Dealing With Attention Deficit Disorder In High School

“If you do not do something about your child I will retire from teaching! I simply cannot control him.” My kindergarten teacher spoke these words as she stormed off, leaving my mother dumbstruck and with a terrible feeling of failure. My constant interruptions in class had finally worn through my teachers nerves, further frustrating her because I was sincerely sorry for my actions and wished to correct them but unable to. I sunk into a feeling of frustration and despair, believing that I was, as was termed by my teachers, “lazy and uncooperative.” I was shortly thereafter referred to a local doctor and then a psychologist for testing. My parents’ worst fear was that I had Bipolar (maniac depression) Disorder. As it turned out, this was not the case. Instead I was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Read on for more about this disorder.

E'Gad!

ADHD is a neurobiological disorder that originates from the central nervous system. This is a result of chemicals in the brain not working to their full capacity. This leads the people affected with this disorder to behave impulsively and be inattentive (Dendy 1). It is believed that about eight and a half million people in the U.S. suffer from ADHD. Roughly four million are children (Wender 3). Many of these children remain undiagnosed and have led troubled lives because of this chemical imbalance, growing up into dysfunctional adults. Because of this I think that better education should be given to educators in forms of federal grants for research into the methods of recognizing this disorder. On top of that, more time and effort should be put into teaching and understanding these students. All educators should be required to take at least one class on teaching these children so that ADHD students can succeed in school and eventually succeed in life living productive and rewarding lives. As far as what these classes would actually teach, I have no idea what the actual curriculum would entail, but that can be taken care of by the grants for research. The first step is in recognizing that this is a real disease and that without some sort of treatment, be it in any form, from medication to therapy, these students (me included) will have a difficult time achieving success. Imagine taking a child that cannot walk or use his arms and requiring him to take a physical education class, but flunking him because he cannot play baseball. This is much the same as what many ADHD students go through in school, striking out many times in schools academic baseball. Unfortunately, because it’s much easier to diagnose a paraplegic than it is to diagnose ADHD, many kids who are just as handicapped as an immobile student don’t receive the help that they need. In fact, many do not know they can get help because of this condition.

Because the symptoms of ADHD are so widely varied, not only is it hard to make a diagnosis, but also the proper treatment is also very difficult to determine. My specific type of ADHD is called ADD/I/WO, meaning that it is attention deficit disorder with inattentiveness being the main characteristic (Dendy 1). Although less severe than ADD/H (primary trait being hyperactivity and impulsivity) it was and is nonetheless devastating to my school career. My symptoms manifested themselves in the form of selective inattention, impulsivity, anxiety, low frustration tolerance, and academic under-achievement. With this to go on and little else, (a reliable way to test for ADHD is yet to be found) my doctor prescribed a drug called Ritalin. He explained to me that it was not magic and would not cure me; it was just a temporary aid, much like Cinderella and her fairy godmother. Once it wore off my pumpkin carriage would disappear and I would once again become my hyperactive self. With this as a warning, I promptly agreed with all he said and the next day I took the medicine. Its effects were evident almost immediately. In thirty minutes to an hour I became relaxed and anxiety free. Much of the chaotic disarray that clouded my mind lifted to reveal order and discipline to an extent I never thought possible. Having never liked medicine, I was still skeptical, expecting some immediate side effect. This was not the case however. I found I thought clearly in a concise manner, arranging events categorically in my head, something that had always been difficult for me (this impacted my ability to foresee consequences for my actions). Unfortunately, this cloud had a dark lining. Weeks later, I began to suffer from stomach cramps, ranging from mild aches to gut-wrenching, excruciating pain. I went to the doctor about a month later and discovered that the medicine had created an ulcer in my stomach and my body was starting to develop a dependency on the drug. My parents didn’t know what to do. They had nowhere to turn. After consulting with another doctor, he prescribed me another pill called Adderall, promising milder side effects and better results but with the same warnings as the previous doctor. Needless to say I was still recovering from the Ritalin and was suspicious of any medicine. I reluctantly took it the next day, more for the sake of my teachers than my own. Once again I received all the positive effects but this time I couldn’t find any side effects. It was several months later that I discovered that my appetite waned after its consumption. I would not be hungry till the effect of the medicine wore off, leaving me with a voracious appetite. I learned to live with this and actually gained from this in that I used to be very overweight but, after taking the medicine and undertaking a vigorous entourage of physical education classes, I found myself in a much better position physically than ever before.

