Hope you guys had a good year at KHS! English was fun!
Have a great summer!!!
Erin
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
Whats in a name? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet!
Kassie!!!!!!!
yes i am Stella_in_color and forever will be!
yes i am Stella_in_color and forever will be!
Wonder Who I Am?
I thought that I did a pretty good job at keeping who I was from everyone but I thought that I would share who I am....
Ready...
I am Caroline
There I shared. I hope you all have a great summer.
Ready...
I am Caroline
There I shared. I hope you all have a great summer.
For those who don't know...
I'm Jessica, though, I would think that's obvious, I hold my books up, but whatever!
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
The Duality of Man
Well this is probably going to be my last and final blog so ill try to make it good.
Over the course of the spring semester I have read many books. A whole lot more than I would normally read. I read some really good ones and few that were just so-so. Surprisingly, one thing that kept on popping up in my readings was the duality of man. The duality of man basically means that there is good and bad in all of us. It’s kind of like in movies where you see the two little guys pop up on the shoulders of people. One is good and one is bad. Both are trying to get you to do something whether it’s good or bad. Deciding on what to do is the struggle to resist the bad and do the good. But sometimes we, as humans, find that really hard, and we tend to, sometimes, do the wrong thing. It is everywhere, not only in books but also in real life. It’s an issue that we find ourselves constantly facing.
One book I read, I found the duality of man emphasized. In Cold Blood was written by Truman Capote and based on true events. It was the first book that I read in this class. The book was about the gruesome killings of a plain ordinary family in Kansas. It followed the killers before and after they killed the family, all the way up to the trial and persecution. There were two killers: Perry Smith and Dick Hickock. Dick was the mean, insensitive one (the one I figured would have killed the family), while Perry was the nice, sensitive one that appeared as if he wouldn’t hurt a fly. But Perry Smith is the one who killed the family; he is the one who gave in to his bad side. After the police had caught the two killers Truman Capote became really good friends with Perry and found out that he was a perfectly normal guy. Nice, good natured. That’s the part that got me. Just an ordinary guy was capable of killing a family of four that never did anything to him; he didn’t even know the family, he had never seen them before. But he still had the capability to do something that awful. Even though I know that I would never do a thing like that it makes me think, and makes me aware that I have the capability to do that. But everybody has a good and bad side to them, and I guess that Perry gave in to his bad side.
Another book that I read was The Kite Runner. It was written by Khaled Hosseini, it was based on his life. In the book he didn’t give in to his bad side by doing something, but by not doing something. One day he walked, unnoticed, in on his best friend/ servant being brutally beaten up by a neighbor hood bully. Instead of going in and stopping them, he just sat back and watched it happen. He betrayed his friend by not helping him, because he was afraid that the same would happen to him. Plus in the story it says that his best friend always stood up for him and was always loyal. I don’t understand how he could just stay in the shadows and watch. But I guess that people are different and are ok with it. That part really bothered me about the book.
Finally I would like to close with relating this topic to few stories we read in class and the modern world. In Romeo and Juliet, after Romeo witnessed Mercrutio being killed by Tybalt, he then, in a violent rage, killed Tybalt. He gave in to the bad side, and did what, at the time, seemed like the most reasonable thing to do. There are sometimes that I sympathize and understand why some people did the wrong thing but for good reasons. For example, in To Kill a Mockingbird Boo Radley is this innocent human being, that is very nice, but then he kills Bob Ewell, after he saw him attacking Jem and Scout. This guy is quite possibly one of the nicest people you will ever read about, but he is capable of doing such a horrible thing. I feel that it is justified though. He saved the lives of Scout and Jem. Spiderman three is another good example of the duality of man. In the movie he has to decide whether or not to wear the black suit. It is evil but it feels good and right at the time. But in the end he would have regretted it. The military is a great example of modern day duality of man. They say to join the military and serve your country. As an American, of course you feel like it’s your duty to go and serve your country and protect it. But at the other end you may end up killing another human being. Is it worth it? Is it justified then? It’s totally your own opinion. Tell me what you think.
Duality of man is a huge controversy and it all depends on your own judgment. I sit at my computer and complain about what other people chose to do. For instance in the Kite Runner I say that he should have helped his friend but also I wasn’t in the situation so I cant really complain about it. Duality is a very hard thing to act and decide on if you’re torn between two things. I just hope that I am never in a situation where I have to make a serious decision, like one stated above.
Well that was my final blog. I hope that you enjoyed (it took long enough, so you better have, just kidding). I hope that everybody has a great summer and I hope to see you all next year.
Over the course of the spring semester I have read many books. A whole lot more than I would normally read. I read some really good ones and few that were just so-so. Surprisingly, one thing that kept on popping up in my readings was the duality of man. The duality of man basically means that there is good and bad in all of us. It’s kind of like in movies where you see the two little guys pop up on the shoulders of people. One is good and one is bad. Both are trying to get you to do something whether it’s good or bad. Deciding on what to do is the struggle to resist the bad and do the good. But sometimes we, as humans, find that really hard, and we tend to, sometimes, do the wrong thing. It is everywhere, not only in books but also in real life. It’s an issue that we find ourselves constantly facing.
One book I read, I found the duality of man emphasized. In Cold Blood was written by Truman Capote and based on true events. It was the first book that I read in this class. The book was about the gruesome killings of a plain ordinary family in Kansas. It followed the killers before and after they killed the family, all the way up to the trial and persecution. There were two killers: Perry Smith and Dick Hickock. Dick was the mean, insensitive one (the one I figured would have killed the family), while Perry was the nice, sensitive one that appeared as if he wouldn’t hurt a fly. But Perry Smith is the one who killed the family; he is the one who gave in to his bad side. After the police had caught the two killers Truman Capote became really good friends with Perry and found out that he was a perfectly normal guy. Nice, good natured. That’s the part that got me. Just an ordinary guy was capable of killing a family of four that never did anything to him; he didn’t even know the family, he had never seen them before. But he still had the capability to do something that awful. Even though I know that I would never do a thing like that it makes me think, and makes me aware that I have the capability to do that. But everybody has a good and bad side to them, and I guess that Perry gave in to his bad side.
