mwrc09

Cereal Message

a bowl of soggy cereal sits on the counter

and its waiting for someone to pick it up

and pour it down the drain.

its waiting to be put out of its misery

like a caterpillar stuck in an old candy jar

captured by some kid.

it will never be a butterfly. (there is no

chrysallis or metamorphasis for thee)

just lots of waiting and suffocating…

...back to the cereal.

its little alphabet letters swim

(if you can call it swimming) because

mushy arms and legs don't win the olympics, you know.

they float in an endless and deep white ocean

contained by a vast rim on the horizon.

they'd like to escape if they could

but there are marshmallows everywhere

and they keep bumping into one another,

rubbing off on each other,

like weak magnets on the refrigerator

that spelled out some important message,

that have fallen down to the bottom

and can't get back up. they're just sitting

there, dead. while everyone else back up

at the top knows what it's like to be

together.

or maybe the meeting of the marshmallows

and the alphabet letters is like a collision

that spells some doom for the universe

and they're forced apart, quickly,

like two fast bumper cars about to hit the other

in a head-on accident.

they recoil, sickened by the touch,

although marshmallows, by nature, are

always a little squishy and sticky and obtuse.

…and, really, the letters? They would just like

some time to themselves to think

about what it would be like to sink.

to have some undercover and hide.

no such luck for our little heroes

the poor creatures wander like

little lifeboats at the mercy of

the universe. and her movements

and the fact that she has her

stars crossed again. let's not

even talk about the spoon.

she’s run off to the dishwasher.

the cereal cries, “pour me out!

down the drain and into the sea.”

but no one sees and no one hears

and no one really cares.

Filing 1040A and need a little help with Form 1098-T.

I graduated in May 2009 and the number in Box 2 [Amounts Billed] is $9,799.00. Box 5 [Scholarships or Grants] is $8,849.00.

Is the difference between these two numbers the amount that I report as billed? The only problem is that I don't remember paying anything extra (cash, debit, check) this year to bring my tuition balance to zero. I received a loan that was paid to the school. Do I still qualify for a credit?

I don't want my return to be flagged for anything fraudulent, so I appreciate the help. Thanks!

I teach two sections of a "lower-end" freshmen English class. One of my students always seemingly tries to get my goat in that class by asking questions about every minor detail we talk about while reading a story. If I am explaining why Main Character went to the store, the student will raise his hand about five minutes later to ask if the character went to the store or not. I've tried ignoring his questions as one strategy, and I have also asked him to stay after class 'since it seems like he needs extra help.' Of course he never does stay after class.

He tends to snicker or have a very smug look on his face when asking those questions, and his tone of voice seems very contrived when asking questions. When I call him out on his behavior during group work time (you seem to be entertaining your classmates), he becomes extremely defensive and accuses me of not explaining the work to him. I then explain to him, privately, that I just went over the instructions. During those instruction times, I always make sure to wrap up with "any questions?" as a way for the students to express any concerns they might have. It just seems like he wants to waste as much time as possible.

I have to remind the class daily to ask questions AFTER I've explained directions, or else he will interrupt me the entire time that I'm teaching and giving directions. This makes the class difficult to teach, boring, and mind-numbingly painful for the other students during this time. I'm okay with him making a fool out of himself if that's what he would like to do, but I'm just not sure how to approach him anymore. I don't want to give the appearance to any of my students that I am unwilling to help them as I certainly do want them to be asking questions and developing critical reading skills. However, I can't sacrifice my time with other students who need just as much, if not more help, than he does. I've tried positive reinforcement and encouraging him when he does pay attention, listens before asking questions, and shows understanding of stories we're reading in class, and completes homework assignments.

This student has been known to stall in his other classes, and I have caught him lying about his reading abilities in the past (he told me that he could only read two pages in ten minutes, so I had him read to me for five minutes one day, and he easily made it through five or six pages).

I wanted to ask this question as lately it seems he has become more frustrated and more accusatory.

Just not sure how to help this student overcome his facetious behavior. I had thought about asking him to keep a writing journal about questions he doesn't understand or needs help with (although I think he understands most things we're reading in class as a C+ student) as a way of still providing him with a voice, but one that is not constantly disrupting the classroom.

