~*~::{Reading Blog #21: Mamma Mia!}::~*~

Mamma Mia...here we go again...my my, how could I resist you.  

I LOVE THIS MOVIE.  I saw it in theaters 4 times and got it for Christmas from Santa...yes, Santa...not my mommy.  I have watched it like, 5 times since then.  I have all the songs on my iPod and have the actual movie downloaded there, too.  Shush...I'm cool.  I have always loved ABBA and their songs.  They are really good, and if you haven't, go listen to the good ones.  Chiquitita, Lay All Your Love on Me, Does Your Mother Know?, Mamma Mia.

This movie is about a girl named Sophie who is getting married to her boyfriend, Sky.  She has only known her mother, Donna, never knowing the name of her father.  She decides to invite all 3 of the men her mother slept with to see if she can figure out who it is, Sam, Bill, and Harry.  Through all this, the songs by ABBA were able to tell the story, fitting ever so perfectly.  If you haven't seen this, then do so...

Oh, and the girl that plays Sophie is the same girl that played Karen from Mean Girls, so watching this, I automatically went to thinking "I can tell when it's raining out...my boobs jiggle..." and laughed obnoxiously in the theater...yes, I'm awesome. 

~*~::{Reading Blog #20: South Park Movie}::~*~

This is the first access to a computer I've had all weekend, so be lenient with the due date, Cheng, please.

Okay...I love the show, and watching the movie was freakin' fantastic. South Park is one of the most racist, biased, disgusting, terrible shows I've ever seen, and I absolutely love it. I can really see Cartman in myself...how bad is that? But watching the movie made me laugh so hard, I couldn't breathe, and I pissed my pants a little. I had a perma-smile on my face and sang along with all the songs, even though I didn't know the words. It truly was a terrible movie, but me being a terrible person enjoyed it with great pleasure. If you haven't seen this movie or any shows, don't...but if you like laughing at race-y and bad jokes, go right ahead and laugh your butt off. :D

~*~::{Reading Blog #19: Mongol}::~*~

We're watching Mongol in history class...the story of Genghis Khan and his life.  Now, I love Genghis...just because he has ultimate power, and I aspire to be like that when I grow up, but this movie really makes you feel bad for the cold-blooded, malicious, blood-thirsty killer.  

Young Temudjin grows up in Mongolia as the son of the Khan (ruler) of his clan.  His father is assassinated by an enemy tribe.  This movie follows the life of Temudjin (later to become the great Genghis) and his hard ships, war, and love.  

Oh!  An enemy tribe steals his wife, Borte...what jerks!  But he preservers and gets her back by killing his older brother and such, but...this movie is great. 

I LOVE THIS MOVIE...surprisingly.  It's all in Mongolian, so there are English subtitles...now, when I watch a movie, I don't wanna have to focus, but I actually enjoy this story. 

~*~::{Reading Blog #18: Slapstick}::~*~

I was in a very read-y mood this weekend, so I read all of Slapstick by Kurt Vonnegut.  This is probs by far my all-time favorite book.  It truly was good.  

The main part of this story takes place in future day New York which has been deserted by fever and disease, leaving only Wilbur and his grand daughter and her man.  It was about a man named Wilbur.  In his early days as a youngster, he had a twin sister named Eliza.  Now, seperated, they were no smarter than a tree.   But when put together, they were geniuses.  Throughout this book, it flashes back to the futuristic New York.  Fast forwarding through his life, he mentions how he wishes he had a huge family...so, when he gets elected president, he assigns everyone in the country a new name.  A noun and a number.  So everyone with the matching noun and number were family members...so that if they ever felt alone, they could just say to themselves "Oh, well, I feel alone...good thing I'm 1 of thousands of dandelion-11's".  I think that's a good idea, actually...a bit extensive of a task to do, but...wutevs.

Oh!  And then the end!  The kid with the tourettes!  This kid had tourettes and made obscene comments that made me laugh so freakin' hard!  AH!!

I loved this book.  It made me laugh a bunch. 

~*~::{Reading Blog #17: Top 5 Love Songs}::~*~

I dunno if this is a legal move here, but I'm gonna try this and see how it works.  So, my iPod, my best friend with a cracked screen, has good songs on it.  Now, if I put it on shuffle, it randomly goes through songs and it went through this one streak of love songs that kinda made me laugh because they were so cheezey, but they were cute.  I kinda wanted to analyze them.  So, I went through my iPod and listened to the best love songs and wanted to analyze them and how they made me feel.

