text:
From the time I was a little (not little) chunkette of an elementary school girl, I've been on a journey of self-improvement. Self improvement also known as a diet. Or a workout fad. Or some crazy juice-herb-supplement concoction.
Yes, for me, my "thing" has always been my weight. My "if only", my "if it wasn't for...", my "if I could change one thing". My weight has defined missed opportunities- "I would have gotten that job if I was skinny!". It's been the catalyst of failed relationships- "I just knew he would never want to date someone like me". It's been the ultimate ability to make excuses for almost everything- "No, I can't hike/dance/do yoga", "I'm sorry- I can't go to that pool party".
Instead, I made promises to myself of the magic that would happen when I reached my "goal weight". Of the active things I would do (skydiving!), of the men that would love me (Ryan Reynolds would sure be knocking down my door!), of the opportunities that would just land at my feet (Record deals! Published books! Successful companies! My own TV show!), and, for a long time I locked myself up until I was ready to be seen. I think it's a strategy and a philosophy many people share. I keep track of my social media newsfeeds and I watch as my virtual friends go through life transitions- breakups, babies, weddings, or just life- and their pictures become fewer and further between. The excitement they used to exude to talk about a vacation or a day at the beach is diminished. The pictures they do post are of their face. On an angle. With a filter. They go into hiding. Hiding until they're ready to be seen, and ready to live.
The problem?: Life goes on. And frankly, life doesn't give a shit if you're not ready to live it. Somebody is ready to live it. Somebody is ready for an opportunity. And that somebody is likely the person that's going to get it. That somebody is going to get the opportunity, whether they're overweight or underweight. Beautiful or ugly. As smart as you, as kind as you, as able as you. Simply because they show up, and they're R.E.A.D.Y.
So, after over 2 decades of being on my mission of self-improvement, here's the secret I've figured out.
If you want to improve yourself, you have to stop focusing on what you suck at.
It's kinda that easy (and that hard). I suck at being skinny. Actually, that's not even fair because I've never been "skinny". Not even after getting beaten up in the gym by celebrity trainers. Being skinny should be someone else's job. Someone who can eat cheetos and cherry garcia and still fit into a size 0 without hitting the gym. They're obviously awesome at it.
I suck at being skinny. But I'm pretty awesome at being strong. I'm awesome at showing up to be part of a group and socialize. Which is why CrossFit is something I've been able to stick with for the past year and a half (longer than ANY physical activity or hobby!). I don't go to CrossFit to lose weight. I do lose weight, because I go to CrossFit, but I go to CrossFit to do things I'm awesome at. That's why I show up. Sometimes I do things I suck at, too, but they're always cushioned by my favorite things, and sometimes, when I realize I suck less at them, those things turn into my favorite things, too.
I suck at starving myself. But I'm really awesome at cooking healthy foods and eating vegetables. So I cook because I love the challenge of making healthy things delicious. Not because it's what I'm supposed to do, but because it's what I love to do. I don't cook healthy foods to lose weight. But I do anyway.
You know what it turns out I don't suck at? Being in relationships. Building businesses. Making music. Making friends. Having fun. Dancing. Hiking. Kayaking. Swimming. Going to pool parties. Getting pictures taken of me.
Because none of those things- (NONE OF THEM)- have absolutely anything to do with how much you weigh.
We all want to be the best version of ourselves, so it amazes me how many of us think we will get there by treating ourselves as the worst version of ourselves. It's not just people who want to lose weight. It's people who want to gain weight. People who want a new job. Or a new relationship. Or a new life. We somehow got it in our heads that by continually telling ourselves how not worthy we are, it would trick our actions into working to get us to a point where we are worthy. What. Are. We. Doing?
Here's what I say: Do whatever the heck you want. Seriously. Do what you want. The only caveat: It has to make you feel good. And you don't get to use the consequences (being fat, being skinny, being jobless, etc) as an excuse to not do ANYTHING. EVER. Making excuses for why you're not living fully is the surest sign that you're unhappy with something and you're NOT doing whatever the heck you want, or whatever the heck you want isn't making you feel good. I eat tater tots. And milk shakes. But only when I'm not going to feel crappy about it (like, after a hard workout on a cheat night). That decision occasionally makes me happy and feel good. If I did it every night, it wouldn't. And I would gain weight and probably make excuses about not being able to dance or go to a pool party. And that is unacceptable. The result of NOT LIVING is the part that's unacceptable, not wearing a size 12 instead of a size 6.
Be unwilling to have your weakness make you its bitch. The things you want to change about yourself, contrary to traditional "self improvement" beliefs, should be the things that stay out of focus. Your focus should be on falling in love with yourself and your strengths. It doesn't mean you'll love everything about yourself (you won't. I promise), but it means that the things you don't love about yourself will seem to pale in comparison to the things you do. And once you start doing and being what you love, the insecurities will either work themselves out, disappear, or seem like such not a big deal.
Right now, at this moment, wherever you are in your life, and whatever you're doing, you have the capacity to do anything you could do at your best, even if you feel like you're at your worst. Decide what you actually want (hint: my actual wants have NOTHING to do with sky diving or Ryan Reynolds) and then, along with all the love you can muster up for your beautiful, imperfect, impactful self, keep THAT at the forefront of all you do. Because you can have it all, as you are and you should. Because if you don't go for it NOW, and you wait until you're ready, well... you might just be waiting forever. Come out of hiding, own your awesome, and stop telling yourself how much you suck. You'll be amazed at how much falls into place.
The Alternate "Reality" TV
So last night it happened. Someone's "after" reflected, on the outside, what so many of us "Losers" have safely and dangerously harbored on the inside, standing on a confetti-covered stage in all our spray-tanned, bleached-teeth glory.
Let me preface with this: Rachel (the winner of this season of "The Biggest Loser"), is not someone I know personally, and I clearly have no idea what her medical records say, as far as whether or not she is "healthy". Maybe she is. Maybe 105 lbs is the ideal weight for her, she's not dehydrated or exhausted, or mentally and physically drained. I really don't know, nor will I speculate.
Because this isn't about Rachel. This is about what Rachel, unfortunately for her, now represents.
I appeared on "The Biggest Loser" 7 years ago. It was a season of change- Alison Sweeney's first season hosting it, the first season with 3 trainers (Jillian, Bob and Kim), the first season NOT on a swanky ranch (nope- we were on a mosquito-ridden mental institution-turned-college-campus....not joking), and the season of Jillian's triumphant return. It was special, and it felt like it.
I was 21 years old, and had graduated college and moved 1300 miles away from all of my family and most of my friends to start a new life in Nashville. I was sad, homesick, and bored...disillusioned. Biggest Loser was an opportunity to escape that, and maybe create something new.
Prior to Biggest Loser, I actually felt pretty great about myself. I had ALWAYS struggled with my weight, and had had some temporary successes in years past, but never anything I was able to maintain. Despite being big, and knowing it, I also knew a lot of other important things about me: I was pretty (or at least "had a pretty face"...ugh. Hate that phrase), I was talented, I was smart, dynamic, interesting, loving, kind, generous. In short, my weight didn't define me. It was a small (pun intended) piece of who I was.
When I got to LA, I knew my weight would have to, by nature of the show, come to the forefront of my attributes. Yes, the casting directors were looking for someone who was all of the GREAT things I was, but first and foremost, they wanted to dig into the corners of my psyche and figure out WHY I was how I was (as in, overweight) and what physical and seemingly emotional transformation I could make in front of their cameras. I braced myself, knowing that insecurities, very private stories and emotions would undoubtedly be exposed to quite literally MILLIONS of people. "I'm strong enough" is what I'd repeat to myself. I'm strong enough to be exposed. I'm strong enough to be broken down, because at the end, I will be built back up. Surely I will.
My story played out on national TV, so I don't need to tell you the ins and outs of my Biggest Loser experience, which, for the record, was positive. The people that worked with us truly became friends. They cheered for us. They cried for us. But they didn't HELP us. Because...they were production assistants. Casting coordinators. People handlers. Producers. They were NOT therapists, family, nutritionists, caretakers. They were there to do a job, and truthfully, for them to NOT do their job would have been irresponsible.
But equally as irresponsible is the truth that now NBC and "The Biggest Loser" cannot escape. Contestants are broken down- their most revealing truths and deeply-seeded fears exposed, in the interest of making them "stronger". But strength, for some, is not always born in the wreckage. Contestants are trusting that they are being broken to be rebuilt, but the building doesn't come. Not from the show. Not from the way you expect it to.
I finished Biggest Loser at the thinnest I had ever been in my adult life. With an estimated 30(ish) lbs of extra skin, I went from 298 lbs to 185 lbs, from over 55% body fat to 24% body fat. I ran races for the first time. People stopped telling me I had a "pretty face" and started just telling me I was "pretty", or better yet "hot". I wore a size 10 dress and could shop wherever I wanted. I should have been flying high, and man, did I fake it well.
But while I'd been working my butt off on getting skinny (really- weight loss was my ONLY goal), I hadn't even thought about what the internal ramifications might be, and how drastically I was changing on the inside.
I knew as I got deep into the production of the show that my self esteem was rapidly diminishing. I sat for hours a week doing interviews or having filmed conversations about how "awful" it must feel to be the "black sheep" of my overly fit family. I had never felt THAT out of place until it was reinforced regularly that I *should*. I remember one day one of the people on production sat down with a group of us (pretty early on in the process) and said, "I just don't get it. Like...what do you even DO when you're overweight?". She/He literally didn't even view us as human. He/She had no inkling that I grew up climbing mountains, swimming competitively, took 7 years of dance lessons, and played for my high school soccer team. Conversations stirred up deeply personal issues- how the abandonment of my biological father "must have" been the cause of my never-ending struggles with my weight, how I "must have" used food to self-medicate through bad breakups or relationships, or struggles. How it "must have" been so hard to be SO close to being a "catch", but still be so "undesirable" because of the shape and size of my body. Internet message boards picked apart my every feature and action, and like a train wreck, I couldn't look away. I remember reading after the finale, "Isabeau looks like Portia De Rossi....only....bigger". AFTER the finale. Strangers would follow me around the grocery store and sometimes even stop me to tell me why I shouldn't put "that" in my cart.
