writings of an aspiring superstar

About me

2011-08-14T20:13:00.001-07:00

http://heyitswendy.moonfruit.com/#/life/4551842081

3rd 9weeks reading list

2011-03-10T10:16:00.000-08:00

I have read 3 books, the equivalent of 6 books

Invisible Man- Ralph Ellison

Copper Sun- Sharon Draper

The V Club- Kate Brian

Copper Sun by Sharon Draper is about a girl named Amari who becomes a slave. She lives in a village in Africa but is kidnapped by people who seem like friends and her and many other young people are transported to America to be slaves. She meets a girl and they work together to find their freedom. I liked this book because it really shows how slavery was, even though the book is fictional it is very accurate.

Forster's My Wood

2011-03-09T21:28:00.000-08:00

2011-03-01T20:34:00.001-08:00

Web. 01 Mar. 2011. .

This is an ad I saw at the movie theater. What was funny was that I saw it after I complained about how expensive concessions were on top of the outrageous ticket prices. It really is a good deal if you are like me and don't like to spend one thousand dollars at the movies.

When I first saw the add I got really excited because I thought that concession prices were finally dropping. I suddenly realized it said stimulus Tuesday, and that these prices were only valid on Tuesday's. Now, in the summer a movie on a Tuesday night is okay, but during the school year no one's parents allows them to go to the movie theater on a Tuesday.

This move by the theater was pretty good. They realized that if they lowered concession prices on a Tuesday night that they would get more customers and the revenue wouldn't suffer because they would gain more people and make up for the price drop because before the discount there were less people coming.

Be A Child Star?? I Wish!

2010-12-09T19:05:00.000-08:00

We all know who Will Smith is. Yes, The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air. Well he's moved past those days and has a had a few kids. His son, Jayden, has starred in a few movies, But I wanna focus on little Willow who has just recently hit the scene. Some of you guys might have heard her little tune "Whip My Hair." She is a very talented little girl and a little bit too mature. Recently I went I was reading through some blogs that I regularly visit and I came across an article about little Willow Smith. The article was about an interview she had, and she said that "people are relying on her." After I read the whole article and the opinions Miss Jia gave I agreed with her.

Should Children be allowed to become Stars?

This is a hard question to answer, because when you child has that much talent you want their talent to be brodcasted to the world. The thing that made me think about this issue is that she felt like people were relying on her, and like Miss Jia brought up is she feeling pressured to become a star? I think that if a child wants to be "famous" then they should be allowed to pursue their dreams. Then again we've all heard the stories about child stars like Gary Coleman, Drew Barrymore and many other adults who were once child stars. We've heard about their problems and how their lives were not normal and how they felt like they weren't children. It is a very hard thing to think about because of the high percentage of tragic stories, but I still think that if the child wants to pursue their dream then they should be able to.

12 Sentence Story

2010-11-29T18:31:00.000-08:00

I was sitting on the couch, feet propped up on the table, left hand loosely gripping the remote, right hand holding a water bottle. It was a normal summer day; nothing major would happen that day. Nicky and Leo, my cousin and her fiance, pulled up to my driveway. She was under stress, he was over the limit, and I was into my shows. Leo decided to leave. Bad idea. He thought that it was okay to drive and that even though he had a few drinks that day and that nothing bad would happen. Well, he crashed into my mom's car, and my mom's car crashed into the outside storage. In his eyes, I saw fear. What would my parents do when they saw what he did? Would they kill him, or beat him, or merely make him pay? My parents did not give a proper reaction, I was the one given a lecture--this was not a normal summer day.

Yes, another facebook post.

2010-11-11T20:44:00.000-08:00

Recently here at the school, there was a group of students who were called to the office for a facebook status that was posted. This really upset the whole school, because they felt like the school shouldn't have control over what is said on facebook. I was one of those students that felt the school shouldn't punish students for what they say on facebook. Then I hear about people who are fired from their jobs and don't get into colleges because of what is on their facebook profiles, and I just feel outraged!

I came across this article Facebook, freedom and thin-skinned bosses and the author, Barry Bruce, tell his opinion on people getting fired for their facebook posts. In this article I actually learned about freedom of speech and what it actually protects us from.

In the article a teacher was fired because she had some pictures of her drinking alcohol while she was in Europe. I felt like this was a ridiculous dismissal because the lady was an adult not doing anything illegal. Granted she is a teacher and might have students who are friends with her, but outside of school, she isn't a teacher she is a regular human being who shouldn't be held at a different standard.

Don't get me wrong and think that I'm saying that it's good to bash your employer or school on social networking sites, I'm just saying that those are two separate entities that should never cross.

I really agreed with Bruce's statement about "...Holding a job should not require giving up your right to an expressive private life..." People should be able to express themselves freely without fear of "what the boss will say". Isn't that why we created social networking sites so we could be able to express ourselves with our friends freely?

Books I plan on Reading

2010-11-10T18:40:00.000-08:00

The first book I want to read this quarter is The Art of the Start by Guy Kawasaki. I want to read this book because my dad recommended it to me, and it talks about how to get started in doing whatever I might want to begin, and I have some things I want to start.

I also want to finish the Hunger Games series. I read the first book in ninth grade, but two years and many books later, I haven't gotten to reading the next books. The first one was so good, I actually might reread it and then read the other ones.

I also want to read pride and prejudice. Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorite movies ever, and I always like to read the books of movies. I like to see the differences and give my mental critiques.

Annotated Reading Log 2nd nine weeks

2010-10-19T10:06:00.000-07:00

Dark Visions

Smith, L. J. Dark Visions. New York: Simon Pulse, 2009. Print.

752 pages

In this book there is a girl who has psychic abilities and she is sent to Zetes institute where her and a few other kids are being studied and taught to control their powers. Turns out that the owner of the institute, Mr. Zetes, is evil and has a different plan for the students. They run away and try to find magic to defeat him. Meanwhile Kait the main character is having a love triangle with two of the guys. They end up defeating Mr. Zetes in the end and Kait ends up falling for Gabriel, the bad boy. Of course. This book was cool because it was three books in one and it very entertaining. It was a typical predicting storyline, but it was really good just to see how the storyline played out.

The Art of The Start

Kawasaki, Guy. The Art of the Start: the Time-tested, Battle-hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything. New York: Portfolio, 2004. Print.

226 pages

This book is a guide book into starting anything that a person might wanna do. It mostly geared toward new entrepreneurs. The tips in this book will help people start and maintain a successful business or whatever someone might want to start.

