Thursday, December 6, 2007

hamburger hot dog or veggie dog

I don't really understand the point of this blog, but My choice would have to be the veggie BURGER.. I had to switch it up. I am one of those people that actually prefer to be vegetarian. I'm not an animal rights person, since I'm such a pessimist(SP) I just dont think that one person not eating meat is going to make a difference. Sometimes I just hate eating meat. It makes me feel sort of sick and overall meat isn't good for you. Lean meat is but thats not always an option. I am just too lazy to actually become full on vegetarian since it can take quite a bit of work.

Waffles, french toast, or pancakes
I would have to go with pancakes. I absolutely love them. I really don't have a big problem with the other two though. I enjoy making waffles, but the thing with waffles is that they are not alwasy the easiest thing to make. French toast is only good when my mom makes it though. I am biased to my mothers cooking; shoot me for it!

good writing

I have been forced to read many books in my thirteen years of schooling. In that collection of books are some very good books and some books I could do without. Sometimes I will start reading a book and hate it, even if it is one I have picked out for myself. I don't stop reading though, because sometimes it takes a while for a book to open itself. I have found surprisingly good reading this whole year of school. I have read Lord of the Flies, Jane Eyre, and Brave New World. I didn't look forward to ANY of them, but I have to say they are on my top reading list now. Good reading can appear anywhere. The trick is to read the whole thing, becuase you might not realize until you finished the book that; Hey! that wasnt that bad!

parental gifts

Parents grant children many gifts. First of all they grant us the gift of life! We wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for them. They grant us the gift of teaching us to walk and talk. Without their guidance some kids might never learn to do that. They bring us to school on our first day and show us into a whole new world. Chances are they support you financially and mentally your high school career and prepare you for the next step in your life. Your parents help to draw the path you will take for the rest of your life by the things that they teach you every day. SOme parents are farmers and unknowingly set their kids in the direction of farming or possibly send them screaming away from it. My parents, my mother especially have established very many good qualities in me. SHe has taught me to be kind but not to let people walk all over me and to speak my mind. SHe says that quality developed on its own, as I may do it a little too often but if you knew my mother you would have to agree with me.

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

writing well and writing fun

There is a difference between writing well and writing to entertain. Anybody can write well. When I say well, I mean being able to put in a comma and make a sentence sound gramatically correct. With the right amount of assistance and the proper writing tools; and of course the needed time any person would be able to put out a couple of well put together sentences. To write entertaining, though, you have to really be a good writer. Good writers are able to take a topic that is otherwise boring, and make it into a topic that people are standing in line to get a chance to read. Good writers are able to make eating snow cones in a blizzard before the snow cones melt an exciting read.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

words that calmed a bad situation

There are so many bad situations. There are so many words that light a fire under an angry, sad, or just frustrated person but only few that put it out. I have to say that the most effective way to calm an angry person is just by saying "I'm sorry". This can depend on the situation and of course the tone you use, but in general it can mean the world. In the case of a death these words don't make sense to me. When somebody close to me has died and somebody says "Hey I'm sorry" I just think to myself "What are you sorry for? Did you kill them?" I think a simple "I'm here for you" works in the case of a death. It says everything in just one simple line without overdoing your sympathy. There is never a word that will calm a situation completely, and they all have different circumstances, but I think with the advice I have given you are now ready to go out there and stay out of some fights!

most known for

I would like to be most known for my accomplishments in life. Stars are most known for the way they act (or don't act), by the way they look, or by the crazy things they do. They are more known for their personal life, which is great...for them. Presidents are known for the way they handle tough political situations. They are known by what they do for the future, which is also great...for them. I would like to be known for what I leave behind. I would like to be known for and by the people that I leave behind; the people that I save. I would like to be the person that may not be known by everybody; but the people that know me, respect me. I can't say I'm going to be the person to cure cancer or come up with the next great way to perform open heart surgery (like it isn't good enough), but I'm going to try my damndest.

when do i feel most confident

I feel most confident when I am with people that I love, and people that love me. Nothing is more of a confidence booster than to be around people that love you completely for who you are. To them it doesn't matter what my hair looks like at the moment or what I'm wearing. I hate being put in a situation when people are sitting across from you judging you on every aspect of your life, even if it's something your completely unaware of. The people that love you most don't judge you because they know you well enough to already know, accept, and love the flaws that make you, you. I also feel confident when I am dealing with something that has anything to do with the medical profession. I feel good when I am learning about it, and helping to be a part of it. Confidence is something that can be found in many unsuspecting places and something to be kept close, because if something or somebody can make you feel that way it is something to be kept.

