Running Fast & Writing Gracefully

This Semster's books

2009-12-08T17:25:00.000-08:00

This semester I have read so many books that, I am not able to remember all of them. They were all good but with the rush of school, work, and home activates, time seems to fly by like a cheetah with its tail on fire. I always read fictional books like syfy and fantasy. The appeal of another world is so great, and the escape of melting into that otherworld get me all excited, and I always have trouble putting the book down.

· Tempted (336pages): This novel by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast is one of my favorite reads for this semester. Tempted is the sixth book in the House of Night series. The House of Night series is about a group of vampire friends living in a world where vampires are discriminated against when they just want a happy life like everyone else. This book was a bit different from the other five. The chapters switched back and forth from one character to another and I was not sure that I would like that at all. I was afraid that I would hate it and it would ruin the book, but I feel that in the end that method really made the book have so much more depth and made it so much more interesting. The main character, Zoey Redbird, in this series is always going up against some dark evil, and in this novel she is faced with the same previous evils she faced in the last novel and they are posing as a couple that they are not in an attempt to take over the world and declare war on the humans. In this book she ends up losing something that is so dear to her it could tear apart ones soul for good. She is such a strong character, and a great leader. If she were real I would want to be on her side that is for sure. Another complaint I have about this novel is that the plot is somewhat slow, it takes forever to reach a climax, but the climax was a good one so I guess it evens out.

· Blue Moon(284pages): This is a novel by Alyson Noel. This is the second book in the series known as the immortals. Something I noticed when I picked the first book and this book up to read is that the author does not capitalize the title, her name, or the name of the series. It makes me wonder, does she do this so kinda show the reader that when one lives thousands of hundreds of years such little things like capitalization is not seen as important. It becomes a boring time wasting task. The main girl in this novel is named Ever. She is a girl that can be described as a loner. She lost her family when she was 13 and she only has a couple friends until she falls in love with a man named Damen. Which all happens in the first novel. Now (in this novel) something is wrong with Damen, her soul mate, and Ever has to find out who is causing the change and why before she loses him forever. But in her search she faces a chance to go back and save her family and return to her old life. Which will she choose her family of the man that it connected to her soul whom she could not live without?

· Eternal (307pages) This book has the theme of Angel in love with a vampire. At first, it is a bit different, but as the book progresses a forbidden love forms and causes chaos. Miranda was just a regular girl with a guardian angel that always watched her but she never knew. Then one night her and her best friend go out to meet some guys and both of their lives change forever, and Zachary her angel falls. I like this book. It is not my favorite but it was enjoy about. The story line was good. It did take me forever to read at first because I had trouble getting into it. There is a moral to the story though that is so important and so sweet.

Should Homosexuals Have the Same Rights?

2009-11-27T20:04:00.000-08:00

Gay people are people too. This is a statement that few Americans believe in, few humans believe in, but it is a very true statement. According to an article by Brian Montopoli in CBS new, "forty-two percent of Americans now say same sex couples should be allowed to legally marry." This poll information was posted April 27, 2009. Twenty-five percent agree that gays should be allowed to have civil unions, but not marriages, and twenty-eight percent want gays to have no legal recognition what-so-ever.

They are people with souls, minds, hearts, and the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. They should have all the rights that "straight" people have, which includes the right to be joined in marriage, a beautiful ceremony that represents love, commitment, and dedication for one another. But in our society today gay marriage is seen as an abomination, and a statement against God.

There are many scriptures in the bible about homosexuality in the bible such as:
Leviticus 20: 13
If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.

But there are so many other scriptures, that out weigh the number of homosexuality scriptures, which talk about issues that are against God that we a a human race do not fight so strongly against. Sex before marriage for example:
Jude 1:7
In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire.

So if you read and follow these scriptures exactly then if you are gay all you have done is committed an abomination that you can repent for, because God is forgiving and if he can forgive us for taking a live then he can forgive you acting in the manor that he has made you. But if you have sex before you are married then you are going to go to be punished with the "eternal fire," which I assume we all know what that refers too.

Some may argue that there is not a problem with sex before marriage so this comparison has no backing, but sadly they are mistaken. Melissa S. Kearney brings forth some very startling data on teen and non-marital childbearing. According to Melissa S. Kearney's article entitled Teen and Non-Marital Childbearing, in 2001 there were 1.1 million pregnancies that were to unmarried women in their twenties.

Even the 36th president of the United States, while signing the Voting Rights Act, said that gay marriage "must come; it is right that it should come. And when it has, you will find that a burden has been lifter from your shoulder," according to Taylor Harris with The Washington Post. If the human population would open their minds a bit more, and accept people for the way they are then we could cast that burden of fretting over same sex marriage aside. In doing this we could focus on the more pressing issues in the world, such as: the sudden changes in climate, global warming, and how we can fix them, new ways to protect the environment, sources of energy that are Eco-friendly, and efficient so that we can preserve fossil fuels.

Discrimination Against Language...What is American Coming too?

2009-11-10T20:09:00.000-08:00

?Que? No lo entiendo. Translation: What I do not understand. It is becoming apparent that if a person does not speak what we as Americans call english, then that person is breaking a law, a law that does not against, a law that some Americans have created in their own minds. Something needs to be done to protect theses people that have all the right to be here in the U.S. and speak their fluent tongue just as much as we do. Don't think other tongues are being discriminated? Read the following story and its links.

According to an editorial in the New York times, police in Dallas have been giving tickets to people who could not speak, or understand fluently, english. The tickets were an outrageous $204! In the main article about this situation, which was written by Scott Goldstein in the Dallas News, it is said that, "Dallas police wrongly ticketed at least 39 drivers for not speaking english over the last three years." Most of these 39 drivers, according to Scott's article, were pulled over, charged with for their violation, but also charged for being a "non-english speaking driver." As stated by the New York Times, "all but one of these drivers were Hispanic."

I would say that this is an eye opening situation to what our nation is breaking down too. Most people do not want to focus on the bigger problems in our world, such as our growing national debt, our crippled economy, starving people near us and far away, so they begin cracking down on the little things that frustrate them, or confuse them.

One may say that the ticket incident was a fluke in their computers or a complete accident, but could a fluke or an accident happen 39 times over a three year period? And the ticket case is not the only situation where people of different languages are discriminated against. Kids are discriminated at school, adults and teens are discriminated in the work place. It's heart breaking to claim but, the evidence is all over, and if one pays attention then they will see and hear it.

I have heard kids, and adults alike, say "If they cannot speak english they do not need to be here," and when I hear that said over and over again, I laugh to myself, because our U.S. Congress never sat down and said, "The official language of this nation is English." Mind you that what we call english is really not english, it is a mix of nations, tongues, and regions I like to call American English because there is no other language like it. That being said, shouldn't we as a land of equal opportunities accept these other languages and the people that speak them? These people enrich out nation and bring variety and diversity.

Cell Phones...Friends or Foes?

2009-10-29T11:15:00.000-07:00

Cell phones have become an unsuspecting weapons almost more than they have become useful tools.According to a group called Lawcore, on an average, there are more that 6 million car accidents on the roads of the U.S., annually. The rate of accidents caused by texting and driving are rapidly shooting toward the sky, and teenagers are not they only ones at fault. People of all ages have been swept up in the hazardous phenomenon of texting and driving.

Here are a few stories about texting related accidents which involve a range of ages which have been recorded by the website momlogic:

Bailey Goodman, 17, was killed along with four of her fellow cheerleaders when she swerved into oncoming traffic, hit a tractor-trailer and her SUV burst into flames. Five days later, the five teenagers would have graduated from high school. Two minutes before the crash it was reported, her phone was used to send a text greeting to a friend.

Ashley D. Miller, 18, veered into oncoming traffic and hit another car head on while she was texting. She and the other driver, a 40-year-old mother of one, were killed instantly.

17-year-old Vana Francis and 15-year-old Ronnie Scoggins drowned when a car carrying seven teenagers drove off the road and into a river. The 20-year-old driver admitted she was texting on her cell phone when the car plunged into the water, and was later arrested.

