Friend Probs

Friends usually understand what you are going through because you can talk to them about everything. It sucks when they stop paying attention to you for their boyfriend because they think they love them and will be with him forever. You really aren’t being a good friend when you flirt with your boyfriend all the time and never want to hang out with your other friends. You especially aren’t being a good friend when you decide not to tell your other friends (even best friends) whats happening in the relationship. If you ever fight with your boyfriend and you don’t go to your friends to talk about it, your being a terrible best friend because you guys have always confessed problems before to each other. Now your best friends won’t even go to you for help because they can’t trust you anymore. Instead your friend with the boyfriend pouts and keeps everything quite. Also you aren’t being a good friend when your friends are trying to tell you something but you don’t listen because you know they are right. If this is you with the boyfriend, Yes, you just aren’t being a good friend at all because of everything you have done and caused.

Sometimes you have to take responsibility for everything you have done. Even if you meant to do it, or maybe you didn’t mean to, but you still need to take responsibility for it. Your friends aren’t the ones that have changed. It’s all you. You caused a big awkward gap between four best friends who always used to have so much fun together. Now everyone sits awkwardly while you decide to flirt and sit on top of your boyfriend. This is not OK. High school shouldn’t have this much drama. You need to get a life and stop hanging out with your boyfriend for a change and get your head on straight. Stop blaming your best friends for causing the problems and especially STOP being moody towards them when you don’t get your way to hang out with your boyfriend!! You used to have friends. Then it went down to the two of us because we refused to let our best friends go. Now all you have is your boyfriend because you didn’t realize your mistakes. People make mistakes but what it really comes down to is do you except that you made a mistake or do you blame your best friends for every bad thing that happened? Take responsibility for all the mistakes you made because other wise you will end up doing again to a different group of friends and to your next boyfriend.

When friends give you advice you really need to take it because we weren’t trying to hurt you, only help. You hurt everyone because of what you and your boyfriend did. Good luck making new friends. Stop pouting when you aren’t around him and for sure stop being needy. No matter how much he thinks he likes it now he won’t like it after six months to a year when you follow him around everywhere, so he will end up dumping you. Then you will just find another guy who will help you through the “hard time”. That is unacceptable. Just STOP.

Essay Probs

This post is going away from the deeper meanings behind music and movies. So are the next few and probably forever after this one unless I have something really important to say about a song or movie. But for now I’m out of ideas so here I am writing about the dreadful, terrifying essays that nobody ever wants to write.

Essays are difficult to write, for me at least. I never know how to start the essay and after I do start it I don’t know how to put what I’m thinking down in words other people understand. In my LA class we have to write and essay about an argument of your own choice. We had  to pick and read a book that we thought would be interesting. Now using a topic from the book we have to write our own argument about the topic and give evidence and reasons to why we think what we do. My book that I read was called The  World Without Us. The argument I chose was that the earth wouldn’t be the same after humans go extinct as the earth was before humans were made.

I think I have good enough evidence for the essay to be written but I don’t know how to start it. The first draft is due Monday and I have nothing down on paper or on Word. My different thoughts just keep spinning around in my head and I can barely make sense of all of them. How do I put something down on paper and expect other people to understand it when I don’t even understand it? I can’t. That’s the simple answer.

But I know in order to get somewhere I have to start somewhere, even if it’s in the middle of the essay. I guess as long as I get something down first then I can start getting into it a little more and hopefully it will turn out OK.  I’ve spent hours just trying to come up with an introduction and it’s driving me insane that I can’t pull one out of my  brain. It’s in there somewhere I just don’t know where. I know what my essay is about but I can’t seem to find the right words that really describe what I’m writing. Everything is that seems to come up in my mind to write down on my paper ends up being crap. Just that one simple little word.

