Everyone knows that passing is 60 percent Coming to class everyday will almost guarantee at least 50 percent so you only have to put in 10 percent of your own effort into homework and quizzes and you’ll be in there like swimwear. This always works because for some weird reason teachers like teaching, so when you show up for class everyday it’ll show them that you care and it’ll make it harder for them to fail you. So realistically, all you need to do is nod your head a few times, answer all the easy questions, and stay in good graces with the teacher and all will be square. Maybe pick up a pencil here and there for good measure.

So you’re in class but still need to figure out a way to not pay attention. Sure you can sleep, but where’s the fun in that? One thing you can do is take the insane route. As soon as class starts and while everyone else are in their seats, get up and begin pacing around the room whispering such phrases as “I hate myself,” or “Why am I alive?” People will be confused, you’ll think it’s hilarious, and it’ll effectively disrupt class for a few minutes. It’s a win-win.

Okay so maybe you don’t want to lose all of your friends in the process of having fun, so instead of getting up, just stay in your seat and find a good “view.” People often don’t seem to appreciate having a girl with huge cans in the room until they have to listen to the Hawley-Smoot Tariff Act for two hours. Oh come on, don’t even say I’m being insensitive, YOU ALL do it. It can instantly brighten up your day but can also eliminate the ability to get up from your seat, so be careful.

Maybe the girl across the room keeps noticing that you’re looking at her, which means you could A. keep looking or B. find ways to annoy your classmates. There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing someone flip out because you keep blowing your nose really loud or constantly throw paper airplanes at them. Just mumble into peoples’ ears “I just farted” and see them instantly hate you. Another great thing you can do is suck up to the teacher. This way, people will hate you but your teacher will think you’re really involved. It’ll give your otherwise dull day a little spice.

Perhaps being a teacher’s pet isn’t doing it for you. Maybe class just isn’t doing it for you. When all your friends are sick and the teacher decides to collect the homework you “didn’t realize” you had, sometimes you just have to get out of there. It’s way harder to leave class once the teacher knows you’re there, and going to the bathroom doesn’t always work, because leaving with your backpack is way too suspicious. The worst thing that could happen is your teacher will tell you to sit back down. Just get creative and 007 your way to freedom. Then sneak your way around the school avoiding the hall sweeps. You’ll either be in a principal’s office or at Ezell’s, but you won’t be in class.

All of these ideas run the gamut of getting one in trouble, but the elevated risk of getting caught does not outweigh the reward of getting through school without effort, attention, or boredom.

The whole point of skipping school is not to go to school, so when I got up that Friday morning to go to school after I had faked a sickness to my parents, I knew something was wrong. That morning marked the first time Garfield would have a live video for the opening announcements, and I had to be there to give them. The fact that I had to go to school wasn’t bad, but the fact that all my teachers knew I was at school and myself knowing I still had to skip was just awesome. Really just the best thing I could ask for.

After leaving school, I realized that I hadn’t eaten anything for breakfast, so I promptly did the smart thing: broke into my friend’s house and enjoyed a bowl of cereal, by myself. The guilt of breaking in didn’t affect me; it was the loneliness, however, that caused my heart to skip a beat. Everyone knows that Ferris Bueller had accomplices to help him enjoy the day. I was alone.  But I was in too deep; it was 8:30 and there was no way I could go back. I finished my bowl of Reese’s Puffs and began the worst day of my life.

To help soothe the pain of having no friends, I decided to go to Montlake Elementary School to play with the little kids during their recess, where I was sure to win at hot lava monster, freeze tag, and especially dodgeball. Most of them welcomed me as their own, and I soon felt like I was the king of the playground. My reign quickly ended, however, as the outdoor supervisor realized I wasn’t 10 years old. She asked what I was doing there. I’m not too good at talking to adults so I went ahead and said “playing with little kids.” Without haste she asked me to leave. I complied, but before leaving asked my new minions if they wanted to come with me. The supervisor then started walking toward me and I ran.

