Mary Oliver

Breakage

Wild Geese

The Sun

Next Time

The Summer Day

The Journey

Vultures

When Death Comes

Blue Iris

The Lilly

Wake by Lisa Mcmann pgs 1-70

Wake is the first book in a trilogy about a girl who can go inside peoples dreams. She doesn't really willingly go though, it's more like she sucked in. The first time she remembers it happening is one day when she was eight yeard old, she got sucked into the dream of sleeping man on a train. Ever since then she has kept her secret well kept, and views it more a curse than a gift. Her mother is drunk, who barely acknowledges she has a daughter. Janie is kind of a loner at school, except for one best friend, who doesnt even know her secret. The book is just now putting her gift to use- she is helping the police solve a drug crime within the school using her dream capabilities.

So far I love this book. I wanna read all three books. Its the perfect blend of sci fi, and reality. It isn't totally ridiculous, and the style of writing Mcmann uses is really interesting. Kind of like third person, semi omniscient? I don't know, I really like it though!

Scar Tissue- Anthony Kiedis pg 1-138

Anthony Kiedis's memior "Scar Tissue" is something every red hot chilli peppers fan should read. I've been a fan forever, never really knowing the extent of Anthony Kiedis's drug problems. The lead singer recalls inciting incidents from his life, including early childhood memories of his father. The book starts out with him getting beat up while waiting for his drug dealer in a car, then waking up in his van on the way to another show.

The whole book is so rock'n roll, but not in the cliche way. He tells his stories in a way that make them not only funny, but endearing and sincere. I love the pictures too! Its an inside look into the life of a rocker..but not only a rocker, a total druggie. Which is kind of what is sad about his life. However, I do know that he has cleaned up his life some since the times these stories are recalled from. Definantley a great read, even if you aren't a Red Hot Chilli Peppers fan!

Black Coffee: Awkward Childhood Pictures

Black Coffee: Awkward Childhood Pictures

A painting by Adam Gayer

Adam Gayer's vibrantly abstract painting expresses a sense of peculiarity and darkness despite his flamboyant use of color. Gayer's use of wispy brush strokes, and isometric format add chaos to an already eccentric color scheme. The intangibleness is what makes this painting interesting;so unrecognizable, yet familiar in the its shapes. The viewer almost makes out images, a person possibly, in the middle of the painting. Gayer portrays an imaginative scene in this painting, projecting a sense of wonder and curiosity. The elements of, flamboyance, abstractness and wonder all add to the captivating effect this painting has.

Fallout- Ellen Hopkins pg. 435-663

Although Summer knows about autumn, Autumn just recently found out more info about her mom and her sister and brothers that she never even knew exsisted. Autumn's dad is out of jail and offers to take her there for xmas to see them. She reluctantly goes. Hunter finds his real dad, who supposedly raped his mother. He confronts his father but actually ends up liking him. Summer runs away from her foster home and ends up in a rally bad car accident with her boyfriend. The whole climax of the story, where all their tales intertwine, is at Christmas at "Marie Haskin's" house. In the book, the kids mom is a writer, who wrote a book about her daughter and her meth problem (crank).

I think its really interesting that she kind of put herself into the story. Since it is loosely based on her daughter and her troubles, I kind of think its a lot more based on her life than some may think. In the very back of the book their is a page where Ellen Hopkins talks about how her son in real life )hunter in the book) is only thirteen right now, and in the book he is nineteen. She says she kinda wrote the future based on what these kids lives were like right now. The ending was perfect, with all the kids confronting their mom, and her apoligizing about everything that has happened. I really liked the end to this trilogy!

Fallout- Ellen Hopkins pg 300-435

Fallout is just now taking a huge turn by exploring more into Kristina's life. Since the book is told from her kids' perspective, she has only been mentioned abstractly. But now, Summer, asks her dad how he and Kristina met. He is dumbfounded that he hasn't told her before, and explains that her mother and he were married, and she even had a daughter when he met her. Summer had no clue she had a long lost sister, someone she has never met, or even heard of. Autumn finds out her aunt is getting married, and she feels lost and alone. She turns to drinking. Hunter, cheats on his girlfriend and turns to drinking. All around the kids are going through a hard time. And you start to see more of their hardships as a result of Kristina's mothering, or lack there of.

