Hahaha this is pretty pointless, but it made me laugh: 12 Things That Do Not Need Sweaters.

And another song I really like: When I Look To The Sky by Train

Romeo and Juliet Act 1: pg 9-61

Most of the time when we read Shakespeare in school, it's absolute torture and I end up using Sparknotes for the majority of the book. But for for some reason, I couldn't stop reading Romeo and Juliet when we were required to read it for freshmen english. And then once we finished reading it, I found myself reading it again and again. I think I've probably read the book over ten times by now, but it's one of those books you can read again and again and still find it interesting. I've left  Scar Tissue at school for a while, so I'm going to read Romeo and Juliet.

Today I read the entire Act 1, and it's a pretty fast read. Ok, so everyone should be aware that there are two families, the Capulets (Juliet) and the Montagues (Romeo). There is a great deal of tension between the two families, and Act 1 opens up with a fight between a couple members of each family. However, the Prince arrives and breaks everything up, announcing that the next fight that breaks out will result in the death of each of the agitators.

After this, one of Montague's men, Benvolio, is sent to find Romeo. Romeo is hopelessly lovesick over a girl named Roseline, who no longer loves him. Benvolio and Romeo decide to go to a party, hosted by the Capulets, in order for Romeo to meet other women.

Meanwhile, at the Capulet household, Juliet is instructed by her nurse that she must like a man named Paris, because she is to marry him.

Later, when Romeo and his friends attend the Capulet's party, Romeo is recognized as a Montague (the enemy) but everything blows over. Long story short, by the end of the night, Romeo and Juliet have met and fallen in love. This seems pretty simple, but neither Romeo or Juliet know that they have fallen in love with the enemy.

I found this website, and it has quite a bit of thought provoking photography (<<clickit!). Most of the pictures have people in the air, and they probably had to jump to get the pictures of them in the air. But the thing is, they all look incredibly relaxed, like they're slowly floating or rising in the air. I just thought they were fun to look at.

Scar Tissue Pg 144-153

Yeah, I've procrastinated my blogs yet again. So here goes! Ok so we left off with the group's manager, Andy. The group plays a few pranks on Andy, but in the end they get an album published and a pretty one-of-a-kind cover photo. Regardless of the success of their album, they're not completely satisfied, because Andy has changed so much that the music doesn't seem like their's anymore. They played some more concerts, and Tony went home to Michigan to visit his mother, this time bringing his current girlfriend Jennifer. The most important thing that happened was Tony getting into a deadly car accident. Tony, being his usual self, got extremely drunk one night at home and (long story short) ended up in the hospital with head trauma and severe damage to his face. As you can guess, they put him on some strong drugs, and he seemed to like that a little too much. Before he left the hospital, he was dressed in a nice face cast until he healed. Playing this to their advantage, the poster pictures were taken while he was wearing the cast. I ended my reading today when the band was just beginning their first tour.

Considering how he's been living his life, I'm not surprised about the car accident. While he is busy being "go-with-the-flow," he's not worrying about all the dangers and potentially deadly accidents that could happen. He has a lot to offer the world, but he's just throwing it down the drain. Sure, he might be eccentric and popular now, but it will be short lived if he's taking such huge risks all the time.

Acts Pg 1445-1462

For church this week I read Acts 1-12, and since the Bible is a book, I figured I could log it as reading! So Acts is written by Luke and records the growth and spread of Christianity and the activities of the first-century church.  It begins with the ascendance of Jesus into heaven. For the first few chapters, the leading figure is Peter, who on Pentecost gives a challenging Sermon. However, most of the rest of the book is devoted to Paul as him and his companions act as missionaries.

I think I am going to Haiti for a missions trip during spring break this year, and I'm really excited! Although I've never done any sort of missions work before, so I'm kind of nervous. Reading about the first missionaries is pretty interesting to me. 