18-year-old Makayla Lynn Belew was killed when a text-messaging driver hit her as she walked along the side of the road and then the driver drove away from the scene. A year later, Larry Chad Smithey, 28, was arrested for the crime.

Something needs to be done about this terrible situation the world has fallen in. Some may argue that most states have made laws that ban texting for all drivers, or for drivers under the age of 18, but does this law really keep anyone from texting and driving? How could it? It is like the law that does not allow people under the age of 18 to buy cigarettes, kids under that age still find a way to by pass this law.

Many teens, and adults alike, have developed the ability to text with out looking. They may argue that this puts them at a better chance at not having a wreck, but they are sadly mistaken. Most people do not realize how little they are able to focus on the world around them when they are texting.

As recorded by a writer at hubpages.com, MRI brain scans taken while the patient partook in a driving simulation, shows that when a driver concentrates on driving the spatial awareness region of the brain sparks to life(click here to learn more about the spatial awareness regions of the brain). The same patient was then taken and put in a driving situation, and engaged in a cell phone conversation. The difference between the two simulations was that in the cell phone engaged simulation the part of the brain that controls, speech, language, and language understanding becomes alert and the spatial region of the brain is reduced in function by 37%. One may think, "Oh that's not too big of a difference. Driving is still possible." True as it may be that driving is possible, it is not true that driving in such a spatial reduction is safe. Texting while driving increases a persons chances of a crash by 23%, according to the author of this article, at hubpages.com.

We as a country need to slam a fist down and put a halt to this growing epidemic.According to an article in the Maryland Gazette, we have the technology to stop unnecessary cell phone use while driving. This wonderful technology is called cellcontrol and it was crated by a man that was almost hit by a person who was texting and driving. This amazing device regulates what calls can get through a phone, and what calls can be made. Text messages are also monitored and all operations that need to be ended, or changed can simply be done online at home. As of October 28, 2009 there are 20 people using cellcontrol, and a total of 75 devices in use. If these numbers do not increase then the roads will continue to be more and more dangerous as more and more people text and drive.

This blog post was was inspired by this article by Megham Daum with the Los Angeles Times.

Sentence12

2009-10-09T22:10:00.000-07:00

Novel: Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen

His Sentence

How much of the world did people miss because they were not calm enough, empty enough, to experience it?

Commentary: Cole has had a revelation and is asking some rhetorical questions, and out of all the rhetorical questions he asks himself, I like this one. I like this sentence for the simple fact that people do miss a lot of the world because they are to busy and stressed. Humans are too rushed and crammed for time to realize the beauty around them. I feel that the author used these rhetorical questions to get the reader to realize that there is a lot in the world and sometimes it is best to sit back relax, accept, become empty (not in a depressed way in an enlightened spiritual way), and experience the world around them in a new sweeter, magnificent view.

My Sentence

How much of what he said to me was a lie because he was not strong enough, brave enough, to tell the truth?

Sentence11

2009-10-09T21:28:00.000-07:00

Novel: Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen

His Sentence

It was as if the sky was holding it's breath.

Commentary: At this moment in the text, the poor boy has been hurt dearly and just awoke to dead quiet and stillness. This use of personification to describe the stillness and the loss of sound makes me oooo and aaaaa. I try to imagine the sky holding it's breath, and the sentence it's self just sounds beautiful to me, even though the situation in the book is a very eerie one, far from beautiful. It is as if the whole world is watching this boy endure all the trials and the sky is worried about what will happen next, just like a lot of people with they watch horror movies and all goes quiet in the movie. The holding of breath brings anxiety.

My Sentence

It was as if the ocean was dancing with me.

Sentence10

2009-10-07T22:16:00.000-07:00

Novel: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Her sentence

Prim comes home from school bubbling over with excitement.

Commentary: This is a very straight forward sentence with a cute little metaphor weaved within (bubbling over with excitement.) When I think of something bubbling over I think of a big batch of blowing bubbles dripping over the rim of the container. When I think of Katniss's little sister Prim running into the house bubbling over with excitement I can see he bouncing around like bubbles. In the times that this family are dealing with it warms the heart to know that they can still be happy over the simple things such as wedding pictures. So this is kind of a way of lightening the mood for a soon to be terrible scene.

My Sentence

I ran to the house from town dripping with enthusiasm.

Sentence 9

2009-10-07T20:23:00.000-07:00

Novel: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Her Sentence

So if I don't show up, worry they will.

Commentary: This sentence struck me are unique. I thought of Yoda when I read it. If I am not mistaken Collins has used a from of hyperbaton known as inversion in this balanced sentence. Inversion is when the verb is placed in front of the subject to bring about a different effect for the sentence. The effect that I feel that Collins is trying to bring about is Katniss is deeply concerned about her family worrying about her, with all that is going on they may panic and end up getting in trouble.

My Sentence

I have to clean my room or sink it will.

Sentence 8

2009-10-05T20:10:00.000-07:00

Novel: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Her Sentence

Prim.

Commentary: This is a fragment,obliviously, but a lot is felt in this one noun sentence with no verb. Prim is Katniss's sister and with the Capital hot on Katniss's, thinking that she purposefully defied them, Katniss's main concern is her sister and her sister's well being. Suzanne Collins purposely made this fragment to show that Prim was Katniss's only thought, her biggest worry. The use of this fragment pulls the readers emotions. It personally made me think of the one person that I cared the most about in the whole world, and what I would do to save them in a time like Katniss was going through.

My Sentence

Dakota.

Sentence 7

2009-10-03T19:22:00.000-07:00

Novel: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Her Sentence
Tossing her head, she lets out a long, eerie howl that is picked up by other mutts nearby.

Commentary: Katniss is dreaming about a Career from the last Hungry Games, the one that she was in, named Glamour. I do not want to ruin the first book for anyone so I will say no more on the topic =). Having read the first book I can see Glamour howling and preparing to tear Katniss to shreds, and I must say the images shakes me. In sharing this dream the reader is able to relive parts of the past novel, and see how badly the games have scared Katniss. This visual in this sentence derives from the participial phrase at the beginning of the sentence. We can all visualize any creature tossing their heads back toward the sky, and most people have heard a howl, either real or fake, and know the feeling that it sends down the spine.

My sentence

Throwing her bag on the couch, Joshlyn relaxes with a deep, refreshing nap that is interrupted by her young brother.

Sentence 6

2009-10-01T18:23:00.000-07:00

Novel: The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Pg. 3

His Sentence: I can still see Hassan up on the tree, sunlight flickering through the leaves on his almost perfect round face, like a Chinese doll chiseled from hardwood: his flat, broad nose slanting, narrow eyes like bamboo leaves, eyes that looked, depending on the light, gold, green, even sapphire.

I was really able to feed off of the simile that he used in this sentenced. I could see a perfect little Chinese Doll, the only flaw being the cracked lip up to the nose (his clef lip). I am also able to really see the bamboo leaves for eyes that are different colors at different times. I could see the leaves changing colors like all leaves do during the summer. This may be a bit out there but the what I am getting from this is that the light to Hassan's eyes is like seasons to the colors of leaves. Such a beautiful description and such a beautiful thought.

My Sentence: Joshlyn could still see her lover in her mind, strenght radiating around the air in his proximit, like a radioactive star fallen to the earth: his thick, muscled body arching, full lips like juciy fruits, lips that curled, depending on the situation, up, down, crooked, and even and even forward.

Sentence 5

2009-09-30T19:00:00.000-07:00

Novel: Blue Moon By Alyson Noel

pg.11

Her Sentence

I swallow hard and look at her, knowing exactly what she's after, hoping to kill two birds with one meal.

Commentary: The first thing that I noticed about this sentence was that she said, "kill two birds with one meal," aside from saying, "kill two birds with one stone," which made me giggle. I had to read the sentence twice to make sure that I read it right. Ever, the main character, is talking about her aunt who is afraid that Ever is not eating, and that Ever may not be with the right guy. So her aunt is wanting to take her and her boyfriend out to eat on the weekend, which will confirm or deny her worrisome feelings about Ever. I think I spot a gerund phrase in the middle of the sentence, I love gerund phrases and I love this whole sentence.