Driving around in my Mitsubishi Mirage while my Ferrari was in the shop, I decided to go downtown and see the city. After finding parking I decided to have some fun with the citizens of Seattle. See, what I’ve learned is that people don’t react well when met with weird situations. If you do something out of the norm, it’ll take a few seconds for their brains to analyze what just happened and usually they panic. So I decided to scour the city for its bathrooms. From Pacific Place to Pike Place, I visited a total of eight bathroom stalls and hunkered down into each of them. When I was inside I began to moan and yell to simulate a “fat dump.” These cries were met with mostly silence from the other people occupying the bathroom, thus proving my point. In two separate instances, however, a man asked if I was alright, where I then dropped the act and in my plainest voice said I was okay, and then immediately began again. The best occasion occurred when I entered an empty bathroom and began moaning anyways. Unnecessary? Perhaps, but it turned out to be worth it. I heard a man enter the bathroom, and then heard him leave immediately. He panicked. On my eighth and final stall, I actually went to the bathroom, though.

After walking around the city some more and even unsuccessfully trying to get those fish throwing guys to throw me a fish, I decided I wanted to play some basketball. Now, there’s a well known stereotype out there that people of African-American persuasion are known for being good at basketball, and for the most part it’s kind of true. And the only way to get better at basketball is to constantly step up your game, so I wanted to play against six-foot-five Kobe Bryants and not the kids at a local elementary school. So I went to the Rainier Community Center, where luckily I found two guys shooting around. I asked them if they wanted to play a game of “21” and the game was on. Five minutes later, I had one point and they were both at game-point with 20 a piece. I lost. At this point of the day I began to ask myself if it was all worth it.

All was not over however, as I still needed to beat my parents home before they realized I was playing hooky. Therefore I parked my car a few blocks away from my house and began the cross-neighborhood run to get home first. It ended up being a bit anticlimactic as I beat them by a good half-hour. A proper way to end a worthless day. In the end I’m probably looking at a verbal beating from my teachers, possible punishment from the school, and irreversible humiliation; all for the sake of journalism.

Repo Men follows best friends Remy (Jude Law) and Jake (Forest Whitaker) as employees for The Union, a company that provides artificial limbs to extend the life of the people in exchange for large amounts of credit. Their line of work however is repossession, resulting in bloody on-scene surgeries for those unfortunate to be back in their payment. Remy finds himself an unwilling buyer of a new artificial heart after a near death accident on one of his jobs and gets behind in his payment. Ten guesses what happens next.

Repo Man turned Repo Victim, Remy has a change of heart (ZING) and decides that this kind of work is wrong and vows to find a way to save his life as well as the life of everyone else that was foolish enough to purchase an organ. What followed was typical action thriller fare: friend turning on friend, a secondary and almost unnecessary love story, and buckets of blood.

One of the things the film had going for it was its action. Although in no way setting any standards, first time director Miguel Sapochnik did a good job at keeping it focused and full of blood. It does walk a fine line between satirical and serious however, as I did find myself laughing at a lot of the ridiculous fight scenes. However, the overall premise does lend itself for some expected insanity, so it doesn’t hurt the film in any real way.

Although the film is anchored by heavy hitters like Law and Whitaker the script does little with character development and when it does try to put in romance or heartbreak, you’re left feeling like something was left out. Between Remy’s marriage plight and newfound love interest, I never got the feeling that any of this mattered and just wanted someone to get shot in the face again. In any case, the actors do a good job at portraying their different roles in the film and never once delivered a cringe worthy line despite being in an over-the-top environment.

Another thing I found was a bit of a letdown was the futuristic setting and storyline. Even though I did like how the film stayed true to its name and basically followed the whole “repo men” principle throughout the film, it was disappointing that it didn’t in some ways try to branch out of the “bad corporation vs. the world” mold. The film however is full of some of the most nauseating stomach slashing and neck slicing “repo” scenes that will test your metal for blood, as well as having the most interesting final half-hour in any movie I’ve seen all year. Suffice it to say that both the action and plot are jacked up to outrageous proportions, leaving your brain feeling like it just went through a digestive tract.

So why exactly was I not angry by the end of the movie? The movie, frankly, just met all of my expectations. I was expecting a two hour gore-fest. It was that. An embellished plotline fully depicted in the movie trailers. It had that. So really, this film plays no tricks and conveys everything it set out to be: a disgusting blood bath of people cutting other people open. It just simply works.

No, the movie won’t get any reviews above “complete crap,” and won’t make anyone a Sci-Fi fan if they weren’t one already, but it manages to do the same thing random You-Tube videos do: distract you from all the homework you have on a Sunday afternoon by disgusting the crap out of you.