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

writing fear

I guess I kind of answered this in my last blog. My fear of writing is having somebody judge me, becuase writing is so personal. I can't just write a paper without putting in my own life experiences and my beliefs. It's scary to let just anybody read something you have written when it is all about you. I overcome my fears by doing it anyways. I love to write, and if somebody doesn't care what I have to write about then they dont have to read it. If they do have to read it then I hope they take in my writing and read it with the most sencerity possible. I usually have something sort of good to say, and I hope to change the way somebody may think about something especially if they are wrong. :)

when do i enjoy writing

I enjoy writing for liesure. I hate this situation. I hate having people judge my writing, because in the end what others think of my writing isn't going to affect the way I write. I don't mind learning how to become a better writer which is part of this class, but composition can be a very difficult class, if you have a different writing style or different views than the person who does the grading. In the end it just comes down to if you have the same views as the other person. If I was to read a paper that was talking about worshiping the devil it would make it hard for me to relate and therefore hard to for me to go along with it. It would make the flow of the paper bad. Overall I like writing in my journal when it's just me and my thoughts.

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

Thanksgiving memories

I know in my last blog I said that divorce in my case was a blessing, and it is..it was. Overall it has been for the better more than for the worse. I have to say though part of my past memories have consisted of tormenting myself when deciding which parent to spend the holiday with. When sombody gives the topic "thanksgiving memories" you don't think of something bad, but I couldn't really think of a prominent thing that really stuck out in my head. Thanksgiving is a very basic idea. It's a day for you to stuff your face, watch some football, spend some time with your family, give thanks for your overdue blessings, and pass out from the turkey. I will leave you with a happy memory though. My favorite Thanksgiving memory has to be learning how to fake like I know what my mom is talking about when she says "you don't MEASURE Liz! You just add until it looks right!" and me yelling "HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN IT LOOKS RIGHT!?" when my mom tried to teach me how to cook a turkey dinner.

things to be thankful for

What don't I have to be thankful for. I was born a completely healthy person. I have both of my parents and then some. Divorce in my case ended up being a blessing. I dont have to listen to my parents hate eachother and I gained my wonderful 2nd mom and forest gump(my moms boyfriend) which ill explain his name sometime! I have all my wonderful siblings that are healthy and able bodied. I was blessed with wits and the ability to apply myself and get good grades that will someday hopefully lead to a promising career. I am blessed with all the other relatives that are unamed. I was blessed with my boyfriend, Sean, who can seem like the opposite sometimes, but is always there when it counts. Really, in America, what don't we have to be thankful for? I thank God for what he has given me everyday.

Thursday, November 15, 2007

most interesting place ive been

I have not been very many interesting places yet. I have been to Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Canada, Wisconsin, Mexico, and Wyoming. That's other than places near here, like the surrounding states. I guess the most interesting place I have been is probably Washington D.C. I went to as many of the monuments, museums, graves, and statues we could possibly get to in five days. I have to say that even though I was young and it rained most of the time we were outside it was quite interesting. We saw the many monuments that honor the wars the people that have given their lives for our freedom. We saw the many museums where pieces of our history are located. We even went to the Holocaust museum, but since we were such a large group we weren't able to get into the main part, just a side exhibit. I would like to take time to visit D.C. again when I have more time to enjoy it further.

reading interviews

I like to read interviews that are about somebody that I know, or know of. It wouldnt interest me to read an interview with some person that I had never heard, or heard of their accomplishments. I do like to read interviews. It's always fun to read something new about a star, or somebody famous, or even just somebody you know. I wouldn't care to know very much about Britney Spears or Paris Hilton or any of that group for that matter. They are of no interest to me. Just because somebody can sing (poorly), act (poorly), or spend money (poorly) doesn't mean they are or should be of interest to anybody. I like to read interviews that have people that mean something to me, or have done something truely amazing. Even George Bush would be okay. He has led this country for nearly eight years, and it's funny to listen to him talk.

someone I like listening to

There are many people I like listening to. I like listening to teachers and all together smart people talk. It's very geeky of me, but I love to learn. I think that is what we are here for; to retain as much knowledge as we can. It's amazing listening to somebody who knows more than you talk, about a subject that interests you. I love listening to Trent Reznor. He is the leader of the band Nine Inch Nails. He has a very soothing voice to me, even if he is screaming his demon music. I like to listent to my seven year old sister talk. SHe has a very innocent take on everything. Its refreshing to here somebody talk about positive things. Most of all I love listening to my mom. Sometimes she yells, sometimes she cries, sometimes she sings, and sometimes she doesn't make sense at all, but she is very smart, and soothing to me. I love my mom.

good food combos

I am one of the weirdest eaters I know. My mom has partly raised me to be this way and I have developed it on my own. I enjoy things like cottage cheese and fruit mixed. I am not the only person I know who does this so it may not be a very unique thing, but I get teased for it when I do it in front of new people. I mix my ranch and my ketchup together when I am eating french fries. I will only drink orange juice if I am having eggs. I put brown sugar in my squash. Now none of these may seem that strange to anbody, but I will most likely leave you feeling a little bit sick when I tell you about the last thing I eat. Ever since I was little I have enjoyed putting peanut butter on pickles. Don't ask me why, but I think it has something to do with the sweet and salty commbo.

Monday, November 12, 2007

how does one appreciate veterans

Veterans have fought for the freedom of American's for years. Some of us don't always agree with the war, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't respect what they do everday for the millions of people that belong to this country; many of us strangers to them. I think there are many things we can do for veterans. One of them is supporting them while they are still in the war. We can send things to them through the mail, that make their stay overseas more comfortable and more like home. Sometimes they don't even get to brush their teeth for a long time, so a simple pack of gum can make all the difference in their day. Even if we don't agree with the causes that have brought them into the war, we must believe in them. No matter what anybody says, they are fighting for the basic rights we as humans deserve.

