Final

1. This semester I wrote a lot of random stuff, from a cat food critic to my experience as a drummer.  My favorite things that I wrote where the random stuff about random animals. The Rico Sanchez Halloween story was probably my favorite one to write, because I wrote it with my friends.  I liked the journal prompts and specifically the Harris Burdick prompt.

2.The character that defined this semester of writing was Rico Sanchez.  So many adventures that I wrote and my friends wrote.  This complicated story arch was the thing that brought inspiration to my writing.  I loved bringing Rico and the gang to life in Ben, Daniel, and I's blogs.

3.  Setting up my blog was a process.  I named it with a pun using the word blog in the place of log in a common phrase.  In the beginning I wrote stuff you would expect from a blog, but a little bit in to first quarter I realized the way you get page views is by writing something strange or out of the ordinary.  So I wrote about a squirrel who went to college on a billiards scholarship.  That was when I hit my stride.  I probably will not write on this blog in my free time, but I will look back on it from time to time for the memories and the laughs.

4.  The cover of my journal has Morgan Freeman, Billy Joel, Charlie Brown, and Kermit the Frog on it so you know the inside will hold greatness.  The same type of writing I had in my blog I had in my journal, weird  and out of the ordinary.  One of my fondest memories of my journal was I killed a hornet while it was crawling through the pages, and it is still there today.  I liked the prompts that had to with fiction, like the dinner party or the fictional bucket list.  I do not think I will continue to write in my journal, but just like my blog I might look back on it from time to time.

5.  A significant post from my Journal was my favorite books and why.  Lord of the Flies:  Symbolism, Mrs. Butchers class, Reminds me of simpler times.  Bible:  For obvious reasons being a christian,  Catcher in the Rye:  Relatable, Reminds me of myself, Growing up is hard, I respect J.D. Salinger.  Gatsby: Reminds me Mrs. BK's class, makes me wish I was rich and could be old money.  Great Divorce:  My favorite C.S. Lewis book, My favorite Christian novel.

6.   This is from the Rico Sanchez Halloween.  "Riding on the back of a giant seagull, Jason flew in to our rescue, and took us away from the troubles of the world.  Like he always does.  Force throwing his lightsaber he executed the kill command, dealing 10 damage directly to Owl Pacino. Death upon impact. Not a tragedy. The light saber returned to Jason’s hand with the blood of many, he killed the entire ship without leaving the seagull. This is why I love him. When the hammer fell, Jason and gang stood resolute. He keeps me safe. . . "

7.The writing I plan to do in the future is probably going to be research, because I have grammar and comp next semester.  After that I will probably have to write a lot of papers in college, but as far as a career I do not think I will  be a writer or anything that has to do with writing.  When I write creatively I get to hang out with my friends and get some laughs out of it.  So when I am writing I basically just get to hang out with friends. 

8. It was a good ride, gang.  Stay Gold, Stay Hungry.

Writing Gift - A Haiku For You

It's snowing right now
Michael Buble is playing
Buble is Christmas

Santa isn't scary
Krampus is very scary
Why ruin Christmas

Hanukkah dreidel
I don't know what Kwanzaa has
Christmas jingle bells

Sleigh Ride is my jam
That song is about a horse
Oh man what a song

Narnia is good
It came out around Christmas
Aslan is my boy

'Tis the season man
Christmas music is so good
Fa la la la la

Revision Post 3

A Fatal Attraction

The Moses Herzog Story

If I am out of my mind, it's all right with me, thought Moses Herzog.  While his name was Moses few people called him that anymore.  Moses Herzog was a hobo, and most people mostly just referred to as Mo or "Herzog the Hog".  His home was a box and he only had one pair of clothes, but you should not feel too bad for old Mo because he was a murderer and a thief.  In truth he was a monster who did what it took to survive.  He was not always this way.  True there was always evil in his heart, but he never acted on it until someone brought it out of him.  Our story, begins before Mo was homeless, and before he was a murderer.  Before the story that follows he went to prison for minor theft and when he got out of prison he went into a life of poverty and continued in his life of crime, but he did not go at it alone.  His accomplice was none other than the infamous giraffe Rico Sanchez.  This is how Mo went from "ok" to bad, and how he changed forever.

                Mo and Rico met during their shared jail time and got acquainted quickly because not only where they cell mates, but Mo loved giraffes, and he loved Rico.  When they both got out they decided to meet up and take the world by the tail and wrestle around with it.  In the beginning, Mo thought of Rico as a friend, maybe even as a brother, but as they got closer his feelings grew more.  Mo started to realize that he did not want to live without Rico, but he knew they could not be together.  No man ever loved a giraffe as much as Mo loved Rico.  Rico and Mo could not be any closer, and while Rico had affection for Mo he was a sociopath so it was only out of self-gain that they stayed together. 

                One night when they were planning to rob a bank Mo got the idea to confess his love to Rico, because he just could not hold it in anymore.  One knows they are in love when they don’t want to dream because their reality is better than their dreams.  So while they were planning the robbery Mo let the cat out of the bag, and it ran around for a bit and Mo and Rico had to chase it down and get it back in its cage.  After that he told Rico his feelings and Rico was mortified, it was one ugly cat.  He told Mo that he was not interested, and had a side bae named Foxy Pachino.  Instead of feeling despair, all Mo felt for Rico was hatred.  When someone rips your heart from it's place in your chest and throws it on the ground only two things can happen; they either go in to a deep state of melancholy, or are filled with a rage that cannot be controlled by any man.  As tears filled his eyes he stormed out and left their hideout.  When he came back for his things Rico was gone along with all of Mo’s possessions.  Something snapped inside of Mo in that moment, something came out of him that only a giraffe like Rico Sanchez could bring out in a man.  Hatred turned to rage, and Mo went searching for the giraffe he once loved.

