My posts

Personal Curriculum- Talking about authentic and not authentic writing

nextmj1 — Wed, 23 May 2007 16:26:15 +0000

♣ My writing has changed so much since the beginning of 7th grade to the beginning of high school(now). I have learned so much and really written some true authetic writing

~~Please answer the following prompt.~~ NO!!! I shouldn’t ever write to one of those again. Those bring out My worst writing that is when I begin to write not authentic. Prompts have no meaning. They just make me right for a grade instead of my own pleasure. I begin to sound like this:~~All and all, My first reason is becuase…~~ That is the worst crap I have ever heard.

Writing on the blog or the wiki is the only way to go for me. Pull out any of my prompts. Technology > paper.It always will be. When I am writing on y blog I am able to write about what I want to and write as muc or as little as I want about it (as long as it is 1 paragraph). I have learned things about myself that I didn’t even know about. I have shown writing that I didn’t even no was in me. That shows true authenticity. When you write something you hadn’t had capability of before, because you believe in your writing and you write what you want to. That shows something.

My belief= When you write something you don’t believe in it sucks, unless it is for a grade then you are ust writing what the teacher wants to

Good belief= You write what you want on your blogs. GOOD!! That s how it should walways be becuase then you ae able to write about what you want to and express the true you.

Just take at the blog post. I couldn’t have used that much expression on paper, all the crossing out and stuff. Its more fun and more useful to get a meaning across

Are we ready to advance into the future of education?

nextmj1 — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 16:14:18 +0000

Are we as human beings really ready/prepared to step into the future of education. I am not sure if I think it is such a good idea to start to rely on the future of technology as our basis curriculum for our classes. Yes technology has its advantages, but it has many disadvantages that go along with it. I am in between sides personally. I enjoy using technology more, but it also is less reliable then paper. There are very few things that can ruin a paper like a shredder, or maybe your dog eats it, but thats pretty much it. Its different for technology because there are many different viruses on the web and wireless internets that only work 1/2 the time. I would prefer to blog more then writing my ideas out on paper anytime, but it is never fully trustable. It has probably been about 2 weeks since I have been able to access my learner blogs from school, and that hurts my school work because I need to use my blog all the time in class. Since I have started using this new site it hasn't been the "best" second source of blog writing. My very first post I took me 5 tries to post it with continuous errors.

I went to the freshman orientation for the high school I am attending next year, a few weeks ago. The orientation began with a speech from the principal. I wasn't acting interested or paying attention through most of the speech. Then he began to start about technology and the advances the school will be making next year. He said that they plan on having a laptop per student next year. That is crazy, that is about 1000 laptops. I don't know if I want my education to ride on whether or not my laptop is going to work today. I don't know though. It sounds really cool and a great way to move into the future. I just don't know if we are ready to do that yet. I think we might need to discover some ways to rid of viruses and faulty internet companies so that we can be positive that our computers will be working every day. So what do we do now? Do we stick in the boring old past of pen and paper, or do we go big or go home and try to advance into the risky future? Please respond to this post.

Cresthill is the most amazing sports school ever #1. (Especially basketball).

nextmj1 — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 17:02:59 +0000

The Cresthill A and B basketbal teams this year rock. We have only playyed one game, but we both won, so it doesn't matter we are still the best. The Cresthill A team won our game against Sierra by 20 points. That is a great imrpvement from last year when we lost to them in the regular season by 1 point. Everyone on the team was meshing together so well. We were making great passes, taking good shots, and finishing everything we did… Really Well. The B team held it a little closer dring the game, but they still came out on top in the end. They won there game by 4 points with some great free trows to finish the game. Some of the key players yesterday inlcuded, everyone. We were all amazing yesterday. Everyone was playign so well together. If you would have seen us in practice, we would have looked like we would loe all of our games. We were all hoging the ball for ourselves and making bad team decisions. I think it was just some simple nerves that we were able to get over. Our game yesterday wasn't about being the best player for any one person, It was about being the best team in the school league. Sierra used to be number one.As long as we continue to play like the team we did to Sierra we will be #1.

My First personal curriculum project

nextmj1 — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 01:17:15 +0000

My first thing on my list of my personal curriculum project was to do a few posts where I really connected with the issues, or talked about what issues are going on in certain places, and how we should think about them and deal with them.

Here are the links to those three posts

http://nextmj1.learnerblogs.org/2007/01/31/uganda-and-the-lra/

http://nextmj1.learnerblogs.org/2007/01/10/building-off-of-mooses-can-money-buy-happiness/

http://nextmj1.learnerblogs.org/2007/01/04/my-first-connection-movie-we-are-marshall/

The three posts deal with Uganda and the LRA, We are Marshall, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

Book Review for WINTER MOON by Dean Koontz

nextmj1 — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 00:58:04 +0000

5 words: surrogates, tantamount, mundane, trepidation, furtively

473pages

This is my third Dean Koontz book I have read and the more of these books I read the more I learn about this author and his writing style. My favorite part about this author’s style is the way he leaves me guessing. I guess it depends on how you like not knowing what is going to happen or not. I like this quality in the author because it is the key factor that keeps me hooked on a book. I also liked that he made me ask questions to help figure out the book on my own. Its another key to keeping me interested.

Basically, this story is about a family who has suffered a recent family crisis who live in Downtown L.A. Fortunately their luck ends up turning when they inherit this beautiful Montana Ranch, from a long lost friend’s dad. They decide to move from L.A. to start a new life, but was it the best decision? You will have to read to find out. I love mysteries that is my favorite type of genre. Mysteries are the books you can stay hooked on because they never give you the answer. You have to dig deep within yourself to find it.