Another book that I read was The Kite Runner. It was written by Khaled Hosseini, it was based on his life. In the book he didn’t give in to his bad side by doing something, but by not doing something. One day he walked, unnoticed, in on his best friend/ servant being brutally beaten up by a neighbor hood bully. Instead of going in and stopping them, he just sat back and watched it happen. He betrayed his friend by not helping him, because he was afraid that the same would happen to him. Plus in the story it says that his best friend always stood up for him and was always loyal. I don’t understand how he could just stay in the shadows and watch. But I guess that people are different and are ok with it. That part really bothered me about the book.
Finally I would like to close with relating this topic to few stories we read in class and the modern world. In Romeo and Juliet, after Romeo witnessed Mercrutio being killed by Tybalt, he then, in a violent rage, killed Tybalt. He gave in to the bad side, and did what, at the time, seemed like the most reasonable thing to do. There are sometimes that I sympathize and understand why some people did the wrong thing but for good reasons. For example, in To Kill a Mockingbird Boo Radley is this innocent human being, that is very nice, but then he kills Bob Ewell, after he saw him attacking Jem and Scout. This guy is quite possibly one of the nicest people you will ever read about, but he is capable of doing such a horrible thing. I feel that it is justified though. He saved the lives of Scout and Jem. Spiderman three is another good example of the duality of man. In the movie he has to decide whether or not to wear the black suit. It is evil but it feels good and right at the time. But in the end he would have regretted it. The military is a great example of modern day duality of man. They say to join the military and serve your country. As an American, of course you feel like it’s your duty to go and serve your country and protect it. But at the other end you may end up killing another human being. Is it worth it? Is it justified then? It’s totally your own opinion. Tell me what you think.
Duality of man is a huge controversy and it all depends on your own judgment. I sit at my computer and complain about what other people chose to do. For instance in the Kite Runner I say that he should have helped his friend but also I wasn’t in the situation so I cant really complain about it. Duality is a very hard thing to act and decide on if you’re torn between two things. I just hope that I am never in a situation where I have to make a serious decision, like one stated above.
Well that was my final blog. I hope that you enjoyed (it took long enough, so you better have, just kidding). I hope that everybody has a great summer and I hope to see you all next year.
AIDS
Thembi is a teen in Africa, who has AIDS. AIDS is a really big deal. For her life, she has been shunned and just really under prejudice. People treat her basically as though she is a leper. Her husband is a support to her. However, living in a poverty stricten land, she feels bad for her parents for raising someone who ends up having AIDS. She really has trouble telling her dad. However, many others in her community also will have AIDS. Most probably do not even know or realize it. For Thembi's story go to http://www.aidsdiary.org/
As many of you may know, AIDS (Acquired immune deficiency syndrome) is a growing pandemic that has recently skyrocketed in numbers. Along with Thembi, about 38.6 million people are infected with the syndrome. A third of those people reside in South Africa. In fact, a 15-50% of people have HIV in the southern part of Africa. It has caused the life expectancy of South Africa to drop from 63, 1993, to just 48. In the US, .5-1% of the population has HIV. 25 million people have died since the 1980's, 2.5-3.5 million people have died from AIDS in just 2005. These giant numbers have been noticed, especially through the media, because it is a big deal.
AIDS is an evolved form of HIV (Human immunodeficiency virus). Most people have HIV for about a decade, and as soon as they develop AIDS, they are expected to live for less than a year. It also makes people more likely to develop other diseases, such as CMV retinitis, which will result in becoming blind. HIV is incredibly easy to spread. It is spread through bodily fluids, including tears and saliva. It can even be spread from mother to her child, during pregnancy and breastfeeding. It is most often spread through sexual intercourse and could be spread through use of needles. If you need to use a needle, be sure to use a new, clean, and sterile needle. Also, Even if you plan on staying abstinent, it is a good idea to get test for HIV and while you're at it, STDs (Sexually transmitted disease).
Although, there is no cure for AIDS, there is therapy available to those with HIV. Being a virus, HIV incurable. However, through therapy of medicine, the result of HIV can be changed. That means you can avoid AIDS, even when you have HIV. However, one type of HIV, HIV-1,although the more frequent, is hard to vaccinate/redirect.
Other good sites are:
Medscape (good site): http://www.medscape.com/hiv
Teen Aids (for our age group):http://www.teenaids.org/
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aids
World Health Organization: http://www.who.int/en/
Forensic Science
If anyone knows me well, then they know that I love watching C.S.I.Here's a link to the tv show's site http://www.darkhorizons.com/tv/csi.php So I decided to try and read the C.S.I. books, the last one I read was called Sin City, it takes place in Las Vegas. But I'll start with giving you guys some research on crime scene investigation first.Here is the definition of forensic science from wikipedia "Forensic science (often shortened to forensics) is the application of a broad spectrum of sciences to answer questions of interest to the legal system."In other words it is about using science to prove things in the legal system.
I think my favorite part of forensic science is impression evidence, such as fingerprinting, and shoe marks. Scientists compare the ridges of the skin on fingertips, palms, and toes to determine if the print is matched with a person, or to identify a person.The earliest fingerprint used for determining identity was in the 7th century from a lender to a person he was lending to. There's a lot of subcategories of forensic science. Another one that I think is interesting is forensic anthropology, using the skeleton of a human to determine information. Some people have posted about the effect of drugs, and that has it's own category, forensic toxicology, to study the effects of drugs and poisons. Forensic toxicologists can use blood, urine, and even your hair to determine if you have done drugs, and approsimately when.
When I was looking up this information I found this link to see how much you know about forensic science, I thought it was pretty cool, I didn't know as much as I thought I did!http://www.funtrivia.com/playquiz/quiz761538ba5c0.html
Be Glad To Live Today!!!!
Imagine, ladies, that you have been married for about five months, and are now expecting your first child. Not only that, but also all your belongings went to your groom when you were married. Your husband is how much older than you? Did you say ten, or did I hear fifteen? Now, you’re expected to cook, clean, sew, and laundry, and feed the animals on your farm.
In the 1800’s, women were often times married in between 13 and 14, and not only that, but if you weren’t married by 25, it would be a social humiliation, and you would be considered an old maid! Once a woman was married, she would lose ownership of everything she had, including future children and even herself. After marriage, you belonged to you husband. They lost control of inheritances, property, jewelry, everything!