Any help and/or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

The other night I had a dream about a friend's wedding. She was in her white, lace-y wedding dress, and was unsure of who she was marrying. I was with her before the wedding with two other friends (we're all mutual friends). We never actually met the groom, and we never saw the wedding. It was like fast-forward after she said she was unsure of marrying the guy. We waved her and her mysterious man away as they went on their honeymoon in the very next scene. Very few details - I barely remember this dream, but it didn't seem like a happy dream.

I really hate salad dressing and, believe it or not, sometimes I eat my salads "plain." Just leafy and kind of waxy. This is healthier than loading up fatty dressing on to my salad, but I'm kind of sick of eating my salads this way.

Sometimes I use grilled chicken to add something to my salads, but I still would like to find a good salad dressing. I'm just very concerned about texture when I eat - slimy, creamy things are not really amongst my favorite foods.

I've also tried salad spritzers, and I really like a variety of fruits. I recently tried a raspberry blitz spritzer from Wishbone. I didn't really like it (partly because of the smell, which is another reason why I don't like many salad dressings).

Is there hope for me? Any salad dressing or option for me so that I can still enjoy healthy salads with a little bit more flavor? :)

About eight or nine years ago, I planted yellow tulips in my garden one summer. They have come up every year as yellow but, this year, one tulip came up red. Does anybody know why one tulip would completely change into a different color? There are no streaks on the flower - it's a bright red flower.

A friend is getting married soon and I'm the best man. Need a few ideas for the speech - need to figure out the structure of the speech. Friend's last name is Wright, so I thought it would be funny to say something like that - "Today we celebrate the day that SOANDSO is finally WRIGHT (RIGHT), I mean...A Wright."

Made an online offer on a 2008 Ford Fusion SEL. Dealership asked $16,950. I offered $14,100 (I'm a brave soul, but you have to shoot low and forget modesty sometimes). They countered with $15,900. What should my next offer be?

I'm thinking $14,900 or $15,100. I will not go over $15,500.

I got an insurance quote on an '09 Ford Fusion SE FWD 6-cylinder sedan today.

I am 21 (22 next month, though). No tickets or accidents. Good student discount (expires in June of this year, though, because I will graduate). The quote was $800 every six months or $133/month. I can afford it, but I feel impractical/not frugal because it's not cheaper.

How much is too much? Or, should I just go for it?

I am listing Experience before Education even though I am graduating from college in May and am seeking a position as a middle school teacher. Under my Experience Tab, should I put the year or the company information in the left-hand column?

I have heard that it is better to put the year in the left-hand column as it will catch the eye, e.g., employers are more interested in how long you retained a job more than the actual job itself. Is this true? Thanks for your help.

Also, for my contact information - should I put my home phone, my cell phone, and email address under my address? I feel as though I should limit my contact information so as not to appear too eager. What does a professional resume look like in this regard?

There is no copyright on the back of the photo paper. There is no marking of a studio or photographer on the back, either. I'm not sure if the person who took the photo is even in business anymore. I do not intend to sell the photo - just want to make an additional copy of our one and only existing family photo in case something happens to it or is lost.

Your response to this question probably says a lot about who you are as a person.

Worst Feelings:

The Sting of Death - Hearing the news of a loved one passing away actually feels like a venomous blow to the chest

Inaccessibility - Not being able to reminisce or experience nostalgia because something physical or emotional has changed the "landscape."

Worry - It is the worst feeling in the world when someone says they are worrying about you. This is especially true if you don't notice anything wrong with yourself.

Best Feelings:

Rest - Working hard to accomplish something big, and then taking a nice nap!

Affirmation - Listening to someone compliment you on something you did well.

Time - Having someone listen to you and spending quality time with you.

Words & Music - Speechless.

Learning - Realizing something new about the world around you as it increases your faith and wisdom.

I bought some pork chops and ground turkey at the end of August, and they've been frozen since then. If I thawed the meat out and cooked it the same day, would they be okay to eat?

First: http://englishmajor549.deviantart.com/art/Orange-a...

As the sun sank closer to the horizon, its rays infused the clouds from an overcast day with a brilliant orange. Twilight tiptoed into the world, from the lowliest places to the highest tree tops in the village, and life played a game of silhouettes. Trees morphed into towering giants and lifted up their arms in farewell to Apollo and his golden chariot. Ladders dotted the horizon as if inviting children to come and climb to the top of the world and to touch the sky. A puddle turned into a swan and, filled with the essence of fire, flew away. Orange and black collided, but eternity written on the sky was silent and still.