This was one of the first books I really stayed hooked on because of another one of the comprehension strategies, “visualization”. This was a big part of the book. One scene I remember visualizing really well was when the other described this portal from another world. As I read it it talked about a big portal from which beings of another planet come through. As it described the portal it talked about the size, shape, and thickness of it. What I pictured was a portal big enough to fit a train through it, yet the portal is paper thin and is invisible from a side view. Even though it just described the portal being just black, the way the author described it so well I was able to add my own flare to the portal seeing it with many more colors in it. Thats what is great about visualization, it brings the best out of your own ideas. It sparks new thoughts, and new stories, within your original story.

I think you make part of the book, along with the author. Without using these comprehension strategies, I personally probably wouldn’t read as many books and I wouldn’t be able to expand my ideas the way I am able to. It helps to make reading more enjoyable. I hope to be able to read more Dean Koontz books and learn more about him and hopefully continue to discover how to use these strategies.

Stupid and Random things I have done this week.

nextmj1 — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 17:18:40 +0000

I don’t know what to write about. I am just going to think of random things that have happened to me in the past week. Every time I went to delicious I started singing fergalicious. To the D to the E to the L-I-C-I-O-U-S. Every time. I was at the Bear rock cafe and I asked myself why there was a lot of bear paintings in the restaurant. Then i started laughing after at myself and my family stared at me. I had the worst service ever at Dave nd Buster’s this weekend. I stood at the front desk for over 15 minutes waiting for the person in front of me to say, “Can I help you?” I mean how rude does it get. She didn’t once acknowledge that I was even there. How rude. A the end of the night after being spent for $50 dollars worth of tokens I ended up getting bitter tasting pixie stixs, a remote control car that doesn’t work and two glass cups that are a cool shape , and one of them has already been dropped and broken. Who knew that a fun night at Dave & Buster’s could be so not fun. My fun weekend sort of sucked. It was also funny. That is my random weekend in a whole. I playd basketball to but that is normal.

Faceless Pt. 7

nextmj1 — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 17:14:20 +0000

She was lost on what to do. Erica had always been a good person putting her life before another but this time it just seemed different. There were several reasons why she didn’t want to sacrifice her own life to show her brother she wasn’t lying. First and foremost even though she thinks it sounds a little selfish she doesn’t want to die yet she wasn’t even 26 yet. She hadn’t even had the chance to have a child of her own. Secondly, If she died then what would her brother do. He couldn’t see what was coming at him because he can’t see the future like she could. So then they wold both end up dying and what would be the help in that. Third, she didn’t want to have to goo through the pain of one of those deaths. The deaths were always so gruesome. I mean what would happen to her. Would she be torn limb by limb, her greatest fear was having someone shatter some sort of bone in her body, especially her knees. The thought just made her wince.

She sat there in her room for hours puzzled on what to do. Every time she though of a new idea she didn’t like it. Finally she got some food to think on. Mmm. she grabbed the leftover steak from the restaurant she was at last night and ate it. It was so good. After finishing it she had an idea. How ironic. She thought what if she showed her brother someone that she had seen was already going to die so it wouldn’t be her fault but hat they died just like they were supposed to.

Who would it be though?? Hopefully not someone she was close to again? If so, who would she choose?

BASKETBALL

nextmj1 — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 18:01:01 +0000

In my opinion this is the best sport ever. Basketball is essential to my life. Without basketball I just wouldn’t be me. I love basketball partly because I am good at it. I love playing in games and practicing. I always want to play basketball. I go to the gym for probably around an hour and a half either to improve my basketball skills, to work on my strength and conditioning, or to do both. Basketball keeps me in good shape and keeps me on edge. It helps to keep me up in school by taking away a lot of time to do homework so I have to do it. If that makes sense. Having conflicts helps me to stay on top of things. Basketball is my passion. I want to continue playing it forever, possibly go pro. So far I am ranked in the top 3 in the state for 8th grade boys and I play for a gold crown team and two travel teams. Hopefully by playing on a traveling team I can expand to being nationally ranked. Thats my goal, and my dream.

What I have learned??

nextmj1 — Tue, 06 Feb 2007 17:08:28 +0000

The main way I have learned this quarter is my blog posts. The main way I can show this is by showing you I have learned to connect myself to outside events in 3 specific posts (Uganda and the LRA, Can Money Buy Happiness Reflection, and We are Marshall). This has been my biggest achievement. I have been able to dig deep within myself and find ways to connect myself to anything. I have been able to figure out how to deal with my issues y writing it down on paper also.

Uganda, and the LRA.

nextmj1 — Wed, 31 Jan 2007 18:01:03 +0000

Well right now in ELT we are learning about the Lord’s Resistance Army or the LRA. It is a rebel group that has been fighting against the Uganda government for a few decades now. The story behind this is really sad. What the LRA does is they basically kidnap children from there homes in villages and force them to do usually become either a bodyguard, a soldier, or the women are usually made into sex slaves. These children are forced to walk from there homes in the villages for miles at night, to get to the city where they can sleep in bus stations, under benches, and in the park because it is safer to sleep there. Then the kids who aren’t lucky and are kidnapped by the LRA are forced to do the most horrible things. Every morning the kids in he LRA wake up to go to fight or to kill other people. They are also told repeatedly that if anyone tries to escape you must beat them to death, and if you don’t you will be killed. Also if anyone tries to escape you will be killed no matter what. When we were learning about this yesterday I was running so many thoughts through my mind. I was trying to relate with the stories we were hearing but I couldn’t. There was no way i was going to be able t relate to anybody who has killed another person out of force and has been kidnapped and turned into a child soldier because…. I wasn’t. Its hard to sit there and listen to these stories and think about all the times I tell people I am so poor. To these people I would be a very wealthy man. If we all sat and took the time to think about the fact that none of us will ever have to go through this. We should all be more appreciative are stuff and think about how much more appreciative we would be if we lived in these conditions in Uganda. My message is just to think.

