My Last Weekly Reader
When I first found out I had Ms. Lahaise as my English teacher I got scared. I had some older friends who told me that she was super hard. I was not looking forward to having a hard teacher, especially since I never really had a real English teacher my whole life. Last year’s juniors would tell me how we were going to be writing essays twenty-four seven and when I heard that I was not thrilled. I am not the type of person that likes to write essays. I don’t really have a problem writing them, I just do not like to do them. As the beginning of my nine months of Ms. Lahaise’s English class started I was scared and unsure of what to expect exactly.
The first couple of months were rough for me since I was barely in class. I always had volleyball games during fifth period, which meant I had to skip class at least twice a week. Also within the first few months we had to write our first essay. Everyone who previously had her said that the first essay is always the worse. Ms. Lahaise even said that she could not recall anyone who got an A on the first essay disregarding a few. This freaked me out so I tried hard on the first essay, with the knowledge I had to learn on my own since I was never in class. When we finished the first essay, we had to have our peer’s review it. It’s amazing how much we do not realize how mistakes until someone else tells us. Unfortunately Ms. Lahaise did not get the chance to read our essay to give us feedback.
As the year progressed we had our first fat paragraph due. Before this class, the last time I finished a book was probably in sixth or seventh grade. This was the first time I finished a book and I think it was because we, the students, were able to pick the book we wanted to read. So many times teachers only make us read whatever the school district’s standards are, and for me I am not one to pick up a book on my own. Doing the fat paragraph let us students read something that we wanted to read instead of something we were forced to read. However the books we were forced to read made me a better reader. Having to do literature circles and answering questions and writing short essays made me think more of what I read. Before I use to just read a book and not think about why the author chose to put a scene in the book but now I realized why. This made me become more instinct about hints. I even use it when I watch a movie now, even though it sometimes ruins it.
One of my most favorite and memorable assignments we had to do in class was the Mandela project. I thought it was so much fun and we got to be creative and think of things that normally I would not think of for a character in the book. I wish we did it more than once throughout the whole school year. Another project I liked to do was the “Dumbest Generation.” It was funny to see how “dumb” our generation is, however, it was hard to tell if our generation was dumber than our parents generation since some of the teachers were pretty dumb too. I liked this project because we really got to see how smart everyone at our school/generation is.
I also liked that Ms. Lahaise tried picking out books that she thought her students would like. Not that many teachers do that, but it was nice to be able to read a book that I did not want to kill myself reading. My favorite book was for sure Native Son. That book had so much action it was hard to put down. There were some moments where it got boring but for the most part I loved reading the book. My second favorite was The Great Gatsby. I loved the early 1990’s and seeing how people lived back then was fascinating to me. The one book I do hate is The Grapes of Wrath. I think it is a boring book and there is nothing exciting happening. I also hate how Steinbeck gives a lot of detail. I don’t think I need that much detail about a piece of land. Overall the books Ms. Lahaise chose were good.
There were, however, some things I did not like. One of them was the blogs. As much fun as it was to experiment with blogs since I never really knew what they were, I was not a big fan of them. I didn’t like the fact that we were forced to write something ever other week. A lot of times I had a hard time figuring out what to write and that normally took me longer than actually writing the blog. I don’t have much to say so being forced to write something made me hate it. One other thing that I was kind of sad about was that, because Ms. Lahaise had a rough year, we did not get taught the same way as all her other classes did previous years. I was kind of looking forward to becoming a better writer, especially since I’m not the greatest writer. Writing the essays that we did end up doing helped but getting feedback would have been great too. Too bad I will not be having her next year.
Overall this was a pretty fun year. We did things I liked and things I didn’t like. I wish I got to have the full extent of Ms. Lahaise, but I understand why we did not. It was good to see why everyone loves her as a teacher. There may have been a few things I wish we didn’t do or do certain things more than once, but it was still a fun year. Thanks for being a great teacher.