As you can see, this medicine is powerful, and like any drug, can and might be used for harmful purposes. Because of this, anti-medication parents of ADHD (and parents that feel that their children are buying medicine from the ADHD kids) would argue that the drugs should be taken of the market and should not be used to treat ADHD. What these parents don’t see is that it happens with any drug, not just ADHD medication. What I agree to is not the banning of the medication, but the supervision of those taking it. Nurses should be required to witness the actual intake of medicine so that a kid can’t just go out and peddle away the drug like a common drug dealer. Taking medicine is a responsibility that should not be taken lightly. In one of my sources, there was an interview with an ADD teenager (she is 19 years old and wishes to remain anonymous) in which she confided the following:

“I started taking Ritalin the summer before third grade. It helped me pay attention but it didn’t help me learn my multiplication tables. I thought I was taking Ritalin to help me do better in math. At first I didn’t mind, but then I noticed Ritalin took away the fun. When I went on medication I was a chatterbox at school. I wasn’t disruptive or hyperactive. I was just talkative. In seventh grade, I finally had a teacher agree with me. He liked me better when I didn’t take my medication. I was such a loner when I was on it. It was like I wasn’t able to feel loose and fun and silly. I started giving my pills away. Sometimes my friends would act like me because they took my pills. (Wender 112)”

This shows that if you don’t need the medicine you shouldn’t take it, and its intake should be monitored.
With this as evidence, many people argue that the risks are too great to release such a drug on the market. Others feel that it’s not needed in the first place. In fact, some people simply do not believe in ADHD. They think that it is simply a crutch that is used only when it is needed. I believe this is untrue, since many ADHD kids care about school, their grades, and even work but suffer from a subtle form of amnesia, which is not the same as the diagnosed kind. An ADHD person (be it adult or child) is assaulted everyday by distractions. I have been told so many times to focus on my work which then frustrates me. It’s different for different cases, but in my case, I’m distracted most by things that I hear. My parents have observed many times that I might be doing something in one room but if other people in other rooms are talking, I will join in the conversation, if I believe I have relevance to the topic (which, in my wrongful opinion I do almost every time) and will yell from one end of the house to the other. The problem is that when I’m (or any ADHD person) distracted I forget what I was doing and not remember till, for example the paper is due. My dad is a computer guy and he jokes around with me saying that I’m like a computer with a lot of hard drive space but not much ram.

Synapses

To truly try to understand ADHD, one must look at the biological side of it. The brain has many ridges crisscrossing to and fro, and in these ridges, or synapse, where instructions are carried across, by small sparks. The signal, for example, travels from the ear (or any sensory organ) and goes to the different synapses, to nerve ends that transmit these chemical signals across. Now the problem comes when the chemical signal* comes to these nerve endings but doesn’t get carried across. This is the true reason behind ADHD. The trouble is that all children display these symptoms to a certain degree and its difficult to tell where childish impulsivity and distraction ends and ADHD begins. This is why kids seem to be distracted or not paying attention. These neurotransmitters all have different purposes. One of the three primary neurotransmitters is serotonin, which is required for a restful sleep and supply feelings of comfort and well being. This deficiency is common in both types of ADD. The other two neurotransmitters are thought to each be responsible for one type of ADD. Dopamine is responsible for ADHD while, norepinephrine is responsible for ADD/I/WO. The reason for this theory is because Ritalin stimulates the central nervous system to release dopamine, Norepinephrine, and serotonin, the exact neurotransmitters that ADHD children are lacking (Dendy 12-13). That is why when non-ADHD students take Ritalin or any other ADHD medicine they become hyper. Their neurotransmitters are working overtime when they don’t really need it.

With so much against ADHD students one would think that despair would kick in, since so much seems to be missing from them that is standard with other kids. Like the saying goes, every cloud has a silver lining. ADHD students have enormous strengths that are displayed in many different ways. Many times, kids with ADHD lack fear, and are not afraid to try something new. They always seem to be full of energy, participating in all types of sports and activities. They always seem to find the good side in everything, no matter what the situation is. Once all that energy is channeled towards a positive source, they usually become the best in their field.

