Into the Wild

1. So far I like the book. The writing style is pretty straightfoward which is nice. The plot is interesting, and I don't mind the characters. However, I haven't had a ton of time to get into the book yet.


2. Lost, I think for the most part he just doesn't feel like he's found his footing. I don't think he wants to except life working in an office building all day or whatever and that he just wants to feel unrestrained for a while.


3. I think the author is suggesting that the human experience should be whatever an individual wants it to be rather than what civilization/society collectively wants it to be and it doesn't need to be mapped out, it can be completely organic. I think that society/civilization is a major theme in the novel so far.


4. Chris reminds me a lot of Sam in My Side of the Mountain. He is sort of looking for somewhere to fit in just and instead of trying to find it in society he just completely drops out and turns to nature just like Sam does.
5. I guess like Chris I can be kind of stubborn too. Like when Jan was trying to give him stuff to help him out when he decided to leave the Slabs and he refused it and eventually just took it to make her happy. I do stuff like that a lot like if my mom is trying to give something when I'm in a hurry and I don't want it I'll refuse for a little while and then finally take it so she'll quit bugging me and then I'll "forget" it in the car or something. Otherwise I don't feel like I'm that similar to Chris.
6. Well in Sociology we were learning about this theory on why people are deviant there was a part about retreatism were people reject conventional ways of getting what they want and they aren't motivated by the goals society sets for them they essentially "drop out" of society. This is kind of like Chris I think. He doesn't want to achieve what society wants him to and he doesn't use conventional means to get want he wants so he basically just rejects society all together.

20 Minutes with the President

If I had the chance to sit down with President elect Obama, I would begin by congratulating him and telling how much I admire him. I would chat with him on his plans for the war and, obviously, his view on the economy since it's what everyone is talking about right now. I would want to know who he's considering for his cabinet, where he wants his administration to go, and things like that. I would let him know that I believe Wall Street should be watched more closely now, taxes should be raised on the upper class, same-sex marriage should be legalized, and education policies should be revamped.

I think four years from now people will have more respect for our government and especially the president's office. To be frank, I think President Bush made a real mess of our country in many ways and President Obama will do a fanastic job of cleaning it up. I believe the big corporations will monitored more closely than they have been and our economy at least will be on its way to repair. I think the war situation will be resolved or nearly resolved and there will be a lot more soldiers back home again. I'm very optimistic for the next four years.

I think forty years from now I'll have a family and be living in a more suburban area, but I'm not positive where. I think the environment will be the forefront in politics and maybe some sort of international conflict might be going on.

Scathing Review

Bring It On: All or Nothing



The second sequel to the hilarious 2000 cheerleading film, Bring It On, has definitely not brought anything. Obviously a cheap rip-off of the original, Bring It On: All or Nothing is completely lackluster and unfunny as it tells the story of Brittany, a rich blonde cheerleader former cheer captain at a nice suburban high school that is looking to join the cheerleading squad at the inner high school she has been forced to transfer to.



The plot obviously was never paid any attention to because, frankly, it sucks. The characters simply aren't funny, the story is hardly believeable, and there is nothing interesting about it. It's not even worth discussing.



There are no themes or motifs in this movie because it's superficial and ridiculous. It would have been a complete waste of time to attempt to add any depth to this film because the only people that will ever look for any depth in it probably believe The Hills will enrich their lives and Paris Hilton is a good role model.



The main characters of this film lack any substance and their casting was pathetic. The acting is so painfully awful that I'm not even sure if it was acting. It seemed more like watching a sixth grade class play. It was terrible.

I don't even want to take the time to comment on the director's style. I'm pretty sure he only did this movie because he needed a couple bucks for the house payment so I'm going to do him a favor by pretending he wasn't associated with it. If I directed this movie I would be trying my hardest to block this from my memory entirely.

Glowing Review

Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer

Released this August, Breaking Dawn, the much anticipated fourth installment to Stephenie Meyer's hit teen vampire series Twilight. The series follows the love story two teens from Forks, Washington, Bella and Edward. They're madly in love, but there's just one problem, Edward's a vampire. This books picks up where the last left off, with Edward and Bella just graduating and getting ready for their wedding and Bella wanting to join Edward in vampire-hood.

