All Hollows eve night. Finally it's time to rise. From tombs, coffins, land.
Spirits, Souls, Ghosts haunt. Just as for this night. Anything is possible.
Listen good and well, don't wander alone out there, Happy Halloween!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Assignment #12:The Black Cat
We read the story The Black Cat during class. In this story, the narrator portrays a man who is fond of animals, had a tender heart, and is happily married. Within several years of his marriage, his general temperament and character make a radical alteration for the worse. He grows moodier, more irritable, and more inconsiderate of the feelings of others. This change for the worse caused by alcohol, ends in the narrator’s waiting on death row for the murder of his wife.
It's a simple story with so many human wisdom lessons that are a little hard to catch. The main human wisdom of this story is that "We hurt the ones we love." Without realizing we as human beings do this act all the time, is it a matter of fear of getting hurt ourselves, we don't know, but we always do this, and sometimes we take it too far and we can't erase our mistakes. The man clearly loved his Cat and his wife, but throughout time and because of the over-consumption of alcohol he turned into a monster that didn't have trust for anybody so he ended up killing the ones he loved the most.
The first Cat had unconditional love towards it's owner and trusted him completely. Animals are the most loyal friends you will have because they will always stick with you no matter what. When the owner mistreated the cats they always came back to him and loved him no matter what. The cats only saw how alcohol was ruining the man's life, but they couldn't do anything, but still love him and forgive him, and that's exactly what they did. In other words, they became the owner's conscience and the owner became so violent that he couldn't stand it. The owner took way too much advantage and lost them both. Unconditional love is the kind of love our parents have towards us because no matter what we say they will still love us because we are a part of them. Unconditional love comes in other circumstances too, no matter how much you hurt a person or a person hurts you, you still love them with all your heart and want to be with them. We as human beings mistreat this love, in fact it may be the worse kind of love, and might cause a lot of pain.
A wise man told me that "What you put out in the world is exactly what comes back." As in Karma. Now that I'm a little older and getting at an age were I am more mature I realize that this is true. What you do always comes back to you. Especially when you try to hide something your conscience will expose you and that's exactly what happened with the man. He thought it was all good his plan of hiding the corpse of his wife in the wall, but when the investigators appeared and as questions he became way too nervous, and of course he was busted. He will not only pay by rotting in jail, but he has to live with the image of his dead Cat and wife. That image will be haunting his dreams for the rest of his life.
You only live a life once, you really got to take advantage of it. Do not let alcohol or drugs take over your life, and turn you into something you are not. Don't hurt the ones you love, if you don't love them the right way you lose them and until then you will know how horrible you feel without them. The first step is admitting you are wrong and that you have a problem, then get help; Because if you don't you might have a story to tell just like this man did.
Assignment 11:The Concrete Rose
When you read this poem a lot of things come to your head, depending from which angle point you look at it. Tupac Shakur was a confessional poet to some, and others a modern menace, and thug. People believe he deserved to die and that the person who shot him should get an award, others believe that he didn't and that he still lives in their souls up to this day. There has always been a bright, and dark side to him, Tupac said himself, "For every dark night, there's a brighter day". WHY are we always in search of bad in someone on a constant can-pane to discredit an individual. Just because a person looks or dresses a certain way doesn't mean that person will steal your car, break in your house and rape your daughter, no. I personally think that Tupac Shakur hanged out with the wrong people, did some bad things, but never really was a bad person. Even though he is dead, I give him my respect because I appreciate him and his music, he wrote some really great songs.
In the poem above, he says, "Funny it seems, but by keeping its dreams, it learned to breathe fresh air." People will fall, but you will rise again by seeing there is a light at the end and if you keep on walking you will reach it. "During your life, never stop dreaming. No one can take away your dreams." We all at one time or another have been the Rose that grew from the concrete, but we have to keep our dreams in order to grow. Tupac also talks about how when no one cares, when your dreams seem inaccessible and unachievable, if you perceive, you can be the rose. It alludes to him being the rose, and how he defied nature by breaking free of his environment his words were the feet he needed to walk out of there. In other words, he learned to achieve a step further from himself and was successful by his music and poetry.