My Sentence

I run fast and look at death, knowing what he wants with me, catching another soul with one sweep of his scythe.

Sentence 4

2009-09-30T09:54:00.000-07:00

Novel: Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen

pg 26

His sentence:

He wanted revenge but felt little joy from this act.

Commentary: This sentence does not exactly sparkle to me, but as I was reading the sentence did make me stop and think about what was going on. The main character Cole had just burned down the only shelter on the isolated island he had been sentence to stay on for a year. He thought that in burning the shelter he would hurt those who put him there. When I read this sentence one thought came into my mind so strong I had to say it out loud in the middle of class...DUH! This sentence made me wish that I could walk up to this kid and put the palm of my hand in the middle of his force head and yell, "Why on earth would you think that would give you joy and revenge!?!?!?" Now that I have finished the novel I believe that the author did this on purpose to make the reader get mad, or laugh, different reactions for different people, in order to get the reader emotionally involved in the story.

My sentence:

She desired love but felt little fulfillment from the event.

Sentence 3

2009-09-27T20:10:00.000-07:00

Novel: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Pg122

Her Sentence :

I imagine these things and I'm terrified, but let's face it: they've been lurking in the back of my brain anyway.

Commentary: In this passage Katniss is thinking about the Peacekeepers coming in and getting her and shooting her for something that she has recently done that might lead to a rebellion. These are just thoughts of course but she almost lives through them as she thinks about them. Collins could have made this sentence into two separate sentences, but she did not. I like the way this sounds better than the two simple sentences that she could have used. Using this wording shows Katniss's acceptance and despair that she is not as tough as she would like to be, and that the Capital does really scare the britches off of her. When she says "they've been lurking in the back of my brain anyway," I can just see a little thought creature crawling around on all fours. Great use of personification.

My Sentence:

I paint these landscapes and I am content, but let's face it: I have been wanting more in the bottom of my heart.

Sentence 2

2009-09-26T19:14:00.000-07:00

Novel: Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Pg 117

Her Sentence:
What a pair we were - fatherless, frightened, but fiercely committed, too, to keeping our families alive.

Commentary: I love this sentence. When I read this sentence I can feel emotions stir within me, and I feel like I better understand the character. Katniss is reflecting back on the beginning of her life with Gale and as I read I can feel the reminiscing simmering deep in my heart. Such sweet yet sorrowful memories. I noticed that instead of making to separate sentences with this one sentence she combined the two. Making the second half feel more like a thought to the reader, and to show that Katniss was in fact thinking and reliving memories. Collins also uses a type of consonance within this sentence. Katniss says, "fatherless, frightened, but fiercely committed..." This use of consonance beats the point home that life is hard, but the have to always tough through it. That is their only sane choice. The other is to starve and watch their family starve, and no one wants that. Collins show the reader that no matter how tough things in life may be there is always a way to make it though, and everyone has to be strong no matter what.

My Sentence: What an alliance we were - scattered, scorned, but savagely dedicated, also, to surviving this terrible game.

Sentence One

2009-09-25T14:35:00.000-07:00

Her Sentence: Over the years the odors of liquor and vomit, boiled garbage and burned meat, unwashed clothes and mouse droppings have intermingled into a stench that brings tears to my eyes.

My Sentence: Through the years the scents of coffee and vanilla, boiled cinnamon and roasted barley, untainted love and lavenders petals have interlaced into an aroma that brings joy to my soul.

Commentary: With the sentence that Suzanne Collins has written, describing the house of Haymitch, there are many descriptive words and phrases that most everyone has experienced or heard about. Thus, it is hard not to wrinkle your nose along with Katniss when reading it. I could see the vomit, liquor, burnt meat, and mounds of mouse droppings all over the floor, and I could smell and almost taste the nasty rotten stench. I tried to take a more pleasant route with my sentence. =)

Book: Catching Fire

Page: 13

Paragraph: 3

A Whole New Mind: My Empathy Experience

2009-06-11T17:43:00.000-07:00

I just finished the novel A Whole New Mind by Daniel H. Pink and I found the whole novel to be very remarkable. I loved every line of every chapter and I intend on reading his other book Drive. In which he talks about what truly motivates us as human beings. While I was reading A Whole New Mind, I began to ask myself, “Do I think with the right side of my brain, the left side of my brain, or the both sides of my brain?” Daniel H. Pink provides many ways to encourage thinking with the right side of the brain.

One of the six aptitudes or “six senses” that Daniel discusses is empathy. As Pink states, “Empathy is the ability to imagine yourself in someone else’s position and to intuit what that person is feeling.” The first ideal that I learned at the beginning of the empathy chapter is that empathy and sympathy are two completely different actions. Sympathy is feeling bad for some one. Empathy is a deeper emotion, or action. When one feels with someone else, he or she is being empathic.

Ending the empathy chapter is an empathy portfolio, and in the portfolio, Pink lists ways to enhance, identify, or research empathy. I personal chose, out all the great ideas, to take the EQ test. The reason I chose the EQ test is because I was curious as to how empathic I am. This test measures a persons’ Empathy Quotient (EQ), and determines if you have a “female brain.” To be honest I was also interested in finding out if I had a what passed for a female brain just as much as I was to learn my empathy level. The EQ test was constructed by Simon Baron-Cohen, and is only a mere sixty questions long. The test only took me three minutes to take tops. Here is my result and all the possible results:

Your score: 59
0 - 32 = low (most people with Asperger Syndrome or high-functioning autism score about 20)33 - 52 = average (most women score about 47 and most men score about 42)
53 - 63 is above average
64 - 80 is very high
80 is maximum

I am very happy with my results, and I encourage everyone to try this little test. This test is located at this link: http://glennrowe.net/BaronCohen/EmpathyQuotient/EmpathyQuotient.aspx

Pink also tells of a test that will determine if you have a “male brain.” Simon Baron-Cohen made the “male brain” test along with the EQ test. The “male brain” test’s formal name is the SQ (systematizing quotient) test. Finding out how systematic my brain and I are sounds very appealing and enlightening. The link for the SQ test is as follows: http://glennrowe.net/BaronCohen/SystemizingQuotient/SystemizingQuotient.aspx

The End ofa Great Year

2009-05-21T20:26:00.000-07:00

WOW! I cannot believe that we have already made our journey through a whole sophomore year. Everything zipped by faster than a roadrunner running from a coyote. All the seniors are gone. I miss them so much, but in two more years, we will be the ones going off to bigger and better things.

This year is full of so many great memories. The girls track team won state again, I was so happy. I enjoyed all the track meets so much. I have found that I love to run so much, and all the pain is worth it in the end. We had a wonderful play this year, Oklahoma. All the students involved did a tremendous job performing the play. I had no idea that Andrew Cox could sing until I went to the play. Another little event that I will never forget is our English Debates. Those were so much fun. I was scared at first because I had no idea what I was doing, but when time to perform came along, I was in it to win it.

I have learnt so much this year. I have a better idea of what field I want to go into when college rolls around the corner, and I have a plan all made out. One subject that I have learned that I never thought I would be able to comprehend, that I was afraid of trying to learn, was the human body. I now know what makes the human body tick, where all the bones and organs are, along with their proper names, and how the heart works to keep us alive. I have also learned that there are lot of No No’s in writing, and my English teacher has broke me of them. I used to say the word it all the time, and now I get annoyed when my little brother says the world three times in the same sentence.

Next year we will be juniors, how unbelievable is that? I just cannot wrap my mind around that concept, and I probably will not fully do so until the third week into our junior year. This year was great and I am sad that it is almost gone, but I am ready to reach higher heights, and reach a deeper knowledge. So come on let us go rock out this summer and come back ready to take the world on headfirst.

Of Mice and Men

2009-05-20T18:43:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows about the Dust bowl of 1931, but not everyone knows what life during the Dust bowl was like. John Steinback was there in California at the time of the Dust bowl and he knows how life was. John Steinback wrote the novel Of Mice and Men to show how life was during that time. Of Mice and Men, by John Steinback, is a great novel. I have to be honest; Of Mice and Men stunned me to my core. Of Mice and Men is a very eye-opening novel.