I think it's really sad these kids have begun turning to drinking, besides summer. But summer, although not drinking or doing drugs, has been put into another foster home because her dad got a dui. Nothing goes right for these kids. the book is really good, and I really want to know if they ever meet their long lost sister.

Fall Out- Ellen Hopkins pages 1-300

Fall out is the third of three books chronically a girl named Kristina who is addicted to among many things, crystal meth. I have read the first two books already, and they were really good. All of Ellen Hopkins books are honest and raw, but Kristina's story especially because it is loosely based (although I believe it to be slightly more that loosely) on Ellen Hopkins youngest daughter. In the past books Kristina makes a lot of mistakes, and ends up having a couple kids along the way of her messy life. "Fallout" is told from the three prospectives of three of her children, none of which are living with her, and one of whom who has never even met her. Kristina still struggles to keep jobs, and stay out jail, and this book is about the mess she left behind when she decided to give her life away to drugs. The lives she affected most were those of the children she left behind along the way. Hunter was her first kid she had when she was a teenager, he is nineteen in the newest book. Kristinas parents adopted him and he lived a good life, although he still has troubles considering the stress his biological mother puts on their family. Next is summer, who has been passed between Kristina, and her dad, and numerous foster homes. She visits her mother every once and while but her life is pretty messed up. She knows Hunter, and her grandparents, but seldom sees them. She recently found out she has a sister, another life Kristina has broken. Autumn is her long lost sister, who has only known her dad, who has been in and out of jail her whole life. She lives with her Grandfather and Aunt Cora who took her in when Kristina went to jail. Autumn has wondered her whole life about her mom.

This book is great so far. Kristina's character has stuck with me ever since I read "Crank", the first novel Ellen Hopkins wrote. All her books are written in poetry form which is really interesting. If any one ever had any doubts about doing hard drugs, these books would solidify their hesitation. I can't wait to see how Kristina's story ends because i'm pretty sure this is the last book she is writting on Krisitna.

High school seniors' predictions for the future

The kid I most relate to in these recordings is Andrew Benedict, a student who is undecided about his future. He is actually a lot different from me, but the most relatable in this series of recordings. I have a general idea of what I want to do in the future, but I'm not entirely sure. He says "I don't know" a lot in his recording, which I think suits me well- I don't know.

My favorite of the students was Nathan Rebelo, who wants to be an architect. His interest in "making his mark" on the world is intriguing. He talks about his family a lot too; his future, and present family. He wants to get away from all the judgment high school comes with, which is how I think most high school students feel.

The most deluded of the group is the girl who wants to be an actress. Not that the dream of acting for a living is so far fetched, there are many aspiring actresses. However, not many make it. And they especially don't make it as big as she wants to make it. "Angelina Jolie status" is a rare goal to achieve. Her dreams, while admirable, are unrealistic. However, she should follow her dreams to the best of her ability because if she doesn't she will regret it. She should probably just not get her hopes up too high.

Loose Girl- Kerry Cohen pg 1-50

"Loose Girl" is a memoir telling the promiscuous tales of Kerry Cohen. So far the book has run through her child hood in New Jersey and some of her high school life too. The beginning is disturbing, as she remembers a time when she was twelve when her and her friends were stuck at a gas station in the middle of the night and two perverts drove them home. She talks about her parents divorice, and how they were never really there. Especially her mom who left her life as an artist to become a doctor in another state. Her sister became very depressed and barely left her room. The book is basically all of her sexual experiences and the mistakes she made along the way.

This book is really good so far, and her expericens are really interesting. The part where she talks about the guys in the gas station really freaks me out. I think she is a really relatable person, although her stories are unique. I've heard the book's ending is sad..:(.

