a little wiggle room on my minor/second major, so we'll see what happens.

As for discipline, I wasn't talking about bad behavior. Yes it plays a part, but I was talking more in the area of self control and focus. For instance, myself, I was very intelligent. I could answer any question correctly and got consistent A's on my tests and quizzes. However, I never really got much better then a D in any course that wasn't computer related. This is because I lacked the discipline to apply myself outside of school to do the work.

Sorry I misinterpreted. Being a teacher is a great profession, my mother is also a teacher of Spanish and Mathematics at the college level. As I said before all the best in your endeavors.

I always do.

On a side note to all of this, I have my new computer set up. I just have to install all my programs, finish personalizing it and uninstalling those stock programs.

1st. real life, specially school and family ALWAYS come first! No one could ever site you for that.
2nd. Muses are evil things, they come and go and come and go so often, then there's whatever that "finger" disease is, yanno the one that just wont let you type it out even when you want to and know what's going to happen in your plunnie.
3rd. As DQ said we're going to be waiting, and will happily play review tag when you come back ^_^

Good luck with school!

We shall see what happens. Got a lot of catch-up to play in my DMA class. Just noticed that today when going over my schedule. Good thing most of it is stuff I can do this weekend between reading and such. Videos and match practice...

Anyway, I will return eventually. The fall shouldn't be so bad, though it's still going to be rough. Oh well, I might be able to pass of fan-fiction for creative writing. I'll have to ask.

Your idea for your topic on the capstone is a good start. I would recommend looking at the culture of several different countries to see if maybe you could perhaps identify at least three major factors that you believe contribute to the lack of self discipline of the majority of high school students. Or perhaps see if you can find when the trend began in a culture that academic focus outside of school began to decline and what was likely the cause of the decline.

Sociology is really interesting once you figure out how in the world to understand all the stuff they are attempting to say. lol.

Try to remember to look at everything in a very cold, almost robotic fashion. I still struggle with that when they start talking about intimate relationships. lol. Always gives me a hard time.

You might want to look up Plato's Alagory of the Cave on youtube if you haven't seen, read or heard of it before. It's a great way to understand some of the family, social and culture influence on an individual in a sociological light. There are a several different versions that will come up. The one we watched in sociology was the one done in clay. There was a second one that was more of a modern twist, but I don't remember what it was called specifically.

I'll pull out some of my old notes from sociology and see what else we watched. I'm sure that they would help. I go to Brown-Mackie and we have 4 weeks to learn 3 months worth including the midterms, finals and capstone projects and papers. 12 classes of information over load lol.

Plato was a major figure for sociology so anything you look up on him will be good to know for your class.

As for the fanfiction, I'll miss your writing, but I totally understand the school work interference. No taking down stories though! That's bad! Very Bad! I will throw a fit. lol.

Good luck with classes!
~Starfyre

I don't have a whole lot of time, but after midterms which end June 14 I have to start in earnest. That gives me just over a month to research, compile, and finally organize my notes. I have to do a single interview and I'm going to try and do something at my old high school. I just have to find a couple teachers willing to let me. I'm thinking on doing a survey of a couple of the senior classes. Though, I'm not sure how many would actually answer the questions I'd have to ask.