Random Response Post

So because I don't know what to respond to exactly if we don't really do free write posts, I just took a quote from Cindy's blog.

I'm unsure if the book portrays high school as it really is because at asti... things are different.

I have to agree with this because ASTI is not a real high school. It's more like a social event where they try to prepare us for college. Can we be in high school first? We are not even in high school and yet they are shoving college opportunities down our throats. Things are very different at ASTI. The only advantage of being ASTI is not having to graduate and then go to a college for 4 years. The disadvantage is teachers, homework, dress code, and sometimes people. Honestly, we're like in a boarding school because o how many rules there are. Also, I hate the fact that sophomores get so much homework. Really? Are they that strict about homework? I hate it when they tell us stuff that the college won't accept but really the college doesn't have a problem with. ugh.... this place does make me cringe. Back to the main topic, ASTI is different from the dress code to the expectations.

The Coldest Winter Ever Book Post 3

In the third and final book post of the Coldest Winter Ever, many events happen in Winter's life. My partners did not summarize or discuss every detail but we talked about a few things. First thing, we summarized what happened in the beginning. So Winter is now living with Sister Souljah after Rashida, an inmate who is trying to help her life, talks to Sister Souljah and tells about Winter's troubles. Winter tries to keep her negative opinions about Sister Souljah to herself but then learns things about Souljah. We also discussed when Winter ditches Sister Souljah and has sex with G.S. but then she learns that it was G.S.'s bodyguard, Tony who she had sex with.

A question that was mentioned was why Winter is not focused on her family and why is she only focused on herself. We discussed that she is focused on herself because she is by herself and figures that she can make it on her own. Plus, Winter has her own spoiled reasons for not helping her mother, who is now a crackhead andn gets her crack from Bullet, with her extra money and trying to find her sisters.

We also summarized Winter and her journey with Bullet. She runs into Bullet while trying to find Midnight and travels with him to Florida. Bullet treats her like a queen and spoils her because he has feelings for her. They have sex later that night but then the next day Bullet tells her how he wants to be her man. Winter is drawn in and they live in an apartment with each other. Winter does not like the business Bullet is in, but still decides to stay with him. One day, Winter feels sick and takes a pregnancy test. The pregnancy test result was positive. Winter then gets an abortion but has sex with Bullet afterwards which is what the doctor wanted her to avoid. Bullet is one of the reasons why her life will never be the same.

At the end of the book, Winter is in jail a couple years later with a huge gash in her face from Simone who cut and gets a visit from all the people that she has hurt and abandoned such as Santiaga, Midnight with his wife and new adopted children (Lexy and Mercedes) and Porsche, who is prettier than Winter and now has the life she lost.

The Coldest Winter Ever is a good story with a lot of deep meaning and reality.

The Coldest Winter Ever Book Post 2

In the second part of the book, Winter is now dealing with all types of drama such as Santiaga being in jail; people she cared about are treating her differently- more in a negative way; money is a big issue; and her sisters are taken from her, and the police/government watch her and her mother 24-7. My two partners Ruby and Janice, and I talked about the different situations she had and we basically asked each other what we thought of it and reviewed to the group who was listening and to each other what were the significant events of the section.

Some of the events or questions we talked about were why Midnight treats Winter the way he does. In chapter 7, Midnight tells Winter that she is immature and basically says that "a dumb woman will bring a smart man down". The way Midnight treats Winter makes the reader question him. From what happens and what we also discussed, he does this probably because he wants to remain loyal to Santiaga and thinks that Winter is not smart nor is she responsible for anything she does. We also talked about why Midnight is mad about the video (Winter,Natalie, Bullet, and Slick kid in a pool, all naked and drunk). One of us said that Midnight might be mad because not only is it a sign of immaturity but Midnight might have some feelings for her but is afraid to admit it.

We reviewed other things such as why the mom changed her wardrobe- is it because she now relies on herself since Santiaga isn't there to provide for them. Also, Winter's relationship with Natalie was discussed and a level 3 question relating to that, "Should jelaousy ruin a friendship?". Sterling, a boy Winter uses for his money and because she is lonely (this is a reason why Aunt B says she is spoiled) might be seeing someone who sounds unattractive. I thought it was a mother but Janice and Ruby thought it may be a girlfriend- which he means he doesn't have good taste.

Basically, we reviewed a lot in the book and discussed opinions and main events in story.

Response to Elijah's Response to Mercedes

"Differences. They are what make us stand out, what make us unique, what define us".

I like this quote because every one can relate to it. If we're all the same, it would be boring. Never follow anyone- be your own person. Set your own trends and follow your own dreams.