Another aspect of the marriage a young girl was forced into a marriage made solely for money purposes, was the dictatorial way of husbands over their wives. It was legal for a man to abuse his wife. Now, what is the point of this? I mean, seriously, what on Earth is the point of beating your wife, all a man would do is make her nervous, which is going to make her ungraceful and clumsy, which, in turn will make the man look bad, thus, only hurting the man’s social graces! Now, you tell me, what, exactly, s the point of that?!?!?!
After marriage, the only way to gain back what you’d given to your husband was if you became a widow. Lovely, right? Ironically, soon after you were widowed, you were expected to marry again, a.s.a.p., which then meant giving up your stuff again! In some states, it was even proposed that a law be created to force a widow to marry before a certain time frame.
Alright, now, you should have learned you role in society a long time ago, but now your husband’s got to teach you. (It has now become his role to keep the reins on you pulled tightly!) First, you are not allowed to vote. Second, you are to focus on housework and childcare. However, the children you will have with your husband you shall have no guardianship over, understood? Now, your husband (the man as the head of the house) will hold the highest position in your house, then, you will be next to him, then the children, and last any servants you may have. Your husband is more-than-likely going to view you as a mere source of human life.
You, young bride, must act your part. Men consider us naturally weaker, squeamish, and unable to do muscle working jobs, though how they expect us do their laundry is beyond me! Also, men think us unable to do any intellectual developing. (Though how we could when they only allow us to go through with an elementary learning other than domestic abilities, and sometimes college, is beyond me!) If your husband does allow you to work (which is very unlikely), you will most-likely only work as a seamstress, and that’s it, if you hadn’t married, you might have run a boarding house, but it’s a little too late for that, isn’t it? Don’t expect to have any sort of life after this, because it belongs to your husband, and you have to dedicate it to him, and doing your best at not embarrassing him, and that’s all there is to it, so you’ll just have to get used to it. If this life doesn’t sound appealing, be glad you were born 200 years after all of this. Be glad you live today!
In a book I read earlier this year, Gone With The Wind, Scarlett O’Hara had troubles with doing as she was expected. She married multiple times, messed up in each of them, and took over her husband’s work, at mills and a little shop, all of which were considered wrong. She was all but shunned from her city in
Recourses
The McDougal Littell "The Americans" 1783-2001
My mom's notes (she's a teacher)!
If were born in the colonial times, in the west, it wouldn't be all that uncommon for a women to be able to protect her house and family with a gun, not to say she was a master mind at gunman ship, but she would know how!
Women in Society!!! (This was one of my favorite sites!!!)
My Best Blog Ever...Maybe
I have had a hard time figuring out what to blog about for my best blog ever. It took me awhile to think about, but I think I finally found my topic.
I decided to blog about this book I read a couple months ago called "Pride&Prejudice" by Jane Austen. The book begins when Mr.Bingley, a wealthy and single man, moves into a large estate called Netherfield in Hertfordshire county, but he doesn't come alone. Mr.Bingley's friend Mr.Darcy has accompanied him.
One day at a local ball Mr.Bingley and Mr.Darcy meet the Bennet family which consists of Mr.&Mrs.Bennet, Elizabeth, Jane, Lydia, Kitty, and Mary Bennet. Right when Mr.Bingley see's Jane he falls in love with her and soon she too feels the same. Although Mr.Bingley is kind and charming Mr.Darcy on the other hand is not. Elizabeth finds him too proud after he refuses to dance with her and doesn't talk to anyone for most of the night.
As the days go on Jane and Mr.Bingley's affection grows and Mrs.Bennet starts to suspect a wedding soon, but one day Jane finds out that Mr.Bingley has left for London and he won't be coming back. Jane is crushed and Elizabeth soon suspects that Mr.Darcy played a role in this separation.
When Elizabeth goes on a trip with her aunt and uncle all of her suspicion's and outlooks of Mr.Darcy change when she encounters him at his estate. Elizabeth soon realizes that she is falling for him. When news reaches Mr.Darcy's aunt, Lady Catherine that the two might be getting engaged, she rushes to Elizabeth's home to make sure the news isn't true which it isn't. Lady Catherine does not think Elizabeth is a suitable enough to marry Mr.Darcy. She believes Elizabeth's family isn't wealthy enough and that they aren't very proper. When Elizabeth does not deny being engaged to Mr.Darcy she is furious and leaves in a hurry.
Mr.Darcy confronts Elizabeth after hearing from his aunt and asks Elizabeth if her feelings for him have changed. Elizabeth agrees and they live happily ever after. :)
I loved this book, it put a smile on my face plus the ending was fantastic. Now to tell you all what topic I tied this book in with. During the book they talk a lot about how really rich people should marry someone with the same amount of wealth and position in society. Mr.Darcy and Elizabeth for example were told that they couldn't be married because of wealth in the family. There are plenty of times in the book where they talk about a family's wealth and how no one will want to marry this person because they hardly make 1000 pounds a year. Personally I think that not marrying someone because they don't have enough money is stupid. If your going to marry someone it should be for love and not wealth.
Well that's my best blog post ever. I hope you liked it. What did you all think? Give me your opinions. (: Oh and if you want to see some clips from the movie here is a link: http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/prideandprejudice.html
What Do You Guys Say?...
How about we continue our blogging and keep it up during the summer just for a fun thing to do. It makes me sad that we become such good friends over the course of the year and then over the summer we all fall apart! We need to stay together! And it would be really cool to see what weve al been up to over the summer! we all pretty much know who we all are and if we "expose ourselfs" then it would be even better so we can post pictures from our vacations and such. So Ms. James as soon as you read this, lets discuss the subject! That would be really cool. By the way, this isn't my final best blog ever that one is titles My Friends... We Are Soaring read it. Its really great. So this is the end, hope everyone has a great summer!!! :-)Love Stella
Books about drug use, the final painting!