Tupac Shakur had a pretty short life. Only at 25 years old Tupac Shakur (Lesane Parish Crooks), was shot and killed before full filling his dream and successful career. He was born in New York City, but spent much of his time in Harlem, then Baltimore, Maryland. In 1988 his family moved to Oakland, California, where he first gained noticed as an MC in 1991 with the group Digital Underground. His music, which was filled with violently lyrics that promoted cop killing and misogyny became some trouble with the law. Tupac later then got himself into more trouble with the law being convicted of sexual assault with one of his female fans. Throughout time he released more albums and was in films including one co-starring it with Janet Jackson. Unfortunately, he was shot and killed in a drive-by a few months before the release of his latest film Gridlock'd which was to be released in 1997. He was hit by four bullets while riding in a car driven by Death Row Records chief executive Marion 'Suge' Knight. His right lung was removed in emergency surgery and, after six days in a medical coma, he died.
To my Conclusion, Tupac Shakur was undoubtedly one of the most successful MCs of all time. Even after his death, he has sold a total of 67 million records worldwide making him the highest selling rap/hip-hop artist of all time! Tupac is widely regarded as the greatest rapper of all time. However, 2Pac was much more than that. His strong lyrical content grew a huge array of followers, making him a hero among millions. He was a great poet and his theory on life influenced his fans to a huge extent. He was indeed the Rose That Grew from Concrete, whose ever-successful work couldn't have been more admired and loved.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Book Report:Shrink to Fit
Leah Lynette Mandelir was a basketball star, she had it all to go to college and play basketball for UCLA. But the pressures of her mother who was a model and wanted her to follow her footsteps, the cheerleaders who were tiny little twigs and still not satisfied with themselves, and her love for her best friend who loves her brain and mind, but drools over the tiny China doll girls, got to her and almost killed her. She was tall beautiful and 200lbs. of muscle and ended up tiny fragile with 140lbs. and no body fat in less than a month and a half.
Sometimes just not having your high school sweetheart notice you might be enough to break your heart, and make you want to be like the tiny little cheerleader he does notice. You get so caught up in looking like the ideal model type you forget who you are are inside. It's not about looks and how people show their beauty on the outside because beauty and hair is just borrowed, sometimes it's not even yours you can now buy such things as extensions, it's just something to remind you how good you can feel and throughout time it is taken away from you. What really matters now is what you got on the inside, what you bring out to people and what you show through your soul by giving out so much and not expecting nothing else in return. That's the kind of person that someone should be interested in because at the end of the day it's what really matters.
The pressures of being a teenager is hard especially if your family is falling apart and you got no one to support you. You might think that if you get skinny enough more people will like you and accept you and all your problems will be solved, but that is just not how the cookie crumbles. If you need to look a certain way in order to fit in a group or to have a person to like you then you are just wasting your time. God took his time to create everyone a special different way, and its silly to think that you have to look like someone else without realizing you're supposed to look the way you are. I am not saying that I have a problem with people losing weight I think it's fine if you do it the healthy right way. But when you over obsess over it then you have a problem.
These are one of the two most valuable human wisdom's I learned from reading this book. Even though I read it quite fast, I payed very close attention to it, and didn't just read the story, I put myself into it. When you put yourself as one of the characters in the story, its like you make the same decisions and learn the same lessons as the book teaches you. When you do that in a story you know the book is good and the author did a very good job with it.
Assignment #10 Bullying
Bullying, it has been a very big issue in America today. You may look at bullying and think that it's not such a big deal, kids will be kids, its part of growing up and you need to toughen up. Yea bullying starts off as a little game, but it ends up with someone ending their life because of it. It makes you feel scared, angry, stressed, unwanted, helpless, like if you did something to deserve the way you are being treated. It ends up with you losing all your self-esteem and making you feel so worthless that you want to end your life. Bullying has gotten so serious that many number of cases have been brought up, and our dear President Obama has spoken to the public to inform teachers and parents that this issue needs to stop and that it's just not right.