The main characters in this novel are two men named George, and Lennie. George is a skinny defined man, while Lennie is a more rounded. Lennie is also special, which becomes very evident within the first few pages of the novel. Lennie is slow minded, and his favorite thing to do is pet soft objects or animals. Lennie also tends to mimic Georges movement. If George rests his head on his hands then Lennie looks at him and tries rest his head on his hands just like George are. George is like a father to Lennie. George protects Lennie and has been watching over him ever since Lennie’s aunt passed away. George and Lennie are traveling partners, and they travel from job to job collecting their stake.

The two men have a great dream in mind. They intend to take all the stake that they are saving up from their jobs and buy some land over their own. George promises Lennie that is he behaves he will let him take care of the rabbits that they will have on their future ranch. George tells Lennie that he can feed the rabbits the alfalfa that they will grow. The dream to own land was not only a dream of George and Lennie. All the men at the time of the Dust bowl wished to own their own piece of property in which they could run on their own, without someone bossing them around. Hardly any men reached that dream, because times were very hard and everyone needs to find their own comfort to get them along, and sometimes such comforts cost money.

John Steinback really captured the life of men at the time of the Dust bowl. I will admit that the men had fowl language, but what is to be expected of men living in such hard times. Steinback showed the hardships that men went through and all the hard decisions that each man had to make. Some men were privileged, such as the ranch owners and their families; while other men were under privileged, such as the ranch workers that bucked barley and lived in bunker houses. John illustrates that the people living in the time of the Dust bowl lived with only the bare essentials of living.

I highly recommend that everyone read Of Mice and Men at sometime in their life. I would recommend that younger kids wait until they reach high school before reading the novel, because of the language, but nonetheless they should read it. I loved how close George and Lennie were. They only had each other, which is why the ending of the story really surprised me. John Steinback really knew what he was doing when he wrote this story, and because he was alive during the time of the Dust bowl, his knowledge and passion on the subject really shown through. I hope to read more of his books to see how great they are. I plan to read The Grapes of Wrath, The Pearl, and Travels with Charlie.

The House on Mango Street

2009-05-15T15:05:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been the new kid at school, or been the new kid in the neighborhood, because you and your family just moved? Most of us have moved before, and most of us can say that at some point we have been the new kid. Sometimes being the new kid is easy, and making friends is a breeze. This is not always true, unfortunately. Every so often, a person will have problems when he or she moves. Some families move a lot; therefore, some kids never get to make new friends that they can keep. This can be tough on kids and adults alike. In the novelette, The House on Mango Street, the main character Esperanza Cordero is a child that does not have an easy life. This creative little novel by Sandra Cisneros was interesting and the whole story captivated me.

Esperanza is a sweet timid Hispanic girl that lives with her family of five on Mango Street. She has two brothers, a sister, Nenny, and her mom and her dad. Esperanza is embarrassed by the home that her and her family live in, but she likes the house they live in now better than the houses they lived in before. Her and her family has moved so much that she cannot think of a time when they have not been moving from home to home. Esperanza constantly dreams of getting a house of her own away from Mango Street and the people that live there; a house that she can be proud of . Throughout the story of Esperanza’s life, she meets many people on Mango Street that influence her growth. Esperanza sees herself as an ugly duckling, but she loves to protect the ones that she loves. She writes down all the adventures that she goes through, and all the information she found interesting about the people she meets while living on Mango Street. Once she is grown she realizes that no matter what life she escapes to Mango Street will always be a part of her, and she cannot change that.

The author Sandra Cisneros wrote this novelette in a way so that you get to see little parts of the main character’s life. When reading the novelette one gets a peek at all the small happenings that mold Esperanza throughout her life to make her strong and noble. Sandra Cisneros also show the reader what life is like for some Hispanic people. Life is not always gentle and easy. She shows the reader that life should never be taken for granted and that life is different for everyone.

The theme for this novelette is that no matter where you go in life, you cannot change your upbringing or the past that has shaped you. That past will always be a part of you, and will stay with you until the day that you die. No one can change their past; they just have to accept that the past is part of them. Esperanza realizes this once she is grown and ready to move on in life on her own.

This novella could take place anywhere. The events that occur with the main character and all the changes that she goes through could happen to anyone at anytime. I myself have gone through many moves and drastic changes that have shaped me into the person I am, and that is exactly what happens with Esperanza. People do not realize how hard life can be for people that are different from them. The difference could be race, religion, or political view, and people handle them all in their own way.

I really enjoyed reading this novel. I found The House on Mango Street to be a cute little read, with deep meaning, and an important message. People of all ages should read The House on Mango Street, and maybe even experiment on writing their own little novel about their live on their street. Sandra Cisneros wrote did a phenomenal job writing this novel, and I intend to read more of her works. Some more novels that she has written include Woman Hollering Creek and Other Stories, Bad Boys, Caramelo, and Vintage Cisneros. These are just a few of her many popular pieces of work.

The Giver

2009-05-05T15:24:00.000-07:00

Can you imagine living in a world with no color, no sun, no snow, and no choice? In The Giver that is the very life that a boy named Jonas lived in. The novel The Giver, written by Lois Lowry, is by far one of my favorite novels. Aside from The Giver, I have read three of Lois's many books, and I have loved all three of the books. The other books that I have had the privilege of reading are Messenger, Giving Blue, and Gossamer. All three of the books are truly captivating, but The Giver is the book that really hooked me in, and kept me enthralled throughout the whole adventure.

When I sat down and began reading The Giver, I was instantly engrossed and I wanted to keep reading. The book is set some time in the future, and everyone lives a life of sameness. In this world of sameness, there is no fighting and no war, but there are other differences as well. In Jonas's society, there are no colors, no weather changes, no animals, and no choices. The people of the society are not able to experience the joys of colorful flowers, or beautiful snowfalls. They are not able to experience the bliss of beautiful fall leaves falling from the trees, waiting to be racked and jump in. Everyone is a "whole," and everyone has their life decisions made for them by the city council. The city council decides whom people marry, when they will marry them, and when they are ready to be given children. The city elders also assign the citizens the jobs they will have for the rest of their life when the people are only 12 years old.

The main character in this novel is a young boy named Jonas. Jonas is different from the rest of the people is his neighborhood. Jonas is much more observant, and watchful. Jonas can see beyond. At the beginning of the novel Jonas is very nervous about the "ceremony of twelves" that was approaching, because in the ceremony Jonas would be turning twelve, along with all the children born the same year as him, and he would be assigned his career. Jonas had no idea what to expect. He had no idea what job the Elders were going to assign him, because he had not focus on one activity in his past years. Later, Jonas attends the ceremony and receives his job assignment. He is given the respectable job of Receiver. When he obtains this job, Jonas gets to meet the Receiver that was before him, and that receiver now known as the Giver. Jonas goes to his first day of training and learns a lot. Jonas receives the memories from the past that the Giver has had passed down to him and that he has held for years.

As Jonas receives these new memories of color, war, love, and much more, he becomes frustrated with everyone around him. Jonas does not understand how they can all live without the memories, whether the memories are good or bad. Jonas feels that the people should know all about the past, and that the people should be able to experience all the great experiences that they are missing. Jonas and the Giver talk, and deliberate about Jonas's feelings and what actions they should take. When all is said and done, Jonas has to make a hard and hasty decision.

I love the way that Lois wrote this book. Her portrayal of socialism is somewhat similar to Ayn Rand's in her novel Anthem. Both authors wrote in a way that truly pulled me in. I devoured both of their books within hours of starting them. I could not bring myself to put the either book down for one second. Lois, and Ayn, created a very strong, independent, courageous, influential main character. Both were also able to create very vivid images, and scenes in my head with all the detail they used. Lois Lowry and Ayn Rand are two of my favorite authors.

