Peace?

Have you ever really thought about peace? What it is? What it means to you? What is peace exactly? For you, is it that time right before you go to bed? Or is it when you get up? When you are at peace, do you revel in that peace? Or are you just bustling around, to go to the next place?

Worry about today

Worry about today and not tomorrow. Have you heard that before? It's perfectly true. If you've ever been told, say in a soccer game, that you can't just stand there and expect the ball to come to you. That relates perfectly to this 'saying'. You can't worry about tomorrow, expecting your worrying to change it. It doesn't mean you just play each day as it comes, (well, actually, it does... but that's not the point...)just not to worry about the next day. You can change tomorrow by working to change it, you can remember the past by remembering what you did, if that makes any sense. Everyone has different ways of remembering the past. Whether it's looking back and regretting it, or thinking, " I did pretty well." Which type of rememberer of the past you are, it's up to you. By worrying about today, not tommorow, you're doing both yourself and everyone else a favor. Worry about tommorow when it comes. (Though technically you'd start worrying about today again....)

My speeches so far...

Ok, here are two of my speeches. I gave them in speech class. The first one's on evolution...

Most Americans do not believe in evolution. In fact, did you know that more than half of America believes that God created everything? Yet, this belief has been kept out of all public schools and in most private schools as well. It really doesn’t make sense to teach something not even half of the population believes. Unfortunately, that is what happens. There are many reasons why the evolution theory is wrong; here are a few of those reasons:

First of all, the world itself testifies against evolution. When you look at this world, what do you see? Think about how complex a cell is. Or how a bee flies, because scientifically, it shouldn’t be possible. But if you look at this world closely enough, it just makes you think, “Wow”. How could everything come out of nothing randomly? It just doesn’t make any sense. The entire universe is so complexly designed, our earth so perfectly far away from the sun that it can’t have just happened by accident. And that’s basically what evolution states.

The second reason is Mars. The planet shows signs of past riverbeds, but no signs of vegetation. It has even proven to have a past of suitable atmospheric pressure for living things. Mars has had all it needs to generate a “spark” of life, according to the theory of evolution. Yet, the ground has no fossils. The planet has had no life.

Thirdly, matter and stars have to come from somewhere. They can’t just appear. The Big Bang theory doesn’t help to explain it. How can a bang happen, and then suddenly matter and stars appear? It doesn’t make any sense. Such large quantities of space cannot just appear. It’s simply not possible for them to come by randomly. Sure the big bang may have been a colossal, amazing, boom, but it doesn’t help explain where matter came from. I know that you may not believe in creation, or intelligent design, as it’s more often called, but I hope you will at least think about what I’m saying. Thank you.

So that's the persuasive speech on evolution vs. creation. My other speech is on sea camp, and it's supposed to be entertaining... oops, seems like I can't find it...anyway, I'll get it some other time. Just remember to check back on this post once in a while.

I miss you...

Have you ever thought about the depth of those words? Or what they mean? I think that this is one of the phrases you should never say, unless you really mean it. Does it really make sense to miss someone who annoys you all the time? Or who lives pretty close to you? The thing is, it doesn't make too much sense. You can miss someone who lives halfway across the globe, but.. those are just physical "representations". You could miss someone's presence, even though that's almost the same as missing someone physically. The thing is, you get used to it. You get used to not having that person right next to you. You get used to not talking to them every day. Get used to it. Just remember to hold on to the memories- good and bad, you had with that person.

Friends and Enemies

Friends often know you better than you know yourself. Or, they know you really, really, really well. Yet, there are some friends who would rather not let anyone know them at all. These people don't really have friends. They might have a few "friends", but they're not really their friends. Other people, however, are really open, and yet, they don't have a lot of friends either. But the few friends they do have, will, if they've established a strong friendship, will last them a lifetime. Then there are those people who are half open. They just kinda drift through friends. They might have a few good/best friends. But are they really their best friends?

Enemies, on the other hand, are, well, your enemies. They, however, should know you well enough to be your enemy. UNLESS they just hate you for no particular reason. Then, that's really weird, and they probably have some mental problems...

Stress...

Is stress a bad thing? Not always. Stress is the subject of change. When you are put under stress, you change. It's that simple. That change can be for better or worse. Often, stress is for the worse. Your mom snaps at you, your sister hits you, and your dad yells at you when you take to long to get out of the car. Sure they may be under stress, but by yelling at you, snapping at you, etc, they put you under stress. And often, it's not good...

Pressurized...

Have you ever been pressurized to do something you have no idea how to do? It's quite annoying, to have someone shove an acheivement into your face and say, "here's what I expect from you. Do it." Not fun. Really not fun.