Awesome Things

Awesome things is a great list, and many of the awesome things on this list, are things I believe to be awesome as well. Number 283 is "Eating what you're cooking while you're cooking it," who doesn't do that? Every time I made brownies or cookies I am constantly licking my fingers and the spoons. It is hard to resist when making delicious treats. Number 298 is "Successfully giving someone directions in your home town"is another awesome thing. It doesn't happen often but when I give directions to random people in my hometown I feel so good; definitely an awesome feeling. One awesome thing I didn't really agree with was "Grandma hair"; it's just not something I think, "wow that's cool!" when I'm out and about. I don't really aspire to having grandma hair either.

Cody- "Country Boys"

Cody, whose life is followed by a camera crew in "Country Boys", may seem like the bad boy ultra-disturbed Goth type- but he is much different than his appearance would suggest. Cody wears dark nail polish and typically all black; his hair is died and he sports a outrageous hairstyles, his appearance threw me at first. It turns out that Cody is actually a Christian, who loved music and spending time with his girlfriend. Although he goes to a intermediate school, he does not come across as necessarily unintelligent. What I think is sort of remarkable is how his parents both committed suicide, and he has lost everything he had, yet his faith remains strong. A lot of kids with his circumstances would have more behavioral problems. Not to say that he is an angel. Cody occasionally causes trouble with his U.S. history teacher, resulting in being sent to the principal's office. His behavior at home seems to be calmer, however. He is polite to his adopted grandmother, and seems to want to live there with her. The truth is he has nowhere else to go. He has known his parents both committed suicide for most of his life, but an interesting moment in the documentary is when he reads the details of what really happened in his father’s death. Upon learning his father shot his wife, and then himself, he is not shocked, but seemingly more confused. He confidently states that he will always love his dad, and then nostalgically reminisces on their past. I can’t say I feel bad for Cody, despite his economic conditions and family circumstances, because he does not seem to feel bad for himself.

Freakonomics pg 120-150

This chapter asks "Where have all the criminal's go?". The crime rate has significantly dropped since the nineties, where it was at its highest in years. Dubner and Levitt talk about the romanian abortion policy and how it so drastically changed from a form of birth control, to a forbidden practice, and was strictly and even bizarrely banned. He further goes into abortion in the united states and the role it may have had on crime rates in the nineties and present day. He talks about how bad the crime rate was then, and how good it is now. Rowe V. Wade made abortion legal, and by 15 years later the crime rate had dropped significantly. He proposes that legalizing abortion may have contributed to less crime in the U.S. by eliminating children who would have most likely grown up in poverty or under bad circumstances. Crime is at it's higest among teenagers, and with less teenagers born into bad circumstances, their was less crime.

This chapter was very interesting, I guess weather you are pro life or pro choice, there is no denying the fact that the crime rate has dropped since abortion was legalized. Dubner and Levitt talk about this issue in the intro to the book as well, I was glad to read it more elaborated on.

Freakonomics pg 84-120

This chapter poses the question "Why do drug dealers live with their moms?" Although somewhat comical, Levitt and Dubner go into some quite heavy issues regarding urban life and inner city drug trafficking. The author writes about his friend's experiences while researching impoverished communities in the U.S. Levitt and Dubner point out the fact that selling cocaine is one of the most profitable jobs in the united states. Most people assume that if you are a drug dealer-then you have money. However, this common knowledge only applies to the top dogs of the drug chain, the big dealers. There fore, most drug dealers do live with their moms-because that's what they can afford. Even those drug dealers making a significant amount of money often times live at home with their mothers to remain known in the community, or to keep an eye on other drug dealers.

This chapter was very interesting. The way this book disproves the things you think you know is mind blowing. I'm really enjoying it, can't wait for the next chapter about parents!

Childhood memories

There were a lot of books on the picturing books website that I had read as a child. Some stuck out more than others, including "Pat the Bunny", on of my favorite books when I was little. I loved the book because it was a touch and feel book, I'm pretty sure I made my mom read it to me every night for quite some time. Seeing this book's picture on the list brought me back to my childhood a lot. I was surprised this book was written in the early fourties just because I read it for the first time in the mid 90s. It's strange how those kinds of books stand the tests of time.