Thursday, November 8, 2007

my heritage

I am Irish and German. I like to joke about the fact that I am a descendant to the Nazi's even though I have no idea. This is because one of my friends is Jewish. Sick joke, I know. I am very proud of where I came from. I am also 1/8 Sioux. I also joke about this too. I look nothing like any native american I have ever seen. My grandma, who is 1/2 sioux is visibly sioux, by her hair. I just tell people that I didn't get any of the good traits. I have to say, even though I know my heritage, I don't identify myself by it, or by my writing. I could use it to my advantage I suppose, but overall I am not associated with a Tribe since my grandmother was adopted, and I don't have one of those strong ethnic familes.

destructive writing

Writing to destroy somebody or something can be harmful to the writer just as much as the person that is being destroyed. People who have a good oppinion on the thing that is being destroyed will most likely backlash against the writer and could end up singling them out. This could lead to false accusations. For instance, the magazines that publish aweful things about stars that aren' true. I think, in most cases, stars just let it go, but if a writer would make a false accusation that would destroy the star people would automatically go after that writer. If the information was proven to be false that person would most likely lose thier job and be forced to work at Taco Bell the rest of their lives.

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

cliches

By Dr. Meyer's corrections I use cliches way more than I thought I did. The only one I can remember is the one that I just corrected in my last paper. The sandwich will "melt in your mouth". I guess I didn't realize that using them was wrong, no offense Dr. Meyer. I can see where they are over used and not creative, but people shouldn't get to claim those phrases. It's taking away from the options I have as a writer. I also used "life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get' this year too. As a teenager we also coin phrases that are "hip". "Coin" might also be a cliche, not sure. The 80's had all those, and so on. I don't know which ones belong to which generation, but there is groovy, and rightous(SP), totally, and far out. Now we say "pretty much" and "pretty sure". It's basically this; my generation has come up with ways for us to be more snotty and sarcastic. It sound good right? Oh also, just to add to my November 7th blog, I would like to formally announce my turning of age. Finally I am 18, and I can do whatever I want...yeah right.

favorite sandwich

My favorite sandwich is from Subway. It's a 6" wheat, with turkey, american cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers, lettus, spinach, and light mayo. Just thinking about subway makes my mouth water. I eat subway at least once a week, as it is a quick, easy, cheap, and healthy thing to eat for a high schooler who lacks the time to cook a meal. I also like grilled cheese sandwiches, but only when I have tomato soup to eat them with. As a child the only sandwiches I would eat were the ones my dad would make, which when I look back on them, they are quite similar to the one I get at subway. It's probably obvious that my tastes were installed from that. I have to make one silly comment. It makes fun of meat producers, parents, and children. It starts with a b and ends in a ologna. How gross bologna is, and how silly of a name. It doesn't even make sense. How can an a make the y sound. It doesn't, that is how. But anyways back to my point; why do parents feed that to their children. IT'S GROSS. Remember those bologna and butter sandwiches? I do, and my family wasn't lacking in the wealth department, so it had nothing to do with it. It's just a thing that parents must think. Oh she's little, she'll eat anything. Yeah, thanks mom!

famous people i have met

About two years ago I went up to Marshall, Minnesota with three of my friends. We were very excited to see the Yellowcard concert. I was excited, but I didn't really admit to them that I didn't know the band very well. Dana, one of the girls that went with, was a very big fan of them. We bought t-shirts and listened to the opening band, who I can't remember. We marched our way through the big crowd, and sweet talked people to let us in. Throughout the entire concert I only knew about three songs or so. Even if I had known more I wouldn't had been able to enjoy what I was watching. This was the most violent, crazy crowd I have ever been around, and I've been around some crazy fans. ( I went to a Nine Inch Nails concert. If you know their music, you know why this would be a surprise.) At one point the crowd actually fell with a domino affect and took me down with them. I got scared, but I stuck it out with Dana, who throughout all of this extremely physical activity never drank once. We could not make her take her eyes off of the band. Finally at the end, Dana passed out. I went faithfully with her through the back of the building with the firemen, and when we crossed the threshold to the back, there was the leader of the band. It's amazing how the want of some t-shirt signing can make a passed out girl perk right up.

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

halloween memories.

Halloween has always been a bittersweet time for me. As every child does, I love to go out and get candy without having to pay for it, but the fact that you have to dress as scary people is what has always got me. I still have a picture of one of my first halloweens I can remember. It's a picture of me with my cute rosy cheeks, curls of hair, adorable polka dot costume, and...a clown nose. Little did my mother know that I had already developed a fear for clowns. I always have. To this day, if I see a clown, I almost cry. Something about them gets me. I didn't like them even before I saw the movie It. That only deepened my fear so it would last throughout the rest of my life and probably haunt me enough I'll pass the fear onto my children. I remember my mommy dressing me and puttin on my make-up. Then she turned me around in the mirror to take a gander at myself and I started to cry. Today, for almost 18 year old girls halloween is just a big excuse to go out, dress slutty, and get some candy, but you gotta love it.