In the past few years, I’ve met several ADHD teenagers, and I’ve found that each one is completely different in their likes, but what they all had in common is that whatever they were interested in they usually excelled at it to an excessive degree. My friend Ben (also ADHD) and I are both into computers and so we put our heads together and rigged up an awesome computer system with wireless remote control LED lights circling the Pentium 4 processor. Other times, when I’m by myself, I’ll sit for hours typing up computer code to make a certain program work. My other friend Willie (ADD/I/WO), on the other hand, is into electronics, and went to the swap meet and bought a little disco ball light up smiley face, which he then took home and fixed up all the wiring in just a few days. I have looked for the reason behind such singular interests in ADHD kids and still cannot find one. Once my friends or myself get involved in something we’re interested in, nothing short of an earthquake can shake our attention.

One of the most liberating and important moments in an ADD teenager’s life is when he is diagnosed. You suddenly understand why you cannot focus. The feelings of inadequacy and thoughts of failure exit your mind in a heartbeat. It’s very difficult to describe what it is like to be ADD. Nick, an 8 year old diagnosed with ADD puts it best when he says.

“I have always been curious why it is that so many kids feast at the table of knowledge, when all I get is indigestion.” – NIck, 8 year old child with ADD

Each and every teenager or child with ADD can connect with this feeling. Since we are human beings still, and one of the most basic human urges is to be accepted, then we, the same as anyone else, should be helped if we cannot succeed on their own. A study released by NIMH* stated the following:

“Because schools demand that children sit still, wait for a turn, pay attention, and stick with a task, it’s no surprise that many children with ADHD have problems in class. Their minds are fully capable of learning, but their hyperactivity and inattention make learning difficult. As a result, many students with ADHD repeat a grade or drop out of school early. Fortunately, with the right combination of appropriate educational practices, medication, and counseling, these outcomes can be avoided (Neuwirth 1).”

Finally, as to what causes this disorder, many theories have been put forward but the one that, considering my history, is most likely to be true is the following, yet again part of the previous study released by NIMH: “Other research shows that attention disorders tend to run in families, so there are likely to be genetic influences. Children who have ADHD usually have at least one close relative who also has ADHD. And at least one-third of all fathers who had ADHD in their youth bear children who have ADHD. Even more convincing: the majority of identical twins share the trait. At the National Institutes of Health, researchers are also on the trail of a gene that may be involved in transmitting ADHD in a small number of families with a genetic thyroid disorder.” My father tells me that attention deficit disorder does run in my family, he having a grandfather who also has it.

Being ADHD is not easy. It’s very easy to just label someone as ADHD and think of them as a lost cause. They need more help than the average student because they can excel where others cant and they are still human and still deserving of all the advantages offered to average kids. There are so many famous people out there with ADHD that have offered back to their community. Just a few examples of these people are:

• Bill Cosby
• Danny Glover
• Robin Williams
• Will Smith
• Whoopi Goldberg
• Babe Ruth
• Magic Johnson
• Walt Disney
• John D. Rockefeller
• Albert Einstein

The list above is just a few of the many famous people with ADD (Adams 1). Some of our most influential people, of the past, present, and with a little help, the future, are and will be ADHD.

That is one way to look at the picture. The other way is to look at another set of completely different statistics. ADHD children have an increased likelihood of growing up to be alcoholics and/or drug addicts. This is the case for those kids who do not get the help that they need. This help comes in school, where they are still susceptible to learn from others. As they grow older they become more strong willed, and tend to be very headstrong. This is something that we will have to work on but like I said at the beginning, we cannot do this ourselves. We have no desire to end up on the streets as drug addicts or drunkards. I have many hopes and ambitions. I also have many dreams. Unfortunately, its hard to let go of my dreams and pay attention to reality. I plan to someday have a home, a nice car, and a family. I cannot just say this over and over and hope that it will eventually come to pass. It won’ be easy and ill need help, but as they say, if you shoot for the moon and miss you’ll hit a star. I can hope, but that won’t be all that I will rely on. Hope has very little substance, so I know that if I put hope and hard work together it’ll be just the recipe I need to get me where I want to go on life’s road. If there is one good thing about being ADHD, it is that I will never stop being happy and most importantly, self confident.

WORKS CITED:

Dendy, Chris A. Zeigler, M.S. “Teenagers with ADD, A Parents Guide” Minnesota: Woodbine, 1995.