Writing essays is hard. I have no idea how to do it or how I’ve done it in the past. But you have to start somewhere even if that somewhere seems like no where. Maybe try making a list of everything that you want to incorporate into the essay. Or you could just type and keep typing and see what pops up on the page. No one sees your first draft anyway so it’s ok if it doesn’t make sence. People aren’t perfect, I’m for sure not perfect and it’s OK to make mistakes. I guess just try to have fun with the essay and do a little at a time. There’s a book called Bird By Bird that my teacher read to us during class. In the book the author talks about crappy first drafts and that it’s OK to have them. Not one single good writer has an amazing ready to be published first draft. In the end your going to find a way to finish the essay and get it done on time. That’s just how life is. So if your writing an essay soon or ever in the future remember to take it Bird By Bird. That’s what I am going to have to do too.

AP Week

AP tests are this week and next week. It’s the most stressful time of the year. People are cramming and everyone is going to Barnes and Noble to get their test prep books. I have my first and only AP test tomorrow (Friday May 10) for AP Lang and Comp. I am nervous for it but then again I’m not. The worst score you can get is a one so you can’t completely fail I  guess. I’m really hoping for a three but I’m not sure if I will get that or not. I know a few of my friends will get fives because they are amazing at writing essays.

Last year I took two AP classes and they were both extremely challenging. I took AP Biology and AP World History. Those two are in the top for hardest AP classes to take. It was a complete nightmare. I hated history to begin with so I don’t know what made me to decide to AP World but I did. I loved biology my freshman year so I was happy and excited to take AP Bio but I didn’t realize how much work it was. I did get a three on my AP Bio test though so I was really happy about that. I only got a two on my World test but I’m OK with that because I tried my best and I didn’t get a one.

As I’m getting to my senior year I realized that AP tests aren’t everything. I mean, I’m glad they raise your GPA and help a little bit to prepare you for college but other than that they don’t do much. Most colleges don’t even accept the AP test score so you have to take all the freshman year courses at the college anyway. Like the University of Michigan doesn’t accept any AP credit. You have to take all the college freshman courses at the college no matter what. That’s why my brother didn’t go there because at Michigan State University he got out of freshman year and went straight on to be a sophomore because he had so much AP credit. But MSU is pretty much the only school that I have heard of so far that does take AP credits. I’ve heard many other stories from people who took a lot of AP classes in high school and it didn’t help them in college at all.

“A person is a person, no matter how small.”

A very Seussical musical was performed two years ago at the high school I go to. The actual show that they performed was Horton Hears a Who which is based on the book by Dr. Seuss and they included Cat in the Hat and thing 1 and thing 2. A movie was made in 2008 about Horton Hears a Who. The story is about an elephant named Horton who, one day, hears a high-pitched cry for help from a random speck of dust that was floating through the air by him. Because of Horton’s big kind heart, he decides to help the speck even though he can’t see anyone or anything on the speck. Horton picks a fluffy flower to set the speck of dust on. It turns out that Who’s live in that speck in a city called Whoville. Horton agrees to help the little Who’s even though his friends and neighbors refuse to believe that anything could survive on the speck. Still, Horton stands by the motto that, “After all, a person is a person, no matter how small.”

That’s pretty much the story line of the musical except with a few other Dr. Seuss characters thrown in. At my high school they obviously have auditions for the musical. That means they get the best singers they can to have main parts and every year they come through with a great performance. It was really cool of them to perform the Dr. Seuss theme because the actors younger siblings could see it and enjoy it. Plus that musical didn’t have a strong love message so more kids could enjoy the show.

The person who played Cat in the Hat for the musical at my school was a junior but he is the funniest person ever. He has great facial expressions that you just have to laugh at. Of course this person was also in improv and he did show choir. Now that the person who acted as Cat in the Hat has left, I didn’t think the musical this year was going to be good but the people in Urinetown proved me wrong. The person who played Bobby in the musical did an amazing job too. He really did fill the role and character of the person who left.

Horton Hears a Who has a great message for anyone big and small. It teaches people that no matter how small you are or think you are, you can do great things and are special. Everyone likes feeling special at some point in their lives but your always special. It’s a great annimated film for all ages.

