Raising The Bar

2009-05-22T09:43:00.002-05:00

Night is told by Elie who is a Jewish teenager who lives in his hometown of Sighet, in Hungarian Transylvania. Elie studies the Torah which is the first five books of the old Testament and the Cabbala. He has a teacher named Moshe the Beadle. and she is deported. After a few months Moshe returns, and tells a horrifying story. The Gestapo who was a secret police force out of Germany took over his train, and led everyone into the woods. Then he said that he pretty much killed all of them. When Moshe tells everyone what happens everyone looks at him like a psycho and nobody believes him. Throughout the story it is like a system of Jews being tortured and killed and eventually Elie and his father are separated from his mother and sisters. They are took through some horrible times on a train, and many camps and end up having a scary and remembering night every day.

HAIKU

2009-04-21T10:51:00.004-05:00

Hitler is killing

Leading all of the Nazis;

Torture, Pain, and Hatred.

Because of Winn Dixie

2009-04-21T10:36:00.006-05:00

The book i read that is probably one of my all time favorites was Beacause of Winn Dixie. At first it seemed like it was going to be a little musshy gusshy story, and im not all in to that. However something told me to just continue on and read the book. This book had many valuable lessons about loving, caring, and responsibility.
Little India Opal Buloni was a caring sweet little girl who lost her mother a long time ago and has been leaving with her dad who her and everyone else in the town of Naomi, Florida calls the preacher. He was a stubborn man and was awful hard to figure out sometimes. Eventhough he had mood swings he loved Opal very much and even after she had the inicident at the old store called Winn Dixie. This is when the story came into act and the dog came into play and all trouble went on. She had no idea if she was going to be able to keep it forever, but she gave it a shot. They went through hard times that many little girls couldn't make it through, but Opal did. The become best friends till the very end. Its a great book for all ages and is rated on my scale a 10.

Reflection on Spring Break '09

2009-04-21T10:24:00.006-05:00

Hmm... Where to start? Well lets see it was nothing special so ill just jump right into it. The worst spring break ever started off with a camping trip with the friends. This was probably the best part of the whole break. We found a camp ground in Fairfield Bay that was right on the lake i mean perfect. We had a blast for the most part we fished pretty much the whole time we were down there, and ate mostly every fish we caught. It was a great way to kick off the spring break. However when we got back into town is when it went down the drain.
When we got back i had baseball practice which was my favorite thing to do when i had all my energy, but i was tired. I guess it was from staying up all night fishing the banks at the lake, it hurt me at practice. After practice all i really did was play wiffelball, waste gas, and sleep. So overall it was a pretty wasteful spring break.

Favorite Web Based Tech Tool

2009-04-21T10:14:00.004-05:00

If i was to choose any kind of web based tool it would probably be blogger. The reasoning behind it is simple it easy, quick, fast, and fun. You are around everyone in your school and others that comment back and forth through blogs or comments on blogs.
Many people would choose email or some sort of messaging, but if i was to choose that it would take away my photo icon and background that i tried to make look good from the start. Many people in the school would complain from the lack of sites such as facebook, and myspace. However what they don't realize is that this is just the same as myspace. You got your background, friends and your info. The only thing you lack is music, and no one needs music while reading your blogs. So all around Blogs are a great idea and very enjoyable.

The Holocaust

2009-03-18T08:32:00.003-05:00

The Holocaust has to be one of the most horrible and tortuous things anyone has every heard about or encountered. Innocent people were killed for their religion and beliefs. From the time of Hitler is what you would call evil.
He was a negative man that made killing a regular thing. Also, during the World War 2 there was many people getting tortured around the world. This whole time period was just terrible all around. Nothing came out of this positive.
Very few if any survived and are still living witnesses of the holocaust. All you can do is think positive for yourself and be happy that you are not the person living through a time period of trial and suffering.