To Die For: The Shocking True Story Of Serial Killer Of Dana Sue Gray

Braidhill, Kathy. New York: St. Martin's, 2000. Print.

320 pages

This book is about a woman who kills kills old women and steals their money to support her lavish lifestyle. The book is really slow to get into at first, but later it gets more interesting. The author didn't really talk much about the Law portion of the book. The book really wasn't as good as I thought it would be. I wouldn't recommend it, but I do recommend reading crime books especially if you are CSI fan.

Reading Reflection

2010-10-17T18:27:00.000-07:00

This nine weeks was very busy. Band, clubs, and other classes took up so much time, that reading feel on the back burner, but in the end I completed the six book requirement. I was very pleased with that.

The only thing I wish I could have done better was the Journaling and filling out the reading log. Journaling especially, because it was so hard to get into the habit of inking my thinking. This next quarter will be better, because I'm in the habit and I understand how to do it.

I also realized that I read to much "candy" books so, this year I have challenged my self to read more "vegetable" books. Reading more difficult books will make me a stronger reader, which will benefit me in the long run.

Socratic Seminar Reflection

2010-10-11T10:14:00.001-07:00

When I first learned that our class would be having a Socratic seminar, I was a bit apprehensive about how it would actually go, would it turn into a heated debate, or would it be long awkward silences. When the seminar began, I realized that it wasn't going as I thought, it was actually civil.

My performance was not as I expected. Usually I dominate the conversation, but in the seminar I was dominated because of interruptions, but I digress. The seminar did deepen my understanding of the novel. It also posed a lot more questions about our society and if we[our society] are heading to a society like the one in Brave New World. The seminar also showed me the different views people had, on the same topic. For example, Andrea interpreted Henry Ford as God because he basically "created" the Brave New World society just as God Created us. While Nelson and I viewed him as a figure they[ Brave New World people] looked up to because of his scientific advances and they were a scientific society.

My favorite part of the Socratic discussion was the evaluation period after each discussion. I feel like the conversation became deeper with the whole class involved, and it was easier to share opinions because the pressure was taken off.

This exercise turned out to be really fun and thought- provoking! I would not mind having these seminars more frequently! If I had a "do-over" then I would be more aggressive in getting in the conversation.

ANNOTATED READING LIST

2010-10-11T10:09:00.000-07:00

Postman, Neil. Amusing ourselves to death: public discourse in the age of show business. New York: Penguin Books, 1986.

Postman's Amusing Ourselves To Death delivers an amusing critique on our society's addiction to television. In the book Postman says that America is heading towards a society like BNW. He says that Americans were more intelligent before the influence of television. He also points out that our society has become too focused on "show business", which I totally agree because we [Americans] put people in show business on such high pedestals. Religion is one of the things that is negatively affected by television because of all the television church services. Basically, Postman is saying that television has changed the way we think, talk ,and act and that is not a good thing because we don't want to end up like the people in Huxley's BNW. (163)

Huxley, Aldous. Brave new world. New York: Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 2006.

Huxley's Brave New World predicts a future that is very scary. This Book Is set in a time in the future, where everyone is exactly the same. From Birth the people are manipulated to be exactly how society wants them to be. They use different tactics to make the people how they want them to be. For example they genetically modify children and they use hypnopaedia so they end how society wants them to be. In every bunch there are always a few bad apples. For example, Bernard Marx is a strange young fellow compared to the other alphas. He doesn't think or act like them. One day Bernard and his lady friend, Lenina, go to a savage reservation and find a savage who's mother is from the BNW society. Bernard takes him back and life is never the same again. The savage comes to the BNW society and does not know how to react to all the immoral acts done by the BNW society. He realizes that in the BNW society there are no morals or individualism and that is something he doesn't handle well. Huxley used a very interesting writing style, he told different stories at one time, it was confusing, but made me a stronger reader. This book also opened my eyes to how morals and individualism is very important. I also asked the question is stability worth giving up individualism?? (268)

Bray, Libba. The Sweet Far Thing. New York: Delacorte, 2007. Print.

The Sweet Far Thing is set during Victorian times at Spence Girl's Academy. I felt like the characters in this book were too modern for the time the book was set in. Gemma Doyle is the main character and she is the protector of the magic. Her friends Felicity and Ann also use the magic because Gemma has the power to give them some. She also has a beautiful romance with a boy named Kartik that has an unfortunate ending. The girls are about to be debuted into society, and so they are getting ready for that in the day, but at night they are getting ready to fight a war that is brewing in the realms. This book was a long read, but it wasn't very challenging so I recommend it for anyone looking for a pleasure read. I also recommend the first two in the trilogy.(816)

Like EasyBib?

Analysis of Abundance

2010-09-14T18:58:00.000-07:00

Pink observes that our society has become more and more obsessed with "stuff" and beauty. "For most of history, our lives were defined by scarcity. Today the defining feature of social , economic, and cultural life in much of the world is abundance." He compares yesterday's society and today's society saying that in modern times people are defined by their "stuff" whereas back then people were just trying to get their basic needs met. Pink also comments that "For business, it is no longer enough to create a product that is reasonably priced and adequately functional. It must be beautiful, unique, and meaningful." This goes to show that not only do we want "stuff" but we want it to be aesthetically pleasing and easy on the wallet! Pink then talks about PetSmart about how "on average sells $15,000 worth of merchandise a day for non humans." Not only do we (the humans) want to look good, but want our pets( the animals) to look good too, so we are willing to spend thousands of dollars to make fluffy look pristine as well. With all this obsession with beauty and objects, we should as ourselves this question, Am I truly happy?

Analysis Of An Anti-Smoking Ad

2010-08-26T18:19:00.000-07:00

Persuasion is a huge industry in our society better known as the advertising business. Aristotle a great philosopher in history gave the art of persuasion three categories ethos, pathos, and logos. The three categories have to do with three different methods of persuasion used in advertisement. In this anti-smoking ad the advertisers used ethos, pathos, and logos to try and persuade the public not to smoke.

Ethos means that the advertisement is trying to gain credibility. For example in this advertisement, they have a note from the surgeon general. Having a note from, a creditable source, makes this advertisement more believable to the public.

Pathos means that the advertisement is using emotional appeal to persuade the public. For example in this advertisement. Having the casket, shows people that they can die from cigarettes. The casket can also make people remember loved ones who have died from cigarettes. Death is a good way to make people emotional and dissuade them from smoking cigarettes. Another smart way the advertisers used pathos is when they say, "New crush-proof box." That was smart because the advertisers used a joke to lure the public in, so after the public chuckles they could get the deeper meaning in the picture.