Earlier this year, I read a book called Jude, This book was one of the most suspenseful and awesome books I’d ever read. I read it on and off and then I picked back up on it during the start of the 4th quarter, and I am so glad I did. The book starts off with Jude in the living room while in the kitchen his father is laying dead. It proceeds to tell the story of Jude, of his father, the drug dealer, and ex-cop getting killed and Jude getting relocated to his mother who he has never met, he proceeds to a new school where he doesn’t fit in, but becomes close friends and the drug line for the popular kids, and when one of the kids OD’s, Jude is in the hole. His mom’s boyfriend persuades him into this plan to get himself caught to help his mom become mayor, 3 years later out of jail, her now husband, Harry, refuses to tell his mom the truth so he sets out with a newfound friend and news reporter to find dirt on Harry, after months of searching, they have found the key, Anna, his mother, finds out the truth and Harry goes to jail, im not going to tell you what the dirt was, because then id be ruining the story :) 
, but i will link you to the author's websiteOne of the main topics that’s talked about in this book is the use of drugs and dealing. This topic is something that is dealt with a million times everyday, and frankly, I find it dumb. The highs that these drugs produce are around for nothing but to “make you feel better”? Everyone is searching for that same high while at the same time you are just getting lazier and unhealthier, and with your body getting used to the effects you will never get the same high as your first or second time that you smoked pot, or blew a line of coke or Oxy-cotton etc. I have a lot of friends who have used drugs in the past and most of them either have quit or are trying to, and frankly I feel that it’s a very good thing to do. Check out the CIA drug timeline for more information
On another point, I’m not trying to be a fence-setter, but drugs have done some good things for us, example, all the music that’s enhanced our lives over the years, every single one of them, really high on drugs, but that doesn’t mean that I agree with their use.
Drugs aren’t healthy for your body or mind, many people may use them for the expansion of the mind, but that doesn’t mean that it’s doing you any good. Studies have proven for everything except for Marijuana that all synthetic and natural drugs and or hallucinogens have negative side effects on all the parts of your body, and you can go from a healthy active human to a junkie who lives in the alley down the street. You can die once from smoking just one crack rock, example, Len Bias. Senior college basketball player at Maryland University, Got drafted into the NBA by the Boston Celtics, at a later celebration he tried crack once and died, an entire plentiful life right down the drain, all thanks to a night of celebration gone bad. Look at this website, for more information about Len Bias
This is my opinion on drugs, they aren’t good for you, you can go on without them and you sure as heck don’t need them. A lot of people use illegal drugs, and I’m proud to say I have never tried any illegal drug, because I don’t need to get high. A lot of people I have talked to said they have realized they don’t need them, and they have just as much fun without them. And I’m not trying to say that all people that do drugs are bad, but I’m saying that they just don’t need them, and their harming themselves. Comment your opinion on this topic.
THE FINAL PAINTING!!!! a triple panel piece done by alex grey! Its called the journey of the wounded healer, and it shows the "wounded healer" on his way to become healed and altogether find himself. And for the last time here's Grey's website If you wouldnt mind, tell me some of your opinions about the art. thanks!
A million little pieces
I'm reading A Million Little Pieces, by James Frey. There was a big controversy about the book after it came out. The book is about James Frey and his experience overcoming an addiction to drugs and alcohol. When the book first came out, James said the whole story was true. The controversy came when, characters in the story came out and said that certain parts didn't happen like he told them. A lot of people have problems with the book because it was such a compelling story, and it gave people who had addictions hope to quit.
Some people don't care if the book was a good story, the author lied and they don't want to read it. There's a site where you can read about other people's opinion about the book and what they think of James Frey lying. http://www.thebookclubsite.com/upload/oprahs-book-club/4-million-little-pieces.html. If you want to learn more about the lies that James Frey made up go here. http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0104061jamesfrey1.html This site exposes James Frey.For me the book would have meant so much more if it were true. I still think the book is good it just would have been so much better if it were true. If any of you guys have read it, what is your opinion about James Frey? Also, the main problem I have with it, is he was asked several times if his story was true. Each time he said it was and that he was standing by his decision. He did eventually come out and say he lied. However, I think he should have came out earlier and told the public that he lied. Actualy, I think he shouldn't have ever lied. His book still would have got a lot of credit if he would have just told the truth. Oprah Winfrey had him on her show and if you would like to see what he had to say about lying click http://www.oprah.com/tows/pastshows/200601/tows_past_20060126.jhtml.
For those of you who have never heard about A Million Little pieces or the controversy, the book has certain parts were you just feel like crying. There's one chapter where he goes to the dentist. At the dentist he gets 2 root canals and in the book he says he doesn't have any drugs to numb him. This part of the book was proven false with documents. There's more parts where it really made you feel for him....but once you've found out that he lied, you lose respect for him. You guys should check out the book, and see for yourselfs! It's a really good book, even if I have been saying bad things about it. It also makes you realize how hard it is too quit doing drugs. It really made me never want to try drugs. I know a lot of people at are school experiment and do drugs, but it's not for me. This book has taught me a lot about drugs. That sounds weird, but it true.
This was my last, and hopefully best blog post. I hope you guys have a GREAT Summer. I hope to see all of you next year, and some of you during the summer!! English has been fun! This sounds like i'm writing in a year book. haha. okay. Well bye!
not sure this is my best blog..
A broken nose, missing teeth, a hole in his cheek, and eyes so swollen he can hardly open them. His clothes are "covered with a colorful mixture of spit, snot, urine, vomit and blood." He's on a plane, but he does not know where he's going or where he's come from.
There are so many types of drugs for people to become addicted to these days. One of the books I read this year aloud me to see what drugs can really do to you. You all remember D.A.R.E and how we watched those cheesy videos on how bad drugs were. Well I decided after reading the book "A Million Little Pieces" that I would do some research on all the different kinds of drugs that James Frey (the author of A Million Little Pieces) used.
His most used drug was Alcohol.
Below you see a picture of a 15 year olds brain with and without alcohol.
You can see that the one on the top is A LOT more active and thinking then the one on th
e bottom.
There are so many types of drugs for people to become addicted to these days. One of the books I read this year aloud me to see what drugs can really do to you. You all remember D.A.R.E and how we watched those cheesy videos on how bad drugs were. Well I decided after reading the book "A Million Little Pieces" that I would do some research on all the different kinds of drugs that James Frey (the author of A Million Little Pieces) used.