Would you dare to believe...?

"Would you dare, would you dare to believe, that you've still got a reason to sing... it can't compare to the joy that's coming..?"

That's from Josh Wilson - Before the Morning. I think it has some truth to it. Do any of us even dare to believe? Is there hope after all? It seems like no one even dares to believe, to take chances, and to have faith. People are so worried about where they're going. But have you thought about where you're headed? Is it heaven or is it hell? There's only two places. It's either eternal torture or eternal glory. I think I'd go with the latter. Who wouldn't? But you have to dare to believe..

"My friend, you know how this all ends, and you know where you're going, you just don't know how you get there, so just say a prayer." - Josh Wilson - Before the Morning

Think about that. Do you know where you're going and how to get there? If you do, great. But if you don't, well, I'd think abouut it some more... But just remember, that if you dare to believe that there's light after the dark, that in all things, God works for the greater good, and that Jesus truly paid the price, then, great!

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

Alone

"You may surround yourself with people, but in a way, you'll always be alone." Heard that before? I don't know if you have, but I have. I heard it from Mr. Pierson at Drey Land. Do you agree with him? I do... but I don't. I don't think that you are always alone. You will always have God, if you believe. Would you dare to believe that the loneliness you've been feeling shouldn't be? That you always, always, always, will have God to turn to? I'll let you dwell on that...

Arguments..

Arguments are no fun. I'm not even going to bother to ask if you've ever had one. Everyone has arguments. It's very sad when an argument breaks up a friendship.Yet, it happens. Some people may ask, "Why does God allow this to happen?" Sometimes, you cause an argument without meaning to. (unfortunately,)it happens to me very often.. I have seen friendships ruined, ones that could last a lifetime. These things happen all the time....

Promises

"Don't make a promise you can't keep." Have you heard that one before? If you have, do you know what it means? A promise is a promise. You don't make one without expecting the consequences. You should never break your own promises if you can help it. You can come up with excuses like, "I had 'crosses'!" That's a popular one. Or have you heard, "Well, you didn't tell me!" You only use these when you know that you have broken your promise. It's just the same way that when some people sin, they say, "Well, the devil made me do it". That's not true. You did it of your own free will. No one made you do it. It was your own fault. It's the same way with broken promises. No one made you break it, but you did anyway. Your honor has been damaged. It is a very sad thing when someone's life is littered with broken promises. Yet, it happens.

Rejected

Have you ever been rejected? Then you know how it feels, to suddenly find out that you're unwanted, that you're unneeded, that the person you thought was your friend was only using you. You know how it feels to feel all alone. It is not a good feeling. It is not a feeling you want. But it is a feeling that is part of life, and you will learn to cope with it. I hope you are never rejected more than you can cope with, but sometimes God throws some rejection in, to test you and your faith. I have been rejected before too, but I have learned to live with it, and you will too.

"Keep Changing the World"

"Take a look around
Before the sun goes out
What's lost can still be found
It's not too late now.... You can change the world
By changing who the world is focused in" - Mikeschair

This is one of my favorite songs, because its so true, yet, everyone is so focused on themselves, that the world is far from changing. But we can change the world, even if you're just a kid. Kids make a big impact. You may not think so, but i's true. Yet, you have to change your own focus before you can change the world's own focus. It would take a lot of determination and hard work to change or at least impact the world. Take Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, (and now some modern people,) Chris August, Need to Breath, Chris Tomlin, etc. Sure you may not even know half the people I just named, and I know they're all boys, but it's because I didn't feel like typing anymore. They were all imperfect, in fact, Moses was a cowardly, sniveling, Egyption murderer, but God took him, and made him awesome (to a extent). Sure he still had his faults, but he changed something, he had faith, and that's what counts. Sorry, i know you weren't hoping for boring old history, but thats what I have for you, so be grateful that we're all still alive right now.

Is that...?

Is that…? Have you ever seen a person, and they look the same, but their language and nature are completely or even slightly different? You can see them slowly growing apart from you, and that makes you sad. You mourn for the old person you knew, who you laughed with, who you talked with, and had fun with in general. They are different, either by appearance or nature or both. You find yourself thinking, “Is this…?” But it is. It really is. They’ve just changed so much. And so maybe, the next time you meet, you may run, either physically or mentally, because you don’t know how to react to seeing them. Should you be sad, happy, angry, disappointed? You may greet them with a hug or a kiss. But you both know that inside you’re thinking, “Is this…? And then you will answer yourself firmly, with no room for debate, “Yes it is.” But deep inside, you are still asking, “ Is that…?”