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

who do i write for

Who do I write for? Or maybe is it, what do I write for? Actually it's both. Who I write for depends on WHAT I am writing for. If I am writing for one of my classes, it's usually not for me. It's usually for a teacher or for their curriculum(sp). In the end though, I am writing for a grade. A grade in which I will recieive, and will go towards my education. So really when I'm writing for a class I am writing for myself whether the topic interests me or not. When I'm not writing for my classes, I am probably writing in my journal which is strictly for me. I love to write for myself. I love the release I get when I put all my thoughts together and throw them up on a little piece of paper. Then at the end of the day you can put all of your problems on that paper and most of the things you stress about so much seem so small. All writers shouldn't be writing for other people. A writer should love to write, and in return should love to write for themself.

Monday, October 29, 2007

a good recipe

Well as a matter of fact this blog is quite ironic. I came down stairs to get a recipe for blueberry muffins, and decided that while I am here I will blog for the day. I am about to embark on a journey of blueberry muffins. I will make about 3 or 4 dozen of them, as the boys in my grade could eat quite a lot. I hope they turn out well. Blueberry muffins are about the best thing you could think of. They serve many purposes. They are breakfast foods. For some odd reason they turned out to be the breakfast muffin over all the other muffins, probably because they have fruit in them. They calm a sweet tooth...well they are muffins. Blueberry muffins are easily transported. They are not full of all the frosting that goes along with cupcakes. Overall blueberry muffins rock, and I am very excited to be baking them on this Monday eve.

farthest ive been

When I was about ten I took a cruise with my family. We flew down to Miami, Florida and started our voyage. We traveled down into the Cayman Islands. There we swam with stingrays. It wasn't quite as fun as I thought it would be. Once I was in the water with all these strange creatures surrounding me in the water I became uneasy. I finally loosened up a little bit and was even able to feed one. From there we went to Cozumel. I got to get my hair braided...wouldn't reccommend it. It was one of the most painful things I've ever done, but I haven't given birth yet. I also got to snorkle. Next time I'd like to try scuba diving. You can only go about an extra foot under the water. Once you go past that foot, you get a mouthful of the worst water that you will ever come in contact with. This summer I will hopefully be taking a trip to Italy so I can finally not say "the farthest Ive been is Mexico"

Thursday, October 25, 2007

a place i like

I like to hike. My favorite place to hike is Harney Peak in the Black Hills, South Dakota. It is such a wonderful place. First you start the hike in a winding valley filled with butterflies and a different array of colorful flowers. Then it stretches into a stiff hill. It is quite short, but it gets your heart pumping. The trees extend way over your head. The tall rocks that belong to Needles Highway lay above your head for part of the trip, and the next thing you know they are down by your feet. I love the experience of going all the way from the bottom and looking at the top likes its an unreachable source, and then finally being on the top looking down and out at the horizon line. It's an unbelievable experience that I enjoy so much I've done it every summer for the past eight years.

a word i like

I like many words, but I don't like a word for the way it sounds. I like the word love. I'm a seventeen (almost eighteen) and I am in love. I love a boy of course. Well not of course, since there is homosexual people, but anyways I do love a man. He is amazing...sometimes. I love the concept of love, although sometimes it can be quite difficult and painful at times. It's not always easy to put yourself our there, when somebody could shove it all back in your face. Love is a much needed thing. I love many things. I love my mother, and I love my best friend Courtney. I love my work, and my future line of work. I love to love.

buffets

Buffets are gross. Think about it. It's just another way for our poor society to support our sick way of eating and it totally explains our fatness. People in our country do everything they possibly could just to not be fat. Basically that means they pop thier diet pills as they are sitting down to dinner at golden coral. So overall you pay twice as much since you get all this variety of food and all of it you could possibly want. That creates a chain reaction of "I need to get my money's worth". I think everybody has either said or heard that phrase at some point in their life. It's a common spoken thing. So "to get their money's worth" people eat like it's frickin Thanksgiving morning! Then they go home watch some T.V. and order a new bottle of their extra strength diet pills.

Monday, October 22, 2007

a great movie

I have just seen a great movie. It was in my top five, which is a hard barrier to break. I don't really rate movies in my top list. It is call "The Brave One". It's currently in theatres. It's about a woman who is with her boyfriend in New York and they are beat up. I honestly didn't know people beat women seriously, especially like that. Probably a stem out of my sheltered South Dakota childhood. Anyways, her boyfriend dies. Her life is altered forever. She isn't the same person, and it affects her day to day life. First she is scared to even leave her appartment, and when she finally does leave she encounters many things that a person doesn't encounter once in their life. You should go see the movie to see how she handles these scary encounters and how it turns out in the end. It's a little bloody at parts, so if you're like my mom, you might not like it though.

