Darkest Solstice

Completing My Junior Year...Thoughts...

2009-05-20T10:14:00.000-07:00

You have read the thoughts on the first half of my junior year, now I'm wrapping it up. Like I had said before the first semester will be nothing like the second, and well it wasn't.

After school started back from Christmas Break it was a complete drag. January and February were the two slowest months possible. It's like I had to get back into the mist of things.

March was pretty awful. On the 11th I got emitted into the hospital because I could not eat or drink anything without horrible stomach pains. They did a bunch of blood work and tests. I got x-rays, ultrasounds, still, nothing. So on March 13th I got sent to Little Rock. They did not do much either. But the next day they came to the conclusion I had Gastric something...bunch of acid in my stomach.

So needless to say, March was no fun at all, but April could seriously have not gotten any worse at all.

April was a big month for me and Johnathon, my boyfriend. On the 17th we found out we were having a baby! It was crazy. I seriously thought I was going to cry. But it got better and I was really excited to know about it.

But to finish off, May has been blah. I've been sick with everything possible. I've missed a ton of school, louds of homework. And Johnathon is graduating.

Truly, second semester was more difficult than first because during the first I was hardly sick, and school was light. But I can honestly say, school has been a totally mystery to me, and my junior year has been a pretty great year.

The Wrestling Match Book Review

2009-05-18T10:02:00.000-07:00

Born of Ibo parents in Nigeria, Buchi Emecheta is widely known for her multi-layered stories of black women struggling to maintain their identity and construct viable lives for themselves and their families.

She writes, according to The New York Times, with subtlety, power, and abundant compassion.

George Braziller is proud to have published nine of Emecheta's novels over the course of 24 years. Children in a Nigerian village grow up during the Nigerian Civil War.

Haiku

2009-05-05T10:14:00.000-07:00

Some people say the
Holocaust was the main event
of the deaths of Jews

Night Book Review

2009-05-05T10:08:00.000-07:00

The book Night has been one of the most gruesome books I have read in a while. Elie Wiesel is an amazing author and really gets down right to the bare necessities.

This book is about a scholarly, pious teenager who is wracked with guilt at having survived the horrors of the Holocaust and the genocidal campaign that consumed his family.

His memories of the nightmare world of death camps present him with an intolerable question: how can the God he once so fervently believed in have allowed these monstrous events to occur?

There are no easy answers in this harrowing book, only the sad dark truth that leads Eliezer through the dark world of Germany.

But can his guilt and torture be enough to make him help his father while he is screaming his name? Or will he just turn away and act like he never heard a single word so the beating will not come?

Favorite Web-based Tech Tool

2009-04-30T10:00:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure what my favorite web-based tech tool would be. I love being able to blog and having a gmail account.

The reason I like to blog so much is because I really enjoy writing. Almost all or any of the blogs that I have written have been straight from my mind.

I also enjoy how other people can go to your blog and read your interesting facts. It's nice to be able to get some ideas or thoughts from other people's opinions.

You can put some pretty cool pictures on your blogs too. I choose not too though because I do not know, I just don't really.

But I would have to say that is probably my favorite web-based tech tool to use.

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong Book Review

2009-04-28T10:27:00.000-07:00

Chloe Saunders sees dead people. Yep, just like in the horror films. It's just the problem is, saying you see ghost in real life gets you that special one way ticket to the psych ward.

Well, and at 15, all Chloe wants to do is fit in at school, and maybe get a boy or two to notice her. But when a particularly violent ghosts starts to haunt her, she gets notice for all the wrong reasons.

Her seemingly crazed behavior earns her a trip straight to the Lyle House, a center for "disturbed teens." At first Chloe is more than determined to keep her head down. But then her roommate disappears after confessing she has a poltergeist, and some of the other patients also seem to be manifesting paranormal behaviour.

Could that be a total coincidence? Or is the Lyle House not quite what it seems...

Chloe realizes if she does not uncover the truth, she could be destined for a lifetime in a psychiatric hospital. Or could her fate be even worse? Can she trust her fellow students, and does she dare reveal her dark secret.