Trust and Friendships...

When you trust someone, you tell him or her how you feel, what you need, etc. Trust is a matter of telling the truth to certain people. It is possible to immediately trust someone, but very rarely does that happen. If you love someone, you will tell them the truth no matter what. You trust them not to judge you. You tell them what you think of them, and how you react to certain things. You have to trust someone to truly have a strong relationship with him or her.

On the other hand… Friendships… Some come and go, others last a lifetime. Depending on the degree of trust you give that person, your friendship will either stand strong or fall apart fairly quickly. A truly strong friendship is one where both people completely trust each other, and they love/like the other person exactly the way they are. Some friendships start out strong, but fall apart easily. Others start strong, stay strong, both people completely trust each other, and almost no secrets are hidden from each other. Friendships are an important factor in life, and when a friendship breaks up, you learn from it. Your heart may be broken, but you will learn from it. Best friendships and trusting friendships are two completely different things. Trusting friendships often evolve into best friendships, but not always. A trusting friendship is a friendship that has strong roots and is based on trust. Often, these friendships last a lifetime. Best friendships… also take a certain degree of trust to develop. However, these don’t normally last forever. Best friendship decisions must not be made hastily, but it takes time, often or sometimes a year. Best friends, and trust friends, should know each other really well, and completely trust the other person not to laugh at your true self. Keep your friendships strong, so that your own heart will never be broken, but that is hardly ever possible unless your heart is made of stone. Just keep in mind... that not all friendships last forever….

Regrets...

You will definitely regret at least once in your life, whether it's regretting that you have a best friend, but you probably need to get a new one, or if you regret that you ate right before you ran for track. Either way, regret is part of your life; so live life to the full; that you will have no regrets. Some people spend their entire life going, "Man, I shouldn't have done that!" Don't do that. When it does happen, move on. Forgive and forget, but if you hurt a person's feelings, ask their forgiveness, say you're sorry, and tell them that you still love them. Ask their forgiveness, but don't forget to ask for God, your heavenly father's forgiveness too.

Sometimes..

Sometimes, leaving is no better than starting again... Sometimes, to have friends is no different than to be friendless. Sometimes, to be loved and to love are two different things entirely. Sometimes, you are in despair, other times you must be happy, for you are not by yourself. The soul needs company, so you must satisfy your soul. It is the soul that needs a body, not the body that needs soul, and that is always true...

Change...

Change.. . How shall I describe it? Change can be for the better or for the worse. You can apply or attempt to change something. Everyone changes. It’s a fact. People you once knew are completely different, either physically or mentally. You may miss the old person, but you will adapt. People adapt. Never forget that. They may not have changed for the better, and then you will try to change them for the better. It’s just natural. When you hang around someone long enough, you change them, and they will change you. Change is part of this world, don’t forget that.

Storms (in life, both physically and mentally)

There are storms all the time. Imagine if there were no more storms. Would it feel right? Of course not. You need storms to survive. Some are larger than others, but in the end, there will be a day after. There are storms in friendships too. But you need those storms to grow deeper roots for your friendships. For example, your friend may say that they know you really well, but do they really? There will always be secrets, sneaking around, destroying you from the inside. But enough about secrets... However, when the secrets get out,friendships get ruined, yet some have grown strong enough roots to stand firm through the storm. I wish all my friendships could stand strong through the storms of life, but only time will tell. God, give me the wisdom to pick my friends wisely, and to be influenced in the right way.

Reflection.....

I liked this class because I thought it was pretty cool to learn how to blog. I also liked the fact that when we finished our assignment, we could have free time on the computer. I already moved my blog to my actual gmail, so I'm going to continue my blog. However, I will delete my gmail that I created this summer. Thank you Ms. Greiner for teaching me.

"Shrek"

Shrek is like an onion, because onions have layers, and ogres also have layers.

The movie Shrek tells us that sometimes, people may not want to be your friend, but if you keep on trying, and get to know them better, you might become their friend. It also tells us that it's not always what's on the outside that counts.

I connect most with Shrek (I think) because sometimes I can be pretty grumpy and not associate with anyone I don't know, but if you get to know me, I can be a good friend.

"The Princess Bride"

I thought that the theme of the story was basically a princess/love-ish theme. Because it had like lots of fighting too, and was pretty realistic, I sort of liked it.

Good vs Evil: I think that good almost always wins because it just always is, well, good.

Reading is important because it's just good sometimes to not do electronics. You can definitely live without electronics.

I liked the movie.

"The Kid"

I thought it was an okay movie, because it was sort of random, and I didn't really get it. It had a lot of randomness in it, and it had stuff like people calling other people jerks and stuff.