I don't think that bullying people is right. My question is why do you have to care so much about someone else's life to be dealing with every day? I can't believe how young boys and girls are treating each other at such an early age and how the parents of these bullies accept this kind of behavior. I have a very mild case of bullying that I fortunately learned to grow out of. When I was in Elementary School, there was a girl that I met in third grade and she became my best friend. It was an odd friendship because when it was just the two of us she would be so nice to me, yet when other people were around she would be so different and mean and say rude things about other people. Throughout the years I became distant from her because I realized that I didn't want that kind of person in my life, but in my fifth grade year she started to attack me. Not literally attack, but she would gossip about me with her other friends, and she would make fun of my acne that was pretty bad back then, but I eventually grew out of. I would just ignore her, we went on to sixth grade together. It was my first month of sixth grade that a good friend of mine told me that she heard her talk in class with her clique that they wanted to beat me up after school. I was pretty shocked, that's when that good friend of mine took me to the office and helped me tell the counselors what was going on. The office took care of it, it took lots of courage, but I did it, and I avoided a lot more problems. Throughout the rest of the year I just ignored her and went on with my life. The last time I remembered seeing her was about midway through seventh grade, and I haven't heard or seen her since. I am glad that she is out of my life, with this I learned a lesson about my better friend choices. Never make them your everything because they will back stab you at the second they can. . well some of them.
What hurts me the most in this situation, was that she was my best friend. I would never think that one day my best friend can end up hating me so bad for no reason at all. I think that people start bullying because of the fact of being popular and the cliques you have at school. Sometimes it can even be a simple dare, or your friends joking around thinking it's so funny making fun of someone without realizing you are hurting their feelings. In my school there is this boy that is from the country we've dealt with terrorists. People pick at him on a regular basis, even his friends. They are all just joking around and messing with each other, but sometimes they take it too far, and you can see in the eyes of the kid that his feelings are hurt. One day I asked the kid if does it bother him that they're always joking around about him, and he simply said that he's used to it and that there is nothing he can do. The guy sure knows how to defend himself and makes up his own jokes too, I guess that's just how he chooses his friends and he's okay with it.
Bullies don't see how bad they make another person feel, and how serious what they're doing really is. I really appreciate that schools are opening up and getting serious about this bullying situation because if bullying causes someone to end their own life, and you hear that same story again over and over again you know that this is serious and there must be a stop to it! Everyone can get help, from either the counselor, teacher, parent, or any other close adult that can help you because when you speak your voice you will be heard.
Assignment #9 Alien Contact
It was our senior year finally, and we were making history for the first time at our school. The Atrisco Girls Varsity Soccer Team had an outstanding record of 17-0-2! Finally, after so many years of hard work we were the ones making history, we were the ones winning and we were the ones automatically getting into the State Tournament. Since this year we were a 5-AAAAA school we were playing with the toughest teams in the state so we already new what we were dealing with when we played our Tournament match. The tournament was beginning the very first Saturday of November. Today it was Saturday October 23, realizing we only had a little time to get ready our coach scheduled practice for us the very next day.
It was 9:00am the weather was freezing, but we were outside getting ready to do what we love to do. Before we began our running for two whole hours, our Coach Eric quickly introduced us to a new transfer student that was going to start for the varsity team and play with us in State. We were very surprised that Coach Eric would just accept her like that without even trying out and let her play for state, but according to her records this girl was an outstanding soccer player. She has been playing since she was only four years old! So it was to our benefit, the girl came to introduce herself to the team. It was quite awkward and some of the girls started to giggle because her entire face and hair except for the eyes was wrapped and covered in a soft scarf-like cloth. You see this girl was from a small town called Arabi-Babilo or so she says, so it was a common custom to have your face wrapped like this. It was strange, but we quickly became used to it.