His most used drug was Alcohol.
Below you see a picture of a 15 year olds brain with and without alcohol.
You can see that the one on the top is A LOT more active and thinking then the one on th
e bottom.Alcohol is a depressant. When too much alcohol is consumed in a short period of time, that can result in alcohol poisoning. Alcohol Poisoning's side affects include violent vomiting, which is usually the first symptom of alcohol poisoning. Extreme sleepiness, unconsciousness, difficulty breathing, dangerously low blood sugar, seizures, and even death may result. The book never says that he had poisoning but from all of the side effects, I'm pretty sure that he did. He would be unconscious ALL the time, and throw up consistanly.
A 19-year-old Southern Methodist University student who was found unconscious in a dorm this month died of alcohol poisoning, the Dallas County medical examiner's office said Wednesday.
Jordan Crist's blood alcohol level was 0.4, or five times the .08 legal limit, when he died, according to the medical examiner's office. He's the third SMU student whose death has been linked to either drugs or alcohol since December.
The second drug that James Frey was highly addicted to was crack. Now crack hasn't always been a "bad" drug. As many of you know crack was in Coca-Cola in the early 1900's. A typical serving contained around 60mg of cocaine. Cocaine at first, makes people feel energetic and powerful. The feelings soon wear off, and that makes them quickly become depressed and edgy—and they start really really craving more to get their high back. It is one of the most addictive drugs out there! Cocaine speeds up your heart rate and increases your blood pressure. Your breathing becomes much faster. This kind of stuff can easily lead to heart attacks, strokes, and respiratory failure. Brain seizures, and it lowers your immune system.
In the book "A Million Little Pieces," the first couple of weeks that James Frey was in the hospital to get better he would throw up blood all the time. He would also have these dreams of him taking drugs, he said that it felt so real that when he would wake up he would throw up and he would feel like he was on drugs. This book was very graphic and helped me to realize the dangers of what could happen, and what happens to people everyday. I would recommend this book to everyone in this class.
And since this is my last blog I hope that everyone has a great SUMMER
Monday, June 4, 2007
Crazy News
Phyco Squirrel
Letter carriers occasionally have to deal with angry dogs or maybe even a spider's nest in a mailbox, but a mean squirrel? Barb Dougherty, a 30-year Postal Service employee, said she was attacked and bitten Monday by a squirrel while delivering mail in Oil City, about 75 miles north of Pittsburgh."It was a freak thing. It was traumatic," Dougherty told The Derrick in Oil City. "I saw it there on the porch, put the mail in the box and turned to walk away and it jumped on me."The animal ran up her leg and onto her back, she said.
Strange Joke
A high school principal received a six-day suspension and a letter of reprimand Eric Messerli pulled a Park High School senior's soccer jersey over his head and yanked upward on the waistband of the boy's underwear at a soccer game Oct. 5. Other school officials said he was joking around with the student and did it playfully. He was suspended for two days without pay and four days with pay before the school board decided Monday to let him return. He tearfully told the board: "I've made mistakes in my life, but none have had the impact that this one has had."
Hamsters!?
The research made by the US government shows that men now produce only about a third as much sperm as hamsters.Scientists at Bradford University and the University of California, Berkeley, have found increased genetic damage in the sperm of men when they consume average amounts of caffeine. This could lead to unsuccessful pregnancies or to children being born with deformities or genetic disease.
Tax Evasions
Eunuchs in eastern India were drafted by authorities to sing outside the homes of tax evaders to embarrass them into paying up, a report has said. Sari-clad eunuchs were out in force with municipal tax collectors Wednesday in Patna, capital of Bihar, India's most lawless state, the Indian Express reported. "Pay the tax, pay the Patna Municipal Corporation tax," chorused the eunuchs on the doorstep of their first target, Ram Sagar Singh, who owed 100,000 rupees (2,240 dollars). A mortified Singh promised to pay within a week, the report said.
Kidnapping Gone Wrong
A botched kidnapping ended with one of the assailants shooting himself in the groin, Wichita police said. The man had just stuck the gun back into his waistband when it fired, shooting him in the left testicle.He cringed, causing the gun to fire again and strike him in the left calf.
When the shooting ended, the 23-year-old man managed to walk himself into the hospital for treatment, police said. He and his two accomplices, ages 18 and 20, were arrested for aggravated attempted kidnapping and conspiracy to obstruct justice.
It's a Little Old Now
Like most students at Fort Hays State University, Nola Ochs plans to spend some time reading and studying during this week's fall break. But she'll take time out on Wednesday to celebrate her 95th birthday. Ochs is living at Wooster Hall on campus while pursuing her general studies degree at the university. She has about 15 hours to take next semester to get her degree.
If she does it, Ochs will be the Guinness Book of World Records' oldest college graduate.
Want More Books To Read?
Hey, everyone! I know I already did this post, but for some reason, my linking didn't work. Plus I found some more good books. Or at least they look good. Some of these I got from friends. The rest, I found at Barnes & Noble. (Here's my secret) I go to the bookstore with just a pen and paper in hand and I spend a couple hours there, reading the summaries of books and writing down the ones that look good. Then I check them out at the library. I know it sounds cheap, but I am not made of money and I want to find new books to read. But it works for me. Here is my top twenty list that I plan to read this summer. You might find a book or two you would like. I found a variety of books, though I doubt the guys would like some of these. I also found a few websites with more books on them. They're at the very bottom of my blog, except they won't show up.
My Top 20 Reading List
1. Love, Cajun Style by Diane Les Bequets
It the summer in Louisiana, before Lucy's senior year and romance is in the air. Lucy's mom is flirting with the guy who owns the art gallery and her friends also think about boys constantly. Now Lucy starts to like her drama teacher and maybe even the new boy in town. Everyone is so wrapped up in their own romances, and Lucy knows it will be one summer, she'll never forget.
2. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
When Noah got back from World War II, tried to find the woman he fell in love with fourteen years ago. But he find her. Now she reappears in his life. Allie, too, still feels the same passion she felt years ago. But she is engaged to another man, plus the reasons that she and Noah broke up the first time are still there. Is this their second chase?