The movie was basically about a guy who people call a jerk. Then one time he comes home, and he sees a kid. Then stuff happens and he finds out that the kid is his younger self. He thinks he's going crazy, and so he goes to see a therapist. The therapist asks about his twitching eye. He gets all snappy and stuff.

A few days later, he goes to a meeting and then they all see the kid. So he goes over to the kid and has to make a ton of excuses. So then he realizes that the only way he's going to get rid of him is by learning about his past again. So then he learns about Tripod, a three-legged dog. Then he drives the kid to the playground, and the kid gets in a fight with this really bad gang....... He beats them up, but then the guy realizes that that wasn't the important thing, the important thing is what happens next... The kid's parents pick him up. and he gets yelled at by his dad. His dad tells him to grow up, and then he gets the twitch because he has never cried since..... Then the story ends with him being all nice and not a jerk.

I forgot who is starring in the movie, but whoever played the guy was pretty good (I think it was Bruce Wills).

I don't think the story followed a predictable storyline, but I didn't include all the details/surprises in the summary/outline.

The movie was pretty much like a regularly shot movie. I thought it had good lighting too.

The movie had it's own songs/tunes, because there wasn't anyone else singing, and in the beginning it didn't have any certain songs.

Differences.......

The summary was basically the same.

We both had a lot to say that was good.

I had stuff to say that was bad, but she didn't.

We both would recommend this to a friend.

(she being Celine K.)

Local News Short Stories: Nickle-a-pound plane ride

The story was about a twelve year old girl named Araceli. She really wanted to fly an airplane, because almost everyone she knew had. Her friend, Carolina, had called last night about plane rides at Chandler field for almost nothing. She looked at the newspaper, looking for a notice about plane rides. She found it, and it said that plane rides were a nickle-a-pound at Chandler field. Now all she had to do was convince her dad. Just then, her dad lumbered down the stairs. She pestered him, and he finally gave in.

When they got to the field, it was raining. Her dad looked worried. " Are you sure you want to fly?" he asked. She replied that she wasn't scared and that she did. They took turns waiting in line. By now a lot of people were leaving because it was raining so hard. Just then her friend Carolina got off the plane and moved toward Araceli and her dad. Carolina's eyes were shiny, reflecting the rain. Then Araceli went on the plane. She got on, and she thought, I didn't expect it to be so small! She was stuck with a family of three, and then the plane took off. It was raining so hard that he plane was now doing flips and somersaults.

They landed, safe and sound, and Araceli got out. She and her dad went home and found Araceli's mom waiting for them. she asked Araceli if she liked it and she said it was okay. Afterward, Araceli remembered Carolina's eyes. They were tears. She thought, and said to herself, flying is not fun at all.

My story took place in a house in the beginning. Then the characters went to a field, and then they went back home.

List of Characters:

Araceli-a girl who wants to fly
Araceli's dad- father of Araceli
Carolina- Araceli's friend who also wants to fly
Family of three- a random family who went flying
Araceli's mom- mother of Araceli, caring and gentle

I liked this story because it was pretty realistic, and it was back when not too many people had flown. In the book, a girl dreams of flying, and she works to get that achieved.

I also liked the book because it was pretty detailed, and lots of stuff happened. If I were to pick between liking and not liking, I would most likely pick liked it.

What I didn't like about the story was that it was sort of random. I'm pretty sure that all the stories in this book are random, but thisjust struck me as a really random book.

I also didn't like it because it was sort of boring. Not really, but sort of. It was a really good story all in all though.

I would probably recommend this to a friend depending on their taste in literature.

Top 5 favorite movies

Percy Jackson and the Olympians:

http://movies.nytimes.com/2010/02/12/movies/12percy.html

The Karate kid:

http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/456823/The-Karate-Kid-Remake-/overview?scp=2&sq=The%20Karate%20kid&st=cse

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's stone:

http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/255538/Harry-Potter-and-the-Sorcerer-s-Stone/overview?scp=1&sq=Harry%20Potter%20and%20the%20Sorcerer%27s%20stone&st=cse

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire:

http://movies.nytimes.com/2005/11/17/movies/17pott.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=Harry%20Potter%20and%20the%20Goblet%20of%20Fire&st=cse

The Guardian's of Ga'hoole:

http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/445662/Legend-of-the-Guardians-The-Owls-of-Ga-Hoole/overview?scp=1&sq=The%20Guardian%27s%20of%20Ga%27Holle&st=cse

145th Street Short Stories: "Angela's Eyes"

List of people in my group: Adam L, Tommy L, Jessica S, and Ryan T.

