Outside Reading
I just read a skiing article in the magazine Ski Racing (good magazine by the way). It is about how the Olympic skiers ski so fast and what little tips make the difference. A few of the tips that it said were start the turn before the gate, really get forward, and put more pressure on the outside ski. I found this article really interesting because I ski race and it is the same kinda stuff that my coach tells me to work on everyday at practice. Now that I read this in a reliable magazine I know that my coach must be intelligent in the art of ski coaching. Next time he tells me what to do, I think I will actually listen to him.

Outside Reading
I started Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury and so far what has happened is the main character met a girl walking home and she was asking him really strange questions, being quite nosy. The questions she asked him were really deep and personal but he answered them anyways but quite vaguely. He went home and once he got home he started to think about the questions and why she was asking them and he finally came to the realization that he wasnt happy even though society has taught him that he is living a great life. So far reading this book I am really intrigued and it made me think also about the life I am living. It made me think that you might not realize that your life could be so much fuller than what it currently is. I am excited to keep reading this book and I will keep bloging about it.

Outside Reading

I am reading A Million Little Pieces and it is about a guy that is addicted to drugs and alcohol. Right now in the story he is going crazy and he doesn't know what to do with out doing drugs. He can't think right because he is so use to being on stuff. He would rather have his life be over right now but at the same time he is really determined to get out this. He feels alone in the world. Its really interesting reading and seeing him go through all these steps towards being sober. I am really excited to continue reading this book.

Outside Reading
I am continuing reading Twilight. Right now in the book Bella and Edward are becoming closer and Edward tells Bella why he was avoiding her at first. He also tells her how good her blood smells and how hard it is for him not to eat her. She kinda freaks out but he also tells her that he never would cause he couldn't live with himself if he did this. I think that Edward is so amazing for liking Bella but wanting to eat her. Its like me liking someone who tastes as good as a cookie but not eating any of them. He has incredible self control. I am excited to see where this book goes next and what happens with their relationship and how it will work out.

Outside Reading

I recently read an article in a magazine called Seventeen about how to treat your friends right. It gave many tips about how to treat your friends and how to handle different situations. It said not to get down if you hear somebody talking about you, because it happens to everyone because girls like to gossip and they talk about each other. I learned a lot about how girls act when they are with different people. There are many things about girls I didn't even realize and I am a girl. This article was very interesting and I learned a lot about friends.

Outside Reading
Recently I read an article in the Star Tribune about how dangerous driving can be in the winter. It said that it is the most slippery when you don't think it is at all. You shouldn't just slam on your breaks when you are slipping you should pump them. It is also very risky to drive at night when snowing out, be extra careful. I am glad that i read this article because I just started driving. This will be my first winter driving and I am glad that I learned these things before I start slipping. I am going to be extra careful this winter, now that I have read this article.

Outside Reading

I read an article in the Star Tribune about a skier who was the worlds best skier last year. Her name is Lindsey Vonn. Last year she won four different races in the world cup so she ended up being the best girl skier in the world. In the article it was talking about what she did during the off season to still be worlds best this year. She took a little time off but also trained a lot and really worked on her fitness. Her getting strong during the off season really helps her ability to ski better and faster. I hope that she remains the worlds best during this season.

Outside Reading

I have started the book Twilight by Stephenie Meyer that everyone is saying is really good. So far I am really enjoying it a lot! I have read to page 200, I liked the pages from 1-100 but 100-170 was pretty boring and I almost quit reading it but I am glad I didn't because it got super good. It is about this girl named Bella who falls in love with Edward Cullen, who is a Vampire. Edward likes Bella also but he warns her that he is dangerous because he drinks blood. It is getting really interesting right now because they are starting to hang out more and are trying to figure out if they can make their relationship work. I am exciting to keep reading.

Outside Reading

I went to metro state university to meet John Green who wrote the new book Paper Town. I didn't actually get to meet him, but I sat with the audience and listened to him read aloud parts of his book. He read little sections and they were very good. I am going to go out and get this book. At the author's thing most of the people there were part of a fan club called nerd fighters. I felt kinda out of place because before I went to this thing I had never heard about John Green or his books. It was very interesting seeing the fan group though. His book is about this girl named Martha who is a big part of the town but we don't know why yet. I am excited to read his book now.

Outside Reading

I have been continuing reading A Million Little Pieces, recently what has happened is he is having bad dreams about using drugs. He thought he wasn't dreaming because the dream seemed so real. I have learned from this book the process that addicts have to go through to not be addicted to drugs. It is a long process that addicts have to go through. They can't just decide they don't want to do drugs and quit because it is a long process and they have to go through withdrawal and they get really sick. I already knew that it was bad to do drugs but this makes it seem even worse. Drugs effect your life to so many different ways then just being physically bad, many people who do drugs lose many friends and their family doesn't trust them anymore. They also get themselves in so many bad situations.