Up in the Air
Ever wondered what someone else’s job was like? Well in Up in the Air by Walter Kirn, he takes you into a life that not many have chosen to live. You meet this guy named Ryan Bingham who is on a plane traveling more than he does in his own home. The first sentence in the book is, “To know me is to fly with me.” (Pg. 1)
Ryan Bingham is an employee for Intergrated Strategic Management. He travels around the country talking to the newly laid off employees and telling them how to get back on their feet. Ryan Bingham travels 270 days out of the whole year and he enjoys that more than being at home. The less days he is at his home the happier he is. Ryan Bingham has a goal, which is to reach one million frequent flyer miles. However during the book Ryan has to overcome a couple of obstacles, which he thought he never had to. Ryan does not believe in love, yet his sister is getting married. So Ryan now has to pretend like he likes the whole idea of marriage and love even though he believes it does not exist. However, he meets this woman who is practically a girl version of him. But I’ll let you read what happens with them. He also believes he is better than everyone and that everyone acts like retards to get attention. “He knows, as all the cleverest ones do, that no human being is so interesting that he can’t make himself more interesting still by acting retarded at random intervals.” (Pg 215) The biggest obstacle he probably had to face was the new person his boss hired for the company. She is turning everything digital by using a webcam to cut down flying. This is Ryan’s biggest nightmare, but he has to go along with it. Ryan has to deal with a lot but this is what it is like to live in another person’s world. This is what he or she is use to and to them it is normal. Everyone’s perception of normal is different but it’s the differences that intrigue us the most.
I liked this book because it lets me see what someone else’s life is like. It may not be based on a true story but it does not mean someone does not live like this. I also love how he loves what he does. It is hard, nowadays, to find someone who really loves what they do, but Ryan loves it more than anything else. This book is interesting because it gives us a taste of what it is like for someone to get laid off, especially now, since people are losing their jobs cause of the recession. There are a lot of things people could relate to in this book and it is not just about a man who flies around the country. This book is amazing and the movie holds true to the book. I think everyone should read the book if not watch the movie. It is truly amazing.
Global Warming?
For the past 6 years or so we have been hearing about global warming. However, some people do not know if it is a myth or if global warming is truly happening. Either way, I believe everyone should be doing their part to make the World a cleaner place, even if global warming isn’t happening. Yahoo just came out with the top ten greenest states.
Washington state was the greenest state and shockingly New York was next. I always believed that the states with the most population resulted in the most polluted and unhealthy state. Surprisingly New York and California were in the top five. It is interesting to find out what each state is doing that makes it a greener state than the other forty states in America. Oregon has the highest recycling rate, which i think every state could have if they just made their residents recycle more. Recycling is one of the easiest ways to stay green. Most of the other states had some LEED powered things, such as buildings or they have solar panels.
Making the World a greener place isn’t that hard. It is the little things that in the end can make a big difference. Even if you do not believe in global warming, everyone should do their part to make their World a cleaner place. So next time you drink that water bottle or soda can, do your part and recycle it.
http://realestate.yahoo.com/promo/the-greenest-states
The Five People You Meet in Heaven
“The Five People You Meet in Heaven” teaches a man five lessons that everyone should learn. The man named Eddie learns these five lessons through people who he had affected in his lifetime whether he knew it or not. Through these five people he learns about connection, sacrifice, forgiveness, love, and his purpose in life.
The first person Eddie meets is a man who is referred to as the Blue Man. The Blue Man used to work at Ruby Pier where Eddie and his dad used to work. One day when Eddie was playing ball with his brother it was thrown in the street and when Eddie went to retrieve it the Blue Man was driving and almost hit Eddie. Luckily the Blue Man turned away, avoiding hitting Eddie, but this made him have a heart attack and die. Eddie did not know how much he had impacted the Blue Man’s life. The first lesson Eddie learned was that nothing is random and that everything happens for a reason. The Blue Man said that we are all connected. Eddie did not know it at the time but he affected a lot of people’s lives. This lesson is very true, because we do not realize how much we affect people’s lives. Sometimes it takes a person to leave your life or you dying and finding out in heaven that you really did affect their life and they affected yours too. When one thinks about what their life would have been like if they did not meet these people, they would have been living a totally, different life. This lesson pretty much started off with the foreshadowing that he would met other people’s lives that he had affected and would teach him some lessons about life.
The second person he meets is his old Captain from World War II. When Eddie was sent to Philippines his comrades and him were captured. They were able to escape but his comrades and him were pissed at the people and they decided to burn the whole village down. Eddie, however, saw a shadow in one of the huts that was burning down and he wanted to see if there was someone in the hut. He almost went into the hut when his Captain shot his leg and crippled him in that leg for the rest of his life. Eddie learned from him that sacrifice is the most gallant thing one can do. Eddie finds out that the Captain died stepping on a land mine. When he died he was sacrificing his life for his troop because he was leading them on a road and making sure it was safe. Eddie learned that his Captain was the one who shot him and he did it because he would not leave Eddie behind. Sacrifice is definitely one of the noblest things one can do. So many people in the World are selfish and to find someone who will do anything to protect you is the greatest thing ever. Many people would not risk their life to save someone else. Sacrifice takes courage and not everyone has that trait.