1.  Heaven on Earth - Britney Spears **FAVE** 

"...fell in love with you and everything you are.  Nothing I can do, I'm really crazy about you.  When you're next to me, it's just like heaven on earth.  Tell me that I'll always be the one that you want.  Don't know what I'd do if I'd ever lose you.  I look at you and what I see is heaven on earth...I'm in love with you..."

Okay.  Now, this song makes me feel like, really cheezey.  I mean, she's head-over-heels with this one guy she's singing about (WISHING IT WERE ME) and she'd go to the ends of the earth just to get him for her.  

2.  What Hurts The Most - Cascada

"...what hurts the most was being so close, and having so much to say and watching you walk away.  Never knowing what could have been and not seeing that loving you is what I was trying to do..."

Now, this one makes me feel kinda depressed.  I mean, she's obviously heart broken and asking for her man back.  

3.  Duele el Amor - Aleks Syntek

"...duele el amor sin ti, llueve hasta mojar.  Duele el amor sin ti, duele hasta matar.  Duele el amor sin ti, todo esta tan gris..." (Love hurts without you, it rains until I'm wet.  Love hurts, it hurts until death.  Love hurts without you, everything is gray..)

This is yet another depressing song about love.  The two people in the song are singing about each other and how without one another, they are depressed and life isn't as good.  It's so sad!

4.  Samson - Regina Spektor **FAVE**

"...you are my sweetest downfall.  I loved you first, I loved you first beneath the sheets of paper lies my truth.  I have to go, I have to go.  Your hair was long when we first met...Samson went back to bed, not much hair left on his head.  Ate a slice of wonder bread, and went right back to bed.  And history books forgot about us and a bible didn't mention us...and a bible didn't mention us, not even once..."

I don't really know what this song is about persay, but based on how slow and sad sounding the song is, it just sounds very sad about her singing about a past love that changed very much while they were together...I dunno.

5.  It's Good To Be In Love - Frou Frou

"...I don't know where to start.  Say I'm tired or throw a party?  These cucumber eyes are lying the more that I smile about it.  And all of my clothes feel like someone's old throw aways...I don't like it...it's good to be in love...it really feels so true, just like everything.  I'm happy you're in love, 'cause every color goes where you do..."

This song has mixed messages.  It's very sad on her part of the story, saying that she misses the fact that she used to be in love.  BUT it's happy if you're looking from the guy's point of view.  She's congratulating him on being in love...it's happy for him, but sad for her saying she misses the feeling. 

~*~::{Reading Blog #16: Fame}::~*~

Okay...I haven't analyzed a play yet as far as I remember, so, here I go.  Went with Haley to Fame, the play at VV on saturday night...honestly, I didn't like it.  I mean, I've said this before and I'll gladly say it again...Valley View has the set design and the props and the costumes, but they can't act.  South View doesn't have much good materials to work with, but the acting is just fantastic...every show I've gone to at VV has always had a few acting problems, so I didn't expect much and didn't get much in return.

I couldn't understand the plot...it was simply a bunch of characters running around looking to get auditions and a chance in the spot light at a school for the arts...a musician, actors, and dancers...there wasn't too much character development that helped the understanding of the story, so it didn't impress me.  

OH!  Another thing that bugged me was the fact that it was a musical, but they took out all the songs and such to make an adaptation of the musical into a play...doesn't work very well like that!  NO!  

It was fun hangin' with Haley, though...fun stuff.  All the little children running around hugging her "Oh, I miss you Haley!" and me just standing there...yeah...not awkward at all...hmm...

~*~::{Reading Blog #15: Hocus Pocus}::~*~

Okie, Mr. Cheng.  I'm sorry I didn't put my blog up last night.  My internet was down and couldn't get on the internet...sooooo sorry!  Please don't count this late!

Okay...anyway.  I have started to read the book Hocus Pocus by Kurt Vonnegut, one of the best authors of all times.  I read the first couple chapters, and like most Vonnegut writings, the first couple chapters are very boring and can easily be skipped...also like Vonnegut, the first couple chapters are very satirical and sarcastic.  They give unnecessary background information that makes you giggle and makes you learn more about the protagonist, which I guess is important later.  

Eugene Debs Hartke is the name of the protagonist.  He is an old man who in the first couple chapters recalls his life so the reader gets all caught up.  He was in the Vietnam war and refers to the end of the Vietnam war as "when the excrement hit the air conditioner" because he doesn't like swearing in front of the kiddies.  He went to high school and has always had a passion for jazz and plays the piano.  