Wender, Paul H. “ADHD: Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Children and Adults” New York: Oxford 2000

Neuwirth, Sharyn M.Ed “Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.” National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) (July 01, 1999)
<http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/adhd.cfm#adhd9>

Adams, Paul “No More Ritalin” Nomoreritalin.com (October 23 2002)
<http://www.nomoreritalin.com/famous_add.htm>

Mr ADD  photo credit: dullhunk

Adderall  photo credit: hipsxxhearts

Drugs  photo credit: David Hilowitz

Today I want to talk about Facebook (Or Social Media) etiquette. I have noticed a growing trend on Facebook recently, that I like to call “Machine Gun Posting.” If I have added you as a friend on Facebook, it means that I genuinely like you. But, if you are going to be posting a new status update every 30 seconds, we need to rethink this whole Facebook friendship thing. So below is a list of things I think make for good Facebook etiquette. Don’t like it? Then friend me on Twitter instead. Read on for the list.

1. Machine Gun Posting – In my mind, Facebook is a tool to let other know about your life. But that doesn’t mean we want to know every single solitary thing that happened to you through Facebook. Save some of those posts for real life, when I am talking to you. People spend so much time digitally, that they forget face to face time is important. Don’t be like this. I find a good general rule of thumb to be 2-3 posts a day, max. Obviously that is not a hard or fast rule. And know your friends. If you post a lot, and are always getting comments, then maybe your friends appreciate all of your posts, but be careful. Take a hint from most (not all!!) celebrities. The smart ones only post 1 a day or so, that way people don’t unfriend them. Less is more!

2. Comment Phishing – Normally phishing is when someone sends you an email as bait to get your information. Similar to this, comment phishers post a mysterious, short and maybe angry post. For example, simply posting: “UGHH!!!” is not helping anyone. Want sympathy? Post a short concise version of the events, since your going to do it in the comments anyway. I find this to be in poor taste.

3. Destroy the World Posts – Facebook is an interesting place. People are condensed into short 420 character status updates that reflect on who they are. Think about that before you post an angry rant on Facebook. When you post about how another person needs to die, or how much you absolutely hate vegetables (just kidding!), you show a side of yourself that should be reserved to talking with friends (again, in real life!). Ranting isn’t bad, just don’t do it on Facebook, or if you do, try to adjust your settings for that post so only people you know will care see it. Sure, there are friends that are interested, but most just don’t care. Let’s try to make Facebook as positive a place as possible.

Have I been guilty of the things above? Sure! No one is perfect, and I am not asking that you be. But remember, just because you are online, doesn’t mean that the need for manners goes out the door. Show people a positive side of you, and that will reflect well on you. My goal is to follow this advice as much as possible, and try to influence my friends positively to this end.

Photo Credits:

 photo credit: DVIDSHUB

 photo credit: Base Camp Baker

 photo credit: frankpierson

It’s funny, because when I first heard of this movie coming out, I was a little disgusted. I am a big fan of the original series of movies, and this to me stank of a money making ploy. Thankfully, I was completely wrong! Read on for my thoughts on the movie!

Lets begin with the acting, which was superb. I normally do not like James Franco, as he seems to be somewhat ditzy in some of his other movies. In this movie, he is portrayed as a scientist who is desperately trying to save his father from Alzheimers. He acting is great, and really makes the movie the success that it is. At least, until Cesar. The true main character of the movie, Cesar is a monkey that has been blessed with extreme intelligence due to the virus that his mother was injected with. I believe that he is completely CGI (Computer generated imagery), but they do an AMAZING job of getting us to care about him. His acting is amazing, for a chimp, and he was brilliant!

The graphics in the movie were so amazing, you didn’t even see it, which is pretty amazing considering the entire movie is about a genius monkey who is animated throughout the movie. You are completely immersed, which lets you enjoy the story line.

Guess who makes a cameo appearance?

What I really enjoyed about the movie was the fact that it plugged up many of my questions from the original movies, and really integrated the old with the new. I must admit though, that I felt dated, when one of the characters yelled out “Let go of me you D***** dirty ape” and I was the only one in the theater to bust out laughing. Goes to show that the current generation is missing out on some great movies! Also, Charlton Heston makes a cameo appearance, which was very surprising considering that he passed away in 2008! (the way they did it was awesome, but once again, nobody in the theater understood why it was awesome to see him again!).