Logos is when they use logic to persuade the public. For example in this advertisement they used the amount of tar, nicotine, and other poisonous ingredients to show the public what exactly they would be putting in their body, if they smoked cigarettes. This method would help dissuade the public of smoking because it would show them that logically it would not be wise to smoke.

In conclusion, If your goal is to master the art of persuasion then, learn to use these three methods.

Scandal In The Shampoo Industry!

2010-08-08T12:50:00.000-07:00

I was reading this article about shampoo. The writer said that we were all wasting our money, buying all of the nutrient rich shampoos. I was immediately lured in, because I use Garneir Nutriesse, and that brand always talks about how it is rich in nutrients.

The writer says that the nutrients end up down the drain, just like our hard earned dollars. As I was reading, I asked myself "How does this happen?" As if she was in my head, the writer answers by saying the the shampoo molecules are too large to penetrate the tiny follicles where our hair grows.

While reading this article, I was just blown away because all these years I thought that getting nutrient rich shampoo would make my hair glorious, but actually I was just wasting my mother's money.

Then I continued reading, waiting for her to sell me some miracle shampoo that actually works, and what did she do? She starts advertise a miracle shampoo. I chuckle quietly to myself, because I saw that advertisement coming.

What I learned from this article is that I should ditch my shampoo and use the one the author advertised beautifully. The crazy thing is, I secretly want to try the miracle shampoo, but it is still relatively new and it is hard to come by.

Is Facebook Ruining Friendship As We Know It?

2010-07-23T14:52:00.000-07:00

The text I chose to read was an article I found in the Arkansas Weekly called the The Facebook Dilemma by Archie Lewellen.

In the beginning of the article he talks about the nineties and the huge technological boom during that decade. He also talks about how during our lifetime we have went through a wide spectrum of technology. For example, most people my age have gone from a Walkman portable CD player to an apple iPod touch.

He then begins to talk about all the ways people nowadays can communicate. We have several ways to keep in touch aside from cell phones, like Twitter, Myspace and the most popular Facebook.

Then he begins to get into the issue of Facebook, which is that we are using it to socialize then actually seeing people and hanging out with them. He talks about that we can go for weeks without speaking to our friends because we know exactly what the other i doing. I can relate to this, because I talk to my friends on Facebook all the time and days will go by of not actually seeing them.

He brings up that Facebook is not ruining the term best friends, but it is redefining it. I agree instead of only interacting with our friends when we are with them, we can actually be interacting with them twenty-four seven hours a day!

At the end of the article he says is Facebook good or bad. His response is that it is both good and bad. I agree with him that Facebook is good and bad. It’s good because it keep you connected, but then its also bad because you can forget to actually go outside and be with your friends.

"If You're Out There"

2010-07-10T18:57:00.000-07:00

The text I chose to read, was a song by one of my favorite singers,John Legend. It's called If "If You're Out There". This song is one of those songs that touch your heart and make you smile.

"The future started yesterday and we're already late." I think that this part of the song means that we should have already started working on a brighter future, but we are just living in the present.

In the chorus he says "If you're out there, sing along with me" He later says " If you're out there, tomorrow's starting now" This part means that If anyone wants to make the world a better place then stand up and do something, and that we can't wait, that we have to start now.

"No more broken promises. No more call to war. Unless it's love and peace, that we're really fighting for. We can destroy hunger. We can conquer hate. Put down the arms and raise your voice. We're joining hands today." This part tells us[the human race] all the things that we can do if we work together to achieve them.

The rest of the songs talk about we can do anything together and that we have to start now.

The singer John Legend is a huge humanitarian, he just won a huge award for his work overseas to gain peace, end hunger, and end poverty. This song is just another way he is pleading with the rest of us to take action and start solving global problems.

This song touched my heart and made want to start helping the world. I can't go to the poverty stricken areas, but I do donate money to an organization that helps, and yes it is legitimate.

My Annotated Photo

2010-06-26T14:17:00.000-07:00

Here is a little sneak peek into the wonderful world of Wendy. Click for more.

Of Mice And Men Analysis Blog

2010-05-24T11:48:00.000-07:00

Analysis of Detail

From his first paragraph, John Steinbeck sets the scene in Of Mice and Men through his use of imagery as he describes the natural world as a parallel to later events in the novella.

In the beginning of the book Steinbeck says "the Salinas River drops in close to the hillside bank and runs deep and green" When I hear the term river I think of movement, wealth,and jobs. This was a great parallel of George and Lennie because, they were on the the run and they were looking for a job so they can build some wealth. Also when I hear the term green, I think of nature and new life. That is a parallel to Lennie because he is full of life like a child. When I saw the word deep i thought of something strong, and grounded. which describes George perfectly. Even though, he is not physically strong like Lennie, he is mentally strong. Also, George is grounded because, even though, he says he would leave Lennie, we all know he never would.

The quote,"slopes curve up to the strong and rocky Gabilan mountains" Has a great parallel to George and Lennie. Lennie is rocky because he is unstable. George is strong because he is able to handle Lennie. The Mountain represents the challenges and hardships they go through.

In the next quote Steinbeck talks about a path beaten hard. When I hear that I think about a long hard journey, which connects to George and Lennie's journey. The quote also talks about tramps walking on that path, which foreshadows the appearance of Curley's Wife who is referred to as a tart.

Another quote in the book that foreshadows what happens in the book is, "under the trees leaves lie deep and so crisp" The word trees represents something tall and strong. Obviously that parallels Lennie he is very big and strong. He is strong, he can pack more barely than anyone can, he crushed Curley's hand, and killed the puppy by petting it too hard. Also the part in the quote about how the leaves lie deep makes me think about a place to hide. Which foreshadows the part after Lennie kills Curley's Wife he has to run and hide in the brush.

There is another quote that talks about a limb worn smooth by men who have sat on it. The word worn represents something old and familiar. That parallels Candy's dog. He is old and has been with Candy all of his life. Also the word limb represents something weak. Which parallels Curley. Curley is very weak in character, he is always trying to fight people just because he is insecure about his size.

Analysis of Point of View

The third-person objective point of view solidifies the solitary lives these men lead.

One example is when the men try to convince Candy that he should kill his dog. I understand where the men where coming from because Candy's dog was old, blind, and could barely walk. These men thought they were trying to help, but actually Candy couldn't let the dog go. That dog had been with him for years, Candy even said that he had him since he was a pup. That dog was the only family Candy had.