Friday, October 19, 2007

My favorite verbs

I am a very big fan of verbs. Verb, it's what you do. Yeah those cheesy little commercials, that are trying to get people to be more active, but really verbs are everything we do. It's hard to pick my favorite verb for that very reason. I tell you right now I dont have a favorite verb to write with. My writing is crazy and never the same, but most people use the same sort of verbs in writing. In daily life, I tell you, I have many things I love. I love to dance. I love to swim. I love to run. I love to love. I love to argue. There are so many things that I love to do. I hate school. So school or schooling or whatever as my verb doesn't fit my life. I love life. I love living life. A part of my life, however is school. I try to love school, since I will be in it for another decade of my life. Right now, I'm going to do one of my favorite things, since I am at home on my lunch break...Eat!

Thursday, October 18, 2007

misheard words

Who hasn't heard somebody say something and misunderstood them? It's a very common occurrence, especially in teenagers. Honestly it's happened to me so many times that I can't even think of one that sticks out so much. The only time I can think of is when it was super hot outside. The sun was so strong that you didn't want to do anything at all. It was a Monday morning (Monday's are when the garbage gets taken out). My mom came into my room on at a very early time and asked me to check if the garbage was gone when I got up. When I woke up I couldn't quite remember what she told me but I remembered the word gone, except I interpreted it lawn. So I mowed the lawn. It was brown for awhile. I realized my mistake when my mom called and asked if the garbage was GONE or if the holiday had screwed up the schedule.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

writing is not a contest

I'm down tonight, basically because of the fact that I do disagree with this statement. I didnt do so well on a paper that I had spend a lot of time on. The fact that I know others that might not be as good of writers as I scored better because, for some reason, I can't manage to get my sourcing down really bugs me. I'm a very competitive person, so I do take writing as a contest. It's a competition to see who can earn the best grade or at least tie for it. I settle for ties. To be at the low end for me is hard. Writing may not be a contest to all. It all depends on the person's attitude and the way they look at their writing. Chances are, if a person isn't very passionate about something, they aren't going to fight for it.

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

stop when youre done

This is such a true statement, however, it is not always realistic. It is always best to stop a paper when you are done. WHen you have nothing left to write about, stop. The problem when you dont stop is how much filler ends up being incooporated into your work. Filler is every readers nightmare. It can take a fabulous idea and turn it into a piece of work that isn't worth the time it took to create it. For instance, no grief here, Huckleberry Finn. I thought the central idea of that book was good, but it seemed like it had about an extra 100 pages of "what is he talking about?" in it. Stopping when you are ready to stop is not always an easy thing to do, especially in an english class. Even with a topic you love it's sometimes hard to get the full amount of words/pages that you are suppose to take up. That's when filler starts being added. So really here, teachers should start taking examples. There should not be required lengths for papers...after all Zinsser did tell me to stop when I'm ready. :)

Monday, October 15, 2007

writing regularly

Zinsser says this because it is true. That's why we do these blogs. Writing more often helps writers to become more comfortable with their writing. It helps them to get to know their own style, and associated with the different tricks. It takes a while to break habits. I have a problem myself with commas. I add them where they are not needed becuase I used to leave them out when they were needed. I tried to break that habit with putting a comma in where ever I thought one might be needed. I am currently trying to break my habit of comma overusage, and I think I have become better about it. Writing more often makes your writing better. It's like the phrase practice makes perfect!

Sunday, October 14, 2007

done with a paper

So many feelings can come over me when I am finished writing a paper. Most of the time I am completely relieved. Papers are always stressful, to complete, make sure you have the correct information, and enough of it to fulfill your length demand. I can't help but feel anxious or sad when I'm done writing a paper too. It's hard to let somebody judge you on such a personal level. I put my heart, my soul, my experiences, my life, and my opinions into my papers. Sometimes people don't like your papers because of those things that you add into it. It's hard to put yourself out there so detailed and have somebody say that those deep parts of you are only mediocre. Sometimes I love the topic for a paper, and the paper itself so much it's hard to be done with it.

critics

A good critic doesn't only criticize. They inform people. There are critics for just about everything; every profession, every activity. They tell us, as consumers, what we need to know, so we can make an educated decision, whether that is choosing the right movie, the right cereal, the right microwave so we can cook our salmonella pot pies, and even up to the right doctor to see for our surgeries. A critic can be used for many things, especially a skillful one. Somebody has to be the one to decide who or what is the best or who/what doesn't quite fulfill their responsibilities. As citizens, we can be thankful for the skilled critics, because without them we wouldn't get a fair judgment on our products. We can especially be thankful for them if we are the ones being judged.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

hard to praise things well

In this day it's difficult to praise something the way it truely deserves. You can never tell when somebody is actually prasing your work, or just being nice. In turn, that makes it hard to take a compliment truely to heart. Even if somebody is honestly praising work, it's not always accurate. It takes an educated person to be able to praise something, becuase you have to be able to compare it to something. If an uneducated person tries to desribe why a piece of pie is good, without having tried other pieces of pie of the same kind, but from a different pie, they wouldn't truely be able to praise the pie. Most of the time work that is praised is poorly praised, and doesn't get the attention it deserved in the first place.