Anyway, overall, I absolutely loved the movie, and it is mostly family friendly except for maybe a bit of violence and a part where Cesar bites off someones finger (they barely show anything, except for some blood). Other than that, if you are a fan of the original movies (they made 5 of them!!!! Can you believe that??) then you will LOVE this movie, and even if you aren’t a fan of the original movies, you will still love it! It has plenty of drama, action, and more primates than you can shake a stick at! Go check it out, you wont be sorry that you did!

What a wild ride! I went and saw the movie Super 8 last night, and I must say, I was super impressed (pardon the pun! ). The movie is set in the late 1970′s and deals with a group of kids set on making a monster movie in the Super 8 format (for all you whippersnappers like me, that’s an old movie format that needed to be viewed on a projector after it was developed, as in you couldn’t watch it right away!!). It was directed by the powerhouse that is J.J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg, and it shows, from the makeup and ambiance to the special effects and CGI. I absolutely loved it! Read more for my complete review!

The plot is entirely original (to a point) and the acting was SUPERB! I was literally on pins and needles most of the time. There is plenty of Sci Fi action and violence, so its not good for the kiddos. But otherwise, it was a trip! It really took you back in time to the 70′s!

The plot deals with a small town that makes a living off the Steel mill. You are introduced to the main character through the death of his mother, who was involved in an accident in the mill. You slowly began to meet all of the characters after that. The characters were well casted, and very believable. As you get to know the characters, you see that they are involved in making a movie for a competition, and are shooting it when they accidentally film a train wreck, and what emerges from the train wreckage is more than they can ever imagine. The movie is very interesting and I highly recommend it

There is a new trend sweeping the nation, called LifeCasting. Life casting is simply broadcasting a persons life through the internet. This is done in many ways, from the creepy, to the unique, to the mundane. On a whim, I decided to take it up, and see what all the fuss is about. Read on for an in depth analysis of the premise of LifeCasting.

Since I am not willing to install a camera into my head, I turned to my local phone marketplace (the Droid Market) I searched for the popular instagr.am app, but it was nonexistent. I did find a better app (in my opinion! ) called picplz. PicPlz is an app that makes taking photos simple and easy to share. How simple and easy you ask? Well, it is a 3 step process. Take the picture, apply a filter (if any! I find that adding a filter can make a simple photo really stand out), and hit done. Your photo will instantly be submitted to the following services (you can choose which you want):

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Flickr
• Tumblr
• Posterous
• Foursquare
• Dropbox

For me, the ability to send it to these great services makes it a godsend, especially the Dropbox feature. I use Dropbox all the time, and is my favorite file synchronization program. It helps keep all my computers connected, and in turn, me connected to my files. So, anyways, what is lifecasting you ask? Well, put simply, LifeCasting is simply documenting ones life, using pictures to show what is important in your life. What is the draw? Several things. One: If your the kind of person that likes to look back on their life, and see what you did, this is really great! I love logging in and looking over my pics, and seeing my life artfully and visually displayed. Two: This is a great way to show your friends what you are up too. Since uploading pictures literally takes no time, so it is very quick and painless to do. Three: Its just plain fun to document what your doing. All things considered, I truly enjoy it, and it is really quite fun. If you have an iPhone, check out Instagr.am and if you have a droid, check out PicPlz. I think once you get the hang of it, you will enjoy it!

A Fire upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Usually, if a book doesnt pull me in within the first few minutes, it hits my read later stack. I have been getting more and more impatient with books, and the casualties have been piling up left and right. This book almost hit that same pile. The only thing that kept me from doing that, was some strange inconsistencies. At the beginning of the book, there is an alien race that at first you assume is humanoid. As the book progresses, you see that that is not definitely NOT the case. That is the only thing that kept me interested in it till it got good. The book itself I found a little hard to follow, as the author has set up the universe in a very strange way, with different layers, and technology only works on certain layers, and just generally I felt lost in the universe that he created. I tended to just go with it, but I did get confused many times. I was ok with the ending, and I was not to disappointed, but it could have been better. My last gripe, is that you can tell this book was written a while back. He handles the universal internet like its one giant forum, and the amount of bandwidth that people get is laughably small compared to what is available now. Overall, I really wanted to know what happened in the end, so I did finish it, but I probably wont recommend this book to anyone. It had enough novelty in it to keep me interested, but the story was too convoluted for me to follow well.