It was disappointing to see that the film did little in using its futuristic setting and its actors but what was here was shocking and a lot of times funny enough to warrant entertainment for anyone watching.

Looking good is only half the battle. People fail to realize the importance of smelling nice too. It doesn’t really matter how sharply dressed or fitted you are, if someone smells like a rhino’s muck spread, it’s game over. For guys it’s harder because growing up means sweaty pits and cracks. Your best friend here is deodorant, and a lot of it. Sure it’s only supposed to go in your arm pits, but a couple dabs to your gooch won’t hurt. Also, try and get a scent that no one else has. That’ll make you unique and help you stand out from the crowd. Now I’m fairly certain I have never smelled an odorous lady. Sure they could’ve eaten something stinky or have just farted (which is rare), but their testosterone levels might reduce the amount of sweat glands or something. I don’t know.

So you smell nice now, great. You probably think you’re the stuff, right? Oh but what’s that? That’s right, a zit. Well you might as well kiss your chances at getting into the University of Gorgeous goodbye. Having acne isn’t necessarily bad; everyone has it. Yet taking the time to apply some acne cream or a pad will improve both morale and the mood of interactions. Think of it this way: when you’re talking to your crush, they won’t be thinking about pizza, they’ll be thinking of you.

This might be a little too abstract for some, and might only apply to girls. Another way to look good is to give enough of an impression in the way you dress so other people can imagine you naked. What I mean by this is to wear the right combination of tight and loose clothing where nothing is left to the imagination even though you’re not revealing anything. That way other people won’t be able to keep their eyes off of fully-clothed you. It’s kind of a paradox in that way.

The most important method in looking good is just that, looking good. Walk tall and engage in all aspects of life. Picture yourself walking down a hall where you find a girl or boy who catches your eye. They’ve just said a joke to their group of friends and everyone thinks it’s funny. That person is automatically more attractive as a result. Why? Because they’re not hunched up in a corner trying to do a Rubik’s cube with their elbows.

Still not looking quite up to snuff? Break out the jar of vasoline and grease that body up. It will instantly define your body, no matter how big the size of your muscles are.

These are just a few suggestions out of many different ways to look good. Seriously though, the most important thing is to just be yourself and you’ll find that people will like you for who you are and not what you look like … Sike! Just go with the breast implants to be safe.

10. Offer downers food

For some reason people just don’t like sharing food, so it’s no surprise that any kind of food offering can liven up someone’s day. Whether it be a yellow flavored Starburst or a nice chimichanga, it’s the thought that counts and the quickest way to show someone you care.

9. Relate to their problems

No I’m not saying you should talk about how you both have chronic diarrhea problems; I’m just saying that if a friend just tripped in front of everyone, do it with them. That way they have the comfort to relate to someone and it prevents the embarrassment from being solely on them. Or you could literally pick them up.

8. Listen to techno

If there’s one thing people can’t resist going completely bonkers to, it’s techno. Hook up the pod, roll down the windows, and stop at a red light next to some old lady. I give it about five seconds before she looks over and your friend starts having a good time.

7. Do something life threatening

Near death experiences are almost always really funny if they work out in your favor and will certainly make for a cheery mood if everyone gets out alive. Think about it: someone jaywalks I-5 and makes it to the other side; everyone’s happy.

6. Play outside

As much fun as sitting in a dark room by yourself sounds, being outside and taking in the world will liven up anyone’s spirit. Challenge someone to a rousing game of 4-square or just soak up the sun. Whatever you do, don’t let your own competitive nature get the best of you. Beating your depressed friend 100–2 in basketball won’t help things.

5. Stare at them

Unless you look like Willem Dafoe, you can immediately spark someone’s interest and put them in a good mood if you glance at them continuously. It shows that you care without trying too hard, which can sometimes make matters worse.

4. Watch an infomercial

It doesn’t matter how bad someone feels, as soon as they witness a deal where you can buy a 200-piece knife set for the price of one, it gets hard to stay down. Think of it this way: if the infomercial can make you want to buy something as useless as a Braille television remote, it can make someone happy.

3. Two words: God U Tekem Laef Blong Mi

The cure-all song that is guaranteed to make things all better. One listen and that D– on the Chemistry final will seem like a good thing. Just stepped in poop? Who cares! You’ll be too busy trying to figure out what the heck they’re saying in this song.