The Coldest Winter Ever Book Post 1

The book that I am now reading is called The Coldest Winter Ever by Sister Souljah. The Coldest Winter Ever is a compelling story about a young girl named Winter who is born in Brooklyn. She is a young girl who has a ghetto style life and calls herself "the queen of the streets". At a very young age, Winter is exposed to inappropriate things for her age such as sex. When Winter is with her friends, she is tough and promiscuous towards males she know she can get to. However when she is at home, she acts innocent to her father Santiaga, who practically RUNS the streets. Santiaga does not want Winter to behave the way other girls do or get into any trouble. Winter acts bad behind her father's back, who hasn't found out yet.

Speaking of which, my two partners Ruby and Janice mentioned this topic about how Winter's mom's opinions and the father's opinions might affect Winter. The mom doesn't mind Winter's bad behavior or life choice and doesn't tell santiaga about her bad behavior. We also discussed why we believe Midnight might not like Winter.

If you're wondering who Midnight is- he is a young man who works with Santiaga. Santiaga trusts him a lot, but Winter has had a crush on him ever since she was twelve or thirteen. The way he treats Winter as if she is an immature child. My partners and I also said that it may be because Midnight likes girls who have a planned future. Winter tries too hard to get his attention but does not realize that Midnight is educated and cares about education. We also talked about how the police is on Santiaga and his family's tail. They continue to do more damage after the mom is hospitalized and Santiaga is in jail , such as taking away the three little sisters because there is no adult to watch them. The maid Magdalena was supposed to watch them but let the police take the sisters away.

I find this book really interesting and hope to know more about the relationships.

How The Garcia Girls Lost their Accents Part 3

Now, we are at the end of the book. In the third section, it takes place when all daughters are young. The whole book is placed in a structure where the whole story goes backwards. In my opinion, I think Julia Alvarez had a strong reason to do this. She probably put the story this way because she wants to show how the girls grew up and what conflicts or things they dealt with while growing up.

I thought that it was interesting in the last vignette how the kitten is put in the story. Somehow the kitten Schwartz is put in there and at first I thought it was just a regular kitten and I was a little bit confused. Then the second time reading it, I had an A-Ha moment! Supposedly, the kitten is supposed to symbolize the daughters but I still am not completely sure what the drum is supposed to represent. Anyway, I believe that the kitten may also represent events that are going to happen or that the kitten represents Yolanda. For instance, Yolanda feels that when the kitten is stuffed in the drum, it relates to the stress she will feel with her family and her culture, Domincan Republic. As a young girl, Yolanda deals with culture in a way adults or young adults would be worried about.

I find it interesting how the last vignette ties everything together and helps us understand everything that happened in the beginning of the book. Even though I still don't like the structure of the book, it is easier to understand once I get to the end of the book.

PSYCHED! HARRY POTTER NERD!

OMG! I AM SO EXCITED FOR THE NEW HARRY POTTER MOVIE TO COME OUT!
I have been in love with the saga ever since I started reading the books in 1st/ 2nd grade. I always found the books interesting as well as the  books. Better than Twilight in a heartbeat.

I am super duper upset that the Harry Potter Saga is ending . I also don't like the fact that it is in two parts and not just one movie. The first part comes out next Friday and the second part comes out in July- so far away! the second part has a lot of things that I want to see like Harry looking for Snape and defeating Voldemort and Ron and Hermione's kiss. 2011! That is sort of a while. I wish it would come now but at the same time I am glad the end is not here yet.

I feel bad for the actors becasue they are only known for their roles in Harry potter. Daniel Radclife will probably try to act  more as well as Rupert Grint. Emma Watson and her pixie cut have gone to college- which is a good direction. I hope the movies turn out well and will please other Harry potter fans like me.

GO HARRY POTTER!

Response to Salvation Blog Post

Tonight, I am responding to Justice Toailoa's blog about salvation and the feeling of it. I found some interesting quotes that I wanted to respond to.

What happens to the social outcast that aren't  choosing to fit in and don't want to understand the concept of following the crowd.Yet the ones who are social outcast are the ones who understand the true concept of life. Also when you are chasing after your dreams can it destroy you or benefit you?

I think social outcasts act this way because they are not on top of things like those who feel salvation. It is not always a choice- people place them in this position because they feel they have more power over the social outcasts. Sometimes social outcasts have no choice and have to go through the hell they are feeling. 

I agree with this blog- whst is salvation? What is true salvation? Why do people treat others horribly and judge them so quickly? Why do people who decide to have the feeling of salvation mistreat people? We do so much to get something we want so bad. In the end, there may not be good results. I think people try so hard because they want to feel good and that they have power whether it is over someone or something they are struggling with. Another point Justice brought up in her post is that"we don't  understand what it feels to come from salvation until you have experienced it. This is true, no one can until they experienced it. But we all have and we all either got good results whether it is good for us but bad for others, or we can get negative results.

How The Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents Part 2

In the second part of the book, we now read their lives as young ladies growing up to become women. I find it interesting that the book is in the structure the way it is. In the beginning, we get to find out how they are as older Dominican women dealing with their own  problems whether it is about reputation or their culture. I think the first vignette really related to the purpose of the book and was one of the most important ones.