That's really it for the beginning chapters...hopefully something better will happen...knowing other Vonnegut stuff like Cat's Cradle, Slapstick, and Slaughterhouse V, I will probably end up loving this...

~*~::{Reading Blog #14: Bolt}::~*~

OMG OMG OMG.  So.  This was pretty much the coolest movie in the whole world.  Legit, this movie made my life!  I went with Cullen and Alex.  We saw Mr. Cheng after, too!  KIDS ARE ADORABLE, BY THE WAY...Alex and I went to the very front of the theater and laid right in front of the screen.  Very comfortable.  Cullen, Mr. Wet Blanket sat alone, avoiding our commentary...wutevs. 

So.  Bolt.  Just a normal dog (FREAKING ADORABLE) is hired to be on the set of an action tv show with Penney (Miley Cyrus...*puke*).  Since he has never been off set, he thinks he actually has the powers.  Well, he teams up with Mittens and Rhino (the hamster.  HELLZ YES!  HE'S GREAT!  He's me...)  He thinks that Penney actually gets abducted, even though it's just part of the script and goes on the rampage to get her back.  Heart break, self realization, blah blah blah, every Disney movie is the exact same.  It's a lot like the monomyth thing...but I'm not gonna go into details like that just now.  Sleepy.  

The movie made me laugh tons.  Rhino is great.  It made me sad.  It made me angry.  It was a rainbow of emotions...yes...that's right, I said it...

Go see it.  Much better than Twilight...isn't that right, Haley?

~*~::{Reading Blog #13: A Million Little Pieces}::~*~

So, I've begun to read "A Million Little Pieces" by James Frey.  So far, in the first couple parts of this book, James is on an airplane going somewhere he doesn't know.  He is bleeding and is missing teeth.  He is disorientated and asks stewardesses where he is headed.  They say he is going to Chicago.  He feels the need to start drinking again and goes to drink some alcohol and get totally drunk.  

They start to talk about how James has been abusing alcohol and other substances as much as he can as fast as he can.  He is a junkie.  His life is terrible and finds the only way out is to drink and use substances...Oh yeah, 'cause that'll always work.  HIT THAT BOTTLE, BABY!

~*~::{Reading Blog #12: Milo and Millie}::~*~

Sarah, my dear clonee, will be very proud of me and my name givings.  

Martha - Mother cat

Milo - Son cat

Millie - Daughter cat (I wonder where I got that name from, haha Haley!)

Ephram (Effie) - ADD boy wonder

Scarlett (Scar) - Sexy mouse

Gertrude (Gertie) - Kidnapper

Fluffy - Guard dog

So.  This may be a little bit...stupid...but I am analyzing my story.  I'm rather proud of it, actually.  

So.  My story is about 2 cats that are completely literate that live in an ally - Milo and Millie.  They are best friends and do everything together.  One day, Millie wanders from the ally one day to get cat-napped from her home by Gertie.  Milo goes on a voyage to save her.  Along the way, he comes along a gorgeous mouse named Scarlett who has a special talent.  He meets up with Effie, the boob that can't focus to save his life, and goes into the depths of Gertie's house and deals with Fluffy to get his only sister back.  

Now, normally, stories that are forced to be written for any classes really disinterest me, but this was quite fun.  I didn't even notice that I made it 11 pages long...hmm...I'm quite proud of myself.  People, please read it.  It took me quite a while.  I should really stop saying quite.  Haley may not wanna read it...after obvious interest shown in chem...*ahem*

~*~::{Happy Mitch}::~*~

~*~::{Reading Blog #10/11: Thoroughly Modern Millie/James Bond and the Quantum of Solace}::~*~

I was unaware that we had to keep doing posts on wednesday and sundays.  My badness to the max, yo.  I'll just do 2 here.  Hm...

So.  Last friday, I went with my older sister, Kyle, to see Thoroughly Modern Millie at the High School.  Surprisingly, what everyone said about it being fantastic was true.  Normally, I go into shows expecting nothing and not being disappointed one bit.  I was told by everyone how the play was funny, it had good choreography, and singing.  Great, now my hopes were up.  I saw it and it truly was the best show I'd ever seen.  The scene with the chinese guys always made me laugh.  Sad to be all alone in the world! It was a bit confusing in the beginning, but everything tied up.  I must say that the actors at EHS are really good.  The live music was great.  Long live the bassoon!