2. Look for a crying toddler

There’s nothing quite like watching a little girl cry because she spilled her ice cream on the ground. I don’t want to be a jerk or anything but that’s just really funny and will instantly i m p r o v e your friend’s disposition.

1. Cry

Just let them cry until they feel better I guess…

0. The 11th Way

A way to fill space in this article or the best way to cheer up your friend? When none of the aforementioned methods work, a good sock in the face should do the trick. They’ll be too busy wincing in pain to realize that their life sucks.

I’m not going to sugar coat this STD ice cream: you probably have an STD. You need not worry, however; according to the trusted and reputable site Wikipedia, you have a 60%-100% chance of successfully removing the warts or HPV infection that you have. Contact a doctor to see if a prescription is needed to lessen the burn.

Dear Miguel — Why do guys only like me for my body?

Look, it is proven that for a woman to have both a bangin’ body and a good personality is nearly impossible. That’s just life; I don’t make up the rules. Unfortunately (or fortunately) for you, you’re in the hot body but horrible character category. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, however. At least most men will have something to look at when they’re talking to a rock, and a very attractive rock at that.

Dear Miguel — I like this girl, but I’m really nervous when I’m around her. Help?

I would recommend that you initiate McKay Breuner’s own (Butt) Fast © plan, but I see that you need more help actually interacting with this girl. Depending on whether you are at a loss for words or your pants get a little wet when you’re around her, I suggest you either sac up and talk to her or else just like a lonely life and die.

Dear Miguel — Glenn Brooks said “Hi” to me today. Am I a part of Street Fam now?

Don’t get your hopes up, kid. Even a man with as high a social status as me can’t get it. I figure you have as good a chance at getting into the Fam as the New Jersey Nets have at winning the NBA Finals this year. You’re just going to have to do what the rest of us do: admire from the outside.

Dear Miguel — I’ve been invited to a Valentine’s Day party by my crush, but I feel a little heavy. Have any tips for looking slimmer?

A common misconception women believe is that loose fitting clothes will make them look thinner, but that just isn’t true. While wearing clothes that are too tight should also be avoided, you should instead just wear clothes that fit you. Others will not find the ripples or chunks of you fat, created by wearing tight clothes, sticking out very attractive but you don’t want to make it obvious that you’re trying to cover up by wearing loose clothes, which will created unwanted curves. Try to stick to a single color scheme when dressing so that you crush’s eyes don’t single out any part of your body. Also try to find tops that end either above or below your widest part to keep  unwanted stares away from that area.

Dear Miguel — Boxers or briefs?

For you or me? If I had to chose one, it would probably be boxers. Although I like the support that tighty-whities offer for my person region, I find them a little creepy overall. It’s easier to switch into shorts from pants in a public area when you have boxers on. Also, most of them have a small opening in the front, so you don’t even have to pull them all the way down when you use the bathroom. They’re the clear winner.

Dear Miguel — Why can’t I stop crying? You. my friend, have feelings, and that’s very unlucky because, as we all know, chicks only dig guys who care about themselves and stare majestically at sunsets. Now to answer your question, it seems that you have either one out of two things: you are either depressed or you are pregnant. Your hormones might also be unbalanced, so you could be feeling a bit oversensitive. The only real way to conquer this problem is to face it straight on. Find yourself an adorable kitten and choke it to death while holding back the tears. If you don’t cry, congratulations, you’ve just healed yourself. If you did cry, congratulations, you just choked a poor, innocent kitten to death.

Dear Miguel — I’ve heard rumors that I’m a bad dancer. How can I fix this?

Well if you’re a guy, just stand still and you’re basically dancing. It’s a little harder for girls however. Ideally a girl should dance to the rhythm, shaking their junk to complement the mood of the song in a good way. You’re not bad, you’re probably just really awkward. Realistically, though, as long as both guy and gal are standing next to one another, then you’re dancing.