I am trying to get my little brother to read The Giver, because The Giver is an outstanding novel. Everyone should read this novel; I highly recommend that everyone have his or her own copy. After reading this novel, I recommend that everyone read The Messenger, and Gathering Blue, because they are, in a way related to The Giver. Jonas is not the main character, but you find out how he and one of his friends are doing. I am afraid that if I say much more ten i will ruin t novel for everyone so this is my curtain call. Go out and enjoy a great novel!

The Color Purple a good Classic

2009-05-01T10:36:00.000-07:00

The Color Purple by Alice Walker is a stunning novel. This novel is about a black girl by the name of Celie, and all the hard times that she goes through. The novel is hard to read in my opinion because of the language. There is some bad words in the novel, but those words are not the language I am referring to.

The whole novel is Celie writing letters to God. Her sister and her have been split up, and Celie never receives any of her sisters letters. So Celie writes letters to God because she has no one else to write to.

I mentioned that reading the novel was hard for me because of the language, and I was talking about the incorrect use of words, and the incomplete sentences. While reading each letter to God I have to think about what is going on to figure out what is meant by some of the sentences. Now I do not want anyone to think that the author just could not write. The reason the sentences are improper is because this book is set back years ago when there were still slaves, and uneducated people. Poor Celie never received an education so she does her best when writing her letters. Her dad pulled her out of school when she was young, insisting that she was not smart enough; that her little sister was the smart one in the family.

Celie goes through so many ups and downs, and experiences so many weird and cruel situations, yet she stays strong. She is truly an inspirational character because she keeps moving forward. Everyone can hope to be that strong. I recommend that everyone read this novel sometime in their life.

Woven Girth

2009-04-23T16:48:00.000-07:00

So much depends
upon

a wool woven
girth

drenched in horse
sweat

beneath the horse's
belly

Animal Farm

2009-04-15T11:24:00.000-07:00

Animal Farm by George Orwell is a very intriguing book. George Orwell used an allegory to tell the story of the Russian Revolution, which is a very interesting way to tell such a story. I plan on reading George Orwell's novel 1984 to see if he can pull me in and really get me engaged in the novel like he had done with Animal Farm.

When we were given Animal Farm to read, I am going to be very honest, I was thinking, "What in the world? Animals, talking and ruling a farm? I am going to dislike reading this book!" I was very wrong when I thought that, and I am happy, and very thankful, that Animal Farm was given to us because I would have never picked the book up on my own.

In the book Animal Farm, there is a little farm called Manor Farm which is ran by an old drunk named Mr. Jones. Mr. Jones starves the animals and works them to death, treating them horribly even when they try their hardest to please him. When the day is over Mr. Jones sits drunk on his couch, and sometimes neglects to feed the animals because he wants to go get drunk with his friends.

The oldest pig on the farm Willingdon Beauty, known by the other animals as Old Major, calls the animals to a meeting one night to share a dream that he has had. Old Major was the wisest animal on the farm and the other animals respected him greatly so they all showed up. In the meeting Old Major shared his dream of a new world where animals live freely with plenty of food, free from the ruling of mankind. Then Old Major dies a few days later, and soon the animals begin the revolt that he dreamed of.

Two pigs step in and take the leadership roll, Snowball, and Napoleon. They create seven commandments to live by so that they follow Old Major's words and dreams, but nothing as important as starting a new life is ever simple.

I do not want to ruin all the good twists and turns in the book because they are something that a person must experience and take in at their own pace and point of view. Let me just say, there are some really deceitful characters, animals in this case mainly, in Animal Farm.

Parts of the book really infuriated me, not the book itself but the actions of the character. I actually screamed at the book once saying, " NO WHY ARE YOU DOING THAT!? WHY ON E EARTH WOULD YOU ALLOW THAT!?" My grandparents came to check on me in my room to make sure I was okay. I just laughed at myself.

Animal Farm is a great novel, and everyone should read Animal Farm sometime in their life. The novel is interesting and very educational on a whole new level. George Orwell did a magnificent job of capturing the Russian Revolution in this little novel. So next time you see Animal Farm on the library shelf pick it up and give it a chance. Trust me, the books is not just about pigs and chickens eating corn.

Techie Tools

2009-04-13T21:10:00.000-07:00

I would have to say that my favorite techie tool would have to be blogs. I write on my school blog, and I enjoy doing so. I like to share with others my opinions on books, and I like to share the little poems that I write from time to time.

Blogs are universal so everyone in the world can see what you are writing. So a person like me who likes to share views, ideas, and opinions will most likely enjoy blogging. Outside of my school blog I have a few more blogs sites where I post poems and ideas that are deeper and closer to my heart. Blogging is like an escape for me. I can feel the ideas running from my mind, to my fingers, onto the keys, and on the computer screen. The feeling is very enjoyable.

I keep my school blog strictly business, except for one time when I got my new laptop, and I use my other blogs as a sort of place to play. One day I hope to actually get noticed in the blogging world, but I do not get my hopes up because I have learned better than to do that. There are plenty of other ways and actions to become noticed for, but everyone has to have little hopes.

Vampire Kisses

2009-04-13T06:15:00.000-07:00

Most little girls have an idea of what they want to be when they grow up. Some little girls want to be doctors, some want to nurses, some want to be vets, and some want to be beauticians, but Raven Madison has always wanted to grow up and become a VAMPIRE! Raven is a Gothic girl that loves the thought of vampires living around her and loves the thought of living in the darkness.

Ellen Schreiber wrote the book Vampire Kisses, and she did a good job of keeping in the book. There were times when the events in the book would be really slow, but then there would be a huge climax of excitement and adrenaline. I enjoyed the book and I have continued reading the Vampire Kisses series. The next book, Vampire Kisses: Kissing Coffins, is a bit better than the first. Raven gets deeper into a world that she knows nothing about.

In Vampire Kisses, Raven Madison is an outcast and lives life hiding in the shadows. She calls the town she lives in Dullsville because everyone acts proper and wears pastel colors. The only aspect of the town that interests Raven at all is an old abandoned, and supposedly haunted, mansion.

One day a new family moves into town, and the new family moves into the old abandoned haunted mansion that Raven uses as a play ground. Rumors begin to fly around about this new family because they, just like Raven, behave a little different from everyone else in town. Raven makes it her mission to find out about this new family. What Raven does not expect is true love to be jumping out in front of her and making her head spin.

Vampire Kisses is a supernatural book that is not really deeply supernatural. This novel is not as far into supernatural as some vampire and werewolf books get. There is of course love in the book, I hardly read books that do not involve love in some way. I have finished the first two and I plan on getting the next book Vampire Kisses: Vampireville as soon as I get to school in the morning. I left out a bunch of juicy, scrumptious scenes and details so you should read the book and see what you are missing!

number of pages: 272

Spring Break Running

2009-03-31T18:10:00.000-07:00

I loved this past spring break! I did not do a whole lot, but I did get to do something absolutely amazing! I am going to wait and save the best for last. I have taken a lot of great trips out of Arkansas for spring break, but this one trip within Arkansas tops all others by far. I plan on sharing the experience with others in the future.

The first part of my spring break was really slow. I worked most days either cleaning the house, or working at The Grill (The Italian Grill, everyone who works there calls it The Grill for short). I love my job and I love the people I work with. They are all older than me, but we still have a lot of fun, making the working time fly by. I tried to get in a lot of days working since I did not have school, and I got to work my first weekday lunch hour. To be honest the weekday lunch hour was a little slow for my taste. Anyway, I made a lot of money to spend on the rest of my spring break.

Over spring break I also visited with my mom Becky, and we took Dakota to see the movie Monsters vs. Aliens. Ever though the movie is a kids' movie my mom and I still found the movie to be very hilarious! I also got to see the movie Taken, and let me tell you that movie was very intense. The scary thing is that situations like the one in the movie Taken happen everyday, which is incredibly scary and unbelievable. Never travel alone and never trust strangers is all that I have to say.