I sucked it all up because I could see the finish line. I could see where I would be all of these things I was told I should want to be. "Limitless"-any opportunity I wanted or imagined would flow to me once I lost weight. I would finally "fit in" with my family that I had never felt like I didn't fit in with until I was told maybe I should. I would be "desirable". I would be whole, and complete and gloriously confident.
But that confidence never came. It never came because I didn't work on it. I felt like a failure standing on the stage at the finale because that's all I had been told I was, and I started believing it. It wasn't anyone's fault but my own. It was my own fault for allowing myself to believe the lies I was being told about myself, my fault for perpetuating them, and my fault for not getting help in dealing with them. What was demonstrated last night at The Biggest Loser finale, is nothing new. It's just the physical manifestation of what so much of us have felt internally- that we can never do, or be, enough. That we can never work too hard. Or lose too much. Or be too extreme. Because we seek and crave the resolution of all our dreams come true, that are seemingly hinged on whether or not we're skinny.
So, here's the truth, dear whoever-you-are. The only thing holding you back from anything is YOU. It is not your weight. It is not your finances. It is not your appearance. Well, actually, maybe it is. But not in the way you believe. Ambition and Success stem from the same root, and it has nothing to do with a number on the scale or any other "circumstance" in your life. It has to do with how you FEEL about life. How you FEEL about yourself. Are you worthy of being ambitious? Successful? Desired? Sexy? Strong? You are. You are at 300 lbs. You are at 100 lbs. You are $20,000 in debt. You are at 21 or 78 years old. You are worthy of all of those things the moment you believe you are.
After Biggest Loser, I spent several years trying to fill the void that was left when my confidence and self esteem was diminished. I sought that feeling of fullness in money and what money could buy, relationships that were inauthentic, and in choices that were guided by my mind, over my heart. I forgot who I was, and because of that, made decisions I never would have made.
There wasn't a day that things shifted, but things did. I felt like I was perpetually MISSING not just something, but someONE. And at some point, I woke up and realized that that someone was me. I missed me. I missed who I was, and all those wonderful things I had known about myself before weight became the most important thing in my world.
It's been a long journey to get back to me, and it's meant learning to trust people again. I was taught once that opening up and being "broken" will NOT always result in being rebuilt. I've had to start believing that that is the EXCEPTION and not the rule, and that, when you surround yourself with the right people, "tough love" truly is based in love, and is meant to expand you, not diminish you.
I would be lying to say that weight isn't something I still actively work on, worry about, and allow to define certain things in my mind. But I know now that it is a paper dragon. My weight, although something I work on now for longevity and health, is back to being just one, teeny, tiny part of a crazy, wonderful person. And lucky for me, it's a piece I can (and do) work on and change. My weight may be the most challenging thing for me, but how awesome is that? It's a lot harder to undo jealousy, or stinginess, or stupidity, or irresponsibility, or complacency than it is to take off a few pounds. If my weight is the worst thing someone can say about me, then I consider myself pretty lucky.
We need to stop believing and perpetuating the myth *someone* came up with that we all must be or do or look a certain way in order to be successful. Weight loss is one of the BEST examples of this because literally EVERYONE has a different opinion and experience about what works, what doesn't, what should, what shouldn't, etc. Every conversation about our body is laced with judgement. When will enough be enough?
The only answer is that you will have to put your foot down. I remember the night before my Biggest Loser finale weigh in, I had talked my "handler" into letting me go to the gym. I worked out for 2 hours and then went to sit in the sauna with my clothes on, to burn just a few more calories. My head spun and I felt weak, dizzy, awful. Sick. I got out. Enough was enough. I remember, conversely, gaining weight with my son and beating myself up that I was such a "failure" that even after having an opportunity to lose weight on national television, I couldn't keep it together. I knew I couldn't allow myself to live like that anymore. Enough, again, was enough.
Productivity starts where shame ends. I started seeing a therapist. I surrounded myself in people that (shockingly) ALREADY think I'm fun, and interesting, smart, pretty (as a whole), desirable, talented, strong and capable. I'm allowing myself to hear when someone says "You're a badass" or "Seriously... you're so good at xyz" or "Wow, you look great", instead of hearing "You're a badass (except for your weight)" or "Seriously...you're so good (except for your weight)" or "Wow, you look great (except for your weight)". Because it's not about my weight. In a size 10, I still heard the "ps" to every compliment I received, so I know it's not hinged on what people see... it's hinged on what *I* see.
My hope for Rachel, for every other BL contestant (past, present and future) and anyone else who is struggling (with weight- with anything) is that they start mining for their strength, instead of magnifying their weaknesses. That they can silence the "ps" in their mind that tells them they won't be enough "until this...", "until this...", "until this...". The word "until" is a vicious beast that will eat your dreams and stop you from achieving anything. You know what's on the other side of massive weight loss? Nothing. It's not about the weight. It's about the permission you give yourself to LIVE. To be worthy of a career you love, or a relationship that lights you up, or a path you've always wanted to explore.
This morning in reading the articles and seeing the pictures, I was sad for Rachel, who seemingly got lost in her "untils". Again, I don't know her, or this, but the physical sure looks depleted, so I would imagine the emotional would likely mirror that. But in my sadness for her, came gratitude to the people in my life. There has been one group of people that have more profoundly changed my outlook on fitness than any other: Crossfit Vector at Nashville Barbell. Joining this community was far and above the best decision (with the exception of having Beckham) that I've made in the past 5 years. This group of athletes come in all shapes, sizes and abilities, but share the consistent thread of unconditional support, true friendship and the ongoing pursuit of excellence in all things. Being in a healthy environment that promotes fitness and strength over purposeless, manic effort is the most refreshing experience I've had, and has shifted EVERYTHING in my life, but most importantly, my relationship and my value of my body- as it is, as it was, and as it will be. Pretty freaking amazing.
Beyond my hope for Rebecca is my hope for US. Can we learn from this? Can we start understanding that reality tv is not, in fact, reality? Can we stop exploiting peoples' weaknesses for entertainment? Can we stop being so darn judge-y and just kinda love each other for what we are, as is? I think in allowing that, and by just accepting and loving, we create the opportunity for people to feel what THEY really want for themselves, instead of projecting what they THINK someone else wants FOR them.
There is no gift more precious than giving yourself and others permission to live how they see fit. To be beautiful in their own skin. To love who and what they love. To be worthy and enough. I hope we all can take this bittersweet lesson that simply exposed truths, and turn it into a revolution of caring about more than a number on the scale.
Making the Case for Insecurity
First of all, a VERY Happy New Year to you all. New Years is one of my favorite times. By the time December 26th rolls around, I've had my dose of holiday stress and I'm ready to move on. Although I strongly believe in continuously making goals and "resetting", there is something special about a universal permission to "start over".
I hope (and know) this year is going to bring all kinds of amazing adventures to my life, and yours. I will be making a concerted effort to share my journey with you, and hope you'll do the same with me. (Stuff is so much more fun when shared!). I'll be doing a LOT of blogging about fitness, crossfit, food, and my continuing journey of wellness. I'll be filling you in on lots of music stuff as I venture into the studio this winter. And of course, I'll be sharing anecdotes, thoughts and weird, introspective stuff with you.
Which leads me to today's blog:
Growing up, I never lacked self confidence. My mom would and does say I would look in the mirror and see Marilyn Monroe staring back at me. Despite being the "chubby" girl, and going through more than my fair share of far-past-awkward stages, I could always find that "pinup in the mirror".
Through (literally) hundreds of pounds gained and lost and gained and lost, I always thought I was a pretty girl. I always thought I was special and capable and smart and destined to do big things.
Here's the kicker: I've also always been insecure.
How is this? Didn't I JUST get done saying how awesome I think I am? Yeah.... kinda. But insecurity, for me, isn't about what I see. It's about wondering what everyone ELSE sees.
Confidence and insecurity can, and I think, often DO, coexist. How often do we, as children, feel GREAT about a report we did, but can't wait to get our grade back to make sure our teacher felt the same way? How many of us as adults feel gorgeous when we get dressed up for a night out, but ultimately gauge whether or not we wear an outfit again based on whether or not we were complimented on it?
More importantly- is insecurity really such a bad thing?
I know this: My insecurity annoys people who are around me a lot. It annoys only them because I feel comfortable enough to TELL them that I'm basing a portion of my confidence on whether or not they approve of something I'm doing, saying, wearing, etc, and let's face it- that's a lot of unfair pressure that they didn't ask for. But other than that, isn't insecurity helpful?
Think about it: Insecurity is our way of acknowledging that (even when we really like ourselves) we're open to improving, and ultimately, know we have to, to stay relevant, and in some cases, survive. And further- isn't being "totally secure" just another way of saying we're "totally ignorant"- Unaffected in choice and circumstance by the opinions of others?
First of all- I challenge you to show me ONE person who truly doesn't give a flying you-know-what what other people think. Doesn't. Exist. Humans, by nature, are communal-tribal- and we look to each other for guidance- guidance that can come in the form of affirmation and compliments, criticism or jest... Not every life lesson is a big sit-down-and-discuss-the-universe moment. In fact, they almost never are.
The days and moments that have shaped me, or instilled something in me, were rarely meant to be substantial. I remember being in 7th grade and a girl I thought was pretty told me I should curl my eyelashes before I put on mascara because I'd look more awake. I have ever since. I remember my 6th grade English teacher's comment on a short story I'd written: "You are a natural writer. I can't wait to read your first novel", which has given me the confidence and vision to continue to write (in all forms). A boy when I was 15 sat and watched a concert with me- particularly uninhibitedly- and inspired me to never temper the freedom to express my appreciation for the arts. The same boy told me that night that I needed to write songs forever because they would "change the world", and to this day, when I wonder whether or not my songs can "make the cut", I think of that. At band camp, a girl I knew for 2 weeks sat in the lounge of the boys' dormitory, saying "hi" to every stranger, and taught me to do the same. By the end of the 2 weeks, we were friends with more people than anyone else there (some of which I still have), and she taught me the most important social skill I've ever learned: No one is going to say no to making a new friend....Conversely, my brothers teased me mercilessly for being high maintenance. It's one of my continuous goals to NOT be. My first boyfriend (when I was 11) told me I wasn't "cool" or "pretty" enough to date, and- despite multiple OPPOSITE experiences and 17 years- I still find myself questioning whether the people I'm around feel like I'm "cool" or "pretty" enough to be hanging out with them.