                He knew he would find him with her.  The one who stole him from him.  As Mo walked up to the door he broke it down and went straight into the bedroom.  He found them there, and caring nothing but a knife Mo killed Foxy, while Rico tried to run away.  In the hustle and bustle of the murder Mo tried to throwing knife that beanbag named Rico, so he threw it and hoped for the best. The knife came down, missing him by inches, and he took off.

Revision Post 2

Been doing pretty alright since 1998

I wish I could be laughing

Hoping I don't waste my life

It's an honor system type thing

I'm Majoring in Religion and Music

No, there laughing next to us

Revision Post

               The food industry is hard game to get into, get out of, and get into.  It is even harder if you are aspiring to be a critic of the industry.  Times have never been harder for a new food critic to make a name for himself, especially if he is a cat.  Oh yeah, I forgot to mention I am a cat, and I am a food critic.  My name is Archibald Bigglesworth and this is my story. 

                My family was pretty wealthy because of my dads connection to Dr. Evil, and I had one older sister, and one younger brother.  Now you might be wondering, how did a cat become a food critic?  I'll tell you, it wasn't easy.  It all started when I saw the movie Ratatouille.  It not only inspired me to work in food, but I thought if some stupid rat could do it then I definitely could.  My family was wealthy, my father being the cat of Dr. Evil, and had money to send me to culinary school.  Ever since Chip Nuts got into college, other colleges followed suit mostly for publicity.  Being a cat I was made fun of quite a bit, but it was not a problem because cats are elusive, and have claws.  everyone that made fun of me got what was coming to them.  Time went by and i met the only other animal student in my school.  Her name was Caterina Mittens, and she was also a cat.  We went steady for a while, but eventually she left me for a more successful cat, and I was left with a broken heart.  Those where some dark days for old Archie, but I got through it, and was stronger when I came out of it.  When i graduated I was highest in my class and most of my professors told me I was the best they had ever seen.  After I graduated I tried to start my own restaurant, and it was successful for a while but then the money stopped coming in.  I eventually sold, I tried to get into the critic game.  My strategy, was to be the harshest critic out there, and make all the restaurants earn my good review.  It worked well, even better than I hoped.  Within three years I was the top food critic in all of Europe, and it was great.  Everything changed though, when I decided to critique the infamous Rico Sanchez's restaurant the "Spotted Neck".  That is where I leave you, till next time...

Sincerely,
Archibald Bigglesworth

The Food Critic: Catatouille

                The food industry is hard game to get into, get out of, and get into.  It is even harder if you are aspiring to be a critic of the industry.  Times have never been harder for a new food critic to make a name for himself, especially if he is a cat.  Oh yeah, I forgot to mention I am a cat, and I am a food critic.  My name is Archibald Bigglesworth and this is my story.

                Now you might be wondering, how did a cat become a food critic?  I'll tell you, it wasn't easy.  It all started when I saw the movie Ratatouille.  It not only inspired me to work in food, but I thought if some stupid rat could do it then I definitely could.  My family was wealthy, my father being the cat of Dr. Evil, and had money to send me to culinary school.  Ever since Chip Nuts got into college, other colleges followed suit mostly for publicity.  I was highest in my class and most of my professors told me I was the best they had ever seen.  After I graduated I tried to start my own restaurant, and it was successful for a while but then the money stopped coming in.  I eventually sold, I tried to get into the critic game.  My strategy, was to be the harshest critic out there, and make all the restaurants earn my good review.  It worked well, even better than I hoped.  Within three years I was the top food critic in all of Europe, and it was great.  Everything changed though, when I decided to critique the infamous Rico Sanchez's restaurant the "Spotted Neck".  That is where I leave you, till next time...



Archibald Bigglesworth
 

Photograph Poem

This is Daniel, Ben and I taking a picture for this class

this is a group of friends,

who have known each other since 3rd grade.

Sticking together through the jungle 

that is the public school system.

This is the last time we will all be together for a whole year.

The last time we will be able to hang out with each other 

on a moments notice.

After this year we will all go our separate ways 

but even though we will be far

we will always be close

Michael Phelps Breaking Records

            This picture was taken as Michael Phelps broke the record for most gold medal awarded to one person, at the '08 Beijing Olympics.  Out of all the pictures from the website I remembered this one the most distinctly because my family and I where watching the Olympics very closely when this happened.  Not only did he break the record for most gold medals won, but he broke a lot of records to get to that point.  He won almost every event he was in, and he made record times in those events as well.  Basically he was the fastest swimmer up to that point, and because of that he won a ton of gold medals.  This photo was the most iconic one to me because people will always remember Michael Phelps, and what he accomplished, and personally it was probably the Olympics I followed the closest because he was in it and I was young to spend all my time watching the olympics