The film, set in the year 2154, follows a young paraplegic Marine named Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) to the dazzling planet of Pandora. Human colonists there are desperate to remove the indigenous blue humanoid species called the Na’vi from land rich with a highly sought-after mineral. Sully is introduced to the Avatar program, which allows humans to take control over their own specifically created Na’vi bodies called Avatars. The program makes it possible for humans to venture deep into Pandora in order to study and understand the Na’vi. A super buff old dude, Colonel Quaritch (Stephen Lang), assigns Sully a side mission to gain the respect of the Na’vi and convince them to move from their land in return for the operation that will let Sully walk again. Sully, after experiencing the Na’vi culture, identifies with the half-naked blue aliens more than he thought he would and his inner conflicts lead to all out war between the Na’vi and the Earth’s military.

Similar to the unlikely relationship that formed between Pocahontas and that white guy, Sully falls in love with Neytiri (Zoë Saldaña), the daughter of the elder Na’vi tribal leader. The story is simple and corny at parts, but this only adds to Avatar’s old school movie magic that many modern films lack. Avatar viewers are literally put right into the world of Pandora thanks to the Fusion Camera system, which Cameron co-invented, that mimics human sight. Instead of sitting in front of the characters, it felt like we were standing with them.

This film was hyped for its visual achievements and computer graphics, but Cameron uses technology that usually deals only with the surface of film to make Avatar’s emotional core richer. By existing side by side with the characters in their own environment, we connect with them on a deeper level than our own families. As Sully falls in love with the alluring Neytiri and the lush forests and angelic floating mountains of Pandora, we fall in love along with him. Walking out of the theater, in our minds blue Na’vi had replaced all human ethnicities as the most attractive race. We’re currently awaiting Neytiri’s first Victoria’s Secret commercial appearance.

Some of the human characters, like the aforementioned badass Colonel Quaritch, who can be seen pumping iron within the first few minutes of the movie, contrast strongly with the more humble and communal Na’vi characters. Yet, because of the constant focus on Sully’s progress with the different species, the other human characters, such as the scientist played by Sigourney Weaver and Giovanni Ribisi’s corporate tycoon, are not fully developed. The scenes centered on the humans are not as strong as the rest of the film, and we aren’t given as much back-story on what has led humans to otherworldly colonization. Though the story as a whole is compelling, after Sully has discovered much about Pandora and the Na’vi the events in the second half of the film are often disappointingly predictable. Because the film is so visually striking, the story can seem frail in comparison.

With the rise of big screen TVs, Hollywood has been struggling with a solution to get people back into movie theaters, and Avatar was meant to change that. Avatar has set new standards for sci-fi movies. But for a lot of films, 3D isn’t necessary—the classic Casablanca, for example, would look a lot cooler in 3D, but it doesn’t need it to be great. Avatar signals a new type of movie, but it doesn’t show us what all movies should be like in 50 years. Hopefully Hollywood realizes that what we need isn’t for all films to be epics about blue people in 3D—what we need is more filmmakers as visionary and as talented as James Cameron.

Over the course of its seven year run, people across the nation have witnessed true acts of adversity on “MADE,” which have been the focus of the show’s self improvement theme. Nerds have been made into cheerleaders; uncoordinated people have been made into basketball stars. While some people’s reasons might not have been as noble as others, many have found happiness in their new-found confidence and put in hard work to become who they’ve always wanted to be.

Some, however, identify the show more for being an hour-long cry fest rather than a tale of overcoming the odds. Although the end product is almost always positive and the person(s) are almost always successfully made one way or another, the actual journey makes for some great unadulterated entertainment. People have had breakdowns, injuries, and some just wanted the “made” part without putting in any work, resulting in tension between the dreamers and their coaches. Well, MTV decided Washington State was their next stop and had many of Garfield’s own students wanting a shot on national television.

After the 2:30 bell rang, indicating the end of the school day on December 2, many were already flooding outside of the AC room in the commons with their “MADE” applications in hand. Each student who wanted an interview with the show had to complete a brief questionnaire. About 50 students crowded around, hoping for the best.

Walking around the commons, I saw many students at the scene. Some were nervous, a few were shaking. I was curious to see what some of the students wanted to become if given a chance on the show. Senior Naomi Perry wanted to be a high fashion supermodel (as if she wasn’t one already). Senior Kevin Cho wanted to become an MMA Fighter. I also caught up with yearbook staff members Ruby Li and Parker Jones, who wanted to become a roller derby girl and a break dancer, respectively. When questioned about whether Parker’s tall stature (he’s over six-foot-six) would get in the way of his chances at becoming a B-boy, he simply replied “I think it will give me a better chance at getting on the show.” Freshman Julian Cooper was confident in his chances at becoming a standup comedian and even Garfield’s own ASG Vice-President Michael Cunetta was there. “I want to be made into a singer in time to sing ‘One Time’ by Justin Bieber at the talent show.”