“I’m gonna pop some tags, only got twenty dollars in my pocket”

The song Thrift Shop by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, is a song about a thrift shop were you can buy things for cheap. The overall message is good because it suggests that people don’t need to be rich in order to have nice clothes. The song doesn’t really make sense but if you think about it in the fact that stores like Goodwill and Stuff don’t really have “bad” clothes. They are just used but most of the stuff is still good to wear. If you go to stuff you can find some pretty neat things that have been used but they are still really nice. They might have only been worn once or twice. Even if you go to Goodwill you can find some really nice stuff. Some of my friends got really cute shoes there for a cheap price. And another one of my friends get nice shirts there.

There are a lot of bad words in it though which I really don’t like. I hate how singers think that they have to swear words in their songs for them to be big hits and for people to buy them. That’s not true at all. A lot of great songs don’t have any swear words in them. You don’t need them. You should be able to come up with different words to use that are better and more appropriate. Many pop singers have bad words in their songs and it’s really annoying. I can’t listen to those songs around my parents because I know they would freak. But those songs sometimes have really good lyrics and beats behind them. Plus they are catchy so you just can’t help yourself from singing them through the house. To be honest though, most of the better songs from pop artists don’t have any swear words in them or at least very few which is nice. But it would be better if they didn’t use bad words at all.

I don’t freak out when people use bad language but I really don’t like it. I’m actually quite used to that type of language because of school and movies. What makes me mad is that they can always find a different word to use if they wanted to.

“We can be the kings and queens of anything if we believe”

There are many songs out today that are very emotional and strong in that sense. One of those songs is called There’s a Place for Us by Carrie Underwood. She sings about how you can do anything that you want if you believe. There’s always a place for everyone in the world whether you have found that place yet or not. People were made for more than most people believe. There is a place where you belong. This song is meant to be uplifting and it works perfectly in the Narnia movie because Narnia is an uplifting movie.

Many Christian songs are more uplifting. One of my favorites would have to be Jesus Take the Wheel. That song is a great reminder for Christian people that things that happen aren’t in your control. Bad things happen but if you let God take control of your life things will always get better. You just have to put your trust and faith in Jesus. Sometimes things get worse before they get better but no matter what happens things will get better. Positivity helps during the hard times but sometimes you can’t keep up an act. You have to let out your hurt and sadness. There is always someone there to listen to those cries for help. It’s OK to be mad.

Music is what brings out the emotion in anything. In movies, scary movies wouldn’t be scary without the music. Romantic movies wouldn’t be as touching if they didn’t have the music. My music teacher told me about an experiment done that college people did. It involved watching a scary movie. The first time the subjects watched the movie without the music that was supposed to be in the movie. The people weren’t scared at all. They just shrugged it off and went on with their lives. But then the same people watched the same movie again except this time with music and they were freaked out. Music is such a big part of our lives in today’s world.

You can’t go anywhere without hearing music. If you go shopping you hear music from the speakers in the ceiling of the stores. In the car, most people find the ride awkward if there isn’t music. I’ve only met one person who doesn’t find it awkward without music. Of course in his truck the radio was broken so he had to live with it. I don’t necessarily think something is awkward without music but I just love music in general so I like listening to it when I can. I also don’t find things awkward unless people say it is awkward.

Prom!!

Prom is here for many schools! Pictures are everywhere of dream dresses that people want. There are many red, purple, blue and other multicolored dresses out there to choose from. I want a blue or green dress with either one strap or a strap that goes around the neck. Yes I have thought a lot about prom if you’re wondering. I’ve been excited for prom for many years now. Since I was younger and I first found out about prom I wanted to go.