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

best breakfast cereal

I am a HUGE fan of cereal. It's one of my top 5 comfort foods. It's generally a food everybody has in their house, and if worse comes to worse I will eat cereal for dinner 7 days a week. I am always in a different mood for a different cereal with my indescisive self, but their is one cereal I will always come running to in the end; captain crunch. I'm not talking about that peanut butter crunch or crunchberry stuff. I'm talking about the real thing-the original. It has a hint of peanut butter, but not so much that you have to use peanut butter in the name. It's sweeter than cherrios but not too sweet like waffle crisp. Captain crunch has to be the best cereal ever, and I'm not just saying that. However, it's most likely not the best for you, so I usually stick to my wheaties!

Monday, October 8, 2007

colombus or native american day

I have heard some controversy over this issue. People say that they shouldn't be together since Colombus took Native Americans with him to be slaves. I understand that issue. At the same time I see it differently. It's not a day to celebrate enslaving Native Americans. It's more of a way to honor them. They were here first. To me it's a day of celebration for all of us as a whole. It's the day that this very place we are, was discovered. We should all be thankful for that. As far as I'm concerned, if people have a big to do about it, we should just change the name. I have no idea what it should be, but somebody could think of something that compromises. If I had to pick though, I would think Colombus Day makes more sense. After all, he was the one who got lost in the first place.

anything for halloween

This year I have no idea what I'm going to be for halloween. Yes, I do still actually dress up. Hypothetically I would like to be somebody who has all my stuff together. It's my senior year and I feel like I'm stretched so thin I have nothing left to give. Heck, this blog is late! Maybe by halloween I will have it all together. In the sense of actually dressing up, I will probably dress similar to my seven year old sister. It's a running tradition we have. The girls in my grade like to buy "skimpy" outfits to dress up in, on the occasion and go trick-o-treating in but, we end up putting on double layers since it's always cold. I'll wear something simliar to them when we go out. I am excited for Halloween this year. It means the semester is that much closer to being done!

Thursday, October 4, 2007

Zinsser says, speaking of writing, "Be grateful for everything you can throw away" (16). Why?

In writing you want your paper to be the most informative and interesting as it can be. Sometimes we add too much information, to try to add to it, but in general we don't need the extra filler. Writing is a mixture of adding just enough information and leaving just enough out. Filler is a big no-no. I have read books that have great content, and a good theme to it, but is impossible to read because of all the extra words they add. We have to be grateful for the things we can leave out, since having too much is usually better than not having enough. Taking something out of your piece just means that it's strong enough to stand by itself without the help of the filler.

Wednesday, October 3, 2007

favorite sport

I love sports. As a child I played basketball, I swam, I played softball, and I started to run track when I was in 7th grade. Two out of the four sports I developed skill in, softball and swimming. Then one fateful day I was going out to catch a pop fly and the ball slipped in between my glove and my face. I had a fat lip for days. I haven't played softball in competition since that day. I stopped swimming when I got older, because it didn't fit into my schedule. I was never BAD at basketball, I just didn't have a wide range of skills. I was good at defense, really good, but that my offense was lacking in skills. I am still in track although it's not the most fun. I am in it, more for the social aspect of it. I have to say my favorite sport to watch is none of these. It's hockey. It's amazing to be right up in there. You can see all of the players get angry, until finally explodes into a fight. With hockey you dont score a million points a game, so every point counts. That makes the game more exciting and every goal makes the crowd sit a little bit closer to the edge of their seat.

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

favorite food

I have to say I don't have a favorite food. I am not a very picky eater. I never have been. One of my comfort foods is popcorn; kettle corn especially. I am a very big fan of anything Italian. To be more exact, anything pasta. I will try just about anything that has an association with pasta. I have yet to find a pasta dish I didn't enjoy, but my favorite is alfredo. I guess if I had to chose a favorite food though, it would be tomatoes. I am not a fan of ketchup, or tomato juice, but I am a huge fan of tomatoes. I put them on just about anything a tomato could possibly goes with. I have a tomato garden, and every summer I freeze tomotoes, since it's nice to have fresh tomatoes with chilli and goulash, especially in the winter. One of the strangest things that show my love of tomatoes, is that I actually eat them like an apple. I will take the tomato and bite into it without putting anyting with it or on it. Most people cringe when they see or hear this, but I bet if you tried it, you would like it.

Monday, October 1, 2007

my thoughts on writing

I agree with Zinsser. Writing can be very difficult. Writing can be very boring and monotonous. As a student, it is my job to write about the topic given to me, whether it is something I feel very passionate about or something I could care less about. Even with a lot of research and knowledge on a topic, I sometimes still have difficulty filling up the amount of required space. I do enjoy writing though; otherwise I might not very well be in the class I'm currently enrolled in. Writing has always come easier to me than others. I enjoy learning about different topics, and when I have an on day with writing, I still can awe myself with what I can create from one thought. Overall I would have to say that I enjoy writing...most of the time.

plagiarism is like blank because blank

Plagiarism is like stealing because you are taking somebody's ideas without asking, and without giving them the credit for the information. Plagiarism can occur in many different ways, even without you knowing it, but that doesn't make it any less serious. That's why it's very important for you to educate yourself on the correct ways to give credit to your sources and in the process using their ideas but putting them into your own words, as not to copy them word for word. There's a fine line, and the only way to not cross it, is to always source the website, book, magazine, or file that gives you the information you requested. Never copy and paste, because even if you source, that can get you into trouble, and the consequences of plagiarism do not weigh lightly on students.