When Nate, the man from “MADE” conducting the interviews, stepped out of the AC to begin, he looked astounded. I believe it was due to the fact that he had never seen such a diverse group of people at one school. Garfield is known for its diverse student population, but also has its fair share of cliques. Yet even I started to become amazed. There were white students, African-American students, Asian students, Hispanic students, students I knew, and students I didn’t know; each one with a dream. Soon, the first of many interviews began.

Many students seemed ready for their interview, but there was one student who caught my eye. Sitting in the corner of the commons all by himself was none other than senior Derek Yates. He appeared very nervous, borderline sick, and sweated more than the average student in attendance. I wanted to know what was wrong with him. I asked him whether he was alright and what he wanted to be made into. “Yeah, don’t worry, I’m okay. Just a little nervous. I want to be a competitive beater … er … I mean eater. Sorry, do you know if the bathrooms are still unlocked?” Something didn’t seem right about him, and I was worried. He seemed to choke on his own saliva and scratched his neck again and again. Derek, however, was lucky enough to be one of the first to get interviewed.

According to the students, the interviews consisted of fairly standard questions: more or less the same as on the application. The interviews were also filmed, and lasted for several hours in total. A few days later, when asked about when we would hear back from “MADE”, Athletic Director Jim Valiere said, “MADE is already interested in some students. But first we need to sign off permission for them to use the building if they return.” It’s looking good so far, Garfield.

Set in modern times, The Messenger takes an interesting approach to the story of two casualty notification officers (CACOs) and their duty to inform families of the death of their loved ones lost in war. Ben Foster stars as Will Montgomery, a soldier plagued by the mistakes of his past, including his role in the inadvertent death of another soldier, which have left him with a weakened eye and a burned soul. Unable to carry the burden of a frontline soldier, he is transferred to a CACO unit along with his new commanding officer Tony Stone, played by Woody Harrelson. Going door-to-door when obligation calls, both soldiers must endure the situation of revealing the fate of their comrades to their next of kin, often resulting in the movie’s best scenes. These two actors truly shine onscreen together as their conflicting ideals towards the sensitive subject collide.

The film reaches its highest moment in Montgomery and Stone’s first visit to the family of a dead soldier, which will definitely be one of the most talked about scenes in any movie for years to come. When the two reach their assigned house, a pregnant woman greets them and asks them in. She requests again and again what her boyfriend has gotten himself into now as both Montgomery and Stone avoid answering her plea. In these short minutes the viewer is put first-hand into their situation, as both the characters on screen and the audience must horrifically wait for what they all know will happen. When the mother of the dead soldier arrives, Stone reveals the news of the tragedy. Both women collapse into a state of sadness and horror, as Montgomery struggles to keep himself together.

The scenes where both soldiers break the news to the families of their fallen comrades are truly breathtaking in drama and never fail to grab the viewer; each depicting uncomfortable situations for the audience to stomach. Instead of becoming a worn out gimmick, each one develops and unfolds in unique ways that create the powerful shock value and character development that keep the film entertaining.

Unfortunately, the other scenes in the movie don’t hold up as strongly. The romantic subplot between Montgomery and Olivia, a widow of a dead soldier played by Samantha Morton, are a bit underdeveloped, and scattered through the film in a way that almost seems to make it lose focus. Additionally, Montgomery and Stone’s wild drunken adventures, while both interesting and emotional and at times genuinely funny, are also a bit shoddy and take away from the other scenes. This intense mixture of scenes reaches the point where the film isn’t about the CACO, romance, or the mental bond between two soldiers, but rather a blend of all three that results in a mixed bag of highs and lows and an unidentifiable plotline. This doesn’t necessarily ruin the movie. Far from it. You’ll get entertainment out of the sum of all its parts and come out of the movie with all of your emotional senses affected one way or another.

This film looks at the known but not entirely understood role of casualty notification officers in America and reveals its hardships without taking too hard of a political stance on current events. It instead opts to look at the effect of war as a whole and sends a clear and present message of what it does to the lives of those with loved ones in the military.