Freakonomics- pages xxiv-83

I never knew I could like economics so much! This book is a much different kind of economics of that which you hear in the news and in econ. classes. The book explains how at it's root, economics is the study of incentives; and there are many incentives in this world. In the introduction he questions real estate agent's incentives in selling you're house. He proposes they may sell your house for less than they could get if they spent more time and energy on it. Although they get a percentage of the profit, it is not big enough to provide incentive for them to work any harder. Getting more for less is what he says most people are into, and economics plays a big part in getting more for less. The book raises questions on many moral issues too such as cheating. More specifically- teachers cheating to get higher scores on standardized tests. When provided with incentives, many people will leave behind their values. He also raises questions about the Klu-Klux-Klan, comparing their incentives to that of real estate agents.

This book is really interesting, and the sections ahead seem even more intriguing than the last. In the next couple of sections he will provide statistics to explain why drug dealers live with their mothers, and what makes a perfect parent. I can't wait to read more on this topic. I have heard this is offered as a college class at some schools, I would love to take it. It's a lot like psychology in a way, except for it provides more hard facts about human incentives and behavior than psychology, or observation, alone ever could.

So mad!

I just found out 'Go Ask Alice' is actually fictional, and is not written by an actual fifteen year old as stated in the beginning of the book.

Click here

This really angered me! I have read this book before, and I always thought it was a true story. Now it just seems more forced anti-drug lit.

Go Ask Alice- Pages 120-212

The girl is finally home with her family, she starts off with a new diary and feels optimistic about starting over a drug free life. Then just a few weeks later she does drugs again, she feels guilty writing it down and wishes it never happened. After that she doesn't do drugs for quite some time, she even meets a boy she really likes. Then the kids at school start hassling her to do drugs again, she has no friends and feels terrible. Her grandfather dies and she becomes very disturbed, but her new boyfriend makes her feel better and life is going seemingly well for her. Her grandmother dies, and the kids at school are still giving her a hard time. Things start looking up again and then suddently her next entry she explains that she is in a mental hospital, she explains that maggots are eating her body and her soul, and she is obviously delusional. She gets out of the hospital eventually and starts over yet again, for a long time her journal entries are optimistic and everything feels fine. Her last entry she thanks her journal for always being for her, and she realizes everything she has done wrong.

The book ends in an epilogue explaining that the girl who wrote the journal died of an overdose three weeks after her last entry. No one knows why she did it.

What a sad ending. I can't even imagine.

Letters from kids to God

Kids say the darnedest things.

Go Ask Alice pgs 50-120

The girl's best friend came back from camp, they were good together. They didn't do drugs or anything, but when she came back from camp, beth and her were not as close. Every since she got back from a stay at her grandparents, where she started using drugs again, she had been acting different towards her parents. When her parents confront her, she admits to wanting to break down right there and tell them everything. But she doesn't. Then the good boy that she likes leaves for military school and she is so sad. Her journal entries take a dark turn from there. She meets a guy she likes again, but he is a drug dealer, and he convinces her to start selling to middle school kids. After a while she gets tired of never doing anything with her new boyfriend besides getting and high and sitting around. She begins to have doubts. After dumping him, she and her friend Chris, a girl she has become close to, decide to flee to San Fransisco in the middle of the night, with only a note as explanation to her parents. Her stay in San Francisco is great at first, but she ends up getting back into drugs and after many failed business ventures, she ends up on the streets.

Her diary entries are sad. She has so much hope inside of her but nothing ever works out. She knows the drugs are bad, and she trys again and again to stop for good. I don't even think the problem is that she is addicted, I think it is just the lifestyle she leads and she keeps digging a deeper whole for herself. Some of these entries are so disturbing they can only be true.