The Story of Jame: James' Shame

            This was the last picture James and Teddy took together.  The picture was taken on June 3rd, 1924. It was Teddy's wedding day.  Teddy was marrying one of the most beautiful women in all of Chicago, her name was Jane.  Everyone knew she was only marrying Ted for his money, everyone except Teddy.  James, Teddy's brother, had been married two years prior and was growing tired of his wife, she was admittedly a little naggy,  and had been considering having a hoe on the side, and Jane seemed like a prime candidate, but he could not do that to his brother, not on his wedding day.  A few months before the wedding Jane heard of James lust and she took him before the ceremony.  After James was too distraught to be around his family so he tried to rush out, but before he could Teddy got this last picture with him.
            Months went by and James kept his distance from the family.  On their honeymoon Jane refused to lie with Teddy, but Teddy was always a happy go lucky guy, so it did not bother him too much.  It did not bother him, until he came home to her trying to abort a baby, her love child that she had with James.  Teddy made her stop but was more melancholy than furious.  Apparently their affair had been going on ever since the wedding, he told her that if that was what she wanted then to be with James.
            Once James found out that Ted knew he immediately begged for his forgiveness, but Teddy was not ready to forgive him.  James took the child as his own but refused to be with Jane after the shame she brought on him and his family. James named his son Jame, a combination of his mother's and his father's names.

Picture Post

We took this picture for a different angle because Daniel wanted to climb a tree, and that is a different angle. #upatree

This was the picture we took of something hand written, and obvious choice because they are writing by hand on a piece of paper. #handwriten 

This was the picture we took for something that will make us think of kickapoo  because we always had good times.  #kickapoo

This was the picture we took of something in nature, because it was the most shrubbery we could find inside the school.  #shrubbery 

This a picture of Daniel hugging a storm trooper and it reminds of how dedicated he is to comedy.  #dedication 

This is a picture of some books, and the choices made in the library.  This was the picture we chose for a picture of a book.  #choices

We took this picture for someone who always makes me smile, because no one else can pull of a turtle neck like the lunch guy.  #lunchguy 

This picture was for something square because the signs that tell you where classrooms are, are square.  #squaresigns

This is a picture of Ben getting a drink next to a circular trash can, we used for something that is a circle because the trash can is round.  #trash

This is Daniel getting upset at a science poster, we chose this picture for something that makes you angry. #science

This is a picture of Ben and Daniel acting scared of the dinosaur in the science wing.  #dinosaur

This is my picture for something that looks like a face.  It is pretty cliche but it is the only thing i could find that looked like a face around the school.  #outlet

This is the picture we took for something reminiscent, and although I never played soccer they did, and I just kept the picture. #idk

Spooky Comments

I read Ben LeMon's post from Tuesday

Hello there friend,
I loved this story, it had almost everything that makes a story great.  A good hook, interesting plot twists and a great ending.  I liked how the story went full circle from beginning to end. I like the puns and how much Jason Seagull meant to the gang.  Overall it was a great story and I loved it, well done.
Sincerely Riley

I also read his Harris Burdick Story

Hey there,
Firstly the last line was great, animal puns always get me.  Also I liked how many times you used time puns throughout the story.  I liked how the beginning kind of elaborates on Rico's past and how he lived with velociraptors, that was awesome. It's too bad he had to leave his brethren.  All in all another great Rico story. Keep 'em coming
Riley

And lastly I read his Edward Hopper piece

Hello Again,
You have done it again. Tens across the board for this one.  I loved the humor, and how it switched perspective from first person to third person at random times. I also really liked the intro and how it was like a old time TV show. Also I liked the detail on how Rico was looking that day.  Great work man.
Riley

I also read some of Daniels posts

Hey,
Most of the answers for your questions are really good and relatable.  I really like you answer for the first question, because I like getting up early too.  There is something about being awake when no one else is that is kind of peaceful.  Good stuff.
Riley

Hello,
This story was great.  Rico and Kermit should get together more often.  It is too bad that Chip had to die, but a story of this proportion had to have some casualties.  I understand.  I am also glad that they brought back Owl Pichino and expect to see more from the once dead owl. Great work.
Riley

Hi,
I really liked this poem.  I liked how it is not you average every day poem about deep stuff but it is a funny poem about two people and a chicken.  I liked how each stanza was in a different characters perspective.  As always, great job.
Riley

Harris Burdick Story

A tiny voice asked, "Is he the one?"  The other voice said, " How am I supposed to know."  The boy did not look like much, but their father had told them to find this boy and guide him, because he would save the world.  The two beings just sat there ad waited for the boy to wake up and finally he did.

He was curious at first, because no one in the room knew what he would save the world from but he went along with whatever the two beings said.  Eventually they asked him what he was good at, and he answered, "Little light, I'm only good for one thing. And that's for playing the heck out of my saxophone."  The lights where confused, but then it hit them.  This boy was not supposed to save the world from physical danger, he was supposed to save it from musical danger.  The boy was going to be bring back the bee boppin good times of the jazz age, and bring back jazz music as a whole.

The beings did not really know what to think.  Personally neither of them where very big fans of jazz music, but they knew what they had to do. No one said it was going to be easy, but some one had to do it.

Owl Pichino, An Origin Story

The night was young, and so was I.  I was just a wee owl when they came.  Everyone knows Giraffes and Owls are sworn enemies, and that night they came for me.  My name is Owl Pichino, and this is my story.

"The Long Necks" were a gang of punk giraffes living in suburban Chicago, when they came for my family.  The reason they came for us was that the Pichino family was, in those days, a crime lord of the Windy City.  They killed everyone in my family and I was left alone, and only my aunt was there to take care of me.  I took the crime throne after, because I was the only suitable heir.  In those days it wasn't called Chi-Town it was called my town.  Things where great, I was making bank, and making the big time the only way I knew how, 100% 24/7.  I even met Jay Gatsby, and we where pretty good pals for a while.  Life was good until December 7th, 1941.  I was called to serve the United Stated Army, and everything changed.