Another example is the quote, "Crooks did not see him...on raising his eyes...a scowl came to his face," Of all these men Crooks was probably the loneliest, because he was not allowed in the bunkhouse because he was black. He scowled at Lennie because Lennie came in while he was applying cream for his hurt back and that was a time of vulnerability for him. Also because he was used to being alone all the time, that he had a certain hardness that he wanted to portray to other people.

Analysis of Tone

The tones of hope and commitment reflect Steinbeck's view of George and Lennie.

In this story George was very committed to Lennie. He made a promise to Lennie's Aunt Clara that he would take care of him, and he honored that promise. Lennie was very hard to take care of, because he would get into trouble. Most people would put him in an institution and forget about him, but George would stay with him. It was sad, because Lennie would always offer to go away, but George would always say no.

In this book we were taken on an emotional roller coaster ride, but we were always given a glimmer of hope when Lennie would ask George to tell him how they were going to live off the fatta the lan'. George would always say they were going to get a stake and buy a piece of land. He would tell how they would work on their land and be self sufficient and Lennie would get to tend his beloved rabbits. Every time George told Lennie their dream I would root for them to achieve it in the end, but we all know how the book ends differently.

Theme.

The theme would would be that we are our brothers keeper. We are responsible for the people around us, but only in certain times. When we have made a commitment to take care of our brother then we are our brothers keeper . For example, George made a commitment to take care of Lennie.

Migrant Mother

2010-05-20T11:42:00.000-07:00

Migrant Mother is a series of photographs taken by Dorthea Lange of a woman and her children. Lange was following farm laborers.

When I saw the pictures I just felt bad for this woman and her children. I saw the pain in the woman's eyes. I could also see that she was trying to stay strong for her children. Her facial expression showed that she had so many emotions swirling in her. She was scared and desperate, but she also had determination on her face. It was as if she wasn't going to let her situation beat her.

In one of her pictures the woman had her wedding ring on. For most people living in poverty, the ring would be one of the first things to be sold for money. However this woman decided to hold on to hers. I think she did this so she could remind herself that there were better days and better days to come.

The Giver.

2010-04-30T12:50:00.000-07:00

Lois Lowry's The Giver gave me a different spin on society and what it could be like instead of what society is like now.

In the book people lived in different communities but the story only focused on one. All the people in this community were assigned jobs by this committee of elders, and you did what you were assigned to do till you were put in the House of Old. The way these jobs were picked for people is that the committee members would watch the people all their young life and see what suited them best. The main character, Jonas, was chosen to be the next receiver and that position entailed receiving all the memories of the past. When Jonas begins receiving he realizes that the way they live in his community is not as good as he thought it was. Long story short, he realizes that there is no freedom and he runs away.

The book's setting is in a peaceful and seemingly perfect community. All the land has been leveled, and there are no animals. The people think that animals are just mythical creatures.

Jonas is the main character he receives the assignment for being the next receiver. He realizes that the people in his community have no freedom and they have no real emotions. He later flees the community.The Giver is the old receiver and he experiences all emotions. Jonas' Mother is a judge and his Dad is a nurturer. Lily is younger sister who is an eight. Gabe is the baby Jonas' family takes in who needs extra help. Turns out Gabe can receive memories and Jonas runs away with him near the end of the book.

In the book, the people do not feel emotions. They think they do because they have never had anything different. They also can't see in color. When I was reading, I thought that the community wasn't that bad. Then I read on and realized that they're lives were terrible. For example, when Jonas asked his mother if she loved him, she couldn't answer him.

I would definitely recommend this book for people to read. The story is a real eye-opener of what life could be like, and it made me appreciate that we don't have our lives ran by some committee.

Orwell's Effective Use Of Animals As Characters.

2010-04-30T12:39:00.000-07:00

George Orwell is the author of the book Animal Farm. In this book the main characters are animals, instead of the usual of humans being the main characters of books, even though the animals are personified. He was very clever when he made the characters because they actually hate humans, but they have human-like mannerisms. I just thought that he was clever in doing so.

For example, the pigs were a good choice to be the leaders, because pigs are very smart animals. They are also fat, and during those times being plump meant that you were wealthy and had power.

Also, boxer was a good choice to represent the working class, because horses are hardworking and strong animals.

Cross Examination

2010-04-30T12:17:00.000-07:00

When I hear the words cross examination, I immediately think of one of those court room dramas. When I asked the question, "For what might you be cross examined?" I immediately said nothing, because I have never committed a crime, and have never been in court. Then I realized that i am cross examined all the time.

I realized that I am always questioned, especially by my parents. They always ask me who I'm with, where I'm going, what type of environment am I in, will there be adults there, what time will i be back, how much is it going to cost, why is it so late. I usually answer truthfully( haha keyword usually).

Okay back to the question. I'm basically only cross examined when it comes to the people I associate with. I guess its a good thing to be questioned on because I do not want to be with people I shouldn't be with. Then all of a sudden they rob a gas station and I'm sitting in the car. The police come and I'm in jail because of guilt by association. Then I'd really be cross examined.

TIme For Celebration!!

2010-04-30T11:52:00.000-07:00

I am a big celebrator. I like to celebrate them all the time. Even if I do something small like make my bed, I throw a small dance party in my room.

I would never make goals if after i achieved them I couldn't celebrate. That would just be a terrible existence, to do so much, but afterword you just pretend like nothing happened.

Now, when I say celebrate I don't mean having a huge extravagant ball. You could do anything to celebrate, you could go out to dinner, sit and revel in your awesomeness(not an actual word lol), actually have that dramatic ball, or just take a break. The choice is yours, but a celebration must always be had.

I cannot even think of a time I had a celebration, because I am such an avid celebrator. I just celebrate all the time. I do throw a lot of mini dance parties in my room.

Mask Poem

2010-04-29T19:39:00.000-07:00

FAKE

What you see is not the real me.
it's a facade you see.
How can this be?
you ask.
Telling you is a task.
A task I'm willing to bear.
I am more than perfect hair.
I care
for humanity
not really vanity
I take heed
for every one's need.
Even though i seem vain
I still see the world's pain
It might be a surprise,
but if you look into my eyes.
you will see
me.

my ipod!

2010-04-29T19:20:00.000-07:00

So much depends
upon

my black
ipod

filled with amazing
music

in my green
satchel

AAHHH EVERYTHING IS GREEN!!!