A View from the Bridge.

I went to the play A View From the Bridge at the Guthrie Theater. I thought that it was a pretty good play. It got kinda boring because it was in the same place the entire time, in the families house, and also the beginning kinda dragged out. But once the second half started I really enjoyed it. It was about what life was like a while ago and how controlling dad's could be about who their daughter marries. This girls dad died when she was little and her uncle and aunt take care of her. She is eighteen and she loves this guy but her uncle is always finding something wrong with him. The uncle ends up calling the immigration office and says that this guy is an illegal immigrant and it starts a bunch of problems. It was a very interesting play and i recommend it.

Outside Reading

Recently I read a book part of the It Girl series by Von Ziegesar and it was about boys, girls and the drama that goes on. After reading this book I learned so much about friendships and how you should never put guys before girls. This book showed what happens when girls put guys before there girlfriends, it just causes drama and girls lose so many friends this way. Not only did this book teach me about not to put boys in front of girls but also to just mind your own business and not start drama. There is so much drama that goes around that doesn't need to happen and this book helped me see this drama happen from an outside view and how stupid it is.

Endorsement Letter

Odysseus Should Be a Hero

Through out the book of The Odyssey Odysseus shows many signs that he deserves to be a hero. There are many people in this book that you could call a hero but I think of all of these people Odysseus shows the most qualities of a hero. He isn't just a hero in the things he does but also mentally he is a hero. He always finds a way and always pulls though. Odysseus deserves to be awarded as a hero because of his ability to build a raft, lead a bunch of people, and find his way to different places.

First when nobody expects him to do so, Odysseus makes a raft. It isn't a bad raft too it takes him very far even when the huge storm comes. If you asked anyone these days to make a raft they would not be able to make a raft that would even float on a pool. Without him making this raft he would have been stuck on this island. No one else that I have read about in this book has done something like that. He went through so much out at sea and still managed to live. This is one of the reasons why I think Odysseus is a hero.

Nobody else would be able to control as many people at a time and do well as Odysseus does. He almost managed to get to Ithaca but then a god cursed him with a storm and he didn't get there. Even though he didn't get there it was amazing how they almost got there and how he was able to get so many people to work together. Even though they got so close and it didn't work out, Odysseus was still able to bring everyone together and make it work.

Even though Odysseus didn't quite make it to Ithaca the way he was able to navigate and almost make it there was a characteristic of a hero. And as soon as they got wiped away he found out how and what he needed to do to find his way there again. Do you think you would be able to do what he does? Travel across a ocean with no sense of where you are going and get to where you want to. Odysseus did this and there is no one else in this book that would be able to do this.

These are only three of the many reason why Odysseus should be voted hero. He was able to travel on the ocean in a raft and not die, lead a whole group of people across the ocean, and navigate through the ocean. There is no one else that shows all these qualities and deserves to be voted hero more than Odysseus.

Outside Reading

I have kept reading A Million Little Pieces. Since last time I wrote about it, it has just become more intense. and the guy is still going through treatment. So far the treatment hasn't done much. He is just so use to doing drugs and alcohol that withdrawal is really hard for him. This book has already gotten the message to me that drugs and alcohol arn't good. I have already realized all the bad different side affects there can be. Especially how bad it is if you end up getting addicted. From reading this book I know that I will never do any drugs of any sort, because the way he describes the things that he is going though it sounds terrible and not worth it at all. This is what I learned from the part I read in my book today.

Outside Reading


I just started a new book called A Million Little Pieces. It is about a drug addict who does every single drug. This book started off with him being super high and drunk and he was all bloody and he didn't know what happened. He is 23 years old. His parents came and picked him up from somewhere and are bringing him to rehab. As soon as he stops using he gets head aches and the room spins and he can't feel his body. So far I am only on page 15 and it is really interesting and I am really enjoying it. It is very detailed and I am excited to keep reading it.

Outside Reading

This week I read the book Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar. I picked an important quote and I am going to comment on what it means. The quote is, "Gossiping and idle chat were amusing, but not at the expense of an old friend" (12). This quote teaches life lessons, one is be loyal to friends. Gossiping can be fun but you must think about how your hurting others. Another lesson this quote teaches is that everyone gossips, and you shouldnt take anything people say to seriously. Gossiping is just something for people who are jealous and bored to say about you. This book and quote teach many important lessons that can be applied to everyday life, especially lessons learned about gossiping.

