Book Review #4; Black Creek Crossing May 30, 2008

I have just recently read the book Black Creek Crossing by John Saul. In this book a young teenage girl moves to a new town and is forced to go to a new school. At this school her cousin and his friends decide that she is now going to be the root of all there mean jokes. She then befriends another burnout loser with no friends. Angel and Seth realize that there is something terribly wrong with Angel’s new house, weird things have been happening inside and out of her house. They begin to dig deep into the mysterious and dark corners of the evil that lurks through the halls of the house on Black Creek Crossing. But once they begin they can not stop. Forced to make the decision that will change there lives forever.

I think one of the weirdest parts of this book is Angels first night at her new house when she smells smoke in her room and finds a girl her age burning inside. It just me thinking on how it would be for me if I saw a girl around my age engulfed in flames and burning in my closet. I don’t think I would be able to sleep in my room ever again.

A part I think is just restarted is at the end when Seth and Angel decide “Hey lets kill our parents then hang ourselves on the tree!” I mean for real who in the world would really decide to hang them selves on a giant tree after getting rid of there parents. Its just dumb and it irritates me. And why would you want to kill your parents anyway? I mean sure sometimes it would be nice but I would not really want to do it like seriously and then proceed to hang myself next to my one and only friend. What goes through peoples heads these days?

This book has some really interesting and terrifying events happen. I would defiantly recommend this book to everyone. Its a fast read and very much awesome!

Response Paper # 10; Argumentitive Letter April 29, 2008

Dear Madam,

 

I am writing to you because I need a letter. You should send me a letter because I am a very special individual. You see I have blondish curly hair which of course you should know makes me very special. I also never never never ever never ever get mail. It would be nice to get a letter every now and then. Getting mail makes me happy which being happy makes me happy and in feeling happy that makes me happy and things that make happy are usually happy things and I like happy things because they make me rather happy and in feeling said emotion I feel so very happy. I like feeling happy and mail makes me happy.

 

Also, I deserve mail because I am a very good homo sapien. I have an IQ of 68 which you know is very high indeed. Intelligent people get mail all the time, well all intellectuals but me. Since I am such an intelligent person I should get mail. You know reading makes people smarter, you learn new words and things. Reading a letter is just like reading a book, only with better information and it takes less time, usually. Just think if everyone sent a letter to the little Pig Meas down in New Guinea they would no longer be the little Pig Meas of New Guinea they would be known as the very smart civilization once known as the little Pig Meas of New Guinea. There would be no more starving children in Africa if we all sent them letters because they would know how to properly hunt and plant food and things like that. Just think how smart everyone would be, it would be awesome.

 

I thought of you to help me solve this issue because you, as I have heard, enjoy writing so I thought what a good way to help you out with your joys. I like helping people out. You should like helping too. Therefore, you should seriously send me a letter. Helping people makes you an even better person than you already are. Of course everyone wants to become a better person. Also, helping people makes other people like you, good or bad. As well as you know people like people to like them, well unless you are a complete burnout loser with no friends. But, what a better way to get more friends then to be a better person then by helping other burnout losers with no friends, luckily I am not a burnout loser with no friends I indeed have lots of them, not all of them are invisible either. Its in the human nature to want to be liked by others and want what others have and never be satisfied but anyway, to fulfill all that human nature stuff you just need to become a better person and not be a burnout loser with no friends. Therefore, you should begin your transformation into goodness by helping out poor old me, a non burnout non losery person willing to help a burnout loser with no friends, like yourself, become a non burnout non losery person.

 

I have come to the conclusion that you are probably tired of hearing me go on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on about how much I need a letter and how you should be the one to send me said letter. I hate it when people just won’t stop talking about the same thing, even though I do it ALL the time. As your eyes are burning and your head is probably spinning with great thoughts to write about in your letter to me. I suppose I could just keep writing to you about how much I need a letter. I t has been a dream of mine since I was just “a bun in the oven” of mine to receive a letter with very personal information contained inside it. I want to know everything about you. Your thoughts, your likes dislikes, birthday, address, car type, room location in your home, etc. If you could please include the following information in you letter it would be very appreciated: Name, age, address, phone number, social security number, occupation, job description, type of shampoo you use, your perfume flavor, what kind of chap stick do you prefer scented or non scented, so on so forth. I am very excited to be hearing from you very soon.

