The Tradition

I learn best through experimentation. What I mean by this is that I enjoy trying new things. Some things I like some things I don’t. The things I like would be anything that I get to interact with. I definitely enjoy working with other people. This includes discussions and working with them. Working with computers is by far my favorite part of Language Arts. This past semester we worked for like 2 months on our wiki. That was a really great experience. Also working on our blogs every week was also fun. As long as you keep me interested and interacting with different types of media there should be no problem .

Disclaimer:  If anyone who reads this finds this offensive, then just answer me why you hate P.E.

    Have you ever noticed how many people complain about P.E. Why do people complain about P.E.  I find it really annoying when people ask what day it is (A, B, or C) and then they say, and I qoute, "Oh crap I have P.E. next.  WHATS THE BIG DEAL.  You would'nt be complaining if you actually got out and about every now and then.  Physicians recommend at least 30 minutes of exercise a day.  Thats 30 minutes people.  Get out and ride your bike, take your dog for a walk, or just go to the rec center.  But all I'm saying is please no more complaining.  And i'm sure that if you get 'fit as a fiddle' then you won't complain.  'SO GET TO IT'.

A little background for why I'm writing this post.  As many of you know  March Madness is going on.  Every year my neighbor holds this contest that anywhere from 30-60 people are involved in.  The entry fee is $10.00.  To play in this tournament a player selects eight teams.  These teams seed numbers must add up to 32 points.  You can have more points than 32, but you can't have less than.  To pick your teams you normally pick tow teams from each division (west, midwest, south, and east).  You pick one team from the top of the bracket and one from the bottom.  Below is a bracket for this years tournament.  My selections are as  follows:

 As of yesterday (March 14, 2007), I have learned to play four songs on my amazing Bass.  They are as follows:

1. Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana
2. Come As You Are by Nirvana
3. Brain Stew by Green Day
4. In The End by Linkin Park 

Here is the lyrics for each of the songs:

1. SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT     
   Load up on guns, bring your friends
   It's fun to lose and to pretend
   She's overboard and self-assured
   I know, i know , a dirty word

   Hello, hello , hello how low,
   Hello, hello, hello,how low,
   Hello, hello, hello…

   With the lights out, it's less dangerous
   Here we are now, entertain us
   I feel stupid, and contagious
   Here we are now , entertain us
   A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito,  my libido,
   Yeah

   I'm worse at what I do best
   And for that gift I feel blessed
   Our little group has always been
   And always will until the end

   Hello, hello, hello, how low
   Hello, hello, hello, how low
   Hello, hello, hello

   With the lights out, it's less dangerous
   Here we are now, entertain us
   I feel stupid and contagious
   Here we are now entertain us
   A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido,
   Yeah

   And i forget just why i taste
   Oh yeah, i guess it makes me smile
   I found it hard, it's hard to find
   Oh well, whatever, nevermind

   Hello, hello, hello, how low
   Hello, hello, hello, how low
   Hello, hello, hello

   With the lights out, it's less dangerous
   Here we are now, entertain us
   I feel stupid and contageous
   Here we are now, entertain us
   A mulatto, an albino, a mosquito, my libido,

   A denial (x9)

2. COME AS YOU ARE     
   Come as you are, as you were
   As I want you to be
   As a friend, as a friend
   As an old enemy
   Take your time
   Hurry up
   The choice is yours
   Don't be late
   Take a rest
   As a friend
   As an old…

   Memoria (x4)

   Come, doused in mud
   Soaked in bleach
   As i want you to be
   As a trend, as a friend
   as an old…

   Memoria (x4)

   And i swear that i don't have a gun
   No i don't have a gun
   No i don't have a gun

   Memoria (x4)

   No i don't have a gun
   And i swear that i don't have a gun
   No i don't have a gun
   No i don't have a gun
   No i don't have a gun
   No i don't have a gun

   Memoria (x2)

3. Brain Stew lyrics

   I'm having trouble trying to sleep
   I'm counting sheep but running out
   As time ticks by
   And still I try
   No rest for crosstops in my mind

   On my own… here we go

   My eyes feel like they're gonna bleed
   Dried up and bulging out my skull
   My mouth is dry
   My face is numb
   fucked up and spun out in my room

   On my own… here we go

   My mind is set on overdrive
   The clock is laughing in my face
   A crooked spine
   My sense's dulled
   Passed the point of delerium