Stress. Don’t let it get to you. It will affect you. I know.

nextmj1 — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 17:22:00 +0000

Stress, stress, stress. I don’t know where to start. Lately I have let stress over come me and it has effected me a lot. I am letting school, my parents, basketball, and my social life all over come me. I need to regain control. I am starting with basketball. Recently I have gone through a period where my shot was very off and I wasn’t into going to the gym. Next my parents were stressing me out trying to interfere with what was going on and trying to figure it out for me. When they do that all it does is push me away. My school work is becoming harder and harder, sometimes when I am in things like math I don’t even understand what I am learning. On top of all that I have a rigorous schedule. Here it is:

Monday- School, After school- I hav practice, i go to the gym, and i do push-ups and bar dips.

Tuesday- School, no practice, I go to the gym for about three hours, push ups and sit ups

Wednesday- School, jumping and conditioning night, 1 hour of jumping drills, sit ups, run 2 to 3 miles.

Thursday- school, practice, gym, push ups, pull ups, and bar dips.

Friday- school, gym, hang out with my friends

Saturday & Sunday- 4 or more games and a little hang out time.

All this was bothering me until i bean to use my stressors against themselves. To fix the basketball I am going to start sticking to my weekly schedule without complaints, and imrpoving my game to its best. I decided instead of letting my parents interfere completely I would tell them the problems I am having with them and let them know ways we could fix it. Then I could listen to what they had to say and we could come up with a compromise. That worked well, for real. My social life my parents said they will make more time in my schedule to be able to hang out with my friends so I will have a good balance for playing basketball and hanging out. My school work, I basically just got to pay better attention in class to what my teachers are saying and what we are learning. By doin this I have resolved my problems and I feel better then ever.

Tips:

1. Don’t let the stress get to you from the start. But if you can’t do this…

2.Stay Calm. Don’t yell at your parents try not to let your emotions go wild.

3. Don’t always think you can do it all yourself. Its okay to ask for help every once and a while.

4. Everything that is stressing you try to turn these things to your advantage( as i described above).

5. Don’t make a big deal of something small in proportion.

6. Final one, something that can help I would say go to your parents. They will help, just try to talk to them calmly.

Building off of Moose’s Can Money Buy Happiness?? (Second Connection)

nextmj1 — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 17:55:48 +0000

Link: Moose’s Can money buy happiness?

Personally I think money can buy happiness, in certain situations. For instance, in the movie the pursuit of happiness he is living the lowest possible lifestyle. He, and his son are running from Shelter to shelter as he interns for a job he wants to get. I haven’t seen the movie yet but from what I see in the credits II would say it is a very touching movie. It makes me want to stop to think about how my life would be so much different and really what I would do if my possessions, my clothes, and my home all gone. It is a scary thought. I think being homeless would bring a family together but I don’t think it is the lifestyle I would want to live everyday. What I mean by that is that the one thing no matter if you have no money, no extra clothes, or no home, you would still have family. It seems like spending all that time with your family would bring you so much closer together. If we really stop and think about it most of us are not that close with our parents/siblings. Most of us argue with our siblings and our parents. I know some of the time it seems like all I use my parents for is money and a ride to my friends’ houses, the movies, the mall, etc. Then I go back to thinking of a homeless lifestyle. It seems that you would talk with your parents you would be able to connect with your parents, and because you don’t have that money and sometime not even a ride you get a chance to spend more time with your family. Sometimes it is hard to tell which of us lives the better life on a more “emotional” level rather than a “possessions” level. I think that every person does deserve to have a home and money to feed there families though. Recalling the movie one of the saddest parts is when the main character gives a man 5 dollars that asks for a cab ride. We would think that 5 dollars oh well we can just go get another five dollars some other time. At this part in the movie he stands there looking in his wallet. He has 7 dollars to for him and his son. Thats all. We give five dollars and we get more money, where as he gives five dollars. and that is more than 60 percent of the money to his name. All I am saying is next time you ask for five dollars or you ask for a ride from your parents just think. Think about all the things you could do without using money. Think.

My first connection- Movie We are Marshall.

nextmj1 — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 18:35:38 +0000

Well I am no movie reviewer but if I was I would give this movie a 6 out 5 stars. It was one of the most inspirational movies I have ever seen. Personally, being into sports I love football and basketball movies like Glory Road, and Remember the Titans. This movie was a little different. One of the most shocking parts of the movie is before the beginning credits even come. While I sat there in the theater the screen went black and then in the most serious lettering I have ever seen it said, “This is a true story”. After the movie I really thought about that first part. What the people who experienced this must have gone through. If you don’t know the story about Marshall, a football team, the coaches, parents, recruiters, and fans all were on a plane ride back from an away game. The plane was struck down and crashed in a near by town forest area. All 75 people on the plane ended up dying. I thought about what some of those people were and what some people lost. I don’t know what I would do. I really have no idea what I would do if I lost somebody. In the movie they were talking about all the losses. Some people lost brothers, sisters, fathers, and mothers. Some people ended up losing both parents. Let alone from the issues with sports at school, what some families personally lost. I know at if I lost a family member whether it was my mom, my dad, or my annoying at times brother, or even a best friend, I would be devastated. Life seems like it would be hard to go by day to day knowing that you will never see that person again. Never have the good times and the bad times you and that special person shared. It would be heartbreaking. Really the message I am just tying to send to you is that it is important to appreciate what you have now so that when it is gone you know you were able to get as much time with them as you could. At the young age you are now you should still hang out with your parents and chill with your friends so when that day comes when you guys may not be together anymore, you still have so many memories with them. It’s important to remember.