It goes on. I've had some monumental, hours-long conversations with some of my best friends and perfect strangers. But unequivocally, across-the-board, the most earth-shifting interactions I've ever had with any and all of them come quite unexpectedly. And they're earth shifting because they either solidify something good, or they break something bad. They're "tell-the-truth" moments- ones that you don't see coming, and couldn't if you tried, but that are so meant-to-be that you also couldn't possibly avoid them. They're the moments that make or break your insecurity. And the only reason they're ALLOWED or ABLE to happen is because you allow yourself to be vulnerable, to be open, to be- yes- insecure.
To me, insecurity is not a brokenness. It's an openness. It's about allowing your heart to have doubt that you know yourself and the impact you do or could or will make on the world. It's an openness to be guided because maybe you CAN'T see that you're heading for disaster, and you need to be averted, or you're headed for your ultimate dream life, and you need to be encouraged. It's an openness to be infiltrated by the truth that the world sees you differently than you see yourself.
Because, the world doesn't see me as Marilyn Monroe. Even if I do. the world sees me as Isabeau Miller. And the more you allow yourself to be vulnerable and insecure, the more, in my experience, you find that being yourself is SO much better than being the model of someone else.
I'm not "confident" in spite of my insecurities. I'm confident BECAUSE of them. I'm confident because I really seek out and hear when people tell me good things, and I really work hard on myself when I feel like I'm disappointing someone or not living up to the potential someone sees in me, In a perfect world should those things not matter? Maybe? Maybe not? But I'm not so sure. Because the truth is, we all coexist. Relationships matter. Opinions matter. Perception matters. It doesn't mean those things have to define us, but they certainly pull a weight of their own. If I love being around me, but nobody else does, what's the point?
2013 brought me face to face with a LOT of insecurities, and made me question what the heck I was gonna do about it. Despite all of those insecurities being varied- my weight, sharing my music, looking "stupid" at Crossfit, not being able to make new friends, going out more, not being "relevant", doing the right thing for my son, being a good "fill-in-the-blank", they all led me back to one universal step one: Tell the truth.
So that's what I'm doing, and that's what I think ultimately overcoming "insecurities" is about: Being truthful. Allowing certain things to suck, without it breaking your entire spirit. Allowing peoples' opinions of you to penetrate even the thickest of skins without it knocking you off your course, and maybe even allowing it to build you up. Telling the truth about who you are, and why that is (or maybe isn't) ok, and then doing something about it.
Because ultimately, you have to be able to live with yourself, yes, but you also have to be willing to acknowledge that you "live" with a lot of other people, too, and allowing yourself to be affected by their opinions is not weakness- not at all... It's strength.
November 2016


text:
Thursday August 28, 2014:
Top 5 Scenarios Where You should NEVER use Your Car's Bluetooth and Speakers, #3: "When you're parked in a public place with your windows down."
Customer rolls in for a $10 fill. Her phone rings. It's a guy on the other side.
"Hey. Are we okay?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"Well, I'm not sure if I offended you last night in bed. I wasn't sure if you were into it."
Maybe he wanted to enter through the back door. Maybe he wanted to bring a friend along for the ride. Or perhaps he just wanted to get a little freaky with a piece of salami. Who the Hell knows.
I'm just bummed that I didn't get to hear the end of that conversation….
Wednesday August 27, 2014:
"If you're gonna scam, scam well. Otherwise, don't quit your day job."
Customer comes in and asks for $40 worth. Turns out his car only took in $38.
"You're full at $38."
"So, give me back 2 bucks."
"Sure. As soon as you give me $40."
"I paid you nigga!"
"Dude, the two 20s are sitting right there."
Realizing that he fucked up his little scheme, he quietly hands me the money.
And all this at 6:00am. Waaay too early for this shit….
And what's a Monday morning without a little ridiculousness that leaves you wondering "What the fuck?!"
A guy pulls in driving a brand new Hyundai, swings the door wide open, and stumbles inside.
"Hey. My father died. My mother is in the hospital. I'm homeless. And I'm deaf. I just want to buy some cigarettes. Can you help me out?"
Not having any sort of ear piece, I turn around and answer him in a low voice.
"Sorry. But, I can't help you."
And then the "deaf" guy responded.
"You mean you really can't help me out?"
"No. I am sorry."
Begging for food is completely understandable. Begging for cigarette money is absurd.
Never a dull moment….
Friday August 22, 2014:
A little grasshopper looking thing was on the nozzle so I lightly flicked it off.
Well, the good news is that I saved its life.
The bad news is that it went into my customer's car. And she yelled. And she freaked out. And she wasn't too happy with me.
So, I gave her a gallon of free gas. It's the least I could do.
Time to update the Job Responsibilities.
"Daily check of pumps to ensure a completely bug free environment. But, umm only when there are no customers around you moron."
Signed. Sealed. Delivered….
"Sad. Unfortunate. He needs help."
Those are the words to describe the series of events I experienced during the 7am hour this morning.
7:22am: A guy in a nice Range Rover Sport Supercharged pulls up to the pump. I hear coins jingling.
"I need $1 of gas. That's all I got. But, I can't figure out how to open the cap."
Clearly, he was either on something or withdrawing from something. Badly.
To be honest, I couldn't find the button either. At one point he tried to pry it open with a quarter. He even asked me for a crowbar. Of course, I wasn't about to give him one.
So, I started tending to other customers.
He walks up to a diesel client of mine as he was getting a fill.
"Yo, you want to buy my car for $2,000?"
And then he started going up to ALL my customers! Clearly harassing them.
"Buy my car for $2,000. Buy my car for $2,000."
Finally, I had enough.
7:32am: I asked him to leave. So, he pulls away from pumps, but remains in our lot. I thought he was calling a friend or something.
7:42am: I walk over to the car to kick him out 'again.' He was fucking passed out! I had to wake his ass up!
"Yo dude, you gotta go!" I was about to call the cops.
He 'finally' leaves here and does what? Pulls right into the Citgo! For the next 10 minutes, he does the exact same fucking thing. Parked himself in front of the pump, had the gas attendant try to open his cap while he bothers Citgo customers to buy his car. Well, after 10 minutes Citgo had enough and throws him out. Without getting that dollar in gas mind you.
He then pulls into the 7-Eleven, blocks in the Coke truck, jumps out, and starts talking to everyone in the parking lot.
After realizing that nothing good is going to come of all of this, at 8:00am he grudgingly leaves the whole area. Of course he rashly left the 7-Eleven almost causing an accident.
Folks, if you have a friend or relative who has hit this kind of rock bottom, please intervene. There's just so much more to Life than living like this….
Thursday August 14, 2014:
Earlier, a truck full of horseshit (literally) came in for a fill.
This was over an hour ago. And that foul stench is still lingering around the pumps. My customers are not happy with me this morning. Not happy.
I feel like I owe them something. Like giving them cash price for credit transactions….or a ham sandwich.
Yeah yeah I know. That's totally ridiculous, right?
Okay fine. Ham sandwich it is….
Thursday August 14, 2014:
"Yo dude, your pumps suck. I was in here a few weeks ago and it was going much faster than this!"
"Actually, it's just about the same. In fact it's slightly faster. We changed the filters a week or so ago.
But, the reason it feels slower is because we've decreased our prices since the last time you've been in here. So, it takes longer to get to $20 than before."
"Huh. Never thought of it that way."
I feel like a proud Math Teacher….
Tuesday August 12, 2014:
Earlier, a mother drove in with her 3 kids in the backseat. All under the age of 10.
All 4 of them had their own personal bag of Doritos. Munching and crunching away.
This was at 9:15 in the morning.
At what point do we hit the brakes on the Politically Correct train?
At what point do we stop advocating acceptance for non-medically related 'obesity' and instead start campaigning for more responsible 'parenting?'
How difficult is it to feed your children a bowl of cereal?!
Chips for breakfast?
The smell of stale cigarette smoke coupled with the strong stench of nacho cheese only helped fuel my disgust for this whole ordeal (pun clearly intended for dramatic effect).
Obamacare. Everyone has an opinion on it.
But, I think we can all agree that if you are preexistingly stupid, then you should not be covered…..
Monday August 11, 2014:
"Deny everything, blame the other guy, and get loud and defensive."
That's apparently the mantra that many customers follow. Luckily, anything you say can and will be used against you in a Delta gas station operated by a Rajeev.
"Sorry man. Your card declined."
"Bullshit! Your machine is broken! What happened to innocent until proven guilty?!"
"Well, my credit card machine innocently proved that you're guilty of not having sufficient funds in your account."
I'm not much of a fighter. But, sometimes my linguistic uppercut can sting a little….
Saturday August 2, 2014:
I was just contacted by the officer handling this case.
The guy used his girlfriend's debit card and her car.
For that reason, the officer has contacted her directly to inquire about him.
It has been over 24 hours and she has not called him back.
If neither one of them returns the officer's call by Monday morning, he will sign theft complaints against him.
The plot thickens. To be continued.
*He fucked up. And yet, out of the kindness of our hearts, we're giving him a way out. Just come back to the station, pay your tab, and we can all pretend that nothing ever happened.
Yet, 48 hours later, we've had no contact.
Is stealing $43.51 of gas worth having a record? Is it worth being arrested?!
I'm truly amazed by this person's silence….
Friday August 1, 2014:
This morning I got all my ducks in a row. Printed out all the evidence in color, and wrote down a report.
I just came back from STRPD. They're on the case and will go out and find him.