3. Trouble with Tulip by Mindy Starns Clark
Josephine Tulip is a helful hints columnist who solves mysteries in her spare time. Her friend is a photographer named Danny who is hoping for his big break-through. When Tulip's next-door neighbor is accused of murder, Tulip knows the police have the wrong suspect. As she and Danny look for clues and get in and out of trouble, they both realize they have feelings for each other.
4. Don't Die, My Love by Lurlene McDaniel
Julie and Luke have always been school sweethearts and now even in high school they are still in love. Luke plans to get a football scholarship and Julie plans to follow him. But when Luke's supposed virus won't go away, so Julie tells him to go to the doctor. When they go, the results are shocking. Will their love still remain strong?
5. Crazy in Love by Dandi Darley Mackall
Mary Jane really likes this guy named Jackson and he seems to like her, but he is dating the popular senior named Star. Mary Jane know that Star is dating behind his back, but she has promised Mary Jane that if she tells she will make her life miserable. She tries to make everyone happy, but Star starts spreading rumors about her. She waits for Jackson to break up with Star. If you ask me it sounds really complicated.
6. After the Rain by Norma Fox Mazer
Rachel is a worry-wart. She worries about if her friends like her and if she will have her first kiss by sixteen.(She's fifteen now)But when her dying grandfather shows her that she has special abilities, she reaches out to the old tyrant who had stayed unreachable and hard to get close to before. Through this, she learns to understand herself, and her friends and family.
7. Shanbanu by Suzanne Fisher Staples
This is about a girl who was born into a Pakistan family without sons, which is considered unblessed. Because of this she has been offered freedoms that most girls don't have. Now she and her sister will marry two brothers once they become of age. But the brothers are tragically killed and now the girl has to marry the landowner to settle the feud. Will she find a way out of it?
8. Cures for Heartbreak by Margo Rabb
Mia is now coping with the loss of her mother who was dianosed with cancer. In this coping, she learns ways to connect with her father and sister. With this she learns to face her fears and reconstruct her life by looking through her mom's past.
9. Sold by Patricia McCormick
Lakshmi is a normal thirteen year old girl who lives in Nepal and is very poor. But when the monsoons wash away her family's crops, she has to take a job to support her family. She becomes a maid for a wealthy family, but it becomes a nightmare. She finds that she has been sold and her owner says she can't leave until her family's debt is paid.
10. Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
This is the one I am reading right now. It is good so far. It is about this girl named Annabel who life fell apart last summer. Who she thought were her friends now treat her like dirt. Then she meets Owen who is obsessed with music and telling the truth. But can she really tell him what happened that night that her friendship with Sophie ended?
11. Pirates! by Celia Rees
This is a story from the 17th century and it is about two girls who find refuge on a pirate ship. Nancy is running away from an arranged marriage and Minerva, from a plantation. Both find that a pirate's life isn't easy especially with a cruel captain following them. Nancy also wonders if her sailor friend will still love her even though she is now a pirate.
12. Fairest by Gail Carson Levine
This is the same author who wrote "Ella Enchanted". This one is about a girl who says that instead of crying at birth, she sang. She has a beautiful voice that can do anything. It drawns in the Prince and the Queen who wants to use for her own plans to remain the fairest of them all.
13. Old Magic by Marianne Curley
Kate knew something was different about the new boy in her class. She realizes what it is when Jarrod creates a thunderstorm, inside the classroom. She tries to tell him that he has magically powers, but he won't addmit to it until he sees that it is he can't control it. They search and solve the mystery of his family's past. Now they have to fight to change the past to reshape the future. I want to read this one really bad.
14. Blue is for Nightmares by Laurie Stolarz
If you like mystery and murder and goosebumps, here's your book. This is about a girl who keeps having these nightmares, again. Last time, she ignored them, a little girl died. Now they are about her friend who has become a target by this stalker. Everyone at school thinks it is a game until a girl is murdered with no witnesses and no one has an alibi. Now Stacey has to figure out who did it before the killer makes her nightmares come true. This is a four book series as you can tell from the picture.
15. Let's Get Lost by Sarra Manning
Isabel is know as the mean girl at her school. She hides the pain of her mother's unexpected death by meaning mean to everyone and acting up. But when she meets an older boy named Smith, she finds that he can "smooth her rough edges."
16. The Truth about Forever by Sarah Dessen
This book is about a girl who is not looking forward to what she thinks will be a boring summer. Her boyfriend is gone to camp and she is still grieving over her father. Then she meets Wes and he will totally change her life. But should she risk hurting her boyfriend at camp or go with Wes?
17. Golden by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Lissy's family as just moved from Oklahoma to California. She soon finds out that at her new school, there are two kinds of people. The Goldens are the popular ones and the Nons are everone else. Lissy has this magically ability to see people's auras and she see the connections between people.
18. Golden by Cameron Dokey
If you think that this is an ordinary fairy tale story, you are wrong. This is about Rapunzel and this is a different story. Before she was born, her mother made a promise that if she couldn't love Rapunzel when she was born that she would have to give her to the sorceress named Melisande. When Rapunzel was born without hair or any hopes of growing hair, her mother gave her up. Now that Rapunzel is sixteen, the sorceress tells her that she has another daughter named Rue who is in desperate need of help. Can the girls put aside their differences to save Rue?
19. The Decoding of Lana Morris by Laura and Tom McNeal
This is about a girl named Lana Morris. She has been at the Winter's household for 6 months now. The rest of the kids there are special needs kids. At first she couldn't believe she was staying there, but now she loves the other kids. There is also her next door neighbor who has jerk friends who ignore her. One day she stumbles on to an antique store and she buys a drawing set with all the money she has on her. She soon finds out that it is different than most. What ever she draws, comes true and what ever she erases, disappears.
20. No Shame, no fear by Ann Turnbull
This book is about a romance in the 17th century between a Quaker girl and a merchant's son. Because of the time period, there is a lot of perscution and they struggle with their faith and with their communities. I heard there was also a sequel to this book called "Forged in the Fire".
Other Links
Here are some links I found that have lists of books. One of them searches for books. If you click on the titles it comes up with A-Z and it will search for any books starting with that letter. I think that one book about saving fish from drowning is on there.