And there are all kinds of different strange yet cool ways that people are asking their dates to prom. One of my friends asked their girlfriend by writing it on slip of paper and putting it in the windshield wiper on her car in the school parking lot. That way when she walked up to her car she would think that she got a ticket. Someone else I know got asked by their friend who spelled prom out with bacon strips. I think that was an awesome idea because who doesn’t love bacon? There are many other ways that people have gotten asked and each year they keep on getting more and more clever.

I can’t wait until it’s my time for prom next year. I like getting dressed up for things like that and I really want someone I like to ask me. I’m not really sure if that will happen but I can always dream. I definitely don’t want to go by myself! That wouldn’t be very fun. I don’t really want to go with just a friend either but I will if no one asks me. Honestly I think that the guy should ask the girl no matter what kind of situation you’re in. Maybe that’s just me but I think it’s weird when a girl asks a guy on a date, to a dance, or to be boyfriend and girlfriend.

It’s a Privilage to Pee

Urinetown~ yes it’s just like it sounds. It’s a musical that involves peeing. The show takes place in a city (the city itself isn’t called Urinetown, I’ll get to that later) in the world in which there is only one place to pee. It’s a public place that everyone has to use and in order to use it you have to pay a fee. It’s not a one time fee either. It’s a fee you have to pay every time you use the Amenity. If people pee in the ground the ground water will go bad and the only water they can drink is the ground water. If the ground water is used up or gets infected then everyone will die. Also if you pee in the ground you will get sent to Urinetown. Now we can talk about what Urinetown actually is. Urinetown is mysterious place where many people have been sent but no one ever returns. In the end of the musical you find out that Urinetown doesn’t actually exist.

In the show, there has been a drought that has been going on for twenty years so only a small amount of water remains. This is why there are Amenities around the world. The water shortage made it impossible for there to be private toilets in people’s houses.  But in this place most of the people are poor. They can’t afford the Amenities. But the rich people live up the life as much as they can and don’t try to help out the poor. Mr. Cladwell is the owner of Urine Good Company and he also is the person who said that the Amenities should have a fee.

When Mr. Cladwell’s daughter, Hope, comes into town to help out with her fathers company, she meets a young man named Bobby Strong. Bobby Strong and her fall in love and Hope gives Bobby hope about a new day when people won’t have to pay to pee. Because Bobby works at Amenity number 9, the next day he declared that people didn’t have to pay to get in. This caused a riot and the chain of events throughout the musical.

The musical Urinetown is the musical my high school had performed this past week. We have an amazing cast that can really sing. I’m not up on stage but I’m in the pit. I play clarinet for the songs in the show. My favorite song is Run Freedom Run. I don’t play in that song so I can actually watch whats happening on stage. The main singer is really good and it’s just such a happy song. When you have a happy song in a depressing musical it makes the song seem even happier. Plus I love the performers facial expressions during that song. They really make it seem like their is hope for the characters and they can pull off anything.

My second favorite song throughout the musical would be the cop song. It’s really cut and I play through pretty much that whole song. The song isn’t difficult for the clarinet but its really fun to play. If you have ever seen the musical you know that it is really good but it doesn’t have a point. It mainly just makes fun of other shows. But that’s what makes the musical so funny and entertaining. The show is kind of long also. By the time you get to the middle of the second act you just want to know how it ends and for it to be over. Overall it’s a great show. Many people thought it was funny so great job to everyone who performed this past week in it. You guys have worked very hard on it and it pays off.

Roar!