I will be getting a call from PD sometime this afternoon with an update.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
"Kitty" Girls Underwear Set
|Exclusive Official "Kitty" Girls Underwear Set Comprising T-Shirt and Shortie Knickers with Glitter "Kitty" Design and Frill Details. 2 Colourways in the Pack are Grey and Pink. Outstanding Quality, Supplied Fully Bagged, Tagged with Labels and Presented on Hangers. Size Range in the Pack Consists of 2-3, 4-5 & 6-8 Years.
|Pack Quantity: 10 Product ID: KT1106(I) Item Price: £3.75 Pack Price:£37.50
Buy "kitty" girls underwear set
Or contact the seller
Go backin section "Baby clothing"
View also products categories "Clothing for newborns and infants"


text:
1400 old tamah road/ irmo, s.c. the student newsmagazine of dutch fork high school volume 21. issue 3/ spring 2013
Dutch Fork's news nexus
(cover): Boys' lacrosse players stand in line at practice waiting for their turn to participate in a drill. This was the first year for Dutch Fork's lacrosse team, where the team finished with a record of 5-8.
Scan the QR Code to visit
Want to advertise with Dutch Fork's The Renaissance? Contact (803)-476-3427. Advertisements start at $25.
Write us! Send all Letters to the Editor to room 252 addressed with your name and class.
Editor's Letter
his past month has helped me realize how important journalism is to me. I hit my journalistic high at our regional conference the first weekend of March. I won a scholarship and I saw The Renaissance win an All-Southern rating. I also helped celebrate our Quiz Bowl team finishing second in the quiz bowl to four geniuses in black robes that could diffuse a bomb with a paperclip and a rubber band. The staff bonded not only through laughing and dancing (which there was a lot of), but we bonded through journalism as well. Through writing and filming and taking photos and designing, we became closer as a staff. We needed that closeness for what that Monday had to offer. All of the publication staffs were decimated; all of the laptops and desktops were stolen and we were left with almost nothing to put together a yearbook, newspaper and broadcast show. The robbery left me scrambling and wondering how we were going to put together a magazine with five laptops. After I spent time venting and wallowing in self pity, I needed a way to occupy my time. That is were journalism really took control. Now, I have spent many hours writing, shooting and designing for The Renaissance but this time was different. I threw myself into it as a way to forget about the theft. That work helped created what this issue represents. As a staff we focus on what we knew how to do and that was write about milestones that Dutch Fork has hit this year and traditions at Dutch Fork. From the catapult launch to the back to back state titles for the girls' basketball team, the spring issue helps to encapsulate the tradition and excellence that Dutch Fork has pioneered throughout the year.
collyn taylor, editor-in-chief
Follow us on Twitter @Dffoxfusion and like us on Facebook at Fox Fusion.
table of contents News 4 6 8 9
Schooling options next year AP Exams threatened Launch spawns creativity News Briefs
10 11 12 13 14
Staff Editorial Kids in the Hall/ Gun Control Importance of college/theft Reviews Trending Now
15 Prom Package 18 Ads
20 Lacrosse Blooms at DF 21 Baseball helps teen adjust 22 Girls win back to back titles
dfr.toc.spring/ 03
New options for schooling open up in 2013 story by collyn taylor and michaela baker
he mounds of dirt slowly move to the side to make room for metal bars and the foundation for not only a new school, but new avenues for learning. Next year, students from all over the district will be allowed to travel to other district schools, including all magnet school Spring Hill High School, to pursue different avenues in learning. While students do get to learn at schools that cater to their specific needs, attendance at Dutch Fork will drop. "We're losing some 140-something students that are coming from Dutch Fork Middle [School] and going to Spring Hill," principal Greg Owings said. "I looked and saw that we will still have about 391 freshmen, so our enrollment will go down a couple hundred this year." 04/ dfr.news.spring
Students also have the op- Kyle Myers said. "This way the portunity to go to Chapin or teachers can base their teaching Irmo to learn. Irmo, known for around this common interest, its International Baccalaureate enabling better comprehension. [IB]program, is a reason for Although Chapin is a great students transferring. school, I think my education "I'm going to Irmo because can benefit from this." of the International Baccalaure- The building of new schools ate program. and the emergDutch Fork "The magnet school will ing of differdoesn't have ent academic IB and Irmo provide a learning envior- avenues has does," sopho- nment where I learn with caused compemore Jesse tition for the Johnson said. people that are interested schools, as they S t u d e n t s in the same things as I am." fight for enrollfrom all over ment numbers. -Kyle Myers the district "I know that have been competition is volunteering to go explore new a really good thing. For example educational opportunities in the bread and butter of Dutch the district. Fork is STEM. This year we "The magnet school will knew we really had to sell our provide a learning environ- program," Vice Principal of Inment where I learn with people struction Sarah Longshore said. that are interested in the same "We knew that we really had to things I am," Chapin freshman show what we have to offer and
show it. Like with restaurants, hair salons and places like that you go to because of the reputation. It's the same thing as applying to schools. We know that if we aren't doing a good job kids will go somewhere else." Dutch Fork administration, along with Owings is already preparing presentations to show to prospective students to showcase talents and specialities at Dutch Fork. "I think the academics is so strong; teacher faculty is one of the best around. The thing about Dutch Fork is that we're not just good at one thing, we're good at a lot of different areas," Owings said. "Our STEM program is really strong, a lot of kids do real well [in] math and science and technology and engineering. So we have a lot of things to offer. A lot of our clubs and a lot of our areas are very strong."
Schools of Choice 1. Dutch Fork High > STEM Program 2. Irmo High School > International Baccalaurete (IB) Program 3. Chapin High School > Academic Leadership Academy 4. Spring Hill High School > all magnet high school
Even though competition has spawned between the schools in the district, Longshore sees the validity of the magnet program and school of choice. "It's a great idea for schools. It makes us think long and hard about the options and opportunities to provide our students," Longshore said. "It makes us run like a business and we have to compete now to keep our students at Dutch Fork." At the end of this year, eighth graders and current freshman will be able to transfer to Spring Hill for specialized learning, returning to their zoned school only for sports. "It's a choice they have; I think there are five different magnet choices they have. Next year, when we do our presentations, we are going to have great choices here with the STEM program and orchestra, and
chorus, and all of the athletics that we have here," Owings said. "Our overall school is very strong, so we'll have to put our selling caps on and get kids to come here." Overall, students are excited for the new opportunities that programs like school of choice brings. "I see the choice that students have to attend this school, rather than being zoned to it as something awesome. This way I can be surrounded by those who are actually serious about attending this school, not there to learn because they have to," Kyle said. "It also introduces students to the concept of choosing. Not all students have been in situations that they have to choose what's best for them; and choosing whether or not to steal that cookie from your mom before supper does not count." dfr.news.spring/ 05
AP curve 89 $117
Breaking the * information from collegeinsider.com and collegeboard.com
Exams at DF with highest pass rate
5 Psychology 68% 4 Studio Art 2-D Design 68% 3 Physics C Mechanics, 69% 2 Studio Art, Drawing, 69% 1 BC Calculus, 80%
Test Distribution
3.7 million
tests taken nationwide
Cost of the AP Exam per exam/US
per exam/ Canada
College Credit
3,800 3 credit hours 60 countries
colleges recieve AP scores
2 million
students take exams yearly
18 thousand
high schools offer AP exams
06/ dfr.news.spring
each passed exam earns college credit
have universities accepting AP exams
story by collyn taylor and michaela baker >>> pictures by michaela baker
arge gyms packed with students, filled with the turning of pages and the scribble of pencils may be a dwindling sight as Dartmouth University has discontinued giving credit for Advanced Placement (AP) courses. AP courses, offered through College Board, are courses that have a standardized test in May and if a student earns a three, four, or five, (s)he earns certain college credits. Dutch Fork currently offers 22 AP courses, ranging from Calculus to Human Geography, all of which are designed to give students a unique learning environment that will help students succeed in college, according to College Board. "They test a student's ability to think critically and read and write on a college level. They also prepare students for college life because in college every course is an AP course, so might as well enjoy the experience and practice of that now," Academic Gifted Program coordinator Joe Landreneau said. "The only downside to an AP exam is an all or nothing, you pass or you don't pass and it deter-
mines if you get college credit or not. The positives far outweigh the negatives." With the Dartmouth decision being handed down, it strongly affects how students decide whether or not to enroll in higher-level classes. "I would not take an AP class if the credit did not count because it would be pointless to have that much work without any reason," freshman Anna Wolverton said. While students, like Anna, wouldn't take a more rigorous course without more benefits, Landreneau would still want to teach his AP Language and Composition class because he sees more than just college credit. "Absolutely [I would teach an AP course still]. The AP course is not about college credit, it's about being able to read, write, think on a college level," Landreneau said. "That's ultimately what my goal is to do, is to prepare these kids to read, write, think on a collegiate level. If they pass the exam wonderful, but if they don't, they are still being prepared for the college experience." AP teachers in subjects
other than English also sees the advantage of having AP courses; even without college credit. "Yes, the students receive an experience that is similar to college. So even if there is no credit there is still experience," AP history teacher Demetra Vastis said. "I really like teaching AP Human Geography and AP World so I would continue." Dartmouth's decision came down as a result of internal studies that showed no correlation to passing an AP course to having knowledge of the material. For teachers at Dutch Fork, that is not the only reason that they believe Dartmouth decided to stop handing out college credit. "It's all about money. The AP programs cause students to come into college with lots of credits already, which means that they don't stay in college for a longer time which means they're going to lose more money. It is just a money issue," Landreneau said. Anna sees the reasoning behind the Dartmouth claim, because AP classes only "shows partly the grasp of knowledge
of the subject." AP classes, according to college board, teach students skills and habits needed to be successful in college. "On the AP level the students receives a good experience in writing essays," Vastis said. "As a history major my tests were based on essays so being in an AP class will help students prepare for college." For a nationally ranked AP program like Dutch Fork, who has AP courses in every subject, it is hard to see the AP classes going anywhere, even with the verdict issued by Dartmouth. "I don't think that its going to have much of an impact at all. I don't see it having a big impact there. Universities know that if you pass an AP course, there is pretty much no course in college you cannot pass. It's been around for over 50 years," Landreneau said. "Courses continue to grow and I don't see it slowing down anytime soon, especially with virtual learning and being able to earn credit that way, I don't see it dwindling anytime soon. So this Dartmouth decision will become a non-factor." dfr.news.spring/ 07
Physics students dress for success F story by collyn taylor and michaela baker >>> photo by kirsten arnoult rom swarms of racecar drivers to masses of Revolutionary War soldiers and the Blues Brothers running around, the softball launch is home to different characters. The football field transformed to a home full of soccer referees and other personalities ready to launch softballs. Every year, the physics' softball launch gives students the opportunity to build catapults and launch softballs out of them. The students take this event to the next level, dressing up in elaborate costumes and decorating the cannon. "We put togas on, we had wallabees, we had straw hats, the shades rocking, indoors and outdoors," senior Animal House group member Adam Kawamoto said. "We were go08/ dfr.news.spring
ing for the frat look and that's basically what the frat look is." The students participating in the launch looked forward to dressing up and coming up with a theme for the project. "I think how people really committed to their themes and had fun made it more of an activity than a project," junior Redneck team member Tal Wanish said. As the teams began to launch, a crowd began to build in the stands, cheering for each team and their theme. "The goddess theme was my favorite. I just thought it was interesting and that they really out that theme together well for the launch," sophomore Brittnay Wright said. The team theme makes up a portion of the grade and teams
get extra points if their theme wins a top spot as best theme. Because of this, teams take the theme seriously. "We went all over downtown, looking in Army and Navy stores, we couldn't find anything affordable, so we bought all of the materials and made everything ourselves," senior Revolutionary War group member Chris Dickey said. "That helped us make our theme more personalized." Aside from just physics classes participating in the launch, classes were allowed to come out to watch each team launch. From the stands students began to hatch their own ideas as to what their theme may have been. "I would choose something powerful and strong like su-
perwoman if I participated," Brittnay said. "I would want it to show the power of my catapult." Students look forward to dressing up in funny costumes and shooting catapults. "It makes it more fun, it makes it more interesting," Adam said. "You get to work with the group, it's fun to decorate your catapult." The theme is one of the most important parts of the launch to some students. Some students take it more seriously than actually building the launcher. "We spent more time on the theme than we did with the cannon. We had already built cannons before and it was real quick," Chris said. "[The theme] made us work as a team more, we spent more time and it's just more fun to get involved."