I was in enemy territory from D- Day to VE-Day, and being at war for that long changes an owl, makes you realize whats really important ya know?  The men on my platoon where a few cool guys, real tough guys, they met it hard for an owl to fit in.  Eventually I won the respect of my platoon when I beat them all in a dance off.  They never questioned me, or my dance moves ever again.  

After the war I came back home and destroyed everything my family had worked to achieve.  I also heard my boy Jay Gatsby died.  That was a rough time.  Jay was my boy.  We would go yachting, and sometimes we would prank neighboring houses together.  Occasionally he would get deep and tell my about his lost bae, he was a very emotional guy.  Ever the dreamer, Jay Gatsby was one of the greatest men I ever knew.  Now back to the story.

After I put away my life of crime, I joined the force.  I'm not talking Star Wars, although I was a Sith Lord for a little later on down this rocky road we call life, I'm talking police force.  I also met a girl.  A real fox. Her name was Foxy, and she was literally a  fox.  Things where going well, until I was assigned my partner. Rico. Flippin. Sanchez.  He was a great partner don't get me wrong.  He was more than a friend to me he was a brother.  I told him my whole life story, and he betrayed me.  Ever since he and Foxy met I knew they where having an affair, the worst was that he never told me.  I might have forgiven him.

One night while I was sleeping I got a text.  I looked at my phone and the text was just a picture of me sleeping.  This scared me a little bit, and I screamed ," Whooooose there.  Whoooooo".  I kept screaming who for a little bit, because my owl instincts came over me but then I heard something.  A rustling in the bushes outside, and then silence again.  The silence was unbearable, and I started to panic and I ran for my gun, but before I could get to it Rico came in the door, with a gun to my beak, and three other giraffe thugs behind him.  It turns out he had been a part of the Long Neck Gang all along, and was there inside man on the police force, and he was there to finish the job.  He shot my square in the face and left.  Our bond meant nothing to him.  Rico Sanchez is a sociopath who cares for nothing except Jason Seagull, and occasionally a spoon.  They assumed me dead and left. I was dead for a little while, but luckily I had a plan for revenge. 

Rico Sanchez: A Chip Nuts Halloween

On Halloween night, while trick-or-treating we passed the cemetery. Suddenly we all felt a cold and spooky wind, imagine my tongue in your mouth. That’s what it was like. Kermit, Rico, and Chip all had their equal share of candy that night. Man were they jazzed. We of course are not talking about real candy, we are talking about the sweet sweet taste of crack cocaine. Perched on top of Rico, Kermit and Chip ride that spotted beast bareback as they jam out to Monster Mash. As we stumble through the graveyard, we make our way to our boy, Jason Seagull’s grave. Can we just add a few sentences on Jason Seagull real quick? Is he a Muppet or a man? I will tell you, he is somewhere in-between. This is the essence of the Seagull, he flies by his own rules riding on the wind of destiny. Not bound by the mortality of man, but sadly he passed away five years ago in a freak Seadoo accident. No one loved their Seadoo like Seagull, he went down doing what he loved, just like Paul Walker.  Oh it’s been a long day without you my friend. I will tell you all about it when I Seagull you again. Back to the story.

I’m not usually one for wet faces, but mine was like a flippin rain storm, pitter-patter pitter-patter. The sound of my pain echoes in my brain. Rico and gang were surrounding Seagulls grave now mourning the loss of a great man. In the corner of their eye they see a giant frog king, nothing too crazy. But don’t get me wrong, it was crazy. He was performing an ancient ceremony only know to the frog people. He drew a 100 emoji on an unmarked grave with the blood of his enemies. I felt witchcraft in the air, and then I saw the corpse of my once good friend Owl Pacino rise from the huna emoji. He was wearing a black robe and a red light saber. He could only be one thing, a Sith Lord. There back baby, and were are not talking Star wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. We are talking about real Sith, original trilogy bro. Luckily, we double jumped away in the wrong direction with Frog King in tail. Again we were left alone with Jason. Why Jason?

They were after us. Owl’s vengeance was like that of an angry old man. Crazy but stern like a ship. Starship, Star Wars. Yeah baby! As they levitated off the ground, no more than three maybe four inches. They force lighting Chip in the back. He was dead. It’s okay though, no one really knew why he was there. He just kind of showed up, did he even know Jason? Idk man. Honestly, the less weight on my back the better. He always talked up his pool game, newsflash buddy squirrels can’t play pool. One thing lead to another and we were on the Titanic, couldn’t tell you how, maybe Jason, I know you’re out there somewhere. As it turns out Leo was on this same departure. No one could fill the void that Jason left, but Leo did a pretty good job. I dreamt of him. Inception. Now back to the story.