Scar Tissue Pg 104-144

Ok, I have to admit, I haven't been reading very closely during the last 40 pages. The book is really good, but I read these forty pages while I was watching TV today, so the Keeping Up with the Kardashians got the better half of my attention. In this section, Anthony talks about his budding music career. He starts experimenting with music and performing in front of people, as the opportunities present themselves. First, he think's he's going to be a rapper, after hearing a song called "The Message." It's perfect for him, because he doesn't have to have a good voice, just a knack for rhyming and rhythm. It ends up that Tony forms an average little group with his friends Flea, Hillel, and Jack. They don't hold formal rehearsals or write music, and they improvise most of their stuff. However, they seem to be a big hit wherever they play. After a time, Jack and Hillel quit the band, and Flea and Tony are left to go through a number of replacements. They also have trouble finding a producer/manager, and they eventually settle for a man named Andy Gill. Andy ends up being a total jerk, and that's where I am in the book right now. While all this is happening, heroine begins to creep into the picture. Tony doesn't do it every day, but he does whenever he can, and the effects aren't so good. His band members are less than pleased about how he is acting, showing up late for shows or missing them all together. But hey, that's just the price you have to pay right....?

There's a section that stood out to me as I was reading:
"One day I was shooting coke at his place, but I got all crazy and he kicked me out. I had been fastidious about using sterile rigs and sterile cotton when I first started shooting up, but by now I didn't care much. If I had to, I'd use a syringe that I found in the street. Instead of sterilized cotton, I'd use a section of my sock or, more commonly, the filter tip of a cigarette. At first I'd use only sterilized spring water to dissolve the stuff in, but now i'd just pull the back off a toilet or look for a lawn sprinkler or even a puddle."

If his life has gotten so dependent on drugs that he's willing to use water from a dirty puddle to shoot up with, he needs to rethink a couple things. So far, he's done a good job of not trying to glorify his drug use (I'm sure he could easily do that), but to present everything as it actually happened without too much personal bias. This being said, I don't think that Anthony believes drugs to be bad either. From what I've read, he seems to believe that they are just a tool, kind of like an accessory, that can be made into whatever you want. You can let the drugs control and inevitably ruin your life, like I think he is going to do, or not.

Stay The Night

I just heard this song for the first time a couple days ago, and I'm obsessed with it. Thought I would share it. It makes me really excited for summer, enjoyy. :)

Scar Tissue Pg 35-104

So much has happened in the last 69 pages, and I know I won't be able to do the book justice by trying to summarize it all. Heck, I can't even remember everything that's happened. While he hasn't gotten into singing quite yet, he has had quite a few interesting adventures so far. Tony has experimented with lots of drugs, most of which have led him further down this path of destruction. He has experimented with styles, drastically changing up his hair and clothes every couple of months (styles so far include a flattop, a mohawk, and a mullet). He has experimented with girls, from seriously dating good girls to randomly hooking up with less than respectable ladies he meets at nightclubs. Through it all, he has a couple close friends who seem to always be there when he's in trouble. Speaking of trouble, Tony's life eventually gets so out of hand that his own father kicks him out of the house and he's forced to crash with some of those reliable friends for a while. He jumps around from having his own place, living in his car, living with friends, or even living in his friend's backyard when he finally gets kicked out there.

Tony has been through a lot, but through it all he manages to keep his carefree, outlandish personality. Tony is the manifestation of "going with the flow." He goes wherever life takes him and makes the best of it, or what he thinks is best at least. I have a feeling what he thinks is best is ultimately going to have some pretty rough consequences.

Scar Tissue Pg 25-35

Since I didn't have much time for reading today, ten pages, I'll keep it short and simple. The only significant thing that happened in the last ten pages was that Tony moved to California to live with his dad. He told his friends back home that he was moving there to be a rockstar. Really, the only thing he seems to be doing in California is going out to Rainbow, a night club, with his dad.

Since I didn't read much, I looked at all the pictures throughout the book. The one that stood out to me the most was between pages 276 and 277, and it's of Tony smoking his first joint at age 11 or 12. I can't get over that, at age 11 all I didn't even know what pot was.

Scar Tissue page 1-45

I decided to ditch my last book, Dirty Little Lies I think it was called. It was just so cliche, way too hard to stay interested in. I feel like if you have to force yourself to read a book its not worth it. On the other hand, I got this new book from Mr. Hill's library today. I had heard it was pretty interesting so I decided to check it out. So far, its even better than I expected. Its just the kind if book I like to read. That's kind of bizarre because the story is pretty out of line. I think I can safely say that Tony wasn't one of those kids who liked to color in the lines. In fact, he's pretty darn eccentric, or at least so far he is. I think its just that which makes the story so engrossing.