The next person Eddie meets is Ruby. Ruby was the person Ruby Pier was named after. Ruby’s husband and Eddie’s father were in the same hospital room so Ruby got to meet and talk to Eddie’s father. Eddie and his father never had a good relationship, but Ruby told Eddie to forgive him. This was the third lesson Eddie learned. Forgiveness is not always the easiest thing to do and it takes a lot of power to forgive someone, especially someone who has been disappointed of you your whole life. Eddie learns that he needs to just forgive his dad for everything he has ever done and move on with life. Forgiveness is probably one of the hardest things to do because it makes the person let go of all the hate and resentment they had. Hatred is not a good thing to have though because it makes one see things in a different way and just sees the World in a negative way. Letting go of hatred lets one just move on with their life and start over. Everyone deserves a second chance or at least to be forgiven.
The fourth person he meets is his wife, Marguerite. Eddie meets her when he was only 17 and they ended up getting married. She could not have kids and they wanted to adopt but then she got into a car crash and could not afford to adopt. Couple years after her accident she dies and this devastates Eddie. When he meets her again he is very happy. Eddie believed that she was taken away from him to soon. Marguerite explains to Eddie that even though she had died she was still always with him. She told him that love does not expire and that no matter what had happened she loved him. When this story was written, I believe there really was such a thing as love. People back then did not get divorces; they worked their problems out. Back then, people really truly loved their partner but the World has changed. Love is not the same definition anymore. Love may still exist but there are only rare cases where a couple loves each other no matter what and doesn’t give up after a couple arguments. Times have change and so has the meaning of love. Love may still exist and be around certain people no matter what, but now it’s very rare. Love back then is what everyone wishes still existed and luckily Eddie was able to feel what some people only wish and dream about.
The last person Eddie meets is the girl whose shadow was in the hut. Eddie felt so bad for what he had done to her and once she realized how sorry he was she told him her purpose. She told him that his purpose was to watch over all the little kids at Ruby Pier. Even if he did not know how much he affected the people’s life there, he did. This go back to what the Blue Man said about how everyone is connected even if they do not know it yet. The girl also said that he watched over all the kids at Ruby Pier, which is true. He died trying to save a little girls life. Eddie finally realized how many people’s life he affected and he only met with five people. In the end of movie it showed Eddie back at Ruby Pier with everyone he encountered.
Eddie learned that everything happened for a reason and that no ones life is pointless. Everyone has a reason to live and they do more impact to the World then he or she may know. This movie was interesting because the lessons Eddie learned made me see things in a different light. People always take things for granted and never realize the underline meaning of everything. This makes me see the World in a different life and to not take things for granted. Everything happens for a reason and even if we do not know the reason at that very moment, we will learn it eventually. Life is all about learning new things and using our knowledge to good use. Nothing is ever a waste and people just need to learn what to do with what they have. This taught me not to be so regretful because everything does happen for a reason.
Society
Today I was watching two different television shows that made me see what people would do to make other people think they are more beautiful. I was watching the Hills which airs’ on MTV and Glee on Fox. In the Hills one of the main characters, Heidi, decided to get a bunch of plastic surgery done on her whole body because she was unhappy with the way she looked. In Glee the coach of the cheerleading team wanted one of her cheerleaders to lose 10 pounds because she was too fat. Our society needs to stop judging every little thing about a person or showing us perfect looking people because no one can achieve perfect.
In the Hills Heidi got a boob job, nose job, butt job, and so much more. She said she wanted to look like a Barbie doll and that where she lived had a big impact on how she wanted to look. She lives in Hollywood, the epicenter of actors and actress, who for the most part all look perfect because if they do not then they are criticized. Our world has made us come to believe that if we do not have the perfect legs or abs or butt or boobs then we look ugly and disgusting. People criticize people left from right. Weight is also a big issue. I know Americans are known for being obese, but we cannot make people starve themselves to be skinny. We need to stop putting in peoples mind that you have to be skinny like a stick or a model to look great. I do stand behind getting America to eat healthier and exercise more, but that does not necessarily mean starve yourself. I think one must do it the correct way and be toned not skinny.