The Lion King 2 is one of my favorite Disney movies of all time. The movie is so cute. I’m pretty sure I have watched it at least twenty times. In the first Lion King though, Simba is born and is now prince of the Pride Lands. Later Simba is told by his father, King Mufasa, that when Mufasa dies, Simba will become King of the Pride Lands. Simba’s Uncle Scar would have been king after Mufasa had Mufasa not had a child. Fuelled by rage, Scar plots to kill Mufasa and Simba so he is able to take over the throne. He uses the hyenas to cause a stampede through the canyon where Mufasa and Simba are, and personally ensures Mufasa falls to his death. Simba survives so Scar implies that the stampede was Simba’s fault and that the pride will blame him. Simba flees the Pride Lands meaning never to return home. Simba is found, collapsed with exhaustion, by Timon the Meerkat, and Pumbaa the Warthog, and the trio become fast friends. Simba stays with them well into adulthood until his childhood friend, Nala, hunting beyond the Pride Lands that herds had deserted under Scar’s mismanagement stumbles upon Simba’s new home. Astonished to find him alive, she begs him to return to the Pride Lands, where Scar has reigned as King for years, and ruined everything. All of the animals will starve if Simba does not return. Simba eventually agrees to fight for his kingdom. Simba battles Scar, and learns his father’s death was Scar’s fault, not his own. Simba prevails and takes his fathers place as rightful king, mirroring “The Circle of Life.”

Simba and Nala have a daughter, Kiara. The king assigns Timon and Pumbaa to be her babysitters and take care of her. But even with them, Kiara easily escapes their care and ventures into the forbidden lands. There she meets a lion cub named Kovu and they become friends. What she and her parents do not know is that Kovu is the son of Zira (a banished follower of the now-dead Scar). She plans to raise Kovu to overthrow Simba and become the king of the Pride Lands. This tests not only Kiara and Kovu’s relationship as they mature, but Simba’s relationship with his daughter.

As a child I thought it had a great message of friendship because of the tests that Kiara and Kovu are put through. They have to learn to trust each other and Kiara and Simba put their trust to the test as well. Although love is a message in basically any movie you see now a days The Lion King is still a great movie. Another message within The Lion King is that sometimes our biggest enemy is our own self-doubts. Simba didn’t really kill his father, but because he thought that he did kill him he blamed himself and tried to run away from his life. There are many other great life lessons in this movies.

“Good afternoon. Are you in need of any assistance today, sir?”

Carl Fredrickson is a little boy and a dreamer who idolizes the adventurer Charles Munts. When he meets Ellie, who also worships Munts, they become close friends. However Charles Munts falls into disgrace, accused of forging the skeleton of the monster of Paradise Falls. He travels in his blimp to South America to bring the monster back alive but is never seen again. Eventually Carl grows up and marries Ellie. They promise each other that they would travel together to Paradise Falls and build a house there. Many years later, Ellie dies and Carl, who’s lonely, refuses to move from their house despite the offers of the owner of a construction company. When Carl accidentally hits a worker that damaged his mailbox, he is sentenced to move to a retirement home. However, he uses many balloons to float his house in order to travel to Paradise Falls. However, he has a stowaway aboard: an 8-year-old boy named Russell, who’s trying to get an Assisting the Elderly badge. Together, they embark on an adventure, where they encounter talking dogs, an evil villain and a rare bird named Kevin.

This must be an animation movie week for me cause here is another one. This movie “Up” is also a little kid movie but it is a good one too. In this movie there are a few themes that you can talk about. One theme being- don’t put off following your dreams. If you wait too long for your dreams to come to life you might just miss out on the opportunity. Carl Fredrickson almost missed out on his opportunity and if it wasn’t for the retirement home trying to take him away he would have. Carl also didn’t get to do it with Ellie which was his dream after he met her.

A second theme in this movie is – if open to the possibility, generations can learn many things from each other. Carl learned a lot from an eight year old even though he never thought he could. The interaction between Carl and Russell as they make their way to Paradise Falls moves from contentious to tolerant to affectionate. Carl teaches Russell, who’s never been out of the city, about wilderness and survival; Russell teaches Carl, who never had children, about patience.

A third theme located within the movie is that the real adventure is in the everyday living with family and friends, not necessarily the pursuit and achievement of lofty dreams. Carl realizes this when the balloons start deflating, the house starts to descend, and Carl loses his hope that he will never make it to Paradise Falls. Carl then opens his and Ellie’s scrapbook and figures this out.

All these messages are good to remember when your on a journey and things don’t go the way you plan.