228 diction excersise

a) old, fine-toothed, tangle, chits, maiden, shame, scrapped, alone

b) Medium diction
Elevation- plain, detached, simple, abrupt
Concrete- definite, absolute, literal

c)Gwendolyn Brook's Sadie and Maud's sequential structure creates a realistic atmosphere while comparing two sisters in a polarizing manner, describing Sadie as scrapping life with a fine-toothed comb, and her sister Maud, who simply went to college, ending up alone, leading to an ending with a dark undertone of demise.

Go Ask Alice pgs 1-50- Annonymous

Go Ask Alice is an actual diary of a teenage girl who started using hard drugs. She is seemingly normal, and does not use drugs at the begging of the journal, but then someone spikes her soda with acid, and after that it's just one big spiral down. For a little while she doesn't do drugs, she goes to live with her grandparents, and then she starts partying again. She just wants to be accepted, and for her parents to understand her, like most teenagers do.

This whole book is so raw. It's weird to think some girl actually wrote this. Although, no one knows who she is, her story is still just as interesting. I'm assuming from the publishing copyright of the book, the way she talks, and from other cultural references, that the girl lived in the late fifties to early sixties during the writing of this journal. She is just dealing with normal teenage stuff. I'm eager to get to know this girl more.

Future Bully

I laughed out loud when I saw this.

Note: I do not think playing piano is nerdy.

2.23 Diction Excersize

a) Swiftly, stirred, falling, orchard, pebbles, channels, dusty, crops, bare
b) Diction: Middle Diction- Plain, unordained, simple
Connotation: Poetic- fluid, naturalistic, romanticism
Sound: Musical- pleasant, lyrical, enchanting
Concreteness: Concrete- tangible subject, personal experience, real, adventurous, light
c) Earnest Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms, is a fluid naturalistic piece expressing a pleasant yet simple tone, sounding almost lyrical in describing this vivid scene.

Judd Apatow- I Found This Funny; How I got Kicked out of Highschool: A Freaks and Geeks Diary

'I Found This Funny', edited by Judd Apatow is a compilation of short stories, excerpts from memoirs, dark humored cartoons, pilot television scripts, and

other miscellaneous works of art. Among the many short stories and mostly hilarious pieces of literature are diary entires made by Judd Apatow during the production and airing of a television show of which he was the executive producer of; Freaks and Geeks was cancelled after airing only 13 episodes on NBC. It was funny how I saw this book today, because in the fast few weeks I have become reacquainted, and even slightly obsessed with the short lived television show, Freaks and Geeks. I remember when it aired it 2000 I was very interested in it, even though I was only seven. My mom told me to turn it off everytime, I even recall being sent to my room for sneaking a view of the TV show. Watching it now I can see where they were coming from. However now, it is one of my favorite shows of all time. I'm a huge fan of Apatow's so I thought I'd check out this book. So far,I'm glad I did.

His diary entires start in October of 1998 and end in April of 2000. He talks about how excited he is for this show because it is something that had not really been done before. He even recalls calling for 'normal looking people' at the casting call for Freaks and Geeks. The show, created by Paul Feig, is about a brother and sister in Michigan, and their friends. Set in 1980, it made for a hilarious commentary on the time, and on high school. The boy was a geek, and his older sister a 'Freak' or a burnout. Apatow talks about how many of the expericenes the kids had in the show came from experiences of his own when he was in highschool, and he also adds how many of the 'Geek' experiences were replicas of times in creator Paul Feig's life. This show is absolutely hilarious and so touching and the same time. It is critically acclaimed, and even made Time Magazine's top thirteenth best serious of the last 25 years. In his journal entires, Apatow talks about how strange it is that the ratings weren't good, but at that time it was getting recognition from The Rolling Stone and Time Magazine. He was devastated when it was cancelled. In his journal, he mocks NBC for not 'getting' his show, when it was so relatable to everyone else. He suggests that he should have created another hilarious show where all its characters just happened to have model good looks.