inBrief Administrators win journalism award
Advanced placement exams begin May 6
dvanced placement (AP) exams begin May 6 with AP Chemistry, AP Environmental Science and AP Psychology. The exams will continue throughout that week and continue throughout the next week as well, ending on May 17 with AP Human Geography and AP Spanish Literature and Culture. Certain exams begin at 8 a.m. while others begin at noon. Check with collegeboard.com to see when exact dates and times are and what is allowed in the testing room. The exams will be held at the Shady Grove Methodist Church gym for the two weeks of testing.
n Mar. 2, principal Greg Owings and vice principal of instruction Sarah Longshore won the Southern Interscholastic Press Association's (SIPA) Dr. Kay Phillips administrator of the year award. This was the first time in history that a pair of administrators have won the award in the same year. SIPA, the organization that awards the administrator of the year, spans 15 states and includes the District of Columbia.
Student wins Siemens Award
enior Samadwara Reddy was awarded the Siemens Award for Advanced Placement this year. The award comes with a scholarship worth $2,000. Only two students are selected from each state per year and both recipients from South Carolina went to Dutch Fork; Samadwara and senior Maddie Kowalski. Maddie attended Dutch Fork last year but moved over the summer to a new school. Samadwara joins University of Chicago freshman Zach Wang as winners of this award from Dutch Fork. "Its some validation to the work that I've put into [scienc and math] classes," Samadwara said. "I know that I did well."
Senior guard featured in Sports Illustrated
enior guard Rose Robinson was featured in the Faces in the Crowd section of Sports Illustrated. This section profiles high school athletes that have excelled at their sport. Rose played for both girls' basketball teams that won the state title in 2012 and 2013. In 2013, she averaged 5 points per game, 4.2 assists per game and 2.4 steals per game, per maxpreps.com. Rose's feature comes in the March 18 issue of the magazine on page 22. "I feel honored. It is a great acomplishment. Many don't get a chance to be in there so it is an honor," Rose said.
dfr.news.spring/ 09
Staff Vote: Agree: 3 Disagree:
Indifferent: 2
Violent video games are okay in moderation It has been a question for some time whether video games such as Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Ghost Recon and Assassins Creed play a role in violence of the real world. In the world right now, more than half a billion people play videogames and 183 million of those people live in the U.S. (McGonigal). Though this many people are playing video games, it is unclear exactly how many are playing the more violent of them. What we do know is that not everyone that plays these video games has committed a crime. Video games may be something that a lot of people like to engage in but not every person that engages in this have the desire to hurt others. Harming others seems to be a result of an unstable person with unreasonable logic and even though video games may take part in provoking this
editor-in-chief, collyn taylor staff robin hendriks rachel urconis kirsten arnoult eddie bates alexis steele fusion staff mckenzie mack tapanga brigman michaela baker brandy williams laken radvansky alex cone dayla beckett adviser,amy medlock-greene principal, greg owings
mind set, it is completely fictional. Those that choose to buy into the fictitious activities and events of a video game either play them too much or should not be playing them at all because their mind is not stable enough to handle playing. This being said, the real question lies within the mental stability of video gamers. Although it would be hard to really assess the mental stability of all gamers, parents of younger gamers can step in and regulate how often their children play. Parents have a responsibility to teach their kids what is right and what is wrong and part of this is teaching them the concept of moderation. Though parents can not control their children's actions completely, they do have the power to limit their time. There are steps that could be taken such as parental controls and sometimes its even as simple as removing the TV
from their child's room. Violent video games are not a problem on their own. If played an amount that is considered regular, maybe only a few minutes a week, then the amount of violent acts caused by the increased obsession with these games would most likely be cut down to a minimum. These games force the players to think in a way that is not peaceful. To look out for any possible attackers and strategize the best ways to beat them. That is not the way people generally view the world, but what seems to be the way attackers and serials view it. A few hours a week of playing these video games could be considered fun, but any more than that and it starts to be considered obsession. An obsession with something that does not exist in reality, but only in a made up world. If people become so addicted to
The Renaissance is an open forum for student expression at Dutch Fork High School. The purpose of The Renaissance is to inform the student body about events affecting them, to influence its readers through responsible editorials, to entertain through feature content, to reflect the overall personality of the school and to bring buyer and seller together. These goals will be achieved through fair, accurate and responsible reporting. Unbylined editorials reflect the views of the majority of The Renaissance staff, but not necessarily the view of the school board, the administratiors, the faculty, the adviser, the entire staff, or
something that is not real, then eventually they will start to lose touch to reality and believe what is real is fake and what is fake is real. If this were to happen to a person, there is no telling how they would see the world. They may see everyone out to get them, usually like how things are in one of these games, or they themselves might be the bad guy sent to kill a bystander. Either way, it is extremely dangerous for the people around the player and for the player themselves. Parents should make a note of how often their child is playing a violent video game and think about whether they consider it too much. They should also look for warning signs in their child's behavior. These could include a lack of social skills or an increased tendency to become angry or agitated in a shorter time span.
student body. All bylined editorials and cartoons reflect the opinion of the writer or artist. Advertisements do not reflect the opinion of The Renaissance or its adviser. The Renaissance encourages letters to the editors as they constitute a constructive avenue for opinion. All letters must be signed by the writer to be considered for publication. The staff reserves the right to edit letters for poor taste, libel, grammar and space. The Renaissance is published four times a year by students in the journalism classes. The online edition, updated regularly, is available at www.foxfusion.org.
Kids in the Hall Should teachers be able to bring concealed weapons to school to school to protect students?
Maurio Hilton
Josh Fagerburg
"Yeah, I guess,... If the teachers [are] bringing it to protect us and keep it where kids can't get it..."
"Yes, absolutely. That would solve the majority of problems of schools around the United States..."
Maddie Saunders
Shelley Copeland
"Yes, because in case there is an intruder, they can defend themselves and us."
"If there was somebody in the building [that] had the intentions of harming students and the teacher felt that they would be able to stop them."
Proposed gun laws risky ideas column by laken radvansky and robin hendricks
After a string of school shootings in recent years, it has been called into question whether teachers should or should not carry concealed weapons during school hours. The murders of six adults and 20 young elementary school age children at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut seems to have awakened the country and political officers to the increased number of shootings and massacres that have taken place as of late. Almost every single possible solution has been tossed around: banning civilian ownership of guns entirely, gun
licensing restrictions and whether teachers should bring weapons to school. Wouldn't this cut down on the number of deaths should a shooter enter the school? Wouldn't this keep the children safe? Though the weapons would be concealed, if a person was cunning enough to find and retrieve them, the consequences would be catastrophic. If a shooter was to go to a classroom and the teacher pull out the gun, there is no guarantee the teacher would be brave enough to pull the trigger or even threaten to. We all want to assume that in a situation where several lives were at stake, that we would be the hero. But that is not always true. When bringing guns into any situation, there is an increase in the chance of acci-
dents involving the weapon. Especially when little children are involved. If an elementary teacher had a gun, she would have to keep extra sure that the children know nothing about it and that it is in a place nearly impossible for them to get to. Some young kids would not even know what a gun was or could do if they were shown one, and would not know how dangerous it could be. It would be so easy for a shooter to use the concealed weapon to their advantage, or for a little child to cause a major accident. The best ways to keep people safe from shootings is to put more restrictions on who can have a gun license (psychological tests, etc.). If those who owned guns were tested to be sane, the amount of shootings
would become less frequent. Other ways are to increase the number of police officers at schools so if there were an intruder, they would be more easily caught. Doors leading located on the outside of schools should remain locked when it is not a time when many people are leaving or arriving. Emergency drills should be practiced more often and taken more seriously by both teachers and students. Teachers should not carry on the lesson plans, but should take a break and choose to prepare the class for their own protection. With all these safe solutions right at the fingertips of the teachers, guns are a radically dangerous idea that would likely cause more pain than help or protection both for the students and for the teachers that would carry them. dfr.opinion.spring/ 11
College important for economy by laken radvansky and robin hendricks
hoosing a college can be a stressful decision that some high school graduates choose not to deal with, but the ones that actually do make a decision, are more likely to be successful in life than someone that did not. In the fall of 2008, 2.2 million high school graduates were enrolled in a college. That is 68.6% of all high school graduates for that year. In the fall of 2011, the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 68.3% of all high school graduates were enrolled in a college or university. Most jobs require some type of college degree, so by not going to college, graduates are doing themselves a disservice. It is becoming more difficult to get a job in the USA than before. Having all the experience one can, is crucial.