Once there was this girl named Angela. She lived in an apartment with her mother and her father. Then one day, her father died, and they were all really sad. Eventually her mom went back to work and life went on. Then Angela had a dream. She dreamed that she was in class, and her father came. Then her father was replaced with Poli, and old man, he looked at her sadly, and she could not help but feel sorry for him.

The next day, she goes to the bodega to buy some olive oil, and she sees Poli stacking tomatoes. She stands there, and slowly tears come to her eyes. Mr. Rodriguez, the store owner, comes over and asks her why she's sad. She tells him about her dream, and how she saw Poli. That week, Poli died of a heart attack. Everyone starts saying that she has her father's eyes, that he's seeing who's going to die and telling her. So people start freaking out. Then the next dream comes. She dreams of a guy named Eddie Robinson, and so people are saying that he's going to die too. On Thanksgiving morning, he was hit by a car, and everyone says it's no coincidence that Angela dreamed about him, then he dies.

The Wednesday before Christmas, Mr. Rodriguez hosts a party. Angela goes, and she's looking at this girl named Titi, when Titi screams don't look at me! Because she's afraid she's going to die. Everyone starts really freaking out, and now they're all asking Angela, have you had any dreams? Then Angela tells them she's had one dream, about a war, and Jorge Cruz says that, "Sometimes a child sees things, which are large things to a child. But when the child gets older it sees more important things. Angela is dreaming about a war. That's why so many people were killed."
Then everyone isn't scared of Angela anymore.

The story took place in America. It was probably somewhere where Mexican tradition is still upheld. Because there was a lot of superstition in the story.

List of ALL the Characters (may not be in the summary):

Angela- a girl who sees people dying
Angela's mom- a mother who sticks by her daughter
Angela's father: the father who dies in the beginning of the story
Poli: an old man who dies of a heart attack, after Angela dreamt of him
Mr. Rodriguez: a store owner who isn't as superstitious as the rest of town and sticks up for Angela
Jorge Cruz: a wise person
Mrs. Flores: a person who is very superstitious
Maria Pincay: a person who thinks Angela is strange
Eddie Robinson: The person who dies in a car crash after Angela dreamt about him
Titi Sanchez: a girl who is highly superstitious and tends to be hysterical
Consuela Ortiz: a woman who is afraid of dying
Jamie Farrell: a young boy who sometimes delivers packages for Mr. Rodriguez

I liked this story because it was a pretty good story, and because it was sort of funny how everyone was freaking out because of Angela. She has some difficulties, and that's what made it fun to read.

The story is also pretty realistic, because it's not like, once upon a time, or happily ever after. It's a fictional story, but at the same time there's some truth to it.

The parts I didn't like about the story was that it was slightly boring. I mean, the plot was fine and everything, but it was one of those stories that make you sleepy, in my point of view.

It's pretty random too. I mean, who writes a story about people dying just because a girl dreams about them? It was really random.

I would not recommend this this story to a friend.

I am....

I am caring and kind

A student and an athlete

I am changing, the sky right after the storm

I am a flute, the melody sweet yet sometimes piercing

I am an everlasting friendship, strong and unbreakable

I am betrayal, lies, deceit, and rudeness

I am trust, kindness, and love

Childhood poem.....

I was a sole child
Always watched by my grandma
My parents worked hard
They hardly had any time

It wasn’t until
I was two-and-a-half
That my sole kingdom was road kill
For my sister had come

She came and played
My grandma took us
To the park with her aid
We were sisters

When I moved up to elementary
I was scared and nervous
What if the teacher was mean?
What if she picked on me?

It turns out I was wrong
All my suspicions for nothing
She also had a gong
For silence it was needed

I turned nine and moved up
To upper elementary
Again I was plagued
With nervousness

I learned all she had to teach me
I made friends, who before I had no contact with
One became the best friend of them all
Though she was annoying at times

In sixth grade I was the top
Over the fourth graders I scoffed
They were nothing
But I held my pride aloft

Now I have graduated
From the school since two
I will miss it so
For it has been my home

I look to the future
And not at the past
Choose carefully always
For it might be your last

Blogs......