Now here is the great part of my spring break. I can hardly remember any other part than this one. I GOT TO GO TO THE HORSE RACES IN HOT SPRINGS!!!! I had so much fun! I know, all the races are to most is money running around an oval track, but the races were so much more than that to me. I got such a rush watching the horses racing, and the rush did not stop after the first few races, I experienced the exertion in every race. I so wish I could race just once. Those horses are going extremely fast, and are pouring all their heart into every step. Most people do not know how it feels when a horse loves something as much as you. You can feel the passion the horses have radiating off of them. I seriously plan on going back to the horse races, and this next time I am bringing a sun hat and a camera. The horse races may not be much for most people, but for some one like me, that loves the magnificent creatures, the horse races are the best!

Anthem Essay CAUTION: SPOILER

2009-03-31T17:26:00.000-07:00

I recently typed an essay on the novelia Anthem by Ayn Rand for my English class and for a contest. I did not get to enter the contest, which saddens me, because I had not realized we had to submit the essay on our own via email. That is my mistake by far, but now i will know in the future how to enter a contest like the Anthem contest. We had three topics to choose from. I chose to discuss the causes I believe were making the people in Anthem die at an early age. The people in Anthem normally died around the age of 40, and were considered ancient if they lived to the age of 45. Both of which are very young ages to die at. The three main causes were that the people had no life, no health care, and no hope. The biggest cause that I leaned toward is that they poor people had not hope at all. Here is an exert from my essay:

“Life without hope is no life at all.” -Sri Chinmoy This is so very true. What are we without hope? What is the point of living if we have no hope? Hope is the base of all living, and the people of the City had not hope at all. The people of the City had no alternate paths, no free will. The people of the City were told early in their life the employment path which they would follow. They could not question the decision that the Council of Vocations made about their job, because “the Council of Vocation knows in it’s great wisdom where [they] are needed by [their] brother men, better than they can know in [their] unworthy little minds.” Aside from being told the job they would occupy, and that they were stupid and unworthy, the people of the city were also told who they would “mate” with. The City had a law “that men may not think of women, save at the Time of Mating.” No man or woman could love each other. At the time of mating men and women were assigned to each other and they are to conceive a child. The children would be born the following winter and sent to the house of the infants. No families to love each other just reproduction and moving on. No hope that a person would get to raise their child and see them grow into an individual existed at all. No one could be individuals, everyone had to think as a group, and never ever say the word I because saying I would get their tongue cut out and their death brought on by burning. The people of the City had no life at all, no hope, and no love. The only thing that the people of the City had to look forward to was sitting in the Home of the Useless and decomposing slowly. Why live if there is no hope that you will be remembered or live a full happy life? A life with no happiness is no life at all.

I loved the book Anthem, but I feel sorry for all the characters. I even felt sorry for the main character, Equality 7-2521. He got out of the City and away from poor life there, but he was put through so much when he lived in the City. He had hope and he had a soul, so the people looked down on him for such. In the end, Equality 7-2521 journeyed his was out of the town and made a huge discover in which he would use to start a new life and create a new civilization, but none the less his journey was atrocious. I could not live in the world created in Anthem, I would rebel or take off with Equality 7-2521 because love, faith, hope, and freedom are very important to me. They are very close to my heart.

Anthem

2009-03-13T10:48:00.000-07:00

" We are one in all and all in one. There are no men but only the great WE, One, indivisible and forever." These are the words that the people, in the book Anthem by Ayn Rand, had to repeat to themselves when they were tempted to think as an individual. Could you imagine living in a world where you could not be an individual? A world where egos are baned. A world where the world I is obsolete and is a crime to say. A world where saying the word I would get your tongue cut out and have you burned at the stake, in front of the whole town.

That is the type of world Ayn Rand created in her novella Anthem. The main character, Equality 7-2521 goes against all of the new rules of the future. He falls in love with a women, and works in secret to learn more about the "Unmentionable Times" so that he can lessen the toil of his "brothers." From the day Equality 7-2521 was born he saw himself as cursed because he was smart and questioned many of the teachings he was taught, and this made him different so he was always in trouble. Equality 7-2521 was not like anyone else in the City, his soul was not broken and he was strong. So when he finds a hole full of artifacts from the "Unmentionable Times" he sets to work learning more.

Equality 7-2521 is a great character and the book Anthem is an outstanding book. Ayn Rand really know how to get into a person's head and make them think about the world around them. As I read this book, I realized how lucky we are to have all the freedom we take for granted day in and day out. I am reading another one of Ayn Rand's books. The title of the book is Fountainhead. The main character in this book is also a man who is being put down and criticized for his way of thinking, but his situation is a a lot different than Equality 7-2521's. I do not want to go and tell you all about Fountainhead so far because I think that you should read the book to. I am excited to see where the man's journey takes him.

Ayn Rand is my new author to explore for now. I really enjoyed Anthem so I am excited to read her other books. I encourage everyone to read Anthem as a sort of enlightenment. Ayn Rand writes in a very vivid way that makes every scene pop up in front of your eyes.

To Perfect My World...

2009-03-11T11:15:00.000-07:00

My world as is right now is great, but I would change a few details before I would even think about calling my world perfect. The world I live in right now is full of hunger, fighting, and hatred, I would strive to change all of those if I had the power to do so. If everyone in this world could come to a mutual agreement and get along we would all be better off.

I have the power to make little changes and try to motivate other to do the same. I can recycle, send money to those in need, and protest against the wars we are having. But one person is not enough to change the whole world. Here are a list of the changes that need to be made to make the world perfect.

1. A cure for world hunger
2. A cure for cancer
3. An efficient way of transportation (that does not pollute our atmosphere)
4. A school system were everyone had to wear uniforms (so that there would be no discrimination and no cleavage falling out. Those both disgust me.)
5. A good health care plan for everyone
6. No fighting
7. No discrimination at all anywhere
8. No depth in our nation
9. No crime
10.Homes for all
11. Jobs for all

If I could make this whole list happen then I feel the world would be better off. I truly wish I could help our world more. I will strive to do so, and i will encourage others to do the same. We all want this world to be a better place so lets work together to make change happen.

Runner

2009-03-05T15:38:00.000-08:00

I inhale deeply standing on the start line.

Only thinking of my one goal in mind.

Push when the gun goes off,

and run as hard as I can.

My feet eating up the ground before me,

Like an oyster digging sand.

BANG! It is time to go!

These girls will not beat me, heavens no.

I will not allow such a thing.

I widen my stride and push faster.

Then happiness hits me like a tide.

I made it to the finish line.

I am the master!

Bystander

2009-03-05T15:27:00.000-08:00

I sit and watch the girls run the mile.

As I sit there I grin and I smile.

I think of how great the feeling of running must be.

Wind in one's hair, running with all one's might.

Watching that finish line with a greedy stare, and

hoping one's time will be the fastest of the night.

I wonder if I would have a chance,

or if the girls would pass me with no second glance.

What merriment it must be to run,

and to feel free.

I hope one day that will be me.

Midnighters

2009-02-20T19:41:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wished that you had one extra hour in the day so you could actually finish everything you need to do? If you are luck, and if you live in Bixby, Oklahoma, then you do get an extra hour, the secret hour. An hour were you are powerful and everyone else is frozen. The world is your playground at exactly 12 am.

In the book Midnighters the Secret Hour by Scott Westerfled, Jessica Day moves to Bixby, Oklahoma, and she is kind of crept out by the town. She thinks the water tastes funny, the people are weird and the water makes her have weird dreams. She soon finds out that the weird dreams she keeps having are not dreams at all but a moment in time when everyone is frozen except a select few called the Midnighters, and the creepy crawlies we hall have nightmares about.

Jessica starts being attacked by dark beings every night at the secret hour and the other midnighters do not know why. They find out that the reason that the "darklings" are attacking her is because she possesses a huge power that could wipe them out. The Midnighters must work together to keep Jessica safe and protect the town they all call home.

This great work of fiction completely pulled me in. I never wanted to lay the book down, and a few times I got in trouble by my teachers for reading while they were teaching their lesson. In the book Midnighters the Secret Hour I escaped to my own secret hour and had a blast. Scott Westerfled really know how to write a good adventure novel. I have also read his book series called the Uglies. The Uglies was another book that I could not lay down. Scott Westerfled is a great author and everyone should read one of his books. A person can really venture into another world when reading his books.