In 2009, the percentage of jobs that require a 2 year or higher college degree was 62% and it is projected that by the year of 2020 the percentage will rise to 75%, according to acteonline.org. If the percentage of high school graduates going to college remains the same or decreases, this could mean bad news for our economy. So many qualified people are unemployed and looking for a job. To compete with everyone, future workers need to add college to their resume. Even if someone is qualified by their level of intellect, they need to prove it with actual records from colleges or they would not be taken seriously. If I had a company of my own, I would rather hire people who had more prior knowledge in regards to the certain field because that would produce the best results for the company and in turn receive more money. A lot of people are not sure what they want to do as soon as they get out of college,
so rather than wasting money on classes that they will never use as they switch from major to major, people unsure about their destiny should take some time to explore the possibilities. There is no reason to go to college unless one knows what (s)he wants to do with that degree. A person should go to college earlier in life to achieve the most economic success possible, but if someone wants to wait a few years as they explore their options, there is nothing wrong with that. Also if a person does not have enough money to go to college in the immediate future, they can work and save up for their tuition over a span of several years, along with applying for all available scholarships and student loans. Whether a student chooses to go to college as soon as they leave high school or in a few years for whatever reason, everyone should go to college sometime in their life. This will help people get jobs and also improve the economy.
Theft rampant at Dutch Fork column by laken radvansky
magine, a classroom that has been your sanctuary for half of your years in high school. The place that you go to pursue your dreams and future career. The tools you use for your creativity peppered throughout the room, having to go no further than two steps to your right or left in order to access everything you've ever created. Now imagine walking into that same room and there's nothing. It's just empty. With nothing but shattered CD's all across the floor, crooked desks, muddy footsteps and a cracked window. Emptiness welling up inside that instantly turns to tears. Weakness taking over and nothing but silence left to comfort you. 12/ dfr.opinion.spring
This is what I was faced with. In a random survey of 25 people 44% of them said they have had personal belongings stolen from them at Dutch Fork High School. According to the school's resource officers, electronics are number one on the list to be stolen and reports of stolen items come in at least two times a week. If one has valuables on them, they should be sure to keep them with you at all times. Do not leave any valuables unattended, better yet, don't bring them at all. Every time someone walks through the doors at school, they have almost a 50% chance of having a belonging stolen. Think about that. Thiefs have no idea what the valuables that they are stealing mean to your victim. They need to stop and think to themselves about how it would make them feel if someone took that same item from them. Stealing has been a problem in all societies at some point in time, it's normal. But let's be weird. Let Dutch Fork High School be the first
place to not have any theft. With a little bit of common sense, compassion for others and teamwork, we can bring this to an end. Get serious, this is not a joke. If you are anywhere near people, try this: look to your left and then look to your right and on each side of you, pick one person. There is a 44% chance that they have had something taken from them. It shouldn't make one feel good that you are either a thief or surrounded by them. It should make you want to change, or do something about it. People can't rely on other people to make the changes that you want to see happen. They have to be proactive and with a little bit of motivation the possibilities are limitless. Change starts with the first person to step forward. Be encouraged to take on the leadership role. Stand up for what is right and point out what is wrong. The change of tomorrow starts with the thoughts of today. So be weird, don't follow the crowd and be the first to step forward.
reviews by mckenzie mack and kirsten arnoult
ix seasons ago, the doors to Manhattans Upper East side were opened for the world to see, and the mysterious gossip girl was introduced changing the lives of Gossip Girl viewers forever. Gossip Girl is a blogger who knows every little thing about the Upper East Siders, who seem to rule the halls of their private schools and social societies. In the first episode, the fabulous, entertaining, yet drama filled Upper East Siders is introduced. We meet Dan Humphrey, a loner who doesn't fit in and wants to be noticed by the beautiful Serena Van Der , the girl next door whom everyone seems to love; except her best friend, Blair Waldoorf, who spends her days either obsessing about her super hot boyfriend, Nathanial Archibald, or gossiping about the girls at school who seem to all want be friends with the womanizer, Chuck Bass. Overall though, viewers were pleased that after waiting for what seemed like a century, Blair Waldorf and Chuck Bass finally decide get married. After a battling season of hate and rage between the Bass family, Bart Bass, Chuck Bass' father, is
urrounded by a beautiful land of flowers in Thailand, season 17 bachelor Sean Lowe finally went down on one knee and proposed to the funny yet intelligent Catherine Guidici, who was the lucky girl to steal his heart. "I want to spend the rest of my life telling you I pronounced love dead after being pushed off a building while fighting with his son, whom he previously tried to kill in the episode before. For many viewers, they thought the love between Serena and Dan had been crushed after she decides to leave the Upper East Side including Dan all behind, but hope is found. Serena decides to give Dan the chance to explain himself after writing and trying to publish a story about Serena and her friend's lifestyle. And finally Gossip Girl is revealed to the world and surprisingly it ended up being the quiet yet powerful loner, Dan Humphrey who decided to start Gossip Girl because he wanted people to respect him and people respected Gossip Girl. Fans are both shocked and relieved to finally know who the mysterious gossip girl is but can't really accept the fact that their sweet Dan could have created so much drama. As the last view minutes roll on of the season finale, viewers have the chance to see into the future, approximately five years and see the new life's of their favorite Upper East siders.
you and making you feel like the most special, beautiful woman in the world. Catherine will you marry me?" bachelor Sean Lowe said on the finale. Catherine Guidici is originally from Seattle, Washington and is a graphic artist for Amazon and part time writer for a vegan blog where she talks about being a vegan and the types of foods she eats and has been introduced to. Before proposing to Catherine, Sean had to break one last girl's heart before Sean could propose to Catherine. Unfortunately for Lindsay Yenter, she was that girl. "I want to give you my heart so bad, but my heart is somewhere else. I've been so confused, and have been searching and praying for clarity. I think I've finally gotten it", said Lowe. (heavy.com) Catherine's i m mediate Dan reaction to the a n d news that the Serena man she finally thought make up and s h e decide to get was married, Nate decides to run for mayor and has become a successful businessman. The favorite couple, Chuck and Blair are still happily married and with a son who resembles his father's apperance. The clan are still extremely close and like promised, Gossip Girl has not started back up again. After 6 memorable seasons, the Gossip Girl era is finally coming to an end, the gates of the Upper East Side are being closed and viewers are forced to go back to living our mediocre lives, we will forever dream of our Gossip Girl family and the
going to spend forever with has greater feelings for another women is almost too much for her to handle. She transforms into a emotional wreck on national television in 2.2 seconds. "Oh my gosh, I'm gonna go because this is painful. This is a nightmare. I'm happy for you, I'm happy that you found love, but I honestly can't imagine my life without you and that's something I'm going to have to figure out", said contestant Lindsay Yenter. (foxnews. com) Lindsay exited herself in an emotional yet very adult manor, which showed her true character as a person. Following the proposal, the live televised special "After the Final Rose" aired, where we get to catch up with the Bachelor and his new fiance and see where they're at in their relationship. Surprisingly, the former bachelor Sean Lowe and contestant Catherine Giudici are still engaged and are planning a wedding that will air on ABC. "We don't have a date yet, but we have decided that we think it would be cool that since our relationship started and developed and was cultivated on a TV show, we'll have our wedding on a TV show," said Sean on usatoday. com.
memories they have left behind forever. You know you love me, XOXO, Gossip Girl. dfr.opinion.spring/ 13
Temple Run 2 story by rachel urconis
wists and turns, through the woods and inside caves, the new game sensation known as Temple Run 2 debuted internationally on January 17, 2013, creating a mass of various opinions among many users and players. With the new game out, many students give it a positive rating comparing it to the original Temple Run. "Temple Run 2 is so much better than the original one because the first one only had straight lines and edges. The game's much more challenging," sophomore Jayson Conyers said. Other students, however, are not as fond of the new app; they feel that it lacks original-
How to tie a
ity. "I would not recommend the game because it's the same thing as the first one. So why waste valuable data space and there's other games like Subway Surfers and Fun Run," junior Rashida Williamson said. A main key that attracts much of the positive reviews is the improved graphics from the transition of the first game to the second. "Temple Run 2 is in 3D and the graphics are more realistic, which makes it better," freshman Taylor Smith said. With enjoyment of the exciting new sequel, whether it is the better graphics or just the more challenging obstacles, students cannot help but spend a lot of
time on the game, some even calling it an addiction, much like the original Temple Run. Jayson said that on a school day he plays it 10 times and about 15 times throughout the weekend. Another aspect of the game that makes it such a success is not only the intensity of the challenges within the game, but rather the concepts that the challenge presents to the players. "You [the player] have more to do," Jayson said. "There's more obstacles such as the ropes and swings." Sequels usually gain popu-
larity based on their prequels. In other words, Temple Run 2 will either be a success or fail based on the original Temple Run. No matter what Temple Run 2 brings along with it to the App Store, improvement or not, one key factor will always remain that makes Temple Run what it is now. "I would recommend the game to others because it's different from other games because other games involve puzzles and action," junior Zachary Gothard said. "However, Temple Run 2 tests reflexes and that's much more fun."
full video and steps available at www.foxfusion.org!
To become a master in southern wear and classiness, the bowtie is essential. Here is how to class up your closet with a bowtie.
After putting the bowtie around your neck with the wider sides dangling, tuck one end up between your neck and the tie.
Now, bring the side that went behind the neck over the folded side. Pull as tight to the neck as you want it.
Fold the other side at its widest part, holding it sideways. Now, the tie should begin to take shape.
Then, pull the top side through the hole in the back of the tie and adjust as the final step to southern gentleman-ship.