In Regular Revolution, each of the four young girls have experiences that change their lives.  When they first go to school, they feel like outsiders because the kids are rich and do not respect their culture. The girls are taken out of this school and are sent to American boarding school. To the mother and father, this will help the girls not be involved with those type of issues.The innocence that the mother and father hope the girls keep while being in America does not last very long. The girls decide that they want freedom and to experience things they wouldn't in Dominican Republic. Not every experience gives good results for theses sisters. The girls start kissing boys and smoking marijuana - which is what the mother found out about. Youngest daughter Sofia takes the blame and is sent back to the Dominican Republic.

This does not change the way she acted in America. When Sofia goes to Dominican Republic, she meets Manuel ,who is not a good influence on her. He is sexist and possessive and is practically related to her. When Sofia has sex with Manuel , this upsets Yolanda, Carla, and Sandra. They set her up only to make her realize the bad choices that she has made. Sofia returns to the United States, learning how she upsetted her family and what a scandal is.

There are other vignettes that do talk about their culture and how their loss of innocence impacted them and the people around them. However, I felt that the girls start to lose their innocence and  culutre when they are introduced to new culutres that do not make them feel like outsiders.

Things I hate

This is a blog about the things I hate whether it is this week or last week .

Facebook changes- I hate it when new things get added or things get changed. For instance, the whole chatting department on the left side that tells you who is on and who wants to chat. It was easy because you could see the little profile picture and the name. Now there are all the small profile pictures that make the chat box look like a Rubik cube. Also, when you add a friend but then later on you see that you have one less friend or in the friend suggestions. Then you ask them why did they delete you from your friend list and they are all like" I didn't delete you from my friend list"." And another thing: I hate it when you get notifications saying that a friend answered a question about you and then when you go to see what they said, it says you need more points. You then go look to see how you can get points and that is by either buying or answering random questions about random people  you probably don't even talk too but added anyway. It's like a big waste of time.

.I hate it when people blame you for stuff you know you didn't do. So then you wait for them to realize that they were wrong and they were probably the ones who did it. And then they look stupid at the end.

.I hate it when teachers try too hard to make you like them and its like you really don't. In conclusion, I hate it when teachers move you closer to their desk, thinking that's gonna help because I'm not going to look at you while you teach a boring class and plus you are not the first thing I want to see in the morning.

. I hate it when a new episode of your favorite show comes on 2 weeks later.

.I hate cliques, petty girls, and melodrama

.I hate smart people who think they are better than everyone

.I hate it when the car in front of you is going slow as you rush to exit the freeway. Then when you think nothing is going to be in your way as you exit, the car pulls over.

.I hate it when snack machines take your money and then the snack gets stuck.

.I hate it when machines don't take your dollar

. I hate people being sick at school and then trying to touch you.

.I  hate people who play  or say they love Justin Bieber everywhere I go

.I hate quiz notes (with a passion)!

.I hate rude Highway patrol cops

.I hate it when Glee messes with a song that dosn't need to be messed with.

.I hate people who think they are shit and they look like shit.

.I hate it when people don't let things go and keep talking about the same conversation because they know they are wrong.

.I hate people complain and act annoying by doing it.

. I hate rude people like people who don't give a damn about someone while they are hurt

.And I hate math!

And these are the things I hate this week.

Response: Oscar Grant Case

Not only am I pissed about the case but I am responding to Jackson Follrath's blog about the case. I found the last paragraph interesting:

I believe that this shows the legal system of the United States and how it is operated. A police officer can get away with anything. No matter what, they have an excuse because they have law on their side. This is why so many people are upset about the case

I think that is unfair for what Johannes Mehserle received---- he should have got more. That was involuntarily manslaughter. What he did was absolutely wrong. Even though he said it was an accident, why would you shoot a guy while he is laying  still on the ground. That makes no sense to me. Then he gets less than two years? What is the justice in that?

Now just imagine if Mehserle was black and Oscar Grant was white.  Mehserle would  probably get more than two years.The people who are reading this blog may not agree with me, but if you really think about it there is a total difference. Going back to Jackson's quote, I do think it is is unfair that police officers get away with anything.  But I like I mentioned, it is also about race. Then again , I could be wrong. Maybe if Mehserle was a black police officer, the same thing could happen where he gets less than 2 years.

It is sad how a young black man's life is taken away and a police officer gets less than  2 years-- 2 years!

The Garcia Girls: Purpose

I think the author's purpose is to show how when people travel to different places, they can adapt new lifestyles and possibly lose their culture. The four sisters Yolanda, Carla, Sandra, and Sofia all have different experiences while living in America. Her purpose is to also relate to the title "How the Garcia Girls lose their accents".