Sith Lord AquaPacino flew in to see it set sail. As the gang made their maiden voyage, Owl had his own plans. Calling forth all spirit animals of the deep in both dimensions, he was attempting to sink the Titanic for the second time. Little did he know one guy claimed it was unsinkable.   Owl didn’t care. Like a pine in the winter, Kermit was still green. Any hoot, a lot of sea creatures started fondling the boat, I think I even saw the Kraken. I was awakened from my dream of Leo by moans of the deep. It could only be one thing. Owl had finally found us. Luckily we had recruited the Jack Sparrow and he had been following us the whole time in the black pearl. Jack Sparrow and crew suddenly board our ship, eager to engage in ballroom dancing. Prior to getting on the Titanic, everyone agreed to have a formal before the final battle royale. I put on my best suit and so did Kermit, and we went just as friend’s maybe more. We will see how the night goes. Everyone was there, Kraken on Piano and as the stand-up comedian. Boy was he Kraken everyone up. Our eyes locked as Owl entered the room, looking as suave as ever. Dang could the talons fit in a pair of nice oxfords. We decide to dance. We were once close partners, but this would be the last time we were partners.  We requested “Forever Young” and hit the floor.  Swaying to and fro I realized I missed the old times.  I think I saw a tear in his eye. I knew he felt it too.  After the dramatic finale of that great song Owl took off his white glove and slapped me across the face with it.  “I trusted you,” he said, “and you betrayed me.  See you on the battlefield bub.” With that he exited and the party died down a little after that.  Me and Kermit went back to the room and got a good night sleep before the big fight.

The morning was the first time we realized how screwed we were. Man. It was literally just me and Kermit and Captain Jack against Owl and the creatures of the deep.  Luckily we had made an ally during the dance.  His name was Jim he was a pretty cool guy.  Once the battle started Cap Jack shot at the titanic attempting to hit the Kraken, but he punctured the hull and hit Jim.  Direct impact, I’ve never seen anything like it.  A little embarrassed Captain Jack sailed away, and we were alone.  Backed in to a corner on a sinking ship we thought it was over. But behold, the Seagull lives.

Riding on the back of a giant Seagull, Jason flew into our rescue, and took us away from the troubles of the world.  Like he always does. Force throwing his light saber he executes the kill command, dealing 10 damage directly to Owl Pacino. Death upon impact. Not a tragedy. The light saber returned to Jason’s hand with the blood of many, he killed the entire ship without leaving the seagull. This is why I love him. When the hammer fell, Jason and gang stood resolute. He keeps me safe. . .

. . . After we came off the drugs we realized it was all just a dream.  That cocaine was laced with something man.  We came to in a bath tub with a titanic toy.  I and Kermit were okay, but Chip drowned, he wasn’t a strong swimmer.  Jason was the one to come and drain the bath and give us a towel.  Jason Seagull is my boy.

Written in part by Ben, Brown, and that other guy(DAN). 

Dan in Real Life Questions

30. Are you good bowler?
I would not say I am a good bowler now, but I used to be alright.  Back in the third grade me and my bowling team won the school championship, so against other third graders I was pretty alright.  I appreciate people who are really good at bowling because they are cool to watch, and I am pretty good at wii sports bowling.  That pretty much sums up my bowling experience.

26. Marty says, "Love isn't a feeling. It's an ability."  Is that true?
I think that some of what Marty said is true but not all true.  I think that love is an ability and a feeling in that some people, I think, have more of a capacity to love others more.  I think love is a feeling to everyone but only an ability to some.

21. Does your family do large gatherings with interesting sleeping arrangements and lots of activities like Dan's?
About twice a year, my family goes to our family lake house and stays for a weekend or so.  Some of the activities we do are going out on the boat, and typical lake stuff like that, or staying in and playing on the Nintendo 64 or the original Nintendo.  The house is big enough for all of us so we do not normally have weird sleeping arrangements, but occasionally family and friends will come and people have to deal with a trundle bed or a couch.

20.  Do you think asking questions makes you a good conversationalist?
I think asking questions makes the conversation go on longer but I do not think it makes you a good conversationalist.  If your only asking questions it would be a very one sided conversation, and the other person would still leave without knowing anything about the question asker.

17.  Describe your perfect day.
My perfect day, that does not include things and people that are either dead or not real, would probably start with sleeping in until nine or so, and then I would go to hang out with my friends.  The problem with real life is that everyone is always busy so we can't all get together, but in my perfect day all of my friends would come and hang out.  We would either go snowboarding, longboarding, or play football in cold weather.  after the activities we would all go to Ruby Tuesdays and all sit at the table and eat dinner.  After that we would go out and just hangout, maybe see a movie, and go home when we got tired.

Movie Quotes

Movie Post

       I do not really have a favorite movie but I really like super hero movies and more sci fi stuff.  I enjoy movie that make you think, like Inception or The Prestige.  Most of the movies that come out of Syncopy Inc. are my favorites.  Mostly super hero stuff and good sci fi like Star Wars or Lord of the Rings are my favorites.
       When I watch a movie in the theater I like to have popcorn and a drink.  I like the people I sit next to, if I sit next to anyone, to be quiet.  I like to go to the Springfield 11 so I can sit in the really comfy chairs.  I hate it though when people start messing with the chairs so they squeak. That annoys me.  If I am at home I prefer to watch a movie in the middle of the day, because I do not like watching movies before I go to bed if I am at home.  Also, if I am at home I do not really need food to watch a movie.
        I watch most movies in my house, but if I go to see one in the theater I usually go to the Springfield 11 or the B&B.  I go to the Springfield 11 because they have good sears, but if it is too crowded I go to the B&B because no one is ever there.
      According to the survey I watch movies to escape and socialize most of the time, but the other options where very close in percentage.  Also, my personality type with the highest percent was conscientious.
       If my life where made into a movie I do not know who would play me, but if they only made my life up to now it would be pretty boring at alot of parts.  The only exciting things would be from drumline stuff but that is about it.  It would probably be a documentary or something like that because my life is not really an action movie or anything.