Our view on the World has changed so drastically and its sad to know that it is we as a community that did this. I’m not saying I’m not like what I described, there are definitely times when I can just look at someone and say, “Ew you need to lose some weight.” Everyone does that and we need to stop. People need to start excepting themselves for who they are and just improve on certain things. It won’t be easy but eventually if you start to like yourself more so will everyone else. People try to hard to impress others and care what others think, but in the end it’s between you and only you. One persons voice matters and it should only be yours.
http://www.mtv.com/shows/the_hills/season_6/series.jhtml
Into the Wild By Jon Krakauer
Have you ever wondered what it was like to be homeless and hitchhike places and to live in the wild? Well Christopher Johnson McCandless did exactly that. In Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer talks about a man who left everything behind and started an adventure far from what his dad expected and wanted. Jon Krakauer talks about Christopher’s reason to leave his family and his journey across America.
In Into the Wild, it starts off as a couple of hikers finding the bus that Christopher McCandless lived and died in. As Jon Krakauer goes back to tell his story about Christopher we learn that family problems may have caused Chris to do what he did. Chris had what some people say the best life, he had a great education, he was smart, and he had money. The one thing that made him throw all that away was his dad. His dad was controlling and pushed Chris to the limit. He did not get along with his dad and the only person he trusted in his family was his sister Carine. As Jon tells the reader about the people Chris meets, we find out that he tells the people he meets on the way that his name is Alex. Chris makes some good friends and one person he met was named Westerberg and he said, “You could tell right away that Alex was intelligent…He read a lot. Used a lot of big words. I think maybe part of what got him into trouble was that he did too much thinking. Sometimes he tried too hard to make sense of the world, to figure out why people were bad to each other so often.” (Pg. 18) Chris kept a journal of his journey and the trials he had to go through. When he goes to Alaska he finds this bus, which he calls the magic bus, and that is where he lives. In the middle of the book, Chris realizes that the only way to be happy is to share it with other people, so he wants to leave Alaska and go back to civilization. He, however, cannot go back the way he came from because the river has taken over the path and he ends up staying in the wilderness. He survives in the wilderness for a little over 100 days but he ends up dying where he always wanted to go. In the end, people do not know for sure the reason why he died, but a lot of them say it is because of a poisonous sweet pea that looked like a potato seed. The last couple of days before he dies, he wrote in his journal and took a picture of himself in front of the bus he stayed in. He even wrote a sign in front of his bus saying, “S.O.S. I need your help. I am injured, near death, and too weak to hike out of here. I am all alone, this is no joke. In the name of God, please remain to save me. I am out collecting berries and shall return this evening. Thank you, Chris McCandless. August?” (Pg. 12)
I really liked this book because this was a real man who defied his family and did what he wanted to do. It takes a lot of courage to do what he did, not many people could do it. I also loved how it really portrays the way your family makes a big impact on how one turns out in life. A family can really make a big difference on how you perceive the world. I also liked how Chris did what he wanted to do and learned new things about himself and the world and people in general. Chris learned from his mistakes, which isn’t as easy as some people think, and he did what some people say was the impossible. The one thing I liked the most was when he was in Alaska he figured out that the only way to be happy is to share it with people. I thought that was a very interesting thing to discover and I believe this is true. This book was truly amazing and I think everyone should read it, because there’s a lot one can learn from it. There is also a movie based on the book, which I saw and thought gave justice to the book.
GLEE
When Glee first came out there was not a lot of buzz about it. Critics and people assumed that it would be just like another high school musical. And that is what I thought too. When I first heard about Glee there was no way you would catch me watching a show like that. I thought in my head, “Eww another cheesy musical.” To me, Glee was just like Disney’s Channel Original Movie series High School Musical. However, when I was at a friend’s house one day, she made me watch it and from then I was hooked.
When you first watch Glee, you actually think it is exactly like the High School Musical series. However, as you keep watching it you realize its better. I think the one reason why I liked this show so much was all the songs are remixes of popular songs that everyone knows. In Disney’s High School Musical, it’s their original songs, and some are good I guess but it makes people not like them as much because it isn’t songs they know. Another thing that makes this show so addicting is the fact that all the songs are really catchy, so no matter how much you want to not hear the songs in your head you cannot help it. The acting in Glee is however just as bad as High School Musical, I am not going to lie about that. But trust me it is way better than High School Musical overall. I know some people do not like any shows like this at all but if you enjoy just a little bit of any musicals then you should give this show a chance. Like they always say don’t judge a book by its cover.
Today is the first episode of the new season and I expect more and more people will be watching. Glee became so popular that they are having a tour. Getting tickets to this tour is ridiculous though. They sold out quicker than some concerts do. Glee has been taking over America and it definitely took over me. I am soo excited for the new season; I’ve been waiting since the season ended for the new season to start. It is for sure proving to people that it is not just like the Disney Channel’s High School Musical since it did get renewed for a new season, even though producers were a little skeptical renewing the season. The fans came through once again though and not it will be on channel FOX at 9:30 tonight. If you have any interest in watching this show, even just a slit bit, then check it out. What’s the worse that can happen? You do not like it? If you don’t so what, at least you can say you saw it instead of judging it without having even saw an episode.