2010-03-17T11:48:00.000-07:00

St. Patricks day is the worst holiday ever. I don't enjoy it. I am pressing charges on the three people that pinched me today. Why would anyone impose bodily harm on someone, just because that someone isn't wearing green.

Even though i hate that day, St. Patricks day is huge at my house, since the day doubles as my father's birthday.

I remember when I was in Kindergarten and the class returned from recess, we found the room a mess. The teacher said a leprechaun must have done it. My classmates thought it was fun, but I did not see how this was funny or cute, what I saw was pure ridiculousness.

I guess what i'm trying to say here is, if someone in Washington decided to do away with the holiday I'd be cool with it.

Call of the Wild

2010-03-13T14:53:00.000-08:00

Jack London's Call Of The Wild surprised me with the fact that it was actually good. I usually do not enjoy assigned books.

Buck is the main character of the book. This book follows his journey from a pampered pup to a wolf. He gets kidnapped and is sold. He then becomes a sled dog. He is worked hard and beaten, but it only makes him stronger. He always feel that he is getting a urging call to the wild and then he turns in a wild creature.

The story takes place during the gold rush in a region in the northwestern Canada's Yukon Territory. Basically when I see the word Canada I think of snow, and in this book there was plenty of snow. I pictured those poor dogs running with all their might, and being deep in the snow.

In this story Buck to a lot of stands. One stand he took was against his master, when he refused to cross the river, because he knew the ice was too thin, but his master insisted they crossed. He was beaten a countless amount of times, but he stood his ground. He also took a stand against Spitz, the lead dog, when they had got into a little spat. Buck fought Spitz to the death, just to show that he was stronger.

This book does not really need a recommendation, because you'll probably have to read it in your English class. If you're lucky and you are not assigned class reads, then go ahead and read Call Of The Wild. I enjoyed the book a lot. I feel kind of lame for liking it, but I did.

TWILIGHT?! Phstt..NO! -485 pages

2010-03-13T13:27:00.000-08:00

Don't call this book Twilight. The Mortal Instrument Series is way better than the Twilight Saga. I know Twilight fans will murder me after they read this, but this book was amazing. Cassandra Clare's City of Bones took me on the ride of my life with its thrilling tale.

The story takes place in New York City. Little do the New Yorkers know that their city hosts millions of mythical creatures. I guess they're not so mythical,in the story, if they exist. They have every creature in the book, vampires, werewolves, faeries, warlocks. There were also shadow hunters, formally called The Nephilum. I had never heard of shadow hunters until I read this book. The characters go to a lot of places in this book, Like the Institute. The Institute is where the characters live. The Institute also serves as a safe haven for the shadow hunters. Cassandra Clare did an excellent job describing the city and all the places the characters went.

Clary Fray's world changes as she knows it when she sees a random guy killed at this club. She investigates what happens and finds the murderers, who turn out to be shadow hunters. Later she find her mother missing. Then she finds out her mother is a shadow hunter and she is too. Her and her new shadow hunter friends seek this mortal cup, and she is the only one who truly know where the cup is. To bad her mom put a unbreakable memory block on her.
Jace Wayland in this book is the typical cute heartthrob guy in stories. He is one of the best shadow hunter of his Age group. He's killed several demons. By the way, shadow hunters kill demons and anything that tries to harm humans, they basically protect all humans. Like in typical stories he and the Clary form a relationship.
Simon is Clary's best friend and is a regular human. He is the typical awkward guy that is in love with their best friend.
Isabella is the typical beautiful girl that all the guys fall for, and she is also a shadow hunter.
Alec is Isabella's brother and he has a huge secret that he is very ashamed of, he is also a shadowhunter.

The big Stand in this book is done by the Villain in the story. Valentine took a huge stand against the Clave. He and a group of other shadow hunters,called The Circle, went against the Accord, peace negotiations with downworlders. Valentine didn't agree with them, so he had a huge War with The Clave.

I would recommend this book to anyone really. This book was one of those book I thought I would try, even though it looked lame. If you enjoyed the Twilight series, this book is ten times better. City of Bones is a must read.

DETERMINATON- Writer's Notebook

2010-03-13T12:24:00.001-08:00

Committing is probably one of the hardest things to do in life. Committing is especially hard, when whatever you're committing to gets difficult to handle.

Athletes are very committed people. They work out constantly, eat right, give up free time, all for winning that gold medal, become a professional athlete, or winning the championship game against a rival school.

One thing I would commit too is my singing career. If I don't become a singer that won't be the end of the world for me, but if I did pursue it I would be 100 percent committed. I would practice everyday, lay down a demo tape,write to record labels, perform wherever I could, and if all else fails, tryout for American Idol.

When people stay committed, there will be be rewards. They could get famous, rich, powerful. They could always get the greatest reward of all and that is self-gratification.

Winning. What does it really mean?- writers notebook

2010-03-09T12:55:00.000-08:00

When people think of winning they usually think of something like a sporting event or competition, where one team wins and the other loses. That example is very black and white. To me, winning means reaching a goal.

Winning does not always mean receiving a tangible reward. Earlier I said winning meant reaching a goal. One example could be, if your goal was reading a book at a higher caliber than you're used to, and you reach it, you still get the feeling of success, even though you don't receive a medal.

One thing think I'm proud of winning is the Middle School talent show. Yes, I did receive a trophy. Getting up on stage and actually being able to sing the song was enough for me, even if I didn't win the feeling of accomplishment was worth it.

Persuasion(:

2010-02-23T11:39:00.000-08:00

Persuasion a tactic many humans have mastered, I being one of them. I happen to be very good at getting what I want. The tactics I use are very basic, but in the hands of a master they could persuade a mountain to move.

One tactic I use use is the eyes. Eyes are the key to getting what you want. My mother swears that she is immune to the eye trick. Little does she know that those eyes she is immune to are the same eyes that convinced her to get me everything I have ever ask those. Im not big into the puppy dog eyes, the type of eyes I use are the near tears so there is a glimmer. I'm also thankful for my lush eyelashes. One bat of those lovely lashes and her heart melts.

Logic is another persuasion tactic I use. If I give my mother a rational explanation on why I need something or why I need to go somewhere. This way seems to work a lot more than my other methods of persuasion. For example when I want to go to a friends house right after school, I tell mother that it would be easier on her to let me go right after school becuase it saves her an unecessary drive and gas. She then sees that she is getting a good deal and lets me do as I please.