   On my own… here we go

   My eyes feel like they're gonna bleed
   Dried up and bulging out my skull
   My mouth is dry
   My face is numb
   fucked up and spun out in my room

   On my own… here we go

4. In The End

   (It starts with)
   One thing / I don’t know why
   It doesn’t even matter how hard you try
   Keep that in mind / I designed this rhyme
   To explain in due time
   All I know
   time is a valuable thing
   Watch it fly by as the pendulum swings
   Watch it count down to the end of the day
   The clock ticks life away
   It’s so unreal
   Didn’t look out below
   Watch the time go right out the window
   Trying to hold on / but didn’t even know
   Wasted it all just to
   Watch you go
   I kept everything inside and even though I tried / it all fell apart
   What it meant to me / will eventually / be a memory / of a time when I tried
   so hard

   And got so far
   But in the end
   It doesn't even matter
   I had to fall
   To lose it all
   But in the end
   It doesn't even matter

   One thing / I don’t know why
   It doesn’t even matter how hard you try
   Keep that in mind / I designed this rhyme
   To remind myself how
   I tried so hard
   In spite of the way you were mocking me
   Acting like I was part of your property
   Remembering all the times you fought with me
   I’m surprised it got so (far)
   Things aren’t the way they were before
   You wouldn’t even recognize me anymore
   Not that you knew me back then
   But it all comes back to me
   In the end
   You kept everything inside and even though I tried / it all fell apart
   What it meant to me / will eventually / be a memory / of a time when I
   I tried so hard

   And got so far
   But in the end
   It doesn’t even matter
   I had to fall
   To lose it all
   But in the end
   It doesn’t even matter

   I’ve put my trust in you
   Pushed as far as I can go
   And for all this
   There’s only one thing you should know
   I’ve put my trust in you
   Pushed as far as I can go
   And for all this
   There’s only one thing you should know
   I tried so hard
   And got so far
   But in the end
   It doesn’t even matter
   I had to fall
   To lose it all
   But in the end
   It doesn’t even matter

This year I’ve learned that blogging is a much funner way of writing all of your ideas.  It allows you to express all of your hidden ideas that you wouldn’t ordinarily write about.  Being under the veil of anonymity gives a sense of security.  Therefore you write about personal ideas that mean alot to you.  Being able to write about what you want allows you to delve deep into your personal and your thoughts and beliefs.  You share everything about yourself that you want to.  That is what I’ve learned.

As many of you probably know I am torn between two of my favorite bands, Taking Back Sunday and AFI. Taking Back Sunday and AFI sound very alike. They are both Emo bands. Taking Bak Sunday has produced very good music including Liar (it takes on to know one) and MakeDamnSure. AFI backs there name up with Love Like Winter and Miss Murder.[googlevideo]-4512680860198937777[/googlevideo][googlevideo]6568250967630823424[/googlevideo]

Those are both really good videos huh.  It tough to decide whose better.  But there still both my favorites.  Hooray.

As many of you know the Chicago Bears will take on the Indianapolis Colts, Sunday February 4th, 2007 in Miami Florida. Bets have been placed by co-workers and classmates alike. RAnging anywhere from the infamous $1.00 bet all the way to a new plasma TV (they might bet one). Tim and Ted have placed $5.00. Tim has Chicago (becuase he hates Indy so bad) and Ted has Indy (because he felt like it). Other bets are bound to be placed. But heres a break down of who I think will win.

I have my money on Indianapolis (honestly i could care less who wins) for one reason and one reason only. There defense is barely better than Chicagos offense. As long as Indy can stop Thomas Jones then they should be fine. Rex Grossman is impossible to predict. He can have good games and then he can have extremely bad games. His good games aren’t like really good games. But the way he plays just gets them by. With Dwight Freeney and Raheem Brock on the line of scrimage Rex Grossman can only hope his offensive can hold them back.

Now lets look at the Colts Offense and the Chicago Defense. Heading up the Colts Offense is Peyton Manning followed by Joseph Addai (I hate Dominic Rhodes so I won’t mention him), Marvin Harrison, Reggie Wayne, and the Three Amigos (if anyone can name them, kudos to you). In the Colts win over the Patriots, Manning racked up 350 yards. Impressive. The Bears defense is lead by Brian Urlacher and Tank Johnson.  The Bears Defense have carried them to the super bowl.  The defense alone has carried them to the Super Bowl.

This game is going to be decided by who has the alst possession.
Anyone who is betting on the bears can bet with me.