Future Post

-  Two things I thought where interesting from the presentation where that he had amazon make his books for him, and how he started out writing children's books.
-  I wondered if he was still a financial worker, and if not how he was making money.
-  In one year I would like to be settled in to the college life, so it is not so stressful to think about anymore.  In five years I would like to have a wife or serious girlfriend and be pretty prepared for whatever job or further education I might do.  In 50 years I would like to have a family and possibly grand kids, and if all goes well I might be retired already.

Picasso Poems

The Old Guitarist

I lost everything
No food or shelter
At least I still have my guitar
I do not have a job or a home
My family has flown from me
But at least I still have my guitar
So for now I sit on curbs and play
and try to please the ears of people who pass by
Hoping they will spare me some of their change
I play my guitar










Garcon a la Pipe

I wanted spaghetti
but I got soup
why did I get soup
I really wanted spaghetti
I guess I'll just eat it with a spoon
Why am I wearing all denim
It's to hot for denim
Whats up with all these flowers
they're even in my hair
How did I get here

Art Walk Painting

                                 It is full of brownish and reddish colors with clack squiggly lines running through it. There is a little patch of blue but it is not very big, and the bottom is white and as it goes up the color comes in more and more. It is abstract and you cannot really its of unless you use your imagination. It reminds me of an animal like a bull, or a thanksgiving centerpiece.

I forgot to take a picture and couldn't find a picture of it.  This looks kind of like it.

This painting is brown
and looks like it is dirty
it is abstract art

Artist Profile

                        My artist profile is on Pablo Picasso, who was born on October 25, 1881 and died on April 18, 1973.  Picasso's hometown was Malaga Spain, and his parents where Don Jose Ruiz and Maria Picasso Lopez.  Ironically Picasso's dad was a painter and helped him perfect his craft at an early age.  Picasso had two sisters and a wife, one of the sisters however died at the age of seven.  Picasso lived through almost every significant war of the 20th century and did not fight in any  of them.  While becoming famous he struggled for money and a friend committed suicide.  Once he got famous however he founded and co-founded some major art movements, including cubism, constructed sculpture, and collage.  He worked in Paint, sculpture, and ceramics, and his famous works includes The Weeping Women, Guevnica, Les Demoiselles d'Avignon.  The two pieces I liked where The Old Guitar, which is an all blue painting of an old man playing the guitar, and the Violon, which is an abstract painting of a violin.

Reading Six Word Memoirs

                  I liked reading these memoirs because they where short and simplistic, but you could also tell they had a lot of meaning behind them.  I read Jacob, Zach, and M'Kenna's and I though all of them where pretty good.


Hey Jacob
I like how simplistic your memoir was.  I liked also that you could tell it had a lot of thought behind it.
Riley Brown

Hey Zach,
I like how you thought outside the box and wrote a whole bunch of stuff in in six word lines.  Good Stuff.
Riley Brown

Hey M'Kenna
I really like some of these, especially don't eat the last cookie.  That's so true
Riley Brown

Six Word Memoir

Been doing pretty alright since 1998

A Fatal Attraction

A Fatal Attraction

The Moses Herzog Story

If I am out of my mind, it's all right with me, thought Moses Herzog.  While his name was Moses few people called him that anymore.  Moses Herzog was a hobo, and most people mostly just referred to as Mo or Herzog the Hog.  His home was a box and he only had one pair of clothes, but you should not feel too bad for old Mo because he was a murderer and a thief.  In truth he was a monster who did what it took to survive.  After he got out of prison he went into a life of poverty and continued in his life of crime, but he did not go at it alone.  His accomplice was none other than the infamous giraffe Rico Sanchez. 

                Mo and Rico met during their shared jail time and got acquainted quickly because not only where they cell mates, but Mo loved giraffes, and he loved Rico.  When they both got out they decided to meet up and take the world by the tail and wrestle around with it.  In the beginning, Mo thought of Rico as a friend, maybe even as a brother, but as they got closer his feelings grew more.  Mo started to realize that he did not want to live without Rico, but he knew they could not be together.  None the less, Rico and Mo could not be closer, and while Rico had affection for Mo he was a sociopath so it was only out of self-gain that they stayed together. 

                One night when they were planning to rob a bank Mo got the idea to confess his love to Rico, because he just could not hold it in anymore.  One knows they are in love when they don’t want to dream because their reality is better than their dreams.  So while they were planning the robbery Mo let the cat out of the bag, and Rico was mortified, it was one ugly cat.  He told Mo that he was not interested, and had a side bae named Foxy Pachino.  Instead of feeling despair, all Mo felt for Rico was hatred.  As tears filled his eyes he stormed out and left their hideout.  When he came back for his things Rico was gone along with all of Mo’s possessions.  Something snapped inside of Mo in that moment, something came out of him that only a giraffe like Rico Sanchez could bring out in a man.  Hatred turned to rage, and Mo went searching for the giraffe he once loved.

                He knew he would find him with her.  The one who stole him from him.  As Mo walked up to the door he broke it down and went straight into the bedroom.  He found them there, and caring nothing but a knife Mo killed Foxy, while Rico tried to run away.  In the hustle and bustle of the murder Mo tried to throwing knife that beanbag named Rico, so he threw it and hoped for the best. The knife came down, missing him by inches, and he took off.

Opening and Closing quotes

"If I am out of my mind, it's all right with me, thought Moses Herzog."