14/ dfr.opinion.spring
Take Me Away to
story and photos by alexandria cone and bailey phillips
n May eleventh about 600 students will be experiencing a significant moment of their high school lives. Prom. Appearance and presentation on that night are huge parts of what makes the occasion so special, therefore students are challenged with the act of finding a great outfit, for a good price, for the perfect night. Junior Board advisor Phyllis Richmond oversaw a modeling event called Prom Blast in the commons area on March 28 that allowed students to get an idea of what they were going to wear for prom. "It was a promotion to get the students thinking about prom and to show them the kind of dresses that are available and to show the guys some neat examples of tuxedos and to have some businesses come in 16/ dfr.life.fall
that wanted to be a part of sharing what they have to offer the kids as far as flowers, makeup and clothing," Richmond said. Budgeting is important for Prom. Junior Board member Aria Roberson said that she is wiling to spend as much as her mother allows her to whereas senior Dorien Johnson believes that $20 per person is enough to spend on that night, when it come to food and pre-prom activities. "Look for something that you could wear again, spend more money on the experience than the dress," flower saleswoman Alex Houghtalen said. In order to help students to prepare for Prom at an affordable expense the Junior Board invited several businesses that could give out discounts and even free services to Prom Blast.
"When the businesses came in they left some coupon cards that will be available on the prom table, [There will be a prom table available when we start selling prom tickets] and Remington College will be offering free hair do ups, cuts makeup, and nails this year," said Richmond. Carolina Couture saleswoman Kimberly Laipil said that comfort is essential when selecting a suit or a dress; however, students are expected to wear clothing that respects a set of dress conduct. "It's a formal event, they're wearing beautiful clothes, they need to act in a formal way. We don't want any girls wearing too short of a dress that we can see her body and the dress should never come so low in the back that we see the lower area of her body," Richmond said.
The Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center downtown is where the event will be held and with a theme like "Take Me Away" attending students are expected to have a good time if they find value in the occasion. "We have Prom to let everybody relax because after a whole year of studying it's nice to have a party to end the year," junior Iyinda Kirkland said. Dorien believes that Prom isn't the only thing that makes high school worth experiencing. "I won't be going to Prom this year but the people you hang out with, the extracurricular things that you do and your grades [define you]," Dorien said. "Prom is something everyone can really get into. Things that can really change a school define a high school experience."
dfr.life.fall/ 17
Check us out for Prom! 1000 B Marina Rd,Irmo,SC (803)407-5757
The Hair Co. Family Hair Care Shopper's Walk, Irmo, SC (803)781-1334
(803)781-4116 www.MOVEMENTSDANCEANDACTIVEWEAR.com
Experience a foreign culture! High school exchange students need host families for the 2013-2014 1000 Marina Rd, Ballentine. 803-749-9484 10618 Broad River Rd, Irmo. 803-667-9107.
columbianaz.com facebook.com/columbianaz email@example.com
901 St. Andrews Road - Columbia, SC- 29210
school year! Tricia Goss, 'email@example.com', 321-947-7671
facebook.com/MoesColumbia dfr.ads.spring/ 19
Lax Crosses Over story by brandy williams >>> photo by tapanga brigman
he combination of football, hockey, basketball and soccer; it continues to get popular year after year and anybody, big or small, can play. This year, Dutch Fork had their own lacrosse team, whereas in previous years Dutch Fork, Irmo and Chapin students all played together on a district team. "It's fantastic that Dutch Fork has an official team and we get to put our name out there more," junior Tab Hirsch said. The rules of girls' lacrosse varies from boys' lacrosse. "Girls aren't allowed to hit each other like guys can, and for guys it's more fast-paced, but the girls do have a bigger field than the guys," senior Carson Sears said. Girls and boys also differ in the amount of protective gear they wear. "Boys wear helmets, mouth guard, body pad and gloves. Girls just wear a mouth
guard, shin pad and goggles, but if they're a goalie, they'll have extra padding on," girls' lacrosse coach Betsy Hirsch said. Being the first year, students have multiple reasons for wanting to join the team. "I play because it's a great form of exercise, it gives you something to do besides going straight home, and I get a chance to meet people I would've never met before anywhere else and overall, it's fun," Ariana said. Playing a sport helps athletes build teamwork skills. "You definitely build chemistry with all your teammates," Carson said. The lacrosse season only lasts a duration of two months. "Our first game is February 18th, but in the next weeks we'll have two or three games a week, so the season isn't long at all," senior Jamesmane Randolph said.
Some players hope to continue lacrosse even after high school. "I hope to go collegiate [levels]; the collegiate level is pretty much the same as the high school level, very few rules change, and it's still as intense," Tab said. There are hopes from coach Hirsch that Dutch Fork will do well in its first year as having their own official team. "I think the sky is the limit, the sport is growing; a lot of kids are trying is, it'll really become something big at Dutch Fork in a few years," Hirsch said. The lacrosse players have hopes for a good season also. "I'm definitely ready for our first game. I think we'll win and I think we'll have many wins during the season," Jamesmane said. "Our goal is just to ultimately have a good first season. We have some girls who will fight till the end."
Junior Jackson Tolar and Junior Kody Imel practice drills on the field
Jesuit Missionaries Document the game of Lacrosse in Early America 20/ dfr.sports.fall
The first intercollegiate The USWLA holds its first tournament is held at Westchester national tournament in Polo Grounds in New York. Greenwich, Conn.
All information comes from http://www.lacrosse-information.com/the-history-of-lacrosse. html
New kid on the amfies >>ld ice > photos by joy pr illi
story by brandy w
oving from Ohio to Irmo, South Carolina; it's 564.2 miles, eight hours and 53 minutes away. Not many teenagers can say they would enjoy this move mainly because they'd feel as if they were leaving everything behind to start a whole new life. Senior William Thomas did. "We moved down here because my grandparents were sick and it just felt like the right time," William said. Before settling down in Ohio, William lived in various states. "I was born in Irmo, then moved to Kentucky, then moved to Ohio, then moved to Virginia, then back to Ohio and then back to Irmo," William said. "But I've been in Ohio since 1999 so most of my life has been there." Since moving here, William has been playing shortstop for the varsity baseball team. "It's a great way for me to relax and play and have some fun and in an odd way, it keeps me closer to God. That's what I love about it," William said. The baseball team played a factor in
Will Thomas sits in a class and reads a book to pass time.
helping William's final move to Irmo for senior year not as difficult. "It [moving to Irmo] wasn't bad because I met some of the baseball guys over the summer and we played baseball together," William said. "The baseball guys down here really differ from the baseball players in Ohio because the the baseball players in Ohio partied a lot and the baseball guys here are a lot more cooler and more team orientated." The team has definitely bonded with William while playing together on the field. "We've been pretty good friends since the day he came down here and he's pretty close with all of us," pitcher and outfielder senior Ethan Hinkle said. "He's really good, he plays really hard and he'll be a great asset to our team this year." William's teachers enjoy having him as a part of their classroom as well. "He's great. He's resilient. He's really adjusted to this high school and he plays sports," social studies Kathryn Wagner said. "He's quiet in class, but also very active." William has proven to be a great student
in the weight room also. "I've only had him for three or four weeks, but so far I think he's a nice young man and very personable and he gets along well with everyone," physical education teacher Roy Kirby said. Overall, William has taken a liking to Dutch Fork and gets to experience situations that he didn't back in Ohio. "My favorite thing about Dutch Fork is the diversity. We don't have that in Ohio. In Ohio, there's not as many black kids or other races. So it's cool to get to know different cultures and get comfortable with different races," William said. William's faith plays a big role in his everyday life. "The coolest thing about moving down is here is that back in Ohio there's Christian people, but people don't really share their faith, but down here I can share my faith among different people," William said. "In Ohio, everybody knew everybody and they look down on you for every mistake you make, but moving down here I get to be a new person and really display the person I am so people can get to know me." dfr.sports.spring/ 21
kcaB Back to
story by brandi williams >>> photos by The State Media Company
ithin the last ten seconds of the game, senior guard Rose Robinson sinks in four straight free throws bringing the score to 4643 for a close win. Many emotions run through the crowd as the final buzzer goes off, announcing that Dutch Fork girls' varsity basketball team have once again won another State championship. "Everyone keeps asking how I feel. The thing about it is: you're happy, you're happy for the girls, you're excited about it, you just can't put it into words, it's an awesome experience," head coach Faye Norris said. When it comes to more important games such as the State game, the team has to use more
22/ dfr.sports.spring
teamwork skills to ensure the win. "Everyone who went out there was a key player. everybody was important and needed," Norris said. Most of the girls ended the game with statistics of their own that made them stand out. "You had Morgan Williams who scored 18 points and had 17 rebounds, You had Alaina Coates with 17 rebounds also, you had Kyla Wigfall to come in here and shot at the clutch," Norris said. "You had Kiki Daniels to block number 10 [on Dorman] so she didn't score and you had Sydney [Shull] doing all the little things here and there." Sophomore Morgan Wil-
liams was also selected as Player of the Game. "I felt accomplished. The win was something we had to work towards all year, not just a couple days before the game," Morgan said. Although senior Alaina Coates is leaving the team, she has a full-ride scholarship to the University of South Carolina. "It was a great season and I'm really proud of the undefeated season and of my team and going off to play for USC is going to be a great experience as well. I can't wait," Alaina said. When the season ends and seniors have to go off to college, it can be a bittersweet feeling. "I don't think the team will
suffer because of the seniors leaving, all we can do is improve like we do every year," Morgan said. Fans and support from peers are a key part of important games as well. "The atmosphere during halftime was really hype," senior DeRon Burton said. Overall, being back to back state champions is an experience everyone can't help but to be proud of. "I'm really proud of the basketball team because they are the only team that has been to state in a couple years and won," DeRon said. "Congrats to them and hopefully they will all transfer over to good college teams."
title game top
5 offensive rebounds sophomore Morgan Williams
18 points
sophomore Morgan Williams
13 defensive rebounds senior Alaina Coates
4 blocks senior Alaina Coates *maxpreps.com dfr.sports.spring/ 23
Published on May 20, 2013
Spring Issue from the Renaissance


text:
Gig Opportunity: Max Impact is the premier rock band of the United States Air Force. They are seeking auditions from bass guitarists. Learn more.