World Cup:

Ok:http://www.goal.com/en/news/1863/world-cup-2010/2010/06/22/1989210/world-cup-2010-preview-usa-algeria

Awesome: http://more4u.xaapa.com/2010/06/22/fifa-football-world-cup-funny-player-photos/

Armor games:

Ok:http://www.americamw.com/armorgames.html

Awesome: http://todaypost.co.cc/armor-games-crush-the-castle-2-video.html

Siblings

Ok:http://www.cliqueclack.com/tv/2010/06/16/quibbling-siblings-spike-vs-angel/

Awesome:http://www.thisweeknews.com/live/content/olentangy/stories/2010/06/09/sports/uhles-take-sibling-rivalry-to-new-heights.html

Fish:

Ok:http://www.bullfax.com/?q=node-fish-tale-aquaculture-set-boom

Awesome:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/22/boulder-creek-fish-facing_n_620850.html

Labtop computers:

Ok:http://techgadgetinfo.com/laptops-computers/laptop-computers-toshiba-dell-compaq-laptops-cheap-new/

Awesome:http://www.techhotspot.co.cc/american-lithium-minerals-inc-90-of-laptop-computers-use-lithium-ion-batteries

Catching Fire:

Ok:http://letterswithcharacter.blogspot.com/2010/06/suzanne-collins-catching-fire-2009.html

Awesome: http://thenovelworld.com/2010/06/21/catching-fire-review/

Water:

Ok:http://nutrition.suite101.com/article.cfm/the-benefits-of-drinking-water

Awesome:http://digital-photography-school.com/travel-photography-subjects-water

Painting:

Ok:http://www.freeuniquearticles.com/home-improvement/simple-painting-techniques-for-walls-types-of-paintings-2/

Awesome:http://www.baspeople.com/hand-painted-oil-painting-techniques.php

Blogging:

Ok:http://www.sandyshin.com/2010/06/blogging-schedule.html

Awesome: http://lawyerist.com/droid-mobile-blogging/

Math:

Ok:http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2010/06/math_monday_mathematical_lathe_work.html

Awesome: http://weburbanist.com/2010/06/21/mysteries-of-math-unsolved-problems-unexplained-patterns/

CNN: World cup: Crisis stricken French team resumes training.

France's World Cup squad resumed training on Monday, a day after the team went on strike to protest one of their forwards expulsion from the team. They were very upset, and the team was close to not wanting to train anymore. The French minister is due to hold talks with the coach of the team and his players on Monday, and said that the nation felt 'great indignation' over this. Many conflicts on this team pose a problem for the once former World Cup champions.

I think that both sides are being a little unfair, and that the coach shouldn't have threw a tantrum.

To read the full story, go to this link: http://edition.cnn.com/2010/SPORT/football/06/21/france.squad.crisis/index.html?hpt=T1

USA Today: Cartoon characters tilt kids' food choices toward junk food.

Scientific research has shown that kids tend to like food with cartoon characters on them more than food without cartoons. It shows that popular cartoons, such as Dora or Shrek are influencing kids decisions to eat certain types of food. Nutrition experts have long since argued that the cartoons should be removed from the packages, due to the fact that about one-third of teens in the US are either overweight or obese.

For the latest test, researchers at Yale University gave 40 children, ages 4-6, three identical pairs of snacks, graham crackers, gummy bears, and carrots. One package of food had a cartoon character on them, the others didn't. When children were asked what they would pick, More that two-thirds said the one with the cartoon on the package. It shows how powerful and influential these snack can be.

My opinion is that they should not keep the cartoons on the packages, so that kids can be more healthy.

If you want to read more, go to this link: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/weightloss/2010-06-21-kidscharacters21_ST_N.htm

Latest Local News: Fallen tress halt Amtrack trains.

Trees and large branches toppled in a storm Saturday night, blocking Amtrack trains in central Missouri, and delaying several trains in both directions. The tracks were blocked about 10 miles east of Jefferson city until crews could remove the trees and branches. The debris delayed train 313 from St. Louis to Kansas city for about three hours. Train 316 from Kansas City to St. Louis was delayed about 50 minutes. The tracks reopened 8:30 pm.

I think that they did a pretty good job with the Amtrack, and that I'm glad that I wasn't on it.

If you want to read the story go to: http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/missouristatenews/story/0AF9E8DF3F9C625C86257748000C2528?OpenDocument