Now, last night.  I went to see James Bond and the Quantum of Solace.  I have never been able to sit through a Bond film without a.) being ADD, b.) falling asleep, c.) losing interest, d.) Chuck Norris. You pick the answer.  All apply, even the Chuck Norris.  But again, the problem here is that I heard it was really good, even for a Bond film.  I was sketchy, but the people that told me I should see this know I can't stand those films.  They should've known, but I trusted that it was really good.  It was action-ey and explode-y.  A little too much for me.  The plot, I didn't understand at all.  It was very confusing.  I personally, didn't like it too much, but wutevs.  It wasn't terrible.

~*~::{Odysseus for National Hero}::~*~

Odysseus has proved on many separate occasions that he is worthy of being a national hero whether it be escaping the depths of Calypso's island, blinding the cyclops, or being able to resist the beautiful voices of the Sirens.  He truly is worthy of being our national hero, and we should support him in everything he does.

Some of you may be asking yourselves what is a hero...a hero is someone that goes on a mission and accomplishes something great that is better for his people.  Now...some of you may be asking yourselves what he has done to own this prestigious title.  I tell you to go back and read my opening paragraph. (I already said what he has done.  Go back and use your resources.  READ.)

Here is a short excerpt from when Odysseus blinded the cyclops. 

"...so we seized our stake with its fiery tip and bored it round and round in the giant's eye till blood came boiling up around that smoking shaft and the hot blast singed his brow and eyelids round the core and the broiling eyeball burst - its crackling roots blazed and hissed - as a blacksmith plunges a glowing ax or adze i an ice-cold bath and the metal screeches steam and its temper hardens..." (IX, 433-440)

Here is a short excerpt from when Odysseus got away from Calypso's Island.  Even though Calypso let him go, I think he's a hero because he had to deal with being homesick and missing his wife for years.  

"...in the nights, true, he'd sleep with her in the arching cave - he had no choice - unwilling lover alongside lover all too willing...but all his days he'd sit on the rocks and beaches, wrenching his heart with sobs and groans and anguish, gazing out the barren sea through blinding tears.  So coming up to him now, the lustrous goddess ventured, "No need, my unlucky one, to grieve here any longer, no, don't waste your life away.  Now I am willing, heart and soul, to send you off at last.  Come, take bronze tools, cut your lengthy timbers, make them into a broad-beamed raft and top it off with a half-deck high enough to sweep you free and clear on the misty seas.  And I myself will stock her with food and water, ruddy wine to your taste - all to stave off hunger - give you clothing, send you a stiff following wind so you can reach your native country all unharmed.  If only the gods are willing.  They rule the vaulting skies.  They're stronger than I to plan and drive things home..."" (V, 170-189)

Here's a short excerpt from when he escaped the island of Circe and was able to resist the voices of the beautiful Sirens. 

"...the Sirens sensed at once a ship was racing past and burst into their high, thrilling song: 'Come closer, famous Odysseus - Achaea's pride and glory - moor your ship on our coast so you can hear our song!  Never has any sailor passed our shores in his black craft until he has heard the honeyed voices pouring from our lips and once he hears to his heart's content sails on, a wiser man.  We know all the pains that the Greeks and Trojans once endured on the spreading plain of Troy when the gods willed it so - all that comes to pass on the fertile earth, we know it all!'  So they send their ravishing voices out across the air and the heart inside me throbbed to listen longer.  I signaled the crew with frowns to set me free - they flung themselves at the oars and rowed on harder, Perimedes and Eurylochus springing up at once to bind me faster with rope on chafing rope.  But once we'd left the Sirens fading in our wake, once we could hear their song no more, their urgent call - my steadfast crew was quick to remove the wax I'd used to seal their ears and loosed the bonds that lashed me..." (XII, 198-217)

Now, Odysseus is obviously a better candidate than his competitor, the suitors.  (yes, they are running together...) The suitors have treated his wife rudely and have refused to leave his home.  (Telemachus is pissed. REVENGE!!) 

One example of the suitors being bad people is when they refuse to leave the home of Odysseus.

"...but now the suitors trooped in with all their swagger and took their seats on low and high-backed chairs.  Heralds poured water over their hands for rinsing serving maids brought bread heaped high in trays and the young men brimmed the mixing-bowls with wine.  They reached out for the good things that lay at hand, and when they'd put aside desire for food and drink the suitors set their minds on other pleasures, song and dancing, all that crowns a feast..." (I, 169-176)

Another example of why the suitors aren't good candidates is because they were rude to Penelope and Telemachus. 