Although cancelled, Freaks and Geeks has developed a cult following. The show has also cranked out some great actors and writers, who were discovered by the creators. Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, and Oscar nominated James Franco were all in the cast. Judd Apatow also wrote and directed, 'Knocked Up', 'Funny People', and 'Fourty-Year-Old-Virgin', as well as producing 'Pineapple Express', 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall' and many other ridiculously funny movies. Judd Apatow obviously has a great sense of humor, and this book puts doubt in no ones mind that he has great taste in writing. I really enjoyed reading this Freaks and Geeks diary and it's good to know that the show has finally got it's due. From how angry Apatow was at it's cancellation, he sure seems to be determined to make all of the cast members and writers into great successes. His thoughts in his journal entires were funny and definitely interesting. I am eager to read more stories in 'I found This Funny'.

Signs of Love

Happy Valentines Day everyone :)

The Accidental Billionaires- Ben Mezrich; pgs 100-180

'The Accidental Billionaires' just keeps getting better. Chapter fourteen starts our with the Wienkelvoss twins discovering an article, in Harvard's Newspaper 'The crimson', praising Computer Whiz 'Mark Zuckerburg' for his creation of a new social networking site for Harvard. The Social Network is called 'Thefacebook.com'. The twins, who thought Zuckerburg had been working for them, finalizing a code for their social site 'Theharvardconnection', were completely surprised and utterly confused at the article the Crimson had printed. Zuckerburg's website was not only up and running, but getting a great deal of attention. Thus far over 900 students had joined in less than two weeks. They could not believe Mark would go behind their backs like this and they immediately informed their layers. Their lawyers sent a cease and desist letter to Zuckerburg basically asking Zuckerburg to remove the site immediately. However, the twins underestimated Mark, he would never take the site down, it was his and no one else's. This is the beginning of the infamous Facebook trials that would follow the cease and desist letter.

This book is in many ways a mirror image to the movie that succeeded it, 'The Social Network'. However, Mezrich has a style of writing that can just as well paint the image of each historical scene in this book as the move has. The book provides much more detail and in my opinion it is more fun to imagine the scenes myself. I am really enjoying this book and even though I have a general idea of how it ends, I am excited to see how Mezrich finishes the story of the accidental billionaires.

The Accidental Billionaires- Ben Mezrich pgs. 1-100

This book is about a network that changed the modern world. Facebook is in most peoples daily routines and even daily dialogue. It gave us all a new way to connect to people and its fascinating how it has changed the way we look at relationships and relate to people. However, before we all could put Facebooks monumental success to use, it had to be put to the test. Facebook is the creation of a Harvard graduate computer whiz named Mark Zuckerburg. The computer Genius first experimented with the idea in 2003 when making a sarcastic, and semi- cruel college web game where he posted girls faces and had people vote which one was hotter. The girls were all students at Harvard, and their names were posted below. The website was called 'Facemash.com'. After this, Zuckerburg was no longer just a computer nerd. He made something that his fellow students appreciated. Maybe not the girls included in the facemash site though. The book depicts the first person accounts of harvard students involved in a trial which questioned the actual creator of Facebook. Zuckerburg was accused of stealing the ideas from two Harvard elite brothers who had been working on a social networking site idea for years. All they needed was someone to write the code. After telling Zuckerburg their idea, they never saw him again. Not until the trials began at least. Mark never emailed them back, never took their calls, he virtually avoided them in the most obvious way. He started writing the code however. This is how the originality of his ideas were questioned in the trials. However, Mark would argue the idea they had in mind was not the Facebook of today, or even the very first prototype of the site Mark wrote the code for. 'The Accidental Billionaires' is a true story, and a very interesting and dramatic one at that.

Ben Mezrich, the author of 'The Accidental Billionaires' writes in a way that can only be described as cinematic, which may be why the book is now a major motion picture up for numerous academy awards. The way he writes make me feel like I'm there, at Harvard. Likely something never to actually happen...

Grateful Dead - Box of Rain

One of the greatest bands of all time for sure. This is one of my favourite songs by them. I definitely feel my generation should rediscover this band because they are great.