Which Two Weekly Readers I Want Graded
6 of America’s Biggest Rip Offs:
http://lahaiseslair.com/melissac/2010/02/02/6-of-americas-biggest-rip-offs/
Alice in Wonderland:
http://lahaiseslair.com/melissac/2010/03/02/71/
Earthquakes
Today in Southern California a 4.4 earthquake happened. It was 4:04 in the morning and people in Southern California woke up to a sudden shake. This probably scared many people because with all the earthquakes happening, people are starting to fear one will happen here. This leaves people wondering. Is this just the beginning of what is yet to come? Can Southern California expect more earthquakes, maybe just as bad as Chile’s and Haiti’s? This are all things that go through a person’s mind especially since scientist have been saying that Southern California is due for another big earthquake soon.
Here are just some tips for people who do not know what how to prepare for an earthquake. The first step is to check to make sure everything in your house is not hazardous and if there is something hazardous keep it locked up. Some things to do are make sure cabinet doors have latches and the cabinets or any other heavy, large object is secured. Also make sure beds and couches are not near windows, mirrors, or anything that may fall and break. Cracks should also be fixed because cracks show that your house may be weak. The next thing to do is make sure you know where you can hide when an earthquake does hit. You should be able to find a place in each part of your house and make sure to stay away from anything that can easily break or fall on you. Another great thing to do is make sure you have a flashlight close by or in a central area in your house and some other earthquake supplies. Other good supplies are canned foods, water, a hand-powered radio, sturdy shoes for everyone in the house, and money/credit cards. The next best thing to do is to just make sure you are prepared for an earthquake.
Earthquakes happen so unexpectedly that one does not know how long they have to prepare for a major earthquake. Hopefully the Haiti and Chile earthquake has made people in southern California aware that a big earthquake might be upon us and we need to start getting prepared. The earthquake that happened today is probably just the beginning of what is in store of California. We are known for our earthquakes and the last big earthquake was in 1994. We should be expecting one soon but luckily since we’ve already had a small one, the “big” earthquake won’t be as major. Just prepare because you never know when it will happen and it’s better to be prepared now when it’s not to late.
http://www.wikihow.com/Prepare-for-an-Earthquake
Alice in Wonderland
Ever since people heard that there was going to be a remake of Alice in Wonderland, there has been much buzz about it. Now the movie is finally coming into theatres. This Alice in Wonderland however is not going to be like the other Alice in Wonderlands or like the book by Lewis Carroll. This time it is going to be about Alice returning to Wonderland.
The first thing that caught everyone’s eye was the cast and director of the movie. Tim Burton decided to direct this movie and knowing from his past experiences with movies Alice in Wonderland will live up to his strange characters. The next best thing about this movie is Johnny Depp. If anyone has ever seen some of his movies, he or she would know how some of his characters could be a bit strange. This is what makes his part in the movie so great because he is the mad hatter and he certainly does not look normally from his carrot top head to his eyes. The actress playing Alice is however not as well known but knowing the cast directors they did not pick her just for the fun of it. I’m sure she will live up to the expectations. One of my favorite actresses is Helena Bonham Carter and she will be playing the Red Queen. Helena has portrayed a number of strange characters in her acting career. Probably more than Johnny Depp, which makes her perfect for this role. In the movie however her head is enlarged to the max and her body is very small but that just gives her that even stranger look that completes her character. Then there are a couple of other actors including Anne Hathaway, Crispin Glover, and Stephen Fry.
With all this hype about the movie lets hope it turns out as great as everyone thinks it will be. Even with a great director and a famous cast, one can never be too sure. The great thing about this is the fact that it won’t be like the other Alice in Wonderland movies we’ve seen before. It is a complete different story, which might ruin it or make it the best sequel ever. Anytime someone does a sequel it’s hard to say if it’s going to be good. Sequels are probably one of the riskiest things to do in the movie industry, because it’s either amazing or horrible. But if anyone is as excited to see this movie as I am it comes out Friday March 5, 2010 so go see it. Another plus is the fact that it’s going to be in 3D. Many movies, nowadays, tend to be in 3D now. So that will be another interesting factor in this already interesting movie. I think this movie is going to be worth seeing just to see what it’s like. DON”T FORGET IT COMES OUT THIS FRIDAY MARCH 5, 2010!