Thoughts on EOL Literacy

2009-03-18T08:06:00.003-05:00

My thoughts on this test were very mixed before, but once i got into it the test just all started coming back to me. The thing that worried me the most was failing and having to retake or remediate in this classroom. However i was inspired by my teacher and her rewards so the cracking down began.
My mind suddenly woke up and hit me, my memory became a lot better, my awareness was astonishing, and after answering every question I turned back around and acted like I was taking the test all over again reviewing my answer's as if I have never seen them. This would help me out in the long run with rewards and myself in the future.
People ask me still today what they think I made on the test. My answer will remain the same until the scores come out this summer "Advanced". I will continue to use the process of reviewing back on my answers after my test as I raise the bar to the better level of test taking.

Thoughts on the End of Level Literacy Test

2009-03-12T09:00:00.007-05:00

My thoughts on this test before i took it were very mixed and nerve racking. I have to admit that at first i was very scared because i didnt wan't to be the one in my grade that was left behind in remidiation. I continued to become scared all the way until about 8:20 a.m. All is well after thats when things started making me feel like a million bucks.
8:20 had to be one of the greatest feelings i have had in a long time, the test just all started coming back to me. Everything Mrs. Gillmore was teaching us telling us what was going to be on there was, she was right. My mind just suddenly woke up and hit me, my memory was astonishing my brain became a sponge.
After answering every question, i thought i would continue to raise the bar and look over every answer again like it was the first time i have ever seen them. The question is always asked how did you think you did my answer will continue to be the same " i scored advanced".

2009-02-26T09:38:00.003-06:00

Steven is a gifted junior high school drummer that is very creative and has a great imagination and a great heart. The whole book shadows his junior year and him dealing with his 5-year old brother Jeffrey being diagnosed with leukemia. All of his friends including the girl that he has an amazing crush on feel very sorry for him and give him extra undivided attention that he feels he doesn't deserve. While Jeffrey was in the hospital Steven met a girl in their that was dealing with her own kind of disease and for the amount of time they talked she taught him the meaning a friendship, but before anymore could happen she died. Towards the end of the story Jeffrey has lost all of his hair from his sickness so Steven and many from the band shave their heads in honor of Jeffrey and makes him feel so good and normal. This story was in my words an A++ and teaches a lot about friendship and the caring for your family. Such as Steven and instead of being embarrassed and sad he was Raising the Bar for his brother.

The Great Gatsby

2009-02-25T09:09:00.002-06:00

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald was set in the scene of the "Jazz Age" the whole book is narrated by Nick Caraway. Nick and Gatsby become very good friends an are already neighbors. Nick and Jordan become some sort of friends. Tom is married to Daisy, however Tom is having an affair with Myrtle. Gatsby and Daisy were once in love, but then Gatsby left for war. Gatsby still loves Daisy and is working through the book to get her back. Everyone in this story or for the most part has a lot of money but are all unhappy. The middle and lower class seem a lot happier then everyone else. This book turns out shocking and very good and is a very good recommendation of mine.

Materialism

2009-02-17T19:44:00.003-06:00

Materialism to me is like saying the word fake. Now i know many of you might know what materialism actually means but when the word fake is said that is when everybody goes o OK but not in a good way. However its more like and annoyed OK because everyone in this world lies and some do it more than others and care none when it comes to hurting people.
Materialistic people like materialistic stuff such as new fashion, new apparel, new cars, etc. Just everything they can think of to be on top is what they want. So all in all Materialistic people are the ones that are snotty and greedy and can most of the time be very rude.

Junior .5

2008-12-17T14:22:00.002-06:00

To me thinking back on all my years and then realizing I'm half way through my junior year really actually makes me think I'm a year and half away from going to college and finding my career for the rest of my life. However i do have mixed feelings.
Some of me loves high school and all my memories will last a lifetime. Also High School sports is something i will miss because it could be the last time i ever play and it will truly be missed. I will do everything and anything to make my remaining years better such as trying hard in school going 110% every time i hit the field because i will always remember this could be my last time. High School to some people is just something they can't stand and can't wait to end but to me will be sincerely missed. College is a big jump you half to think about everything you won't have. One your mom doing your laundry and cooking for you and going to the grocery story for you. Also being able to have people over on weekends to stay the night chill out catch a movie no time. Even though high school will be missed however there are some positives to college.
One thing i will love is freedom no more mom on my back telling me what to do every five seconds. Two staying up as long as i want and having as many people over as i want with unlimited parties. Three is i will get to find my career and see what i am interested in and what i will do for the rest of my life. Finally four i will hopefully find a girl that i would like to spend every second of the day with and the remaining years of my life.
This is my feelings and outlook on being .5 of a junior and what is in store for me for the rest of my high school memories and my college future who knows all i can do is raise the bar.