Hole in My Life- Jack Gantos; pgs 150-200

Jack Gantos's story gives me chills. This book is so raw and intense, it really does not sugar coat anything. Jack has been convicted of drug smuggling and is now in prison in Ashland, Kentucky. He is obviously scared, because he has never been in this sort of trouble before. He has to deal with possibly being rapped, it is one of the firs things he becomes aware of once he gets to prison. However, after being transferred to Ashland he is put in a hospital cell. Probably a more safe place than a regular cell. He had lice, which he was actually happy about because it meant staying in a hospital cell for a little while. While in prison, he tried to remain unnoticed, because he was not a tough guy, and not ready to fight anyone if they would try to attack him in anyway.He ended up spending 15 months in prison. The worst 15 months of this life.

I love how this story ends, even though it is a cautionary tale, and in some ways his experiences were horrible, it is still inspiring. It ends with him explaining that he now out in the open doing what he has always wanted. To write. I loved it. I think it's great when people who make mistakes overcome the shadows of their past. Jack has written other books so I'm eager to check those out sometime.

Hole in My Life- Jack Gantos

Jack Gantos's 'Hole in My Life' is a revealing first account of drug smuggling and prison life. It started out slow, and crept its way up in 'can't put it down' status. He's just a teenager who wants to go to college, his family moves and he stays in his hometown of Florida while his dad starts up a business on a tropical island. In his time alone he becomes slightly more rebellious, drinking, smoking pot etc. He's an aspiring writer who's one wish is to go to a good college. While visiting his family on the island they live on, a proposition is made to him and he accepts. He was asked to help smuggle drugs overseas, he was hesitant but there was 10,000 dollars offered and he was broke. He figured the money would be his ticket to college town. Oh how he was wrong. He was caught, indited, and convicted. Uh-oh.

I've been busy reading another book so I only got to the part when he is just getting to prison. But I can't wait to finish it! It was so intense when they got caught my heart was actually beating slightly fast...The sad thing about it is you can tell Jack isn't a typical criminal. Just a normal kid, doing something seemingly innocent with the exception of the law. However, he's caught, and is piled with a plethora of criminal charges to boot. I feel bad for Jack in this whole situation. Anyone can get tangled up with the wrong people if their minds not in the right place. I guess this story is probably just another cautionary tale likely to be ignored as most are.

Too much lovin

All this talk about Valentines day...beware

Teen Driving Study

A new study study found that teens ages 14-18 are more likely to take risks when in the presence of their peers than when they are alone. The teens played a simulating driving game where they were rewarded for how fast and well they finished. The study is supposed to provide proof to the peer pressure excuse that so many of our parents love to use. The crazy thing about this study is that the teens' friends were not even in the room when they would take these driving risks in the game. The teens were told their friends were watching and the simple thought that their peers were observing affected their behaviour. Just knowing their friends were watching them caused them to run yellow lights, speed, and have more crashed than when they were playing the simulator game alone. If I think about it I can think of times where my friends have changed the way I drive. At the end of the article one of the doctors states that parents who think of their teens as having good judgment based on what they know from being alone with them at home is not a reliable source because teens do change their behaviour in decision making based on who is watching. I hope my mother never read this article :)

JK Wedding Entrance Dance

Observations- Ameture moves, Dance was rehearsed, Synchronized moves, everyones smiling Brides Maids missed a couple of steps...

Inferences- Everyone is having a good time, Planned in advance, a surprise to the audience (guests), this dance is hilarious and a great idea!

I don't know why but I love this.

Columbine- Dave Cullen ch 1-9

So far Columbine is one of the best nonfiction books I have read. I thought maybe it would be sort of tiring since we have all heard 'all the details' of the infamous Columbine High school shootings; not the case! He starts out by characterizing one of the coaches at the high school and describing an inspiring speech he had made just days before the shootings. He gives more back ground information, and details things you didn't hear on the news. His style of writing is maybe not what people want to believe, mainly because it's extremely disturbing. What he finds is that Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris were actually not bullied, at least not to the extent that would send someone over the edge. Eric was pretty popular with the ladies, and had lots of friends. Dylan, although quiet, had friends too. He even went with a large group in a limo to prom only days before the shootings.