 

Sincerely,

Alison Hansen

Book Review 2 April 27, 2008

While watching or reading The Wizard of Oz have you ever wondered who was the Wicked Witch of the West? I did. Of course we all know the Wicked witch to be the most wicked and terrifying witch in all of classic American literature. But, Gregory McGuire had a different take on her. Gregory McGuire is the author of Wicked: The life and times of the Wicked Witch of the West.

Wicked is the story of the life of Elphaba, a daughter of Minister Frex. Born green her parents completely neglected her as a child, only caring for there second daughter Nessarose, born with no arms. When Elphaba leaves for Shiz University near The Emerald City, bringing Nessarose with her, she meets Galinda, later known as Glinda the good witch. Forced to room together these two opposites learn the true meaning of friendship and lifelong “sisters”. Also, when at school Elphaba meets Fyiero, a prince of the Ajarik.

Upon leaving Shiz Elphaba relizes her precious wizard of Oz is behind all the bad goings on in Oz. She turns to a secret underground society and shuts out everyone she knows and loves. Fyiero meets Elphaba by chance in the Emerald City. Trying to bring her back into the light we learn the real meaning of “evil” and how The Wicked Witch became the Wicked Witch.

One of my favorite parts of this book is when Elphaba first arrives at Shiz. I think its really funny because everyone is giving her a hard time for being green but she doesn’t take offense to any of it and just returns the favor with witty comments.

I would recommend this book for anyone who loved The Wizard of Oz and is searching for the root of all evil.

Response paper #9; February 20th April 27, 2008

 

Its just a regular day, a regular Wednesday to be perfectly exact.” That was the thought that crossed my mind the morning of Wednesday, February 20^th. I was very wrong.

Just two simple words can bring me back th that “regular” day, Fiddler practice. On February 20^th we had an after school practice for the school musical, Fiddler on the Roof. As sad as this may sound I never had a “first kiss” until last term, February 20^th. My friend, let’s call him Bill, is tall with black shaggy hair. He is such a sweet heart, always trying to make people laugh and smile (which he is very good I might add). Well, Bill was like my best friend since first term I mean we did just about everything together, I was the one who got him to do the musical with me. On this “regular Wednesday Bill had been trying to kiss me all day long by hugging me and trying to get a little closer than “friend like”. I thought that it all was a little strange but I was okay with it because he’s just so darn cute! Finally, during Fiddler practice, just before we rehearsed Tradition, I gave him a hug, and there it was. I guess it was like Romeo kissing Juliet, how she knew it was going to happen, but at the same time it came unexpectedly. I never would have thought that he would actually kiss me in the middle of play practice, but he did. I think Shakespeare described the feeling best in Romeo and Juliet “Smile Heavens upon this holy act after hours with sorrow chide us not!” (2.6. line). It’s like afterwards nothing bad can happen and life is great, wonderful, and glorious.

I can still see the look on my best friend “Joan’s” face when I told her what happened. She freaked out, and it was very loud and jumpy. Pretty soon every girl in the musical knew what had happened because of Joan’s reaction. My face turned a very bright tomato red and it soon became quit warm inside the studio. I felt bad for Bill because everyone was flipping out and asking him about it. It was kind of funny as well as embarrassing. Anyway, after we did Tradition he kept asking questions like “Wanna go out sometime?” I really didn’t know what to say because you never can tell when Bill is being serious or not. I would have never known he was serious if my friend “Nancy” hadn’t come over and told me was, so I said “Yeah.”