May the Best Offense/Defense Win

Last night I watched a Documentary/Reenactment of the Jonestown Massacre. The two-hour program presented on History Channel raised alot of questions that I thought were really important to answer. Instead of writing a summary that will leave important information I’ll just let read about Jonestown on your own. So anyway here are some of my questions/ideas.

Jim Jones started out as a normal preacher to the congregation of People’s Temple.  Jim Jones offered an immunity to the racism and cruelty of the U.S.A.  So Jones took the Peoples Temple congregation to a remote part of Guyana.  They established a camp where they were safe from everyone else.  No-one came in and no-one got out.  Every now and then Jones would arouse the siren in the middle of the night and announce over the intercom “White Night”.  Everyone was ordered to come to the pavilion area and practice fake-suicides.

On November 14, 1978 the U.S. sent congressman Leo Ryan a democrat from San Francisco with a reporter and news crew from NBC to get the full story of Jonestown.  Jim Jones reluctantly allowed the reporters to come in.  They got what they needed and took whoever wanted to leave to the air strip.  Jones didn’t want the story to reach the press so he sent nine gunmen armed with shotguns to kill everyone.  They did their job fully.  A few people escaped before they were shot.  Those who were shot were again shot in the head to insure they were dead.

As the stroy continues Jones felt it was time for everyone to die.  He ordered some followers to place cyanide and other drugs in kool-aid.  The first people to die were the children.  If the children didn’t voluntarilly drink the kool-aid they would inject the kool-aid by means of a needle.  Then they killed all of the adults.  Jim Jones was killed by a single gun shot wound to the head.

Anyway all of this raises so very serious questions.  How can someone just kill all of his followers?  Why did he kill the children first, all 300 of them (1/3 of everyone there)?  Even though the reporters still had the story why have everyone commit suicide?  It seems to be very  twisted to have everyone die for no reason.  Almost like suicide.

In my next post i will answer these questions.

For now see if you can.

Your first step is to write down that idea or thought that you have and want to turn into a poem. Next, we are going to turn that thought into a free verse poem. There are two different types of poems, and they are structured and free verse. One example of a structured poem is a limerick. Free verse is much easier to write as there are no steadfast rules to writing them. Some free verse doesn’t even have any rhymes or meters to them. Meter is defined as a rhythm in verses, or a pattern of syllables.So, now, rewrite your thoughts into lines. Don’t worry about spelling or punctuation at this point in time, just change your thoughts to lines. Don’t worry about how long or short each line is either. Now is the time to look at your lines and remember that the poem should have a beginning, a middle, and an end, just like a story, a book, and a movie has. You may need to add more information in order to turn your thoughts into a start, a middle, and a finish. Keep in mind that these parts need not be “written in stone”, so to speak. The words of a poem are pliable while they are in the creation stages. They are to be molded and changed until you find the exactly right words you need to complete a line or stanza.

Reread your poem several times and listen to the words and to the rhythm of each line. Now is the time to shorten or lengthen each line in order to create a smooth-sounding poem. Even though it is a free verse poem, you can choose to make each line rhyme with the next line if you want to. If you do, you can use the rhyming dictionary to aid you in finding the appropriate words.

Now go back and reread your poem again. Check for proper punctuation as well as for the proper spelling of each word. Think up an appropriate title for your poem. It would be a good idea to set your poem aside for awhile and then return to it later. Then, reread it again with a fresh mind and make any necessary changes.

If you decide to continue writing poetry, it would be a good idea to investigate some books about creating poetry, and to attend some local workshops. Check out the available recources on the Internet as well as what is available at your local public library.

Thanks to:  http://njnj.essortment.com/howtowritepoe_rqoi.htm

This semester while attending Cresthill Middle School I will strive to accomplish three personal goals that mean a lot to me. Here they are:

1. Learn how to write a poem or song. Writing a poem will unlock a hidden part that has been lost inside of me for an eternity. It would be excellent to learn how to write them with ease so that when I take an AP English class I won’t struggle with poem writing.
2. Learn how to play a bass guitar. Playing a bass will provide the oppurtunity to join bands, create my own music, and let music flood into my life. Although I already enjoy music it will introduce me and allow me to experience music in a totally new fashion.
3. Write a poem about the joy of snowboarding or a real life experience.

In order to complete the curriculum I have established for myself I will need the following supplies necessary to complete my curriculum:

• A bass guitar package
• A bass guitar playing book
• An introduction to poem writing
• A rhyming dictionary
• A thesaurus