Outside Reading Post
I read an article this morning in the Star Tribune and it was about the Edina and Lourdes tennis teams. It said how they are both the top tennis teams in the state for the a and aa. But both teams were struggling at the beginning of the season this year. Edina lost a lot of seniors last year. At the beginning of the season nobody thought they would win state again. But now they are expected to win again. I enjoyed this article because it is about something I am familiar with. I agreed with this article that at the beginning of the season it looked bleak for both teams but now it looks like they will full through. I am excited to see the outcome of the state tournament that started today.

Female Super Heroes







Female Real Life Heroes







Quotes

What makes a female hero:

- a compassionate woman with a moral conscience who pursues truth by exposing injustice
- a determined woman who stands by her beliefs and fights not just for her own gain but for the betterment of society as a whole
- a courageous woman who insists on pursuing such a fight when others are afraid, when it goes against the norm, or when it means she will experience harsh consequences
- a strong woman who is a positive role model to other women

"Someone who turns down an easier lifestyle for one that is consistent with her beliefs."
—Dawn Dreisbach, Somerville, Mass.

"My spouse. At 44 she has suffered with rheumatoid arthritis for many years. She endures pain and suffering everyday yet is on the go 12 hours a day inspiring everyone she meets. She is a very strong and courageous woman. Even though we have two kids, my life without Kim would be nothing."
— Steve Plutt, Lake George, Colo.

Most popular heroes to people:
- Mother
- Friend
- Grandmother

Most popular real life female heroes:
- Hillary Rodham Clinton
- Madeleine Albright
- Barbara Boxer
- Oprah Winfrey
- Tammy Baldwin

Outside Reading Post

Recently I read an article on teaching your child good eating habits. This was about how you can't force your child to eat and how if your child makes a mess you can't be mad. It also said many other things about good habits to teach your child about meal time. It was an interesting article because it had many different tips not just one. I was also interested because some of the things it made a big deal out of I didn't find to be a big deal. I also disagreed with some of it. Like the part where they said bribing the child is bad. For instance saying you can have a cookie if you eat your broccoli. I don't think doing that is bad because it teaches the child they have to do something they don't want to do to get something they want. So I liked this article and found it interesting and I learned from it but I also found somethings I disagree with.

Blog Assignment #4

Siddhartha goes through many things in his life events. All of the things he goes through help him learn something and get him closer to Nirvana. I also learned many lessons through Siddhartha mistakes. After following Siddhartha on his journey, I think that he learned that you have to go though different things not all positives to get what you want, and I think I saw him learn this lesson best when he lets his son go and meets the ferry man Vasudeva.

A few of the things Siddhartha goes through include leaving his dad, Govinda, and Kamala. Becoming friends with Vasudeva, and gaining and losing a son. When Siddhartha leaves his dad he feels very confident in what he is doing. When he leaves Govinda he also feels confident that he is doing it for the best and know what he wants. When he is with Kamala he becomes confused, and he goes off on a different path and does bad things and gives up on enlightenment. He was really frustrated at this point and didn't think he would be able to do it but he decided he had to try. At that point he went back to the river and met Vasudeva. He taught Siddhartha many things that helped him acheive enlightenment. When Siddharthas son came many things went on in Siddharthas life. After not letting his son go off on his own, his son ran away, and it made Siddhartha realize that his life style was not for everyone. This was key in Siddharthas search for enlightenment.

I think that Siddhartha achieved his goal and found enlightenment. I think that all of this was suppose to happen to Siddhartha for him to find enlightenment. Without going through all of this Siddhartha wouldnt have been able to achieve enlightenment, it would have been to easy for him. I am very proud of Siddhartha that he hung in there through all of it and learned from everything he did, and even though he got of track at a point he focused and got back on track and was able to achieve his goal. Siddhartha learned that you have to go through many positive and negative times to reach what you want.

Outside Reading Post # 3
I read an article in the newspaper this morning about a guy who got his briefcase stolen but didn't call the police and instead told this one guy to find it and he would pay him a hundred dollars. And the guy got it back for him. I thought this was really interesting that somebody would be calm enough not to call the police and figure out how to get it back. I also found it interesting that the guy was able to get it back, and how he found these people. It was a very intriguing article that made me think about what I would do if something of mine got stolen instead of calling the police.