Scar Tissue is an autobiography of Anthony Kiedis, lead singer of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. So far I'm up to him at twelve years old, and he's already gotten into more trouble and mischief than I could handle in a lifetime. He starts out in present day describing some of the effects of his recklessness and how he is dealing with them. Then he starts by telling all about his grandparents, his parents, and finally him. throughout his childhood, he jumps back and forth between the urban life of his mother in Michigan and the life of a rockstar with his dad in California. However, there isn't a clean separation between the two, and Tony brings his negligent party life back to Michigan. Experiences thus far include but are not limited to:
-trying pot before he was done with elementary school
-helping his dad secretly deal and distribute drugs
-losing his virginity, with his dad's consent, to his Dad's girlfriend in 6th grade

K well that's it for now, more to come !

Deadly Little Lies Pg 100-132

The thirty two pages I read yesterday pretty much develop Camelia's relationships. She's talked to Ben once, and he made it clear that it would be better for her if they stayed apart. But Ben seems to be playing the fence, because Camelia gets a call from him one night while she's laying in bed. He wants to talk, and they end up spending a great deal of time together once again. However this is only temporary, because things are back to the way they were the next day at school. While she is crushed, she refuses to let Ben get the best of her.  Determined to move on, she starts talking to a boy named Adam. Camelia wasn't especially fond of Adam when he was hired at Knead, the art studio she also works at, but after some work on his part she cautiously decides to go out with him. 

So far, the book isn't as good as I had hoped. I think it's kind of cliche, what with the struggling love between two teenagers and all, but I need something to read until the books I want are free. Other than that it's a pretty good story so far.

Deadly Little Lies by Laurie Faria Stolars; Pg 1-100

Deadly Little Lies starts out with Camelia hearing the voice of her ex-boyfriend in the middle of the night and following it to her basement, where she then sculpts an exact replica of his (Ben, his name) arm and a rather detailed scar he has. The reader finds out that this Ben has the power of psychometry, he can see the future through touch. He's been out of school for some time now, but he's ready to return. The rest of the student body, however, is not. This opposition is partially due to the fact that he accidentally pushed one of his girlfriends off a cliff, and partially due to several wild rumors spreading about him. Anyways, back to Camelia. At this point in the book, she's being bullied pretty badly by someone who refuses to reveal their identity. Camelia is the victim of a variety of harsh pranks, including several threatening notes and taunting pictures. To top it all off, Camelia believes that she has acquired some of Ben's psychometric abilities.

This book took me a while to get into. When I first started reading about some girl who randomly starts sculpting an arm in her basement I was like.... Uhh ok. But once I got past that, it got pretty good. Its almost like a mystery now, and I can't wait to find out who's messing with Camelia. She seems pretty sane to me, so I don't think she's making this stuff up in her mind. And I really don't think this Ben guy is the most fitting choice for her. I understand he has some freaky powers and he's trying to protect others and all, but he does seem a bit hostile. I guess we'll find out, 182 pages left!

After by Amy Efaw

I bolted into the library one morning last week before my first period study hall (running late as usual, but I really needed to get another book to fulfill my etymology pages). I looked up at the clock and it said 7:47 so I grabbed a book that was displayed on top of one of the shelves, and checked it out, barely escaping yet another tardy. Turns out, I picked a pretty good book, because once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. The story starts out with a 15 year old Devon Davenport laying on a couch, covered in blankets, about to pass out. Long story short, her mother comes home and pulls the blanket off her when she refuses to cooperate. This is where the real drama begins. Devon is covered in blood and guts, and is subsequently rushed to the hospital. After reading about her hospital visit, the reader learns that she has given birth to a child in her bathroom, and disposed of the newborn in a garbage can outside the apartment where she resides (unless you're like me, and you read all about the baby on the inside cover first). Clearly, there are some major ethical transgressions here.... and Devon is taken to a juvenile jail to await her trial. By this time, the reader is almost finished with the book, so I won't spoil the ending.
I almost wish I hadn't read the inside cover before I began the book, because the book doesn't actually tell you what Devon did until you are significantly into the book. If I hadn't known, the twist would have been that much better. However, the book still captivated me. What's more, is that this type of thing actually happens, which is absolutely appalling. I think that's one of the reasons I couldn't seem to put the book down.

Glass by Ellen Hopkins

I just finished this book, called Glass. It's continuing the story that begins in the book Crank. After having her baby (named Hunter) Kristina is doing pretty well, and gives up meth (which she refers to as the Monster) for a while. However, when things get tough she falls right back into the same rut she was in before. She ends up meeting a boy named Trey, when she is visiting a "friend" (one of her only friends, and also her dealer). Trey continues to be present throughout the rest of the book, whether he is actually there in person or dominating Kristina's thoughts. Kristina thinks she loves Trey, but the reader knows that she actually just "loves" what Trey is giving her, sex. 