I can tell what her purpose is when she describes each other's experiences in the different vignettes. The reader Can understand the emotions of the character and what the story may be about. I can also tell what her purpose is in the story by the details that she puts in the vignettes. A example would be Yolanda and
Sofia with their problems such as Sofia marrying a German man. Yolanda, on the other hand likes to be called by her nicknames like Joe and Yo yo most of the time and has an experience where she speaks English rather than speak Spanish back.

I think the purpose is achieved very well because her purpose really helps make the story clear and let readers know what it really is about. By her quotes and details, they help relate to the title and tell us more about the character. For example, we know Yolanda's complicated love life, the way she feels when she is around her family,and  her experience at college. I also think the purpose was well achieved becasue it talks about history of Domincans and events that happened in that decade.

Reflective Essay

Writing blogs are fun to do. Blogging has changed the way I write because it helps my creativity flow. It feels like I can write about anything I want but still proofread to make sure it sounds right to the audience. However, blogging has had a good and bad impact on my writing. I feel like I don't make sense or I didn't make sense when I write blogs or response posts. I felt like something was unclear; there was redundancy; and couldn't write or finish thoughts about the topic. I would always compare and contrast the essays and blogs from English with essays from Writing to see if there is a improvement or not. Blogging helps show my creativity  but I feel somehow it doesn't help improve my essay writing.

Even thought there might be times where my writing doesn't make sense, writing a blog helps me think more about the topic and helps me write my opinions. When I am going to write a response post, I choose a blog that I understand and know the purpose of . When I do, I try to think about how to answer it and connect it to the world. By doing this, the reader can understand and relate more to the subject. Writing a blog has changed the way I think because when I write free -write blogs, I think more about writing something that my audience will like and want to read.

I am not really sure how blogging has changed the way I thought about writing. It gave me a new style to write in other than worrying about formal essays. It also helps me show my creativity when I write free write blogs. Also, I do not have to worry about corrections or anything that is being graded. Blogs have given me a chance to write what I want and not worry about grades. When I write an essay, I have to prepare a lot so I can know what I'm talking about and if it will sound god to the peer editor and teacher for the class. But when I write a blog, it all comes out whether prepared  or not.

Blogs have had good impacts on me so far. I have written blogs with topics I come up with at 11:00 and I get to turn it in before midnight which is good. I think the whole process of blogs is a good process to learn how to write to please your audience and to become a better writer. For me, topics cna be hard to come up with because I do not want to sound boring nor confuse the reader. However, I am doing better this semester with topics so I can say that blogs have helped me a lot.

Elie's C0nflicts with Supernatural

The Holocaust is one of the most important events in history. In the book "Night" by Elie Wiesel, many conflicts that are caused other than the Holocaust. Elie has problems whether they are with himself, other characters, society, the supernatural (religion), nature, or fate. Many experiences that Elie has makes him question his own faith, so the theme of Night, so the theme of Night would be character vs. supernatural.

Before the Holocaust Era occurs, Elie really practiced his religion. He didn't feel bad about it at all,

During  the day I studied the Talmud, and at night I ran to the synagogue to weep over the destruction of the temple (1)

Both Elie and his father were religious and thought that God was the answer to everything. Elie and his friend Moshe had different ways to practice their religion but to them, religion was really important. But then their beliefs in religion or caring about God change when the Jews now take part in the Holocaust.

For the Jews, it is hard to believe in anything or practice religion while working. Many people's lives were taken away by the German soldiers who were working in the labor camps. This situation worried Elie and made him wonder about God,

But I had ceased to pray. How I sympathized with Job!I did not deny God's existence, but I had doubted His absolute justice," (42).

Elie starts to turn on God because he is upset that God is letting this happen and not changing anything. As he starts to think negative, things become worse and Elie's faith is no longer questioned.

As the Jews move to different labor camps and the years go by, Elie doesn't really pray not believe in faith. Elie is very angry that it's not important to him anymore,

Why but why should I bless him? In every fiber, a rebelled. Because he had had thousands of children burned in his pits? Because he kept six crematories working night and day, on Sundays and feast days?Because in His great might He created Auschwitz, Burkenau, Buna, and so many factories of death?" (64).

His anger with God makes him rely on nothing. He feels he is alone in a world God created and made terrible. Since there is nothing he believes in, he has to find a way to become stronger.

Many of the problems Elie have have to do with religion- which becomes the theme of "Night". Elie is a very religious boy who has a good relationship with God, but then his feelings with God change after many Jews suffer and die in the Holocaust. When things get worse for the Jews, Elie;s relationships with God is lost as well as his faith. As Elie himself puts it,  "Never shall I forget those flames which consumed my faith forever".

IT"S KINGSLEYBITCH!

I LOVE THIS GUY SO MUCH! HE IS ONE OF THE BEST THINGS ON YOUTUBE! TOTALLY HILARIOUS AND TOTALLY BITCHY!