"...down to the last man they court my mother, they lay waste my house!  And mother...she neither rejects a marriage she despises nor can she bear to bring the courting to an end - while they continue to bleed my household white..." (I, 288-292)

Now, I urge you, dear reader.  Odysseus truly is the only one that can rule this country with his heroism.  All the suitors have done is be rude.  Odysseus is a MAVERICK (*cough cough I wanna kill McCain...cough cough*) and knows how to be a hero.  The suitors are rude and loud and obnoxious and aren't worthy heroism.  

Now.  As my final statement.  Odysseus is worthy of being the hero of our nation.  He has proved himself time and time again that he is worthy of being a legend through blinding the cyclops, enduring Calypso's grasp, and denying himself urges through the Sirens.  The suitors, however, have only proved they are just fools looking for power.  They have tried to court Miss Penelope and have been rude to her, her home, her son, and her maids.  This is not proper leadership and shall not be appreciated or rewarded.  

LONG LIVE ODYSSEUS!

**R.I.P. GRANDMAMA OBAMA**

~*~::{Thesis Statement Assignment}::~*~

Which God in the Odyssey has the most human characteristics?

In the book The Odyssey by Homer, Calypso, the goddess of water has the most human characteristics because she has the envy of the major gods having power, she feels love for Homer and doesn't want him to leave, and she shows anger when Hermes and the major gods try and take him away from her.

~*~::{Reading Blog #9: Monomyth Sheet}::~*~

Stage 1: Birth

Wicked - Elphaba was born green and said to be the daughter of the devil.

Stage 2: Departure 

Call to Adventure - Saw IV - Jigsaw realizes what he must do to make his life have a meaning.

Refusal to the Call - Evan Almighty - Evan doesn't wanna build the ark.

Supernatural Guide - Star Wars - Obi Wan Kenobi guiding Luke Skywalker.

Crossing the Threshold - Wicked - Going from sad times and places to the Emerald City.

Belly of the Whale - Final Destination 3 - The people are on the roller coaster and can't get off.

Stage 3: The Land of Fulfillment

Hero Partners - Shrek - Shrek and Donkey go on an adventure. 

Tests/Ordeals/Hero Deeds - Pan's Labyrinth - Opfelia needing to do tasks to appease Pan so she can become a princess. 

Losing the Guide - V for Vendetta - V dies and leaves Evie all alone.

Meeting with the Goddess - Saw II - AManda meeting with Jigsaw to take on his life's work and philosophy. 

Ultimate Boon - Kung Fu Panda - Po getting the sacred scroll learning to be a kung fu master.

Woman/Man as Temptation - Hercules - Meg tempting Hercules being the damsel in distress.

Atonement with Father - Mulan - Mulan and her father come to terms after the war.

Sacrifice/Betrayal - Saw V - Brit betrays Luba and stabs her in the neck to save herself.

Death of the Hero - Titanic - Jack dies. 

Journey to the Underworld - Guardians of Ga'Hoole - Soren and friends have to invade a prison to spy on the evil owls. 

Apotheosis/Deification - Guardians of Ga'Hoole - Soren and friends survive the raid and are heroes. 

Final Battle - Sleeping Beauty - Final battle between the prince and the evil witch/queen.

Stage 4: The Return 

Magic Flight - Wizard of Oz - Dorothy and her slippers help her home.

Rescue from Without - Harry Potter IV - He uses the port key to return home.

Elixer - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Charlie wins Willie's factory for being the best contestant.

Master of Two Worlds - HSM3 - Troy, Gabriella, and everyone learn frienship is the most powerful thing. (gags)

Freedom to Live - Mamma Mia! - All the characters are married and have happy endings being able to live freely.  

~*~::{Reading Blog #8: Auntie's Poem}::~*~

Auntie's Blog

I decided to analyze her story that she wrote about her dear cat, Apollo. 

Now...I remember going over there as a youngling.  Everytime I saw Gail, there was Apollo.  Everywhere she went, he went.  They were inseperable, almost to a fault.  When he passed, my aunt really was a wreck for months.  She took forever to rehabilitate to the bubbly, dark, deranged soul she normally is again.

This little excerpt from her many writing about depressing and dark subjects (which have a humor about them that have rubbed off on me...) really reminded me of the happy times when she had her kitty.  16 years of her life she had that cat.  He was the closest companion she had ever had (pphh husbands...)

So...reading this actually brought tears to my eyes.  I mean...I never really had the strongest bond with that particular cat, but my cat and I are close (still nowhere near as close...but still...) and when I lose her, I know it's gonna be rough.  So not looking forward to losing my baby. 