The book seems pretty simple right? Wrong. Not only does the audience read about Kristina's mixed emotions for Trey, but they also learn about several other conflicts facing Kristina. Lets see, where do I even begin? 

• Kristina's flagrant disregard for anyone but herself (and Trey, and of course the Monster) results in the injury of her baby, Hunter.
• Because of what happens to Hunter, Kristina gets kicked out of the house and is forced to find a place to live, at age 18. 
• Using her impeccable judgement, she decides to live with (and eventually ends up sleeping with) her meth dealer, who coincidentally has two children of his own (corrupt I know).
• Sooner or later, she is forced to move out of her new home, and lives in a motel with Trey.
• Ultimately, Kristina and Trey resort to stealing money (from Kristina's own mother) and dealing meth to survive, but even this doesn't work and they are forced to live off of fast food in Trey's car. 
• In the end, the couple is caught and put in jail. And just for an added twist, the reader finds out that Kristina is pregnant again, this time with Trey's (hopefully?) child. 

In the end of the book I read the preview to the next book in the series, called Fallout. This one is told by a seventeen year old Hunter (Kristina's first son). I can hardly wait to get my hands on it, but for now I'm starting a book called After by Amy Efaw. More on that to come! 

Inspiration.

Alright, well I got on the computer to do my required book review about the book I just finished. It's called Glass, by Ellen Hopkins, and it was easily just as good as the first one. But we'll get to that later. As I was about to do my review, I got distracted by YouTube. I came across this video, taken from the movie Facing The Giants. The thing is, I've probably seen it fifty times already, but it just seems to get better every time. Chad, my enormous and slightly intimidating swim coach, has shown us this video throughout the year  hoping to inspire us.  It's no secret to anyone on the swim team that I've been anything but motivated this year. Ultimately, I do have extremely high goals for myself at the end of the season (in 32 short days!), especially considering my work ethic so far this year... or lack thereof. So, watching this video, I thought that if Brock can do what he just did, then maybe I can push myself a little bit further every time I practice too. I think sometimes you don't realize just how strong you are, or you set limits on yourself (at least I know I do).  Remember this next time there's something you think you can't do! 

Ps, I think I signed up to blog from my phone?? Technology nowadays! I guess if you're going to blog, this is the way to do it, ha.

Good Afternoon.

Hey there, I think ill make a blog today. I have to admit, the only reason I'm doing a blog because my etymology teacher is making all his classes do it. Actually, I've always thought blogging was pretty weird. Like, think about it, why don't you write your innermost thoughts on a webpage so people you don't even know can read about your life? Idk, pretty sketchy to me.

Ok, I'm not sure if I should be using proper english here, I might get points taken off for using the phrase "Idk." To be perfectly honest, I'm really not sure what I'm supposed to be writing about either. I know I'm supposed to write about the 150 pages I read every week, but of course I probably won't be finishing that until the night before it's due. Now, Mr. Hill did say that we can read just 100 pages a week, if we read literary fiction or nonfiction, but most of that is way over my head anyways.

I guess I could talk about the book I read last week. It was called Crank, and if you've ever read an Ellen Hopkins book, you know they're pretty twisted. They all seem to be about teens who screw their lives over, but everything is good in the end. And by good, I mean they're most likely addicted to drugs, struggling, but still alive. Crank is about a good girl named Kristina who's life gets flipped upside down when she visits her addict dad for two weeks one summer. She comes back as a completely different girl, named Bree, who's addicted to meth and pretty much willing to whore herself out for drugs and money (will I get in trouble for saying that in a school assignment..?). Anyways, I'm about 450 pages into the sequel now, called Glass. If you thought the first one was bad, get this: now she has a baby with a guy who raped her, is living with her drug dealer, sleeping with several different guys that she "loves", not to mention she's now addicted to an even stronger form of meth called glass. I feel like i need a shower after reading all this.

Ok, I've been at the computer for over an hour now trying to type this, because I keep getting distracted by my phone.  I gotta go to bed, I can't think of anything I'd rather do than wake up at 4:30 for morning swim practice. What is it, 5 hours of practice a day? Yesssss.  Night.