The plot is doesn't disappoint by any means. It throws sharp curve balls from beginning to end and leaves you hungry for more. Arguably the most intense plot in the entire series, the book climaxes at several points and offers more than one perspective. It delves deeper into Bella and Edward's relationship as well as several others. The most surprising point is the manner in which Bella enters the vampire world. Rather than simply changing Bella into a vampire which would have left readers conflicted with wanting her to be with Edward forever and missing the difficulty that separation caused for them, Meyer finds a shocking and ingenious way to make everything come out just right.

The most deeply explored topic in the novel is love and sacrifice. Both Bella and Edward are forced to make sacrifices for their love among several others. Human gifts versus supernatural gifts is other prominent theme/motif explored through the special abilities certain individuals in the vampire world possess.

Over the course of the series, Meyer taken extra care to develop and explore her characters thoroughly. You see Bella at her best in Breaking Dawn. She is astonishingly selfless and shows the inner strength she possesses. While she has seemed so fragile in the past novels, she shows she perfectly balances dependence and independence. Edward finally realizes he doesn't have to constantly protect Bella, that all he needs to do is love and support her, which makes him seem that much more perfect. The Cullens are examined more closely this time as well, considering that Bella is one of them now. Rosalie finally warms up to Bella and more is revealed about Jasper's difficulty with his past.

Meyer's style of writing draws the reader in immediately because she chooses to write in the first person, so the reader literally feels like they are in the shoes of the narrator. She takes this even a step further and connects readers to all the characters' thoughts, feelings, and emotions by cleverly using Edward's mind reading, Alice's seeing abilities, and Jasper's emotional awareness to do so. Readers are then able to understand the motives of all the characters and identify with each. This emotional attachment she creates makes for a whole new level of intensity for readers and adds to the excitement and thrill of the novel.

A Plethora of Topics

5 more original ways to say "I'm Bored"

1) "Nothing is sparking my interest at this time"
2) "This is duller than an unsharpened pencil"
3) "Reading an entire history of the rubberband sounds mildly entertaining right now"
4) "Right now twiddling my thumbs would captivate me "
5) "Estoy aburrido"

6 Quality Laffy Taffy Jokes

1) What do you get when a dog walks across the sun?.....wait for it.....A HOTDOG! priceless.
2) What do you call a snailer on a boat?....A SNAILOR!...get it? like a sailor but not, so clever.
3) What's a baby's motto?...IF AT FIRST YOU DON'T SUCCEED, CRY, CRY, AGAIN...true dat
4) What did the cabbage preacher say to his church?...LETTUCE PRAY...comedic genius
5) What did the man say when walked into the bar?....OUCH!...ok so you've heard this one before, but it's a classic.
6) What are the strongest days of the week?...SATURDAY & SUNDAY--ALL THE REST ARE WEEKDAYS...whoa i don't think i can handle this hilarity

My Love Poem

So i started writing my love poem and its a little rough but i'll give you a preview:

Partially blindfolded
Everything says this is crazy
But my feet suffer from a
Severe case of selective hearing

Or maybe they’re just intuitive
Either way they’re far ahead
And I have no choice
But to hang on tight

If the puzzle works it works
I’m screwed if it doesn’t

And yeah thats it so far...

October 7th Blog (A little late)

So I can't believe MEA is already here how fun is that! But also (i don't know if you noticed) theres an election coming up soon too. unfortunately i'm not going to be old enough to vote this time around which sucks because this is a huge election! like whatever team is elected its gonna be a huge landmark for this country which is cool. i don't wanna get all super political so i'm just gonna say our country needs a huge change. there's so much that needs repairing and so much that needs to be addressed that hasn't been. so really i hope everyone that can vote does otherwise we'll be stuck in the same rut we've been in for the past eight years.

I'm Not Gonna Write You A Love Poem

Valentine by Carol Ann Duffy

Not a red rose or a satin heart.

I give you an onion.
It is a moon wrapped in brown paper.
It promises light
like the careful undressing of love.

Here.
It will blind you with tears
like a lover.
It will make your reflection
a wobbling photo of grief.

I am trying to be truthful.

Not a cute card or a kissogram.

I give you an onion.
Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips,
possessive and faithful
as we are,
for as long as we are.

Take it.
Its platinum loops shrink to a wedding-ring,
if you like.

Lethal.
Its scent will cling to your fingers,
cling to your knife.

http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/carol_ann_duffy/poems/8116

She is saying that love can be unpleasant like an onion but it will always permeate everything like an onion's smell and sometimes sting like a onion too.

"It is a moon wrapped in brown paper" means an onion, like love, will slowly get rid of its plainess and show its brilliance.