This quote is the opening line of Herzog by Saul Bellow, and it follows a jewish man named Moses as he goes through a midlife crisis in the 60's.  The book was published on September 21st, 1964, and it has won some awards and titles.  I would probably not read this book because it seems like it would be really dry, if it is just about a guy writing letters after his second divorce.

"The knife came down, missing him by inches, and he took off."

This quote is from the book Catch 22 by Joseph Heller.  Published on November 11, 1961, the book takes place in World War II and follows the airmen of the fictional 256th squadron.  The book is considered one of the best books written in the 20th century and is famous for it's obscure timeline and chronology.  I would probably read this book because I enjoy reading famous books, and it seems like it would be pretty good.

Chip Nuts: The Squirrel, The Legend

                    When I was a boy I knew I was destined for great things.  I couldn't tell you how I knew but I did.  On my way to the top there where haters, not gonna lie, but like I always say "haters are my motivators".  My name is Chip Nuts, and I was the first squirrel to go to college, and this is my legacy.  

                    I grew up in an upper middle class squirrel home.  My childhood home was a sturdy oak tree and my parents had normal squirrel lives.  I was an only child, but my brother Barry was my best friend.We had good times as kids, going out and gathering nuts, and storing them in our cheeks.  those where the good days, the days I look back on and remember being happy.  But something isn't beautiful because it lasts forever.  One day while me and Barry where collecting nuts he got it in his head to cross the road.  Sometimes Barry could be a real dumby.  And he decided to cross to late.  He was hit by a mini van, and I watched him die.  I had to tell my ma and pa.  Those where dark days.  I started drinking, and I lost myself for a while.  The thing that brought me back was the pool table at the local bar.  The first few times I played I was pretty good, but I got a lot of hate because they all said a squirrel couldn't play pool.  That was my motivation.  I practiced every day after that and slowly came off the booze.  The game of pool was my saving grace.  

                       Eventually I started playing for money and helped my parents out with a little financial problem.  The stock market crash in '08 hit us all hard.  Eventually I started playing in regional and national tournaments.  Being a squirrel gave me a competitive advantage, because no one expected to be playing a squirrel.  In 2010 I won my first national tournament.  After that I started receiving letters from Stanford asking me to join their team and I could go to school for free.  That was when I realized I could go to college.  "You can't play pool" they said, "you can't go to college" they said.  "Don't let your dreams be dreams" - Shia Labeouf.

         

Quotes

"Any cheese before a date is too much cheese"

Writers as Readers

1. When ever I am reading I do not like to sit by windows because the glare makes it hard for me to stay focused. I do not normally eat anything before I eat do not eat while I read.  As far as environments go I think I am most comfortable at a desk with the book laying on the desk, but sometimes I will read in a chair or in my bed.  The ideal environment is at a desk though.

2.  I like reading books that I know have symbolism, and trying to find it in the text.  Specifically I enjoy reading books with christian symbolism, because I am a christian.  As far as genres go I do not really have a preference.  I like reading books that where written a long time ago, and enjoy lyrical writing and the old style language that uses thy's and thee's.  Now I will only read something that I know will mean something deeper, something for a class, and certain classics that spark my interest.

5.  A book series that I could not put down was the Lightning Thief series, which where my favorite books back in the day.  It was the first book that I had ever read that made me desire to read more.  I consider the first book that got me into reading.  The book was like watching an awesome movie that went on for a really long time, and you could stop and pause to come back whenever you wanted.  I remember liking it so much that I was proud to put the book on my desk when I went to school.  On the other hand a book that was hard to get through was A Tale of Two Cities.  That book was quite boring, and I eventually just gave up on it.

7.  The first book I remember reading cover to cover was a "Bailey School Kids" book about a werewolf at a summer camp.  " Bailey School Kids" if you have never read it is basically a worse version of goosebumps, and less scary.  The book intrigued me at the time but looking back on it it was probably terrible.  I remember the plot was these campers thought one of their counselors was  werewolf because they heard howls at night and he had a lot of hair and ate a lot of meat.  In the end it turned out the counselor was just a hairy guy who liked to eat meet, and there wolves in the woods.  That's how terrible it was. But I still read it and felt pretty accomplished when I did.

   

 

Memorable Passage

“There is no other day. All days are present now. This moment contains all moments.” 
- C.S. Lewis  The Great Divorce

                    I think about this quote a lot from day to day.  When I first read it it was hard for me to understand but I got it eventually.  I took it to mean that if a christian is not actively searching God one day, then they will not be very inclined to do it the next.  Basically, if your too lazy to do it today you will not do it tomorrow.  I think about it often even in things that do not apply to Christianity.  I think about the most when I feel like I just do not want to do work but should for my best interest.   

If I Were in Charge of the World Poem

If I were in charge of the world
I'd cancel cold showers,
dentist appointments,
boring books, and also
diced onions

If I were in charge of the world
there'd be more drumlines,
longer winters, and
cooler weather

If I where in charger of the world
you wouldn't have homework.
You wouldn't have eyes that get heavy.
You wouldn't have dried up kraft mac and cheese.
Or "I'm too hot."
You wouldn't even have hot, the high would be eighty only a few days in the summer

If I were in charge of the world
pasta would be a vegetable.
All colleges would be free.
And someone who sometimes forgot to answer every question
and sometimes messed up
would still be allowed to be
in charge of the world.