That’s basically how the whole thing began and everything went downhill from there. We did the musical and had some pretty good times. Like for example we went to Village Inn after the Saturday night performance, not just me and Bill but the whole cast. At Village Inn it was Bill, Me, Joan, and her boyfriend (Bill’s best friend) “Max” all at a table. We were there until around twelve thirty, one o’ clock, just sitting having some laughs singing and dancing the musical songs, it was awesome.

Then a new term started after a long four day weekend. But, when we came to school on that Wednesday, Bill was completely ignoring me. He wouldn’t even look at me, for an entire day. The next day I texted him, “…. is there a reason you were ignoring me yesterday?” and he said “…. this weekend just got me thinking and I guess I changed.”

Of course I was confused when he said that and I continued to text him throughout the day. Though we never spoke a word to each other. When at the end of fourth period he texted “….. you don’t even deserve a jerk like me, just dump me,” I had no idea what he was talking about, and of course that probably meant he did something really bad over the weekend. So, I said “…. what did you do?”

Finally, at the beginning of fifth period I got my answer, he said “…. lets just say I’m not a virgin anymore.” That pretty much ripped my heart out. Fortunately my good friend Posh was there to keep me calm and she comforted me a whole ton. When the bell rang I literally ran up the stairs to Joan and just bawled, for the first time in like a year or so. When I got home it took me about .5 seconds to go from sad and upset to royally pissed off, I punched the wall twice. The next day, Friday, I went over to Joan’s house ate a whole carton of Ben and Jerry’s Chocolate Ice cream, watched Romeo and Juliet, and of course went on an hour and a half rant about how stupid boys are and what the true meaning of love really is. Now as I think back on it I can see how I have “changed” by having my heart broken I now no longer take friends and loved ones for granted.

 

Book Review April 6, 2008

            I read The Mist by Stephen King. In the book a mysterious mist covers the small town of Bridgton, Maine. Inside the mist lurks the creatures of your darkest dreams. David Drayton and his son Billy are two of the twenty or so of the town’s people and some tourists. Trapped for three days inside the town market, if they even open the door to the market they risk the lives of everyone sheltered inside. After realizing the mist was not going anywhere and after losing half the population David and Amanda Dumpfries decide its time they all escape. Taking a gun, raid, and five others they make a run for David’s car. David, Amanda, and Billy escape Bridgton and realize the mist has spread to everywhere. They drive together to an uncertain future.

            One thing I really liked about this book was how it kept my attention. For example during one part everybody in the market is cozily sleeping, and in the next paragraph BOOM! Something enters the market or someone tries to escape.

The thing I didn’t care for much was one character, Mrs. Carmody. This lady is the obnoxious, crazy, religious old lady that every book has, she was always saying how they needed to give the creatures a human sacrifice. This freaked the others out a little and made me want to punch her. 

I really liked this book overall. The Mist keeps you on your toes and thinking, which makes a pretty dang good book. Its got thrilling and terrifying parts as well as a little love story despite the horrifying events. I would definitely recommend this book to any and everybody that enjoys a little spook. 

 

 

Response paper 8; Its a School Week February 8, 2008

Picture it. Its a Friday and your sitting all alone in your big house with nothing to do, most of your friends are still in school. As you sit on your couch watching Oprah you wonder quietly to yourself, why in the heck did my school make the dumb decision to give us a four day school week?

 A four day school week, sounds great right? Well, it may not be as wonderful as you might think. Remember all those weekends sitting alone with nothing to do, bored out of your mind? Well imagine that, for three days instead of two. At first it will be great and fun then later you may realize what a dumb choice it really was. You go to school for four days from 8:30 to 4:30, not that bad if you live close to your school. Since our school has students from all over (Sandy, Muarry, Ogden, ect.) these students don’t get home until around 5 or later. If we go to school until 4:30, we wont get home until around 6:30 or 7. Getting home that late can cause issues with our homework, community events that were involved with, and many others.

There may be some advantages with having a four day school week. For example you would have another day, like a weekend, to study for that big math test on Monday or catch up on missing homework. It may even help with our attendance problems. Although, a four day school week can cause a bigger attendance issue, it would make students think “since we only have four days, why go?” The four day school week can cause issues with respecting teachers and school property.