Main Characters of the Crucible

2008-12-17T14:00:00.003-06:00

The Crucible has many characters with alot of parts in the play. However i have picked out a few that i think stand over the rest.
This first character is Abigail Williams. I would refer to her as a whore and a witch. She does anything she can to try to get John Proctor away from his wife she also has many witchcraft things in her. Which she leads everyone to different people saying they are the witches and one of them was Elizabeth Proctor. So overall she is just the main bully of the whole play.
The next character is John Proctor. He is a hard working farmer, and native of Salem who lives just outside town. He is married to Elizabeth Proctor. Before the play, he has an affair with Abigail Williams, which leads only to trouble on his part. He sent to court for witchcraft and claims to tell the truth and his wife is a witness and lies trying to save his name and then is sentenced to hang till death.
The last character i will share with you is Reverend John Hale. John Hale in my eyes is a great man and should be the head of everything to me. Hale is a well respected minister that is said to be an expert on witchcraft.Reverend Hale is called in to Salem to examine the witchcraft trials, and Parris's daughter Betty, who has fallen into a mysterious illness after being discovered dancing and talking to the spirits of the Devil. He originally believes that there are witches in Salem, but later finds that they are just going crazy with this and just messed up in the heads.
This story as you can see has many characters that are normal, crazy, and contain witchcraft you can find anything in the play of the Crucible.

2008-12-17T13:42:00.003-06:00

The Crucible by Arthur Miller is a play based on the actual events that in 1692 led to the Salem Witch Trials. There were many people accused of witchcraft which led to many hearing and over 150 innocent killings of people being accused of witchcraft in Massachusetts. This play has many cases of bullying and as you hear the story of events the bullying will stand out.
The play begins with Reverend Parris finding the girls of Salem in the woods dancing naked while talking with the spirits of the Devil. After Rev. Parris' little girl Betty is laying in bed sick and won't wake along with the Putnam's daughter. In the play the girls are accused of witchcraft while trying to find the master of all of it and Abigail scared shouts out Tituba which is showing Abigail bullying Tituba for something that she didnt do. Tituba is taken by the people and whipped and tortured for being accused of the girls behavior in the woods. Abigail threatens the girls that if they tell anyone about her drinking chicken blood for Elizabeth Proctor she will kill them which is another case of bullying. John Proctor who is Elizabeth Proctor's husband had an affair with Abigail a while back and Abigail is obsessed with John Proctor. So here John Proctor would be called the Bully because he cheated on his wife for no reason.
Reverend Hale comes into play and comes to observe the girls to see what could of happened to Betty and he witnesses this town slowly turning upside down and into a place that no one would want to be at. This play is definitely one that will keep your mind spinning and not want to close the book till the very last word and final bully.

The Kite Runner Part 2

2008-12-17T13:24:00.003-06:00

Since i have finished the Kite Runner novel i have acquired more knowledge on the whole book. It really brings out a meaning and make you think how hard it was for Amir to actually live in his time and place.
In the story Amir and Hassan roam the streets of peaceful Kabul. Amir's father Baba loves both the boys but criticizes Amir for not being manly enough. Amir through the whole story is intimidated by his father because he is afraid that Baba will blame him for his mother's death during his deliverance at birth. However Baba has a nice father attitude and figure in the story. Assef a older meaner and violent boy blames Amir for socializing with a Hazara. According to Assef inferior race should only live in Hazarajat. They get into it Hassan sticks up for Amir and the Assef claims revenge.
The last passage i will share is about the kite runner. Amir wins the local tournaments and fathers praise. During the tournament Hassan runs into Assef and his two henchmen Hassan refuses to give up Amir's kite, so Assef keeps his revenge, by beating and raping him. Amir got worried why it was taking Hassan so long so in search of him he hears Assef's voice and witnesses the rape and to scared to do anything he hides. Amir and Hassan don't speak for a while because of Amir betrayal, but reunite at the end.
This book has a great ending and a 10 rating overall great for all High School or Junior High School students.