Evermore by Alyson Noel Book Review

2009-04-21T10:16:00.000-07:00

Every since the horrible accident that took the lives of her family, sixteen year old Ever can see auras, hear the thoughts of others, and know a person's life story by just a gentle touch.

Going out of her way to shield herself from human contact to hide her abilities has branded her as a freak at her new high school, but everything changes when she meets Damen Auguste.

Ever sees Damen and feels almost an instant recognition. He is totally gorgeous, exotic, wealthy, and has many secrets to hide.

Damen can make things appear and disappear, he always seems to know what she is thinking, and he is the only one who can silence the noise and random energy that fills her head!

She does not know who he really is, or what he is exactly. Damen is equal parts light and darkness, and he belongs to an enchanted new world where no one ever dies...

Thoughts on Holocaust Research

2009-04-16T12:34:00.000-07:00

The research has been pretty interesting. To to honest, there was some information I could have totally avoided ever finding out. The pictures were pretty horrific themselves.

So in the beginning of my research I was not completely sure what I was looking for. Yes, there was information on the Holocaust, but that was not what I was specifically looking for. I was looking for the Early Stages of Persecution.

After I started looking, there was things I find out that disgusted me. Adolf Hitler was appointted the job as the next Chancellor, which is a big part in the German government. Hindenburg felt he'd be great for the job.

Then after he was appointted everything went down the drain. Things stared going worse than they already were. Germany was already in a big economic and political crisis, that's why Hindenburg appoint ted Hitler!

The Holocaust was one of the most terrifying times in history for Germany. And more specifically towards Jews and handicapped. Just because they were not like him or his "people" he treated them like they were nothing in the eyes of others.

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare Review

2009-04-15T06:15:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, Clary just wishes her life would go back to normal. But how can she? She is a shadow hunter, her mom is in magically induced coma, and things like downworlders, such as werewolves, vampires, and faeries?

If Clary could just leave the world of the shadow hunters behind, that would mean more time with her friend Simon, who she is actually becoming quite close with. But the world of the shadow hunters is not ready to let her go, especially after finding out that her totally handsome new found brother is Jace. And her only chance to get her mom is to defeat the crazy rogue shadow hunter, Valentine, who is insane and her father.

To make things worse, someone or something in New York City is killing the downworlder children. Is Valentine behind all the killings, and if so, what is he trying to prove?

And then when the second Mortal Instrument is stolen, the Soul Sword, the terrifying Inquisitor arrives and investigates matters. All of her focus goes straight to Jace. How can Clary stop Valentine if Jace is willing to betray everything he believes in to protect their father....

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare Review

2009-04-13T06:28:00.000-07:00

When 15 year old Clary heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to see a murder happen! And to make things even weirder she does not expect to see the murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and bizarre weapons!

Then the body of the boy disappears into thin air. Its pretty difficult to call the police when everyone at the club has seen nothing and there is not a sign of blood anywhere where the boy was killed. Or...was it a boy?

This is the first meeting Clary has with the shadow hunters. These in which are warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace... a shadow hunter who looks some what like an angel but is a total jerk!

Within like the next 24 hours her mother disappears, coming to find out she is attacked by a demon. She is pulled into Jace's world with a total vengeance. But now why would demons want to mess with mundanes such as her and her mom. And why all the sudden does she have the sight? The shadow hunters would like to know...

Spring Break

2009-04-01T06:11:00.000-07:00

Spring break was fun! I worked all week though. But the weekend before school let came back into secession I had it off from work. And it was totally fun.

The weekend school let out for spring break I had to work. It was pretty awful. And I did not enjoy being there one bit. So that saturday and sunday I worked.

To make things ten times worse Monday-Thursday I worked every morning from 7am until 2pm. It does not seem like such a long time. But when you're there everyday six days straight, it gets pretty stressful.

The weekend before school was fun. Friday I just layed around the house and spent time with my boyfriend. We watched the movie Constatine. That movie was really good. But also pretty creepy.

Saturday I went to Little Rock to see some family. We went to the mall. It was boring. Really boring. Then we went to eat at Chilis. It was so good. Then after we got back from Little Rock we went to Ally Katz and I got a boa for my car.