Personal Curriculum

nextmj1 — Tue, 02 Jan 2007 18:02:39 +0000

1. I want to be able to connect myself to multiple things. (Movies, books, world news, etc.) To expand on this I want to find things that I can really connect to, on a more personal level. (I want to present this in the form of a few blogs.
2. I also want to be able to prove that blogs are a lot better then writing to a prompt. (I want to prove it by comparing and contrasting my prompts from last year to my blog post this year.)(I want to present this by showing a prompt document and a blog document I have written.

3. I want to figure out the levels of importance to al the things that are closest to me. I want to be able to flush out each characteristic of me and figure out how much I really like that characterstic. ( A blog post talking about how much each thing I use and am with and then sayin how life would be wihout it for each thing I list.)

Runaway Love. A sad song I heard the other day really read the lyrics.

nextmj1 — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 17:11:18 +0000

This song is by Ludacris and Mary J. Blige. It hit me hard just to think about the fact that some girls in general have to go through life with horrible things like this that happen to them. That these girls are treated like this. Comment back on your thoughts and tell me how the song made you feel.

RUNAWAY LOVE

[Hook - Mary J. Blige]
Runaway love
Runaway love
Runaway love
Runaway love
Runaway love
Runaway love
Runaway love
Runaway love 

[Verse 1]
Now little lisa is only 9 years old
Shes tryin to figure out why the world is so cold
Why shes all all alone and they never met her family
Mamas always gone and she never met her daddy
Part of her is missin and nobody will listenin
Mama is on drugs gettin high up in the kitchen
Bringin home men at different hours of the night
Startin with laughs--usually endin in a fight
Sneak into her room while her mamas knocked out
Tryin to have his way and little lisa says 'ouch'
She tries to resist but then all he does is beat her
Tries to tell her mom but her mama don't believe her
Lisa is stuck up in the world on her own
Forced to think that hell is a place called home
Nothin else to do but some get some clothes and pack
She says shes bout to run away and never come back. 

[Hook]
Runaway love
Runaway love
Runaway love
Runaway love
Runaway love
Runaway love
Runaway love
Runaway love 

[Verse 2]
Little nicole is only 10 years old
Shes steady tryin to figure why the world is so cold
Why shes not pretty and nobody seems to like her
Alcoholic step dad always wanna strike her
[ these lyrics found on http://www.completealbumlyrics.com ]
Yells and abuses, leaves her with some bruises
Teachers ask questions she makin up excuses
Bleedin on the inside, cryin on the out
Its only one girl really knows what she about
Her name is lil stacy and they become friends
Promise that they always be tight til the end
Until one day lil stacy gets shot
A drive by bullet went stray up on her block
Now nicole stuck up in the world on her own
Forced to think that hell is a place called home
Nothin else to do but some get some clothes and pack
She says shes bout to run away and never come back. 

[Hook]
Runaway love
Runaway love
Runaway love
Runaway love
Runaway love
Runaway love
Runaway love
Runaway love 

[Verse 3]
Little erica is eleven years old
Shes steady tryin to figure why the world is so cold
So she pops x to get rid of all the pain
Cause shes havin sex with a boy whos sixteen
Emotions run deep and she thinks shes in love
So theres no protection hes usin no glove
Never thinkin bout the consequences of her actions
Livin for today and not tomorrows satisfaction
The days go by and her belly gets big
The father bails out he aint ready for a kid
Knowin her mama will blow it all outta proportion
Plus she lives poor so no money for abortion
Erica is stuck up in the world on her own
Forced to think that hell is a place called home
Nothin else to do but get her clothes and pack
She say shes about to run away and never come back. 

[Hook]
Runaway love [repeats til end]

Moose it’s on. Frosty The Snowman is amazing.

nextmj1 — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 17:11:58 +0000

Frosty is a straight up classic. Who doesn’t love Frosty the Snowman. Are you insane. Every kid learns frosty the snowman as a little tyke. Frosty the snowman helps to bring holiday cheer and spirit to the good people of th world. Frosty the snowman is a jolly happy soul. So why can’t you be the same. What is so wrong with it.The children tried to save frosty it s a happy story abot a kid and his connection with his snowman. How could you be so cruelad Heartless and if any Christmas song is bad it is GRANDMA GOT RUN OVER BY A REINDEER. IT IS GRAPHIC AND SENDDS NO MESSAGE.

Faceless Pt. 6

nextmj1 — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 05:02:26 +0000

Erica had about gone into shock. She didn’t know what to do. She feared her powers deeply. She didn’t know how to use them yet and she didn’t know what she could use them for. Could she find the people in time, and save them. Well this hasn’t been so successful in the past.