For those who do not know who I am talking about. He is a African American guy who posts a bunch of videos talking about things he hates or what he complains about. It might not sound interesting, but he is a really hilarious guy. Yes, he likes to bitch but the things he talks about is stuff we can all relate to. Peoplw who have a Youtube can send him ideas t talk about in his videos to complain/explain why the hell they are here.

Many people have tweeted about him like Ashton Kutcher and Shane Dawson. He is totally hilarious and thinks that "failing in life is not cute".

For the readers who have not seen his videos, go now and prepare to LMFAO.

-Wicked News

Response: Pet Peeves

I am responding to Kaila Belgarde's Blog about Pet Peeves. I found some of this interesting and funny at the same time.

My biggest Pet peeve in the world .... smacking. I cannot understand why people cannot close their mouths when they chew.When you put something in your mouth close it and chew so not just let your mouth hang open

I find this true because I also don't like people smacking. One, it can be an annoying habit and two it's not attractive especially if you are on a first date. Sometimes, I can be surrounded by people who constantly do it whether it is a family member of someone to eat lunch with at school. This hasn't been one of my pet peeves ever, but I have had problems with this.

I fully understand Kaila's issues of the three pet peeves she listed. I mean, who would not have a problem with smacking? It's totally rude and the sound is just--- nasty. :D

One of the pet peeves she listed is a thing some people can do constantly.

Another pet peeve I have is when people say the same thing twice. I really just do not understand why people do this. What I mean by this is not say something one day and then say it again later on

I can't really hate on this because sometimes I might make that mistake and not realize that I'm doing it. I know it could be annoying because you already heard the story or statement and it might not be appealing to you anymore.

Hmmm..... I wonder what my pet peeves are after reading this blog. I know, people sneezing and coughing without covering their mouths and then acting like they don't care. I can think of one person who does that.

Teen Stars Today

Today the teen stars that every one talk about are skinny white, Asian, or Latina girls who are always on Nickelodeon and Disney Channel. Every one makes a big deal about them because kids watch Nickelodeon and Disney Channel all the time. It makes no sense how today teenagers like Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez are the biggest things to talk about. Back then, there were teen stars/young stars like Molly Ringwald, The Brat Pack, Michael Jackson, Irene Cara, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, N*Sync', Gary Coleman, Leo DiCaprio, and more- they had talent and they all didn't need to be skinny as a stick nor needed to sing to be more noticed (cause trust me- NOT EVERY NICKELODEON? DISNEY CHANNEL STAR CAN SING NOR HAS TALENT!).

The main starlets that are talked about are Miley, Selena, Demi, Victoria, and Miranda. Disney Channel nor Nickelodeon are not very original with these TV shows they come up with. They're always corny, the show is always about the main teen girl, and the girl is never original. When these teen girls come out, there are always rumors and scandal photos scattered all over the Internet.  I have nothing against them but I get annoyed because there is no originality.

If I had to choose any of these teen stars that would actually do very well in Hollywood, I would say Demi Lovato and Victoria Justice. Even though she hangs out with the Jonas Brothers too much, Demi has a good voice, is not a bad actress, and cares about the world. Victoria Justice is really pretty and is not a bad actress either. Miley and the rest of them are either pretty but can't really sing or are neither.

To end this, I just want to say that I don't mean no disrespect to anyone who look up to the stars I listed but you gotta be honest- they're really not all that.

Q and his Relationships

Q's relationship with Lll has a beautiful start, but then his arrogance causes the relationship to go wrong. When Q meets Lll, he is in love at first sight, "When you looked at her smooth skin, you felt that scales had never existed" (pg.75). Q is definitely in love but then he decides to hide his Uncle N'Ba N'Ga and anything else about him that he finds embarassing. First he is upset about her meeting Uncle N'Ba N'Ga,, thinking he was boring. Then when she spends his time with Uncle N'Ba N'Ga, Q gets very arrogant and jealous, "Stop repeating that old fool's nonsense," (pg.81). This shows Q's jealousy and he didn't want Lll paying more attention to Uncle N'Ba N'Ga than him. Unfortunately, Q's arrogance didn't make things better when Lll left him for Uncle N'Ba N'Ga. If it wasn't for Q's arrogance and quick jealousy, things would have worked out for him.

After Lll left him, Q stayed the same but this time became harsh and a little desperate. In the story, "The Dinosaurs", Q meets Fern-Flower,who is weird but attractive. Fern-Flower tells Q her dreams- dreams that are about horrible situations , but to Q, he doesn't worry,

"That dream should have made me understand many things and especially one thing: that Fern- Flower desired nothing more than to be assaulted. This was the moment for me to embrace her," (101).