" Dat Buck two devils"

2009-02-14T17:05:00.000-08:00

White teeth, sharp and blood spattered, clanging and chomping as dog glares the other in the eyes, anticipating the next move. Intense moments like this one are exactly what Buck experienced in the novel Call of the Wild. Buck himself was a fierce, intense animal. Thus is why Buck was seen as "two devils" (pg54) , and was able to live in the tough world of "the law of club and fang"(pg25).

The novel Call of the Wild is certainly all about taking stands. Buck took so many stands in the novel, he was mighty and headstrong. I personally would have never picked this book up to read on my own, because I normally do not read books about animals. I prefer adventure and a little science fiction, but this novel blew me out of the water. Great detail, vivid scenes, the whole novel is memorable. I am go glad that I read Call of the Wild. Everyone should read Call of the Wild.

On the back of the novel, three words are written at the top. The words are "Harsh. Brutal. Strong." That is exactly how this novel is, and Jack London, the author, just pulls you in and makes one want to finish Buck's journey with him, and see how it ends. After reading Call of the Wild, I myself want to answer my call to the wild, and dig back down to my primal ancestors' ways of living, but I am no were near tough enough. =)

Dead Untill Dark

2009-02-11T19:10:00.000-08:00

Love, fate, blood, fangs, betrayal, and deception, when reading Dead Until Dark one will encounter all of these. I can really get into this book, and I think the reason I can get into the book so well is because the main character is a blond hair blue eye waitress, Sookie Stackhouse, in a small town where nothing really happens. Which in my opinion sounds a bit like me. Then one day, a vampire enters the place in which Sookie works and her whole world gets flipped upside down and all around.

If you are a fan of the Twilight books, then you should read this book and the seven that follow. I have read almost all of them and they are great. There are dark twists and turns, with a touch of love, and romance. This book and the following ones are a bit more, shall I say, grown up then the Twilight series. Charlaine Harris, the author, seems to be deeper in her writing. She really knows how to through adventure, love, and fighting all into one book and suck a reader in. Another great asset to this book and the whole series it the mystery that is intertwined within. There is a murderer loose and the murderer is killing many girls within Sookie's home town. And Jason, Sookie's brother, is the main suspect.

I received the book, Dead Until Dark, as a Christmas present from my best friend, and i have not been able to keep my nose out of the book series that Charlaine Harris has written. This book series has become so big and so widely read that it has been turned into a HBO series. I have watched the first season and can not wait till the next season comes out.

So if you find your self wanting to read something with love, but that is really juicy, exciting, and mysterious, read Dead Until Dark. I can almost guarantee you will get hooked in and want to read more and experience the mysterious new life of Sookie Stackhouse.

Antigone the Great

2009-02-10T18:34:00.000-08:00

Would you put your life at risk for someone you love? Would you stand by them after they died, even if doing so would bring upon your death as well? Antigone, in the book Antigone, did both for her brother. She was noble, brave, and stubborn. Antigone was a true hero, and she took a great stand for what she believed in and she did not back down.

I like to think that I am as strong as Antigone. I would be there for my brother no matter what, just like she was. Even if my doing so would cost me my life in the end I could feel good about myself because I was selfless, loving, and noble till the end. If anything, Antigone was just that. She was stubborn and strong willed.

I highly recommend the book Antigone for everyone to read sometime in their lifetime. The lesson a person can learn from the book is a great lesson. I myself learned that you have to back your family no matter what, and that whatever you do will come back around and get you. Creon learned that everything comes back to get you, he was punished greatly for the selfish, prideful way he acted. Remember that if a person does not have their family what do they really have at all.

My Stand

2009-01-23T16:45:00.000-08:00

When I was younger everyone seemed to think that they could walk all over me just because I was nice. A few people treated me kindly, but few that treated me as an equal. Most of the time I got ran all over at home. Friends of my mom would come in and treat me like a little servant, and she would not say anything. She was just as guilty of treating me that way as they were. Mom would always make me clean her room, make her bed and vacuum her ceiling and floor once a week. I was expected to do all the cleaning and let her take all the credit for it when people saw how nice the house looked. I just lived with the feeling of being taken for granted. I took care of Dakota every day. I had to get him up and cook him breakfast and get him dressed for school all while Mom slept. Then at the end of the day it never failed that she would insult me. Even after all the work I had done she called me fat and lazy. By the time I was 13 years old all of the years of being pushed had filled me up so much I was about to over flow. As I entered our house one day after school at about 4 in the afternoon, Mom began yelling at me. She was right up in my face saying, “Chelsea, put your books down. You need to do the dishes. Oh, and why did you not wash all the clothes last night? I just cannot believe how lazy you are. You do not think of anyone but yourself. You are so selfish!”

At that point I snapped like a twig under an elephant’s foot. I could have snapped at anyone, but mom was the one that pushed me when I was full to the brim. At that very moment, I looked her square in the eye and said, “No! It is your room and your mess, so you do it! You have been home all day while I have been at school. You should have done what needed to be done. You are not going to push me around anymore. No one will push me around anymore!”

Finished with my spurt of rage, I was filled with a refreshing relief. I was still standing toe to toe with my mom at the front door, but I felt like I was 10-foot tall.

Seconds later I was stunned, I had heard the crack of skin against skin before I registered the pain across my face. My head was tilted sideways, she had smacked me hard. She had no idea of what else to do. I stood there in the door way with the door still open and thought for a minute about all the events that just happened. My face hurt but I had won our little fight. Looking in her eyes, I could see she was flabbergasted by the fact that her little girl had stood up to her for once. After pondering about our entire scene a little longer, I smiled and went to my room. When entering my room I noticed that every part of my room seemed brighter and extravagant. I was a new person, and from then on I refused to let anyone walk on me like a doormat.

New Computer

2008-12-29T12:00:00.000-08:00

I love my new Computer.
It is way more expensive than pewter.

I love the keys,
I can type with such ease.

I love the speed.
It is a fine computer indeed.

I wish you could see
When I opened it I screamed with glee

Oh how nice my new gift,
It sure gave my spirits a good lift

I must go now for I want to play.
I hope you have a great day!

We Are Half Way Done

2008-12-17T11:56:00.000-08:00

Sophomore year, a year that I will never forget. Even though we are only half way through it is already unforgettable. I must be honest i was so afraid of coming into high school. I kind of went into a whole stereo type feeling where i was scared that the new sophomores would get picked on by the previous sophomores. I am very happy to report that this did not happen at all.

This half of the year has been intriguing. I have made so many friends of so many types that it is hard to believe. I love my classes and I have many of my friends in all of my classes. Having friends in classes make enjoying school a bit easier.

Everyone is so nice. The teachers, the students, the janitors, the lunch ladies, everyone says hi and helps each other and I love that. I could not figure out my locker combination the first week of school and three other students helped me out. If I have problems with any of my homework and i can not reach a teacher a fellow student will help me. It is like we are all united as one, the Batesville Pioneer family.

Although I am ready for college, I do not want to leave the high school. I am happy that I still have two more years to enjoy the high school. I am going to make many memories and take advantage of my time here at Batesville.

Leadership

2008-12-15T10:12:00.000-08:00

Leadership: the ability to lead others. Having the quality of leadership is great and can be very helpful. With leadership you can help others but you can also hurt others as well. In the book Tragedy of Julius Caesar we see an example of corrupt leadership. Cassius talks a group of men into killing the noble Caesar. He is able to manipulate these men and get them to from an alliance against Caesar. After he gets all the men he wants in the group he leads them on to stab Caesar. Cassius even talked Caesar's friend Brutus into killing Caesar. Cassius knew how to lead these men and talk to them so that they did as he wanted them to. Cassius was jealous of Caesar's power so he used his ability to understand men's wants to murder Caesar.