Clever Poetry

Another Reason Why I Don't Keep A Gun In The House by Billy Collins
The neighbors' dog will not stop barking.
He is barking the same high, rhythmic bark
that he barks every time they leave the house.
They must switch him on on their way out.

The neighbors' dog will not stop barking.
I close all the windows in the house
and put on a Beethoven symphony full blast
but I can still hear him muffled under the music,
barking, barking, barking,

and now I can see him sitting in the orchestra,
his head raised confidently as if Beethoven
had included a part for barking dog.

When the record finally ends he is still barking,
sitting there in the oboe section barking,
his eyes fixed on the conductor who is
entreating him with his baton

while the other musicians listen in respectful
silence to the famous barking dog solo,
that endless coda that first established
Beethoven as an innovative genius.

I chose this poem because I know that insane feeling you get when something is irritating you all to well. It's like the noise or whatever it is is out to get you or something and I think Billy Collins captures this feeling perfectly. The title fits it perfectly because something as annoying as a dog barking constantly makes you feel like you're going to go postal if it doesn't stop. Also it captures your attention too.
The repetitive "b" sound has a harsh almost abrasive (theres that b again) sound to it which fits with the constant barking of the dog. Obviously the repetition of the word "bark" does this too. Powerful imagery enhances the poem because it lets the reader imagine the dog sitting out in the symphony barking away too.
The tone is almost irritated to the point of irrationality/insanity. Collins achieves this by centering eveything in the poem around the dog's bark and slowly creating images that are more and more "out there" I guess. First he can image the dog being flipped on or wound up like a toy and then sitting in the orchestra and then finally the soloist in the orchestra. There is also a rhythm to the poem that is continually broken/interrupted by the harsh "b" sound similar to how the dog's barking keeps interrupting his thoughts.
http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/poets/billy_collins/poems/11282

Loving Primetime

So there's soooooo many good shows premiering this week it's INSANE. like law order: svu (pretty much the best show ever) premieres tonight and i watched dancing with the stars last night (ok so its not the best show ever but how hillarious is it to watch all those celebrities dance around ridiculously) and grey's anatomy starts thurs and OF COURSE THE OFFICE!!!!


best show ever.


simply amazing.



But one flippin awesome show is missing this fall. 24. Stupid writers strike postponed it for like ever and i miss it soooo much! Cause it's so amazing obviously. i can't wait for the 2 hour season prequel to come but thats not till november ugh so far away.

Mathematical Error

So yesterday my table was talking about like what would happen if like one day 2+2 like didn't equal 4 and instead like equaled sun or something like that. How weird would that be like realizing that everything you've learned since you were like 5 was totally wrong? Crazy. So then we got bored and decided to make our own mathematics and this is what we came up with:
blue+red=aardvark
daniel day-lewis squared=holy (haha anyone who has taken apal will get this)
aardvark squared= coven of aardvarks
and i cant think of some of the others right now but it was really entertaining and killed a lot of time and i think the font of this blog changed in the middle and im not really sure why.
i'm not really sure what else i wanna write about so just random things going on with me:

• today i'm going to look and the proofs for my senior pictures...i'm excited to see them!
• this friday my dance team (i'm on jv) is performing pregame at the football game so again im really excited but also nervous beyond belief
• i'm doing a lab in ap chem
• i'll be writing my personal narrative tonight and possible title choices are: puddle on the prairie (because its about a flood and it happened in the midwest which is pretty much all prairie), washing away (again its about a flood), come hell and high waters (that was kind of the motto associated with the flood after it happened), too deep for galoshes (again, flood) but i also might change my topic and then these titles would be kinda useless

Personal Narrative

So I don't really have anything for passages really right now. I basically just have an outline right now because i haven't taken any time to really right up anything yet. I'm still organizing my thoughts out and all that fun stuff. And i just hate rough drafts in general because im too much of a perfectionist to write down something that i dont think is worded right and stuff...its a terrible habit and it wastes so much time. But anyways im writing about when i was a kindergartener there was a big flood in my town and how that changed me.

Discover

So forget this picking a topic thing...i'm just going to write about random stuff because theres no way i'm ever going to be able to choose/write one topic. I get distracted waaay too easily. But anyway I don't know what else I'm supposed to write about soooo yeah. This week has been the longest ever. i'm serious. If every week is like this i'm going to switch to four day school weeks. Also i have a cold too and this stupid cough that won't go away so that sucks too. But yeah i'm being a negative nancy so im just gonna quit while i'm ahead.