Sunday was pretty much a laid back day. I did not feel good. So I slept all day. I had a migrane so sleeping was the only thing that made me feel some what better.

Holocaust

2009-03-19T06:38:00.000-07:00

The holocaust was the most horrific tragedy in the 20th century. It really scares me. Just to think that a man with so much power could brainwash the country and to make them believe the things they did. It makes shivers go all way up and back down my spine. What crud awful person would do such things?

In my eyes, everyone is equal. Or at least they should be and it's deafening to know that someone would want to treat others so cruel just because they were not like him or his people. The Holocaust was the most brutal thing that could have happened and it should never have to relive its horrors. Our country has education and dignity now. So no one man can take over and torture the world.

I have heard in the book, Night the author Elie Wesiel asks the question throughout the whole entire novel, what person would want to kill off all of their own race and torture humanity? And that's the question that runs through my mind. Who would want too?

Adolf Hitler was a crud man. He was very self centered and very demanding. If you were not as he wanted you to be, you were sent off to concentration camps and you were eventually killed. I will never understand his prejudice against his own race.

But I do understand this; PREJUDICE HAS TO STOP!

Because one day this tragic event could replay its self all over again and then where would we stand?

End Of Level

2009-03-19T06:28:00.000-07:00

The end of level testing was not hard at all. The first day was really long and boring and well I did not enjoy it. Yeah, Mrs. Gillmore brought a lot of food to snack on but it never seemed to fail me almost falling asleep each time.

The tests and open responses we had were long and boring. Each part of the test was at least 15-45 minutes each. It was awful. But as far whether it was hard or not, it was definitely not a hard test at all. Just long.

The second day well I was not there for. I had been really sick and that same day I got emitted into the hospital. I was in the hospital for a week so I could not make it up until Tuesday of the next week.

When I made the test up it was not like sitting in class taking the test. I went to a room in the library and took the test. The test was just a bunch of open responses. They were extremely easy. But really long as always.

The test was a breeze. I put a lot of effort into it. Even though I was tired as crap I kept myself focused and well I think I did pretty good on it.

Prey by Lurlene McDaniel: Review

2009-02-23T05:44:00.000-08:00

The Prey by Lurlene McDaniel takes place in a High School with a boy named Ryan. The boy falls in love with his new history teacher, Lori Settles. Yes, she is very stunning and very very young, but still what kid and his/her teachers has sex? Now that is true child molestation.

In the beginning it is nothing more than his going to her apartment to help her move furniture and a cup of coffee. Later on though it turns into his sneaking out of his house at hours of the night just to meet her down the road so they can go back to her place and mess around.

His best friend, or was best found on the dirty messages on his computer from Lori and reports them to the police. They go to her apartment and they take her to jail and then take her to a mental institution because this isn't the first boy she has done this too.

In the end Ryan ends up meeting her at a park after almost 3 years of not being able to see her and the only question he can ask himself is this: which of is the predator and which is the prey?

The Materialistic

2009-02-12T10:13:00.000-08:00

People in our society today have the tendency to live in a fantasy world full of nice clothes, expensive cars, and lots and lots of dough! Everyone wants to wake up seeing their glass windows leading out to a huge deck with the smell of the beach in the air.

Many people today live by what the media shows them. Advertising is one of the best way for the media to get their products out. They want to show and advertise the merchandise that they think you should buy for their profit. But it is not what you need.

It's really a shame to be materialistic. When the brand name of a persons clothes begins to matter more than the thoughts that they produce, there is some serious issues going on here. I think this calls for some real help.

Material things do not create the person, they put them in the spotlight. They make people be flattered by their appearance, make them want to be just like them. But when the day is over, and their done putting on their show. All that is left is them.

Everyone wants to fit in, be with the "in" crowd. They want all the latest clothes, most expensive cars, the hottest boyfriend/girlfriend. But all that takes is spending more money on the things they want more than the things they need. So why waste time, when everything eventually goes out of date.

REFLECTION: Junior Year

2008-12-10T10:16:00.000-08:00

This first half of my junior year has been well very different. It has went by like a breeze in the wind. I honestly cannot believe that next year, I will be a senior. As I look back at this past semester, this is what I see...