Erica was so confused and raging with anger at the same time. She sat there staring at the ceiling in her bedroom thinking about her brother. She loved him. They had always been very close since forever. Her brother had always been there to protect her and be with her in her most time of need. She just couldn’t imagine life without her brother. She probably wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for him Actually, she wouldn’t be here for sure. When she was about 4 and her brother was 6 they were playing outside. They were playing catch. Her brother had thrown he ball to her and Erica missed the ball. It landed in the street. Erica being the little four year old she was didn’t acknowledge the car coming at her. She ran out there her brother ran as fast as he could and pushed Erica over out of the way. Erica turned around to yell at her brother for pushing her when she saw it. The car had not stopped and had hit her brother. Lucky he was, the car was only traveling at 27 MPH because it was a residential street. Her brother lie there in the road. Not knowing what to do, Erica screamed as loud as she could eventually her mom came out. The car had driven away and no information had been taken on it. My brother was able to withstand any serious problems, so he made a full recovery.The accident had only left him with a broken ankle, and a few scraps and scratches. Then again he was a 6 year old boy. And I was only a 4 year old girl.If I would have been hit by that car. There could have been a possibility I wouldn’t survive. Her brother had awaken in the hospital that night with his sister sleeping right next to him. That is when their close bond began. They both vowed to one and other and had always kept to it that the other was there when one needed help. They sealed it with a spit shake. You know just how little kids might do it.

She thought about this for a while. It brought tears to her eyes. The ceiling began to fuzz up as she continued to cry. It was joy and sadness for what could possibly be coming. She was sitting there. Thinking. Thinking. Thinking… and then she began to cry in rage. She was so furious at her brother right now everything heated. It burned her face as hot tears dripped from her eyes. They were bloodshot. She was so mad how could he not believe her. She might lose her brother just because he is being a dumb @$$! She had to devise a plan on how to show him she was telling the truth but how and who to sacrifice????

Vladek??

nextmj1 — Tue, 05 Dec 2006 20:50:04 +0000

Vladek is a strange man. I want to crack his code. Figure him out. He is understandable at times but at other times he makes no sense. He has odd habits. He is my favorite character. He keeps his personality hidden. It almost seems as sometimes that he doesn’t know himself why he came to act that way.

Some things I find interesting about him is, one his attitude. He seems so picky for what he went through (pg. 68). It just bugs me. I might be wrong about the way I feel about the way he acts. I don’t know if I would act the same if I went through that. It just seems to me what I would ant to ct like and what I think Vladek should act like, is to be a little more thankful for the things he has now. It seems like he wouldn’t say, “Did you remember my special bread?” but instead he would be saying something like ” I am glad I at least have bread to make a sandwich.” Just for having to go through a time where he had noting was almost killed seems like you would be thankful for the things you got now instead of picky about them. He could also think maybe he deserves to be picky about what he gets because he had to go through that. I don’t know just some possible solutions to the puzzle I call Vladek.

Then again he also is very conservative of his things. For example, he makes sure only one match is used when two is not necessary( pg. 20) I don’t know Vladek seems like he almost has an alter-ego also. Its intriguing. He at times is a very humble, understandable man. Next moment he could just switch and be all over you because of something you did . Then he is all protective of what ever happened (pg. 73).
Another thing Vladek does is stick to a schedule. (pgs. 18 and 19, probably more but easily seen on these pages). I think this is pretty easily explainable. He is just so used to being on a schedule from when he was in the concentration camps but I could be wrong. It seems like the most logical explanation. For Vladek everything has to be perfect also. just the right amount of pills and crackers (pg. 77). He is a perfectionist.

Vladek. Many undiscovered personalities and quirks to this man.

12 things you can say in positive terms

nextmj1 — Tue, 05 Dec 2006 17:17:14 +0000

1. (gimme) The glass is half full instead of the glass is half empty.

2. Your lawn isn’t totally yellow instead of your lawn isn’t green whatsoever

3. Your beautiful on the inside instead of your ugly.

4. I am just taller than you instead of you are the shortest person I have ever seen.

5. You have friends who like you for who you are instead of you hang out with nerds.

6. Your jeans yesterday were good looking instead of your jeans today look horrible on you.

7. Your hair has a whole new meaning to it instead of yournew hair color doesn’t work with you.

8.(bad hair day) Your going to start a new fashion instead of your hair is bigger then mine that is sad.

9. you look so out of this world instead of you have to much make up on and it makes you look like a freak .

10. You have a petite home instead of your poor.

11. You are smart and you just don’t study instead of you are stupid.

12. (fake sneeze) I think I am allergic to your perfume instead of you stink go away.

Snowy Day. (IMAGINATION)

nextmj1 — Tue, 05 Dec 2006 17:10:57 +0000

As I walked outside I saw it so beautiful. As the snow flakes fell. It just made me want to run away. Like I was running from something, but not. Just run away in my mind and take in all this beauty. It was so beautiful I just couldn’t take my eyes off it. I would never be able to sleep remembering this. Run away in my ind where I woudln’t have to worry about school, parents, me or what people think about me. Just go to a place where I could be myself an be as proud as I can be at it. What a perfect day. It was one of those days where you are touched by the scene. You can’t do anything. It frustrates me I can’t enjoy it. It is too perfect it reminds you of everything. All the wonderful thing that ever happened to you, but it also reminds you of all the horrible things that have happened to you. It is one of those days where what you see is everything, but you don’t see anything because it is to unimaginable to believe that it exists. It is the most beautiful thing. Will it come again, who knows. I say next time you stop to take it in. You may look at it and go, “OH well just crappy weather”. Just look into th deeper meaning of it. To me it resembles imagination. What does it resemble to you??