We introduced ourselves and the girl just kept staring at us with wide eyes, so very wide I never saw any eyes like this before. They were so beautiful though, it was a brownish-hazel color that made them look almost orange-green. We each said our names and welcomed her to the team, she just kept staring at us as if mesmerized. To cut off the awkwardness some bit, we began to get in line for our 10 minute warm-up. After that we began to play a game our coaches called, penny-tag. Were we put pennies in our shorts and chase each other around to tag them and pull it off. The new girl quickly got into the game and started giggling and having fun with us. She was hard to get because she was super fast. One of the fastest sprinters I have ever met. Not even our coaches were able to get her. Finally, Cinthia sneaked up on her and ended up tackling her over before she had a chance to get away. When she did that she accidentally pulled her scarf-like cloth off and revealed the girls face and hair.
We all got quiet as we were watching the girls reaction. She didn't let us see her face and she covered it, crying very loudly. A few minutes passed and we were finally able to calm her down, her she still covered her face with her hands though, but not her hair anymore. Her hair was so beautiful it was chocolate-brown and it fell in long-layered waves all the way down her back. We couldn't figure out why she would cover her face if her hair was that gorgeous. We finally begged her to please show us her face, and still with a little doubt she decided she had nothing to lose if she did show us her face. All of us, including our coaches let out a little gasp as the girl removed her hands from her face and showed it to us. Her skin was a strange greenish color, and we didn't even realize how long and slender her hands were. We all new what this meant, but no one was able to admit it out loud.
The girl looked so scared as if she made a wrong decision and she was about to get up and run away when I stopped her and asked her that what was her purpose of coming to this planet and joining the soccer team, especially our soccer team. She calmly told us that she is not here to harm us, she is here because in her planet there was no such thing as soccer, it was only on TV for professionals. She had watched the World Cup the summer of last year and she said she always dreamed of playing the sport she loves, and having a crowd watch her. So she came to us because she could see that we all had 100% of our hearts in Soccer and that we wouldn't judge anybody to play with us.
She said that she was glad that she made the right choice in coming that when she plays soccer with a group of girls she doesn't even know, she feels like family and that she can be accepted anywhere and right on fit in. She said we would make her dream come true if we let her play with us in State and after that she would go to her planet home back where she belongs as if she never appeared, and that she will be watching us from way out into space. We more than gladly let her join us. Finally, that Saturday we so eagerly waited for came up and we knew we were ready for it. Surprisingly Rio made it to State too and they were our opponents. The game ended with us beating them 5-2, and our little Alien Soccer star made two goals. It was late and the game ended, everyone left except the team and the coaches. Our Alien friend did as she promised, but before she left she hugged us and thanked us so much, she gave each of us a necklace, it was a soccer ball with our number engraved on it. On the back of the necklace was a little quote it said: "you can achieve anything you want, as long as you set your mind on it, love Stella" That was her name Stella, and we never knew until that last minute, and we knew exactly what she was referring too with that quote. We remained playing in state and we won the Championship it was the greatest year for us, but the biggest memory we all remembered was meeting Stella and the impact she brought to us.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Book Report:What my girlfriend doesn't know
What my Girlfriend doesn't know was about a young man who finally got the girl of his dreams, but they are both constantly being taunted and made fun of because the guy is not good enough for the girl, the girl and the guy decide to stick together no matter what and won't let anything pull their love apart. . . but as always guys are not very smart human beings. Funny how the mind of a male teenager works. It's quite different from the mind of a female teenager. What my girlfriend doesn't know, turned out to be a very hilarious, tempting book about young love and the beauty of art.