 To me the more time you spend at a school gives you that much more school spirit and respect for the building. I tend to fall in love with places that are a fun, friendly environment and the more time I spend in these places the more I love and respect them. I think if we take another school day away it will cause students to act out on others and the building itself. Giving students another weekend day will give them more time to destruct public and private property and doing that outside of school will get them in the habit of doing it inside of school. Also, taking away a school day and giving another weekend day will begin unhealthy practices like sleeping too late and eating nothing but chips, pop, and other junk foods. It can also cause students to forget what they learned over the week.

I think the four day school week is a bad idea because attendance may get worse, grades could drop lower, and students can loose school spirit. A four day school week, a good idea?

Response paper 7; Spock the Sparow January 31, 2008

 On a beautiful cloudless Saturday morning Spock the Sparrow was wondering aimlessly in the park. The other birds in the park started staring and talking about the little bird, you see he was talking rather loudly to himself. He was saying something crazy to the “voices in his head”. “Leave me alone!” Spock the Sparrow was screaming. One of the birds casually walked over to Spock to see what was the matter. “Is everything alright? I mean you are talking rather lould and its very disturbing.” He politley asked. “I’m just trying to stop everyone talking to me at once! I can’t think when everyone is talking to me.” Spock shouted. “You know what, I need a vacation. I can’t work in these conditions. I’m leaving and all of you can stay right here!” He scrame and stormed back to his tree house to pack, leaving the other bird to wonder what the heck it was all about.

The next day, a gorgous Sunday, Spock left for his vacation. He went everywhere, all around the world. Unfortunatly for Spock his little friends decided to join him on his journey. All threw his travels Spock was talking and screaming to himself. Leaving an impression on and in every country, town, and park he went to.

The most unforgettable visit was in Bangkok, Thailand. Spock was at the Temple of The Emrald Buddah, when he created his biggest fuss. In the middle of his tour he began kicking and screaming like a mad-man. He kept sreaming as loud as birdly possible, “Leave me alone! Go away! Stop talking to me! Don’t touch me!” Of course no one was anywhere near Spock the Sparrow, or did anyone even talk to to the bird. And as you could have guessed Spock was asked to leave first politly but then, not so polity he was literally thrown out of The Temple of the Emrald Buddah. Spock immediatly left for Adwa, Ethiopia.

Spocks last visit was to Adwa, Ethiopia. What a tragic ending for a small pitiful, scitzafrentic bird. You see birds never last all that long in Adwa, they don’t get much food.Not long after he arrived he was ambushed by a tribe of starving Ethiopian children. He luckily got away from the children but ran right off a cliff. It was a sad sad day in the town of Adwa, a good plump sparrow gone to waste. At least now Spock is free of his friends in his head. The moral of this story is: never visit Ethiopia if you are plump, a bird, or scientifically crazy.

     

     

Response paper 6; Hadreien January 31, 2008

Hero’s are very nice things. Well, to begin I suppose it would be nice to start with this heroes name. Her name is Hadreien. She is an ugly little child who belongs in the loony bin, which is where she is right now. She thinks she’s an all powerful goddess who has been trapped in a human body her whole life. Which is why her parents locked her up and threw away the key.

If I didn’t know any better I would believe everything else about her. That she is crazy and deserves what comes to her but, being her sister I know from spirit that she is what she thinks she is. Hadreien has gone threw many hardships in her short little life. Her real parents died in a fire set by the evil Catrina. Hadreien wants Catrina dead, and will do anything to kill her. So this is where we are I guess thats what this story is all about.

As you may have guessed Hadreien escapes from the loony bin in search for her evil mistress. Catrina lays hiding away far from civil life, beyond the little brats reach and in case you didn’t know I am Catrina. Whaahahahahahaha.

Right now as far as I can see Hadreien is in the village down the road from a town by the name of Lapsen where it smells of honey and sweets. How wonderful the little brat is getting sweets thats just what she needs. She probably wont know where to go from there. Even if she knew where I was she wouldn’t be able to find me because my house is hidden in the far valleys of Nembose a dangerous town indeed.