MUSIC- SO MANY WAYS.

nextmj1 — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 17:16:05 +0000

Music is a very powerful thing in many ways. I have always wondered what attaches us as human to the music that we here. From Rock to Hip-Hop or Country to Metal we all feel some sort of connection to the music. I have always wondered why we love it even if we don’t have a connection to it. Is it because we are followers… or is it because we are trend-setters making our own reasons why we love the music. Personally I feel a connection to hip-hop. I don’t have a reason on a personal level like I know what they are going through in a song like HATE IT OR LOVE IT. I love how the beat is so up-tempo. I can sing all the lyrics testing myself seeing if I can rap or rhythm as good as the group or solo artist I am listening to. Hip-Hop is so fast. Tha is one of the best parts of iit because it is a challenge. Remembering the beat and the speed of every word you sing and how hard it is to dance that quick; moving your feet from side to side moving your arms all in sync with the beat. It is an amazing feeling that is why I feel such a strong connection to the music. I mean it may also help that I like to and a pretty good at dancing and that I can memorize lyrics quickly and in small amounts of listening to the song. People I know that can dance would say ” can you do the Chris Brown” this shows how strong the connection is for these hip-hop dancers. Dancers I talk to if you don’t know what dance moves like the crip walk or getting “crunk” is or the “1,2 step” or what “footworkin” is are you are really lame. That just shows how connected people are to their music and their taste. Whether you get down and get crunk to hip hop or you rock out to AC/DC you got your music. It helps you to wind dow and think and hard times to. It can help you open up. Go nowlisten to music. YOUR music.

Faceless Pt.5

nextmj1 — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 17:16:21 +0000

Mr. Wilkoff has approved this post for use as a Weekly Authentic despite its fictional violence.

She was freaking out. She called her brother to warn him. The phone rang and rang and she was sobbing very loudly. She was panicking. She thought to herself, he isn’t going to answer, he is not going to answer. How am I supposed to save him if he doesn’t answer. I won’t be able to live with myse-,”Hello?”

Erica: Hello Martin, Are you there?

Martin: Ya. Erica I haven’t talked to you in forever. It sounds like something is wrong?

Erica: Martin you need too listen to me. You need to stay alert. There is thing and it is after you.

Martin: Okay. Um you feeling alright and what is this “Thing” (he laughs).

Erica: Martin this isn’t funny. I am fine. There is this girl. She has no face and she is after you.

Martin: What thats crazy talk. Don’t be so gross on the phone baby sis. A girl with no face. What is wrong with your imagination.

Erica: I am not joking she is going to use a chainsaw to cut your head off.

Martin: What the heck are you talking about!? That is gross. Why do you have to be so nasty we haven’t talked in a really long time and that is how you want to start up talking again with all this bull and stuff? Look, you need to get to bed I gotta go bye.

Erica: Martin wait… click. She heard telephone turn off. Well that went well. She decided to get some rest and maybe she will feel better when she gets up. Erica went strolling throughout the park. She was taking a look at all the beautiful little flowers when she started to feel seething pain. She was having another vision this time of some lady in the park. She was going to walk under a large branch and it was going to fall on her and crush her. She had to save her. The vision ended and she saw the girl and …. the tree. She was under it. She ran and ran as hard as she could screaming at the girl. She seemed to get farther and farther away as she was running closer. The branch snapped she didn’t make it. She saw it collapse and… she woke up. Thank god it was all a dream. She went to grab the paper outside and on the front cover was a picture of a young woman. Familiar she was. The article head line read “Fun PARK, OR EVIL FALLING BARk”. The woman had been crushed. She had seen the past. Why was the little girl playing with Erica’s emotions. Will she save her brother. Tune in for Faceless Pt. 6

Funerals are depressing.

nextmj1 — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 20:35:24 +0000

It is so sad. Funerals are horrible. You just want to break down and cry because of what has happened to the person in front of you. People are crying and telling stories about how they remember the person and all the great things they did with them. 10/16/06 I attended a funeral . I walked in as cheerful as I could be to help support the family members who had this loss. It was a friend of mine’s grandpa who had just died. I walked in and… Open casket. Right in front of me. I was going to break down. I wasn’t sure i could hold it in any longer it was so difficult to take it in. I had only met him once. I couldnn’t believe though that he was actually dead. Then the 23rd Psalm was read. That gave me so much hope though for him and his family. After that we heard a few songs like ” Amazing Grace” “Wind beneath my wings”, and “Dance with my father”. This made me want to let it all out.I couldn’t though. I just couldn’t. I didn’t really no the man. Next his daughter spoke to us. She told us about how her dad was always there for her and her family. Her and he brother were always treated well. She gave a little bio about him. He seemed like a great man. I could feel my eyes beginning to water. She finished and we took a moment to pray. Next came my friend who spoke for his grandpa. He told us stories about all the things his grandpa and him did together and all the things his grandpa taught him. I was listening intuitively. I just kept taking in every word he said. Then I felt it. A warm tear ran down my cheek. It was just to sad. A few more people spoke and then came the time to exit the cathedral ad head to the grave site. As we payed our last thanks to the family members and him we exited. My friend, his mom, and I all left with tears running down our eyes. We quickly wiped our cheeks and rushed to the car to be first in line to follow the hearse to the grave site. As we arrived to the grave site I felt a little joy for the first time that day. I noticed that he was being buried right next to his wife. It was one of the most beautiful things I had ever witnessed. Finally, his son gave a few words before they lowered him into the ground, and that was that. Funerals are truely depressing.

What made the funeral the worst for me was also thinking what happens when that one day comes. When my own father dies. I don’t know how I could ever handle it.

Faceless… Part 4 of infinity. No i don’t know how long it is going to be. Just part 4.

nextmj1 — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 15:34:05 +0000

“Hi, this is KS 107.8. It is 7 A.M. and here is the morni-,” Erica shut off her alarm. More distubring images at night. People dying. So gruesome. It was amazing the kind of work this girl did. So groos though, so gross. There was this one with knives and a person on the wall. It was just gross. Erica didn’t know that if anything that “supposedly” happened yesterday actually happended. Erica then deccided to call her brother for support. Her brother, John, lived in a medium house on a Rosemary street. He didn’t answer. She decided to turn on the morning news.