Outside Reading Post # 2

I read an article in the star tribune about an explosion at a house. The explosion went off at 3:45 AM on Wednesday. They say the fire was a result of Arson. The explosion knocked the two story house off its foundation and sparked a fire. No one was living in the house or in the house at the time of the explosion. The house is now a total loss, and will be torn down. I thought this was a very interesting article and thought it was interesting how someone could cause an explosion this big.

Siddartha Blog Assignment #3 - Advice For Siddartha.

Dear Ann Smith,
My dearest friend Siddhartha is having trouble. He wants to reach enlightenment but keeps getting lost and very frustrated. He has tried many things but he can't reach enlightenment. On the way to where he is now he has lost many friends, including Govinda. Siddhartha had to take a different path to enlightenment because the one Govinda was taking wasn't working for Siddhartha. He is real lost without his friend Govinda and misses him a ton.

Not only does Siddhartha not even have Govinda anymore but he doesn't have his dad. He left his dad when he decided to join the Semanas to find enlightenment. His dad didn't want him to leave but he still did. At the time Siddhartha was determined to find enlightenment. Right now Siddhartha feels very lonely and doesn't know what to do. He can't find enlightenment and he doesn't have anyone to turn to now. Ann what can Siddhartha do?
Thanks,
Chalolo

Dear Chalolo,
It seems that Siddhartha is having many troubles at once and is in a dump. Everyone has points in their life when they feel like they have nothing, obviously this is Siddhartha's time. But everyone also makes it out of that dump and figures everything out. Give it time and Siddhartha will figure out what to do. I think he should first think of what his priority's are first and figure out if he wants to go find his friend and his dad or go find another path to enlightenment. It seems to me that enlightenment is his priority. If anything that you do for Siddhartha, make sure that he doesn't give up on finding enlightenment. It might be a rough path to get there but he can, and he will. He just needs to find new hope and push himself to believe that he can find enlightenment it will just take time. I am sorry about your friends hard time.
Sincerely,
Ann Smith

Outside Reading Post # 1

I have been reading the book Carrie by Stephen King. It is a very good book, its a hard read but worth it. So far in the book Carrie is at a point where she has to friends and is very lonely. Her mom is super mean to her. Kids at school are also very mean to her, they make fun of her all the time. She had to go home in the middle of the school day one day because kids where so mean to her. She comes home and her mom is mean to her. She is very depressed and seems suicidal right now but that is my prediction. I am anxious to find out what happens next.

Text Message Between Chalolo and Govinda

G: Chalolo, Siddartha just left and I am super sad about it. I feel like I am not complete without Siddartha. But Siddartha said that i belong to the Buddha's holy men. I dont think I should follow Buhhda but Siddartha said I should so i am going to.
C: Govinda you are doing to right thing by following the Buddha people, that is the right path for you. Yes Siddartha has left but he will always be there for you, and this in the long run will be better for you.
G: I dont understand how Siddartha could just leave me like this?
C: He isn't leaving you, he is just going on a different path because this isn't the right one for him but it is the right one for you. Everything will work out, and I apologize for Siddartha leaving that must be realy hard.
G: Thank you so much Chalolo, I understand now why this is all happening.


This was the text message between me and Govinda right after Siddarthat left Govinda. I think that Govinda is going to be okay without Siddartha he just has to realize that this is the right way for Siddartha and him to go on. He has to know that Siddartha will always be there for him. Siddartha is on a search for himself and he has to go his seperate way to be able to find himself, Govinda is already on the right track for finding himself and shouldn't leave with Govinda. I think Govinda is taking Siddartha being gone really hard but will adventally realize that this was right for both of them.

My Avator

My name is Chalolo. I am Siddhartha's bestfriend. We do everything together. Though the book i am always behind the scenes, you never hear about me, but I am there. I see everything through my very own eyes.

Siddhartha first joins the Samanas, he takes his first step into the world. Siddhartha asks his dad if this is okay and his dad says that he doesnt want to hear the question. Siddhartha then stands there until his dad gives him permission. Siddhartha goes on a search to find the meaning of life, enlightment. When with the Samanas him and Govinda try to make themselves become nothing. They then find out about Buhhda and how he has obtained enlightment. They then join the Gotama. Siddhartha is unconvinced that Gotama's way of life is right for him. Sadly, he also leaves Govinda behind and searchs for a meaning of life that doesnt involve religious intruction. By learning for himself Siddhartha found himself. He then realizes he is alone.

Self-Description

I enjoy many different things. I play tennis and am on the school tennis team. I also spend most of my winter skiing because I am on two ski teams. In school, Ienjoy doing math, mostly because I am good at it and like working out equations. I am slowly learning now to speak spanish. One of my goals in life is to become a doctor and help other people.