Stephen "Thundercat" Bruner is a phenomenal bassist with a singular voice. Here's a video from the first episode of the online music series "Off Main St," which features the bassist performing his song "Lotus and the Jondy." The song is from his second album Apocalypse.
If you dig this, make sure to check out the rest of the episode:


text:
Beach Loop Realty
Contact Details
(541) 347-1800
1010 1st St SE, STE #290 Bandon, Oregon 97411
Gold Beach, OR 97444
Beds: 2
Baths: 3
Sq. Ft.: 2,391
Type: Single Family Home
Listing #14354124
OCEAN AND PISTOL RIVER VIEWS from the Custom Built home on almost 40 acres. Two bedroom, three full bath home. Detached shop. Wind your way up your private driveway to enjoys panoramic vistas! Watch the sunrise to the east and sunsets to the west.
Property Features
Location Information
County: Curry
Area: Curry Co: Gold Beach & Surrounding Area
Interior Features
Interior: Garage Door Opener, Hardwood Floors, Laundry, Washer/Dryer
Master Bedroom Level: Main
Kitchen Features: Freestanding Refrigerator
Fireplace YN: No
Fireplace Description: Propane
Heating: Heat Pump
Heating Fuel: Electricity
Water Heater: Electricity
Accessibility YN: Yes
Basement/Foundation: Crawlspace
Exterior Features
Style: Custom Style, 1 Story
Stories: 1
Exterior Description: Cedar
Roof: Composition
Sewer: Septic Tank
Water: Well
Parking Description: Attached
Has Garage: yes
Garage/Parking Spaces: 2
Lot Description: Private, Sloped, Trees
Lot Acres: 38
Lot Size: 20 to 49.99 Acres
Zoning: FG
Exterior: Deck, Patio, Shop
Has View: yes
View Description: Trees, Ocean, River
Elementary School: Riley Creek
Jr High School: Riley Creek
High School: Gold Beach
Additional Information
Property Subtype: Single Family Residence
Year Built: 1996
Status: Active
Is an REO: No
Is Short Sale: No
Deck: yes
Tax Amount: 3, 355.07
$ per month
Year Fixed. % Interest Rate.
|Principal + Interest:
|Monthly Tax:
|Monthly Insurance:
Based on a fully amortized fixed rate loan. Ask your agent for the tax rates in your area. Insurance estimate is based on an average cost, your final premium cost will be determined by the type of coverage you select. This program only provides an estimate.
This Listing Courtesy of: Century 21 Agate Realty/Gold
The content relating to real estate for sale on this web site comes in part from the IDX program of the RMLS™ of Portland, Oregon. Real estate listings held by brokerage firms other than Beach Loop Realty are marked with the RMLS™ logo, and detailed information about these properties includes the names of the listing brokers.
Listing content is copyright © 2017 RMLS™, Portland, Oregon.
IDX content is updated approximately every two hours. Some properties which appear for sale on this web site may subsequently have sold or may no longer be available. All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified.
RMLS-OR data last updated at August 16, 2017 5:33 PM PT
Real Estate IDX Powered by iHomefinder


text:
West Coast Suites
Available year-round
King bed + sofa bed
Full kitchen
From $185 per night
Comfort that captivates
Serenity and convenience align in these modern one-bedroom hotel accommodations.
Features & Amenities
- King bed + sofa bed
- Luxury linens
- In-room safe
- Full kitchen with Starbucks Coffee
- Complimentary High Speed Wi Fi
- Free Canada/USA calling*
- Affordable parking
- 15-minutes to downtown
- Close to transit
- Accessible suites available**
Relax, Vancouver-style
Find your sweet spot at the West Coast Suites, featuring quintessential Vancouver style. Wood and stone accents, luxury linens, fully equipped kitchens, a beautiful natural backdrop and more. Available year-round!
Minors under 19 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.*Reasonable use policy applies. **Please request an accessible suite in the comment field when booking.
West Coast Suites
5961 Student Union Blvd, Vancouver, BC V6T 2C9, Canada


text:
Paul, why don't you mention an ideal tool? Figure M Information required by the restore operation is saved on the final disc. This time I had it (backup)in an internal drive bay on an x4 base, as opposed to usbenclosure, and used a usb key as opposed to a dvd in the x4 I fixed it. this contact form
Attempted restore again: 0x80070057. -Used Vista Recovery Environment to attempt a restore as this person had: http://www.overclock.net/windows/620851-full-windows-7-image-restore.html He had the exact same issue I did, but he was able to fix This is what I did:- I went to control panel/system and security/system protection.Take a look in the dialogue box (protection settings) then see what is in the Available Drives heading. What if your original drive failed and you have to switch to a new drive possibly of another size. System Image Recovery should appear as an option on the following screen.Alternatively you could create a new Recovery Drive.
To make a system image backup in Windows 8.1, you must navigate to the File History control panel (and not the main File History interface, which is in the Metro-style PC In the File History control panel that appears, look in the lower left corner. My Vista system had many major meltdowns. After much trial and error, I was able to determine (using diskpart) that the image restore had apparently succeeded, but the drive was simply not flagged as bootable and did not
The utility can create either optical media or bootable USB media.Lastly, by holding the Shift key when pressing Restart to restart the machine from within Windows 8 the system will restart I have GParted (which I initially used to align the partition) on a disc: just use that? Utter incompetence! Windows 8 Recovery Image Download You just go there and wala, you see a Browse icon.
If it doesn't work, I have Macrium as a backup :) Login or register to post comments foo on Oct 29, 2014 Thanks for this. System Image Recovery Windows 8 For some reason it was assigning the Drive I wanted to restore to the letter J and the drive to restore from: the letter C. Figure P To complete the Re-Image Your Computer wizard, just click Finish. Take note that when restoring from DVD, you must first insert the final disc in the set, as shown in Figure M.
Regarding ur questions and requests i will endeavor to do them when i am next able. Windows 8 Image File Free Download Some UEFI based computer supports both UEFI boot mode and Legacy BIOS-compatibility mode, so this error may happen even when you restore system backup to the original computer being backed up.The Figure A Accessing the Windows 7 File Recovery tool from the Start screen is easy. An easy setup screen.
Download and install this free backup software. So, I go to restore from the backup i just made 2 days ago before leaving work, and..... Windows 8.1 Recovery Image Download Let me add my voice to those that are asking"why is Microsoft so careless?" We are recovering your base OS with your built-in tools. Windows 8 System Image Download Last edited by abhi_beckert on Sun Dec 16, 2012 5:05 pm 766 posts | registered Jan 20, 2009 Jon Brodkin Jon is Ars Technica's senior IT reporter, covering the FCC and
I don't want to reinstall all my Adobe products, office suites, updates and spend countless hours on settings when I can simply restore. weblink solved Question about SSHDD (standard HDD system image restore on new SSHDD or no?) solved System Image Restore not working cant restore Win 7 Image to new hard drive? when I run the GUI tool, it only allows me to image BOTH installs. I make a quick backup, play around, break stuff and can roll back to a working system in 5 min. Windows 8 System Image Backup
at the end Windows asked if I wanted to create a "System Repair Disk"? When you insert the final disc, the Re-image your computer wizard will read the information on the final disc and then display the details of the system image, as shown in There are also various other ways to repair your computer here. http://computersecurityadvice.com/windows-8/win-8-1-backup-restore-target-disk-problem.html Figure I From the Troubleshoot screen, select the Advanced options tile.
Rick Winslow 44,418 views 4:09 How to Restore Your Computer from System Image - Learn Windows 7 - Duration: 3:57. System Image Recovery Windows 8 Download I can not find that option. In any event, cloud access does not work.
Puget Systems 1,346 views 8:08 Restoring your PC after a hard drive failure - Duration: 3:51. Even though diskpart was showing the partition as RAW just go ahead and run chkdsk and then restart your computer. I really wish MS would put some effort into making it a strong part of Windows, with a consumer friendliness 841 posts | registered Aug 17, 2011 abhi_beckertArs Scholae Palatinae jump System Image Recovery Can't Find Image i dont know what to do since during the restore process it reformatted my hard drive.
Sign in 3 Loading... Your browser will redirect to your requested content shortly. I was trying to restore a Surface Pro2 Win 8.1 Pro image from a smaller SSD (128GB) to a model with the larger 256GB SSD. his comment is here I thought it would be easy to put in an old 80G SATA HDD and restore my three-day-old system image (using my Windows 7 USB stick).
This process is automatic. As you see above, Windows notifies you at this point that restoring from this System Image is an all-or-nothing proposition—there is no restoring individual files. I fixed it. I really feel like a nice guy today :-) Login or register to post comments jd_hupp on Nov 4, 2013 I find that Win 8.1 no longer includes a tool to
Of course, there is one more confirmation to work through, as shown in Figure Q. Sunday, February 19, 2017 11:49 PM Reply | Quote 0 Sign in to vote In my case it was necessary to run chkdsk c: /f after getting the0x80070057 Parameter Incorrect error. Anyway after restarting from the apparently newly restored hd it came to a window saying something like: Mbr error 1 Please insert a floppy disk and press any key Altho come Other than possibly adding a little time to the process, the steps and the end result were the same.) If you are restoring to a new hard disk, chances are that
Cancel Unsubscribe Working... From this menu, select either your optical drive to boot the disk or the USB device for boot. Figure H When you are prompted to choose and option, select the Troubleshoot tile. System Repair is on a bootable install DVD?
The system drive i formatted was created in diskpart and then re formatted with "format" command (as it created the disk in raw mode) so now it is ntfs mode (uncompressed). But this is certainly a disappointing issue when running Verify program ruins your computer and OS and your backups and recovery do not work and nothing available on-line seems to help. You should be able to boot to the recovery disk/pen drive and then click advanced and select connect to the network....the rest should be straight forward. To do this, you would go into File Explorer where the music, documents, pictures, and video libraries are, create a new library, and just put your whole disk in it.
So, Thank you Paul for finding it and Thank you Microsoft for leaving it in. Now I cannot restore that backup from my external HDD or my network location.