25 Questions........

1. What are you doing right now? Right now I am answering these questions.
2. What color are your socks? That depends because I'm wearing two different colored socks right now. One is white with light blue stripes and the other on is white with dark blue stripes.
3. What are you listening to right now? I'm listening to random people talking.
4. What was the last thing you ate? The last thing I ate was cake for breakfast.
5. Who was the last person you spoke to on the phone? The last person I spoke to on the phone would be my friend, Sarah.
6. How old are you today? Today I'm 12 years old.
7. What is your favorite sport to watch on T.V? My favorite sport to watch on T.V and play is soccer.
8. What is your favorite drink? I don't really have a favorite drink.
9. Have you ever dyed your hair? No I have never dyed my hair, although I have seen other people dye their hair.
10. Favorite food? I don't really have a favorite food, but my favorite type of food would be Chinese food.
11. What is the last movie you watched? I don't remember what the last movie I watched was called, but it was about slavery.
12. What is your favorite season of the year? My favorite season of the year would be fall, because it's cooler than spring, but not as cold as winter.
13. How do you vent anger? I normally vent my anger by silently fuming.
14. What was your favorite toy as a child? I don't remember what my favorite childhood toy was.
15. Cherries or blueberries? I would like blueberries better than cherries depending on their sweetness.
16. Living arrangements? I live in a brick house with my mom, my dad, my sister, my baby brother, my aunt, and my grandma.
17. What is on the floor of your closet? There are a bunch of clothes in the floor of my closet, and maybe some boxes.
18. What did you do last night? Last night I talked on the phone, then I went to Tai Kwon Do, then I went to this guy's house for dinner all the way until 10:20 pm
19. What are you most afraid of? I don't know what I'm most afraid of.
20. Hamburger, hot dog, or bratwurst? I would probably pick either hamburger or bratwurst, probably hamburger.
21. Favorite dog breed? My favorite dog breed is Beagles.
22. Favorite day of the week? My favorite day of the week is probably either Friday or Saturday.
23. How many states have you lived in? I've lived in two states; Oregon and Missouri.
24. What is your favorite color? My favorite color is blue.
25. What are your plans for this weekend? I'm going to go swimming this afternoon, and I'm not sure what I'm going to do on Saturday and Sunday.

Local News Short Stories: Trick- or-Treating

Trick-or-Treating is about a girl named Alma who really likes to go Trick or Treating. She's been doing it since she was 2 years old, and she's never really stopped liking it. She's 13 years old this year, and she's going on her last time as a Trick or Treater. She dresses up as a football player, because her brothers were both football players for Roosevelt High. She's going along, getting candy, mingling with the little kids, and she starts getting impatient, because the kids are so slow and they should be in bed by this time. Then she comes to this house where a man in a dirty shirt answers the door, and thrusts a bowl of walnuts at her. She takes a few, mutters a feeble "Thank You" and leaves. As soon as the man is out of sight, she tosses the walnuts in the gutter. Suddenly, she sees this boy in a L.A Raiders jacket take some candy from a little kid. All the things she was thinking about the little kids vanish and she runs after the boy and tackles him to get the candy back. She gets the candy, and gives it back to the little kid. He's crying, because his bag is ripped and he lost all his candy. So she gives him some of her candy, and he takes it. Then she decides to go to her friend Sara's house, which is two blocks away, yell "boo!" and then go home. She arrives at her friend's house, and knocks on the door for a long time. When no one answers, she goes to the window to see what's wrong. She finds out that Sara's giving a party, and she's hurt because she wasn't invited. Then Sara opens the door, finds out it's Alma, and lets her in. She gives Alma some cold pizza, and Alma's just eating it when she sees the boy in the L.A Raiders jacket. No one knows who he is, not even the girl he's dancing with. He catches Alma's eye, and glares at her. then she notices that although he's fat, his feet are small and pointy, almost like hooves. She remembers what her grandmother told her about devils who have small and pointy feet, and then remembers that Halloween is supposed to be scary.

The text to text thing about this book is that I read another book which has a lot of stuff about Halloween in it too.

The text to self is that in the book, Alma protects the little kid against the bully, and I've done that before too.

The text to world is that in some places, many people believe that devils come out on Halloween.

Two questions I would ask the author:
Why did you just cut off the story and not keep on going?
What was the purpose of the story?

145th Street Short Stories: "The Streak"

The Streak is about a kid named Jamie Farrell. He's playing this basketball game, and this guy passes to him. It's 15 seconds until the end of the game, and they're losing by one point; he makes a layup and misses. Everyone was disappointed in him because they were the only team that lost to Powell Academy. So he tells his friend Froggy about how everyone's mad at him and stuff. He goes into the locker room and he's just sitting there, drinking Wonderale. Then he drops the bottle on the floor and it breaks on the floor.