If my other methods do not work I annoy her till I get what I want. This method is on my final lifeline because both parties do not end up happy. I may get what I want but they way I got what I wanted was not very classy. What I usually do when I use this method is ask for what I want a million times, Whine, Slam doors, yell. The usual annoying teenage girl tactics. Then my mother usally yells and says," Fine do what you want!" I try to use this tactic as little as possible.

Persuasion is probably one of the greatest tools in living life. Without persuasion most people would not have anything they wanted. For me, that would be terrible because I like to get what I want.

STOP TALKING ABOUT HAITI!

2010-01-26T21:11:00.000-08:00

Sunday night as I was looking on http://www.globalgrind.com/ ,looking for a topic to write about, I came across this CRAZY blog post title, STOP TALKING ABOUT HAITI. At first I went crazy. I said," How somebody gonna put a crazy post like dat fa errbody to see?!" I clicked on the link and started reading.

Turns out Bre, the author, was not the one who said ," Stop talking about Haiti" She came across that in a blog. Kind of like I came across her blog post! So I kept reading and she had some good points in there. She talked about how we should focus on delegating the money appropriately, instead of having a remake of Hurricane Katrina. She also said that instead of talking we should start doing before it is too late.

Personally, I say that we should not stop talking about Haiti because I have donated money, not a lot but nonetheless money, and I would like to stay posted on how my money is being used. I truly want everything to get better, because there is no possible way I could go to Haiti and work. So Cnn, bring on the information!

MLK DAY!!

2010-01-18T19:37:00.000-08:00

Since today is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I thought I would do this blog topic on him. I know writing about him is very cliche, but I really do respect and appreciate him. His stand was a result of many stands. That all led up to his speech at Washington D.C.

In this speech he basically called out the whole country, and said that we need to be treat each other equally. That was some serious bravery. If I was in his position, I would have totally chickened out. That's why I respect him so much. As I type this, I am in awe of his bravery. In all of the things he did. That took some serious guts!

All that he did during the civil rights movement definitely affects my whole life. If Martin Luther King and all of the other civil rights leaders didn't do all that they did. I wouldn't be writing blog, I wouldn't go to Batesville High School, and most of all I wouldn't be in this country. Also my home country would still be under the apartheid regime, and that would be most unfortunate. Even though he took a stand for people everywhere, I feel like he took one for me

TAKING A STAND!

2010-01-18T18:00:00.000-08:00

Many people in history have taken stands for what they believe in. There was Martin Luther, Gandhi, Rosa Parks, and many more. Their actions were far greater compared to mine. The things they did affected the world, and are still present in our lives today. I hope that one day I can take a stand for something and that act change the world. For now I'll stick to the small stands I take on the bus.

I remember one day on the bus, a guy who rides my bus was talking about how God wasn't real and how Christians were wasting their time believing in him. At first I just kept quiet and let him state his opinion, but after twenty minutes I couldn't listen to him much longer. So I decided to confront him.

First I told him that I believed in God and that I didn't appreciate his comments. Then he said that I was wasting my time. Then I told him that he was entitled to his opinion and that I wasn't going to force my religion on him, but I wasn't going to tolerate him bashing Christians like that. Then he apologized for offending people. Then I said that everything was all good.

Even though what I did wasn't really a big movement. I was still very proud of myself, because I didn't let someone talk crazy about what was very important to me.

Julius Caeser

2009-12-18T06:30:00.000-08:00

My English class had to read Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare. The Book is basically about how a group of men decide to kill Caesar and try to justify their actions.

Even though the book is titled Julius Caesar, the story focuses more on Brutus. Brutus and a few other men are angered by Caesar. So they decide to kill him. After they kill Caesar, the men must now find a way to show the people that killing Caesar was imperative to Rome's well-being.

The style of the book is in classic Shakespearean writing. He uses Iambic Pentameter. He also uses Old English. Which, I guess, was just plain English back when the play was written.

The story is set during the ancient Roman Empire, around 44 B.C.. We get a glimpse of the society in the book too. The book shows how women were looked upon in those days. The book also talks about traditional events like, The Feast at Lupercal.

I would not recommend this book to people who enjoy light-hearted books. I also wouldn't recommend this book to people who don't like challenges when they read. Trust me this, book is a challenge. I had to look up meanings to a lot of words. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy really deep and challenging books.

Book Review: She Said Yes

2009-12-17T20:27:00.000-08:00

Stories, like this one, reaffirm my faith in God. This book is one of the two books that have actually made me cry. Misty Bernall's She Said Yes inspired me with its story of a present day martyr.

The book is about Cassie Bernall's life before the tragic shooting at Columbine High School. The author Misty Bernall is Cassie's mother. In the book she talks about Cassie's past. I was shocked to read about the letter Cassie and her friends wrote about killing people. I was also shocked to read that she was so unruly, and that she hung out with a terrible group of kids. The best part was reading about how Cassie had gotten saved and started going to her church willingly.

I like how the book is set up. Most of it is written by Misty Bernall, but some parts were written my Cassie's Dad. Other parts were letters from friends that talked about the memories the shared with Cassie before she died. Even though sometimes I would get confused on who was telling the story, I like how it had different points of view on Cassie.

I would recommend this book for everyone. Anyone male or female would appreciate this book. The book really makes the reader think about what they would say if they were in Cassie's situation. She showed so much courage. I still don't what I would say, yes or no.

Book Review, Ana's Story: A Journey Of Hope

2009-12-17T19:31:00.000-08:00

Jenna Bush's book, Ana's Story: A Journey Of Hope tugged on my heart with its message of hope.

The book is based on on work Jenna Bush did with UNICEF, but names and places have been changed to protect their identities. Part of the book is in the author's point of view and the other part is in Ana's point of view.

Ana was born with HIV, she transmitted it from her young mother, who died from AIDS when Ana was three years old. Her father has AIDS, but he died later, when Ana was in sixth grade. Ana had a sister who had AIDS and died when she was a month old. Ana also had another sister, Isabel, who luckily wasn't infected with the disease. The only family who could afford to take care of Ana and Isabel was their abuela. Life with their abuela is terrible, the girls encounter abuse. So they get moved around from home to home. Sadly the sisters get separated for a few years. Meanwhile Ana falls in love, and becomes pregnant. The book goes into great detail about her struggles.

Most of the story takes place in a poor area of the city, often referred to as the barrio. Bush really gives a good depiction of how the neighborhoods look, when she talks about the tin houses and dirt roads. Also when she talks about how dogs, chickens and horses roamed freely on the streets.

This story really hit home with me. Even though no one in my family has HIV/AIDS, I'm from Africa and that is a huge problem there. So this story just made want to help make educate people about the virus.