In the growing darkness, the curious folk in the little town below stopped their watching and their playing and their planning, went outside, and looked up. What they had glimpsed from windows suddenly filled their whole vision. At once, the sky spoke to them of some great Providence, and the details of a hundred fall festivals, harvest times, and homecomings grew faint and melted under the blaze of phoenix wings. The people lingered for a moment or two longer and, then, just as quickly as the muse had appeared, darkness was all around. They turned away from the road and headed back into their quieted homes to dream again.

I'm writing a features article about a new chocolate shop in town, and I find myself continually writing phrases like: Sweetest Things is a chocolate shop with an inviting atmosphere.

How do I show? I think years of writing academic/research-type papers has caused me to lose a certain creative style necessary for this type of writing.

August can be one of the most precious months of the year if we take the time to appreciate its worth and grasp its meaning. Summer is a deliberate and measured act. Yet we are soon hit in the face that July is over, and suddenly the atmosphere becomes thick with cloud and sun, like a path overgrown in the middle of a still and silent wood. For once, time begins to slow. The whole of creation grows sluggish. The animals are unhurried. The once bubbling water in the distant forest turns tranquil, and reflection knocks on our doors. The wind blows soft and sweet like a song that releases us from the care of busied summer schedules. Life dawdles on, as precise as a snail or dawdling passerby. Calendars dotted with cookouts, birthday parties, trips to the pool, fireworks, and county fairs grow faint and lessen in the dog days of summer. The sun reaches its zenith at the end of summer, and people open their windows at night to beckon the midnight breeze into their homes. Humidity is high, breathing is hard; yet for those watching, life finds just one more brilliant burst in the sunrise, in the sunset, in the flowers and in the trees before life gives way to cooler winds and the sickle of harvest time. August breathes hope and a paradox. It is the end to leisurely summer, as children return to school and adults to work after a long summer of vacation and play. Yet, it is the beginning of another season, in which things must die, like the sun bequeathed to a rising moon. We must not let this time of year pass us by, for we will miss the subtle reminders that a loving God sends our way—to whisper dreams of journeys over horizons unseen. I have glimpsed it in the lengthening shadows of twilight, in the canvas of the sky, darkened with the purples of another’s day end, a teardrop of orange sun, wrapped in a blanket of cloud.

My father died last week, and my siblings and I are wondering if we might be able to fight for his pension. He worked at a factory for over 30 years, and we think that it might be worth going to court over. We would hate to see all those years of his hard work to go to waste.

Of course, it may be that he named a beneficiary to his plan. We hope so. How might we find out this information?

Don't want to seem disrespectful and greedy. We just want our dad's wishes to be fulfilled.

Please read the following news article. Put away your bias, first:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,354277,00.html

Okay. What happened to the Queen of Nice? She apparently lost her marbles in all the time that she was on The View. I mean, honestly, who in their right mind would agree with an imbecile like Jeremiah Wright? What is wrong with people in this country?

Rosie O'Donnell is a perfect example of the sense of entitlement that has pervaded our culture since the late 90's, and of willfull ignorance.

Any time I hear that she said something about a current social issue, my blood pressure goes through the roof. It scares me that some people in our society think like she does.

How is Rosie O'Donnell qualified to speak on such issues plaguing our society? She's Hollywood, not Harvard.

And, no, it's not because she's a lesbian or because she's large or because she's a woman. It's because she is honestly very dumb, in my humble opinion.

Who is going to report me?

Hello, I am a 21 year old college student who will be graduating in the Spring of 2009 with my secondary English education degree.

Previously, I had plans to rent an apartment so that I could pay off student loans a bit, and then to buy a house later on down the road (about 25).

But recently I have been thinking about the opportunity of buying a house soon after graduating. I realize that it's a buyer's market at the moment, and I understand that most people are predicting this to be the case for another two years. It would be good to buy now, in some cases, I think.

Now, obviously, I'm not going to go buy a house tomorrow, but I am just entertaining the idea of buying a house sooner than my plans allotted. Any advice or comments from people older and wiser?

Ultimately, I realize that it will suck early on, but the benefit of owning a home will pay off in the long run.

Thanks for your comments!

Do you think I'm the first person on Yahoo! Answers to ask this question?