My Top 20 Reading List
1. Love, Cajun Style by Diane Les Bequets
It the summer in Louisiana, before Lucy's senior year and romance is in the air. Lucy's mom is flirting with the guy who owns the art gallery and her friends also think about boys constantly. Now Lucy starts to like her drama teacher and maybe even the new boy in town. Everyone is so wrapped up in their own romances, and Lucy knows it will be one summer, she'll never forget.
2. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
When Noah got back from World War II, tried to find the woman he fell in love with fourteen years ago. But he find her. Now she reappears in his life. Allie, too, still feels the same passion she felt years ago. But she is engaged to another man, plus the reasons that she and Noah broke up the first time are still there. Is this their second chase?
3. Trouble with Tulip by Mindy Starns Clark
Josephine Tulip is a helful hints columnist who solves mysteries in her spare time. Her friend is a photographer named Danny who is hoping for his big break-through. When Tulip's next-door neighbor is accused of murder, Tulip knows the police have the wrong suspect. As she and Danny look for clues and get in and out of trouble, they both realize they have feelings for each other.
4. Don't Die, My Love by Lurlene McDaniel
Julie and Luke have always been school sweethearts and now even in high school they are still in love. Luke plans to get a football scholarship and Julie plans to follow him. But when Luke's supposed virus won't go away, so Julie tells him to go to the doctor. When they go, the results are shocking. Will their love still remain strong?
5. Crazy in Love by Dandi Darley Mackall
Mary Jane really likes this guy named Jackson and he seems to like her, but he is dating the popular senior named Star. Mary Jane know that Star is dating behind his back, but she has promised Mary Jane that if she tells she will make her life miserable. She tries to make everyone happy, but Star starts spreading rumors about her. She waits for Jackson to break up with Star. If you ask me it sounds really complicated.
6. After the Rain by Norma Fox Mazer
Rachel is a worry-wart. She worries about if her friends like her and if she will have her first kiss by sixteen.(She's fifteen now)But when her dying grandfather shows her that she has special abilities, she reaches out to the old tyrant who had stayed unreachable and hard to get close to before. Through this, she learns to understand herself, and her friends and family.
7. Shanbanu by Suzanne Fisher Staples
This is about a girl who was born into a Pakistan family without sons, which is considered unblessed. Because of this she has been offered freedoms that most girls don't have. Now she and her sister will marry two brothers once they become of age. But the brothers are tragically killed and now the girl has to marry the landowner to settle the feud. Will she find a way out of it?
8. Cures for Heartbreak by Margo Rabb
Mia is now coping with the loss of her mother who was dianosed with cancer. In this coping, she learns ways to connect with her father and sister. With this she learns to face her fears and reconstruct her life by looking through her mom's past.
9. Sold by Patricia McCormick
Lakshmi is a normal thirteen year old girl who lives in Nepal and is very poor. But when the monsoons wash away her family's crops, she has to take a job to support her family. She becomes a maid for a wealthy family, but it becomes a nightmare. She finds that she has been sold and her owner says she can't leave until her family's debt is paid.
10. Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
This is the one I am reading right now. It is good so far. It is about this girl named Annabel who life fell apart last summer. Who she thought were her friends now treat her like dirt. Then she meets Owen who is obsessed with music and telling the truth. But can she really tell him what happened that night that her friendship with Sophie ended?
11. Pirates! by Celia Rees
This is a story from the 17th century and it is about two girls who find refuge on a pirate ship. Nancy is running away from an arranged marriage and Minerva, from a plantation. Both find that a pirate's life isn't easy especially with a cruel captain following them. Nancy also wonders if her sailor friend will still love her even though she is now a pirate.
12. Fairest by Gail Carson Levine
This is the same author who wrote "Ella Enchanted". This one is about a girl who says that instead of crying at birth, she sang. She has a beautiful voice that can do anything. It drawns in the Prince and the Queen who wants to use for her own plans to remain the fairest of them all.
13. Old Magic by Marianne Curley
Kate knew something was different about the new boy in her class. She realizes what it is when Jarrod creates a thunderstorm, inside the classroom. She tries to tell him that he has magically powers, but he won't addmit to it until he sees that it is he can't control it. They search and solve the mystery of his family's past. Now they have to fight to change the past to reshape the future. I want to read this one really bad.
14. Blue is for Nightmares by Laurie Stolarz
If you like mystery and murder and goosebumps, here's your book. This is about a girl who keeps having these nightmares, again. Last time, she ignored them, a little girl died. Now they are about her friend who has become a target by this stalker. Everyone at school thinks it is a game until a girl is murdered with no witnesses and no one has an alibi. Now Stacey has to figure out who did it before the killer makes her nightmares come true. This is a four book series as you can tell from the picture.
15. Let's Get Lost by Sarra Manning
Isabel is know as the mean girl at her school. She hides the pain of her mother's unexpected death by meaning mean to everyone and acting up. But when she meets an older boy named Smith, she finds that he can "smooth her rough edges."
16. The Truth about Forever by Sarah Dessen
This book is about a girl who is not looking forward to what she thinks will be a boring summer. Her boyfriend is gone to camp and she is still grieving over her father. Then she meets Wes and he will totally change her life. But should she risk hurting her boyfriend at camp or go with Wes?
17. Golden by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Lissy's family as just moved from Oklahoma to California. She soon finds out that at her new school, there are two kinds of people. The Goldens are the popular ones and the Nons are everone else. Lissy has this magically ability to see people's auras and she see the connections between people.
18. Golden by Cameron Dokey
If you think that this is an ordinary fairy tale story, you are wrong. This is about Rapunzel and this is a different story. Before she was born, her mother made a promise that if she couldn't love Rapunzel when she was born that she would have to give her to the sorceress named Melisande. When Rapunzel was born without hair or any hopes of growing hair, her mother gave her up. Now that Rapunzel is sixteen, the sorceress tells her that she has another daughter named Rue who is in desperate need of help. Can the girls put aside their differences to save Rue?
19. The Decoding of Lana Morris by Laura and Tom McNeal
This is about a girl named Lana Morris. She has been at the Winter's household for 6 months now. The rest of the kids there are special needs kids. At first she couldn't believe she was staying there, but now she loves the other kids. There is also her next door neighbor who has jerk friends who ignore her. One day she stumbles on to an antique store and she buys a drawing set with all the money she has on her. She soon finds out that it is different than most. What ever she draws, comes true and what ever she erases, disappears.
