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!