I would recommend this book to anyone. I feel like females would enjoy it more. I believe that there millions of Ana's in the world. So this book really gave them a voice, and let their story be heard.

How To Be Wendy Miya

2009-12-17T17:44:00.000-08:00

Our English Class had to read a book , The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teens. The book is like a guide to become a more effective teen. I decided that I would give a few tips on how to be me, Wendy.

1) The first step is you must become a swaggasorus rex. That means you have to be confident. You have to be sophisticated. You have to be cool under pressure. This should be displayed in the way you walk, talk, and dress. Thus earning you respect. Also when you wake up in the morning make sure you turn your swag on.

2)The second step is to always have a song stuck in you head. This will make your day brighter, and easier to get through. This will also help you with your swagger, because then you can walk to the beat of the song.

3)The third step is to never let people get you down. Yes, there are times that I get my feelings hurt, but I have to keep moving and not let it affect my self-esteem. So as your guide through this extremely short journey, I say "STAY POSITIVE."

4) Do not care what people think of you. If you feel like singing Hairspray songs in the hallway, go for it. Don't not do something, because you're scared of what your peers are going to say. It's important to be aware of how people perceive you though. There's a difference between walking to the beat of your own drum, and being over the top with your actions. Maybe pretending to be High School Musical was a bad example.

5)Make sure you can laugh at yourself. I have had some very embarrassing moments in my life. I have learned that the best way to get through them, is to laugh at yourself, or you will cry your eyes out. That will deduct major swag points.

If you apply these steps to your life you will be closer to being like me, but nothing is as good as the original.

On a serious note, if you really do apply some of these steps, you might have a little more self- confidence. Even if at first you fake the confidence, sooner of later the confidence will be real. Then you will enjoy life, like me, Wendy

What Makes A Leader A True Leader

2009-12-17T12:29:00.000-08:00

When I think of the word, leader, so many things come to mind. For example, people like Martin Luther King Jr., Ghandi, Jesus, and Nelson Mandela. People like Adolf Hitler, Kim Jong Il, and Fidel Castro come to mind as well. There are many types of leaders and leadership styles in the world. There are monarchies, dictatorships, republics, theocracies, and autocracies. Preachers, teachers, and even parents are leaders, even though how they lead is less publicized. I think that there are only two types of leaders in the world, leaders who make a difference for the better and leaders who do not. I want to focus on the true leaders, the ones who make the world a better place.

Honesty, confidence, responsibility, enthusiasm, reliability, patience, decisiveness, determination, loyalty, and courage are all vital qualities a leader must have.

Honesty- If a leader is not honest, then people won't trust the leader.

Confidence- A leader must have confidence in everything they do. It kind of goes back to the trust, if a leader doesn't trust them self, then why should people trust them?

Responsibility- A leader should be accountable, not only to the people, but to them self as well. So they should hold them self responsible for their actions, and not blame other people for their mistakes.

Enthusiasm- A leader should be excited about whatever they are doing. If the leader is excited, then the followers will get excited. Enthusiasm is contagious

Reliability- A leader should always be there when someone needs them. Also if a leader says they are going to do something, then they should do whatever they said they were going to do. It all about TRUST.

Patience- Honestly, who wants a leader that blows up at people all the time? Who wants a leader that never takes time to things carefully, because they don't want to take things slow? That's right, no one does. So a good leader must have patience.

Decisiveness- A leader should always make a decision and stick too it. No one wants to follow someone who is always changing their mind. People want stability.

Determination- A leader should always finish what they start. A leader must NEVER give up, no matter what the obstacles are.

Loyalty- I feel like this one is a big one. It goes back to the trust thing too. People want a leader they feel will stick the tough times out with them. People don't want a leader who will leave them, when the road gets a little bumpy.

Courage- A true leader must have courage. A leader must be strong enough, to stick with their followers. They must be strong enough to make decisions, and admit their mistakes. They must be strong enough to keep going, when the future looks bleak.

What's In A Name

2009-12-17T12:15:00.000-08:00

Noluthando Wendy Miya is the name my parents bestowed upon me the day I was born. My parents said they named me Noluthando, which means God is love in the Zulu language, because God loved them so much that he blessed them with a child. My mother said she named me Wendy after a South African R&B singer, Wendy Mseleku.

The name Wendy means light-skinned, blessed, and Friend. It is said the the name was created by J.M. Barrie , the author of Peter Pan. The name Wendy serves as the word friend, and is inspired by childish lisps. The name Wendy describes me very well, because I have a lot of the traits associated with the name. For example, people with the name Wendy are self-sufficient, have a lot of confidence, and have boundless energy. However, obstacles and frustration make them feel impatient and intolerant. That describes me, because I am very independent and I like doing things for myself. I also get very impatient when situations do not go my way.

There isn't a lot of history behind the name Noluthando. The name is African, specifically from the Zulu tribe.

Even though my name actually fits my personality, I don't think that the name makes a person, I think the person makes the name.

The Seven Habits Of Highly Effective Teens

2009-12-08T19:26:00.000-08:00

"This book is gonna be terrible!" That is what I said in my head when Mrs Gillmore announced that our class was going to read Seven habits. After I read the first chapter I realized that the book wasn't so bad. I actually ended up enjoying the book and applying the tips to my life.

Sean Covey's The Seven Habits Of Highly Effective Teens changed my whole outlook on different aspects of life.

One of the chapters that really helped me was the Seek First To Understand, Then Be Understood chapter. It helped me because I would listen to people, but I wouldn't truly be listening. I was an avid advisor, turns out I wasn't really helping people like I thought I was. The book taught me the mirroring method. The book also said that mirroring isn't mimicking, but it is actually trying to truly understand what the other person is saying by repeating the meaning, not the words.

One of the Habit that I still need to work on is the Sharpen The Saw-Brain. I have a problem with blowing off homework for watching television and getting on the computer. That is the biggest reason I never make the grades I want to make in school.

This book should be read by every teenager on the face of the Earth. Sean Covey wrote this book in an easy to understand and humorous format. So there isn't really a dull moment in the book. The tips in this book are great and teenagers can actually apply them to their lives. It may be hard at first, but the overall outcome is worth the struggle. I really believe this book will be beneficial to anyone who may read it

Top Ten Things I'm Thankful For

2009-11-24T12:08:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Is a one of those holidays where people are just worried about where they are going, what they are going to prepare, what they are going to eat. Those are important aspects of that day, but they shouldn't be our main focus. I admit that I am one of those people that get caught up in the holiday hype, but at the end of the day I always take the time to reflect on my many blessings. I also take the time out to thank my loved ones. So right now I want to take the time to say Thank you to Everyone. Below I have a top ten list of the things I am thankful for, these are not in any particular order.