“Hi I am Amelia Escaveraz for CNDNDSN News. I am here at the scene where local business woman Sandra Loveland has fallen from the 4 story window above. Investigators are still trying to figure out whether it was a suicide or a murder. We found her this morning dead on the ground, says local Market owner Samuel Wishway.

Erica turned off the T.V. she was sick of this power. She felt pain building up in her gut. She was in a vision. She was watching someone. Then she heard a rev of an engine, at least that is what she thought it was. Then she saw the Chainsaw though. Oh. The She saw a head fly. She couldn’t make out the face and the vision ended. She tried to see another vision, but she couldn’t. She went on like this getting a little more of thee chain saw story each time. The next day sh had a vision that showed the shack where the head flew. Next day she saw a portion of the house with that shack. The day after that it wasn’t even remote to the previous pictures but she saw an address. 2466. Where was that familiar she asked herself. Finally on the last day of these continued visions she saw the street name. Rosemary. Using common sense she puts the number and street together. 2466 Rosemary. 2466 Rosemary. She thought and thought. Where is that street name so familiar.She remembered finally, but she didn’t want to believe it. That is the house where her brother lived.

She got another vision surprisingly this time the vision let her see the head. It was indeed her brothers. Then at the end of thee vision a little girl popped into the screen with long black hair, and no FACE. A hissy little laugh and it was over.

She had to stop it before it was to late.

FACELESS… part 3.

nextmj1 — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 16:08:36 +0000

She was panicking. She didn’t no what to do she didn’t know how to save her friend/co-worker. I guess they weren’t really friends. Erica hated her she was a b—-. She was a total suck up to the manager and was employee of the month 4 months in a row. She was always mean to Erica. Erica was about to decide to not help, but realized she was a bigger person so she decided she would warn the girl without putting herself in harms way. The next day on her way to work she was in a sweat. Her palms were sweating like crazy because she kew someone was going to die today at the offiice. She was really twitchy and every little thing scared her. Someone dropped a gift basket, that was bought on the first floor of the office building. It was filled with wonderful chocolates, anyways, the person dropped it next to Erica and she threw all of her papers and screamed. Although Erica was nervous nothing happened that day. Or the next day. A week later Erica walks into work and she goes up to her office. No one is there. She reads a note that says

“At a convention in Walla Walla, Washington, be back tomorrow.”

When Erica finishes reading the note it burns into a million little pieces. She heres a hissy little laugh and knows. She feels it; The girl is here. She then goes to run for the door and it locks on her. She tugs on the doorknob viscously, crying in fear. She screams, screams to the walls and the door. “LET ME OUT, LET ME OUT!!” Nothing she tried helped. She ran to the elevator pressed the button over and over and over. It begin to flash and then POP! It fizzed away. It broke. She runs into the closest office and… No. There she is the office worker. Standing over by the window. The window suddenly screeches as the co-worker opens the door. She turns around to look at Erica. Her eyes are bloodshot really bad and her skin is pale. Her teeth had also mysteriously turned a dull yellow. She had a crooked smile on her face. She then leaned back and tipped herself out the window. Erica gasped for breath. She took a peak out the window and looked below. There lay her co-worker, dead in a pool of blood.

FACELESS… just another part of it.

nextmj1 — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 17:44:19 +0000

Hardworker 128: You sick freak, STAY AWAY FROM ME!!!

Girl: Ha, You can try but you wll never get away from me. I am in your dreams, I am in the cemetery, I am on the streets, I can be seen, Sometimes I can’t, You will always fell when I am around, I am everywhere even in your office… Boo!

Just as the girl did that her faceless cold pale face popped up on the computer in a bunch of pop-up screens. Erica jumped back from her desk and banged on the computer but nothing changed eventually she took a pencil to the screen. As the pencil went throught the screen The computer went out. Little mirrors rained upon the floor. Oddly enough as they fell the girl picture the girl on each one of the little mirrors. One sliced into her leg, then another this time in a curved shape. Then another, but this time it cae up from the floor and sliced her leg. The glass screen broken all over the floor was being possessed by the little girl and cutting her. She looked down at her leg after the last glass sliced her and all went still and quiet. She looked at her leg and read the letters RIP. She jumped up in terror but then colllapsed to the floor in pain. One of her co-workers walked in with the papers Erica needed to get through today. She opended the door and dropped all o her papers and yelled, “9-1-1, 9-1-1, call 9-1-1 now!!!” Someone got on the phone and Erica had blacked out.

She woke up again in 3 days. She was in a coma and realized she was at the hospital. All she could remember was a computer and then everything went blank. She got out of the bed and stepped onto the floor with her left leg. She immediately fell on the floor, but somehow quickly recovered herself and got back up. She checked her leg to see where the hard pain had come from. She saw the letters RIP in a scar in her leg. She suddenly went through a flashback. Disturbing images of her geting her leg cut and the girl suddenly went through like a slideshow on high speed. Every other picture was the girl. Uh it was so creepy. She had no face, except for those dark empty eyes it was scary. After the flashback ended she gasped for breath.

After the freak attack on her leg she felt like she had been imprinted. It had been 15 days since the attack. Over these past days since the attack she has been seeing disturbing images. She turned on the news and watche a disturbing death story. She listened as the reporter talked about this man who was found dug up. His face had been slit down the nose. She was eating her cereal and she suddenly dropped it on the floor. She had a disturbing image the day before about a man who was in a hole and had his face slit down the middle. She was so scared. She went into shock she was askin herself questions. Then suddenly she remembered the scar. She looked down at it and thought about the logic. Since she had got the scar she had been seeing disturbing images and they seem to be coming true. She thought the girl had given her the ability to see people die in her thoughts. Then in an instance she had another flashback. She saw a woman get pushed out of a building by an unknown force. When the flashback ended she realizes who it is. It was the co-worker who helped her the other day. She had to help her before it was too late.