Still...read it.  It's amazing.  She's a great writer. 

(Love ya, G..)

~*~::{Reading Blog #7: SAW V!}::~*~

...so...Mr. Cheng did say that we could do an occasional reading blog on a movie as long as it wasn't all the time.  (Loopholes!! AHH!  LOVE 'EM!)  I was very patient so I could analyze Saw V. (Mr. Cheng has to read this...he winced when I said the name in class.  XD) I went and saw this right after school on friday at 5:oo. (Saw V at 5:00!)

I'd just like to begin by saying this...Cullen...I have a life.  I have other hobbies.  Before you make fun of me, I warn you...don't read this.  

Now...the Saw Series isn't all about gore.  It actually has a good plot with tons of twists and turns that keep you on the edge of your seat.  (The gore is just a bonus...)  

In the latest installment, you learn about why the newest and most recently revealed apprentice, Detective Mark Hoffman, was involved in the whole Jigsaw ordeal.  We learn that he was blackmailed for getting revenge and forced to help Jigsaw with his sick games.  

Now...normally with the other Saw movies, the people that are put into the games where they have to mutilate themselves are drug addicts, murderers, rapists, arsonists, etc.  But in this movie, the people were high-class citizens.  City planners, journalists, real-estate developers, etc.  This made for a very interesting twist.  They used their high-class status to advance themselves in life (money and such) and Jigsaw felt like testing them...blah blah blah, you get the idea.  

The other side of the movie shows a cop, Special Agent Peter Strahm, following Detective Hoffman trying to catch him as the true Jigsaw Accomplice.  Meanwhile, Hoffman was setting the scene to make it look like Strahm was the real apprentice throwing the rest of the police off the trail.  It really was a tug-of-war battle that ended in bloodshed. 

Now, I repeat.  This movie actually does have a plot and the gore is really a backseat to this film.  This movie leaves many holes and loose ends that are going to be tied up in Saw VI next october, but until then, you won't hear me speak the name Saw...(not for a couple months anyway...)

~*~::{Hero In A Box}::~*~

My heroes that I chose to research were Pokemon Trainers.  They are heroes because they go on journeys to find themselves and learn about who the

y truly are.  

They join up with friends (Misty, Brock, May, 

Drew, and Dawn) and they c

atch pokemon (over 450 of them...I'm not listing them all..

.) which are like their swords and shields that help them through their journey to beat the 

bad guys (gym leaders, Team Rocket and Team Galactic).  These heroes are rewarded for their triumphs and their accomplishments with rewards (trophies, gym badges, contest ribbons, frontier brain badges, etc.)   To the 

right, we have a list of about 391 of the

 450 pokemon that have been created.  They aid trainers on their journeys to s

uccess. 

Here we have a picture of all the badges from the pokemon series.  This is all badges from every Pokemon

 Gym and all Frontier Pyramids.  These signify triumphs and accomplishments of all pokemon trainers. 

Here we have Team

 Rocket, one of the main antagonists of the series.  

Constantly trying to foil Ash and his cohorts' plans at being great masters of pokemon, they try to ste

al their pokemon to try and impress their boss, Giovanni.

Next we have the Legendary Pokemon which take place as the

 Gods and Goddesses that watch over the trainers and their pokemon as they go on their journey to be the greatest. 

Finally we have Ash Ketchum, the protagonist of this  series.  He goes on a journey with

 his wonderful friends that guide him through the world and his pokemon love him and see him through every victory and loss.

~*~::{Reading Blog #6: More Luna...}::~*~

Continuing to read Luna, I read a few more chapters...well, actually...the rest of the book.

I really don't read things this quickly unless they catch my attention...I mean...holy s**t.  This book was...WOW!

Regan meets this boy that just moved to town, Chris.  She becomes lab partners with him in her science class.  She develops a huge crush on him and he likes her, too, but she is worried that she's not good enough for him.  Throughout the whole book is a huge denial-factor of her not realizing how good she is.  He helps her realize this.  They end up going out, and (sappy sappy) fall in love.

Now...her transsexual brother, Liam (Luna, as a woman), is developing more problems.  He wants so much to tell the world he's really a girl and he hates hiding his secret, especially from his best friend, Aly, and his family.  

His mother and father are completely oblivious and think everything's all good.  Aly has a huge crush on Liam, and when he finally get's the guts to tell her, she goes crazy.  

At the end of the book, the only people talking to Luna include her sister, Regan.  Everyone else has cut themselves off not wanting part of her world.  