Dream Post

                      I have never had an out of body experience or anything like that.  I have never attempted to lucid dream for fear of sleep paralysis.  I have had some pretty great dreams though. One of the best dreams I have had in a while occurred actually pretty recently.  In the dream I was in a big room and it was just after a band competition, or something like that, and news reporters where coming around and interviewing every performer.  After all the interviewing had died down one of the reporters came up to me and told me I should watch the news story because almost everyone had complimented me or the drumline.  After that one of my friends who used to be in the drumline walked into the room.  After he quit I never got to see him again so we walked up to each other and hugged, and shared a few laughs.  After that the drumline had to go outside and some how I started flying around like a bird.  I remember flying really fast and being able to tilt my arms to turn and flap my arms to fly higher, but I was still me, I wasn't in a birds body or anything.  While flying around I saw my parents driving on a go-cart track and was about to run into them when I woke up.

The Free Bird Poem

The free bird is not bound to this earth
He can leave it for the sky when ever he feels
Everything to him is temporary

Fleeting the earth may be, but the bird can leave it for things above
Relieving his hunger for something more
Earth is not his home, but for now he will stay there
Emptiness is all he feels without the sky

Blissfully he flies
Ignorant of the things below
Ready for what lies above
Dreadfully, he anticipates his landing

Dream Threads

                    The sky was really green for some reason, and I had a friend there, but I can't remember who.  We where walking down a street at night, and the sky reminded me of the deep green you would see if you where flying over the ocean.  As we where walking we heard people coming up behind us saying, "On your right".  We pulled off to the side and saw there tons of people rolling by.  Some of them where on skateboards, some of them where on bikes, and some of them where in roller blades.  After they passed a man came behind them carrying a bike on his back and came up to us.  He asked were we where traveling to. Even though we did not answer a portal appeared and my friend left.  I was going through the very detailed, psychedelic purple portal.

Writers Dreaming

Writers Dreaming

                3. The question asks whether or not talking about bad dreams or thoughts gives them too much power.  In my opinion I think not talking about them gives them power, because if you’re not going to talk about it that means it has some kind of hold or power over you.  I think that about things that you are struggling with, but if it is something like gossip, that’s a different story.  I think if it is a thing that will hurt someone else it should not be talked about, but if it is about something hurting you then you need to talk about it.

                 9. “What things occupy your small mind in a good and bad way?”  My answer to the first part of the question is probably music occupies my small mind in a good way.  While music is something I am serious about, I doubt I am going to make a career out of it so it is a nice thing to use to pass the time.  A bad thing that occupies my small brain is probably laziness or boredom, because I do not accomplish anything when I get that way.  Overall, I have a lot of things that occupy my small mind.

                6.  The question asks are you comfortable speaking in different languages and if you could learn a few what would they be and why.  I am pretty comfortable speaking in a different language, I just do not know it very well.  I took two Spanish classes and I cannot remember much from either.  If I could speak any language It would be either Greek or Hebrew, because both of those languages are associated with the bible and it would be cool to read the bible the way it was meant to be read.  The question also asks if I think just speaking English is fine since we live in America.  I think that it is a good thing to learn about other cultures but I do not think people who do not care about learning other languages are in the wrong.

                5. “Could you go five years without talking?”  I probably could not go five years without talking because I would feel like I would start to annoy myself and other people.  I am a relatively quiet person, depending on who I am around, so if I was around people I did not know for a few days, I probably would not say much at all.  I think an advantage to listening more is you see where people are coming from better, where as if your only waiting to talk you do not know if you will offend them or not.  On the other hand there is a time to speak up, but that does not mean it is all the time.

                7. The question asks if you’re the kind of person who can remember everything or nothing.  I think I am the type of person who remembers most things from the past.  Things I have trouble remembering are mostly short term things.  For example I can remember freshman and sophomore year pretty well, but I have trouble remembering junior year because it feels like I am still in it.

Color Piece

The Planets

             All of the planets are based on roman mythology, and the planet Neptune is blue.  Neptune is the god of the ocean, who rules the seas and sea creatures of the earth.  Neptune can often be remembered as wielding a trident, and commanding great waves and winds to either help sailors or hurt them, and ironically Neptune has a moon named triton, who astronomers assume, will crash in to Neptune and destroy it.  It seems fitting that astronomers should name this ice giant planet after the roman god of water. 

               

Neptune’s brother on the other hand is Jupiter, and while the planet is not a perfect shade of this his color is white.  Jupiter is the king of all the gods and father to most of them as well. He is the god of lightning and the sky’s, and he is often remembered as wielding a lightning bolt from his throne on a cloud.  When someone thinks of a god they probably picture Jupiter because everyone pictures a god with a flowing beard and that’s how he is depicted in a lot of roman art.  

Jupiter‘s son, Mars, is the roman god of war, and the planet named after him is red.  In the mythology Mars was the general of the armies of Rome and the gods, because of this he spilled a lot of blood earning him the planet that resembles the color of blood the most.  Being the greatest warrior in roman mythology it is good that Mars, received the crimson planet.

Lastly, Pluto the brother to Jupiter and Neptune, who is god if the underworld and his planet is a dim blackish grey.  Pluto and his brothers, after defeating the titans were awarded with the earth and basically his brothers got the cool stuff and Pluto got the underworld.  Because Pluto is the king of the underworld he presides and watches over all the dead people who are in the afterlife, whether they lived a good life or not.  So he pampers the people who were good and torturers the people who were bad in the over world.  Overall, Pluto is a pretty dark planet and roman god.