Reading this book gives me chills, and it makes me wonder what really made them do this. No one can ever really know. They were obviously sick kids, in more than one use of the word. But they seemed so normal. They had jobs, and went to parties, and had friends. It's really a shame. However, the book hasn't gone into the day of the killings yet, at least not in detail, which I'm sure it will. This book is really good, it isn't just all about facts and statistics, its about their lives, and life in Colorado, where they lived. It's like an inside look at the life of killers. I'm excited to finish it, its hard to take a break from reading it because it's really interesting!

P.S...I'm reading this book on my nook colour and it's cool...but I gotta say I like the real thing better!

M.I.A - 20 Dollars (with lyrics)

MIA

Such a good artist, and a super interesting person. '20 dollar' seems just like a cool unique songs, but the lyrics are really interesting and say a lot about what she has seen and been through.

Palo Alto- James Franco; American History

Now on to another story and a different character in Palo Alto. This character is a boy named Jeremy who is in the tenth grade. Although the story revolves around an incident in his United States history class, that is not really what the story is about. In the beginning of the story his U.S. class is doing a skit where each student represented a state during the civil war. Jeremy is one of the southern states and is not on the 'good side' as he puts it. The students are supposed to pretend they are in the civil war time and they're supposed to give reasons to support their view on slavery. Jeremy, being one of the southern states, argues his points as a southerner would during that time. This angers some kids in the class and Jeremy gets a little too it, he ends up saying a racist slur. Jeremy at the time, was just trying to impress a girl by being funny, because the class seemed to know he was only joking; even his teacher was not mad.
The next day Jeremy is confronted by a boy named Lewis and his friends in the locker room. Lewis was the only black kid in their U.S. class. Lewis seemed to pay no mind to Jeremy in class the day before. However Lewis and his friends, who were also black, were not happy. They basically beat the heck out of him and leave him in the locker room.

I found this story really interesting. Racial tension is everywhere, and when you mix that with immature teenagers, it is not surprising things got out of hand. I know this sounds like a story that might have a lesson, or moral point to it; maybe it does to an extent. However, I kinda feel like this story is more about adolescents in some way. Like immaturity and emotions just got the best of everyone. I'm sure situations like this happen in a lot of history classes because of the subject matter.

Note the title 'American History". I sort of think this story might represent how even though our history is behind us, there is still racial tension, just like there is in our history books.

Palo Alto- James Franco; Halloween

Yea, James Franco wrote a book. If you don't know who he is, he's an actor whose been in a lot of movies: 'Spiderman', 'Pineapple express', 'Milk' etc. He's also up for a Golden Globe for '127 hours'. It's a compilation of stories told from the perspective of teenagers living in Palo Alto, CA. So far it's pretty good. The first story 'Halloween' is about a boy named Ryan who kills someone while drunk driving on his way to his girlfriends house. This isn't much of a spoiler because the story starts out 'Ten years ago, my sophomore year in high school, I killed a woman on Halloween.'  This is an older Ryan telling the story, looking back on his troubled youth. The ironic thing is that Ryan and his friends attend a party where Ryan ends up cheating on his girlfriend, he leaves the party drunk and drives to his girlfriends house because he thinks she's cheating on him and he's angry about it. He never told anybody about what happened.

This story is kind of just disturbing because everything leading up to is just stuff that happens to teenagers and in their lives, and then he just ends up killing someone. Maybe it speaks to the irresponsible side in all of us. Before I got this book I read the review online, and one of the reviews said that it lacks general characterization. This story defiantly does lack characterization, but I think maybe Franco did that on purpose, because Ryan, the character in the story, probably represents a lot of teenage boys combined, and possibly even James Fracno himself, who grew up in Palo Alto.