It was a dark and stormy night… i change my mind FACELESS

nextmj1 — Tue, 19 Sep 2006 17:04:23 +0000

Erica had just finished at her job and had to walk home. She didn’t really feel comfortble walking at night alone so she decided to take a walk through the cemetery to take a shortcut home. She was walking slowly through the night the wind hollowed and the leaves rustled around upon the ground. Up ahead she saw this girl. She ran up to her and said ” Wow i am glad I found you I felt so alone walking thorugh this cemetery I was so scared.” The girl doesn’t respond and just keeps walking. She walks with the girl and tries to spurt conversation again. The girl doesn’t respond all she heres is a low craok come out of the girl She is disgusted and thinks something might be wrong with the girl. She turns the girl around in front of her and looks into the girls face and sees nothing. Nothing at all. Suddenly two slits for eyes slip open in the most expressionless face. The eyes are dark with nothing inside them. Erica screams and runs as fast as she can through the cemetery too her house. She gets home and goes to lie in her bed in shock. She thinks images flash before her. A face with nothing and suddnly eyes opening in it. Over and over and over again the images flash.

The next morning Erica wake up in a cold sweat. She couldn’t remember exactly what happened to her all she new was that she had a bad night. She decided to take a shower to wash it off. She is in the shower and suddenly she sees figures outside of the curtain. She starts to scream and then holds herself back. She sits down in the tub and waits. Slowly and doesn’t move crying queitly qith her mouth covered. Suddenly the curtains pull back and in front of her is her Golden, Einstein, comes up and licks her face. She is relieved and gets out of the shower when she is finished. She goes to work that day just like normal. She sits in her office and she sips her coffee and works slowly at her computer. She is typing and suddenly an IM message pops up on the computer and it says, ” I am after you.” She yells in harm. Someone comes into her office and asks if everything is okay. Erica says in panic slowly, ” There-the-There is a gi-gi-girl in my compu-te-ter and she says sh-sh-she-she is af-afte-after me.” The co-worker pops around to her side of her desk and checks the compter.

The co-worker says, “There is nothing there.” She looks back at the computer and sees nothing but her work in front of her.

She apologizes, “Sorry I din’t mean to disturb you.” The co-worker smiles in acceptance. She leaves the room annd closes the door. The girl gets back to work thinking she is obviously dillusional. Once again a message pops up and says, ” You didn’t actually think I was gonna let anyone else no I am here.” The girl gathers her courage and bravery and writes back.

Hardworker128: Why are u following me?

Girl: Because it is what I do??

Hardworker128: Who r u??

Girl: You know who I am you dumb—.
Hardworker128: Who are you??

Girl: You are one slow person, You know who the —- I am!!!

Hardworker128: Are u the girl from the cemetery??

Girl: I don’t know what do you think dip—-?

Hardworke128: Okay so why do you want me?

Girl: I want you just like I want everyone for, skin, blood, personality, …life.

This is the end of the first chapter of the Short Story FACELESS.

9/11: A National Tragedy

nextmj1 — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 16:18:47 +0000

The tragedy devastated many. I felt deep pain listening to the radio that mornign as the described the devastation going on in New York. I was on my way to school and all the sudden the song I was listening to went out and the news came on. I can here this lady screaming in the ackground people crying out for help and then the broadcaster came in. This isn’t word for word but it went something like this. ” I am here at the Twin Towers where a commercial plane has just crashed into the building. We are live on the scene as firefighters and poice officers attemppted to rummage through the rubble and search for people trapped inside the building. (true part), aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!! OH MY GOD!!! Another plane just crashed into the other tower. Oh My-. Then she just stopped talking it went out. I was fearing for my life that morning as I got to school. As I walked into the classroom all I could mae out were little whispers about what happened people gossiping about the tragedy. Although the devastation was all the way in New York I still felt unsafe. Even though it didn’t directly affect most of us I could see kids crying in fear and in confusion. Then the older kids crying because they felt sorry for the people who were being killed. Then the anouncements came on. We took a long silence probably about five minutes to think about the people who died and the people who were currently dying. That was a cold lonely day at school. Everyone was scared everyone felt really sorry for all the people personally involved. That day and still to this day I think of all the innocent lives that were taken and all the lives of the people fighting to save other peoples’ lives. I pray for them and the families with lost loved ones. I try to help stay strong for people who lost loved ones. I am sorry for them. 9/11: A National Tragedy.

If I were a freshly scrubbed floor???

nextmj1 — Thu, 07 Sep 2006 23:46:21 +0000

I am writing this as if i were a popular valley girl. Hi my name is
Salley! OMG!!! I got a fresh scrub this morning by the janitor and I feel so good right now!! People are going to walk in to school today look at me and be so jealous. My friend Brittney in the bathroom tile is so like jealous of me because i got a fresh scrub and she didn’t. Ya well anyway, I feel so good. I have had such a great day today. I am definately the shiniest section of floor like ever, Seriously. I know i feel so good but i wish i was one of those bathroom tile and I could see how i look so good also. OMG! OMG! OMG! I was jus laying there. Well i guess i can’t do anything else but the hottest hottie boy JAVON MOORE walked on me today!! UHHHH!!! It was the most embracing moment ever even though i felt so great being freshly scrubbed, I never want to be washed again after that. NEVER!! TTYL!!

(Next Day)

OMG!! I got a fresh scrub today and I feel so good