Q sounds more like he wanted to do something romantice and not comfort her. Other than his love life, Q struggles by trying to find out who he is. He is called the "Ugly One" to the New Ones; he becomes very shallow when his history of Dinosuars is talked about; and becomes leader to the New Ones. His arrogant pride is shown when he is persuaded to command the New Ones in a possible war,

"In short, I wanted nothing more than to do with either side: let them rip each other apart in turn! I didn't give a damn about any of them. I had to escape as fast as possible, let them stew in their own juice, having nothing more to do with these old stories," (pg. 106).

Since Q was their leader, he felt that he didn't need to do anything for them. He was also being selfish to his own species and to Fern- Flower. Q's mistakes make him wonder and he becomes alone.

Many of the mistakes Q makes in his relationship in the story "The Aquatic Uncle" are similiar to how he is in "The Dinosuars". In "The Aquatic Uncle", Q was busy trying to keep her from meeting his embarassing uncle  and proving that he's strong, he never realized that he was pushing her away. Uncle N'Ba N'Ga taught Lll things that Q was not able to. When he meets Fern- Flower in "The Dinosaurs", he acts very similar. He becomes arrogant because his seen as a strong character, which he couldn't show to Uncle N'Ba N'Ga. Since he has more control, he does not know how to act towards female characters. He becomes desperate when he discovers that he has feelings for a young half breed. Q eventually yells at Fern- Flower and realizes he doesn't care becuase he was arrogant. Q's arrogance and embarassment gets in the way of his true feelings for the one he cares about and always keeps it to himself.

Vampires: Love Them, HATE Them, Get Rid of Them?

Ah, we are in a new decade of the 21st century. In the beginning, we had boy bands, creative artists, bubblegum pop, halter tops, mini skirts, leather pants, butt crack jeans, muffin tops, superhero movies, lame reality tv shows, good and bad fashions, etc. This was in the beginning of the 2000s. Then people such as Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, and Lady Gaga became some of the most talked about people; Uggs and Crocs (the ugliest shoes) in the world took over. Then VAMPIRE- MANIA CAME!!!!!

Suddenly, a woman named Stephenie Meyer decided one day to write a book from a dream she had. She created this blank, boring world full of sparkly vampires, dumb love story, and weird humans! Then a bunch of weird preteen girls started reading the series and believing it was the shit. Then every one went to go see the movie, which was more boring than the books. Now every thing has to do with vampires or is compared to Twilight.

There is Vampire Diaries and True Blood, two highly rated tv shows about vampires. Many people get sick and tired of the Twilight rip offs and Twilight itself. They get tired of the same crappy stuff and vampires. There were so many good vampire movies before Twilight came. Underworld with Kate Beckinsale in the tight leather suit, Van Helsing, Interview With the Vampire, and the Dracula movies. We didn't have a problem with vampires until Twilight came.

Twilight basically ruined vampires for all of us vampire fans.

There are all these different rules now for vampires whether they sparkle, wear rings, or how a human can still be human even if the vampire bit them?

So i ask this.... Should vampires just never exist or should they stay?

I am not a big Twilight fan- I still love other vampire movies. I could never get tired of vampires but Twilight on the other hand can go........

Response : Body parts- how people feel about them

I found an interesting quote from Carly Cheung's blog about how we should basically appreciate them:

Having my own body just feels more comfortable, even though I would not know how it feels to have a piece of technology attached to me. Maybe we should start thinking about how unique our original bodies actually is and appreciate it.

 I like this quote because i find it unique and honest. We should appreciate what we have instead of  complaining and hating ourselves for the way we look. God made us the way we are and we should be grateful for what we have. If we don't like it, change it but don't do anything drastic that would mess with health issues or cause you your life.Yes, many people don't like the way their bodies look and this is usually about weight. That is one of the good things about exercising- you can build more muscle and work on your physical strength.Then again, it is hard for people to exercise. Why? they might need motivation and can possibly be couch potatoes.

We should all feel comfortable in our own skin and like our bodies. Surgery won't do no good- it makes you look different and there might be some things that you might not like. Examples would be Michael Jackson and Heidi Pratt. Michael Jackson has had many surgeries, especially on his nose. He had to change it so much because he thought it was a good thing at the time but reliazed that there were some problems with it, so he change it. He started weaves after his hair burned and there was an incident where you could tell his nose was fake.

Heidi Pratt did much worse than him though. She turned herself into a complete Barbie Doll. When i look at old episodes of Laguna beach and the Hills, Iam shocked by how she looked then and how she looks now. She had surgery in her forehead area,  nose, lips, and deduced her breasts! WHO THE HELL GOES FROM HARDLY HAVING BOOBS TO A DOUBLE D???? I thought it was very dumb, but that was her choice. Just like Michael jackson, Heidi realized on an episode of the Hills that every one thought she was beautiful just the way she was. She cried, knowing that she was beautiful before, but that she went through all this plastic surgery for nothing.