1. Home- I do enjoy a house to call home.

2. Family- I like having a family to spend my time with and to share memories with.

3.Friends - My friends are a big part of my life, and even though I don't say it all the time, I am thankful for them.

4.Ipod- Even though an Ipod is a material possesion, it is a HUGE part of my life and takes my music wherever i go.

5. Music- I am thankful for music. Music is my life and I must listen to and make music, or I can not live a full life.

6.Cell phone- I know a cell phone is a material possesion, but I am very thankful for cell phones. They keep us connected, and entertained. They are amazing.

7.Clothes- I am very thankful for the clothes on my back. Clothes are so much fun. I love them.

8.Shoes- Some people would say that shoes are in the clothes catagory, but i disagree. Shoes are in a different caliber then clothes. Shoes are great. They are a great additon to an outfit. I love shoes, they are my favorite item to shop for.

9.Cars- I am thankful for cars because if we didn't have them, we would have to walk everywhere, or ride horses. That would not be very fun.

10. Teachers- I am thankful for teachers, because they teach us and prepare us for our future. I just want to say that they are doing a great job with me becuase I have a bright future ahead of me.

Some of those items in the list may seem shallow, but I am thankful for those things. At least I don't take those things for granted, like some people do. Everyone should be thankful for everything they have, everything we have can be taken away from us in a split second.

Book Review

2009-10-15T20:23:00.000-07:00

Nancy Osa's Cuba 15 was a cute and funny story.

Violet is the main character. She has just turned fifteen and her Abuela wants to throw her a quinceanero. The party is supposed to be traditional, but Violet isn't so sure she wants it that way. During the story Violet starts to ask questions about her cuban culture. It isnt easy because talking about Cuba is a touchy subject.

I enjoy the way Nancy Osa writes. This story was funny and laid-back. The story isnt the kind of story that stresses the reader out, everything kind of just flows.

This story reminds me of the old MTV series Sweet Sixteen. In this episode a girl who was Cuban threw a quince, and she really didn't know much about her culture either. She didn't bother to ask questions though.

I felt like this book taught me to always ask questions about my culture.

I would DEFINITLY recommend this book to anyone. The story is funny, but not funny in a way that the story doesn't send out a message. I really enjoyed the story, and I think that many people would enjoy it also.

277 Pages

2009-10-07T21:38:00.000-07:00

H.G. Wells' The Time Machine shocked me with it weird, but entertaining story.
The Time Traveller is the main character. He is a very animated character. He has a wide range of emotions. He ha a huge temper tantrum when an unfortunate event happens. There are two groups of people from the future. They are the Eloi and the Morlocks. The Eloi live above ground, and look more like humans. The Time Traveller spends more time with them, he even learns a little of their language. The Morlocks live underground, the have more ape-like features. The Eloi are very scared of the Morlocks.
The story takes place in a village, in the future. The Eloi and Morlocks live in this area. This place where the story takes places has huge buildings, tall columns, and a wooded hill-side.
The story reminds me of a show I used to watch when I was younger called The Time Warp Trio. The show was about three kids who would travel through time, and end up in sticky situations.
Finally, this book was better than i though. I ended up enjoying the story. I thought I was in for a boring ride. To tell the truth, I would not recommend this book to my friends. This book is the type of book that does not need a recommendation because everyone will have to read it in English class.

Book review

2009-10-05T19:51:00.000-07:00

She's changed her style, but her roots are showing. Katie Jameson left Brooklyn for Manhattan the first chance she got. Her two worlds collide when her best friend Bina needs her help. Olivia Goldsmith's Dumping Billy lured me in with its wit and charm.
The story is based in Brooklyn and in Manhattan. The way Olivia Goldsmith describes the two different Burroughs makes me see the differences in my head. Like when Katie is talking about the little garden outside her apartment window and then she later compares it to Billy's garden in Brooklyn. She talks about how big, beautiful, and lush it is.
The book has some comedy. For example Brice and Elliot, Katie's Manhattan friends, always made comments about Katie's Brooklyn friends, that would make me laugh out loud. There was also some dramatic moments especially when Katie's heart is broken by a mystery man.
This book reminds me of a song by Demi Lovato called Two Worlds Collide. The song talks about the struggles of a persons two different worlds coming together. It kind of describes what Katie is going through.
The main character Katie is a psychologist who works at a private school. In this book she struggles to keep her Brooklyn and Manhattan friends separate,with no avail. She also just cannot seem to find Mr. Right. She Learns to be honest with how she feels. Elliot, Katie's Manhattan best friend, works with Katie at the School. When Katie's needs cheering up, he knows just what to say to make her feel better. He always has a trick up his sleeve, he came up with the dumping billy plan. Bina, Katie's Brooklyn best friend, desperately wants to get married. She goes through a lot of turmoil before she reaches that goal. Billy Nolan is the guy that shakes up everybody's world.
Finally This book took me through an emotional roller coaster, But I enjoyed every page. I would recommend this book to any teenage to young adult female, who enjoys romantic comedies. I had never heard of Olivia Goldsmith before I saw this book in the library, but I will definitely read more of her books.

Page Total 323

To many chiets, not enough indians

2009-09-09T20:32:00.000-07:00

This labor day weekend I had so much fun. I went camping for the first time ever, and it was great. So I thought when i'd come back to school that I would be relaxed and ready to come have a great shorter week. That is not what happened when I came back tuesday. Well, actually i had a pretty okay day, but after school band was just crazy. My section is just crazy, we fight constantly, and I can't stand it. No one can ever agree so its constant bickering on who is right and who is wrong when it comes to the formations. The section leaders, who shall remain nameless. constantly undermine eachother. So me,as the subordinate I don't know which one to listen to, and that is frustrating when Matthews is breathing down your back all day long. Then 0ther people think that they are the section leaders so they have to put their two cents in, trying to tell people what to do. IT IS JUST TOO CRAZY FOR ME. Added on top of the inside section civil war, Matthews is always yellling, and i'm lilke, "sir that's not gonna fix anything." On top of that some people straight up stink at marching, but wont work hard to fix it. I felt like walking out yesterday at that practice and never looking back on that field, but then I realized that all of this stress is going to be worth it when that big 'ol trophy is on our bus.