Luna moves away to try and start a new life.  She gets sexual-reassignment surgery, and many other surgeries to make her transformation complete. 

After all the drama leaves Regan, she gets to focus more on Chris and appeasing him. 

~*~::{Reading Blog #5: The Unspeakable Odyssey of the Motionless Boy}::~*~

For this reading blog post, I read the finale of "The Unspeakable Odyssey of the Motionless Boy" by Joshua Foer.  What this story is about is a boy that became paralyzed in a car accident, unable to move or make any actions whatsoever but move his eyeballs around.  Only able to answer 'yes' or 'no' to questions asked by people,  doctors wanted to make his life as normal as possible trying to rehabilitate him.  

They put glass shards and wires into his brain.  With practice, patience, and open-minds, he was able to begin translating his actual thoughts into letters and words allowing him to converse with people.  

With practice and patience, people were helping Erik with his problems and were allowing him a second chance at life by interpreting his thoughts into letters and those letters into words.  

~*~::{Siddhartha 4}::~*~

Well...my journey is over.  Enlightenment has been achieved, and I'm very happy with where I am.  After accomplishing my goal and finishing my journey, I think I have learned self control and how to wait.  I think I realized this best when I was meditating and when I was being tempted by many temptations like love and money.  

Learning how to wait was a tough one.  Having to ask people questions about how to be happy and why things are the way they are without getting an exact answer right away was very difficult.  When I asked my father to go on my journey at the beginning of my young adult life, he told me I wasn't allowed to go.  I had to wait until he was okay with it for me to be able to.  

Self control was another big one.  When I had to meditate to finally reach my enlightenment, I had to wait and wait and wait (and wait) thinking only about getting enlightened.  I was tempted by many many things which made my journey very hard.  Love and money were the biggest ones.   Trying to distract me, I had to turn them all down very painfully, but in the end, I realized it was just for the best for me.  

In the end, I learned that in order for me to be truly happy, I had to go through some very hard times in order to eventually be happy.  Asking questions to quench your thirst for knowledge and waiting for good things to happen and going with the flow of life are all you have to do to make your life happy.  

Siddhartha, over and out.

~*~::{Reading Blog #4: Luna}::~*~

I am currently reading Luna by Julie Anne Peters.  I am about 3 chapters into this novel, and it is already filled with marvelous plots.  Regan is a girl in high school who is already dealing with liking this guy and trying (and failing miserably) in her classes.  Now, Regan's brother, Liam is a transexual, which means that he was born in the wrong body (i.e. he was born a boy, but thinks he should have been born a girl).

A prediction about this book I have is that Liam will be harassed for being different.  People are ignorant and scared of change that they don't necessarily want, so they are going to treat him terribly for being different.  Regan, however, is already said to be his helper when he changes into his girl form (Luna) during the night, so she will probably have a stressful time trying to deal with this and high school drama.  

~*~::{Reading Blog #3: More Wicked...}:~*~

Continuing to read Wicked (yet another time) I have read through the first couple chapters.  So far, Elphaba has been born into a family with a father that travels a lot and a mother that is cheating on him.  The girl was born with skin as green as lettuce (yes, lettuce) and said to have been born of the devil.  She has teeth that are sharp like piranha teeth and is dazzled by Turtleheart's (her mothers lover) glass blowing and his stories of travel.  

She ends up going to school in a very esteemed school and there meets Galinda (soon to be Glinda, the Good Witch of the North) who is very snobby and all about material things (like half of Edina) and right away by judging Elphaba without knowing her, finds great disgust and hate in this girl that looks like lettuce.  

Elphaba finds herself caught up in a web of mysteries (yes, my words are awesome) when all the Animals (capitalized because they can talk) are going missing and being outlawed by the Wizard of Oz, who we learn later is the real bad guy in this story and world of Oz.

~*~::{Reading Blog #2: Wicked}::~*~

For my second book choice, I thought I would analyze the book Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.  This book follows the Wicked Witch of the Wests' side of the story of the Wizard of Oz and Dorothy and her story.  You learn through the story why she is green, why she doesn't like water, why she is hated by everyone, and how she is connected to the Cowardly Lion, the Tin Man, and the Scarecrow.  

Now, having read this book already, I knew I loved it.  I went back and read the last chapter (which is more like a section...) and it really made me sad.  Throughout the story, you begin to love the Wicked Witch (Elphaba) because she really is a wonderful person that tries to be good, just having all of her good deeds fail in the process making it seem like bad things.  (Good intentions gone wrong...)