When I look through my crystal ball I can see any and everything that Hadreien does. She stands in the middle of Lapsen searching high and low with all her might to find a speck of me. For the past few hours Hadreien has been asking anyone in sight if they have seen or heard anything from me in the past few weeks. Of course when they heard Catrina slip her pale pink lips they ran in fear or began to cry, all but one. One poor peasant girl, Tyronasana, did not run or cry in fear she told the story of her poor parents death, boo hoo hoo. Tyronasana believed it was my evil doing that caused her parents to start up in flame and burn. Well, what can I say? I take pride in torturing the loved that are not worthy of love. With this information at hand Hadreien decides its a bout time to leave, Tyronasana wants to join her on her journey to the depths of my lair. Halfheartedly Hadreien denies the girls accompaniment, this is something she must do alone.

After leaving Lapsen with Tyronasana’s information at her disposal she begins to journey to a more treacherous land, the land of the CHUDs, cannibalistic humanoid underground dwellers. The CHUDs do not accept foreigners with a very lively attitude, in fact they may be even more evil and maniacal than me, then again maybe not. The CHUDs have been cursed with the most hateful curse of all, the curse of cannibalism. They have been starved for the past eleven and half years, the last time someone ventured onto their Island. Oh, how very sad for Hadreien, to become a dinner party for the CHUDs, too bad I can’t join them. As she ventures onto the island she relizes that something is not quite right. As she goes further into the dark deep forest Alejandra, the CHUD queen, comes forth and approaches the girl.

“What brings to our lovely and humble island my dear, sweet, skinny child?” Alejandra asks in a raspy, witch-like voice.

“I am so very sorry to have disturbed you, ma’am, but I am looking for the evil Catrina, I intend to do her harm.” relies the sweet girl.

“Well then I must say you are welcome hear, as long as you join us for a little, get together we are having. Boys, grab the girl!” Alejandra yells. Confused and scared Hadreien tries to run past the four incredibly strong men. As she scurried for freedom and tries to pull out the sword at her side, she is knocked out by a bolder flying in the air. The four men bring Hadreien to a little camp about four miles away from the islands edge. Alejandra quietly whispers that the child is to brought up to her castle well seasoned and ready for dinner.

As a few CHUD women begin the proper seasoning ritual Tyronasana runs at them with a giant stick and jabs at them screaming for them to let her go. Little did she know a giant CHUD was behind her with a boulder, and knocked her out too. With both girls the CHUDs would a very hearty dinner. Right as the women began to season Tyronasana Hadreien wakes up and crawls past them. As she stands up she realizes she still had the sword, and she swung down on them. Fortunately for her she had had some practice at the Loony Bin. Unfortunatley it was to late to save poor Tyronasana, she had already been cooked. As Hadreien begins back to the water to continue search for me, who does she meet?

Here I stand right in front of this poor little hepless “hero”. But will she recognize me? I think so. She stares for a while then relizes who it is she is staring at, the one the only Catrina. When she relizes who it is she pulls out the sword and challenges me to a fight, and of course I accept. With swords clincking and some magic flying through the air we relize it is a lost cause and stop. As we sit on the sandy beach and talk we disscuss what really happened to our parents and I confess to not doing it, I had to build a reputation somehow. When we finish talking we stand, hug, and head for home.

Its about time we avenge our parents together, but thats another story.

Response paper 5; My Superman January 10, 2008

The smell of gasoline is in the air as a dark figure is thrown across the sky. Superman is flying up above the dark figure his red cape flapping in the wind. The dark figure begins to get up and jump at superman biting and growling in mid-jump. Superman runs around him in with his super speed power. Superman picks up the dark figure and with great strength throws him into the outer realm of this world. Superman is the hero of the small town. What makes him a hero anyway? Is it his super speed? Extreme strength? Ability to fly? No, superman is considered a hero because of his bravery, willingness to fight evil against all odds, and who can forget about how very attractive Superman is.