The first day of school, really the first week of school, not honestly the first month of school had went by like an absolute drag. It could not have went by any slower. Honestly it probably could have, but I am psyched it didn't.

The next few months (September- November) nothing really much happened. I turned 17 on October 29. But school, as usually was the same. There is not really much homework though. Most of the work we do is in class. Unless its Mr. Qualls History Class, then you will have homework every single day of your life.

But the realization of this semester happened the first day of December. The teachers had been constantly talking about how there was only three weeks of school left. And that just hit me. Wow, this semester is almost over.

I think my grades could have been better, actually they should have been better. Semester tests will be a breeze like always. Next semester could be nothing like this one. This semester I met well somewhat new teachers. I had classes with people I usually don't.

All I can say is when I look back my junior year, I will have to say it will be a pretty mysteries year, with loads of challenges.

2008-12-10T09:58:00.000-08:00

Mr. Proctor

From as far as I can see, Mr. Proctor has a very unrealistic character but yet at the same time he is very cunning, and can get away with almost anything. But yet there is also another side to him that no one sees until the very end.

In the beginning, Mr. Proctor commits adultery with Abigail Williams. He never gets caught, but his wife has suspicions that Ms. Abigail is trying to fancy him and she gets kicked out on the high road, how very ironic.

Somewhere in the story, midway really, Mr. Hale questions Mr. Proctor about his religion. How much of it he uses in the household. Mr. Hale asks him to recite the 10 Commandments. He recites all of them back, but the one of committing adultery. How also very ironic.

His wife gets accused of doing witchcraft. Then the tables turn. He is more than willing to do anything for her, because as he says, she is the most honest woman he knows. She gets taken away.

Last, but hopefully not the least, he goes to court with Mary Warren to try to confess everything she saw and heard was lies. He loses, gets taken to "jail" then ready for hanging.

At the very end, when him and 2 others are getting ready to be hung, he sings a gospel. This should show you,Mr. Proctor is not perfect, but he has a wonderful character.

The Crucible

2008-12-05T13:03:00.000-08:00

The Crucible is a different kind of story. Some of the difference between some of the females then and now is two out looks.

The females back then were suppose to be very proper and very dedicated to their husbands. They attended to their house work and cooked and cleaned and watched their children. They were also very religious. Church was very important.

The females now a days well most still do but usually all they do now is cook and clean and work. Proper yes, but not like they use to be in the time of the day back then. Church is also important but not as important to society now.

Witchcraft was usually done by females back then not males. Many of the females did do it.

And in The Crucible the young females did do witchcraft. Now from my perspective, no females do witchcraft, well I think.

But the story line I am trying to show is females are totally different then than they are now.

Feelings toward this...

2008-11-18T10:24:00.000-08:00

My feelings toward the book The Kite Runner is well very shallow. The story tells an amazing adventure but also a horrible truth.

Amir is a wonderful character. The story the author tells about his life in this character is different than most.

Living in Afghanistan in that time must have been unbearably difficult. And when the shooting and war started going on, everyone had to be scared for their life.

But Amir had done a wonderfully job getting out of Afghanistan and getting a great paying job as a writer. The best part is having the privilege to be able to live in the United States and still be able to go back to Afghanistan.

The saddest part is that Hassan can not be with him and even though this is true, Amir will live on knowing the wonderful things Hassan had did and the changes he made in his life.

The Kite Runner

2008-11-18T10:14:00.000-08:00

Bullying....

What is a bully? There is no specific definition for this, but there are plenty of examples of what one can be. In the book The Kite Runner there are many examples to give on this topic.

Amir is a prime example of a bully. He bullies his half brother Hassan, because Hassan can not read or write. So instead of teaching him, he reads to him and if he does not do something he says he uses that aganist them.

Hassan is also bullied by the village kids. The bullying starts with Amir and then Hassan takes up for him and it all goes on Hassan. In the end, tragic things happen.

Amir is bullied yes, but Amir is also the walking shadow of a bully. It may at first appear that he is not, but the way he treated Hassan is the perfect example of a bully.