Sunscreen

Just the other day, while on the way to Palm Springs, I flipped through an old People magazine. When I turned the pages I saw the usual ads for products like Pringles and shampoo but then I saw an ad for sunblock. I proceeded to read about its features when I was reminded about the effects of skin damage. "UVA rays can cause skin damage and skin aging, but the UVA protection in many sunscreens can begin to breakdown the moment your skin is exposed to the sun." When I was young my aunt was diagnosed with skin cancer (luckily she survived). After this my family has always been mindful of putting on sunscreen, but now I hear that it doesn't work? If the ad is truthful than it means that companies like Banana Boat are putting our lives in justice. How can this be approved by scientists. Anyway, the whole sunscreen thing has a lot to do with me being in Palm Springs. Alright, thats my ranting.

 "And I charge them. I knock two breathless and run a third through the body. One lets off of me: Paf! and I retort..."

There is no significant reason why I chose this portion of the dialogue except for that I like it. I love the way that Cyrano speaks because of the wit that he possesses. Anyone who could read this play would realize that Cyrano speaks in eloquent language that is hardly heard today. Where did that language go? Over centuries, English has changed quite a bit. For instance, the use of "tis, doth,  twas" was very common in the seventeenth century, but  now if someone was saying those words we would assume he/she is a part a role playing game club. I wonder what would happen if, for a day, we all spoke in 1400's English; tis a good question.

Cyrano de Bergerac

"Of garlic and of grease. I leap forward , head lowered..."

There is no particular thing that validates this quote for a reading journal, but it just struck me. What does it mean? I am thinking that it has something to do with standing up for himself but I'm not sure. I believe that by saying "of garlic and of grease" he is hinting about his nose because of its unattractiveness. Well I am off with soap and water!

Cyrano de Bergerac

"Enormous, my nose!... Contemptible stutterer, snub-nosed and flat-headed, be it known to you that I am proud of such an appendage!"- Cyrano de Bergerac

After reading the first act of Edmond Rostand's, Cyrano de Bergerac I have noticed the wittiness and cleverness of the way he speaks. Although he might lack in facial beauty he makes up in rhetoric; but I ask how is "pretty" determined? The perspective of beauty has changed over the years, from the muscular sculptures in Ancient Greece to the "plump" shape of the renaissance women. Cyrano is very smooth with words yet he still is self-conscious about his nose, even though he might not have been if there were different standards in France. Cyrano refuses to go after his love because of this and risks not being able to marry her.

march 15th reading journal

“It was true that lots of kids at school were competitive about grades and class standing.” I know a little something about being competitive, possibly because I am one of the most competitive persons in the world. I do question though, what makes people competitive? I don’t know what it could be. Why do professional athletes have the tenacity to win and the drive to succeed when others simply could care less? For me everything is a competition, even the classroom. From the beginning of elementary till now I’ve found that I have to be at the top. It may be a blessing or a curse but it is true. I feel that if I weren’t so aggressive I would not have half the things I have now. I don’t think I could live without being competitive, although losing sucks!

Early Morning Reading Journals

"Welcome to the Wave-or Else"Who was first to threaten? I know that a few men kidnapped King John in the 12th century and forced him to sign the Magna Carta, or else. And yet just a few days ago I heard my mom say "clean your room, or else." Although not quite of the same magnitude, both were valid threats. I guess you could say that threats are forced motivation because the Magna Carta was signed and my room, was cleaned.

Trashy

"David stood motionlessly as Robert practiced the move again." 

Lets talk about routines. What is a routine? What makes a routine routine-y? I believe a routine is a habit; a physical habit though. Not whether you show compassion or perseverance but whether you take the trash out every Monday. I'm not so great with routines. In fact I rarely follow the routine of taking the trash out every Wednesday. I seem to be capable of following a habit, but rarely a routine (besides brushing my teeth and homework). I need to work on routines because it is not enjoyable to be lectured about what day the trash truck comes. Well, tomorrow is Monday, time to take out the trash.

Failed Relationships :(

My relationship has ended with the God of Mischief. Sadly, I could not continue any longer with that book, it was not for me. Now, though, I am moving on by reading The Wave. In the beginning pages it reads, "They were herded into camps all over Eastern Europe, and once they were worked, starved, and tortured, and when they couldn't work anymore, they were exterminated in the gas chambers." Unfortunately, this refers to the atrocities committed by the Nazis against Jews and other "inferior" races. I have read and researched about Adolph Hitler for a report and my own knowledge and have discovered the, so-called reasons for treating innocent people in such a heinous manner. I now understand that he was depressed because of a troubled childhood and failures in art schools. Obviously, those reasons do not validate slaughtering millions of people and Hitler should have been stopped earlier. Why wasn't he? Not only was the Nazi party a minority of Germany but the whole world. I am not suggesting that the German people or American soldiers should have killed him instantly without trial, but stop him before it excelled to an epidemic. How would the world be different?