What makes a hero a hero? You could do the nerdy thing and look hero up in the dictionary or you can look into your heart. When I think of a hero I think of someone who will fight (not always with weapons or powers) to stand up for what he/she believes in. A hero is not just some one who stands up to “villains” to get fame and glory but for the greater good. Take superman for example, yes he has some totally awesome powers and a great six pack, he has a choice to fight against evil and save man kind. Superman doesn’t have to leave home and nearly die for the world he could just sit home and pretend that there is no evil in the world. A hero is also some one who will do what is right in a time of crisis. They will protect the ones the ones they love and sometimes even a complete stranger.

`In the story The Odyssey Odysseus is thought to be a grand hero. While reading it yesterday it didn’t really seem to me that he was that much of a hero. To me a hero doesn’t go into another village to plunder and enslave women and children, would Superman do that? I feel that in order to call some one a hero they need to act and treat others like one. Although, the story also said that he fought almost to the death to get his men home safely, that is a hero-like trait. It just doesn’t seem right to call Odysseus a hero because of some of the things he has done to other people and villages.

Everyone has a personal hero, whether or not its a super hero like our dear friend Superman or an everyday hero. My hero is my dad. He has many hero-like attributes. For instance he has done everything he can do to provide and keep his family safe and alive, even if it means we never get to see him but once or twice a week. My dad works very hard to make sure everyone has things they need and are kept safe and sound. Sure he may go out and DJ a few nights a week but at least what he is doing is making it possible to care for his family. Besides what hero doesn’t have his flaws? My dad may not be the perfect hero or person that ever walked the face of the earth but thats ok. In our times of crisis he always makes sure everyone is happy and healthy. My daddy is my Superman.

Being a hero can be hard work but in the end its worth it to see the smiling faces of all the grateful people in the world. If I was in a fight and I had a choice to be on either my dad or Odysseus’s side I would without hesitation be on my dad’s side. To me my dad has more hero like attributes than Odysseus. I know for a fact that in a fight between us and Odysseus we would win because we would have more hero ambition than Superman and Odysseus combined. A hero isn’t in a fight for glory or fame but for what he/she believes in and the “greater good”.

 

Response Paper 4; New Year January 10, 2008

I have a problem. This was a big issue to me last year, it really was. I enjoy biting my fingernails. I need to fix myself and stop biting my nails. I think in order to stop biting nails I should put something on them. Maybe if I put glue on them I will stop biting them and stuff.

One big problem with biting your nails is that they always hurt. I mean when you bite your nails you can also bite your finger which doesn’t feel to great. I think to stop my fingers to stop hurting is to stop biting my nails. But you see, I’m an addict. I am addicted to biting things I always have to be chewing on something so I bite my fingernails. It is a problem.

My dad told me if I don’t stop biting my nails I could get worms. I don’t know about that because dogs get worms and I am certainly not a dog. Woof Woof! I mean how in the world can a HUMAN get worms. I imagine dogs get worms because of the way they hello, sniff each other you know. People don’t do that, I hope. But I also don’t want little white things in my tummy, so that’s also an issue. I guess to solve the worm problem I could just stop biting my nails.

Last but not least! Another problem is that when I bite my nails my nails shrink. So when I have to open something like a can or something I can’t I have to get a spoon or knife. This is a problem because after trying for a while I get rather frustrated and begin throwing things. Sometimes the things I throw hit some one, it is rather funny especially if it’s my little brother because he starts crying, which makes me laugh even harder because he’s like 12. So I guess that could be a good thing, because it makes me laugh to see my brother cry. On the other hand it’s a problem because someday I might throw something and break a window and that would just suck. I guess to fix this problem I could just simply stop biting my nails.

But really it’s not simple at all. You don’t understand what its like! It makes me happy and sad and everything. I really do need to stop biting my nails though, I really do. It’s really disgusting if you think about it, it’s sick. Alright, well to stop all my issues, not all for that I would need a mental institution, I will stop biting my nails.