Thursday, September 27, 2007

one of my favorite non fiction books

My favorite book of all time is sort of boarderline fiction/non-fiction. It's called A Separate Peace, by John Knowles. The book is about a man named Gene who returns to his boarding school, and relives the adventures he had there as a boy. Gene was very competitive with his best friend Finny and one day he bounced him off of a tree branch while they were jumping into the river. Finny broke his leg. People knew that Gene caused Finny to break his leg, although neither of the boys would confess to it. In the end Finny hurts himself again, when the other boys try to tell him that Gene caused him to break his leg in the first place. He rushes out of the room and falls down some stairs, re-breaking his leg. When the doctors go to reset the broken leg, bone marrow escapes into Finny's bloodstream and he passes away. This book is based off of real people, and true events, but years and names and physical descriptions have been changed around.

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Qualities of bad writing

Many people don't write poorly; they just are not educated enough to write correctly. Badly written pieces are choppy, hard to understand, and don't engage the reader. Most of the pieces won't use a variety of words, which makes them very simple. Poor writing has no sensory details, so it's very hard to get yourself into what you are reading. Reasons for poor writing may have to do with the face that the writer does not feel strongly about the topic that they are writing about. They might have to put in filler sentences that do not belong, just to add length to the piece. Sometimes it may not be the writers fault at all, if the audience doesn't enjoy the piece, like if the readers do not feel strongly or relate to the topic. Poorly written pieces can be revised and made into a better piece, with practice.

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Good writing

Good writing qualities, don't only lie in the way that you use your words. Of course your sentences need to make sense, and be structured in a way that is understandable to readers, but the writing needs to be more than that. Good writing paints a picture for a reader, without actually showing what you are talking about. It gives good sensory detail. If the writer is talking about a campfire, they shouldn't only use the word campfire for the surrounding's details. They should use words that describe what it's like to be right next to the warm, orange fire that dances with ever breeze of the wind, while the dark silhouetted trees sway back and forth. Writing is overall sharing an experience with people, and the only way to do that justice is to tell the whole truth, leaving nothing out.

Motivation is at the heart of writing

Anybody can write about something. Not all people can write about something and actually mean it, though. To me, this phrase means that for your writing to truly mean something; for it to really be able to connect with a reader and make them feel for the topic as you feel, it has to be something you are passionate for. Having a passion for something, will in turn give you the motivation to write about it in a way that translates your feelings onto paper. In the simplest terms I can think of, this phrase means that the very core of your writing, the part that makes it what it is, is how much you put into it, and how much you care for it.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

The best writing teacher I've ever had

I have several english teachers that I have loved. I am not sure that I can chose between them. Mr. TerWee was my teacher all the way from 5th grade to 8th grade. He taught me some of the very most important things I use in my writing today. He shaped the strength from which I write upon and that is what makes him one of my greatest teachers. Sarge was my 9th grade english teacher. Most people will say that she is one of the toughest teachers they ever had, and boy was she. For some reason, though, I was able to really connect with her teaching and grow on it. Mrs. Sarar was my 10th grade english teacher, speech teacher, and is currently the teacher for my AP english class. She is tough, and funny, and fair, and helps. She listens and really connects with students, to try and help them understand their writing better. Out of all these teachers I could not pick. They have all helped to shape the style and form of my writing, so much. Together they have made one pretty amazing student. :)

Research Memories

I remember having to do a paper on stem cell research for speech class. That is something I feel very strongly about. I am for it. I have a very strong belief, that with stem cell research, we can fight many of the life threatening diseases that plague us today. I was able to research something I felt very strongly about, and add points from my personal life, which made it more sentimental. This project also gave other people the opportunity to create their speech opposite to yours, which is what one girl in my grade did. So she gave her speech, and I gave mine. Our ideas opposed one another. Our grades may have depended on the research we did; how accurate it was. I think this is the research project that I learned the most from.

The writer I would like to be

I plan on majoring in biology, and minoring in english. I would like to some day publish my own book, though I'm not sure what I want it to be about. I don't really write for others. Then again, I don't really write for myself either. I don't usually think my work is that good. I write becuase it's what I like to do. I write because it's a sense of release. I would like to become a better, stronger writer. Who wouldn't like to be able to paint a picture for somebody, just with their words? That is what I want to do. I would just like to inspire just ONE person with my writing some day. One person inspired is better than none.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

The best thing I ever wrote

In all honesty, I don't think I'm one to judge that. Overall, I don't see my writing as that good. I have a very difficult time composing papers, because I question myself so much. Something I would see as good, somebody else might not see as a quality piece of literature. Out of all the things I have wrote, my favortie has to be a story I wrote last year. It was about a fictional character, Sean, who had just gotten out of jail and ended up stalking down his ex-girlfriend, Katelyn, in an attempt to repay her for testifying against him. Katelyn ends up with an empty tank of gas and stuck on the side of the road. When Sean shows up, he takes her against her will. After driving for a long while, and talking to her he stops and gets her out of the car. He brings her into a barn and kills her. The story, to me, is much better on paper, but out of all the things I have wrote, this has to be favorite. I don't think it is only my favorite because I like the writing so well, it has some figurative meaning in my life too.