Blood, Sweat, and Tears

There was definitely blood, a bit of sweat, but no tears. At around eight thirty tonight I began to take a shower. What could be so important about bathing on a Tuesday evening, you may ask. Well, about half way through my rituals of shower-taking I felt a but of dripping on my wrist. Being in a shower I assumed a focused jet was hitting my lower arm, but then I looked down. My wrist, arm, and body was covered in blood. I soon noticed that the source of flow was from my nose. I then applied my nose-bleeding strategies, and pushed my tongue against the roof of my mouth. I thought that the bleeding would stop but it continued profusely. it was getting worse and I needed a solution because my shower was beginning to look like a Law and Order episode. I could not get to the tissues because I was wet and the toilet paper was too far to reach for. The closest thing I could get my scarlet hands on was a perfectly white towel to halt the projectile stream of blood. With my free hand I wrapped my towel around my self  and walked out to my parents. Muffled under the towel, I told them the story. I told them about The shower curtain looking like modern art and also how my feet were in hot pink water. 

Right now I feel a bit woozy; I think I lost too much blood. That's all. Good Night.

"Was that when you first met Sir Septimus?" What does a title make someone? It seems in our society it makes you better when it is just a small word or abbreviation in reality. Whether one is a doctor, sir, or even congressman, it seems that they draw more attention to themselves. Although Mr. and Mrs. technically are titles they are common place for everyone, but not everybody is a doctor. I don't believe it is done purposely but haven't you heard someone after being called Mr. or Mrs., "actually it is doctor." BEsides maybe their salary and education what sets them apart? I am taking a bit of a stand to titles, and therefore I won't title this page because it might make it better.

Mr. Bramblitt

"It wasn't until I lost my sight that I became brave enough to fail."- John Bramblitt

While taking a look at the New York Times, I found an article that struck me. John Bramblitt lost his sight completely in 2001, yet today he is painting the best pieces of his life. How could this be true?

 It is amazing to me how "handicapped" people excel at things that would seem to require full health. Although it would be a major set-back, I could imagine a sense of peacefulness and focus if I was hard of hearing or blind. Today so many distractions surround us; radio, television, and computers. Would life be easier with no sounds and sights to side track us?

"Not unless he's as crazy as he looks." Judgement in the Merriam Webster Dictionary is cited as "a decision or opinion given after judging". We make judgements every day good and bad . We judge people, places, and things on the way they look, smell, feel, or hear. When we see someone wearing all black we think, "oh they are emo". When we see a neighborhood with bars on the windows we automatically think it is "ghetto". It is impossible to not make quick conclusions, although we all know the saying that, "to assume you make an ass out of you and me".  How could we not assume? We grow up around stereotypes and prejudices that are very difficult to break. For example, a common stereotype is that Jewish people are stingy. Obviously not every single person that follow the Jewish faith is stingy, but that is the stereotype. I don't know if I am stingy or not but I know that Jews have contributed to the community many times before. This is not only true about this Jewish stereotype, but also with all races and religions. DON'T ASSUME! (Or at least try not to.)

The God of Mischief

Again, for this week, I have been reading Paul Bajoria's The God of Mischief. The author of this book uses such great detail when describing a situation. "The wind certainly was hissing violently through the trees tonight; and his house had turrets, and gables, and roofs which sloped at crazy angles to one another, all of which hooked and snagged the wind and could make it sound like thunder." I believe that description makes a good book. We all describe things though, so does that all make us accomplished authors? And, another query of mine was, we have been pressured from the beginning of elemtary school to use vivid language but what if the object or situation is simple? Does that make us some sort of failure? Some things don't require a hoity-toity definition with words not even a college graduate can comprehend. For instance, I could just say this blog is done... and it is.

QQC??

I just started a new book titled The God of Mischief by Paul Bajoria. In eighth grade I read the prequel to this novel, The Printer's Devil. In the first pages the words describe a boarding school of some sort with a, less than kind, administrator.

"The walls towered around us, cold, dirty, and cracked, with barred windows in them so high above our heads that all we could ever see was the sun, the clouds, or the night sky. They were that high up on purpose, of course, to prevent us from seeing what was outside and dreaming or devising plans of escape; but quite often when we were unsupervised, we used to form acrobatic  towers by climbing on top of one another."

This leads me to think, what if school was was like that now? It is hard for me to see Kay walking in the stone archway of a dungeon-like room and lifting me up by the mere fabric of my collar. Now of course,  the school children in this book are much younger than fourteen year olds but it just does not mesh. It seems to me that not only has education come along way since three hundred years ago but society as well. To think that I, as a teenager, would be working in factories as an apprentice just continues to flabbergast me (I really wanted to use that word<-----). To conclude this thought, human beings have grown immensely throughout the centuries.

MEEEEEEEEEEEEE-DIA

Media. Media. Media. To media is anything that demonstrates a person, place, or thing. For instance it could be an add, painting, or movie.

Tales of Beedle the Bard

Over the long winter break I read a book given to me for Hanukkah called The Tales of Beedle the Bard . I have been a very big Harry Potter fan since I first read the sorcerer's stone. I was very excited when I saw that there was a book related to my favorite books. Sadly, it didn't meet the expectations I had of it. The basic scheme of things of this book is an explanation of wizard fairy tales. I have never understood "muggle" fairy tales. They just never did it for me. I mean to say that it is building this fake sense of fantasy. I don't mean to sound like the old grouchy  guy that told the toddler that Santa isn't real, but how many people do you know that can sing and suddenly be immersed in helpful wildlife. Good 'ole Cinderella is just not very credible. I don't really have any suggestions for our magical dilemma but there is something that needs to be done. Little Susanna shouldn't be thinking she is going to spin wool into gold. Well, I'm done for now.