That is why we should not take advantage of our bodies by getting plastic surgery. We should like our bodies and exercise more if we want to change it. If we don't, we might regret the mistakes we made before. No one has to look like the skinny model in the magazine or ad; they should love themselves because every one is beautiful. :D

Response: Homework

I choose to respond to Andy Li's blog about homework:

Is homework a good thing or a bad thing? Teachers and paretns say it's a good thing; they help you learn and get an education, which is good for your future. Students think that homework is torture and should not be assigned. Students are the ones who have to the do the homework, which is why they coplain about it. The teachers don't have to do it so they don't complain.

I sort of agree with this becuase teachers, especially here at ASTI are trying to get us prepared for college. Many of them have said its not going to be easy when you take college classes and tell us things we have to be worried about or should be prepared for.The thing is- college classes are really not that hard.

In my opinion, I think homework is a good thing. But trust me, I am not a nerd. I don't like homework but I know it is important so then we can be prepared and know that we know it ourselves. It can seem pointless becuase we already learn it in class. but the teahces only give it to us to make sure we are really learning and understanding what they are teaching.

Later in your blog, Andy Li states that:

If you're the student who has to do it, you wouldn't want to do it. As teenagers, we care about dates and TV and computers, not homework.

Going back to what I wrote before, homework is good but is notsomething that teenages would want to do all the time. We all have other things that we worry about that are non school related. Who reallly thinks about their educaion or school all the time? 

Back to the original point, homework is good but not something we wish to have. Yes, teenagers don't want to do homework but its good for them. I'm not trying to sound like a teacher but I think homework is important so we can have better grades and be able to explain to those who don't get it or the teacher in fact. To be truthful, I hate homework and I get distracted very easily- but homework is a good thing.

Vocabulary Words

The words that I will be focusing on :

1) Approach
2)Establish
3)Impact
4)Contribution
5)Commitment
6)Conflict
7)Select
8)Specify
9)Resolution
10)Revenue

And these are the words I will be studying. Enjoy. :D

EXCITED FOR GLEE?

This is a shout - out for all Gleeks out there: ARE you ready .... for GLEE? I am super excited. I know I'm not the only one who have seen the promos a dozen time whether it was on Youtube or television. I am so excited for all of the new drama, new music, and new things for occuring characters.

For instance, FINN and RACHEL! Those gleeks who have watched GLee since the season premiere will be excited for the fatc that they are finally a couple in the second season. In the beginning, Finn didn;t like Rachel until they kissed but then he backed out, trying to hide the fact that he had a boner. Then he used her to get her back to Glee and she slapped him for that- but he still had feelings for her. Finn likes Rachel but she still creeps out at the same time. After finding out about Quinn's preganancy with someone else (PUCK) and breaking up wth Rachel, who dated bad boy Jesse; Finn tries to find himself but realizes that he still needs Rachel. At the end, he finally told her he loved her! Who didn't die after that moment? Well looking at the second season premiere, it seems like they will stay togehter but some things will probably cause some conflict (Finn losing his virginity to Santana and from the preview- it looks like Finn and Quinn have a moment)

Speaking of which- Quinn and Santana fighting? Could this be because Quinn is a cheerleader again and is going back to be a bitch- but this time bitchier than Santana? Or could it be something else- maybe jealousy over Puck? I mean it may not be it, but it could happen. Think about it, Santan was screwing around with Puck while he was having a baby with Quinn. At the end, it seemed like he would only have feelings for Quinn and not Santana.

Also, our favorite duo- Mercedes and Kurt are going to get their own boyfriends. This is great because they are the least ones getting action. How could you not feel sorry for Kurt when Finn turned him down so many times and many hurtful ways? And then Mercedes, who fell in love with Kurt before finding out he was gay, and Puck who used her which also caused a fight between her and Santana?

Meanwhile, there is some breakups, hookups,and everything else in between.

Artie and Tina- our loveable and adorable couple will break up. Artie, being selfish, leads Tina to fall for someone else - MIKE CHANG ( as in the male Asian who is a really good dancer)! Will is jealous of Emma's new dentist boyfriend (played by John Stamos, remember Uncle Jesse), Santana and Brittany are rumored to have a lesbian moment; Sue gets new competiton called Beiste (prounouncd Beast), Rachel finally finds new compettion... with an adorable looking dork student with a big voice (CHARICE!!!), Finn has a new protege (Chord Overstreet) who sort of becomes competiton to him too and is Kurt's boyfriend.

AND this is what you do not want to miss on GLEE!!!!!!!

PRO- ABORTION!!! (Class DEbate)

Pro Abortion




My member and I are for abortion. We believe that its a woman’s choice if she wants to have a baby or not. There are several people who are not ready or suited to raise a child.