I've learned that even though in High School you might be the outcast that everyone picks on when you get to college it's a whole new chapter to your life, and no one picks on you for your differentials, they are all grown up and just focus on their education. Usually in College you won't see the annoying little clicks or the jocks and people that are judgemental, usually those people don't end up being half as successful as you might become, and you are welcomed everywhere in College. I've also learned that if you really love a person your love will last, not mattering if it's your high school sweetheart or you 30 year marriage life partner. You shouldn't let your school reputation bring you down from your happiness, and if your friends really are your friends they will stick to you no matter what your decision is and they will support it.
I really enjoyed this book it was written in journal form, sort of and it was very funny. I learn how you can communicate by the beauty of art, and by drawing pictures instead of talking, one day I will try it. It did have actual facts about what goes on in high school, and the pressures of growing up, but it added its own twist to it and turned out to be very romantic and hilarious.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Book Report:Twins=)
This week I read the novel Twins by Marcy Dermansky. Imagine all your life having someone by your side knowing you are stuck with them until college dues you apart . . . or not. It starts on the eve of their thirteenth birthday Sue makes Chloe get tattoos to prove that no matter what they will be together forever Chloe didn't really want this but she guiltily accepts. That's when Sue decides to become an obsessive twin, thinking she can get whatever she wants and have Chloe with her no matter what that way. Over the course of five years these two girls struggle with heartbreak, unhappy vacations, eating disorders, pill abuse, getting neglected by their parents, living on their own, and the first painful explorations of love and sex. Sue and Chloe have to support each other through all this.
With a little kick of humor to it, when I read this book I learned more about myself and how hard it is being a teenager. There are just so many things you can handle, being perfect, getting good grades, keeping up with sports and having a life may not always be the best to your abilities and every now and then you do need a break. You do have the temptations of course but drugs and eating disorders are not a way to comfort you, at the moment it may feel good but later on you just end up more miserable then you already started. I am not saying I am perfect but I know better and can control myself.
However, Love and caring was what these girls really needed in their lifes, it's what everyone needs in their lifes actually. Without the proper love and care of family, it is pretty hard to support yourself throughout the rest of your life's. Therefore, you start making bad decisions about all your surroundings. I know that some people are just not meant to be parents and that's okay but you just can't ignore them forever, I would rather be with someone else who will be a parent for me and provide me with all the love and caring I need. Instead of being neglected and abandoned in your own house.
I give this book two big thumbs up and very highly recommend it. This book really inspired me to be a better person in life, and to make better decisions about myself and my body. There are just things you have to let go of, and when you do, the best thing in your life may just occur only then.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Assignment #8 The Necklace=)
Throughout your lifetime you learn from your mistakes, you either learn simple things your mother taught you or you learn things the hard way. When you read the story "The Necklace," you quickly learn lots of lessons taught in the story, and these aren't typical everyday lessons they are lessons that we as people often take for granted in life. That is exactly what the main character did in this story, she got too caught up in herself and thought she deserved better than everyone else just because she was beautiful. Instead of just coming out with the truth since the beginning she decided to lie, and her lies caught up to her for about ten years, finally after those ten years, she found out that if she had just been truthful since the beginning, she wouldn't have to work her payback so hard all these years and boy did she have to get a payback! She lost what she had the most, her beauty.
In every story there are morals that come with them. Some are very obvious, but others are hard to seek, but will eventually come out. "The Necklace" had quite several of them that taught me many things. Lying doesn't get you anywhere in life, I know we as humans all lie, but if your lies get too deep than they are after you, it will turn around on you and bite you right back, where it hurts the most. You can lose so much just for lying. Like Mathilde did, all those years of being jealous of everyone else, and wanting to have money, riches, clothes and jewels didn't help her at all in the end.
With time people get old, ugly, and wither away. You will not be remembered for how beautiful you are on the outside and how much money and stuff you had. You will be remembered by the type of person you were in the inside, and the things you did with your life, to make you the best person you can be. Once you get at a certain age it won't matter to you about looks, and stuff and from that moment then you will find the true meaning of life. You just got to enjoy everything god gave you, and count your blessings. If you were born poor with a very bad family, there are ways to overcome that. For example, get an education a good spouse and make a beautiful well educated family and teach them all you can about life. Give them everything you can, but also make them understand that in life you can't always get what you want and that there are just things that matter more.