20. No Shame, no fear by Ann Turnbull
This book is about a romance in the 17th century between a Quaker girl and a merchant's son. Because of the time period, there is a lot of perscution and they struggle with their faith and with their communities. I heard there was also a sequel to this book called "Forged in the Fire".
Other Links
Here are some links I found that have lists of books. One of them searches for books. If you click on the titles it comes up with A-Z and it will search for any books starting with that letter. I think that one book about saving fish from drowning is on there.
Final Blogging
Hey guys I was just wondering before I start my last post, if any of you are going to continue to blog even though it will not be for a grade. I think it would be cool if we could keep the blog going, I have had fun on it this semester, and hope that you have too.
Anyways, when Ms. James told us that for part of our final we needed to do our best blog post ever, I had mixed emotions. I was happy because it seemed easier than taking an actual final but a little worried because I had no idea what I was going to blog about. Starting the final blog made me realize that it is not going to be as easy as I had expected it to be.
I have been reading a book called A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens. I have not yet finished the book because I found it boring so I started a new one. The story is set during the French Revolution. In the story a girl meets her father who had been thought to be dead. That sadly is about as far as I have gotten. The book is really hard to understand and even harder to get into. It has just about everything from love to adventure and everything in between.
Reading this book made me think of the War in Iraq, for obvious reasons. The people in the French Revolution were fighting for many reasons. One of them was because the Roman Catholic Church was charging very high taxes. They were also fighting because there was a very high unemployement rate and the nation was in a huge national debt. The French Revolution affected many, just as all wars do but this one was different. People were being killed because of speaking out against the government and so they were sent to the guillotines.
Today, if we want to say things about our war we have the right to do that and we will not be executed for it. In both of these wars, many innocent people died and I am sure that many more people will continue to die because they are fighting for what they believe is right.
Well, thats it hope that you all have a great summer and stay safe. See you next year!!
Basketball, My Best Blog Ever
At first I was not sure what I was going to blog about for my best blog ever or the blogging final then I decided to do it over something that I really like not something that I read or am going to read and especially not over Shakespeare, I have done enough blogging over that already. So I finally decided to do it over Basketball. I have read a lot of books about basketball over the course of my life and especially over this last school year. I have read a book called Driven From Within which is a autobiography of Michael Jordan http://www.curledup.com/drivenmj.htm and I also read a book called The Last Dance by John Fienstein http://www.hachettebookgroupusa.com/books/83/031616030X/index.html.
These both were really good books and they taught my a lot about the drama and the feelings that can go into one game of basketball.
Basketball is not a game, it is life. That is the mindset of a lot of people in the world without basketball a lot of these people would not survive, sometimes this is all they got, they might have a really tough home life and they play basketball to get away from it all. For others it is a way to get a good education which is the case for a lot of college players, they play basketball to get scholarships and once they are done with college they are probably done with it and more than likely won't pursue a pro career. 
Pro basketball right now is getting very exciting. The rise of the King. Lebron "King" James has finally arrived, he will be making his first finals appearance after he basically dismantled the Pistons by himself in the Eastern Conference Finals. Now they look to do the same to the Spurs. I recommend watching this series, it is going to be a great one. Basketball has been a huge part of my life since I was little and It always will be without it I don't know what I do. It is the best game ever.
Best Blog Ever! I Hope...
So the final blog has finally come. In retrospect it almost seems scary to think about how much we have done in this class. We read lots of books, watched some movies, did a ton of blogging and even got to do some acting!
We started out with “The Odyssey” where we learned a ton about Greek mythology. Personally I didn’t like this topic so much, but in the past I have certainly done worse.
Then we continued on with “To Kill a Mockingbird.” This was my favorite book because it dealt with lots of issues including racism, in family dispute, and many others. Prior to this class I had already read “To Kill a Mockingbird” so I knew what to expect but every time I read the book I continue to enjoy it. 
Then we finished up with William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.” One of the most famous writings to all of mankind today. I don’t think that reading “Romeo and Juliet” now was that great of an idea because we couldn’t understand it that well but hopefully in the future we can look back and say that we tried and maybe read it again, next time with more understanding. Next year and the year after I’m sure we will be reading other Shakespeare novels.
On my own outside of class I read a book called “Bravo Two Zero” by Andy McNab. It was about a search and destroy mission that had gone bad in Iraq. The prisoners suffered horrible conditions but somehow five of the eight managed to make it through. I would never want to be a prisoner of war, its ten times worse than the worst nightmare you could ever imagine.
I hope everyone had a great year because I know I sure did. I’m definitely looking forward to the summer and can’t wait to be out of school. Speaking of summer, does anyone have major plans? I have baseball and am probably going to Michigan to see some family. Tell me what you’re going to be doing.
We started out with “The Odyssey” where we learned a ton about Greek mythology. Personally I didn’t like this topic so much, but in the past I have certainly done worse.
Then we continued on with “To Kill a Mockingbird.” This was my favorite book because it dealt with lots of issues including racism, in family dispute, and many others. Prior to this class I had already read “To Kill a Mockingbird” so I knew what to expect but every time I read the book I continue to enjoy it.
Then we finished up with William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.” One of the most famous writings to all of mankind today. I don’t think that reading “Romeo and Juliet” now was that great of an idea because we couldn’t understand it that well but hopefully in the future we can look back and say that we tried and maybe read it again, next time with more understanding. Next year and the year after I’m sure we will be reading other Shakespeare novels.
On my own outside of class I read a book called “Bravo Two Zero” by Andy McNab. It was about a search and destroy mission that had gone bad in Iraq. The prisoners suffered horrible conditions but somehow five of the eight managed to make it through. I would never want to be a prisoner of war, its ten times worse than the worst nightmare you could ever imagine.
I hope everyone had a great year because I know I sure did. I’m definitely looking forward to the summer and can’t wait to be out of school. Speaking of summer, does anyone have major plans? I have baseball and am probably going to Michigan to see some family. Tell me what you’re going to be doing.
Do you think we will ever reveal our blogging identities?
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