The Kite Runner Part 1

2008-12-17T13:01:00.003-06:00

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini is a book that i was assigned in English 11 to read in Lit. circles with people in my class. This book all around was a great one to recommend for people in 9th through 12th grade.
The Kite Runner is a story of a boy named Amir from the district of Kabul.In the book he is haunted by the guilt of betraying his childhood friend Hassan who is his fathers servant. This book has a lot of crazy drama such as the fall of the monarchy in Afghanistan, the Soviet Invasion, and even the rise of the Taliban. In the Kite Runner many characters are present, but some stand over the rest.
Amir who is telling the story who lives in Kabul who seems like a good boy but later starts to follow the downfall of the monarchy. The next character is Hassan. Hassan is a childhood friend of Amir, who is first thought to be the son of Ali. However later he is revealed to be the illegitimate son of Baba and Sanaubar. Hassan however in the book dies. The last main character is Assef the teenage rapist that lives in the same neighborhood as Amir in Kabul. As a teenager, he rapes Hassan. As an adult he sexually assaults Hassan's son, Sohrab, and numerous other young children of both sexes.
In this story it is filled with many extreme events as you can tell and of these 3 main characters i have shown you there are many more that were not revealed. So if you want to find out tune in next time or pick up the book The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.

2008-11-10T10:36:00.002-06:00

On of my all time favorite books that i am currently reading is Heat by Mike Lupica. I could just tell by looking at the cover that this book was made for me to read, and me who is not the biggest reader to have a book that actually makes me not want to stop reading is amazing.

The main thing i think i like most is the fact that its a teenage boy named Michael who loves to play baseball its his favorite sport just like me. Another thing is that its held in the Bronx of New York and by the actual Yankees Stadium. It has all kinds of everyday life things occur he eats at McDonald's and plays baseball on a little Scrap field for fun, but also plays for the best traveling team maybe in the nation. He is living in fear his whole life because his dad is back in Cuba and its just him and his brother stuck with no birth certificates. This really makes me pay attention because its so intense you never know what is going to happen. Michael and his team have made it to the Little League World Series and he is there ace pitcher, but when time comes around how will he prove his age?

This book is a definite 5 stars and is a great book for any gender and any age. It is filled with intense fear, playing the game of baseball, and hard work. Its a great moral story and a definite book that i wouldn't mind reading again.

To the President....

2008-10-22T09:08:00.002-05:00

For president its obvious that the two candidates are about even but there is always one thats stands over the other one and to be that is Senator Obama. He has thought of ways to keep us a better and more stable country. For example, like how he feels we should have a well thought out plan before sending our troops in to war. His plan could help us overcome the war and save a higher percentage of our troops lives. On taxes is the same way its a well thought out plan that he wants taxes to be lowered on lower and middle classes to help them make it through our economy and to raise taxes on the wealthy which is reasonable. These to hard facts are things that could help make our country way better and help our economy only in a positive way.

A True Pioneer

2008-09-18T09:17:00.005-05:00

In my world its not a recent event that showed this pioneer really stand up and be strong. A little while back a true tragedy occurred a car accident in Pleasant Plains, AR with a one person crash Dennis Merritt of Batesville, AR was in a single car accident.

His son who is one of my good friends couldn't believe this event had happened. I mean its not like you ever can imagine what it would be like to not have your dad in your life anymore but only in your spirits. Sam to me is a true pioneer because even though he lost one of the most important people in his life he kept moving forward by raising the bar. He knew his dad wouldn't want Sam to just die in sorrow and never let it past him.

He knew dis dad would want him to keep living his life to fullest just like he did so Sam could have a successful life just like his father. So that was exactly what Sam did he kept living a normal life not showing any sorrow even though he had much sadness built up he kept living like a true pioneer. He stayed in football, he kept going to school, and also keeping socially active. Sam lived through a HUGE tragic event that i could never imagine living through so this is why to me Sam Merritt is a true PIONEER.