This kind of corrupt leadership occurs all the time. It happens in governments, towns, cities, homes, schools, and friendship. I myself have experienced corrupt leadership first hand. A few years ago two of my friends got into a huge dispute over some guy and I some how got drug in the middle of it all. My friends told me i had to choose, that I could not be friends with both of them. I could not decide so I walked away. Then a few days later one of them came up to me and started telling me that the other person was running her mouth about me and spreading horrible rumors. I was infuriated! I completely shut the girl, that was supposedly spreading the rumors, out of my life. I never answered her phone calls, I ignored her texts, and every time she came near me i would turn and leave. What I did not know was she did not really spread any rumors the other girl had lied to me. She had manipulated me and lead me to her side. I thought that I could trust her but after her leading me on like that I knew better. I had to set the situation right with the other girl whom was the true friend.

I explained to her what i had been told and i apologized a million times. I felt so bad. I had been manipulated just like Brutus in Julius Caesar, but i did not go to the extreme of killing my best friend. I learned from my experience and my true friend and i have never been better. Life is tough and corruption is out there so be careful and never betray the ones that you love.

Fate - real or hocks

2008-12-14T10:14:00.000-08:00

In the book Julius Caesar fate is the key component. Shakespeare used fate in all of his writings. From noticing this I believe that Shakespeare himself was a firm believer in fate himself. In the book Julius Caesar everyone seems to have no free will and the run their lives according to omens, soothsayers, and dreams. It is like they are taking the easy way out and letting an outside force,fate, control every aspect of their life.

One of the multiple examples of fate in Julius Caesar is when the soothsayer runs up to Caesar and says, " Beware the ides of March." Caesar thinks nothing of it and moves on. Then when the ides of March come, on March 15th, Caesar is murdered. He was warned but did not really think and just as the soothsayer predicted tragedy happened at the ides of March.

Before Caesar's death his wife also tried to warn him of his death. She claimed that she had a dream that suggested something terrible would happen but her dream was just waved off as if there was no meaning. Then as fate would have it a very terrible thing did happen to Caesar. Fate was after Caesar and he could not avoid it.

Later in the book in act four scene three Brutus is visited by the ghost of Caesar. The Ghost tells him, "...thou shall see me at Philippi." Brutus excepts this omen as an omen of defeat. Then later at Philippi Brutus is defeated and kills himself. He acted as if there were no other option but for him to die.

After reading this book I can confidently conclude that Shakespeare believed in fate and wanted other people to see fate in his writings. Fate is uncontrollable and as shown in Julius Caesar what is going to happen will happen no matter what.

It Helps to Listen

2008-11-17T15:45:00.000-08:00

Have you ever felt like no one understood you or like no one was listening to what you were saying? Have you ever had your boyfriend/girl friend break up with you and when you tried to tell your friend about it he/she just spaced out the whole time you were having an emotional break down? Wait let me answer for you, yes you have. everyone has experienced and participated in some form of poor listening skills. Written in the book 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey, the five poor listening styles are as follows: spacing out, pretending to listen, selective listening, word listening, and self-centered listening. All of us are guilty of committing all of these poor listening habits at least once in our life. Yet we expect people to listen to us to the best of their ability.

A few years ago I went through some tough situations that a person should never have to experience. I was in deep depression and no one would help me. I tried to tell everyone I knew what was going on. I wanted help so bad but no one would listen to me. They judged me and just because I was young they thought I was making up stories and being dramatic. When I thought someone was listening for real I would look them in the eyes and realize that they were spacing out thinking about their own little world. (Yes spacing out is very obvious no matter what you may happen to think.) So I would just get up and go to my room and cry. I also experienced people pretending to listen, and let me tell you pretending to listen is just as obvious as spacing out. There was one time that I was sitting and spilling my guts out to my mom telling her everything and all she would reply with was, "Oh" "No way" "OK" or "Cool". She paid me no attention what so ever. Then she looked away from me and started talking to someone else, forgetting all about me sitting there needing her help. No one understood the gravity of my situation. I felt so alone and depressed. Then one day I met a girl named Kari. She came up to me and said, "You look like you need someone to talk to." We went and sat under the tree in front of my house and I told her everything. I was so desperate to talk to someone and have them understand that I did not care that I had only known her for 5 minutes. The whole time I was pouring out my heart and soul she listened intently. She looked at me not around me. She mirrored me warmly with care clearly seen in her eyes and she cared about what I was saying. After that day we were inseparable.

Kari helped me to ascend up and above my problems and to move on in life with my chin held high. She listened to me when no one else would. She brought a light and shined it on the dark world I was living in. Listening, the easiest thing to do for someone, helped me get out of a world of depression. So next time some one tries to talk to you about their problems, whether they as horrible like mine or very simple, sit and listen. Maybe you could help them and be their friend, a bright sun in their shadowed world.

Proactive

2008-11-07T05:39:00.000-08:00

Being proactive, a habit that we all need to indulge in regularly. Everyday of our lives is full of chances to choose to be proactive or the be reactive. In the book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens written by Sean Covey, the son of Stephen R. Covey who wrote The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Sean says, "Being proactive is the first step toward achieving the private victory." He is a very wise man and I know his statement is valid because I have experienced being proactive and being reactive many times.

About two years ago my little brother and I stayed at each others throats, arguing constantly. Everyday he would just try to make my day miserable. He would say statements such as; "I hate you! I wish I were an only child." or "I'm going to tell grandma that you hit me so that I can see you get in trouble." When he would say things like that my day from then on was horrible. I stayed tense and had continuous headaches. Then one morning in the car he said, " Chelsea I'm having a bad day so I'm going to ruin your day too."

I turned around and said, " No Dakota you will not ruin my day! I refuse to let you. I'm going to laugh off your hurt full comments and move on in life." He was persistent but so was I, I did not let him ruin my day. That day was the beginning of many enjoyable days. I chose to be proactive and not blow up on him or let him bother me. After that he stopped. We hardly ever fight anymore. The only time that we might argue is when we both want the computer, the 8 year old machine that likes shutting down unexpectedly. So make the right chose and be proactive. You will be glad when you do, i know i was.

My Hero

2008-10-15T09:54:00.000-07:00

The name of my hero is Phantom Angel. From day to day she lives a secret life. During the day she goes by the name of Triella, a blonde hair, blue eyed 16-year-old girl. Then as the sunsets she changes entirely. Her long blonde hair turns jet black. Then her ocean blue eyes evolve into a deep shade of violet and dark silky black wings emerge from her back, stretching to a length of 50 meters tip to tip. She wields a magnificent staff that bares a rare magical gem on the end. When she fights evil she uses the staff to attack and capture the delinquents. She also uses the cross around her neck to strip the power to wield magic from those who miss use it. After transformation every night she flies through the skies gracefully with her majestic black wings fighting evil and keeping the town in perfect harmony. Then as soon as the sun peeks over the horizon she flies home and gently turns back into the regular blonde hair, blue eyed Triella of the planet Pax; the planet she has lived on since birth and protected since her 10th birthday. She will protect Pax until the day she dies and can pass the duty on to her offspring.

Science Fiction

2008-09-17T11:12:00.000-07:00

Science fiction is a very interesting genre. Science fiction really makes me think about how the world is and how it could be. I think about how the world would be if everything in science fiction books were real. I recomend the genre of science fiction for everyone to read. I recomend the book The Invisible Man for people to read. It was a great book, but it does have a few choice words that i did not like. Other than that it was a really good book. There are many other science fiction books, and short stories that are great asweel. For example, i enjoyed George Washington's Socks. George Washington's Socks is about a boy and his sister going back in time to a war lead by George Washington and going through everything that the soliders went through and having an adventure of a life time. Science fiction is a fun, exciting genre that everyone can enjoy.

Dear President

2008-09-17T10:59:00.000-07:00

I think that Obama would be a good president. He has good plans in store for our country. He has plans to help people get affordable health care and has plans to get our men and women out of Iraq within 18 month. There is only one issue i do not agree with him on and that is his choice to be pro-choice. I feel that pro-choice is wrong and is murder. That is not what I am here to talk about though my opinions on abortion will be in a diffrent blog. I do feel secure that Obama can get this country back on it's feet and help us to move forward. Obama has so many great plans for this country and he will help every group of people. He has all of our interests in mind. I know that he does not have a lot of experience, but how can he ever get experience if he never gets the chance. I believe in him, and i believe that he can help you country in this time of need.