Library Memories

I can't say I have too many library memories. Most of them are filled with shelf stocking at a young age, checking out books, and watching the librarian try to get people to be quiet, and making more of a scene out of it. My favorite memory in the library has to be one of the games we played, called "honey, do you love me". It's basically a game to see if you can make somebody smile by the way you say "honey, do you love me?". If they could respond with a firm "no" without smiling, they won the game. They then moved on to the rest of the class and the last two people played, until somebody could hold their smile. There's many creative ways you can make somebody smile, and my class out of any of them was willing to try anything.

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Accident

I have made many mistakes in my life, and I have been in a few accidents, but the one that sticks out in my head the most is the day I backed into my brother's car. It was 8:00 am and school started at 8:25 am. Most of the time I got up at 7:25 just to gel my hair, which is my lazy way of doing it. I rushed through my shower, threw on some clothes, got myself as presentable as the time allowed, brushed my teeth and I was out. My 21 year old brother, for some odd reason, had just decided to move home for a while. For some other odd reason, he decided to park right behind my car, when I was parked in the garage. I flew out to my car, got inside while the garage door opened, turned on the car, put it in reverse and there I went...for about 3 seconds when I noticed my car had stopped moving and there was some odd loud noise. Since I had forgotten he moved home I didn't even realize what had happened, and got out of my car annoyed, because I thought it was the garbage can. When I saw my pinkish red car, blended with my brother's new Honda, my stomach fell out of my body and I turned as white as snow that hasn't been peed on. I learned from my mistake, and I no longer back up out of my driveway at 200 mph. All I can say is that maybe next time, they should put a post it note up for me so I can remember where my brother is.

Words to live by

"Fortune favors the brave"
I'm going to be honest. I never had really thought about living by quotes. I do what I do, and I don't do it for anybody else's reasons, but when I read this quote, it made me think of myself. There's a lot of different ways you can put the meaning of this quote, for instance, "taking the bull by the horns". To me this quote means, that things don't come to you; instead you work for the good things that you achieve. There's the quote "good things come to those who wait", but if you think about it, do they? Sure, in some cases they might, but if you ever talked to a homeless man and asked him what he was doing, and he replied, "waiting for my rent to come to me", you would laugh, because that won't happen. To make payments for college, to achieve your career, you are going to have to work for it; at least at some point you would. Fortune in your life wouldn't mean as much if you didn't have to work for it.

The Nicest Thing Ever Said To Me

Maddi; She's my mini. We have the same hair, the same eyes, and the same bone structure. About the only thing different about us is our age and our voices. She's seven year old, and she's my half sister. Well, half by blood, whole by heart. I love her with every fiber of my being. This summer on one of our family bonding events I was playing with her in the pool; probably holding her in the deep end, since she loves to go in it but is to afraid to swim on her own, she said, "I hope I'm like you when I'm your age". It might not seem like something that would make your heart melt, but coming from a six (at the time) year old, it's so genuine and honest. We are almost alike, except the fact that her heart is about four times the size of mine (not literally). Maddi will end up looking like me, but she is going to be a much better person than I ever will be, and I'm so proud of her for the kindness she shares with people. I hope, in turn that some day, I can be like her.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Why Remember??

Septemeber eleventh will always be a part of history. At my age, even people quite a bit older than me, this is the most important historical event we have been alive to see. The day the planes hit the tower, reporters said "nothing will ever be the same". Well they were right. We are currently at war. Our country is much more restricted, with Homeland security. Really why should we remember though? Well, we should remember, because if we don't remember, we disrespect all the people that were in the two planes that hit the World Trade Centers, the people that hit the pentagon, and the brave people who crashed the plane in Pennsylvania. If we don't remember, we forget about all the people that are currently fighting for freedom oversees. If we don't remember we lose what we prize so much in this country, freedom. Overall we should remember because those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it.

Monday, September 10, 2007

My Grandparents

My grandparents have been a very essential part of my life, especially on my mother's side.
On my father's side, my grandfather is no longer with us. He passed away when I was only about 18 months old. My grandmother is with us, but I don't see her as often as I would like to. When I was two years old my parents split, and my mother, my brother, and I moved in with my grandparents. We lived with them for about a year, and ever since then they have been a very influencial part of my life. My grandfather was a doctor. He used to take me into work and let me interact with the patients. Ever since then, I have had the passion for helping people and wish to follow in his footsteps and become a doctor, hopefully half as good as him. My grandma has always been the very nurturing kind of woman, especially with me! She has taught me how to cook, and clean. I don't think she minded teaching me how to clean, since I helped her get her chores done. To this day I help my grandparents as much as I can, since I know I owe it to them. They are the foundation on which I was raised. Without them, I might not be who I am today.