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A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Once again, I am simply blown away by George R. R. Martin. He takes pure chaos, puts it in print, and makes a gripping world where literally anything can happen. Just when you think you know where the book is going, it makes a complete 180 degree turn. If you have not read George R. R. Martins Song of Ice and Fire books, you are truly missing out. A combination of dragons, knights, magic, political intrigue, and pure chaos make this a book that can not be missed. My only real complaint is that I cannot continue in this world, as George R.R. Martin has not released the last book, A Dance with Dragons. It is still being written, and was supposed to have been finished 3+ years ago with no end in sight. Honestly, I think he has woven so much chaos into his last book, that there is no end in sight, and he has no idea what he will do to finish it. Until he figures it out, I will remain optimistic that it will be published soon. Till then, I will need to start reading his other works.

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A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Amazing book!!! I love this book so much! As always, George R. R. Martin surprises you at every turn. I have learned to not fall in love with the characters, because there is always a chance they could die. Regardless, One of my favorite characters was killed anyways… Anyways, don’t even try to figure what is going to happen in the book, simply sit back, and enjoy the ride!

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There aren’t many movies that make me feel nostalgic, but Narnia movies definitely do. When I was younger, my parents gave me the BBC movies from television of the The lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Me and my siblings later watched all of them, but our love for the series escalated like never before. We read the books, and learned the mythology behind it. It is one of my happiest memories from my childhood. The new movies are definitely alive with the magic of the originals, and the books.Watching the new Narnia movie, I was immediately sucked in, and felt right at home with the characters. They were very believable, and very likable. I even liked Eustace, the brat. It is full of action, and adventure, but also with moral cautions, and spiritual overtones. The special effects were wonderful, and very realistic, but I did have one complaint. The 3D was HORRIBLE! I found myself pushing the glasses up because the glasses dim the light from the screen a lot, and the 3D was very minimal. Most movies make an effort and have 2 or 3 moments that are just in the movie to showcase the 3D, but not this movie. Sure the waves of the ocean seemed real, and there were moments when it was nice, but if I had known it would be that bad, I wouldn’t have bothered.

Family Friendliness

I found the voyage of the dawn treader to have many moments of instilling deep morals, but near the end of the movie, a giant monster appears that destroys any benefit a very young child would get from the dialogue. If the little one is under 8, you might want to refrain from taking them. Of course with all the monsters kids see on TV nowadays, this one is nothing compared to those.

Wow. These past two days have probably been the hardest of my life. No I am not diagnosed with some horrible disease, or any other kind of sickness. No I am not going through some financial situation. So what is my problem? I am waiting for a laptop. Not just any laptop, google’s new Chrome OS based Cr-48 netbook. This little netbook isnt your typical notebook. It doesn’t have your typical operating system. It has a browser for the operating system. Yeah you heard right, only a browser. While a little unorthodox this is something that makes sense in todays society of web apps and online video streaming, it should do at least moderately well. Here are the stats courtesy of engadget:

• 12.1-inch screen.
• Full size keyboard.
• Oversized clickpad.
• Qualcomm Gobi 3G chip for Verizon data in the US, your carrier of choice internationally.
• 802.11n dual-band WiFi.
• 8+ hours of active use.
• 8+ days of standby.
• Webcam.
• Flash storage. (either 8 or 16 gigabytes, not sure yet which)
• Intel Pine Trail processor.
• 100MB of free Verizon data.

But like the Peek messaging device, it is definitely a single use device. So why is this an issue? because google is not notifying the people who are getting one if they are actually getting one. To the point that I have joined a group of like minded people on facebook who are all anxiously waiting to receive their Cr-48. We have spent almost 2 days figuring out ways to track the packages, using reference numbers to see if we will receive one soon. I feel like I might pop from the pressure! Well, Here’s hoping google has pity on us, and ships us one soon! Want to get your own? Well you have until December 21st to apply. To apply, go here:

http://www.google.com/chromeos/

To join us on facebook as we anxiously wait for our laptops, go here:

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_129642963763271&ap=1

This has become more than a laptop to us, it is affirmation that google really does care about us. Come through for us google!