The next day, he doesn't even want to go to school, but he goes, and everyone's giving him dirty looks. He goes to biology class with his friend and tells him that he's thinking of inviting Celia Evora, who's really popular, to the dance. Froggy tells him he's never going to be able to. His teacher then tells everyone to clean up their slides, and he breaks one. He tells the teacher he didn't mean to do it on purpose, but his teacher doesn't believe him and marks something on his paper. Jamie tells Froggy that he gives up and that he's just going to go home and wait until the year 3000. On his way to the cafeteria, his friend tells him that he might be a streaker, and that he read that in a book somewhere. He explains that a streaker is someone who has a bunch of bad or good things happen to him in a row. Jamie replies that he doesn't believe in all this streak or luck stuff. They're in the cafeteria, and he's drinking a soda and Froggy's drinking a carton of milk. They finish, and Jamie throws his soda right into the trash can; he tries to throw Froggy's milk carton into the trash can, but he misses and throws it right onto the lap of the meanest kid in the school. He runs out of the cafeteria and spends all day trying to hide from the kid. When school's over he just runs home, not even bothering to get his stuff. On the way home, he stops at the corner of his street where there's a shop and buys some potato wedgies. He then realizes he forgot his wallet at school. So he runs home, not even bothering to pay. He goes up too his room and hits his ankle on the dumbbell. Then the phone rings and he's scared to pick it up. He decides to pick it up and his teacher tells him he failed his English test. So he goes downstairs, and he's like crying and stuff and he gets some ice to put on his ankle. His younger sister walks in, and she's like, whats wrong? He replies nothing, so she takes two eggs, gives one to him and tells him to put it on his other leg so he could have matching legs. He stands up to punch her, but his leg really hurts so he sits back down. He throws the egg at the sink and slowly gets up to get a soda. He then notices that the carton of eggs in the sink has 12 eggs. he asks his sister if she really gave him an egg and she's like, are you crazy, you idiot! Then he's like, I threw the egg and it landed in the carton! So he calls his friend and his friend's like, dude, you need to count how many bad things happened to you. He counts and finds out that he had seven pieces of bad luck. So he used up one piece with the egg, and he has six more to go.

The next day, he goes to school and aces his math test. His friend's like, that was your second piece of good luck. Then he goes to the cafeteria and gets a soda from a machine which no one else can get a soda from. He goes home, and buys some roses for Celia, and sends them to her house. When he gets home, he calls and her mom tells him that she's at the hospital because she's allergic to flowers. He tells her to tell Celia that he called, and then hangs up. When his dad gets home, he talks to him about how bad drugs are, and stuff like that. Then he gives Jamie a hundred dollars to make him happy in return that he tells his dad when he has problems. That was the fifth thing. he decides that he's not going to do anything until Celia calls, so he writes a list of the good things that have happened to him on a piece of paper. He throws the paper towards the wastebasket, and at the last minute, bats it away. Then he calls Froggy, and Froggy says that its his sixth lucky thing, because he wanted the paper to go into the basket.
Now he has one thing left on his streak. His basketball team is playing the hardest team, there's no way they can win, yet they're tied even even. He can't play because of his ankle, but then his teams best players foul, and it's either they play the game with only four players, or he plays. So he plays, and they win.

The next day, everyone's like you're awesome! He's just sitting there, waiting for his next streak to start. Then Celia comes up and asks him to the dance, and he's just like ok. Then she says, I knew you would say that, and then he says why, and she says, I've been on a lucky streak all week.

I would connect with Jamie in the story because he has bad luck then he has good luck, and that's what happens to me sometimes. I have a bunch of bad things happen to him and then suddenly a bunch of good things happen to me. Jamie's just like a regular kid, and that's another reason for picking him.

I think that Jamie's just going to continue having streaks, and Froggy will probably have streaks too.

Why do you think Jamie didn't believe Froggy in the first place?

What was the purpose of the story?

I'm going to go fishing on Saturday, and I'm just going to be bored on Sunday.

Who I am..

Lucky
Useful
Caring
Young

Hi, my name is Lucy, and I live with my mom, my dad, my younger sister Luanna, my baby brother Luke, my aunt, and my grandma. I like to go on the computer or read in my spare time, and my hobbies are drawing and sketching (which are basically the same thing). I don't really have a favorite book, because I've read a lot of really good books and I can't choose which one I like best. Some of my favorite books include the Harry Potter books, the Warriors series, or the Fire Within series. If I had one wish, I'm not sure what it would be, because I could wish for a lot of things. School would be better if you didn't stay at the same school for 6-9 years and then all of your friends split up and move to different schools. I consider myself pretty good at soccer, especially when I'm defense or in goal. I do my best thinking at night when I'm about to fall asleep because it's so peaceful. One of the most exciting things that has happened to me was our sixth grade trip. The worst thing that ever happened to me was that I had to get a ball that I didn't even kick out there from waist-deep ocean. I don't really have a favorite movie, and I don't have a favorite song either. One of the things you should know about me is that I can be pretty critical and shy when you first meet me, but if you get to know me, I make a good friend.