Think about it, would you want a child raised in an impoverished environment where they do not have a loving and supportive family? Don’t you think your child should maintain a healthy life if you do not want your child? What if you can’t support the child and do not know whether you should give him/her up for adoption?



Imagine if you put your child in foster care. What if the parents are abusive? What if they can not provide for them? The child might be sent to different homes and they all may not be caring guardians. wordpress.com states that 85% of children that exhibit behavioral disorders come from fatherless homes; 70% of juveniles in state operated institutions come from fatherless homes; and 85% of all youths sitting in prisons come from fatherless homes. Not every child will commit crime but it is most likely that it can happen because they do not have caring parents to teach them what is right and what is wrong.



Many teenage girls today are having sex and getting pregnant. According to www.abortionno.org, 20% of teenagers decide to get abortions because they do not want want to deal with the pressure of having a baby and do not feel they can be responsible parents at their age. We believe a young woman or a teenage girl should have an abortion, especially if they felt it was a mistake. What if a woman was raped and got pregnant? Do you think she should keep a baby with a man she won’t see again?



We also think abortion is a better choice than giving birth to an unwanted child. According to www.rcrc.org, the death of a woman who is getting an abortion is one in 100,000 while women who die when giving birth are 13.3 deaths per 100,000 pregnancies. We think women are most likely to survive during an abortion than giving birth.



Why go through all this trouble of unplanned pregnancy? If a child is brought in this world, he or she should be loved and cared about. If it is unwanted, then what good will it do for the parents? Whether they are young or old and do not want babies, they should be able to make the right decision for themselves.

Quote by Quote

I found this quote from Ianna Wilson's and I feel this is a good example on how to solve and how it feels to be in a situation like this

Harassment and bullying are in correlation because even though I was not teased or beat up I still had to deal with the constant snide remarks and groping from the boys who desired to do so. I plan to stop this form of bullying by helping people who are dealing with the same problems and giving them the confidence to stand up for themselves in a manner that wont result violently.

I think this sets examples for 3 rules of the ASTI Constitution
1)Think before you speak and act
6)Speak for Yourself and Others
8) Take Responsibility of your actions

1) People, especially horny boys who don't think about the people they are harassing or hurting. I think that people in general should think before they speak or act because they can do something they may not realize later was hurtful. In Ianna's situation, the boys who harassed her did not think; their eyes spoke for them and caused them to act in a disapproving way- which leads to the 8th rule: Take responsibility of your actions. Many people such as bullies don't think about what they are doing when they are picking on someone who stands out to them. They do it because they feel they will get something out of it. People who harass feel like they are better than the person they are harassing. They find it a joke and do not know how the person being harassed is feeling. When Ianna says"I plan to stop this form of bullying by helping people who are dealing with the same problems and giving them the confidence to stand up for themselves in a manner that won't result violently", I find this inspiring. Not many people who are harassed are able to stand up to their bullies or be able to make them stop. If the person who is being harassed stands up to the harasser, then maybe the bullies will back off. This quote is good not just because its interesting, but this may inspire others to stand up before anything bad can happen.

-WickedNews

Bullying and Being Bullied

Bullying and Being Bullied

The subject of this blog is bullies and whether being the bully or being bullied. "Odd Girl Out"  by Rachel Simmons would be a good example of this. "Odd Girl out" is a story about a girl who wants to fit in but then she gets cyberbullied by these girls who pretended to be her friends but are really bullies. We will meet these type of people everyday. These people are called cliques. Cliques are also bullies; they want you to be like them to fit in. If you're not like them , then they will judge you and bully you so then they can feel like they are better than you.

Why are bullies created? All they do is hurt people's feelings and think it is funny. They might do it because they might be peer pressured by their friends so then the bullies will feel cool to the friends who peer pressure them. Let's face it, we all have been bullied or participated in bullying someone because of peer pressure or we're just plain mean. In this case, I will use myself as an example.
So I've never really been harassed, but I have felt like an outsider before. I experienced this in middle school where I was going to a new school with people I didn't know. I was very shy and new to things i didn't experience at my elementary school so it was hard trying to make friends. It was really hard trying to fit in because I was expected to be someone I'm not plus there were the mega monsters of doom -----CLIQUES!!!!! I was upset because I didn't really fit in. I was also judged because of how different I was from the rest of the girls.


But I have as well been in a situation when I was in an alliance. In 5th grade, I only hung out with boys so we decided to pick on this one boy who was annoying and dirty. I thought it was a joke so I followed them. We decided to play monkey in the middle, except he was in the middle and was aginst 5 or 6 people playing. It was funny until he started crying. I stopped and apologized because I knew that I wasn't a bully, I was a caring person. This is an example of how some bullies may feel. Even if they are pressured by their friends, they still feel bad for what they have done. Bullying is wrong. We should not bully someone because they are different and we should not bully someone for attention. We should accept people for they are and not listen to those who want us to make negative actions like bullying.

-Wicked News