The last chapter is all about the finale of The Wizard of Oz and the melting scene.  How this was described was just phenomenal.  If you connected with the Elphaba, this scene tore your heart out. 

"...she hurled the water at the Witch.  An instant sharp pain before the numbness.  The world was floods above the fire below.  If there was such a thing as a sould, the soul had gambled on a sort of babtism, and had it won?

The body apologizes to the soul for its errors, and the soul asks forgiveness for squatting in the body without invitation. " (Maguire 403 "Wicked")

This whole page and the following pages talk about her life flashing before her eyes and all

the people she has hurt with her good intentions.  

This is the one book which I have read numerous times and still get emotional when it

gets to the part about her dying.  

RIP ELPHABA

~*~::{Siddhartha 3}::~*~

Dear Ginny...

I am seriosly worried about my dear friend, Siddhartha. For the last few years, he has become more emotionally attached. I feel like I am losing my dearest friend and I don't know what to do anymore. We used to do everything together, but more recently, he has cut himself off from the world looking for innner happiness and enlightenment, but I don't know if it's helping him or making him a worse person. Can you please help me? Thank you.

--Govinda

Dear Govey...

That sounds really terrible. So you think your best friend is abandoning you for a higher power and enlightenment? Hmm. If I were you, I wouldn't worry about it. If he truly is your friend and if he is even worth your time, he will come back to you after this little phase of his is over. Offer yourself to be a friend of his and let him know how important he is to you, and then just give him some space. Again, like I siad. If he really is your friend, he will come back to you and you can be friends again. Then all will be good in the world, and he will be enlightened.

~*~::{Siddhartha 2}::~*~

(Mr. Cheng...since I made my avatar Siddhartha, I decided that I am going to make it a letter from Govinda to Siddhartha and visa versa)

Dear Siddhartha,

Why are you saying goodbye?  You and I have been companions since we were children, and by you leaving me, you are saying that we aren't friends anymore.  You don't know how depressed that makes me.  How am I going to find my own salvation when my best friend isn't apart of it?  By you leaving me, that doesn't put me on the path to salvation.  All that does is confuse me and want you back even more.  Please don't leave me. 

Love, Govinda. 

Dear Govinda, 

I understand that you don't want me to leave you.  It is completely understandable.  I don't want to have to leave you either, but as you know, my thirst for knowledge has left me empty on the inside.  I no longer know who I am and I need to learn why I feel the way that I do.  I am on the path to enlightenment, thanks to the learnings from the Buddha.  He has inspired me to go on my own path to happiness, and it involves giving up all that I love...that includes you, as well. 

Good bye for now, dear friend. 

Love, Siddhartha. 

~*~::{Reading Blog #1: The City of Ember}::~*~

Since one of my favorite books of all time is coming out as a movie as of next friday, I decided I will analyze this piece of literature. 

The last time I read this whole book was probably around 7th grade, but I went back and read a couple pages in every chapter to get my juices flowing. 

This book is about a dying city under the ground.  Lina and Doon, 2 young children, find a mysterious letter and using eachother's help, they find a way out of the town before it dies out.  They lead their town to safety, and they are the heroes. 

This book really was one of my favorites because they give little hints and clues throughout the wholes story, so they allow you to follow along with the story and try and solve the mystery along with the main characters.  It had me reading it nonstop and really never wanting to stop reading.  It was always exciting to the very end. 

If you haven't read this book yet, you totally should.  The movie comes out next week, so if you get reading now, you may be able to finish and then see the movie in theaters. 

~*~::{Siddhartha}::~*~

This is young Siddhartha.  Aided by his friend, Govinda, he hopes to one day stop all pain in his life.  He respects his father and his wishes greatfully, and does only what he says.  His father allows him to go find himself and try and be happy by becoming a Samana.  Young Siddhartha starves himself, asking people for food for every meal.  He enjoys meditating, and loves asking himself why there is so much pain in the world, and what it will take for him to overcome it. 

~*~::{Oh, The Excitement...First Post...}::~*~

I am a very busy individual who is involved in many activities ranging from arguing with people in debate, to pretending to be someone I'm not in drama, to jammin' away on my bassoon in band. As of now, babysitting is my only real source of income, and it makes my life just that more chaotic, watching children and making sure they don't kill themselves and such. In my spare time, besides hanging out with my friends, I enjoy writing and reading. No matter how stressed or busy I am though, I will always be able to make room for the most exciting thing in my life, my music. It's the one thing that can go with whatever mood I am in, and it helps me express myself.

Yep. That's me.

Blog and all.