Monday, October 4, 2010
[Extra Credit] Our story continues. . .
April through September
Slowly I was fading away
I didn't care about that feeling, just wanted to play with the same emotions that caused my heart to be ripped apart
All those endless nights of dreaming, crying thinking what could have been?
Those other nights of just giving up, thinking what's the point?
Then suddenly like a newborn baby, my reason came back. . .
I have a new opportunity and I am not going to let my fear bring me down again
Like a flower blooming in a wilthered garden I am fresh again and have a whole new beginning
I need to water my flower and give it sunlight, a sunlight of hope
Don't let it wilther, nothing is impossible
If the flower bloomed so will you, and your trust with me will re-main
We will make it. . .that's a fact
Since June 30th, 2009
It's another beginning including you, it's our story
I am in love with you<3 =)
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Book Report: Scribbler of Dreams=)
What would you do if the love of your life, is the one you're doomed to hate forever? That's the moral of the story on the book Scribbler of Dreams by: Mary E. Pearson. It all started with Kaitlin Malone and her sister when they are forced to go into a new high school which is the land of the enemy . . . The Crutchfields. Past down from generation to generation The Malones and The Crutchfields were doomed to hate eachother but then Kaitlin and Bram Crutchfield fall deeply in love, and soon Kaitlin learns that there is a whole different story about the Crutchfields and it's up to her to leave the "before" in the past and bring out a new future, besides since Bram loves her, he will forgive her and her family right?
This book is everything I love to find in books. It has romance, suspense, and true love. When I read this book it makes me wonder what if I was the one in the position of Kaitlin? I would be devastated to be tied up in the whole Romeo and Juliet idea, but then true love does conquer all. I myself, was never in the position of dating the enemy but I do have my own love story, and wow has it been a love story! Each day I grow more profound of my loved one, but at the same time I know it's a long start and it has only been the beginning.
In this story Kaitlin and Bram show their true love, and how that love, can break a history of hate, lies, and murder between two families. Even though it wasn't easy, and Kaitlin lies a lot, at the end it's all worth it, because no matter what her love is secure. I absolutely loved it, I highly recommend this book to young readers who like books in the form Romeo and Juliet idea. I don't think its going to happen but I kind of hope this book turns into a movie, it would be really nice. What I learned from reading this book is that never give up on someone you love, and lying sometimes has its good things, if you don't lie sometimes you get stuck with the "What could have been" idea, but remember that for every lie there is always a consequence.
Assignment #7 The Human Flaw
Jealousy can start anywhere from early childhood too late adulthood. From silly little things like you want the teacher to give you a sticker for being the sharpest light bulb in class or from you will do anything to steal your best friends fiance because he is rich and you want the money. Jealousy is one of those emotions that can overpower you, and make you feel so insecure and frightened over things that are meaningless or doesn't matter to other people. If not controlled it can destroy your life, and make you wonder what could have been.
I think jealousy comes from a deep root, and that root is that we don't love ourselves enough that we have to compare ourselves with somebody else, always wanting to be like them or have the same things they have. We as humans don't like to accept this, but it's the reality. There will always be that little voice in your head saying "Oh, I wish I had that," or "Oh, I want my body to be like that," but it's up to you if you can shake it off and accept and love yourself and your body for whom you are and how god created you. We shouldn't let emotions take over our lives, we should be thankful for what we have. And instead of being jealous we should admire someone and help support them in life because that's how karma is what goes around comes around and one day we will have what we always wished for. Of course we can't have everything in the world because there will always be someone that will have something better, we have to be grateful for what we do have and thank our parents for all the hard work they do to give us what we have. We need to love, cherish, and create ourselves and be different in this world because god went through a lot of trouble to create you, why in the world would you want to be like somebody else?